Chapter 2: Shinigami Academy

AN: I'm uploading two chapters today. Now, I don't know how quickly I will be releasing chapters as I am trying to work on both the Bleach story and RITWON PT2. I'll do my best. As always, thanks for reading!

1. I've already written another Reincarnated story with the setting in the Naruto-verse. It's called "Reincarnated in the World of Naruto" so if you're interested you can check it out. It was basically my first real written story here so I recognize that it has many flaws, however I have completed that story. So yeah...if you're interested you can take a look.

2. I've also begun to write the sequel to the first one called "Reincarnated into the World of Naruto PT2" so once again, if you're interested you can take a look.

Now a couple things regarding the story:

-Story setting begins ~50 years before Aizen's defection.

-If at any point in the story you see this: "888" it means there will be a scene change.

Reading the story:

-Hello, how are you? (Someone in their own thoughts)-Hello how are you? (Zanpakuto Spirit speaking in a Shinigami's mind)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach.

Chapter 2

Time Skip 5 Years

Huff. Huff. Huff. Huff.

Again...I'm still not fast enough. Kishin took in a gulp of air to catch his breath as he started dashing off again.

Fwish! Fwish! Fwish! Fwish!

His body blurred in one spot before appearing in another.

I need more speed. My Shunpo still isn't good enough. Faster! Faster! Faster!

His body began to blur even faster than before and the distance he moved became larger and larger with every step he took. Jushiro stood atop a tall building in the division grounds as he watched Kishin train.

Mn...he's really pushing himself. He always has a relaxed and unconcerned expression or a smug look on his face. It's either one or the other and there is always a hint of mischief in his eyes, however he's quite earnest in what he does. Once he chooses to do something he does it wholeheartedly and with full force. His mischievous nature can cause some people to misunderstand him, but his heart is in the right place. Ever since he was chased after Toshiro that day and learnt that he couldn't outrun him because Toshiro could use Shunpo, he asked me to train him in this technique as well. I'm astonished with his progress. He wakes up at 5am to stretch for an hour before practicing his Shunpo for 10 hours. That's all he does. From 6am to 4pm in the evening. He only stops briefly to eat, drink, and recover his reiryoku. Then from 4pm to 6pm he trains his Zanjutsu and Hakuda skills. From 6pm to 10pm he trains in Kido. Then he meditates on his soul or reads until midnight before starting the entire process over again. He's been training like this for 5 years straight without stopping. His progress is frightening. I had an agreement with Genryusai-dono. Because Kishin possesses an extraordinary amount of reiryoku and powerful reiatsu he let me keep Kishin as a temporary member of the 13th division under the guise of security supervision. He agreed to let me watch over him for a maximum of 10 years before I would be forced to enroll him into the academy. I wanted to wait the full 10 years before sending him off, however the rate at which he is learning is simply amazing. He is more than ready to enter the academy. He's adapted well to life in Seireitei by now. I suppose I don't need to wait the full 10 years before having him enrolled. His control over his own reiatsu is still a bit shaky, but it is at least at a good enough point where he can even begin to manipulate it into heavy pressure at will. The issue of this problem lies in his body and vast quantity of reiryoku. His body is still too young to handle all of the strain and pressure it places on him so at best his reiatsu manipulation is around the 3rd seat level. Maybe the Lieutenant class level on good days. His circumstance is similar to Hitsugaya's in this way. Either way it's good enough where I feel comfortable sending him to the academy. Even though they would teach him how to control his reiatsu there as well I feel better that he learnt within the 13th division grounds.

As Kishin completed his Shunpo training he moved on to the next thing on his agenda. He did his Zanjutsu training for two hours like he normally does before beginning his Kido training. Just as he was about to start practicing he was interrupted by Toshiro's voice.

"Surprise attack!"

Kishin smirked amusedly and immediately Shunpo'd away just in time.

"Tch. Not bad. You've gotten a lot faster, Kishin."

"You haven't seen anything yet." Kishin replied smugly.

Toshiro grinned with intriguement. "Oh? Think you're hot stuff now huh?"

Fwish!

It was then Toshiro widened his eyes in shock as Kishin appeared right behind him and tapped him on the shoulder as he heard Kishin say amusedly, "Tag. You're it."

Toshiro immediately swiped his hand behind him only to hit nothing but air.

"Y-You?!"

Kishin stared at Toshiro with a smug expression taunting him, "You what? Too fast for Shiro-chan now?"

Toshiro stared at Kishin on the roof of a building with careful consideration.

What the? How did he...what kind of insane level of training has he been doing? It's only been 2 years since we last saw each other. In Shinigami years that's not much at all. Ever since I met Kishin 5 years ago we would occasionally meet. As irritating as I find this bastard I don't find him entirely horrible. I knew he was progressing really well but...2 years ago I was definitely still faster than him. But just now he…

Toshiro was snapped out of his thoughts as he heard Kishin taunt him once more. "Hmm? Maybe it wasn't me that got faster, but you who got slower. Oh? Or maybe it's because of your short height? Your legs can't keep up."

