Chapter 572: Captain Unohana and Aizen
Chapter 572: Captain Unohana and Aizen
Squad 4 Barracks.
Following behind Fengye was Lilisse, and Soifon was accompanied by a squad of four secret mobile forces. The two walked side by side towards the main entrance of the Squad 4 barracks.
The task at hand was to bring the seventh seat officer of Squad 4 to the Worm's Nest for custody. This seventh seat officer had not actually committed any wrongdoing, but as he wanted to leave the squad voluntarily, the consequence was confinement in the Worm's Nest.
It was not permitted for members of the Gotei 13 to leave based on their personal wishes. Retirement was only allowed if they were of old age and granted approval by the Gotei 13 or if they found other work sanctioned by the Central 46 Chambers. Otherwise, they would be imprisoned in the Worm's Nest.
The Gotei 13 was considered a noble organization by the Central 46 Chambers, and it was deemed unacceptable for there to be unsuitable members within their ranks.
Previously, Kisuke Urahara had been responsible for overseeing the Worm's Nest, and even after becoming the captain of Squad 12, he brought Mayuri Kurotsuchi from the depths of the Nest to serve as his lieutenant.
Creak!
The door to the Squad 4 barracks soon opened, and the group entered directly into the squad's premises.
"Have you been to Squad 4 before?" Soifon asked, looking at Fengye.
She noticed that Fengye seemed familiar with the layout of the barracks, navigating the turns with ease as if he had been there many times before.
Squad 4 was the medical unit, and they usually had little interaction with Squad 2 except when squad members required medical treatment. So it was unusual for Fengye to be so acquainted with the place.
"No," Fengye replied calmly. "I've seen the internal structure diagrams of all the squad barracks and committed them to memory."
As a rather unique Squad 2, it was necessary to be familiar with the internal structure of other squads, as there were often secret investigations that required visits to other squad barracks.
"..." Soifon's eyes twitched, and she had a few choice words she wanted to say. Here was Fengye, who had mastered Hakuda and Shunpo in just a few months, and he still had the energy to learn other things on top of that!
Was this man's energy boundless?!
A squad's barracks were quite large due to the substantial number of members, and as Shinigami, they required various facilities. Squad 4, in particular, had one of the largest barracks as the medical unit, with a hospital ward and various other sections.
Soon, the group arrived outside a separate courtyard.
As seated officers of the Gotei 13, they were entitled to their own small courtyard residences within the squad. Vice-captains had slightly larger accommodations, and captains might even have dedicated personnel to tend to their daily needs.
In the courtyard, a man with a haggard appearance sat in one corner. He was the seventh seat officer of Squad 4. Soifon calmly walked up to him and said in a low voice, "Your request to leave the squad has been approved."
"..." The man remained seated, unmoving.
Soifon waved her hand, and the secret mobile force members behind her immediately stepped forward to lift the man to his feet. He offered no resistance, merely glancing at Fengye and then looking at him again with a slightly strange gaze before returning to his dejected state.
"What happened to him?" Soifon frowned slightly, seeing the man's depressed state. It was displeasing to her to see a seated officer of the Gotei 13 in such a state.
One of the secret mobile force members beside her whispered, "According to intelligence, his lover was seriously injured in a recent battle, and he was present but unable to save her with his medical skills. He felt that if he couldn't even save his lover, then there was no point in continuing as a Shinigami, so he voluntarily requested to leave the squad."
Soifon glanced at the speaker and said coldly, "To lose your will just because of something like this... you are indeed unqualified to be a member of the Gotei 13."
The seated officer looked at Soifon, and amidst his dejection, there was a hint of sarcasm in his voice as he said, "Hmph, how would you know what it's like since you've never lost anyone?"
Soifon replied indifferently, "I may not have a lover, but I had five older brothers, and they all died on missions. While I was saddened by their deaths, I also felt ashamed of their incompetence... So don't use your inability to save someone as an excuse for your own weakness."
As she finished speaking, Soifon turned away, unwilling to continue the conversation, and gestured to her subordinates. They promptly led the seated officer away.
Fengye watched this unfold with a calm expression.
People born into different environments fostered different beliefs and wills. Soifon was born into a lower-class noble family with a legacy of assassination and execution, and she took pride in her strength and considered it an honor to serve under the Four Noble Houses, particularly the Tenjiro clan of the Heavenly Guard Unit.
Differing ideologies led to vastly different outlooks on life and values, but Fengye did not judge; he merely observed without interfering. In fact, he rather admired Soifon's conviction.
After dealing with the seated officer, the group quickly made their way out of Squad 4.
However, after walking for a while, Soifon's steps suddenly halted as she noticed several figures approaching from the front. She maintained her composure and greeted them calmly.
"Captain Unohana," Fengye also greeted Captain Unohana, who was walking towards them.
Captain Retsu Unohana, dressed in the captain's black and white haori, approached with a gentle demeanor. She glanced at the seated officer being escorted by the secret mobile force and then turned her attention to Soifon, nodding as she said, "I've been informed of the situation. Please take him away."
She paused for a moment and then looked at Fengye, a gentle smile appearing on her face as she said, "Also, could I ask Vice-captain Hatake to stay for a moment?"
Soifon was not surprised that Captain Unohana didn't stand in their way. In her impression, the captain of Squad 4 was easy to get along with and wouldn't strongly oppose the rules of the Gotei 13. However, she was a bit taken aback when the captain asked Fengye to stay.
