The Unforgiven in Shinigami, Chapter 10: This is a Diverse Era. Just as Rukia has a mysterious faith in the Chappy Map, Orihime Inoue also has her own convictions: to relentlessly pursue diversity in cooking and never look back.
A single dish simply cannot satisfy her genius mind; she combines different foods to create entirely new ways to eat.
Delicious and fun.
Please don't be shy, everyone, please eat as much as you like.
Orihime Inoue spread her arms wide, her face radiant with holy light, yet she could not conceal the soup, a mixture of pitch black and pure white.
Shiraishi pondered for two seconds, then decided to set aside the food's appearance and delve deeper into its contents; perhaps it would taste delicious.
Anyway, it's impossible for someone to die from eating it.
He was the first to grab a piece of beef and buckwheat noodles, slurped it down, and his eyes lit up instantly. "Oh, delicious! You really can't judge a book by its cover!"
"Hehe, you flatter me."
Orihime Inoue gave a shy smile.
Ichigo Kurosaki still didn't touch the kaiko. He knew this trick all too well: even if it tasted terrible, he would pretend it was delicious so that others would taste it too.
He won't fall for it.
Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto also tried it and nodded, saying, "It's really good."
If Shiraishi were suspected of that, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto wouldn't have resorted to such childish tricks.
Ichigo Kurosaki trusted this man's maturity and composure quite a bit. Looking down at Tang, he wondered if he really couldn't be judged by appearances.
With a "let's give it a try or we'll die" attitude, he lowered his head and took a bite.
His face instantly turned black.
Sweet, spicy, sour, and salty flavors were all added in excessive amounts and mixed together, creating a taste so bad it would make your tongue want to curse.
It tastes absolutely awful.
Ichigo Kurosaki's hands trembled as he gripped the table, his mind racing, his eyes scanning the surface.
Orihime Inoue ate heartily, as did Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto and Shiraishi, who ate with gusto, their expressions suggesting they weren't joking.
What terrified Ichigo Kurosaki even more was that they really thought this stuff was delicious?
He looked at Rukia and saw her dark expression, and breathed a sigh of relief; she still had a normal stomach after all.
Rukia felt her tongue had been utterly destroyed by this taste.
She tilted her head back, took a deep breath, and realized that wasting food was a shameful act in this wilderness.
Even if it tastes bad, she had to finish it all in one go, so she buried her head and started eating voraciously.
" Rukia, you don't need to eat so fast, there's still some left in the pot."
"Pfft, cough cough."
Rukia the noodles she was eating back into the bowl, coughing loudly, tears streaming down her face. "No, no need, one bowl is enough for me."
"You don't need to be modest. I cooked a lot; I guarantee everyone will be full."
Orihime Inoue answered with a smile.
After slurping down a bowl, Shiraishi didn't find it unpalatable, because he had eaten too many tasteless Hollows in Hueco Mundo.
He found the combination of flavors incredibly satisfying; one bowl wasn't enough. "Another bowl, please!"
"Hi." Orihime Inoue was delighted. She took the bowl and helped serve the noodles.
Rukia, sweat beading on her forehead, said, " Captain Shiraishi, if you like it, eat some more."
Shiraishi scolded her, " Rukia, don't be a picky eater, that's why you haven't developed."
"..." Rukia looked down at herself, then at Orihime Inoue's chest, which was bulging like that of a fifteen-year-old girl.
Could it be because of eating this kind of food that makes your tongue numb?
Rukia thought for a moment, gritted her teeth, and decided to continue eating.
Ichigo Kurosaki, " Inoue, let's take turns cooking. We can't always trouble you."
Orihime Inoue didn't mind and smiled, "It's alright, I really enjoy cooking."
Shiraishi, too lazy to cook, scolded, " Ichigo, you need to focus on learning Bankai lately."
"..." Ichigo Kurosaki was speechless, and forced himself to eat the dinner.
Time flies, and it's already May 6th.
The sky was clear and cloudless.
Under the azure sky, a massive structure comprised of turrets and rooms roams the plain.
Ichigo Kurosaki got a break and sat on the balcony enjoying tea.
The tea was brewed by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto himself.
Ichigo Kurosaki blew on the tea, took a sip, and let the bitterness of the tea slowly spread in his mouth, followed by a faint fragrance.
"Tea is like life; you need to savor its flavor carefully. Bankai is not just about wielding a sword in battle; you also need to build a deeper connection with your Zanpakuto."
As he spoke, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto poured himself a cup of tea.
Ichigo Kurosaki asked in confusion, "But I never get a response when I call out to Zangetsu. Why is that?"
"You haven't learned the Shikai method for long enough; you need to calm down and not be impatient."
This was the only answer Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto could give.
Each person's Zanpakuto has a slightly different way of communicating, and forcibly instructing the other person on what to do next may do more harm than good.
It can only point out the general direction; the specific details depend on the individual's comprehension.
"Calm down," Ichigo Kurosaki murmured, confused. He was already in this state of mind; how could he not be calm?
Rebirth in the Great Era of Surfing Waves
He fell into deep thought.
High atop the watchtower, Shiraishi lowered his binoculars, looked down Chappy the map, and exclaimed in astonishment, "Really? This thing is a map?"
"I already told you, my map is accurate. Behind that small hill is a village with about a hundred people, and they are all very hospitable."
Rukia pointed and said with a hint of nostalgia, "There are forests and lakes behind the mountain. We'll hunt here today to replenish our food and water."
Beyond this point, the environment becomes quite harsh, and it's rare to encounter villages.
Shiraishi nodded and said, "I'll leave the hunting to you and Ichigo."
"Hmm." Rukia nodded. Such a small matter naturally didn't require the captain's intervention.
The house was moved to the other side of the mountain.
The breeze that came towards me carried the stench of blood.
Shiraishi made a Steel Tempest and left the watchtower. As he reached the dark cave entrance, the stench of blood grew stronger. The rock walls and ceiling were covered with human flesh and blood, and bright red blood dripped down.
A tall figure stood inside the cave; he was the only one who hadn't died.
Whoosh! Ichigo Kurosaki rushed to the side and saw the horrifying scene before him. His first reaction was Hollow, but he quickly dismissed the thought.
If it were empty, it wouldn't leave behind any remains; it should have been completely devoured.
There was no residual Reiatsu at the scene.
Did you do this?
Ichigo Kurosaki shouted something to the big guy inside.
The other person turned around and looked at the two people in the doorway. "Are you from this village?"
"I'm asking if you did it?"
Ichigo Kurosaki roared, gripping the hilt of his sword, his Reiatsu uncontrollably surging outwards.
This brutal massacre deeply touched his bottom line.
The big man shook his head and said, "When I got here, the man was already dead."
"The blood is still warm. The killer hasn't gone far; they should be in the forest."
Shiraishi had already located the culprit's location, but without reminding Ichigo Kurosaki, he pointed and said, " Ichigo, go search there."