Arata took a deep breath and recounted the story of his graduation exam and the expedition to Hueco Mundo.
From how he single‑handedly slaughtered a group of Gillians, to how he completely surrounded three Adjuchas on his own, and how, though seriously injured, he returned as the victor…
Only, he added a bit of fictional content.
Arata didn't reveal that he had mastered the Hollow transformation. Instead, he invented a female Hollow who looked like a Shinigami and wielded a weapon similar to a Zanpakutō. The strange part was, that Hollow didn't harm him.
And it was from her that he learned the name of that kind of existence Arrancar.
What's true and what's false is always the hardest to distinguish.
Even Shihōin Yoruichi, who had weathered countless storms, didn't know how to seriously doubt the authenticity of Arata's explanation.
On the contrary, it was precisely because it sounded so unbelievable and insane that it convinced her even more that he was telling the truth.
Just like when she and Kisuke first saw Hollow masks on the faces of Hirako and the others, back then, it also seemed extremely surreal, something that was simply impossible.
But it happened nonetheless.
Yoruichi tried to calm the shock within herself by breathing deeply.
Everything in the world has its balance.
A coin has heads and tails, life has life and death.
Since there were already Shinigami who became Hollows, if now there were also Shinigami who could become Hollow…
It didn't seem so unnatural anymore.
"So, you think the Hollows in Hueco Mundo are going through some unknown evolution?" Shihōin Yoruichi's voice had lowered, and a spark of suspicion flickered in her golden eyes.
Arata gave a slight nod, his fingers unconsciously brushing over the hilt of Meigetsu.
"That large Hollow who called herself an Arrancar not only possessed spiritual pressure equal to a captain's, but also could use abilities similar to the release of our Zanpakutō."
"Luckily, she didn't have any hostile intentions toward me, or else I probably wouldn't have returned."
Yoruichi suddenly laughed, and with that motion, the collar of her yukata slightly parted, revealing a hint of honey‑toned fullness.
"Looks like the new generation of geniuses in the Soul Society is much more interesting than I thought." She flipped and jumped down from the sink, her bare feet softly clinking on the wet tiles.
"Have you told Captain Yamamoto about this yet?"
"Not yet." Arata glanced at a dry towel, took it, and handed it to the woman. "This kind of information has no solid proof and is based solely on my words. Even if I'm a genius, I doubt the captain would believe me or take the matter seriously."
Yoruichi took the towel and casually stuffed it inside the upper part of her yukata, then began wiping herself down with completely relaxed, even somewhat indecent motions.
She watched with evident satisfaction as the young man's ears began to blush slightly, it was clear that her charm still worked flawlessly.
"Smart choice." She suddenly lowered her voice. "Fifty years ago, we were too impulsive…"
At that moment, Yoruichi's voice suddenly fell silent.
Outside, beyond the window, a subtle wave of spiritual pressure was felt, and they both turned their heads at the same time a pale blue butterfly quietly landed on the window sill, its wings shimmering with mysterious light.
"Hell Butterfly?" Arata furrowed his brow. It was the first time he had seen such a creature with his own eyes.
The Hell Butterfly was a special being under the unique control of the Gotei 13, used mainly for guidance and message transmission.
To receive the message it carried, it was enough to lightly touch it with one's own spiritual pressure.
"Hell Butterfly… looks like our evening chit‑chat ends here, handsome boy."
Yoruichi lightly jumped to the other window and waved at Arata.
"Lady Yoruichi…?" Arata was a little confused. They had just been talking normally, why was she suddenly leaving?
"Shhh..." Yoruichi pressed a finger to her lips, passing on a light, cool freshness from them.
"Hahaha, I'm no longer Shihōin Yoruichi of the Soul Society. Eavesdropping on your secrets isn't exactly a nice thing."
The wings of the Hell Butterfly lightly fluttered, as if trying to convey some urgent message.
Seeing this, Yoruichi leapt into the night air, her figure gradually blending into the shadows.
"This bell is for you, kid," her voice became more distant. "If you run into that creature again, it will warn you."
Arata reached out his hand but only managed to catch the trace of already‑dispersed warmth.
The bathroom fell silent once more; only the rhythmic dripping of water from the faucet and the quiet chirping of insects outside could be heard.
Arata sighed softly and shook off all the tangled thoughts in his head.
He extended his hand and touched the Hell Butterfly, gently releasing his spiritual pressure, and in the next moment, a brief message was directly transmitted into his mind.
"Urgent notice: all captains of the Gotei 13 are to gather in the First Division within the hour, including special operative Saito Nozomi. Repeat, all…"
Arata slightly furrowed his brow.
As the special operative member of the Gotei 13 personally chosen by Yamamoto, although he hadn't yet been formally assigned to any division or truly become a captain or lieutenant…
After the Hueco Mundo expedition and the spiritual pressure test, nearly everyone had silently ranked him as a standard Shinigami on captain level.
In that sense, it was understandable that he was included on the attendance list.
"Looks like there won't be any early sleep tonight. The only question is what's so important that old man Yamamoto had to call a meeting this late."
With a faint smile on his lips, Arata shook off his thoughts and quickly put on his shihakushō.
When he arrived at the First Division, most of the captains were already present.
In the vast meeting hall, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni sat in the main seat.
"Hey, our special operative of the Gotei 13 has arrived." Kyōraku Shunsui pressed down his straw hat and waved at Arata with a smile.
Shiba Isshin next to him turned his head and gave him a hearty glance.
"Captain Kyōraku, Captain Shiba."
Arata politely responded and then positioned himself at the end of the line.
He didn't stand next to Kurotsuchi Mayuri, but on the opposite side, next to Kenpachi Zaraki.
He also noticed that none of the captains had brought their lieutenants, with a single exception.
The captain of the 5th Division, Aizen Sōsuke.
Next to Aizen stood his lieutenant, Gin Ichimaru with half‑closed eyes and that eternal snake‑like smile.
Before Arata could make sense of it, Captain Yamamoto spoke.
"Now that everyone has gathered, let's begin the meeting." Captain Yamamoto lightly tapped his cane on the floor, and his adjutant, Sasakibe Chōjirō, immediately unrolled a scroll with documents.
"First item on the agenda: regarding the evaluation process of the 5th Division Lieutenant Gin Ichimaru's application for the position of captain."
Arata's heart skipped a beat.
In the original story, it was precisely during this period that Gin Ichimaru became a captain but he hadn't expected to witness it personally.
"Since Lieutenant Ichimaru Gin has chosen to ascend to the position of captain through the captain's proficiency test, by regulation, one person among the current captains will be randomly selected as the examiner, and the test must be attended by at least three captains, including the Captain‑Commander."
Sasakibe's voice was calm and strong. After a brief pause, he added:
"Additionally, the Captain‑Commander, considering this year's special circumstances, has granted special permission for Saito Arata to be included in the pool of captains eligible for examiner selection."
Everyone present was taken aback by Captain Yamamoto's decision including Arata himself.
Arata was completely baffled at that moment. How was it possible that he had just graduated from the Shinō Academy, and was already included in the list of examiner candidates?
He did believe he could defeat a weaker‑level captain, but that certainly didn't mean he had enough confidence to face Gin Ichimaru.
However, in this case, Yamamoto acted first and only informed him after, leaving Arata no room whatsoever to object.
Sasakibe brought out a sandalwood box with a round hole on the top and placed it before Yamamoto.
"Lieutenant Gin Ichimaru, please step forward and draw your lot."
———
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