[Private] Squid and Star

It was midday when a tall, blonde man wearing glasses stumbled down the streets of the Rukon leaning against a walking stick. He wore his more casual kimono that day, so even with his musculature, it was difficult to tell that this stranger was in fact the second in command for the Gotei 6. This was one of the rare days when ShunGi had a break. Normally, he spent these rare days with his son, but since the passing of the previous Captain Commander, he felt like he needed to catch up with the man's own son- not to mention get acquainted with his new Captain Commander.

As ShunGi limped through the crowd, he couldn't help but notice a circle of teenagers kicking something. The elderly shinigami made his way into the circle to notice that they had been kicking a small cat. ShunGi placed a hand on the shoulders of one of the children. Another turned around to try and punch him. ShunGi only shook his head disapprovingly. When the teens turned their attention to the man, ShunGi knelt down to pick the cat off the ground, taking it away from the kids.

As he held the cat in hand, ShunGi tried to locate the coffee shop in which their meeting was supposed to be set up. When he found it, he ducked his head under the veil at the entrance, giving a knowing smile to the shopkeeper. "Long time no see" the owner said. ShunGi nodded. "Table for two." He said, then looked down at the cat in his hand. "Three." He corrected.

It seemed like it was yesterday when Ika was able to spend his days doing what he wished. There was a time where Ika's social obligations were kept to a minimum, where he could maintain the spontaneity that defined his lifestyle and his only real responsibilities were primarily handled by his Vice Captain. Now, with the untimely passing of his father, he was being coerced into a role he didn't see himself fit for. To make matters worse, ShunGi, the chosen charge of his father had decided that he would be getting to know Ika more personally in the coming weeks and months, an exercise that inherently led to some discomfort on Ika's part. All he knew of this man was frowns in the direction of petty arguments had by Ika and his father, and all he wished to know was locked away quite neatly in his brain. In spite of this, he knew it would be a bad start to their relationship if he turned down the meeting, and so he reluctantly agreed to tag along.

It was rare to see a Captain Commander walking freely amongst the Rukongai, but Ika didn't feel like royalty. He was born a bastard and would die in a similar vein, this power he had stumbled upon meant little more than unfortunate responsibility he'd soon try to find his way out from under. In the meantime, he was forced to deal with the obvious whispers and shocked glares of people who wouldn't have batted an eye at him just a short few months ago. A small smile parted Ika's lips as he approached the table, slowly pulling his chair back as he nodded in Shungi's general direction before allowing his eyes to be pulled towards the cat in the seat beside him. "Haven't you had enough luck picking up strays with my appointment to the division? I never fancied you as the pet type ShunGi."

The lieutenant nodded as he stroked the cat. He leaned back on his seat, looking strangely comfortable given the circumstances. ShunGi returned a disarming smile. "It's fine. My son's needed something to do anyway. I'm sure he'll be glad to have something break up the mundanity of growing up as a noble." ShunGi answered. The captain commander and lieutenant were, of course, both nobles of a close birth year. ShunGi could remember always looking up at the Mazi family manner. He remembered the first time being there- the stifling air. He dreaded ever returning. Yet, over one millennium later, there he was.

"We didn't talk much in those days, did we?" He asked, referring to the pairs' own childhood. "Back before we could control our spiritual power as well. I was never good at playing games, but you could chalk that up to being weak." The lieutenant joked. He looked down and leaned his elbows on the table in front of him, staring at his own forearms as he crossed his fingers together to flex his muscles under his kimono. "Not much is different from then, though I have been falling behind on my training. That's had to take lower priority due to other especially recent affairs." He noted, referring to Doku's funeral, a process which he had to take part in the sorting out of on top of many of the details surrounding.

Ika chuckled to himself, relieved that this meeting would at least in the short term avoid a somber tone that he had been dreading. "I suppose a pet has always done the trick for a bored child's mind."

Upon saying this Ika would slowly but surely work his way into his seat, his discomfort with the given backdrop was apparent as the visual of him being there was on it's own rather stunning. Thankfully, Shungi was not one to be outdone and immediately shot a question out towards Ika that prompted a small smirk. "No we didn't. I was kind of kept on a leash until later on in fairness. Even though our family lucked into an aptitude for combat and power, my father took that as a sign that we were royalty of some sort and well, I wasn't exactly old enough to argue the point."

