Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero.

Chapter 9 Discussion

The atmosphere was heavy in a relatively secluded courtyard near the Fifth Division's barracks.

Hinamori Momo had clearly been waiting there for a long time. She kept twisting her fingers, her eyes filled with anxiety, and her eyes were even a little red.

Several figures gradually gathered in front of her.

Abarai Renji was the first to arrive, striding quickly:

"Hinamori! What exactly happened? There's a huge rumor going around, is Shiro really...?"

Next was Kira Izuru, whose expression was as cautious as ever, but with a hint of worry in his eyes. He nodded to Hinamori Momo and stood quietly to the side.

Next was Hisagi Shuhei, the vice-captain of the Ninth Division. With a calm and serious demeanor, he greeted everyone upon arrival, then his gaze fell upon Hinamori Momo, who was clearly distracted, and he asked in a deep voice:

"Hinamori, did you summon us here because there's some concrete news from Hitsugaya?"

The arrival of the last two added a subtle twist to the already somewhat oppressive atmosphere.

Yanagawa arrived slowly. After receiving a brief message from Hinamori Momo via the Kidoshu's emergency communication method, he canceled his afternoon plans.

Almost simultaneously, another figure appeared at the entrance to the courtyard; it was Rukia Kuchiki.

Her appearance surprised everyone, since she had joined the Kuchiki family and had much less interaction with her former companions.

Rukia bowed slightly to everyone, and only when her gaze met Hinamori Momo's worried eyes did she reveal a hint of genuine concern.

"I'm sorry to have bothered everyone to come all this way." Hinamori Momo's voice was a little hoarse. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down.

"It's about Shiro... Hitsugaya Toshiro, and Kusakabe Soujiro. The rumors outside are true."

"Both of them have indeed shown the call and characteristics of 'Hyourinmaru' and have been taken away by the Central 46 for isolation and observation."

Despite being mentally prepared, everyone's hearts still sank when they heard it directly from Hinamori Momo—Hitsugaya's closest childhood friend.

Kira Izuru said in a low voice, "This matter is indeed unbelievable."

"So what's the situation now? What did those old men in the Central 46 say? Where's the Captain-Commander?" Renji was the most impatient and asked repeatedly.

Hinamori Momo shook her head, her face showing even greater worry:

"Specific handling opinions have not yet been issued." His voice trembled slightly.

"Where is Captain Aizen?" Hisagi Shuhei asked calmly. "The Fifth Division should have received the relevant report, right? What are the captain's thoughts or instructions?"

As the vice-captain, he was more accustomed to thinking about problems from the perspective of the squad's duties and superiors' orders.

Mentioning Aizen Sousuke, Hinamori Momo's eyes dimmed, and her fingers clenched tighter: "I reported to Captain Aizen this morning, I'm very worried about Shiro. The captain..."

She paused, recalling the scene at the time, "The captain just gently comforted me, saying that it was a rare miracle and that I didn't need to worry too much, and that I believed the chief commander would handle it properly."

"They also said that Hitsugaya-kun is an excellent Shinigami prospect, and the Gotei 13 will keep an eye on his development."

Yanagawa listened quietly. Aizen Sousuke... the captain of the Fifth Division, known for his gentle wisdom and the deep affection of his team members.

His reaction sounded exactly like that of a kind and steady leader: calming down his agitated subordinates, expressing his trust in the system, and showing concern for his juniors.

To outsiders, there was nothing wrong with it.

However, considering that Hinamori Momo is Hitsugaya Toshiro's closest person, and given the unprecedented upheaval and potential for this incident, is such a standardized consolation too bland?

Captain Aizen doesn't seem to care much about his subordinates.

Yanagawa made a note of this minor point of doubt for the time being; what was more important at the moment was Hinamori Momo's condition and Hitsugaya's predicament.

"In other words, the higher-ups are still debating and there is no conclusion yet, while Hitsugaya and Kusaka are currently in a state of isolation and protection, or rather, under surveillance."

"Hinamori, did you contact us hoping we would do something? Or rather, what do you think we can do right now?"

Hinamori Momo raised her head, looked at Yanagawa, then at her other classmates, her eyes filled with hope and confusion:

"I...I don't know. I'm just scared, scared that Xiaobai will be treated unfairly because of this inexplicable thing, or that she will be involved in some danger."

"Captain Aizen reassured me, but I really can't calm down... So, I was thinking of at least discussing it with everyone, maybe we can come up with a solution, or at least learn more about the situation?"

Her helplessness and worry touched everyone present.

Renji slammed his fist into his hand: "Damn it! Are we just supposed to sit here and wait?"

Kira Izuru pondered, "It's impossible to directly intervene in the decisions of the Shinigami Academy or its higher-ups. However, perhaps we can try to find out the situation from the sidelines."

"I'll try to hear some relevant information from the Third Division. Captain Gin Ichimaru... sometimes knows some special news."

He put it rather subtly, but Gin Ichimaru, as the captain of the Third Division, was known for his excellent information network.

Hisagi Shuhei pondered for a moment and said, "The Ninth Division is in charge of communications and intelligence gathering. Perhaps some clues can be found in the subsequent reports. I will keep an eye on it."

Rukia Kuchiki, who had been standing quietly a short distance away, spoke softly, her voice clear and calm:

"The specific handling by the Shinigami Academy is beyond the scope of outsiders' control, but regarding the situation during the quarantine period... perhaps I can try asking my elder brother."

She was referring to Byakuya Kuchiki. "The Sixth Division is responsible for matters concerning nobles. Although this matter doesn't directly involve nobles, given the unusual nature of the incident, as the captain, my elder brother should know some of the details. However…"

She sighed softly, "My elder brother may not reveal it, and it will require the right time."

