Muten Natsu's eyes lit up with delight when Rukia Kuchiki pinched him. "Rukia, you..."
"What about me?" Rukia Kuchiki pulled her hand free from his and gave a soft huff. "If you want to hold hands, there'll be plenty of time for that later."
Orihime Inoue happily threw herself into Muten Natsu's arms. "That's great!"
Muten Natsu wrapped his arms around Orihime Inoue's soft body and kissed her upturned lips.
"It's clearly the same thing we've done before..." Orihime Inoue's face was flushed as she looked at Rukia Kuchiki a little shyly. "So why does it feel different somehow?"
"Don't ask me something like that..." Rukia Kuchiki nudged Muten Natsu. "There's still one more promise."
That was... their promise for the future.
Muten Natsu lowered his head and kissed Orihime Inoue again.
So what exactly was this feeling?
Rukia Kuchiki watched their lips meet.
Having just experienced it herself, Rukia Kuchiki knew perfectly well that, given Muten Natsu's habits, what the two of them were doing now definitely involved more than simply touching lips.
Muten Natsu would... and then... after that... and finally...
Especially when... That feeling was enough to make someone...
As she watched Orihime Inoue and Muten Natsu kiss, Rukia Kuchiki inexplicably began to feel as though she were kissing Muten Natsu herself.
The sensation was somehow even stronger than when she had actually kissed him.
Just as Orihime Inoue had said, they were doing the same thing as before, yet something had undeniably changed.
There was no longer any self-deception or excuse to hide behind. It was open, honest affection.
Hearing the faint, muffled sounds slipping from Orihime Inoue's lips, Rukia Kuchiki couldn't help wondering whether she had looked just as... lost in the moment when she kissed Muten Natsu.
Noticing the changes in Rukia Kuchiki's expression, Ririn looked somewhat conflicted.
Why did it feel like Rukia Kuchiki, who was only watching, was even more excited than the two people actually kissing?
The earlier battle had caused quite a commotion. Several Reiatsu signatures approached as Shinigami rushed to the scene.
"Muten!" Tōshirō Hitsugaya appeared with Rangiku Matsumoto and swept his gaze over the traces of battle. "Did the materialized Zanpakutō Spirit escape?"
"No." Muten Natsu looked proudly at Rukia Kuchiki. "Rukia already got the materialized Sode no Shirayuki to return to her katana."
Rangiku Matsumoto immediately asked in surprise, "Rukia, how did you do it?"
"I just defeated Sode no Shirayuki in battle..." Rukia Kuchiki answered honestly. "She's exhausted her power and fallen asleep for now. I don't really understand the details myself."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya made an immediate decision. "Information from a materialized Zanpakutō is extremely important right now. Matsumoto and I will continue patrolling. You should head to the General Medical Center and recover your strength first!"
Compared to Shun Shun Rikka, Kaidō was better suited to restoring a Shinigami's Reiatsu.
When they arrived at the General Medical Center and saw the sheer number of wounded and the busy members of the 4th Division, the four of them gained a much clearer sense of the destruction caused by the materialized Zanpakutō Spirits.
The medical personnel rushing around immediately looked as though salvation had arrived when they saw Orihime Inoue.
"Orihime-san, you're here!"
"We'll have to rely on you again!"
"Thank goodness!"
"Now we can finally relax a little!"
"Rukia, Muten, go report to Unohana-san. Leave this to me."
Orihime Inoue raised her hands and tied up her long hair. Without waiting for Muten Natsu or Rukia Kuchiki to answer, she immediately began organizing the treatment.
"Put the patients with the worst external injuries together. Have at least three people with stable Reiatsu use Kaidō to replenish mine. I'll treat all the wounded at once. Unlike before, I won't be able to precisely control how much healing each person receives, so I need several people to move patients who are out of danger outside the barrier and bring critically injured patients inside."
When Orihime Inoue was focused on work, her usual airheaded cuteness was replaced by competence and authority.
Although Orihime Inoue was younger than everyone there and had spent less time working in medicine, she had far more experience treating severe injuries than most of the squad members.
