Chapter 4

Large-scale healing? Replenishing Reiryoku?

Zaraki Kenpachi's scar-covered face twitched slightly at once. The way he looked at Chiba Makoto had completely changed, with a faint glimmer shining in his eyes.

Precisely because most of Zaraki Kenpachi's brain was made of muscle, he understood even better what such an ability meant to the Eleventh Division.

If Ayasegawa Yumichika's description was accurate, and Chiba Makoto's healing ability was sufficient, then equipping the Eleventh Division with "Chiba Makoto" would practically mean they could indulge in the joys of battle and slaughter to their hearts' content.

When fighting his own men... perhaps he could loosen up a little as well!

Zaraki Kenpachi licked his lips, his beast-like eyes fixed on Chiba Makoto as he ordered, "Kid, release your Zanpakuto!"

At that moment, nearly everyone in the arena turned their attention toward them. Most of the graduates' gazes, filled with envy and jealousy, landed on Chiba Makoto.

For an ordinary graduate, earning the attention and favor of a division captain was a dream come true. It often meant the captain valued them, as well as status and authority after entering the division.

Yet what was a blessing to ordinary graduates was an exceptionally bad development in Chiba Makoto's eyes.

Zaraki Kenpachi had really set his sights on him!

"Captain Kenpachi, the arena rules forbid releasing a Zanpakuto without cause," Chiba Makoto explained.

The scars on Zaraki Kenpachi's face seemed to twitch as he revealed a beastly grin and slowly raised the Zanpakuto in his hand, its blade lined with countless irregular serrations.

Then...

"Pfft!"

To everyone's astonishment, Zaraki Kenpachi did not aim his Zanpakuto at Chiba Makoto. Instead, he stabbed it directly into his own body, spraying a large amount of blood across the floor.

"Now it isn't without cause..."

Zaraki Kenpachi looked as though nothing had happened. He casually pulled the Zanpakuto from his body, drawing out a gush of blood, then tilted his head slightly and ordered, "Draw your blade and heal me. Otherwise, I'll chop you into several pieces and make you heal yourself."

Chiba Makoto's mouth twitched uncontrollably.

This battle-crazed beast was truly ruthless!

There was no room for Chiba Makoto to refuse under these circumstances.

If he refused, Zaraki Kenpachi would probably swing his blade at him without hesitation the very next moment.

With that thought, Chiba Makoto could not help glancing toward Lieutenant of the Fourth Division Yamada Seinosuke, who stood at one corner of the arena.

He was a male Soul Reaper with an exceptionally aloof appearance, and also the elder brother of one of Chiba Makoto's juniors, Yamada Hanataro.

Before the graduation ceremony had begun, Chiba Makoto had already communicated with Yamada Seinosuke through Yamada Hanataro, expressing his wish to join the Fourth Division. Yamada Seinosuke had also agreed to Chiba Makoto's application.

Yet at this moment, Yamada Seinosuke seemed not to have noticed Chiba Makoto's gaze at all. He stood like an uninvolved bystander, utterly unconcerned that a prospective division member was being forcibly snatched away by Zaraki Kenpachi.

Is it about value?

It seems my past performance hasn't demonstrated enough value, so Yamada Seinosuke has no intention of stepping in?

Although my Kaido grades at Shin'ō Academy were quite outstanding, they were still far from enough to outweigh offending the captain of the Eleventh Division.

Chiba Makoto's thoughts raced. He understood that, in his current position, he had nowhere near enough standing to refuse Zaraki Kenpachi.

Although the main principle behind choosing a division was mutual selection, that depended on who the other party was.

Faced with Zaraki Kenpachi's forcefulness, what could a Shin'ō Academy graduate like Chiba Makoto do besides accept and comply? Any resistance would only seem laughable.

The simplest way to shake off Zaraki Kenpachi's interest right now seems to be drawing even more attention from the Fourth Division and demonstrating my value in joining it...

As for pretending his healing was mediocre, Ikkaku and Yumichika had experienced it countless times. He would be exposed instantly!

With that thought, Chiba Makoto slowly drew the Zanpakuto at his waist and recited its release command.

"Life unending, All Things in Nature!"

At once, the form of Chiba Makoto's Zanpakuto changed slightly. Its blade and hilt both lengthened, making it more suitable for slashing, while one small emerald-green sapling after another suddenly sprouted from the floor around him.

Then, at Chiba Makoto's command, a sapling at his feet rapidly extended like a vine toward the wound in Zaraki Kenpachi's abdomen.

"Life Unending."

The next moment, flowers bloomed along the slender, vine-like sapling, absorbing Reishi from the air. The tip touching Zaraki Kenpachi's abdominal wound glowed with a soft green radiance.

Zaraki Kenpachi's expression changed at once. He felt a warm sensation spread through his abdomen as the wound healed at an unbelievable speed, even replenishing a small amount of his Reiryoku.

As Zaraki Kenpachi sank into shock, a fleeting trace of unease and hesitation flashed through Chiba Makoto's slightly lowered eyes before swiftly turning into resolve.

The next instant, from the tip of the sapling touching Zaraki Kenpachi's wound, a special Reishi particle only slightly larger than an ordinary one was silently delivered into Zaraki Kenpachi's body. As his wound healed, that special particle completely merged with him.

No one noticed this scene—not even Zaraki Kenpachi himself sensed anything unusual.

After all, a single Reishi particle was far too small, much smaller even than the cells composing a Gigai. Without special instruments, there was simply no way to directly observe the changes in every individual Reishi particle.

As the wound fully healed, a smile appeared on Chiba Makoto's face.

Success!

Sure enough, even a captain-class Soul Reaper had failed to notice that the Seed of the Forest had been planted.

Chiba Makoto's original plan had been to spend decades, perhaps even a century, slowly making his way through the Fourth Division until he could gradually come into contact with captain-class Soul Reapers, then find an opportunity to plant the Seed of the Forest. He had never expected Zaraki Kenpachi to voluntarily let him heal his wound in order to test his abilities.

Although Chiba Makoto was more than ninety percent certain he would not be discovered, there was still risk involved. If Zaraki Kenpachi noticed, Chiba Makoto might even be convicted of a serious crime by the Seireitei.

But this opportunity was far too rare!

Opportunities to treat the injuries of a captain-class Soul Reaper did not come along whenever one wished.

Especially since no large-scale war had occurred in the Soul Society for the past several centuries, captain-class Soul Reapers were being injured less and less often.

Otherwise, relying solely on the Seed of the Forest scattered among more than half of Shin'ō Academy's students was gradually no longer enough to meet Chiba Makoto's needs.