Chapter 274: Ten Years of New Beginnings
Time passed.
More than ten years went by in what felt like almost nothing at all.
Compared to the strange and relentless series of events that had filled the century before it, this stretch was unexpectedly quiet.
No captain-level attacks. No sudden vacancies. The Gotei 13's organizational structure had stabilized in a way that was, for once, genuine -- the peace inside the Seireitei held at a delicate but functional equilibrium.
Until today.
Something happened that broke the surface of that quiet.
Rapid footsteps, approaching from a distance.
Several Shinigami in standard uniforms came hurrying through the corridor, expressions tight, moving fast enough that when they clipped the occasional passerby they only managed a quick murmured apology before pressing on.
The urgency sat at a completely different register from the surrounding environment, and it was enough to make a number of other squad members stop and stare.
"What was that?"
"No idea. Not our squad."
"That uniform, and the identification tags -- I'd know those anywhere. That's Squad 11."
A woman with a relatively composed face stepped out from the group, adjusted her glasses, and said with clear irritation:
"This is the third time already! No matter how urgent something is, there's no excuse for running through the halls like that. It's completely undisciplined."
Behind her, several squad members exchanged glances before one of them said quietly:
"When Squad 11 people come to us, it's almost always to ask for help, right?"
"Yeah, probably. Our job is emergency response, and they've been running matches over there recently. A lot of people have been entering."
"Honestly, ever since they started, we've had so much work we stopped getting assigned to clean the drainage channels."
That kind of commentary was something that came up occasionally.
Under the current circumstances, however, it was not acceptable -- the woman with the glasses turned sharply, expression firm and direct.
"You can't let personal feelings bend rules and protocol. That kind of attitude only encourages the behavior you're complaining about. It doesn't help anyone."
Correcting the people beneath you.
In an organization that ran on the logic of a feudal hierarchy, this was so common it barely registered as remarkable. The Fake Karakura Town arc had a memorable illustration of it -- Orihime had been hassled while moving through the Shinigami ranks, and the situation had required Ishida Uryu's intervention before it went anywhere worse. If something like that could happen, it was clearly not an isolated case.
Orihime had someone watching out for her. What about the newer female squad members who didn't?
This was the Seireitei. Certain topics were better left alone. People generally preferred not to discuss them.
"All right, don't lose your temper over it. You'll frighten the new members."
The voice came from not far behind. Everyone in the corridor turned.
Walking toward them was a tall woman with short hair and a calm, unhurried smile. Her identity was visible before she spoke -- a wooden nameplate hanging from her left arm made it clear enough.
Vice-Captain of Squad 4, Kotetsu Isane.
"Vice-Captain!"
The assembled squad members bowed, and Isane waved a hand in easy acknowledgment, not particularly concerned with the formality.
Her attention went to the woman who had been doing the correcting.
"Kato-san -- I know you've just taken a seated position and the adjustment brings its own pressures. But that pressure isn't something you can pass on to the people below you."
Take it one step at a time. Don't rush.
As for the work itself.
"The captain gave specific instructions before the matches started -- Squad 4 is on heightened readiness during the tournament period, ready to respond at any time. You should remember that."
There was no aggressive force to it.
Just a quiet, complete authority that left the person being addressed with no angle to argue from. The particular quality of someone who had seen enough to know what they were doing, and communicated that simply by being present.
The seated officer named Kato found herself unable to produce a single counterargument. Her expression shifted into something genuinely abashed.
"You're right. I'm sorry, Vice-Captain."
"It's fine. But the captain's guidance applies here too, so keep it in mind going forward."
Kato nodded hard, visibly affected by the exchange. It concluded in that quiet, unspectacular way, and the interaction was over.
"Good. Now -- everyone stop standing around. We're pressed for time. Let's get moving."
As she spoke, Isane reached into her uniform and produced a pair of white gloves, which she pressed into Kato's hands.
"I'm heading to the tournament site for emergency response. The squad is yours for now. Hold things together."
She gave Kato a brief encouraging pat on the shoulder and walked away.
The squad members who remained behind watched her go with openly admiring expressions.
"Vice-Captain Kotetsu has really changed over the years, hasn't she? I remember when she seemed like she was always a half-step behind on things."
"People improve. You can't keep measuring someone by the version of them you met first. That kind of thinking gets in your own way."
The newly seated Kato, having recovered herself, had already resumed directing the squad -- and her manner, this time around, was noticeably more measured.
Meanwhile, Isane had left the Squad 4 compound and was walking toward the tournament site with her accompanying members, checking in on the situation.
"What's the current status over there?"
"More than thirty people have already lost consciousness?!"
"Was Captain Unohana's match conduct protocol something Squad 11 completely ignored? Is there not a single person there who pays attention to the rules?!"
The members who had come to request assistance exchanged sideways glances and quietly looked somewhere else.
There was no good response to that, and they knew it.
"It's mostly Zaraki-san fighting. We were just watching from the side."
"Again?!"
Isane had reached the point of gritting her teeth at the mention of that name on pure reflex.
Repeated exposure to the same situation tended to produce that result.
"Every time it's the same thing -- he does whatever he wants because he can back it up. Where are your captain and vice-captain?! Can't someone keep him in line?!"
"The vice-captain is on maternity leave. As for the captain -- the captain hasn't organized or attended a tournament in about five years."
Ah.
That one landed a beat late.
Isane caught up with it and felt something shift in her recollection.
