On the very night the Fifth Division Captain Sōsuke Aizen, Third Division Captain Gin Ichimaru, and Ninth Division Captain Kaname Tōsen left, Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni immediately dispatched personnel to conduct overnight searches. Their investigation covered the captains' quarters, the administrative offices, the Central 46 underground council chamber, the Seijōtōkyorin Garden, and the Daireishokairō.
Based on the results, decisions were announced regarding the treatment of their respective lieutenants.
Momo Hinamori was still unconscious and clearly a victim. With testimony and a guarantee from Tenth Division Captain Tōshirō Hitsugaya, she was the first to be cleared of suspicion.
Shūhei Hisagi, the first lieutenant severely wounded by Muten Natsu, remained in the Fourth Division with injuries that had yet to recover. Naturally, he had no involvement in the later stages of the rebellion.
After the rebellion ended, however, his injuries healed rapidly, and he soon began handling division affairs as Acting Captain.
Izuru Kira had indeed been involved in the rebellion under Gin Ichimaru's orders. However, he had been unaware of the true situation and had merely carried out his captain's commands. He himself had already shown deep remorse.
Considering that the Third Division would be unable to function if even the lieutenant were removed at this time, Izuru Kira was not held accountable.
"…Taking the above factors into consideration, Izuru Kira is acquitted."
Nanao Ise lowered the document she had just finished reading and looked up at Izuru Kira, who stood inside the Third Division's detention cell, his expression darker than usual.
"This is the conclusion reached by Captain-Commander Yamamoto."
An elderly attendant beside her opened the cell door at Nanao Ise's signal.
Izuru Kira kept his head lowered as he slowly stepped forward, his movements heavy.
Just as he was about to walk out of the cell, he suddenly stopped.
"Um…"
"What is it?"
"May I… continue using this place?"
Nanao frowned slightly as she looked at him avoiding her gaze.
"This place… you mean the detention cell?"
"…Yes."
"If Lieutenant Kira truly wishes to do that, I won't stop you. Your authority now is the same as…" Nanao Ise paused, ultimately choosing not to say the position aloud, worried it might provoke him. "Are you really sure about this?"
Izuru Kira didn't answer. He simply lowered his head even further.
This wasn't a question of whether it was allowed.
He just didn't want to return to the administrative office.
The quiet environment inside the cell was suitable for thinking and working. That was one reason.
But the most important reason was that he didn't have the courage to approach that room.
The room that no longer had Gin Ichimaru.
Watching Izuru Kira return to the dim detention cell, Nanao Ise suddenly thought that if she locked up her own captain as well, work efficiency might improve quite a bit.
Izuru Kira processed the documents mechanically, but Gin Ichimaru's image kept surfacing in his mind again and again.
How pathetic…
Even though Captain Ichimaru had betrayed Soul Society, he still couldn't bring himself to see him as a traitor.
Even now, there was still respect for him lingering in his heart.
He should hate him. Hating him would be the right reaction.
But…
For the sake of Gin Ichimaru, he had even raised his blade against someone he liked.
How could he possibly let go so easily?
"…Pathetic."
Izuru Kira stared at the paperwork in front of him. He had no idea how many times he had muttered that word.
Saying it out loud changed nothing. He understood that perfectly well.
"Really… I'm truly pathetic…"
"Seriously! Pathetic, pathetic! Just how many times are you going to say it?!"
Izuru Kira jolted at the sudden voice near his shoulder. Startled, he raised his head and saw the unmistakable red hair of his former classmate.
"Yo."
Renji Abarai raised a hand in greeting.
Izuru Kira glanced at him once, then immediately lowered his eyes back to the documents.
"Abarai-kun…"
"What's wrong? Still thinking about the traitor Gin Ichimaru?"
Ah…
The hand holding Kira's pen trembled slightly. So he said it after all.
That was just the kind of person Renji Abarai was.
Maybe it was because he had spent time in the Eleventh Division, but Renji always spoke bluntly and acted just as directly.
Kira kept his head lowered and replied quietly.
"It's nothing."
Renji leaned against the iron bars.
"How long are you planning to stay here? Isn't the investigation already over?"
Kira set down his pen and placed the document he had just finished onto the completed stack.
"The search ended a long time ago. In the captain's… room, there was nothing except a set of bedding and a few clothes. The administrative office was about the same. Other than work documents, there was nothing left."
Inside the captain's quarters, there wasn't even a bookshelf, let alone a desk.
Aside from the persimmon tree in the courtyard, there were almost no traces that Gin Ichimaru had ever existed there.
So little that it was hard to believe.
As if he had never existed at all.
Kira had always thought Gin Ichimaru was simply a man who disliked material possessions.
But thinking about it now, it was more likely that Gin Ichimaru had known this day would come from the very beginning, which was why he left nothing behind.
Another thought crossed his mind. Perhaps Gin Ichimaru had spent most of his time secretly plotting with Sōsuke Aizen, rarely staying in the captain's quarters in the first place.
Then, finally, he thought about how all the signs had been so obvious.
And yet, as the lieutenant, he had never noticed anything.
From beginning to end, he had simply relied on him.
The more he thought about it, the more Kira felt how utterly useless he was.
His expression darkened even further.
Noticing that look on his face, Renji clicked his tongue in irritation.
"The search is over. You should move out of here already. What kind of lieutenant keeps staying in a jail cell? This isn't the Ninth Division."
The Ninth Division only had its lieutenant left now.
Renji Abarai had a real talent for pressing right on people's sore spots.
Kira's hand paused halfway as he reached for the next document. Then he picked it up and began reading silently.
"You came to see me… was there something you needed?"
It was practically the same as telling him to leave.
But...
Renji rolled his eyes.
"Can't I come if I don't have a reason?"
"It's not that…" Kira sighed.
"Captain Kuchiki told me to keep training my Bankai properly. Said he'll continue guiding me when he gets the chance."
Renji rested his arms on the iron bars.
"Do you think he's just looking for a good excuse to get back at me?"
Kira had often felt the urge to punch him over the years.
But he knew perfectly well he couldn't win.
"Captain Kuchiki isn't that narrow-minded."
"Then who is?"
Kira slowly raised his head. His eye sockets looked hollow, and his eyes seemed completely drained.
"Hinamori is still unconscious. As for Rukia, she's helping handle paperwork in the Fourth Division right now."
Renji turned and waved a hand as he left.
"See ya."
"Mm. Goodbye."
Kira watched his back as he walked away and murmured softly, too quietly for Renji to hear.
"Thank you."