"You all did very well."
Despite being exhausted, Suzuki Makoto's praise still made all the graduates from the Branch Campus puff out their chests with pride. They looked passionately at the man they had once followed, their hearts filled with fighting spirit.
Most of these young people had once fought in the Yellow Turban Army and were the ones who most identified with the order of the 'Yellow Heaven.' Moreover, they had learned from Suzuki Makoto himself, even before enrolling, about the duties they would shoulder in the future.
Now, receiving such praise from Suzuki Makoto's own lips was the ultimate affirmation for them.
In contrast to the pride of the Branch Campus students, the graduates from the Main Campus and the Shinigami squad members leading the teams felt somewhat awkward. After all, following their previous mass desertion, they felt a bit hollow trying to stand tall now. Their gazes silently fell upon Byakuya Kuchiki, standing behind Suzuki Makoto, seemingly hoping to receive the same affirmation.
However, they were certainly overthinking it. Byakuya Kuchiki focused only on Rukia's condition. As for the others... to him, they were all treated equally—
With equal disregard.
It was only then that someone hurriedly arrived from the other side of the Senkaimon using Shunpo.
"Captain Kuchiki, Vice-Captain Suzuki, no accidents occurred, I trust?"
"There were no accidents at all, Captain Aizen. The students completed the exam independently, relying on their own strength."
"That was a Gillian Menos Grande! To think that it was actually..."
Aizen looked at the exhausted students, a warm smile appearing on his face.
"Truly a remarkable achievement. When I first graduated back then, I didn't possess such strength."
Hearing these words from the most popular teacher in the school, Captain Aizen, the grievances of the Main Campus students who had remained were finally somewhat alleviated. They were finally able to stick out their chests with pride, looking fervently at the Captain of the 5th Division, who was famous throughout the Seireitei for his gentleness and kindness.
As expected, going to the 5th Division after graduation was the wisest choice!
Suzuki Makoto and Aizen were both very satisfied with their harvest. However, where there are those who are satisfied, naturally, there are those who are dissatisfied. For example—
"Absolutely disgraceful! If the students taught by the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy cannot even face the Reiatsu of a Gillian Menos Grande, then we will truly be reduced to a laughingstock!"
Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto slammed his hand heavily onto the table. The anger on his face clearly showed that he was truly furious. Facing a Gillian Menos Grande, even if they couldn't fight and win, they should at least maintain basic rationality and a will to fight, shouldn't they?
The Captain-Commander rarely displayed such a loss of composure. However, Shunsui Kyoraku actually felt that Old Man Yama's temper had improved a lot. At least he was currently slamming the table inside the 1st Division barracks, rather than going directly to the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy to let that bunch of trash properly experience what 'two suns in the sky' felt like.
"All students who fled into the Senkaimon after the Gillian Menos Grande appeared are to have their graduation qualifications revoked! They will be held back! For the entire next year, they will have only combat courses! If anyone has objections, expel them immediately!"
"Yes, Captain-Commander."
Even after issuing such harsh instructions, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto's anger had still not subsided.
He could accept weakness, but he could not accept cowardice!
"Actually, the students of the Branch Campus and the Main Campus are different to begin with. Many students in this batch were drawn directly from the Inspection Team established by the Yellow Turbans. They had already carved a bloody path through the outer districts, so their will to fight is not something the Main Campus students can compare with."
Shunsui Kyoraku tried to smooth things over, but obviously, this was not what the Captain-Commander wanted to hear.
"Byakuya Kuchiki said that Suzuki Makoto suggested adding a high-level Reiatsu pressure training. Has there been such a precedent at the Branch Campus?"
"There has. His Zanpakuto has remained at the Branch Campus ever since attaining Bankai. Miss Jeanne's Reiatsu is among the very best even within the Captain class, and she personally conducts many of the practical combat lessons there."
"Why was this not reported?"
"Uh, the Main Campus also has practical combat lessons, it's just that..."
Seeing the awkward smile on Shunsui Kyoraku's face, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto realized the situation. The practical combat lessons at the Main Campus were basically attended by low-ranking Seated Officers. The only Captain-level individual willing to teach was Sosuke Aizen, and he was a famously nice guy; naturally, it was impossible for him to bring any sense of oppression to the students.
He began to frown and ponder which Captain should be sent to the Main Campus to be responsible for adding some pressure to the students.
Just as the Captain-Commander was thinking about how to improve the teaching capabilities of the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy, the 'nice guy' Captain in his heart was once again beginning his own moves.
Now that the entire Seireitei was shocked by the scandal of this Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy graduating class, the major issue on the surface seemed to have allowed hidden undercurrents to spot an opportunity, beginning to surge silently.
"The idea from the Tsunayashiro family is for me to immediately find an opportunity to assassinate Kaien Shiba. They will simultaneously start making moves in the Noble Council. Clearly, they are preparing to take action against the Shiba main family."
Gin Ichimaru very frankly recounted everything the Tsunayashiro side had said to him.
"They certainly know how to pick their time."
Aizen held a certain degree of appreciation for that Tokinada Tsunayashiro. Whether it was the earlier instigation of the Yellow Turbans or the subsequent changes in the Tsunayashiro family, clearly, all of it happened after this branch family member from the lowest seat was dug out by the current head of the family.
"Is it more beneficial for you if this person dies, or if he lives?"
The man turned his head slightly in surprise, looking at Suzuki Makoto.
"Is Kaien Shiba still useful to you?"
"I'm keeping him to overturn the entire noble class later. At least in the Rukongai, the Four Great Noble Families are well known for the fact that the Shiba family is willing to keep their main estate permanently outside the Seireitei."
Suzuki Makoto had absolutely no intention of concealing his plan. The Kuchiki family had already been forced into a relationship with the Yellow Turbans due to Byakuya Kuchiki's actions with him over these past few years. Rukia's friends also knew Byakuya Kuchiki's identity. A nail had already been driven into the 'unity' within the Seireitei's nobility.
"The Shiba family will become a very good 'template'—when that wall blocking the inside from the outside is completely overthrown, the people inside the future Seireitei will need a role model to learn how to coexist with the people of the Rukongai."
"If that's the case, then we still need to find an excuse to temporarily stall Kaien Shiba so he cannot return to the Seireitei. How about I just destroy his Saketsu and Hakusui?"
Gin Ichimaru had no objections whatsoever to Suzuki Makoto's plan; he felt no sense of belonging to the Seireitei to begin with.
"No, in that case, it would be difficult to cover up why he survived. After all, anyone capable of achieving that step would naturally have the ability to kill him. This would instead cause Kaien Shiba to become suspicious."
Sosuke Aizen rejected Gin Ichimaru's proposal.
"Why not let him undergo Hollowfication? There is no better method than this. It just so happens that the Hogyoku has now completed a portion of its development, and it is already capable of inducing stable Hollowfication in Shinigami."
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