Muten Natsu froze for a split second, then raised his Zanpakutō and chased after him.
Orihime Inoue smoothly caught and supported Muten Natsu's soulless Gigai. "Rukia, what do we do?"
Rukia Kuchiki pulled on the Gokon Tekkō. "Ririn, give me a hand."
The Gokon Tekkō was a red, half-finger glove, with a flaming skull painted on the back of the hand.
Rukia Kuchiki tapped the little bird plush with her gloved hand, pulled out the Gikon Pill, and popped it into Muten Natsu's Gigai.
Ririn took over Muten Natsu's body and looked around. "Wooow~ So this is what the world looks like from 1.8 meters up? Rukia, you're so short."
Rukia Kuchiki: "Like I care!"
Seeing Muten Natsu getting farther and farther away, the three of them hurried after him.
"Stop running!" Muten Natsu had to weave through the crowd. Even though he was faster than the old man, he still couldn't catch him immediately. "Stop!"
"Not a chance!" The old man sped up even more.
"Damn it…" Muten Natsu clicked his tongue.
If his strength were fully restored, he could catch up in an instant, whether with Sky Step or Shunpo.
But he couldn't use either right now… huh?
Muten Natsu rubbed his ear. "Give me a map of the surrounding area."
A light screen appeared before his eyes, sketching out a clear map.
"Huff… huff…" The old man stopped in an empty alley, panting. "Did I shake him off?"
"No." A sharp blade pinned itself beside the old man's ear as Muten Natsu, having cut through side streets, answered calmly. "You didn't."
"Gah—!" The old man nearly choked on air. "Y-you… what do you want?!"
"I should be asking you that," Muten Natsu said, expression dark. "Why'd you run?"
"Because you were chasing me!"
"You ran first, so I chased you! What, did you do something guilty?"
"You're the one who's always doing guilty things!" The old man jabbed a finger toward the blade by his ear. "If you were walking along and someone suddenly pulled a sword and started coming at you, what would you do?"
Muten Natsu answered as if it were obvious. "Beat him up."
"See?! You really are the kind of guy who's always up to something! Normal people would run!"
"No, running is a hassle. Killing the other guy is easier."
"Dead bodies are more trouble!" The old man stared at him, realization dawning. "You're the type who does guilty things all the time and still doesn't feel guilty!"
"Muten!" Rukia Kuchiki and Orihime Inoue caught up. "What's going on?"
"Nothing." Muten Natsu pulled his Zanpakutō back. "Just sending him on his way."
"Help!" the old man screamed. "He's killing ghosts!"
"What are you yelling for? I'm just sending you to another world."
"Say it however you want, it's the same thing!"
"It's Konsō," Muten Natsu said, exhausted. "I'm sending you to Soul Society so you can start a new life. If you want to call it 'becoming enlightened,' fine."
"No!"
"What do you mean, no?"
"I still have unfinished business!"
"That's life." Muten Natsu raised his Zanpakutō. "Regrets are part of it."
"A life full of regrets can't just end!" the old man snapped. "Do you really think someone like me can go to another world and start fresh?"
"Well…" Muten Natsu said, as if offering reassurance. "I can guarantee I'll send you to another world. Whether you can start a new life there depends on your own effort. Do your best. I'm rooting for you."
"That's completely irresponsible!" the old man shouted. "You'll wake up in the middle of the night thinking, [Ah, if only I'd helped that poor old man a little more back then. Too bad there's no chance now] and you'll spend the rest of your life drowning in guilt!"
Muten Natsu shook his head. "It's fine. I'm broad-minded. I'll forget soon enough."
Rukia Kuchiki glanced at Muten Natsu's chest.
That much was true.
And it wasn't just "broad-minded," either.
The old man was so angry he nearly keeled over. "You'd better remember that!"
"Um…" Orihime Inoue gently reminded him, "If you'd just said what your regret was instead of trying to convince Muten, you'd already be done by now."
"Oh! Right!" The old man suddenly realized. "My wife! I want to apologize to her!"
Muten Natsu tried to comfort him. "Haven't you already paid for it with your life?"
Orihime Inoue tugged lightly at Muten Natsu's sleeve. "Muten~"
"Alright, alright." Muten Natsu put his Zanpakutō away. "Go on."
"I… before I died, I had a fight with my wife." The old man let out a long breath. "We never cleared things up before we were separated by life and death. I really want to say I'm sorry to her."
But now he was a soul, unable to communicate with people who had no spiritual power.
That was why he had been wandering around, hoping to find someone who could see him and help.
Rukia Kuchiki tilted her head toward Muten Natsu. "And the result was that the other party drew a sword and charged at you."
Muten Natsu corrected her calmly. "He ran first."
Old man: "Anyone would run if they saw someone charging at them with a sword!"
Muten Natsu: "I wouldn't."
"…Anyway, I know that death means the end." The old man forced himself to calm down. "My life ends here, but I don't want her to spend the rest of hers living in guilt."
"How noble," Muten Natsu said with feeling. "Doesn't sound anything like the person who just cursed me with the exact same words."
"You really have a twisted personality, you brat!"
"So," Rukia Kuchiki said, understanding at last, "as long as you can say goodbye to your wife, you'll be able to leave in peace, right?"
The old man's face lit up. "You can do that?"
"Easy," Muten Natsu replied. "We just need to make your wife the same as you."
The old man exploded with rage. "That's murder! People like you belong in prison! You should never have been let out!"
"Good eye," Muten Natsu said seriously. "I escaped."
Old man: "..."
"It's just pulling the soul out. She won't die." The group arrived at the gate of the old man's home and looked inside, where an elderly woman was sweeping the yard. Rukia Kuchiki showed the Gokon Tekkō. "We just need to use this glove to grab the soul."
"I'll do it." Muten Natsu put on the Gokon Tekkō and walked up to the old woman. Before she could react, he reached out and pulled out her soul, steadying her body at the same time. "All set."
Elderly bodies were fragile. Using his height advantage, Muten Natsu easily supported the old woman.
The old man stared in disbelief at the soul that had emerged from his wife's body. "Y-you… who are you?!"
The slick-haired ghost wearing sunglasses and a gold watch lit a cigarette. "Phew~ Just a passing househusband."
Muten Natsu looked him over carefully. "Your wife's soul looks pretty… worldly."
"Are you blind? That's not my wife!" The old man grabbed the pompadour ghost by the collar. "Where's my wife?! Where did my wife go?!"
"I don't know."
...