Just so there's no misunderstanding, the brat over there isn't Unohana's kid, nor is he mine.
For starters, the spiritual signature is completely different. If that brat were Unohana's child, there's no way I wouldn't recognize it.
Taking everything into account, that's just some brat Unohana picked up from somewhere.
He's younger than I expected, so it took a moment to be sure, but the fighting spirit in his eyes gives it away.
Zaraki.
Yeah, that's Kenpachi Zaraki, the man who becomes the Captain of Squad 11 in the distant future.
It seems like while I was away handling business up top, he crossed paths with Unohana, picked a fight, got absolutely thrashed, and was hauled back here.
If it's that Zaraki, it's a perfectly plausible scenario.
In the original timeline, this would have been the moment Unohana received a massive scar on her chest, but that will never happen to the current Unohana.
No matter how strong he is, could a young Kenpachi really beat Unohana, who has trained under me and even mastered Kaido from Tenjiro?
That's nonsense.
Based on deduction, this is probably how it went….
"I'm sorry for bringing him here without permission. I should have discussed it with you first."
"It's fine. Looking at him, he's filthy from head to toe. I'm guessing some stray brat picked a fight with you, you entertained him, and then ended up bringing him home. It brings back old memories, and I suppose I felt a sense of responsibility not to just leave a kid like that alone."
As I voiced my deduction, Unohana blinked before letting out a soft laugh, "Ufufu."
"As expected, you know everything."
"I tell you all the time. I don't know everything; I only know what I know. And since this involves you, I know. I figured my wife's personality would lead to exactly this."
"Huhu, how embarrassing."
Setting that aside for now… maybe I should establish some hierarchy here.
"Hey, brat. I'm the husband of that pretty lady over there. What's your name?"
"Screw off. I don't have a name to give a shrimp like you."
"Oh? Is it that you don't have a name to give, or that you don't have a name at all? Am I right, brat? By the look of you, you've lived like a wild beast, wandering around with neither name nor purpose, seeking nothing but a proper fight. There's no way a guy like that has a name."
The name 'Kenpachi Zaraki' only came to be after he fought Unohana and spent years accumulating a tally of deaths while wandering the Rukongai.
The name 'Zaraki' itself was taken from the 80th District of North Rukongai, 'Zaraki.'
And 'Kenpachi' was the title he took after killing the previous Kenpachi and becoming the Captain of Squad 11….
Right now, Kenpachi Zaraki has no name.
A nameless brat. A wild beast living solely for the fight.
That's who this kid is.
"…."
"What a sinister glint in your eyes. How many people have you cut down? A hundred? A thousand? Or so many you've lost count?"
"That's… none of your business!"
CLACK. A metallic sound rang out from his loose hilt.
Looking down, I saw Zaraki swinging his sword at me with a face full of murderous intent.
It was an incredibly fast draw, worthy of the brat who once fought on par with the completed version of Unohana in the original story.
If his form were better, it could almost be called a proper draw-slash, but to me, it was agonizingly slow.
I tilted my head slightly, letting the blade pass by a paper's breadth. Zaraki's expression was instantly stained with shock.
"Oops, almost. If you were a bit more calm, you might have at least cut a strand of hair."
"Heh, this is getting interesting…!!"
But Zaraki was Zaraki even as a child. He didn't just stop at being surprised; he swung his sword again with the expression of a child who had found a fascinating new toy.
Of course, I continued talking while dodging every strike by the thinnest of margins.
"Brat, why do you swing that sword?"
"Stop talking that boring crap and fight! Is that sword in your hand just for decoration!?"
As he shouted, Zaraki's speed increased.
What is he, some Shonen manga protagonist? Getting stronger in the middle of a fight.
"It's not boring crap; it's an important question. If you just swing a sword, it's no different from a stick. It only becomes swordsmanship when you know why you picked up the blade and what you are swinging it for."
"Ha! Whether it's a stick or a sword, if I swing it and you die, it's the same!! Stop saying things I can't understand and just fight me!!"
"Is that so? Then that's the reason Unohana crushed you."
I inserted my blade into the trajectory of Zaraki's sword as he lunged for my heart, then flicked it upward.
To Zaraki's eyes, it must have looked as if my blade coiled around his like a serpent.
"What…!?"
Zaraki lost his grip on his sword. As he tumbled backward onto his rear, I rested the tip of my blade against his throat.
"Alright, that's one round."
Leaving the fallen Zaraki behind, I walked over to Unohana and handed her my Asauchi.
"Hold this for a bit. I don't have a good place to put it."
"Yes. Please, don't go too hard on him."
"Don't worry, I've been doing this for years."
With a smirk, I stood before Zaraki again.
In the short time I spent talking to Unohana, Zaraki had retrieved his sword. He charged at me again, his wide, characteristic eyes burning with intensity.
"Thinking back, it probably is a bit strange to lecture a kid who doesn't even know his own name about the 'reason' for holding a sword. Wouldn't you agree?"
