The Shaken Gotei 13!

Silver-white blade light flashed continuously through the streets.

Araki and Unohana Yachiru had already fought their way from the 11th Division barracks onto the streets of the Seireitei...

Their overwhelming Spiritual Pressure and swordsmanship designed solely for killing collided fiercely without end!

Although Araki and Unohana Yachiru aimed only at each other with their sword techniques, under the force of their immense Spiritual Pressure, even their most casual exchanges carried terrifying destructive power! The streets they passed through looked as though they had been swept by a hurricane...

As the two gradually moved farther away, the blue stone bricks on the street before the Gotei 13, 11th Division barracks had become covered in cracks, while the ancient walls steeped in history had collapsed into ruins.

"As expected of the woman known as the first Kenpachi! There isn't a shred of exaggeration in that strength."

Araki fought while retreating, widening the distance between himself and Unohana Yachiru as he considered his battle plan.

In the original work, Bartender Poet had given Unohana Retsu—Unohana Yachiru—the opening quote: "Battle is everything."

At the same time, Bartender Poet had given Unohana Retsu the keyword of merciful "kindness"!

With those two key descriptions of Unohana Yachiru's personality, Araki had devised a very simple battle plan. He would defeat Unohana Retsu head-on before everyone's eyes and make Unohana Retsu thoroughly awaken the "kindness" buried in her heart!

In response, a Hanma Alien from some unknown spacetime gave Araki a thumbs-up and remarked that Araki really got it!

They could chat sometime...

Ahem...

At this moment, Araki was waiting. The stage for his battle with Unohana Yachiru was not grand enough yet!

At the very least, they needed more spectators...

And as Araki's Spiritual Pressure clashed with Unohana Yachiru's, the entire Gotei 13 was shaken!

Gotei 13, 6th Division.

Inside the Captain's Office, a wild little girl with long purple hair sat quietly in her seat, drinking hot tea. At this moment, she looked exceptionally calm...

In fact, she had done her utmost to make herself look more ladylike...

At least for today, she intended to be a reliable captain.

After all, today was the day she and Araki had agreed to meet in the Seireitei, and it was also the day she would appoint Araki as vice-captain of the Gotei 13, 6th Division.

At least, in the eyes of Saito Furofushi—the centuries-old little girl who served as captain of the First Generation Gotei 13's 6th Division—today was the day Araki would join the Gotei 13, 6th Division under her command. That was, until Saito Furofushi sensed two powerful Spiritual Pressures sweeping across the entire Seireitei.

"Hey, hey, hey..."

"Can't you give me a little peace and quiet?!"

Saito Furofushi set down her hot tea. As she sensed the two immense Spiritual Pressures permeating the air, her expression immediately changed slightly.

Ordinary Soul Reapers might not be able to sense the changes in the Reishi in the air, nor could they detect the immense Spiritual Pressure coming from afar...

But for Soul Reapers with particularly sharp senses, or those at captain level, the owners of those two Spiritual Pressures were as noisy as if they were playing rock music right beside their ears!

"Damn it, has this Seireitei ever been quiet?"

Even without seeing the two people fighting fiercely within the Seireitei, Saito Furofushi could infer their personalities from the way both sides continuously unleashed Spiritual Pressure during battle!

Saito Furofushi guessed that the two people currently fighting within the Seireitei were both as eccentric as she was! Yes, Saito herself was that sort of person too...

"If I'm not mistaken, the stronger of those Spiritual Pressures should belong to that awful woman, Unohana Yachiru!"

"Hmph! Damn Unohana, can't even let people have a peaceful morning! Fighting in the Seireitei without permission—she really has no regard for the Gotei 13's rules..."

"As for the owner of the other Spiritual Pressure... Huh? That's strange! He isn't any of the current Gotei 13 captains! Yet he feels unfamiliar and somewhat familiar at the same time..."

"Hmm?! There shouldn't be anyone like that in the Seireitei, should there?!"

As Saito Furofushi sensed the two Spiritual Pressures constantly colliding in the air, she immediately came to a conclusion! She first identified one of the fighters as Unohana Yachiru and cursed Unohana Yachiru thoroughly!

But when she tried to identify the owner of the other Spiritual Pressure, Saito Furofushi looked somewhat confused. Although that Spiritual Pressure felt familiar, she could not remember who it belonged to. A trace of suspicion flickered in her eyes...

After all, while Saito Furofushi did not particularly like Unohana Yachiru, she still deeply acknowledged Unohana Yachiru's strength! Especially her swordsmanship...

There were not many among even the captains of the First Generation Gotei 13 who could fight Unohana Yachiru to this extent. The moment Saito sensed such a person's Spiritual Pressure, she should have been able to name them immediately! She should not have felt that strange mixture of familiarity and unfamiliarity upon sensing it.

