There's a bit of retcon going on here, I'll clarify them below.

(Chapter edited. There might be some minor mistakes.)

Finally coming together through the hardship and obstacles,
The Fool, The Butterfly, and The Wild Flower gathered together.
Who are these characters, you wonder? Where do they hope to go?
These three companion had each of their own responsibility,
one of each had a goal to be realized in the light of day.

Interlude

The Flower District

Silence and solitude has been her preferred companion since then. Every day she had gaze on every person entering the 14th District—and by extension, the Flower District—as she sat in front of her conveniently placed 'home'. She had observed, scrutinized, perceived almost everyone at her vicinity as if she was searching for something, longing for one thing, except she doesn't know what she was supposed to be looking.

After three days had passed without disturbance, Kanao realized it had become peaceful, perhaps, too peaceful than it should be. While there was always a constant commotion in front of her, nothing had caught her interest at all—though, it had been always like that—as all people does was rambling nonsensical things and ignoring her presence as usual. Even though these scene in front of her was supposed to be familiar, she can't help the tapping of her fingers on her arms when she crossed it to her chest and the repetitive bouncing of her leg.

Since when she had gotten this feeling of restlessness? For some reason, there's a growing tension churning within her. Impatience, irritation, exasperation—Kanao tried to ignore these increasing emotions at first but unfortunately, the more she disregard her feelings, the more it gradually getting bigger and bigger.

Realizing that she shouldn't look away from this, she had no choice but to have a long stroll in order to relieve it.

As Kanao had wandered away from her home, she decided to take the familiar surrounding around her as she walked. The 14th District had always liked to be lighten up of the colors that was eye-catching and attention-grabbing, especially right now when the sky was covered in a vast color of black night above. Here, in the 14th District's case, the buildings was covered in neon lights.

Despite the structure being similar to the buildings from the old period of Japan, it never failed to impress Kanao how they were able to incorporate these two radically different things when she thought had no affinity together as they were able to somehow made an attracting shops and constructions from it that was erected around her.

The most impressive building here in this district was no doubt the Red Light. Structured in the center of 14th District with a towering height, no one would miss this particular building of Red Light as she can even saw it from the distance in her position. Despite her stroll was supposed to cover her walk all of the streets of Flower District, Kanao had no intention to tread closer at Red Light. Her reason for her avoidance was prevent a meeting from one of the employee working inside the Red Light.

Striking a conversation was not her purpose of her stroll but to lessen the restlessness within her, so meeting Hara would be meaningless. Besides, at this certain time, the Oiran was probably busy with her work and there's a possibility a surge of customers at Red Light so Kanao would rather ignore the building than approach it. Being in the presence of multiple people in the same place was not something she wanted to think about.

As she returned her attention to the road and resumed her stroll, Kanao realized she was nearly at the boundary between 14th and 15th District as she can already saw the largest building of 15th District, Blue Company.

Kanao doesn't know much about this particular district other than its name, Eirin, the Eternal Jewel. While briefly observing the buildings, she instantly saw the difference between here and the 14th District.

If neon lights was the 14th's strongest suit, then the 15th was their artistic design. The houses and shops looked normal at first, but at the closer, every structures had a very… imaginative designs. She can see the wall of a house looking like a wooden log piled up together. She glimpsed a shop nearby that their stall looked like leaves stamped together to it, even to its roof. She also saw another stall with an oceanic design along with fishes and octopuses painted to it. Least to say, the district was very eccentric. For a district that carries out the entertainment of 'art', it definitely lives up to its name.

While trailing her gaze in the distance, Blue Company, she was nearly close at the boundary of 15th and 16th, wondering if she will be able to enter the building sometime in the future and watch an ongoing show which is probably what's going inside the building, judging from muffled noises and colorful spotlights within it.

Escaping a sigh from her lips, she wordlessly entered the 16th District, Fuyue, the Winter Picture, without encountering any ruckus.

Or so she thought.

Kanao nearly lost her balance when something hit her as she stumbled forward. Rubbing the mild pain she felt at the back of her head, she turned at her side and saw a small kid approaching her.

"Are you okay?"

She looked down at the child before her who asked the question. Blinking at the big innocent eyes that was directed at her, Kanao mutely nodded to the small kid.

