The Link Between Shinigami and Zanpakuto

"Correct."

Retsu Unohana nodded. Then she elegantly brushed a strand of hair back and continued.

"A Zanpakuto is something both highly complex and highly simple. It is born from a Shinigami's soul. In the truest sense, it is the materialization and conceptualization of a Shinigami's power."

"Generally speaking, the power represented by a Zanpakuto is born correspondingly when each Shinigami is born. That is why among many of Seireitei's great noble families, members related by blood often have Zanpakuto abilities that are broadly similar. This comes from the traits of their spiritual bodies..."

"However, even between the closest relatives, between father and son or elder brother and younger brother, there will never be two absolutely identical Zanpakuto. Do you know why?"

Akira shook his head and looked at Retsu Unohana with pure, knowledge-hungry eyes, waiting for her to continue.

A disciple needed to act like a disciple. At a time like this, pretending to be clever and guessing wildly would only interrupt Lady Unohana's explanation.

As a respectful student, Akira only needed to cheer silently, put on the fullest possible thirst for knowledge, and encourage Lady Unohana to say as much as possible. That was the correct answer.

Unohana seemed completely unconcerned that this knowledge could be considered secret even in Seireitei. She continued explaining gently.

"Because in addition to the traits and power of the spiritual body itself, the Shinigami's own will, thoughts, emotions, and so on will also cause subtle changes in the Zanpakuto. Those changes can even include the abilities of Shikai and Bankai."

"Mm-hm."

Akira nodded repeatedly. In a certain sense, that explanation matched his own previous guesses.

For example, Soi Fon's Jakuho Raikoben was probably a cross-category Bankai born from an incorrect development path after Yoruichi Shihoin abandoned her.

At the Shikai stage, Shao Ling existed only as a blade hidden in the dark for Yoruichi Shihoin, so her ability formed into something close to the Fon family's inherited two-hit kill.

But after Shao Ling was ruthlessly abandoned, her emotions warped.

On top of that, she needed to become captain of the Second Division and stand in the open, so her Bankai became Jakuho Raikoben, that somewhat contradictory one-hit-kill weapon.

Besides that, the clearest example should be Retsu Unohana, who was right beside him.

Her Shikai was a purely harmless flying mount and healing pack, while her Bankai seemed to mutate completely into some pure slaughter-oriented ability. The connection between that Shikai and Bankai looked utterly unlike the usual style of other Zanpakuto.

'Then... what is going on with my Zanpakuto, whose head is full of slaughtering her master?'

Akira's mouth tightened, and several uneasy guesses rose in his mind for no clear reason.

'Could this wrong Bankai mean that I am standing at some kind of fork? Shinra Bansho's mind is full of slaughter, while mine is full of healing and innocence, so the two sides are clashing?'

'No, that is not right either. My actual inner thoughts do not seem that healing or innocent, so... is it the reverse?'

Akira blinked. He felt that this matter was honestly rather complicated.

Still, Shinra Bansho seemed far simpler than Ichigo Kurosaki's future Zanpakuto, which would be mixed out of a triangular relationship between different races and become complicated to an absurd degree.

After all, Akira himself should still be fairly pure. He had crossed over as a soul. He did not have a pile of messy things infiltrating his body and being molded into some strange existence.

Different species were... a hard no.

No, no.

Akira patted his head. After spending too long with Shinra Bansho, he felt he had somehow learned a few strange expressions.

Seeing Akira's movement, Retsu Unohana could not help asking, "Is there something you do not understand?"

Akira thought of something and asked, "Teacher, what if two completely identical Zanpakuto really existed?"

Retsu Unohana pondered for a moment. She did not instinctively reject Akira's wild idea, as if she were also thinking through the possibility.

"As far as I know, such a case has not appeared in Soul Society's history. Even the two known dual-Zanpakuto exist for very special reasons. But if what you mean is that two completely identical Zanpakuto appear in the hands of different Shinigami..."

She paused, then looked at Akira.

"Either one side stole or copied the Zanpakuto power of another Shinigami, or some forbidden experiment copied the Shinigami themselves. Those are the only possibilities. That is also why Soul Society's laws do not permit two identical Zanpakuto to exist."

"I see..."

Akira revealed a look of sudden understanding, making Retsu Unohana unconsciously feel a little satisfaction, as if her teaching had borne fruit.

Then Akira seemed to think of something else and asked, "Teacher, so you suspect the soul portions missing from those residents contain power belonging to Zanpakuto?"

Retsu Unohana's eyes narrowed slightly as she answered.

"It is possible. An Asauchi is not a necessary condition for awakening a Zanpakuto, so Rukongai residents are not absolutely incapable of containing a Zanpakuto that represents Shinigami power."

"If every resident with missing soul portions has lost a great deal of emotion, then it is very possible that someone is truly trying to steal Shinigami power on a large scale in secret. That would be an extremely serious incident."

Akira blinked as he listened to Retsu Unohana's suspicions and deductions. In his heart, he became even more determined to cling tightly to this beautiful source of protection.

From only a few scattered details, Retsu Unohana had inferred so much information. As expected of the only person in all of Seireitei who had seen through Kyoka Suigetsu entirely through detail and wisdom.

A mature woman was supposed to be a treasure. By that logic, Lady Unohana, who was more than a thousand years older, was an endless mine waiting to be carefully developed.

"Urp."

Just then, after finishing the rice ball, Akira accidentally burped.

"Full?"

"Mm. Thank you, Teacher. This rice ball was soft, sticky, and delicious," Akira praised sincerely.

Retsu Unohana smiled gently, took the lunch box from Akira's hand, and tossed it into Minazuki's mouth. Minazuki naturally swallowed the lunch box.

In an instant, Akira's expression changed.

Before this, could Retsu "silently terrifying" Unohana have taken that lunch box directly out of Minazuki's stomach while he was not paying attention?

Heat retention: +11111.

Appetite: -99999.

For a moment, Akira felt that Retsu "silently terrifying" Unohana's rice ball really was not that easy to swallow after all.

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