A Temporary Farewell and a Promise

"..."

Kenpachi looked at the Pink-Haired Toddler at his feet. She was probably only one or two years old and could not even speak yet. With her big, watery eyes and soft, pink little face, she was quite adorable. Seeing Kenpachi looking at her, the little girl spread her arms and babbled, asking to be held.

"She seems to like you a lot. Is she your illegitimate daughter?" Looking at the child before him, Duke thought of Yachiru Kusajishi, who would one day perch on Kenpachi's shoulder. It was obvious that this was that girl. Yet Yachiru's appearance had been extremely strange. After Duke returned with food, she had somehow ended up lying on Kenpachi's stomach. There had not been many people in this area to begin with, and after last night's battle, there could not possibly have been any survivors nearby. Duke could not understand how a toddler who could only crawl around had appeared beside Kenpachi. Could she know Teleportation?

"..." Kenpachi and Duke exchanged a glance, then simply stared each other down. The atmosphere became extremely awkward.

"Don't look at me. I don't know where she came from either." Honestly, Kenpachi's expressionless, silent zombie face was pretty intimidating. Duke quickly admitted defeat.

"What's your name, little one?" Duke picked Yachiru up, deliberately asking a question he already knew the answer to as he began showing off his acting skills.

Held in Duke's arms, Yachiru ignored him. Instead, she reached toward Kenpachi with an expectant expression. Seeing this, Duke handed Yachiru over to Kenpachi. Looking at the little girl, Kenpachi felt an unfamiliar emotion stir within him. He instinctively reached out to take her and set her on his shoulder. Sitting atop those broad shoulders, Yachiru happily grabbed Kenpachi's hair and started tugging on it. Duke wanted to laugh, but could not quite bring himself to. Kenpachi's bloodthirsty appearance paired with a pink fluffball unexpectedly made him seem somewhat adorable.

"Looks like we won't be able to have another fight for a while!" Duke spread his hands and put on a regretful act, though the weight in his heart finally lifted. Kenpachi's inhuman growth rate had left him struggling to keep up. If they had another fight like last night's, Duke figured there was an eighty to ninety percent chance he would go down.

"Where are there people nearby?" Kenpachi suddenly asked.

"Huh?"

"She's hungry."

"Huh?!"

Seven days later, in an unnamed village in the Kusajishi District, Kenpachi relied on his outstanding looks and the assistance of some "kindhearted people" to successfully obtain enough food and water for three. Kenpachi quickly finished his lunch, then immediately began his daily task of feeding Yachiru.

Because they had met in the Kusajishi District, Kenpachi gave her the surname Kusajishi after himself. At the same time, hoping she would become strong, he named her Yachiru Kusajishi. Kenpachi did not elaborate on the hidden meaning behind Yachiru's name, but Duke could sense that Kenpachi held a deep attachment to it. Fighting, caring for Yachiru, then continuing to fight—Kenpachi greatly enjoyed these past few days. Every morning, he woke to find an evenly matched opponent before him. There was no life more satisfying than this.

After Duke slowly finished his meal, he decided to part ways with Kenpachi. Over these seven days, they had two small fights every day and a major battle every three days. He had thoroughly mastered his Shikai, while his understanding of swordsmanship had likewise reached a bottleneck. Unless he encountered some extraordinary opportunity, further improvement would only come through long, painstaking effort. Besides, Shinigami Academy's graduation day was right around the corner. He could not delay any longer.

"You're leaving?" After finishing the feeding, Kenpachi coaxed Yachiru to sleep before asking the question. Beasts truly did have accurate instincts. Before Duke could say anything, Kenpachi had already sensed his intention to leave.

"Yeah!" Duke answered readily. This was how men communicated: they said what they meant without hiding anything.

"When are you coming back?"

"..." Duke scratched his nose and did not answer.

"Where are you going?"

"To Seireitei in the center of the Soul Society. I'm going to become a Bleach."

"A Bleach? What's interesting about that kind of life?" Kenpachi was utterly baffled.

"This wandering life is even less interesting. We seek different things."

"Suit yourself! But don't you dare die... I'll come find you, and then we'll have another fight to the death!"

"Then it's settled! By then, I'm afraid I'll be much stronger. Don't be too shocked!"

"That really pisses me off..." Kenpachi rose to his feet and was about to draw his sword. Yachiru, sleeping in his arms, was startled awake, and he hurriedly stopped himself. By the time he turned back, Duke had already left with Shunpo.

"You actually left without saying goodbye to Yachiru. Next time, I'll definitely cut you down." Kenpachi gazed into the distance, placed Yachiru on his shoulder, and turned toward the next district.

"Little Yueyue left..." Yachiru looked in the direction Duke had gone and reached out, grasping at empty air.

"Yachiru can talk now?" Kenpachi was delighted. Thick-headed as he was, he did not notice in the slightest that Yachiru was different from ordinary children. Encouraging her, he said, "Little Yueyue... Is that because of his Zanpakuto's ability? That's a fitting nickname. Yachiru really has a talent for naming things."

"Little Ken... and Yachiru..." Yachiru pointed at Kenpachi, speaking in baby talk.

"Little Ken means me? It sounds awful, but as long as you're happy. Yachiru really likes that guy, so after a while, we'll go find him. How does that sound?"

"Okay!"

