"Two from the Shihōin Clan, one brought by the Shihōin Clan, one from the Kuchiki Clan, and one from the Tsunayashiro Clan."
"Looks like this year's a big harvest—oh yes, a very big harvest."
The big-eyed monk clapped his hands in satisfaction as he spoke, though his expression barely showed any joy.
"What? Why do they get to go in while we can't? "
"Yeah, exactly! "
"And that gloomy-looking guy the Shihōin Clan brought along—what family are you from? What gives some low-ranked family the right to step into the Soul King's Palace for training? "
The balance shattered instantly. These nobles, born and raised to believe they were superior, couldn't handle the idea that they weren't the special ones anymore. Their so-called aristocratic demeanor was paper-thin—rip it once and it's gone. They shouted loudly, insisting that if they, the self-proclaimed geniuses, couldn't enter, then no one else should either. To them, anything else was unfair.
And of course, the ones from the Tsunayashiro Clan—the leading family of the Five Great Noble Houses, who never regarded anyone else as their equal—were the loudest and most arrogant of all.
"Could it be that the Shihōin smuggled him in? Heh, in that case, they should lose their qualification along with that lowborn nobody."
"Exactly, exactly! "
"Just a worthless commoner."
The Tsunayashiro heirs hurled their sharp words like knives. If they'd all made it through together, they might have turned a blind eye to Yoruichi bringing someone in. They wouldn've even given her that courtesy. But now that they'd failed, they weren't going to let it go. If they couldn't have it, then no one could.
"Uh…"
Kisuke Urahara wiped the cold sweat forming on his forehead. He wanted to argue, but he knew the truth: talent means nothing against status. A genius who hasn't fully grown is just a genius—easily crushed by background and bloodline. Until that genius matures into true strength, they have no right to raise their voice. That's reality.
Those stories about defying power, fighting against the odds, and never backing down? Those were just the dreams of protagonists in novels.
"Urahara's with me. Got a problem with that, Tsunayashiro brats? "
The voice was calm yet sharp enough to cut steel. Yoruichi narrowed her eyes like a mother cat baring her fangs to protect her cub.
"Uh…"
The Tsunayashiro heirs froze instantly. That was Yoruichi Shihōin, the big sister of the noble world. There's an old saying that's been around for centuries:
"If you've never been beaten by Yoruichi Shihōin, you're not a true noble."
That saying carried two meanings: first, her dominance. Second, her unmatched status among the nobility.
They were merely heirs—future heads at best. She was already a clan head, and not just any clan head, but one from the Five Great Noble Houses. That's a difference in rank they couldn't ignore. If they kept pressing this issue, it would be a direct provocation toward someone of her standing—a sin none of them could afford.
"We…"
The Tsunayashiro brats faltered, panic creeping into their voices as they imagined the slap that could land on their faces any second.
"You're Tokitane, aren't you? "
Amid the tension, one of the Tsunayashiro heirs spotted a figure hiding behind Yoruichi—a young man with pale green hair, head lowered, trying to make himself invisible.
"Uh…"
The young man slowly raised his head in resignation.
"Knew it. It's Tokitane. What are you doing there? Planning to betray the Five Great Houses and join their side? "
The heir smirked coldly. Since they couldn't attack Yoruichi or her guest—and to avoid conflict with the Kuchiki—they needed a scapegoat. And Tokitane, a branch member of their own clan, was perfect. Drag him down, humiliate him, and they could save face for the Tsunayashiro name.
Little did they realize how ugly they looked in that moment.
"I…"
Tokitane was born with exceptional talent—but as a branch member, he was doomed never to touch the clan head's seat. Worse, his talent only made him a bigger target for suppression by the main family.
"Come back, Tokitane. You're one of us, aren't you? "
The heir smiled in mock sincerity.
"Yeah, come back to your family, Tokitane! "
The others waved at him like demons beckoning from the depths of hell, trying to drag him down with them.
"I…"
Tokitane trembled, torn between survival and the opportunity of a lifetime.
"What are you waiting for, Tokitane? "
"You think just because you got picked to enter the Soul King's Palace, you're better than us? "
"Dream on! You're nothing! A branch member like you will never become head of the clan! "
The heir's voice grew sharper, twisting into a snarl.
"Yeah, that's right! "
"Know your place! "
"You filthy half-blood! "
None of the other branch members dared speak for him. They just kept their heads down, silent and ashamed. The other noble houses stood by as well—after all, this was a Tsunayashiro family matter.
"I…"
Tokitane's hands trembled. He looked at the cruel faces of his own blood, then at the bowed heads of the other branches. Slowly, like a man walking to the gallows, he turned toward the Tenchū carriage.
And the big-eyed monk? He just stood there, watching with amusement, as if the whole thing were a circus show.
"That's it, Tokitane. Remember your place—you're just a branch member. Impure blood."
The heir's words were laced with venom, but his eyes never left Kisuke Urahara. If he thought branch members were garbage, what did that make Kisuke—a man who wasn't even a noble?
"Man, you guys are loud…"
"Who's making all this noise while I'm trying to sleep? "
The sudden voice froze everyone in place.
"Who said that? "
The Tsunayashiro heir looked around frantically, unable to find the source.
"Stop looking. I'm right in front of you."
"Put me down, sis."
The voice came again.
"Careful, this is their family business," Yoruichi warned quietly as she set the sleeping bag down from her shoulder.
"What family business? Don't be ridiculous, sis! " The sleeping bag unzipped, and out stepped Yūshirō Shihōin, his voice booming like thunder. "I'm not meddling in family matters. I just hate people who yell too much! "
"…You're the loudest one here, you know that, right?! "
Every heir from the Five Great Houses clutched their ears in pain, muttering curses under their breath.