The Kuchiki Clan.
Due to Soifon's provocation, Byakuya Kuchiki's strength had progressed much faster than in the original timeline, reaching Captain-level ahead of schedule.
His father, Sōjun Kuchiki, had taken the opportunity to resign from his positions as Lieutenant and Head of the Clan to retire, thus avoiding any accidents while on duty.
Byakuya Kuchiki sat upright in the seat of honor, listening expressionlessly to the various questions and scoldings directed at him by the Kuchiki Elders in the room.
"A commoner from the Rukongai must not step through the gates of the Kuchiki Clan under any circumstances!"
"We will never recognize this marriage!"
Perhaps seeing that Sōjun Kuchiki and Ginrei Kuchiki, sitting to the side, had no intention of arguing on Byakuya's behalf, the words of those old fossils became increasingly harsh.
"Father, Byakuya is..."
"Right now, he is the Head of the Kuchiki Clan." Ginrei Kuchiki pressed down on his son's shoulder.
The noisy accusations continued for a long time until the elders seemed to grow tired of speaking, and the volume in the room gradually faded.
"The wedding will proceed as scheduled," Byakuya Kuchiki's voice was steady and calm. "The invitations have already been sent out in full." He didn't look back at the elders' faces, which had instantly turned even uglier, and simply turned to walk toward the door.
On the day of the wedding, at the Second Division Captain's office, less than an hour remained before the Kuchiki wedding was set to officially begin.
"How do I look in this?"
"Should I wear a hair accessory?"
"Is this hairstyle okay?"
When Soifon pushed the door open and walked in, she glanced at the wall clock, then at the two girls whispering in front of the mirror. A vein throbbed faintly on her forehead.
She walked over, grabbed one in each hand by the back collars of their Shihakushō, and lifted them out of the office like two disobedient kittens.
"Captain Soifon?!"
Two black arcs flashed through the air as Momo Hinamori and Rukia landed steadily.
"Just wear your Shihakushō," Soifon said, looking at the two who were hesitating. "You wouldn't want to be late for the wedding and have the guests treat you like a joke, would you?"
At the thought of the embarrassment of being late to such a solemn occasion, Rukia and Momo Hinamori shuddered simultaneously. "We're leaving right now!"
The three used Shunpo and soon arrived at the Kuchiki estate, located in the core area of the Seireitei.
From a distance, festive lanterns could be seen hanging at the entrance of the ancient and magnificent mansion. The line of people entering was sparse, completely lacking the grand spectacle that the wedding of the Head of the Four Great Noble Houses should have had.
"So beautiful..."
Despite this, Rukia and Momo Hinamori were shocked by the luxurious display before them. The food, clothing, and items here were all rare things they had never seen before.
"Let's go." Soifon's voice snapped the two back to reality from their awe.
When Soifon, clad in her white Captain's Haori, appeared at the gates of the Kuchiki estate, the noisy whispers at the entrance instantly went silent.
Whether they were guests handing over invitations or servants of the Kuchiki Clan, expressions of awe and fear appeared on their faces.
—Wasn't it said that Byakuya Kuchiki relied on the shadow of his family and had no popularity among the Captains? Why did Captain Soifon come?!
The butler took the invitations with both hands and respectfully led Soifon and the others through the gates.
After taking her seat, Soifon glanced around at the guests. Everywhere her gaze landed, people bowed their heads, terrified of being targeted by her.
None of the Four Great Noble Houses had sent anyone from their main families; those who came were low-ranking members of branch families and minor nobles.
Perhaps sending branch family members and irrelevant minor nobles to fill the space was the most 'gentle' way those opposers could boycott the event.
"How can they look so similar..."
"Perhaps it's a coincidence..."
When the elders sitting in their seats saw Rukia behind Soifon, they couldn't help but rub their eyes, then began whispering to each other regardless of etiquette.
However, Rukia, the center of the discussion, didn't hear them; she was focused on feasting alongside Momo Hinamori.
Taking a sip of tea, Soifon let out a bored yawn. "So slow. Why hasn't it started yet?" This was why she disliked great noble families; everything they did was a hassle.
"Gulp. Captain Soifon, aren't you going to eat?" (Chew, chew, chew.) Beside her, Momo Hinamori and Rukia had their mouths stuffed full like two hamsters.
Soifon facepalmed, looking at Rukia with pity. "I'm not eating. You two can eat my portion as well..."
"Uh, well, if you insist..." (Reaches with chopsticks.)
Cherish this, Rukia. Once you become the adopted daughter of the Kuchiki Clan, you won't be able to eat whatever you want like this anymore.
