"What should we do with the rest of these?"
Yoruichi and Yūshirō, together, had eaten about a third of it.
Looking at the remaining pile of snacks, Kenma was troubled.
He was starting to suspect that Hikifune Kirio had accidentally made too many and just dumped them all on him.
"Burp... Give them away. We can't eat this much, and it's a waste to let them spoil," Yoruichi said, burping.
Kenma nodded. "That works."
Just then, a messenger from the Inner Court Squad suddenly arrived at the Shihoin estate, kneeling on one knee before Yoruichi and Kenma.
"Captain, 3rd Seat Kenma, a Class 1 emergency order from the Captain-Commander."
"Notify all of Seireitei to be on high alert. All captains are to report to the 1st Division barracks for a captain's meeting."
'A Class 1 order? And the entire Seireitei on high alert?'
Kenma knew without thinking that it was definitely because of Kuchiki Kōga.
After all, slaughtering the entire Central 46... causing such a huge commotion... the Seireitei was bound to react.
In fact, for the high alert order to only come now... the reaction speed was far too slow.
In that short time, Yoruichi had already digested the food.
She stood up, glanced at Kenma, and asked the Inner Court Squad member, "What happened?"
"Reporting, Captain! The sages of the Central 46, the entire main family of the Tsunayashiro family, and the captain of the 11th Division, Kenpachi, have all been killed by Kuchiki Kōga!"
"What!"
Yoruichi's eyes flew wide, her expression filled with disbelief.
After reacting, her stunned golden eyes immediately fell on her husband.
"Kenma, what is going on?"
"Didn't you take a divine treasure to stop him? Don't tell me you failed?"
"Are you okay? You're not hurt, are you?"
Yoruichi had been kept in the dark about some details by Kenma from the beginning, so she didn't have a clear understanding.
She had just seen Kenma's relaxed expression when he returned and thought he had successfully stopped Kuchiki Kōga.
Her heart hadn't even been at ease for long, and now she was hearing from the Inner Court Squad that such a huge mess had occurred in the Seireitei.
"I'm fine."
Kenma waved his hand, dismissing the Inner Court Squad member and the servants in the room.
After a servant carried Yūshirō away, only he and Yoruichi remained in the room.
"Yoruichi, by the time I got there, I was already a step too late. I couldn't stop him."
"I even got mixed up in it and had to fight someone else. You probably sensed the spiritual pressure that erupted at that time."
"After the big fight, Shisui was heavily injured, and Toji had an arm cut off. Why else do you think I just came back from the 12th Division?"
"It was to get them repaired!"
Yoruichi, gradually calming down, heard Kenma's words and couldn't help but nod in agreement.
She had clearly sensed that intense and chaotic spiritual pressure earlier. It was indeed the kind of chaos that only comes from a major battle.
She thought a conflict had broken out while stopping Kuchiki Kōga, but she didn't expect the situation to be this severe.
'They even had to go to the 12th Division to ask Urahara Kisuke and Mayuri Kurotsuchi for help!'
Yoruichi scanned Kenma from head to toe. Seeing he was truly unharmed, she sighed in relief.
But at the same time, she had a faint feeling in her heart that her husband was definitely hiding something from her.
But at a critical time like this, as long as he was okay, that was all that mattered.
"I just didn't expect that guy Kuchiki Kōga to be so bold, to actually dare to kill the Central 46 and the Tsunayashiro family."
"And on top of that, he's so strong... he even killed Kenpachi."
Yoruichi muttered.
Kenma retorted, "Why? Whether it's the Central 46 or the Tsunayashiro family, do they not deserve to be killed?"
Seeing Kenma's sharp-edged, murderous look, Yoruichi's heart stirred.
Suddenly, in a flash of insight, she felt she understood her husband's true colors, deep in his soul.
This husband of hers, always so serious and earnest, was absolutely not a stable or honest person at heart.
'Quite the opposite. Just like Kuchiki Kōga, who was currently wreaking havoc in the Seireitei, he was the type who couldn't stand being idle.'
Although it wasn't the first time she'd said her father had misjudged, this time, she could say it with conviction.
'Father, you really were wrong about him!'
"Killing the Tsunayashiro family is one thing, that whole family is no good, but he shouldn't have touched the Central 46."
"Those old guys may be corrupt and rigid, but to some extent, they maintain the order of Soul Society and the balance of the three realms."
"Once the Central 46, the seat of power, is in turmoil, the entire Seireitei will undergo a massive change. It will definitely become even more chaotic than it is now."
Kenma shook his head at Yoruichi's words, refuting her.
"Yoruichi, you're wrong."
"Even if the entire Central 46 is wiped out, the Seireitei and Soul Society will not fall into chaos."
"Don't forget, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigokuni is still here!"
'Yamamoto Shigokuni, the strongest Shinigami in a thousand years, is Soul Society's strongest pillar, the Wisdom King who suppresses countless demons and monsters.'
'As long as this great Buddha is present, Soul Society cannot fall into chaos, and no one would dare to rebel.'
"That... is true."
Yoruichi subconsciously nodded, agreeing with Kenma.
This Captain-Commander had presided for a thousand years; he was already a symbol for many Shinigami and nobles.
Then, Yoruichi snapped back.
"I can't talk to you anymore. I have a captain's meeting. I'm leaving."
"Kenma, it's so dangerous right now. Don't go running around. Just stay home."
Before her voice had even faded, Yoruichi's figure was gone from the room.
Kenma stared blankly at the remaining snacks in the room.
He didn't need Yoruichi to tell him; he wasn't planning on making any moves for the next few days.
But thinking about the news from the Inner Court Squad, Kenma was also a little shocked.
'The Kenpachi of the 11th Division was killed by Kuchiki Kōga, who had lost his Zanpakutō!'
'It seems this generation's Kenpachi... his strength isn't as outstanding as the famous ones. He wasn't even qualified.'
Kenma remembered the previous Kenpachi was Azashiro Kenpachi, who was later punished by the Central 46 and imprisoned in the Muken, in the great prison beneath the Shin'ō Academy.
After Azashiro Kenpachi was imprisoned, the Shinigami who took over as captain and inherited the Kenpachi name was the former vice-captain from Kuruyashiki Kenpachi's era.
This Ninth Kenpachi's strength was mediocre, only at the level of a vice-captain. He couldn't bear the weight of the Kenpachi title at all. 'Being killed by Kuchiki Kōga... is actually pretty normal.'
'That's not strange at all, then.'
Because of the Captain-Commander's high-alert order, Kenma stayed within the Shihoin estate for the next few days.
Although he didn't take a single step out of the house, Kenma didn't miss a single major event that happened in the Seireitei.
Whether it was reports from 2nd Division members, word-of-mouth from Uchiha Fugaku, or conversations with Yoruichi, Kenma was able to learn everything about the situation in the Seireitei from the perspectives of low, middle, and high-ranking Shinigami, minimizing any omissions.
Among them, the incident concerning Kuchiki Kōga was the most explosive.
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]