Inside the Squad 1 Head Captain's quarters, Yamamoto rubbed his forehead. The shadow of a dwarf pine from the garden was cast against the paper door. Thankfully, there was no human silhouette—the silhouette from his dream.
Without turning on the lights, Yamamoto stepped out of his bedroom alone. He sat on the veranda, gazing at the tranquil garden, his mind feeling much more at peace.
Four days ago, Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's corpse was returned to the Seireitei, accompanied by a piece of news that was far less conspicuous.
"Squad 1 Lieutenant Kōe Shihouin has ventured deep into the Ryūkai District alone to apprehend the fugitive Azashiro Sōya!"
Yamamoto had immediately issued an order for Kōe to withdraw and cooperate with the Seireitei's new directive: prioritize the search for the other fugitives first, then enter the Ryūkai District alongside the other Captains to capture Azashiro Sōya.
But Kōe truly wasn't joking. His Shunpo was genuinely fast enough. Within the communication range of ordinary squad members, his Reiatsu simply couldn't be tracked.
Because of this, not only had Kōe not slept a wink these past few days, but Yamamoto hadn't gotten a peaceful night's rest either. Just moments ago, he had a dream where a squad member reported to him, "The Lieutenant of Squad 1 was killed by Azashiro Sōya. His body is currently being transported back to the Seireitei. Please accept our condolences, Head Captain."
"Kōe, I should have told you that a meaningless death is a disgrace." Yamamoto crushed the fish food in his hand and tossed it into the pond, muttering to himself, "You should know that acting recklessly will eventually exact a heavy price."
Whether they were foolish or serious, Yamamoto never interfered too much with his disciples, just as he did with Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō. As long as they didn't betray the Seireitei, it didn't matter if they were obedient or not in their daily lives.
He thought he could treat Kōe Shihouin the same way. Even though he placed great hopes in him, that wasn't a reason to indulge or shield him. In fact, when it came to Kōe, Yamamoto preferred to stand completely as a bystander. After all, if the boy was going to take over his position one day, there would be no one around to correct his mistakes when the time came.
But that was merely what he thought. Perhaps from the moment he decided to keep Kōe by his side, he had already invested a different kind of emotion into this final disciple. After all, even though he had issued orders forbidding Kōe from acting without authorization these past few days, it was mostly out of fear that the brat would meet with an accident—a self-deceiving form of protection.
Thinking of this, Yamamoto sighed softly. He threw the rest of the fish food into the pond, stood up, and left the garden. He didn't notice that the food simply floated on the surface of the water; not a single fish popped its head out. Just as Azashiro Sōya had said, people change when they have a home, and that included this Head Captain who had remained stoic for a thousand years.
"Pass on my orders. Have the Captain of Squad 4, Unohana Retsu, come see me!"
"Yes, sir!"
Half an hour later, Unohana Retsu was forcibly pulled from her bed and brought to the Squad 1 Captain's meeting room. However, at this moment, only she and Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni were present.
"Calling me here so late, what is the matter, Head Captain?"
"Take a trip to the Ryūkai District," Yamamoto said, his drooping eyelids opening slightly. "Not as Unohana Retsu, but as Unohana Yachiru. And this is a covert operation."
Like a switch being flipped, upon hearing the name 'Unohana Yachiru', the originally kind and amiable Unohana seemed to turn into an entirely different person. From her expressionless face, a chilling light shot out from her eyes. Even the bravest warrior would involuntarily tremble upon seeing it.
"Is it for Azashiro Sōya? The young man who took the title of Kenpachi, is that his name?"
Yamamoto nodded and continued, "Except for Kōe Shihouin, everyone who sees you this time must not live. If you encounter that brat beforehand, just bring him directly back to see me."
"Understood. Once I arrange the affairs of Squad 4, I will go handle this matter."
Early the next morning, Squad 4 Captain Unohana Retsu publicly announced that she was developing a new Kaidō. Until she came out of seclusion, the affairs of Squad 4 would be temporarily handled by Lieutenant Yamada Seinosuke.
...
Kōe, who was wandering aimlessly in the Ryūkai District, had no idea that because of him, Yamamoto had already alarmed the first-generation Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru.
At this moment, he was incredibly nervous, but he wanted to howl at the sky even more. After wandering blindly for four days, Azashiro Sōya had finally brought him to the front of a mountain and told him they had arrived!
Without seeing the other party make any movement, the rock face in front of the two split open down the middle, revealing a pitch-black corridor behind the entrance.
"I hope you aren't afraid of the dark."
"If you don't conjure up two people behind my back, then I'm definitely not afraid," Kōe teased, pointing at the two Reishi clones of Azashiro Sōya gradually taking shape behind him.
From the moment he entered within a five-kilometer radius of this mountain, peering through the Kōki mask, Kōe felt as if he were standing inside an ink wash painting permeated with faint black mist. Just now, two clouds of mist had slowly solidified behind him, and it went without saying what that meant.
"I'm just giving you some courage. After all, through that mask, you should know that this place is your burial ground."
During this four-day journey, although the two seemed harmonious on the surface, their mutual probing had been constant.
For example, Kōe would occasionally 'fail' to control his strength and stomp deep pits into the ground. Meanwhile, Azashiro Sōya would create invisible air walls to see if Kōe would crash headfirst into them.
Both gained something from these exchanges, and both were brimming with confidence, feeling that they held the winning hand. They were also crystal clear about each other's intentions. It was just that today, one of them would inevitably have to admit that their confidence was merely arrogance, paying the price with their life.
"Since you've guessed that I can see them, doesn't the fact that I stepped inside prove that I won't run away? So let's skip these formalities," Kōe said with a perfectly straight face. He hadn't run away not because he couldn't, but simply because it wasn't the right time yet.
"True, it seems I underestimated you." The two clones behind him dissipated, leaving only the one in front. "Now, follow me."
Stepping through the doorway, Kōe realized that there was no corridor inside at all. It was just a room of nearly fifty tsubo, but as they moved, the room itself was also moving.
Stone doors opened one by one in front of him, and corresponding stone doors closed behind him. Kōe smiled. *Does this mean the exits are already welded shut?*
But he had also been trained by Yoruichi, and had rich experience in digging holes since his youth. Wasn't it just digging through a mountain? No big deal!
Finally, the last stone door opened, and Azashiro Sōya, who had played the role of tour guide for four days, dissipated. However, a familiar voice sounded from ahead: "It really wasn't easy to get this meeting, Kōe."
Stepping through the stone door, it felt as if he wasn't stepping on solid ground, but on an ink lake rippling with waves. Black mist permeated the lake, and the closer to the center, the denser the mist became. In the deepest part, it was almost tangible, and Azashiro Sōya's voice came from there.
It was hard to believe that the Kōki mask would one day become a tool that obstructed his vision. Kōe took off the Hannya mask, looked at the scene in front of him, and couldn't help but mutter a sentence.
"Have I returned to the Sternritter Fortress?"
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