Shihoin House

Shihoin Sennichi looked kindly at Kyoraku by the doorway and Ukitake beside him, who seemed a little ill at ease. The 2nd Division squad members beside them watched warily.

Sennichi waved to the squad members, signaling them to let the visitors through.

Kyoraku bowed to Shihoin Sennichi. "It's been a long time since I last saw you. I never expected you to come to the Spirit Arts Academy in person today."

With both his parents having died young, Shunsui had always thought of Shihoin Sennichi first and foremost as an easygoing elder, not as the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses.

Sennichi patted Kyoraku on the head. "Ah, little Shunsui! You seem to have grown taller again! Your brother's been busy lately, so don't get too mischievous and distract him!"

Kyoraku pouted indignantly. "As if! I'm a genius, after all! Now that I'm at the Spirit Arts Academy, I'm definitely going to become the best Soul Reaper!"

As he spoke, he pointed to Lin Nan and Ukitake beside him. "You should already know Lin Nan. This is Ukitake Jushiro, another of Teacher Genryūsai's disciples."

Sennichi studied Ukitake closely for a moment and sensed his spiritual pressure. Then he nodded approvingly.

"He's a promising young talent, too. Captain Yamamoto is really lucky this year—to have three such outstanding disciples."

Kyoraku smiled politely and obediently at Sennichi. "It looks like you have something to discuss with Lin Nan, so I won't keep you. I'm sorry for taking up your time!"

He bowed politely and prepared to leave the room.

Lin Nan and Ukitake both stared at him, dumbfounded.

Was this really the same carefree Kyoraku Shunsui? Had he eaten something rotten for lunch???

Shihoin Sennichi said nothing. Instead, he looked with interest at the three Gen Style disciples in the room.

"You three can stay, Kyoraku. There's no need to keep anything from you."

Sennichi turned his gaze back to Lin Nan's face and said with a faint smile, "I heard you suggested to Oga that the investigation be expanded to include third-years?"

Lin Nan nodded. "Yes."

"What gave you the idea?"

"I... don't know how to explain it. I just put myself in the culprit's shoes and thought about what they would do to maximize their gains. Then I thought about how students only get the chance to draw their swords after becoming fourth-years..."

Sennichi looked down at his toes as he listened to Lin Nan's explanation and thought it over. Then he asked, "You're only a new student. How do you know so much about what goes on at the academy?"

"Tsunayashiro Tokinada told me... Oh, right, this dorm room used to be his. He gave it to me." Lin Nan answered frankly.

He didn't know what kind of temper the head of the Shihoin House had. If the man disapproved of him having a room to himself, Lin Nan could always ask him to go find Tsunayashiro next door.

Sennichi nodded in understanding. "Oh, someone from the Tsunayashiro Clan. No wonder you know all this—their family has access to even more information than I do."

He looked around at the three boys once more, then lowered his voice and spoke gravely. "You uncovered the clues that brought this major case to light.

"And it was your ideas that helped the investigation proceed smoothly. So I'd like to entrust a task to you."

As Sennichi's expression changed, Lin Nan sensed a subtle shift in the spiritual pressure around him. He instinctively glanced at Kyoraku and Ukitake. Both still stood where they were, looking uneasy, but neither reacted.

Had they failed to notice the change in spiritual pressure?

Lin Nan steadied himself, looked back at Sennichi, and asked, "May I ask what the task is?"

Sennichi pondered for a moment, then gently waved Lin Nan over.

"Never mind. This isn't the right place to talk. I was going to speak with you alone, but I didn't expect Kyoraku and the others to be here, too. In that case, come to my home as guests tonight! We can discuss it then. I'll send some squad members to escort you later."

Lin Nan was puzzled. The heads of the Four Great Noble Houses were practically the highest-ranking people in the Seireitei. Why would they need to be so secretive?

He glanced at Kyoraku questioningly.

Kyoraku met Lin Nan's gaze and looked back at him just as uncertainly. Because of his family ties, he was indeed fairly familiar with Shihoin Sennichi, but only in everyday matters. He'd never seen Sennichi handling official business.

Watching their exchange, Ukitake felt a little frustrated. He still didn't fully understand the Seireitei's customs and formalities, and he had no idea how to act around the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses.

When none of the three objected, Shihoin Sennichi smiled again. "Then it's settled. Tonight, after dark, at exactly eight o'clock, two of my squad members will come to take you to the Shihoin House.

"Don't go wandering around before eight. Wait patiently in your dorm. Understand?"

With that, he turned and walked out, leaning on his cane as the scarf at his collar fluttered lightly.

