34 Chapter 34: Prodigal Daughter

"Speech"

'Thoughts'

Remember to join the discord! discord.gg/yFMYSWxaUY

AN: Uh not sure what to put here this time, leave a comment and review I guess. Maybe drop a like on my profile I honestly don't know, enjoy. 

Oh right 700k views, baller.

Chapter 34: Prodigal Daughter

Koda's response wasn't immediate. Though a part of him found Hikaru's acrimony plaintive, it was far more respectable than mousiness. Chiefly considering the fact that he hadn't even fully recovered, facing death was one thing— coming back for seconds was another. 

'Bravery or imprudence? I can't tell.' 

Hikaru didn't take kindly to the prolonged silence, he inched closer bringing his face right up to Koda's. His stare somehow felt piercing in spite of the fact that Koda's eyes were covered by layers of tightly-bound cloth. 

"Well? Don't tell me you're scared you'll lose." 

His taunts were to little avail, a frigid sweeping sensation caught Hikaru by surprise as Koda peered deeper into his Reiatsu. Almost as if he were trying to pry into his psyche, curious if he was looking at the same Hikaru from before. 

"Hm." 

He grabbed Hikaru's wrist, to which the latter instantaneously tried to free himself from his grasp. But by virtue of his still frail frame, he lacked the strength to do so. 

"Settle down, I was just trying to take a peek." 

Koda promptly released him from his clutches, placing a finger on his chin as he deliberated upon Hikaru's condition. 

"Do that again and I'll impale you before you even have time to blink." 

Plainly, Hikaru didn't appreciate being manhandled. 

"You couldn't beat me when you were well, but you want to fight me again whilst your bones are as frail as straw?" 

The Lieutenant scoffed, though it was faint he could feel droplets of Koda's arrogance leaking through his joints. But he wasn't wrong, Hikaru had in-fact lost. 

"Obviously not, we'll do it in two months from now. Unless you really are petrified by my mere presence?" 

An exhale left Koda's nostrils as he shook his head helplessly, by paying close attention to Hikaru's tone one thing had been made abundantly clear to him. 

He wasn't afraid of him, not even in the slightest. He had been torn to shreds by Koda yet not even a bantam part of him felt dread towards the pseudo-blinded Shinigami. 

"Mind if I ask you a question?" 

"Shoot" He shrugged. 

"Are all members of the 8th as psycho as you?" 

Koda's plain tone made Hikaru struggle to hold his laughter in, with a single sentence he had mystically killed all the tension in the atmosphere. 

"Let's get one thing straight, you're the psycho in our relationship— not me." 

Koda grimaced at Hikaru's "daring" choice of words. 

'People would definitely get the wrong idea if they heard that.' 

"Uh-huh, guess I'll see you in two months then." Before he could walk off Hikaru placed a hand on his shoulder, causing him to roll his eyes as the challenger apparently had more to say. 

"What now?" 

"Uhm, it's nothing really but do you mind if I ask a question of my own?" 

"Make it quick." He snapped. 

"So is there like some kind of tactic in particular I could use?" 

"I'm going to need you to be a bit more specific." Oddly enough, it felt like he had experienced a similar conservation before. 

"You know what I'm talking about, you used some sort of strategy to get with her right?" Ah, that was why. 

"As a matter of fact, there is one." 

"Really?" 

"Mhm, all you have to do is get kidnapped." 

"Wha—" Before Hikaru could press him further, Koda made quick work of his feet and flickered away into the distance. Dealing with a second Shunsui was the last thing he needed. 

—— 

Now that I think of it, I should've probably asked him what his name was. Oh well, I'm sure I'll figure it out somewhere down the line. 

"Halt." 

Groan.

You can't be serious? It's almost like the world's fabricated some sort of impenetrable wall between me and my bed-sheets. 

I couldn't even be bothered to turn around, I already knew precisely who Reiatsu belonged to. The fact that he's here on his off-day probably means whatever is about to happen is pretty damn urgent. 

"To what do I owe the pleasure, Sensei?" It wasn't easy to hide the irritation in my voice, I was practically brimming with the desire to pull a Shunsui and doze-off for hours on end. 

"The Head-Captain has called for you, follow me." He's returned already? Odd, not even they seem to have been alerted of his presence. 

"What for?" 

"When you're a Captain you can question his actions all you want. For now all you need to do is obey." Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed, yeesh. 

"Charming as always, lead the way." As expected my snideness went ignored, I followed suit as we sped towards an area of the academy I usually avoided. Primarily because my Reiatsu was still a threat towards regular students, and frankly I'd rather not cause another Kuroda-case. 

Poor guy, in all fairness I was half-drunk when it happened, so that technically makes it Shunsui's fault by proxy— I think? 

"Enter, don't touch anything if you want to keep your limbs in-tact." Wasn't planning on it. 

"So, any reason the others weren't called?" If he's playing favorites I'm surely not going to complain, but I'd still find it weird considering that I'm the greenhorn here. 

