The 13th Division Needs Expansion

Seeing his master speak so lightly of it, Shiro was speechless.

But Shiro also knew that his master truly thought that way.

His master had managed to coax thirty variations out of the Zanpakuto he had inherited... It was as if he possessed thirty different Shikai, allowing him to select a different ability to counter any given enemy.

Yet, this was certainly not something just anyone could learn.

Still, the pointers his master gave him had sparked some ideas in Shiro.

Indeed, Heavenly Weather Manifestation could influence far more than just the water vapor in the atmosphere.

It was simply that Hyōrinmaru allowed him to control the water vapor within his range so easily that he had subconsciously ignored other powers.

If he could truly summon lightning at will, it would certainly be a tactic entirely different from freezing.

And besides lightning, what else within the weather could he manipulate?

Shiro began to ponder.

Aoto watched Shiro's expression, laughed, stood up from the bath, and walked out. "I'm heading off. Don't go soaking yourself until you faint!"

"Mm..." Shiro responded subconsciously.

This made Aoto chuckle as he walked away.

If the wielder of Hyōrinmaru were to actually faint from soaking in a bath, that would be a hilarious sight indeed!

Abarai Renji had not expected that just after reporting to the 11th Division, and before he had even put on his Shihakusho, he would be sent to the 4th Division.

It was also the first time he learned that the two divisions were actually connected.

Although Abarai Renji's injuries were not severe, with both arms injured, he couldn't even hold chopsticks, let alone a sword.

However, Abarai Renji did not expect to run into an acquaintance while waiting for the medical staff.

Kira Izuru was a classmate of Abarai Renji's from the Shino Academy.

He was even the top student!

Had he come to the 4th Division? Wasn't his first choice the Fifth Division?

"Hey! Kira, over here, over here!"

Hearing someone call his name, Kira Izuru, who was walking alongside other division members, looked over and was quite surprised to see Abarai Renji.

After explaining the situation to the other members, Kira Izuru walked over. "Abarai, why are you here? How did you get injured like this?"

Generally speaking, although the 4th Division was a medical unit, they were not responsible for treating ordinary residents of the Rukon District, only Shinigami.

But Abarai Renji wasn't wearing a Shihakusho right now!

"Don't even ask!" Abarai Renji said, lifting his two arms. "I joined the 11th Division. But right after I got in, we had a Hakuda test... and then I ended up like this!"

His left arm was broken, and his right arm had been frozen into an ice ball... although the ice had melted, the arm was still frostbitten and required treatment.

"Then you really are miserable!" Kira Izuru felt sorry for Abarai Renji.

"What are you saying?" Abarai Renji said proudly. "I won!"

"You won?" Kira Izuru sensed the residual Reiatsu on Abarai Renji's two arms. "But the Reiatsu on your arms is already at the sixth rank! Abarai, are you saying you won against a high-ranking seated officer?"

Sixth rank???

Abarai Renji thought of that little kid, feeling as though some part of his worldview had been shattered.

No wonder he felt like he would have died if he had taken that punch head-on!

His intuition had been correct.

Because of that residual Reiatsu level, a female seated officer from the 4th Division soon came over to treat Abarai Renji.

She was a petite and cute female Shinigami, and Abarai Renji didn't even dare to look at her.

Once she finished the treatment and left, Abarai winked at Kira Izuru. "The 4th Division is great! It looks like you'll be the first among us to have a girlfriend, Kira."

Kira's lips twitched; he really wanted to explain to Abarai just how bold the cute female officer he saw was in private... Even if it was from a doctor's perspective, talking openly about the various organs on a man's body was just too terrifying.

Kira hadn't been in the 4th Division for long, but he already wanted to transfer... otherwise, he felt that one day he would become a model for the other members to study the true appearance of organs.

Casting his gaze back to Abarai Renji, Kira Izuru suddenly remembered something.

"Abarai, you went to the 11th Division, right? Are you sure it wasn't the 13th Division?"

Abarai Renji didn't know what Kira was getting at, but he felt as though his own thoughts had been exposed.

But... as classmates for so long, who wouldn't know Abarai's intentions?

His eyes were usually on Rukia; it would be strange if people didn't notice.

"I heard that the 13th Division is going to expand its recruitment soon! It's going to be announced today! It seems the population in the human world is increasing rapidly, and the current number of personnel in the 13th Division won't be able to cope. So, all of us remaining students waiting for news will receive an invitation from the 13th Division..."

Before Kira could finish his sentence, Abarai Renji had already frozen solid.

Everyone else could go to the 13th Division?

Then what was the point of me working so hard to choose the 11th Division?

Abarai Renji wanted to join the Gotei 13 not only because it had been his goal for a long time, but also because Rukia had joined the Kuchiki Clan, becoming a member of the nobility, and had even been admitted to the 13th Division without an entrance exam recently.

Abarai Renji wanted to possess a status that matched hers, and joining the Gotei 13 was the only path to achieve that!

However, it was precisely because of his impatience that he had lost the opportunity to join the 13th Division directly.

Abarai Renji lost most of his spirit in an instant and simply lay on his bed like a corpse.

Seeing Abarai behave this way, the mischievous side of Kira was satisfied.

However, he hadn't been lying; the 13th Division was indeed going to expand its recruitment!

It wouldn't just be for students of the current class, but also for those from previous years.

Perhaps the division with the highest number of members would soon shift from the 11th Division to the 13th Division!

The suggestion for expansion that Shiba Kaien had previously proposed to Aoto was deemed very reasonable after he discussed it with Captain Ukitake.

Since the 13th Division was responsible for various tasks in the human world, the number of division members needed to increase in tandem with the human population.

Furthermore, the scope of responsibility for each Soul Reaper stationed in the human world might change in the future.

And to avoid another incident like the last patrol in the human world, where they discovered such a large swarm of Hollows, the frequency of patrols also needed to increase.

What a hassle.

Shiba Kaien, who was about to get married, felt that he had really brought this trouble upon himself.

No, this grudge could be pinned on that guy Aoto.

Although he had shown great foresight, that didn't stop Shiba Kaien from venting his anger on him.

Besides being busy with division matters, Shiba Kaien now had another thing that required his attention.

The adopted sister of the head of the Kuchiki Clan, Byakuya Kuchiki, had now been sent to the 13th Division.

Shiba Kaien truly couldn't understand what that guy Byakuya was thinking.

At first, when Shiba Kaien saw that she looked exactly like her older sister, he thought Byakuya intended for her to be his second wife!

After all, this sister was a Soul Reaper and wouldn't die from the abundant Reishi in the Seireitei like Hisana had.

But now it seemed that Byakuya was raising her as his true sister.