Yoruichi Admits Defeat

When Kenma returned to the Seireitei once more, the entourage behind him was considerably larger than when he had left.

Besides Shisui and Yashiro, there were now four more people.

All four were elite members of the Uchiha Clan selected by Fugaku. They possessed Three Tomoe Sharingan and excellent aptitude. Whether in Spiritual Pressure or the four Shinigami arts—swordsmanship, hand-to-hand combat, Flash Step, and Kido—they had already reached the level of low-ranking Seated Officers.

They were usable.

Rather than returning directly to the Shikokuin Family, Kenma went to the Second Division barracks on the mountain to arrange for the four of them to join the Patrol Corps under his command.

As its name implied, the Patrol Corps was responsible for patrolling and maintaining vigilance within the Seireitei.

Kenma was now the captain of a squad in this unit, which allowed him to keep track of most Shinigami movements within the Seireitei.

When he returned to the barracks, he happened to see Shin'emon Maeda working diligently in the office.

"Vice-Captain Maeada, where is Yoruichi?"

Kenma briefly looked around the barracks but did not see his lively and restless fiancée.

According to the duty roster, today was not the captain's day off.

When Shin'emon Maeda saw Kenma return, his broad face immediately broke into a smile.

"Oh, Lord Kenma, you're back."

"The captain is at the Shikokuin Family estate. She should be waiting for Lord Kenma to return."

Shin'emon's gaze swept over Shisui behind Kenma, and he smiled as well. "Shisui, long time no see. It looks like this trip to the World of the Living benefited you greatly. Congratulations."

The Maeada Family was a vassal of the Shikokuin Family, so Shin'emon was exceptionally polite toward Kenma, the son-in-law of the main family.

By extension, he treated Shisui, Kenma's trusted subordinate, much better as well.

Shisui was deeply grateful to the person who had funded the Uchiha Clan's current clan territory.

Hearing his words, Shisui said with emotion, "Yes. Under Lord Kenma's guidance, my horizons have truly been broadened, and I have gained a great deal."

"Haha, that's good. Lord Kenma is the finest Shinigami. Since you're someone Lord Kenma favors and you follow him at all times, you must learn more from him."

As he spoke, Shin'emon rather blatantly buttered Kenma up again.

Looking at Kenma's stern, old-fashioned expression, Shin'emon could not tell whether he was in a good mood or a bad one. He sighed inwardly, then hurriedly tried to smooth things over for Captain Yoruichi.

"Lord Kenma, these past few days, the captain has been very worried ever since she learned you had gone to the Human World. She hasn't even been in the mood to work as usual and has been listless all day. It is clear that she cares greatly about Lord Kenma."

Worried about me?

Kenma sneered inwardly. She was probably thinking about those two lackeys the entire time.

Given how much Yoruichi disliked him, she was probably praying for his misfortune every moment of every day.

Kenma could tell that Shin'emon Maeda wanted to reconcile the conflict between him and Yoruichi, so he did not say much.

"In that case, I'll return home and take a look."

Kenma glanced at the pile of documents on Shin'emon's desk. It was stacked absurdly high, nearly reaching the beams.

So Yoruichi really had not done a single bit of work these past few days and had dumped it all on Vice-Captain Maeada!

No wonder Maeada spoke of Yoruichi that way. He must have been holding some resentment inside.

"Vice-Captain Maeada, you've worked hard. Once my shift ends tomorrow, I'll come help you handle it."

Hearing that, the smile on Shin'emon's face became much more genuine.

So responsible, and so humble. No wonder the old captain had chosen him as a son-in-law.

After leaving the Second Division barracks, only Shisui remained at Kenma's side.

He had left Yashiro and the others within the Second Division so that they could help him more firmly control the small squad under his command.

He was now at Third-Class Spiritual Might. In the entire Seireitei, aside from exceptional monsters like Aizen and Yamamoto, no one else was truly a match for him.

