After the ceremony for the new captains concluded, the Gotei 13 returned to the familiar state that Tokikaze remembered from his original memories, except for the Ninth Division.
One thing that stood out was that Tokikaze personally oversaw the assessments for the three new captains. The three captains had different opinions of him.
Nanao Ise, who was in charge of editing and publishing the "Seireitei Communication," had conducted several interviews with the various divisions and published the captains' evaluations truthfully.
At the Third Division quarters:
Gin Ichimaru: "Oh? You want my opinion?"
He wore a false, almost comical smile, his face resembling a fox's.
While upholding her journalistic principles, Nanao Ise forced herself to stay calm and nodded.
"But I rarely have much interaction with Captain Tokikaze."
Gin put on a mask he'd found in Rukongai and spoke in an exaggerated tone, "Though I can say for sure, Captain Tokikaze isn't as gentle as he seems on the surface."
"That's my sixth sense talking—he's quite a dangerous man..."
At the Sixth Division quarters:
Byakuya Kuchiki: "As the captain of the Ninth Division, he disregards the laws of the Soul Society. It is shameful to be associated with him."
Nanao Ise: "But I heard from Captain Tokikaze that during the captain's assessment, he gave you quite a beating. Is that true?"
Byakuya Kuchiki: "..."
As she watched his back, Nanao suddenly realized she was heading toward her division quarters.
At the Technology Development Bureau:
Mayuri Kurotsuchi tapped irregular lumps of flesh before him, occasionally injecting large amounts of unknown liquid into them, causing rapid proliferation.
"Hado #33: Sōkatsui!"
He angrily incinerated the mass of flesh, finally noticing the figures of Nanao Ise and some members of the Ninth Division.
Faced with the eccentric Mayuri, Nanao suppressed her growing fear and carefully proceeded with the interview.
"Evaluate Kanmyōdai Tokikaze?"
Mayuri burst into maniacal laughter. "Ugly, filthy, despicable!"
"Every drop of his blood reeks of disgust. He's just like Urahara Kisuke..."
Before he could finish, Nanao forcibly ended the interview.
That piece would never be published in any "Seireitei Communication" issue, but she would truthfully report it to her captain.
Later that night, the Technology Development Bureau exploded with tremendous spiritual pressure.
Insiders revealed that a third of the flesh-regeneration agent stockpile was lost.
Tokikaze had never been lenient with those who slandered him behind his back.
Whether it was Byakuya or Mayuri, neither escaped a thorough beating.
However, as the main force behind the "Seireitei Communication," the Ninth Division bore the burden of significant responsibility.
Not only did Shunsui Kyōraku demand an extended edition of his work "The Rosy Path," but even Head Captain Yamamoto inserted his requests.
A photo collection titled "Skeleton," which had previously been rejected by the Women's Soul Reaper Association, was published in the "Seireitei Communication" under Yamamoto's insistence and some backroom deals.
That issue's sales were abysmal.
Upon learning of this, Yamamoto became notably silent. Even the roasted sweet potatoes in his hand lost their appeal.
But, unexpectedly.
The Eleventh Division, which usually never bought the "Seireitei Communication," purchased that particular issue en masse, and the stock sold out within three days.
Clearly.
Such content still had an audience.
During this time, Nanao Ise, the vice president of the Women's Soul Reaper Association, was inspired and began working on photo collections featuring other captains.
For example, Kanmyōdai Tokikaze.
At the Ninth Division's private tea room:
Tokikaze folded his arms and squinted at the two women pleading before him, unsure of their intentions.
"You're saying you've even prepared the title and layout?"
Rangiku Matsumoto nodded eagerly, causing a noticeable bounce. "Captain, you just need to cooperate a little and strike a few poses."
"But the Ninth Division's finances are backed by the Kuchiki family. There's no need to go this far."
Tokikaze said naturally, "Besides, Byakuya doesn't have any objections either."
"Captain~~~"
Rangiku clung to his arm, her voice drawn out as she pleaded earnestly.
"The new batch of academy graduates is about to finish. If we release this photo collection, it'll bring great publicity to our division!"
"Then, more will choose to join the Ninth Division."
After racking her brain, Matsumoto came up with a barely acceptable excuse.
Tokikaze didn't refuse, but he didn't agree either.
