Chapter 23: Suspicious Perfection |
Seireitei.
Yeruashi and Soi Fon stood before Yamamoto Genryusai in the office of the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13.
Soi Fon recounted the events to the Captain-Commander while Yeruashi stood silently by her side.
By this time, Soi Fon had already changed her clothes, but her face remained pale, and a temporary bandage was hidden beneath her fresh uniform.
"Hollows with such diverse abilities and traits, yet possessing spiritual pressure on the level of a Gillian... such Hollows are truly rare. The appearance of four of them in a single place is even more unusual."
The Captain-Commander listened intently to the report before closing his eyes. After a moment, he said calmly, "Have the captain of the Ninth Division personally lead the investigation."
Since these mutated Hollows posed a threat even to a commander of the Onmitsukido, he had no choice but to entrust the investigation of this incident to a captain of the Gotei 13.
"Understood."
The Soul Reaper standing at the entrance immediately acknowledged the command and left the room.
"Yes, sir."
Soi Fon responded immediately to the Captain-Commander.
Her expression darkened as she whispered to Yeruashi upon leaving the office, "I have a feeling this is far more complicated than it appears on the surface."
"Who knows..."
Yeruashi replied with a slight shake of his head.
Leaving the Captain-Commander's office, they headed straight to the Second Division headquarters, where they encountered Yoruichi, who had just returned from a mission.
"You’ve worked hard."
Yoruichi gave Yeruashi and Soi Fon a serious look before nodding in satisfaction.
Soi Fon had faced immense challenges after completing a vital mission flawlessly, and Yeruashi had reacted promptly to save her in the captain's absence.
"Lady Yoruichi..."
Soi Fon lowered her head and whispered apologetically.
She had handled the mission well but had gravely underestimated the external circumstances, resulting in the loss of several members of the Onmitsukido.
Yoruichi shook her head and placed a hand on Soi Fon’s head. "You did well... and you too, Yeruashi."
She looked at Yeruashi while continuing to stroke Soi Fon's hair.
Yeruashi calmly replied, "I was merely performing my duties as Lieutenant. If there is nothing else, Captain, I’ll take my leave."
Yoruichi cast a fleeting glance at Yeruashi's retreating back before looking at the dejected Soi Fon and leading her to the captain's private quarters.
Once they entered the Second Division captain's quarters, Yoruichi asked seriously, "Were you injured?"
"No, it's fine... ah, wait... Lady Yoruichi..."
Soi Fon’s words were cut short as Yoruichi began to strip away her clothing.
Soi Fon raised her hands in protest, but Yoruichi ignored her and cast the clothes aside to look at the temporary bandage, which was already being soaked through with blood.
Yoruichi sighed helplessly at the sight. "Just as I thought..."
"Without proper medical treatment, this will leave a scar that stays with you forever."
Blushing, Soi Fon lowered her head and whispered shyly, "So be it..."
As the commander of the Onmitsukido’s Punishment Force and the head of the Captain-Commander's security, Soi Fon had dedicated her entire life to Yoruichi. Scars meant nothing to her.
Yet, as a young woman, she couldn't be entirely indifferent. Yoruichi's concern left her feeling embarrassed and flustered.
"Don’t you dare say that!"
Yoruichi grumbled, tracing a finger over the bandaged wound. "Your future lover certainly wouldn't like it..."
Soi Fon opened her mouth to argue, but Yeruashi’s image suddenly flashed through her mind. She shook her head violently to dispel it and said with burning cheeks, "That will never happen! My only duty in this life is to fight for Lady Yoruichi!"
Yoruichi couldn't help but chuckle at Soi Fon’s behavior. "I appreciate your dedication... but these mutated Hollows aren't worth carrying a permanent reminder of. I won't let you bear this scar. Get dressed, quickly. Follow me!"
With that, she opened the door and stepped out.
"Yes, Lady Yoruichi!"
Soi Fon took a deep breath, composed herself, and dressed quickly to catch up with Yoruichi.
Soon, the two left the Second Division and arrived at the gates of the Fourth Division.
"Captain Shihoin!"
As a rule, the gates of the Fourth Division were open twenty-four hours a day to avoid any delay in treating injured Soul Reapers. Despite the early hour, a sentry was on duty. He greeted them politely and immediately ushered Yoruichi and Soi Fon inside.
Shortly after, they arrived at the central area of the Fourth Division and headed straight to Retsu Unohana’s residence.
"Good morning, Captain Shihoin."
Retsu Unohana, already informed of their arrival, was waiting at the entrance with a gentle, welcoming smile.
