In Soul Society, Just Coasting Toward Retirement

Yamabuki Chidori was quite a prominent figure in the Seireitei. Upon learning of his arrival, the Katori Family immediately sent people to receive them. Once he explained why he had come, the Katori Family became even more welcoming.

Before long, Yamabuki Chidori met the current head of the Katori Family, Katoru Hatsunoya.

She was a very refined-looking young woman, wearing glasses and a long black ponytail. Her loose white kimono made it difficult to tell what her figure looked like.

When Senbu saw her sister come to receive her, she finally could not hold back her tears. Thinking about how close she had come to dying filled her with lingering fear.

Katoru Hatsunoya gently comforted her younger sister. Once Senbu had calmed down, she gave Yamabuki Chidori a slight bow. "Thank you, Chief Strategist, for looking after my little sister. I cannot thank you enough. Please stay for a meal! Steward, hurry and make the preparations."

Yamabuki Chidori had already been planning to find an excuse to stay. He had not expected her to invite him to dinner herself, so he naturally would not stand on ceremony.

As Katoru Hatsunoya turned around, a strong gust of wind happened to blow past, pressing her loose kimono tightly against her delicate body and outlining that stunning figure!

Yamabuki Chidori considered himself disciplined and hardly a lecherous man, but when he saw those two heaving mountains, he could only marvel in awe! They were far too magnificent, weren't they?

No matter how hard things got, you couldn't let the children suffer!

If I married her...

I can't promise anything else, but if we had children, they'd definitely eat their fill! And whatever the kids couldn't finish would all go to me, wouldn't it? Hehehe!

The Katoru Family's decorations were generally simple and elegant. Though they were high-ranking nobility, they did not possess the slightest air of arrogance.

If he did not know the plot, Yamabuki Chidori would never believe that this gentle, innocent-looking young lady would go so mad when cutting people down!

What excuse could he use to invite her into the Gotei 13?

Since she had not participated in the Gotei 13 recruitment, she surely had her reasons. If he rashly invited her to join, she would very likely refuse.

At that moment, servants prepared dried fruit and candied preserves as pre-meal snacks and brought them out one by one. Each kind came in only a small dish, some sour and some sweet, all quite tasty.

Then came the appetizer.

"Today's appetizer is a rich venison stew. We hope you enjoy it, sir." A servant brought over a bowl of braised meat soup and lifted its lid, immediately releasing a mouthwatering fragrance.

Katoru Hatsunoya fed her younger sister small bites. Senbu had not seen her family for a long time, and having only recently recovered from serious injuries, her appetite had grown considerably.

Yamabuki Chidori took a taste. It was indeed delicious, but his mind was not on the food right now. His thoughts raced—how could he get the conversation started?

"I bear responsibility for your younger sister's injury. As their instructor, arranging actual combat during their studies was indeed inappropriate." Yamabuki Chidori decided to apologize first and try to leave a good impression.

Before Katoru Hatsunoya could speak, Senbu spoke first. "You can't blame the instructor for this. It was all because I was careless. Sis, you can't be mad at him."

"Mm, I'll listen to you." Katoru Hatsunoya clearly doted on her little sister. She picked up a white handkerchief and gently wiped the corner of Senbu's mouth.

"Instructor, don't look down on me just because I'm not very strong. My sister is amazing. You might not even be able to beat her." Senbu spoke with a proud expression.

As expected of my good student. I hadn't even figured out how to start the conversation, and you already did it for me!

"She's that strong? I don't believe it!" Yamabuki Chidori deliberately put on a skeptical look. She did not seem that old, so she was probably still hot-blooded and competitive. If he provoked her with a few words, she would surely stand up and fight him in a duel between man and woman. Then he could pretend to lose and use that chance to invite her into the Gotei 13. What a perfect plan!

Yet Katoru Hatsunoya merely said gently, "Don't listen to the child's nonsense. I'm not that capable. Steward, bring out the main course."

Yamabuki Chidori asked again, "Senbu, if your sister is so capable, why didn't she participate when the Gotei 13 was recruiting?"

Senbu was puzzled as well and looked toward her sister.

Katoru Hatsunoya said leisurely, "I'm just a woman. Fighting and killing do not suit me. It is enough to fulfill my own duties. Those who can join the Gotei 13 are all elites. I'm far from qualified."

As she spoke, she gently pushed up her glasses with one finger. A flash of white light glinted across the lenses, making those who saw it shudder.

Senbu looked at her sister curiously. Her sister's Reiatsu was far beyond her own. If she joined the Gotei 13, she might even become a captain. Why was she refusing?

Yamabuki Chidori vaguely guessed that she might have some unspeakable difficulty, something inconvenient to say in front of others.

Everyone had their own privacy. Forcing his way into someone else's heart would likely backfire and make them dislike him more.

Indeed, some people liked sharing their secrets with others, but some simply preferred being alone and burying their secrets in their hearts.

If someone always imposed their own beliefs on others, even if they thought they were right, given enough time, even the best of friends would grow distant.

