Toshiro and the other two quickly entered the training room and saw Renji still standing there in a daze.
Toshiro immediately asked, "Renji, what exactly happened? What's wrong with Rukia?"
Seeing them, Renji forced a smile. "Oh, Toshiro, you guys are here. Let me tell you something, Rukia... she's going to be adopted by the Kuchiki Clan. The Kuchiki Clan, you know? They're the number one great noble house in Soul Society! Rukia can graduate from the academy early and be assigned to the Gotei 13 right away. She'll have endless wealth and honor from now on. Isn't that just great!"
Toshiro said expressionlessly, "So? So you agreed?"
Seeing Toshiro's expression, Renji became somewhat flustered. "Yeah... Because Rukia finally has a family of her own. How could I possibly stand in her way?"
"Shut up!"
Toshiro suddenly cut him off.
"Renji, do you even understand what Rukia truly wants?" Toshiro asked loudly.
Toshiro looked at Renji and continued his questioning, "Early graduation? Wealth and honor? Those things don't matter. She just wants to be with you, to be with all of us. Do you even get that?"
"Of course I understand that! But..." As he spoke, Renji covered his face with his hand, his voice choked with emotion. "Sorry, Toshiro. I... I need to be alone for a while."
With that, he walked out.
The empty training room was now left with only Toshiro and the other two.
Momo asked Toshiro with concern, "Toshiro, what exactly is going on between Renji and Rukia? Doesn't Renji like Rukia? If Rukia becomes a noble, wouldn't it be very difficult for Renji to be with her?"
In Soul Society, it was very difficult for a commoner to be with a noble. Even if Renji became a Shinigami, it wouldn't be enough.
Of course, if one could become a Captain or Lieutenant with high status and authority, that would be a different story.
Toshiro, feeling both pity for his misfortune and anger at his lack of resolve, said, "It's nothing. He just loves too humbly."
Renji was, at his core, a deeply insecure person.
Just like in the original work where he once said, Rukia was like a star shining high above, while his own feral, dog-like nature was bone-deep. He could only howl at the star, but lacked the courage to jump up and seize it.
Early graduation, assignment to the Gotei 13, wealth and honor… Renji had no confidence in being able to provide these things for Rukia. He had even less confidence in competing with that man, Kuchiki Byakuya, for Rukia.
So, he backed down.
"Is that so..." Momo nodded thoughtfully.
In her heart, she wondered: 'When Toshiro becomes a Captain, or even the Captain-Commander in the future, would I also feel insecure, feeling like I wasn't good enough for him?'
"Momo, Izuru, it seems dinner's off. You two should head back first," Toshiro said.
"What about you, Toshiro?" Momo asked.
"I'm going to find Kuchiki Byakuya to talk about this matter," Toshiro explained.
Kira spoke up to advise, "Please don't be too impulsive when the time comes. After all, he is a great noble."
"Don't worry," Toshiro said casually.
So, Toshiro sensed Byakuya's Reiatsu and used Shunkuho to chase after him all the way.
On a wide road leading from the Shin'o Academy to the Gotei 13, Byakuya and his entourage were walking towards the 6th Division.
Suddenly, Byakuya stopped and looked up at the sky.
They saw a figure using 'Shunpo' to descend from the air, landing in front of them.
"What is your business, Third Seat Hitsugaya?" Byakuya Kuchiki asked, frowning.
The newcomer was none other than Toshiro, who had chased them down.
Toshiro looked at Byakuya and said, "It's nothing much. I just wanted to talk to you about Rukia."
Byakuya's expression turned icy. "Oh? Are you here to stop me from adopting Rukia?"
Toshiro's expression grew serious. "Well, if Rukia herself disagrees, then even if you are the head of the Kuchiki Clan and the Captain of the 6th Division, I won't let you take her away."
As a friend of both Renji and Rukia, Toshiro didn't want to see their relationship fall apart.
He didn't want to see them become like strangers to each other for decades, as in the original story, until Renji became a Lieutenant and felt he was worthy of Rukia, rushing to find her to reconcile, only to meet again when he had to personally arrest her.
Moreover, Rukia wasn't happy after being adopted by the Kuchiki Clan.
People within the Kuchiki Clan, though they didn't dare bully her due to Byakuya's orders, still wouldn't look at her with respect.
Although Byakuya was a secret doting brother at heart, he was cold on the outside and had a tsundere personality, not good at expressing his concern, failing to let Rukia feel any sense of affection.
People outside either feared her noble status or believed she coveted wealth and honor, worming her way into the Kuchiki Clan through flattery, looking down on her one and all.
"Hmph. I respected your strength earlier and didn't hold it against you for blocking the way. It seems that it made you look down on me instead," Byakuya snorted coldly.
Byakuya placed his right hand on the Zanpakuto at his waist and said, "It seems necessary to let you witness my strength. Don't think that just because you defeated Zaraki Kenpachi, you are invincible among Captains. There are some matters that are not for you to interfere with."
Although he had heard that Toshiro defeated Zaraki and was an unprecedented genius in all of Soul Society, Byakuya, as the head of Soul Society's foremost noble family and himself hailed as a genius, possessed his own pride and did not believe he would lose to Toshiro.
Toshiro looked at Byakuya confidently and said, "Oh? Want to fight? Well then, are you prepared to lose?"
Toshiro didn't believe Byakuya could win against him.
Not to mention Toshiro's own power combined with the Strongest Ice-type Zanpakuto, allowing him to challenge opponents above his level, just in terms of Reiatsu alone, Toshiro was stronger than Byakuya.
At this time, Byakuya's Reiatsu was only at the mid-Captain level, while Toshiro was already at the late-Captain level.
Toshiro reached behind his back with his right hand, gripping the hilt of Hyorinmaru, and looked coldly at Byakuya's subordinates. "You there, you'd better disappear from my sight. Otherwise, I can't guarantee you won't get caught in the crossfire."
"Young master..." The old steward and the two guards turned to look at Byakuya, sweating profusely.
Byakuya frowned. "You may withdraw."
Although confident he could defeat Toshiro, Byakuya also knew Toshiro was not an easy opponent. If a fight broke out, he might not be able to guarantee his subordinates' safety.
"Yes, sir!" The group quickly ran into the distance as if granted a pardon.
Although Toshiro didn't use his Reiatsu to intimidate them, the natural Reiatsu emanating from both Toshiro and Byakuya alone was already making it hard for them to breathe.