Hearing Aizen's words, Sakuya hesitated before asking softly,
"Then... where is my brother now...? Why hasn't he come back?"
At her words, Aizen's eyes flickered slightly. He replied in a gentle voice,
"Tokino is with someone dangerous. You could say he's on a mission, keeping an eye on that man's every move for me."
Sakuya's pupils contracted slightly. Clutching her hands tightly to her chest, she asked anxiously,
"Is he really dangerous...?"
"Could something happen to my brother...?"
Aizen smiled and gently stopped her from continuing.
"Don't worry, Sakuya. Tokino's identity is completely safe. And one day, you'll see him again. Trust me."
Hearing Aizen's words, Sakuya gave a small nod.
Clearly, she understood that if Aizen hadn't told her more, then her brother's current mission must be extremely important.
She fell silent for a while, then raised her head to look at Aizen, a hint of confusion on her face.
"Why did you suddenly come back to the village, Brother Aizen? If you're discovered..."
Aizen's lips curved slightly. He glanced at Little Bear, who had been sitting beside them like a small mountain, shading them from the sun, and chuckled.
"This time, I came for this fellow."
Sakuya blinked in surprise and slowly turned her gaze toward Little Bear.
Under their watchful eyes, Little Bear stared back with its wide animal eyes and blinked dumbly. It pointed a paw at itself, looking utterly confused and adorably clueless.
Seeing its reaction, Aizen smiled faintly and said softly,
"Kumamoto, it's time for us to leave."
At Aizen's words, a glimmer of excitement flashed in Kumamoto's eyes.
"Rumble!"
It wriggled its rump and pushed itself up from the ground. Standing on all fours before them like a gigantic beast, it threw back its head and opened its jaws wide.
"Roar!"
Its terrifying