IW:Chapter 165 - I'm the Seireitei Succubus? I Never Knew You Were Like This, Retsu!
Pirate Bai Ye: [Haven't you been keeping a low profile for a long time?]
Shinigami compete based on spiritual pressure. Is Kyōka Suigetsu powerful?
Actually, the powerful one is Aizen. If an ordinary Shinigami possessed Kyōka Suigetsu, it wouldn't affect that many captains at all.
Ultimately, it's because Aizen's spiritual pressure is too strong.
Most abilities in the Shinigami world are auxiliary; being strong yourself is the most important thing.
But if I remember correctly, he doesn't even know the true name of his Zanpakuto yet, does he?
Speaking of which, wasn't it said that when a Shinigami is given an Asauchi, they will know its true name?
Shinigami Bai Ye: [I've been keeping a low profile, but I'm still very nervous because my Shinigami hasn't even achieved Shikai for his Zanpakuto yet.]
He had adhered to the path of caution for so many years.
Although he now possessed considerable strength, he still felt it wasn't enough.
At least, he still didn't know the ability of his Zanpakuto.
A Shinigami without Shikai for their Zanpakuto is like a man whose wife is dressed sexily, but he's powerless to do anything about it.
It just doesn't feel right.
Naruto Bai Ye: [Then why don't you just follow Zaraki Kenpachi's path now?]
While that's true, if your raw strength is high, like Kenpachi, then everything would be fine, wouldn't it?
Just build up your own strength; increasing spiritual pressure is the ultimate truth.
Most of the shared abilities also require an increase in one's own strength.
Anyway, even without a Zanpakuto, he still possessed many abilities.
Nichijou Bai Ye: [It's different. Many abilities in the Shinigami world later become rule-based.]
They seem to have fewer abilities that involve rules.
For example, during the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, many of those Quincy's abilities almost all involved rules, and there were also those people from the Zero Division, not to mention strange settings like Bankai stealing.
Shinigami Bai Ye: [Exactly, that's what I'm wary of. And those old schemers in Zero Division, I don't want to become one of their candidates!]
In the Thousand-Year Blood War arc, guided by the Soul King, Ichigo and Yhwach fought their way to the Soul King Palace; wasn't that arranged by them?
Anyway, Zero Division wouldn't care whether Ichigo or Yhwach won.
In the end, one of them would be made into a new Soul King. If Yhwach hadn't courted death, Ichigo might actually have become the Soul King in the end.
For the monk, his idea was probably that he wanted to be the county magistrate's wife, and who the county magistrate was didn't matter.
The Shinigami world's waters are actually very deep. For example, the setting of the Soul Society isn't exactly good.
Later, there are also the Five Great Noble Clans and a Hell.
Anyway, without absolute strength, he wouldn't come out of hiding.
But he couldn't stop the spiritual pressure he unleashed back then from surprising countless people, which directly allowed Bai Ye to graduate exceptionally and choose a Lieutenant position.
The sensation he caused back then, even now, still makes many students in the academy yearn to become the second him.
At that time, he was given high hopes, and everyone was looking forward to Bai Ye's development. All the squad quarters were open to Bai Ye at that time, allowing him to choose freely.
However, what no one expected was that Bai Ye chose the Fourth Division and has since lived a retirement-like life there.
At first, everyone didn't think much of it, but as time passed, a rumor that he was merely a hollow reputation began to spread among all Shinigami.
Bai Ye, of course, knew that this was most likely an attempt by that schemer Aizen.
However, at that time, he truly was a hollow reputation. Anyway, he wanted to keep a low profile, so his reputation didn't really matter. Thus, he didn't care and wholeheartedly stayed hidden in the Fourth Division.
However, he had a very good talent in healing Kido, so although people questioned him, they also thought that perhaps Bai Ye didn't like fighting much, so they didn't pay too much attention.
Pirate Bai Ye: [To be made into the Soul King, you first need Shinigami power, then Hollow, Quincy, and Fullbring abilities. It seems you're only missing Quincy and Fullbring now.]
He had gained the power of a Hollow during the last lottery.
So now it seems he's only two steps away from becoming the Soul King.
