CH 64: A NEW ROAD
After this, Gojo proceeded to kill the hollow in front of Rukia and the other two.
The other teams and Miyako finally reached the place and were also able to witness its death.
Even though none of them had been able to observe the entire fight, the traces of destruction all over the place spoke volumes of what had happened.
"Well, well, well. Since everyone's here, I guess the scouting mission changed into an extermination one. Now that the job is done. I will take my leave."
Without waiting for them to utter a word, Gojo began to walk away.
Then, he stopped and turned towards Miyako,
"Ah, I almost forgot. Go northeast for a few hundred meters. You will find the cave that hollow was inhabiting. Though, I advise you to not let faint-hearted people follow you."
Miyako frowned before a hint of sadness flashed in her eyes.
Over the few decades since she entered the 13th division, she had chased after many hollows who had snuck into the Rukongai.
She could already more or less guess what they would find.
Sighing, she bowed at his departing back.
She, more than anyone, could feel the power of that hollow.
If her team had engaged it, the most likely result would have been a near or complete wipeout.
"Thank you for everything. I hope you will visit the Shiba compound if you are free. My husband would be happy to make a new friend."
She was thankful from the bottom of her heart. Even though she was ready to die at any moment, she had nothing against staying alive a little longer.
"Hahaha! I will think about it. Oh, before I forget. Rukia!"
"Yes!?"
"Tell your brother I have something to discuss with him. Now then, Ciao!"
Without waiting for Rukia to answer, Gojo vanished.
Standing now alone in the clearing with her entire team, Miyako hesitated briefly before making a decision.
"Rukia, come with us."
Miyako did not know how Rukia would react after what she might see in that cavern.
But they could not keep treating her like a baby.
Even if her brother did not wish for her to participate in missions, Rukia had to at least understand one of the reasons why shinigami fought.
After this, whether she would despair and abandon her sword or be more resolute to fight. The choice will be hers alone.
"Let's go!"
"""Yes!"""
----
A few minutes after all the shinigami went away, a silver-haired man appeared in the same place.
[Why did you bother playing such a convoluted act?]
A girly voice sounded in his head.
"Hey, I have a conscience, you know? I just wanted them to find the bodies and at least bury them."
[Well, you were indeed very angry back then. It's rare for you to torture your opponent.]
"Well, I just believe in the law of karma. Since he likes torturing people so much, he should also enjoy some torture."
Laughing, Gojo walked until he reached the place where the hollow had been killed.
Stretching his hand, he seemed to hold onto a handle and pulled it away.
Space seemed to distort as the scene blurred before revealing a very different scene.
The hollow, still pinned to the ground.
Gojo had never killed the hollow in the first place. All of it had been an illusion.
This was thanks to him using a rather useful Bakudo, Bakudo #26 Kyokko[1], that allowed the user to distort light around themselves. It could also hide Reiatsu and Reiryoku.
The perfect technique for stealth.
It became even more so after Gojo slightly tweaked it and allowed it to not only distort light but also sound.
That’s why, no matter how the hollow screamed, no one noticed it.
Finally, the spears of light he had used to pin it were made out of Reishi.
Shinigamis already found it difficult to feel Reishi in the human world where it was sparse and easy to discern.
In a place like the soul society where absolutely everything was made out of Reishi? They might as well be blind.
[So, what will you do with that fugly thing?]
"Firstly, compared to curses, this one is pretty cute. Secondly, what's the best way to make friends with a crazy scientist? You send him something to study."
This was why Gojo had staged this play.
Whoever they were, the culprits were no small matter.
He wasn't sure what they would do if it was known to everyone that the hollow was about to be studied.
Right now though, he had a dozen witnesses that could prove that the hollow was dead.
With that, it wouldn't be a problem to at least discerning and understand more what those variants were.
"Well, let's go to the 12th."
He hadn't given up on having Mayuri work for him.
There was simply too much that depended on it.
----
[Seireitei, 12th division]
This time, Gojo entered from the main gate without trying to hide.
Thanks to this, rather than the hidden laboratory of the research center, he had been directed to the office of the captain.
Surprisingly, the office was rather neat. In Gojo's opinion, the office of a mad scientist should have been completely full of junk and things that could only be understood by equally mad scientists.
Once he took a seat, he didn't have to wait long before the captain entered.
"Hello, your face is as scary as always. Did no one ever tell you you could most likely make children cry with just a glance?"
A thick vein pulsed on Mayuri's forehead.
"Did you come only to mock me, Satoru Gojo!?"
