Even if sanity returned to the women's shinigami association before the destruction of an entire division the women had no intention in showing mercy to Captain Kurotsuchi. Each and every member filed a complaint, although Nemu took a bit of convincing as she still didn't follow exactly what the problem was. They then went home and spread the news of Twelve's spying, recruiting as many people as they could to join in by filing their own complaints.
By the time the Ethics Office closed that evening nearly two thousand complaints had been filed along with complaints by more than half the captains. Kurotsuchi came very close to having the Discipline Team sent after him by Soifon, and Gin was pretty sure this was the best day in decades. He was very disappointed with himself for never having bothered to point out the spying to the women in the first place. It was better than a dozen birthdays.
He was smiling broadly as he entered the Emergency Captains' Meeting. He had come late as usual so he could get a good look at all the others as he came in. The poor General looked upset; he really shouldn't have ok'ed the surveillance system in the first place. Soifon was, of course, murderous. She was glowing with more reiatsu than he'd seen around her in years. Unohana looked way too calm which was even more frightening. Aizen really had that righteous indignation combined with sorrowful disappointment down to an art form now. Kuchiki looked like he didn't care but he always looked like that, except when he was actively planning to kill someone; that look was a little different. Who knew what Kamamura thought behind that helmet of his, and Tosen always looked like a slightly more self-righteous and dull version of Aizen in Gin's opinion. Zaraki looked as happy as Gin which was a little strange; there weren't many things they both enjoyed, but seeing Kurotsuchi in trouble was apparently one of them.
The last three captains, Kyoraku, Ukitake, and Kurotsuchi all looked furious. It was a bit unsettling on Kyoraku and Ukitake because Gin really had no idea what either of them were actually capable of. Kurotsuchi was a little worrying because he kept changing his poisons, and Gin had a hard time keeping up with his antidote supply, but, all things considered, he was less frightening than the other two.
"Hello, hello," Gin said pleasantly as he waved at the others on his way to his place across from Soifon. "Sorry I'm late again, Yama-ji. Kin-chan went and spilled his entire dinner on my uniform. It was either come smelling of natto or changing. I think I made the best choice for everyone-are we all going to get a turn to yell at Kurotsuchi or is that wishful thinking on my part?"
"Enough!" Yamamoto commanded. "This is a serious matter. I won't have you turning it to your own amusement, Ichimaru!"
"Oh, nothing needs to be done for my amusement," Gin said in the most serious voice he could manage. "I'm sure I'm going to enjoy this no matter what happens."
"That's enough, Gin-kun," Aizen said, softly, and Gin shut up.
The ancient general looked over the assembled group of captains. Some were among those he valued most in his long life; others, well, it was fair to say he did not care for young Ichimaru, and Kurotsuchi was evil, but he was a necessary evil. There had not been a mind like his in the last century. Yamamoto wished they'd realized the value of R&D before they lost the even more brilliant Urahara, if only because keeping Kisuke around would have felt less like they were compromising the integrity of the entire Gotei. But that decision was in the past; the Gotei of today needed Kurotsuchi.
"First of all," Yamamoto said, firmly. "Do we know how the women came to learn of a top secret surveillance program?"
"You mean this was an authorized program?" Kyoraku couldn't hold back at that discovery.
"Captain Kurotsuchi may have taken the program beyond its original boundaries, but yes, a surveillance program was enacted some years ago. It has remained on a need to know basis with only handpicked members of Twelve authorized to operate as monitors."
"I believe the leak occurred during a Women's Shinigami Association Meeting at the home of Captain Ichimaru," Kurotsuchi decided to point out before anyone could blame him for the leak. "Captain Ichimaru has been aware of the surveillance for some time, shown by the fact that all cameras were disabled in his residence upon his moving in. I would not put it past Captain Ichimaru to share his knowledge with the women for his own entertainment, despite the face that he must be aware the project is secret."
"Oh, I do wish I had," Gin answered. "I would love to have seen their faces when they learned you were watching them all the time. Ran-chan told me Lieutenant Ise was particularly furious. It's too bad that they calmed her down. She wanted to burn Twelve to the ground at one point."
"Then it was your wife who told them," Kurotsuchi accused.
"Nah, Ran-chan didn't believe me. If she had there's no way she would have let you watch her friends bathe one more time," Gin answered.
"There are cameras in the baths?!" Kyoraku very nearly shouted.
"That is unacceptable, Kurotsuchi," the General said. "You were expected to follow reasonable limits during the installation. The women have every right to be upset if you violated their privacy to that degree."
"I was only told the cameras weren't permitted within private property. I see no point in trying to monitor activities within the Gotei if access is further restricted. Everyone will know to keep their illegal activities out of public areas. The system will be all but useless," Kurotsuchi argued.
"It's true," Gin agreed. "I'm always careful to keep mine confined to the bedroom, or are those activities not illegal until you go and record them? I've always wanted to ask you about that, because I know Seireitei has very strict rules about the recording and viewing of certain activities-"
"Don't be obscene," Kurotsuchi snapped. "We have no interest whatsoever in anything sexual. Deviancy is reported to the proper authorities; beyond that-"
Gin grinned hugely. "Then you are watching? Do you make recordings because there was one time Ran and I-"
"You're disgusting," Kurotsuchi snapped.
