Just as Natsuro was about to unleash his long-unused Bankai, his spiritual pressure suddenly halted, then slowly subsided.
Because he saw Zaraki Kenpachi's blood-red figure still standing with his back to him.
At first, he thought Zaraki simply hadn't reacted yet, until the man's body went rigid and collapsed straight to the ground.
"So, he couldn't withstand his own Bankai's power?"
Natsuro sighed helplessly as he walked over. Zaraki's eyes had rolled white, there was no trace of consciousness left in them.
"So the price for wielding that kind of power… is losing one's sanity?"
He frowned. Indeed, Zaraki had shown signs of that at the end.
Zaraki's Bankai was undeniably powerful. To explode with that kind of speed in an instant, especially for someone who had never been known for speed, was astonishing.
And the strength he displayed, so overwhelming it had even wounded Natsuro for the first time in their battle, proved just how formidable that Bankai was.
But the side effects were just as obvious: total loss of reason, and a body that couldn't bear the strain.
Normally one might think to strengthen the body to match the power, but in Zaraki's case, that was the problem.
His body was already monstrous, beyond anyone else Natsuro had ever met.
If even Zaraki couldn't withstand it, then who possibly could?
And as for making his body any stronger… that was easier said than done.
Natsuro looked toward the spot where he'd been standing moments ago. Behind it lay a deep, bottomless crater, clearly carved out by Zaraki's last slash.
He couldn't help but smirk.
Had he not dodged that blow, the outcome was obvious, he wouldn't have survived it.
Even though he avoided the main strike, the pressure alone had still cut him. Completely dodging such a hit… was nearly impossible.
Soon after, Zaraki's unconscious body returned to its normal form. The sea of blood that had stalled earlier finally surged forward, enveloping him.
"It's over, then," Unohana said softly as she walked up, inspecting Zaraki's body.
The demonic form Zaraki had taken moments before had utterly shaken her.
She had never imagined he could fight in such a state, that grotesque, inhuman form was something beyond what she'd ever seen.
But Unohana didn't dwell on that.
What mattered more to her was the fight between Zaraki and Natsuro.
By the end, every clash of their swords had left a bitter taste in her mouth, because either one of them could inflict damage greater than what her Bankai could heal in an instant.
In other words, whether she fought Natsuro or Zaraki, her Minazuki would be of little use.
Even if she tried to over-heal them with her Bankai, it would fail, just as the sea of blood had been unable to approach Zaraki during his Bankai.
It was the same as when she had fought Natsuro before; his spiritual pressure alone had kept her blood sea at bay.
"Mm… Zaraki's Bankai, it's best not to use it lightly," Natsuro remarked. "He can't tell friend from foe."
Unohana nodded. She had already noticed that herself.
She then checked Zaraki's condition more carefully and found, surprisingly, that he had suffered few lasting effects.
Her eyes widened slightly. The massive hole in his chest was completely gone, it had healed on its own. She had expected to spend significant effort fixing that.
But...
"His Achilles tendons and arm muscles are almost completely torn," she said quietly.
Natsuro nodded. Of course. In that instant of explosive speed earlier, Zaraki had moved even faster than him.
So that was the cost.
All of Zaraki's hope had gone into that one final slash after activating Bankai, but unfortunately, it hadn't landed cleanly.
Just then, Unohana glanced around and frowned.
"Where's that little pink-haired girl?"
In the chaos of flames earlier, she hadn't noticed what happened to Yachiru Kusajishi.
"Yachiru Kusajishi?" Natsuro replied, glancing at Zaraki's hand, still tightly gripping his Zanpakutō even while unconscious. "...She's gone back to where she belongs."
Unohana followed his gaze, and her eyes widened in realization.
So, that little girl was part of Zaraki's Bankai?
"Captain… are you satisfied?" Natsuro asked.
After a moment of silence, Unohana answered softly,
"Zaraki has become much stronger than when I first met him. How could I not be satisfied?"
"That's good," Natsuro smiled. "...Then it wasn't all for nothing."
Unohana's expression softened slightly.
She truly had no reason to sacrifice herself anymore.The only reason she had once been willing to die was to help Zaraki break the seal on his power, but now, there was no longer any seal to break.
Even if she did sacrifice herself now, it wouldn't help him in any way.
Zaraki's strength had already far surpassed hers.
"Then I'll take Zaraki back first. I'll also need to explain Yachiru's situation to the Eleventh Division," Natsuro said, grabbing Zaraki by one arm and, just as always, dragging him along the ground as he walked off.
After all, with Zaraki's ridiculous physique, there was no way he'd get scuffed. If anything, it was the floors of the Seireitei that needed worrying about.
Unohana twitched at the corner of her eye but didn't stop him. It wasn't the first time she'd seen Natsuro drag Zaraki away like that.
She sighed softly, her face a mix of emotions. So many years of inner conflict, resolved in such an abrupt way, it almost felt unreal.
She drew her Zanpakutō and gently ran her fingers along its blade, lost in thought.
Unohana remained alone in the dark, endless void of Muken for a long, long time.
.....
Eleventh Division.
The division members were long used to seeing Zaraki being dragged back like that.
What surprised them this time was how little damage there was, both on Zaraki and on Natsuro.
Usually, Zaraki returned covered in wounds from head to toe, and he would have at least a few deep gashes of his own.
This time Natsuro had only a single cut, one that was already almost healed, and Zaraki's body showed barely any injury at all.
