Chapter 95: What a Waste of Good Sake
"W-what is this?!"
Inside the private room on the second floor, Suì-Fēng looked down at the luxurious kimono she was wearing, her entire face turning red.
Yoruichi, while tying the obi for her, laughed and said, "Don't worry, I told the shop to give us brand new clothes that no one has worn before."
"Everything, inside and out, is perfectly clean!"
"That's not the problem here!" Suì-Fēng cried out in despair.
After dressing Suì-Fēng, Yoruichi circled around her once and nodded in satisfaction.
On Suì-Fēng's petite frame was a water-blue patterned kimono. From the collar of the kimono, one could catch a glimpse of the white undergarment peeking through.
Satoru sat cross-legged opposite them, looking at the young girl before him, unable to help but show an approving expression.
He clapped his hands and said, "Boss Yoruichi, what's this girl's name? I'm quite pleased—I'll choose her for tonight!"
Yoruichi laughed heartily. "Since Boss Satoru likes her so much, I'll entrust our Suì-Fēng to you tonight. Please take good care of our business in the future."
Satoru rubbed his hands together. "Easy, easy... So her name is Suì-Fēng, huh? Come, pour some sake for your Uncle Satoru first!"
"Lady Yoruichi! Lord Satoru! Please behave yourselves!!"
After being toyed with by the two of them, Suì-Fēng finally couldn't take it anymore and exploded.
...
...
With a black eye, Satoru walked out of the room carrying a flask of sake.
Seeing his black shihakushō, several passing geishas smiled and approached him.
Satoru waved his hand, declining their services. He took out a few large copper coins shaped like senbei and asked them to prepare another room for him.
Entering the private room, he closed the door and sat at the table. Then, he shook the flask in his hand, making the liquid inside produce a pleasant gurgling sound.
"Ah, truly premium sake. What a shame there's no one to share it with."
After waiting a few seconds and receiving no response, Satoru sighed.
"Fine, I'll drink it alone then. It's rare for Yoruichi to splurge on the best sake. Some people really don't know what they're missing."
As he spoke, he raised the flask, pretending to pour it into his mouth. Midway through the motion, he stopped and smirked at the opposite side of the table.
At some point, a figure had appeared there.
Shunsui wore his straw hat and his classic pink-patterned haori, his face full of resignation.
"Satoru... you're practically forcing me to make a mistake here. Old Man Yama has repeatedly warned me not to show myself. With this stunt, I'm going to get another earful from him when I get back."
Even as he spoke, his gaze never left the sake flask in Satoru's hand.
Satoru extended the flask toward Shunsui. Shunsui's eyes lit up, and he quickly picked up a small sake cup, ready to receive the drink.
But Satoru only tilted the flask slightly before stopping.
"Hey hey, Shunsui-senpai, what exactly is the old man planning? On one hand, he has us causing a scene in the open, while on the other, he sends you to follow us in secret..."
"Could it be that the old man is planning to have us draw as much aggro as possible, lure the nobles into retaliation, and then pull off an ambush?"
Hearing Satoru's words, Shunsui gave him a surprised look.
"Old Man Yama once said that while you have talent in training, your ability to analyze situations was lacking."
"Seems like he misjudged this time."
"Never thought you'd actually consider this angle."
Satoru's eyes flickered away for a moment before he chuckled. "Of course. The old man's misjudgments about me are plenty."
Truth be told, these insights hadn't come from him. Last night, when Aizen returned and heard about his recent activities, he'd casually analyzed the situation for him.
Being preoccupied with his own work, Aizen hadn't elaborated much. After a few brief words of advice, he'd left again.
Shunsui stroked his stubbled chin:
"Since you've already guessed, I won't keep it from you."
"Satoru, how much do you know about the Tsunayashiro family?"
Satoru blinked.
This Shunsui Kyōraku, even his opening line was the same as Yoruichi's.
He summarized what he'd learned about the Tsunayashiro family over the past few days.
Shunsui nodded. "What you know is actually quite comprehensive."
"But there's one thing you're unaware of."
"From the very beginning, Old Man Yama was convinced that the rebels' backer was the Tsunayashiro family."
"Tsunayashiro Senzaemon, the head of the Tsunayashiro family, is a contemporary of Old Man Yama—ahem, a powerhouse from the same era."
"That old man has always harbored grand ambitions."
"A thousand years ago, when Old Man Yama first established the Gotei 13, that old coot declared that such a powerful organization should be under noble control."
"Using the majority vote of the Central 46 as leverage, he demanded Old Man Yama step down as Captain-Commander and hand the position to him."
At this point, Shunsui narrowed his eyes, his gaze turning icy.
"And then?" Satoru asked curiously.
"And then... that old coot ran into a brick wall."
Shunsui grinned, his smile taking on a peculiar edge.
"The original Gotei 13 wasn't like our current batch—so obedient and well-behaved."
"Those guys were practically all fanatical followers of Old Man Yama, gathered around him because they believed in him."
"When they heard the Central 46 wanted to replace the Captain-Commander, the original Gotei 13 outright declared that if the Captain-Commander changed, they'd all leave the Seireitei and start their own organization..."
"Hearing that, the Central 46 immediately retracted their order in fear. Not only did they let Old Man Yama keep his position, but they also showered him with honorary titles."
"Ah, just imagining that scene still gets me a little fired up."
Like Shunsui, Satoru pictured the scene—the entire Gotei 13 defying orders to stand by Yamamoto's side—and felt a surge of excitement too.
Too bad the Gotei 13 of this era had long lost that kind of fire.
Seeing such a scene again in his lifetime seemed like a distant hope.
He poured Shunsui a bowl of sake, and the man immediately broke into a delighted smile.
After taking a sip, Shunsui's face lit up with bliss.
Smacking his lips, he continued, "Ever since then, the Tsunayashiro family has never allowed their descendants to join the Gotei 13 again, considering it a disgrace."
"On the surface, it seems their family has completely withdrawn from worldly affairs."
"But... behind the scenes, that old man has never stopped stirring up trouble."
"That little girl from the Shihōin family—she saw the assailant's family crest. Tsunayashiro Senzaemon, that old bastard, probably won't let her live once he finds out."
"That's why Old Man Yama sent me to follow them in the shadows."
"This time, we're bound to reel in some big fish!"