Yoruichi pointed at the shadow of a tall oak tree in the dense forest. "Soi Fon, can you dig there?"
She had buried a stash of clothes, rations, and other emergency supplies, just in case someone were to falsely accuse her of a major crime. It wasn't uncommon for people in her line of work to unabashedly shift blame onto others. She wanted to be prepared if things took a turn for the worse.
And unfortunately, that framing did happen.
The victim wasn't her but her childhood friend. At the time, she didn't have the opportunity to retrieve her belongings as she had to hastily flee the Soul Society.
Soi Fon's brows twitched at the request, looking visibly annoyed. "I'll not do your bidding."
Yoruichi was supposed to fight Soi Fon for her life, yet she acted carefree, clearly not taking the challenge seriously. Although she yearned to meet Yoruichi, she could barely endure Yoruichi's disregard for everything.
The Captain of 2nd Squad drew dangerously close to her limits.
Yoruichi seemed completely unfazed by Soi Fon's growing agitation. "Soi Fon, Kazuya is a talented lad. It won't be hard for him to write a story detailing the most embarrassing scenes of your life."
Yoruichi blatantly and shamelessly threatened her former disciple — a clear sign of Kazuya's company rubbing off on her. She was quite unaware about the change Kazuya's influence had brought in her.
Soi Fon, on the other hand, could clearly see the resemblance between her former mentor and the man who had nonchalantly threatened to kill her before.
Gritting her teeth, Soi Fon said, "I have nothing to be ashamed of."
Yoruichi chuckled, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "Did you forget the time you wet your—"
"I get it!" Soi Fon stopped Yoruichi from revealing her deepest and darkest memory — the only memory that Soi Fon intended to take to her grave. "It's just digging! I'll do it for you!"
Soi Fon was thick-headed, brash, and unyielding in her beliefs. But even she wasn't shameless enough to let the whole Soul Society know about her most vulnerable and embarrassing moments. She couldn't maintain her dignity if no one respected her character.
Yoruichi licked her lips, baring her fangs. "Thanks! I can't transform right now, or I'd absolutely help you in digging."
"Keep your excuses to yourself," Soi Fon replied with a snort. "How deep do I need to dig?"
"Six feet probably?"
"After this, I'll bury you six feet under," Soi Fon muttered under her breath. "I swear."
Yoruichi giggled. "We shall see about that."
Soi Fon, the Captain of the 2nd Squad and Leader of Onmitsukidō, clenched her fist and brought it down on the ground. Instead of traditional digging, she pounded the earth, creating small craters. The physical exertion momentarily distracted her from the mixture of frustration, annoyance, and lingering affection that churned within her. Her heart beat steadily in her chest, matching the rhythmic thuds of her fists against the ground.
Despite her previous reservations, Soi Fon didn't feel any shred of humiliation. There was an undeniable sense of satisfaction in aiding Yoruichi.
The sweat trickled down Soi Fon's forehead, mingling with the dirt that clung to her skin. Lost in the sweet past, she absentmindedly carved a hole that grew larger and larger, reaching a depth of over ten meters.
"Take it easy, tiger," Yoruichi warned. "I don't want my bags to get torn."
Soi Fon acknowledged with a nod and then loosened her grip, shaping her hands into claws to skillfully excavate the earth. In no time, she discovered a black piece of cloth sticking out of the dirt.
Glancing up, she unconsciously grinned. "Found it."
"Woah!" Yoruichi almost jumped in excitement. "Come on. Whip it out!"
Soi Fon yanked the bag out of the earth and threw it out of the hole. Getting on her feet, she jumped in the air and caught the bag. With a casual but graceful landing, she arrived before Yoruichi.
Yoruichi urged Soi Fon to put down the bag and reveal its contents.
Soi Fon took out the knife tucked in her sleeve and sliced open the bag. The sight of the purple clothing at the top caused her serious expression to vanish, and her cheeks turned as red as a tomato.
