"By the way, why does Arata train so hard?"
In the cafeteria, Aoga, who had already eaten well, asked the question she had been holding back for a long time.
Kanisawa Hotaru stopped flipping through her book and said,
"Isn't that question more suitable for Hisagi?"
"After all, you two have been roommates for six years."
As the only woman in their group of four, Kanisawa actually knew the least about Arata.
In six years, the two of them hadn't exchanged more than ten sentences, and even those were short interactions during class.
However, Shūhei, the one mentioned, simply shook his head.
"I'm afraid I'll disappoint you."
"I don't know much more about Arata than you do."
"Even though we live in the same dormitory, all I've ever said to him is 'good morning.'"
In his memory, Arata got up earlier than everyone else every day and returned the latest.
Even after classes, he would visit instructors for advice, then go to the training grounds, where he continued practicing late into the night.
Because of overtraining, he often ended up in the Fourth Division infirmary, until Vice President Shibata Mitsunobu changed the rules and banned students from training at night.
Even after that, Arata still trained more than anyone else.
"Maybe he knows his talent is weak, so he's trying to make up for it with effort that surpasses ordinary limits," Shūhei said after a short pause.
Kanisawa nodded.
As someone who had memorized the entrance exam results of every student from day one, she clearly remembered the differences between them.
Shūhei was the oldest among them and had already reached the tenth level of spiritual power when he entered the school.
Before graduation, he had already received an invitation to join the Gotei 13.
Her and Aoga's results were a bit lower. both at the twelfth level of reiatsu, which placed them among the gifted students.
If nothing changed, the three of them would undoubtedly become officers.
Only Arata had the lowest potential. nineteenth level of reiatsu, just above the minimum threshold for a shinigami.
In the entire generation, he was almost at the very bottom.
"But he's been the top of the class for two consecutive years," Aoga said.
"Does he still have to work that hard?"
"It's like he's being chased by the Grim Reaper with a scythe, hahaha!"
"What nonsense are you talking about, idiot? We are the reapers!"
"Eh, Kanisawa, you never have a sense of humor! So serious… you'll never get married!"
"Aoga, haven't you gone too long without a beating?"
"Ah! It hurts, it hurts! Okay, okay, I give up!"
While the two bickered, Shūhei couldn't help but laugh.
It was a rare moment of relief.
But Aoga's joke made him pause for a moment.
Could it be that Arata trains because he senses danger?
He quickly shook his head.
The Soul Society had been peaceful for years.
Where could a threat possibly come from?
Maybe he just... likes to train.
---
"Captain Unohana, please, take a break..."
Arata was breathing heavily, leaning against the wall.
Long hours of combat had exhausted his body.
Even the power of the Soul King's bloodline couldn't completely prevent fatigue.
"Ah, already giving up?"
A dark silhouette appeared before him.
Unohana Retsu stood with a wooden sword in her hand, calm and composed.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, observing him as if she were studying an unpolished gem.
"It seems that aside from kendo, Arata-jun also needs to refine his hakuda," she said quietly.
"Endurance and physical strength are just as important as technique."
He had a poor foundation and insufficient stamina, but his learning speed was astonishing.
Just one hour of combat had been enough for him to rebuild his basic kendo skills.
Unohana noticed this and thought.
This child... reminds me of that Kenpachi.
So much raw potential, yet no one has recognized it.
The Academy has truly declined.
But every power comes at a cost.
His ability to regenerate and recover during battle was impressive, but it drained his body to the limit.
Fortunately, Unohana was carefully monitoring his every move.
Arata knew he could trust her, and continued to push his limits.
"Thank you..." he murmured.
He couldn't say another word before his consciousness faded.
When he opened his eyes, the ceiling was no longer black but white.
The air smelled of herbs and food.
He was lying in a bed, bare-chested, wrapped in sterile bandages.
"Ah..." he muttered softly.
"You're already awake?"
Unohana was standing beside the bed, now dressed in a plain kimono.
There was no coldness on her face, only serenity.
She approached and carefully removed one of the bandages from his chest.
She glanced at a small monitoring device, all the numbers showed zero.
"The patches haven't even started working yet, and your body has already healed itself," she said.
Then she smiled.
"If Captain Mayuri found out about this, he'd immediately dismantle you for research."
"After all, this isn't the body strength of someone who ranked last in the entrance exam."
Arata shivered.
So, she investigated while I was unconscious...
Fortunately, at that moment, his stomach growled loudly, breaking the awkward silence.
Unohana Retsu was also quite understanding and didn't continue asking questions.
Everyone has their secrets.
To her, Arata was now just a piece of unpolished jade worth carving, someone who could help her relieve her boredom...
A toy?
As for other matters, she wasn't particularly interested and had no intention of interfering.
"First, eat. You need plenty of nutrients after such intense training."
"I've prepared a lot of medicinal food, Arata-kun. Make sure you eat it all."
Unohana Retsu placed a tray on the table and invited him to eat.
Arata couldn't find his clothes, so he sat half-naked across from her.
Various dishes were arranged on the table, fragrant soup, fish, rice, and vegetables.
Did Unohana really prepare all this herself?
It didn't match her image as the ruthless warrior of the past.
"Please, enjoy, all of this was prepared for you." Unohana Retsu smiled.
Arata's eyes lit up. "Then... I'll begin!"
The moment he took his first bite, he realized he couldn't live without this woman.
The taste was divine, but what amazed him most was the feeling, a gentle, warm energy flowing through his body, restoring the reiatsu he had lost during training.
"This is...!?"
Arata looked at Unohana in surprise.
"Ah, you noticed that so quickly?"
"It's the essence of reiatsu. I added a small amount to the food."
Unohana pulled out a small blue vial filled with a glowing thick liquid.
"Simply put, it's something that helps the body restore spiritual pressure faster."
"Many years ago, Captain Hikifune gave me a little while she was still in the Gotei 13."
"They say the cost of producing one bottle could buy an entire shop."
Arata was astonished.
So this was Hikifune's creation...
"Captain Unohana, this is far too expensive... how can I repay you?"
Unohana looked up, and that familiar smile appeared on her face, gentle, yet dangerous.
"So, during tonight's training," she said lightly, "Arata-kun... you must endure a few seconds longer."
Arata's face instantly went pale, and he thought,
Completely insane!