Ise Nanao ultimately left together with Shunsui Kyōraku.
Nanao's departure left Haruko Kuchiki feeling down for a long time.
But there was nothing to be done about it.
Ise Nanao had burdens of her own to bear.
The fall of the Ise Family caused quite a stir among the nobles, yet it barely raised a ripple in the Seireitei, much less throughout Soul Society.
After all, ordinary Shinigami still made up the majority within the Seireitei.
Moreover, the nobles lived separately from ordinary people. The Ise Family had little reputation outside their circles, and with the nobles deliberately or inadvertently suppressing information available to commoner Shinigami, the information those Shinigami could obtain was extremely limited.
Even becoming a captain of the Gotei 13 did little to change that.
Take Aizen Sosuke, for instance. Whenever he wanted intelligence, he still had to sneak into the Great Spirit Library Corridor to look through its records.
Even Ailin would have known nothing about many matters if not for the memories of his past life.
Ailin stayed with Haruko for several days, only feeling reassured after her mood recovered.
After the Female Shinigami Association requisitioned the Kuchiki Clan's garden once again, Ailin left the Kuchiki residence to take a stroll and clear his mind.
He casually found an Izakaya, ordered a bottle of sake and several small dishes, and enjoyed the peace of the moment.
Then, Ailin suddenly heard the Shinigami at the next table discussing Aizen Sosuke.
"Kyōsa, did you gain anything from asking Vice-Captain Aizen for guidance this time?"
"Ah, of course I did!"
The Shinigami being questioned boasted to his friend as if he had found treasure. "I'd barely told Vice-Captain Aizen about the problems I encountered in training when he immediately gave me better advice."
"And in the end, Vice-Captain