West Rukongai 1st District Junrinan.

The 10th division's captain Hitsugaya Toushiro, used his break to visit his grandmother's residence.

The pair were snacking on amanatto*(*sugared red beans)bit by bit and having a chat.

For Hitsugaya, who sets off hurriedly every day, time passes by peacefully, it was above all a healing experience.

Daylight began to fade into darkness, and the end of work shifts bell can be heard coming from the seireitei. Hitsugaya who was laying on the tatami mats, lifted himself up and stretched out widely.

"I'll go now grandma, I'll come again."

He tied the cords of his sandals on the concrete floor.

"Come back home anytime. Grandma will buy amanatto again."

"That's okay you don't need to. I'll buy them when I return."

"Is that so? Thank you, Toshiro."

"Yup. Well then, I'm off see you next time"

Lightly waving his hand to his grandmother who came to see him off, Hitsuguya walked into the midst of the sunset.

He went down the path along the outside of the Seireiheki*(*Pure souls wall).

When the Hakutomon* became visible, his legs suddenly stopped. (*White path gate aka The western gate that Jidanbo guards).

"*clash/clang*! Shuooooo… *thud!*"

"Ugiya— Damn! I have no choice you're making me do this…!"

"I will not allow that! Shu-ba-ba—"

"Guaa! Sougyo you rascal! I'll get you for this~~~"

From a back street alley, the voices of a young boy and a young man playing 'pretend', can be heard.

(That voice…. Somewhere….)

There was something familiar about the voice of the man playing the role of the villain.

"Ahahaha! 'Ganju nii-chan' is really good at acting huh! I wonder if it's because Kukaku sama is always being angry?"

"Ye–ah. Well, I'll see you again, Ganju nii-chan!"

"Alright! Take care!"

The young boy's footsteps faded away. The man who was playing the 'bad guy' noticed Hitsuguya on the spot where he had turned the corner of the private residence, with a "woah" he was taken aback.

"Y… You're, Squad 10's…!"

"I'm Hitsuguya Toushiro. You are…. Shiba Ganju was it?"

"Even though it's practically our first meeting, my full name came out so well!?"

He doesn't remember ever talking with Hitsuguya face to face. In the photographs published in "Seireitei Communication", the figure itself is familiar, but he's only seen the real thing few times, in addition to that; it was to the extent of crossing him in a short instance or having seen a figure no larger than a child from afar.

(I'm quite famous amongst the shinigami!? Huh!? No way, is that why this guy came to meet me too!?)

Ganju fantasized, being the imaginary leader of Shinigami, giving instructions to Hitsuguya.

["Younger brother of Shiba Kaien!?

Why does he solicit such superior talent to the shinigami!? Captain Hitsuguya, please go at once!"]

Whilst grinning and rubbing his chin, from his partly open mouth his voice spilled out "I mean, no way, no way, no way! I will not become a shinigami~!"

He did not stop his voice, "What's gotten into you?" Hitsuguya inquired, throwing Ganju off balance, he shook his head if nothing else.

"I remembered you as someone from the Shiba clan, when that child called out your name just now."

"oh, that's why…. "

His fantasy rapidly disappeared. His shoulders dropped a little, "What you just saw…we were playing Sougyo" he chided Hitsuguya who was spying on them.

"Playing Sougyo….?"

"Even though you're shinigami, you don't know? 'Sougyo no okotowari', it's Ukitake san's masterpiece!"

Ganju then unexpectedly spoke from the bottom of his heart.

'Sougyo no Okotowari!', it's an action-adventure story in 'Seireitei Communication' serialised by the 13th division's captain, Ukitake Jushiro.

"Oh…. That story"

"Your reaction is weak! It's amazingly popular isn't it?"

'Sougyo no Okotowari!' is a self-contained story in which good is rewarded and evil is punished, the main hero Sougyo protects the villagers and confronts baddies, it was a popular work amongst children. After the great war, the procedure of obtaining court documents was simplified so the comings and goings between Seireitei and Rukongai became lively. This work which was prevalent in the Seireitei, also rapidly spread among the children of Rukongai.

Now no matter which district of Rukongai you go to, the stand-alone book of 'Sougyo no Okotowari!' is entertaining children every day, even after it has become worn out after many times reading it.

"…. Can't read any further new works. …"

The last 'Seireitei Communication' was published before the invasion by the Wandenreich began. The contents of 'Sougyo no Okotowari!' that was published three months ago, depicted the shrine maiden/sorceress of the village falling into enemy hands, Sougyo was injured with a severe wound whilst also rescuing her.

[The wounds I bear when protecting myself is painful, however the wounds I bear when protecting somebody else is not painful! ]

Sougyo's words seem like a direct reflection of Ukitake's spirit.

Hitsuguya thought of that white haired shinigami and bit his lip a little.

"It was a story intended to be completed in one go, so I can't say I felt a sense of discomfort when it ended."

As he said that, Ganju sniffled a few times. Hitsuguya removed his gaze from Ganju and stared at the Seireitei standing still in the evening sky.

"My older brother…. Shiba Kaien, he served as the vice captain of squad 13, when he came home he would always talk about Ukitake san. At that time, I was still small so I can barely remember the kind of things he said but…I remember well, the side of my proud big brother's face as he talked."

"… I see"

Even as the past three years has flowed by, Ukitake's spirit lives on without fading in everyone's memories, in stories left behind.

In that alone, Hitsuguya felt a little secure.

"I'm sorry for keeping you. Looks like you were heading back?"

"That's ok…..it was good to be able to talk to you."

He saw Hitsuguya smile a little, Ganju also smiled.

"Hehehe, I see! See you then, Captain san!"

Whilst his back was was heading further away, Hitsuguya picked up a faint sense of nostalgia.

["Take charge while I'm gone, Toshiro!"]

The former captain of squad 10 was a man who smiled heartily.

Kurosaki Isshin, formerly Shiba Isshin, father of Kurosaki Ichigo and Uncle of Ganju.

(Shiba Ganju….)

He turned his back and walked away.

We don't know, someday we might be reunited with him, as a Shinigami in the Seireitei—–Hitsuguya vaguely thought.