"I'd be willing to pay," Gin protested.
"Gin-kun," Aizen said once more, and Gin shut up.
It was a pity because Kurotsuchi wasn't the only one who was getting upset. For those who hadn't really thought through the implications of the surveillance program it was bringing the reality of its violations into focus. Even captains' quarters within their divisions were not private property. Their privacy had been as thoroughly violated as every other shinigami's. Only Kuchiki did not live on Gotei property.
"It is clear we must review the surveillance system," Yamamoto said, looking unhappy. "But we should also try to calm the public outrage. This anger directed at Captain Kurotsuchi is not useful. If we can find a way to reduce the impression of wrongdoing-
"General, I understand the value of Captain Kurotsuchi and his division to the Gotei, however I cannot support any decision that would minimize these violations," Captain Ukitake interrupted suddenly. "Captain Kurotsuchi has shown a pattern of disdain for the codes of ethical standards we are all to uphold. I was truly grieved to discover the number of complaints by members of his own division and others that have gone ignored for years. We, as captains, have failed the entire Gotei by allowing one of our own to act so completely without oversight or question."
Everyone was staring at Ukitake. He seldom spoke up in meetings, and when he did it was usually as a voice of calm when others were calling for immediate action. He had not once, in the past century, flat out disagreed with the General. Most of the captains were too surprised to respond one way or another. Kyoraku and Gin were both smiling at the white-haired captain. Kyoraku was thrilled to see his old friend taking the lead in arguing some sense into the General, but Gin was just pleased to see that things weren't going to be settling down any time soon.
Yamamoto, for his part was going quickly from shocked to annoyed. "Juushiro, we will have enough problems calming the Gotei as it is. This is not the time to start bringing up every minor complaint against Kurotsuchi."
"I do not consider any of the complaints I have reviewed in the past two days to be minor. There are multiple complaints of both aggression by the captain and of his carelessness leading to injury. I personally have witnessed him lash out violently against his lieutenant, and I have grave concerns about his treatment of all his subordinates. Not only are the number and frequency of complaints disturbing, but a review of Division Twelve's public records confirms the veracity of the complaints. I found that the mortality rate for members of Division Twelve averages three per year, or thirty a decade, which is comparable to the Eleventh Division's rate of thirty-two a decade. The Eleventh Division is considered the most dangerous of all divisions and recruits are warned of this when they join. No one is warning the graduates who join Twelve; it is assumed to be relatively safe, due to the fact that members seldom participate in combat missions which begs the question, why is it so dangerous? I believe there should be an immediate investigation into exactly what Captain Kurotsuchi is doing to endanger his division, and that all his ethical violations, including the violation of every shinigami's privacy, and the brutality with which he treats his subordinates, be brought before Central 46 for official sanction."
Gin was impressed. He didn't think he'd ever heard Ukitake speak that long without pausing to let someone else share their own opinion.
"You're still worked up about Nemu?" Kurotsuchi demanded, looking disgusted. "If you want to sleep with the girl, go ahead, I won't object; just stop-"
"I beg your pardon!" Ukitake interrupted in a tone that sounded like Kurotsuchi had better start begging his and quickly.
"Hey, now!" Kyoraku said quickly. "Let's stick to the topic at hand."
"What is all of this about if it isn't sex?" Kurotsuchi wanted to know. "You try to protect her from me, as though the protection of anyone with such a delicate constitution could be of any use to her, and now you're complaining about how I run my division, which is not any business of yours. If it helps, I do not think she would reject your advances. The silly girl washed your handkerchief and carries it around with her. Quite ridiculous. Next time I think I will have a male lieutenant. Females are far too sentimental."
"I assure you, Captain Kurotsuchi," Ukitake said slowly, very obviously holding back his fury at the scientist. "That your ethical abuses and the mortality of your staff would concern me, regardless of how I may feel personally toward your lieutenant."
Gin smiled. Maybe Ran was right; Ukitake was attracted to the maiden in distress. How funny. "I agree," he said loudly. "If I'm not allowed to kill off my squad members, how come he's allowed to kill off his? I've only lost six, and I've already had to face a review."
"R&D handles many sensitive issues, but that is no reason for it to escape from oversight," Aizen said. "We cannot be placing large numbers of men and women in potentially deadly situations simply for the sake of advancing our technology, and this incident with the surveillance cameras has shown, at best, a lack of judgment in our head scientist, and at worst a complete disregard for the ethical standards that are intended to guide us all."
The meeting concluded with a unanimous decision to hold a full review of all of Division Twelve's projects and the dismantling of a large part of the Seireitei surveillance network. Kurotsuchi agreed without argument when he realized his other option was to go before Central 46. A review would slow many important experiments, but Central 46 might shut him down entirely.
When he left he was still convinced that everything was due to Captain Ukitake's interest in his daughter, and that Ukitake was simply trying to impress her with all his noble efforts to protect her and her fellow division members. It was ridiculous because Nemu had no sense whatsoever of good and evil; he'd made her that way on purpose. He had no intention getting in ethical arguments with his lieutenant. Ukitake was an annoying fool, and as far as Kurotsuchi was concerned, he needed to be punished for his meddling. He had no doubt he could find some way to punish the other captain; it was just a matter of time.