Deep within the Tsunayashiro Main Residence, a Japanese-style room known as the Jingguan Pavilion sealed itself from the outside world.
The air was thick with the scent of expensive sandalwood incense, mingling with the faint dustiness of aged tatami and ancient scrolls. Even the heavy zitan wood doors seemed to absorb sound; not a whisper dared to penetrate.
This was the heart of the Tsunayashiro Clan, the chamber where decisions of life, death, and power were made.
Dim oil lamps cast a faint yellow glow across a massive black-lacquered low table. At its head sat the Clan Head, a middle-aged man whose scholarly appearance belied the deadly calculation in his narrow, deep-pool-like eyes. Occasionally, they flashed a chilling glint. His dark ink-colored Hitatare bore the intricate Three-Leaf Aoi Crest, and his fingers absently stroked a folded Black-Boned Folding Fan.
Flanking him were Elders wielding real power. On the left, the Grand Elder's white hair and withered features hid a gaze sharp as a hawk's. On the right, the Second Elder, short and stout, wore a serene, Maitreya-like smile, but his eyes were void of warmth. Behind them, main-branch disciples stood silently, observing.
Dossiers were spread across the table, the topmost marked "Shiba Senya", accompanied by a photograph.
"Regarding the branch Family boy from the Shiba Clan who left the Family—Shiba Senya," the Clan Head said, breaking the silence. "Gentlemen, let us discuss."
The Grand Elder scoffed, voice low and hoarse, laced with authority:
"Hmph. A good-for-nothing who nearly failed Shino Academy. Now he dares sever ties with the main Family?"
The Second Elder chuckled, dry and sandpaper-like:
"True. Bearing the Shiba name now brings more burden than benefit. His move… was clever."
"Clever?" The Grand Elder's laugh was bitter. "Cowardice, not cleverness. Even the struggling Shiba Clan is still one of the Five Great Noble Houses. Betrayal of bloodline deserves punishment."
"Only Shiba Kaien would tolerate such insolence," he added, mocking the current Patriarch's leniency. Laughter rippled around the table.
The Clan Head tapped the Black-Boned Folding Fan against the table. Silence fell like a heavy curtain. His gaze swept the room, finally resting on the Shiba Senya dossier.
"This boy… leaving the Shiba Clan and demoting himself to a lowest-rank noble… he has guts. But if we were to intervene again, how would the other nobles view it? What would Captain-Commander Yamamoto think? Too ruthless. Not worth it—all for a trivial ant."
The Grand Elder bowed slightly, praising: "The Clan Head is wise."
The Second Elder's eyes glinted coldly, considering the pros and cons before slowly nodding.
"A few days ago, we sent operatives disguised as Rukongai thugs to eliminate him. Yet… no news."
His fingers drummed on the table like a death knell.
"If the Clan Head does not intend further action, we treat him as dust. But Shiba Kaien… this Patriarch who knows not the weight of heaven and earth—is the true problem."
At the mention of Kaien, the room's air stiffened. Even the incense seemed heavy with unspoken malice. The Grand Elder's smile faded, voice lowering to a venomous hiss:
"Kaien's strength is considerable. His rapport with the Thirteen Divisions, especially Ukitake of the Thirteenth, complicates matters. He rejects our offers… publicly questions our methods… Hmph, he doesn't know his place!"
The Second Elder slammed the table, teacups rattling:
"This thorn must be removed! The Shiba name erased from the noble registry!"
The Clan Head listened quietly, expression neutral, but the cold light in his eyes sharpened. Folding his fan, he tapped it rhythmically: tata, tata, tata.
Finally, he spoke, calm but final:
"Shiba Senya is dust. Shiba Kaien, however… must be removed."
The air in Jingguan Pavilion thickened, iron-like. Even the richest incense could not mask the calculated malice.
The Clan Head turned to another dossier, marked with a sinister Hollow mask and a scarlet codename: [Metastacia]. Its edges were worn, evidence of repeated study.
"We need a blade," the Clan Head said softly, "an invisible, lethal blade, leaving no trace of our hand."
The Second Elder leaned forward, excitement barely contained:
"We may already have found it. [Metastacia] has been unusually active in the rift between Hueco Mundo and the Human World, possessing unique abilities. Reports show it can 'devour' and nullify a Zanpakuto's power—not destroying the weapon, but collapsing its spiritual structure temporarily, as if Shikai had never been achieved."
A sharp gleam sparked in the Grand Elder's eyes. "A Hollow like that… a bane for all Shinigami."
"Precisely," the Second Elder said, smile icy.
The Clan Head nodded. "Continue."
The Elder's voice slid through the room like venom:
"When Shiba Kaien encounters this Hollow on a mission—he will naturally engage, as he always does. The moment his Zanpakuto contacts Metastacia… he will die."
The Clan Head's fan snapped shut: pa.
He turned to a shadowed figure in the corner.
"Tokinada. This is your task. Ensure fate guides it naturally. Let that Hollow become our most loyal 'Executioner'."
Tokinada bowed silently.
"As you command, Clan Head."
In Jingguan Pavilion, the poisonous strands of conspiracy coiled silently. Shiba Kaien's fate had been tugged by invisible threads toward a desperate end. And from the shadows, the puppet masters watched—satisfied, yet untouchable.