"However, I'm still quite curious." Shigure said after thinking for a moment. "Why did Captain Kyouraku tell me all of this specifically?"
He turned his head slightly and looked at Shunsui with genuine curiosity.
Shunsui did not answer immediately. Instead, he tilted his head slightly, his expression thoughtful.
"Perhaps," he finally said, "it's because I'm also a noble."
Shigure raised an eyebrow.
Shunsui continued speaking in a calm tone.
"Nobles are people as well. In reality, they are no more noble than ordinary people."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"Back then, I once told you the story of the Azashiro clan. I don't know what kind of feelings you had after hearing it."
His gaze drifted toward the quiet streets ahead of them.
"But what I want to tell you is this, most nobles are actually decent people. You don't have to hate them."
"I see."
Shigure's eyes flickered slightly, but he did not continue the topic.
However, from Shunsui's words, he could sense a deeper meaning behind them, something that had not been directly spoken.
Something related to the long-standing tension between nobles and commoners.
That conflict had existed for a very long time.
In the earliest era of Soul Society, nobles and civilians had confronted one another more than once. There had even been periods when the two sides stood openly against each other.
In the end, however, the nobles had prevailed.
They became the victors.
The true beneficiaries of the order that now ruled this world.
The civilians were pushed outside the walls of Seireitei and forced to survive in the harsh environment of Rukongai.
Yet this world could never truly belong to nobles alone.
Even if they held the greatest advantages — resources, influence, and power, the nobles could not maintain the entire world by themselves.
They still needed the strength of the common people.
Because of this, in order to prevent civilians from threatening their authority, the nobles established countless rules.
Once a civilian entered Seireitei and became a shinigami, that person was forced to submit to those rules.
But these rules were, in the end, created by nobles to protect their own interests.
And many of those same nobles did not always follow the rules themselves.
If the nobles themselves ignored those laws, how could civilians be expected to obey them completely?
From ancient times until now, there had always been people who tried to resist the system.
Some of those rebels had even reached the level of captains.
Thinking of this, Shigure could not help asking himself silently.
'Do I look like the kind of person who obeys rules so easily?'
…
When Shigure returned to the Eleventh Division later that night, Zaraki was nowhere to be seen.
This was not unusual.
Recently, because Zaraki had been learning from Unohana, he had practically been living within the Fourth Division.
However, the disturbance that had happened earlier that day was clearly connected to him.
Shigure could not help feeling curious.
What exactly had happened that made Yamamoto so unwilling to reveal the truth to the other captains?
…
Inside the Fourth Division, Yamamoto had still not left.
After the earlier commotion, waves of captains had arrived one after another, drawn by curiosity and concern.
Yamamoto had personally stopped each group and persuaded them to leave.
He had been the very first person to arrive after the explosion of spiritual pressure earlier that day.
Fortunately, because he had arrived first, he had been able to hear the explanation directly from Unohana.
And after learning the truth, he had immediately decided that the matter should remain secret.
When the last curious captain finally left, Yamamoto returned inside.
He walked deeper into the Fourth Division.
To be precise, he went to meet Zaraki, the person currently learning under Unohana.
Earlier, when Yamamoto sensed the disturbance, he had initially believed that someone had released Bankai within the Fourth Division, triggering a battle that destroyed part of the building.
Only after speaking with Unohana did he realize that the situation was completely different.
The true cause of the incident was surprisingly simple.
While Unohana had been instructing Zaraki, the young man had accidentally released the enormous spiritual pressure inside his body.
According to Unohana, Zaraki was a fighter that Shigure had recruited from Rukongai.
And his talent was astonishing.
He had not even learned Shikai yet.
And yet the spiritual pressure he released was already powerful enough to damage the Fourth Division's buildings.
Unohana herself did not care in the slightest about the damage.
In fact, when she spoke about Zaraki's strength, there was even a hint of pride in her tone.
Even though that power did not belong to her.
After hearing this explanation, Yamamoto himself was slightly surprised.
Then he made a decision.
He would personally teach Zaraki.
Yamamoto knew Unohana's character very well. If she said that Zaraki possessed extraordinary potential, then it must be true.
A raw gem like this could not be left for Unohana alone to polish.
Zaraki had not even awakened Shikai yet and already possessed such terrifying spiritual pressure.
If he eventually awakened his Zanpakutō, mastered Bankai, and learned the highest levels of swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat…
Then in the future, he might very well become one of the greatest combat powers within the Gotei 13.
Unohana's instruction had already begun shaping Zaraki.
And Yamamoto suddenly felt the urge to do the same.
After all, eighteen hundred years ago, he himself had founded a school and accepted countless disciples. Later he became the first headmaster of the Shinō Academy.
Beneath Yamamoto's stern exterior, there still remained the heart of a teacher.
"After some time," Yamamoto said to Zaraki, "come find this old man. I will teach you a stronger form of swordsmanship."
Zaraki looked at him with clear disbelief.
To Zaraki, Yamamoto looked like nothing more than an old man.
Why would such an old man be able to teach him a stronger way to fight?
Unohana noticed Zaraki's expression and calmly explained.
"This is Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, the Head-captain of the Gotei 13."
"He is the strongest shinigami in Soul Society."
Zaraki's eyes immediately lit up.
"The strongest?"
Now that was something worth paying attention to.
Since Unohana had said so herself, he had no reason to refuse.
"Fine," Zaraki said. "Then I'll learn from you for a while."
Considering Zaraki's usual rebellious nature, this obedient response was surprising.
Yamamoto quickly realized there was likely some deeper story between Zaraki and Unohana.
But he did not comment on it.
Instead, he turned to Unohana.
"Zaraki's spiritual pressure is too strong," Yamamoto said. "He cannot control it properly."
"If you have time, go to the Twelfth Division and ask Captain Hikifune to create some spiritual pressure suppression devices."
"That will allow him to control his power more easily."
Unohana nodded.
"I understand."
Soon afterward, Yamamoto left the Fourth Division.
Not long after, an official explanation regarding the incident spread through the Gotei 13.
The statement claimed that Captain Unohana had been experimenting with a new form of Kidō, and that an accidental loss of control over her spiritual pressure had damaged the Fourth Division's building.
The explanation was not very convincing.
But since it had been confirmed by Yamamoto himself, no one dared question it.
Thus, even if many captains suspected there were other secrets behind the incident, they could only accept the explanation.
Of course, that explanation was only for the Gotei 13.
When Yamamoto later reported the matter to Central 46, he gave a different explanation entirely.
Central 46 was composed of nobles who governed Soul Society. Although they held authority, their power was not absolute.
An incident like the destruction of part of the Fourth Division could not be ignored.
If buildings within Seireitei could be destroyed today, tomorrow someone might dare to attack Central 46 itself.
Such matters had to be investigated carefully.
Fortunately, Yamamoto provided a satisfactory answer.
The damage to the Fourth Division had not been caused by an enemy attack.
It had merely been an accident during training.
Unohana Retsu had been teaching a promising shinigami whose potential might one day allow him to become the sharpest blade of the Gotei 13.
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
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