A three-step approach, followed by a leaping lunge aimed at the throat.
When I stepped back to dodge, he immediately landed and performed a horizontal sweep to clear the ground, aiming for my ankles.
Next was an upward slash, which he immediately redirected into a diagonal cut from my right shoulder to my left waist.
There was a flow, but no standardized form. They were the most effective movements he could take in each moment.
"Hmm…. I felt like I'd seen this before. He's exactly like Saito was back in the day."
A lethal blade swung with pure physicality and instinct, devoid of technique.
A sword swung solely to kill the opponent.
It had the distinct feel of someone who had learned everything through actual combat.
Simple, but therefore most effective.
"I can see right through you, kid."
"Shut up and focus on the fight!! Look at me!!"
"Fight? Haha, you say the funniest things, brat. Does this really feel like a 'fight' to you?"
As he lunged for my eyes, I twisted my body to dodge and caught the blade between my thumb and forefinger.
Zaraki didn't hesitate or get angry. Instead, he simply let go of the sword and threw a punch straight for my crotch.
Of course, I dodged.
No matter how strong I am, a hit to the junk is going to hurt.
"Wow, you really do the exact same things Saito does. Amusing."
Laughing, I brought the hilt of my sword down hard—CRACK!—right on the crown of Zaraki's head.
"Gah…!"
Zaraki's eyes rolled back as he collapsed, unconscious.
"A kid's still a kid, after all."
Feeling the power gap from the first exchange, he boldly let go of his sword the moment it was caught and continued his attack.
Usually, people freeze up in panic when their sword is caught.
But in that split second, he made the decision to abandon his weapon. Furthermore, he aimed for a vital spot that forced me to block or dodge, knowing that aiming for legs, knees, or the face could be countered.
Honestly, in terms of raw talent, Zaraki is on an entirely different level than Saito or Unohana.
I expected it, but experiencing it firsthand made it clear. I felt it—this guy is cut from a different cloth.
"Interesting fellow."
He's the real deal. Since Unohana didn't lose, he probably hasn't suppressed his own power yet.
If I were to disappear here and the original story were to play out, Ichigo would probably be killed instantly the moment he met Zaraki, protagonist armor be damned.
He's that absurd.
So, I'll have to put in some effort to make sure that doesn't happen.
"What do you plan to do?"
"Hmm? Well…. I'll think about that after he wakes up. I'd love to take him as a disciple, but you can tell just by looking at him. He's not the type who listens to reason."
"Then…."
"I'll take a simpler approach. Instead of finding a reason first, I'll just have him train until he's satisfied."
"That's surprising. I thought you'd tell him to find a reason to hold his sword first…."
"He's too young to understand such difficult things. And besides, he has no intention of contemplating that in the first place. There is no reason for strength. There is no reason for combat. He wants to be strong simply to fight, and he fights because he must be strong."
"I doubt it ends there. There's something more, isn't there?"
Unohana wasn't simply disagreeing; she was certain there was more to it.
"What makes you think that?"
"If that were truly the end of it—if he were just a beast living like that—you wouldn't be leaving him alone like this."
"Well…. You're not wrong. Fighting, fighting spirit, instinct. That's all that shows on the surface, but what lies at the base is a desire for recognition. You heard him while we were fighting, right? He said 'Look at me.'"
"If we fulfill that need for recognition, wouldn't he improve significantly?"
"After that, he'd try to realize his own self. But saying he'll 'improve' isn't something that would work on a guy like him."
The reason I'm letting Zaraki be is simple.
Even if left alone, he's not the type of person who causes problems.
"Pure fighting spirit toward the strong. A desire for improvement. A man who enjoys his life like a single game. That's what this brat is. A 'Transcendent Being' who establishes his own laws and ideals within himself and follows his own rules. A being who would die by his own ideals even in death. That is exactly what this brat is."
Of course, the karma accumulated through excessive slaughter is something he'll have to settle with his own hands later, but Zaraki is the type of person who will enjoy even that.
One who does not regret his actions. One who moves forward.
In fact, he's someone I have no need to interfere with.
"Of course, it would be for the best if he lived for something good. But I only offer alternatives and pose questions; I have no intention of reforming him. Forcing a change would only cause stronger resistance. Think about it. Have I ever told you 'This is how you must live'?"
"…Never."
"Right. The one who answers the questions I pose is the person themselves. I don't need to nag, and I don't intend to. I just take responsibility for what happens as a result."
Having said that, I looked down at the face-down Zaraki and stood up.
Unohana laid the brat down properly.
"When that brat wakes up, send him to Saito. If he has something to say, he'll come find me himself."
"Where are you going again?"
"Ah, I was going to wash up. I exerted myself a bit, so I smell like burning soot."
"Oh, then, I'll go wash up as well."
"Huh? Why?"
Leaving the brat behind, Unohana headed off to wash up.
…I guess seeing a child after all this time stimulated her maternal instincts.
Even if we try our hardest, we won't be having any children.
With a bitter smile, I quietly adjusted my robes.