Gotei 13...
After the defection of Sōsuke Aizen, the Fifth Division Captain, along with Gin Ichimaru, the Third Division Captain, Kaname Tōsen, the captain of the Captain of the Ninth Division, three captains of the Gotei 13 were left vacant.
The Seireitei, lacking three division captains, is undoubtedly in danger. Therefore, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai specifically ordered the recall of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, which had been stationed abroad for many years, and appointed... Shūsuke Amagai, the captain of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, as the captain of the newly formed Gotei 13 Third Division.
Today, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai held a special meeting of the captains of the First Division at the First Division Barracks to announce this matter.
"Ah... time flies!"
The captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyōraku, wearing a straw hat and a colorful robe, yawned and looked sleepy as he stepped into the gate of the First Division Barracks. Usually, Jūshirō Ukitake would accompany him during meetings, but now Ukitake had retired, and Aizen and the others had defected. The once Gotei 13 was now almost entirely devoid of its former members.
"Isn't that right?"
I feel like I've gotten a bit older~
Just as Shunsui Kyōraku was feeling sentimental, a gentle voice that concealed a murderous intent slowly came from behind him.
"Forehead..."
Hearing that incredibly familiar voice, Shunsui Kyōraku paused, stiffly turning around to look at the 'kind and approachable' older sister behind him.
" Captain Retsu Unohana, you're joking."
"You will stay young forever..."
When Shunsui Kyōraku faced the 'older sister' behind him who had always looked young and beautiful from his childhood to his middle age, a rare look of panic flashed across his face.
"Hahaha..."
"You're quite the smooth talker."
No wonder he's so popular with girls!
Retsu Unohana covered her mouth and chuckled, teasing Shunsui Kyōraku.
"Hehe..."
"That was back then... when I was young and naive."
Shunsui Kyōraku, sensing the Retsu Unohana's words, waved his hand repeatedly, while subconsciously glancing around.
"Stop looking, Nanao Ise just went shopping with Isane."
Seeing Shunsui Kyōraku's flustered appearance, Retsu Unohana teased him.
"Hehe..."
After hearing Retsu Unohana's words, Shunsui Kyōraku pressed down hard on his straw hat, admitting that he was no match for the cunning old woman in front of him.
"Hahaha..."
Seeing Shunsui Kyōraku's discomfiture, Retsu Unohana chuckled and strode briskly into the First Division Barracks, heading straight for the division leader's room.
When Retsu Unohana and Shunsui Kyōraku, two veteran captains, entered the First Division 'Captains' Meeting room, Captain Sajin Komamura of the Captain of the Seventh Division was already there, patiently waiting for everyone.
Good morning~
Retsu Unohana glanced at Sajin Komamura, who was the first to arrive at the meeting room, and nodded slightly in acknowledgment.
"Morning."
Sajin Komamura saw that the visitor was Retsu Unohana, and bowed slightly to express his respect for Retsu Unohana.
"As expected of Captain Komamura, he always seems to be... the first one to arrive."
Shunsui Kyōraku recalled that he always arrived early for Sajin Komamura's Captains' Meeting, without exception, expressing his respect for Sajin Komamura's self-discipline.
"I just arrived a little early, it's no big deal."
Sajin Komamura, believing that arriving early was simply expected and nothing to be praised for.
"No, you've already done a great job."
"I'm always late..."
"I was also kicked out here by Nanao Ise today~"
Shunsui Kyōraku couldn't help but smile wryly as he recalled how Nanao Ise had kicked him awake from his room that morning.
Good morning, everyone.
While Sajin Komamura and Shunsui Kyōraku were chatting, the door to the Captains' Meeting room was pushed open once again, Tenth Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya stepped in.
"Wow~ What a genius~"
Shunsui Kyōraku looked at Tōshirō Hitsugaya, who was trying to appear calm, and smiled slightly.
"Hmph~"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya didn't refute Shunsui Kyōraku's point of view. Yes, that's right, he is a great genius!
Good morning, everyone!
Shortly after Tōshirō Hitsugaya entered the meeting room, Kūkaku Shiba, the captain of the Thirteenth Division, and Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the Sixth Division, also arrived...
