[He shakes his head.]

I let him go, despite not knowing enough about the situation. And I put you in that position. Ultimately the blame falls on my shoulders.

If there is one...morsel of relief I can cling to regarding everything, it's that he fell in battle, undoubtedly as he wished.

[But Ukitake leans back in the chair and stares at the tabletop. He still considers the blood to be on his hands, even if none of it physically was.]