A flicker of surprise flashed through Unohana's eyes before her fingers gently fell to her side.
She quietly stared at her torn sleeve, feeling the long-lost killing intent and the joy of battle coursing through her body. Slowly exhaling, she regained her composure.
The faint smile on her lips vanished in an instant, so fleeting that one might have mistaken it for a mere illusion.
She reined in her killing intent. The terrifying aura dissipated instantly, and the atmosphere in the dojo returned to its usual tranquility.
Only the deathly silence of the surrounding woods bore witness to the tempestuous surge of power from a moment ago.
Unohana Retsu turned sideways, her back to Hasumi Ren. Her voice remained gentle, yet it carried a barely perceptible trace of emotion.
"Ren, you have made tremendous progress in Kendo."
"In terms of pure swordsmanship, your current level is quite impressive. If we exclude spiritual pressure from the equation, even some Captains who do not specialize in Kendo would no longer be your match."
Unohana slowly turned around, her face restored to its usual placid expression, as if that terrifying killing intent and euphoric smile had never existed.
"You could say that you have finally grasped the basics of the Yachiru style."
Ren snapped back to reality, the shock in his heart gradually subsiding.
He sheathed his blade and stood straight, looking in Unohana's direction.
"It is all thanks to your guidance, Captain. Without your meticulous instruction, I would never have made such progress today."
Unohana looked at Ren and gave a slight nod, her eyes darkening slightly in thought.
Endless thoughts were churning within her mind.
Ren's progress had far exceeded her expectations.
From when he first joined the Fourth Division, not even understanding the basics of Kaido, to now being able to independently perform complex organ repair procedures on critically injured patients.
From his initially mediocre Kendo skills, to now being able to hold his ground against her for a considerable time, even managing to cut her sleeve.
The sheer speed of his improvement was astonishing.
He was like a vessel without limits.
No matter what she taught him, or how much, he absorbed it all flawlessly, rapidly digesting the knowledge and transforming it into his own strength.
This was true for Kaido, and equally true for Kendo.
In her long life, she had never witnessed such talent and learning capacity.
Unconsciously, a blurry figure surfaced in Unohana's mind.
A small, slender figure.
It was from a long time ago—the only person who had ever truly wounded her, and the only one to ever defeat her in Kendo.
Ever since crossing blades with that person, she had never encountered another opponent who could pique her interest.
Over time, she had sealed away her killing intent, laid down her murderous blade, and turned to the study of Kaido, eventually becoming the Captain of the Fourth Division.
That was, until Ren appeared.
This young man made her feel the long-lost exhilaration of battle.
His talent for Kendo and his rate of improvement made it impossible for Unohana to even gauge where his limits lay.
At this thought, a long-forgotten thrill rippled through Unohana Retsu's heart.
Perhaps, in the distant future, under her tutelage, this man could surpass her in the way of the sword.
Perhaps he could even surpass the one who had once defeated her.
The more Unohana thought about it, the deeper the thrill in her heart grew.
To personally mold a supreme swordsman, watching him grow step by step from a nameless nobody into an opponent capable of rivaling her.
The very idea made her pulse race with anticipation.
More importantly, sparring with Ren had allowed her to rediscover the pure joy of combat she had once known.
She could feel that the combat instincts buried deep within her soul were quietly, inadvertently awakening.
How utterly delightful.
With this, Unohana's thoughts gradually grew bolder.
In their previous spars, she had held back, only teaching Ren the superficial aspects of the Yachiru style.
But now, she was getting serious. She wanted to teach him more, to delve deeper.
She wanted to pass on the true Yachiru style, to teach him the strongest Kendo in the Soul Society, the Kendo belonging to the First Kenpachi.
Unohana even wanted to push him to see a broader world, to experience far more brutal life-and-death struggles.
To let him truly mature into a peerless master swordsman through a baptism of blood and fire.
Until finally, she could engage him in a true duel to the death.
With no more holding back, and no more concealing her killing intent.
Solely to revel in the ecstasy of battle.
Unohana looked at Ren, a gleam of excitement gradually rising in her eyes as the smile on her lips deepened.
She stared until Ren began to feel a chill creep down his spine.
Ren had no idea what Unohana was thinking, but her current expression gave off a distinctly dangerous vibe.
'Oh no, who made her this happy again...'
"C-Captain Unohana?"
Ren called out softly. Unohana seemed to snap out of her reverie, giving a light cough.
Seeing this, Ren finally breathed a sigh of relief in his heart.
Fortunately, Unohana managed to rein in her expression.
She returned to her usual gentle demeanor, once again becoming the mild-mannered Captain of the Fourth Division.
She straightened her uniform and sheathed her Zanpakuto.
Then, she lightly brushed her hand over the cut on her forearm that Ren had inflicted.
A pale green glow of Kaido spiritual pressure swept over it, and the wound vanished without a trace, leaving her pristine arm as flawless as before.
Unohana then turned her gaze to Ren.
At this moment, Ren was covered in wounds of varying sizes, looking rather miserable.
Fortunately, they were all superficial injuries. After all, the current Unohana, having cultivated a peaceful temperament over hundreds of years, still knew how to hold back.
"Let us end today's sparring here. You did well, Ren."
"Treat your injuries. We wouldn't want to frighten the squad members in the barracks."
Ren nodded in agreement. Just as he was about to heal himself, Unohana suddenly remembered something and stopped him.
"Since I am the one who inflicted these wounds, how about this: I will heal you. It will be faster than doing it yourself."
Hearing this, Ren looked at Unohana in surprise.
'Captain Unohana... wants to heal me personally?'
The next moment, Ren watched as Unohana drew her Zanpakuto once again.
A sudden sense of foreboding welled up in his heart.
"Minazuki."
Unohana chanted softly. Instantly, the Zanpakuto in her hand transformed into a massive, bizarre creature.
"My Zanpakuto is a biological type. Upon its Shikai release, it can heal the injuries of others much more efficiently than you could heal yourself."
Ren forced a strained smile, raising his hands defensively in front of him.
"N-No, that won't be necessary, Captain. I can heal myself very quickly."
"Be a good boy, Ren. Do not resist."
Unohana offered a gentle smile, commanding the giant, flat-shaped monster to slowly open its massive maw.
Under Ren's slightly despairing gaze, it swallowed him whole in a single gulp.
After squirming around in its mouth for a few moments, it spat Ren back out.
Ren collapsed into a puddle of viscous slime, lacking the strength to stand.
Although his wounds were indeed fully healed, the light had completely vanished from his eyes.
Unohana looked at Ren and let out a soft chuckle.
Then, her tone grew a fraction more serious.
"Ren, you must prepare yourself."
"From today onward, I will teach you swordsmanship in earnest. The demands placed upon you will be a hundred times stricter than they are now."
"If you are not careful, you will suffer severe injuries. But do not worry—no matter what kind of wound you sustain, I can heal it."
Hearing this, Ren scrambled to his feet, a flash of solemnity in his eyes.
"Yes, Captain."
He could sense an unusual weight behind Unohana's words.
Unohana nodded and turned, walking back toward the barracks.
Ren stood in the center of the dojo, watching Unohana's retreating figure.
He vaguely realized that Unohana's attitude toward him seemed to have shifted once again.