Walking into the Second Division's headquarters, Yamahiko had only one thought in his mind: opulence.
The decor was lavish, adorned with glistening gold everywhere, expensive bonsai trees and folding screens, and precious trees planted in the yard.
For a division mainly responsible for execution and assassination, why such extravagance?
Who provided so much wealth to decorate the entire division?
Apart from Marechiyo Ōmaeda, there was no one else.
As a famous rich second-generation figure in the entire Soul Society, Marechiyo Ōmaeda was responsible for the decoration of the Second Division. According to his preferences, he had decorated the division headquarters to this extent of luxury, unparalleled among all divisions.
Yamahiko stared at everything in awe, and Ōmaeda smiled, asking, "How do you like the Second Division?"
Ōmaeda was waiting for Yamahiko's praise, hoping to boast that he was the one who paid for all this, and enjoy the envious looks from him.
But Yamahiko had a plain face as he replied, "Isn't the primary responsibility of the Second Division execution and assassination? With the Division's hidden covert operations, what's the use of such extravagance?"
Ōmaeda was momentarily speechless, and Suì-Fēng couldn't help but smile, suppressing her laughter.
However, when Yamahiko's gaze moved away, Suì-Fēng restrained her smile, her face serious. "Enough talking. Follow me inside."
The three of them entered the headquarters, and Suì-Fēng sat behind a desk, looking at Yamahiko. she asked, "Have you mastered Shikai, your Zanpakuto's initial release?"
Yamahiko shook his head, saying, "Not yet."
Suì-Fēng said, "Don't worry about it for now. To achieve Shikai, you need your Zanpakuto's recognition. Your Zanpakuto doesn't recognize you yet, which means your current strength isn't enough for its power. But your strength is considered quite high among recent freshmen, and the fact that it still doesn't recognize you indicates that your Zanpakuto is exceptionally powerful."
Yamahiko felt relieved hearing this. As the strongest freshman in recent decades, it was reassuring to know that his Zanpakuto was considered powerful, even though it hadn't recognized him yet.
Suì-Fēng continued, "From now on, you will serve as Ōmaeda's adjutant. The position of vice-captain for the Patrol Corps has been vacant for some time. As long as you achieve Shikai, you can take up that role. So, work hard for it."
Yamahiko promptly replied, "I will do my best."
Suì-Fēng then added, "Additionally, every Wednesday and Friday, you will undergo special training with me."
Yamahiko, curious, asked, "Special training?"
Suì-Fēng replied, "Exactly. Your potential for improvement is significant, and you'll need to acquire some special abilities. You'll find out during the training."
Yamahiko was eager to become stronger, so he welcomed the prospect of special training.
Following that, Suì-Fēng turned to and said, "Marechiyo, take Yamahiko with you. Introduce him to the responsibilities of the Patrol Corps and assign him some duties. Make sure he doesn't slack off."
Marechiyo acknowledged, saying, "Understood, Captain."
With that, Marechiyo Ōmaeda led Yamahiko out of the office to begin his duties and learn about the Patrol Corps' responsibilities.
...
Marechiyo Ōmaeda's office.
Marechiyo's office was evidently more luxurious than Sui-Feng's, indicating that he had prepared quite a few amenities during the decoration process.
Marechiyo entered the office and sat down in a luxurious chair, saying, "Let me explain your upcoming responsibilities."
"Yes" Yamahiko replied promptly, showing no sign of negligence, and listened carefully.
"Our Second Division is responsible for patrol and security duties. However, Squad Ten of the Gotei 13 is also tasked with patrol and security. Therefore, in terms of duty allocation, they handle the visible patrol and security, while we handle covert security. We ensure that if enemies infiltrate Seireitei, they can evade Squad Ten but not us."
Marechiyo paused for a moment and continued, "So, you need to know the location of every security point, be aware of information about every security officer, understand the rotation methods, and issue rotation schedules. Pay close attention to these matters; there's no room for carelessness."
"I'll remember."