On the way back to the Shikokuin Family estate, Shisui suddenly asked, "My lord seems to value that vice-captain highly. Does he possess some exceptional ability?"

"Shisui, don't underestimate Vice-Captain Maeada. He is very strong."

Recalling what he had learned over the past few days, Kenma explained to Shisui,

"Among the entire Second Division, that vice-captain is the most outstanding. He is highly skilled in Kido and Flash Step."

"And as far as I know, his Flash Step can be called the best. He is far faster than I am. Even Yoruichi cannot match his speed."

Kenma truly admired this vice-captain.

After all, in the entire Second Division, only he and Vice-Captain Maeada were such exceedingly rare normal people.

Shisui looked stunned, finding it hard to believe.

"He's stronger than you, my lord!"

"There is always someone stronger. There will always be people more capable than oneself."

Kenma did not find it particularly surprising.

Glancing at Shisui behind and to his side, Kenma encouraged him. "However, in my eyes, Shisui, your aptitude is greater. You absolutely possess the talent to surpass him. Even becoming the Seireitei's Flash God is not impossible."

Kenma's words immediately filled Shisui with encouragement.

"Yes, this subordinate will never disappoint you, my lord."

Kenma nodded, very satisfied with Shisui's attitude.

When the two of them returned to the Shikokuin Family estate, they saw two figures sitting on the steps by the gate before they even approached.

One large and one small, both propping up their cheeks with their hands as they stared ahead in boredom.

The larger one had dark brown skin, short purple hair, exquisite features, and a captain's haori.

It was none other than Shihōin Yoruichi.

The smaller one was only seven or eight years old, a child whose gender was difficult to discern. Yet his delicate features looked as though they had been carved from the same mold as Yoruichi's, making the two nearly identical.

Kenma naturally recognized him. He was Yoruichi's younger brother, Shikokuin Yushiro.

The attendants standing on either side of the gate were clearly at a loss. They neither dared to persuade her nor could persuade her, so they could only let Yoruichi, the dignified family head, sit there.

Seeing the siblings sitting blankly before the gate, Kenma could not help frowning.

"Yoruichi, Yushiro, what are you doing sitting in front of the gate?"

The dignified head of the Shikokuin Family, yet she cared so little for her own dignity and the Shikokuin Family's prestige...

Kenma sighed inwardly. No wonder the old family head had worried so much about Yoruichi. His concerns had not been without reason.

If Yoruichi had any sense at all, she would not understand absolutely nothing.

Upon hearing the familiar voice, Yoruichi and Yushiro both jolted and looked toward it.

"Kenma, you finally came back. I've been waiting for you for days."

Yoruichi abruptly stood and quickly walked over to Kenma.

Yushiro looked somewhat shy. The moment he saw Kenma, he immediately hid behind his sister.

His little hand tightly gripped Yoruichi's haori as he poked out only half his head and timidly greeted him.

"B-Brother-in-law..."

Kenma lightly nodded in response.

His gaze fell upon Yoruichi's exquisite face. Even her dark brown skin could not conceal her beauty; instead, it added a unique quality to her charm.

However, Kenma did not pay much attention to that. Instead, he carefully observed Yoruichi's subtle expressions, trying to infer her thoughts.

"You were waiting for me?"

"Then... it seems you've already made up your mind."

Seeing Kenma be so direct, Yoruichi did not waste any more words. She nodded heavily. "That's right. This time, I lost. Please let Saeaya and Kisuke go."

"As long as you can spare them, I will agree to anything you ask of me."

Just as her father had warned her, Yoruichi had thought over many things during the past few days.

Yet in the end, she realized that aside from admitting defeat to Kenma, she had no other choice.

She could not simply watch Saeaya and Kisuke be locked in prison and tortured for the rest of their lives.

Kenma looked around before saying to Yoruichi, "Let's go inside first. We can discuss this in detail."

A private deal like this was clearly against the law and discipline. How could they discuss it in public?