Bleach: Reborn — Chapter 174 - Joining the Squad

"A mirror image?" Yachiru turned to look at the phantom standing at the exact same distance behind her, tapping a finger lightly against her lips.

"It's less of an ability and more of a technique," Wayne explained quietly. "By using synchronized movement, I send Levy to my exact opposite side and execute a pincer from both directions at once. The downside is it only works as an ambush."

"Hmm..." With that explanation in hand, Yachiru hopped two or three steps away from the midpoint between them, breaking the symmetry. The mirror pincer lost its effect instantly.

"Well — that's basically it." Wayne waved a hand and dismissed Levy. "To re-establish the mirror relationship, I have to dispel Levy first, then rebuild the connection from scratch."

"Good use of the ability," Isshin Shiba said. He personally had reservations about publicly dismantling the details of someone's Zanpakutō like this, but this was about Tsukishiro's reputation and the assessment of his strength. If it had to be exposed, so be it. Captains getting a clear read on a future subordinate's abilities was standard practice anyway.

"I see." Aizen gave a small nod. "With strength at this level, there is indeed a reasonable chance of repelling an Adjuchas-class through ambush."

"Captain Aizen, don't be so hard on a kid who's only been studying at the academy for a year," Shunsui Kyōraku cut in with an easy laugh. He'd heard the skepticism in Aizen's words plain enough.

"As a matter of fact, Levy has one more ability — and that is precisely what I used to repel that Adjuchas." Wayne wasn't about to let himself be underestimated, not here, not now. This was exactly the kind of opportunity to catch Aizen's eye. "Its name is Synchronization."

The word left his mouth, and his presence began to climb. A phantom descended from above and settled over Wayne's body, sinking into him, merging with him, until it had fully fused. In its wake, a thin veil of mist seemed to drape itself over him. Black vapor curled slowly from his skin. And in that same instant, Wayne's Reiatsu spiked to exactly double.

"Vice-Captain Yachiru, I'm about to throw my strongest strike. Please be careful." Wayne gripped his Zanpakutō horizontally and settled into an iaijutsu draw stance. Yachiru's expression sharpened. Her own Reiatsu began to rise.

Both their Reiatsu climbed to their peaks at the same time.

Wayne cut.

A massive blade arc swept straight toward Yachiru. She raised her blade to meet it, but in the instant she moved, a tall body stepped in front of her and brought his own sword down against Wayne's arc.

BOOM!

The blade arc burst apart into a storm of glittering Reiatsu particles. The shockwave tore through the entire room in a single violent gust. Not one of the captains so much as shifted their footing.

"Ken-chan, why did you suddenly jump in?" Yachiru pelted the back of Kenpachi's head with a flurry of small fists.

"You wouldn't have stopped it." Kenpachi shook out his arm. He was satisfied with what Wayne had just shown him. "With that much force and Reiatsu behind it, even if you'd used your blade beast to intercept on a read, the Sanpo Kenju would've been out of commission for a while."

"Hmph. I'm not happy about that." Yachiru's cheeks puffed out.

"Alright, alright. I'll buy you some Heikin Candy on the way back."

"Yay! Ken-chan is the best!" Winning and losing were equally irrelevant to her. Yachiru hopped straight back onto Kenpachi's back, grabbed a fistful of his uniform, and went limp.

"Good. That's enough." Kenpachi Zaraki sheathed his blade and turned to Wayne. "That last slash — if it had connected, it would have been enough to deal a fatal wound to a lower-tier Adjuchas. Kid, you have my recognition."

"Then the strength assessment is concluded." The old commander spoke. "Regarding the case of Shin'ō Academy first-year student Tsukishiro Hinamori and his rescue operation in Hueco Mundo — does anyone have remaining questions?" Silence from the assembled captains. A tacit acknowledgment.

"This incident cost the Gotei 13 a considerable number of personnel, and the academy a number of talented students. Tsukishiro Hinamori — I ask you now, before all present. Are you willing to graduate from the academy at this time and join the Gotei 13? To contribute your strength to the protection of Soul Society?"

"..." Wayne looked at the aged man standing not far away. In his eyes, in the set of his face, unmistakable recognition. "I am willing."

"Very well." The old commander nodded. "All present have witnessed the battle just now. I trust each of you has arrived at a certain recognition of Tsukishiro Hinamori's strength. Those captains who wish to extend a formal invitation, please step forward and state the seat you are offering."

