The Research and Development Institute has always maintained strict surveillance over the Dangai, and small Hollows that venture into the World of the Living or Soul Society will not be let off the hook.
Needless to say, Hollows at the level of Menos Grande.
To prevent Nnoitra and Tesla from being discovered, Aizen arranged for Kyōka Suigetsu to be placed in the Research and Development Institute beforehand, with Kaname Tōsen and Gin Ichimaru maintaining it there.
To ensure that no one from the Shinigami notices and that no record remains in the Projection Hall, so as to prevent anyone from looking at the previous records out of boredom.
Nnoitra didn't care about these tedious matters; he walked through the Senkaimon opened by Aizen.
The outside is an enclosed space.
There were no candles; light emanated from rows of small, round holes in the walls and ceiling.
A richly dressed man stood in the center of the room. He appeared to be in his thirties or forties, with long, dark green hair that covered his ears. He had a thin face with narrow eyes and an expression that exuded a chilling aura.
"So you're Takehiko Tsunayashiro?" Nnoitra asked.
"Okay, you all stay here and don't wander off. If anyone breaks in, just say it's an experimental Hollow I modified, and don't mention Lord Aizen's name."
Without wasting time on pleasantries, Takehiko Tsunayashiro went straight to telling them what to do next.
That arrogance ingrained in their very bones evokes a sense of aversion.
"Hmm." Nnoitra didn't bother to say anything to this guy, deciding in his heart that after killing Shiraishi, he would take care of this guy as well.
He smashed the weapon on the ground, the crescent-shaped Ikkaku sinking deep into the ground. He sat on the sharp blade, his head bowed, his fingers touching the ground.
Takehiko Tsunayashiro was satisfied with his docile attitude and turned to leave.
Nnoitra appeared to be sitting there in a daze, but he was actually conducting reconnaissance.
Unlike the other Espada, his method of detecting Reiatsu is quite unique. He uses his fingers to touch the ground to detect the surrounding Reiatsu, which can reach a range of thousands of miles.
One, two...
There wasn't anything particularly powerful about him, Nnoitra thought, almost dozing off, when suddenly, an extremely powerful Reiatsu emanated from the ground.
His right eye suddenly widened, and his hand, which was pressed against the ground, clenched shut and lifted up, as floor debris slid from his fingertips onto the scratches.
This reaction occurred a thousand miles to the east.
Thick clouds rolled in the mountains, and the setting sun turned large swathes of clouds red.
Retsu Unohana landed on a branch, her long black hair cascading over her shoulders, and she looked around.
Lush forests rise along the mountainside, disappearing into the fiery clouds and mist; the air is fresh, and the scene is as beautiful as a fairyland.
"Isn't this mountain too big?"
The Shiraishi landed on a nearby tree. Looking up, the mountain was at least three thousand meters high, its summit obscured by fiery clouds, and its area was probably no less than one thousand square kilometers.
Retsu Unohana her head and said with a smile, "I believe that with your participation, we can definitely speed up our search for the Dragon Lantern Fungus."
Shiraishi pursed his lips, looking at her "I believe you" expression, and seriously suspected that he had been tricked into coming here to be a laborer.
He carried the basket of herbs the whole way.
Men can handle physical labor without any problems; they're strong and healthy. They're just searching for Dragon Lantern Fungus the size of ping-pong balls within this small area.
To be honest, he really didn't have the patience. Before coming, he thought that the location of the medicinal herbs was known or that the mountain wasn't very big.
Who would have thought it was such a huge mountain?
"Actually, I think..." He wanted to express his refusal tactfully.
"If you find it, I can reward you with a kiss."
Retsu Unohana's eyes narrowed into crescent shapes as she offered an enticing offer.
Shiraishi stared at her lips, their sheen and softness. With a resolute and righteous air, he said, "Please give them to me. It's just Dragon Lantern Fungus, isn't it? By the way, do you keep your word?"
"I never lie," she replied with a smile.
Shiraishi had no intention of lingering any longer and said in a deep voice, "Then I'll start looking from this side."
Isane Kotetsu watched his figure disappear into the distance, she finally couldn't suppress her doubts and asked, " Unohana, why did you invite him to come along?"
Wouldn't it be better to have another person help?
Retsu Unohana answered the question with a rhetorical question, not intending to reveal her true thoughts. This Third Seat is not good at lying, and if she knew the truth, she would easily give herself away, making the atmosphere awkward.
After all, she didn't doubt Shiraishi's character, but she was puzzled as to why she couldn't sense Shiraishi's Reiatsu.
Zanpakuto determined that the Retsu Unohana's ability was a lie through physical contact.
During that intimate conversation at the hot spring, Shiraishi was spouting nonsense; eight out of ten of his sentences were either lies or boasts.
Truly reliable information is extremely rare.
She increasingly felt that Shiraishi and Shunsui were similar, both being glib talkers who understood things better than anyone else.
There are also differences. Shunsui is just talking nonsense, but this guy actually has the guts to lust after her body.
There's no need to propose to him then.
Isane Kotetsu revealed what she truly cared about, believing that the price she paid far exceeded the value of Dragon Lantern Fungus.
"This condition will also be useful to you. If you can find it, I will reward you handsomely."
"I... I don't need it." "Serving Unohana is my job." "I don't really care about kisses, but getting one is better than getting one from Shiraishi..."
Isane Kotetsu muttered a whole bunch of things, until she even believed them herself, and started working with great enthusiasm, determined to protect the captain's kiss.
Retsu Unohana chuckled softly. She didn't specify where she wanted to kiss; kissing the back of the hand was also a kiss.
Seeing how cute Isane, he kissed her cheek as a reward.
However, with her extensive experience in herbal medicine, she knows the habits of the Dragon Lantern Fungus and is more likely to find it first than the other two, making the chances of receiving the reward very small.
Unless someone has an incredible stroke of luck.
Shiraishi was clearly not so lucky; he got lost.
Dusk was alright, but the forest was truly dark at night, and the occasional moonlight filtering through the leaves was far from enough to provide illumination.
Walking through the woods, I had absolutely no sense of direction.
He was clearly walking forward, but then he would circle back to where he started, and leaving a mark was useless.
Continuing the search would be a waste of time, but giving up seems like a bad idea.
That was Retsu Unohana's kiss; no matter where it was, it was his first experience.
Having lived this long, he has never truly tasted the flavor of a woman's mouth in any part of his body.
It's all his fault for being such a good young man, responding to the call to stay away from the three evils, always using his own hands and never asking others for help, which resulted in him having many first-time experiences with the opposite sex.
He wants to experience it!
Enraged, Shiraishi punched a tree in half, then leaped onto another. Given the harsh environment, he had no choice but to find a place to rest or continue his search in a place with ample moonlight.
The latter is unlikely; the forest is too dense, and he was leaping from tree to tree, constantly climbing upwards.
Before long, he came into view a small open space with a tent pitched and a campfire burning.
Someone is grilling meat.
He stared intently, his face filled with astonishment, and exclaimed, " Kūkaku? What are you doing here?"