Chapter 6

"Maybe the Thirteenth Division will finally have a real lieutenant soon."

The words of the people around her stabbed into Rukia Kuchiki's heart like swords. Over the past six months, Rukia and Miyako Amamiya had sparred very frequently. Although she could sense how quickly Miyako was improving, she hadn't expected him to start challenging Seated Officers so soon, let alone succeed on his first try.

Recalling what Miyako Amamiya had said back then, Rukia's eyes grew vacant.

Ah, a junior really has surpassed me, and he's a mischievous brat at that.

"Congratulations, Amamiya. Your talent is truly astonishing," Ukitake said, applauding.

"You flatter me, Captain Ukitake. I still have a long way to go." Miyako Amamiya sheathed his sword and bowed to Ukitake.

"Then, Captain Ukitake, will I have a chance to be stationed in the World of the Living?" Miyako Amamiya hadn't forgotten his real goal.

"The last group stationed in the World of the Living will be returning soon, and the two acting lieutenants and I are arranging the next group. After your performance today, Amamiya-kun, we can certainly consider you," Ukitake said with a smile.

"Really? Thank you, Captain. I'll keep working hard. After all, I did make that boast about becoming lieutenant," Miyako Amamiya said seriously.

Hearing the word "lieutenant" brought Rukia's thoughts back to the present. But by now, her mind had already begun to wander.

After everyone else had dispersed, Miyako Amamiya stayed behind and called out to Rukia as she was about to leave.

"Rukia, please wait." Miyako Amamiya had noticed the dejected look on Rukia's face after he successfully challenged the Fifth Seat.

"Amamiya-kun, is there something else?" Rukia forced a smile. "Oh, right, I haven't congratulated you on officially becoming the Fifth Seat. I'll have to call you Fifth Seat Amamiya from now on."

Seeing her expression, Miyako Amamiya knew she must be letting her thoughts run wild again.

"Rukia, how did our match end yesterday?"

"Our match? Wasn't it a draw? It only took you half a year to catch up to me. At that rate, Amamiya-kun, perhaps you really are a genius."

"I won't deny that I might be a genius. But Rukia, do you know what it means that you fought me to a draw?"

"What does it mean?" Rukia still didn't understand. Did it mean her junior would soon surpass her? That she had no talent as a Soul Reaper?

Miyako Amamiya was a little frustrated with her. "Rukia, you fought me to a draw, and I can already beat the Fifth Seat. That means you're at least good enough to beat the Fifth Seat too."

"So what?" Rukia smiled bitterly. "Over the past six months, I've asked Captain Ukitake for permission to challenge other Seated Officers, but he turned me down every time. It seems he still doesn't acknowledge how much I've grown."

"Rukia, could you tell me about what happened before you joined the Thirteenth Division?" Miyako Amamiya pondered. Perhaps it would be better to let her say it herself.

"Before I joined the Thirteenth Division? I can, but it's not something worth remembering..." Rukia thought back, her heart filled with too many regrets.

"I want to hear it." Miyako Amamiya looked at her, meeting her eyes.

Rukia seemed to sense Miyako Amamiya's resolve and slowly began to speak.

"My full name is Rukia Kuchiki," she said. "That's right, the Kuchiki Clan, one of Soul Society's Four Great Noble Clans."

"But before I became Rukia Kuchiki, I was just Rukia. When I enrolled, I didn't have any talent for swordsmanship. My childhood friend joined Class One, but I didn't. Perhaps my talent was already very poor back then."

"Not long after I entered Shin'ō Academy, Byakuya Kuchiki, the current captain of the Sixth Division and head of the Kuchiki Clan, adopted me as his sister. I didn't know what that meant at the time, but my childhood companion grew distant from me because of it."

"I once asked my adoptive brother why he had adopted me, but he didn't answer. Even now, I still don't know what he was thinking."

"Thanks to my noble status, I joined the Thirteenth Division without taking Shin'ō Academy's graduation exam or the division's entrance test..."

