"Ito... Sir, these are pastries I made myself. You can try them when you have time."
Ito Makoto, Madarame Ikkaku, and Ayasegawa Yumichika walked between green-tiled, white-walled buildings, heading straight for the Thirteenth Division Barracks.
Suddenly, at the corner of the street ahead, stood a tall, beautiful young woman in a soul reaper uniform with twin pigtails. She carried a food box and blocked their path.
When she saw Ito Makoto, she hesitated for a long time before stammering, "Are you... a student from Spiritual Arts Academy?"
Ito Makoto glanced at the young woman, remembering she was one of the students who took the exam with him that day, but he couldn't recall her name for a moment.
"Yes, I graduated in the same class as you, Sir Ito. My name is Tamura Yao. Thanks to you, all thirty-three students in this class passed!"
Upon hearing her, Ito Makoto suddenly remembered her; he had indeed interacted with her at the Spiritual Arts Academy. So, he generously accepted the food box from her.
"Thank you, Student Tamura. I will carefully savor the pastries you made."
After receiving the pastries and exchanging a few brief pleasantries with her, he waved goodbye.
After walking a long distance, Tamura Yao's faint voice came from behind him.
"Sir Ito, I have already joined the Fifth Division. If you find the pastries to your liking, you can come to the Fifth Division Barracks to find me anytime, and I'll make more for you!"
The young woman's timid words came from behind him.
...
"Hehe, little Ito is so lucky, to be liked by such a beautiful girl!" Ayasegawa Yumichika teased.
Madarame Ikkaku, beside him, also showed a playful expression and gave him a thumbs-up.
Clearly, both of them had completely forgotten the unpleasantness with Sanada Yūsuke earlier.
Facing their teasing, Ito Makoto could only rub his forehead helplessly.
"What are you thinking? She's just thanking me for saving her life!"
He then opened the food box and took out eight lifelike little rabbit-shaped pastries.
Leaning in, he smelled a faint milky aroma.
Ito Makoto first took out two and put them into Ikkaku's and Yumichika's mouths respectively, then he tasted one himself.
"Delicious!" all three exclaimed in unison.
Ito Makoto even felt that the taste of these pastries was much better than those sold in pastry shops in his previous life.
"Wouldn't it be great for this little girl to be a pastry chef? Why did she have to come and be a Shinigami?" A strange thought suddenly rose in Ito Makoto's mind.
...
The three walked on, and just as they were about to reach the Eleventh Division Barracks, at the end of the cobblestone street, a figure stood.
The moment he saw this person, cold sweat immediately streamed down him, and his hand gripping the food box tightened imperceptibly.
This person wore a Captain's haori, was tall, had medium-length hair, wore black-rimmed glasses, and had a gentle smile on his face, giving off an elegant and amiable feeling.
However, when Ito Makoto saw him, it was as if he had seen a primordial beast ready to devour people. Although this person had restrained his spiritual pressure perfectly, not a single trace escaping, Ito Makoto's hair still stood on end.
Aizen Sōsuke!
"What does he want with me?" Ito Makoto felt his scalp tingle.
Aizen, seeing Ito Makoto approach, spoke with a smile in his eyes, "Ito, I am Aizen Sōsuke, Captain of the Fifth Division. I've heard about your deeds. Are you interested in joining the Fifth Division?"
Hearing Aizen's words, Ito Makoto was stunned. He hadn't expected Aizen to be recruiting him to join the Fifth Division.
"Sorry, Captain Aizen, little Ito was already a member of our Eleventh Division when he joined the Spiritual Arts Academy. Now he's even a Squad Member personally designated by our Captain Kenpachi. You're too late!"
Ito Makoto hadn't spoken yet, but Madarame Ikkaku spoke first, emphasizing the words 'Kenpachi,' as if trying to use Zaraki Kenpachi's name to overpower Aizen.
Seeing this, Ito Makoto swallowed and thought to himself, "No, buddy, have you always been this brave?"
Aizen did not react to Madarame Ikkaku's words, merely adjusted his glasses with his right hand, and then continued to look at Ito Makoto:
"Ito, is this your true intention?"
"I apologize, Captain Aizen, but I admire the martial spirit of the Eleventh Division, which is why I decided to join the Gotei 13."
Ito Makoto tried his best to make his tone polite. He didn't want to offend this big boss who stirred up trouble behind the scenes before he had fully grown, especially since cultivating this clone had taken a lot of effort.
"It's truly a pity that I cannot recruit a talent like Ito into the Fifth Division."
After receiving Ito Makoto's clear answer, Aizen left directly.
Just as the three finally arrived at the Eleventh Division Barracks, they saw another familiar face leaning against the wall, arms crossed, looking bored. When he saw Ito Makoto, he immediately changed his expression and went to greet him. It was none other than Yano Masahiko, who had presided over the Spiritual Arts Academy entrance exam.
"Another one here to recruit?"
Sure enough, when Yano Masahiko saw Ito Makoto approaching, he said with a chuckle, "Ito-kun, how about joining the Sixth Division? All the benefits I promised you before still stand!"
Hearing this, Ito Makoto merely smiled and then politely declined.
Yano Masahiko watched Ito Makoto head straight for the Eleventh Division with Ikkaku and could only curse under his breath, "This kid doesn't know how to adapt."
Then he shook his head and left helplessly.
...
As soon as he stepped into the Eleventh Division Barracks, a small figure leaped over. Ito Makoto, seeing who it was, took no action.
The figure jumped directly onto Ito Makoto's shoulder. It was none other than Kusajishi Yachiru, the Vice-Captain of the Eleventh Division!
"Are you little Ito?" Yachiru asked in a childish voice.
"Yes, that's me, Vice-Captain Yachiru." Ito Makoto smiled as he spoke, giving her all the remaining pastries that Tamura Yao had given him earlier.
After getting the pastries, she jumped aside and happily began to eat them.
Then Ito Makoto looked up at the fierce-looking, burly man in front of him, who had a long, narrow scar on his left cheek running from his forehead to his chin and wore a tattered Captain's haori.
Zaraki Kenpachi!
"Eleventh Division Squad Member, Ito Makoto, greets Captain Kenpachi!"
Hearing Ito Makoto call himself an Eleventh Division Squad Member, Zaraki Kenpachi grinned, his eyes fixed on Ito Makoto.
Ito Makoto, not at all intimidated, stared back at Kenpachi, battle intent surging in both their eyes!
With his current strength, he couldn't possibly challenge Aizen.
But a memory-lost Kenpachi who only used a single sword, he did have the courage to challenge him. The worst he could get was severe injuries, he wouldn't actually be killed.
"Clap, clap, clap."
"Ken-chan, if you want to fight, wait a minute! Little Ito hasn't had his initiation ceremony yet!"
At this moment, Yachiru, who had finished her pastries, suddenly jumped onto Kenpachi's neck and then actually slapped him several times.
Kenpachi, however, was not angry about this, seemingly long accustomed to it.
-------------------------------
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