Bleach: The Template System Chose Me, The Forgotten Kuchiki

"I really thought I was going to die just now!"

"No kidding! That Dangai space is way too dangerous!"

"So that was the Kōryū and the Kōtotsu? It was absolutely terrifying..."

Nervous laughter and chatter broke out among the students as they caught their breath, still reeling from the ordeal they had narrowly escaped. Relief etched itself across their faces, the tension finally ebbing out of their limbs, replaced with wide smiles and disbelief at their survival.

The earlier chaos—the sudden manifestation of the Kōryū and the violent passage of the Kōtotsu—had thrown them into sheer panic. And yet, somehow, they had all emerged intact.

"Brother Shiraha, if not for your warning earlier... we'd all be gone," Renji muttered between gasps, sweat still trailing down the side of his temple.

"You really saved us," Hinamori Momo added, her voice soft but sincere, the corners of her lips lifting into a grateful smile.

Kira Izuru, unable to compose himself just yet, collapsed onto the pavement with a sigh of relief, his chest rising and falling as he sucked in lungfuls of air, the look on his face betraying the lingering fear that still hadn't left him.

"It's nothing," Shiraha replied with a wave of his hand, brushing off the praise with practiced humility.

And yet, even as he stood among the students, the thrill of their survival giving way to laughter and light teasing, Shiraha's brows furrowed slightly. Something didn't sit right with him.

By standard protocol, the Technological Development Bureau of Seireitei always conducted detailed environmental scans before approving a Dangai traversal. Under such scrutiny, neither the Kōryū nor the Kōtotsu should have been active. The corridor was supposed to be safe—stabilized and sealed against fluctuations. Unless, of course, someone had deliberately interfered.

And only one name came to Shiraha's mind.

Aizen.

It was the kind of move he'd make. Subtle tampering. Untraceable chaos. A single needle nudged into the gears of the system. No one else had the foresight, the ambition—or the darkness—to do something so precisely catastrophic.

But now wasn't the time to dwell on that possibility.

"Alright, you've all arrived safely in the Human World," Matsumoto Rangiku announced as she stepped forward, her usual smile returning. "Time to begin your soul burial exercises. I'll be... supervising from a distance, of course. If anything unexpected happens, you know how to reach me."

With a carefree wave, she turned away, her figure bathed in sunlight filtering between the clouds of Karakura's evening sky.

Rangiku had specifically volunteered to lead this excursion, and while her official explanation had been about guiding the students, Shiraha saw through it instantly. Her real motive was much simpler—she just wanted a break from her captain's exhausting paperwork and a chance to enjoy the freedom of the World of the Living.

"Yes, Matsumoto-sensei!" the students chorused in unison, standing at attention and bowing formally.

Shiraha crossed his arms and gave her a knowing look. "Vice-Captain Matsumoto, you didn't just sign up for this assignment to enjoy Earth's shopping and hot springs again, did you?"

There was no point in guessing—he already knew the answer.

"Ah—so you saw through me." Rangiku giggled, pressing a hand lightly against her chest in faux surprise. "You have no idea how suffocating the 10th Division has been lately. Paperwork, reports, more paperwork... I deserve a little fun!"

The scene left many of the male students momentarily stunned, eyes wide and cheeks tinged red.

"In any case, if anything serious comes up, notify me immediately. Otherwise... have fun." With a playful smile and a quick shunpo, Rangiku vanished into the distance, her spiritual pressure stretching thin as she took off to explore the town—or, more likely, the nearest café or bar.

Renji leaned over and whispered, "Shiraha, doesn't she seem just a little... unreliable?"

Before Shiraha could respond, a voice cut through the air behind Renji like a whip.

"Abarai-san, it's rude to speak ill of your superiors behind their backs."

Renji froze mid-breath, spinning around with visible panic, his mouth clamping shut.

As Rangiku's presence faded from the area, the rest of the students split into their assigned groups, shouldering their Zanpakutōs and dispersing across the different blocks of Karakura to begin their field training.

All except Shiraha.

