Inside the Squad 1 captain's assembly hall, every captain who could attend was present. Even Ukitake Jūshirō, who was frequently absent, had shown up, and his spirits seemed fairly good today.
After offering Ukitake a simple smile in greeting, Kōe shifted his attention to the others in the room. Compared to the captain lineup from when he had left, the current roster had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.
Yet, to him personally, these people gave off an inexplicable sense of familiarity.
The Squad 10 captain position remained vacant. As for the Squad 9 captain, Tōsen Kaname, aside from being blind and having a rather healthy complexion, his demeanor didn't make him a particularly eye-catching fellow.
Opposite him stood the new Squad 7 captain, Komamura Sajin. He wore a wooden helmet and had a burly physique, giving him a much more mysterious air. Was there a hideous, scar-riddled face hidden beneath that helmet? Surely, anyone would harbor such doubts.
But to Kōe, this wasn't a secret at all, so he had little interest in Komamura Sajin. He was just a stubborn old man with the head of a cute pet. Yes, Kōe remembered that the guy usually referred to himself as 'this old man.' He definitely had a generation gap with this type of person—even though Kōe himself was an old man over two hundred years old. But age wasn't the issue; the real problem was mindset.
Among these familiar new faces, Kōe was most interested in two people. One was the newly appointed Squad 6 captain, Kuchiki Byakuya.
He was the typical tall, rich, and handsome aristocrat of Soul Society. His facial expression seemed frozen in ice; even when he wasn't speaking, you would think the man was a sculpture or a wax figure. He constantly broadcasted a signal to his surroundings: 'Do not approach.' And that didn't just mean strangers—it meant anyone with a pulse.
Of course, those familiar with him knew that Byakuya was the classic case of being cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Or rather, the teaching principles of the Kuchiki clan dictated that an aloof temperament was the norm. If he had been born into the Shihouin clan, Byakuya probably wouldn't have been able to keep up the act...
Naturally, Kōe wasn't interested in Byakuya's personality, but rather, he was a bit curious about his Zanpakutō—Senbonzakura.
It scattered its blade into thousands of microscopic blades. While it was difficult to inflict a fatal wound with a single strike, it traded that for a theoretically omnidirectional, blind-spot-free method of attack. But what exactly controlled these minuscule blades? Was it a special Reiatsu, Kuchiki Byakuya's own will, or the consciousness of the Zanpakutō spirit, Senbonzakura?
Consciousness—or more accurately, the inherent power of the soul itself—had always been one of the subjects Kōe pondered. Senbonzakura was one of the Zanpakutō that touched upon this concept. If he could uncover all of its secrets, perhaps he could achieve perfect control over Kidō.
Replacing those tiny blades with high-level Kidō... that sight would undoubtedly be exceptionally magnificent.
As for the other person, it was the newly appointed Squad 2 captain standing near the front of the line—the little girl who only dared to steal sidelong glances at him.
Suì-Fēng, originally named Shaolin, hailed from the Fēng family, a subordinate branch of the Shihouin clan. From a young age, she had been instilled with the belief that she lived solely for the head of the Shihouin clan. It sounded quite tragic.
As a result, she ended up with a highly unconventional clan head like Yoruichi, who was probably kinder and warmer to Suì-Fēng than her own family. This made the little girl feel incredibly honored, perhaps even giving her a sense of family. Even without the clan's rules, Suì-Fēng would do anything for Yoruichi, including laying down her life.
Of course, this passion and warmth were reserved exclusively for Yoruichi. To everyone else, Suì-Fēng presented an icy exterior. Even when she did speak, it was usually just to reprimand someone for breaking a rule. She gave off a bit of an Abbess Miejue vibe from *The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber* of his past life.
Urahara probably had it the worst in this regard. After all, in Suì-Fēng's eyes, Urahara Kisuke was the one who had corrupted Yoruichi. If given the chance, she surely wouldn't mind dealing Urahara a couple of vicious blows.
Glancing once more at Suì-Fēng, who was still sneaking peeks at him, Kōe felt the urge to laugh at the young girl's evasive gaze. His appearance was probably causing her quite a bit of inner turmoil.
