After dealing with that thrilling and triumphant elders' meeting, thoroughly intimidating those old geezers and filling their future days with tasks, Hiroki felt refreshed all over, as if an invisible but heavy shackle had been lifted.
He walked with steady steps back to his grand and luxurious sleeping quarters, waving his hand to dismiss Tamaki Chizuru and Uchiha Izumi, who were standing by. Watching the slender and fair figure of the little maid Chizuru as she bowed and withdrew, Hiroki's heart burned with passion. Only he remained in the spacious palace; he walked to the window, looking at the meticulously manicured scenery in the courtyard, no longer able to suppress the surging ecstasy in his heart.
"Hahaha!" A hearty laugh filled with endless pride finally erupted, echoing in the empty hall, sounding exceptionally loud.
It was done! The behemoth that was the Shihōin Clan was finally held firmly in his hands! Under the intimidation of Uchiha Fugaku and Uchiha Shisui's two boundless Captain-level spiritual pressures, those five elders who had relied on their age to act superior didn't even dare to fart. They could only bite the bullet and accept their fate, obediently going off to do those bitter, tiring, and thankless chores.
More importantly—Yoruichi! That bold and unconstrained Flash God Shihōin Yoruichi, who had suppressed him for twenty years, had finally defected!
The last person who could control him and force him to "hand over the public grain" had also left the Seireitei!
From today on, the sky is high for birds to fly, and the sea is wide for fish to leap! The beautiful days of a wine pool and meat forest that he had dreamed of, which only existed in his imagination, were about to officially begin! The fair and beautiful little maid Chizuru, the cold and glamorous Uchiha Izumi... all could be included in the plan! He had even begun to imagine how pleasing it would be to admire true "pure white" after Yoruichi's honey-colored skin, which he had looked at for twenty years, completely faded from his vision.
"What are you giggling foolishly about again?" An abrupt voice, carrying a hint of familiar banter and dissatisfaction, suddenly rang out in the quiet sleeping quarters.
"Cough, cough, cough!" Hiroki's laughter stopped abruptly, as if his throat had been squeezed. He coughed violently, falling instantly from the clouds, his face nearly changing color. He hurriedly turned around to follow the sound.
He saw a cat, jet-black and shiny all over except for four snow-white paws, sitting quietly on the smooth floor in the center of the room at some unknown time. Its golden cat eyes flickered with playful light in the dimness, staring at him with great interest. A few steps away from the black cat, Uchiha Itachi's figure solidified like a ghost. Those crimson Mangekyo Sharingan were locked tightly on the cat. Although he held no weapon, his defensive posture, as if facing a formidable enemy, was incredibly clear.
"'Surprises' really are everywhere..." Hiroki sighed inwardly. Looking at the black cat speaking in human tongue and meeting those familiar golden eyes, he instantly understood who the visitor was.
"No, why are you still here?!" Hiroki's voice was slightly out of tune. He pointed at the black cat, trying to express shock and disdain (though mixed with an undetectable trace of guilt). "Didn't you defect?! Now the entire Soul Society is hunting you and your good buddies!"
"You're that happy that I defected?" The black cat—Shihōin Yoruichi's voice carried unabashed annoyance. The light in those golden cat eyes was as sharp as needles, as if it could pierce through Hiroki. The smug look he had just now by the window, filled with "pink" visions of the future, had clearly been caught by her. "You were laughing so hard your back molars were almost showing!"
"No, no! I'm actually very sad." Hiroki immediately put on a somber expression, trying to salvage his image. He blinked hard, trying to squeeze out a hint of sorrow. "Yoruichi, you are my wife. How could I be happy that you defected? The family's reputation is damaged; I am even more heartbroken..." As he spoke, the longing for a "free" future was so strong that a trace of uncontrollable, heartfelt, "liberating" joy actually surfaced at the corners of his mouth and eyes again.
"You're still smiling!!!" Yoruichi's voice suddenly rose. The cat's tail puffed up, standing straight, and her black fur seemed to fluff out.
"No, no! It's a bitter smile! Don't you understand a bitter smile?!" Hiroki quickly forced a straight face, trying to hide the smile, but the light in his eyes couldn't be concealed.
"Hmph, bastard!" Yoruichi ground her teeth, making a slight creaking sound, clearly quite dissatisfied with Hiroki's acting.
