Bleach : I Need To Rizz To Become Stronger ?!

Peaceful days always passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, another year had gone by. The matter between Shin and Unohana Retsu hadn't caused any waves in Seireitei. Those who knew about it were limited to the original participants.

Everything had settled into place—just as Head-Captain Yamamoto had hoped.

Over the past year, Shin's life as a captain had been relatively uneventful. He handled daily duties, focused on training, and occasionally gathered with Shuhei or Kaien for drinks.

His contact with the Fourth Division had grown sparse. When he did bump into Isane, she would simply nod and quickly walk away.

Unohana Retsu no longer wore the cursed restraint chains. There were no longer any emergency injuries requiring his intervention. Since then, Shin hadn't once set foot in the Fourth.

The last time he saw Unohana had been during a captains' meeting.

If he had gained anything this past year, it was that he had fully adapted to the intensity of his current spiritual pressure.

That day, Rangiku Matsumoto brought over a registry and a stack of documents.

"These are the records of this year's Shin'ō Academy graduates. A lot more applied to join the Tenth Division than last year."

She seemed to be in a great mood. Normally, around this time of year, the Tenth Division wasn't exactly a popular pick. She usually had to go lobby for applicants herself. But this year, many listed the Tenth as their first choice.

Even more surprising—several of the applicants had excellent academic performance.

Shin skimmed through the list and quickly recognized a few familiar names. He could already guess why.

Many of the top-performing applicants had been members of the Student Council.

They were here for him—drawn by the former Council President.

Rangiku sighed with pride. "Who would've thought the Tenth Division would be so sought after? I guess it's because I've been running things so well. Among all the vice-captains in the Thirteen Divisions, no one works harder than me. The Academy students must've heard of my reputation."

She shamelessly took all the credit for herself.

Shin replied, "They probably heard about your scandalous reputation."

But Rangiku didn't take offense. She grinned. "Even if it's scandalous, it's well-earned. I am this beautiful, after all."

Shin glanced at her. "Didn't know you were so narcissistic."

Rangiku gave him a playful glare. "With a vice-captain as good as me, you should count your blessings!"

"Oh, I do. I'm so thrilled I can't sleep at night, just thinking about how lucky I am to have you, Miss Rangiku."

"Ugh! Disgusting!" Rangiku folded her arms, shooting him a look of disdain. "Don't tell me you think about me at night doing weird stuff."

Shin beamed. "Take a guess."

"Pervert!"

"Well, you're so gorgeous, big sis. I have to think about you to fall asleep."

He teased as he started marking up the list with a brush pen.

Rangiku finally snapped. "Shut up!"

Once he'd finished, Shin handed the updated list back.

"These ones we keep. For the rest, you can work it out with the other divisions."

Rangiku returned to business. "Even after trimming, we're still over capacity. Time to push some of them to the other squads. Finally, they'll have to come begging me."

She rubbed her temples with mock fatigue. "Such a headache. I'm way too soft-hearted. What if I cave?"

But as she read over Shin's picks, her brow furrowed.

Most of the ones he marked were top-tier students. That made sense. These were their first-choice applicants—accepting them was mutual interest.

But one name made her pause.

"Momo Hinamori… we're not taking her? Did you miss this one?" Rangiku asked. "She ranked just below the top of her class. Aren't you two close?"

Shin said calmly, "Her? Just let things run their course. If another squad wants her…"

"What the hell are you thinking?!" Rangiku interrupted, grabbing a pen and marking Hinamori's name herself.

"Anyone else, fine—but someone this talented? She's definitely staying in the Tenth!"

Shin didn't argue. "Do what you want."

Rangiku rolled her eyes. "Could you take this seriously? Do you know how much a good recruit can do for a squad? You're the one who benefits!"

Among this year's graduates, the top student—Izuru Kira—had chosen the Third Division. Rangiku knew they couldn't compete for him, especially since Kaien Shiba was the current captain of Squad Three.

But the runner-up, Momo Hinamori—no way was she letting her go.

Then a thought struck her. She eyed Shin suspiciously.

"Don't tell me… Hinamori's one of your old flames from the Academy?"

"…"

Seeing him fall silent, she burst out laughing. "You little bastard. I remember that Kuchiki girl always hanging around you. So you were living it up back then, huh?"

Shin muttered, "Stop making stuff up."

Rangiku added gleefully, "All the more reason to keep her. Let's see if she can whip you into shape."

Shin narrowed his eyes. "You're not worried about chaos breaking out?"

Rangiku snorted. "Scared? Sounds like you're the one who's worried."

Shin had reviewed all the graduating students.

Hinamori and Kira were early graduates. Renji and Rukia hadn't graduated yet.

Renji's performance was inconsistent—he had little chance of passing the comprehensive exams. Rukia's grades weren't particularly high either, and early graduation required excellence across the board.

In short—only Kira and Hinamori were in the clear this year.

But many former Student Council members were graduating too.

The Tenth Division would soon welcome quite a few familiar faces.

The Academy graduates quickly received their squad placement notices.

