Shinigami: Medicine Can't Save The Soul Reaper Society

Unexpectedly, Ikkaku seemed to have remembered a teasing remark from Makoto at some point in the past…

Now, surrounded by a group of burly, muscular men, Ikkaku showed no fear. Instead, he boldly and heroically shouted out that line:

"That's right! Bring it on! I'll take on all ten of you!"

Without hesitation, he drew his Zanpakuto and chanted the release command.

"Grow, Hōzukimaru!"

In an instant, his Zanpakuto transformed into a weapon resembling a long spear.

At that moment, with the spear in hand, poised and ready, Ikkaku was fully prepared to face the ten muscular men head-on. He charged forward without hesitation, ready for a fierce battle, in and out of the fray, bloodied but unyielding.

Makoto paused his steps, intending to stay and watch the fight unfold…

It had been nearly two years since Makoto last witnessed Ikkaku in battle. Naturally, he was curious about how much his old comrade had improved.

Despite the notorious reputation of Ikkaku's spear within the Eleventh Division, fear before a fight was never the style of the division's battle-hardened members.

Besides, this was a proper ten-against-one challenge in the name of justice!

"Attack!"

"Let's show Third Seat Madarame what we're made of!"

"Yeah! This time, no matter what, we're breaking that spear of his!"

There was no need for an official start. The ten muscle-bound warriors lunged at Ikkaku all at once.

"Raaahhhh!"

"Ooohhh!"

"Haha, here we go!"

In the chaotic melee, Makoto could vaguely make out Ikkaku's spear darting left and right, thrusting relentlessly without the slightest mercy for the muscle men.

Eventually, under Makoto's watchful gaze, Ikkaku stood victorious, while the ten men lay on the ground clutching their wounds, groaning in pain.

"Hahaha… ugh…"

With his hands on his hips, Ikkaku burst into hearty laughter but then sucked in a sharp breath, grimacing in pain. He grumbled angrily, "Which bastard stabbed me in the side just now? That hurt like hell!"

Seeing this, Makoto couldn't bear to watch any longer. He released his Zanpakuto's power…

In an instant, lush grass spread across the ground, and the injuries of those lying on it began to heal rapidly.

Only then did Ikkaku, finally aware of Makoto's presence, turn his head. His face lit up with joy.

"Senju!"

Calling out that peculiar form of address, Ikkaku dashed straight towards Makoto.

Normally, addressing someone by just their surname implied a certain formality or distance, but since Ikkaku had started calling him "Senju" from the beginning, he had stuck to it. Makoto hadn't bothered to correct him. Instead, he simply waved in acknowledgment.

"Senju, did you come to find me?" Ikkaku asked excitedly, completely ignoring the presence of the pink-haired girl nearby.

This, of course, triggered Yachiru's displeasure, and she retaliated by delivering a solid punch to Ikkaku's jaw!

Bam!

Despite her petite and harmless-looking exterior, Yachiru, whose strength was on par with a vice-captain's, was anything but ordinary.

That seemingly small punch sent Ikkaku spinning into the air, performing an impressive mid-air spiral before crashing down several meters away. Makoto could clearly see that Ikkaku's jaw had been shattered.

The stark contrast of the scene made Makoto instinctively lean back in disbelief.

Standing proudly in Makoto's embrace, Yachiru clenched her tiny fists and declared angrily, "Liar! Clearly, Brother Makoto came here to play with me!"

Makoto quickly calmed the agitated Yachiru and began healing Ikkaku's wounds once again.

Watching the injuries on everyone rapidly heal under Makoto's Zanpakuto's power, Yachiru suddenly seemed to think of something and eagerly said, "Makoto-nii, can I ask you for a favor?"

Faced with the adorable and serious expression on Yachiru's face, Makoto found it hard to refuse and asked, "What is it?"

"Ken-chan hasn't had a good fight in a long time, and he's feeling frustrated. Can you help him out, Makoto-nii?"

Makoto blinked in confusion.

It wasn't a question of whether he was capable of fighting Zaraki. Even if he had the strength to take on that beast of a man, he would rather engage in a life-or-death battle with Unohana than willingly fight Zaraki.

After a brief pause, Makoto forced a reluctant smile and said, "Well… Yachiru, I'm just a healer. I don't think I'm up to the task of giving Captain Zaraki a satisfying fight."

"Huh?"

Yachiru looked puzzled for a moment before waving her hand dismissively. "No, no, Makoto-nii, you misunderstood. I meant you should stay on the sidelines and keep using your healing powers so Ken-chan can fight to his heart's content."

Hearing this, Makoto's thoughts shifted slightly.

If that was the case, it was something he was more than willing to do!

After all, this would give him the perfect opportunity to observe and assess the spiritual pressure levels of the Eleventh Division members. He could even take advantage of the situation to implant "Seeds of the Forest" in those who had reached the rank of seated officers.

As a combat division, the Eleventh Division was notorious for its high mortality rate, but in terms of overall spiritual pressure and combat ability, its members were among the strongest in the Gotei 13.

This was an opportunity that benefited both sides, so Makoto had no reason to refuse.

He even considered the possibility of leaving an important seed within Yachiru herself if she decided to join in the fight.

Of course, despite his eagerness, Makoto maintained a troubled expression on the surface…

Only when Yachiru's expression began to show signs of disappointment did Makoto finally relent. He patted her on the head and said, "I guess I have no choice. Since it's a request from you, Yachiru, I can't really say no, can I?"

In an instant, Yachiru's eyes lit up with joy, and she leapt back into Makoto's arms, hugging him tightly. "Makoto-nii, you're the best! Yachiru likes you so much!"

Hearing this, Makoto couldn't help but imagine how nice it would be if those words had come from a grown-up version of 'Yachiru' instead of the loli one in his arms.

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