Following behind Toshiro, Rangiku Matsumoto stormed in, her hands planted firmly on her hips.
Though her stunning face carried a hint of joy at their reunion, it was mostly overshadowed by unconcealed anger and resentment.
"Exactly, Captain! You just vanished into thin air, disappearing for over a decade without leaving so much as a single message!"
"Do you have any idea what I... what Captain Hitsugaya and I have been through all these years?!" Rangiku complained furiously, her impressive chest heaving with her indignant breaths.
"If Captain Hitsugaya hadn't been so sharp, we'd still be completely in the dark!"
Hearing Rangiku's accusations, the sudden realization dawned on everyone present.
No wonder they hadn't seen Rangiku Matsumoto around earlier; she had gone to the World of the Living to catch him.
Time rewound slightly to a few days prior.
When Toshiro received the family photo featuring Isshin Shiba from Yoruichi, he didn't hesitate to order his Vice Captain, Rangiku Matsumoto, to investigate Karakura Town.
To Rangiku, Isshin Shiba was more than just her commanding officer.
He was the elder who had offered her shelter and guidance during her most vulnerable and confusing times.
His disappearance had left her depressed for a long period, to the point where she could only drown her sorrows in alcohol.
When she rushed through the Senkaimon, burning with anxiety, and finally stood before the building named Kurosaki Clinic after a thorough search...
Rangiku's eyes instantly turned red.
Through the glass, she immediately spotted the scruffy, middle-aged man in a white coat, napping on his desk without a care for his image.
Even though he had lost his Soul Reaper powers and no longer possessed that fiery Spiritual Pressure...
Even though the passage of time had left him looking a bit weathered, that punchable face...
*Ding-ling—*
The wind chime on the clinic door rang.
Isshin lifted his head, habitually putting on his professional smile. "Welcome to the Kurosaki Clinic, what seems to be the prob—"
"Captain!!"
When Rangiku's voice echoed through the clinic, Isshin Kurosaki nearly fell out of his chair in shock.
Their reunion didn't involve much heartwarming reminiscing.
Once Rangiku confirmed Isshin was safe and sound, the grievances and anger she had suppressed for years erupted all at once.
She grabbed him by the collar, crying and scolding him simultaneously, demanding to know why he had abandoned the Tenth Division and why he hadn't left a single word behind.
Faced with Rangiku's tears, Isshin had no defense and could only let her vent.
But what gave Isshin an even bigger headache was that Rangiku brought not only tears of reunion but also the nightmare that the Soul Society was on the brink of chaos.
Shortly after Rangiku found Isshin Kurosaki, her Denreishinki delivered news that shocked them both.
"Sosuke Aizen has defected, Central 46 has been completely annihilated, and Head Captain Yamamoto has been sealed and banished by bizarre means..."
Upon hearing this, the man who had hidden his identity in the World of the Living to be an ordinary father realized something.
Whether his peaceful days could continue... was now highly questionable.
Not only because the Soul Society was his homeland and he could no longer stand idly by.
But more importantly, his son, Ichigo Kurosaki, was currently right in the eye of that storm.
So, he closed the clinic doors and called his two daughters, who were doing their homework upstairs, down to the living room.
"Say... Yuzu, Karin," Isshin rubbed his hands together, speaking with earnest gravity. "Your dad... has to go out of town for a few days. You two be good at home and don't go running around, you hear?"
He looked at his two bewildered daughters. "Don't open the door for strangers, don't take candy from strangers, and definitely don't..."
"Are you going to look for Ichigo?"
Karin, the tomboyish girl with short black hair, calmly asked while munching on an apple. "Ichigo has been missing for days, and you haven't seemed worried at all. You're finally going to find him, right?"
"Well..." Caught off guard by the direct question, Isshin found himself at a loss for words.
But Karin just crossed her arms, giving Isshin a look that said she had already seen through everything. "Tell the truth, is our family in debt?"
"Did a quack doctor like you mess up a patient's treatment, borrow money from loan sharks, and now you're using our big brother to pay off the debt...?"
"How is that possible!!"
Isshin Kurosaki jumped up defensively. "Your brother is just..."
He racked his brain, trying to come up with an excuse for Ichigo's absence these past few days and a reason for his own impending trip.
But under the pressing gazes of Karin and Yuzu...
And considering the possibility that some malicious Hollow might sense their Reiryoku and attack while he was away...
After much deliberation, Isshin realized this might be the perfect opportunity to lay all his cards on the table.
"Actually... your dad isn't just an ordinary clinic doctor."
"Many years ago, I was a Soul Reaper who maintained world peace and slayed demons..."
"Now, your big brother has also become a Soul Reaper, but he's run into a little trouble, so I have to go bring him back!"
