Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 160 - Victory Banquet

"I expected to hand you a bunch of useless loose pieces — after all, you came up through the challenge bracket. The rewards were supposed to multiply, but I never imagined Squad Twelve would outfit you with a complete Spirit Gear set." Mizusue shook her head at the six distinct garments and accessories laid out before her.

"A full Spirit Gear set doesn't come cheap. Loose pieces can't even compare." She looked at the equipment, then back at Wayne. "Are you really not going to accept Squad Twelve's goodwill?"

"Compared to gear, I need other things more. These pieces look impressive to others, sure — but they're not particularly useful to me. Setting aside the fact that I'm unlikely to take any lethal hits inside the Academy, even during field practicums the whole point is to sharpen personal technique. Unless I run into something whose Reiatsu far outclasses mine, the odds of me needing these for defense are vanishingly small." Wayne said.

"Don't underestimate them. That Spirit Gear set has excellent defensive performance — complete immunity to Hadō damage number fifty and below. And it's exactly suited to your student years. You're sure you don't want to keep it for yourself?" Mizusue pressed.

"In the end, you have to rely on yourself in a fight. No matter how good the equipment, it can't stop a midnight assassination. But if your personal ability is strong enough, an attempt from someone at the same level becomes virtually meaningless."

"You see things clearly." The corner of Mizusue's mouth curved slightly. "Fair enough. I'll help you find a buyer. What do you need?"

"A private estate. I mentioned it to you before — through my position as a guest retainer of the Shiba Family, getting a place in the Inner City shouldn't be too difficult anymore. After that, spirit plants. All three types, with those that concentrate Reishi as the priority. And if possible, I'd like a barrier formation around it — the kind that stops people from coming and going freely."

"The barrier is easy enough. The estate, though — an excessively high Reishi density isn't necessarily good for you. Better to calibrate it to your actual needs." Mizusue said.

"It's fine. Better to buy everything at once. I'd feel bad troubling you again and again."

"Tch, since when are you this polite with me, kid." Mizusue pursed her lips. Though having a student traipse in and out of her division's barracks too frequently was never a great look. People would talk, and while she didn't particularly care, she didn't enjoy it either.

"Give me a few days. I'll make inquiries on your behalf. On the budget side, your Spirit Gear set should more than cover everything, with some left over. But given how unpredictable property prices can be, do you want to make any adjustments?"

"As for silver rings, keeping around a million on hand is enough for me. I'll take a million-ring banknote from you and you can handle the rest however you see fit." Wayne had no great need for money beyond that. Having some to use was enough, and this was only Mizusue's share. Ikkaku, Iba, Rangiku, and Isshin Shiba each represented four more cuts still waiting to be collected. More than enough. As for Kira, Wayne hadn't asked for a financial return at all. Instead, he had shared part of his plans with him, told him that he was now a guest retainer under Squad Ten's captain Isshin Shiba, that while he hadn't formally joined the Shiba Family he had reached an agreement with them, and that he hoped Kira would one day lead his own family into the fold as well. He had asked Kira for a firm answer.

After winning his gambling earnings, Kira had agreed, but as an allied party, not as a direct member.

Wayne accepted that. Even so, the specifics would have to wait until Kira had taken hold of his family in the future, at which point Wayne and the Shiba Family would negotiate directly. Wayne was only the intermediary. Not the decision-maker.

"Good. Leave the rest to me." Mizusue appreciated the trust. The two of them had come together by chance, drawn closer by nothing more than a natural rapport, and over time had built real mutual trust. At the very least, when it came to something worth tens of millions of silver rings, Wayne had simply handed it over to her and let go.

Never mind how it would ultimately turn out, the true value of a complete Spirit Gear set was far beyond anything Wayne could estimate. Whether there would be silver rings left over after fulfilling his requests, and where any surplus might go, he didn't ask. He had no need to.

After all, back in Junrinan, a serving of sweet natto cost just seven silver rings, and a watermelon could be had for twenty or thirty. A million silver rings was already more than enough for an ordinary Rukon district family to live comfortably on.

Wayne said his farewells to Mizusue and headed to the sake house. That evening was also the night Ikkaku and the others had organized a victory celebration for him.

Because they had all placed bets, every one of Wayne's close friends had walked away with a handsome profit, and all of it was thanks to Wayne's effort. The victory celebration also meant divvying up the spoils, of course. Wayne had a stake in everyone's winnings, after all. Otherwise, who would have brought them in on it?

