[Retsu Unohana: "Once we're finished with our duties, let's head to the World of the Living together."]
Soul Society, Thirteenth Division Administrative Office.
As usual, Rukia Kuchiki had arrived at the office early. She sat staring blankly at her Denreishinki. Today was Muten Natsu's birthday, and she had prepared his gift well in advance.
But... should she really go?
Ever since that kiss, perhaps because Muten Natsu had not visited Soul Society since then, her Bankai training had progressed remarkably quickly.
If she went to the World of the Living today and saw Muten Natsu, her training might stall again.
Then there was her work in the Thirteenth Division...
Still, it felt as though she had not seen him in ages.
This was Muten Natsu's first birthday since their reunion.
While Rukia Kuchiki was still wondering what to do, the start of the workday arrived before she knew it. Kiyone Kotetsu, the Thirteenth Division's 3rd Seat, entered the office.
"Good morning."
"Good morning, Kotetsu-sama." Rukia Kuchiki collected herself, rose, and bowed.
"You don't have to stand up!" Kiyone Kotetsu planted her hands on her hips. "You're already the Lieutenant. When a mere 3rd Seat like me walks in, all you need to do is lift your chin and act important! All right, all right, sit down!"
"O-okay... Sorry!"
"You don't need to apologize either." Kiyone Kotetsu smiled as she sat at her desk. "A Lieutenant shouldn't apologize so readily."
Ordinarily, an administrative office only contained desks for the Captain and Lieutenant.
However, Jūshirō Ukitake, Captain of the Thirteenth Division, was in poor health and spent most of his time recuperating at Ugendō. Absences due to illness were common for him, so two additional desks had been placed in the office for the division's two 3rd Seats.
As the bell signaling the beginning of the workday rang, the other 3rd Seat, Sentarō Kotsubaki, slid into the office.
"Right on time!"
"You arrived exactly late!" Kiyone Kotetsu turned to Rukia Kuchiki. "Lieutenant, what do you think... Why are you standing up again?"
"Ah... I'm sor..." Rukia Kuchiki had risen to bow, but she caught herself and remembered Kiyone Kotetsu's warning. The apology lodged halfway up her throat, leaving her no choice but to sit back down with an embarrassed expression.
"Lieutenant!" Sentarō Kotsubaki turned to Rukia Kuchiki for confirmation. "I made it, didn't I? I definitely wasn't late, right?"
"You were absolutely late!" Kiyone Kotetsu protested. "Lieutenant, you should give him a proper scolding. He can't keep doing this!"
The two shoved at each other as they approached Rukia Kuchiki, each demanding that the Lieutenant settle the dispute.
"Y-you two, calm down!" Rukia Kuchiki raised a hand to stop them, inadvertently bringing the screen of the Denreishinki she was holding into view.
"The World of the Living?"
"Captain Unohana?"
The two 3rd Seats exchanged a glance, then smiled knowingly.
Kiyone Kotetsu blinked. "You're going to see Muten, aren't you?"
"Today's his birthday!" Sentarō Kotsubaki glanced at the date. "He hasn't come by lately. The two of you should spend some time together."
Rukia Kuchiki pressed her lips together.
"Hm?" Having cared for Jūshirō Ukitake for years, Kiyone Kotetsu could spot even the slightest irregularity. "What's wrong? Don't you want to go?"
"It's not about whether she wants to go." Sentarō Kotsubaki folded his arms. "She doesn't know whether she should."
Kiyone Kotetsu raised an eyebrow. "Why shouldn't she?"
Rukia Kuchiki spoke quietly. "There's still the division's work..."
"Didn't Captain Unohana say you'd leave after work?" Sentarō Kotsubaki reminded her. "Once work is over, it's your own time. Where you go has nothing to do with your duties."
Rukia Kuchiki still looked uncertain. "But I'm the Lieutenant. I should be ready to respond at any time..."
Jūshirō Ukitake, who had just entered the office, laughed softly. "Hearing that makes me feel rather ashamed of myself as your Captain."
"Captain Ukitake." Rukia Kuchiki flushed. "What I meant was..."
"I understand what you're thinking." Jūshirō Ukitake's gaze shifted slightly. "I've heard some of the occasional grumbling within the division as well."
Although the strength Rukia Kuchiki had displayed in Hueco Mundo had earned the Captains' recognition, most of the division members had not even been qualified to participate in the previous Battle of Karakura Town.
Since they had not witnessed her abilities themselves, it was only natural for some of them to doubt what they had heard.
