Unohana Retsu stepped over the circle of clothes at her feet, her body gradually submerging into the green waters of the medicinal hot spring amidst the white, hazy mist.
"Mmm... the water temperature is just right."
The braided hair wrapped around her chest was also undone, turning into long, flowing tresses that floated upon the surface of the water.
For someone with Soifon's... particular tastes, the impact of this scene was simply too overwhelming.
Standing frozen in place, Soifon's eyes seemed to be locked in a fixed stare, tracking Unohana Retsu's body with predatory focus until the other woman was fully submerged. Only then did she finally snap back to reality.
Wait, what kind of development was this?!
You aren't even injured, so why are you soaking in a medicinal bath with me?!
Shinigami wasn't supposed to be this kind of series!
Shouldn't Unohana Retsu have recognized her as a genius girl with peerless talent, then fought her for three hundred rounds in the depths of Muken, passed down all her Zanjutsu secrets, triggered a system mission reward, and then sent her off to trample Aizen and slice Yhwach to ribbons?
That was the kind of progression this was supposed to be, right?!
Could it be... that the system hadn't dispelled Aizen's Kyōka Suigetsu after all?
Subconsciously, Soifon reached for the Zanpakutō at the small of her back, only for her hand to grasp empty air. She then remembered she had left her blade in the clothing basket.
After a moment, Isane Kotetsu stepped forward and gathered Unohana Retsu's discarded clothes into her arms. It was clear this wasn't the first time she had performed such a task.
Seeing Soifon's strange behavior, she tilted her head curiously and offered a reminder: "Captain Soifon, aren't you going into the medicinal spring?"
After all, she was waiting for Soifon to undress so she could take both her Captain's and Soifon's clothes to be laundered.
The subtext was clear:
Captain Soifon, why aren't you taking your clothes off yet? If you don't strip, how can I do my job?
"Ah? I..."
Soifon realized her current behavior was indeed odd. In a flurry of movement, she shed her Captain's Haori.
"Wait, Captain Soifon!"
"You haven't taken off your Shihakushō yet—"
Isane Kotetsu reached out, intending to stop Soifon from charging into the hot spring while still wearing her uniform.
Whoosh—
Isane only felt a blur before her eyes and a sudden weight in her hands.
The Soifon who had been standing before her had vanished. The Shihakushō she had been wearing remained in Isane's arms, retaining the shape of the body that had just inhabited it before slowly collapsing into a pile.
Over by the spring, the faint sound of falling water signaled a few small splashes that sent ripples across the surface.
"Such a fast Shunpo... to even undress at the same time..."
Isane Kotetsu regained her composure, turned around clutching the two sets of sweat-soaked clothes, and walked out of the hot spring room.
Though her voice was soft, the silence of the room combined with the two Captains' superhuman hearing meant they heard her words with crystalline clarity.
Soifon's body stiffened instantly. She submerged her face beneath the water, leaving only her eyes and forehead visible.
"Should I say, 'As expected of Captain Soifon'?" Unohana Retsu turned her head, looking at Soifon with great interest. "Using 'Utsusemi' just to undress... even I am seeing that for the first time."
At some point, Unohana Retsu had shifted her position and was now sitting by the edge of the pool not far from Soifon.
Her black hair drifted atop the ripples, with a few stray strands occasionally sticking to Soifon's smooth arms, feeling ticklish.
"This is also a part of my training," Soifon replied.
Soifon's gaze drifted toward Unohana Retsu's chest. That mysterious area, normally concealed by her thick braid, was now obscured by the emerald-green waters of the medicinal bath.
As I thought, I still can't see anything. Forget it.
"As expected of Captain Soifon," Unohana Retsu offered a deadpan compliment. "You must have put in a tremendous amount of effort to take up the heavy burden of the Second Division."
"I suppose so..."
Soifon averted her eyes guiltily. If the system rewards counted as her own effort, then she certainly had worked hard.
She leaned back against the smooth, polished stone wall. The warm medicinal waters soaked into her shoulders, sending a comfortable heat through her spirit body.
Even the Spiritual Pressure she had exhausted in the earlier battle was recovering at an accelerated rate.
This feels wonderful. It's like every vessel in my body is opening up. Is this Captain Unohana's medical expertise?
"Captain Unohana, you said earlier today..."
"That it was the Captain-Commander who sent you to spar with me?"
Soifon was still quite hung up on those words.
"In truth, the Captain-Commander only wanted me to have a talk with you," Unohana Retsu said, trailing her fingers through the water's surface. "The spar was my own selfish addition."
A beaming smile played across Unohana's face as she looked over:
"However, I've only just realized that since Captain Soifon comes from the Stealth Force, your Zanpakutō isn't exactly suited for head-on combat. There probably wasn't much need for you to learn Zanjutsu from me."
In other words, Unohana simply wanted to find an excuse to vent her own suppressed battle lust.
She called it 'sparring' or 'guidance.'
What, are you going to complain?
"..." Soifon was choked by those words, yet she found herself unable to get angry. "Talk about what?"
The fight was already over; what was the point of saying this now?!
It turned out that Captain Unohana was 'black' on the inside as well. She had been too naive to believe the casual whims of an original Captain of the Gotei 13.
"—Hatred can be a motivation, but do not let it drive you."
"Captain Soifon, is that incident the reason you work so hard to become stronger?"
Suddenly, Unohana Retsu reached out and placed her hand on Soifon's head, gently stroking her hair.
The warm spring water from her hand trickled down Soifon's hair and onto her cheeks.
Immediately after, Soifon felt her body tilt as her cheek came to rest against a soft, warm harbor.
"Now that I think about it, Captain Soifon, you aren't much older than Isane."
"Whenever Isane is sad, she likes to act spoiled like this with me."
Silently enjoying the sensation of her face being pressed into the woman's chest, Soifon listened to Unohana Retsu's 'maternal' comfort, unsure of what expression she should face her with afterward.
What did she mean? What hatred? It didn't exist.
Perhaps the Captain-Commander and Unohana had both misunderstood.
After all, they would never imagine that the dignified Captain of the Second Division was actually a girl-lover.
Furthermore, what she cared about wasn't Yoruichi Shihōin's desertion, but rather why the woman hadn't taken Soifon with her.
At this point, she could only play along with this strange misunderstanding.
Regardless, she was bound to make a trip to the World of the Living in the future anyway.
However...
Taking the opportunity to nuzzle against Unohana's chest, Soifon felt her cheek brush against a texture that was distinctly different from smooth skin.
It was likely the scar left by Zaraki Kenpachi all those years ago.
Step, step, step.
The sound of footsteps approached from outside. Unohana Retsu released her hold on Soifon's head and gave her a gentle pat.
The two women sat close together as if nothing had happened, silently agreeing not to mention the recent moment.
"Captain, Captain Soifon." Isane Kotetsu placed two sets of fresh clothes by the edge of the spring and handed over two bath towels. "The clothes are washed and have been dried using Kidō."
"Thank you for your hard work, Isane."
Unohana Retsu stood up without the slightest hesitation, water cascading down her body like a waterfall.
Soifon finally had the chance to observe the other woman's mature curves from a close distance.
This... this level of 'wickedness' is incredible!
As she wrapped herself in a towel, Unohana Retsu noticed Soifon's gaze and gave a playful smile. "Captain Soifon is still developing. You have a very promising future..."
_____
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