After a long stretch of turmoil, Soul Society finally settled into a rare period of peace.
The Aizen incident, for all that it shook the entire Seireitei, hadn't caused the catastrophic collapse many had feared.
Little by little, everything began returning to its former order.
Once the Onmitsukidō finished its investigations, the Third and Fifth Divisions gradually resumed normal operations.
However, with both captain positions vacant, temporary arrangements had to be made to keep them running.
In the Third Division, Kira Izuru took responsibility as acting captain.
With his calm, dependable nature, he threw himself into the mountain of administrative work and kept the division functioning smoothly through the transition.
The Fifth Division, meanwhile, temporarily borrowed Lieutenant Hisagi Shūhei from the Ninth Division to oversee its affairs.
Shūhei showed considerable leadership, coordinating personnel and organizing missions to carry the division through this difficult period.
The Fifth Division's former lieutenant, the stubbornly hard-to-kill Hinamori Momo, had suffered a devastating blow from Aizen's betrayal.
Even now she hadn't fully escaped its shadow, and her mental state remained worrying.
The normally sweet Momo spent her days withdrawn and miserable, often caught in painful memories.
Hitsugaya Tōshirō was frantic with concern. He stayed constantly at her side, patiently listening to her fears and grief while offering whatever encouragement he could.
He did everything possible to help her push back the darkness in her heart, regain her confidence, and become the cheerful girl she'd once been.
...
Over at the Seventh Division, Tetsuzaemon had finally escaped his life of suffering after Rukia's transfer.
She now handled the division's daily paperwork, and once she finished, she had to endure Kazuma's inhuman training.
Well, perhaps calling it inhuman torture was slightly unfair.
He'd merely increased her usual training load by a teeny-tiny, almost unnoticeable amount.
What was Kazuma doing while Rukia suffered?
He was extremely busy.
He drank, slept, and occasionally sneaked back to the World of the Living to spend some private time with Batsu'unsai.
"Sensei, I really don't think I can keep this up."
Rukia rubbed her aching wrist.
"Can we stop training like this? I honestly feel like I'm about to die."
She spent every day working through mountains of division paperwork. Once that was finally done, she still had to train in Zanjutsu and Shunpo!
"Tired? What do you mean, tired?"
Kazuma looked at her as though she'd said something ridiculous.
"This is exactly how I trained back then. You should take a good look at yourself and ask whether you've really been working hard enough."
"The best people from your generation have already learned Bankai. Even the unimpressive ones can use Shikai. Look at yourself. How do you have the nerve to complain about being tired?"
"But Sensei, I really have been doing everything I can to learn Shikai!"
Rukia looked deeply wronged.
She had no idea what she was doing wrong.
"But nothing."
Kazuma glared at her irritably.
"I spend enormous amounts of star power every day rebuilding your body and strengthening your body. Even your uncle never got treatment this generous, so stop acting ungrateful!"
Thanks to the repeated cleansing and strengthening from Kazuma's star power, Rukia's natural aptitude had risen to an entirely new level.
She was now nearly comparable to Hitsugaya Tōshirō — a genius made rather than born.
Kazuma was just as frustrated as she was.
Under his careful instruction, Rukia's progress in both Zanjutsu and Shunpo had been astonishing.
Yet when it came to Shikai, she simply couldn't grasp the crucial point.
No matter how much she trained, an invisible wall seemed to stand in front of her, keeping her from that final step.
Kazuma had begun wondering whether his teaching method was flawed.
Could the problem be Rukia's original talent?
He quickly ruled that out. Judging by her progress in every other area, she was unquestionably a gifted student now.
So what exactly had gone wrong?
For once, Kazuma found himself truly stumped.
'A Zanpakutō reflects its wielder's inner self. Could the problem be Rukia's state of mind?'
The realization hit him.
The wielder of Sode no Shirayuki, praised as the most beautiful Zanpakutō in Soul Society, shouldn't have ended up like this.
The Rukia from the original timeline had been nothing like her current self.
She'd certainly had the potential to become a little ridiculous, but beneath that, she was strong-willed, compassionate, loyal, and deeply devoted to the people she cared about.
Her character had been as proud and resilient as a plum blossom in winter, yet as warm and bright as sunlight — fitting for someone whose name carried the meaning of light.
"Rukia, do you still remember why you started?"
Kazuma's sudden question struck the quiet room like thunder.
Rukia froze.
Her eyes widened as she stared at him, seemingly unable to think.
"Why I started…?"
It took a long moment before she finally repeated the words under her breath.
Her gaze slowly went distant as her thoughts drifted into the past.
Once, she'd been a lonely little girl wandering the Rukongai.
She'd slept under open sky, endured hunger and cold, and struggled through each day without knowing what the next would bring.
Even in those painful days, though, she'd never entirely given up hope for the future.
Then fate began to turn.
She met Renji and a group of companions who shared the same dreams. They walked forward together, helping and supporting one another through countless unforgettable experiences.
Those years still held hardship and loss, but the bond between them made everything easier to bear.
Later, through relentless effort and stubborn determination, Rukia earned admission to the Shin'ō Academy.
There she received structured, rigorous training, steadily improving her skills while meeting many talented companions.
Eventually, she reunited with Hisana.
For the first time, she was no longer alone.
She received the name Kuchiki and experienced a warmth and happiness she'd never known before.
After joining the Thirteenth Division, she was looked after by Shiba Kaien, Shiba Miyako, Captain Ukitake, and many others.
They became another family, staying beside her and supporting her as she kept moving forward.
Then, through her uncle Kuchiki Kōga, Rukia met Kazuma.
He taught her advanced Zanjutsu, but more importantly, he gave her constant guidance and care, even if his methods were often questionable.
Finally, she met Kurosaki Ichigo, and the course of her life changed once again.
They'd known each other only briefly, yet Ichigo had charged into Soul Society without hesitation to save her.
Looking back on everything she'd been through, Rukia found herself overwhelmed.
Across that long journey, she'd gained sincere friendships, the warmth of family, and bonds with teachers who were also precious companions.
Those feelings were like bright stars lighting the road in front of her, giving her strength to keep going whenever she wanted to give up.
But what had her original purpose truly been?
And when had she forgotten it?