She had only become Lieutenant through her connection to the Kuchiki Clan. So many people had vouched for her only because of Muten Natsu. No one had exposed her because they owed Orihime Inoue a favor. There was no end to the rumors.
"But everyone has seen how hard you work and how seriously you take your duties." Jūshirō Ukitake had personally watched the whispers behind her back gradually turn into warm greetings. "You've already proven yourself. There's no need to keep pushing yourself as hard as you did before."
["Good morning, Lieutenant!"]
["I heard the chestnut mochi and red bean soup you had before will only be available until the end of this month!"]
["Lieutenant, listen to me! 3rd Seat Kotetsu is being so mean!"]
["Ah, Lieutenant. There were so many flowers blooming that I picked a few. You can take them back and put them in the office, unless you'd rather not."]
["Lieutenant, did you just get back? Thank you for your hard work!"]
The division members' warm greetings echoed in Rukia Kuchiki's mind, and a faint smile appeared on her face.
"I can't take all the credit. I owe it to the help of 3rd Seat Kotetsu and 3rd Seat Kotsubaki."
As the person at the center of the storm of rumors, Rukia Kuchiki had naturally noticed the attitudes of those around her.
This was not the first time she had experienced something like this.
The same thing had happened when she was adopted by the Kuchiki Clan, and again when she had arrested Muten Natsu and sent him to prison.
Rukia Kuchiki knew that explaining herself would accomplish nothing. All she could do was shut herself away in the administrative office and work as hard as she could.
Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki had noticed what was happening.
First, they came down hard on those spreading the rumors. Whenever they caught someone gossiping, Kiyone Kotetsu's low whip kick and Sentarō Kotsubaki's "Lariat" showed no mercy.
Next, they brought Rukia Kuchiki outside to clear her head. They ate with the other division members and helped tend the Thirteenth Division's flowers and plants, which were considerably more abundant than those of the other divisions. This gave everyone a chance to see for themselves what kind of person Rukia Kuchiki truly was.
Finally, they visited the other divisions and familiarized themselves with the handover of duties between them. After they left, the members of those divisions would naturally ask their own Captains and Lieutenants about Rukia Kuchiki.
Through the stories told by those who had fought in the Battle of Karakura Town, more and more people came to know a Rukia Kuchiki who was entirely different from the one described in the rumors.
"I'm not going to deny my own hard work." Sentarō Kotsubaki raised an eyebrow. "The Lieutenant shouldn't deny her own merits either."
"Supporting our Lieutenant is only natural, but the reason our methods worked in the first place..." Kiyone Kotetsu patted Rukia Kuchiki on the shoulder. "Is that you were already an excellent Lieutenant. All we did was help more people realize it."
"Everyone..." Rukia Kuchiki's eyes shone, her gratitude plain to see.
"Actually, I was just wondering how to bring this up with you." A trace of concern appeared on Jūshirō Ukitake's pale face. "After you go to the World of the Living this time, I would like you to remain there for a while."
Rukia Kuchiki had already begun to suspect what he meant. "Is this the same as last time?"
Before the Battle of Karakura Town, Rukia Kuchiki had received an appointment order from Jūshirō Ukitake instructing her to remain stationed in Karakura Town. In addition to carrying out her normal duties as a Shinigami, she had also been assigned to monitor Muten Natsu.
Although it was called surveillance, it was really just a formality.
After all, the person receiving her reports had been Retsu Unohana.
Rukia Kuchiki could understand the need to go through the motions, but she could not understand why it was still necessary after Muten Natsu had saved Soul Society.
"The situation is somewhat complicated." Jūshirō Ukitake supported himself against the desk as he sat down. "Although Central 46 claims to pass judgment as the hands and feet of the Soul King, it was originally established to serve as a barrier."
"Captain..." Sentarō Kotsubaki looked concerned. "Are you allowed to tell us this?"
"I'm allowed to discuss this much. Don't worry." Jūshirō Ukitake smiled easily. "Before Central 46 was established, judgments were handed down by the Golden Seal Noble Council."
"Whoa..." Kiyone Kotetsu clicked her tongue. "That sounds like the nobles simply decided everything themselves."
"To be precise, the Four Noble Families decided everything," Jūshirō Ukitake corrected her. "The Golden Seal Noble Council naturally favored the Four Noble Families. Unjust rulings would cause others to resent them, so the Golden Seal Noble Council stopped handling judgments concerning anyone outside the Four Noble Families. Those matters were delegated to the General Noble Council, which consisted of a larger number of lesser nobles. That way, whenever an unjust ruling was made, the resentment would be directed at the lesser nobles instead."
