After leaving the Hitsugaya house, Gaoyu hadn't gone far before stopping again.
"All right, that's enough watching. Come out."
As soon as he finished speaking, he heard footsteps beside him. A blonde woman with an impressive figure stepped out, looking surprised.
"Oh my, you noticed me."
"Of course I did. You weren't even hiding your spiritual pressure." Gaoyu looked at the woman, thinking that she must be Matsumoto Rangiku, the future Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division.
He checked Rangiku's Soul Ability.
'Great Replenishing Pill: Your soul will become a supplement with special properties. A portion split off from it can help an object, a person's undertaking, or the soul itself complete its evolution.'
What a strange ability...
It wasn't even useful to its owner.
It was purely beneficial to others!
She could split off a portion of her soul, then help someone else accomplish something, or even successfully complete their evolution.
Could it be because Sosuke Aizen had taken a piece of Rangiku's soul to complete the Hogyoku?
If he remembered correctly, there was a Soul King Fragment in Matsumoto Rangiku's soul. It was one of the Soul King's fingernails.
Sosuke Aizen had extracted the fragment from her soul and fused it with the Hogyoku.
After spending so much effort trying to complete the Hogyoku, Aizen had discovered that the Soul King Fragment could help it reach completion. So he began fusing the fragment into his Hogyoku.
Perhaps that was why Rangiku's soul had gained the trait 'Great Replenishing Pill.'
If I ate a fragment of my own soul, would it also help me evolve?
Gaoyu wasn't sure, but he knew he should befriend Rangiku to obtain this ability.
He certainly wasn't going to complain about having too many abilities. Who knew when one might come in handy?
"Which Division are you from?" Rangiku had never seen Gaoyu before, so that was the first thing she asked.
"Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Gaoyu said. "I'm the one assigned to patrol West Rukon District today. What's another Shinigami doing here?"
"Oh-ho-ho." Rangiku laughed mischievously. "That's because I'm not here on patrol. I sneaked off to have some fun in Rukongai."
"I'm Matsumoto Rangiku of the Tenth Division. Now that I've introduced myself, it's your turn."
"Gaoyu Kouun of the Fifth Division." Gaoyu said, "Why were you following Toshiro Hitsugaya?"
"Oh... So that's the boy's name. Toshiro Hitsugaya." Rangiku nodded as understanding dawned. "He's got real talent. What's your relationship with him? Have you considered making him a Shinigami?"
"I'm friends with his friend." Gaoyu walked along Rukongai's streets as he spoke. "His friend asked me to come. The moment I saw him, I knew the boy should become a Shinigami."
"So you don't need to tell me that. I've already persuaded him and his grandmother. I'll come pick him up tomorrow morning and take him to Shino Academy."
"That's not fair!" Rangiku grumbled. "I found him first. If he's going to become a Shinigami, he should join the Tenth Division."
"..."
Her words really did make Gaoyu pause.
Right. Now that he was the one who had discovered Toshiro Hitsugaya, would Toshiro still join the Tenth Division?
Would he join the Fifth Division after graduating?
Most Shinigami were assigned to the various Divisions after going through the academy. But those specifically requested by a Captain, along with the exceptionally talented, had the right to choose for themselves.
With a genius like Toshiro Hitsugaya, who hadn't already been claimed by the Tenth Division, Aizen would surely recruit him into the Fifth Division once he took notice of him.
If that happened, would Gaoyu have already changed history on his second day here?
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?"
Rangiku sounded annoyed as Gaoyu abruptly fell silent in the middle of their conversation.
"No, I was just thinking about something."
After saying that, Gaoyu answered her earlier question.
"It's not as if Toshiro-kun will go to the Fifth Division just because I found him. Which Division he joins will depend on the academy, the Captains, and what he wants."
"If you want him to join the Tenth Division, you should persuade your Captain to request him from the academy."
"Huh?" Rangiku blinked.
"You don't want Toshiro to join the Fifth Division?"
"Well, of course I do. But I still respect other people's right to choose for themselves."
Gaoyu certainly wanted to be in the same Division as Toshiro. That way, he could spend more time building their relationship. Once Toshiro's favorability reached eighty, Gaoyu would be able to permanently obtain the ability 'Kirin Child.'
"You're a pretty decent guy."
Rangiku patted Gaoyu on the shoulder. "All right, I approve of you. Want to get a drink together when we're back in Seireitei?"
"I've got patrol duty outside the city for the next few days." Gaoyu's eyes lit up, but then he answered with some disappointment.
"When I get back, if I have time, we can have a couple of drinks."
"Hahaha, I'll be waiting!"
Rangiku waved as she laughed. "Well, see you later. I'm heading back to Seireitei. I'll leave that boy in your hands."
"Sure."
Gaoyu waved too, watching Rangiku leave.
By now, he had obtained Rangiku's temporary ability, which meant her favorability toward him had reached sixty.
She was pretty easy to get along with. He'd reached sixty favorability so easily.
Not bad, not bad. He couldn't use the Great Replenishing Pill ability yet, but who knew when it might come in handy?
Only after Rangiku had left did Gaoyu begin his patrol in earnest.
In Soul Society, Seireitei was naturally the safest place. The Rukongai districts beyond its walls were another matter.
Without the protection of a Reishi Barrier or the deterrent of Shinigami, Hollows often came to Rukongai to prey on its residents.
They might even lure a lower-ranked Shinigami or two into their grasp. To Hollows, a Shinigami's soul was a great replenishing pill.
Gaoyu was responsible for Districts One through Five, an area that was relatively safe overall.
He'd assumed it would be just another routine patrol, but on his way back from District Five, he suddenly sensed something amiss.
He was still in 'teaching' mode. In this mode, he was exceptionally sensitive to the flow of reishi.
He could also bring all the abilities he currently possessed to their fullest potential. At this stage, 'Strict Teacher, Talented Student' did far more for him than simply letting him teach. It wasn't an exaggeration to say that the ability had turned him into an excellent 'strict teacher' himself!
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