Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 190 - Protective Charms and Flowers

Chapter One Hundred and Ninety

Back then, Aizen had been cut down, and Wayne himself had died and been reborn, arriving in Soul Society. Throughout that long stretch of time, Aizen had actually been using Wayne's abilities as a cover to conduct Hollowfication experiments, a cover that was blown the moment Wayne returned. It was because of this that Aizen had wanted to request a personal trip to Hueco Mundo.

And Wayne, the very person who had exposed Aizen's plan, ended up handing him a more reasonable path for those experiments.

By joining the Hueco Mundo subjugation, as long as Wayne and Aizen operated together, Aizen could run his Hollowfication experiments without restriction and without any risk of discovery. That undoubtedly pushed the possibility of Aizen pulling Wayne into his orbit. As for the rest of the personnel, Aizen only needed to use Kyōka Suigetsu, enough to make the whole affair disappear without anyone noticing. When the time came, the only ones heading to Hueco Mundo would be Wayne, Aizen, Tōsen, and Gin Ichimaru. No one would ever track their movements.

"Captain Shiba — do you think Captain Aizen's behavior has been a little off lately?"

"No. It's just that I've never been able to see through that man." Isshin Shiba stroked his stubble and sighed. "We've served alongside each other as captains for decades, and I've always felt there's something hidden beneath that pleasant exterior. Something no one else knows about."

Aizen's methods were meticulous. But beneath his habitual patterns, there were always tiny deviations, small enough that only the most powerful captains could sense them at all. Even under the effects of Complete Hypnosis, a figure of Captain Retsu Unohana's caliber would instinctively feel when something was wrong.

Wayne said nothing. He knew exactly what kind of man Aizen was. But he couldn't say it. And even if he did, who would believe him? Even if someone did believe him, what then? Walk up to Aizen and demand answers, only to get stabbed through the chest?

Right, Wayne couldn't be hypnotized, so he'd just get stabbed one extra time.

"Perhaps Lord Aizen simply wants to confirm whether that Vasto Lorde-class Hollow named Ace Wayne is truly dead?" Wayne offered, his tone entirely casual. "After all, he's firmly convinced that the only Hollow capable of launching sudden raids on Soul Society while freely masking his own forces' Reiatsu is that Ace Wayne. No other Hollow beast has ever pulled off that kind of aura concealment."

"Mm. Perhaps you're right. He just wants to see it for himself." Isshin Shiba seemed to turn the thought over in his mind.

"Captain, since we're already on the subject — could I ask you for a favor?"

"Hm? Go ahead." Wayne rarely asked anyone for help directly, and the shift in subject made Isshin Shiba's attention snap over.

"I've heard the Shiba clan is skilled at crafting protective Barriers?"

"Huh?" Isshin Shiba blinked. "Our family's fireworks specialists are good at making Reiryoku shells. Those do apparently have protective Barriers built in to keep them from detonating internally. Why are you asking?"

"I'd like you to make me a few protective charms. To defend against sudden attacks."

"You want to bring them to Hueco Mundo?" Isshin Shiba seemed to catch on. "It's doable, sure, but crafting protective Barrier charms consumes a serious amount of resources." The corner of his mouth curled slightly as he said it, the look of a man calculating exactly how much he was about to charge.

"Sir, given our history, are you really going to make this about money?" Wayne tilted his head, wearing the expression of a man with empty pockets.

"Well... labor and materials still cost something, you know. Let me check." Isshin Shiba pulled a thick stack of documents from his drawer and started flipping through it. But before he could get to reading off the costs, Wayne turned back to Shiro-chan.

"Shiro-chan, let's head home. I'll arrange for you to join the Fourth Division tomorrow."

"Huh? Oh." Shiro-chan stood up without a second thought, ready to leave with Wayne. He was already muttering under his breath as he walked, something about finally being able to rest.

Isshin Shiba watched this unfold and ground his teeth.

"Fine. You win." He pressed a hand to his forehead. There was no getting around it, that kid Toshiro was just too valuable. His abilities across the board were exceptional, and on top of that he wielded the strongest ice-type Zanpakuto in existence. His future was limitless. The edge Hyōrinmaru alone gave him already outstripped every other squad member. Three to five years of proper training and he'd be captain material, no question.

This, without a doubt, was the piece of Wayne's promised compensation that Isshin Shiba valued most.

