Rukia had been living quite well lately. She worked at the Soul Society's diplomatic office in Konoha, doing clerical work that was neither particularly busy nor lacking in prestige.
At first, she had thought her brother would look down on her current job, but to Rukia's surprise, Byakuya had actually approved of it. He told her to work diligently in her position and not disgrace the Soul Society or the Kuchiki Clan.
Konoha had arranged accommodations for all the Shinigami stationed at the diplomatic office, but since Rukia was the adopted daughter of the Kuchiki Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans, she still insisted on returning to her own home in the Seireitei every day.
If there was anything bad about it, it was that she could no longer see Captain Ukitake, whom she had once deeply respected, and that it was difficult to meet some of her friends in daily life.
Still, as a long-lived Shinigami, she had no particular sense of urgency about time. A year would pass in the blink of an eye, and she would eventually be transferred away from here anyway. She could just treat her time in Konoha as a vacation.
She thoroughly enjoyed Konoha's prosperity and bustle. Moreover, she found that the people of the Living World here were remarkably simple. They faced little pressure in life and had a strong sense of happiness; nearly everyone she saw wore a smile.
In contrast, the people of the Living World in her original world were all constantly rushing about just to make a living.
That was also why she liked this place.
The diplomatic office was beside the Temple of Samsara, atop a cliff. The view from there was wide open, overlooking all of Konoha. An elevator had been built into the