The sun was high in the sky. Kensei Kenzuru was dreaming of himself sitting on the Captain-Commander's throne, commanding Old Man Yama to serve him tea and water.
"Old Man Yama, am I a better Captain-Commander than you?"
Kensei had his foot on Yhwach's head, looking down condescendingly as he interrogated Yamamoto.
Before he could see Yamamoto's reaction, Kensei felt dizzy and disoriented. He was being shaken awake.
"Lord Kensei, wake up." Soi Fon's voice held a note of helplessness. "Didn't you say last night you were going to take that Gin Ichimaru to the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy today? It's almost noon now."
"What Gin?"
Kensei lifted his head, eyes half-open, his mind still in a fog.
"Gin Ichimaru. The boy you brought back from the Rukongai yesterday."
Kensei abruptly sat up, muttering under his breath, "Crap, crap, I overslept."
Soi Fon silently handed over neatly folded clothes. Kensei changed into them at top speed and rushed out of the room.
In the living room, Gin Ichimaru sat quietly on the sofa, holding a small bundle in his arms. It contained a few items of clothing Kensei had insisted he take yesterday, saying wearing his old clothes would disgrace the face of the Soul Society's Crown Prince.
Seeing Kensei hurry in, Gin's slitted eyes seemed to curve slightly. Although this lord was a bit unreliable, he was truly a good person.
"Sorry, overslept." Kensei yawned. "Let's go. It's still not too late to head over now."
"It's fine." Gin Ichimaru stood up. "A little time doesn't make much difference."
Looking at Gin's excessively mature demeanor, Kensei reached out and rapped him on the head. "Kids should act like kids. Don't always pretend to be an adult."
He'd originally thought of using Kūkon to teleport over instantly, but considering Gin hadn't handled it well yesterday, and since it was already this late, a little earlier or later didn't matter much.
Kensei led Gin Ichimaru along the streets, letting him get familiar with the route.
"Are you sure you want to stay in the dorm?" Kensei asked casually. "I have plenty of spare rooms."
"Yes." Gin Ichimaru nodded. "I want to adapt to life here as soon as possible."
"Alright then." Kensei shrugged. "Study if you can. If you can't, then eat more. I paid good money; can't let it go to waste."
The smile on Gin Ichimaru's face deepened a little. "I'll remember that."
"Speaking of which, I sent someone to the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy before. Who was it again?"
For names not belonging to beautiful girls, Kensei usually only remembered them upon seeing the person. His precious brain capacity couldn't be wasted on such things.
"Lord Kensei, long time no see."
Just after finishing the procedures for Gin Ichimaru, Kensei heard a familiar voice from the side. Turning, he saw a familiar, mountainously tall figure greeting him.
"Komamura! Perfect timing." Kensei casually picked up Gin Ichimaru and tossed him to Komamura like a toy. "This kid, like you, is someone I picked up from the Rukongai. Keep an eye on him for me usually."
Komamura, whose strength was now far beyond his former self after training, caught Gin Ichimaru steadily. He looked at this composed child through the gap in his helmet.
Knowing the chaos of the Rukongai, Komamura sighed inwardly at Kensei's benevolence, then nodded solemnly. "I will do my utmost in this task entrusted by Lord Kensei."
Gin Ichimaru looked at Komamura's overly large frame, feeling some curiosity, but he wouldn't pry into others' secrets. "Pleased to meet you."
"You've made quite some progress recently." Kensei walked closer and patted Komamura's arm. "Adjusting well here?"
"Much better than when I was wandering."
Komamura smiled. Life now was much fuller than before. He had food, shelter, and could study Shinigami knowledge. Though he still couldn't reveal his true form, he had already made a few friends of good character.
To graduate and become a Shinigami serving Kensei as soon as possible, Komamura's daily training was nothing if not diligent.
"You two don't need to push yourselves too hard. No matter how much you train, you still won't catch up to me."
Kensei looked at the two and spoke casually. Leaving Komamura aside, by the time Gin Ichimaru grew up, Yhwach would probably already be dealt with by him.
Regarding this, Komamura only thought Kensei was being kind, not wanting him to overwork himself.
Gin Ichimaru opened his eyes a fraction wider, glanced at Kensei, and tightened his grip on the bundle.
