Early the next morning, Riku opened his eyes to find Uzumaki Kushina straddling his stomach and glaring down at him with obvious irritation.
“Morning, Big Sis?”
“Morning?
Do you have any idea what time it is?”
“Uh…
did something happen?”
Riku sat up and naturally slipped an arm around her waist.
Kushina made a token effort to resist before giving up and resting her head against his shoulder, her lips pursed in annoyance.
“I just came back from seeing Naruto.
I heard people saying Shimura Danzō has already been reinstated as the head of Root!”
“That’s good news.”
Kushina immediately looked up at him.
“What did you just say?” She raised a small fist threateningly.
“You call that good news?”
“Of course.”
Riku gently caught her fist in his hand.
“Big Sis, would you agree that Danzō is rotten to the core?
Basically a walking tumor?”
“Do you even need to ask?”
“Exactly.
Konoha might not magically become a better place if Danzō disappeared, but at least he wouldn’t be there making it worse.” Riku smiled.
“The thing is…
what does that have to do with us anymore?”
Kushina blinked.
“We’re Citizens Number 001 and 002 of the Land of Rivers now.
It’s right there in the registry, remember?”
“Well…”
“As the Land of Rivers grows, sooner or later other powers are going to start looking at everything we’ve built and wanting a piece of it.
If war eventually breaks out, there’s a very good chance Konoha will end up on the opposing side.
Right?”
Kushina thought about it before nodding.
“Right.”
“There’s an old principle: one man’s hero is another man’s enemy.
The reverse works too.” Riku spoke gently.
“As long as Danzō keeps spreading his poison through Konoha, he’ll continue weakening the village from within.
From our position, that really is good news.”
“All right, I’ll admit that makes some sense.”
Kushina pointedly glanced downward, then gave him a teasing look.
“But those two wandering hands of yours are making a lot less sense.”
“Ahahaha!
Sorry!
Completely beyond my control!”
Riku awkwardly tried to pull his hands back, only for Kushina to push him down again.
“An apology isn’t enough.
Bad boys need to be punished, you know.”
She leaned closer, brushing her hair away from her face as the distance between them disappeared.
The atmosphere inside the little room quickly grew warmer.
Beep!
Beep!
Beep!
The translucent group-chat interface suddenly popped into view.
[Doujin Artist]: Wake up and go pee already!
@Riku-sama
[Riku-sama] [Group Owner]: I’m awake.
Busy right now.
[Doujin Artist]: Huh?
YOU just said you’re busy?
A man who spent half his life avoiding serious work claiming to be occupied was suspicious enough by itself.
I’m technically the leader of a country.
I have plenty of important responsibilities.
[Merc with a Mouth]: As expected of the boss!
Can Uncle Deadpool become one of your citizens too?
[Riku-sama] [Group Owner]: Rejected for aesthetic reasons.
[Doujin Artist]: Pfft!
[Merc with a Mouth]: Boohoo!
My heart is shattered!
Since when was being ugly a crime?!
Riku lay back comfortably with both hands behind his head.
[Riku-sama] [Group Owner]: It isn’t.
The real problem is that you’re ugly AND your face looks like a topographical map.
Think about the damage that would do to the Land of Rivers’ national image.
[Deathwish Count]: ???
Group Owner, doesn’t that qualify as a personal attack?
Eriri struggled not to laugh.
[Doujin Artist]: Obviously!
If someone insulted me like that, I’d never let it go.
I’d insult them right back.
Of course, if Mr.
Deadpool is afraid of getting muted again, pretend I didn’t say anything.
[Merc with a Mouth]: You underestimate Uncle Deadpool!
I fear no mute button!
There’s just one tiny problem.
You see…
the boss is like a father to me!
And what kind of son insults his own father?
The worst I could possibly do is print out his photo and put it on the premium listing at a male escort club.
[Doujin Artist]: PFFT—HAHAHAHA!
Yes!
I strongly support this plan!
[Deathwish Count]: I’m willing to finance the establishment.
