Naruto: Copy System#729+730: Shin's Plan, Learning Kidō, The Shin'ō Academy

"Are you the type who likes gentle women?"

Unohana Retsu asked Shin after a moment of hesitation.

Shin had expected her to ask about his origins, but he never thought she'd ask something like this.

"I don't think there's a man alive who doesn't like gentle women," Shin replied, rubbing his nose.

"Oh..." Unohana just said flatly, then fell silent.

Following Unohana, Shin arrived at the Seireitei. To enter from the Rukongai, one had to pass through one of the four great gates. This was the East Gate, the Seiryōmon.

The guards saw Shin but, under Unohana's escort, didn't dare say a word. They entered with ease.

"That was surprisingly easy. Thanks to you, Retsu," Shin said with a smile.

Without Unohana, he would've had to find another way to sneak into the Seireitei.

He had to get in. He wanted to learn the Soul Reapers' Kidō and, more importantly, about their Zanpakutō.

Just as Devil Fruits were the most captivating power in the world of pirates, the diverse and powerful Zanpakutō were the signature of the Soul Reapers.

Shin's first target was to copy the Ryūjin Jakka of Captain-Commander Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

He was also eager to see if he could achieve Shikai and awaken his own Zanpakutō.

"For now, you should come back to the 11th Division with me," Unohana said to Shin.

Even though he was inside, Shin was still an unregistered individual. But getting him a proper identity would be simple enough: a talented soul discovered in the Rukongai.

In fact, Unohana genuinely believed he was a genius—perhaps the most talented person she had ever met.

It had only been a short time since he started learning about spiritual pressure, yet his was already on par with her own.

"Alright."

Shin nodded. He had nowhere else to go. To live here, he'd need Retsu's help.

"Don't worry, Retsu. I have no ill intentions toward the Soul Society or the Seireitei," Shin said.

"I'm not concerned about that."

Unohana shook her head. Unlike Yamamoto, Unohana wasn't overly concerned with the Soul Society's security. She didn't have much affection for the Seireitei at this point—after all, she was still the Soul Society's most feared killer.

Shin settled into the 11th Division's barracks. Upon arriving, he was surprised by how few members there were.

"Is the 11th Division always this empty? And where's the lieutenant?"

Shin couldn't help but ask Unohana. With only a handful of people around, he wondered if the combat-focused Squad 11 was really this threadbare.

"Our members died in the last campaign in Hueco Mundo. The lieutenant is dead too," Unohana said flatly, showing no particular sadness over the loss of her squad members.

In truth, death was common in the 11th Division.

Basically, anyone with a bit of sense who graduated from the Shin'ō Academy would never join Squad 11.

They were constantly fighting Hollows, and casualties were just part of the job.

The world of the Soul Reapers consisted of the World of the Living, the Soul Society, and Hueco Mundo. The World of the Living was where humans resided, and the Soul Society was home to souls and Soul Reapers.

Hueco Mundo was the realm of the Hollows.

Hollows were malevolent souls. When some people died, their lingering attachments to the living world prevented their souls from ascending. Some, tormented by their own sorrow, could corrupt and transform into Hollows.

Hollows preyed on humans and other souls, making them enemies of both Soul Reapers and Quincy—though Soul Reapers and Quincy now had their own blood feud.

Hollows were also divided into several classes. There were the common Hollows and the Menos. The weakest, newly formed Hollows were only slightly stronger than humans.

Then came the more powerful ones, larger in size and possessing some intelligence. These Hollows were already a credible threat.

Giant Hollows, towering several stories high, were stronger than the average Soul Reaper.

After them came the true Menos. The Gillian-class Menos were the foot soldiers of their kind, with power comparable to a Gotei 13 lieutenant.

Adjuchas were mid-level Hollows, and they were not numerous in Hueco Mundo. The conditions to become an Adjuchas were extremely demanding—it took thousands of Hollows to produce even a handful of Adjuchas.

Their strength was comparable to a Gotei 13 captain, though it depended on the captain.

Someone like Unohana, while not able to one-shot an Adjuchas, could defeat one with ease.

