Gruesome Casualties in a Live Combat Exercise

"Isn't it just a piece of paper?" Hiyori Sarugaki curled her lip disdainfully.

"Shadow wouldn't give Yoruichi something like that!" Kukaku Shiba nodded, looking intrigued.

"Why not just try it?" Lisa Yadomaru adjusted her glasses and said calmly.

"But who should we test it on? Kensei?" Mashiro Kuna puffed out her cheeks cutely.

"What does that have to do with me?!" Kensei Muguruma roared.

Just then, an annoyingly grating voice rang out beside them.

"Good morning, everyone!"

Long golden hair, a pure white captain's haori—the captain of the Fifth Division, Shinji Hirako.

"Ah! Baldy Hirako!"

Hiyori Sarugaki was the first to shout. Her eyes spun as she snatched an Explosive Tag from Yoruichi Shihōin's hand, infused it with spiritual pressure, and hurled it at Shinji Hirako.

"Hiss... hiss... hiss..."

"What's this? It's burning!" Shinji Hirako looked at the Explosive Tag burning beneath his feet, then raised his head with a crooked grin. "Hey, shorty Hiyori, with a little spark like this, are you trying to... Oh no, this fluctuation is... Run!"

While speaking, Shinji Hirako suddenly sensed an intense fluctuation coming from that tiny scrap of paper. His pupils shrank sharply, and he immediately tried to get away, but...

BOOM!!!!!!

A violent explosion shook the entire Shin'ō Academy. Once the smoke cleared, the ground where Shinji Hirako had stood was blasted apart, rubble flying everywhere.

After the yellow-glowing circular barrier vanished, Shinji Hirako's somewhat disheveled figure was revealed.

"S-So powerful!"

Kensei Muguruma's eyelids twitched wildly, while Mashiro Kuna, Lisa Yadomaru, and Kisuke Urahara were left speechless.

Kukaku Shiba did not even notice when the dry pipe at her lips fell to the ground. Her mouth hung open in shock.

Hiyori Sarugaki pointed at Shinji Hirako, staring wide-eyed in disbelief.

As for the students around them, they were all utterly bewildered, having no idea what had just happened.

Yoruichi Shihōin was the first to recover. She cheered excitedly, her face full of delight. She had always been lively by nature and loved playing around most of all.

"Shadow, do you have any more?"

Yoruichi Shihōin blinked her golden eyes and asked eagerly.

"My apologies, Lady Yoruichi." Shadow shook his head. "There wasn't enough time, and my spiritual power hasn't fully recovered yet, so I could only make this many."

"Is that so?" Yoruichi Shihōin smiled. "This is already enough. Thank you, Shadow!"

"You honor me too greatly, Lady Yoruichi. This is my duty." Shadow dropped to one knee and said respectfully, "Please do not say such things again."

"..."

Unless something unexpected happened, each simulated Hollow combat exercise lasted three days. During those three days, Shadow needed to heal his injuries and restore himself to peak condition. Even if he could not fully recover, he needed to regain at least half his strength.

The moment Yoruichi Shihōin entered the Senkaimon, Shadow left the Fourth Division. No one understood his own injuries better than he did.

On the afternoon of the next day, Shadow, now half recovered, walked through the streets of the Seireitei.

"Have you heard? The Shin'ō Academy students who went to the World of the Living for the simulated Hollow combat exercise were attacked by Menos Grande!"

"Really?"

"You'd better believe it. I heard there were quite a few Gillians! There were even supposedly Adjuchas-class Menos Grande!"

"I heard that too!" Another person came over. "Apparently, the casualties were enormous. If Captain Hirako of the Fifth Division hadn't arrived in time, they might have been completely wiped out!"

"That serious? How are things now?"

"The survivors seem to be receiving treatment in the Fourth Division. As for the dead... who knows?"

"..."

Listening to the endless discussions on the street, all of which roughly said the same thing, Shadow's expression darkened. His figure vanished from the street in an instant.

Body Flicker Technique!

Soul Society, Seireitei, Fourth Division Barracks.

"I really didn't expect it. It was just an ordinary live combat exercise, yet Menos Grande appeared!" Kensei Muguruma lay in bed, grimacing in pain.

"But Kensei, you looked pretty excited while fighting!" Mashiro Kuna immediately shot back.

"Shut up!"

