The next morning, dappled sunlight filtered through the trees, falling onto the shoulders of passing Soul Reapers as the cherry blossoms in the courtyard swayed gently in the breeze.
Naraku Sora followed Fong Shaolin to the Second Division, preparing to fulfill their previous agreement.
Ever since watching yesterday's match, Fong Shaolin had been acting strange.
However, he couldn't quite put his finger on what was wrong.
He thought about asking.
But the young girl still maintained that same icy expression, her eyes flickering with unabashed disdain.
It was as if being by his side was nothing more than a mission assigned by Yoruichi.
Watching the Soul Reapers come and go, the Seireitei seemed to have regained its tranquility after the chaos of the Zanpakutō rebellion.
But some faces would never appear again.
Unlike Kuchiki Kōga, who was supervised by Naraku Sora, Tsunayashiro Taketori had no sense of restraint when using Enrakyōten to achieve his goals as quickly as possible, caring nothing for any
sense of propriety.
He had simply activated it at maximum output.
Aside from a few squads, the jurisdictions of most divisions saw massive Zanpakutō rebellions erupt instantly.
The intensity of the outbreak even surpassed the Araki family disaster at one point.
Many Soul Reapers, including seated officers, had died in battle against the manifested Zanpakutō due to a momentary lapse in caution.
Although Central 46 reluctantly issued a notice after consulting with Yamamoto, shifting the blame onto the disgraced Tsunayashiro family...
...many Soul Reapers still directed their hatred toward Kuchiki Kōga.
In their eyes,
the Zanpakutō Muramasa was the true root of the disaster.
Talk of copying or imitation sounded far too absurd to them.
The Kuchiki family didn't bother to explain; they simply withdrew their influence and continued their duties as the model of Soul Reaper conduct.
With many still immersed in the grief of losing their comrades, it would take some time for the old bustle to return.
Amidst these thoughts, the two arrived at the Second Division barracks.
To Naraku Sora's surprise, the person greeting them was the Lieutenant of the Second Division and head of the wealthiest lower-noble family—
Marechinmoshin Ōmaeda.
He had a burly, robust frame and an expression full of confidence. Although the gold chain around his neck screamed 'new money,' he still gave off a dependable vibe.
"Yo, Sora-kun, you finally made it."
Marechinmoshin seemed very enthusiastic. This wasn't the first time they had dealt with each other; they had briefly interacted during the Shihōin internal conflict.
As such, they were fairly well-acquainted.
"I watched the entire Captain proficiency test yesterday. I never imagined you were this strong!"
Marechinmoshin chatted as he led the way, throwing in a few compliments every now and then. It naturally made one lower their guard and narrowed the distance between them.
"By the way, how exactly did you do it?"
When he asked this, Marechinmoshin's face was full of genuine curiosity.
Naraku Sora grinned. "I owe my current success to my tireless individual effort, constant training, and the wonderful atmosphere of
Shino Prison."
Hearing this, Marechinmoshin's eyes lit up. He leaned in and whispered:
"I can understand the first two parts, but what about the last bit?"
"It's meant literally, of course." Naraku Sora glanced at him and spoke seriously. "Brother Marechinmoshin should know about the Maggot's Nest, right?"
Marechinmoshin nodded.
"As retired personnel, they all have some issues more or less—be it extreme personalities or mental abnormalities."
"But since becoming part of Shino Prison, that group has returned to normal. They look no different from ordinary Soul Reapers."
"This is all thanks to the mutual encouragement and supervision among the squad members."
"Even some of the criminals have realized their mistakes and started repenting for their crimes in prison."
Naraku Sora spoke with a mysterious air.
Marechinmoshin pinched his chin, a thoughtful expression on his face.
After hearing this, his first thought was that something wasn't right.
In fact, it felt completely wrong.
As the Lieutenant of the Second Division, even though Yoruichi had now taken over as Captain, he still handled most of the division's official business. He had plenty of contact with the people from Shino Prison in the past.
That place had always given him a stagnant feeling.
Like a dying old man, devoid of any vitality.
The jailers followed the rules mechanically, locking criminals in cells and carrying out punishments without the slightest change.
In such a place, where was the 'encouragement' or 'supervision'?
Not turning into a pervert would already be considered having high psychological resilience.
But on second thought, Naraku Sora had no reason to lie to him.
Moreover,
Shino Prison wasn't a closed-off area. He could easily use his official duties as an excuse to go and investigate.
Truth be told, the reason he asked was out of concern for the next generation of the Ōmaeda family.
The Ōmaeda family was not only the wealthiest noble family in the Soul Society but also a vassal family to the Shihōin house, serving them for generations.
Although he was currently in his prime, his descendants would eventually have to take over the Lieutenant position.
However, those children were clearly a long way behind him.
Therefore, Marechinmoshin was very curious if Naraku Sora, who had improved so rapidly, had some secret training method.
He wanted to use it to push his own kids.
He didn't expect them to carry the same heavy burden as he did, but at the very least, they shouldn't embarrass the Second Division after taking over.
But according to Naraku Sora, besides his own talent and effort, the environment was also crucial.
Thinking about it carefully, that seemed to be the case.
While Naraku Sora was considered a genius during his time at the academy, it paled in comparison to his progress in Shino Prison.
Soon, Marechinmoshin made up his mind. Once he finished the business at hand, he would go to Shino Prison to see for himself.
If it was as Naraku Sora said, he would send Marechiyo Ōmaeda there.
Worst case, he would just provide some financial support.
The two chatted as they walked and soon reached the training field.
In the center of the grounds, a lithe, cat-like figure moved gracefully through a series of obstacles.
She maneuvered through gaps that seemed impossible to pass with a posture that almost defied physical instinct.
She was like a leaping bolt of lightning.
