I Know What You Want Most

Katori, both startled and embarrassed, leaned down to scrutinize Lin Nan's face, hissing, "Pretending to sleep and eavesdropping on me. Tell me, how should I finish you off?"

Only then did Lin Nan have the chance to get a clear look at Katori, and for a moment, she felt strangely unfamiliar.

He quickly searched his memory for the corresponding character from the manga, only to realize he knew absolutely nothing about Katori Batsunsai, the first captain of the 8th Division—

The original Thirteen Divisions existed only in the notes of the original author, Tite Kubo; everyone's personality, history, background, and combat abilities were a complete blank slate.

Facing Captain Katori, who possessed a youthful face but an air of maturity, Lin Nan couldn't help but feel his heart drumming. It was said that all the first-generation captains were ruthless, cold-blooded killers. Now that he had offended one, what was he supposed to do?

He blinked and asked hesitantly, "Could you just let me die of old age?"

Katori's brows arched as she raised her hand, feigning a strike: "Slippery tongue! I'll send you on your way right now!"

Lin Nan scrambled backward, instinctively spinning a lie as he moved: "I think there might be a misunderstanding between us. I'm just a regular resident of the Rukon District..."

He stopped halfway through. Who was he kidding? She clearly already knew his identity.

But then, a thought struck him: she didn't know yet that he knew she knew!

He had to come up with a plan quickly to play along with her game.

Watching Lin Nan's movements and the lie that had slipped out, Katori revealed an inscrutable smile: "Very cautious! If I hadn't snatched you away from Unohana Kenpachi with my own hands, I might have believed you. What is your name?"

Hearing this, Lin Nan looked down at his bandaged body: the dressing was neat, the tension just right. The technique was truly excellent. Was it her who did this—no, that wasn't what he should be considering right now!

He needed to strike a reasonable pose, one that wouldn't let her know he had overheard everything, while ensuring he didn't fall into a passive position!

Lin Nan's mind raced. Feeling Katori's gaze lingering on him, he couldn't help but feel like breaking into a cold sweat.

Think, quickly! It has to be reasonable!

"My name is Lin Nan. This..." Lin Nan pondered for a moment, swallowed quietly, and spoke hesitantly: "These bandages... did you wrap them?"

Very good, that sounded perfectly logical. Lin Nan silently covered his face in his mind.

Katori found Lin Nan's somewhat reserved expression amusing. She narrowed her eyes into slits, observing the look in his eyes from up close.

Lin Nan felt uncomfortable under her gaze and couldn't help but retreat further: "What is it?"

"Why do you ask?" Katori hid her amusement, her large eyes darting around in front of Lin Nan as if searching for a flaw.

"Is... is there something wrong with that? I just thought they were wrapped very well. It felt like the kind of handiwork only a clever and dexterous girl could produce." Lin Nan said the lie with righteous indignation.

Excellent. That sounded increasingly reasonable.

Katori's face suddenly flushed red, and she felt her heartbeat skip a beat.

In her hundreds of years of life, no one had ever dared to speak to her like this. She felt teased, yet she couldn't think of a way to retaliate.

Fortunately, a woman's intuition came to her aid.

She coughed lightly, suppressing the blush on her cheeks: "I'm increasingly convinced that you were awake the whole time and heard quite a lot."

Lin Nan feigned composure, dodging the question: "Huh? I don't understand what you mean—where am I?"

Seeing Lin Nan's reaction, Katori's suspicion only deepened, and a scrutinizing look gradually appeared on her face:

"This is the 8th Division, and I am the 8th Division captain, Katori Batsunsai. Your injuries were sustained while sparring with Unohana Kenpachi. Do you remember?"

Lin Nan nodded: "I remember that—so, was it you who bandaged me or not?"

So, he wasn't going to let this question go, was he?

Katori felt her breath hitch and her thoughts grow chaotic. She nodded helplessly: "It was me. The division medics aren't skilled enough to handle the spiritual pressure Unohana Kenpachi left in your wounds, so I had to do the dressing myself."

Lin Nan thanked her with a sincere expression: "Thank you so much. If you ever get hurt in the future, I'll bandage you too."

Katori was stunned: "You haven't even recovered yet and you're already itching for trouble?"

"No, no, don't misunderstand... I just couldn't think of any other way to express my gratitude, so I could only repay you in the same way... Besides, girls are bound to get a few bumps and bruises... and my bandaging technique is actually quite good. I learned how to make burritos from someone before..."

Katori, a martial arts fanatic, had been skilled at killing for hundreds of years, but when had she ever tried flirting? Today, she had let her true feelings slip in front of the handsome Lin Nan, only to have them all overheard. She felt her heart racing, her reason failing her at every turn.

At this moment, Lin Nan's earnest nonsense completely scrambled her already unguarded train of thought.

Seeing the somewhat dazed expression behind those round glasses and the bewitching eyes filled with confusion, Lin Nan felt a strange tremor in his heart.

Such a beautiful and cute girl, and yet she was a killing machine...

"...Right, besides burritos, I'm also pretty good at making noodles. Once I'm healed and out of here, I'll treat you to some."

"Fine! It's a deal!" Hearing about food, Katori finally managed to catch up with the conversation and nodded in agreement, "But I never said I was letting you out!"

Her eyes shifted, a smile she couldn't hide at the corners of her mouth:

"You're that guy who appeared with the Menos Grande a while ago, aren't you?"

