Bleach: I Have No Talent

When Shiro woke up, he noticed Aizen neatly making his bed while Haruto watched him with a lazy grin. Shiro stood up with a groan, his muscles protesting and aching with every movement, but he ignored the pain and headed to the bathroom for a shower.

As the water cascaded over him, Shiro's mind wandered to the black cat he had encountered the previous day. How was it so fast? he thought. Aside from that one peculiar cat in the Seireitei, he had never come across another like it. It was strange, almost unsettling.

"Stop thinking about it," Shiro muttered to himself, slapping his cheeks lightly. "Just take your shower."

Shiro dried himself with a towel, dressed in his school uniform, and glanced at his reflection in the mirror. With a flicker of intent, his new 2-tomoe Sharingan activated.

A small grin crept onto his face. It's so cool. The world slowed to a crawl, even more so than when he only had the 1-tomoe Sharingan. He deactivated it after a few seconds, satisfied, and stepped out of the bathroom.

He quickly gathered the materials he needed for the day and joined Aizen and Haruto in the hall. Together, they walked toward their next class, the lively hum of students filling the corridors around them

As Shiro joined Aizen and Haruto in the hallway, the trio fell into step together, heading toward their first lesson of the day. The morning buzz of the academy surrounded them, but Haruto's loud voice quickly stole the show.

"Man, I swear these beds are designed by the 12th Division just to torture us," Haruto groaned, stretching his arms dramatically. "I woke up with a kink in my neck so bad, I thought I'd been cursed."

Shiro raised an eyebrow, still feeling the soreness in his own muscles. "Maybe if you didn't flop around like a dying fish in your sleep, the bed wouldn't fight back."

Aizen chuckled softly, adjusting his uniform. "Or maybe it's karma for all those extra helpings you stole at dinner. Even your bed's holding a grudge."

"Hey, a man's gotta eat," Haruto shot back, pretending to clutch his stomach. "You two stick-thin guys wouldn't understand. I need fuel to maintain this physique."

Shiro gave him a once-over, smirking. "Physique? Sure. Let me know when it actually shows up."

Aizen hid his laugh behind his hand, while Haruto pointed an accusing finger at Shiro. "Careful, Shiro. Keep this up, and I'll start leaving my dishes on your side of the dorm."

"Don't you dare."

As they turned the corner, Haruto suddenly asked, "By the way, what was with you yesterday, Shiro? You disappeared after class. Got a secret training regimen or something?"

Shiro hesitated for a moment, then shrugged. "Something like that. Just... needed some fresh air."

Haruto raised an eyebrow suspiciously but didn't press further. "Well, next time, give us a heads-up. We could've used the excuse to skip too."

Aizen, ever the composed one, shook his head. "Skipping isn't an option, Haruto. Though if you did, it might finally give the instructors some peace."

The three of them laughed, their banter continuing as they reached the classroom door.

As the three entered the classroom for their first lesson, they noticed the desks were rearranged into a more open space than usual. A faint hum of curiosity filled the air as students speculated about what they'd be learning today.

Haruto leaned closer to Shiro and whispered, "What's with the setup? Are we finally learning something flashy? Maybe some secret advanced Hadō?"

Aizen raised an eyebrow, his tone calm yet amused. "Not everything is about destruction, Haruto. There's more to being a Shinigami than just blowing things up."

Haruto sighed dramatically. "Says the guy who probably already mastered whatever we're about to learn."

Before Shiro could add his usual quip, the instructor, Sayuri-sensei, entered the room, her presence commanding immediate attention. She carried a calm aura, her gaze sharp but kind.

"Good morning, class," Sayuri said, her voice steady. "Today, we'll be covering an essential skill for any Shinigami: Kaidō, the art of healing."

A ripple of surprise spread through the room. Haruto groaned under his breath. "Healing? Seriously? Where's the fun in that?"

Before Haruto could retort, Sayuri-sensei walked to the front of the room, her gaze sweeping over the class.

