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Hearing this, Shiba Kaien's eyelid twitched involuntarily.
He wondered if he had no place in this family after being away for so many years.
"Shiba Ganju is still young; don't be too strict with him," Shiba Kaien said, looking embarrassed. "If I have time, I'll find an opportunity to come back and teach him."
"So... Big Brother must be a very good teacher now, right?" Shiba Kūkaku asked.
"Depends on who you're comparing him to," Shiba Kaien shrugged.
Shiba Kūkaku stroked her chin and said, "Compared to Reiji, who is Hakuda Tenth Stage, Kido Tenth Stage, and Zanji Tenth Stage?"
"Oh, right, I heard the Shihōin Family recently established a Shunpo Association, and he's also Shunpo Tenth Stage now."
Shiba Kaien's face was as ugly as if he had eaten a fly.
Is this kid just idle? What's the point of getting so many certifications? Are you short on that stipend?
"Big Brother-in-law, don't be surprised. Actually, I'm not interested in these empty titles, but my teacher insisted I get certified. I had no choice but to show off a bit to those old-timers in the association."
The wooden door of the room suddenly opened, and a young man in a white haori walked in, leading a small boy. The small boy obediently stood outside and didn't follow them in, while two muscular men respectfully closed the door behind them.
"Reiji, you're here?" Shiba Kūkaku's face bloomed with an incredibly brilliant smile.
"Is it really Captain Reiji?"
They were all stunned, eyes wide, looking at the man who had suddenly appeared with disbelief.
She had originally thought the girl in front of her was joking, but she never expected that it was truly the legendary Eleventh Kenpachi, Captain Aozaki Reiji, who had arrived!
What shocked her even more was that she seemed to have just heard a "Big Brother-in-law"?
There was only Kaien, a man, in the room just now, so the so-called Big Brother-in-law must be referring to him?
The Shiba only had Kūkaku as a female family member, so that would mean Kūkaku, the young aunt, was his... wife?
Aozaki Reiji looked around at everyone in the room: the heroic Shiba Kūkaku, the gentle and beautiful black-haired woman, and Shiba Kaien, who was currently filled with envy, jealousy, and hatred.
"You fellow!"
Shiba Kaien stood up emotionally, clenching his fist and swinging it fiercely towards Aozaki Reiji, with the target of this punch being Aozaki Reiji's handsome face.
Aozaki Reiji secretly sighed, "People who are too outstanding always tend to attract jealousy."
Then he casually extended his palm and firmly grasped the punch Shiba Kaien had thrown.
He took a step forward, pressed his body close to Shiba Kaien, then leaned into his ear and whispered, "I've come on the orders of Captain-Commander."
Although his voice wasn't loud, it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.
Shiba Kūkaku, who had initially worn a relaxed smile, instantly sobered up.
She looked up in surprise, her gaze fixed on this side.
Shiba Kaien's pupils constricted slightly, clearly also startled.
However, he didn't hesitate for long, quickly regaining his composure and promptly retracting his fist, kneeling back into his original position.
"Why are you only just arriving now?" Shiba Kūkaku asked.
"I went to see a young brother," Aozaki Reiji said. "It wasn't anything important."
"What does Captain-Commander want you for?"
Shiba Kaien placed his hands on his lap, asking with a slight sense of unease.
Aozaki Reiji's gaze shifted from Shiba Kaien, turning to look at the black-haired woman sitting beside Shiba Kaien, a hint of curiosity flashing in his eyes, "This must be the Tenth Division's Third Seat, right? What's your relationship?"
Facing Aozaki Reiji's question, Shiba Kaien's eyes softened. He nodded slightly and replied firmly, "She is my future wife."
Hearing this answer, Aozaki Reiji frowned slightly, seemingly deep in thought.
After a moment, he spoke again, "Then, can I now consider her a member of the Shiba?"
Shiba Kaien was silent for a moment, then nodded lightly, slowly saying, "You can."
Upon receiving an affirmative reply, Aozaki Reiji's lips curved into a smile, "Alright, since she is the head mistress of the Shiba, then as her brother-in-law, I naturally have no right to drive her away."
His words carried a hint of teasing, which slightly eased the tense atmosphere.
Shiba Kaien's eyelid twitched slightly. He clenched his teeth tightly, his voice tinged with anger and dissatisfaction, demanding, "What exactly did Captain-Commander send you here to do, you fellow?"
Aozaki Reiji sighed helplessly, seemingly accustomed to such questioning.
He calmly replied, "Captain Isshin should have already told you, the Old Man hopes the Shiba can rejoin Seireitei as one of the Five Great Noble Houses."
Aozaki Reiji frowned slightly and continued, "And I'm just here as a persuader, invited by them."
"Five... Five Great Noble Houses?"
She couldn't help but murmur softly.
She found this term very unfamiliar; as a commoner, she had never heard of "Five Great Noble Houses," though she knew of the "Four Great Noble Clans."
Seeing her reaction, Aozaki Reiji smiled and explained, "Do you remember the Shin'o Academy's motto? 'Protect the One King and Five Dukes.' The 'Four Great Noble Clans' commonly referred to were actually called the 'Five Great Noble Houses' along with the Shiba before they left Seireitei."
As he spoke, Aozaki Reiji gently patted Shiba Kūkaku's hand, which was hooked around his arm, to comfort her.
Her mouth slightly opened, revealing a surprised expression.
She had just learned that her future husband was actually the head of a top noble clan, but then she thought of his usual carefree demeanor and suddenly felt it wasn't such a big deal.
Shiba Kaien licked his dry lips, but he was momentarily speechless, unable to utter a word.
In his eyes, being the head of the Shiba was not something to boast about.
The so-called Five Great Noble Houses were merely descendants of criminals who had harmed the Soul King, and his ancestors acknowledged this sin.
Uncle Isshin had indeed mentioned this to him, but he had thought it was a joke at the time, so he hadn't taken it to heart at all.
After all, that man was unreliable far too often, and suddenly saying something about the Shiba returning to Seireitei was truly impossible to take seriously!
Shiba Kūkaku was currently holding Aozaki Reiji's arm, saying with a beaming smile, "This kind of thing doesn't matter to me, but our Big Brother is the true head of the family, so the final decision, of course, has to be made by him!"
Shiba Kaien looked up at her.
This was essentially indirectly persuading him; why did his sister's elbow always bend outwards!?
Aozaki Reiji also nodded after hearing this.
Since Shiba Kaien did not die as a Shinigami, Kūkaku and Shiba Ganju naturally wouldn't have any aversion to Seireitei.
Kūkaku had already agreed, and Shiba Ganju had no strong opinions, so now all that was needed was Shiba Kaien's stance.
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