Although Gosuke Shigure and Hirako Shinji had exchanged words, the two were not as close as one might expect.
They shared an understanding but not familiarity.
Having warned one another of hidden dangers was already the height of goodwill between former captains.
Afterward, the Visored continued their training as usual, refining their control over Hollowfication in the depths of exile.
Meanwhile, Gosuke Shigure, Urahara Kisuke, and Shihōin Yoruichi withdrew to a more secluded location, speaking privately.
Gosuke Shigure was the first to break the silence.
"Have you thought about what you intend to do next?"
Urahara Kisuke fell quiet for a moment, then smiled faintly.
"Perhaps… I'll open a small shop."
He shrugged lightly.
"Being forced to flee to the World of the Living was hardly part of my original plans, but compared to Soul Society, life there is unexpectedly peaceful."
"And now that even you have stepped down, Sensei… it almost feels like a sign."
"Maybe living a semi-retired life wouldn't be so bad."
It was clearly meant as a joke, yet not entirely untrue.
"I see,"
Gosuke Shigure replied calmly.
"If you need help opening that shop, don't hesitate to ask."
"Even though I am no longer a captain, I still reside within Soul Society."
"There are still certain matters I can assist with—within reason."
Urahara Kisuke nodded seriously.
After that, Gosuke Shigure turned his attention to Yoruichi.
She, in contrast, asked far more questions most of them concerning the Shihōin clan.
As the former head of the family, she had abandoned both her title and her responsibilities, fleeing Soul Society alongside Urahara Kisuke.
No matter how free she appeared, guilt still lingered.
"The Shihōin family is doing well,"
Gosuke Shigure said.
"Your sudden departure caused some turbulence, but stability was restored once Shihōin Kongō stepped forward to manage affairs."
"Because the position of Captain of the Second Division was left vacant and because the family lacked a suitable heir of sufficient strength
Lord Kongō began selecting talent from among the retainers and affiliated noble houses."
He paused briefly.
"Soi Fon passed the captain's assessment."
"She has officially become the new Captain of the Second Division."
"…So she really made it."
Yoruichi exhaled softly.
Though she had always known Soi Fon possessed exceptional talent, becoming a captain so quickly still surprised her.
But there was no regret only pride.
"She deserves it," Yoruichi said sincerely.
Gosuke Shigure continued evenly.
"Because Kisuke 'abducted' you and fled Soul Society, Soi Fon currently harbors considerable hostility toward him."
"She believes that if she captures Kisuke, she can bring you back."
"That determination is what drove her to push herself beyond her limits."
"And yes," he added casually,
"I personally refined her Shunpo."
Yoruichi froze.
"…Teacher."
"If we meet again and I lose to her, I'm blaming you."
Gosuke Shigure chuckled.
"I'm only reminding you not to grow complacent."
The warning was deliberate.
After leaving Soul Society, both Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke had lived far too comfortably for far too long.
Their perceived enemy was Aizen alone.
And with the Visored seeking revenge directly, there was little pressure for them to advance their own power.
That stagnation would be dangerous.
Yoruichi understood the meaning behind his words and did not refute them.
Gosuke Shigure did not remain in the World of the Living for long.
Although he had entered through a concealed Senkaimon route once overseen by the Tsunayashiro clan, his disappearance from Soul Society could not remain unnoticed forever.
Unlike Aizen, he possessed no Zanpakutō capable of masking his presence through perfect hypnosis.
If he stayed away too long, suspicion would arise.
Before departing, he took a message from Urahara Kisuke, one to be delivered discreetly upon his return to Soul Society, prior to their next contact.
In Soul Society, time flowed differently.
Shinigami were not sensitive to its passage.
Before anyone truly noticed, years had slipped by.
The vacancies created by the Hollowfication Incident those of the Second, Fifth, and Twelfth Divisions had already been filled.
Then, another long-vacant seat was finally addressed.
The Tenth Division.
The former captain, Shiba Isshin, had disappeared under circumstances never publicly explained.
Soon after, the Shiba clan declined and was expelled from the ranks of the Five Great Noble Houses.
After Isshin's disappearance, the Tenth Division captaincy remained vacant for many years.
Eventually, the vice-captain was promoted.
He served diligently but his strength was limited.
Years later, he fell in the line of duty.
Once again, the Tenth Division was without a captain.
At its worst, the Gotei Thirteen had been left with seven vacant captain seats.
Now, at last, Genryūsai Yamamoto had approved a successor.
And when the name was announced
Every captain was stunned.
Shiba Isshin.
The younger brother of the former Tenth Division captain.
The shock was not merely because of the name.
But because
The Shiba clan had returned to Seireitei.
No one had expected it.
Yet upon reflection, it made sense.
The Five Great Noble Houses were no longer what they once were.
The Tsunayashiro clan had suffered internal disaster, leaving only a young heir.
The Kuchiki clan was led by the aging Ginrei, while Byakuya was still too young to exert true influence.
The Ise clan had withdrawn entirely from politics.
The Shihōin clan had lost its head.
Under such circumstances, there was little opposition capable of blocking the Shiba clan's return.
It was not that the other nobles failed to resist.
It was that
They chose not to.
After all, expelling the Shiba clan once had already strained tradition.
Preventing their return now would have been indefensible.
And so, without ceremony
The currents of Soul Society shifted once more.