As the saying went, "Speak of the devil, and he shall appear."
Just a few days ago, Kazuma had been wondering why he hadn't seen Kenpachi Zaraki wandering around the Rukongai.
Today, a bloody report crossed his desk: Kiganjō had been killed in front of his own squad!
Zaraki was now the Eleventh Kenpachi.
With that, the new generation of Gotei 13 captains was nearly complete.
Kazuma leaned back in his chair and took it all in.
Byakuya Kuchiki of the Sixth Division would soon be old enough to take over the captaincy from his grandfather.
Isshin Shiba of the Tenth Division was still alive and well, meaning Ichigo was still decades away from being born. Tōshirō Hitsugaya hadn't even entered the Academy yet.
Everything was falling into place.
The board was set.
Just as Kazuma was lost in thought, the sliding door to his office slammed open.
Batsu'unsai strode in, brushing dust off her Shihakushō. She had just returned from the World of the Living.
"Huh? You're back so soon?" Kazuma asked, puzzled. "I thought you were going to stay topside and keep Saitō company a little longer."
"I only came back to pack," Batsu'unsai replied, moving briskly around the office. "I'll return to Karakura Town tonight."
"Oh? Is there a problem with the safehouse?" Kazuma asked, sitting up.
"Nothing major," Batsu'unsai said, shoving a stack of scrolls into a travel bag. "Go find Hiyori for me. I need to discuss something with her."
Although Kazuma had questions, he knew better than to interrogate his wife when she was on a mission.
He left the room and tracked Hiyori down at the Seventh Division training grounds.
...
When Kazuma returned with the blonde brat, Batsu'unsai had already piled a mountain of luggage in the center of the room.
Kazuma tilted his head.
"My love, what are you doing? Are you trying to move the whole house?"
Batsu'unsai shot him a glare.
"I plan to stay in the World of the Living permanently to accompany Saitō! Compared to the suffocating politics of the Seireitei, life there is much more comfortable. As for Hiyori, I'm taking her with me."
Hiyori's eyes widened.
"What?! I have to go to the World of the Living too?!"
She grumbled and crossed her arms.
'How did I get dragged into this?' she wondered. 'I only just started to like the Seventh Division too!'
"That's right, you're coming with me," Batsu'unsai said with a smile, patting Hiyori's head. "The World of the Living is interesting. There's delicious food, electricity, and all sorts of strange things you've never seen before."
Hiyori looked dazed, but she slowly nodded.
She didn't know what to expect from the human world, but since it was her beloved teacher's decision, she could only accept it.
Kazuma leaned against the doorframe and lowered his voice.
"Honey, you're taking Hiyori because you want to keep her far away from—"
"Shut up!" Batsu'unsai snapped, glaring at him.
Her expression practically screamed, 'If you say Aizen's name out loud, I'll murder you!'
"Oh, alright then…" Kazuma scratched his head. "But if both of you leave, what am I supposed to do?"
"Hmph. You can visit us whenever you want, but you'll have to face the consequences of abandoning your post," Batsu'unsai said with a smirk. "Let's see if the Captain-Commander draws his zanpakutou and incinerates you for slacking off."
Kazuma sighed.
He had thought Batsu'unsai only came back to run a few errands, not to actually move out.
If he had known this would happen, he never would have assigned her to monitor Karakura Town in the first place.
'With my wife gone, what am I supposed to do all day?' he thought grimly. 'Actual paperwork?'
"Alright, be careful on your way," Kazuma said, giving her a quick hug. "If you need backup, just ping my Reishi."
"Don't worry, we'll take care of ourselves," Batsu'unsai said.
With that, Batsu'unsai and Hiyori grabbed their luggage and stepped through the Senkaimon.
Kazuma watched them leave and sighed.
'It's over,' he mourned inwardly. 'It's all over!'
How could Kazuma not know exactly why Batsu'unsai wanted to take Hiyori topside? She wanted Saitō to train her.
One grumpy, violent old woman was already enough.
Now she was going to mentor a grumpy, violent young girl!
Kazuma couldn't even imagine the amount of suffering Shinji Hirako would endure in the future.
He mourned the blond captain for three full seconds!
...
Karakura Town.
Saitō looked Hiyori over with a cocky grin.
"So you're the loudmouth brat Batsu'unsai was talking about?"
Hiyori instantly snapped and raised a fist to punch Saitō in the face.
Before Hiyori could even swing, Saitō blurred forward, grabbed the girl by the collar, and slammed her flat onto the tatami mat with a heavy thud.
Hiyori scrambled back to her feet, her face red with fury as she glared at Saitō.
Saitō stared back, then smirked.
"Not bad. I'm satisfied with this kid! I really like the disciple you brought me, Batsu'unsai."
"You purple-haired bastard!" Hiyori yelled through gritted teeth. "How dare you slam me into the ground!"
Saitō laughed.
"Hmph, little girl, you've got quite a temper. That's fine. I like disciples with some fire in them."
Hiyori stomped her foot.
"You madwoman! Who wants to be your disciple?!"
Saitō raised an eyebrow and stepped closer.
"Oh? You don't want to be my disciple? That isn't up to you."
With that, she struck again, sweeping Hiyori's legs out from under her and dropping her a second time.
Hiyori scrambled backward. She tried to dodge, but Saitō was impossibly fast.
"Damn it! You attacked me the moment we met!"
Saitō laughed loudly.
"Haha! Hiyori, this is just the beginning. From today on, you're my disciple, and I'll beat some proper technique into you."
Although Hiyori was resentful, she knew she was no match for Saitō. She could only swallow her anger.
'I get dragged to the human world for no reason, beaten up by a madwoman, and now I'm forced into an apprenticeship?' Hiyori thought bitterly.
Once the initial farce settled down, Batsu'unsai stepped forward with tea.
"Alright, Hiyori, Saitō, stop fooling around."
Batsu'unsai gestured to the woman with the eyepatch.
"Hiyori, the person standing before you is the founding captain of the Sixth Division, Saitō Furofushi. She's a good friend of Kazuma and me, and she currently serves as an unseated officer in the Seventh Division."
Hiyori was startled.
She hadn't expected this thug to be another ancient legend!
Still, she pouted, looking unconvinced. "Another old monster…"
Suddenly, Hiyori thought of something, and a smug smile appeared on her face.
Although she was only the Third Seat of the Seventh Division, her official military rank was technically higher than Saitō's unseated status.
That realization restored her confidence.
She stood up and pointed an accusing finger her.
"Saitō! Since you belong to the Seventh Division and according to military regulations, my status is higher than yours! Therefore, I, the Third Seat, order you to apologize to me at once!"
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