Soul Society, First Division barracks.
Kinoshita stood before the main gate, explaining their purpose to the stationed Shinigami guards.
Meanwhile, Satoru curiously surveyed his surroundings.
Though he'd been transmigrated into this Bleach world for over half a year, this was his first time entering the inner Seireitei.
Everywhere he looked, Shinigami stood guard at their posts.
Occasionally, members of the Onmitsukidō communication corps would appear and vanish abruptly, their wide-brimmed hats obscuring their faces.
Satoru noticed several Shinigami stealing glances at him with curious expressions.
Their interest might stem from his blue-and-white Shin'ō Academy uniform.
Or perhaps... they'd already heard about this afternoon's incident through certain channels.
As he pondered, Kinoshita returned.
"Let's go, Satoru."
They passed through the First Division gate, crossed the courtyard, and entered the barracks.
Before a particular room, Kinoshita removed his shoes and stepped onto the raised wooden flooring.
Satoru followed suit.
Kinoshita cleared his throat—
"Captain-Commander! I, Kinoshita Hideo of the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy!"
"Have brought student Satoru Mikami as requested!"
Straightening his back nervously, he awaited a response.
Satoru looked at him with surprise.
"First time I'm hearing your full name, Teach."
Kinoshita blinked. "Nonsense, I introduced myself on your first day..."
"Wait—you were daydreaming during orientation?!"
Kinoshita felt his blood pressure spike. Were it not for their current location, he'd have resorted to physical education.
Then again... this kid had already reached vice-captain level. His own injured body stood no chance.
Maybe he could ambush the brat during naptime someday?
The idea brightened Kinoshita's mood.
Truly worthy of a Shin'ō instructor—devising such brilliant tactics so quickly!
As he plotted disciplinary measures, a voice sounded from within.
"Enter."
Kinoshita immediately bowed slightly, shuffling backward to slide the door open sideways.
"Pardon the intrusion!"
Through the opened doorway, Satoru saw a modest, impeccably clean room.
One wall displayed several bamboo swords.
Opposite stood a writing desk with traditional calligraphy implements.
Above it hung cursive script artwork—far beyond Satoru's artistic comprehension.
At the room's center stood a figure facing away from the entrance.
From Satoru's angle, only a bald crown and the broad white haori were visible.
The black diamond-shaped frame contained the kanji for "One."
Without a doubt, it was the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13's 1st Division—Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto!
Upon seeing the old man, Kinoshita immediately dropped to one knee without hesitation.
"Captain-Commander, sir!"
Noticing that Satoru seemed unresponsive, he quickly whispered, "Satoru, what are you standing there dumbfounded for? Hurry up and—"
But before he could finish, Yamamoto, with his back still turned to them, suddenly spoke:
"Satoru Mikami, would you be willing to graduate early and join the Gotei 13?"
Hearing this, Kinoshita was momentarily stunned.
Why would the Captain-Commander ask such a question?
Satoru had only been enrolled for half a year. Though his combat abilities were impressive, it was still too early for him to graduate.
After all, strength alone didn't equate to knowledge.
Techniques for combat, knowledge about Hollows, Soul Society history, the duties of a Shinigami—these were all things taught at the Shin'ō Academy.
Graduating early would leave many gaps in his education, and joining the Gotei 13 unprepared would leave him at a disadvantage.
Unless, of course, he was from a noble family like Sōjun Kuchiki, who received elite education from childhood, knowing everything he should and even things he shouldn't—then he could graduate whenever he pleased.
As Kinoshita puzzled over this, Yamamoto continued, "If you agree to join the Gotei 13 now, I can personally arrange for you to enter the 1st Division directly as a seated officer."
Kinoshita's eyes widened in shock.
After a brief moment of disbelief, his expression turned to excitement, and he quickly glanced at Satoru, urging him to accept.
The 1st Division—that was the Captain-Commander's own division! Joining it would be an immense boost to Satoru's future prospects.
Moreover, being granted a seated officer position right off the bat was a privilege very few Shinigami ever received!
Yet, under Kinoshita's eager gaze, Satoru frowned.
After a few seconds of thought, he shook his head.
"Apologies, Captain-Commander, but I don't wish to join the 1st Division."
"Hmm?"
At Satoru's words, Yamamoto slowly turned around.
His eyes, usually narrowed to slits, opened slightly as he fixed his gaze on Satoru.
"Your reason?" he asked slowly.
Though Kinoshita wasn't the one facing that stare, he still felt a cold sweat break out on his back.
He wanted to explain on Satoru's behalf, but when he opened his mouth, his throat tightened, making it hard to even speak.
Satoru wore an awkward expression.
"Captain-Commander, if I speak honestly... you won't get angry, will you?"
Yamamoto fell silent at this.
It seemed what he had feared had already come to pass.
Satoru had likely been swayed by one of the noble factions, hence his reluctance to accept the 1st Division's offer.
As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Yamamoto had no interest in noble power struggles and thus no need to cultivate his own faction.
His sole reason for recruiting Satoru was to prevent a promising talent from being dragged into the mire—from becoming a mere tool in someone else's hands.
So, which family had won Satoru over?
The Kuchiki? The Ryūdōji?
Or... perhaps the Tsunayashiro?
If it was the Kuchiki, that would be acceptable.
After all, Ginrei Kuchiki was an old friend of his—a steady and far-sighted man. Satoru wouldn't fare too poorly under his wing.
But if it was the Tsunayashiro... then Satoru's future would be as good as ruined.
Yamamoto gave a slight nod. "Speak freely."
At that moment, Kinoshita could clearly feel the atmosphere in the room turn icy.
He couldn't help but gulp, fearing that Satoru might say something rebellious that would anger Captain-Commander Yamamoto.
Under his nervous gaze, Satoru said earnestly, "I've studied the situation of each division at the academy."
"Although the First Division has less work and is suitable for slacking off, most of its members are older Shinigami with very few cute girls."
"I hope after graduation, I can join a division with more girls... like the Fourth Division or the Thirteenth Division."
As he spoke, he suddenly seemed to remember something and looked at Yamamoto with anticipation.
"Captain-Commander, with your high authority, could you arrange for me to be assigned to one of these two divisions in advance? I'll work hard to repay your kindness!"
Seeing Satoru suddenly become so enthusiastic, Yamamoto's heart skipped a beat.
His Shunsui Kyōraku PTSD was acting up.
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