A beat of silence.

Then, one step at a time, nine of the twelve captains present stepped forward.

"Captain of the 2nd Division, Soifon. I formally invite Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 2nd Division as Third Seat." Soifon stepped forward. She'd clearly set her sights on Wayne's specific skill set, his abilities, put to use in the 2nd Division's covert operations and assassination work, could neutralize targets without leaving a trace. That was why she was here.

"Captain of the 4th Division, Retsu Unohana. I formally invite Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 4th Division as Eighth Seat." Unohana's case needed little explanation. With Mizusue as the connection between them, she naturally had every right to step forward. Offering the Eighth Seat was her way of not putting Wayne in an awkward position in front of Mizusue. If he wanted to go to a different division, she would raise no objection, everyone had their own path, and she wasn't about to tie his hands on account of Mizusue.

"Captain of the 5th Division, Sōsuke Aizen formally invites Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 5th Division as Vice-Captain. In conjunction with this, I recommend the incumbent Vice-Captain Gin Ichimaru for promotion to the Captain position of the 3rd Division. The relevant reports and commendation records will be submitted shortly."

"Approved." The old commander nodded. He was, of course, referring to Ichimaru's promotion. But this was pure Aizen, he had put the Vice-Captain seat itself on the table without hesitation. Whatever else you said about the man, he did not lack for methods.

"Captain of the 7th Division, Sajin Komamura. I formally invite Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 7th Division as Fourth Seat." The big man wasn't about to pass on someone whose Zanpakutō ability bore such a resemblance to his own. There was room for far deeper exploration between the two of them.

"Captain of the 8th Division, Shunsui Kyōraku. I formally invite Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 8th Division as Third Seat." Kyōraku tilted his hat with a mild smile. "My apologies, Tsukishiro, I can't give you little Nanao's seat. I'd never hear the end of it. Let's look forward to many pleasant drinks together instead."

"Captain of the 9th Division, Kaname Tōsen. I formally invite Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 9th Division as Vice-Captain." Tōsen was there to serve Aizen's interests. Naturally, he stepped forward to stake his claim.

"Captain of the 10th Division, Isshin Shiba. I formally invite Tsukishiro Hinamori to join the 10th Division as Third Seat." Isshin knew full well Wayne would never come to his squad. That didn't stop him from stepping out to raise Tsukishiro's stock a little.

"Captain of the 11th Division, Kenpachi Zaraki. I'm giving you the Sixth Seat. If you want to move up after that, go fight Ikkaku and Yumichika yourself. Yachiru's Vice-Captain seat is not on offer. And if you can beat me, the name Zaraki is yours." Kenpachi Zaraki wasn't here to recruit anyone. He was here for a fight.

"Captain of the 12th Division, Mayuri Kurotsuchi. Come work under me and I'll give you Vice-Captain." Mayuri fixed his gaze on Wayne the way a researcher eyes a specimen. Most likely, what he really wanted was to dissect him.

The 3rd Division couldn't step forward, its acting captain was the incumbent Vice-Captain, who lacked the authority. The 6th Division was a noble clan squad, and Ginrei Kuchiki plainly wasn't going to admit a commoner, not unless Wayne was willing to marry into a noble house. It was a pity about Yagami China. If things between them had worked out, perhaps Ginrei might have found a reason to step forward after all.

The 13th Division was the Living World Deployment Squad. Recruiting here wasn't in their remit.

One candidate. Nine captains vying for him. The old commander probably would have stepped forward himself, if not for appearances. But this new recruit's true loyalties hadn't been fully confirmed yet, and the old commander was in no hurry. Once it was certain that Wayne's commitment to Soul Society was genuine, he could always reach into whichever division Wayne ended up in and take him directly. That was the Commander-General's prerogative.

"Tsukishiro Hinamori — please choose your division."

"I am grateful for the regard each captain has shown me." Wayne bowed deeply to every captain in the room. "But Tsukishiro's mind was made up long before today. I will join Captain Unohana's 4th Division and serve as Eighth Seat."

"..." Some captains nodded. Others simply lowered their eyes. Most of them had already known. They'd stepped forward to leave a favorable impression, nothing more.

