On the sa day, Soul Society, late at night—
Inside the 13th Division barracks, a grand inauguration party finally dragged its exhausted tail to a slow close.
The night wind swept across the ground littered with overturned sake cups and strears. The air still carried the lingering fragrance of sake and the noise that had yet to fully fade away.
"Thank you very much! Captain-Commander Rosse! Vice-Captain Matsumoto! Please take care on your way back, and you're always welco to visit again!"
At the gate of the barracks, Ichigo wore his brand-new captain's haori. The smile on his face was so stiff it looked like it had been wound up like a chanical puppet.
Accompanied by Aizen and Rukia, he chanically repeated the sa unfamiliar pleasantries while seeing the last distinguished guest off into the darkness.
Only when that final figure disappeared into the end of the night did the spine he had been holding perfectly straight finally collapse.
"Haa… I'm exhausted!"
Ichigo dropped down onto the doorstep without caring about appearances, wiped the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, and panted heavily.
"So being a captain is this much physical labor? This is a hundred tis more exhausting than fighting Kenpachi the other day!"
Just a short while ago he had been a high school student worrying about final exams. Suddenly he had beco the captain of a division managing tens of thousands of people, and he even had to host social banquets like this with polished etiquette.
It felt like a full-on public execution.
No matter how carefree he usually was, tonight's gathering of captains, all radiating spiritual pressure, had left him with severe social anxiety aftereffects.
"Hahahaha! This is nothing."
A hearty laugh ca from above his head.
Yoruichi sat cross-legged on the 13th Division wall like a lazy black cat, holding half a jug of unfinished sake. She showed absolutely no decorum, her face filled with the satisfied look of soone who had eaten and drunk her fill.
"There will be plenty more gatherings like this in the future. Captain etings, etings for officers ranked Third Seat and above, noble social events… well, that one's gone now. But anyway, get used to it slowly, kid."
"Hey! I've been putting up with you for a long ti, Miss Yoruichi!"
Ichigo looked up irritably. His orange hair stood out sharply under the moonlight, his face full of complaint.
"I've been wondering, we both just took office today, right? So why did the celebration banquet have to be held entirely at our 13th Division? Does the 8th Division have no funding or territory or sothing?"
If he were the only one busy, he could accept it.
The key point was that this woman was clearly one of the main characters too. Yet from start to finish she hadn't lifted a finger, hadn't even toasted a single drink. Instead she mixed into the guest crowd and shalessly enjoyed the service of the 13th Division mbers, calling it "celebrating together."
So he was the only one suffering while she enjoyed herself?
"Huh? We're comrades who went through life and death together. Why split hairs?"
Not only did Yoruichi show no guilt, she even spread her hands confidently.
"Besides, you're young and full of energy. What's wrong with taking on a little more? I'm an elderly person. I need care."
"Give a break! When you use Shunpo you run faster than anyone. What kind of elderly person are you pretending to be!"
Ichigo rolled his eyes dramatically. Although he complained, there was no real intention of chasing her away in his tone.
In this unfamiliar place, aside from Rukia and Aizen, only Yoruichi, who constantly teased him, could help him relax his tense nerves a little.
Compared to that, the other captains felt far too distant.
Those people wore smiles and said congratulations, but he could feel the distance in them.
Thinking of this, Ichigo subconsciously glanced at the man beside him.
"Ichigo, I should return to the Fifth Division now."
Aizen smiled gently and pushed up the glasses on the bridge of his nose. His whole presence felt warm and refined.
Even after going through an intense banquet, there was no sign of fatigue on him.
After all, he had not only taken care of every captain and vice-captain, he had also accompanied Ichigo through the entire event.
Seeing Ichigo's tired appearance, Aizen spoke in the tone of soone with experience.
"Although you've beco a captain, you don't need to be too restrained. With your potential and character, I believe you'll definitely be able to fulfill this position."
As he spoke, he reached out and lightly patted Ichigo's shoulder. The gesture was filled with the expectation and trust of a teacher toward a student.
"Ah! Aizen-sensei!"
Ichigo reacted like he had been electrocuted. He instantly sprang up from the doorstep, stood straight, and bowed respectfully.
"Please take care on your way back! When I have ti, I'll definitely visit the Fifth Division to see you right away."
That respect ca straight from his heart.
