The once-proud ruler of Hueco Mundo, Barragan, was dead—felled by the newly appointed Great Blade Hunter Chief, Higashi Shuuichi.
Some eager archivists dug into ancient records and recalled: a thousand years ago, Barragan, then a Vasto Lorde, had been defeated by a youthful Yamamoto Genryūsai. Yet this time, Barragan had clearly grown stronger. So what did that mean?
Could it mean that Shuuichi, now stronger than Barragan, might one day challenge even the Captain-Commander himself?
"I think it's totally possible," someone chimed in. "Lord Shuuichi's amazing! If he hadn't been framed back then, he'd already be a division captain!"
Six days after the great battle, most of Seireitei's ruins had been cleared, and the wounded treated. Finally enjoying a moment of peace, the newly founded Women's Shinigami Association, headed by Yachiru Kusajishi, held its 121st meeting in the 4th Division barracks. The event's theme: ranking the male Shinigami of Soul Society—from a female perspective.
Speaking now was the Association's newest member, Kotetsu Isane, junior officer of Squad Four—recruited personally by President Retsu Unohana.
Isane had joined Squad Four when Shuuichi was still its Vice-Captain. She'd witnessed his teachings firsthand—how gently he instructed the new recruits in Kidō, never losing patience, even when some had to be taught the same spell over and over.
How could a Shinigami like that be the traitor the Central 46 had claimed?
She had even signed the joint petition defending Shuuichi's innocence.
Now, without hesitation, she marked his scores:
Power: 9. Charisma: 9. Personality: 9. Potential: 9.
Not full marks—because, well, his status as Blade Hunter Chief made things... complicated. The Blade Hunters didn't exactly get along with the Gotei 13. Giving him 10s across the board would seem disloyal.
"Right? Right? Even lil' Yachiru thinks Shuichi's strong!"
Yachiru beamed, her big, bright eyes sparkling. "Ken-chan fought him loads of times. Sure, they were neck and neck in the first couple rounds, but after that? Ken-chan never really got the upper hand again!"
Then she took her form and boldly filled in 10 under "Power" for Shuuichi.
"If Ken-chan scores a 10, then so should Shuuichi! No question!"
Isane glanced at Yachiru's form.
...Had she been too conservative with her 9?
Then came a rebuttal from another new member—Kotetsu Kiyone, Isane's younger sister.
"No way, President Kusajishi! Chief Blade Hunter Shuuichi can't be a 10 in power! Remember, he was forced back by my Captain when he left Soul Society. That means Captain Ukitake is stronger! So if he's a 10, Shuuichi can't be."
She tapped her page decisively.
"But his charisma? Definitely a 10! Captain Ukitake and Vice-Captain Shiba both respect him—that means a lot!"
As she gushed, Isane's eyes narrowed.
Wait a second.
Wasn't this just a roundabout way of bragging about her own Captain?
Leaning back, she stole a peek at Kiyone's form.
Sure enough—every score for Ukitake Jūshirō was a perfect 10. The only other person to get a 10? Shuuichi… and only in charisma.
Even Yamamoto's power only earned a 9.
Something was off here.
Kiyone had barely been in Squad 13 for three years!
Next up was the Association's Vice President, and acting Vice-Captain of Squad Eight, Ise Nanao—the only seated officer in the entire Gotei 13 without a Zanpakutō.
She adjusted her glasses.
"I'm not sure now is the best time for this kind of ranking event. But if we're evaluating the Chief Blade Hunter… then I'd say power, charm, and potential aren't even the main things."
She raised her pen.
"What matters is this: in Soul Society's hour of crisis, despite everything, he still stepped forward. That speaks volumes about his character. A 10, without question."
As Kyōraku Shunsui's lieutenant, Nanao knew secrets others didn't—like how Shunsui had once tested Shuuichi's loyalty. Or how Shuuichi had protected Shiba Kaien in the World of the Living.
Whatever his status now, his actions had earned her respect.
Isane watched as Nanao confidently wrote 10 under "Personality."
And then Isane glanced at her own 9.
Was she the only one factoring in the politics?
Didn't anyone care about how this made the Gotei 13 look?
