Chapter Six: The Captain's Meeting

Chapter Six: Captain’s Meeting

Time slips away like toilet paper—pull and pull, and suddenly it’s gone...

Feeling the faint chill in the air, Huster welcomed his third autumn serving as vice-captain.

Sigh, why did Byakuya Kuchiki have to bring me along to the Thirteenth Division? We’re just about to finish “Dragon and Earth ‘Crash—’ City,” too. Ah...

“Brother, you’re practically a regular here now...” Watching the Soul Reapers of the Thirteenth Division sweeping fallen leaves, Huster found himself unconsciously standing at the division’s gate.

“Ku... Kuchiki Captain! Kuchiki Vice-Captain!” The Soul Reaper guarding the Thirteenth Division’s gate hurriedly greeted the two.

“...” Byakuya said nothing, only nodding in acknowledgment.

“Thanks for your hard work, everyone. We’re looking for your Captain Hitsugaya!” Seeing the situation, Huster understood it was up to him to explain.

“Captain Hitsugaya is at the dimensional gate. Should I inform him?” The two gatekeepers, slightly nervous, glanced at the indifferent Byakuya and the smiling Huster.

“The dimensional gate, huh... no need, we can go ourselves,” Huster replied after a moment’s thought, and the two proceeded inside under the watchful eyes of the gatekeepers.

Watching their backs as they left, Guardian A sighed, “You say they’re brothers, but how can their personalities be so different?”

Guardian B agreed, “Yeah, Captain Kuchiki is like an iceberg; no one dares to breathe loudly in his presence. But Vice-Captain Kuchiki gives off a much gentler vibe!”

Shaking his head, Guardian A said, “Forget it, better get back to sweeping leaves, or we’ll never finish.”

...

“No matter what, I heard it’s a mysterious Hollow, and no Soul Reaper who’s been attacked by it has survived...” At the dimensional gate, Shiba Hitsugaya scratched his head and spoke cautiously to a gentle-looking woman, “So, we have to be careful. Don’t act recklessly!”

“Ah, I didn’t expect to hear that from you, hehe...” Hitsugaya’s wife, Shiba Meiko, smiled softly.

“Don’t laugh at me for this!” Hitsugaya muttered. Meiko stopped laughing and, noticing Rukia’s worried gaze beside Hitsugaya, smiled gently. “I won’t forgive any Hollow who disturbs the peace of souls. As a proud Soul Reaper of the Gotei Thirteen, it’s our duty to stop them.”

“Lady Meiko...” Rukia called softly, unconsciously comparing Meiko to her own two older brothers... Indeed, compared to the three of them, I still have a long way to go...

“Don’t worry! This mission is reconnaissance... The rest I leave in your hands,” Meiko smiled warmly. Spotting Byakuya and Huster approaching in the distance, she said to Hitsugaya, “Someone’s come to see you. Get along well!”

“Yo, Byakuya, you little brat!” Hitsugaya greeted the two from afar.

“Brother, you’re here!” Rukia smiled as she called out.

Byakuya glanced at Hitsugaya, then said to Rukia, “You rushed out too early this morning without greeting me, so I came to check on you and say hello to Hitsugaya.”

“Hey, hey, what do you mean by ‘just passing by’? Am I just an afterthought?” Hitsugaya crossed his arms, clearly displeased.

“Just passing by,” Huster teased, emphasizing the “vice” in “Vice-Captain Hitsugaya.” “If you don’t hurry up, the Captain seat of the Tenth Division will be snatched away!”

“Don’t worry! I’m the closest vice-captain to becoming captain of the Gotei Thirteen. That means I’ll be the first to attain Bankai. This captaincy is mine for sure! Do you think a newly graduated Soul Reaper could catch up to me?” Hitsugaya grinned widely...

Huster hesitated—should he tell him that, years from now, a genius Soul Reaper would rocket to Bankai mastery and claim the captaincy? Byakuya had recently seen news of a certain “little frozen lion” entering the Central Soul Reaper Academy...

“Besides, even if I lose the Tenth Division captaincy, there’s no need to worry!” Hitsugaya laughed heartily. “By the time I attain Bankai, my family’s captain will just happen to be stepping down. Then, I’ll take over! And I won’t have to change jobs at all. This is perfect, hahaha...”

...What do you mean, “my family’s captain will just happen to be stepping down”? If Ukitake heard that, I wonder what expression he’d give to “praise” such a vice-captain? Already thinking about “usurping the throne” before gaining Bankai... Huster really wanted to retort at that ridiculously provocative remark.

“By the way, where is Meiko going?” Byakuya ignored the talk of power grabs and asked.

“Oh, well, Meiko is going to...”

