The evening breeze was muggy.
There wasn't a trace of coolness in the ward.
Retsu Unohana's words made the atmosphere even more somber.
Rangiku Matsumoto suddenly realized that she had been drawn into a very serious incident.
The Gotei 13 was not a fully-fledged military organization and lacked the necessary obedience.
Aside from the First, Second, and Seventh Division, the captains of the other divisions always showed some flexibility in their adherence to the laws established by the Central 46 Chambers and the orders of Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
To be more specific, the team leaders prioritized their own values over the laws established by the Central 46 Chambers.
Rangiku Matsumoto, following a captain with very strong Seireitei activities behind the Seireitei's back, skillfully carrying out orders and causing some criminals who should have been brought to justice to escape punishment.
Therefore, she has a keen sense of whether a captain wants to carry out orders flexibly.
Captain Unohana also disapproved of involving innocent boys in this situation?
Perhaps not.
Rangiku Matsumoto comes from the lower rungs of Rukongai and has a natural sensitivity to the good and bad in people's hearts.
There is only one person who has not been able to figure it out to this day, and that is Yin.
But that's because her feelings for Yin were so deep that she could only accept one opinion and wouldn't make any unnecessary guesses.
Others are far from that point.
Many thoughts raced through Rangiku Matsumoto's mind in an instant, doubts rising and falling like cicadas chirping in summer.
"Phew," she let out a heavy breath, and with a determined look in her eyes, asked, " Captain Unohana, what suggestions do you have?"
"Tell Shiraishi about Mad King Munemasa's plan so he can be on guard and prevent Ganju Shiba from being captured."
Retsu Unohana shared her thoughts.
Rangiku Matsumoto raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "In case Shiraishi avoids conflict with Munemasa, Captain Kyōraku's plans...?"
"What are you afraid of?" Retsu Unohana interrupted her, her face serious. "When did the Gotei 13 fall so low that they need to rely on outsiders to deal with their enemies?"
Captain-Commander Yamamoto abandoned his pride and resorted to such despicable means out of consideration for the greater good.
This is his mercy, and also our shame.
These words struck a chord with Rangiku Matsumoto, who also felt that matters Shinigami should be resolved by the Shinigami, rather than relying on outsiders.
" Captain Unohana, what exactly am I supposed to do?"
Retsu Unohana Nemu Kurotsuchi on the bed and instructed, "You must escort Nemu away from the Hakutōmon, and wait for her to inform Shiraishi to return. Then close the door."
Nemu Kurotsuchi looked completely bewildered, blinked, and asked, "What are you talking about?"
Rangiku Matsumoto brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, then realized she'd forgotten to explain, and began, "It's like this..."
After some explanation, Nemu Kurotsuchi understood what had happened. She immediately jumped out of bed, her delicate face showing little anxiety, but her tone was already somewhat hurried, "Then let's go quickly."
"You go through the window and be back before dawn to avoid arousing suspicion. Matsumoto, come with me through the door."
Retsu Unohana had already planned ahead to ensure that they wouldn't be implicated.
"Hmm," Nemu Kurotsuchi nodded, stepped onto the window frame with her wooden clogs, pushed off forcefully, and quickly moved away from the General Infirmary.
Retsu Unohana reached out and closed the curtains, then turned and left the ward, closing the door behind her. Her expression was calm as she said, "I've already checked on Lieutenant Kurotsuchi; there's nothing wrong. You all stay outside and don't let anyone disturb her rest, understand?"
"Hi." ×2.
The two team members agreed without any doubt.
The entire Fourth Division consists of either Unohana fans, Unohana twisted fans, or members who are going through the process of becoming fans.
A captain is someone who possesses this kind of charisma, leading the entire team's actions with their own strength.
Rangiku Matsumoto couldn't help but think of her captain who had run away, and her feelings became very complicated.
The Central 46 Chambers says that Isshin Shiba is determined to escape to the World of the Living out of fear of punishment.
She didn't believe it at all.
That guy would never do something so troublesome; he must have run into some serious trouble to not come back.
"Eh." Rangiku Matsumoto sighed. She couldn't just investigate rashly, since someone could assassinate such a powerful Captain Shiba.
The only person they could negotiate with was Yin, but they couldn't find an opportunity to meet.
Forget about those troublesome things, Rangiku Matsumoto decided to focus on the task at hand.
First, protect Captain Shiba's nephew.
She Shunpo left the corridor and arrived at the street outside the General Infirmary, where she met up with Nemu Kurotsuchi who was waiting for her, and together they headed to the Hakutōmon.
There are rules for entering and exiting Seireitei. The gates cannot be opened at will. To enter from the outside, one must present Seireitei pass before the Jidanbō will raise the Hakutōmon.
To exit from inside, one also needs Seireitei Pass issued by the Household Administration Bureau to open the side gate of the Hakutōmon.
If you don't have that, you can use the epaulettes of the Tenth Division lieutenant to open the door.
Because the Tenth Division is responsible for maintaining order within the palace, the Four Doors are also under their jurisdiction.
Putting aside the other high- Seated Officer, the vice-captain of the Tenth Division absolutely has the authority to open the side door of the Hakutōmon at any time.
Before sunset, Rangiku Matsumoto arrived at the Hakutōmon on the west side and removed her epaulets, placing them on the side gate.
Invisible ripples spread, and the daffodil team emblem on the epaulets glowed faintly.
With a click, the side door of the Hakutōmon opened outwards, Nemu Kurotsuchi rushed out quickly.
Rangiku Matsumoto didn't leave; she stood guard at the entrance to prevent the side door from closing again.
" Matsumoto, what are you doing?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya approached from afar, originally intending to catch a vice-captain who was slacking off, but upon seeing the scene before him, he became uneasy.
It's one thing to sneak out to buy snacks in the past, but now he's even delivering them to other squads. If he gets caught, getting a scolding will be the least of his worries!
In serious cases, they may be held accountable.
Rangiku Matsumoto, hands on her hips, retorted, "Why aren't you handling team affairs? What are you doing wandering around here?"
Tōshirō Hitsugaya was a little taken aback by the question and subconsciously replied, "I'm investigating a murder case. When the Fifth Division was cleaning up the Shin'ō District scene in the Shin'ō District, they found a woman who appeared to have fallen to her death. Judging from her clothing, she seemed to be a noblewoman. I'm investigating the identity of the deceased and the specific cause of death."
Rangiku Matsumoto said, "She might have been caught in the crossfire and fell from the building."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya shook his head and said, "Impossible. That's outside the battlefield. The buildings weren't damaged, and it's not a place where residents live. I don't understand why she would have died there."
"No, I wasn't discussing the case with you, Matsumoto. Who was the person you just saw off?"
"Hey, Hitsugaya, please trust me just this once?"
Rangiku Matsumoto didn't want to get him involved in this, so she said, "Let's pretend we didn't see anything and go back."
Tōshirō Hitsugaya pursed his lips, turned around, and said, "Just this once."
"Thank you, Hitsugaya."
"I don't drink." Tōshirō Hitsugaya Shunpo to leave.
Rangiku Matsumoto leaned against the door, her silver-gray eyes gazing into the distance, her mind in turmoil.
She hated this kind of waiting.