Finally, the Association's President and Isane's own Captain, Unohana Retsu, stepped forward.
Isane sat straighter, hope in her heart. Surely she would be more balanced.
"Speaking of Shuuichi," Unohana said, "he was once my vice-captain. So I know him very well."
Isane nodded eagerly. Yes! Context, nuance!
"His power? It's decent. He beat Barragan, true—but mostly by coincidence. His Bankai just happened to counter him. His base reiatsu? Not as high as some think.
So for power, I give 9."
She said it like slicing open a wound—clean, surgical.
Isane's eyes lit up. This! This was perspective!
A believable excuse! Of course her Captain couldn't openly penalize Shuuichi—so she'd crafted a reason.
"His charm? Well, not everyone likes him. I know at least two people who definitely don't."
(Yamamoto and Yamada Hanatarō both sneezed somewhere far away.)
"So again—9."
Another point docked. Isane nodded along.
Then came the blow.
"As for personality… well, he's a bit like me. And you all know—I'm not that easy to get along with."
Unohana gave a demure smile.
"I'm giving him an 8."
Isane nearly wept.
This! This was sacrifice!
Her Captain, demeaning herself to keep Shuuichi's score from overwhelming the rest of the male Shinigami.
Isane picked up her pen, moved to her own "Personality" score for Shuuichi, and lowered it from 9 to 8.
Forgive me, Lord Shuuichi.
But for the dignity of the Gotei 13's men—I must betray you.
Unohana wasn't done.
"But one thing I won't downplay—his potential. That's a 10. No contest."
She smiled, remembering all their sparring sessions—how far Shuuichi had come from that clumsy rookie barely able to hold a blade, to the warrior who stood tall against Espada.
And the rage she'd felt that day—when Shuuichi's reiatsu vanished mid-battle in Las Noches. The fury that made her want to rush in and rip Barragan apart.
And the relief—then exasperation—when he reappeared from the sky, as if nothing had happened.
That bastard.
He ruined her composure.
She jotted her scores. Isane peeked again.
10.
What?
Captain?! What happened to perspective?! To restraint?!
Now she was the only one who hadn't given Shuuichi a perfect score.
Wait, no—there was still one more voice left.
Sui-Feng, Captain of the 2nd Division.
Yes! Surely she wouldn't give Shuuichi high marks! Her division's entire purpose—Covert Ops—stood in natural opposition to the Blade Hunters. They were ideological enemies.
Surely she'd tank his score.
Isane waited.
And waited.
While others moved on to score different male Shinigami:
Aizen Sōsuke of Squad Five—8s and 9s for charm and personality, but only 5–7 for power and potential.
Ichimaru Gin of Squad Three—polarized scores. Isane and her sister gave him a brutal 2, while others wavered between 6 and 8.
Thankfully, Yachiru had kept the list limited. By the time evening fell, all forms were completed.
As Isane was about to hand hers in, curiosity gnawed at her.
She approached Sui-Feng under the pretense of greeting her, and, exploiting the height difference, peeked down at the Captain's form—
And froze.
Every. Single. Score. Was a 10.
For Higashi Shuuichi.
What.
Her own sister had given Ukitake all 10s—fine.
But Sui-Feng?! The Covert Ops commander?!
Her old Captain was Yoruichi, not Shuuichi!
Why did she give him perfect scores?!
And that meant—
Her own scores were now the lowest.
From "guarding the Gotei 13's honor" to "traitor to Shuuichi" in seconds.
Isane wanted to storm up to Yachiru and yank her form back.
Screw perspective.
Screw diplomacy.
This system was rigged!
Meanwhile—
As the Women's Shinigami Association secretly compiled the first-ever official ranking of Soul Society's male Shinigami—
Higashi Shuuichi had just finished settling things with the Kōmyōdai family.
He was en route to his meeting with Aizen.
And he knew exactly what was waiting for him.
Aizen would be full of questions—after all, Shuuichi's sudden disappearance mid-battle, then reappearance from the sky, might still be a mystery to most Shinigami…
But not to the upper echelons.
To nobles like Kōmyōdai Kamihara—
It was already common knowledge.