Finally, the wedding began. Byakuya Kuchiki, wearing an expensive kimono, walked out leading his mysterious bride.
Upon seeing the couple's faces, Momo Hinamori was stunned for a moment, then suddenly turned her head to look at Rukia. Her gaze traveled back and forth between Rukia and the bride's face, her mouth hanging open.
At the same time, before Rukia could even marvel at the grand ceremony, her gaze was captivated by the bride.
A sense of closeness arising naturally from her blood caused a single word to involuntarily surface in Rukia's mind.
—Sister.
Byakuya Kuchiki looked at the guests. Soifon's white Captain's Haori was very conspicuous, and he cast a grateful look toward her.
When his eyes caught sight of Rukia, Byakuya's pupils also shrank. He took a moment to recover before pretending nothing was wrong and continuing the ceremony.
"Rukia." Soifon reached out and held Rukia's clenched, trembling fist. "Stay calm. Relax."
"Teacher..."
Tears welled up in her eyes without warning, sliding down Rukia's cheeks. She didn't even realize she was crying; she just stared blankly at the bride, her body starting to tremble uncontrollably.
Soifon let go of Rukia's hand and instead pulled the girl into her embrace, using a tissue to gently wipe the tears from her face. "If you want to cry, you can lean on me for a while."
As she spoke, Rukia buried her face in the fabric of Soifon's shoulder, her warm tears quickly soaking the Captain's Haori draped over her.
Momo Hinamori, sitting on the other side, took in the entire scene. She looked at Rukia with worry, but also with a hint of envy that Rukia could act so spoiled in Captain Soifon's arms.
[Rukia is already crying, yet I'm thinking like this... I shouldn't.] Gently shaking her head, Momo Hinamori threw the ridiculous thought out of her mind.
After an unknown amount of time, the long ceremony finally approached its end. The guests began to stand up one after another, but Soifon's table didn't move, remaining quietly in their seats. The same was true for several Kuchiki Elders.
Having changed out of his heavy ceremonial robes, Byakuya Kuchiki walked toward Soifon and the others, leading his new wife, Hisana Kuchiki.
Byakuya Kuchiki stopped before Soifon's table and gave her a slight nod. "Captain Soifon, thank you for attending today." Today, Byakuya Kuchiki had finally reconciled with Soifon, who used to bully him.
His voice was somewhat dry, his gaze scanning Rukia beside Soifon with complexity. Could this girl, who looked so much like his wife, be... Hisana's sister?
The moment Hisana Kuchiki saw Rukia's face, she also trembled violently as if struck by lightning. She suddenly covered her mouth, her eyes—so similar to Rukia's—instantly filling with tears.
The Kuchiki Elders sitting nearby frowned, faintly sensing that something was wrong.
Gently patting Rukia's back, Soifon looked at the sobbing Hisana. "Since my student's sister is getting married, as her teacher, I naturally had to come and show my support."
"Regardless of anything else, Rukia is one of my favorite students..."
Patting the heads of the two girls, Soifon's gaze moved past Byakuya to the elders nearby, releasing her Spiritual Pressure to intimidate them.
"Ahem, I still have things to attend to. I'll be taking my leave first..."
"Me too."
To think she was the sister of Captain Soifon's favorite student—what a miscalculation! That damn commoner; if she had revealed this connection earlier, things wouldn't have come to this! The decaying elders fled in a hurry.
Rukia and her sister were embracing and crying in a room; it looked like they would be whispering to each other for quite a while. Soifon led Momo Hinamori quietly out of the room, only to run into Byakuya Kuchiki coming toward them.
"Captain Soifon, I want to take Rukia into the..."
"Impossible." Soifon rejected the idea without a second thought. "Rukia is definitely better off in the Second Division than the Sixth. Don't even think about it."
"But..."
Soifon blocked him again. "There won't be any safety issues either, so rest assured."
"In that case, if Captain Soifon needs anything in the future, you can come to me." Byakuya Kuchiki thought for a moment; it seemed he didn't have much to offer her, so he could only leave a blank check.
"I'll make this clear: during her temporary stay at the Kuchiki estate, do not let Rukia suffer any grievances, do you hear me?" Thinking of Byakuya Kuchiki's awkward attitude toward Rukia in the early parts of the original story, Soifon issued a warning just in case, even though Hisana hadn't died yet.
"I understand..." Byakuya nodded. "The elders won't give Rukia a hard time. After she learns the necessary etiquette, she can return to her squad."
A sickly commoner and a genius who could become a seated officer upon graduation were not the same concept. The Kuchiki Elders weren't stupid enough to make such an enemy.
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