Chapter 681 The New 10th Division's Captain?

1st Division Barracks Meeting Hall.

All Captains and Lieutenants had arrived one after another.

As usual, the Captains formed two rows, standing on either side of the Captain-Commander, with their Lieutenants standing behind their respective Captains.

After the others had gathered, everyone noticed that, as with every Captains' Meeting, the ailing 13th Division's Captain Ukitake was again absent.

And since the Lieutenant, Shiba Kaien had died in the line of duty decades ago, the 13th Division's Lieutenant position had remained vacant, leaving a conspicuous gap in the 13th Division's formation.

It stood in stark contrast to the other divisions, which were packed full, serving as a silent reminder to everyone... the Gotei 13 could never quite assemble a complete lineup.

At that moment, 10th Division's Captain, Isshin finally arrived.

His gait was slightly unsteady, and bandages could be seen wrapped around his collar.

Seeing him in this state, Kyoraku adjusted the brim of his conical hat. "Hey, hey, what happened, Isshin?"

"Sorry, sorry..." Isshin scratched the back of his head, forcing a bitter smile.

"He seems to be quite seriously injured."

Kanae, as the 7th Division's Lieutenant, stood behind Saeko and murmured softly.

Saeko narrowed her eyes slightly, muttering to herself, "What happened now?"

Then, Yamamoto struck the ground heavily with his cane.

The Captain-Commander's aged, authoritative voice announced, word by word: "10th Division's Captain, Shiba Isshin, acting without authorization, has sustained severe injuries. He is now unable to fulfill his Captaincy duties."

As soon as he said this, everyone's expressions changed.

Kyoraku dropped his usual flippant attitude, 'The aftereffects of the devastating incident decades ago hadn't even fully settled, and now even Isshin was stepping down?'

Yamamoto continued, his tone carrying an unassailable authority. "Though acting without prior approval warrants severe punishment, given that this prevented further casualties, his merits and demerits shall cancel out... any objections?"

Isshin quickly waved his hand, replying with a wry smile, "No, no. I'd say I came out ahead."

3rd Division's Captain, Gin couldn't help but turn his head. "Hey, hey... an opponent strong enough to injure Captain Shiba so badly that he has to retire? That must have been a formidable enemy."

"It's hard to say... Anyway, I've already submitted my report to the Captain-Commander."

Isshin scratched his head, offering no further explanation.

A Hollow that had simultaneously used the powers of a Shinigami, a Hollow, and a Quincy had appeared. If he actually said that out loud, people would probably think he was crazy.

Byakuya glanced at Isshin in silence.

But inside, he felt a surge of emotion.

The Shiba Clan had finally started to show some signs of recovery, thanks to Isshin serving as a Captain.

And now this unfortunate incident had occurred. He hadn't even been a Captain for many years before being forced into retirement. It seemed fate truly wasn't on the Shiba Clan's side.

The other Captains were also somewhat resigned. After the double blow of the Hollowfication incident and the Hollow invasion decades ago, the Gotei 13's Captain positions had remained vacant for decades. Only in recent years had they all been filled. And now, another one was gone.

"So what do we do now, Old Man Yama?"

Kyoraku turned to Yamamoto, his tone unusually serious. "Who will inherit the 10th Division's Captaincy? This needs to be resolved quickly."

After all, the Captain's positions had only just been fully restored a few years ago. Now another one was vacant. If it wasn't filled soon, the Gotei 13's reputation would suffer again.

Saeko commented dryly, "If we had kept both Hyorinmaru back then, things would probably be better now, wouldn't they?"

Hearing this, everyone glanced at her.

Though no one responded, they all silently agreed with Saeko.

Who knew what those old fossils in Central 46 were thinking? Two of the Strongest Ice-type Zanpakuto appearing at once, and they insisted on keeping only one.

Aizen's lips curled into a barely perceptible smile.

'For her to say such a thing publicly meant she was also quite dissatisfied with certain decisions of the Seireitei's current system.'

With that thought, Aizen suddenly spoke up, "What about 7th Division's Lieutenant, Kocho Kanae?"

He turned his gaze toward the figure behind Saeko, adding with a smile, "Lieutenant Kocho has served as the 7th Division's Lieutenant for many years. Her strength and experience already fully qualify her for the Captaincy. Moreover, she is very popular among her juniors at the Shin'o Academy. Having her succeed as the 10th Division's Captain would likely inspire many young division members."

Hearing this, Kanae was visibly startled.

She had no particular relationship with Aizen, so she hadn't expected him to recommend her so suddenly at such an important meeting.

Noticing the surprised looks from both Saeko and Kanae, Aizen smiled and nodded in their direction.

After a brief moment of surprise, Kanae politely nodded back in thanks.

She didn't think much of it. After all, Aizen was known as one of the nicest Captains alongside Ukitake of the 13th Division. He probably had no ulterior motives... just genuinely thinking about the Soul Society's future.

At that moment, Isshin spoke up, "I think our division's Toshiro would also be a good choice."

He had always favored Toshiro to inherit his position.

Now that his injuries prevented him from continuing as Captain, Isshin naturally wanted to give that kid a leg up.

Momo, standing behind Aizen, perked up at the mention of Toshiro's name.

She hesitated for a moment, then finally gathered the courage to speak, "U-um, I, I think Shiro-chan could also be considered..."

As she spoke, she was somewhat afraid to meet Aizen's gaze. After all, her Captain had just recommended Kanae, and speaking up to support someone else now seemed a bit like going against him.

Normally, Momo would never dare to voice an opinion that differed from Aizen's.

But Toshiro held a significant place in her heart as well. She wanted to help him get the position.

After all, she truly saw that kid as her little brother, ranking second in her heart.

"S-sorry, Captain Aizen! I just thought Shiro-chan would also be quite suitable..."

After saying that, Momo quickly apologized to Aizen, afraid he might hold it against her.

Well, the gap between number one and number two in her heart was still quite large.

"It's fine, Hinamori. Hitsugaya-kun is indeed an excellent candidate."

Aizen smiled and comforted her.

Momo breathed a sigh of relief.

She knew he wouldn't hold such a small thing against her.

When Toshiro's name was mentioned, the Captains and Lieutenants present burst into heated discussion.

Isshin seized the moment to add another push: "Besides, Toshiro recently told me he's already close to achieving Bankai. And when I'm away, he basically handles all the division's affairs. He's definitely qualified to be Captain."

Hearing this, a glint of mischief flickered in Unohana's eyes as she teased, "Captain Shiba, no, Mr. Isshin, having a child manage your division's duties doesn't seem like something to brag about, does it?"

Isshin scratched the back of his head sheepishly, caught out by Unohana in front of everyone.

The main issue was that both he and his Lieutenant, Matsumoto Rangiku, weren't the most responsible types.

The daily division's affairs had almost all fallen onto the shoulders of Third Seat, Hitsugaya Toshiro, who wasn't even of age yet.

But for this genius boy, harder times were still ahead.

Once he became Captain, Rangiku would still slack off, and most of the division's duties would still fall on him. He's truly the Soul Society's number one workhorse.