The Hueco Mundo Expedition Team's Recommendation (I)

The First Division Captain's Office.

Shigekuni Yamamoto-Genryūsai sat behind a massive desk, his fingers tapping lightly on its surface.

"Tap, tap, tap..."

The sound was soft, but every tap carried a heavy weight.

Before him lay a report that had just arrived—

"Liu Ziyun, a Fourth Division member, accidentally fell and injured himself after drinking, losing the sight in both eyes. He is currently recuperating at the Fourth Division Medical Ward."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto frowned after reading the report.

A trace of... puzzlement? flickered in his eyes, deep as ancient wells.

"Chōjirō," he said slowly.

"Yes, Lord Genryūsai." Chōjirō Sasakibe bowed.

"Go and ask Captain Unohana... to come here."

"Yes, sir."

Chōjirō Sasakibe left to carry out the order.

A short while later, Unohana arrived at the Captain's Office.

She wore the same white haori as always, her long black hair draped gracefully over her shoulders and a gentle smile on her face.

But Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto could see a trace of... helplessness? in her eyes.

"Captain Unohana," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto said, getting straight to the point. "What... is that brat doing?"

He paused. "He actually... made himself blind?"

Unohana smiled faintly. "Captain-Commander, that brat... was afraid the nobles would use some means to have you assign him to the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team."

She paused. "He said... he had a premonition—if he joined the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team, he definitely wouldn't come back."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto raised an eyebrow. "A premonition?"

"Yes." Unohana nodded. "So... he came up with this solution."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was silent for a few seconds. "How does he know... he'll definitely be assigned to the expedition team? And... that he definitely won't come back?"

Unohana thought for a moment. "This is what he said: 'There will definitely be people the nobles placed in the expedition team. They really might sacrifice the entire expedition team in Hueco Mundo.'"

She paused. "He also said... even if he did come back, the nobles would collude with Central 46 to pin a crime on him, forcing you and me to deal with him."

After hearing this, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto tapped his fingers a little faster on the desk.

"So... he blinded himself?"

"Yes."

"And he also said... 'I'll only be blind for a hundred-odd years'?"

Unohana nodded. "That's what he said."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto frowned even more deeply. "So... he has a way to cure himself?"

"Perhaps it's an ability of his Zanpakuto," Unohana reasoned. "It seems our earlier analysis was correct—his Zanpakuto's [Heal] ability is 'regeneration,' not 'healing.'"

She paused. "Otherwise, with his eyeballs punctured... there would be no way to cure him."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded slowly. "Then why... 'blind for a hundred-odd years'?"

Unohana shook her head. "That... he didn't say. He only said we'd all know when the time came."

She paused, then added, "Perhaps... this is what the brat has been avoiding all along. To be able to 'predict' something a hundred-odd years from now... that brat has quite a few secrets."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was silent for a long time.

Then he spoke slowly. "Can you guarantee... this brat won't harm Soul Society?"

Unohana smiled. "That I can guarantee."

She paused. "Of course... if those nobles go too far, the brat will definitely look for a chance to kill some of them."

She said it casually, but the chill in her words made the air grow a few degrees colder.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto nodded. "As long as he stays within the rules... he can do as he likes."

He paused, his tone growing serious. "But if he crosses the line... and I catch him, I'll deal with him according to the rules."

Unohana smiled. "Understood, Captain-Commander."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto waved his hand. "All right. Since he wants to hide... let him hide. For now, we'll leave it at that."

"Yes, sir." Unohana bowed, then turned and left.

As she stepped out of the Captain's Office, the smile on her lips deepened.

Brat...

Go on and "hide" yourself well.

I want to see... how long you can stay hidden.

The Fourth Division Medical Ward.

Liu Ziyun lay in his hospital bed, enjoying his "life as a blind man."

He had to admit... being blind was great.

He didn't have to work (for now), people brought him meals and waited on him, and others came by every day to ask after him.

"Ziyun, how are you feeling today?"

"Not bad, not bad. It's just... I can't see anything, so I'm a little unaccustomed to it."

"Sigh, you were far too careless..."

"Yeah, it's all that bottle's fault..."

Every day, he had to repeat conversations like these.

His acting grew more polished by the day.

But just pretending to be blind wasn't enough—he had to actually adjust to being unable to see.

So he often sneaked off to the underground training ground, entered his Inner World, and sought out Life-Taker and Tulu as sparring partners.

The first time he went in—

"Oh, you're here?" Life-Taker smiled gently.

"Hmph." Tulu snorted coldly.

Liu Ziyun had just opened his mouth to greet them—

Bang!

Tulu punched him in the face.

"Wait! I—"

Bang!

Life-Taker kicked him in the stomach.

For the next three minutes, Liu Ziyun endured an inhumane session of "mixed doubles."

The two cursed him as they beat him:

"Weak!"

"Coward!"

"Is this all you're good for?!"

"You blinded yourself just to avoid joining the expedition team?!"

"Are you a fucking man or not?!"

Liu Ziyun was beaten without any chance to fight back, until finally—

Bang!

He was kicked out of his Inner World.

The real world, the underground training ground.

Liu Ziyun opened his eyes, clutching his stomach and grimacing. "Hiss... did you have to hit that hard...?"

But the next day, he went back in.

And then... he got another beating.

The third day, the fourth day...

It wasn't until the fifth day, when he entered his Inner World again, that Life-Taker and Tulu finally stopped attacking him.

Life-Taker looked at him and sighed. "We've beaten you enough. Any more... and you'll start questioning your life."

Tulu said coldly, "Since you're already blind... you'd better practice fighting without being able to see."

He paused. "Don't end up... becoming a real piece of trash."

Liu Ziyun breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you both... for sparing my life."

From then on, his "blind man training" officially began.