Bleach : Begins with a Contract with the Departed Souls of the Uchiha Chapter 284 284: Personal Sentiments

"He clearly siphoned off the family's finances and embezzled from the treasury just to build such a magnificent palace!"

Yoruichi followed behind Walter, her gaze sweeping across the surrounding architectural complex.

Her pretty face was clouded with anger!

Hearing the gritting of her teeth, Walter tried to clear the air. "Lady Yoruichi, you misunderstand. Building these palaces didn't cost a fortune; the Kido Corps has specialized Kido specifically for construction."

"Those funds were still pocketed and diverted by Ren and the rest of you!" Yoruichi snapped.

Beside her, Tsuru sighed and nodded in admission.

"The Great King did indeed divert them. Not just the funds of the Shihoin family, but also so budget from the Stealth Force."

"However, these funds were primarily used to support the soldiers and maintain the great cities like Yomi Castle."

Upon hearing this, Yoruichi felt as though she had caught them red-handed and grew even more incensed.

"You see? They were diverted after all!"

With that, she suddenly rembered sothing and looked at the woman beside her wearing the white coat.

Her eyes lingered on the word 'Justice' written on the coat, and she beca thoughtful.

"You're a Marine? And you ntioned Yomi Castle?!"

"Yes, I was indeed a Marine in my previous life. Now, I serve as a military advisor under the Great King's command." After introducing herself, Tsuru asked curiously, "Lady Yoruichi actually knows about the Marines?"

"That bastard Ren once took to your world."

At the ntion of Ren, Yoruichi's resentnt flared up again.

"Back then, I even led you to their underworld... The Borsalino he just ntioned, isn't that a city built out there?"

Tsuru nodded.

"Lady Yoruichi, you are correct."

"That despicable bastard... he's been lying to all this ti! He told Borsalino hadn't been built yet! He actually fooled for so long!"

Sensing Yoruichi's fury, Walter hurriedly stepped in to smooth things over.

"Lady Yoruichi, Ren is not soone who enjoys lying. Even if he kept things from you, it was likely out of necessity."

"Hmph, he's not good at lying, but he'll deliberately hide the key details. In the end, he's still deceiving !"

Yoruichi questioned him aggressively.

Previously, she had asked Ren about the progress of Borsalino's construction.

But Ren's answers had been evasive from start to finish.

Responses like 'The underworld is too desolate and unsuitable for a city' or 'The cost is too high, I'm considering other ways to build it.'

Thinking back now, Ren had never once given her a straight answer!

Instead, she had been foolish enough to believe that Borsalino really hadn't been built.

If she had kept digging back then, perhaps she wouldn't have been deceived by Ren's honest and steady facade.

If he lied about Borsalino, what else had he lied about?

Ren must have deceived her in other areas as well!

'If only I had realized Ren's lies sooner, maybe I could have talked him out of his current madness...'

At this thought, amidst her anger, a sense of frustration welled up in her heart.

She shook her head, casting aside such useless fantasies.

Knowing Ren, even if she had tried to persuade him, he would have hidden the truth elsewhere, and things would have inevitably co to this point anyway.

Yoruichi turned her head to look at Tsuru.

"You just called Ren the Great King? What Great King? The King of Hell?"

"No," Tsuru shook her head. "The title we use for the Great King is the 'Solitary King.' I heard that after the Soul King Palace is conquered, he will take the title of Emperor."

"Hah, the Solitary King?" Yoruichi gave a disdainful smirk.

Her usually steady husband had certainly given himself an incredibly arrogant royal title!

Attacking the Soul King Palace? She only hoped he'd have the life to enjoy it if he succeeded!

At that mont, Walter suddenly ca to a halt.

"Lady Yoruichi, we have arrived."

"Lord Touichirou and Lord Yūshirō are inside this palace."

Yoruichi looked ahead, and a towering palace t her eyes.

The steps extended high upward, the palace was brightly lit, and soldiers stood guard on both sides.

