Unohana did not refuse my suggestion to learn Kaido.
Since we had decided on a course of action, there was no reason to hesitate or dawdle.
"We're going straight to the Soul King Palace."
"Pardon?"
"There's a fellow up there who's fit to teach Kaido. Honestly, I'd like to just tell him to come down here himself, but given the nature of his job, he can't exactly leave whenever he feels like it."
"M-Master… by any chance, the instructor you're referring to… is it Tenjiro Kirinji? The 'Demon of the Hot Springs,' the 'Thunder God' Tenjiro?"
"I don't know about all those titles like 'Hot Spring Demon' or 'Thunder God,' but Tenjiro Kirinji is the one. By the way, since when did that brat start using such flashy nicknames? God of Thunder… hah."
Maybe I should attach the word 'God' to my name and come up with an alias too. The Nether God?
…Actually, let's not.
As I entertained those thoughts, Unohana covered her mouth with one hand, her eyes darting around anxiously.
"What is it?"
"Ah… no, it's just…"
Usually, Unohana would answer my questions immediately, but she was hesitating strangely at this one.
"What, are you two acquainted?"
"Mm…"
I asked, though it was mostly a joke.
After all, Tenjiro joined Squad 0 and ascended to the Soul King Palace long before Unohana was even born.
Unless something truly catastrophic happened that required him to descend, there was no reason for him to have ever crossed paths with her.
Wait. If I recall from the original story, she did learn Kaido from Tenjiro, so they must have met at least once.
But seeing her awkward reaction now, the first encounter clearly wasn't on good terms. And considering their relationship wasn't exactly warm in the original canon…
"Did you commit some kind of sin against Tenjiro?"
"…Yes."
"Yeah, your reaction told me as much. What exactly did you do to make you this reluctant?"
Since Unohana still couldn't find the words, I sat down and waited quietly, signaling that she could take her time.
After about three minutes of agonizing thought, Unohana cautiously began her story.
"It happened during the time before I met you, Master—when I was wandering in search of the strong. It started with an alias I heard while traveling through the East Rukongai, a place once known as Hell."
"East Rukongai being called Hell? That was tens of thousands of years ago. Is that name still around?"
"Mount Osore has the bridge to Hell, the Sanzu River, and the Blood Pond, so it is still called Hell. The difference from the past is that now, people no longer feel much dread when they hear that word."
Well, the atmosphere started changing back when he was staying there and enjoying the hot springs.
If I went there now, would it be a full-blown tourist attraction? No, life's a bit too harsh for that to be likely.
"Sorry for interrupting. Continue."
"Yes. I believed that if a place was called Hell, there must surely be a warrior worthy of the name. Back then, I searched East Rukongai until I heard of someone titled the 'Combat Demon.' I tracked them down, and at the end of my search, I found… a clinic named Kirinden."
As she spoke, Unohana looked down at her hands, clenching and unclenching them as if retracing a memory.
Even though she hadn't reached the end of the story, I could vaguely guess what happened.
"Driven by my bloodlust at the time, I thought that if I slaughtered everyone there, the 'Combat Demon' who built the place would be forced to fight me. I killed everyone in that clinic. Only later did I realize that the creator's title was not the 'Combat Demon' (Sentonki), but the 'Demon of the Hot Springs' (Sentonki). I left the scene immediately. I committed an unforgivable act."
"So, did you fight Tenjiro?"
"…No, he did not appear. However, with what face can I ask him to teach me Kaido? Even if I were to commit seppuku to atone, it would not be enough. He will never forgive me."
"You're right."
As I nodded, Unohana gave a bitter smile and hung her head.
Then, I gave the back of her head a sharp smack.
"Kyah?! M-Master…!?"
"You're right about being shameful. That's true. But don't you dare presume to decide whether Tenjiro will forgive you or not."
"Would he… truly forgive me?"
"I wouldn't know. I'm not Tenjiro. But the choice of whether to forgive isn't yours—it belongs to him. Your job is to admit your fault and seek forgiveness, not to calculate whether you deserve to receive it."
If you've done wrong, first bow your head. Resolve the misunderstandings afterward.
Swallowing your pride is nothing. In the first place, pride itself is nothing, so why act like it's some grand sacrifice to bend it?
After giving Unohana—who was deeply mistaken about the situation—a light lecture, I reached out my hand.