As for Yamamoto, a single slash would be enough. If he were to release his Shikai, he could wipe out a whole swarm of Vasto Lorde.

Vasto Lorde were the highest class of Hollows. They possessed human-level intelligence and were extremely rare—there were probably only a few in all of Hueco Mundo.

Their power was above that of a captain.

Even Unohana, facing a Vasto Lorde, couldn't guarantee a complete victory.

Overall, if you took Yamamoto and the Zero Division out of the equation, Hueco Mundo's forces were stronger than the Soul Society's.

"You must have a reason for coming to the Seireitei, right?"

Unohana poured two cups of tea, placing one in front of Shin as she asked.

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"I do. I want to enroll in the Shin'ō Academy."

Shin didn't hide his intentions, telling Unohana his plan directly.

"The Shin'ō Academy? Are you planning to become a teacher?" Unohana couldn't help but ask.

"A teacher? Don't be ridiculous. I don't have the qualifications to be a teacher. I'm going there to learn."

Shin was a complete novice when it came to the world of Soul Reapers. How could he possibly teach anyone? The powers he possessed were from different worlds.

He couldn't teach them Chakra, nor could he teach them Haki. Soul Reapers were spirits—how could they learn the Haki of the pirate world?

Some of the physical techniques from the pirate world might be learnable, though.

But even if Shin wanted to be a teacher, he wasn't qualified. He was still an unregistered soul.

"You want to learn Kidō?" Unohana wasn't stupid—she instantly understood Shin's goal.

"If you want to learn Kidō, that's possible, but the Shin'ō Academy doesn't teach the more advanced spells."

Unohana herself hadn't studied Kidō extensively. Right now, she was focused on swordsmanship and only knew a few simple spells.

"I do want to learn Kidō, but that's only part of it. I'm more interested in getting a systematic education on what it means to be a Soul Reaper."

Although Unohana had taught him some things, there were certain subjects she couldn't teach him.

If it were the future Captain Unohana of the 4th Division, teaching him wouldn't be a problem. But the current Unohana, the battle-crazed warrior, wasn't particularly knowledgeable about the fundamentals of being a Soul Reaper.

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After hearing Shin's plan, Unohana fell silent for a moment before looking at him.

"If you want to get into the Shin'ō Academy, I can recommend you."

The Shin'ō Academy, the training institution for Soul Reapers, had been established by Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto over a thousand years ago.

It was responsible for training the members of the Kidō Corps, the Stealth Force, and the Gotei 13.

As long as one successfully graduated from the academy, they could become a member of the Gotei 13. As for those who couldn't graduate, they would become rank-and-file soldiers, responsible for managing the Rukongai.

This was a form of job placement. Even if they didn't become Soul Reapers, they could still find work.

Souls from the Rukongai could also enter the Shin'ō Academy by passing the exams. For them, it was a chance to change their fate.

However, the exams were extremely strict, and getting into the academy was not easy.

"Thank you."

Shin thanked Unohana. Otherwise, it would have taken him a lot more effort.

"Captain, the Captain-Commander has called a meeting for all captains."

Just then, a Soul Reaper knocked on the door.

"Mm, I understand." A flicker of doubt crossed Unohana's eyes. Why a meeting now? It might be related to the 11th Division.

The position of lieutenant in the 11th Division was vacant, and it couldn't stay that way forever. It was probably about that.

Afterward, Unohana left for the meeting. Shin didn't wander around, staying in the 11th Division's barracks.

Unfamiliar with the Seireitei, Shin had no desire to explore. He might as well use the time to increase his spiritual pressure. The spiritual pressure here was certainly no match for the Rukongai.

The Rukongai was a harsh place, especially the remote 80th district.

Not long after, Unohana returned.

Shin glanced at her curiously, wondering what Yamamoto had said in the meeting, but he didn't ask.

"This is for you. You can start at the academy tomorrow."

Unohana handed Shin an admission document. For her, arranging such a thing was simple.

As for Shin's identity—a soul from the Rukongai—it was basically untraceable. If the Soul Reapers had strict control over the Rukongai, it wouldn't be so chaotic.

