When Unohana's blade was about to strike, blue lightning suddenly flared across the training ground.
*Crackle!*
The threads of Kidō binding Shigure shattered instantly, each strand of spirit energy breaking apart under the violent surge of power. A sharp hum resonated through the air — the sound of spiritual pressure changing form. The next moment, the sealed Zanpakutō in Shigure's hand blazed with a disciplined blue aura that arced outward like living thunder.
The moment the blade moved, its speed multiplied. The vibration of Raitenshou's lightning could be heard even over the wind — not a roaring thunderclap, but a tightly-controlled, whiplike crack that cut through the air itself.
In a single heartbeat, Shigure's strike intercepted Unohana's descending sword. The collision scattered sparks of lightning and reiatsu, illuminating the entire field in flashes of blue and white.
Unohana's eyes narrowed. Her body reacted faster than thought, blade turning in a crescent sweep, but her instincts screamed danger. Lightning swelled again — the same eerie calm before a storm that she had not felt for centuries.
She leapt backward using Shunpo, the air distorting in her wake. But just as she moved, Shigure's form dissolved before her eyes into streaks of blue light.
'An afterimage?'
Her pupils contracted. She spun, slashing toward the empty space behind her. But instead of flesh, her blade cut through mist and light.
*Crackle!*
The lightning afterimage burst apart, scattering spirit particles like falling rain.
She sensed the real Shigure half a step away — to her left. Her own instincts, honed through endless duels, guided her body before her mind could catch up. The two blades met again in a blinding flash.
From a distance, it looked as though both swords had stopped in mid-swing. But then, Shigure shifted his wrist. The arc of Raitenshou's lightning extended unnaturally, the blade seeming to grow by a few inches.
Unohana felt the edge brush against her side.
A moment later, a thin crimson line opened across her uniform, followed by a heavier flow of blood that splattered the stone floor beneath her feet.
For the first time in centuries, the Fourth Division captain's body staggered back from a wound delivered in open combat.
Kirio, standing at the edge of the training ground, involuntarily took a half-step forward. Her eyes widened, reflecting the electric glow that still lingered around Shigure's sword.
"Captain Unohana… injured?" she whispered under her breath, disbelief tinging her voice.
Even Yamamoto, who had been watching in silence, slightly furrowed his brows. The weight of the moment was clear — it was not merely a cut, but proof.
He exhaled slowly. "It's enough." he muttered, almost to himself, then raised his voice. "This assessment has reached its conclusion."
Shigure remained still, lightning fading from Raitenshou's blade as he lowered his stance. The static still whispered faintly around him, crackling over the scorched ground where his Reiatsu had flared.
Unohana's breathing was even, but her eyes were alive — brighter than anyone present had ever seen them. It wasn't anger. It was something closer to joy. For an instant, the cold and gentle mask of the Fourth Division captain vanished, and the shadow of the First Generation Kenpachi flickered in her gaze.
To her, the pain of a wound meant nothing. What thrilled her was the presence of another warrior who could bring it to her.
But Yamamoto's voice carried across the field once again — deep, commanding, absolute.
"Enough."
He drew Ryūjin Jakka, not releasing it, but channeling his spiritual pressure through its sealed form. The mere act sent heat rippling across the arena, the air distorting. A line of molten Reiatsu carved itself between Shigure and Unohana, a single flaming stroke that burned itself into the ground.
*Boom!*
The impact threw dust and sparks into the air.
"You will both stop here." Yamamoto declared.
Shigure instantly sheathed his sword, the blue lightning retracting into stillness. His posture straightened, eyes calm, no trace of arrogance or triumph. For a man who had just wounded Unohana, his expression was composed — respectful.
"Understood." he said simply.
Unohana exhaled softly, the faint curl of a smile touching her lips. Though her uniform was torn and stained, her composure remained perfect. Beneath the calm, however, there was a faint trembling in her hand — not from weakness, but excitement barely contained.
'He surpassed my expectations.' she thought. 'A man who can still grow stronger… this era may yet have its true Kenpachi.'
If this were centuries ago — before she took up the mantle of healer, before she learned restraint — she would have ignored even Yamamoto's order and continued until one of them fell. But that part of her belonged to another lifetime.
She slowly lowered her blade. "Understood, Captain." she replied, her tone once again gentle, almost serene.
Shigure took a step forward, his reiatsu finally settling. "Captain Unohana, are you hurt?"
The words were sincere — though they earned him a quiet, amused glance from Kirio. To ask after the well-being of a captain he had just struck down was either humility or shamelessness.
Unohana looked down at the torn edge of her uniform. The wound was clean, deep, and still bleeding lightly. "It's nothing." she said. Then she raised her sword, its shape shifting fluidly into the massive form of her Minazuki — the one-eyed manta-like creature that drifted into existence with a low, wet sound.
The creature hovered in the air for a brief moment before lowering itself to the ground, enveloping Unohana in its body.
*Gulp*
The sound of flesh and spirit merging echoed faintly across the training field. Within seconds, Minazuki spat her back out.
She landed softly, her robes soaked but her skin flawless, the wound completely healed. Her white haori clung damply to her frame, now stained pink from the residual blood that had dissolved in Minazuki's fluids.
"I'm fine." she said again, her voice returning to that composed gentleness that everyone in Soul Society knew so well.
Yamamoto nodded once. His gaze swept across all three captains and finally rested on Shigure.
"Gosuke Shigure, vice-captain of the Eleventh Division," he began formally, "was today assessed for captaincy by order of the Gotei 13. Witnesses: myself, Captain Unohana Retsu of the Fourth Division, and Captain Hikifune Kirio of the Twelfth Division."
Each title was spoken with deliberate weight.
"Based on the results of this combat examination — and upon the unanimous agreement of the witnesses — it is determined that Gosuke Shigure possesses the reiatsu, combat skill, and discipline required of a captain-class shinigami."
He paused, letting the words settle. "Furthermore, in accordance with the ancient rules of the Eleventh Division, by defeating the previous Kenpachi in fair combat, he is hereby recognized as worthy of the title."
The faintest hint of pride entered the old man's tone.
"From this day forward," Yamamoto concluded, "you shall serve as the Ninth Kenpachi — Captain of the Eleventh Division of the Gotei 13."
*****
Support me on my Ko-fi page to keep me motivated to continue uploading chapters.
https://ko fi.com/rroy28 (put a "-" between "ko" and "fi")
I have added Uncensored NSFW Illustrations in my Discord server, available only to paid members.
I am working on the following projects:
✓ Killed For 100 Years in Hueco Mundo, Aizen Invited Me To Soul Society!
✓ Naruto: Senmei Asahi
✓ Naruto: Uchiha's Intelligence Dealer
✓ Naruto: The Fifth Hokage Is Naruto's Uncle
✓ Naruto: Who Made Him a Ninja?
✓ Bleach: In My Second Reincarnation, I Became The Ninth Kenpachi
✓ To Love-Ru: Spoiler Route [R-18]
✓ Naruto: The Accidental Incubus [R-18]
✓ The Academy's Saint Is Too Popular, But He's Not the Protagonist [R-18]