บท 221: Reunion
Even Isshin Shiba, the captain of the 10th Division, admitted that Toshiro Hitsugaya might surpass him in less than a century. Even now, Toshiro's strength was second only to Isshin within the 10th Division.
Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of the 10th Division, had become the biggest slacker in the Gotei 13, second only to Ailin, the captain of the 11th Division. She delegated almost all her duties to Toshiro, spending her days either attending banquets with members of the Shinigami Women's Association or drinking with her buddies at the local tavern.
Toshiro, holding the rank of third seat, was effectively doing the lieutenant's job. If not for his lack of seniority, having only recently joined the 10th Division, Matsumoto might have even lost her position as lieutenant.
…
At the Shin'ō Academy, seventeen or eighteen young men clad in black shihakushō stood proudly in the center of the training grounds, basking in the envious gazes of their juniors. From above, their figures stood out like black dots amidst a sea of white uniforms.
The shihakushō was a garment reserved for true Shinigami.
Senjumaru Shutara, a member of the Royal Guard, had earned her position as one of the Four Great Divine Generals by creating the shihakushō. Like the Asauchi, the standard Zanpakutō issued to Shinigami, the shihakushō was imbued with a Shinigami's reiatsu, providing a certain degree of defense. It could even be repaired by channeling reiatsu into it.
The fact that these young men were wearing shihakushō signified that they had successfully passed the graduation exam and become true Shinigami.
Each graduate was surrounded by a throng of lower-year students, eager to hear about their experiences during the exam. The academy instructors didn't intervene, allowing the students to revel in their excitement. After all, the success of each graduating class served as a powerful motivator for their juniors.
However, they couldn't allow the graduates to be monopolized by the lower-year students indefinitely. After a while, the instructors stepped in to restore order.
"Alright, everyone, please return to your classes. The Shinigami from the Gotei 13 will be arriving soon to recruit new members."
Upon hearing the instructors' words, the students reluctantly dispersed, returning to their designated areas. They looked up at the graduates with admiration. These were their role models. They all hoped that next year, they would be the ones standing there, clad in black shihakushō.
At ten o'clock sharp, the Shinigami from the Gotei 13 finally arrived at the academy, greeted by the students' expectant gazes.
To everyone's surprise, three captains were among those present: Byakuya Kuchiki of the 6th Division, Shunsui Kyōraku of the 8th Division, and Jūshirō Ukitake of the 13th Division.
"Captain Kuchiki, Captain Kyōraku, Captain Ukitake…" The academy instructors hurriedly stepped forward to greet the captains.
Although the academy's headmaster was Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, the instructors wouldn't normally show such deference to other Shinigami, even nobles.
However, the captains were different. They were the strongest fighters in the Soul Society. Unless an exceptionally talented student emerged from a graduating class, the captains wouldn't bother attending the division selection.
In the instructors' collective memory, spanning centuries, only a handful of graduating classes had attracted the captains' personal attention.
The oldest memory was from Gin Ichimaru's graduation year. Ichimaru had completed six years' worth of training in a single year, his strength surpassing all other students in his class.
Then, there was the year Kaien Shiba graduated. While Shiba wasn't as prodigiously talented as Ichimaru, his innate spiritual pressure had attracted the attention of several captains.
Finally, there was Toshiro Hitsugaya.
That year, Hitsugaya had bypassed the traditional graduation exam and joined the division selection through special arrangements. No one had objected, because even at that age, he had already mastered Shikai and possessed reiatsu rivaling that of a lieutenant.
Isshin Shiba, the captain of the 10th Division, had been the first to offer Hitsugaya a position, securing him as the third seat of his division.
The instructors looked at the three captains as they tried to recall if any of the current graduates possessed such extraordinary talent. However, they couldn't think of anyone who could possibly attract the captains' attention.
Then… remembering the prodigy from three years ago, a realization dawned on them.
They remembered that six years ago, a certain individual had taken in a disciple, directly recruiting him from the Shin'ō Academy. If their memories served them right, that disciple should be in the same graduating class as these students.
As expected, a young woman with a distinctive bob haircut emerged from behind Byakuya Kuchiki. After greeting the captains and instructors, she walked towards the waiting graduates.
…
"Ru… Rukia…" Renji Abarai, overjoyed at the sight of his childhood friend, rushed forward to greet her.
However, as he saw her elegant demeanor, her every movement exuding an air of nobility, Renji's pace gradually slowed.
Rukia was now the disciple of that powerful individual, while he was just a newly graduated Shinigami. The disparity in their status made him hesitate.
As for strength… While Renji had trained diligently over the past six years, he wasn't arrogant enough to believe he could bridge the gap created by a powerful teacher.
"Renji!" Rukia, however, showed no such hesitation. She was equally excited to see her friend after six years apart.
She ran up to him, a bright smile on her face. "It's been a while, Renji."
She patted his shoulder twice, her expression softening. "And congratulations."
"Hahaha, of course!" With his insecurities dispelled by her warmth, Renji puffed out his chest and laughed triumphantly. "I was in Class A before you, remember?"
Perhaps the fact that he had been placed in Class A while Rukia had been assigned to Class C during their first year at the academy, a year focused on swordsmanship, would be a source of pride for Renji for the rest of his life.
Rukia was still Rukia.
Despite becoming the disciple of that powerful individual, she was still the friend he had known in Rukongai, his family.
In Rukongai, Renji and Rukia, both possessing reiatsu, had been the leaders of their group. Rukia, with her analytical mind and strategic thinking, had earned the respect of their companions, even more so than the impulsive Renji.
Even Renji unconsciously gravitated towards Rukia's leadership.
As their "family," Rukia was their "big sister."
When their friends, lacking reiatsu and unable to withstand the harsh environment of Rukongai, had passed away one by one, Rukia had been devastated.
She didn't want to lose Renji, her last remaining "family" member. So, after burying her younger siblings, she had told Renji about her dream of becoming a Shinigami.
Now, seeing Renji standing before her, healthy and full of life, Rukia felt tears of joy welling up in her eyes.
It was wonderful!
"Hahaha, Rukia, come, come, let me introduce you to my friends from the academy." With a few words, their friendship was rekindled. Renji led Rukia over to Momo Hinamori and Izuru Kira.
"Rukia, these are my good friends from the academy, Momo Hinamori and Izuru Kira. They were my teammates during the graduation exam. Without them, I don't know if I would have passed.
This one with the yellow hair is Izuru Kira. Don't let his quiet nature fool you; he's surprisingly reliable. And this is Momo Hinamori. Her Kidō skills are the best in our class."
"Kira, Momo, this is Rukia, my family from Rukongai. I've told you about her."
"Hello, Kira, Momo," Rukia greeted them politely. "It's nice to meet you. Renji, you idiot, you must have caused them a lot of trouble these past few years…"
After bowing gracefully to Kira and Momo, Rukia expressed her gratitude. She could imagine that with Renji's personality, he must have gotten into a lot of trouble after she left the academy. The fact that Kira and Momo were still Renji's friends indicated a strong bond between them.
"No, no, Renji has been a great help to us." Momo waved her hands dismissively.
In fact, Momo wasn't exaggerating. While the three of them were all skilled, each class had its own cliques.
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