Miyako Amamiya listened quietly. Much of what had happened to Rukia could be attributed to Byakuya Kuchiki's cryptic behavior. Byakuya was a man who seemed cold but was warm at heart, and that, along with his reserve as a noble, left him unsure how to explain the matter of his late wife to his adoptive sister. Yet saying nothing was precisely the biggest problem.

Kaien's later death had only made her more suspicious and less confident. As for solving the problem, it was simple enough.

After Rukia finished her story, Miyako Amamiya stepped forward and took her hand.

"Amamiya-kun?" Rukia was puzzled. What was he doing?

"Rukia, let's go see Captain Ukitake. I have a theory I need him to clear up." Holding Rukia's hand, Miyako Amamiya headed for the captain's office.

"Amamiya-kun, this is too rude. There's no need to take the captain to task on my behalf. He must think I'm not capable enough." Rukia thought Miyako Amamiya wanted to question the captain.

"Idiot, that's not it." Miyako Amamiya didn't look back. Still holding her hand, he kept walking.

In the captain's office, Ukitake was working with Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki to choose the next group to go to the World of the Living. Suddenly, there was a knock at the door.

"Captain Ukitake, it's me." Miyako Amamiya stood outside the door.

"Amamiya-kun? Come in." Ukitake was a little puzzled. Had he come to ask about work? He had only just given him an answer.

Once the door opened, Ukitake saw that Miyako Amamiya hadn't come alone. Looking at Miyako Amamiya holding Rukia's hand, he asked in confusion, "Amamiya-kun, and Rukia, what's this about?"

The three people in the room looked at the pair standing in the doorway, all slightly puzzled.

"Sorry to disturb you, Captain Ukitake. If Amamiya-kun does anything rude, please forgive him. He's..." Rukia spoke first, hoping to make up for the rudeness of Miyako Amamiya's sudden idea.

Miyako Amamiya interrupted her. "Captain Ukitake, I heard Rukia has always wanted to challenge the other Seated Officers, but you've kept refusing. Is that true?"

I knew it. Rukia thought she had guessed correctly: Miyako Amamiya wanted to stand up for her.

"That's true, but I'm afraid I can't say much about the reason." Ukitake felt somewhat helpless. Was he supposed to tell them that Rukia's adoptive brother had been asking him to do it all along?

"No, that's not what I want to ask." Miyako Amamiya shook his head. "Captain Ukitake, what I want to ask is, was it your decision to keep Rukia from challenging the Seated Officers, or someone else's?"

"Amamiya-kun, why do you..." Ukitake was a little surprised.

Rukia also looked puzzled when she heard the question.

"Captain Ukitake, if I'm not mistaken, you aren't the main reason Rukia can't challenge the other Seated Officers, are you?" Miyako Amamiya asked.

Everyone was looking at Ukitake now. He was also a little surprised and remained silent.

His silence surprised Rukia too. Could Miyako Amamiya really have been right?

"If you don't mind, can you tell me why you think that?" Ukitake asked.

"Rukia just told me about what happened before she joined the Thirteenth Division," Miyako Amamiya began. "It's true she may not have shown any remarkable talent when she enrolled."

"But over the past six months, I've sparred with her countless times. In battle, I can feel her determination and the effort she's put in. As a Soul Reaper, Rukia has already surpassed most members of the Gotei 13. If a Soul Reaper like her still isn't allowed to rise above a lower Seated Officer rank, that would be far too unreasonable."

"I believe you can sense how much Rukia has grown too, Captain Ukitake. And you're not the kind of captain who would hold his subordinates down."

"That leaves only somewhere else for the problem to lie." Miyako Amamiya told Ukitake his theory.

Rukia looked expectantly at Ukitake, hoping he would give them an answer.

"Rukia." Ukitake waited a moment before looking at her. "As your captain, speaking for myself, I think you're already an outstanding Soul Reaper."

Ukitake smiled. "Just as Amamiya-kun said, your abilities are more than sufficient for a higher Seated Officer rank. That's my personal assessment."

"Then why, Captain Ukitake? Why have you refused to let me challenge them for so long...?" Rukia was growing a little anxious.

Ukitake hesitated. He had seen Rukia's growth for himself, and she was already more than capable of taking on heavier duties. He had originally accepted Byakuya's request to keep Rukia at a lower Seated Officer rank because he agreed with Byakuya that she should spend more time honing herself.

