"Asuka..."
Walking on the unusually noisy streets of the Seireitei today, Shinobu Kocho suddenly called out softly.
"Hmm?" Asuka turned his head.
"Weren't you... a bit too impulsive just now?" A familiar, slightly mischievous smile crept onto Shinobu's lips. "That was Squad Zero, you know."
"If Miss Yoruichi hadn't stopped you, were you really planning to fall out with them?"
"Of course," he admitted without hesitation. "If they dared to stop me from taking you away, I wouldn't care about the Soul King or whatever."
Hearing this familiar, unreasonable nonsense driven purely by his own desires, Shinobu couldn't help but burst into laughter.
Her laughter was crisp and melodious, sweeping away the heavy gloom.
"You... really haven't changed at all."
Shinobu turned around, clasping her hands behind her back as she tilted her head up slightly to look at him.
Faint starlight twinkled in her purple eyes. "How are you still an absolute idiot who only knows how to solve problems with violence?"
"I never planned on changing," Asuka replied, looking at her with a serious expression. "As long as the people I care about understand me, that's enough."
The words were spoken bluntly and passionately.
Shinobu's heart involuntarily skipped a beat.
A blush crept across her cheeks, and she flusteredly averted her gaze to the wildflowers by the roadside.
"Right... could you come back to the Fourth Division with me first?" she asked, trying to change the subject, though her voice uncontrollably dropped. "Since Nichika did something like that, I wonder if Hinaki might also..."
"Besides, when I see Master Kagaya and Lady Amane, how am I supposed to explain this to them..."
"Don't overthink it, Shinobu. This isn't your fault."
Asuka looked straight into her guilt-filled eyes and made a firm promise. "Leave it to me. I'll bring that child back."
Seeing Asuka's unwavering, demon-god-like gaze, the panic and self-blame in Shinobu's heart were slowly replaced by a strong sense of security.
"Mhm." Shinobu nodded heavily. "I believe in you, Asuka."
She knew that as long as this man made a promise, he would definitely keep it.
The two continued walking, eventually arriving at the Fourth Division barracks.
After asking the squad members, they learned that Hinaki had indeed suffered minor injuries, but it was nothing serious.
However, she was in a rather poor emotional state... and had already headed home ahead of them.
Upon hearing this news, Shinobu sighed. "Then let's hurry back too. Hinaki must have gone to deliver the news to the Master..."
As they walked further away, the towering white walls of the Seireitei were left far behind.
The familiar sights of the Rukongai appeared before them.
Whether it was the low houses filled with the atmosphere of everyday life, the curling smoke rising in the distance, or the stray children occasionally darting across the streets.
It all gave Asuka a surreal sense of reunion, as if a lifetime had passed.
"Asuka."
"Hmm?"
"During all this time... in those other worlds, did you meet any other cute girls?"
Shinobu suddenly tilted her head, her tone carrying a dangerous hint of probing.
This caused Asuka to stumble, nearly tripping over his own feet on flat ground.
Cute girls...
He looked at Shinobu's half-smiling expression, and his mind inexplicably flashed with images of the red-haired high school girl in Fuyuki City, the bizarre, psychotic little girl on the bridge, and the King of Knights wielding her sword with that cowlick on her head.
"No! Absolutely not!" Asuka answered with absolute certainty. "There was nothing but fighting over there, where would I find any girls!"
"Oh? Is that so?"
Shinobu narrowed her eyes, clearly unconvinced. "Then why did it sound like I heard a woman's voice when you swung your sword?"
A few drops of cold sweat suddenly broke out on Asuka's forehead. He was shocked, wondering if Shinobu had somehow heard his inner thoughts, or if a voice had actually slipped out along with the fluctuations of his Spiritual Pressure at the time.
Regardless, he cursed Francesca's chaotic, disembodied head ten thousand times in his mind.
"Huh? No, that must have been the voice of my Zanpakuto Spirit! And it's a dog!"
Kakudatsu tried to explain, but was blocked out by Asuka.
"Hehe, I'll believe you for now, then."
Bickering along the way, the two passed through the bustling districts of the Rukongai.
