Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—Captain of the 1st Division of the Gotei 13, and Commander-in-Chief of all thirteen divisions—was not only the oldest and most revered Soul Reaper alive, but also the strongest known force in Soul Society for over two thousand years.
It was he who had founded the Shin'ō Academy, serving as its very first headmaster.
Without Yamamoto, Rukongai's residents would never have had the chance to rise through the ranks to become Soul Reapers or live in Seireitei. The current abundance of talent in the Gotei 13 would not exist. The academy itself would never have been established.
In short, there would be no current Soul Society—no Gotei 13—without this man.
So when a massive commotion erupted in the academy, Yamamoto was one of the first to receive the report.
While most were still busy confirming whether the news was true, Yamamoto had already ordered a full investigation into the student at the heart of it all.
"Kaiser. Seventeen years old at time of death. Sent to Soul Society roughly two months after dying. Has lived in Rukongai for less than three months."
Standing before Yamamoto was a man with short white hair and golden eyes, a neatly trimmed mustache, and tanned skin. He wore a black kimono with a white haori and a high-collared inner shirt, with the 1st Division Vice-Captain's badge strapped to his left arm.
His name: Sasakibe Chōjirō.
"He lived in North Rukongai, in the 80th district of Zaraki. Although his stay was brief—less than three months—he survived numerous life-or-death battles."
At that, Yamamoto narrowed his eyes.
Zaraki—one of the four 80th districts, and the furthest from Seireitei.
A lawless wasteland where nothing grew, famine was constant, and survival was a daily gamble. Even Soul Reapers were reluctant to step foot there.
The residents of Zaraki lived in a constant state of violence, killing each other for scraps of food or water. The bloodshed was relentless.
It didn't surprise Yamamoto that someone from Zaraki had experienced multiple death matches. What did surprise him, was that someone from there had achieved Second-Rank Reiatsu.
After all, the current 11th Division Captain—Kenpachi Zaraki—was also from this very district.
And now, another prodigy had emerged from that same hellhole.
Sasakibe, unaware of—or unsurprised by—Yamamoto's reaction, continued calmly. He, too, knew the 11th Division Captain's background.
"Perhaps due to his unusually high spiritual power, Kaiser needed more food and water than the average soul. During his time in Zaraki, he actively sought out battle. Armed only with a sword he stole from another, he slayed 137 known criminals, earning enough supplies to survive."
In Soul Society, most souls didn't need to eat. A little moisture and spirit particles from the air were enough.
But spiritually powerful souls—those with Reiatsu—often needed food and drink to sustain themselves. Without it, their energy would drain, and they could even die from starvation.
The higher the Reiatsu, the stronger the hunger.
So for someone with Second-Rank Reiatsu, it was no surprise Kaiser had to fight for sustenance.
What was surprising, was how he had done it so efficiently as a newly arrived soul, and at such a young age.
"After securing enough supplies, he left Zaraki and made his way to Seireitei. Yesterday, he arrived at the academy and registered for the entrance exam—where he tested at Second-Rank Reiatsu. He possesses the potential of a captain-level Soul Reaper."
Sasakibe closed the report, looked up.
"He is the first in Shin'ō Academy's thousand-year history to register a Second-Rank Reiatsu during admission."
"Not even graduates have ever reached that level—let alone a new student."
"This isn't just once-in-a-century talent. It's once-in-a-millennium."
His evaluation was without bias—utterly objective.
"The appearance of such a prodigy has stirred even the noble clans of Seireitei. Among the Four Great Noble Houses, some have expressed strong interest in meeting him directly."
"Captain-Commander, should we also act?"
Sasakibe's question was met with silence.
Yamamoto closed his eyes and gripped his wooden cane, emanating an overwhelming pressure despite not saying a word.
Only after a long pause did he speak again.
"Tell the entire Gotei 13 and the noble families—they are not to interfere with this Second-Rank student's academy life."
"Say this is my will. Anyone who disobeys is free to ignore it—but I won't hesitate to have a long… chat with them afterward."
"Understood," Sasakibe nodded. Then, after a moment, he asked: "Are you sure we shouldn't make contact with him ourselves?"
"Not yet," Yamamoto shook his head. "He's from Zaraki. He's killed many. His spirit is steeped in bloodlust. If we rush this, we might create another Kenpachi Zaraki. That would be… troublesome."
"If he wishes to study, let him do so. The academy will temper him, help him settle that aggression."
"A youth with Second-Rank Reiatsu… His future is limitless. But we mustn't let a rare seedling like this grow into another battle-mad monster."
Sasakibe nodded, bowed, and left.
Yamamoto remained seated, staring down at the report, deep in thought.
—
Meanwhile, Sasakibe relayed the order across the divisions and to the noble clans.
Most obeyed. No one wanted to defy Yamamoto openly.
But not everyone backed down.
Some nobles ignored the warning.Some members of the 11th Division—battle junkies—were already stirred.And some… pretended to agree, while scheming in secret.
So despite the official stance, Seireitei was far from calm. Rumors flew. Eyes watched. Interest grew.
—
At the same time, inside Shin'ō Academy,
The boy Yamamoto had just labeled "too violent"…
Kaiser was lounging on a tree branch, soaking in the sun like it was the best afternoon nap he'd ever had.
Wearing a standard academy uniform, he looked no different from any other student—hard to believe this was the very same Second-Rank prodigy stirring up the entire Soul Society.
"Finally got into the academy…" he murmured lazily, "I won't have to fight over scraps every day just to stay alive now, right?"
He sighed in contentment, voice filled with the kind of bitterness only someone who had lived through it could understand.
"Seriously… I can't believe the first thing I did after arriving in this world was brawl for food."
Just like Yamamoto's report had said:
Kaiser had entered this world less than two months after dying, still just a normal soul.
Before he could even use his personal system to convert his power into the local format, some random Soul Reaper had tapped him on the head and sent him to Soul Society.
That alone would've been annoying enough.
But to be dropped straight into the worst of the worst—District 80 of North Rukongai, Zaraki—was a nightmare.
When he finally converted his power into Reiatsu and stored it within himself, he was hit with crippling hunger. And that hunger didn't go away.
So he'd spent months in constant combat, hoarding food and water, until he had enough to survive the trip to Seireitei and enroll in the academy.
"Now that I'm finally in… I can forget about fighting over food."
"Just need to focus on learning what I came here for."
"The Four Basic Soul Reaper Arts… Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō… I'm honestly kind of excited."
"And of course… Zanpakutō."
As his thoughts drifted, Kaiser leaned back on the tree branch, the afternoon sun warm on his face.
He had no idea just how much his presence had already shaken the Soul Society.
And he didn't care.
He was here for one reason only:
To become stronger.
(End of Chapter)