Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 135

A quick note up front, a lot of you Vasto Lordes have been saying the chapters are too short, too short... and honestly, there's not much I can do about it. I get off work really late, and Tomato's system requires checking in every single day or I lose the perfect attendance bonus. So I have to post part of it first and fill in the rest afterward. I hope you understand, and I also hope you'll go back and flip through the earlier chapters. My updates have genuinely never been under 4k. Quality and quantity, I deliver both.

Also, staying up late to update really wrecks your body. I don't want to end up in the hospital again. I hope all you Vasto Lordes can cut me some slack. August, I'm coasting. September, we'll talk.

Chapter 135

The next morning, Wayne brought Izuru Kira with him to Granny's house. After talking with Kira the night before, he had come to realize that selling watermelons might actually be viable.

At present, the family Izuru Kira belonged to had fallen on hard times. After their last two Soul Reapers — one dead, one injured, the entire family's standing had come under unprecedented attack. Their fabric business was being suppressed, and the whole clan was being crushed beneath the weight of those families who still had Soul Reapers.

They had assumed that etiquette and refinement still existed among the nobility, but once power was lost, so-called etiquette lost out to profit. Family infighting, shops vandalized. Their capital chain snapped, and other families forcibly pressed loans upon them, reducing them to a subordinate branch. If a lower-ranked noble family like Kira's had once served mid-tier or even great noble houses, then had Kira not been admitted to Shin'ō Academy, before long the Kira family might have been struck from the nobility rolls entirely, reduced to serving as a branch family under their own clansmen.

To go from main line to subordinate: that would be a monumental disgrace for the Kira family. His own father might well choose seppuku over it.

Wayne's appearance not only gave Kira a turning point, but offered him a chance to prove himself, to hold his head high before his own clansmen and no longer suffer their oppression.

Ever since word spread that Kira had passed Shin'ō Academy's entrance exam and been stamped by two divisions, the clansmen who had been suppressing the Kira family had started reining in their arrogance. And those from outside the clan had begun rubbing their hands together, preparing to employ underhanded tactics against Izuru Kira.

That night, Kira and Wayne talked for a long time. Through months of exchanging studies together, Kira now trusted Wayne completely, so much so that after everything was said, Kira earnestly urged Wayne to come to his family as a retainer and protect them. But Wayne refused.

If he were alone, he could play this game of intrigue with Kira. But right now Wayne had Momo behind him, and Shiro-chan, and Granny. Joining Kira's family as a retainer could very well drag all three of them into danger.

Looking further ahead, Kira would one day have to face bosses on the level of Aizen, Ichimaru, and Tōsen. If Wayne really agreed to Kira's request, the future trajectory would no longer be easy to control. Or rather, such a variable might cause Aizen to reassess Kira's role entirely, sending his path down an unknowable road.

Wayne didn't want that. If things strayed beyond the storylines he already knew, many of his plans would become impossible to execute as intended.

Still, he had come up with another approach. He brought Kira directly to Granny's house so that Granny and Shiro-chan could meet Izuru Kira, and to see whether an initial trade arrangement could be established.

For the Kira family, a hundred or so watermelons could serve as a resource to replenish their own Reiatsu, or be sold off to acquire other resources. After all, the Kira family of today was not what it once was. They bore the name of nobility, yet could barely hold on to the most basic means of a noble's livelihood.

Having lost the fabric business, pivoting to a new line of trade with a steady supply of goods might well be a way forward.

After Kira met Granny and Shiro-chan and they exchanged a few words, Wayne led him to the backyard to inspect the watermelons. After looking over the melon field and personally picking one to taste, Kira nodded and decided to make the deal.

In the Rukongai, not many resident souls needed Reiatsu, so watermelons couldn't fetch a good price. Ever since Wayne arrived in Soul Society, Shiro-chan's family had always sold their watermelons at five silver rings each. Yet even at that low price, they still couldn't sell all of them and had to keep the rest for their own consumption, indirectly wasting a great deal of resources. Kira's arrival changed that directly.

All the watermelons here would be sold to the Kira family at seven silver rings apiece, with delivery handled by the Kira family's carts. No need for Shiro-chan or Granny to transport anything themselves, that alone would take a great deal of pressure off them.

As a long-term supply arrangement, Granny and Shiro-chan would have to guarantee the Kira family at least 150 watermelons every three months, each melon weighing over seven jin, quality and quantity assured.

