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Ichimaru Gin turned slightly, his ever-present grin twitching just enough to betray a flicker of surprise as two figures emerged from the shadows behind him, a faint gleam sliding across his half-lidded eyes.
"Well now, isn't this a coincidence? Captain Su Li, fancy meeting you here," he said, slipping Shinsō back into its sheath with the lazy precision of someone pretending not to care.
Sui-Feng stepped forward, her expression carved in frost, and the clipped edge of her voice carried her indignation like a blade. "Those intruders just now... they were travel disasters, weren't they? Why didn't you eliminate them, Gin?"
She didn't need an answer to know something was off. By Gotei 13 law, any incursion from the World of the Living required immediate execution, no second chances, no hesitation, which made Gin's inaction more than just questionable—it was insubordination thinly veiled in feigned incompetence.
"Huh? Didn't I…?" Gin tilted his head with mock innocence, eyes gleaming as though the oversight truly puzzled him. "Oh dear, I must've misjudged. Didn't expect them to be that resilient... what a shame," he added, smiling with that insincere warmth that never quite touched the eyes.
Sui-Feng's gaze remained locked on him, sharp and unblinking, her intuition screaming louder than protocol ever could. Gin's grin never faltered, but something beneath it twitched, just enough to betray that even he didn't know if he was bluffing or unraveling.
Beside her, Su Li exhaled, the sound halfway between a sigh and a groan, his shoulders slumping with irritation. They had missed it—arrived just moments too late, like someone slipping into a theater mid-performance only to find the climax already passed, and for that, he placed the blame squarely on Sui-Feng's glacial pace, which made it feel like she'd dragged the entire Second Division archive behind her.
"Let's go, Pon," he muttered, deflated, turning away without waiting for a reply.
Sui-Feng gave a curt nod, saying nothing, though the way her eyes lingered on Gin spoke volumes she chose not to voice aloud.
"Oi, wait a minute," Gin called after them, his tone light, though his words clung to the air with far more weight than he let on. "You two showing up here... how'd that happen?"
That was the question buried beneath the pleasantries. Captain Aizen had predicted the incursion's location and timing with eerie precision, a foresight Gin had witnessed more than once, so the notion that Su Li and Sui-Feng had simply stumbled upon the same scene strained even his generous definition of coincidence.
Su Li turned his head slightly, wearing the kind of bright, disarming smile that only made him seem more suspicious. "We just happened to be passing by and heard the fighting. Came to take a look," he said, the casualness in his tone far too smooth to trust.
"That so?" Gin replied, chuckling as his eyes narrowed just enough to confirm he didn't believe a word of it. "Me too. Just happened to be passing by. What are the odds, huh?"
"Yeah. Real lucky day," Su Li said, letting the smile linger for another beat before giving Sui-Feng a silent nod.
A blink later, the two vanished, flash-stepping into the sky and leaving Gin alone with the cold stillness their absence carved into the air.
"Coincidence, huh..." he murmured, the word hanging between his lips as if trying to decide whether to take itself seriously. His grin hadn't vanished, but the edges had stiffened, and his eyes—usually unreadable slits—were now distant, calculating.
The sky above the Seireitei suddenly dimmed, bathed in the crushing pressure of immense spiritual energy, and every captain across the Gotei 13 felt it—an unspoken summons etched in reiatsu rather than words.
Chōjirō Sasakibe's voice rang out with crisp clarity, imbued with the gravity of the First Division's authority. "Attention, captains of the Gotei 13. This is Sasakibe Chōjirō, Vice-Captain of Division One. I now relay the orders of the Head Captain. All captains are to assemble immediately in the Central Meeting Chamber. The topic of this emergency conference: the conduct of Ichimaru Gin, Captain of Division Three, who engaged with a travel disaster but allowed it to escape."
As quickly as it had arrived, the pressure dissipated, leaving behind a silence far heavier than the message itself.
Su Li reached the barracks a few moments later, adjusting his haori with a half-hearted tug before setting off toward the conference hall, only to pause at the sound of a familiar voice that breezed toward him like a summer gust just before the storm.
"Yo. Been a while, little brother."
Without turning, Su Li smiled, already recognizing the presence now draping an arm over his shoulder.
A tall man in a floral kimono leaned in, his grin wide and effortless. "Don't tell me you've been avoiding me, Su Li. Your poor senior's been so lonely without you."
Shunsui Kyoraku wore his usual laziness like armor, and Su Li chuckled despite himself, shaking his head. "Senior, you're as incorrigible as ever."
"You wound me," Shunsui said with mock offense, though any further banter was cut short by the gentle voice that drifted toward them, quiet yet commanding.
"Captain Su Li. Captain Kyōraku."
The effect was immediate. Both men straightened instinctively, turning toward the approaching figure whose calm presence rippled with dignity.
Unohana Retsu moved with liquid grace, each step imbued with the quiet control of a healer—and the silent menace of a predator.
"Captain Unohana!" Shunsui called out with exaggerated warmth.
Su Li greeted her with a respectful smile, though beneath it lingered the wariness only those who knew her true nature could understand. Behind her tranquil demeanor was a killer—the original Kenpachi, death incarnate behind soft-spoken words.
She studied Su Li a moment, her gaze warm but discerning. "It's been quite a while, Captain Su Li. You've become quite handsome in your absence," she said, her smile soft but sincere.
Caught off guard, Su Li blinked before managing a smile in return, realizing that for many, himself included, time had stood still since his retreat. He had spent the past decades secluded, buried in training or drink, and most of the Gotei hadn't seen him since the days when his hair was shorter and his eyes more naive.
"Likewise, Captain Unohana. It's good to see you again," he replied, the sincerity in his voice cutting clean through the awkwardness.
They shared a brief nod, then together made their way to the Hundred-Council Chamber, the towering doors parting before them as they entered.
Inside, several captains had already arrived—Komamura Sajin, Aizen Sōsuke, Tōsen Kaname, and Hitsugaya Tōshirō—all standing in place, waiting.
Aizen gave a calm, courteous nod as they entered, his expression as composed as ever.
Komamura and Tōsen remained unreadable, stoic as stone, while Hitsugaya's sharp eyes locked onto Su Li with visible fury, the tension in his posture radiating the grudge he still carried from their last encounter.
"Long time no see, Captain Su Li," Aizen said, his tone cordial but laced with the kind of sincerity that always made Su Li wonder how much of it was real.
It was the first time they had stood face-to-face since Su Li had emerged from seclusion, though Aizen's watchful eyes had never been far.
Su Li returned the smile, offering a nod with the calm of someone who understood the weight behind each carefully chosen word. "Indeed. It's been too long, Captain Aizen."
Their exchange was brief, respectful, and lined with subtle currents they both politely ignored.
Hitsugaya scoffed and turned away, clearly uninterested in the civility around him. "Hmph. Morons."
One by one, the remaining captains arrived, until only Ukitake Jūshirō—confined to bed—and Gin himself remained absent.
Without warning, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni stepped out from behind the curtain, as unshakable and ancient as a storm-worn mountain.
Seating himself at the head of the room, he let his gaze sweep across the chamber, every breath of the room bending around the sheer gravity of his presence.
"All captains present," he announced, his voice sharp and resonant. "Let the conference begin."
"Captain of Division Three, Ichimaru Gin—step forward."
As the command echoed across the chamber, the massive doors creaked open once more.
Ichimaru Gin entered with his usual smile intact, hands tucked into his sleeves as though none of this concerned him in the slightest.
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