Chapter 61: Chapter 61: Yamamoto’s Stick and Carrot
Chapter 61: Yamamoto’s Stick and Carrot
"You insolent fools! What do you think the Gotei 13 is?"
Inside the 1st Division barracks, beneath the magnificent, pure white vaulted ceiling, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto struck his walking stick against the ground with a single hand, shaking the entire floor twice.
"One of you is an esteemed Captain, yet you incited a subordinate to resort to violence! The other is the youngest 3rd Seat in the Seireitei, and you nearly beat a comrade to death right on the spot!"
"And the location of this violence was within the Seireitei itself! Only two spirit-miles away from Central 46!"
"Kisuke Urahara, Yato Uchiha—if you both want to spend time in the Shrine of Penitence, you don’t need to go through all this trouble. Just tell me, and I’ll write you a permission slip right now!"
Yato kept his head bowed, kneeling on one knee. Outwardly, he didn’t dare make a peep, but he stealthily tilted his head slightly to shoot a glance at his Captain beside him.
Kisuke Urahara was standing upright, scratching the back of his head and apologizing profusely while smiling like a dopey idiot.
Facts proved that playing dumb was an excellent way to handle admitting fault. After scolding them for quite a while without getting any substantial reaction, Captain-Commander Yamamoto gradually lost interest.
"...Kisuke Urahara, for this disturbance, you will present a special self-reflection report to Central 46 and take full responsibility!"
Yato Uchiha let out a sigh of relief. It seemed Captain-Commander Yamamoto had no intention of punishing him.
Oddly enough, however, upon hearing his punishment, Kisuke Urahara couldn’t maintain his composure; his expression visibly crumbled.
He opened his mouth, looking as if he’d just swallowed a fly, and muttered a highly reluctant agreement.
Yato snickered internally. It seemed Kisuke Urahara genuinely despised Central 46; this punishment was incredibly targeted.
Old Man Yamamoto truly had a knack for it—he knew exactly how to poke his subordinates right in their weak spots.
"And you, Yato Uchiha!" The Captain-Commander cast a cold glare at the respectful young man.
"Although the main fault lies with Kisuke Urahara, you were far too heavy-handed. You must be punished."
"The Lieutenant of the 4th Division, Seinosuke Yamada, was transferred to the Shin’o Relief Squad last month. As a result, the 4th Division is currently short-staffed."
"Your talent in Kido is something even I have heard of. As your punishment... you will allocate ten days out of every month to assist Captain Unohana."
Yato Uchiha’s smile froze instantly on his face.
Wait, what? I have to go to the 4th Division? The way that maniac Unohana Retsu looks at me is getting weirder and weirder—she genuinely wants to chop me up!
He ended up looking exactly like his Captain—as if he’d just swallowed a fly—and muttered a highly reluctant agreement.
Watching the two crestfallen individuals, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto stroked his beard in satisfaction.
Thanks to Shunsui Kyoraku, he had a wealth of experience in dealing with troublemakers like these.
However, having sat in the Captain-Commander’s seat for nearly a thousand years, even a man as fierce and uncompromising as Yamamoto had learned a thing or two about nuance. He understood that to make subordinates obedient, both the stick and the carrot were indispensable; one couldn’t merely suppress them relentlessly.
Therefore, the Captain-Commander immediately offered the two of them a reward.
"Urahara, those experimental materials you applied for yesterday—go pick them up from the 1st Division’s storehouse later. Use them sparingly; Vasto Lorde soul cores are exceptionally rare."
"And you, Uchiha." The old man reached out a hand covered in callouses and scars, patting the boy’s shoulder:
"I will submit an application to Central 46 to grant you one-time access to the Great Spirit Book Gallery. Naturally, the materials you are permitted to review will be strictly restricted."
"Your Zanpakuto is a rare Multi-Stage Release type. Its training methods differ from those of both Kido-type and direct-attack-type Zanpakuto, requiring specialized guidance."
"However, the previous wielder of a Multi-Stage Release type Zanpakuto, Furofushi Saito, has already passed away."