Turmoil? At this moment, Suì-Fēng's mind was more like a tangled mess of yarn. It wasn't because of Kōe, but because of Yoruichi.
Lady Yoruichi's husband had finally returned to the Seireitei. For the longest time, searching for him had been Squad 2's highest priority mission. Unfortunately, Lady Yoruichi herself had since left the Seireitei...
*'But has Lord Chōzuka had any contact with Lady Yoruichi? Does he know where she is right now?'*
Suì-Fēng discreetly pinched her fingers, driving the unrealistic speculations out of her head. *'If he could be by Lady Yoruichi's side, why would he ever willingly come back?!'*
*'The real question is, will Lady Yoruichi contact him in secret? It's highly likely. After all, he is the person Lady Yoruichi cherishes most—at the very least, he's more important than Urahara Kisuke!'*
*'But not necessarily! It's hard to believe Lady Yoruichi didn't consider Shihouin Kōe when she helped Urahara Kisuke. Does this mean she made some sort of choice? Then...'*
Chaos. Suì-Fēng felt like her brain was about to explode. She wasn't good at this sort of thing to begin with. She was merely a sharp blade; she only needed to stab in whatever direction Lady Yoruichi desired.
...
Meanwhile, in a small room adjacent to the captain's assembly hall—the resting area for the lieutenants of each squad—Ichimaru Gin was chatting with a beautiful woman sporting long orange hair.
"So the one who saved us back then was Chōzuka Kenpachi?! No wonder I couldn't find him for so long!"
The orange-haired woman was Matsumoto Rangiku. She was the little girl Kōe had saved back when he was hunting down Azashiro Sōya. After arriving in the Seireitei, she had wanted to find the kind-hearted Shinigami from her past, but her arrival coincided with Kōe's departure to Hueco Mundo, so she had never managed to track him down.
Ichimaru Gin just smiled and said nothing. Given Rangiku's vague description of 'small eyes and a good heart,' it would have been a miracle if she had actually found him. Even Kotetsu Isane, who had also been there, couldn't single Kōe out from the multitude of Shinigami she had worked with.
"If I had known, I would have rushed over with everything I had. I might have even been able to help him!" Rangiku thought for a moment, then corrected herself. "No, I should have gone to visit him yesterday when he returned."
Gin reached out and smoothed a stray lock of Rangiku's hair, mercilessly exposing the truth. "You just didn't realize it because you were hungover, right?"
"You're so annoying!" Rangiku gritted her teeth, pinching and pulling at Gin's cheeks. "The face of the future Squad 3 captain really does feel different when you stretch it!"
"But even if you went, you might not have been able to help him." Gin wasn't angry, speaking in a slightly disjointed voice as his face was pulled. "He's not like those previous Kenpachi who were all name and no substance. He's a monster, just like Zaraki Kenpachi."
"Keep talking!" Rangiku scolded with a laugh. Just as she was about to ask something else, a familiar voice suddenly rang out from behind them.
"You two certainly have a wonderful relationship, Rangiku, Gin."
"Captain Aizen!" Turning her head, Rangiku saw Aizen smiling warmly at them. She immediately stopped what she was doing. "Please excuse our foolishness."
"Hahaha, it's quite alright. If anything, I'm the one interrupting you." Aizen waved his hand with a smile. Suddenly, someone patted his shoulder. He turned his head to see none other than Kōe.
"I'm going to head over to Squad 4 first to check on the academy students' condition. Don't forget our agreement, Captain Aizen."
"It is my honor to contribute to the Shin'ō Academy. I very much look forward to our cooperation, Mr. Chōzuka."
After Aizen's reply, Kōe turned and left, leaving Matsumoto Rangiku feeling quite disappointed that she didn't even get the chance to say hello. Gin showed nothing on the surface, but a dark cloud secretly cast a shadow over his heart.
The fact that Shihouin Kōe and Aizen had somehow formed a connection was not good news. He turned his head to look at Rangiku beside him. No matter how he looked at it, from any angle, this spelled trouble.