You are far from ordinary.
After all, within the Seireitei, Shinigami who have lived for over a thousand years are quite rare.
Yamamoto Genryusai is one, you are one, and the only other one left is probably Kuchiki Ginrei.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni wasn't sure what kind of swordsmanship Retsu Unohana had mastered, as they had never sparred.
But eight thousand...
Even on a child, such a number could instantly turn them into a peerless swordmaster.
And a millennium had passed since Retsu Unohana's time...
She must be incredibly powerful now, at least Yoriichi Tsugikuni thought so.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni initially didn't want to fight her, as there was no meaning to it.
But the existence of Uta forced him to act.
Just a spar...
Slowly exhaling, Yoriichi Tsugikuni decided to set the time for this evening.
Later, he also had to go to the Twelfth Division to see what was happening with Kisuke Urahara.
...
...
Leaving the Fourth Division and walking down an empty street, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's thoughts gradually drifted.
At this moment, Uta hurried forward, gripping his hand tightly, and asked anxiously, "Is it okay?"
"Can we not spar?"
"If it's because of me, then I don't want to join the Fourth Division. You said it yourself, personal safety is the most important."
Her urgent tone quickly pulled Yoriichi Tsugikuni's thoughts back. He slightly turned his head, looking at Uta, a complex look fleetingly crossing his eyes.
His gentle tone was reassuring:
"Don't worry, there won won't be any problems. No matter what, I am a Shinigami, and I've fought demons for so many years..."
"Trust me this once, Uta."
"I never make decisions without confidence."
"Furthermore, this is also for your ideal."
"You finally have a life goal, just do what you like. Don't forget we are already husband and wife; a couple should work together."
"In my previous life, I couldn't let you experience a happy life. Now that we're living again, there's no reason to be like before."
Listening to Yoriichi Tsugikuni's words, Uta was slightly silent.
She really wanted to say that peace and happiness were enough, as that was what she had once hoped for.
But recalling all the actions Yoriichi Tsugikuni had taken for her so far... peace was predicated on absolute strength.
Especially being within the Seireitei, this was no longer the human world.
So, she couldn't bring herself to say those words no matter what.
"..."
In her silent pupils, the desolation of the surroundings was reflected. Uta subconsciously tightened her grip on Yoriichi Tsugikuni's hand, leaning closely against him,
as if that could bring a rare sense of peace.
After a long while, she gently nodded, seemingly having made some decision, her tone gradually firming:
"Mm... I understand. Thank you, Yoriichi."
"Since we are already husband and wife, there's no reason for me to let you face danger alone. I will also help. Please take me with you when you spar."
"And, Yoriichi, do you remember our child?"
Hearing Uta suddenly mention a child, Yoriichi Tsugikuni's attention immediately returned.
He slightly turned his head to look.
Just as Uta looked at him.
Uta's bright black eyes blinked.
She said, "Let's have another child."
...
...
Twelfth Division.
Kisuke Urahara's mood at this moment was like being on a wild rollercoaster, rising and falling, unable to calm down.
Who could tell him why, after only half a month away,
the prototype of the Hōgyoku had appeared?
Although the energy was somewhat uncontrollable,
it was indeed the Hōgyoku.
It could help Shinigami break through their limits.
He learned from Hiyori Sarugaki that after he left, Mayuri Kurotsuchi had actually taken it upon himself to add some Shinigami souls into the Hōgyoku.
This was something Kisuke Urahara had never imagined, nor had he ever done.
No matter how crazy he was, he had clear bottom lines, but Mayuri Kurotsuchi had unhesitatingly broken that bottom line.
Did Captain-Commander Yamamoto have no opinion on this?
Hiyori Sarugaki explained:
"Don't even mention it, he's a lunatic. The reason he did this is because, although he added Shinigami souls, he didn't kill any Shinigami."
"I've been annoyed with him for a long time. He's only a Third Seat, but he always makes me, the Vice-Captain, do this and that for him."
"Kisuke, think of something. If this continues, your Twelfth Division will almost become his."
