For a moment, the atmosphere in the hall turned suffocatingly tense.
The Reiatsu oozing invisibly from Kenpachi Zaraki grew increasingly violent and ferocious, as though he might bare his beastly fangs at any moment and tear the seemingly gentle, refined Captain Unohana to shreds.
Whether due to the stark contrast in their appearances, an instinct to side with the weaker party, or sympathy born from their own powerlessness, many of the graduates instinctively found themselves worrying for Captain Unohana.
And yet, Captain Unohana’s expression remained unchanged from start to finish.
A gentle smile rested on her lips, and her eyes held a soft, kindly warmth as she looked at Kenpachi Zaraki.
Just as the tension reached its breaking point— “Hmph!” Kenpachi Zaraki let out a cold snort and hoisted his jagged Zanpakuto onto his shoulder.
“This kid is handed over to Squad 4 for now!” he muttered, sounding thoroughly dissatisfied.
The moment those words left his mouth, many of the watching graduates subconsciously doubted their own ears.
*Nani?!* That wild lunatic, Kenpachi Zaraki…
actually backed down?
Kenpachi Zaraki tilted his head back slightly, his eye rolling toward Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa beside him.
“I’m leaving the rookie recruitment to you two,” he ordered.
“Bring back a batch of fresh blood that can actually take a beating.” “Yes, Boss Kenpachi!” Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa, who had only just snapped out of their shock, hastily answered in unison.
With that, a look of dull boredom settled over Kenpachi Zaraki’s face.
He turned and walked toward the hall’s main exit, brushing past Captain Unohana and leaving without looking back.
Captain Unohana’s smile remained as gentle and benign as ever.
She showed not the slightest offense at Kenpachi Zaraki’s seemingly rude behavior, nor did she display even a hint of triumph.
“Everyone…” While the graduates were still standing there in a daze, Captain Unohana raised a hand to wave at them, speaking with a pleasant smile.
“If any of you are interested in Kaido or the medical arts, Squad 4 would be more than happy to welcome you.” In an instant, her sweet words offered a striking contrast to Kenpachi Zaraki’s brutal display.
Quite a few graduates felt themselves on the verge of swooning.
Yet Captain Unohana seemed to have no intention of lingering.
After casting a warm glance over the crowd, she turned and left the hall, looking as if she had merely happened to be passing by.
“Captain Unohana is so gentle…” “Even though she’s a captain, she actually values us this much?” “Serving under Captain Unohana sounds like absolute bliss.” “It’s just that Squad 4 is in charge of healing.
That’s a bit boring…” The hall erupted into a flurry of animated chatter.
It was undeniable that Captain Unohana’s beautiful, gentle demeanor had raised her standing in the hearts of these graduates tenfold, causing quite a few to waver in their choice of squad.
However, human nature inherently harbored instincts for combat, killing, and thrill.
After acquiring power beyond the ordinary, very few Soul Reapers were willing to devote those powers solely to healing.
Squad 4 was, in the end, merely a medical squad.
Though it opened its doors to the graduates of the Shin’o Spiritual Arts Academy every year, the number of graduates willing to join remained exceptionally low.
Furthermore, even after both captains had departed, many graduates still felt a lingering dread, endlessly speculating on why Kenpachi Zaraki had backed down.
Only Makoto Senju’s expression remained calm from beginning to end.
Retaining a substantial portion of memories from his past life, he was intimately aware of just how terrifying Retsu Unohana truly was.
If anyone actually mistook this seemingly gentle and beautiful woman for a helpless sheep to be bullied, they would end up dead beyond a doubt!
*Retsu Unohana…
Original name: Yachiru Unohana.
Once the most unprecedented master villain in the history of the Soul Society, master of over eight thousand sword styles.
Later joined the Gotei 13 to become the very first Kenpachi…* Information about Retsu Unohana flashed through Makoto Senju’s mind, making him lick his lips unconsciously.
*No, no, no.
Way too dangerous!* Makoto’s gaze quickly regained its clarity.
For now, pursuing any foolish ideas regarding her was far too dangerous and uncertain.
Unlike a muscular beast like Kenpachi Zaraki, after cultivating her mind and character to become the captain of the medical Squad 4, Retsu Unohana’s understanding of spiritual bodies ranked among the very best in the entire Soul Society.
What’s more, what made this woman truly terrifying was her ability to detect flaws in Sosuke Aizen’s Kyoka Suigetsu purely through knowledge, experience, and sheer intuition.
It was too difficult!
No matter how he looked at it, it was impossible.
If one could reach that level, even if they couldn’t walk sideways through the Soul Society, at least no one would dare utter a word if they bounced around freely.
Given how dangerously terrifying that woman was, the moment she sensed any hint of hostility directed at her, it would be a genuinely fatal hazard.
It was fair to say that the hidden monsters and dangers lurking in the Soul Society were each more terrifying than the last.
Furthermore, rumor had it that after Sosuke Aizen’s betrayal, an “almighty” King of the Quincies would appear later on…
Unfortunately, Makoto Senju hadn’t looked too deeply into information about that Quincy King in his previous life, having only caught fragments of news here and there.
*What a crisis-ridden world…* Makoto Senju couldn’t help but sigh inwardly.
If this were a peaceful world, Makoto might have chosen to follow his previous life’s profession as a doctor, enjoying a calm, stable new existence.
In this exceedingly perilous world, however, living in the dilapidated Rukongai without mastering the power to protect oneself was foolish.
Even setting aside the harsh environment and scarce resources, there were the periodic attacks from Hollows, the collateral damage from battles between powerful figures, and even the unpredictable timing of Sosuke Aizen secretly slaughtering souls in Rukongai in mass quantities…
Thus, Makoto Senju understood that if he wanted to survive in the Soul Society, rather than living day to day unsure of when he might die, it was far better to proactively join the Gotei 13 and become a Soul Reaper.
Still, there was plenty of time…
At the very least, it was still a long way off from the birth of the “true protagonist,” Ichigo.
At this current point in time, when Kenpachi Zaraki had only just taken over as the captain of Squad 11, even Ichigo’s maternal great-grandmother might not have been born yet.
Makoto Senju had at least a century or so to develop!