Soul Burial Practice in the Living World

Do not say the sun sets too late; its rosy glow still fills the sky.

The setting sun was like molten gold, casting a blended golden outline over the youth and the old man. The disheveled youth smiled at the dignified elder, then said,

"Captain-Commander, I'll be going to the Living World tomorrow for Soul Burial practice! So I probably won't be able to come for the next two weeks. I'd like to ask for leave."

Asano Kiyoshi's eyes held a trace of curiosity and excitement as he spoke, like an elementary school student going on a spring outing for the first time. The Captain-Commander merely raised his eyes slightly, then nodded gently. Next, he returned to the Kendo Hall at a speed Asano Kiyoshi could not perceive. When he reappeared, there was a wooden box wrapped in gray cloth in his hands. Then, the Captain-Commander said to Asano Kiyoshi,

"These are some snacks I baked recently. Take some to Ukitake. Mm, have Ukitake take Shunsui's portion too. Keep the rest for yourself. Cough, cough. I'm tired. Hurry along now."

Seeing the old man like that, Asano Kiyoshi's lips curved into a pleasant smile. He then shouted toward the direction in which the Captain-Commander had left,

"I got it~ Old Man~ I'll definitely help you finish every last bit!"

The Captain-Commander was now seated in a rattan chair in the Kendo Hall. A helpless smile appeared on his lips as he shook his head and chuckled softly.

"That little brat!"

Chōjirō Sasakibe stood outside the Kendo Hall with a huge stack of documents in his arms. Seeing the Captain-Commander smile, he too smiled from the bottom of his heart. It seemed he had not seen the Captain-Commander smile like that in a long time.

Alas, what a pity. He was about to become the man who put an end to that smile.

Sure enough, the moment the Captain-Commander caught sight of Chōjirō Sasakibe from the corner of his eye, his smile immediately collapsed. Looking at the documents in his Vice-Captain's hands, he let out a long sigh.

Sure enough, whenever this happened, he really wanted to retire...

Meanwhile, Asano Kiyoshi was carrying the food the Captain-Commander had given him as he arrived at Ukitake's office. There was another man inside as well, with medium-length brown, slightly curly hair, two ornate hairpins, a pink haori embroidered with patterns draped over his shoulders, a straw hat on his head, and a short beard along his chin.

The instant he saw that distinctive outfit, Asano Kiyoshi knew the man's identity. He was none other than Shunsui Kyoraku, the current captain of the Eighth Division.

He was playing a board game with Ukitake. When he saw Asano Kiyoshi push open the door and enter, a smile immediately flashed across his face. Then, in that somewhat lazy tone of his, he said,

"Oh my, so this young fellow is the one Old Man Yama has been training lately. He certainly looks full of spirit."

Hearing Shunsui Kyoraku's words, Asano Kiyoshi smiled somewhat helplessly. Then he said shyly to Shunsui Kyoraku,

"Captain Kyoraku, you flatter me."

Hearing Asano Kiyoshi's measured reply, Shunsui Kyoraku smiled but did not continue the conversation. Instead, he handed the floor over to Ukitake. After all, Ukitake was the host here, and he could not steal the spotlight too much. Of course, given the relationship between the two of them, stealing the spotlight every now and then was not really a problem.

Ukitake smiled warmly at Asano Kiyoshi and said,

"Asano, what is it? Do you have any questions about tomorrow's Soul Burial?"

Asano Kiyoshi shook his head, then unwrapped the package to reveal the Japanese food the Captain-Commander had made. He said to the two captains,

"Old Man Yama asked me to bring these for the two of you. He said they were to help you both nourish yourselves."

At this, a smile appeared on Ukitake's face. He took the box and said nostalgically,

"Senbei and onigiri made by Teacher's own hands. It's been a long time since I had any. Don't you think so, Shunsui?"

Without any concern for his appearance, Shunsui Kyoraku directly reached out and grabbed a large handful of senbei, eating them with obvious relish. He then casually wiped the grease from his fingers onto his Captain's Haori. Seeing this, Ukitake said helplessly,

"Shunsui, you're carelessly ruining your Captain's Haori again. If Old Man Yama sees that, he'll scold you again."

Hearing Ukitake's words, Shunsui merely grinned foolishly toward the distance. Then he waved dismissively and said,

"It's fine, Old Man Yama won't find out. Besides, I have my adorable little Nanao. She'll wash my clothes for me~ She's such a good woman~"

Asano Kiyoshi did not interrupt their conversation. However, after staying for a while, he felt it might be inappropriate to linger, so he was just about to leave when both Shunsui and Ukitake called out to stop him. Shunsui packed up more than half of the untouched food on the table and handed it to Asano Kiyoshi, saying,

"Old Man Yama clearly prepared more than enough for two people. There's a portion for you in there too."

Asano Kiyoshi knew that himself, but he had not really thought much of it. After all, for the past two months, he had practically been living on the snacks Old Man Yama gave him, so he was no longer craving them. Still, Old Man Yama's cooking really was excellent!

The cookies Old Man Yama made were crisp without being dry. The onigiri he shaped were soft, sweet, and delicious without being cloying. The miso soup he made was rich and mellow, its fragrance carrying for miles.

Taking the food Shunsui handed him, Asano Kiyoshi still politely thanked him. Then, before he even had time to look up, two more items appeared in his hands.

One was a flask of sake from Shunsui, and the other was a summer snack gift set from Ukitake.

The two veteran captains looked at Asano Kiyoshi as though they were sending off their own little brother, smiling as they said,

"When you go to the Living World, make sure to eat properly. If you can't get used to the food there, eat what we gave you."

After a round of reminders, Asano Kiyoshi left the office with a pocket stuffed full of food. Inside the office, Ukitake and Shunsui exchanged smiles. Shunsui said,

"He really is a dependable young fellow~"

"Yes. If he can grow strong, he should become someone no weaker than us. Then he'll be able to help Teacher shoulder some of the pressure too..."

When Asano Kiyoshi returned to the dormitory, he saw Yumichika coaching Ikkaku on Soul Burial techniques. He handed each of them some small snacks from Ukitake's gift set. Then, beneath the faint night sky and the gleaming shine of Ikkaku's bald head, the three of them leisurely talked about the future and their dreams.

Early the next morning, Asano Kiyoshi got up at dawn and brought plenty of food with him.

By the time he got up, Yumichika was already sitting in a chair applying makeup, while Ikkaku continued practicing Soul Burial outside.

Led by Miyako Shiba, the Third Seat of the Gotei 13, the group slowly made their way toward the Senkaimon.

The Senkaimon was a towering gatehouse-like structure, with two square wooden pillars that soared into the clouds before it. Looking at that grand and magnificent construction, Asano Kiyoshi felt a faint sense of excitement stirring in his heart.