Fujimoto Tōma stood in his courtyard and sheathed his blade.
By now, he’d been back with the Fourth Unit long enough to notice the change. The quiet attention that had followed his return, subtle glances, half-hidden scrutiny, had finally eased. Whatever conclusions people had been waiting to reach, they’d reached them.
Which ant he was free to move.
There was sothing he’d planned to do for a while now. Sothing that had only been delayed because of Unohana.
Tōma crossed into her courtyard and found her seated at a low table, flipping through a dical text.
"Studying again?" he asked, sitting across from her and glancing at the book.
She closed it and looked up. "Mm. What brings you here today? Sparring?" She shook her head slightly. "If that’s it, I won’t have ti. I’m scheduled to check on a patient from the Tenth Unit."
Unohana had already noticed it. Since returning, Tōma had turned into a complete shut-in, rarely leaving his own courtyard. He didn’t eat. Didn’t drink. Didn’t socialize. No one really knew what he was doing in there.
She didn’t need to guess.
Training.
If he’d co out and sought her, it ant he had sothing to say.
"I’m not here to fight," Tōma said. "I ca to say goodbye."
Unohana paused.
"...Goodbye?" She studied him more closely. "You’re not on assignnt. The Commander hasn’t deployed you."
"No," Tōma replied calmly.
"Then that would be leaving without authorization."
"If the captain covers for ," he said, pouring himself tea with practiced ease, "no one will notice."
For a mont, Unohana said nothing. Then she let out a quiet, resigned laugh.
"So that’s why you’ve been hiding away lately."
"That’s not the reason," Tōma said after a beat. "If staying indoors was enough to get stronger, I’d never leave."
It wasn’t entirely a joke. He was a natural hobody by inclination. Unfortunately, strength didn’t reward comfort.
Unohana nodded slowly. "How long will you be gone?"
"Hard to say. A few months. Maybe years."
Her brow creased. That was far too long to hide cleanly.
"I’ll co back periodically," Tōma added. "You won’t be covering forever."
She exhaled, then frowned again. "Even so... entering and leaving unnoticed isn’t easy. The Seireitei isn’t exactly blind. Especially with the Twelfth Unit installing who-knows-what everywhere."
"I’ve thought of that," Tōma said.
He lifted a hand toward his shoulder.
Unohana’s eyes narrowed. There was nothing there.
Then, space rippled.
A small creature appeared as if stepping out from behind reality itself, settling neatly on Tōma’s shoulder. It rubbed against his fingers with obvious familiarity.
Unohana’s pupils contracted.
"...Space manipulation?"
"Yes," Tōma said simply, lifting the creature into his arms and stroking its fur.
Silence followed.
Unohana looked between Tōma, the creature, and the tea he casually refilled for both of them.
"You realize," she said slowly, "that abilities involving space are explicitly forbidden. If the Central Council learns of this..."
"They won’t," Tōma replied.
He knew the rules. Space and ti techniques were classified as forbidden because they disrupted structural balance. If he’d had access earlier, he’d have studied them already. Unfortunately, those techniques were restricted to specialists far above his pay grade.
Unohana sighed. "Then at least tell . What is it?"
She wasn’t asking casually. She’d seen Tōma’s blade at its highest release. She knew his power had nothing to do with space. Which ant this creature wasn’t a manifestation of his weapon.
It was real.
"It’s called Moon Sprite," Tōma said. "A space-type summoning beast."
"...A summoning beast?" Unohana searched her mory and found nothing. "I’ve never heard of anything like that."
"You wouldn’t have," Tōma said lightly. "There’s only one."
She accepted that answer with surprising ease, though her gaze lingered. In her mind, the picture was already forming. Tōma hadn’t beco exceptional after death. He’d already been extraordinary before it.
She didn’t pry further.
Instead, she leaned forward slightly, eyes softening. "May I hold it?"
Tōma hesitated, then shrugged. "I don’t mind. But you’ll have to ask it."
Moon Sprite lifted its head, glanced at Unohana once, then turned away and buried itself deeper into Tōma’s arms.
Both of them froze.
Unohana blinked. "...I’m not that unpleasant, am I?"
Tōma was equally baffled. The creature had always been amicable before.
"...Guess you’re just unlucky," he said after a pause.
She laughed quietly and let it go. "So. You’re heading to the Living World?"
"Why would I?" Tōma replied.
"To study new technology," she said reflexively, then stopped.
Because if not there, then...
Her eyes widened.
"There," Tōma said flatly. "Technology doesn’t interest ."
Which left only one destination.
Hueco Mundo.
She lifted her tea, buying ti. "You know what that place is."
"I do."
"I’m not worried about your survival," Unohana said seriously. "I’m worried about what choices you might be tempted to make. Hollowfication. Experintation. Any one of those is a capital cri."
"I know," Tōma said.
"And you’re still going?"
"If I stop now, I won’t move forward," he replied, eting her gaze. "My chakra compression has hit its current limit. I need sothing different."
"That fast?" she murmured.
"I found sothing interesting in the Living World," Tōma continued. "I want to verify it there."
Unohana studied him for a long mont.
"Is getting stronger really that important?"
"Yes," he said without hesitation.
She smiled then. A knowing, almost nostalgic smile.
"When do you leave?"
"Today."
"...Very well."
They drank tea in silence after that, sharing the calm before separation.
Back in his courtyard, Tōma called softly.
"Moon Sprite."
The creature appeared at once.
"Open a path," Tōma said, scratching under its chin. "To Hueco Mundo."
"Gula," it chirped.
Its crimson eyes glowed. Space warped. A black aperture ford, pulsing gently.
The effort clearly drained it. Still, it looked up at Tōma expectantly.
"Good work," he said, patting its head.
Satisfied, it vanished to rest.
Tōma looked into the void beyond the gate.
Hueco Mundo.
Curious, he stepped through.
The portal closed behind him, leaving his courtyard undisturbed, flowers swaying gently in the breeze.
Elsewhere, in a land of endless sand, space tore open.
Tōma erged.
Instantly, he felt it. Countless gazes. Hunger. Interest.
His presence was irresistible.
He released his pressure.
The surge erased everything nearby. Hollows caught within the radius disintegrated before they could even scream. Those farther away fled in terror.
Tōma didn’t pursue.
Balance mattered more than extermination.
He reined his chakra in and surveyed the world.
High ambient energy. A moon hanging alone in a starless sky. No day. No warmth.
An endless desert.
"...What a dull place," he muttered.
But dull places often hid the sharpest answers.
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