Chapter 28: Yoruichi Finding Out Soifon Is Missing
Yoruichi lay on a bed in her cat form, listening to the others bicker. She wasn't interested in the subject of their argument; all she wanted was for Soifon to return so she could see her former student and check on her well-being.
The black cat's golden orbs were half-open as she observed Renji and Ikkaku confront each other. 'And like I said, you cheated in that game,' Ikkaku hissed at the red-haired Soul Reaper.
'I did not,' Renji protested. 'Do you two have to fight?' Rukia inquired as she attempted to separate Renji from Ikkaku, while Isane rested her head on Yumichika's lap in an effort to relax. The purple-haired man ran his fingers through the fourth lieutenant's hair and advised, 'Just let them be, Rukia,' Yumichika said.
Yoruichi rolled her eyes at the group, turned around to avoid getting a headache from watching and listening to the younger Reapers bicker, and could hear Jushiro laughing.
Yoruichi pondered, 'I wish you hurry up, Soi,' as she shut her eyes, contemplating the absence of the second squad captain. 'The current situation lacks excitement without your presence, and these individuals do not contribute positively either.'
Yoruichi's attention was caught by the sound of a knock on the door, and she observed Jushiro approaching to attend to it. Upon hearing Shizune's voice, she sat up in anticipation, hoping it would be Soifon, but her disappointment was evident when it turned out to be Shizune instead.
'Greetings, Miss Shizune, how may we assist you?' Jushiro inquired politely as he ushered the short-haired woman inside. 'Lady Tsunade has requested your presence at the tower,' Shizune relayed, addressing everyone. 'She has important information to share with you.'
Yoruichi, now intrigued by Shizune's message, questioned, 'Has Captain Soifon returned?' Rukia, displaying curiosity, asked the same. 'No, she hasn't,' Shizune responded with a hint of disappointment, prompting Yoruichi to revert to her human form and approach the woman.
"Upon reaching the tower, Tsunade will provide the necessary information," Shizune stated that she chose not to disclose Soifon's capture herself, believing that the fifth Hokage would give a more detailed explanation, especially considering the meaningful glance Yoruichi was giving her.
Yoruichi regarded Shizune with narrowed golden eyes, pondering what information she was concealing and suspecting a connection to Soifon, considering the woman's avoidance of their gazes.
"We will arrive at the tower soon, Shizune," Jushiro said with a smile, to which the dark-haired woman nodded before departing, leaving the Reapers to themselves.
Yoruichi crossed her arms over her chest and closed her eyes, attempting to sense Soifon's spiritual energy nearby. Frowning upon feeling none of her former student's spiritual energy, she expressed no concerns aloud. "Let us proceed to the tower to learn of Tsunade's requirements," Jushiro suggested, leading everyone out.
《 At the Tower 》
Yoruichi proceeded to follow Jushiro and the others into the office, where she observed Tsunade seated at her desk and a gray-haired man standing in front of her. 'Kakashi, you're back already?' Jushiro inquired with surprise, as it had only been a day since their last encounter. Renji expressed his astonishment at the absence of Soifon, questioning Kakashi's arrival without her.
'That's precisely why I summoned you here,' Tsunade stated, glancing at Kakashi, who nodded in agreement as he took a step forward. Yoruichi's golden eyes narrowed as she observed Kakashi's gaze, her hands clenching into fists in preparation to attack if he was involved in Soifon's absence.
'Soifon and I had just started eating our meals when I needed to use the bathroom, so I thought everything would be fine,' Kakashi explained, taking a deep breath. 'After some time, I was ambushed by an Anbu, whom I fought to the best of my ability. However, I suspect she merely did it as a diversion,' he elaborated.
Yoruichi could not contain her anger and refrained from attacking Kakashi. 'When I regained consciousness, I immediately went to check on Soifon to ensure her safety, only to discover that she was nowhere in sight,' he explained as he picked up Soifon's Zanpakuto and presented it.
'You allowed whoever distracted you to take Soifon,' Yoruichi accused, her tone harsh as she approached Kakashi with the intent to confront him.
'We entrusted you to train her, not to let her be abducted,' she hissed, gripping Kakashi by his shirt firmly.