A thick vein popped on Toshiro's forehead as he stared at Kishin with determination. "Y-You bastard! I'm older than you! You should learn how to respect your seniors!"

Kishin laughed and replied nonchalantly, "Sure sure, when you grow taller than me."

Immediately Kishin dashed off into the distance as Toshiro gave chase. Jushiro simply watched this all play out with a bemused expression.

Mn. Kids should be kids. However...I must say...in a mere 5 years Kishin's Shunpo has already caught up to Shiro-chans. He's even faster than Rukia now. In fact he's even faster than the two 3rd seats Kiyone and Sentaro. But with the way he trains it does make sense. Most people don't train as hard as Kishin does. It's because they know that they have a long lifespan therefore they take things at their leisure, however maybe it's because Kishin was a human not too long ago that he has a sense of urgency in time and so he chooses to train with all his heart. If we use human time as a standard then the average Shinigami perhaps practices their Shunpo or some other skill approximately 4 hours a day averaging about 4 days a week. That's a total of 832 hours a year of practice in one skill. Kishin however practices his Shunpo wholeheartedly going at it for 10 hours a day every day. He puts in a total of 3640 hours of practice a year. That's a rate of 4.375x the norm of extra practice which means in one single year of practicing Shunpo he has effectively trained as if he trained for a little over 4 years in this skill. With the passing of 5 years in total he has put in the work of nearly 22 years worth of Shunpo practice. And since he's asked me to help give him pointers, as one of the few Shunpo masters in Soul Society, not that I'm bragging, there haven't been any major roadblocks along the way for him. And since he's not technically an official member of the division he hasn't been assigned any duties so all of his time is dedicated to training. No wonder Toshiro is astonished. If we use the same sort of logic in his other areas of training then in 5 years he's practiced Kido as if it were nearly 9 years and in Zanjutsu and Hakuda nearly 4.5 years. He spends less time training in his Zanjutsu and Hakuda skills, however he must be a naturally born talent in Hakuda and Zanjutsu. He was already very skillful in swordplay and hand to hand combat from the get go. He trains just enough to ensure that his skill in these areas isn't dull. On the rare days that he leaves the 13th division to stroll around Seireitei, people see him as a genius talent where everything seems easy for him, however they aren't aware of all the hardworking hours he puts into his training and studies every single second of the day.

After several hours of dashing around both Toshiro and Kishin stood in the middle of the 13th division training grounds huffing and puffing.

"You've...huff...gotten...huff...faster." Toshiro remarked out of breath.

"And you...huff...haven't...huff...been slacking...huff...off." Kishin replied just as out of breath.

After their game of tag Toshiro stuck around for a bit exchanging greetings and whatnot with Jushiro and Rukia before returning to the 10th division. As their game took longer than anticipated Kishin decided to hold off the rest of his training today and sat relaxedly atop the roof of a building in the division grounds. Jushiro arrived and sat next to him as they both watched the sun disappear beyond the horizon letting the darkness of the night cover the sky. After a few minutes of silence between them Kishin commented, "Mn. I think I'm pretty fast now."

Jushiro simply let out an amused laugh. "Hahaha! So you beat Shiro-chan huh?"

Kishin nodded with pride. "Yeah, of course I did."

"So, are you still continuing with this sort of training?"

Kishin thought for a moment before answering. "Yes and no. I'm changing it up. I think the level of my Shunpo is at a decently high level right now. I'll keep my training regiment but I'm switching things up. I'll keep the morning schedule the same, however I'm no longer running for 10 hours straight. Instead I'll run from 6am to 10am for 4 hours. Then I'll practice Zanjutsu and Hakuda for two hours. My skills in those areas are pretty solid so I don't think I need to change anything there. I want to really work on my Kido and reiatsu control. I'll train from noon to 8pm in Kido. Then from 8pm to midnight I'll meditate and focus on my soul and control of reiatsu. Maybe read a few books here and there."

Jushiro could only sigh in astonishment at how well Kishin adjusted his training regiment. "Once again you don't cease to amaze me Shin-chan. You didn't even need my advice. You recognized that your skill in Shunpo is now at a high enough level where you don't need to go full force in training it, but you also ensure that you aren't shirking it from your schedule. I agree with your assessment on Zanjutsu and Hakuda. You must have a knack for fighting. You picked up on weapon handling and hand to hand combat so quickly that you're right about not needing to spend so much time in this area for now. And now you're trying to go full force into Kido training and refining your reiatsu control in meditation. Speaking of which, I've been curious, have you been able to hear the voice of your Zanpakuto again ever since that day in Rukongai?"

