Bleach: I'm picking up attributes in Seireitei

Haiyan straightened her back slightly and returned the greeting calmly.

"Long time no see, Yoruichi-nee."

He glanced at Yoruichi's current state, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.

"Why are you here so late?"

"I was passing by and smelled that familiar aroma of cooking, so I thought I'd drop by and see you two little ones. What, aren't you welcome?"

"How could that be?"

Kukaku's voice revealed a hint of joy.

"Jin Yan, go and get some snacks. Yin Yan, serve tea."

Yoruichi sat down naturally on the cushion next to her, her posture carefree.

Her gaze swept across the somewhat simple but lively hall, finally settling on Haiyan.

"I heard you entered the True Central Spiritual Arts Academy, and quite a stir there, reaching the sixth level of spiritual power?"

Yin Yan respectfully placed the tea in front of Yoruichi.

Yoruichi looked at the hot tea that had just been served, blew on it, and gently licked it twice.

"What, is the current head of the Shiba family planning to follow in the footsteps of Master Yamamoto and return to Seireitei through the Spiritual Arts Academy?"

Haiyan's expression became more serious, then her eyes became firm and bright.

"Yes, so what?"

Yoruichi took a small sip of tea, without immediately expressing her opinion.

"The road to returning to Seireitei will not be easy, Kaien."

Yoruichi's voice was calm, carrying a hint of the clear-headedness of someone who had been through it all.

"The petty squabbles among the nobility are more complex than you think, and forgetting and rejection come especially quickly."

"The Shiba family has been gone for too long. Going back will face tremendous resistance. It might even...not be a good thing. Are you prepared?"

Haiyan clenched her fist silently, her voice low but powerful.

"The Shiba family was once one of the most powerful families in Seireitei, but now they can only run a fireworks business in Rukongai using secret techniques that serve the Soul King. I am not reconciled to this."

"I know the reasons for the family's decline are complex, including the joint suppression by several noble families and the mismanagement by the family elders... but I don't believe that the Shiba family's bloodline and dignity will be erased."

He looked at Yoruichi with intense gaze.

"I want to become stronger, strong enough to gain a foothold in the Gotei 13 and reclaim the respect and status that rightfully belong to the Shiba family."

"I will try to persuade my uncle to come back. His abilities should not be wasted in this Soul Society."

Kukaku listened quietly from the side, watching the rarely seen, almost burning fighting spirit in her older brother's eyes.

She pursed her lips, not interrupting, but her eyes remained resolute.

Haiyan took a deep breath.

"I know the road ahead will be difficult, but I have to try. I am the head of the Shiba family; this is my responsibility and my choice."

Yoruichi looked at the unwavering determination in Kaien's eyes, and after a long while, a smile reappeared on her face.

The smile held appreciation and a hint of barely perceptible emotion.

"Okay, now that you've made up your mind, go for it."

"I, Yoruichi Shihouin, sincerely wish you success. If you need any help, as long as it's within my capabilities and doesn't violate my principles, you can come to me."

Thank you.

After that topic was over, the group talked about their childhood experiences in Seireitei, and the atmosphere gradually relaxed.

Yoruichi seemed to suddenly remember something and asked casually.

"By the way, a while ago there was a big fire in the western second district near the mountains and forests. One of my officers mentioned to me that the residual spiritual pressure was a bit strange."

"Kukaku, you should be well-informed in Rukongai, right? Have you been there recently? Did you notice anything unusual?"

Sora didn't expect Yoruichi to suddenly ask about this. She blinked, then remembered it.

"Oh, you mean that place? I actually went there once a while ago."

"Oh?" Yoruichi raised an eyebrow, feigning interest. "You went alone? Did you find anything?"

"No, I went with Wang Xun and an older man, but when we got there, the fire hadn't started yet."

Kukaku answered naturally.

When Yoruichi heard the name, his golden pupils contracted slightly for a moment.

"The Wang Xun you're talking about is......"

"Oh, he was one of my brother's seniors at the Spirit Arts Academy. He was very interested in the wild fruit that an uncle selling fruit brought, so we went with him to see where the fruit was growing."

"Fruit?"

"Hmm, a small, dark purple fruit, it tastes quite good, about this size."

Kukaku gestured with her hand.

"But we finished eating a long time ago."

Yoruichi paused almost imperceptibly.

She remembered this fruit; it seemed like a long time ago, Kisuke Urahara, the third seat in her team, had given her some.

Kukaku continued reminiscing.

"But when we got there, we didn't find anything special, we just looked at those few trees."

"But Wang Xun sensed something was wrong and urged us to leave quickly. Later, he said he felt unsafe, as if there were other people around."

As Yoruichi lowered her head to drink her tea, her assessment and wariness of Wang Xun subtly rose a little higher.

"Really? It seems that Wang Xun has quite a keen sense of perception."

"Uh-huh, then that big fire happened... wait, you don't suspect I did it, do you?"

Kukaku's eyes gradually widened.

Yoruichi's gaze sharpened upon hearing this.

"Is that you?"

Kukaku waved his hand.

"Not this time."

"Oh, then it's alright."

Kukaku began looking around, while Yoruichi lowered her head in thought, feeling that something was amiss, and an eerie silence fell between them.

Yoruichi remembered something Kisuke Urahara had told her.

After hearing about the fire, Kisuke Urahara unusually became quite concerned about it.

He apparently went to visit the surrounding area and learned from a family that an older man had taken a man and a woman there.

The girl is somewhat famous in Rukongai; she's Shiba Kukaku, who makes fireworks. There's also a student from the Spirit Arts Academy.

Yoruichi truly hadn't expected that person to be Wang Xun.

She subtly ended the conversation about the valley and then chatted with the Shiba siblings about their recent situations.

A moment later, Ye Yi got up to take his leave.

"Alright, it's getting late, I should go."

Yoruichi stretched out her front paws and yawned, her beautiful fur and graceful body curves on full display.

"I'm relieved to see that you two siblings are both in good spirits."

"Kaiyan, you need to work hard. And Kukaku, stop spending all your time researching fireworks and fighting rock eagles. Girls should pay more attention to their image too."

"Haha, mind your own business."

"By the way, where's Yanjiu? I haven't seen him."

"He's sleepy and went to sleep. Should I call him over? Hey, Yan..."

Seeing that Kukaku was about to shout out the name of the guillotine, Yoruichi quickly swung her claws.

"Never mind, it's not necessary. We can meet again next time."

"Okay~ Alright."

Kukaku looked somewhat disappointed, though Yoruichi didn't know what she was disappointed about.

After seeing Yoruichi to the door, Yoruichi waved her paw and walked out of the Shiba house.

Under the moonlight, she turned back for one last look at Haiyan and Konghe, who were seeing her off at the door.

With a few light leaps, she completely disappeared into the deep night of Rukongai.

After leaving Shiba's house for a while, she stopped on a secluded rooftop.

She crouched on the roof ridge, gazing in the direction of Seireitei, her golden cat eyes gleaming thoughtfully in the darkness.

"It seems that Kisuke Urahara has been tinkering with his weird and wonderful inventions and gadgets again lately."

Yoruichi licked her paws, having already made up her mind.

"Perhaps he'll be interested in this Wang Xun. Why not let him try to make contact? Who knows, he might be able to uncover something..."