"Where should we go next? Yachiru, point us in a direction!"

Shinigami Academy! Today was the graduation day for the Sixth-Year Students. Classes had been suspended throughout the academy, and all teachers and students had gathered at Training Ground One to watch the graduation ceremony and the graduates' division assignment ceremony. As this year's graduates, Duke and Iba stood in the center of the training ground, waiting for the ceremony to begin.

"Duke, which division are you planning to join later?" Iba stood with his arms folded across his chest, wearing sunglasses. Bandages were wrapped around his lower abdomen beneath his open shirt, and his vicious expression warned strangers to stay away. Thanks to him, Duke had a quiet patch of space amid the crowded throng.

The Sixth-Year Students no longer had any classes, and nearly everyone had already decided which division they wished to join. After graduating today, they would enter their ideal divisions. Of course, joining a division required passing an assessment. Just because you wanted to join did not mean they would accept you. The most typical example was the 6th Division. As a division exclusive to nobles, they did not accept commoner Bleaches. As for why Renji Abarai would later become the 6th Division's lieutenant, Duke had no idea.

"Squad 4!" Duke looked at the platform erected in the middle of the training ground. He had heard that several captains would be attending today.

"Squad 4... Why the medical division?" Iba was stunned by his friend's answer. Squad 4 was primarily responsible for emergency treatment of the injured, medical care, and Seireitei's daily cleaning duties. Though it had the most members, its overall strength was weak, and its status within the Gotei 13 was extremely low. Its Bleaches had always been looked down upon by the other divisions.

"My Zanpakuto is Kidō-type, and it's very convenient for saving people. A Zanpakuto's ability reflects the depths of a Bleach's soul, so I must be hoping for that kind of thing myself." Duke began spouting nonsense with a perfectly serious face, quickly talking Iba into confusion. "I come from Rukongai. I only became a Bleach to live a better life. Squad 4, where there's rarely any fighting, suits someone like me who seeks a peaceful life."

"Is that so?" Iba glanced at Duke. A flash of light reflected off his sunglasses. Clearly, Iba's intelligence had returned just in time, and he did not believe Duke's nonsense.

"Why would I lie to you?" Seeing that Iba was not easy to fool, Duke hurriedly asked, "What about you? Which division are you planning to join?"

"Squad 11!"

"The combat division?" Shouldn't it be the 7th Division? Duke was puzzled. Iba, why weren't you going to follow your dog captain? What were you doing going to a division specialized in combat? Squad 11 was a fierce unit responsible for front-line assaults, representing the Soul Society's most elite professional fighting force. Combat division sounded impressive, but in reality, they were just a group of high-grade cannon fodder. Worse still, that cannon fodder was made up of gay men.

As a division that gathered countless pure-blooded men who worshipped courage and combat strength, most of its members possessed Zanpakuto with no special transformations whatsoever—pure melee types, entirely devoid of elegance. Combined with the division's atmosphere and responsibilities, most of its members were hot-tempered, crude, and battle-hungry. For a thousand straight years, it had ranked first on the list of divisions most hated by female Bleaches. Incidentally, that list had no other rankings... They were not handsome, their swords were not flashy, and they could not sweet-talk girls. Under such circumstances, what could a group of energetic, muscular men do besides embrace each other and wrestle philosophically?

Hearing that Iba intended to join Squad 11, Duke could not help revealing a pitying expression. All he could do was pray inwardly that Iba would not be dragged out drinking by a bunch of gay men...

"What kind of look is that?" Iba's hair stood on end under Duke's gaze, and his rear end trembled as though it sensed some malicious intent coveting it.

"Nothing. I'm just wondering why you chose Squad 11. Aren't there several divisions without captains or lieutenants?" Duke had spent six years with Iba and understood his friend well. Iba was not some rough, impulsive man chasing hot-blooded combat. Contrary to his appearance, Iba was extremely calm and rational, and he had ambitions of his own.

More than a decade ago, Shinji Hirako and the others had been set up by Aizen and underwent Hollowfication. Kisuke Urahara, Yoruichi Shihōin, and the Grand Kidō Corps Commander had also been framed and fled to the Human World, leaving multiple captain and lieutenant posts vacant for years. Lieutenant positions were not too bad, since 3rd Seats could temporarily exercise their authority and were sufficient to manage a division as a whole. Captain positions, however, were not so easily handled. The thirteen captains represented the Gotei 13's Supreme Combat Power, as well as the Soul Society's thirteen strongest fighters. They stood at the pinnacle of all Bleaches!

Although the 2nd Division and 12th Division had now filled their vacancies, it had not been long enough for their strength to be proven. In addition, the captain posts of the 3rd Division, 7th Division, and 9th Division remained vacant. It could be said that this was the period when the Soul Society's overall strength was at its weakest. Vacant captain positions were the Soul Society's greatest crisis, but they were also a blessing for many ambitious Bleaches. Once they displayed outstanding performance, they would receive focused training, and their lives would change accordingly.

Iba was one such person, ambitious and determined to rise high. His mother had once been a lieutenant, so his minimum goal was to become a lieutenant himself. If possible, becoming a captain was not beyond his aspirations. Following that line of thought, Iba's first choices should have been the 3rd Division, 7th Division, and 9th Division. Those three divisions had long lacked captains and were the best places to show his capabilities.