Bleach: The Template System Chose Me, The Forgotten Kuchiki

"Well then… since you're this adamant, Shiraha, I won't press the matter further. Just exercise caution. Should anything unusual occur—any spiritual disruption or threat—make sure to contact your supervising officer immediately."

Watching the unwavering conviction etched across Shiraha's expression, the instructor finally relented, recognizing there was no convincing him otherwise, and instead chose to step aside with a quiet sigh of resignation.

"Thank you for your understanding, sensei," Shiraha replied, his voice composed, his tone respectful, and his smile faint but unmistakably sincere.

"Ah, before I forget," the instructor added, glancing down at the roster in his hand, his expression shifting with a flicker of amusement, "your assigned field team leader for this internship is none other than Vice-Captain Matsumoto Rangiku of the Tenth Division."

The moment those words left his mouth, a surge of reaction rippled through the assembled students like lightning across dry grass. And as if on cue, a dazzling figure shimmered into view at the front of the formation, having arrived in a burst of Shunpo so fluid it barely disturbed the dust beneath her feet.

"Hey, everyone! I'm your team leader for this mission—Matsumoto Rangiku!" the voluptuous woman announced cheerfully, her right hand lifting in an easy wave, her voice bright, animated, and distinctly commanding despite its playful tone.

The effect she had was instantaneous. The male students, almost without exception, froze in place as if struck by Bakudō, their gazes locked on her form with a mixture of admiration and stunned disbelief, while the female students glanced at one another with unspoken envy, eyes narrowing slightly as they took in every detail of the woman's confident figure.

With flowing orange hair cascading down her shoulders in soft waves and a beauty mark resting just beneath the corner of her lower lip, Matsumoto's appearance held a kind of magnetic boldness. Her Shinigami uniform, while mostly in accordance with regulation, was softened by a casual pink shawl that draped across her shoulders and a decorative bow at her waist that drew attention to her famously curvaceous frame, giving her a look that was both relaxed and unmistakably commanding.

"Wait—Matsumoto Rangiku? You mean the actual Vice-Captain of the Tenth Division?"

"I thought they only sent seated officers for internships like these."

"Why is someone that high-ranking even here?"

Even Shiraha, who rarely showed more than a flicker of visible reaction, arched a brow in faint surprise. Though he had expected a team leader to be dispatched from Seireitei, a Vice-Captain was beyond standard protocol. For a mission of this nature, the presence of a single seated officer would have been more than sufficient, yet Matsumoto Rangiku's arrival signaled either personal interest or orders from a source well above the norm.

This level of oversight wasn't just unorthodox—it bordered on ceremonial excess.

Noticing the silence stretching awkwardly, Matsumoto placed one hand on her hip and raised an eyebrow, her lips curling into a mischievous smirk as she tilted her head ever so slightly.

"Come on now, why is no one greeting me properly? I didn't show up just to be ignored," she said, mock irritation woven delicately into her tone.

"Vice-Captain Matsumoto, good afternoon!" the students shouted almost in unison, snapping from their stupor and bowing hastily, the volume of their voices carrying both nervousness and embarrassment.

"Much better," she said with a wink, clearly amused by their reaction.

Her gaze drifted over the crowd, one elegant finger tapping against her chin in a slow rhythm as her eyes swept from face to face, scanning for someone in particular. It didn't take her long to find her target.

Not far off, Shiraha stood apart from the others—his posture straight but relaxed, his expression cool yet composed, with one hand resting loosely at his side and the other resting lightly atop the hilt of the practice blade hanging from his waist. His white academy uniform fluttered gently in the wind, the sunlight catching faintly in his silver eyes, and the ever-present calmness he exuded gave him the detached grace of a porcelain statue brought to life.

"There he is. Just like the file said—handsome, distant, and far too composed for his age. Definitely Kuchiki blood," Matsumoto murmured to herself before striding confidently toward him, her smile widening with every step.

"Kuchiki Shiraha, right? It's a pleasure to finally meet you," she said, extending her hand in greeting, her tone warm and just a touch flirtatious, though her eyes shimmered with a far more curious intent beneath the surface.

Several male students nearby bit back expressions of awe and disbelief, their minds collectively reeling from the surreal image of a Vice-Captain casually singling out one of their peers. It wasn't simply a matter of attention—it was the Matsumoto Rangiku extending her hand in personal recognition.

"Greetings, Vice-Captain Matsumoto," Shiraha replied calmly, accepting the handshake with a composed nod, his grip neither forceful nor hesitant, and releasing her hand with the same measured detachment as if he were greeting an official envoy.

