Chapter Text
The first thing Nagi realized about the afterlife was that it was incredibly dusty. The second was that her yukata—a simple, navy-blue cotton thing she’d acquired upon waking up in a back alley—was totally outside her character and something she had never worn in her life before. The sandals (Zori she thinks they were called) were even worse, basically just woven straw mats with a bit of fabric between the toes.
She stood in the middle of a dirt-packed street in what a local had told her was called the "Rukongai," and “District 40” feeling the distinct, prickly sensation of a phantom limb, except it was her entire life that was missing. She had vibrant red hair, startling blue eyes, and enough freckles to make her stand out like a flare in a sea of black and brown-haired souls.
She tried to reach back into her mind for the ‘how’ of it all—the moment the lights went out. It was like trying to grab smoke with her bare hands. There was a vague sense of a deadline, the hum of a fluorescent light, and perhaps the smell of rain on hot asphalt, but the rest was a smudge. She felt strangely unbothered by the amnesia, a clinical detachment that felt less like peace and more like a mental firewall.
Standard issue psychological shielding, she mused, adjusting the unfamiliar tie of her yukata,. Nature’s way of keeping the new arrivals from sobbing in the gutters. I'll take the 'protection' over the trauma any day. I’ve got enough to deal with just finding a decent meal.
The Rukongai was a sprawling, low-rise labyrinth of weathered wood and gray stone. It smelled of woodsmoke, ozone, and far too many people living in close quarters. It was visually stunning in a ‘historical drama' sort of way, but the lack of paved roads was already an affront to her sensibilities.
She looked down at her toes with a frown. She was really missing the comfortable trainers of her life.
"If I’m dead," she muttered, leaning against a wall to catch her breath and brushing her hair out of her face wishing for a hair tie, "why does it feel like there’s a vacuum cleaner running inside my stomach?"
She’d spent the last hour looking for work. Not a career—just a job. Something that paid in calories. But the Rukongai was a tough neighbourhood for a newcomer with no trade skills other than 'knowing how to navigate a commute' or 'how to operate a PowerPoint presentation' and being able to 'make coffee so strong it would melt a metal spoon but keep you awake to meet a deadline' was not something people were looking for in an employee.
She’d offered to haul water, but the buckets were heavy and her current stamina was pathetic. She’d tried to help a shopkeeper, but the man had just looked at her bright hair and told her she looked like “trouble waiting to happen."
Then finally someone called out to her just as she was thinking of trying to do something stupid like walk into the woods looking for edible plants. She was under no mistaken impression of her level of survival skills and didn't think that she could fish even if she managed to find a river that had anything living in it and the possibility of hunting was thrown out even as the thought passed through her mind.
"Looking for a bite, Red?"
She turned to see an old woman sitting on a porch, shelling something that looked like grey beans. Her hands were dexterous even as they looked curled and wrinkled - withered by time. She was hunched over a small basket, her hair a shade of grey that held a few lonely strands of blank was held up in a tidy bun.
"I'm looking for anything that involves a paycheck," Nagi replied, her voice dry. "Or at least a bowl of something that isn't dust."
The old woman laughed, a sound like dry parchment rubbing together. "You've got the hunger. That means you've got spirit energy. Around here, that just means you'll starve faster unless you join the Gotei."
The Gotei. The name sparked a faint, grainy memory—swords, black robes, and a whole lot of melodrama.
"The Shinigami?" she asked, her brow furrowing. "The guys with the swords in the big white city?" She didn’t really want to fight anything. She had never held a weapon in her life and the longest blade she had ever used was a slicing knife for cutting up food in dinner prep.
The woman nodded, gesturing for Nagi to come closer as she handed over a small bowl of beans and patted the wood next to her to her - a silent invitation for Nagi to sit down, "The very ones. The Academy takes anyone who has enough power to flicker a candle. They'll give you a bed, three meals, and a uniform. Better than rotting out here."
Nagi looked toward the horizon, her thoughts conjuring an image of the massive white walls of the Seireitei looming like a gated community for the divine. If she remembered correctly, that place was a magnet for disaster... eventually. But eventually it wasn't today.
"Who's running the show in there?" she asked, trying to sound casual. "The Gotei 13. Is it... Captain Yamamoto?"
"Of course," the old woman said, as if it were a silly question. "He’s always been there. Captains the 1st Division.”
“Could you tell me more? Who are the other captains?” Nagi asked, biting her lip and trying not to sound too anxious.