Kishin took a deep breath as he looked at the night sky and shook his head. "I...haven't. This is why I want to spend more time trying to meditate on my soul and controlling the flow of my reiatsu."

Jushiro nodded in understanding. "Actually. Kishin. I was thinking that you should enroll in the academy. You've been here for about 5 years now and you've made incredible progress. The truth is I had made an arrangement with the Captain Commander Yamamoto. He recognizes that you have great potential. The amount of reiryoku you possess is immense. If you learn to channel it properly you have the potential to become a Captain class Shinigami one day. The agreement between the Commander and I was that he'd let you remain in the 13th division for a maximum of 10 years under the guise of me being a security supervisor for you due to your immense reiryoku and reiatsu. After that you would have to enter the academy like all Shinigami here and then apply to join the Gotei 13 through proper channels after graduation. On average class lessons in the academy last for 6 years, however in truth graduation depends on the individual. As you know our Lieutenant, Kaien passed away, however he graduated from the academy in just 2 years. Captain Ichimaru of division 3 graduated in 1 year. And Toshiro also graduated in just 1 year. I personally believe that you can achieve the same feat as Toshiro and Captain Ichimaru graduating in a single year, however just know that you don't have to rush. Even if you can graduate in a year if you wish to remain longer you certainly can. So, what do you think? Interested in attending? Of course if you want we can also wait out until the 10 years are up."

Kishin stared at the night sky lost in his own thoughts for a moment.

The academy huh? Over the past 5 years I've gotten a basic handle on my reiatsu. I just now confirmed against Toshiro that I'm not lacking in my Shunpo. I have built up a pretty good foundational knowledge of Kido over the years with help from Rukia and Captain Ukitake. The Hakuda fighting style here is very similar to my assassination hand to hand combat style I learnt from grandpa. Main difference is the incorporation of reiatsu and Shunpo in certain movements. This I have a pretty good handle on. Zanjutsu is about the same as well. My weapons training with grandpa was more than sufficient to help me sharpen up my skills in swordplay here. And I've finished reading all the books in the 13th division. The division owned about 1600 total personal books in its private collection. I spent nearly 2 hours every night reading for 5 years. Thanks to my training as an assassin I can average reading about 500 words a minute and retain most of the information I read. In essence if I really really tried I could probably read about 3000 total books in 5 years that average 100,000 words a book if I dedicate 2 hours every day to reading. I could read even more if I dedicate more time to pure reading. Thanks to those books I basically have an understanding of the workings of Soul Society and some of its history. It also helped me expand my foundational knowledge in all my other combat forms as well so I suppose attending the academy wouldn't be a problem. I suppose I could wait another 5 years, but I mind as well get it out of the way. Graduate. And join the Gotei 13. I'd officially get paid then as well.

Jushiro took note of how long it was taking for Kishin to reply so he felt a bit awkward and guilty that he hadn't told Kishin any of this before until now.

P-Perhaps I should have mentioned something to him at the very beginning right after Genryusai-dono and I had come to this agreement...I-Is Kishin perhaps upset? Or perhaps he doesn't want to attend the academy yet?

However Jushiro breathed out a sigh of relief as he heard Kishin's answer. "Alright Captain Ukitake. Attending the academy sooner than later will be better. I'd rather get it out of the way. Plus I'll get paid if I officially join the Gotei 13 right? And I can start going on missions and do other things."

Jushiro nodded happily, however he also felt an odd sense of curiosity at how easily Kishin was taking the situation.

Well...I suppose it is Kishin after all. There haven't been many things that have happened to make him flustered. Ahhh...but I have a feeling that many students might just misunderstand him. Kishin does have...after all...a unique personality...

The next day Kishin continued his routine by waking up at 5am and stretching for an hour before training his Shunpo for 4 hours. Jushiro had informed him that the academy wouldn't begin their semester until the beginning of next week and so he had a week to prepare and do whatever he liked until that time. After his Shunpo training he normally started training his Zanjutsu and Hakuda skill, however as he was more than adequately well-versed in this area he decided to head to the Seireitei public library as he needed more books to read since finishing the entire private book collection within the division. Just as he was about to head out the door he stopped in his tracks when he heard his name being called.

"Oh? Rukia-senpai? What's wrong?" He asked nonchalantly.

"I heard you were going to the library."

Kishin simply nodded.

"Then let me come with you. I want to get some books too!"

Kishin shrugged his shoulders. "Okay. Two's a company."

As they both walked in peace and quiet next to each other Rukia asked with curiosity, "I-Is it true that you beat Toshiro yesterday in a game of tag?"

"Yeah. I did." Kishin replied matter of factly.

Rukia was shocked. "R-Really? Your Shunpo is that good already? I hear the speed of Toshiro's Shunpo is near a Captain's level."

Kishin nodded before smiling mischievously. "Senpai, don't tell me you want to play tag too?"

