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

"Hello, Aozaki-kun. I'm Jūshirō Ukitake, also a disciple of Master Yamamoto. Nice to meet you." Ukitake greeted him with a warm smile.

Masatsuki Aozaki returned the smile. "Ukitake-senpai, it's a pleasure. I look forward to your guidance."

Hearing the word "senpai," Ukitake felt an unexpected sense of joy. His smile widened, his face even gaining a bit of color, and he was about to nod in acknowledgment when—

Yamamoto suddenly stood up, his expression turning solemn.

"Masatsuki Aozaki, today is your entrance assessment. You haven't forgotten, have you?"

Seeing how serious he was, Masatsuki let out a quiet sigh.

Didn't he say last week that I was ready? There's no way he was bluffing just to test me… right?

Then why invite these two seniors here today?

Just to watch me embarrass myself? No way… he wouldn't be that petty.

But then, Masatsuki recalled the sight of Yamamoto roasting sweet potatoes with Ryūjin Jakka and suddenly wasn't so sure.

Still, no matter how much harder the challenge had become, he was confident he could pass.

"Captain-Commander, Hakuda fundamentals aren't all that interesting. I'd like to show you something different today."

What's this brat up to now?

Yamamoto's face remained calm, but a subtle, almost kind smile formed. At the same time, a faint but unmistakable pressure of Reiatsu spread from him.

He had already made up his mind—if Masatsuki couldn't give a proper explanation, then he would personally let him experience the Ikkotsu he was so eager to learn.

Feeling the weight of Yamamoto's presence, Shunsui Kyōraku and Jūshirō Ukitake instinctively tensed up.

Like a pair of quails, they hunched their shoulders and sipped their tea in silence, pretending to be invisible.

This kohai (junior brother) of theirs… was far too bold.

He hadn't even formally entered the school yet, and he was already pushing the old man's patience.

Yamamoto narrowed his eyes slightly. "Masatsuki Aozaki, I hope you won't disappoint me."

"Captain-Commander, you won't be disappointed. What I'm about to show you will be worth it."

As he spoke, Masatsuki shifted into a stance—legs firmly planted, fists clenched tight. The air around him stirred as if responding to his movements.

Yamamoto frowned, scrutinizing him closely. The boy looked completely serious, not like he was bluffing.

"Could it be… he's actually grasped something?"

Thinking this, he motioned for Masatsuki to come at him.

Masatsuki took a deep breath, then stepped forward sharply, launching a punch straight at Yamamoto.

"Bang!"

Yamamoto raised his arm to block. The moment fist met forearm, a shockwave rippled through the room, causing Kyōraku and Ukitake's hair to sway from the force.

"Wait… that technique… no way—"

Kyōraku and Ukitake's eyes widened in disbelief.

They knew this move too well.

It was Yamamoto's signature Hakuda technique.

Feeling the impact against his arm, even Yamamoto's expression flickered with surprise.

This kid… actually pulled it off…

Just from the basic techniques I taught him… he managed to comprehend Ikkotsu!

For years, he had always believed that Kyōraku and Ukitake were prodigies—geniuses beyond the reach of ordinary Shinigami.

But compared to Masatsuki… those two might as well have been average.

In just a few months—without guidance—purely through fundamental training and self-study, he had achieved something that took others years.

How long had it taken Kyōraku to learn Ikkotsu under his direct instruction?

Five years.

A full five years.

At first, Yamamoto was stunned.

Then, a surge of joy swelled within him.

But finally… he fell into deep thought.

Yamamoto sat behind the tea table for a long moment before finally speaking.

"Masatsuki Aozaki, do you wish to take me as your master and become my disciple?"

"..."

Masatsuki stared at the old man in shock, momentarily at a loss.

Didn't they rehearse a whole formal disciple initiation last week? How did it suddenly skip to the final step?

Shunsui Kyōraku's eyes lit up, and he quickly shot Jūshirō Ukitake a meaningful glance.

Ukitake immediately caught on, picking up a cup of tea and stepping toward Masatsuki.

"Aozaki-kun, time to serve the tea."

"...Oh."

Snapping out of his daze, Masatsuki took the teacup, bowed slightly, and respectfully presented it to Yamamoto.

"Master." (Shishō)

He addressed him without hesitation, fully accepting the title.

Masatsuki was well aware of his own talent, but talent alone didn't equate to strength. A genius who perished early amounted to nothing.

By becoming Yamamoto's disciple, he now had solid backing in Soul Society. Few would dare move against him in the future.

More importantly, after training under Yamamoto for nearly a year, he had gained a great deal of knowledge and improved rapidly.

If anything, he felt that there was no better teacher in all of Soul Society.

Yamamoto took the tea, a pleased smile crossing his face as he nodded in satisfaction.

Initially, he had taken Masatsuki under his wing to protect him—shielding him from noble interference and assassination attempts.

But now, he truly wanted him as a disciple.

Masatsuki's raw talent was simply too remarkable to ignore.

He was like an unpolished gem—once refined, his potential would be limitless.

After nearly a year of observation, Yamamoto was certain that his temperament had no major flaws.

So today, formally accepting him as a disciple was the natural conclusion.

He took a sip of tea, then gave a solemn nod—acknowledging Masatsuki's status.

With this, Masatsuki Aozaki was now officially Yamamoto's disciple.

...

Masatsuki had originally planned to seize the moment—while the atmosphere was still warm—to ask about learning Sōkotsu.

But before he could even open his mouth, Yamamoto finished his tea and casually announced that he was giving him the day off.

From now on, there was no need to report to the 1st Division barracks at set times. If Masatsuki had any training questions, he could come find him whenever necessary.

And then—he promptly kicked all three of them out of the dojo.

...

As they walked out, Masatsuki sighed, realizing that the day he could learn Sōkotsu seemed nowhere in sight.

"Why does it feel like being a disciple is worse than being a cram school student? I think I'm starting to regret this."

"The old man is unreliable in a lot of ways. This is just the beginning," Shunsui Kyōraku remarked, staring up at the now clear sky, his laid-back attitude more obvious than ever.

"Agreed." Masatsuki nodded.

After all, this was the same Yamamoto who used Ryūjin Jakka for cooking, heating, and roasting sweet potatoes. It wasn't surprising that he had his eccentricities.

Ukitake sighed, shaking his head helplessly. But after a brief moment of thought, he decided he had to say something to defend their master's reputation.

Glancing around to ensure no one else was listening, he lowered his voice.

"Actually, things are getting complicated for Master Yamamoto. The rebel forces are growing stronger. Recently, several squads sent to fight them have been completely wiped out—no survivors. The Gotei 13 has suffered heavy casualties."

"This time, aside from witnessing your disciple ceremony, we also came to report the latest developments to him."

"Master is concerned that the forces behind the rebels may have some hidden trump card—something that could threaten the safety of Soul Society."

Hearing this, Masatsuki's expression shifted slightly.

The first name that came to his mind wasn't the Tsunayashiro Clan.

It was Aizen.

During the Gotei 13's operations against the rebels, they had deployed numerous high-ranking seated officers.

Many of these officers had Reiatsu on par with lieutenants but remained seated officers due to the limited number of vice-captain positions.

Masatsuki had a rough understanding of the rebels' strength.

For them to eliminate entire squads without letting a single survivor escape? That should have been nearly impossible.

Unless noble families had sent captain-class Shinigami to aid them—but that seemed highly unlikely.

No survivors…

And when he thought back to what Aizen had done in their last encounter…

It was hard not to suspect him.

(40 Chapters Ahead)

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