Dazzling sunlight pierced through Hiroki's tightly closed eyelids like golden needles. His eyelashes fluttered violently several times before his heavy consciousness struggled to surface from the abyss of chaos. His head felt like it was splitting, accompanied by a terrifying soreness throughout his body as if he had been run over by a heavy truck ten times; every muscle was letting out a pathetic wail.
"Hiss—ow ow ow ow..."
A short gasp squeezed out of his dry throat. Just as he wanted to move his stiff neck, he felt his body was firmly sealed down by some heavy weight. Looking down—good grief! That wildcat Shihōin Yoruichi had transformed into an octopus. A long, firm leg with honey-colored skin shimmering in the morning light was dominantly hooked across his waist, her arms were tightly cinching his chest, and her head was pillowed on half of his shoulder. She was sleeping soundly, her rosy lips slightly pouting with a rare, completely non-hostile tranquility.
"Ah!!!" Hiroki's heart was instantly filled with immense horror and an unbelievable sense of absurdity. Scattered fragments from before he lost his reason last night exploded in his mind! The heated argument, the despair with no escape, Yoruichi's wild, bridge-burning gaze, and then... that primitive and chaotic physical "negotiation" that transcended verbal confrontation!
A whole night! A whole night! An indignant cry roared silently in his chest! "How did I survive?! A whole damn night! She's simply not human!"
From the initial refusal to submit and the struggling scuffle, to the mid-stage feeling of suffocation from being suppressed by sheer power, and finally... well, that feeling was hard to describe, as if his soul was being torn apart and reshaped, being forcibly pulled back into the center of the storm countless times just as he was about to drown! When his physical strength was exhausted, he relied on instinct! When his will blurred, he held on with a single breath of unyielding indignation at being humiliated!
Looking back now, it was definitely a long endurance torture match! His opponent was a she-leopard who was a master of assassination and combat with bottomless stamina!
Could it be... that I'm actually exceptionally gifted in this area? This absurd and somewhat hopeful thought flashed through Hiroki's mind for a moment. But in the next second, it was ruthlessly denied by his body's soreness. Exceptionally gifted my foot! He was one breath away from becoming a high-level paraplegic!
The massive physiological impact and psychological confusion made him desperately need outside help. Clearing his raspy throat, he shouted toward the paper sliding door with a dry voice, "Someone come in."
"Shhh-la—" The paper door was pulled open carefully from both sides almost instantly.
Sunlight poured in, illuminating three figures at the door with vastly different expressions and sharp contrasts, appearing suddenly in Hiroki's embarrassed field of vision like three distinct pieces of a colored puzzle.
Tamaki Chizuru stood at the very front. On the face of the usually shrewd and capable housekeeper, a kind of almost maternal, overflowing smile of gratification blossomed! Her beautiful eyes curved like crescent moons, shining with joyful light. The way she looked at Hiroki was as if she had seen the cabbage she had worked so hard to grow finally being uprooted (or rather, finally doing the uprooting himself?), carrying the satisfaction of a mother seeing her young master finally "waking up" and knowing how to enjoy himself.
Slightly behind her to the side, Uchiha Izumi's beautiful face was filled with an epic storm of inner conflict. Her usually cool and calm eyes were now wide with shock, and deep within her clear pupils was a seismic level of bewilderment, loss, and helplessness, along with worry about Lord Hiroki being "defiled"... and a mental struggle over whether she should look or intervene. One hand even instinctively pressed against her waist, as if trying to confirm if her short sword was still there (though it would be useless), while the other tightly gripped the hem of her clothes, her knuckles turning white from the force. The sight of Lord Hiroki being completely entangled by that honey-skinned lady had clearly caused a massive impact and moral dilemma for her young (in psychological age) shinobi soul. Should she step forward to "rescue" her Lord? Or... see no evil? What should she do? Waiting online, urgent!
Suì-Fēng (Soi Fon) was positioned a bit further back, her expression as cold and emotionless as a polar glacier. However, her thin lips pressed into a tight straight line and those golden cat-like eyes—which were staring fixedly at Yoruichi entangled with Hiroki (specifically at her exposed smooth back and the long leg pressed against Hiroki's waist!) as if they were about to spit fire—betrayed the stormy waves within her! The icy sharpness in her gaze was like a knife, wanting to hack the bastard man who dared to desecrate Lady Yoruichi into a thousand pieces!
