Naruto: Copy System#765+766: You've Already Lost, Kuchiki Ginrei

Unohana Retsu watched Shin, a knowing look in her eyes. 'So, this new workhorse you mentioned... I take it you mean Yoruichi Shihōin?'

"And I suppose that makes me your previous workhorse?" Unohana asked, her lips curving into a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. Shin’s expression froze.

"Ahem, I never said that..." Shin coughed, shaking his head quickly. If Unohana really got angry, he knew he'd be in for a world of trouble.

After that, Shin didn't return to the 2nd Division. He ended up staying at the 4th Division for several days, until a furious Yoruichi Shihōin finally tracked him down.

"There you are! I knew I’d find you here," Yoruichi declared, a dangerous glint in her eyes. "I'm busting my ass at the 2nd Division, and you're off slacking and hitting on women?"

He hadn't been back to the 2nd Division for days. Was he even the captain anymore? Had he completely forgotten about his duties?

"Hold on—" Shin began, raising his hands as he saw Yoruichi's clenched fist. "We can talk this out. No need for violence."

He really didn't want to fight her. Of course, if they did throw down, Yoruichi would be the one getting a beatdown. But she was his workhorse, after all. Better not to push her too far. What if she got angry and threw in the towel? Who would do all his work then?

At that moment, several members of the 4th Division began to gather, their faces alight with gossip, clearly here for the show.

"Looks like we've got an audience."

Shin shot a look at the 4th Division members and, with a single glare, sent them scurrying away.

"Vice-Captain Shihōin, causing such a commotion in my division's barracks... isn't that a breach of protocol?"

Unohana finally spoke, her sharp gaze fixed on Yoruichi. Yoruichi took a few involuntary steps back, sensing that the usually gentle Captain Unohana now radiated an intimidating aura.

"I'm just here to bring my captain back. Is there a problem with that?" Yoruichi shot back, annoyed at her own hesitation. She met Unohana's gaze, refusing to back down.

"I've heard that your skills are already on par with some of the captains, Vice-Captain Shihōin. Perhaps you'd care for a demonstration?" Unohana asked with a serene smile.

"Fine. Just don't come crying to me when I beat up the captain of a medical squad." Yoruichi placed a hand on the short sword at her waist.

Shin had told her Unohana was strong, but Yoruichi had never really believed it. She was more than a little skeptical. Now was the perfect time to test that claim.

"Then follow me." Unohana led Yoruichi toward the back of the barracks, where the 4th Division's training grounds were located.

Even a medical division needed to stay sharp. Many of its members were there, honing their skills.

Shin only snapped out of it as they walked away. He knew it was too late to stop them now.

'Might as well let them fight. Unohana probably won't go all out.' Shin decided to follow them. He'd wanted to stop it, but on second thought, it was better to just watch and make sure things didn't get out of hand.

"Go get her, Yoruichi! Don't embarrass the 2nd Division!" Shin shouted, clearly enjoying the drama.

Hearing his words, Unohana's eyes narrowed slightly. She turned to look back at Shin.

"Aren't you going to cheer for me, Shin? Are you hoping I'll lose to her?"

Sensing the danger in her tone, Shin cleared his throat. "Not at all. I'm just encouraging Yoruichi to last more than a few seconds."

"We can’t have her getting one-shotted, after all. That would be embarrassing for the 2nd Division."

Yoruichi, who had been feeling a brief thrill at Shin's encouragement, was now thoroughly annoyed. She shot Shin a fierce glare before turning her full attention to Unohana.

"Don't worry, Shin. I'll be sure to give her some face," Unohana said with a slight smile.

"Hmph. I won't be holding back."

Yoruichi snorted, then vanished with a Shunpo. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared behind Unohana, her Zanpakutō slashing down. Though she rarely used her blade, she still carried one.

CLANG!

Just as Yoruichi thought she had landed a clean hit, Unohana's own Zanpakutō was already there, blocking the strike. Unohana hadn't even turned around.

