Yamamoto: I've Worried Myself Sick over This Family / Still as a Buddha, Fierce as a Madman

"Things like this are common. Between a man and a woman, one of them is always crying for help. You're just a kid, you wouldn't understand!" The veterans all wore mysterious smiles.

Yamabuki Chidori was disheveled, his clothes torn to shreds. He looked even more miserable than a beggar, with a crazed woman wielding a huge blade chasing him for all she was worth.

I should never have gone to watch the show. If I hadn't, I wouldn't have ended up like this!

And those bastards watching! Can't you see your Chief Strategist is being hunted down by a she-devil? You're actually standing there laughing? Just wait until I free up a hand—I'll show you what I can do!

Keep laughing!

However, his Reiatsu and stamina had been completely drained. By comparison, Katoru Hatsunoya was like a monster with limitless energy.

Fortunately, he still had one last move!

"Captain Commander!!! Help!!!"

Yamamoto: I worried myself sick over this family

Yamamoto was practicing calligraphy in his room. Lately, he had felt rather empty. He had originally thought life would become incredibly busy after establishing the Gotei 13, but unexpectedly, all he did every day was drink tea and practice writing. Everyone had far less to do now.

Everything he could think of, and even things he had not yet thought of, Yamabuki Chidori had already considered for him and was steadily putting into practice.

Just as he finished writing and began drinking tea, a heart-rending cry came from outside. "Captain Commander, help!"

Hmm? Have I started hearing things?

Wasn't Yamabuki out on a mission?

Why did I hear him crying for help?

Forget it. I'll keep drinking tea.

Yamabuki Chidori had been chased to the point of utter exhaustion. Why isn't Old Man coming out yet? If he doesn't come out soon, his Lieutenant is going to get hacked to death!

Seizing the opportunity, Yamabuki Chidori Flash Stepped into Old Geezer's room. Yamamoto was leisurely drinking tea when he saw his Lieutenant rush in looking like a beggar, then collapse onto the floor with a thud, gasping for breath.

Yamamoto stared at his Lieutenant with a strange look in his eyes. How had a simple mission left him in such a miserable state?

Then Katoru Hatsunoya charged in with her blade.

So they were fighting! That explained it!

"Stop right there! You actually dared to deceive me!" Katoru Hatsunoya pointed the tip of her blade at Yamabuki Chidori.

"Big sis, can't you focus on the important part? Wasn't your original goal to kill me to keep me quiet?" Yamabuki Chidori wailed. "The way you put it makes me sound like some heartless scumbag who tricked an innocent girl."

Sure enough, even Yamamoto's gaze toward him had turned strange.

"Captain Commander, let me explain. It's not what you think... Ahhh! Help!" Before Yamabuki Chidori could finish, Katoru Hatsunoya had already brought her blade down.

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, you've changed! You're watching me get chopped up without doing anything! You're no longer my good Captain! You're no longer my lifelong best buddy!

Yamamoto took a sip from his teacup. Youth really is wonderful! So full of energy! And Yamabuki, of all things to deceive someone about, he had to deceive a girl. Well, now she's come after him with a blade, hasn't she? Even an upright official can't settle family disputes. I'd better pretend I don't see anything!

"Captain Commander..."

"Yamabuki, as someone with experience, let me advise you: if you're a man, you must take responsibility." Yamamoto spoke with a solemn expression.

"Take responsibility? Take responsibility for my ass!" Yamabuki Chidori roared as he dodged the descending blade. "You don't even know what happened! Just help me hold down that crazy woman!"

"Yamabuki, that's where you're wrong. How can I interfere in something like this? You'll have to settle it yourself!" Yamamoto said, shaking his head. Then he lowered it and pretended to savor his tea.

Katoru Hatsunoya swung her naginata one-handed, sweeping it across with overwhelming force. Left with no choice, Yamabuki Chidori leaped onto the roof. Katoru Hatsunoya followed him up and brought her blade down in a savage strike.

"Wait... you two, don't fight here. This is my room..."

Boom!!!

Through Katoru Hatsunoya's tireless efforts, half the house was cut down.

Yamamoto held a chipped teacup in his hand, veins throbbing on his forehead.

"You two brats... calm down!"

Boom!!!

Terrifying Reiatsu erupted.

A minute later, Yamabuki Chidori and Katoru Hatsunoya were obediently kneeling amid the rubble.