Shin took the admission document. He really owed Unohana quite a bit now.

He would have to repay her kindness in the future. Shin wouldn't forget the debts he owed.

The next day, using the map Unohana had given him, Shin arrived at the Shin'ō Academy and successfully enrolled.

"Tsk, not a single familiar face."

After enrolling, Shin had hoped to see some of the future captains, but there was not a single one.

The future captains he knew of hadn't appeared yet, which meant they hadn't even been born. He had indeed transmigrated a bit too early.

"This stupid system," Shin grumbled.

He was placed in an elite class. The Shin'ō Academy was also divided into regular and elite classes. The regular classes were for those with the potential to become Soul Reapers but with average talent, while the elite classes were for those with connections or exceptional talent.

Shin was a transfer student, and as such, he attracted a lot of attention. Of course, no one came looking for trouble.

After all, there weren't that many idiots in the world, especially in the elite class. Even those who got in through connections weren't that foolish.

Those with connections were mostly nobles who had received an elite education. Why would they randomly start trouble?

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In the blink of an eye, three years had passed since Shin enrolled. He had long since mastered all the knowledge taught at the academy.

He had learned some Hadō and Bakudō, but none of them were high-level spells.

They were all spells below number 30. To learn more advanced ones, one had to join a division and earn them through merit.

Kidō wasn't something you could learn just anywhere. The teachers at the school didn't know them, so of course, Shin couldn't learn them either.

In fact, Shin had learned all the knowledge in just half a year. The remaining two and a half years were spent just coasting.

He didn't want to graduate so early. Geniuses always attract attention, and Shin didn't want too much of it.

Sometimes, being low-key wasn't a bad thing, especially for Shin. In the future, he was destined to do things that broke the rules. He didn't want to be in the spotlight.

At this moment, Shin held an Asauchi in his hand. This was the Zanpakutō assigned to him.

An Asauchi was a Zanpakutō before its Shikai, the strongest Zanpakutō with infinite potential.

When a Soul Reaper achieved Shikai, it would change according to their will. The final strength of this Zanpakutō depended on you.

All Asauchi were forged by the Sword God, Ōetsu Nimaiya.

Ōetsu Nimaiya was one of the captains of the Zero Division.

In fact, the Zero Division had no members, only captains.

Regarding the Shikai of a Zanpakutō, Shin had absolutely no clue. In fact, Shin might not be able to achieve Shikai like other Soul Reapers.

The reason was simple: Shin wasn't just a Soul Reaper—he was also a human. Perhaps holding an Asauchi wouldn't allow him to achieve Shikai.

But Shin wasn't too concerned. He wouldn't force it. It didn't matter if he couldn't achieve Shikai himself.

He could just copy other people's Zanpakutō then.

He had always wanted to copy Yamamoto's Zanpakutō, but Shin had never even met him, so he had no chance to copy it.

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Leaving the Shin'ō Academy, Shin headed for the 11th Division.

"It's about time I graduated. There's no point in staying at the academy anymore."

The Shin'ō Academy usually took six years to graduate, but some geniuses didn't need that long to be qualified.

He had been coasting for three years now. Even if he graduated now, though he would be called a genius, he wouldn't attract too much attention.

"Shin, it's time for us to leave."

Just as he returned, he heard Unohana's words.

"Leave?"

"That's right. I'm no longer the captain of the 11th Division."

As she spoke, Unohana turned, showing Shin the large number '4' (Four) on the back of her haori. She was now the captain of the 4th Division. She had no intention of leading Squad 11 any longer.

"So you really went into medicine." Shin wasn't surprised. Besides his past words, Unohana had shown signs of this in the past few years.

And the current Unohana had really changed a lot. Before, just being near her, you could feel a thick killing intent.

It made others not dare to get close. But now, Unohana had a gentle smile on her face, a completely different person from before.

Even the old-timers in the Seireitei were shocked by her transformation, their jaws practically hitting the floor.

The terrifying killer had changed so much it was hard to believe. But for them, it was a good thing.