Everyone immediately began making preparations. By the time they were ready, Orihime Inoue had already finished treating several people.
Once the wounded were laid side by side, Orihime Inoue opened Sōten Kisshun. The golden, spindle-shaped barrier expanded outward and enveloped nearly ten injured people at once.
Ririn stayed behind to help, while Muten Natsu and Rukia Kuchiki went directly to find Retsu Unohana.
"You're here." Retsu Unohana's gaze lingered on Muten Natsu for an instant before settling on Rukia Kuchiki. "I sensed your Reiatsu just now. From the looks of things, everything worked out?"
"Sode no Shirayuki has returned..." Rukia Kuchiki suppressed the inexplicable nervousness that arose whenever she faced Retsu Unohana and briefly explained what had happened.
"I see..." Retsu Unohana nodded and beckoned her closer. "Come here. I'll help you recover."
A soft glow appeared in her palm as Retsu Unohana carefully adjusted her Reiatsu to replenish what Rukia Kuchiki had consumed. It would take some time and had to be done gradually.
While restoring Rukia Kuchiki's Reiatsu, Retsu Unohana asked Muten Natsu, "Did your Zanpakutō leave as well?"
Seeing Retsu Unohana inevitably brought back memories of how wild she had been before leaving without a word, especially the way she had almost...
Retsu Unohana's eyes curved into crescents, her smile gentle.
"Did your Zanpakutō leave?"
Muten Natsu pulled his thoughts back together. There were many things he wanted to say to Retsu Unohana, but now wasn't the time.
"Bokukō and Myōki both materialized and left."
Muten Natsu thought of the glowing screen floating above Bokukō's head like a speech bubble and wasn't entirely sure whether that actually counted as materialization.
"Did you notice anything unusual?"
"Myōki sensed an abnormal Reiatsu. Then Bokukō's condition became strange. Myōki also mentioned a voice, but didn't explain anything more specific." Muten Natsu frowned slightly. "It all happened too quickly."
"It certainly did." Retsu Unohana nodded. "A Zanpakutō's form and abilities are constructed from the Shinigami's own soul. By learning the Zanpakutō's name and communicating with it within the mind, a Shinigami gains its power."
She went straight to the key issue.
"Under normal circumstances, the relationship between a Shinigami and their Zanpakutō should not change so easily. That is especially true for Shinigami who have mastered Bankai. They have already established direct and profound communication with their Zanpakutō. It seems unlikely that Muramasa could suddenly appear, influence them so easily, and cause their Zanpakutō to materialize and become their enemies."
Following Retsu Unohana's reasoning, Rukia Kuchiki ventured, "Then either Muramasa has been continuously influencing the Zanpakutō for a long time, or... the Zanpakutō haven't truly become enemies of their Shinigami?"
"Judging by the current situation, the materialized Zanpakutō Spirits are unquestionably opposing the Shinigami." Retsu Unohana looked at Muten Natsu. "And as for the theory that Muramasa needs to influence them over a long period, Muten is an exception."
If Muramasa truly needed prolonged exposure to turn a Zanpakutō against its Shinigami, then Bokukō and Myōki should never have left Muten Natsu.
At the very least, it shouldn't have happened so quickly.
"Could it have something to do with how heavily I used Bokukō and Myōki's powers in the previous battle?" Muten Natsu thought back to the fight. "Maybe releasing a Zanpakutō makes it easier for Muramasa to influence, like how food spoils faster after the package has been opened."
"That's very possible." Retsu Unohana nodded approvingly. "If both of your theories are correct, then the medium Muramasa has been using to exert that long-term influence is probably the voice Myōki mentioned. It can't be heard and is therefore difficult to detect, but it can still affect a Shinigami."
It was similar to ultrasonic waves, which people couldn't hear but which could soften tissue, improve penetration, increase metabolism, promote blood circulation, stimulate the nervous system and cellular functions, and trigger all kinds of secondary effects.
Infrasound could likewise interfere with the normal functioning of the nervous system and damage the human body.
