Waiting

When he woke up, Ichigo Kurosaki had no idea how long he had been unconscious.

The first thing his consciousness caught was the smell of old tatami mats mixed with the dry, fresh scent unique to wooden houses. He struggled to open his eyes, and above him was an unfamiliar wooden ceiling, with a few rays of morning light filtering through the window frames, cutting soft patches of light across it. His body felt as heavy as lead, every muscle aching slightly, yet he couldn't feel any fatal wounds.

"Here it is..."

He propped himself up and found himself lying on a white futon on the floor. The room wasn't large, with light- Japanese-style Japanese shoji doors on all four sides, and a few cardboard boxes and odds and ends piled up in the corner. Memories began to flow backward: the man named Byakuya Kuchiki, who had broken his Zanpakuto with one hand. Then blood, his own blood, seeping into the puddles. Rukia's face, and Amber—covered in wounds, her hair a mix of black and white—fighting with Byakuya Kuchiki.

Ichigo suddenly gripped the blankets tightly.

"Rukia --and that guy Amber--"

"Oh, you're awake."

The sound came from the other end of the room. Ichigo turned his head abruptly—a man wearing a white and green striped fisherman's hat and wooden clogs was sitting cross-legged in the corner, slowly waving a folding fan in his hand. The shadow cast by the brim of his hat covered most of his face, revealing only the half-smile on his lips. His right arm was wrapped in bandages from his shoulder to his wrist, resting motionless on his knee.

"Mr. Urahara..." Ichigo's voice was so hoarse it didn't sound like his own.

"Good morning, Kurosaki-kun." Kisuke Urahara tapped him with his fan, his tone light as if discussing the weather. "How are you feeling? You slept for quite a while."

Ichigo ignored his pleasantries. The final image flashed through his mind— Rukia and Amber were taken away.

"Where Rukia and Amber?!" He threw off the covers and tried to stand up, but his legs felt weak as if they weren't his own, and he staggered and almost fell. Urahara didn't get up, but simply raised his fan to block him.

"Calm down. They've already been taken back to Soul Society."

"... What?"

"The ones you fought earlier were Byakuya Kuchiki and Renji Abarai —they were pursuers sent by Soul Society." Urahara closed his folding fan and lightly tapped his knee.

"Amber's problem isn't serious. The Second Division has a unique structure, and his crime isn't serious either. At most, he'll just be put in confinement."

However, Rukia lent her Soul Reaper powers to a human, which is a grave crime in Soul Society. She has been taken back to face trial.

Ichigo's pupils contracted sharply.

"What will happen to her then?"

Urahara paused for a moment. "... If this continues, she might very well be executed."

Ichigo felt his blood run cold. He remembered that Rukia's purple eyes that day held no fear, only a calm that bordered on resignation—as if she had known this ending from the very beginning.

"Let me go." He gritted his teeth, his fists clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. "Tell me how to get to Soul Society. I need to save her."

Urahara tilted his head, his eyes beneath the brim of his hat unreadable. "Save her? In your current state?"

"I--"

You even have trouble standing up.

Ichigo was speechless, feeling as if something was pressing down on his chest. He wanted to argue, but his legs were trembling, and he felt empty inside, as if something that had once been full of him had been completely emptied out.

Amber was there to help him. He was there to help Rukia. He had pushed Byakuya Kuchiki to that point, but in the end, he still collapsed and was taken away. He sacrificed himself for Rukia. Ichigo clenched his fists even tighter.

"Your Soul Reaper power is composed of the spiritual power lent to you by Rukia Kuchiki." Urahara's voice became calm, as if stating a perfectly ordinary fact.

"Byakuya Kuchiki destroyed the source of that spiritual power—he severed your 'Hakusui' and 'Saketsu'."

You have now lost the power of Soul Reaper.

"... So what?" Ichigo's voice was low, squeezed out from deep in his throat, "Even without the power, I'm still going."

"What good would it do to go?" Urahara's tone remained nonchalant. "Soul Society is the domain of Soul Reaper. If you go in now, you won't even be able to defeat an ordinary Soul Reaper. Byakuya Kuchiki is the captain of the Gotei 13 —you've fought him before, you should know the difference in skill level very well."

Ichigo's fingernails almost dug into his palm.

"... Then what do you want me to do?" He lowered his head, his orange bangs obscuring his expression, his voice trembling. "Just wait like this? Wait for her to be executed? I can't do that."

After a moment of silence, the sound of wooden clogs tapping on the tatami mats rang out. Urahara stood up.

I can help you.

Ichigo looked up. Urahara was facing away from the window, the morning light outlining a blurry silhouette behind him, the shadow of his hat brim making his expression even more indistinct. But his voice no longer held the flippancy it had shown moments before.

