Chapter 6: The Return
"Come in," a gentle voice sounded from behind the Shoji door.
Mizuki Kuchiki then slid and opened the Shoji door. Before him stood a young man with shoulder-length black hair, bluish-purple eyes, thin eyebrows, and light skin. His hair was neatly combed, and his bangs were pushed away from his face. He wore a loose kimono with a floral design while doing calligraphy on a blank white paper placed on the table. Beside the paper, there were also a few snacks placed on plates and two cups.
Seeing Mizuki Kuchiki enter and sit in the seiza position in front of him, the young man said, "How was your time in the academy?"
"Fine," Mizuki Kuchiki replied. This young man was his father in this life, Sōjun Kuchiki.
"So, did you get your Asauchi?" Sōjun Kuchiki asked while continuing his calligraphy.
"Yeah, it went well," Mizuki Kuchiki replied as he placed his Asauchi from his hip onto the floor beside him.
"So, where is Mother?" Mizuki Kuchiki asked Sōjun Kuchiki, who was still drawing on the paper.
"Ah! I completely forgot about that!" Sōjun Kuchiki said, sipping from one of the cups placed on the table. "She actually went on an important mission!" he said, placing the cup down.
"You know she was really sad when she realized she wouldn't be the first in the Kuchiki family to see your Asauchi!" Sōjun Kuchiki added with a bright smile.
"You should return home more frequently, Mizuki-kun," Sōjun Kuchiki said, looking straight at Mizuki Kuchiki's face.
"Well, I was quite busy at the academy, so I couldn't come before," Mizuki Kuchiki said with a sad sigh and then continued, "Do you know where Grandfather is? After all, he was the one who wrote a letter to me this time, so it must be something quite serious."
Sōjun Kuchiki then said, "Oh, don't worry. It was probably due to you getting your Asauchi."
After hearing that, Mizuki Kuchiki nodded and began to get up.
Sōjun Kuchiki smiled again and said, "Father is probably training your brother Byakuya right now, so why don't you rest for a while and eat something?" He then pushed a plate of food towards Mizuki Kuchiki and said, "I have told a servant to knock on the door after Father becomes a bit free, so enjoy yourself."
Seeing the plate in front of him, Mizuki Kuchiki didn't hesitate and began to eat, after all, he was still hungry.
After a few minutes of eating and talking with Sōjun Kuchiki, there was a knock on the door.
Hearing that, Sōjun Kuchiki said, "Well, Mizuki-kun, I think you should go and visit your grandfather now. He's probably where you think he is."
Mizuki Kuchiki placed the half-eaten cookie on his plate, picked up his Asauchi, and then rushed towards the training field of the Kuchiki manor.
Just before reaching the main training field where his grandfather trained his brother Byakuya, he started to hear the sound of swords clashing and someone's angry voice.
"You goddamn cat monster!" a young voice sounded as Mizuki Kuchiki entered the training field.
In front of Mizuki Kuchiki were three figures. The first was an elderly man with slate-gray eyes, a gray mustache, and long gray hair. He wore the standard captain uniform along with a white scarf. This was Mizuki Kuchiki's grandfather, Ginrei Kuchiki.
Another was a young boy about the same height as Mizuki Kuchiki, covered in sweat with a wooden sword in his hand. This was Mizuki Kuchiki's brother, Byakuya Kuchiki.
The third figure was unexpected. It was a girl with dark skin, golden irises, and black-purple hair. She wore a long-sleeved captain's haori with a sleeveless and backless Onmitsukidō uniform.
Mizuki Kuchiki recognized the girl instantly as the current captain of the 2nd division, Yoruichi Shihōin.
As Mizuki Kuchiki approached, the dispute between the angry Byakuya and Yoruichi grew until Yoruichi ran away with a flash step, followed by the angry Byakuya.
After both had left, Ginrei Kuchiki said to Mizuki, "Show me your Asauchi."
Hearing that, Mizuki Kuchiki drew his blade from his hip and showed it to Ginrei Kuchiki.
Looking at the sharp blade with a faint blue light, Ginrei Kuchiki nodded and said, "For the next month, you will train with me and your brother."
Mizuki Kuchiki simply nodded after hearing those words; after all, he had already expected this outcome, judging by Ginrei Kuchiki's personality.
After a while, the angry Byakuya Kuchiki returned. As he looked at Mizuki Kuchiki, his eyes shone a bit.
Just as Byakuya Kuchiki was about to say something, Ginrei Kuchiki said while throwing a wooden sword towards Mizuki, "To test if you have improved your swordsmanship or not, have a duel with your brother."
Hearing this, Mizuki Kuchiki just sighed and looked at his brother, who was nearly equal in height.
In Soul Society, one's potential could be judged in various ways, one of which was how fast a soul matured. For example, Byakuya Kuchiki was a few decades older than him but still looked around fourteen years old, whereas Mizuki Kuchiki, who wasn't even born that many years ago, already had a height equal to his, so one could say that his potential was lower than Byakuya Kuchiki's.
After hearing what Ginrei Kuchiki said, Byakuya Kuchiki shone and said with a cocky tone, "Brother, be cautious. We haven't practiced with each other for a while! Don't lose as badly as last time."
Byakuya Kuchiki and Mizuki Kuchiki had fought each other in many duels, but in each one, Mizuki Kuchiki lost. Although he was quite talented in swordsmanship, he wasn't as talented as Byakuya Kuchiki, plus he didn't want to reveal his full strength to anybody.
"Yes, I will try my best," Mizuki Kuchiki replied gently, for the current Byakuya Kuchiki wasn't the calm, indifferent captain but rather a cocky and arrogant brat who grew up privileged.
As both Byakuya Kuchiki and Mizuki Kuchiki got into formation with swords high, a soft pat came and hit Byakuya Kuchiki on his back.
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A/N: I decided to replace "Kuchiki Mizuki" with "Mizuki Kuchiki" and other names similarly. If this is fine, please comment, as I will make the same changes in the previous chapters too!
Weekly Power Status
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