In the quiet tea room, the two sat facing one another.
Since Unohana had "seen through" Shin's supposed scheming, the air between them had taken on a subtle shift. She lifted her teacup with her usual gentle grace, unhurried, while Shin wore a thoughtful look.
"Now that you know I was hiding sothing," he asked calmly, "how do you intend to deal with ?"
"Deal with you?" Unohana chuckled softly. "You graduated at the top of the Shinō Academy and chose the 4th Division. So what if you had your own motives? You haven't violated any laws of the Seireitei."
In her view, Shin hadn't crossed any unacceptable lines. Lying to the Gotei 13 might have been his ga, but it wasn't hers to care about.
If anything, his thods intrigued her.
After all, few still alive knew what had happened a thousand years ago. And she found herself wondering—how exactly had he uncovered such secrets? Did soone tell him?
Or was it like with her—where one only needed a glance to sense the thing buried beneath the skin?
So truths were impossible to mask—especially when one t their own kind.
Her eyes dropped to the rippling tea. In the shifting reflection, it was as if countless unnad Zanpakutō lay drowned.
"So you're not going to punish ?" Shin asked.
"Punish?" she repeated with a smile that barely touched her lips. Her gaze stayed soft.
There was only one thing, in truth, worth "punishing."
Shin had arrived too soon.
She chose to change the topic.
"Why don't we talk about those ideas you ntioned to Kotetsu?"
Shin understood. He followed her lead.
"What's your opinion of them, Captain?"
Unohana adjusted the tea set as she answered.
"The state of the 4th Division hasn't changed since before I took command. No one has ever said there was anything wrong with it."
"I never said anything was wrong."
"If all you want is a place to train," she said, eyes half-lidded with amusent, "I can easily repurpose a few unused infirmaries. But all this... the rest... why do it?"
Shin's expression remained neutral.
"You misunderstand. They're only suggestions. Whether anything is done with them is entirely up to you."
"Your intentions aren't as pure as you'd like them to seem. You created a student council at the Academy, and now you want to stir things up here too? Talented though you may be, ambition like that can beco your burden."
"Are you advising to abandon such ambitions and focus on training?"
"Isn't that what you should do?" she asked, eyes locking onto his. "Otherwise your growth will stall."
"You're right," Shin replied evenly. "The things I discussed with Vice-Captain Kotetsu were only offhand thoughts. If you find them unworthy, consider them unsaid."
He paused.
"That said, I'm not soone who can sit still. My mind doesn't quiet easily. I fear I can't fully devote myself to training the way you suggest."
Unohana's smile faded just slightly.
"Is that so?"
"People are different. I'm soone whose mind is always buzzing. That chaos—it's not a flaw, it's part of . Without it, I wouldn't be here. I wouldn't be this strong."
She said nothing for a long while. Her gaze lingered on him.
At last, she spoke:
"Then I misjudged you. I thought keeping you as an ordinary division mber, without responsibilities, would be a kindness."
She poured two fresh cups of tea.
"Of course, as captain, I can appoint anyone to any position. But since you seem to care how others see you, let's do it the 4th Division's way. Here, promotion requires the approval of your peers. If you want a seat, you'll have to earn it."
"How?"
"Challenge the one who holds it. Win the duel, take the seat. You have one week to prepare."
Shin picked up the tea and drank in one motion.
"Your tea is excellent, Captain. I've heard that besides tea, you also practice flower arrangent. Such refined tastes. I'd love to learn from you soti."
Unohana closed her eyes slightly.
—
Leaving the tea room, Shin found Kotetsu Isane waiting nearby in the corridor.
"Shin-kun?"
She waved him over.
"Were you waiting for , Vice-Captain?"
She nodded.
"So? What did the Captain say?"
"You an the things we discussed? I think... she agreed."
"Think?"
"She didn't object. And I get the feeling I'll be doing it myself."
"You'll do it?" Isane blinked. "I... I don't follow."
The plans they discussed—those were problems of structure and culture. Surely only the captain could make such changes.
"Of course I'll need your help too," Shin added with a smile.
Isane relaxed slightly.
"Alright then. If the captain's approved it... should we start drafting a proposal? Do you have sothing in mind?"
"Roughly. But first, I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Regarding promotion—if I want to replace soone's seat, what do I have to do?"
Isane's brow knit in concern. So he was dissatisfied with being just another mber...
"You an the seat challenge. There are three areas: ergency healing, pharmacology, and Kaidō. It's not sothing done lightly—it has to be in front of the entire division. And if the challenger loses, they're barred from promotion for ten years. Shin-kun... are you thinking—"
"Yes," he said calmly. "The captain suggested it herself."
"The captain?!"
Wasn't she the one who said Shin wouldn't stay long? That he shouldn't be burdened with a seat?
Why would she now allow this?
"So which seat... are you going for?"
Shin turned to her, grin wide.
"Naturally—Third Seat."
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