To Ichigo, in this Soul Society that he didn't even want to talk about anymore, Aizen was the only one who had truly treated him sincerely.
If it hadn't been for Aizen, he might have already been used as a chess piece by Urahara Kisuke and Kyoraku Shunsui, then treated as expendable material and eliminated during the previous incident.
To Ichigo, this kindness ranked only below his parents.
And in his heart, Aizen's position was also second only to them.
"Mm. First straighten out the ss in the 13th Division. If there's anything you don't understand, whether it's division affairs or training, you can co find anyti."
Aizen nodded with a smile.
After saying that, he turned and left gracefully, the white haori tracing an elegant arc in the night.
After walking so distance away, the smile at the corner of Aizen's mouth slowly faded, replaced by an absolute, rational indifference.
Ichigo was one of his idle chess pieces. But looking at it now, perhaps that piece could play a greater role.
Kurosaki Masaki, even if she wasn't the strongest among Rosse's subordinates, was definitely the most special one.
Otherwise, Rosse wouldn't have kept her by his side constantly these past few days.
A person who had been forcibly abducted… Aizen didn't believe she truly had no thoughts of her own and was simply willing to follow Rosse like that.
Based on his understanding of Rosse, Kurosaki Masaki had absolutely been ravaged countless tis. It was not like those Hollows who willingly accepted him.
And Ichigo was soone Aizen believed could move her.
Besides, even without considering Kurosaki Masaki, Ichigo's future combat power alone was worth Aizen's investnt.
Walking on the road back to the Fifth Division, Aizen silently raised his head and looked toward the sky.
'Three days.'
'Three more days.'
'In three days I will begin the initial fusion with the Hogyoku.'
At that ti, he would rise in a single step, transforming from a chess piece into a chess player, truly standing at the sa level as Rosse.
———
[13th Division]
After seeing off Aizen, the person he respected the most, Ichigo's straightened back collapsed again. His entire body leaned against the pillar like a puddle of mud, the 13th Division captain's haori crumpled beneath him.
"Haa! This ti it's really completely over."
"Tsk! Tsk! Already worn out? Our Captain Kurosaki doesn't have that much stamina after all."
Rukia, who had been standing nearby the whole ti, folded her arms. The armband on her sleeve symbolizing the vice-captain of the 13th Division looked especially eye-catching under the light.
Seeing Ichigo's exhausted appearance, she couldn't help teasing him.
"But, for the sake of being colleagues, if you beg , then as vice-captain I might generously show rcy and drag you back to your bedroom."
Although her words were rciless, Rukia still extended her hand toward Ichigo. The look in her eyes was especially complicated.
Who could have imagined it?
That orange-haired boy she had randomly encountered in the World of the Living a few months ago would, in such a short ti, beco the descendant of a noble family, one of the most outstanding among captains, and even her direct superior.
Fate really did have a twisted sense of humor.
"No need. I'm not crippled."
Ichigo waved his hand and refused Rukia's support.
The physical exhaustion wasn't too bad. What really weighed on him was the ntal fatigue of being wrapped in so invisible pressure, making it hard for him to breathe.
The two of them walked side by side along the quiet corridor, the moonlight stretching their shadows long behind them.
After a mont of silence, Ichigo suddenly stopped and turned his head.
"By the way… there's still no news about Inoue?"
At the sound of that na, Rukia's relaxed expression froze instantly. Her brows knitted tightly.
Orihi Inoue. That pure and kind girl with long orange hair.
Not only was she Ichigo's childhood friend, but during their ti in the human world she had also beco a treasured friend to Rukia.
But now, she had vanished as if she had evaporated from the world.
During the previous incident, Orihi Inoue had been used as bait, treated as a tool by Kyoraku, and regarded by Rosse as soone belonging to Kyoraku, making her a breakthrough point.
People on both sides had done the sa thing.
Neither side treated Orihi Inoue as a person.
Before the final battle, during the ti when Ichigo was expelled from Seireitei and Rukia was imprisoned in a cell, Orihi Inoue completely disappeared.
Even after the battle ended, even after the two of them beca captain and vice-captain and gained real authority, mobilizing all their forces to search for her.
They still couldn't find her alive or dead.
"Still nothing."
Rukia let out a soft sigh.
"The Fifth Division said they had already transferred her to the Ninth Division, but I was in prison at the ti and never saw her. Captain Tosen flatly denied it as well, saying the Fifth Division never transferred anyone to him. All the leads are gone."