Ika sighed, fingering his pockets in search of a cigarette as he continued on. "Though.. perhaps I should have. I always wonder what social interactions I missed out on because of the insular nature of our clan. I'll be honest, I'm glad that aspect of things died with my father, and the memories of it will die with me."

Ika's face went from stern and somber to enraptured within the span of a couple seconds, as he had finally retrieved his prize. He took the cigarette and plopped it in his mouth before snapping his fingers to light it. "Oh right, I feel I owe you a bit of a thank you for how you've handled my fathers passing. You and Demise were his two closest confidants and well, lord knows the big man wasn't going to be able to do it.."

"You don't have to thank me for anything. To tell you the truth?" Shungi started. He looked at the captain commander's cigarette. He probably wanted one. Then, he looked down at the cat still reeling from its prior injuries. "We were business partners. Your father and I, that is. I only handled the bureaucracy because it was my job." He clarified, then stroked combed the kitten's ears back as it rolled onto its adoptee's lap. Although Shungi was looking down at the cat, he was thinking of something else entirely.

The lieutenant tried to recall back to before the captain commander died. "I'm an exception, that power made you royalty. For that reason, your father had always looked down on me. I'd like to believe that he would have preferred my younger brother, though he never said as much. Not while he knew I was listening, at least. He was very happy when my older son was born. Almost as much as I was" Shungi continued. He looked uncharacteristically absent-minded, and could have been for any number of reasons.

When Shungi snapped back to reality, he didn't look very different, except that his eyes focus turned to the establishment's owner standing in front of his table. "Welcome back boss." The gruff voice of the older man said. The owner looked like he must have owned the shop for as long as Shunga or Ika had been alive. Despite him not possessing much spiritual power, and therefore not experiencing the same affects of aging as either Shungi or Ika did, there was a clear aged look in the man's eyes. He had clearly died old, with wrinkles and liver spots covering his body. For his look, the man was scrawny, the apron and shirt combo looking baggy on him. "What can I get ya?" He asked, preparing a notepad for their order.

Shungi looked at Ika and gave him a nudge, gesturing for him to order first. Shungi then looked at the owner, who then knowingly produced a paper foldout menu from his apron's pocket and placed it on the table.

Ika chuckled a bit, taking a slow and less than subtle drag off of his now lit cigarette. "Business partners eh?.. Please, you were his most trusted confidant. You've been the Lieutenant of first division for how long now?... Can't be anything less than 300 years by my count." As Ika spoke smoke billowed through the air, and by the time he finished it had for the most part dispersed and made it's way towards the ceiling. It seemed that Shungi's reflecting brought him a bit of discomfort, and as he spoke it became a bit more apparent that his relationship with Doku was.. a bit more complicated than Ika would've expected. "He spoke more highly of you when you weren't around, so maybe the same could be said for your brother. He used you as an example of what he wished I was many times, to be blunt I'm surprised I don't hate you."

Ika once more took a drag, exhaling slowly as he closed his eyes to reflect. His single moment of quiet was interrupted by the arrival of a man, the owner of the restaurant had arrived to take their orders and it prompted a bit of interest on Ika's part. Ika was soon enough handed a menu, and he looked through it for a minute before handing it back to the man. "Give me the sweetest tea you've got, load it with honey and sugar. I've got a bit of a craving at the moment."

Once Ika's order was taken he turned his attention towards Shungi. "I believe that means it's your turn."

Shungi nodded in agreement. "I'll have the usual." He said. The waiter jotted the orders down on his notepad. "It'll be done in ten minutes." He said.

Shungi rested the cat on his lap, the size of his thigh, and the extra surface area provided by his stretched-out kimono giving the small animal some room to move around. The man leaned back into his seat, finally relaxing. Even then, he looked stiff at the shoulders and a permanent vein seemed to pop out from his left temple. He draped his arms over the back of his chair, making his size known. Of course, he was not that much taller than the man he was having lunch with.

"Why would you hate me? We've been through enough together. As normal squadmates, I mean." Shungi replied referring to their past together. "It really has been three hundred years, hasn't it?" Shungi relaxed his face into a gentle smile. "Look at us, old men. Before we know it, we'll be two thousand. I just hope I look as good as your dad did before he died at his age."

