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The meeting room of the Squad One Barracks.
The meeting place for the Captains' meeting was already filled with Vice-Captains, though there weren't actually many of them.
Among the current Vice-Captains, there was also a Captain acting as a proxy, a rank half a step higher than a Vice-Captain, so he didn't need to wait outside with them.
The Squad members who had just arrived outside the office wall were still a bit excited.
Being in the First Division, they had seen all sorts of powerful individuals; the strongest Shinigami was their Captain, yet they couldn't help but feel a thrill in their hearts.
That was the position of Captain, one of the pinnacle seats for professional Shinigami, and today, the last vacant seat would find its owner.
Perhaps this was a common human ailment: a constant yearning for something better.
Even if these elite Shinigami of the First Division knew that mastering Bankai would give them a 99% chance of becoming a Captain, they still wanted to witness the birth of a new Captain with their own eyes, as Captain Examinations were rare.
Clap clap clap!!
With the sound of footsteps, the Shinigami fell silent.
Three men in white haori walked straight into the meeting room, and the surrounding Shinigami looked at them with admiration.
Kensei Muguruma, the Captain of the Ninth Division, who was walking at the very front, seemed quite upset.
Following him was Aozaki Reiji, the newly appointed Captain, the first genius in the history of Soul Society, and everyone could see that he was smiling very happily.
Walking at the very end was Hirako Shinji, the Captain of the Fifth Division, looking at the two in front of him with a helpless dead-fish eye expression.
Behind them were the three Vice-Captains who had followed them.
Aizen's gaze occasionally darted towards Aozaki Reiji, but to outsiders, the two still appeared not very familiar with each other.
"When does the Captain Examination start?"
Just then, a voice suddenly came from behind them, and Aozaki Reiji instinctively turned his head upon hearing the familiar voice.
Yoruichi, dressed in battle-suit style Shinigami robes with a white haori draped over her, stood at the doorway with her arms crossed, speaking with emotion as she looked at the large door.
"Reiji, good morning! Look at how lazy you are; it seems you can't manage without the Second Division."
Yoruichi turned her head and waved to Aozaki Reiji, signaling to him.
As a Captain with a close relationship with Aozaki Reiji, the two standing together instantly drew the attention of the crowd; everyone knew their relationship was far more than just friends.
Gossip is humanity's fourth great instinct, and rumors between two Captains were something everyone enjoyed.
But speaking of the peculiar emotions between the two Captains, one couldn't help but mention the other beautiful women present.
Under Unohana's intimidating gaze, Kensei Muguruma willingly gave up his spot beside Aozaki Reiji, allowing them to stand side by side.
Lisa Yadomaru, the Vice-Captain rumored to have stayed overnight at the eleventh Kenpachi's barracks, was at this moment holding a strange book, burying her head deeply in it.
Hikifune Kirio, the Captain of the Twelfth Division, stood quietly not far away, eating popcorn with an expression that said, "It's none of my business."
Matsumoto Rangiku was neither a Captain nor a Vice-Captain, so she could only stand outside the door and watch.
She was smiling, but even she could feel the pressure Aozaki Reiji was under at that moment.
"Actually, I was the same when I was in the Second Division, but when it's time to be serious, you can't be lazy."
Aozaki Reiji waved his hand and took Yoruichi's small hand.
As for Unohana, who was beside him, he dared not lay a hand on her.
Yoruichi nodded in satisfaction.
"The two of you seem to be having a very pleasant conversation. This meeting should be about the operation to suppress the rebels, right? It seems Reiji is ready."
Unohana maintained a gentle smile, her hands clasped in front of her, and spoke with a smile like a Yamato Nadeshiko.
"Actually, I'm not good at this sort of thing, but luckily, I have help." Aozaki Reiji gazed intently at the Yamato Nadeshiko in front of him.
When this woman wasn't going crazy, she was truly charming. To put it simply, she made Aozaki Reiji feel like he wanted to marry her.
Unfortunately, once she went mad, her entire being was nothing but killing intent; just standing there made people feel terrified.
Ever since she defeated Kenpachi Kiganjo, this woman's killing intent had become increasingly difficult to control. Sometimes, while helping her arrange flowers, he would inexplicably feel a chill.
Aozaki Reiji felt it was very dangerous, which made him rarely attend his flower arranging classes.
Unless he had the power to completely suppress this woman, he truly couldn't mess around with her.
"Based on my experience, the Captain Examination will begin after the Captains' meeting, and at that time, a Captain will be chosen to test the candidate's strength."
The thousand-year-old veteran sensed Aozaki Reiji's gaze, which was both longing and wanting to distance himself, and was immediately somewhat surprised.
This little fellow is becoming more and more interesting. Have I been too excessive in my usual behavior?
However, she quickly changed the subject and continued to explain the Captain Examination with a smile.
"But it's called an examination, it's actually just a display of strength."
"Only by mastering Bankai can one truly cross the threshold of a strong individual, and at the same time, a clear gap will open up between them and ordinary Shinigami."
"After all, not everyone is like you, possessing such a special Zanpakuto."
"Bankai can increase Reiatsu by five to ten times on the basis of Shikai; this is not a gap that can be easily compensated for."
"Mastering Bankai is the pass to becoming a Captain. As long as they are not dangerous criminals guilty of heinous crimes, the Captains will usually agree to the candidate becoming a Captain."
Aozaki Reiji nodded, indicating that he understood.
He could probably understand the Captains' thoughts.
To put it bluntly, a Captain is the pinnacle of the Gotei 13; above that is the Captain-Commander, a position that, apart from Yamamoto, no one else can temporarily occupy.
The Captain positions of other Squads were none of their business. Since there was no animosity or grudges between them, there was no need to offend a Shinigami who could use Bankai for a position that had nothing to do with them.
"Then how is the Captain Examination conducted?" Yoruichi listened to Unohana's introduction, which also piqued her curiosity.
After she became strong enough, she directly applied to her family to take over from the previous corps commander, thus naturally becoming the Captain of the Second Division.
She was not very clear about the normal Captain Examination process.
"Actually, it's not complicated. With Captain-Commander Yamamoto present, the Captain Examination needs to be passed with the witnessing of three or more Captains, including the Captain-Commander."
Unohana explained with a smile, "And the examination content is also very simple: choose one of the current Captains to serve as the examiner and duel with the candidate to determine if the candidate possesses the strength to become a Captain."
"Choose one person to be the examiner." Aozaki Reiji stroked his chin, "I wonder who will be so lucky."
"Alright, that's enough talk. The Captains' meeting is about to begin, let's go in."
Looking at the Captains in the meeting room, Unohana slightly raised her head, her chin pointing towards the squinting Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
He didn't need Ryujin Jakka; sparks could already fly from his eyes.
Aozaki Reiji walked into the meeting room and, at Yamamoto's signal, began to speak about the situation regarding the battle with the rebels, using the draft prepared by Ichimaru Gin.
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