Soul Transplantation

Whose subordinate was this, to be so fearless? Wasn't he afraid that once Ichimaru Gin became captain, he'd hang him upside down and flick his [bleep] [bleep]?

Oh! He belonged to Shiba Isshin. Never mind, then...

Chiba Makoto vaguely remembered from his past life that Shiba Isshin had always been a man with little sense of decorum. It seemed... reasonable... for his subordinate to inherit that style...

Just like how Chiba Makoto, disciple of the gentle Lady Unohana, was also a very gentle young man.

Still, fortunately, this colleague had not shouted his name. Ichimaru Gin probably would not remember him either.

"Remember this, brat! Your Soul Reaper lord is Yoshikami Tsume, Seat 19 of the Tenth Division! If you dare come back next time, I definitely won't spare you again!!!"

Before Chiba Makoto's somewhat dumbfounded gaze, Yoshikami Tsume reported his division, seat rank, and name almost without hesitation. He was only one step short of reciting the inscription on his tombstone.

"Hm?"

Yoshikami Tsume's footsteps gradually stopped beside Chiba Makoto. Rather than continuing the pursuit, he glanced at Chiba Makoto and said,

"You're... from the Fourth Division?"

Without hesitation, Chiba Makoto gave Yoshikami Tsume a thumbs-up and praised him.

"What you did just now was truly... bold. I admire it."

"Ahaha, you flatter me, you flatter me..."

Yoshikami Tsume grinned and said,

"Sorry about that. That brat didn't bump into you, did he? He's a habitual thief with Reiryoku. He was probably hungry, so he's been running around everywhere."

Hearing the faintly protective note in those words toward Ichimaru Gin, surprise flickered through Chiba Makoto's eyes.

This fellow, who seemed utterly shameless, was apparently not simply chasing Ichimaru Gin the thief. Rather, he seemed to have come specifically for him, to prevent him from retaliating against Ichimaru Gin.

After all, although Seireitei had clear rules prohibiting Soul Reapers from casually killing residents of Soul Society, Soul Reapers with power had countless ways to retaliate against an ordinary Rukongai resident.

So, by shouting his division and name at Ichimaru Gin just now, he had also been indirectly telling Chiba Makoto—thereby protecting Ichimaru Gin from retaliation?

With that thought, Chiba Makoto deliberately let a trace of gloom show on his face and said,

"Indeed. That brat was truly awful. He bumped into someone and did not even apologize."

Like an old acquaintance, Yoshikami Tsume slung an arm over Chiba Makoto's shoulder and said cheerfully,

"Ahaha, don't take it too seriously. There are plenty of rude brats like that in Rukongai. From the looks of you, you seem to be a new recruit who just joined the Thirteen Divisions. What should I call you? I'll take you somewhere to try something new."

"I am Chiba Makoto," Chiba Makoto replied.

"Oh, so you're Makoto. Let me tell you..."

Just as Yoshikami Tsume instinctively prepared to lecture him in the tone of a senior, he suddenly seemed to remember something. His body stiffened, and he stared blankly at the smiling Chiba Makoto as he blurted out,

"You're the Chiba Makoto rumored to be Captain Unohana's disciple—the one who joined the Gynecology Department that countless male Soul Reapers dream of entering?!"

???

Chiba Makoto.

Why did he have to specifically add the words "Gynecology Department"?

Huh???

And what did he mean by... countless male Soul Reapers dreaming of... entering?

My reputation in Seireitei... has been completely ruined!

Chiba Makoto's social withdrawal!

"Actually, if I said I was forced to join the Gynecology Department, would you believe me?" Chiba Makoto asked with a twitching expression, as though trying to salvage his own name.

"Uh..."

Looking at him as though he were showing off, Yoshikami Tsume said, "For something like that, who needs to be forced?"

"If a man doesn't need to be forced, how could he possibly be willing to..."

Chiba Makoto's voice halted. He decisively cut off the subject to avoid being thoroughly led astray by this shameless fellow, then asked,

"When will your Vice-Captain Shiba return?"

"Does Makoto need something from the Vice-Captain?" Yoshikami Tsume asked, staring at Chiba Makoto as if asking, "Are you going to file a complaint against me?"

Recalling the numb faces he had just seen, Chiba Makoto's professional instincts as a physician stirred a trace of pity within him. With a sigh, he asked,

"No. I just wanted to know how these residents will ultimately be handled. This place could be considered territory under your Tenth Division's jurisdiction. The final arrangements presumably cannot avoid your Vice-Captain Shiba."

Yoshikami Tsume spoke with apparent indifference.

"How else could they be handled? Once it's confirmed that there are no hidden dangers threatening Soul Society among them, they'll probably still be abandoned. They're all people who won't live much longer anyway."

Though Yoshikami Tsume's tone was light, Chiba Makoto clearly heard a trace of unwillingness in it.

Still, let alone a mere Seat 19 of the Tenth Division, even captain-class Soul Reapers found it difficult to effectively protest Seireitei's decisions.

Moreover, the Tenth Division captain's position was currently vacant, causing the Tenth Division's influence among the Thirteen Divisions to fall to the bottom.

Of course, more importantly, Seireitei currently had no way to treat this condition of missing souls. And in the eyes of the Central 46 Chambers, the value of a little over a hundred Rukongai residents was practically negligible.

After a moment of silence, Chiba Makoto answered in a rather solemn tone. "As a member of the Fourth Division... I will do my best to save every patient."

His words caused Yoshikami Tsume to look at Chiba Makoto with a little more surprise and warmth.

Then, while continuing his examinations, Chiba Makoto also began administering a series of emergency treatments to some of the newly gathered residents.

Yet Chiba Makoto knew perfectly well that this was only a temporary solution, not a cure. At most, it could ease some of their suffering and bring a trace of warmth to their numb, despairing hearts.

After Chiba Makoto, who had been busy for most of the day, reported all the examination results to Unohana Retsu, she slightly furrowed her brows in thought. Chiba Makoto then quietly asked,

"Teacher, is there currently no treatment for this illness of missing souls?"

Unohana Retsu came back to herself, looked at the kind young man before her who seemed conflicted and reluctant, and said, "There is, but it is nearly impossible to carry out."

"Why?" Chiba Makoto asked.

Unohana Retsu pondered for a moment before saying,

"Because it involves Soul Transplantation—extracting part of a normal soul and transplanting it into the missing portion, allowing it to fuse. But setting aside whether anyone would be willing to donate part of their soul for another person, even if it succeeded, the originally healthy soul would be left with a permanent deficiency."