Delayed Development

Shao Ling was definitely pretending to be sick.

Judging by the medical system passed down in Soul Society, she was unquestionably healthy. Her spiritual body was stable. There were no abnormalities or deficiencies in it, her reiryoku flowed normally, her reiatsu was steady, and none of the channels inside her body showed injury.

Aside from a certain degree of fatigue-related wear in a few joints and muscles, the only minor issue was that her development seemed slightly delayed.

'So... Shao Ling really was sent by the Second Division to investigate me?'

Akira rubbed his chin and became almost certain of that conclusion. Otherwise, he truly could not think of a reason for her to suddenly appear here.

'Looking at all of Seireitei, I am only a Fourth Division member without especially outstanding ability. But as Captain Unohana's disciple, my identity is sensitive enough to draw some attention from Seireitei's higher levels. That does make sense.'

'Still, the Second Division is not secretly monitoring or investigating me. That means they probably do not consider me dangerous. This should only be a routine inquiry.'

'It seems necessary to cooperate with Shao Ling. If she cannot find anything at all, that might become a small hidden problem and draw other Onmitsukido members into investigating me from the shadows.'

While Akira sank into thought, Shao Ling was lying on the bed in what she considered an extremely shameful position because he had ordered it as part of the examination. Her unfocused eyes were filled with despair and indignation.

'Lady Yoruichi, I am ruined...'

At that moment, Shao Ling bit her lip hard, trying not to let any weak sound escape.

'After this mission ends, I will definitely... definitely cut this bastard down.'

'For now, I have to endure it. I must endure it!'

'This is all for Lady Yoruichi. To complete Lady Yoruichi's mission, I must approach Akira Morisawa as a patient and obtain as much information as possible.'

Her chest, which could almost press perfectly flat against the bed without leaving any gap, rose and fell lightly. In her mind, Yoruichi's back appeared again and again, strengthening her resolve.

Now that Akira had formed an idea, his gaze swept over Shao Ling once more and finally landed on her slender, delicate feet.

Her toes were neat and pale. Perhaps because she was nervous, her feet were slightly arched. Most eye-catching of all, whether from tension or from holding the posture too long, a faint pink color seemed to spread over them.

He had to admit, of all the feet Akira had seen in Soul Society, these were the most beautiful. They were almost like works of art. Even the respected Captain Unohana fell a little short in this particular field.

'If some hopeless foot fetishist saw these, he might start thinking that being stepped on by them would count as happiness.'

However, Akira was not the sort of Shinigami who lost himself in such low-level tastes. More importantly, as Teacher Unohana's disciple, he understood that he absolutely needed principles and boundaries.

Otherwise, he would die.

"Ahem. That is enough. Please sit up."

Akira's tone was gentle and calm, as if the examination just now had been nothing more than a perfectly ordinary procedure.

He returned to his desk, took a sip of clear tea to soothe his liver, brighten his eyes, lower internal heat, and calm his spirit. Then he addressed Shao Ling, who had sat down across from him with an expressionless face.

"After a simple examination, your condition is not serious. Aside from some hidden injuries likely caused by excessive training, there is also a slight issue of delayed development."

On genuine medical matters, Akira had no intention of falsifying anything. That was the most basic respect he had for the Kaido and medical knowledge he had learned.

Although... falsifying an illness would often make it very easy for him to achieve what he wanted.

After a brief pause, Akira looked at Shao Ling and continued, "As for the pain you mentioned, I cannot confirm it for now. You can try asking Fifth Seat Aoki for a diagnosis, or return to me for a follow-up when it occurs again."

Shao Ling answered almost without hesitation. "That will not be necessary. I will come back to you for the next follow-up. I do trust Captain Unohana's disciple."

Akira agreed without a change in expression. After indirectly confirming Shao Ling's purpose, he lowered his head and began writing her medical record.

Unlike the group Ikkaku had brought in to cause trouble, Shao Ling was, on the surface, a proper consultation. According to Fourth Division department rules, patients needed medical records.

This was not only to make later follow-ups and treatment easier. It also preserved relevant Shinigami health information in Seireitei long-term.

However, when Shao Ling watched Akira neatly write the words "delayed development" in her medical record, her expressionless face nearly hid gritted teeth.

'You hateful bastard. Every curse I know belongs to you.'

At that moment, Shao Ling, who had received strict Executive Militia and noble education since childhood, rarely unleashed a flood of inelegant words inside her heart.

After Akira finished writing and looked up at her, however, she showed a somewhat stiff smile.

"Thank you very much, Doctor Morisawa."

"You're welcome. Providing patients with the most appropriate treatment is the Fourth Division's responsibility."

Akira answered gently, then continued, "In addition, the hidden injuries on your body are very easy to resolve. Later, I can use acupuncture and Kaido to relieve them. However, the root cause is still excessive training or perhaps excessive combat. My advice is that you rest for a while."

Listening to that warm, caring tone, Shao Ling felt the indignation she had held toward Akira soften without warning. For a moment, she froze.

She had joined the Executive Militia from childhood and had become a member of Yoruichi Shihoin's personal guard at such a young age. That alone showed she had worked far harder than ordinary members of the Executive Militia.

In a past filled with severity and scolding, aside from Lady Yoruichi, this was the first time Shao Ling had heard words so warm.

"Hm? Are you listening, Miss Fon? If you are worried about pressure from your Division, I can issue a diagnosis in the Fourth Division's name stating that you need to rest for a period..."

Shao Ling snapped back to herself. Meeting Akira's eyes, which seemed filled with concern and gentleness, she lowered her head almost instinctively. Then she quickly refused.

"No need."

"Is that so?"

Akira's voice carried a trace of helplessness and regret.

"No matter what, Miss Fon, you need to pay attention to your body. Especially since your body is still developing. Excessive combat and training can have negative effects. That is also the cause of your slightly delayed development."

At that moment, Shao Ling seemed touched by that unexpected concern. With a rare trace of sincerity, she answered, "I cannot stop. If I stop, even if I slacken by one step or fall behind by one step, I will never catch up to Lady Yoruichi. Then I will not be able to protect her."

x

x

x

If you're enjoying the story so far, consider supporting me on Patreon ❤️
You'll get weekly early access to chapters, along with some exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/cw/auroraclairevale