"Since you are unwilling to join, that truly is a pity. It is a great loss for our Gotei 13!" Yamabuki Chidori gave an awkward laugh and focused on eating.

According to the course of history, Katoru Hatsunoya would definitely join the Gotei 13. But what would the opportunity be?

Everyone had their own reasons for doing things.

After eating and drinking his fill, Yamabuki Chidori stood up with a smile. "I still have a great deal of official business to handle, so I won't stay any longer. If you change your mind and wish to join the Gotei 13, you may contact me at any time. Also, Senbu, once you recover and return to the unit, you'll have to make up all the training you missed. Don't think you can escape my clutches."

Senbu's face was full of misery.

"Take care, sir. I will not see you out." Katoru Hatsunoya gave a slight bow. Both her appearance and her manners were impeccable.

As Yamabuki Chidori passed Katoru Hatsunoya, he suddenly said, "Your eyes remind me of a friend in the unit. The two of you have very similar eyes."

"Hm?" Katoru Hatsunoya looked at Yamabuki Chidori with confusion. "What kind of person is he?"

"Before he joined the unit... he was a murderous maniac. The first time I met him, he was skinning someone alive." Yamabuki Chidori replied blandly.

Katoru Hatsunoya's delicate body trembled slightly. She silently lowered her head and said nothing.

The Wild Heart of a Young Lady

Upon hearing Yamabuki Chidori's words, Katoru Hatsunoya lowered her head. There was something strange in her eyes, but she said nothing.

"Sis, you barely ate anything just now. Eat some more!" Senbu said.

Katoru Hatsunoya revealed a perfectly gentle smile. "Your sister isn't hungry. You eat."

Night had fallen.

Katoru Hatsunoya sat before the candlelight, mending her younger sister's damaged clothes. Halfway through, she remembered what Yamabuki Chidori had said to her during the day.

"My eyes... a murderer?" Katoru Hatsunoya muttered to herself.

When was the first time she had seen blood splattering everywhere?

A very, very long time ago. Her little sister had not yet been born, and she herself had only been a child.

She remembered it clearly. That day, her parents had taken her to the Rukon District to visit a great noble. On the way back, their carriage was attacked by a group of wandering samurai.

Katoru Hatsunoya gently closed her eyes and recalled that day.

Her mother had held her tightly, trembling with fear. Her father had drawn his sword and fought the samurai. Though the samurai greatly outnumbered him, they were never a match for her father. In the blink of an eye, several had been cut down by him. Blood and flesh flew everywhere, and the scene was incomparably brutal.

Her mother had been so frightened that she shut her eyes and dared not look.

But Katoru Hatsunoya had been shaken by the beauty of that sight!

So this was how beautiful blood looked when it sprayed from a human body!

No flower in the world could compare to even one ten-thousandth of that beauty!

At that moment, Katoru Hatsunoya found the goal of her life. She wanted to become someone like her father.

But reality was cruel.

Because she was a girl.

From childhood, she had to learn all kinds of noble etiquette. From childhood, people told her that girls should be gentle and graceful, that girls should be obedient, that once they grew up, their duty was to serve their husbands and raise children. They could not be crude or speak loudly. They had to learn flower arrangement, calligraphy, and painting.

Katoru Hatsunoya silently endured everything, gradually becoming the pride of her parents and the model young lady in the eyes of other nobles.

Later, after much pleading, her father finally hired a swordsmanship teacher for her. But after studying for a while, Katoru Hatsunoya found swordsmanship insufficiently violent and switched to practicing the naginata.

As she grew older, Katoru Hatsunoya discovered that her Reiatsu was increasing far faster than that of ordinary people. Yet her parents seemed completely unconcerned with her talent in that regard.

"A girl only needs to do what a girl should do! What kind of behavior is it to wave weapons around?" That was what her father told her.

Yet slowly, the longing for blood within her grew stronger and stronger. But the education she had received all her life told her that girls should not carry swords onto the battlefield to cut people down.

Because that was neither gentle nor elegant. It was not what a proper young lady of a noble family should be.

Thus, the worldview she had built since childhood began to clash violently with the desires she pursued in her heart.

At that thought, Katoru Hatsunoya stopped sewing and stared blankly at the candle flame.

Was she destined to be nothing but a "puppet" for the rest of her life?

Bound by these rotten rules, never able to be happy.

A butterfly fluttered its wings and landed on the back of Katoru Hatsunoya's hand.

Katoru Hatsunoya looked at the butterfly. Then, with a sudden turn of her wrist, she tightly clenched it in her hand, crushing it into powder before slowly opening her fingers!

She was already... nearing her limit.

"Big Brother Yamabuki, look what this is!" Sashō Chōjirō happily showed off the Zanpakuto in his hand.

"Hm? You've become an official member too?" Yamabuki Chidori was somewhat surprised.

"Yep! My Spiritual Power is Level Fourteen, so I'm qualified to join the Gotei 13." Sashō Chōjirō looked delighted.

