96 CHAPTER 101: A Brief Appearance

"ACHOO!" Kazuya's sneeze echoed within the walls of Kūkaku's basement. Wiping his nose with a cloth, he let out a sigh heavy with longing. "My girls are already missing me."

Cloaked in sleek black, form-hugging clothes, Yoruichi flicked a dismissive hand through the air. "Two days Kazuya, only two days. Don't you think you're being overly dramatic?"

"I'm too much of a loving husband I guess."

"Heh. What do you want to learn today?"

Two days had passed since he killed Nnoitra and returned to the Soul Society, days during which he surprised Yoruichi by showcasing the Kidō spells he had learned from her. His enhanced thought processing (Thanks to his arithmetic skills) and his exemplary senses allowed him to replicate a Kidō spell after merely a handful of demonstrations. It had reached a point where he could cast Kidō spells based on Yoruichi's instructions.

Yoruichi found herself both intrigued and unnerved by his talent, seeing an uncanny resemblance to her old friend, Kisuke Urahara.

"I want to learn the art of sex."

"Go find a prostitute somewhere."

"Oof. I got rejected," he said with a sigh. "Fine. I'll settle for Shunpo today."

"Watch closely then."

With a blink of an eye, she whizzed around the room, a streak of black lightning. Her extraordinary display of Shunpo had once earned her the revered title of 'Flash Goddess.' Through narrowed eyes, he observed her fast-paced movements as if she were sprinting in slow motion.

Hirenkyaku and Sonído had different mechanics compared to Shunpo. The former required users to ride the ambient Reishi to achieve superhuman speed, making it quite an efficient technique given the environment's Reishi density. The latter allowed an Arrancar to dart through the air with a burst of acceleration, akin to a sonic jet. There was a plus point to Sonído; it helped Arrancar in slipping through the supernatural Reiatsu sense every high-level soul had.

On the flip side, Shunpo demanded absolute control over Reiryoku and decent physical strength to build up the pace, using a lot of Reiryoku and stamina in the process. The only upside, perhaps, were its variant techniques that Yoruichi and Byakuya had mastered.

'Sonído is most useful.'

Yoruichi demonstrated the technique one more time by sprinting back and forth.

[Ability: Shunpo acquired.]

[Current Master Level: Basic.]

Learning Shunpo wasn't an earth-shattering achievement since he was already versed with two other high-speed movement techniques.

"It's not that hard compared to Quincy's movement technique," Yoruichi said as she came to a halt, a trickle of sweat on her forehead. "Just keep trying—"

But before she could finish, a whooshing sound interrupted her. Kazuya had already materialized behind her using the same technique as hers. "Come on. You didn't think I'd take weeks to learn this."

Yoruichi rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "My bad. How could I commit the cardinal sin of applying common sense with the protagonist of this story!"

{Oh god, this girl. She is jinxing everything!}

Kazuya remained silent, his brows knitting as he glanced at the window. They were holed up in Kūkaku's basement, a place not exactly buzzing with visitors. Yet, a powerful Reiatsu was rapidly approaching their location.

'A Captain?'

He pondered. It appeared the universe was in no mood to grant him fifteen days' peace before the Shinigami entrance exam. Trouble seemed to have a magnetic attraction to him, regardless of his whereabouts.

"I don't recognize this Reiatsu," Yoruichi murmured, her playful demeanor instantly replaced with a steely gaze. "A new captain. I'll hide just in case."

With a swift leap, she took to the air, transforming mid-jump and leaving behind a pile of discarded black clothes.

"Could it be Soi-Fon? You know, your number one superfan who holds you on a pedestal higher than the Soul King's throne," he said, his eyes twinkling with playful mockery. Soi-Fon was Yoruichi's biggest simp. She would rip open the void if she got the news that her 'Yoruichi-sama' was residing in Western Rukongai.

"Ah, her." Yoruichi chuckled, a tinge of nostalgia coloring her words. "She took over the 2nd squad after me. I don't think she admired me with my current criminal status."

"You underestimate the power of a simp, Yoruichi."

Soi-Fon was an advanced-level simp for Yoruichi, turning into an emotional mess as soon as she caught sight of Yoruichi. The black-haired tomboy had a mad passion for the feline lover.

"Simp? What does that mean?"

"Best you don't know," Kazuya replied, suppressing a laugh. "But rest assured, if she comes looking for you, she'll have to deal with me first. I'm, after all, first in line to court you."

Taken aback, Yoruichi broke into a hearty laughter before leaping onto his head. "I'd call her a generational talent like Byakuya lad. She is also a trained master assassin who can slit your throat in your sleep. You sure you'd want to offend someone like her for me?"

Of course, she didn't mention that Kazuya's talent made Soi-Fon's look like a child's play. The best way to keep his ego in check was to leave that detail out.

"Absolutely. Anything for a dark-skinned catgirl."

His instant answer left her speechless.

…

Flinging open the door to the living room, Kazuya stopped in his tracks. A peculiar sight greeted him: Ganju sat in one corner, observing in stoic silence. In the middle of it all was a visitor performing dogeza before Kukaku. The firecracker of a girl looked down at the man, arms crossed, her expression fierce.

