Chapter 21

"Don't young people nowadays like uncles?"

On the way back to Karakura Town, Shiba Isshin looked utterly miserable, his whole body covered in a gloomy aura, listless.

He couldn't understand—he wasn't bad-looking, so why didn't young girls like him?

"Congratulations."

Shinji patted him on the shoulder.

"Go, go"

Shiba grumbled in annoyance, then suddenly rolled his eyes and grabbed Shinji's shoulder.

"Does she have any relatives? Introduce them to me..."

Shinji: "..."

Get your hands off me, old man!

"By the way, what exactly happened back there?"

After clearing his throat, Shiba refocused on the important issue.

Earlier, the burst of Reiatsu from the barren mountain had been so overwhelming that even with his understanding of Shinji's power, it still terrified him.

The sheer amount of Reiatsu—if it was from Shinji's Bankai—was on par with a full-powered Captain.

Was that the level of his Bankai?

Shiba thought hard.

Otherwise, such an exaggerated Reiatsu level couldn't be explained.

"It was Kurotsuchi Mayuri."

Under Shiba's astonished gaze, Shinji continued:

"Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri secretly came to the World of the Living to conduct experiments on Quincy. He set up a barrier that prevents other Shinigami from detecting him."

"Then he lured all the Quincies into that barrier and attacked them."

Shiba looked completely shocked.

"Is he insane?"

In Soul Society, Shinigami could only enter the World of the Living through official Senkaimon portals.

And to use the Senkaimon, one needed approval from the Seireitei.

However, there was another way—using privately owned portals.

Some noble families, such as the Four Great Noble Clans, possessed their own Senkaimon.

The Shiba Clan had one, which allowed Shiba Isshin to sneak into the World of the Living to drink without Captain Yamamoto's permission.

Of course, he got scolded by the Captain-Commander every time, but for him, that was a minor inconvenience.

But what Kurotsuchi Mayuri did was completely different.

He wasn't a noble, so he didn't have a private portal.

That meant he must have secretly created his own.

That was strictly forbidden in Soul Society.

And on top of that, he had entered the World of the Living, released his Zanpakutō, captured Quincies, and even engaged in battle.

Each of these acts was a major crime.

"Is he even sane?" Shinji muttered.

Shiba Isshin: "..."

That… actually made a lot of sense.

That guy, Kurotsuchi Mayuri, wasn't a normal person at all.

And normal people wouldn't randomly pick fights with a lunatic like Zaraki Kenpachi either.

"Did you take him down?"

Shiba asked curiously.

"No."

Shinji shook his head.

"Then how did he leave?"

Shiba frowned. Kurotsuchi Mayuri wasn't the type to give up easily.

"It's weird, actually. I just released my Reiatsu, and before I knew it, he had disappeared."

Shinji shrugged.

This was the perfect opportunity to cover up his entry into the Benger Fusion Stage.

Shiba Isshin: "???"

So he ran away because of your Reiatsu?

So it wasn't just me who got scared?

Shiba suddenly felt relieved.

He patted Shinji on the shoulder.

"See? You need to have more confidence in your strength. Even Kurotsuchi Mayuri ran away from you. You don't need to be so cautious all the time."

"When I was young, if I had your level of power, I would've already gone after Captain Unohana."

Shiba sighed dramatically.

Shinji's eyelids twitched.

Unohana Retsu?

You had your sights on her when you were younger?

That's pretty gutsy, man!

"And then?"

Shinji asked, feigning casual curiosity.

"Then..."

Shiba scratched his head awkwardly and laughed dryly.

"Then I realized we weren't a good match. You know, Captain Unohana is way older than me. The age gap was just too much."

The way he said it made it sound like he rejected Unohana.

Like he was the one who wasn't interested in her.

"I think Captain Unohana actually punished you, right?"

Shinji narrowed his eyes at him.

"How did you know?!"

Shiba looked at Shinji in shock. Then, lowering his voice, he warned:

"Listen, let me tell you something—you have to be careful around Captain Unohana."

"She might seem gentle, kind, and motherly, but trust me—she's dangerous."

