Another Captains' Meeting
There had been more captains' meetings in the past two days than in the previous several centuries combined.
Thud.
The heavy wooden base of Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's cane struck the cold stone floor of the Captain-Commander Chamber.
The sound was dull—yet like an invisible hammer, it instantly crushed every trace of noise in the room.
The air solidified.
It pressed down upon the captains' hearts like a tangible weight.
The ryoka invasion was still unresolved.
And now—
The shadow of Aizen Sōsuke's murder loomed over Seireitei.
"Fifth Division Captain… Aizen Sōsuke… has been murdered."
Yamamoto's voice rumbled like magma rising from the earth's depths, each word scorching the silence.
"For the details… Lieutenant Hinamori will speak."
Hinamori Momo stumbled forward, her step unsteady—nearly falling.
Tears welled in her eyes, clinging stubbornly to her lashes.
Her gaze—sharp as needles—stabbed straight toward the Tenth Division.
Her voice, cracked by grief and fury, tore through the chamber.
"It was him! Uchiha Senya of the Tenth Division! I saw it with my own eyes!"
"Hinamori!"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya's ice-green pupils shrank.
Instinct screamed for him to rush to her side—but the weight of his captain's haori anchored him in place.
His brows knit tightly, his voice controlled yet urgent, concern unmistakable.
"Speak calmly. What exactly did you see? Are you certain it was him?"
He did not doubt her eyes.
He feared grief had distorted them—
Or worse… that she was being led into deeper danger.
"Calm? How can I be calm?!"
Hinamori spun toward him, tears finally spilling over.
"Captain Aizen was pinned to the wall—blood everywhere!"
Her voice shook violently.
"And Uchiha Senya was standing right there!"
"I couldn't be mistaken, Hitsugaya!"
"He murdered Captain Aizen!"
The name rang out like a death sentence.
Uchiha Senya—
How could she not recognize him?
Always hovering around Matsumoto Rangiku.
Always showing up at Women Shinigami Association gatherings under flimsy excuses.
That accusation struck the captains like a boulder hurled into still water.
Suì-Fēng's lips tightened.
If memory served, Uchiha Senya was related by marriage to Lieutenant Ōmaeda.
Kuchiki Byakuya's brows twitched almost imperceptibly—
Wasn't this the man who never appeared at noble gatherings?
At that moment, a gentle voice flowed through the chamber.
"Lieutenant Hinamori's feelings are understandable."
Unohana Retsu stepped forward.
Her wide white haori sleeves hung motionless, her expression serene and compassionate as ever.
"To witness one's captain murdered… and to identify a culprit—such urgency is natural."
She paused, her gaze shifting from Hinamori to Yamamoto.
"However… to condemn based on a single, frantic glance—does that not seem hasty for an incident of this gravity?"
"Soul Society is vast," Unohana continued softly.
"Those capable of altering appearances, mimicking spiritual pressure, or deploying brief illusions are not rare."
"If the true killer wished to frame another, borrowing the face of an ordinary soldier would be child's play."
Her eyes briefly flicked toward the night outside before returning.
"We require firmer evidence, Captain-Commander."
"A rash judgment may condemn the innocent… or allow the true culprit to escape entirely."
Reason rang cleanly through the chamber.
Hitsugaya exhaled, then stepped forward.
His ice-green eyes offered Hinamori silent reassurance before hardening with resolve.
"Captain Unohana is correct."
"As for my subordinate, Uchiha Senya—"
He hesitated, then spoke plainly.
"His record within the Tenth Division is well known."
"Frequent absences. Lax mission performance. A recognized slacker."
Murmurs rippled faintly.
"And more importantly," his voice sharpened,
"since joining the Tenth Division, he has never displayed a Shikai."
"His spiritual pressure has consistently measured at an average seated-officer level."
"With such strength, infiltrating the Fifth Division barracks and silently killing Captain Aizen…"
He did not finish.
The absurdity spoke for itself.
His goal was clear—
To temper Hinamori's grief-driven accusation with facts.
To protect her from becoming the target of suspicion.
And to state what he himself had long believed.
For the moment, doubt surrounding Uchiha Senya receded.
Yamamoto stood unmoving, ancient and immovable as a mountain.
His deep-set eyes swept the chamber like blades.
"Hmph."
"Captains Unohana and Hitsugaya speak wisely."
"Truth must be sought—not assumed."
He turned slightly.
"Bring Tenth Division soldier Uchiha Senya here for questioning. At once—"
"Report—!!"
A shrill cry tore through the chamber.
The massive doors burst open with a thunderous crash.
A Kyoraku Corps investigator—his expression panicked—stumbled inside and dropped to his knees.
"C-Captain-Commander!"
"Regarding the great battle in Seireitei's eastern zone—there are witnesses!"
"The one who fought Shihōuin Yoruichi… and caused that devastation…"
His voice cracked.
"Was Tenth Division's Uchiha Senya!!"
"What?!"
"Impossible!"
"Lady Yoruichi—against him?!"
Shock detonated through the chamber.
The carefully constructed image of a harmless slacker shattered instantly.
Kuchiki Byakuya's composure cracked for the first time.
Suì-Fēng's eyes ignited, her body tensing like a predator ready to strike.
Hitsugaya felt lightning rip through his mind.
His pupils shrank to pinpricks.
He whipped toward the messenger—then slowly turned to Hinamori.
She stood frozen, deathly pale.
Every word he had spoken in Senya's defense collapsed into dust.
If this was true…
Then what Hinamori had witnessed was almost certainly real.
And the man they had dismissed—
Had defeated the God of Flash.
A chill crawled down Hitsugaya's spine.
Not just for Seireitei.
But for Hinamori… who had stood face-to-face with such a monster.
As horror settled, Yamamoto's eyes opened fully.
No emotion surfaced.
Yet a vast, crushing spiritual pressure awakened—like a volcano stirring after millennia.
Thud.
His cane struck the floor once more.
"Issue a Class-One Wanted Notice."
"All Thirteen Court Guard Squads—"
"Hunt down Tenth Division soldier Uchiha Senya."