"Damn it… that demon cat just left, and now you show up!"
Little Byakuya was struggling furiously, his short legs kicking as he twisted around. No matter how hard he fought, he couldn't escape from Sogo's "grip of fate" holding him by the scruff of the neck.
"I just missed you, my little cabbage~" Sogo teased with a mischievous grin.
"I'm not a cabbage! You're the cabbage! Your whole family's cabbage!"
Byakuya's face turned red with anger at the ridiculous nickname. He wasn't a cabbage! There was absolutely nothing cabbage-like about him—he was the great genius of the Kuchiki Clan, Kuchiki Cab—no, Kuchiki Byakuya!
"We're not all pale like me. Everyone else in my family has healthy complexions. Unlike you—Uncle Sōjun and Sister Aya are fair in a good way. You're just glowing white!"
(Note: For beautiful women, it's common courtesy to call them 'sister,' regardless of age or rank.)
Sogo kept teasing him. Because Byakuya was so full of himself, very few of their peers were willing to play with him. Most thought he was too stuck-up. Only Sogo and Yoruichi knew that the kid was just a tsundere—his mouth said "no, no," but his body was always honest.
"Let me go! Let me go! Let me gooo!"
Byakuya yelled angrily, squirming around like a rattling drum toy.
"Nope! Not letting go~" Sogo taunted back with a grin.
"Damn you!!!"
Byakuya roared in frustration, trembling with fury. When would he finally be strong enough to stand tall?
"All right, enough."
Finally, Ginrei Kuchiki couldn't stand watching anymore. He loved his precious grandson too much to let the teasing continue.
"As you wish, Lord Ginrei."
Sogo released his grip obediently.
"Ah!"
Byakuya fell straight onto the hard ground (which Sogo had deliberately chosen). His backside throbbed in pain.
"Hahaha… Byakuya, my little brother, drink more milk and grow big and strong!"
Leaving that parting shot, Sogo darted over to Ginrei and the others.
"White cat! I swear I'll shave every bit of fur off you someday!"
Byakuya glared at Sogo, furious.
"Hahaha, such spirit! But you'll need a few hundred more years of training before you can even touch my hair~"
Sogo pointed proudly at his shiny head of hair.
"Ugh…"
Byakuya stood up, clutching his sore butt, gritting his teeth to keep from crying. In his heart, he silently swore—one day, he would surpass Sogo.
"Oh right, I almost forgot. I was having too much fun teasing Byakuya just now. Here's that gift I promised you."
Sogo pulled something out from his robe—it looked suspiciously like a magical girl's wand—and handed it to Kuchiki Sōjun.
"Huh???"
Sōjun stared at the wand, eyes wide with confusion.
"What… is this thing?"
Though it looked like a toy, Sōjun could tell it wasn't ordinary.
"It's a Soul Reaper Girl Voice Changer—a toy for kids~"
Just as Sōjun started to think it was something important, Sogo's words hit him like a brick.
"A… toy?"
Sōjun's brow twitched. Why on earth would Sogo give a grown man something like this?
"Of course, it's got built-in reiatsu recording! You can use it to log your daily missions. When your child grows up, she can hear what kind of dangerous people her father once fought. You wouldn't want her ending up like Byakuya—an arrogant little kid with no friends, right?"
Seeing Sōjun's puzzled look, Sogo quickly explained.
"…Thank you."
Realizing Sogo's thoughtfulness, Sōjun respectfully bowed and tucked the wand away.
"Hey! Who are you calling friendless?! I just don't want to waste my time with weaklings!"
Byakuya shouted defensively.
"Sure, sure~"
"Little cabbage, unrivaled in the world—the greatest genius alive! Of course, you'll surpass me someday~"
Sogo grinned as he spoke.
"Hmph! Glad you know it, mutant white cat!"
Byakuya lifted his chin proudly—until a moment later, realization hit him and his face turned red.
"Wait! Who are you calling cabbage?! I'm Byakuya!"
He shouted at the top of his lungs, but Sogo was already gone, leading Ginrei and the others into the reception hall. Though this was the Kuchiki estate, Sogo moved around like he owned the place, perfectly at home.
"Come on, sit, sit…"
After seating everyone and brewing tea, Sogo finally got to the point.
"Well then," Ginrei said with a knowing smile, half serious, half indulgent. "What is it this time?"
That tone alone told Sogo that Ginrei was willing to listen. The Kuchiki family, known as the model of noble decorum, was usually strict and traditional—but for Sogo, Ginrei was willing to bend the rules a little.
"Alright then, since you put it that way, I'll be blunt. You saw the Soul Reaper rest schedule I drafted, right?"
