14 Chapter 14: Relaxation

Letting out a sigh I head for the hot spring after seeing Matsuri training with her Shikai active.

'I can't believe she didn't tell me I already had access to my Bankai already.'

--

(Earlier)

I finished training with Athena as we put down our weapons and looked at each other.

"So, are you going to give me the Bankai?"

The tiger and lion both look to each other.

"…" Athena doesn't say anything as she looks away from me. A red face and a pout on her face. "You called me just to get your Bankai? So, mean."

She looks at me and sighs seeing my expectant face.

"I told you, earlier didn't I. When you asked about the Shikai? If I remember correctly, I told you I would give my all to you. That would include Bankai wouldn't it?" She says with a small smile. Approaching me and nuzzling her head into my chest. "Mm. So comfortable…"

"…" I stare at her confused at her words. "So, what you're saying is that�� I had access to my Bankai the first time I visited you?"

She nods in my chest at that. "Yup."

"…"

"…"

"…"

"Ah, sorry did I not tell you?" She says sticking her tongue out at me.

--

I reach the hot spring and start to undress and enter it. Sitting down in it and thinking over the training I just had. 'I need to figure out what my Bankai does… I'll test it after this break.' Letting out a satisfied sigh.

"…"

"…"

"…"

Suddenly feeling a weight on my chest, I see a black cat looking up at me. "Urahara didn't mention the visitor being a cat…" I say to myself as I grab hold of the cat and start petting behind their ears and under their chin. The cat satisfied by this treatment leans closer to my hands.

After a few moments, the cat starts purring silently then growing louder as I pet them.

"Who knew I had an affinity with cats… I suppose the tiger and lion gave it away huh?" Laughing a bit at my own joke before stopping the petting. The cat turns and looks to glare at me. My hands moving back down to pet them. They return to their content form and sit comfortably in my hold.

After a few minutes, I hear a few footsteps approaching. "He's probably in the hot spring resting right now." Urahara's voice enters my ears.

"Yeah, I'm here. What do you need?" I reply from the spring. Starting to figure out a way of this situation I'm about to end up in. 'I could shunpo out of here…' Before I can finish formulating a plan the dreaded moment arrives.

"Takashi, I awoke my Shikai!" Matsuri says rounding the corner. Her eyes turning from pure joy to fire straight from hell. "What do you think you're doing to my brother!" She yells at the 'cat' in my arms.

Turning to look back towards the 'cat' I see a black-haired dark-skinned woman leaning into my chest. My hand ruffling her hair while the other is scratching her chin.

'Fuck.' Trying to figure out a way of this conversation I look towards Urahara. Hiding behind a rock breaking into laughter. I shoot him a glare as he breaks into a sweat but maintaining his smile.

"Hm?" The woman in my arm says as she looks towards Matsuri. "And who are you interrupting us?" She starts.

I let out a sigh. "Do you mind not pissing off my little sister? I can barely handle her at her normal temperament." Whispering into Yoruichi's ear.

Matsuri not taking the whispering very well lets out a "Hmph!" and walks away.

"Ah. I'm not going to hear the end of it at home…" I get out of the spring and throw on my clothes. Chasing after my younger sister.

--

"What do you mean it was a prank?" Matsuri looking at me suspiciously asks.

"Urahara and Captain Yoruichi planned it the moment we stepped into that training ground." I say immediately throwing the blame at their feet.

Matsuri looks me up and down and shakes her head. "You can't throw your body at any woman that walks up to you. I have to approve!" She says with a sage-like nod.

I let out a laugh and ruffle her hair. "Sure, sure! Anything you want boss."

We head off to visit a few friends before the day ends.

--

I decided to end my day by visiting Captain Suzunami at the fifth division base.

"Ah, Takashi. How is my sister?" Looking up from his paperwork to greet me.

"Oh, she's doing fine."

"I'm glad to hear that…" He looks down at his paperwork and then back to me. "I'm grateful to you and Matsuri. Because of you, I'm able to hear of my sister's condition more often."

"Lady Konoka is in perfect health. She's also in a quiet area of town. What's there to worry about?" Trying to find out if there are any hidden forces I needed to worry about.

Suzunami gets a melancholic gaze in his eyes. "Things are fine now, but there have been times in the past when they weren't. Back when I was your age in fact. I was at Shin'o Academy when my parents fell ill and passed away. My sister and I faced the loss of the Suzunami family's status and income." He lets out a sigh.

He continues "Our relatives had given up on us. They had given up on me as the heir because I was weak and sickly. The future looked very bleak for us and our family name. At that point, my sister received a marriage proposal. The third son of an over-ranking aristocratic family wanted to become part of our family. He hoped to usurp my place as head of the family. It is not an uncommon practice in aristocratic circles.

Taking a deep breath, he turns his eyes to the papers. "Recognizing our compromised position, he planned to take over the Suzunami family." His turns turning to mine as he makes eye contact. "My sister turned him down on the spot. I'll never forget her words." He pauses for a moment. "The Suzunami name and all its property belong to their rightful heir, my brother, Seigen. And my heart is no exception."

He turns back to his papers and starts it back up. "My sister sold off some of the family assets bit by bit in order to support us. She let the servants go and learned to manage the household herself. She used to say that she wasn't worried about anything, she only has to wait for me."

"I see…" Nodding along at that. 'No wonder he cares so much about her.'

"My sister's happiness means everything to me. And who can deny me that?" He stops and looks at me with a small smile. "Perhaps I've said too much. No need to share this with anyone else. Particularly my sister."

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