Kaien Shiba

Soul Society, Seireitei, back courtyard of the Shihōin.

The weather today was quite nice, bringing Yoruichi Shihōin a similarly wonderful mood, so she very decisively granted herself a holiday—well, a self-imposed one, at least.

Pulling out a chair and placing it under a tree, holding the snacks Shadow had just brought over, Yoruichi Shihōin looked utterly relaxed.

Before she knew it, that plate of snacks was soon empty. Yoruichi Shihōin licked the corner of her mouth with a lingering aftertaste, and just as she was about to tell Shadow to go get some more, Shihōin Shanqing walked in.

"Yoruichi, you..."

"Ah! Lord Father!" Yoruichi Shihōin startled and instantly jumped up, shouting at the top of her lungs, "Shadow, run!"

Before her voice had even faded, Shihōin Shanqing only felt a black blur flash before his eyes, and Yoruichi Shihōin's figure vanished from right in front of him. With a twitching mouth and bulging veins on his forehead, Shihōin Shanqing took a deep breath, trying his utmost to suppress his rising anger, only...

"Boom!"

The shattered stone pillar bore witness to Shihōin Shanqing's failed attempt.

West Rukongai, 11th District, woods.

A black figure carrying a wheat-skinned girl with short purple hair appeared silently. The birds in the trees seemed completely oblivious, neither chirping nor flying away.

"Father didn't chase after us, did he?"

Yoruichi Shihōin jumped down from Shadow's back and looked back.

"No, Lady Yoruichi!"

Shadow replied immediately, having immense confidence in his Body Flicker Technique.

"Good thing he didn't!" Yoruichi Shihōin nodded with a smile and said, "We can play to our heart's content again today. Shadow, let's play hide-and-seek!"

"Ah!"

Shadow was quite taken aback, but Yoruichi Shihōin gave him no time to object, turning around and sprinting into the woods.

"Lady Yoruichi!" Shadow rubbed his forehead, feeling a mix of helplessness and nostalgia. "She really is a lot like Lady Anko!"

"Lady Yoruichi!"

With a voice tinged with cold indifference and helplessness, Shadow jumped down from a tree branch.

"Ha-ha..."

Yoruichi Shihōin poked her head out from beneath a tree and laughed aloud. "You found me, Shadow!"

"Did this even need finding?" Shadow's expression remained unchanged, but inwardly he was muttering nonstop. Within the range of my spiritual power net, she just had to shift a thought and I saw her! And yet I still have to pretend I couldn't find her, what a pain!

However, those words were ones Shadow would never speak aloud.

"Since you found me, then next, Shadow, you go hide and I'll find you!" Yoruichi Shihōin laughed heartily.

Shadow sighed inwardly. Here we go again. Yet, looking at Yoruichi Shihōin's happy expression, the corners of Shadow's mouth curved upward into a tiny smile.

"Damn it, where on earth did Shadow hide? I can't find him anywhere!"

Half an hour later, having searched for a long time without success, Miss Yoruichi Shihōin was driving herself crazy. Yet a moment later, she pumped her arms to pump herself up, declaring, "I am the great Miss Yoruichi Shihōin, how could I possibly admit defeat! I'll definitely find him!"

Suddenly, her turning body froze mid-motion. She raised her head to look in a certain direction, her gaze grave.

"This Reiatsu is... it's Kaien!"

Yoruichi Shihōin's pupils dilated. Having no time to think too much, she used a Shunpo and dashed toward the source of the Reiatsu.

On a tree branch not far from where Yoruichi Shihōin had been standing, Shadow's figure paused abruptly, then vanished in an instant.

Shunpo was naturally Yoruichi Shihōin's forte, and coupled with the short distance, she quickly arrived at the place where the Reiatsu was emanating.

There, she saw a Menos Grande standing about a person's height, wearing a bone mask, attacking a young boy. Rather than an attack, it was more like toying with him, those crimson eyes looking at the boy as though viewing a mere ant.

