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Yoruichi's eyes widened, staring incredulously at Aozaki Reiji, watching the wronged and self-reproachful expression appear on his face, her eyes instantly trembling.
Wh-What...
Reiji did all this... all for me?
He went to the Twelfth Division to find Kisuke for me, asked him to make protective clothing for me, and then apologized for me...
It's simply... glib-tongued, spouting nonsense!
He's clearly treating me like an idiot. Don't I know what kind of person you are?
Yoruichi Shihōin was touched for a second, then immediately snapped back to reality, rolling her eyes in exasperation.
Given his character, how could he think so much when doing something like this?
He must have been unable to resist Shiba Kūkaku's beauty, which is why he sought Urahara Kisuke's help.
Damn guy, he's never even given me a gift. Am I worse than that woman?
She lowered her head and scanned herself.
Isn't it just that I'm a bit shorter and my figure is a bit lacking?
I'm not even two hundred years old yet; I'll grow up eventually!
Speaking of which, what's going on with that woman Kukaku?
She's the same age as me, yet how can she grow into such an enviable appearance?
It's said that the Shiba family has many inherited techniques. Could it be that she...
Thinking of this, Yoruichi Shihōin hugged her shoulders tightly, buried her head deeply, her pretty face slightly red.
Seeing this, Aozaki Reiji thought his impromptu nonsense had worked, so he struck while the iron was hot, saying:
"Actually, I also have a gift for you."
Yoruichi Shihōin covered her face with her arm, muttering without lifting her head, "Where's the gift?"
Aozaki Reiji looked down and saw her smooth neck, adorned with a ribbon tied in a bow, making her look like a pitiful little cat, and his eyes immediately lit up.
"It's a small piece of jewelry, but it's not ready yet. I hope you can give me some time."
Yoruichi Shihōin's thoughts had already drifted to Junrinan in District 1 of West Rukongai, so she didn't continue to trouble Aozaki Reiji and quickly agreed.
Then she said "goodbye" and ran towards the west of Seireitei.
Aozaki Reiji stared at her retreating figure in bewilderment, unable to understand why she was so excited.
How to put it... he should be self-aware, or rather, not a narcissist. A gift wouldn't make Yoruichi ecstatic to this extent.
There must be something more exciting happening for Yoruichi to act this way.
What could it be?
In any case, Aozaki Reiji's curiosity was piqued by her. The more he wasn't allowed to know, the more he wanted to know... people are often full of curiosity about the unknown.
Aozaki Reiji thought long and hard but couldn't figure it out, so he decided to temporarily suppress his desire for exploration and knowledge, resolving to ask Yoruichi the next day.
He still had his own matters to attend to.
Aozaki Reiji cast a final glance in the direction Yoruichi had left, then used Shunpo to disappear from the spot, dashing rapidly in the opposite direction.
District 76, East Rukongai, Sakahone.
Aozaki Reiji hid in the darkness of the night, rushing all the way to the outskirts, where he found a dilapidated house in a small village.
He did not rush in recklessly.
Kurotsuchi Mayuri had been gone for a hundred years, yet Aozaki Reiji detected signs of living people here.
Faint lights cast several blurry figures on the windows.
Aozaki Reiji concealed his presence, slowly approached, and looked through the window to see the situation inside.
Five men sat cross-legged in the house, surrounded by rusty swords, their clothes stained with blood.
The five men were eating food they had apparently robbed from somewhere, the bloodstains on it not yet dry.
Not only that, he clearly felt the bloodlust from the five men; they had definitely killed many people.
This is how the lower-ranked districts are. The unsupervised outskirts are no place for people to live. Food and water are severely lacking, and without killing, one cannot even survive, like a living hell.
No wonder they were eating blood-stained food; the people here are all fierce and brutal due to their environment.
If they didn't kill, others would come to kill them.
There is no distinction between good and bad people here; they crave only one thing: survival.
"Are they all thugs?" Aozaki Reiji drew his Zanpakuto. "This dilapidated house is indeed important property to them."
Since he left the Sixth District where the Second Division Squad Barracks was located, Shinra Bansho had been in Shikai state.
Aozaki Reiji calmly pulled open the door, appearing openly before them.
"That uniform, a Shinigami, how did he get here?"
The five men's faces turned pale.
They had killed many people, but professional Shinigami were not opponents they could handle; normally, they would avoid them.
The opponent had entered menacingly with a Zanpakuto, clearly not here with good intentions.
"Don't worry, it will be over soon."
Saying that, Aozaki Reiji pointed the tip of Shinra Bansho downwards.
The five men watched in horror as the Shinigami shattered like fragile porcelain.
The next instant,
Excruciating pain struck, blood splattered, and a slender wound appeared on their bodies at some unknown moment.
The room was filled with the smell of rust.
"You won't die in vain."
Accompanied by a calm voice, a hand plunged into one person's chest.
Screams of agony reached his ears. Aozaki Reiji looked at the transparent vessel in his hand, placing the last person's Souls into it.
Out of five people, two had Shinigami potential; such a probability should not exist in District 62.
Indeed, the more competitive a place is, the easier it is to find talented individuals.
After all, here, people without talent have a higher mortality rate.
It's like raising venomous insects; only the strong survive to the end.
Aizen no longer needed these Souls, but Aozaki Reiji still did; the Souls he had secretly collected were not yet enough to create the Hōgyoku.
Reiji put away the glass vessel, feeling no sympathy or pity.
Which of these people didn't have blood on their hands?
Instead of sympathizing with them, he should think about what to eat for three meals tomorrow.
Moreover, he was a member of the Gotei 13, who maintained order, so killing these thugs who disrupted local security should be considered a righteous act.
Old Man Yamamoto might even praise him greatly and perhaps award him a banner if he knew.
Aozaki Reiji stood still for a moment, waiting for all the corpses to dissipate into Reishi, before searching the house.
He pulled out Kurotsuchi Mayuri's note from his pocket and, following the instructions, walked out of the living room and into the bedroom.
Outside, the moonlight was obscured by dark clouds. In the dim light, Reiji found a secret mechanism hidden in the wall.
He pressed the wall, hearing a crisp "rumble" from under the bedroom bed.
Aozaki Reiji unhurriedly pushed aside the wooden bed, discovering a hidden passage beneath it.
He raised Shinra Bansho, gathering Reishi onto the blade.
In an instant, the blade emitted a faint blue light, illuminating the dark passage.
Aozaki Reiji looked into the depths and smiled.
"Let me see what you've been up to, don't disappoint me, Kurotsuchi Mayuri."
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