"Shisui, what's going on?"
"Yoruichi said it would be a few more days, so why is it so early?"
Having just returned home, Ren didn't even have time to change before summoning Shisui.
He hurried through the night toward the courtyard where Yoruichi was staying.
Shisui followed close behind, his face full of guilt. "It was my failure to keep watch, please punish me, my Lord."
"Get to the point!"
"Yes." Shisui opened his mouth, hesitating slightly. "Lady Yoruichi couldn't sleep tonight, so she found Lord Yuushirou to play video games..."
"And then?"
Yoruichi's habits were like a cat's; she loved staying up late, and Ren knew this well.
After she became pregnant, Ren had tried to advise her countless times, but she simply couldn't change her ways.
In the middle of the night, Yoruichi's eyes would shine with startling brightness.
Even if he forced her to close her eyes, she couldn't sleep. Sometimes, Ren himself was forced to stay up late just to keep her company.
Seeing Ren's urgency, Shisui gritted his teeth and blurted it all out.
"Lady Yoruichi lost over a dozen games. While she was punching Lord Yuushirou to vent her frustration, she accidentally... disturbed the pregnancy..."
"What?"
Ren paused mid-step, staring blankly at Shisui before regaining his composure.
He had thought Yoruichi was under some kind of threat or stress, but it was just because of this?
Losing ten times in a row was certainly frustrating, but to go into labor because of that... it was almost beyond description.
Ren finally understood why Shisui had been so hesitant.
He felt the same way after learning the truth.
He had always known Yoruichi was unreliable, but he didn't expect that even as a mother-to-be, she would still have such a childish temper and be so easily rattled.
And Yuushirou was just as senseless!
Yoruichi was pregnant; her emotions were unstable and she shouldn't be provoked. He should have just let her win.
Letting her win a game and making her happy wouldn't have cost him anything.
The sister was like this, and the brother was the same. This whole family was simply something else.
At this moment, Ren realized deeply that besides himself, there wasn't a single normal person in this house.
"Where is Yoruichi now?"
"Rest assured, my Lord, the household has already made arrangements. Doctors and midwives are on standby twenty-four hours a day, and Captain Unohana has already arrived. There won't be any accidents."
"That's good."
Ren let out a sigh of relief.
If anything had happened to Yoruichi or the child because of this, he would have felt like killing someone.
When he reached Yoruichi's small courtyard, the front yard was already packed with people. The crowd looked anxious.
"Ahhh!"
As he approached, Yoruichi's heart-wrenching cries drifted through the many layers of doors. Though somewhat weak, they were still piercing and struck deep into the heart.
Hearing the sobbing tone in Yoruichi's screams, Ren's calm face tightened, his brow furrowing.
The joy of just having gained new powers vanished instantly, replaced by a sense of gravity.
Seeing the master of the house arrive, the people blocking the doorway parted to make a path.
Inside the courtyard, besides a large number of servants, family members like Yuushirou and Nobunaga had also rushed over upon hearing the news.
Ren walked through the crowd. When he passed Yuushirou, he gave him a sharp glare, scaring the boy—who was already whimpering—into tears again as he hid behind Suì-Fēng.
Just as he was about to enter the room, Ren was stopped by someone at the door.
Standing guard at the door was a man in a Shihakushō, handsome with fair skin.
Seeing this person blocking him, Ren's voice became urgent.
"Seinosuke, move! I need to see Yoruichi!"
The man before him was Yamada Seinosuke, Ren's junior from the Shin'ō Academy and the current Vice-Captain of the Fourth Division.
He had come to the Shihoin house along with Unohana Retsu.
Seeing Ren, Seinosuke's cold expression softened slightly, but his feet didn't move an inch as he remained in Ren's path.
"I understand your anxiety, Senior, but even you cannot go in!"
"You smell of blood. Going in there wouldn't help; it would only contaminate the room."
Seinosuke's solemn tone served as a wake-up call for Ren, clearing his mind.
Yoruichi was in labor. He had just returned from killing people; if he brought bacteria in and infected her or the child, it would be a disaster.
Ren suppressed his internal urgency, forcing himself to maintain a calm exterior.
"How is it inside? What did Captain Unohana say?"
"Relax, Senior. The Captain is inside."
Seinosuke breathed a sigh of relief when he saw Ren didn't intend to force his way in. He offered some comfort.
"Immediately after the Captain arrived, she examined Lady Yoruichi. Although it's a few days early, both mother and child are out of danger."
"And congratulations, Senior. You are about to become a father."
Ren nodded slightly.
Ever since the fetus had developed, Yoruichi had specifically checked; she was carrying a boy.
This meant Yoruichi's branch of the Shihoin family finally had a formal heir.
