Restricted Death

Chapter 141: Only One of Unohana and Shin Can Live

Eighth Division, Vice-Captain's Office.

"Vice Captain Ise, this is the list of graduates from this year's Spirit Arts Academy." Kani Sawa placed a stack of documents on Ise Nanao's desk.

"I have already checked the squad volunteer list. This part is for those who want to join our Eighth Squad, and these are students with excellent grades who we can try to recruit."

She divided the document into three parts and introduced them to Nanao Ise.

Ise Nanao picked up one of the stacks and looked it over. After confirming the thickness, she said, "The number of people is about the same as in previous years."

The 8th Division is not particularly outstanding among the 13 divisions. The members' work is generally far removed from combat, and like the 1st Division, most of them are clerical staff. Therefore, it has become the first choice for Shinigami who do not like fighting, and there are quite a few people who want to join the 8th Division every year.

After reviewing the information on the outstanding students compiled by Xie Ze, she asked, "What do you think our chances are of winning them over?"

"Very small."

Ise Nanao looked helpless: "Yes."

Although many graduates from the Spirit Arts Academy have chosen to join the Eighth Division over the years, few are truly outstanding. Those with a bit of talent tend to be arrogant and are less willing to come to a place like the Eighth Division, where the overall atmosphere is rather "lazy."

She said, "Like captain, like team members. The current state of our Eighth Division is all because we have such a captain!"

Kani Sawa remained silent on this matter.

"Where's the captain?" she asked again.

“Lying down in the hallway,” Kani Sawa said.

Ise Nanao's eyebrows twitched.

She immediately picked up the documents, got up, and went outside. Upon seeing the figure lying in the courtyard corridor, she kicked him without saying a word.

"hiss--"

Kyoraku Shunsui gasped, clutching his buttocks where he had been kicked with one hand, and lifting the straw hat covering his face with the other.

"Little Nanao, are you trying to murder your captain?!"

Ise Nanao threw all the documents in her hand at him: "Work!"

Kyoraku Shunsui sat up helplessly and gathered the scattered documents. "I can't even take a break. I'm very relieved to have you in charge of the team affairs."

"Are you going to work me to death by leaving everything to me?"

"Don't say that. I'm not completely indifferent to everything." Kyoraku Shunsui defended himself. "It's because you, Nanao, are so outstanding. Many captains envy me for having an adjutant like you. And Kanazawa is quite capable too, able to help you with many things. I'm planning to promote her to seat officer in a few days. How about seat number nine?"

After glancing at the documents, he said, "Aren't there many people who want to join our squad? We can just talk to the First Squad and ask them to assign them here."

Ise Nanao frowned and said, "It's not that simple. There aren't many people who volunteer for the Third and Fourth Divisions. They will accept people, and there will be further screening."

Kyoraku Shunsui lay back down, pulled his straw hat over his head, and said lazily, "You can decide. If the Third and Fourth Divisions have anyone they like, they can choose. Speaking of which, the Third Division already has Captain Kaien, and the Fourth Division is also carrying out some kind of ethos reform. Aren't these two divisions the ones with the fewest volunteer slots?"

"Captain Haiyan is a newly appointed captain, and it won't be easy for the Fourth Division to change its atmosphere so quickly. It will probably take at least ten years."

"Ten years," Kyoraku Shunsui clicked his tongue.

"..."

He suddenly sat up from the floor, his straw hat slipping off to the side.

Ise Nanao was taken aback by his startled reaction.

"You said, ten years..." he asked, looking at Ise Nanao.

Ise Nanao asked, puzzled, "I guess it should take at least this long, maybe even longer..."

Kyoraku Shunsui was stunned for a long time upon hearing this, then muttered to himself, "Yes, how could I not have thought of that... how could I have overlooked it..."

"what are you saying?"

Kyoraku Shunsui didn't answer. Instead, he abruptly stood up, put his straw hat on his head, and left without looking back. "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to the First Division."

#
First team team building.

Shiba Isshin was suddenly summoned and was a little puzzled. As he approached the Captain-Commander's office, he saw Kyoraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jushiro there as well.

"What brings you here, Captain?"

If it were ordinary official business, Chojiro Sasakibe and his men from the First Division would deliver the message. Even for urgent or important missions, it would rarely be done in such a grand manner.

Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni looked at Shiba Isshin with a solemn expression and said, "Sit."

Shiba Isshin, still harboring doubts, sat down opposite Captain-Commander Yamamoto as instructed.

“Let me speak,” Kyoraku Shunsui began. “It concerns Tachikawa Shin.”

"Tachikawa? What happened to him?"

Shiba Isshin was even more puzzled.

He guessed that it was related to Tachikawa, and that the reason he was summoned again was probably because Tachikawa would take over as the captain of the 10th Division two years later, but this had been agreed upon long ago.

Could it be that the captain has changed his mind?

Still over at Room 46...

Kyoraku Shunsui asked, "You said before that the three-year agreement with Tachikawa Shin was because Tachikawa wanted to stay in the Fourth Division for a while to handle some matters, right?"

Zhibo pondered for a moment: "That's right. Besides, the three-year interval will also save Haiyan from overthinking."

Kyoraku Shunsui then asked, "Did Tachikawa explain to you in person what he was going to do in the Fourth Division? Do you even know?"

Shiba Isshin couldn't help but say, "Isn't it that atmosphere change he started in the Fourth Division, trying to get the Fourth Division out of its unpopular status among Shinigami?"

Captain-Commander Yamamoto then asked, "Is this the reason he gave you in person?"

"This..." Shiba Isshin was stunned. This really wasn't something Shin said himself, but he had always believed it.

Seeing his reaction, Kyoraku Shunsui sighed and said, "That's the problem. We all thought that was Tachikawa's goal, but how could we possibly change the atmosphere of a squad in just three years?"

Shiba thought for a moment and said, "There's no need to wait for the atmosphere of the Fourth Division to completely change. As long as the relevant work gets on track, that's enough."

Yamamoto asked in a deep voice, "Can you be sure and guarantee that this is the case?"

Shiba Isshin said helplessly, "Captain-Commander, I don't understand what you mean. Does Tachikawa intend to do something that could harm Soul Society?"

Ukitake reminded him from the side, "Captain Shiba, you know about Captain Unohana's past."

Shiba Isshin nodded. "What does this have to do with Captain Unohana?"

"Shin-kun is exceptionally talented at such a young age, comes from the Zaraki Ward of Rukongai, and is most skilled in swordsmanship... Don't you think these factors are too similar to someone else?"

Shiba was suddenly stunned.

Kyoraku Shunsui added, "Tachikawa previously sparred with Captain Zaraki in the Eleventh Division, and he won that battle."

"..."

Zhibo was stunned for a long time. He suddenly realized something, and the hairs on his body stood on end.

Ukitake said softly, "If it's as we think, and we only need to stay in the Fourth Division for a while to change the atmosphere, that would be best. But what if it's the kind of situation we don't want to see..."

"Given Unohana-senpai's personality, he and Nobu-kun..."

"I'm afraid only one can survive."

(End of this chapter)