The waiter confirmed that their orders would be inbound in about ten minutes and this prompted little more than a nod from Ika before he returned to their conversation. For some reason it appeared that Shungi was intent on projecting his size, perhaps hoping that would in some way intimidate some souls in the shop? To be honest, it wasn't an action Ika could easily discern meaning from and as such he quit trying almost immediately. The question was of more interest anyway, and it prompted a bit of a smile from Ika. "In every argument I ever had with that jaded old bastard, your behavior and judgement were used as examples. Why can't you be more like Shungi, why can't you accept your role like Shungi, why can't you take orders like Shungi, why can't you behave like Shungi, be as reliable as Shungi, I could go on and on.."

Ika held his head in his hand gently, letting his cigarette burn down as he gathered his thoughts for a moment. "But none of that is your fault, me and my father weren't going to see eye to eye regardless and if it weren't you it would've been someone else he used as an example. Don't take it too seriously, nothing ever came of it."

"Comes with age." Shungi answered. "After a thousand years, you'll probably be like that with your children too, and me with mine. I just hope my son doesn't grow to hate me, and if he does, I hope he can find it in him to forgive me. Even if I don't deserve it." Shungi tapped the side of his chair as he watched the cigarette burn down. The cat rolled over, taking pressure off its other side, then mewled slightly in pain. As it moved from its position, there was a small spot of blood that Shungi noted but didn't take action about. After all, it wasn't his uniform and in the Rukon where people didn't know him, he was allowed to be a bit more gruff than he normally was.

"What have you been up to for the past three hundred years? One doesn't get to your position for having done nothing." He asked half-heartedly. "Aren't we just accepting our roles?" He chuckled to himself having answered his own question. "Look at us. Look at our families. If you had the choice, would you really have accepted your position?" He asked rhetorically, trying to avoid using words like "captain" and "Gotei" specifically to hide who they were. "A man of your strength could do whatever he wanted. Ran off to some distant part of the afterlife. Started his own life. I know I did. I almost got away with it too, and I'm nearly as powerful as you are."

The blood spot left by the cat was a concern for some but Ika didn't necessarily count himself among them. No instead he was currently in thought, enraptured by wondering just what exactly his own daughter would think of him now, let alone in one-thousand years. Ika took a last drag off his cigarette before closing his fist, incinerating it in his hand within a mere instant. "You see, that's the trick Shungi. Make sure they hate you from the start and they won't grow into disappointment and resentment over time. I love my daughter, but she'll never think of me as her father and that's a burden I accepted early on. I wouldn't make much of a father anyway, she's ended up pretty much how she would've if I had been around."

The rest of the questioning brought Ika back to reality and away from the trance he was in previously, and the smirk he had donned previously became a bit harder to spot even if it was still there in a lesser capacity. "The past 300 years have been me and my father arguing bitterly back and forth while I do the bare minimum to run my squad. I've been involved in so much shit my father tried to keep me out of it's a wonder I haven't been killed and yet.. here I am, the Captain Commander. What a weird sentence honestly."

Ika shook his head for a moment before continuing. "Of course if I thought there were a way to run away from all of this I would've probably taken it years ago. Started a new life, found peace in this eternity we've been cursed with but, I don't think that was in the cards for me. No unfortunately for me I'm a man driven by personal philosophies and what I get to leave behind. I am in the weird position of both having the want to change the world, and the power to do so if I wish to use it and well.. The passive life you've described just doesn't quite fit those motivations."

This discussion prompted a sigh, and then quickly Ika's attention returned to his guest. "But.. that doesn't exactly explain why you're still hanging around, and that might be the more interesting story."

When Ika mentioned that he was the captain commander, Shungi had to look around to make sure that nobody took notice. Thankfully, because of the rowdy environment, it was hard to make out anyone conversation and it looked like nobody was paying attention. That is, nobody except the waiter, who arrived with two drinks in hand. The first one was a glass of light brown liquid. It was half-filled with crushed ice and garnished with a lemon wedge. He placed that one on Ika's side. As one might imagine, it tasted almost disgustingly saccharine, just as the captain commander ordered, with a consistency closer to syrup than tea. The other drink was a twenty-ounce mug of coffee. It was remarkably plain, despite the pleasant roasted smell that came off of it that one might expect from a good cup of coffee. There was ice in it, but nothing else.

Shungi took the mug, being careful so as not to accidentally crush the cat, then took a casual sip. Clearly, he was used to the bitter taste. Perhaps, he even learned to enjoy it. "While you're here," Shungi asked the waiter, "why don't you tell him?"