"He's recently started a new research topic, saying he wants to create artificial life, and he's even using the Hōgyoku's power."
"He even used your name to intimidate others, contacting that guy Yoruichi Shihouin."
"Don't you have any thoughts at all?"
"..." What thoughts could I have? You really think highly of me...
Kisuke Urahara felt helpless.
At first, Kisuke Urahara thought that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had harmed those Shinigami for Hōgyoku research, which was why he was more resistant.
But now he understood that Mayuri Kurotsuchi had probably used some special methods to cut off fragments of those Shinigami's souls.
These fragments would not kill them, only weaken them for a period of time, causing them to permanently lose some reishi.
If they were criminals, this was nothing.
Quantitative change can lead to qualitative change, not to mention that the reishi of those criminals was not weak.
This also explained why the Hōgyoku could form so quickly.
And now that the Hōgyoku had appeared, what could he do?
Was he going to call a halt?
That made no sense. The reason for researching the Hōgyoku was to counter Aizen and break the Hollowfication poison.
Although Aizen had left, his threat had not disappeared, because Aizen now also had a Hōgyoku.
It was a race to see whose research progressed faster.
Fortunately, they had gone to Hueco Mundo and developed some power that could effectively suppress Aizen's subordinate forces to a certain extent.
The matter was now clear.
As for Mayuri Kurotsuchi's other research topic, Kisuke Urahara briefly looked into it.
Although it hadn't been officially approved yet, the name of the topic was already out—Sleeping Project.
A very strange name.
Using the Hōgyoku, combining artificial life... Could Mayuri Kurotsuchi be trying to create artificial Hollowfied Shinigami?
Thinking of this, Kisuke Urahara took a slight gasp of cold air. He suddenly felt the madness of this plan, which even surpassed the Hōgyoku itself.
Because if Hollowfied Shinigami could be mass-produced and controlled by humans, then all those Shinigami in the Seireitei could go home and retire.
Of course, this statement was a bit exaggerated, but it was true.
Normal Shinigami Hollowfication carried a risk of losing control. Once control was lost, it meant death, and death meant one or more souls would lose their loved ones.
However, artificial souls were different.
Even if they lost control, they would be immediately eliminated, and souls that had not yet been born were not considered life, and therefore would not cause any guilt.
It could be said that artificial souls were born as tools, no matter when.
The current Soul Candy was also like this.
Considering that this experiment was against humanity, he really wanted to stop the Sleeping Project.
However, upon reflection, thinking of the positive effects that could result if the experiment succeeded, Kisuke Urahara's words caught in his throat.
After all, even the appearance of a small number of Hollowfied Shinigami could alleviate the pressure on ordinary Shinigami squad members and effectively reduce casualties.
Finally, he sighed and decided to observe for now.
...
At the same time.
On the other side.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni, listening to Uta's words, suddenly stopped and stood still for a long time.
He lowered his gaze, feeling for a moment as if he had misheard.
Another child?
To be honest, Yoriichi Tsugikuni had thought about it before, but considering that Uta might have been traumatized by that incident, he hadn't brought it up proactively.
Not everyone could remain calm after seeing a demon.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni felt that living like this was also good, after all, Uta had been found.
Although there were no children, there were still Rukia and Hisana.
The two of them looked very young and could completely be raised as children.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni had done so at first.
However, now...
He took a slight breath and opened his mouth. Even though this wasn't the first time he had experienced something like this, a clear ripple still spread in his heart:
"Uta, aren't you afraid?"
"Back then..."
"Don't mention that matter from back then again. I've completely forgotten it."
"I only know that you found me, saved me, and I am your lawfully wedded wife."
Uta slightly stood on her tiptoes, extending a finger to press against Yoriichi Tsugikuni's lips, signaling him to stop talking.
Uta herself continued:
"I don't blame you, because you didn't do anything wrong. Helping others is what you should do."
"That's what you told me back then."
"Now we both have another life. Why should we dwell on the past?"
"This is Soul Society, this is the Seireitei. As souls, let's start anew."
"It can also be considered putting a period to our human lives."
"Yoriichi, don't you want to see our child?"
