Chapter 13: The Hidden Bait
"One hundred years ago…?"
Shunsui Kyōraku's expression shifted subtly.
The events of a century ago were a forbidden topic in the Seireitei—an absolute taboo.
That day's betrayal had crippled the Gotei 13's strength by more than half.
The former captain of the Fifth Division, Shinji Hirako; the vice-captain of the Twelfth Division; the vice-captain of the Eighth Division; both the grand and vice leaders of the Kidō Corps… Every single one had been an elite among elites.
Losing that core group overnight was something Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—the founder of the Gotei 13—could never fully accept.
Even now, Yamamoto had never given up the pursuit of the suspected mastermind: Kisuke Urahara.
"Old man… you're not using this kid as bait because of what happened to Kaien's Hollowfication, are you? Trying to lure them out by letting him take the Shinigami exam?" Shunsui's eyes flickered as realization dawned.
From the very beginning, he had been suspicious. For a stubborn traditionalist like Yamamoto to make an exception and allow a descendant of the disgraced Shiba Clan—tainted by scandal—to even attempt the Shinigami assessment… it had never sat right.
But he never imagined Yamamoto would go this far with the scheme.
"And then there's Isshin Shiba, who vanished twenty years ago. Two consecutive incidents involving the Shiba family. Now this Shiba Kuroha appears. So I decided to gamble."
Yamamoto leaned on his cane, voice low and steady.
"Unfortunately… compared to the previous two, this Shiba Kuroha only has exceptional talent in Hakuda. His reiatsu is a mere three bamboo—somewhat disappointing.
I already bent the rules by granting him exam eligibility, and Central 46 has raised objections. If I intervene again—force him into the Gotei 13 as bait in the Thirteenth Division—it would be too obvious. They'd see through it."
As Captain-Commander, Yamamoto's authority could rival Central 46's. But this time, everything was calculated to draw out the shadow from one hundred years ago. Any further overt action would scare the prey away.
"Old man, you called me here… you're not planning to have me do what Ukitake did—personally vouch for the kid and force him into the Gotei 13, are you?" Shunsui gave a wry smile.
"That's a tough ask. What excuse could I possibly use to push him through? I can't just cheat for him, right?"
The moment the words left his mouth, Shunsui saw the two old men—one of whom rarely smiled—break into grins uglier than death itself. He instantly realized he had dug his own grave.
"Captain Kyōraku, as expected of the student Captain-Commander Yamamoto values most—you thought of a solution almost immediately. We've heard you're the chief examiner for today's assessment. If you simply… relax the passing criteria a little using your authority, and perhaps make some subtle adjustments behind the scenes, everything will fall into place naturally."
Chōjirō Sasakibe smiled politely from behind Yamamoto.
As lieutenant, some things were too unseemly for the Captain-Commander to say outright—so the dirty work fell to him.
"Old man, this is forcing a square peg into a round hole," Shunsui sighed helplessly.
But when Sasakibe produced an ancient sake bottle—clearly aged for centuries—and placed it in front of him, Shunsui's hands shot out to take it.
"Looks like you're dead set on this, old man. Bringing out a thousand-year vintage… I can't exactly refuse now, can I?"
"Don't worry. Leave it to me. Actually—leave it to little Ise. She handles things flawlessly. You'll get your good news soon."
Shunsui studied the priceless bottle with obvious delight. Sasakibe could only sigh helplessly.
Both he and Yamamoto knew full well: Shunsui's frivolous, flower-child persona was just a mask for profound intelligence. Otherwise, in the original timeline, after Yamamoto's death at Yhwach's hands, Shunsui would never have been chosen as his successor.
With Shunsui's sharp mind, he already understood: Yamamoto wouldn't have come to him unless refusal wasn't an option. Since he had to do it anyway… might as well take the bribe first and make it smooth.
"Captain Kyōraku… were you just mentioning my name? You didn't agree to some shady deal because of that bottle of sake, did you?"
Nanao Ise stepped into the hall, adjusting her glasses as she spoke.
Seeing the ancient sake in Shunsui's hands, she gave them a pointed look.
"Ahem… little Nanao, what are you saying? Could my noble character really be bought with one bottle of sake? Compared to that kid, I have excellent drinking tolerance—I don't go around punching people randomly."
Shunsui coughed awkwardly, face slightly red, trying to cover the fact that his little secret had been seen through.
"Speaking of which—the Shin'ō Academy freshman selection exam should be starting soon. As vice-examiner, you still have a lot to prepare. We should head over quickly.
We don't want those idle captains beating us there."
Seeing Shunsui immediately change the subject, Nanao knew for certain: Whatever deal he had just made with Yamamoto was something shady.
But since it involved the Captain-Commander, she chose not to press further—at least for now.
In her eyes, Yamamoto was an inflexible old traditionalist—the founder of the Shin'ō Academy. The rules he set had stood unchanged for a thousand years. No one could break them.
So as long as the men's little secret didn't interfere with the upcoming exam, she could let it slide—for the moment.
"Captain Kyōraku… I'm surprised you even remembered you're the chief examiner. Disappearing right before the Shin'ō Academy freshman assessment is a huge headache for me—as both your lieutenant and vice-examiner."
Nanao adjusted her glasses again, reverting to her cool, professional secretary persona.
"Quite a few captains are attending to observe today. Captain Ichimaru of the Third Division, Captain Unohana of the Fourth, and Captain Kuchiki of the Sixth are already there. Others have said they'll stop by—probably scouting for fresh blood to bolster their squads."
"Byakuya's going too? Looks like he really cares about that kid. If I'd known he'd be watching, I never would've agreed to old man Yamamoto's request."
Shunsui sighed dramatically.
But catching Nanao's sharp, interrogative gaze, he quickly shut his mouth, laughed loudly, and said:
"Little Nanao—I didn't say anything just now. Time's running short. Let's hurry over. It would be embarrassing for the chief examiner to be late."
--------------------------
Support us on patreon (+Gain access to 100 chapters in advance)
patreon.com/inkroxx