"Touichirou, Yūshirō."

Yoruichi imdiately took off, her feet moving swiftly as she dashed up the steps.

Knowing that her son and brother were right before her, she didn't want to waste another second. She only wanted to see them as soon as possible.

Seeing Yoruichi sprint up, Walter turned and said, "Lady Tsuru, thank you for your hard work."

"The mission is complete. I won't linger; I still have preparations to make in the eting room."

After saying that, Tsuru led her subordinates away.

Walter composed himself and climbed the stairs toward the main hall.

"Damn Ren, why did he build so many steps!"

By the ti Yoruichi finished the climb and reached the palace doors, she heard a strange laugh coming from inside.

"Ma-ma! Ma-ma! What a lovely child."

Amidst the laughter, there were also the babbling sounds of an infant.

Yoruichi's heart tightened, and she kicked open the massive doors.

Intense light from inside flooded out, causing Yoruichi to squint.

She walked inside without hesitation, her pace hurried as her eyes swept through the hall.

The interior was brightly lit, as clear as day.

To her surprise, while the exterior of the palace was ancient and grand, the interior decor was quite modern.

Floors, carpets, sofas, and even household appliances like televisions were all present.

The first thing Yoruichi saw was an infant playing on the carpet, with a dark-skinned youth beside him.

It was indeed her son and her brother.

There were several others with them.

One was soone from Ren's family Yoruichi had t before—that man with a feminine face, Nasu no Yoichi.

As for the other two, Yoruichi had never t them, but she could tell at a glance they were from the sa place as Whitebeard.

They were both enormous.

One was a woman who was like a giant, looking even taller than Whitebeard, with vibrant pink hair, a beautiful face, and a graceful bearing.

Currently, she was reclining on the ground, her face full of affection as she teased Touichirou with a lock of her hair, making the baby giggle.

The other person wore a yellow suit with a coat draped over his shoulders, sunglasses, and a scruffy beard.

He sat lazily on the sofa, bored and drinking tea; she estimated the man was at least three ters tall.

Soldiers stood guard in the corners of the hall.

"Touichirou! Yūshirō!"

Yoruichi shouted, her voice echoing through the entire hall.

The mont Yoruichi burst through the doors, everyone inside had already seen her.

"Sister!" Seeing Yoruichi, Yūshirō imdiately stood up and ran toward her.

Seeing that her son and brother were truly safe, Yoruichi finally felt relieved.

"Yūshirō, it's so good to see you're both alright."

After comforting Yūshirō, Yoruichi looked at the others in the hall.

The three people inside all stood up upon seeing Yoruichi.

"Oh my~ what terrifying pressure~"

"Charlotte Linlin, this is Ren's wife and Touichirou's mother," Nasu no Yoichi introduced.

The pink-haired giantess sat up from the carpet and looked at Yoruichi, her eyes shining.

"Ren's wife? I've certainly heard much about you."

Yoruichi led her brother toward the center of the hall, first taking Touichirou into her arms.

Even though Touichirou was just an infant, he could recognize people.

Seeing his mother, a pure smile appeared on his cute face.

"Ee-ya-ya!"

Yoichi said, "Lady Yoruichi, Ren has finally brought you here for protection. This way, we have no more concerns."

"Now that Lady Yoruichi is here, these two little ones can be at peace."

Yoruichi's brow furrowed. "Nasu no Yoichi, you call this protection?"

As one of Ren's closest associates, Yoichi naturally knew that the relationship between Ren and Yoruichi was probably not very good right now.

Facing Yoruichi's sharp questioning, Yoichi scratched his cheek, a hint of embarrassnt on his face.

He quickly changed the subject, pointing toward the other two.

"By the way, Lady Yoruichi, let introduce you."

"This is a subordinate whom Ren trusts deeply, Charlotte Linlin."

The pink-haired giantess wore a friendly smile and waved at Yoruichi.

