Kyōraku Shunsui sat in the dimly lit office that once belonged to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. His lone eye gazed at the desk, his fingers idly tracing the wood's deep grooves—marks of centuries of wear, of duty, of war. The faint scent of old parchment and incense still clung to the room, a lingering trace of the man who had led the Gotei 13 for over a thousand years.
Now, it was Kyōraku's burden to bear.
With a sigh, he leaned back in the chair, adjusting his hat. His body was weary, but his mind was restless. He thought of his former mentor—the unwavering force of nature that Yamamoto had been. He remembered the old man's lectures, his fierce devotion to Soul Society, and his merciless stance on justice. Kyōraku had often found himself at odds with Yamamoto's strictness, yet now he longed for his presence, for the sheer certainty the old man had exuded.
Had he been too soft?
His gaze shifted to the window. Outside, Seireitei was still scarred from the Quincy invasion. The ruins of once-proud structures stood as silent testaments to the Wandenreich's overwhelming force. The battle had shaken Soul Society to its core, and even now, in the so-called calm after the storm, Kyōraku knew that the war was far from over.
Then, there was Yhwach.
Kyōraku felt a shiver of unease run down his spine at the mere thought of the Quincy King. A being who wielded power beyond reason, who slaughtered Yamamoto as if he were nothing more than an old, tired man. It still didn't feel real. Yamamoto—immovable, undefeatable—had been cut down like a nameless soldier on the battlefield. The sheer brutality of it made Kyōraku's blood boil.
And now, the Gotei 13 looked to him. They expected him to lead, to find a way to victory, to protect Soul Society.
But what if they had made a different choice years ago?
Kyōraku exhaled sharply as his thoughts drifted to Kurosaki Ichigo. The boy who had fought with everything he had to save them, to defeat Aizen, only to be discarded the moment he was powerless. The Central 46 had deemed him unnecessary, a liability, and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads had followed that decree without hesitation.
Even Kyōraku had done nothing.
What if they had stood by him? What if they had embraced him as one of their own instead of pushing him away? What if, instead of treating him like an outsider, they had given him a reason to stay?
Ichigo had lost everything protecting Soul Society, and in return, they had given him nothing but exile.
If things had gone differently, would they be stronger now? Would they have been prepared for Yhwach's return?
Would Yamamoto still be alive?
Kyōraku closed his eye, his hands tightening into fists. Regret was a bitter taste in his mouth.
But there was no time for regret.
The past could not be changed. What mattered now was how they moved forward. Ichigo had found his way back to power, but he walked his own path now. He had no reason to trust the Gotei 13, and Kyōraku didn't blame him.
Still, if there was one thing he had learned from watching both Yamamoto and Ichigo—it was that some flames never truly went out.
And perhaps, just perhaps, there was still a way to set things right.
The door opened and Nanao Ise stepped quietly into the office, her usual composed expression in place, but Kyōraku could sense the concern beneath it. She carried a stack of reports, neatly arranged as always, though she hesitated for just a moment before setting them down on his desk.
"You're brooding," she observed.
Kyōraku chuckled softly, adjusting his hat. "Am I that obvious, my dear Nanao-chan?"
"You always are," she replied, adjusting her glasses. "When you get too quiet, it means you're lost in thoughts you'd rather not voice."
Kyōraku sighed and leaned back in his chair, gazing once more out the window. The sight of Seireitei's ruins hadn't changed, and neither had the weight in his chest.
"I was thinking about the past," he admitted. "About the mistakes we made. About Ichigo."
Nanao was silent for a moment before she spoke again, her voice measured. "The decision to cast him aside wasn't yours alone. It was the will of Yamamoto-sōtaichō...and we approved it."
Kyōraku smiled, but there was no humor in it. "That doesn't mean it was the right call." He glanced at her. "You knew it too, didn't you? Even back then?"
Nanao pursed her lips. "I… had doubts," she admitted. "But the rules were clear. The Gotei 13 is not meant to rely on outsiders. And at the time, Kurosaki Ichigo had served his purpose. That was how the Yamamoto-sōtaichō saw it."
"And how did you see it?" Kyōraku asked, genuinely curious.
She hesitated, looking down at the reports as if they might hold the answer. "I thought… he deserved better."
Kyōraku chuckled again, softer this time. "We all did." He let out a breath, rubbing his temple. "But we let him walk away, thinking Soul Society would be fine without him. That we'd always be strong enough on our own."
"And now you wonder if things would be different," Nanao finished for him.
