A towering wooden gate stood before the two men. Hanging above the lintel was a wooden plaque, engraved in dark ink with the number: [Thirteen].
Shiba Kaien paused at the threshold and turned to Suō Tsukasa with a brilliant smile.
"Welcome to the Thirteenth Division."
"Thank you."
Tsukasa nodded solemnly, his gaze sweeping over the clean, simple scenery within the gates.
"Let's go. I'll show you around the barracks first to get you familiarized."
Kaien turned and began to lead the way.
Tsukasa followed steadily at his side, the rhythmic clicking of his Zanpakuto, Oboroyo, against its new scabbard providing a steady beat to their walk.
As they moved along the wooden corridors, Kaien frequently gestured to point out various locations.
"On the left is the administrative office. Daily squad affairs are handled there. Hikaru is usually stationed in that area; if there's anything you don't understand, you can ask him."
"Straight ahead is the meeting room. When there are major announcements for the squad, we usually gather there."
As they rounded a corridor, the clear sound of shouting reached them, occasionally punctuated by the dull thud of wooden swords clashing.
Kaien smiled and pointed toward a tall building hanging a plaque that read "Training Grounds."
"Everyone usually trains here."
"The cafeteria is on the east side. If you don't feel like cooking for yourself later on, it's convenient to eat there."
"The miso mackerel is excellent—it's our squad's specialty."
The two figures traversed the core functional areas of the Thirteenth Division, with Kaien thoughtfully taking Tsukasa through the entire grounds.
As they crossed the central courtyard, several squad members who were cleaning paused their work to nod in friendly greeting.
Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, casting dappled shadows across the corridors.
Reaching a gateway at the end of the courtyard, Kaien pushed open a wooden door, and the fresh scent of greenery rushed to meet them.
A vast residential area unfolded before them, flanked by elegant private courtyards with pale green vines climbing the walls.
In the middle section were rows of neat single rooms. Clothes hung out to dry in front of a few windows, fluttering in the breeze and imbuing the area with a strong sense of daily life.
"This is the residential area."
Kaien led Tsukasa toward a private courtyard on the left. A blank wooden plaque hung at the gate, waiting for its owner to carve his mark.
"As a Seated Officer, this will be your residence from now on."
"The Captain's quarters, Ugendo, is in another location—it's a bit far. I'll take you there another day when we have time."
"Come on, everyone is waiting for you!"
The moment the gate was pushed open, Tsukasa was momentarily stunned by the sight inside.
The courtyard was filled with familiar faces, all busy with various tasks.
The doors and windows of the main house were wide open. Shiba Miyako was inside, placing a fresh bouquet of flowers into a vase, while Kotetsu Kiyone was meticulously wiping the window frames with a cloth.
Kotsubaki Sentaro and Hikone Mitaka were busy with brooms in the corners of the yard. Their shoulders were dusted with debris from cleaning, and fallen leaves had been gathered into several piles.
Hearing the sound of the gate, several people in the yard turned back at the same time and hurried over to welcome them.
"Welcome, welcome! We've finally been waiting for you."
Kotetsu Kiyone deftly hung her cloth by the window and walked over quickly.
"Ah, we originally wanted to throw a welcome ceremony for you, but there wasn't enough time to prepare."
"So we could only help you tidy up the courtyard first."
Kotsubaki Sentaro crossed his arms, resting his chin on the handle of his broom. He let out a sigh and shook his head with a touch of regret.
"That's right."
Beside him, Hikone Mitaka nodded, his expression carrying a hint of helplessness.
Tsukasa's induction into the squad had been so sudden that he hadn't even had the chance to fully exercise his administrative talents.
"Tsukasa, welcome."
Miyako didn't say much; she simply smiled at him.
"Thank you, everyone."
"Don't mention it; helping out is only right."
Kaien patted his shoulder and picked up a broom from the corner of the wall.
"Go inside and drop off your luggage. The yard is big, so let's finish cleaning it up together. There's an induction ceremony later this evening."
"Alright!"
