"This is the last Plus. You've seen enough along the way. Now, apply what you've learned and complete this final exercise."
The team leader, Generic B, looked at the ruins in the distance and said with a smile.
Everyone tensed. The moment had finally come!
They exchanged glances, nodded, and quietly made their way toward the ruins.
First, they needed to learn about the Plus's situation. They couldn't just approach him recklessly. Never mind his mental state; thirty people carrying swords would be enough to scare any normal person half to death.
So they stopped at the edge of the ruins and quietly watched a little boy huddled in a corner. They wanted to observe his condition, as well as the area around him. Perhaps the key to granting his wish lay somewhere nearby.
Ichiro was also looking around, but unlike the others, he wasn't just watching—he was getting hands-on!
Every now and then, he picked up a white stone or a scrap of metal from the ground and dropped it into a small pouch at his waist. Before long, the pouch was full.
This strange sight made everyone's mouths twitch. Seriously, had he been gone for only a few decades? Was he planning to bring home some local souvenirs or something?
And could material objects even be brought into Soul Society? Couldn't he think this through?
"Hm? Why are you looking at me? Carry on." Ichiro dropped another stone into his pouch. That was one thing he didn't like about ancient times: iron was scarce, which was terrible for an Alchemist like him. The iron he'd brought from Soul Society was useless here, which was a real pain.
"Um... Tianxin, have you come up with a solution?" asked a noble student wearing a Kenseikan, frowning.
"I have one, but you probably won't use it."
"What solution?"
"Turn him into a Hollow, then cut him down. The effect is the same."
"Are you kidding me?"
"Keep your voice down. You'll disturb him. That's why I said you wouldn't use this method. And there's no need to ask my opinion. I don't have much patience for sentimental kids like him. Just let me know if you need help."
With that, Ichiro lowered his head and went back to rummaging through the trash on the ground. Seeing this, Urahara and Yoruichi shook their heads and exchanged smiles. They went over to join Ichiro, making their stance clear.
After several days of classes, they'd already realized that this was both a lesson and an examination: the Thirteenth Division's assessment. Yoruichi and Urahara would undoubtedly join Squad 2. As for Ichiro, some of his research would need to be conducted in Squad 4.
So the three of them weren't taking this lesson very seriously. The others had noticed, too, but most didn't have a say in which division they joined. Those who did had to consider their noble status and couldn't act recklessly. Not everyone was Yoruichi.
The others exchanged glances and shook their heads without comment, then began seriously considering their strategy. In the end, they unanimously decided to have a girl with glasses and braided hair approach the boy and strike up a conversation. With their limited knowledge of Kido, girls did have a natural advantage in this area.
Meanwhile, Ichiro excitedly picked up a scrap of iron from the ground. This stuff was a rare sight in this era.
Urahara crouched beside him and propped his chin on his hand, asking curiously, "Does your ability work on objects from the World of the Living, too?"
"Of course. It's a power I mastered while I was alive, after all. It's a shame I basically have to start over now that I'm in Soul Society."
"Ohh... So that's why you're looking forward to the Konso practice. You want some data to use as a reference, right?"
"Yeah. By the way, is it really okay for you two not to join them? You don't have to stay with me."
"I'm not interested. Yoruichi and I aren't joining the Thirteenth Division, and we generally won't have to deal with Konso as part of our work. If we do, we can just use unconventional methods. So it doesn't matter to us."
Urahara shrugged, and Yoruichi smiled. Neither of them needed to worry about this evaluation. Seeing that, Ichiro stopped holding back and told them what he needed.
And so, Shino Academy's first scavenging squad in the World of the Living was formed!
In the distance, the team leader, Generic B, frowned as he watched the three of them acting like outsiders. He knew Urahara and Yoruichi were nobles destined to join Squad 2 and perhaps even lead it one day. So although he disliked their attitude, he could accept it.
But Ichiro had left a very poor impression on him. That was also the first impression most teachers had of Ichiro over the past year.
Ichiro's teacher followed the team leader's gaze and smiled. "His name is Tenshin Ichiro. He's a boy with a clear sense of purpose, and he's a little introverted, too. Very little outside his goals can hold his attention. But don't let his appearance fool you—he's exceptionally talented."
The teacher sounded somewhat proud, but also a little exasperated.
In the eyes of some teachers, the three of them were notorious problem children. They were clearly extremely capable, yet refused to skip grades. Countless teachers had tried to persuade them, making all sorts of promises. They'd even asked the Shihoin Clan to intervene, but the three still wouldn't agree to skip ahead. They insisted on progressing through school one step at a time...
This left the teachers feeling helpless. If the school produced three prodigies at once, even if one of them belonged to one of the Four Great Noble Houses, there were still two others. That could bring Shino Academy a substantial increase in funding.
Unfortunately, no amount of persuasion worked. But after seeing that the three's progress wasn't affected, the teachers gradually gave up on the idea. Even so, the trio had been added to the school's watch list, especially Tenshin Ichiro.
The teachers wanted to make sure he wasn't bullied because of his background. That was part of why this teacher had volunteered to lead the class.
Hearing this, Generic B turned to the teacher in confusion and asked, "Tianxin? Is he from the Tianxin Clan?"
"No, he came from the World of the Living. It's just a coincidence that he has the same surname. Though I heard recently that the Tianxin Clan is considering taking him in. Oh, and Ichiro submitted an application to intern with Squad 4 a while ago, so let him off the hook for the course assessment."
"That won't be a problem, but..." Generic B raised an eyebrow. "He's only just started his second year, isn't he? He can apply to intern with Squad 4 already?"
"Yeah. Otherwise, he wouldn't have the nerve to act so carefree."
"Fair enough. He's a genius, after all. It's normal for him to have some strange ideas."
The two men shifted their gazes away from Ichiro and his companions and turned to another group of students. They had already begun approaching the little boy.
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