"Phew, you're finally here. I've been waiting for ages."
Yoruichi leaped down from an obstacle and vanished, reappearing instantly in front of the three.
"Captain, I'll be heading back to work then."
"Yeah, thanks for your hard work."
Marechinmoshin took his leave, leaving the training field to them.
"Shaolin, why do you look so out of it?"
Yoruichi noticed that Fong Shaolin, standing nearby, seemed distracted, as if she hadn't fully woken up.
She narrowed her eyes like a cat and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.
"This guy didn't do anything weird to you, did he?"
"N-No, of course not!"
Fong Shaolin was startled and hurriedly denied it.
She was just still reeling from yesterday's brutal match; it had nothing to do with anyone else.
"I say, Yoruichi, you're really underestimating me."
Naraku Sora spoke up indignantly. "Do I look like the type of person who would lay a hand on a young girl?"
Yoruichi turned her head to look him up and down before finally nodding seriously.
"Yes."
"
..."
"Alright, jokes aside. Come take a look at the new technique I've developed."
Under their curious gazes, Yoruichi walked to a spot about ten meters away from a metal target.
She raised her slender arm, and as her spiritual pressure surged, visible currents of air rapidly swirled around her shoulders—and then—
A straight punch!
A powerful force suddenly erupted, whipping up a hurricane as an invisible impact slammed into the training target.
Accompanied by a deafening roar, debris flew everywhere like rain.
Seeing this, Fong Shaolin's breath hitched.
Even with yesterday's experience as a baseline, she couldn't help but be shocked by this scene.
Lady Yoruichi has suddenly become so strong...
"How was that?"
Yoruichi smugly raised an eyebrow at Naraku Sora, like a young girl showing off a new toy.
Naraku Sora looked thoughtful.
He seemed to know what this was.
Without waiting for him to ask, Yoruichi took the initiative to explain:
"This is a secret Hakuda technique I worked hard to develop. It uses highly compressed Kidō spiritual pressure to wrap around the back and shoulders in a specific way, thereby greatly"
"increasing the power of my strikes."
"Though it's not quite perfect yet, the power is already quite impressive."
"Moreover, its potential is staggering. It's not inferior to a Zanpakutō's release at all."
"If fully perfected, it might even rival a Bankai."
"I've named it—Shunko!"
Just as he thought.
Naraku Sora's eyes lit up as he suddenly remembered his Lightning Release Mode.
From a purely theoretical standpoint, the two seemed to share a similar logic.
Both used Kidō spiritual pressure as the core power to enhance the user's body and increase the lethality of Hakuda techniques.
The difference was that Lightning Release Mode focused on speed and defense, while Shunko was about pure destructive power.
If the two could be combined—
Wouldn't that be an ultimate technique with both perfect offense and defense?
"Hey, Sora, where do you think this could be improved?"
Yoruichi briefly explained the principles. "I saw you use a similar move during the Captain proficiency test yesterday, so I thought you might have some insight."
Naraku Sora thought for a moment before saying seriously:
"If I had to compare it to my move, the coverage of the Kidō spiritual pressure is too small. Just the back and shoulders aren't enough to exert full power."
"The compression process isn't smooth enough either; there's actually a wind-up before the release. It would be best to achieve high-concentration compression inside the body so you can enter the"
"Shunko state instantly."
"And don't limit yourself strictly to destruction. Kidō spiritual pressure has many attributes; defense and speed are also vital."
"..."
Watching Naraku Sora talk with such confidence, Yoruichi's interest was piqued. She began to list the problems she encountered while developing Shunko one by one.
Things like spiritual pressure trajectories, the gathering of Reishi, and so on.
Fong Shaolin watched the two of them with their heads huddled together, and her expression became incredibly complicated for a moment.
Why did she suddenly feel a bit sour inside?
While the girl was feeling conflicted, a large hand suddenly reached out and landed on her slender shoulder, pulling her over.
"Wait..."
Before she could resist, Fong Shaolin was dragged into the small group by Naraku Sora, and then—
She was used as a teaching aid.
The two continued their debate, but they occasionally had Fong Shaolin try things out.
The results were significant.
Seeing their attention completely focused on her, Fong Shaolin narrowed her eyes like a cat, the corners of her mouth curling up ever so slightly.
She really did enjoy the feeling of being needed.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi had been a bit troubled lately.
The sudden rebellion of Ashisogi Jizō earlier had caused him a bit of trouble.
Nearly half the laboratory had been destroyed, a massive amount of data was lost, and several ongoing experiments had failed.
But because of this, he had discovered the potential within Zanpakutō.
It turned out that a Zanpakutō, which was supposedly one and the same with a Soul Reaper, could actually unleash such incredible combat power after being separated.
It was even more exaggerated than when the Soul Reaper used it themselves.
Currently, some wild ideas were brewing in his mind. Perhaps he could try modifying Zanpakutō, using scientific research to unearth their potential.
Or perhaps, increase their power.
But a corresponding problem arose.
If he modified a Zanpakutō without permission, would it cause issues with the Soul Reaper's soul?
As a rigorous scientist, Mayuri Kurotsuchi would never allow his own soul to have issues.
That would affect his brain's ability to think.
Perhaps he could find another Soul Reaper to test it on first?
With this thought in mind, Mayuri walked out of the lab, preparing to find a 'great person' willing to sacrifice themselves for science.
However, before he had gone more than a few steps, he saw a foreign face within the division barracks.
Messy, light yellow short hair, a tall and thin build, and an expression that looked like he hadn't fully woken up.
Although he wasn't sure who this guy was, he felt a strange, inexplicable sense of loathing.
'I choose you.'
Mayuri used Flash Step to appear beside him and asked in an arrogant tone:
"What is your name?"
The young man scratched his head and answered sincerely:
"Kisuke Urahara..."