"Forget it, it's none of my business~"

After getting nowhere with her thoughts, Saito Furofushi immediately gave up thinking. Her greatest virtue was her self-awareness. She knew she was not particularly smart and usually could not be bothered to think, so she never thought about things she could not figure out anyway~

If she could not figure it out, then she would not think about it~

"Araki, when exactly are you coming to the Sixth Division to see me?"

"I'm so bored..."

Saito stopped wondering who was fighting Unohana Yachiru and instead stared blankly at the tea on her desk, quietly awaiting Araki's arrival. Yet her unwillingness to get involved in distant troubles did not mean those troubles would not come looking for her~ Most things in this world went against one's wishes...

Boom!!

With a tremendous roar, violent tremors centered on the Gotei 13, 11th Division barracks swept through the entire Seireitei. Even though the Sixth Division barracks were far from the Eleventh Division barracks, they were still affected...

Clatter~

A crisp sound rang out as the teacup Saito Furofushi had placed on the table was shaken to the floor and shattered into pieces!

"Unohana... Yachiru!!!"

Saito Furofushi stared at the broken cup on the floor. She was stunned for a moment before fury surged through her!

Even a clay Buddha had some temper, much less Saito Furofushi, whose temper had never been good. If Araki had not been coming to the Sixth Division barracks today, she would have already gone after Unohana Yachiru with her sword the instant she sensed her fighting someone...

But now, Saito had reached the limit of her patience. Even if she had to use force, she would drive Unohana Yachiru and the person fighting her out of the Seireitei!

"If I don't drive you out, I'm not the captain of the Sixth Division!"

As Saito Furofushi spoke, she picked up her Zanpakuto.

"Captain, this is terrible! Someone is fighting Captain Unohana outside!"

"Those two have fought all the way from the Gotei 13, 11th Division barracks toward the 1st Division barracks!"

"This is unbelievable! It's a major event since the Gotei 13 took up residence in the Seireitei..."

Just as Saito Furofushi prepared to take her sword and confront them, the door to her Captain's Office was shoved open.

The two Third Seat Officers of the Sixth Division, who were also her two devoted little fans, rushed in and began reporting to her.

"You don't need to tell me! I noticed it long ago..."

"And besides, did you get my permission before entering the Captain's Office?!"

Saito Furofushi looked at the two subordinates who had barged into her Captain's Office without permission, and the corner of her eye twitched. Before she could punish Unohana Yachiru, that "awful woman," she needed to deal with her own people first! With that, Saito took off the shoe on her left foot...

"Uh..."

The two Sixth Division Seated Officers watched Saito Furofushi remove her shoe, and beads of cold sweat immediately appeared on their foreheads. Compared to the monster outside who could fight Unohana Yachiru evenly, their own division captain was still much more terrifying~

Smack, smack~

After Saito Furofushi gave the two Seated Officers who had barged into her Captain's Office without permission matching Monkey D. Dragon tattoos, the anger in her heart gradually subsided.

"You two stay here and guard the place! I want to see just who this person capable of fighting that awful woman Unohana Yachiru to such an extent really is!"

The instant Saito Furofushi finished speaking, her figure vanished from the Sixth Division Captain's Office.

"As you command! Our most, most, most respected Captain~"

"Take care, Captain~"

The two Seated Officers, who had been handed Sentaro Kotsubaki and Kiyone Kotetsu's roles but had not met a gentle and considerate captain like Ukitake Jushiro, forced smiles uglier than tears and watched their beloved captain depart with their most reverent gazes~

Elsewhere...

When Saito Furofushi arrived at the place where she had sensed the Spiritual Pressures of the two people fighting...

She saw a group of Gotei 13 captains who had likewise been drawn there by the Spiritual Pressure~

"Yo~"

"Little Saito, you're here~"

"You're really slow~"

As Saito Furofushi arrived, the powerful figures who held captain positions in the First Generation Gotei 13 immediately turned to look at her.

Among them, a dark-skinned man with classic silver-white short hair and a confident smile teased Saito Furofushi.

"Bastard! Don't call me Little Saito! I'm not that much younger than you!"

Saito Furofushi roared at him.

"Hahahaha..."

"Little Saito is angry~"

"How scary, how scary~"

The dark-skinned man, who had the same complexion as Shihoin Yoruichi, suddenly burst into laughter after hearing Saito Furofushi's complaint. Though he said he was scared, the confidence on his face made it clear that he did not take Saito Furofushi's anger seriously.

"Bastard!"

"Damn Shihoin Sennichi, don't think I really wouldn't dare hit you!"

Veins immediately bulged across Saito Furofushi's forehead, and she had already drawn her Zanpakuto halfway from its sheath.

Yes, that man who was as mischievous as Shihoin Yoruichi, perhaps even more so, was none other than...

Shihoin Sennichi, the head of the Shihoin Clan, one of Soul Society's foremost noble families, and Shihoin Yoruichi's ancestor.

