[Soul Society, the Shiba Clan Estate]
"Can't you settle down a bit? You're hopping around like a cat whose tail's been stepped on."
It was still that same quiet tea room, and the one seated in the place of honor was still Shiba Kukaku.
Seated upright in the main seat, Shiba Kukaku slowly poured the boiling water into the teapot. Her movements flowed smoothly, and there was a trace of helpless reproach in her tone.
The person before her had long since shed the restlessness and fierceness of her girlhood from a few years ago. A well-tailored jet-black kimono set her off as far more mature and alluring.
As she prepared the tea, the wide neckline shifted slightly, unintentionally revealing large swathes of snow-white skin that stirred the imagination, like the finest mutton-fat jade.
Her posture was proper, and every gesture carried calmness and elegance.
Shihoin Yoruichi heard this and immediately rolled her eyes hard at her. She sat cross-legged on the tatami without ceremony and said irritably, "Oh, give me a break. Back then, who was it that blew up at the slightest poke, more hot-tempered than me? What, you've only been clan head a few years and you've changed your nature? Or is it that you've been so well nourished by some man that you've forgotten your own surname?"
"Vulgar!"
Shiba Kukaku shot her an annoyed look. The hand holding the teacup paused slightly, and that hard-won composure almost broke on the spot.
These past two years, she really had smoothed down many of her rough edges for that man, but that did not mean she had turned into some soft persimmon anyone could knead.
"Tsk! Tsk! Tsk!"
Yoruichi's figure moved over like a ghost. A mischievous gleam flickered in her golden, cat-like eyes as her gaze swept back and forth over the breathtaking curves on Kukaku's chest.
"But still, you really do look a lot more like a woman now. And here… Tsk! Tsk! Compared to a few years ago, it's filled out quite a bit."
She giggled as she spoke, stretching out that not-so-well-behaved hand, pretending she was about to grab a handful.
That size, that charm, at least two sizes bigger, no question.
Yoruichi licked her lips, the little spark of curiosity in her heart starting to stir again.
She had never experienced that kind of thing herself. Every time she saw Kukaku looking even more radiant after being loved, it gave her an itch to try.
But the moment she thought about how everyone around her was crooked melons and cracked dates, all interest drained out of Shihoin Yoruichi.
"You've got your own. Don't go touching everywhere."
Shiba Kukaku slapped Yoruichi's hand away, those beautiful eyes rolling at her.
In the past, she might have played around with her, but now she had long since considered her body to belong entirely to that man, and she tried her best to avoid any interaction with anyone else.
"Fine, fine. You've changed. You've gotten kind of boring."
Yoruichi curled her lips, withdrew her empty-handed palm, and sat back down across from Shiba Kukaku.
"People always grow up. I'm the head of the Shiba clan now. Before, I didn't know what you were carrying on your shoulders. Now I more or less understand."
Shiba Kukaku let out a light sigh, a hint of weariness showing in her eyes.
This life now was not the life she wanted.
But she no longer had the capital to be willful.
Her branch-family uncle's disappearance, her elder brother and sister-in-law's deaths, the clan elders being assassinated. All of this together had left the Shiba clan teetering on the brink.
Rosse's appearance helped her hold up the crumbling Shiba clan, but at the same time, it placed the weight of the family squarely on her shoulders.
Whenever she thought of her brother and sister-in-law's ideals, and the expectations of the departed clan elders, she felt like she could barely breathe.
Fortunately, Rosse had always been by her side, sometimes helping her ease her nerves in other ways. Otherwise, she would have collapsed long ago.
"If you don't want to carry it, then don't. I ran off, didn't I? The Shihoin clan's doing just fine," Yoruichi said it carelessly, that free and easy look still on her face.
"You ran off easily enough, but that kid Yushiro had it pretty rough."
Shiba Kukaku snorted, clearly not agreeing with Yoruichi's view.
She might not like her current life, but she could not do something that irresponsible.
If the Shiba clan's decline were inevitable and impossible to stop, then fine, she would let it rot.
But when there was clearly a chance to hold on to the family legacy, how could she let it go?
Besides, if she really walked away, the Shiba clan would either be wiped off the map entirely, or be messed up even worse by her idiot little brother. It was better for her to do it.
Back then, her elder brother had not chosen to give up either. Sheltered by him, she had enjoyed hundreds of years of ease.
Now it was her turn to shoulder that responsibility.
"That's why I say you're not the same as before. If it were the old you, you couldn't have said something like that."
Yoruichi looked at Shiba Kukaku with a complicated expression.
All the reasoning, she understood it perfectly well.
The reason she ran off so freely was simply because she followed one principle. Things like family honor, she did not care about them, so she did not guard them.
Let those who were willing to guard them do so. She was not going to.
Originally, in her mind, Shiba Kukaku was the same kind of person as her. She just had not expected that her brother's death would still push her into taking responsibility.
Yoruichi did not think there was anything wrong with that.
She herself did not want responsibility, but that did not mean she disliked those who stood firm.
On the contrary, she had always respected those willing to stand firm. Including Yushiro, including Sui Feng.
And the purpose of her coming this time was also to seek justice for Sui Feng.
"Kukaku, can you be sure? Sure that Acting Captain-Commander Rosse will believe what I say?", Taking advantage of the fact that Rosse had not yet arrived, Yoruichi once again asked the question that worried her.
She was afraid, very afraid.
Afraid that she could not accomplish anything.
Aizen's unsolvable Zanpakuto, the invincible power of the Hollow King's Palace, all made her feel like her will was there but her strength was not.
She was afraid she would not be able to persuade Rosse, and that she would not be able to get justice for Sui Feng in Soul Society.
"If you're not even confident in yourself, then I'll start suspecting you're trying to fool someone."
Shiba Kukaku glanced at Yoruichi, her words blunt.
Whether Rosse would believe Yoruichi, she could not give a definite answer.
Even after being pillow partners for several years, she still could not read that man's thoughts.
And to be honest, this matter was hard to judge.
Rosse was from the Hollow King's Palace.
Soul Society letting someone from the Hollow King's Palace serve as Acting Captain-Commander was already absurd enough.
Now Yoruichi was coming to make Rosse believe that Sui Feng was not a Hollow King's Palace spy, but had been framed by Aizen.
Something like this, even she found it a bit unbelievable just hearing it.
She did not know what had happened over at the Hollow King's Palace.
Yoruichi had not spelled out Sui Feng's fate, but just from her expression, Shiba Kukaku could guess it was probably not good.
As for Sui Feng's end, Shiba Kukaku could only say she deserved it.
If Yoruichi were not her best friend, and she did not want to put her in a difficult spot, she would have already pointed at her and cursed her out.
What kind of nonsense was this.
Back then, if Rosse had not protected her, she and the Shiba clan would have been flattened by that crazy woman.
Shiba Kukaku even felt it was a bit of a pity. She should have asked Rosse about it earlier.
If she had known earlier that the Hollow King's Palace had actions targeting Sui Feng, she would have gone over there herself to be the one doing the beating.
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