"So, let's go and apologize first. If he tries to kill you, I'll stop him, so don't worry."
"…! Master, you don't need to carry the weight of my sins!"
"The moment I took you in as a disciple, I started carrying them anyway. A master is supposed to clean up after their student's messes. Now come along quietly to the Soul King Palace."
"…Yes."
She nodded, and I led her out into the dojo's courtyard.
"By the way…. Is there a way for us to reach the Soul King Palace?"
"There is."
They say there are only two ways to reach the Soul King Palace.
Either go up using the Ouken, or go with someone who already has it.
But there's a secret third method.
Simply trusting in your own sturdy body and smashing your way through with your head.
Of course, the Soul King Palace is higher than the clouds, protected by seventy-two barriers and hidden by that monk's Ichimonji so that ordinary people can't even see it. To my eyes, however, it was just 'somewhat far away.' I could see it perfectly well whenever I wanted to.
The real problem was those seventy-two barriers.
My body is indestructible, so it's nothing to me, but Unohana is another matter.
No matter how strong she is, her durability is still within the realm of mortal limits—perched right at the edge of that boundary.
With only that level of durability, if she were to hit the seventy-two barriers bare-bodied, she'd be turned into a bloody pulp before reaching halfway.
So should I give up?
No, I just need to be the shield that absorbs all the impact.
"Come closer."
"Pardon? Ah, yes."
"Closer."
"Pardon? …Yes."
"Stop inching forward. Get right in front of me."
As I spoke, I wrapped my arm around her waist and lifted her up.
Since I was much taller than her, once my arm was around her waist and I lifted, her feet left the ground.
Startled, Unohana tried to push me away, but no matter how much effort she put into it, I wouldn't budge.
"Hngh?! M-Master! Why would you suddenly do this after such a heavy conversation…!"
"Hey, don't push my face, you brat. Since when does a student go touching her master's face like that?"
"That… I believe this is a force majeure situation…"
"Force majeure my ass. Just stay still. We're going to the Soul King Palace now."
Stepping out of the dojo, I looked up at the sky and calculated the angle.
Two more steps to the right should do it.
"Hold on tight. If you let go, you might die. And don't open your eyes; they might pop out if you're not careful. Oh, and don't turn your head. You'll die instantly if your neck snaps."
Hearing my calm explanation, Unohana shuddered and quietly clung to my chest.
Her breasts, as large as watermelons, were pressed flat against my chest like pancakes.
"…Hey, are you not wearing underwear?"
The sensation was much stronger than expected, and a blunt, unfiltered comment slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it.
Fortunately—or unfortunately—Unohana didn't get angry. She just moved her mouth wordlessly for a moment before hanging her head in embarrassment.
"T-that… I couldn't find a size that fit my chest…. so I've only wrapped them in bandages."
I briefly considered holding her from behind instead, but that seemed like it would only emphasize her chest more, so I discarded the idea.
…Ah, hell with it. Let's just go up as fast as possible.
"Clench your teeth. If you bite your tongue by mistake, it'll be sliced right off."
Grit…
I channeled power into my legs and leapt straight toward the heavens.
"Uuugh…!!"
"Bear with it for a second. We're breaking through."
Luckily, Unohana's body wasn't entirely fragile. Since I took the brunt of the collision with the barriers, she was able to endure the aftershocks on her own.
After a brief ascent, we instantly smashed through the seventy-two barriers and landed on the Omotesando—the main entrance path—of the Soul King Palace.
As my feet hit the floor of the path, I released my arm from Unohana's waist.
The moment I let go, Unohana stumbled back and collapsed onto the floor.
"Gah…! Ugh, cough…!"
"You okay?"
"H-Hhh…"
She didn't even have the strength to reply, simply shaking her head weakly.
Maybe my method was a bit too barbaric…
While I was patting the back of the retching Unohana, I felt a familiar presence approaching us.
"I figured you'd be the first to show up."
"Ho, it's been a long time, Master. And… as for you, this is the first time we've met face-to-face like this. You crazy bitch."
"Haaa…. Whew…. It is an honor to finally meet you. Tenjiro Kirinji."
And so, the first meeting between the 'Hot Spring Demon' Tenjiro Kirinji and the 'Master of Eight Thousand Styles' Yachiru Unohana was finally realized.