Chapter 84: Aizen’s Training

Chapter 84: Chapter 84: Aizen’s Training First Division Courtyard — Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto brought both fists together and shouted: "Double Bone!" Kyōraku Shunsui was sent flying backward. Katori Nanatsuki immediately stepped forward and used Kaido to heal him. Lately, the two of them had been training in Hakuda (a.k.a. getting beaten up) under Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto in the First Division. After a moment, Kyōraku Shunsui recovered and complained: "Cough, cough—Old Man Yama’s attacks got even harsher after learning how good you are at Kaido!" Yamamoto barked, "That’s because your Hakuda is pathetic! You can’t even handle attacks from someone with equal Reiatsu!" "That’s all for today’s training!" "My Hakuda techniques are all simple, but even simple techniques, once mastered, can unleash tremendous power. I hope you’ll both continue to train diligently. Hakuda can’t be mastered in a day—it requires relentless, daily practice!" "Yes, thank you for your guidance, Captain-Commander!" Nanatsuki had gained a lot from this training. His Hakuda level jumped directly from 15 to 35. His Status Interface also now showed two new Hakuda skills: Steel Fist (Introductory) and Double Bone (Introductory). Both were easy to learn but hard to master. Reaching their full potential would require long-term training in power control. Nanatsuki and Kyōraku Shunsui left the First Division together. Noticing Kyōraku walking slowly, Nanatsuki asked, "Captain Kyōraku, are your injuries not fully healed yet? Want me to check again?" "No need, I’m pretty much fine now. Your Kaido is truly impressive," Kyōraku replied thoughtfully. "That reminds me—according to our intel unit, several members of the exiled Kasumioji clan went missing after encountering the Kōtotsu." The Kasumioji still had a decent amount of martial strength. Many of them had survived the execution grounds. Those survivors were exiled into the Dangai. As per usual protocol, the intel division monitored those exiled to the Dangai for a period of time. Kyōraku tilted his straw hat slightly. "Something about this feels off. I suspect they might be hiding somewhere, waiting for a chance to strike back." He had ordered an investigation. The official conclusion was that it was an accident, but his gut told him otherwise. Nanatsuki nodded. "Thanks for the warning. I’ll be cautious." Kyōraku waved a hand. "No need to worry too much, Katori-kun. I’ll have the patrol squad keep a closer watch near the Katori-ryu Dojo, just in case. Besides, those folks have been stripped of their Zanpakutō. Even if they wanted to stir up trouble, they couldn’t make much of a splash." A few days later, at the Katori-ryu Dojo — In the back garden under the eaves, Nanatsuki and Batsu’unsai sat by the tea table, sipping tea as they observed the disciples’ training progress. "Your head’s prickly now—growing back fast!" Batsu’unsai said with mock regret as she withdrew her hand. She’d quite liked the silky-smooth feeling from before. After burning off all his hair, Nanatsuki had been bald for a while, but some hair had finally begun to grow back. The technique Thunderfire Wild Blaze was terrifying—it hadn’t just burned his hair, but even his pores. Had he not used Kaido to heal the damaged pores, the hair might never have grown back. "What’s so nice about touching it?" Nanatsuki said helplessly. Ever since he went bald, Batsu’unsai had developed a habit of rubbing his head. "New skin is soft and smooth. It just feels good!" she replied seriously. Nanatsuki rolled his eyes and ignored her, getting up to go instruct the disciples. Aizen was currently wearing four bells, undergoing Reiatsu control training. Nanatsuki quickly noticed that the Flagfish wooden sword Aizen was swinging was too light for him—he showed no signs of pressure. At this rate, the training wouldn’t be effective. "Sōsuke, looks like regular Suburi with the Flagfish isn’t doing much for you. Come with me, I’ll get you a heavier one," Nanatsuki waved him over. Though Aizen didn’t want to stand out at the dojo, his teacher had spoken, so he had no choice but to follow. Nanatsuki glanced at the Status Interface: [Aizen Sōsuke] Talent: SS Reiatsu: Lv42 Reputation Level: Friendly Nanatsuki hadn’t expected that resolving the Azashiro Kana incident would actually raise Aizen Sōsuke’s reputation to the level expected of a newly accepted disciple. Aizen had seen Nanatsuki tirelessly running around to help his disciples lately—and had come to recognize him as a true teacher. Thus, Nanatsuki also received the reward for recruiting an SS-rank talent for the first time. The passive trait Patient Guidance had been strengthened once more—now it could boost a student’s learning talent by three minor levels. And Aizen Sōsuke’s Student Feedback feature had also activated. That meant Nanatsuki could now assign him training quests. Nanatsuki led Aizen to the storage shed. It was much more organized than before. With more disciples, the dojo now had more people to help with chores, and the shed had recently been tidied up. Flagfish wooden swords came in different sizes for different Reiatsu levels. Nanatsuki picked up one with a blade over twenty centimeters wide. "Try this one. If the sword feels too light when swinging, you won’t get any gains. You need to feel its weight for effective training." Aizen took the wooden sword, poured in Reiatsu, and swung twice. "Too light," Nanatsuki said, handing him one with a blade over thirty centimeters wide. "Try this one." This time, Aizen could feel the heft. Nanatsuki nodded in approval. "This one should be just right. Your Reiatsu is growing fast. If it starts to feel light, swap it out for a heavier one immediately." "Understood," Aizen replied, though something was clearly bothering him. He had always believed his Reiatsu concealment was flawless—most Shinigami couldn’t sense any fluctuations. But his teacher noticed it every single time. This planted a seed of doubt in his confidence. And made him even more convinced that his teacher was unfathomably deep. Nanatsuki checked his Status Interface again: [Training Quest Added: Guide Aizen Sōsuke through advanced Reiatsu control training (In Progress)] Aizen’s learning ability was astonishing. In just a few days, he had completed several fundamental trainings. He’d finished basic training in Zanjutsu, Kidō, Hakuda, and Shunpo. This earned Nanatsuki 4000 points of General Ability EXP, along with four IntroductoryKidō skills: Hadō #12: FushibiHadō #31: ShakkahōBakudō #9: GekiBakudō #21: Sekienton Nanatsuki poured all 4000 EXP, plus the 5000 he’d earned earlier when Azashiro Kana learned Flowlight, into his Reiatsu stat. His Reiatsu level was now Lv78, already brushing the level of a Vice-Captain. Once he reached that level, he should finally be able to communicate with the white-haired girl spirit within his Inner World. That was why Nanatsuki had resolved to push his Reiatsu to Vice-Captain level first.