Tsunayoshi wandered through the streets of Seireitei. His destination today was the Noble District. To avoid unnecessary trouble, he refrained from leaping across rooftops and instead walked properly along the streets.
Two days had passed since the Captain's Meeting where he openly laid his cards on the table with Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. After accepting the role of Chief Instructor of the Shinigami, his schedule had been filled with daily duties.
Technically, this situation was something Tsunayoshi had brought upon himself.
But he didn't regret it.
When he first watched Bleach, it was the charisma of the many characters that drew him in. Now that he had arrived in this world, he didn't mind lending them a hand.
Yesterday, he had completely overwhelmed Renji Abarai in the Sixth Division training grounds. According to the Sixth Division members, Renji still hadn't woken up.
He remained in the state of Bankai — Hihiō Zabimaru, apparently having entered Jinzen meditation while maintaining Bankai.
Today, the person Tsunayoshi planned to guide was also from the Sixth Division.
Its captain—Byakuya Kuchiki.
Counting through the captains, Tsunayoshi realized there actually weren't that many who required his help.
Squad One: Yamamoto obviously needed none.
Squad Two:Soi Fon was already developing Shunkō.
Squad Three:Rōjūrō "Rose" Otoribashi was too familiar with him—there wasn't much advice left to give.
As for Squad Four, Tsunayoshi had no intention of getting involved.
Ever since he and Retsu Unohana had crossed blades, the way she looked at him had become… problematic.
If Tsunayoshi had to describe it, it was a kind of pathological excitement.
And after Tsunayoshi demonstrated his Cloud-attribute Transcendent Bankai, Unohana stopped even pretending to behave normally. She had become just like Kenpachi Zaraki—within three sentences she would try to drag him into a fight.
Until he fully developed the Rain-attribute Transcendent Bankai, Tsunayoshi had absolutely no intention of stepping into Squad Four.
Otherwise, it would turn into a literal bloodbath.
Squad Five's Shinji Hirako was the same situation as Rose—any advice had already been given.
After counting everything, Tsunayoshi realized that more than half his workload had already vanished.
Once he had finished fulfilling his promise to Renji, the first captain he arranged to meet was Byakuya Kuchiki.
However, Byakuya's training grounds were not located in the Sixth Division barracks. After delegating most of his duties, he had returned to the Kuchiki Clan estate to train in seclusion.
Which meant Tsunayoshi's destination today was the residence of one of Soul Society's Four Great Noble Clans.
The Kuchiki Clan.
Of course, Tsunayoshi had no intention of entering the estate through the normal route.
According to Yoruichi Shihōin, a formal visit to the Kuchiki household required endless etiquette and rituals.
Tsunayoshi had absolutely no interest in wasting time on such things.
Fortunately, Yoruichi had generously provided him with several alternative routes into the Kuchiki estate.
Apparently, she used to sneak in through these paths to tease the young Byakuya.
The only requirement was possessing Shunpo speed comparable to Yoruichi's in her youth—otherwise the patrols would notice.
For Tsunayoshi, that wasn't a problem.
Within the Kuchiki estate stood a vast courtyard.
At its center, Byakuya Kuchiki repeatedly swung a wooden sword, practicing basic suburi strikes.
Although the movement had long since become instinctual, he still chose to retrain the most fundamental techniques.
Because he trusted Tsunayoshi's advice.
Byakuya had not forgotten Tsunayoshi's visit today.
He had already arranged for attendants to wait at the main gate. Since Tsunayoshi came from the Human World and might not appreciate Soul Society's rigid noble customs, Byakuya had made special arrangements.
Once Tsunayoshi arrived, he could come directly to this courtyard.
Unconsciously, the head of the Kuchiki clan had begun to act less rigidly bound by rules.
"Yo, Byakuya. I'm here."
The sudden voice caught Byakuya's attention.
Turning his head, he briefly saw a familiar silhouette overlapping the courtyard wall—
That arrogant cat demon from years ago.
It had been many years since someone dared stand so brazenly atop the walls of the Kuchiki estate.
"Welcome, Sawada Tsunayoshi ," Byakuya said calmly.
Rather than reprimanding him, he greeted him as the host.
Tsunayoshi folded his arms and flashed down into the courtyard.
Glancing at the wooden sword in Byakuya's hand, he said bluntly,
"Let's skip the pleasantries. Draw Senbonzakura."
Byakuya casually flicked the wooden sword aside, embedding it into a corner of the courtyard, and drew his Zanpakutō.
"Today's training is simple," Tsunayoshi said.
"Use your Shikai and fight me."
"Develop my Shikai?" Byakuya asked.
"Your Senbonzakura is essentially countless tiny blades," Tsunayoshi explained.
"And your Bankai simply multiplies the number of those blades to an enormous degree."
"As for all those 'forms' after Bankai—those are just different attack patterns of that massive quantity of petals."
"Honestly, in my opinion, your technique Shūkei: Hakuteiken feels more like a true Bankai."
"That one represents a qualitative change rather than just a quantitative one."
"Still, your Bankai doesn't have a fundamental flaw like your lieutenant's. Achieving a qualitative transformation like Yamamoto's Bankai would be difficult."
"So my suggestion is simple."
"Push the number of Senbonzakura petals to an even higher level."
"In Shikai, the number of petals is limited. Your current direction should be pushing that Shikai quantity toward the scale of Bankai."
"Once your Shikai reaches the level your Bankai currently has, your Bankai's power will naturally increase as well."
This was precisely the development path Byakuya followed during the Thousand-Year Blood War.