But spending so many years at a lower rank had not helped Rukia hone herself. Instead, it had caused problems with her state of mind. Perhaps it was time to reconsider Byakuya's request.

"I understand, Rukia. I won't stop you from challenging the other Seated Officers anymore." Ukitake smiled gently. "That's my decision as your captain." Ukitake had made up his mind. He couldn't treat a request from Byakuya, a fellow captain, lightly, but it was more important to see his own subordinate grow.

"As for what Amamiya-kun said, Rukia..." Ukitake hesitated, unsure whether he should tell her about Byakuya.

"Your brother did come to me with a request concerning you." Ukitake decided to tell her after all. "I originally only intended to lift the restriction once you had grown. But then you became despondent over what happened to Kaien, so the matter was dropped."

"But now, I believe you're ready," Ukitake said with a smile.

"A request from the Sixth Division captain? Why would he do that?"

"How would I know? Maybe it's because she's a noble," Kiyone and Sentarō Kotsubaki whispered to each other.

Rukia was a little dazed. Brother, was it you who kept me from challenging the other Seated Officers all this time?

Miyako Amamiya looked at her. He reckoned only an answer from Byakuya himself might clear up Rukia's confusion. Still, for now, most of the problems troubling her should have been resolved.

"Sorry to disturb you, Captain. Thank you for clearing this up for us." Miyako Amamiya bowed to Ukitake.

"You're welcome, Amamiya-kun. This is what a captain should do. Having you point it out makes me a little ashamed instead," Ukitake said with a bitter smile. As one of the few truly honorable people in Soul Society, Ukitake did not blame Miyako Amamiya. Instead, he began reflecting on his own shortcomings.

"Then we'll take our leave." Miyako Amamiya looked at Rukia and saw that she was still dazed.

After saying goodbye to Ukitake, Miyako Amamiya firmly took Rukia's hand and pulled her out of the captain's office.

"Hey, wait..." By the time Rukia came to her senses, they were already out of the Captain's Office.

"Rukia—no, lower Seated Officer Rukia, congratulations," Miyako Amamiya said with a smile.

"What?" Rukia couldn't help asking when she heard the unusual form of address.

"You, lower Seated Officer Rukia, have regained the right to challenge Seated Officers and have a chance to catch up to me. Isn't that worth congratulating?" Miyako Amamiya teased.

"But before that, call me your senior. There's nothing wrong with calling me that when I hold a higher Seated Officer rank, is there?"

"You've got some nerve. You only just succeeded in challenging the Fifth Seat, and you're already calling yourself my senior." Rukia was a little indignant. She believed that, given her abilities, she could immediately become a higher-ranked Seated Officer now that the restriction was gone.

"Rukia, Captain Byakuya Kuchiki and Captain Ukitake are both captains of the Gotei 13. But Captain Ukitake is one of the oldest captains in Soul Society." Miyako Amamiya changed the subject.

"That? Of course I know. Both my brother and Captain Ukitake are very capable." Rukia was puzzled.

"You still don't understand what I mean. Even Captain Ukitake, one of the oldest captains, acknowledges you. So there's no doubt about your abilities."

"As for Captain Kuchiki, I don't know why he restricted you, but surely he'll have nothing to say about you when even Captain Ukitake acknowledges you."

"You just have to prove to him that Captain Ukitake's judgment wasn't wrong and that you're already an excellent Soul Reaper," Miyako Amamiya told her.

Hearing this, Rukia was moved. Byakuya's coldness made it impossible for her to know what her brother was thinking, and his going out of his way to ask Captain Ukitake to restrict her left her even more bewildered. In truth, Rukia had always wanted to prove to Byakuya that she, his adoptive sister, had not brought him shame.

Rukia lowered her head and said nothing, recalling her past: being adopted by her noble brother, parting ways with her childhood companion, and the respected senior who had died by her blade. Every one of those things had added to the burden on her heart. But as she recalled everything that had happened recently, Rukia seemed to feel the dark clouds in her heart breaking apart.

