After the Gotei 13 and the heads of the noble houses departed, the Central Forty-Six Chambers fell into a suffocating silence.
For a long while, no one spoke—until one of the elder sages slammed his palm against the table.
"What a disgrace! A humiliation unparalleled in a thousand years! I will not allow this to pass!"
"That's right!" another chimed in. "We cannot simply yield. We must make these upstarts realize the power of the Central Forty-Six! We must fight back!"
The rest of the chamber stared at them with thinly veiled contempt.
Where was all that bravado a moment ago?
The great sage's tone shifted to a cold snort.
"Fight back? And with what? If Yamamoto Shigekuni unleashes Ryūjin Jakka, should I throw you in front of it as a shield? No one in the entire Soul Society can match him in a direct fight. Unless some warrior from the heavens descends, there is no such person in Seireitei. If we are to find one, it will have to be in the far reaches of Rukongai. Begin a search immediately—find any with strength enough to challenge him. And if we can't win head-on… there are softer means."
He leaned forward, voice low and calculating.
"We control the bulk of Soul Society's resources. The Gotei 13 has only just been formed—they'll need a staggering amount to establish their academy. We can starve them out, force them to bend to our will."
But before his words could stir further discussion, the chamber doors creaked open.
Yamabuki Haruto stepped inside with an easy smile.
"I forgot to mention earlier—the Gotei 13 will be expanding and building an academy. We'll require substantial resources. When can we expect your delivery? You're not planning to delay… are you?"
The great sage nearly leapt to his feet, flustered.
"No, no! Of course not! We would never default on such a thing. Two or three days at most—"
"Too long," Haruto's eyes narrowed.
"…Tomorrow! We'll have them ready tomorrow!"
"This afternoon," Haruto corrected smoothly, tossing a list onto the table. "Everything on here. If it isn't delivered by sunset, our Captain will collect it personally. He's very busy… I'm sure you'd rather not trouble him."
"Y-yes! This afternoon!" The sage plastered on a smile, walking Haruto out before exhaling in relief.
Then he realized the other elders were staring.
"What? Didn't you hear him? If the supplies aren't ready, Yamamoto himself will come! Move!"
But inside, he knew the truth: Yamamoto's strength was unmatched, but his thinking remained bound by the old order. Without Yamabuki Haruto prodding him, the Captain-Commander would never have threatened the Central Forty-Six directly.
No… the truly dangerous one was Haruto—the mind behind the Gotei 13. He would have to be dealt with first.
Outside, Tsunayashiro Fuka walked with the Gotei 13 delegation, pride in every step. He silently thanked his own foresight—had he opposed them earlier, he'd likely be dead.
He hurried to Haruto's side.
"Chief of Staff… when do you think I might take on a captain's position?"
Haruto understood instantly.
The first generation captains had already been decided—Fuka was not among them. But no need to crush him outright.
"The Captain-Commander's plan is to solidify the Gotei 13's structure first. Once the divisions are established, then we'll assign captains. Do you understand?"
Fuka nodded quickly, thoughts already racing. But in truth, the path was narrow—Yamamoto's power was beyond reach, Shihōin Chihiro's strength eclipsed his own, and Saito Furofushi's fierce temperament made her a dangerous rival.
Later, Yamamoto himself studied Haruto under the bright midday sun.
What he had struggled for years to achieve, Haruto had accomplished in half a month. The boy was not only sharp-witted—he carried the potential of a true general.
"I didn't think you'd dare such a move," Chihiro remarked, a faint sheen of sweat on her brow.
"No big deal," Haruto said lightly. "Once we return, we'll drink to the Gotei 13's founding. Speaking of which—Kirinji Tenshiro took those two kids herb gathering… why hasn't he returned yet?"
Yamamoto's voice turned serious.
"Don't celebrate too soon. Before the Gotei 13 is truly whole, we must first establish the academy. Only then will we strengthen the Shinigami enough to survive the Hollows. But Rukongai is vast—how do we spread word so far?"
Haruto didn't hesitate.
"We'll ask Captain Chihiro and Head Tsunayashiro to send messengers from their families to every district. By the way, Captain—what shall we call our academy? Something… imposing?"
After a pause, Yamamoto knelt, drawing three bold characters into the dirt.
"Shin'ō Academy."