Kurotsuki stood in the middle of the room, staring curiously at his reflection in the mirror.
"Strange, It's already been a year, but I still look almost the same. I'm no longer skin and bones, and at least I'm not dressed in rags anymore… but I haven't grown much.
Guess the rumors are true—Soul Reaper age a lot slower than humans. Still feels weird, though. Well, whatever. More time for me to do whatever I want."
He slipped into his standard Soul Reaper uniform and stepped outside, ready to begin his daily routine. As he headed out, he spotted Jushiro Ukitake leaving the barracks and hurried over.
"Captain!"
Ukitake turned, smiling warmly as Kurotsuki ran up to him.
"kuro-chan, how many times have I told you? You can just call me Jushiro."
Kurotsuki tilted his head, smirked, and said smugly, "...jushiro-chan."
Ukitake sighed in defeat, dragging a hand down his face. Before he could reply, Kurotsuki asked, "Where are you going this early?"
"Mm, just out for a little walk. Want to join me? You haven't stepped outside the 13th Division barracks since you arrived in Seireitei."
The boy's eyes sparkled with mischief and curiosity. "Of course."
As they strolled leisurely through the pristine white streets of Seireitei, they passed members of different squads going about their duties. Ukitake suddenly lit up and waved excitedly.
"Oooh! Captain Shiba! Shiro-chan!"
Kurotsuki turned his head toward the pair and blinked.
Wait, what? That's… Hitsugaya? And Captain Shiba? So he was captain of the 10th before Toshiro? Huh. I wonder what happened to him later. And damn… he looks just like Ichigo's dad.
When the groups met, Ukitake cheerfully introduced them.
"Kurotsuki, this is Shiba Isshin, Captain of the 10th Division. And next to him is Shiro-chan!"
Tōshiro immediately bristled. "My name is Hitsugaya Tōshiro! That's it—no Shiro-chan!"
Unfazed, Ukitake fished out some candies from his haori, placing them in Toshiro's hand, then gave some to Kurotsuki.
"I don't want your candies," Toshiro pouted, stubborn. "I'm not a child."
Ukitake just smiled and carried on.
"Captain Shiba, Toshiro—this is Chigetsu Kurotsuki, the boy I mentioned before."
Isshin gave Kurotsuki a once-over, stroking his chin. "So this is the kid you found in the 70th district of Rukongai, huh? Not bad. I can feel the reiatsu from here. How old is he?"
Ukitake thought about it for a moment, then launched into his infamous explanations.
"Well, technically he's about eight in human years, but since he's only been in Soul Society for a year, he's really just one year old in Soul Reaper terms. But if he'd been born here, his age would line up closer to seventy or eighty years. Still, since he's officially a Soul Reaper now, I guess we should just… convert? That'd make him seventy-one in Shinigami years."
Isshin and Tōshirō stared blankly, completely lost. After a moment, Isshin blinked, then exclaimed, "Ehh?! Seriously? He's basically one year old but already has that level of control over reiatsu? Damn. Impressive." He glanced at Toshiro. "By that logic, you're around eighty-one now, right? Heh. Anyway, how the hell did you train him, Ukitake?"
Ukitake laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. "Ahahaha, I didn't do anything special."
Meanwhile, Kurotsuki had already unwrapped his candy and popped it into his mouth. Spotting that Toshiro hadn't touched his, he leaned in with a mischievous grin.
"Hey, kid. If you're not going to eat those, mind if I take them?"
A vein popped on Hitsugaya's forehead. "Kid?! Who are you calling a kid? Aren't you one yourself?!"
Kurotsuki smirked. "Me? A child? Funny, because you're the one acting like one right now."
Another vein pulsed as Toshiro clenched his fist in frustration. Kurotsuki sighed dramatically, shaking his head.
"Haaah… you crushed the candies. What a waste."
Toshiro looked down at the broken sweets, flustered. "I-I… no, I—"
"Hahaha! So you did want them," Kurotsuki cut in with a smug grin. "Should've just said so."
The white-haired boy's eyes widened, realizing he'd fallen for it. "Y-you little—!"
"I guess that's enough teasing for now. After all, he'll be a future captain, so I should build a good relationship with him. Still… I want to do something that makes sure he never forgets me. But honestly, I can't help it—teasing him is just too much fun."
Before he could finish, Kurotsuki tossed him some of his own candies. Toshiro caught them instinctively.
"Here. Compensation for letting me have a little fun."
The air grew awkwardly silent. Isshin and Toshiro glared at the red-haired boy, while Ukitake wore his usual apologetic smile.
Then Isshin suddenly burst into laughter.
"HAHAHA! I like this kid! Not bad at all! Toshiro, be friends with him—he could teach you how to lighten up. You're way too serious for your age!"
Toshiro gawked at his captain in disbelief. Kurotsuki, meanwhile, wore a smug little grin.
"I don't mind. I'll swing by the 10th Division sometime. You can visit us too… Shi-ro-chan."
That last jab made Toshiro's fists clench again, but Kurotsuki just shook his head with mock disappointment.
"Ahh, and you wasted the candy again. Truly tragic."
The younger boy's eyes widened in horror. He had crushed the sweets a second time without realizing it. His frustration boiled over.
"That's it! To hell with self-control! I'll strangle this brat right now!"
He lunged at Kurotsuki, but the redhead was already sprinting off in the opposite direction.
"Captain Ukitake! Thanks for the tour of Seireitei, but I think I'll head back to the barracks now! Bye-bye!"
The two captains stood frozen, watching one child chase another through the streets of Seireitei.
Isshin finally chuckled. "Your new squad member's really something, Ukitake."
Joshiro only nodded with a sigh. "Yes…"
..
Timeskip — Five Years Later.
"Phew… phew… phew…"
Kurotsuki's breaths came heavy as he blurred across the training grounds, body flickering from one spot to another.
"Still not fast enough. Faster! Faster!"
He vanished and reappeared again, each step covering greater distances than before.
From the rooftop of a nearby building, Jushiro watched quietly.
Sigh… he pushes himself too hard. On the surface he's always carefree—grinning, smug, mischievous. But when he decides to commit, he pours his whole heart into it.
That mischief might make others misunderstand him, but his dedication is real.
Ever since the day Toshiro chased him, Kurotsuki's been obsessed with shunpo.
He realized he couldn't escape because Isshin's protege already knew the technique, so he begged me to teach him.
Honestly… his progress was incredible.