Hasumi Ren felt a chill run through him as he heard those words.
'This method... it reeks of Aizen.'
It was precise, ruthless, and left no room for error.
Hasumi Ren had already suspected as much. Even if he had managed to snatch the person away from Tosen Kaname, this would likely have been the ultimate outcome regardless.
But seeing it actually unfold made him marvel at how comprehensive Aizen's foresight truly was.
He didn't leave a single loose end.
The atmosphere in the hospital room grew slightly heavy.
"But regardless, you both performed excellently on this mission."
Yoruichi looked at Hasumi Ren and Soi Fon, her tone light.
"Defeating Amamiya Shin and bringing back such a key figure is a major achievement, and I've taken note of it. Ren, your performance was outstanding."
"Even though there were some unexpected developments, you both did your absolute best within your limits. This won't affect your rewards."
"As for Squad Nine..."
Yoruichi flashed a mysterious smile.
"I'll let their captain speak to you himself."
Before Yoruichi could finish, a series of light footsteps echoed from outside the room, followed by a knock at the door.
"Excuse me! Is everyone from Squad Two in?"
A lively, crisp female voice called out from behind the door.
Hasumi Ren and Soi Fon exchanged surprised looks.
Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, a knowing smirk tugging at her lips as she raised her voice in response.
"Come in."
The door swung open, and the first thing to appear was a girl with fluffy green hair peeking her head inside.
She blinked her large eyes, curiously scanning the room.
"Yahoo! Squad Nine Lieutenant Kuna Mashiro here, reporting for hospital visit duty!"
She waved energetically, holding a beautifully wrapped gift in her hand.
Walking in behind her was a man with short, sharp hair and a stoic, resolute expression.
He wore the haori of a Squad Nine captain, his tall, muscular frame radiating a powerful presence.
It was none other than the Captain of Squad Nine, Muguruma Kensei.
"Captain Shihoin, excuse the intrusion."
Kensei gave a slight nod, his voice deep and resonant.
"I heard there was some unpleasantness between my subordinate and your squad. I've come to apologize."
Yoruichi crossed her arms, a playful smile on her face.
"You got here fast, Captain Muguruma. Since you're here, you should speak to the ones involved."
"Indeed. This concerns the relationship between our squads, so I couldn't afford any delay."
Kensei spoke with sincerity.
He gestured for Mashiro to place the fruit basket on the nightstand, then bowed solemnly to Soi Fon and Hasumi Ren.
"On behalf of Squad Nine, I apologize to you both for Tosen Kaname's offensive behavior yesterday."
He showed great humility.
Mashiro nodded vigorously at his side, her hair bouncing with every movement.
"Yeah, yeah! Tosen went way too far. We already gave him a real earful!"
Soi Fon instinctively sat up straighter, then looked toward Hasumi Ren.
Hasumi Ren was genuinely surprised to see Kensei Muguruma bowing so formally.
"You're being far too kind, Captain Muguruma. However, I must ask... how does Squad Nine plan to handle this matter?"
Kensei straightened up, his expression serious.
"Tosen Kaname has been suspended from all duties and is currently confined to the barracks for reflection."
"Furthermore, four years of his salary has been docked. One year of pay will be given to each of the four Squad Two members as compensation."
He paused for a moment before continuing slowly.
"Tosen isn't usually such an impulsive person. However, this defection case involving Amamiya Shin touched on classified squad matters and resulted in the prisoner's death, which is a severe failure."
"As the Fifth Seat in charge of the arrest, the pressure on him was immense. He likely acted out of desperation, but that is certainly no excuse for his conduct."
Mashiro leaned in toward Hasumi Ren, her large eyes blinking.
"Don't be mad anymore! Captain Kensei scolded Tosen for ages! He said he was being selfish and ignoring the big picture... Ouch!"
Before she could finish, Kensei flicked her forehead.
"Mashiro, mind your surroundings."
Kensei shook his head helplessly before turning back to Yoruichi and Soi Fon.
"Captain Shihoin, I've come today to apologize, but also with a request... I was hoping we could resolve this at the squad level."
"After all, friction between squad members over credit happens from time to time. Since there were no casualties, I hope you can do me this favor."
"I will strictly enforce Tosen's punishment and tighten discipline within my squad. In my opinion, there's no need to escalate this to Central 46."
His intention was clear: he wanted to minimize the fallout.
Yoruichi didn't answer immediately. Instead, she looked at Soi Fon and Hasumi Ren.
"You two are the ones involved. What do you think?"
Soi Fon fell silent for a moment before turning her gaze to Hasumi Ren. She said softly,
"We'll follow Ren's lead."
Every eye in the room fell on Hasumi Ren, who was quickly weighing his options.
Pushing the matter further would only lead to a harsher punishment for Tosen, which wouldn't actually benefit him.
A captain had come in person and shown enough humility; there was no real need for him to press any further.
A captain coming to apologize in person and issuing such a significant penalty was already a substantial gesture.
Escalating it further would mean a total fallout with Squad Nine, making him look vindictive.
More importantly, since Tosen was Aizen's subordinate, Hasumi Ren didn't want to completely cross Aizen just yet.
It was time to quit while he was ahead.
With that in mind, Ren looked up and met Kensei's gaze.
"Since Captain Muguruma has come in person and the punishment is appropriate, we can let this matter rest. I only hope Squad Nine can improve its management to prevent similar incidents in the future."
A flash of surprise crossed Kensei's eyes, quickly followed by admiration.
"Thank you."
Kensei spoke with gravitas.
"I give you my word as the Captain of Squad Nine that nothing like this will ever happen again. Furthermore..."
He looked at Hasumi Ren with a serious tone.
"Ren, if you ever face any problems, you can come find me at Squad Nine. As long as it doesn't violate any principles, I'll do my best to help you."
This was a heavy promise.
The personal favor of a captain was an incredibly valuable resource in the Soul Society.
With everything settled, the tension in the room dissipated instantly.
Yoruichi stepped in to smooth things over with a smile.
"I'm glad we've cleared the air. Captain Muguruma, Lieutenant Kuna, thank you for coming. Once Soi Fon recovers, Squad Two will host you both for tea."
"Thank you for your understanding, Captain Shihoin."
Kensei nodded.
After a few more pleasantries, Kensei and Mashiro took their leave.
The hospital room door clicked shut.
Yoruichi let out a long sigh, a playful smirk returning to her face.
"Kensei Muguruma... he's more tactful than he looks. His attitude was sincere enough, though."
She turned toward Hasumi Ren.
"You handled that well. There was no point in pushing further. The next step would have been a formal dismissal investigation, but it hadn't quite reached that level of severity yet."
Ren looked in the direction they had left and said softly,
"Captain Muguruma... is a righteous man."
"He is."
Yoruichi sighed.
"Which is exactly why he's being kept in the dark. I suspect the issues within Squad Nine are far worse than he imagines."
Then, Yoruichi gave Ren a scrutinizing look.
"Speaking of which, I think I heard something... Did Captain Unohana mention she was interested in inviting you to Squad Four for advanced training?"