Captains Assemble

Five days later, under a new guise, Diezuka Hiroe finally returned to the familiar Seireitei.

No one could possibly recognize the old Soul Reaper named Ao, who wore a white mask and a coarse, sapphire-blue robe, as him. The difference was too vast between a dear friend of Lord Kuchiki Ginrei and a notorious wanted criminal.

"To be gravely ill for over a hundred years without raising suspicion," Hiroe, now in the identity of Ao, said in a hearty voice from within the Kuchiki family hall. "Your pretty boy face is still useful, isn't it!"

Yamamoto had gone to great lengths and pains for Ao's identity. During Hiroe's six years at the Spiritual Arts Academy, most of his time was spent memorizing every detail and familiarizing himself with Ao's persona.

For instance, Kuchiki Ginrei, due to his emphasis on appearance, had been handsome in his youth, earning him the nickname "pretty boy" from others. Not many people still remembered this nickname.

Hearing the nickname he hadn't heard in ages, the wrinkles on Kuchiki Ginrei's face seemed to deepen. "Zhuyun? Or perhaps Shinji? Since you're here, there's no need to hide anymore!"

Quite a few old friends had chosen to live in seclusion or wander the world back then, and Kuchiki Ginrei couldn't immediately tell which of them Ao was.

"Past events are like clouds and smoke, why bring them up again?" Hiroe replied faintly, pointing to his mask. "If you're truly bothered, you can try to take it off yourself. I'll see if you've really lost your strength over the years."

This was exactly as Old Man Yama had said: the Kuchiki family was the proudest and most concerned with noble reputation. They considered unprovoked fighting to be rude and ugly, so they usually ignored general provocations, only drawing their swords for honor and rules.

Just as Old Man Yama had said, Kuchiki Ginrei didn't even bother to respond, merely gesturing for him to do as he pleased before kneeling by the tea table to drink his tea alone.

Hiroe then slyly sidled up again, cupping his hands around his mouth like a microphone, and whispered into Kuchiki Ginrei's ear, "Hey, you really want to know who I am, don't you? Beg me, and I'll show you. How about it?"

He choked on his tea before he could even swallow it. Seeing Ginrei covering his mouth and coughing, Hiroe burst into laughter. These old men were usually like robots, but they were quite endearing when their true feelings were exposed!

Afterward, Ginrei sealed his hearing with spiritual power and completely ignored Hiroe. They sat in silence until the half-moon rose and night fully descended.

Many guests had come to visit the Kuchiki family today. Hiroe was an early arrival; now was the time for others to make their proper entrance.

Yamamoto arrived first. After nodding to the two people inside, he sat down at the head seat without ceremony and closed his eyes to rest.

Next came Shihoin Dozo. Unlike five days ago at Huaixiang Pavilion, he was wearing his captain's haori this time. This meant his current identity was not the head of the Shihoin family, but the captain of the Second Division of the Gotei 13th.

"It seems I've arrived quite early," Dozo said with a smile. Seeing Hiroe beside him, he knew he was the "Ao" Yamamoto had mentioned and was about to exchange pleasantries when a soft voice from behind him stopped him.

"Following Lord Dozo, it seems I'm not late~"

The newcomer was a woman with raven-black hair tied into two braids that rested on her chest. Her small face had delicate features, and her eyes, often curved into crescents when she smiled, evoked a sense of pity.

However, the captain's haori she wore proved she was no ordinary frail woman. The character "Four" on the back of her haori indicated the division she commanded: the captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13th – Unohana Retsu.

From the moment she appeared, Hiroe's eyes hadn't blinked. After so many years, Sister Hana was still as beautiful as ever!

Yamamoto, seated at the head, coughed lightly. Unohana and Dozo, hearing the sound, immediately stopped their idle chat. Dozo, with Unohana behind him, stood side-by-side to Yamamoto's left.

In reality, Yamamoto's true intention was to remind Hiroe, who was staring blankly. He had always frequented the Fourth Division since childhood; how could he not understand the boy's feelings? Now that the child had grown up, should he consider his lifelong happiness? Yamamoto mused to himself.

Just then, four captains arrived in succession: the captain of the Seventh Division, Aikawa Love, with his distinctive round afro; the captain of the Ninth Division, Muguruma Kensei, with neat white short hair; the new captain of the Third Division, Otoribashi Rojuro, with long, curly blonde hair and a handsome face framed by beautiful women; and the captain of the Fifth Division, Hirako Shinji, yawning with his forehead completely hidden by thick bangs.

These four were of the same generation and had a good rapport privately. When Otoribashi Rojuro recently took over the captaincy of the Third Division, the four were dubbed the "Strongest Quartet." Exceptional people are naturally drawn to each other; this was likely their situation.

"More secret authorizations, more clandestine meetings... I feel like the days of toiling endlessly are beckoning me once more! Sigh~" Hirako Shinji sighed in complaint.

"What a coincidence, I see the same thing you do!" Kyoraku Shunsui, captain of the Eighth Division, had just arrived and heard Hirako voice his own thoughts. He slung an arm around Hirako's shoulder and whispered, "So, shall we go for a drink later while we have some free time?"

Ukitake Jushiro, captain of the Thirteenth Division, who had arrived with Kyoraku, was about to remind him when another person joined their embrace: Shiba Isshin, captain of the Tenth Division, wearing the "Ten" captain's haori.

"Count me in, and call Hiyori and Lisa too, to pour us drinks! Heh heh!"

"You two go ahead. Staying up late causes hair loss." Hirako broke free from their grasp and listlessly stood opposite Unohana, muttering to himself, "If I really go bald, Hiyori will laugh her head off, won't she?"

"Sorry, am I late?"

"Kirio? Don't worry, one person hasn't arrived yet, so you're not the latest!" Shiba Isshin saw the purple-haired woman who had just arrived and made a drinking gesture with his thumb and index finger forming a circle. "Want to grab a drink after this?"

The newcomer was Hikifune Kirio, captain of the Twelfth Division, and the only other female captain in the Gotei 13th besides Unohana.

At this moment, twelve captains had gathered in the room. With the exception of the captain of the Eleventh Division, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi, the top combat forces of Seireitei were all assembled in the Kuchiki family hall.

One captain was still missing, but Yamamoto didn't seem inclined to wait any longer. He slightly opened his closed eyes, tapped the floor with his cane, and said loudly, "Everyone, to your positions!"

The somewhat boisterous hall instantly fell silent. However, if someone were outside, they would notice that not a single sound had emanated from the hall the entire time.

At this moment, the eleven captains, excluding Yamamoto, stood facing each other in two columns, with even numbers on the left and odd numbers on the right. As for Hiroe, he shamelessly stood in front of Hirako, staring directly at Unohana opposite him.

Yamamoto, at the head seat, temporarily ignored Hiroe, slowly stood up from his chair, and declared, "Captain's impromptu meeting, begin!"