Chapter 94: The Captain Commander’s Return

At mealtime, Sasakibe Chōjirō arrived with a food box, finding Yamabuki Haruto lounging grandly at the entrance.

Chōjirō peeked inside curiously. Haruto swatted the back of his head. “Kid, what’re you staring at?”

Chōjirō whispered, “Brother Haruto, can you guard her alone? Should I call reinforcements?”

“If I can’t handle her, you definitely can’t,” Haruto chuckled. “Heard you were the first to charge when she stormed in, huh? Bold move!”

Chōjirō’s face lit up with a shy smile.

“But also the first to get flattened,” Haruto added, smacking Chōjirō’s head again. “Can’t you gauge an opponent’s strength before rushing in? Strategic retreat’s no shame. Now, let’s see what’s for lunch.”

Chōjirō opened the box, revealing an appetizing spread: stewed meat, fried fish, stir-fried vegetables, and two bowls of rice. Haruto’s stomach growled.

“The cafeteria’s stepping up today? Should’ve eaten there,” Haruto said, placing a portion at Unohana’s door. “Time to eat!”

Chōjirō pouted. “This is a special meal Hanako made for you. She wouldn’t even share with me! But… feeding a prisoner like this? Won’t she escape if she’s full?”

Haruto narrowed his eyes. “What do you suggest?”

“Starve her half to death so she’s too weak to run,” Chōjirō said fiercely.

Haruto called into the room, “Hear that, Unohana? Nothing to do with me—this kid’s idea. If you’re hungry, take it up with him!”

Chōjirō’s face paled. That’s not how you play!

“Oh, right, those shackles must make eating tough,” Haruto said, unlocking Unohana’s Reishi-suppressing cuffs. “There you go.”

Chōjirō’s expression worsened. “Brother Haruto, is that safe? Won’t she start trouble again?”

Haruto glanced at Unohana, smiling. “She’s fed for now—no trouble. Go on, get back to your duties.”

Chōjirō hesitated, baffled. She wrecked Seireitei just to eat? Couldn’t she have asked? What a strange woman.

Haruto and Unohana ate, separated by a wall. Hua Zi’s cooking has leveled up, Haruto thought. Though not a fighter, her domestic skills were top-tier, and she had basic medical knowledge.

Unohana handed out her empty bowl, clearly ravenous after their battle. “Want to wash the dishes?” Haruto asked tentatively.

“Mm.” Unohana complied, cleaning the tableware before returning. Haruto reapplied the shackles.

She looked like she wanted to speak but hesitated.

“Problem?” Haruto asked.

“Mm.”

“Tea? We can talk over it,” he offered.

“Mm.”

Haruto brewed a pot of fine tea, pilfered from Yamamoto’s office during a meeting. Unohana sipped delicately and asked, “What exactly are you?”

Haruto bristled. What’s that supposed to mean? “What do you mean, ‘what am I’? I’m right here, plain as day.”

“Normal humans don’t regenerate like that. An ordinary person would’ve died multiple times in our fight,” Unohana said, her tone certain. Though not yet a doctor, her killing expertise told her Haruto’s survival was unnatural.

Eliminate the impossible, and what remains is the truth, she thought. “You’re not human.”

“You’re the one who’s not human! Your whole family’s not human!” Haruto shot back. So what if I’ve got Quincy Reishi control, Blut Vene, Hierro, and super-speed regeneration? That doesn’t make me inhuman. Evidence, lady, or I’ll sue for slander.

“Let’s talk about you instead,” Haruto said. “You’ve wrecked Seireitei and slaughtered half of Central 46—”

“One was your kill. Don’t pin it on me,” Unohana interjected with a smile.

“Fine, one was mine, but you did most of it! When the Captain-Commander returns, you’re done for,” Haruto said. Central 46 was terrified; they’d never let her live.

Unohana showed no fear, listening quietly.

“There’s one way to survive: join the Gotei 13,” Haruto continued. “We’re separate from Central 46—their authority can’t touch us. Join, and those old men can’t do a thing. Don’t let the old man’s stingy, stern face fool you; he protects his own. With your strength…” He trailed off, recalling her terrifying power. The Gotei 13 wouldn’t refuse her.

Unohana gazed at the falling cherry blossoms, then said, “I’ll join, but only if I’m in your squad. That’s my condition.”

Haruto, Vice-Captain of the First Division, hesitated. The First Division? “Fine, I agree,” he said, figuring he’d secure her commitment first.

Unohana smiled. “By the way, these clothes are unusual. I’ve never seen them in Rukongai. New style?”

“Seireitei’s latest fashion,” Haruto said, puffing his chest. His clothing shop set trends for centuries.

Suddenly, Chōjirō’s voice rang out: “Brother Haruto, the Captain-Commander’s back!”