"Hey, did you hear? A man moved into Ane-san's house."
"I know! They seem really close. Do you think they're…?"
"I never thought this day would come. Hard to believe, huh?"
...
Rukongai District 3 – Hokutan.
Kaien Shiba sipped his tea, shaking his head as he tried to dismiss the gossip as nothing more than a joke. It took him a while to suppress the irritation rising in his chest.
His sister—more brash and headstrong than most men—bringing a man home? What kind of nonsense was that? Impossible!
There had to be some kind of misunderstanding. Maybe this so-called "Ane-san" wasn't even referring to Kūkaku, but rather some upstart gang with a female leader.
Even so, the idea of Kūkaku being interested in a man wasn't completely unfounded. It was just a rumor, after all. No one had ever seen her take an interest in anyone…
Then, a face flashed through Kaien's mind—an unforgettable man, the type that could easily make someone fall for him at first sight.
Kūkaku… was interested in him.
Oh, hell no.
"Kaien-aniki, come on, tell us! What kind of guy is Kūkaku Ane-san's man?"
Passersby recognized Kaien and excitedly gathered around.
"Yeah! I heard from Ganju-oyabun that he's really good-looking."
"I heard that too! Apparently, he's about to join the Gotei 13 as a Shinigami!"
"Oi! There's no way my sister has a man. That's just a bunch of nonsense, so stop spreading rumors."
Kaien waved them off dismissively, but his presence only stirred more excitement.
As the current head of the Shiba family and the undisputed leader of Western Rukongai, he was widely respected, with countless people eager to follow in his footsteps.
But then… his smile froze.
A sudden realization hit him like a bolt of lightning.
That damned guy was in his house.
Kaien abruptly stood up, bolting toward home, his pace quickening with every step.
No more self-deception.
He rolled up his sleeves and ran.
...
Outskirts of Rukongai District 1.
A squad of Shinigami, clad in Shihakushō, marched forward in formation.
Two captains led the group, their white haori flowing behind them. Following closely were elite Shinigami, their powerful Reiatsu radiating through the air.
Civilians and gang members alike froze in place, their eyes widening at the sight of the fully armed squad. The sheer pressure emanating from them made the crowd instinctively retreat, overwhelmed by shock.
—This unit alone could crush all of Rukongai.
At the head of the formation, Isshin Shiba and Shunsui Kyōraku walked side by side toward the outskirts, with Lisa Yadōmaru, wearing her division's insignia, keeping pace just behind them.
"This house…"
Shunsui stopped, staring at the bizarre structure ahead. Two massive stone arms held up a banner, proudly displaying the name 'Shiba Kūkaku.'
His mouth twitched.
Did an actual human build this?
Isshin stepped closer and leaned in, whispering a few words into his ear.
"I see… Your niece has quite an interesting taste."
Shunsui Kyōraku couldn't help but throw in a jab.
Isshin Shiba sighed inwardly. While he often enjoyed goofing around, even he couldn't bring himself to appreciate this architectural style. Shaking his head helplessly, he let it go.
Tap, tap, tap…
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps echoed from the woods.
Isshin looked up, and almost instantly, a gentle smile spread across his face.
A black-haired boy came charging forward, leading four other kids—all of them riding atop a wild boar.
"Uncle Isshin!"
The five of them pulled up in front of him, grinning as they waved.
The moment those words were spoken, the nearby villagers gasped in shock.
Isshin? That Isshin Shiba?
The head of the Shiba branch family… was now a captain in the Gotei 13?!
"Well, well. It's been a while. Ganju, you've gotten taller."
Isshin ruffled the boy's hair, his gaze softening.
Through his spiritual perception, he could tell—Ganju's Reiatsu had grown significantly stronger. It was far beyond what Isshin himself had when he first entered Seireitei.
"I can see that Masatsuki and Kūkaku have been looking out for you all."
At the mention of their headstrong sister and potential brother-in-law (?), the five kids exchanged wry smiles.
"But speaking of which… Why are there only a few of you?"
"Where are Kaien and Kūkaku?"
Isshin scanned the area, frowning slightly.
"Kaien-aniki's training in the Third District. Kūkaku-nee—"
Before Ganju could finish, a lighthearted voice came from the opposite side of the forest.
"Uncle Isshin, Kyōraku-senpai, Lisa-san—what brings you all here?"
Everyone turned toward the voice.
Masatsuki Aozaki approached swiftly, dressed in his usual white uniform. At the center of his back was an emblem featuring the "Collapsing Whirlpool of the Crashing Heaven" pattern.
"Two captains and a lieutenant? Master must think I'm pretty important."
Isshin chuckled. "Where's Kūkaku?"
"She's busy playing with fireworks. We made a few modifications to the ingredients."
Masatsuki grinned, casually pointing over his shoulder.
Isshin blinked, then finally understood why the kids had been smiling so awkwardly.
Kūkaku loved conducting high-risk explosive experiments… and accidents were practically a guarantee.
The only question was: how many buildings had they blown up this time?
"Come on," Masatsuki gestured, leading the group toward the Shiba estate.
...
On the way, Shunsui sidled up beside him, a sly glint in his eyes.
"You're not part of the Shiba family, are you?"
Masatsuki raised an eyebrow. "No."
"Then tell me, kid—why are you living here?"
Masatsuki laughed. "That's a long story."
"Then make it a short one." Shunsui clearly wasn't letting this go.
Masatsuki sighed. "I participated in the Konsō internship, right? After completing it, I got my diploma."
"My original plan was to report straight to the Second Division… but then, out of nowhere, a bunch of people showed up claiming to represent some great noble clan. Said they were investigating the Konsō internship."
"With no way to join the Gotei 13 just yet, and nowhere else to go… we ended up here."
He spread his hands, then huffed in frustration.
"Just a few days ago, those bastards were still outside, restricting my movements like I was some kind of criminal."
"And Master? Not one word of concern after all this time. Does he even realize how heartbroken his disciple is?"
With that, Masatsuki clutched his chest dramatically, stomping his foot like he was on the verge of tears.
"What are you even thinking? Do you know how much of a hassle it is for the Detention Unit to arrest someone? You're a team leader now—you'll mostly just be watching over the prison."
Shunsui chuckled, shaking his head. He pulled out a bottle of sake and passed it over.
Lowering his voice, he added,
"I know you're frustrated. But Master hasn't been doing nothing."
"The reason those people backed off? That was his doing."
Masatsuki took a swig of sake, then patted his chest.
"If you ask me, Master is way too soft on those nobles. If I were him—"
"Ahem."
Shunsui, a high-ranking noble and Captain of the Eighth Division, suddenly cleared his throat.
Masatsuki immediately backtracked.
"Ah… I didn't mean you, Senpai. You know what I mean."
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / PinkSnake