When he saw how frightened the children were of him, Asano Kiyoshi didn't say anything. He understood this was a moment for Rukia and Renji to handle.
Renji may not have fully grasped the reasoning, but the sensitive Rukia did. So, she tugged on Kiyoshi's sleeve and spoke gently to the three similarly thin and pallid children:
"Don't be afraid, everyone. This is Asano Kiyoshi-nii-san. He's just staying the night with us. He's a very strong and very kind person."
Renji caught on and quickly chimed in:
"Yeah! Asano Kiyoshi-nii-san is super strong! And he's really nice too! So don't be scared, got it?"
Perhaps due to his limited vocabulary, Renji's words came out a little awkward, but with both of them vouching for Kiyoshi, the children's fear began to ease slightly.
One boy, whose hair partly covered his eyes, mustered his courage and walked over to Kiyoshi with a bowl of water in his hands. He said timidly:
"Umm… Kiyoshi-nii-san, are you thirsty? Do you want some water?"
Kiyoshi looked down at the bowl. Its rim was chipped in several places, stained faintly with dried blood—perhaps from the children accidentally cutting themselves. The water inside was murky, sediment settled at the bottom, and tiny black specks floated on the surface. Despite its state, the child looked at it with yearning. His lips were chapped and cracked—clearly very thirsty.
Even so, the boy offered the water without hesitation. Kiyoshi felt a pang in his heart. Gently patting the boy's head, he pulled a clean canteen from his bag and handed it over, saying:
"Drink this instead. You're still kids—you shouldn't be drinking water that dirty."
When the boy saw the crystal-clear water glinting in the light, he looked startled, unsure whether he should accept it. He remembered someone else who once offered him water—only to kick him to the ground after he accepted it, stomping on his stomach while laughing:
"A runt like you actually dared take water from me? You worms really have no idea of your place! Hahaha!"
Ever since that incident, his health had gotten worse. He would often cough up blood.
Shaking slightly at the memory, the boy turned his eyes toward Rukia for reassurance. Once she gave him a gentle nod, he carefully accepted the canteen with trembling hands.
What happened next surprised Kiyoshi even more.
Instead of gulping the water down himself, the boy clutched the canteen to his chest and walked back into the shack. He carefully poured a cup for each of the other children before returning the canteen to Kiyoshi. With some embarrassment, he said:
"Kiyoshi-nii-san, this water is really precious. That much is enough."
Hearing such mature words from such a young child made Kiyoshi's chest ache. He patted the boy's head again and followed the children into their tattered shelter.
That night, Kiyoshi spoke at length with the children.
Despite their circumstances—each bearing illness, hunger, and painful memories—their eyes still shimmered with light, still held onto hope. They were heartbreakingly mature.
Kiyoshi told them that if they wanted to leave this place, he would return in half a month. Anyone willing could come with him.
Whether or not they could enter the Shin'ō Spirit Academy didn't matter—he would provide a place for them to live. He had already rented a house near the Academy for Granny Hana, and a few more mouths to feed wouldn't be a problem. Granny Hana loved children, after all—he was sure she'd be happy to have their company.
When the children heard this, their faces lit up with mixed emotions: hesitation, excitement, anxiety, confusion. Kiyoshi didn't push them, giving them plenty of time to decide.
He did, however, make one request: regardless of whether they made it into the Academy or not, they would commit to helping others in the outer districts of Rukongai in the future. He hoped that the kindness he was offering would spread like a small spark—one that could eventually become a raging blaze to light up the bleak sky of the Soul Society.
Once they finished discussing the serious matters, Kiyoshi began teaching them the basics of reiryoku control and kidō. He didn't expect much progress—except from Rukia.
And sure enough, Rukia exceeded expectations. Her talent was astonishing. In just one night, she learned to cast both a bakudō (binding spell) and a hadō (destructive spell). Although both were simple #1-ranked spells, it was still remarkable for a completely untrained child.
As dawn broke, the sky still a cold steel blue, Kiyoshi quietly rose.
He left behind most of his food and water—just enough for five children to survive for some time. (Due to the timeline, there weren't as many children here as in the original work.)
Then, while the children still slept, he gently used Kaidō (healing kidō) to treat each of them. (Before coming to Rukongai, Kiyoshi had studied Kaidō in Squad Four under Retsu Unohana's personal guidance.)
Thanks to his passive skill "Path of Yomi," his Kaidō had a special effect—like "restoring maximum health." He could cure illnesses and even partially repair bodies worn down from long-term malnutrition and overwork.
While treating Rukia, she suddenly woke up. Feeling her body's improvement and seeing Kiyoshi's warm smile, her eyes welled up. She wanted to say something, but Kiyoshi held a finger to his lips, glancing at the still-sleeping others.
Rukia understood and said nothing.
She just gazed at Kiyoshi, a new feeling of admiration slowly blooming in her heart.
After silently saying goodbye to her, Kiyoshi walked westward.
As the morning light pierced the steel-gray sky, the boy's silhouette moved with the sunlight—etched forever into Rukia's memory.
T/N: For up to 20 chapters ahead on all my translations, become a p@tron at [email protected]/LordHipposApostle
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