"Are you looking down on me, woman?" Yoruichi leaped back, staring at Unohana, who still had her back to her.

"You have talent. You will be a formidable force in the future. But as you are now, you are no match for me," Unohana said calmly.

Yoruichi continued her assault. Even after activating her Shunkō, her movements leaving afterimages in the air, she was still no faster than the blade in Unohana's hand.

"Damn it... Her defense is airtight."

Yoruichi created some distance, cold sweat beading on her forehead. This was the strongest opponent she had ever faced. Even the Adjuchas Shin had captured hadn't exuded this much pressure. And she knew Unohana wasn't even serious yet.

"Are all the captains this strong?" Yoruichi couldn't help but ask.

"Not all captains are this powerful. The only ones stronger than Captain Unohana are myself and the Captain-Commander," Shin answered her question. The truth was, Yoruichi's current strength already surpassed some of the less impressive captains.

"<Hadō #63: Raikōhō!>"

Since close combat was useless, Yoruichi switched to Kidō. A number 63 Hadō spell was nothing to scoff at.

"<Bakudō #81: Dankū!>"

Unohana didn't even move. A transparent wall materialized, completely blocking Yoruichi's Kidō.

'She blocked it!'

"<Bakudō #61: Rikujōkōrō!>"

Before Yoruichi could make another move, six beams of light shot out, pinning her in place and rendering her completely immobile.

Unohana walked over and placed the tip of her Zanpakutō against Yoruichi's neck.

Though she hated to admit it, she had lost. Against Unohana, she felt like a child.

"Among all the vice-captains, your strength is likely at the very top," Unohana said, as if to soften the blow.

"But I still lost to you."

Yoruichi clenched her fists, still unable to accept it. The defeat was absolute. Unohana had clearly been holding back—going easy on her to an almost insulting degree. She hadn't even launched a single real attack. If she had, Yoruichi wouldn't have lasted this long. A single strike might have been all it took to defeat her.

The pride she had carried in her heart instantly shattered. She had doubted Shin when he'd said Unohana was far stronger than her. Now she knew it was true.

The gap wasn't just wide—it was a chasm...

<><><><><><><><>

"What’s wrong? Feeling a little crushed?" Shin asked, watching the silent, dejected Yoruichi.

Yoruichi looked up at Shin and nodded. She was more than a little crushed; her pride was in pieces.

"You're still young. You have plenty of room to grow. There's no need to let this get to you," Shin said, patting her shoulder reassuringly.

"Oh? So you're saying I'm old, Shin?" Unohana suddenly asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"Ahem, Captain Unohana, please don't misunderstand. I absolutely did not mean that. It would be a shame if you took it the wrong way," Shin said, shaking his head. He didn't mean it, and he certainly didn't dare to.

———————————

After that, Yoruichi dragged Shin back to the 2nd Division. She looked at him with a serious expression. "Train me. I want to get stronger."

"You don't need my guidance anymore. Just stick to the training plan we set up before," Shin told her. He had already taught her everything he could. There was nothing left to teach.

"I don't care. You're going to train me. I have to beat that woman."

The defeat had been a blow, but it hadn't broken her spirit. How long had she been training? How long had Unohana been a Shinigami? If she worked hard enough, she knew she could surpass Unohana one day. She would surpass her in every way. Yoruichi's competitive spirit was burning brighter than ever.

"If you really want to get stronger, combat is the fastest way," Shin said. The target, of course, was the Adjuchas. Once Yoruichi could kill it on her own, her strength would be where it needed to be.

"Since you've made up your mind, then you'd better be ready. No more slacking off."

Shin reminded her, then went to deal with his paperwork. Yoruichi had mentioned his work was piling up—she must have been slacking off. Shin couldn't really blame her, though. It was his job as captain, after all. To hand it off to her was already asking a lot. To then get angry when she didn't finish it would make him a real jerk.

