The 4th Division barracks—unlike the others—had no training dojo, no leisure halls, no entertainment facilities. There were only countless rows of spotless white beds. Stepping inside, one could feel as if the soul itself was cleansed, recovering from wounds faster, both body and mind. After all, the 4th Division's core duty was healing—not just physical treatment, but also spiritual care.
But Yūshirō never saw it that way. For reasons unknown, every time he came here, he felt a faint sense of oppression. It was as if beneath the spotless white beds and pristine halls lurked some dark, menacing rakshasa.
"Oh my, isn't this little Yūshirō? Come to visit the sick?"
While Yūshirō was peeking cautiously around a hallway corner, observing in secret, a gentle voice rose behind him.
"Hm?" Yūshirō shivered at the sound in his ear, turning slowly. "Ehh… hahaha… Lady Unohana? So you're here in the 4th Division?"
A soft chuckle.
Behind him stood a woman of classical Japanese beauty. Her glossy twin braids hung against her full chest, carrying an elegance unique to the East. Her features seemed painted in ink, refined and serene, while her warm smile radiated the tender affection of a mother—one that could make anyone feel, "Ah, this must be love." She was none other than the current 4th Division Captain, Unohana Retsu—a perfect leader, one who wielded the sword on the battlefield and healed with the same hands off it.
Yet, despite her perfection, Yūshirō always struggled with her. Something about her flawless exterior seemed to conceal a darkness—something that stood in stark contrast to her saintly facade.
"This is my division. If the captain isn't here, wouldn't that be quite the problem?"
Unohana's gentle smile and words were like a spring breeze brushing past his ear.
"Hahaha… fair enough, fair enough. Actually, it's nothing serious. I'll just come back another time~"
Yūshirō waved lightly, intending to slip away with a few shinigami visitors and sneak out of the 4th Division.
But before he could take more than a few steps, Unohana's slender white hand caught the back of his neck.
"Yūshirō, what does it mean if you see me and immediately try to leave? Do you dislike me already? I hear you're on quite good terms with Shudōra~"
Her hand held his nape firmly, her other hand gently stroking her smiling cheek, while her narrowed eyes bored silently into the back of his head.
"Uh…"
Every time Yūshirō was near her, he felt as if his entire body were being shredded over and over by countless zanpakutō. That was the strange pressure he could never shake off, and the reason he always avoided her when he could.
"Aizen-fukutaichō is in the third room upstairs."
Just as his nerves were reaching their limit, Unohana's soft voice offered the direction.
"...Huh?!"
Yūshirō froze for a moment, then turned around.
"Go on."
Unohana's serene smile carried a hidden sharpness as she watched his surprise.
…
On the second floor of the 4th Division barracks, in the private rooms reserved for lieutenants and captains, a brown-haired man sat on a white bed, his face wrapped in bandages, gazing at the clear sky outside.
"Yo~"
The door creaked loudly, and in walked a white-haired man carrying a fruit basket.
"Hm?"
The bandaged man turned his head slowly, looking at the visitor—Yūshirō Shihōin.
"You look awful, Aizen. Like a pile of scrap."
Yūshirō pulled an apple from the basket, set it on the bedside table, then casually munched on another while greeting him.
"Hahaha… sorry to disappoint. We were lured too deep into enemy territory and ambushed."
Aizen gave a faint smile.
"How many cuts?"
Yūshirō asked casually between bites.
"Right eye, left arm, right arm, left leg, right leg, heart, lungs… all damaged. My stomach was even pierced through. Honestly, the fact I'm alive is a miracle."
Aizen chuckled bitterly at himself.
"Yeah, a miracle indeed. Looks like heaven still favors a careless man like you."
Yūshirō nodded lightly.
"Heaven's favor, huh?… If only I had stopped the captain then—the head of the Investigation Squad, the former 10th Division Captain—maybe he wouldn't have died. He was so strong…"
Aizen's tone sank into quiet regret.
"Look at yourself, pitiful enough to make one puke. Pushed to the brink by a few Quincies, left in this sorry state. There's no point brooding—it's not about right or wrong in war. Victory doesn't go to the strongest. It goes to the ones prepared. So stay here and heal. From now on, I'll take over."