"I see. I'm glad! You don't seem to live around here but I hope you'll have a good time staying here!"

As the kid waved at her while running towards his friends nearby, she realized that she was being mistaken as visitor in this district. She shook her head at the kid's assumption before she swept her attention at the noticeable building ahead, the Purple Grace of the 16th District.

Kanao guessed she should have expected for a place of 'fun' entertainment, playgrounds and plazas are everywhere. There's barely any house she can see, only merchants and vendors spread around the area. She actually had no interest in visiting any other playgrounds so she only briefly glanced around before sauntered her way to the boundary towards next to the district ahead.

The 17th District, Kenna, the Wise Apple Tree.

Arriving in this district after the playful 16th District felt like her energy instantly sank when she first landed attention here. Except for the large structure she can see in the distance which she assumed to be the building, Orange Zeal, she was met with a state of poverty in her eyes.

Even though this place is the 'center' of the Flower District, Kanao wondered why this district didn't keep up at the prosperity and stayed in the condition as if there was no changes had occurred around it. There's barely any people living here she can see around, only ruined houses with broken roofs.

Rubbing her arms when a chill through her, Kanao took a step forward without sparing a glance around her as she hurriedly went to the next district, Eizen, the Complete Brilliance, and hoped that she won't meet any commotion along the way in this place.

Which she spoke too soon to herself.

"What are you doing? Let me go! I have nothing to say anymore!"

"No, listen to me! Don't let that person's words change everything between us!"

Kanao stopped in her tracks when she heard voices in the corner.

"Why? So that I can continue believing your lies and ignore that person who opened my eyes?"

"No, he lied to you! Don't believe him! He's trying to make a wedge between us, trying to change our feelings between us!"

"You pathetic man! Face your goddamn responsibility and be a man! I am not an idiot to be blinded in your lies now! And you should do the same thing with yourself!"

She made a pensive frown as she listened to the couple's argument. Ignoring these two seemed to be a good idea but the fact that they are actually people living here surprised her.

"You… YOU BITCH! If only you would have listened to me, this wouldn't have happened!"

Kanao bristled at sudden tone of the man and walked closer to them while still hidden from their eyes.

"Wha—what are you doing? What are you doing?! KYA!"

Curiously, she took a peek in the corner to see what happened between them but only to meet a strange sight in front of her.

"Ow, ow, ow! You goddamn woman, let me go!"

"You deserved this! Seriously, even though I said I would marry a man who is stronger than me, I didn't know you were this pathetic!"

Kanao retreated from the corner and backed away, dumbfounded what she just saw. Seems like the woman can deal with the problem by herself.

"Get your hands off her, you depraved man."

And it looks like she will be keeping her hands off from helping the woman, not that the woman actually needed it, but she was relieved that the woman won't dealing it all by herself.

Thinking she no longer had no business in the corner, she walked away from the couple and the savior who arrived and continued her stroll towards to the next district. Thanks for that unwanted distraction that caught her attention, the chilling feeling she felt was gone, relieved that people actually lived here though she wondered where they stayed if the houses around her was all but damaged.

Moving forward with relaxed disposition, her mind keeps wiring the arguing couple in the corner, not because of the topic they quarreled about, but the appearance of the woman that she can't get out the image of the woman strangling the man—lover?—in her arms along with her strange choices of looks.

Who in the right mind dyes their hair in pink with green tips?

Shaking those thoughts away and curbed her own bewilderment from it, Kanao continued her way to the boundary between 17th and 18th District, hoping for a smooth walk on the way.

"Is this the girl who beat you two up?"

She froze when someone blocked her path with a dark weapon resting in their shoulders, towering her short stature. Looking up and glancing at the weapon, Kanao can recognize the weapon the man was carrying.

A Morningstar.

"Yes, boss. It's her."

In her peripheral vision, Kanao can see some people appearing in the corners and marching towards her menacingly. She darted her eyes left and right, looking for a quick escape but unfortunately, the growing group of people continues to get added as the person in front of her who had his weapon ready in his broad shoulders seemed to make sure she won't escape from his sight, judging from his scrutinizing glare.

Having no route to run, she backed away from the man until her back reached a wall as they cornered her with glaring, penetrating eyes.

