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The day of their graduation had been an exciting moment for both of them. Most students were more than ready to move on and do something else after six years of school and training. Both Shunsui and Jūshirō had applied for positions with the Gotei 13; it wasn’t as if they’d wanted to go anywhere else, but Yamamoto himself had urged them both to apply regardless.
After they’d finished their finals, a group of them had gone out and gotten completely drunk. Even Jūshirō, who tended to be quite the conservative drinker, had to be practically carried home at the end of the night. The following morning had been a struggle for them both, and even Shunsui had naively sworn to never drink again. The next couple of days after that had been busy filled with preparing to leave the Academy; both Jūshirō and Shunsui had lived there practically year-round, and it was a bittersweet process for the both of them.
The day of their actual graduation was an oddly calm one. The commencement was taking place in the afternoon, so they had the morning to get ready and finish any last-minute packing. They’d helped each other get ready, although there hadn’t been much to prepare. The ceremony itself had seemed to drag on, there had been a palpable excitement and anxiety that seemed to make the air electric. The excitement seemed to build to a climax, and when the commencement finally ended there were shouts of joy and embraces all around. The next couple of hours had been a flurry of celebration and excitement, which is why it was so strange when Yamamoto pulled Shunsui and Jūshirō aside in the middle of the party.
They followed him down the hall for a little bit, before he opened the door to one of the empty classrooms and ushered them in. Jūshirō and Shunsui had a brief moment to exchange confused looks, but no time to talk as they waited for the Yamamoto to speak.
Yamamoto watched them for a brief moment before laughing roughly, “You two look like the scared schoolboys that walked through the front doors six years ago.”
The tension in the room seemed to dissipate instantaneously, and Shunsui scratched the back of his head. “Why’d you pull us out of the party, Yama-jii?”
Startling both Jūshirō and Shunsui, Yamamoto approached them both and put a hand on each of their shoulders. The look he gave them was serious, and Jūshirō felt the hair on the back of his neck rise from trepidation. Then, Yamamoto smiled and squeezed their shoulders.
“You both are testaments to this Academy,” Yamamoto said. “You’ll make excellent additions to the Gotei 13. I’m proud of both of you.”
Shunsui felt his eyebrows hit his hairline, and in his periphery he could see that Jūshirō was just as shocked as he was. Yamamoto was not a cruel man, but he was definitely rough around the edges. His approval was unexpected and it meant the world to both of them.
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They became captains around the same time. The need for more captains had arisen after a particularly horrible war that had resulted in the death of many Shinigami, which had caused unfortunate opportunity. Both Jūshirō and Shunsui had achieved bankai decades prior as vice captains, and they had reached their maximum potential in their current positions.
The proficiency test had been an immensely nerve-wracking experience for both them. Although they both were capable of bankai, it wasn’t something that they normally practiced, and to show their bankai in front of Yamamoto and two other captains was intimidating.
Of course, the test had gone well for the both of them. It was a weirdly intimate experience; all bankai was individualized, and demonstrating it in front of others was frightening initially. More terrifying was the silence that had descended after each exam had concluded; both Jūshirō and Shunsui had held their breath as they waited for the verdict. Before they could take in what had happened they both had captain’s haoris on their shoulders and were being inducted as captains.
After all of the captains had vacated the first division, Jūshirō and Shunsui were left alone with Yamamoto, still slightly dazed from the events of the day. They waited expectantly to be dismissed, and although both tried to control themselves, there was a mixture of anxiety, excitement, and fear emanating from them both. Shunsui was pulled from his thoughts when Yamamoto approached him and straightened out his haori before doing the same to Jūshirō. The head captain appraised them both before he finally spoke.
“I’m sure the meaning of these haoris are not lost on either of you. Treat them with the dignity and respect they deserve. They will be a heavy weight upon your shoulders – be just, and do good. Be the men that I am proud of.”
There was a moment of silence before Shunsui sighed loudly, “Yare yare. This is the second time you’ve told us that Yama-jii. You’re going soft in your old age.”
Before Shunsui could react Yamamoto had hit Shunsui in the thigh with his staff, eliciting a yelp from the new captain of the Eighth division. As Shunsui rubbed the spot on his thigh, Jūshirō bit his lip in an attempt not to laugh.
“Do you spank all of your captains, Yama-jii?” Shunsui asked.
Yamamoto arched an eyebrow, “Don’t tempt me boy.”
The look of surprise on Shunsui’s face was genuine, which caused Jūshirō to burst out into laughter outright.
Yamamoto huffed, before waving them away. “Go on then. You’ve got divisions to run now.”
Shunsui and Jūshirō bowed and said a quick farewell before exiting the First division. Despite how nonchalant Shunsui acted, Jūshirō knew that he was as affected by Yamamoto’s words as Jūshirō was. Yamamoto was like a father to both of them, and to earn his pride was an incredible honour, and not one that was very common.
Throughout his lifetime, Yamamoto told them only a few more times how proud of them he was. For the most part it was unspoken; communicated and acknowledged through actions rather than words. It was never something that either took for granted, even as they became older, more prestigious, and more respected by members of the Gotei 13. There was nothing that could compare to approval from a father.
Which is what made his death so devastating for the both of them, and what had renewed their conviction to make him proud, and live up to the men Yamamoto had believed them to be.