After that, Masatsuki Aozaki happily continued his daily life of training.
Time flew by. Nemu Kurotsuchi and Aura Michibane grew day by day, and Rukia kept getting taller.
Although she was still just over 1.4 meters, making her the shortest among the three sisters, it was still a significant growth—especially compared to the stagnation of the human heart.
At Masatsuki Aozaki's suggestion, Rukia also started growing out her hair. Masatsuki clearly remembered how adorable she had looked with shoulder-length hair after the Thousand-Year Blood War, when she became a captain.
...
One day, just before noon.
At the Aozaki residence.
"Whoosh!"
A petite figure suddenly appeared in the empty courtyard.
Suì-Fēng frowned slightly, glancing around.
"No one?"
She muttered to herself, puzzled.
"Strange... Didn't Gin Ichimaru say he was slacking off today? Why is there no one from the squad around, and why isn't he home either?"
As Masatsuki Aozaki's personal bodyguard, Suì-Fēng had been searching for him since morning.
It had been hours.
Where the hell had that guy run off to?
After serving as his bodyguard for some time, Suì-Fēng no longer held any awe for that man.
She had seen his true colors!
That so-called model Shinigami? Yeah, that had nothing to do with him.
As expected, admiration was the furthest thing from true understanding!
The closer she got, the more she realized just how unreliable that man was.
A captain of the Gotei 13 should be handling his squad's affairs properly, not running off every day to slack off—
...Not that slacking off was entirely unacceptable. She had to admit, that guy was actually pretty capable.
At that thought, Suì-Fēng's face flushed slightly.
But the more she dwelled on it, the more annoyed she became.
If it weren't for the fact that she could get closer to Yoruichi-sama by following his orders, she wouldn't even bother listening to him!
Now that she thought about it, Yoruichi-sama used to love slacking off too—she must have picked up that habit from him!
And now even he had vanished, completely neglecting her duty as a bodyguard.
As the 4th Seat of the 2nd Division, the direct bodyguard of the former commander, Yoruichi Shihōin, it was her responsibility to uphold the honor of the guard!
She needed to teach that man a lesson for wearing down Yoruichi-sama's body and make him pay for it!
With a serious expression—and an even redder face—Suì-Fēng's eyes gleamed with growing excitement.
She rummaged through a pile of snacks that a certain pink-haired loli had stashed away in the secret base of the Association of Female Shinigami, located right next to Masatsuki Aozaki's bedroom.
The Association of Female Shinigami was a newly formed organization dedicated to improving the status of female Shinigami.
Its president was Yachiru Kusajishi, its vice president was Nanao Ise, and its director was Retsu Unohana.
As for its members? Basically, any female Shinigami who had some connection to Masatsuki Aozaki had joined.
If they weren't so closely linked, they wouldn't have chosen such a small place like the Aozaki residence as their secret base.
In the original story, the Association's secret base was in the Kuchiki estate—far more spacious than this place.
Suì-Fēng sat outside Masatsuki Aozaki's room, leaning against the wooden floor. She casually crossed her legs, her bare feet resting one over the other.
Enjoying the cool breeze, she snacked on someone else's hidden treats.
This was nice.
She had been running around all morning—wasn't she allowed a break?
It wasn't like she had turned lazy or anything.
She was simply following in the footsteps of the most respected Yoruichi-sama, upholding the fine traditions of the 2nd Division.
It definitely wasn't because she had been influenced by a certain bad influence.
Listening to the rustling leaves outside and the soft murmur of flowing water, Suì-Fēng found herself gradually relaxing.
She gazed at the courtyard in the distance.
Sunlight filtered through the dense branches, casting dappled patches of light and shadow.
A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, making them rustle as if whispering secrets to one another.
Suì-Fēng quietly admired the tranquil scene, her mood slowly settling.
The intricately crafted stone formations and the clear pond, framed by fallen leaves, evoked the feeling of a secluded paradise.
Just as she was lost in these peaceful thoughts—
A faint meowing sound caught her attention.
Following the sound, she spotted two kittens playing and tumbling around on the crisscrossing wooden bridge.
"Meow!"
One of the small black kittens reached out its paw and patted the other on the head.
"Meow!"
The black-and-white kitten let out a disgruntled cry but didn't seem angry. Instead, it pounced forward, wrapping itself around the other, and soon, the two were rolling together in a playful scuffle.
Watching this, Suì-Fēng's eyes lit up.
"How cute."
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