The waiter smiled. "Well. It's a busy day, but alright. Anything for you, boss." He looked at Ika. The waiter, at that point had known that he was the captain commander, and it was obvious from the fidgeting motions he made with his hands that he didn't really know how to react to such information.

"It was... one thousand and one hundred years ago, maybe give or take a few years. Me and my boys found the boss, lookin' all fancy with his noble robes and thought. Hey, if we beat him up, maybe we could get some of his cash. So we did but he didn't have nothin' on him. So he was like. Well, what if I joined you guys? We didn't want him. Why would you? Stuck up rich kid, didn't even know how to fight. So we got him to do a bunch a' crazy. Didn't think he'd do it, but he did. So we's was like. Okay, okay. We didn't really want him with us. But he kept trying anyway. So the old boss, he was like. Alright kid, you got spunk. And the rest is history."

Ika took a sip of the tea he had ordered and smiled as the sweetness rolled over his tongue, it was enough to make him shake a bit on the inside as he steadied himself to listen to the story he was about to be told. Now, admittedly, Ika thought these people were insane by this point. The story wasn't the easiest to follow, and he had to physically force himself not to go bug-eyed as the store owner talked. Once the man finally finished, Ika would take another sip of his drink before setting it down in front of him. The sweet scent of the tea was permeating the air and infiltrating his nostrils with every inhale that followed.

"So.. seems you've all known each other for quite a while, certainly longer than I had ascertained from our meager conversations but uh.."

Ika scratched his head, raising an eyebrow at the group around him. "So, I guess I'll ask the obvious question as to why you didn't run off with your merry band of men here Shungi. Seems they would have held you in much higher esteem than my father ever did, could've been an escape from the responsibilities you've saddled yourself to. Why didn't you do it?"

"Well-" Shungi started before he was interrupted by the waiter.

"Aw, you shoulda seen it." He started. "See, at that point, me and my guy were a pretty big deal. Had the district on its ropes. We were at the top of our game. We peddled so much merchandise it was crazy. With no local authorities on our heads we were free to do whatever we wanted. We became the law and we put a protection fee on everybody. Had lots of fights with rival gangs, but Shungi with his crazy spiritual power ended up taking care of everybody! But then one day, a couple a' them robe guys showed up to bring him in. We thought Shungi was strong, but man. You shoulda seen the other guy. His sword transformed and when that happened, most of us could barely even stand. And when Shungi was brought down, it turned out that the guy that done him in was his own brother and-"

"Hey guy!" Someone else waved the waiter. The waiter gestured at the two to wait. "I gotta take care of customers. You two enjoy your drinks." The waiter excused himself. While the story was being told, Shungi looked to have occupied himself by petting the cat. When the waiter left, Shungi took another drink then put the mug down. "Like I was saying," he gave a rare sigh of relief. "Even when I was regularly training and could go toe to toe with captain level shinigami, it was only because I trained with the best and because I trained harder than anybody else. Michimaki doesn't have special powers like Joker has. I could train as much and as hard as I want. I could be as smart as I want. But my body still has its limits, and I can't beat luck. I certainly can't beat destiny."

The waiter was a bit too.. animated for Ika's tastes. Truth be told it was a relief when he left, Ika could barely keep track of the mans ramblings and by this point found himself sinking further and further into his syrup-like tea on the hopes he'd enter some kind of spiritual sugar coma. The coma didn't come, but a customer had finally taken the mans attention away which left Ika relieved and for the first time in a few minutes able to carry on an actual conversation. "Boy, your friend there is easy to excite eh?.. Seems to have as high an opinion of your brother as you do which, between you and me.. prime for prime I think you're better than your brother. Don't measure yourself against a specter, it's hard enough to keep up with the living."

Ika took another sip of his drink before continuing. "I can't empathize, obviously if you believe in luck and destiny I came in with good fortune on all accounts. I was genetically predisposed to have a higher ceiling than most of those around me, but you possess a talent I've yet to master. You're an underdog by nature, you have to work three times as hard as I do to get half as far, and even when you do there's a wall. The determination and resilience you've displayed to make it this far given your limitations is far more impressive than this power that I more or less lucked into. Sure, by this point in my life a lot of my power is earned, but it'd be a lie to say I put the same time in as you. Your dedication to furthering yourself is an example for anyone in this organization, whether they're more powerful than you are or not."

