"What is this thing?"
Inside the Fourth Division's barracks, a group of medical staff were gathered around a round table, engaged in a lively discussion.
"So what is this thing?"
Retsu Unohana looked at Kenpachi Kiganjō, the captain of the 11th Division, who was kneeling on the round table and sticking his butt out towards the sky, and his brows twitched slightly.
"Why is there a Zanpakuto stuck in its butt?"
Kiyōnosuke Yamada went around behind the round table, Zanpakuto stuck in Kenpachi Kiganjō's buttocks, and then subconsciously reached out to pull it out.
"Oh~"
"Do not move!"
As the Zanpakuto was slowly pulled out of Kenpachi Kiganjō's buttocks, Kenpachi Kiganjō let out a heart-wrenching roar.
"Oh, I'm sorry."
As a doctor, Kiyōnosuke Yamada was determined not to inflict further suffering on his patients. So he put the Zanpakuto he had just drawn back in, this time even deeper. Only the hilt remained on Kenpachi Kiganjō's buttocks, the more than one-meter-long Zanpakuto completely embedded within it.
"Oh~"
Kenpachi Kiganjō let out a seductive sound.
"So what exactly happened?"
Retsu Unohana suppressing the urge to personally clean up the mess, asked the 11th Division member who had brought over this eyesore.
"It seems that Captain Kiganjō and Captain Sōgo Shihoin of the Second Division had a minor conflict... and then... and then that's how it happened."
By the end, the members of the 11th Division were already on the verge of laughing, but thankfully they remained professional and managed to hold back their laughter.
"Well..."
" Kiyonosuke- kun... I'm leaving this to you. Just heal him; as for the method, that's up to you."
Retsu Unohana let out a long sigh, gently patted Kiyōnosuke Yamada's shoulder beside her, then left her vice-captain behind and went out to seek refuge.
" Captain Retsu Unohana... Captain Retsu Unohana, save me!"
Kenpachi Kiganjō kept calling out as he watched Retsu Unohana turn and leave.
"Clatter~"
However, no matter how much Kiganjō shouted, he couldn't make Retsu Unohana turn around even for a second... Retsu Unohana was Kenpachi.
Don't worry, I'll definitely help you get better!
After Retsu Unohana left, Kiyōnosuke Yamada came to Kenpachi Kiganjō's side and spoke in a deep voice close to Kenpachi Kiganjō's ear.
"Ah!!!"
The next moment, the entire infirmary erupted in horrific screams.
These screams are a necessary part of the treatment process.
On the other side, after stabbing Kenpachi Kiganjō in the buttocks, Sōgo headed straight for the Ninth Division.
As the captain of the Second Division, Sōgo entered the Ninth Division's barracks without any hindrance. Countless soldiers stopped and bowed upon seeing Sōgo's arrival. This was partly because Sōgo was the captain of the Second Division, the commander-in- Stealth Force, and the commander-in-chief of the Execution Force, and partly because of the immense power of Sōgo's surname, Shihoin.
Especially now that the Shihōin Shihoin Family has remained completely unaffected after the former head of the Shihoin Family, Yoruichi Shihōin, was labeled a traitor by the Central 46 Chambers, and even the position of Second Division Captain was taken over by Yoruichi Shihōin brother, no one dares to offend this enormous family, whose size is so great that it makes the Central 46 Chambers bow down.
Inside the Ninth Division's captain's room.
Two men wearing haori (traditional Japanese clothing) are talking to each other.
"It's been quite some time since we parted ways at the Shin'ō Academy, and we've finally fulfilled our respective promises."
A burly man, nearly three meters tall, wearing a mask, was communicating with a man with dark skin whose eyes were covered by a black cloth.
"I've always believed that Mr. Komamura can achieve your long-held dream. After all, people with such strong convictions as Mr. Komamura are truly rare..." The man with his eyes covered by a black cloth openly praised the nearly three-meter-tall giant before him. However, before the man could finish speaking, his ears twitched, and he turned his head 'to look' at the door of the captain's room, asking nervously, as if some ferocious beast lurked outside, filling him with fear, "Who goes there?"
"Clatter~"
Shortly after the man with his eyes covered by a black cloth finished speaking, the door to the Ninth Division's captain's room was pushed open, and a man wearing Captain's Haori and an eye patch walked in on his own.
