The three people sitting in the room each had their own thoughts, yet their goals converged in a subtle alignment.
Retsu Unohana valued the potential and possibilities within Suō Tsukasa. Kotetsu Isane loyally fulfilled her duties as a lieutenant; she trusted her Captain's judgment and was happy to assist. Meanwhile, Suō Tsukasa pursued a path to increase his own strength while holding a sincere gratitude, willing to give back in return for the kindness and trust of others.
"It is getting late, and I still have some squad affairs to attend to," Unohana said gently, glancing at the sky outside the window. "Isane, take Tsukasa first to familiarize him with the location of the medicinal room we've arranged for him. Also, give him a bag of the ginseng seeds kept by the division."
"As for the cultivation and inoculation of Purple Reishi, the procedure is quite complex. Regarding the specific details involved, the two of you should discuss and coordinate."
"Just report back to me when the time comes."
"Yes, Captain," Isane rose immediately.
"Thank you, Captain," Tsukasa stood as well, bowing once more to Retsu Unohana.
"Go on," Unohana nodded slightly, watching them depart. The sliding paper door closed softly, and the room returned to silence. She sat alone for a moment, her gaze falling back onto the herbs on the table. Her fingers brushed over the tied paper bundles before she stood up to put them away.
A short while later.
Cradling the long-awaited ginseng seeds in his arms, Tsukasa looked around the room. The lighting was not particularly bright, with a soft, warm glow spreading across the space. All around, mushroom caps of various shades were visible, growing in overlapping layers from the culture beds. The scent in the air was rich and heavy, reminiscent of aged wood mixed with damp earth.
After a brief survey of the growing environment, Tsukasa withdrew his gaze. To grow Purple Reishi in his underground base, he would need to create an environment suitable for its formation.
"These are the Purple Reishi currently under cultivation," Isane introduced softly as she led Tsukasa to a culture bed. "The strains kept by the division all originate from the Captain's past collections. Purple Reishi prefers cool, moist conditions, yet requires a certain amount of ventilation. Furthermore, it has very high requirements for the Reishi concentration in its growth environment."
"This is the primary reason why it is difficult to cultivate on a large scale."
Isane explained everything in great detail, from the activation of the mycelium to the techniques of inoculation, holding nothing back.
"The requirements for the culture bed substrate aren't actually that high; you can find the ratios listed here. These records also contain the cultivation insights accumulated by the division over many years, including many lessons from failures and analysis of the causes. Take a look at this first, and you can return it to me later." As she spoke, she pulled out a yellowed notebook and handed it to Tsukasa.
"I understand, Isane-san." Tsukasa listened intently to her explanation as he accepted the notebook with both hands. He flipped through it casually, mentally simulating the conditions of his own underground base. A spark of eagerness flashed in his eyes.
With the precise control of the light spectrum and intensity provided by Hikari, combined with Toshiro's Hyorinmaru and its superb ability to regulate local humidity and temperature, it would not be difficult to simulate—or even optimize—an environment suitable for Purple Reishi, provided the two of them cooperated effectively. The only difficult part was obtaining the initial strains and the substrate formulas, and with the help of the Fourth Division, those were no longer issues. Unless his luck was abysmal, it would be difficult to fail.
Closing the book, Tsukasa said seriously, "These strains are very precious. Regarding the actual operation, I'd like to go back and set up the cultivation room first. After I've asked you to help me confirm it, we can arrange the inoculation."
Hearing this, Isane looked at Tsukasa with a serious expression, her tone carrying a hint of expectation and encouragement. "I believe you can handle it. What is recorded there are only the known experiences of the division. Since you can use your Zanpakuto ability to regulate light, perhaps you can create an even more stable growth environment."
"When the time comes, we can experiment, observe, and record data together. It doesn't matter if there are failures or setbacks along the way; this is inherently a process of continuous experimentation and exploration."
Suddenly, she recalled a key question she had deliberately avoided earlier and asked cautiously, "By the way, where is your base located? Is it convenient to say? Other conditions aside, the inherent Reishi concentration of a region greatly affects the final quality of the medicinal herbs."
"The location is in the underground space beneath Sokyoku Hill," Tsukasa answered frankly.
His words were like a bolt from the blue. Hearing Tsukasa's unvarnished answer, Isane's eyes widened and her mouth hung slightly open; for a moment, she couldn't make a sound.
Sokyoku Hill? That forbidden ground that symbolized the absolute justice and judgmental power of the Soul Society? This answer sent a massive wave through her heart, completely exceeding her expectations. It took her a long time to calm her mind and let out a long breath, struggling to suppress the surprise on her face as she nodded thoughtfully.
This day had somewhat overturned her previous perceptions and impressions of Suō Tsukasa.
"Sokyoku Hill—I see. The spiritual veins there indeed belong to the core of the Seireitei, and the Reishi concentration far exceeds that of ordinary areas. No wonder the quality of the herbs you cultivated is so good."
She did not pry further, as that was Tsukasa's secret. Now that the Fourth Division and Tsukasa were closely bound together, all she could do was guard this secret firmly.
"If the environment is like that—perhaps in the early stages of inoculation, we will need to slightly adjust the intensity and duration of spiritual pressure immersion to adapt to the higher concentration of Reishi." She murmured as if talking to herself, then looked at Tsukasa, her expression having returned to professional calmness. "Once your cultivation room is ready, we will finalize the detailed plan based on the actual site conditions."
"Alright, I'll be troubling you, Isane-san," Tsukasa said sincerely.
This was a decision he had made after careful consideration; a person's energy and time are limited. Even someone like Sosuke Aizen required the assistance of subordinates like Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen. To achieve greater goals, forming a reliable team was a necessity. He could master the cultivation and processing of basic herbs through self-study, but high-level herbs could not be grown well by just anyone; they required deep professional knowledge and rich experience.
The shift in his mindset was based on an assessment of the current situation and long-term considerations for the future. Suō Tsukasa never sat around waiting for death. A faint outline was already forming in his mind regarding how to achieve victory in a future war with the minimum amount of loss. With the base being gradually perfected, the most suitable partner for logistics was undoubtedly Kotetsu Isane. Her character and abilities were both excellent, making her an indispensable member for him.
"It's still too early to think about that," Tsukasa thought, pulling himself away from those reflections. He tucked away the notebook and continued, "In addition, Isane-san, I'd like to trouble you to help coordinate and arrange a relatively secluded warehouse for me in a nearby area. In the future, I will deliver the medicinal herbs for the Fourth Division there collectively. It will make it easier for the squad to conduct inspections and transport, saving a lot of time and being more discreet."
"No problem," Isane nodded without hesitation. This was not a difficult task for her. This was precisely the advantage of the Fourth Division; they had relief stations and transit warehouses for emergency treatment and supplies located near all major areas and key nodes of the Seireitei. Using these existing logistics networks for the handover of materials was not only efficient and compliant but would also minimize unnecessary attention.
By the time Tsukasa finished his business at the Fourth Division, the last rays of the setting sun had almost completely vanished. Walking on the path back, lights began to flicker on across the Seireitei.
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