"You stab yourself once, and we'll call this matter settled," Tsunayoshi said.
The atmosphere instantly turned cold again. Unohana Retsu and Zaraki Kenpachi both looked on as if watching a show, with no intention of intervening. As for the other Shinigami—most of whom couldn't even use Bankai—they weren't even qualified to speak up.
Renji hurried over and tried to smooth things over.
"Mr. Sawada, weren't you going to take me to Kurosaki Ichigo? Let's go now."
Tsunayoshi glanced down at Unohana Retsu and Zaraki Kenpachi, then at Renji. After a moment, he waved it off—he'd give some face to acquaintances from his memories.
"Sasakibe Chōjirō, after this incident, I'll personally pay a visit to Squad 1."
With that, Tsunayoshi turned and left with Renji.
His words made Sasakibe tremble with anger. Not only had he failed to fulfill Captain-Commander Yamamoto's orders, he was now going to bring him even more trouble. How could he possibly live up to the trust placed in him?
Driven by loyalty, Sasakibe instinctively stepped forward—but just as he moved, Unohana stopped him.
"Sasakibe, I advise you not to pick a fight with him. Sawada Tsunayoshi definitely has more up his sleeve. If he had gone all out from the start, I wouldn't have lasted even a single exchange against him."
She glanced at him and let out a faint, dismissive chuckle.
"As for you? Forget it."
"Captain Unohana, are you saying I'm not his match?" Sasakibe retorted stubbornly.
"You know your own strength best. That Bankai you've hidden for a thousand years—now that you've used it, it's nothing impressive," Unohana said calmly.
Though she hadn't drawn her blade for many years—suppressing her own bloodlust—she had continued honing Kidō, Shunpo, and other abilities to strengthen herself.
Sasakibe, however, was different. On the surface, he followed Yamamoto's path as the lieutenant of Squad 1, but over the past thousand years, he had rarely fought. In peace, he served Yamamoto; in conflict, he relayed Yamamoto's orders. The actual battles were carried out by the other captains.
His Bankai had remained at the level it was a millennium ago. His current strength was no more than that of an ordinary captain. With that level, how could he fight Tsunayoshi? Not to mention Unohana—even against Zaraki Kenpachi, who could erupt at any moment, victory wasn't guaranteed.
Sasakibe's face flushed red with anger, yet he couldn't refute a single word. The fact that he couldn't last even one exchange against Tsunayoshi spoke for itself.
"Everyone, disperse. The injured, return for treatment," Unohana instructed. "Oh, and Isane—have someone repair the courtyard. I'll cover the cost."
There weren't many poor members in Squad 4. Medical expertise was valuable anywhere, and as its captain, Unohana Retsu was far from lacking in funds.
Supported by Kotetsu Isane, Unohana returned to her room, where two people were already waiting.
"Ah, Unohana, are you okay?" A pink-haired girl bounced over and asked.
"Yachiru, is it? I'm sorry, I'm not in good condition right now. Could Isane treat Captain Zaraki instead?" Unohana replied gently, as if speaking to a child.
She had assumed Yachiru had brought Zaraki Kenpachi here for treatment—his hands had just been injured, after all.
"Ken-chan isn't here for treatment," Yachiru said. "He wants to ask you something."
"Captain Zaraki?" Unohana was surprised. Since when did he care about anything beyond fighting? "What is it?"
"That guy—Sawada Tsunayoshi. How strong is he, really? And he actually dares to challenge that old man Yamamoto?"
Zaraki paid no attention to his injuries. What mattered to him was whether Tsunayoshi's strength would affect his desire to challenge him.
"I don't know," Unohana replied. "But anyone who dares say they'll visit Squad 1 must have some understanding of the Captain-Commander."
None of the captains were fools. Though Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni hadn't fought in a long time, his mere presence could suppress all unrest. That alone was enough to suggest just how terrifying his power was.
Unsatisfied with the vague answer, Zaraki asked another question:
"Can I learn it? Swordsmanship."
"Oh? I didn't expect Captain Zaraki to take an interest in swordsmanship."
Unohana was slightly surprised. If he had asked this before encountering Tsunayoshi, she might have been pleased. But after that battle, her heart remained calm.
She quickly understood his motive.
"You want to improve your strength through swordsmanship?"
Zaraki said nothing, but she already had her answer.
"As long as the Captain-Commander approves, it's possible."
Zaraki Kenpachi was a special case. Even as a child, he had wounded Unohana Yachiru—back when she was the first Kenpachi.
But he loved battle too much. To prolong the joy of combat, he had gradually sealed his own power as he grew—his reiatsu-suppressing eyepatch being one example. He constantly handicapped himself to match his opponents, simply to savor the fight.
Now, however, he had met Tsunayoshi. To truly enjoy fighting him, he needed greater strength. From Unohana's battle, he had glimpsed a new path—swordsmanship.
Yet precisely because of his uniqueness, Zaraki required approval from the Seireitei to train in swordsmanship. No one could guarantee that once his restraints were lifted, he wouldn't become a mindless demon of slaughter.
After getting his answer, Zaraki clicked his tongue and left. No matter how he thought about it, Yamamoto would never approve. As long as Yamamoto remained in the Seireitei, he believed he alone could suppress all threats—there was no need for Zaraki to grow further.
"Ah… Sawada Tsunayoshi," Unohana murmured as she lay down. "Your presence is truly… captivating."
