Rangiku stole a careful glance at the two.
One adult, one child. Captain Kurotsuchi said earlier that the intruders were one big and one small. Even slowed down a thousand times, they were just two blurry streaks.
The sizes matched perfectly. According to the rules of the Seireitei, she should be making an arrest right now. However, every time Rangiku entertained a hostile thought toward them, a bone-chilling cold washed over her—as if an invisible giant hand were gripping her throat, ready to snap it with the slightest exertion.
With that realization, Rangiku spoke decisively: "You two, I have urgent business to attend to. I'll take my leave first!"
Without waiting for a reply, she vanished in a blur of Shunpo.
Ren and Lilynette exchanged a look. "I think we've been made," Ren noted.
"Seems so."
Ren's eyes gleamed as he grinned at Lilynette. "First Lady, I have an idea!"
"Speak!"
Ren leaned in and whispered in her ear, "So and so... this and that..."
Lilynette looked hesitant. "Will that actually work?"
"Trust me, it never fails!" Ren patted his chest in a guarantee.
The two blurred into shadows. Within seconds, they reached the kitchens of the Sakanoshita Inn and swept up every bottle of seasoning and scrap of premium food they could find!
Just as they shouldered their sacks to make a break for it, the doors burst open. Two figures stood before them.
"Oh? To think the Ryoka who invaded the Seireitei would be in our restaurant stealing spices and snacks? Hehehe~" The woman in the lead, with a braided strand of hair resting on her chest, chuckled lightly behind her hand.
Behind her stood Tōshirō Hitsugaya, his face darker than a burnt pot. Staring at Ren and Lilynette, Tōshirō squeezed a few words through his gritted teeth: "You little thieves... die!"
A cold flash of steel lunged forward. Ren leaned back slightly, casually dodging Tōshirō's strike, then flicked his finger. Tōshirō was instantly hit as if by a runaway truck, flying dozens of meters back and crashing into a massive crater in the ground!
Before he could even stand, a small, elegant foot slammed onto his chest.
CRACK!
The sound of snapping bone echoed. Tōshirō spat out a mouthful of blood, his eyes wide in disbelief as he stared at the little girl standing on top of him.
"Hehe, Mr. Captain, we just took some spices and food—we even thoughtfully left money. You can't arrest us!" Lilynette smirked mischievously.
Ren addressed Retsu Unohana, who stood blocking his path: "Shouldn't you go treat that kid? He looks like he's about to kick the bucket."
Lilynette didn't really know her own strength; that stomp had seriously wounded Tōshirō. However, the kid was resilient. After Lilynette stepped off, he forced himself up and growled, "Sit upon the frozen heavens... Hyourinmaru!"
BOOM!
A bone-chilling frost surged toward them, making Ren frown. "What a stubborn brat. He won't learn until he sees the coffin."
Though annoyed, Ren respected Tōshirō's dedication—he was one of the few captains who actually did his job.
Unohana isn't drawing her sword yet; she'll likely stick to Kido, which isn't a threat. If I handle Tōshirō, I can get Lilynette out of here!
Ren decided on a strategic retreat to avoid a direct confrontation with the old Captain-Commander. But just as he was about to move, Lilynette pointed a finger at Tōshirō's back.
In an instant, cold sweat drenched Tōshirō. I'm going to die!
Without hesitation, Tōshirō used Shunpo to reappear in front of Unohana. Ren stepped in front of Lilynette, grabbing her hand with a smile. "We didn't come here to declare war on the Seireitei. We have the spices; it's time to go."
Lilynette huffed. "Fine, I'll give you face this once~"
Tōshirō wasn't about to let them leave, but Unohana held him back. He looked at her in confusion, but she stepped past him and smiled at Ren. "I don't believe we caught your names. Would you mind telling us?"
"My name is Naruto Uchiha, and this is my wife, Sakura Hyuga!"
With that, the two vanished, leaving only a faint pop echoing in the air.
Tōshirō's eyes widened. "That sound... those two were Hollows?!"
The smile vanished from Unohana's face. Two Hollows that looked human—this was a massive problem. "Captain Hitsugaya, this is beyond our jurisdiction now. Go find Captain Kurotsuchi and try to track them. I'm going to the Captain-Commander. There's a high chance he will need to step in personally!"
Ren and Lilynette left the 4th Division's territory, planning to head to the Rukongai to open a Garganta. They ran on foot to keep a low profile; flying in the sky was too obvious.
Suddenly, two hands reached up from the ground, grabbing their ankles and dragging them into the depths.
Ren had reacted the moment he felt his feet sink, but seeing that the hand grabbing Lilynette was dark-skinned, he didn't resist. When his vision cleared, they were in a spacious underground chamber.
Standing before them were the people the Soul Society had been hunting: a man in a bucket hat and a dark-skinned beauty.
Lilynette immediately checked her sack of spices. Finding them intact, she glared at the two. "You two bastards... ready to die?"
Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi looked awkward. Kisuke said softly, "My apologies for the rudeness, but the situation is urgent. We had to take desperate measures."
Lilynette wasn't buying it. A lime-green Cero began to manifest at her fingertips.
"We can provide you with a long-term supply of premium seasonings!" Yoruichi blurted out.
The Cero vanished. Lilynette nodded. "Speak. What do you want?"