He nodded. "If we'd treated him like one of our own instead of a tool to be discarded, would we have been better prepared for the Wandenreich? Would Yamamoto still be alive? Would we have stood a chance against Yhwach from the beginning?"
Nanao considered his words carefully. "Kurosaki Ichigo is powerful. But he was just one person. Even if he had stayed, there's no guarantee things would have gone differently."
"Maybe not," Kyōraku admitted. "But I can't shake the feeling that we weakened ourselves by pushing away the one person who truly fought for us, not because of duty, but because he cared."
Nanao studied him, then sighed. "So, what will you do now, Captain-Commander?"
Kyōraku closed his eye, thinking.
"Win this war," he said finally. "And if someone like Ichigo comes around again, I won't let history repeat itself."
Nanao nodded, her expression unreadable. "Then let's hope we get that chance."
She placed the reports neatly before him. "For now, you have more immediate matters to handle, Captain-Commander."
Kyōraku chuckled again, shaking off the lingering weight of his thoughts. "Ah, Nanao-chan, always keeping me in line." He picked up the first report with a sigh. "I suppose reflection can wait. There's still a war to win."
As Nanao turned to leave, Kyōraku cast one last glance out the window. The ruins of Seireitei stood as a reminder of the past. But perhaps, just perhaps, the future didn't have to follow the same path.
Akon suddenly came barging into the room, almost bumping into Nanao.
"Captain Kyōraku, lieutenant Ise. I apologize for the intrusion." He bowed. "I have been sent by Captain Kurotsuchi to tell you that the Zero Squad is on their way." Kyōraku nodded and gestured Nanao to follow him.
"Have all of the other captains been notified?" Kyōraku asked.
"Yes, sir."
"Good." No more words were exchanged as they all made it to the spot where the Tenchuren would be landing. Ukitake turned around to look at his best friend and immediately noticed his serious expression and the paper he was holding. When he reached Ukitake, Kyōraku gave him the piece of paper. The silver haired man took it and read it. He looked up at his friend and smiled sadly.
"Seems like you can't be lazy anymore." He spoke, earning a chuckle from his long-time friend. Then they, along with all the other captains and lieutenants, waited patiently until the Tenchuren crash landed a couple of metres away from them. The door opened and out walked the members of the Royal Guard with purpose in their steps.
"AAHHHH YEAH! WE'RE HERE, WE'RE HERE, WE'RE FINALLY HERE!" Tenjirō yelled, waving the Zero Division flag.
'He is doing the same thing he did when they first arrived.' Isane and Hitsugaya thought with a sweatdrop. The 4th Division lieutenant then noticed the tall man walking up to her and Unohana, who had her eye closed. Suddenly, Tenjirō tilted his upper body to the side, causing his outlandish pompadour to almost hit her captain.
"Hey there, Unohana! So how's things? I hope that you're still making good use of all the healing techniques I taught ya!"
"But of course." Unohana responded.
"You're sure about that?! Looks to me like there's been an awful lot of people dyin' around lately! What do you have to say for yourself, huh?!"
A slap to the head made him stop talking. He turned around and glared at Kirio, who just said, "That can wait! Let us finish what we came here to do first." Tenjirō grumbled incoherently, but kept quiet.
Shunsui looked at the monk and asked, "Hello, Osho. What brings you guys here this time?"
Ichibē smiled a little. "Hello Shunsui. We are here because we have been ordered by the Reiō to rebuild the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and-"
"This is preposterous!" Suí-Feng shouted, causing everyone to look at her. She continued, "I don't know how distinguished the members of the Zero Division are, but after sitting around and doing nothing in the Reiō's palace while the Sereitei has ended up in this state, now they think they can come and rebuild the Gotei 13?! In all honesty, preposterous is putting it lightly!" There was silence for a few moments as the monk stared at her.
"... Right, anyway allow me to continue."
"Hey!" Suí-Fēng shouted, but Tenjirō, having had enough, used Shunpo to get behind her and hold her arm with three of his fingers.
All of that done with a fraction of a second.
"Oh, shut up, will ya."
The petite captain looked back, stunned at the speed he used. 'How the hell did he move like that?!' She thought.
"If anyone oughta be complaining here, it's us." Tenjirō spoke. "Remind me, what's your organization called again? The Gotei 13, right? What does that name mean? EH?!" He slightly tightened his grip. "Our job is to protect the Royal Palace. Your job is to protect the Sereitei." He then looked her straight in the eyes. "You guys call yourselves the defenders of the Sereitei, but you come crying to us 'cause y'all can't do your jobs? You are not even worthy of the name."
Bang!
"Hey, that fucking hurts, goddamn it!" He cried as he fell, courtesy of a bong to the head by Ichibēi.