Granny agreed. Her own land could produce over a hundred melons, and with Wayne's family land added in, the volume was certainly achievable.

This way Shiro-chan's household finances would immediately improve, and the Kira family would have a reliable source of goods, they could process the watermelons into desserts, drinks, and other products, or sell them directly to shops in the Seireitei.

As for how many silver rings they could earn from that, that would depend on the Kira family's own business acumen.

With the trade plan settled, Wayne offered one more suggestion: if the watermelon business flourished down the road, he hoped Kira would come back and help Granny by buying up the houses and land between their two homes and turning it all into a single melon field. The supply volume would be far greater then. Wayne also asked Kira to promise that his semi-automatic watering device would not be disclosed to anyone.

Kira agreed to both conditions. This was his own business partnership, after all, he had no intention of smashing his own rice bowl.

With everything settled, Kira returned to the Seireitei. Wayne and Shiro-chan headed back to their own house, Shiro-chan to help break new ground, Wayne to help turn the soil, preparing to fill the entire backyard with earth fit for growing watermelons.

Fortunately, a Soul Reaper's body could go a day or two without sleep with no real issue. It only affected Reiatsu absorption, and that small amount was a drop in the bucket compared to what the Seireitei offered. Nothing worth lamenting.

Clearing the fields took a long time. Wayne went back and forth for two full days before the entire backyard was tilled, and Momo sprinkled the watermelon seeds across it. How well these little things would grow in the time ahead was entirely up to Shiro-chan.

Granny would come help tend them too, of course, but the bulk of the hands-on work would still fall to Shiro-chan.

Time slipped quietly by, and before long the day arrived for Wayne and Momo to head to Shin'ō Academy.

After bidding farewell to Granny and Shiro-chan, the two set off together toward the West Rukongai district entrance, where the main gate of Shin'ō Academy stood.

Arriving at the gate, Wayne and Momo each submitted their admission notices. A male and a female Soul Reaper led them separately to their respective dormitories.

"Well then, big brother — see you later!" Momo waved at Wayne, then pulled her luggage along and followed the female Soul Reaper to her dormitory.

"Yeah, go on. Get along well with your roommate." Wayne parted from Momo and followed the male Soul Reaper to his own dormitory.

Shin'ō Academy's dormitories were quite different from school dorms in the World of the Living. Both the style and the design leaned classical, rows upon rows of low pavilions standing in clusters, each room with two beds and all living amenities provided. Wayne had no complaints about the environment. Back in Hueco Mundo he'd had nothing whatsoever and had gotten along just fine. And in this life as a soul, he didn't need to retain too many human physiological needs. Of course, when conditions allowed, a bath was still worth having.

The school had a bathhouse. Whenever training ended, students would go there to unwind.

"Candidate number 918, Tsukishiro Hinamori. This is your dormitory. For the next six years, this is where you'll spend your time — unless you manage to graduate early. I hope you learn what you came here to learn, and that you become a Soul Reaper as soon as possible and join us as a comrade. I am your guidance teacher; you may call me Teacher Ihei. If you have any issues in daily life going forward, feel free to come find me at any time." The teacher called Ihei had a kindly face and neat, short hair. He spoke directly to Wayne.

"I've more or less looked over your file. Stamped by four divisions at once — your future prospects are boundless, Hinamori-kun. I hope you'll continue to work hard, graduate early, and become a member of the Gotei 13. When that day comes, your teacher will be proud of you."

"Mm." The teacher had said quite a lot. Wayne answered with a single syllable.

"Come, let me show you around the dormitory." Teacher Ihei wasn't displeased by Wayne's response. During the exam Wayne had been exactly the same, sparing with words, except for that debate with Mizusue. Ihei also knew that the top-scoring standouts all had their personal quirks; you could see as much just by looking at the captains of the Thirteen Divisions. If you weren't some kind of oddball, becoming a captain was a tall order.

Ihei also knew Wayne was blind, so he took the initiative to guide him through the surroundings. Wayne didn't refuse, he had to play the role to the end. Although he could already perceive faint Reishi fluctuations in the outside world through Reiatsu sensing, he still couldn't focus well enough to fight that way. That was an area he still needed to develop, and he might even have to seek guidance from Kaname Tōsen.