Yachiru skipped cheerfully on the road, knowing the way she'll take to her strange observant friend.

Her patrol of the 14th District—the place she was assigned—was almost done for the day, noting the small disturbance in the area but nothing big that can make a change to the district itself; just the usual strife of misunderstandings and disputes that can be resolved by the residents so she decided to put her hands off from it.

Perhaps she had wanted it to be that way, undertaking their problems on their own since Yachiru knew no one would take her seriously that they only view her as a child who would only blabber nonsense after nonsense that no one understands and doesn't deserve to be part of the 'adult' talk.

A small part of her was naturally annoyed at this, since her words are mostly ignored. But the other part of her was relieved somewhat, since as a child—with this appearance of hers, it comes with a freedom of her actions and would overlooked her… well, a bit questionable actions as they would only perceive it as a whim of a child.

It might be why Yachiru founded the Shinigami Women's Association, a gathering group of women in Soul Society—but mostly from Gotei 13—whose purpose was make the shinigami lives for the better. She genuinely cares for people, a bit worried of their lives since—as far as she knows, people in Rukongai doesn't have much better lives and she's… concerned, least to say, that same things might happen to Seireitei even if she knew that won't probably happen but she reasoned to herself it wasn't bad to be cautious.

Though, her so-called whim of a child and her genuine care for others works like the same side of the coin; her whims overrides her care of others through her recklessness and to the other side, like flicking a side of a coin.

Perhaps… she'd took the role of a child too much that her recklessness became her and her role as a shinigami to supervise the Rukongai—by extension, the Seireitei; the Soul Society as a whole—that found herself enjoying the role of a child too much that her supposedly 'acting like her age' façade became the whole part of her identity and somehow she accepted that notion to herself, not knowing when or where she acknowledged it.

And with that particular whim of hers was how she met her observant silent friend.

There was no reason nor purpose in her actions when she approached the doll-like girl with her farthest gaze. It was part of her identity; befriend someone she can befriend and if it is possible, talk with them until they break, giving up until they respond. Annoying someone was part of her specialty that Yachiru was quite proud of—even though she knew she shouldn't be—and she did succeed with doll-like girl eventually.

But if she was honest with herself, her eyes scared Yachiru a bit. Not the kind of 'shaking her nerves' scared of her but more of an attraction. Her gaze being a magnet that she can't help but approached and tried to make a reaction from her, just like she did when she sees a cat, squeezing it and pampering until its claws scratched her face in irritation. That's the kind of fun she wanted to see from her.

Because she thought it would be cute.

As Yachiru wore her Cheshire smile on her face, she skipped faster to her destination. She literally even ran when she saw the sign of Flower District in the distance, knowing that after she arrived near the entrance, the familiar form of her friend with her big pink-lilac eyes looking in the distance would be the first thing she see.

When she was about to call her name, 'Kanao-chan' was lodged to her throat as she stopped, blinking in bewilderment.

There was only the usual chair was left in front of the tent where her friend would be usually sitting. Kanao was nowhere to be found even when Yachiru uninvited herself inside the small home. Crossing her arms with a thoughtful frown, she closed her eyes and tilting her head to ponder.

If she was Kanao, where should she go? Yachiru can't come up with an idea since the doll-like girl always sat in front of her home so a destination where her friend would be was out of question. Frowning deeply that her forehead had started to crease, she thought for another possibility.

…she doesn't know. No matter what idea she can thought, it was always an out of question.

Where did you go, Kanao-chan?

Pursing her lips as she pouted in disappointment, giving her an appearance of an indignant child, Yachiru sat the chair where Kanao usually positioned herself and waited for her friend to arrive until the time of her patrol ends.

Kanao never thought she would subjected into the things that doesn't like the most.

Eyes.

There's too much eyes looking at her. Focused eyes, suspicious eyes, observing eyes. It was a sight that certainly unnerved her since she was mostly ignored by other people where they barely glanced in her way. Sparing without a single thought to a girl who looked in their way.

But now, she found herself in an opposite position where she tried to ignore their stares, discerning expression in their faces when it was supposed to be her who should look at them in that expression.

