On the other side of Seireitei, the mastermind behind the disturbance at the underground prison beneath Shin’ō Academy—Masatsuki Aozaki.
He lazily opened his eyes and sat up in a smooth, silent motion, as graceful as a feline.
Turning his head, he noticed that Urozakuro and Aura Michibane, who had been by his side last night, were already gone.
It was now 7:00 AM. By 8:00, he expected to be in the washitsu, where he would enjoy breakfast personally prepared by Hisana.
This was his daily routine—everything felt so peaceful and natural.
As usual, Hisana would clean his room, and at the sa ti, he would engage in so light exercise to replenish his energy for the day.
"...A bath sounds nice."
Masatsuki Aozaki muttered to himself.
He got up and walked to the bathroom, savoring the warmth of the hot water.
By the ti he had thoroughly washed, half an hour had passed.
Stepping out of the bathroom, he changed into a fresh set of clothes, looking completely revitalized.
After drying his hair with the help of Ryūjin Jakka, he calmly made his way toward the washitsu.
A faint, soothing fragrance filled the room, bringing an air of tranquility.
"Masatsuki-sama! The Inner Court Troop is here."
As soon as he stepped through the open door, a gentle voice greeted him. The girl standing there bowed slightly, her tone soft and lodic.
Masatsuki Aozaki blinked in surprise before clapping his hands together, a teasing lilt in his voice.
"Well, that’s it then. Guess it’s ti for the last supper."
With that, he turned toward Hisana, a trace of helplessness on his face.
"Hisana, after I die, I’ll leave the children in your care."
"Our children?"
Hisana’s cheeks flushed at his words, a hint of shyness flickering in her eyes.
"Yes, I will take good care of them," she said quietly.
Masatsuki Aozaki stared at her, montarily speechless.
"When did I say ’our’ children? I was talking about Rukia and the others."
Shaking his head, he sighed.
"Also, shouldn’t you at least show so concern for whether I live or die?"
Hisana giggled softly, lowering her gaze.
"Because I know Masatsuki-sama is just joking again."
"That is the Inner Court Troop delivering an order from your Master. Why would they harm you?"
Masatsuki Aozaki let out a resigned sigh, rubbing his forehead.
There were so things—darker truths—that he had chosen not to tell this kind and gentle girl.
In the end, he simply waved a hand, his gaze soft with fondness.
"Alright, be good and wait for at ho."
Hisana smiled warmly, her eyes brimming with affection.
"Yes," she replied softly.
Masatsuki Aozaki turned and pushed open the door, his silhouette disappearing as he left.
...
Outside the gates of the Aozaki estate, a mber of the Inner Court Troop suddenly appeared.
With a speed befitting the 2nd Division, he used Shunpo to reach the entrance, kneeling on one knee as he respectfully saluted Masatsuki Aozaki.
"Captain Aozaki, by order of the Captain-Commander, you are to proceed imdiately to the 1st Division."
The Inner Court soldier’s voice was steady and formal.
Masatsuki Aozaki narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone calm.
"Did the old man say what he wanted from ?"
The soldier kept his head bowed as he replied,
"Apologies, Captain Aozaki, but I am not privy to the details. The Captain-Commander only ordered to deliver this ssage."
Hearing this, Masatsuki Aozaki’s expression turned contemplative.
It seed this wasn’t about his own actions being exposed.
If it were, the ones sent after him would have been the captains themselves, not just a ssenger from the Inner Court Troop.
"Alright. Thanks, Aono. I’ll head there shortly."
Masatsuki Aozaki nodded in acknowledgnt.
The Inner Court soldier hesitated for a brief mont, seemingly surprised. He hadn’t expected the esteed Aozaki-sama to rember his na—especially since his face was still hidden beneath his mask.
With renewed composure, he bowed once more before vanishing in an instant.
Masatsuki Aozaki’s body dissolved into photons, streaking toward the 1st Division at an astonishing speed.
...
Masatsuki Aozaki humd a cheerful tune as he strolled along, his mood light.
