An indeterminate amount of time later, the unconscious Kensei slowly opened his eyes, only to see an unfamiliar ceiling.
Is this some kind of mandatory trope?
Kensei silently complained in his heart, trying to prop himself up on his elbows to sit, only to feel a needle-like pain shoot through his heavily bandaged arms. The damage from using Sōkotsu under Shunkō wasn't so easily shaken off. Right now, Kensei could feel his arms, but they refused to obey his commands.
"Awake?" A gentle voice sounded. Retsu Unohana entered the sickroom, saw Kensei's open eyes, and her slender fingers had already gently supported his back, helping him sit up. "The injury to your arms is quite severe. If they don't heal properly, it might affect your ability to continue as a Soul Reaper."
"But don't worry. The Captain-Commander and I will both do everything we can to find a way to heal you."
Unohana's eyes held a touch of regret. Finally found a man who could rival me in swordsmanship. Can't let him slip away just like that.
Kensei could smell the faint floral scent on Unohana as she leaned close. He didn't take her words about a severe injury seriously. Not to mention the long-dormant cheat ability within his body, worst-case scenario, he could ask his personal Aizen-genie. Even if Aizen couldn't do it, he could find that mad scientist Mayuri Kurotsuchi to whip up some kind of limb regeneration thing.
"Hehe, don't worry, Sister Retsu." Kensei grinned easily, showing no concern for his injury. "I'm the pillar of the Soul Society personally appointed by Old Man Yama. It'll be fine."
"That's a good attitude to have."
Unohana quietly observed Kensei, ensuring he wasn't just putting on a brave front, then let the corners of her lips lift slightly as she patted his head.
"Has little Kensei woken up?"
The sickroom door was pushed open. Yoruichi was always like this—her voice arriving before she did—bursting in energetically to Kensei's bedside. Her golden cat-like eyes looked at Kensei's arms, swathed tightly in bandages. She reached out, wanting to touch them but afraid of causing him pain.
"I'm sorry. It's all my fault for not watching over you properly."
Yoruichi's fingers finally just rested on the bed. Her words were filled with self-reproach. If only she had dealt with the Punishment Force mess sooner... No, she should have stayed and fought alongside Kensei.
It's because I'm still not strong enough...
As one of the Five Great Noble Families, Yoruichi had never faced any real crisis growing up, so her attitude towards training had been rather casual. Otherwise, she wouldn't still be putting off officially taking over everything of the Shihōin family by passing the trials. But Kensei getting injured this time stirred anxiety in Yoruichi's heart. Those rats in the shadows... I'll clean them all out later.
"Hello. I'm Kensei's roommate. I heard he was injured and came to visit."
A gentle voice came from the doorway. Aizen first politely bowed and greeted Unohana, then, ignoring Yoruichi at Kensei's bedside, walked to the other side to examine Kensei's injuries.
"Sōsuke, what brings you here too?"
"To see the idiot who managed to get himself into such a sorry state."
News of Kensei's exploits had already spread widely during the days he was unconscious. Aizen had temporarily put aside his experiments on Soul Reaper souls these past few days, turning instead to research medical technology. All because of a certain fool who keeps getting hurt and making me worry.
"But you really do have a kind heart, don't you? Helping the 2nd Division clean up their mess. I wonder what their Captain was doing." Aizen's gaze swept over the Shihōin Yoruichi across from him before he continued, pointedly, "Ah, my apologies. I forgot the 2nd Division doesn't have a Captain at the moment."
Yoruichi's expression darkened. The bedsheet was unconsciously crumpled into a ball by her tightening hand. Aizen's words were like an invisible blade, precisely striking a sore spot in her heart.
"I apologize. This was indeed my oversight. But I swear on the honor of the Shihōin family that I will definitely heal Kensei's arms. It's getting late; you should return to complete your studies. We will provide all necessary assistance for Kensei's subsequent treatment. You need not worry overly."
"Thank you for the reminder, Lady Shihōin. I merely hope that the next time you take Kensei out, you will be more careful. After all, it seems his injuries on several occasions have occurred while in your company."
After saying this, Aizen bowed to Unohana and left the room. He needed to rush back to the lab to strive for an early completion of his new research; otherwise, who knew when Kensei's arms would heal.
With Aizen's departure, the somewhat tense atmosphere in the sickroom dissipated. Kensei let out a sigh of relief, thinking Aizen must not have been in a good mood today, otherwise why be so sharp with Yoruichi?
"Don't take it to heart. Sōsuke just talks like that. He's not particularly polite to me either."
"It's fine. But I should return home first to see if there's anything that can help you. Rest well here."
Yoruichi shook her head, indicating she didn't mind, then turned to Unohana, said, "Thank you for your trouble," and also left the room.
"By the way, Sister Retsu, why hasn't Old Man Yama come to visit his outstanding student?"
"What outstanding student would refer to their teacher like that? And the Captain-Commander's surname is Yamamoto." Unohana maintained her gentle smile, wondering how the Captain-Commander usually interacted with Kensei.
"The Captain-Commander went to Central 46. Captain Kirio went to practice her swordsmanship... in front of the Tsunayashiro family's gates. Initially, Central 46, because you killed two Captains, judged you a threat to the Soul Society and were prepared to throw you into the Maggot's Nest as well. But they changed their minds. As for the Tsunayashiro family..."
Unohana paused, lightly tapping her cheek in thought before continuing.
"It seems the Tsunayashiro family gave Captain Kirio quite a few valuable things, asking her to please leave their doorstep sooner."
Kensei twitched the corner of his mouth, wanting to laugh but stifling it because using the muscles hurt. Those old undying fools at Central 46 must be used to throwing their weight around, thinking they can stand up to Old Man Yama. They're dreaming.
Sooner or later, I'll have Aizen replace them all.
"How are things with the Rukongai rebels lately? With my two senior brothers sent to help, they can't still be causing trouble, right?"
"The rebel activity has quieted down considerably. That might also be related to the Soul Reaper Captain Kirio defeated at the Maggot's Nest."
Kensei thought about it. There was that middle-aged man who rescued Shirakura and Kishita, but since he couldn't beat him, he'd left him to Sister Kirio.
"Was he captured?"
"No. A Soul Reaper of that level has quite a few escape methods at their disposal."
Unohana shook her head. If they could have captured that masked man, things would be much simpler. It might not uproot the Tsunayashiro completely, but it would at least make them behave for a while.
"Rest well here. I have other duties to attend to."
After checking Kensei's condition once more, confirming that aside from his two arms, everything else was fine, Unohana prepared to go consult medical texts to search for treatment methods.
Left alone in the room, a bored Kensei yawned, planning to sleep a bit more. Then, the door was knocked on again...