Only after Shihoin Sennichi and his entourage had disappeared from the doorway did the others finally let out a quiet breath of relief.

Kyoraku murmured, "That's the first time I've ever seen Lord Shihoin so serious. He's always been joking around before..."

Lin Nan and Ukitake exchanged a glance and cut him off in unison. "Were you possessed by something just now?"

The investigation at the Spirit Arts Academy continued in an orderly fashion. But the shortage of investigators was so severe that questioning had fallen far behind schedule. With no other choice, Okiya Genshiro, who was leading the investigation, issued an order to coordinate everyone's movements.

The students and teachers who had yet to be questioned had already lined up in the central plaza according to their year. For the time being, everyone had to follow the coordinated schedule. Even at mealtimes, they had to sit on the ground and wait for the dining hall to bring them food.

Night had fallen. Lights had been lit around the outdoor plaza at the Spirit Arts Academy, illuminating the anxious faces of those waiting there.

"It feels like the Shino Academy turned into a prison overnight!" Lin Nan stood by the window, looking out at the brightly lit plaza, and sighed.

Following Sennichi's instructions, he had gone to Kyoraku's dorm to wait after dinner.

"Yeah. It's making me anxious, too." Ukitake stood beside Lin Nan, looking out the window with the same worried expression.

Behind them, Kyoraku rested his hands behind his head, with his right leg crossed over his left knee and his foot swinging lazily. "Why worry about it? It's not our problem. We just have to wait for the Shihoin people to show up."

Ukitake glanced back and sighed. "Kyoraku's gone back to being lazy."

Lin Nan was already used to it. "That's just how he is. You've only known him for a few days, so you're not used to it yet. Give it a few more days with him and you'll really want to punch him."

Then he glanced at the sky outside and asked in confusion, "It should be time already. Why hasn't anyone from the Shihoin House come?"

The walkways around the plaza outside were brightly lit, too. They would have spotted anyone who came by at once. But at that moment, there wasn't a single person in sight.

Just as he finished speaking, a faint knock sounded at the door. All three turned toward it in surprise.

Kyoraku was closest to the door. He got up and slowly opened it a crack—

Three figures stood outside, dressed in Soul Reaper uniforms but wearing masks.

"By Lord Sennichi's order, we have come to escort you to the Shihoin House."

The three exchanged glances, secretly startled. Before the knock, they hadn't seen anyone outside the window, and there hadn't been a sound of footsteps in the hallway.

These people had moved without making a sound.

"Why bother escorting us? I know the way myself. Can't I just take the two of them there?" Kyoraku put on his shoes and asked, sounding a little excited.

The masked man shook his head. "Our lord instructed us not to let anyone see you leave. We'll take you there using Shunpo."

The students and teachers lined up on the academy's athletic field could no longer hide their impatience. They voiced their complaints in a babble of overlapping voices.

Around the field, members of the 1st Division's special investigation team and the sixth-years temporarily helping them watched the people in the middle of the field without expression.

No one noticed the shadows passing overhead, leaping over the treetops and walls before disappearing beyond the academy grounds.

Each of the three masked men carried one of the boys on his back. As they moved through the night, the scenery around them melted into darkness, and only the cool wind rushed past their ears.

Lin Nan quietly felt the movement of the air, secretly amazed. These masked men could move this quickly with someone on their backs. Were they members of the Stealth Force?

Remembering that his Shunpo proficiency had already reached two points, he felt an urge to try it himself and race them. But since he didn't know the way, he had to give up on the idea.

In less than ten minutes, they arrived at the Shihoin House under cover of night. The tall main gate bore the Shihoin family crest: a hexagon containing two rectangles and four maple leaves entwined around a crescent moon.

"The head of the house is waiting for you in the main hall. The guards along the way have been dismissed. You can go in now." The three masked men opened the gate and gestured for them to enter.

"Something feels off. Surely they wouldn't need to go to all this trouble just to see us?" As they walked through the elegant old garden, Kyoraku grew increasingly puzzled and looked at Lin Nan and Ukitake.

A great noble family would never leave its home undefended. Yet, to their surprise, there wasn't a single guard along their route that night.

Lin Nan and Ukitake exchanged a glance with him but said nothing. None of them knew what the customs of these great noble families were like.

Soon, the three reached the entrance to the grand main hall.

The spacious hall was brightly lit, but empty. Through the open doorway, they could see the Shihoin family crest hanging high on the wall.

Shihoin Sennichi leaned on his cane, with a young man in a Soul Reaper uniform standing beside him. When Lin Nan and the others arrived, Sennichi smiled and held out a welcoming hand.

"Welcome to the Shihoin House!"