Bleach: The Invincible Slacker from Rukongai

"I want to become stronger! I want to contribute to the Eighth Division!" Ise Nanao declared firmly, her gaze unwavering.

Though Kyoraku Shunsui never openly acknowledged their blood relationship, she knew deep down that he was her only family in this world. For years, he had silently protected her, offering guidance and care. Now, she wanted to repay that kindness—not as a burden, but as a true vice-captain in her own right.

At that moment, Uehara Shiroha received a system notification.

[Ding! Congratulations to the host for triggering a special mission—"Helping the Poor and Needy, Aiding the Girl!"]

[Helping the Poor and Needy, Aiding the Girl]

[Since the host cannot bear to see beautiful girls struggling, a special mission has been issued—to help Ise Nanao master vice-captain-level Kidō within three months.]

[Reward: A random ability or item.]

Uehara Shiroha blinked.

"Again? This girl is a magnet for special tasks!"

First Kyoraku, and now Ise Nanao—she seemed to be triggering missions left and right. Was this what people called the legendary "little red hand"?

A mischievous thought flashed through his mind.

"If I wasn't afraid of getting beaten to death, I'd ask Kyoraku: 'How much for the girl with glasses?'"

Ise Nanao, noticing his intense stare, instinctively shrank back. However, deep down, she felt an unexpected sense of happiness.

Uehara Shiroha quickly composed himself, flashing a reassuring smile.

"Brother Kyoraku and I are good friends," he said smoothly. "Since you're his niece, that makes you my little sister! So your business is my business!"

Nanao blinked, struggling to follow his logic. But in the end, she nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Shiroha-kun!"

Though she had never seen Uehara Shiroha fight, she had long heard of his genius.

And if her uncle respected him, then surely—he had to be powerful.

"Come with me!" Uehara Shiroha said, his expression turning serious.

Since this was a special mission, he wouldn't take it lightly.

The two arrived at the Eighth Division's barracks.

Even before stepping inside, Uehara Shiroha's keen senses detected several barely perceptible presences.

They were skilled at hiding—clearly members of the Onmitsukidō.

"Tsk, Suì-Fēng really has me under surveillance, huh?"

Still, he paid them no mind.

Teaching Ise Nanao came first. Everything else could wait.

They reached the Eighth Division's Kidō training grounds, where Uehara Shiroha turned to face her.

His usual playfulness faded, replaced by an expression of pure seriousness.

"If you think I'm going to teach you high-level spells like Hadō No. 99 right away," he said, "then I'm afraid you're going to be disappointed."

Nanao stiffened, a flicker of disappointment in her eyes.

But before she could protest, Uehara Shiroha continued, his voice calm but firm.

"I'm only going to teach you the basics."

Because the Ise Nanao standing before him—was not yet the composed and mature vice-captain of the future.

Right now, she was still a youthful, inexperienced girl, full of potential but lacking the necessary foundation.

No matter how eager she was, throwing advanced Kidō at her would only hinder her growth rather than help it.

The numbered Kidō spells, from Hadō No. 1 to Hadō No. 99, were just a fraction of the true Kidō inheritance.

They had become the orthodox school of Kidō because they were the most stable and had the best cost-to-performance ratio.

However, Kidō beyond level 90 was on par with Bankai in power—but with severe drawbacks.

They took longer to chant, consumed massive amounts of spiritual pressure, and could backfire catastrophically if mishandled.

Only Kidō Masters could reliably use them in battle.

For someone like Nanao, jumping into high-level Kidō would do more harm than good.

"I understand," she murmured, though her voice was tinged with disappointment.

Uehara Shiroha sighed. Given that this was a special mission, he decided to explain further.

"In Kidō, higher numbers don't always mean better."

Nanao looked at him, startled.

"For example," he continued, "if you truly master a simple Hadō No. 4: Byakurai (White Lightning)—it can kill an enemy instantly. But if you lack skill, then even Hadō No. 99 is just a fancy firework."

Nanao's eyes widened slightly.

"You need to understand," Uehara Shiroha pressed, "that Kidō from levels 1 to 99 are just the beginning—not the end."

"The true pinnacle of Kidō isn't about learning high-level spells—it's about developing your own techniques based on your attributes and strengths."

"This is what we call:

'Magic is shaped by the caster's heart.'"

"And that is why…" Uehara Shiroha smiled. "It's better to master one path than to dabble in everything."

Nanao whispered his words under her breath, absorbing their meaning.

'Magic is shaped by the caster's heart'… 'Better to specialize and master than to spread oneself thin'…

She felt her mind expanding, as if she had gained sudden insight.

And just like that—her initial disappointment vanished.

"A simple sentence… but it completely changed my perspective."

For the first time, she truly admired Uehara Shiroha.

She focused entirely on his lesson.

When the class began, Uehara Shiroha didn't talk about advanced or even intermediate Kidō.

Instead—he focused solely on fundamentals.

At first, Nanao's disappointment returned.

"Basic Kidō? I already learned this long ago."

But soon—her eyes widened in shock.

"W-Wait… is this really… basic Kidō?"

The concepts he explained—she had never even heard of them before.

And worse—she didn't even understand them at first.

That realization shook her to the core.

Uehara Shiroha's teachings revealed the gaps in her knowledge.

What set Uehara Shiroha apart from others—was his foundation.

His Shunpo had skyrocketed to Captain-class after fighting Yoruichi, not just because of her teachings—

—but because of his accumulated knowledge and training.

His shadow clone training, his self-study, his deep understanding of fundamentals—

All of it built an indestructible foundation.

Even a genius like Aizen would be shocked by how thorough Uehara Shiroha's fundamentals were.

And now—Nanao was witnessing that firsthand.

At first, she thought he was just showing off—acting knowledgeable about Kidō.

After all, he was only covering things she had learned long ago.

Or so she thought.

Because soon—she realized she had been wrong.

She hadn't mastered those fundamentals.

She had only scratched the surface.

Everything Uehara Shiroha explained—felt like a new world opening up before her.

"How can there be such a huge gap—when it's the same Kidō, the same theory?"

She was stunned.

Uehara Shiroha's "basic knowledge" contained secret techniques passed down only in great noble families—combined with his own unique understanding.

How did he even learn these things?

Simple.

Because to Uehara Shiroha—

"Can the knowledge of scholars be called stealing?"

If Aizen could learn it—why couldn't he?

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