With each step, his body shattered and reassembled in a dazzling display, as if he were performing a grand spectacle.
He wasn’t particularly worried about Yamamoto’s summons.
After all, he had plenty of experience when it ca to covering his tracks. If he had done anything questionable, he was confident he hadn’t left any evidence behind.
With one final photon recombination, Masatsuki Aozaki landed steadily in front of the 1st Division’s gates.
The division mbers looked at him with admiration, clearly captivated by his strikingly elegant arrival.
Smiling warmly, he gave them a slight nod before striding casually into the captain’s office.
Upon entering, his gaze swept over the room’s occupants, a flicker of surprise crossing his face.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto sat at the head seat, sipping his tea leisurely, paying no mind to the two mbers of the Royal Guard beside him.
Kirio Hikifune, Senjumaru Shutara, Retsu Unohana... and Kisuke Urahara, who was lingering in the corner.
It was an unexpectedly high-profile gathering.
"Yo, Kirio, Senjumaru, Retsu—you’re all here too?"
Masatsuki greeted them naturally, his tone casual and familiar.
Yamamoto: "..."
Did you not notice your Master is sitting right here?!
You little brat, in front of outsiders, address as Captain-Commander!
Before he could reprimand him, Kirio Hikifune waved enthusiastically.
"Hey, you finally showed up, Masatsuki!"
Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled at her.
It had been seventy or eighty years since Kirio ascended to the Soul King Palace, yet she hadn’t changed a bit.
Senjumaru Shutara covered her mouth with a sly smile.
"I didn’t expect Masatsuki-chan to still rember after all these years."
"Of course! How could I forget?"
Masatsuki Aozaki nodded before taking a seat next to Kisuke Urahara, directly across from the three won.
There was no way he was sitting beside any of them.
If there had only been two of them, he might have sat between them.
But with three? No chance.
Kirio and Unohana weren’t even seated together—Senjumaru was between them.
Sitting between Senjumaru and either of the others? That was a trap.
Better to face all three at once.
Senjumaru Shutara clapped her hands.
"Oh my... that’s sothing you should say to Kirio. She’d love to hear it."
"Senpai, don’t say things like that."
Kirio waved a hand dismissively, entirely unbothered.
Not far away, Retsu Unohana raised a delicate brow but said nothing.
In terms of seniority, this woman had been around longer than even herself.
Still, she hadn’t taken that final step. Surprisingly innocent.
Masatsuki Aozaki shot Unohana a playful wink.
She huffed softly, taking a sip of tea, but at an angle only he could see, she gave him a subtle glance.
A silent ssage.
Masatsuki Aozaki imdiately got the hint, nodding slightly.
Looks like he wasn’t getting out of paying the price for that one tonight.
Shifting his attention to the two Royal Guard mbers sipping their tea, he grinned.
"Haven’t heard anything about new recruits joining the Royal Guard lately... so what brings you two down here? On vacation?"
"Eh, that stuff doesn’t matter. There’s nothing to do up there anyway. Other than being stuck in one place, it’s basically the sa as a vacation!"
Kirio Hikifune waved her hand dismissively.
"That’s because..."
Masatsuki Aozaki hesitated.
"It’s because of you, Masatsuki."
Kirio Hikifune grinned.
"Co with us!"
The mont those words left her mouth, everyone in the room reacted with shock.
Even Yamamoto’s eyes widened slightly.
Masatsuki Aozaki’s expression stiffened.
"...Why?"
There were still things he needed to do.
He hadn’t obtained the Soul King’s heart yet, and his mass-produced Hōgyoku project was far from complete.
What would he even do up there?
And if the Quincy launched an attack while he was gone, what would happen to Rangiku Matsumoto and the others?
"Don’t worry," Senjumaru Shutara reassured him with a soft smile.
"His Majesty, the Soul King, simply wishes to see you. Think of it as a trip."
She assud Masatsuki Aozaki was just reluctant to endure the dull and isolating life in the Soul King Palace.
Not that she could bla him.
Even soone as old as her had grown tired of it after just a few centuries.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake
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