Soi Fon sneered, "Sorry to disappoint you, but I have another mission here in the World of the Living."
Kaito felt an immediate wave of depression wash over him. What kind of sins did I commit in my past life to deserve this?
"I had no idea you were still in town, Soi Fon taichou. What brings you to here?"
Kaito greeted her with a casual smile, already resigning himself to his fate.
Not that it mattered. Soi Fon wasn't his captain, and he certainly wasn't skipping any assigned duties.
Soi Fon was well aware of his little scheme. His personality was exactly like Shunsui Kyoraku's—both of them were equally irritating.
"Do you really think you can do whatever you want just because it doesn't interfere with your duties, and because Ukitake taichou is too lenient to keep you in line?"
Kaito took a slow sip of his sake and laughed. "Soi Fon taichou, you really do know me well."
"Then let me ask you this," Soi Fon said coldly. "Why didn't you attend today's squad meeting?"
Squad meeting?
Kaito replied smoothly, "It seems you don't quite understand how our trio operates yet, taichou. Usually, Kiyone handles the administrative meetings, while Shino and I focus on patrolling, clearing out Hollows, and keeping the peace."
As he spoke, Kaito stole a quick glance at Kana beside him. Her expression remained completely under control, though she was watching the exchange between him and Soi Fon with quiet curiosity in her eyes.
A clever little fox indeed, Kaito thought.
Soi Fon had been so irritated that she temporarily forgot her surroundings, but she suddenly realized they were in the World of the Living, having this argument right in front of an ordinary human. She cast a brief, sharp glance over the two of them. Fortunately, their conversation hadn't revealed any sensitive details about the Soul Society.
She glared at Kaito. "Come with me."
With a helpless expression, Kaito offered Kana an apologetic smile before following Soi Fon out. Luckily, he had already reached his one-hour mark for the daily mission, so the trip wasn't a total waste.
Watching Kaito leave, Kana felt a cold sweat break out down her spine.
That man really is a Shinigami. And based on her demeanor, that woman must be a captain-level officer.
Thinking things over, Kana decisively put Kaito on her personal blacklist. She had zero interest in fighting and despised political scheming, which was precisely why she had fled Hueco Mundo for the World of the Living. Armed with excellent musical talent and a flawless face, she had easily established herself as the top courtesan.
Even under the best circumstances, the relationship between Hollows and Shinigami was incredibly tense. Now that she had confirmed Kaito's identity, Kana resolved to avoid him at all costs to ensure she never got dragged into Shinigami business.
Kaito and Soi Fon left the Sweetwater Pavilion and headed straight back to the temporary barracks.
Upon entering the courtyard, Kaito spotted Marechiyo. He frowned slightly, wondering what was going on. For the Lieutenant of the Stealth Force to deploy alongside her, something big had to be happening.
Omaeda noticed Kaito as well. The two of them were actually drinking buddies, but with Soi Fon standing right there, they merely traded a subtle nod and a distant greeting.
Soi Fon led Kaito straight into her private office.
"Kaito," Soi Fon began calmly once the door closed. "The reason I have returned to the World of the Living is because the Seireitei has located Grand Fisher. I have been ordered to eliminate him, and I have been granted the authority to command any local Shinigami stationed here. Do you understand what that means?"
Grand Fisher?
Kaito's mind raced. That specific Hollow was actually a deeply hidden, primitive Arrancar. He was incredibly cunning and cruel, making him a slippery target. His strength and mysterious nature had kept him on the Seireitei's high-priority wanted list for a long time. No wonder Omaeda had been brought along for backup.
However, Soi Fon's tone made her secondary point crystal clear: she was in absolute command of this sector now, completely bypassing his actual captain, Jushiro Ukitake. If Kaito refused to fall in line, she wouldn't hesitate to discipline him.
Naturally, Kaito chose to ignore the implicit threat.
"I see," Kaito smiled. "Then let me congratulate you in advance on a successful hunt, Soi Fon taichou."
Soi Fon stared at him deeply, cutting right to the chase. "It seems Ukitake taichou has a terrible eye for talent. I truly cannot comprehend why he allows someone with such a disruptive personality to remain in the 13th Division."
"Let me make this perfectly clear. Right now, the 2nd Division holds temporary command. I expect you to operate strictly under our protocols. Is that understood?"
Her rigid lecturing instantly reminded Kaito of the power-tripping corporate bosses from his previous life. Back then, every time a manager gave a speech like this, he had desperately wanted to throw a punch, but he couldn't risk the legal consequences.
But the Soul Society operated on an entirely different set of rules.
Here, strength was absolute. As long as you possessed enough power, even a substitute Shinigami or a lower-seated officer would be treated with immense respect. It was just like the world of shinobi—if your combat capability was high enough, your formal rank didn't matter.
"Soi Fon taichou, you're putting me in a difficult position," Kaito sighed, gently tugging at the edge of his black blindfold. "If you were stronger than me, I'd follow your orders without a second thought. But..."
He left the rest of the sentence hanging, but the implication was clear enough.
You're simply not strong enough to force my hand. Why should I listen to you? Based on personal charm? Sorry, but a short-tempered drill sergeant doesn't do it for me.
Soi Fon's eyes twitched violently as a surge of pure fury rushed through her. Were the younger generation of Shinigami these days completely devoid of respect for their seniors?
"Are you implying... that I am weak?" Soi Fon said through gritted teeth.
Kaito laughed softly and waved his hand. "Oh, come now, Soi Fon taichou. It's bad form to say it so bluntly. I was trying to find a polite way to phrase it so I wouldn't hurt your pride."
Flash!
Unable to tolerate his arrogant attitude for another second, Soi Fon utilized a blinding burst of Shunpo, closing the distance instantly to drive a powerful punch straight toward Kaito's midsection.
"Bakudo #8, Seki!"
Kaito casually deployed the defensive spell, bypassing the incantation entirely. Thanks to his Six Eyes, he had already completely mastered the mechanics of both Hado and Bakudo.
A shimmering barrier of spiritual energy materialized over the back of Kaito's hand. He raised it effortlessly, meeting Soi Fon's fist head-on. The sheer force of her strike shattered the barrier, but it completely arrested her momentum.
Before she could recover, Kaito counterattacked. To Soi Fon's absolute shock, his Shunpo was even faster than her own—so exceptionally fast that her sensory nerves could barely register his trajectory.
By the time she realized what had happened, Kaito had already materialized directly behind her.
In a single, fluid exchange, Kaito effectively neutralized her, pinning her arms securely from behind. Soi Fon twisted violently, trying to break his hold, but Kaito's arms felt like solid steel welded around her wrists. She couldn't budge an inch.
Desperate to break free, Soi Fon attempted to shift her center of gravity to throw him off balance, but as she moved, her lower back pressed firmly against him.
An immediate realization flashed through her mind, and Soi Fon's face instantly flushed crimson with embarrassment and rage.
"Kaito!"
Kaito let go immediately, raising his hands in the air with an expression of pure innocence.
"Whoa! That wasn't my fault! You backed right into me!"