Although it was impossible to determine when everything would be ready, the matter was largely settled.
Yoriichi pondered for a moment, realizing there seemed to be something missing between him and Uta.
Even though Uta didn't mention it, in the current situation, mentioning it or not no longer seemed to matter; they both understood.
Beside them, Yoruichi Shihouin was still enthusiastically discussing the matter.
After a short while, she took a sip of water and confidently declared that with her present, all nobles would show respect.
If a wedding were held, it would surely become the grandest one in Seireitei in hundreds of years.
One must know that very few high-ranking nobles had held weddings in the past century, and the highest-ranking one was Shiba Kaien of the Shiba Clan.
They had to surpass him, right?
Upon hearing this, Uta instantly came back to her senses.
Recalling Shiba Miyako, she immediately said:
"Miss Yoruichi, we appreciate your kindness, but please, do not gather so many people; that would be too ostentatious."
What kind of scene would it be if all nobles showed respect?
Uta could imagine.
While the livelier it was, the more it could highlight one's status, Uta didn't like it that way.
Yoruichi might not mind, as she had been a princess since childhood, living amidst immense adoration, and had long developed a personality that completely disregarded others' gazes.
But Uta wasn't like that; the more unfamiliar people there were, the more uncomfortable she felt, and those flattering words would make her exceptionally uneasy.
She considered herself an ordinary person, and all her status existed solely because of Yoriichi.
Without him, she would probably still be slumbering in some forgotten corner right now.
Thinking of this, Uta gently exhaled, paused briefly, and facing Yoruichi's slightly surprised gaze, her soft voice sounded again:
"A simple one will do.
Also, it's really too much trouble for you to handle our affairs; we will prepare everything properly ourselves."
"How can that be?!"
Yoruichi's voice rose a notch, and her teacup hit the table with a dull thud.
Immediately after, she struck a pose that conveyed, "You two are too unmotivated; you still need to rely on me."
"Yoriichi found my grandfather, so I naturally have to repay you two."
"Besides, both of your personalities are too reserved.
Just imagine, if I weren't here today, would you two still have these thoughts, would you still take these actions?"
"Uta, I'm helping you.
It's fine that Yoriichi's personality is steady, after all, he's a Captain, but you can't just passively wait for him to speak."
"Who doesn't know that you two are respectful to each other, but if you were to hold a wedding, it would definitely be one with only a few people.
Is that what you want?"
Although Yoruichi said that, Uta still felt it was too exaggerated.
And to say such things in front of Yoriichi… it was as if she had been eagerly anticipating it all along.
Despite it being true, Uta couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.
Uta lowered her head slightly, her voice immediately dropping a notch:
"Um… I think there's nothing wrong with just a few people, after all, everyone is familiar…"
Before she could finish, Yoruichi interrupted: "So what if they're familiar?
Before you met them, weren't they strangers too?"
"You can't just say that because you know them, there's no need to make new friends, right?"
"Uta, Shinigami have extremely long lifespans."
"Look at the one from the Kuchiki Clan; wasn't she depressed because she cut off ties with her friends?"
Hearing Yoruichi say this, Yoriichi cleared his throat, interrupting at the opportune moment:
"Correction: she wasn't depressed because she cut off ties with her friends, but because she lost her beloved.
I have the right to speak on this matter."
"You weren't back then, Uta, so you wouldn't know, but that matter has already been resolved."
Saying that, he looked at Yoruichi, "We appreciate your kindness, but we'll pass on the extravagance."
"Instead of inviting unfamiliar nobles, it's better to invite some friends."
Uta didn't have many friends, but he was different.
Over two years, he had made at least a dozen or more acquaintances; these people were enough.
Upon hearing this, Yoruichi showed a helpless expression.
She hesitated, putting a hand to her forehead, and sighed:
"You two, I really don't know what to say about you; your personalities in certain aspects are exactly the same as a couple."
Then, she added: "Of course, the grander the wedding, the better; only then can it showcase the deep affection between you two…"
"But since you both insist, what can I do…?"
Yoruichi seemed to reluctantly accept the current situation.
