Soon, led by Retsu Unohana, Makoto Senju followed obediently in his Shihakusho as they made their way toward the gynecology department of Squad 4.
Along the way, wherever Retsu Unohana walked, she drew countless admiring and worshipful gazes.
Both Squad 4 members and other Soul Reapers who had come to the barracks for treatment bowed respectfully one after another.
Although Captain-class Soul Reapers held an exalted status in Seireitei, the reactions of these many Soul Reapers were enough to prove Unohana’s immense popularity and prestige.
In the face of their greetings, Unohana tirelessly responded with nods and a warm, gentle smile.
Aside from this, Makoto could also feel occasional gazes landing on him, filled with either confusion or envy.
Thinking of this, Makoto glanced at Unohana’s profile.
Bathed in the sunlight, her intellectual and elegant aura made her gentle demeanor resemble an exquisitely beautiful flower.
Though it was only for a split second, Unohana noticed his gaze.
“What is it, Makoto?” she asked.
Makoto quickly withdrew his eyes and replied, “As expected of you, Sensei.
Your popularity is incredibly high.
It’s truly something to be envious of.” Envious?
Hearing this, Unohana’s expression froze for a fraction of a second.
Throughout the Soul Society, an atmosphere of revering the strong prevailed.
This was not just because of the existence of power, but because almost everyone’s way of thinking shared a similar inclination.
However…
simple “envy” was not a manifestation of revering the strong.
On the contrary, it was a dangerous way of thinking.
Envy only arose when looking at someone considered an equal.
*For Makoto Senju to think this way, either he views me as an equal rather than an insurmountable powerhouse, or his mindset leans toward those dangerous, chaotic ideas collectively feared by the noble families who rule the Soul Society—a mind unbound by hierarchy and rules.* At this thought, Unohana couldn’t help but study Makoto.
She said nothing, but a flicker of doubt arose in her heart.
*Could it be…
because I have treated him too much like an equal, and since he has just graduated, he doesn’t truly understand what a Captain-class existence is yet?* If Makoto knew that Unohana had deduced so much from a mere word of envy, he would have instantly placed her at the very top of his list of dangerous people to avoid.
Even if Makoto noticed the somewhat enigmatic look she gave him at the end, he had no idea that a casual word he uttered had exposed a sliver of his true nature.
Unlike the normal souls of the Soul Society, ingrained thoughts—including “Are kings and generals born to their stations?”—were still etched into Makoto’s soul.
Thus, revering the strong was never in Makoto’s nature.
If the throne is empty, then one should contend for it and take it!
To Makoto, this was the most natural way to think.
Finally, Unohana couldn’t help but look at Makoto once more.
The pure, innocent boy was smiling so gently that he appeared completely harmless.
“Ah, was it just an illusion?
Have I been overthinking things lately?” Unohana raised a hand to pinch her temples.
Seeing that they had arrived at the gynecology department, she did not dwell on it further.
She then told Makoto to wait in the corridor while she went to find the Seated Officer in charge of the department.
After all, her decision to place Makoto in the gynecology department was a spur-of-the-moment whim, so she naturally needed to make specific arrangements with the Officer in charge first.
With Unohana gone, Makoto stood alone near the department entrance.
Watching the large number of female Soul Reapers walking to and fro, and feeling their bizarre glances directed at him from time to time, he couldn’t help but feel incredibly out of place.
The thought of having to spend his days in this environment made his face turn slightly pale.
*Indeed…
I was absolutely played by Unohana-Scheming-Retsu!* Originally, Makoto had assumed there were plenty of male members in the gynecology department, since Unohana had suggested it so naturally.
But as he stood in the corridor and looked around, he realized that even the stray male cats wandering around the department had been neutered.
Just then, Makoto suddenly heard his name.
“Makoto Senju?” Turning his head, he saw Risa Aoki, whom he had met yesterday at the Mortuary, standing beside him.
“Makoto-kun, what are you doing here?” Risa asked, puzzled.
Meeting an acquaintance did not bring Makoto the slightest joy.
Instead, he felt a sense of social death, as if he had been caught red-handed.
He offered a weak explanation, “I’ve been assigned here for my internship.” Hearing this, Risa gasped in shock.
“An internship?
How is that possible?
This is the gynecology department!” Instantly, Makoto felt multiple gazes sharp as needles shooting toward him.
He instinctively grabbed Risa’s wrist and quickly dragged her to a quieter corner.
“Um…
l-let go of me, Makoto-kun.” Makoto looked down and saw that Risa, who looked like the girl next door, was completely devoid of her overly familiar social butterfly attitude from yesterday when she had aggressively pushed him to do the handover.
Instead, her entire face had flushed a delicate pink.
“S-sorry…” Makoto quickly let go and apologized.
Risa let out a sigh of relief.
Fanning her face with her small hand, her eyes darted to the side as if she didn’t dare look him in the eye, and she asked, “Makoto-kun, is there some sort of mistake?
The gynecology department has never had a male Soul Reaper intern in its entire history.” “I wish it were a mistake, too,” Makoto sighed, speaking helplessly.
From the looks of it, it was almost certainly Unohana-Scheming-Retsu’s twisted sense of humor.
“Eh?” Risa let out a sound of confusion and murmured, “Come to think of it, you didn’t show up at the Mortuary for the handover yesterday either, and now you’re assigned to the gynecology department…
Could it be…” At this point, she seemed to realize something.
Turning to stare at Makoto, her pupils dilated in absolute shock as she said, “Could you actually be a woman, Makoto-kun?
Or maybe you’re from some great noble family and getting special treatment?” ??!!
Makoto Senju.
At this moment, Makoto felt completely numb.
*Unohana-sensei, look at this…* *In this world of the Soul Society, people would rather doubt my gender than believe the absurd reality that you assigned me to the gynecology department!* This was almost as ridiculous as how generations of Squad 2 Lieutenants, who were supposed to be part of the Stealth Force, had all been fat!
It completely defied common sense!
For a moment, Makoto could already envision a future where he was treated as a circus attraction in the gynecology department.
And wouldn’t this ridiculous gossip spread like wildfire throughout Seireitei as a hilarious piece of news??