After the meal—and a surprising moment of peace—Yoruichi stretched lazily, standing from her seat. "Well, this has been fun," she said, her grin as playful as ever. "But I think it's time for me to head off. Duty calls—or maybe it doesn't, but I'll find something to keep me entertained."
Yurei gave her a look. "You mean causing mischief somewhere else?"
Yoruichi placed a hand on her chest in mock indignation. "Mischief? Me? I'm hurt, Yurei. Truly." She laughed, then winked. "But maybe. Can't have things getting too boring, now can we?"
Soi Fon rolled her eyes, standing as well. "Some things never change," she muttered under her breath, though there was no real bite in her tone.
Yoruichi turned to her former protégé with a sly smile. "And you wouldn't want it any other way, Soi Fon. Admit it—you'd miss me if I didn't show up every now and then to shake things up."
Soi Fon's expression hardened, but her slight blush betrayed her. "You're impossible," she muttered, avoiding Yoruichi's gaze.
"I take that as a compliment," Yoruichi said brightly. She turned back to Yurei. "Take care of her, alright? She needs someone to keep her on her toes."
Yurei chuckled, glancing at Soi Fon. "I think she does a pretty good job of that herself, but I'll do what I can."
With that, Yoruichi gave a casual wave and disappeared into the distance, leaving Yurei and Soi Fon standing at the door of Yurei's home.
There was a brief silence before Soi Fon sighed. "She never changes."
Yurei smiled faintly. "That's part of her charm, isn't it?"
"Charm?" Soi Fon scoffed. "That's one word for it." She shook her head, then straightened. "Come on, we've wasted enough time. We should head back to the Gotei 13. There's work to be done."
"Of course," Yurei said with a nod, though her tone was light.
The journey back to the Soul Society was quiet, the glow of the Senkaimon fading as Soi Fon and Yurei stepped into the familiar expanse of the Seireitei. The stark transition from the informality of the Living World to the rigid discipline of the Gotei 13 was palpable, and both women instinctively adjusted their demeanor. Soi Fon straightened her posture, her face unreadable, while Yurei mirrored her captain's composure, though a faint, lingering smile betrayed the amusement she still carried from their trip.
As they made their way toward the Second Division barracks, nodding to fellow shinigami along the way, they became acutely aware of the whispers following them. News of their battle in the Living World, where they'd taken down a formidable Hollow, had already spread. Yurei did her best to ignore the attention, focusing instead on the steady pace of her captain ahead of her.
When they reached the gates to the barracks, their path was blocked by a hulking figure that could only belong to one man.
"Oi, Captain Tiny! You brought your lieutenant back, huh?" Kenpachi Zaraki grinned widely, his spiked hair catching the sunlight. Perched comfortably on his shoulder was Yachiru Kusajishi, her bright pink hair and childlike grin a striking contrast to the towering captain's rough appearance.
Soi Fon stopped, narrowing her eyes. "Kenpachi. What do you want?"
Kenpachi leaned forward slightly, his single visible eye gleaming with interest as he looked Yurei up and down. "Heard you took down a big one in the Living World. Thought I'd see what all the fuss is about. You any good, Lieutenant?"
Yurei blinked at the sudden attention, unsure how to respond. "I… I did what needed to be done. But it wasn't just me—"
"Don't be modest, Yurei!" Yachiru interrupted, bouncing off Kenpachi's shoulder and landing beside her. She tugged on Yurei's sleeve, her wide eyes sparkling. "I heard you went boom! And the Hollow went ka-pow! Is that true?"
Yurei chuckled nervously. "Something like that, I guess."
"Sounds fun!" Kenpachi declared, his grin widening. "You should've called me. I'd have loved to join in."
"I doubt subtlety is your strong suit, Kenpachi," Soi Fon interjected, her tone sharp. "The objective was to minimize collateral damage, not to level the entire area."
Kenpachi threw his head back and laughed. "Subtlety's overrated. A good fight doesn't need all that delicate nonsense."
Meanwhile, Yachiru had latched onto Yurei's arm, looking up at her with an innocent yet mischievous expression. "Hey, hey, Yurei! You should spar with Kenny sometime! He promises not to hit you too hard!"
Yurei's nervous laughter returned. "I think I'll pass. I like having all my limbs intact, thank you very much."
Kenpachi smirked. "Coward. Come on, Lieutenant. Don't tell me all that flower stuff you do is just for show."