After following Ihei through the orientation, the teacher mentioned that this afternoon the headmaster of Shin'ō Academy would address the new students.

"The headmaster?" Wayne's heart gave a small jump. "That would be..."

"Indeed. None other than the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto-sama." When Ihei mentioned that name, his eyes filled with reverence and longing. "The time is set for three o'clock this afternoon. By then your roommate should have arrived — he'll accompany you there."

"Understood. Thank you." Wayne nodded. This roommate would take him there? Wayne hadn't even met the person yet, and Teacher Ihei was already talking like this. Could it be a deliberate arrangement, knowing about his eyes, they had specifically sent someone as a companion?

After the teacher left, Wayne removed his blindfold and carefully took in the dormitory.

The overall layout was similar to what he had at home, tatami sleeping arrangements, though here there were also desks and chairs, cups, lamps, stationery, and other items. The facilities were considerably better than at home, with even an independent washroom. Quite decent, all told.

After looking the room over, Wayne put his blindfold back on and began to think about this so-called roommate. Was he genuinely a benefit arranged by the school, or someone sent to monitor him?

His performance during the exam had been conspicuous enough that even Mayuri Kurotsuchi had appeared in person. But if Mayuri wanted to monitor him, he wouldn't send a student, he'd simply plant surveillance bacteria on Wayne directly. That concern, at least, Wayne had already addressed. After returning home he had swept his entire body with Reiatsu, accepting minor injury to himself in order to check thoroughly. He had left Mayuri no opportunity to plant any surveillance or dose him with anything unusual.

Turning it over in his mind, Aizen's faction remained the most likely possibility. After all, Wayne had entered the school as a blind person, something Kaname Tōsen had already confirmed, and that was an obstacle to Aizen's plan of subjecting everyone to Kyokasuigetsu. As for what lay ahead, Wayne saw three paths. One: earn recognition and join Aizen. Two: be eliminated as an obstacle. Three: cling to a captain's coattails and go head-to-head with Aizen. But before any of those paths materialized, surveillance on Wayne was still entirely possible. Whoever this roommate turned out to be, Wayne had to remain extremely careful and show no cracks. When necessary, he could even cause the man some trouble.

He didn't wander. He sat quietly cross-legged on the floor and began absorbing the dense Reishi permeating the Seireitei.

A single day here was worth three to five days in the Rukongai. His Reiatsu could improve several times faster training in a place like this.

About two hours later, a knock came at his dormitory door. Wayne stopped his training and went to open it. Standing before him was a boy of short stature and slight build.

"G-Greetings." The boy was tentative and hesitant. "I-I am Yū Nakai. P-Please take care of me!"

"..." Wayne stared at this person who seemed to tremble just getting through his own introduction. There was absolutely no way to connect him to Aizen. Even if you were looking for a monitor, this level of nerve was far too poor.

"Mm. Hello. I am Tsukishiro Hinamori. I'm blind — please take care of me going forward." Wayne's greeting was flat and even.

"Y-Yes!" Yū Nakai hurriedly stood at attention. "I heard about your circumstances from the teacher. I was admitted to the school by special exception for certain reasons, and in exchange I will assist you with matters that are difficult for you." His voice was nervous, but there was a genuine seriousness beneath it. Perhaps for him, simply being able to enter the school at all was already no small thing.

"Arranged by the school?" Wayne raised an eyebrow.

"Yes!"

"Ah... then I'll be in your care." Wayne felt a mild helplessness toward this new roommate. Still, looking into his background would be necessary.

"Then, please allow me to put my luggage away first."

"Mm. Come in." Wayne stepped aside. Yū Nakai hauled a large bundle into the room, casually tossed his exam evaluation form onto the table, and began unpacking.

Wayne walked to the desk and glanced at it. The form was covered in a string of black fail marks. Only the written exam and the willpower section had passed, both with excellent scores. Reiatsu control and Kidō sensitivity had scraped through as acceptable.

Results like that clearly weren't enough to pass the exam under normal circumstances. And judging by his commoner's clothing, he was obviously no noble.

"Hm..." Watching the small figure busy at work across the room, Wayne frowned.

Aizen couldn't possibly send someone like this to monitor him. Could it be... he really was someone the school had brought in by special exception, specifically to help with Wayne's eyes?

➤ Next: Opening Ceremony — A New Beginning