Mistake or not, Gosuke Shigure still believed it was necessary to find Kyoraku Shunsui and discuss the matter with him.
Of course, he could simply take advantage of the situation and quietly accept Ise Nanao into the Eleventh Division before Kyoraku even noticed.
But after thinking it over, Gosuke Shigure chose not to.
Even though Kyoraku Shunsui had never openly stated the details of his connection to Nanao, he had also never denied having a close bond with her. And because Gosuke knew the original timeline, he was well aware of the true relationship between Kyoraku and Nanao long before anyone else.
Under these circumstances, there was no reason for him to provoke Kyoraku by secretly recruiting Nanao into the Eleventh Division.
More importantly, they were friends — not rivals.
Carrying the recruitment list, Gosuke Shigure soon arrived at the Eighth Division barracks.
Because of his identity as a captain, he walked straight to the door of the Eighth Division captain's room without obstruction. Before stepping inside, he heard Yadōmaru Lisa's voice from within.
"Captain, have you decided yet?"
Kyoraku Shunsui sounded helpless.
"Let me think a bit longer, Lisa. This student seems very suitable for the Eighth Division… but the other one isn't bad either.
They're both talented seedlings. Choosing is confusing."
"Why can't you just take both?" Lisa clearly didn't accept his excuse.
"Ahh, we have to leave chances for the other divisions as well!" Kyoraku replied with practiced laziness.
"As far as I know, the Fourth Division's recruitment is bleak again this year. Not a single graduate chose them. It's usually bad, but at least a few still go every year.
Captain Unohana is my senior, after all. As her junior, I need to look after her. So I need to narrow down our picks and recommend the rest to the Fourth Division~"
"Is that so?"
The reasoning sounded ridiculous, yet Lisa actually believed him.
Perhaps it was because Unohana Retsu was a respected female captain — and Lisa admired her deeply.
Considering how miserable the Fourth Division's recruitment was each year, they indeed needed help.
Gosuke Shigure listened at the door for a moment, understanding immediately that Kyoraku was using the same excuse he often used: avoiding administrative work.
Then Gosuke pushed the door open.
"Captain Kyoraku, it's rare to see you actually handling paperwork."
Kyoraku put down the papers, looked up, mildly surprised, and replied,
"Gosuke, what are you saying? I handle paperwork often. I'm not as carefree as some people."
Before Gosuke could respond, Lisa cast Kyoraku a sharp side-eye.
For him to say that?
She had handled nearly all division affairs herself for years. Whenever she dragged him back to work, he would slip away or hide behind excuses.
The fact that he was voluntarily dealing with paperwork today was already a rare phenomenon.
"I see," Gosuke replied, deliberately ignoring Kyoraku's jab.
Kyoraku asked again, "So? You came here to find me. What's wrong?"
"There is something," Gosuke said.
Kyoraku's expression sharpened slightly. He turned to Lisa.
"Lisa, give us the room."
"Yes."
She understood immediately — matters between captains were not for her to hear.
After Lisa exited, Gosuke sat casually across from Kyoraku.
He began, "You're hesitating over your new recruits not because they're all good… but because one is missing."
Kyoraku frowned.
"And why do you think that, Gosuke?"
"Because that missing person applied to join my division."
As he spoke, he pulled an application from his uniform.
Kyoraku accepted it.
The moment he saw the name, his expression blanked for a heartbeat.
"…She really ran off on her own."
His earlier frustration suddenly made sense.
The reason he agonized over the selection list was not because he wanted to help the Fourth Division — it was because Nanao Ise was missing from the roster entirely.
As his niece, he had always watched over her from the shadows.
He knew she was graduating this year.
He had even gone to the Spiritual Arts Academy in advance, asking her instructor to gently guide her toward choosing the Eighth Division.
Given her skill set — excellent Kidō, mediocre hakuda and shunpo, poor zanjutsu, and a Zanpakutō that had yet to awaken — the Eighth Division or the Kidō Corps were the only reasonable paths.
Joining a front-line combat squad like the Eleventh Division made no sense.
Yet she had not appeared on his list.
He had searched several times.
No name.
No application.
And now… she had applied for the Eleventh Division.
This application had gone straight to Gosuke's desk.
After understanding the situation, Kyoraku almost cursed aloud.
Really, Nanao… you applied to Squad Eleven? Do you even have the ability for that?
You don't. You know you don't.
With high Kidō scores, she might barely fit the Eighth Division.
But the Eleventh Division, the pure combat division? Impossible. They required raw fighting ability above all else.
Thankfully, Gosuke Shigure had a good relationship with him — and knew about his connection with Nanao. Someone else might have accepted her blindly.
Kyoraku felt genuinely relieved.
He looked at Gosuke and spoke sincerely:
"Gosuke… thank you."
Gosuke asked, "So? What do you plan to do now?
Do you want me to reject her application? If the Eleventh Division refuses her, her only realistic choice is your Eighth Division."
Kyoraku was tempted.
Very tempted.
But then he hesitated.
"No… I want to hear her thoughts first."