Chapter 3

Although both Unohana and Rangiku are well-endowed, and Rangiku's bust is even larger, the key difference is that Hana is powerful enough. As the former strongest Kenpachi, not only does she have ample healing power, but she can also hold her ground. 

Among the many Shinigami in Soul Society, Unohana's strength is undoubtedly among the top. There are very few who can best her.

Squad Four doesn't require its members to be strong fighters, but there's one essential skill they must have: proficiency in Kidō.

Kidō is divided into Hadō (offensive spells), Bakudō (binding spells), and Kaidō (healing spells).

Unlike Hadō and Bakudō, which most Shinigami can use, fewer Shinigami can master Kaidō. One reason is that Kaidō is relatively obscure within the Kidō system, and another is that there are very few numbered Kaidō spells.

To join the Squad Four he dreams of, Gin specifically practiced Kaidō at Shin'o Academy, so he is quite confident in his application.

"Minami Gin, sixth-year at Shin'o Academy. Mid-high grades overall, mid-high in Zanjutsu, mid-low in Hakuda, mid-low in Shunpo, and mid-high in Kidō.

Given your proficiency in Kidō, you meet our Squad Four recruitment standards. Are you sure you want to join Squad Four?"

The person in charge of recruiting for Squad Four is a tall, slender woman with a large bust, short silver-gray hair, and an extremely refined appearance. Her name is Kiyone Kotetsu.

The emphasis on her height is due to Kiyone standing at 187 cm, which is imposing even for most men.

Of course, Gin, in this lifetime, is quite outstanding in both appearance and height, so standing in front of Kiyone, he isn't dwarfed by her height.

At this moment, Kiyone isn't yet the vice-captain of Squad Four and is likely a newcomer, hence why she was assigned the task of recruiting new members here.

While other squad recruitment points have multiple members in charge, Squad Four has only Kiyone alone, indicating she is either isolated or targeted by her squad members.

Experienced workers giving new recruits a hard time is nothing new, especially for someone like Kiyone, who recently graduated and appears to have a timid personality.

"Yes, I want to join Squad Four and become an excellent member of the healing squad. Is there any assessment required?"

Seeing Gin's determined expression and hearing his firm tone, Kiyone was quite pleased.

As Gin suspected, Captain Unohana had assigned Kiyone and two other members to recruit new members at Shin'o Academy.

However, the two other Squad Four members accompanying her shifted all the work onto Kiyone, using the excuse that she was more familiar with the academy since she graduated from there recently.

Every year, the number of students willing to join Squad Four is quite low compared to the combat Squad Eleven. While Squad Four is safer, it is often ridiculed.

After all, becoming a Shinigami means fighting Hollows, and hiding in the back lines doing support work is seen as shameful by friends and family.

New graduates, fresh from Shin'o Academy, often have high ambitions. They believe that with their talents, they will soon shine in Soul Society, become squad captains, earn high salaries, and be surrounded by admirers.

Squad Four has far more female members than male members, and the men who join are often mocked by their peers.

Therefore, ambitious graduates usually choose Squad Eleven, which offers more visibility. Those concerned about safety might opt for the other rear guard squads, Squad Three and Squad Five.

While Squad Four is a healing squad, it still isn't without its risks. Battlefield medics face significant dangers, often focusing on treating others while being vulnerable to sneak attacks.

In recent years, Squad Four has seen a decrease in new recruits, leading to personnel shortages. Captain Unohana had stressed the need to recruit at least a few new members this year.

"No assessment is needed for now. As long as your Kidō and spiritual pressure meet the standards, that's enough.

Mastering 'Kaidō' is not easy. Even many senior members in our squad haven't learned it yet."

Kaidō is the healing art of Kidō. Its principle is to first restore the target's internal spiritual pressure and then combine it with the caster's external spiritual pressure to heal injuries and restore energy.

Although it's a form of Kidō, mastering Kaidō requires perfect control over spiritual pressure.

Kiyone isn't sure if other squads require assessments, but for Squad Four, having willing recruits is already fortunate enough, so they can't be picky.

Moreover, Gin's overall performance, while not top-notch, is more than sufficient for Squad Four.

Several juniors had also wanted to join Squad Four, but despite lowering the standards as instructed by Captain Unohana, Kiyone had to reject them because their spiritual pressure and Kidō levels were inadequate – essential standards for Squad Four.

As Squad Four members, one might not need to wield a sword, but high Kidō proficiency is essential for mastering Kaidō. Spiritual pressure also needs to be adequate; otherwise, the healer might exhaust themselves before the patient is fully recovered, failing to be an effective support member.

"Kiyone, how's the recruitment going? Can we fill the vacancies this year?"

As Gin took the form from Kiyone to fill in his details and formally join Squad Four, a gentle voice suddenly came from outside the recruitment tent. A long, slender hand lifted the curtain, revealing a beautiful woman in front of Gin and Kiyone.

The newcomer had a gentle and serene temperament, with long, parted black hair, wearing a white captain's haori with a gray cherry blossom inner lining.

Her elegance was reminiscent of a Yamato Nadeshiko, but the moment Gin saw her, his body couldn't help but shudder.

In an instant, his hand instinctively grasped the hilt of his Zanpakutō.

(End of Chapter)