"Don't ask me, just wait patiently." To my surprise he left the room. If he wants to keep whatever he has planned private between the two of us it probably has something to do with her, great. 

As the minutes passed I decided to kill some time by carefully examining the room. Obviously I couldn't really see any of the objects, but I needed something to quell my boredom. 

Prior to having my vision obscured I remember this place being filled with paintings presumably drawn by him, if there's one thing I've learned by being in their company it's that even monsters have hobbies. 

But cooking and painting? It's hard not to chuckle when you picture it in your head. 

"Find anything you like?" For a split second I felt my heart jump out of my chest as a certain someone thought it'd be funny to sneak up on me, granted he's probably one of the few people who are actually capable of such a feat. 

Or so I hope. 

"Yes, but I'm having a hard time deciding between this rectangle and that rectangle." Truthfully I was just feigning composure to get my adrenaline to settle down, but the fact that he had actually laughed was pretty refreshing. 

"Don't be so dramatic, you can already sense up to ten-meters now. I'm sure you're starting to get used to it by now right?" 

I don't even want to know how he knows that, all I can say is that it's creepy as hell. 

"To an extent, so— what did you call me here for?" I could tell that his posture had stiffened as he let out an exasperated sigh. 

"As you've probably guessed by now this isn't a social call. At first I didn't think much of it but as it turns out the threads of politics have somehow been weaved into your past. Tell me, how much do you know about the Shihōin Clan?" 

Politics, just the mention of it makes me want to regurgitate. I'm already having flashbacks to the endless disputes I had with landlords when I was getting the Dojo set up. 

"What the hell is a Shihōin?" Sounds like a phone company to me. 

"I ask myself that question all the time. Anyways I'll spare you all the mind-numbing details, all you need to know is that they're a bunch of big-time Nobles. And unfortunately, part of my job is keeping them from throwing temper tantrums." 

Sounds rough. 

"And I'm involved in this, how exactly?" 

"Oh no, if the Shihōin's tried to directly rope one of my disciples into anything I'd kill them before they could get within a thousand Ri of either of you." 

That's— actually incredibly reassuring. 

"Then why bother appeasing them?" 

"Because fortunately for them they were wise enough not to cross that line. However if they do try anything behind my back, you have my permission to impale them even if it's the Clan Head himself. Or is it still that woman? Bah! Who cares, you get my point." 

Someone's murderous side is shining through, though I doubt a pacifist could manage someone like her. 

"Noted." 

He hummed approvingly before pulling what seemed like an assortment of clothes out of a drawer, though I could be wrong. 

"Supposedly one of their Branch Families have been experiencing a bit of discord as of late, I don't know what strings they pulled to get the Shihōin's themselves to approach me but I honestly couldn't care less. I believe you know a woman by the name of Yasui, correct?" 

I couldn't help but pause at the mention of her name, she was certainly someone I wasn't expecting to run into ever again, at least not this early. 

And it doesn't take a genius to guess how he got a hold of that information. 

"Correct." 

"Relax, this isn't an interrogation. I just need to know if you're capable of locating her." 

For fucks sake, what mess has that girl got herself involved in? What the hell is Okita doing? 

"You're asking the blind-man to play bloodhound for you? Not the brightest idea in my opinion." 

"Don't bother playing dumb, I'm well aware of your talents as a sensor. And besides, retrieving her would probably go smoother if you're the one who approaches her don't you think?" 

So it's a retrieval mission, can't say I'm necessarily a big fan of it. 

"Let's hypothetically say I do retrieve her, what then?" 

Come on old man, don't let me down. 

"She's supposedly the offspring of someone important within the Fēng household. I imagine she'll be brought back into their fold." 

Now that's unexpected, she was a prodigal daughter all along. 

"Can you guarantee her safety?" 

"I can verbally issue her protection once she's returned, but I'll be honest with you. I can't be there to watch what happens behind closed doors all the time." 

That's a problem, she's done quite a bit for me so I'd rather not drop her off at death's door even if it's unlikely. 

"The fact that you're deliberating tells me you're worried that something might happen to her." 

"Don't get me wrong, the Roamers or what's left of them at this point is as worthless as dirt to me. But Yasui isn't someone I'd so heartlessly put into harm's way." 

"I understand your sentiment, but if it's any comfort I'll personally deal with both the Fēng's and the Shihōin's on the off chance that they muster up the courage to take my words lightly. But if you don't go, one of theirs will." 

This is why I take comfort in my lacking intelligence, it prevents me from having to take things like these into consideration. 

But if someone has to do it I'd rather it be me, he has a valid point when he says things could go smoother if I'm the one confronting her. 

"Fine, I'll do it." 

Please don't make me regret this. 

"Good, now remove your Kosode, whilst you're out there you'll be temporarily promoted to an active Shinigami. And for that you'll need to wear this Shihakushō, I've made a few customizations here and there so it isn't too restrictive." 

Too bad I can't see what it looks like.