"Alright, alright, let's talk business. Why did you come back?" Hiroki forcibly changed the subject.
The black cat snorted coldly, her golden eyes scanning Hiroki's face with a scrutinizing light. "Hmph. You don't seem surprised by my appearance like this."
Oops! Hiroki's heart skipped a beat. In his moment of triumph, he had actually overlooked this point! Shihōin Yoruichi's "black cat" form had never been revealed to him, her "husband," before! By all logic, he should have been shocked and confused.
"What's so strange about it?!" Hiroki's mind raced, and he immediately forced himself to stay calm, countering with a "deeply affectionate" smile. "We've been husband and wife for so many years; even if you turned to ash, I would recognize you. It's just turning into a cat; what's so rare about that?"
"Is that so?" Yoruichi's cat face showed clear disbelief. Her golden eyes narrowed slightly, as if analyzing the truth of his words. However, she seemed to have no heart to dwell on this detail for now; clearly, there were more important matters. "I originally just wanted to come back and see how much of a mess the Shihōin Clan would be after my defection, and if those old foxes would pick it clean. I didn't expect, oh I didn't expect, Hiroki, that you would really give me a 'surprise.'"
"Surprise? What surprise?" Hiroki played dumb with an innocent look.
"You're still pretending?" Yoruichi's voice was cold. "What's the deal with this Itachi?" Her cat head turned slightly toward the vigilant Uchiha Itachi. "Don't tell me he's just some Lieutenant-level small fry? I was discovered by him the moment I got near the sleeping quarters! That aura locking onto me... is at least Captain-level! And those two in the meeting room, Fugaku and Shisui! Don't tell me they're Vice-Captains either? I sensed it clearly from outside! Captain-level! One, two, three! A total of three!"
Tsk, this cat demon really did sneak back early! She even saw the "performance" in the meeting room clearly! Hiroki understood, but could only continue to pretend.
"Cough, cough, cough," he dry-coughed a few times, trying to look nonchalant. "Well, you know, when traveling the world... no, when leading a clan, one must have some trump cards, right? Just a little backup, not worth mentioning. It's all to protect the clan!" He spoke with righteous indignation.
"You little fox! You've really hidden it deep!" Yoruichi's voice carried an indescribable mix of emotions: shock, scrutiny, and perhaps even a hint of... admiration? "Twenty years! For twenty whole years, I didn't see through you! Even that old man Kiyone didn't hide as well as you!"
"Mm, thank you for the compliment. I'm unworthy of such praise." Hiroki took the opening.
"Who's praising you! Bastard!" Yoruichi growled in anger, then her tone shifted, becoming incredibly serious. "Alright, Itachi, my identity is confirmed now, right? There's nothing for you here. Go out and stand guard." She said this to Uchiha Itachi.
Uchiha Itachi said nothing, his gaze inquiringly turning to Hiroki. Only after receiving Hiroki's imperceptible nod did he retreat like a silent shadow, instantly disappearing outside the palace doors. However, he didn't go far, clearly remaining within guard range.
Watching Itachi disappear at the door, Hiroki looked helplessly at the black cat. "What do you want to do now?"
"Business first," Yoruichi sat down, her tail curled at her side, her cat face showing a rare solemnity. "Aizen is the one behind this incident." She paused, glanced at Hiroki, and added irritably, "Dammit, do you people all like to pretend to be Vice-Captains? Each one hides better than the last!"
"Low profile, low profile. It's the way to survive," Hiroki played it off.
"Aizen's strength is very great, very great!" Yoruichi's tone became extremely serious. "He is definitely not as mild and harmless as he appears on the surface. Moreover, his Zanpakuto—Kyōka Suigetsu's ability is too troublesome! Hypnotizing the five senses! He has almost imperceptibly hypnotized the entire Thirteen Court Guard Squads! Except for me, Kisuke, and the others who experienced it firsthand, and you... right now, in the entire Seireitei, probably no one knows this was his conspiracy from beginning to end!"
"Oh?" Hiroki appropriately showed solemnity. "What about the Captain Commander? Did that old man not notice either? He's lived for thousands of years; what hasn't he seen?"
Yoruichi flicked her tail, as if driving away internal irritation. "Old Man Yama surely has some suspicions; his eyes are sharp. However, Aizen is too cunning and his arrangements were too thorough. Without solid evidence, given Old Man Yama's current cautious nature and his concern for the big picture... it's impossible for him to easily take action to sanction a current Vice-Captain. Otherwise, how do you think Kisuke and I could have 'smoothly' rescued people from that hellhole, the Central 46 Chambers?"