Feeling that highly lethal gaze, Hiroki struggled to turn his neck and met Suì-Fēng's frozen stare, asking in confusion, "No, Suì-Fēng, what are you doing in here?" He really couldn't understand why Yoruichi's number one fangirl would appear at the "core of the battlefield" in the early morning.
Suì-Fēng withdrew her gaze, which could almost pierce through Hiroki's body, and tilted her head slightly. Her voice was as tense as a string pulled to its limit, every word seemingly forced through her teeth: "Reporting to Lord Hiroki, I... came to see how Lady Yoruichi is doing." Her gaze quickly flickered over Yoruichi's calm sleeping face to confirm she hadn't been harmed (even though she had been waiting outside the door all night with a broken heart), and beneath that bit of worry in her tone was an undisguised, teeth-gritting hatred for Hiroki. Hiroki had no doubt that if looks could kill, he would be in pieces by now.
"What's there to see! Get out, quickly!" Hiroki waved his hand as if shooing a fly. "As for the rest of this mess..." He struggled to move Yoruichi's hand a bit so he could breathe, "...that's a maid's job! There's no need for you!"
Suì-Fēng's body was as stiff as a stone statue, the icy flames in her golden eyes flickering a few times before turning into a deeper darkness. She gave Hiroki a fierce glare, looked at Yoruichi worriedly once more, and then bowed with extreme reluctance and slowness: "...Yes, Lord Hiroki." With that, she retreated step by step with heavy strides that seemed ready to crush the floorboards. The paper door was pulled shut forcefully behind her, leaving a shadow in the wake of her unwilling exit.
"...Hmph!" Hiroki snorted softly, thinking to himself, "As expected of Yoruichi's number one loyal fan and devoted little follower! That jealousy and protective urge, tsk tsk." It was enough to make one's teeth ache.
Just then, the "octopus" draped over him seemed to be awakened by the movement and light at the door. Yoruichi's thick eyelashes fluttered gently before she slowly opened her golden eyes. The daze of just waking up lasted for less than half a second before being replaced by immense shock and embarrassment. When she clearly saw her situation—clinging to Kuroki Hiroki like a giant body pillow, the two of them so close they could almost feel the pulse of the blood vessels beneath each other's skin, and her own state...! Her movements suddenly froze.
Extremely rarely, Hiroki actually captured a fleeting blush on Shihōin Yoruichi's usually proud, wild, and nonchalant face! It was like rouge spreading on white paper; though faint and quick, it truly existed. That instinctive feminine embarrassment in such a situation formed a huge contrast with her usual "Flash God" aura, leaving Hiroki stunned.
After a brief, awkward eye contact, Yoruichi quickly switched back to her usual provocative expression, like a bristling cat. She practically bounced off him instantly, grabbing her scattered clothes with a hint of urgency and fluster.
The two remained silent, each tidying their disheveled appearance as quickly as possible. Though they were dressed, the indescribable atmosphere of embarrassment, lingering fear, resentment, and a bit of strange exhaustion hung in the air, refusing to dissipate. The silence was like invisible glue, thick enough to be suffocating.
With great effort, they finished dressing and performed a simple wash. Tamaki Chizuru and Uchiha Izumi walked over cautiously and began to silently and quickly tidy the room, doing their best to smooth over the messy traces left by last night's fierce confrontation. Hiroki and Yoruichi sat silently on opposite sides of a low table, hearing only the rustling of things being packed and their own slightly heavy heartbeats (mostly from exhaustion).
Chizuru brought over a breakfast that was appropriately overabundant. The two looked at each other and, at that moment, reached a strange tacit understanding—they were so damn hungry!
Noble etiquette and old grudges meant nothing; after the "death battle" that had drained their life energy last night and the massive physical exhaustion, the roar of their stomachs was the most honest command.
The two of them began to feast as if they were reincarnated hungry ghosts. Hiroki shoveled food without regard for his image, trying to stuff the mountain of rice, fish, and side dishes into his mouth all at once. Yoruichi's movements were even broader as she tore into a juicy chicken leg as if venting something. Their usually elegant and reserved images were gone, replaced by the pure biological need to replenish energy. For a time, the room was filled only with the sound of food being rapidly chewed and swallowed.
Halfway through, a low and respectful voice came from outside the paper door again: "Miss Yoruichi, Young Master Hiroki."
An elderly man with meticulously combed hair, wearing the dark retainer robes of the Shihōin Clan—the Great Butler of the Shihōin Clan—knelt silently outside the paper door and said, "The Master requests your presence immediately." His voice carried an unprecedented gravity.
