After returning to the Seireitei, Soifon found Rukia and Momo Hinamori sitting side-by-side on a stone bench by the pond. Both rested their chins in their hands, staring at the koi swimming beneath the water's surface, looking weighed down by worry.
"What are you dazing off for here?"
Soifon walked up behind them.
The two flinched simultaneously, as if startled.
They turned their heads, exchanged a sneaky look, then tacitly slumped their shoulders, putting on melancholic expressions.
"Teacher Soifon..." Momo Hinamori spoke first, dragging out her voice. "Tobiume said that the Hollows we've been cutting these past few years are too weak. It's boring. It wants to go cut a Menos Grande."
She lowered her head and tapped her fingers together, secretly observing Soifon's expression out of the corner of her eye. "Otherwise, it won't tell me the name of its Bankai in the future..."
Beside her, Rukia immediately raised her hand, adding with a serious face, "My Sode no Shirayuki said the same thing!"
Soifon's eyebrows raised slightly.
A Zanpakutō has such bloodthirsty demands? Why had she never heard of this?
Suzumebachi, do you?
Soifon raised her hand to touch the sheath at her waist, but Suzumebachi did not pay her any attention.
It seemed these two students were acting spoiled with her.
Thinking of this, Soifon's palms rested on the heads of the two little ones and rubbed them. "Apologies. Teacher has been too busy during this period. Shall I accompany you for training today?"
Momo Hinamori and Rukia looked at each other, pouted, and pushed Soifon's hands away.
"Teacher Soifon, if you keep patting our heads, we won't grow tall..."
"Exactly. We aren't children anymore. Teacher Soifon shouldn't always treat us like children."
Yes, after this period of reflection and summary, Momo Hinamori and Rukia had finally discovered a blind spot: Soifon was still viewing them as students who needed looking after!
They were completely not on the same competitive line as Vice-Captain Rangiku. How could they compare?!
Although, in terms of physique, compared to Rangiku Matsumoto, they were indeed children.
"..." Soifon's hands hung in mid-air, and she lowered them helplessly. "The fact that you can say such things shows that you are essentially still very childish..."
Lies do not hurt; the truth is the sharpest blade.
Just then, Marechiyo Ōmaeda ran hurriedly into the courtyard. "Captain! Captain Zaraki of the Eleventh Division is waiting for you at the gate!"
Come to think of it, Ōmaeda had previously clamored about going to find Zaraki Kenpachi to reason with him. It seemed he had forgotten about that matter.
Zaraki Kenpachi is looking for me?
This was something Soifon hadn't expected. Ever since she brought Zaraki Kenpachi back from Rukongai, the two had almost no interaction.
"Alright, Teacher is going out for a bit. Don't be sad yet."
Leaving a sentence for her two students, Soifon's figure flashed and arrived in front of the Second Division gate.
"Little Bee! Little Bee!"
The moment she saw Soifon, Yachiru, sitting on Zaraki Kenpachi's shoulder, waved at her in greeting.
"President Yachiru, long time no see."
"Hehe, didn't we see each other at the flower arrangement competition last time~"
Soifon and Yachiru Kusajishi chatted sentence by sentence, leaving the sword-carrying Zaraki Kenpachi out in the cold.
After a while, Zaraki Kenpachi finally glanced at the pink-hair on his shoulder. "You guys are about done chatting, right?"
"Oh right, almost forgot!" Yachiru clapped her hands. "Ken-chan came to find you for a fight!"
Finally reaching the topic he liked, the corners of Zaraki Kenpachi's mouth grinned into a smile, and his hand gripping the hilt tightened.
"That day at the Tsunayashiro clan, I saw you make a move, Soifon."
"Over these years... you've become stronger again, right?"
Currently, Zaraki Kenpachi wore the eyepatch that suppressed Spiritual Pressure, and his violent aura had been restrained quite a bit during these peaceful times.
