"Little girl, how old are you?" the female teacher asked, looking embarrassed.
"Eleven," Rangiku Matsumoto answered earnestly.
"Only eleven? That makes no sense. How can this be so outrageous? Ahem. Little girl, what do you usually eat?" the teacher asked again.
Rangiku counted on her fingers. "Rice balls, fish, and sometimes a little milk!"
The teacher hurriedly wrote it all down. It was so unfair! Science had come so far in Soul Society, so why had nothing she tried worked? She had done everything she could!
Yet the places she wanted to grow remained flat as a board. There was not the slightest rise. It was enough to drive her to despair.
"All right, go on in. And you, little boy, what's your name?" the teacher asked.
"Gin Ichimaru."
"Mm. Go on in!"
Perhaps girls simply developed earlier. Standing beside Rangiku Matsumoto, Gin Ichimaru was still a little shorter than she was.
Someone else was helping with enrollment this year: Aizen Sōsuke. Though he was a Lieutenant of the Unassigned Division, he was also a teacher at Shino Academy.
Naturally, he had come to help on such a busy day!
Of course, his main purpose was to recruit more talented people and strengthen his rebellion.
Yamabuki Chidori oversaw the whole operation. Not even the smallest movement escaped his eyes.
"Gin, there are so many people! Are they all qualified to become Soul Reapers?" Rangiku asked excitedly. She had never expected so many people to want the job.
Gin only smiled and said nothing. Before long, he spotted Yamabuki Chidori standing at the highest point.
But Yamabuki Chidori had warned him never to reveal that they knew each other. The consequences would be disastrous.
Once nearly everyone had signed up, Aizen began assessing the students' aptitude.
If someone was to become