Chapter 97: Warning
Inside the examination room.
The air still retained faint spiritual pressure fluctuations from Hisagomaru's dissipated energy.
"Suoh, test the treatment results."
Unohana Retsu's voice carried its characteristic gentle consistency.
Suoh took a deep breath and closed his eyes, carefully guiding his internal spiritual pressure to circulate at high speed.
Gradually, a barely perceptible luminous glow emerged across his body's surface.
He carefully sensed his internal spiritual pressure points' condition.
The previous hidden pain in his spiritual pressure points had completely vanished. Spiritual pressure flowing through his meridians felt as smooth as ceaselessly surging ocean currents.
After a long moment, he slowly opened his eyes. His brow relaxed as he spoke joyfully.
"All the previous slight pain has disappeared."
"Thank you, Captain Unohana, Isane-neesan, and Hanataro-san."
"Thanks to everyone, I feel my current condition is better than ever before."
Suoh rose and bowed deeply, his tone filled with sincere gratitude.
Standing before Suoh, Yamada Hanataro waved his hands frantically, flattered. A bashful blush rose to his cheeks as he unconsciously grinned foolishly.
"Hehe."
"No—no need to thank me! This is what I should do."
In his past treatment experiences, most people regarded Fourth Division assistance as natural, rarely expressing gratitude.
This was his first time receiving such heartfelt thanks from a patient, let alone such respect and recognition from a seated officer.
At this moment, he felt blissfully lightheaded, as if floating on clouds.
Kotetsu Isane stepped forward slowly, reaching out to lightly press Suoh's Saketsu and Hakusui for follow-up examination.
After a moment, she withdrew her hand. Her face bloomed with a relieved smile.
"Captain Unohana's judgment was indeed correct. Hanataro's Hisagomaru truly suits treating this type of overwork injury."
"I was insufficiently thorough in my earlier consideration, nearly delaying your time."
She recalled not thinking of Yamada Hanataro's unique Zanpakuto earlier. Her words carried some chagrin.
"Isane-neesan, you're being too harsh on yourself."
"Without your meticulous, detailed examination, we couldn't have identified the cause so quickly."
"Moreover, ultimately you specifically invited Captain Unohana."
"I'm truly very grateful."
Suoh shook his head, his gaze sincere.
His head was quite clear. Without Kotetsu Isane's connection.
For someone at his level, unless officially injured on duty, forget about a captain of Unohana Retsu's caliber personally making house calls.
"Don't say that."
His words—gentle and sincere—gradually dispersed the slight cloud over Kotetsu Isane's brow. A warm smile surfaced at her mouth's corners.
Unohana Retsu stood quietly to the side, her gaze calm as water, silently watching this scene before her.
She could see this young man possessed not only outstanding talent, but more importantly, understood gratitude.
Gratitude— expressing this seemed simple, yet they represented the quality most lacking in many Seireitei Shinigami today.
Too many people regarded others' hard work as natural and expected.
Here she didn't want to name certain squad members from a certain division who were loud and disruptive, not only refusing to follow medical advice but treating the comprehensive medical facility's rules as worthless.
Her thoughts reaching this point, some unpleasant memories surfaced.
In that instant, a tangible chill permeated the examination room.
Behind Unohana Retsu, a wisp of black energy seemed to emerge, forming a Hannya demon mask. The examination room's air temperature plummeted abruptly.
Among the three others present, Suoh—whose spiritual perception was most acute—felt almost simultaneously an inexplicable chill crawl up his spine. He shivered lightly.
His gaze instinctively swept around, attempting to locate this abrupt sensation's source.
However, before his sight even touched Unohana Retsu's figure before him, the inexplicable strange feeling had already vanished without trace, as if merely his illusion.
Before his eyes, Unohana Retsu still held both hands together before her, standing dignified. Her serene countenance carried a smile gentle as spring breeze.
Suoh's gaze shifted slightly. Ultimately, he said nothing.
He merely nodded slowly with normal expression, returning a proper smile.
Thoroughly crushing that momentary curiosity in his heart.
Curiosity killed the cat. Can't afford to provoke this.
Inside the examination room, the atmosphere returned to normal.
Unohana Retsu slowly spoke.
"Suoh, your condition appears simple but is actually quite dangerous."
"This training method can certainly bring rapid progress, yet it's also like walking on a blade's edge—extremely perilous."
"Once bodily recovery ability can't keep pace with injury speed, once injury degree exceeds the threshold and spiritual pressure points suffer severe damage, at best your spiritual pressure level stagnates and regresses. At worst, you completely lose Shinigami abilities."
Though her words were light, their weight made even the air stagnate.
Word by word struck the listeners' heartstrings.
"Ah!"
The person in question, Suoh, wasn't frightened. Instead, Yamada Hanataro beside them cried out in worry for the newly acquainted Suoh.
Kotetsu Isane felt similarly, her gaze turning toward Suoh with concern.
She absolutely didn't want to see the spirited Suoh someday lose his Shinigami powers.
Suoh could completely understand the deep meaning and warning in her words.
Not avoiding her gaze, he spoke honestly.
"If out of worry and fear of bearing consequences, I easily abandon my current training method—"
"Then it means my character amounts to only this much. Losing power would also be destined fate."
From previously expending nearly all spiritual pressure releasing one beggar's version Black Coffin, to now comfortably releasing three or four enhanced beggar versions.
This transcendent progress relied precisely on this extreme spiritual pressure point exploitation training. If asked to abandon it, he didn't know how slow his progress speed would become.
"Abandon?"
"I never said—anything about having you abandon it."
Hearing this, the smile on Unohana Retsu's face showed slight change.
Her gentle eyes carried several degrees of ineffable deeper meaning.
She looked toward Suoh before her, her tone certain.
"Suoh, you know Kaido, correct?"
"Yes, I've studied it somewhat. My level is average."
Suoh nodded in acknowledgment, his tone carrying no self-satisfaction.
To date, he'd only handled some direct physical trauma—things like suturing wounds, stopping bleeding, and pain relief.
Kaido didn't have obvious reference comparisons like other Kido. He truly had no idea what level his abilities actually reached.
Unohana Retsu paid no mind to his modest words. Her eyebrows curved into crescents with a smile as she spoke softly.
"Perfect. Our Fourth Division is frequently short-staffed."
"We especially need Shinigami like you with massive spiritual pressure reserves who know Kaido."
"Suoh, come with me. There's some small help I need. Consider it payment for this examination."
"Isane, Hanataro, you two attend to other matters first."
Her words carried some honest helplessness. The Fourth Division originally had scarce talent yet bore the vast majority of Seireitei's treatment duties—daily work was burdensome.
Ordinary Shinigami weren't few within the division. The truly elite backbone members who could independently handle seriously wounded—facing the enormous patient numbers, they amounted to a drop in the bucket.
Suoh, this manual laborer who'd voluntarily arrived, suited perfectly.
Finishing speaking, she turned to lead the way with elegant bearing.
"Yes."
Suoh agreed immediately, following behind Unohana Retsu.
Shrewd as he was, he instantly perceived her intent.
This wasn't about having him pay fees at all. Clearly she wanted to use hands-on practice opportunities to provide guidance, helping him improve his Kaido level.
Crystal clear in his heart, though his expression showed no particular reaction. Appearing honest, he quickly followed.
This kindness—not accepting it would be foolish.
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