Chapter 63: Retsu Unohana, Who Can Endure Loneliness

The reward promised by the Kuchiki family arrived the very next day, even more generous than originally anticipated, amounting to a staggering fifty million. Makoto happily pocketed the money, though he knew full well that such a sum was merely a drop in the ocean for the Kuchiki family.

Since coming to this world, Makoto had never laid eyes on so much wealth; the entire budget for the previous cultural festival had been a mere few million.

With money in hand, Makoto instantly felt a surge of confidence. He could replace or add any furniture in his office whenever he pleased! No longer did he need to kowtow to Kōgorō Otoribashi!

He was going to add a bed right in the inner room of his office, and he was paying for it himself—let anyone dare object!

Makoto imagined how he would flex his authority as president the next time he encountered Otoribashi.

Two days later, Makoto finally learned the final investigation results of this Living World internship from the headmaster.

To Makoto's extreme astonishment, the culprit identified by the Soul Society was a criminal who had escaped from the Soul Society over fifty years ago!

Kisuke Urahara!

The motive was that this individual had harbored a deep grudge against the Soul Society all this time and was merely seizing an opportunity for revenge.

Upon hearing this news, Makoto was stunned for a moment, before the headmaster explained that the special cloak worn by the attacker who ambushed Makoto—capable of blocking spiritual pressure and concealing the face—was precisely the handiwork of Kisuke Urahara from back in the day.

Although the current 12th Division's Research and Development Institute had also mastered this technology, the 1st Division had immediately conducted an inspection of the Research and Development Institute on the very day the incident occurred.

Such special artifacts were all duly registered. Upon inspection, every single spiritual-pressure-concealing cloak in the Research and Development Institute was intact and none were missing, whereas the one worn by the attacker had been slashed open by Makoto, clearly indicating that the cloak did not come from the Research and Development Institute.

It could only be Kisuke Urahara!

However, considering that Kisuke Urahara was, after all, a former captain and unlikely to be defeated quite so easily by Makoto, it was ultimately concluded that the person who ambushed Makoto was a subordinate of Kisuke Urahara.

While feeling astonished, Makoto also found it somewhat amusing.

Without even needing to think, he knew Aizen must have meddled during the 1st Division's inspection of the 12th Division, likely altering the memories of the 1st Division Shinigami at the time using Kyōka Suigetsu's power.

Yet, that the blame ultimately pointed to Kisuke Urahara was something Makoto never expected.

As a fugitive wanted by the Soul Society, Kisuke Urahara had already fled to the Living World and gone into hiding. Fifty years had passed, and he still had not been arrested. Even if the culprit was determined to be him, what could they possibly do about it?

"Then how do you explain the Negacion?"

The so-called Negacion was the beam of light that ultimately rescued the cloaked man, a method used by Menos-class hollows to save their own kind. The inside and outside of the light formed mutually isolated worlds; once a target was surrounded by this beam, they were effectively placed in another dimension, making it impossible for anyone outside the Negacion to reach them.

Consequently, Makoto could only watch helplessly as the man was rescued back then.

Sasakibe Yadōmaru stated, "This involves certain classified matters, but Kisuke Urahara is indeed deeply entangled with hollows."

Inwardly, Makoto rolled his eyes.

Mentioning that Kisuke Urahara was entangled with hollows presumably referred to the Shinigami hollowification incident from fifty years ago, which was also one of Aizen's crafty schemes.

He wondered how Kisuke Urahara would react if he learned that, even after leaving the Soul Society for fifty years, he could still be saddled with such a heavy scapegoat.

Sasakibe Yadōmaru continued, "With such incidents occurring back-to-back, it's possible that when the first Menos appeared, the coordinates of that barrier space were exposed, leading to the second incident. The school has already agreed with the Gotei 13 to abandon the original barrier space in the Living World and construct a replica specifically for students' internships, so such an event won't happen again in the future."

The logic actually managed to loop back and close all the gaps?

Makoto sighed inwardly. The Soul Society had completely failed to realize that the true mastermind was actually within the Gotei 13; doing all this was merely a futile effort.

Yet, he could only think this to himself while saying aloud, "That is for the best."

Sasakibe Yadōmaru patted him on the shoulder and said, "Makoto, once again, we owe this all to you."

Makoto replied leisurely, "With great power comes great responsibility. Since I am so strong, it is only natural that I shoulder a bit more for others."

Sasakibe Yadōmaru also smiled and said, "Well said. With such a mindset, your future is a blessing to the Soul Society."

However, Makoto remained largely unfazed by the headmaster's high praise. This battle in the Living World had made him acutely aware of many flaws in his own existence.

He still lacked practical combat experience against Shinigami, so much so that although he won the battles over the past two days, it was largely thanks to the power of his Zanpakutō.

Had his combat experience been sufficiently rich, his swordsmanship alone would have sufficed to slay the enemy.

Yet, every day at the Shinigami Academy, the only peers he could spar with were students like Shūhei, leaving him zero opportunities to cross blades with actual Shinigami or hollows.

Makoto pondered internally whether there was anyone among his acquaintances with whom he could spar more frequently.

#

Another mishap involving the Shinigami Academy students' Living World internship quickly spread through the Seireitei once again.

Lieutenant of the 4th Division, Isane Kotetsu, hurried to her captain's office carrying a videotape.

Retsu Unohana looked with mild surprise at the hurried Isane Kotetsu, then caught sight of the videotape cradled in her arms, her gaze shifting slightly.

An accident during a Living World internship was not something that concerned the 4th Division, but Isane sensed that her captain held a strong interest in that Tatakura Makoto. Upon hearing the news, she had immediately made another trip to the 1st Division to copy a videotape and bring it back.

"What is that you're holding?"

Isane explained, "A couple of days ago, the Shinigami Academy students went to the Living World for simulated combat training against hollows and were ambushed by a mysterious figure. Student Tatakura held the rear and repelled the individual. This is the footage of that battle."

"I see."

Retsu Unohana's expression remained unchanged.

Isane stepped into the office and placed the videotape before Retsu Unohana.

"Just leave it here."

"Oh, right."

Seeing no particular reaction from her captain, Isane asked cautiously, "Captain, do you not plan to watch it?"

Retsu Unohana offered a faint, gentle smile. "I'll watch it later."

Naturally, Isane expressed no objection, though she actually wanted to watch it herself.

However, seeing her captain's attitude, she could only say, "Then I shall take my leave."

Once the office door closed once more, Retsu Unohana placed the videotape aside into a bookshelf, seemingly having no intention of watching it at all.

Tatakura Makoto still had over a year left before graduating from the Shinigami Academy. Even watching this now served little purpose, merely breeding unnecessary "trouble."

Over the past half-year, Retsu Unohana had heard the name Tatakura Makoto countless times.

Yet, when all was said and done, he was merely a student at the Shinigami Academy. Even with breath-taking brilliance and supreme strength, just how far could he possibly go?

Compared to that man she had once encountered, what did he amount to?

Still far too weak, and in need of time.

Fortunately, she had already lived for a millennium.