Like the sun hanging high in the firmament.
This was the most sincere impression the ordinary members of the Thirteenth Division held in their hearts when they went out on missions with Suō Tsukasa.
They could intuitively feel the warmth emanating from this sun, but they could also directly experience the scorching heat he occasionally brought.
The night was as dark as ink, and a campfire crackled in the center of a camp on the wilderness.
A white tent stood in the darkness like a giant sugar cube.
On the open ground outside the tent, several division members sat around the leaping campfire, the orange-red light flickering across their faces.
A sudden voice broke the silence of the night.
"This is delicious!"
"I'm so happy to be here!"
In front of the campfire under the night sky, a young division member took a fierce bite of the roasted meat in his hand.
Fat dripped along the wooden skewer onto the edge of the fire, triggering small sparks.
The fragrant juices exploded between his teeth, causing his eyes to widen in satisfaction as he stared intently at the golden-brown skewer.
"Idiot, you still have time to talk?"
"Eat faster. If you don't, the old-timers will snatch it all away."
The member next to him nudged him with his elbow while grabbing another skewer, rolling his eyes as he reminded him.
The other slightly older members paid no mind to his verbal offense, simply burying their heads in the meat.
The aroma of the roast mingled with the scent of woodsmoke, rising into the air. Occasionally, the hoot of an owl echoed from the distant forest.
Just as the group finished the delicacies before them and were savoring the pleasant aftertaste of the meal, a hand lifted the flap of the tent behind them.
The figure that emerged was Suō Tsukasa, who had assumed the position of Third Seat of the Thirteenth Division. Clad in his black shihakusho, the Asauchi and Oboroyo at his waist shimmered with a water-like luster under the firelight.
His youthful face remained unchanged, though his temperament had gained several degrees of majesty.
His gaze swept across every member present, and his voice was exceptionally clear in the quiet night.
"Tonight's watch will still rotate according to the roster. The rest of you, get inside to rest as soon as you're finished. Don't be too late."
"Sentries will work in pairs, rotating every two hours. Remember to remain vigilant at all times during the night!"
"Understood!"
The men straightened their backs and responded in unison, their voices ringing out loudly in the night.
Having issued his orders, Suō Tsukasa turned and returned to the tent, the white flap falling to hide his figure.
Shortly after he returned to the tent, the fatigue brought about by a day of mission work caused the young member to let out a sigh.
"Third Seat Suō usually has a very gentle attitude, but he's just too strict when we're on a mission."
A single stone stirred a thousand ripples; his words immediately drew a barrage of criticism from the others.
"You brat, just be grateful!"
"Do you know how many people in the division fought tooth and nail just to be assigned to a mission with Third Seat Suō?"
"If Third Seat Suō hadn't personally set new rules recently to take newcomers out according to the sign-up list, someone with no seniority like you wouldn't have a chance!"
"In your dreams!"
A bearded member immediately spoke up to refute him.
His intense emotions caused spittle to fly across the fire, landing in front of the young member.
"Strictness is for our own good, you brat. You wouldn't understand!"
Another veteran member took up the thread, his tone brooking no argument.
"Exactly, exactly!"
The remaining members in the circle chimed in.
"It was a slip of the tongue, a slip of the tongue! Please forgive me, older brothers!"
The young member had never seen such a formation and repeatedly pleaded for mercy with his hands clasped.
An older member beside him patted his shoulder and said seriously:
"It's normal for young people to be ignorant. You'll understand once you've gone on a few more missions. Being able to follow Third Seat Suō is a blessing for us ordinary members."
"Yes!"
The brief disturbance outside the tent settled, leaving only the sound of casual chatter and laughter.
By this time, Suō Tsukasa had already returned to the partitioned space deep within the tent.
The tent was divided by curtains into a main room and several side rooms; as the leader, he had his own separate compartment.
Aside from times of official discussion, he was alone in this room, and no one would rashly enter.
Regarding the comments from some members about him being too strict during missions, Suō Tsukasa had heard of them long ago.
However, he didn't care in the slightest about what others thought of him.
It had been so at the Shin'ō Academy, and it was so in the Gotei 13. Thus, he maintained his unique leadership style.
With the curtain down, staying in his small personal space, Suō Tsukasa's expression relaxed slightly. There wasn't much change in his features, but he shed his majesty and regained his usual gentleness.
This was a small bit of insight he had gained as a leader: "The inferior man fears power but does not respect virtue." Appropriate camouflage was never arrogance, but a necessary posture to ensure that orders were executed smoothly.
He picked up a bamboo water flask on the campaign desk and pulled a few strands of tea leaves from a small pouch.
With a light pinch of his fingers, the tea leaves rustled into the mouth of the flask.
As it was heated with Kido, the ethereal steam rose slowly with the scent of tea, and a fresh fragrance permeated the compartment.
"Phew—time to write the report."
After drinking the tea, Suō Tsukasa exhaled softly, set the flask aside on the desk, and took out paper, brush, and ink from the pouch.
He smoothed out the paper roll, dipped the brush in ink, and waited for the ink to saturate the tip before setting brush to paper with composure.
Thanks to years of Kendo practice, Suō Tsukasa's hand was both fast and steady.
The brush moved like a soaring dragon and a leaping tiger, flowing smoothly across the surface with a unique rhythm in every stroke, leaving behind elegant ink marks that possessed a sharp edge.
In a short while, he had completed the execution report for this mission.
After entering the Thirteenth Division, Suō Tsukasa had not helped Shiba Kaien share the burden of clerical work as the latter had initially hoped.
Less than half a month after joining, he had taken over the jurisdictional authority for handling Hollow-related incidents from Shiba Miyako.
There were no melodramatic power struggles; after following her on one mission, Suō Tsukasa successfully convinced Shiba Miyako to hand over the jurisdiction with just three key sentences:
"Young people crave the establishment of merit."
"Miyako-ane (Sister Miyako), I don't want you to work so hard either."
"You can rest easy leaving the division members to me!"
"Alright!"
And then Shiba Miyako had agreed with a smiling nod.
The Gotei 13's response procedures for dealing with Hollow incidents in the Rukongai were very standardized.
The Spirit Wave Measurement Research Department of the Department of Research and Development served as the first line of defense; its members monitored spiritual pressure fluctuations across various regions of the Soul Society day and night.
Once abnormal spiritual pressure was detected, the staff immediately reported to the department head, and an investigation task was generated through a step-by-step process.
Then, the task would be dispatched to the division that was closest to the anomaly and available.
After receiving the task, the handling process for most divisions was basically the same.
The division would dispatch an advance team to the anomaly for a preliminary investigation and handling.
If the advance team lacked the strength to handle it, they would continue to report up within the division. A Seated Officer would then lead a team to deal with it. Only after the mission ended and a detailed written report was submitted to the division was the entire task considered complete.
"All done!"
When the ink on the paper was slightly dry, Suō Tsukasa tucked the report and the items on the desk away properly and began his evening cultivation.
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