"Muten," Orihime Inoue leaned out from the kitchen. "Is that Tatsuki-chan? She didn't say she was coming today—huh?"
When she saw the unfamiliar woman, Orihime froze for a moment.
Rukia Kuchiki looked up. "Captain… Captain Unohana? I… um…"
Even though her outfit was different from what she remembered, Rukia recognized her at a glance.
The captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13—Retsu Unohana.
Years ago, it had been Captain Retsu Unohana who brought Rukia Kuchiki and Muten Natsu into Seireitei and helped them enroll in the Shin'ō Academy.
After graduating from the Shin'ō Academy, both Rukia Kuchiki and Muten Natsu naturally joined the Fourth Division.
Not long after Muten Natsu disappeared from Soul Society, Rukia Kuchiki left the Fourth Division for various reasons and transferred to the Thirteenth Division.
Although Muten Natsu was still alive, Retsu Unohana was, in name, the one who had killed him. Seeing her suddenly appear here left Rukia utterly bewildered.
"It's been a long time," Retsu Unohana said gently, her voice warm and reassuring. "I went to ask Ukitake. He said you still hadn't returned to report for duty. I was worried you might have run into trouble in the World of the Living, so I came to check. After consulting the local Spirit Energy Supply Station, I found out you were here."
The Gotei 13 is the organization responsible for safeguarding Seireitei, with each division carrying different duties.
The Fourth Division serves as the medical and rescue unit, while the Thirteenth Division is tasked with purification, dispatching appropriate members to the World of the Living to perform Konsō and cleanse Hollows.
That was precisely why Rukia Kuchiki had come to the World of the Living in the first place, and why she had encountered Muten Natsu.
The captain of the Thirteenth Division, Jūshirō Ukitake, was in poor health. Back when Rukia Kuchiki and Muten Natsu were still in the Fourth Division, they often delivered medicine to him.
Retsu Unohana's pale fingertips brushed the edge of the sofa as her gaze shifted. "Muten, were you dozing off again just now?"
Muten rubbed his ear, his eyes flicking briefly to Retsu Unohana's sandals. "I didn't have anything better to do…"
Retsu Unohana beckoned to him. "Come here."
Muten hesitated, then walked over.
"You really are something," Retsu Unohana said, gently pinching his ear. "If you were truly resting, that would be one thing. Haven't I told you this many times already? The battle simulations with Myōki are certainly helpful to you, but they also prevent your mind from getting proper rest."
It was the first time Orihime Inoue had heard anything like this. "Wait… so when Muten sleeps, he isn't actually resting?"
"His Zanpakutō allows him to fight continuously within his inner world, accumulating combat experience," Retsu Unohana explained. "Back when he hadn't yet mastered Myōki's power, every time he fell asleep, he would end up battling different enemies. He went a long time without a single peaceful night."
She ruffled Muten Natsu's soft hair, her expression turning serious. "Back then, he clung to me every day, begging just to be able to sleep properly. Now that he's learned to control Myōki's power, he's started tormenting himself all over again."
Muten Natsu leaned away from her hand. "I do rest properly…"
"You'd better," Retsu Unohana said, tapping him on the forehead before turning toward the kitchen. "Did you turn off the stove?"
"Ah!" Orihime Inoue yelped, hurrying back into the kitchen. "That was close, that was close~"
"What a lovely girl," Retsu Unohana said with a blink and a soft smile. "Is she a good friend of yours?"
Muten Natsu nodded honestly. "Yeah. Her name is Orihime Inoue. She's been taking care of me these past few years."
"That's not true!" Orihime called out loudly from the kitchen. "It's Muten who's been taking care of me!"
"We look after each other," Muten Natsu added. "Orihime's cooking is really good. You should try it later. I think you'll like it."
"If you like it, then I'll like it too," Retsu Unohana said with a light laugh. "Rukia, are you still upset with me?"
Rukia Kuchiki blinked, completely confused. "Huh? About what?"
"For keeping things about Muten from you," Retsu Unohana said, patting Rukia's hand gently. "You know how things were back then. His condition was very unstable, so I couldn't tell you. When we sent him out of Soul Society, we also had to erase the records of the Senkaimon to avoid being tracked. I only found out today that he was here."
Back then, when Retsu Unohana sent Muten Natsu away, her only thought was to separate him completely from everything related to Soul Society.
She didn't tell Rukia Kuchiki, and even she herself couldn't be certain where Muten Natsu would end up.
"No! Of course not!" Rukia Kuchiki denied it at once, then her voice softened. "And besides, I know you wouldn't kill him."
In that situation, if anyone else had wanted Muten Natsu dead, he would have had no chance of surviving.
Only if Retsu Unohana intervened would Muten Natsu have any possibility of living.
The moment Rukia Kuchiki saw Retsu Unohana, someone who had never been seen fighting, move as if to kill Muten Natsu, she understood something clearly. Muten Natsu might die for many reasons, but Retsu Unohana would never be one of them.
"That's good," Retsu Unohana said, then noticed Ririn. "Is that… a Gikon Pill? It can still be housed inside a doll?"
Ririn had been playing dead, pretending to be nothing more than an unmoving plush toy.
After all, she was a fugitive from Seireitei. Until she could be sure of Retsu Unohana's attitude, pretending she didn't exist was the safest choice.
But such a clumsy disguise was never going to fool Retsu Unohana. Once exposed, Ririn sprang upright in one swift motion.
"I'm Ririn, a Modified Soul!"
Just from her tone, it was obvious she had slipped straight into performance mode again.
"There's no need to be so tense," Retsu Unohana said calmly. "Modified Souls have been banned for nearly a hundred years now. No one will come after you."
A trace of regret flickered in her eyes. "It's just that everything happened too quickly back then. I was only able to save some of them."
Ririn hopped over in surprise. "You saved other Modified Souls?"
"Yes," Retsu Unohana replied, easily catching Ririn and briefly checking her condition. "They stayed in the Fourth Division to work. They're doing fairly well."
"The Fourth Division has Modified Souls?" Muten Natsu thought back, then shook his head slightly. "I never noticed."
Retsu Unohana nodded gently. "That's exactly what they wanted. To live like ordinary people."
"I'm doing great too now," Ririn said. Having understood Retsu Unohana's stance, and learning that she had saved many Modified Souls, she immediately felt much closer to her. "I get to do what I like, and there's always something entertaining to watch every day."
"Something entertaining?" Retsu Unohana asked, clearly curious about what she meant.
"Dinner's ready~" Orihime Inoue called as she came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron. "Let's talk while we eat."
Retsu Unohana's gaze shifted between Orihime Inoue and Rukia Kuchiki, a hint of sudden understanding appearing in her eyes.