BLEACH: DRINKING MAKES ME STRONGER

"Ah—no! We haven't connected with our Zanpakutō yet!"

"There's still time left! Let me back in! I'm sure I can forge resonance with an Asauchi!"

"Where's my Zanpakutō?! I don't want to fail—I want to become a Shinigami!"

"Damn that Shiba Kuroba… this is all his fault!"

The scene outside the gate erupted into chaos.

Dozens of examinees reappeared outside the narrow training realm, their expressions twisted in disbelief and despair. Cries of frustration filled the once-quiet corridor outside the barrier room.

Aizen Sōsuke, who had just been wearing a gentle, composed smile, momentarily stiffened. His eyes, sharp and observant, flicked over the disoriented crowd.

Kyoraku Shunsui, standing nearby in his layered pink haori and straw hat, pinched the bridge of his nose. His temple throbbed as he recognized the implications.

"That name again…" he muttered under his breath, catching whispers of Kuroba's involvement.

He turned toward the gathered examinees and immediately noticed something troubling: nearly four dozen of them had emerged from the same training area—Kuroba's assigned sector—without a single Asauchi bonded. That was no coincidence.

Shunsui's expression darkened.

"Tch… That troublemaker didn't do something stupid again… did he?"

This wasn't just a statistical anomaly—it shattered the norms of the entrance examination. Never in the history of Shin'ō Academy had such a large cluster of failures come from a single quadrant.

"Shiba Kuroba! Did he fight the others for control over the Asauchi?!"

Hinamori Momo, already fuming from the earlier scene where Kuroba drunkenly flirted with her, clenched her fists and shouted.

"Let him out—now! I'm going to teach him a lesson!"

Her tone was shrill, her anger a blend of embarrassment and indignation. She had always taken her duty as vice-captain seriously, and antics like Kuroba's were an insult to the institution.

But Kyoraku simply waved a finger with a tired smile.

"Now, now, Lieutenant Hinamori. Are you saying Kuroba single-handedly stopped over forty examinees from forming resonance? That's a lot to blame on one drunkard."

His tone was light, but beneath it was a subtle warning—do not jump to conclusions.

"Besides," he continued, "none of them look like they were injured. Not a scratch."

Aizen interjected smoothly, his voice calm and charismatic.

"Indeed. Let's see what really happened. Activate the Kekkai Surveillance—Sky Eye."

The elderly instructor beside the barrier nodded, his fingers swiftly forming kido seals.

A translucent screen flickered into view, showing the events within Kuroba's test sector.

At first, the crowd watched in silence.

Kuroba had entered the narrow dimension… pulled out a gourd… and began drinking heavily.

"Is he… drinking?" someone murmured.

He wandered among the scattered Asauchi, appearing entirely indifferent to the test's urgency. He even fell asleep halfway through.

Aizen's smile didn't change, but a flicker of mirth crossed his eyes. Kyoraku, meanwhile, turned visibly green.

"I knew he was eccentric," the Eighth Division captain grumbled, "but this… this is absurd."

The remaining footage revealed the rest of the group circling him, hesitating, then arguing among themselves. Time passed. No one engaged with their Asauchi properly.

"So they wasted their own time trying to steal Kuroba's pick?" Kyoraku asked aloud.

Then he turned toward the candidates.

"What you did," he said coldly, "was a violation of academy protocol. Interfering with another student's trial—especially to force them to relinquish their Asauchi—is strictly forbidden."

His voice grew heavier, the usual nonchalance gone.

"You had your chance. If you failed because you ganged up to coerce another candidate, that's your own doing. Not his."

Hinamori bit her lip, clearly flustered. She looked at Aizen for confirmation, but the man only gave a small shrug.

"It is as Captain Kyoraku said," Aizen said, eyes half-lidded. "Intent matters."

Boa Akagao, now desperate, stepped forward and offered a flimsy excuse.

