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After countless days and nights, with a crisp sound, "Whoosh!" the Senkaimon slowly opened, and Aozaki Reiji agilely jumped out.
He appeared precisely at the Senkaimon of the noble Aozaki Family.
This was the private territory of the Aozaki Family, so there was no need to worry about being noticed by outsiders.
Aozaki Reiji lightly shook his body, stretched his limbs, and then walked with a light step towards the family residence.
He couldn't wait to take a comfortable hot bath and truly relax.
He had been too tired these past few days; those Arrancar were simply too wild...
Ah, let's not talk about it, there's nothing good to say.
When he pushed open the room door, he immediately saw Rangiku quietly waiting inside.
She was lying on her side on the tatami, casually picking up snacks from the table and putting them into her mouth, looking very leisurely and content.
"My dear, why are you slacking off again? Aren't you afraid Chojiro will scold you?"
Aozaki Reiji smiled and approached her, kneeling down to gently hug her from behind.
"Hmph, look who's talking! You must have run off to fool around again and lost track of time, didn't you?"
"Today is a holiday, so even Old Man Chojiro can't control me."
Rangiku turned her head, pouting, clearly indicating that Aozaki Reiji should figure it out himself.
Aozaki Reiji understood perfectly and leaned down to kiss her.
"You have your own room, why are you here? Tell me, what do you need me for?"
"You bad guy…"
Rangiku licked her lips, "The Advance Team came looking for you. I couldn't find you, so I accepted the order for you and waited for you here."
"The Advance Team, what order did the Old Man give this time?" Aozaki Reiji asked.
"Old Man, are you out of your mind? You're telling me to go to Rukongai to kill people?"
"Our Eleventh Division is the combat Squad of Seireitei; massacring civilians is not our duty!"
Aozaki Reiji said, pounding the table.
"You still care about that?"
Yamamoto slightly raised his eyelids.
Aozaki Reiji glanced at him, knowing that the Old Man's look was an allusion to his experiences in Rukongai.
He certainly didn't hold back when killing people back then!
"I did kill many people when I was in Rukongai, but now I want to be a good person."
Aozaki Reiji pouted, "For such bad deeds, you should find Senior Brother Kyōraku; he's heartless, so he's most suitable for this kind of thing."
"You've learned to cherish your reputation?"
Yamamoto chuckled in exasperation, though he also felt a bit of relief in his heart.
"Good, you've made progress."
"But now is an extraordinary time. The Menos Grande in Hueco Mundo have decreased by more than half for some reason, and we need to balance the two worlds."
"Anyone can go do this, right? I am a Captain of the Gotei 13, the tall and mighty Eleventh Kenpachi in the hearts of the Squad members, and there are countless fangirls in Seireitei."
Aozaki Reiji pondered for a moment, then shook his head firmly, "You want me to do something like this? Isn't this ruining my reputation? Will those gentle and kind young ladies in Seireitei still like me?"
Yamamoto's eye twitched. He squeezed the cane in his hand hard, barely suppressing the urge to draw his sword.
He knew this kid didn't want to kill people, and it wasn't because of kindness or a sudden awakening of conscience!
However, people in their position truly didn't need noble qualities like kindness.
His own kindness had been lost in some forgotten corner a thousand years ago!
But to protect this world, although he was willing to wield the butcher's knife, such an act could not be taken for granted.
"Don't worry, if you complete this mission well, you will not only be blameless but also meritorious. The Gotei 13 will not forget your achievements."
Yamamoto sighed and shook his head.
He wondered if a thousand years of peaceful life had made him weak.
"The mission I'm giving you is to purge the criminals within Rukongai's 80th District."
"Criminals? No problem!" Aozaki Reiji scratched his head, "Within three months, I guarantee not a single one will be left; I'll clear out the 80th District."
"Only criminals!" Yamamoto frowned, saying in a serious tone, "Don't go too far!"
He didn't want his promising young disciple to become a bloodthirsty madman.
A madman cannot be a leader!
"I know, I know. But are there still good people in a place like that?" Aozaki Reiji waved his hand.
Yamamoto fell silent; he had nothing to say.
Good people?
Of course not!
Good people cannot survive in such a place.
Aozaki Reiji looked at his teacher, understanding that this was the best answer.
Even Zaraki Kenpachi, a character many liked in the original work, was a bloodthirsty demon before joining the Gotei 13.
He only loved fighting and didn't care what kind of people died by his blade during a fight.
Aozaki Reiji had just returned to the Eleventh Division when he met Aizen, who had been waiting for a long time.
"Congratulations, Captain Reiji. You are about to achieve another great military feat. Captain-Commander is truly fond of Captain Reiji."
Aizen nodded.
"Sōusuke, are you perhaps subtly mocking me with your words?"
Aozaki Reiji's lips curved into a sly smile.
"Captain Reiji is overthinking it." Aizen responded with a full smile.
"No need to deny it, Sōusuke."
"Being sarcastic is also an essential skill between friends, you know."
"The fact that you can say something like that is quite a big improvement."
Aozaki Reiji teased.
Aizen nodded, seemingly without understanding.
"However, is Captain Reiji truly able to make up his mind? After all, this operation will likely result in many casualties."
"If you are truly unwilling to carry it out, there's no need to force yourself to accept it."
"Just assert your status as a high-ranking noble. Given the Captain-Commander's character, he wouldn't force you to do something you don't want to do."
Aozaki Reiji waved his hand indifferently, "I've lost count of how much evil I've committed. Killing more people won't make much difference."
"Besides, the Old Man has high hopes for me. I should at least show some appreciation, right?"
"Hmm?" Aizen was slightly startled.
In his memory, this "friend" of his was an extremely selfish person.
Aozaki Reiji's words clearly showed consideration for Yamamoto's feelings, which genuinely surprised him.
Under his questioning gaze, Aozaki Reiji chuckled:
"Don't look at me like that; humans are inherently complex and difficult to understand creatures."
"I'm still very selfish, you know. This is also a form of selfishness."
"So, selfishness means standing from one's own perspective and coveting the bonds with others?" Aizen asked.
"Something like that, I suppose." Aozaki Reiji nodded in agreement, "Aren't all humans like this? Whether they want to or not, they are connected to others."
"I am like this, and you are the same."
"That sounds somewhat reasonable." Aizen smiled, "Should I call you the great philosopher Aozaki Reiji now?"
Aozaki Reiji shook his head, "That's a good joke; keep it up."
Looking at Aozaki Reiji, Aizen, after a brief moment of surprise, revealed a somewhat "unpleasant" smile…
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