"Today, we'll be practicing Kaidō, the art of healing. Healing isn't just a supportive skill—it's vital for survival. On the battlefield, you may have to mend injuries under pressure, even your own. For this exercise, you'll be healing the injured animals in front of you. Use your Reiryoku to stabilize their wounds and restore them to health."

Several students exchanged nervous glances, unsure where to begin. Sayuri-sensei continued, "Focus your Reiatsu into a calm, steady flow. Kaidō requires balance, precision, and a clear mind. Now, begin."

Shiro stared at the tiny fish in front of him, its movements sluggish. He placed his hands near the water, trying to recall Sayuri-sensei's instructions.

As Shiro was focused on healing the fish, a sudden system notification popped up in front of him, causing him to pause for a moment. The message hovered in his vision, interrupting his concentration:

New Quest

Heal the fish with Kaidō on the first try.

Reward: 0.50% progress

Penalty: None

Accept?

[Yes] [No]

Shiro blinked, staring at the screen. He hadn't expected a quest to pop up now, especially with something as simple as healing a fish. But the reward was tempting, and there was no penalty.

"Why not?" Shiro muttered to himself, accepting the quest.

With renewed determination, he focused back on the injured fish. He had to get this right on the first try. His hands glowed faintly with Reiryoku as he carefully began to channel it into the fish, imagining the injury healing under the steady flow of energy.

A small, steady pulse of green light surrounded the fish, and as it swam more energetically, the injury on its tail began to mend. Shiro kept his concentration firm, breathing steadily as the fish became fully healed.

The system notification popped up again.

Quest Completed

Reward: 0.50% progress

Shiro felt a small sense of satisfaction as the fish swam freely in the dish. He looked around at the other students, but no one seemed to have noticed.

With a slight smile, he packed up his things and left the classroom, feeling a bit more confident in his abilities.

After Shiro completed the quest, he stood up and glanced over at Aizen and Haruto. They were still working on their fish, both of them clearly struggling with their attempts. Aizen had his usual calm demeanor, though his concentration was evident, while Haruto was frantically muttering to himself in frustration.

"Looks like you guys are having some trouble," Shiro said with a smirk as he approached them, his hands still lightly glowing from the healing.

Aizen glanced at him, a small smile tugging at his lips. "It seems your Kaidō technique is coming along well."

Haruto let out a deep sigh, his fish swimming lazily in the dish. "I swear, this fish is a lost cause. No matter how much I try, it keeps swimming in circles."

Shiro chuckled. "It's all about focus. You've got to concentrate and think about healing, not just waving your hands around."

"Yeah, yeah," Haruto grumbled, still fidgeting with his fish. "I'll get it eventually."

Aizen, never one to show much emotion, simply nodded. "Your control over Reiryoku is improving, Shiro. I didn't expect you to complete the task so easily."

"I just got lucky, I guess," Shiro shrugged, trying to downplay it. "But hey, maybe I can teach you two how to heal these fish next time."

Haruto shot him a playful glare. "If you can manage to teach me, I'll buy you a drink."

Shiro raised an eyebrow, amused. "I'll take that offer."

Aizen, never one to get involved in trivial matters, simply nodded again, his gaze shifting back to his fish. "If I were to buy you a drink, it would be... more educational, perhaps."

Shiro laughed. "Well, I guess we'll see who's better at Kaidō in the long run."

Haruto groaned but smiled. "Fine, fine. But you better not make it a competition or I'll never hear the end of it."

After the Kidō lesson, the rest of the day passed in a blur. Nothing particularly new was learned, and the hours seemed to drag on without much excitement. Shiro, lost in thought, felt the familiar weight of exhaustion settling over him.

As the final bell rang, signaling the end of the day, a new notification from the system appeared before his eyes.

System Notification:

New Quest: Do 1000 swings with your Asauchi

Reward: Small Stats Improvement

Penalty: Your stats will be lowered

New Quest: Run 10km without stopping

Reward: Small Stats Improvement

Penalty: Your stats will be lowered

New Quest: Do 100 push-ups

Reward: Small Stats Improvement

Penalty: Your stats will be lowered

New Quest: Do 100 sit-ups

Reward: Small Stats Improvement

Penalty: Your stats will be lowered

Shiro sighed heavily as the system's requests popped up. His muscles, already sore from yesterday's training, screamed in protest. But he pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the tasks ahead. He had to finish them, especially with the tempting reward of stat improvements.

