Since the establishment of the Central 46 system, countless years had passed.
Over those long years, the members of Central 46 had changed again and again. Generations rose and fell, replaced one after another as time moved forward.
The same was true for the captains of the Gotei 13.
Positions that once seemed eternal were, in reality, constantly shifting.
Yet even within this continuous cycle of change, there were exceptions.
Only two captains had remained since the very founding of the Gotei 13.
One was the Head-captain, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni.
The other was Unohana Retsu.
Although Unohana currently served as the captain of the Fourth Division, her past was far from simple.
Before she took on the role of healer, she had once been the First Generation Kenpachi, the original captain of the Eleventh Division.
That identity alone placed her at the very pinnacle of Soul Society's history.
Ordinary shinigami did not know this.
But Central 46 did.
They were well aware of who Unohana truly was.
Because of that, when Unohana made a decision, and when Yamamoto himself stood behind that decision, there was no room for objection.
Thus, the matter was quietly settled.
No further questions were raised.
However, although the incident appeared to have ended on the surface, Zaraki himself had already drawn the attention of Central 46.
From that day onward, he became someone they would observe closely.
If he truly possessed the potential to become the sharpest blade protecting Seireitei in the future, then he would need to be carefully cultivated and guided.
When Yamamoto formally reported Zaraki's existence, arrangements had already begun.
At the same time, Unohana brought Zaraki to the Twelfth Division.
There, Hikifune Kirio personally created a set of reiatsu-restricting equipment for him.
Unlike the crude or later-developed methods seen in other eras, Kirio's design was refined.
It was not a blindfold.
Instead, it took the form of a carefully crafted bracelet.
The bracelet fit snugly around Zaraki's wrist. Along its surface were several small mechanical adjustments, each representing a different level of suppression.
At its highest setting, it could suppress up to eighty percent of Zaraki's reiatsu.
At its lowest, the restriction could be completely removed.
This concept was somewhat similar to the restriction seals used by vice-captains and captains when entering the Human World.
Because their reiatsu was too powerful, the Human World could not withstand their full presence. As a result, they were forced to seal most of their power, only releasing it when absolutely necessary.
Under normal circumstances, they could only use a fraction of their true strength.
Zaraki's situation was different.
He was not being restricted because of the fragility of another world.
He was being restricted because his power was too overwhelming, even for Seireitei itself.
In addition to the limiter, Kirio also addressed another issue.
Zaraki's reiatsu was immense, but his control over it was extremely poor.
His ability to perceive spiritual energy was crude and undeveloped.
To compensate for this, she created another device to assist him.
His hair was divided into multiple small sections.
At the end of each section, a small bell was attached.
Each bell was designed to react to spiritual fluctuations, allowing Zaraki to indirectly sense and understand the flow of reiatsu around him.
At first, Zaraki was dissatisfied with the change.
He frowned at the unfamiliar sensation and the alteration to his appearance.
However, after taking a moment to examine himself more closely, his dissatisfaction quickly faded.
Instead, he found that the new look suited him rather well.
It was rough, wild, and unrestrained.
Perfectly in line with his own aesthetic.
…
With Shigure bringing Zaraki into Seireitei, things had recently become livelier than usual.
Whether directly or indirectly, many events had begun to revolve around Zaraki's presence.
However, this liveliness did not last long.
When Zaraki began learning swordsmanship under Yamamoto himself, everyone expected something significant to happen.
After all, Yamamoto had personally decided to teach him.
Yet what followed was completely unexpected.
Within less than half a day, Zaraki was expelled.
No one understood what had happened.
Just days ago, Yamamoto had acknowledged Zaraki as a rare gem worth cultivating.
But after personally instructing him, he suddenly lost all interest.
The entire situation ended abruptly, almost like a joke.
A farce that began with great momentum, only to collapse without explanation.
No one knew the reason.
No one dared to ask.
Fortunately, Unohana remained unchanged.
She continued teaching Zaraki with the same patience as before.
With the reiatsu limiter now in place, Zaraki no longer caused destructive incidents simply by releasing his power.
His training finally began to stabilize.
During this time, Shigure also returned to the Fourth Division regularly.
While Zaraki trained, Shigure continued studying Kaidō.
The days passed quietly.
Calm and almost peaceful.
…
Unfortunately, that peace did not last long.
Before Shigure even had the chance to visit the Shihouin estate for the promised drinks, something happened.
A sharp, rhythmic sound echoed across Seireitei.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
At the same time, Hell Butterflies began to spread across every division.
Their wings fluttered as they carried a message.
Then, Yamamoto's voice resounded through the air.
"All captains and vice-captains are to report immediately to the First Division."
"A captain's meeting will be held at once."
"The matter is extremely urgent."
The moment those words were heard, everyone understood.
If Yamamoto described something as "extremely urgent", then it was obviously no minor issue as Yamamoto was not a person who would exaggerate things.
Inside the Eleventh Division, Shigure had been casually flipping through a magazine titled Seireitei Communication Collection.
He had recently developed a small interest in it.
But now, with a faint sigh of annoyance, he closed the magazine.
"How troublesome…"
Still, he stood up without hesitation and headed toward the First Division.
As for Zaraki, although his strength had improved significantly, Shigure had no intention of appointing him as vice-captain yet.
Such a promotion required time.
If it were done too quickly, it would inevitably cause dissatisfaction among the other members.
Thus, the Eleventh Division remained without a vice-captain.
…
When Shigure arrived at the First Division, most of the captains had already gathered.
Each captain stood alongside their respective vice-captain.
In comparison, Shigure stood alone, making the absence was noticeable.
Shigure had little interest in the vice-captains of the other divisions.
Even those he was somewhat familiar with, such as the Fourth Division's vice-captain who taught him Kaidō, or Sasakibe Chojiro of the First Division, who had held his position since the very founding of the Gotei 13, did not draw much of his attention.
Only one person made him look twice.
The vice-captain of the Fifth Division.
Aizen Sosuke.
Aizen had only recently taken the position.
After Hirako Shinji was promoted to captain, Aizen, formerly the Third Seat, had risen due to his exceptional ability.
He wore glasses, and his demeanour was gentle, refined, and polite.
At this point in time, he appeared younger and far less mature than he would in the future.
Shigure glanced at him briefly.
'I wonder… has he already begun his experiments at this point?'
The thought crossed his mind quietly.
Then he looked away.
Aizen, on the other hand, showed no reaction.
He stood slightly behind Hirako Shinji, his posture respectful and unassuming.
His expression remained calm.
His eyes, however, were deep.
No one could tell what he was truly thinking.
To everyone present, Aizen was nothing more than a capable subordinate.
A quiet and reliable vice-captain.
No one there could possibly imagine—
What kind of storm this man would bring to Soul Society in the future.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
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