The Unsealing Begins

"Young Master Unohana, please don't go to the place where you were sealed. It's very dangerous."

Ten Unohana looked at the slender figure before him and slowly sat down. At this point, he was in no hurry. After all, sharpening the axe didn't delay the chopping.

"What's going on? Why are you here?"

"Hisana—"

Ten Unohana's words revealed the identity of the woman before him: Hisana, Byakuya Kuchiki's wife in the original story.

Hisana said, "I've been here ever since you were sealed, young master, waiting for the day you came out."

Ten Unohana asked in confusion, "Why were you waiting for me to come out?"

Hisana's face turned red. She murmured, "Ever since you saved us that day, Young Master Unohana, when I was about to abandon my younger sister, I've planned to follow you for the rest of my life."

Ten Unohana smiled. "Then why didn't you come find me?! I remember telling you to."

Ten Unohana remembered seeing the two girls before, but he'd had urgent business and left after giving them some food and drink. He'd told them to come find him when he left, but neither had come afterward. Ten Unohana had thought neither of them had gone, but it seemed something had happened.

Hisana said, "I was stopped when I tried to enter Seireitei."

Ten Unohana said angrily, "How dare he! Didn't you give him my name?"

Hisana said sheepishly, "I didn't want to trouble you, young master."

Well, that cleared things up. So that was what had happened. Ten Unohana had even been upset about it for a long time back then.

Ten Unohana sighed. "Honestly! All right, in that case, go find my mother now. She's the Fourth Division Captain; you should know who she is, right?! I still have to go to the place where I was sealed to get some things back. Make sure you give them a name this time. Either mine or my mother's will work."

Hisana said, "Are you going to the place where you were sealed, young master?"

Ten Unohana nodded. "Yes. I forgot to ask, what exactly happened there? Why don't you want me to go?"

Hisana grabbed Ten Unohana. "Don't go, young master! There are a lot of captains there."

Ten Unohana said in surprise, "Captains? A lot of them? What happened?"

Hisana paused to gather her thoughts. "I don't know what happened. It wasn't like this before. There used to be only a few people watching it, but a few days ago, security suddenly got much tighter. At least two Captain-level people have been guarding it at all times, and today, nearly every captain currently serving is here, except for Captain-Commander Yamamoto."

Ten Unohana frowned when he heard this. "It seems Mother's unusual behavior caught Soul Society's attention."

Ten Unohana silently weighed his options. At this rate, the guards here won't be relaxed in the short term. Do I have to wait a while? As soon as the thought occurred to him, he rejected it.

No. Never mind how long I'd have to wait. If anything happened during that time, I'd be at a serious disadvantage. Besides, according to Mother, there are usually a few people skilled in communication Kidō guarding this place. They'd definitely send word of my arrival to Soul Society before I could kill them, and I'd have to face several captains anyway. I might as well go break the seal now and try to take down a few captains before Old Man Yamamoto gets here.

Having made up his mind, Ten Unohana said to Hisana, "Go to Seireitei now. I'm going to break the seal."

Hisana nodded and watched Ten Unohana's retreating back, then made a decision.

Ten Unohana looked at the captains, at a loss for words. Was all this vigilance really necessary? Shunsui Kyōraku, Jūshirō Ukitake, Soi Fon, Gin, Kaname Tōsen, Kenpachi Zaraki, Aizen, Sajin Komamura, Mayuri Kurotsuchi, and Byakuya Kuchiki.

Nearly all the captains had come. But Aizen wouldn't use his full strength; at most, he'd show Ten Kyōka Suigetsu. Cross him off. Sajin Komamura was too slow. Cross him off. Mayuri Kurotsuchi was probably just here to make an appearance or prepare a second seal. Cross him off for the fight. Gin wouldn't use much of his strength either. Cross him off. Kaname Tōsen's ability only let him fight one person at a time. Cross him off.

First, he'd drive back those he'd crossed off. Then the hard fight would begin.

With that thought, Ten Unohana took the Poppy Scythe from his shoulder into his hand, drew Blade of Slaughter and tossed her into the air, controlling her by extending and retracting the silver chain. Then he took Satan's Curse in hand and charged out.

"Roar!"

Ten Unohana completed his Hollowfication the instant he charged out.

A demonic mask, fangs, dragon horns, a long, powerful tail, razor-sharp wings, and blood-red markings. His hands and feet had become sharp claws. He held the Poppy Scythe and Satan's Curse while Blade of Slaughter flew through the air on the silver chain.

"Boom!"

"Boom!"

All kinds of attacks landed behind Ten Unohana with a tremendous roar. Some also struck him, but his High-Speed Regeneration counteracted them, and he suffered no major injuries.

"Whew." After making a circuit, Ten Unohana stopped and looked at the circle of Soul Reaper captains.

The minor-player captains he'd mentioned were all injured now, some more severely than others. Although some of the captains, such as Aizen and Gin Ichimaru, had held back, it was still an achievement worth being proud of.

"Heh heh, I really didn't expect such a grand entrance. Main-character treatment, huh? Tsk, tsk, Soul Society's captains have all gathered here. Is it to welcome me out of seclusion?" Ten Unohana casually twirled the Poppy Scythe as he looked at the injured captains.

He waved Satan's Curse and said to the injured captains, "You'd better not attack again. If something happens, don't blame me!"

