XX-level Hokage

Mashiro used the momentum to roll, like a nimble swallow, skillfully dodging Unohana's follow-up attacks. At the same time, she seized the opportunity and swung her sword at an incredible angle, the tip pointing directly at Unohana's side.

Unohana reacted extremely quickly, dodging to the side, but even so, the corner of her clothes was still torn, leaving a shallow scar, like an unintentional splash of red in the snow.

Mashiro did not stop; she seemed to have forgotten the pain, giving her all in every exchange.

Even when her skin was cut by Unohana's sword, she only frowned slightly before responding with an even more ferocious attack.

Her swordsmanship was like a raging storm, each strike containing boundless killing intent and determination, as if she wanted to completely devour the enemy before her.

Unohana was not to be outdone; her swordsmanship was even more exquisite, like a gentle drizzle, each strike perfectly neutralizing Mashiro's attacks while simultaneously seeking an opportunity to counterattack.

The battle reached its climax, both men were covered in wounds, sweat and blood mingling and dripping onto the floor with a soft but firm sound.

Mashiro's eyes gleamed with an indomitable light, and her swordsmanship grew increasingly fierce, each swing seemingly tearing the air apart.

Egg Flower's gaze remained calm, but her breathing gradually quickened, clearly indicating that Mashiro's reckless fighting style had put considerable pressure on her.

“Your will does excite me,” Unohana said breathlessly, her voice now tinged with fervor. “But the gap between strength and experience cannot be bridged by simple willpower.”

Before she finished speaking, Unohana sprang into action, moving like a ghost, her sword flashing and enveloping Mashiro. This time, she held nothing back, each strike aimed straight for a vital point, intending to end the battle quickly.

Despite her best efforts to defend herself, Mashiro's movements began to slow down due to the combined pressure of her physical strength and injuries.

Unohana's sword flashed like lightning, tracing silver streaks in the air. Each swing seemed designed to utterly crush Mashiro. Mashiro gritted her teeth, desperately trying to withstand Unohana's onslaught, but her body had reached its limit.

In a fleeting moment as they passed each other, Unohana's sword tip lightly grazed her neck, leaving a thin trail of blood. "It's over," Unohana whispered, her tone carrying both the relief of a victor and a regret for Shinji's potential.

But before collapsing, Mashiro forcefully slashed Unohana's arm. She then fainted on the ground.

She sheathed her sword, turned to look at Mashiro lying on the ground, and a complex emotion seemed to surge in her deep eyes. Mashiro's vision gradually blurred; exhaustion and pain made it impossible for her to continue.

Before losing consciousness, she seemed to hear Unohana's whisper, a voice both gentle and firm: "You will become stronger, and then, kill me!"

When Mashiro woke up again, she found herself lying on her bed in a room surrounded by peace and tranquility.

The physical pain had vanished, leaving only faint scars as reminders of that harrowing battle. Sunlight streamed through the gaps in the curtains, casting a warm glow on her face.

In one corner of the room, a bouquet of flowers was placed, and a faint fragrance filled the air.

Mashiro slowly sat up, her gaze sweeping across the room, a feeling she couldn't quite describe welling up inside her.

She didn't know why Unohana attacked her, but she could clearly sense that Unohana didn't actually want to kill her. The other woman seemed to see her as one of her own kind and wanted to force out her potential.

"Have I really become stronger?" Mashiro asked herself softly, her mind replaying every moment of her battle with Unohana.

She began to carefully recall every detail of that battle, from the initial clash to the final defeat; every moment was deeply etched into her heart like a brand.

She realized that the battle was not only a test of physical limits, but also a test and growth of the mind.

She began to understand one thing: she was no longer the overwhelmingly powerful Hyuga Mashiro. She was Mashiro, an independent individual, and if she wasn't careful, she could really be killed by someone else.

Just like Imaseki, if it weren't for the fact that Egg Flower had no intention of killing her, she would have been killed by now. Mashiro got out of bed, walked to the window, and gently pulled back the curtains, letting the sunlight fill the room completely.

