Heading to RinAn

So now we have "three heads are better than one" indeed.

After teaching the three for three or four hours, not only did the trio benefit greatly, even Gaoyu felt he had made significant progress.

As the saying goes, teaching others is the best way to consolidate your own knowledge.

And for Gaoyu, this wasn't just consolidation—it was like using special methods to accelerate the students' learning while simultaneously driving his own improvement in reverse.

Once the teaching session ended, Gaoyu took the three to eat. After a round of instruction, the four of them had grown much closer.

When they learned that Gaoyu was going to patrol the West Rukon District tomorrow, Hinamori said, "The West Rukon District—if it's in District One, you might even get to see Little Shiro."

"Hm?"

Her words made Gaoyu pause.

Little Shiro? That must be Toshiro Hitsugaya, right?

Wait, at this point in time, Hitsugaya hasn't even entered Shino Academy yet?

Gaoyu immediately fell into thought.

It seemed that was indeed the case.

Toshiro Hitsugaya was discovered by Rangiku five years after Hinamori enrolled and brought to Seireitei.

Which means...

This year?

Going by Hinamori's implication, Toshiro Hitsugaya hasn't started school yet—wasn't this the perfect opportunity to make a friend?!

Toshiro Hitsugaya definitely had ability, and as an important character from the original story, his power wouldn't be weak at all!

Great!

Suppressing his excitement, Gaoyu began asking Hinamori about Hitsugaya.

Hinamori also cared about Hitsugaya, so she told Gaoyu about him.

Because of his silver hair and green eyes, combined with his somewhat aloof personality, Toshiro Hitsugaya had few friends in the Rukon District.

Hinamori just lived in the same RinAn District as Toshiro Hitsugaya; they weren't siblings, which surprised Gaoyu a little.

He'd thought they lived together, but it turned out they were just in the same district?

"I'll keep an eye out for him when I go tomorrow."

Gaoyu said to Hinamori with a smile, "If he has talent, maybe he can become a Soul Reaper."

"Little Shiro..." Hinamori said with some worry, "He could definitely become an excellent Soul Reaper, but he seems a bit resistant to the idea."

"That's normal," Gaoyu said. "People in the Rukon District are always a bit resistant to Soul Reapers. I understand that, but since it's District One, RinAn probably isn't that extreme."

The people of the Rukon District had always harbored a sense of resistance toward the Soul Reapers of Seireitei—probably because no one really wants too much contact with the police.

Plus, public order in the Rukon District wasn't great, especially the further back you went.

To put it bluntly, when the place you live in has terrible public security, with murderers and bandits running rampant, would you have a good attitude toward the police?

Still, District One had the best public security in the Rukon District, so there was no need to worry.

Speaking of the Rukon District, Renji also started to sigh.

He and Rukia had originally been from South Rukon District, Seventy-Eighth District, Inudari—one of the worst districts, filled with scum, where hardly anyone hadn't stained their hands with blood.

Their little group had once had many members, but after more than a decade, only he and Rukia were left.

Similarly, Kira was also a noble descendant, in a situation similar to Gaoyu's, but he had lived in the Rukon District, so the three of them all had plenty to talk about regarding life there.

After they'd eaten and drunk their fill, they hung around for another half hour before the three finally left.

They still had to return to the Shino Academy student dormitories.

Seeing the three off, Gaoyu went home a little excited, then checked his skill slots.

Good—he had now successfully acquired Kira's Bird Killer and Hinamori's Strongest Defense.

After all that, their friendship had skyrocketed, exploded, and surged!

Renji's favorability had reached 75, while Hinamori's and Kira's had both hit over sixty.

Favorability grew quickly in the early stages, but the further you went, the harder it was to raise.

Gaoyu suspected that even a married couple probably couldn't reach a hundred, right?

Well, maybe a deeply devoted couple could.

In reality, reaching eighty with a friend was already enough for complete trust.

"Come to think of it, the original body had a few friends he got along with, and his relationship with Hizaki Shūhei was pretty decent too."

Gaoyu thought to himself. Hizaki Shūhei definitely had ability, and even if his favorability with Gaoyu wasn't at sixty, it was probably close.

After all, they were the same year...

That being said, he might have time to visit the Ninth Division.

He left the light on, lay down on the bed still in his clothes, and drifted off to sleep, filled with anticipation and hope for the future.

The next day, he rose very early.

Because today he was to patrol the West Rukon District, and walking from the Fifth District to the White Road Gate was a very long journey.

Even with a shinigami's foot speed, it would take a considerable amount of time to get there on foot.

He first went to the squad to sign in, then Gaoyu set off toward the West Rukon District.

He had gotten up at five in the morning, but by the time he reached the West Rukon District, it was already nearly ten o'clock.

West Rukon District, First Area, RinAn—as the district closest to Seireitei, public order here was fairly good, and the economy was reasonably prosperous; at the very least, there were many shops.

In places like the forties or fifties districts and beyond, let alone normal trade through stores, people couldn't even afford a pair of straw sandals.

After arriving here, Gaoyu began searching for Toshiro Hitsugaya according to the directions Hinamori had given him.

RinAn's geography wasn't complicated, so it didn't take him long to find Hitsugaya's house.

The layout of Hitsugaya's home was actually quite similar to his own, but the location was different—like one was a rural courtyard and the other a capital siheyuan; though they looked alike, their value was worlds apart.

Once Gaoyu arrived, he knocked on the door.

"Coming."

An elderly voice came from inside—that should be Toshiro Hitsugaya's grandmother.

When the old woman opened the door and saw Gaoyu, she was startled for a moment, then said in a weak voice, "This shinigami-sama, is there something you've come to my home for?"

Seeing the old woman's condition, Gaoyu knew at once that her weakness was caused by external spiritual pressure stimulation.

So he murmured to himself, "So it's true. Hinamori wasn't wrong."

"Hinamori?" The old woman smiled at the name. "Are you a friend Momo made in Seireitei? Please, come in."

"I'm sorry to trouble you," Gaoyu said.

Gaoyu followed the old woman into their house, and he noticed that this elderly woman possessed an ability of her own.

"Kind Elder: After obtaining this, your children and grandchildren will be especially filial to you."