Reaping What You Sow
Aizen wouldn't deceive himself about something like this.
A glint flashed through Gin's tightly narrowed eyes.
At least this time, Aizen had no chance to use Complete Hypnosis on Dōsan Hanyū.
Then what had Aizen meant by "success"?
A thought crossed Gin's mind, but instead of pressing the question, he brought up another subject.
"What a shame, Captain Aizen. I'm going to have to leave your beloved side for a while."
"Shouldn't I be congratulating you on your promotion, Gin?"
Around the same time as Tachikawa Magaki, Gin Ichimaru had accepted Ichimonji Tsunayashiro's invitation to become vice-captain of the Shin'ō Artificial Soul Noble Guard.
The department had only just begun to take shape, and it had few Soul Reapers at its disposal.
But it answered directly to Central 46, and in terms of status, Ichimonji Tsunayashiro was nominally equal in rank to Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
Gin Ichimaru, naturally, was also considered Captain-level among the Thirteen Divisions.
"Captain Aizen." Gin's narrowed eyes opened slightly. "Once I've completed my mission, may I ask you something?"
Aizen walked in front of Gin and turned his back to him once more. "Go ahead, Gin. Don't forget, we're comrades who can entrust our backs to each other."
"What I wanted to ask is, Captain Aizen, could you tell me how to avoid Complete Hypnosis?"
The barracks fell silent, cold and silent.
Gin's hair still reflected the light, and his smile never faded.
Standing behind Aizen, Gin was not yet as tall as Aizen's chest, yet he was like a venomous snake. But since he showed no murderous intent, to Aizen he was like a cute, harmless venomous snake.
Aizen slowly turned his head, his expression unchanged.
"Of course, Gin."
"I can tell you right now how to avoid my Complete Hypnosis."
A god paid no mind to an ant's thoughts, whether those thoughts were good or evil.
"Thank you for your cooperation, Mr. Dōsan Hanyū. There's nothing wrong with your body at all." After half an hour, the tall, silver-haired Isane had finished giving Dōsan a full-body examination.
"No, no, I should be thanking you for your work, Lieutenant."
When Teacher Ōuna had mentioned it, Dōsan had been somewhat worried. Now he could finally breathe a sigh of relief.
"No, no, no, you're too polite, Mr. Dōsan. Thank you for being so cooperative." Isane hurriedly waved her hands, not daring to take credit.
"No, no, no..."
"Hey, hey, what are you two dawdling for? Come have a drink, gurp..." Rangiku let out a drunken burp, raised her fair arm, and pulled Isane under it.
Dōsan turned to look at Auntie Rangiku. Weren't you supposed to be here to protect me?
How did you get this drunk in the infirmary?
One Fourth Division worker, one Twelfth Division worker, and a drunk leading them.
"Wait a moment. I haven't finished my examination yet."
Dōsan felt he had never hated a bastard so much. He hadn't even hated that previous worker this much.
Dōsan decided to trust Auntie Rangiku this once.
He didn't resist, and after Nemu had tied his entire body to the operating table, it was too late to resist.
Then, before Dōsan's shocked eyes, Nemu reached inside her clothes and pulled out a scalpel.
Dōsan hurriedly called to Rangiku, only to find that Auntie was already so drunk her head had gone stiff.
Weren't you supposed to protect me? Pull yourself together!
"Hey, what are you going to do?"
Nemu Kurotsuchi held the knife point-down and looked at the slightly terrified expression in Dōsan's eyes.
At first, she hesitated.
But only for an instant. Carrying out Lord Mayuri's instructions was her lifelong pursuit, and in any case, she wouldn't kill Dōsan Hanyū.
A glimmer seemed to pass through Nemu's eyes as she raised the knife after all.
"Come on, Isane, have some too."
Rangiku clamped Isane's head under her arm and pulled her toward her mouth.
Isane hurriedly reached out to struggle, and her hand landed on something soft.
Mortified, Isane instinctively backed away, but her foot slipped. The one-hundred-and-eighty-centimeter-tall woman struck the back of Nemu Kurotsuchi's head hard, like a hammer.
"I'm terribly sorry, Nemu! Are you all right?" Isane was very worried.
"I'm fine," Nemu said evenly without turning around. Her hands were empty, her ten fingers spread, and she didn't dare move.
The scalpel was now embedded in Nemu's body, less than a centimeter from her Saketsu.
In fact, if she hadn't hesitated just then, the blade would have gone straight into her Saketsu.
It didn't matter. As Lord Mayuri's finest creation, she still had a plan B.
Nemu Kurotsuchi reached inside her clothes again and pulled out a syringe filled with pale green liquid.
Dōsan was trembling in all five limbs. Counting the fight, this was already the third time he had seen her pull out a green reagent, and every one of them had come from inside her clothes.
Is there a vacuum in there?
Come to think of it, why are all the Twelfth Division's reagents green?
"Nemu, what are you doing?"
Nemu was distracted for a moment, and immediately afterward came the faint sound of a needle piercing skin, audible only to her.
"N-no, it's fine." Swaying, Nemu took two steps in her wooden sandals, staggering even more than Rangiku. She raised her head and looked at these two godlike teammates. "If possible, I'd like to return to the Twelfth Division as soon as possible."
Isane had been forced to take a drink and was still a little dazed, swaying as she walked. Seeing the scalpel sticking out of Nemu's chest, she stamped her feet in panic. "A doctor! Find a doctor, quick!"