The originally harmonious negotiation atmosphere between the two instantly froze to the freezing point. The artificial expressions on Shunsui Kyoraku's face vanished, replaced by a similar heaviness.
"Suzuki-kun, the Gotei 13 sincerely wants to negotiate with you. Threatening with force is something not only you can do, but we can do as well. It is simply that the Captain-Commander truly appreciates your talent and what you have done, which is why he wanted to negotiate first through dialogue."
"So, does Your Excellency mean to imply that I am being ungrateful for the honor shown to me?"
Suzuki Makoto couldn't be bothered to beat around the bush with the other party anymore.
"A ceasefire between both sides, using District 40 as the boundary, with everyone minding their own business. If you want me to enter the Seireitei and join the Gotei 13, then the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy must be moved to District 40. Or, providing the venue on my side is also fine."
"Why? The Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy has always recruited from the Rukongai, and discrimination among students is prohibited within the Academy. If you want those with spiritual aptitude to enroll, they are free to come. You could even personally enter the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy to supervise; there is absolutely no need to move the Academy outside the Seireitei, is there?"
Shunsui Kyoraku made another concession and proposed a very feasible plan.
"Because I do not trust the nobles."
Suzuki Makoto's answer was equally simple, though this was obviously not the deep-seated reason, as he did not want to reveal the secret of his ability to traverse worlds here.
This sentence choked Shunsui Kyoraku, leaving him unsure of how to respond. As the second son of the Kyoraku family, he certainly knew best what kind of birds the nobles were. Given Suzuki Makoto's background in the Rukongai, it was not strange for him to be naturally hostile toward these people. Coupled with the previous war between the Yellow Turbans and the nobles in the Rukongai, such a reaction from the other party was not surprising.
"The Captain-Commander and the entire Gotei 13 will stand behind you."
He could only offer such a promise, though he knew in his heart that such a promise would likely not receive a response from Suzuki Makoto.
Moreover, in Shunsui Kyoraku's heart, he always had a faint feeling. Although the nobles had agreed that the Captain-Commander could recruit Suzuki Makoto, and even agreed to partition half of the Rukongai, the name Tokinada Tsunayashiro constantly hovered over the other party's "generosity," appearing ghastly and ominous.
"You should go back and discuss it with your Captain-Commander first. Whether it's the former contract or the latter, or perhaps, deciding after a fight is also fine."
Suzuki Makoto had no intention of backing down. That fight with Aizen had already confirmed to him that the power of the Seireitei was not that strong. Aside from Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, even a veteran Captain like Shunsui Kyoraku posed no threat to him, let alone those guys who were temporarily promoted because the previous Captains disappeared.
The Soul Disappearance Incident orchestrated by Aizen decades ago caused the entire Soul Society to lose nearly ten Captain-level combatants or potential combatants in one go, including the Grand Kido Chief. Such losses could not be recovered in just a few short decades. Although the Captain seats were all filled, the talent cultivation system had actually been interrupted. The current situation could completely be described as a lack of successors.
If the Gotei 13 really wanted to fight first, Suzuki Makoto would not show mercy. He would use thunderous methods to first clear out a few of the newly appointed young Captains, such as those of the 2nd Division and the 6th Division, and then talk about cooperation with Aizen—Shigekuni Yamamoto was indeed strong, but as long as he couldn't lower himself to slaughter the ordinary people of the Yellow Turbans, Suzuki Makoto didn't need to meet him face-to-face.
Shunsui Kyoraku rose to take his leave. He didn't know where Suzuki Makoto's confidence came from, but the various intelligence gathered over these days was enough to prove that Suzuki Makoto was a man who planned before acting, definitely not that kind of reckless egoist.
The other party's intense confidence meant either he had sufficient assurance in his own strength, or... he had another trump card.
Bringing this news secretly back to the Seireitei and reporting to the Captain-Commander, Kyoraku knelt quietly in place.
"What do you think is the source of Suzuki Makoto's confidence to war against the Gotei 13?"
"It should be a lack of understanding regarding the Gotei 13, right? It has now been proven that the Western Branch is not involved, and they have also agreed to send people to help us screen. Furthermore, there are no other factions within the Soul Society capable of opposing us. Therefore, I am still inclined to engage the opponent in battle once."
The Intelligence Captain spoke his thoughts truthfully. In his heart, dispatching at most four to six Captains would be enough to possess an overwhelming advantage over Suzuki Makoto and Jeanne d'Arc. At worst, he and Kenpachi Zaraki could also deploy to hold the line.
The Captain-Commander shook his head slightly; he did not agree with Shunsui Kyoraku's judgment.
"Previously, I sent a letter to the Shihoin family asking about the effect of the Heavenly Armament lent to the Tsunayashiro family. Their answer was that it is an armament capable of suppressing a Zanpakuto, rendering it unable to perform Bankai—that is to say, the Yellow Turbans defeated the Noble Coalition without using Bankai."
"But that doesn't prove anything. At most, it proves his fundamentals are quite good. Moreover, the combat power of the Noble Coalition cannot be compared to the Gotei 13."
"Kyoraku! Have you forgotten the defection of Yoruichi Shihoin and Kisuke Urahara back then?! Hasn't enough of the Captains' blood been spilled?!"
The old man shouted a reprimand.
"Central 46 stated that it was an experiment conducted by Kisuke Urahara, with Yoruichi Shihoin assisting. Of course, this old man does not believe those two children would do such a terrible thing as Hollowfying Shinigami, nor do I believe Tessai Tsukabishi would allow them to use his old friend as an experimental subject. But all evidence points to this. Can this not yet alert you?!"
The man froze, and immediately cold sweat broke out on his forehead.
That's right! How could he forget? There was still such a terrifying undercurrent within the Seireitei. Not only were several Captains and Lieutenants removed in one morning, paralyzing the entire Kido Corps, but it even dragged in the Shihoin family, forcing this Great Noble House, second only to the Tsunayashiro family, to announce a closed-door policy to ride out the storm.
Both he and Shigekuni Yamamoto believed there was something fishy about that incident, but no matter what, they couldn't find any evidence. This only proved that the opponent hid too well, not that this opponent didn't exist—over these years, Shunsui Kyoraku had always sent people to investigate secretly within the Seireitei.
If it weren't for the fact that the Yellow Turbans rose within the Rukongai and never had any involvement with Hollows or the interior of the Seireitei, he shouldn't have ignored this matter!
____
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