The Captains Begin to Change (1)

The afternoon sunlight of Seireitei shone through the Fourth Division Barracks onto the clean tatami mats. Retsu Unohana sat upright in the center of the tea room, her delicate hand gently lifting to pour boiling spring water into a white porcelain teapot. The aroma of tea rose with the steam, filling the tranquil space.

What are you planning to do next?

Her voice was as calm as an ancient well, but her gaze was sharp as she looked at the young man sitting opposite her. Liu Ziyun — the medical Soul Reaper had kept a low profile in the Fourth Division for more than ten years—was leaning lazily against the window, half of his face hidden in shadow.

"Just lie low." Liu Ziyun's reply was nonchalant, his fingers unconsciously Zanpakuto at his waist, which he had never shown to anyone before. "I'm not strong enough now. Once I'm strong enough, I can watch the show in peace. Anyway, there are some things I can't interfere with too much, otherwise, something big might happen."

He raised his eyes, a rare hint of seriousness flashing in his amber pupils. "If things don't turn out well, not only the Soul Society, but the entire Three Worlds could face a major crisis. So, Captain, I'm really not hiding anything from you, it's just that I can't say."

Liu Ziyun forward, his voice so low it was almost a whisper, "Do you know the pain of knowing all the secrets but having no one to confide in? It's like standing on the edge of a cliff, clearly seeing an abyss ahead, but only able to watch helplessly as others approach, unable to even utter a warning."

Unohana paused slightly in the hand holding the cup.

"Is it really that serious?" Her voice remained steady, but the slight tremor in her fingertips betrayed the turmoil in her heart.

"Yes, it can only be more serious than I described." Liu Ziyun back in his seat, his gaze falling on the cherry blossoms drifting in the courtyard outside the window. "I've already intervened in some matters, but they're all minor details and shouldn't have a significant impact. It's like throwing a grain of sand into a rushing river; it can't change the direction of the current, at most it can only delay the appearance of a whirlpool by a second."

He paused, then smiled wryly, "But even so, I must be careful. Some beings... are more perceptive than we imagine."

Unohana picked up her teacup and took a small sip of the warm green tea. The tea swirled on her tongue, carrying a slight bitterness followed by a sweet aftertaste. She remained silent for a long time before slowly speaking, "Then you can continue to lie low. Let me know if you need anything, and I'll do my best to help you."

Behind this brief promise lies the wisdom and strength accumulated over a thousand years as a captain. Retsu Unohana — the First Kenpachi, one of the oldest living Soul Reaper in Soul Society —her protection means that even in the most turbulent times, Liu Ziyun can have a relatively safe place to stay in Seireitei.

Upon hearing Liu Ziyun finally revealed a genuine smile, a smile that carried a hint of cynicism yet concealed a complex and unfathomable depth of emotion.

"Just don't die." His tone suddenly became relaxed, even teasing. "Once everything's over, I'd like to marry you and start a harem."

Unohana glanced at him, her gaze neither angry nor shy, but rather one of knowing indifferent indifference. She did not respond to his half-joking remark, but simply put down her teacup, stood up, straightened the hem of her haori, and left the tea room without a word.

Liu Ziyun watched her figure disappear at the end of the corridor, his smile gradually fading, replaced by a deep weariness. He knew that Unohana understood what he hadn't said aloud—those fragments about the future, those inevitable disasters, and the subtle role he played in them.

Over the next few days, the Hueco Mundo Expedition Team set off as planned. Liu Ziyun accompanied them under the guise of a "medical and logistical observer," but in reality, he only stood Senkaimon and glanced at them from afar. He watched as teams of Soul Reapers disappeared into the vortex of the Garganta, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

The expedition included his contemporaries, former protégés he had mentored, and several figures who would one day cause a stir in the Soul Society. He knew some of them would return safely, some would remain forever in that desert, and some... would "return" in another form.

But there was nothing he could do.

This is Liu Ziyun's thirteenth year in Soul Society, and also his thirteenth year of deliberately keeping a low profile and gradually fading from people's sight. The story of saving Shinji Hirako and others during the trial, all those glories, have been blurred by time.

