A soul that carries a fragment of the Soul King within it possesses extraordinarily powerful Reiatsu. Such a soul is virtually guaranteed to become a Shinigami.
Of course, the Tsunayashiro family could attempt to eliminate the individual before they became a full-fledged Shinigami. However, now that this candidate had already entered the Spiritual Arts Academy, that option was no longer simple.
The Spiritual Arts Academy was effectively a reserve force for future Shinigami. Even the Tsunayashiro family could not act recklessly within its grounds. But this did not mean they were without options.
If the candidate were male, they could choose to adopt him, formally bringing him into the Tsunayashiro clan. But if the candidate was female, it would be even easier to handle.
They could simply arrange for her to marry into the Tsunayashiro family. Once she became part of their house, they would be free to use her in their secret experiments without arousing suspicion. After all, she would no longer be an outsider.
Naturally, since the marriage's true purpose was to research the Soul King fragment, it would be impossible to have someone from the main family marry her.
The Tsunayashiro head quickly identified a suitable candidate: Tsunayashiro Tokinada from the branch family.
Meanwhile, after Gosuke Shigure defeated Kuchiki Hibiki, Seireitei returned to a period of quiet. Within the Eleventh Division barracks, Gosuke poured himself a cup of tea and walked to the corridor outside the captain's room. Sitting there, with the morning sun bathing him in gentle light, he appeared calm and warm.
"Thinking about it carefully… such an ending isn't so bad," Gosuke Shigure whispered to himself as he recalled recent events.
Although Kuchiki Hibiki had been sentenced by Central 46 and stripped of his Shinigami status, that was merely a superficial punishment. As long as his spiritual power remained, he would always be a Shinigami. No decree could change that.
As for his confiscated Zanpakutō? With Muramasa's unique nature, even if Kuchiki Hibiki merely called its name, Muramasa would manifest beside him immediately.
In truth, Gosuke felt that temporarily losing Muramasa was beneficial for Hibiki. He had relied too much on his Zanpakutō, and its influence had begun to cloud his heart. Losing it for a time might allow him to rediscover himself.
More importantly, despite his imprisonment, Kuchiki Hibiki had not truly fallen into darkness. Gosuke Shigure himself had played a crucial role in preventing that outcome. Reflecting on his contribution, he felt a flicker of pride. It wasn't every day one saved a comrade from ruin.
Several days passed peacefully after the incident. Then Gosuke Shigure received an invitation letter. It was from the Kuchiki family, wishing to thank him formally.
However, Gosuke declined. He could afford to maintain ties with the Shihouin family, but he had no need to entangle himself with the Kuchiki. Moving too closely among the great noble families would only draw unwanted attention, disrupting the quiet life he desired.
Upon hearing of his refusal, Kuchiki Ginrei, the current family head, felt regret. Yet he said nothing further. As the Kuchiki patriarch, he understood Gosuke's reasoning. Clearly, the Kenpachi did not wish to deepen his involvement in noble affairs, and Ginrei respected that.
Thus, the matter of Kuchiki Hibiki came to an end, and the Kuchiki family's once-grand plan of recruiting a son-in-law became a minor court joke.
Though Hibiki lost his status as a Shinigami, as long as he remained part of the Kuchiki clan, he could still support his family in other ways. In the end, the loss was not absolute.
Some matters, however, had ended only superficially.
While the Kuchiki Hibiki affair concluded, the hidden war among the great noble families continued unabated. These struggles had existed since the era of the five founding houses, waged secretly for centuries. After the Shiba family's expulsion from the ranks of the great nobles, these conflicts became overt once again.
Gosuke Shigure knew of these power games, but he held no interest in them. In this life, he was not born a noble. Becoming a captain was already his limit. He saw no reason to burden himself with noble feuds.
Time flowed like an unending river, surging forward without pause. Unnoticed, many years passed. During this period, the Gotei 13 saw frequent changes in its leadership.
It was no wonder that when Urahara Kisuke became a captain in the original timeline, Kyoraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake sighed at how rare it was for a captain to hold their position for a century or longer. Most either died in battle or retired due to age and exhaustion.
For some, retirement was a blessing. For others, death came before any such choice.
During these years, Love Aikawa rose to captaincy of the Seventh Division, while Muguruma Kensei became captain of the Ninth Division. Both names became well known in Seireitei.
In particular, Gosuke Shigure held high hopes for Muguruma Kensei. He was handsome, carried himself with charisma, and exuded confidence. It would be perfect if his strength grew to match his presence – for then he could avoid the fate of being humiliated after showing off.
"Unknowingly, I've served as captain for decades already… it feels unreal," Gosuke Shigure mused as he drank his tea.
Initially, after the previous Kenpachi was imprisoned in Muken, Gosuke passed the captain's assessment and became Eleventh Division's captain. But many changes followed.
The Shiba family declined, Shiba Isshin disappeared and was presumed dead, and the Tenth Division captaincy shifted. Later, the captains of the Fifth and Ninth Divisions were replaced in succession. Including the Second Division, which was nearing a leadership transition, the Gotei 13 underwent significant change.
By the time Yoruichi took up command of the Second Division, Gosuke Shigure was no longer counted among the "new captains." Even if Yoruichi had yet to assume her position, his tenure was no longer considered brief.
More importantly, he was Kenpachi.
Throughout Soul Society's history, the Kenpachi role had carried the highest mortality rate, requiring its bearer to lead the charge in every major battle. Compared to his predecessors, Gosuke Shigure's relaxed approach to the Kenpachi mantle was almost unnatural.
Yet for him, that was precisely how he wished to live.
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