Ymahiko took note of everything Marechiyo said.
Seeing Yamahiko's seriousness, Marechiyo remarked, "Actually, you don't have to be overly serious"
"What do you mean?" Yamahiko asked, puzzled.
The latter explained, "It's been sixty years since we had any intrusion incidents in Seireitei. The number of individuals requiring punishment has also decreased, and there hasn't been a major event that required the Inner Court Troop to deliver a message for seven or eight years. So, whether it's the First Division's Executive Militia, the Fifth Division's Inner Court Troop, or our patrol security teams, their roles have been continuously diminishing. Only the Third Division's Detention Unit has maintained its responsibilities over the centuries. Especially after the incident sixty years ago, the trust in the Onmitsukidō within the entire Seireitei decreased significantly, and its authority has gradually become subordinate to the Second Division."
"Sixty years ago?"
What Marechiyo Ōmaeda mentioned was likely the Hollowfication Incident. The commander of the Onmitsukidō, Yoruichi Shihouin, cooperated with Tessai Tsukabishi(Grand Kido Chief) to directly remove the falsely accused Urahara Kisuke and members of the Hollowfication's victims from the trial scene, escaping out of the Soul Society, and went to the Human World.
After this incident, the Central 46 considered Yoruichi as assisting criminals in their escape and expelled her from the Gotei 13.
If it weren't for the powerful influence of the Shihoin family and their contributions over the years, the Shihoin family might have been expelled from the Four Great Noble Families this time.
Of course, fifty years later, Yoruichi again helped Ichigo & co. infiltrate the Soul Society and committed a serious crime. If it weren't for her exposing the truth about Sosuke Aizen in the end, the Shihoin family finally might have been expelled from the Four Great Noble Families.
With both commander and division leader defecting, the power of the Onmitsukidō would surely decrease and gradually become a subordinate division of the Second Division.
Moreover, there haven't been any significant threats in the last sixty years, so the work here is quite relaxed.
Yamahiko understood this, so he didn't pay much attention to it. His goal in joining the Onmitsukidō was for intelligence networks and a concealed identity.
At this point, Marechiyo Ōmaeda added, "Once you enter the Onmitsukidō, you will eventually learn about the past history. But, under no circumstances should you mention anything about the former commander Infront of captain Suì-Fēng. Not even a word."
He emphasized this matter with a very serious expression.
Yamahiko naturally knew about Suì-Fēng and Yoruichi's history. Suì-Fēng had an almost fanatical love for Yoruichi. She joined the Onmitsukidō to admire Yoruichi, worked hard to improve herself for Yoruichi, and ultimately became Yoruichi's personal guard. However, her love was betrayed, and the most significant sin was that Yoruichi left her behind when she fled.
Of course, Suì-Fēng concealed this fact very well, but after Yoruichi was pardoned, it became widely known.
However, for now, she displayed an attitude of disgust toward Yoruichi's desertion from the Soul Society.
Therefore, mentioning Yoruichi in front of Suì-Fēng would be a dangerous thing to do.
"I understand," Yamahiko promptly replied.
Ōmaeda nodded and said, "Alright, I will teach you the work procedures as soon as possible. Then, I won't have to do anything."
"Hmm?"
Yamahiko felt like he heard something off. He won't have to do anything? Was he trying to slack off?
Faced with Yamahiko's disdainful gaze, Marechiyo coughed and said, "I mean, we should give young people more opportunities and help them grow. Haha, haha."
I don't believe you.
Seeing Marechiyo's behavior, Yamahiko couldn't help but feel contemptuous. This fat guy was described by Suì-Fēng as "someone who only thinks about food, money, and how the family business is doing."
Marechiyo's first choice in battle was to run away, followed by running away, and then running away again. His favorite technique was Bakudō #21. Sekienton, a red smoke escape.
Such a bizarre character was a rare existence even in the entire Soul Society. It seemed that there was a bigger reason for Suì-Fēng to have him join the Onmitsukidō's Patrol Corp.