At that moment, Shiba suddenly remembered his trauma from the past.

Back in the day, he, Kyōraku Shunsui, and Ukitake Jūshirō had all secretly been interested in Unohana Retsu.

Mature women. Elegant. Gentle. Caring.

She was beautiful, had an amazing figure, and an air of dominance.

A perfect goddess.

Of course, they were interested.

So one day, Unohana actually agreed to join them for drinks at a tavern.

And that was the beginning of the nightmare.

The next morning, Shiba woke up, opened his eyes…

And immediately pissed himself.

Because he found himself sandwiched between Kyōraku and Ukitake, with no memory of what had happened.

They were spooning.

It was a tragic tale of three grown men.

Nothing actually happened that night… but the psychological damage was permanent.

From that day forward, all three of them saw Unohana Retsu as a walking disaster.

And whenever they encountered her, their legs trembled.

Because every time Shiba closed his eyes, he feared that when he opened them again—

He'd wake up next to a big man.

That was the incident that completely destroyed his dating life.

Ever since then, he had been too scared to pursue any woman.

Shiba's eyes filled with tears.

He wanted to cry… but no tears came.

"..."

Shinji's expression was complicated.

Damn.

He didn't expect that kind of backstory.

This guy had some serious trauma.

And honestly? He was lucky that Unohana didn't dissect him on the spot.

If he actually wanted to impress her, he should've tried a different approach.

Because there was only one way to gain Unohana Retsu's favor—

Defeat her.

If you wanted her attention, you had to completely dominate her in battle.

She wasn't some lovestruck teenager.

Sweet words and gifts wouldn't work on her.

She only acknowledged strength.

If you didn't overpower her, everything else was meaningless.

Clearly, back in the day, Shiba and the others had chosen the wrong way to impress her.

"You really had it rough..."

Shinji patted him on the shoulder.

Shiba Isshin: "???"

Wait.

Why do I feel like you're mocking me?

---

"Don't worry, Shinji. With your talent, you'll definitely become a captain."

After returning to the warehouse, Shiba Isshin patted Shinji on the shoulder earnestly.

"Yeah! Shinji will definitely be the captain!"

Although she didn't really understand what a captain was, Nelliel felt it sounded impressive, so she nodded in agreement.

"Well, with Shinji's level of Reiatsu, as long as there's a vacant captain's position, it's practically guaranteed."

Matsumoto Rangiku stretched her body lazily as she spoke.

Shinji's grip loosened, and the glass of water in his hand fell to the ground with a thud. He looked at them expressionlessly.

What the hell are you guys talking about?

I just want to be a laid-back slacker, peacefully going through the motions at work! And you want me to be a captain?

You're just trying to trick me into fighting the Vasto Lorde, aren't you, you bastards?

"Cough, cough."

Sure enough, Shiba Isshin cleared his throat, sat up straight, and continued, "But if you want to become a captain, you need to have some merit to back it up, right? Think about it, if you can take down this Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar—"

"I refuse." Shinji shook his head without hesitation.

"Just hear me out first." Shiba Isshin was unwilling to give up. "Think about it—your brother, Byakuya Kuchiki, is already the captain of Squad Six. If you become a captain too..."

"Wouldn't that mean the Kuchiki Clan has two captains? What an incredible honor that would be! It would be unprecedented in Soul Society's history!"

His tone was full of temptation. He refused to believe Shinji wouldn't be interested.

For noble families, this kind of prestige was an enormous temptation.

"I still refuse."

Shinji remained unfazed and rejected the idea outright.

Even if I, Kuchiki Shinji, starve to death, drop dead outside, or jump off a building—

I! Will! Never! Be a captain!

If someone else wants to do it, fine! But it's not gonna be me!

Shiba Isshin: "..."

Helplessly scratching his head, Isshin sighed, "Looks like this old man will have to handle it myself... Sigh, can't you take pity on my poor, aging bones?"

With that, he turned to Rangiku. "Any new findings?"

"Nothing yet, Captain. This Vasto Lorde-class Arrancar seems special. He can conceal his Reiatsu entirely. As long as he doesn't release it himself, we won't be able to track him."

