The Little Hand That Ignites Hatred

Early the next morning, three teenagers sprinting at full speed shattered the tranquil dawn of the Seireitei. The trio consisted of Diezuka Hiroe, Shihoin Yoruichi, and Urahara Kisuke, all of whom had spent the previous night working tirelessly.

"Since we're already late, let's just stroll over leisurely!"

It was Urahara Kisuke who spoke. The price of completing the massive engineering project for their secret base in a single night was that all three of them had overslept.

Upon waking, they realized it was the first day of their enrollment at Shino Academy. The entrance ceremony should have just begun; they had missed it perfectly. What a coincidence.

Running in the lead, Diezuka Hiroe couldn't help but recall a saying from his past life: "Nothing in the world is difficult, provided you are willing to give up."

If this were a normal entrance ceremony, he would have given up long ago given his temperament—would he even need Urahara to remind him?

However, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni himself would be attending this ceremony, and the old man had specifically warned him last night not to be late.

Yet, here he was, late. Diezuka Hiroe only hoped that when the time came, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni would see his sincere heart, which was desperate to make amends, so that he might survive the upcoming private lessons in one piece.

"I can't run anymore!"

Shihoin Yoruichi suddenly stopped mid-stride, let out a massive yawn, and said, "I'm so tired, I want to go back and take a nap!"

"Don't do that. Even if your surname is Shihoin, if you lose face for the old man, you'll be beaten to death... really," Diezuka Hiroe urged.

"Then I'm going back to take a bath first, then change my clothes!" Shihoin Yoruichi sat directly on the ground, looking annoyed, kicking her legs as if throwing a tantrum. "We're already late anyway, and if the old man blames anyone, I'll sell you out!"

At this point, Diezuka Hiroe couldn't be bothered to lecture Shihoin Yoruichi about having a conscience. He stepped forward, scooped the sitting Shihoin Yoruichi into his arms, signaled to Urahara Kisuke, and continued sprinting toward the Shino Academy.

Shihoin Yoruichi cooperated, leaning against Diezuka Hiroe's shoulder and falling asleep instantly. He had figured it out: all that talk about bathing, changing clothes, and not caring about being late was just an excuse to be lazy, right?

After rushing, the group arrived at the Shino Academy in just over ten minutes. By the time they reached the venue, Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was just about to begin his speech as the headmaster. It seemed they hadn't missed too much.

Today's entrance ceremony was exceptionally grand. In addition to the routine attendance of Captain-Commander Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni, Kyoraku Shunsui, who had just become the captain of the 8th Division, and Ukitake Jushiro, captain of the 13th Division, had also arrived together.

As the newly appointed captains of the Gotei 13, the two were the highest achievements among Shino Academy graduates. They were viewed as idols by the young Shinigami just entering the academy, and their presence served as an inspiration to the new students.

Of course, only Diezuka Hiroe knew that the two were here today specifically to see him. After all, he was Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni's last disciple and their little junior, whom they had never met before.

To be honest, given Diezuka Hiroe's performance today, this meeting was truly both stunning and disastrous. Being late for the entrance ceremony was one thing, but walking in while carrying a girl made him look every bit the dissolute playboy.

Heaven knows how many young girls cast disdainful looks his way as he burst in, and even Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni on the stage opened a slit in his eyes to glance at him.

A last disciple drowning in debauchery—Diezuka Hiroe seemed to guess what Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni was thinking and envisioned his miserable fate during their next training session. He felt like crying without tears!

However, his method of entry seemed to have earned the favor of his two seniors. In particular, Kyoraku Shunsui, wearing his pink haori, smiled and gave him a thumbs-up. He just didn't know if his senior could put in a good word for him to save him from some physical suffering.

The old man's speech was far more concise than that of most principals in his past life. There were no polite welcomes or fake encouragements.

The more talented you are, the more opportunities you get; if you aren't talented, you can still seek stability, though you will simply live a mediocre life. To most of the young children enrolling, the old man's speech was a form of contempt so real it was almost cruel.

Everyone here was ambitious. Just in the area surrounding Diezuka Hiroe, many people were silently clenching their fists. Whether they were dissatisfied with the old man's disdain or determined to prove something, Diezuka Hiroe couldn't guess—perhaps it was both.

"The old man is truly merciful," Shihoin Yoruichi whispered, her eyes still heavy with sleep. "For these people, being called a Shinigami is already their limit. I mean, an ordinary Shinigami."

Although Shihoin Yoruichi's voice was low, some people nearby heard her and cast unfriendly glares in their direction.

"Heh heh, she hasn't woken up yet, she's just talking in her sleep! A misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding!"

Diezuka Hiroe raised his hands with a bitter smile to appease the crowd, then leaned into Shihoin Yoruichi's ear and whispered, "Don't offend people. I don't want to be ostracized for six years."

"You're actually counting on making friends with them?" Shihoin Yoruichi asked with an incredulous look, exaggerating her tone. "Has your bottom line dropped to this level?"

"Keep it down!"

"Our friendship isn't a good thing for people like them; in the future, it will even be a burden. That's true for both us and them. If the old man knew you had such a terrifying thought, he would definitely beat you to death, really."

Urahara Kisuke, standing to the side, didn't join the conversation, but he nodded with a squinting smile, agreeing, because that was simply the truth.

On the surface, this seemed to be about status. After all, Diezuka Hiroe was the Captain-Commander's last disciple. Although he came from the Rukongai, with his goal set on becoming a captain of the Gotei 13, he was destined to be one of the few people with real power in the Seireitei in the future.

As for Urahara Kisuke, a high-ranking noble, and Shihoin Yoruichi, the future head of the Shihoin clan—one of the five great noble families—they were born with silver spoons in their mouths.

Most of the students here were low-ranking nobles, and a portion even came from the Rukongai. The gap between the two was simply too vast.

However, Diezuka Hiroe knew that Shihoin Yoruichi didn't mean to look down on their origins. Origins could be overcome, especially since the old man opened the Shino Academy to the Rukongai; as long as one became a captain of the Gotei 13, origin would no longer be an issue.

Shihoin Yoruichi's point was simple: the talent and future of these children were not on the same level as the three of them.

The three of them were very confident that they would become the pillars of the Seireitei. If someone without sufficient strength got involved with them, they would easily be targeted by those with ulterior motives. It was dangerous for them and an unbearable burden for the three.

Rather than that, it was better to put up a barrier from the start. This was how Shihoin Yoruichi's family taught her, and the old man even more so.

Diezuka Hiroe couldn't help but sigh. He really didn't know if Shihoin Yoruichi had spoken so loudly on purpose or by accident.

Looking at the disdainful gazes of the attractive girls nearby, he figured the school life he remembered was impossible to recreate.

They say youth never returns. He just wanted to relive his school life from his past life, but why was it so difficult?

No, it seemed he still had the possibility of reliving the memories of fighting. But this was the Soul Society; there would be plenty of fighting in the future, so there was no need to relive it.

Helplessly looking left and right, with Urahara Kisuke, Shihoin Yoruichi, and himself, Diezuka Hiroe, they were likely the most unwelcome trio of this year's class.