"True, he's getting on in years, considering the big picture..." Hiroki nodded in understanding. "So, what are your plans next?" he asked half-teasingly.
"Nothing," Yoruichi seemed to be observing his reaction. "Originally, I didn't want to tell you much about Aizen's specific situation and this key intelligence. After all, knowing it might not be useful and could even bring you danger. But..." Her cat eyes scanned Hiroki, her voice carrying a hint of oddness. "As it turns out, you bastard, you've quietly hidden three Captain-levels by your side! Then telling you is fine."
According to Yoruichi's thoughts, Aizen was certainly terrifying, and his strength might be slightly greater than an ordinary Captain, but the most troublesome part was the "public opinion hegemony" he established through Kyōka Suigetsu. To deal with Aizen, one would inevitably have to face the hypnotized Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and possibly even the Captain Commander, which would be equivalent to plunging the entire Soul Society into civil war.
This was a result that Yoruichi, who valued peace and loved the Rukongai and Seireitei, absolutely could not accept. Therefore, she and Urahara could only choose to leave the Seireitei and hide in the Human World, waiting for an opportunity or hoping Aizen would expose himself.
"You really think highly of me." Hiroki smiled bitterly in his heart. The current Yoruichi clearly underestimated Aizen's true strength and overestimated the power of the three cards in his hand—except for Itachi's BUG-level sword of totsuka which might have some miraculous effect, Fugaku and Shisui's strength before evolving might really just be cannon fodder in front of Aizen.
"Let me correct you," Hiroki suddenly straightened his back, a mischievous smile appearing on his face. A trace of disguised spiritual pressure belonging to a Captain-level (Third Class) leaked out extremely faintly, then was quickly retracted by him. "I am also Captain-level!"
"Huh?!" The black cat instantly puffed up, her fur standing on end. Her golden cat eyes widened, filled with disbelief. "You... you bastard! Just how many things are you still hiding?! You've hidden so deep!"
"You think everyone is like you?" Hiroki curled his lip, finally regaining some ground and entering mockery mode. "Always making a fuss, wishing the whole world knew as soon as you have a bit of strength. True wisdom is called making a fortune in silence! Do you understand?"
"Hmph!" Yoruichi was choked with rage, her cat mouth even twisting, yet she had no way to refute him. This "little live-in son-in-law" she had known for twenty years, who was forced upon her by Kiyone, was actually a hidden dragon that had been coiled up for twenty years?
"Everything that needs to be said has been said, right?" Hiroki began to shoo the cat away. "Since you've said your piece, hurry up and go. Your Kisuke is probably waiting for you anxiously in some corner of the Human World, right? If you're late getting back, watch out he doesn't get knocked out by a ten billion Kan bounty."
The black cat Yoruichi didn't leave immediately. Instead, she tilted her head, her golden eyes circling Hiroki a few times, revealing an extremely human-like smile filled with a bit of cunning and provocation. "Hmph! Easier said than done. As a wife who is about to go on a long journey with an uncertain return date, shouldn't you, the husband staying at home... do something before I leave?"
"Ah? No, wait a second," Hiroki instantly had an extremely bad premonition, his hair standing on end. "What do you want to do?!"
"What do you think I want to do?" The cat-form Yoruichi's voice carried a hint of lazy charm. Suddenly, a dark light flashed, and the small cat silhouette rapidly stretched and changed!
In the blink of an eye, the black cat disappeared from the soft carpet. In its place was a peerless beauty with honey-colored skin, hot curves, not a stitch of clothing, purple hair cascading down like a waterfall, and golden cat eyes burning with the flames of banter and conquest! It was Shihōin Yoruichi's true form!
She walked step by step toward the pale-faced Hiroki, the corners of her lips curling into a dangerous and sexy arc, her voice low and husky, carrying an unquestionable tone:
"Of course it's... to squeeze you dry!"
Looking at Yoruichi, who was closing in with a "marital duty collection" light in her eyes, Hiroki felt his world turn grey. The harem he had just dreamed of instantly vanished into thin air, and a huge psychological shadow swept over him, making him let out a howl of despair:
"stopp!!!"