"E-EH? M-Me? N-No! Ahem...no thanks. I'm alright."

Kishin's mischievous expression turned back to his bored and relaxed face as he replied a bit disappointedly, "Oh. That's too bad."

Rukia was a bit baffled at Kishin's reply.

Eh? Wait...did he want me to say yes? W-Well...it's not like I would mind…

Just as they were about to enter the library they paused in their step to avoid being hit by the opening of the door. As a person walked out from the library entrance they paused and took note of Kishin and Rukia. "Oh? My apologies. I didn't mean to block the entrance."

Rukia quickly composed herself and replied politely, "No. It's alright Captain Aizen. We should be the ones who are more careful next time."

Aizen simply smiled and shook his head. "Ah, there's no need for you to be so formal in front of me. You're Kuchiki Rukia correct? The younger sister of Kuchiki Byakuya. And this young man is...ah, you must be Chigetsu Kishin right?"

Kishin simply replied lazily, "Yeah. That's me."

Rukia pinched Kishin's side causing him to slightly flinch. "Ow."

"Kishin, where's your manners? This is Captain Aizen."

Kishin just let out a sigh before he sarcastically said in a joyous tone, "Ahem. Yeah! That's me!"

This only caused Rukia to pinch his side harder. "Ow!"

Aizen simply laughed as he watched their antics and exchanged a few more pleasantries with them before excusing himself. As Aizen walked off he took a secret glance behind him at the two young Shinigami's retreating form with great interest. "Hoh...So that is Chigetsu Kishin. An interesting little fellow. He's a bit difficult to read. Was he intentionally avoiding direct confrontation with me? Or was that just how his personality is? And Kuchiki Rukia. I see that you are growing up well..."

As Aizen walked off lost in his thoughts Kishin was lost in his own thoughts.

Tch. That bastard. He was sizing me up just now. I shouldn't get involved with anything about him yet. I'm not currently strong enough to protect myself from him. If I remember correctly he's supposed to be insanely strong...and the power of his Zanpakuto is supposedly complete hypnosis. He was supposed to have already placed most if not all those who hold any kind of authority in the Seireitei under his power. It won't matter if I try to drop hints to others that Aizen's a traitor. It's unlikely anyone will be able to do anything about it. They're more likely to end up dying in his hands if they become a nuisance. And I wonder how many people would believe me. And on the off chance that Aizen finds out I'm the one who's been dropping hints of his movements he might decide to quickly kill me. What's the best way to go about this...I'll have to think about this more in depth later.

Kishin was snapped out of his thoughts as Rukia noticed how lost in thought he was so she took a book off the shelf and lightly tapped it on his forehead.

"Ow." Kishin replied apathetically.

Rukia frowned at his response and reprimanded, "Oi! Have a little more self-awareness."

Kishin smirked and replied amusedly, "Yes ma'am!"

This irked Rukia more so she once again tapped the book against his head, but this time a bit harder. "Ow. That one hurt."

"Really? I couldn't tell. Your apathetic expression didn't convey your feelings. Perhaps I oughta hit harder just to make sure."

Kishin quickly saluted and said, "Captain Aizen, you're back!"

Immediately Rukia panicked a little and turned around only to see no one. Kishin smiled mischievously and snagged the book from her hands causing her to yelp in surprise. As she turned back around, Kishin simply snickered at her mix of frustration and embarrassed facial expression.

"Hehe, for some odd reason that trick works every time."

Rukia could only let out a sigh. "Haaaah...you're too much to handle."

Kishin just smiled and put the book away as he and Rukia continued walking towards the higher floors of the library. "You may say that Kuchiki-senpai, but I know it's not how you really feel. At least with me you can always be yourself."

Rukia inwardly flinched at his statement. "W-What do you mean?"

"What else could I mean? You don't have to pretend to be so serious and strict about following the rules all the time. It's fine to just relax you know. I don't mind."

Rukia responded a bit flustered. "Y-You...I'm not so serious all the time. Right?"

"You are. When you're with others. Even when you're with Captain Ukitake. Also, senpai, you like to bottle up your frustrations, worries, and anxieties inside. You don't like to let people see that side of you because you think it makes you look weak. You think it makes you seem useless, but in truth if you don't tell anyone about them then how can you learn to overcome them? And the people who care about you, how would they ever know about what you feel if you shut them out?" He replied straightforwardly.

Rukia fidgeted in her spot with a depressed look lost in her thoughts.

H-He's right...But what can I do? I can't shame the Kuchiki clan name but...my skills are only average. I'm not even a ranked officer in the 13th division. The power of my Kido is average at best in the division. My Zanjutsu skills are subpar. And Kishin and Toshiro who are younger than me can even perform Shunpo at almost the Captain level already! Kishin hasn't even been a Shinigami for more than 5 years and his Shunpo has far surpassed me! In fact his Shunpo has far surpassed anyone in our division except for Captain Ukitake. I-I'm a failure compared to him. Why did big brother even bother adopting me...I'll only drag him down. I couldn't even save Kaien-dono.