“Eek!”

“All captains and vice-captains of the Gotei Thirteen, assemble immediately at the First Division!”

At that moment, a Hell Butterfly flew beside Byakuya, delivering the order for a captain’s meeting.

Apologizing with a smile, Byakuya said, “Sorry, we have to leave first...”

“Take care, brothers!” Rukia respectfully saw them off.

“Rukia, practice hard. When I become captain, you should aim to be vice-captain!” Hitsugaya called after Byakuya.

“Yes!!” Rukia responded enthusiastically.

Glancing once more at the dimensional gate, Huster felt like he’d forgotten something. Never mind. With Aizen stirring up trouble lately, Huster planned to start keeping a close watch on him.

[First Division Meeting Room]

Huster and Byakuya arrived at the meeting room to find Soifon already there.

“Yo, Kuchiki... and little brat...”

“Oh, Soifon...”

“Hey! I’m only a few hundred years younger than you guys...” Huster was quite annoyed at being called “little brat.”

“Then you’ll be ‘little brat,’” Soifon said, looking up at the taller Huster.

“...Is that so?” Huster grabbed Soifon’s collar with one hand, lifting her up and bringing her face close.

“Put me down, brat!” Soifon growled, baring her teeth.

“Enough!” Byakuya said expressionlessly.

“...Hmph!” Reluctantly, Huster set Soifon down.

“All right, do you know why the Commander-in-Chief called us here?” Byakuya asked, watching the two bickering.

“A bit... Looks like there’s trouble in the Hollow realm,” Soifon said, glaring at Huster after landing.

“Oh, I’m the fourth to arrive... Captain Soifon and Captain Kuchiki’s Shunpo really are fast! Well, this little brat doesn’t count; his speed is absurd.” With a sly fox-like smile, Gin Ichimaru patted his Third Division haori and stood opposite them.

“Tch! Same annoying face as always!” Soifon scowled at Gin, reminded of the “creepy old man who once tricked an innocent girl in the Twelfth Division.”

“...” Byakuya glanced at Gin briefly, then looked away. Moments later, two figures—one tall, one short—arrived outside the door.

“...” ×2

Tosen silently stood aside with his eyes closed, saying nothing. Komamura, wearing a straw hat that concealed his face, bowed slightly in greeting. Everyone returned the gesture.

Soon, Kyoraku Shunsui arrived, supporting Ukitake.

“Hey, you should just go back and rest...”

“Cough, cough... I’m fine. When the Commander-in-Chief calls a meeting of captains, it must be important. I’ll be okay...”

“Alright, don’t push yourself too hard...”

“Yeah, Captain Ukitake, if you need anything, just say so,” Unohana said with a smile from behind.

“Ah, thank you,” Ukitake smiled in gratitude. The three greeted each other and took their places.

“Hey, Byakuya and Soifon, they seem to get along pretty well...” Kyoraku whispered, adjusting his hat as he watched the two.

But his tone—hey, old man, why does your gaze under that hat look so lecherous? What weird thoughts are you having?

“Oh, yeah... they really do seem close...” Ukitake nodded, then said something that immediately shut down Kyoraku’s gossip: “Just like us!”

Just like us... just like us... just like us...

Uh, this pairing is surprisingly well-matched, it seems... Gin, standing nearby, smiled faintly and took a step back without a trace of emotion.

At that moment, Nemu and Aizen arrived. Nemu stood apart as usual, barely glancing at Byakuya and snorting—a sound Byakuya had heard from Nemu more times than he could count over the past two years. This research fanatic had requested that Huster be sent to the Twelfth Division for study of his spiritual energy—assuring no “dissection” would take place—only to be blasted away by Byakuya’s Senbonzakura.

“Oh? Looks like I’m late. Sorry to keep you all waiting...” Aizen’s polite smile was disarming. After greetings, he stood beside Byakuya and smiled at Huster.

Suddenly, the door was kicked open with a loud bang...

“Oh, this time I didn’t take a wrong turn...” Kyouraku Kenpachi grinned broadly and stood beside Nemu, whose face twisted in disgust at the stench of sweat emanating from him. Seriously, how far did you run? How lost were you?

“Yo! Byakuya! Fancy sparring again today?” Kenpachi turned to Byakuya excitedly.

“No interest,” Byakuya replied flatly.

“Tch,” Kenpachi scoffed, feeling bored, and stepped aside.

At last, everyone had arrived. The Commander-in-Chief and his vice-captain emerged from the lounge, walking to the center to survey the group. Tapping his cane once...

“Dong!”

“The meeting begins!”

P.S. I’m going crazy. It seems my full attendance bonus this month went from 500 to 300. Boohoo.