Chapter 393: Shall We Do It? Right Here?
Wearing two layers of Captain's Haori, Satoru frowned as an idea struck him.
You want me to be the Captain-Commander?
Well then, there's only one answer.
Using the authority of the Captain-Commander, I appoint old man Yamamoto to succeed me as Captain-Commander!
Thinking this, he grinned and was about to speak.
But before he could utter a word, Aizen, standing nearby, whispered in a voice only he could hear:
"Satoru, if you're the Captain-Commander, you can order Kisuke Urahara and the others to handle official duties for you."
"But... if you return the position to Lord Yamamoto, he'll surely give you some title like 'Acting Captain-Commander' again and dump all the work on you, just like before."
"At that point, you won't have any initiative at all."
Hearing Aizen's words, Satoru's expression froze.
Yamamoto, seated at the head of the room, watched as a certain someone changed his mind after just a few whispered words from Aizen, a slight smile curling at the corners of his mouth.
After being tormented by this rebellious disciple for over two hundred years, he had finally found the trick to handling him.
Gazing at Yamamoto seated in the high position, Satoru suddenly sensed something.
All along, in his eyes, Yamamoto had been like a great mountain.
Simply by standing there, he could shelter those living at his feet.
People enjoyed the mountain's protection and its resources, but no one ever considered whether the mountain itself had grown weary.
The strongest Shinigami in a thousand years, founder of the Gotei 13, the demon Yamamoto...
None of these illustrious titles could conceal the fact.
This powerful man had grown old.
As early as a thousand years ago, before the Gotei 13 was even established, Yamamoto was already a balding middle-aged man.
Unifying the original Thirteen Divisions, battling Yhwach, founding the Shin'ō Academy, dealing with Central 46, fighting rebel wars, disciplining his wayward disciple Kyōraku...
Storm after storm had left deep chisel marks on this old man.
At this moment, the old man was relinquishing his authority not like those troublemakers from the Shiba Clan, who simply wanted to shirk responsibility.
After repeated observation, he believed he could retire with his achievements and entrust the future to the younger generation.
At such a time, there was only one thing for him to do.
...
...
The Seireitei was thrown into shock.
Satoru had become the Captain-Commander!
Upon receiving the notice that the Captain-Commander succession ceremony would be held next month, the Shinigami of the Gotei 13 reacted with mixed emotions.
The members of the Eleventh Division were utterly ecstatic.
"Big Bro won!"
"Big Bro successfully snatched the old man's gold!"
"From now on, the Seireitei belongs to the Mikami family!"
"Heaven's will be done, heaven's will be done!"
Meanwhile, Shinigami from other divisions sighed with emotion.
Satoru had finally rebelled after all.
Poor Captain-Commander Yamamoto, to die so inexplicably.
Is this the cruel natural selection at work?
Although a small conservative faction expressed concerns about the future following Yamamoto's departure, most Shinigami accepted this reality quite easily.
And at this moment, the designated successor to the Captain-Commander position, the future ruler of the Seireitei for the next thousand years or even longer, was engaged in despicable behavior.
By a small window, two black cats were stacked on top of each other.
Setting aside caterpillar-like imaginations, there were no strange movements involved.
The two black cats were piled vertically, both closing one eye as they peered through the window crack.
"Hey, ease up on the pressure, you're messing up my fur."
"Idiot, bear with it, be careful not to get discovered."
"Damn it, why am I always on the bottom... Next time you take the bottom position."
"No way, that thing would press against my back then."
"?"
Satoru was outraged.
What's wrong with that thing... That thing is my best brother!
Just as he was about to protest, the young woman changing clothes in the room seemed to sense something and turned to look in their direction.
The next second, Suì-Fēng's icy gaze met the two pairs of feline eyes at the window.
After a brief silence, all three parties moved simultaneously.
A storm of Shunkō erupted around Suì-Fēng.
Without hesitation, Satoru and Yoruichi turned tail and fled.
The two... two cats shot through the courtyard like black lightning bolts, fully leveraging their feline agility, vanishing in the blink of an eye.
Suì-Fēng stood in the courtyard, glancing around with visible irritation.
Could these two adults ever act with any semblance of dignity?!
...
...
Deep within a small grove, the two black cats finally halted.
