BLEACH: DRINKING MAKES ME STRONGER

"Rukia, don't!"

Ukitake Jūshirō's calm demeanor broke for a rare moment as his voice rang out in alarm.

Even Rukia paused—startled by the uncharacteristic urgency from her captain. She had acted on impulse, anger clouding her judgment. Her blade, already mid-swing, closed in on Shiba Kuroba, who didn't even flinch.

She had assumed he would dodge, but he reached out—and caught the blade with his bare hand.

"Ting!"

The sound of metal against skin—no, it was more like steel against steel—echoed in the quiet street.

Both Rukia and Ukitake froze.

The edge of her zanpakutō was halted mid-air, caught cleanly. No blood, no injury—his hand wasn't even cut.

Rukia's eyes widened in disbelief. "You… caught it? I remember now. Earlier… you also grabbed Captain Kurotsuchi's zanpakutō barehanded. Who the hell are you?"

Her voice trembled with a mix of anger and confusion. Something wasn't adding up.

"Rukia," Ukitake said gently, stepping closer, "don't be reckless. This is the middle of Seireitei. A public scuffle will only damage the Kuchiki clan's reputation."

That stopped her more than any order could have. Rukia slowly withdrew her blade, the edge still faintly humming with spiritual energy.

The Kuchiki name—that was her anchor, and her burden.

Ukitake's gaze softened as he saw her hesitate.

He knew—she lived under that name like a shadow she couldn't escape. And no matter how he tried, that wound never fully healed.

Suppressing her fury, Rukia sheathed her zanpakutō with a sharp motion and gave Kuroba a death glare. But her attention shifted as a strange frown crossed her face.

"Captain Ukitake," she said after a moment, "something's wrong."

He tilted his head. "What is it?"

"When my blade was caught… for a second, I couldn't feel it. Like my connection to Sode no Shirayuki was… interrupted. But then it came back. Maybe it was just my imagination…"

But her suspicious glance toward Kuroba suggested otherwise.

Of course, she couldn't believe such a thing could come from a man without even a zanpakutō of his own.

Meanwhile, Kuroba had already turned inward, eyes flickering across the interface of his system.

Zanpakutō Brew Progress: 11%

His brows twitched.

"Wasn't it just 10% after touching Captain Kurotsuchi's zanpakutō?" he thought.

"Now it's only increased by 1% from Rukia's? What's the difference?"

He glanced subtly at Ukitake's side, where Sōgyo no Kotowari, the dual zanpakutō, rested at the captain's hip.

"So… stronger zanpakutō give a bigger boost?" he mused. "What the hell kind of brew is this thing anyway?"

System products were always mysterious—but one rule was absolute: they never made junk.

"Kuroba, are you staring at Captain Ukitake's zanpakutō?" Rukia said sharply. "Don't tell me you're thinking of trying something stupid again. And don't forget: if you fail the zanjutsu test during the entrance ceremony, you won't even get the chance to wield a proper zanpakutō."

Her tone was biting, like a scorned noble.

It was clear—Kuroba had bruised more than just her pride.

"Please," Kuroba snorted, exiting the system panel. "Haven't you heard? They call me Shiba Ultimate. Everything I do, I take to the extreme. A little shallow test? Child's play."

Then, as if completely forgetting the incident, he yawned. "By the way, I just woke up from a good drink. Need to shower, get changed. I'm starving. Rukia, be a dear and show me the way."

"You—!!"

Rukia clenched her fist, visibly shaking.

He turned and walked away like nothing happened.

As a seated officer of the Gotei 13—and his senior—she was utterly livid at the disrespect. This junior from a once-fallen noble clan was walking all over her dignity.

"Pfft—"

A chuckle broke the tension.

"Captain Ukitake?" Rukia turned, flustered.

He was smiling faintly, a glimmer of mirth in his sickly face.

"Forgive me," he said. "I just thought of a phrase…"

"A phrase?"

"A happy enemy," Ukitake mused.

Rukia blinked, unsure whether to be insulted or confused.

"If you were once a cold fairy, then now… you're one who has descended to earth. You're finally expressing anger like a normal girl. It's good."

"…A fairy who has fallen to the mortal world?" Rukia repeated, cheeks heating slightly.

Rukia stood frozen, her mind blank with embarrassment. For a moment, she wanted to disappear from the world entirely.

Watching as Ukitake Jūshirō turned and walked away in silence, she clenched her fists at her sides. Her eyes narrowed, and a frown crept onto her face. Despite her usual poise, she stamped her foot in frustration—a rare lapse.

Then, something clicked.

This... wasn't like her.

As a noble of the Kuchiki Clan, Rukia had always conducted herself with the grace and cold detachment expected of her. Her elder brother, Kuchiki Byakuya, had long been her standard: dignified, composed, and emotionally untouchable.

But just now, she had behaved like a commoner—stamping her foot and pouting like a child denied sweets.

"Have I… grown too attached to the world of the living?" she muttered. "No. I mustn't let emotions sway me."

Smack!

Rukia slapped both her cheeks lightly, trying to re-center herself. "I am Kuchiki Rukia. I will not be swayed by some vagabond—especially not a drunkard with questionable hygiene."

With that declaration, her expression hardened again. She straightened her posture and began walking after Ukitake, the cold grace of a noble once again wrapping around her like a mantle.

"Falling for someone like that? Hmph. As if."

But even she could not quite dispel the flutter in her chest.

Not far away, hidden in the shadows of a rooftop, Kurotsuchi Mayuri narrowed his golden eyes, a twisted grin crawling across his face.

"My, my… Rukia Kuchiki, was it? That reaction… that emotional spike… fascinating."

Beside him, the stoic voice of Nemu Kurotsuchi echoed with mechanical calm. "Captain, you're smiling. Have you found something interesting?"

"Hehehe… oh yes, Nemu. Quite interesting indeed. That boy—Shiba Kuroba, the one who caused a disruption at the academy's assessment grounds—there's something off about him. His spiritual pressure pattern doesn't match the known records."

His grin widened further. "And did you see? Rukia Kuchiki's reiryoku fluctuated when he was near. I suspect… tampering. Or a hidden catalyst."

Nemu tilted her head. "Shall I begin surveillance?"

"No need for subtlety. The boy's unstable. He'll reveal himself sooner or later. But keep an eye on Rukia as well. Her responses may yield clues about his composition."

Mayuri's eyes gleamed with sadistic delight.

"Secrets are best uncovered slowly, Nemu… like dissecting a still-living subject. Piece by piece."