The young Nanao Ise obviously did not yet possess enough experience to understand the hidden meaning within Suzuki Makoto's words. She simply assumed that Suzuki Makoto hadn't seen the token of authority, and thus didn't believe she could represent the Captain-Commander.
"This is a contract hand-written by the Captain-Commander himself, and it bears the seal of the Gotei 13."
Suzuki Makoto's expression turned incredibly strange. He didn't recall this girl with glasses having a 'natural airhead' setting, did he?
"But I am just one of the Wandering Souls of the Rukongai. How would I recognize the internal seal of the Seireitei, and how could I possibly have seen the Captain-Commander's handwriting?"
Nanao Ise froze. For a moment, she didn't know how to continue proving herself. Suzuki Makoto, however, had already raised his head, frowning slightly as he looked into the distance.
That aura wasn't directed at him; rather, it had been paying close attention to the young girl before him all along.
So that was the game they were playing.
How boring.
"If I agree, where do I sign?"
"Eh? Ah—right here."
Although she didn't understand why Suzuki Makoto had suddenly agreed, seeing as her mission could be completed so smoothly, Nanao Ise didn't think too much of it. Once the ink dried, she put away the treaty and bid farewell to Suzuki Makoto.
"Follow her. Protect her until she leaves the Rukongai."
"What? You're worried about her safety?"
"If the Seireitei wants a reasonable excuse to declare war, then having their special envoy sent for negotiations die under mysterious circumstances in the Rukongai would be the best reason. Regardless of where she dies, as long as it isn't within the Seireitei, it will definitely be pinned on the Yellow Turbans."
"Fine, fine. Then I can strike as I please, right?"
Black Jeanne canceled her Spirit Form, looking with great interest in the direction Nanao Ise had departed.
"You are not allowed to harm the innocent."
"I know, I know. My ears are getting calluses from hearing that."
Suzuki Makoto didn't take this negotiation to heart. It was obvious that for both the Gotei 13 and the Seireitei, this negotiation was merely a formality. All he had to do was send someone to make a gesture of protection.
He didn't believe that Shunsui Kyoraku would allow Nanao Ise to undertake such a dangerous task without taking any insurance measures. As long as he let that Captain of the 8th Division see that he had sent someone to protect the envoy he dispatched, perhaps there really would be a possibility for the Yellow Turbans to reach a reconciliation with the Gotei 13 in the future.
In this Soul Society where power was everything, relying solely on himself and Black Jeanne, it was impossible to let the people under the Yellow Turbans' banner live this kind of peaceful and stable life forever—let alone allow all residents of the Rukongai to live such a life.
Suzuki Makoto threw himself back into the work of renovating the water sources and merging the villages and strongholds. Meanwhile, Black Jeanne followed the girl named Nanao Ise all the way toward the Seireitei.
Just as Suzuki Makoto had predicted, upon entering District 50, the men sent by the nobles made their move directly. The attackers didn't even waste words; they simply swarmed in to kill.
"Who are y—"
The somewhat panicked Nanao Ise didn't even have time to finish her question before a mournful glint of a blade arrived in front of her face. Then, it was incinerated into a wisp of green smoke by monstrous black flames.
"They came to kill you. Do you really need to ask about something so obvious?"
Pulling her sword out of the last living assassin, the girl in black looked at the shocked Nanao Ise with a teasing expression.
"You are... Suzuki Makoto's deputy? Jeanne d'Arc?"
"That's me, alright. You guys investigated quite thoroughly, didn't you?"
Black Jeanne did not sheath her greatsword. Instead, she pointed it toward an empty shadow to the side.
"So, that sneaky guy over there. You've been patiently following this little girl right from the start. However, I've run out of patience now—are you coming out, or should I burn you to death right there in that corner where no one will know?"
"Now, now, little miss. Don't speak with such an old and weary tone. It's not youthful enough, you know."
A bearded, unshaven middle-aged man raised his hands in a gesture of surrender and walked out with a wry smile.
"Captain?!"
"Ahahaha, what a coincidence, Nanao. I just happened to run into you while coming out to receive some intelligence, so I'm just walking you part of the way back."
"But didn't you say this mission was a test for me and that I was allowed to set out alone?"
"Oh my, that was said for the benefit of those with ulterior motives. Only by doing that could we fish them out, no?"
Shunsui Kyoraku maintained that joking manner, making it impossible for anyone to distinguish which of his words were jokes and which were the truth.
"You are her Captain. So that means you are the Captain of the 8th Division?"
"Precisely. I am the Captain of the 8th Division, Shunsui Kyoraku."
A wild, arrogant smile appeared on Black Jeanne's face, and black flames reignited upon the greatsword in her hand.
"Well then, since I helped you protect your subordinate, shouldn't there be some kind of thank-you gift?"
"Uh, that depends on whether I can reasonably pay that remuneration."
"Of course you can—that is, have a fight with me!"
The swinging longsword was blocked by two oddly shaped blades, unable to advance an inch. However, the collision broke off as soon as they touched. Facing the recklessly spreading black flames, the intelligence chief, who deeply felt his lack of intelligence on the opponent, had no desire to use himself as the price to obtain that intelligence.
"My colleague from the Western Branch, is there perhaps some misunderstanding between us?"
"Hah? What nonsense are you spouting? Who is your colleague?"
The girl's offensive continued, and a flash of surprise passed through the depths of Shunsui Kyoraku's eyes.
She isn't from the Western Branch?
Then why would such a powerful girl appear here in the Eastern Branch?
"Then could you tell me, how did you come here?"
"None of your business!"
"Then why are you helping Suzuki Makoto?"
Black Jeanne suddenly stopped her movements. Although Shunsui Kyoraku was puzzled, he stopped as well.
"Tch, sure enough, fighting in a place like this means I can't let loose. How boring."
Muttering a couple of complaints, she looked at Shunsui Kyoraku impatiently.
"Since you are her Captain, then hurry up and take her back. I only needed to escort that little girl to the Seireitei to go back myself. I don't want to stay here a moment longer."
"Was that an order given to you by Suzuki Makoto?"
Although Black Jeanne was, in a certain sense, less than a year old, she possessed the combat instincts she should have. It was clear the opponent didn't want to fight her and was trying to fish for information, so she simply couldn't be bothered to deal with him and vanished directly into Spirit Form.
"Truly a maverick of a young lady."
Knowing his intentions had been seen through, Shunsui Kyoraku wasn't particularly surprised. What truly surprised him was that he actually couldn't detect where Black Jeanne had gone after she disappeared.
From her words, one could hear that Black Jeanne was currently in a position where she could protect Nanao Ise at any time, yet even he, the King of Intelligence, couldn't find her exact location?
_____
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