"Oh, here it is, here it is~"
After the man walked in from outside, he looked at the other two captains in the room and gave them a friendly smile.
"Let me introduce myself. I am Sōgo Shihoin, the captain of the Second Division."
The man who walked in from outside introduced himself to the two people who were already inside the room.
" Captain of the Seventh Division Sajin Komamura!"
" Captain of the Ninth Division, Kaname Tōsen!"
The giant, nearly three meters tall, and the man with a black cloth wrapped around his face exchanged a glance after hearing Sōgo's words, and then spoke to Sōgo at the same time.
"Both team captains are excellent newcomers!"
"To be honest, I'm a newcomer myself. I think we newcomers should have more to talk about. In that case, why don't you two sign my autograph?"
Sōgo pulled out his prized roster and began to speak.
"The roster... I see."
Kaname Tōsen and Sajin Komamura exchanged another glance. They instantly understood what was going on when they saw the roster, since Sōgo's rest list had caused quite a stir throughout the entire Gotei 13.
"It seems you two understand why I need your autographs. This saves me a lot of trouble. In that case, please give me a chance—I only need your autographs."
Sōgo handed over the autograph book he was holding and smiled.
"We're the only two left?"
"Did that official sign it as well?"
Kaname Tōsen and Sajin Komamura were slightly taken aback after hearing Sōgo's words, and then the two quickly spread out the entire roster.
"Mr. Komamura, could you please read the names on this list for me? Because of a congenital visual impairment, I cannot read the names on this list."
Kaname Tōsen asked Sajin Komamura for help.
"OK."
After hearing Kaname Tōsen's words, Sajin Komamura nodded slightly. He had already known about the problem with Tosen's eyes when they were studying at the Shin'ō Academy.
"First, there's the Sixth Division Captain Kuchiki Ginrei, then the Fifth Division Captain, Sōsuke Aizen..."
Sajin Komamura read out the names from the list for Kaname Tōsen.
"Um."
Upon hearing the name Sōsuke Aizen, Kaname Tōsen relaxed his furrowed brow. In truth, after learning about Aizen's signature, the signatures of others became less important.
" Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana, Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, Thirteenth Division Captain Jūshirō Ukitake, Tenth Division Captain Isshin Shiba, Second Division Captain Sōgo Shihoin, First Division Captain Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto..."
Sajin Komamura saw that Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai had signed it, he no longer had any hesitation.
"The last one is Kenpachi Kiganjō, the captain of the 11th Division!"
After reading the last name, Sajin Komamura picked up the brush on the table and wrote his name on the register.
"I have no problem here..."
After writing his name, Sajin Komamura looked at Kaname Tōsen beside him.
"Of course I have no problem with that either."
Kaname Tōsen came to Sajin Komamura's side and also wrote his name on the list.
"So, except for the Third Division and Twelfth Division where the captain positions are still vacant, all the captains of the Thirteenth Division have signed their names on this."
After signing his name, Kaname Tōsen folded the roster and handed it to Sōgo.
"Thanks~ Consider it a favor I owe you both."
Seeing the two of them having a good time, Sōgo felt much better. He had originally thought that the newly appointed captain might be difficult to talk to, or as annoying as Kenpachi Kiganjō. But now it seemed that, throughout the entire Soul Society, people as annoying as Kenpachi Kiganjō were quite rare.
Goodbye then.
After getting what he wanted, Sōgo no longer stayed in the Ninth Division's captain's room, which was filled with a shabby atmosphere compared to the Second Division's palace. He used Shunpo to head straight for the First Division.
"..."
Hehehe...
"As expected of the captain of the Second Division, his Shunpo skill is indeed superior to yours and mine."
Left inside the house Kaname Tōsen and Sajin Komamura watched the hurried departure and smiled helplessly.
" Old Man Yama, is that alright now?"
Sōgo, holding the roster, headed straight for the First Division's courtyard and asked Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who was watering the flowers with a watering can and taking a hands-on approach.
"Pass!"
The Old Man Yama put down his water bottle, took the roster from Sōgo, and after carefully reading it, opened his slightly narrowed eyes.
"Phew... finally finished."
After finishing all this, Sōgo used the sleeve of his high-end haori to gently wipe the non-existent sweat from his forehead, looking like he had worked very hard.
Now that you've finished your own work, come with me and become an examiner!
The Old Man Yama carefully put Sōgo's roster into his pocket, then grabbed Sōgo's large haori and walked towards the door.
