The examinees and captains alike were visibly stunned by the leniency in Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's final judgment. His handling of the incident was, by all accounts, uncharacteristically mild.
If they had to describe it in one word:
Merciful.
"Ahem…" Kyoraku Shunsui coughed dryly, watching the Head Captain's departure. "Looks like old man Yamamoto's mood today is even softer than I expected. That kid's luck is unbelievable. After causing such an uproar, he still walks away with only a slap on the wrist."
He raised his hat and muttered to himself, "Then again, causing a riot in the Hazama training chamber, drawing out three Zanpakutō simultaneously, and triggering spontaneous resonance with Asauchi… it's unheard of. With that kind of spiritual pressure, Yamamoto-sōtaichō probably saw something rare—maybe even necessary."
Originally, Shunsui had only come to observe the evaluation and quietly monitor any anomalies—particularly regarding the rumored double soul phenomenon. But this display far exceeded what he anticipated.
"Well then," Yamamoto's voice echoed one final time, stern despite his previous restraint. "For the remaining candidates who failed to attune to an Asauchi, you will be given one more chance. Those who fail again will be dismissed from the Shinō Academy."
As he narrowed his eyes slightly, the spiritual pressure he released was chilling—reminding all present that mercy was conditional.
Shunsui gave a half-smile. "So, the old man's mercy is selective… figures."
Then he glanced in the direction Shiba Kuroba had gone. "Still… if that kid really learns to master three Zanpakutō—much less wield them simultaneously—it won't just shake the academy. The title of 'strongest Shinigami' might not belong to Yamamoto-sōtaichō forever."
He swirled the empty sake bottle in his hand—Kuroba's sake, of course—with a sigh of regret. "Damn, and here I was hoping to steal a few more sips…"
Nearby, Mayuri Kurotsuchi observed silently. The gleam in his eyes revealed fascination bordering on obsession.
A perfect specimen… a living anomaly.
But not one even I can touch—yet.
He muttered to himself, "Fascinating... but too dangerous for dissection."
Ichimaru Gin, standing beside Aizen Sōsuke, chuckled lightly with narrowed eyes. "Captain Aizen, your invigilation didn't quite go according to plan, did it? Looks like the show's over. Guess I'll take my leave~"
The foxlike smile on his face masked a deeper calculation. Though the incident had gone off-script, Gin relished the possibility of Kuroba throwing a wrench into Aizen's long game.
A wild card is always welcome… especially when it makes him flinch.
Still, Gin knew better than to act prematurely. Aizen's facade was not so easily cracked.
With the crowd dispersing, Yamamoto and his loyal lieutenant, Sasakibe Chōjirō, left quietly. The entire evaluation had been observed via the Tenteikūra communication array and visual surveillance through Kidō. Their presence was not to intervene—but to evaluate.
And Kuroba had surprised even Yamamoto himself.
"Captain Ukitake! You came?" Rukia rushed forward to steady the frail but smiling captain.
"I didn't cause any trouble this time… I think," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.
She still hadn't forgotten the debacle during her own academy selection trial, especially the part involving Shiba Kuroba's relatives. Her face twitched involuntarily at the memory.
Kuchiki Byakuya, who stood nearby, glanced down at her. "Rukia."
His cold voice held a trace of something—was it warning?
"I know what you're thinking. Abandon the idea of challenging him."
She blinked. "Nii-sama?"
"...You'll die," he said simply, and turned to leave, his haori fluttering behind him.
His words chilled her more than the threat itself. It was rare for Byakuya to speak to her at all, let alone offer concern.
And stranger still—why was someone like Yamamoto-sōtaichō tolerating someone as chaotic and dangerous as Kuroba?
Ukitake, who had been listening quietly, smiled faintly. "Strange, isn't it, Rukia? For all that destruction and rule-breaking, Shiba Kuroba was merely sentenced to ten days in the Central Detention Hall."
"Ten… days?" she echoed.
"In the Black Cell," Ukitake clarified. "Solitary. But no execution. No trial by the Central 46."
He looked at the distant sky, a hint of unease in his tone.
"Yamamoto-sōtaichō only grants that kind of leniency… when he's uncertain whether to nurture the boy—or fear him."
Looking at Rukia, who had finally gathered her thoughts and nodded hesitantly, Ukitake Jūshirō spoke gently:
"In truth, the situation is not as complicated as it appears. The one who caused the disturbance in the Hazama training chamber wasn't Shiba Kuroba per se—it was another soul residing within his body. You could say... an alternate persona sharing the same vessel."
"A person with two souls?"
Rukia blinked in disbelief. The revelation was jarring.
She had never encountered a case like this—not in the Rukongai, not during her training, and certainly not in the records of the Gotei 13. While Soul Society had documented instances of Hollowfication, Zanpakutō spirits manifesting externally (like Zangetsu and Muramasa), or even parasitic entities, a Shinigami with two fully autonomous souls in one body was exceedingly rare—perhaps unheard of.
"Does that mean... all those times he called me 'wife' or 'sister-in-law'... weren't actually his fault?" she asked, her voice a mix of horror and doubt.
Ukitake gave a faint chuckle, as if sympathizing with her emotional turmoil. "Indeed. The personality responsible is separate. Kuroba himself may not even remember half of what occurred when that other soul took control. In a way... he's also a victim."
Rukia looked stunned.
Forgive him?
Work with him in the future?
Even smile at him?
Was Soul Society testing her mental resilience?
"Captain Ukitake, I... I can't do it!" Rukia finally exclaimed in despair.
She imagined working side by side with someone who one moment was a composed academy student, and the next, a berserk drunk shouting "wife" and threatening to cut someone in half for looking at him wrong. Just the thought of it made her spiritual pressure flicker with unease.
Ukitake placed a hand gently on her shoulder, smiling warmly. "Rukia, once you separate the two entities in your mind, you'll find it easier to deal with. Think of Kuroba as innocent—his actions were not entirely his own. Even Captain Unohana is now investigating the root cause. With time, I believe she will find a solution."
He turned, his white haori fluttering in the breeze.
"It's getting late. Let's return to the barracks. Kuroba has been confined in the Nest of Maggots for a ten-day evaluation period. I believe... we can enjoy a brief period of peace."
Watching Ukitake's retreating figure, Rukia's despair deepened. She stared at the ground, her expression lifeless.
Only one thought echoed in her mind:
I can't do this.
One by one, the captains began to disperse.
Only Aizen Sōsuke remained behind, as the chief examiner of the Hazama trials. He glanced at the rubble and scattered Zanpakutō fragments, then turned to Hinamori Momo, whose face was flushed with barely contained indignation.
With that familiar gentle smile, he placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder.
"Momo, as members of the Gotei 13, our duty is to obey the orders of the Captain-Commander. The decision's been made. Let's do our part and handle the aftermath."
As he spoke, Aizen's gaze flicked subtly in the direction where Unohana Retsu had departed.
He had heard every word Ukitake said.
And deep within his ever-calculating mind, the seeds of curiosity had already begun to bloom.
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