He remained alone for a moment longer, his eyes scanning the town, his spiritual senses already at work.

"Time to begin."

Exhaling slowly, Shiraha activated shunpo and leapt high into the air, condensing spirit particles beneath his feet as he stabilized midair, his robes fluttering in the breeze. He extended his Observation Haki outward, letting his senses stretch across the urban sprawl in search of wandering souls.

The posthumous spirits of humans, severed from their physical bodies at death, drifted through this world with no direction. Left untouched by a Shinigami, they would remain here indefinitely, lingering in sorrow or confusion.

These were the Pluses—"Jibakurei"—souls still bound to the living world by emotion or circumstance. Without proper passage to Soul Society, they would eventually be consumed by Hollows... or worse, become one.

It was the duty of Shinigami to find these souls, perform konso, and guide them to Rukongai.

"There are monsters... it's cold... I'm scared... no one sees me..."

The voice drifted from a narrow alleyway below—a quiet, trembling whisper that only a spiritually aware being could hear. Through his Haki, Shiraha had located a small girl, no older than eight or nine, curled into a corner like a forgotten doll, her form barely glowing against the shadows.

"That was fast," he murmured.

The Academy's curriculum required students to successfully perform three soul burials during their field training in the Human World, and each one would be tracked by the seal embedded in their uniform badge.

Descending silently, Shiraha landed in the alley and approached the girl with careful, slow steps.

The moment she noticed him, her body trembled. "Big brother... you're so good-looking... Are you one of those monsters too? Are you here to eat me... like the one that ate Mama?"

Her voice cracked, her shoulders shivering as she backed into the wall.

Shiraha's chest tightened. He understood immediately. The 'monster' she spoke of was a Hollow, and her mother—judging by the sorrow in her eyes—had likely sacrificed herself to protect her.

Kneeling before her, Shiraha gave a gentle smile. "No. I'm not here to hurt you. I'm a Shinigami."

Her eyes widened, confusion creeping into her expression. "Shini... gami? Are you here to take me to Hell?"

The fear in her voice was genuine, born not of knowledge but from fragmented stories and myths—of dark gods who came for the dead.

Shiraha shook his head, his voice soft and steady. "Not Hell. A new place. A peaceful place where you won't have to be cold or scared anymore."

In the Soul Society, wandering souls with minimal spiritual pressure often lost their memories and began life anew. Only the exceptionally powerful retained fragments of who they once were.

Unsheathing the Soul Burial katana at his waist, Shiraha flipped it in his hand, gently pressing the butt of the hilt against the child's forehead.

A glowing soul mark appeared between her brows. Her form shimmered, beginning to dissolve into spiritual particles.

"Go on," Shiraha said, watching her silhouette fade. "You're going to start again—somewhere warm. Somewhere safe."

The girl looked up at him, her face serene for the first time. "Thank you, big brother... You feel warm... like Mama's hugs. I wish Mama could come too."

With that final whisper, she vanished entirely.

A system chime rang in Shiraha's mind, silent to all others:

Ding! Mission complete. Soul Burial successful. Task reward granted: 'Fujitora Smile' template progress +10%.

Fujitora's One-Smile Template: 60% Synchronicity

— Observation Haki: Perfected

— Armament Haki: Advanced

— Swordsmanship: Perfection Level

— Unique Abilities Unlocked:

→ Gravity Fruit: Intermediate Mastery

Manipulate up to 30x gravity within a 50,000-meter radius.

Infuse gravity into weaponry for enhanced strikes.

→ Zero-Gravity Control

Remove gravity from chosen targets or zones, suspending them mid-air.

Grant flight or force displacement as desired.

→ Gravity Blade: Tiger Slash

Accumulate massive gravitational force within the blade before release.

Upon swinging, unleash a wave of horizontal compression pressure along the blade's arc.

→ Gravitational Suppression

Intensify gravity within a localized zone, pinning enemies or weakening their mobility.

Shiraha sheathed his Zanpakutō, gaze lifting once again toward the endless city skyline.

The sign-in was complete.

But Karakura still held secrets.

And he would uncover them all.