Although Shiba Kaien was clearly headed for trouble, Gaoyu couldn't do anything about it.
He didn't know where Shiba Kaien was right now, so he couldn't save him.
Besides, he'd already obtained Shiba Kaien's "Similar Person"...
Forget it. It didn't matter.
As Gaoyu had said a long time ago, and as his awakened Zanpakuto reflected, he made friends everywhere, but...
He was only pretending to make friends.
He never gave his heart to anyone. He only hoped they would give theirs to him. From the moment he befriended someone, he had a selfish motive, and under those circumstances, it was hard for him to be sincere.
So he could only sink into Solitary Hell. Solitary Hell was both his ability and his situation.
To be fair, spending time together often did lead to some affection. Renji, Hinamori, Tōshirō, Rangiku, and the others...
But Shiba Kaien was entirely a tool he'd deliberately built up a favorable impression with in order to obtain a Soul Ability. He didn't have any particular feelings about him.
If he could save him, he would.
If he couldn't, so be it.
So he stayed in the Fifth Division until the final candidates were chosen.
Based on the opinions of the thirteen Captains, they finally decided that the Tenth and Eleventh Divisions would go to Hueco Mundo.
The members of the first Hueco Mundo expedition had all been connected to those two divisions.
The first expedition had mainly consisted of Shiba Kaien and Shinigami from the Eleventh Division. This time, they would send Isshin Shiba, who was connected to Kaien, and Kenpachi Zaraki, Captain of the Eleventh Division.
Having to team up with Kenpachi Zaraki would be an ordeal, but Isshin Shiba should be able to handle it.
Gaoyu mourned for Isshin Shiba—or rather, for Rangiku—for a