Kuroki Rin looked like a little squirrel entering a treasure vault for the first time, her clear eyes brimming with awe and curiosity.
Her slender fingertips brushed the carriage wall with cautious reverence, tracing the smooth, night-black ebony that felt finer and more regal than any ordinary wood.
She slid her fingers upward, grazing the massive Shihōin butterfly embroidered in mithril thread upon the soft soul-beast velvet; the wings seemed to shimmer with living light.
Her gaze settled on the small clan crest hanging at the front—a dark-gold soul-stone disk rimmed in mithril, its butterfly crest catching the gentle glow of the night-lamp stones, quietly mysterious.
Rin traced its cool, weighty surface, a world away from the cracked wooden plaque she remembered as the Kuroki family emblem.
"I've only ever ridden in a palanquin," she murmured, voice low with wonder and a hint of loneliness. "It's not made for humans—my legs went numb."
She rubbed her calves at the memory.
Hiroki knew exactly the sort of "palanquin" she meant: a plain bamboo litter, paint peeling, barely room to kneel—standard issue for a Lower-ranking noble.
The inside was so cramped you couldn't shift without banging a knee.
He gave a wry smile. "Count yourself lucky, little sister. You're still a Kuroki lady."
"In Seireitei, the lowest souls and Shinigami walk everywhere on foot. Even that 'inhuman' litter is a privilege."
He spelled out Seireitei's cold rule: no noble blood, no carriage, no palanquin.
The wheels rolled into a smoother stretch and the clatter steadied.
Hiroki sipped his tea, watching Rin toy with the crystal window, and asked casually, "So, what are you doing these days? Helping Father with odd jobs?"
Rin started, lashes fluttering as she turned from the passing scenery. "Huh? Me?"
A weight entered her voice. "Father's sending me to the Central Spirit Arts Academy this year."
"Ah, of course." Hiroki nodded, understanding at once.
With him gone, the duty of heir fell to the only child left: Kuroki Rin.
"Tch!" The crude sound escaped her, equal parts protest and resignation.
Hiroki's smile turned mildly teasing; he knew exactly how the board had been overturned.
By the original plan, he would inherit the Kuroki name, while Rin—Lieutenant-level talent—would marry upward, bringing the clan influence and resources.
It was the standard script for a gifted daughter of a Lower-ranking noble.
But the Shihōin Clan had simply offered too much.
To secure Hiroki as a Matrilocal son-in-law, they had poured out resources enough to lift the Kuroki from "barely scraping by" to "comfortably well-off."
The bait was irresistible.
Thus Hiroki would "marry out" into the Shihōin.
And every future duty—household, succession, everything—devolved upon the sole daughter, Kuroki Rin.
As heir, she would not be a marriage piece; she would be the head who kept the Kuroki alive among Seireitei's nobility.
The ride back from the Kuchiki estate in the core of Seireitei was long.
That district was the very heart of noble power.
The Shihōin manor, by contrast, sat in a quieter corner of Seireitei.
The reason was simple: directly behind the estate lay the Onmitsukidō headquarters.
The covert force's need for secrecy cloaked the Shihōin grounds in deliberate seclusion.
When the opulent carriage finally rolled through the gate and halted in a vast courtyard, the tension of the road slipped away.
They stepped onto smooth flagstones.
First-time visitor Kuroki Rin's bright eyes darted everywhere.
Unlike the solemn, weighty Kuchiki manor, the Shihōin grounds felt open and alive: clipped shrubs, artful stones, winding water—all proclaiming wealth and taste far beyond cramped Kuroki quarters.
Hiroki led her toward his own residence.
The moment they crossed the gate, a black blur shot from the shadows and landed atop an ornamental rock.
"Well, well, Hiroki," purred a sleek black cat, golden eyes slitted in amusement. "Bringing a woman home—how rare." She licked a paw casually.
"Tch. She's not 'a woman,' she's my sister, Rin. Remember?"
"Mrow?" The cat—Shihōin Yoruichi—blinked, studying the girl. "Little Rin? You've grown."
"Wah—!" Rin clapped her hands over her mouth. "A talking cat?!"
"Nothing strange," Hiroki shrugged. "There's a talking dog too."
(Sajin sneezes somewhere.)
"…."
Before Yoruichi could retort, Rin's awe flipped to desire. "Big brother! She's amazing—can I keep her?"
"Sure."
Hiroki's answer was instant, as if offering a trinket.
While Yoruichi was still processing the request, he snatched her up.
"Mraow—! Let go, you brute!" Yoruichi yowled, fur on end, thrashing in his grip.
