Chapter 6: Unohana Retsu

From this moment onward, on one side of the seated Captain Zaraki Kenpachi, a small, delicate girl with pink hair, KusajishiYachiru, was perched. On the other side sat the black-eyed, black-haired youth, Kenpachi Zaraki. His zanpakuto, jagged with serrated edges, was drawn, and he swung it wildly, laughing maniacally, hacking away at enemies. Blood splattered everywhere, soaking Senju Makoto in crimson.

Behind Zaraki Kenpachi, hundreds of muscular men, armed with zanpakuto, began to charge forward in a frenzy, with Senju Makoto acting as a "healer," connecting himself with them through grass in a forced, almost sacrificial way…

At this thought, Senju Makoto's face turned pale.

The scene was too beautiful, too chaotic—he couldn't bear to imagine it any longer.

No, I can't accept this. It's impossible...

Instinctively, Senju Makoto took a step back, his mind quickly running through three consecutive denials.

It was too dangerous. Too dangerous!

No matter how he considered it, being in such an environment was too risky. Even without factoring in the chance to plant the "Seed of the Forest" within the bodies of other captain-level Soul Reapers through the Fourth Division, his safety and reputation alone were reason enough not to join the Eleventh Division.

Absolutely not!

Even if it meant death, he could never accept being surrounded by those muscle-bound men.

This is a disaster!

Feeling Kenpachi Zaraki's intense gaze, Senju Makoto's mind raced, trying to think of a way to escape.

Kenpachi, however, only grinned more brightly, his smile twisting in a sinister way.

"Senju Makoto, right? From now on, follow me. What's so great about the Fourth Division? Stick with me, and I'll show you the thrill of battle, help you experience the true instincts of life."

Meanwhile, Kusajishi Yachiru, seated on Kenpachi's shoulder, didn't show any sign of being jealous of the new recruit, but instead, her face lit up with the excitement of a new playmate. She eagerly began to give Senju Makoto a nickname.

"That's right, Makoto-san, we'll work hard together from now on! Please take care of me~"

Makoto… Makoto-san?!

At the deadly level of formality attached to the nickname, Senju Makoto felt like his doom was imminent.

I… I'm not going to be stabbed to death by the muscle-bound men of the Eleventh Division, am I?

Just then, a sharp, cold voice rang out from behind him.

"Captain Zaraki, you can't just steal people like that. Senju Makoto is a reserved member of the Fourth Division. He can't be handed over to your Eleventh Division."

Kenpachi Zaraki turned his gaze toward the man who had spoken—an unassuming figure in standard Shinigami attire, wearing the insignia of the Fourth Division on his shoulder.

"Fourth Division Vice-captain, Yamada Seinosuke."

Kenpachi Zaraki paused for a moment, then recalled who Yamada Seinosuke was.

With Yamada Seinosuke's appearance, Senju Makoto couldn't help but breathe a small sigh of relief.

It seemed that his act of fully healing Kenpachi Zaraki's wounds with "Shinro Bansho" had finally caught Yamada Seinosuke's attention.

Although Yamada Seinosuke was only the vice-captain of the Fourth Division, much lower in rank compared to Zaraki Kenpachi, the Fourth Division he represented was still far superior to Senju Makoto simply rejecting Kenpachi's invitation on his own.

However, Kenpachi seemed completely indifferent to the arrival of Yamada Seinosuke.

With an air of indifference, he spoke directly in a commanding tone.

"This brat, the Eleventh Division has claimed him."

"No, that won't do."

In stark contrast to his younger brother Yamada Hanataro's meek personality, Yamada Seinosuke's tone was cold and biting, showing no hesitation in rejecting Zaraki Kenpachi.

Kenpachi's lips curled slightly, and an invisible aura of terror began to spread around him. His voice turned brutal as he demanded, "Hmm? Are you asking to be cut to pieces?"

However, Yamada Seinosuke didn't flinch at Kenpachi's intimidation. Instead, he responded with sharp sarcasm.

"Kenpachi, please don't try to scare me. I'm just a minor vice-captain. If you leave me psychologically scarred, the Fourth Division may start hesitating when treating the Eleventh Division's injuries. It might lead to missing body parts or... accidentally adding some extra bits. That wouldn't be ideal."

Kenpachi's gaze grew even more dangerous, as if a wild beast was slowly revealing its fangs.

"Are you threatening me? If you want to negotiate, call out Unohana Retsu first!"

At that moment, a soft and gentle voice echoed from the direction of the entrance.

"Kenpachi, are you looking for me?"

The voice belonged to none other than Unohana Retsu, the Captain of the Fourth Division. Dressed in a pure white captain's haori with the number "Four" embroidered on the back, her hair was neatly tied in a braid, cascading down to her chest. Her beautiful features radiated a serene and gentle aura.

Unohana Retsu, the Captain of the Fourth Division of the Gotei 13!

In an instant, the graduating students in the hall recognized the identity of the graceful female Shinigami standing at the entrance, their eyes instinctively reflecting respect and admiration.

Unlike Kenpachi, who was a recently appointed Soul Reaper, Captain Unohana was a legendary figure whose name was recorded in the textbooks of the Shin'o Academy. She had been the Captain for nearly a millennium, and the number of Shinigami she had treated was countless.

For two captains of such high standing to be involved in a selection at the same time was undoubtedly exciting for the graduates present.

However, as Kenpachi's terrifying spiritual pressure began to rise once again, it seemed as though a confrontation was brewing between him and Captain Unohana, and the atmosphere... suddenly turned heavy.

'This is bad!'

'Kenpachi doesn't plan to make a move on Captain Unohana, does he?'

'So the Captain of the Eleventh Division really is a lunatic? This could be a major crime!'

At this moment, many of the graduates couldn't help but feel concerned for the gentle, older-sister-like Unohana, who appeared so kind and approachable.

After all, "Kenpachi" was a title meaning "the strongest swordsman in the Soul Society," and it was also the title held by the Captain of the Eleventh Division, a division specializing in combat.

Shinigamis who inherit the "Kenpachi" title are often referred to as madmen.

Among them, the newly appointed Zaraki Kenpachi, who had claimed the title by stepping over the body of the previous Captain of the Eleventh Division, was seen as a madman among madmen by many of the graduates.

As for Captain Unohana, she was the gentle and skilled healer of the Fourth Division. She was clearly not someone who specialized in combat. The textbooks mostly highlighted her accomplishments in healing Shinigamis and her contributions to developing the healing arts and kido techniques.

Even though Captain Unohana had been a seasoned captain for over a thousand years and had treated countless injured Soul Reapers, her gentle and caring nature made her loved and respected by all.

But would someone like Kenpachi, recently promoted and a madman in the eyes of many, truly respect Captain Unohana?

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