She wanted to get out of this situation. But unfortunately, she was denied of her way against the man in front of her, a weapon—a Morningstar—seemingly ready to strike if she does a suspicious move against him which she had no plan to do in any way because she knew she was outnumbered, trapped and overwhelmed with the wall behind her.

What do they want from her? Though, she heard the man saying something but she didn't caught it.

"Girl," she bristled when the man started, "what deed did my men caused you to retaliate?"

Huh? Was the first thing she thought in her mind; what men is he talking about?

"In front of Red Light," the man continued, as if responding to her thoughts, "my men was writhing against your clenched fist in pain."

Oh. Now she knows what he was talking about. Though she noticed his strange way of words as if he was nobility.

"I was defending a woman whom they tried to force themselves to her." Kanao responded with a careful tone.

"And that caused you to retaliate?"

She spoke in low voice with faint confusion. "…yes."

"I see."

Kanao tried her best to not show her face of puzzlement after she heard that nonchalant words. That was it? That was fairly easy. Was the men around them just for a show? But still, the bad feeling haven't gone away yet.

"And how did you do it, girl?"

She looked up to him in confusion when the man in front started.

"In detail," he said calmly yet with subtle drippling venom in his tone, "tell me how you used your fist to them."

She stayed silent, stiffening at the unspoken implication of his words. Why does he want to know how she beat them?

She let out a gasp when a hand gripped her wrist tightly. Kanao looked up at the man with wide eyes.

"Was it like this, I wonder?" He tauntingly said as he clenched her wrist even more tightly. "Was the pain the same, too, I wonder?"

Struggling against his tight hold, she can gradually the pain burning in her wrist. Why is he—

She let out a grunt in pain when a fist met her stomach, her body bending in pain as she choked in her spit.

"Was it like that, too, girl?" He leaned down in her level, still holding her wrist. "Was it?"

Coughing, her throat tightening when she accidently swallowed her spit, Kanao raised her eyes and gave him a glaring but confused stare. Why is he doing this? Why is he doing this to her? Are those men really that valuable to him?

"Consider this a warning." The man said, letting her go. "A warning from Black Zeal that if you do my men again, I'll give you an uneven payback against you."

She watched the man leave her behind, crumpling against the wall as his followers trailed after him, some gave her a wary glance before they disappeared in the corner, to a destination who-knows-where. Gathering her strength to stand up, she winced and stumbled at the raw pain in her wrist and from her stomach.

Black Zeal, they named themselves, it seemed like she ruffled the feathers of someone she doesn't want to deal and brought the anger of their boss, if the man leading them earlier was their boss.

She wanted to sigh heavily. The behavior of the people around her had changed, their perspective towards her was drastically transformed than what she had been building from the whole years of silence and observing into someone dangerous, even threaten her they even brought some ones boss to her because of a simple deed for a simple reason.

Was the smallest act enough for the greatest event to happen in her life? It was likely so, judging from the catalyst that seemed to come from a pink-haired shinigami who was persistently trying to change her life despite the shinigami was only trying to befriend when they first met, not deliberately to change her lifestyle. With all this thinking, she mused what happened to her life before until her meeting to the tiny shinigami.

Kanao arrived in Soul Society, her first appearance and experience as she entered here was full of clouded and blurred memories; she can't remember how she lived her life here before the emergence of Flower District. With the entrance of the said district, she was one of the 'first' resident living here, particularly in the 14th District. As she looked on and on with her eyes in front of her home, this had became her pastime, sitting while gazing at the people entering the Flower District. Until eventually, Yachiru approached her one day.

And after that meeting, her life seemed to change.

She rescued a woman who revealed to be an Oiran in Red Light named Hara. As she saved her from a certain incident, Kanao didn't come out unscathed and she was brought to Seireitei, to the Fourth Division and met Captain Unohana and Isane who brought the medicine for her poison.

When Kanao was lost at the crisscross streets of Seireitei, she met another Captain who goes by name of Ichimaru Gin. He gave her a Pass to cross the boundary between Seireitei and Rukongai and because of it, she was grateful for his generosity even though she felt there was something 'wrong' with him.

And then there was Zaraki Kenpachi, Kusajishi's companion. Kanao thought he was a strange man and there was something in him that unnerved her as she remembered the prickling feeling from her skin when he was within her vicinity. Especially at the time when he tried to 'threaten' her.

