"Teacher, you're being too polite."
Yoruichi leaned back casually, her usual confidence showing even in this informal setting. "Even if I've officially become a captain, I've only just taken the position. There are still plenty of things I don't understand. I'll have to rely on you to guide me."
Gosuke Shigure shook his head lightly. "I can't teach you much. I've never been part of the Second Division, after all. If you're uncertain about something, wouldn't it be better to ask your grandfather?"
Yoruichi sighed and waved her hand dismissively. "Don't even bring him up. Ever since he stepped down as captain, Grandfather barely involves himself in anything anymore. Whenever I ask, he only says the same thing: 'You're the captain now. Make your own decisions.'"
Shigure chuckled. "And he's right. You're the one who carries the title now. Being a captain means taking responsibility and deciding for yourself."
Yoruichi gave him a playful glare at his bluntness, but she didn't disagree.
Shigure then turned toward Urahara Kisuke. "Kisuke, Yoruichi has already reached captaincy. You'll need to push yourself harder too. If you can achieve captain-level strength and one day wear the haori yourself, that would make me proud as your teacher."
He grinned. "Think about it — Captain Yamamoto is known for having trained two captains personally: Ukitake Jūshirō and Kyōraku Shunsui. If you rise to captaincy, that would mean I also have two captains as my disciples. I may not surpass the Head-Captain, but at least I'd be in respectable company."
Kisuke rubbed the back of his neck, flustered. "Teacher… you give me far too much credit. I can't imagine myself as a captain."
That was his honest belief. Even now, despite his intellect, he doubted his own worthiness.
But Yoruichi leaned forward, confidence in her tone. "Kisuke, don't sell yourself short. I know your strength better than anyone. If the chance comes, you'll absolutely be able to wear the haori."
Shigure nodded. "She's right. Over the years, many seats in the Gotei 13 have shifted. If you push yourself to grow stronger now, opportunities will come. And when they do, I'll recommend you without hesitation."
He added with a knowing look, "I understand you're curious about the hidden truths of Seireitei, but rules bind what I can reveal. However, if you attain captaincy, those doors will open. Much of what seems forbidden to you now will no longer be a secret."
That struck deeply in Kisuke's heart.
Ever since Shigure first spoke of the Royal Guard — Squad Zero and the hidden figure of Ōetsu Nimaiya, Kisuke had felt the weight of knowledge denied to him. He had understood then: the privilege of truth belonged only to captains and those above.
The thought of aiming for such a seat began to stir quietly within him.
Finally, Kisuke spoke in a lower voice. "Whether or not I can become a captain, I can't say. But… regarding strength, I've had an idea recently."
Shigure and Yoruichi both turned their eyes toward him.
"It began after Sensei asked me that question about Zanpakutō. I couldn't solve it then, but it pushed me to think deeper." Kisuke paused, then continued. "As we know, every Zanpakutō has two stages of release: Shikai and Bankai. Bankai is the final and complete manifestation of a Shinigami's power, drawing out the true essence of their soul."
"To achieve Bankai, one must force their Zanpakutō spirit into physical form, confront it directly, and win its acknowledgment. But the act of materialization itself requires immense spiritual pressure and control — far beyond what most Shinigami can achieve. That's why Bankai remains so rare."
Shigure and Yoruichi, long familiar with Kisuke's tendency to delve into theory once started, let him continue without interruption.
"So, I began to wonder… what if there was a way to artificially advance the process? If one could externalize the Zanpakutō spirit into reality earlier, even before reaching the natural threshold, then gaining its approval could potentially allow a Shinigami to attain Bankai much sooner."
He adjusted his hat as he spoke, his eyes glinting with curiosity. "Captain Hikifune's theory of the Gigai and the development of Artificial Souls inspired me. If we can create vessels to house souls temporarily, then perhaps the principle can be inverted. What if we created a vessel — a temporary body — for the Zanpakutō itself?"
"Such a construct could force the Zanpakutō into physical form, allowing the wielder to interact with it directly. From there, if one could defeat their spirit and force its submission, Bankai might be mastered in a fraction of the time."
Shigure froze. Three words immediately came to his mind: Tenshintai.
The Tenshintai — the "Divine Transfer Body."
In the future, Kisuke himself would invent this very device. A dangerous but ingenious tool, it forcibly externalized a Zanpakutō spirit into reality, allowing a Shinigami to confront it head-on. Using this method, Kurosaki Ichigo had once attained Bankai in three days, and Kisuke himself had mastered his own Bankai in a similarly short period.
But it was a perilous shortcut.
Because to claim Bankai this way, one had to subdue the spirit by force. If the wielder's strength was insufficient, the Zanpakutō could overwhelm and kill them outright.
Still, the idea was revolutionary.
Shigure silently reflected. Kisuke… you truly are a man who stands outside the boundaries of convention. But this path of yours is one that courts both brilliance and ruin.