Representatives from the two Five Great Noble Clans, the Shiba Clan and Kuchiki Clan, regularly attend meetings together. This also serves as a signal to the outside world that the Kuchiki Clan and Shiba Clan have always maintained a good relationship, preventing any malicious individuals from finding an opportunity to undermine the alliance of the Five Great Noble Clans.
"Good morning, about what happened before..."
Sajin Komamura faced Byakuya Kuchiki, the captain of the Sixth Division, who was standing opposite him, with a slightly embarrassed expression.
Are your injuries alright?
However, before Sajin Komamura more, Byakuya Kuchiki asked first.
"Um... she's mostly recovered."
Sajin Komamura taken aback at first, then gently shook his head, indicating that his injuries had basically healed.
"That's good."
Byakuya Kuchiki was relieved to learn that Sajin Komamura's injuries were no longer serious.
"Um."
Sajin Komamura nodded, letting out a sigh of relief. The grudge between the two of them over the Sōsuke Aizen incident vanished with this gentle greeting.
"Youth is wonderful."
Retsu Unohana glanced at Sajin Komamura, then at the icy-faced Byakuya Kuchiki, and suddenly felt a pang of emotion...
"Does this thing of yours really work?"
"You should believe me! You ignorant fool."
Suddenly, a commotion arose outside the conference room door. Although the people outside had not yet entered the conference room, those inside could already hear the noise.
"This is truly a rare guest!"
The captain of the Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyōraku, narrowed his eyes upon hearing the somewhat familiar voice outside.
"Smack~"
The next second, the door to the First Division's captain's Captains' Meeting room was kicked open, and the 11th Division's captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and the Twelfth Division's captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi, walked in side by side.
As the two moved forward, they continued arguing incessantly about whether the Spiritual Pressure limiter on Kenpachi Zaraki was actually working...
As Kenpachi Zaraki, captain of the 11th Division, and Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the Twelfth Division, entered the meeting room, along with Retsu Unohana, Fourth Division Captain; Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the Sixth Division Sajin Komamura, Captain of the Seventh Division; Shunsui Kyōraku, captain of the Eighth Division Tenth Division Tōshirō Hitsugaya, captain of the 10th Division; Kūkaku Shiba, captain of the Thirteenth Division, most of the division captains had gathered in the meeting room...
Good morning, everyone!
At that moment, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, the Captain-Commander of the First Division, concurrently serving as the captain-commander of the Gotei 13 and the acting minister of the Soul Society, walked in through the conference room door, holding a cane, and greeted the captains.
" Captain-Commander! Good morning!"
The squad leaders, facing the kind old man whose head was now bald, greeted him in unison, like students greeting their teacher.
"Um..."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai nodded slightly and stood in front of everyone, quietly looking at the eight squad captains standing on either side of him. With Sōsuke Aizen and two other squad captains defecting from Soul Society, all the captains of Soul Society have now gathered... Of course, a certain man whose name Sōgo Shihoin, whose writing is invincible, doesn't count.
Where is Shūsuke Amagai?
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked around and posed a soul-searching question.
"They... probably haven't arrived yet!"
"Perhaps they got lost because it was their first time attending Captains' Meeting?"
Shunsui Kyōraku stroked his chin and offered his opinion.
"Being late for the Captains' Meeting on the very first day is unacceptable."
Upon hearing Shunsui Kyōraku's words, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai frowned and slammed his scepter heavily on the ground, exuding an imposing aura without anger.
"Haha..."
"Is Yama-jii angry?"
Shunsui Kyōraku glanced at the furious Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai and smiled gently.
"Da da da..."
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..."
"I'm late."
Just as the group was mentioning the newly appointed squad leader's lateness, a ragged man walked into the conference room, accompanied by the sound of running footsteps.
"Puff..."
Everyone couldn't help but chuckle as they looked at the newly appointed captain of the Third Division, whose belt wasn't even properly fastened.
"Get out! Tidy your clothes before you come back in!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai looked at the disheveled Shūsuke Amagai and shouted angrily.
"Forehead..."
"Okay, okay."
Shūsuke Amagai's face turned pale, and she quickly retreated, leaving the meeting room and straightening her clothes.
"Where did this squad leader come from?"
"Is someone like that really acceptable?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyes twitched slightly as he watched Shūsuke Amagai's reckless behavior.
