Soul Society.
Late one night.
"Fish… fish cakes!" (T/N: idk why the author wrote this but i decided to put it in because of how funny the image of isane having nightmare about a fish cake.)
Kotetsu Isane woke abruptly from her bed, drenched in sweat.
She stood up and began to pace her room in circles, her hands moving with nervous gestures.
"What should I do… should I find Captain Unohana?"
She imagined the captain's reaction, "At this hour, coming to another division's barracks? She'll probably tell me to step outside and cool my head instead."
When she finally stepped outside, her eyes fell on a gentle figure seated quietly on the balcony.
The woman wore a simple kimono and knelt gracefully on the broad wooden platform. The midnight wind rustled through the forest beyond, stirring the air and carrying a soft sound along the leaves.
Unohana Retsu's presence was calm, her silhouette slender and deceptively delicate. The moment Isane saw her there, the fear that had haunted her chest began to ease.
"Captain… Captain," Isane whispered.
Unohana's long black hair fell over her shoulders like a smooth waterfall. Her face was soft, her features serene without sharpness. She turned her head with the same calmness she always carried.
"Another nightmare, Isane?" Unohana asked with gentle patience.
"Ah… yes," Isane admitted quickly, lowering her head in embarrassment. Her captain's voice was like clear running water-steady and warm, chasing away the remnants of fear from her mind. A small desk sat beside Unohana, and she rested near its edge, holding a teacup in her hands under the faint light of the moon.
Isane knelt at her side, her eyes tilting upward to the moonlit sky. She could not stop herself from wondering how long peace like this could last. When the day came that Aizen Sōsuke moved openly against Soul Society, would they be strong enough to resist?
"Captain, I…" she started, her voice uneven.
Before she could finish, Unohana spoke while turning her gaze back to the sky. "Isane, if you feel restless, sit here with me for a while. When your thoughts have stilled, you'll be able to sleep again."
"Okay… alright," Isane agreed quietly, her face warming. With her captain there, it felt as though nothing could shake her courage.
What she did not notice was how Unohana's expression shifted slightly, her eyes wandering further than the balcony. The young woman kneeling before her reminded her faintly of another-someone who had once held the role of vice-captain. That person had been obedient but far more willful in spirit…
--
Daytime.
The sound of steel clashed beneath the sun.
Hisagi Shūhei and Kira Izuru trained against each other with drawn Zanpakutō. Their foreheads glistened with sweat, their breathing labored. Even under the shade of the trees, the effort was merciless-every clash of their blades scattered sparks, draining every muscle in their bodies.
But what exhausted Shūhei more than his arms was the turmoil within his chest.
Why, Captain Tōsen? Why betray Soul Society?
The memory of Tōsen Kaname's convictions made it impossible for Shūhei to accept his betrayal.
Each swing of his blade carried that bitterness.
On the other side, Izuru's attention was no less clouded. His captain's shadow lingered over his thoughts.
Captain Ichimaru… did you truly betray us?
If only he had explained his reasons-Izuru would have followed without hesitation. For him, loyalty had never been conditional.
"Shūhei," Izuru asked between strikes, "do you think all this training means anything? Do you think in one month we can grow strong enough to change anything? Can we reach the captains… and force them to see their mistake?"
Shūhei's blade moved with greater force. He didn't answer immediately.
When their blades locked again, he pressed forward and said firmly, "Yes. It's worth it."
His eyes hardened as the memory of his own failures surfaced. "I failed the Shinigami Academy entrance exam twice. I only passed on my third attempt. Had I given up then, I would never have stood here with a Zanpakutō today."
He pushed against Izuru's blade with all his strength.
"Because of guidance and persistence, I reached where I am now. I will take this sword and show Captain Tōsen first-hand that he is wrong-and I will bring him back."
With that, Shūhei swung again with all the force left in his body.
--
Not far away, another explosion shook the practice yard.
Wood splintered as a training post shattered into ash under Hinamori Momo's flames. Sweat streaked her face as she steadied Tobiume in her hands.
Her chest heaved as she whispered through gritted teeth.
"Captain Aizen… why? You must have been forced into this. You're kind… I know you would never harm Soul Society by choice."
She swung again, scorching the air.
Her voice trembled but carried conviction. "Captain Yuta is right. If I become strong enough… if I can reach you myself… then I will show you the truth. With this sword in my hands, I will bring you back."
Her strikes continued, each one sharper and more desperate than the last.
--
Elsewhere.
"Captain… why are you sleeping again?"
The quiet but stern voice belonged to Ise Nanao as she stepped onto the rooftop of the Eighth Division barracks.
Kyoraku Shunsui lay stretched across the wooden boards with his straw hat tilted to shield his face from the afternoon sun, one knee lazily bent over the other.
"It's Nanao," he replied with a yawn. His tone was leisurely, unbothered.
"Captain, everyone else is straining themselves to prepare, yet here you are lying idle. Look at yourself-you're no different from a man already gone slack." Nanao's irritation edged through her words.
Shunsui tipped his hat further down and spoke evenly. "What does it matter, Nanao? A month is too short to change what centuries of effort could not. Better to rest now and hold my strength for when the time comes."
Nanao pressed her glasses higher on her nose, the book in her hand creaking under her tightening grip. Part of her wanted nothing more than to strike her own captain just to force him to acknowledge the severity of the situation.
--
Within a quiet bamboo grove, water trickled gently through stalks that tilted and released their droplets into stone basins below.
Hideki Yuta sat opposite Aizen Sōsuke, the two men separated by a polished board where black and white stones were placed in turn.
The air was still, save for the sound of moving water.
Yuta held a black piece between his fingers, while Aizen calmly placed a white one down with the soft click of ceramic touching wood.
Yuta's eyes narrowed slightly. "You're bold to walk openly into Soul Society, Sōsuke. Aren't you concerned about the Gotei 13 discovering you here?"
In response, Aizen's tone was collected, his words deliberate. "You and I know well enough that to those without clarity, Kyōka Suigetsu renders them blind. Sight and perception are irrelevant when they cannot even tell I am here at all."
He smiled faintly as he lowered his hand back onto his knee. "And isn't it fitting? The great Kidō Chief should hardly remain absent while the world stirs. As his deputy, isn't it only proper you sit before me now?"
Yuta's black stone tapped gently onto the board as he replied in kind. "They're nothing more than parlor tricks compared to your illusions. But you're speaking more than usual today. Could it be your purpose here isn't the board-but to keep me in place?"
The sound of flowing water continued as silence settled between them once more, tension sharpening the air of the grove.
PS GOALS: 150 PS= 5-10 extra chapter on an update.
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