Demon Slayer: The Journey That Began When I Became Yoriichi's Sister

Chapter 577 Spy

However, upon hearing Yushiro mention humans in the present world, Ikuko's thoughts drifted away.

Ah, the world...

I suddenly feel like going to see it...

Judging from the state of Soul Society, the human world probably isn't the same as the human world; it might be some ancient society.

Thinking about it carefully, this place is still better.

Yushiro looked at the Zanpakuto that Yuko had placed beside her, its blade emitting a faint, dark purple light.

The Zanpakuto of ordinary Shinigami usually exists in the form of a regular samurai sword, but this one seems to be a Zanpakuto that is permanently in its Shikai form.

There aren't many Shinigami with this type of Zanpakuto in the Gotei 13.

So he really is Death after all, right?

Perhaps he has some special identity!

Otherwise, this Zanpakuto and Shinigami armor wouldn't make any sense at all!

Yushiro asked, "Is Yuuko-neechan a Grim Reaper?"

Yuko's gaze fell on Yushiro's curious face. She had thought that Yushiro's personality was rather shy and that he didn't like to ask questions or pry into things.

Is it possible that Yoruichi, who usually seems carefree, is actually more meticulous inside?

These two siblings are quite interesting. Their personalities aren't exactly opposites, but at least they're not on the same side.

Yuko pondered for a moment: "Half and half, I don't belong to any squad."

"The Zanpakuto and Shinigami armor were just given to me by Yoruichi to make it easier for me to move around in Seireitei."

Yushiro blinked blankly. What did he mean by 'for the convenience of moving around within the Seireitei'?

Why does it sound so awkward to him?

Yushiro suddenly recalled the answer he received from the maid when they chatted briefly in the kitchen earlier.

They only come to clean at fixed times...

It's as if, as if Yuko's older sister is a spy infiltrating Seireitei, and in order to avoid exposing what she's doing, her older sister made the servants leave the mansion.

Hmm... So, his sister must be an accomplice of the Hidden Agents.

Haha, that's a really interesting guess...

What a ghost!

This sounds really bad!

The Shinigami armor and Zanpakuto are only for easy movement within the Seireitei.

Yu Shiro suddenly panicked. Could it be that his sister had done something behind his back during the month he was in seclusion? Well, his sister rarely talked to him about serious matters.

But... medicine is in the bag!

Even within the Shihōin family, such fundamental errors are not permitted.

Yuko seemed to see through his thoughts and comforted him, "Don't worry, Mr. Yamamoto has already agreed."

Yushiro subconsciously breathed a sigh of relief, "So that's what it was..."

!!!

So his guess was right?!

Medicine, medicine, medicine!

My sister is going to become a major sinner in the Shihōin family!

...Um, Mr. Yamamoto agreed?

After a flurry of mental activity, Yushiro finally calmed down.

"So, the spiritual pressure fluctuations that appeared at home earlier... were they really Yuuko-neechan's?"

"Before? Ah, you mean that time?" Yu Zi paused, realizing what he meant. "Yes, it was me."

"That was the first time I unleashed my Zanpakuto, and I didn't control it well."

"...If I may ask, this Zanpakuto was in this state before my sister gave it to you, right?"

"No, it's just like a regular samurai sword, not as exquisite as it looks now."

"..." If he remembered correctly, it shouldn't have been a month yet, right?

What kind of monster can unlock their Zanpakuto from scratch in just one month?!

Did you buy this Zanpakuto wholesale?

Why is he training so hard?!

The spiritual pressure fluctuations felt almost as strong as his sister's.

If things hadn't calmed down so quickly, he would have been restless on the back mountain.

Yuko noticed his silence and explained, "I didn't release my Zanpakuto through normal means, so it has nothing to do with time."

A glimmer of hope rose in Yushiro's eyes: "That is..."

He knew it! How could anyone possibly unleash their Zanpakuto from scratch in just one month? Even a Quincy who is proficient in controlling spiritual energy couldn't do that!

Communicating with a Zanpakuto cannot be achieved simply by controlling it with spiritual power.

Yu Zi said calmly, "I guessed."

"..."

"Huh?" After a moment of silence, Yushiro let out a surprised sound as if he hadn't heard clearly.

Yuko bluntly stated, "I've figured out the true name of the Zanpakuto."

Yushiro's expression faltered slightly: "What do you mean by guessing?"

