In the First Division tea room, Kazuma and Yamamoto were having their usual afternoon tea.
Kazuma inhaled the scent of the green tea, taking a deep breath before he spoke.
"I told you Soul Society was brimming with talent. All the captain positions in the Gotei 13 are filled again, except for the Second Division. I originally thought that Urahara kid was a monster, but I never expected his replacement, Mayuri, to be even more terrifying."
Yamamoto took a sip of his tea, a grim smile on his face.
"Indeed. Mayuri is volatile and utterly amoral, but he is a rare scientific talent. His research is vital to our survival."
Kazuma nodded.
"Still, it just goes to show how resilient the Gotei 13 is. Even after losing four captains in a single night, we recovered our numbers so quickly."
Yamamoto set down his teacup, his gaze sharpening.
"However, the situation with the Second Division remains highly irregular."
"What's wrong with the Second Division?" Kazuma asked. "Is it just because the captain's seat is vacant?"
Yamamoto shot him a hard glare.
"Don't play the fool. The seat is vacant because you insisted on allowing Aizen's rebellion to happen, which directly led to Yoruichi Shihōin's defection."
Kazuma nearly choked on his tea.
"Captain-Commander! You can't just throw accusations around like that! Yoruichi's defection was entirely her own choice. That had nothing to do with me!"
Yamamoto ignored his protest.
"The captaincy of the Second Division has historically been a hereditary position held by the Shihōin clan. Now that Yoruichi has defected, the clan can't find a suitable replacement, leaving the seat vacant. The Second Division oversees the Onmitsukidō. Leaving its commander position empty for this long is unacceptable."
Kazuma chose to feign ignorance.
"I see. In that case, finding a candidate really does seem difficult."
Yamamoto sighed heavily.
"Indeed. Ever since Yoruichi left, the Onmitsukidō has been headless."
"By the way, doesn't the Shihōin clan have other members? Why not just force them to choose one of their elders?"
Yamamoto gave him a helpless smile.
"Although the Shihōin clan is full of talent, finding someone with Yoruichi's combat skill and leadership is easier said than done."
"True. Yoruichi is a once-in-a-century genius," Kazuma agreed.
Yamamoto's tone suddenly turned stern.
"Kazuma, this is a massive political mess created by the events you set in motion. You need to find a way to solve it. I'm not getting involved in this clan dispute."
Kazuma fell into thought, his mind racing.
'The anime never explicitly stated who nominated Suì-Fēng to take over as captain,' he thought, searching his memory of the plot.
But he couldn't find any solid clues.
Seeing Kazuma's contemplative expression, Yamamoto's gaze sharpened.
"Judging from that look, do you already have someone in mind?"
Kazuma looked up, a confident glint in his eyes.
"I have the perfect candidate in Suì-Fēng, the current leader of the Executive Militia and ninth-generation heir to the noble Fēng family. All five of her older brothers died in the line of duty, so her loyalty to the Seireitei is unquestionable. Yoruichi always treated her like a younger sister, so the Onmitsukidō will accept her. On top of that, she has already achieved Bankai. Put all that together, and she's more than qualified."
Yamamoto nodded slowly, acknowledging the validity of Kazuma's points.
Then he crossed his arms.
"How do you know the personal details of a stealth operative's life? Never mind. I will not ask. Handle the nomination as you see fit."
Kazuma set down his teacup and sighed softly.
"Then I'll go meet Suì-Fēng and draft the paperwork."
Yamamoto waved a hand.
"No need to rush. Before you see Suì-Fēng, you must first pay a visit to the Shihōin clan's elders. Persuading a great noble house to formally surrender its absolute right to the Second Division captaincy will not be easy."
Kazuma frowned, exasperated.
"Why me again?! Wouldn't it be better if you went yourself, Captain-Commander? You've got the authority."
Yamamoto let out a cold snort, genuine displeasure flashing in his eyes.
