Choices  

In the courtyard, a young man with black hair practiced Kidō alongside a woman with a vibrant personality. They were honing their skills in Hadō #63: Raikōhō, a powerful Kidō spell.

Ailin recognized them both – Kaien Shiba, the current head of the Shiba clan, and his younger sister, Kukaku Shiba.

It seemed the Shiba clan, despite its decline, still preserved its legacy.

However, as Ailin observed their training, he realized their inheritance might be limited to Kidō alone. For hours, the siblings focused solely on Kidō, neglecting the other Shinigami arts.

"Hey, who are you? Why are you at my house?" a young boy's voice interrupted Ailin's contemplation.

He turned to see a chubby boy riding a small boar, leisurely entering the courtyard.

It was Ganju Shiba, the third child of the Shiba family. However, he appeared to be only six or seven years old at this time.

"Hmm?" Ganju's words alerted the siblings, who were practicing nearby.

Kaien swiftly shielded his younger siblings, his gaze fixed on Ailin with a mix of caution and suspicion. As the current head of the Shiba clan, Kaien possessed knowledge that his sister and brother lacked.

He recognized the attire Ailin wore from his uncle, Isshin Shiba. It was the haori of a captain, a symbol of the thirteen strongest individuals within the Gotei 13.

Given the Shiba clan's history with the nobles of Soul Society, Kaien feared that Ailin might be here to settle old scores.

Therefore, he presented his strongest family member as a deterrent.

"Sir, my uncle is Isshin Shiba, the Captain of the 10th Division of the Gotei 13. May I inquire as to the purpose of your visit?" Kaien hoped that as a fellow captain, Ailin might show some leniency out of respect for his uncle.

"Captain Isshin Shiba of the 10th Division is your uncle?" Ailin feigned surprise. "You're from the Shiba clan?"

Since he had been discovered, Ailin decided to engage with them.

Truthfully, he had already leaned towards interacting with the Shiba clan upon entering their courtyard.

"Indeed. I am Kaien Shiba, the current head of the Shiba clan. This is my younger sister, Kukaku Shiba, and my younger brother, Ganju Shiba," Kaien introduced his siblings. "And you are?"

"I am Ailin, Captain of the 11th Division. I'm acquainted with your uncle, Isshin Shiba."

"So it's Captain Ailin," Kaien said, surprised. He hadn't expected this powerful captain, whom his uncle spoke highly of, to be younger than himself.

Ailin's friendly tone eased Kaien's worries. It seemed this Captain Ailin wasn't here to harm the Shiba clan.

"Captain Ailin, is there anything we can assist you with?" Kaien asked. "Rest assured, we will cooperate with you unconditionally."

"No, you misunderstand, Head of the Shiba clan," Ailin shook his head with a smile. "I came here with no ulterior motives."

"I simply felt a whim to stroll through the Rukongai today. Encountering you was purely coincidental. I was merely curious about the Kidō being practiced here and wanted to see if it was one of my 11th Division members.

However, Head of the Shiba clan, I apologize for my bluntness, but after observing your training, it seems you solely focus on Kidō, neglecting the other Shinigami arts. May I ask why?"

"Hmph, we Shibas have no interest in learning the ways of Shinigami," Kukaku retorted before Kaien could respond, her temper flaring. In her eyes, Shinigami were the ones responsible for the Shiba clan's downfall.

"But the Kidō you were practicing just now is one of the four Shinigami arts," Ailin pointed out with a smile. "Head of the Shiba clan, I know a little about your clan's history.

In my opinion, your uncle, Isshin Shiba, has made the right choice. Don't dwell on the fact that Shinigami forced your clan into its current state. It was never the Shinigami who persecuted the Shiba clan, but the nobles of Soul Society.

You must understand that there's a difference between the Shinigami before the establishment of the Gotei 13 and those after."

As someone who nearly became the head of the Kuchiki clan, Ailin possessed a deep understanding of Soul Society's history.

