After Muramasa disappeared, Toshiro remained in his original posture, his expression complex, his body stiff and motionless.
After a long while, Momo spoke hesitantly, "Shiro-chan, are you okay?"
"Momo, I'm fine. Is everyone alright? Any injuries?"
Toshiro turned to look at everyone.
"Mm, everyone's fine. All the Menos have been eliminated."
Momo replied.
"Did Muramasa just... disappear like that?"
Momo said with some sadness.
Momo was inherently a kind-hearted girl. After hearing about Muramasa's circumstances from Byakuya, even though Muramasa was an enemy, she couldn't help but feel sympathy for him.
"Ah, he's gone. But he upheld the honor of a Zanpakuto until the very end."
Toshiro said with a faint smile.
"Hmm?"
Toshiro suddenly felt his face get wet.
Drip, drip, drip...
Fine droplets fell from the sky.
"Is it raining?"
Toshiro looked up at the sky.
Everyone else subconsciously looked up as well.
The materialized Zanpakuto, however, began acting strangely.
The snake part of Zabimaru reached out to catch the falling raindrops. "What is this?"
Haineko looked dazed. "It feels so strange."
Tobiume clutched her chest. "I want to go back..."
Then, all the Zanpakuto transformed into motes of light of various colors and returned to their masters' swords.
Momo gently stroked her blade. "Welcome back, Tobiume."
Rangiku sighed. "Ahh, it's finally over."
"Hitsugaya..."
"Hmm?"
Toshiro turned to look at Byakuya, who had called him.
Byakuya, however, deliberately turned his back to Toshiro.
"Hitsugaya, this entire incident originated from my Kuchiki Clan. But thanks to you, the Soul Society was able to overcome this crisis. Therefore, in the name of the twenty-eighth head of the Kuchiki Clan, I thank you."
Although it was words of gratitude, Byakuya's voice remained very calm, even tinged with his usual aloofness.
"My, my, if you want to thank me, then turn around and look at me properly, with a sincere attitude. What kind of way is that to thank someone, with your back turned?"
Toshiro said helplessly.
But Toshiro also knew that, given Byakuya's aloof personality, getting him to apologize was already quite remarkable. Making him apologize sincerely face-to-face would probably make Byakuya 'embarrassed'.
But then Toshiro's eyes twinkled, and he teased, "Ah? Could it be that you're shy and embarrassed to thank me face-to-face?"
"Hmph, how boring! Since everything is settled, I'll return to the Soul Society first!"
Byakuya snorted in annoyance, then his figure flashed and disappeared.
"Oh my, oh my, I never expected Byakuya to have such a cute side. What's the word for it? Tsundere? That's right, tsundere."
Toshiro chuckled to himself, looking very amused.
"Captain, it's lucky Captain Kuchiki has already left. If he heard that, he would definitely fight you, even though he couldn't win even if he tried."
Rangiku said with a helpless expression.
"Cough, cough..."
Toshiro coughed lightly and said seriously, "Alright, everything is resolved. Let's head back too."
Then Toshiro began leading everyone back to the Soul Society.
…
Soul Society.
The Kuchiki Clan's estate.
Cherry blossoms fluttered, the sound of a koto drifted leisurely.
Shinigami sat under the cherry blossom trees, enjoying the flowers while savoring fine wine and delicacies.
Toshiro also sat under a cherry blossom tree by a lake, eating the exquisite dishes prepared by the Kuchiki Clan. Momo, Rangiku, Rukia, Renji, and others sat with him.
"Mm, as expected of the most top-tier noble family in the Soul Society. This luxurious cuisine is even better than what they have at Shunsui's place."
Toshiro took a bite of a dish and savored it carefully.
The Kyoraku Clan was an upper-class noble family in the Soul Society. Kyoraku often invited him and Ukitake over for drinks, so he had eaten quite a bit of the food prepared by the Kyoraku Clan. But the taste still seemed a bit inferior to what the Kuchiki Clan had prepared.
Well, mainly the difference was in ingredients and skill. Although the Kyoraku Clan also had luxurious ingredients and top-tier chefs that ordinary people had never seen, compared to the deeply rooted Kuchiki Clan, they still fell a bit short.
"Ahh, such a decadent aristocratic life. When I succeed to the position of Captain-Commander, I'll definitely crack down on you extravagant, decadent nobles."
Toshiro took a sip of sake and remarked to Rukia beside him.
"Hey, hey, Captain Hitsugaya, you shouldn't make jokes like that. Although the Kuchiki Clan is indeed extraordinarily wealthy, my brother's daily life is actually very simple. It's just that today we're holding a banquet for everyone, so he specifically prepared everything meticulously."
Rukia was startled by Toshiro's words and couldn't help but excitedly defend herself.
"Hahaha... I was just joking."
Toshiro laughed loudly.
"Honestly, you shouldn't joke like that."
Rukia wiped the cold sweat from her forehead.
As the saying goes, 'the words of a ruler are not to be taken lightly'. Although Toshiro wasn't the ruler of the Soul Society, he was the Vice-Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, the next Captain-Commander.
If Toshiro really wanted to crack down on the Kuchiki Clan, it wouldn't just be talk. He would actually have the power to do so.
"Nii-sama places great importance on noble honor. He has never oppressed commoners or plundered others' wealth. The Kuchiki Clan's fortune has been accumulated over generations. Although the family is wealthy, aside from hosting parties for guests, my brother's daily life is extremely simple."
"And not only that, besides himself, my brother is also extremely strict with those within the Kuchiki Clan. Although I can't say that no unsavory incidents among nobles have ever occurred within the Kuchiki Clan, once discovered, my brother definitely punishes them severely."
Although Toshiro was just joking, Rukia still cautiously defended Byakuya and the Kuchiki Clan, afraid that what Toshiro just said might be serious.
Toshiro waved his hand amusedly. "Alright, alright, I said it was a joke. But speaking of which, I didn't expect Byakuya to lend out the Kuchiki estate for everyone to enjoy flower viewing and a banquet."
After the Muramasa incident was resolved, Toshiro and the others returned from the Living World to the Soul Society. Then the Gotei 13 were busy repairing the buildings damaged by the Zanpakuto.
A few days later, when things were finally finished, Toshiro and the others received an invitation from Byakuya to come to his estate for flower viewing and a banquet.
"Because of the Zanpakuto rebellion, everyone was very exhausted. Plus, we were busy repairing the damaged buildings and had no time to rest. So my brother invited everyone to the Kuchiki estate for flower viewing and a banquet to let everyone relax. It's also a way of thanking everyone, since this incident originated from the Kuchiki Clan after all."
Rukia explained to Toshiro.
Toshiro nodded, then asked, "Speaking of which, didn't Byakuya invite us? Why hasn't he come over yet?"
"Oh, that..."
Renji chimed in, "Earlier, because Captain pretended to defect to the Shinigami and join the Zanpakuto side, the 6th Division was left without anyone to lead, and a lot of work piled up. So Captain said he would finish the remaining work first and then come over. Mm, it's about time. I think Captain should be here soon..."
"Captain!"
"It's Captain!"
"Captain is here!"
Before Renji could finish speaking, a commotion came from the other Shinigami around them.
Toshiro and the others turned to look and saw Byakuya walking towards them.