Ukitake covered his eyes with one hand. It wasn't that he couldn't bear to look, but rather that he felt it was best to pretend he hadn't seen anything. It was better for both him and Byakuya.
A drowning person will instinctively grab onto anything they can. It was unknown if this applied to all falls, but that was exactly what Kōe had just done. And whether it was intentional or purely coincidental, by some strange twist of fate, he had grabbed right onto Byakuya's waistband.
The head of the Kuchiki clan couldn't possibly fight while holding up his pants, so this grab completely dragged him down. Let alone catching Yoruichi, he was now being mocked by her instead. Ukitake could only mourn for him in silence and try his best to ensure he didn't laugh out loud...
But how did things turn out this way? If you called it a coincidence, it was far too perfect of one. He hadn't grabbed Byakuya's sleeve or haori, but rather the one thing that absolutely couldn't be let go of.
The problem was, if Kōe had done it on purpose, it would have required Byakuya's cooperation. If Byakuya hadn't jumped so close to Kōe just now, even if he had grabbed blindly, Kōe definitely wouldn't have caught anything.
Byakuya was probably wondering the same thing, which was why he hadn't harmed the seemingly delirious Kōe.
"Let. Go!" Byakuya threatened through gritted teeth, his head lowered. Right now, he had no doubts in his heart, only hatred—hatred for why he hadn't kicked Kōe right then and there!
"No, I can't let go. I have to catch them..."
Kōe pointed a trembling left hand at the sky while his right hand tightly gripped Byakuya's waistband. Shaking his head, he stammered, "Don't, don't worry about me. Hurry and chase her!"
Byakuya swore that when Kōe said the first sentence, he really wanted to kill the bastard. By the second sentence, he almost couldn't resist slashing him.
"Little Byakuya, you..." Yoruichi's half-smiling voice drifted down from the roof. To Byakuya, this was even more infuriating than Kōe right beside him. "You haven't improved much after all this time. You're exactly the same as when I last saw you."
"Shut up!"
When was the last time Yoruichi saw him? Wasn't it the day before Urahara Kisuke was arrested? It had to be said, what happened that day was exactly the same as right now!
"Your habit of talking big is the same, too," Yoruichi replied with a laugh. She suddenly raised her left hand and announced loudly, "Then, just like before, let's call a temporary truce!"
"A truce? Do you even have the right to propose a truce?!"
"Three days. I only need three days to make this brat surpass you!"
Yoruichi didn't answer Byakuya directly, but instead gave him a proposition he absolutely couldn't refuse. An ant in his eyes surpassing him in just three days—with Byakuya's arrogant personality, he would definitely use actual actions to prove just how absurd that was!
This sentence completely trapped Byakuya. Although he didn't say anything like "Then I'll give you three days," for him, silence was equivalent to agreement.
Up to this point, there was no problem with Yoruichi leaving directly. But before she left, she couldn't help but add one more thing: "Chase me if you want, but then you'll owe me two hair ties."
Was there anything more amusing than teasing the head of the Kuchiki clan? A seemingly plain piece of wood that was actually hosting a fireworks festival inside—just thinking of that scene could keep Yoruichi happy for a long time.
She had once asked Kōe why he couldn't keep his mouth shut. That guy's answer was that it could be useful in battle. After all, if, by some chance, accidentally, he might just anger the enemy to death...
She originally took it as a joke, but when Kōe left Soul Society, Yoruichi realized that if the target was someone from the Kuchiki clan, it might actually come true.
Back during the era of the Five Great Noble Families, regardless of what was going on with the two priest-lineage families, among the three great noble families in the Gotei 13, it was the Kuchiki clan that acted all special, making the remaining two families look unreliable!
This anti-social behavior should have been resolved long ago. Putting on airs in front of others was fine, but still putting on airs when everyone knew each other so well—that was a sickness that needed curing!
Of course, with Captain Unohana's medical skills, it was unlikely Byakuya would actually die from anger. But even if he was infuriated enough to be sent to Squad 4, it would still count as her indirectly helping Ichigo.
But if Byakuya could still endure it, that anger would probably all be vented on Ichigo. As Yoruichi treated Ichigo's injuries, she muttered in her heart, *'You can't blame me for this. Growth only comes through hardship! Only by challenging your limits can you break past them!'*
If Byakuya knew right now that Yoruichi had relentlessly tormented him during his youth all because of a single joke, he probably really would be sent to Squad 4 for emergency resuscitation out of sheer fury.
He didn't know right now, so he could still endure it. Desperately, he endured!
First, Zaraki Kenpachi was defeated near the Senzaikyū, and then Kuchiki Byakuya released his Reiatsu at the Senzaikyū. Naturally, captains were gathering here.
Captain of Squad 8, Kyōraku Shunsui; Captain of Squad 10, Hitsugaya Tōshirō; and...
"The intruder is Shihouin Yoruichi! Who else?!"
At this moment, Suì-Fēng completely lacked her usual cold demeanor; she looked unusually agitated. This was normal. Aside from the former Captain of Squad 2, Yoruichi, she couldn't think of anyone else who could silently rescue someone from the Maggot's Nest.
What about Urahara Kisuke, who had also served in Squad 2? Sorry, but she didn't think that guy had such capability.
When Suì-Fēng heard Omaeda's report, she immediately thought of Yoruichi. Rescuing Shiba Kaien could be explained as Yoruichi taking away a former comrade. And if that was the case, who would be her next target?
Kōe Shihouin! She didn't even have to think; the name popped up automatically. It was even possible that these two had been in contact for a long time!
Using a group of brats with unknown origins to distract everyone, while actually rescuing Shiba Kaien, and then meeting up with Kōe Shihouin, who had cleared his suspicion. With the strength of this married couple, they might actually be able to break out of the Seireitei. It was highly possible!
These two bastards actually wanted to repeat what happened a hundred years ago. That was one thing, but to actually... In short, they completely disregarded her, Suì-Fēng!
This was also why Suì-Fēng rushed over so frantically. She absolutely could not let this lawless, willful couple get away with it.
When she arrived, she saw Kōe Shihouin with a huge lump on his head and the word 'guilty' practically written on his face, along with Shiba Kaien, who had already lost his combat ability.
Things were developing exactly as she had envisioned. The only difference was that when she asked, Kōe actually admitted very frankly that he had encountered Yoruichi, but she had managed to escape.
Three captain-level individuals were here, and they actually let Yoruichi get away? Suì-Fēng wouldn't believe such a vague answer; she needed a more detailed explanation.
"As for what exactly happened, well..." Kōe said slowly, his eyes unconsciously darting toward Byakuya.
It was just that... the exact details of what happened were a bit hard to explain.