"Miss Rangiku, do you know this Tachikawa Shinichi?"
Unohana Retsu asked upon noticing Matsumoto Rangiku's reaction.
Top graduates from the Spiritual Arts Academy were always of great interest to the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and as the Vice-Captain of the 10th Division, Rangiku's thoughts were instantly picked up by Unohana.
Rangiku asked, "You said… Tachikawa Shinichi's Zanpakutō is of the Kaidō type?"
"Yes. It's been a long time since the Academy produced a Zanpakutō like this. This is great news for our 4th Division," Unohana replied.
"…"
Rangiku stood frozen, while Kusajishi Yachiru beside her didn't seem to register their conversation—her only concern was that Rangiku had stopped tossing flowers for her to munch on.
Tachikawa Shinichi…
How could that guy possibly have a Kaidō-type Zanpakutō?
Rangiku couldn't believe it. That guy never seemed like the "healer" type. It wasn't that Shinichi's Kaidō was particularly weak—just that, compared to all his other strengths, Kaidō was by far his weakest subject.
That brat had even said a few days ago that he'd consider joining their 10th Division after graduation. But if his Zanpakutō truly was Kaidō-based, then his only realistic destination after graduation would be the 4th Division.
Only there could a Kaidō-type Zanpakutō be properly nurtured and developed.
Rangiku's mind was a mess. Based on his talents alone, Shinichi already had the capabilities of an upper-ranked officer. Reaching vice-captain level was only a matter of time—and becoming a captain wasn't out of the question either.
Was she just supposed to stand by and let someone like that slip through her fingers?
She had already done so much groundwork!
"Miss Rangiku?"
"…It's nothing," she replied with a forced smile.
If Shinichi hadn't manifested a Zanpakutō yet, she'd still have confidence in vying for him with other squads. But now that it was confirmed to be Kaidō-type, Rangiku had to give up that idea.
Why did his Zanpakutō have to be that kind…? she thought with great regret. Seeing Yachiru staring up at her expectantly, she tossed another flower her way.
Ise Nanao looked at her curiously from the side.
Unohana, having guessed that Rangiku must have had some contact with Shinichi, didn't think too much of it. A Spiritual Arts Academy student with a Kaidō-type Zanpakutō? No other division had the qualifications to compete with the 4th.
She casually handed the file back to Isane and returned to her flower arrangement.
After leaving, Rangiku headed straight for the 10th Division barracks.
As expected, upon opening the captain's office door, she found her captain napping on the desk. Furious, she slammed her palm loudly onto the tabletop.
"Captain!"
Shiba Isshin jolted up in alarm, blinking around in confusion. "Huh? What's going on?"
"Captain, our guy's been snatched away and you're still slacking off! Might as well just resign already!"
Even as Rangiku ranted, Isshin only stretched lazily and said, "Someone's poaching you? I thought all the divisions already had vice-captains."
Rangiku rubbed her temples and said, "I'm talking about Tachikawa Shinichi!"
"Him?" Isshin raised an eyebrow.
"It's not even graduation season yet. What happened?"
"I was just at the 4th Division. I overheard that Tachikawa Shinichi already has a Zanpakutō—and it's Kaidō-type."
Isshin's expression finally turned a little more serious. "You sure about that?"
"It came directly from the Academy's report sent to the 4th. How could it be fake?" Rangiku said.
"…I see," Isshin muttered, rubbing his chin.
"In that case, there's nothing we can do. The 4th Division is where he belongs. Rangiku, that's beyond our control."
Rangiku sighed in frustration. "It took forever to find someone like him. If you had just been a little more responsible as a captain, I wouldn't have to keep hunting for talent myself."
Isshin pouted. "Rangiku, I work very hard as captain, you know! Today was your day off, but I was working diligently all morning! You just happened to catch me during a short nap!"
Rangiku clearly didn't believe him. If this guy was ever truly diligent, the sun would rise in the west.
Isshin continued, "Still, Tachikawa Shinichi is a promising junior. If he goes to the 4th Division, he might accomplish even more. Who knows? One day we might get injured on a mission and end up relying on him to patch us up."
In the end, Shinichi was still just an Academy student. There were top graduates every year. Maybe Shinichi was more outstanding than most, but he wasn't worth Isshin losing sleep over.
Besides, helping him set up the student council was already a worthwhile endeavor. Isshin didn't feel like he lost anything.
Rangiku, on the other hand, had poured so much into trying to recruit him for the 10th Division—visiting the Academy numerous times. And now? The "duck she had in the pot" flew away, and she was thoroughly disgruntled.
No! I have to find someone even better than that guy!
Someone on the level of Shiba Kaien or… or Gin!
Meanwhile, back in the 4th Division—
Even after the Soul Reaper Women's Association's group activity had ended, Unohana and Isane didn't return to rest.
"Isane, when you have time, go visit the Academy and assess this Tachikawa Shinichi. Miss Rangiku seems quite interested in him," Unohana instructed.
If Shinichi proved to have both talent and good character, he could easily be promoted to a seated officer once he joined the 4th Division.
Being the medical corps, the 4th Division didn't place as much emphasis on raw combat ability when assigning ranks. A Kaidō-type Zanpakutō, if properly developed, could far surpass the average soul reaper relying only on basic healing spells.
Even in the 4th Division, Zanpakutō with healing properties were extremely rare.
"I understand, Captain."
Unohana glanced once more at the file on the desk.
"This student even started a student council—it was making quite a stir not long ago. He might turn out to be quite the interesting one. It's been a while since our squad got some fresh blood."
With how long Soul Reapers lived, their sense of time was often a bit skewed. When Unohana said "not long ago," she meant something that happened over a month ago.
"Origin: Rukongai District 79 (Zaraki). Best subject: Swordsmanship. Even defeated his own Zanjutsu instructor…"
But just how skilled was this "best at swordsmanship," really?
A thoughtful expression flickered across Unohana's gentle face. Her eyes shimmered, as though remembering something. Her thoughts wandered, unreadable.