First Generation Kenpachi Unohana

Sunlight pierced through the gaps in the makeshift tent, landing precisely on Lin Nan's eyes. His pupils, unable to adjust to the intense glare, throbbed with sudden pain.

Lin Nan squeezed his eyes shut, the sunlight filtering through his eyelids to form a pinkish glow in his vision. At the same time, a faint scent of blood drifted into his nostrils.

In the corner of the tent, a line of small text was embroidered: "Temporary Quarters for the 11th Division."

How did I end up here? Was I captured by those two Soul Reapers?

Lin Nan waited for his vision to clear while listening intently to the sounds outside, his mind racing.

That's right, he remembered losing consciousness while in the Rukon District. They must have used some kind of anesthetic on him.

Moreover, he had regained consciousness halfway through the journey. He seemed to have asked them, "Why are you arresting me instead of the gangs oppressing the residents?"

Recalling their response, Lin Nan still felt his blood boil—

"A Soul Reaper's duty is to protect the Seireitei and fight the Hollows. This is just the Rukon District; there are no Hollows here, so what does it have to do with us? Catching you is just to find some entertainment for Unohana Kenpachi to cut down!"

As his eyes gradually grew accustomed to the light and the stinging subsided, he opened them, struggled to his feet, and surveyed his surroundings.

The small tent was extremely crude and empty. There were several wide tears in the roof, which was where the sunlight had been hitting his eyes. Now, as a light breeze blew, the flaps fluttered, emitting a hollow, muffled sound.

To avoid drawing attention, Lin Nan didn't dare poke his head out; he only peered through the gap in the tent flap.

He saw no one moving about, nor did he hear any voices. Further away, his line of sight was blocked by several other tents, obscuring everything.

Lin Nan deliberately suppressed his anxiety, pondering his situation and how to respond next.

It wasn't that he was overreacting or being overly nervous. His transmigration was a bit different from the norm.

He had entered the Soul Society from the Negacion along with a Menos Grande. Well, not exactly together—he had been carried in its mouth.

Yes, he had been brought in as food.

Perhaps it was just a group of Menos Grande that had taken a wrong turn while enjoying a picnic, stumbled into the Soul Society, and were unfortunately wiped out by the Soul Reapers.

However, the unlucky Lin Nan had suffered a half-month-long manhunt as a result.

It was no wonder; if he had seen someone fall into the Soul Society alongside a pack of Menos Grande, he would have immediately assumed that person was connected to the Hollows.

As the only target from that "Menos Grande Invasion" incident who hadn't been confirmed killed, Lin Nan had been very diligent in evading capture.

He desperately wanted to explain that he had nothing to do with the Hollows—he had almost been chewed up as a snack by that Menos Grande in the first place.

But judging by the Soul Reapers he had encountered, no one cared about such details. After all, the Menos Grande that could have served as witnesses had long since been destroyed by the Soul Reapers; their funerals were already over.

However, based on the casual chatter of the two Soul Reapers on the way back, they had captured him simply because his combat skills were good, leading them to suspect he was part of a rebel faction.

They hadn't mentioned the "Menos Grande Invasion" at all. From this perspective, this might actually be a blessing in disguise.

As long as he could prove he wasn't a rebel and earn the recognition of the 11th Division, he might have a chance to clear his name of other suspicions and regain his innocence.

He hadn't had a moment of peace since he transmigrated. If he could clear his name and move to a region far from the flames of war, that would be the outcome Lin Nan wanted most.

Everything, however, depended on how Unohana would treat him.

Just as he was thinking, he heard footsteps outside. Peering through the gap, Lin Nan saw the two Soul Reapers walking toward the tent, shouting triumphantly:

"Hey, kid! Wake up! It's time to meet our Captain!"

The 11th Division's temporary camp was stationed in the western part of the Rust Face District.

Beside the makeshift tents, all manner of mangled corpses were piled up in disarray—decapitated, armless, legless, bisected at the waist, or split in two. The entire camp was filled with a terrifying atmosphere.

Beside this pile of corpses, a figure in a white haori with black hair draped low sheathed her blade, gazing calmly at the blood-soaked scene with a weary sigh.

"Captain, I apologize. I failed to find an opponent today who could satisfy you..." A Soul Reaper wearing a forehead protector and a Zanpakuto at his waist stood to the side, trembling with fear as he spoke in a low voice.

Even though he was a head taller than the figure in the white haori, he stood as helplessly as a child facing an adult who had made a mistake, a bead of cold sweat trickling down his temple:

"It is simply that you are too strong, Captain. No matter how many of these ronin thugs we kill, we cannot find a powerful opponent worthy of your skills..."

