While the others were contemplating her words; Cheshire turned her head to look over her shoulder towards the direction her vice-captain was sent hurtling by her third-seat.
"Will the princess of flashing be joining us~?"
From where she looked that shaggy haired man walked over with an awkward smile while rubbing the back of his head. He knew that this minx was doing it on purpose yet he knew he could hardly stop her from bullying his friend like this. Not to mention… Better Yorichi than him.
"Afraid not."
"Huh? Not like her to avoid one of these meetups…"
"That's because she's just like you two dumbasses; throwing all your work to your subordinates!"
Neither of the drinking captains actually refuted that comment, however, Isshin at least had the self-awareness to look embarrassed at being called out. Letting out a laugh while avoiding looking into that blonde's piercing glare. Kyōraku, meanwhile, instead turned to meet Cheshire's gaze.
In return she just smiled as her medical mask rested on her chin - shrugging her shoulders - showing she at least had no part to play in the missing noble mistress. He also didn't doubt that as the cat seemed far more interested in some weird "streaming" technology. What that meant was beyond him.
"Seems like something big must have happened…"
"Big enough that she couldn't skive or troublesome enough that she couldn't rely on that rich fatty to pay his way into a solution… So which is it clogs~?"
Her grin was so large that it was unsettling due to easily approaching the realm of inhumanity. Not that she seemed to care about how uncomfortable some of the voyeurs were feeling about it. Instead she just took a long sip from her cup while her vice couldn't help sighing.
"There has been a series of unusual deaths which she initially just passed off as usual but nobody was able to find any explanation so it slowly made its way up. Even lil' Soi-Fon was unable to find anything so they kind of just skipped over a few seats. As such only she is left to investigate…"
"Oh my, that is rather spoopy~."
"Any more information you can share or is it confidential?"
Urahara just shook his head with an even longer sigh falling out his lips.
"I wish there was anything that could be confidential, they haven't even figured out if anyone is even responsible for it, all they know is there is an unsettling set of connections between deaths. All of them women who died from seemingly having their insides set on fire. Starting from the abdomen…"
A silence overcame the entire izakaya as it was indeed quite the strange case - one didn't even need to see the bodies to know that,
Though they weren't particularly worried since most of them weren't women.
Yet the strangest reaction came from the usually cool & in charge cat, who narrowed her eyes upon hearing that unusual set of circumstances. It was something that both Kyōraku & Urahara quickly picked up on as both were curious about her thoughts. She was the most knowledgeable in soul society.
Sure enough; it was clear she had her own ideas about that series of deaths as even her smile seemed to increase a little bit. Not massively but she very much appeared interested in this situation. Though whatever interest she had quickly faded as she shrugged her shoulders while taking another drink.
"What do you think about this captain Cheshire?"
That didn't mean he couldn't try his luck, however.
Cheshire shook her head at her mischievous colleague nevertheless she wasn't one to disappoint even if she couldn't help being cryptic.
"I think that some monsters are best left undisturbed, as they bore very easily, and it is the attention they get that brings them satisfaction to continue…"
Most were confused yet the two most invested instantly put the pieces together.
"You can't mean that…"
"It's him isn't it?"
One had obviously looked through all the reports as well as asked as many questions as they could so knew enough to figure things out. Meanwhile the other was there on that fateful day. It was a day that every involved party had agreed to act as if it were just a regular recruitment of a certain science cat.
Whether due to wishing to forget those events or due to the very strict orders of the captain-commander and central forty-six.
So, even if they asked, they both wished their thoughts were wrong.
They were destined to be disappointed as they promptly saw her slowly nodding her head while taking a bottle to pour herself a cup of sake so plentiful that her spiritual energy had to keep it from overflowing.
"I had hoped that he would have been "dealt with" yet he isn't the greatest unkillable bastard for being lesser than a bloody cockroach."
"Guess I'll have to forward that to Yoruichi…"
Letting out a long sigh while messing up his already messy hair with both hands.
