Seireitei, Central 46, underground council chamber.
Forty-six Sages gathered to discuss:
[Selection and appointment of a successor as captain of the Twelfth Division]
"Now that Kirio Hikifune has left, the captain's seat in the Twelfth Division is vacant. By law, when a captain's post opens, the lieutenant has first claim to succeed them or serve as acting captain. Who is the Twelfth Division's lieutenant again?"
One Sage rubbed his temples with a look of utter distaste. He made no effort to hide the disgust in his voice. "Hiyori Sarugaki."
A stern Sage rebuked the idea on the spot. "Absurd! How could someone like her be captain? Put her in a Captain's Haori and send her to a captains' meeting? Captain-Commander Yamamoto would barely get a word out before she flung one of her clogs at a pillar in the First Division!"
After he finished, another Sage asked, "What about the other Seated Officers in the division? Couldn't we pick someone steady and sensible from the Third or Fourth Seats?"
A Sage shook his head. "Don't count on them, either. The Twelfth Division has always been a niche division devoted to technical development and Reishi workshops. It has plenty of veteran researchers, but they're all frail scholars who do nothing but bury their heads in formulas and measure Reishi! Forget Bankai. Aside from that one-track-minded Hiyori Sarugaki, the other Seated Officers can barely use their Shikai in combat. They couldn't subdue a single Menos Grande on the battlefield. They're strictly noncombatants! Put one of them in command, and they wouldn't even pass the Gotei 13's minimum requirements for military service!"
An awkward silence briefly settled over the hall.
A Sage representing the interests of the Upper Nobility cleared his throat. "If no one in the division will do, why not transfer