Yoriichi swallowed twice, for this was something he could never forget in his lifetime.
He clearly remembered that day; for it, he sat alone for ten days and nights before the corpses of Uta and their child.
He couldn't articulate the emotions in his heart at that time, but clearly, he had failed Uta.
Now that he had found Uta, not mentioning the child was out of consideration for her feelings, and his difficulty in facing his past self.
He was afraid of disappointing Uta once more.
But now…
Uta's gentle and optimistically cheerful smile was reflected in his dark red pupils.
It was as if a warm breeze swept through his heart, and the dark clouds deeply locked in his memory slightly dispersed.
Yoriichi was momentarily at a loss for words.
After a long while.
He nodded.
He uttered a difficult yet relieved word:
"Alright."
Hearing this, Uta smiled, her warm voice sweeping away the oppressive atmosphere around them:
"That's more like it, Yoriichi. What do you think we should name them if we have children?"
"…Them?"
"Otherwise? Look at Hisana, she has two sisters. We can't have fewer than them, can we?"
"Oh, and don't forget Rangiku. We should have at least three. We still have a long life ahead of us."
Their voices gradually faded away…
…
…
Some time later, Yoriichi Tsugikuni arrived at the Twelfth Division, where everything was familiar to him.
He quickly learned about the Sleeping Project and discovered that the Central Pharmaceutical Affairs Office's invitation to Kiyonosuke Yamada was actually arranged by Mayuri Kurotsuchi, who used Kisuke Urahara's name to contact Yoruichi Shihouin.
The Sleeping Project was different from artificial Shinigami souls because, due to the existence of the Hōgyoku, the artificial physical body that housed the soul had to be flawless to withstand its immense power.
However, there was no such thing as perfection in the world, so Mayuri Kurotsuchi's plan was to use Kiyonosuke Yamada's methods to get as close to perfection as possible.
This would undoubtedly require a long time, likely calculated in years.
Clearly, inviting Kiyonosuke Yamada to the Twelfth Division was impossible; inviting him as a Third Seat would probably not even get a response.
After careful consideration, Mayuri Kurotsuchi could only borrow power, first tying Kiyonosuke Yamada to the Twelfth Division's cause.
In his view, his affairs were the Twelfth Division's affairs, the Twelfth Division's affairs were Kisuke Urahara's affairs, and Kisuke Urahara's affairs were Yoruichi Shihouin's affairs.
And Yoruichi Shihouin would surely do her best to handle this matter.
Now that the matter was settled, Kiyonosuke Yamada was about to be promoted to the Central Pharmaceutical Affairs Office.
Afterward, contact could be established through Yoruichi Shihouin, thereby allowing for the creation of perfect artificial physical bodies.
Yoriichi heard these messages without much ripple in his heart.
But Kisuke Urahara was different; he finally understood why Kiyonosuke Yamada was invited.
Kiyonosuke Yamada's Kaido methods were indeed superb, and his artificial reishi organ technology was unique.
As long as a person hadn't lost their head and still had a breath left, he could save them.
No wonder Mayuri Kurotsuchi had acted first and reported later.
After understanding all this, Kisuke Urahara also grasped the true meaning of the Sleeping Project.
This research was too unreal; whether it was self-growing artificial Shinigami or mass-producible, controllable Hollowfied Shinigami, they were unimaginable beings in the real world.
It was like a dream.
But dreaming while awake was too foolish, so this project could only be realized after one was asleep.
Hence, it was called the Sleeping Project.
Kisuke Urahara was silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on Mayuri Kurotsuchi:
"I will be watching you, Mayuri. I hope your madness doesn't affect all Shinigami."
"If I find you have even the slightest thought of betraying the Shinigami, don't blame me for being impolite."
The intention behind this project was undoubtedly good, just like robots; its appearance could effectively replace Shinigami in high-difficulty tasks.
But if it lost control, it would be a devastating blow.
And to not research it out of fear of losing control would undoubtedly be a defilement of science.
Taking a deep breath, Kisuke Urahara said no more.
He turned to Yoriichi and said:
"I apologize for that. Is there anything else?"