Lastly, her encounter to Black Zeal. Apparently, those men she beat up at the Red Light was part of this group and they approached her in retaliation. Thankfully, she came out unscathed… at least, mostly, but she was sure a bruise will appear on her wrist and stomach from the encounter.

It was laughable that her stagnant, quiet life had wavered at the single encounter of a Shinigami, giving an effect akin to a ripple to the still water.

In other words—

She died. This was the only memory she had, nothing about what caused her death. While residing in 14th District in Rukongai, she never expected she would get noticed by a small pink-haired Shinigami of all people.

Of all people.

The fool who lead a foolish errand gave away its ambition, planting the seed of doubt.
The wild flower who took a flattering duty gave away its scent, waning to its silence.
The butterfly who took a whimsical task gave away its wings, slithering away from the sight.
These are their duties; their errands, their burden, their obligations, their commitment to an unconditional and absolute act.

Interlude

The first thing Kanao noticed in the morning was the darkened bruise to her wrist and same colored spot in her stomach when she loosen her yukata. She did the breathing method the night before she went to sleep, hoping to lessen the pain, just like she did to the poison. It did worked for her but unfortunately, physical wounds was impossible to reduce with just a simple breathing.

She ripped the spare clothing that was unceremoniously put in her 'home', the garment was something she picked at the side of the rode when no one saw it and washed it to a nearby spring until it returned to its original color, which was a purple one. She wrapped it around her wrist, covering it so it wouldn't caught the attention of others, knowing how curious they are to someone's flaws and talked about it to others—she knows, that's how she observed them and she will use it against them.

When she was done binding the cloth to her wrist, she sat and thought. What is she going to do now? The—her restlessness was still there, uncurbed and unrestrained. The stroll last night apparently wasn't enough for her, despite disturbed by a group who called themselves as Black Zeal and a not-really-an-encounter with a strange woman with strange hair.

What is it that she really want to quell her restlessness? She had no idea but one thing she knows for sure was that she won't be sitting again in front of her 'home'.

With a sigh, she walked out from her 'house' before something hit her in the head. She nonchalantly rubbed her forehead, touching and wondering if there will be a growing bump before her attention turned to the fallen object at the ground.

A wooden sword.

Blinking, she picked it up and raised it front of her.

"Are you okay?"

Kanao averted her attention from the wooden sword to a boy who approached her. Looking at the object in her hands then to the boy, she mutely nodded and lend the wooden sword to him. He shook his head and called someone behind him.

"Shoichi!"

A small boy ran towards them who had the same appearance of the boy. The older boy thumped him in the head which startled her a bit at the little violence he inflicted to the smaller boy. He must be the little brother, Kanao observed as she watched the reaction of the little boy who just rubbed his head.

"What was that for, Kiyoshi-nii-chan?" The small boy, Shoichi, whined.

"Apologize to her, Shoichi. You've hit this onee-san with your toy when you throw it away when you were having a tantrum." The older brother, Kiyoshi, scolded his little brother.

"Wha—?! I wasn't having a tantrum! It's true Teruko was being annoying to me!"

"And that justifies you having a tantrum? Teruko is still small, it's natural for her being curious what you were doing and asks you many questions. Be patient like a big brother you are and treat her with care, okay?"

Kanao watched the smaller boy pouting indignantly before her attention was shifted when something touched her thighs. Lowering her head down, she blinked at the little girl trying to reach the wooden sword that she had with her hand. The little girl seemed to give up and leaned her head to her legs, sighing tiredly as if she had used up all of her strength.

Crouched down to the little girl, Kanao looked at her in the eyes before giving the wooden sword to her. The girl beamed and took the object from her hands which Kanao realized was taller than her tiny body as she watched the girl nearly tripped over it and ran towards the smaller boy, Shoichi and offered it to him.

"Here, Shoichi-onii-chan!" The girl cheerfully said.

Shoichi blinked at her in surprise before he gingerly took the wooden sword. "…thank you, Teruko."

"Shoichi."

The boy looked at his brother who smiled at him encouragingly before he moved forward in front of her. "I'm sorry… for hitting you accidentally."