"Shatter as though reaching the heavens, Kyōka Suigetsu."

"Clang, clang, clang!" Ten Unohana frowned and launched a fierce assault. Aizen's Zanpakuto wasn't a combat type, and he couldn't reveal his strength, so he was quickly defeated and seriously wounded.

Ten Unohana looked at the dying Aizen and said, "I told you injured guys not to keep fighting. If you die, I'll be very sad."

Ten Unohana didn't dare actually kill him, though. It would be trouble if he forced Aizen and Gin Ichimaru to reveal their true strength. In that case, Aizen and Gin Ichimaru would have some trouble themselves, but it wouldn't be fatal. Ten Unohana, on the other hand, would be in for a tragedy, because Aizen and Gin Ichimaru definitely had the strength of veteran captains.

Once they revealed it, he'd have to face not only the three veteran captains Kyōraku, Ukitake, and Yamamoto, but also Aizen and Gin Ichimaru attacking at full strength.

In that case, although he wouldn't be killed, he could forget about breaking the seal.

At that moment, Shunsui Kyōraku spoke. "Aizen, Gin, Komamura, Tōsen, and Kurotsuchi, stay out of the fight for now."

Ten Unohana watched the captains slowly withdraw from the battlefield, slung the Poppy Scythe over his shoulder, and said, "What's wrong? Running away before the fight's even started?" His words filled the captains with anger, but they said nothing and went off to the side in a huff.

"Now then, Little Ten, could we stop fighting? Let's sit down and have a drink!" Shunsui Kyōraku said, lowering the brim of his hat.

Ten Unohana took the Poppy Scythe off his shoulder and smiled. "Sure! Break the seal and I'll leave right away. I'm not lying."

Jūshirō Ukitake said, "No."

"Then that's that. Let's begin!" Ten Unohana shouted.

He raised the Poppy Scythe and Satan's Curse while Blade of Slaughter flew through the air.

"Bushōgoma!" Shunsui Kyōraku was as sneaky as ever, attacking without even a greeting.

Jūshirō Ukitake, on the other hand, didn't attack. He simply released his Zanpakuto and waited...

"It's no use!" Ten Unohana held the Poppy Scythe upright, blocking Shunsui Kyōraku's Bushōgoma.

Then,

he used Shunpo to rush forward and raised Satan's Curse.

At the same time, Blade of Slaughter arrived behind Shunsui Kyōraku.

Strangely, Shunsui Kyōraku had no intention of defending himself. Instead of blocking, he attacked—"Takaoni!"

"Clang!" "Boom!"

Shunsui Kyōraku was unharmed, and so was Ten Unohana.

Shunsui Kyōraku's Takaoni had been nullified when it touched the silver chain, while Jūshirō Ukitake had blocked Ten Unohana's attack. Then...

"Sōgyo no Kotowari!"

Jūshirō Ukitake's Zanpakuto sent the attacks he had just blocked back at Ten. But the silver chain touched Sōgyo no Kotowari's counterattack on the way, nullifying it and absorbing it once again.

"Back at you," Ten Unohana said, as Blade of Slaughter fired Sōgyo no Kotowari's counterattack back at Jūshirō Ukitake from the air.

At the same time, he charged Shunsui Kyōraku again, raising Satan's Curse once more.

Once again, Shunsui Kyōraku attacked without defending himself. Jūshirō Ukitake also arrived after blocking Ten Unohana's counterattack, but this time...

"Boom!"

"Heh heh, the second attack isn't so easy to withstand." Ten Unohana looked at Jūshirō Ukitake, whom he had sent flying far away.

"The third attack coming up will be even harder to withstand," Ten Unohana said as he charged forward...

"Scatter, Senbonzakura..."

"Clang!"

"Swish!"

Ignoring Senbonzakura's attack, Ten Unohana forced his attack with Satan's Curse through to Shunsui Kyōraku. It was the first time Satan's Curse had struck Shunsui Kyōraku.

Only then did Ten Unohana rush out of Senbonzakura.

High-Speed Regeneration soon healed all the damage Senbonzakura had caused. Ten Unohana watched indifferently as Senbonzakura carved wounds across his body. Thanks to Hierro and High-Speed Regeneration, Senbonzakura's attacks had little effect on him. Instead, its indiscriminate attack prevented the other captains from attacking him.

And Ten Unohana took advantage of that opening...

"Shasha, Ginhime, hurry and break the seal!" As soon as Ten Unohana spoke, two figures suddenly appeared beside Blade of Slaughter, whom no one was paying attention to for the moment. They were Shasha and Ginhime.

Byakuya hurriedly recalled Senbonzakura. In fact, he had never intended to do Ten Unohana any serious harm, only to block his attack on Shunsui Kyōraku. But he hadn't managed to block it, and the difficulty of recalling Senbonzakura after releasing it had caused this situation.

"Don't let them through!" Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake shouted.

Ten Unohana flashed in front of them, blocking their path. "I can't let you do that."

"Bushōgoma!"

"Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!"

"Bakudō #63: Sajo Sabaku!"

Three attacks meant to restrict movement flew toward Shasha and Ginhime.

"Blood Moon Shines on the Sun!"

A blood moon appeared overhead, radiating a blood-red light that shone over the land and inspired dread in those who saw it.

The attacks the three captains had launched to restrain Shasha and Ginhime actually dissipated under the blood moon's crimson light.