"You can't go to sleep yet." Muten Natsu gently stroked Orihime Inoue's back. "We haven't said good night."
"..." Orihime Inoue nuzzled against the crook of his neck, then raised her flushed face.
"You were so cute just now." Muten Natsu lowered his head and kissed her.
Orihime Inoue's body instantly tensed, then softened beneath Muten Natsu's kiss. "Was I... really that cute?"
Muten Natsu gently rubbed the tip of his nose against hers, which was covered in a thin sheen of sweat. "I don't think I cleaned everything properly just now."
"I..." Orihime Inoue's eyes trembled. "I... I need to use the bathroom first."
Muten Natsu froze for a moment, then released her.
Orihime Inoue fled into the bathroom.
[A mysterious woman who appeared without warning, then vanished just as suddenly, a forlorn expression on her face...] The paranormal investigation show was still playing on television. [Was it an edited photograph, a genuine ghost, or perhaps an invader from another dimension...]
Muten Natsu picked up his phone again and stared at the name displayed on it.
Tokinada Tsunayashiro.
The Tsunayashiro Clan was one of the Four Noble Families, alongside the Kuchiki and Shihōin Clans. More than that, it stood at the head of the four.
Muten Natsu had once seen the Tsunayashiro Clan's estate from a distance.
Built in the exact opposite direction from the Kuchiki Clan's estate, it was a lavish mansion that towered over the surrounding buildings.
Aside from certain facilities, Soul Society generally showed little interest in constructing tall buildings.
Even the Noble District was no exception.
Yet the Tsunayashiro estate seemed to look down upon all the other noble residences. It rose even higher than the 6th Division, which administered the district, and the Kuchiki estate, as though proclaiming that the Tsunayashiro Clan alone were the true rulers.
At a glance, it appeared even more luxurious than the 1st Division headquarters.
Yet the impression it gave was closer to the 12th Division's Research and Development Institute.
In stark contrast to their ostentatious estate, the Tsunayashiro Clan rarely involved itself in Seireitei affairs as actively as the Kuchiki and Shihōin Clans did. Very few members of the clan even joined the Gotei 13.
Searching his memories, Muten Natsu could recall only information related to Takuma Tsunayashiro.
And when he thought of Takuma Tsunayashiro, the words Sōsuke Aizen had spoken while defecting from Soul Society resurfaced in his mind.
["Muten, do you truly understand Takuma?"]
["Why did he go to such lengths to look after you at the Shin'ō Academy? Why did he join the 11th Division instead of the 6th Division after graduating? And why... did he die?"]
["He approached you under orders from his family. But as he spent time with you, he defied those orders. At the same time, he did not wish to betray the family that had raised him, so he joined the 11th Division and repaid them by contributing his strength in battles against Hollows."]
["But your performance in Hueco Mundo renewed his family's interest in you. They began secretly plotting to bring you back to the clan."]
["Takuma was silenced because he discovered their plans."]
At the time, Muten Natsu had dismissed everything Sōsuke Aizen said as lies meant to deceive him.
But now that he thought about it... perhaps things were not so simple.
Orders from the family?
What exactly had the Tsunayashiro Clan ordered Takuma to do?
If Takuma truly had uncovered something, why had he not hidden the relevant information somewhere only the two of them knew about, just as he had done with the other information he left behind?
Or perhaps... Takuma had done exactly that, only for someone to secretly erase it afterward.
Just as someone had once tampered with the Surveillance Hall's records and made it appear that Muten Natsu was responsible for Takuma Tsunayashiro's death.
There was too little information at present. Jumping to conclusions would only interfere with his judgment.
He would have to wait for Nayura Amakado to make further progress.
Even so, Muten Natsu could not put his mind at ease. He dialed a number. "Is this a convenient time to talk?"
"Oh, Muten Unohana. What made you decide to call me? Do you have some romantic problem you'd like my advice on?" Shunsui Kyōraku's drunken voice came from the other end. "Of course. When it comes to that sort of thing, I'm quite..."
"Nayura is investigating the Tsunayashiro Clan. I'm worried about her safety."
"The Tsunayashiro Clan..." Shunsui Kyōraku's tone changed noticeably. "This is about Tokinada, isn't it?"
"I heard you were in the same class."
"I'm also the one who reported him." Shunsui Kyōraku paused. "I'll strengthen the protection around Nayura-chan even further."
"Even further?"
"Don't underestimate my intelligence network. I am the Captain of the 8th Division, after all. This sort of work falls under my jurisdiction." Shunsui Kyōraku continued, "Tokinada has been under house arrest for too long, so information about him is extremely limited. As for what kind of person he is... how should I put it? Whether it was your imprisonment back then or Rukia's execution, I've always suspected that he was manipulating events from behind the scenes."
But there was too little evidence to reach a definitive conclusion.
Muten Natsu frowned. "Why would he do that?"
"There is no reason," Shunsui Kyōraku replied. "He is simply that kind of person... Put that way, you should have some idea of his personality."
Muten Natsu narrowed his eyes. "The kind of person I don't need to think too deeply about and can deal with in the simplest, most direct way. Is that right?"
"That certainly sounds like you. Well... considering how strong you are now, I suppose I can tell you." A faint sound came from Shunsui Kyōraku's end, as though he had released his Reiatsu to drive something away. "You know about the Surveillance Hall, don't you?"
Seireitei's visual surveillance network extended throughout Soul Society, with some coverage in the World of the Living as well. In recent years, it had even spread into parts of Hueco Mundo. Everything involved, including image collection, content processing, storage, and retrieval, was collectively known as the Surveillance Hall.
"The Shihōin Clan is known as the Tenshi Heisōban, entrusted with managing the armaments bestowed by the Soul King. In the same way, the Tsunayashiro Clan was entrusted with managing the past itself. Today, the Daireishokairō is responsible for collecting and preserving all information. But before its Collection Agency was established, the Tsunayashiro Clan served as the guardians charged with recording everything," Shunsui Kyōraku said, lowering his voice. "And after the Daireishokairō's Collection Agency was founded, the Tsunayashiro Clan established... the Surveillance Hall."
Muten Natsu suddenly chuckled. "...It just occurred to me that there may be a much simpler way to gather information."
"There's no need to turn a neutral ally into an obstacle. Wait a little longer. Once we've gathered enough information, many things will become much simpler... and safer," Shunsui Kyōraku advised. "I'll inform you immediately if anything else comes up."
The call ended, and Muten Natsu's eyes flickered.
Ririn sensed the change in his mood and was about to offer a few words of advice when Orihime Inoue emerged from the bathroom.
Almost instantly, Muten Natsu's gloomy expression softened into a gentle smile.
Ririn fell silent.
It seemed there was no need to say anything after all.
***
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