Chapter 151: Unohana Yachiryu.
Naruto's enrollment went very smoothly, which had everything to do with the strength of his soul and the talent he displayed.
After changing into the standard uniform, Naruto, as a first-year student, was not yet assigned an asauchi; he was currently focusing on theoretical knowledge.
The learning process was tedious and dull, but with an entirely new Cultivation system laid out before him, how could Naruto possibly let such an opportunity slip by?
Kido, a method of attack similar to Ninjutsu, differed in that the former required incantations while the latter required hand Seals.
Hakuda was simply a form of hand-to-hand combat technique, something Naruto did not lack; in fact, the number of people in the entire Soul Reaper Academy who could surpass Naruto could be counted on one hand.
Shunpo was a technique for high-speed movement that utilized ambient reishi to allow the soul to briefly hover in the air.
Zanjutsu was the swordsmanship that Shinigamihad accumulated and refined over time. Starting from practical combat and the naming of the asauchi, if one wanted to become a Shinigamipossessing a zanpakutō, this was something that absolutely could not be bypassed.
Unfortunately, Naruto was not yet qualified to possess an asauchi, though he was already quite proficient in using the offensive Hado of Kido.
But then again, as a first-year student, theoretical instruction was the priority, and Naruto only knew one Hado from Kido: Hado #1, Sho.
Of course, Naruto also studied Bakudo, which focused on control, though they were all low-level Bakudo.
Studying these was merely to strengthen the soul's mobilization and utilization of surrounding reishi, and to better understand the power of reishi itself; this teaching process was still a bit slow for Naruto.
Because his talent was so apparent, skipping grades became inevitable.
This was the treatment afforded to a Genius, and Naruto became the fastest student to skip grades since Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto established the Soul Reaper Academy.
"Your Zanjutsu is quite brilliant, or perhaps calling it swordsmanship or Kendo would be more fitting."
Naruto's reputation as a Genius spread like wildfire, and after obtaining an asauchi, his swordsmanship was displayed to the fullest, which piqued the interest of Unohana Yachiryu.
Looking at the current Captain of Squad 11 before him—with her soft facial features and a faint, lingering smile on her lips, yet with eyes that were cold and bloodthirsty—Naruto's internal alarm bells rang loudly.
He could not be deceived by her appearance; this woman was a naked fighting machine!
"Captain Yachiryu, I am just an ordinary student who has not yet graduated," Naruto emphasized his strength. "And it has been less than two months since I received my asauchi."
"I know that."
At this time, Unohana Yachiryu had not yet changed her name. In the entire Soul Society, she was still the greatest villain capable of making children stop crying at night. Aside from Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, who could firmly suppress her, everyone else would detour upon seeing her.
"But if I Seal my Spiritual Pressure, there won't be these worries." She raised the zanpakutō in her hand. "Alright, everything is fair now. Let's have a battle that brings me joy!"
Unohana Yachiryu's smile grew even more intense. She assumed her stance and reminded Naruto, "Battle is everything! If you don't put in the effort, you will die, you know!"
"Clang!"
Naruto's asauchi parried the suddenly incoming zanpakutō. Unohana Yachiryu had suppressed her Spiritual Pressure, and the zanpakutō was in its most ordinary form, but the suddenly erupting Killing Intent still made Naruto's heart race.
This woman...
The number of souls that had died at her hands was absolutely in the tens of thousands!
"Are you afraid?!" Her smile grew even gentler, and the cold light in her eyes intensified. "Then die by my hand!"
Unohana Yachiryu's offensive became even more fierce. The shadow in Naruto's eyes deepened; this woman who had suddenly appeared was absolutely a madwoman!
Dragon Coil Flash, Storm!
Naruto got serious. He circled around to dodge Unohana Yachiryu's attack, and at the same time, used his rapidly spinning body to drive the asauchiin his hand. After picking an extremely tricky angle, he struck suddenly toward her armpit, along a trajectory so fast that the blade's light was about to vanish.
The armpit was the closest point to the heart!
"Clang!"
But it was still blocked.
After the strike missed, he nimbly backflipped several times to dodge Unohana Yachiryu's follow-up counterattack, then slammed his feet into the ground and rushed forward again.
Outside the arena, the commotion of their intense battle attracted a large group of students from the Soul Reaper Academy, including several student mentors.
"She is the greatest villain in the legendary Soul Society, right..."
"A madwoman whose brain is filled only with fighting, Unohana Yachiryu!"
"Legend has it that only Lord Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto can defeat her."
"Although Naruto-kun is a Genius, this battle..."
While everyone was discussing, Kido Shūi and Ōshima Shūzō also rushed over. The intense Killing Intent rushing toward them made Ōshima Shūzō's legs go weak.
"She... she..."
"It's the Captain of Squad 11, Unohana Yachiryu!" Kido Shūi's expression was grave. "This time for Naruto... besides victory, there is only death!"
"Then we..."
"Stop joking, we would be killed in an instant by a Shinigami of this level!"
Kido Shūi was very calm and had an objective understanding of his own strength. He could not risk his own life to rescue Naruto, especially in a situation where the outcome of the rescue was already known.
"Naruto still has the strength to fight!" Kido Shūi's mentor had appeared behind them at some point. "Captain Unohana has already suppressed her Spiritual Pressure; the current duel between the two is entirely in terms of Kendo."
"But..." Kido Shūi still did not have high hopes for Naruto.
"Even if Naruto dies by Captain Unohana's blade, there is nothing we can do." Kido Shūi's mentor's tone was low. "It's a pity that another Kendo Genius is about to die at the hands of that great villain."
"However, looking at Naruto's swordsmanship..." The mentor stopped halfway and suddenly changed his words. "No, it can already be called Kendo; Naruto still has hope!"
In the arena, Naruto knew his own worth. He had only experienced nearly a hundred years of life; compared to Unohana Yachiryu, it might not even be a fraction of her life.
Experience, technique, and talent could bridge some gaps, but the huge chasm built up over time remained an indelible disadvantage in battle!
"Rip!"
Naruto made a mistake in his turning block, and Unohana Yachiryu seized the opportunity; a single sweep left Naruto wounded.
Enduring the sharp pain, Naruto gritted his teeth and used the Profound Truth of Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū!
"Mmm... a long-lost feeling!"
Unohana Yachiryu was injured.
But this made her even more excited, and she keenly sensed the flaws in Naruto's Profound Truth.
"You held back on the final step of killing your master to prove your Dao, didn't you?!" A scornful smile appeared. "For a brat like you who doesn't know what battle really means, it's only natural that you couldn't pass that step."
Flicking the zanpakutō in her hand, Unohana Yachiryu's eyes were cold. She decided to give Naruto, whose Kendo was flawed, a grand curtain call.
"I have remembered your Kendo; there will be a place for you in the name Yachiryu!"
"You are wrong." Naruto slowly sheathed his blade. "Flaws are exactly what represent the possibility of progress; my Kendo can only be mine!"
Hiten Mitsurugi-ryū Profound Truth: Amakakeru Ryu no Hirameki!