"So this is healing Ghost Way, Kaido? What a miraculous healing technique!"
Natsuki felt the injuries on his body rapidly healing and couldn't help exclaiming.
"Third Seat Natsuki, you know about Kaido?" Unohana Retsu chimed in. "As far as I know, you don't seem to have graduated from Shino Academy. In that case, you shouldn't have received any systematic instruction at the academy, so you probably don't know the distinctions between the different Ghost Ways very well."
"I suppose you could say I'm a quick learner. I also have some talent for Ghost Way, so I've studied various techniques. I know that Kaido is completely different from Hado and Bakudo, though I've never actually seen it before. After all, there aren't many Soul Reapers who are truly proficient in this special Ghost Way."
Natsuki answered Unohana Retsu, then added with some surprise, "But Captain Unohana, you know where I came from. Shouldn't this be the first time we've met?"
Unohana Retsu smiled warmly. "It's true that this is the first time I've met Third Seat Natsuki, but the 4th Division and 11th Division have a good relationship. The members of the 11th Division make up the majority of those who come here for treatment, so over time, I've come to know a little about you."
"I heard that you've only been in the 11th Division for a year."
"To become a Third Seat in just a year is quite impressive!"
"And what's even more remarkable is that you didn't graduate from Shino Academy."
Unohana Retsu recounted Natsuki's story, generously praising him as she spoke.
Deep down, she really was impressed.
She hadn't expected a Soul Reaper like him to exist in this era.
These days, nearly all Soul Reapers had graduated from Shino Academy. Only before the academy was established had there been cases of people becoming Soul Reapers after accidentally finding a Zanpakuto.
If Natsuki had merely found a Zanpakuto and accidentally become a Soul Reaper, that wouldn't have been anything special.
The key was that he had found the Zanpakuto in Hueco Mundo.
After returning from Hueco Mundo, he'd become a Third Seat in the 11th Division in only a year.
So when Unohana Retsu, who spent most of her time idle in the 4th Division, heard about Natsuki, the newly risen genius of the 11th Division, she couldn't help taking an interest in him.
Today, when she heard that Natsuki had come in for treatment, she had some free time and decided to treat him herself, as well as chat with him for a while.
"Captain Unohana, you're too kind." Natsuki was quite modest. "I know my own abilities. It's true that I've become a Seated Officer, but making further progress won't be easy. At the end of the day, I'm simply not strong enough. Otherwise, I wouldn't have needed to come here for treatment today."
Unohana Retsu saw things differently. "In any battle, getting injured is difficult to avoid."
Natsuki paused. He fell silent for a while, seemingly lost in thought, then spoke again. "You're right, Captain Unohana. As long as there's fighting, there'll always be injuries and bloodshed. We have to learn how to treat our wounds."
As he spoke, Natsuki looked at Unohana Retsu. "Captain Unohana, what does it take to learn Kaido?"
Unohana Retsu hadn't expected Natsuki to say that. She couldn't help thinking of why she herself had learned Kaido in the first place. She hadn't learned it to save people, but so she could fight with even greater abandon.
Her original motivation was much the same as what Natsuki had just said.
As long as there was fighting, injuries were unavoidable. And when injured, one's condition suffered, making it impossible to enjoy the thrill of battle. If you could heal while fighting, you could keep fighting without end.
The thought flashed through her mind, and Unohana Retsu answered Natsuki, "The most important requirement for learning Kaido is control over your spiritual power. If you're interested in it and have some free time, you can come to the 4th Division and ask me for guidance."
"Really?" Natsuki looked at Unohana Retsu in surprise.
Unohana Retsu smiled. "It's nothing extraordinary, just a rather special kind of Ghost Way. The other Soul Reapers aren't very interested in Kaido, so when I finally meet someone who is, I don't mind teaching them."
"But I can't say whether you'll be able to learn it."
Unohana Retsu was kind and approachable, without the slightest air of superiority. Being with her felt like spending time with a friendly older sister. At her side, Natsuki felt as comfortable as if he were basking in a gentle spring breeze.
Still, he didn't dare underestimate this gentle female captain.
After all, he knew her true identity.
In a patient room in the 4th Division, Unohana Retsu treated Natsuki's injuries while chatting with him.
Before long, under Unohana Retsu's treatment, Natsuki's wounds had healed completely. According to her, he only needed to rest for a few more days before he could return to battle.
It was then that Unohana Retsu suddenly said something strange.
"The wounds on Third Seat Natsuki don't seem to have been left by a Hollow."
"They look more like cuts from a blade."
She watched Natsuki with interest.
Natsuki's heart tightened, but he kept his expression calm. "No, they were left by a Hollow. It had sharp claws, and one of them caused these wounds. That's why they look like cuts from a blade."
"I see," Unohana Retsu said in a measured tone, then asked no further questions.
His first meeting with Unohana Retsu had been much more peaceful than Natsuki had expected.
Unohana Retsu seemed like someone who was very easy to get along with.
From her words, Natsuki had also gleaned another meaning.
This 4th Division Captain seemed particularly concerned about the 11th Division.
It wasn't simply because the 11th Division's Soul Reapers fought so often that they were constantly injured and had the most contact with the 4th Division.
Natsuki guessed it was more likely related to Unohana Retsu's identity as the First Kenpachi.
After returning to the 11th Division, Natsuki was faced with another serious question.
He didn't know why Azashiro Kenpachi had let him go.
But that didn't mean he felt grateful to Azashiro Kenpachi.
After all, what Azashiro Kenpachi had done was undeniably evil.
Since Natsuki had uncovered the truth, should he expose what had happened and report Azashiro Kenpachi?
Natsuki was torn.
And when Azashiro Kenpachi let him go, hadn't he considered that possibility?
Or was he like Aizen in the original story, whose many deeds had been discovered by Urahara Kisuke and Tsukabishi Tessai, yet who let Urahara Kisuke and the others leave because he had a special way to distance himself from those deeds?
If Natsuki reported him recklessly, he might end up putting himself in a disadvantageous position instead.
Just like Urahara Kisuke, who reported Aizen in the original story, only to be falsely accused of causing the Hollowfication Incident among the captains and forced to flee the Soul Society.
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