Kenpachi Zaraki seemed to know that he had a bit of a bad sense of direction, so he didn't refuse.
The two of them set off together toward the Great Underground Prison of the Shin'ō Academy.
Meanwhile, Yachiru Kusajishi stood at the gate of the 11th Division, watching their departing figures, a faint smile appearing on her face.
If things continued like this, maybe she really could return to the place she truly belonged.
At that moment, Ikkaku turned to Yumichika and asked, "Yumichika, last time their fight lasted for a whole month. How long do you think it'll last this time?"
"That time it only ended because the captain exhausted himself. Since then, the captain seems to have grown much stronger, so this time it should last even longer," Yumichika replied after thinking for a while.
"That's what I figured too." Ikkaku then glanced around at the nearby Shinigami, suddenly scowling ferociously."What are you all staring at? Get back to your duties! This month we should be prepared to go without the captain's support!"
"Yes, sir!"
The surrounding Shinigami immediately shouted in unison.
As for who would win this fight, no one brought it up, it was already obvious. Their captain had never once beaten Vice-Captain Natsuro in battle.
That was something utterly unthinkable in the past.
Before, the 11th Division had believed that aside from the Head Captain, no one in the Gotei 13 could be a match for their captain. Some even believed that Zaraki could one day defeat Yamamoto himself.
But ever since Kenpachi had lost to Natsuro in a head-on fight, that blind faith had finally been broken.
And just as they had guessed, half a month later, there was still no sign of Natsuro and Kenpachi returning.
"Hey, Renji, want to bet on when the captain will come back?" Ikkaku asked, resting his sword on his shoulder.
"No," Renji rejected flatly.
"Boring. The captain's lasting longer and longer. Maybe next time he'll finally defeat Natsuro," Ikkaku said with confidence in his captain.
Kenpachi Zaraki would never be content with losing. He would definitely keep growing stronger until he defeated Natsuro.
Just like now, Kenpachi had clearly become stronger again.
"Don't be so sure… You don't realize just how deeply that guy Natsuro is hiding his strength. Maybe this time it looks like the captain has a chance, but next time it'll be despair all over again…" Renji said, recalling his own encounters with Natsuro.
"That can't be… right?" Ikkaku didn't exactly doubt Renji's words, but Natsuro's revealed strength was already overwhelming. Could he still be hiding more?
"Who knows? All I can say is, every time I think I've seen the limit of his strength, he shatters my expectations again."
Renji sighed helplessly. First becoming a vice-captain, then defeating the strongest captain—who could compete with that?
He once had the goal of surpassing Natsuro. But now, he figured he should first aim to become a vice-captain, then maybe surpass Captain Byakuya Kuchiki of the 6th Division. Only after that could he even think about Natsuro.
But considering his current strength, and the fact he still hadn't mastered Bankai… it felt hopeless.
Without Natsuro as a comparison, Renji's strength would be among the very best of his class.
But with Natsuro there, Renji felt utterly inadequate.
Natsuro was so overwhelmingly strong, Renji couldn't imagine that he hadn't mastered Bankai already…
"Why is the gap between people so huge…" Renji lamented.
Ikkaku, hearing this, remembered that Renji was from the same generation as Natsuro, and tried to comfort him."I think it's better not to think of Natsuro as part of your generation. Since ancient times, there's never been anyone that monstrous. If you keep comparing yourself to him, you'll only crush your own confidence."
"I know, but… not only is he from my year, he used to live right next door to me. It's impossible to ignore him," Renji said with a bitter smile.
Ikkaku gave him a sympathetic pat on the shoulder.
He had thought Renji was a lot like him, since Ikkaku's goal was to one day defeat Kenpachi Zaraki.
But looking at it now, Renji's goal of surpassing Natsuro was clearly even more difficult.
Still, Ikkaku knew Renji's personality wouldn't allow him to lose heart so easily. That was exactly why he valued Renji.
"Do your best," Ikkaku said.
"Yeah. So, Ikkaku, come with me to the training grounds, teach me Bankai!" Renji suddenly fixed his gaze on Ikkaku.
Ikkaku froze for a moment. So that's what Renji had been waiting for. He couldn't help but feel a bit helpless, he should never have revealed his Bankai in the first place. Yumichika had found out, and though he only told Renji, even that was enough…
Renji alone was already hard enough to deal with.
Still, after comforting him so much earlier, Ikkaku couldn't just refuse outright now.
"Fine. But make sure you find a place with no one around."
"Got it!" Renji's face lit up with joy.
Ikkaku had already explained why he didn't want his Bankai revealed.
If word got out, he might be forcibly transferred to another division as a vice-captain or even captain.
But Ikkaku had joined the Gotei 13 solely to follow Kenpachi Zaraki, and to one day fight him.
Being transferred elsewhere was unacceptable. That was why he kept his Bankai secret.
Unless it was a one-on-one battle with no witnesses, Ikkaku would only use Bankai then, and would fight to the death to ensure the enemy couldn't expose his secret.
So Renji had already prepared a training ground, one he had scouted carefully to ensure nobody would ever show up there.
But when the two of them returned from training, they found…
"The captain and Vice-Captain Natsuro still aren't back?!" Ikkaku asked in shock, looking at Yumichika.
"Not yet," Yumichika confirmed.
"They really still haven't finished…" Ikkaku and Renji exchanged glances. Their training had taken several days.
That meant Kenpachi and Natsuro's fight had already lasted over twenty days. And this wasn't training—it was a real battle. Could they really keep going that long?
"These two monsters…"
If it were anyone else, even if they fought without restraint, they couldn't possibly last this long.