If the Soul King couldn't hold on, Zero Division would definitely not hold back. They needed a Soul King, no matter who the Soul King was.
Although he would be protected by Zero Division and would most likely live for a very, very long time afterward, who the hell would want to become a specimen?
Nichijou Bai Ye: [Isn't one of the Five Great Noble Clans hidden, and now there are only four? And there's the Central 46, which they control. Speaking of which, why not just rebel like Naruto Bai Ye?]
Ultimately, the Soul Society itself is not a place of justice; it also harbors darkness.
Everything in the Soul Society now is actually to cater to the Four Great Noble Clans.
Shinigami Bai Ye: [Not yet for now. Although the Soul Society does have darkness, at least many people still have kindness in their hearts.]
Even he himself is not entirely benevolent.
Bai Ye couldn't be like Ichigo; he also had his own thoughts.
If he were to be made into the Soul King, he would absolutely refuse. Moreover, he felt that he might actually end up meeting the conditions to become the Soul King.
After all, if he wanted to become stronger, he would need to try all these methods.
And fusing these abilities is very necessary, which would also give him the qualifications to become the new Soul King.
To escape fate, Bai Ye thought of two points: first, to keep a low profile.
But this isn't realistic. Just the Thousand-Year Blood War alone killed many Shinigami. If he only kept a low profile, he might die, or even be tested by Aizen when he implements his plan.
He might even die at Aizen's hands.
The other point is to find a way to make himself stronger.
And this would definitely touch upon that unavoidable issue.
Naruto Bai Ye: [So, should I try to mess with the five senses first?]
Five senses manipulation also exists in the Naruto world, the Kekkei Genkai of the Kurama Clan.
Speaking of which, he was also very curious who would be stronger, Aizen's five senses or the Kurama Clan's five senses.
However, the Kurama Clan's genjutsu certainly doesn't rank high in the Naruto world. The strongest genjutsu currently is naturally Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Shinigami Bai Ye: [Anything is fine, but you'd need a lottery chance for that, right? But I feel like drawing those now would be a bit of a waste. There's also Tenseigan, Rinnegan with tomoe, Jogan, and all sorts of other things you need to draw.]
There are still many things in the Naruto world that haven't been drawn yet.
Anyway, he felt that the five senses manipulation ability was fine to have, but also fine not to have.
Moreover, he wasn't without countermeasures. For example, the Uzumaki Clan's perception and Observation Haki already go beyond the five senses.
So, drawing for five senses manipulation doesn't seem very necessary for him.
Besides, as long as he diligently increases his spiritual pressure, even if he can't break through it, if his spiritual pressure is stronger than Aizen's, he won't be affected by Kyōka Suigetsu.
And actually, the anime probably messed up, and the spiritual pressure theory doesn't always hold up, but overall, increasing spiritual pressure is indeed the most direct way to improve strength. Of course, we won't mention cheating.
"Lieutenant Bai Ye, Captain Retsu is looking for you."
"Ah, Isane!"
Bai Ye gathered his thoughts, said goodbye in the chat group, and went offline. Looking at the person in front of him, a gentle smile flashed across Bai Ye's face.
This former Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, due to his appearance, was now demoted to the Third Seat.
"The Lieutenant is as gentle and kind as ever."
A blush flashed across Kotetsu Isane's face, and her eyes unconsciously drifted towards Bai Ye's handsome face. No wonder so many Shinigami sought treatment from the Lieutenant, even though his healing Kido wasn't as strong as the Captain's.
If it were her, she would also go to the Lieutenant for treatment.
After all, having a gentle, good-tempered, and handsome doctor treat you, even she would feel much less pain.
Coming back to her senses, Kotetsu Isane secretly scolded herself in her heart. She was actually starting to fantasize about such things. But then again, the Lieutenant seemed different lately.
"Isane?"
"Ah?!"
Kotetsu Isane snapped back to reality, staring blankly at Bai Ye. Bai Ye raised his hand and tapped her forehead, asking, "Didn't the Captain want to see me?"
"Oh, oh."
Kotetsu Isane came to her senses, thinking about her previous behavior, and secretly told herself that she was truly disappointing. However, as soon as this thought appeared, she felt that she didn't need to complain about herself because of this matter at all.