To be honest, one major reason Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni had been able to sweep aside every force unwilling to submit in the Seireitei so quickly, forcing them to bow their heads or disappear without daring to show themselves, was the support of the Shihoin Clan within Yamamoto's ranks!

"Shh~"

"You two, keep it down~"

Just as Saito Furofushi was about to beat up Shihoin Sennichi, a refreshing voice sounded beside them!

The speaker was a hearty, muscular man with short brown hair, playing with a dagger in his hand. He raised his eyebrows at Saito and Shihoin Sennichi while lightly pointing ahead, seemingly signaling them to pay attention to someone...

"Obana Danjirō, what are you making faces for over there?"

"Don't tell me that bald Jūjizai showed up?"

Unfortunately, Saito Furofushi ignored the muscular man's signals entirely and spoke loudly with one hand on her hip.

Then, following the direction Obana Danjirō pointed, Saito Furofushi saw the Gotei 13 Captain-Commander known as Jūjizai—Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni himself—standing at the very front of the captains!

Since Yamamoto stood in front of all the other captains and was obscured by them, Saito Furofushi had not noticed him when she first arrived.

"Er, hehe, Old Man Yama, Old Man Yama, you're here? Hehe..."

For a moment, Saito Furofushi was like a firecracker that had fizzled out and did not dare utter another word of nonsense...

Fortunately, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, known as Jūjizai, had no time to concern himself with Saito Furofushi. His eyes were fixed intently on the two people engaged in a life-and-death battle in the distance.

"Sigh..."

"I knew this would happen!"

The muscular man, Obana Danjirō, captain of the original Fifth Division, watched Saito's reckless behavior and sighed helplessly. He had done all he could. Whatever kind of lesson Saito received afterward was no longer his concern~

"So annoying..."

"Why do I have to work with these crude people?"

"Sigh, the Seireitei actually needs these incomprehensible people to protect it. It really is hopeless!"

The speaker had long grayish-white hair and a pale, bloodless face. His eyes looked exhausted, as though they might close at any moment, as if he had never truly woken up. His entire being radiated a listless, dispirited air...

His name was Shijima Tomokiri. He was the current captain of the Gotei 13, 4th Division, and naturally also the captain of the First Generation Gotei 13's 4th Division.

"Why are all of you here?"

"What exactly is going on?"

"Since you're all here, why aren't you stopping those two from fighting?"

"Are you really just going to watch them wreak havoc in the Seireitei?"

After realizing that even Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, the Captain-Commander himself, had been drawn here by the two clashing Spiritual Pressures, Saito Furofushi finally behaved herself. She quietly moved to Shihoin Sennichi's side and asked in a low voice.

"You're asking me? Who am I supposed to ask? Captain-Commander Yamamoto was already here when I arrived. He just stood there like a statue without moving, watching those two fight!"

Shihoin Sennichi shrugged helplessly. Unfortunately, he did not know what exactly was happening either.

Then Shihoin Sennichi seemed to think of something and added, "But judging by the slight upward curve of Captain-Commander Yamamoto's lips... I'd guess that the person fighting Unohana might possibly be someone Captain-Commander Yamamoto knows~"

"Huh? An acquaintance of Old Man Yama?"

"I want to see what Old Man Yamamoto's acquaintance looks like. Is he a balding old man just like Old Man Yama...?"

After hearing Shihoin Sennichi's words, Saito Furofushi suddenly became interested. She was filled with curiosity about Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's acquaintance. In Saito's view, Captain-Commander Yamamoto's acquaintance was probably some unkempt man who had gone bald in his prime.

"Hmm?!"

Driven by curiosity, Saito Furofushi quietly walked to Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's side and followed his gaze toward the two people locked in fierce battle...

Of the two fighting with blazing intensity, one was just as Saito Furofushi had expected: Unohana Yachiru herself!

However, that was not what surprised Saito Furofushi. What truly surprised her was the person fighting Unohana Yachiru...

The person Shihoin Sennichi had guessed was Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's acquaintance was the reason for Saito Furofushi's astonishment!

He did not have the same bald head as Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, as Saito Furofushi had imagined!

On the contrary, the person currently fighting Unohana Yachiru had a thick, lush head of short black hair...

At the same time, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's acquaintance was not an unkempt middle-aged man like Yamamoto Genryusai, but a handsome young man with refined features and a spirited air!

And most, most, most importantly, Saito Furofushi knew the person currently exchanging blows with Unohana Yachiru. It would not be an exaggeration to say she knew him extremely well...

After all, the person fighting Unohana Yachiru right now was the man Saito Furofushi had been thinking about constantly these past few days...

"Araki! How could the person fighting Unohana Yachiru all this time be you?!"

Saito Furofushi stared at the man fiercely battling Unohana Yachiru, her eyes filled with disbelief as she blurted out his name.

A five-thousand-word chapter! Please recommend, bookmark, and keep reading~