Heaven Communicating Talisman Art, 100% mastery, perfection! A new Eight Extraordinary Skill unlocked!

Was she, the Second Division Captain and commander-in-chief of the Onmitsukidō, supposed to have no dignity?

Forget it, forget it. Considering I didn't provide any support...

I'll be a porter, then. It's a lot better than just watching the show.

With that thought, she didn't hesitate. She tucked Kenpachi Zaraki under one arm and reached for Kyōsuke Kuchiki with the other.

But just then, she suddenly stopped.

"...Huh?"

"A kid?"

"..."

Hearing Yoruichi's puzzled voice, Kyōsuke Kuchiki looked up.

Beside them stood a very small child who had appeared at some unknown point.

She had pink hair, pink eyebrows, and a fair little round face. Though her clothes were in tatters, they couldn't hide how cute she was.

Wasn't that Yachiru Kusajishi?

Kyōsuke Kuchiki was momentarily taken aback.

His fight with Kenpachi Zaraki had been so intense that he had nearly forgotten this future president of the Soul Reaper Women's Association.

"Where are you taking Kenny?"

Yachiru Kusajishi silently reached out and tugged on Kenpachi Zaraki's sleeve, her face full of curiosity.

Yoruichi didn't answer immediately. Instead, she asked, "Who are you? What's your relationship with this man?"

She had already sensed the presence of Reiatsu coming from the child, too!

And it wasn't weak, either. It had already reached the level of a Seated Officer!

She could easily be admitted to Shin'ō Academy as an exception.

The little pink-haired girl stared at them with big, round eyes and introduced herself with great seriousness.

"My name's Yachiru Kusajishi!"

"I'm Kenny's best companion!"

Then Yachiru Kusajishi made a point of bowing slightly to Kyōsuke Kuchiki.

"Thank you for making Kenny so happy!"

"Kenny?" Kyōsuke Kuchiki pretended not to know.

From Yachiru Kusajishi's account, they learned that the man on the ground was named Kenpachi Zaraki.

His surname came from his birthplace, Zaraki District 80;

As for his given name, Kenpachi meant the strongest swordsman, and Zaraki, who wanted to become the strongest, had taken it as his own.

After hearing her explanation, Yoruichi glanced at Yachiru Kusajishi and asked Kyōsuke Kuchiki,

"Kyōsuke, this child..."

Kyōsuke Kuchiki nodded. "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."

Yachiru Kusajishi was essentially another incarnation of Kenpachi Zaraki, so naturally, she couldn't be all that weak.

Rather, without her, Kenpachi Zaraki's strength would remain forever stalled at a certain limit, unable to advance any further.

So Kyōsuke Kuchiki was definitely going to take Yachiru Kusajishi back with him, too.

He reached out and patted the little one's head, explaining in a gentle voice.

"My name is Kyōsuke Kuchiki. I came here specifically to look for strong people."

"Zaraki lost our fight, but I acknowledge his strength."

Yachiru Kusajishi blinked her watery eyes, tilted her head, and said cheerfully in a clear voice,

"Yep, Kenny and Kyō-chan are both really strong! And then?"

Kyōsuke Kuchiki was accustomed to Yachiru Kusajishi's habit of giving people nicknames. He smiled and said,

"Then I'm going to take Kenpachi Zaraki to the Seireitei. Once his injuries have healed, he'll be able to get stronger there."

Yachiru Kusajishi's eyes lit up.

"Really?"

"Then I want to go too!"

Naturally, Kyōsuke Kuchiki didn't refuse. He nodded in agreement.

Seeing this, Kensei Muguruma frowned slightly but said nothing.

For one thing, leaving a little girl here went against his nature.

For another, with Kyōsuke Kuchiki there, even if the little girl had Captain-level Reiatsu, let alone that of a Seated Officer, she couldn't make any waves.

"Then I'll see you in the Seireitei, Captain Kensei."

After saying goodbye, Kyōsuke Kuchiki picked Yachiru up and casually placed her on Yoruichi's shoulder.

"Hey, hey, that's enough! How much can she even weigh? You have to make me carry her too?"

Yoruichi shouted in protest.

In all her life, even her parents had never ordered her around like this.

"Why not use you when you're here?"

Kyōsuke Kuchiki looked perfectly composed.

"Besides, aren't you known as the Flash Goddess? This little bit of weight won't give you any trouble."

"You..."

