"Your old man asked me to call you over. It should be a good thing, right?"
For the past two years, aside from returning to Squad 1 once a month to collect Kurotsuchi Mayuri's reports and prove he was still alive, Kōe had been constantly training with Yoruichi. As for Yoruichi, she hadn't left the training grounds at all.
Although Yamamoto and Shihōin Dōzō didn't know exactly what these kids were up to, they guessed the two were likely in secluded training. As for the location, the Seireitei had plenty of hidden spots. For instance, the Urahara estate, where Urahara Kisuke lived alone, was a perfectly logical place to keep such training a secret.
Coincidentally, no major events had occurred over the past two years. Or rather, some significant things had happened within Squad 13, but none of that concerned Kōe and the others.
If major events that implicated the entire Seireitei happened frequently, Yamamoto would undoubtedly be the first one unable to sit still. It wouldn't even be impossible for him to recreate his past martial glory.
Yamamoto was the absolute pillar of the Seireitei. As long as he could sit calmly, it proved that the Seireitei was, by and large, stable.
However, ever since Kōe took over as lieutenant, Yamamoto had rarely sought him out so formally and urgently. Having Urahara deliver the message didn't seem formal? Well, if one wanted to find him in the Seireitei, going through Urahara and Yoruichi was absolutely faster than a carpet search!
Upon entering the Squad 1 barracks, almost every member who saw Kōe broke into a wide smile and added, "Congratulations, Lieutenant Shihouin."
This left Kōe completely bewildered. What was there to congratulate him for? No, the real problem was why he, the person being congratulated, had no idea what good thing had happened to him!
"Congratulations, Lieutenant Shihouin."
"Wait!" Kōe called out, stopping the squad member who was about to walk away. "What happened?"
"You don't know?" The man looked confused.
Kōe replied impatiently, "I don't know!"
"You passed the captain's proficiency test. Next year, you are going to become the new captain of Squad 11. In a little while, we'll all have to respectfully address you as Captain Shihouin."
Now it was Kōe's turn to be dumbfounded. *'A captain's proficiency test? Since when did I take a test?'* Could it be the third method? But that usually wasn't called a proficiency test. The Seireitei was more accustomed to calling the first two methods "tests," while the final method was known as the captain's challenge, or the Kenpachi challenge. Generally, only the captaincy of Squad 11 was passed down in such a manner.
Did this mean the Seireitei was starting to embrace this kind of formalism? Or did his defeat of Azashiro Sōya count as passing the third method to become a captain? Kōe couldn't help but sigh. Being appointed by a simple order gave him absolutely no sense of accomplishment.
In reality, Kōe had guessed wrong. Because there were no spectators when he defeated Azashiro Sōya, it couldn't be counted as the third method. Furthermore, the Seireitei wasn't practicing formalism; he had become the captain of Squad 11 through the first method—captain recommendations.
Squad 4 Captain Unohana Retsu, Squad 8 Captain Kyōraku Shunsui, Squad 10 Captain Shiba Isshin, Squad 12 Captain Hikifune Kirio, and Squad 13 Captain Ukitake Jūshirō, along with the default recommendation of the deceased Squad 11 Captain Kuruyashiki Kenpachi—a total of six captains had recommended Kōe Shihouin to become the new captain of Squad 11.
Following that, Squad 2 Captain Shihōin Dōzō, Squad 3 Captain Ōtoribashi Rōjūrō, and Squad 6 Captain Kuchiki Ginrei expressed their approval. Even though Kōe wasn't present, he had passed the captain's proficiency test.
Although it seemed a bit like a formality on the surface, the underlying political maneuvering was quite complex.
First, the fact that the Shiba clan—one of the Five Great Noble Clans—was among those who recommended him proved that nominating Kōe wasn't solely Yamamoto's idea.
Second, Shihōin Dōzō being the first to express approval was a clear signal to the other captains: even though Kōe Shihouin's status was unique, he was a man acknowledged by both Yamamoto and the Five Great Noble Clans.
Finally, Hirako Shinji had deliberately let Kuchiki Ginrei have the final say. If this was truly a conflict among the Five Great Noble Clans, then Kuchiki Ginrei naturally wouldn't have approved it.
After all, the Five Great Noble Clans had always stood united as one. If they were really starting to infight, he wouldn't bother wading into those muddy waters. As for whether Kōe Shihouin could become a captain, neither Aikawa Love nor Muguruma Kensai were the type to curry favor with the powerful. Whether they agreed or disagreed depended entirely on whether they believed Kōe Shihouin was a righteous person in their hearts.
Fortunately, Kuchiki Ginrei didn't let his worst-case scenario come true. The Five Great Noble Clans and Yamamoto were of one mind, which meant the Seireitei wouldn't be plagued by troublesome internal strife.
As for whether these six apex factions would join forces to cause trouble? Please, these six entities already stood at the very pinnacle of Soul Society. Did they want to go a step further? Sorry, but that was a muddy puddle only Squad 0 would need to step into!
This was exactly why the second method of the captain's proficiency test was so complicated. The first step—gathering recommendations—was incredibly difficult to achieve without someone like Yamamoto intervening. And even if someone managed to persuade captains with vastly different personalities, the second step was far more complex than the first.
Unless it was a special situation like Squad 11, or a normal succession where a captain died in battle, usually only five captains would vote.
The Five Great Noble Clans firmly held three of those seats. If they determined that the recommended candidate was problematic, then no matter what, that person could never become a captain.
Even in a scenario with six voters, aside from Squad 2 which was the first to state its position, Squad 6 and Squad 10 sat perfectly at the one-third division points.
Either at least two squads representing the Five Great Noble Clans cast opposing votes, or they completely ignored Squad 2's stance and cast three consecutive votes, denying the subsequent Squad 6 any chance to express its position.
But regardless, without completely uniting the remaining nine captains, making them ignore the pressure from the Five Great Noble Clans, and forcing them to take a clear stand, passing this step was impossible.
Moreover, it ultimately required the Head Captain's nod of approval to truly pass this type of captain's proficiency test. Aside from the Head Captain—or that *other* squad—trying to become a captain purely through calling in favors was an absolute impossibility.
So, before he even realized it, Kōe had passed what was known as the most complicated type of captain's proficiency test. What he—or rather, Yamamoto—had to pay for this, he didn't know yet. But he would find out very soon.
Arriving at the Head Captain's office, Kōe found that Yamamoto wasn't reviewing documents this time. Instead, he was leisurely drinking tea, as if he had been waiting specifically for Kōe.
"Sit."
Kōe sat down with a smile on his face. Seeing this, Yamamoto slowly asked, "You have heard?"
"I was greeted with congratulations the entire way here. It would be hard not to know."
Yamamoto nodded. He set down his teacup and continued, "I called you here today for two matters. The first, you already know. Next year, you will take over the position of Squad 11 Captain."
"The Captain of Squad 11 is also the Kenpachi of the Seireitei. Taking charge of the eight thousand styles of Kendō, you must always engrave the word 'Justice' in your heart. Do not let the blade in your hand be shamed, and do not disappoint Squad 11, your master, or the Seireitei!"
"Your student understands!" Kōe nodded, speaking solemnly.
Yamamoto stroked his beard. Kōe looked into Yamamoto's slightly opened eyes and saw an indescribable emotion within them. A hundred years ago, when he walked out of the Seireitei and headed for the Plains of Slaughter, Yamamoto had looked at him with this exact same gaze.
"As for the second matter..." Yamamoto paused, letting out a sound that resembled a heavy sigh before continuing. "The day you take over as Captain of Squad 11 will also be the day of your marriage."
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