Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
Yoruichi, standing by Yamamoto-soutaichou, watched Toyoma fall in silence, her blood rushing in her temples as her lungs fought against the suffocating reiatsu. Yamamoto leaned on his cane, as always, and Yoruichi felt annoyed that he showed no reaction, neither to Toyoma's fall nor to the immense spiritual pressure. She braced herself, looking around; it was only captains standing now, and some of them showed surprise on their faces as they were forced to focus their own reiatsus in response to Zaraki's.
It was over now, and Yoruichi breathed a - still constricted - sigh of relief, which she abruptly cut off as Tousen appeared beside Yamamoto. There were several more rustles, and Ukitake, Aizen, Komamura, and Urahara each stepped up to form a semi-circle in front of Yamamoto, waiting silently, expectantly for the Captain-commander to speak. Behind them, Zaraki knelt to speak to Yachiru.
"Well?" Yamamoto said finally, raising one white eyebrow at his captains.
"Soutaichou," Tousen immediately began, "We cannot allow this... this monster in to our ranks! The way he killed Toyoma-san - I feel that he has little or no regard for the laws of Sereitei; how could he, being straight from Rukongai?"
"It is true," Komamura rumbled, his voice distorted by the helmet he always wore. "This man cannot know much of our way of life. To not allow Toyoma-san the courtesy of bankai - I know not where he learned how to fight, but it I must conclude that it was a school with little honour."
"Nonetheless, he won the battle," Yoruichi interjected defiantly, "according to our laws, if a captain is challenged and defeated in front of at least two hundred squad members," she spread her hand in a wide sweep, indicating the still-crouched shinigami in the street, "the challenger has the right to assume captaincy and a place in the Gotei Thirteen. He has not yet broken one of our laws."
Yamamoto remained silent, and Ukitake spoke up, lungs wheezing ever-so-slightly.
"Yoruichi-san, you speak truth, but what about his break-in? The Sekiseki wall will take quite a while to repair, leaving us open to hollow attack."
"Aah, Ukitake-san, don't make such a fuss." Urahara waved his hand flippantly, "We are more than capable of warding off hollow attacks, especially now with this man on the team. Such reiatsu! I should like him to stay."
"You just want to study his power, Urahara-san," Ukitake accused lightly, nonetheless sporting an amused smile, which fell almost immediately as he began to cough.
The captains waited in polite, sympathetic silence while Ukitake convulsed, fishing in his pocket for a cough lozenge, until Aizen tactfully produced one from his own coat and gave it to the white-haired captain.
"The destruction of the Sekiseki wall seems to me less of an infraction than an overdue reminder," the captain of the fifth squad said mildly, once Ukitake had quietened. "We now have the opportunity to strengthen the Seki stone to prevent another breach."
"Captain-commander, I can not remain silent on this issue," Tousen spoke again, urgency in his voice. "Are we all to forget that Toyoma-san has just been murdered before our very eyes? And not by hollow, but by another spirit? This seems to me a grave breach of justice."
"Tousen-san, the laws of Sereitei have been in place for over two thousand years," Ukitake said, gently but firmly. "Brutal though it may be, trial by combat is a valid method of succession to captaincy. This is not the first time it has happened in Sereitei, nor do I think it will be the last."
Komamura's expression was a mystery, but his voice emanating from the helmet was full of disapproval. "I cannot forsee any good coming of the admission of a man who slaughters his opponents so readily. Toyoma-taichou had not yet called out his bankai; to me, this seems but a half-victory; at the very least, it is a victory without honour."
Aizen spoke up once again, his tone placating. "Komamura-taichou, Tousen-taichou, your fears are valid. But what better place for a man such as this than Sereitei, where the most powerful shinigami can keep watch on him? Certainly you agree with me when I say that it is better he is here, adhering to our laws, than stirring up trouble in Rukongai."
This proposal was met with silence; Tousen shot Aizen a sharp look and Yoruichi held her breath. They seemed to have reached a standstill: it was up to the Captain-commander now.
"So," Yamamoto said, after an interval, as the reiatsu settling on their shoulders continued to push down. "The challenger - Zaraki, was it?" He looked at Yoruichi, who nodded. "This Zaraki. I shall have to speak to him. A captain should know his commander."
"Soutaichou-" Tousen began in protest, but Yamamoto continued speaking.
"If there are those of you who doubt my decision, you may speak to me privately after this. Come." He began walking towards Zaraki and Kuukaku.
Tousen looked as if he wanted to say more, but Komamura put a large hand on his friend's shoulder, and the blind captain fell into a brooding silence.