"Hiss... Tch!" Hiroki almost choked on the chunk of meat he was halfway through eating. Swallowing it with difficulty, he cursed under his breath, "The old man's ears and eyes are so damn sharp! He's here already?" He seriously suspected the old man had installed surveillance Hell Butterflies in every corner!
"Hmph!" Yoruichi slammed down the chicken bone in her hand, letting it clatter and roll across the table with a crisp sound. Her golden eyes glinted with obvious displaced anger as she glared fiercely at Hiroki. "It's all your fault! Why did you scream so loud last night?! Were you afraid the whole Seireitei wouldn't hear you?!" The blush on her face seemed ready to flare up again.
"Me?!" Hiroki was practically amused by the absurdity. "Please! Who was the one pinning me down and beating—cough! Who was the one forcing me—cough! How can you blame me?! Why don't you ask yourself... besides, you were louder than me!" He snapped back without hesitation, his face flushed with anger and even a hint of grievance.
"Ahem!" The head butler outside coughed loudly, decisively cutting off the pointless daily bickering that was about to erupt between the two young masters. He raised his voice slightly, his tone carrying an indisputable urgency. "Young Master, Young Lady, The Master is in very poor health! You must come over immediately! There is not a moment to lose!" The anxiety in his words finally caused both Hiroki and Yoruichi's hearts to tighten.
After glaring at each other and suppressing their boiling tempers, the two stood up simultaneously, left their half-eaten food, and followed the hurried head butler toward the deepest, most central courtyard of the Shihōin Clan estate. The morning sun shone on the exquisite garden, but it couldn't dispel the heavy premonition in their hearts.
As they passed through the familiar corridors, the smell of medicine in the air was thicker and more pungent than ever. They entered the massive bedroom, where the light was intentionally dimmed and filled with various life-sustaining devices.
Seigen Shihōin, the man who once commanded the winds and clouds, was now emaciated to the extreme. Like a paper lantern that had exhausted its oil, his pallor was startling. Dark circles surrounded his sunken eye sockets, and every breath came with a wheezing sound like a broken bellows. The faint rise and fall of his chest pulled at everyone's taut nerves. What made Hiroki's heart sink even further was the boy standing on the other side of the bed, his eyes red, his small face pale, and his lips tightly pursed as if holding back tears—Shihōin Yushiro. He was also present. This meant that Seigen had likely reached his final moments and was about to formally hand over everything regarding the family.
Upon seeing Hiroki and Yoruichi enter, Seigen's dim and cloudy eyes suddenly brightened, like a faint spark flickering in the dying embers.
"Yoruichi... Hiroki..." His voice was so raspy it was almost unrecognizable, carrying a sigh of relief. "Finally... you've come... wonderful... my... wish... has finally... been fulfilled..." Each word seemed to take all the strength he had left.
"Father!" Yoruichi could no longer hold back. She rushed to the bedside and knelt, grabbing Seigen's bony hand, her voice cracking with a sob she had never shown before. Seeing her once incredibly strong father reduced to this, and thinking of last night's absurdity and her own responsibility, a wave of complex emotions instantly broke through her defenses.
Hiroki stood silently to the side with a complicated expression. Seigen... had truly held on until the end. All for that so-called obsession with a "grandson"? How ironic.
Seigen moved his fingers with difficulty, seemingly trying to comfort Yoruichi, but his gaze bypassed her to look at the calm-faced Hiroki. His tone carried a weariness that saw through everything and a sense of... entrustment. "Well, Yoruichi... don't be sad... everyone... must die eventually..." He paused to catch his breath, his gaze settling on Hiroki. That look was deep and sharp, as if piercing through time. "Seeing you two... able to... be together harmoniously... I can rest easy... cough, cough, cough..."
A violent coughing fit tore through his chest, and Yoruichi hurriedly patted his back.
When his breathing settled slightly, Seigen's gaze locked onto Hiroki, containing far too many things. "Hiroki..." he began, speaking very slowly but with every word clear, "I know... you are... very dissatisfied... with this marriage..."
Hiroki's heart tightened.
"But... it's all my fault..." A clear flash of self-deprecation and resolve crossed Seigen's cloudy eyes. "I was afraid... that without you... Yoruichi... would lead the entire... Shihōin Clan... into a ditch..."
Tch! This old bastard! A storm raged in Hiroki's mind. His judgment of people is so damn accurate!