"I already said this is a mess you caused! I will not get involved. Or… I could simply go and cut down Aizen right now. Then you and I can go to Central 46, clarify the entire incident, and immediately rescind the warrants for Kisuke Urahara and the others. That way, Yoruichi can simply return, and you will no longer have to worry about this political matter."
Kazuma flushed, realizing his complaints had pushed the old man's patience too far.
He quickly raised his hands in surrender.
"My apologies, Captain-Commander. That's not what I meant…"
"Enough," Yamamoto cut him off. "Stop wasting time and go resolve this matter with the Shihōin clan."
Kazuma nodded helplessly, inwardly cursing himself.
He had truly shot himself in the foot.
He stood up and prepared to head to the Shihōin manor.
Just as he reached the door, he stopped and asked with a wry smile, "Do you have any other unreasonable demands, Captain-Commander?"
"No," Yamamoto said flatly. "Just go and get it done. Don't procrastinate!"
...
Kazuma turned and left the First Division, heading toward the noble district.
Along the way, he couldn't help thinking of Chika Shihōin from a thousand years ago.
Yoruichi really did resemble him.
Thinking about these small historical details, Kazuma eventually arrived at the sprawling Shihōin clan manor.
Kiyo'ari Shihōin, the current acting head of the family, personally received the visiting captain in the main hall.
"Captain Kazuma. Is there a specific reason for your visit to my clan today?"
"I'm not one to beat around the bush," Kazuma said, taking a seat. "I hope the Shihōin clan will formally accept Suì-Fēng as the next captain of the Second Division."
"Impossible!"
"Absolutely not!"
The moment they heard Kazuma's blunt request, the assembled Shihōin elders all voiced their furious refusal.
"Quiet!" Kiyo'ari barked, silencing the agitated crowd. "All of you, leave. I will speak with Captain Kazuma alone."
Under Kiyo'ari's pressure, the elders had no choice but to leave the room, glaring at Kazuma as they went.
After a moment of heavy silence, Kiyo'ari finally spoke.
"Is this the Captain-Commander's will?"
Kazuma didn't mind letting Yamamoto take the blame for this, so he nodded smoothly.
Kiyo'ari tightened his grip on his teacup.
"Although Yoruichi defected in disgrace, the captaincy of the Second Division has always belonged to my clan. No matter how difficult it may be to find a suitable candidate right now, I am perfectly capable of stepping up and taking on this burden myself."
"Honestly, I knew this problem wouldn't be easy to solve with words," Kazuma sighed.
He suddenly raised a hand and cast a dense Kidō barrier around the room.
Kiyo'ari immediately tensed, his hand dropping to his blade.
"Captain Kazuma, what are you doing? Are you planning to use force against a noble house? I respect you as a senior, and although I am no match for you, I will resist with my life."
"Kiyo'ari, you misunderstand. I'm just making sure no one overhears us," Kazuma said, leaning forward.
"How about this? I will personally guarantee that Yoruichi eventually returns to Soul Society with a full pardon. In addition, I will hand over the training manuals for my Flash Blink technique to your clan in exchange for your full political support of Suì-Fēng."
Kiyo'ari's eyes widened at the offer, but he still did not relent.
Giving up the seat would be a massive blow to the clan's prestige.
Kazuma gritted his teeth and decided to throw in a much larger gamble.
"I give you my word. Suì-Fēng will only serve as the temporary captain of the Second Division. As soon as Yoruichi returns, or your clan produces another outstanding heir capable of Bankai, I will personally force Suì-Fēng to relinquish the seat back to your family."
Kiyo'ari narrowed his eyes.
"What if Suì-Fēng refuses to step down when the time comes?"
Kazuma forced a pained expression.
"If she refuses to give up the captaincy, I will have her take over my position as captain of the Seventh Division. I will retire to make room for her. How about that?"
After another exhausting round of political bargaining, they finally agreed to let Suì-Fēng take the position.
In the end, Kazuma handed over the scrolls for Flash Blink Version 1.0 to Kiyo'ari.
As for his promise regarding the Seventh Division captaincy…
Kazuma would probably laugh in his sleep if he actually found an excuse to give away that paperwork-heavy job!