Chapter 13: Who Taught You to Be This Deranged?
"How did you know? Wait... you guessed but weren't certain, so you were deliberately testing that fool Ōmaeda just now."
Recalling the brief exchange between the two when Marechiyo departed, Kūkaku keenly perceived the truth of the matter.
"Huh? What are you talking about? I don't get it. Could you explain more clearly? Who's in trouble?"
Ichigo was completely confused.
"The Shinigami responsible for local security management."
Yuyu answered instinctively, then caught herself and gasped sharply.
"I get it now!"
"No wonder the higher-ups from the Onmitsukidō came here to investigate. From your fragmented comments earlier, I thought it was about the missing Shin'ō Academy students. But now it's clear they were mobilized because a Shinigami was involved!"
"Otherwise, normally just one squad from the Gotei 13 would send someone to investigate."
"Sōma realized the nature of the incident had changed when he saw Ōmaeda, so he deliberately tested him by suggesting he check with the local Shinigami. But that guy looked at us like we were idiots, which means that approach is no longer viable."
Why wasn't it viable? Of course, because something had happened.
Ichigo wasn't a hot-blooded fool like Naruto either—he just rarely dealt with these kinds of sudden incidents, so his reactions seemed a bit slow. But after calming down and hearing her explanation, he quickly pieced together the connections.
Most residents of Rukongai didn't need to eat; drinking water was sufficient. Only a small portion with Reiryoku potential required food, which was a scarce resource in Rukongai.
It was mainly supplied through agricultural and water bases established in Rukongai by Seireitei, managed regularly.
Needless to say, the administrators were also Shinigami.
The reason the areas near Seireitei maintained good public order was largely due to these administrators' contributions.
Now, the administrator of Junrinan was in trouble.
Though the incident was minor, its nature was quite sensitive.
Whether someone had targeted Seireitei's appointed officials in Rukongai or there was an internal issue, it would easily tarnish Seireitei's reputation. That's why the Onmitsukidō got involved.
"So what exactly happened?"
The connections were clear, but the situation had indeed become more complicated.
"Hard to say, but the larger this incident grows, the worse it is for the elder," Sōma said softly.
"If it were just missing students, those coming would simply be seeking information. If it involves Shinigami, they might be here for arrests or interrogations."
"That's why Miss Kūkaku specifically showed up here at this time—to use her influence and intelligence to draw their attention, so they wouldn't have the capacity to trouble the elder."
This last statement made Ichigo and the others fully aware of the risks hidden behind what had seemed like a somewhat comical one-sided verbal assault.
"You're unusually sharp, kid. With one glance from you, it feels like even my heart, liver, spleen, lungs, and kidneys couldn't stay hidden," Kūkaku pointed to her head meaningfully.
"But if you were truly clever, you'd know not to wade into these muddy waters right now."
"Ōmaeda's a fool with a nasty mouth, but his advice was sound. As students, you should hurry back and get some sleep."
Sōma nodded. "Indeed. Since the incident happened recently, the investigation is at its peak. Roaming around could easily get us into trouble. We only came because we heard about missing students from Junrinan and rushed to check on the elder."
"Good. Stick to that story and make sure everyone's on the same page," Kūkaku snapped her fingers, then shifted the topic.
"Now, I'll share some information."
"Huh?" Ichigo and Yuyu were stunned.
Rindō remained silent, but his widened eyes made it clear he hadn't expected Kūkaku to take this stance either.
"What's with the surprise? I know exactly what you're up to, sneaking out at night. Even if I sent you back now, you'd just turn around halfway and cause trouble somewhere beyond my reach. Rather than that, I'd rather keep you where I can see you. At least if something goes wrong, I'll be mentally prepared."
Kūkaku rolled her eyes.
"Sister Kūkaku! You're the best! Can I call you 'Onee-san' now?"
Yuyu, overcome with excitement and gratitude, tried to lunge forward but was stopped by a hand pressed against his forehead. Unfazed, she continued calmly:
"Currently, we have two pieces of information."
"First, both the disappearance of the administrator and the students are connected to Hollows."
"Second, that Hollow is likely to be very powerful."
"One more thing, on the house."
"I just want to catch the culprit and beat them down before the Gotei 13 start causing chaos on my turf. That way, I can vent my frustration and save face. So, I'm looking for a few helpers who won't mess things up."
"If you don't want to be used as cannon fodder, now's your chance to turn back."
Her words cast a sudden chill over the atmosphere.
Yuyu stopped struggling, her expression stiffening.
"Miss Kūkaku."
Sōma, who had unwittingly become the group's focal point, spoke up, drawing glances from Ichigo and the others.
"Speak your mind."
"Miss Kūkaku, you'd make a great educator."
"Huh?"
"First, you tolerate our recklessness. Then, you reveal the truth to satisfy our curiosity. Finally, you use the real danger to force us to weigh the pros and cons, undermining our positive impression of you. Even if we refuse you now, we might not interfere later because curiosity alone isn't enough to fuel our impulsiveness."
Sōma gazed at the armless beauty, reminiscent of Venus, and sighed in admiration.