[Merc with a Mouth]: Holy shit, that’s brilliant!
Does this mean I can become the manager of a host club too?
What a beautiful future I never knew was possible!
[Doujin Artist]: Then you should start by thanking our number-one host.
What do you think, Your Majesty?
@Riku-sama
[Riku-sama] [Group Owner]: I think all of you have way too much free time!
Look at Aizen-bro.
He never participates in this kind of vulgar nonsense.
[I’m Not a Hair-Gel Guy]: I’m killing people.
[Doujin Artist]: ?
[Riku-sama] [Group Owner]: ?
[Doujin Artist]: K-Killing who?
[I’m Not a Hair-Gel Guy]: The Tsunayashiro.
…
Night hung over Soul Society beneath a tilted moon.
A green-haired man drenched in blood knelt amid a field of corpses, a vicious grin spread across his face.
“Hah…
hahaha!
As expected of you, Aizen!”
His left arm had been severed, his right eye pierced through, and blood covered most of his body.
“My, what remarkable tenacity.”
Aizen Sōsuke regarded him without emotion.
“To attack the Tsunayashiro Clan without warning…” The green-haired man grinned wider as blood streamed from his ruined right eye.
As one of the overseers of the Great Spirit Book Gallery, he had known for a long time that Aizen was ambitious.
In that respect, they were alike—both men willing to do terrible things for their own ends.
What he had never expected was for Aizen to be insane enough to attack one of the Four Great Noble Clans, a house whose history stretched back more than a million years.
Did this man truly understand what he had done?
“A rat that has spent its life watching others from the gutter has little standing to judge me.”
Aizen’s gaze was cold, his voice openly contemptuous.
He had never thought highly of the man before him.
Born with the bloodline and resources of one of Soul Society’s greatest noble houses, yet this was all he had managed to become.
“How arrogant, Aizen Sōsuke.”
The green-haired man drew a labored breath and bared his teeth.
“Soul Society truly is fortunate to have produced a monster like you.
Unfortunately, I doubt your future will be much better than mine.
Even if you escape the Gotei 13, the people above will never let you go.”
“Zero Division?”
Aizen’s white captain’s haori fluttered gently in the night breeze.
“They won’t interfere.”
“How laughable.
Do you really think your disguise is that convincing?”
“Not at all.
I’m merely stating a fact.”
Aizen spoke with complete composure.
“The Gotei 13 received orders from the newly appointed head of the Tsunayashiro Clan to eliminate a faction of traitors.
Carrying out such an order falls perfectly within our duties.”
“What?”
Tsunayashiro Tokinada froze.
Two petite female figures were slowly approaching from nearby.
His expression changed the moment he recognized the first.
“You?!”
“Long time no see, Brother.”
Tsunayashiro Seri stepped forward in a white kimono, her hair tied into a single ponytail.
She regarded Tokinada with perfect calm.
“Tsunayashiro Seri…
Hahahahaha!”
Tokinada laughed in fury.
“So you were the one hiding deepest of all!”
His furious gaze shifted toward the woman beside her.
“And you, Michibane!
Even you betrayed me?”
Michibane Aura answered without expression.
“This isn’t betrayal.
It is my own choice.”
“Your own choice?”
Tokinada stared at her for a moment before breaking into a mocking grin.
“How amusing.
A mere tool has actually developed a will of its own?
Seri, Aizen, Michibane…
you bastards—”
Squelch!
A blade pierced straight through his heart from behind.
Tokinada stopped speaking.
Slowly, almost mechanically, he lowered his gaze toward the Zanpakutō protruding from his chest.
He recognized it.
It had once belonged to his wife.
The wife he had murdered with his own hands.
“Kakyō…”
Tōsen Kaname pulled the blade free and flicked the blood from its edge.
After centuries of waiting, he had finally avenged his friend with his own hands.
Silver moonlight fell across the blind captain’s face as a quiet, genuine smile of satisfaction appeared on his lips.