The Right Way to Cling to a Powerful Backer in Soul Society (3)

A gentle voice came from the corridor.

Unohana had returned to the doorway of the sickroom at some point. She leaned against the doorframe with her arms folded, a faint smile on her face.

"Tazawa Kentarō, take this brat to stay at the barracks for now," she said casually, as if she hadn't been the captain who had wanted to throw him out just moments ago.

Tazawa Kentarō froze. "Captain, this..."

"Make sure the brat earns his keep," Unohana continued, her gaze falling on Liu Ziyun. "Have him help clean, sort medicinal herbs, and run errands delivering letters. When Shin'ō Academy starts recruiting in a few days, take him there."

With that, she turned to leave. At the door, she paused and tilted her head slightly. "Oh, right, brat."

Liu Ziyun immediately straightened his back. "Yes, ma'am!"

"If I catch you slacking off..." Unohana's voice was as gentle as ever, but it carried an unmistakable threat. "I wouldn't mind 'investigating' where the lazy bone is located in a human body."

Liu Ziyun shuddered and nodded vigorously. "Yes, Captain! I'll work hard! I won't slack off!"

Only then did Unohana nod in satisfaction. Her white haori traced a graceful arc through the air as she disappeared at the end of the corridor.

Tazawa Kentarō looked at Liu Ziyun, who was still sitting on the floor, and sighed. "Get up and follow me."

Liu Ziyun finally came to his senses. He scrambled to his feet, brushed the dust off his clothes, and trotted after him.

As he left the sickroom, he looked back. Unohana was already gone, but the faint scent of herbs that clung to her seemed to linger in the air.

I did it! he cheered inwardly. I've got a powerful backer! The process was a little... embarrassing, but the result was good!

He thought happily, Next, I'll take it easy in the Fourth Division, wait for Shin'ō Academy to start recruiting, and then become a glorious Soul Reaper! Bankai! Zanpakuto! Here I come!

Not long after they left, Kiyōnosuke Yamada came to Unohana's office.

Unohana stood by the window, looking out at the courtyard. The last rays of the setting sun fell on her, bathing her in a warm glow.

"Captain." Kiyōnosuke Yamada bowed respectfully. "A brat like that... do you think he can become a Soul Reaper?"

A hint of doubt colored his voice. The brat didn't seem... very reliable.

Unohana didn't turn around. She merely said softly, "Kiyonosuke, don't underestimate that brat."

Her gaze grew distant, as if it were piercing through time. "Perhaps one day, he'll succeed me as Fourth Division Captain."

Kiyōnosuke Yamada froze. "Captain, do you mean..."

"His spiritual power is very unusual." Unohana turned around, a thoughtful look on her face. "Do you remember the cut I gave him?"

Kiyōnosuke Yamada nodded. Of course he remembered. The captain's cut had been exquisite, injuring only the flesh without damaging anything vital—a demonstration of perfect control.

"After I cut him," Unohana said slowly, "his spiritual power began healing the wound on its own. It wasn't any special ability, just the spiritual power naturally repairing his body."

She paused, a glint flashing in her eyes. "But I felt... something was wrong."

Kiyōnosuke Yamada held his breath, waiting for her to continue.

"Something was suppressing that repair," Unohana continued. "No, not suppressing it, controlling it. It was to keep the wound from healing too quickly, to keep anyone from discovering his self-healing ability."

She walked over to the table, picked up a cup of tea, and took a small sip. "All of that escaped your notice and Tazawa Kentarō's, but..."

She set down the cup and looked at Kiyōnosuke Yamada with a faint smile. "It didn't escape mine."

Kiyōnosuke Yamada was shaken.

What had the captain seen? Just who... was that brat?

"Very interesting, isn't it?" Unohana looked out the window again, the setting sun coloring her profile gold. "A brat who claims to have lost his memory, yet knows my name and nickname. A brat with unusual spiritual power who is deliberately hiding it. A brat with skin thick enough to block a Cero, yet who occasionally shows a maturity in his eyes beyond his years..."

She chuckled softly. "It's been a long time since such an interesting soul arrived in Soul Society."

Outside the window, the sun gradually sank in the west.

In the courtyard of the Fourth Division Barracks, Tazawa Kentarō was arranging a place for Liu Ziyun to stay.

"You'll live here." Tazawa Kentarō pushed open a door. Inside was a small room with only a bed, a table, and a cabinet. "It's small, but clean."

Liu Ziyun peered inside and nodded in satisfaction. "Not bad, not bad. It's much better than I imagined!"

"Get up at five tomorrow morning," Tazawa Kentarō said sternly. "First, clean the courtyard, then go to the pharmacy and help sort the medicinal herbs. You'll have two hours' rest at noon, help in the kitchen in the afternoon, and in the evening..."

"Wait, wait, wait!" Liu Ziyun interrupted him. "Get up at five?! I'm still a child! I need plenty of sleep!"

Tazawa Kentarō sneered. "In Soul Society, there are no children, only souls. Either work or get lost."

Liu Ziyun immediately stood at attention. "Yes! Up at five! I'll get the job done!"

Only then did Tazawa Kentarō nod in satisfaction and turn to leave. At the door, he paused, looked back, and said, "Oh, right, the captain asked me to remind you..."

"What is it?" Liu Ziyun asked nervously.

"If you dare hug her thigh again," Tazawa Kentarō said seriously, "she might consider cutting off your legs and preserving them as specimens for her collection."

Liu Ziyun: "..."

Damn, that's ruthless?!

He watched Tazawa Kentarō walk away, closed the door, and leaned against it, letting out a long sigh of relief.

Finally... I'm safe for now.

He went to the window and pushed it open. The last rays of the setting sun streamed in, bathing the entire room in warm orange. In the distance, he could hear the sounds of Fourth Division members going about their work, and the scent of medicinal herbs drifted in on the breeze.

This was Soul Society.

This was the Seireitei.

This was the Fourth Division Barracks.

And he, Liu Ziyun, a thirty-three-year-old soul from the World of the Living, now housed in the body of a seven- or eight-year-old, had successfully clung to Retsu Unohana's thigh, literally, and secured a place for himself for the time being.

What would the future bring? He didn't know.

But he knew one thing—

From today onward, his days in Soul Society definitely wouldn't be boring.

And deep in his consciousness, those two voices quietly sounded again:

"This kid sure knows how to stir things up."

"But he finally got to stay."

"Next, it's time to teach him a few things."

"No rush. Let's observe him first."

"True. The interesting days have only just begun."

The sun sank completely below the horizon, and night fell.

The starry sky over Soul Society was especially bright.

Liu Ziyun lay in bed, looking at the stars outside the window, a smile unconsciously curling his lips.

"The world of Soul Reapers..." he murmured to himself. "Here I am."

Then he rolled over and yawned. "But before that... time to get some sleep. Getting up at five is going to kill me..."

Before long, soft snores sounded in the room.

Outside the window, a bright moon quietly rose.

In a corner of the Seireitei, Retsu Unohana stood by the window of her office, looking in the direction of the Fourth Division Barracks, a gentle and mysterious smile on her face.

"Liu Ziyun..." she whispered the name. "Let me see how far you can go."

The night breeze brushed past, carrying her words away.