North Seireitei, near the 8th Division barracks.
A burly figure dashed between various alleys, causing the shredded Captain's haori fluttering in the wind to draw a lot of attention.
Overwhelming Reiatsu surged around him.
Before long, a three-way intersection appeared in front of him, causing the figure to slow down.
"Left, center, right..."
Zaraki Kenpachi revealed a fierce expression, "This kind of choice is really annoying!"
Just as he hesitated, a little pink-haired girl popped her head out from his shoulder.
The cute blush on the girl's cheeks was evident. Her expression was filled with excitement, and her short legs were dangling from Zaraki Kenpachi's shoulder.
The Vice-Captain of the 11th Division, Yachiru Kusajishi.
"Hey, Ken-chan, let's go right!"
She pointed with her hand and shouted, "The guy who took away the baldy must be in this direction!"
"You've got to be kidding me!"
Zaraki replied annoyedly but picked the right alley anyway.
Meanwhile, on the roof of the 8th Division barracks, a calm gaze observed the two until they were out of sight.
"Well, look at that."
A lazy voice sounded from the roof, and Shunsui Kyoraku raised a cup of sake as a gesture.
"The newcomers are always so full of energy."
"But..."
He scratched his chin absent-mindedly and seemed to recall something, "If I'm not mistaken, that direction should lead to the Noble Street of the 6th Division, right?"
"Does he navigate his way purely by intuition?"
While Kyoraku enjoyed his sake and the entertainment, a head appeared from under the roof.
"Captain Kyoraku, the inauguration ceremony is about to begin. You should make your way..."
Before the sentence was finished, a beam of spiritual energy precisely hit the person's mouth.
"What an inauspicious remark, Tatsufusa Enjoji."
Kyoraku descended lightly from the roof, and the pink Captain's haori was draped over his back.
He glanced at Enjoji, who was restrained by Kidō, sighed helplessly, and said:
"You should learn some linguistic skill from some of your seniors or subscribe to a few issues of the Seireitei Communication Magazine."
"The serialized 'Rose-Colored Path' on top should be good for you."
"The only downside is that it doesn't quite match your image..."
Ever since Lisa Yadomaru was exiled from Soul Society, Kyoraku had been enduring the torment from Tatsufusa Enjoji, 8th Division's Third Seat.
One's manner of speaking was always the biggest problem for a man like Kyoraku.
Kyoraku shook his head and sighed as he disappeared from the room using Shunpo.
Now he was beginning to consider whether it was time to find a new Vice-Captain.
...
9th Division barracks.
Captain's Office.
Yesterday, when Tokikaze returned from the prison, Tsujishiro Kuroemon III delivered the Captain's haori that had been hastily made.
As an exclusive noble tailor, there was no need to doubt Tsujishiro Kuroemon's sewing skills.
Apart from Captain's haori, the luxurious costumes exclusive to various major Noble Clans were often made by him.
For example, Kuchiki Clan's scarf windflower gauze and Tsunayashiro Clan's feather accessory.
The value of his works was sky-high.
Any of his masterpieces was enough to buy several buildings in Seireitei.
As per Tokikaze's request, the Captain's haori had the Tsunayashiro Clan crest added, and two blue tassels were added to the collar.
Its overall structure was somewhat similar to Byakuya Kuchiki's later haori.
Tokikaze himself was quite good-looking.
Both Tsunayashiro Clan and the Kuchiki Clan hardly had any unattractive individuals.
In terms of appearance, the Five Great Noble Families seemed to be equally unmatched.
Even the current Shihoin Clan had a lot of good-looking people.
The only one that dragged them back behind might be the current head of the Shiba Clan's younger brother, Shiba Ganju.
Of course, this was only if he was compared to individuals like Tokikaze and Byakuya.
If compared to ordinary people, Shiba Ganjuro would still be considered handsome.
Matsumoto Rangiku skillfully slid Tokikaze's Captain haori into him, straightened the collar, and finally admired him with a satisfied expression.
"Well, even after all these years, you still look incredibly handsome."
Ever since she was found by the servants of the Tsunayashiro Clan in Rukongai and brought back to the Noble District, she and Tokikaze had been friends, so their relationship was much closer than it appeared.
Tokikaze knew full well how to implement the saying "strike while it's hot". When he used his family's influence to intervene, Matsumoto Rangiku hadn't even met Ichimaru Gin.
However, that certainly left him confused why Ichimaru Gin still associated himself with Aizen.
The only reason that made sense was because Aizen managed to get his hands on the Ouken.
Whether it was an illusion or some other means, the entire Tsunayashiro Clan seemed blind, completely unaware of what had happened. At that time, Tokikaze was weak and powerless.
He never wanted to experience that sense of powerlessness again.
Fortunately, everything was now on the right track.
As for when he would confront Aizen directly, he believed that day was not far off.
"Of course I am."
Tokikaze had an air of confidence around him.
"Hmm, something seems to be missing."
Matsumoto Rangiku put her finger to her lips, carefully examining him.
"The hairpin!"
She turned around, picked up a hairpin from the table, and tied up Tokikaze's hair.
"As expected of the Captain I chose!"
After fixing Tokikaze's hair, Matsumoto Rangiku nodded in satisfaction. "In terms of looks alone, you certainly surpass Shiba Issin easily!"
After changing Division, this girl seemed to become more and more shameless.
"Alright, let's go."
Tokikaze glanced at himself in the mirror and spoke. "The inauguration ceremony is about to begin."
"If we're late again this time, I can't guarantee that Captain-Commander Yamamoto won't lose his temper."
After being late for the previous assessment battle due to diligent training, Yamamoto had considered this aspect and postponed the ceremony by an hour.
It seemed that if he was late again, the Captain-Commander might unleash his Ryujin Jakka on the spot.
Perhaps thinking of this consequence, Matsumoto Rangiku showed a worried expression and hurriedly took Tokikaze's hand, leaving the barracks.
"We don't have time to walk, let's use Shunpo."
Tokikaze glanced at the time, then reached back and pulled Matsumoto Rangiku in front of him.
To her surprised, he immediately carried her like a princess.
With Shunpo, the two figures disappeared in an instant.
The 9th Division members cleaning the courtyard of the barracks were left stunned when they witnessed this scene.