As if sensing Soifon's confusion, Captain Unohana spoke in a gentle tone, "Vice-captain Hatake has the strongest spiritual pressure aptitude I've ever seen. But if one's spiritual pressure is too high and they attempt to achieve Bankai prematurely, it may have some adverse effects on themselves. I'd like to give Vice-captain Hatake a quick check-up."
Fengye's lips twitched as he replied, "Thank you for your concern, Captain Unohana, but there's nothing unusual about my body, so there's no need for a check-up."
A medical examination?
What a lame excuse to find him! Even if he was interested in Captain Unohana's sword training progress, it was obvious that he wouldn't stay for such a reason!
Captain Unohana revealed a gentle smile and said, "Since Vice-captain Hatake doesn't feel there's an issue, perhaps I'm just overthinking it. Feel free to visit me whenever you have the time."
"Sure."
"Then I won't see you out."
Captain Unohana addressed Fengye and Soifon with a gentle demeanor, then watched as they disappeared into the distance before turning towards the nearby courtyard.
Now that she was away from Captain Unohana, Soifon finally felt the tension in her heart ease. She didn't know why, but Captain Unohana's gentle smile had made her feel inexplicably tense, causing her entire body to tighten up.
At this moment, as the tension dissipated, she even felt cold sweat on her forehead, and she noticed that several of her subordinates were also drenched in sweat, as if they had just recovered from a suffocating sense of oppression.
In the past, they had never felt such pressure when encountering Captain Unohana. This time, it was probably because they were there to capture one of her squad members that they got to experience her terrifying side.
Fortunately, she hadn't stood in their way.
Soifon took a breath and glanced at Fengye, only to see that he was as calm as ever, not as tense as she had been, and seemingly unaffected by any pressure.
"So he can remain composed even when facing other captains..."
Soifon murmured to herself, once again feeling the gap between her and Fengye.
She needed to keep cultivating! At the very least, she had to master her Bankai to even slightly catch up with Fengye.
After leaving Squad 4, the group headed towards the northwest corner of Squad 2's barracks, where the Worm's Nest was located.
Along the way, they occasionally encountered members of other squads. Upon seeing Fengye, they would greet him respectfully. Although they weren't from the same squad, it was customary for squad members to greet vice-captains proactively; otherwise, it would be considered extremely impolite.
While not many members of the other squads knew Fengye, they immediately recognized his vice-captain armband and understood his identity.
Therefore, after greeting Fengye, they would often pause and stare at his departing back with curious eyes.
"That's the guy who achieved Bankai on the first day of receiving his Zanpakuto, right? Vice-captain Hatake of Squad 2."
"Yes, it's him, no doubt."
The squad members whispered to each other. Even after so long, this matter still stirred emotions within them. After a few quiet discussions, they finally parted ways.
Fengye and Soifon's group continued on their way. As they finally approached Squad 2's barracks, a few more Shinigami came from the opposite direction. This time, however, they were not ordinary squad members but a vice-captain—the vice-captain of Squad 5's rescue unit, Sosuke Aizen!
The White Wolf had appeared.
Fengye chuckled to himself.
Come to think of it, the Gotei 13 was quite like a game of Werewolf. Aizen was the White Wolf King, accompanied by Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen, his two wolves. They kept pushing aggressively, but Shinji Hirako, the Prophet, failed to reveal himself and vote for inspection early on, ultimately leading to the expulsion of not only Kisuke Urahara but also innocent civilians like Tessai Tsukabishi...
Aizen was indeed powerful, but Kisuke Urahara, Genryuusai Yamamoto, and Yoruichi Shihoin were not pushovers either. Moreover, Aizen had not yet conquered Hueco Mundo or obtained the perfect Hogyoku during this period, and one of his two combat forces, Gin Ichimaru, was a spy. Despite these challenges, he meticulously planned and successfully broke the century-old status quo of the Kuchiki Family. Even Fengye admired his achievements in this world.
For those who displayed extraordinary talent in a world, whether they were heroes or villains, Fengye would not hesitate to give his praise.
So...
Now that I, a vice-captain who has achieved Bankai, have suddenly appeared in this world, what will you do, Sosuke Aizen?
Fengye smiled as he faced the approaching Aizen, greeting him calmly, "Good morning, Vice-captain Aizen."
Standing behind Aizen was Gin Ichimaru, indicating that he had already become Aizen's subordinate. In normal circumstances, Aizen's plan to betray the Soul Society should be imminent, but with Fengye's presence, the timeline was now uncertain.
Gin Ichimaru, a brilliant genius who graduated from the Central Spiritual Arts Academy in just one year, was exceptionally talented, but his brilliance also served to obscure his presence, making him seem unremarkable and drawing less attention. This might be the only benefit his existence brought to Aizen's plan.
"Good morning, Vice-captain Hatake," Aizen replied with a gentle and friendly expression. "I've been busy with various matters and haven't had the chance to visit you, Vice-captain Hatake. My apologies."
Fengye replied casually, "Don't mention it. I've also been remiss in not visiting the other vice-captains. The fault is mine as well."
Aizen smiled and said, "As it happens, the Sakura Festival will be held the day after tomorrow. Let's have a drink together then, Vice-captain Hatake."
"Sure."
Fengye nodded calmly.
Aizen maintained his gentle and friendly demeanor as he said, "Then we won't disturb your work any further. I also have some matters to attend to."
After saying this, Aizen politely nodded to Fengye and walked in the opposite direction.
As Aizen passed by Fengye's group, the smile on his face gradually faded, and he gently adjusted his glasses.
"Indeed... He's not a simple person."
(End of Chapter)
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