Rin Nishimura
A faint breeze rattled the leaves on the tree that a slim figure nonchalantly used as a wall. The boy liked this place - clear view of the sky, fresh air, not a lot of people around. He was here for quite some time, simply gazing out into the distance. Calming himself down. Honestly, he was a bit nervous.
Rin Nishimura, a lone Shinigami without a squad - without a captain. His kind wasn't really regarded as ones worthy of being around. He was labeled as weak and the longer he went without a squad, the harder it would get. But, more importantly, there was no way for him to go out into the world this way, he had no access to any sort of missions. Thus, he had no real opportunity to serve justice. The thought made him release a long sigh.
"I guess it's time, Shiro," Rin told his Zanpakuto, not knowing whether he can hear him or not. Quite frankly - it didn't even matter, as long as he had someone to address. That would make him look less crazy - a lot of Shinigami talk to their Zanpakutos. Not that there was anyone in particular around paying attention to him. A group of Shinigami passed every now and then, but they were busy either chatting amongst themselves or rushing to a mission. He didn't recognize a single face. Even during his time in the academy, he didn't actually get to become close friends with anyone. Which is probably one of the reasons he was still a lone wolf.
Rin had the ability to join a squad, that was the least of his worries. But there wasn't a single squad that had someone in it that he knew. Admittedly, he was a little afraid. If only he'd know what squads a few of his acquaintances from the academy joined, he'd maybe have an easier time choosing one.
No. It was due to choices. The underlying reason why he wasn't in a squad. Because he wasn't able to choose. He didn't want to admit it, but he didn't know what squad to join. It was a thirteen way crossroad and he wasn't the type to pick blindly. And he knew full well that some squads had more limitations that he would want. Fourth Squad, for example. He was a fighter, not a bystander. But at the same time, his abilities weren't exactly cut out for the Second Squad. His abilities were more head on than stealthy. Yet, the brute ways of the Eleventh Squad weren't his style either. He wasn't a researcher like Twelfth Squad members, nor did he want to be burdened by rules in the Sixth Squad. Though they do say that beggars aren't choosers.
It seems that he wasn't a beggar yet, he'd rather remain a lone wolf than walk the wrong road.
"Think!" Rin continued to force himself to come to a conclusion here and now. "I already eliminated five out of thirteen. Mere seven remain." He began walking through the Seireitei, picking a random direction. First division always seemed too stuck up for his taste buds and he never knew a lot about the Thirteenth Squad. Heck, before entering the academy, he even thought there were only twelve squads overall. Scratching the back of his head, he sighed once again. "Why does this have to be so hard?"
Turning the corner, Rin came face to face with a sudden dead end. No - it wasn't exactly a dead end. It was an entrance to the barracks of the Fifth Squad. Turning on his heel to try another way, Rin suddenly stopped in his tracks. A thought lit up in his mind. An ingenious thought.
"I eliminated one, two... seven squads overall. Which means that only five potential squads remain. Five squads! And here is the entrance to the Squad number five. Coincidence?" He grinned to himself as he turned around to face the entrance once again. "I don't think so. What do you say, Shiro? Shall we go introduce ourselves to the one in charge?" His enthusiasm met no response. "I knew you'd agree."
With his mind temporarily at peace, Rin opened the door and stepped forward.
****
Nero Aegis
"Interesting," a simple word came from a man wearing a white cape. He fiddled with spiritual pressure in the palm of his hand, focusing on the momentary surge of pressure coming from the direction of the Twelfth Squad. A small, barely visible smile appeared on his face as he clenched his fist. He stood in the middle of the street, feeling more than happy to feel commotion in the Squad that he considered his main rivals before even joining one himself.
He already decided on his Squad - number four. Not because he wanted to heal, but because he was able to. And more than that, because in time he will be able to experiment until his soul is satisfied beyond measure. And he was absolutely sure that under his guidance, the Fourth Squad could become the force to be reckoned with in the Soul Society and beyond. If possible, he would even take the title of the Research Department from the hands of the Twelfth Squad and their incompetent captain. After all, Nero was a genius and it is only logical that such great ventures are expected out of geniuses.
Of course, he would have to become a captain first, but he considered it only a matter of time. Nero walked confidently towards his future, passing a few Shinigami that he greeted with a content expression. Today was setting out to be a good day, he could feel it in every fiber of his being. He got greeted back every single time.
But, he didn't feel the urge to go and sign up for the squad for the time being. Nero was always good in sensing spiritual pressure and it seemed that Soul Society in general was in much of a turmoil lately. A lot of things seemed to be chaotic. Indeed - better to steer clear for now. Also, he had training on his mind. There was a certain enigmatic message left for him by his Zanpakuto, last time he visited his inner world. That was something that he'd rather deal sooner than later. Only thing that he needed was a calm place to meditate.
Before Nero was able to reach it, though, a female Shinigami rushed in front of him, cutting him off. "Can I help you?" He asked, nodding his head as a sign of a greeting. "Excuse me, captain," The girl, in her twenties appearance-wise, started. She was undoubtedly one of the recent additions to her respective Squad. Otherwise, she would know the names and appearance of current captains. That's right, Nero knew - because he did his research before coming here. Also, it was common knowledge which squads had a vacant captain's position - like his soon-to-be Fourth Squad.
But the sentence certainly made him smile. Being recognized as a captain before even becoming a part of a Squad? That was an achievement worthy of his abilities. Of course, it was due to his white cape that he wore, but his ego was happier thinking it was due to his powerful presence.
The fact that she mistook his cape for a captain's robe only served to prove that the girl was indeed a newbie. Only true fresh faces don't know to distinguish a captain from non-captain robe. "Not yet, dear." After quickly analyzing her, Nero cut her off - noting a disappointed expression on her face. "But," he swiftly continued his train of thought, "I will be."
And with that, he was on his way to find a peaceful place to deal with his Zanpakuto.