Three days later, Senya arrived at the entrance of the Research and Development Bureau.
Today marked the recruitment of new members for the Thirteen Court Guard Squads—a kind of job fair in his previous life.
But the Thirteenth Division didn't accept just anyone; applicants still had to pass a rigorous examination.
Inside the cold testing hall, the air was heavy, almost solid, as if it could crush the spirit.
Beneath the high vaulted ceiling, the light was deliberately dimmed. Only the countless embedded light tubes along the walls flickered, casting a pulsating blue glow that made the heart tighten.
At the center floated a massive spirit particle scanner. Its core contained stagnant liquid spirit particles spinning silently. A pale white beam projected below it, like the Eye of Judgment, sweeping over each Shinigami in turn.
The low hum of the scanner mixed with the tense, barely suppressed breathing of the applicants. Each flicker of light and shadow felt like a small hammer tapping on nerves already frayed by expectation.
Senya stood quietly among the crowd, almost completely obscured by the taller figures in front of him. He lowered his gaze, letting his eyes wander casually to a polished patch of floor reflecting a blurry image of his feet, as though it held some hidden secret.
Whispers spread like ripples. News of his arrival had already traveled throughout the Seireitei: a prodigy from the Shiba Clan had abandoned his noble heritage and founded a new house—the Uchiha Family.
"No way… he's here?"
"He left the Shiba Clan… just to create his own family called Uchiha?"
"He's probably just here to make up the numbers."
"I heard his Spiritual Pressure is pitifully low. He always ranked last at Shino Academy. How does he dare show up here?"
Previously, he had the protection of his elder brother, the Tenth Division Captain, and his noble status, but now…
Even as the murmurs swirled, Senya stepped forward. His footsteps echoed faintly on the hard floor.
The scanner's pale beam engulfed him. His young, almost childlike face remained calm and still, eyes as bottomless as an ancient well. In the light, he seemed almost transparent.
The liquid spirit particles in the scanner's core began spinning faster, a low hum vibrating through the hall. The wall lights flickered violently, focusing like countless prying eyes.
On the central display, the line representing Senya's Soul fluctuated weakly, barely lifting from the baseline. It was faint, almost laughably inferior, like a dying fish.
The staff member recording the results glanced at the screen, mouth curling downward. He had seen countless applicants, yet even his standardized indifference carried a trace of contempt.
"Uchiha Senya. Spiritual Pressure: Extremely Low Rank. Soul Activity: Weak. Overall Rating: Inferior Grade. Recommendation: Re-enter Shino Academy."
The verdict was cold and mechanical.
Snickers rose in the queue. Suppressed, embarrassed, but clearly audible. More gazes fell upon Senya—pity, disdain, curiosity.
Yet he showed no reaction, standing completely still. His face was placid, indifferent. The whispers and ridicule passed over him like water over stone.
Just as the tense silence threatened to resume its murmur, a voice rang out, gentle yet commanding, cutting through the background noise:
"Please wait a moment."
The voice came from the side platform. Captain Unohana Retsu sat gracefully, long black hair parted neatly down the middle, a braid resting over her chest. Her captain's haori remained perfectly still, hands resting together.
The staff froze.
"Captain Unohana?"
The clerk hesitated.
"I request a Deep Soul Map Tracing. The conventional scan is too brief."
Even from the shadows, the Director of the Research and Development Bureau—Mayuri Kurotsuchi—seemed perturbed. Hood drawn low, only his crooked jaw visible, he sneered.
"Deep tracing? For an inferior specimen whose Spiritual Pressure is negligible? What a waste of resources. Has the Fourth Division become so idle that it must indulge every piece of trash?"
Suppressed snickers rippled through the line. Isane Kotetsu's hand rested on her Zanpakuto, eyes flashing with restrained anger. None dared insult Captain Unohana.
Yet Unohana remained unmoved. She didn't even glance at Mayuri, her eyes fixed on Senya.
"Please initiate the deep tracing," she said, voice soft but firm.
The operator's fingers trembled as he keyed in commands. Even Mayuri said nothing, recognizing the unshakable authority behind her calm tone.
"Deep Soul Map Tracing—activate. Spirit particle injection: 300%. Mental Fluctuation Simulation Field: loading simultaneously!"
The testing hall, tense and expectant, seemed to hold its breath.