"I can restore your Soul Reaper powers. Byakuya Kuchiki only sabotaged the spiritual power Rukia lent you, but he certainly didn't expect that you possess the true Soul Reaper power within you."

Ichigo's eyes lit up for a moment, but he immediately narrowed them warily again. "... Who exactly are you?"

"Just a mere general store owner," Urahara tapped his palm with his fan, a cryptic smile returning to his lips. "However, my terms aren't cheap."

"... What are the conditions?"

"From today onwards, you will undergo my training. Within ten days, if you can Awakening the powers of Soul Reaper, I will send you to the Soul Society." He held up one finger, his tone as casual as if he were announcing a discount. "Of course, if you fail—you will die."

The air seemed to freeze. Ichigo stared at him for a few seconds, then slowly stood up.

I accept.

Decisive and straightforward, without the slightest hesitation. Urahara's eyes widened slightly, then he laughed, covering half his face with his fan. "Decided so quickly? Won't you reconsider?"

"There's nothing to think about." Ichigo raised his eyes, his brown eyes filled not with fear, but with a silent yet intense fire. "Rukia is still waiting for me. That person is waiting too. Even if it's only ten days, I will become stronger—strong enough to bring them back."

Urahara looked at him quietly, something seemed to flash in his eyes under the brim of his hat. The smile behind the fan faded, turning into a very faint arc.

"Then it's settled."

He turned around, his wooden clogs clicking on the tatami mats, and walked towards the door. As he opened the shoji door, he glanced back at Ichigo Kurosaki.

"Kurosaki-kun, get ready and let's begin. Time waits for no one."

The door closed behind him. Beams of morning light streamed in through the cracks in the window, falling on the boy's clenched fists. He was the only one left in the empty room, but the boy's short orange hair seemed to be ignited by the light.

Ten days.

Ten days later, you will either die or go to the Soul Society.

Ichigo Kurosaki a deep breath and started walking.

Second Division Medical Room

It was very quiet here. When Hu opened her eyes, she saw an unfamiliar ceiling. The wounds on her body had been treated, and bandages were wrapped from her chest to her waist, with several bandages on her arms as well.

"Don't move."

Fon Shaoling's voice came from beside the bed. Koko turned her head. She was sitting on a chair by the bed, wearing the captain's robe of the Second Division. She was holding a document in her hand, which was just placed on her lap, her fingers unconsciously twisting the corner of the paper. Koko tried to sit up, but her shoulders fell back down as soon as they left the bed.

"... Shaoling." His voice was as hoarse as sandpaper.

Fon Shaoling didn't respond. She placed the document on the bedside table, and Hu saw that it was stamped with the Second Division's seal, along with several lines of densely packed small characters—it was the Sixth Division's arrest record. She picked up the water glass from the bedside table, supported the back of his head, and fed him a few sips. The warm water flowed down his throat, and his chapped lips could finally move.

"Here it is..."

"Second Division Medical Room." Fon Shaoling put the cup back. "I brought you back from the Sixth Division."

"The Sixth Division took on an Onmitsukidō mission without authorization and used that mission as a pretext to detain you." Her tone was calm, as if reading an official document. "I've brought you back in exchange for not pursuing this operation."

Fon Shaoling essentially used her authority to clean up Hu's mess.

"Aren't you going to ask me why?" Hu asked.

"What are you asking?" Fon Shaoling looked out the window. "Why did you clash with the captain of the Sixth Division? Or why did you help a criminal?"

Amber remained silent, while Fon Shaoling continued:

"I've read the Sixth Division's report. Rukia's Regular Contact were entirely your responsibility; you knew about that human's existence all along, but you didn't report it."

"Rukia Xitang willing to lend her power to that person, and you and Xitang are both willing to cover for him, then I will trust your judgment."

The room remained quiet for a long time. There was a rustling sound of bamboo leaves outside the window, and the afternoon sunlight filtered through the windowpane, falling on her profile. Her eyes were looking out the window, but her gaze was unfocused, as if she were looking into the distance.

"More than a hundred years ago," she suddenly spoke, "Yoruichi Shihōin, the former Second Division Captain and Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force. She is the person I respect most, and one of the biggest reasons I launched Bamboo Creek Plain Operation."

Fon Shaoling continued her narration to herself:

"She was exiled by the Central 46 a hundred years ago. Her crimes were helping Kisuke Urahara escape and being an accomplice in the Hollowfication Experiments." Her voice was flat, as if she were talking about someone else.

"I only found out about this three days after Yoruichi left Soul Society."

Her fingers remained motionless on her knee. "Back then, I thought every day, if only I had realized it sooner, if only I had done something sooner, would things have turned out differently?"

