"Whose subordinate are you, to be so bold? Don't you fear that once Ichimaru Gin becomes the captain, he'll turn around and hang you up like a puppet?"
"Oh! It's Shiba Isshin, then it's nothing to worry about..."
The faint memories of his previous life reminded Makoto that Shiba Isshin had always been someone without much of a sense of propriety. It made sense that his subordinates would follow in the same vein.
It was much like how gentle Captain Unohana's disciple, Senju Makoto, was also a kind-hearted young man.
But it was fine. The colleague hadn't called out his name, so it was unlikely Ichimaru Gin would remember him.
"Remember this, brat! You're talking to the 19th seat of the Tenth Division, Kujo Taimei! If you ever come here again, I won't show mercy next time!!"
Under Makoto's slightly stunned gaze, Kujo Taimei hastily introduced his division, rank, and name, almost as if he were about to recite his gravestone inscription.
"Hmm?"
Kujo Taimei's steps slowed to a halt next to Makoto, no longer chasing after Ichimaru Gin. Instead, he glanced at Makoto and said, "You're from... the 4th Division?"
Without hesitation, Makoto gave a thumbs up, praising, "You were really... bold just now, impressive."
"Ahahaha, you're flattering me..." Kujo grinned and said, "Sorry, that brat didn't cause you any trouble, did he? He's just a small-time thief with some spiritual power. Probably hungry, running around causing a ruckus."
Hearing this subtle defense of Gin, Makoto's eyes flashed with mild surprise.
This seemingly shameless guy was more complicated than he appeared. It wasn't just about chasing after Hin, the thief; it seemed more like he was coming after Makoto, trying to prevent him from retaliating against Gin.
After all, although Soul Society had strict rules forbidding shinigami from casually killing Soul Society residents, for those with power, there were countless ways to exact revenge on an ordinary Rukongai resident.
So, when Kujo mentioned his division name, was he indirectly warning Makoto? Was he trying to protect Gin from retribution?
With this thought, Makoto deliberately darkened his expression and said, "Indeed, that brat was really terrible, bumping into people without even apologizing."
Kujo Taimei, in an unusually familiar manner, threw an arm around Makoto's shoulder and laughed heartily, "Ahahaha, don't worry too much. There are plenty of rude kids like that in Rukongai. You look like a new recruit from the Fourth Division. What's your name? Let me show you some new tricks."
"Senju Makoto," Makoto replied briefly.
"Oh, so you're Makoto-kun? Let me tell you..." Just as Kujo was about to speak in a senior's tone, he suddenly froze mid-motion, his gaze becoming a little dazed as he looked at the smiling Makoto. He instinctively asked, "Wait, you're the one from the rumors, the disciple of Captain Unohana? The one who joined the gynecology department that countless male shinigamis dream of joining?"
Why did he have to specifically mention the Gynecology Department?
Huh???
And what does it mean... "the countless male Shinigami who dream of entering?"
My reputation in the Seireitei... it's completely ruined!
"Actually, would you believe me if I said I was forced to join the Gynecology Department?" Makoto asked with a twitch in his expression, as if trying to undo the damage his name had just caused.
"Uh..."
Kujo looked at him with a "I'm seeing something absurd" expression and said, "Does something like that even need to be forced?"
"A man wouldn't need to be forced, would he...?" Makoto's voice faltered, and he quickly cut off the conversation, trying to avoid being led astray by this shameless individual. Instead, he asked, "When will your Vice-Captain, be back?"
"Is there something you need to speak with Vice-Captain about, Senju-Kun?" Kujo gave him a look as if thinking, "Are you going to complain about me?"
Makoto thought back to the emotionless faces he had seen earlier, and his professional instincts as a healer made him feel a pang of sympathy. With a sigh, he asked, "No, I just wanted to know how the residents will be handled in the end. This area is under your Tenth Division's jurisdiction, so I assume the final decisions will likely involve your Vice-Captain."
Kujo spoke in a tone that suggested he didn't really care. "What else is there to arrange? Once it's confirmed that there's no threat to the Seireitei, we'll probably just abandon them. After all, they're all just a bunch of people who won't live long anyway."
Though Kujo's tone was light, Makoto could clearly sense an undercurrent of dissatisfaction.
After all, even a Captain-class Shinigami would find it difficult to protest against the Seireitei's decisions, let alone a mere 19th-seat officer in the Tenth Division.
Moreover, with the position of Tenth Division Captain currently vacant, the division had little to no sway in the Gotei 13.
What was more pressing, however, was that the Seireitei lacked the means to treat this soul-deprivation condition, and to the Central 46, the lives of just over a hundred Rukongai residents seemed almost insignificant.
After a brief silence, Makoto answered with a serious tone, "As a member of the Fourth Division... I will do my best to help every patient."
His words caused Kujo to regard him with a mix of surprise and a newfound respect.
Makoto then continued his work, conducting emergency treatments for the newly arrived residents while also performing checks on their conditions.
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