"I saw it…"
Of course Ginrei had. The whole Seireitei had been talking about it.
"And? What did you think?"
"Utter nonsense. You plan to abandon the Human World and Hueco Mundo? Give our enemies time to recover?"
Ginrei shook his head, exasperated.
"No, no, that's not what I meant. I'm proposing a rotation system. Three shifts, alternating times—same as now, really. The only change is adding proper weekends. They don't all have to rest on the same days, of course. We can rotate it."
"I see… that's reasonable enough."
Ginrei nodded slowly.
"Eh? You mean—you actually agree?!"
Sogo's eyes widened with surprise.
"Even if I didn't, I wouldn't have much choice. Thanks to you, all of Squad Six has been in an uproar. If I refused, they'd probably curse me behind my back."
Ginrei, though conservative, understood when the tide had turned.
"Heh~ and here I thought you'd be the hardest to convince. The Kuchiki family's 'noble ideal' reputation is a bit too heavy, don't you think?"
Sogo chuckled. Ginrei didn't respond, but the truth of it was plain—some titles were easy to wear, but impossible to take off.
"Hmph. I'm only being lenient because it's you. But there are still others who won't be so easy to persuade…"
Ginrei warned him with a quiet huff.
"Got it~ thanks, Lord Ginrei! I'll be off then."
"Go ahead. Let's see what happens when you hit a wall."
Ginrei smiled faintly at Sogo's enthusiasm.
"Hit a wall? Please—besides the old man, who wouldn't give me face? I'm out~!"
And with that, Sogo dashed out of the hall.
"This kid…" Ginrei chuckled, shaking his head before turning serious again.
"You both heard him. Starting today, Sōjun will manage Squad Six from 4 p.m. to midnight. Kyōkawa will take over from midnight to 8 a.m. Next month, you'll switch. Repeat every month."
He actually agreed with Sogo's plan—it was a good opportunity to train his son and son-in-law. Both already had the strength of a captain, even Sōjun with his frail health could wield Bankai, though only briefly. What they lacked was maturity and leadership. This rotation would forge that.
"Father, if we're managing the division, then you…"
Sōjun and Kyōkawa exchanged glances and asked.
"Me? I'm clocking out!"
Ginrei laughed—a rare, genuine laugh.
Meanwhile, Sogo went to the 5th Division to find Aizen. He knew Aizen would support his plan without question. What he didn't expect was—Aizen wasn't there.
He soon learned that Aizen was attending a captain's promotion exam as an examiner.
"This way, please."
The vice-captain led Sogo into the division's reception room to wait.
"So boring…"
While waiting, Sogo glanced out the window—and saw a silver-haired boy with narrow, snake-like eyes.
"That kid…"
Sogo frowned, sensing something sharp and dangerous about him.
"…A genius."
After a moment's thought, he nodded. Among all Soul Reapers his age, only Byakuya might rival that boy.
"Scary…"
Meanwhile, the silver-haired boy was staring back. His instincts screamed that the man watching him wasn't just a Soul Reaper—but something far more terrifying.
An hour later, Aizen finally returned.
"Well, well, Captain Aizen sure looks busy these days. Too important to see an old friend?"
Sogo teased as Aizen walked in.
"Don't make fun of me, Sogo-kun. I was only there as a formality. The real examiners were Captain-Commander Yamamoto and Captain Unohana. I was just decoration."
Aizen smiled wryly.
"Hahaha… being the third wheel between those two? That's rough."
Sogo laughed heartily.
"So? How was the test?"
"It went well. The candidate's name is Sajin Komamura—ah, I mean Captain Komamura now."
"Oh? What's he like? Which squad is he leading?"
"Well… he's a bit hard to describe. He wore a mask the whole time, but from his demeanor, he seemed quite straightforward and honorable. Captain-Commander Yamamoto appointed him to lead Squad Seven."
"Hmm… wears a mask, huh? Then I can't judge. Not that I should talk—I wear an eyepatch myself."
Sogo chuckled.
"Anyway, that aside—I came to ask a favor."
"I'm listening."
"It's about my rest schedule proposal. Central 46 gave me a vague answer, so now I'm going around collecting each captain's approval."
Sogo smiled disarmingly.
Aizen chuckled. "That's all? Of course, you have my full support."
"Perfect. Then just sign here."
Sogo pulled out a form—only two names were on it: his own and Ginrei's.
"Sure."
Aizen signed without hesitation.
"Thanks~ you're a good man, Aizen."
Sogo pocketed the document and vanished in a flash.
"…"
As soon as Sogo left, Aizen's faint smile faded. His eyes narrowed slightly, his mind already turning over unseen thoughts.