The morning mist in the Fourth Division was thin, mingling with the scent of vegetation from within the barracks. It drifted over the white walls and black tiles, settling on the window lattices of the courtyard walls.
Just as the sky began to brighten, the doors to the clinic were gently pushed open.
Hasumi Ren, dressed in his Shihakusho and carrying the signature medical bag of the Fourth Division on his back, followed behind Unohana.
Yesterday, Yoruichi had personally signed the division transfer documents, officially detaching Ren from the Second Division and making him a member of the Fourth Division.
Unohana Retsu did not follow the standard procedure of assigning him among the regular squad members.
Instead, she directly designated him as her personal attendant and granted him the position of Fourth Seat.
His workspace was located in the side room right next to the Captain's office, and his daily duties involved staying by her side to handle medical affairs.
He was also tasked with appropriately assisting the Fourth Division's Third Seat, Iemura Yasochika, with some of the paperwork.
This arrangement quietly stirred up a wave of commotion within the Fourth Division.
"That's Hasumi Ren, the transfer from the Second Division. I heard he used to be in the Executive Militia."
"An assassin from the Executive Militia joining the Fourth Division and immediately taking the Fourth Seat... Isn't Captain Unohana overvaluing him a bit?"
"I saw him following the Captain around learning Kaido before, but he's only been here for how long, and he's already her personal attendant? He must have pulled some strings..."
Fragmented whispers drifted from the corner of the corridor. A few young squad members responsible for organizing medical supplies lowered their voices, their gazes occasionally darting toward Ren's back.
As a medical squad, the Fourth Division adhered to the principles of benevolence. Whether comrade or enemy, anyone severely injured would receive their treatment.
The people in the division were either healers devoted to the medical arts or guardians with gentle dispositions.
Because of this, the Fourth Division was the most unique existence within the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, as well as the most welcomed by the other divisions.
For this very reason, there was a natural barrier between the members of the Fourth Division and those of the Stealth Force, a unit whose very vocation was slaughter and secrecy.
Let alone someone hailing from the Executive Militia suddenly being entrusted with such heavy responsibilities by the Captain. Anyone would have their doubts.
Ren heard all of these remarks, but his expression remained indifferent, his footsteps not pausing in the slightest.
He raised his hand to accept the medical logbook Unohana handed him. His fingertips traced over the densely packed patient information on the pages as he spoke in a calm tone.
"Captain, today's first case is an Eleventh Division member whose spiritual veins were ruptured by the residual force of a Zanpakuto. He is waiting in Examination Room Three?"
Unohana Retsu gave a slight nod, a faint smile playing at the corners of her lips. The morning light from the window reflected in her eyes, carrying a trace of imperceptible anticipation.
"Correct. Seinosuke went out for relief work today, so you will take the lead on this case. I will observe from the side."
As her words fell, the whispering at the corner abruptly ceased. The young squad members' eyes widened in shock.
Members of the Eleventh Division were notoriously belligerent, and their injuries were mostly blunt-force spiritual body damage. Ruptured spiritual veins were considered a moderate-to-severe injury.
Even veteran members of the Fourth Division might not be able to handle it alone. Yet Unohana was actually letting this newly transferred guy take the lead right away?
Soon, a figure jogged over.
"Captain Unohana, I have prepared all the supplies, and the equipment in Examination Room Three is set up."
Kotetsu Isane approached, bowing respectfully to Unohana before taking her place behind Ren.
"Thank you for your hard work, Isane."
Hearing Unohana's voice, Kotetsu Isane's face flushed slightly, and she bowed again, looking a bit nervous.
"No, thank you for your guidance, Captain, and for allowing me to study by Hasumi Ren's side."
"Mhm, work hard. I have high expectations for you."
Unohana nodded, reaching out to pat Isane's shoulder before stepping forward.
Kotetsu Isane's eyes were filled with excitement and joy as she trotted closely behind Ren.
Under Unohana's orders, she was to study alongside Ren while also serving as his assistant.
To Isane, this was an absolute honor.