Ika leaned back in his seat, closing his eyes hoping it would help him to think more clearly. Father Time seemed to come for everyone. That much was certain.

"I'm not comparing myself to anybody." Shungi replied. He took a sip the same time Ika did. "My brother's been dead for almost three hundred years now." He elaborated. That was longer than some of the other shinigami lieutenants had been alive. Shungi knew his role was not exactly one he earned from merit. Not moreso than he earned simply by his title. Everything else that he had done up to that point for his own sake rarely mattered. At least, that's what he thought, with his noticeably defined musculature and more than a reliable friend who he could talk to.

Shungi was the first to finish his drink. He was used to bitter coffee and even while holding a conversation, it looked like he inhaled his drink. Shungi put the empty mug down and looked back to his new captain. "Should we move onto official business then?" Shungi asked, then held his empty mug to the waiter. "Kengo." He said, turning back and rattling the cup. The waiter nodded and dutifully left to refill the drink.

Ika allowed the conversation to move on, not feeling the need to pitch in or apologize for something that had passed such a long time ago. "Yes I suppose we should probably move onto the specifics of the position for your sake and my own." Ika threw back the rest of his drink and raised his cup as well before speaking up. "I'll take it this time with milk and honey and a dash of sugar, my sweet tooth has been appeased for the most part thank you very much."

As Ika waited for his drink to come to him he shifted his attention towards Shungi as he finally began to ponder the business end of the conversation. "As I'm sure you're aware, me and my father had very different ideals in regards to the direction of this organization. I believe our role is to maintain the soul cycle, but I am not personally a fan of that taking the form of Genocide and rampant murder. I also think some of the rampant bureaucracy of this organization has to go if it is to function at the peak of it's capacity. I'm cutting the Central 46 out of any decisions being made regarding the Gotei. If they have something to say about the citizens in the Rukongai that's their business, but I will not be dictated to by a bunch of aristocrats. My dad allowed that for too long, and I will not be making the same mistake."

Ika closed his eyes again, thinking a moment before he'd continue. "Your role will probably remain much the same. You're a confidant and you'll probably need to keep me on track with paperwork, lord knows I won't do it myself. I'll also ask you to oversee the training of the younger combatants within the Gotei, if that's something you're comfortable taking on as a responsibility."

As Ika finished speaking, he opted to interject before the man would start. "Also, anything you feel the need to tell me or anything you'd like from me.. Now would be the time to speak on that."

Shungi leaned back and busied himself with comforting the cat, who seemed to be doing better than it was when they started the conversation. To Shungi, Ika looked like he was strongly opinionated on the bureaucracy of Gotei 6. Shungi remembered having trouble with them when he was younger too. Hearing an opinion like that reminded him of himself, putting a surprised expression on Shungi's face as he nodded idly but understandingly. It was an interesting thing to hear from someone his own age, but knowing who it was, it made sense. After all, they had known each other long enough.

"Being the First Division's Lieutenant makes me executive officer. It means I take care of the business end and conducting missions. Since we have a new captain commander, it means we have to take a rare climate survey to make sure your captains are to your liking, and we can reappoint new ones. Speaking of captains, I'm sure you're aware that the kidou commander has gone missing. I've taken the liberty to issuing the orders for a rescue mission in the time you've taken to assume your role. A tentative plan has already been made and your captains are already coordinating to execute the mission." Shungi explained calmly. After his explanation, the waiter returned with a refill for Shungi. "Yours'll be done in a minute... sir." The waiter said, nudging toward Ika as he tried to maintain whatever level of respect he knew how to give. After taking the first sip of his coffee, Shungi continued.

"Frankly, by the way, Central 46 wouldn't allow the motion. Even if you are captain commander."

Ika nodded along. "I appreciate the mission, I'll be joining the team at the conclusion of our meeting in order to.. acquaint myself with those in charge in that sandy hell-hole." As he finished speaking up on this, he was quickly reminded of the coffee he had ordered and would now be waiting for just a little bit longer than he had expected. A polite smile parted Ika's lips as he ensured that the staff knew it wasn't any kind of issue, and this prompted him to yet again return his attention to the man in front of him. "I will be reevaluating Captains and Lieutenants, taking a bit of a survey to see who fits in with my vision for the Gotei going forward and to see who perhaps does not. As for the Central 46.. Whatever they allow or do not allow isn't something I'm concerned with. If they want to stop me from acting as I wish to act they can come down here and stop me themselves." By this point Ika had long since crushed the glass occupying his hand, many of it's thicker shards had embedded themselves in his hand and it seemed like it was perhaps the only thing able to snap him out of this angry haze he had entered.

