"Wait here with this old man for a while; the outcome will be decided soon."
After stopping Soifon from trying to slip away, Captain-Commander Yamamoto sat composed on his chair, leaning on his wooden staff.
"As you wish, Captain-Commander."
Soifon shrank her neck like a meek quail, standing in place with a guilty conscience, her eyes fixed on the floor as she tried to look as unobtrusive as possible.
Only Rangiku Matsumoto felt a bit awkward. After all, she was just an insignificant low-ranking seated officer. The Captain-Commander had only said that Captain Soifon couldn't leave; he hadn't mentioned her.
However, would it be a betrayal of their sisterhood to abandon Captain Soifon and run away now?
Besides, she didn't have the courage to break the silence and tell the Captain-Commander that she had other business to attend to.
Thus, Rangiku Matsumoto decided to just stay there as well.
She figured that going back to the Tenth Division would just mean dealing with administrative duties anyway, so she might as well slack off with Captain Soifon.
The meeting room fell silent. Soifon felt the Captain-Commander's scrutinizing gaze sweep past her from time to time, and each instance triggered an instinctive warning within her.
It was like being targeted by a predator; she felt like she was sitting on a bed of needles.
Suddenly, a fluctuation of spiritual pressure coming from afar shifted the attention of the three people. It was coming from the direction of the Eleventh Division.
—The battle between Kiganjō Kenpachi and Zaraki had finally begun.
'Saved...'
If the silence had continued any longer, Soifon felt she truly might have gone crazy.
In a short while, the spiritual pressure erupting in the distance gradually calmed down. One moment it was like a turbulent sea, and the next, it became as calm as a mirror.
"The battle is over." Captain-Commander Yamamoto's expression remained unreadable as he looked at Soifon. "Tell me, do you think that fellow Kiganjō is still alive?"
"..." Soifon shifted her gaze guiltily. "Perhaps he's still alive..."
Tap, tap—
A crisp knocking sound came from the door.
Only after the Captain-Commander called out "Enter" did Chōjirō Sasakibe respectfully walk into the meeting room, bowing to the Captain-Commander.
"Captain-Commander, Kiganjō Kenpachi has been defeated by Zaraki Kenpachi."
"Kiganjō Kenpachi's Saketsu was pierced by a single strike. Although his life is not in danger, his spiritual power has completely drained away, and he has lost the ability to fight."
"Currently, Zaraki Kenpachi is at the Eleventh Division accepting challenges..."
As the words fell, the Captain-Commander's gaze turned back to Soifon. He stared at her for a good while before speaking: "The man isn't dead, yet he can no longer serve as a Shinigami. What do you have to say to that?"
Seeing Soifon's guilty expression as she hesitated to speak, the Captain-Commander spoke again:
"Captain Soifon, you owe the Seireitei a Captain-level combat asset."
"How about you take a part-time teaching position at the Shin'ō Academy to teach the students Hakuda and Shunpo?"
"Just train one person to Captain-level strength, and that will suffice."
Good grief. As they say, the older the ginger, the sharper the spice—this was clearly Captain-Commander Yamamoto's true objective all along.
"The Captain-Commander is truly wise..."
"If those students master their Shunpo, the casualty rate among Shinigami will surely decrease significantly."
Under that gaze, which felt more like a threat, Soifon realized there was no point in arguing. She might as well just agree.
"Good."
Having received Soifon's reluctant consent, the Captain-Commander stroked his long white beard.
*
Soifon and Rangiku Matsumoto walked out of the First Division and passed the gates of the Shin'ō Academy.
"Does the Captain-Commander mean he wants me to cultivate another Captain-level combatant?"
Stopping outside the school gates, Soifon tapped her smooth chin with her finger, deep in thought.
"I think so, Captain Soifon."
Rangiku Matsumoto recalled the conversation she had just overheard and nodded in agreement with her judgment.
The Shin'ō Academy...
Soifon looked toward the inside of the gates. She could vaguely see students in uniforms walking around with books, wooden swords hanging at their waists.
Her powerful spiritual sense swept through the grounds, and Soifon pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling troubled.
—They were all small fry; there wasn't even a single prospect with a 10th Spiritual Rank.
Even the valedictorian of this year's class, who was being surrounded by female students as he walked out of the library, only had a 15th Spiritual Rank.
She was tired; let it all burn. This was surely the worst batch of students she had ever seen.
"Rangiku..."
Leaning against the wall by the school gate, Soifon's shadow covered her body, making her almost blend into the darkness.
She truly lived up to her background in the Stealth Force!
"What is it, Captain Soifon?"
Rangiku Matsumoto's tone was light, no longer as restrained as before. After all, they were now sisters who had gone through life and death together once.
"You just graduated this year, right?" Soifon crossed her arms and sighed. "It seems there are no geniuses like you among my students. I won't be able to finish the Captain-Commander's task."
It was true; for the Shinigami race, hard work was only somewhat useful, but not much.
True geniuses were the type who could achieve greatness easily without any effort at all.
Like Rangiku Matsumoto, who had enough powerful Reiatsu to serve as a seated officer right after graduation.
And even more absurd examples existed, like Zaraki Kenpachi, or the mixed-blood Ichigo Kurosaki who hadn't even been born yet.
"The Captain-Commander only said you owe him a Captain; he didn't specify that you had to train them at the Academy..."
"Maybe, just like that... Captain Zaraki, finding one elsewhere counts as well."
Subconsciously, Rangiku Matsumoto had spotted a blind spot.
Zip—
The moment the words were out, Soifon snapped her head up, her eyes gradually lighting up as she stared at Rangiku Matsumoto.
"What is it..." Rangiku Matsumoto felt a bit creeped out by Soifon's gaze. "Is there something wrong with my analysis?"
"Not at all." Soifon wagged her index finger. "Rangiku, I'll treat you to dinner next time I'm free!"
Yes, Rangiku Matsumoto's single sentence was like the sun breaking through the clouds for Soifon.
Instead of looking for prospects among this batch of small fry, it would be better to get closer to the Rangiku Matsumoto beside her.
After all, the future Tenth Division Captain, Tōshirō Hitsugaya, was the one she would eventually recruit.
"Eh? Alright..."
But why next time? I'm free right now...
Then again, Captain Soifon is a very busy person; she probably has other urgent matters to attend to. I shouldn't be too selfish.
Rangiku Matsumoto complained a bit resentfully in her heart.
Watching the other woman depart with a flicker of Shunpo, Rangiku Matsumoto also prepared to head back to the Tenth Division to report.
As Rangiku walked away from the Shin'ō Academy, she was greeted by a tall girl with white hair.
"Isane?"
"Rangiku, do you know where Captain Soifon is?"
"Captain Soifon? She just left."
Rangiku Matsumoto was a bit confused as to why Isane Kotetsu of the Fourth Division was looking for Soifon.
"Is that so..."
Isane Kotetsu stared at Rangiku for a few seconds, only shifting her gaze once the latter took an uncomfortable step back.
"Is something wrong...?"
Rangiku Matsumoto felt the air grow a bit subtle.
"It's nothing much..."
Isane Kotetsu pulled out a long bill:
"These are the medical expenses. I wanted Captain Soifon to settle them."
"That newly appointed Captain Zaraki said the medical bills are to be reimbursed by Captain Soifon."
"Oh right, Rangiku, you're on good terms with Captain Soifon, right? If you see her, please pass along a message from our Captain."
"—The new Zaraki Kenpachi is quite the slasher. Captain Soifon has truly performed a great merit."
_____
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