Chapter 54: Chapter 54: The 10th Division Captain’s Funeral
Chapter 54: The 10th Division Captain’s Funeral
Visibly, Hiyori Sarugaki’s face instantly fell, the piece of grilled meat dropping from her mouth onto the table with a plop.
"Captain..." The blonde girl looked as if she were about to cry.
"Are you going to the 10th Division? That’s fine too. I can just come see you after I finish my work."
"Little Hiyori, I’m afraid that won’t be possible," Kirio Hikifune’s voice was full of pity and apology.
"I am going to the Zero Division. From now on, I will live in the Soul King Palace. Unless absolutely necessary, I won’t be coming back down to the Seireitei."
"Captain, do you really have to go?"
The purple-haired 12th Division Captain gently shook her head.
Hiyori Sarugaki’s mouth turned down and her eyes grew red. She didn’t say another word; she just desperately stuffed grilled meat into her mouth as tears fell platter, platter onto the table.
Yato Uchiha sighed inwardly. Hiyori Sarugaki viewed Kirio Hikifune as a mother figure. A promotion to the Zero Division meant being separated like heaven and earth; it truly was incredibly difficult to bear.
The boy cleared his throat lightly and raised his cup:
"Captain Hikifune... congratulations on your promotion. I wish you continued success and martial fortune."
"Thank you, little Yato," Kirio Hikifune downed her drink in one gulp.
"Tomorrow, the 1st Division will begin the process of selecting a new Captain. Within half a month, a new Captain will take over my duties." She paused, then continued:
"Actually, in a situation like this, it would be best for the Division’s Lieutenant or 3rd Seat to be promoted to Captain. But neither you nor little Hiyori have reached the level of Bankai yet..."
"It’s fine, Captain Hikifune. I still need time to hone my skills."
"Very good, little Yato. There’s no need to rush."
"Captain Hikifune, I assure you, I really am in no rush."
—This was the absolute truth. After all, in nine years, plenty of positions would open up.
A farewell banquet is never a joyous occasion. All three of them lost their appetite and quickly left the barbecue restaurant.
Yato Uchiha could tell Hiyori and Kirio had private things to discuss, so he returned to the barracks alone. He reviewed documents, handled official affairs, and even did the Lieutenant’s work while he was at it.
Facts proved that his actions were incredibly far-sighted.
Because Kirio Hikifune was leaving for the Soul King Palace within half a month, Hiyori Sarugaki was in no mood to do her actual job. Whenever she had free time, she stuck to her Captain, chatting with her. Yato understood her feelings and voluntarily took on the responsibilities. After all, the very essence of a 3rd Seat was to act as the "Lieutenant’s Adjutant."
A few days passed like this, and in a flash, the day of the 10th Division Captain, Shintaro Arima’s funeral arrived.
The Arima family, much like the Fon and Ukitake families, belonged to the lower nobility and boasted a long history. For the funeral of their Clan Head, they naturally had a specific set of traditional rites.
However, since Shintaro Arima had died as the Captain of the 10th Division, an incredibly noble and heavily weighted position, the funeral couldn’t simply be conducted according to the Arima family’s rules. Instead, it was overseen by the Seireitei.
The funeral was held on the back mountain of the 1st Division barracks. Since a body was never recovered, the clothing he wore in life was placed inside the coffin. The daffodil, the insignia of the 10th Division, was carved upon it, looking solemn and dignified.
Many Soul Reapers came to pay their respects, and quite a few nobles were in attendance as well. Shintaro Arima was a noble who had lived for hundreds of years and possessed an extensive network of connections.
Yato Uchiha had a daffodil tucked into his Shihakusho, representing the 12th Division. Given the current emotional state of his Captain and Lieutenant, he was the only one capable of attending such an event.
"My deepest condolences."
He bowed to the Arima family members, delivered a short eulogy in front of the coffin, and then stood quite a distance away, closing his eyes to rest.
He truly had been quite busy these past few days and needed to take advantage of this time to rest properly.
However, his brief respite didn’t last long before it was interrupted by a voice.
"Yo~ Yato-kun, it’s been a while."
The boy opened his eyes and saw Shunsui Kyoraku, a daffodil tucked behind his ear.