Yoruichi nodded politely. "Good morning, Captain Unohana. Forgive the early intrusion, but my subordinate, Soi Fon..."
Yoruichi followed Unohana inside, detailing the situation as they walked.
Unohana listened intently, only nodding calmly when the mutated Hollows were mentioned. As one of the oldest captains in the Gotei 13, she had encountered countless foes; mutated Hollows were nothing new to her.
The only thing that elicited even a faint reaction was the mention of Lieutenant Hatake arriving just in time to save Soi Fon's life.
Nevertheless, Unohana entered the room and began her examination without comment. "Now, show me the wound."
Soi Fon calmly removed her clothing to reveal the hastily bandaged injury.
Unohana carefully removed the dressing and inspected the wound for a moment. Then, she let out a deep breath and placed her hands over it, her palms glowing with a soft light.
The healing process brought pain and stinging, but Soi Fon remained motionless. She refused to show any sign of weakness in front of Lady Yoruichi.
...
Suddenly, Unohana frowned and leaned closer to the wound.
Seeing the sudden change in the usually unflappable Unohana, Yoruichi asked with concern, "Is there a problem?"
Unohana closed her eyes and slowly traced the edge of the injury. "The issue lies with the Reiatsu of the mutated Hollow that inflicted this wound. It seems significantly different from that of a normal Hollow."
"The treatment...?"
Yoruichi looked at Unohana anxiously.
The captain of the Fourth Division shook her head. "Healing the physical injury is simple enough, but this unusual Reiatsu has left a brand upon the spiritual body. It’s practically impossible to erase without a detailed study of the mutated Hollow’s energy."
Yoruichi frowned, feeling a headache coming on. "Those mutated Hollows were already destroyed..."
"In that case, things are much more complicated."
Unohana lowered her hands.
Soi Fon tried to reassure Yoruichi, "Such trifles won't affect my ability to fight!"
Yoruichi rubbed her temples and sighed.
She had assumed it would be easy for Unohana to not only heal the wound but erase the scar. She hadn't expected the Hollow's Reiatsu to be such a nuisance.
Unohana glanced at the two of them, then narrowed her eyes slightly. "Since Lieutenant Yeruashi was the one who killed that mutated Hollow, he must be more familiar with its spiritual properties than anyone else. Perhaps he can help me find a way to treat it..."
"Then I’ll go find him right away. My apologies for the trouble, Captain Unohana."
Yoruichi thanked her and vanished instantly.
...
A short while later.
At the residence of the Second Division’s Lieutenant.
Yeruashi sat comfortably in a wooden chair within his modest but elegant living room.
He looked up from his book and smiled as Yoruichi appeared before him using Shunpo. "What makes you think I memorized the specifics of that Hollow's Reiatsu? Even if I did, can someone else’s energy really be described in words? Mimicking it isn't exactly possible either."
"But Captain Unohana suggested it... do you really have no impression of the Reishi or the structure of such an unusual Hollow?"
Yoruichi grabbed a piece of cloth and waved it right in front of Yeruashi's eyes as he tried to keep reading. "Lieutenant Hatake, I know you’re tired, but you’re coming with me!"
Yeruashi suddenly snatched the cloth and teased her with it. Yoruichi instinctively followed the movement with her eyes before lunging like a cat to grab it.
Yeruashi grinned, as if he had made a fascinating discovery, and jerked his hand away just as she was about to grab it.
Yoruichi pounced again, trying to catch the corner of the escaping fabric.
At the same time, Yeruashi raised his hand high, leaving her grasping at air, and began waving the cloth playfully.
Yoruichi darted back and forth several more times but failed to catch the cloth.
Finally, Yoruichi vanished and reappeared behind Yeruashi, locking her arm around his neck. "Let's go! That's an order from your captain!" she threatened.
"Alright, alright..."
Yeruashi laughed, finding her cat-like instincts quite unexpected and amusing. He set the cloth aside and called out, "Hisana, Rukia, I’m heading out on business."
Yeruashi left his home with Yoruichi after notifying Hisana and Rukia.
Yoruichi looked back and smirked mischievously. "Don't you have a few too many 'little sisters'? Are you using that as a cover to build yourself a..."
"It's just a coincidence," Yeruashi replied nonchalantly.
Yoruichi looked him dead in the eye. "You aren't planning on making my division commander your 'little sister' as well, are you?"
Yeruashi: "?!"
Could such baseless suspicions really be the price for his irresistible charm and charisma? He supposed he would just have to bear the burden...
