Araki: Unohana Retsu, You Wouldn't Want Us to Be Unable to Fight Freely in the Future, Would You?

"Yo, Yachiru, you're awake?!"

The moment Araki pushed open the Captain's Office doors, he saw the awakened Unohana Yachiru sitting quietly on the sofa, gazing out the window with her head tilted to one side.

"Yachiru?!"

Hearing the movement beside her, Unohana turned slightly and watched Araki enter through the door and walk into the Captain's Office, murmuring something under her breath.

"The name Yachiru was originally a symbol of my victory over every school of swordsmanship in the world..."

"Now that I have been defeated by 'Genryu,' it no longer seems appropriate for me to use the name Yachiru."

Unohana seemed to be speaking to herself, yet also seemed to be talking to Araki.

"Then what kind of name do you plan to take now?"

Araki walked over to Unohana, plopped down in front of her, and looked at her delicate face as he asked.

"Let me think..."

Upon hearing Araki's words, Unohana gradually sank into thought.

"How about Unohana Retsu?"

Araki looked at the contemplative Unohana before him and spoke as if he were merely making a casual suggestion.

Honestly, perhaps because of his preconceived notions, Araki always felt that it would be strange if Unohana did not call herself Unohana Retsu in the future...

So, Araki casually hinted at it to Unohana.

"Retsu?!"

Unohana's eyes suddenly lit up upon hearing the name.

Retsu meant raging flames! It meant an overwhelming presence! It meant noble character!

Just like her, she was like a blazing fire that had not yet burned itself out, one that continued to rise higher and higher! One day, she would stand shoulder to shoulder with the blazing sun in the sky!

"Retsu it is! Unohana Retsu!"

After considering it briefly, Unohana accepted Araki's suggestion. From that day onward, she was no longer Unohana Yachiru, but Unohana Retsu.

"Is that so? As long as you like the name."

Seeing Unohana Retsu's delight, Araki let out a slight sigh of relief.

Originally, Araki had worried that if his meddling as a "butterfly" caused Unohana to dislike the name Retsu, it would be troublesome.

In truth, Araki was not afraid of changing the so-called "plot" because of his actions. The very reason he had come to the Gotei 13 to become a captain was to change the plot!

Still, changing Unohana Retsu's name felt strange to him somehow. But now, it seemed he had worried for nothing...

After letting out a breath, Araki paused slightly as he organized his thoughts. Unohana Retsu, who sat before him, said nothing either, seeming to wait for Araki to speak first...

"Now that you're awake, what do you plan to do from here on out? Or is the first thing you want to do after waking up fight me?"

After a moment of silence, Araki asked Unohana Retsu about her plans for the future.

"Let's put our fight aside for now!"

"I can tell that after fighting me, Araki, you've become stronger than before."

"Though I don't want to admit it, if I faced you now, I'm afraid I would have little chance of winning..."

Unohana Retsu sat before Araki. After carefully examining him, she shook her head helplessly.

As the Murderous Demon, Unohana Retsu's sharp instincts were buzzing furiously at that moment...

If, when she had fought Araki before, the outcome had been uncertain and either she or Araki had possessed a chance to defeat the other...

Then in Unohana's eyes now, her chances of defeating the Araki before her were nearly zero!

Even if Unohana did not wish to admit it, she had no choice but to acknowledge that Araki had grown again, to a point where even she could no longer see through him.

"Is that so?!"

Araki smiled after hearing Unohana Retsu's words.

As expected of the Unohana Retsu of the future, who could vaguely sense that slick-haired guy's Kyoka Suigetsu through nothing but a sense of incongruity. She only took one close look at me, yet she could already vaguely sense the power of Fullbring inside me?!

"Let's set our fight aside for now. Tell me what you plan to do in the future."

Araki continued questioning Unohana Retsu.

"I..."

Unohana Retsu lightly pursed her lips, hesitation evident in her voice.

"If you truly have no ideas, how about staying in the Gotei 13, 11th Division?"

Before Unohana could finish, Araki interrupted her and gave his own suggestion.

"Stay in the 11th Division?!"

Unohana Retsu's lovely brows furrowed slightly at his words.

"Yes..."

"As it happens, I really don't have much experience managing a division. If you stay, you can assist me! Besides, I imagine you must have some attachment to this Gotei 13, 11th Division that you founded..."

"Also, I do have a bit of selfishness mixed into this. If you remain in the Gotei 13, 11th Division, the two of us can improve together..."

"And once you feel that your strength has grown enough to defeat me, it will be more convenient for us to have another duel, won't it?!"

Araki appealed to Unohana Retsu's emotions and reason, continuously "brainwashing" her.

"This..."

Although Araki's words made Unohana Retsu feel that something was odd, they did make some sense.

"After all..."

"Unohana Retsu, you wouldn't want other people to interrupt us when we fight each other in the future, would you?!"

Seeing that Unohana Retsu was still hesitating, Araki directly brought out his ultimate finishing move.

"Uh..."

Upon hearing Araki's words, Unohana Retsu felt as though her brain were trembling without end.

At that moment, it was as though she had been struck over the head, and she gradually came to an "enlightenment"...

"I understand."

In the end, Unohana Retsu accepted Araki's "request." She decided to remain in the Gotei 13, 11th Division that she herself had founded.

"Done!"

Seeing Unohana Retsu agree, a smile appeared on Araki's face.

Sure enough, those little movies filmed by the Japanese had not deceived him...

Based on Araki's many years of viewing experience, once he uttered a line in the format of "You wouldn't want this or that to happen...," it meant success was not far away!

Ahem...

"Then, Unohana Retsu, starting today, you will be the vice-captain of our Gotei 13, 11th Division."

As Araki spoke, he gently patted Unohana Retsu's shoulder.

For a moment, Araki suddenly felt that his days ahead had become much more interesting~

From now on, he could leave all the division's work to Unohana Retsu. He only had one task: whenever he had nothing to do, he could "do" Unohana Retsu more often...

Ahem...

Araki was a respectable man. What he meant was that he would accompany Unohana in a few fights whenever they had time, deepening their "profound friendship" while also improving their "understanding" and "technique" in swordsmanship.

"Alright..."

Unohana Retsu's expression carried a hint of strangeness at his words.

Honestly, Unohana Retsu's heart was far from calm at that moment. In fact, she felt rather strange...

In the morning, she had still been the captain of the Gotei 13, 11th Division. By afternoon, she had become the vice-captain.

"Interesting."

Although Unohana Retsu had never been a vice-captain before—she had been a captain ever since entering the Seireitei—it did not seem bad to occasionally serve as someone's second-in-command.

As for a vice-captain's duties~

In any case, she would just handle them the same way she had handled things when she was captain.

Thus, the members of the 11th Division were surprised to discover that their captain had changed, but not completely. The one watching over their daily training was still Captain Unohana.

As for Captain Araki, who had successfully risen to the position by defeating Captain Unohana, they hardly ever saw him at the division barracks.

And so, time flew by!

In the blink of an eye, half a month passed!

During those half months, aside from changing identities from a ramen chef in Junrinan District of Rukongai to one of the Gotei 13's captains, Araki's life seemed not to have changed much.

Every day, he either completed his daily tasks to accumulate experience, teased Unohana Retsu to improve their relationship, or had nothing else to do.

Until Old Man Yama suddenly summoned him.

Thanks to reader YO灬YO for the 1,000 reward~