Miyako Amamiya's words finally helped Rukia regain her confidence. Her captain's acknowledgment, Lieutenant Kaien's charge to her, and Miyako Amamiya's company and guidance had all given her strength.

The downpour in her heart gradually began to dissipate. Then she raised her head to face Miyako Amamiya. The gloom on her face was gone, and the corners of her mouth lifted slightly as she showed a genuine smile for the first time in a long while.

"Thank you, Amamiya-kun." The smile Rukia showed as she raised her head was serene and graceful. In it, Miyako Amamiya saw her delicate, feminine side, yet within that delicacy he could also feel her strong will.

The smile left Miyako Amamiya momentarily transfixed, and his heart began to beat faster.

To cover up his loss of composure, Miyako Amamiya teased her. "Then work hard, junior."

"Amamiya, Captain Ukitake seems to be looking for you," Sentarō said, coming up beside him.

"The captain? Is it about being stationed in the World of the Living? I saw some of the seniors in the division return to Soul Society," Miyako Amamiya asked in surprise.

"Probably. I'm not really sure myself." Sentarō Kotsubaki spread his hands.

"Thank you for telling me. I'll go see him now."

Miyako Amamiya set off for the captain's office. The Soul Reapers from the previous group stationed in the World of the Living had recently returned, and Miyako Amamiya thought he would most likely be assigned to go. After all, he had asked Captain Ukitake and the other seniors about it quite often lately.

When he reached the captain's office, Miyako Amamiya knocked on the door.

"Captain, it's me. I heard you were looking for me."

"Ah, Amamiya-kun? Come in."

Miyako opened the door. Ukitake sat behind his desk, while Kiyone stood beside him with a stack of documents, helping him handle them.

"Captain, is this about the mission in the World of the Living?" Miyako Amamiya asked.

"Oh, that. Yes, I called you here partly because it has to do with that," Ukitake said with a smile.

It had to do with it? Miyako Amamiya was puzzled.

"Actually, the head of Shin'ō Academy recently came to see me and specifically asked if you could attend the upcoming sixth-year graduation ceremony," Ukitake said with a smile. "I happened to mention you while chatting with another captain. You are indeed one of the people selected for the assignment in the World of the Living, so when someone asked about it, I couldn't help bringing you up."

"A chat with another captain?" Alarm bells immediately went off in Miyako Amamiya's mind.

"Yes. When I went to the Seireitei on business, I happened to run into Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division," Ukitake said. "Captain Aizen is a very kind man. While we were talking, I mentioned you: a genius who graduated early and became a high-ranking Seated Officer not long after joining a division. Captain Aizen seemed very interested in you too."

"Ah, come to think of it, you probably know this already. Captain Aizen is a special calligraphy instructor at Shin'ō Academy, and he's on very good terms with the head of the academy. Each year, some outstanding graduates are invited to attend the graduation ceremony. It seems the head asked Captain Aizen to handle it, and he recommended you. So the head asked me to invite you to this year's sixth-year graduation ceremony."

"I see. Understood. I'll attend. As a graduate of Shin'ō Academy, I'm honored," Miyako Amamiya replied calmly.

Like hell I am. I knew Aizen wouldn't pass up any genius, Miyako Amamiya grumbled inwardly. Still, he had considered this possibility when he graduated early.

Back then, Miyako Amamiya hadn't shown any intention of graduating early at first. Instead, he had gone straight to requesting early graduation in his fourth year. As a result, he hadn't encountered Aizen at either the graduation ceremony or the Konsō ritual in the World of the Living.

Just when Miyako Amamiya thought he had escaped, Aizen had noticed him after he joined the division anyway.

Looks like I can't escape Kyōka Suigetsu's hypnosis after all, Miyako Amamiya thought calmly. Not going isn't an option. That would only make Aizen more wary of me. Besides, I'm about to leave for the World of the Living. If Aizen keeps an eye on me there, I really could die without anyone knowing.

"Yes. By the time you return, it'll be about time for you to start taking part in the Thirteenth Division's missions in earnest," Ukitake explained.

"I understand, Captain." Miyako Amamiya breathed an inward sigh. The first step of his plan was about to begin.