Unohana Retsu

From then on, Zaraki Kenpachi had the pink little girl Kusajishi Yachiru sitting on one shoulder, while the black-haired, black-eyed youth Chiba Makoto sat on the other. With his serrated Zanpakuto drawn, he laughed wildly and maniacally as he hacked at enemies again and again. That blood... splattered all over Chiba Makoto.

Behind Zaraki Kenpachi, hundreds or even thousands of muscular men wielded their Zanpakuto as they charged forward in a berserk rush. Meanwhile, as a healer who gave endlessly to others, he would have no choice but to connect himself to them with grass...

At that thought, Chiba Makoto's little face nearly went pale.

The image was too beautiful, the prospect too absurd—Chiba Makoto no longer dared to imagine it.

No. I refuse. Impossible...

Instinctively, Chiba Makoto took a step back, the triple denial already appearing in his mind.

Too dangerous, too dangerous!

No matter how he looked at it, being in that kind of environment was far too dangerous.

Even setting aside the fact that only by joining the Fourth Division would he have the chance to plant the Seed of the Forest within the other captain-class Shinigami, he absolutely could not join the Eleventh Division for the sake of his own safety and reputation.

Absolutely!

Even if it meant death, he could never accept being trapped within a ring of muscular men!

This is terrible!

Feeling Zaraki Kenpachi's burning gaze, Chiba Makoto's somewhat panicked mind raced as he tried to think of a way out.

Zaraki Kenpachi's smile grew brighter without losing any of its savagery as he said, "Chiba Makoto? Right? From now on, follow me properly. What's so good about the Fourth Division? Follow me, and I'll let you experience the joy of slaughter and find life's true instinct."

As for Kusajishi Yachiru, who sat on his shoulder, she showed no displeasure at having her place taken. Instead, as if she had found a new playmate, she happily began giving Chiba Makoto a nickname.

"That's right, Brother Makoto. Let's do our best together from now on. Nice to meet you~"

Brother... Makoto?!

The moment that lethally ominous nickname came out, Chiba Makoto suddenly felt that his demise was not far off.

Am I... going to get stabbed to death by the muscle men of the Eleventh Division while I'm still so young?

Just then, a somewhat cutting, chilly voice sounded from behind Chiba Makoto.

"Captain Kenpachi, forcibly snatching people like this won't do. Chiba Makoto is a member already reserved by our Fourth Division. We cannot hand him over to your Eleventh Division."

Zaraki Kenpachi shifted his gaze toward the man wearing an ordinary Shinigami uniform, with the insignia of the Fourth Division tied around his shoulder.

"Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, Yamada Seinosuke."

After thinking for a moment, Zaraki Kenpachi finally recalled Yamada Seinosuke's identity.

With Yamada Seinosuke's appearance, Chiba Makoto could not help but let out a slight sigh of relief.

It seemed... that his sparing no effort to use All Things in Nature to heal Zaraki Kenpachi's injuries had finally drawn Yamada Seinosuke's attention.

Although Yamada Seinosuke was merely the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division and his status was not equal to Zaraki Kenpachi's, he ultimately represented the Fourth Division. That was far better than Chiba Makoto rejecting Zaraki Kenpachi's invitation based solely on his own wishes.

However, Zaraki Kenpachi showed complete indifference toward Yamada Seinosuke's arrival. In a commanding tone, he said bluntly, "The Eleventh Division wants this brat."

"No."

Compared to his younger brother Yamada Hanataro's weak and submissive personality, Yamada Seinosuke's tone was exceptionally cool and cutting. He refused Zaraki Kenpachi almost without hesitation.

The corners of Zaraki Kenpachi's mouth curled slightly, and an invisible yet terrifying pressure began spreading through the surroundings. In a brutal tone, he demanded, "Hm? You bastard, do you want me to cut you to pieces?"

Yet in the face of Zaraki Kenpachi's threat, Yamada Seinosuke was not frightened in the slightest. Instead, he began to speak venomously.

"Captain Kenpachi, please do not frighten me. I am only a lowly lieutenant. If this leaves me traumatized, the Fourth Division may become overly cautious when treating members of the Eleventh Division in the future. If, by accident, an injured patient's body ends up missing certain parts—or gains something extra—that would be rather unfortunate."

At once, Zaraki Kenpachi's gaze gradually became dangerous, like a drowsing beast slowly baring its fangs.

"Are you threatening me? If you want to bargain, bring Unohana Retsu here first!"

"Captain Kenpachi, were you looking for me?"

Just then, a remarkably gentle voice sounded from the direction of the arena entrance.

A large, pure-white captain's haori embroidered with the character "Four" on its back, hair braided and hanging over her chest, and a beautiful face carrying a peaceful, gentle aura.

The captain of the Fourth Division of the Thirteen Divisions—Unohana Retsu!

Almost instantly, the graduates in the arena recognized the identity of the gentle female Shinigami standing at the entrance, and respect and admiration unconsciously appeared in their eyes.

Unlike Zaraki Kenpachi, a newly appointed Shinigami, Captain Unohana was a Shinigami recorded in the textbooks of Shin'ō Academy. She was a legend who had served as captain for nearly a thousand years, and the number of Shinigami she had treated was impossible to count.

For two captain-class Shinigami to appear over something as minor as division selection was undoubtedly an exciting event for the graduates present.

However, as Zaraki Kenpachi once more gradually released a suffocatingly terrifying spiritual pressure, seemingly entering into a confrontation with Captain Unohana, the atmosphere... became grave for a moment.

Oh no!

Captain Kenpachi isn't planning to attack Captain Unohana, is he?

Is the captain of the Eleventh Division really insane? That's a serious crime!

At that moment, quite a number of graduates could not help but worry for Captain Unohana, who seemed like a gentle and kind older sister.

After all, "Kenpachi" was a title meaning "the strongest swordsman in Soul Society," and it was also the title held by the captain of the battle-focused Eleventh Division.

Most Soul Reapers who inherited the title of "Kenpachi" were branded as lunatics.

Among them, Zaraki Kenpachi, who had only recently taken office and claimed the title of "Kenpachi" by stepping over the corpse of the previous captain of the Eleventh Division, was undoubtedly a lunatic among lunatics in the eyes of these graduates.

As for Captain Unohana, she was merely the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, responsible for healing. She clearly did not look skilled in combat, and the textbooks recorded only her contributions to treating Soul Reapers and her achievements in developing Kaido and Medical Skills.

Although Captain Unohana Retsu was a veteran captain with over a thousand years of service, had treated countless injured Soul Reapers over those millennia, and possessed a gentle, kind nature, making her a captain respected and beloved by innumerable Soul Reapers.

Would a lunatic who had only just been promoted to captain truly respect Captain Unohana?