Matsumoto Rangiku casually removed her gigai prosthetic and stretched her stiff body.

Shinji couldn't help but take a few extra glances.

I mean, why wouldn't I?

What normal man doesn't like looking at a beautiful woman? It's completely normal, right?

Anyway, I'm a normal guy, so taking a few more looks is fine.

"Does it look good? If you like it, come see me tonight. I'll let you look as much as you want."

Matsumoto Rangiku winked at Shinji and nudged his shoulder playfully.

"Hey, you two—at least pretend to be professional. I'm still right here, you know?"

Shiba Isshin suddenly looked like he had aged several years, pointing at his own nose in exasperation.

"Aww, but Captain, you're not really an outsider, right? Don't you agree, Shinji?"

Smiling sweetly, Matsumoto Rangiku's words delivered a fatal blow to Isshin's heart.

I'm so exhausted… I really want a girlfriend… a warm and soft one...

Shiba Isshin: (crying internally.jpg)

---

That night.

Shinji stood at the highest point of a skyscraper in central Karakura Town, overlooking the cityscape below.

In other areas, Shiba Isshin and Matsumoto Rangiku were also on patrol.

This was already the fourth night of their stakeout.

Yet strangely, the Hollows had completely vanished over the past few days—no disturbances, no activity at all.

"Still nothing?"

Swish!

A gust of wind blew past.

Carrying a faint fresh scent, Kurosaki Masaki suddenly squatted down beside Shinji.

Shinji glanced at her. Under her fluttering school uniform skirt, a pair of black safety shorts stubbornly defended her absolute domain.

"What are you looking at?"

Kurosaki Masaki playfully reprimanded him. Though she sounded like she was scolding him, her tone was more teasing than angry.

The charm of a delicate young girl always carried a unique appeal.

"You're exposed again."

Shinji pointed at her chest.

They were on a building hundreds of meters high, where the wind was strong. And since Kurosaki Masaki was crouching next to him... well...

"Ahhh~ I hate you!"

Kurosaki Masaki jumped up in embarrassment and instinctively threw a punch.

Bang!

The air exploded, and Shinji was sent flying like a rocket.

"Oh no..."

Kurosaki Masaki covered her lips, panicking. She really hadn't meant to punch him that hard—she just reacted on instinct!

But then, to her shock, Shinji casually flew back and landed lightly on the same spot.

"Are you okay? I didn't mean to hit you so hard. If you want... um... you can hit me back if that'll make you feel better..."

Blushing fiercely, Kurosaki Masaki mumbled softly.

She shyly curled her toes against the rooftop, too embarrassed to lift her head.

"I'm fine."

Shinji waved it off.

To be honest, in his current "Hogyoku Fusion State," even if Kurosaki Masaki tried to seriously injure him, she probably wouldn't even break his defenses.

A single punch? Not even remotely enough to hurt him.

"Ah... huh?"

Kurosaki Masaki sneaked a glance at him with her flushed face, realizing that Shinji hadn't even acknowledged her earlier words.

Suddenly, she felt... conflicted.

Was she relieved? Or maybe a little disappointed?

Her emotions were a mess.

"...It'll be soon."

Shinji's gaze remained fixed on the city lights below.

"The longer he stays hidden, the more inevitable it becomes that he'll act soon."

A Hollow that suppresses its instincts can only hold back for so long.

Eventually, hunger will take over.

And once that hunger sets in... the Hollow will hunt again.

"By the way," Shinji glanced at the orange-haired girl beside him, casually ignoring her small movements as she inched closer.

"Why did you even join this mission?"

Kurosaki Masaki leaned against him with a relaxed expression and answered matter-of-factly, "Because I'm a Quincy."

"I'm a Quincy, so if Hollows are invading my city, of course I have to step in."

A Quincy, huh?

Shinji studied her in silence for a moment.

Kurosaki Masaki's face gradually turned redder under his gaze.

Finally, he reached out and lightly ruffled her short orange hair.

"Let me correct you—"

"Karakura Town belongs to me."