However, Kensei had already turned to leave and didn't notice Gin's action. "I'm off. Got other things to do."
Leaving the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy, Kensei rubbed his stomach. Having woken up early (though overslept), he was already a bit hungry.
Coincidentally, he had to go see Senjumaru today to pick up his Shihakushō, so he could drop by Sister Hikifune's for a meal.
Truly befitting of him, scheduling things so perfectly.
"Sister Hikifune, is Senjumaru here?"
"Here for the clothes?" Kirio Hikifune, in the kitchen, pointed towards a back room. "She's inside. Go find her."
Kensei walked in and saw Senjumaru seated at a table, a neatly folded set of clothes laid out before her.
Hearing the noise, Senjumaru looked up at Kensei. "Try it on."
Kensei's eyes lit up, and he eagerly picked up the clothes.
The main color was still black, with dark golden patterns etched on the surface, resembling spatial fissures flickering in the night.
The upper body was a form-fitting long robe with three-dimensional tailoring. For the lower body, besides trousers, there was a skirt-like design at the waist.
"Besides being more resilient, the patterns on this Shihakushō also serve to increase spiritual pressure usage efficiency," Senjumaru explained calmly. "You can put it on and feel it for yourself."
Kensei wasn't shy either, immediately taking off his outer clothes and changing right there. He'd stripped completely before; this was nothing.
The moment the Shihakushō was on, Kensei immediately sensed its extraordinariness.
The garment's cut perfectly conformed to his physique, offering no hindrance during movement. The form-fitting design further accentuated the smooth lines of his muscles. The skirt-like panels on both sides swayed as he turned, the embroidered patterns within faintly visible under the refracted light.
"Well?"
Senjumaru's voice came from behind.
"Completely befitting the image a Captain-Commander should have."
Kensei looked left and right in the mirror, feeling he could already serve as the face of the Soul Society.
"This garment will resonate with your Zanpakutō as it becomes imbued with your spiritual pressure. It will also reduce spiritual pressure consumption when using your Zanpakutō."
Senjumaru spoke calmly, as if mentioning an insignificant matter.
Kensei tried channeling a wisp of spiritual pressure. Almost simultaneously, the patterns on the clothes glowed faintly, and Kūkon at his waist vibrated lightly. It seemed there really was some effect.
"Good. Remember our deal."
"Naturally."
Kensei nodded repeatedly. He'd originally thought of dragging it out, but Senjumaru had offered too much.
-----------------
It was already evening by the time he returned home.
Pushing open the door, the first thing Kensei saw was Rangiku lying on her stomach on the living room floor, being teased by Yoruichi with snacks.
Eager to eat but unable to get any, Rangiku was getting a bit frantic, but she couldn't beat Yoruichi, so she could only keep jumping up to satisfy Yoruichi's mischievous whims.
Hearing the door open, both looked up, their eyes lighting up.
"Is this the handiwork of the Royal Guard?"
"Naturally. Handsome, isn't it?"
Kensei struck a pose quite full of himself, earning him an eye-roll from Yoruichi.
"If you didn't open your mouth, I could appreciate your face."
Rangiku chuckled softly, then got a rap on the head from Kensei.
Soi Fon walked out of the kitchen carrying a tea set. Her steps faltered slightly upon seeing Kensei's new clothes, and she said quietly, "It suits you very well, Lord Kensei."
"See, that's the normal reaction."
Kensei felt greatly comforted, thinking Soi Fon was the only normal person around him.
The inner room's door slid open, and Aizen walked out, holding a document, her long brown hair casually tied up.
She walked up to Kensei, reaching out to brush the collar of his clothes. The action was natural, as if inspecting the fabric, but Kensei could feel the temperature of her fingertips.
"Don't you find it troublesome?"
Aizen said words only Kensei could understand. Though cultivating these newcomers did have some use, it wasn't originally Kensei's responsibility.
"Aren't you the biggest trouble around me?" Kensei pursed his lips, "From the beginning, I had to help you hide things from Old Man Yama. Got no good deed in return, even got drugged by certain people... Only later found out my 'bro' was a girl."
Yoruichi couldn't help but burst out laughing.
"Is that so." Aizen raised an eyebrow. "Then you better get used to it. There might be more in the future."
The corner of Kensei's mouth twitched. He felt his future days might not be so easy.
***
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