"Approved. Tsukishiro Hinamori joins the Gotei 13, 4th Division, Eighth Seat." The old commander nodded and declared the selection concluded. "There remain a few loose ends in this case that require further discussion. Captains, please remain. Tsukishiro Hinamori, Yui Mizusue, Rangiku Matsumoto, the three of you are dismissed."

"Yes, Commander-General." Three voices, in unison.

What had begun as a case inquiry had turned into a one-man showcase. Wayne had left a firm impression on every captain in the room. And judging from Aizen's demeanor throughout, he had already begun to take Wayne seriously. The Vice-Captain seat was not something offered to just anyone. It went to someone he trusted. With Wayne now firmly on every captain's radar, Aizen would hesitate before moving against him. Better to bring a talent like this under his wing than to eliminate a potential threat.

Time passed quietly after that.

By the time Wayne stood before Yagami China's coffin, he was already wearing his Shihakushō and the 4th Division insignia. As for the true extent of his Zanpakutō's power, he had concealed most of it. Showing the captains a portion had been enough. The rest could wait until the day he actually needed it.

In truth, Wayne's Zanpakutō was simply himself, the version of himself from his days as a Hollow beast. The absolute power it held was thirty percent of what he had possessed during his Vasto Lorde period. Pushed to its absolute limit, his Zanpakutō could release roughly thirty percent of his Vasto Lorde-era strength, enough to dispatch an ordinary Adjuchas in an instant. That was the Zanpakutō alone, separate from his own Vice-Captain-level personal power. Combine the two, and Wayne could hold his own against even a higher-tier Adjuchas. And he was still improving. His strength was still growing.

As for Bankai...

Wayne's Zanpakutō worked differently from any other. The simplest path to increasing its power was to kill Hollows, to use the version of himself sealed inside the blade to devour Hollow beasts. The same method that had made him strong before was the method he would use again now. Whether his Reiatsu could climb back to Vasto Lorde levels, Wayne believed it could. But to reclaim his spatial manipulation and concealment, he would still need the Hōgyoku. And Bankai, so long as he devoured enough Hollows, Bankai would come eventually. Though by then, the form his Zanpakutō took would likely be summoning forth his Vasto Lorde self: the version of him without spatial or concealment abilities, but wielding Vasto Lorde-tier Reiatsu.

After leaving the Yagami residence, Wayne didn't go back to the division barracks. He went home. That was the arrangement he had reached with Mizusue, when there were no duties, he was free to return home and train. When something came up, a division member would come and find him. It was only a few dozen Shunpo steps, after all. And the 4th Division rarely dealt with emergencies. It was one of the most easygoing divisions in ordinary times.

Back home, Wayne went straight down to the underground training area.

After living through Yagami China's death, his hunger for power had turned harder, more relentless. Without strength, he couldn't do anything. He was in the Gotei 13 now. Aizen's hand had already started reaching in his direction. If he didn't handle this carefully, what waited for him was death. Beyond his daily training, he would need to find opportunities to get back into Hueco Mundo, both to build his own strength and to start tracking down Nel, Jekain, and the others. After this many years, he had no idea whether they were even still alive.

The thought settled over him, heavy and quiet. He let out a long, slow breath.

Barely over a year in Soul Society, and so much had already happened. From nothing at all to Vice-Captain-level strength, he'd done it in a single year. But from here on out, relying solely on the spirit plants available to him wasn't going to cut it. He needed to think of more ways.

With that, he formed his first plan. He needed to visit the 12th Division. He had to find out what that octopus Hollow, the one linked to multiple brains during the entrance exam, had actually been. Wayne had a gut feeling that unraveling its origins would be of tremendous help to him. And at the very least, even if nothing else came of it, he could always just cut the thing down and eat it.

But walking straight up to the 12th Division wasn't exactly a sound approach either. Mayuri Kurotsuchi would have him strapped to a dissection table before he made it through the door.

Wayne gave a wry smile and shook his head. His constitution, the ability to absorb a Hollow Mask, was currently a one-of-a-kind case. Mayuri was desperate for anything he could extract from Wayne. And dealing with that man required caution at every step. There was no telling when he might slip some kind of surveillance bacterium or virus onto you without your ever noticing.

"I have to build my own track record first, one step at a time." He turned the thought over slowly. "I remember from my previous life, watching anime, there was something in Naruto about three-person squads that always included a medic. But it doesn't seem like anything like that exists in this world. What if..."

➤ Next: Methods of Growing Stronger