"Your clone's Kidō is amazing."

Yoruichi watched Shin use a Shadow Clone to handle his work. A glint appeared in her eyes. If she could learn that ability, she could get stronger much faster.

"Can I learn that?" Yoruichi asked Shin.

"No," Shin said, shaking his head.

"Stingy," Yoruichi couldn't help but mutter.

"It’s not that I don’t want to teach you, but you can’t learn it. It’s like asking if you can learn someone else’s Zanpakutō ability."

Hearing her call him stingy, Shin's face darkened. Was he being stingy? Of course not. The Shadow Clone Technique wasn't even that powerful.

"The Shadow Clone Technique requires chakra to use. How could you possibly have chakra? And as for using Reiatsu to power it instead… I’ve tried to figure that out, but it’s a dead end."

In the end, Shin had given up his research. It felt like a complete waste of time. He had studied it for ages with nothing to show for it.

"Oh, so it's your Zanpakutō's ability," Yoruichi said, nodding with understanding.

Shin was about to correct her, but then he thought better of it. If she wanted to believe that, let her.

"By the way, Shin, what exactly is your Zanpakutō's ability?" Yoruichi asked curiously.

"Don't go prying into things like that, or you'll get yourself hurt," Shin said, tapping her on the head.

Unless a Shinigami chose to reveal their ability, no one would ask about it. It wasn't a strict rule, but it was an unspoken one that no one dared to break.

"I know, I know. You've told me before."

Yoruichi said impatiently.

"And you still did it? Looks like you're asking for a beating," Shin said, exasperated.

———————————

For now, the Soul Society was peaceful. Shin had nothing much to do, aside from keeping an eye on Aizen and Urahara Kisuke.

Urahara had spent some time in the 2nd Division, but Shin had eventually recommended him for the vice-captain position in the 12th Division. Leaving such a brilliant mind in the 2nd Division was a waste of talent. Shin was still waiting for his workhorse to create the Hōgyoku for him.

As for Aizen, he hadn't made any major moves yet, simply working his way up to a vice-captain position.

Aizen’s gentle demeanor made him incredibly popular in the Soul Society, especially with the female Shinigami—his reputation was second only to Shin’s.

Shin was popular because of his looks; his fans were mostly just shallow admirers. Aizen, on the other hand, was loved for his kind and gentle personality. They all saw Aizen's bright side, completely unaware of the darkness he hid.

Perhaps the current captain of the 5th Division, Hirako Shinji, had his suspicions, but in the end, he was still played by Aizen and forced to become an outcast. But that time hadn't come yet. Aizen was still keeping a low profile.

Yoruichi, thanks to her relentless effort, had improved rapidly. Not long ago, she had even managed to kill that pitiful Adjuchas. Her strength was now on par with some of the captains.

However, she was still a vice-captain. Unless Shin stepped down, she would remain a vice-captain, or have to transfer to another squad. Yoruichi had no interest in becoming a captain. In fact, though she wasn't a captain, she had been performing the duties of one all this time.

———————————

"What do you want, old man?"

Yoruichi asked, her tone bordering on disrespectful as she looked at the stern-faced old man before her.

Kuchiki Ginrei, the current head of the Kuchiki clan and the captain of the 6th Division, was a man of immense strength and influence.

"Daughter of the Shihōin clan, where is your captain?" Kuchiki Ginrei asked, unfazed by Yoruichi's lack of respect. The relationship between their two clans was decent enough, with no major conflicts. But Yoruichi couldn't stand self-important old men like Ginrei, who never seemed to crack a smile. He was just so... boring. And it seemed to be a family trait; basically everyone in the Kuchiki clan had the same deadpan expression. Yoruichi had no interest in the Kuchiki clan, despite them being the most prominent of the Four Great Noble Clans.

"What do you want with my slacker of a captain? If you’re looking for him, you’re in the wrong place. Try the 4th Division. He’s probably taken up residence there by now," Yoruichi said irritably.