Kishin frowned as he noticed that the atmosphere surrounding Rukia became gloomier and gloomier so he took a book off the shelf and smacked her on the head.

Bop!

"OW!" Rukia exclaimed immediately snapping out of her thoughts. The gloomy atmosphere around her instantly disappeared as she gripped the top of her head with both hands massaging the area she was hit. "What'd you do that for?"

Kishin gave her an innocent look and shrugged his shoulders. "Rukia-senpai, can I tell you a secret?"

Rukia was inwardly startled as Kishin's reply to her was completely out of left field. She could only nod her head extremely curiously. As Rukia bent her head down so he could whisper in her ear he immediately bonked her on the head again with the book in his hand.

Bop!

"OWWW!" Rukia exclaimed even louder. Many people in the library frowned and shushed them causing Rukia's face to heat up in embarrassment. "Y-You?! What did you do that for? Why'd you hit me?!" Rukia whispered loudly.

Kishin simply smirked and put the book away. "Do you feel better now?"

Rukia could only look at him completely confused. "What are you talking about?"

Kishin frowned at her answer. "Your facial expression earlier. The mood around you. It was depressing so I hit you. I know what you were thinking. You were probably comparing your skills to other people in the division. Being self-depreciating of yourself. Thinking yourself inadequate for the Kuchiki clan name. And...on top of it all you were probably thinking that Kaien-senpai's death was your fault."

Rukia felt her heart skip a beat at the mention of Kaien's name. A sorrowful expression painted itself on her as she recalled that event, however she was quickly snapped out of it when she heard Kishin warn, "If you want more souvenir's on that noggin of yours then keep up that depressing look."

"Ahahaha...I...sorry. I just can't help it."

Kishin grabbed a few books and set them down on a table as Rukia followed him and took the seat beside him.

"Rukia-senpai. Kaien's death isn't your fault. I heard the entire story from Captain Ukitake about the late Lieutenant." Before she could respond Kishin interjected. "Did Kaien-senpai want you to fight beside him?"

Rukia struggled to answer this. Kishin noted her silence so he continued, "Did you know that Captain Ukitake has two philosophies on fighting?"

Rukia flinched at the question as she recalled the memory when Kaien told her this. She folded her hands together and replied softly, "Captain...believes that there are two types of battles...those who fight must be able to distinguish between them. The one where we fight to protect life...and the one where we fight to protect one's pride."

Kishin nodded. "Right. Then again, if you think about it a little more, couldn't one make the claim that their pride is their life? Then should they lose their pride they would be left with nothing. So in the end, I think Captain's philosophy can be reworded or re-interpreted. Instead, it'd be more accurate to say that one should fight to protect what's in their heart. Whether that be human life, friends, comrades, pride, dignity, anything. Whatever is in their heart, that's what they fight to protect. Captain told me how Kaien-senpai fought a strange and powerful Hollow. How that Hollow possessed his body. And then how Kaien-senpai fought to regain control of his body and chose to die on your sword. Rukia-senpai. What kind of memory do you think Kaien-dono wanted you to have of him? I don't think it's one where you blame yourself for his death. I think he wanted you to carry on his will. His heart. And to remember him fondly. The hearts of people we carry on inside of us gives us strength. Don't you think? Rukia-senpai?" Kishin smiled a bit dejectedly and derisively at himself after he finished his little speech to Rukia.

I wonder if she'll believe what I said. I may tell her all of this...but in truth I've never personally experienced these things myself. In my old life I killed people for a living. In order to do so I killed myself as a human. Detached my emotions and soul. All these complex emotional concepts and ideals...I gained with a heavy price...from the death of the ones I killed. Some would have family or relatives or someone close to them that would wish to take revenge on me. They would preach to me about their own philosophy and tell me why they hunted me down. They would tell me the reason they wanted revenge. The reason they fight. The reason they tried so hard no matter how futile and no matter how high a wall they would be forced to climb. In the end...all those who came after my life died...in my very hands. Over time I began to understand people. Every person who tried to kill me for revenge would first pour out their heart and soul to me. Wanting me to understand their hatred. Wanting me to understand their drive. Their motivation. Their feelings. And then they died. In my hands. In failure at taking my life. And it was as if every one of those people whose lives I took imprinted onto my empty soul a piece of what it was to be human again. Friends. Family. Comrades. I never before considered any of that. I only ever had two things. My skills. And grandpa. But after reincarnating...maybe it's because I ended up in someone else's body or maybe it's because I'm finally free from my chained life as an assassin. I'm starting to feel less empty. I suppose...the correct way to put it is I feel more free. To just be me. Not having to kill or restrain anything about myself.

