A Warning from Chiba Makoto?

What effective help could Kusajishi Yachiru possibly provide? It would be good enough if she didn't cause trouble!

Chōjirō Sasakibe felt a wave of helplessness. He always felt that if he spoke even a little too harshly to Kusajishi Yachiru, he would be committing a crime.

Why did Captain Kenpachi choose Kusajishi Yachiru as his Vice-Captain? This is completely absurd!

Chōjirō Sasakibe instinctively questioned the intelligence and way of thinking of this generation's Kenpachi. He seriously doubted that Kusajishi Yachiru could shoulder the responsibilities of a Vice-Captain at all.

However, in order to allow Captains to manage their divisions more reasonably and effectively, while ensuring their status and authority within their divisions, the authority to appoint each division's officers had largely been retained by the Captains themselves.

Thus, although Chōjirō Sasakibe nominally had the authority to supervise and restrain the officers of every division, he had no way to forcibly interfere with specific officer appointments.

In the end, after locking eyes with Kusajishi Yachiru for several seconds, Chōjirō Sasakibe was utterly defeated. Putting on a stern face, he said—

"There isn't much on the agenda this time. It should be over soon."

At once, most of the Vice-Captains gathered in the officers' waiting room showed a few traces of delight.

After all, unlike the Captains, who truly formed the upper ranks and possessed the right to propose, deliberate, and decide matters, these officers were only required to stay here by regulation. In truth, they had nothing to do and were strictly forbidden from leaving the officers' waiting room without permission.

"Yay! Thank you, weird white-haired uncle." Kusajishi Yachiru thanked him with a sweet smile, but that form of address made Chōjirō Sasakibe's expression completely fall apart.

Weird white-haired... uncle?

At that moment, Chōjirō Sasakibe seemed to have suffered some devastating blow. His once dignified and solemn gaze gained a hint of withdrawn gloom.

Meanwhile, seated in a corner of the officers' waiting room, Aizen Sōsuke watched everything with a gentle expression. His gaze was unusually kind as he discreetly assessed each Vice-Captain before him one by one. To anyone looking, he was the very image of a good man.

"Vice-Captain Aizen, what are you looking at?"

Suddenly, a somewhat cutting voice sounded beside Aizen Sōsuke.

Aizen Sōsuke turned his head kindly and found the Fourth Division's Lieutenant, Yamada Seinosuke, standing before him—a man he did not usually interact with much.

"Nothing. It is simply good to see that everyone is as lively as ever," Aizen Sōsuke replied gently.

Upon hearing that, Yamada Seinosuke instinctively developed a slight favorable impression of him, but his sharp tongue acted on its own.

"So the rumors are true. Vice-Captain Aizen really is a gentle man. You always notice the joys and sorrows of those around you—a perfect existence that ordinary people could never imitate, no matter how they tried."

In an instant, a peculiar glint flashed through Aizen Sōsuke's eyes behind his black-framed glasses. Several conjectures surfaced in his mind, but he responded as gently as ever.

"Lieutenant Yamada is just as the rumors say as well. Your words truly strike straight at the heart. I wonder, though, what did Lieutenant Yamada wish to see me about this time?"

Yamada Seinosuke shrugged, then spoke a name. "Chiba Makoto..."

But just as Yamada Seinosuke paused, intending to continue, Aizen Sōsuke nodded and said, "I see. I understand."

He understood?

Yamada Seinosuke gave Aizen Sōsuke a look with his somewhat harsh, indifferent eyes, several doubts flashing through his mind.

He had not even finished conveying Captain Unohana's instructions—explaining that the Fourth Division was refusing Vice-Captain Aizen's request concerning Chiba Makoto—yet Aizen Sōsuke already understood?

But on second thought, Yamada Seinosuke recalled the rumors about Aizen Sōsuke over this period. Perhaps he had been rejected too many times already, so he had long expected it?

With that thought, Yamada Seinosuke said nothing more and simply headed to the other side of the room.

In any case, whenever Yamada Seinosuke faced men with gentle expressions these days, he thought of that fellow Chiba Makoto and felt inexplicably uncomfortable.

What Yamada Seinosuke failed to notice was that a flash of killing intent passed through Aizen Sōsuke's seemingly gentle eyes.

Chiba Makoto...

Did he see something? Was he using Yamada Seinosuke's mouth to warn me?

"A perfect existence that ordinary people could never imitate?"

How interesting, Makoto. I have received your warning. I did not expect that, beyond possessing talents in Kaido and Medical Skills that ordinary Soul Reapers could scarcely hope to match, your powers of observation would be equally sharp. They may even be on par with Hirako Shinji's.

As he thought that, Aizen Sōsuke clearly recalled every one of Chiba Makoto's reactions from the previous night. Many of the things that had puzzled him now became completely understandable, especially that intangible sense of distance and vigilance...

Though I do not believe you have truly discovered my plan, an ant unexpectedly trying to jump about should still be casually crushed to death.

Aizen Sōsuke's expression did not change in the slightest. He watched with a gentleness as peaceful as the passing years, while quietly thinking to himself.

And just as Chōjirō Sasakibe had said, this Captains' meeting did not last long. As the ancient bell signaling the end of the meeting rang out, the doors slowly opened, and the Captains emerged from the meeting room one after another.

Among them, Captain Zaraki Kenpachi of the Eleventh Division wore a distinctly displeased expression. He beckoned to Kusajishi Yachiru, then strode away from the First Division.

Aizen Sōsuke swept his gaze around and found his own Captain, Hirako Shinji. To his surprise, Hirako Shinji was walking side by side with Unohana Retsu and Yoruichi Shihoin, Captain of the Second Division, chatting and laughing with them.

Aizen Sōsuke quickly followed his Captain alongside Yamada Seinosuke and Lieutenant Ōmaeda Marenoshin of the Second Division. Unohana Retsu's conversation with the other two Captains also reached Aizen Sōsuke's ears.

"Hahaha, Senior, you rejected him way too decisively just now. Captain Kenpachi didn't look too happy about it," Hirako Shinji said in a flippant tone.

"I had no choice. Chiba Makoto is my beloved disciple. How could I possibly hand him over to the Eleventh Division?" Unohana Retsu answered with a smile.

"Chiba Makoto? I feel like I heard that name somewhere over the past two days. To receive such praise from Captain Unohana, he must be quite an interesting Soul Reaper, right?" Yoruichi Shihoin asked.

In response, Unohana Retsu merely smiled without answering. After leaving the gates of the First Division Barracks, she bid Hirako Shinji and Yoruichi Shihoin farewell with impeccable courtesy. Then, seemingly inadvertently, she glanced at Aizen Sōsuke before leading Yamada Seinosuke toward the Fourth Division Barracks.

Hirako Shinji, wearing the Captain's Haori of the Fifth Division and sporting long blond hair with straight bangs, looked rather carefree as he watched Unohana Retsu's retreating back and remarked sentimentally.

"Senior really is a gentle person, to care for her disciple so dearly..."

Those words... seemed to carry a different meaning in Aizen Sōsuke's ears.