Here to Deliver "Watermelons" (1)

After the rescue operation ended, the atmosphere throughout Seireitei turned strange.

The students returned to Shin'ō Academy under their instructors' guidance, battered and disheveled. Every one of them was still shaken, and many bore wounds that had yet to fully heal. Their instructors looked grim and had already begun counting the casualties and preparing incident reports—this incident was bound to stir up a storm.

Liu Ziyun, meanwhile, followed Unohana back to the Fourth Division with his head hanging like a kitten that had done something wrong.

Along the way, he tried to find something to ease the awkward atmosphere. "Um... Captain, the weather's lovely today!"

Unohana looked up at the overcast sky. "Mm, it certainly is. Perfect for cutting people down."

Liu Ziyun said, "...Captain, are you hungry? I could make you Sichuan Boiled Pork when we get back?"

"I'm not hungry. Besides, right now I'd rather slice you up and study you."

Liu Ziyun said, "..."

I'm done for. Huajie's angry, and the consequences will be dire.

He drew in his neck and decided to shut up and be a quiet fixture in the background.

Meanwhile, on another road.

Shunsui Kyōraku sighed as he walked. "Oh dear, Ukitake, what do you make of all this? We only went to save a few kids, and we ended up discovering something extraordinary."

Jūshirō Ukitake gave him a helpless look. "You mean the boy named Liu Ziyun?"

"Who else?" Shunsui Kyōraku spread his hands. "He blocked a Gillian's Cero with an incantation-less Enkōsen, drove a Gillian back with Sōkatsui, and then there's that Zanpakuto that can 'rewrite fate'..."

He paused and lowered his voice. "Do you think... that kid really is just a student?"

Jūshirō Ukitake fell silent for a moment. "If Captain Unohana approves of him, he should be fine."

"That's exactly the problem." Shunsui Kyōraku sighed. "Who is Senior Unohana? The First Kenpachi, who was active on the battlefield a thousand years ago! Would someone she's taken an interest in be an ordinary student?"

As they talked, the two arrived at the First Division Barracks.

The Captain-Commander's office.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sat upright behind a massive desk, resting with his eyes closed. At the sound of a knock, he slowly opened them. "Enter."

Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake pushed the door open and entered, then bowed. "Captain-Commander."

"How did it go?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto got straight to the point.

Shunsui Kyōraku gave a brief report on the rescue, focusing on Liu Ziyun's performance.

When he mentioned that "the Zanpakuto's ability can instantly heal injuries," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyes opened a fraction. "You mean... that kid's Zanpakuto can instantly heal a person's injuries? And there are no other side effects?"

Shunsui Kyōraku nodded. "Yes. It felt... like regeneration. According to him, the ability consumes his own Spiritual Power, causing his Reiatsu to drop. Once it drops to a certain level, he can't use it anymore."

He paused, then added, "He also mentioned another way to use it—drawing on the injured person's own Spiritual Power to heal them, which would consume much less. But he said he hasn't mastered it yet."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto considered this for a moment. "What level is his own Reiatsu?"

"On the surface, it's around fifth class," Shunsui Kyōraku replied. "But after he used his skills, his Reiatsu fell from fifth class to seventh or eighth. The strange thing is, even with sixth-class Reiatsu, he could still block a Gillian's Cero with an incantation-less Enkōsen without it breaking..."

He looked at Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. "Teacher, that doesn't make sense."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded slowly. "Indeed. When an ordinary Soul Reaper's Reiatsu falls, the power of their Kidō falls as well. Yet he was able to perform a highly difficult defense despite having insufficient Reiatsu..."

He paused. "It seems that kid is still hiding something."

Shunsui Kyōraku smiled wryly. "More than just 'something.' I suspect he's hiding at least half his strength."

He thought for a moment, then said, "But... the way he hides it is very clumsy, almost deliberate. Teacher, do you think it's possible... he wants us to know he's hiding something?"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "Deliberately?"

"Yes." Shunsui Kyōraku nodded. "I asked around. At the academy, he often gets the incantations wrong and gets hurt when his Kidō blows up. He's even crashed into wooden posts while using Shunpo... None of that fits his true strength at all."