On their way, they encountered three Soul Reapers from the Second Division who bowed politely upon seeing them.
Notably, all three of them were women.
"Good morning, Captain! Good morning, Lieutenant!"
"Good morning," Yeruashi replied politely.
The women blushed deeply and lowered their heads as the two walked past.
Seeing her subordinates' reaction, Yoruichi slapped her forehead and looked at Yeruashi with a twitching lip. "You’re far too popular with the ladies!"
Yeruashi merely shrugged carelessly, continuing his steady pace.
Yoruichi sighed, remembering Soi Fon's strange behavior after the Hollow attack...
From a certain perspective, there was nothing wrong with Soi Fon having feelings for Yeruashi. He wasn't just popular and attractive; he projected an aura of absolute reliability.
That was exactly the problem. He was too perfect.
Talent, intellect, character, and temperament...
While Yeruashi might not be flawless in every single thing, the sum of his parts made him the most perfect person she had ever met.
This perfection made Yoruichi suspect that Yeruashi might be hiding something.
Yoruichi had always been confident in her ability to read people, yet even now, she couldn't see through Yeruashi.
He remained a mystery to her, even after all the time he had spent in the Second Division.
Especially now.
Soi Fon had been attacked by several very unusual Hollows while on a mission, and Yeruashi had saved her at the absolute last second.
Either the attack or the last-minute rescue would be rare on their own. Both happening together? That was suspicious.
It was definitely something to ponder.
Perhaps this string of coincidences wasn't a coincidence at all...
Furthermore.
Unohana’s suggestion to discuss the Hollow’s energy with Yeruashi seemed normal, but Yoruichi’s instincts told her otherwise.
Had Unohana also developed doubts about Yeruashi after speaking with Soi Fon?
Yet, Yoruichi had found no proof, not even a single clear hint to back up her suspicions.
'I have a very bad feeling about this...' Yoruichi thought, mentally reviewing the events of recent years—from the unprecedented spiritual disturbance that shook Soul Society and Hueco Mundo, to Retsu Unohana’s Bankai release against an incredibly powerful Hollow, to the disappearances in Rukongai.
At first glance, none of these events seemed related to the incident with the mutated Hollows, but when she tried to weave them together, a dark and ominous picture began to form.
It was the very absence of anomalies in Yeruashi’s behavior that made Yoruichi suspect he was somehow connected to every anomaly surrounding them.
It was a contradictory thought, but that was often how the world worked. People who seemed suspicious were usually harmless, while those who appeared perfectly normal were often the most dangerous.
Yeruashi had behaved perfectly since he first appeared near the Seireitei, but the events occurring around him were anything but normal.
Just what role did Yeruashi play in all of this?
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* Source: Russian text (Web novel style).
* Target: English (Modern web novel style).
* Genre: Fantasy/Cultivation/Crossover (Naruto/Bleach elements).
* Tone: Smooth, captivating, rhythmic, avoiding archaisms.
* Constraint Check:
* Preserve all paragraphs.
* No Markdown.
* Immutable HTML structure.
* No Chinese/Korean/Russian characters in output.
* No source website mentions.
* Standard double quotes for speech, single quotes for thoughts.
* No author notes.
* Chapter title format: "Chapter [number]: [title]".
* Glossary compliance.
* Yeruashi Hatake (Yeruashi)
* Yoruichi Shihoin (Yoruichi)
* Retsu Unohana (Unohana)
* Soi Fon (Soi Fon)
* Second Division, Fourth Division, Gotei 13
* Zanpakuto, Reiatsu, Hollow, Shinigami
* Great Sword Master
* Illusory Clock, Reverse Time Flow
Title:* Том 4. Глава 24. Ненасытная женщина! -> Chapter 24: An Insatiable Woman!
Paragraph 1:* Yoruichi and Yeruashi arrive at the Fourth Division.
Paragraph 2:* Yoruichi calls for Captain Unohana.
Paragraph 3:* Unohana greets Yeruashi politely.
Paragraph 4:* Yeruashi responds friendly.
Paragraph 5:* Unohana discusses Soi Fon's injury and the "mutated Hollow's" Reiatsu causing a scar.
Paragraph 6:* Yeruashi claims ignorance.
Paragraph 7:* Unohana asks for a private chat for more info.
Paragraph 8:* Yeruashi agrees effortlessly.
Paragraph 9:* Unohana tells Yoruichi to watch over Soi Fon.
Paragraph 10:* Yoruichi smiles but feels tension; she stays behind.
Deep Walk:* They go deep into the Fourth Division barracks.
