Seireitei — Fifth Division Barracks
Within the quiet of the Fifth Division's headquarters, a man with sharp glasses and a calm, methodical demeanor set down the paperwork he'd been correcting. Dressed in his standard Shinigami uniform beneath the white haori marked with the number five, he rose and walked to the door, sliding it open with practiced ease. His gaze drifted toward South Rukongai, the faintest flicker of interest breaking through his normally impassive expression. With a small motion, he nudged his glasses higher, and a subtle smirk formed on his lips as he spoke to no one in particular, "That Reiatsu came from the Kuchiki estate… how interesting."
Elsewhere across Seireitei, captains of the Gotei 13 had also sensed the sudden spike in spiritual pressure. It was unmistakably captain-level—dense, overwhelming, and unfamiliar. In the First Division headquarters, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni felt the surge at once. Without delay, he issued a summoning order for all captains to assemble.
Within ten minutes, twelve captains stood in formation in the central hall. Two lines faced each other across the polished wooden floor, and at the center stood the Captain-Commander, both hands resting atop his aged wooden cane. His face was stern, and when he spoke, the weight in his voice left no room for uncertainty. He informed them that, ten minutes prior, an unknown but powerful Reiatsu had erupted in South Rukongai, and acknowledged that all of them must have sensed it.
From among the gathered captains, Kyoraku Shunsui tilted his straw hat lazily, speaking with his usual relaxed charm. He remarked that the energy seemed to have originated from the Kuchiki estate, to which Yamamoto confirmed with a solemn nod, striking the floor with his cane for emphasis. He explained that if this surge had occurred anywhere else, he would have immediately dispatched Squad Two's Onmitsukidō. However, given that the location was the domain of the Kuchiki clan—one of the Four Great Noble Houses—there could be no hasty action without clear justification.
Turning toward the Sixth Division, Yamamoto addressed Byakuya Kuchiki directly, assigning him to lead the investigation, as the incident had occurred on his family's grounds. He added that another captain would accompany him for support. Byakuya, ever composed, simply nodded in silent acknowledgment of the order.
Yamamoto's gaze swept over the assembled captains before settling on his choice. He called upon Ichimaru Gin, the Third Division Captain, asking if he had any objections. Gin, with his usual sly grin, stepped forward and replied with feigned politeness that he had none. He added that he looked forward to working with Byakuya and mentioned that he had never been to the estate of one of the Four Great Houses. Byakuya gave no response and walked out without a word, prompting Gin to trail after him with his usual smirk, calling for him to wait up.
Before the meeting could fully adjourn, a sharp voice cut through the hall. Zaraki Kenpachi stepped forward, amused and eager, requesting to join the mission, drawn by the chance of encountering a worthy opponent. Yamamoto's eyes narrowed as he denied the request without hesitation, reminding Zaraki that the assignment was reconnaissance, not combat, and emphasizing that no interference would be tolerated. Disappointed but unbothered, Kenpachi stepped back. With one final strike of his cane, Yamamoto dismissed the meeting, and the captains dispersed.
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Kuchiki Clan Estate — Inner Courtyard
The once pristine courtyard had become an unrecognizable wasteland. Cracked stone, cratered earth, and debris littered what was once a meticulously maintained training ground. At the center stood Kuchiki Shiraha, cane sword in hand, breathing calmly as he surveyed the destruction. He spoke aloud, more to himself than anyone else, reflecting on the immense force he had just unleashed. Ten times gravity had proven far too powerful to test in a fragile courtyard, and he realized with some reluctance that his training would need to continue elsewhere. Still, there was satisfaction in his voice as he observed the effects of his newly awakened power.
He turned the weapon in his hand slowly, blind eyes fixed forward with quiet confidence. This ability, drawn from the Fujitora template bound to him by the system, was far beyond what he had anticipated. A quiet footstep behind him marked the arrival of Kuchiki Yinling, who appeared instantly through a flicker of Shunpo. Concern etched into his features, the former clan head looked around the wrecked courtyard before locking eyes with Shiraha and asking what had happened.
In response, Shiraha raised the cane sword slightly, his tone steady as he explained that what Yinling had witnessed was the manifestation of his Zanpakutō ability. Though the power was technically born of a system-generated template, it had merged with the sealed state provided to him by Yinling and thus qualified as his Zanpakutō in the eyes of Soul Society. The transformation had occurred instantly—something unprecedented—and Yinling's sharp gaze settled on the weapon with suspicion. He reminded Shiraha that no Shinigami, regardless of talent, could bond with a sealed state and awaken a Zanpakutō in less than a day. It defied all known precedent.
Rather than argue, Shiraha offered proof. He called out, "Double gravity," and in that moment, Yinling felt the change. The air thickened around him, the pressure bearing down like an invisible weight. Though caught off guard, his captain-level Reiatsu allowed him to withstand the force, though his posture shifted slightly under the load. Shiraha maintained the field only briefly before lifting it, explaining that his Zanpakutō allowed him to manipulate gravitational force within a kilometer radius, adjusting it from one times up to ten as needed. The pressure Yinling felt was only double.
Though skeptical at first, Yinling had seen enough to be convinced. As he regained his posture, he admitted that Shiraha's ability was powerful—perhaps even more than powerful. Shiraha gestured to the ruins around them, apologizing for the sudden burst of Reiatsu. It had been his first time using the ability in full, and he hadn't been able to suppress it completely.
To Shiraha's surprise, Yinling let out a short laugh. He waved off the destruction as meaningless, insisting that a courtyard—or even an entire mansion—meant little in the face of such talent. His stern demeanor softened, and for the first time in years, he allowed himself to smile. At Shiraha's birth, Yinling had tested the boy's spiritual pressure himself. The results had been underwhelming, barely above the level of an unseated officer, and combined with Shiraha's blindness, Yinling had resigned himself to a future where the boy would take over internal affairs—not battlefield duty.
But now, standing in the presence of that same grandson, enveloped in captain-level Reiatsu and wielding a gravity-based Zanpakutō of terrifying scope, Yinling saw something entirely different. Shiraha wasn't the blind heir he had once pitied.
He was becoming a force Soul Society could no longer afford to ignore.