Shinigami: Medicine Can't Save The Soul Reaper Society

What?

Even with Makoto's sharp mind, he felt as though his thoughts had stalled for a moment.

Was that a warning? Or a threat?

And the content of Aizen's supposed threat… was merely asking him to change how he addressed him?

Was this some kind of joke?

Makoto found himself struggling to comprehend the logic.

However, when he looked at Aizen's face—completely devoid of any teasing intent—he couldn't help but twitch the corner of his mouth slightly before saying, "Aizen-Kun, you really have a sense of humor."

Aizen's eyebrows lifted ever so slightly, his lips curving into a smile. He didn't seem the least bit concerned by the implied sarcasm in Makoto's words.

To Aizen, Makoto was, in the truest sense, an equal—a kindred spirit, someone who could understand him and walk the same path.

But even so, they were at different stages. He fully understood Makoto's wariness, his vigilance, his hostility.

Once upon a time, when Aizen had first joined the Gotei 13, he had also harbored the naive belief that he could find someone among the Shinigami who truly understood him.

But reality had been merciless.

Just as ants could never comprehend the whispers of a dragon, even if the dragon lowered its head to speak to them, its breath would still sound like deafening thunder.

Makoto had yet to grasp that kind of solitude, had yet to understand that only those who truly walked the same path were worthy of comprehension.

'All in due time,' Aizen thought.

And the thought filled him with a certain expectation—an almost joyful anticipation.

"Makoto-kun, our journey to Hueco Mundo… let's look forward to it."

With that, as if he had already achieved some unstated goal, Aizen gave Makoto a small wave before turning away, heading toward his subordinates.

Almost instantly, his demeanor reverted to the calm, refined elegance he always displayed—handling various matters with effortless perfection.

Makoto remained in place for a few moments before turning towards Rukia and the others, raising a hand in a casual wave.

Predictably, Rukia merely responded with a dismissive glance. In contrast, Hinamori Momo and the other two at her side looked visibly thrilled.

"Do your best. Next time we meet, I hope to see you all standing proudly in your Shihakushō as proper Shinigami!"

Makoto called out in encouragement before vanishing in an instant, leaving behind a starry-eyed, deeply moved Hinamori and her companions.

A moment later, he reappeared atop a tall structure outside the ruins of the abandoned factory, where he found himself facing a figure clad in the white haori of the Sixth Division.

"Byakuya," Makoto said, his gaze steady. "You're really not going down there to see Rukia?"

"There's no need," Byakuya replied coolly. "The matter has already been resolved, hasn't it?"

His tone was composed, making it impossible to tell that just a short while ago, he had been so eager to arrive that he had forcefully used his noble status to gain access to the closest Senkaimon from Shin'ō Academy.

It was precisely because of this intervention that Makoto had been able to arrive ahead of Aizen's expectations.

But Makoto was already familiar with Byakuya's cold exterior hiding his warmer core. He saw no need to push the matter further. Instead, he followed Byakuya's distant gaze toward Rukia, then swept his eyes toward Aizen's departing figure.

Resolved?

No.

This is just the beginning.

Makoto recalled Aizen's final words. This trip to Hueco Mundo would likely be even more troublesome than he had anticipated.

The Seireitei wasn't an ideal battleground. So was he planning to settle things in Hueco Mundo instead?

At this point, it felt as though their game was being played with both of them partially revealing their hands to each other.

As for the recent attack on the first-year students of Shin'ō Academy…

Even though it had resulted in the loss of dozens of recruits, within the larger framework of the Seireitei, the incident barely caused a ripple.

The only noticeable impact was that when the divisions assigned their elite forces to the upcoming expeditionary corps, they exercised slightly more caution to ensure no critical gaps in their duties.

---

A few days later, in the largest square of the Seireitei, over a thousand elite Shinigami from various divisions stood assembled.

Draped in their signature Shihakushō, they all wore standardized gray cloaks adorned with their respective division insignias and floral crests, marking their origins.

