Although five hundred people might sound like a small number, it was actually more than the personnel of a single division. Moreover, it wasn't just the Gotei 13 sending people… there were also Shinigami who had committed offenses and been imprisoned, as well as members of the Kido Corps.
Adding others responsible for logistics and supplies, the number would likely reach over a thousand.
Remember, the entire Gotei 13 only had a few thousand Shinigami.
"Now that the number of reinforcements is confirmed, there's only one last issue. The commander of the Menos Grande Expeditionary Force died in battle against Hollows. Who should succeed him? Also, who should lead the team going to Hueco Mundo this time? Does anyone have good suggestions?" Yamamoto asked the Captains.
At this moment, Retsu stepped forward and said, "Captain-Commander, I suggest that the person leading this support mission also serve as the Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force. This would facilitate unified command later on."
"Mm, Captain Unohana makes a good point. Let's do that. But does anyone have recommendations for the candidate?" Yamamoto nodded.
"Of course! It has to be me!" Zaraki immediately jumped out, full of excitement.
Hollows in Hueco Mundo were countless. If he went there, facing Hollows, he could slash and fight as much as he wanted. Just thinking about it made Zaraki, this battle maniac, extremely excited.
"No!" Yamamoto rejected it without a second thought.
"Why?" Zaraki asked, dissatisfied.
"If you go, you'd probably only care about fighting alone and completely ignore the lives of the expeditionary force. As the commander of the expeditionary force, you can't just focus on fighting solo, and you must also be responsible for the safety of the entire force," Yamamoto reprimanded.
"Of course, the main reason is that all of you, as Captains of the Gotei 13, hold positions of great importance and cannot leave the Soul Society casually. There is no precedent in the Soul Society for a Captain to lead an expeditionary force to Hueco Mundo," Yamamoto explained.
"Tch!"
Zaraki grumbled unhappily but didn't say anything more.
Zaraki held great respect in his heart for Yamamoto, who had once taught him swordsmanship.
"So, does anyone have good recommendations for a candidate?" Yamamoto asked again.
Everyone fell silent, thinking of suitable candidates.
"Send Toshiro!" Kyoraku suddenly stepped forward and said.
"Huh? Toshiro?" Isshin exclaimed in surprise.
"Hitsugaya Toshiro?" Everyone looked at Kyoraku.
"Yes. I assume everyone is aware of his strength. If he takes on this task, the issues with the expeditionary force should be resolved," Kyoraku said.
"Toshiro, huh? That guy's strength is indeed impressive. If it's him, I have no objections," Zaraki spoke up.
"Mm, in terms of strength, he is indeed above me," Byakuya, who usually kept a cold face, couldn't help but say.
The other Captains also seemed to agree wholeheartedly.
They all knew, to varying degrees, about Toshiro's strength.
He had been able to defeat Zaraki and Byakuya years ago. Coupled with his monstrous talent, who knew how much he had progressed by now? Among the Captains of the Gotei 13, aside from a few veteran Captains, probably no one was confident they could defeat him.
If Toshiro led the team, there shouldn't be any problems.
Thinking this, everyone voiced their agreement with Kyoraku's proposal.
Seeing everyone agree to have Toshiro serve as Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force and lead the campaign to Hueco Mundo, Yamamoto couldn't help but frown.
He wasn't frowning because he was dissatisfied with Toshiro. On the contrary, Yamamoto held Toshiro in very high regard and had great expectations for him.
But precisely because of that, Yamamoto hesitated about sending Toshiro to Hueco Mundo.
After all, Hueco Mundo was extremely dangerous. Although Toshiro's strength was formidable, and few among the Gotei 13's Captains could defeat him, the Hollows in Hueco Mundo were nearly endless. No matter how strong one was, being surrounded by a horde of Hollows could lead to disaster.
Moreover, most importantly, Vasto Lorde existed in Hueco Mundo. They were said to surpass Captain-level Shinigami. If something unexpected happened, there would be no time for rescue.
Kyoraku had been Yamamoto's disciple for who knew how many years and understood him very well. Seeing Yamamoto frown, he immediately knew what he was worried about.
So, Kyoraku spoke up to reassure him: "Don't worry, old man Yama. You have to believe in Toshiro's strength. Besides, the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force has always operated in the outskirts of Hueco Mundo, rarely entering the core regions. They won't encounter overly powerful enemies. Moreover, Toshiro's Zanpakuto is very suitable for group battles. There's no need to fear being surrounded."
Hearing Kyoraku's words, Yamamoto's stance softened somewhat.
"And Toshiro recently told me his training has hit a bottleneck. His strength hasn't improved for a long time. Experiencing more battles would help him break through. After all, staying in a safe place can only nurture flowers in a greenhouse," Kyoraku said, looking at Yamamoto.
Hearing this, Yamamoto finally made up his mind.
Thud!
Yamamoto Genryūsai tapped the ground with his cane.
"In that case, I hereby appoint the 10th Division's Third Seat, Hitsugaya Toshiro, as the Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force, to lead the campaign to Hueco Mundo," Yamamoto decided.
"All Divisions, return and prepare immediately. Within three days, ensure all preparations are complete, then depart at once," Yamamoto ordered.
10th Division, Captain's Office.
Toshiro was currently sitting at the desk, handling official duties.
Swoosh!
Isshin and Matsumoto pushed the door open and walked in.
"Ah, finally over. I'm exhausted," Isshin said, plopping down into a chair, utterly drained.
"Captain-Commander is really something. Why can he sit during meetings while we all have to stand?" Isshin complained.
During Captains' Meetings, the Captains stood on both sides, while the Captain-Commander was at the head with a chair behind him, able to sit whenever he wanted.
"Of course! Because you're just a Captain, and Captain-Commander Yamamoto is the Captain-Commander," Matsumoto Rangiku retorted.
"Yo, Captain, Rangiku, you're back. How was the Captains' Meeting? What happened? Why was it called suddenly?" Toshiro asked while handling the documents in front of him, not looking up.
"Yeah, the meeting's over. The topic discussed this time has a lot to do with you," Isshin said.
"With me?" Toshiro finally looked up at Isshin.
"Mm, yes. Toshiro, you've been appointed as the Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force," Isshin said solemnly, patting Toshiro's shoulder.
"Commander of the Hueco Mundo Expeditionary Force? What's that?" Toshiro asked, completely baffled.