"Besides these."
"I heard your wife awakened her Zanpakuto. Congratulations."
Yoriichi shook his head: "Not at all. A large part of it is your credit, Kisuke."
"There's nothing else. I have a question I want to ask you."
"Is there any way to help Shinigami increase their reishi?"
Kisuke Urahara blinked: "Is it for your wife?"
"A way… there isn't. reishi, in the end, is the density of the soul. While density can be increased, for example, by absorbing reishi, the effect is negligible."
"Even if one stays in the Seireitei for a hundred or two hundred years, reishi can only increase by two or three levels. The higher the base reishi, the worse the effect."
"Of course, if one is exceptionally talented, that's another story."
"Currently…"
Kisuke Urahara's gaze suddenly fell upon the Hōgyoku, which was shimmering with blue light nearby. He frowned slightly and tentatively said:
"Perhaps using the Hōgyoku could work, but the process isn't very stable. If you're not in a hurry, why don't you wait another twenty or thirty years?"
Upon hearing the number twenty or thirty years, Yoriichi immediately knew it was a lost cause.
But fortunately, he was only asking.
Although Uta's reishi was a bit weak, she had no problem protecting herself in the Seireitei at this stage.
Moreover, with Retsu Unohana's care, she shouldn't be bullied.
Thinking of this, Yoriichi immediately suggested discussing it later. After a few casual remarks, he left the Twelfth Division, preparing for his sparring match with Retsu Unohana in the evening.
Of course, before leaving, he didn't forget to remind Kisuke Urahara to create Soul Candy, which was essential for subduing Menos Grande.
Even Harribel, who was indifferent to everything, had some thoughts when faced with the unknown sights of the Soul Society.
Not to mention the others…
…
…
Evening arrived in a flash.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni kept his promise and brought Uta to visit the Fourth Division.
There was a dedicated sword practice area in the Fourth Division, which was now empty and so quiet that one could hear their own breathing.
Clearly, Retsu Unohana had already driven away all the Shinigami in the vicinity.
Uta tugged at Yoriichi's clothes. Although she kept cheering herself on, believing Yoriichi would surely win, experiencing it firsthand still made her a bit worried.
However, fortunately, immediately after, seeing Retsu Unohana's kind smile, the unease in Uta's heart lessened slightly.
At this moment, Retsu Unohana was kneeling in the center of the training ground, dressed in a white kendo uniform.
Seeing Yoriichi appear before her, she extended her hand and threw a bamboo sword that was in front of her.
This action was not only to prove that it was just a sparring match, to reassure Uta.
More importantly, she wanted to see how much the true strength of both parties differed, aside from their Zanpakuto.
Additionally, she had heard that Yoriichi Tsugikuni's strength was immense.
So, after losing the hardened Zanpakuto, would his strength shatter the bamboo sword with one strike?
If so, Retsu Unohana would inevitably be disappointed, because that wasn't swordsmanship.
She wanted to challenge pure skill, not mere power.
Seemingly discerning Retsu Unohana's thoughts, Yoriichi gently caught the bamboo sword she threw, nodded, and asked:
"To what score?"
Normal sparring matches didn't have scores, as they were all about defeating the opponent.
The current situation was different; using a bamboo sword meant insufficient lethality. Even if reishi was condensed, the bamboo sword would shatter after one strike.
So the situation was clear.
This was a battle of technique.
Hearing this, Retsu Unohana slowly stood up.
"Ten points, then."
"Three points is too little; it wouldn't show much."
"Whoever hits the opponent ten times first wins."
"Let me warn you beforehand, among the hundreds of masters I've sparred with so far, only Yamamoto Genryusai has been able to hit and defeat me."
"The others, the best score was no more than three hits."
"Of course, a young Kenpachi was an exception, but not anymore."
"I hope you can entertain me."
"Let's begin."
Swish!
She casually swung the sword, and the seemingly fragile bamboo sword instantly produced a whooshing sound like a dragon's roar, as if tearing through the air.
The surrounding temperature instantly dropped.
It was as cold as being in an ice cellar.