She'd been busy reminiscing and never saw it coming.
"Really? Yay! Thank you!" Delighted, Rin accepted the struggling cat, ignoring every furious protest.
She hugged Yoruichi tightly, burying her face in the sleek, sun-warmed black fur, rubbing blissfully. "So soft, so warm—perfect!"
Hiroki watched with a wicked grin, picturing how Suì-Fēng—who worshipped Yoruichi to the point of obsession—would react if she knew.
That her supreme Lady Yoruichi was being squeezed and petted by some unknown girl… what a 'spectacle' that would be.
"Damn you, Hiroki—just wait! Tonight I'll make you pay!!" Yoruichi, dignity in tatters from being treated like a plush toy, shrieked at him while trapped in Rin's arms.
"A-hem," Hiroki coughed theatrically, feigning solemnity. "Mind your image; don't spout nonsense in front of kids."
"Hmph, what kid?" Rin, no longer docile, released the dazed Yoruichi and frowned at her brother. "Hold on—big brother, tell me: this cat… no, this feline lord… isn't ordinary, right?"
"Duh," Hiroki rolled his eyes. "A talking cat—seen another in Soul Society? Of course she's special."
"Then… what is she?" Pampered yet sharp, Rin instantly sensed the black cat was no common pet.
Her gaze shifted from curious delight to cautious scrutiny as she studied the feline now quietly eyeing Hiroki.
"Alright, enough," Hiroki told Yoruichi. "No outsiders here—drop the cat act and shift back."
"Hmph." Yoruichi grumbled but complied.
"Yo… Yoruichi???" Rin froze, eyes bulging. "You're Shihōin Yoruichi?" The name thundered across Soul Society.
Former Captain of the Second Division, former commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō, former head of the Shihōin Clan! She stared at the cat she'd just been cuddling.
As Rin gaped, the black cat shimmered with a ripple like torn space.
Light flared; the fluffy cat became a sleek, dark-skinned woman—naked—in her arms.
"Ahhh—!" Rin yelped, springing back as if burned.
Used to Yoruichi's casual style, Hiroki had already slapped a hand over his face and, with the other, flung his haori from a nearby rack. "Show some decency! My sister's right there—cover up!"
Yoruichi caught the coat mid-air, draping it over herself while lazily tying the belt. She smirked at the siblings. "What, jealous over your own sister? Quite possessive, Hiroki-kun~" she cooed.
"Cut the crap," Hiroki snapped, cheeks unruffled.
"Relax," Yoruichi said, shrugging in the oversized haori. "You're the only one who's ever seen me change back. Even my little bee doesn't know."
Still rebooting, Rin stammered the crucial questions: "Big brother… is this really the exiled Lady Yoruichi? Wasn't she banished for a century? Why is she in the Shihōin estate?"
It shattered everything Rin believed about noble law and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads.
"Well," Hiroki said, meeting Yoruichi's permissive glance, "it's complicated—family politics and some… maneuvering. The 'exile' had loopholes."
"Bottom line, Rin: what you've seen tonight stays locked behind your teeth. Understood?"
Seeing his seriousness, Rin nodded fiercely. "Yes! I swear—on my life!"
"No need. Even if you blab, no one would dare bother me now."
After all, he was untouchable—though Yoruichi, still wary of Aizen, didn't know that.
Coat on, Yoruichi sauntered over with a cat-to-mouse grin.
Before Rin could react, Yoruichi yanked her into a tight hug.
"Heh-heh!" she purred, cheek to cheek with the blushing girl. "Who was it that called me soft, warm, and comfy while squeezing away? Hmm?"
"Eek!" Rin went rigid. "I—I'm sorry, Lady Yoruichi! I didn't know—it was an offense—please forgive me!"
All bravado melted; she trembled like prey.
"Sorry won't cut it~" Yoruichi echoed, rubbing her own cheek against Rin's. "A rub for a rub—fair, right, Rin-chan?"
Rin, crimson to the ears, shot desperate eyes at her brother. "B-big brother… help…"
"Sigh…" Hiroki stepped in, pinched the back of Yoruichi's collar like lifting a cat, and slid an arm around her waist, pulling the troublemaker against him.
"Enough. First time visiting and you're about to make her cry. Save the teasing for your 'little bee'."
"Tch." At Suì-Fēng's name Yoruichi stopped struggling, a flicker of longing crossing her face. "As if I don't want to… that stubborn fool…"
She murmured, half fond, half forlorn. "Timing's wrong. I can't let her know yet—can't see her. Not yet."
Playfulness gone, she leaned quietly into Hiroki's arms.
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