A Warning From Akira Morisawa?

'What useful support can Yachiru Kusajishi even provide? If she does not cause trouble, that already counts as good.'

Chojiro Sasakibe felt a wave of helplessness. He always felt that if he spoke even slightly more harshly to Yachiru, it would feel like committing a crime.

'Why did Captain Zaraki choose Yachiru Kusajishi as lieutenant? This is complete nonsense.'

Sasakibe instinctively questioned the intelligence and thought process of the current Kenpachi. He seriously doubted that Yachiru could shoulder the responsibilities of a lieutenant at all.

However, to make it easier for captains to manage their Divisions reasonably and effectively, and to ensure the captains' status and authority within those Divisions, the right to appoint each Division's lieutenant remained almost entirely in the captains' hands.

Therefore, although Sasakibe nominally possessed the authority to restrain and manage the lieutenants of the various Divisions, he had no way to forcibly interfere with specific lieutenant appointments.

In the end, after maintaining eye contact with Yachiru for several seconds, Sasakibe was completely defeated. Pretending to remain serious, he said, "There are not many topics in this meeting. It should end soon."

At once, most of the lieutenants gathered in the waiting room looked relieved.

Unlike the captains, who truly belonged to the upper levels and possessed the right to propose, discuss, and decide matters, these lieutenants were here mostly because regulations required it. In reality, they had nothing to do, yet were strictly forbidden from leaving the waiting room without permission.

"Yay! Thank you, white-haired weirdo uncle," Yachiru said with a sweet smile.

The title made Sasakibe's expression fully collapse.

White-haired... weirdo uncle?

At that moment, Sasakibe seemed to suffer a critical hit. His dignified, solemn eyes turned a little shut down and gloomy.

In one corner of the lieutenants' waiting room, Sosuke Aizen watched everything with a gentle expression. His eyes were exceptionally kind as he subtly observed each of the lieutenants before him. Anyone who looked at him would see the picture of a typical good man.

"Lieutenant Aizen, what are you looking at?"

Suddenly, a rather sharp voice sounded beside him.

Aizen turned kindly and saw Seinosuke Yamada, lieutenant of the Fourth Division, someone he rarely interacted with.

"Nothing. I was only thinking that it is good to see everyone as lively as ever," Aizen answered gently.

Hearing that, Seinosuke subconsciously felt a trace of goodwill. At the same time, his poisonous instinct activated uncontrollably.

"So the rumors are true. Lieutenant Aizen really is a gentle man. You always notice the joys and sorrows of the people around you. You are the kind of perfect existence an ordinary person could not imitate even if they tried."

In an instant, a different color flashed through Aizen's eyes behind his black-rimmed glasses. Several guesses surfaced in his mind. Then, as always, he responded mildly.

"Lieutenant Yamada is just as the rumors say as well. Your words truly hit the mark. May I ask what brings you to me this time?"

Seinosuke shrugged, then spoke a name.

"Akira Morisawa..."

He paused and was just about to continue when Aizen nodded.

"I see. I understand."

You understand?

Seinosuke's somewhat sharp, cold eyes glanced at Aizen as doubt flickered through his mind.

He had not even finished conveying Captain Unohana's instruction, namely that the Fourth Division refused Lieutenant Aizen's request to Akira. Yet Aizen already understood?

Then Seinosuke thought of the rumors about Sosuke Aizen from this period and understood. Perhaps Aizen had already been refused too many times, so he had expected it long ago.

With that thought, Seinosuke said nothing more and simply walked away.

In any case, whenever Seinosuke now faced gentle-looking men, he would think of Akira and feel inexplicably uncomfortable.

What Seinosuke failed to notice was that killing intent flashed for a moment in Aizen's seemingly gentle eyes.

Akira Morisawa.

Had he seen through something? Was he using Seinosuke Yamada's mouth to warn me?

'The kind of perfect existence an ordinary person could not imitate even if they tried?'

'How interesting, Akira-kun. I have received your warning. I did not expect that, aside from possessing talent in Kaido and medicine beyond the reach of ordinary Shinigami, your powers of observation would be just as sharp. Perhaps they are no less than Shinji Hirako's.'

At that thought, Aizen clearly recalled every reaction Akira had shown the previous night. Many points that had puzzled him now seemed completely explainable, especially that invisible sense of distance and vigilance.

'Although I do not believe you can truly detect my plan, an ant unexpectedly trying to leap around should still be crushed in passing.'

There was no change in Aizen's expression. He watched with the same gentle, peaceful calm, while those thoughts moved silently inside him.

Just as Chojiro Sasakibe had said, this captain's meeting did not last long. The ancient bell announcing its end rang out. As the doors slowly opened, the captains came out one after another.

Among them, Eleventh Division Captain Kenpachi Zaraki looked openly displeased. He beckoned to Yachiru Kusajishi, then strode straight out of the First Division.

Aizen swept his gaze around and found his own captain, Shinji Hirako. To his surprise, Shinji was walking shoulder to shoulder with Retsu Unohana and Second Division Captain Yoruichi Shihoin, chatting and laughing with them.

Aizen quickly followed his captain, as did Seinosuke Yamada and Second Division Lieutenant Marenoshin Omaeda. The conversation among Unohana and the other two captains drifted into Aizen's ears.

"Hahaha, old-timer, you refused him way too cleanly just now. Captain Zaraki did not look happy at all," Shinji Hirako said in his usual laid-back tone.

"There was no helping it. Akira Morisawa is my beloved disciple. How could I possibly hand him over to the Eleventh Division?" Unohana replied with a smile.

"Akira Morisawa? I feel like I have heard that name somewhere these past two days. If Captain Unohana praises him like that, he must be a very interesting Shinigami," Yoruichi Shihoin said.

Unohana only smiled without answering. After leaving the First Division barracks, she said goodbye to Shinji Hirako and Yoruichi Shihoin with flawless courtesy. Then, seemingly by accident, she glanced once at Sosuke Aizen before bringing Seinosuke Yamada back toward the Fourth Division barracks.

Wearing the Fifth Division captain's haori, with long yellow hair and straight bangs, Shinji watched Unohana's back and sighed.

"The old-timer really is a gentle person. She protects her disciple so carefully..."

Those words seemed to carry another meaning in Sosuke Aizen's ears.

x

x

x

If you're enjoying the story so far, consider supporting me on Patreon ❤️
You'll get weekly early access to chapters, along with some exclusive content:

https://www.patreon.com/cw/auroraclairevale