He brushed his hand off onto a napkin, painting it with shards of broken glass and blood in equal measure. He placed one of his cards in his hand, using the fire to cauterize the wound in order to stop it from bleeding. "My apologies, perhaps I got more carried away than I should have."

Ika turned to the waiter and stood up, politely placing a pouch of money in their hand before turning his attention to Shungi. "Sorry to cut the drinks short, but I need you to come with me. As Captain Commander it is my duty to ensure a mission such as that one goes smoothly, and I want to be sure the setup is too my liking."

Shungi looked at his captain's hand as it bled from the glass. Did the captain commander have that much vitriol against Central 46? Noticing the captain use his zanpakuto, Shungi quickly mumbled a kido spell to place a barrier around them- nothing powerful- just something to keep the normal citizens of the Rukongai from collapsing, then he cupped his hands around the cat just to protect it from the same effect. To everyone else, the barrier was invisible. When the man got up, Shungi put the cat on his shoulder and quickly placed several bills on the table as a tip. If the captain was in a hurry, this was the least Shungi could do for his friends, especially the one who had to clean up all the glass.

"You should trust your captains more. They're handling it well enough on their own and many of them were looking forward to going on this sort of mission. I'm sure you can sympathize, captain." Shungi stated. "But, you are the captain commander and Hueco Mundo is a dangerous place. I'll be sure to keep the Gotei 6 running in your absence. I believe the involved Divisions are having their meeting in about an hour."

Ika sighed, his anger towards the Central 46 was palpable and heavier than he ever thought it was. "Walk with me Shungi."

As Ika began pacing down the road towards the barracks he took this opportunity to explain his thought process. "Twenty-five years before my fathers death he began to inform the Central 46 of a looming threat from Hueco Mundo. He told them that being reactive to the Hollow threat wasn't getting the job done, and that they needed to launch an assault to cull the population and thin them out. I'm sure you heard about these plans as his right hand man." Ika's eyes were set forward, and the malice in his voice was identifiable to anyone in ear shot.

"And I'm sure you also know they told him no, saying it was too dangerous to risk a frontal assault on Las Noches and to thin the population out, and they asked that he continue the reactive strategy of assigning Soul Reapers to cleanse the Hollows that enter areas of interest in the Human World, as well as the ones in the Rukongai. This plan, which he tried repeatedly to have revisited allowed their numbers to continue to grow, grow until they were a large enough threat to kill the Captain Commander and wipe out multiple squads within the Gotei before retreating. I may not share in my fathers hatred of the Hollows, my goal is not to extinguish them entirely, but I'm no buffoon. The order of this world is balanced on a razors edge, and I will not be caught napping because some anxiety ridden aristocrats are worried about their golden thrones. I will not be a lamb for them, and I'd suggest you adopt a similar stance."

Upon arriving at the barracks, Ika began eagerly reviewing the plans. "I want one more addition to this. Contact Demise at the Maggots Nest and tell him he's coming with me."

"Central 46 didn't deny your father's request. I did." Shungi stated, knowing full well the gravitas of such a statement. He laid the cat down on the ground, then removed the shoulder off his kimono and the wrapping underneath to reveal a nasty-looking acid burn scar that had stretched across the right side of his body along his rib cage. "When I told him no, he challenged me to a fight. Of course, he had beat me, leaving this scar on my body. When he realized that he was about to lose his second in command, he stopped and I was able to talk him out of it." Shungi explained, then rewrapped his kimono. He picked the cat back up and continued walking, not wanting to make too much of a big deal out of the situation. It wasn't a big deal- otherwise, Doku would have said something about it.

"Second division has always been tasked with reconnaissance missions to Hueco Mundo. Through them, we know their power structure and that there are always seven Espada at the head. Each Espada has roughly the equivalent power of a shinigami captain, of which, we have six. But, it's harder to replace a shinigami captain than it is to replace an Espada. The Espada change all the time as nature selects out the weakest of them. A full-frontal assault on Hueco Mundo, let alone Las Noches, is a fool's errand. The exception your father and I agreed on, was in the case of active aggression, in which we would send a rapid strike force to go in and out. That way, we can have missions like these. To get our own people out while losing as little of our numbers as possible." He elaborated.