Though the rest of Seireitei remained calm, Shin'ō Academy was bustling with energy.

As graduation neared, many students grew sentimental.

After a farewell dinner with the Student Council, Rukia, Hinamori, Kira, Renji, and Ganju gathered at an izakaya for one final get-together.

They reminisced over drinks, laughter mingling with sighs.

"Time flew, huh? It's finally our turn," Kira said after a few cups.

Renji clicked his tongue. "You two leaving is gonna make things boring. Traitors!"

Hinamori didn't hesitate to jab back. "It's not our fault you flunked the graduation exam."

Renji pouted. "Blame the instructors and the Thirteen Squads for not recognizing talent. I'm headed for Squad Eleven, but they made me take kidō exams!"

"That's basic competency for all Shinigami. I suggest you take it seriously—unless you want to repeat a year."

Renji sighed. He didn't hate kidō, but he had zero talent for it. Casting spells required precise control of spiritual particles, and he just wasn't built for that.

Eventually, he gave up on it entirely. The effort-to-reward ratio was brutal.

Now, he worried about his future. What if he really had to repeat a year?

He imagined Rukia graduating while he failed again. Her disappointed face…

Ugh.

A chill ran down his spine.

"Rukia…"

"What?" she asked.

"Help me study kidō sometime?"

Kira chuckled. "Rukia's been so busy lately, even her own scores have dropped. Don't waste her time."

But Rukia just said, "It's fine. I've got some free time this break."

Her plan was to spend the break training under a few teachers from the Kuchiki household anyway.

Renji frowned. "Forget it. I don't want to slow you down."

Hinamori sighed, holding her forehead. "Hopeless. Absolutely hopeless."

Rukia caught the real meaning behind the sigh and shot her a look.

Renji, of course, missed it entirely. He scowled. "Hey, what was that, Hinamori?!"

"I could help," Ganju suddenly offered. "If you don't mind, I can tutor you in kidō."

Though technically their junior, Ganju had exceptional talent. After Hitsugaya left, he had taken first place across most subjects.

Renji lit up and threw an arm around him. "You're the best, Ganju! My bro!"

Kira laughed. "Wow, Renji, you really climbed up the social ladder today."

Renji just shot him a glare.

Then Kira turned to Ganju with a grin. "Hey, you like me too, right? Tell your big bro to look out for me in Squad Three. I'd love to start off with a seated position. Wouldn't be too much to ask, right?"

Ganju: "…"

Hinamori scoffed. "Dream on."

Kira shrugged. "Can't help it. Unlike you guys in Squad Ten, I don't know anyone in Squad Three. But you've got Shin-senpai, Hitsugaya, and all those former Council members heading there."

That much was true.

Hinamori wasn't feeling melancholic at all—she was excited to join the Tenth.

She couldn't wait to show up and see what expression the former president would make when he saw her.

Kira thought for a moment and said, "Ganju, weren't you planning to join the Tenth too after graduation? At this rate, Squad Ten's going to be the default destination for all our Student Council alumni."

"Wouldn't be surprised," Hinamori said. "Our president is there, after all."

Kira turned to Rukia with a grin. "Hey, Rukia, why don't you join the Tenth too?"

The moment he said it, Hinamori's smile froze.

Realizing his blunder, Kira cursed himself silently.

Rukia simply shook her head. "I'll be joining Squad Thirteen."

"Thirteen?"

"Not Squad Six?"

Everyone was surprised.

Rukia hesitated. "It was my brother's decision."

They all remembered that her brother was the current captain of Squad Six—Kuchiki Byakuya. None of them had met him in person, but as a captain, he was a figure far beyond their reach.

Still, the decision confused them.

Ganju mused, "Maybe it's like what my brother said to me."

Kaien Shiba had warned Ganju not to apply to Squad Three. At the time, Ganju hadn't understood—he thought his brother just didn't want him around.

Now it made sense.

Being in the same squad as your older brother, especially if he was the captain, would invite rumors and favoritism. Kaien didn't want that for him.

"Maybe…" Rukia murmured.

She had been quiet all evening, even though she'd had a few drinks.

Hinamori said gently, "Squad Thirteen is a great place. I heard Captain Ukitake is kind and generous. Your brother Ganju used to be his lieutenant, right?"

Ganju nodded. "Captain Ukitake is amazing."

Before Kaien became captain of Squad Three, he had always praised Ukitake at home—often while comparing him to their uncle.

Rukia smiled. "I know. I really do want to go there."

Her smile was calm, with no trace of discontent.

Hinamori saw it and blinked, her gaze flickering slightly.

Kira raised his cup. "Well, looks like everyone's got a good place to go. Let's make a bet—who'll be the first to make vice-captain?!"

His bold words lit a fire in the group.

Even Rukia, the "weakest" among them in grades, was still considered elite. As current Student Council President, she was used to leading. Each of them harbored secret ambitions—not just for vice-captain, but perhaps even captain someday.

"Hell yeah! Let's see who wins!"

"Cheers!"