"I often hear Ren ntion you. Since you're Ren's wife, you're my friend. Let's get along well from now on."

Yoichi then pointed to the man in the yellow suit.

"This is a General who was entrusted with a heavy responsibility by Ren as soon as he arrived, Borsalino of Yomi Castle."

Borsalino waved and smiled. "The Solitary King's wife, who is also our Queen... you truly are a grand figure."

Yoruichi looked up at the two towering figures.

Faced with the goodwill they offered, she remained unmoved, her expression even turning cold.

"Hah, so you're all important subordinates of Ren..."

"Yet I, his wife, knew nothing and was kept in the dark, treated like an outsider instead."

The feeling of being deceived was hard to swallow, especially by her own husband!

After seeing her son and brother, the relief Yoruichi felt was once again replaced by anger.

Yoruichi's hostile attitude left the two of them stunned.

Charlotte Linlin leaned down slightly and looked at Yoichi, whispering in a low voice.

"Yoichi, why is her reaction so different from what I expected?"

Borsalino was equally confused about the reason.

However, after thinking over Yoruichi's words, a thoughtful look appeared on his face.

Yoichi turned his head and explained softly, "Ren kept our affairs a secret from his wife. Now that it's all co to light, she's currently furious."

Hearing this, a strange look flashed across Borsalino's face.

He had died not long ago and was brought to the underworld by a red-eyed Soul Reaper, where he saw his forr colleagues and superiors.

As for the famous 'Solitary King,' he had only t him a few tis and didn't know much about him.

Let alone the Solitary King's family matters.

Now it seed things weren't quite as he had imagined. Could even the Solitary King struggle with dostic disputes?

Yoruichi's face darkened. "Hey, you don't need to whisper, I can hear you!"

As of now, she was the only one who had been played for a fool, spinning in circles.

And now she had to endure being talked about behind her back; it was humiliating.

Hearing that, Yoichi scratched his head awkwardly and gave an apologetic laugh.

Linlin thought for a mont and reached out to pick up a pastry from the coffee table by the sofa, offering it to Yoruichi.

"Yoruichi, I can understand the resentnt in your heart. If I were in your shoes, I'd probably be angry enough to want to kill soone."

"At tis like this, eating so sweets will make you feel much better."

Yoruichi looked at the pastry placed before her—it was nearly as tall as a person—and her expression beca blank.

Was there any necessary connection between eating sweets and her current mood?

However, Touichirou in her arms slled the sugary scent and reached out, though he couldn't quite touch it.

Yoruichi patted the child comfortingly and led Yūshirō around them.

Seeing Yoruichi walk away, Linlin was full of confusion. "Hmm? Does she not like to eat?"

Yoruichi narrowed her eyes, unable to grasp the giant woman's train of thought.

Is this woman a pig? Why is all she thinks about food!

Yoichi let out a nearly imperceptible sigh. "Lady Yoruichi, I know Ren did wrong in this matter and you've been wronged."

"But while he did it because of his nature, it was also a move of necessity."

"Necessity?"

Yoruichi let out a cold laugh.

"Necessity justified lying to ? It justified hurting so many of my friends?"

"Right now, Kisuke and Shinji have likely been killed by him. And you want to explain it all away with 'necessity'?"

Yoichi remained silent, but Linlin spoke up from the side. "Those friends of yours are Captains of the Seireitei. We are moving against the Seireitei, so they are enemies. Enemies must be eliminated without rcy!"

"Then I'm a Captain too!" Yoruichi shouted. "I'm the Captain of the Second Division! Why didn't you eliminate as well?!"

Yoruichi's voice was so loud it startled the child in her arms, who imdiately burst into tears.

Seeing this, Yoruichi suppressed the anger in her heart and comforted the baby.

Linlin and Yoichi also shut their mouths, saying nothing more.

At that mont, Walter walked into the hall from outside.

He had heard the argunt clearly from outside the hall, and seeing the now-silent atmosphere, he couldn't help but shake his head.

