Genius Gather

"What a spirited bunch of kids!"

Golden hair, a zipper-like grin, and a pure white captain's haori fluttering without wind, emblazoned with a large "Five."

Captain of the Gotei 13's Fifth Division, Shinji Hirako.

"This class actually has three with Lieutenant-level spiritual power and four with Third Seat-level spiritual power. Old Man Yama will be so happy he won't be able to sleep! They're all fine prospects!"

Wearing a straw hat and a flashy coat over his captain's haori, even serious words became improper coming out of his mouth.

Captain of the Gotei 13's Eighth Division, Shunsui Kyōraku.

"Ah! Baldy Hirako!"

Suddenly, a shrill yet stubborn voice rang out from the crowd. A girl with the same golden hair, braided into two pigtails, and a few freckles on her face stepped forward.

"Oh? Idiot Hiyori, so you were here! Being short really does make you hard to spot!"

Shinji Hirako grinned widely, and the sight of that smile was infuriating.

"You damned baldy!"

Sure enough, Hiyori Sarugaki instantly flew into a rage and sent a kick straight into Shinji Hirako's face.

"Hiyori... you little!"

Shinji Hirako clutched his bleeding nose and shouted angrily.

"What? I'm not apologizing!" Hiyori Sarugaki raised her chin and said disdainfully.

"I haven't even said anything yet!" Shinji Hirako said helplessly.

"Then I have even less reason to apologize!" Hiyori Sarugaki continued to snap back.

"..." Tears streamed down Shinji Hirako's face in an instant.

"Hey, hey! Is that really a captain?" Kūkaku Shiba turned back and asked Kaien Shiba.

"Probably?" Kaien Shiba answered uncertainly.

"No matter how I look at them, they can't compare to Father or Shadow!" Yoruichi Shihōin folded her arms across her chest and scoffed. "They're so unreliable."

Shunsui Kyōraku adjusted the straw hat on his head and chuckled quietly, while Shinji Hirako covered his face, black lines practically appearing over his head.

Soul Society, Seireitei, Shin'ō Academy.

Two days had passed since the entrance examination. During those two days, the newly admitted students had mainly been filling out forms and arranging their accommodations.

This was because Shin'ō Academy had a rule: once someone entered, they were not allowed to leave the academy except on Sundays and during collective holidays, not even if they were nobles.

This year's freshmen included three with Lieutenant-level spiritual power, four with Third Seat-level spiritual power, and several others with relatively impressive spiritual power. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was ecstatic.

So, in an unusual move, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto decided to add an extra class to the existing classes for these geniuses, calling it the Genius Class.

He also required the captains and Lieutenants of the Gotei 13, including himself, to set aside one day each month to teach at Shin'ō Academy. This showed just how high Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's expectations for them were.

At that moment, inside the so-called Genius Class, a burly man with a goatee stood at the podium, holding the opening class meeting.

"First, congratulations to everyone for passing the entrance examination with outstanding results. In this class, you will receive the best learning environment and the academy's finest teachers. Occasionally, Head Captain Yamamoto and the captains of the Gotei 13 will also come teach you. As long as you remain at the academy for a full year and achieve excellent results, you may apply for graduation. As for choosing your division after graduation, that will be decided by..."

Listening to the teacher's passionate speech from the podium, Kūkaku Shiba yawned and rolled her eyes. "So long-winded! Right, Yoruichi? I've heard this so many times my ears are about to grow calluses!"

Yet no one answered Kūkaku Shiba's question for a long while. She turned to look.

Yoruichi Shihōin, seated by the window beside her, propped up her head with one hand. Her eyes were open, but she had obviously already drifted far away in thought.

Kūkaku Shiba curled her lips and planned to lie down for another nap.

Just then, the teacher at the podium finally finished his long-winded speech.

"To help everyone get along better in the future, let us begin with some simple introductions! We'll start with the first row on the right!"

"Hello, everyone! My name is Yuechi Sakura. My home is in Rukongai's Third District. Please take care of me!"

"Chiji Sousuke, from Rukongai's Sixteenth District. My hobby is training, and my dream is to become a Bleach as strong as the Head Captain!"

"..."