Turning back to confirm Suì-Fēng hadn't pursued them, they simultaneously breathed sighs of relief.
Exchanging a glance, both cats broke into identical grins.
"So, how was it?"
"Kinda thrilling."
"Heh, that means you've truly grasped the essence of it."
As a seasoned Suì-Fēng connoisseur, Satoru had long perfected the art of eliciting her flustered reactions through natural talent alone.
Truth be told, the act of peeping itself held little appeal.
After all, even without resorting to voyeurism, Suì-Fēng had long been putty in his hands.
The real thrill lay in the chase - that heart-pounding pursuit after being discovered.
Though it might sound peculiar, even borderline deviant... any true gentleman would understand when it came to Suì-Fēng.
Watching Satoru yawn widely beside her, Yoruichi curled her lips:
"Satoru, how does it feel to be the future Captain-Commander?"
Satoru scratched behind his ear with a hind paw:
"Probably similar to how you felt inheriting the Shihōin Clan."
If this had been right after his transmigration, being offered the Captain-Commander position would have thrilled him to death.
But now, he'd long since seen through such things.
The Shinigami world differed fundamentally from his previous world in one crucial aspect - it possessed an almost absolute system of individual combat prowess.
When you attained sufficient strength, authority naturally followed.
Just like the Gotei 13 - its establishment and continued existence relied entirely on Yamamoto's solitary blade.
Authority built upon genuine power was the only real authority.
Otherwise, it was merely an empty title.
Having served as clan head for years, Yoruichi naturally understood Satoru's sentiment.
She chuckled lightly, extending a petite paw to pat Satoru's shoulder.
"Don't worry, this young lady will have your back!"
Satoru responded with a sinister chuckle.
A mere Shihōin clan head thought she could challenge him, who commanded the twin guardians of Shiba and Kuchiki?
Whether Byakuya or Ichigo, they were all this priest's little boys!
Just as he prepared to boast, Yoruichi suddenly interjected:
"Satoru, should we try doing it?"
"Huh?"
Staring at the golden-eyed feline face beside him, Satoru wore a stunned expression.
Yoruichi gazed at him curiously:
"Someone as reserved as Soi Fon shows such adorable expressions when she's with you."
"It must feel really amazing, right?"
"I want to experience it too - whatever it is that makes Suì-Fēng show such cute expressions~"
Seeing Yoruichi's serious expression, Satoru felt genuinely shocked.
"Do it... right now, right here?"
"What, are you scared?"
"Don't joke... I'd even dare to snatch coins from old man Yamamoto! Is there anything in this world I wouldn't dare?!"
Despite his bold words, Satoru's eyes revealed intense internal conflict, as if wrestling with some monumental decision.
His reaction, in turn, left Yoruichi somewhat perplexed.
This guy doesn't seem like the type to hesitate at a time like this, does he?
Just as she was about to speak, she saw Satoru padding over on cat paws, preparing to climb onto her back.
"?"
Yoruichi almost laughed in exasperation.
With a swift kick, she sent Satoru tumbling off her back.
"You idiot! Who told you to use your cat form!"
"Ah... wasn't it supposed to be the cat form?"
"Who would immediately think of using a cat's form!"
"Uh, uh."
After some commotion, two puffs of smoke rose as both returned from their feline forms to their Shinigami appearances.
When switching forms, they wore no clothing.
Seeing the woman before him, even the well-experienced Satoru couldn't help but show admiration.
Unlike when she was young, Yoruichi had changed dramatically.
In terms of sexy physique, Yoruichi could be called the absolute top tier.
Compared to Yoruichi, the equally dark-skinned and well-endowed Tier Harribel lacked a certain wildness.
Nelliel, on the other hand, lacked that sensual quality.
As for Bambietta... well, that one wasn't even in the same league as Yoruichi.
Satoru shook his head, took a deep breath, and pushed those strange thoughts from his mind.
At this moment, he only wanted to do one thing - thoroughly savor his good friend's body.
After deploying an isolation barrier, their figures overlapped.
Person, people, individual, together, gathering, floating...
One possessed a natural-born physique, while the other was an unconventional Shinigami specializing in combat arts - both possessed combat capabilities far exceeding ordinary people.
