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Seireitei, Second Squad Barracks.
Kuchiki Kōga sat alone in his cell, his expression terribly grim.
Betrayed by someone he trusted, his heart was filled with an uncontrollable grief and indignation, but he didn't give up hope, because he firmly believed that his revered father-in-law would never believe the rumors!
For his son-in-law, for the honor of the Kuchiki, he would definitely uncover the truth!
Kuchiki Kōga's gaze held a hint of anticipation as he looked at the tightly shut door of his cell.
He hoped that in the next second, his revered father-in-law would walk in from there and tell him that everything had been investigated and that he was innocent.
Suddenly, he frowned, because he heard the Shinigami guards talking.
"It's the first time I've seen a criminal live more comfortably than a guard."
"Say less, he is the Kuchiki son-in-law after all, and the Captain has also instructed us to take good care of him."
"Captain!?"
"That's right, the Captain! It is said that he is taking care of him because of Aozaki's face, otherwise, how could he have such treatment in prison?"
Listening to their conversation, Kuchiki Kōga, sitting on the soft cushion, felt a warmth in his heart.
He hadn't expected this good friend, whom he hadn't seen for many days, to be able to help him at such a time; he truly hadn't made the wrong friend!
Kuchiki.
Kuchiki Ginrei, sitting in the main seat, looked exhausted.
This exhaustion was not entirely due to investigating the truth of the Kuchiki Kōga incident; more of it actually came from other noble factions.
Because of the Kuchiki Kōga incident, the Tsunayashiro Family and their affiliated nobles vehemently denounced him, demanding his expulsion from the Kuchiki or his execution.
On the other hand, Kuchiki members and affiliated nobles demanded that Kuchiki Kōga be protected. They had close relationships with Kuchiki Kōga and all believed in his character.
Kuchiki Kōga could sometimes be emotionally unstable, but using his teammates' lives to show off his power was definitely not something he would do.
Regarding Kuchiki Kōga's alleged murder of his teammates, Kuchiki Ginrei instinctively sensed something strange.
The timing of the Tsunayashiro Family's emergence was too suspicious, not to mention he understood what kind of person Kuchiki Kōga was.
One could only say he was somewhat arrogant, but to call him bloodthirsty was simply baseless.
Based on this judgment, he did not want to abandon this son-in-law from the bottom of his heart.
Moreover, from what he understood, if other Squad members had indeed actively surrounded and attacked Kuchiki Kōga, it was entirely possible that Kuchiki Kōga, in a fit of rage, could have killed them all.
"It looks like a trap no matter how you look at it. When will this child, Kōga, grow up?"
Kuchiki Ginrei couldn't help but sigh in his heart.
"Do I really have to talk to him as Aozaki Reiji said?"
He had been stubborn his entire life, but now his heart was finally wavering.
His agreement to Kuchiki Kōga joining the Kuchiki was, in fact, a form of recognition for Kuchiki Kōga. He truly did not want to see this child's life ruined like this.
"Lord Family Head, the Tsunayashiro Family has gone too far, daring to frame Lord Kōga! This is a provocation to our Kuchiki!"
"We all know Lord Kōga's character; he would never do such a thing!"
"That's right, this must be a conspiracy by the Tsunayashiro Family. We must not let them off the hook."
"Our Kuchiki has endured for decades, are we going to keep giving in to them?"
"We are the noble paragon, yet we tolerate the Tsunayashiro Family wantonly disrupting the order of Seireitei. Is this not a betrayal of the Soul King?"
In the meeting room, the Kuchiki members, who usually maintained their noble demeanor at all times, uncharacteristically became agitated and restless.
As the Family Head, Kuchiki Ginrei sat gracefully and steadily, his expression as solemn as ever.
His authority as Family Head was deeply ingrained, and with just a gentle wave of his hand, the clan members ceased their arguments.
Kuchiki Ginrei could understand his clan members.
The Kuchiki prided themselves as the noble paragon, but they were also human. Faced with multiple provocations from the Tsunayashiro Family, their dissatisfaction had accumulated for a long time. This time, Kuchiki Kōga's imprisonment completely ignited their anger.
He glanced at Kuchiki Soujun, who was sitting beside him, and asked, "What did Captain-Commander say?"
Kuchiki Soujun shook his head helplessly, "Captain-Commander has already ordered the Second Squad, Eighth Squad, and Tenth Squad to investigate, but there's no progress yet."
Upon hearing this, Kuchiki Ginrei closed his eyes and fell into deep thought.
Anyone with eyes could see what was going on, but seeing it was useless; actions require evidence.
This was the reason for the existence of Central 46, and also the reason why the order of Seireitei had not collapsed despite the ongoing power struggles.
Even nobles, no matter how they misbehaved in secret, had to outwardly restrict themselves within the rules.
Kuchiki Kōga's murder of his comrades was witnessed by many Tsunayashiro Family Shinigami.
Even the victims, before dying, claimed that Kuchiki Kōga killed them to show off his strength.
Now, they could only hope that the Captain-Commander could uncover the truth.
If it really didn't work, the Kuchiki was also one of the Five Great Noble Houses. Even if they lost the false reputation of being the "noble paragon," they shouldn't let someone suffer injustice for a mere name.
Looking at the agitated clan members before him, Kuchiki Ginrei silently sighed in his heart, as if he had made a certain decision.
...…
In the First Division Captain's Office.
While the Kuchiki was holding their clan meeting, Yamamoto, Yoruichi, Kyōraku Shunsui, and Isshin Shiba were also discussing Kuchiki Kōga's murder of his teammates in the office.
Kyōraku Shunsui rarely showed a serious expression, and said in a deep voice:
"Based on the clues we have so far, Kuchiki Kōga killed the Special Forces Squad members to show off his power."
Isshin Shiba sighed, "But such a reason is really hard to believe. I've carried out missions with Captain Kōga, and it's hard to imagine him being that kind of person."
Yoruichi explained the Onmitsukidō's investigation to everyone in the office, and then said:
"The Tsunayashiro Family has been having secret meetings recently, all discussing Kuchiki Kōga's matter. I suspect this incident is a self-directed play by the Tsunayashiro Family."
Kyōraku Shunsui subconsciously wanted to tease her about not being able to criticize the Five Great Noble Houses, but then he thought of the three words "Shihōin" in her name and awkwardly chose to shut up.
As fellow Five Great Noble Houses, there was no such thing as being beheaded for saying a few bad words.
Yamamoto asked in a deep voice, "Do you have any evidence?"
"No, but I believe they have the motive," Yoruichi said seriously, "The rebels lost five Captain-class powerhouses in the war."
Yamamoto understood her meaning.
This was the so-called 'a tall tree catches the wind' and 'benefiting oneself at others' expense.'
Kuchiki Kōga was a Captain-class powerhouse of the Kuchiki, and his prominence in recent years naturally drew the attention of the Tsunayashiro Family.
The Kuchiki losing a Captain-class powerhouse meant their strength would weaken, and relatively speaking, the Tsunayashiro Family, as their rival, would grow stronger.
"Central 46 is holding a meeting tonight; prepare yourselves," Yamamoto sighed, speaking slowly.
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