"Huh? The examiner?"
After Sōgo what the Old Man Yama said, Sougo frowned slightly, his words filled with doubt.
"That's right, someone has recommended Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the current director of the Research and Development Institute, to be the captain of the Twelfth Division."
The Old Man Yama released his grip and nodded.
"The current director of the Research and Development Institute? I remember him being a bit of an oddball, right?"
After his application was approved, Sōgo was in a good mood, so he didn't choose not to go as usual. He followed behind the Old Man Yama, stroking his chin. He had some impression of the current director of the Research and Development Institute. He was an odd man whose clothes and way of speaking revealed strangeness in everything.
"No matter how strange it is, as long as you pass the test, you can become the captain of the Twelfth Division."
The Old Man Yama walked ahead of Sōgo and preached in this way.
"Isn't your so-called assessment just to see if the person being assessed has mastered Bankai? This kind of assessment is very easy to pass, isn't it?"
After listening to the Old Man Yama's words, Sōgo gave a sermon.
"Mastering Bankai is the mark of becoming a mature Soul Reaper."
The Old Man Yama remained noncommittal. Indeed, as Sōgo had said, the assessment was simply to see if the person being assessed had mastered Bankai. As long as one mastered Bankai, they could become a team leader; this was an unwritten rule.
"So if mastering Bankai is enough to become a captain, then there's no point in having so many captains come for the assessment, right?"
After hearing what the Old Man Yama said, Sōgo retorted.
"That's the rule."
After hearing Sōgo's words, the Old Man Yama replied without hesitation.
"Cut..."
"Rules, rules, they're all outdated; times change, they have to be changed."
Sōgo curled his lip in disdain. He didn't care at all about the rules that the Old Man Yama kept talking about, but he wasn't in a hurry. He would slowly shape Soul Society into the shape he wanted.
"..."
Old Man Yama didn't refute Sōgo, because he wasn't against Sōgo's reforms. He knew that if Soul Society wanted to continue to progress, it had to undergo reforms. As for why he didn't take action himself... he was old, used to this kind of life, and couldn't make changes anymore. That's why he looked forward to seeing what kind of changes these young people, these outstanding geniuses, could bring to Soul Society.
"Hey~ Long time no see."
When the Old Man Yama and Sōgo at the place where the assessment was to be conducted, a man wearing a floral shirt and a straw hat, and a bespectacled woman holding documents in her hands, had already been waiting by the room where the assessment was to be conducted for a long time.
" Captain Kyōraku."
Sōgo glanced at Nanao Ise, who was now inseparable from Shunsui Kyōraku Shunsui Kyōraku, and nodded slightly as a greeting.
"I never expected that Captain Shihoin would be the examiner this time. I thought Captain Shihoin would never participate in such boring matters."
After looking at Sōgo, Kyōraku gently lowered the straw hat he was wearing on his head and joked.
"No, I'm a very rule-abiding person. Since the Captain-Commander has spoken, how could I not come?"
Sōgo walked up to Kyōraku, smiled slightly, and his smile was particularly kind, as if Sōgo were an innocent child with no ill intentions.
"Since you're here, it means that it's already been approved?"
Kyōraku looked at Sōgo, who had walked up to him, and asked in a low voice.
"You knew all along that you needed to collect the signatures of all the current team captains, but you didn't tell me?"
Sōgo asked Shunsui Kyōraku with a forced smile.
"This isn't my fault; I thought you knew."
After hearing Sōgo's words, Shunsui Kyōraku shrugged, looking completely innocent.
"Hehe..."
Sōgo chuckled softly; he wasn't going to believe that old Kyōraku's nonsense.
"You two stop chatting, the people who are going to take the assessment are here."
Just as Sōgo and Kyōraku were having a friendly exchange, Old Man Yama spoke up.
"Um?"
After hearing what the Old Man Yama said, Sōgo turned around and saw a man standing beside the Old Man Yama wearing a very uncomfortable hood and exuding a perverted aura.
"Good afternoon, everyone. I am Mayuri Kurotsuchi, the director of the Research and Development Institute. I have nominated myself to serve as the captain of the Twelfth Division. I look forward to your guidance in the future."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi speaking, he grinned at everyone, revealing his dirty, yellow teeth, which made Sōgo feel extremely uncomfortable.
(End of this chapter)