"Is this the time for jokes?"
Facing Ukitake's reproach, Shunsui smiled. "Don't be so tense. Relaxing and smiling a bit is good for your health." Seeing that Ukitake showed no sign of wanting to smile, he quickly said, "Alright, alright, I'll be serious."
"But you've actually thought of something too, haven't you, Ukitake? That's why you've been looking so worried. The most reasonable explanation for Hiroe taking such a risk is that, in his eyes, it isn't a risk at all."
"The wariness those with ulterior motives have toward him won't disappear. But as long as Aizen Sōsuke is still around, that wariness will remain just that—wariness. What difference does it make if there's a little more or a little less?"
Hearing this, Ukitake slowly closed his eyes. "That... would be very difficult to achieve, wouldn't it?"
As an existence that kept Aizen in check, as long as Hiroe didn't do anything too outrageous, the rest of the Seireitei wouldn't make things too difficult for him right now. By the same logic, as long as Aizen wasn't eliminated, Hiroe had his value. But could this value truly be maintained forever?
Slaughtering the entire Central 46, taking control of Hueco Mundo, intending to replace the Soul King—every single one of Aizen's crimes was enough to have him executed millions of times over. The Seireitei would absolutely never allow him to continue living.
"Who knows if it can be done?" Shunsui also felt that realizing such a situation would be too difficult, but at the thought of Hiroe, the corners of his mouth curled up as he continued, "But you know that kid Hiroe is full of tricks. Maybe he already has a perfect plan."
"Old Man Yama is probably angry precisely because of that possible concealment too, isn't he? The student he placed the greatest hopes in turned out to be the one who resembles him least." Ukitake glanced across at Shunsui and teased, "Though come to think of it, he's rather similar to you himself—it's a headache."
"Hey, hey, hey, why are you making it sound like I'm the one who taught that kid to be bad?" Shunsui retorted with a similar smile, resting his chin on his hand and sighing. "Though there is one thing about him that's exactly like me—he hates trouble..."
"Yet he insists on thinking up troublesome things. But to be honest, if Hiroe were really like you, I wouldn't be worried at all..."
Shunsui took over the conversation: "Because he is Hiroe. The Chōzuka Hiroe whose thoughts Old Man Yama, you, and I haven't been able to see through since a certain point in time. Defining a person by simple good and evil is too extreme, but it's not a good thing when the line between good and bad becomes too blurred."
"Just like Aizen..."
"Let's leave future troubles for the future, Ukitake," Shunsui said, pushing his right hand against the ground to stand up. "Besides, with that kid's personality, fighting for power and influence is far too tacky. Maybe he'll give us a surprise?"
Ukitake raised his head and looked out the window. He hoped it would be as Shunsui said. Otherwise, if they became enemies with Hiroe, who knew how many people would secretly grieve.
...
World of the Living, Naruki City. A city adjacent to Karakura Town. From the outside, apart from being a bit larger, it wasn't much different from Karakura Town.
Wearing a white short-sleeved shirt and jeans, Hiroe looked no different from the ordinary people around him—if it weren't for the 'cute' little tail following behind him...
"Are you alright, little girl?"
"I think you should be asking me, Mr. Police Officer..."
Hearing the commotion behind him, Hiroe couldn't help but sigh. Sure enough, something had happened.
A burly, bald middle-aged man was clutching his chest. That collision just now had actually made him feel a bit suffocated. "You did that on purpose, you bas—"
The man looked up and saw that the person who bumped into him was actually a little girl in a white dress with beautiful, jewel-like blue hair. He subconsciously changed his tune, "Did you get hurt?"
The police officer standing to the side helplessly glanced at the man on the ground. Who was the one yelling to be asked first just a moment ago?
He was very clear on what had just happened. Just as he was riding his bike and trying to dodge the little girl coming his way, she suddenly jumped to the side as if startled, crashing into the bald man next to her.
Logically speaking, it was the girl's fault. But seeing how big and burly this guy was, he actually got knocked down by a girl who didn't even reach his waist? Was he really not trying to extort her?
"Do you need to go to the hospital to get checked out?"
"No need! Does my body look like there's anything wrong with it?!" the man said heartily. The police officer opposite him gave him a disdainful look. *You didn't look fine when you fell down just now.*
Seeing the little girl in front of him looking around anxiously, the officer crouched down and asked gently, "Did you get separated from your family?"
"Get lost..."
"Ah, Roka, there you are!" Hiroe finally arrived and interrupted Roka's words. He didn't even need to think about it; she was definitely about to say, *'Get lost, you lowly human!'*
"You are..."
"Her older brother, Officer! I'm her older brother," Hiroe explained with a smile. However, the police officer looked completely unconvinced. Pointing to his right, he said expressionlessly, "Really?"
Good grief. In the time it took to say a single sentence, Roka had already run ten meters away. In anyone's eyes, he probably didn't look like a good guy at all.
Hiroe offered a dry laugh and nodded. "C-Cousins. She's from overseas. Today is our first time meeting, so she's a bit unfamiliar with me."
*What kind of excuse is that...* The somewhat older police officer coldly snorted. Grabbing Hiroe's hand, he skillfully slapped the handcuffs from his waist onto him. "You are now suspected of being involved in child abuse. Please come back with me to assist in the investigation!"
Hiroe didn't rush to explain. Instead, he immediately turned his head, using his eyes to stop Roka, who was about to rush up and 'protect' him. However, this action only made things look even more suspicious in the officer's eyes.
"Behave yourself!"
Hiroe was crying tears of frustration in his heart. *I'm protecting you, you know?! And I'm not just protecting you, I'm protecting this world! Is this how you treat a hero?!*
If Yamamoto or anyone else in the Seireitei knew that the Chōzuka Hiroe who caused them endless headaches and immense wariness was actually taken to the police station by an ordinary person in the World of the Living, they probably wouldn't suspect him of having any evil schemes ever again.
If this didn't count as benevolence, then the Seireitei probably didn't even have the concept of benevolence...
However, there was absolutely no way Hiroe could let anyone else know about this. Aside from the fact that he couldn't let the Gotei 13 know about Roka's existence yet, there was also the fact that speaking of such a thing was simply too humiliating!
To think that he, Chōzuka Hiroe, so full of ambition and high spirits, had been arrested and taken to the police station less than a day after stepping foot into Naruki City. In his more than two hundred years of life, this was absolutely the biggest stumble he had ever taken.
Therefore, even after coming out of the police station in the middle of the night, Hiroe's expression was terrible. Even if Aizen were to drop out of the sky right in front of him, he could put that aside for now. There was one matter that had to be resolved—immediately, right this instant!!
"Roka..."
"Ao—Lord Chōzuka, I'm sorry..." Roka replied timidly.
Surprisingly, Hiroe shook his head. Turning to Roka, who was over ten meters away, he said, "I'm not blaming you. I just wanted to say that you can actually walk beside me."
"But Lady Yoruichi said that I cannot come within ten meters of you."
*Yoruichi, Yoruichi.* Hiroe felt a surge of resentment in his heart. It was all because this woman had gotten inexplicably jealous that he had suffered such a massive humiliation!
"I said it's fine, so it's fine! Remember, I am the master of the house!"
"But you promised back then that you would absolutely never change the order. Lady Yoruichi's order to you..."
"..."
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