With a smirk, Yūshirō tossed the apple core, hitting Aizen right on the forehead.
"Y-Yūshirō… what's the meaning of this?"
Aizen winced, glaring at him.
"What do you think? I'll personally lead the squad against the Quincies who did this to you."
Yūshirō gave him a bold grin, then turned and walked away before Aizen could reply.
"… Heh."
Watching him leave, Aizen's lips curved upward.
"You're right, Yūshirō. Victory doesn't always belong to the strong—it belongs to those prepared. And clearly, my preparations are… far more complete."
The glint of his glasses caught the light, warping the air with a faint, unsettling tension.
…
The 2nd Division Special Unit, Green Operations Sub-Squad.
"Today marks our first mission. Just a test run, with some small fry to measure our strength."
Yūshirō, dressed in his black shihakushō, hands clasped behind his back, addressed the members before him—each wearing the stealth uniforms of the Onmitsukidō.
"A mission?!"
The squad members were stunned.
"You mean like… an outing?"
Lilynette's eyes sparkled as she raised her hand, like a schoolkid asking before a field trip.
"That's one way to see it, Lilynette."
Yūshirō played along smoothly.
"Yay, Yūshirō-sensei!"
She beamed with joy. Since arriving in Seireitei, meals had been plentiful, but freedom scarce—at last, a chance to go outside!
"Good for you, Lilynette." Harribel smiled warmly at her companion.
"Mm!" Lilynette hugged her, the clash of their figures like planets colliding.
"Mission, mission, mission…"
Hōshō Aya muttered to herself nervously. She was the type who couldn't sleep the night before a trip, no matter how she tried.
"A mission, huh? Hopefully I get to stretch my legs. Maybe even a Vasto Lorde to spar with."
Kūruyashiki Kenpachi slung his zanpakutō over his shoulder, itching for battle.
"…What did you just say?"
Lilynette, Harribel, and Szayelaporro—just back from Urahara's lab—simultaneously glared at him.
"..."
Standing silently with a mop, Tokinada Tsunayashiro gave no opinion, simply watching.
"Alright then. Tomorrow at dawn—we depart."
Yūshirō smiled faintly, his eyes flashing coldly.
"Oh~"
The squad nodded, some listlessly, some with excitement.
The Kidō Corps prepared a special Senkaimon to send them across.
"…Did you hear? After the 10th Division Captain and two lieutenants were crushed in the Dangai last time, the Gotei is sending a new squad. But this time, only seven people…"
The Kidō Corps members whispered as they worked.
"Seven?! Hundreds failed last time, and now just seven?"
"They must've given up on this operation."
"Not sure. I heard even the 5th Division Captain volunteered to join but was denied by the Head Captain."
"Really? Well, I do recall the 5th's lieutenant got destroyed last time. Barely came back alive."
"Destroyed? He was torn to shreds! Lucky he even lived…"
As they chatted, the air grew heavy.
"—!"
Pressure crashed down like a storm of needles. The Kidō Corps staggered under the crushing weight, their skin pricked with stabbing pain.
"Reiatsu…?"
They looked up.
At the end of the corridor, seven figures approached. No formation, no ceremony—just walking side by side.
But their combined reiatsu, left completely unchecked, swirled into a storm that swallowed the air itself.
"… Captain-class. All of them…"
The Kidō Chief's brows rose. Now he understood why Yamamoto himself had requested this special gate. A normal Senkaimon could never contain their spiritual pressure.
But what intrigued him most was—where had the Head Captain gathered such a squad, where every single member radiated power on par with captains?
"This is the place, right?"
Yūshirō glanced at the gate, then stepped through without hesitation.
"My head hurts…" muttered Hōshō Aya, following after.
"Let's go—field trip!!" Lilynette cheered, dragging Harribel and a backpack-laden Szayelaporro in with her.
"Finally, a chance to fight." Kenpachi strode in, bloodthirsty.
Tokinada Tsunayashiro, smiling slyly, brought up the rear.
A quick summary of the squad?
All villains.