The first Sunday in April.
The weather after the rain was exceptionally crisp.
Shigū Takeru and Ichigo went to the 5th Division as invited.
When they saw Aizen, he was standing under the barracks eaves, hands folded into his sleeves, gently placating a subordinate who had likely made a small mistake.
Takeru and Ichigo waited at the other end of the veranda for him to finish his duties before approaching.
"Shigū-kun, Kurosaki-kun, welcome to the 5th Division. I trust you had no trouble getting here?"
"Not really. It's just a bit of a long walk. It would be more convenient if there was some kind of transportation, like a bus," Ichigo said, rubbing the back of his head with a wry smile.
"A very pertinent suggestion. I will propose it to the Captain-Commander and Central 46 at the next Captain's meeting," Aizen said thoughtfully.
This made Ichigo feel a little bad.
"No... it's not necessary to go to all that trouble. It's not completely unbearable. Right, Shigū?"
"Honestly, I don't think buses are good enough. Trams would be better. Speaking of which, is there any potential in building a subway system under the different districts? It feels like a good investment project."
Takeru's thoughtful expression was a perfect mirror of Aizen's.
"Hey!"
"A very bold idea. But if it's you two, you might actually be able to achieve it."
"Teacher Aizen, isn't this when you're supposed to tell your students not to daydream?"
"Kurosaki-kun, I must correct a misconception of yours. What a teacher should admonish a student for is giving up on their ideals. No matter how wild the idea may be, pursuing it is the prerogative of a genius," Aizen said meaningfully.
Ichigo vaguely felt the last half of that statement was a bit extreme, but before he could think of a rebuttal, Takeru cut in. "We can discuss the investment project later. Let's get down to business."
"As Shigū-kun says. But before we begin, let's move to a different location."
Aizen then led them to a building that looked like a cross between a thatched hut and a dojo.
It looked simple, but it occupied an entire independent courtyard and was located in a core part of the division's grounds. It was clearly not as humble as it appeared.
"What are your impressions of the 5th Division from your walk here?" Aizen suddenly asked a seemingly unrelated question.
Takeru and Ichigo looked at each other.
Ichigo answered first.
"Impressions... If I had to say, it's that even though the uniforms are different from the Academy, the atmosphere feels pretty similar."
"You mean the 'academic atmosphere,' right?" Takeru picked up the thread.
"Yes, yes! It feels like an educational institution." Ichigo's eyes lit up.
"I actually had a similar feeling. But I think I know where it comes from," Takeru said, looking at the smiling Aizen.
"From my observations, I've noticed that the 5th Division members are all very emotionally stable. Although they don't intentionally hide their Reiatsu, it doesn't feel 'real.' It's like breathing or a heartbeat—you notice it, but you don't pay it any mind. Rather than lacking aggression, it's more like they're intentionally avoiding affecting others."
"It's the complete opposite of Brother Kurosaki, who still can't fully suppress his own Reiatsu."
"You can make your point without using me as an example! I think I'm doing pretty well now. Even the Kido instructor praised me the other day," Ichigo grumbled.
"In your case, any small improvement is enough to make a teacher happy... Don't interrupt me. Where was I? Anyway, if you're asking for my impression of the 5th Division, my conclusion is that the Kido proficiency of the 5th Division members is, on average, likely above the passing line."
Takeru's words were shocking.
Even Ichigo forgot his indignation for a moment, exclaiming, "No way!"
As someone currently being baptized in the knowledge of the Academy, he was no longer the ignorant Substitute Shinigami he might have been. He knew exactly how significant "above average Kido" was.
To put it bluntly, at least half of the students who passed the graduation exam after six years would not meet this standard.
In that case, unless the 5th Division only recruited Kido specialists, it would be impossible for all its members to be proficient.
But wouldn't that get them reported by the Kido Corps?
Oh, right. The Grand Kido Chief and Vice Kido Chief went rogue. There's no one to lead a protest. Never mind.
Soon, Aizen personally refuted this seemingly only possibility.
"Shigū-kun's observations are very meticulous, and his ideas are bold. To that, I just want to say... correct. The vast majority of 5th Division members possess considerable Kido strength."
"And the reason for that... is related to the building behind me."
At these words, Takeru and Ichigo instinctively looked at the thatched-roof dojo.
Aizen didn't keep them in suspense.
"—It has a name. The 「Kido Recovery Room」."
"As the name implies, it is a training ground that can accelerate the recovery of the... spiritual energy... consumed when using Kido."
"With its help, the division members can undergo high-intensity Kido training during specific periods. By combining this with the theoretical knowledge they've mastered, they can effectively raise their Kido baseline."
"Even if they are limited by talent and cannot master more difficult Kido, I believe it is still a remarkable achievement if they can discard the incantation while retaining most of the spell's power, combine them into new Kido, and integrate them with tactics and combat experience."
"This hope—that even those who are not geniuses can become strong—is the anchor that keeps the division members' emotions stable."
"It's no exaggeration to say that the 5th Division's comprehensive Kido strength is second to none among the Gotei 13. Of course," he added with a humble smile, "we are still slightly inferior to the Kido Corps."
He didn't forget to be modest, even though no one from the Kido Corps was present.
"I didn't expect the 5th Division to have such a good thing," Takeru remarked.
The cost of over-exerting one's mind in daily training was far more troublesome than over-exerting one's body.
Therefore, the benefits of a training ground that helped one quickly recover spiritual energy were obvious.
Takeru, who possessed the 「Compound Potion」 and could complete high-intensity training daily without fear of burnout, understood this deeply.
Looks like I'll have to come to the 5th Division more often.
"So, Teacher Aizen, this place can solve my problem, right?" Ichigo asked eagerly.
But Aizen shook his head. "I'm afraid not."
"Huh?"
"Its function is to restore the spiritual energy used for Kido, not to help one control their Reiatsu. While it can have an auxiliary effect, you are not at that stage yet."
"I'm more and more confused."
"Very well. Let's be direct... Kurosaki-kun, give up on Kido."
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