Isshin had assumed this absurd truth would terrify his daughters, even bracing himself for them to treat him like a lunatic.
But to his absolute surprise, their reactions were completely beyond his expectations.
"Oh, I see."
Karin merely gave a nonchalant reply, her face showing little surprise.
"I knew our family wasn't normal."
Karin curled her lips, analyzing the situation with sound logic. "That idiot Ichigo has been sneaking out of his window in the middle of the night for months. All that secrecy felt off."
She sighed, acting like a little adult. "I thought he had become a delinquent. Thank goodness he's just a Soul Reaper..."
"No wonder I thought I was dreaming that day when I saw him flying in the sky wearing a black kimono... Turns out it runs in the family."
Meanwhile, Yuzu, who was always gentle, sensible, and in charge of the household chores, covered her mouth in shock at the news.
But her first reaction wasn't fear.
"A Soul Reaper? Like the legendary messengers who guide souls to heaven?" Yuzu's eyes sparkled with curiosity and admiration. "Does that mean you and Ichigo are like superheroes?"
However, Yuzu's expression quickly turned to worry, her eyes reddening slightly. "But being a superhero must be really dangerous, right? Will Ichigo get hurt?"
"Yeah, is Ichigo in danger over there? You stupid old man! Why are you still hiding at home? Hurry up and go help him!" Karin complained.
Looking at his daughters—who not only didn't blame him but accepted reality so easily and were even worrying about Ichigo—Isshin felt a complex mix of emotions welling up in his heart.
His wife, Masaki, watching from up in heaven, would surely be proud of these two sensible girls.
Thus, to ensure their safety, Isshin decided to bring them along through the Senkaimon Rangiku opened, returning to the Soul Society.
Later, they followed Rangiku to the Shiba estate and settled down temporarily.
Which led to the bustling, lively scene in the grand hall just now.
"And that's the whole story!"
Rangiku threw her hands up, glaring at Isshin, who was sitting on the tatami mats, and addressed everyone in the hall. "This guy not only became a small business owner in the World of the Living, but he also had three adorable kids! He's been living way more comfortably than us in the Seireitei!"
"Hey, hey, Rangiku, you can't say that. I've had it tough too..." Isshin tried to defend himself.
"Shut up! You deadbeat Captain who abandoned his subordinates!" Rangiku cut him off mercilessly.
On the other side, Ichigo, having learned the truth, was absolutely losing his mind.
He leaped up, pointing right at Isshin's nose, and roared, "You crappy old man! You're a Soul Reaper too?! And a Captain?!"
"I was wondering why you and the girls showed up here yesterday, but you kept acting all mysterious and wouldn't say a word!"
"After all this time, I was the only one kept in the dark!"
"Then why did you just stand by and watch me bust my ass fighting Hollows for months, and watch Rukia get taken away, without doing a damn thing?!"
Ichigo felt massively betrayed.
He had been risking his life to protect their family, only to find out his own dad was a max-level veteran pretending to be a noob?!
"Oh, Ichigo, you just don't get it. This is the trial of a father's love!" Isshin bounced up from the floor, striking what he thought was a cool pose. "How can you see a rainbow without weathering the storm?"
"If I had just casually intervened, how could you have grown into the man you are today, who has mastered Bankai?"
"Trial my ass!!!"
Furious, Ichigo delivered a flying kick straight to Isshin's face, sending him rolling across the tatami mats several times.
"Waaaah! Masaki, look at this rebellious son from up in heaven!" Isshin wailed, rolling on the floor while clutching his face.
"Serves you right!" Karin added coldly from the sidelines.
Watching this rowdy family, Kaien Shiba couldn't help but burst into laughter. He walked over and threw an arm around Ichigo's shoulders.
"Alright, Ichigo, don't be mad. Uncle Isshin definitely had his reasons for doing what he did," Kaien said with a smile, then turned to Karin and Yuzu. "You two make yourselves at home, don't be shy!"
"Okay, Kaien!" Yuzu bowed politely.
"Got it," Karin nodded coolly.
"My, my, how lively." Kisuke Urahara fanned himself with his folding fan, his eyes full of sentiment as he watched the scene.
Yoruichi nodded in agreement. "Indeed... It's been a long time since the Shiba family has been this full of life."
However, even though the atmosphere in the hall had become boisterous again thanks to the Kurosaki family, and everyone was even excitedly discussing how grand of a banquet they should throw tonight to celebrate the reunion...
Toshiro Hitsugaya's expression remained dark, seemingly unaffected by the heartwarming mood.
A freezing Spiritual Pressure slowly emanated from the young Captain.
"Captain Isshin, and Captain Kaien."
Toshiro's voice wasn't loud, but it caused the temperature in the room to drop a few degrees.
"You two, come with me for a moment."