Suddenly, in the midst of Senju Makoto's stunned disbelief, Minazuki—after swallowing the bento box whole—spat out two small bottles, which Unohana deftly caught in her hands.
It's… it's over?!
Unohana-sensei actually developed such a bizarre function for her Zanpakutō?
She's completely treating Minazuki like some kind of biological portable storage device!
In short… a "meat pocket?!"
Wait, could it be that Unohana-sensei might one day secretly develop some similarly strange functions on me too?
Makoto instinctively swallowed hard, feeling an inexplicable sense of foreboding. At this moment, despite her gentle and kind appearance, Unohana seemed to be emanating an imperceptible aura of darkness. He unconsciously shifted his knees slightly, as if his instincts were urging him to put a little more distance between them.
As expected... Compared to the all-encompassing care of a mature and mysterious onee-san like her, it was much more comfortable to hang out with someone like the cute and straightforward Soi Fon or the slightly tsundere Aoki Risa. At least their quirks were tolerable.
"Hmm? Makoto, are you trying to distance yourself from me, or are you looking down on Minazuki?"
Suddenly, Unohana's seemingly calm and gentle voice broke the silence, sending an involuntary shiver down Makoto's spine.
His smile froze slightly as he stammered, "N-no, of course not! How could I? I like Unohana-sensei the most! It's just that, um… the wind's pretty strong, and it blew me a little off balance."
Unohana scrutinized him for a moment before speaking again. "Really? Your smile looks a little stiff too."
"That's also because of the wind. It's my first time flying with Sensei, so I'm still getting used to it," Makoto replied, forcing himself to maintain his composure.
"I see…"
Unohana's lips curled into a serene smile. Then, with a smooth motion, she pulled Makoto behind her, positioning herself as a shield in front of him.
"But don't worry," she said lightly, "Sensei can still block a bit of the wind for you right now."
"Th-thank you, Sensei," Makoto replied, his eye twitching slightly.
"What can I say? Since you're already my student, I can't just let you fall off Minazuki and die, can I?"
Unohana's words, spoken in a tone that seemed to float in the air, caused Makoto's eyes to widen slightly in alarm.
That… that was a threat, wasn't it? That was definitely a threat to her own student, wasn't it?
If I dare complain, I'll just die?!
After hesitating for a moment and mustering some courage, Makoto forced himself to say, "Thank you, Sensei. Also… Minazuki is kind of… cute."
"Oh? I think so too. I always thought Minazuki was the perfect embodiment of beauty, but I didn't expect you to think the same, Makoto. Sensei is quite pleased."
As Unohana's voice returned to its usual gentle tone, Makoto secretly let out a long sigh of relief. He had almost—just almost—violated one of Unohana-sensei's untouchable taboos.
Really, how could I have been so careless…
In a way, a Zanpakutō reflects the innermost truths of its wielder's soul. Minazuki's peculiar form was undoubtedly a subtle testament to Unohana-sensei's unique aesthetic.
While Minazuki's appearance—a flat, massive green stingray with a single cyclopean eye—was undeniably hideous, under Unohana-sensei's influence, Makoto found himself beginning to notice a certain charm in its grotesque cuteness.
Beautiful!
No, this won't do!
As soon as I get back, I must immediately make two giant posters of Minazuki to hang in my room. That way, I can fully demonstrate my absolute support for Sensei's aesthetic preferences as her disciple.
While Makoto was busy imagining how to design the posters, Unohana handed him one of the bottles that Minazuki had just spat out.
"Sensei… what is this?"
Makoto shook the bottle slightly, observing the strange, white, viscous liquid inside, his face full of confusion.
"I made this overnight," Unohana replied. "Time was tight, so I only managed to produce two bottles. This one is for you to use."
"How am I supposed to use it, Sensei?"
Although Makoto found the milky-white, sticky substance rather odd, he gritted his teeth and asked anyway.
"Hmm… To make it easier for you to understand, why don't you try it on me?"
As she spoke, Unohana calmly turned around, opened the bottle in Makoto's hands, and dipped a finger into the liquid.
In the next moment, as soon as Unohana's fingertip made contact with the liquid, it rapidly turned green, almost as if it were reacting to her touch.
Makoto blinked, his expression pure and innocent as he blurted, "Sensei, it… turned green."
Unohana nodded, unbothered by his observation. "That's a normal reaction. This liquid can detect the emotional intensity of a spirit body. Different colors represent varying levels of emotional depth—the deeper the color, the stronger the emotion."
She paused, glancing at Makoto. "Also, your choice of words could be a little less peculiar."
"Yes, Sensei."
Makoto shrank back slightly, his tone subdued. He hadn't meant to sound strange—it was just that he hadn't expected Unohana, a master of healing arts, to create something this unusual. His comment had simply slipped out.
"So, does this mean I'll use this liquid to test the spirits of the Rukongai residents later? Just have them dip a finger in, and if the color isn't green, it indicates that a significant part of their emotions was forcibly extracted along with their souls?"
"Not exactly. Some spirit bodies naturally exhibit weaker emotional responses. It's best to stimulate them a little for more accurate results," Unohana replied thoughtfully.
"How do we stimulate them?" Makoto asked.
"Through verbal provocation, physical actions, scents—anything that can trigger emotional fluctuations," Unohana said. She paused briefly, as though struck by an idea. "Since we have some time, why don't you try stimulating me? That way, you can establish a normal reference value for comparison."
Makoto hesitated for a moment before deciding to give it a try. "Sensei, you're so beautiful~"
However, as soon as the words left his mouth, the faint green hue in the bottle remained completely unchanged.
Undeterred, Makoto tried again, employing a variety of creative compliments to praise Unohana from every possible angle. But apart from a slight change when he praised Minazuki, the liquid showed almost no reaction.
At that moment, Makoto realized the truth—Unohana-sensei, a millennia-old Shinigami, had likely gone through countless vice-captains. These simple tricks clearly couldn't elicit any response from her anymore.
After a moment of hesitation, Makoto adjusted his glasses, glanced at Unohana—who still appeared gentle and serene on the surface—and softly said:
"Sensei, shall we fight to the death?"
In an instant, as those words fell, Unohana's gentle expression shattered entirely. Makoto suddenly felt as though his entire field of vision was consumed by an overwhelming, blood-red spiritual pressure.
The liquid in the bottle… turned so black it gleamed!
*(TL/N - No sht but this guy is courting death💀)
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