Before accepting his apology, Kanao glanced at the wooden sword in his hands and nodded at him.

The older brother as if satisfied what had transpired in front of him, he bended his body to a bow. "We apologize if we disturbed you. We'll move ahead without interruption. Now, let's go."

She watched the elder brother bristling his body and turned to his siblings before running ran ahead from her as they completely dispersed among the crowd, their figures nowhere to be found. They were fresh faces, she was sure of it. This was the first time she saw them in the district, and even though they didn't show it in their faces, they seemed to be lost, searching for a home as they strayed deeper in the district.

Even though she knew those siblings are going to be okay on their own, she still wondered if they are going to be okay.

Well, since she doesn't know about that, one thing for sure was that she knew what she's going to do for today. She also wondered where she can find a wooden sword, recalling at the familiar feeling when she grasped the little brother's wooden sword in her hands.

Expelling a breath from her lips, Kanao stepped forward and walked to same direction where they siblings disappeared.

Author's Musing:

I think it was already expected that the current arc in the manga would be suffering from Fatigue Arc since the Dimensional Infinity Fortress Arc was the longest arc and still running as I'm writing this. I've also seen some people criticizing Muzan as a boring villain while I'm over here like, bro, I kinda saw it at the start since, according to Tamayo's words, this man is a coward (monitoring the demons through their blood, making sure that information about him won't be leaked) who saw himself as a calamity because that's how arrogant he is. While true that arrogant characters are not always boring (there are many examples but I'll say Gilgamesh from Fate series because how nuanced he was written by Nasu, at least, in his later incarnation) but who knows? Maybe Goutoge might have a surprise for us readers so I decided to be patient until the arc ends to gather some thoughts.

Terminology used in the chapter
(taken from r/bleach, wikia and google)

Oiran (First Flower[?]): A high-ranking courtesan. Also considered as a prostitute but they were distinguished from them since they were highly trained entertainers and had a greater degree of choice who would be their customers. ([?]According to the Wikipedia, the first kanji of Oiran means 'flower' and 'leader' or 'first' in the second).

Seireitei (Court of Pure Souls): The citadel at the center of Soul Society where nobles and Shinigami live.

Rukongai (City of Wandering Souls): The slums outside of Seireitei where souls from the World of the Living/Human Realm are sent.

Eirin (Eternal Jewel): The 15th District official name. (Doesn't exist in canon.)

Fuyue (Winter Picture): The 16th District official name. (Doesn't exist in canon.)

Kenna (Wise Apple Tree): The 17th District official name. (Doesn't exist in canon.)

Eizen (Complete Brilliance): The 18th District official name. (Doesn't exist in canon.)

Josei Shinigami Kyōkai (Shinigami Women's Association): It is an organization of Shinigami women. Their purpose was to improve the lives of Shinigami.

Gotei Jūsantai (13 Court Guard Squads/Gotei 13): 13 squads of soul reapers serving as the military force of Soul Society.

The Wilted Root is replaced by Wise Apple Tree, the 'center' of Flower District. Originally, the Flower District was only the 14th District before but I decided to expand the place and became a 7-district area (14th to 20th), mostly because I wanted to associate the Flower District with the colors of rainbow. The group that Kanao confronted here was no longer called as Black Light but Black Zeal. Also, take a quick note of the buildings I described here in this chapter :)

I'm done reading Can't Fear Your Own World and it was… good. The plot threads that was left hanging in the manga was mostly wrapped up in the light novel and elaborate the characterization of Tōsen (which I realized while reading through that his reasons to join Aizen was a bit ambiguous compared to Gin) and Hisagi and it was fucken good. I am well-fed at the food Tite Kubo and Narita Ryōgo they gave to me in the silver platter when I was hungry. I'm satisfied, content and pleased what I just read because oh my god, what the hELL WHO ALLOWED THIS LIGHT NOVEL TO BE GOOD there was even a scene that I found heartwarming between Aizen and Tōsen 'fear is necessary for evolution' why does my heart constricts during that scene and also HISAGI'S BANKAI AAAA stuck in the cycle of life and death but it is not immortality he can't killed during the release of his bankai and it has a crippling weakness just like in every zanpakōto in existence I—