In a quiet corner of the Seireitei, several figures in shihakushō had gathered together suspiciously, keeping their voices low as they whispered among themselves.
From their uniforms alone, it was impossible to tell which divisions they belonged to.
"Hey, have you guys heard?"
One of the Shinigami leaned closer with an air of mystery.
"Apparently Captain Kazuma of the Seventh Division is about to become the next Captain-Commander."
Another officer immediately looked skeptical.
"Seriously? Where did you even hear that? Don't start making things up."
"It's true!"
The first Shinigami confidently patted his chest.
"I guarantee it."
Someone else immediately scoffed.
"Oh, come on. Something that important would never reach ordinary officers like us. It's obviously just another stupid rumor."
"Exactly," another agreed. "Decisions made by the higher-ups aren't something we'd casually hear about. Stop spreading nonsense."
"Hey, hey, hey!"
The first Shinigami's face flushed with frustration.
"Did all of you forget what my surname is?"
The others paused.
"You're a Kuchiki."
"That's one of Soul Society's most famous noble surnames. Obviously we know that much."
A smug smile immediately appeared on the man's face.
"Exactly!"
"A couple of days ago, it was my turn to stand guard at the clan shrine. I personally overheard Captain Kuchiki Byakuya and Captain Kuchiki Kōga discussing this very matter."
He thumped his chest again.
"You think both of them were making it up too? I'm telling you, this is absolutely real."
"Hiss…"
Several sharp breaths were drawn at once.
Two figures of that level had supposedly been discussing it privately?
Could the rumor actually be true?
From there, the story spread through the Seireitei like wildfire.
One person swore that he was a member of the First Division and had personally overheard Captain-Commander Yamamoto discussing the matter with several captains.
Another claimed to belong to a prominent noble family and insisted he'd accidentally listened in on a conversation between high-ranking aristocrats.
More versions appeared by the hour.
Some were detailed.
Some contradicted one another completely.
But no matter how wildly the stories differed, they all eventually arrived at the exact same conclusion:
Captain Kazuma of the Seventh Division was about to become the next Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.
...
"Has the news been spread?"
Inside a dimly lit room, two shadowy figures spoke quietly, as though wary of anyone overhearing their conversation.
There was little doubt that these two were the masterminds behind the sudden flood of rumors.
"Yes, sir. Everything has been carried out according to your instructions."
The younger of the two men answered with unusual respect.
A broad smile covered his round face, making it look even rounder than usual.
The older man nodded in satisfaction.
"Good."
"You handled it well. You didn't disappoint me."
He lightly patted the younger man on the shoulder.
At that moment, the nearby candle flame flickered.
A faint yellow glow spread through the cramped room, finally illuminating the two faces.
They were—
Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni and Kuchiki Kōga.
No one would have expected two men of such status to secretly join forces for something this underhanded.
Yamamoto sighed.
"Sometimes, if you want something done properly, you really do have to do it yourself."
"If I wait for Batsu'unsai to persuade that brat, the whole thing might be over by the time she succeeds."
"So I decided to give matters a little push."
The truth behind the rumors was simple.
Yamamoto had personally ordered Kōga to spread them.
Those supposed members of the Kuchiki Clan, noble families, First Division officers, and other conveniently well-informed Shinigami?
Every last one of them was actually a member of Kōga's secret special forces.
Ordinarily, the Onmitsukidō would have been the most appropriate organization for something like this.
Yamamoto had considered using them.
Unfortunately, Suì-Fēng and Kazuma had never exactly gotten along.
There was no telling what kind of trouble that proud woman might create if she learned the real purpose of the mission.
To avoid unnecessary complications, Yamamoto ultimately entrusted everything to Kōga's special forces instead.
Before approaching him, Yamamoto had prepared all kinds of arguments in advance.
He'd expected to need considerable effort to convince Kōga to deliberately screw over his own teacher.
Instead, the moment Kōga heard that the plan was intended to help Kazuma become Captain-Commander, he slapped his thigh in delight and agreed immediately.
Every carefully prepared argument Yamamoto had brought with him became completely useless.
Kōga had practically jumped for joy.
His broad smile made him resemble an overgrown child who'd just received the present he'd always wanted.
Of course he wasn't going to refuse.
Kazuma was his teacher, after all.
How could he possibly oppose such wonderful news?
If Kazuma successfully became Captain-Commander, then Kōga would have played an important role in putting him there.
That was practically kingmaker-level credit.
Naturally, he threw himself into the operation with more enthusiasm than ever.
To maximize the effect, Kōga had deployed every available member of his special forces.
They scattered throughout the Seireitei, appearing in taverns, barracks, noble districts, training grounds, and every other place where a rumor might conveniently find eager ears.
The entire special unit had become astonishingly busy and organized.
Every operative was determined to make the mission a complete success.
...
"Husband…"
Back in the Seventh Division, Batsu'unsai sat beside the bed and continued her relentless campaign.
"You might not want to think about me, but surely you have to think about our future children."
Kazuma lay on the bed, still wrapped from head to toe like a mummy.
Batsu'unsai leaned closer.
"Think about it. Once we have a baby, everything costs money. Food, clothes, toys, education… and that's before we even start talking about all the things they might need as they grow older."
She sighed heavily.
"Saving money now is already difficult enough…"
This had been going on for days.
Batsu'unsai had tried gentle persuasion.
Emotional appeals.
Future children.
Financial planning.
Domestic responsibility.
More future children.
And still, Kazuma remained stubbornly unmoved!
His answer had never changed.
Become Captain-Commander? Absolutely not!
Not happening.
No chance in hell!
As the days passed, Batsu'unsai became increasingly anxious.
Every additional day created another opportunity for something to go wrong.
If Kazuma stubbornly refused until the very end, then all the effort she'd put into the deal would have been wasted.
And worse—so would all that money.