Squad 1 Headquarters
After hearing Sasakibe's report, Yamamoto showed no anger. Instead, his hand slowly stroked his staff.
It had been a long time since he'd heard such blatant provocation.
Faintly… he even felt a trace of anticipation.
Was Ryūjin Jakka—unused for so long—still as sharp as ever?
"Chōjirō, how long has it been since we sparred?" Yamamoto asked.
"Captain-Commander, since you permitted me to follow you, we have never crossed blades," Sasakibe replied respectfully.
"Has it been over a thousand years…?"
A hint of nostalgia appeared in Yamamoto's eyes. Then he said:
"Chōjirō, set aside some of your burdens. Delegate your duties."
"You mean…?"
"We'll spar sometime. Your Bankai has much room to grow."
Yamamoto was displeased. After activating Bankai, Sasakibe had still been easily subdued by Tsunayoshi. He hadn't expected that after all these years, Sasakibe's strength had stagnated—his focus entirely consumed by administrative duties.
"Thank you very much," Sasakibe said. His clash with Tsunayoshi had reignited his desire for strength. There was nothing more valuable than Yamamoto's personal guidance.
Shihōin Residence
Yoruichi and Tsunayoshi returned almost at the same time. Yoruichi had spent quite a while soothing Soi Fon's shattered emotions.
The moment Arisawa Tatsuki saw Tsunayoshi, she threw herself into his arms—knocking the exhausted Tsunayoshi straight to the ground.
"What happened? Your reiatsu was incredibly violent earlier," Yoruichi asked curiously. Compared to the calm yet overwhelming pressure during his fight with Unohana, she was more interested in the reiatsu he emitted after activating his Lightning-Attribute Resurrección.
"Don't even mention it. I got sneak-attacked by that old bastard. If no one had stopped me, I would've crushed his Zanpakutō to pieces."
Grinding his teeth, Tsunayoshi recounted Sasakibe's ambush.
"Tsunayoshi, your injuries—let Orihime take a look!" Tatsuki urged.
"I'm fine. After we rescue Rukia, I'm definitely going to Squad 1 to teach that old bastard a lesson."
"Saying that about Squad 1? Don't drag Lady Yoruichi down with you, you ignorant fool!"
Soi Fon cut in sharply. In all of Soul Society, only Yoruichi received her gentle side.
Only then did Tsunayoshi notice the petite figure behind Yoruichi.
"Oh? So it's Captain Soi Fon. Quick question—did you cry? When you saw Yoruichi, did you burst into tears like an abandoned child?"
Soi Fon's face flushed bright red. How did he know?! Embarrassed, she snapped:
"You bastard! I'll have to teach you a lesson!"
Before she could act, Tatsuki stepped in front of Tsunayoshi protectively.
Soi Fon immediately felt a headache coming on. Tatsuki's mastery of Shunkō was even higher than hers—there was little she could do in the short term.
Tsunayoshi took Tatsuki's hand and headed inside.
With Soi Fon's personality, as long as they stood on the same side as Yoruichi, she would never become an enemy.
"Come along, Renji," Tsunayoshi said, not forgetting him.
Renji, surrounded by people with captain-level strength, had practically turned invisible from sheer intimidation.
Inside the room, Ichigo had already awakened. Sitting on his futon, Orihime stayed by his side—but his expression was… off.
"What's with that face? You look like a miserable little rabbit that got used as toilet paper by a bear."
The moment he entered, Tsunayoshi started mocking him as usual.
Ichigo immediately exploded.
"What kind of comparison is that?! Can't you come up with something better?!"
"There we go—that's more like it," Tsunayoshi said.
Seeing Tsunayoshi and Tatsuki, Ichigo's guard lowered slightly. His expression eased, though a trace of awkwardness remained.
"What do you mean 'that's more like it'? You don't understand anything…" Ichigo muttered.
"Maybe not. But if your body isn't wrecked, get up."
Tsunayoshi smacked Ichigo hard on the back.
"Look who I brought. There's not much time before Rukia's execution. Start training—every bit of strength counts."
Ichigo winced from the burning pain in his back. Only then did he notice Renji.
But Renji's presence didn't stir much reaction.
"Him? Honestly, I'd rather spar with you."
Their previous fight hadn't impressed Ichigo. Even with Bankai, Renji had been completely countered by his Tensa Zangetsu.
Ichigo's words instantly ignited Renji's anger.
"Kurosaki Ichigo, what do you mean by that?! Yesterday I had just finished training—I was exhausted! Fight me again now, right now!"
Tsunayoshi added casually, "I've fought several major battles in a row—I'm completely drained."
Counting it himself, even he felt a bit shocked.
Since morning, he had fought Hitsugaya Tōshirō, Zaraki Kenpachi, Tōsen Kaname, Komamura Sajin, Unohana Retsu, and Sasakibe Chōjirō—six captain-level opponents in total.
Among them, Unohana had been the most dangerous—he had nearly lost.
Right now, he had zero motivation left to train Ichigo. Handing the task over to Renji was perfect.
Provoked by both Tsunayoshi and Renji, Ichigo's fighting spirit reignited instantly.
Without another word, he asked Shihōin Yūshirō to arrange a training ground—he was going to properly teach Renji a lesson.
Watching Ichigo regain his energy, Orihime smiled softly.
When she had been alone with him, his mood had been off the entire time. Thankfully, after Tsunayoshi and the others arrived, Ichigo gradually returned to normal.
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