Half an hour later, Yūshirō was unceremoniously thrown out of Ōetsu Nimaiya's palace.
"Ahahaha…"
"Stingy old man! "
Turning back to glance at the palace behind him, Yūshirō shrugged helplessly before making his way toward Shutara Senjumaru's residence.
Inside, Senjumaru wore her elegant haori, looking as beautiful as ever. Surrounding her were countless weaving machines and rolls of experimental fabrics.
"What brings you here today? " she asked.
"I was just missing Sister Senjumaru, that's all," Yūshirō said with a sweet smile, his words dripping with honey.
"Hmph, smooth talker… But I know the real reason. You didn't come to see me—you came begging Ōetsu for a zanpakutō."
Her eyes flicked to the two blades at Yūshirō's waist.
"Both reasons are true," Yūshirō answered lightly. "I needed a zanpakutō, but I also came to see you."
Senjumaru floated gracefully into the air, giving him a sideways glance. "If you really miss me, then why not stay here in the Royal Guard forever? That way, you won't have to exhaust yourself climbing up from the lower world every time you want to visit."
"Hahaha… Maybe someday, when I no longer have attachments down below, I'll seriously consider your offer," Yūshirō said with a tactful smile, showing remarkable emotional intelligence.
"Hmph. Drink your tea and go—you're disturbing my work. It's a good thing you're not part of the Royal Guard."
The golden hands at her back poured him tea. Senjumaru tilted her chin proudly, though her words carried a hint of tsundere affection.
"Hahaha…"
"Slurp, slurp~"
Yūshirō responded with his trademark tactical laughter, then with equally tactical tea-drinking.
Half an hour later, once the tea was gone, Yūshirō departed Senjumaru's palace, boarded the Tenchūrin, and returned to the lower world—heading straight for the 1st Division barracks.
At the 1st Division Headquarters, Commander-General Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto stood like a statue as always. He was a man who almost never sat; aside from sleep, he spent entire days standing silently in some corner of his division, quietly observing the Soul Society's shifting tides.
Today was no different. Since returning from the Shin'ō Academy, Yamamoto had been standing silently in the corridor, hands resting on his cane, eyes half-closed, surveying the realm.
"Commander-General, Yūshirō Shihōin requests an audience."
A member of the 1st Division's special forces appeared in an instant, kneeling before Yamamoto.
"Let him in," Yamamoto replied, opening his narrow eyes. Though only thin slits, they radiated such authority that the soldier felt his spirit tremble.
"Yes, sir! "
After bowing, the man vanished just as suddenly as he came.
Moments later, Yūshirō strolled boldly into the barracks.
"Yo, old man Yamamoto! " he called, waving casually.
"Brat," Yamamoto answered with the faintest of smiles.
"Look at me now—I've got a zanpakutō! That means I can graduate, right? "
He stepped up and proudly unhooked the two swords from his waist.
"…Two?"
Yamamoto froze, his smile fading into genuine surprise—a rare thing for a man tempered by centuries of crises. Even facing apocalyptic threats, Yamamoto remained unshaken. Yet here, seeing Yūshirō wield two distinct zanpakutō, he couldn't hide his astonishment.
In all his years, he had only ever seen such a phenomenon once before—in one of his disciples. But even then, the twin blades were technically one zanpakutō with a shared name. Yūshirō's swords, however, were truly separate, each with its own hilt and scabbard. For Yamamoto, this was the second time in his life witnessing such a thing.
"These two blades are Ōetsu's handiwork," Yūshirō said smugly. "But now, they're mine."
"I see…"
Hearing that Ōetsu Nimaiya was behind this, Yamamoto relaxed, his expression returning to calm amusement. The last person he had seen wielding multiple unique zanpakutō was none other than the "Blade God" himself—Ōetsu. That man had long since proven the rules that bound ordinary Shinigami didn't apply to him.
"Which division's captaincy do you want? " Yamamoto asked plainly.
"Captain? No thanks. I'm not interested in that kind of exhausting job." Yūshirō shook his head. All he wanted was a laid-back post in the Gotei 13—something easy, where he could clock in, drink tea, and coast.
"…Hmm. Well, since none of the captain seats are vacant anyway, I'll just appoint you when one opens up."
"What?! No, no! I said I don't want to be a captain—stop planning my future for me! "
"I'm simply allocating resources sensibly. A 'talent' like you not serving as a captain would be a waste for the Gotei 13."