"Come on, my dear niece. Forgive me this time. I'll do better in the future!"

Caught up with his Shinigami duties, Isshin had once again fallen short of his responsibilities towards his family. It was probably the fourth time he was unable to help her in time.

Keeping her arms crossed, Kūkaku brought her foot down on his head full of spiky black hair. "Out. Now. You're never around when your family needs you."

Kazuya's eyes widened as he recognized the man being squashed under Kūkaku's foot.

'Ichigo's Dad.'

{Such a goofball.}

As Kūkaku stepped away, Isshin popped up, grinning at Kazuya as if he hadn't just been humiliated by his niece. "And who is this handsome lad, Kūkaku? Finally got yourself a partner?"

A visible tic manifested on Kūkaku's face. "Isshin Oji-san, stop blabbering crap. He is Kazuya, a friend and a future Shinigami."

Isshin's face brightened. "A future Shinigami you say. Trying for the upcoming test?"

Kazuya nodded. "What kind of test do they give to entrants?"

"Something like Reiatsu limits test and control over one's Reiryoku. It wouldn't be hard for you," Isshin said with narrowed eyes and a smile. "Your control is impeccable from what I see."

Despite being in the same room as Kazuya, Isshin could hardly sense his Reiatsu. Many would take that as his Reiatsu being low, but Isshin knew that the man before him was considerably strong.

Kazuya flashed a modest smile. "I owe it to Kūkaku. She's an excellent mentor."

Isshin's eyes bulged at this revelation, while Kūkaku didn't object to Kazuya's claim. After all, someone apart from Yoruichi had to take credit for his impeccable Reiryoku control. Better her than her brother Ganju or the cat.

Seeing no rejection, Isshin laughed heartily before turning to Ganju. "Kūkaku and Kaien are set, but her Oji-san is still a loner."

"You're a lone wolf," Ganju said with a laugh. "Handling the Tenth Division should keep you busy."

Isshin rubbed his nose, a twinkle in his eye. "Haha, true. I'm only doing this until I find a good successor." Turning to Kazuya, he crossed his arms. "You might become a good candidate in a hundred years."

Kazuya offered a small smile. Little did Isshin know, his long-awaited successor was residing in this very district—the short, silver-haired prodigy.

Kūkaku and Yoruichi exchanged a knowing look, both subtly shaking their heads. Isshin was aiming too far into the future. Given Kazuya's abilities, it wouldn't take more than a decade for him to awaken the Bankai release of his Zanpakutō. More importantly, he wasn't even aiming to join the 10th Squad.

Suddenly, Yoruichi's eyes narrowed, her senses picking up on an approaching presence.

Kūkaku let out a sigh. "Oji-san, your Vice-Captain is also here."

Isshin lifted his head with a surprised look. "What's she doing here?"

"To drag you back to work," Kūkaku said with a shrug. "Life of a Shinigami is tough, isn't it?"

Kazuya racked his brain to remember who served as Isshin's Vice-Captain during this time. His train of thought was interrupted by the sliding door creaking open, revealing the 10th Squad's current Vice-Captain.

A blonde with wavy hair reaching her shoulders entered, her standard Shinigami uniform accentuated with the Vice-Captain's armband tied to the sash around her waist. The way she used her Reiryoku to glue her clothes to her breasts just spoke of the woman's prioritizing fashion over practicality.

He had always considered Harribel well-endowed, yet Rangiku was in a league of her own.

Sweeping the room with her gaze, Rangiku's attention was immediately drawn to Kazuya and the black cat perched on his head. Despite his plain clothes, his untamed silver hair and striking looks were hard to miss. "What a cute pet you have. I'd spoil her rotten if she was mine."

Having her own catgirl in the form of her Zanpakutō Spirit wasn't enough; one can never have too many cats, especially given the Seireitei's current cat shortage.

"I have good eyes for pussies," he said with a straight face while tugging at Yoruichi's paw. "And this one is splendid."

Yoruichi hissed, but didn't say a word.

"Wow," Rangiku gasped, thrusting out her chest. "Your voice is like silk. I'd totally listen to you sing a song or just hear you sing a lullaby. Too bad you're from Rukongai or we might have become good friends."

"Oi, Witch!" Isshin roared. "Don't you try to charm Kūkaku-chan's man right under her nose."

Kūkaku landed a solid punch at the back of Isshin's head. "Can you quit with that nonsense already?"

Rangiku spun to face Isshin, her eyes blazing. Striding up to him, she yanked him by the collar. "Kūkaku, mind if I take this blockhead away?"

"Nope. Drag him to his office."

Isshin sobbed in betrayal as Rangiku dragged him through the hallways.

Kūkaku turned to Kazuya. "She doesn't know you aren't gonna stay in Rukongai for long… good for her that you won't enter her Squad."

Kazuya flashed a knowing grin. "We'll see about that."

There was no law stating he couldn't charm the Vice-Captain of a different squad. Even if such a rule existed, he'd gladly break it for the sake of Rangiku. At first glance, the blonde might not strike one as being inclined towards relationships, but her tragic past involving Gin could drastically shift anyone's perception of her. She could become more than friends with benefits as long as he played his cards right.

{Partner, you're at it again.}

'Be quiet.'

***

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