Upon hearing Kishin's spiel, Rukia immediately recalled the memory of when Kaien had told her the exact same thing. She then unconsciously whispered aloud as she recalled the words of the late Lieutenant. "...when we come into contact with each other...a heart is created between us…"

Kishin turned to look at Rukia curiously. "Hm?"

But Rukia was entranced in her own thoughts as she continued. "The heart is created when we think about something or someone. Because if I was the only person left in the world...then I wouldn't have a heart anymore. And if your heart is here...then that is your reason to be here. And that is enough."

Kishin widened his eyes a bit surprised at how deep Rukia's philosophy was and thought about what he heard her say for a moment before nodding in agreement. "Mnnnn...yeah. That sounds about right. Rukia."

It was then tears began falling down from Rukia's eyes causing Kishin to feel completely lost.

W-What the...What's going on? Crap! Did I make her cry? I'm not good at stuff like this.

He awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck a bit flustered. "Umm...sorry...I didn't mean to make you cry."

Rukia smiled at Kishin's apology and wiped her tears away as she shook her head. "No. It wasn't you. Rather...thank you. Kishin."

Now he was very confused so he could only reply completely lost. "Oh...um...you're welcome?"

Rukia just let out a joyful laugh while some remnant tears still streamed down her face. After several seconds passed by she managed to reign in her emotions. "Sorry. Thanks to you I remembered the words Kaien-dono told me that day. Mn. When one comes into contact with another, a heart is created…we must never die alone. Because then our hearts will live on within our comrades. Right? Kaien-dono..." She softly clutched the spot where her heart was on her chest as a reminiscent smile graced her lips.

Kishin could only remain seated next to her in an uncomfortable awkward silence not knowing what to say.

One Week Later

Kishin yawned as he walked off to the academy, however he was stopped right out front of the academy entrance by one of the Shinigami recruiters.

"Wait. Where's your class emblem?"

Kishin raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Class emblem? What's that?"

That Shinigami just let out a sigh. "Haaaaah...another newbie who doesn't know the rules. Look. If you were late for the official registration testing then you need to get your reiatsu tested. Afterwards you need to take a generalized aptitude test to see what basic knowledge skills you have. After that you'll be placed in a class. Luckily for you today classes are beginning with a two hour delay just for people like you who didn't take the tests beforehand in order to give you all a chance to get situated in a class suited to your learning needs." He then pointed to where several long lines were formed and said, "You need to wait in one of these lines. Perform the two tests, and then get your class badge as well as dormitory number and key. After that you can head to your respective classroom for the start of lessons."

"Oh? So that's how it is. I see I see. Hm. Thanks for the info." Kishin said nonchalantly as he walked off to stand in line leaving that Shinigami recruiter completely speechless and baffled at his unconcerned attitude. As Kishin patiently waited in line he watched as the Shinigami in front of the booth place some sort of device that looked almost like a geiger counter in front of each person waiting in line.

Hmmm...must be some sort of reiatsu or reiryoku detector. Probably determines the current standing of a Shinigami before placing them in a class. Makes sense.

It wasn't long before he was up next. As Kishin stood before the booth the Shinigami behind the counter was about to do the same thing as he did with the others, however that Shinigami slightly flinched and stared with a bit of shock at him as he heard that Shinigami comment, "Hoh...you sure got some presence kid."

Kishin nodded indifferently. "Why thank you."

He took note of a thick vein that popped on the forehead of that Shinigami.

"Cheh. What's with your tone kid? Watch how you speak to your superiors."

Kishin inwardly sneered at the Shinigami but quickly lost interest and just remained silent as he waited for the test to be over. That Shinigami felt a bit ticked off at the fact that Kishin didn't even respond so he just clicked his tongue in annoyance and placed the measuring device in front of Kishin, however once more he widened his eyes in shock. He moved the device away and then moved it back. He did this several times but no matter how many times he did it he kept getting an error sign. In the end he called over another Shinigami and asked, "Yo, you know what's going on with this thing? It can't measure his reiryoku."

The second Shinigami furrowed his brow in deep contemplation and pulled out his measuring device, however the same thing happened. He then took a moment to study Kishin's frame for a good minute before a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his head. He quickly recomposed himself and wrote on a sheet of paper before commenting, "Heh. You sure got a presence kid. Here, take this paper to your written exam and take this room key. Go on ahead and finish your registration."

Kishin nodded in appreciation before taking his leave. The first Shinigami raised his eyebrow questioningly and asked, "Oi, was that alright? To automatically place him in the top 100? We couldn't even measure his reiryoku."