Listening to Yoruichi's cries echoing from the room, Ren was silent for a moment before his agitation became unbearable again.
"I'm glad they're okay, but Yoruichi sounds like she's in so much pain. Is there any way to ease her suffering?"
"Rest assured, Senior, the Captain will handle everything inside. Nothing will go wrong."
Seinosuke's voice was firm, filled with absolute trust in Unohana Retsu.
Just then, Yoruichi's scream spiked sharply before fading away, eventually falling into complete silence.
"Ah—"
Hearing that sound, Ren snapped his head toward the door. Just as he was about to rush in, Seinosuke stopped him again.
"Yoruichi went quiet. I'm going in to see—just one look!"
"No, Senior. The Captain said no unauthorized personnel!"
"Am I unauthorized personnel?"
"You're too dirty, Senior. You can't go in!"
While the two were arguing, the door suddenly opened, and Unohana Retsu appeared with her usual gentle smile.
The faint, sharp sound of a baby crying drifted from the room.
Everyone surged toward the door, their eyes full of questions as a clamor of voices filled the courtyard.
"Silence!"
Seinosuke shouted, cutting through most of the noise, and nodded respectfully to Unohana Retsu.
"Captain."
Seinosuke stepped aside. Ren immediately stepped forward, his fists subconsciously clenching.
"Captain Unohana, how is Yoruichi? And the baby?"
Unohana Retsu's eyes crinkled as she gave a serene smile. She scanned the crowd before letting her gaze fall on Ren.
"Congratulations. The child has been successfully delivered. Both mother and son are safe."
Although Ren had known Yoruichi would be fine, he couldn't help but worry.
Now hearing the confirmation from Unohana Retsu, he finally let out a long breath, and a look of joy broke across his solemn face.
The people in the courtyard, hearing the good news from Unohana Retsu, were about to break into celebration when Seinosuke shouted again.
"Quiet!"
"Please be silent. Lady Yoruichi and the child need rest."
Ren cooperated with Seinosuke's words to avoid disturbing Yoruichi.
He turned to enter and see them, but Unohana Retsu stopped him.
"General Ren, Lady Yoruichi has just given birth and hasn't recovered yet. It's best not to see her just yet."
"Please wait a moment. At least wash off the smell of blood before meeting them, wouldn't you agree?"
Hearing this, Ren secretly sniffed himself but didn't smell any blood.
He asked Walter to look after the two from the Fourth Division, and the whole courtyard remained busy for half the night.
Before everything was fully settled, Ren hurriedly changed his clothes and finally walked in with Suì-Fēng and Yuushirou.
Passing through several corridors, they entered the room. It was brightly lit. Yoruichi lay on the bed with a swaddled bundle beside her, while seven or eight maidservants stood guard nearby.
"Yoruichi."
Ren stepped forward quickly. Yoruichi's face looked exhausted, with beads of sweat still visible, lacking her usual boundless energy.
Hearing the movement, Yoruichi opened her eyes. Her golden gaze swept over the faces of Ren and the others, a warm expression appearing on her face.
"The baby..."
"The baby is right here."
Ren picked up the swaddled bundle next to Yoruichi, his movements gentle for fear of waking the sleeping child.
Looking at the new life in his arms, Ren felt something thick and warm in his chest, followed by an indescribable complexity and a heavy sense of responsibility.
'So this is my child...'
"Let me see."
Yoruichi struggled to sit up, but Ren immediately stopped her.
He brought the baby to her side.
"Yoruichi, stay lying down. Don't move unnecessarily."
Yoruichi tilted her head, slowly reaching out from under the covers to touch the baby's cheek before pulling back as quick as a flash.
"Shihoin... Touichirou."
"Ren, look. It's our child."
The corners of Yoruichi's mouth lifted into a soft smile, then she frowned.
"Why does he look so wrinkled? He's so ugly."
A maid nearby heard this and chimed in, "Lady Yoruichi, all newborns look like this. He'll look better once his features fill out."
Yoruichi nodded, looking like she partially understood.
She turned to look at the infant again, and her brow furrowed once more.
"But that's not right either. Why is he so white?"
The baby's skin was wrinkled, but the complexion was clearly a translucent, healthy pale pink.
It was nothing like the deep skin tone traditionally passed down through the Shihoin family.
"Ren, did you find someone else behind my back?"
"I'm the one who gave birth, so why isn't he black at all!"
"..."
Ren's emotional moment was instantly met with speechless stagnation.
He gave Yoruichi a look and flicked her forehead with his finger.
"Yoruichi, do you even hear yourself?"
He looked at the child, a smile reaching his eyes as he nodded in satisfaction.
The child's skin was indeed very fair, nothing like his mother's deep complexion.