"Sigh, people nowadays can't even take a small joke."
Mayuri fought the urge to scream in frustration.
"Get on with your business. Otherwise, get out!"
"Hahaha! Calm down. I didn't come just to mess with you—Even though it's really amusing to do so. But rather, I came because I wanted to show you something that might interest you."
Mayuri calmed down before narrowing his eyes.
"I already refused to work for you."
"Heh, don't worry. I won't ask you to work for me."
"Then, what do you want in exchange for whatever you are sending to me?"
No matter how much he despised the man named Satoru Gojo, Mayuri had to begrudgingly accept that the man was extremely skilled.
If that man said that he found something interesting, then it would be worth taking a look.
"Not much, firstly I want you to share whatever discovery you make. And..’"
"And?"
"I want to read old records about the Dangai."
----
[Seireitei, Kuchiki family mansion]
The Kuchiki family was one of the four great noble families of the Seireitei and also one of the richest. It was also ranked first out of the four.
Effectively making it the strongest family in the soul society.
The manor of the Kuchiki family was so vast that Byakuya even had rivers flowing past his river chambers.
Currently, writing on a scroll, he was listening to Rukia recounting the day's events.
From the way she kept stammering while talking to him, he knew that she still felt awkward around him. Something that he had very little control of.
After all, every time he looked at her face, he was reminded of the death of his wife.
When, on her deathbed, she had asked him to find her sister and take care of her, he had never thought that the two would resemble each other so much.
When Rukia reached the part where they found the dismembered bodies of the victims, he could feel how distressed she was.
Byakuya did not know what he should say to her.
He wanted to tell her that everything would be alright.
But, like Rukia, he was equally awkward with her and did not know how to express his concerns. Which was why all he answered with was,
"I see."
He couldn't help but berate himself the moment those words were uttered. Clearly, Rukia would think that he did not care about her day and she was bothering him.
It was his order that at the end of each day, she would report everything that had happened to her.
Of course, he would regularly receive reports about her situation in the 13th division, but it always made him happy to hear it directly from her.
Byakuya Kuchiki was an awkward man.
A man who cared deeply for his sister but did not know how to express himself.
It was when he was thinking that Rukia continued,
"Nii-sama. Gojo asked me to warn you that he wished to pay you a visit."
"Oh? Did he say when he would come?"
"No."
"I see. No matter. I must express my gratitude for the protection he extended to you. So I will wait."
The relationship between Byakuya and Gojo was even more difficult to explain than the one between the siblings.
Even then, Byakuya trusted the power of that man.
It was then that Rukia hesitated before finally asking,
"Nii-sama. What do you think of his words?"
"You mean about the difference between the strong and the weak?"
"Yes."
"I believe the same. Weak people always project the fault of their own failures to external reasons. No matter what the situation, they always find an excuse to explain their failures.
Such people are worthless and disgraceful. There's nothing to be ashamed of regarding failure. Failing simply means you weren't good enough and as such, you need to work harder. Always ask yourself, could I have done better? Only then can you become stronger."
"... "
"This is even more so for us. Noblesse oblige. We, as the highest-ranked nobles, must live a life befitting of the honor we were given. Weakness is not a sin. But the act of wallowing in one's own weakness is the greatest sin in my eyes."
Byakuya stopped talking and walked towards the window of the room to admire his river.
"You can leave now."
He waited, but did not hear her departing footsteps.
"What might be the problem?"
"Nii-sama. I wish to become strong. I had thought that after reaching the Shikai, I had become someone strong. But today, while watching him fight, I understood that I still have a long way before me. Please."
Byakuya felt conflicted.
He wished to tell her it was alright. That she did not have to fight.
He wished to tell her that he could take care of her. That she could leave everything to her big brother.
But doing so would mean spitting on her new resolve.
Since he could not stop her from investing herself in shinigami work.
Then he would make sure she would be strong enough to not die.
"We will begin tomorrow at dawn."
Rukia showed an expression of delight as she bowed to his back.
"Yes!"
[1]: Bent light.
(AN: Hehe. By the time Canon arrives, most of the important characters will be far stronger than they were in Manga. Also, Byakuya and Rukia's relationship is one of my favorites. In Canon, their relationship only really eased after Aizen's betrayal. But this time, thanks to Gojo, it will change. Now that Rukia was not traumatized by the deaths of her 3rd seat and vice-captains + training of Byakuya. She will soon show her full potential—Do I need to remind you that I simp for Rukia in Bankai form? No? Alright.)