Finding Time for Bankai (10/4)

Currently in the training ground are Eighth Division Captain Shunsui Kyōraku, Fourth Division Captain Retsu Unohana, and herself.

Including the Captain-Commander, a total of four captains witnessed this battle.

Captain-Commander Yamamoto's test is to fight Kenpachi Zaraki and demonstrate his strength.

In other words...

Soi Fon understood.

Although Captain-Commander Yamamoto, Tokoyo Misao as the acting captain.

But if nothing unexpected happens, the term "agent" could be officially recognized at any time.

She turned her head away somewhat unwillingly, and uttered a sentence:

"No objection."

Chapter 85 Finding a Time to Bankai (10/4)

"An unfamiliar ceiling."

Pfft, even Tokoyo Misao found the words too old-fashioned and couldn't help but chuckle.

"Captain Tokoyo, you're awake?"

Tokoyo Misao sat up and looked over.

There was a rather frail-looking man washing a towel in a basin of water.

Judging from the package around his waist, he should be a member of the Fourth Division.

"Thank you for taking care of me. May I ask your name?" Misao smiled gently.

"I, my name is Hanatarō Yamada." Hanatarō seemed a little flustered, and he was wringing the towel with a bit too much force.

"Don't be nervous, Hanatarō. Why do you call me Captain?" Misao, somewhat puzzled.

Why did I wake up to someone calling me "Captain"?

It's impossible that he would actually steal Kenpachi Zaraki's title because of their final battle.

"Because Captain Shiba of the Tenth Division is currently missing, the Captain-Commander has ordered that you are now the acting captain of the Tenth Division."

Hanatarō then realized that the towel in his hand had been wrung out too dry.

He quickly put it back into the basin, wet it, gently twisted it, and walked to another hospital bed next to it.

The person lying in this hospital bed is Kenpachi Zaraki.

He was wrapped up like a mummy, but there were still some areas that weren't bandaged.

Hanatarō gently placed the towel in his hand on the area and carefully wiped it.

A silver glint flashed in Tokoyo Misao's eyes.

Second-Class Spiritual Pressure.

Kenpachi Zaraki has gone from a normal level Third-Class Spiritual Pressure to a normal level two spiritual power.

Misao lowered his head in thought.

The position of acting captain is probably impossible to refuse. Even if he disperses his Reishi and returns to his past Rei'i state, that old man Yamamoto will never retract this appointment.

There's no need to make any special adjustments; just maintain the current Third-Class Spiritual Pressure state.

He checked the state of his internal Reishi; his wounds were almost completely healed, but he felt somewhat depleted.

Is there anything to eat?

Yes, please wait a moment.

Hanatarō did not slack off on his work just because Misao wanted to eat.

It took him seven or eight minutes to carefully clean all the parts of Kenpachi Zaraki's body that needed cleaning, before he hurriedly ran out.

When they arrived, they were carrying several large steamed buns in their hands.

"Injured patients need to eat lighter meals, so our Fourth Division will only provide steamed buns and rice balls."

"But the rice balls aren't ready yet."

Misao smiled, reached out, grabbed the steamed bun, and stuffed it into his mouth.

He wouldn't be so tactless as to ask for something that's free.

However, this action surprised Hanatarō.

After his battle with Kenpachi Zaraki, Tokoyo Misao revealed that he was a high-ranking noble, and this information spread throughout the Gotei 13.

Hanatarō's older brother entered the aristocratic class and became the aristocracy's personal doctor, so he also had dealings with the aristocracy.

If you were to give steamed buns to those lower-ranking nobles, you might very well get a good scolding yourself.

But to his surprise, the nobleman and acting captain Tokoyo Misao, didn't seem to care at all.

The way they ate, in particular, made them seem very endearing.

"There are still steamed buns left."

"Ten more, please."

"Right away!" Hanatarō hurriedly ran out, and this time he came back with 10 large steamed buns.

Misao moved incredibly fast, stuffing all the steamed buns into his stomach with just water, before finally feeling a little better.

He clapped his hands and stood up.

"Hanatarō, how long have I been lying here?"

Today is the 7th day.

As Hanatarō spoke, he quickly stepped forward to observe Tokoyo Misao had already gotten out of bed.

After carefully checking it over and confirming that there were no problems, he patted his chest and breathed a sigh of relief.

"Captain Tokoyo, you seem to have fully recovered."

"Yes, that's right. You've worked hard these past few days. You know the situation with the Tenth Division. I need to go back and check on them. Please thank Captain Unohana for me."