These cloaks served a dual purpose: they allowed the Shinigami to blend more easily into the desolate, sandy terrain of Hueco Mundo and also reduced their spiritual presence, making them less likely to attract unwanted attention from Hollows.

At the forefront of the assembled force stood three Captains, led by Aizen, along with five Vice-Captains under the leadership of Chōjirō.

Given the sheer number of Adjuchas-class Menos that inhabited Hueco Mundo, the scale of this expedition was unprecedented.

Even Yamamoto had gone so far as to assign his own Vice-Captain to the mission—an unmistakable statement of how seriously he regarded this expedition. It was also a declaration: failure was not an option.

Makoto himself stood among the Vice-Captains leading the force. His role was to oversee fifty of the Fourth Division's top medics, ensuring the expedition had proper medical support.

Due to the dangerous nature of this mission, and to prevent the Fourth Division from falling into disarray in his absence, Makoto had deliberately left behind Isane and Risa to handle administrative duties.

For this journey, his only chosen assistant was Yamada Hanatarō.

Soon, under the direct supervision of Kurotsuchi, the Techonological Development opened a massive Garganta, creating a passage to Hueco Mundo.

Yamamoto struck his cane against the ground with a heavy thud, his voice carrying an undeniable authority.

"Soldiers of the Gotei 13… may fortune favor you in battle."

With that, Aizen took the first step into the Garganta, leading the assembled elite Shinigami forward. The Vice-Captains, as per protocol, followed at the rear to ensure no unexpected disruptions.

One by one, the thousand-strong force disappeared into the dark expanse of the Garganta.

Chōjirō took a final glance around before turning to Yamamoto and giving a respectful bow.

"We will follow now."

Without hesitation, he stepped into the darkness, followed closely by the other Vice-Captains—until only one remained.

Makoto.

As he took a firm step forward, a strange feeling pricked at the back of his mind.

His gaze instinctively flicked towards the crowd of those seeing them off, and within seconds, he locked onto a familiar figure.

Unohana Retsu.

"Unohana-sensei…"

Makoto murmured under his breath.

He barely registered the presence of Isane and Risa standing at her sides.

His eyes were focused solely on her.

---

Unohana stood there, as graceful and elegant as ever. Just her presence alone was a breathtaking sight to behold.

Compared to her, Aoki Risa appeared youthful and inexperienced; and even Kotetsu Isane seemed to lack that timeless brilliance in contrast.

As Makoto gazed at Unohana, he noticed her lips move slightly, forming a few silent words.

Makoto froze for a moment, but soon a smile crept onto his face almost involuntarily.

"Makoto, I'll wait for your return."

Despite the distance between them, the unspoken understanding and deep familiarity they shared allowed him to grasp her message immediately.

In response, Makoto raised his hand and made a similar gesture with his lips.

"Wait for me."

From the side of the garganta, Captain Kurotsuchi Mayuri of the Twelfth Division tilted his head at an unnatural ninety-degree angle, his tone sharp and impatient.

"Vice-Captain Senju, stop wasting a scientist's precious research time and get in there already."

Makoto's expression stiffened slightly as his other foot instinctively followed, stepping into the garganta. The environment around him shifted dramatically.

Darkness engulfed everything. Not a single sliver of light pierced the gloom.

The entire expedition force of over a thousand Shinigami moved forward along a path formed by condensed spiritual particles, meticulously laid down by the three captains leading the formation.

At the rear, the Vice-captains stayed vigilant, prepared to intervene and save anyone who might fall due to sudden instability in the reishi path, ensuring minimal casualties.

Interestingly, the spiritual particle paths displayed subtle differences depending on who created them.

The path generated by Aizen was the most stable by far. The ones made by Gin and Tōsen were less reliable, with occasional collapses that forced the Shinigami following behind to step cautiously.

Fortunately, with five Vice-captains on standby, the expedition crossed the Dangai without incident and successfully entered Hueco Mundo.

