"Hey! I never said that!"
"Araki, are you seriously going to the Soul Society and joining the Gotei 13 with me?!"
The girl's name was Saito Furuobushi.
At home, she acted arrogant; outside, she was downright eccentric.
She looked like a loli—petite, soft, and seemingly easy to push over. But her true age was a complete mystery.
Still, Araki was certain of one thing: the girl in front of him was definitely legal. After all, they'd known each other for decades—and she hadn't changed a bit during that time.
By his estimate, she had to be well over a hundred years old.
Yes, Saito Furuobushi was a legal loli with more than a century behind her.
And she wasn't just anyone—she was one of the original captains of the first generation Gotei 13, the fearsome group that established order in Soul Society through overwhelming strength and brutal tactics.
That founding generation of the Gotei 13 wasn't known for diplomacy—it was known for slaughter. They maintained peace through fear, earning the title of the most violent and terrifying organization in Soul Society's history.
As one of those founding captains, Saito Furuobushi was every bit as twisted as the legends suggested—an unhinged warrior who enjoyed killing.
But right now, she looked thrilled.
Maybe it was just an illusion, but to her, even the bland clear broth noodles in her bowl seemed suddenly delicious—the thin slices of meat full of depth and flavor.
In one gulp, she slurped the entire bowl down and turned to Araki again.
"Are you really coming with me to the Soul Society?!"
"Almost," Araki replied after thinking for a moment, lightly tapping his chin.
Yes, he was planning to go to the Soul Society. But not to follow Saito Furuobushi.
He had other reasons—reasons he kept to himself.
After all, it had been over a hundred years. It was time to meet certain people again.
"Awesome! When do we leave? How about now?"
Saito's eyes lit up with excitement.
"Not yet. I'm leaving in three days."
"Before I go, I need to wrap up a few things in Rukongai, and I have to hand over my ramen shop. It's a century-old business. Honestly, I'm a little reluctant to let it go."
Araki shook his head slightly.
"Three days, huh?" Saito blinked, a flash of disappointment crossing her eyes—but it passed quickly.
"Fine! Then I'll wait for you in Seireitei. Come find me in the Sixth Division. I'll have a surprise for you~"
"Hmph! Don't get the wrong idea—it's not because of our relationship or anything. As a captain, I'm obligated to recruit talent into the Gotei~"
To be honest, Saito Furuobushi believed Araki's strength was enough to make him a captain right away.
But since all thirteen captain positions were already filled, she had arranged the vice-captain spot of the Sixth Division—vacant for years—as a special gift for him.
"A surprise?"
"Heh, I've got a surprise for you too."
Araki smiled faintly. Of course, Saito misunderstood his words…
Yes, he was going to the Soul Society—but he never said he was going to the Sixth Division.
And trying to explain that to someone like her would only stir up trouble.
Knowing her personality, if she found out he was joining another Division, she'd probably raze half of Seireitei in protest. So Araki said nothing, merely nodding.
"See you in Seireitei in three days."
He was careful with his wording—not "see you in the Sixth Division."
"Alright! Seireitei, three days!"
Still unaware of the subtle dodge in Araki's words, Saito nodded back. Then, pulling an eyepatch from her robes, she fitted it over her left eye.
Araki watched her silently, suppressing a sigh.
That eye wasn't even injured. He knew—because he had healed it years ago, back when he first arrived in Rukongai. Naive and idealistic, he'd fixed it as a favor.
That was the start of his misfortune with Saito Furuobushi.
The reason she wore that eyepatch now was simple: she was a chuunibyou. And not just any chuunibyou—she was the kind that would make even Shun Kaido from Saiki Kusuo turn around and walk away in despair.
Of course, Saito herself was completely unaware. She truly believed the eyepatch made her look cool—intimidating, even. Her Sixth Division subordinates would cry tears of admiration, shouting, "Captain Saito! You're so badass!"
"I'm off!"
Saito straightened her robes dramatically, waved, and walked toward the door of the ramen shop. Before she left, she threw one last remark over her shoulder:
"Don't forget!"
"I won't. Good luck."
Araki gave her a small nod as she turned and strode out.
Outside the shop, two Shinigami from the Sixth Division were still bickering:
"You go in!"
"No, you go in!"
"What're you talking about? I went in last time!"
"Don't give me that! You dragged me here because you wanted the vice-captain position!"
"If you weren't so eager to impress Captain Saito, you wouldn't be standing here either!"
Their voices grew louder and more heated until they were practically snarling at each other.