Misao strode out the door.

Please take care!

Upon returning to the Tenth Division barracks, the expected chaos did not materialize.

Each team member handled their task methodically.

Even when he saw Tokoyo Misao return, he simply bowed respectfully and continued with his work.

He went to the captain's room and pushed open the door.

At a glance, you can see Tōshirō Hitsugaya sitting at the middle desk, quickly flipping through reports.

However, Vice Captain Rangiku Matsumoto was nowhere to be seen.

"Tōshirō, where did Rangiku go?"

Misao walked straight to the captain's desk, and as he Tōshirō's desk, he casually picked up a stack of documents.

After sitting down, I flipped through a few pages; they were all just routine tasks, nothing special.

Tōshirō raised his head, his eyes filled with a composure beyond his years, his tone unhurried and unperturbed:

"Lieutenant Matsumoto is leading the patrol."

Will she really patrol properly?

"Then I wouldn't know."

The door was flung open with a whoosh.

A striking golden figure appeared. Rangiku Matsumoto entered the room, hands on her hips, and said in a loud voice:

"Acting Captain, what do you mean by this?"

"As the vice-captain of the Tenth Division's patrol and security team, of course I will lead my team members on patrols."

She pouted, staring at Tokoyo Misao with a hint of defiance in her eyes.

Neither Misao nor Tōshirō paid her any attention, continuing to flip through the documents in their hands.

Rangiku Matsumoto gritted her teeth, braced her hands on the table, leaned back, and asked softly:

"Captain Shiba, is he alright?"

Tōshirō also raised his head, stopped flipping through the book, and looked over.

Tokoyo Misao slammed the documents on the table, leaned back in his chair, and scanned his surroundings, but found no strange Spirit Ribbon.

Even the members of the Stealth Force who were monitoring him disappeared.

I didn't see them on the street, so I thought they were waiting in the barracks.

It seems that after becoming the acting captain, the surveillance missions of the Stealth Force were also canceled.

Sunlight streamed through the window, casting golden dapples on Misao's body.

His lips curled up in a smile, which, combined with the afterglow of the sunlight, gave him a warm and comforting look.

"Captain Shiba is enjoying life; he probably won't be back anytime soon."

"I knew it!" Tōshirō muttered to himself.

His previously serious face softened, and a smile appeared on his face.

This was said to Rangiku Matsumoto.

After Misao returned alone, he was immediately taken to the First Division.

Rangiku was very worried and even suggested going to the World of the Living with Tōshirō, but Tōshirō stopped her.

"Brother Misao would never abandon the captain and come back; there must be another reason."

This convinced Rangiku Matsumoto, and that's why she's been staying obediently in the Tenth Division these past few days, leading the soldiers on patrol.

"It's good that you're alright. Enjoying life, isn't it? I'm so envious."

Rangiku Matsumoto straightened up, patted her chest, and felt the blue waves ripple.

"But what is there to enjoy in this World of the Living?" she wondered.

Judging from the current situation, Captain Isshin Shiba has likely chosen to stay in the World of the Living.

However, for the Soul Reaper, who requires a high density of Reishi particles, staying in the World of the Living for an extended period of time would make even breathing difficult.

Therefore, the Thirteenth Division's World of the Living forces are replaced with World of the Living Soul Reaper every few years.

Sometimes, when there aren't enough people, they have to borrow from the Tenth Division and the Fifth Division.

Those were just ordinary team members.

At the Captain-level, the demand for Reishi becomes even higher.

The amount of Reishi contained in the food available in the World of the Living is so small that it would be difficult to feel full.

Misao turned her chair around, looked at the blue sky outside the window, and whispered in response, "Love."

"Huh?" Tōshirō exclaimed in disbelief.

"Oh?" Rangiku Matsumoto immediately changed her expression to one of great interest and moved closer.

"Love? With whom? Certainly not Soul Reaper, right? A human?"

"Soul Reaper falling in love with a human? That's absolutely insane!"

Rangiku clenched her fists, hot breath puffed from her nostrils, and her eyes sparkled.

"Human lifespan is only about a hundred years. No matter how you look at it, this is a tragedy."

The young, white-haired Tōshirō Hitsugaya spoke words that were completely out of character for his appearance, his face filled with sorrow.

Sometimes Misao would think that he had raised Tōshirō for so many years, but he had never taught him these things.

How did it turn out like this? You have no youthful energy at all.

He waved his hand helplessly. "In short, the situation inside is very complicated, and it's highly likely that Captain Shiba won't be coming back."