"Captain." Isane Kotetsu approached. "Lieutenant Nemu says she has something to report."
After conducting tests and dissecting the spare brain, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had reached a conclusion.
"The Zanpakutō have become independent entities," Nemu Kurotsuchi reported expressionlessly. "A Zanpakutō and its Shinigami can normally be regarded as two manifestations sharing the same soul, but that mental connection has now disappeared. We are still researching a method to restore it."
"The way to restore it is simple."
Rukia Kuchiki's Reiatsu had been replenished, and Sode no Shirayuki had finally recovered enough strength to appear beside her.
"You only need to defeat the materialized Zanpakutō."
"Sode no Shirayuki!" Rukia Kuchiki called out happily. "Are you really all right now?"
Sode no Shirayuki nodded lightly. "I'm much better than before."
"In that case..." Retsu Unohana ended the Kaidō. "Why did you materialize and turn against Rukia in the first place?"
"I heard Muramasa's voice."
Sode no Shirayuki elegantly bowed to Retsu Unohana in thanks, then frowned slightly as though struggling to remember.
"Gradually, the frustrations I normally felt became completely unbearable. When I discovered that I could leave Rukia, I left her without hesitation and became an independent existence. Muramasa never gave us any specific orders. He simply told us to act according to our own desires."
"Your own desires...?" Retsu Unohana asked. "What were you mainly dissatisfied with about Rukia?"
"Ah!"
Rukia Kuchiki tried to stop her, but Sode no Shirayuki had already answered calmly.
"Rukia clearly loves Muten, yet she kept deceiving herself and refusing to face her true feelings." Sode no Shirayuki looked toward Muten Natsu. "It was such a simple matter, but she agonized over it endlessly. I found that frustrating."
"Don't..." Rukia Kuchiki's face turned bright red as she hurriedly tried to stop her. "Don't say any more..."
"Hm?" Sode no Shirayuki looked confused. "Didn't you already tell Muten?"
"That doesn't mean you can say it in front of this many people..." Even Rukia Kuchiki's ears were red.
"Go on." Muten Natsu encouraged her. "I like hearing this."
Rukia Kuchiki kicked him, not particularly hard. "Close your ears!"
Muten Natsu fell silent for a moment. "...I'll do my best."
Watching the two flirt and bicker, Retsu Unohana smiled with relief. A more complicated emotion flickered faintly in her eyes, but she concealed it almost immediately.
"So Muramasa amplified the emotions you had accumulated over time, which caused you to leave Rukia. But why did you become her enemy?"
"That's what confuses me as well." Sode no Shirayuki's delicate brows drew together. "I don't know the exact reason. I simply wanted Rukia to disappear."
Muten Natsu suddenly seemed to think of something. He rubbed his earlobe and let his gaze wander.
"Muten?" Retsu Unohana noticed the small, unusual gesture. "What is it?"
"I thought of a possibility. I read about a theory before. What was it called again...?"
Muten Natsu instinctively looked for Myōki's screen, only to remember that Myōki had already materialized and left.
"It was something like a small horse pulling a big cart."
Retsu Unohana blinked. "Hm?"
"Right, the Personality Carriage."
Without Myōki's help, searching his memory was more difficult, but it was still something he remembered himself. With a little effort, he managed to recall it.
"Personality is like a carriage. The Id is the horse, the Ego is the coachman, and the Superego is the passenger. Something like that."
"Don't give us 'something like that.'" Rukia Kuchiki poked him. "Explain it properly."
"Let me think..." Without Myōki assisting him, Muten Natsu felt as though even his thoughts had slowed down. "The Id is made up of innate instincts. It's an energy system organized around desire and seeks immediate satisfaction. If it's hungry, it wants to eat. If it's angry, it wants to lash out. The Superego comes from internalized social rules, ethics, morals, and values, and it strives toward an ideal state. The Ego sits between the two. It regulates the Id while also being constrained by the Superego, and it follows the reality principle."