Paragraph 12:* Yeruashi jokes about being angry if there's no reason for this walk.
Paragraph 13:* Unohana promises not to disappoint.
Paragraph 14:* Secret passage, stairs.
Paragraph 15:* Unohana mentions their past "amazing battle" and wanting mutual pleasure this time.
Paragraph 16:* Yeruashi says it'll be different.
Paragraph 17:* Unohana says she'll please him.
The Arena:* Underground training ground.
Paragraph 19:* Barriers, kendo training.
Paragraph 20:* Unohana draws her Zanpakuto; her "kind sister" facade vanishes, replaced by a deadly swordsman from hell.
Paragraph 21:* Yeruashi feels the sword intent. Her eyes are razor-sharp.
Paragraph 22:* Great Sword Master!!
Paragraph 23:* Yeruashi is impressed. He notes her talent.
Paragraph 24:* Reflections on her past, how she reached a peak and got limited, and how Shinigami usually ignore deep sword mastery.
Paragraph 25:* But Unohana's talent is high. Yeruashi just pointed the way; she became a Great Sword Master in a few years.
Dialogue:* Yeruashi warns it might be the last time.
Paragraph 27:* Unohana pleads. To her, no battles = death. She'll do anything in return.
Paragraph 28:* Yeruashi asks if she'd betray the Gotei 13.
Paragraph 29:* She smiles, says no problem, but doubts he'd ask.
Paragraph 30:* He asks why she thinks so.
Paragraph 31:* Intuition. She felt his will last time.
The Fight:* She is an "insatiable predator" for power and mastery.
Paragraph 34:* Challenge accepted.
Paragraph 35:* She attacks instantly.
Aftermath:* They leave hours later.
Paragraph 37:* Unohana walks casually, Yeruashi behind.
Paragraph 38:* Unohana is stronger (30% attack boost), nearing Yamamoto's power.
Paragraph 39:* Hard for Yeruashi to fight with just a Shinigami body/Zanpakuto now. Small gap in skill.
Paragraph 40:* Exciting fight, but she loses again. Time abilities are broken.
Paragraph 41:* Yeruashi used time sparingly to give her pleasure but used 'Reverse Time Flow' to recover energy.
Paragraph 42:* He kept his Reiatsu stable.
Paragraph 43:* She weakened over time and reached her limit.
Healing Soi Fon:* They return. Yoruichi asks what they did for three hours.
Paragraph 45:* Yoruichi asks if they found a cure.
Paragraph 46:* Unohana says yes.
Paragraph 47:* Yoruichi is happy.
Paragraph 48:* Unohana says Yeruashi must participate.
Paragraph 49:* Soi Fon is confused/hesitant.
Paragraph 51:* Yoruichi tells them to start.
Paragraph 52:* Soi Fon blushes; her back will be exposed.
Paragraph 54:* Yoruichi says don't worry about trifles.
Paragraph 55:* Soi Fon undresses her upper body. Big wound.
Paragraph 56:* Unohana lets Yeruashi take the lead.
Paragraph 57:* Yeruashi doesn't touch her, just draws out the foreign Reiatsu.
Paragraph 58:* Ring of blood forms, energy dissipates.
Paragraph 59:* Unohana finishes with medical Kido.
Paragraph 60:* Wound is mostly gone, just a faint line left.
Paragraph 61:* Done.
Paragraph 62:* Yoruichi thanks her.
Paragraph 63:* Unohana offers tea.
Paragraph 64:* Yoruichi declines, but says she'll visit later.
Paragraph 65:* Unohana tells her to bring Yeruashi.
Conclusion:* Soi Fon realizes Yeruashi left.
Paragraph 67:* Where is Lieutenant Hatake?
Paragraph 68:* He left already. Yoruichi jokes he wasn't interested in her "underdeveloped body."
Paragraph 69:* Soi Fon is outraged.
Paragraph 70:* Yoruichi laughs, admits it was a joke; he left immediately after his part.
Paragraph 71:* Soi Fon is annoyed at both, but secretly upset he didn't stay to care about her recovery.
Paragraph 72:* Yoruichi leads her away, laughing.
Paragraph 73:* Soi Fon follows.
* Check Glossary: Yeruashi Hatake, Yoruichi, Unohana, Soi Fon, Second Division, Fourth Division, Gotei 13, Zanpakuto, Reiatsu, Hollow, Shinigami, Great Sword Master, Illusory Clock, Reverse Time Flow.
* Check Formatting: No markdown. HTML structure preserved. Single quotes for thoughts.
* Check Language: Vivid, modern, varied dialogue synonyms.
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