Chapter 9 Yamamoto Genryusai

"I'm here!"

 Rangiku couldn't hide her excitement as she looked at the rising star of the Academy, Tsukizuki, who was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, hands constantly caressing his Zanpakutō. But soon, a puzzled look appeared on her face.

Even though it had been less than a day since Tsukizuki received his Zanpakutō, their relationship seemed extraordinarily close, so close that it made her feel a little…odd.

She knew Tsukizuki had always wanted a Zanpakutō, and she was sure he would be attached to it once he finally got one.

But she never imagined that a Zanpakutō could captivate Tsukizuki to the point of obsession!

"Tsukizuki, did you call me over just to watch you do this? I'm going to get angry!" she said, pouting and giving Tsukizuki a playful slap on the cheek.

She was standing right here, after all—still a bit young, perhaps, but that was no excuse for him to be fawning over a sword!

Almost as if trying to make this newly arrived "vixen" keep her distance, she deliberately climbed into Tsukizuki's lap.

"My dear, you do like me, right?"

"...I never would have guessed that behind such a pure face and modest clothes, Eishin Shinra would hide such a lovely figure. Simply amazing... Yes, Rangiku, I like you."

Tsukizuki, who had been murmuring in a trance, suddenly snapped out of it, his wandering eyes quickly turning resolute as he wrapped his arms around Rangiku's slender waist.

"Tsukizuki, you didn't do anything...improper with your Zanpakutō, did you? You know it's an extension of a Soul Reaper's soul. The bond is one of unity between two beings!"

Rangiku shot him a disdainful look.

"Of course, I know that, but Eishin Shinra is a bit… unique."

"Unique? How unique could it be? Aren't all Soul Reapers and their Zanpakutō connected like that?"

"I can't really explain it; I can only say she's not me."

Nonsense!

Rangiku couldn't accept this explanation—it was completely at odds with everything she'd learned from her textbooks. With gritted teeth, she muttered:

"Are you trying to make excuses for your bizarre behavior? Don't think I don't know—when you said you were out collecting debts, you were actually with the lady next door!"

"I swear I'm telling the truth this time. I do have some principles, you know," Tsukizuki declared, patting his chest with righteous indignation. "Besides, doing that to myself… no matter how you look at it, that's just… weird."

Rangiku narrowed her eyes, then seemed to realize something, momentarily stunned.

A wild, almost absurd thought surfaced in her mind...

If his Zanpakutō were truly independent, could it…?

Impossible. What could a Zanpakutō without a physical form possibly do? Wasn't Tsukizuki afraid of the pain?

Tsukizuki gently tapped her forehead with two fingers, soothing her, "Alright, if it doesn't make sense, don't think about it. I haven't figured it out myself. Focus on your training instead—you've been too lazy lately, and that's why you haven't grown taller."

Slowly, Rangiku leaned against Tsukizuki, her small hands gripping tightly, their bodies inseparable.

A faint sense of urgency welled up inside her. She suddenly wished her body would grow faster.

Looking at Rangiku's increasingly intense expression, Tsukizuki felt a sudden chill inside.

…

Seireitei, First Division barracks.

The Spiritual Arts Academy Headmaster stood at the entrance, his heart racing with excitement as he explained his reason for coming to the guards.

A Soul Reaper went inside to report, and shortly after, the Headmaster was invited in.

Though he'd been Headmaster for hundreds of years, he rarely had the right to enter the First Division barracks.

After all, while Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto had once served as head instructor at the Academy, the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy was now a separate educational institution and didn't belong to the First Division.

On his way to the captain's quarters, he saw Soul Reapers from the First Division patrolling the corridors.

Occasionally, members of the Second Division's Fifth Squad would appear to relay messages, vanishing as quickly as they'd arrived.

As the Headmaster walked along, the Soul Reapers would bow to him, and he would nod in return with a stern face.

Most Soul Reapers of the Gotei 13 were graduates of the Spiritual Arts Academy, so they could all be considered his students.

The headmaster crossed the courtyard, removed his shoes at a room entrance, and stepped onto the wooden floor.

He cleared his throat before a small vestibule and announced loudly:

"Head Captain, the Headmaster of Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy, Keito Sato, is here to pay his respects."

"Enter." A commanding yet aged voice called out from inside the room.

"Forgive the intrusion," the headmaster replied respectfully, bowing slightly as he slid the door open and stepped in.

The room was modest, with swords hanging on the walls, a wooden tea table at its center, and an array of delicate teaware arranged on top.

Behind the table sat an elderly man, exuding a calm dignity with a touch of kindness.

With his eyes slightly open, a head bearing two long scars on his forehead, and the same hairstyle as the Headmaster, he wore his Soul Reaper uniform draped with a large white haori. The inner lining of the haori was a deep Kyoto purple, and a bold black outline surrounded a large "1" on its back.

This man was none other than the First Division captain, Head Captain of the Gotei 13, the mightiest Soul Reaper of the last millennium: Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto.

"Head Captain!"

At the first sight of the old man, the Headmaster immediately knelt on one knee.

Only a Soul Reaper of his generation knew the ruthlessness hidden behind the gentle appearance of the Head Captain.

"What brings you here?"

"I have discovered an exceptional genius at the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy, an extraordinarily talented individual. On his first day, he achieved Shikai, and his spiritual pressure level has already reached Sixth-Class Spirit Power."

The Headmaster emphasized the word "exceptional" and handed a file from his robes to Yamamoto.

"This genius is named Tsukizuki. Here is his record."

With the soft sound of pages turning, the headmaster's heart began to race.

"Would he be willing to graduate early and join the Gotei 13?"

The question took the Headmaster slightly aback.

Why would the Head Captain ask such a thing?

Tsukizuki had only been enrolled for two days and attended his first class that day. Despite his exceptional talent, he hadn't even started basic training, so graduating now would be too soon.

The Spiritual Arts Academy's curriculum was mainly about teaching skills and knowledge, things that couldn't simply be mastered through high spiritual pressure alone.

If Tsukizuki were to graduate now, even as a genius, he'd be like a blank slate, and without learning all the essential skills and knowledge, he might struggle in the Gotei 13.

After all, being in the Gotei 13 was a job, a professional role where you're paid for your work.

Each Soul Reaper had their own duties, and no squad member had the luxury of time to mentor a new recruit like the teachers at the academy.

Unless you were a noble, raised with elite training and prepped in everything from family affairs to Soul Reaper skills to power politics, in which case early graduation would be of no consequence.

Fortunately, the principal's centuries of experience weren't for nothing. He had thoroughly prepared for all contingencies before coming.

.....

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