I Didn't Expect You to Be This Kind of Person

An hour later, in front of the Captain-Commander's residence.

Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke were waiting for Diezuka Hiroe. Just as Yoruichi was about to go inside and remind him that he was late again, Hiroe appeared, though he looked quite somber and in a foul mood.

Yoruichi walked closer and noticed his eyes were still a bit red; it was obvious he had been crying.

"What, did Old Man Yama scold you to tears?" Yoruichi asked hurriedly. Although Urahara Kisuke didn't say anything, his concern was written all over his face.

"Do you two know the saying, 'the crying child gets the milk'?" Hiroe asked instead of answering.

"I know a little bit about it..."

"So you're crying because you want some milk?" Yoruichi asked bluntly.

"Then do you know," Hiroe continued, ignoring her question, "if a child who suffers grievances doesn't cry or make a fuss, can they ever get what they want?"

"Can you speak like a normal person?" Yoruichi reached out to touch Hiroe's forehead and continued, "What, did the old man beat you silly?"

"Forget it, there's no talking to you!"

Hiroe brushed off Yoruichi's hand. He had originally felt quite melancholic, like a brooding little prince, but after Yoruichi's antics, he felt like laughing—he felt like an idiot.

"If you want to laugh, don't hold it in. Generally, I can't help it either..."

Watching Urahara Kisuke lean in with a straight face, Hiroe finally couldn't hold it back and burst into laughter. You, a black-bellied, smiling, squinty-eyed freak, have you ever had to hold back laughter? How do you have the face to pin the blame on Yoruichi? It turns out the most ridiculous one is you!

"I must have had the worst luck in eight lifetimes to become best friends with you two!"

"Hey, hey, hey! Don't forget, you're only a 'provisional' best friend right now!" Yoruichi reminded him with a look of disdain before turning to leave.

Because of Hiroe's sudden Shikai, Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke felt deceived and deeply hurt. To put it plainly, Diezuka Hiroe was hiding things from them and not treating them like brothers (or sisters).

Well, in truth, only Yoruichi felt that way. But in most cases, Yoruichi could represent them all, especially when it came to such trivial matters, as she held absolute authority.

Thus, Hiroe was temporarily expelled from the ranks of best friends. Although it didn't feel much different from before, if he wanted to regain his status, he would have to perform well at the base later and move Yoruichi and Urahara Kisuke with a sincere attitude.

Even though Hiroe felt that being expelled or not made no difference, he knew that saying so would only cause more trouble. He had no choice but to play along with Yoruichi.

Besides, having just formulated the "creation plan" with the old man, telling a few lies to Yoruichi would actually facilitate the plan; it was a blessing in disguise.

A few minutes later, in the secret base beneath Sokyoku Hill, the three of them sat in a circle.

"The interrogation begins now!" Yoruichi spoke first, feigning ferocity. "Name of the culprit?"

"Don't you already know?"

"You are no longer the Diezuka Hiroe we know, but the culprit Diezuka Hiroe!" Yoruichi brandished her Zanpakuto to intimidate him. "So watch your attitude!"

"You just said it... Diezuka Hiroe..."

Yoruichi nodded in satisfaction, smiled, and sheathed her sword. Wouldn't it have been easier to just do that from the start? Why force her to draw her blade?

"Do you really have to do this?" Hiroe gave a bitter smile. He hadn't done anything heaven-defying or earth-shattering; was it necessary to draw a sword?

"Don't change the subject!" Yoruichi said impatiently. "Continue with your problem!"

"My problem? This one?" Hiroe pointed to the Jiagui in his hand. Seeing Yoruichi nod, he continued, "Well, I have two Zanpakuto!"

"..."

Yoruichi froze. It wasn't that she was shocked by the two Zanpakuto, but that she didn't know how to curse this shameless person in front of her.

Forget it, it was more direct to just use force!

However, this time her sword didn't come out because her hand was pressed down by Urahara Kisuke.

"You really have two Zanpakuto?" Although he was still smiling, there was a hint of gravity on Urahara Kisuke's face.

"You actually believe such nonsense? If he really had two Zanpakuto, he would have been sent to Central 46 by the old man by now!"

Yoruichi's words didn't change Urahara Kisuke's expression. He kept staring at Hiroe, waiting for his answer.

Anyone in Seireitei, upon hearing someone claim to have two Zanpakuto, would react just like Yoruichi. That is the principle that the falsest lie is the truth.

But except for Urahara Kisuke—perhaps only someone like Urahara Kisuke, who would eventually research the Hogyoku in the future, would try to believe in everything!

"As expected, that lie was too fake, wasn't it?" Hiroe smiled bitterly. "Give me a little face, will you~"

The old man had miscalculated and underestimated the young Urahara Kisuke. As for why Hiroe did this, perhaps he wanted to test Urahara Kisuke, or perhaps he simply wanted to tell the truth to his best friends. In any case, he wanted to say it.

However, for the sake of his grand plan, he still had to use a lie to gloss over the matter.

"Actually, I never had an Asauchi from the beginning." Hiroe took a deep breath, held his forehead, and continued, "The Sword Chamber was the first time I ever saw an Asauchi."

"I knew it!" Yoruichi waved her fist happily, and while Urahara Kisuke was curious, he wasn't as interested as before.

"Wait, that's not right!" Yoruichi seemed to have thought of something and stared at Hiroe. "How could Old Man Yama not give you an Asauchi?"

"Uh, that's a long story..."

"It's fine, we have plenty of time!"

"..."

A few minutes later, Yoruichi looked at Hiroe, clutching her stomach with one hand, and asked in a trembling voice, "So... you lied because you were jealous of us?"

"No need to hold back, laugh if you want..." Hiroe said with a dark face.

"Hahaha! You have your days too, Diezuka Hiroe!" Yoruichi rolled on the ground laughing. Hiroe's dark-faced expression was just too funny.

To put it simply, because Diezuka Hiroe possessed such immense talent, Old Man Yama wanted him to build a solid foundation and avoid the over-reliance that comes from achieving Shikai too early, so he never gave Diezuka Hiroe an Asauchi.

Later on, since Diezuka Hiroe was severely lopsided in his abilities, it became even less likely that Old Man Yama would grant him one.

However, Yoruichi and Urahara had received their Asauchi at a young age, and Diezuka Hiroe, being a man who cared deeply about his pride, didn't want to be outdone by his best friends. Thus, he kept up a lie: if they had an Asauchi, he had one too; if they achieved Shikai, he had done it two days before them. In short, he refused to lose face!

Even now in the Sword Chamber, despite being desperate for an Asauchi, he had to pretend to be completely indifferent to them. After such an Oscar-worthy performance, he had finally played himself.

He usually acted so calm and detached, like a master above the worldly fray, but who would have thought Diezuka Hiroe was actually like this! Yoruichi couldn't even bear to look at his face anymore; she wanted to laugh the moment she saw him.

Diezuka Hiroe looked at Yoruichi, who was burying her head in suppressed laughter, and Urahara, who was sneaking glances at him. His face darkened further; although this was the excuse he had agreed upon with the old man, the embarrassment was very real.

"Is there anything else? If not, I'm leaving!"

"How did you know there was more?"

Diezuka Hiroe pointed at the items in Yoruichi's hands. "You didn't just tell me to bring mine; you both brought yours too. Surely you didn't bring them just for self-defense, right?"

At this moment, Yoruichi and Urahara were each holding a blade. They were not the Asauchi from the academy, but their own Zanpakuto—Zanpakuto that had already awakened their Shikai!