The passing wandering souls cast surprised glances at the usually dignified and gentle Fourth Division Seated Officer, who was currently playfully arguing with a man radiating a murderous aura, acting just like a little girl in love.
"So this is the type of guy Miss Kocho likes? Damn it..."
"I heard back in the World of the Living that women love bad boys. I didn't expect it to be true."
"With a face like yours, if you tried to be bad, it would just be sexual harassment..."
Finally, before night completely fell, they arrived at the quiet courtyard.
In the courtyard, a dim yellow lantern swayed in the wind.
The towering Gyomei Himejima stood silently in the yard, leaning on a broom and softly chanting Buddhist sutras.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki sat on the veranda, lost in thought, while Lady Amane gently draped a warm coat over his shoulders.
Hinaki sat at their feet, hugging her knees, staring blankly at the ground.
Clearly, Nichika's departure and the turmoil in the Seireitei had cast a heavy, oppressive atmosphere over the family.
*Creak—*
The wooden door was pushed open.
"Master, we have returned."
Gyomei stopped chanting, Kagaya and Amane looked up, and Hinaki also gazed numbly toward the entrance.
When they clearly saw the tall, sharp-eyed, black-haired young man standing beside Shinobu...
*Clatter.*
The broom in Gyomei's hands dropped to the ground.
"Namu Amida Butsu..."
He abruptly brought his hands together in prayer, scalding tears welling up and spilling from his eyes without warning. "Buddha bless us... Benefactor Asuka, you have finally returned..."
Lady Amane covered her mouth, her eyes shining with disbelief. She subconsciously gripped her husband's arm, as if needing to confirm that the scene before her wasn't a hallucination.
Kagaya Ubuyashiki, sitting on the edge of the veranda, also slowly stood up.
In Asuka's memory, the frail, blind man whose face was half-covered by purplish-black curse marks was gone.
Here in the Soul Society, free from the curse, he had regained the upright posture of a healthy adult man.
"Asuka..." Kagaya's voice was as gentle as ever. "It has been a long time. You haven't changed a bit."
As for Hinaki... in truth, she had only met this man whom Lady Shinobu constantly thought about a few times, and they had never even exchanged a single word.
She wanted to speak but didn't know what to say, so she simply bowed respectfully.
Asuka stood quietly at the doorway, his gaze sweeping past Gyomei's tear-stained face before landing on Kagaya's family.
Seeing them looking so healthy and peaceful now, he felt deeply gratified.
"It seems the environment of the Rukongai treats you well."
Asuka, as inept as ever at expressing strong emotions, strolled into the courtyard. "Master Kagaya, you look much better now than you used to."
This remark, tinged with a bit of dry humor, managed to slightly ease the heavy atmosphere.
Behind him, Shinobu gently wiped the tear tracks from the corners of her eyes with her sleeve, smiling with gentle helplessness. "Mr. Asuka, you shouldn't greet the Master like that."
"Please, come in, come in!" Lady Amane quickly let go of her husband's hand and hurried to the door, warmly welcoming Asuka into the courtyard.
She looked at Asuka's chest, which was covered in dried blood, her eyes filled with heartache. "Mr. Asuka, all these years... you must have suffered so much."
"I didn't suffer much. I just got lost and wandered a bit far," Asuka replied calmly.
Shinobu quickly walked over to Hinaki and embraced her.
"Lady Shinobu... I'm sorry... Nichika, she..." Hinaki's voice was thick with sobs, sounding muffled from within the embrace.
Shinobu didn't blame her. She merely stroked the young girl's snow-white hair gently, comforting her.
"It's alright, child."
"We will bring her back. Everything is going to be fine."
Lady Amane turned her head away, quietly wiping the tears from the corners of her eyes.
The smile on Kagaya's face also faded slightly. He walked over to Hinaki and placed a hand on his daughter's shoulder.
"There now, child, this is not the time for crying," Kagaya said, his voice steady and calming. "Asuka has returned from a long journey and must be very tired."
"Gyomei, please prepare dinner. Whatever needs to be said, we can sit down as a family and talk about it slowly."
"Yes, Master Kagaya."
Gyomei replied respectfully, turning around and heading toward the kitchen in the backyard.