"Yumichika, it's normal for a captain to have such overwhelming reiatsu. After all, Zaraki is the captain of the Eleventh Division, the combat division.
But… isn't the Fourth Division supposed to be a medical squad? Why does Captain Unohana have spiritual pressure this strong!?"
Right now, Zaraki Kenpachi was thrilled. He had only come here looking for a worthy opponent to cut down, but never imagined he'd get the chance to clash with the opponent he had dreamed of facing.
DING——————!
With their spiritual pressures released, the atmosphere already at its peak, Zaraki had no patience left for words. His straw sandal stomped into the ground, blasting a deep crater beneath his foot. The recoil launched his body forward like a thunderbolt.
In his hand was his weathered asauchi, its blade jagged from countless battles, and now he brought it down in a heavy, brutal strike toward Unohana Retsu.
At the very same instant, Unohana drew the zanpakutō at her waist and swung it horizontally to block.
The collision looked ordinary—a simple clash of blades. But from it erupted a violent gale, tearing apart the Fourth Division's recruitment station in an instant. The sheer impact cracked the ground beneath their feet, fissures spreading outward like waves.
Since they were fighting in the Shin'ō Academy's main arena, the commotion quickly drew the attention of bystanders.
Two captains fighting—such a sight was almost unheard of.
From the sidelines, Minami Yojuro watched the clash of the two "Kenpachis." Part of him was in awe of their overwhelming strength, while another part of him was secretly placing himself into the battle, simulating how he might fare if he stood in their place.
But the "Battle of the Kenpachis" couldn't last long. This was the Academy, after all, and neither Zaraki nor Unohana were suppressing their reiatsu in the slightest. Inevitably, the Second Division—responsible for reconnaissance—was drawn to the scene.
At this time, the captain of the Second Division was not Soi Fon, but the dark-skinned beauty Yoruichi.
When Unohana and Zaraki's reiatsu had first erupted in the Seireitei, she thought it meant enemies had invaded. She hadn't expected to find no intruders at all—only two captains of the Gotei 13 fighting each other.
"Lady Yoruichi," a young Soi Fon said anxiously, "Captain Zaraki of the Eleventh Division and Captain Unohana of the Fourth have clearly violated Seireitei regulations. Shouldn't we intervene?"
Back then, Soi Fon was already a member of the Second Division. As the heir of a family that had served the Shihōin clan for generations, she admired Yoruichi deeply—so much so that her admiration was beginning to turn into something more.
"Intervene?" Yoruichi raised a brow, her lips curving into a sly smile. "How could we possibly stop something this entertaining—
No, what I mean is, even among all the captains, Zaraki and Unohana are among the strongest. With my strength alone, I doubt I could stop them anyway."
Yoruichi, though the noble heiress of the Shihōin Clan—one of the four great noble families of Soul Society—had always carried herself with a carefree, playful air. She never acted high and mighty, loved to prank people, and loved even more to watch a good show.
Once she confirmed that there hadn't been an enemy invasion of the Seireitei, she couldn't wait to watch the spectacle of two Kenpachis fighting each other. Unfortunately, before rushing over, she had already reported the situation to the Head Captain, not knowing what was really happening.
Two captain-level reiatsu suddenly exploding within the Seireitei was bound to attract attention. So, not long after Yoruichi—swiftest of them all—arrived, Head Captain Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni came with the other division captains in tow.
"Enough! You are both captains of the Gotei 13, and this is the Shin'ō Academy where new Shinigami are trained! How disgraceful is it for you to act this way?"
Though Yamamoto was already an old man, his aura was still overwhelming. A single tap of his cane and a powerful pressure spread outward, instantly forcing Zaraki Kenpachi and Unohana Retsu to halt their battle.
When Unohana saw the Head Captain and the other captains arrive, she calmly sheathed her blade, folded her hands in front of her, and stood with the elegance of a gentle, refined lady—as though the battle-crazed warrior from moments ago had nothing to do with her.
On Zaraki's side, however, after glancing at Yamamoto and the gathered captains, his expression twisted into pure frustration. "Tch. I didn't expect the old buzzkill to show up so soon. Damn it, I wasn't even getting warmed up yet."
The cause of the fight wasn't complicated. Once the Head Captain learned that Zaraki and Unohana had started fighting over nothing more than a rookie fresh out of the Shin'ō Academy, both he and the other captains couldn't help but glance curiously at Minami Yojuro.
Of course, it was only a glance. To the Head Captain and the other captains, Yojuro was nothing more than a small fry.
There were thousands of Shinigami in the Seireitei. If not for this incident, none of them would have even bothered to remember the name of one rookie.
"Zaraki Kenpachi, Captain of the Eleventh Division: for intruding into the Fourth Division's recruitment grounds and deliberately provoking others, thereby disrupting Seireitei order, you are to be confined for three months.
Unohana Retsu, Captain of the Fourth Division: though forced into battle, your way of handling the matter was inappropriate. You are to spend three days in seclusion within your barracks for reflection."
After passing judgment on the two captains who had disturbed the order, Yamamoto's gaze shifted toward the unwitting victim of circumstance—Minami Yojuro.
Ever since discovering that he had transmigrated into the world of Bleach, Yojuro had resolved to stay low-key until he had absolute strength, keeping his head down and avoiding unnecessary attention.
Yet after this fiasco, he realized with despair that no matter how much he wanted to stay unnoticed, by tomorrow he was bound to be the talk of the entire Seireitei.
Two captains clashing over a single recruit, disregarding all rules of Soul Society?
Anyone who knew Zaraki and Unohana would understand that Yojuro was only a small part of the reason. The real cause was that two battle maniacs had met each other while itching for a fight.
If either of them had been replaced with another captain, the fight probably never would have happened at all.
"As for you… Kyōraku. From now on, he will be under the care of your Eighth Division."
After a brief, narrowed-eyed glance at Minami Yojuro, the Head Captain made his final decision.
Captain Kyōraku Shunsui—who had been chuckling the most at the spectacle a moment ago—froze instantly when he heard Yamamoto's words.
Captains were all cunning veterans; none of them were oblivious to what this meant. Everyone present knew that this Shinigami, Minami Yojuro, was a hot potato. Whoever got saddled with him was in for trouble.
Not because Yojuro himself was problematic, but because Unohana and Zaraki had fought fiercely over him. Bringing this recruit into one's division meant making enemies of not just one, but two troublesome battle maniacs.
°°°
A/N: Last chapter for today. Throw some stones to gain some more