Bleach: The Fifth Division Captain

Complete silence.

A phrase not commonly spoken, reserved for solemnity, emphasizing the gravity of a situation.

Used here, in the Captains' Meeting, it conveyed not only the severity of the matter but also made everyone acutely aware of the problem at hand.

—Kensei Muguruma, Captain of the Ninth Division, had most likely been killed.

A heavy, unsettling tension spread through the air.

Though none of the captains visibly reacted, the looming storm was palpable, and a solemn atmosphere took hold.

"I see."

The one who spoke was Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

As Head Captain, he had to remain composed, unshaken even if the sky were to collapse. In that regard, his reputation was well earned.

"I understand."

With those words, he scanned the room.

Not even a single breath passed before he continued.

"As such, we are officially escalating this to a state of emergency."

Seireitei would enter a full lockdown.

Gates sealed, travel restricted.

Curfew enforced, patrols strengthened.

Though a thousand-year-old organization, seemingly rigid and slow-moving, it was by no means weak.

The ancient war machine roared back to life, revealing its long-dormant fangs.

Chōjirō Sasakibe bowed, stepping back from the meeting chamber.

The Head Captain's orders needed to be disseminated, and his duty was to ensure they were carried out—spreading the icy grip of urgency throughout Seireitei.

The situation had escalated.

Internal orders were clear.

Now…

It was time for the adults to take the battlefield.

"Head Captain! Please allow me to join the relief effort!"

The one who stepped forward—Kisuke Urahara, Captain of the Twelfth Division.

The usually laid-back man was now filled with urgency, his expression tense.

Forcing a rare mistake from him, a miscalculation.

He had let Hiyori Sarugaki join the mission.

And judging by the timeline, she might already be in danger.

Did he regret it?

Perhaps.

But more than regret, there was something stronger—an overwhelming, indescribable sense of urgency.

More than fretting over a mistake, standing by and doing nothing would be the greater sin.

He couldn't betray himself.

He refused to let Hiyori suffer for his failure.

Determined, Urahara stepped forward, breaking formation to stand directly before the Head Captain.

"Please, Head Captain! I implore you, let me go!"

"Silence. I have already decided on the personnel for this mission."

"But—"

"If volunteers could dictate operations at will, how would we differ from mere barbarians?"

Urgency did not negate procedure.

Order was paramount.

"I have already chosen who will be deployed. Captain Urahara, return to your place."

His words were final.

As if to further solidify them, Yamamoto's gaze swept across the room.

"The following captains will lead the response team—"

"Third Division Captain, Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi."

"Fifth Division Captain, Shinji Hirako."

"Seventh Division Captain, Love Aikawa."

"Using the last known location of Captain Muguruma as a reference, you will investigate and resolve the situation. Should you encounter difficulties—"

A pause.

Behind him, the great doors creaked open.

Two figures emerged from the shadows.

"You may rely on the aid of Grand Kidō Chief Tessai Tsukabishi and Vice Chief Kidō Officer Hachigen Ushōda."

Three captains, two Kidō experts.

An offensive and defensive balance, with immense Kidō prowess capable of handling any unforeseen circumstances.

Even Retsu Unohana, who had considered volunteering, remained silent.

After all, while the Kidō Corps leaders might not match her in healing, their abilities were more than sufficient.

It was a precise, reasonable deployment.

However…

With just a few words, Kisuke Urahara had been excluded from the mission entirely.

And that—was utterly unacceptable to him.

"Wait, Head Captain! I—"

"Enough, Urahara Kisuke!"

Surprisingly, the one to cut him off wasn't Yamamoto.

It was Yoruichi Shihōin.

She stared at him with furrowed brows—not just exasperated, but almost disappointed.

"This is a Captains' Meeting, not a place for personal complaints. Act like it."

"…"

He fell silent.

But his clenched fists made it clear—he wasn't accepting it.

An awkward tension settled over the room.

And then—

A flamboyantly dressed man chuckled and stepped forward, lightly grabbing Urahara's elbow.

"Come now, Captain Urahara~ Everyone's eager to act, but precisely because the situation is dire, we must keep our cool."

Jūshirō Kyōraku.

With a gentle tug, he attempted to guide Urahara back into formation.

"Three captains and two Kidō masters—that's quite a lineup. Should be more than enough to handle the crisis."

"At the same time, we need to fortify Seireitei's defenses. That thing that caused all this is still out there somewhere…"

"If it attacks us next, we must be ready."

His reasoning was sound.

Much more so than Yamamoto's harsh command or Yoruichi's reprimand.

But even so—

Urahara's expression remained tense, lips pressed into a tight line.

Not good.

Kyōraku exchanged a quick glance with Jūshirō Ukitake, who gave a subtle nod.

Years of friendship meant no words were needed.

Lowering his straw hat slightly, Kyōraku casually added,

"Head Captain~ Since our priority is Seireitei's security, perhaps the Kidō Corps should remain stationed here?"

"Instead, my Vice Captain could be sent in their place. She'd be quite useful for communications, don't you think?"

"Lil' Lisa, how about it?"

From the window, a voice responded.

A young woman with glasses and tied-back hair gave a playful thumbs-up.

Lisa Yadōmaru.

Vice Captain of the Eighth Division—making a surprise appearance.

"…"

The atmosphere turned… strange.

Yamamoto finally broke the silence.

"…How did you enter the inner chamber?"

Before Lisa could answer, another voice chimed in.

"Ah, about that…"

Everyone turned.

Beyond the meeting chamber, near the entrance, stood a young man with white hair.

Seiya.

Scratching his cheek awkwardly, he explained,

"When Lieutenant Sasakibe stepped out earlier, he mentioned it was a state of emergency. So I took the liberty of gathering all the Vice Captains to stand by in the inner court."

A short pause.

Then—

"…That wasn't a mistake, was it?"

Kyōraku chuckled.

"Far from it, Seiya-kun~ You actually saved us quite a bit of trouble."

After all—

Not just Seireitei, but all of Soul Society needed to maintain order.

Thirteen captains alone weren't enough.

Which was why—

"You Vice Captains, entrusted by us with great responsibility, need to step up as well."

Turning back to Yamamoto, he smiled.

"Head Captain, Lisa is my subordinate. With three captains already deployed, sending her as the relay officer would be a more efficient use of resources."

"Should an emergency arise, she can instantly report back."

A logical alternative—reducing personnel without compromising efficiency.

And as a final touch—

Kyōraku patted Urahara's shoulder.

"Urahara-taichō, while you can't go, you'll get immediate updates from Lisa."

"At the end of the day, isn't her safety what matters most?"

Urahara clenched his jaw.

But finally—he exhaled sharply.

"…I was out of line. I shouldn't have lost my composure."

Crisis averted.

Or so it seemed—

Until another voice suddenly cut in.

"Apologies for interrupting."

Not from within the meeting.

From outside.

All eyes turned.

Lisa, still perched at the window, also shifted her gaze.

There, beyond the threshold—

Seiya stood calmly, voice steady.

"For this mission—"

"May I accompany them?"

"Are you joking? Stay right where you are."

Surprisingly, the one to shoot him down wasn't Yamamoto.

It was Shinji Hirako.

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