"Kuroba and I are close! He said he could help us—he volunteered to secure stronger Asauchi for everyone. It was all… consensual!"

The others chimed in:

"Yes, we were only asking for help!"

"If he gets a second chance, so should we!"

Kyoraku gave a long, unamused sigh.

"If you were genuinely friends," he said flatly, "you wouldn't have tried to take his Asauchi. That's not persuasion—it's manipulation."

His eyes narrowed under the shadow of his hat.

"Kuroba may be a drunk, but he passed the test in his own way. The rest of you failed because you ignored the first rule of wielding a Zanpakutō: it chooses you."

Kyoraku Shunsui's calm demeanor faltered for just a moment. If he were truly intent on giving Shiba Kuroba a second chance, the crowd of examinees—eager for any opening—would cling to it with desperation.

"Haha, everyone seems to have misunderstood Captain Kyoraku's words," Aizen Sōsuke said gently, though the glint in his eyes betrayed a colder calculation. "He merely spoke hypothetically. Since there's no official endorsement of a retest, this matter should be considered closed."

Aizen's tone remained warm, but his words held the weight of finality. "As chief examiner, I do feel a certain regret... but an exam is still an exam. No matter the excuse, failure remains failure."

He paused, letting his gaze sweep across the stunned crowd before continuing. "So, talk of second chances is nothing but fantasy—whether it concerns a so-called genius who stood all ten bamboos, or a troublemaker who challenged academy protocol. There are no exceptions."

Then, Aizen smoothly pivoted, eyes narrowing slightly behind his glasses.

"Furthermore, Shiba Kuroba not only failed to achieve resonance with any Asauchi during the narrow space trial, but he also violated academy regulations by consuming alcohol during the exam, disrupting the sanctity of the Maō Spirit Academy. Captain Kyoraku," Aizen said, turning his gaze politely but firmly, "how do you propose we address this misconduct?"

Kyoraku Shunsui's easygoing expression faltered slightly.

He had expected Kuroba to stir up trouble—but this was more than a harmless prank.

So... he teased Hinamori, of all people? Kyoraku sighed inwardly.

Hinamori Momo stood behind Aizen, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her gaze shifted between Aizen and the murmuring crowd, her loyalty plainly visible.

"Ahem… Captain Aizen," Kyoraku said with an awkward chuckle, scratching the brim of his straw hat. "I admit that Kuroba's actions were... out of line. But perhaps it's understandable, given the shock of failing to communicate with an Asauchi."

Then, realizing what he'd just implied, he quickly corrected himself.

"I mean—flirting with your vice-captain was certainly inappropriate, but I'm sure there was no ill intent. The boy's just… impulsive."

Aizen's smile remained unchanged, but a trace of tension hung in the air. Hinamori's expression was unreadable.

Before either of them could respond, a loud thud rang out.

"Bang!"

Aoi Dai—one of the examinees—was flung backward across the courtyard.

From the crowd stumbled a disheveled figure, swaying slightly with every step. The sharp tang of alcohol clung to him like a second skin.

With bleary eyes and his head lolling slightly to one side, Kuroba blinked slowly and muttered a loud burp.

"Who the hell said I didn't have a Zanpakutō?" he slurred. "I'll cut down whoever it was…"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd as they recognized him.

"I'm Shiba Kuroba! The guy who stood all ten bamboos! You think one blade's enough for me? Hah! I've got two—no—three!"

He waved something vaguely resembling a sword over his head, nearly losing his balance.

As the murmuring turned into stifled laughter and incredulous gasps, Kuroba squinted at a figure nearby—apparently mistaking him for two people.

"You again? Twins, huh? Sending your brother to back you up? Too bad! I'll chop you both!"

With a wobble, he raised the crude "blade" in his hand, unaware of the scandalized faces watching him—some in shock, others in amusement.

Kyoraku sighed loudly.

"Yare yare… this is going to be a lot of paperwork."

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