"Captain-Commander! Isn't this inappropriate?"
asked the petite female captain with straight-cut bangs and short hair, her willow-shaped brows knitting together in a frown.
"Soifon—what is it you wish to say?"
Yamamoto Genryūsai lifted his gaze slightly and looked at her.
"Yes… Captain-Commander! The current structure of the Gotei 13 was established by Central 46.
Expanding a division's personnel quota is no simple matter—
Moreover, even if you were to appoint an additional vice-captain, shouldn't it be someone with sufficient seniority, reputation, background, and ability—"
Before Soifon could finish, Yamamoto Genryūsai cut her off.
"Soifon!"
Leaning on his gnarled wooden cane, Yamamoto spoke in a deep voice.
"I have already made it clear: yesterday, Central Command conducted a rigorous evaluation of Fūjin Taichi and confirmed that he is fully qualified to serve as a vice-captain!"
"Uh, but—"
"There is nothing to question!"
Yamamoto Genryūsai fixed Soifon with a piercing gaze and continued slowly.
"I have already submitted the proposal for expansion to Central 46 and obtained their approval.
The formal letters of appointment will be issued to each division shortly.
Therefore, this matter has already been decided.
Does anyone else have anything to add?"
"…"
Soifon, though a proud woman who regarded obedience to law as both duty and honor, fell silent upon seeing Yamamoto Genryūsai's firm resolve to create a new vice-captain position in the 1st Division.
The other captains present also harbored doubts upon hearing of the additional appointment, yet for various reasons, none of them voiced any objections.
"Then—this meeting is adjourned."
With that, Yamamoto Genryūsai was the first to leave the Central Command chamber, leaning on his cane as he returned to the 1st Division barracks.
The other captains departed as well, each carrying their own thoughts, leading their vice-captains away from the 1st Division grounds and disappearing into the endless curtain of rain…
"Well, well… Old Man Yama really is as stubborn as ever, Jūshirō,"
said the male captain in pink floral robes, lifting the brim of his straw hat slightly as he looked toward Ukitake Jūshirō beside him.
"Genryūsai-sensei naturally has his reasons,"
Ukitake replied softly.
"And Shunsui… as Fūjin Taichi's superior, I am well aware of his strength.
He truly is qualified to serve as vice-captain of the 1st Division."
"Hehehe… what are you talking about, Jūshirō?"
the pink-robed captain—Kyōraku Shunsui—said lightly.
"I'm not talking about Old Man Yama's attitude toward your subordinate, but rather… his stance toward Central 46.
Sometimes I think he's a stubborn fossil—but when it comes to Central 46, he has always maintained an unyielding posture."
"I see…"
Ukitake's eyes flickered with unease as he spoke quietly.
"Still… Central 46's recent actions have become increasingly difficult to comprehend.
They've even begun bypassing the Central Command to interfere directly in division affairs—"
"That's why this expansion is just a pretext,"
Kyōraku replied casually.
"Old Man Yama's real goal is to use this opportunity to express his dissatisfaction with Central 46.
After all, he's always prided himself on being a Shinigami who 'upholds Soul Society's laws and is more loyal to the royal authority than to his own life.'"
Kyōraku brushed it off with a remark, then turned his gaze toward Ise Nanao nearby, breaking into a radiant smile.
"Yo, little Nanao!"
"Captain?!"
Nanao hurried over, first bowing respectfully to Ukitake Jūshirō before turning to Kyōraku.
"So? He didn't scold you, did he?"
"Nanao, what kind of question is that?"
Kyōraku put on an exaggerated look of surprise.
"Do you really think your captain is that unreliable?"
"Yes,"
Nanao replied coldly, thinking to herself:
And I'm hardly the only one, am I?
Pretty much all of Seireitei knows the 8th Division has an utterly unreliable captain—
always laughing and fooling around, constantly angering Captain-Commander Yamamoto!
"…"
Kyōraku's expression stiffened. He shrugged helplessly and said to Ukitake,
"Nanao's still sulking with the adults, huh? Ahahaha… well then, we're off!"
"…Mm. Very well,"
Ukitake nodded, then left the chamber and stepped beneath the eaves, where Shiba Kaien was waiting.
"Captain!"
Kaien opened an umbrella and handed it to Ukitake, then opened another for himself. Together, they headed toward the 13th Division barracks.
"Shhh—shhh—"
The rain outside grew heavier. Bean-sized raindrops splashed against the oiled paper umbrellas, sending up layers of ripples, while white mist rose from the distant lake.
"Kaien,"
Ukitake spoke slowly as they walked through the downpour, gazing at the shimmering blue waves in the distance.
"Your Bankai training… it's finished, isn't it?"
"What? How did you know—"
"You're my subordinate—how could I not notice the changes in your spiritual pressure?"
Ukitake Jūshirō said with a light chuckle as he explained.
"After a Shinigami achieves Bankai, their Zanpakutō's abilities are released more thoroughly and completely.
However, fully mastering Bankai requires at least ten years of training.
So when you first completed Bankai ten years ago, your spiritual pressure was constantly unstable…
But recently, I can no longer clearly sense fluctuations in your spiritual pressure—
which means you have now truly mastered your Bankai!"
"Hahaha… I knew nothing could get past you, Captain!"
Shiba Kaien laughed, scratching the back of his head.
"It seems the time has come to let you spread your wings and soar in the open sky, Kaien,"
Ukitake said with a gentle smile.
"Huh? Captain?! You're not saying you plan to—"
"Yes. In the coming days, I will jointly recommend you to Genryūsai-sensei as a captain—together with Shunsui and Isshin."
"W-What?! Captain, you're joking, right?! I—I can't leave the 13th Division!"
Kaien cried out in shock.
"Idiot!"
Ukitake scolded him with a mix of frustration and affection.
"Even a newborn chick must one day leave the nest and grow into an eagle capable of standing on its own—
And besides… Kaien, wasn't becoming a captain of the Gotei 13 and restoring the honor of the Shiba clan your father's dying wish?!"
"But, Captain…"
Kaien hesitated before speaking again.
"If I pass the captain's qualification exam… then one day I'll leave the division.
I'm worried about your health—"
"It's no problem, Kaien!"
Ukitake laughed cheerfully.
"I feel quite well these days, and my illness has been acting up far less frequently.
And you don't need to worry about division affairs either—
I also submitted a request at today's captains' meeting to promote Shiba Miyako to vice-captain."
"Captain—thank you!!"
Kaien's eyes filled with emotion.
Since the Shiba clan's decline, Seireitei had largely stopped taking them seriously.
When all was said and done, only Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai and his two disciples—Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō—had continued to treat the Shiba family fairly and justly.
"Kaien, there's no need for that,"
Ukitake said with a smile.
"I was an old friend of your father's, so I've always thought of you as family.
Seeing how far you've come truly gratifies me."
"I understand… I will never betray your trust, Captain!"
Kaien said solemnly.
"Good,"
Ukitake nodded. After a moment of thought, he asked,
"By the way—where's Taichi?"
"He… ever since returning from Central Command yesterday, he's locked himself in the barracks and refuses to see anyone,"
Kaien recalled.
"I see…"
Ukitake sighed softly.
"At today's captains' meeting, Genryūsai-sensei officially appointed Taichi as a vice-captain.
His letter of appointment should reach the division before long."
"Oh? That's great news!"
Kaien was immediately delighted upon hearing that Fūjin Taichi had been promoted.
But he quickly noticed something unusual in Ukitake's expression and instinctively asked,
"Captain… which division?"
"The 1st Division,"
Ukitake replied with a wry smile.
"W-What?!"