"Miss Kūkaku, you're too kind."
"Gwah!"
Shiba Ganju, who happened to arrive at the house just then, felt the entire world warp at those words.
His expression twisted even more.
"?!"
Kūkaku was momentarily flustered. Feeling everyone's strange stares as if insects were crawling all over her, she noticed Ganju's distorted face and flushed with humiliation. In a fit of rage, she formed a Reiryoku sphere with her hand and hurled it at him.
"Ah!"
The burly man, struck in the face by the Reiryoku sphere, let out a pitiful cry as he was sent flying.
"Is he going to be okay?"
Ichigo's cheek twitched slightly.
"Hmph, don't mind him. That's my brother, Ganju. He's tough-skinned and thick-boned. This'll just make his eyebrows disappear for a week, that's all. More importantly, let's get back to business."
Kūkaku waved a hand, having regained her composure thanks to Ganju. However, her less-than-gentle side left a deep impression on Ichigo and the others, skyrocketing their respect for her.
"Actually, I fully agree with Miss Kūkaku's perspective, but we have our own convictions too."
"Convictions? What kind of resolve could a bunch of kids possibly have?"
Kūkaku scoffed at Sōma's remark.
"Resolve? Not exactly."
Sōma patted Ichigo's shoulder, calming the irritated boy, and stated matter-of-factly:
"But, well—we're already here."
"..."
Kūkaku narrowed her eyes and stared at him for a long while.
"Your name is Shirogane Sōma, right? If you don't die, you'll definitely become someone great in the future."
"I'm not as remarkable as Miss Kūkaku says. I just have confidence in the few of us—otherwise, I wouldn't say such things."
"That's exactly why. Reckless fools who don't value their own lives can't be relied on, but those who are confident yet don't boast about being able to handle everything are often more dependable—at least, that's what I think."
"Since we've reached an agreement, when do we set off? Miss Kūkaku, since you drove Ōmaeda away, you must already know the enemy's whereabouts, right?"
Sōma phrased it as a question, but his tone was one of certainty.
"You're right. My knowledge of Rukongai far surpasses that of the Onmitsukidō. They definitely have no idea how many secret bases I have there."
Kūkaku proudly lifted her chin.
"Then let's hurry and go! The sooner we deal with this, the fewer people will get hurt!"
Ichigo abruptly stood up.
Sōma glanced at him and said to Kūkaku, "Though this guy tends to get carried away, he's not wrong. I'd also like to return to Shin'ō Academy before daybreak."
"Oh? Sounds like you have a decent suggestion."
"Allow me to confirm something first—in Miss Kūkaku's opinion, can Lieutenant Ōmaeda handle that Hollow?"
"Unlikely."
Kūkaku shook her head.
"When I told him to go back and call for reinforcements, I was partly sincere."
"But he definitely won't do it."
"Hence, he's an idiot."
"Then let's just feed the information about that Hollow to that idiot."
"What?"
Sōma's words left everyone momentarily stunned.
"…Tch, as expected, those destined for greatness never lack cunning."
Kūkaku teased, clearly having grasped his idea.
"I was only thinking of Miss Kūkaku's interests."
Sōma refused to take the blame.
"Let Ōmaeda scout the way. His pride will ensure he doesn't call for backup. When he rushes in eagerly and hits a wall, we'll resolve the incident right in front of him."
"This way, we get manpower, vent our frustrations, earn face, and avoid us weak Shin'ō Academy students being used as cannon fodder. Our goal of participating in the incident is achieved, and even if it's somewhat unfair to Ōmaeda, his mission is still accomplished. Everyone wins."
"Heh."
Kūkaku leaned on her knees and stood up, looking down at Sōma, who appeared harmless.
"I'm once again convinced you'll become someone great—because your hearts are equally dirty."
"Wait."
Stopping Kūkaku as she prepared to leave, Sōma kindly reminded her, "Just in case, why not have Mr. Ganju, who happens to be back from running errands, 'accidentally' leak the information while chatting with others in a back alley?"
"…"
Kūkaku halted and turned her head, joining the others in staring blankly at Sōma with looks as if they'd seen something filthy.
"Ōmaeda knows Miss Kūkaku has information, and with Mr. Ganju rushing back in such a hurry, any casual conversation at this moment would inevitably leak details. Ōmaeda would never suspect the information to be false. Instead, he'd be overjoyed, feeling like he stumbled upon a windfall. He'd set off immediately, hoping to achieve merit before Miss Kūkaku, then smugly mock her to reclaim the dignity he lost when he stormed off last time."
"If we told him directly, he might grow suspicious and overthink things, wasting our time with his cleverness."
"That's my reasoning."
"What's wrong? Is there an issue?"
Sōma furrowed his brows, feeling insulted.
"...Nothing's wrong. It's just that my previous assessment of you was too conservative."
Kūkaku took a deep breath and turned away, unwilling to look at him further, afraid her thoughts might be tainted by this schemer's influence.
Though not an elaborate stratagem, factoring in even Ōmaeda's meager intelligence felt downright ruthless.
Who taught such tricks to someone so young?