After the creation of the three realms, the founders of the five Great Noble Houses established the Seireitei and treated all of Soul Society as their personal property.

At that time, anyone who wielded the power of "reiatsu" was considered a "Shinigami."

However, over time, the term "Shinigami" became exclusive to those with power within the Seireitei. Individuals in the Rukongai, even if they possessed and utilized reiatsu, weren't acknowledged as Shinigami.

The power of Shinigami within the Seireitei was then collected, organized, and codified by the nobles, elevating their abilities to new heights.

The introduction of Shihakushō and Zanpakuto further enhanced the strength of Shinigami.

During their time in the Seireitei, the Shiba clan was considered part of the Shinigami.

However, thousands of years ago, unable to withstand the persecution of the other four Great Houses, the Shiba clan was forced to leave the Seireitei and settle in the Rukongai, becoming the first Great Noble House to fall from grace.

To prevent their resurgence, the other nobles pursued and attacked the Shiba clan, dealing them a severe blow.

Furthermore, some high-ranking nobles sought to obtain the Shiba clan's "fireworks cannon" and "reishi shells" to elevate their own status, leading to relentless hunts that nearly wiped out the Shiba clan.

Eventually, to preserve their lineage, a Shiba clan leader divided the family into a main house and branch families.

The branch families served as decoys, drawing the attention and hostility of Shinigami within Soul Society, allowing the main house to survive the relentless attacks of the nobles.

Over the years, the main house of the Shiba clan dwindled to just three members – Kaien and his two siblings.

The branch families fared even worse. The only one who managed to locate and establish contact with the main house was Isshin Shiba.

However, as a member of a branch family, Isshin was unaware of the Shiba clan's history with the nobles of Soul Society.

Over three hundred years ago, he joined the Seireitei and rose through the ranks to become the Captain of the 10th Division.

Of course, Isshin's success was largely due to Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's establishment of the Gotei 13 a millennium prior. Under the banner of "protecting the court," Yamamoto had taken control of all armed forces within Soul Society, organizing them into thirteen divisions based on their functions, effectively weakening the private armies of the nobles.

Thanks to this, Isshin remained unnoticed by the nobles during his early years. By the time they became aware of him, he had already grown into a powerful Shinigami.

As a captain of the Gotei 13, Isshin's status was no lower than that of the nobles.

"I believe your uncle's position as the Captain of the 10th Division proves that the Shinigami of Soul Society today are different from those who persecuted the Shiba clan thousands of years ago," Ailin said.

"Head of the Shiba clan, after all these years of hardship, you should understand that this world respects strength above all else. Everything the Shiba clan has endured is a result of its lack of power.

If you continue to resist learning the combat techniques of Shinigami, do you believe you can protect your clan when the nobles of Soul Society target you once more?"

Kaien remained silent, contemplating Ailin's words.

It was true. This was a world where strength determined one's fate.

Before his uncle became a captain, the Shiba clan occasionally faced attacks from various forces. However, since Isshin's rise to power, they had enjoyed a rare century of peace.

"Attend the Shin'ō Academy and become a Shinigami, Head of the Shiba clan," Ailin advised.

"Perhaps you can follow in Isshin Shiba's footsteps and become the second Shiba to achieve the rank of captain, restoring your clan's standing within Soul Society."

With that, Ailin turned and departed. He was confident that Kaien would make the right choice.

Relying solely on the Kidō techniques passed down through generations, reaching the level of a vice-captain was already a show of their exceptional talent.

For those with average aptitude, like Ganju, becoming a seated officer would be their peak.

"Brother, don't listen to his nonsense..." Kukaku urged, sensing Kaien's wavering resolve after Ailin's departure.

Over two hundred years ago, their parents had sacrificed themselves to lure away the Shinigami who were hunting them, never to return.

Kaien was their only remaining family. Kukaku would rather stay hidden, avoiding contact with the Shinigami of Soul Society, than risk her brother venturing into that den of danger.