(T/N: Third chapter! Hope you guys enjoyed the read! and Thanks for the support!!
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"Katori-sensei, please stay the night," said Madarame Ichirō warmly. "This market is under my management. Since you've come all this way, I should at least treat you properly."
"No need. I've still got things to do. Maybe next time," Nanatsuki declined politely.
He had just noticed that the porcelain in the crate was all statues, specifically, ceramic idols of various deities.
"These are all gods' idols? Are those really that popular around here?" he asked.
Indeed, there were all sorts of figurines inside, even one resembling the deity enshrined in the shrine they had recently stayed in.
"Oh, that… Honestly, I don't really get it either. The Fuwai District has tons of different faiths, and new ones pop up all the time, one after another," Ichirō explained. "Because of that, we get nonstop custom orders for these statues!"
"Is it just Fuwai that's like this?" Nanatsuki asked, curious.
"Not anymore. The trend's started to spread to neighboring districts. Other areas are ordering statues too. The ones you recovered were actually headed elsewhere," Ichirō replied.
'Could this be connected…?' Nanatsuki thought silently.
He suddenly recalled Urahara Kisuke mentioning that Reishi Shells had been active in Rukongai. Maybe this strange shift in religious trends was tied to them.
But there wasn't enough information yet to draw conclusions.
Nanatsuki and Komamura left the market together.
"You're that market manager's teacher?" Komamura asked.
"I'm a swordsmanship instructor at the Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy. That Madarame Ichirō studied there. I taught him for a time," Nanatsuki explained.
"Shin'o Spiritual Arts Academy!" Komamura's heart skipped a beat.
That name was known throughout Rukongai. Anyone who got accepted into Shin'o Academy had a good shot at becoming a Shinigami.
Komamura had of course heard of it, and had long dreamed of studying there to become a true Shinigami himself.
"No wonder he was so respectful," Komamura said with a hint of admiration. "Do you think the Academy would ever accept someone like me…?"
"You want to join the Academy? I can't recall them ever accepting a member of the wolfman clan…" Nanatsuki said thoughtfully.
Komamura's ears drooped. "So there really is no chance… I guess I'll never become a Shinigami."
"There's no precedent, but becoming a Shinigami isn't only possible through the Academy," Nanatsuki added.
In truth, Komamura's current strength already met the standards of a foot soldier. If he asked, Yamamoto and the others back at the shrine would almost certainly accept him on the spot.
But Nanatsuki had another plan: recruit him into the Katori-ryu Dojo first.
With a gentle smile, he said, "You can come train at my dojo. Whether you want to go to the Academy later or directly become a Shinigami, I can recommend you. I've still got enough sway to make it happen."
"You have a dojo?" Komamura asked, surprised.
Nanatsuki nodded and listed some of his former students' achievements: "The Katori-ryu Dojo has produced quite a few excellent Shinigami. The current Vice-Captain of Squad 2, the 6th seat of Squad 3, the 12th seat of Squad 5, the 16th seat of Squad 9, and the 7th seat of Squad 11, they're all my disciples."
It had been three years since Hirako Shinji and the others graduated, and many had already earned seated positions.
Among them, Azashiro Kana and Kobane Jin'emon had risen the fastest, already promoted to upper-seated ranks.
That was partly due to the nature of their assigned squads, Squads 3 and 11, as support and combat divisions respectively, had taken heavy losses during the war against the Quincy. Their vacancies were many.
Squads 5 and 9, on the other hand, were more stable. Their internal reshuffling was slow, which is why Hirako Shinji and Muguruma Kensei hadn't advanced as quickly.
Komamura was stunned, Katori Nanatsuki had trained actual Vice-Captains and Seated Officers!
"Your teaching ability is astounding. It would be the greatest honor to learn from a teacher like you!"
He dropped to his knees in a full dogeza, head bowed to the ground.
"Katori-sensei, please accept me as your disciple! I, Sajin Komamura, will devote myself to you for life!"
He couldn't afford to let this opportunity slip. A teacher this skilled, and one who didn't discriminate against the wolfman clan, was a rare treasure.
This might be his one and only chance to ever become a Shinigami.
"Very well, I accept you," Nanatsuki said solemnly. "But from this day on, you must respect your elders. Betraying your master will never be tolerated. As long as you remain loyal and train diligently, I will teach you the way of the sword and help you become a Shinigami."
"Yes, Sensei! I will not disappoint you!" Komamura said, full of respect.
[System Message: Successfully accepted Sajin Komamura as a direct disciple]
[Sajin Komamura's reputation level has increased. Current reputation: Absolute Loyalty]
Nanatsuki blinked.
That was a reputation level he'd never seen before.
He glanced at the annotation in his Status Interface.
[Absolute Loyalty: A special reputation tier unique to the wolfman clan. If you fulfill your promise, Sajin Komamura will never betray you.]
'The promise… must refer to teaching him swordsmanship and helping him become a Shinigami,' Nanatsuki thought.
"Alright, get up. Let's hurry back, I'll make something nice to celebrate your induction."
"Yes, Sensei!"
As they walked, Nanatsuki recalled that Komamura had been on the run. "Now that you're officially my disciple, I should know a bit more about your situation. I saw you before, in the tavern at Suzuka District."
Komamura didn't try to hide anything. "Not long ago, I injured a noble who was harassing a woman. Since they couldn't find me afterward, the noble pressured my clan to hunt me down…"
"A noble, huh…" Nanatsuki rubbed his chin. "Do you know his name?"
Komamura nodded. "He called himself Amamimon Tomoya."
"Amamimon Tomoya?" Nanatsuki chuckled. "What a small world. He was in the same class as Madarame Ichirō."
Nanatsuki remembered Tomoya well.
Back at the Academy, the guy had even been punished once for harassing female students.
He once tried to flirt with Azashiro Kana during a spar, and got thoroughly thrashed for it.
Komamura frowned. "Then he was your student too?"
"He never joined the advanced swordsmanship class," Nanatsuki replied with a shake of the head. "But don't assume the Academy trains people with good character. Admissions don't include personality screening."
"I'll talk to Amamimon Tomoya about your case. That guy hasn't changed a bit since graduation, it's about time someone taught him a lesson."