"Let me guess, Central 46 must have ensured Takasugi's survival," Masatsuki Aozaki said confidently.
A captain-level combatant—there's no way the aristocrats would simply let him die.
It didn't matter how many ordinary rebels perished, but every captain-class Shinigami lost was one too many.
Retsu Unohana nodded, though her smile remained unchanged.
"The sinner, Takasugi Hirofumi, conspired to commit treason and disrupt the political order. He attempted to assassinate the 3rd Seated Officer of the 2nd Division of the Gotei 13. His crimes are heinous. He is sentenced to 3,000 years of imprisonment in the Nest of Maggots."
"So that guy's name is Takasugi Hirofumi… and he really was spared…" Masatsuki Aozaki muttered to himself, then suddenly froze as something felt off.
"Wait…! He's being sent to the Nest of Maggots?!"
With Takasugi Hirofumi's level of strength, he should have been confined to the Central Great Underground Prison.
This isn't how a sentence reduction works!
Anyone would know that the Nest of Maggots is under the jurisdiction of the Shihōin Clan—his jurisdiction.
They were practically handing Takasugi Hirofumi's life over to him.
By comparison, the Central Great Underground Prison would have been the safer option.
The Nest of Maggots, however, was a place of danger.
"Has the Tsunayashiro Clan lost their minds?" Masatsuki Aozaki said, his expression turning odd.
He couldn't make sense of their motives.
On the surface, it looked like they were protecting Takasugi Hirofumi. But in reality, they might as well have been throwing him to the wolves.
Jūshirō Ukitake coughed twice, looking somewhat awkward as he said, "Junior, speaking ill of the nobility could get you executed for disrespect."
"I know, Senpai." Masatsuki Aozaki waved him off dismissively.
Jūshirō Ukitake let out a helpless, wry smile.
This kid was far too much like Shunsui Kyōraku.
"I heard that this proposal came from a Wise Man of noble birth within the Central 46 Compound," Retsu Unohana said, narrowing her eyes as her smile finally faded.
Jūshirō Ukitake seemed to recall something and remarked casually, "From what I've heard, the relationship between the head family and the branch family of the Tsunayashiro Clan has been strained in recent years."
At his words, both Masatsuki Aozaki and Retsu Unohana glanced at him at the same time.
They were both sharp enough to understand his implication instantly.
Masatsuki Aozaki fell into thought but refrained from making any hasty conclusions.
It wasn't that he doubted Jūshirō Ukitake.
But regardless of any divisions between the head and branch families, they were still the Tsunayashiro Clan.
Just how bad had things gotten between them for them to go this far?
Takasugi Hirofumi's imprisonment in the Nest of Maggots—was it the result of a power struggle within the family, or was it simply a personal vendetta between relatives?
He couldn't be sure.
Maybe Takasugi Hirofumi had just done something to offend the head family…
Masatsuki Aozaki couldn't help but ask,
"So, what's my reward?"
"Money or a promotion, most likely. You defeated a Captain-level rebel—being a 3rd Seat is already quite a low position for that achievement," Jūshirō Ukitake responded.
Retsu Unohana shook her head and chuckled.
"Congratulations, 3rd Seat Masatsuki. As of today, you are a noble."
Jūshirō Ukitake: "..."
Masatsuki Aozaki: "?"
Are the Tsunayashiro Clan guys out of their minds?
Unohana-neesan, maybe you should check their heads for them.
I killed their people, and they still made me a noble.
What the hell is going on in those lunatics' heads?
Masatsuki Aozaki laughed.
"Unohana-neesan, you're joking, right?"
Jūshirō Ukitake's eyes widened.
What kind of address was that? How dare you joke with her like that?
Retsu Unohana, however, didn't seem to mind. She smiled and said,
"Of course not. The Central 46 has issued an order: 2nd Division 3rd Seat Masatsuki Aozaki, for meritorious service in suppressing the rebellion, is to be granted the status of a lower noble."
"So now, I'm just another useless noble living off my title!"
Masatsuki Aozaki excitedly grabbed Unohana's hand.
No one could blame him for his enthusiasm.
Lower nobility wasn't a particularly high status.
But becoming a noble meant officially gaining the right to own a personal Senkaimon.
For an ordinary Shinigami to travel to the World of the Living, they needed higher-up approval, and even then, they had to pass through designated Senkaimon.
Nobles didn't have to follow those restrictions.
This status would be incredibly useful to him!
Unohana nodded with a smile.
"I heard you weren't too fond of nobles, little brother," Jūshirō Ukitake said, tilting his head in confusion.
"You don't get it, Ukitake-senpai. That's because I wasn't a noble before," Masatsuki Aozaki raised an eyebrow. "Now that I am one, of course I like it."
Jūshirō Ukitake's jaw dropped in disbelief, completely floored by Masatsuki Aozaki's flexible moral compass.
...
"Masatsuki, I came to see you…"
Yoruichi crouched by the window, her bright smile radiating energy that filled the room.
Her gaze naturally followed Masatsuki Aozaki's hand, and when she noticed Retsu Unohana sitting beside the bed, she scratched her head awkwardly.
"Sorry, I didn't realize there was someone else here. Am I interrupting?"
The room fell silent.
Masatsuki Aozaki suddenly felt the atmosphere turn tense.
Jūshirō Ukitake seemed to notice as well. Without a word, he reached over and pulled the privacy curtain around the bed.
Masatsuki Aozaki caught his little maneuver, but under the gazes of two beautiful women, he couldn't stop him.
He could only sigh internally—
No wonder this guy is the one who'll propose the plan to monitor Substitute Shinigami in the future. His ability to anticipate danger is insane.
As expected, none of Genryūsai's disciples are pushovers!
Masatsuki Aozaki froze for two seconds, then silently withdrew his hand and pretended to be casual.
"Yoruichi, you finally made it. I've been waiting for you."
"Oh? Then what were you just…?" Yoruichi Shihōin asked suspiciously.
Retsu Unohana let out a soft chuckle, gracefully folding her hands in her lap.
"Masatsuki just found out he's been made a noble, so he got a little excited."
"But what he did or didn't do—does that really have anything to do with Captain Yoruichi?"
"Since when do the captains of the Gotei 13 oversee their subordinates' personal matters? Why wasn't I informed of this?"
What's with this tension?
Unohana isn't Kūkaku, so why are they acting like this?
Masatsuki Aozaki couldn't figure it out, so he just pushed forward stiffly.
"Captain Unohana is right. I got a little carried away just now."
"My apologies, Captain Unohana. I was being too forward. Please don't take offense."
Unohana caught the shift in how he addressed her and furrowed her brows slightly.
"Why would I be offended? Given our relationship, do we really need to mind such trivial things?"
At those words, Yoruichi narrowed her eyes.
Are you two trying to get me killed?
Masatsuki Aozaki wanted to cry.
"Right… sword training naturally involves some physical contact."
He reached for Yoruichi Shihōin's hand but quickly realized that, in his current state, he couldn't even manage that.
Seeing his pitiful expression, Yoruichi softened—just a little.
But she still didn't give him an easy time. She sat down on the bed, grabbed his hand, and pouted.
"With injuries like these, and you still have the energy to think about nonsense?"
Then, she shot Unohana a glance.
(40 Chapters Ahead)
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