After what seemed like an eternity, until daylight faded into darkness, they finally felt somewhat satisfied and ceased their activities.
Taking Yoruichi with him, Satoru directly used Garganta techniques to tear open space, creating a temporary passage to their secret hot spring hideout.
Soaking in the hot spring, he held Yoruichi by the waist with a somewhat sentimental expression.
From their first meeting until now, over a hundred years had passed - nearly two centuries.
After going through so much, they had finally reached this point.
Looking at Yoruichi lying in his arms with a sleepy expression, Satoru leaned close and whispered:
"Lady Yoruichi, since we've reached this point, you'll take responsibility for me, right?"
"With the Shihōin Clan backing me, aren't my days of luxury about to begin?"
Hearing this, Yoruichi amusedly elbowed him.
"Fool, if you wanted such a life, you could have had it long ago."
If Satoru were just a captain, wanting to marry Yoruichi would have been impossible.
After all, Yoruichi wasn't an ordinary woman of the Shihōin Clan - she was the current family head.
No matter how one looked at it, the clan elders would never allow their head to marry out.
The only way to be with Yoruichi was through matrilocal marriage.
But after Satoru's battle with Yamamoto in the Dangai, anyone with eyes could see this man was destined to become a leader of their era.
From that moment on, the Shihōin Clan elders had largely fallen in line.
Later, as Satoru grew closer to the Zero Division, more and more supporters emerged within the Shihōin Clan.
Now, this guy had practically been designated as the next Captain-Commander.
What elder would dare oppose this now? That would truly be asking for trouble.
Holding the body in his arms, Satoru employed cat-like behavior, nuzzling against that beautiful purple hair.
It was time to formally propose to the Shihōin Clan.
...
...
As the system gradually improved, the Grand Assembly began to demonstrate its effectiveness.
Through discussions among representatives from various districts of Rukongai, the first Rukongai renovation plan officially commenced.
Under the Grand Assembly's coordination, numerous souls with spiritual talent—insufficient to become Shinigami yet gifted—formed a robust engineering corps, systematically carrying out construction work.
However, as one of the project's primary supervisors, Tōsen harbored persistent concerns.
Standing atop a hill in Rukongai, he quietly "gazed" toward the bustling construction site in the distance, his expression grave.
"Kaname, what troubles you?"
A voice suddenly spoke beside him at some unnoticed moment.
Tōsen started slightly, then bowed his head:
"Lord Aizen."
After the greeting, he hesitated, lips parting as if wrestling with whether to voice his thoughts.
Aizen showed no impatience, simply waiting.
After a long pause, Tōsen slowly said:
"Lord Aizen... I am deeply concerned."
"While the establishment of the Grand Assembly has indeed brought change to this world..."
"How long can this system last before collapsing? How long before human nature corrupts? Might these very people become new nobles in the future?"
"Whenever I ponder these questions, I find myself restless and at a loss."
"I know such thoughts may be excessive at this stage, yet I cannot suppress this anxiety."
Hearing Tōsen's words, Aizen's lips curved faintly.
"No, Kaname, this isn't excessive contemplation."
"Your concerns precisely demonstrate the genuineness of your devotion to the Soul Society."
"However, for now, you need not bear this worry."
Tōsen showed a perplexed expression at this.
Under his attentive regard, Aizen continued calmly:
"The Soul Society differs fundamentally from the Living World in one aspect."
"That is: sufficiently powerful strength can establish equally formidable authority."
"In the past, the Central 46's system endured not because of institutional stability, but through Yamamoto Shigekuni's power."
"Currently, the system of the Great Council is the same."
"As a newly established political system, the Great Council has many immature and rough aspects."
"The reason its will can be firmly executed relies on only one thing: Satoru's power."
"As long as Satoru remains, and his power and influence do not disappear, the Great Council system will continue to exist and be constantly improved and refined until it becomes a relatively perfect system in this era."
Kaname Tōsen was slightly taken aback.
He opened his mouth as if to say something but quickly closed it again.
Even so, Aizen guessed what he was thinking.
Under Tōsen's "gaze," Aizen revealed a smile.
"Don't worry, Kaname."
"As long as this world still needs him, Satoru will always be there."
"He will become an existence standing above the heavens!"