"You certainly understand my thoughts well..." The figure turned slowly, her lowered eyes flashing with a cold, dangerous light that made one's blood run cold.

—The 11th Division Captain, Unohana Yachiru Retsu.

Obsessed with battle, a master of slaughter.

Her swordsmanship was peerless; it was said she had mastered every style of swordplay in the world, calling herself "Yachiru," and thus was known as "Kenpachi." Since her time, every successive captain of the 11th Division had been bestowed with the title of "Kenpachi."

In the pool of blood beside her lay the dozens of "ronin" from the Rukon District she had cut down today to satisfy her craving for battle.

The vice-captain, Nakata Ryunosuke, who wore the forehead protector, swallowed hard: "No, Captain, you are merely eliminating dangerous, unstable elements to protect the peace of the Seireitei..."

Unohana interrupted him calmly: "No. There is no need for pretty words here. I am simply looking for someone to serve as an opponent to pass this boring life. After all, ever since I repelled the Quincy invasion back then..."

She stroked the hilt of her Zanpakuto and whispered: "My blade and I have felt empty for many years..."

Nakata glanced sideways at the mountain of corpses and blood, swallowed again, and cold sweat finally broke out on his forehead: "By the way, Captain, Kogoro and his partner just reported to me that they captured a young man while patrolling District 26.

They say this fellow was able to take down over a dozen armed thugs with his bare hands. Kogoro and the others suspect that with such strength, he might be a rebel, so they brought him back for you to see!"

A faint glimmer of anticipation appeared in Unohana's eyes as she looked aside: "If he truly possesses that level of strength, how did those two manage to capture him?"

Nakata was slightly stunned, realizing he had completely overlooked that question: "Uh, this..."

Unohana waved her hand lightly: "Forget it. It's not the first or second time the squad members have made reckless arrests. With me here, even if he really is a rebel, nothing unexpected will happen. Have them bring him up!"

Following Nakata's orders, it wasn't long before two Soul Reapers dressed in black arrived at the temporary courtyard where the command tent was located, escorting a youth with snow-white hair wearing coarse gray clothes.

The lieutenant's expression turned cold, and he habitually barked, "You lowly wretch, why haven't you knelt to pay your respects to Captain Unohana yet..."

Lin Nan's eyes darted around, and he suddenly stepped forward to grab Nakata's hand, greeting him warmly, "I've heard so much about you; you must be Captain Unohana, right?"

The lieutenant felt a tightness in his chest and shook his head, saying, "Look closely, I'm a man! I am Nakata Ryunosuke, lieutenant of the 11th Division. The person next to me is the Captain—Unohana Kenpachi!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Nan's smile vanished instantly. He flung Nakata's hand away and lectured him with a straight face:

"If you aren't the captain, why are you cutting in? You little assistant, don't you know to let the leader speak first when they are present? How did you even become a lieutenant? Is this how you do your job? What will the captain think? What will the subordinates think? Don't you know you need to set an example for those below you? How do you expect to get by in the Court Guard Squad like this? Do I really have to teach you such a simple principle? You're practically worse than a lowly wretch."

Nakata Ryunosuke was left stunned by this sudden reversal of roles. He instinctively wanted to snap back, but remembering the "let the leader speak first" rule, he forcibly swallowed his words, his face twitching with rage.

Seeing Nakata get slapped down, Lin Nan finally turned to Unohana and asked in a formal tone, "Captain Unohana, why have you summoned me?"

"You, a rebel?" Unohana merely spat out those two airy words.

Lin Nan hurriedly waved his hands, "You must be joking. I've only been in the Soul Society for less than ten days. How could I possibly be a rebel?"

This was the method he had come up with while inside the small tent to clear his name.

By delaying the time he arrived in the Soul Society, he could distance himself from the Menos Grande Invasion and prove he lacked the qualifications to join the rebels. He decided to set this timeline to the day he met the old man he was staying with.

Even if they went to District 26 to verify it, they would get a similar answer, because no one knew the true time he had "dropped" into the Soul Society.

Facing Lin Nan's denial, Unohana showed no emotional fluctuation and cast a casual glance at him, "Oh, is that so? However, I heard from my men that you are quite good at fighting?"

That simple glance nearly shattered all the mental preparation Lin Nan had made in advance.

He felt every muscle in his body trembling, and even his joints began to stiffen. Four words flashed through his mind: "fierce god, evil spirit."

This was his body's instinctive fear of death. No matter how much preparation he had done, it was difficult to resist the shuddering from the depths of his soul.

It seemed the development of events he had anticipated was veering in a bad direction. After all, the woman with the long, drooping hair standing before him was one of the greatest butchers in the Soul Society.