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Under the gaze of many Eighth Division Squad members, Aozaki Reiji was unceremoniously dragged into the Captain's Office by Kyōraku Shunsui.
After entering the room, Kyōraku Shunsui first pressed Aozaki Reiji into a seat, then sat opposite him.
With a half-smile on his face, he asked in a very gentle tone:
"My dear junior brother, could you please tell your senior brother what exactly is going on between you and little Nanao?"
Hearing this, Aozaki Reiji's expression became a little unnatural, but he still feigned composure and retorted:
"Senior brother, you're not little Nanao's parent, so why do you need to inquire about these things?"
Faced with Aozaki Reiji's questioning, Kyōraku Shunsui was suddenly speechless; he really didn't know how to answer this question.
Should he tell his junior brother that he was actually Nanao's uncle, and had once promised her mother to keep her away from the Ise curse, and that he had been hiding the truth to sever her connection with the Ise?
If he really said that, his junior brother would probably just think it was a lie he made up to break them apart.
But that cursed sword couldn't be easily taken out, so what should he do?
Kyōraku Shunsui sighed helplessly, muttering to himself:
"Alas, this is truly difficult..."
Just then, Aozaki Reiji suddenly changed the subject and said with a hint of teasing:
"The emotional problems of Squad members are none of the Captain's business anyway. Senior brother, you should mind your own business first. You're so old and still can't find a wife, could it be that you actually like men?"
Aozaki Reiji said with conviction.
The initiative was now in his hands; he and Nanao Ise were in a free relationship, and "unrelated parties" had no right to interfere.
"No wonder you dress so flamboyantly every day. Stay away from me in the future!" Aozaki Reiji said with disgust, even taking two steps back with a look of fear.
"You brat, you dare to turn the tables!"
Kyōraku Shunsui's eye twitched, and he couldn't utter a word for a long time.
"You just don't know how to appreciate it." He said fiercely: "My taste is something many people want to learn but can't. All the female Squad members love it. What do you know, you brat!"
"Whoever wants to learn can learn. I certainly don't want to. The flamboyant style isn't for me; I'm more suited to a cool and elegant style."
Aozaki Reiji waved his hand, saying with disdain.
Kyōraku Shunsui was so angry he almost jumped up, thinking that he dared to question his fashion sense. He definitely had to teach him a good lesson later!
But for now, the most important thing was to figure out what was going on between him and little Nanao, so he took a deep breath, tried to calm himself down, and then said seriously:
"Alright, no more jokes. Junior brother, I'm serious. You must tell me what exactly happened between you and little Nanao."
"As a Captain, I have a responsibility to care about the situation of every Squad member, and there might even be some dangerous factors involved. I hope you can understand and cooperate with me."
Aozaki Reiji playfully stuck out his tongue:
"Oh, senior brother, an old bachelor like you definitely can't understand the wonderful taste of love! You'll naturally understand when you fall in love someday."
Kyōraku Shunsui couldn't help but feel annoyed after hearing this. He was a well-known romance novelist in Seireitei, and he was being questioned about not understanding love?
This was simply an insult to his professional ability!
He retorted:
"Hmph, your senior brother is the author of 'The Rose-Colored Path.' Do you know 'The Rose-Colored Path'? It's the best-selling romance novel in Seireitei. How could I not understand love!?"
Seeing this, Aozaki Reiji raised an eyebrow, responding with a hint of dissatisfaction:
"Since you understand so much, why are you asking so many questions?"
Kyōraku Shunsui was speechless, and after a long moment, he sighed helplessly:
"Alright, I guess I spoke too much. However, I still have one question I want to ask you. Junior brother, are you afraid of death?"
Aozaki Reiji shook his head, "Of course not! To get to where I am today, I've brushed shoulders with death countless times. We're so familiar now, why would I be afraid of it?"
Kyōraku Shunsui was stunned. He had forgotten that although his junior brother was now enjoying boundless prestige, he had indeed experienced many hardships before this.
Not to mention his experiences in Seireitei, he heard that he used to be the boss of a district in Rukongai.
Kyōraku Shunsui understood a place like Rukongai; that was a position absolutely fought for with one's life.
Speaking of which, this kid's life is really tough!
Aozaki Reiji smiled slightly, answering easily: "What, senior brother? Are you trying to take my life just for dating?"
"Haha, how could that be!" Kyōraku Shunsui quickly waved his hand and explained, "If I told you that you and little Nanao might face life-threatening danger if you're together, would you still be so resolute?"
"Yes." Aozaki Reiji looked into his eyes, "Such things need no further words. My answer will never change."
"Senior brother, you didn't just call me here to talk about these personal matters, did you? Let's get straight to the point."
Kyōraku Shunsui stared into his eyes for a long while before sighing and saying, "I hope you won't regret it."
Aozaki Reiji didn't take his senior brother's advice to heart.
Having fused with the Hōgyoku, it was hard for him to even die. He wasn't afraid of any nonsense curse from the Ise!
"Actually, the Old Man told me to call you." Kyōraku Shunsui took a deep breath, finally getting to the main topic.
"The Old Man?" Aozaki Reiji mumbled. He didn't feel the Old Man's Reiatsu.
Kyōraku Shunsui said: "The Old Man wants the Shiba to return to Seireitei."
Aozaki Reiji scratched his head, "The Shiba? How many years have they been away from Seireitei? Why do they want them back now?"
"The few surviving young children of the Tsunayashiro Family are completely unable to control the remaining family power." Kyōraku Shunsui said, "Now the court is turbulent, and Teacher hopes the Shiba can return to replace the Tsunayashiro Family's position and maintain Seireitei's stability."
"There are only four people left in the Shiba. How can they replace the Tsunayashiro?" Aozaki Reiji asked.
"Although the Shiba members are few, Captain Isshin and Vice-Captain Kaien are both outstanding talents, aren't they?"
Kyōraku Shunsui glanced at him, a strange smile appearing at the corner of his mouth, "What's more, there's also you, the monstrous Eleventh Kenpachi, supporting them from behind."
"Senior brother really thinks highly of me." Aozaki Reiji pouted.
"The Five Great Noble Houses are the Five Great Noble Houses not only because their ancestors followed the Soul King, but also because their noble bloodline allowed them to maintain absolutely strong military power for a considerable period of time."
Kyōraku Shunsui said, "This is ultimately a world where strength speaks. Even if the Old Man outwardly submits to the court, who among those rulers truly dares to view the Old Man as a subordinate?"
"Captain Isshin has already agreed, but he said he can only represent the branch family; he can't manage the Main family's affairs, and finding you would be more useful."
"Why didn't the Old Man tell me himself?" Aozaki Reiji stroked his chin.
Kyōraku Shunsui said, "The Old Man doesn't want to interfere in noble affairs, so he can only let me, a high-ranking noble, speak."
"Isn't this just self-deception?"
"Who says it isn't?"
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