"Sigh… You're Byakuya's sister-in-law, aren't you?"
As though he could no longer find any excuse to deny it, Isshin let out a resigned sigh and asked the petite girl in front of him.
Rukia nodded and confirmed it.
"That's right. I am Rukia Kuchiki, Hisana Kuchiki's younger sister."
Her gaze swept over Ichigo Kurosaki and his family, and a complicated emotion welled up in her heart.
"So it really is you, Captain Shiba," Rukia said as she looked at Isshin.
She had heard of this former captain of the Tenth Division before.
More than that, she had seen him in person, which was why she could be so certain.
She simply had not expected to meet him here, when he was supposed to have died long ago.
Rukia looked again at Ichigo and his family, unable to help marveling at the strangeness of fate.
She had never imagined that she would become connected to such an ordinary yet extraordinary family.
"Captain Shiba, about what happened back then…" Rukia wanted badly to know the truth.
"Rukia, although I admit that I am Isshin Shiba, I won't tell you about what happened before. And right now, I'm only an ordinary human."
After saying that, Isshin fell silent and refused to say anything more.
Disappointment appeared on Rukia's face, but she also understood that some things might not be easy to reveal.
So she decided to change the subject and try to learn more about Isshin's current life.
"Then, Captain Shiba, what kind of life are you living now?" Rukia asked curiously.
"Haha, right now I'm just an ordinary uncle, living peacefully with my family." Isshin answered with a laugh.
"Although sometimes, I still think back on the old days of fighting."
Rukia nodded. She could sense Isshin's nostalgia for the past.
Just then, Ichigo walked over.
"Rukia, let's go outside for a bit," Ichigo suggested. "There's something I want to ask you."
Rukia glanced at Isshin, then followed Ichigo out of the room.
They arrived in the yard. Ichigo stood quietly, looking at Rukia.
"Rukia, from the looks of it, you know about my old man's past, right?" Ichigo asked with a complicated expression.
Hearing that, Rukia nodded slightly.
"Mm. I don't know everything, but I do know some things about your father."
A trace of expectation flashed through Ichigo's eyes.
"Then can you tell me?"
Rukia looked at him, then slowly said, "Your father was once the captain of the Tenth Division of the Gotei 13 in Soul Society. His name was Isshin Shiba. And the Shiba Clan, like my Kuchiki Clan, was once one of the Five Great Noble Clans of Soul Society. Before, I thought it was only a coincidence that you looked so much like Kaien-senpai. But now that I know you're family, the resemblance makes perfect sense."
As Ichigo listened, his heart stirred.
So his old man had actually had such a brilliant past.
Then Ichigo suddenly remembered something and asked, "Who is Kaien Shiba?"
Rukia fell silent for a moment before softly answering, "Kaien-senpai should be your cousin. He was the lieutenant of my division, and he was very kind to me. Unfortunately…"
Her voice lowered, as though she had remembered something painful.
Ichigo frowned and pressed, "What happened?"
Rukia took a deep breath and continued, "He was attacked by a Hollow and fell into a deep sleep. My teacher, Captain Kazuma, once said there was a way to save him. But in the end, he told me that Kaien-senpai had been completely devoured by the Hollow and died."
At that point, Rukia's eyes grew wet, and tears slid down her cheeks.
Seeing her grief, Ichigo felt a heaviness in his chest. He gently patted Rukia's shoulder and comforted her.
"Don't be too sad. It's already in the past."
Rukia lightly wiped the tears from her face, nodded, and forced out a faint smile.
"Thank you, Ichigo. I don't know why, but whenever I look at you, I can't help remembering Kaien-senpai."
Her gaze carried both nostalgia and sorrow.
Ichigo frowned and asked, "Then who exactly is this teacher you mentioned—Kazuma?"
Rukia took a deep breath and slowly explained, "My teacher is connected to what happened with your father. He was once the captain of the Seventh Division, a Shinigami who had held the rank of captain for over a thousand years."
"Around twenty years ago, Soul Society's higher-ups spread news that my teacher had betrayed Soul Society and killed your father while he was on a mission in the World of the Living, as well as the Ninth Division captain at the time, Kaname Tōsen. In the end, he was slain by Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division."
As she spoke, Rukia's voice grew low and heavy, as though that piece of history had brought her endless pain.
"But after seeing your father today, I feel there is something deeply wrong with what happened back then. When I mentioned the rumor that my teacher had killed him, his expression didn't change much at all. If it were true, there's no way he would remain unmoved after hearing the name of his enemy."
Ichigo stood there silently, carefully thinking over everything Rukia had just told him.
His heart was filled with confusion.
What had happened back then?
Why had his father gone from a powerful Shinigami to an ordinary human?
And what kind of connection did Kazuma have to all of this?
Ichigo frowned.
"Rukia, I have to find out the truth behind this. No matter what it takes, I won't back down."
Rukia shook her head helplessly and sighed.
"The truth? Only someone among Soul Society's higher ranks might have a chance of knowing what really happened. With our current identities and positions, any effort we make would be useless."
Her expression then became more serious.
"And the current problem is that I transferred my Shinigami powers to you without permission. If Soul Society finds out, the consequences will be unimaginable. That is a serious crime, one that could even lead to both of us being pursued by Central 46."
Ichigo's eyes widened in shock.
"Huh? You never told me any of that before!"
Rukia smiled faintly and teased him.
"What? Are you scared?"
She knew Ichigo was not the kind of person who shrank back from trouble, but she still could not resist poking at him.
"I'm not scared!" Ichigo lifted his chin and looked at Rukia with firm resolve. "Since it's already happened, we'll face it together. Worst case, we fight them!"
Rukia was amused by Ichigo's words.
"Fighting isn't a good way to solve every problem. We need to come up with a proper plan."
Ichigo scratched his head.
"Then do you have any ideas?"
Rukia thought for a moment.
"For now, the most important thing is to hide your Shinigami powers. We need to avoid attracting Soul Society's attention as much as possible. As for everything else, we can only take things one step at a time."
"All right." Ichigo nodded. "I'll be careful. But I'm still going to find the truth."
Rukia looked at Ichigo, a strange feeling rising in her heart.
She knew that the boy standing before her might truly be the one who could unravel every mystery.