This was already the most practical help she could offer. For someone in her current position to proactively inquire about such a sensitive matter required courage, and it also demonstrated her concern for her former comrade.

"I understand... Thank you, thank you everyone." Hinamori Momo nodded vigorously.

Chapter 10 Emergency Meeting of the Captains

Just then, a familiar spiritual pressure appeared at the entrance to the courtyard.

Everyone looked in the direction of the spiritual pressure and were slightly taken aback.

There stood the First Division Vice-Captain, Chojiro Sasakibe, standing there meticulously.

He was still wearing his impeccably tailored shihaka and haori, his mustache was neatly trimmed, and his expression remained eternally solemn and businesslike.

His presence itself represented the will of the Captain-Commander and the First Division, which was out of place at this private gathering of young officers.

"The vice-captain of the Sparrow Division?" Hisagi Shuhei was the first to react. As the vice-captain of the Ninth Division, he was most sensitive to the appearance of this assistant to the Captain-Commander. He immediately stepped forward and greeted him politely.

The others, including the worried Hinamori Momo, quickly composed themselves.

Chojiro Sasakibara's gaze swept steadily over everyone present, lingering briefly on Yanagawa, before he announced in a clear and unwavering voice:

"By order of the Commander-in-Chief."

"Regarding the matter of the 'twin Zanpakuto Hyōrinmaru' of Hitsugaya Tōshirō and Kusakabe Sōjirō of the Shinigami Academy, the Captain-Commander has decided to immediately convene an emergency meeting of the Gotei 13 captains."

Except for the captains of each squad, who are required to attend.

"The Captain-General specifically requested that the Ghost Path Sect member, Yanagawa, also attend this meeting."

"what?!"

"Yanagawa? Captains' meeting?!"

"This……"

As soon as he finished speaking, Renji Abarai's eyes widened in disbelief.

Captains' Meeting! That's the highest-level decision-making meeting of the Gotei 13. Only the captains of each squad are qualified to attend, while the vice-captains can usually only wait outside or take notes as ordered.

A member of the Ghost Path Clan was actually selected by the Captain-Commander to attend an event? This is simply unheard of!

Is it because Yanagawa just defeated Renji and his displayed strength caught the attention of the Captain-Commander?

No, the captains' meeting discussed the "Souhyōrinmaru" incident, which concerns the fundamental rules and future direction of Soul Society, and is by no means as simple as a recognition of strength.

Countless thoughts flashed through everyone's minds in an instant. They looked at Liu Chuan with surprise and uncertainty, wondering what special qualities their classmates might have that they didn't know about.

Yanagawa himself felt a slight chill. Captain-Commander Yamamoto's order came both suddenly and to some extent as it should be.

Sparrow said no more, turned around, and gestured for Yanagawa to follow.

The two figures quickly disappeared outside the courtyard.

The five people left behind looked at each other in silence for a long time.

"Hey... what's going on here..." Renji scratched his head, looking completely confused.

Renji suddenly recalled, "Speaking of which, Yanagawa went to the First Division yesterday. It seems that something really happened to him."

"Captain's meeting... Yanagawa-kun..." Hinamori Momo murmured.

Kira Izuru frowned deeply: "This matter is definitely not simple. Yanagawa, he..."

Hisagi Shuhei said in a deep voice, "It's pointless for us to speculate on the Commander-in-Chief's orders. Let's all return to our units first. We'll let you know if there's any news."

As the vice-captain, he was the first to calm down.

Rukia Kuchiki gazed in the direction Yanagawa had left and murmured, "Yanagawa-kun... always seems to surprise us."

She recalled the classmate from her time at the Central Academy of Drama who had excellent grades but always seemed somewhat aloof, and also his calmness when analyzing the situation earlier, and his nonchalant attitude when he was personally called out by the Captain-Commander.

There seemed to be a layer of mystery surrounding this person that she had never truly seen through.

Renji Abarai paced back and forth a couple of times, then suddenly stopped:

"What's the point of just discussing this here! It's a captain's meeting! The Hitsugaya matter, and that guy Yanagawa being suddenly summoned, they're definitely discussing it there! Instead of racking our brains here guessing, we should go and listen to what's going on!"

He turned to the crowd and said, “Since this is a very important captains’ meeting, we can head to the entrance of the First Division.”

After the meeting ends, we might be able to catch the captain or other members of the First Division and get some information out of them!

This is much better than us just speculating here! Giving us firsthand intelligence is crucial for deciding what to do next!

This suggestion is audacious; going to the entrance of the First Division during the captains' meeting and blocking people is definitely not in accordance with the rules.

But at this moment, Renji's somewhat impulsive suggestion unexpectedly struck a chord with everyone's anxious and helpless feelings.

Hinamori Momo was the first to raise her head, a glimmer of hope igniting in her eyes. Although she was still uneasy, Renji's words gave her a glimmer of hope that she could actively obtain information.

"Is it...is it okay? Won't it cause trouble for the captains...?" she worried habitually.

"What's the trouble!" Renji waved his hand. "We're not going to barge in! We'll just wait outside. The meeting will end eventually! We'll play it by ear then!"

Kira Izuru said cautiously, "The entrance to the First Division is heavily guarded. If we gather here rashly, we might attract attention."

"However... if it's just a matter of 'coincidentally' waiting nearby, or a brief stop under the pretext of reporting other matters to their respective squads, that might be feasible."

He can always find a relatively safe path on the edge of the rules.