Yoruichi gritted her teeth, and a vein throbbed at her temple.

Forget it!

He's worked so hard, so I'll just carry one more!

She's not heavy anyway!

On the way back to the Seireitei by Shunpo, Kyōsuke Kuchiki experienced for the first time what it meant to be as slow as a snail.

Every so often along the way, Yoruichi had to stop and wait for him.

Fortunately, as the Six Treasury Immortal Thief circulated, his Spiritual Power slowly recovered, and his Shunpo grew much faster.

Before long, the group returned to the Seireitei.

After all, Dijiang had erased quite a few parts of Kenpachi Zaraki, one after another, and he remained unconscious.

It would be difficult for injuries like his to heal quickly through Kaidō alone. He needed to recuperate in peace.

That was precisely what the Fourth Division did best.

Naturally, the group chose the Fourth Division as their destination.

"Vice Kidō Chief Kuchiki, what a rare visitor."

Retsu Unohana was momentarily surprised to see them.

When she noticed the towering figure on Yoruichi's shoulder, she didn't think much of it.

But when Retsu Unohana habitually extended her spiritual senses to check his presence and condition, she was briefly dazed, as though she had remembered something.

Then the Fourth Division Captain's eyes widened, and she froze on the spot.

"...It's him!"

Retsu Unohana's gaze grew far more complicated.

When she noticed the wound on Zaraki's face in particular, the way she looked at Kyōsuke Kuchiki changed, an indescribably fervent light flickering in her eyes.

"Is this the next Kenpachi you've chosen?"

"Were you the one who injured him?"

Kyōsuke Kuchiki raised an eyebrow and smiled.

"He's very suitable, isn't he?"

"I didn't want to hurt him either, but the man called Kenpachi Zaraki isn't one to admit defeat easily."

Hearing that name seemed to confirm something for Retsu Unohana.

Even her presence grew unsteady, like a flickering candle's shadow.

Her normally gentle expression stiffened, as though she were struggling to conceal something.

Almost unconsciously, Retsu Unohana touched the wound hidden beneath her hair.

When she looked up again, her eyes had regained their usual composure and calm.

Then Retsu Unohana gave Kyōsuke Kuchiki a long look and nodded.

"He certainly is very suitable."

"But I didn't expect that even a beast like this could be defeated by you, Young Master Kuchiki."

"I wonder... what will you become in the future?"

Sensing that the atmosphere had turned a little peculiar, Yoruichi frowned, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.

"Ahem!"

Then she unconsciously stepped in front of Kyōsuke Kuchiki and interrupted their conversation with a smile.

Chapter 60: Heaven Communicating Talisman Art, 100% mastery, perfection! A new Eight Extraordinary Skill unlocked!

"Captain Unohana, let's leave the small talk for later!"

"Let's treat the patient in front of us first!"

"And this little one is, in a manner of speaking, the patient's family. We need your Fourth Division to look after her for the time being, too."

After putting Zaraki on an examination bed, Yoruichi picked Yachiru Kusajishi up and set her down beside it.

The latter blinked her beautiful big eyes, a cute smile on her face.

"Nice to meet you. My name's Yachiru Kusajishi. Thank you for helping Kenny."

Retsu Unohana slowly came back to her senses, and the fighting fervor in her heart subsided.

"Hehe, quite right."

"I'll attend to my duties first."

She nodded slightly and called over the other division members, who took the large patient and the small girl to the treatment room.

After watching the two leave, Kyōsuke Kuchiki stretched and said to Yoruichi Shihōin,

"Sister Yoruichi, sorry for the trouble, but could you tell the Captain-Commander that I've found a suitable candidate for Kenpachi?"

"I'm going to rest here first."

Hearing Kyōsuke Kuchiki's words, Yoruichi asked, somewhat reluctant to let him go,

"Huh? So soon?"

"You've beaten a monster like that. Shouldn't we go out for a drink to celebrate?"

"Hey, hey! Kyōsuke!"

"..."

Unfortunately, before she could finish, Kyōsuke Kuchiki turned and walked away.

He quickly found an empty bed in the Fourth Division, lay down, and went to sleep.

His fight with Kenpachi Zaraki had been a life-and-death struggle. What he had exhausted most wasn't his Spiritual Power, but his mind!

What he needed most now was a good, long rest.

Kyōsuke Kuchiki slept until he lost all sense of day and night.

By the time he woke, it was already high noon.