Yoruichi fell in to step beside Urahara as they followed the Captain-commander. "Thanks," she murmured quietly, and Urahara grinned happily in reply.
"What?!" Came a roar, which Yoruichi recognized as Kuukaku: as they neared the two, she could hear the Shiba's furious voice. "What do you mean, you can't?"
Zaraki looked almost embarrassed, if that was at all possible, and Yachiru sat, giggling, on his shoulder. Kuukaku was in front of him, the pointer finger of her only hand jabbed directly at Zaraki's face; she was breathing heavily and swaying.
"I don't care if you can't; turn it off right now!" She was saying forcefully, and Yoruichi dashed over and caught the Shiba as she toppled off-balance.
"Yoruichi, you sly bitch, when did you get here?" Kuukaku said, looking up-side down at Yoruichi from her resting place in her friend's arms. She was a little cross-eyed, and Yoruichi didn't blame her: here, near Zaraki, the pressure on her lungs was causing each breath to ache. Zaraki was looking down at the two women with mild concern; Yachiru stared at Kuukaku in fascination. "Bedsheet-san is looooopy!" she crowed, and giggled, completely unaffected by the reiatsu which bore down so forcefully on all the others.
"Yachiru." Zaraki said, and the girl quieted down.
Yamamoto cleared his throat. "Zaraki Kenpachi," he said, his earlier "forgetfulness" gone; Yoruichi's mouth crooked in a lopsided grin; the old man knew how to play his cards.
"Yeah?" Zaraki turned to face the Captain-commander.
"I am Yamamoto Genryuusai-Shigekuni," the old man rumbled, "Soutaichou of Sereitei. Toyoma Hatori was under my command; you have robbed me of a valuable fighter, even if your duel was within Sereitei's regulations."
Behind Yamamoto, Ukitake began convulsing again, and Aizen led the whitehaired captain away from such close proximity to Zaraki's reiatsu. Yamamoto paid no attention to this, his eyes fixed on Zaraki's face.
"The loss of Toyoma-taichou leaves a gap in the defense of Soul Society: you have taken a valuable thing from me, Zaraki Kenpachi. And so I must ask you: are you prepared to repay me this debt with your indefinite service to Sereitei, in place of Toyoma-taichou?"
Zaraki shrugged. "Sure, I'll be a captain here. Sir," he added, as an afterthought, and grinned wolfishly.
Yamamoto looked unruffled by Zaraki's flippancy. "Then, Zaraki-taichou, it is done. My first order to you is to restrain your reiatsu. Not all shinigami are at such a level as we."
Zaraki opened his mouth to speak, but Yachiru piped up from his shoulder. "Ken-chan can't do it, Beard-sama. He doesn't know how."
"Shutup, Yachiru," Zaraki said, but good-naturedly. "I do too know how. It's just that I already am; there ain't anythin' else I can do."
There was a moment of silence as everyone digested this information. Yoruichi waited nervously for Yamamoto to revoke his offer, but was saved as Urahara, unbowed by the reiatsu, stepped forward enthusiastically. "Yamamoto-san, I believe I have just the thing for this. Come with me, Zaraki-san!" Without further ado, he began to bustle off down the road.
"Follow him, Zaraki-taichou, and then report to First Division headquarters; Urahara-taichou can help you with directions."
"Yes, sir." Zaraki tried out the honorific for size, smirking as he did so, and turned to follow the sprightly twelfth division captain. As his reiatsu left the immediate area, every shinigami found themselves breathing easier; Kuukaku was able to stand up once again without leaning heavily on Yoruichi.
"Now, Shiba-san," Yamamoto turned to face Kuukaku, who stood to attention. "I trust you are no longer feeling infirm?"
"Ah, no sir," Kuukaku said deferentially, embarrassed at her complete loss of composure in front of the Commander-general and six captains. Not to mention Zaraki.
"Good. You and Shihouin-san will follow me to First Division, where we will discuss this afternoon's events. Saskibe-fukutaichou," he said, voice raised slightly. The white-haired vice-captain materialised behind his captain, already kneeling and awaiting orders. "Please organize a detail of shinigami to prepare Toyoma-san's body for burial."
"Yessir." The man shunpo'd away.
"Now then," Yamamoto continued, "shall we?" And he stepped, and flickered out of sight.
A/N: Short chapter is short, but it makes more sense for the next chapter to end it here. Hopefully this explained a few things.
Someone asked in a review if Maki Ichinose would be in this fic, and to that I have to say no; I'm going along the lines of the manga (mostly) so the Bount Arc never happened for the sake of this fanfic. Maki-chan might show up in a future one-shot, as his character is extremely interesting, but not here.