Bleach: The Template System Chose Me, The Forgotten Kuchiki

"We've arrived, Brother. That testing field up ahead is where they assess spiritual talent for admission into the Academy."

Rukia's voice brimmed with excitement as she gestured toward the open area near the gates of the Spiritual Arts Academy. Though Shiraha's eyes had never seen the world around him, his mastery of Observation Haki revealed everything with crisp precision. Through this sixth sense, he easily perceived the large crowd gathered in the field beyond—an eclectic mixture of hopefuls divided into two distinct groups. The first and far more numerous were civilians from Rukongai, their clothes plain, their expressions equal parts nervous and hopeful. The second group, much smaller and marked by refined posture and cleaner robes, consisted of lower- and mid-ranking nobles from various minor branches of Soul Society's aristocracy.

As for the great noble houses—the true elites of Seireitei—only the Kuchiki family had deigned to send a candidate, and that candidate was Shiraha himself.

At the edge of the testing field, two Shinigami stood as examiners. Both wore robes tailored in the fashion of lower-ranking nobles. One handled the influx of candidates from Rukongai. The other, a bit more polished in bearing, was designated to evaluate those from noble lineages.

Before Shiraha and Rukia could proceed any further, a familiar figure bounded toward them, red hair tied up with a white headband and vibrant blue markings arching across his forehead. A Zanpakutō hung at his waist, glinting in the sunlight as he arrived with visible eagerness.

"Rukia! Shiraha-niisan! You made it!"

Rukia blinked, clearly surprised to see Abarai Renji appear outside academy grounds. "Renji? What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be in class?"

Given that today wasn't a scheduled rest day for second-year students, Renji's presence was unusual. He hadn't submitted a leave request like Rukia, who had been granted permission to escort her brother. For Renji to be here, there had to be a reason.

Scratching the back of his head with a sheepish grin, Renji muttered, "I figured you might have trouble finding your way here, so I decided to wait outside just in case you got lost or something."

Shiraha stepped forward with a quiet smile, sensing the awkward sincerity in Renji's voice. "I see you've awakened your Zanpakutō already. That's impressive. At this rate, you'll be eligible for early graduation."

Renji waved a hand in protest and let out an embarrassed laugh. "You're giving me way too much credit. I only just unlocked it recently. There's still a long road ahead before graduation even becomes a possibility."

Before Renji could say more, Rukia grabbed her brother's hand and tugged him forward, her excitement renewed. "Come on, Brother! Let's get your spiritual power tested!"

However, Shiraha gently withdrew his hand and offered a calm reassurance. "I'll manage on my own. You and Renji can wait here for me."

Rukia's small fist shot into the air in a gesture of encouragement, her voice clear and spirited. "Do your best, Brother! I just know your spiritual talent is going to amaze everyone!"

Although she had never seen his abilities measured before, Rukia's confidence in Shiraha remained unshakable. As the younger sibling of Byakuya Kuchiki—the most gifted scion of the Soul Society's leading noble house—she had no reason to doubt the strength hidden within him.

Renji nodded toward Shiraha with a grin. "We'll be cheering for you right here."

With his smile still faintly visible, Shiraha stepped into the growing line of examinees, placing himself quietly at its end. From Rukia's explanations prior to their arrival, he already understood the structure of the entrance examination: it was comprised of two parts—a written test and a spiritual power evaluation. Of these two, the spiritual power test held far greater weight. A candidate possessing high enough Reiatsu could afford to flounder in written theory and still gain entry.

To facilitate the evaluation of spiritual aptitude, the Twelfth Division's Technology Development Bureau had—over the past century—designed a highly accurate measuring device known as the Spirit Ball. The mechanism, a translucent orb filled with spiritual-conductive particles, responded to the examinee's Reiatsu by emitting colored light. Each color corresponded to a rank within the established nine-class Reiatsu scale, with First Class representing the weakest and Ninth Class representing captain-level power. Candidates were required to demonstrate at least Third-Class Reiatsu to qualify.

Historically, captains like Ichimaru Gin and Hitsugaya Tōshirō had both tested as Ninth-Class when they first enrolled, which only heightened the expectations surrounding noble candidates like Shiraha.

Already, whispers had begun to spread among the other noble-born examinees nearby.

"Isn't that the blind heir of the Kuchiki family?"

"I heard he never leaves the estate. What's he doing here?"

"They say his Reiatsu is abysmal. This should be amusing."

Their remarks, hushed though they were, reached Shiraha easily through his Observation Haki, but his expression remained unreadable. He paid them no mind.

The examiner at the noble station called the next name. "Onogawa Nishi."

A visibly anxious boy stepped forward, placed both hands on the Spirit Ball, and released a controlled stream of Reiatsu into it. The orb shimmered faintly before flaring with steady white light tinged with blue.

"Third-Class Spiritual Power. Pass. Proceed to Gate One for the written exam."

The boy's face lit with relief as he received a wooden pass token and bowed respectfully before heading toward the designated area. A hush of admiration fell over the Rukongai-born candidates who watched, envy written across their faces. For one of them to pass the exam meant access to the Shinigami path—a route out of poverty, danger, and obscurity.

One by one, the line shortened.

Finally, the examiner glanced up and froze for a moment as he took in Shiraha's formal robes, the unmistakable crest of the Kuchiki family emblazoned proudly upon them. His posture straightened at once, and he stepped forward to bow.

"Lord Kuchiki, please inject your spiritual power."

Shiraha approached with calm purpose, raised his right hand, and placed it gently against the Spirit Ball's surface. Without hesitation, he began channeling Reiatsu into the orb. Thanks to his earlier observations, he already understood the limits of the device and adjusted the intensity of his output accordingly.

As his spiritual energy flowed into the orb, it first glowed with white light, then deepened into blue, then red. Murmurs rippled through the crowd.

"That's already higher than anyone else."

"Wait—it's still changing..."

The red light inside the orb flared brighter and began to shift once again. Gradually, it darkened into a deep violet hue, flooding the orb with a soft but powerful purple glow. Those who had been whispering fell silent, their expressions overtaken by disbelief.

"Captain-level spiritual pressure," the examiner breathed aloud. "That's... Ninth-Class. Purple light! He possesses Reiatsu on par with a captain!"

Gasps echoed throughout the testing field. Even the nobles who had previously whispered of Shiraha's uselessness now stared at him as if he were some mythical creature.

"I can't believe it... Captain-level power from someone who's never even trained."

"Just what kind of blood flows in the Kuchiki family?"

Rukia's eyes gleamed with pride as she turned to Renji. "Did you see that, Renji? Brother's spiritual pressure is the same as Byakuya-sama's."

Renji stood speechless for a moment before finally muttering, "I knew he was strong... but this is something else entirely."

Yet the orb still wasn't finished reacting.

The purple glow intensified, the light within pulsing in rapid succession. Then, all at once, hairline cracks spread across its smooth surface. The pressure of Shiraha's Reiatsu, no longer containable, surged through the orb's casing.

With a sharp crack and a sudden explosion, the Spirit Ball shattered into hundreds of glittering shards, scattering across the test platform.

The Spirit Ball—overloaded by Shiraha's spiritual power—had been destroyed.