"You aren't actually thinking of charging into the Shihōin Clan estate, are you?"
Aizen looked at the boy in front of him with a look of high alert, warning him not to do anything foolish.
"If you dare speak that thought aloud, the Onmitsukidō will be knocking on your door by morning. After that, the Gotei 13 will launch a joint subjugation against anyone harboring treasonous intent toward the nobility."
Naraku Sora glanced at Aizen with disdain and said loudly, "Do I really look like someone so shallow and brainless in your eyes?"
Aizen froze for a moment, a trace of doubt flickering across his face. "Are you not?"
Naraku Sora: "?"
*Good one, Sōsuke. I'm marking this debt down.*
"Charging into the Shihōin Clan... I expect the first one to jump out would be that bald old man who's basically a refined hunk of muscle."
Naraku Sora curled his lip, seemingly recalling some unpleasant memories, as his expression shifted subtly.
"When that happens, forget about me—even you would probably be reduced to ash instantly."
Although the young Aizen was strong, he was still far too green compared to a certain ultimate-tier old monster.
"You might be underestimating my startling wisdom a bit too much."
"While it's true that an ordinary Soul Reaper attacking a noble is considered 'the low overcoming the high'—a violation of Soul Society laws that would draw out unspeakable consequences—it's a different story if we have a legitimate cause. Then everything becomes perfectly reasonable."
Aizen fell into thought. "The risk is high, but if we refine the details, we can avoid a lot of unnecessary trouble."
Naraku Sora suddenly grew excited. "Come, come, tell me more."
---
"Eat this! Dragon Rising Sword!"
In the Squad 1 training hall, Naraku Sora, wreathed in Reiatsu, unleashed a brilliant strike that felt like a supernova falling.
The explosive roar echoed throughout the entire barracks. Even Sasakibe Chōjirō, standing in the courtyard, couldn't help but marvel at the sound.
The last person who refused to admit defeat after being beaten so many times by the Head Captain was... probably himself, wasn't it?
He remembered back when the Head Captain was teaching Captain Kyōraku; before the fist could even land, the student had already performed a light-speed 'dogeza' prostration. He had absolutely no backbone.
That had made Lord Yamamoto so angry that his strikes became even more ruthless. He even declared that there were no such cowardly Soul Reapers in the Gotei 13, and if it happened again, he would hang Kyōraku from the Great Eastern Wall for public display.
In contrast, this kid Naraku Sora was incredibly tough. He had no intention of softening his stance at all.
After a thorough beating, he even wanted another round.
Even more ridiculous was his durability; he was significantly tougher than the Head Captain's other disciples. Even when covered in wounds, he'd be lively again after just a few breaths. It was a natural talent that was hard not to envy.
"I have a general understanding of your Shikai ability now."
Yamamoto swatted someone away with a single palm. He casually draped his Captain's haori, which had been hanging on the wall, over his shoulders and looked at the boy embedded in the floorboards with a complex expression.
He organized his thoughts.
"Do not go around telling everyone about it next time," Yamamoto said in a heavy voice. "A Zanpakutō's ability is the very foundation of a Soul Reaper. It is the secret of secrets. You must never reveal it to others—even enemies—at will."
"Otherwise, you will easily land yourself in a dangerous situation."
Naraku Sora shook his dazed head. That old guy had nearly knocked the bile out of him with that one palm.
*Who the hell said the old timer's abilities were the most useless?*
"It is a powerful ability, even stronger than some Bankai, but the drawbacks are obvious."
Ignoring the unkempt Naraku Sora, Yamamoto taught calmly, passing on as much of his experience and knowledge as possible to this promising junior.
"Reiatsu."
"Once it burns out and you cannot finish the enemy, the consequences will be unimaginable."
Naraku Sora grinned. "If I run into an enemy like that, shouldn't my first thought be to make a run for it? You think I'd just stand there and slug it out?"
Yamamoto choked on his words and snapped irritably, "I certainly haven't seen you act like someone who knows how to judge a situation!"
This kid was different from any student he had ever taught; it was hard to find even a slight resemblance to anyone else.
Others often found it difficult to endure his hellish sparring sessions, but this boy relished them. He immersed himself entirely, losing track of everything else.
To be fair, however, this style suited his taste quite well. Beating him up every now and then served as a nice bit of post-meal entertainment.
"Sit properly. Today, we will discuss advanced techniques of Hakuda."
"I have named this one: Ikkotsu!"
At that, Yamamoto paused and tightened his fingers into a fist.
A powerful Reiatsu surged down from his arm, converging and coating his hand until a faint, almost imperceptible light shimmered over his knuckles.
Then, he punched.
A sense of suffocation rushed toward him. In that moment, Naraku Sora felt as if death itself had enshrouded him. The wind howled, and the entire world was occupied by that single fist; nothing else existed.
Faced with this sudden shift, Naraku Sora's pupils shrank to pinpricks. His body froze completely, his mind went blank, and he couldn't even manage a proper reaction.
"The foundation of this move lies in the control over your Reiatsu and your own spiritual body. It is quite compatible with you."
Yamamoto wasn't insane enough to actually hit his student with Ikkotsu; he merely let him experience the sensation.
He then followed up with supplementary details regarding the technique and the direction of Reiatsu control.
It had to be said.
Yamamoto truly lived up to his title as the strongest Soul Reaper in a thousand years, a master of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Flash Step, and Kidō.
A seemingly simple Hakuda technique was explained with dozens of variations, and he even summarized over ten different scenarios for its use.
After committing everything to memory, the day's lesson finally came to an end.
"Teacher, I have one more thing to report to you."
"Speak."
Naraku Sora organized his words and recounted the events that took place at Mount Koifushi, attributing his survival entirely to his Shikai.
Since he had promised Aizen to keep the secret, he absolutely would not spread the truth.
Throughout the story, the expression on Yamamoto's face remained calm, but the atmosphere in the dojo grew increasingly oppressive as Naraku Sora spoke.
It felt as if a dormant volcano had awakened. The air grew thick with the scent of sulfur, making it hard to breathe.
After a long silence, Yamamoto spoke slowly.
"Starting from the disaster at the Araki house, you have been targeted by those lawless individuals. However, according to the laws of the Soul Society..."
"In the absence of any evidence, a Soul Reaper from any organization may not take action against a noble. To do so is the crime of treason."
"Furthermore, even if there is sufficient evidence, it must be approved by the Central 46. If it involves the Five Great Noble Houses, it must also be discussed in the Assembly of Golden-Emblem Nobles before action can be taken."
Naraku Sora frowned.
The rules of the Soul Society were much more troublesome than he had imagined.
"Teacher, what if it's an internal conflict within the nobility?"
Yamamoto: "?"
---