As one of the few people in the Gotei 13 who had fought Zaraki Kenpachi, Soifon was also an object of interest for him, and she had caught his attention again that night.
Perhaps it was because deep within both of their bodies, a certain 'Combat Instinct' lay dormant, making Zaraki Kenpachi so persistent.
"Captain Zaraki." Soifon's voice held no fluctuations as she looked up at the towering figure before her. "You might as well speak plainly."
"Heh—"
"Let's have a fight, Soifon."
Zaraki Kenpachi just liked such straightforward people. He swung his chipped Zanpakutō and slashed it toward the ground. The sharp blade wind cut a long, narrow ditch in front of the Second Division gate.
"Remember to pay for the floor tile you damaged, Captain Zaraki."
Soifon did not plan to refuse Zaraki Kenpachi's challenge. Using this battle to expose her 'current strength' to the outside world was also a good choice.
Hearing this, the arc of Zaraki Kenpachi's grin widened. "So, you agree?"
...
"Bad news! Captain Unohana!"
"Captain Zaraki and Captain Soifon... have started fighting!"
Isane Kotetsu ran hurriedly into the herb-planting garden, shouting at Unohana who was watering the flowers.
The watering can in Unohana Retsu's hand paused in mid-air.
Water poured out uncontrollably, wetting the carefully tended medicinal herbs beneath her feet and splashing the hem of her Captain's Haori.
A moment later, after suppressing the excitement in her eyes, Unohana recovered her usual gentleness and looked up at Isane Kotetsu. "This is indeed a major event. We must rush to the scene immediately..."
Placing her palm over her chest, she could feel it... that heart was beating violently again.
At this moment, in the wasteland near Sōkyoku Hill.
Dust billowed, and the roar of clashing Spiritual Pressure was unceasing. Zaraki Kenpachi laughed wildly as he swung the chipped Asauchi in his hand, hacking at Soifon.
Soifon dodged and occasionally parried a strike; sparks flew whenever their Zanpakutō collided.
She occasionally erupted with Spiritual Pressure approaching the 2nd Spiritual Rank, which had already attracted quite a few Captains in a short time.
"Oh my? They're fighting again? This time it's with Captain Zaraki."
Gin Ichimaru tucked his hands in his sleeves. He didn't understand the point of Soifon and Zaraki Kenpachi suppressing their strength to play house.
"Slaughter between colleagues should stop."
The tall Sajin Komamura stood out from the crowd, his buzzing voice coming from within his helmet.
"Tenken!"
Sajin Komamura released Tenken, and the massive blade slashed down between Zaraki Kenpachi and Soifon.
—Clang!
Sparks fell like rain. The blade of Tenken was blocked by the two of them simultaneously, then violently pushed aside.
Unable to withstand the combined force of the two Captains, Sajin Komamura's tall body uncontrollably fell backward.
Breaking up the fight: Failed.
In that instant, Soifon's figure disappeared without warning.
Zaraki Kenpachi's wild smile froze for a moment. His beast-like intuition made him instinctively want to turn around, but his body's speed couldn't keep up with his consciousness.
pfft—
A blood arrow shot out from the junction of Zaraki Kenpachi's left shoulder and neck, drawing a bright red line of blood in the air.
"Senka..."
Byakuya Kuchiki's pupils contracted. Just now, he had almost failed to capture Soifon's speed.
He had clearly been training hard, so why hadn't the gap narrowed at all?
If it were me...
Could I dodge it?
Could I react?
The Captains present silently asked themselves this question in their hearts.
Zaraki Kenpachi slowly turned around.
He didn't cover the wound on his shoulder, allowing the fresh blood to dye his snow-white Captain's Haori red, revealing an even more twisted, excited smile.
"Heh..." He licked the corner of his mouth, his voice hoarse. "That's what I'm talking about, Soifon."
Flicking the blood off her Zanpakutō, Soifon looked rather lacking in interest. "You've actually gotten quite a bit weaker, Zaraki Kenpachi."
____
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