"Stop playing dumb, Fūjin Taichi!"
The black cat Yoruichi shouted angrily.
"You've been approaching Ichigo step by step… What exactly are you plotting?"
"Yoruichi!"
Fūjin Taichi tucked 100 Things You Didn't Know About Soul Society back into his clothes and spoke seriously to her:
"My goal is the same as Ichigo's. I just want to save Tsukiyomi from the Soul Society's stagnant, outdated system."
"Tch…"
"And besides, you've already realized it, haven't you, Yoruichi?"
Fūjin Taichi continued calmly.
"Right now, I'm the only one who can help you sneak into the Seireitei—though… oh? It seems the Captain-Commander is summoning the Vice-Captains."
He lowered his head slightly and glanced at the faintly glowing chrysanthemum emblem on his vice-captain armband.
Then he said to Yoruichi:
"As you can see, I can only help you get into the Seireitei. After that… you're on your own."
"..."
After a long silence, the black cat Yoruichi finally nodded.
"Looks like we have no other choice. Ichigo, you go on ahead. I still have questions for him."
"Got it!"
Ichigo answered and, together with Ishida Uryū, Inoue Orihime, and Chad (Sado Yasutora), entered the cross-shaped dimensional passage and vanished.
"Yoruichi, ask whatever you need quickly—I still have to get back for a meeting."
Fūjin Taichi sheathed his Zanpakutō and urged her.
"Fūjin Taichi, what exactly are you planning?"
Yoruichi stared intently at him.
"As a Shinigami, you've violated Soul Society's rules again and again… What are you really trying to do?"
"I already told you—I just want to save Saitō Tsukuyomi."
Fūjin Taichi replied meaningfully.
"And besides… Soul Society's system exists to be broken, doesn't it?"
Indeed, judging from the Bleach storyline, Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke had been breaking Soul Society's rules from the very beginning—secretly developing all kinds of forbidden tools.
Later, they openly defied the judgment of Central 46, rescued the Visoreds who had been sentenced to death, and abandoned their noble status to flee to the Human World…
Wasn't that also considered "heresy" by Soul Society?
"..."
The black cat Yoruichi did not respond. She simply stared at Fūjin Taichi for a long while, then flicked her tail, turned around, and stepped into the cross-shaped dimensional passage, disappearing from sight.
"Don't worry…"
Fūjin Taichi smiled faintly, glanced at the towering Hill of Penitence rising into the clouds within the Seireitei, then shifted his gaze toward a certain division barracks at the foot of the mountain.
"The endpoint of the passage I opened is… a very interesting division."
...
The scene shifts to outside the Captain-Commander's barracks.
Abarai Renji and Iba Tetsuzaemon were hurrying down a quiet corridor. Their destination was the Second Auxiliary Room, located next to the main assembly hall.
"This is my first time!"
Renji tightened the vice-captain armband with the camellia emblem on his left arm and complained to Iba as they walked.
"Wearing a vice-captain's badge feels pretty strange, Iba-san!"
"Same here!"
Iba Tetsuzaemon replied.
"The moment I entered, the Captain-Commander's guards forced me to put on the vice-captain insignia."
He then added thoughtfully:
"Vice-captains ordered to wear armbands and wait in the Second Auxiliary Room… This kind of high-alert situation is a first in Soul Society."
"Yeah… I hope it doesn't turn out to be disappointing."
Renji replied casually as he stepped into the room—only to find that the large room contained just one person.
"Kasumiōji Hoko?"
"Renji, Iba."
Kasumiōji Hoko greeted them first.
"Tch—why is it just you?"
Renji asked coldly.
"Where are the other vice-captains?!"
"I don't know…"
Kasumiōji Hoko replied calmly.
"When I arrived, there wasn't anyone here either."
She knew Renji wasn't very fond of Shinigami from noble families, so she didn't take offense.
"Hmph. I knew it—those noble-born pretty boys are all unreliable trash!"
Renji said angrily.
"Hey, hey, Renji—this isn't the time to say stupid things like that!"
Iba adjusted his sunglasses and said unhappily.
"And besides… the Iba family is technically noble too. Don't lump everyone together!"
"Yeah, yeah… I wasn't talking about you, Iba-san."
Renji chuckled awkwardly.
At that moment, Matsumoto Rangiku walked in through the door, and Renji teased her:
"Oh? Matsumoto, you're pretty early today."
"Ha… I guess the other vice-captains are all busy around the Seireitei, so they arrived even later than I did."
She swayed as she sat down in a chair, then asked:
"By the way, I haven't seen Captain Shiba all day… Did he go to an emergency captains' meeting?"
"No idea…"
Kasumiōji Hoko frowned slightly.