He paused. "So I was wondering—could it be that he has to hide his strength for some reason, but doesn't want to hide it completely, so he deliberately lets a few clues slip?"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was silent for a long time before saying slowly, "Find an opportunity to have Unohana bring him here. I'll test him myself."

"Yes, sir," Shunsui Kyōraku replied.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto added, "But... no matter how gifted he is, he's only a kid with the potential to become a captain. He can't cause much of a stir."

Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake exchanged a glance, each seeing the same thought in the other's eyes: Not necessarily.

After taking their leave, the two walked through the streets of Seireitei.

"Ukitake, why are kids these days so full of schemes?" Shunsui Kyōraku sighed. "Just what is he hiding?"

Jūshirō Ukitake shook his head. "I don't know. But the fact that he was willing to reveal his ability to save those children at least proves he means no harm."

He paused. "I heard... some nobles had their eyes on him a while back because of his outstanding healing ability. Even Captain Unohana was looked down on by a noble brat at the time..."

Shunsui Kyōraku raised an eyebrow. "That happened?"

"Mm." Jūshirō Ukitake nodded. "It was the person who set this whole incident off—Tsunayashiro Shigure, a member of a branch family of the Tsunayashiro Clan."

Shunsui Kyōraku looked thoughtful. "So... he's hiding his abilities to avoid attracting the nobles' attention?"

"Very likely," Jūshirō Ukitake said. "After all, for someone from Rukongai to be too talented in Seireitei... isn't a good thing."

The two fell silent for a moment.

Shunsui Kyōraku's eyes suddenly lit up. "That's right! Let's pay the Fourth Division a visit!"

"What for?"

"First, to see if anything interesting is happening." Shunsui Kyōraku grinned. "Second... maybe that kid can cure your illness?"

Jūshirō Ukitake stared at him. "My illness?"

"Right." Shunsui Kyōraku nodded. "Doesn't his Zanpakuto's ability 'rewrite fate'? Maybe... it can rewrite your fate of being ill?"

Jūshirō Ukitake smiled wryly. "It can't be that easy."

"It can't hurt to try." Shunsui Kyōraku pulled him along. "Come on, come on. We can also see how those nobles are going to 'apologize' while we're there."

Jūshirō Ukitake had no choice but to follow him toward the Fourth Division.

The Fourth Division, the captain's office.

The atmosphere was heavy enough to wring water from.

Liu Ziyun stood before Unohana like an elementary school student, his head lowered and his hands behind his back, wearing an expression that said, "I know I'm wrong, but I won't admit it."

Unohana sat at her desk, her fingers tapping lightly on its surface.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

Every tap struck Liu Ziyun's heart.

After a long while, Unohana finally spoke. "On this trip... you revealed quite a lot."

Her voice was gentle, but the chill in her words made Liu Ziyun shiver.

"A Shikai with an ability that lets people almost regenerate, the Reiatsu of a top-tier Lieutenant, incantation-less Kidō, and Shunpo fast enough to keep up with a captain..."

She paused and looked up at Liu Ziyun. "Heh... you really hid it well, little one."

Liu Ziyun quickly raised his head, putting on an innocent expression. "Captain! You've got me all wrong!"

He counted on his fingers. "You knew I had Shikai—I sleep hugging my Zanpakuto every day, so you must have noticed!"

"You also knew my Reiatsu was fifth class—every time you walked past me, you'd glance at me, and your eyes were clearly saying, 'This kid's Reiatsu has gone up again'!"

"You knew I could use Kidō even better than anyone—last time I practiced at the barracks, I accidentally blew up the pharmacy, and you were the one who helped me cover it up!"

"I can use Shunpo, and you..."

"Enough." Unohana cut him off, her eyes narrowing to slits. "You're saying... I knew all of this?"

"Of course!" Liu Ziyun said confidently. "I'm under your nose every day. What don't you know? You just never asked me about it! How can that count as me hiding anything?"

Unohana looked at him for a long time. Then she smiled softly. "Is that so?"