Chapter 51: Chapter 51: The Shiba Shinigami of This Era
Chapter 51: The Shiba Shinigami of This Era
"Kaien-senpai, are you really okay?"
Yato pushed Kaien’s wheelchair, smiling bitterly:
"How about you just go back to your room and rest? If Captain Unohana finds out I secretly pushed you out, she might actually chop me to pieces..."
"Don’t worry, I’ve got you covered if anything happens!"
"How exactly are you gonna cover me?"
"I’ll ask our Captain to put in a good word for us, of course." A sunny, bright smile spread across Kaien Shiba’s handsome face. "Captain Ukitake is a really great guy."
"...Fair enough."
Seeing that persuasion was futile, Yato Uchiha had no choice but to keep pushing the wheelchair, helping Kaien Shiba sneak out.
The two wounded men left the 4th Division barracks just like that, heading south until they reached the outskirts of the Seireitei and entered the Rukongai.
Before long, they arrived in front of a strange, sprawling mansion.
It was a standard, classical architectural complex covering a vast area. What was truly startling, however, was that right at the front of the complex stood two massive arm sculptures!
The arms were clenched into fists, holding a banner that bore the name "Shiba."
"Shiba-senpai, your home is truly... full of artistic flair. You are, after all, the greatest fireworks makers in the Soul Society."
Kaien Shiba laughed heartily. His favorite hobby was inviting friends to his home just to see the strange, speechless expressions on their faces.
"Come on, Yato, let’s go inside and have a drink. Besides our fireworks, our liquor is also peerless—our family has had brewing traditions dating back to before the Seireitei even existed."
"Kaien-senpai, wouldn’t it be better to wait until you don’t need a wheelchair before you start drinking? Liquor isn’t exactly good for your recovery."
"Ha! Have you forgotten the name of my Zanpakuto? Nejibana—a water-type Zanpakuto! For me, sake is like medicine. I never get drunk, no matter how much I have."
Yato was half-convinced. A Soul Reaper with a water-type Zanpakuto had this kind of trait? It sounded a bit like he was a water-elemental spirit or something...
"Lord Head of the House!" The guards saw Kaien Shiba and rushed forward to greet him:
"Sir, why are you here today..."
"I was getting bored in the hospital, so I brought a friend home for a drink." Even when dealing with his family’s servants, Kaien Shiba didn’t have a shred of superiority. "Send word and have a meal prepared in the main house of my quarters."
"Yes, sir!"
Watching the guards go off to work, Kaien Shiba turned back and laughed:
"Come, Yato, let me give you a tour."
The boy nodded and pushed the wheelchair, strolling through the Shiba estate.
Over the past two years, he had visited the Kuchiki clan grounds quite often, so he was already very familiar with the "old money" style of the high nobility. Yet, visiting the Shiba house today, Yato felt that even though both were among the Five Great Noble Families, the tastes of the Kuchiki and Shiba clans were completely different.
The Kuchiki mansion was desolate and empty; the garden design was extremely meticulous and possessed a sense of wild elegance. The rules within the clan were strict, and one couldn’t afford to take a single wrong step; even the Clan Head, Ginrei Kuchiki, led by example and never overstepped his bounds.
But the Shiba house was different. Despite being a sprawling estate, it was incredibly lively. You could see the elderly cooling off under the shade of trees and children catching fish in the pond—it was full of the vibrant atmosphere of daily life.
"This is the training ground."
Along the way, Kaien Shiba was in high spirits, cheerfully introducing the place to Yato:
"Every winter, the family holds a tournament here. Every child who hasn’t yet entered the Shin’o Academy participates. I took first place back in the day—nobody could beat me, not even the people from the branch families."
"See that pond? We get our daily water from there. It’s incredibly important, so every three years, we use Kido to clear out the silt and impurities."
"That circular building is where we craft our fireworks. It’s designed so that sunlight never touches it, no matter the time of year. Yato, I can bet my chest on this: even if you use your Shikai to enhance your vision, you still won’t be able to see a single seam in the architecture."
"This is the place where we honor our departed clansmen. My younger brother, Moritora Shiba, has his tablet placed here..."
Just then, a young girl happened to step out of the house. Her eyes landed instantly on Kaien Shiba sitting in the wheelchair.
"...Big Brother!?" After a brief moment of surprise, she flashed a mischievous smirk:
"You’re defying the doctor’s orders and sneaking out again, aren’t you? Let me tell you, if you keep doing this, sooner or later the 4th Division is going to give you a sound beating!"
"Mind your own business, brat." Kaien Shiba glared at the girl, then turned back to Yato:
"This is my sister, Kukaku Shiba. Don’t let her appearance fool you—her talent for making fireworks is far greater than mine. She is destined to become the number one fireworks maker in the Soul Society!"
"Nice to meet you, Miss Kukaku."
Yato nodded with a perfect, elegant tilt of his head. Having spent so much time with Byakuya Kuchiki, such standard etiquette was second nature to him.
Kukaku Shiba was still in her youth at the moment. She had bright, clear eyes and a beautiful smile. While she was far from the bold and sharp-tongued woman she would become later in life, she possessed a spirited, restless energy:
"Hello there! You must be Yato Uchiha, right? I remember you." The girl said with a giggle:
"You like salty food, you have a preference for glutinous rice balls, and you absolutely hate vegetable juice!"
Yato nodded thoughtfully. During the time he and Kaien were stationed in the Zaraki District, their meals had been provided by the Shiba clan. It seemed this girl was very attentive to her eldest brother, remembering the preferences of his teammates as well.
"Alright, that’s enough, don’t scare our guest. Where is Ganju?"
"Him? He’s probably out messing around in some Rukongai district again."
"Call him back. We have a guest."
"You got it! Give me three minutes!"
The girl ran off excitedly, leaving behind only a nimble, charming silhouette.
Yato Uchiha was curious:
"The Rukongai is such a massive place, how is your sister going to notify him? Using Tenteikura?"
"She doesn’t want to be a Shinigami, so she never learned Kido." Kaien Shiba stifled a laugh:
"Look up at the sky."
Yato Uchiha looked up and saw a massive firework cannon slowly rising into position.
Boom!
With a thunderous sound, the fireworks exploded, leaving a line of large, glowing text hanging in the clear blue sky.
—GANJU SHIBA! COME! HOME!
"...Truly convenient."
"Haha! What do you think? Doesn’t she have a talent for it?"
"Indeed." Yato agreed:
"I’ve heard that fireworks in the Soul Society are different from those in the World of the Living. Because they need spirit particles to trigger, in addition to chemical craftsmanship, they also require a substantial amount of Reiatsu."
"You’re absolutely right. There are many fireworks makers in the Soul Society, but only our Shiba clan can shoot them... really, really high up."
"Kaien-senpai, since your sister has this talent, why not train her to be a Shinigami? I feel like she would listen to you."
"About that..." Kaien’s eyes seemed to dim for a moment. After a long silence, he sighed softly:
"Yato, for an older brother like me, I don’t necessarily want my younger siblings to become big-shot heroes."
"You know just as well as I do how high the casualty rate in the Gotei 13 is. Moritora died back when he was still at the Shin’o Academy... As for Kukaku and Ganju, I just want them to live a free and prosperous life."
"In the future, the main Shiba house has me, the branch family has Uncle Isshin, and we have so many other clansmen—that’s enough to protect them."
☆☆☆
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