"Therefore, I will permit you to enter the Great Spirit Book Gallery to study training records relating to this specific type of Zanpakuto."
"Remember this: The Great Spirit Book Gallery is a highly classified, restricted area of the Seireitei. Attempting to review any other materials without permission is considered an act of high treason!"
Feeling the firm grip on his shoulder, Yato hastily agreed.
"Good. Remember your mistakes today, and do not repeat them. Violence within the Seireitei is forbidden... Dismissed."
Genryusai Yamamoto waved his hand, signaling the two of them to get out of his sight.
Kisuke Urahara and Yato Uchiha exited the 1st Division barracks. They exchanged a glance and simultaneously wiped the sweat from their brows.
Standing before a furious Captain-Commander Yamamoto was a torture all its own. Even a tiny leak of his scorching, sun-like Reiatsu felt like standing inside an erupting volcano!
"Sigh." Kisuke Urahara smiled bitterly and shook his head:
"Yato, with your intellect, you surely know why I did what I did."
"Captain Urahara, since things have already reached this point, there’s no use talking about it now... How about you go to the 4th Division for me?"
"Deal. In exchange, you go present my self-reflection report to Central 46."
"Never mind. I can’t handle those geezers."
"Neither can I." The newly appointed Captain grabbed his hair as if he were going crazy:
"Yato, I need to go prepare my self-reflection. Please shoulder a bit more of the 12th Division’s duties alongside Hiyori."
Yato nodded, watching Kisuke Urahara leave.
However, judging by the direction he was heading, he was going to the 2nd Division.
It seemed that the punishment of "presenting a special self-reflection report to Central 46" wasn’t as simple as it sounded. Even Kisuke Urahara needed to consult with Yoruichi Shihoin about it.
The boy shook his head, pushing the matter of Central 46 aside, and slowly walked back toward his own barracks.
Yato, of course, completely understood Kisuke Urahara’s subtle instigation, pitting him against Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
He was helping him establish his authority!
—Kisuke Urahara has already decided that the next Captain of the 12th Division will be Yato Uchiha!
Even though he had been Captain for less than a month, given Urahara’s meticulous mind, he was already planning for the future.
Being a Soul Reaper was a high-risk profession. Since Kirio Hikifune left for the Zero Division, the only Captains who had served for over a century were Yamamoto, Kyoraku, Ukitake, Unohana, and Ginrei Kuchiki.
The annual casualty rate in the Gotei 13 was one in twenty. According to statistics from the Shin’o Academy, the average tenure of a Captain was only about thirty years.
All who live by the sword must perish by the sword!
Kisuke Urahara genuinely believed he could encounter an "accident" at any given moment. Therefore, he had Yato establish his dominance early on, violently suppressing Mayuri Kurotsuchi.
After all, Hiyori Sarugaki’s potential ceiling was plainly visible; at best, she would remain at the level of a Lieutenant.
Yato Uchiha—who possessed a Multi-Stage Release Zanpakuto, was hailed as a genius, and hailed from the Rukongai with a clean background—became the most suitable successor in Urahara’s eyes.
Although Mayuri Kurotsuchi also possessed incredible talent, the Gotei 13 was, at its core, a military organization based on violence. There was no logic in a Captain being weaker than their Seated Officer.
Yato fully understood Urahara’s intentions, so he happily went along with the flow and beat Mayuri up.
However, there was still one matter currently troubling the boy.
—Was Captain-Commander Yamamoto’s reward of allowing him to enter the Great Spirit Book Gallery his own decision, or was it at the behest of the Zero Division?
Ever since Kirio Hikifune had spoken those words to him, Yato had kept a close eye on the 1st Division’s movements.
The Zero Division... especially Ichibei Hyosube; his abilities and his mindset were far too terrifying. One had to be on guard against him.
At the very least, knowing the directives the Zero Division gave the 1st Division was a good thing.
"The Great Spirit Book Gallery." Yato Uchiha silently repeated the name in his mind.
He wondered if there were any loopholes there waiting to be exploited.
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