The woman looked at her warmly in understanding. She was obviously a new soul trying to find her place. “Of course dear. After the 1st you have the 2nd which is run by Lady Yoruichi Shihōin, one of the Five Great Noble families. 3rd has Rōjūrō Otoribashi but everyone says he prefers to be called Rose. The 4th has Retsu Unohana, a woman not to be crossed and a medic of legendary skill.”
She reached over and tapped the bowl in Nagi's hand, encouraging her to eat. “The 5th has Shinji Hirako, a bit of an odd one but you can always see him coming with his long blond hair. I have been told he has a slight… how do you say it, a “quirky” smile.” She let out a small chuckle at this point, a hand dainty covering her mouth.
Nagi could help her mouth twitch up to join her in her mirth. Slowly chewing the rather bland beans. At least they were filling up the hole in her stomach.
“Then you have the 6th which has always been run by the Kuchiki, one of the Five Great Noble families with the current Captain being one Ginrei Kuchiki. The 7th has Love Aikawa who is a respectful man with an interesting choice in hair styles and eyewear."
“The 8th is run by Shunsui Kyōraku of the Lower Noble family. He has run his division for centuries and was once a student of Captain Commander Yamamoto, a flamboyant man, a bit of a flirt by all accounts but nothing more than that and of good nature. Never heard a bad word against the man other than his habit of napping and love of drink. Then you have the 9th Kensei Muguruma who is known for being serious and has an interesting tattoo” she taps her stomach “right here, the number 69.”
“The 10th is run by the newly captained Isshin Shiba of the Five Great Noble families. I'm afraid I haven't heard much of him but all Shiba are known for being unashamedly themselves, loud and vibrant. The 11th is currently run by a man called Kenpachi Kiganjō, he is the 10th Kenpachi. Now that is a division you should stay away from young miss. Full of battle manics and warriors itching for the clash of blades." She tutted, flicking her fingers away from her as if she was warding away evil spirits.
“The 12th is now run by Kisuke Urahara, a bit of a mystery man. Apparently a genius. The previous captain Kirio Hikifune had not long left to become a member of the Royal Guard, holding the title ‘Ruler of Grain’ which was quite exciting at the time.” She waved her hand back and forth in emphasis.
“And the 13th?” Nagi urged but already knew the answer now that she has an almost full roster of names and descriptions. She knew almost exactly when she was - well before the start of cannon Bleach with all the 'visord' names still holding the captain positions.
“Oh the 13th” She gave off a curling smile and Nagi could see a shine of interest enter the woman's eyes. “that one is run by Captain Jūshirō Ukitake of the Lower Noble family. " She giggles slightly. “Now he is a compatriot of the 8th's Shunsui Kyōraku. They went to the Academy together and were both students of the Captain Commander. Both duel wielders, the only ones in all Gotei 13 history. A very peaceful man, good natured, unfortunately prone to sickness.” The woman leaned closer, “He and Shunsui Kyōraku are known as the twin sons of the Gotei, both very handsome men.” And dear God the old woman giggles like a school girl with a crush.
Shihōin, Hirako, Shiba, Urahara, Ukitake. She did some mental math, scraping the bottom of her memory barrel. Kaien Shiba was still alive if she calculated right and the lieutenant of the 13th. That meant she was at least a century out from the 'orange-haired teenager ruins everything' era and very much in the 'Villain in glasses does shinigami-to-hollow experiments'.
110 years, give or take, she thought. That’s an entire lifetime of safety. If I join now, I can probably retire before the world starts ending. It’s the ultimate government pension plan.
She looked at her hands. They were pale, covered in freckles, and currently shaking slightly from the lack of glucose. "A bed and three meals," she repeated.
"And a sword," the old woman added.
"I don't care about the sword," she sighed, pushing off the porch and giving a small shaky bow. She would need to practice - tradition and etiquette were important for people in this ‘time period’. “Thanks mam, I better be on my way if I wanna make it to that Academy place in a good time.”
“Oh no problem dear, you be safe now. It's a few days' travel from here. This is district 40 after all. You should take the merchant road, it’s not far from here. Safer than going through the forest.“ Nagi nodded gratefully and started the long walk toward the road, waving to the old woman just before turning the corner of a building and losing sight of her.
She wasn't looking for a destiny. She wasn't looking to be a hero. She was just a woman who knew that if you wanted to survive a bureaucracy, you had to become a part of it.
Step one: Get through the gates.
Step two: Find the cafeteria.
Step three: Don't let anyone notice I'm here.