"Third Seat Shiba, are you feeling alright?"
"I'm fine. I feel perfectly well right now," Miyako said, smiling at the squad members accompanying her. "Besides, this isn't exactly the most chaotic district in the Rukongai, so you don't need to worry."
Aside from Squad 1, the Gotei 13's external missions mostly involved dealing with Hollows or responding to severe incidents within the Rukongai.
Generally, a team led by a Third Seat wouldn't be dispatched to the first thirty districts of the Rukongai unless there was a mass casualty event. If the situation was even more severe or bizarre—such as mysterious soul disappearances—a Captain would personally lead the investigation.
Naturally, the mission Miyako was currently executing was nothing of the sort. Even without her presence, there was virtually no danger. The only reason she was leading this squad was because of her overprotective Lieutenant husband.
Captain Unohana had stated that her Reiatsu conflict was no longer a major issue and would have a negligible impact on her combat abilities. She merely needed time to adapt and be observed, with the recommendation to avoid high-risk missions in the near future.
Kaien had interpreted this as a strict ban on *any* dangerous missions. He wouldn't even let her look at a Hollow. Dispatching a Third Seat for what amounted to a simple patrol was a first in the history of Squad 13.
The most exasperating part was that the entirety of Squad 13 fully supported this blatant abuse of authority. Her subordinates constantly checked in on her, leaving her torn between amusement and frustration. Was she here to execute a mission or take a vacation?
Still, it was a good thing the mission was this mundane. Otherwise, Kaien might have dropped all his duties to come guard her himself. He was far too easily swayed by his emotions—it was no wonder Kōe called him a reckless hothead.
But that was exactly the Shiba Kaien she loved. No matter what he endured, he never succumbed to hatred or bitterness. No matter how much he achieved, he never grew arrogant or obsessed with power. He always maintained a passionate heart dedicated to protecting his comrades.
Compared to the Captains or the elusive elites of the Seireitei, Kaien did lack that unshakable, cold composure. But that wasn't necessarily a flaw.
Composure stemmed from rationality, but it could also be born of apathy. When someone could turn a blind eye to the suffering of others, their original purpose as a Shinigami had already been corrupted.
As his closest confidante, if Kaien had seen her in such a critical, life-threatening state and felt absolutely no worry, Miyako knew she would have been deeply disappointed—perhaps even terrified.
Therefore, Kōe's assessment wasn't entirely correct. Fortunately, Kaien understood this about himself and held firm to his own convictions.
Thinking of Kōe, there was actually something Miyako had kept from Kaien. Regarding her bizarre illness, she suspected that Kōe knew more than he let on. To take it a step further, she felt he might have been the mastermind behind the entire ordeal.
She had no concrete evidence to support these suspicions; it was purely an instinct. If she had to articulate it, it was the unsettling calmness hidden beneath Kōe's apparent concern when he visited her—as if he knew from the start that the strange illness wouldn't claim her life.
This completely contradicted the image Kaien had painted of a man burdened by guilt toward him. If Kōe hadn't simply grown cold over the years, then his genuine concern was reserved for a very select few, and she was not on that list.
Regardless of which was true, the real face hidden beneath Shihouin Kōe's mask was far from benevolent. At the very least, it put Miyako on edge, leaving her with the constant, lingering sensation that she was a pawn on his chessboard.
Of course, this was entirely her sixth sense talking. Being bedridden and paralyzed for so long had inevitably made her sensitive and prone to overthinking. It was entirely possible she was completely misunderstanding Kōe.
This only served to highlight how precious someone like Kaien was. She had truly been cared for by him, and she had learned so much from his unwavering warmth.
"Third Seat Shiba! Third Seat Shiba!"
"Hmm? My apologies, I was just thinking about Kaien. Is something the matter?" Miyako replied, slightly embarrassed. To lack even basic vigilance after being away from active duty for so long was truly shameful.
"It's my fault for interrupting your sweet thoughts, Third Seat Shiba. Please don't tattle on me to Lord Kaien," the squad member teased with a smile. After all, what need was there for high alert on a stroll like this?
"Let's focus, everyone. Is there an update from the Seireitei?" Miyako smiled, steering the conversation back on track. The squad member immediately sobered up and held out a wooden tablet. "This is the latest transmission from the Seireitei. Should we report your condition and request another squad to take over?"
This wooden tablet was a new invention from the Department of Research and Development, capable of unilateral, real-time messaging. Its primary advantages were its speed and near-limitless range. After several iterations, it could now transmit messages seamlessly between the Soul Society and the World of the Living.
Its flaws, however, were equally glaring. Compared to the standard Hell Butterflies or high-level Kidō, this cheap, mass-produced device offered abysmal privacy. It was incredibly easy for a third party to intercept the signal, meaning it was currently only used to dispatch low-priority, temporary missions.
"East Rukongai, District 33. A Hollow incursion is projected between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM. Location: twenty kilometers east of the district center. Please take position immediately and execute the target upon arrival!"
Miyako read the text on the tablet. District 33 of the East Rukongai wasn't far from their current location. Since there was no joint-operation directive, their squad was likely the only one to receive the alert. More importantly, this was a rare early-warning dispatch. They had more than enough time to finish their current patrol and head over to set up an ambush.
"We can handle this ourselves."
"But Lord Kaien specifically instructed us, and given your condition..."
Miyako raised a hand, cutting off her subordinate's protests. Caution was fine, but it didn't justify standing idly by while a Hollow wreaked havoc in an inner sector like District 33. That was absolutely not what Kaien would want.
Furthermore, the technology used to predict Hollow movements—calculated via spatial and Reiatsu fluctuations, factoring in the differing time densities between dimensions—was highly reliable. The predictions only ever suffered from minor deviations in time or location; there had never been a precedent for misjudging a target's strength.
The fact that their orders were to execute the target meant the Department of Research and Development had assessed the threat and deemed their current squad perfectly capable of handling it. If it were a powerful Menos, the orders would have been to contain the target, gather intelligence, and await reinforcements.
Miyako made a swift decision. She immediately dispatched six members to head to District 33 and prepare the ambush, while she and the three fastest Shinigami remained behind to wrap up their current patrol.
She hadn't earned her seat because she was Kaien's wife. She had earned it because she was an exceptional Shinigami, forged through blood and tears! A flawless victory here would be the perfect way to finally put Kaien's anxieties to rest!
But would things truly go as smoothly as Miyako hoped?
"Shiba Miyako has accepted the temporary mission and will be arriving shortly, Captain Aizen."
Meanwhile, back in the Seireitei, Rukia remained completely oblivious to the fact that Big Brother Kōe, walking right beside her, had just experienced a fleeting moment of distraction.
"Looks like I won't be getting to bed early tonight," Kōe muttered. "I just hope I don't have to pull an all-nighter."