In the Seventh Division captain's office, Kazuma, Saitō, and Shunsui were drinking, while Batsu'unsai sat at the desk, buried under a mountain of squad paperwork.
As she scribbled furiously, she muttered to herself, "Honestly, are you the Captain, or am I? And you guys are drinking again."
Ever since Kazuma resumed his role as the Seventh Division Captain, Shunsui had made a habit of coming over to drink with Saitō.
Eventually, they pulled Kazuma into their circle.
The three of them, birds of a feather, idled away the days doing nothing but drinking sake.
What was even more outrageous was that Kazuma had dumped the entirety of his squad duties onto Batsu'unsai, using the shamelessly archaic excuse of "men work outside, women work inside."
"Damn you, just you wait! We'll see how I deal with you tonight!" Batsu'unsai gritted her teeth in anger, nearly snapping the calligraphy brush in her hand.
However, her protest went entirely unnoticed.
The three captains continued to drink and laugh among themselves.
Just then, Jin'emon pushed open the door and walked into the office.
He looked at the scene and couldn't help but sigh.
He was already quite used to this sight. The Seventh Division captain's office had practically turned into a private izakaya!
"Captain, the Captain-Commander has sent a messenger. You are to head to the First Division immediately," Jin'emon reported.
Hearing this, Kazuma paused, lowering his sake cup. "Oh? The old man is looking for me? Did they say what it's about?"
He brought the cup back to his lips and took a light sip.
"The messenger didn't specify the mission details, only that you should head over right away."
"Yare yare. Saitō, Shunsui, you two keep drinking. The old man has summoned me, so I'll be taking my leave."
...
On his way to the First Division, Kazuma sorted through the timeline of events that occurred around this era, cross-referencing everything he could remember from his past life.
'This is tricky! When I watched Bleach, I mostly focused on the main storyline. I didn't pay much attention to the flashbacks and filler arcs. My memory of what happened at this specific point in time is a bit fuzzy! Oh well, I'll find out when I see Yamamoto, as long as I get a little reminder, I should be able to recall the general plot.'
Stepping into the office, Kazuma saw Yamamoto sitting rigidly behind his desk.
He walked up and asked directly, "Captain-Commander, I'm here. Is there something you need me to handle?"
Yamamoto looked up, set his brush aside, and gestured for Kazuma to sit. "Have a seat. There is indeed a matter that requires your attention."
Hearing Yamamoto's formal tone, Kazuma couldn't help but feel a little puzzled.
He knew that for ordinary matters, the Captain-Commander wouldn't summon him personally.
"Is it something troublesome?"
Yamamoto smiled faintly and shook his head. "It is not particularly troublesome, it is simply that your Zanpakutō happens to be perfectly suited to handle it."
Yamamoto steepled his fingers. "This matter concerns the Kuchiki Clan. Captain Ginrei Kuchiki has an exceptionally talented son-in-law who has performed outstandingly in numerous missions to suppress rebellious Shinigami. His name is Kōga Kuchiki, and he currently serves as the 3rd Seat of the Sixth Division. I intend to have him join the First Division as the captain of a special unit.
"He is recently has achieve Bankai, however, there is a severe problem with his Zanpakutō. It involuntarily affects the user's mind. To prevent him from being corrupted by his own blade and straying down an evil path, Captain Ginrei has tried many methods to no avail. He came to me to ask if I had a solution."
Hearing the explanation, Kazuma's memory finally clicked into place.
'So it's the Zanpakutō Rebellion arc. Kōga Kuchiki's Zanpakutō, Muramasa, has the power to bewitch people's hearts and manifest Zanpakutō spirits! I remember this guy was later framed by rival nobles, forced to turn rogue, killed his guards, and escaped from prison. He was eventually sealed away by Ginrei and Yamamoto, when the seal was broken centuries later, he was finished off by Byakuya Kuchiki. What a pity! He could have been a decent asset.'