It was as if soone had suddenly taken her away during the handover between the Fifth and Ninth Divisions without anyone noticing.
Then they erased every trace of it.
They even twisted those people's mories.
"Most likely Kyoraku did it. The thod feels very similar to his Hollow Bankai."
Rukia sighed and lowered her voice.
"But I think the mastermind should be Ukitake Jushiro."
At the ntion of Ukitake Jushiro, Rukia's eyes beca even more complicated.
That captain who looked endlessly gentle was actually a deeply hidden mastermind.
For the sake of repairing his body, he had even been willing to turn himself into a Hollow.
And judging from what he had said, Kaien Shiba was probably killed by him too.
The more respect she once had for him, the more disgust she now felt.
"Why?", Ichigo frowned, "Inoue's just an ordinary human. What use would she be to a captain at that level?"
"Did you forget Inoue's ability?"
Rukia's expression turned serious.
"That's the rejection of all events. She can not only restore severed limbs, she can even rewind things back to a state where they never happened. She can restore bodies that have completely disappeared. So what about a congenital illness?"
Ichigo's pupils shrank.
"You an Ukitake Jushiro's lung disease?"
"Very likely."
Rukia touched her chest, where the Hogyoku that had caused all the trouble had once been hidden.
"They tried to capture before in order to use the Hogyoku to treat his body. But after that attempt failed, Inoue, with her unreasonable healing ability, beca the best backup plan. It's even possible that from the very beginning, Inoue was the safest and best solution compared to the Hogyoku."
The logic flowed too smoothly.
A powerful figure on the verge of death, desperate to live, desperate to cure a thousand-year-old illness, kidnapping a girl with miraculous healing powers.
Everything made perfect sense.
After all, Orihi had already been in Kyoraku's hands before. Capturing her again wouldn't have been difficult.
And Rukia had also heard from her older brother that there was sothing inside Ukitake's body whose nature was very similar to the Hogyoku.
But that thing was difficult to remove.
And if Ukitake wanted to recover completely, he had to remove it.
It was probably for this reason that when Orihi first arrived in Soul Society, Ukitake had not let her treat him.
At that ti, conflict could break out at any mont. Orihi might have been taken away at any ti, leaving no ti for Ukitake to slowly recover.
Now that Orihi had beco an unimportant chess piece, no longer drawing attention, she had naturally fallen back into Ukitake's hands.
Following this line of reasoning, Rukia felt the logic was perfectly sound.
"Damn it! Those bastards!"
After hearing the analysis, Ichigo slamd his fist hard against the corridor pillar, his eyes filled with rage.
"Sensei used to think that Ukitake was a good person, and he'd actually go after an innocent person like Inoue!"
"I just hope Inoue is safe."
Rukia sighed, worry filling her eyes.
At that point, the atmosphere beca heavy.
Ichigo had no desire to continue the conversation. He stopped at the door of the vice-captain's office and forced out a small smile.
"Alright, it's getting late. Go get so rest. We still have a pile of division work to deal with tomorrow."
"You should go to sleep early too. Don't think too much."
Rukia nodded and turned to enter the room.
Watching the door close, Ichigo stood alone in the empty corridor, looking up at the cold moon.
Clearly he had already reached the peak of power in Soul Society.
He had a position and strength that countless people envied.
'But why!'
'Why does that deep sense of helplessness linger like the night itself, refusing to fade away?'
Letting out a sigh, Ichigo silently returned to his resting room and lay down on the bedding that soone had already prepared for him.
As soon as he lay down, he felt a trace of moisture. His expression froze slightly.
He brought it closer to his nose and sniffed.
"Inoue's scent? And soone else's scent too? I'm familiar with it… I should know them, but I can't rember."
But as he spoke, Ichigo suddenly laughed awkwardly.
"What am I doing? Am I so tired I'm hallucinating? How could a few drops of sticky syrup have soone's scent in them, let alone two different ones? Those division mbers were probably careless and spilled so tea on the bed."
Ichigo lay spread out on the tatami like a starfish and slowly closed his eyes, no longer thinking about it.
He didn't believe he had really slled anything.
Most likely, he had been thinking about Inoue so much that he was starting to hallucinate.
'Maybe, that's how it is.'
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