The concepts were somewhat difficult to understand, so Muten Natsu reorganized his explanation around the Personality Carriage metaphor.
A carriage had a passenger, a horse, and a coachman.
The passenger chose the destination, the horse pulled the carriage forward, and the coachman controlled the journey.
The passenger deciding where they were going represented the Superego.
The horse moved when whipped and refused to move when hungry or thirsty. It supplied the carriage with its driving force. That was the Id.
The coachman had to manage the passenger, explain which roads were easier to travel and which were blocked, while also caring for the horse's condition. That was the Ego.
Superego: Study hard and keep improving.
Id: I'm hungry, so I want to eat. I'm tired, so I want to sleep.
Ego: Finish studying before you sleep, or one day you won't even be able to sleep peacefully. Or sleep first and study afterward, because if you ruin your health, you won't be able to study even if you want to.
"If the Zanpakutō represents the Id, then the Shinigami represents the Ego and Superego. Once communication is lost, from the Id's perspective, the Ego and Superego become obstacles that have to be removed."
Without Myōki's assistance, Muten Natsu's thoughts moved considerably more slowly than usual.
"So even if Muramasa does nothing else, a materialized Zanpakutō will naturally turn against its Shinigami."
"That's actually good news." Retsu Unohana looked at Nemu Kurotsuchi. "Please return and tell Captain Kurotsuchi that Muramasa cannot directly turn a Zanpakutō against its Shinigami. Instead, he amplifies the Zanpakutō's negative emotions and severs communication between the Zanpakutō and Shinigami, causing the Zanpakutō to oppose its Shinigami of its own accord. To restore the Zanpakutō, its Shinigami must fight it and make it submit."
"Understood," Nemu Kurotsuchi replied. "I will relay this information to the Captain. If there are any further developments, I will return and report them."
Watching Nemu Kurotsuchi leave, Muten Natsu frowned.
"But if we follow that line of reasoning, I can understand why Bokukō left. Why would Myōki leave too?"
According to Myōki's own analysis, Myōki represented the Superego. He shouldn't have rebelled merely because communication with Muten Natsu was severed.
Retsu Unohana's gaze shifted slightly. "Did Myōki say anything when he left?"
Muten Natsu fell silent.
"..."
The corner of Retsu Unohana's mouth lifted. "It seems he did."
"Tell us exactly what he said." Rukia Kuchiki looked openly amused. "I'd love to hear it."
"Myōki said..." Muten Natsu admitted with some difficulty, "that he hates tsundere types."
"Pfft!"
Rukia Kuchiki immediately burst out laughing.
Retsu Unohana nodded with a smile. "Hm. That sounds quite reasonable."
Sode no Shirayuki strongly agreed. "Birds of a feather flock together."
"..."
Rukia Kuchiki suddenly found it much harder to laugh and immediately changed the subject.
"By the way, Captain, what about your Zanpakutō?"
"I lost my Zanpakutō some time ago." Retsu Unohana glanced at Muten Natsu. "Although I've recovered part of my strength through some effort, my Zanpakutō still hasn't recovered."
Muten Natsu rubbed the small of his back.
"By the way, Rukia," Retsu Unohana reminded her, "there's still no news about Captain Kuchiki. Captain Suì-Fēng said there were signs that someone had concealed their Reiatsu."
"Concealed Reiatsu..." Rukia Kuchiki clearly remembered how Tōshirō Hitsugaya had been accused of abandoning his post after concealing his Reiatsu. "I'll go check on my sister."
"Muten, go with Rukia," Retsu Unohana instructed. "Orihime and I are enough here. Seireitei is in chaos right now, so be careful."
"Mm."
Muten Natsu agreed, giving Retsu Unohana one long look before leaving with Rukia Kuchiki for the Kuchiki Clan residence.
Retsu Unohana watched them leave and slowly lowered her eyes.
Judging by what Rukia Kuchiki had just said...
They had already told each other how they felt.
Retsu Unohana folded her hands over her lower abdomen, complicated emotions filling her eyes.
She hadn't expected it to happen so soon...
So had she really been the one standing in their way all along?