Not that Wayne needed the protection of noble houses anymore. With his current strength, any minor noble family that tried to retaliate against him would be wasting their time. Outside the Four Great Noble Houses and a handful of major families, no faction in Soul Society could touch him now. And the great noble houses were busy trying to win his favor, why would they ever risk offending him?

Think about it: three to five years from now, Tsukishiro Hinamori and Toshiro Hitsugaya, two captains from a single household. What kind of weight would that carry?

The noble clans were privately relieved the Hinamori family wasn't a major house. Otherwise, they'd all be sweating through their robes.

"Three days," Isshin Shiba said through gritted teeth. "I'll have the protective charms ready."

"What level of attack can they withstand?" Wayne asked. The question earned him a suspicious look.

"You have specific requirements for the defense level?"

"Personally, I'd like them to hold up against at least a captain-class attack." Wayne paused. "Of course, if there's any way to make them absorb a single strike from the Captain-Commander's level — even better."

"Are you serious, kid?" Isshin Shiba said flatly. "Withstand an attack from the Captain-Commander? If something like that existed, we'd have already sold everything we own to mass-produce it."

"It doesn't need to sustain. Just one hit," Wayne pressed.

"Just one hit?" Isshin Shiba's brow furrowed. He asked the same question again. "Why do you suddenly need this?"

"Preparation. In case something goes wrong."

"That's all?"

"Yes." Wayne's expression didn't shift. "Hueco Mundo is full of Hollow beasts with bizarre abilities, and plenty of them specialize in masking their Reiatsu before ambushing from stealth. When we move into the territory of Hueco Mundo's major powers, having a charm like this could mean the difference between life and death. If a Vasto Lorde-class Menos lands a clean hit on me, I'm done. But if I can survive that first strike — or even buy myself a fraction of a second — my odds of walking away increase a lot."

"Mm." Isshin Shiba thought it over, then nodded. "A charm capable of taking a full hit from the Old Man flat-out doesn't exist. But something that could delay or partially blunt the impact for just that sliver of a moment, that should be achievable. Probably five days though. Three isn't enough."

"Then I'll leave it in your hands, Captain Shiba." Wayne dipped his head in thanks. "As for my end of the deal, I haven't figured that out yet. Is there anything you need from me?"

"Mm... I haven't thought of anything either. Let's leave it open for now and settle it later." Isshin Shiba didn't turn the offer down. If Wayne had said those words a few years ago, he'd have laughed out loud. But now it was different. Three years. In just three years, this kid had gone from a rookie who'd never touched a Zanpakuto to someone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with captains. Even if his growth slowed after achieving Bankai, his raw talent would still be the envy of most.

"Go on, get out of here. And leave Shiro-chan behind." Isshin Shiba waved him off.

"Even if you're a captain, I'd prefer you call me Hitsugaya." Shiro-chan trudged back to his seat with visible reluctance and went back to reviewing documents.

Wayne smiled faintly, gave one last small bow toward Isshin Shiba, and stepped out.

Leaving Isshin Shiba's office, Wayne made his way to the Fourth Division barracks. He still had a fight to get to today.

It took him about half a day. When Wayne arrived, Retsu Unohana was in her office, doing nothing more strenuous than brewing tea.

"Hinamori-kun, you're late," she said, teacup raised to her lips.

Off to the side, Isane Kotetsu stood with both hands clasped in front of her, so rigid she looked like she'd forgotten how to breathe. It was obvious she'd noticed what Wayne apparently hadn't: her captain was currently standing right at the edge of going somewhere very dark.

"My apologies, Captain. I stopped by the Tenth Division first. Captain Shiba told me we can move to assemble a team for Hueco Mundo now, so I took care of a few related matters. That's why I'm late." Wayne kept his tone easy.

"Is that so." Captain Unohana set down her teacup and rose. "Come. I borrowed a suitable combat venue from the Head Captain." She lifted her Zanpakuto from the rack beside her and walked out.

Wayne followed. But before he'd cleared the doorway, he heard Lieutenant Isane Kotetsu's voice behind him, slightly unsteady.

"Hi — Hinamori Third Seat."

"Hm?" Wayne glanced back.

