Chapter 157: Rebellious to the Bone
Given the Shihoin family's grip on actual power, nobody at the ceremony found Kishinoshin's appointment surprising in the slightest.
Even in the original timeline, when Soifon eventually took the Squad 2 captaincy, she was still squarely in the Shihoin camp. With Yoruichi gone, whoever ran the family's day-to-day affairs would still have things to communicate, and Soifon would still answer.
By comparison, the Shiba family, once one of the four noble clans, had fallen to a pretty sorry state. [TL: we get it! this is like the third time, damn, lol]
Bro, how does one of the four noble clans end up this far gone...
Powerful actors working behind the scenes were obviously part of the answer, but that wasn't a thread worth pulling on right now.
The exchange with Kishinoshin was familiar ground, and given that they already knew each other well, the conversation had an easy, comfortable quality to it. It wrapped up quickly.
Matsushita Yusuke moved on.
Squad 3.
Gin Ichimaru hadn't appeared yet, and the original vice-captain had apparently had no interest in stepping up, so the position had passed down to the third seat. A lean, soft-spoken young man who smiled at Matsushita Yusuke with something slightly too eager about it.
Well.
Given the personnel changes that Squad 3 was eventually going to go through, that impression could only go so far.
Man, in the original story you would have barely registered as background decoration...
Next.
Squad 5.
Watching a familiar figure finally settle into a familiar haori, Matsushita Yusuke couldn't quite contain the feeling rising in his chest.
Why is this happening? His first time meeting the boss of the Club in an official setting, AND watching him become Squad 5 captain. Two happy events coinciding at once...
Matsushita Yusuke stepped forward quickly, took his place beside him, and bowed with genuine respect.
"Aizen-sensei. Congratulations... on becoming Squad 5 captain."
Aizen Sosuke, current Squad 5 captain.
He received the words with both hands folded into his sleeves and a smile so warm it practically came with sunlight.
"Having a current captain say such things to me is a little embarrassing... you're being too gracious, Matsushita-kun."
That was what he said.
But Aizen's face was one word away from splitting into a full grin.
Not hard to read. Becoming Squad 5 captain clearly meant something to him, however understated he kept it.
As for the honorific: they had genuinely been teacher and student back at Shin'o Academy, so "Aizen-sensei" didn't draw any odd looks. If anything, the people around them had long since filed it away as ordinary.
"Those two seem pretty close, don't they?"
"They were only teacher and student for a while, but they had a lot of contact..."
"Is this what they mean by talent recognizing talent? I wish I'd had a teacher that impressive to point me in the right direction."
From the outside, that was simply what the relationship looked like. Nothing unusual about it.
"Aizen-sensei, while we have the chance, drinks after this wraps up?"
Matsushita Yusuke added a small drinking gesture.
The previous version of Aizen Sosuke would have declined nine times out of ten. Discretion was a basic operating principle for an underground organization. Outings like this were better kept to a minimum.
But this time.
Aizen Sosuke didn't turn it down immediately. Instead, a faintly amused smile crossed his face, and he stroked his chin before answering.
"That sounds fine... once this is over, let's find somewhere and catch up."
Clear as day.
Now that Aizen had stepped from underground into the open, his manner had gotten noticeably bolder. The air of someone who had finally made it through the hard part.
This was still an official setting, though, so even between the two of them, now wasn't the time to get into anything substantial. Brief acknowledgment. Save the rest for later.
They exchanged a look and moved on.
The next figure Matsushita Yusuke caught sight of was a mild surprise.
Squad 6's section. Normally, if there was no change in personnel, attending wasn't required.
And yet the current captain was standing there.
Ginrei was still in his position, but he looked noticeably more frail than Matsushita Yusuke remembered.
So.
"Byakuya, go introduce yourself to the other captains."
He reached out and patted the shoulder of the young man beside him. The young man, already rigid with nerves, flinched sharply at the contact and seemed unable to entirely stop trembling.
Matsushita Yusuke watched him approach with all the ease of someone walking to his own execution, a handsome face that communicated nothing but "this is uncomfortable" from every angle.
"C-Captain Matsushita! Hello! I'm Kuchiki Byakuya... I-I'm the next Squad 6 captain candidate!"
Squad 6 had its own internal succession tradition as a noble squad, so nobody was going to raise an eyebrow at a family appointment.
Matsushita Yusuke blinked, smiled, and replied.
"Quite young, aren't you, Byakuya-dono."
Under normal circumstances, that probably wouldn't register as a compliment. But earnest-to-a-fault Kuchiki Byakuya let out a small sound, ducked his head, and stammered:
"Y-you're too kind..."
I wasn't complimenting you...
Matsushita Yusuke glanced sideways.
Ginrei was going visibly red. Raising capable heirs was apparently a universal challenge, regardless of which world you lived in.
"In any case, this grandson of mine will eventually take the position and lead Squad 6. I want him to familiarize himself with the working environment and his future colleagues ahead of time."
Matsushita Yusuke had no particular prior relationship with Ginrei, but faced with that level of earnest sincerity, he could only nod and respond appropriately.
"If there is anything within my ability... please don't hesitate to ask. I'll give it my full effort."
"Thank you. We appreciate your consideration."
That group done.
Running into Kuchiki Byakuya earlier than expected. The impact on the bigger picture should be minimal... right?
Hmm. Wait.
Matsushita Yusuke glanced back, deliberately casual.
Because he had read the source material, Matsushita Yusuke understood something that wasn't obvious from the outside: Kuchiki Byakuya, for all his "straight-laced" and "follows the rules" exterior, was in fact the single most thoroughgoing rebel against the established order you were ever going to meet.
Nobles can't marry commoners? This guy married one anyway, then turned around and made a street wanderer like Abarai Renji his Squad 6 vice-captain.
Publicly execute Rukia? Due to prior circumstances, he held himself in check and tried to work within the rules first. Looked for room to maneuver. Couldn't find any?
Then I'm fighting.
This man was not a feudal aristocrat at his core.
Every bone in his body was rebellious.