The current members of the Fourth Division only know that there is a man named Liu Ziyun in the team, who has superb medical skills but a reclusive personality. He almost never communicates with anyone except for necessary medical tasks. He lives in the most remote corner of the team barracks, and his daily routine is as regular as a machine: practicing the Kaidō in the morning, handling documents in the afternoon, making rounds in the wards in the afternoon, and at night... no one knows what he does.

Only Retsu Unohana knew the astonishing Reiatsu hidden within this seemingly ordinary medical Soul Reaper. His Reiatsu, which was at the Second-Class Candidate level, was suppressed to the Fifth-Class level by special means. Even in its unreleased state, his two Zanpakuto — Life-Taker and Tulu —faintly radiated a sharpness that made even the First Kenpachi feel a chill.

They were two Zanpakuto in the style of Tang Dao, with long, straight blades, octagonal Tsuba), and scabbards as black as night. Among the myriad forms of Zanpakuto in Soul Society, this kind of dual- Zanpakuto Two-Sword Style with its ancient aesthetic was extremely rare. Unohana had privately inquired about their origins, Liu Ziyun simply smiled and replied, "They are 'Bearers of Memories,' older than the history of Soul Society itself."

Days passed by, and more than a decade went by in the blink of an eye. The new students of the Shin'ō Academy changed batch after batch, and most of those who were in the same class as Liu Ziyun had risen to important positions: Shinji Hirako became the Fifth Division Captain, Kensei Muguruma took over the Ninth Division, Love Aikawa became the Lieutenant of the Seventh Division, and Rōjūrō Ōtoribashi also began to make a name for himself in the Third Division.

As for Liu Ziyun, he seems to have truly been forgotten.

Until this day, Unohana summoned him to the Captain's Office again.

"Shinji Hirako will succeed Obana Danjirō as the Fifth Division Captain." Unohana cut straight to the point without any pleasantries. "Although you've hardly been in contact with them these past few years, it's still your old friend's inauguration ceremony. Aren't you going to attend?"

Liu Ziyun stood by the window, his back to Unohana. The afterglow of the setting sun cast a long shadow of him, stretching almost to every corner of the room.

"We haven't been in contact for a long time, and we haven't kept in touch. We can't let a ceremony remind people of our relationship again, can we?" His voice was soft, as if he were trying to convince himself. "Hirako is a smart man. He knows there must be a reason why I'm deliberately keeping my distance. If I suddenly show up at his inauguration ceremony, it will only draw unnecessary attention to him and them."

Unohana was silent for a moment. "Are you sure you want to continue like this? Loneliness is a one-way street, Liu Ziyun. Even if it's for the purpose of protection, the price of severing all ties may be heavier than you imagine."

"I know." Liu Ziyun turned around, a familiar, slightly self-deprecating smile on her face. "But it's still better than watching them die because of me. Captain, some storms are brewing, and right now... I don't have enough power to change the winds. I can only try my best to keep those around me from getting caught up in them."

He walked to the tea table and poured himself a cup of tea that had gone cold. "Hirako becomes captain, Kensei will be soon, then Love, Rōjūrō... Once they're all in their positions, once everything that's supposed to happen has happened, maybe I can finally breathe a sigh of relief."

Unohana gazed at him. "What did you foresee? About their future?"

Liu Ziyun's fingers traced the rim of the teacup, leaving faint watermarks. "I saw betrayal and redemption, sacrifice and rebirth, the end of one era and the beginning of another. Captain, the Soul Society is about to undergo an unprecedented upheaval, and what we are experiencing now is merely the calm before the storm."

He raised his head, his eyes unusually clear. "I can't say more. But please believe me, my choice to lie low isn't out of cowardice, but because... I'm waiting for an opportunity. An opportunity that can truly change some outcomes."

"Fine," Unohana finally relented. "Since you've made up your mind, then you can continue to hide, you cowardly brat."

Liu Ziyun laughed, this time a genuine laugh, "It's all because of insufficient firepower. Otherwise, we would have started a harem long ago. What are we doing here hiding?"

"Yeah, if you don't have the strength to build a harem, you'll get killed." Unohana rarely joined in on his joke, a mischievous glint in her eyes.

"So I'm gathering my strength." Liu Ziyun stood up, brushing off non-existent dust from his clothes. "That's enough for now, I need to go back and gather my strength. Goodbye, Captain. Remember, don't die, or your successor will be killed by me."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Unohana alone in the gradually darkening Captain's Office.