Given Suō Tsukasa's personality, he enjoyed gathering friends together. Therefore, he was perfectly fine with whether Matsumoto Rangiku chose to come by later or not.
With her mastery of Shunpo, she didn't have to worry about the danger of being discovered, unless some Captains or Vice-Captains were specifically paying attention. More importantly, the future Wandenreich possessed an absolute advantage in combat power. While the Sternritter in the original story were certainly formidable, she at least still had the ability to assist Toshiro from the sidelines.
If it weren't for the severe lack of precious medicinal ingredients, Tsukasa would have liked to pull the rest of the 13th Division in as well. At the level of intensity that future battles would reach, even Captains would find it difficult to protect their own seated officers. He didn't know how much this butterfly—himself—could change, but at the very least, he hoped those important to him would be a bit better prepared.
At the edge of Sokyoku Hill.
A hidden secret door slid open and shut quietly, causing little commotion. Matsumoto Rangiku waved at Suō Tsukasa, her blonde hair fluttering slightly in the morning breeze.
"We're heading back to the squad then, Tsukasa. See you next time."
"Alright." Tsukasa smiled and nodded.
"Tsukasa, see you tonight," Toshiro added a brief farewell.
The three figures leaped from the cliff edge together, swiftly darting through the forest. They then split up at the fork in the road outside the woods.
A new day had begun.
Back at the 13th Division barracks.
"Third Seat Suō, good morning!"
"Good morning."
Tsukasa walked through the corridor, nodding in acknowledgment to the squad members who greeted him as they passed. He pushed open the door to the office.
Shiba Kaien was sitting at his desk, organizing and distributing the day's paperwork tasks. Nearby, Shiba Miyako stood with her back to the door, replacing the flower arrangement in a vase. Her slender fingers held a flower branch with dew-stained petals as she tucked it into a plain white porcelain vase. As the pillars of the 13th Division, they were often the first to arrive. Since it was still early, the others had not yet shown up.
Hearing the door open, Shiba Kaien looked up and welcomed him with a smile.
"Tsukasa, you're here. How did it go?"
"Big Brother Kaien, morning!"
"Providing medicine to the 10th Division shouldn't be much of a problem. I've asked Toshiro to pass the word and set up a time. I'll contact Uncle Isshin directly when the time comes," Tsukasa replied.
Providing medicine to the 10th Division wasn't a case of him looking for extra work; rather, resources were a crucial link to his progress in strength. One objective fact always remained: the improved version of the Three-Element Pill would eventually become as ineffective as the old version had been. This wasn't because the pill itself was flawed or because he developed a drug resistance, but rather the inevitable result of his own Spiritual Pressure and physical constitution continuously improving.
Starting from the month before last, the effect of the pills had begun to drop slightly for the constantly advancing Tsukasa. With the dosage remaining the same, the sense of fullness they provided could no longer reach previous levels. This was a signal that could not be ignored. The difference was currently minuscule, but in a few more years, once Tsukasa's Spiritual Pressure crossed another threshold, it would become significant.
It would be too late to deal with these problems once they fully manifested. Whether it was expanding the medicinal fields to grow more rare herbs or accumulating sufficient funds, both were key to his future development.
"That's good then." Shiba Kaien nodded, not asking for further details. As long as he confirmed that things were moving forward smoothly, he was at ease.
Tsukasa then turned his gaze toward the window. Having heard their conversation end, Shiba Miyako turned around with a gentle smile.
"Tsukasa, you're quite early today. Have you had breakfast?"
"Sister Miyako, morning. Yes, I've eaten."
"Here, these are new tea bags. You must have nearly finished the previous ones." Tsukasa walked over, took the tea bags from his robes, and handed them to her.
In the 13th Division, Shiba Miyako was like the head housekeeper of the family. Not only did she handle squad affairs with perfect order, but she also looked after everyone in the finer details.
"Alright, thank you. Kaien isn't usually fond of tea; only your floral tea can get him to drink a bit more water," Miyako said with a smile as she took the bags. She glanced at Kaien, who was focused on his documents, and spoke in a relaxed tone.
Kaien had very sharp ears. Hearing this, he looked up with an innocent expression.
"Since when? I drink water very frequently!"
"Then who was it that only drank less than three cups all day last time?" Miyako exposed him gently but mercilessly.
"——That was an accident! I was too busy that day!" Kaien was momentarily speechless and replied sheepishly.
Tsukasa stifled a laugh on the side, turning to sit at his own desk. These mundane yet precious daily routines were one of the reasons he worked so hard to improve himself.
At the same time, on the other side of the Seireitei.
10th Division Office.
The morning light streamed through the large windows, falling onto a somewhat cluttered desktop. Shiba Isshin leaned back in his chair, his feet resting casually on the edge of the desk.
"Not here yet, huh——" He glanced at the clock on the wall. It was less than three minutes until work started. He sighed softly, then put the documents in his hand back onto the mountain-high pile of files.
Out of sight, out of mind.
His gaze swept across the empty office. Toshiro's area was neat and tidy; the 10th Division's affairs had been orderly lately thanks to him. Without his assistance, Isshin couldn't find much motivation at the moment.
On the other side, at Matsumoto Rangiku's desk——magazines she hadn't finished reading yesterday were spread out, along with a nearly empty snack box and an uncleaned tea cup. Seeing this, Isshin couldn't help but laugh. This girl was the same, year after year.
Just as he was laughing, familiar footsteps finally came from outside.
"Morning, Captain~!"
"Captain, morning."
The office door was pushed open all at once. Matsumoto Rangiku walked in first, followed by Toshiro. There was a bit of light sweat on her forehead, and her hair was slightly messy from running. However, she was full of energy, her smile bright and vibrant.
Toshiro, following behind her, was as calm as ever. His silver hair was meticulous, and his Shihakusho was worn neatly and correctly, forming a sharp contrast with the slightly rushed Vice-Captain beside him. Differing slightly from usual, his gaze held a hint of helplessness and disdain as he coldly threw a remark at Rangiku.
"Matsumoto, you should practice your Shunpo more when you have the time!"
It was all because she had been dragging him into conversation all the way here today, nearly making him late.
"Hey, Toshiro, can you really blame me for that? Besides, we made it, didn't we!" Rangiku retorted righteously, glaring back at him.
"You talk too much!"
"You——!"
The atmosphere between the two was momentarily confrontational.
"Hahaha! Stop arguing, you two. Do it for my sake. Have you both had breakfast? I have some snack buns here——"
Isshin watched the sudden and wonderful change in their relationship. Having not seen them for a day, their bond seemed to have deepened considerably. This kind of straightforward bickering was naturally something he, as a Captain, was happy to see. The smile at the corners of his mouth deepened. A lively atmosphere in the squad was much better than a somber, boring one.
He stood up, taking the unfinished snacks he had as breakfast, and came forward.
"Captain, no thanks. I'm going to tidy up first——" Rangiku glanced at the items in his hand and declined directly.
"No thank you, Captain. It's late; let's get to work!" Toshiro replied, then walked straight to his seat.
"Eh?" Isshin's movements froze. He looked at the snacks in his hand and blinked.
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