Kazuma thought to himself, feeling it was a shame about Kōga.
If guided properly, he could have remained a powerful Shinigami. Fortunately, it was still early in the timeline
Kōga hadn't turned traitor yet, so there was still a chance to save the wayward youth.
Yamamoto's voice interrupted Kazuma's thoughts. "The reason I summoned you is because your Zanpakutō possesses a Domain capable of exerting a powerful sealing effect. I want you to make a trip to the Kuchiki Manor to resolve this issue. Suppress Muramasa, guide Kōga, and reshape his spirit."
Kazuma nodded, indicating he understood the importance of the mission.
He knew Hokushin Raitei's localized Reishi domain could exert a crushing gravitational pressure, which would be perfect for helping Kōga break free from Muramasa's control.
Moreover, he was confident he could complete the task.
Without further ado, Kazuma stood up. "I understand. I'll go pay a visit to Head of House Ginrei immediately."
With that, he turned and left the office, heading straight for the Kuchiki estate.
Along the way, Kazuma pondered how to communicate with Kōga.
Sealing his Zanpakutō was simple enough, but how should he go about teaching him?
'Should I just beat some sense into him?'
Not long after, Kazuma arrived at the grand gates of the Kuchiki Manor. He requested an audience with the head of the house.
After some nervous scrambling by the guards, he was finally led inside to meet Ginrei.
"May I ask what business brings Captain Satou to my Kuchiki Manor?" Ginrei asked, his posture stiff.
He was extremely nervous about Kazuma's arrival.
Even though he was the head of a Great Noble Family, he had absolutely no desire to provoke this man.
The younger generation of Shinigami might be ignorant, but Ginrei knew full well that this Captain was hailed as the strongest Shinigami alive, second only to Yamamoto.
Ginrei had no idea why Kazuma was here.
If someone from the Kuchiki Clan had offended him, it would be a disaster.
If Kazuma decided to cut someone down, Ginrei would have no choice but to suffer the loss in silence.
Seeing Ginrei's palpable fear, Kazuma couldn't help but frown, a wave of confusion rising in his chest.
He carefully reviewed his own past words and actions and found he hadn't done anything particularly extreme or terrifying.
'Have I really left people with the impression of being a bloodthirsty villain?'
At this thought, Kazuma's heart sank slightly.
"Head of House Kuchiki, I have come at the request of the Captain-Commander to handle Kōga's matter," Kazuma said, deciding to be direct.
Hearing this, Ginrei's eyes visibly relaxed, and a profound look of relief washed over his face. He hurriedly bowed respectfully.
"So that is the case. Captain Satou, please, come in."
Ginrei led Kazuma to the lavish reception room and instructed a nearby servant, "Go and have Kōga come see me at once."
"Yes, my lord." The servant didn't dare delay and sprinted down the hall.
After the servant left, Ginrei smiled and gestured to the table. "Captain Satou, please have some tea."
Kazuma accepted the teacup, took a light sip, then put it down and smiled. "Captain Ginrei, there's something I've been wanting to ask you since I walked through your gates."
Ginrei nodded slightly, indicating his willingness to listen.
Kazuma continued, "Before I stated my purpose, you seemed genuinely afraid of me. I consider myself a pretty handsome, laid-back guy, and I certainly don't look like some ferocious demon. Have I done something to frighten you?"
He didn't forget to narcissistically stroke his own chin as he spoke.
Ginrei was stunned for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Captain Satou, you've misunderstood. It's just that I witnessed the war against the Quincy a thousand years ago. I saw you slaughter Sternritter as easily as one butchers chickens! Seeing you visit my home alone... I was naturally on edge."
"Ah! I only slaughtered Quincy. I've never killed a Shinigami," Kazuma said, feeling this was a massive misunderstanding.
Thankfully, the younger Shinigami of today didn't know about his brutal past!
The atmosphere in the room became slightly awkward after that...