Flashes of the future crossed his mind—the Hollowfication Incident erupting, and Yoruichi choosing to defect without hesitation to protect Urahara Kisuke! What a devastating impact that earth-shattering decision would have on the Shihōin Clan! As one of the Four Great Noble Clans of the Soul Society openly harboring a "traitor" of the Soul Society, how furious would the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and the Central 46 be? The Shihōin Clan would not only lose partial control over the Second Division and the Onmitsukidō, but even their other political resources and business channels would suffer unimaginable blows! Even the young son, Yushiro, who would inherit the headship, would be implicated, nearly being sent into a humiliating political marriage with another noble family just to gain a moment of breathing room for the clan's survival! It wouldn't be until much later, when Aizen's conspiracy surfaced and the truth of the Hollowfication Incident was proven to be Aizen's orchestration, that the Shihōin Clan would return to the seat of power.
On the surface, Hiroki suppressed all his emotions, putting on a gentle, respectful, and slightly sorrowful expression. He leaned down and said in a very serious tone, "Lord Seigen, what are you saying? To be able to marry such an excellent wife as Yoruichi," he emphasized the word "excellent," "and to be married into a prestigious family like the Shihōin Clan, this is simply the greatest honor I, Hiroki Kuroki, have earned from my past lives!" His tone was earnest and sincere. Since you're leaving anyway, why cause unnecessary trouble? For your final journey, it's better not to cause problems for yourself or the Shihōin Clan.
"Is that... so...?" Seigen forced the corners of his mouth up with great effort, forming an incredibly weak yet "cunning" smile that seemed to see through everything. "I... don't... believe you..."
"Cough, cough, cough!" This time it was Hiroki's turn to choke on his own saliva and cough violently. This old geezer! He's about to go and he still wants to play him!
"Heh... heh... heh..." Seeing Hiroki's flustered state, a few broken laughs escaped Seigen's throat, followed immediately by an even more violent fit of coughing, as if he were about to cough up his lungs. "Just... kidding... cough! Cough, cough!" He panted heavily, his gaze gradually becoming soft and heavy, filled with endless exhaustion and... a trace of genuine peace.
He turned his loving gaze toward Yushiro, who was still holding back tears and clutching the bedsheet, his son who was still far too young and small. "Yushiro..." Every word was incredibly difficult. "I'm sorry... I can't... I can't be with you... as you grow up..."
"Waaa... Father...!" Yushiro could no longer contain himself. His small body collapsed by the bed as he tightly gripped his father's withered hand, tears rolling down like broken strings of pearls, soaking the expensive silk duvet.
"You are still... young..." Seigen's gaze moved slowly between his youngest son and Hiroki. Finally, with an indisputable resolve, it landed on Hiroki's face. "If anything happens... listen more... to your brother-in-law's... words..." He almost held his breath, using all his strength to add, "...As for... your sister's... words... cough, cough... listen to them... less..."
"Ah... this..." With tear-filled eyes, Yushiro looked at his sister Yoruichi and then at his brother-in-law Hiroki. He clearly couldn't immediately grasp the deeper meaning of his father's words or the subtle "disdain" for his sister; he only felt the heavy weight of trust and entrustment. "Father!!" Yoruichi let out a muffled, huffy roar, her voice filled with grievance and a mix of laughter and tears. "Honestly! You old man! You're about to leave... and you still... still have to poke fun at me! Insult me!" Though she complained, her choked voice was filled more with reluctance and heartache.
Seigen no longer paid attention to Yoruichi's protest. His cloudy gaze moved in turn across the faces of his son, his daughter, and the "son-in-law" he had forced into his daughter's life to become the family's hope. The last bit of light in those golden eyes seemed to dissipate rapidly, and the breath of life was fast fading. All the burdens, all the obsessions, and all the precautions seemed to be laid down at this moment.
"...Heh... then... let it be... so..." A faint, long, and weary sigh, soft as a mosquito's buzz, drifted gently from his parched lips, and then there was nothing more.
The hand held by Yushiro and Yoruichi suddenly became heavy and cold. The faint rise and fall of his chest ceased completely.
A deathly silence fell over the room.
Only Yushiro's uncontrollable, intermittent sobbing echoed softly amidst the heavy and pungent smell of medicine. An old man who had governed the Shihōin Clan for centuries, like a massive ancient tree sheltering the family, bid a final farewell to the world he had worked his entire life for on this day.