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and felt the vitality of life and the vastness of the world.

At that moment, she felt as if she had become one with the universe, and her soul experienced an unprecedented peace and elevation.

She knew she had to become stronger quickly, strong enough to defeat Unohana. She wanted to turn this insane woman into a sex slave.

Mashiro then opened the system panel. [Name: Unohana Yachiru; Gender: Female]

Zanpakuto: Nikurou

Initial phrase: Come out! Meat Needed! (Optional)

Identity: First Captain of the 11th Division of the Gotei 13, First Kenpachi

Optional Route: Lover's Affection Level: 12

Affection level: 10 (starting points +1) (already obtained)

Affection: 50 (starting points +3) Affection: 90 (starting points +5)

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Shadow Game

The next day. After training.

Saito, the immortal being, and Mashiro sat together having lunch. Mashiro cut the food in two.

One portion is placed inside the bento box, and the other is placed on the lid.

The larger portion is hers, and the smaller portion is for Saito, who is immortal.

The immortal vine, observing from the sidelines, lingered its gaze on her hand for a couple of seconds before speaking, "Have you noticed something?" "What?"

"We don't have a second pair of chopsticks!"

"Ah, that's easy to solve." Mashiro smiled upon hearing this. "After one person finishes eating, the other person can use it." Since she had only decided to cook lunch on a whim, she hadn't prepared any tableware.

"So, who goes first?" Saito Immortal asked. "I'll go first, I eat fast!"

"How about we go together? If you don't mind." "I mind."

"Oh, then I'll go first." Seemingly oblivious to politeness, Mashiro devoured her food in a flash. Saito, seemingly immortal, looked somewhat helpless.

She strongly suspected that Mashiro was trying to get her attention! Otherwise, why would someone who usually went along with her be so nice to her one minute and mean the next?! Only this could explain it! She was actually playing hard to get... Her gaze lingered on Mashiro.

Even with her staring at him like that, Mashiro's appetite didn't seem to be affected at all. No... it was even better.

At that moment, Saito, who was immortal, remembered what Makoto had said to him at the dinner table a couple of days earlier.

She couldn't remember the exact words, but the gist was that seeing her made her happy, and even ordinary food tasted delicious.

Mashiro, who was eating with her cheeks puffed out like a hamster, would have cried out in protest if she knew Saito's immortal thoughts after finishing her meal. "Alright, you can eat now." Mashiro handed over her chopsticks after finishing her meal, then paused and added, "There's no sink around here, so I can't wash your chopsticks for you."

She would certainly have been willing to provide extra chopsticks, but there weren't any available. Saito, the immortal, paused for a moment, but still accepted the chopsticks.

If you mind, then eat from the other end. "Mashiro meant well, but in Saito's immortal ears, it just didn't taste right."

No, no, no… something just doesn’t feel right! Saito, who was immortal, seriously recalled his conversation with Mashiro from this morning until now.

Something just doesn't feel right:

But Saito, who ultimately couldn't figure anything out, remained immortal and chose to watch Kaiko eat.

Since she couldn't guess Mashiro's intentions, she couldn't do things the way she originally planned. Mashiro was startled; to be honest, this was somewhat unexpected.

However, Mashiro didn't care too much. After all, her only goal was to get Saito, who was immortal, used to her closeness.

Now it seems that getting close to the immortal Saito is much easier than getting close to himself. Thinking of this, Mamoru started playing with the pebbles in his hand.

Saito, who was neither old nor dead, was chewing slowly to the side and seemed to be paying a little attention to the commotion beside him.

Mashiro really has a childlike heart; she always seems like a little kid, even though she's so smart.

"Hey, Captain Saito, how about going shopping this afternoon?" Mashiro asked as soon as Saito finished eating. "Continue training." In contrast, Saito simply shook his head in refusal.

The war between the Shinigami and the Quincy is still ongoing, and their departure for the battlefield is drawing ever closer. If it weren't for the need for more detailed intelligence, they would have already set off.

