Bleach: From the moment I was invited by Squad Zero

A few days later, Seireitei, First Division.

The atmosphere in the solemn and imposing council chamber was heavy.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni sat in the main seat, his expression calm and profound.

On both sides, several captains involved in the incident were present, including Isshin Shiba, captain of the 10th Division; Retsu Unohana, captain of the 4th Division; Byakuya Kuchiki, captain of the 6th Division; Mayuri Kurotsuchi, captain of the 12th Division; and Yanagawa, who was in charge of the incident investigation.

Vice Captain Chojiro of the Sparrow House stood to one side.

Standing in the center of the hall, Yanagawa recounted the investigation process of the "Twin Hyōrinmaru" incident, the battle with the fully-formed Hyōrinmaru, and the information obtained from it.

And the conclusions drawn from the information about the transfer of the royal seal provided by Shiba Isshin were presented in detail and presented to the Captain-Commander and the captains present.

He didn't exaggerate the intensity and danger of the battle; he simply stated the facts objectively.

However, just from keywords such as "complete Hyōrinmaru," "golden power interference," and "leakage of the royal seal's power," everyone could sense the turbulent waves hidden behind this matter and the seriousness of it far exceeding that of ordinary events.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto listened with his eyes closed the entire time, and only slowly opened his eyes, which seemed to contain molten lava, after Yanagawa finished reporting.

His gaze lingered on Yanagawa for a moment, then swept over Shiba Isshin, before finally speaking in a deep voice:

"Now that the matter has been investigated and found to be related to the accidental leak during the transfer of the Wang seal, and not to the fault of Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kusakabe Sojiro, I will personally explain to the Central 46th Bureau that they should be released immediately and their reputations and freedoms restored."

The order was concise and powerful, a final decision. It involved Wang Yin, and even the Central 46th Bureau, with the chief commander personally setting the tone and the evidence pointing clearly, was powerless to insist on its cruel "duel" plan.

"Yes." Chojiro Sasaki bowed and accepted the order.

"As for the leakage of the King's Seal's power," Captain-Commander Yamamoto's tone turned cold, carrying an undeniable air of authority.

"This is top secret. The contents of today's discussion are strictly prohibited from being leaked. Do you all understand?"

"Yes!" the captains present responded in unison, their expressions solemn.

Soon, the order was given. The heavy stone door to the underground cell in Central Chamber 46, where Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kusakabe Sojiro were imprisoned, opened once more.

This time, it wasn't a repressive interrogation, but a notice of release from detention.

As the two boys walked out of the dark and cold corridor, one after the other, their steps slightly unsteady, and were once again bathed in the relatively soft light of the Seireitei, they both felt as if they had been transported to another world.

Hitsugaya Toshiro's white hair seemed to have lost some of its luster, and his youthful face showed signs of fatigue, but the sharpness and stubbornness of a genius in his eyes had not been extinguished; on the contrary, they had been tempered by this experience.

He immediately looked for Hinamori Momo and, seeing his friend safe and sound, a look of relief flashed in his eyes.

Walking behind him, Kusakabe Sojiro was even paler, his long black hair was somewhat disheveled, and in addition to exhaustion, there was an indescribable emptiness and loss.

He subconsciously gripped his waist—where his Zanpakuto still hung.

However, when he pulled the sword out half an inch, the blade became dull and lifeless, no longer possessing the restrained yet powerful icy spiritual pressure that had flowed before. It was cold to the touch, but only the temperature of ordinary metal, no different from any unawakened Asauchi.

"Kusaka, your sword..." Hitsugaya Toshiro noticed his friend's actions and asked in a low voice.

Kusakabe Sojiro gave a bitter smile, sheathed his sword completely, and said in a hoarse voice, "As expected, Hyōrinmaru has completely disappeared. Now it... is just an asabu."

He paused, glancing at the Zanpakuto at Hitsugaya's waist. The faint, familiar yet strange chill emanating from it made his expression even more complex.

"Perhaps, this is what it was originally meant to be. I... should never have possessed Hyōrinmaru."

Looking back, that was indeed the case.

Although Kusakabe Soujiro has good aptitude and is considered one of the best in the Shinigami Academy, the gap between him and a genius like Hitsugaya Toshiro, who is a once-in-a-century talent with an astonishingly powerful innate ice-type spiritual power, is obvious.

The fact that the two of them could awaken the Zanpakuto, which is said to be the strongest ice-type sword, "at the same time" is the biggest illogical thing.

Now that the truth has come out, it was all just a mistake caused by external interference.

Just then, Yanagawa and Shiba Isshin appeared at the other end of the corridor.

They were clearly there to handle the aftermath and personally check on the two individuals' condition.

Upon seeing Yanagawa, both Hitsugaya Toshiro and Kusakabe Sojiro instinctively straightened up, their eyes filled with gratitude and respect.

From the prison guards in charge of the release and Hinamori Momo who arrived, they had learned that it was Yanagawa, the senior from the Zero Division, who had investigated the truth and turned the tide, rescuing them from their desperate situation.

"Yanagawa-senpai, Captain Shiba," Hitsugaya Toshiro bowed respectfully. Kusakabe Sojiro quickly followed suit.

Yanagawa's gaze swept over the two, lingering for a moment on the asauchi at Kusakabe Sojiro's waist, before he calmly said:

"The matter is settled, you are free."

His words were concise, yet carried a reassuring power.

"Thank you, senior!" the two said in unison.

Yanagawa waved his hand, indicating that there was no need for formalities, and then turned and left with Shiba Isshin.

As Yanagawa and Shiba Isshin's figures disappeared around the corner of the corridor, discussions about the "Twin Hyōrinmaru" incident spread throughout Seireitei like pebbles thrown into still water.

Initially, when Yanagawa was announced as a reserve member of the Zero Squad and taken over the investigation, although shocked, there were voices of doubt and observation in private.

After all, Yanagawa has been too "low-key" in the past. Apart from his excellent performance at the Shinigami Academy and his status as a member of the Kido Clan, he has not had many outstanding achievements or well-known influence.

The invitation from Squad Zero is certainly surprising, but until the results prove it, some people will always doubt whether there are other considerations involved, or whether Yanagawa can really shoulder such a heavy responsibility.

However, when the incident ended in this way, involving top secrets such as the King's Seal, and a direct confrontation with the fully-formed Hyōrinmaru, they finally succeeded in dispelling the external forces, rescuing the two parties involved, and forcing the Central 46 Chambers to change their decision.

All previous doubts and hesitations vanished in the face of irrefutable facts.

This young Grim Reaper named Yanagawa not only possessed the aura of being a reserve member of the Zero Division, but also proved with his actions that he deserved this honor.

He demonstrated not only formidable strength, but also a calm and wise mind, and a profound insight into rules and phenomena.

When the captains and vice-captains of the Gotei 13 looked at Yanagawa again, their gazes were completely different from before.

"It seems that the Spirit King Palace really made the right choice this time." Retsu Unohana, the captain of the Fourth Division, once gave this gentle evaluation in a private conversation with Jushiro Ukitake, with approval in his eyes.