Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 290

Chapter 290 - 290: The Night’s Bright Moon

After that, Masatsuki Aozaki happily continued his daily life of training.

Time flew by. Nemu Kurotsuchi and Aura Michibane grew day by day, and Rukia kept getting taller.

Although she was still just over 1.4 meters, making her the shortest among the three sisters, it was still a significant growth—especially compared to the stagnation of the human heart.

At Masatsuki Aozaki's suggestion, Rukia also started growing out her hair. Masatsuki clearly remembered how adorable she had looked with shoulder-length hair after the Thousand-Year Blood War, when she became a captain.

...

One day, just before noon.

At the Aozaki residence.

"Whoosh!"

A petite figure suddenly appeared in the empty courtyard.

Suì-Fēng frowned slightly, glancing around.

"No one?"

She muttered to herself, puzzled.

"Strange... Didn't Gin Ichimaru say he was slacking off today? Why is there no one from the squad around, and why isn't he home either?"

As Masatsuki Aozaki's personal bodyguard, Suì-Fēng had been searching for him since morning.

It had been hours.

Where the hell had that guy run off to?

After serving as his bodyguard for some time, Suì-Fēng no longer held any awe for that man.

She had seen his true colors!

That so-called model Shinigami? Yeah, that had nothing to do with him.

As expected, admiration was the furthest thing from true understanding!

The closer she got, the more she realized just how unreliable that man was.

A captain of the Gotei 13 should be handling his squad's affairs properly, not running off every day to slack off—

...Not that slacking off was entirely unacceptable. She had to admit, that guy was actually pretty capable.

At that thought, Suì-Fēng's face flushed slightly.

But the more she dwelled on it, the more annoyed she became.

If it weren't for the fact that she could get closer to Yoruichi-sama by following his orders, she wouldn't even bother listening to him!

Now that she thought about it, Yoruichi-sama used to love slacking off too—she must have picked up that habit from him!

And now even he had vanished, completely neglecting her duty as a bodyguard.

As the 4th Seat of the 2nd Division, the direct bodyguard of the former commander, Yoruichi Shihōin, it was her responsibility to uphold the honor of the guard!

She needed to teach that man a lesson for wearing down Yoruichi-sama's body and make him pay for it!

With a serious expression—and an even redder face—Suì-Fēng's eyes gleamed with growing excitement.

She rummaged through a pile of snacks that a certain pink-haired loli had stashed away in the secret base of the Association of Female Shinigami, located right next to Masatsuki Aozaki's bedroom.

The Association of Female Shinigami was a newly formed organization dedicated to improving the status of female Shinigami.

Its president was Yachiru Kusajishi, its vice president was Nanao Ise, and its director was Retsu Unohana.

As for its members? Basically, any female Shinigami who had some connection to Masatsuki Aozaki had joined.

If they weren't so closely linked, they wouldn't have chosen such a small place like the Aozaki residence as their secret base.

In the original story, the Association's secret base was in the Kuchiki estate—far more spacious than this place.

Suì-Fēng sat outside Masatsuki Aozaki's room, leaning against the wooden floor. She casually crossed her legs, her bare feet resting one over the other.

Enjoying the cool breeze, she snacked on someone else's hidden treats.

This was nice.

She had been running around all morning—wasn't she allowed a break?

It wasn't like she had turned lazy or anything.

She was simply following in the footsteps of the most respected Yoruichi-sama, upholding the fine traditions of the 2nd Division.

It definitely wasn't because she had been influenced by a certain bad influence.

Listening to the rustling leaves outside and the soft murmur of flowing water, Suì-Fēng found herself gradually relaxing.

She gazed at the courtyard in the distance.

Sunlight filtered through the dense branches, casting dappled patches of light and shadow.

A gentle breeze stirred the leaves, making them rustle as if whispering secrets to one another.

Suì-Fēng quietly admired the tranquil scene, her mood slowly settling.

The intricately crafted stone formations and the clear pond, framed by fallen leaves, evoked the feeling of a secluded paradise.

Just as she was lost in these peaceful thoughts—

A faint meowing sound caught her attention.

Following the sound, she spotted two kittens playing and tumbling around on the crisscrossing wooden bridge.

"Meow!"

One of the small black kittens reached out its paw and patted the other on the head.

"Meow!"

The black-and-white kitten let out a disgruntled cry but didn't seem angry. Instead, it pounced forward, wrapping itself around the other, and soon, the two were rolling together in a playful scuffle.

Watching this, Suì-Fēng's eyes lit up.

"How cute."

Suì-Fēng: "..."

The two kittens reacted instantly. Forgetting their pain, they sprang apart and spun around, ready to bolt.

Too bad they didn't get far.

Suì-Fēng swiftly grabbed them by the scruffs of their necks, one in each hand.

"Meow!"

"Meow!"

The two kittens dangled helplessly in the air, their tiny legs flailing. Their big, watery eyes brimmed with pitiful pleading.

"And you're still trying to keep up the act..."

"Yoruichi-sama, Masatsuki-sama, should I do you a favor and report your noble exploits to Retsu-nee?"

Suì-Fēng's cold smile deepened as she looked at the squirming kittens in her hands.

The two immediately stopped struggling, their heads drooping in surrender.

Under her piercing gaze, their small bodies began to glow with a soft white light.

Just as she had suspected.

As the glow faded, two figures emerged—a man and a woman.

The man was tall and lean, his physique perfectly sculpted, his face strikingly handsome—like the protagonist of some novel about an irresistibly charming rogue.

The woman was stunningly beautiful, her long purple hair cascading down her back like a waterfall, her sun-kissed brown skin radiating vitality.

Most notably, she had a broad and open heart—something Suì-Fēng both admired and envied.

Who else could they be but Masatsuki Aozaki and Yoruichi Shihōin?

Completely naked, both of them immediately dropped into a deep bow, pressing their foreheads to the ground in a flawless dogeza.

"It's all our fault, Suì-Fēng. We shouldn't have forgotten you. We'll seriously reflect on this."

"We promise—next time, we'll definitely bring you along!"

Their posture was impeccable, their sincerity undeniable—an absolute display of the nation's bowing tradition.

"...Bring me along? That's not what I care about!"

Suì-Fēng snapped back, her face turning crimson.

She was so embarrassed that she felt the urge to stomp on Masatsuki Aozaki's face.

"And besides, how am I supposed to take you seriously when you're like this?!"

Masatsuki Aozaki and Yoruichi Shihōin both glanced down at themselves, then at each other.

Without speaking, they shared a look of understanding.

Their honesty was as pure and radiant as the moonlit night.