Because of their familiarity, Yamamoto allowed himself more words than usual.
"Wasting talent is my right! Anyway, since I've got a zanpakutō now, I can graduate, yeah? "
"Of course," Yamamoto nodded.
"Good. Then I'm out. And seriously—don't even think about sticking me in a captain's chair. I want nothing to do with it! "
Puffing his chest with pride, Yūshirō strode out of the 1st Division. He was a graduate now, and his confidence showed.
"Brat," Yamamoto muttered with a weary shake of his head.
From there, Yūshirō headed straight to the 2nd Division. No one dared stop him. Every member of the Onmitsukidō bowed respectfully as he passed.
"Big sis! "
He soon found his sister, Yoruichi Shihōin, lounging barefoot on a cushion, leisurely peeling and eating tangerines.
"Huh? So it's you," she said, startled. "Ever since you mastered your reiatsu control, I can't sense you at all anymore."
She swallowed the tangerine she had nearly choked on, then looked at him with half-lidded eyes.
"You look awfully relaxed, Sister. Don't tell me you've dumped all your captain duties on your lieutenant? "
"Of course! The true responsibility of a captain is to use their authority wisely—that is, pass all the troublesome work down to subordinates."
Yoruichi lifted her chin proudly, not a trace of shame on her face.
"Hah! Just as I expected of my sister. You think exactly like me! "
Yūshirō grinned, giving her a thumbs-up. No wonder she was his sister—the art of slacking truly ran in the family.
Both siblings burst into carefree laughter.
"By the way, Sister, does the 2nd Division have any positions for me? Something easy—just clocking in and out, no real work involved."
"…A cushy post, huh? "
"Exactly!"
Yūshirō nodded firmly.
"Actually, yes. The 2nd Division's grounds are huge, with a lot of greenery. We really need someone to oversee landscaping. If you take the role of Head of the Greenery Unit, all you'll have to do is supervise your squad as they trim plants. Sounds easy enough, right? "
"…This job was made for me! " Yūshirō said with conviction. No battles, no real stress—just strolling through the division's gardens. Perfect.
"Good," Yoruichi chuckled, pleased with his enthusiasm.
"Oh, and Sister—Suzumebachi should be returning to the 2nd Division soon. Let her join my unit, yeah? "
"Fine. Just report tomorrow morning at 10 a.m. in front of the greenery section."
"Got it! Thanks, Sister! "
Yūshirō waved happily and ran off to share the good news with Suzumebachi.
"Go on, go on," Yoruichi sighed, peeling another tangerine. "Now then, time to work… Don't forget, I am a captain, after all."
"OK! "Yūshirō," shouted back as he left.
Stepping outside, he ran right into Kisuke Urahara.
"Well, if it isn't Yūshirō. Coming to join the 2nd Division? " Kisuke asked with a grin.
"It's been a while, Urahara. How have you been? "
"Hahaha, same as always. Just research, research, and more research. Keeps me busy enough. But say… those two swords at your waist—they wouldn't both be zanpakutō, would they? "
"…You caught me. Yep, both of them are mine," Yūshirō said, unhooking the blades and holding them up proudly.
Kisuke's eyes lit with curiosity. "Two zanpakutō? Fascinating… Can you tell me how you're able to wield them both? "
"Why? Because I'm awesome, obviously! " Yūshirō replied with a dead-serious expression.
"…Pfft—Hahahaha! " Kisuke burst out laughing. "That answer suits you perfectly."
Patting Kisuke on the shoulder, Yūshirō turned to leave. "Anyway, I've got things to do. Later! "
Watching him walk off, Kisuke smirked and muttered to himself: "Looks like things in the 2nd Division are about to get interesting…"
Meanwhile, Yūshirō hurried home to share the news with Suzumebachi, who blinked in disbelief when she heard it.
"Head of the Greenery Unit? " she asked, twitching at the corner of her eye.
"That's right! From now on, the 2nd Division's landscaping is our responsibility. Don't underestimate this job, Suzumebachi—it's harder than it looks. Just think about it: the division grounds are massive, and only our team will be tending them. To cover it all, we'll need to master incredibly precise shunpo. It's an elite position! "
"…I see. Understood, Yūshirō. I'll do my best! "Suzumebachi," he replied solemnly, nodding.