"Captain Aizen has been acting strange these past few days too. Something just feels… off. I can't quite put my finger on it."
"If you can't explain it, then don't bring it up!"
Renji dropped into a chair and said irritably.
"You're just making everyone nervous. We were told to stand by—so let's just stay put."
"Mmm…"
Iba nodded and sat down as well, staring absently at the clock on the wall, lost in thought.
...
Meanwhile, inside the main assembly hall...
Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai and the captains of the Gotei Thirteen had already assembled, discussing how to deal with the Ryoka who had caused the "distortion-mask reaction."
Creeeak—
The double doors of the assembly hall suddenly opened.
A man wearing a captain's haori slowly walked in, a peculiar smile on his face.
It was Captain of the Third Division, Ichimaru Gin.
"So you've finally arrived… Captain Ichimaru Gin of the Third Division."
Seated in the Captain-Commander's chair, Yamamoto Genryūsai slowly opened one eye and fixed it on Ichimaru Gin as he spoke in a deep voice.
"What's this about?"
The late-arriving Ichimaru Gin looked around at the captains standing on both sides of the Captain-Commander and asked with a smiling expression:
"Calling me here all of a sudden… what is it you want with me?"
"And you even went so far as to mobilize everyone, summoning all thirteen captains who work tirelessly to manage Soul Society—
Eh? That's not right. It seems the Thirteenth Division captain isn't here? What happened to him? Could someone tell me?"
"He took sick leave."
Standing second from the end on the right, Tōsen Kaname replied curtly without even looking at Ichimaru Gin.
"Oh? He's sick again? And at a time like this, no less…"
Ichimaru Gin stopped halfway through his sentence, then added deliberately:
"Well then, he really should take good care of himself. Overworking yourself doesn't come with any bonus pay, you know!"
"How annoying!"
From the far right, Kenpachi Zaraki cut in impatiently.
"You don't seriously think we were all called here just to chat, do you?! Hmph—let me ask you instead!
Didn't you go to the West Gate on your own to deal with the Ryoka? So why… didn't you kill them?
With your strength, there's no reason you couldn't take out a few Ryoka, is there, Ichimaru Gin?!"
"Oh? So they're not dead?"
Ichimaru Gin said with feigned surprise.
"What?"
"I thought that strike had already killed him."
Ichimaru Gin spoke apologetically.
"Looks like… my instincts have dulled."
"Tch. Stop putting on a monkey show."
From the far left, Mayuri Kurotsuchi sneered.
"As captains, it's unthinkable that we couldn't even confirm whether the enemy's soul pulse had disappeared, isn't it?"
"Good grief… from the way you're talking, it sounds like you're implying I deliberately let them escape—"
"Exactly! That's precisely what I mean!"
Mayuri said coldly.
"Shut up, Mayuri!"
Zaraki snapped.
"I'm the one questioning him right now—stop butting in!"
"Oh? Are you trying to cover for him, Captain Zaraki?"
Mayuri turned his gaze toward Zaraki.
"Hmph. I just want to confirm one thing from Ichimaru Gin—
Which one of those Ryoka is the strongest!"
Zaraki glared at Mayuri, battle lust flaring.
"Or is it that… Captain Mayuri, you want to cross blades with me instead?!"
"Here we go again… a bunch of boring old men."
Shiba Kaien couldn't help but mutter sarcastically.
"Pathetic."
From the head of the left row, Soi Fon coldly dismissed them with a single word.
"..."
Byakuya Kuchiki sat with his eyes closed, completely ignoring the farcical behavior of the others.
Even at their age... they're still as hot-blooded as children. Some things never change, Shunsui Kyōraku thought to himself.
"Enough!"
Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai slammed his cane heavily against the floor and spoke in a booming voice:
"Captain of the Third Division, you should be fully aware of the purpose of this emergency meeting!
You acted without orders and failed to capture the target—this is an extremely serious dereliction of duty!!
Now then, do you have anything to say in your defense?"
"Well…"
Ichimaru Gin wiped the smile from his face and drew out his words deliberately.
"I have nothing to say."
"What?!"
"I truly have no excuse to offer—
Because it was indeed my negligence, and I won't try to shift the blame or make excuses.
If there is any punishment, I will accept it without complaint—
However, before that, I would like all of you captains to take a good look…"
At that, Ichimaru Gin reached into his robes, took out a Seireitei Entry Pass, and handed it to Tōsen Kaname beside him, smiling as he said:
"What I want to emphasize is this—
This unregistered entry pass was taken from the Ryoka.
If that wasn't clear enough, then let me put it simply:
Inside the Seireitei itself… there appears to be a traitor!!"