At the First Division barracks, an emergency captains' meeting was convened.
"Kyōraku, what happened? Another meeting so soon?" Shinji asked, moving close to Kyōraku as he entered the First Division.
At present, Kyōraku was basically handling all major and minor affairs within the Seireitei. If there was something going on, asking him directly was enough.
"I don't know either. I received the old man's notice at the last minute."
Kyōraku was also somewhat confused. Logically speaking, Yamamoto no longer had anything to hide from him these days. So why this sudden surprise?
After the captains stood in two rows inside the barracks, Yamamoto did not conceal much. He directly stated the purpose of the meeting.
"There are two matters."
"First, we have received word from the Soul King Palace. All members of Squad Zero are about to descend upon the Seireitei. All captains of the Gotei Thirteen will greet them together."
"Second, we will construct a device to imprison Sōsuke Aizen and confine him within the Great Underground Prison beneath Shin'ō for one hundred years."
"One hundred years?"
The first matter did not cause much of a reaction among them. Instead, what surprised everyone was that Aizen, a criminal who had broken into the Soul King Palace, would only be imprisoned for a hundred years.
Yamamoto did not explain. Squad Zero would not explain to them either. He continued giving orders.
"Squad Twelve will work together with Kisuke Urahara to develop the equipment for imprisoning Aizen. Everyone else, make preparations. Within today or tomorrow, be ready at any time to receive Squad Zero."
"Also, Ukitake, make a trip to the Shiba Clan. Tell Shiba Kūkaku that we will need to use her Kūkaku Cannon."
When members of Squad Zero descended to the Seireitei, they rode a pillar-like transport device called the Tenchūren. However, it had no propulsion of its own. When returning to the Soul King Palace, it could only rely on the Kūkaku Cannon to launch it back.
After the orders were delivered, the captains dispersed on their own. Only Kyōraku remained. With just master and disciple present, the atmosphere was clearly much more relaxed.
"Old man, Squad Zero probably isn't coming with good intentions," Kyōraku said with a worried expression. He did not believe Squad Zero would mobilize all its members just for an Aizen who no longer posed a threat.
Yamamoto did not answer immediately. Instead, he asked in return, "Has he been called?"
"He's here. Old man, what did you need me for?"
Tsunayoshi's voice came from the doorway. Under normal circumstances, he would not need to attend a captains' meeting, but this time, Yamamoto had specifically asked Kyōraku to call him over.
"Squad Zero is about to descend. What is your view?"
Tsunayoshi laughed.
"There's no need for us to pretend. Since you called me here, doesn't that mean you've already decided Squad Zero is coming to cause trouble?"
If Yamamoto did not think Squad Zero would cause problems, he could simply receive them according to the Seireitei's old etiquette. Why involve Tsunayoshi at all?
There was only one reason to call Tsunayoshi over.
Yamamoto believed the Seireitei might come into conflict with Squad Zero.
Since Tsunayoshi had already exposed the issue, Yamamoto stopped pretending as well.
"After watching the battle footage, do you think we can stand up to Squad Zero?"
Tsunayoshi did not answer immediately. Instead, he thought carefully. To be honest, Aizen's vanguard battle had indeed forced Squad Zero to reveal many things.
In Tsunayoshi's impression, Squad Zero had been a group that got instantly wiped out by Yhwach's Schutzstaffel. They had not even used Bankai. Judging from their performance on the battlefield, they had seemed weaker than ordinary captains.
But after this probe, every member of Squad Zero had to be placed on the same level as those with power surpassing Bankai. And that was without even mentioning the Monk, whose abilities were absurd and whose full hand still could not be seen.
"If the intelligence is accurate, and the four besides the Monk can only unleash their strength after releasing their seals, then the real opponents we need to face are only two people: the Monk and one opponent at the level above Bankai."
"On our side, we have a total of three combatants. Two can fight the Monk, and one can hold back the remaining opponent. Judging from the current situation, we don't really need to fear the Soul King Palace that much."
Yamamoto slowly shook his head, rejecting Tsunayoshi's view.
"This old man does not see it that way. On what basis would the stronger Monk not need to be sealed, while the weaker ones are sealed instead?"
"This old man believes they must have a way to release their seals at the same time. What we need to face are five opponents at the level beyond Bankai!"
"Five, plus the ones on our side…"
Tsunayoshi was somewhat speechless.
"If it really comes to that, we won't even need to fight. The world will explode first."
"Then let's have a proper discussion. Squad Zero should be even less willing than you to see Soul Society destroyed, right?"
After thinking briefly, Kyōraku agreed.
"That can serve as a reference point. At the very least, it lets us stand a little straighter. Wait. Since when do we have three people on our side? You didn't include Aizen, did you?"
"What are you thinking?"
Tsunayoshi rolled his eyes at Kyōraku.
"How could an uncertain factor like Aizen ever be counted among our own forces?"
"Then we…"
Kyōraku was suddenly startled.
"Someone on our side has already cultivated power beyond Bankai? Who?"
All the captains were working hard on the training to surpass Bankai, but according to Kyōraku's information, none of them had made any breakthrough progress yet.
"Ask the old man. He knows anyway."