Kensei Muguruma roared in embarrassment and anger, but accidentally pulled at his wound and began coughing repeatedly.

"Idiot!" Hiyori Sarugaki curled her lip. "You're so badly hurt, yet you still dare move around!"

"Well, anyway, it was lucky we had the Explosive Tags Shadow gave us to buy some time. Otherwise, we wouldn't have made it back alive!" Kukaku Shiba shook her head.

"That's true." Kisuke Urahara said regretfully, "It's just a shame about those Explosive Tags. It would've been great if one had been left for me to study!"

"..." Everyone fell silent.

Perhaps realizing that what he had said sounded foolish, Kisuke Urahara scratched his head awkwardly. "By the way, why hasn't anyone come to treat us yet?"

"They're probably saving the people who are close to dying," Lisa Yadomaru said softly. "This live combat exercise involved nearly three thousand students from ten classes across the entire grade. But at most, only a little over a thousand came back, including the severely injured. Going by that, the casualty rate..."

"What the hell was the Gotei 13 doing?!" Kukaku Shiba snapped. "If they had discovered it earlier, things wouldn't have ended like this!"

The atmosphere suddenly turned heavy.

"There was nothing they could do. It happened too suddenly," Kensei Muguruma sighed.

"Come on, everyone, try to look on the bright side!" Kisuke Urahara tried to lighten the mood. "Isn't that just how Bleach are? No one can guarantee whether they'll live or die in the next moment!"

"What are you even talking about, Baldy Urahara?!" Hiyori Sarugaki shouted with narrowed eyes.

"Hiyori, honestly..." Kisuke Urahara said helplessly before turning his head. "Yoruichi, why haven't you said anything? That's not like you. Are you still worried about Shadow?"

"Ah... yes." Yoruichi Shihōin lowered her head. "Captain Unohana said Shadow went out yesterday and still hasn't returned."

"What are you worried about?" Hiyori Sarugaki curled her lip. "He's so strong. What could possibly happen to him? Maybe, just like usual, he'll go 'whoosh' and suddenly appear..."

"Lady Yoruichi!!!"

"Ah!" Hiyori Sarugaki cried out, her eyebrows twitching. "He appeared! Just as expected—I was right!"

"Hiyori really is amazing," Kisuke Urahara said with a smile.

"Mind your own business, Baldy Urahara!"

"..."

"Lady Yoruichi, you're injured!" Shadow dropped to one knee, his cold voice carrying a trace of urgency.

"Shadow, you bastard!" Yoruichi Shihōin roared. "Didn't I tell you to stay put?! Why did you run off? What if something happened to you?!"

"Yes, yes, Lady Yoruichi."

Shadow felt both moved and pained.

Looking at Yoruichi Shihōin's battered body, he extended his hand. A pale green glow appeared, covering her body.

Medical Ninjutsu!!

"I didn't expect Shadow to know how to heal people!" Kukaku Shiba said in surprise.

"It seems I'm not needed here anymore." Retsu Unohana entered from outside, with Shinji Hirako following behind her.

After finishing the treatment, Shadow helped Yoruichi Shihōin up and asked softly, "Lady Yoruichi, how do you feel? Is there anywhere else that hurts?"

"I'm fine now, Shadow." Yoruichi Shihōin nodded.

"Then let's go back. Lady Yoruichi needs proper rest as well."

"But Kukaku and the others..."

"Isn't someone here?" Shadow gestured at Retsu Unohana with his chin.

"It's fine, Yoruichi. You should go back first!"

Kukaku Shiba smiled, and Kisuke Urahara and the others nodded as well.

"Alright, then. I'll come see you tomorrow!" Yoruichi Shihōin did not insist. "Captain Unohana, I'll leave them to you!"

"Don't worry, Yoruichi." Retsu Unohana smiled gently. "This is the Fourth Division's responsibility!"

Shadow carried Yoruichi Shihōin on his back and activated the Body Flicker Technique, vanishing in a flash.

Retsu Unohana smiled. "What an elusive Shunpo! Every time I see it, I'm amazed."

"Why am I not amazed?" Shinji Hirako tilted his head.

"That's because you're too stupid, Baldy Hirako!" Hiyori Sarugaki fired back once more.

"What does that have to do with me, shorty Hiyori?!" Shinji Hirako complained.