Bleach: Starting From Joining Squad 6

Seeing how decisively Nagasawa Masaru went in for the move, Shutara Senjumaru couldn't help but giggle teasingly.

"My, it's the first time I've met someone as bold as you."

Masaru wasn't one to back down. He immediately responded with an annoyed glare.

"Please, you were the one who started flirting first."

Senjumaru raised her brow lightly, neither agreeing nor denying it. Then, rather than continue the exchange, she stepped forward again, approaching Masaru.

But this time, there was no teasing glint in her eyes, no seductive tilt to her smile. She didn't raise her mechanical six-armed skeleton behind her. Instead, like a gentle and attentive wife, she used her real hands, hidden beneath her robes, to straighten the tie at Masaru's neck.

As she adjusted it with quiet care, she softly reminded him,

"Your constitution is special. The fact that your Soul Sleep and Soul Chain recovered even once is already a miracle. If they're damaged again, even Kirinji might not be able to save you."

Masaru stood there dazed, eyes fixed on the pair of hands that were now tending to him. He wasn't sure whether it was the smooth, flawless skin or something deeper that left him stunned into silence.

Once she'd finished with his tie, Senjumaru took two steps back. Satisfied with how perfectly the custom-fitted Shihakushō clung to his form, she noticed that Masaru was still staring at her hands. She gracefully tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear and smiled with a playful lift of her lips.

"Do you like what you see?"

Seeing her back to her usual flirtatious tricks, Masaru let out a cold scoff in his mind.

Hmph, always playing games like this... I'm not some shallow man, you know.

He quickly brushed past her teasing and instead pointed at the skeletal arms floating behind her, pretending to ask with genuine curiosity,

"I've just been wondering—why do you always use that set of skeletal limbs?"

After all, this really was the first time Masaru had seen Senjumaru's real hands. Not just from his past life through the manga, but even during their earlier... exchange. He could confidently say that they were smoother than any woman's hands he'd ever seen before.

Faced with his question, Senjumaru seemed unbothered. After gently hiding her flawless arms beneath her sleeves again, she answered casually,

"It's just for convenience. I modified my Zanpakutō into this form to make my work easier. Isn't it much better than doing things manually?"

Masaru gave a shrug, neither agreeing nor disagreeing.

Now that her task was complete, Senjumaru had no reason to linger. She turned to leave and said,

"Well then, I'm heading back. If nothing unexpected happens, we probably won't be seeing much of each other again."

That caught Masaru off guard. He blinked, then seemed to recall something and asked,

"You're leaving? Back to the Royal Guard?"

Senjumaru nodded,

"Yes. I've already stayed in the Seireitei far too long. With Hikifune now promoted to the Royal Guard, my time limit is up."

As part of the Royal Guard, the secret force that protects the Soul King—leaving the Soul King Palace and returning to the Soul Society was a rare exception, not the norm.

Masaru didn't press her on how or why she was allowed to stay so long after receiving the Royal Guard's invitation, nor did he question why she was leaving now.

The next time the two of them would meet again... might be during the battle against Yhwach a hundred years from now.

Perhaps to ease the mood before parting, Senjumaru gave him a mischievous smile and said,

"Oh? That expression, are you sad to see me go? Can't bear to part with me?"

Masaru raised an eyebrow.

"Not really. It just feels kind of weird. Like you tossed me two tissues after the deed and told me to clean myself up. Shouldn't it usually be me saying stuff like that?"

"Pfft!"

Senjumaru froze for a second. Then her cold, elegant face suddenly blossomed into a warm, radiant smile—like sunlight breaking through a winter sky.

"You really are an interesting man."

And with that, she disappeared just as suddenly and cleanly as she had arrived, vanishing from Masaru's room without a trace.

Looking around the now-empty room, as though nothing had happened at all, Masaru confirmed she was truly gone. Then he sat down cross-legged and opened his system interface.

Just a moment ago, he'd received a system notification saying his Fate Value had changed.

[After meeting you, Shutara Senjumaru developed a slight fondness for you. Additionally, her standards for interacting with the opposite sex have been raised.]

[When tailoring clothes for others, she no longer demands that they strip down. She's also made improvements to her tendency to threaten others with dismemberment.]

[After joining the Royal Guard, though she never speaks of it, she constantly worries about you. Fearing that your spiritual power absorption might kill you, she arranges for Squad 12 members to check on your condition every year and personally sews you custom-made Shihakushō from afar.]

[Minor change to Shutara Senjumaru's fate. Fate Value +1]

Masaru stared at the message, a little dazed.

What is this, some kind of space-separated star-crossed lovers thing?

He shook his head in disbelief and stood up, not taking it too seriously.

He wasn't the type to dwell on vague, sentimental matters. He just wanted to quietly enjoy his comfortable life of easy paychecks. Anything that didn't bring benefits wasn't worth his time or energy.

After slowly adjusting his Shihakushō, he brought his thoughts to a close.

Standing in his courtyard, he finally remembered he still had a job.

Might as well drop by Squad 6's barracks for a bit.

After all, it was his first day in the division. He didn't have any excuse for skipping work, and showing up late was at least better than not showing up at all.

With that, Masaru vanished from his small courtyard.

"What time do you think it is now?!"

"I've been working all day, you bastard!"

The normally composed Byakuya Kuchiki could no longer contain his fury. Seeing that Masaru had finally shown up at Squad 6 to report for duty, he unleashed his wrath.

He didn't just raise his voice, he roared, totally out of character. He even snapped his writing brush in half with sheer force, drawing confused glances from other Squad 6 members working nearby.

By now, Byakuya was no longer the quiet graduate in a Shin'ō Academy uniform.

He wore a finely tailored Shihakushō, adorned with the noble hairpiece "Kenseikan" reserved for high-ranking aristocrats, and the silken scarf known as "Ginpakufukasha." Together, they elevated his fashion sense to second only to Masaru's.

But Masaru wasn't the least bit fazed by Byakuya's scolding.

Scratching his nose, he gave a sheepish grin and casually replied,

"Sorry I'm late. I got lost on the way here... at a crossroads in life."

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100 P.S = 1 Extra Chapter