Rukia Kuchiki fell silent.
So they had not been trying to prevent unjust rulings. They had merely wanted to avoid becoming the targets of everyone's resentment.
Following Jūshirō Ukitake's reasoning, Kiyone Kotetsu guessed, "Then the lesser nobles didn't want everyone resenting them either, so they created Central 46? That's nothing but a transparent attempt to pass the blame."
Jūshirō Ukitake smiled. "And when an unjust judgment is handed down, who does everyone resent first?"
Sentarō Kotsubaki answered immediately. "Central 46, of course... Oh!"
"A transparent dodge can still be effective, especially after Central 46 granted itself the status of [a part of the Soul King]," Jūshirō Ukitake explained. "Once resentment reaches a certain point, Central 46 can also be used as a tool to protect the nobles and erase that hatred."
When Sōsuke Aizen defected from Soul Society, Central 46 had been slaughtered almost to a man, yet the nobles behind it had suffered virtually no losses.
Rukia Kuchiki gradually understood what Jūshirō Ukitake meant. "So this time, Central 46 isn't the one that wants us to go through the motions. This is coming from the nobles behind it?"
"To be precise, it comes from the Tsunayashiro Clan, one of the Four Noble Families." Jūshirō Ukitake explained further. "Muten and Nayura have recently been investigating Tokinada Tsunayashiro's murder of Kakyō. Since the matter concerns one of the Four Noble Families, the Golden Seal Noble Council is naturally watching them. Had Hisagi done this, he would probably have been dealt with already."
Muten Natsu, however, was a different matter. If they pushed him too far, the consequences would be far more serious.
Even before Muten Natsu had fully matured, he had been capable of fighting his way across the entire Noble District. Now that he had grown even stronger, no one could predict what he might do if he truly lost control.
Rukia Kuchiki understood the implication behind Jūshirō Ukitake's words. "So... sending me there is meant to serve as a warning to Muten?"
"That brings us back to what I was saying earlier." Jūshirō Ukitake smiled faintly. "Central 46 does indeed protect the nobles behind it, but delegating so much authority has also given Central 46 ideas of its own. As a result, whenever the Four Noble Families are unable to act directly and must rely on Central 46, their orders are not always carried out exactly as intended."
Sentarō Kotsubaki suddenly understood. "So Central 46 will relay the Tsunayashiro Clan's orders to the Thirteenth Division, but it won't interfere with the selection of the specific person assigned."
"The Thirteenth Division chooses who to send, and the Four Noble Families can't bypass Central 46 to interfere in a decision made by the Gotei 13." Kiyone Kotetsu gave a quiet snort. "So even if the Tsunayashiro Clan knows Rukia won't actually monitor Muten, they have no way to step in and reject the appointment."
The situation was so complicated that Rukia Kuchiki's head was starting to spin.
"Then should I continue reporting to Captain Unohana as I did before? No... Captain Unohana will be coming to the World of the Living with me."
"Once you arrive in the World of the Living, simply report your work as usual," Jūshirō Ukitake replied. "The Communications Technology Research Institute within the Research and Development Institute has a device that constantly monitors communications throughout Soul Society. Whether it's a Jigokuchō, a Denreishinki, or even Tenteikūra, every message is intercepted and analyzed. We don't need to do anything deliberately. The Tsunayashiro Clan will gather the information themselves."
In fact, they trusted information they had collected themselves far more.
Rukia Kuchiki blinked. "Then is there some way to..."
"I'm afraid I wouldn't know." Jūshirō Ukitake blinked back at her. "You'll have to ask the Director of the Research and Development Institute... Either one will do."
Rukia Kuchiki immediately caught his meaning. "I understand!"
"That is the situation in broad terms." Jūshirō Ukitake looked apologetic. "I'm sorry, Rukia. This was supposed to be a happy reunion between you and Muten, but now it has become official business."
"It's all right." Rukia Kuchiki smiled as her tangled emotions finally settled.
Or perhaps this was better.
It wasn't that I wanted to see you. Official business simply left me no choice but to stay by your side.
"All right! Let's hurry and finish today's work!" Sentarō Kotsubaki rolled up the sleeves of his Shihakushō, retrieved the day's paperwork from the document box beside the door, and distributed it in stacks across their three desks.
The stack on Rukia Kuchiki's desk was clearly less than half the height of the other two.
"Kotsubaki-sama, my share seems unusually small...?"