That afternoon, Retsu Unohana led a team to the 11th Division barracks.
As the doors swung open, she was met with a scene of utter devastation—shattered walls, splintered floors, and squad members groaning in pain across the wreckage.
"I heard the 11th Division was under attack. Where's the enemy?" Unohana asked with a gentle smile.
Masatsuki Aozaki grinned, blood still smeared across his fists. "Right here. I attacked them."
Unohana's knowing smile deepened. "Did these little ones give you a hard time?"
Masatsuki Aozaki watched as he calmly wiped the blood from his hands, then scoffed.
"Not really. Just some young hotheads throwing a tantrum. They won't be making the same mistake again."
As he spoke, a squad member with a bandaged head approached and saluted.
"Captain, we've finished assessing the injuries and damage to the barracks."
Masatsuki Aozaki nodded in approval. "Good work. From now on, report these kinds of minor matters to 4th Seat Ichimaru."
"Yes, sir." The squad member saluted again before turning and running off.
Unohana chuckled softly. "It looks like you all get along quite well."
"Who says we don't?" Masatsuki Aozaki shrugged.
Unohana glanced around at the ruins surrounding them. "So, after causing this disaster on your first day, what's your plan?"
"What do you mean?" Masatsuki Aozaki blinked.
"The barracks, of course. Seireitei isn't going to fund repairs for damage you caused yourselves. You'll have to cover the costs using the squad's budget."
She smiled faintly. "But with this level of destruction… I doubt your squad funds will be enough."
Masatsuki Aozaki followed her gaze to the wreckage.
The damage was so severe that rebuilding from scratch might be easier. Add in the cost of medical supplies for the injured, and the 11th Division's budget for the quarter was definitely going to fall short.
But there was no way he was paying for a public squad barracks out of his own pocket.
No matter how much money he had saved up, he couldn't afford to burn through it like this.
Guess I'll have to ask Master for help.
"I've saved up some money over the years," Unohana remarked casually.
Masatsuki Aozaki didn't doubt it.
Captains of the Gotei 13 were paid well, and Unohana's only known interests were flower arranging and… killing people. She barely had any expenses. After nearly a thousand years, even if she hadn't been trying to save money, she'd still have more than enough.
"I think I'll go talk to Master and figure something out," Masatsuki Aozaki said, his expression turning serious.
"I did all this for the sake of unity and harmony within the 11th Division. A truly united squad is a strong one—Master will understand."
As he spoke, his gaze swept across the ruined barracks.
Yet in his eyes, there was a glint of something unreadable…
...
"So, on your first day as captain, you destroyed the 11th Division's barracks?"
Yamamoto's eyebrow twitched.
He was now seriously questioning whether handing the 11th Division over to Masatsuki Aozaki had been the right decision.
On his first day, not only had he beaten the entire squad into submission, but he had also destroyed their barracks—the very foundation of their division.
And if that wasn't enough, now he had the audacity to ask for funding to rebuild it. His shamelessness even surpassed Shunsui Kyōraku's.
Never in the history of the Gotei 13 had something like this happened!
"Master, calm down. I did this for the good of the Gotei 13!" Masatsuki Aozaki said earnestly.
"Oh?" Yamamoto gave him a skeptical look, waiting to see what kind of excuse he would come up with this time.
Masatsuki Aozaki continued, "You've been leading the Gotei 13 for a thousand years. You know exactly what the 11th Division is like. If I didn't fight them, would they ever listen to me?"
Yamamoto's expression softened slightly.
He knew better than anyone that the 11th Division was a squad that only respected strength—one where words meant little unless backed by fists and blades.
Seeing that Yamamoto was at least listening, Masatsuki pressed on.
"These are unusual times. The rebels are becoming bolder by the day."
"If this were peacetime, I could afford to slowly work my way into their trust. But we don't have that luxury."
"At any moment, the rebels could strike again, and by then, if they still refuse to listen, it'll be too late!"
"We are entrusted with protecting the Soul King and the Five Noble Houses—we can't afford to be careless!"
Yamamoto frowned. "That still doesn't justify destroying the barracks."
"I may have gone a little overboard… but you know how the 11th Division is. If I hadn't gone all out, they would have never acknowledged me as their captain."
As he spoke, Masatsuki Aozaki carefully poured a cup of tea and placed it in front of Yamamoto.
"You make a fair point," Yamamoto admitted. "But the Gotei 13's annual budget is allocated by the Central 46."
"Each division's funds are already set—I don't have any extra money to give you."
Taking a sip of tea, Yamamoto nodded in satisfaction before adding in a firm tone, "I'll speak with the Central 46 and see what can be done. In the meantime, return to your squad and keep them under control."
"You are their captain. They are your subordinates—but also your comrades. Don't take things too far."
"Yes, sir!" Masatsuki Aozaki grinned. "You know I'm not the type to cause trouble. I just didn't have any other choice!"
"Hah! As if you haven't caused me enough trouble already," Yamamoto snorted. "Now get out of here—I don't want to see your face!"
"Tch… Fine, old man. I'm leaving."
Masatsuki Aozaki smirked and, before Yamamoto could get any angrier, vanished with a Shunpo. Out of habit, he even closed the door behind him.
For a moment, Yamamoto was stunned. Then, he let out a long sigh and motioned for the Inner Court Troop members waiting outside.
...
After leaving the First Division, Masatsuki Aozaki returned to the 11th Division.
He glanced at the long list of damages and expenses before casually ripping it apart.
"Not satisfied?" Gin Ichimaru asked, raising an eyebrow. "I went over the numbers myself. The prices are fair."
"I already spoke with the 12th Division. They'll handle it," Masatsuki Aozaki replied.
Gin blinked. "You got the 12th Division involved? When?"
Masatsuki Aozaki's expression remained serious. "In about half an hour."
Gin Ichimaru: "...!?"
Masatsuki Aozaki chuckled but didn't elaborate.
Truthfully, he had initially planned to just patch things up and move on.
But then he thought about it—this would be his base in the future. Why not take the opportunity to make some modifications?
From the outside, the barracks would look the same. But beneath it? He would build a secret underground laboratory, perfect for conducting his experiments.
Normally, something like this would be impossible to pull off unnoticed.
But with the help of a few trusted friends in the 12th Division, making it happen without anyone realizing wouldn't be too difficult.
After all, Kisuke Urahara had managed to construct an enormous underground training ground beneath Sōkyoku Hill, and it had gone undetected for over a century.
And the reason Masatsuki Aozaki had made this decision?
Aizen had recently returned from the World of the Living with some interesting news.
He had discovered the existence of Fullbringers—humans who possessed fragments of the Soul King.
But even with that knowledge, he had yet to figure out a way to track down the fragments themselves.
What they did know was this:
Humans with Soul King fragments possessed unusually high Reiryoku.
Every Fullbringer carried a fragment within them.
And all of them gravitated toward Jūreichi—highly spiritual locations within the World of the Living, where Reishi naturally gathered.
These locations varied in size, making it difficult to pinpoint specific targets.
Finding Soul King fragments would be a long and tedious process.
And Masatsuki Aozaki hated wasting time.
He needed to accelerate his experiments—starting now.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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