Yuko picked up her Zanpakuto and placed it on her lap. "Like now, she gave me a hint, saying that the Bankai's true name has five characters."

"For example, the butterfly that eats light."

The Zanpakuto remained motionless, showing no reaction whatsoever.

Yushiro stared in disbelief at the scene. He had never imagined that the true name of a Zanpakuto could be guessed.

"A butterfly capable of destroying the heavens and the earth!"

The Zanpakuto trembled slightly.

"It moved! It moved!" Yushiro stared in shock at the slightly trembling Zanpakuto, then stood up abruptly. "Could it be that I guessed right?"

"Ah, that's not what she meant," Yuko quickly explained. "She meant that she had already guessed it."

Yushiro's mouth was agape; he was completely at a loss for words.

The Zanpakuto trembled once more.

Yushiro: "What... what does this mean?"

Yu Zi frowned slightly. "It seems like... I made a mistake?"

Yu Zi paused for a moment, then realized what she meant and slapped her forehead.

"You guessed the wrong number!"

"Wha, what do you mean?"

"She told me before that the true name of the Bankai is five characters, but that one just now had six characters." Yuko said, brandishing her Zanpakuto in dissatisfaction. "Why didn't you remind me before?!"

If I remember correctly, she made a whole bunch of mistakes before. Wasn't this just wasting her precious time?!

A faint purple light flashed across the surface of the Zanpakuto, its meaning unclear.

"..." Yushiro was already numb.

Is this something a normal person would do?

Also, why is this Zanpakuto cooperating so well?

Even if you guess wrong, you get a warning?

Why don't you just tell her directly?

Yu Zi's gentle image suddenly shattered before his eyes.

The case is solved. No wonder he can get along so well with his older sister; he's actually quite intelligent and brave.

As Yuko was fiddling with her Zanpakuto, she suddenly felt a slight unease and looked up at the eaves above her.

Yushiro was drawn to her sudden movement, and the rant he was about to unleash subconsciously stopped.

"I'm quite surprised that you spotted me as soon as I got close." A lithe figure gracefully flipped down from the rooftop, landing steadily in the courtyard without making a sound.

It was Yoruichi Shihōin, who had been away on a mission for three days.

Yoruichi wasn't wearing her white captain's haori, but rather a tight-fitting black outfit, looking somewhat travel-worn.

"Sister!" Yushiro exclaimed in surprise.

Yoruichi greeted him with a smile: "Yo, long time no see."

Xi Shilang's smile vanished abruptly, his gaze turning cold: "You said it's been so long, but you didn't even bother to let me know you had guests."

“He’s never even mentioned you, his younger brother, to me,” Yuko added.

Yoruichi tilted her head in confusion, resting her fingertips on her chin as she pondered, "Didn't I say that?"

When Yuko said that, Yoruichi didn't react much, but Yushiro felt as if an arrow had been shot into his heart.

Although I know my older sister can be a bit carefree at times, it's still sad that he's the one who's been forgotten.

Yoruichi didn't dwell on whether or not to mention Yushiro for long, and instead answered Yushiro's question.

Ye pointed at Yuko expressionlessly: "Let me correct you, this guy isn't a guest, he's my creditor from a past life."

"Huh?" Yushiro looked completely bewildered.

Yuko retorted, "Then you should pay off your debt."

"Heh, who picked you up? Who took you in? Who fed you and clothed you?" Yoruichi put her hands on her hips, approached Yuuko, placed one foot on the wooden plank of the corridor, and leaned forward slightly. Despite being only 1.6 meters tall, she forced Yuuko to lean back. "Answer me!"

Ikuko: "..."

Seeing that Yuko wasn't angry, Yoruichi gave a satisfied snort. Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Yuko's half-finished teacup and picked it up without even looking at it, taking a swig.

"Ah, that..." Yushiro instinctively wanted to remind her, but Yoruichi had already swallowed the water, so he guessed that the water was already in the process of going down.

As expected, it was exactly what Yushiro had predicted.

"Pfft! Cough cough cough..." Yoru turned his head away and suddenly spat out the tea, choking on its extreme bitterness and coughing repeatedly, his whole face scrunched up. "Cough cough... What, what is this thing?!"

"Poison?"

Yushiro scratched his head awkwardly: "I'm sorry..."

Seeing his expression, Yoruichi immediately understood, sticking out her tongue: "Are you trying to murder your own sister?"