About a quarter-hour later, Wayne arrived to find the three of them already waiting in a private room. When they saw him walk in, all three raised their cups, a toast to the young man who had made them rich overnight.

Their stakes hadn't been large to begin with, just spending money and personal savings. Their combined twenty-percent cut came to just under a million total. But that was already plenty. A full meal and drinks here ran less than two hundred silver rings, and their winnings were enough to cover years of eating and drinking without a worry.

"Tsukishiro kid, here's something for you." Iba reached into his breast pocket and produced a black card.

"This is..." Wayne took it and turned it over in his hand, running his fingers across the surface. He couldn't feel any texture at all.

"An entry credential for my sunglasses maker. From now on you can go to him directly for whatever you need. Mention my name and you'll get a discount." He reached into his pocket again and produced a single-lens visor, holding it out to Wayne. "Your sunglasses got burned up in the last fight. Consider this a replacement."

"Good. I'll definitely pay him a visit." Wayne accepted both.

"Oh, and Iba will be heading over to Squad Seven as lieutenant soon." Ikkaku added.

"Oh?" Wayne paused slightly. That fast?

"Staying in Squad Eleven has been a good time. But what I want, more than anything, is to do something for Soul Society." Iba took a long pull of his drink. Not even his jet-black sunglasses could hide the shadow that passed over his face. "Squad Eleven is a combat unit, it can cut down the Hollows that come invading from Hueco Mundo, but it can't help Soul Society grow. The ordinary souls in the Rukon districts are still suffering. The way things are governed now, there are still too many problems. But Squad Seven is different. As the First Division's escort and public order force, Squad Seven can do more for the people of the Rukon districts."

"So that's why you're going to Squad Seven as lieutenant."

"Yeah." Iba nodded, cup in hand. "I've already met with Captain Komamura. He agreed with my thinking and said he'd support my work. From here on, I want to put more of my energy into the Rukon districts' public order."

"So that's your goal." Wayne said quietly. "That's a remarkable ambition."

"I read your Academy enrollment review form. In the question-and-answer section with Mizusue, you pointed out a number of ways to improve the well-being of the common people. Reading it was genuinely illuminating. When you have time, I'd like to ask you about some of those ideas. I hope you'll be willing to share. Please." With that, Tetsuzaemon Iba placed both hands on his knees and lowered his head respectfully toward Wayne.

Wayne quickly stepped to the side and moved forward to help him up. "Iba, there's no need for that between us." Once Iba was back on his feet, Wayne returned to his seat and spoke slowly. "My understanding of those things isn't thorough by any means, I only know the surface. I may not be able to offer you all that much. How about this: when I get back, I'll write up an article on the subject and put everything I know, scattered as it is, down on paper for you. If you have questions, we can always discuss them openly. Does that work?"

"That... would be wonderful. I'll leave it in your hands, then." Iba nodded and raised his cup. "Hinamori, I drink this one to you."

"Cheers." Wayne raised his cup in kind. Both of them drained it in one go.

"Oh, come on, why so serious, you two." Rangiku had been sitting nearby, eyes warm and languid. Now that the two had finished their earnest exchange, she swept in to lighten the mood. Her words were a mild complaint, but inside she was genuinely moved. She was from the Rukon districts too, as was Ikkaku beside her, and they all wanted to see those streets grow richer, to see an end to souls born and dead within days for want of food and water. If the two men in front of her could find a way to make the Rukon districts more prosperous, she'd be more than happy. "Come on, to our victory, and to Iba's future work. Cheers!"

"Cheers!" ×3

The drinks flowed and the dishes kept coming. Everyone's spirits soared, and it was deep into the night before they finally took their leave. Iba and Ikkaku headed back to Squad Eleven, while Wayne walked Rangiku back to Squad Ten's barracks.

"Tsukishiro kid, I didn't expect you to hold your liquor so well." Rangiku looped her arm through Wayne's as they walked.

"I managed. Maybe because I didn't drink as much as the rest of you." Wayne steadied her as they went. "Everyone was in high spirits tonight. Drank quite a bit. This won't affect your duties tomorrow, will it?"

"It'll be fine, it'll be fine~ The captain's used to it by now. Besides, you helped him win so~ much pocket money, he's definitely not going to blame you. Hic~" Rangiku let out a small hiccup. "Oh, I almost forgot, the captain asked me to give you this." She reached into her collar and produced five banknotes, each with a face value of one hundred thousand silver rings. And five medallions that shimmered with a silver whirlpool crest.

"This is..."

