Following the captains, Yoruichi also entered.
Like Satoru, she had been involved in last night's incident.
Given her status as the head of one of the Five Great Noble Families, no one dared to make her wait outside, so she was brought in directly.
Once inside, Yoruichi glanced around and, spotting Satoru, her eyes lit up.
After giving Yamamoto a slight bow, she sidled up to Satoru and nudged him with her elbow.
"Hey, Satoru, how's it feel standing here?"
"My feet hurt. I'd rather be sitting."
Satoru shrugged.
Yoruichi couldn't help but laugh.
This guy truly had no regard for formalities.
She was often scolded by the elders for being too carefree and disregarding decorum.
Even so, she wouldn't dare think of sitting during a captain's meeting.
Many of the captains noticed Satoru because of Yoruichi.
Their reactions varied—most were curious, wanting to see what kind of disciple Yamamoto had taken in this time.
Retsu Unohana and Jūshirō Ukitake smiled and nodded at him.
Kirio Hikifune winked playfully.
The captain of the 11th Division, Kenpachi Kiganjō, was a short, dark-skinned man with several scars on his face, exuding a fierce aura.
He narrowed his eyes, scrutinized Satoru, then scoffed dismissively.
Satoru gave him a puzzled look but didn't dwell on it.
His attention was mostly fixed on Ginrei Kuchiki.
This old man seemed to be from Yamamoto's generation, his face lined with wrinkles and hair completely white.
Yet, like Yamamoto, age hadn't diminished his strength.
After synchronizing with Aizen's power, Satoru's intuition had sharpened considerably.
He could roughly gauge the strength of most captains.
But Ginrei Kuchiki was like an unfathomable abyss—impossible to measure.
Seeing Ginrei's composed demeanor, with no signs of distress, Satoru relaxed slightly.
It seemed Young Master Kuchiki was doing fine.
If something had happened to his own son, even someone as inscrutable as Ginrei would have shown some hint of unease.
As if sensing Satoru's gaze, Ginrei suddenly turned his head and glanced in his direction.
Satoru's expression froze for a moment before he attempted a smile.
Ginrei Kuchiki, however, showed no reaction. After staring at him for two seconds, he withdrew his gaze, lowering his eyelids slightly as if dismissing him.
"Tch, that old man," Satoru muttered with a displeased look.
That geezer had offended him today, and sooner or later, he'd make him pay for it.
Hmm... When the opportunity arose, he'd drag Sojun to a pleasure house to enjoy some music. Given Ginrei Kuchiki's temperament, hearing such news would probably give him an instant spike in blood pressure.
Imagining that scene, Satoru couldn't help but break into a villainous grin.
Meanwhile, Marenoshin Ōmaeda, the vice-captain of the 2nd Division, couldn't hide his surprise.
He had heard rumors before that Lady Yoruichi was unusually close with a boy her age—so close that she had even brought him into her study, a place she never allowed anyone else to enter.
At first, he had dismissed it as mere gossip.
But just now, witnessing the intimate gestures between Yoruichi and Satoru, his eyes had lit up with realization.
He recognized the boy. Before the Captain-Commander took him as a disciple, he had personally been tasked with investigating Satoru's background.
A commoner with no backing from any major faction.
Not long ago, he had officially become Yamamoto Genryūsai's disciple—a future brimming with limitless potential.
If these two ended up together, it would be fantastic news for the Shihōin family.
As a vassal family of the Shihōin, Marenoshin naturally wished for their prosperity.
Instantly, his favorability toward Satoru began to soar.
He resolved to seek Satoru out after the captains' meeting to strengthen their bond.
Hmm... Taking him to a pleasure house was out of the question. If Lady Yoruichi found out, she'd have his head.
After some thought, Marenoshin hit upon a brilliant idea.
If Satoru were to marry into the Shihōin family in the future, he would inevitably join the 2nd Division.
Teaching him some useful skills in advance would be a gesture of goodwill—like offering fuel in snowy weather.
And when he grew older, he might even leverage this connection to ask Satoru to mentor his own dim-witted son.
Besides that, he should also gift some gold and silver—nothing excessive, just enough to show sincerity.
Pleased with his plan, Marenoshin shook his head slightly, his mood brightening.
With a light tap of Yamamoto's wooden cane against the floor, the captains' meeting officially commenced.
The core topic, naturally, was last night's incident.
As serious matters were discussed, all the captains adopted solemn expressions.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Yamamoto's lieutenant, Chōjirō Sasakibe, stepped forward and recounted the events of the previous night.
The confirmation of Rennosuke Kamikawa's betrayal darkened the mood in the room.
When it was mentioned that Satoru and Yoruichi had engaged Rennosuke in combat, many of the captains couldn't hide their astonishment.
They had a rough idea of Yoruichi's capabilities.
Relying on her alone to fight Rennosuke would have been hopeless.
Which meant that in such a short time, Satoru had already grown strong enough to hold his own against a captain-level opponent?
Even if Rennosuke wasn't particularly formidable and the skirmish had been brief, it was still an astounding feat.
No wonder the Captain-Commander, who hadn't taken a disciple in centuries, had suddenly broken tradition.
If they were in Yamamoto's position, they wouldn't have let such a prodigy slip away either.
Kenpachi Kiganjō frowned, lost in thought.
Ginrei Kuchiki slightly raised his eyelids, casting another glance at Satoru.
Amidst the captains' varied contemplations, Yamamoto continued—
"Regarding Rennosuke Kamikawa, the Central 46 has issued their verdict."
"Former Captain of Squad 3, Rennosuke Kamikawa, having committed grave crimes, is hereby sentenced to imprisonment in the Maggot's Nest for 514 years, effective immediately, and stripped of his position as Captain of Squad 3."
"Today's meeting is to discuss the successor for the Captain of Squad 3!"
Upon hearing this, everyone instinctively turned their gaze to Squad 3's Lieutenant, Chikane Iba.
Under their collective gaze, Chikane Iba took a small step forward.
"Captain-Commander, regarding the new Captain of Squad 3, I have a candidate to recommend."
"Squad 3's Third Seat, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi!"
Hearing this, Yamamoto slightly narrowed his eyes.
"Otoribashi...hmm."
The surname Otoribashi was not unfamiliar among the Captains.
Before Shinji Hirako took over, the name of Squad 5's Captain was Mashiro Otoribashi.
After some thought, Yamamoto said, "Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi, has he mastered Bankai?"
Chikane Iba nodded. "Yes, Captain-Commander, he has."
"Hmm." Yamamoto nodded. "Very well. The Captain promotion ceremony will be held in ten days."
With the matter of Squad 3's Captain succession settled, Satoru estimated that the Captain's meeting should be nearing its end.
Just as he thought this, Yamamoto suddenly turned to look at him.
Under Satoru's somewhat startled gaze, Yamamoto slowly spoke:
"Satoru of the Shin'ō Academy."
"At the end of this month, you are to apply for early graduation exams."
"After obtaining your graduation certificate, report to Squad 1."
"Squad 1's Fifth Seat retired half a month ago. You will assume that position!"
Hearing this, Yoruichi immediately became agitated.
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