Aizen Sōsuke.
The moment that name reached him, Nobu's brow twitched.
"I see. Got it. When exactly?"
"The day after tomorrow, in the morning—before classes begin. The captain of the Fifth Division will arrive at Shin'ō Academy. President Tachikawa, just be ready to receive him when the time comes."
"…"
After the teacher left, Nobu's brow furrowed deeply.
Aizen…
He had often imagined what it might be like to meet that man face-to-face. How should he act? What would he say?
He hadn't expected it to happen so soon.
"Nobu?"
He was so lost in thought, he didn't even notice Shūhei walking in.
"Shūhei?"
"What's got you so deep in your head?"
"…Nothing. Just got word that a captain will be visiting Shin'ō Academy in two days. The faculty wants the student council to handle the reception and tour."
"Oh." Shūhei didn't look especially surprised—this kind of thing was tradition.
"Already that time of year, huh," he murmured thoughtfully.
It was their fifth year at the Academy. Since their first term, captains had come to observe every year—not counting those who occasionally taught guest lectures. It served another purpose too: promoting the Gotei 13 and encouraging students to join a division after graduation.
Their previous years had brought inspections from Ukitake Jūshirō of the Thirteenth, Kyōraku Shunsui of the Eighth, Unohana Retsu of the Fourth, and Shiba Isshin of the Tenth.
"Who is it this year?" Shūhei asked.
"Captain Aizen of the Fifth Division."
"So how are we supposed to welcome him?"
Nobu fell quiet, thinking. It was nothing complicated—post an announcement, hang up a few banners, assign someone to guide the captain around the first-year classrooms.
But his thoughts were elsewhere. "We'll have a meeting this afternoon," he said simply.
That afternoon, with Rukia's notice, the student council officers gathered for a meeting. Nobu informed them of the captain's upcoming visit and assigned duties accordingly.
...
The day of the inspection arrived quickly.
Thanks to the student council's prior announcements, everyone at Shin'ō Academy was aware. Crowds had gathered on either side of the main path leading to the front gate—mostly first-years, all eager to catch a glimpse of a real captain.
Nobu stood before the student council's banner, trying not to cringe at how embarrassing the whole setup felt.
Thankfully, the wait wasn't long. Two figures approached in the distance—the white haori of the leading man was unmistakable.
"They're here!"
Excited voices murmured through the crowd, only to fall quickly silent as the two drew closer.
The man at the front was none other than Captain Aizen Sōsuke of the Fifth Division—a composed and refined young man, handsome and scholarly in appearance, with short brown hair and a pair of black-rimmed glasses. A warm, gentle smile sat on his face, naturally inviting.
Just one look was enough to earn the goodwill of the assembled students.
But it wasn't just his appearance or demeanor. The spiritual pressure surrounding him was vast—an ocean too deep to see the bottom. Far beyond anything their instructors ever released… and yet, it carried no weight, no oppressive force. Just calm. Profound. Immeasurable.
So this is a captain…
Even Shūhei and the others, despite having met captains before, couldn't help but feel that same awe each time. Will I ever reach such a height? they wondered.
Following Aizen was a silver-haired man in standard Shinigami robes, a vice-captain's badge strapped to his arm.
That was none other than Ichimaru Gin—a well-known figure himself, famed for graduating the Academy in just one year.
Nobu was flanked by Rukia and several student council officers.
"Captain Aizen. Vice-Captain Ichimaru. Welcome to Shin'ō Academy," Nobu said.
Aizen stopped and looked at him, his expression warm and relaxed.
"You must be Tachikawa Nobu, the student council president. I've heard of you."
Nobu inclined his head and smiled in return. "It's an honor that you know my name, Captain. If you'll allow it, I'll be your guide today."
"Please do. I've been quite interested in this student council of yours—perhaps you can tell me more about it along the way?" Aizen's smile deepened, just slightly, almost meaningfully.
Nobu led Aizen and Gin to the student council's headquarters, where a stack of documents awaited.
As they walked, he explained the structure and duties of the student council in detail.
"A student-run organization like this, established and fully operational in such a short time… that's no small feat," Aizen said with praise. "Tachikawa-kun, you're clearly quite capable."
Nobu answered modestly, "You flatter me. I merely proposed the idea—it was the Academy faculty who helped refine and implement it. They gave me the title of president, but I still don't know if I can live up to it."
"I think you're being too humble," Aizen replied. "The concept alone is already impressive. In all the Academy's long history, no one ever suggested anything like it. I've also heard your personal grades are excellent. In fact, I reached out to your homeroom teacher a few months ago, inquiring about your division preferences after graduation. I noticed you didn't apply for early graduation—but it seems that was the right decision after all."
Nobu's brow twitched slightly. Aizen's words carried more meaning than they let on.
"I just felt my fundamentals still needed work. Another year at the Academy could only help. Otherwise, even if I graduated by luck, I'd likely fail the Gotei entrance trials."
"Who says it'd be luck?" Aizen smiled. "If you're interested in the Fifth Division, Tachikawa-kun, I'm sure you'd pass without issue."
Nobu sighed, shaking his head. "I appreciate the offer, Captain Aizen, but… even if I wanted to, I don't think the Fifth Division is an option for me anymore."
"Oh?"
"A few days ago, I awakened my zanpakutō. Its ability is healing-based—kaidō. My teacher told me the Fourth Division would suit me better."
"Healing-type…"
Aizen paused in thought. "That's quite a rare ability. With such a zanpakutō, I'm sure you'll shine in the Fourth Division."
"Thank you for your kind words."
Nobu handed over a stack of documents—detailed profiles of the current first-year classes. If Aizen had any preferences, he could choose which groups to observe.
Aizen flipped through a few pages, then looked up.
"President Tachikawa, if it's alright, perhaps we could ask the others to give us some privacy? There's no need for so many people to be present—I'm sure your officers have work of their own."
He was referring to the rest of the student council members in the office.
Though most of them were eager to remain near a captain, Nobu caught Aizen's meaning and nodded for them to leave.
Soon, only Rukia remained beside him, standing nervously as ever.
Aizen continued leafing through the files, then asked casually, "President Tachikawa, if I may ask something a bit forward…"
"That reiatsu barrier you constantly maintain around yourself—is that part of your zanpakutō's ability?"
Nobu's gaze flickered.
Until now, to conceal his true level of spiritual pressure, he had maintained a constant leak of spiritual particles—subtle enough to evade notice.
But after awakening his zanpakutō, he had a more elegant solution.
A thin veil of spiritual particles now surrounded him—so faint and diluted that it was nearly undetectable. Even Nanada-sensei had never noticed.
Besides masking his reiatsu, the veil had other uses as well.
Aizen looked up from the documents, smiling, and gave his glasses a gentle push.
"Perhaps I'm just too curious," he said lightly. "But would you be willing to enlighten me, Tachikawa-kun?"