It seemed his genes were strong enough to even override the Shihoin family's million-year heritage.
"Isn't being fair-skinned good?"
"He can't be like you, a little black charcoal ball. Being fair and chubby is the cutest."
He had married into the Shihoin family; seeing the child's skin tone now, it felt like he had improved the family genetics.
Behind him, Suì-Fēng and Yuushirou leaned in, craning their necks to look at the child.
"He really is fair. He doesn't look like Sister or me at all."
"He doesn't have Lady Yoruichi's beauty at all!"
Seeing the child's appearance, the two of them frowned just like Yoruichi had.
They then looked at Ren with deep disappointment.
Suì-Fēng looked heartbroken, her delicate face filled with dissatisfaction.
"Lord Ren, look at what you've done!"
"This is too much! You actually changed the unique trait of the Shihoin family!"
Yuushirou grew bold and nodded repeatedly. "Exactly! Exactly!"
"I'm going to hit you!"
Ren's words made Yuushirou's face pale, and he ducked behind Suì-Fēng again.
He was still muttering something.
Suì-Fēng protected Yuushirou, looking at Yoruichi as if for help.
"Lady Yoruichi, look at him."
"Hahaha, alright, alright. Stop messing around, you'll wake the baby."
Yoruichi laughed heartily, appearing to have regained some of her usual self.
Ren waved his hands at Suì-Fēng and Yuushirou, shooing them away.
"Alright, you've seen Yoruichi and the baby. Now get out."
After shooing them out, Ren sat by the bed and touched the baby's face with his finger, a warm current flowing through his heart.
Yoruichi leaned slightly to the side, her gaze moving between Ren and the child, her brow arching slightly.
"I wonder what he'll look like when he grows up. But looking at these eyebrows, they'll definitely be as thick as yours."
"What's wrong with thick eyebrows and large eyes? It's very handsome," Ren said.
"If he's exactly like you, they might be a bit too thick."
Yoruichi rambled on, her finger touching the baby's brow, her heroic features showing a hint of tenderness.
Seeing Yoruichi filled with motherly gentleness, Ren's heart skipped, and the emotions in his eyes became even more complex.
While happy, he felt a weight in his chest that made it hard to breathe.
Ultimately, whether in his past life or this one, this was his first time being a parent. He had no idea how to handle it.
Taking Yoruichi's hand, Ren finally felt a bit overwhelmed now that he had come to his senses. He could only force himself to maintain his usual composure.
He stayed with Yoruichi for a while, comforting her.
Once Yoruichi succumbed to exhaustion and fell into a deep sleep, Ren gave the servants a few quiet instructions before tiptoeing out of the room.
In the front yard, Nobunaga sat on the porch floor, Yoichi leaned against a wooden pillar, and Shimazu Toyohisa paced back and forth.
Seeing Ren come out, the three immediately surrounded him.
"Yoruichi and the child are both fine. Don't worry," Ren said.
Shimazu Toyohisa sighed. "I actually wanted to go in and hold the child, but since he's a newborn, it's not suitable for too many people to see him."
"There will be plenty of time for you to see him in the future. No need to rush," Yoichi comforted him, making Toyohisa's face light up again.
"Right. When this child grows up, I'm going to teach him swordsmanship."
Nobunaga teased, "This child has an air of nobility. Your brand of swordsmanship, where you get cut down if you don't land a blow, isn't suitable for Touichirou."
"He's a child of a Great Noble family, and Ren has built such a massive legacy. We can't have Touichirou risking his life in battle."
Shimazu Toyohisa immediately protested, "You're right about that, but there's no harm in Touichirou learning some self-defense!"
"He doesn't need to learn your swordsmanship. There are so many things to learn in the Soul Society," Yoichi added.
Seeing the three starting to bicker again, Ren stepped forward to stop them.
"Enough, enough. Don't wake Yoruichi and the baby inside."
The three stopped their quarreling.
Nobunaga looked at the room, his expression suddenly becoming serious.
"Ren, although it's not the best time to tell you, I have to."
"Preparations in Yomi Castle are almost complete. Sengoku is asking—when do we start?"
Hearing this, Shimazu Toyohisa and Yoichi also turned solemn, waiting for Ren's decision.
Ren knew exactly what Nobunaga meant. He was referring to the war.
A new life had just been born, yet he, the father, was preparing to trigger a war that would take countless lives.
How ironic...
He fell into silence for a moment before finally letting out a sigh.
"As soon as the celebration at home is over, we begin immediately."
"Tell the soldiers in Yomi Castle to make every preparation!"
[Reviews - Power St0nes - Comments are highly appreciated to keep me going.....(+50 chapters) patre0n.c0m/talecrafter]