"The captain's gambling cut, your share." Rangiku blinked and smiled. "The captain said he made plenty this time and would absolutely keep his word. As for the medallions, they're to make up for the armband that got burned last time. The captain says these will carry more authority than your old armband. You can give them to your family. The last one is for whoever you choose to give it to in the future."

"Is that so?" Wayne reached out and felt the medallions by touch, careful not to use his eyes in front of Rangiku. "Please pass my thanks to Captain Shiba. I'm sorry I can't thank him in person."

"Hehe, don't worry about it, mutual benefit all around." Rangiku waved her hand. "Anyway, I hope we can keep working together plenty more in the future."

"Definitely."

After seeing Rangiku back to the barracks, Wayne made his way to his dormitory at the Academy. With the Ranking Tournament over, the next two days were free. A perfect chance to head back to Junrinan with Momo to see Granny and Shiro-chan, and to drop off the clan medallions while he was at it.

Early the next morning, Wayne and Momo set off for Junrinan.

"Granny, we're back." They arrived at Shiro-chan's house and pushed the door open to find Granny inside doing needlework. From the looks of it, she was mending clothes for Shiro-chan.

"Oh my, little Tsukishiro, little Momo, you're back." Her face lit up. Ever since the two children had left for Shin'ō Academy, the house had grown much quieter. Even Shiro-chan, who used to be chatty and cheerful whenever Momo was around, had grown silent and withdrawn after they left. The neighborhood children weren't keen to spend much time with the white-haired boy, either. So Shiro-chan had turned his attention to tending the watermelon patch. Today he had happened to go over to Wayne and Momo's house, leaving Granny alone at home.

"Yes, we just finished a competition at the Academy and had a rare two days off, so we came back to visit." Wayne set down the large bundles he'd brought from Seireitei just inside the door. Quality foodstuffs, all of it, partly to help Shiro-chan build up his strength, partly to improve things at home for Granny.

All this time, Granny had scrimped and saved to look after Shiro-chan. Apart from a wooden table and a few blankets, the house barely had a single proper piece of furniture. Since Wayne had come into their lives the circumstances hadn't changed dramatically, but the food at least had improved considerably.

When he stepped inside, though, he could clearly see that Granny had grown noticeably thinner since a month ago. Even over just a month, the weariness beneath the warmth in her eyes was plain. Something tightened in Wayne's chest.

"Granny..." He stepped closer and looked at her carefully.

"It's nothing, it's nothing." Granny could tell what he meant. She waved a hand and went on. "Shiro-chan growing stronger in his Reiatsu is a good thing. And with the clothes you gave me, it hasn't been too bad."

"It's only been a month and you're already showing signs of fatigue. That's not good." Wayne's brow furrowed.

"Little Tsukishiro, don't worry so much about Granny. I have food to eat and water to drink. My body is still quite sturdy."

"No, this can't go on." Wayne shook his head. He turned to Momo, who had begun sorting through the bundles. "Momo, go help Shiro-chan finish up with the watermelon patch. Let's have dinner a little early today."

"Oh, okay~" Momo hadn't caught the exchange between Wayne and Granny. She nodded and headed out the door.

After she left, Wayne removed his glasses. His pale violet eyes came back into focus. He studied Granny carefully, running a quiet sweep of Reiatsu across her, and found what he was looking for. Small patches of frostbite, already present on her body. They healed quickly enough on their own. But they couldn't hold out against it happening every single day. Even with the special clothes Wayne had given her, they couldn't fully block out the Reiatsu Shiro-chan released without realizing it.

"Granny, this can't continue. Your body won't hold up." Wayne crouched down and gently touched the frostbitten spots on her hands. "Shiro-chan's Reiatsu grows stronger every day. The force you have to endure is only going to keep increasing."

"Little Tsukishiro, Granny understands what you're thinking, and she knows everything you say comes from a place of care." Granny nodded and smiled at him. She reached out and took his hand, drawing him a little closer to get a better look at this child who had done so much for them. "But Granny doesn't want little Toshiro to leave so soon. He has great talent, but he's still too young. He's not ready for what Seireitei would put him through. And Granny can't bear to let him go just yet. Let him stay with Granny a while longer. When Granny feels he's ready to stand on his own, she'll let him go do what he's meant to do. Just promise Granny one thing, don't tell little Toshiro about any of this."

"Granny..." Wayne held her gaze, his expression unreadable. But something had settled inside him. Firm and quiet and certain.

Perhaps it was time to break the timeline of how things were meant to unfold.

➤ Next: Squad Regulations — The Conversation