A major event had shaken the Soul Society over the past few days.
Byakuya Kuchiki had officially succeeded his grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki, as the new Captain of Squad Six.
As a noble clan's designated division, the Sixth Squad's captaincy had always been passed down to members of the Kuchiki family or nobles affiliated with them.
A similar tradition applied to Squad Two, where the captain's position typically fell to members of the Shihōin family. While the current captain, Suì-Fēng, wasn't a Shihōin by blood, her Feng family was one of their vassals.
Rukia had taken a day off from the Spiritual Arts Academy to attend Ginrei Kuchiki's retirement ceremony.
Not only was Ginrei stepping down from his post as captain, he was also relinquishing his position as head of the Kuchiki clan.
The retirement and succession ceremonies were held back to back—Byakuya's inauguration as the new Squad Six Captain took place immediately afterward.
Byakuya had always been the most gifted Kuchiki in generations, his tenure as vice-captain marked by excellence and early mastery of Bankai.
That day, Rukia found herself surrounded by figures she would normally never even glimpse. All current captains of the Gotei 13 were in attendance, along with several Central 46 elders and members of various noble houses.
Watching how all these powerful people treated both Ginrei and Byakuya with unwavering respect, Rukia was struck for the first time by the true weight the name "Kuchiki" held within the Seireitei.
Many nobles' sons approached her to strike up polite conversation.
The worst part? Several of them—vassals of the Kuchiki family—had clearly dressed to impress, crowding around her with bright smiles and insufferable elegance.
Rukia found herself struggling to stay polite.
Living in the Kuchiki manor for this long had taught her some painful truths. As one of the Four Great Noble Houses, the Kuchikis were expected to only marry within noble circles—preferably vassals or lower-ranking houses under their own domain.
Meaning if she were to ever marry, her husband would most likely be one of the peacocks now preening in front of her.
There were exceptions, of course—high-ranking seated officers within the Gotei 13 were also considered acceptable matches.
Her mind drifted to the Council President. His future achievements would surely outstrip even the rank of seated officer.
Vice-Captain? Captain? Shin could handle either.
—
Elsewhere, the newly-robed Captain Byakuya stood in quiet conversation with several of his fellow Captains.
"That child over there—is she Rukia?" asked Jūshirō Ukitake, nodding toward the petite figure surrounded by would-be suitors.
"…She looks just like her," he added softly.
Byakuya remained silent, face composed.
Of all the captains, he was perhaps closest with Ukitake—or more accurately, Ukitake was close with everyone.
Another nearby voice joined in: "She's still in the Academy, isn't she? I saw her when I visited once," said Aizen Sōsuke, ever-smiling. "Why not have her join the Gotei 13 directly?"
"She's only been enrolled for a year. Let her qualify first," Byakuya replied flatly.
Ukitake chuckled. "You're too strict. There are plenty of non-combat support roles in the Gotei 13, and she'd probably progress faster once inside."
Aizen leaned in slightly. "Do you plan for her to join Squad Six in the future, Captain Kuchiki?"
"No," Byakuya replied.
Ukitake gave him a knowing glance. Doesn't want her constantly underfoot, huh…?
"Well, Squad Thirteen would welcome her," Ukitake offered.
"…I'll consider it," Byakuya said coolly.
After the ceremonies concluded, Rukia returned with the rest of the Kuchiki household. She finally exhaled.
Renji would never believe the circus I went through today…
Evening fell.
Byakuya had just returned to the Kuchiki estate from the Squad Six barracks. After a brief private conversation with Ginrei, Rukia was summoned.
"Is something the matter?" Byakuya asked, calm and aloof, though his captain's haori seemed to cast a longer shadow now.
Rukia tensed up instinctively. Since becoming a Captain, her older brother felt even more imposing.
"Brother… the Academy is preparing this year's cultural festival," she began nervously. "I wanted to ask if you would be willing to attend."
"Festival?" Byakuya paused. He vaguely recalled last year's event. It had been during that time that his grandfather had first seen Rukia at the Academy.
"This year's will be more elaborate," Rukia explained quickly. "The President is putting a lot of effort into it. He's invited people from outside the Academy as well. I was hoping you could come—just to relax a bit."
"…Understood."
It wasn't a promise, but Rukia knew not to press him further. She bowed, ready to leave.
But then—
"Rukia."
"Yes, Brother?"
"How are your grades at the Academy?"
The question hit her like a cold splash of water.
Byakuya had never once shown interest in her academic performance—or in her, really.
Since being taken into the Kuchiki household, Rukia had always felt more like a symbolic ornament than a true family member.
She hesitated, then answered carefully. "I do decently in Kidō classes. Everything else is average."
Byakuya's gaze was unreadable. "Are you top of your class in Kidō?"
"…Top five," she admitted, sheepish.
Their A-Class students were all elites. That she could rank in the top five in Kidō was largely thanks to the private tutor the Kuchiki family had assigned her.
The true prodigy in her class was Kira Izuru—perfectly balanced in all fields. Though slightly behind Hinamori in Kidō, and a little behind Renji in swordsmanship, he still topped the academic charts.
"…I see. You may go."
Byakuya had asked not out of concern, but calculation.
When Rukia was adopted, the Kuchiki clan had thoroughly reviewed her history. Her early academic records were… average at best.
Four private tutors later, Byakuya had been curious if those efforts had borne fruit.
If her performance was now "passable," then perhaps she could graduate early. To Byakuya, there was no reason for a Kuchiki to waste time in school longer than necessary.
As Rukia bowed and turned to leave, her thoughts churned.
She didn't understand why he'd asked. But she knew one thing for certain:
She had to work harder.
If not for the Kuchiki name, then for herself.
To catch up to him.
To stand beside Shin.