Tailing Masaki Kurosaki (1)

When Liu Ziyun's feet touched the soil of Soul Society again, the night in the North District 80 was as desolate and silent as when he left. Without pausing, he donned his Black Cloak and, like a true ghost, sped towards the Fourth Division.

The Seireitei quiet and peaceful under the cover of night. The patrolling Soul Reaper walked along the streets in twos and threes, and no one noticed the fleeting black shadow. Liu Ziyun silently passed through layers of Barriers and finally landed in front of the door of the Fourth Division Captain's Office.

He knocked gently on the door.

"Come in."

From inside the door came Retsu Unohana's familiar voice, calm as still water, yet carrying a hint of barely perceptible anticipation.

Liu Ziyun open the door and entered. The Captain's Office was brightly lit, Retsu Unohana sat upright at the tea table with two steaming cups of tea in front of her. She raised her head, her gaze falling on Liu Ziyun, and a hint of relief flashed in her eyes. The light was fleeting, but he keenly caught it.

[She's waiting for me.] A warm feeling welled up in Liu Ziyun's heart. [She's been waiting all along.]

He stepped forward, about to speak, when Retsu Unohana spoke first, "You're back. How did things go?"

Liu Ziyun sat down opposite her, picked up his teacup, and took a sip. The warm tea slid down his throat, dispelling the fatigue of the journey. "Things are developing almost exactly as I've seen."

He paused, a slightly embarrassed smile appearing on his face, "However... there was a little hiccup in the middle."

Retsu Unohana frowned slightly. "What incident?"

Liu Ziyun scratched his head, looking like a child who had done something wrong. "I knocked out two members of the Tenth Division and one member of the Thirteenth Division. I handed them over to Kisuke Urahara and asked him to take care of them."

Retsu Unohana's brows furrowed even more. "Why?"

Liu Ziyun sighed, "It's mainly because I'm soft-hearted. I'm afraid they'll be caught in the crossfire of Captain Shiba's battle and get killed. They were supposed to die in their original fate, but seeing their panicked state, I just can't bring myself to abandon them."

Retsu Unohana looked at him, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. That emotion contained helplessness, worry, and a hint of something indescribable... admiration.

"It seems you still have a kind heart."

Liu Ziyun scratched his head, a signature, slightly narcissistic smile spreading across his face, "Oh well, what can I do? Captain, you know I'm a handsome and kind young man."

Retsu Unohana's eyes narrowed. In them were scrutiny, warning, and a hint of danger. "You said before that this matter is extremely important. And Aizen and the others will be there, right?"

Liu Ziyun was taken aback by the sudden question. Looking at Retsu Unohana's suddenly serious expression, he was somewhat at a loss for words. "Y-yes..."

Retsu Unohana's voice turned cold, filled with disappointment. "Then why did you still make a move? What if you were exposed? What if Aizen targets you? It's been almost two hundred years, why can't you be more mature?"

Her voice grew louder and more agitated. "Give up what you should give up! Sacrifice what you should sacrifice! Do you want to ruin everything you want to protect?!"

Liu Ziyun fell silent.

A deathly silence fell over the Captain's Office. Only the steam from two cups of tea rose gently into the air and then slowly dissipated.

After a long silence, Liu Ziyun finally spoke. His voice was soft, yet exceptionally firm. "But... I can't bear to see those I feel shouldn't have to sacrifice themselves."

He raised his head, a profound light seemingly burning in his empty eye sockets. "If it were like Hirako and the others, I could accept it. But they will die, truly and completely die. So I cannot stand idly by."

Retsu Unohana looked at him and sighed deeply. In that sigh, there was helplessness, relief, and an indescribable tenderness. "Ziyun, you're still too naive."

She stood up and straightened her robes. "Alright, go back and rest. I need to report to the Captain-Commander."

After saying that, she stopped looking at Liu Ziyun and turned to leave the Captain's Office.

Liu Ziyun watched her figure disappear through the door, a complex mix of emotions welling up inside him: [Are you worried I'll mess things up, or are you worried I'll be targeted by Aizen and become his adversary?]

He thought about it for a long time, and finally shook his head: [Sigh, I don't understand... Maybe it's both.]

He stood up, left the Captain's Office, and walked towards his dormitory.

The following morning.

Liu Ziyun was processing a mountain of medical documents in the team when the door was suddenly pushed open. Isane Kotetsu stood in the doorway, her face bearing a cold expression, her eyes filled with scrutiny, dissatisfaction, and a hint of indescribable resentment.

"The captain wants to see you." Her voice was cold. "Come with me."

Liu Ziyun was taken aback, a sense of foreboding washing over him: [Why is this girl acting like this again? What did she do to upset her?]

He quickly stood up and followed behind Isane Kotetsu, cautiously probing, "Isane, what's wrong?"

Without turning her head, Isane Kotetsu's tone remained icy. "The captain just finished a captain's meeting and sent me to find you. I guess he's here to relay the meeting's contents."

Liu Ziyun shook his head. "It's not about that. I'm asking you, why are you angry?"

Isane Kotetsu stopped and turned to look at him. Her eyes held anger, resentment, and a barely concealed worry. "I heard that you went to the World of the Living yesterday. You didn't need to intervene, but you did, which put you in considerable danger. Is that true?"

Liu Ziyun was stunned. He hadn't expected the news to spread so quickly, and he certainly hadn't expected that Isane Kotetsu would be angry about it.

"Um..." He scratched his head, "It wasn't really dangerous..."

Isane Kotetsu's voice became agitated. "Can't you think about yourself? Why do you put yourself in danger? Even if you don't think about yourself, can't you think about me and the captain?"

Her eyes were slightly red, and her voice trembled slightly. "Do you know how worried the captain and I would be if anything happened to you?"

After saying that, she turned and left, ignoring Liu Ziyun.

Liu Ziyun stood there, a warm feeling welling up inside him that was hard to describe. The warmth was like honey, slowly melting in his heart and spreading throughout his body.

He quickly caught up and grabbed Isane Kotetsu's hand. "Isane, don't worry. I'll never put myself in danger again. Besides, I was absolutely certain I could succeed in my actions."

His voice softened but became firm. "Don't worry. Even if I don't think about myself, I'll make sure I live well for you all."

Isane Kotetsu snorted coldly, which was taken as acceptance of his explanation.

But the word "you all" still made her feel uneasy.

[What do you mean by "you all"? Can't you just say "you" alone?]

She shook off his hand and continued walking forward.

The two of them arrived at the Captain's Office, one after the other.