"Boom!"

The young boy's frayed-haired figure was once again sent flying violently, crashing hard into the ground.

Kaien Shiba felt rather aggrieved. He had just wanted to take advantage of his rare holiday from the Shin'ō Academy to go home and visit, only to be targeted out of nowhere by a Hollow.

If it were an ordinary Lesser Hollow, with his genius-level strength, even if he couldn't win, he could at least escape. Yet Kaien Shiba's luck clearly wasn't good, for he had unexpectedly run into an Adjuchas, a Menos Grande with the strength equivalent of a captain.

This is bad now! Kaien Shiba wore a bitter expression, but when he turned his head and saw his approaching friend Yoruichi Shihōin, his expression instantly turned even uglier.

Before he could even cry out a warning, the Adjuchas also spotted Yoruichi Shihōin, a trace of excitement appearing in its crimson eyes. "Another tasty morsel with decent Reiatsu, simply wonderful!"

"What are you doing here? Trying to get yourself killed?!" Kaien Shiba gritted his teeth, his eyes turning red.

"Kaien..."

"Yoruichi, run!"

Kaien Shiba let out a loud roar, turned, and charged at the Adjuchas with his Zanpakutō in hand. No matter what, he had to buy time for his friend to escape, and though he had no idea how long it would last, it was the only thing he could do.

"Revolve, Water and Heaven! Nejibana!!!"

"Lady Yoruichi!"

Shadow's figure abruptly appeared at the spot where Yoruichi Shihōin had last been, only to flicker and vanish immediately once more.

"Dammit, I was too careless!"

Yoruichi Shihōin was filled with regret right now, extremely regretful. Why had she been so reckless and failed to bring Shadow along? She also regretted not studying Kido properly, leaving her utterly helpless in this situation save for the Shunpo she excelled at, which she used solely for fleeing the Shihōin estate. Still, regret was useless now.

All she could do at this point was pray that Shadow noticed her disappearance soon and hurried over.

Yoruichi Shihōin swore inwardly that this time, if she could just return safely, she would study diligently from now on and never run away again. However, Yoruichi Shihōin had no idea whether she would even survive until Shadow arrived.

"Yoruichi, get out of the way—ah!!!"

A sharp arm pierced directly through the chest of Kaien Shiba, who had thrown himself in front of Yoruichi Shihōin to shield her. Fresh blood stained the ground red.

"Kaien!"

Yoruichi Shihōin widened her eyes as she looked at Kaien Shiba's face, distorted in agony.

"Hurry up and leave, go!"

Muttering weakly, Kaien Shiba had no strength left.

"None of you are getting away!" The Adjuchas bared its gleaming white teeth. "How could I let my prey escape?"

Yanking its sharp arm out from inside Kaien Shiba's body, the Adjuchas closed in on Yoruichi Shihōin with a grimace.

"Let me eat you first, brat!"

Yoruichi Shihōin gritted her teeth, preparing to make a desperate final stand, when a pitch-black blade flash cut through the air like lightning, forcing the Adjuchas back. Instantly, a figure materialized in front of Yoruichi Shihōin.

"Shadow!"

"Lady Yoruichi!"

Shadow scooped up Yoruichi Shihōin and used a few Body Flicker Techniques to reach Kaien Shiba's side. Regarding this young boy who had saved Yoruichi Shihōin, Shadow actually found him quite agreeable.

"I'm fine, Shadow!"

Yoruichi Shihōin shook her head, straightened up, looked toward Kaien Shiba, and spoke with a hint of worry, "How is Kaien?!"

Frowning slightly, Shadow replied, "Don't worry, Lady Yoruichi! He won't die anytime soon!"

"Is that so!" Yoruichi Shihōin couldn't help but heave a sigh of relief.

Shadow nodded, turned around squarely, and his pitch-black gaze instantly turned cold, brimming with murderous intent. He simply dared not imagine what would have happened if he had arrived a step later.

"You're dead!"