Standing between Muten Natsu and the other two, preventing them from having the happiness they should have had?
If she had left sooner, would they have found happiness sooner too?
Retsu Unohana turned toward where Orihime Inoue was working.
If she returned to Muten Natsu's side...
Would she destroy their happiness?
Retsu Unohana shook her head.
Now wasn't the time to think about such things.
Everyone in the 4th Division was busy treating the wounded. She needed to do everything she could to help as well.
Isane Kotetsu had just finished treating one patient and was looking for the next when she suddenly spotted a cute little girl with short white hair.
She was tiny, even shorter than Tōshirō Hitsugaya. She looked about the same height as Yachiru Kusajishi.
The little girl was standing on a stool, apparently trying to reach a medicinal herb, but she couldn't quite get it.
She climbed down, grabbed two books, and stacked them on the stool.
She still couldn't reach.
"Let me help you."
Isane Kotetsu walked over and easily reached the herb.
"Is this what you wanted?"
When she looked down at the little girl, Isane Kotetsu froze for a moment.
She had clearly never seen this child before, yet for some reason, she felt strangely familiar.
"That's the one. Someone over there needs this medicine." The girl looked up at her. "Being tall must be nice."
"Really...? Actually, being this tall bothers me sometimes." Isane Kotetsu smiled sheepishly. "There are lots of cute clothes I can't wear, and I stand out so much in a crowd... Ah, I started complaining without meaning to."
The girl's gaze immediately turned cold. "Do you hate being tall?"
"I wouldn't say I hate it. It just bothers me occasionally." Isane Kotetsu smiled. "But when I can help someone like this, I'm also glad I'm tall enough to reach."
"Stop wasting time talking about this." The girl gave a soft snort. "There are still plenty of people who need treatment."
"Right. I didn't mean to talk so much. It's just that you seemed strangely familiar, and before I knew it..." Isane Kotetsu crouched down. "Even though I've never seen you before. What's your name?"
"Itegumo," the girl answered. "My name is Itegumo."
"That sounds really familiar... Huh?" Isane Kotetsu's eyes widened. "Itegumo?"
"Looks like you finally noticed."
Isane Kotetsu nodded. "Yeah. That's the same name as my Zanpakutō."
Itegumo looked at her. "Has it occurred to you that I might actually be her?"
"..."
Isane Kotetsu belatedly took a step backward.
"D-do we have to fight?"
"There's no time for that right now." Itegumo hugged the medicinal herbs to her chest. "There are still lots of wounded people who need treatment. Hurry up and follow me!"
"Huh? Oh... um... right."
Isane Kotetsu hurried after her and began helping treat the wounded.
Everyone in the 4th Division was curious about the unfamiliar little girl, but when they saw how skillfully Itegumo treated patients, and that Isane Kotetsu was beside her, no one stopped to ask questions.
Isane Kotetsu and Itegumo rushed around treating patients for quite some time before Retsu Unohana finished with a critically injured patient and noticed them.
"Isane." Retsu Unohana beckoned her over. "Who is this child?"
"She's Itegumo's materialized form..." Isane Kotetsu answered with a complicated expression. "I only... Well, it's already been a while now, but I suddenly noticed her earlier."
Watching how naturally Itegumo handled the medical work, Retsu Unohana smiled.
"From the looks of things, you've already subdued Itegumo again?"
"I think so..." Isane Kotetsu herself wasn't certain. "Though calling it 'subduing' feels strange. We only exchanged a few sentences. I don't really understand how things ended up like this either."
"Isane, what are you standing around for? Someone over here still needs treatment..."
Itegumo approached while speaking. When she saw Retsu Unohana, she greeted her without the slightest awkwardness.
"Hello, Captain. Someone over there still needs help, so I'm taking her with me."
"Mm, we're finished talking too." Retsu Unohana smiled softly. "Go ahead."
Watching the two of them walk away, one tall and one short, Retsu Unohana couldn't help feeling...
It looked more like Itegumo had subdued Isane Kotetsu.
***
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