The second Shinigami simply shook his head in a bit of nervousness. "Idiot. Of course it can't measure his reiryoku. It's because his reiryoku is a lot denser and more abundant than the rest of these guys out here. The quality of the reiryoku meter we brought with us can't read that high. There's no need to worry about his placement. He's definitely exceptional. Couldn't you feel it? Even without the reiryoku meter I knew right away that he had an immense amount. If you focused on him for just a few seconds you'd be able to feel it...the heaviness of his reiryoku leaking as reiatsu being emitted off his body. People like them are rare. Even in the Seireitei. Don't underestimate them. I've been doing this job for a long while. Captain Ichimaru and the 10th division's 3rd seat Hitsugaya Toshiro went through this process as well getting their reiryoku measured and it wasn't able to read them. Now look at where they are. It's not just them. There are others that went through this test and had the same result. Every single one of them became noteworthy people in Soul Society. You shouldn't try to make enemies out of people like that."

The first Shinigami felt his back drench in cold sweat as he recalled how he acted towards Kishin. Meanwhile Kishin couldn't care less about those two Shinigami as he was currently sitting in a room taking the paper exam in front of him that tested one's general knowledge about the workings of Soul Society, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Kido, Hoho, The Gotei 13, the human world, reiatsu, and whatnot.

Hm. Test is pretty general. Nothing very difficult on here. 30 questions that cover the surface layer knowledge at best. I suppose it makes sense. It can't be too difficult since the academy also recruits individuals from outside of Seireitei in Rukongai. People living on the outskirts wouldn't have too much knowledge about Kido or reiatsu yet. With all the books I've already read and with Captain Ukitake as a prime source of knowledge I think I've been properly equipped for paper exams.

As Kishin finished up in less than 10 minutes and turned in his test he caught the attention of everyone around him. Some students stared with disbelief, some had a smug look thinking that he had given up, and others stared with indifference wondering how everything would turn out. As the proctor of the exam looked over the test they widened their eyes in shock. They double checked, triple checked, quadruple checked, however no matter how many times they looked over Kishin's test they couldn't find any mistake.

"Y-You really finished the test in 10 minutes?"

Kishin shrugged his shoulders with lax and nodded. "Mn. Is there something wrong?"

"Ah-Er...well no...I was just surprised. That's all. Ahem. It says here that your name is Chigetsu Kishin, correct? And your reiryoku test has you ranked in the top 100. Very well, your placement will be Class-1."

At hearing the proctors words everyone in the room widened their eyes in shock at the realization that Kishin didn't give up nor was he trying to stir up some trouble. It was really because he finished his exam in 10 minutes! And the revelation that he had been placed in the top 100 of the reiryoku measuring test made them even more shocked. After Kishin took the Class-1 emblem and academy uniform he left the room leaving the proctor a bit dazed in amazement. "So...another genius enters the academy. It wasn't long ago when the genius Toshiro of the 10th division attended..."

Kishin changed into the academy uniform which looked similar to the standard shihakusho only the hakama was blue and the shirt was white with the emblem of the academy on in. As time winded down he quickly arrived in front of a large spacious room that had a large screen door leading to a training ground right outside.

So this is the classroom for those in Class-1. Looks nice. Apparently Class-1 is an accelerated program.

He was interrupted out of his thoughts when he heard a deep and gruff voice behind him.

"Move it kid."

Kishin raised his eyebrow in curiosity and turned to look at who was being so rude right off the bat. It was a large burly man who stood at about 195cm in height with tan skin and short black hair. He was a bit overly muscular and seemed to have a natural menacing look on his face. Kishin took note of two others beside him and one other in the middle.

Hm? Seems that guy in the middle is the boss? The other three must be his lackeys.

Seeing as Kishin didn't move nor did he respond the large burly man grunted disapprovingly. "Kid. I told you to move it. Better do so while I'm still asking nicely."

Kishin plastered an innocent look on his face as he asked, "Who are you?"

"Uh? Are you daft kid? My name is Oda. These two beside me are Ita and Haru." He then stepped to the side for a moment revealing the person behind him and said with great respect, "And this is the young master Takaki. Kasumioji Takaki."

After hearing Oda's introductions Kishin finally had an idea of the situation.

Oh. So Takaki is of the Kasumioji clan. One of the high ranking noble families in Soul Society surpassed only by the 4 great noble houses like the Kuchiki clan. So these three idiots Oda, Ita, and Haru must be Takaki's dogs.

Once again Oda noticing Kishin's lack of cooperation clenched his fist in annoyance. "Now that you know, move it or I'll remove you by force."

Kishin continued playing the innocent card and replied tauntingly, "Oh. Sorry sorry, I didn't know who you were. Umm...gorilla man right?"

Oda was immediately incensed as thick veins popped on his forehead in anger. "You bastard!" He then struck out with his large fist. The difference in height was incredibly noticeable. Oda was 195cm tall whilst Kishin was still only 129cm in height, however despite the difference in size and expectant difference in strength Kishin merely held up his left hand and caught Oda's giant fist.

Bam!