Yamabuki Chidori recounted the entire incident as quickly as possible. Yamamoto barely managed not to laugh out loud. How did every strange thing end up happening to him?

This kid really is unlucky, isn't he?

However...

Yamamoto looked at Katoru Hatsunoya. This girl truly had some fire in her. Her raw strength was no weaker than Saitō Fubōfu's. If she could be recruited into the Gotei 13, she would definitely be a great asset.

"Katoru Hatsunoya, I roughly understand your situation. You enjoy slaughter, but the education you received since childhood did not allow you to do so. Hmph, what is education? Its ultimate purpose is to help people achieve something, not to restrain them. If so-called education is used to bind a person's nature and talent, then that education is the most worthless thing in the world. Katoru Hatsunoya, I have seen your talent and strength. Abandon those useless things. Join our Gotei 13, and you can freely unleash your true nature." Yamamoto spoke solemnly.

Katoru Hatsunoya secretly glanced at Yamamoto. During their fight just now, this uncle had faced her naginata barehanded and knocked her out in thirty seconds. She couldn't beat him, not even close!

And what this uncle said made sense.

The desire to fight and kill was her nature. Why should she use the so-called "education" she had received later in life to restrict her own nature and talent?

Katoru Hatsunoya nodded happily. If you couldn't beat someone, you joined them. Wasn't that perfectly normal?

Yamabuki Chidori stared in shock as Yamamoto persuaded Katoru Hatsunoya without the slightest effort.

So that's how it is!

If you can't beat someone, don't expect them to sit down and reason with you.

Sure enough, no matter what world one was in, one needed absolute strength to earn the right to speak.

He needed to keep improving his strength.

"Oh, right, Captain, there's one more thing I forgot to tell you. We found a large number of corpses in Kusajishi District. They were covered in blade wounds. I suspect someone is causing trouble in Rukongai. Should we send people to investigate?" Yamabuki Chidori asked.

"No." Yamamoto refused outright. "We don't have the manpower to deal with such trivial matters right now. As long as they don't go too far, we can turn a blind eye for now."

Yamabuki Chidori was not surprised by this answer. To Soul Society, ordinary Rukongai residents did not even count as lives. At most, they were tools used to maintain the balance of the Three Realms.

During the Thousand-Year Blood War, the rise of the Quincy had led to large-scale slaughter of Hollows in the Human World.

To preserve the balance between Soul Society and the Human World, Kurotsuchi Mayuri directly killed twenty-six thousand people without authorization.

Although Captain Commander Yamamoto reprimanded Kurotsuchi Mayuri after learning of it, he imposed no real punishment.

In other words, he had tacitly approved of it.

Yamamoto a thousand years ago had been even more ruthless and cruel. Forget ordinary Rukongai residents; when necessary, he could even abandon comrades who had fought alongside him day and night.

It was precisely because of that ruthlessness and resolve that he could suppress the Three Realms and protect Soul Society's peace for a thousand years.

Though Yamabuki Chidori felt some regret, it was the Captain Commander's decision, and there was nothing he could say.

He did not even know that the true culprit behind the massacre was silently drawing closer to the Seireitei.

"You two should go rest first. I'll call for you if anything comes up," Yamamoto said.

Yamabuki Chidori took Katoru Hatsunoya to a place to rest. He had finally subdued this crazy woman!

Still as a Buddha, wild as a demon

At the same time, Rukongai District 69.

Soul Society had spring, summer, autumn, and winter as well. It was now the warm third month of spring, and the gentle breeze felt especially pleasant against one's skin.

Though the eastern Sixty-Ninth District of Rukongai ranked rather low and public security was chaotic, it was still much better than a place like District 80, where everyone was evil. At the very least, people dared to do business here.

For example, there was a very simple little shop by the roadside selling glutinous rice balls. The fried rice balls were coated with chili powder or white sugar and were very popular.

The shop owner was named Geng Jiro. He had been a chef while alive, and after dying and coming to Soul Society, he continued working in his old trade.

For some reason, there were very few customers today. The morning had nearly passed, yet he had not made a single sale. Geng Jiro was dozing off to one side when a young girl's voice came from the entrance.

"Shopkeeper!"

Geng Jiro looked up, and his eyes immediately lit up.

She was an exceptionally beautiful girl. She was not very tall, with long, glossy black hair. She wore a white kimono, and her face held a gentle, pure smile as radiant as sunlight.

Beautiful women were scarce resources in any world.

After one glance, Geng Jiro did not dare look again. She was probably the daughter of some wealthy family. Why had she come to a place like this?

