Seeing the serious expression on her uncle's face, Rukia realized the upcoming conversation was confidential, prompting her to straighten her posture and listen closely.
"Rukia, do you know which Squad I actually belong to?" Kōga asked, his expression grave.
Rukia nodded. "You are the Captain of the Special Forces in the First Division."
"As the Captain of the Special Forces, I carry out classified missions that even the Onmitsukidō cannot touch," Kōga continued. "Over the decades, while executing these tasks, I have discovered some troubling anomalies."
Rukia tilted her head. "Please tell me, Uncle."
Kōga brought up the day Kazuma had demonstrated his Zanpakutō at the Shin'ō Academy, prompting Rukia to recall the scene clearly.
"I remember it," she said. "Sensei and Captain Aizen both released their blades in the lecture hall. Sensei claimed his Zanpakutō was a support-type blade based on localized starlight, which he later used to heal my physical fatigue during training."
Hearing her account, Kōga scoffed.
"A support-type blade? Master really knows how to spin a tale for the masses."
Leaning closer, Kōga lowered his voice.
"In truth, Master's Zanpakutō is not a mere support tool. Hokushin is an elemental weapon with terrifying offensive power! It manipulates crushing localized gravity and atmospheric lightning."
Rukia's mouth fell open in astonishment
She had never imagined that her teacher possessed such immense destructive power.
"Why would Sensei conceal his true abilities from the Gotei 13?"
Kōga remained silent for a moment before speaking slowly.
"This involves classified history! I don't know all the specifics, but since Master chose to lie, he must have his reasons. Remember this, Rukia: do not blindly trust others, whether it's me, your teacher, or anyone else."
Seeing her confused expression, Kōga smiled bitterly, his mind drifting back to a startling discovery he had made years ago.
As the Captain of the Special Forces, he often visited the Great Spiritual Library to verify intelligence.
Out of curiosity, he had once checked the archived records on Kazuma and uncovered a shocking contradiction.
According to the texts, Kazuma had assumed the position of Seventh Division Captain centuries ago, and his Zanpakutō was officially documented as a harmless support-type blade.
That fact left Kōga deeply perplexed, because he knew the Library's records could not be altered by Shinigami will.
The Library functioned as an objective tool that documented all events in Soul Society, with many theorizing that its operation was tied directly to the will of the Soul King.
Realizing the gravity of a falsified reality, Kōga reported the anomaly to Yamamoto and accompanied the Captain-Commander to review the records.
The archive remained consistent with Kōga's findings.
Furthermore, the historical records of Kazuma's closest companions had also been rewritten.
According to the archives, Kazuma's wife, Batsu'unsai Katori, had perished in the Blood War a thousand years ago, yet Kōga knew she was alive and well, living peacefully in the World of the Living.
The same anomaly applied to Furōfushi Saitō, the First Generation Captain of the Sixth Division, whose death was documented despite her continued existence.
Discovering this massive manipulation of history, Yamamoto and Kōga realized the severity of the situation.
They secretly discussed it with the few veteran Captains who knew the truth about Kazuma and ultimately reached a consensus to bury the matter deep in their hearts.
Exposing the discrepancy between the Soul King's records and reality would cause a massive, destabilizing uproar across the Seireitei.
Noticing her uncle's distracted stare, Rukia spoke up gently.
"Uncle Kōga, what are you thinking about? You stopped talking."
Snapped back to reality, Kōga smiled and shook his head.
"Nothing. I was just thinking about my Master's past."
Patting Rukia's shoulder, he spoke earnestly.
"In this world, many things are not as they appear on the surface. We must remain vigilant and not let pleasant appearances deceive us."
Rukia nodded in agreement and promised to keep the conversation a secret.
Since it was getting late, she bowed to her uncle and returned to her quarters, her mind churning with Kōga's warnings.
She realized Soul Society was layered in deception, and while her curiosity about Kazuma's hidden past continued to grow, she quietly vowed to be more cautious from now on.
....
Waking up early the next morning, Rukia returned to the Thirteenth Division barracks.
Seeking a second opinion, she asked Captain Ukitake about Kazuma's history, but the gentle Captain offered her the exact same rehearsed answer Kōga had read in the Library.