"I heard he was the former captain of the Hueco Mundo Subjugation Force. Because Sōsuke Aizen now controls the entire Hueco Mundo, he was specially transferred back to Soul Society by Yama-jii and promoted to the position of division captain to fill the vacancy in the current Gotei 13."
Shunsui Kyōraku, standing beside Tōshirō Hitsugaya, muttered to himself.
In other words...
"Wasn't the other person someone who came up through the regular team leader exam?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's eyes held a hint of doubt. He doubted whether Shūsuke Amagai's professional skills were up to par. To put it simply, he doubted whether Shūsuke Amagai's strength was enough to defeat a squad leader.
"I'm not interested in any of that. I just want to know if that man named Shūsuke Amagai is good enough for me to chop down?!"
Kenpachi Zaraki, the captain of the 11th Division, toyed with his Zanpakuto, looking somewhat eager to try it out. He enjoyed fresh prey, as it could pique his interest in battle.
"Do not doubt the Captain-Commander's decision."
The Captain of the Seventh Division, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai fanboy, Sajin Komamura, spoke in a deep voice to the few people whispering beside him.
"Ara~"
" Captain Komamura is really meticulous."
After hearing Sajin Komamura's words, Shunsui Kyōraku gave a bitter smile. Sajin Komamura, as a devoted fan of Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, was truly something else... He always took it upon himself to uphold Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's dignity.
"Um, I'm dressed."
While everyone was chatting, Shūsuke Amagai, who was dressed, poked his head out from outside the conference room door and whispered.
"Then come in quickly."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sighed helplessly and waved to Shūsuke Amagai.
"OK."
Shūsuke Amagai smiled slightly, and after obtaining Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's consent, he pushed open the conference room door and walked in towards everyone.
Shūsuke Amagai finished dressing that day, his upright posture, combined with the clean and tidy captain's haori, did indeed give him the air of a squad leader.
In terms of appearance alone, he is much better than Mayuri Kurotsuchi of the Twelfth Division.
"Hmm~ Looking at it this way, he does indeed have some of the demeanor of a squad leader."
"But..."
Shunsui Kyōraku looked at Shūsuke Amagai in front of him and nodded. He admitted that Shūsuke Amagai's physique was naturally suited to this captain's haori... In short, he was born to be a squad leader. However, compared to all that, what Shunsui Kyōraku cared about most was the Zanpakuto that Shūsuke Amagai at his waist.
"Two Zanpakuto?"
Shunsui Kyōraku touched his chin, his eyes narrowing slightly.
As everyone knows, Zanpakuto rarely appear in pairs. Only he and Jūshirō Ukitake possess multiple Zanpakuto. Even so, their Zanpakuto are essentially one. The situation of Amagai Shūsuke Amagai possessing two different Zanpakuto is virtually unheard of, except perhaps due to some kind of bug...
In other words, there must be some secret about Shūsuke Amagai...
"Hopefully, my hunch is wrong, and nothing serious will happen in Soul Society."
Shunsui Kyōraku muttered to himself. When he saw that Shūsuke Amagai possessed two different Zanpakuto, a bad premonition suddenly arose in his heart. He whispered that he hoped his premonition was wrong. He loved peace, and peace was what he wanted.
"Now that all the captains have arrived, let us welcome the Third Division Captain, Shūsuke Amagai!"
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, gripping his cane, struck the ground heavily, making a declaration.
"Clap clap clap..."
The entire Captains' Meeting room erupted in applause.
"Where... where..."
"I'm just a newcomer who's completely unfamiliar with everything in Soul Society, so I'll need everyone's help in the future."
Shūsuke Amagai walked to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's side and bowed to each of them in respect.
"No, we all help each other."
Shunsui Kyōraku gently shook his head and smoothly recounted the story.
"That's right, we all help each other out." Retsu Unohana smiled gently. "If you need anything, you can always come to the Fourth Division for my help."
Thank you all for your kindness!
Upon hearing the words of the two seniors, Shunsui Kyōraku and Retsu Unohana, Shūsuke Amagai immediately bowed in respect.
"Speaking of which... one, two, three... including me, there are only ten captains here. I remember there were only three defector captains, right?"
"Has any team leader asked for leave?"
Shūsuke Amagai looked up, counted the number of people, and asked with some surprise.
"Um?!"
All the squad captains, including the captain of the First Division, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, had their expressions change drastically after hearing what Shūsuke Amagai.