Did they expect him to sell out his body for such a trivial gain?
Laughable—no chance!
Seeing his hesitation, Matsumoto gritted her teeth and signaled to Nanao.
Nanao's face flushed, showing signs of hesitation.
However, under Matsumoto's urging gaze, she carefully approached, mimicking Matsumoto's earlier gesture, and wrapped herself around Tokikaze's other arm.
"C-Captain, you'll, you'll agree, won't you..."
Before she could finish, Nanao's face turned crimson, the blush spreading to her ears, even staining her pale neck.
Though she often trained privately under Tokikaze's Kido tutelage, it was her first time doing something this bold in front of others.
Tokikaze was outmatched—pushed to his limit by their soft, persuasive approach, he reluctantly agreed.
The photo collection "Facing the Wind" began shooting three days later.
The set was the Fourth Division quarters, the largest after the First Division due to its need to accommodate patients.
The facilities were also top-notch.
Unlike last time, there was a new "unfamiliar" face in the group.
About the same height as Soi Fon, with straight bangs and a childlike face that lacked emotion, only showing curiosity when noticing something novel.
This was Nemu Kurotsuchi, the newest member of the Twelfth Division.
Mayuri had finally finished refining his creation and was teaching her to become a Soul Reaper, learning various skills.
Mayuri didn't object to Nemu joining the Women's Soul Reaper Association.
"Huh!?" Matsumoto exclaimed, "Why is everyone here?"
"This is the first time the Women's Soul Reaper Association is publishing a photo collection, so everyone was curious about the process."
Retsu Unohana explained gently, "Besides, we're all familiar with each other, so I agreed."
Tokikaze sighed. "Couldn't you have asked for my opinion first?"
"Well, Tokikaze-kun, would you have refused?" Unohana smiled gently, hands folded in front of her.
Due to the removal of the scar on her collarbone, her appearance had changed significantly. A simple hair ornament replaced her thick braids, and her sleek black hair was tied neatly behind her, exuding a traditional Japanese beauty.
Cough cough, Tokikaze cleared his throat, "I always follow through on my promises."
"But I have one request."
"What is it?"
"Make it look good."
...
The shooting process was complicated. Aside from Soi Fon and the Kotetsu sisters, everyone else used the excuse of adjusting poses to touch him.
Tokikaze, of course, wasn't passive and retaliated in kind.
It would have looked more like a chaotic event than a photo shoot to an outsider.
Even the ever-calm Unohana had a slight blush by the end.
The entire process—well, one could only imagine.
...
The photo collection "Facing the Wind" was published widely in Seireitei.
Compared to the previous "Skeleton," its sales were more than ten times higher, with its reach extending even to the Rukongai.
That year's academy graduates saw a third choose the Ninth Division.
It was clear how much of an impact the photo collection had.
Unfortunately, the Ninth Division followed an elite path and could only recruit top-tier graduates.
That same year, the Ninth Division's first Hell Training session ended.
The Eleventh Division's captain was imprisoned in Muken, so Ikkaku Madarame requested to return and take charge.
Knowing that Zaraki Kenpachi would be fine, he had no ill will toward Tokikaze, even thanking him for allowing Kenpachi to satisfy his battle cravings.
Any other captain would've never agreed to such a request.
At the training grounds:
Tokikaze looked at the lined-up recruits before him, feeling a strange ache in his teeth.
No one had warned him that after Ikkaku's training, they'd turn into this!
Looking over the recruits, each was muscular and brimming with an intimidating aura—enough to scare off ordinary Soul Reapers.
Among them, one figure stood out.
Despite being the smallest, his spiritual pressure and ferocity were the strongest.
With sagging eyebrows and a scar running through his left eye, he had an imposing aura, his short buzzcut clean and sharp.
Noticing Tokikaze's gaze, Ikkaku explained proudly, "Captain Tokikaze, that's Yamada Hanataro, the one you sent halfway through the training."
"I thought he'd be a burden, but it turns out he has a natural gift for this."
"Honestly, now Hanataro could defeat even senior seated officers!"
Tokikaze inhaled sharply, staring at the figure in disbelief, trying to find a trace of the timid Yamada Hanataro he once knew.
But that fierce face held no signs of weakness.
It was as if "invincible" was written all over him.