The sound made from the contact resonated through the hallway and a little bit of wind was generated from the force of the blow. A moment of silence passed by. Then another and another until the one who broke it was Oda himself as he asked in complete and utter shock. "H-How?! Impossible! Y-You were able to stop my fist?!"

Kishin smirked amusedly and gently removed his palm from Oda's fist. "Arara, all those muscles must be for show. No power at all."

Oda felt pure burning anger, hatred, and rage fill him up inside at Kishin's taunt, however he couldn't understand what happened. He was unsure of what he should do next, but then he heard Takaki's voice. "Oda! What the hell do you think you're doing? Get rid of this brat. I'd like to go in and have a seat now. Ita, Haru, you too."

The three of them frowned and nodded obediently. "Yes. As you wish, young master."

By now the hallway was crowded with other students as they watched with curiosity at what was happening. Oda, Ita, and Haru flanked Kishin on all sides and just as they made a move they let out a heavy breath and groan before falling to the ground unconscious. Takaki stared in disbelief. "W-What?"

Kishin smirked and walked right on top of Oda's unconscious body making his way over right next to Takaki.

"So, young master Takaki. Did you want to go in first?"

Takaki gulped in nervousness as a bead of sweat dripped down the side of his forehead. "I-It's fine. I-uh...I needed to use the bathroom anyways." Without wanting to stay there any longer he dashed off into the distance pushing past the crowd in the hallway. Kishin shrugged his shoulders and walked into the classroom taking a seat.

Hmpf. Serves them right. There's two doors. They could have just used the other one. Didn't have to be so rude.

As the incident came to an end and the crowd began to disperse there was one individual who was watching everything play out in the dark corner of the hallway. Aizen. He grinned in amusement and fixed the glasses on his head.

Very interesting. He's quite a character. I see that Ukitake didn't shirk training him during his time under the 13th division's supervision. To overcome the difference in physical strength he exerted just enough reiatsu to nullify the attack. His reiatsu control, while shaky, is still quite refined compared to most. Especially for his age. And his speed in Shunpo is fast enough where they couldn't follow his movements with their eyes. He was also able to incapacitate his assaulters with minimal effort by targeting their weak points. In this regard he's quite accomplished in both Hoho and Hakuda. Another genius enters the academy much like Gin and Toshiro. Perhaps I should find a time to show him my Kyoka Suigetsu just in case he becomes someone notable in the future.

The ring of the bell brought Aizen out of his thoughts as he walked off to teach his Calligraphy class.

As Kishin sat on his desk minding his own business he was interrupted out of his thoughts by someone sitting down next to him. "Yo! That was some pretty crazy stuff you did back there. How'd you do that?"

Kishin glanced at this new person with curiosity. They had long white hair that was tied up behind them and they had purple eyes. His skin was a light tan color and his body was slim yet well defined. He was about 175cm tall and seemed to be somewhere in his teens. Kishin surmised he was probably somewhere between 15-16 in human years or 150-160 in Shinigami years.

"And you are?"

"Oh right, sorry I forgot to introduce myself. My name in Kinji. Tsunayashiro Kinji."

Kishin tilted his head a bit intrigued.

Ehhh...Tsunayashiro? Another noble family? This family possesses quite some influence in Soul Society. Their main responsibility is to document the history of the Soul Society. I've read some of their books before to get a better understanding of the world. I never imagined I'd meet someone from the Tsunayashiro family here in the academy.

Kishin shook his hands in greeting as he replied, "I'm Kishin. Chigetsu Kishin. Nice to meet you Kinji. As for how I dealt with those idiots earlier I simply released a bit of reiatsu and out maneuvered them with Shunpo."

Kinji widened his eyes in shock. "Y-You can already control your reiatsu to that level? A-And you can use Shunpo? Y-You must be incredibly fast then, even I couldn't catch what happened."

"Ehhh? From your words it means that you've learnt how to use Shunpo too huh?"

Kinji nodded. "I'm not bragging or anything but since I come from a noble family I was taught the basics."

They were interrupted from their conversation as the teacher finally entered the classroom and introduced himself. "Good afternoon everyone. I am your instructor for the accelerated course Class-1, Onabara. Gengoro Onabara. You may address me as Gengoro-sensei or Gengoro-dono. Since it's an accelerated course we have no time to waste. I'll get over with the introductions quickly and we're going to begin right away. We're going to spend 1 month having all of you practice to control your reiatsu while building up your knowledge of what Shinigami actually are. What your duties would be. Things like that. Then we're going to go straight into training the four major combat forms. Hoho, Hakuda, Zanjutsu, and Kido. Before you leave class today make sure you each take one of these blank Asauchi with you. You'll also be tasked with infusing your reiatsu into your Asauchi and hopefully be able to one day awaken your very own Zanpakuto. Understood?"

"Yes!" Everyone responded.