"Um, I didn't mean anything by it, it's just... I was thinking that since we team leaders finally have this opportunity to get together, we could go out for drinks and get to know each other..."
Shūsuke Amagai was perceptive enough to realize that his words might have touched on something inappropriate, and he quickly explained.
"Hahaha... If we're talking about who didn't come, it's only Captain Sōgo Shihoin the Second Division Captain, who's not feeling well."
Shunsui Kyōraku knew that Shūsuke Amagai no harm, so he smiled gently and spoke up to Shūsuke Amagai out of the predicament.
"Yeah yeah..."
"Yes, Captain Sōgo is sick."
The other captains echoed Shunsui Kyōraku's words.
"Really? Sick! That's serious. I think I should take some time to visit you in person. Don't let my appearance fool you, I actually know a bit about medicine."
When Shūsuke Amagai heard that the Second Division Captain who hadn't come was sick, he frowned slightly and addressed the crowd.
"..."
Immediately, the atmosphere turned cold again as Shūsuke Amagai spoke.
"Um... did I say something wrong?"
Looking at the silent squad captains in front of him, Shūsuke Amagai realized he might have said something wrong and asked.
"Um..."
"We know you mean well, Amagai, but there's no need to visit Sōgo. I think he'll be fine by today."
At this moment, Retsu Unohana smiled and began to speak.
"Oh... right, even if someone gets sick, we still have Captain Retsu Unohana. My medical skills are nothing compared to Captain Retsu Unohana's..."
When Shūsuke Amagai heard Retsu Unohana speak, he seemed to realize something. He knew that it was utterly presumptuous of him to talk about his medical skills in front of Retsu Unohana.
"It's okay, I'll drink with you to your heart's content today!"
Seeing that the time was right, Shunsui Kyōraku stepped forward to smooth things over.
"Good!"
It's a deal!
Shūsuke Amagai nodded vigorously, indicating that he wanted to have a good drink with Shunsui Kyōraku today.
"Cough cough cough..."
Do either of you know where you are right now?
Just Shūsuke Amagai and Shunsui Kyōraku were meeting at a bar to have a good drink, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, who had been silent all along, coughed lightly twice and asked the two in his aged voice.
"Um... Yama-jii..."
"Commander -Captain-Commander..."
Shunsui Kyōraku and Shūsuke Amagai watched silently as Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai watched them, his expression suddenly turning flustered...
"Everyone else, the meeting is adjourned. Kyōraku and Amagai will stay."
Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai, with narrowed eyes, calmly dismissed the meeting, leaving Shunsui Kyōraku and Shūsuke Amagai alone.
Good luck to you all!
Tōshirō Hitsugaya glanced at Shunsui Kyōraku and Shūsuke Amagai with a pitying look, then turned and left without looking back.
Just as the squad captains stepped out of the conference room, Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai's reprimand of Shunsui Kyōraku and Shūsuke Amagai echoed from inside.
Three hours later...
Inside an izakaya...
"Wow, Yama-jii, he really talked for three whole hours, and he didn't repeat himself for three hours."
Shunsui Kyōraku sat at the table and complained.
"You do not say!"
Shūsuke Amagai expressed strong agreement.
"Puff..."
In an instant, Shūsuke Amagai and Shunsui Kyōraku smiled at the same time, and the distance between the two of them seemed to shrink considerably.
"Speaking of which... is the captain of the Second Division really alright in terms of health?"
Shūsuke Amagai swirled his wine glass, seemingly casually inquiring about Sōgo Shihoin's situation.
"Ah... how should I put it?"
"Anyway... consider this my advice to you!"
"In Soul Society, you can offend anyone, but there's one person you absolutely cannot offend: Sōgo Shihoin!"
Perhaps due to having drunk too much, Shunsui Kyōraku finally began to talk about Sōgo Shihoin.
"Is that person really that strong?"
Shūsuke Amagai's eyes flickered, and she continued to probe.
"Snort..."
"Powerful?"
"That man, Sōgo Shihoin, no matter how I look at him... I only see two words: invincible!"
Shunsui Kyōraku chuckled softly. Sōgo Shihoin wasn't that strong; he was simply invincible.
Five thousand words~ I did come up with a title for the previous chapter, but it got censored...
(End of this chapter)