Team Leaders' Meeting
Suì-Fēng walked briskly through the long corridor of the First Division barracks, her steps steady despite the weight in her chest.
The Gotei 13 was a military corps with strict rules—rewards and punishments were absolute. To fail a mission meant reprimand at best; at worst, punishment. As a captain, she bore not only honor but also responsibility. Failure was not permitted—certainly not twice.
At last, she reached the towering doors of the captains' assembly hall. The polished wood loomed nearly twenty meters tall, inscribed with a bold black character in its center. Compared to it, her figure seemed small, but her eyes did not waver.
With a push, the doors swung open easily.
A tide of pressure poured through the crack like deep ocean water, thick with spiritual weight. Even vice-captains would buckle under such force.
Inside, twelve captains stood assembled. At their head, seated with both hands on his cane, was an old man with a long white beard and closed eyes—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.
"Everyone is present," Yamamoto intoned, his voice low but thunderous. His eyes cracked open, burning with authority. "We convene today concerning Captain of the Second Division, Suì-Fēng."
His gaze sharpened as he recited the charges:
"On April 10th, under the order of Central 46, you were tasked with arresting the criminal Shiraishi. On the 12th, he escaped custody.
On the 21st, at the Tsunayashiro branch estate, you allowed Shiraishi to kill Tsunayashiro Takehiko before your eyes. Furthermore, you failed to eliminate the Hollow that Takehiko became, and again permitted the criminal to flee.
This sequence of failures is grave misconduct. What do you have to say?"
The Captain-Commander's voice carried no overt anger, yet the sheer weight of it pressed against Suì-Fēng like flame.
She lowered her head, lips pressed tight. "...I have nothing to say."
"Very well." Yamamoto's eyes narrowed. "For this, you are sentenced to Keigoku imprisonment for ten days."
Suì-Fēng bowed deeply. "I accept." No resentment, no excuses. A captain bore her failures. Only punishment could carve the lesson deep enough.
"Tch. Is that man really that strong?" Zaraki Kenpachi's gravelly voice cut in. He had been restless when summoned back for this meeting, but upon hearing Shiraishi's name, his irritation turned to keen interest.
Suì-Fēng did not respond. She had no patience for Kenpachi's provocations—rule-bound and free-spirited had never mixed.
Yamamoto rapped his cane against the floor. "Enough. We move to the second matter: determining how to deal with the criminal Shiraishi. Captain of the Second Division, state what intelligence you have."
When the Captain-Commander commanded, she obeyed.
"His Zanpakutō remains in a constant Shikai state. His swordsmanship is unorthodox—attacks emerge even from impossible postures, yet land with unavoidable precision. He is capable of slipping through bodies and unleashing a strange, disperseless wind to blow opponents away.
When airborne, he closes distance at near-instant speed, striking in a triple pattern—upward, horizontal, and vertical.
Most critical: his reiatsu is deeply concealed. Even when it nears my own level, I cannot sense it until our blades cross."
Kenpachi grinned, eyes gleaming. "Heh. Now that's interesting."
From the shadows of his high collar, Kurotsuchi Mayuri chuckled. "Fascinating. A specimen worthy of study. Leave his capture to the Twelfth Division."
"Oi." Kenpachi's grin sharpened, his single visible eye narrowing. "He's prey I've already chosen. Anyone who tries to steal him dies first."
Mayuri's lip curled. He detested beasts who acted only on instinct, yet he would not surrender such valuable material so easily.
"Enough," Yamamoto cut across their bickering, though his mind weighed the matter. A rogue at captain-class strength could not be left unchecked. To kill him outright would unbalance the world; capture was preferable. Failing that, execution was inevitable.
His eyes swept the assembly. "Speak your views."
Shiba Isshin, Captain of the Tenth Division, stepped forward with a grin that didn't quite mask his steel. "I've heard Shiraishi isn't wicked by nature. He struck down the Second Division's Fifth Seat only because that man was tormenting Rukongai residents."
Ukitake Jūshirō spoke next, his tone calm but firm. "I agree. He does not seem an enemy of the Seireitei. Forcing the issue may turn him into one."
Thud!
The butt of Yamamoto's cane struck the floor, and spiritual fire erupted, washing over the room.
"Foolishness!" His roar seared them like flame. "Whatever crimes Hasegawa Gosei committed, we shall judge him. To justify this outsider's rebellion is unforgivable! Do you captains not even grasp such basics?"
Isshin and Ukitake fell silent under that overwhelming force. The Captains' Council might appear democratic, but in truth, it bent to Yamamoto's will.
At last, the old man exhaled, his voice cold as steel.
"Then hear my order: Shiraishi is to be tracked without delay. Upon locating him, a subjugation squad will be formed—Captain of the Eighth Division, Kyōraku Shunsui; Captain of the Eleventh, Zaraki Kenpachi; Captain of the Twelfth, Kurotsuchi Mayuri; and Captain of the Second, Suì-Fēng.
He is to be captured alive if possible. If not—kill him. Failure will not be tolerated."
"Tch." Zaraki clicked his tongue, already irritated. He had no intention of sharing his fight. Allies or not, anyone who got in his way would be the first to fall.
Mayuri's eyes gleamed with calculation, while Kyōraku tugged down the brim of his straw hat, sighing. "Ahh… such a troublesome lineup. Suì-Fēng-chan I don't mind, but with Kenpachi and Mayuri-taichō? This is going to be a headache."
Yamamoto gave his final decree: "The punishment of Keigoku will be enforced after this mission concludes. Dismissed."
The captains bowed and vanished in a flurry of shunpo, scattering back to their divisions.
Outside, Suì-Fēng landed lightly in a side corridor.
"Captain," a deep voice rumbled. At her side appeared a large man in a purple-collared uniform with vice-captain's insignia—Ōmaeda Marechiyo. "The Captain-Commander didn't punish you too harshly, did he?"
Suì-Fēng's eyes narrowed. "Ōmaeda. Go to the Department of Research and Development. Have them craft two gigai—one for me, and one for Shiraishi.
And keep it quiet. No one is to know this order came from me."
Her face remained stern, but inside, her resolve was clear.
She still owed him a debt—a life debt. And she would not allow Shiraishi to fall into Seireitei's hands.