Even though Unohana Retsu agreed to teach Shigure Kaidō, that did not mean she had done so out of pure selflessness.
After all, someone like her never acted without reason.
Aside from the fact that Shigure had personally brought Zaraki to her, she also took the initiative to ask him a question, one that clearly carried personal weight.
"I wonder, Captain Gosuke," Unohana said softly, her voice calm but deliberate, "have you ever heard of Shusui-ryū school of sword?"
The moment the question left her lips, Shigure's movements paused.
For a brief instant, his expression froze.
He did not show surprise outwardly, but inwardly, his heart sank slightly.
After so many years… someone still remembered Shusui-ryū.
That alone was unexpected.
Yet, when he looked at Unohana, the surprise faded.
If there was anyone in Soul Society who might still recognize such an ancient and nearly forgotten sword style, it was her.
She had lived too long. Seen too much. Held too many blades in her hands.
So Shigure did not evade the question.
Instead, he answered honestly.
"I am indeed a practitioner of Shusui-ryū school of sword." he said calmly. "As far as I know, it is an extremely obscure school. Even among shinigami, only a handful still inherit it."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"I didn't expect Captain Unohana to recognize it."
Unohana nodded slowly, as if confirming something she had already suspected.
"Just as I thought."
"When I assessed you during the captain examination, your swordsmanship felt… familiar. At the time, I couldn't immediately place it. But afterward, I remembered."
She lowered her gaze slightly.
"Shusui-ryū. An ancient school of sword."
"This style declined more than a thousand years ago, after its founder passed away. I believed it had already been lost to time."
There was no accusation in her voice, only a quiet sense of nostalgia.
"To see it again… is rather moving."
She did not ask how Shigure had inherited it.
Perhaps she already had her guesses.
The founder of Shusui-ryū had once belonged to a great noble lineage. Even after his death, it would not be strange if some disciples or admirers secretly preserved the style.
Shigure simply inclined his head.
With her doubts satisfied, Unohana did not pursue the matter further.
And so, that conversation came to an end.
…
For a period of time after that, Shigure frequently brought Zaraki to the Fourth Division.
Zaraki trained directly under Unohana Retsu, learning the most fundamental techniques of a shinigami, how to move, how to strike, how to control his overwhelming spiritual power rather than letting it run wild.
At the same time, he was taught basic knowledge of Soul Society, something he had never bothered to learn while surviving in Rukongai.
In Zaraki's eyes, Unohana was not a healer.
She was a strong opponent.
Someone who had once defeated him.
And for Zaraki, strength alone was enough to earn respect.
Because of that, he accepted her guidance without resistance. In fact, he trained with a seriousness that surprised even some of the Fourth Division members.
If learning made him stronger, then it was worth doing.
While Zaraki trained under Unohana, Shigure studied Kaidō under the Fourth Division's vice-captain.
Though Unohana herself was the true master of healing arts, Shigure did not mind learning from her subordinate.
What he sought was knowledge, not prestige.
After all, Kaidō was still a form of Kidō. Its foundation lay in precise control of spiritual power, guiding it carefully instead of releasing it violently.
The difference between Unohana and the vice-captain was not technique, but depth.
Unohana's healing bordered on miraculous.
The vice-captain's was stable, reliable, and refined through experience.
As Shigure practiced, he couldn't help thinking about the future.
Because in the memory of Gosuke Shigure, the vice-captain of the Fourth Division was Yamada Seinosuke a hundred years ago in the original plot, and then, at the beginning of the plot, it became Kotetsu Isane.
The Fourth Division was not a combat unit. The chance of its vice-captain dying in battle was extremely low.
Combined with the age of the vice-captain in front of him, the biggest possibility is that the other party has retired honourably.
Retirement was far more likely.
Still, despite such wandering thoughts, Shigure trained earnestly.
As captain of the Eleventh Division, he could not remain here indefinitely.
Duties awaited him.
Missions awaited him.
Fortunately, Kaidō training could be interrupted and resumed at will.
Though he had originally intended for Zaraki to begin fighting as soon as possible, Shigure chose patience instead.
A solid foundation mattered more than immediate results.
…
But training did not always progress peacefully.
BOOM!!
A deafening explosion shattered the air.
The ground trembled violently.
An overwhelming surge of reiatsu erupted outward like a raging storm, tearing through the surroundings without restraint.
Walls cracked.
Windows shattered.
A portion of the Fourth Division's buildings collapsed under the sheer pressure.
The spiritual shockwave spread rapidly, rippling through Seireitei.
Captains across the blocks felt it instantly.
When Shigure arrived, the Fourth Division's captain's quarters were already half-destroyed.
Debris littered the ground.
Medical personnel were evacuating the injured.
Standing near the ruins was Kyouraku Shunsui.
Shigure walked up beside him.
"What happened?"
Shunsui shook his head, his usual lazy demeanor gone.
"I just arrived too. Don't know the details."
He glanced toward the wreckage.
"But with pressure like this… someone might think a Bankai was released."
Shigure's eyes narrowed slightly.
He knew better.
This was not Bankai.
The spiritual pressure was too raw and too uncontrolled.
This wasn't refinement.
It was release.
Zaraki's release.
Shunsui continued, unaware of Shigure's thoughts.
"Old man Yama went in first. He's probably questioning Captain Unohana."
He sighed.
"Honestly, even I was startled."
"With power like that, if it spreads unchecked, Seireitei would suffer serious damage."
Then he smiled faintly.
"But since Captain Unohana is here, things should be under control."
In Shunsui's eyes, Unohana Retsu was always that kind of existence.
Reliable.
Unshakable.
Someone who would never allow chaos to spiral beyond control.
*****
Support me on my Ko-fi page to keep me motivated to continue uploading chapters.
https://ko fi.com/rroy28 (put a "-" between "ko" and "fi")
I have added Uncensored NSFW Illustrations in my Discord server, available only to paid members.
I am working on the following projects:
✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]