Yurei's smile stiffened slightly, and there was a faint edge to her voice as she replied, "Trust me, Captain Zaraki, my 'flower stuff' is more than enough to handle most opponents. But I think I'll save that demonstration for another time."
Kenpachi's grin widened, clearly enjoying her subtle defiance. "Oh? I'll hold you to that."
Soi Fon, already losing patience, stepped forward. "If you're done wasting our time, we have work to do. Come along, Yurei."
Yachiru pouted, reluctantly letting go of Yurei's arm. "Aww, you're no fun! But I'll be watching you! Next time you blow something up, make sure I get to see it!"
Yurei waved lightly as she followed Soi Fon, though she couldn't help but feel a small pang of relief as they left the Eleventh Division duo behind.
Kenpachi's booming laughter echoed after them. "Don't let her get too soft, Captain Tiny! That one's got potential!"
Soi Fon scowled. "Captain Tiny… I hate that man."
Yurei stifled a laugh. "He means well. In his own… chaotic way."
"Don't defend him," Soi Fon snapped, though her tone lacked its usual bite.
By the time they reached the Second Division barracks, the disciplined energy of their squad was in full force. Seated officers approached them with reports, bowing respectfully before hurrying off to their duties. One officer handed Yurei a thick folder of documents, offering her a sympathetic smile.
"These are all the mission requests that came in while you were gone, Lieutenant. Welcome back."
Yurei groaned inwardly as she accepted the folder. "Thanks. I'll get right on this… after some tea."
"You'll get right on it now," Soi Fon corrected sharply, giving her a pointed look.
"Yes, Captain," Yurei replied with a mock salute, though the playful gesture earned her a sharp glare. Smirking to herself, she retreated to her office to begin sorting through the mountain of paperwork.
The day passed slowly as Yurei worked her way through the reports. Patrol schedules, minor Hollow sightings, inter-division requests—it was all mundane and routine, yet the monotony gave her time to reflect. Kenpachi's words lingered in her mind.
"You gotta have a little fight in you."
A faint smile tugged at her lips. Oh, I have plenty of fight in me, Captain Zaraki. You'd just regret seeing it firsthand.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door.
"Come in," she called.
The door creaked open, and to her surprise, Yachiru's head popped in, her mischievous grin lighting up the room. "Hi, Yurei! Kenny said I shouldn't bother you, but I wanted to see your office anyway!"
Yurei blinked. "Yachiru? How did you even—" She stopped herself with a sigh. "Never mind."
Yachiru skipped inside, her wide eyes taking in the neatly organized space. "Wow, it's so… boring! Kenny's office is way cooler. There's swords and stuff everywhere!"
"I'm not surprised," Yurei said with a soft laugh. "But what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be back with your squad?"
"Nah," Yachiru replied nonchalantly, climbing onto a chair and sitting cross-legged. "I got bored. You're more fun! So, tell me—what's your Bankai like? Does it go BOOM like Kenny's fights?"
Yurei leaned back slightly, amused. "Not exactly. My Bankai's a little… quieter."
"Quieter?" Yachiru tilted her head, frowning. "That's boring."
"It gets the job done," Yurei replied with a smirk. "Sometimes, the loudest explosions aren't the most dangerous ones."
Yachiru's frown quickly turned into a grin. "Ooh, mysterious! I like it." She hopped down from the chair and skipped toward the door. "Okay, I'll leave you alone now. But you better show me that Bankai someday again!"
Yurei shook her head, smiling faintly as Yachiru disappeared down the hall. That girl's energy is exhausting… but oddly refreshing.
She let out a sigh and leaned back in her chair, momentarily closing her eyes. The weight of paperwork still loomed over her desk, but for now, she decided to savor the brief reprieve. However, her moment of calm was shattered as an oppressive, nauseating wave of energy surged through the room, making her stomach churn and her head spin.
Her eyes shot open, but the world around her blurred and darkened. She grasped at the edge of her desk for support, her fingers curling around the wood as if anchoring herself to reality. The air felt suffocating, heavy with an unnatural reiatsu she didn't recognize.
"Wh...what is...?" she managed to mutter, her voice weak.
The sensation intensified, and her vision narrowed into a tunnel of encroaching blackness. The last thing she registered was the faint sound of hurried footsteps approaching her office, muffled and distant, as if coming from the other side of a thick veil.
Then everything went dark.