Something about this fight was clearly different.
Then, they realized the other oddity, the timing.
Normally, their battles lasted at least a month before ending.
But this time, Zaraki and Natsuro had only left yesterday, and now, they were already back by morning.
"Yo, back so soon this time?" Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa came over, curious.
Ikkaku took Zaraki's limp body from Natsuro and asked,
"What happened? You're early."
"Yeah," Natsuro nodded, glancing at Zaraki. "But he probably won't wake up anytime soon."
"I see…" Ikkaku frowned slightly, carrying Zaraki into the captain's quarters.
"Hey, where's Yachiru?" Yumichika suddenly asked, realizing something.
They both assumed that the little pink-haired girl had simply wandered off somewhere to play.
"She, huh… well, how should I put it..." Natsuro turned to Madarame Ikkaku. "From now on, you'll probably be the vice-captain of the Eleventh Division."
"What… what do you mean by that?"
Ikkaku froze for a moment, frowning.
A bad thought flashed through his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. No, that couldn't be it. Something like that would never happen.
Natsuro wouldn't harm a child, and Captain Zaraki would never let Yachiru Kusajishi be hurt.
"I mean it literally," Natsuro said calmly. "Yachiru has returned to where she truly belongs, inside Zaraki Kenpachi's Zanpakutō."
Both Ikkaku and Yumichika's eyes widened, utterly stunned by the revelation.
No matter how they turned it over in their heads, they couldn't have imagined such an answer.
After a long silence, Yumichika finally managed to speak, his voice shaky.
"You're saying… our vice-captain was actually a part of the captain's Zanpakutō? Separated from it?"
Natsuro gave him an approving look and nodded.
Ikkaku and Yumichika fell silent again, struggling to process the truth.
Ikkaku thought of the little bald girl who used to climb onto his shoulders and bite his head.Yumichika remembered how she would always mess up his carefully styled hair.
Their vice-captain… was gone? Just like that?
"You don't need to feel sad for her," Natsuro said gently. "For her, this isn't a bad thing. In fact, when she left with us this time, she was already prepared for it."
"So that's why you agreed to let her come along?" Ikkaku realized. "You must've already known that Yachiru was Captain Zaraki's Zanpakutō."
Natsuro nodded. He had studied Zanpakutō hollowfication long enough to understand the process of separation between a soul and its blade.
There were precedents. like Coyote Starrk so recognizing Yachiru's true identity hadn't been difficult.
If someone like Kisuke Urahara were to research it, he would have discovered it quickly.
Aizen, too, though he had never taken an interest in studying Zaraki.
Ikkaku and Yumichika stayed silent for a while, but they didn't blame him. After all, what he said made sense.
They remembered every time their captain left to fight Natsuro, how Yachiru always smiled when she watched them go.
Perhaps she had already known this day would come. Perhaps she had long wanted to return to where she truly belonged.
"Do you think we'll ever see her again?" Ikkaku asked quietly.
"You probably will," Natsuro replied. "The prerequisite for activating Bankai is the materialization of the Zanpakutō's spirit. Normally, only the wielder can see it, but…"
"Zaraki's spiritual pressure is so dense it can take physical form. It might even allow Yachiru to manifest again someday."
He paused, then added with a faint smile,
"And besides, there will eventually be a Zanpakutō with the special ability to physically manifest others. When that time comes, you might get to see Yachiru again."
"That's good to hear." Both Ikkaku and Yumichika sighed in relief. If that was the case, there was no reason to grieve.
"Mm. And as the new vice-captain, you don't have to hide your Bankai anymore," Natsuro said, glancing at Ikkaku.
Although Ikkaku had never used his Bankai in front of Natsuro, he had already guessed it during their very first fight.
"Oh, right," Ikkaku blinked, then chuckled. He realized that since the captain's position wasn't vacant, showing his Bankai wouldn't get him reassigned.
If he became vice-captain, he wouldn't have to leave the Eleventh Division at all.
"Also," Natsuro continued, his tone growing serious, "there's something else you need to be careful about."
"What is it?"
Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged a glance, both tensing slightly.
"Zaraki may have mastered Bankai," Natsuro said, "but after activating it, he completely loses self-awareness. He becomes a mindless monster."
Ikkaku let out a short laugh.
"That's hardly a side effect. Our captain already fights like a monster."
"Idiot! If he loses control in Bankai, he could kill us instantly!" Yumichika snapped, glaring at him. "Dying by the captain's hand would be so un-beautiful!"
"Huh?" Ikkaku widened his eyes and turned to Natsuro.
Natsuro nodded gravely.
"He's right. You mustn't let Zaraki activate his Bankai lightly."
Both men nodded solemnly. After a moment of thought, Ikkaku said,
"That shouldn't be hard. Aside from you, there aren't many who'd force the captain to use it."
Natsuro blinked, then gave a small smile. "That's true."
"Then that's settled," Natsuro said, brushing off his coat. "When Zaraki wakes up, you can tell him about Yachiru yourselves."
With that, he turned and left.
After Natsuro's departure, Ikkaku and Yumichika exchanged a long glance and sighed together.
They could accept what had happened, but the thought that they would no longer see that mischievous little girl who gave everyone nicknames and caused trouble wherever she went…
It still left an ache in their hearts.
If you want to read more...
Check out the patreon and get 55 chapters in advance -> SaintXI
Currently on Chapter 514 - He Who Freezes Space