Help! I am bound to Aizen!

In a certain part of Rukongai, a series of winding valleys stretched far and wide.

Hidden within these valleys was a small hot spring, a hidden gem in its own right.

The milky-white waters of the spring emitted a soft, misty haze.

A girl with dark skin relaxed in the water, leaning against the rocks at the edge, sighing comfortably.

"Ah... pure bliss~"

Yoruichi squinted her eyes, her face taking on a cat-like expression.

Just as she was settling in for a good rest, her ears twitched suddenly.

Footsteps echoed from a distance, approaching fast.

Yoruichi's gaze turned icy. She extended a hand out of the water, her fingertips glowing with spiritual particles.

Then, she saw a young man dressed in a Shin'o Academy uniform and a girl from the Corps appear at the entrance of the cave.

Seeing them, Yoruichi blinked in surprise before her lips curled into a smile, and she dissipated the Kido she had been charging up.

"Oh my, how terrifying, to be greeted with Kido as soon as I enter."

Seeing how adeptly Yoruichi used Kido, Kaelith let out a sigh of relief.

It seemed her injuries weren't severe, as they hadn't affected her control over spiritual energy.

Yoruichi, still in the water, lazily stretched out an arm, resting it on the stone behind her:

"I had no choice. Someone was so adamant that my body not be seen by others."

As she spoke, she fixed her gaze on Kaelith, a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

Kaelith: "..."

He coughed awkwardly, trying to change the subject. "Where are you hurt? How bad is it?"

At his question, Yoruichi turned slightly, lifting another arm out of the water.

A long wound ran from her shoulder down to halfway along her upper arm.

Although the bleeding had stopped, the severity of the injury was still apparent.

Kaelith frowned slightly.

He was about to say something when Yoruichi suddenly stood up from the water.

This abrupt movement startled him.

With a splash, Yoruichi turned around.

On her back, patches of skin had been scorched away, exposing the dermal layer beneath.

Kaelith clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"You really got hit hard."

Clearly, Yoruichi's back had taken the brunt of a potent Kido attack.

Thankfully, the Hell Hot Springs had been prepared in advance to treat both her and Soifon's earlier injuries.

Without the hot springs, relying solely on healing Kido would have likely left significant scarring.

Imagining that scenario, Kaelith squinted his eyes.

"Ease up, ease up..."

Sensing the change in Kaelith's mood, Yoruichi waved her hand with a smile.

"It's just a wound... For the Stealth Force, injuries like this are as common as eating and drinking. Don't worry too much."

Kaelith sat down cross-legged on the ground. "How did it happen?"

At this, Soifon, who had been standing to the side, lowered her head.

"I'm sorry, it's all my fault. If it weren't for me..."

"It's not Soifon's fault," Yoruichi interrupted, sitting back down in the spring and waving her hand dismissively.

When the conversation returned to serious matters, her expression grew stern.

"Kaelith, have you ever heard of the Tsunayashiro family?"

Kaelith thought for a few seconds. "One of the Five Great Noble Families?"

Before his reincarnation, he hadn't heard of this family.

Since coming to this world, however, as his experiences grew, he slowly became aware of several previously unknown families.

Yoruichi nodded slightly. "Yes, one of the five great noble families, and also one of the real power wielders in the Soul Society."

"In the Forty-Sixth Chamber, the Tsunayashiro family and their vassals occupy as much as 40% of the seats!"

"Forty percent?" Kaelith was genuinely surprised.

In the Soul Society, the Tsunayashiro alone occupied 40% of the seats in the Central 46.

Did that mean the remaining four families were mere subordinates?

Yoruichi guessed Kaelith's thoughts and smiled.

"The Kuchiki family still holds significant power; they control more than 30%."

"Centuries ago, the power of the five great noble families was roughly the same... The reason it has become what it is now is quite simple."

"The heads of the Shibata and Tsunayashiro families are still alive and well."

"Whereas in my family, the Shihōin family, most of the older generation has died off."

"The younger generation, although talented, is too young to hold much sway."

"The lesser nobles are experts at wind-veining, siding with whoever wins."

"Just watch, once I become stronger and more skilled, they will all obediently come back!"

With that, Yoruichi flashed a wide smile, bending her arm in a power pose.

Kaelith curiously asked, "Is the Tsunayashiro family that strong? If they are so powerful, why haven't I seen anyone from their family in the Gotei 13?"

Yoruichi scoffed, "Because the Tsunayashiro family looks down on such things."

"Their people have always believed that nobles should be above others."

"As their patriarch says, we, being from the five great noble families, yet serving as mere enforcers in the Gotei 13, are losing our noble face."

"Kaelith, don't underestimate them just because they don't have a captain."

"Their waters run deep!"

Kaelith nodded thoughtfully.

Yoruichi's words indeed served as a reminder.

He had always believed that the power of the Soul Society was concentrated in the Gotei 13.

Besides the captains, there seemed to be no significant power.

The so-called nobles were just freeloaders.

Relying on a system of privilege that extended back a million years, they could dominate over the captains and act high and mighty.

Now hearing Yoruichi's words, it seemed there were indeed capable people among the nobility...

"I'll remember this."

"Let's talk about you first, though. Why suddenly mention the Tsunayashiro? Is it related to your injuries...?"

Yoruichi explained, "Not long ago, after the prison raid incident, the Captain-Commander ordered us to lead attacks on several of the rebels' hidden locations."

"In our surprise assaults, the rebels suffered heavy losses, with three high-ranking officers killed on the spot."

"But... the fact is, not all their strongholds were under our control."

"While attacking some locations, the Stealth Force kept others under surveillance."

"After several safe probes, the rebels finally took the bait and began a large-scale relocation."

"Once we confirmed their final gathering point, Soifon and I personally went to monitor it, preparing to take action soon to completely eliminate these guys!"

"Just last night, the two of us were discovered."

"A few highly skilled individuals tried to encircle and kill us."

"If it had been other members of the Stealth Force, they might have succeeded... unfortunately for them, they encountered me, Yoruichi Shihōin!"

"Catching up to my speed is not that easy!"

Yoruichi spoke lightly, but Kaelith could imagine just how dangerous the situation had been.

Under Kaelith's watchful eye, Yoruichi squinted:

"While escaping, I took a hit from a 'Pale Fire Crash' and wounded one of them."

"From the tear in his night-gown, I saw... the Tsunayashiro family crest!"