Feeling that something was off but unable to pinpoint the exact lie, Rukia decided to set the mystery aside for now and went to find her Vice-Captain, Kaien Shiba, instead.
Kaien had always cared for her as a junior.
He showed gentle concern for his wife Miyako, deep respect for Captain Ukitake, and genuine enthusiasm toward his subordinates.
After Rukia joined the Thirteenth Division, he personally took it upon himself to teach her various combat methods, showing her great kindness.
Whenever Rukia trained with him, she felt life was filled with warmth and joy. To her, Kaien was a senior she could trust deeply.
"Rukia, although your foundational Sword Technique is solid, you still need to pay attention to your methods during real combat," Kaien Shiba said, gesturing with his wooden sword as he guided her through the spar.
"Using Zanjutsu alone isn't enough. You must learn to seamlessly integrate Kidō to restrain your opponent."
Rukia nodded firmly, cherishing the learning opportunity.
Since she had entered the Thirteenth Division without undergoing a formal entry ceremony, most of the squad members treated her with cold indifference.
Only Kaien and his wife, Miyako, showed her genuine care.
Their training was interrupted when a squad member ran toward them with a panicked expression, tears streaming down his face.
Frowning at the weeping subordinate with clear displeasure, Kaien lowered his sword and shouted.
"What's with all the crying? If you have a report, square your shoulders and speak up!"
Choking back a sob, the squad member fell to his knees.
"Something terrible happened on the perimeter… Third Seat Shiba's patrol… her condition is unknown…"
Hearing the news, Kaien froze as if struck by lightning.
His body swayed slightly, and his trembling hands released the training sword, letting it clatter into the dirt.
"This can't be true," he murmured, his voice cracking. "Miyako… she wouldn't…"
Stunned by the sudden tragedy, Rukia rushed forward and grabbed the squad member's sleeve.
"What happened out there?"
With tears continuing to fall, the squad member recounted how Miyako had been assigned a routine preliminary reconnaissance mission, only to be ambushed by a strange Hollow of unknown origin.
Her accompanying escort had been wiped out, and Miyako's fate remained uncertain.
Kaien's eyes grew hollow as he stared at the ground.
Slowly, he reached down to pick up his fallen sword, gripping the hilt so tightly that his knuckles turned white.
"Miyako… you have to hold on."
Turning to Rukia, he gritted his teeth and ordered, "Go inform Captain Ukitake. I'm heading to the scene first."
Clenching her jaw, Rukia nodded.
She could not comprehend how a disaster like this could happen to the woman who had treated her like sister, but suppressing her rising panic, she turned and sprinted toward the Captain's quarters.
"Captain Ukitake!" Rukia shouted as she slid the paper doors open, bypassing her usual formal greetings and going straight to the point.
"Third Seat Miyako was ambushed! Her condition is unknown!"
Her voice broke with sorrow, sounding as if she had just lost a family member.
Ukitake's face turned pale, his brow furrowing in shock before a sudden fit of coughing wracked his frail body.
"What happened?" he asked, wiping his mouth as worry flooded his eyes.
Lowering her head as tears welled in her eyes, Rukia replied in a trembling voice.
"It was just a routine patrol in the outer districts. The messenger didn't know the details."
A sharp pang of regret pierced Ukitake's chest.
He could not help wondering whether things would have been different if he had insisted on leading the mission himself, but guilt could no longer change the grim reality before him.
"Does Kaien know?" Ukitake asked, his tone heavy with concern.
"He heard the report and rushed to the scene ahead of us," Rukia replied, wiping the tears from her face as she tried to force herself to remain calm.
Ukitake offered a grim nod.
He knew exactly how fiercely Kaien loved his wife, and he understood that the Vice-Captain would tear the forest apart to find her.
"Gather a medical squad," Ukitake ordered, pushing himself to his feet. "We are heading out."
Looking at her Captain's pale complexion, Rukia asked with concern, "Captain, are you sure your lungs can handle a combat deployment?"
Forcing a small, reassuring smile, Ukitake patted her shoulder.
"I'll manage. Let's go."
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