Others might not know, but she had participated in Yamada Seinosuke's instructional sessions alongside Ren.
Ever since Ren had come to the Fourth Division for his advanced training, Isane had harbored a deep admiration for this squad member who learned so quickly and flawlessly.
Now that Ren had officially joined the Fourth Division, she was genuinely thrilled from the bottom of her heart, completely disregarding the doubts of others.
At that moment, she handed the examination report of the Eleventh Division member to Ren.
Ren took it and quickly scanned through it.
"Thank you. Good work."
The group soon arrived at Examination Room Three, where an Eleventh Division member was clutching his shoulder and groaning.
His black Shihakusho was scorched black by spiritual pressure, and the area around his shoulder faintly glowed red—a clear sign of internal spiritual vein rupture.
Seeing Unohana enter, he jolted in surprise and hastily bowed his head in greeting.
"C-Captain Unohana!"
Unohana gently pressed her hand down, signaling him not to agitate himself.
"Ren, you will treat this squad member."
"Yes, Captain."
Ren took a step forward.
The Eleventh Division member saw that the one treating him was actually an unfamiliar young Soul Reaper, someone he had never seen in the Fourth Division before.
*But shouldn't an injury like this be handled by one of the seated officers I'm familiar with...?*
Although he had his doubts, he didn't dare show them on his face with Unohana standing right there.
Ren walked up to the examination bed and placed a hand on the man's shoulder. A pale green Kaido spiritual pressure slowly seeped from his fingertips, probing into the patient's spiritual body.
The Eleventh Division member felt a gentle spiritual pressure surge through his shoulder, and the tearing pain instantly eased by several degrees.
He instinctively shut his mouth, looking at Ren with a newfound sense of astonishment.
Ren hovered his hands slightly above the injury. The pale green spiritual pressure transformed into fine, dense threads that wrapped around the damaged spiritual veins.
Under the nourishment of the Kaido, the edges of the ruptured spiritual veins slowly healed, and the chaotic spiritual pressure was meticulously combed back into place by the threads.
Even a few minute branches that had been shattered by the Eleventh Division member's own violent spiritual pressure were carefully reconnected by Ren using the threads of spiritual pressure.
The entire process was as smooth as flowing water, without the slightest hesitation. It was handled with even more finesse than a veteran Fourth Division member could muster.
Unohana Retsu stood to the side, her hands clasped in front of her. She quietly watched the procedure, the smile in her eyes deepening.
She could clearly sense that the precision of Ren's spiritual pressure control had improved once again. Every trace of Kaido output was absolutely perfect.
It was neither too light to cause slow recovery, nor too heavy to agitate the patient's spiritual body.
Even among the seated officers of the Fourth Division, very few could achieve this level of mastery.
In just fifteen minutes, Ren withdrew his hands, and the pale green spiritual pressure slowly dissipated.
"It is done. Your spiritual veins have been reconnected. Do not use your Zanpakuto or engage in combat in the near future to avoid drastic fluctuations in your spiritual pressure. I will prescribe a nourishing decoction for you; take it for a few consecutive days, and you will fully recover."
The Eleventh Division member rolled his shoulder. The original pain had completely vanished, and the flow of his spiritual pressure had returned to normal.
He looked at Ren, his eyes widening slightly.
"What incredible Kaido. When did the Fourth Division get someone like you? Thank you, Fourth Division's..."
"Hasumi Ren."
Ren replied calmly. He reached out to take the prescription pad Isane handed him and picked up a pen to add a few medicinal herbs to it.
"Isane, give this prescription to the people at the herb garden and have someone deliver it shortly."
"Understood!"
Holding the prescription, Isane ran out excitedly.
Ren turned and walked out of the examination room, bumping right into the young squad members who had been peeking through the doorway.
Their previous voices of doubt had long since vanished without a trace.
Unohana walked past Ren, leading him outside.
Seeing this, the squad members hastily bowed. The way they looked at Ren had completely changed, now filled with either admiration or astonishment.
The only thing missing was their initial skepticism.
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