Not long ago, Kuchiki Hisana passed away.
Before she died, Kuchiki Hisana left behind her only final wish: she hoped that Kuchiki Byakuya could take care of her younger sister, Rukia.
In fact, Kuchiki Hisana knew that Rukia was in Yakushi Kabuto's orphanage, because back when she had been forced by life to abandon her little sister, she had left Rukia at the orphanage gate.
Yet after Hisana married into the Kuchiki Clan, when she wanted to take her sister back, she no longer dared to approach, perhaps because her past guilt made her too ashamed to face anyone.
Even so, every single day, Kuchiki Hisana would almost always secretly appear near the orphanage, quietly watching Rukia's every move from the shadows, and even secretly donating funds or daily necessities to the orphanage, yet she never dared show herself in front of her sister.
Until she was about to die…
Only then did Kuchiki Hisana finally dare to face this matter.
Looking after Rukia was the only wish left behind by Kuchiki Byakuya's deceased wife; he would not refuse it—or rather, he had never refused his wife anything.
"…"
Kuchiki Byakuya slowly gathered up his emotions, opened his eyes again, and scrutinized the girl sitting opposite him, his voice colder than ever: "Miss Rukia, are you willing to join the Kuchiki Clan?"
"Huh? What?"
Rukia couldn't help blinking her big eyes. She scratched her head curiously. "Lord Kuchiki, you're joking, right?"
"I am not."
Kuchiki Byakuya calmly shook his head.
Kuchiki Byakuya did not reveal the true reason he was inviting Rukia to join the Kuchiki Clan. He merely mentioned that the Kuchiki Clan valued her talent for becoming a Shinigami and cultivating Spiritual Power, and proposed to adopt Rukia as his younger sister, letting her bear the Kuchiki family name.
Unfortunately…
What Kuchiki Byakuya got in return was a refusal.
To be honest, right now Rukia didn't have much interest in joining the Kuchiki Clan.
This orphanage was where she grew up, and her current life was actually not particularly harsh. In the future, Yakushi Kabuto would probably send her to the Spiritual Arts Academy anyway.
Rukia didn't think she needed any other older brother, because she already had a director who had raised them, taking care of them like both a father and a big brother.
Compared to the aloof Kuchiki Byakuya…
The friendly Yakushi Kabuto was indeed much easier to get along with.
Even though Rukia understood that joining the Kuchiki Clan would mean better living conditions and resources, it still wasn't enough to change her mind.
This orphanage…
Was her real home.
Rukia barely thought about it before refusing Kuchiki Byakuya outright; she even waved her hand carelessly. "Hahahaha… I'm afraid I'll have to turn you down, I'm really not interested…"
"This orphanage will be disbanded very soon."
With a single sentence, Kuchiki Byakuya made Rukia's expression change drastically, while his own remained calm, even icy. "I know the director of this orphanage is Yakushi Kabuto, but he's about to go elsewhere to train. He will no longer have the time or energy to take care of this place."
Yakushi Kabuto's joining the Zero Squad was no secret to the four great families.
Especially since Central 46 hoped Yakushi Kabuto would quickly fulfill their agreement and not keep riling up the Uehara Race's nerves in the Soul Society, they intended to have Yakushi Kabuto reside in the Soul King Palace for a long time and not be allowed to leave.
All of this…
As the man about to inherit the Kuchiki Clan, Kuchiki Byakuya knew it all clearly.
Ignoring the change on Rukia's face, Kuchiki Byakuya continued in a level tone, "As children who grew up here, you should be very clear just what kind of people Yakushi Kabuto has offended…"
That was the Uehara Race…
A mighty house that even the Kuchiki Clan paled in comparison to!
"Yakushi Kabuto offended the Uehara Race, and once he leaves, the fate that awaits the orphanage he founded… I don't think I need to spell it out for you anymore…"
When he spoke up to this point, Kuchiki Byakuya continued calmly, "And as far as I know, the people of the Uehara Race are notoriously narrow-minded and petty. Anyone who has ever offended them will never meet a good end…"
This was not an accusation made without cause.
