"There's nothing I can do about it. I'm too weak—I don't have the kind of power you guys do."
Masatsuki Aozaki looked down at his bandaged hands, his voice filled with frustration.
"If it were you facing Rentaro, you'd defeat him easily… just like when you saved Sōjun-sensei last time."
"I'm sorry," Yoruichi Shihōin whispered.
Hearing his words, she suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her.
Her gaze fell on his hands, wrapped tightly in bandages, and her eyes reddened. Unable to hold back, she gently pulled Masatsuki Aozaki into an embrace.
If only she had taken him with her to Shin'ō Academy back then, maybe he wouldn't have ended up in this kind of danger.
If she really thought about it, when did his conflict with the Tsunayashiro Clan begin?
It must have started after he saved Sōjun Kuchiki.
If he hadn't rushed onto the battlefield for her sake back then, he wouldn't be in this situation now. He wouldn't have to live every day under constant threat.
She was the one who dragged him into this storm… and in the end, she failed to protect him.
Yoruichi Shihōin's heart sank.
Masatsuki Aozaki let out a sigh of relief and smiled faintly. He reached up and gently stroked her back, his voice soft and reassuring.
"Come on, it's not a big deal. Look, I'm still here, aren't I?"
"If you think about it differently, I defeated a Captain-level rebel and got promoted to nobility."
"That's a win. We should be celebrating."
Their positions shifted almost instantly.
Just moments ago, Yoruichi had been fuming with anger—now, she was nestled comfortably in Masatsuki Aozaki's arms, looking unexpectedly docile.
Retsu Unohana watched the scene unfold, her expression turning somewhat strange.
She felt like she was struggling to keep up with the times.
She simply couldn't understand the way these young people thought.
But more importantly, she was starting to realize something about herself…
That brief clash with Yoruichi earlier—why had she reacted that way? That wasn't like her at all.
...
"Oh, right," Yoruichi suddenly said, abruptly pulling away from Masatsuki Aozaki's embrace. She placed her hands firmly on his shoulders.
"What is it?" Masatsuki Aozaki flinched at her sudden shift in energy.
Wait… she didn't realize I was faking the whole 'pitiful act' for sympathy just now, did she?
"I went to see Kisuke yesterday," Yoruichi said seriously. "I asked him about the hot spring's construction progress."
Masatsuki Aozaki let out a quiet sigh of relief.
So she didn't notice…
But then, his eyes immediately lit up.
A hot spring!
He had been waiting for this for so long.
If the hot spring was completed, he could push himself even harder during training without worrying about injuries.
He could fight without holding back—something that would undoubtedly help his growth.
"So? Has Kisuke finished it?" Masatsuki Aozaki asked eagerly.
Yoruichi finally relaxed, a smile spreading across her face.
"It's basically done. It should be ready for use by next week."
Masatsuki Aozaki rubbed his bandaged hand against his chin, sighing.
"Next week, huh? That means I still have to wait a whole week before I can use it."
"There's no need to be so impatient. The hot spring isn't going anywhere," Yoruichi huffed, pouting slightly.
This guy's enthusiasm for the hot spring was clearly greater than any interest he had in her.
"You know I'm not the type to sit still. Being stuck like this is driving me crazy," Masatsuki Aozaki muttered, attempting to scratch his head—only to fail because of his bandaged hands.
Yoruichi fell silent.
She understood exactly how he felt.
Because they were the same.
If they weren't, they never would have earned the nickname "Black and White Twin Devils."
They were Seireitei's most infamous troublemaking duo.
"Masatsuki, you want to heal your injuries as soon as possible, right? Would you mind using some special methods?"
Retsu Unohana, who had been silent for a while, suddenly spoke up as she idly played with the braid resting on her chest.
"What kind of methods?" The two asked in unison, their curiosity piqued.
Unohana smiled gently.
"Now that I think about it, I've never shown you my Shikai, have I? Actually, my Shikai has the ability to rapidly heal wounds."
Masatsuki Aozaki smacked his forehead, realizing how foolish he had been.
After spending so much time with Unohana and always seeing her use healing techniques, he had completely forgotten that her Zanpakutō, Minazuki, had a natural healing ability.
"Then let's get started," Masatsuki said without hesitation.
As long as it could heal him, getting swallowed by some strange creature didn't seem like that big of a deal.
Yoruichi Shihōin was momentarily stunned by his nonchalance, then shot him a sharp glare.
You're seriously trusting her Zanpakutō to heal you just like that?
"This room is too small," Unohana shook her head. "My Zanpakutō takes up a lot of space when released. Let's find an open area."
"No problem, let's head out now," Masatsuki agreed without hesitation.
Yoruichi, still glaring at him, finally sighed.
"Fine. Let's go."
...
From the ward to the garden, the scene was filled with the bustling members of the 4th Division tending to injured Shinigami from various squads.
The 4th Division's hospital was packed.
Seinosuke Yamada and Isane Kotetsu, who were usually only responsible for management, were now personally treating the wounded, drenched in sweat from the overwhelming workload.
Amid the chaos, the occasional exchange of sharp words between Yamada and the other squad members could be heard—accompanied by Kotetsu's hurried apologies trying to smooth things over.
Unohana gave a small wave, and both Masatsuki and Yoruichi quickly approached her.
"Here?"
"This spot will do. The garden is big enough. Step back—I'm going to release my Zanpakutō," Unohana instructed.
Masatsuki and Yoruichi retreated to a safe distance.
As soon as they stopped moving, Unohana glanced at them before drawing the curved blade from her waist.
The moment she softly called out Minazuki's name, the blade rapidly transformed.
In an instant, a massive, green, one-eyed manta ray materialized, floating in midair.
Masatsuki Aozaki observed the enormous creature with great interest.
Since arriving in this world, this was the first time he had seen a living, creature-type Zanpakutō in its released state.
On the way here, Unohana had explained how Minazuki's healing ability worked.
Now, as he stood before the large ray, which had opened its mouth wide, Masatsuki didn't hesitate.
He swiftly removed his bandages and shrugged off the top half of his uniform.
Then, with a powerful leap, he propelled himself into the creature's mouth—striking a dramatic flying kick pose as he did so.
The moment he entered, he felt himself enveloped in something soft and slick, a strangely soothing sensation.
What a shame there wasn't a bamboo pole or something similar nearby—otherwise, he would've loved to reenact that classic scene from The Lost World: Jurassic Park, where the hero pole-vaulted himself straight into a dinosaur's mouth.
...
The injured Shinigami standing around exchanged bewildered glances, all equally dumbfounded.
Most of them had never seen Unohana's Shikai before, nor did they know what it actually did.
From their perspective, all they saw was a madman voluntarily diving into the mouth of a giant manta ray—who, for all they knew, was about to get digested and reappear in some horrific new form.
Only two people remained unfazed: Retsu Unohana and Yoruichi Shihōin.
Unohana sat calmly atop Minazuki's back, gently stroking the creature with a serene smile.
Time passed.
No one knew exactly how long.
Then, at last, Minazuki opened its mouth once again.
Driven by curiosity, the onlookers turned to look—and collectively gasped.
A dark-haired man suddenly emerged, leaping out of Minazuki's mouth.
He spun a full 720 degrees in midair before landing smoothly on the ground.
Then, as if finishing a grand performance, Masatsuki Aozaki stood upright, bowed gracefully, and gave a polite thank-you—just like a gymnast concluding a flawless routine.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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