"But we've been training for so many days... Hey, Saito-neechan, let's go out and play together, please." Mashiro clung to Saito's immortal arm, pleading with a blank expression.

Upon hearing Mashiro's words, Saito Immortal was momentarily stunned.

...Since her death, no one has called her "sister" anymore, except for Zhenzi.

Although she always felt that Zhenbai's intentions were impure, this person did indeed act coquettishly towards her and fulfilled her wish to be called "sister".

Saito, who was immortal and ageless, was embraced warmly by Mashiro. Her frozen heart stirred slightly upon feeling the unfamiliar warmth. Before she could express her feelings further, Mashiro released her.

The sun isn't too strong around 3 PM, but it can get a bit hot if you hold the cow for too long.

Mashiro, stroking her chin, thought for a moment before continuing, "It's a good place, just follow me... I hope it won't bore me." "Immortal Saito said coldly.

"Ah, just walking around is pretty boring. How about we play a game to make it more fun?...What game?"

"Shadow-stepping game." Mashiro smiled and pointed to the ground. "See the shadows on the ground? From now on, anyone who steps outside the shadow area..."

Then you're the loser.

"...Childish. Even elementary school students wouldn't play this kind of game anymore." Saito, who was immortal, had never played it, but that didn't stop her from understanding after hearing it.

"Is Saito-neechan afraid of losing to me?"

"...A low-level provocation." This was the assessment of Saito Immortal, who looked around.

They were on the street now, surrounded by shops of all kinds. Finding a place to put their shadows wasn't difficult; the real challenge was getting out of this area. "Want to race me?" Mashiro asked again.

After observing the surroundings, the immortal Saito turned his attention back to her. "Although it's a very low-level challenge, I've accepted." This was an opportunity for her!

This would not only dampen Zhenbai's arrogance but also demonstrate her strength. Therefore...

The competition has begun.

The journey through the neighborhood went relatively smoothly, as there were buildings everywhere that provided shadows. However, after traveling for a while, the number of places where shadows could fall decreased.

The two, who initially maintained a certain distance, began to occasionally touch because their shadows were too small. Saito, who was immortal, felt this wouldn't do, so he started to act before Mashiro could.

Shadows change depending on the light.

The shadow that was there a second ago may be gone the next!

Saito, who had found a new shadow standing in front of the alley, turned his head and looked behind him.

Just as she expected, a small shadow disappeared, and Mashiro stopped in front of the shadow that had preceded her. "It's okay to give up now."

"No, I think we can wait a bit~" Shinjiro smiled and pointed.

Following the direction she was pointing towards, Saito, who was immortal, saw a wooden palanquin loaded with goods.

"Could it be that you..." Before she could utter the word "could it be," Mashiro leaped over to her side, using the shadow of the passing palanquin as it moved. "With such a large jump, wouldn't the landing be a little unsteady?" the immortal Saito thought to himself.

Before she could react, Mashiro, who was running alongside her, had pulled her from the alley entrance into the alley. "Haha, looks like we're tied," Mashiro said with a laugh.

Saito Immortal paused for a moment, then a smile appeared on her lips. "Yes, it seems we're tied."

Chapter 30: Red Bean Dumplings

In that narrow alleyway, steeped in history, the mottled walls seemed to tell stories of the past, while the occasional sounds of commotion drifted from afar.

This adds a vibrant backdrop to the tranquil space.

Sunlight, like fine threads, slanted down from the alley entrance, stretching the long, ageless shadows of Mashiro and Saito. Their shadows intertwined and overlapped on the ground, as if silently witnessing this extraordinary moment.

Mashiro lightly brushed the dust off her clothes, a sly smile playing on her lips. "It seems this game is even more interesting than we imagined." Her eyes gleamed with a sense of challenge, as if she couldn't wait to face the next challenge.

Saito Immortal raised an eyebrow slightly, a subtle smile playing at the corners of his lips, a smile that held both confidence and curiosity about the unknown: "Is that so?"

"Then you'd better watch out, I won't hold back from what comes next." Her voice was deep and magnetic, making one involuntarily want to listen.