The Kyuubantai-taichou strode through the barracks of his division. Only recently had Muguruma Kensei retaken the office from which he had been removed more than a hundred years ago; mostly by the hands of Tousen Kaname and Sousuke Aizen; the deeds of betrayal. The division looked the same as it had back then, save a few cosmectic changes that had been made by the turn of a century. He was no man of artistic style, he would leave evaluating and spending time with matters of art to other people, that was why he didn't care for the various things which with the division had been decorated in his absence. Something entirely else was on his mind. Something, that was part of any division, that itself was invisible, and only became known to the obverser by reflecting in the eyes and faces of division members, for this something was in the heart and soul; the spirit and faith of a division. And the Ninth' had been shaken. One of the three unlucky divisions within all of Seireitei who had been back-stabbed, it would take special care and custody to return the division to its former glory, confidence and pride.

No let-down could be allowed in the reconstruction of faith; once more, the Ninth would be a beacon of loyality. And he, as its commander, wouldn't stand for impunity or immaturity. What men needed in the confusion of darkness and in times of question and chaos were the stark roles of leaders, voices filled with strength and reason. Guidance. And he had been made officer over a hundred years ago because he could lead men in battle. It was the Kyuubantai's task, after all, to guard the sections of Seireitei as the first line of defense. Soldiers, more than anything, but soldiers needed motivation and belief as much as they needed physical skills and sharp blades. A blade must be drawn or a reason. And if that reason is only to destroy an enemy; one has to at least know why the enemy must suffer destruction. Justification and upright motives were important above all other icons. Assassinations and shady deeds should be left to those who surrounded their souls and beings with shadows.

It was un-usual for the tall man to wait. By stature alone, members of the division - of any division - knew better than to cross with the grim-faced mass of steeled and trained muscles. And yet, a member of his own company had decided to do so by arriving late, or rather, by having yet to arrive. He was used to unreliable vice captains thanks to his experience with Mashiro, but hell be damned if he allowed his current fukutaichou to amount to the same pest that was the green-haired female. Prone to impatience, Kensei didn't wait for long. Within moments after he'd left with strong steps carrying him forward in a resolute rhythm, sleeve-less haori blowing in the wake of his advance, he appeared before the quarters of one Hisagi Shuuhei.

The stench of sake that exuded from below the wooden barrier was enough to make knocking obsolete. A well-placed palm-thrust left the door open, allowing the white-haired officer to step into the tidy realm of his second-in-command.
The sight that presented itself to the impatient man's gaze had not been expected of his orderly subordinate, especially considering the fact that he'd kept the division running for all this time, without the help of Tousen Kaname. But of course, the stench of sake had to come from somehwere. Though scattered bottles all over the room were ready to take the blame, Hisagi's up-side down and bed-placed frame on the side of the room underlined that they were but empty containers; their liquid content had entered the dark-haired man's blood stream, no doubt, during the night before.

White-hot rage furthered from Kensei's heart and claimed a hold upon his face. A vein above his face became thick, and the rest of his expression was that of helpless anger; not because his fists were inable to rend through Shinigami, Hollows and stone alike, but because nothing was in their range: he, or rather, his fists were unable release the culminating emotions of wrath and anger. "...I'll kill you," he seethed, not threatening his passed out fukutaichou, but rather, the person who had corrupted his aid and manipulated them to such a degree. Hisagi was a reliable young man. He wouldn't allow slackers from other divisions to leave their bad imprints on the battle-ready and venerable Ninth, or its members.