Then, she looked up and said solemnly:
"But it's agreed, I won't interfere with the guest list, but in other aspects, you must give me face, so our shihouin Clan can also help out a bit."
"This is the only wedding in your entire lives, and I don't want to be just a spectator."
Yoruichi's tone was extremely sincere.
Yoriichi and Uta exchanged glances, then nodded gently:
"No problem, after all, you were the one who brought it up first."
"However, Yoruichi, why are you so enthusiastic about these matters?"
"Do you yourself have any thoughts?"
Yoriichi was not referring to Yoruichi's previous attempts to win him over, but rather…
If he remembered correctly, Yoruichi was over three hundred years old this year, yet had zero experience in relationships, so eager…
"Ah… well, I just saw that your relationship was too bland and wanted to spice things up a bit, definitely not for any other reason."
Yoruichi's expression immediately became unnatural.
She clearly understood the implied meaning in Yoriichi's words, and her speech became somewhat hesitant.
"Don't associate it with others… Uh, Rukia, what are you doing here?!"
Yoruichi's gaze instantly fell on Rukia, who was hiding behind the door.
Although she wasn't sure how much she had heard or seen, scanning the fleeting smile on her face…
"What kind of expression is that?
Hey! Stop right there!"
As the voice sounded, the topic was instantly skipped.
…
…
At the same time, a stadium within the Spiritual Arts Academy was incredibly noisy.
Numerous students were coming and going, all just to sign up for their preferred teacher's courses.
Heaven knows how thrilled they were after Yamamoto Genryusai announced that Captains would personally teach over the next few days.
It was a Captain!
Even sixth-year students, not everyone had attended combat classes taught by a Captain.
Because, ultimately, every Captain was very busy, and even if they had classes, they were only for the Elite Class, and only a few sessions per year.
Now it was different.
Everyone could participate, everyone could be guided by a Captain; such immense "fortune" falling upon them, they truly couldn't believe it.
However, the facts were before their eyes, leaving them no choice but to believe and seize this opportunity firmly.
In a corner.
Matsumoto Rangiku looked at the pictures and introductions of the three teachers in the brochure, feeling a slight hesitation in her heart.
…
It was truly a bit of a dilemma.
Because these three teachers all seemed to be a great fit for her.
Currently, her strength had already reached the level of a normal Shinigami.
Her Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Shunpo skills were quite proficient, with only Kido being slightly lacking.
However, even so, she couldn't compare to a Captain.
Perhaps she could go to the Ninth Division for extra lessons after returning home for the holidays, but the holidays were still a long way off.
If she wanted to improve her strength, she could only rely on these teachers.
Hakuda… could she defeat Ichimaru Gin?
Matsumoto Rangiku pondered for a moment, then shivered and gently shook her head.
Definitely not; she already knew about Ichimaru Gin's Zanpakuto from Yoriichi.
Five hundred times the speed of sound, such astonishing speed, ordinary people simply couldn't dodge it.
No matter how exquisite one's Hakuda skills were, once pierced by a single strike, it would be useless.
Considering everything, only Zanjutsu was feasible.
And the Zanjutsu teachers…
Her gaze slowly swept over the introductions of Saito Furofushi and Bakuzan Saigyunzai.
In fact, even without reading these introductions, one could roughly judge their Zanjutsu styles just from their appearances.
The former… seemed extremely crazy?
The latter was a bit like Retsu Unohana; if she remembered correctly, Captain Retsu Unohana was also a master swordsman…
Matsumoto Rangiku's thoughts gradually drifted away.
Before she could make up her mind, suddenly, a familiar figure appeared in her sight.
It was Suì-Fēng.
Suì-Fēng, with a dark expression, held two registration forms and walked towards the Shinigami responsible for registering student information.
As soon as she appeared, she instantly attracted the attention of a large number of academy students.
Her unique aura was distinctly different from the surrounding students, not to mention her striking Shinigami uniform.
Official Shinigami?
Why would they be here?
The academy students were full of questions; some nobles who knew Suì-Fēng whispered in a corner, seemingly lamenting that the esteemed head of the Feng family would actually come to register…
This scene immediately piqued their interest, and their gazes were fixed on her.