He looked over at Aizen and Haruto, both of whom were already heading off to their respective destinations. Shiro, with a wince as he stood, walked over to them.

"I'm going to go train," he said, trying to mask the exhaustion in his voice. "You two go ahead, I'll catch up later."

Aizen nodded, giving Shiro a brief, thoughtful look. "Don't push yourself too hard," he said calmly, before turning away.

Haruto, ever the energetic one, grinned. "You're insane, you know that? Well, good luck with all that training!"

With that, Shiro waved them off and headed towards the training grounds, his mind focused on completing the tasks ahead, despite the aching protests from his body.

After three hours of intense training, Shiro had completed all the quests. He leaned against a tree, taking a moment to drink some water—this time, he had actually remembered to bring some with him.

As he looked out at the sunset, a strange feeling washed over him. He felt like someone was watching him. Turning to his left, he spotted the same black cat again.

Shiro raised an eyebrow and spoke aloud, as though he were talking to himself, "Who are you, and why are you following me?" He paused, considering the absurdity of the situation. Maybe he was hallucinating from the grueling training, but it was worth a shot—he already knew that the cat wasn't really just a cat.

Getting to his feet, Shiro started running after the cat. He activated Shunpo, but to his surprise, the cat was still faster than him. It felt like it was on some sort of steroid-infused boost. Determined to catch it, Shiro pushed himself harder, his legs burning as he pursued.

After several minutes, he finally began to close the gap. Just as he was about to reach it, the cat leaped into a nearby sewer. Shiro followed without hesitation, despite the overwhelming disgust he felt at the idea. He jumped in after the cat—but what he didn't expect was the depth of the sewer. Before he knew it, he found himself tumbling to the ground, landing awkwardly on his legs.

Pain shot up his legs, and he realized with a groan that he had most likely broken both of them.

"H-Holy shit! Fucking cat!" Shiro cursed through clenched teeth, trying to steady himself despite the throbbing pain.

His vision blurred, and the pain overwhelmed him. He passed out, slipping into unconsciousness.

Three hours later:

Shiro's eyelids fluttered open. He quickly scanned his surroundings, blinking as he took in the unexpected scene. This wasn't the cold, dark sewer he had anticipated. No, it was a surprisingly luxurious room.

His gaze dropped to his legs. They looked perfectly fine, and to his astonishment, he could move them without any pain. Confused, he then spotted the black cat, staring at him from the ground.

Fueled by a surge of anger, Shiro sprang off the bed, moving with a speed he didn't expect. "You little monster! You're not getting away from me anymore!" he snapped, his voice laced with a level of fury he hadn't felt before.

To his shock, the cat's mouth began to move, but instead of the usual meow, a deep, human voice came out.

"Is this how you talk to your rescuer?"

End of Chapter Stats

Progress: 10.61%

Template: Madara Uchiha

[System Status]

Strength: 40 (Boosted)

Endurance: 39 (Boosted)

Speed: 42 (Boosted)

Reiatsu Control: 38 (Boosted)

Intelligence: 34 (Boosted)

Battle Instinct: 36 (Boosted)

[Abilities]

Sharingan (2nd Tomoe):

Enhanced tracking of fast movements, with greater accuracy.

Can cast basic genjutsu, manipulating the opponent's perception.

Can copy techniques such as Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kidō with near-perfect accuracy, adapting them for personal use.

Hollow Detection: Sense the presence of Hollows.

[Techniques Unlocked]

Water Style: Water Prison Jutsu

Shunpo

Byakurai

Shō

Reiatsu Strengthening

Moeru Danmaku

Water Style: Water Shark Bullet

Kaidō

[Asauchi Imprinting Progress]

Current Bond Level: 11%

[Ongoing Quests]

Get Madara Uchiha's Template progress to 20% in 2 months.

Reward: Unlock all past life memories

Penalty: Never unlock past life memories again