Bleach : I Need To Rizz To Become Stronger ?!-Chapter 114: The Agreement

What did he mean by that? Was the Head Captain hint that he intended to appoint him as the captain of the Third Division?

Shin turned the words over in his mind.

Thinking about it carefully, it wasn't that surprising. The strength Shin had displayed on the stage today was already on par with a captain's. In that regard, he was more than qualified.

And the matter of Ichimaru Gin becoming Third Division's next captain was, so far, only an internal whisper among the upper brass—nothing official.

In terms of pure combat power, Shin was indeed superior to Gin.

Not to mention, Shin had demonstrated considerable administrative talent: establishing a student council at Shin'ō Academy, organizing a cultural festival, and now initiating reform within the Fourth Division's internal culture.

But despite all that, Shin didn't have much interest in the role. At least, not right now.

The Third Division's standing within the Gotei 13 wasn't exactly enviable. The Fourth Division, at least, held a vital role as the sole medical division. While other squads might belittle them for lacking martial power, in practice, aside from the brutes in the Eleventh Division, most held the medics in quiet respect.

The Third Division, meanwhile, was basically a backup force—"support division" was a generous way of putting it. Their work often meant filling manpower gaps for other divisions. In reality, they were treated like expendable bricks: sent wherever needed, doing whatever needed doing.

Prestige? Importance? Hardly any.

But that wasn't the real issue, either.

Shin's path to strength came from his system—and the system rewarded him for interactions with women.

And what did the Third Division offer?

A fancy title and not much else.

He hadn't yet squeezed everything he could out of the Fourth Division. Switching squads held no appeal for him.

He answered calmly:

"Vice-Captain Ichimaru has already mastered Bankai. I've heard he's the most likely candidate for Third Division's next captain. He's a remarkable shinigami—I believe he's more than up to the task."

Yamamoto Genryūsai remained silent, his sharp eyes fixed on Shin.

Perhaps he was surprised by the answer. After all, in the Gotei 13, few could resist the temptation of becoming a captain.

Off to the side, Unohana Retsu's lips curved into the faintest of smiles.

Yamamoto studied Shin's face. The boy clearly understood what had been implied—yet his ambitions lay elsewhere.

So the Head Captain let the matter drop and instead asked:

"Can you tell me now why you went to such lengths?"

Shin knew exactly what he was referring to: his orchestrated humiliation of the Sixth Division during the tournament.

But how to answer that?

To say it was because of "injustice" or "resentment" would be childish.

Looking into the eyes of the man who stood atop all of Soul Society, Shin instead smiled.

"I just thought Seireitei had gotten a little too boring lately. I wanted to stir things up a bit."

Even Unohana's serene expression flickered at that.

This kid really dared to say anything.

Yamamoto's gaze darkened. The air in the room grew thick.

Too boring?

If Shin had said it was because he couldn't stomach the arrogance of the noble houses—given his origins in Rukongai—Yamamoto might have understood.

He had served as a captain for over a thousand years, and had seen countless people, countless reasons. But there was one thing he could never tolerate:

Chaos.

The Gotei 13 existed to protect Seireitei. The duty of shinigami was to preserve the balance between worlds.

And here this upstart had the gall to say he found Soul Society's peace boring?

The Head Captain's aged face had hardened, and his eyes bored into Shin's, as if waiting for him to explain.

Shin, unflinching, met that gaze.

"Didn't you say it yourself, Captain-Commander? This tournament brought energy back to the Gotei 13."

"..."

Yamamoto stared at him, expression unreadable.

Shin's eyes were calm, clear. No guilt, no fear. No lies.

The tension in the room began to lift.

All Shin had done was inconvenience some nobles. Was that really chaos?

Perhaps he'd gone too far in his own mind.

At most, this boy could be called... unruly.

"I understand. You may go."

After a long silence, Yamamoto finally spoke again.

Shin bowed and exited.

Once the door had closed, Yamamoto turned to Unohana.

"What do you think of him?"

"Which part?" she replied softly, smiling faintly.

The Head Captain didn't answer.

Strength and talent were obvious—what he wanted to know was the boy's character.

As his captain, surely Unohana would know better.

Then again... maybe she did know, and simply didn't care.

Yamamoto knew Unohana too well. He realized it was a pointless question.

If it had been an ordinary soldier, she would see every aspect clearly. But what Shin had shown... in her eyes, perhaps only one trait truly mattered—and that one trait had eclipsed all others.

Yamamoto exhaled heavily.

Maybe it was time to take Shin out of the Fourth Division.

But if he wouldn't accept the Third Division captaincy... where else could he go?

Some squads still lacked vice-captains, but if Shin turned down a captaincy, there was no way he'd accept a lesser role.

—

After leaving the captain's office, Shin quickly ran into Kotetsu Isane.

She was busy directing cleanup crews and organizing post-tournament logistics.

"Yūne-neesan."

Isane turned, visibly anxious. "What did the Captain-Commander say to you?"

Shin replied casually, "He asked if I wanted to become Third Division's captain."

She blinked.

"...Huh?" A strangled sound escaped before she slapped a hand over her mouth.

She'd been worried the Head Captain might punish him for what he pulled during the tournament.

"You—"

"I declined," Shin added smoothly.

Isane frowned, flustered. "Why?! It's a captaincy!"

"So?" Shin chuckled.

She couldn't find the words.

But it's a captaincy! she screamed inwardly.

Did he have any idea what that meant?

"I don't want to leave Fourth Division," Shin said with a grin.

"...?"

"And what I'd miss most is you, Yūne-neesan."

Her face went scarlet. She glanced around to make sure no one overheard before shooting him a glare.

"Don't say stupid things."

"How's that stupid? I mean it."

She panicked. In broad daylight, this idiot was saying that kind of thing again.

Face burning, she blurted, "I don't have time to fool around with you! I have work!"

"...You still remember our agreement, right?"

Isane didn't reply.

But she looked down, unable to meet his eyes.

Shin smiled and said, "You go ahead and finish up. I'll come find you later."

He turned and walked off toward the medical ward, but not before checking the system panel.

[Kotetsu Isane]

[Affection: 73]