---

Hueco Mundo

A massive garganta yawned open, and three figures radiating formidable spiritual pressure stepped into the bleak world. Behind them, Shinigami clad in black shihakushō emerged in steady streams.

Makoto was the last to step out. His eyes instinctively scanned the surroundings.

The sky was an endless void of darkness, broken only by the faint glow of a crescent moon. The landscape stretched out as an unending desert of pale sand, desolate and lifeless. Here and there, quartz-like dead trees jutted from the ground, adding a touch of eerie variation to the wasteland.

"So... this is Hueco Mundo?" Makoto murmured to himself.

As he inhaled, the reishi-saturated air surged into his nostrils with an intensity surpassing that of Soul Society.

His spiritual vision revealed an ocean of spiritual particles permeating the surroundings, with the very grains of sand beneath his feet appearing as highly compressed reishi granules.

The Vice-captains nearby voiced their thoughts:

"It's nothing like Soul Society…"

"What a desolate place. Is this really the world where Hollows survive?"

"Stay sharp. Menos Grande can appear at any time here."

Following Aizen's instructions, the group began purging nearby Hollows while Ise Nanao led the Kidō Corps members in constructing defensive barriers around the area.

This was standard procedure for Soul Society's past expeditions: establishing a secure foothold and using it as a base to expand operations outward.

Unlike the scattered and uncoordinated Adjuchas or the mindless Gillians, the expedition's greatest strength lay in its unity and cooperation.

Historically, these expeditions rarely faced significant danger unless confronted by a Vasto Lorde commanding an army of Adjuchas.

As expected, Aizen displayed the same composed demeanor he maintained back in Seireitei, methodically overseeing the base's construction without any signs of reckless haste.

Once the base was established, Aizen finally convened a strategy meeting for the officers.

---

"Thank you for your hard work, everyone," Aizen greeted them with his signature warmth after everyone had gathered. "Your cooperation has allowed us to establish this foothold successfully."

He adjusted his glasses and continued, "Now, as you are all aware, this expedition has two objectives: first, to eliminate as many Adjuchas as possible to maintain the balance of souls; and second, to investigate the cause behind the unusual rise in their numbers."

Makoto kept his face neutral, though inwardly his senses were on high alert.

To him, the sudden increase in Adjuchas population likely had everything to do with Aizen himself. Using this anomaly as a pretext was undoubtedly part of a larger scheme.

"Our task is both critical and challenging," Aizen went on. "We must complete it before we provoke a coordinated attack from multiple Vasto Lordes."

He paused, then smiled faintly. "So, I'd like to hear your thoughts. How do you suggest we proceed?"

Silence fell over the group. The captains and Vice-captains exchanged wary glances. Despite their reconnaissance data, the differences between Soul Society and Hueco Mundo meant that much remained unknown.

Aizen's gaze eventually settled on Makoto, who sat beside Ise Nanao, appearing composed yet slightly weary.

"What do you think, Makoto-kun?" he asked.

Makoto resisted the urge to quip about how he'd rather be back in Soul Society, resting in Unohana's arms. He stood and adopted a more serious expression.

"Captain Aizen, I believe caution should take precedence. We should allocate ample forces to defend the base while gradually extending outward to purify nearby Hollows. Capturing intelligent Adjuchas for interrogation might also yield useful information."

Several Vice-captains gave small nods in agreement. It was a conservative plan, but one that minimized unnecessary risk.

"Pathetic!"

The sudden outburst came from Tōsen, who sat nearby with his usual blindfold covering his eyes.

"Vice-Captain Senju," he said, voice sharp with disdain. "Is your sense of justice so weak that you would cower behind defenses?"

"If we fail to neutralize the Adjuchas threat quickly, the balance of souls will collapse. Can you bear the responsibility for that?"

Makoto met Tōsen's empty gaze and exhaled slowly, steeling himself for the confrontation ahead.

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