"Captain Genryūsai, please wait!"
Yoruichi reached out and grabbed Satoru's wrist with a snap.
Pulling Satoru along, she quickly stepped forward, passing between two captains, and stopped in front of Yamamoto.
"Yoruichi Shihōin, do you have any concerns?" Yamamoto asked slowly.
Yoruichi raised her voice. "Captain Genryūsai, Satoru has already promised me that he'll join the Second Division after graduation!"
"As the Captain-Commander, I'm sure you wouldn't want your student to break his word!"
Hearing this, Yamamoto paused slightly and glanced at Satoru.
Satoru let out an awkward "Uh…"
Just as he was about to speak, his eye twitched.
Yoruichi, this damn woman, had secretly reached behind him to pinch his waist.
Without thinking, Satoru immediately retaliated by pinching her back.
From the angle of the captains standing behind them, the subtle "battle" between the two was clearly visible, earning them some odd looks.
As he swatted Yoruichi's hand away, Satoru nodded. "That's right, sensei. I did promise Yoruichi I'd join the Second Division after graduation."
Back when he was learning the art of the cat transformation, the two had made this agreement.
Though often accused of being unreliable, Satoru generally didn't go back on his word once he made a promise.
Looking at Satoru and Yoruichi standing side by side, Yamamoto had the sudden urge to facepalm.
He knew exactly what kind of troublemaker Satoru was.
Normally, he wouldn't interfere with his students' personal relationships.
But… Yoruichi Shihōin was the head of the Shihōin Clan, one of the Five Great Noble Families.
Once Satoru was branded with the Shihōin name, the trouble that would follow was bound to be endless.
After a few seconds of contemplation, he slowly began to speak—
"Cough, cough, cough!"
Just as Yamamoto was about to say something, Satoru suddenly erupted into a coughing fit, cutting him off.
Yamamoto couldn't help but frown.
Under his stern gaze, Satoru scratched his head and grinned sheepishly.
"Don't worry, sensei. You don't need to remind me—I'll definitely work hard and won't embarrass you."
Staring at Satoru's foolish grin, Yamamoto remained silent for a long moment.
Then, he turned to Marenoshin Ōmaeda.
"Vice-Captain Ōmaeda."
"Y-Yes?!"
Marenoshin snapped to attention and responded hastily.
Yamamoto said gravely, "Vice-Captain Ōmaeda, Satoru's safety is now your responsibility."
Marenoshin Ōmaeda: "…"
Hearing Yamamoto's words, he nearly burst into tears.
Satoru had fought against Rennosuke and single-handedly thwarted the rebels' crucial plan.
At this point, Satoru's hatred level among the rebels was off the charts.
As a mere vice-captain, how could he possibly protect a little monster capable of fighting at captain-level?
Though he had ten thousand reasons to refuse, when the Captain-Commander gave an order, he didn't have the guts to bargain like Satoru did.
He quickly bowed. "Understood, Captain-Commander!"
Yamamoto gave a quiet hum of acknowledgment and nodded.
After instructing the captains to remain vigilant against the rebels' next moves, the captain's meeting officially concluded.
The captains bowed respectfully to Yamamoto before turning to leave.
Yoruichi smirked and elbowed Satoru.
"Not bad. Standing your ground even when the Captain-Commander tried to assign you elsewhere—I knew I picked the right guy."
"Especially that last part where you played dumb and cut him off. I'm seriously impressed."
Hearing this, Satoru couldn't help but roll his eyes.
He interrupted Yamamoto for a simple reason.
If Yamamoto used his authority to force him into the 1st Division in front of all the captains, it would inevitably damage the old man's prestige.
Moreover, it would offend the Shihōin family, one of the Five Great Noble Houses.
In peaceful times, someone of Yamamoto's stature naturally wouldn't fear such minor consequences.
But in the current circumstances, Yamamoto's position absolutely couldn't be shaken.
At the very least, it shouldn't be shaken over something as trivial as himself.
As if guessing Satoru's thoughts, Yoruichi curled the corner of her lips.
She didn't dislike men who valued loyalty.
Suddenly, a voice sounded behind them.
"Satoru."
Hearing this, both stopped walking and turned around.
Chikane Iba stood some distance behind them, quietly looking at Satoru.
Yoruichi frowned slightly.
Chikane Iba was the vice-captain of the 3rd Division.
What did she want with Satoru now?
Could she be seeking revenge for her captain?
That seemed unlikely—there were still many captains nearby who hadn't gone far yet.
Wait... unless she was counting on that very assumption to catch them off guard...
As her thoughts raced, Marenoshin Ōmaeda noticed the commotion and hurried over, positioning himself protectively in front of Satoru.
Under their collective gaze, Chikane Iba bowed deeply to Satoru.
"My deepest apologies for the grave misconduct of our captain, which has caused you such trouble."
"Should you ever require anything from this old woman in the future, please do not hesitate to send word. I shall spare no effort to make amends for your losses."
With that, she slowly straightened up, nodded respectfully at Satoru, and departed.
...
...
"...Graduating early at the end of this month?"
In the dojo of the Shin'ō Academy, Aizen was meticulously practicing his sword swings when Satoru's words made him pause mid-motion.
He turned his head in surprise.
"Yeah, the Captain-Commander's orders leave me no choice."
"Seems my pure and wonderful student days are coming to an abrupt end."
Satoru sat cross-legged on the floor, chin resting on one hand, unable to suppress a sigh.
He hadn't even been enrolled at Shin'ō for half a year yet.
When watching the anime, he'd thought Gin Ichimaru completing his studies in one year was ridiculous.
Now here he was, graduating even faster.
At this thought, he looked up at Aizen.
Come to think of it, if this guy were willing, he could graduate together with him.
They could both join the 2nd Division—at least he'd have one familiar face there.
Then he chuckled to himself.
Expecting this scheming Aizen to voluntarily reveal his true abilities was about as likely as finding a hundred kan coins on the street.
As his mind wandered, Aizen asked, "What was the final verdict for Rennosuke Kamikawa?"
Satoru snapped back to attention and thought for a moment. "Locked up in the Maggot's Nest, about five hundred years or so."
"What?"
Aizen suddenly frowned at this answer.
Satoru gave him a curious look. "What's wrong?"
Setting down his bamboo sword, Aizen slowly sat down.
"The Maggot's Nest mainly holds potential criminals or those with relatively minor offenses," he explained thoughtfully.
"For a crime as severe as Rennosuke Kamikawa's, even if they didn't execute him, he should at least have been sent to Muken..."
Mimicking Satoru's posture, Aizen rested his chin on one hand and fell into deep thought.
Satoru wasn't in a hurry. Aizen often fell into sudden contemplation like this, and he had grown accustomed to it.
He took out his Asauchi, placing it across his knees in a cross-legged position, and began meditating on his sword.
He didn't know how much time had passed when Aizen, sitting beside him, suddenly spoke.
"At the end of the month, I'll apply for the graduation exam with you."
Even in the midst of his sword meditation, Satoru's eyes flew open in surprise at these words.
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