Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō

In the time that followed, aside from necessary training and lessons, Masatsuki dedicated most of his energy to practicing the Hakuda techniques Yamamoto had taught him.

Shinigami primarily relied on their Zanpakutō in battle, but they couldn't afford to depend on them entirely.

After all, Masatsuki Aozaki wasn't just someone who had crossed into this world—his instructor at Shin'ō Academy was Sōjun Kuchiki, whose brother-in-law was Kōga Kuchiki.

He would never overlook the existence of beings like Muramasa, a Zanpakutō that could sever the bond between a Shinigami and their sword.

Beyond that, during the Thousand-Year Blood War, the Quincy of the Wandenreich would use their "Medallions" to steal Bankai from the Shinigami.

If, by then, he hadn't acquired the power of the Hōgyoku or attained Hollowfication, he would undoubtedly be in extreme danger.

This was where the importance of alternative combat techniques became evident, and Hakuda was one of them.

...

Hakuda was an arduous skill to refine. Its true power could only be unleashed by those with exceptional spiritual body conditioning.

And improving one's spiritual body wasn't something that could be achieved overnight—it required relentless training.

Masatsuki had spent nearly half a year on it, and only now was he beginning to grasp its deeper principles.

In between his own training, he often sparred with Yoruichi Shihōin.

After becoming captain, Yoruichi had recommended Kisuke Urahara for the 12th Division.

Masatsuki had initially planned to use this as an opportunity to subtly inquire about Urahara's research progress.

But after meeting more than a dozen times over the past months, one thing was certain—Urahara's Hōgyoku experiment had yet to begin.

Masatsuki wasn't too concerned. If he couldn't obtain the Hōgyoku just yet, building a good relationship with Urahara was still beneficial.

And so, time continued to pass...

...

"Rainy days are such a hassle."

Yoruichi strolled through the mountainous outskirts of Rukongai, holding a white umbrella as she glanced around.

She was always full of energy. Rather than walking through the rain, she much preferred those sunny days when she could chase after a certain someone with Shunpo.

"I actually like light rain," Masatsuki remarked, tilting his head up. "Of course, only when it's light. As long as the ground isn't filthy, the scent of damp earth is rather pleasant."

He smiled as he looked at Yoruichi's white haori.

Under her gaze, he took a deep breath, clenched his right fist, and drew it back to his waist before suddenly thrusting it forward.

His movement wasn't particularly fast, but Yoruichi instantly felt as though she was staring down a wild beast.

She kept her eyes locked on him. Dodging his punch would be easy, but she was more interested in seeing just how much force it carried.

"Boom!"

The waterfall in front of Masatsuki exploded, scattering apart under the rain.

The impact sent rocks crumbling from the cliffside, leaving a massive crater in its wake. Shattered debris splashed into the pool below.

It took a while for the waterfall's flow to return to normal.

Yoruichi's eyes widened at the sheer force behind his strike.

On the surface, Masatsuki's punch looked simple—like something any trained Hakuda practitioner could replicate.

But the sheer power behind it… It far exceeded what someone of his Reiatsu level should be capable of.

She had caught the key moment—when his fist met the waterfall, a terrifying burst of Reiatsu erupted.

By layering the strength of his spiritual body with his Reiatsu, he had channeled the force through the flowing water, shattering the rock face.

Masatsuki stood calmly beneath the waterfall, looking down at his hand.

"Ikkotsu."

He had tested this move a few times before Yoruichi arrived—the broken trees scattered around were all proof of that.

After nearly half a year of refining Yamamoto's Hakuda fundamentals, he had finally unlocked this technique just the night before.

Yoruichi snapped out of her daze and hurried over.

"Masatsuki, are you alright?"

She hadn't forgotten—Yamamoto had yet to officially take him as a disciple.

And yet, this guy had managed to comprehend Ikkotsu purely through his own training and instincts.

That was terrifying.

"I feel pretty good." Masatsuki Aozaki shook his wrist and smiled. "Why are you here?"

"Obviously, I'm here to remind you to get to class. If you're late again today, the Captain-Commander will definitely make you pay for it," Yoruichi said casually.

"Class again…" Masatsuki sighed, then smirked. "I really envy a certain captain who can dump all her duties on her lieutenant and run off to play."

Yoruichi's expression stiffened slightly before she huffed. "I only left Marenoshin in charge so I could come pick you up, alright?"

"Oh? Is that so?" Masatsuki couldn't be bothered to argue.

After spending so much time with her, if there was one thing he knew for certain, it was that Yoruichi hated dealing with paperwork.

If she ever voluntarily sat down to handle squad affairs, now that would be strange.

She wasn't the type to enjoy management, and despite being captain for four or five months, it was questionable whether she had even spent two of those months inside the 2nd Division barracks.

As Masatsuki thought back on their time together, he couldn't help but wonder if she even considered herself the 2nd Division's captain.

Honestly, the Shihōin Clan's decline might have had something to do with her.

...

Yoruichi tossed a set of clothes his way with a teasing grin. "You shameless rogue, don't tell me you're planning to walk back to Seireitei like that? Hurry up and change."

Masatsuki glanced down. His pants were completely soaked, and what should be hidden was already more or less visible.

"You could at least turn around."

Yoruichi huffed, the corners of her lips curving upward. "I've seen everything already—now you're getting shy?"

Masatsuki replied flatly, "That was an accident. And don't forget whose fault it was."

The "accident" he referred to happened two months ago when Yoruichi had personally demonstrated Shunkō to him.

During their sparring session, the lightning-based Reiatsu from her technique had accidentally torn his clothes to shreds.

With no other choice, Masatsuki had ended up showing her his flawless physique.

Though, if he was being honest, he suspected it wasn't an accident at all.

More likely, it was one of Yoruichi's pranks—done on purpose just to mess with him.

So, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing him embarrassed, he had boldly refused to cover up. Since no one else was around, he had simply let her look.

And aside from calling him a "shameless pervert" and peeking through the gaps in her fingers, she hadn't done anything else.

Normally, something like that would have earned him a solid beating, but strangely enough, he had been spared.

Which only made Masatsuki more convinced that his suspicions were correct.

...

Under Yoruichi's feigned indifference, Masatsuki changed into dry clothes. Then, the two of them headed toward Seireitei together.

"You look cute when you blush," Masatsuki suddenly leaned in close and teased.

"I—I don't need you to tell me that! I'm always cute," Yoruichi shot back stubbornly before quickly asking, "What are you up to?"

"Nothing at all. I was just stating a fact," Masatsuki said, unconcerned.

She always teased him, so of course, he had to return the favor when given the chance.

Besides, it wasn't a lie. She really was cute.

Her smooth brown skin, sharp yet delicate features, and well-proportioned figure were undeniably attractive. And with that faint blush on her cheeks, she had a charm that was even harder to ignore.

Yoruichi stiffened slightly before nudging him with her elbow, a hint of shyness in her expression.

If anyone else had seen this, they would've been dumbfounded.

Who would've thought that the carefree, mischievous princess of the Shihōin Clan could actually get embarrassed?

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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