Yu Zi rolled her eyes and snatched the teacup from her hand: "Who told you to be so careless? If I had been even a step slower, I would have reminded you!"

Upon hearing this, Yushiro blushed again.

Yuko-neechan definitely figured it out.

Yu Zi poured herself another cup of tea without changing her expression and took a sip.

"You can drink that?" Yoruichi looked at Yuuko with a strange expression, and before Yuuko could reply, she continued, "That's true, your sense of taste is different from ordinary people. You can even eat what Kisuke makes."

"It's alright, at least it's easier to swallow than human flesh."

Yoruichi: "..."

Yushiro: What, what do you mean?

Something about this statement just doesn't feel right!

"Speaking of which, how did you detect me just now?" Yoruichi changed the subject. "I had clearly concealed my presence. Even other captains wouldn't have been able to detect me so quickly."

Yushiro felt a chill run down his spine. As expected, Yuko's strength was extraordinary.

Someone who has such a good relationship with their older sister can't possibly be weak.

Just like Kisuke Urahara, he was only the third seat in the second division, but his sister got along very well with him, and now he is the captain of the twelfth division.

He wasn't the captain of the 12th Division because of his sister's status, but because his strength earned his sister's and the Captain-Commander's approval.

Yoruichi: "Is it because of your talent?"

Yu Zi nodded slightly: "I guess so, if I had to say..."

“It is existence itself.” Yuko’s gaze fell on an old tree in the courtyard. “Spiritual pressure can be hidden, aura can be concealed, and movements can be silent… but the existence of an object in this space will itself have a subtle impact on the surrounding environment. The flow of air, the shift of light and shadow, and even the breathing of aura, etc.”

"Moreover, even if you don't exist in this space, or are completely invisible, there will always be unusual situations caused by your arrival."

Just like the trench coat that Kisuke Urahara developed to conceal spiritual pressure, it cannot be completely undetectable.

And coincidentally, aside from the advantages brought by spiritual power, Yuko also possesses the strongest perception ability among demons.

Even if she can't perceive her surroundings casually, there are probably not many people who can avoid her perception if Yuko is intentionally probing.

"You can even do that with the movement of air?" Yoruichi didn't doubt Ikuko's perception abilities. After all, when Ikuko didn't understand the spiritual energy system at first, she was able to exchange blows with Ikuko using her own power.

However, this is too unbelievable. You have to understand, this is not a battle. If it is intentional concealment, with the help of spiritual power, it is entirely possible to achieve the level of walking on snow without leaving a trace.

“Of course, but it has to be limited to a certain range.” Yu Zi nodded matter-of-factly. “The closer you get, the easier it is to expose yourself.”

“You bastard…” Yoruichi muttered under her breath, her tone complicated, “You really are a monster.”

She couldn't even imagine how strong Yuuko would be after raising her spiritual pressure level to captain level.

Yuko lowered her eyelids slightly and tightened her grip on the teacup: "Actually... I really dislike it when people call me a monster, it reminds me of some bad things from the past."

Oh no! The joke touched a nerve!

Yoruichi's heart tightened, and she subconsciously wanted to apologize. Then she saw Yuuko's head hanging down, so she couldn't see her expression, but she could see the corners of her mouth slightly upturned.

"...That's enough for me."

"Huh? Yoruichi is such a heartless person?"

"hehe."

Yushiro watched in a daze. "You two got so close in just one month?"

This was the first time he had ever seen his sister interact with someone like this. Even Urahara Kisuke was usually very respectful in front of his sister, and occasionally he would address her as "Miss Yoruichi".

Yoruichi stretched and said, "Alright, I'm not messing around with you guys anymore. I'm going to take a shower. I'm so tired."

"The mission is over?"

"Of course, otherwise how could you see me?"

Yoruichi retorted, took two steps away, then turned back and licked her lips.

"Um, Yuko, I'd like to have a sushi feast later~"

Yu Zi was somewhat amused and exasperated, and didn't dwell on the topic of being rebuked earlier: "Okay, they just came to replenish their food supplies. I'll go check the kitchen."

Yushiro exclaimed in surprise, "Ikuko-neechan can cook?"

"It's alright, at least it won't poison anyone."

Yoruichi knew that Yuuko was pretending again, but it didn't matter. She had already eaten the sushi feast, so she snorted and slipped away.