Araki's Zanpakuto

Why did Araki immediately think of Unohana Retsu?

Need I say more? Of course, it's because Sister Hana's figure is the best in the world!

Araki's charming ancestor once said: "When a woman's head bows so low that her toes are hidden, she is a peerless beauty in the mortal world!"

Araki decided to respect his own XP system and follow his ancestor's teachings!

Cough cough...

Of course, it's because Unohana Retsu is incredibly powerful and has lived long enough, perfectly meeting the conditions for Araki's contract!

Sister Hana is one of only two known captains from the First Generation Gotei 13 who still holds a captain position in the Gotei 13 a thousand years later!

At the same time, Sister Hana is also the first Kenpachi of the Gotei 13! It can be said that in terms of combat power, Sister Hana is the ceiling for all female Soul Reapers in the entire Soul Society!

Firstly, Araki's Fullbring effect is judged based on the strength of the first person bound. Secondly, it's directly proportional to the Spiritual Pressure of the first bound individual! Furthermore, Araki himself is a power enthusiast; he has a particular fondness for 'big' things, no... for strong things!

Considering all these conditions, in Araki's eyes, the best candidate for the first binding of his Fullbring 'Ever-Blooming Flower' is none other than Unohana Retsu!

Of course, although this is what Araki thought in his heart, reality is cruel and harsh.

In fact, there are still many difficulties before him...

For example, the time period Araki transmigrated to is too early; the First Generation Gotei 13 hasn't even been fully formed yet. A certain future Captain-Commander who will dominate the Soul Society for a thousand years is currently still serving as the headmaster of his private swordsmanship school, constantly 'teaching and nurturing' and 'tirelessly educating' people~

Yes, that's right! The future Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, who will intimidate the Soul Society for a thousand years with his 'oldest' and 'strongest' Zanpakuto, Ryujin Jakka, known as the strongest Soul Reaper in a millennium! The one who, at Araki's 'graduation ceremony,' was left with a scar on his head by Araki~ As for the 'Genji School' founded by Genryusai, it is also the predecessor of the later Shino Academy...

As for the first Kenpachi – Ms. Unohana Yachiru – who will later sweep through all swordsmanship schools in the Soul Society with the Zanpakuto in her hand! She is also still on her path of growth and has not yet reached the peak of her strength~

Even if Araki were to sign the Ever-Blooming Flower contract with Ms. Unohana now, Araki would not receive the greatest feedback~

Therefore, Araki decided to wait and see for a while...

And so, after Araki had taught students as a master at the Genji School dojo for an unknown number of years...

When the old man, known as Jūjizai, whose hairline had noticeably receded and who received another scar on his head during a match with a worshiper, forcing him to change his name from "Pianzi" (meaning slash) to "Shizi" (meaning cross), that is, his master, invited him to join him in Seireitei to form the Gotei 13!

Araki resolutely refused his master's invitation to form the Gotei 13, had a huge argument with his hot-tempered master, known as Jūjizai, and took this opportunity to leave the Genji School and settle in Rukongai!

Since Araki arrived in Rukongai District, he has experienced 'countless' things and witnessed the customs and traditions of various numbered districts in Rukongai. Counting them, several hundred years have passed!

During these hundreds of years, Araki's master, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, was forced to lie low for a longer period due to someone's departure!

But the final outcome did not change. Yamamoto still established the Gotei 13 and, with his subordinates, swept away all forces in the Soul Society outside of the 'Genji School'!

And Araki was not idle during these hundreds of years; he was constantly 'accumulating experience' and increasing his strength...

This accumulation of experience is literal: he continuously completed missions and watched the numbers in his experience bar rise and jump.

In fact, over the hundreds of years, Araki had considered adding experience from his experience bar to other skills, but after much thought, he ultimately gave up...

After all, a certain man who refused to reveal his name and liked to put hairspray on his hands once said: "The battle of a Soul Reaper is a battle of Spiritual Pressure!"

At the same time, Araki wanted to fulfill his lifelong wish, to marry the first Kenpachi, Unohana Yachiru, or rather, to gain Sister Hana's 'love', and through her Fullbring ability, to be completely linked with her. The prerequisite for this was that he had to defeat her head-on! And without sufficient power, that would be absolutely impossible~

As for Saito Furofushi, Araki met her after he settled in the first district of Rukongai, Junrinan...

Speaking of which, Araki always felt that his encounter with Saito Furofushi had the shadow of a certain meddlesome, bald, irritable old man behind it.

After all, why would Saito Furofushi, who was blind, not go to the pharmacy to get medicine for her illness, but instead come to him when she had nothing else to do?!

Wasn't it because a certain dirty-minded old man, whose hair was almost all gone, knew that he had always been kind-hearted and couldn't stand to see others get hurt!

Especially not on the hands of a petite and cute loli with a voluptuous figure...

Cough cough...