Yoruichi couldn't help but laugh at Soi Fon's innocent reaction. "My old panties. They were an article of luxury when everyone used to wear loincloths."
"Why would you put it on top?!"
"To tease innocent people like you," Yoruichi said. "Take the bag. There is a hot spring nearby. We'll get a quick dip before starting our match."
Yoruichi's invitation to Soi Fon was heartfelt, as she desired Soi Fon to be in her prime during the duel. Martial artists of their level often had one or two undiagnosed injuries. The special hot springs would alleviate Soi Fon's fatigue and help her with any injury.
However, Soi Fon showed a completely unexpected reaction — her cheeks turned so red that Yoruichi could almost imagine steam coming from her head.
"You little pervert," Yoruichi remarked, accompanied by a roll of her eyes. "What were you fantasizing now?"
Soi Fon stomped her feet, frustrated at her uncontrollable embarrassment. "It was no fantasy... I was recollecting my first time visiting the hot springs. I got injured during a dangerous mission, and you dragged me there to enhance my recovery."
Back in the day, Soi Fon was a rookie, barely any more powerful than the low-ranked Seated Officers. Despite her inferior status, Yoruichi had treated her kindly and made her feel like a friend.
Such a moment would never occur after Kisuke ruined Yoruichi's life. She never felt the urge to torture anyone, but she'd absolutely make an exception for Kisuke. Being condemned to Hell would be worth it for a chance to torture the perverted, manipulative childhood friend of Yoruichi.
Sensing a growing killing intent, Yoruichi patted Soi Fon's thigh. "Can't wait to kill me?"
Soi Fon nodded blankly. "Yoruichi-sama, would you be willing to change the conditions of our duel?"
Yoruichi blinked, taken aback by the shift in Soi Fon's demeanor. "What do you have in mind?"
"I… If I were to defeat you, you'd expose Kisuke Urahara's current location. He—he must be held responsible for his vile crimes."
"I can't believe you are still jealous of Kisuke." Yoruichi sighed, shaking her head. "I have full faith in my victory, however, I'll never accept your condition. Do you want to know why? Because it's disrespectful towards him."
Soi Fon gritted her teeth, looking vexed about Yoruichi defending Kisuke with passion. "You're only stalling for time. His recent deeds gave us plenty of leads about his trail. His sins are catching up to him."
"Stop being a dramatic bit—" Yoruichi paused, eyes widening at the latter part of Soi Fon's words. "What recent deeds are you talking about?"
Soi Fon looked a bit confused at Yoruichi's exaggerated tone. "The invasion of Arrancars. Captain Yamamoto has proof that Kisuke Urahara pulled the strings to make everything happen. Many lives would be lost without your friend Kazuya."
Kazuya's actions cleared him of any suspicion from everyone. Soi Fon believed that Kisuke Urahara orchestrated everything without the knowledge of Yoruichi and Kazuya — since they were both in the Soul Society the entire time.
Yoruichi snarled. "Believe what you will. But the truth is way crazier than your wildest dreams."
Yoruichi didn't have the energy or patience to clear Soi Fon's decades of pent-up hatred. It hadn't worked out before, and it won't work out today either. She had long accepted that Kisuke and Soi Fon would never get along in any timeline.
Soi Fon felt like Yoruichi held a big revelation — a truth that might change everything. "Fine, I'll change my condition." She cleared her throat. "Once I defeat you, you'll reveal this truth you speak of."
Yoruichi laughed. "Alright. What if you lose, though?"
"You earn your freedom."
Yoruichi waved her paw. "Uh uh. You'll never bother me again and keep my identity secret. Aaaand you'll keep Kazuya out of everything regardless of our duel's outcome. He doesn't deserve to lose sleep over my stupidity."
Soi Fon closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "You always consider him before yourself. Just what did he do to deserve this?"
"A lot more than you can imagine," Yoruichi said without a change in her casual tone. "For starters, he wants to protect me from harm. You, my former disciple, are looking to murder me. It's common sense to choose him over you, right?"
"…"
...
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