Chapter 171: HOW TO BREAK THE LIMITS
For Senna, the following week had been like a dream. She felt like she went back to the time when they were still living in Soul Society.
Every day, she would wake up to Nemu or Unohana making breakfast and Gojo discussing with Yoruichi. She would then sit on the her father's knee and have him feed her then she would get scolded by Unohana for her manners or pet Yoruichi who liked to stay in her cat form and once again get scolded by Unohana.
Oddly enough, she liked getting scolded by Unohana. It made her feel warm because she knew that Unohana just wanted to raise her well and really cared for her.
Also, It was always funny to see her get angry at her and then fidget as she took care of her as if she feared hurting her. She knew Unohana's past but for Senna, both Unohana and Zaraki were two big softies and she liked teasing them.
Speaking of Zaraki, sometimes Zaraki and Yachiru would also visit them for breakfast. Generally, Zaraki would then challenge her father or Unohana to a fight. Senna found those fight always incredible to watch. It always humbled her and made her understand that she still had a long way to go.
Of course, she would sometimes participate in their training. Though it would be more exact to say that she was simply getting beaten up by them. Unohana was never lax during training and while she would profusely apologize later, she would be absolutely unforgiving during the training itself.
Kisuke and the Visored would also visit sometimes. Senna always relished those moments. Kisuke was a funny man and the Visored treated her like a princess. Though she wouldn't stay long when they came. After all, when Kisuke visited, it meant that her father had something important to discuss with him.
The two of them would go into the basement and do some weird secret experiments and Unohana would sometimes help them. This was one of the reasons why Senna studied so much. She wished to have more part in the life of her family and didn't wish to be seen as a burden eternally.
With how excited Zaraki had been lately and the frequency of Kisuke's visit, Senna summarized that something big would happen soon and her father will most likely be the center of whatever it was going to be.
It was clear that once again, he would leave her for a long while and she sadly couldn't complain because she knew that whatever problem her father had, she wasn't even close to the level required to take part.
That was why she decided to enjoy the days with him as long as possible and play around as much as she could without care.
Home matters aside, Senna surprisingly liked her school quite a bit. It had only been one week but she was already one of the most popular students in the school. She always found it weird why those students were more interested in futility like this rather than studying but she would be lying if she said she didn't like the attention.
Because of Gojo's influence, Senna had learned that humbleness was useless. She did not seek recognition but she did not reject it either for this was something granted.
Her only friend in that school was Masaki. Another funny girl who seemed to have taken the mission of protecting her. She could feel Masaki follow her whenever she left school and even leave a thread of energy on her.
If this happened in Soul Society, Senna would have been furious. But she knew that here, Masaki only thought of her as a normal girl with slightly higher spiritual energy. She was clearly only doing it out of the goodness of her heart.
Of course, Senna's control over Reishi was much superior to Masaki and she could take control of that thread easily to avoid letting Masaki obtain any information she shouldn't.
Her father had never asked her to keep her power a secret but she did not plan to divulge it as long as it wasn't necessary.
—
"Senna. Today and for the remaining days, I want you to be careful. There might be an attack from a hollow soon. If it happens, you have to take care of it."
Today was supposed to be a day like any other and breakfast was going on pretty well when her father suddenly announced this.
"Father?"
It wasn't as if Senna had never hunted down hollows. But they had all been pretty minor overall and in Soul Society she was mainly a healer so she didn't even go out on the field that much.
But, from her father's tone, it was clear that this one wouldn't be a normal.
Even then, Senna felt no fear but rather a kind of excitement. The fact that her father allowed her to fight that hollow meant that he believed she was able to do so. It also meant that he was willing to give her more responsibilities.
"Will you be able to do it?"
"Don't worry! I will take care of it!"
…
…
…
"Are you sure it's alright?"
Watching Senna leave the house, Unohana asked worriedly.
"If you really thought it was dangerous you would have stopped me before I even finished."
The day before, he had received a message from Momo about the appearance of a Menos.
Gojo wasn't worried about such a weak hollow but rather the meaning behind it. The reason Menos class hollow visited the human world so rarely was because it was just a waste of time for them.
Hollows needed souls to sustain themselves but from the level of Menos onwards, only devouring another hollow could help them. The energy present in just one soul was completely insufficient.
If so, what had attracted that hollow here? Gojo would say that it was their spiritual energy or that of the Quincy but he wasn't so sure.
'Something attracted that hollow. I wonder what.'
Gojo was curious, extremely so. With how bored he was lately, resolving that mystery would be a great way of passing time until he had to leave for Hueco Mundo.
Unohana shrugged, she was indeed not worried about Senna but it was mainly because she knew that as long as Gojo was in this city, nothing could happen to Senna.
It would be better to spend time more meaningfully instead of worrying over pointless stuff like that..
"So did you find any leads about what I asked you?"
Unohana threw a serious glance at Gojo as she asked something that had been weighing on her heart.
"I did find something in the records of the Shiba family."
Unohana's eyes glowed. Lately, what was obsessing her was a way to break through the limitations inherent to Shinigami. But she was unwilling to use external way such as the Hogyoku.
For hundreds of years, Unohana had thought that she had reached her full potential and the peak of her power. She was sure that whatever she did, there was no way for her to really become stronger.
But now her thoughts changed completely and Gojo was of the same opinion. The sole problem was how to do it.
This was where Gojo managed to find a way.
"The technique I found is really incredible and it would really suit people like you and Zaraki. But…There is a little problem."
"Which is?"
"When you use it, you can reach the level of transcendence but it's at the cost of all your power as a Shinigami. In a way, it's a power not unlike the <<Letzt Stil>> of Quincy."
Unohana frowned for a while before smiling, "I know. There is no way you would have told me this if there was no other way."
"Well…" Gojo grinned, for Unohana perfectly understood him. "I still need some time for completion but I am sure I can perfect this technique and make the effects more temporary in nature."
Unohanah's eyes glowed in anticipation, "What is the name of that technique?"
"Well, I still didn't complete it yet but how about — Beyond Bankai?"