The next second, the Shinigami in charge of registration saw Suì-Fēng arrive and immediately stood up, adopting a respectful and extremely humble posture; he clearly recognized Suì-Fēng.
After receiving the registration form, the Shinigami's pupils visibly contracted, and the way his mouth hung open was seen by the students, making them even more bewildered.
No way, what did you see to be so shocked? Even if she's a Shinigami, it shouldn't be like this, right?
In an instant, more and more students whispered, and these voices flooded into Suì-Fēng's mind, making her incredibly annoyed.
Her eyes were filled with impatience, and she even felt a bit embarrassed.
Why be a student for no reason? The Captain is really something...
Just then, Suì-Fēng keenly noticed Matsumoto Rangiku's gaze.
Even though she hadn't heard Yoruichi Shihouin's subsequent conversation, to alleviate the awkwardness, she still called out, "You, come here, the one with golden hair."
For a moment, she couldn't recall Matsumoto Rangiku's name and could only call her out that way.
And Matsumoto Rangiku also heard these voices at this time.
She stood rooted to the spot, stunned for a second, then looked around and realized that she seemed to be the only one with golden hair around...
"Yes, it's you, Miss Rangiku."
Suì-Fēng finally remembered Matsumoto Rangiku's name.
As soon as her high-pitched and somewhat respectful words came out, many people's gazes were instantly drawn to Matsumoto Rangiku, all looking at her.
Initially, seeing her uniform, everyone mistakenly thought she was just a first-year student and didn't pay much attention.
But then, a noble recognized her identity.
The noble's eyes trembled, and he involuntarily took a step back, showing an instinctive fear, as if a sheep had seen a lion.
The noble's companions, seeing this situation, completely didn't understand. After that Shinigami, are you also having an episode? What on earth is going on?
They quietly asked.
Though the sound was soft, it was still heard by many students.
Due to the noble status displayed, the atmosphere in the entire stadium instantly became strange.
Some people looked at Suì-Fēng, some looked at Matsumoto Rangiku, some looked at the noble, and some looked at the Shinigami in charge of registration...
The surrounding sounds gradually shifted from noisy chatter to quiet whispers.
The noble, seeing many people's gazes turn to him, felt his pressure surge, swallowed hard, and muttered in a trembling voice:
"Idiots! Why are you all looking at me like that? I don't want to end up in jail!"
Others might not know Matsumoto Rangiku, but didn't he?
Although Matsumoto Rangiku was not given the Tsugikuni surname, the great name of her elder brother, Yoriichi Tsugikuni, had long been widely circulated among the nobles.
It is said that without exception, nobles who opposed him all went bankrupt.
Some were even thrown into Muken, with sentences lasting thousands of years, never to come out in this lifetime.
Because of this, the nobles knew all the information about Yoriichi Tsugikuni's few relatives.
Before enrollment, their elders repeatedly warned them not to make enemies with them.
Even if they did, they had to apologize and compensate as soon as possible, otherwise, disaster might strike one day.
Although they were intermediate nobles, their family assets and foundation were actually mediocre.
He originally thought that with different grades, it would be difficult to meet, but he didn't expect that due to Suì-Fēng's appearance, both he and Matsumoto Rangiku would become the focus of everyone's attention...
Damn it, and they asked him what was wrong. His family used to belong to the Tsunayashiro faction, so why wouldn't he be afraid? Once bitten by a snake, one fears a well rope for ten years.
This once arrogant intermediate noble had now lost all his sharpness and immediately wanted to turn and leave, lest he be targeted by Matsumoto Rangiku.
As he left, he didn't even care about his subordinates beside him, his retreating figure like a defeated person fleeing in panic.
This scene, seen by others, conveyed its meaning extremely clearly, even without any sound.
The noble who was hostile to him saw this situation, a smug smile played on his lips, and he said to his subordinate beside him:
"Look at him, he looks like a dog."
As soon as these words were uttered, the intermediate noble's steps suddenly faltered slightly. He really wanted to turn back and see which audacious fellow dared to say such a thing.
