Chapter 206: I'll Back You Up
How the Gotei 13 sorted itself out was basically not Matsushita Yusuke's concern.
After all, Aizen had already given relevant instructions on that front: consolidate the stronger Hollows, and throw the expendable ones out for Soul Society to examine at leisure.
Because of that consolidation, there was already a significant information gap between the two sides. Any effort Soul Society made in this direction was visibly going to amount to nothing.
Truly something to sigh about.
However.
Matsushita Yusuke quickly found he couldn't laugh anymore.
Because after a period of discussion, Yamamoto's final conclusion was something that made you want to scratch your head.
"Let Squads 11 and 13 work together on this."
...Huh?
Why was he being dragged into something like this?
Facing Matsushita Yusuke's thoroughly baffled expression, Kyoraku Shunsui spoke up from the side with barely concealed amusement.
"I see. I think I understand. Pairing a dedicated combat squad with the squad specialized in dealing with Hollows should produce a synergistic effect, greater than the sum of its parts."
The other captains offered their views in turn.
"Setting professionals to their respective tasks. I'm very much in support of this decision."
"Each squad within the Gotei 13 has its own jurisdiction and primary duties. Without pulling from elsewhere, this is likely the optimal solution for the current situation."
"In this area, I have particularly high expectations for Squad 11's performance. The Captain-Commander's judgment is excellent."
Without even waiting for Matsushita Yusuke to say anything, Ukitake Jushiro had already turned toward him with an openly cheerful expression.
"It seems we'll be working together for a while. Please take good care of me, Captain Matsushita!"
What exactly are you being so cheerful about.
After a brief moment of thought, Matsushita Yusuke quickly accepted the situation.
There was nothing to be done about it. Everyone genuinely had their own areas of responsibility. The Gotei 13 wasn't simply thirteen squads all doing the same thing. From its founding, each had its own jurisdiction and function.
And under these essentially feudal arrangements, the noble families within the Seireitei were also a direct responsibility the Gotei 13 had to manage.
Pulling personnel to deploy elsewhere without authorization would give those families easy grounds for objection and create unnecessary complications down the line.
The ins and outs of all this were something Matsushita Yusuke hadn't fully grasped before his time as captain. Several years of it had accumulated some experience.
Well then.
At this point, all he could do was accept the assignment.
Seeing no hope of deflecting, he let out a quiet sigh, half-turned, and looked at Ukitake Jushiro beside him.
"Then please take good care of me as well, Ukitake..."
"Cough, cough, cough, cough... pfft!"
Watching the perpetually unwell captain spit up blood on the spot, Matsushita Yusuke showed a genuinely concerned expression.
You're one bad day away from dropping dead at any moment, bro. How are you actually functioning at work?
Captain Ukitake was quickly whisked away by medical personnel who had immediately surrounded him.
Shiba Kaien, acting on his behalf, came rushing in from outside. After quickly getting a sense of the situation, he made his way back over to Matsushita Yusuke.
"Captain Matsushita! I'm sorry about that. The captain's condition has always been like this... if you don't mind, I can take over the discussion of how to proceed."
By this point, Matsushita Yusuke should theoretically have already made his exit on time and be happily having a drink with his boss to celebrate a milestone.
What was happening right now was pure unadulterated overtime.
But there was nothing for it. When you worked two jobs, you caught grief from both ends. No way around it.
Aizen had communicated through a reiatsu-pulse, telling Matsushita Yusuke to handle it at his own discretion. No need to worry too much.
So he could just go with the flow and improvise.
"Why don't we go somewhere to talk?"
Shiba Kaien gave an easy nod and turned half-sideways with a welcoming gesture.
On the way out, Matsushita Yusuke told Gin Ichimaru to head back on his own without waiting.
As for the matter at hand.
Shiba Kaien.
They'd crossed paths a handful of times before, but never had the opportunity for anything deeper.
Meeting face to face again now, Matsushita Yusuke felt a certain amount of private reflection.
How was this guy still alive?
Of course, that was a joke.
In the original story, because the Arrancar research had been far less advanced, Aizen had still been producing various crude experimental specimens in Soul Society. Those specimens had wildly varied abilities, and a Hollow with an informational advantage over its opponents was a genuine combat threat. In a certain sense, this had indirectly led to the deaths of a number of Shinigami and soul bodies.
Shiba Kaien himself and his wife had been in exactly that situation.
So in a roundabout way, he was actually this man's savior without Kaien knowing it.
Matsushita Yusuke laughed to himself for a moment, then followed Kaien into an izakaya and sat down.
"A friend of mine runs this place. The cooking is pretty good. What would you like, Captain Matsushita?"
"Nothing in particular. Order whatever."
"Understood. Let's start with something to get the appetite going. That's always the most important thing."
His mind was elsewhere, and his conversation followed accordingly.
Matsushita Yusuke's goal was simply to move the work forward quickly.
"Squad 11 isn't particularly experienced in operations outside of direct combat. For this expedition... it would probably make more sense for Squad 13 to take the lead. How do you feel about that arrangement?"
Matsushita Yusuke did dislike taking on responsibility, but this particular move wasn't actually avoidance.
After all, he understood the Hueco Mundo environment better than anyone. And genuinely searching for anything there was the equivalent of looking for a needle in the ocean.
All effort, no payoff. That assignment was not for him.
Shiba Kaien, on the other hand, was thoroughly enthusiastic.
"Squad 13 can handle all of this! We're fairly specialized in this area. Please put your full faith in our expertise, Captain Matsushita!"
Some things would make you laugh if you said them out loud. Not the time for that. Swallow it back and hold it in.
And another thing.
With just a brief interaction, Matsushita Yusuke quickly got a sense of Shiba Kaien's genuine capability.
Sharp in conversation, solid on mission planning, and clear on what details needed attention.
If not for the limitations of his own combat ability, this guy could take over Squad 13 outright with no issues. Then again, with Ukitake laid up, he effectively was Squad 13's de facto captain already.
"Understood. In that case, I'll leave this entirely in your hands for now. Squad 11 will support your work to the fullest extent."
Matsushita Yusuke added with a smile:
"So make full use of your imagination, Vice-Captain Shiba."
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