"This kid's really something… always causing trouble."
Kyoraku Shunsui sighed, lifting his straw hat slightly to rub his temples. "Cleaning up your mess is becoming a full-time job, Kuroba…"
Boom!
Without warning, a pressurized burst of air tore through the narrow training hall. Figures cloaked in reiryoku appeared silently at the entrance, their presence instantly overwhelming.
At the front was none other than Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, his cane tapping once against the ground with ominous weight. Behind him stood several elite captains: Byakuya Kuchiki of the 6th Division, Retsu Unohana of the 4th, and Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th.
The room fell into a dead silence. Even the most irreverent students instinctively lowered their heads.
"Even Captain-Commander Yamamoto is here… this has gone too far," someone whispered, cold sweat forming on their brow.
From another corner, a warped laugh echoed.
"Fufufu… What a rare opportunity. A subject like this—if I could have his body for dissection and data extraction…"
Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the 12th Division, grinned maniacally. The students near him backed away without a word, not wanting to become the next 'subject.'
"Captain-Commander," Hitsugaya Tōshirō began stiffly, stepping forward, "Shiba Kuroba—he got drunk and caused a disturbance during the academy's combat evaluation. He's… currently unconscious."
Tōshirō's face reddened slightly. After all, Kuroba had simply passed out, snoring. Calling that "subduing" him was stretching the truth.
Beside him, Momo Hinamori stepped out. Her voice was laced with urgency.
"Kuroba's behavior is a disgrace to both the Shin'ō Academy and the Gotei 13. I request strict disciplinary action."
She didn't want Aizen Sōsuke, her beloved captain, to be caught in the mess. Letting Yamamoto carry out the punishment meant her admiration remained untarnished.
Tōshirō glanced at Hinamori, quickly picking up on her motives. He clenched his jaw, then added,
"I agree. For the sake of the Academy's standards, and as the Tenth Division's Captain, I formally request disciplinary action."
The captains turned their eyes toward the towering figure of Yamamoto.
The old man closed his eyes briefly, his expression unreadable. Then his voice echoed out—firm and commanding, like fire made flesh.
"Indeed. This student has gone too far. Such behavior, if left unchecked, weakens the discipline of both the Academy and the Gotei."
He tapped his cane, letting the sound ring out.
"Shiba Kuroba will be confined to the Maggot's Nest for a period of ten days."
The Maggot's Nest. Not the true prison beneath the Central 46, but a holding facility for unstable elements—a place usually meant for those before they commit serious crimes.
Some students widened their eyes.
"That's it? Ten days?"
"In the Maggot's Nest?"
In Soul Society, where lifespans stretch into millennia, ten days was a slap on the wrist. Executions, centuries of imprisonment, or being sealed in the lowest levels of Muken were standard punishments for captains or those who posed serious threats—like Aizen himself, who had been sentenced to 20,000 years in the lowest level of Hell's prison.
Tōshirō blinked, confused and flustered.
"Captain-Commander… did you mean ten years?"
Yamamoto didn't answer directly. He simply turned his back and said,
"Ten days. If there is a second offense, the consequences will be less forgiving."
The room remained silent.
Tōshirō's mouth opened, but no words came.
"Captain Hitsugaya, this decision was reached by Captain-Commander Yamamoto and the Central 46. If you have objections, you may present your case formally at the First Division headquarters," explained Sasakibe Chōjirō, standing faithfully behind Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
"For everyone else, the same applies. Those who failed to obtain their Asauchi during the assessment will be granted another opportunity. Prepare immediately."
Having delivered the message, Sasakibe stepped aside and turned with a half-bow. "Captain Unohana Retsu, the next step is in your division's hands."
Unohana Retsu, currently the Captain of the Fourth Division, stepped forward with her usual serene expression.
Though now known for her peerless medical skill, very few still remembered that Unohana was once Yachiru Unohana, the original Kenpachi, a fearsome warrior of the past who was once Yamamoto's chosen to help found the Gotei 13.
Having later joined the Royal Guard (Zero Division) briefly to perfect her Kaidō (healing Kido) and hone the restorative capabilities of her Zanpakutō, Minazuki, she eventually returned to lead the medical division—where her quiet demeanor belied the deadly experience she carried.
"Lieutenant Sasakibe, no need to apologize. The Fourth Division is fully equipped to handle this situation," Unohana said with a gentle smile. "Besides... I am quite curious about this young man who's stirred such a commotion among the captains."
She unsheathed Minazuki, and in a ripple of Reiryoku, the blade transformed into its Shikai form—taking the shape of a massive, floating manta ray.
Before the stunned eyes of all present, the creature glided silently through the air and hovered above the unconscious Shiba Kuroba, who was still snoring despite the chaos. With practiced ease, Minazuki enveloped him in one fluid motion, swallowing him whole to begin healing.
"Captain-Commander," came a hesitant voice—Hinamori Momo, her brows furrowed as she gestured toward the three Zanpakutō hanging from Kuroba's waist. "Shiba Kuroba appears to be in illegal possession of multiple Zanpakutō. Shouldn't they be confiscated?"
Yamamoto's eyes narrowed slightly beneath his thick brows as he studied the slumbering figure now nestled inside Minazuki.
"That will be addressed in due time," the old man said gravely. "For now, he is to be transferred to the Muken, the lowest level of the Central Underground Prison. As for the matter of the Zanpakutō... I will handle that personally."
No one dared to question further.
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