However, what Araki never expected was that his 'daily good deed' had created a certain tsundere girl who had been bothering him for decades like a 'yandere' girl~

A yandere loli, this kind of character is really a great attribute for paper-waifu.

But once a beautiful dream comes true, it might not be a beautiful dream anymore, perhaps it's a nightmare.

"Hoo..."

His thoughts returned to the present. Araki slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air and picked up the rolling pin he usually used for making noodles.

"Room~"

As Araki whispered softly, a transparent domain erupted from Araki's body and, without the slightest awareness from the surrounding wandering souls, enveloped half of the first district of Rukongai, Junrinan.

"Buzz~"

Immediately after, with a soft sound, a Zanpakuto with a magnificent wooden scabbard appeared in Araki's hand.

"Long time no see, Yakushi Rurikō~"

Araki looked at the Zanpakuto in his hand. A trace of emotion finally appeared on his face, which was as calm as an ancient well. The corners of his mouth turned up slightly.

The samurai sword in Araki's hand was precisely Araki's own Zanpakuto!

Its name was 'Yakushi Rurikō!', a name with deep ties to 'Buddha'!

However, Araki's Zanpakuto having ties to 'Buddha' was not an exception in this vast Soul Society.

It seemed that the Zanpakuto of all Soul Reapers had an inextricable relationship with the Buddhism of Araki's previous life.

Like 'Daiguren Hyōrinmaru', known as the strongest ice-element Zanpakuto in the Soul Society!

The origin of its 'Mahāpadma' might stem from the coldest, eighth layer of the Eight Cold Hells in Buddhism, Mahāpadma...

Mahāpadma: Those who enter suffer bone fractures, resembling great lotuses or white lotuses.

Thinking about it this way, it seems reasonable that Shiro-chan's 'Daiguren Hyōrinmaru', hailed as the number one ice-attribute Zanpakuto in Soul Society, is fitting.

Besides Shiro-chan, there's Komamura Sajin, captain of the 7th Division in later generations of the Gotei 13, a member of the werewolf clan. The Bankai of his Zanpakuto, Kokujō Tengen Myō'ō, has 'Kokujō' (black ropes) originating from the Black Rope Hell, one of the Eight Hot Hells. As for the term 'Myō'ō' (Vidyārāja), it also has deep connections to Buddhism...

Furthermore, there's Urahara Kisuke's Zanpakuto, Benihime, and the Mugen, used in Seireitei to imprison powerful criminals. These all have close ties to 'Buddhism'.

Therefore, Araki once judged that perhaps in the manga "Bleach," which is full of religious undertones, the profession of Soul Reaper might represent the religion of 'Buddhism' itself~

As for the medicine Araki holds, it's Ruriko...

Araki knew just by looking at the name of this Zanpakuto that it had an inextricable relationship with the Buddhist 'Medicine Buddha'...

In terms of healing ability, Araki believed that even if all the healing Zanpakuto in Soul Society and masters skilled in the Kaidō of Kidō were considered, none could surpass it in pure healing power!

And this was merely the Shikai state of his Ruriko~

As for the abilities of its Bankai, it made Araki curious and immensely expectant.

"Three days is enough for me to learn Bankai~"

After Araki's Spiritual Pressure reached the level of a veteran captain in later generations, the average standard of the First Generation Gotei 13, which was a second-tier Spiritual Might, he made up his mind. He would first learn the Bankai of his own Zanpakuto, then enter Seireitei to 'temper' Unohana Yachiru's sharpness and link it with his Fullbring 'ability'~

As for how to defeat Unohana Yachiru, Araki had his own plan~

Although Araki's plan was somewhat insidious, it could indeed bring him a glimmer of victory~

After Araki finalized his plan to confront Unohana Retsu, he swaggered out of his noodle shop and headed towards the later numbered areas of the Rukongai District.

After all, he was practicing the Bankai of his Zanpakuto, and Araki wasn't sure if he would cause a huge commotion. He urgently needed a spacious and undisturbed location...

And the location Araki needed was clearly not something the Junrinan district, the first district of the Rukongai, could provide.

As Araki left the noodle shop, he happened to encounter a few regular customers from his shop.

"Little Araki, are you planning to go out and buy ingredients this early?"

"Looks like business is good today?"

"When you get back, be sure to make me a bowl of fresh Tonkotsu Chashu Ramen!"

"In the entire Junrinan district, your noodles are the most delicious."

The customers looked at Araki with some surprise at first, then greeted him with smiles.

"Haha, I might have to disappoint you, my shop is about to close down~"

Araki heard this and turned to respond.

"Closed? Then when will you reopen?"

The diner paused for a moment and continued to press.

"Never again!"

"There's still plenty of ingredients left in the shop. If you have the time, make yourself a bowl!"

Araki smiled faintly, casually tossed the shop's keys to the diner, and departed with a flourish.

Thus, the Ramen Shop opened by Araki, which had been operating in Rukongai for over a hundred years and could be called a century-old establishment, finally welcomed its first closure in a hundred years~