Shungi began stroking the cat again. "We aren't executioners, captain. We're reapers, and a reaper's job isn't to demolish a field. It's to harvest the crops."

This Shungi guy was slowly but surely developing an uncanny and unique habit for pissing Ika off, and as the man continued on his tangent Ika decided he was going to need to interject about halfway through. Ika's initial reaction was a clenched fist, his muscles ached and begged him to swing as hard as he could, he wanted to send the man flying through the nearby wall, send his skull cratering through it with a violent vigor he hadn't manifested in a while. By this point in time, it was clear from the look on Ika's face he wasn't exactly thrilled with what he was hearing. "If what you're saying is true, let me make this clear. I have no reservations about fishing for your successor in the academy. Your cowardice will not end me the way it ended my father. When I make a decision, I expect you to work with me to see it through. You may not like the decision, and I have no issue with you voicing contempt for an idea of mine but when I make the decision it is final."

Ika's tone was harsh, the inflection in his voice was rife with venom and repressed rage. "A younger me would've caved your skull in. An older me would like to believe you used your better judgement and simply got it wrong, and I'll try to move past this. My father had immense respect for you, and I will try to have that same respect but if you make that kind of goofy wager with me I will not hesitate."

Upon finishing his tangent Ika would sigh gently, sitting down for a moment with his eyes closed, fingers pressed to his pupils as though he were trying to gently press them through the back of his head. "Shame these Hollows aren't fields or crops, and instead they've actively kidnapped the Kidou Commander and murdered multiple Shinigami INCLUDING the Captain Commander. I don't know what kind of crops you're harvesting where that context applies, but I'll trust your gardening instincts over my own."

Ika stood up at this point, reckless abandon radiated from his being by this point as he continued on. "I will have the Senkaimon prepared for a retreat if we need one. Culling the herd of high level Hollows is never a bad thing, sending squad two to deal with a man who was able to kill my father is asking for more body bags. We need to meet force with force and figure out exactly what we're dealing with."

Once finished, a small smirk parted Ika's lips. "Besides, I wanna meet the man who killed my father."

There was a part of Shungi who wanted to reply. "You're going to have to learn to work with me", he might have replied. "If you should learn anything from your father's mistakes, it would be to listen to other people", he would have added.

Shungi didn't say anything. He didn't have to. He knew that what he was saying was the right thing. He didn't need to prove his bravery. His demonstrable willingness to stand up against people who were stronger than he was acted as proof enough. Then, when Ika acknowledged having a backup for the retreat and changed his plan from extermination to simple culling, mainly putting himself in danger, Shungi knew that he had already gotten through. Even if the man didn't want to admit it. Shungi knew that if he tried to state as much, it would have been met with denial anyhow. That was what the father was like, after all.

As he took his place at the captain's side, he looked out at the other captains and lieutenants at the meeting. Shungi remembered the last time a meeting like this had happened, and had already begun to make morbid predictions over who was going to die. Hopefully nobody, and from the people in the room, Shungi breathed a sigh of relief. As long as none of them went in over their heads, it didn't look like any of these people were going to go any time soon.

Ika allowed the man his moment of reprieve, it was clear this his mind was swimming and in some small way Shungi had made his mark in this little conversation. Sly fuck. Once the plans had been laid off Ika signed off on them and asked the rest of those gathered to prepare for the battle to come. Once the room had cleared, he turned his attention to Shungi and crossed his arms lightly. "You gonna be alright holding down the fort here? I'd hate to think I leave for a little bit and I come back to the whole place being on fire. I'm leaving a few Captains here with you, obviously if anything came up and we needed to get out in a hurry there is a Hell butterfly you can dispatch to me at any time you feel the need."

Ika stood up, walking towards the door as the Senkaimon began to open. "If all is handled, I'll be leaving."

"Demonstrably," Shungi stated. He had been taking care of business from the entire time it took for Ika to take his spot as captain commander. He handled the funeral detail, the handled managing separate division training and cross-division training, and he had organized the current rescue mission. Shungi held the cat at his side and gave a short bow to the shinigami as they passed into Hueco Mundo.

"I'll see you all when you get back."