Kōe's words caused the captain's meeting room to instantly fall silent. However, this did not mean his statement had suddenly enlightened the captains. In their eyes, Kōe's theory was, to put it nicely, a childish and naive fantasy. To put it bluntly, it was baseless paranoia. It was simply too absurd.
Kōe's words could be interpreted in two ways: either the Quincy had somehow managed to infiltrate the Seireitei unnoticed, or, quite literally, the Quincy were currently hiding in some unseen corner of the Seireitei itself.
The first possibility seemed somewhat plausible. Yet, even though the Shin'ō Academy had opened its doors to the Rukongai, the proportion of commoner Shinigami within the Gotei 13 was still far too small. Even if every single one of them were a hidden Quincy, they could never have pulled off an incident of this magnitude.
Not to mention the inherently unique nature of the Quincy—the destructive, annihilation-like properties of their power were impossible to conceal. Furthermore, it hadn't been long since the Sternritter Fortress was breached. It was incredibly difficult to believe that the Quincy could spare the resources and energy to conduct such a large-scale infiltration.
As for the second theory, the captains viewed it as an utter impossibility. There was no such thing as an absolutely deserted, forbidden zone within the entire Seireitei. Even the underground sewers were regularly cleaned by Squad 4 members. Finding a long-term hiding place was easier said than done.
"The Royal Weaving Facility is not a place one can enter simply by donning a Shihakushō," Captain Unohana Retsu said with a smile, breaking the awkward tension. She looked at Kōe and spoke gently, "It is good to consider all possibilities, but overthinking can easily scatter your focus."
This was exactly why Kōe had always been reluctant to reveal the existence of the Wandenreich. No matter how he phrased it, to anyone familiar with the Seireitei, his words would sound like the ravings of a lunatic.
Yet, he had a nagging suspicion that this incident might be a rare slip-up by the Wandenreich.
Shutting down all the defensive and detection systems was a calculated move to hide the traces of their strike. And transferring the experimental data was likely done to stop Kurotsuchi Mayuri from continuing his research.
However, what Kōe couldn't figure out was why the Quincy hadn't just killed Mayuri along with their compatriots who were being used as experimental subjects in the Royal Weaving Facility.
Perhaps they didn't want to make their move too obvious and arouse too much suspicion from the Shinigami? Or maybe their current strength simply wasn't sufficient? After all, Mayuri possessed captain-level strength and was in the middle of an experiment at the time. Instantly assassinating him alongside everything else would have been no small feat.
Regardless of their reasoning, the current situation could be perfectly explained from this angle. The headache, however, was that it could also be perfectly explained from another angle—the theory that Shiba Isshin was the culprit behind it all.
"But if it really was Big Bro Isshin—I mean, Shiba Isshin—who did this, would he really betray the Seireitei for the sake of the already defeated Quincy's power?" Kōe spread his hands in a questioning gesture. "Giving up his position as the head of the Shiba clan, and not even taking his three children with him? No matter how you look at it, it just doesn't make sense."
"It really doesn't make much sense," Captain Kyōraku Shunsui murmured, his head bowed.
This was exactly why Unohana and the other captains had fallen silent when Yamamoto first brought up Isshin's name. All the clues seemed to point directly to Isshin, yet none of these actions aligned with the man they knew. The sheer contradiction left them deeply conflicted.
"I have no time to waste guessing what goes on in the mind of Shiba Isshin!" Yamamoto declared. He struck his cane heavily against the floor, shattering the contemplative silence of the room. "What he has done, and what his motives were—I shall grant him the opportunity to explain himself once he is found! Our immediate priority is to locate him!"
"Ukitake! Deploy the entirety of Squad 13 into the World of the Living to search for Shiba Isshin. Once his trail is discovered, you, Shunsui, and Ushōda Hachigen are to travel to the World of the Living and escort him back. If he is truly innocent, he will not resist." Yamamoto's eyes gleamed with a terrifying, authoritative light. "If he does resist, any collateral casualties under one hundred thousand need not be reported to me."
Squad 13, commanded by Captain Ukitake Jūshirō, served as the Seireitei's purification squad. They were primarily responsible for slaying and purifying Hollows in the World of the Living, making them the squad most intimately familiar with the human world.
Furthermore, the Shiba clan's Senkaimon also led directly to the World of the Living, though its exact exit point remained unknown. Tasking Squad 13 with a manhunt in the human world was the most logical choice.
However, Yamamoto's final chilling order made one thing abundantly clear to everyone present: Central 46, and Yamamoto himself, still viewed Shiba Isshin as a highly dangerous suspect. Authorizing a battle in the World of the Living that could result in up to a hundred thousand casualties was an extreme measure—a level of ruthless pragmatism not even afforded to the Quincy.
"Kirio, you are to make contact with Kurotsuchi Mayuri. See if you can uncover any further clues within the Royal Weaving Facility. The remaining squads will focus their attention on the Rukongai for the time being. The use of the Senkaimon may very well be a mere decoy."
Captain Hikifune Kirio nodded in acknowledgment, though her expression betrayed a hint of reluctance.
Yamamoto paid her hesitation no mind. He stood up abruptly, declaring the meeting adjourned. Leaving behind a curt "Kōe, come with me," the Head Captain vanished from the meeting room.
Kōe had originally planned to visit the Shiba estate with Yoruichi after the meeting concluded, but it seemed those plans were now ruined.
"Some theories are better kept to yourself. Do not try to force everyone to stand on the same side of the line as you. It is dangerous—both for you, and for us." Kyōraku Shunsui patted Kōe on the shoulder, leaving him with that cryptic warning before vanishing from the room alongside the others.
Even Shunsui could tell that the old man summoning him boded ill. Kōe couldn't help but let out a heavy sigh. *'I stuck my neck out for nothing and only managed to paint a target on my back,'* he thought bitterly, perfectly summarizing his current predicament.
Kōe trudged dejectedly into the Head Captain's office. Staring at Yamamoto's broad back, he braced himself for a severe scolding.
"Your paranoia regarding the Quincy is somewhat excessive, Kōe."
However, the harsh reprimand he had anticipated never came. Yamamoto's tone was incredibly peaceful, devoid of any suppressed anger. He sounded just like an ordinary grandfather chatting with his grandson.
Kōe knew Yamamoto was referring to his speech during the captain's meeting. But even if he were to tell the absolute truth right now, Yamamoto would likely just assume he had lost his mind.
Unless he could somehow drag the entire Gotei 13 to see the Wandenreich with their own eyes, anything he said at this point would be utterly pointless.
Taking Kōe's silence as a sign that his youngest disciple had finally seen reason, Yamamoto slowly turned around. "Central 46 has decided that, following this incident, all research concerning the Quincy will be permanently halted."
"You agreed to this, Master?" Kōe asked, stunned. "Even knowing that the Quincy are a major threat?"
"They may be a major threat to this world, but in my eyes, there has never been such a thing as a 'major threat'." Though Yamamoto's tone remained peaceful, the absolute, unshakeable confidence he had accumulated over a thousand years radiated from his very bones.
"Do not let a single, insignificant leaf become your entire world, Kōe." Yamamoto raised a weathered hand and gently rested it upon Kōe's head. "If it truly bothers you, then simply cut down the trees, one by one. As long as you remain a mountain, you will never be crushed by the weight of falling leaves."
"Do you understand, Kōe?"
"Your disciple... understands..."
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