The recent changes in Squad 11's situation.
About eight months ago, there had been a captain's meeting -- routine, nothing remarkable on paper.
The vice-captains were waiting in their designated lounge, as they always did, ready to fall in with their captains and leave together once the meeting concluded.
That was how it was supposed to go.
But near the end of the meeting, something inside the conference room produced a round of audible exclamations. Not small ones. Loud enough that the vice-captains waiting next door all heard it and looked at each other. Before anyone could ask, Sasakibe Chojiro was already pushing the door open.
Isane still remembered his face in that moment. The Squad 1 vice-captain -- famously composed, formal in everything -- had been visibly struggling to maintain that composure.
"What happened?!"
"Ahem. You should probably hear this too. It's not exactly classified."
Sasakibe stepped back to let them see into the room, where the meeting had technically ended but most of the captains hadn't moved from their seats.
The mood was strange. Even Yamamoto in the head position was smiling.
All anyone could see was Squad 11 Captain Matsushita Yusuke standing up, rubbing the back of his head under the attention of the entire room, looking like someone who had not entirely anticipated this outcome.
"This -- this isn't quite the level of thing that needs a formal announcement, is it?"
As if for emphasis, he said it again.
"I was only trying to report a personnel change within my squad. How did it get to this?"
Kyoraku Shunsui, sitting beside him, was laughing hard enough to hit the table repeatedly.
"That's entirely the wrong framing! If you think of it as just a Squad 11 internal matter, you're missing the point entirely! Right? Yama-jii, you agree?"
Yamamoto was sitting at the head of the table looking visibly pleased.
"I privately think so as well."
So what was actually happening?
Rustle. Rustle, rustle.
Isane still remembered hearing that sound from behind her and turning around to find a bright red Soifon being caught by the wrist. Unohana Retsu had somehow appeared without announcement and was holding onto the smaller woman from behind, expression cheerful.
"Isn't it a little late to be thinking about leaving now, Vice-Captain Soifon?"
Caught in the act.
Soifon's composure had completely abandoned her. She struggled, and her voice came out at a pitch that was entirely unlike her.
"I -- I have -- I have other things I need to, Captain Unohana, let go of me--"
"You'll have energy to spare for about another half-month, but after that you'll be in the sensitive period. Carrying on like this after that point is actually dangerous."
"You--"
Having this particular topic discussed publicly was apparently a challenge at a level all its own. The expression on Soifon's face had gone well past flustered.
Some people in the room were still working out what was happening.
Ise Nanao, for example, and several others from the younger generation. Isane herself was not exactly old, but her medical instincts, combined with the information she was currently processing, produced the connection fairly quickly.
Wait.
Was she saying--
Her mouth dropped open slightly. She took a slow, involuntary breath.
Standing in the middle of that room, caught between the general chaos of rising voices and something almost like electricity in the air, Matsushita Yusuke patted the back of his head and said with an expression of resigned helplessness:
"It's -- it's just that Squad 11's vice-captain, Soifon, is pregnant, and will need some time off. During that period the vice-captain's responsibilities will be transferred to--"
"WHAT?!"
The explosion of noise that erupted cut the rest of his sentence clean off.
Or rather -- as far as the room was concerned, whatever came after that wasn't the relevant part. The absolute center of everything at that moment was Soifon.
Matsumoto Rangiku was already moving.
She covered the distance in a few quick steps and grabbed Soifon's left arm, eyes bright with something between excitement and complete shock.
"This is so sudden! But you can't even tell -- so how far along are you?"
Unohana slipped a hand inside Soifon's collar with the ease of someone who had been doing this for years, pressing her palm gently to her abdomen, applying light pressure up and down, and closing her eyes.
A quiet sound of consideration.
"Right. Not quite a full month yet. It's very difficult to notice at this stage -- but people who train regularly tend to feel physical changes earlier. From this point you need to be careful."
On the other side of the room, Abarai Renji and Shiba Kaien were making sounds of profound disbelief. Ise Nanao had both hands over her mouth and was edging toward the group in small, rapid steps.
"This -- so there's actually a baby? But the wedding was--"
Hitsugaya Toshiro, standing behind her with his arms crossed, gave her a deeply tired look.
"That was five years ago."
"But then why has it taken this long? Were the two of them having some kind of problem with--"
"Why are you asking me?! Do I look like someone who has any business being involved in this?!"
In any case.
"For the Gotei 13, this is a good thing."
Yamamoto delivered this summary with audible satisfaction, and then, in an extremely rare departure from his usual approach, issued what could only be described as a comment that stepped slightly outside his official responsibilities.
"Whether a vice-captain remains in post is properly the internal decision of each squad. But -- a little change, once in a while, does a place some good."
He smiled.
"Soifon. You have my authorization for the leave. Go rest properly. Don't push yourself."
She had gotten what she needed.
The process had been nothing like she planned.
Soifon stood there red-faced, surrounded by a circle of female Shinigami talking over each other, flooding her with advice she could partially understand and advice she very much could not, the combined weight of it roughly equivalent to a high-risk solo mission.
How had things ended up like this?
If she had known in advance how much unwanted attention this was going to generate, she would not have come to this meeting. She would have found any other way.
With that thought firmly in mind, she directed a specific look at the back of a specific person across the room.
Said person felt it immediately and produced an involuntary shudder, teeth bared in an expression of pained innocence.
Don't look at me like that. I'm a victim here too.
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