Chapter 36: What Do You Think of Aizen? |
The Second Division Captain's residence.
"Please help me master Bankai, Lady Yoruichi!"
Soi Fon dropped to her knees and bowed her head before Yoruichi.
Yeruashi...
Lilith...
It hadn't even been a year since they became Soul Reapers, yet they had already managed to completely surpass her by achieving Bankai!
Watching their meteoric progress, Soi Fon realized her own weakness. She felt unable to provide adequate support to Lady Yoruichi, and it gnawed at her.
She had to become stronger to protect Lady Yoruichi in the sinister fog that had settled over the Seireitei after the tragic Hollowfication incident.
To do that, she needed to master Bankai as quickly as possible.
Yoruichi, sitting on a soft futon, spoke nonchalantly. she stretched her legs forward, swinging her dainty bare feet in front of Soi Fon like a playful cat flicking its tail.
Soi Fon looked up, her expression resolute. "I have trained tirelessly lately, but I have yet to reach Bankai. If this continues, I... I won't be fit to lead the Punishment Force or serve as your personal guard, Lady Yoruichi!"
Yoruichi tilted her head back, staring at the ceiling thoughtfully. "Actually, Urahara developed a special method that can help a Soul Reaper achieve Bankai in a very short time, but it carries a certain degree of danger. It's too soon for you to resort to that... wait, I know!"
Yoruichi shifted her gaze back to Soi Fon and smirked, as if a brilliant idea had just struck her. "Go to Yeruashi. Let him give you a few pointers!"
"...What?!"
Soi Fon exclaimed, stunned.
Yoruichi took a sip of tea and said casually, "I've reached Bankai myself, but I'm not particularly good at using the thing. In fact, I quite dislike it. I don't think my advice would be worth much when it comes to mastering it."
Soi Fon hesitated, considering the proposal. Yeruashi had already saved her from certain death twice; asking him for yet another favor felt like a heavy burden.
But then she reconsidered.
She was already deeply indebted to him. Besides, she wasn't doing this for herself, but to better fulfill her duties in protecting and assisting Lady Yoruichi!
"I understand, Lady Yoruichi."
Soi Fon bowed one last time, then rose abruptly and hurried out of the Second Division headquarters.
Yoruichi gently swirled her cup, watching the faint ripples on the surface of the tea. "The paths to Bankai are impossible to compare directly because every soul is unique," she whispered, watching Soi Fon's retreating figure. "Some Soul Reapers achieve it through long meditation, others through absolute rage in the heat of a bloody battle. You just need to keep training hard and find your own path, Soi Fon."
...
The Second Division Lieutenant's residence.
The rays of the rising sun illuminated the inner courtyard and the small porch leading into the main part of the residence.
Yeruashi sat on the porch, looking relaxed and carefree in the warm morning light.
Beside him stood a small table laden with various light sweets and tea. In front of him on the floor lay a square board covered in round black and white stones.
The board, marked with nineteen horizontal and vertical lines, was for Go—the board game most beloved and respected by the nobles of the Soul Society.
Go was fascinating because of its infinite variety; even the current Yeruashi could not calculate the outcome of a game in advance.
Each of the 361 intersections on the board could have three states: black, white, or empty. If one were to calculate the total number of placement combinations in the crudest way, the result would be three to the power of 361, which exceeds the total number of atoms in the universe. Of course, a real game couldn't be calculated so crudely, but that number gave a clear understanding that the possibilities and probabilities in a game of Go trend toward infinity.
To put it more precisely, Yeruashi's current abilities were insufficient to calculate that infinity.
Opposite Yeruashi sat Hisana, looking thoughtfully at the board.
Possessing a delicate and refined nature, Hisana had grown very fond of Go after becoming familiar with the popular pastimes of the Seireitei.
"...It seems I have suffered another crushing defeat."
Hisana stared at the board for a few more moments before finally sighing helplessly and shaking her head. "I'm still a long way from reaching your level, Mr. Yeruashi."
Little Rukia, standing behind Yeruashi, clung to his neck and whined the moment her older sister surrendered. "I don't understand any of this! Let's just play Atari-Go instead!"
"We have a guest."
Yeruashi smiled, glancing toward the small inner courtyard.
Following his words, Soi Fon's figure appeared in the garden.
She stepped onto the porch and bowed deeply to Yeruashi. "Lieutenant Hatake... please, show me the way to achieve Bankai!"
Yeruashi took a slow sip of his tea before offering a warm, welcoming smile in response to her sincere request. "I agree, but on one condition... enough with these official titles for every occasion. Just call me Yeruashi, and I'll call you Soi Fon in return."
"Al... alright... thank you very much..."
Soi Fon straightened up and murmured shyly, averting her eyes from Yeruashi.
In the past, even after the incident with the Hollows, she could remain calm and composed in his presence. But lately, for some entirely unknown reason, that was becoming harder and harder to do.
"When shall we begin?"
