Yoriichi did not attend the Captains' meeting called by the Captain-Commander, as his training had reached its most crucial stage.
After the meeting, Yoriichi heard from Kyōraku Shunsui that Kisuke Urahara had successfully taken over as the Captain of the Twelfth Division.
The process went smoothly, and the other Captains did not make too much trouble.
With just a few words from the Captain-Commander, the succession ceremony was concluded.
Of course, it is worth mentioning that Hiyori Sarugaki, the Vice-Captain of the Twelfth Division, was also present at this Captains' meeting.
There seemed to be a certain relationship between her and Kisuke Urahara, though it was not a friendly one.
She did not give him any good looks during the meeting.
She probably wasn't too happy about Hikifune Kirio's transfer.
Yoriichi remembered that Miss Hikifune had said that she was like a mother to Hiyori Sarugaki.
Imagine, one day, your mother suddenly disappears, and a stepfather arrives; no one would be satisfied.
When Kyōraku Shunsui spoke of this, he chuckled twice, finding the matter quite amusing.
After all, it was rare for a Shinigami to treat a Captain with the attitude of a family member.
If it weren't for the fact that this topic was off-subject and not the main point, he might have even written it into the novel he serialized in the Seireitei Communication Log.
Speaking of novels…
"Kyōraku Shunsui, I remember the novels you write are all about romantic affairs, aren't they?"
Yoriichi slowly paused his movements, letting sweat soak his clothes.
He looked at Kyōraku Shunsui, who was standing beside a dark yellow rock, his tone full of doubt.
"That's right."
Kyōraku Shunsui replied as a matter of course:
"So I just thought about it; I didn't actually do it. A stepfather and daughter… Well, that's not my forte."
"If I really wrote that."
"Old Man Yama would beat me to death."
"I don't want to run into that waterfall and cultivate for decades."
He was self-aware.
His specialty, the romance novel "Rosy Path," at most only involved his ambiguous past with a courtesan.
Suddenly switching to an unfamiliar genre, losing face was a small matter; being chased and beaten by Yamamoto Genryusai was a big one.
After casually complaining a few times, he suddenly remembered something.
The playful expression on his face instantly vanished, replaced by a serious one:
"Oh, by the way, Yoriichi, do you remember that child, Ichimaru Gin?"
Hearing the name Ichimaru Gin, a fox-like demeanor instantly came to mind.
Yoriichi frowned slightly and slowly said, "The one from my class?"
"Exactly." Kyōraku Shunsui nodded:
"He graduated a year after you."
"Although I rarely judge people by their appearance, this child…"
"How do I put it… he's deeply cunning."
"After graduation, he was directly recruited into Captain Hirako's Fifth Division, and at the same time, the Third Seat of the Fifth Division was gravely wounded during a Hollow subjugation mission and died of his injuries."
"He replaced that person and became the new Third Seat. Like you, this seemingly normal action is actually full of coincidences."
"I don't believe there's no problem, but I haven't found anything out. If there's a chance, you two can exchange thoughts."
"Ichimaru Gin might not be the problem, but the people behind him…"
As the Captain of the Intelligence Division, Kyōraku Shunsui's keen intuition made him vaguely feel that something was off with the Fifth Division, but he couldn't pinpoint what exactly was wrong.
It was like a shadow in the darkness, elusive.
After hesitating, he paused and continued:
"Never mind, maybe I'm overthinking it, but you still need to be careful."
"The assailant who attacked Rukia last time hasn't been caught yet. It just goes to show that there are undercurrents in the Seireitei, and even Captains can stumble if they're not careful."
"You're going to attend the Second Division's banquet in a few days, aren't you? And also, the Kuchiki Clan's family dinner…"
"Remember to be careful when you go; don't give your opponents any opportunities."
This was both a reminder and an admonition, lest Yoriichi make the same mistake again due to momentary carelessness, like being provoked by a noble and killing someone in the street.
The person killed might have been very noble among Shinigami, but to some high-ranking nobles, they were just disposable pawns.
Promise them benefits, and dozens of pawns willing to die could be easily found, and each one was not someone Yoriichi could provoke at present.
Previously, killing Kaneda Takeshi had the excuse of his Hollowfication.
Killing a noble.
No reason would work.
Even if the Captain-Commander intervened, if his disciple's actions violated justice, he would not make any move.
The power of the nobles was too immense; unless one was willing to show their hand against them, otherwise… Shinigami who were commoners would only be sacrificed.
This was also the core of Yamamoto Genryusai's philosophy of justice: everything must prioritize the stability of the Soul Society.
Only when the importance of the Shinigami involved surpassed that of all the nobles or the Soul Society itself would he probably violate the rules and stand by his disciple.
But… was that possible?
Kyōraku Shunsui shook his head. It was clear that nobles were supreme; this rule had been set hundreds of thousands of years ago.
At the same time, the Soul Society could not be surpassed. Nothing was more important than the survival of the Three Realms; if there was…
It would probably be the Soul King himself.
He quietly exhaled, having conveyed this information, and was about to leave.
But then, he saw Tsugikuni Yoriichi, who had been standing silently, suddenly draw his sword.
At that instant, the air seemed to solidify.
Yoriichi's movements were as fast as lightning; in just a blink of an eye, the cliff nearby was cut in half.
Boom!
A tremendous sound echoed through the air, like a flash of thunder across the sky.
The ground trembled, shaking twice in succession.
A surging wave of air rushed forward, blowing Kyōraku Shunsui's hair into disarray.
He froze for a moment, his pupils instantly constricted, his face filled with disbelief:
"You… I… The Head Captain's Fuzan, you… learned it?"
Impossible! It had only been a few days! Although he knew Tsugikuni Yoriichi's talent was excellent, mastering Captain-level swordsmanship upon enrollment.
Two months from zero Kido foundation to mastery, able to cast intermediate Kido without incantation.
But…
To learn Fuzan, which they hadn't mastered in hundreds of years, in just one week, wasn't that too heaven-defying?
Kyōraku Shunsui felt as if his hundreds of years of life had been lived in vain.
As a genius, he fully understood the current situation.
Therefore.
He also understood the feelings of the other Shinigami who had been left far behind by them back then.
So exhausted.
The Head Captain would probably die of happiness if he knew.
Kyōraku Shunsui knew Yamamoto Genryusai's personality; he seemed very serious on weekdays, but in reality…
What kind of proper mindset would you expect from a Shinigami who likes to roast sweet potatoes with Ryujin Jakka?
If he remembered correctly, when Chōjirō Sasakibe learned Bankai, Old Man Yama was happy for several days.
The same went for himself and Ukitake.
There are always elders who outwardly appear strict with their juniors but are actually very caring and protective.