The second day brought clear, cloudless skies.
"Are you leaving, you bastard?"
In the Third Seat office of the 12th Division, the young man raised his head to look at Mayuri Kurotsuchi, whose skin was painted snow-white, and chuckled in response. "What? 4th Seat Mayuri, are you going to miss me?"
"Don't flatter yourself. Don't forget, with all three of you gone from the 12th Division, this place will finally be entirely mine."
"Haha, then you'd better work hard. Oh, right, remember to give Akon a little bonus; look how skinny the poor kid's gotten."
"Tsk."
Mayuri let out a disdainful, cold snort, his brass-colored eyes flashing as he feigned nonchalance. "Your direct subordinate, 15th Seat Matsumoto Rangiku, is she coming with you?"
Uchiha Yato nodded. "I'll use my captain's authority to transfer her to my division. It's hard to get any work done without someone you know and trust under your command."
"You certainly talk big. You act as though you're completely certain you'll pass the captain proficiency exam."
"Why wouldn't I?" The young man gave him a strange look. "Could I possibly fail? Just how hard is that captain exam supposed to be? Does it require taking a full-power strike from the Captain-Commander and living?"
"---Hmph."
Mayuri curled his lip, but he did not refute the point.
Everyone knew that given Uchiha Yato's strength, unless he walked right up to the panel during the exam, shouted "Yamamoto, you old bastard, the Soul King Palace is everyone's turn so next year it's mine," and slapped someone in the face, he would undoubtedly pass with flying colors.
The Gotei 13 was currently short on talent, and there was no sense in turning away such a pure-blooded, brilliant prodigy.
"I'm off."
The young man stored all his personal belongings inside the