For thousands of years, the Uehara Race had treated their enemies like leaves swept away in an autumn gale—utterly ruthless. Very few people dared to lightly incur the Uehara Race's wrath.
Even the Four Great Noble Clans would not casually tug at a tiger's whiskers!
Watching Rukia's expression, Kuchiki Byakuya continued, "After Yakushi Kabuto leaves, they won't even need to act personally. Some Shinigami eager to curry favor with the Uehara Race would be enough to easily crush this place…"
Even Ichimaru Gin and Matsumoto Rangiku couldn't possibly protect this orphanage. In fact, even they needed to rely on their identities as members of the Guardian Court Thirteen Squads just to protect themselves.
The suppression coming from a great house was absolutely not that simple!
Listening to Kuchiki Byakuya, Rukia fell silent for a while, then slowly lowered her head and murmured, "Sorry, but that only makes it even more impossible for me to leave… If I left, how would the other little ones here, who call me big sis, go on living?"
Setting aside whether Kuchiki Byakuya's words were true or false, abandoning the children in the orphanage who called her their boss…
Was absolutely not something she should ever do!
"…"
Kuchiki Byakuya gave Rukia a surprised glance.
Just when he was faintly impressed by Rukia's sense of loyalty, even starting to feel a trace of admiration for this girl, Rukia opened her mouth and destroyed her own image again…
"But…"
The girl rubbed her hands together, a fawning smile flickering across her face. "Um… I heard the Kuchiki Clan is one of the Four Great Noble Clans of the Soul Society. If Director Kabuto really leaves here, and I join the Kuchiki Clan, would I be able to protect this place under your wing?"
"…"
Kuchiki Byakuya's eyelids couldn't help twitching, and his face darkened unconsciously. He forced himself to keep his expression calm and slowly shook his head.
This little girl…
Her skin was a bit too thick!
Aside from her looks, her temperament was nothing like her sister's!
"No."
Kuchiki Byakuya rejected Rukia's suggestion coldly, his face frosty as he continued, "Once you bear the Kuchiki name, you must put the Kuchiki Clan's interests first…"
Kuchiki Byakuya's refusal was not without reason.
Because all he wanted was to adopt Rukia in accordance with his wife's last wish, not to take on the risk of offending the Uehara Race in order to shelter a bunch of little brats from the orphanage!
Rukia only knew the Uehara Race was very powerful…
But Kuchiki Byakuya knew very well just how powerful the Uehara Race truly was. That was the Soul Society's one and only great house, a family that not even Central 46 nor the Zero Squad dared take lightly!
Even the slightest trouble would be blown up into a huge affair in the eyes of the Uehara Race.
Who knew whether they might think the Kuchiki Clan was sheltering Yakushi Kabuto's orphanage in an attempt to seize the status of the great house for themselves?
"Sigh, then forget it."
Rukia couldn't hide the disappointment on her face.
"…"
Kuchiki Byakuya felt a vague sense of strangeness in his heart.
This was way too obvious!
At the very least, she could have tried to hide her intentions a little! Acting this bluntly—did she not realize how rude that looked in front of him?!
However, when Kuchiki Byakuya saw the worry etched on Rukia's face, he couldn't help thinking of his late wife again, and finally spoke up, "It's not that there is absolutely no way to protect this orphanage. If you work hard enough at your training and become a Shinigami so powerful that even the Uehara Race cannot ignore you…"
There was little hope in that, though.
To this day, for thousands of years, aside from the General Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni, no one in the entire Guardian Court Thirteen Squads had ever been taken seriously by the Uehara Race.
"Is that so?"
Rukia immediately fell into thought.
The girl's face twisted into a tangle of hesitation.
Even if she didn't understand just how strong she would have to be for the Uehara Race not to ignore her wishes, there was no doubt that even Kuchiki Byakuya himself didn't dare lightly offend the Uehara Race…
Could she…
Really manage that?
Just as Rukia was still frowning in thought, Yakushi Kabuto's voice drifted into their ears. "Go do what you want to do, Rukia. I've already made all the arrangements.
There's no need to worry about the Uehara Race's revenge. Lord Naraku is actually a bit more magnanimous than the young master of the Kuchiki Clan imagines."