"I told you, idle talk can wait." He then turned his attention to the Captain Commander. "Now, before I was so rudely interrupted, we are here to gather some people to bring with us back to the Greater Royal Palace in order to train and help them reach their full potential." This shocked everyone except Mayuri, who just seem annoyed as he glared at a certain Royal Guardsman, who just looked at him and waved with one of her bony hands.
Ōetsu walked up next to Ichibē and grinned. He spoke, "Alright, listen up yo! I speak ya name, ya come forward. Isane Kotetsu," he pointed at Isane, who seemed anxious, "Tōshirō Hitsugaya and finally Suí-Fēng." The relatively new captains stood there in stunned silence, especially Suí-Fēng but she also felt uncomfortable when the two women, Kirio and Senjumaru, actually glared at her when the strange man spoke her name. Nevertheless, they all walked forward.
"Since Isane is coming with you, I'm assuming you will be teaching her advanced Kidō?" Unohana asked Tenjirō, who was leaning on Ichibē, the old monk not minding the intrusion of personal space.
"Yeah. It was his idea." He said, pointing his head at the monk. "He said something along the lines of 'I need you to teach as many able healers as you possibly can. The future of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads depended on it.' or some shit like that."
"I see."
Ichibē then spoke, "Have you gathered the other items, Senjumaru?"
"Yes. Everything is here." She responded while holding up 4 pods with her bony hands that contained a bandaged Renji, Rukia, Byakuya and the remains of the mighty Ryūjin Jakka, shocking everyone as they didn't notice her disappear.
"Unacceptable." The raven haired woman spoke. "The individuals contained within those spheres are Captain Byakuya Kuchiki, lieutenant Rukia Kuchiki and lieutenant Renji Abarai, correct? Those three people have not properly healed from their injuries, therefore I cannot allow you to take them."
"That's exactly why we are taking them." Tenjirō spoke as he walked towards his former pupil. "You oughta have figured it out by now. Your skills are never going to be enough to bring these three back to full health, especially Byakuya Kuchiki. If he stays here, he will die. I guarantee it!"
He then stopped in front of her and looked her in the eyes.
"I can heal them faster than you ever could. They will be good as new in no time. You know that. Don't you, Yachiru?" He asked, noticing Retsu look down and getting sharp looks from Ukitake and Kyōraku and a confused look from her lieutenant. "Healing isn't something you should be doing right now." He finished talking and walked back towards his teammates.
"Hm, that is Ryūjin Jakka inside that sphere, is it not? So you infiltrated my laboratory? You never did learn how to show proper respect." Kurotsuchi snarled.
Senjumaru smiled. "Well, if it isn't Mayuri. You still have not changed at all, and you over exaggerate by calling it a break-in. I just put my hands on the door and it opened by itself. However, the security seems to be lack-luster, wouldn't you agree?"
Kurotsuchi growled.
"Ok everyone. Please enter the Tenchuren so that we may be on our way." Kirio, in her plump form, spoke. As everyone but Ichibēi got into the huge structure and Senjumaru held it up with her body hands and was walking towards the Shiba house, Ichibēi spoke, "Yamamoto's Haori does look good on you, Shunsui."
Kyōraku chuckled and tipped his straw hat. "Thank you for the complement, Osho." He then looked at the huge Tenchuren getting further and further away.
Ichibēi, as if sensing what Kyōraku was thinking about, walked up to him and put his huge hand on his shoulder. "They will be fine, Shunsui. The Royal Guard will make sure that they will come back healed, and stronger than ever." The ancient monk then turned serious. "Yamamoto led the Gotei 13 for a thousand years. It is time for you to not only live up to his name, but to surpass it and creating your own legacy."
Kyōraku nodded, understanding the weight of what Ichibēi was telling him. "I see. Thank you Osho."
Ichibēi smiled. "Good. Farewell, members of the Gotei 13. Perhaps I will see some of you after the war." He then disappears, and no one saw the dark grin on his face. 'If you all survive Ichigo's wrath, that is.'
After staring at the spot where Ichibēi was, he then turned around and began walking to the Sereitei. "Where are you going, Captain Kyōraku?" Unohana asked.
"WE, you and me, are going to the Central 46 for a meeting." Kyōraku spoke over his shoulder. "It's time."
"Time for what, exactly?" Kurotsuchi asked, noticing the strange look that appeared on the 4th Division captain. He believed he saw a mix of acceptance and...was that anticipation? He was not sure.
Kyōraku stopped and turned his head around.
"Time for Captain Zaraki to be taught the way of the sword."