From what Ikkaku knew of Kenpachi, there was no such thing as a break mid-fight. It would be nonstop combat from the very start until the very end.
That was terrifying.
"Maybe this time the captain will finally win," Ikkaku said.
Renji didn't deny it. Clearly, he too was shaken.
The two of them exchanged glances but said nothing more, choosing instead to wait another day or two.
During this time, they often lingered at the 11th Division's gate, wanting to be the first to see Kenpachi and Natsuro return.
And then, on the second day, they saw it...
Natsuro once again dragging their captain's battered body back.
"They still lost, huh," Ikkaku, Renji, and Yumichika sighed together.
But this time, when Natsuro came closer, they saw that he bore far more wounds than the last time. His shihakushō was slashed open in many places.
Of course, Zaraki Kenpachi was in even worse shape, his uniform had become nothing but strips of cloth, not a single part of it intact.
"Why are you all standing at the gate?" Natsuro asked, surprised to see them waiting outside the 11th Division.
"Worried about your captain?" he asked, handing over the half-ruined Kenpachi to Ikkaku.
"Not really. We just figured your fight should be ending about now, so we waited here," Ikkaku said as he caught the limp, ragged figure of his captain.
"I see. Well then, take Kenpachi to rest. I'll head back as well." Natsuro stretched lazily, smiling as though he didn't care about his injuries at all.
"Natsuro, do you want to recover at the 11th Division first?" Renji asked.
"No need. These wounds will be completely healed within a day," Natsuro replied, glancing at his own cuts. There were many, but they were mostly shallow, easy to recover from.
"I see… all right then." Renji nodded, though inwardly he was shaken by Natsuro's recovery ability.
If those injuries were his, he would have already collapsed. To heal completely, he would need a month or more. But Natsuro only needed a single day. His body was no less monstrous than their own captain's.
Renji looked over at Kenpachi. His wounds were even worse. But then again, the last time Kenpachi had been in about the same condition, and within a few days he was back on his feet, full of energy.
Truly, they were both monsters. Only these two could fight without pause for so many days straight.
"Little Natsuro!" Suddenly, Yachiru appeared out of nowhere, leaping onto Renji's shoulder and waving at Natsuro.
"Hm?" Natsuro frowned slightly, not even sure how Yachiru had suddenly appeared.
Smiling brightly, Yachiru said to him, "Thank you for helping Kenny."
At her words, Ikkaku and the others all looked puzzled.
Natsuro helping Kenpachi?
Hadn't the two simply been satisfying each other's battle lust? To them, it seemed like mutual benefit, so why did Yachiru phrase it as if Natsuro was the one helping Kenpachi?
Natsuro, however, stared deeply at Yachiru. That tiny body, that innocent face. How could she be so close to Zaraki Kenpachi, and even serve as the 11th Division's vice-captain?
And with a name like Yachiru… maybe it wasn't just something random after all.
"You're welcome," Natsuro replied.
Then he left, though in his mind he was already forming suspicions about Yachiru's true nature.
Especially after meeting Starrk, whose Zanpakutō could manifest into a living being, Yachiru's existence seemed even stranger…
But he didn't dwell on it. Looking at his own battered figure, he allowed himself a satisfied smile.
He was quite pleased with the results of this battle.
The fight had lasted longer than the previous one because Kenpachi had grown much stronger. He was struck fewer times by his blade, meaning he didn't have to waste as much stamina healing himself.
In other words, Kenpachi had effectively increased his endurance.
Judging by his injuries, it was clear this victory hadn't been as easy as before. Not impossibly hard, but not effortless either.
If Kenpachi wanted to actually defeat him, he still had a long way to go.
And this outcome didn't mean Natsuro's growth was slower than Kenpachi's, because the two couldn't truly be compared.
He had deliberately limited himself, stripping away many of his abilities and fighting Kenpachi in the most primal way. That naturally put him at a disadvantage.
But this was his own choice, and by doing so, his own growth had also been significant.
Still, looking at his heavier wounds compared to last time, didn't that prove Kenpachi had progressed even more?
To outsiders who didn't understand Kenpachi, it might look that way. They might even think that a few more fights would let Kenpachi surpass Natsuro.
But in reality, that wasn't the case. Kenpachi wasn't so much progressing as he was recovering the strength that had always been his.
This was power he was meant to wield from the beginning.
Meanwhile, his growth was in raising his ceiling higher and higher. It was natural he couldn't keep pace with the speed of Kenpachi regaining his former strength.
If he could, then Kenpachi wouldn't be worth Natsuro's expectations.
By the end of the battle, Kenpachi's entire body glowed with a blood-red aura, his figure more like a demon than a man, and it even seemed as if horns were about to sprout from his head.
"I hope your limit isn't just this much," Natsuro murmured.
Near the end, Kenpachi's growth had already begun to slow.
But Natsuro had yet to reach his own limits. He hoped Kenpachi's ceiling was much higher, so that he could continue to serve as a worthy sparring partner.
At this rate, perhaps the next battle would see Kenpachi completely restore his true strength.
At that point, all that would be needed was for him to face Unohana. If Kenpachi could defeat her in battle,
Then the thousand-year-old knot in her heart could finally be undone.
And that suicidal thought she held, of sacrificing her life just to restore Kenpachi's strength, would no longer be necessary.
"It should be soon," Natsuro thought with satisfaction as he walked back toward his quarters.
He needed to sort through everything he had gained from these twenty-plus days of relentless, high-intensity combat.
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Currently on Chapter 498 - Evolution