Soul Society - Rukongai, West District 23.
When the float on the water suddenly sank, Tone Kazuki tightened his grip on the line, focused his gaze, and pulled in one smooth motion. Within seconds, he tossed a plump river fish into the basket beside him.
Before he could appreciate nature's bounty, the familiar sound of his system echoed in his ears, bringing with it another small sense of accomplishment.
[Daily Task: Fishing]
[Completed]
[Reward: Reiatsu +2 Issued]
Kazuki closed his eyes and focused inward. If his spiritual power were likened to a lake, then its water level had just risen again - slight but perceptible.
"Thanks for the gift, system…" he said softly, picking up a snack from the small bowl beside him and popping it into his mouth. Looking up at the sky, he sighed. "There's about a hundred years left before the plot begins… I guess I've gotta keep working hard…"
Tone Kazuki was a reincarnator.
There was nothing particularly special about it - the same old setup. A car accident, one moment of darkness, and then awakening in the world of Bleach. It had been over twenty years since then.
Originally, Tone Kazuki was just another orphan from Rukongai's West 23rd District - timid by nature, with some latent spiritual talent that he had no idea how to utilize. He died one bitter winter day from illness, and when his eyes opened again, the consciousness within his body had changed entirely.
After realizing what had happened, Kazuki slowly worked through his new circumstances and eventually enrolled in the Shin'ō Spiritual Arts Academy.
Upon graduating, he joined the 8th Division of the Gotei 13, climbing the ranks through diligence and patience until he reached the position of 5th Seat - finally earning the right to spend his time fishing at leisure.
It wasn't much, but it was peaceful… for now.
Peace in Soul Society, however, was always temporary.
There had been Aizen's rebellion before, and later, the invasion of the Wandenreich. The former wasn't too bad - at least Aizen's ambitions were lofty - but the latter had been catastrophic. The Quincy stormed the Seireitei without hesitation, cutting down anyone in their path. There was no surviving that kind of war through simple fishing and patience.
Kazuki had some talent, but not enough to compare with prodigies like Hitsugaya Tōshirō or Ichimaru Gin. If he relied purely on training, his future would likely end with him crushed beneath some nameless, large-scale attack. No matter how he looked at it, the road forward seemed grim.
Fortunately… Kazuki wasn't entirely alone in this world.
Though cliché, he had brought along a system when he reincarnated.
[Life Player System]
It allowed him to gain small rewards for ordinary activities - walking dogs, feeding cats, fishing, cooking, and the like. Each completed task granted subtle bonuses, ranging from +1 Reiatsu to minor boosts in his Kidō proficiency.
Individually, the rewards were minor, but accumulated over decades, they became formidable.
After twenty years of effort, Tone Kazuki had built enough power to stand firmly on his own. He wasn't on the level of captains or lieutenants, but with the main events of the story a century away, time was on his side. If he kept pushing forward, perhaps someday he could even face Yhwach himself.
...Probably.
Promotion, however, was out of the question. The position of 5th Seat was comfortable and stable - not too high to drown in paperwork, not too low to lack authority. Moving up would only invite stress and endless responsibility, neither of which appealed to him.
Fishing every day wasn't exactly glorious, but it wasn't miserable either.
---
Yadomaru Lisa approached the riverside carrying a small package in her arms.
From afar, she spotted the familiar figure - the one with long, dark hair - sitting by the water's edge, idly eating snacks as he fished. Her temper flared immediately. Clenching her fists, she quickened her steps, her Shunpo leaving faint afterimages along the riverbank.
In the next breath, she appeared beside him. Her glasses glinted sharply in the sunlight as she glared at the seated man - the very image of indolence. Kazuki sat there in his usual relaxed posture, his features refined enough to rival those of the Kuchiki family's heir, his demeanor lazy but approachable. It was easy to see why the younger division members adored him.
None of that saved him from Lisa's wrath.
"Tone-Kazuki-!" she hissed through gritted teeth, her tone dangerously calm. "Do you know how hard you've been to find?"
"...Ah." Kazuki froze for half a second before forcing out two awkward laughs. "Ahaha… Lisa-san! What brings you here? I caught two pretty big fish today - how about I share one with-"
Before he could finish, Lisa threw the black cloth bag she had been carrying straight at him. It dropped at his feet and spilled open, revealing neatly stacked bundles of paperwork inside.
"What's this?" Her tone was ice-cold.
"A-ahaha… about that…" Kazuki rubbed the back of his neck, beads of sweat gathering at his temple. "I-I was just about to bring those to the 1st Division… really…"
He knew exactly what it was. Those were official documents the 8th Division had submitted earlier that week - forms that he was supposed to process and deliver to Captain Kyōraku's office personally. He'd gotten most of it done too… until his system had announced a limited-time "Fishing Celebration" event the night before. Double rewards for each catch had been far too tempting to ignore.
Totally unrelated to his obsession with fishing, of course. Entirely for the sake of self-improvement.
"No explanations," Lisa cut in sharply. "Do you realize the vice-captain of the 1st Division came down personally to ask for these? If I hadn't helped cover for you, it wouldn't be me standing here right now - it'd be them dragging you away!"
"Ehh… is that so…" Kazuki stalled, mind racing frantically for any excuse that might defuse her anger. Within seconds, he calculated several possible approaches before committing to one with exaggerated sincerity.
"Lisa-san," he said suddenly, pressing his hand to his chest. "You've always been so kind to me. So how about this - I've, uh… collected a few magazines from the World of the Living during my last mission. All high-quality editions, very tasteful. I'll give you one later as thanks for your hard work. How does that sound?"
Lisa's lips parted slightly - her expression hard to read behind the reflective glare of her glasses - but Kazuki could swear he caught the faintest tinge of red across her cheeks.
"...Really?"
"Really," he said without hesitation, nodding vigorously.
Lisa looked away quickly, clearing her throat. "...Fine. Ahem. The captain's looking for you too. Let's go back to the division together."
Kazuki hesitated, glancing back at his fishing rod. "How about… one last catch?"
Her tone dropped in warning. "Kazuki."
He sighed in defeat and began packing up his gear.
[AN: I'M UPLOADING 10 CHAPTERS TODAY!]