"What would you like to eat, miss?" Geng Jiro asked.

"Glutinous rice balls! Add plenty of chili." The girl's voice was gentle as well, carrying a certain magnetism. Simply hearing it made one feel healed.

As he fried the rice balls, Geng Jiro said, "How did a girl like you end up in such a chaotic place? This area isn't peaceful. Bandits often appear nearby. You're all alone—what will you do if you run into them? Oh, right, what's your name?"

The gentle smile on the girl's face did not change. Sitting obediently on a chair, she replied in that soft voice, "Unohana."

"What a lovely name! I had a daughter when I was alive, too, but my daughter was fiery. After she got married, she was always fighting with her husband. Haha, thinking back on it now, those days were actually pretty good!" Geng Jiro laughed.

Unohana seemed to be pondering something when she suddenly asked, "Uncle, do you know about the Seireitei?"

"Of course I do. That's the heart of this world. Sigh, I thought death would free me from being controlled, but who knew it would be the same whether I was alive or dead? Bullied while alive, bullied even after death. Heaven truly has no eyes. What kind of world is this?" Geng Jiro muttered as he fried the rice balls. "Oh, right, do you know about the Gotei 13? I heard it's a special army established by those nobles to protect them. Anyone who joins the Gotei 13 can receive a noble title. Sigh! If you ask me, it's better to just coast through life leisurely."

"The Gotei 13?"

"I heard anyone with some skill has gone there. Who wouldn't want to fight for a better future? But I heard the selection requirements are strict, and most commoners like us get sent right back! I told you, how could noble positions possibly be handed out to people like us so casually?" Geng Jiro grumbled without stopping.

Unohana raised her head and looked at the warm sun.

So the strongest people in all of Soul Society were now gathered in the Gotei 13?

"Your glutinous rice balls are ready. Give them a try and see how my cooking is." Geng Jiro smiled.

"Please add more chili." Unohana smiled sweetly.

After the seasoning was added, Unohana gently took a bite. The fried rice gave the balls a crisp outer shell, and paired with the fiery chili, they tasted exquisite.

Geng Jiro also gave her a cup of clear tea.

"A girl like you should travel with companions. Going alone is too dangerous!" Geng Jiro said.

Unohana only smiled and did not answer.

She quickly finished the two skewers of glutinous rice balls. Unohana took out her purse to pay, but before she could remove the money, dust rose from the other side of the street. More than a dozen mounted bandits surrounded the little shop.

Geng Jiro thought they had come to collect protection money. Though it pained him, he still took out some savings to keep himself safe.

Who would have thought that the bandit leader would not even look at Geng Jiro? Instead, he stared straight at Unohana.

"Was it you who killed my brother?" The bandit leader pointed his spear at Unohana. "Did you two have a grudge?"

Unohana gently shook her head, looking as fragile as a little white flower.

"Since you had no grudge, why did you kill him?" the bandit leader asked.

Unohana replied softly, "I was feeling a little unhappy at the time, so I wanted to kill someone to cheer myself up."

These bandits were vicious and cruel, but they had never encountered such an absurd reason for murder.

"Then I want to cheer myself up too! Chop this bitch into minced meat!" the bandit leader roared.

Geng Jiro looked utterly at a loss. He looked at Unohana, wanting her to run, but her expression frightened him.

It was still the same expression, yet the gentleness, purity, and sunshine around Unohana vanished in an instant. Her icy gaze contained nothing but endless indifference.

That indifference disregarded everything, whether enemies or herself.

Geng Jiro felt as if he had fallen into an ice pit. What kind of people had he gotten involved with?

He should have realized it long ago. A girl who dared travel alone through such a chaotic region surely had something to rely on!

These bandits could not understand what killing intent was!

Yet every one of them felt as if they were sitting on pins and needles, cold sweat unknowingly soaking their clothes. Though their enemy was only a frail-looking young girl, not one of them dared take a step forward.

Even the horses beneath them kept backing away in terror!

"Y-you, just who are..." Before the bandit leader could finish, his head had already flown away. His mouth continued moving in midair, and in that instant, he had not even realized he was dead.

Unohana held a Zanpakuto in her hand. Her beauty had not changed in the slightest, yet to these bandits, she seemed like an evil ghost.

"Y-you, just who... are you?!"

The blade flashed, and the foremost bandit was split in two, man and horse alike!

"My name is... Unohana Yachiru."