Lin Nan hadn't expected Katori to ask such a direct question so suddenly. He looked at her face with a hint of shock: "How did you know?"

Katori's delicate little face tilted slightly upward, her round glasses reflecting the light from the window: "From the moment you and the Hollow appeared, my squad members saw you. It was only after you mysteriously ran away twice that I became interested in you.

You might not know this, but my lieutenant has been secretly gathering intelligence and searching for your tracks."

No, I know. Your squad members have been holding wanted posters all over the world looking for me. I've even run away a few times.

"Then, why did you save me from Unohana? Weren't you afraid I was with the Hollows or the rebels?" Even though it was to his advantage, Lin Nan still found her actions somewhat incredible.

"Of course I was worried. When you landed, my squad members saw from afar that a Hollow almost ate you. That alone was basically enough to prove you have no connection to Hueco Mundo;"

As for the issue of the rebels, I am not worried. Firstly, why would the rebels choose such a blatant method to send you back?

Secondly, the rebels lack the ability to control Hollows, let alone have them carry you through the Garganta. Thirdly, the experts among the rebels excel primarily in Kido and Hakuda. If you told me someone among them could trade blows with Sister Retsu in Zanjutsu, I absolutely would not believe it.

Katori flashed a confident smile and tilted her chin at Lin Nan triumphantly: "From now on, you are a secret member of my 8th Division. I will train you slowly, and when the time is right, I will promote you to an official member!"

"Don't you think that's a bit rash? You don't know anything about me yet." Although he had long since guessed Katori's intentions, Lin Nan couldn't help but ask.

"Being able to come back alive from under the Kenpachi is all the understanding I need!" Katori waved her small hand nonchalantly, her white haori fluttering as she moved, revealing her proud figure.

She had no intention of telling Lin Nan that she had wounded the Kenpachi, as the event was too bizarre and would only invite skepticism regarding its truth. Besides, who knew what kind of brain this kid had? If he went out and bragged about cutting the Kenpachi, only to be hacked to pieces by Unohana later, wouldn't all her hard work be for nothing?

Katori's ample curves bounced rhythmically before his eyes. Lin Nan kept his gaze steady, refusing to let it wander, while calculating in his mind as he walked.

If Katori truly did not suspect his identity, then staying in the 8th Division was undoubtedly a better choice. For one, it would exempt him from the Spirit Arts Academy examinations, and he could remain within the division from then on.

The downside, however, was that his original desire for a peaceful life might be slightly compromised. But there were administrative roles within the Gotei 13; at worst, he could just take a desk job and live a quiet life all the same.

Seeing Lin Nan's expression gradually settle, Katori grabbed a robe from the side and tossed it to him: "How do you feel now? Can you walk? If you can move, I'll have the division members take you around the 8th Division barracks to get familiar with the layout."

Lin Nan caught the robe and put it on, then tentatively moved his arms, exclaiming in surprise: "I can't even feel the pain!? How long was I unconscious?"

Although he already knew from their previous conversation that he had been unconscious for less than a day, based on his life experience before transmigrating, these sword wounds should have taken at least ten days to half a month to recover.

Katori walked over, looking somewhat puzzled, and poked his wounds lightly: "Does it not hurt?"

Lin Nan shook his head: "I can feel the wounds itching a bit, but they really don't hurt."

Katori couldn't help but be overjoyed: "Healing this quickly—your Reiatsu potential is truly formidable!"

Since the wounds had closed, there would be no major issues as long as he didn't engage in strenuous exercise. Lin Nan declined Katori's kind offer to have division members support him, stood up tentatively, and accompanied by Katori, began to walk slowly out of the room.

Once outside, Katori reverted to her high-status persona as the 8th Division Captain, walking forward with measured steps while occasionally giving Lin Nan a brief introduction to the route. Lin Nan followed quietly behind her, diligently memorizing the path in his mind.

"This is the main section of the 8th Division; you can look at the rest once your wounds have fully healed."

To accommodate Lin Nan's physical condition, Katori chose the shortest route, having him memorize only the paths to the main buildings within the barracks.

The two returned the way they came, Katori still leading the way while Lin Nan followed slowly, memorizing the locations and routes throughout the barracks as they walked.

Katori couldn't help but fantasize about life after Lin Nan joined. Her intuition told her that this youth with immense potential would surely achieve great things after joining the 8th Division.

"You know, the 8th Division was founded by me, and from now on, you are one of us. Do you know what I want to do most for the 8th Division?" Thinking of the upcoming increase in the division's strength, Katori couldn't help but want to share her vision for the 8th Division and all its members with Lin Nan.

Lin Nan was still busy recalling the layout of the barracks in his head. Hearing Katori's question, he answered casually: "I know, to bring back lots of handsome boys when you go out..."

Halfway through his sentence, a surge of intense killing intent suddenly made Lin Nan shut his mouth. He looked up, startled—

Katori's face was beet red, her watery peach-blossom eyes filled with both shame and rage, her gaze seemingly sharp enough to pierce through his glasses and leave two transparent holes in him.

So you heard it all!!

Lin Nan realized he had let his tongue slip and smiled awkwardly:

"I... I was just saying that off the cuff..."

Katori, embarrassed and furious, stomped her foot hard and gritted her teeth:

"You just wait!"