August 25th.
Shiraishi will probably never forget this day. He paced anxiously outside the corridor. Sunlight streamed through the glass windows, and the chirping of cicadas was so annoying that he wished he could cut down all the trees, catch all the cicadas, and roast them into delicious meat.
Lie is giving birth in the delivery room.
Logically, there should have been no danger, but the heart-wrenching screams couldn't even be stopped by the door.
He stood with his hands behind his back, his face full of anxiety, glancing towards the door every now and then. "With Lie's power, shouldn't he have been born in an instant?"
"The baby must be born slowly; if it's too fast, it's easy for the baby to die." "Yes, that's exactly why Captain Unohana is in so much pain."
The members of the Fourth Division on the side all spoke up, all of them girls, while the male members were squeezed outside the corridor.
With their beloved captain having a child, the unhurried members of the Fourth Division naturally gathered here, awaiting the latest news.
Upon hearing their words, Shiraishi thought to himself that he shouldn't have any more children in the future, as it would cause them too much suffering.
I'm the same way.
This anxiety is making me really restless.
I wasn't this uneasy when we fought Aizen.
Thinking about it this way, he suddenly realized, ah, so defeating Aizen was already something that could be described as it was back then.
Time really flies.
As this thought crossed Shiraishi's mind, a loud wailing sound rang out. Was it a boy?
A thought flashed through his mind: it was all Lie's fault for not telling him beforehand whether he was a boy or a girl, making him keep guessing and even come up with two names.
The boy was named Hakuryū White Dragon), the simple character "dragon" expressing his hopes for his child.
The girl's name will be Hakuhō.
The phoenix is the most noble bird among all birds; the phoenix is male and the phoenix is female.
As parents, who wouldn't want their child to be an outstanding individual? He couldn't avoid that common thought.
The delivery room door opened, Isane Kotetsu pulled down her mask, her face beaming with joy, and said, " Shiraishi, the captain has given birth to a lovely girl."
"Is that so?"
Shiraishi excitedly took the child, but it wasn't as cute as he had imagined. He stared in disbelief and said, " Isane, are you kidding me? This looks like a monkey!"
He was stunned. Shouldn't children be cute? This ugly thing was his child? And a girl at that?
His expression was extremely complicated as he imagined that future scene.
Smack
Isane Kotetsu angrily tapped his forehead, glaring at him, "Baby looks like this when he's first born. After a while, he'll become chubby and cute, he won't be ugly!"
"Oh." Shiraishi suddenly realized, then thought about it. Lie's passage wasn't exactly wide; it was normal to look a little awkward if you forced your way out. "My little darling, from now on your name will be Hakuhō, shine like a phoenix."
" Captain-Commander, let us see too."
The female team members behind shouted excitedly.
Shiraishi glanced at it, then refused, saying she hadn't hugged him enough yet. "By the way, how's Lie?"
"You still remember to care about me."
New mothers are usually very weak, but Retsu Unohana was clearly not an ordinary new mother. Sweat dripped from her forehead to her chin, yet she still managed to get out of bed. "It's really been tough on you," she said.
"You got out of bed so soon? Go back and get some rest."
Shiraishi said something.
Retsu Unohana rolled her eyes at him and said, "Don't forget, today is the graduation day for the sixth-year students of the Shin'ō Academy."
"It's such a small matter, it doesn't matter whether I go or not."
Shiraishi casually replied, "Nothing is more important than my wife and children."
Retsu Unohana was touched by his attention, but she didn't approve of his methods.
This is the first graduation since the Shin'ō Academy was rebuilt.
If the Captain-Commander isn't present, how can the university demonstrate its high regard for the students of the Shin'ō Academy?
"Give it to me." Retsu Unohana held out her hand. Shiraishi hesitated, staring at him expressionlessly. "Don't make me repeat myself."
"I'm the Captain-Commander," Shiraishi muttered, but still obediently offered, "Fine, I'll participate."
"That's right." Retsu Unohana hugged her child very gently, as if she were holding a dandelion that would fall apart if shaken.
Shiraishi glanced at it reluctantly, then turned and used the Steel Tempest rush towards the Shin'ō Academy.
Due to a severe shortage of Shinigami ) talent, the Shin'ō Academy has canceled its previous summer and winter vacations and begun a no-break learning program in an effort to replenish the Shinigami ranks as quickly as possible.
After all, the current Gotei 13 is severely understaffed, far from being a full force of 6,500 men, not to mention the Kidō Corps and the Stealth Force.
It's worth mentioning here that the Stealth Force has been merged into the Second Division. Apart from the Seated Officer, most of the Stealth Force are not counted in the Gotei 13's personnel structure.
They used to be directly under the Central 46 Chambers, and most of their members came from the succession system of various lower-ranking nobles, so they did not need to go through the procedures of the Shin'ō Academy.
Things are different now. Most of the lower-ranking nobles were wiped out in the conflict, and the only way to Stealth Force replenish their forces is through the Shin'ō Academy.
The same applies to the Kidō Corps.
Although Shiraishi felt this department was rather useless and even considered cutting it and replacing it with the technology department of the Research and Development Institute.
[Honestly, I've been following the updates lately, switching sources, and using various reading voice options. yeguoyuedu is available for both Android and iOS.]
But Genshirō Okikiba reminded him that a sound government cannot allow a single department to wield too much power.
If the Research and Development Institute were to replace the Kidō Corps, given their personalities, they might very well do some outrageous things in order to earn research funding and conduct research.
At that point, it won't be about selling adult games with a 100% immersive experience, Gigai, or X-ray vision—those trivial things.
Considering the potential for the power structure to spiral out of control, he decided to retain the Kidō Corps.
Therefore, the Gotei 13, the Kidō Corps, and the Stealth Force all need to be completed.
The pressure is even greater at the Shin'ō Academy, which has been continuously recruiting students, but the results are not ideal.
Aside from the residents' resistance, the Spiritual Power standard is also a factor that limits some people from joining.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto would rather have a shortage of men in the Shinigami Squad than lower the admission standards and push unsuitable people into battle, which would undoubtedly be sending them to their deaths.
He was teaching the future of Soul Society, not a bunch of cannon fodder that could be used at will.
Every team member is a very important seed in his heart, so the review process will not be relaxed.
Shiraishi arrived at the scene and went to the faculty and staff seats where Yoruichi Shihōin were. On the stage was Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto giving a speech, his deep voice echoing throughout the auditorium.
He hadn't heard what was said before, only what was being said now, "After you graduate, please remember that you bear the weight of the world's justice on your shoulders!"
With his long beard billowing, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's speech came to an end.
The students in the audience applauded.
"Next, please welcome Captain-Commander Shiraishi to say a few words to everyone."
Shiraishi wiped the sweat from his brow, secretly pleased with himself for arriving just in time. He walked towards the podium, his other hand reaching into his pocket for his speech notes. He remembered asking Okikiba to prepare them last night, but his hand couldn't find them... Had he forgotten to bring them?