Because he was attending a funeral, Shunsui’s attire wasn’t overly flashy. He wore a black-patterned cloak over his Captain’s haori, making him look much more solemn.
"Captain Kyoraku."
"Impressive, Yato-kun." The middle-aged man wearing a bamboo hat observed him closely for a long while:
"The last time we met was at the Captains’ meeting two months ago, right? Your Lieutenant was out on a mission, so you accompanied Kirio in her stead. Compared to back then, your Reiatsu has become even more refined."
"You praise me too highly, Captain Kyoraku. Compared to the Captains, I am still very, very far behind."
"Don’t be so modest, 3rd Seat Yato. You’re not far from reaching a Class 4 Rei-i, are you?"
"Hm... I have indeed touched the threshold."
"Truly, every generation produces its own talents." Shunsui Kyoraku’s mouth curled into a slight smile as he looked toward the daffodil-engraved coffin not far away:
"It seems it is time for us old fogeys to wither away."
"Captain Kyoraku, were you close to Captain Arima?"
"He was a Soul Reaper who lived for hundreds of years, and we saw each other every month at the Captains’ meetings, so of course we were familiar. But outside of work, Arima and I didn’t have much interaction. Mostly because he couldn’t stand my laid-back, wandering ways, hahaha."
"Eh... I would have thought that since you are both nobles, you’d be a bit closer."
"The kind of noble I am is not the same as the kind of noble he was." Shunsui Kyoraku reached up a finger, pulling his bamboo hat down lower to hide his eyes in shadow:
"Just as the Fon family serves the Shihoin, the Arima family has served the Shiba for generations as their retainers. From the time I first started studying under Yama-jii’s discipline until now, there have been six different Captains of the 10th Division. And every single one of them was either a Shiba, or an Arima!"
"Seven years ago, I attended Moritora Shiba’s funeral, and today I stand before Shintaro Arima’s coffin... Sigh. Even though they are a magnificent Great Noble family, it is truly quite pitiful."
Yato Uchiha froze slightly. As he repeatedly chewed over Shunsui Kyoraku’s words in his mind, a faint chill actually began to rise within him.
He carefully observed the middle-aged man’s expression and movements, quickly noticing something strange.
This supposedly lazy, womanizing 8th Division Captain kept his hand resting lightly on the tsuba of his Zanpakuto the entire time. Even though he was chatting with Yato, his gaze beneath the bamboo hat was wandering elsewhere.
Yato would bet his life that if any unexpected situation arose, Shunsui Kyoraku would absolutely be the first to strike, swiftly unleashing Shikai or even Bankai!
The boy swallowed hard. Although he didn’t know why things had escalated to this point, he quietly activated the first stage of his Shikai. Three tomoe spun in his eyes as he ensured he wouldn’t miss a single abnormality at the funeral.
However, even as the sun set in the west and the funeral concluded, nothing unexpected occurred.
"...Captain Kyoraku?"
"Hmm? Why are you still here?" The frivolous 8th Division Captain looked at the boy in surprise:
"I was just thinking about the lovely girls and fine sake in the Pink District, I completely forgot the time. What? You want to head to the Pink District too? Let’s go! We’ll head over right now..."
"I still have work to do. Go enjoy yourself on your own," Yato Uchiha said stiffly.
"Farewell, Captain Kyoraku."
He turned and left without even looking back.
Watching the boy’s retreating back, Shunsui Kyoraku rubbed the blue stubble on his chin with interest, a thoughtful look in his eyes.
The Shiba family actually didn’t cause a scene. Were they persuaded to stand down by the Shihoin? Or am I just overthinking things...
Many bizarre things have been happening these past few years...
The deaths of Moritora Shiba and Shintaro Arima... the number of missing residents in the Rukongai quietly increasing...
And the Hueco Mundo incident at the Shin’o Academy all those years ago...
Sigh. Looking at it from your perspective, Yama-jii, being the Captain-Commander truly is a difficult job.
Shunsui Kyoraku let out a long sigh and placed the daffodil he had tucked behind his ear on top of the coffin.
"Wait until I fall into Hell, then we can drink together again, my friend."
☆☆☆
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