Unohana's Panic (1)

As Retsu Unohana stood in Liu Ziyun's empty dormitory, feeling the rapidly dissipating Reiatsu, an unprecedented emotion welled up within her.

It wasn't anger, nor worry, but an indescribable... panic. This panic grew wildly in her heart like weeds, quickly spreading throughout her body, making her heart skip a beat and her breathing become rapid.

She closed her eyes, spreading her spiritual senses to their fullest extent, meticulously searching every corner of the room like an invisible spider web, trying to capture any trace of Liu Ziyun. The walls, the floor, the ceiling, the bed, the desk, the wardrobe... every place bore the marks of Liu Ziyun's Reiatsu, but those marks were fading away at a visible speed, as if the owner had completely left this world, unwilling to leave even the last trace of his existence.

But no matter how hard she searched, she couldn't find any trace of him. It was as if he had completely evaporated from the world, leaving not even a trace behind.

Retsu Unohana opened her eyes and took a deep breath. She forced herself to calm down and began to analyze the current situation. As the First Kenpachi, as someone who had experienced countless life-and-death battles, she understood better than anyone the importance of remaining calm in a critical moment.

[The Reiatsu Substitute has dissipated... What does this mean? Did he release it on his own, or was it unable to be maintained for some reason?]

She recalled what Liu Ziyun had said before—that he would leave behind a Reiatsu Substitute when he left, pretending that he was still there, in order to avoid arousing the suspicion of those secretly watching. He had maintained this habit for nearly a hundred years without ever making a mistake. Even when he stayed in the World of the Living for a few months last time, the Reiatsu Substitute remained intact in the dormitory, without any sign of dissipating.

But this time, it's different.

[He said that reviving Kaien Shiba and his wife this time was extremely taxing, and his body and mind have not been able to recover... Could this be the reason why he is unable to maintain his Reiatsu Substitute?]

Or... did something happen to him?

The moment this thought arose, it coiled around Retsu Unohana's heart like a venomous snake, causing her heart to clench violently. She remembered Liu Ziyun's face, which always wore a cynical smile, his nonsensical jokes, and the way he would flee in a sorry state every time she threatened him... That face, those words, that appearance were so clear in her mind at this moment, so clear that they caused her a sharp pain.

Retsu Unohana suddenly opened her eyes. Without further hesitation, she turned and left the dormitory, rushing towards the direction of the First Division.

In the darkness, her figure moved like a true ghost, silently traversing the streets of Seireitei. Her speed was astonishing, each step leaving a faint afterimage in the air, but she had only one thought in her mind—to find him and confirm that he was still alive.

First Division, Captain-Commander's Office.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sat upright in the main seat, leaning on his cane, his unchanging eyes calmly watching Retsu Unohana rush over. The office was brightly lit, and the aroma of tea wafted through the air, but the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost palpable.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto could sense that Retsu Unohana's Reiatsu fluctuations were unusually intense, a state that only occurred during periods of extreme emotional turmoil.

"Captain Unohana," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice was deep and authoritative, yet tinged with a barely perceptible concern, "What happened?"

Retsu Unohana walked up to him, without bowing or exchanging pleasantries, and said directly, "Liu Ziyun trouble. I can't sense his Reiatsu anymore."

Her voice trembled slightly, a tremor that never appeared even during the fiercest battles.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's brows furrowed slightly, a hint of seriousness flashing in his unchanging eyes. "What happened? Tell me in detail."

Retsu Unohana took a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down, and quickly recounted what had happened. "This time, it was because Liu Ziyun Kaien Shiba and Shiba Miyako that he used power beyond his limits. After returning from the World of the Living, I found that his body and mind had not recovered to their original state, so I gave him a few days off to rest."

She paused, then continued, "But today, I suddenly noticed that his Reiatsu had dissipated. I went to his dormitory to check, and found that the Reiatsu Substitute he left behind, as usual, had also disappeared."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto remained silent for a moment, a thoughtful glint in his unchanging eyes. He slowly spoke, "Captain Unohana, you seem flustered."

Retsu Unohana was stunned.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto looked at her, a knowing glint in his eyes. "The Reiatsu Substitute has dissipated; it's just that he might have lost control after leaving. This doesn't necessarily mean something happened to him. Perhaps he simply went to a place where Reiatsu can't be transmitted, or perhaps he's engaged in some kind of special training. You're being too anxious."

Retsu Unohana shook her head, her tone firm. "No. When he went to the World of the Living for several months before, his Reiatsu Substitute remained intact in his dormitory, without any dissipation. This time it's completely different—it's completely dissipated, leaving only some traces of Reiatsu. This doesn't fit his usual behavior."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's brows furrowed even more. As the Captain-Commander, he was also familiar with Liu Ziyun's situation. Although that kid was always grinning, he was never ambiguous when it came to important matters. If even his Reiatsu Substitute had dissipated, it certainly indicated that something unusual was going on.

"Did he leave anything behind? Any clues? Any hints?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto asked.

Retsu Unohana paused for a moment. "I don't know... I just sensed something was wrong, so I came to report it."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto looked at her, a hint of meaning in his eyes. "Your heart is not at peace. That's why you came without doing much investigation."

He paused, his tone softening, even carrying a rare hint of kindness. "It seems you care about him."

Retsu Unohana blushed slightly. She lowered her head, not refuting, because she knew that Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was telling the truth. She was indeed panicked, indeed flustered, and indeed had lost her usual composure because of the kid's disappearance.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto continued, "Go to his dormitory now and search carefully. If he did it intentionally, he would have left something for you. If something unexpected happens, we'll discuss how to handle the situation."

He thought for a moment and added, "At most, during his absence, we'll announce that he's been sent on a mission. This will explain his disappearance and avoid arousing unnecessary suspicion. If he returns in the future, we'll also need to verify the previously agreed-upon code with him to prevent anyone from taking advantage of the situation."

Retsu Unohana raised her head, a hint of gratitude flashing in her eyes. "Yes, Captain-Commander. I'll go check it out right now."

She turned and walked towards the door.

"Captain Unohana." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice came from behind.

Retsu Unohana stopped in her tracks.

"He'll be alright." Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's voice was calm and resolute, carrying a wisdom and insight honed over a thousand years. "That brat isn't so easy to kill. Since he could foresee so many things, he couldn't have failed to anticipate his own situation. Trust him."

Retsu Unohana didn't turn around, but simply nodded slightly, then pushed open the door and disappeared into the night.