But recalling the things his family had done in the past, he forcefully suppressed these impulses and dared not turn back at all.
This action made the smile on the face of the noble hostile to him even wider. As Suì-Fēng walked towards Matsumoto Rangiku, he softly explained to his group of subordinates:
"You ask who she is? That's a good question."
"Her elder brother is the Captain of the Ninth Division's prison unit, and he's also a high-ranking noble. Any noble whose family has even a slight secret will react this way when they see her."
Although the voice was soft, it was exceptionally clear in the hall. In an instant, everyone understood, and a hint of envy appeared in their eyes.
There's actually such a student among the first-year students?
It's one thing for her relative to be a Captain, but she's also a noble?
Being born in Rome wouldn't even compare to such a privileged experience!
...
Matsumoto Rangiku was completely unaware of the complex emotions in the students' eyes.
Seeing Suì-Fēng looking for her, she became even more confused.
But it wasn't long before Rangiku understood everything.
It turned out to be for registering for the Hakuda course.
In Suì-Fēng's view, having more friends meant more support.
As a dignified Vice Commander, having to play house-like games with these children, she truly felt a bit embarrassed.
Yoruichi had Shihouin Sennich to chat and relieve boredom with, but what about her?
Alone and isolated, it was truly too awkward.
As for whether Rangiku wanted to sign up for Hakuda, and whether signing up would affect her Zanjutsu...
Hmph, that was simply worrying for nothing.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strength and teaching skills were evident; just a few days of training Matsumoto Rangiku would make her skills advance by leaps and bounds like a rocket.
What were those teachers in the academy worth?
Good at swordsmanship? Compared to Yoriichi Tsugikuni, they would pale in comparison.
The answer was obvious.
It could be said that among everyone present, others needed to carefully consider their course choices, but Matsumoto Rangiku did not need to.
Now, Rangiku's body had grown much under the influence of reishi in Seireitei.
At over eighty years old, she looked exactly like a fifteen-year-old girl, even taller than Suì-Fēng.
Standing together, it was difficult to tell who was older and who was younger.
Rangiku looked at Suì-Fēng, listening to her softly explain the reasons, and a hint of helplessness welled up in her heart.
She instinctively crossed her arms, her gaze sweeping over the crowd watching her, then took Suì-Fēng's hand and walked out of the building:
"It's too crowded here, let's talk outside."
"By the way, I want to ask you something, were these three teachers all found by my elder brother?"
"Miss Yoruichi's grandfather? No wonder the name sounds so familiar..."
As she was speaking, a voice came from behind: "Miss Suì-Fēng, your registration form..."
Before the words finished, Suì-Fēng called out, "Just leave it there."
It wouldn't get lost anyway; her task was just to deliver the form, and now the task was complete.
Having finally found a "companion," how could she be distracted by such a small matter?
If it weren't for the time crunch, she even wanted to go to the Second Division and drag a group of Shinigami to experience this awkwardness with her.
The two left the building, but the students' discussions about them never ceased.
Ultimately, even looking at the entire Spiritual Arts Academy, students like Matsumoto Rangiku were ultimately rare.
Even some uninformed commoners, if they knew a little, would be filled with emotion.
They worked tirelessly for six years, and after graduation, they might not even be able to secure a regular Shinigami position.
While Matsumoto Rangiku, as only a first-year student, had already secured a Seat Officer position...
This was as absurd as having a guaranteed annual salary of tens of millions before even graduating from university.
...
Shihouin Sennich learned that Yoruichi Shihouin had signed up for his course ten minutes later.
Although he knew he and his granddaughter would eventually meet, he never expected the meeting to be in such a scenario.
It was said that Yoruichi had become the Captain of the Second Division, and he wondered what her strength was truly like.
Of course, what Sennich cared about more was Yoruichi's relationship status.
It wasn't until he met Yamamoto Genryusai that he realized the Shunko that Yoriichi Tsugikuni mastered was actually taught to him by Yoruichi.
However, for some reason, Yoruichi herself had not yet mastered it, but Yoriichi Tsugikuni had already developed the next generation version of Shunko...
Heaven knows what expression he had when he learned this news.