Weren't others the same?
It seemed there was no need to be self-pitying here over such a small matter.
Looking at Bai Ye's back, Kotetsu Isane quickly followed.
"Speaking of which, Lieutenant Bai Ye, you haven't attended the flower arranging sessions for a long time."
Flower arranging sessions, huh?
A wave of emotion washed over Bai Ye's eyes. When he first joined the Fourth Division, Bai Ye often attended, but later, because he truly disliked it, Bai Ye reduced the frequency and then gradually stopped going altogether.
But he had already been out for so long, why did Kotetsu Isane suddenly bring this up now?
"It seems like it's been a long time, is there anything interesting happening at this flower arranging session?"
Bai Ye asked curiously.
Flower arranging was Unohana Retsu's favorite activity, so she would host one every month; those who liked it would go, and those who didn't weren't forced.
"Lieutenant Bai Ye, don't you know?"
"What should I know?"
Bai Ye was a little surprised. Did his absence make Unohana Retsu angry?
That's not right!
Retsu wasn't that kind of person.
"Of course, it's because Lieutenant Bai Ye, you never came, which led to fewer and fewer people. Captain Unohana even sighed about it before."
"I'm just one person..."
Bai Ye muttered to himself. He was just one person, how could such a big blame be placed on him? No wonder his back felt a bit heavy recently. Who could carry such a big burden?
"Lieutenant Bai Ye, didn't you know that many female Shinigami from other divisions used to come here to participate in the flower arranging sessions? This matter caused dissatisfaction in many divisions at the time. They would come here every day, whether there was anything going on or not, just to see Lieutenant Bai Ye, right? Now that you don't participate, they naturally won't come either!"
Kotetsu Isane quickly said. Although she felt it definitely couldn't be blamed on Bai Ye, it was indeed because of Bai Ye that fewer and fewer people came.
And Bai Ye was somewhat enlightened after hearing Kotetsu Isane's words.
So, he was like a succubus in the Soul Society?
Or rather, had his Zanpakuto already achieved Shikai, but it was an ability related to charm that he hadn't noticed?
"So, Lieutenant Bai Ye, will you still go?"
"Not sure, we'll see later. Also, Isane, why do I feel like you also have some ulterior motives?"
"Ah? Do I?"
A hint of panic flashed across Kotetsu Isane's face. In fact, she was also one of those young girls.
But she couldn't say that out loud.
"En."
Just an "En"?
Kotetsu Isane felt a hint of disappointment in her heart.
Thus, harboring their own little thoughts, the two gradually arrived at Unohana Retsu's place.
"Little Bai Ye, it's been a long time. How has your training been recently?"
"Retsu, my training has been pretty good recently. Also, can you please not add 'little' before my name?"
Although he had corrected her many times, from Unohana Retsu's attitude, Bai Ye always felt it was very difficult to convince her.
Last time, he used training as an excuse and went into seclusion, but he really did go to train because he needed to adapt to many of his abilities.
Recently, he had just come out, and Unohana Retsu had Kotetsu Isane come find him, which also made Bai Ye a bit strange.
"Don't mind it, Little Bai Ye, isn't that a good way to address you? I find it very affectionate."
"When I called you Little Retsu, your gaze was practically trying to kill me!"
Bai Ye retorted. It was good, but only for Unohana Retsu. If it were anyone else, it definitely wouldn't be good.
Back then, when Bai Ye heard Unohana Retsu call him that, he would retort. He originally thought she would say it was good, and then he would use her method on her. But he still couldn't forget how much killing intent was hidden beneath Unohana Retsu's smiling eyes at that time.
"Lieutenant Bai Ye, you are truly brave..."
He had already experienced it once, and he still dared to say it now?
Kotetsu Isane looked back and forth between Bai Ye and Unohana Retsu, feeling that the atmosphere seemed to have reached an irreversible point.
They wouldn't actually start fighting, would they?
"So, Little Bai Ye, after this training, do you feel that your strength has grown and you want to ask the Captain for guidance?"
Although Unohana Retsu usually appeared smiling and gave off an impression of being gentle and calm, whenever she heard Bai Ye say "Little Retsu," it always made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
It seemed that as the first Kenpachi who was a mass murderer, only such a thing would make Unohana Retsu feel for a moment that she wanted to cut Bai Ye down.
