For Unohana, her Zanpakutō had never been something she clung to for strength.
Her power did not come from the blade she wielded — it came from herself.
Her Shikai was not suited for combat, and while her Bankai certainly was, she rarely began a battle by using it.
To her, relying on release was a limitation.
Even in the wars nearly a thousand years ago, she preferred the sealed state of her Zanpakutō, using nothing more than her impossibly refined cutting technique to torture her enemies — to death.
To complement her mastery of the blade, she had honed every combat art to its pinnacle: Shunpo, Kidō, Hakuda, and Zanjutsu.
Together, these four disciplines formed a complete arsenal. In battle, Unohana had long ago reached the point of perfection — omnipotence born from experience.
But there was a reason she eventually gave up the name of the First Generation Kenpachi, learned Kaidō, and took command of the Fourth Division.
Because she had lost.
She had lost to someone stronger than herself.
In that man's eyes, she had seen a greater lust for battle than her own.
To satisfy that hunger — to keep that man alive long enough to fight again — she learned Kaidō.
If she could heal, she could make the battle last forever.
If she could mend his wounds, he could enjoy the thrill of combat without end.
Since that defeat, Unohana had been waiting.
Waiting for that man to come to Seireitei again, to challenge her once more.
But she had not expected that, today, in this captain's assessment, she would find another warrior who stirred the same excitement within her — Gosuke Shigure.
He hadn't even released his Zanpakutō.
Just with his cutting technique, Shunpo, and controlled power, he was able to block the strikes she had perfected through hundreds of life-and-death duels.
Unohana's calm gaze shifted; surprise flickered in her eyes.
And then, from deep within her, killing intent began to seep out — subtle at first, then tangible.
Her body trembled slightly beneath her white captain's haori — not from restraint, but from excitement.
"Gosuke Shigure," she said softly, her tone curving into something uncharacteristically sinister, "show me your weight. Can you… please me?"
Those words — coming from the ever-gentle Captain Unohana — were chilling.
The next moment, her blade moved faster than before.
Unohana had grown serious.
Shigure instantly felt the shift in her reiatsu. Her attacks became sharper, her rhythm unpredictable.
Yet his expression remained composed.
He lifted his sword, and the blade's pressure flared, intercepting her strike in a clean, decisive motion.
*Clang!*
At the instant of impact, Unohana's left hand lifted, fingers forming a subtle seal.
"Hadō #4 — Byakurai!"
A white bolt of lightning burst from her fingertips, cutting through the air like a spear.
It wasn't a high-level spell, but even the simplest Hadō, in the hands of a captain, was deadly.
The flash of white light seared toward Shigure's eyes.
The brilliance forced him to narrow his gaze for a fraction of a second — but in combat, even a heartbeat was enough.
Unohana's form vanished in a blur of Shunpo.
Her blade arced upward in a brutal underhand slash, aiming to bisect Shigure from hip to shoulder.
*Boom!!*
Steel met steel again.
Reiatsu erupted into a storm of pressure that warped the air, cracking the stone floor beneath their feet.
The two sword pressures collided, compressing into light before bursting outward in a deafening explosion.
The resulting gale swept across the entire training field.
Yamamoto's and Kirio's robes rippled in the blast, but neither flinched.
Both continued to watch, their expressions solemn and focused.
Kirio's eyes glimmered with awe.
Although she was not one of the founding captains, she had lived long enough to understand the legend before her.
She knew exactly who Unohana truly was.
When a blade that once bathed in blood hides its sharpness, it doesn't mean the edge has dulled.
It means the blade has grown more terrifying — waiting, quietly, to strike.
Unohana was serious now.
And under normal circumstances, when faced with a serious Unohana, even a captain would have to reveal every hidden card just to survive.
Yet Shigure didn't.
He continued to fight with his Zanpakutō in its sealed state, relying only on his skill in slashing and movement.
It was, by all logic, a reckless choice.
Unohana's true power lay not in her Zanpakutō, but in her mastery of combat arts — Kidō, Hakuda, Shunpo, and above all, Zanjutsu.
Her swordsmanship was unmatched in all of Soul Society.
Countless years ago, she had used that same blade and technique to carve through thousands of powerful foes.
And Shigure — though a vice-captain of the Eleventh Division and trained under Kuruyashiki — was still young compared to her.
Experience could not be taught.
To face Unohana's sword with swordsmanship alone was to walk willingly into the maw of death.
Kirio had thought so at first.
But now, she realized she was wrong.
Shigure's blade wasn't faltering.
He was matching her rhythm, blocking each of her strikes with precision — using his own Hakuda and Shunpo in perfect harmony.
"Still…" Kirio murmured, a faint smile curling at her lips. "Captain Unohana's methods go beyond that."
Her tone carried a strange amusement — one born from respect and wariness alike.
Because Unohana's fighting style had never been one of honor.
Deceptive. Ruthless. Efficient.
She fought to win, not to impress.
Her left hand extended again.
While her right hand maintained the assault with her sword, her other hand traced invisible lines of power.
After the blinding Byakurai, another spell followed — this time cast silently, without chant.
"Hadō #12 — Fushibi!"
An orange web of reiatsu flashed into existence, threading across Shigure's retreat path, binding his movements.
Even though it was a low-level Hadō, when executed by a captain abandoning the incantation, it retained immense strength.
The glowing cords of energy wrapped around Shigure's body, halting him for a brief instant.
A single heartbeat — yet in battle, a heartbeat could decide victory or death.
Shigure's lips curved faintly, a flash of helpless amusement in his eyes.
As Unohana's sword descended once more, Shigure drew a deep breath, his own voice low but resonant.
"Tear apart the heavens — Raitenshou!"
*****
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✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
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✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]
✓ The Academy's Saint Is Too Popular, But He's Not the Protagonist [R-18]