"Genichi, you applied for the 5th Division? Nice, just like me!"
At the Shino Spiritual Arts Academy,
in the classroom of the Elite Class A,
Abarai Renji leaned over, looking at Yurei Genichi's application form and said.
"Really? Big Brother Yurei, you applied for the 5th Division too?"
Hinamori Momo, sitting nearby, said with a face full of surprise, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Yurei Genichi.
"Yeah."
Yurei Genichi nodded slightly, a smile on his face.
"That's awesome! Kira's in the 5th Division too, so we're all together!"
Abarai Renji slung his arm around Kira Izuru's neck, saying happily.
Kira Izuru looked a bit resistant, not quite used to Renji's overly familiar behavior.
Still, he didn't pull away.
Clearly, the four of them had a great relationship.
Having enrolled in the Shino Spiritual Arts Academy together and studied as classmates for six full years, their bond was deep.
The other classmates were also brimming with excitement.
Having passed the graduation exam, as Elite Class A graduates, they were the best of the Shino Academy.
When it came to division assignments, they had more autonomy than other students.
They could actively apply to join a specific division.
Of course, for those with influential family backgrounds, it was a different story.
Yurei Genichi smiled at his classmates, but his mind was elsewhere.
He was waiting for a message from the system.
Unfortunately, there was no response yet.
It seemed he'd have to wait until things were finalized.
Yurei Genichi shook his head slightly, no longer dwelling on it.
In the blink of an eye, decades had passed.
He had almost forgotten he was a reincarnator.
Decades ago, he died in a car accident, thinking his life was over.
Unexpectedly, he was reborn in the Soul Society as an ordinary soul in Rukongai.
To his surprise, after decades of muddling through, a mission system awakened.
Completing missions granted rewards.
And so, step by step, Yurei Genichi went from an ordinary soul in Rukongai to an outstanding graduate of the Shino Academy, on the verge of becoming a Shinigami.
Not long ago, Yurei Genichi received a mission to join the 5th Division of the Gotei 13.
Yes, the division led by that Aizen Sōsuke.
As a reincarnator, Yurei Genichi naturally knew Aizen Sōsuke's true nature—the slick-haired mastermind!
Initially, he wanted to refuse.
But after seeing the system's reward, he weighed his options and decided to join.
Aizen might be terrifying, but his rebellion was still some time away.
There were plenty of opportunities to maneuver in the meantime.
Take Abarai Renji, Kira Izuru, and Hinamori Momo, for example.
Later, except for Hinamori, who stayed in the 5th Division, Renji first went to the 11th Division and then to the 6th.
Kira started in the 4th Division before being recommended to the 3rd.
Personnel movement between the thirteen divisions was common.
There was plenty of time.
But would his application be approved?
Yurei Genichi wasn't entirely confident.
During his six years at the Shino Academy, he had deliberately avoided contact with Aizen.
Whether it was Aizen guest-lecturing or practical training in Hueco Mundo, he kept his distance.
For Renji, Kira, and Momo, joining the 5th Division was almost guaranteed.
After all, Aizen had subtly influenced them from early on.
It was, in a way, Aizen's arrangement.
Let's hope it all goes as planned, Yurei Genichi thought to himself.
The reward for this mission was simply too tempting to pass up.
The application forms were soon collected and sent to the respective divisions, awaiting the captains' approval.
This was the Gotei 13.
Captains held near-absolute authority within their divisions.
So, whether Yurei Genichi could join the 5th Division depended on Aizen's decision.
The possibility of Aizen casually leaving it to the vice-captain?
Yurei Genichi didn't even consider it.
"Alright, we've officially graduated! Let's go celebrate!"
Abarai Renji suggested.
As the most lively member of their quartet, he was usually the one to propose such things.
"Sure."
"No objections here."
"I'm in."
Yurei Genichi, Momo, and Kira nodded.
"I'll go invite Rukia," Hinamori said.
Renji and Rukia had grown up together in District 78 of South Rukongai, a fact everyone knew.
With graduation upon them, Momo naturally wanted to include her.
"No need," Renji said, shaking his head, his expression sour.
"No need indeed. Rukia's probably reporting to the 13th Division by now. She won't have time," Yurei Genichi explained.
He knew that Kuchiki Byakuya had pulled strings early on.
Rukia hadn't even taken the Shino Academy's graduation exam or the 13th Division's entrance exam—she was directly admitted.
That was the power of the Kuchiki family, one of the four great noble houses!
Renji and Rukia were now worlds apart.
"Sorry, I didn't know," Hinamori said, feeling guilty.
Her intentions were good, but she hadn't anticipated this.
The atmosphere grew awkward.
"Don't worry about it, Momo. Renji's not that petty. Why don't you invite Toshirō? I heard he's already the 3rd Seat of the 10th Division. He's super busy, so this could be a chance for him to unwind," Yurei Genichi said with a smile, easing the tension.
"Yeah, I'll talk to Toshirō. Not sure if he'll have time, though," Hinamori said, nodding at Yurei Genichi.
She never questioned anything he said.
"Alright, let's hurry. The restaurants are going to be packed today, and we'll miss out if we're late," Kira urged.
The four left the Shino Academy together.
...
At the 5th Division barracks,
in the captain's office,
Aizen had just opened a few entrance applications.
He glanced at the forms from Abarai Renji, Kira Izuru, and Hinamori Momo, quickly approving them.
But when he reached Yurei Genichi's application, he paused.
"Yurei Genichi? An Elite Class A graduate."
Aizen looked up slightly, a hint of recollection in his eyes.
A moment later, a faint smile crossed his lips. "I hadn't paid much attention to him before. Interesting."
With that, Aizen wrote a large "Approved" on Yurei Genichi's application.
At that moment,
Yurei Genichi, waiting at a restaurant table, heard a voice in his mind.
[Ding! Congratulations, Host. You have successfully completed the mission to join the 5th Division. Reward: Bankai, issued immediately.]