Many Shinigami wiped the wine stains from the corners of their mouths after drinking, then sat down with a crash, followed by cheers, calls to drink, and shouts over food.
This wine isn't as good as the old man's hidden stash!
Aozaki reluctantly put down his wine glass, smacking his lips, and began to ponder.
After the banquet ends, should he go to the old man's house to see if there's any good stuff?
As the former Captain-Commander, the old man's retirement benefits weren't bad.
He not only received a house and land but also gained noble status.
This old man, who had spent his entire life protecting nobles, now finally became one of the protected.
Just then, a middle-aged man with a small mustache silently walked past Aozaki and casually threw him a wine flask.
Aozaki looked closely and saw it was Vice-Captain Chojiro, so he quickly called out:
"Senior Brother!"
Sasakibe Chōjirō heard Aozaki's call, a hint of helplessness on his face, and pulled another flask of wine from his Pregnant and handed it to him.
"This guy, if I didn't call him Senior Brother, he'd probably secretly hide this flask of wine."
Aozaki secretly grumbled in his heart.
Aozaki took the wine flask, guessing it was from the old man.
He eagerly opened the cap and sniffed, his eyes immediately lighting up.
Good heavens, this was definitely the old man's cherished good wine, hidden for many years!
It was even better than the ones he had secretly drunk before!
He saw Shunsui reach out for the wine, and immediately guarded the flask in his arms, only pushing the cup on the table towards Shunsui.
"Tch, stingy fellow."
Seeing this, Shunsui grumbled with dissatisfaction.
"Heh heh, Senior Brother, your injury isn't healed yet, I'm just concerned about you," Aozaki said helplessly.
Shunsui immediately waved his hand:
"You kid don't understand anything, the more the wound hurts, the more enjoyable it is to drink!"
Aozaki's eyes widened, a look of astonishment on his face.
Could it be that Retsu beating him up a few days ago directly turned him into a masochist?
Considering that this matter was his own wife's fault, and he was about to become half of his elder, Aozaki still poured him a full cup.
With one Senior Brother taken care of, the other Senior Brother naturally couldn't be left out.
Sure enough, Ukitake was helped up and walked straight towards them.
"Junior Brother, Junior Brother, I want some too."
Ukitake, his face flushed with intoxication, called out indistinctly.
This meal lasted from evening until late into the night, with Squad members with bulging bellies lying all over the Squad Barracks.
Fortunately, each of them was a superhuman, so they weren't afraid of catching a cold by just sleeping like that.
If the Wandenreich were to invade now, only the Aozaki family would likely be able to resist, with few others in the Gotei 13 capable of fighting back.
The strongest unit, bearing the name of the Gotei, spent a whole night doing nothing but eating meat and drinking heavily. It's unknown if this scene would infuriate the noble lords to the point of a brain hemorrhage.
The tacit understanding among the Squad members was simply astonishing.
They cast the noble lords to the back of their minds, allowing their previously tense nerves to gradually relax.
Approaching midnight, Aozaki led the ladies along the wide avenues of the Seireitei.
Although they had drunk a lot of wine, they didn't feel dizzy; instead, their minds were exceptionally clear.
It seemed that drowning their sorrows with alcohol would definitely be irrelevant to them from now on.
Ever since fusing with the Hōgyoku, their bodies were no longer comparable to ordinary people, yet they still had a keen sense of the taste of alcohol.
For them, if they liked alcohol, they could drink as much as they pleased, without any problems whatsoever.
"Today was truly too wild, ha ha ha, those nobles might complain to me, their Captain-Commander."
Aozaki walked at the front of the group, and just as he was about to scratch his head, a soft hand reached out from beside him, stopping his movement.
A dazzling golden figure was quietly walking by his side, a face of exquisite beauty that he was, of course, intimately familiar with.
"What's wrong?"
Aozaki turned his head, looking at her in confusion.
Unohana had a slight smile on her lips as she slowly walked past Aozaki from his other side.
The older sister tilted her head, gazing at him with gentle eyes, and softly said:
"You always get silly at crucial moments. This is a private date invitation from a girl. I'll take care of the sisters, so you two enjoy your time together."
After speaking, she waved to Aozaki and then left with the others.
Aozaki watched their retreating figures, a look of sudden understanding on his face:
"So that's how it is..."
He stood still, watching everyone disappear into the night.
"That's why I say, you're such an idiot sometimes," Rangiku shook her head helplessly, reaching out to grab Aozaki's sleeve and pulling him towards a stone tower, muttering, "Come on, follow me."
The two climbed a towering stone tower, reaching its top.
The sages in Seirei Tower Residence Forest had long since retired, and the surroundings were quiet.
The silvery moonlight shone down, casting a mysterious and beautiful glow over the entire place.
The distant starlit sky was dazzling, with countless stars, like a dreamlike painting.
However, the guards below were few and far between, making it feel somewhat desolate.
Aozaki looked around and saw rows of snow-white stone pillars, arranged in a staggered fashion, as if telling stories of time.
The moonlight reflected on the stone pillars, giving a pure and solemn feeling.
He took a deep breath, feeling the fresh air and the tranquil atmosphere, and couldn't help but exclaim:
"It's beautiful!"
"I told you so, didn't I? Sometimes when I'm bored, I secretly come here alone to enjoy the scenery," Rangiku said with a smile.
She sat on the wall, speaking without hesitation words that would surely be punishable by death if heard, her figure seeming to merge with the night wind.
"Hey, Reiji."
"What is it?"
"Do you remember the first time we met?"
"Of course I remember, the scorching sun, I remember how thirsty I was then..."
"I'm talking about that night."
"That night, huh..."
"Don't think strange things."
"I haven't even said anything yet, besides, that night I only helped you change clothes and socks, that shouldn't count as strange, right?"
"Anyway, don't think about it."
"Alright then."
Aozaki scratched his head, chuckled softly, and turned to meet the girl's gaze.
"That night, the moon was full, the evening breeze felt comfortable on the skin, and the girl was very cute."
"Is that so? You, as expected, had ill intentions towards me from the start."
The girl's lips curved slightly upward, revealing a faint smile.
The moonlight illuminated her face, making her appear exceptionally gentle.
"Of course, your existence is truly special to me," Aozaki quickly explained.
"Hmph, you sweet-talker. But, that night was indeed wonderful."
The girl said softly, a flicker of memory in her eyes.
The two fell silent, gazing into the distance together.
The stars in the night sky twinkled with faint light, as if telling their story.
A gentle breeze swept by, bringing a touch of coolness, and making their mood peaceful and joyful.
Aozaki looked at the moon in the sky.
It was so strange that there were so many stars, yet none approached it.
He suddenly laughed and took the girl's hand.
"So, Rangiku, thank you!"
"Why are you suddenly saying something like that?"
"Without you, I would definitely have turned into something strange, it's so good to have met you!"
"What do you mean, saying something like that, that's cheating, that's cheating! Saying something like that is really too unfair, you bad guy!!"