In the entire Soul Society, she felt that only Bai Ye could now evoke emotional fluctuations in her.
"Let's not, after all, Retsu, you know I don't like fighting."
Who in the entire Soul Society didn't know he disliked fighting?
Anyway, ever since this rumor appeared, Bai Ye had never denied it, and others naturally all accepted it.
Moreover, this rumor directly made Bai Ye happy.
He was still thinking of excuses, but now they were prepared for him, weren't they?
"But Lieutenant Bai Ye's Reiryoku seems to be stronger than before!"
Kotetsu Isane mumbled. She always felt Bai Ye's Reiryoku was getting stronger.
He clearly disliked fighting, so why did he keep training?
And Bai Ye had never directly responded to this matter. Others had asked before, but Bai Ye had brushed them off with a laugh.
She originally thought Bai Ye would still brush it off like before this time, but this time, Bai Ye gave her a completely different feeling. He actually admitted it?
"Haha, although I don't like fighting, training still cannot be neglected. Although our Fourth Division is a medical division, no matter what, we are still Shinigami of the Gotei 13."
"En, training indeed cannot be neglected, but don't put too much pressure on yourself."
Unohana Retsu nodded. After joining the Fourth Division, Bai Ye had indeed been diligently training, but he had never fought.
Regardless of whether Bai Ye liked fighting or not, she quite liked his diligent training attitude.
When recruiting new members, she had no special requirements; anyone could come. But if the person knew some Kido, it would be even better.
Even after becoming a Captain, she had changed a lot of her personality, but she was still Kenpachi; the essence within her would never change.
"Actually, there isn't much pressure, but Retsu, do you need something from me?"
Unohana Retsu seeking him out was clearly not for reminiscing.
Unohana Retsu was gentle to everyone, and even Bai Ye didn't think their relationship was particularly special.
As a Captain, Unohana Retsu was very busy every day. Taking time to see him, she must have something to arrange for him.
Injured people?
But it seemed there hadn't been any wars in the Soul Society recently, had there?
"Actually, I want to go gather some herbs, and I need someone to go with me. I thought since you just came out of seclusion, we could go together. After all, we haven't acted together in a long time, and there's something else I need to tell you later."
Two of them?
Bai Ye was a little surprised but nodded and agreed.
Unohana Retsu liked climbing mountains, but climbing mountains was only for gathering herbs.
"Isane, if anyone looks for me, tell them I went to gather herbs."
"Understood, Captain!"
Kotetsu Isane responded.
"Then let's go, Little Bai Ye. We can chat as we walk."
"Alright, Retsu. Also, can you please not call me Little Bai Ye?"
"I know, Little Bai Ye!"
"..."
As expected.
Was this Unohana Retsu's mischievous side?
She seemed to have noticed that he really disliked this address, so she kept calling him that, seemingly enjoying seeing his reaction.
The gentler a woman appeared on the surface, the more devious she was on the inside.
Bai Ye wondered if he should also do something to make Unohana Retsu lose her composure.
After thinking about it, Bai Ye gave up. It didn't align with his path of caution.
He had to stay cautious.
"Little Bai Ye's malice has been sensed by me!"
Unohana Retsu, walking ahead, turned her head. The warm smile on her face contrasted sharply with her words.
"Retsu, there's a reason you've been single for so many years."
"Too bad, that has no effect on me, Little Bai Ye! I thought you could come up with something better!"
Unohana Retsu was a little disappointed. She had expected Bai Ye to say something that would make her lose her composure, but that was it?
Single?
How many single people were there in the Soul Society? For Shinigami, their lifespans were very long, and most of them didn't care about that at all.
Couldn't he come up with something more impactful?
"But speaking of which, Little Bai Ye, why are you still single when so many girls like you? Is there a problem with your orientation? I can actually help you with treatment; perhaps it's a psychological issue."
Unohana Retsu didn't take his bait and instead threw out a gay question.
Was this still the Unohana Retsu he knew?
Your character has collapsed!
Bai Ye complained inwardly. Was it because he had spent too much time with her and was influenced by him?!
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