"There isn't any other option."
Kyōraku also let out a sigh as she adjusted his hat; taking a long sip from his own cup while Cheshire was more than willing to join him.
For the most part there was a mixture of confusion around the izakaya with Hiyori looking at her captain with uncertainty on her face. The cat was like a heroic figure to her. Someone who she could look up to as someone who understood her own difficulties.
To her, ever since the sudden changing of captains as well as being technically demoted, was a chaotic time especially since nobody even told her what happened to her captain. Yet that cat was always willing to listen to her. Helping her settle into the developing science division despite her lack of technical skill.
Yet that very same cat didn't have a "reasonable" solution to what was beginning to sound like a series of murders?
She could only silently watch while trying to rationalise all of that.
However, someone was less willing to silently accept it.
"So you all plan to just let those women die unavenged because you feel a little scared?!"
His boisterous voice no longer lighthearted as his irate words echoed throughout the silent restaurant with all attention being naturally drawn to him. Both of the men couldn't even look him in the eyes. Turning away whether that meant looking to the side or focusing on the drink in their hand.
Although that was just them.
"Chehehehahaha~!"
Cheshire's cackle suppressed all who heard it; a shiver through their spines as the other guests couldn't help retreating even if it meant never finding out the secrets only those three captain-level shinigami knew.
"How is any of this funny?"
He wasn't as loud as before yet it was clear she was still very much indignant of her (as well as the other two captain-level fighters) inaction at the situation.
Not that she cared about his ire.
"Shiba boy, how do you get revenge on a tsunami?"
"W-wha-"
"What abo~ut a tornado or hurricane?"
"What are you on-"
"Perhaps an earthquake, typhoon or even a meteor shower you can take your angst against?"
One could hardly blame Isshin for his bewilderment as he was bombarded with question after question that seemed to have no connection with the situation.
Just random questions about getting revenge on natural disasters.
"I don't get what this has to do with anything."
Being who he was he also made his disagreements well known but Cheshire just shrugged.
"I think you'll find they are exactly the same; he is no man. You are telling us to take revenge on a natural disaster that is of a far greater scale than you can even comprehend. There is no killing him, capture is as unlikely with fewer benefits than risks and even prevention is a hard nut to figure out."
Shaking her head as she rested the lip of her cup on her own lip as she softly murmured so that only those around her could hear.
"All you can do is ride out the storm."
Hearing that made Isshin grind his teeth while clenching his fists till his knuckles became white but was unable to complain before Kyōraku spoke back up.
His voice gentle as he tried to calm his fellow captain down.
"She isn't lying and since she's told you this much I'll add my own piece… This is the official stance of both central forty-six and the gotei 13. Old man Yama himself has declared that there is no point in trying to keep that monster down if the assault ten years ago failed."
He wasn't there himself but he looked into it enough to know that no one would have returned if it wasn't for the babying Cheshire performed that day.
"We sent the best we could yet all we got in return was a lucky escape…"
Secretly, as cruel as it may be, he had to admit that he was glad that he was not one of the squads that were sent to that mission as there were no illusions about what his fate may be.
They were lucky Cheshire was there.
That was it.
"But…"
"There is no "but" about this, sorry, none of us are even allowed to deal with this situation."
"Would zero division even be able to do anything about him?"
He was more thinking out loud than address anyone yet it did manage to get a snicker out of Cheshire as she quietly sipped her drink.
"As a member of the gotei 13 we have to hope that they don't need to get involved as that would indicate we've all failed in our own duties."
Clicking cups with Cheshire as he too took another sip.
Isshin, meanwhile, promptly slammed his head against the table while audibly groaning as he tried to work his brain to think of any retort her could make to the pair of captains who chastised him.
Unfortunately he was drinking with the two smartest captains so it was a sisyphean dream.
"Makes me wonder what my "sisters" are up to after they failed to capture that bastard~."
"You say that as if you have no clue."
He said with a teasing smile that she met with another boisterous cackle.