"Hiyori Sarugaki, from Rukongai. There's nothing I especially like, and what I hate most is baldies!" Hiyori Sarugaki tilted her head, looking arrogant and unruly.

"Kisuke Urahara. I like inventing little gadgets! Please take care of me from now on, haha..."

A fellow with messy light blond hair scratched his head and smiled foolishly.

"Lisa Yadomaru!" A girl with a braided ponytail and glasses spoke blandly. "I like reading and research. That's all. Please take care of me!"

"My name is Kensei Muguruma!"

A boy with close-cropped white hair quickly leaped onto the podium and shouted fervently, "I like fighting and training! If anyone feels like throwing down, come fight me!"

As he spoke, he clenched his right hand into a fist and struck it against his left palm, grinning to reveal gleaming white teeth.

"Mashiro Kuna, but everyone can call me Mashiro!" The innocent and adorable green-haired girl skipped up to the podium, her large eyes wide open. "What I like most is kicking!"

As she spoke, she symbolically kicked out her leg.

"..."

"..."

"Finally, it's my turn!" Kūkaku Shiba stretched and walked up to the podium with a smile. "My name is Kūkaku Shiba. My home is in Rukongai. What I like most is dry tobacco and fireworks, and my dream is to become Soul Society's number one fireworks maker!"

"But for now, I'm going to awaken my Zanpakutō before someone else, learn Bankai, and become a captain!" Kūkaku Shiba said, flashing Yoruichi Shihōin a provocative smile.

"That Kūkaku!" Yoruichi Shihōin's face immediately filled with black lines.

"Hey, hey! It's your turn, Yoruichi!"

After returning to her seat, Kūkaku Shiba patted Yoruichi Shihōin beside her.

Yoruichi Shihōin shook her head, walked to the podium, and said, "Yoruichi Shihōin. There are many things I like, and many things I dislike. But I will definitely awaken my Zanpakutō before the person who spoke earlier, learn Bankai, and become a captain!"

"..." Kūkaku Shiba.

"..."

"..."

A Bleach's combat methods could generally be divided into four types: Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido.

They were also known as the four great combat arts of the Bleach: blade, fist, movement, and Kido.

A Zanpakutō was the standard equipment of a Bleach. Every Zanpakutō had its own name. By learning that name, one could release the Zanpakutō and gain powerful strength. First came Shikai, and then Bankai.

Hakuda was the skill of fighting barehanded.

Zanjutsu corresponded to the techniques of Swordsmanship.

Shunpo was an advanced footwork technique, an advanced method of straight-line movement.

Kido was divided into two types: Hadō and Bakudō. Hadō was Kido intended for attack and destruction, while Bakudō was Kido intended for binding and imprisonment.

Both were spell-type techniques, released through incantations. After training, Kido could also be used without chanting spiritual words, but while that saved time, it also reduced the power of the Kido.

Moreover, the strength and power of Kido were inseparable from the user's Reiatsu.

Shin'ō Academy had already been in session for several days, and everyone had gradually grown accustomed to this life.

However, Yoruichi Shihōin and Kūkaku Shiba's competition had gained two more participants: Kensei Muguruma and Hiyori Sarugaki. As for Kisuke Urahara, Lisa Yadomaru, and Mashiro Kuna, their ambitions lay elsewhere.

Kūkaku Shiba and Hiyori Sarugaki were worth mentioning. They had equally fiery tempers and equally domineering personalities, making them rare sworn rivals. Every time they met, one would say something and the other would immediately retort, leaving Yoruichi Shihōin and the others quite helpless. Yet strangely enough, the more they argued, the better their relationship became.

This once led Yoruichi Shihōin and Lisa Yadomaru to let their imaginations run wild and spread rumors everywhere about the two having a relationship beyond friendship. The two were enraged and, for the first time, joined forces to "hunt down" Yoruichi Shihōin and Lisa Yadomaru.

Of course, it was merely friends fooling around.

Shadow still hid in the corners, quietly watching Yoruichi Shihōin. He rarely showed himself, so aside from Yoruichi Shihōin herself and Kūkaku Shiba, who had met him before, no one had ever seen him or knew that such a shadow existed by Yoruichi Shihōin's side.