From this day onward, he was no longer an errand-running kid. He had officially become a member of the Gotei 13.

"Congratulations." Yamabuki Chidori said calmly, "Don't get arrogant. This is only the beginning. You'll only be a true Soul Reaper once your Zanpakuto is released!"

Sashō Chōjirō grew even more excited. "Yamabuki Chidori, my Zanpakuto has already achieved Shikai!"

"Hmm???" Yamabuki Chidori was dumbfounded. Right, this kid's setting seemed to be that he was a genius too. He had learned Bankai in only one month. Though he could not compare to that cheating bastard Kurosaki Ichigo, he was still an existence beyond the reach of most people.

Everyone capable of using Bankai would be recorded in the history of Soul Society.

"Big Brother Yamabuki, you're so strong, so you must have achieved Shikai too, right? What is your Zanpakuto's ability?" Sashō Chōjirō asked innocently.

Yamabuki Chidori's eyes darted around. This little bastard really knew how to hit where it hurt!

What was his Zanpakuto's ability? How would he know?

Still, judging by that previous battle, his Zanpakuto's Shikai ability was likely related to speed.

"Quit asking around. My Zanpakuto's ability is confidential. How could I just tell you?" Yamabuki Chidori said with a guilty look. If he just told his little brother, "My Zanpakuto hasn't awakened yet," it would be far too embarrassing!

Sashō Chōjirō looked as though he had learned something. "I see. Big Brother Yamabuki, do you want to see my ability?"

"Sure. Go wait for me at the training ground." Yamabuki Chidori said.

After Sashō Chōjirō left, Yamabuki Chidori struck his own sword in frustration.

"Can't you just tell me your name? Why are you acting like some intelligence bureau? Are you that happy seeing me embarrass myself in front of my little brother?" Yamabuki Chidori complained bitterly.

Then he went to the training ground as well.

Sashō Chōjirō smiled as he drew his Zanpakuto. "Big Brother Yamabuki, be careful. Pierce through, Genryūmaru."

The Zanpakuto transformed from a katana into a Western-style rapier. Lightning wrapped around the blade. Whether it was strong or not, it certainly looked cool.

Yamabuki Chidori said sourly, "All flash and no substance! A Soul Reaper's battle is a battle of Reiatsu. As long as your Reiatsu is strong enough, even the weakest Zanpakuto can unleash tremendous power! On the other hand, if you lack powerful Reiatsu, then even the strongest Zanpakuto is trash in your hands. Come at me. Let me see what this sword can do!"

Sashō Chōjirō looked at his Zanpakuto with excitement. Lightning enveloped the entire blade as he suddenly charged forward.

Yamabuki Chidori nodded slightly. It seemed that after its release, Genryūmaru not only possessed lightning-based power but could also slightly increase its user's speed.

Facing the thrusting Zanpakuto, Yamabuki Chidori merely extended two fingers and lightly caught the attack between them.

No matter how hard Sashō Chōjirō tried, the rapier did not move in the slightest. It was as though it had been forged from steel directly between Yamabuki Chidori's fingers.

"Boxer briefs, boxer briefs!" Yamabuki Chidori looked completely relaxed. "You're still too green, kid. Go train for another ten years."

Why hasn't my Zanpakuto awakened yet?! I'm so jealous!

A Decisive Battle with the Blade Spirit

Yamabuki Chidori looked at his Zanpakuto. Why was this little girl so unwilling to tell him her name? Was there some hidden reason behind it?

"Chōjirō, how did you communicate with your Zanpakuto? Cough, cough. I'm just checking whether your method of communicating with your Zanpakuto is correct." Yamabuki Chidori added another transparent excuse. Sashō Chōjirō did not doubt his big brother at all and happily said, "Last night, I tried communicating with my Zanpakuto, and then Genryūmaru told me its name! Was it really that simple? Is that method wrong? Big Brother Yamabuki, didn't you use that method to communicate with yours?"

"Cough, cough. Of course I did. There's nothing wrong with your method. Mm, you have good talent. Go rest for now!" Yamabuki Chidori said.

Had he simply failed to build a relationship with that little girl normally, so she was throwing a tantrum with him? Should he try it himself when he returned today? What if it worked?

Or was he using the wrong method to ask for her name? His Zanpakuto was a tsundere white-haired girl. Maybe she was high offense, low defense. Should he make things romantic tonight?

After returning to his room, Yamabuki Chidori sat cross-legged, placed the sword across his knees, and quietly meditated.

This was also a form of training, allowing him to reach the realm of Man-Sword Unity.

Are you there? White hair? Tsundere? Lululu? Twin Tails? White Stockings? If you're there, make a sound! Yamabuki Chidori kept asking in his heart.

A Zanpakuto's power was actually the Soul Reaper's own power, and the Blade Spirit was originally part of the Soul Reaper's body. What Yamabuki Chidori could not understand was why his Blade Spirit resisted him so much.

"Squeak!" The voice of the white-haired tsundere appeared in Yamabuki Chidori's heart. You really were honest. You really only squeaked once.