Help! I am bound to Aizen!

Chapter 234

“You fool!”

Within the First Division barracks, Yamamoto’s furious roar boomed through the sky.

“What do you take a Captain’s haori for?!”

Staring at Kaelith standing before him, Yamamoto’s rage was palpable. This brat had decided to use his Captain’s haori as writing paper just because he couldn’t find anything else suitable to write on!

Kaelith paused for two seconds, then replied:

“A ticket to the women Shinigami dorms?”

“…?”

Yamamoto’s blood pressure spiked. He was just about to deal with this insolent disciple when Kaelith darted behind him and began massaging his shoulders. Feeling the relaxing pressure, the old man narrowed his eyes. The matter of “clearing house” could wait until after this massage.

Sensing Yamamoto’s reiatsu gradually settle, Kaelith grinned.

“Teacher, if you already know about the haori, I’m sure you’ve heard the rest of what happened, too. Any news on how severely Tsunayashiro Tokinada will be punished?”

He had zero sympathy for a scumbag who could murder his own wife. While Kaelith was confident Tōsen Kaname would one day claim vengeance, he still wanted Tokinada to suffer right now. There was no way he’d leave that man free to do as he pleased until Tōsen finished his training.

Yamamoto let out a cold snort.

Mentioning Tokinada made his anger surge anew. Even though the Tsunayashiro clan had fallen from its former rank as the top Great Noble House to the bottom, they were still part of the Five Great Noble Houses. In the Soul Society’s hierarchy, those houses stood above all else—even the founder of the Gotei 13 had to abide by that fact.

And yet his own disciple had publicly beaten Tokinada to a pulp. Fortunately for Kaelith, he was also a noble in name. Otherwise, it would have caused a massive scandal, beyond even Yamamoto’s ability to smooth over.

But then Yamamoto paused, frowning. On second thought, if the Tsunayashiro family really did try to retaliate, the Shihōin clan wouldn’t stand idly by; the Kuchiki clan might also intervene. Power was gradually shifting in their direction—Kuchiki was rising, and Shihōin firmly held the second-highest spot. Facing the top two Great Houses, there was no guarantee the declining Tsunayashiro could do much at all.

It was strange to realize how extensive his “simple-minded” disciple’s connections had become. His other two students, Kyōraku and Ukitake—both higher-ranking nobles—were seasoned Captains in the Gotei 13, yet it seemed their junior brother might have the upper hand when it came to political ties.

It was absurd, truly.

Yamamoto fell into deep thought until Kaelith urged him a few times to answer, pulling him back to the moment. Closing his eyes, Yamamoto spoke calmly:

“Don’t worry. Shunsui is already on it. He may have stopped you yesterday, but his anger is no less than yours. He’s simply learned, over the long years, to keep it hidden inside.”

Hearing this, Kaelith blinked, looking thoughtful…

…

After Kaelith left, Yamamoto waited a few minutes to make sure he was gone, then vanished from the room in a blur. A few minutes later, he appeared in the 11th Division barracks, secretly slipping into Tōsen’s quarters. With a quick scan of his reiatsu, he found Kaelith’s haori—carefully stashed away. Unfolding it, Yamamoto admired the strong, bold characters scrawled in reiatsu-infused “ink” on the inside. The old man couldn’t stop himself from nodding. He’d have to find time to get Kaelith to write him a few more pieces…

…

In the end, the verdict on this “clash of nobles” was handed down:

- Kaelith (a mid-level noble) had raised his hand against a Great Noble House member—serious misconduct. However, he turned himself in, had cause to do so, and showed “remorse,” so his punishment was reduced. Ultimately, he would forfeit ten years of his Captain’s salary, and his noble status would be lowered from mid-level to low-level.

- Tsunayashiro Tokinada had unjustly slain a fellow Shinigami, murdered his wife, and attempted to kill his wife’s friend in order to avoid retribution. His crimes were brutal, with severe repercussions. In the end, he was sentenced to five years in the third level of the Shin’ō Underground Prison (the “Crowd Convergence Hell”). Once released, he would be confined to the Tsunayashiro family estate for a hundred years, stripped of his Zanpakutō, and expelled from the ranks of Shinigami.

Learning Tokinada’s sentence, Kaelith was taken aback. Five years sounded harsh, but for a Shinigami, it wasn’t too long. The real punishment was what came afterward—restricted to the family grounds for a century with no Zanpakutō. For a man who’d once had free reign of Seireitei, losing half his power, plus an arm that had been burned away… Tokinada’s life was effectively over.

Kaelith remembered how Kyōraku had promised to see Tokinada punished. He’d thought it was mere lip service, but this was clearly more than that. Feeling appreciative, he grabbed a few bottles of liquor and headed to the 8th Division.

“Esteemed Senior Brother! I’ve come for a visit!”

Hearing Kaelith’s cheerful greeting, Kyōraku rolled his eyes. It was “Senior Brother” now, but only yesterday it had been “Old Man Kyōraku.” This kid…

He was mildly annoyed, but seeing Kaelith’s beaming face, he couldn’t resist smiling. Getting older really did make one soft, he mused. Even though Kaelith wasn’t that young anymore, Kyōraku couldn’t help but feel he was still a child.

…

In the following days, Kaelith found himself busier than ever. Sajin Komamura, Kenpachi Zaraki, Tōsen Kaname—he’d somehow acquired three “students.”

Kenpachi was easy enough. He just needed someone to spar with; after getting knocked around, he’d naturally become stronger. But Komamura and Tōsen required a bit more work. Though both were talented, their foundations were lacking. Kaelith had long since leapt past the usual training process by syncing up with Aizen’s power, so most of his classroom knowledge had scattered from his mind.

After some thought, he came up with the perfect solution.

“O Soi-doraemon, help me out!”

In the 5th Division barracks, Kaelith’s voice rang out. Aizen’s blood pressure instantly shot through the roof.