After placing his bag and Zanpakuto neatly inside the house, Suō Tsukasa joined the ranks of those cleaning.
Amidst the collective industry, the entire courtyard was gradually revitalized.
Evening, Meeting Room.
The Captain and the Seated Officers had not yet arrived, and the room was filled with ordinary squad members who were not out on missions.
They stood in small groups, conversing in low voices. The air was thick with curiosity and anticipation.
"Hey, has anyone seen the newcomer joining today? Is he a descendant of one of the high-ranking noble houses?"
A squad member leaning against the window asked while scratching his head.
In his experience, a newcomer who merited an individual induction ceremony was usually a noble of prominent birth.
"No, I heard from Fourth Seat Kiyone that he's a student who graduated early from the Shin'o Academy. He hasn't even been enrolled for a year."
At this point, a female squad member chimed in. She frequently followed Kotetsu Kiyone on missions and thus was privy to the latest firsthand information.
"Wow, is he that good?"
These words caused everyone to look over in surprise. What could one even learn at the academy in such a short time?
Graduating from the Shin'o Academy in less than a year was an alien concept. Even if they were beaten to death, they could never achieve such an absurd feat.
"I remember Vice-Captain Kaien graduated after one year of enrollment."
"I saw the expression on the Vice-Captain's face when he was showing the newcomer around the grounds. Their relationship seems quite close."
"Say, do you think the newcomer might also be named Shiba?"
Hearing this, another squad member had a flash of inspiration and leaned in to interject, feeling quite proud of his logical reasoning.
"Give it a rest!"
"Vice-Captain Kaien is decent-looking, but he can't compare to that newcomer. They don't look alike at all."
"If you ask me, his temperament and appearance are more like the family of Shiba Third Seat's maiden side!"
A boisterous voice came from the back of the crowd. It happened to be his turn for duty today, and he had seen them quite clearly.
"That's right, that's right. We all saw it too."
Several other squad members who had also been on duty raised their hands to testify.
"Hahahaha!"
These remarks drew a hearty laugh from the crowd, and the meeting room was suddenly filled with a jovial atmosphere.
"Shh—"
While they were laughing and joking, the squad member near the door suddenly made a gesture for silence.
The crowd immediately stifled their laughter and moved quickly to straighten their formation.
In the sudden hush, all eyes were turned toward the door as it slowly slid open.
Captain Ukitake Jushiro was the first to enter, moving to the center with a gentle smile on his pale face.
Shiba Kaien followed closely behind, leading the various Seated Officers to stand in two lines along the sides of the room.
Suō Tsukasa, walking at the very end of the line, stepped forward composedly to stand beside Captain Ukitake, calmly accepting the scrutiny of the crowd.
Captain Ukitake came to a halt in front of the squad members and raised his hand. Though his voice was soft, it carried clearly to everyone's ears.
"Since everyone is here, we will formally hold the induction ceremony."
He paused, looking around the room, and said solemnly.
"Yesterday, I, Ukitake Jushiro, along with the Vice-Captain and several Seated Officers, held a discussion."
"We are in unanimous agreement that the newcomer's character and abilities are sufficient to hold a seated position within this division."
"I hereby appoint Suō Tsukasa as the Third Seat of the Thirteenth Division, to serve alongside the original Third Seat, Shiba Miyako."
As his voice fell, the newly appointed Third Seat, Suō Tsukasa, took a steady step forward.
Facing the room full of gazes, Tsukasa showed not the slightest bit of awkwardness. He simply nodded slightly, a gentle smile on his face.
"Hello everyone. I am Suō Tsukasa. I look forward to your guidance from now on!"
"We look forward to yours!"
His extraordinary resume, combined with a composure that far exceeded his youthful appearance, won over the crowd. They replied in unison.
Seeing this, Captain Ukitake nodded slightly, a gratified smile appearing on his face.
Suō Tsukasa's performance was even more calm and collected than he had anticipated, and he had won the recognition of the squad members even faster than he had imagined.
This brief but solemn induction ceremony ended successfully, marking the Thirteenth Division's welcoming of a promising new force.
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