When it ca to Ren's family matters, it really wasn't their place to say much.

Amidst the infant's crying, Walter walked over to Linlin and Borsalino. "The war eting is about to begin. I will stay here to keep watch; you two should head over."

Hearing this, the two felt as if they had been granted a reprieve.

If possible, they didn't want to be dragged into such troubleso personal affairs either.

The two nodded and quickly walked out of the hall with light steps.

It took quite a while before Touichirou's crying was finally soothed by Yoruichi.

Yoruichi's eyes were downcast as she stroked Touichirou's face, not looking up.

"Based on what you're saying, you plan to go to war with the Seireitei, don't you?"

"What exactly is Ren's goal?"

Yoichi glanced at Walter, who spread his hands and shook his head slightly.

He was just a butler, responsible for managing household trivialities.

Matters of war were not within his scope of duties.

Yoichi's expression fell, and he had to turn back to Yoruichi. "Naturally, it is to seize the Seireitei and conquer the Soul King Palace."

"Does he not already hold imnse power?" Yoruichi barked. "He controls the Central 46, his authority is unrivaled in the Seireitei, and even Captain-Commander Yamamoto can do nothing against him. What more does he want?"

Yoichi shook his head. "I am not entirely clear on that."

Seeing the disbelief on Yoruichi's face, Yoichi sighed. "Ren... he always has his own ideas. Even Toyohisa and Nobunaga might not know his true thoughts."

"Perhaps it's to avenge Takahisa, or perhaps to re-establish the order of the three worlds... or maybe, he just wanted to try it on a whim. Who knows?"

"Aren't you his family? Even you don't know?"

Yoruichi's brow furrowed, feeling that Yoichi was brushing her off.

But she carefully observed Yoichi's expression, and he didn't seem to be lying.

"As Ren's wife, aren't you also his family? Weren't you also kept in the dark?"

Yoichi spread his hands.

"Lady Yoruichi, after all this, haven't you realized his true nature yet?"

"Ren views us, you, and Touichirou as important family mbers and has deep feelings for us, but personal sentints are not the entirety of Ren's life."

"If family stands in his way, he will simply kick them aside. At most, he might feel bad and regret it afterward, perhaps even cry a bit, but he won't hesitate for a second when he strikes. He'll only complain his blade isn't sharp enough."

"To Ren, family is certainly important, but not irreplaceable. If a wife is gone, he can marry again; if a son is gone, he can have another. Even us... his feelings for us are deep, but no matter how deep they are, Ren will always weigh the value in his heart before making a choice."

"It's the sa even for Toyohisa, whom he views as an elder. If in this war with the Seireitei, Toyohisa was unfortunately captured and used as a threat, Ren would surely follow Han Gaozu's ruthlessness and even ask for a 'cup of the broth'."

"Having spent so much ti with him, we realized long ago that Ren is essentially that kind of man."

Hearing this, Yoruichi wanted to say sothing, but she opened her mouth only to swallow her words.

Though she didn't fully understand the reference to the Founding Emperor, she understood the aning of Yoichi's words.

She also had to admit that Yoichi was right.

In the many years since her marriage to Ren, Yoruichi could feel Ren's love and care for her.

It was because of those feelings that Yoruichi had unconsciously indulged in them, unable to pull herself away.

She had even intentionally or unintentionally ignored Ren's usual abnormalities.

Yoruichi could see that Ren's feelings for her were real, but so what if they were?

It was still the sa betrayal and deception.

She, his wife, was like this, and Yoichi and Toyohisa would be no different.

Yoruichi's gaze turned cold; as Yoichi said, Ren was just that kind of person.

She looked at Yoichi, her voice carrying a hint of raspiness.

"You just ntioned that Ren might be doing this for revenge... Who is Takahisa?"

"He was a grandson adopted by Toyohisa and Ren's sworn brother," Yoichi said with a flash of sorrow in his eyes, softly beginning to tell a story from long ago.

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