"Please, please be careful." She'd meant to talk him out of going altogether. But then she remembered: half an hour ago, her captain had been cheerfully arranging flowers, waiting for this fight. When the agreed time came and went with no sign of Wayne, that smile had stayed on her face. The eyes, though, had told a different story entirely.

Isane swallowed the rest of her words.

"Sure." Wayne didn't know what had prompted it, but it didn't seem worth pressing.

He stepped outside. Unohana was already waiting at the entrance. Together, they Shunpo'd toward the venue.

Wayne had arranged this swordsmanship bout himself. At this stage of his development as a Soul Reaper, accumulating Reiatsu no longer came as easily as hunting Hollow beasts in Hueco Mundo. Once the Reiatsu inside a Soul Reaper's body reached a certain threshold, the rate of growth slowed considerably, and even with Soul Absorption, Wayne could feel the difference. The gains were slower than before. Given that, he figured improving through direct combat made more sense. Zankensoki: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, Kidō, scratch it, he had none. His Shunpo needed no further refinement. His Hakuda had already outgrown what the academy could offer, but he had no interest in sparring with Old Man Yamamoto. So he'd gone to his own captain instead.

Unohana had agreed without hesitation. Truth be told, since a certain someone, she hadn't crossed blades with anyone in quite some time. And the person asking was one of her own squad members, so technically, she found a loophole in the standing order that forbade her from engaging in combat. Teaching a subordinate fell outside the scope of that restriction.

After clearing it with the Head Captain, Unohana brought Wayne down to the lowest level of Muken. The space was vast, wide enough that the two of them could fight without holding anything back, without the slightest concern about collateral damage.

A short while later, they touched down. When both were ready, Unohana spoke.

"Hinamori-kun, what exactly are you hoping to take away from this?"

"Real combat," Wayne said immediately. "Real combat is the best way to learn. And a life-or-death fight is the best chance I have to push past my own limits. Captain, you won't actually kill me, will you?"

"I might," Retsu Unohana said, tilting her head with a small smile. "You don't know Minazuki's ability yet, do you?"

"Isn't it healing?" Wayne played dumb.

"Yes, healing." She smiled, calm and unhurried. "But Minazuki's Bankai is something else entirely. I may lose control and cut you down. And then, I will heal you."

"...Can it bring back the dead? Restore flesh and bone?"

"It's not quite that sort of ability." Unohana shook her head. "It's something closer to taking hold of a soul and returning it. Would you like to find out for yourself?"

"As long as I don't truly die," Wayne said simply, and drew his Zanpakuto.

"You seem... unafraid." Unohana studied him with growing interest.

"You wouldn't actually let me die, would you, Captain?" Wayne shifted his grip, holding the blade vertical. "If I died, that would be a loss for you. But if your ability can really kill me and bring me back, then death stops being quite so frightening." He paused. "It'll hurt like hell, though, won't it?"

"Yes. Quite excruciatingly." Unohana gave a soft nod.

In truth, telling someone they couldn't die wasn't always wise. It invited a particular kind of recklessness, the mindset of someone who knew they'd survive no matter what, swinging without discipline or thought. That wasn't training. That was chaos.

But Wayne wasn't that kind of person. He knew exactly what he was here for. So Unohana had told him the truth with one purpose in mind: you can fight freely.

Her private thought, more or less, was: now hurry up and give me something worth watching, young man.

"Then I'll begin." Unohana drew her Zanpakuto.

"Bankai."

BOOM!

Her body rose from the ground. Both arms spread wide. The white haori rippled and surged as the Reiatsu storm exploded outward, and Unohana's entire presence transformed in an instant. That immense Reiatsu erupted like a geyser, then rolled forward like a tsunami and crashed down on Wayne. His instinct was to raise his own Reiatsu to meet it, but he stopped himself.

"Hm?" Mid-Bankai, Unohana glanced over at him. "You're not going to use Bankai?"

"I came here to work on Zanjutsu. Until my swordsmanship reaches the level I want, bringing Reiatsu into it will only get in the way."

"Heh. Interesting." The word had barely left her lips when Retsu Unohana's Reiatsu detonated. Endless blood surged from her body, pouring outward like it was constructing a vast crimson Barrier around them. Then she landed, light as a feather, and spoke the Incantation that marked the completion of her Bankai. The name of her Zanpakuto's released form.

"Minazuki."

➤ Next: Wayne vs. Retsu Unohana