Matsumoto blinked once, amused by his polite but indifferent demeanor. "You really don't have to be so formal, you know. Just call me Rangiku. I'm not here on some bureaucratic inspection—I came because I wanted to see you with my own eyes. Word is, you completely broke the Academy's performance records. Naturally, I was curious."

There was a teasing lilt to her voice, but the sharpness in her gaze made it clear her visit had a purpose that ran deeper than casual interest.

Several students exhaled long sighs of envy as they witnessed the casual conversation unfold. If Shiraha noticed the growing jealousy, he gave no indication, maintaining the same calm smile and leveled gaze.

"Vice-Captain Matsumoto, with all due respect, I assume your reason for being here isn't just to meet me," Shiraha said, his voice smooth, his words tactful but unmistakably direct.

She grinned in response, delighted by his ability to cut through pleasantries. "Straight to the point. I like that."

Leaning in just slightly, she lowered her voice and offered, "Join the Tenth Division. I'll make it official. You can skip the application, bypass the entrance review, and I'll assign you the position of Third Seat on the spot."

The field went dead quiet.

Gasps broke out like tremors through the crowd. A few jaws dropped. Others simply stared in silence, their minds struggling to process what had just been said.

This wasn't a standard recruitment offer. It was elevation—an instant promotion past the years of grinding most Academy graduates endured just to secure an unseated position. It wasn't just rare; it was nearly unheard of. To become a Third Seat straight out of the Academy, without even entering active service, was something most students couldn't even fantasize about.

And yet—

"I must decline," Shiraha said evenly, without a moment's pause, his tone respectful but unmoved.

He had already deduced that this wasn't an official division-wide offer. Matsumoto's demeanor, phrasing, and approach made it clear she had come of her own volition—possibly intrigued, maybe even slightly competitive—but not under the formal authority of Captain Hitsugaya.

"He… turned it down?"

"He rejected the Vice-Captain?"

"Does he even realize what he just refused?"

The students whispered, each voice layering disbelief atop confusion. Few could comprehend what would lead someone to walk away from such a golden opportunity.

Until one voice, cool and analytical, cut through the murmurs.

"You're all forgetting who he is. Shiraha's from the Kuchiki family—one of the Four Great Noble Houses. You think someone like that would join any division other than the Sixth?"

The moment the words were spoken, understanding dawned across the group.

Of course. The Kuchiki family didn't just belong to the nobility—they defined it. And within the structure of the Gotei 13, the Sixth Division had long been the ancestral seat of Kuchiki influence. Its current captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, was not only a paragon of discipline but also Shiraha's elder brother.

No matter how appealing the offer from the Tenth Division, joining any other squad would have been an almost political misstep, even if Shiraha himself didn't care for such considerations.

Matsumoto, to her credit, remained unfazed. In fact, her grin widened.

"So you're worried about big brother's opinion, huh? Don't sweat it. If you really want to join the Tenth, I'll talk to Captain Hitsugaya personally. He can negotiate with your family head."

Her voice was light, and her casual tone didn't betray any genuine frustration, though she did theatrically pat her ample chest with a dramatic sigh that sent another ripple of gasps through the boys behind her.

"It's not about that," Shiraha replied, shaking his head lightly, his tone still mild. "I'm simply not interested in joining the Tenth Division. Thank you, Vice-Captain Matsumoto, but I'll have to decline once again."

Matsumoto groaned dramatically and rolled her eyes in mock defeat. "You're too serious, Shiraha. Not even a little curious about how you'd stack up against our Captain? I was really looking forward to seeing a duel between the genius of the Academy and the child prodigy of the Gotei 13."

Before Shiraha could respond, the instructor coughed subtly into his fist and stepped forward.

"Vice-Captain Matsumoto, if I may, we're nearly out of time."

Her eyes widened slightly as realization dawned. "Oh no! You're right—I got totally sidetracked," she said, scratching the back of her head before quickly retrieving a compact hexagonal device from her sleeve, sleek and matte black in design.

"This little guy's from the 12th Division's Technological Development Bureau. It tracks how many Plus souls you perform Konsō on during your assignment. Each one's calibrated individually, so don't lose it."

As she spoke, the instructor followed behind her with a tray, distributing identical tracking devices to the gathered students one by one.

"You've already been briefed on how the Senkaimon works," Matsumoto said, her voice shifting into a more official cadence as she addressed the group. "Once you enter the Human World, remember one thing—if anything abnormal happens, no matter how small it seems, you contact me immediately. Don't act alone. Don't be a hero. Understood?"

"Yes, ma'am!" the students shouted, their collective voices crisp and loud, fueled by nervous anticipation as they turned toward the gleaming gates of the Senkaimon, their journey into the living world about to begin.