Yoruichi disregarded the stares from onlookers, wishing things could have remained as they were before Soifon arrived and uncovered the truth about herself, preventing this unfortunate turn of events as she kept a watchful eye on the young woman.
'I apologize for the swift turn of events, but Soifon did put up a valiant fight,' Kakashi stated, attempting to break free from Yoruichi's firm grip. 'Indeed, Soifon is not one to easily succumb to capture, but she was ultimately outsmarted,' Yoruichi remarked.
Yoruichi released Kakashi, causing the gray-haired man to fall to the ground, as per Jushiro's instruction to 'release him,' demonstrating an awareness that panicking or overreacting would not benefit anyone, particularly Soifon.
'We must locate her before any harm comes to her,' Yoruichi warned Jushiro, emphasizing her determination by stating, 'If we fail, I will not rest until I forcefully remove your arm.'
With that, the purple-haired woman issued the threat and promptly used flash step to exit the office in search of Soifon. Jushiro observed Yoruichi's departure, then turned apologetically to Tsunade, explaining, 'I apologize for that display, Tsunade. Yoruichi is deeply concerned, as Soifon is her former student.' Tsunade acknowledged his explanation with a nod.
Yoruichi, consumed by a mixture of anger and worry, swiftly traversed the village in pursuit of Soifon, determined to locate her and bring her back home.
Pausing atop a statue's head, Yoruichi contemplated Soifon's possible whereabouts, closing her eyes in concentration as she attempted to pinpoint the small woman's location.
Yoruichi pondered, "Come, little bee, show me you are at," as she attempted to sense Soifon's spiritual energy. However, she could only detect Jushiro's and others' energies, which frustrated her.
The person who had kidnapped Soifon seemed clever enough to have utilized a technique to prevent anyone from locating her.
Despite this, Yoruichi couldn't help reminiscing about the one time she and Soifon had trained together. She smiled at the memory that flooded her thoughts.
《 Flash-back 》
"Alright, Soifon, let's engage in a game of hide and seek," said a grinning Yoruichi with her short hair, casting her mind back to the time when the younger Soul Reaper stared back at her with inquisitive stormy gray eyes.
Observing Soifon's puzzled expression, Yoruichi witnessed the girl's head tilt as she softly questioned, 'Hide and seek?' Wondering why her captain wanted to play a childish game instead of focusing on their training session.
Yoruichi couldn't refrain from smiling at the young Fon's response, 'Indeed, it's not merely a game of hide and seek.' Soifon gazed at her inquisitively, 'Really?' she inquired.
'Indeed it is,' Yoruichi replied with a grin, 'I shall seek you out, requiring you to conceal yourself while maintaining a low spiritual energy to make it challenging for me to locate you,' she explained.
Soifon nodded, then turned to the captain of the second squad in disbelief, 'Is that all?' she asked, surprised that it seemed so simple. 'No, but we shall discuss that later,' Yoruichi said with a smile. 'Now, go and hide, Soifon,' she instructed, guiding the young girl away with a gentle push.
《 Flash-back over 》
Yoruichi could not refrain from smiling as she recalled the challenging task of locating Soifon. Eventually, she discovered Soifon asleep in a tree, nearly tumbling out of it, a sight that elicited laughter from Yoruichi. She had grown impatient waiting for the older woman to find her, leading Soifon to fall asleep. 'Hello, Yoruichi,' Naruto greeted as he approached her. 'Why are you up here alone?' he inquired, seating himself beside her as the purple-haired woman simply shrugged. 'I am contemplating a plan to locate a friend of mine,' Yoruichi responded, glancing at the blond man.
'Which friend?' Naruto probed, guessing it was Jushiro, as Renji had informed him that Soifon had gone to train with Kakashi. Yoruichi shook her head. 'Not Jushiro, but Soifon,' she sighed.
'Soifon has been captured,' she revealed, observing Naruto's shocked expression at the news. 'Really?' he asked, surprised that someone had managed to apprehend the short-tempered captain.
Yoruichi expressed that she attempted to locate Soifon by trying to sense her spiritual energy, but unfortunately, she had not been successful.
Naruto offered his assistance in finding Soifon, expressing confidence that once located, she would be unharmed. Yoruichi smiled at Naruto's optimism and agreed to his help before standing up to continue her search for Soifon.