"What happened a hundred years ago?"
Kyoraku Shunsui's expression darkened slightly.
The incident a century ago remained an unspoken taboo in the Seireitei — the day the Gotei 13 lost a core part of its strength.
The defection of multiple captains and lieutenants — including Hirako Shinji (then 5th Division Captain), Hachigen Ushoda (Vice-Chief of the Kidō Corps), and Lisa Yadōmaru (8th Division Lieutenant) — had shaken the foundations of Soul Society. All were considered elite Shinigami at the time.
The root cause: the hollowfication experiment, orchestrated in the shadows by Sōsuke Aizen, but officially blamed on Urahara Kisuke.
As the founder and Commander-General of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni had never truly accepted the sudden loss of so many key officers. From that day on, Urahara became a name laced with suspicion and unresolved grudges.
"Old man," Kyoraku said cautiously, eyes narrowing, "don't tell me this has something to do with Kaien's hollowfication incident… and now you're trying to use this kid, Shiba Kuroba, as bait in the Death God Exam?"
From the start, Kyoraku had found it odd that Yamamoto, who was infamous for his inflexibility, would make an exception for a fallen noble's descendant — someone marred by disgrace — and allow him into the Shin'ō Academy.
He hadn't expected this level of calculation behind it.
"Twenty years ago, Shiba Isshin vanished from Soul Society without a trace," Yamamoto said, leaning slightly on his cane. "Now another Shiba surfaces — and though his spiritual pressure is unimpressive, only around three Tiers — his white fighting style is remarkable."
He sighed, clearly disappointed. "But the Central 46 already protested my decision to let him take the entrance exam. If I push further — inserting him into the Gotei as a trap — even the blind will see through the scheme."
Yamamoto's influence was vast, but not unlimited. And this time, it wasn't simply about favoring a student; it was about baiting shadows from the past — forces that might have survived since the Vizard betrayal.
"You asked me here for this?" Kyoraku said with a tired smile. "You want me to do what Ukitake did for Rukia — pull some strings and get this kid in? You do realize I'm not great at subtlety when sober."
Yamamoto didn't reply. Instead, Chojiro Sasakibe stepped forward with his usual rigid composure.
"You're the chief examiner of this year's Shin'ō entrance trials," Chojiro said calmly. "No one would question your judgment if… certain criteria were interpreted loosely."
Shunsui stared at him.
"…You want me to fudge the scores?"
Chojiro said nothing — but in his hand appeared a pot of amber-colored sake, clearly aged for centuries.
Kyoraku's eyebrow twitched. "You're bribing me?"
Yamamoto's face remained unreadable.
Kyoraku laughed dryly and accepted the wine. "Thousand-year vintage. You must be serious if you're parting with this."
He turned toward the doorway, speaking in a casual drawl. "Fine, fine. Leave it to me. Kyoraku Shunsui never fails when good wine's involved."
Chojiro exhaled subtly, knowing that Kyoraku — despite the playful manner — understood the weight of this task. Yamamoto had trained him personally for a reason. When the old lion was gone, it was this student who would rise to lead.
From behind the sliding doors, a voice interjected.
"Captain Kyoraku, I couldn't help overhearing. You didn't just agree to something questionable… over a bottle of wine, did you?"
Ise Nanao entered the hall with her usual composed demeanor, adjusting her glasses as she eyed the bottle in his hand suspiciously.
Kyoraku coughed. "Nanao-chan, you wound me. Surely you know I'm a man of principle — no mere bottle could sway me."
She didn't answer, but her disapproving look said everything.
"Ahem. According to the clock, the entrance examination for Shin'ō Academy is about to begin," she said flatly. "As vice-examiner, you still have official duties. Shall we proceed before someone else takes advantage of your absence?"
Kyoraku sighed, tucking the sake under his sleeve like contraband. "Duty calls. Let's get going before the other examiners start raising questions."
Looking at Kyoraku Shunsui, who deliberately changed the subject the moment he opened his mouth, Ise Nanao immediately realized that something had been decided between him and Head Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—something best left unspoken.
Still, with the matter involving the Captain-Commander himself, Nanao chose not to pry.
After all, in her mind, Yamamoto Genryūsai was the epitome of unyielding rigidity. As the founder of the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy, he was responsible for establishing countless rules—rules that had remained unchanged for over a thousand years. None dared to defy them.
For this reason, Nanao concluded that whatever secret the two men shared, as long as it didn't impact the integrity of the upcoming entrance examination, it could be overlooked.
"Captain Kyoraku," she began, adjusting her glasses with a composed sigh, "I didn't expect you to remember you were the chief examiner. Before the Shin'ō Academy's new student assessment, you vanished without a word. As your vice-captain—and the vice examiner—I was left scrambling."
Her voice returned to its usual cool and composed tone, reminiscent of the meticulous secretary she was known to be.
"This time, quite a few captains are attending the entrance ceremony. Captain Ichimaru Gin of the 3rd Division, Captain Unohana Retsu of the 4th Division, and Captain Kuchiki Byakuya of the 6th Division will all be present. I've also heard that several others may attend, likely to scout for potential recruits among the new talents."
"Kuchiki's going too?" Kyoraku muttered, stroking his chin thoughtfully. "So he's really keeping an eye on that boy. If I'd known he'd show up in person, I might've reconsidered agreeing to Old Man Yamamoto's request..."
Catching Ise Nanao's sharp, questioning gaze, Kyoraku let out a nervous chuckle, scratching the back of his head.
"Ah, forget I said anything, Little Ise. I'm just talking nonsense. Anyway, we're running out of time. It would be rather disgraceful for the chief examiner to be late, don't you think?"