Going to the New World

"Kenma, just you wait!"

Yoruichi shot Kenma a vicious glare, then stormed out of the study in a huff.

The situation had become troublesome. She needed to find someone truly wise and reliable to answer her questions.

And perhaps help her find a way to save Kisuke Urahara and Hachishō Ryo.

The two were currently locked in the Second Division's cells, and the matter had not yet reached the First Division.

There was still room to maneuver.

Watching Yoruichi's retreating figure, Kenma felt a complicated mix of emotions. He then returned to the side of the short one, picked up the shears, and began trimming the potted plant.

Calm down! Calm down!

Shisui's gaze followed Kenma. Kenma looked as though nothing had happened, continuing to cultivate his temperament with the plant. Shisui had some understanding of the relationship between Kenma and Yoruichi.

Now that he had seen it for himself, the feelings between them were even more complicated than he had imagined.

He spoke softly. "Master..."

"Shisui, I agree to what you mentioned before."

Kenma's muffled voice left Shisui stunned. For a moment, he could not recall which matter Kenma meant.

When no response came, Kenma raised his head to look at Shisui. Seeing his bewildered expression, he reminded him, "The matter of skipping a grade that you mentioned before."

"You agree, Master?" Shisui asked cautiously.

Kenma nodded and turned his attention back to the potted plant before him.

"You lived in the Ninja World for all those years and made quite a name for yourself. I assume you know your own capabilities."

"As long as you believe you have fully mastered this first-year curriculum and learned the skills the teachers taught, you may skip ahead."

"Thank you for your understanding, Master."

Shisui knelt on the ground, his heart filled with nothing but relief.

He was relieved that the Master they had acknowledged was so considerate, rather than someone with a self-centered, tyrannical nature.

The Uchiha Clan's clansmen would presumably no longer suffer the same exclusion and oppression they had faced in life.

Recalling the dispute in the room just now, Shisui secretly glanced at Kenma from the corner of his eye.

From the subtle expressions on Kenma's face, he could tell that his Master's emotions had calmed.

Gathering his courage, he asked, "Master, Urahara, Third Seat, exposed the trap you set in front of Lady Yoruichi. Will that cause some trouble between you and Lady Yoruichi?"

"From what I saw just now, Lady Yoruichi seemed to have developed some resentment toward you..."

"Hmph, it's more than just resentment!"

Kenma snorted and set down the shears in his hand.

The shears landed on the table with a dull thud, making Shisui's heart tremble.

Kenma said gloomily, "She never liked me to begin with. She only agreed to marry me because of her father's orders. After what happened today, she has probably cursed me thousands of times in her heart."

"Even if I explained every last detail to her and told her I never set a trap to frame Kisuke Urahara, she would not believe me. Instead, she would insist that I was just talking slick and playing tricks."

"How did that saying go? Prejudice in one's heart is like a mountain. No matter how hard you try, you cannot move it even an inch."

People were stubborn and blind. They would not be swayed by facts, nor would they easily change their views.

Instead, they treated their own wishful thinking as reality. Only then could they continue living with peace of mind.

Shisui revealed a trace of surprise. "Master says you did not frame Kisuke Urahara, but from what happened today, it really does seem more like you set this all up..."

"You see? Even you think so."

Kenma's sigh made Shisui lower his head deeply, his face full of shame.

"Shisui knows he was wrong."

"What could you possibly have done wrong?"

Kenma was not particularly angry.

But if even Shisui saw it this way, one could imagine what sort of attitude Yoruichi had toward him.

"In your eyes, am I the kind of petty man who only knows how to scheme?"

Shisui lowered his head even further.

Trembling with fear, he did not dare answer.

After following Kenma for these past few days, Shisui naturally had his own impressions of him.

In Shisui's heart, his Master was a man of great talent and strategy, exceptional ability, broad-mindedness, and natural bearing.

Although his face was often stern, making him seem stubborn and inflexible at a glance.

As for his true personality...

He was not nearly as rigid as he appeared. Instead, he was highly adaptable in his actions, neither overly insistent nor overly resistant.

As for whether he liked to scheme... Shisui truly did not dare make a judgment.

Seeing Shisui remain silent, Kenma already had his answer.

Silence was sometimes an answer in itself.

He could only sigh helplessly in his heart.

Heaven bore witness—he truly had not deliberately set a trap to deal with Kisuke Urahara.

Back when Kisuke Urahara applied for funding, Kenma had merely held things up a few times according to standard procedure.

Other than that, he had done nothing.

Even if the matter were submitted to the First Division, nothing about his conduct could be criticized.

Vice-Captain Chūbē would instead say that he handled his work conscientiously!

Who would have thought that Kisuke Urahara, whom Aizen would fear in the future and whom Yhwach would designate as one of the five Special War Potentials, would have such a low tolerance at this age?

And despite being a Special War Potential known for his [Methods], he had used a tactic so lousy that even Kenma could not bear to watch.

He had actually run to complain before Yoruichi after a single disagreement.

Exposing his own incompetence and weakness like that was indescribably stupid. Kenma even found Kisuke Urahara's naivety somewhat adorable.

Even an intern who had just entered the office would not use such a pathetic tactic.

How was that any different from stabbing himself twice before a fight?

And both stabs had struck vital points.

Kisuke Urahara had made too many oversights in the past, which was why Kenma's chain of moves had taken him down so easily and landed him in prison, at Kenma's disposal. That was the outcome.

"He only managed to live safely all these years because of Yoruichi's protection. Otherwise, he would have been eaten alive long ago, bones and all."

"Yoruichi is the same. She pushed all the division's work onto the vice-captain and Seated Officers below her, spending all day fooling around. Even now, she does not clearly understand the division's rules or operating structure."

"She openly brought Kisuke Urahara before me. Not only did she personally hand Kisuke Urahara two knives, she nearly dragged herself down with him... I have no idea where she got that confidence."

"Hachishō Ryo is no better. She does not understand reason or rules, acts entirely on emotion, and harms both others and herself."

Facing such a group of teammates, Kenma sighed helplessly in his heart.

At least he still cared about saving face, which was why he had not blown things up.

Otherwise, Yoruichi would have been punished as well, and both the Shikokuin Family and Kenma himself would have lost face.

Look at the other divisions. The First Division, as the model, went without saying.

Even the Fifth Division—the captain, Shinjī Hirako, looked frivolous and exaggerated on the surface, but he was actually extremely sharp. Though Vice-Captain Aizen was a great villain, he was also a serious man.

Then look at the Second Division. In the entire Onmitsukidō, only he and Vice-Captain Maeada were remotely reliable.

Hearing Kenma's words, Shisui did not dare move, much less speak. He could only desperately hide his presence.

Master, you can criticize them all you want, but why say it in front of him?

Were these words something a lowly attendant like him could hear?

But Kenma was openly staring at him now, and he could not say nothing.

Forcing himself to remain calm, Shisui asked softly, "Then, Master, should Urahara, Third Seat, be killed or not?"

"Of course not."

Kenma sneered.

"Yoruichi cares so much about this childhood friend, yet he is under my control. Such a useful card can be revealed when necessary to restrain the dignified head of the Shikokuin Family. Wouldn't it be a pity to kill him now?"

"Besides, Kisuke Urahara himself is capable. A talent like that naturally cannot be wasted."

Shisui agreed, "Master is wise."

Kenma waved his hand.

"Enough about this matter."

"Shisui, I called you here this time because I have something to tell you."

"What does Master need Shisui to do?" Shisui asked in confusion.

Kenma gave his instructions.

"Go to Shino Academy and request a few days off. Accompany me to an entirely new world."

"It is a world filled with oceans."