She fell silent again. Hu looked at her profile; the sunlight cast the shadows of her eyelashes on her cheeks, each one clearly visible.

"I know how it feels to be helpless when your friend is in trouble." Fon Shaoling stood up to leave.

"As the captain of the Second Division, I can't do too much from my position. Let me tell you some final information. Once the verdict of the Central 46 is handed down, it's almost impossible to change it."

"... Could it be that Rukia's verdict has been handed down?"

"The first trial has just concluded, and the verdict is death." Fon Shaoling's voice was very low. "The formal verdict will be delivered in about a month, followed by the execution. If you want to appeal, this month is your last chance."

After she finished speaking, she opened the door and left.

The door was closed. The rustling of bamboo leaves flowed in again, filling the entire room.

Senzaikyū

The corridor of the Senzaikyū was long, and the sound of footsteps echoed between the stone walls, one after another. Renji followed behind the jailer, Zabimaru hanging at his waist, the scabbard swaying gently with each step. He stopped in front of a heavy stone door, which the jailer opened and stepped aside to let him in.

Rukia knelt in the center of the room. The white Sin Robe draped over her body made her look like a candle about to go out. Her wrists and ankles were handcuffed with Reiatsu Seals. Hearing the door open, she looked up, saw Renji, and a hint of surprise flashed in her eyes before returning to calm.

"What are you doing here?" Her voice was very soft.

Renji stood at the door, not going inside. He looked at the white Sin Robe, at the sealed handcuffs, and his Adam's apple bobbed. "... I came to see you."

Rukia didn't reply. Renji walked in and knelt down opposite her. A tatami mat separated them, a distance that felt like an entire Rukongai's history. He lowered his head, staring at the stone slab before his knees. "I received your deliberation this morning," his voice weak, "A death sentence in the first trial."

Rukia's voice was flat. "Of course."

Renji suddenly looked up. "Then why did you lend your power to that human? Was it because—"

"Why?" Rukia looked at him. "Because I want to save him! Soul Reaper wants to protect the World of the Living. Do you think the Central 46 will listen to that?"

Renji opened his mouth, but couldn't utter a single word. Rukia looked at him, her eyes devoid of anger, only a near-transparent calm. "Renji, you don't need to do anything for me. This is my sin, I will bear it myself."

"But you'll die!"

"I know," she said.

Renji clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to say, "You won't die," he wanted to say, "I will definitely save you," he wanted to say, "I don't care about the Central 46." But these words stuck in his throat, and he couldn't utter a single one. He couldn't defeat Byakuya, and he had no power to change the laws of Soul Society.

"... That human named Ichigo Kurosaki," he murmured, "Was it really worth it?"

Rukia's fingers twitched slightly.

"And that intern from the Second Division, Yexing Hu. Do you remember him? Captain Soi Fon brought him back to the Second Division for treatment today, he should recover soon."

Rukia lowered her head, her hair falling down to obscure her eyes. "Is that so? That's good..."

The jailer's voice urged them on from the corridor. Renji stood up, walked to the door, stopped, and didn't turn around. "Rukia... I..." He didn't finish. The door closed behind him, and only the sound of fading footsteps remained in the corridor.

The Sixth Division's Tea Room

Byakuya sat alone.

He didn't maintain his usual impeccable manners. He simply sat there, leaning against the wall, one leg bent, wrist resting on his knee. Senbonzakura lay on the floor beside him, its scabbard bathed in light filtering through the shoji screen. His Captain's Haori was neatly folded and placed in the corner of the room, unworn.

Since returning from the World of the Living, he has sat here for a period of time every day. The soldiers thought he was meditating and dared not disturb him. However, he was just sitting there.

The verdict from the first trial arrived this morning. Rukia, death sentence. The formal sentence will be handed down in a month, with the execution following the verdict. He had already foreseen this outcome when he brought Rukia back to Soul Society and Rukia was immediately imprisoned in the Senzaikyū.

He Isshin to bring Rukia back. He thought that if she came back, everything would be resolved.

The questioning from the Central 46, the criticism from the nobles, the reputation of the Kuchiki Clan —as long as she returns and accepts trial according to the rules, given Rukia's usual style, it shouldn't be too difficult for her to get a reduced sentence. In that case, everything will return to normal.

He had once sworn that marrying Hisana would be the last time he broke the rule.

He remembered Rukia kneeling before him, clutching his clothes, tears streaming down her face. "Please... Brother... Please don't kill him..." He thought then that she was just too kind, unaware of the rules of this world. Now he sat in the tea room, his wrists resting on his knees, Senbonzakura beside him.

The light and shadow on the shoji screen moved slowly, creeping from east to west. He neither lit a lamp nor moved.

"Hisana... what should I do...?"