After his Bankai had been stolen, Byakuya returned to battle after training—and defeated the Quincy who had sealed him using only Shikai.
The enemy even believed he had regained his Bankai.
In truth, Byakuya had simply strengthened his Shikai Senbonzakura to the level of his former Bankai.
"Quantity…" Byakuya murmured.
He raised his Zanpakutō.
"Scatter… Senbonzakura."
The blade dissolved into countless pink cherry blossom petals, leaving only the hilt in Byakuya's hand.
That bare hilt was the key distinction between his Shikai and Bankai.
"Let's begin," Tsunayoshi said.
"Fight me. Try to increase the number of petals as much as you can."
As he spoke, Tsunayoshi also entered his own Shikai state.
A flame ignited on his forehead—the Dying Will Flame.
The X-Gloves appeared on his hands.
This was the Sky-attribute Shikai.
Byakuya knew well that the number of Senbonzakura petals in Shikai was limited.
He had attempted to increase them before but failed. That failure had pushed him toward developing Bankai instead.
In his mind, the number of Shikai petals was bound by an invisible rule.
Only further release could surpass that rule.
And yet Tsunayoshi was telling him to simply increase the number directly.
Frankly, Byakuya didn't believe it was possible.
But Byakuya was not one for excessive words.
Before asking anything further, he raised the hilt and directed the petals toward Tsunayoshi.
Tsunayoshi fired flames from both hands, propelling himself out of the encirclement before the petals could surround him.
He weaved through the air repeatedly.
No matter how the petals moved, Senbonzakura couldn't touch him.
Not enough.
Byakuya understood immediately.
If this were Bankai-level petal density, Tsunayoshi wouldn't be able to fly so freely through them.
With a slight squeeze of the hilt, the petals spread outward.
Lower density.
Wider attack range.
Although the cutting power dropped accordingly, capturing Tsunayoshi's position came first.
Pink petals fell like rain toward Tsunayoshi.
This time, he didn't dodge.
Instead, he increased the output of his Sky Flame Reiatsu.
Both of his hands blazed like torches.
As he swung them forward, a wall of orange flames rose before him.
The pink rain struck the flames—
But not a single petal passed through.
Every petal that attacked Tsunayoshi was harmonized by the Sky Flame's balancing property, turning into small stones and falling to the ground.
Soon, a small pile of stones formed before him.
Meanwhile, Byakuya recalled the petals that had not yet been altered.
The ones turned to stone remained completely inert.
Gradually, Byakuya understood Tsunayoshi's intention.
If the battle continued like this, Tsunayoshi would slowly assimilate and neutralize all of Senbonzakura's petals.
Eventually, Byakuya would be forced to fight barehanded.
There were only two ways to break this situation.
One—use Bankai's overwhelming number of petals to overpower the flames.
Two—
Create more petals.
Tsunayoshi grinned.
He knew Byakuya was intelligent enough that further explanation wasn't necessary.
Flames burst from his back as he shot forward toward Byakuya.
Bankai was forbidden in this training.
Either Tsunayoshi would absorb all of Senbonzakura's petals—
Or Byakuya Kuchiki would fight back.
Tsunayoshi's attacks weren't particularly lethal.
His strikes mainly targeted the petals themselves.
And hitting them wasn't difficult.
If he attacked Byakuya directly, Byakuya would have to defend using Senbonzakura.
Tsunayoshi used no killing techniques.
Yet every punch removed another portion of petals.
After repeated attrition, the petals remaining around Byakuya were reduced to just a small handful.
"Byakuya, if you don't act soon… you're really going to get beaten up."
Tsunayoshi stopped attacking and stood calmly.
Behind his back, a faint orange Reiatsu flickered.
That was the Soft Flame.
Anyone familiar with Tsunayoshi would recognize the sign—
It was the prelude to X-Burner.
When his other hand came forward, a powerful rigid flame beam would follow.
Byakuya understood that clearly.
Tsunayoshi had deliberately given him time.
But how to increase the petals?
From the beginning of the training until now, Byakuya had never attempted to create more.
Deep in his subconscious, an invisible rule restrained him.
Breaking that rule seemed impossible in Shikai.
But there was no more time.
Tsunayoshi's other hand extended.
A violent surge of Reiatsu rushed toward Byakuya.
What would it feel like to injure the head of the Kuchiki Clan inside his own estate?
Tsunayoshi figured he was about to find out.
He had controlled the output—it wouldn't kill Byakuya.
But it would definitely hurt.
Just as X-Burner was about to strike—
A transparent barrier appeared.
Bakudō #81 — Dankū.
Tsunayoshi frowned slightly.
This was supposed to be Shikai-only training. Byakuya shouldn't have used abilities outside his Zanpakutō.
Tsunayoshi dispersed the X-Burner's power.
In Byakuya's hand spun a pink sphere of petals.
At its center was a single new petal, white tinged faintly with pink.
"I succeeded," Byakuya said calmly.
At the moment X-Burner was about to hit him, he had recklessly poured Reiatsu into the petals.
And a new petal was born.
Looking at it, Byakuya realized something.
That so-called rule had never existed.
It had only been a shackle he placed upon himself.
Breaking that rule—just like when he once insisted on marrying Hisana despite the clan's objections.
"Remember that feeling," Tsunayoshi said with a smile.
Everything had gone according to plan.
Under the harmonizing effect of the Sky Flame, the original Senbonzakura petals had already been altered.
They were no longer truly part of Senbonzakura.
As long as Byakuya could create new petals himself and remember that sensation—
He would gradually develop Senbonzakura's Shikai further.
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