How to Repay His Teacher

Unohana, who had been paying attention to Akira's reaction the entire time, watched from the corner of her eye as that seemingly gentle and innocent face became a little aggrieved, as if he felt wronged but did not dare make a sound. For some reason, she felt a strange pleasure.

'Is this why Yoruichi so often teases the young lord of the Kuchiki Clan? It seems... not bad.'

Thinking that, Unohana's smile seemed to brighten a little.

"Akira, if you have any objection, you may bring it up."

"I..."

A muscle near Akira's eye twitched. He could clearly sense a quietly mischievous amusement beneath Unohana's seemingly gentle and intelligent tone.

Of course, this was only intuition. But as someone cut from similar cloth, Akira truly felt it.

She was absolutely not leaving room for negotiation. She only wanted to enjoy stripping away the last thread of hope from her prey.

However, the department assignment was too important to Akira. Even though he knew this was a trap laid by Unohana to toy with him, he had no choice but to jump in.

"T-Teacher..."

Akira gritted his teeth and threw away every scrap of dignity and restraint in front of this beautiful, intelligent woman. He lightly bit his lower lip, pinched the edge of his shihakusho, and displayed his nervous awkwardness to perfection.

"The area I'm good at is treating external wounds. That... gynecology was not taught at Shin'o Academy."

By the end, Akira looked at Unohana timidly and ashamed. Then, as if afraid of her scolding or disappointment, he hurriedly half-bowed over the tatami and said in a raised voice, "I'm terribly sorry, Teacher. From now on, I will work twice as hard to make up for my shortcomings."

For a moment, shame and hesitation flickered through Unohana's conscience.

What a pure, gentle child. Perhaps she should not tease him like this.

A heartbeat later, however, that shame and hesitation vanished without a trace.

After all, Retsu Unohana had been a notorious great criminal in Soul Society a thousand years ago and was also the first Kenpachi.

Her conscience was, frankly, not abundant.

"Akira, I know Shin'o Academy's Kaido and medical instruction does not include gynecology. That is not your fault. After all, when I edited Shin'o Academy's Kaido and medical textbooks, I did not imagine there would be a student with such pure enthusiasm and love for Kaido and medicine."

She paused, then changed her tone.

"However, this is also so you can grow more quickly. Whether it is Kaido or medicine, treatment fundamentally requires understanding the structure of the spiritual body. Correct?"

"Yes, Teacher."

Akira knew there was meaning hidden in Unohana's words, but he could not deny such basic common sense.

Unohana nodded in satisfaction and continued.

"Your level in Kaido and medicine is already quite good. I carefully reviewed the records of the treatments you performed at Shin'o Academy. However, if you want to continue improving, you will inevitably need deeper study and understanding of spiritual body structure."

"For an ordinary new member, the best method is to begin learning from dead spiritual bodies in the morgue. But with your level, you can skip that stage. That is why I intend to arrange for you to enter the gynecology department."

"W-Why not arrange for me to enter the surgical department, where I would be more suited?" Akira vaguely understood what Unohana meant, but still forced himself to fight for it.

Unohana showed no impatience at all. She patiently explained to Akira.

"Because there are significant differences between male and female spiritual bodies. Since you are male, if you wish to study the structure of male spiritual bodies, studying yourself is more or less sufficient. But if you want extensive contact with various female spiritual body structures, the gynecology department is unquestionably the best choice."

Akira had no idea what to say.

Although he vaguely felt that something was not quite right, rationally, he also felt that Unohana's explanation was completely correct.

He was... he was no match for her. He had no rebuttal.

"Akira, do not carry too many unnecessary burdens or too much shyness in your heart. You are already a member of the Fourth Division. In treatment, a member of the Fourth Division sees only the patient. All other stray thoughts can be set aside completely. Besides, you would not want an emergency treatment to fail one day because your understanding of female spiritual body structure was lacking, would you?"

Unohana gently persuaded him, and Akira began to doubt himself.

Could it be...

Was Teacher Unohana truly not harboring any other intention, and was she doing this entirely to cultivate him?

When Akira's expression gradually eased, Unohana continued, "And even I have deeply studied the structure of male spiritual bodies countless times in the past."

Hearing that, Akira's newly relaxed mind went blank. Before he could stop himself, he stared at Unohana.

Unohana gave him a mysterious smile, playful and unreadable.

"Don't be fooled by how I look. I have truly cut down a thousand men, you know."

???

Akira froze.

Was... was she making that kind of joke?

Not merely a suggestive joke, either. That sounded as if she had skipped every warning sign and gone straight to the end.

For some reason, envy flickered through Akira's heart. To be cut down by a peerless, beautiful blade like Retsu Unohana might count as dying without regr-

Wait.

Akira's mind cleared, and he reacted instantly.

Cut down a thousand men?

If someone else said that, perhaps it would be a metaphor for something. But Retsu Unohana could truly cut down a thousand men. Her so-called deep study of male spiritual bodies... could it have been done by opening them from chest to abdomen?

Thinking this, Akira's gaze abruptly cleared. He found Unohana watching him with a half-smiling expression.

"Akira, you were not thinking anything rude just now, were you?" Unohana asked, smile glinting in her eyes.

Akira answered with solemn composure, "I was only wondering why Teacher treats me so well. I truly do not know how I can repay you in the future..."

Unohana heard this and was about to take the opportunity to mention Akira's Zanpakuto ability, but Akira gave her no chance to speak. He continued immediately.

"The only way is to study Kaido and medicine ten times, a hundred times harder, so I don't fail the expectations and kindness you have shown me, Teacher."

Goodness. He had learned to answer ahead of her, had he?

Unohana nearly choked. She pressed her lips together, then smiled fully.

Akira had this side to him as well. That did add some fun. He would not be too dull.

Then Unohana said gently, "Akira, come with me. I will bring you directly to the gynecology department."

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