Look at that!

  Look at him!

  It's not like I saved him or anything.

  I saved his sister, and as her brother, his favorability shot straight from a single digit to over seventy!

  Meanwhile, look at those two old-timers. I struggled so hard, aher has even reached sixty; one of them was saved from certaih by me but only got to the sixties.

  Tsk… old folks nowadays are really hard to please.

  Even though Byakuya Kuchiki's favorability toward Haruki had reached seventy-two, on the surface he still carried himself with that icy demeanor. He didn't even speak a word to Haruki, simply brushed past him with calm indifference.

  Tch, Haruki thought. Still, he didn't say anything; from his point of view, he had already gaihe most important be—Byakuya's high favorability.

  Haruki pursed his lips and headed toward Rukia's hospital room.

  Rukia was still unscious.

  "Yamada."

  Just as Haruki was about to enter, he saw Hanatarō Yamada walking along the corridor. He called out to him, "How's Rukia doing?"

  He'd gotten to know Hanatarō previously when visiting Squad Four to see Hisagi Shūhei. After a few more visits, they'd growively familiar. That expined why Hanatarō's favorability had already surpassed sixty.

  Besides, it wasn't that hard to get on Hanatarō's good side; Haruki's visits to Squad Four weren't that frequent, nor did they spend that much time together. Even so, it was enough to raise Hanatarō's favorability level.

  "Miss Kuchiki…" Hanatarō still seemed a bit nervous talking to Haruki, replying, "Physically, she's fine. But she hasn't woken up. The Captain said it's likely due to some psychological or spiritual shock."

  "It robably the trauma of witnessing such a brutal battle for the first time," Haruki offered in Rukia's defense.

  "That's very possible."

  "Do you mind if I go see her?"

  "Well… strictly speaking, yes, you ," Hanatarō answered before quickly adding, "but Captain Kuchiki was here not long ago and said no one should disturb Miss Rukia's rest unless it's absolutely necessary."

  "Wow, so Captain Kuchiki's really ed about Rukia, huh?"

  "Well, they are siblings," Hanatarō replied, clearly unaware of the plicated dynamic between Rukia and Byakuya in the Kuchiki household. He simply assumed they were just ordinary brother and sister.

  In truth, that's what most people thought. Hardly anyone khe details of life within the Kuchiki family—not even Renji Abarai, who ter became a lieutenant, had any clue about Rukia's retionship with Byakuya.

  Naturally, Haruki didn't bother to eborate on that.

  "All right, if the captain says so, I won't disturb Rukia's rest," Haruki said. Then he ged the subject. "Have you eate? I woke up way too early and haven't had breakfast."

  "Ah, I already did," Hanatarō replied hastily.

  "That's a shame. I was going to invite you out for a bite."

  "How about me?"

  All of a sudden, Kyōraku Shunsui's voice came from behind them.

  "Captain Kyōraku?" Haruki turned around, looking surprised. "Weren't you with Captain Ukitake?"

  "Ukitake just o rest quietly now," Shunsui expined. "Me hanging around won't help anything. And I haven't had breakfast either."

  "Sure, let's go grab something," Haruki said, rubbing his stomach.

  Outside Squad Four, they found a small shop selling steamed buns. Haruki ordered two baskets—one filled with meat buns, oh vegetable buns.

  "Wow, you've got quite an appetite," Shunsui remarked.

  "If you're husiastic about eating, there's something wrong with your head," Haruki joked, popping a bun into his mouth. "Besides, I was in a big fight st night, remember? I he energy."

  "Speaking of which…" Shunsui looked at Haruki. "I pretty muow what happe night from Ukitake's at."

  "That Holloould it go after Rukia Kuchiki?"

  "…," Haruki said between bites. "Maybe because she was the weakest? I'm not sure if Captain Ukitake mentio, but that Hollow was really strange—unlike any we've entered before. It had advanced intelligence. If not for its unmistakable Hollow spiritual pressure, judging by its fighting style alone, I'd have thought it was… a Shinigami."

  "…Ukitake mentiohe same thing," Shunsui replied. "Last night, the captains had a meeting to discuss it."

  "Eh?" Haruki gave a start. "There tains' Meeting st night? I had no idea!"

  "They were going t you in for questioning," Shunsui expined, "but Captain Aizen said, 'Haruki has just been through a fierce battle and needs rest,' so you were excused."

  "Anyway, you and Ukitake both gave statements to Captain Unohana, so there was no real need for you to be there."

  "Captain Aizen is so siderate," Haruki mused. "I'm really lucky to be his vice captain."

  Shunsui chuckled. "Aizeainly seems like a fine captain. Otherwise, I'd have thought about inviting you to Squad Eight myself."

  "Oh, please," Haruki retorted with a smirk. "In Squad Five, I'm already the lieutenant. If I moved to Squad Eight, would you let me repanao? Besides," he tinued, returning to the main topic, "what did the captains decide to do about that Hollow?"

  "No formal resolutio," Shunsui said. "But it's quite possible they'll approve a pn to send a team into Hueundo—Lieutenant Shiba, in particur, strongly insists on it."

  "Sending a team into Hueundo, huh…" Haruki frowned. "That's ly our turf."

  "Indeed, it's very dangerous, so there's still a lot of discussion to be had." Shunsui nodded. "But I'd bet it'll be approved."

  "If they do form a squad to deploy, who would be on it?" Haruki asked.

  That's what really ed him.

  He had no desire to go to Hueundht now. There were plenty of people in the Seireitei whose favorability he still o cultivate. Why risk his life in a pce like that?

  Of course, Haruki would eventually visit Hueundo—but only after Aizen built Las Noches aablished some sembnce of order. Right now, Hueundo was essentially a chaotic wastend, ohat not even the dogs would enter. He certainly wanted nothing to do with it.

  "Besides Lieutenant Shiba, probably some of Squad Eleven's folks," Shunsui specuted.

  Haruki secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Perfect, he thought. Squad Eleven's bunch loved to fight. Let them go.

  They finished breakfast together and, with that, Haruki returned from the Fourth District to Squad Five to begin his day's work.

  After barely five minutes in his office, Renji Abarai came rag in at full speed.

  "Haruki!"

  He rushed up and blurted out anxiously, "Is Rukia okay?!"