"You wanna settle this with a fair Shinigami duel?!"
"Bring it on! Think I'm scared?!"
Hands drifting toward their Zanpakutō, a duel was seconds away.
Truly, the first-generation Gotei 13 still lived up to its bloodstained reputation—every member, aggressive and battle-hungry.
But then—
"You two dumbasses and baldheads looking for me?"
A raspy, oppressive voice cut through the air from behind them.
The two froze. That voice—hoarse, heavy, but with an unmistakable hint of disappointment buried deep within.
They turned around.
"Uh…"
As the voice tinged with grievance rang out, the two Shinigami who had been burning with the urge to duel instantly sheathed their Zanpakutō. As members of the 6th Division, they of course recognized that voice.
To be precise, if soldiers of the 6th Division couldn't even remember their captain's voice... then they were truly beyond saving.
"Captain~!"
The two 6th Division members transformed like textbook chameleons—from aggressive, hungry wolves to obedient huskies in an instant.
"Pah~!"
In response, what greeted them was a pair of soles with ornate patterns—right to the face.
With two light thuds, the 6th Division soldiers were kicked flat to the ground by Saito Furuobushi. This was her "reward" for these two little phoenix cubs~
"All right, you two! Come back to the 6th Division with me!"
After venting a little, Saito Furuobushi seemed to be in a great mood, marching proudly toward the distant Seireitei.
The two unfortunate Shinigami, now bearing "facial tattoos" not unlike Monkey D. Dragon's, looked at each other and said thoughtfully after watching their captain's unusually cheerful steps:
"Don't you think... the captain's in a good mood today?"
"Seems like it…"
"Could it be… her mood has something to do with the guy at the ramen shop?"
"Shhh! Don't talk nonsense! That's the captain's personal business. It's none of our concern! As long as she stays in the squad and doesn't go rogue, we should thank the heavens, the earth, and the Soul King himself!"
"True that…"
The two soldiers shared a helpless look, fully aware that their captain would never grow up.
"Hey! Are you two planning to loiter there all day?!"
Just then, Saito Furuobushi turned around and shouted angrily at them.
"We're coming! Captain, we're coming!"
Frightened, the two Shinigami immediately scrambled to their feet and rushed after her.
As they caught up, one of them leaned in cautiously and whispered:
"Captain, there's something I need to tell you. You've been going to Rukongai a bit too frequently lately… The Captain-Commander found out. I heard from the First Division guys that he's seriously ticked off."
"So… maybe just lay low for now? At least until he cools off. Focus on the division a bit more—just until the heat dies down…"
He risked getting kicked again, but voiced his concern anyway.
"Huh?! What did you say?! That old man Jūshirō—what's his deal?! Shouldn't he just worry about running the Soul Society?! Why is he all up in my business?! Doesn't he know that meddling in others' affairs causes hair loss?! Keep it up, and he'll be bald in no time!!"
"Jūshirō?!"
"Wha—! Captain, you said it out loud!"
"Captain! You're not supposed to mention his name casually!"
"Good thing no one from the other Divisions is nearby…"
"Captain, please! Don't call him that in front of him! You know how short-tempered he is… If he hears that nickname, you'll definitely get punished."
The two soldiers glanced around in panic. Only when they confirmed they were alone did they finally exhale in relief.
"Hmph~ Whatever. I wasn't planning on leaving Seireitei anytime soon anyway."
"Besides, before he shows up in the 6th Division to find me… I should tidy things up. Otherwise, he'll just mock me again once he becomes our vice-captain…"
Saito Furuobushi muttered to herself, clearly envisioning Araki wearing the vice-captain's insignia.
"Wait... Captain! Do you mean you've already chosen someone to be our vice-captain?! Could it be… me?!"
"Haha! More like it's me! You? Heh~ you can give up on that in this lifetime!"
The two soldiers instantly perked up, eager to get more out of their captain.
"So, who is the new vice-captain?!"
"You'll know in three days~ Until then… it's a secret~"
With a sly smile, Saito Furuobushi disappeared with a flash step.
"Captain, wait for us!"
Startled, the two quickly used flash step themselves and vanished down the same street.
On the other side, after the small group had left…
Sigh… this girl…
Araki sighed as he slowly closed the ramen shop's door. After that little "storm" from Saito Furuobushi, he had no motivation to keep working.
And… as he had said before—it was time to stop lingering in Rukongai.
With that thought, Araki stepped into the kitchen's back room. After confirming no one was around with his sharp spiritual awareness, he muttered softly:
"System panel, open!"