Yeruashi asked nonchalantly, rising from the floor.
Soi Fon looked up at him—he was noticeably taller than her—and said, "I'm ready to start right now, if it's... convenient for you."
"Then let's go."
Yeruashi nodded and stepped into the courtyard.
He didn't have much else to do, so he didn't mind helping her at all.
Besides, Soi Fon would eventually reach Bankai on her own; this training was merely a little assistance to speed up the process.
Yeruashi spent the next half-year leisurely playing Go with Hisana and helping Soi Fon achieve Bankai.
During those six months, the acting captain of the Fifth Division, Sosuke Aizen, successfully achieved Bankai, passed all the necessary tests, and was officially promoted to Captain of the Fifth Division.
Gin Ichimaru first took the position of Lieutenant of the Fifth Division before being transferred to the Third Division to serve as their Lieutenant.
Kaname Tosen became the acting captain of the Ninth Division.
Following the incident where ten captains and lieutenants were exiled, Sosuke Aizen began gradually placing his own people into important officer positions throughout the Gotei 13.
Yoruichi wasn't idle during those six months either.
She not only carefully investigated the circumstances of the Hollowfication incident but also tried to discover Urahara's current location in the World of the Living.
However, Urahara had been meticulous about covering his tracks, not to mention completely masking his Reiatsu. Even Yoruichi couldn't find a single trace when the smartest Soul Reaper in the Gotei 13 was determined to vanish.
Upon completing her investigation, Yoruichi concluded that Urahara intended to hide his location even from her. With his intellect, it wouldn't have been difficult to leave a specific clue for her if he had wanted to be found.
Although the search for Urahara ended in failure, Yoruichi did manage to find a secret message he had left behind: 'Beware of Aizen!'
"Sosuke Aizen... but how?"
Yoruichi whispered thoughtfully.
According to her investigation, Aizen had been in the Seireitei on the day of the Hollowfication incident. She had excluded him from her list of suspects despite having some initial doubts.
But now...
According to the message left by Urahara, Aizen was the true culprit behind the incident!
Yoruichi trusted her old friend's word despite Aizen's seemingly solid alibi. If Aizen truly was the manipulator, there were still a few things she needed to verify.
Whoosh!
Soon, Yoruichi returned to the Second Division grounds and entered a spacious underground chamber.
This secret training ground had been created at Yeruashi's request so he could train Soi Fon in private.
Soi Fon was currently standing in the center of the training area, struggling to grip her Zanpakuto with her small hands. Her breathing was ragged, beads of sweat poured down her cheeks, and numerous bloody cuts were visible through her torn clothes.
"Are you sure you can continue?"
Yeruashi, standing opposite her with his Zanpakuto in his right hand, asked calmly.
Soi Fon exhaled sharply and gritted her teeth. "I can still... go on..."
"Soi Fon, you should take a break."
Yoruichi's voice drifted down from a high platform nearby. "I need to discuss something with Yeruashi."
"...Understood, Lady Yoruichi."
Soi Fon answered immediately in an exhausted voice. Without a moment's delay, she threw herself, clothes and all, into a small hot spring at the edge of the training grounds.
Yeruashi sheathed his Zanpakuto and leisurely ascended to the high platform.
Yoruichi looked intently at him as he approached. "Yeruashi, I have only one question for you. What do you think of... the new captain of the Fifth Division?"
"Aizen?"
Yeruashi smiled softly. "A fine Soul Reaper."
Yoruichi watched him walk past her before asking mysteriously, "Is that truly all? Do you not sense a... threat from him?"
"He poses no danger... to me."
Yeruashi answered calmly. "By the way, Soi Fon's training is nearing its end. She is fully prepared to achieve Bankai; I'll leave the rest to you."
Yoruichi frowned slightly, deep in thought as she processed Yeruashi's words about Aizen. Then she suddenly smirked and licked her lips. "So that's how it is, Lieutenant Hatake. You've cruelly abandoned my sweet Soi Fon the moment you've had your fill of playing with her... you must take responsibility and see this through to the end!"
"Stop giving such a strange subtext to a simple training session, Captain Yoruichi!"
Yeruashi sighed helplessly and rolled his eyes. "...I have urgent business."
At the exact moment Yeruashi said this, a Hell Butterfly arrived with an urgent message: An objective team has encountered a Hollow attack while performing a mission in the 7th District of the Southern Rukongai. Urgent support requested!
"See? I'm off."
"..."
Yoruichi shook her head helplessly as she watched Yeruashi leave, then looked down at Soi Fon resting in the hot spring below.
Soi Fon, who had already cast aside her dirty and torn clothes, suddenly turned away with flushed cheeks. She submerged herself in the water until only the top of her head remained visible the moment she felt Lady Yoruichi's attentive gaze.
"Hmm..."
Yoruichi murmured thoughtfully, assessing Soi Fon's current state. "It seems she really is ready to begin training with the Tenshintai."