Tsunayoshi threw the responsibility to Yamamoto without hesitation. In any case, these two were master and disciple.
Kyōraku looked at Yamamoto, but Yamamoto showed no intention of explaining. So Kyōraku simply stopped thinking about it.
Yamamoto looked at Tsunayoshi and said, "When Squad Zero arrives, I will have to trouble you to stay nearby. If this old man comes into conflict with Squad Zero, please protect the other captains."
"Old man, there's no need to be so extreme."
Hearing the almost last-request-like tone in Yamamoto's words, Tsunayoshi replied helplessly, "Just refuse to acknowledge Aizen's matter. Leave the buck-passing to Captain Kyōraku. The Soul King Palace still needs the Gotei Thirteen, so they can't really do anything to you."
"Exactly. Old Man Yama, you still need to hold on for a while longer," Kyōraku hurriedly said.
No matter what, the later his time as Captain-Commander arrived, the better.
"Hmph!"
Yamamoto was clearly dissatisfied with Kyōraku's attitude.
"Starting now, you will move into the First Division. Conveniently, while Squad Zero is here, this old man will submit the application to change the Captain-Commander!"
"No way!"
Kyōraku felt as though the sky was collapsing. Moving into the First Division meant he would truly lose even the last of his freedom.
"There must be an explanation for Aizen's matter. This old man has made up his mind. Go back to Squad Eight and move your things," Yamamoto said, gently stroking his cane.
"Then what about Squad Eight?" Kyōraku asked.
"Promote one of the Shinigami who recently learned Bankai. You decide the candidate yourself, Captain-Commander."
Yamamoto did not even look at Kyōraku. With a Shunpo, he disappeared.
"Good luck, Captain-Commander Kyōraku!"
Tsunayoshi patted Kyōraku on the shoulder.
For once, Kyōraku did not talk back. Laugh while you can. When that day comes, let's see whether you can still laugh.
There was a reason Yamamoto had hurried away. Based on what Ryūjin Jakka had told him while they were watching the footage, he felt he was standing right at the threshold. Before Squad Zero arrived, he wanted to further harmonize with Ryūjin Jakka.
In the Soul King Palace, Kirinji heaved and hauled Aizen's sealing frame into the Tenchūren. Inside the Tenchūren, all members of Squad Zero were already in position.
The door closed.
Everything was ready.
They could depart.
The Monk made a grasping motion with one hand. It was Senri Tsūtenshō again. A giant hand grabbed the Tenchūren and hurled it downward. The Tenchūren fell toward the lower world.
The Tenchūren was made from special materials, allowing it to easily pass through the barrier between the Soul King Palace and the Seireitei.
The Tenchūren's descent would take some time, and Squad Zero naturally would not waste it. Kirinji was the first to ask the question in his heart.
"Monk, for such a small matter, you actually need to go in person?"
In Kirinji's impression, the Monk almost never left the Soul King Palace.
It was not as though Squad Zero had never gone to the Seireitei before. For matters such as receiving new members and bringing them to the Soul King Palace, usually one or two people went. Ever since Kirinji had become a member of Squad Zero, the entire squad had never mobilized together.
"Of course there is an important matter to handle. Ōetsu, give them the things you prepared first," the Monk said.
Ōetsu took out three palm-sized stamps, each bearing a different design.
"Come on, show me your arms."
Ōetsu proudly displayed his biceps. There was also a pattern there belonging to him, the God of the Sword. Under Ōetsu's direction, the other three each had their own symbols stamped onto them.
"What is this?" Senjumaru asked curiously.
Ōetsu pointed at the tattoo sticker on his own body and said, "This is a tool that can temporarily release your Blood Oath Seal. It took me quite a lot of effort to make."
"Temporarily release it? Why didn't you bring out something this good earlier?"
This immediately piqued everyone's interest.
"You think it was easy to make? Just these few marks used up several years' worth of reserves from my Hōōden," Ōetsu said helplessly.
Aside from Ōetsu's personal guards, all the other beautiful attendants around him had been turned into these four tattoos. If the Monk had not strongly demanded it, Ōetsu would never have been willing to spend so many resources.
Thinking of this, Ōetsu had something to say.
"Monk, what exactly are you planning? What could possibly be worth me spending this many resources?"
"Anything related to Lord Soul King is worth any amount of resources."
With one sentence from the Monk, all doubts vanished at once. To Squad Zero, the Soul King was the highest priority. Everything had to give way for the Soul King.
"So, what are we going to do?"
"Capture a Soul King candidate!"
A sharp light flashed in the Monk's eyes.
"Because of the battle between Sōsuke Aizen and us, Soul Society has already begun suffering various degrees of damage. To maintain world peace, a Soul King candidate is necessary!"
"A Soul King candidate? Is there really someone in this world with the same essence as Lord Soul King?" Kirio Hikifune asked.
She had deep research into souls. The Soul King's power alone was not something an ordinary Shinigami could possess.
"There is half of one right here."
The Monk pointed at Aizen's seal.
"But he will need some time to fully mature. Before then, I want a new backup."
"Who is it?"
Everyone was very curious.
"Substitute Shinigami, Ichigo Kurosaki!"
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