"Kazuma, wait here. I'm going in to see the Captain-Commander."
With that, Katori walked in alone.
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, I've brought a brat you might be interested in. A newly born Soul whose Spiritual Pressure has already reached the sixth rank without any training."
"Let him in."
"Kazuma, the Captain-Commander wants to see you. Get your ass in here."
Kazuma stepped into the First Division Captain's office.
He looked at the surprisingly young Captain-Commander, who showed none of the aged appearance from a thousand years later.
Just by sitting in a seiza position, he exuded an oppressive aura.
The sheer weight of his Spiritual Pressure felt suffocating.
Yamamoto currently bore only a single scar, a diagonal slash, on his forehead. It seemed Chōjirō Sasakibe hadn't made his mark yet.
Chōjirō Tadaoki Sasakibe, the future Lieutenant of the First Division, was a background character in Bleach.
To become Yamamoto's second-in-command, Chōjirō spent a month painstakingly mastering his Bankai.
When Yamamoto tested his progress, Chōjirō used his newly acquired Bankai to injure the Captain-Commander's forehead. This feat forced Yamamoto, who had no intention of taking a subordinate, to acknowledge his strength.
From then on, Chōjirō served by his side, swearing absolute loyalty. He was the man who drove Yamamoto to adopt the title "Genryūsai" and who ambushed Yhwach during the first Quincy war.
Yet, during the Thousand-Year Blood War, he was killed in an instant.
A complete tragedy.
As Kazuma observed him, Yamamoto opened his eyes.
"He's a decent brat. To remain unfazed under my leaking Spiritual Pressure, and possessing an innate sixth-rank Spiritual Pressure... with some polish, he has the potential to become a strong warrior."
"Satou Kazuma, is it? Katori told me about you. Although you have sixth-rank Spiritual Pressure, you know none of the Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, or Kidō that a Shinigami must master. To become a qualified warrior, you have a long way to go. You shall enter my Genryū. I will personally teach you in the Genji School."
'Genji School? It seems the Shin'ō Academy hasn't been established yet. I guess this makes me one of the founding members of the Gotei 13.'
"Captain-Commander Yamamoto, if I accept your teachings, can I become as strong as you?" Kazuma asked.
"Your bold. But it is good for a young man to be daring. I will teach you everything I know. As for how far you can go, that depends on you." Genryūsai's sharp eyes locked onto Kazuma.
"Batsu'unsai, find him an Asauchi. Starting tomorrow, I will teach him Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. If there's nothing else, you may leave."
"Captain-Commander, we'll take our leave," Kazuma and Batsu'unsai said as they walked out of the First Division barracks.
...
"Kazuma, you've just arrived in the Seireitei and have nowhere to go. Come back with me to the 8th Division. I'll get you settled," Batsu'unsai said. "It's a good opportunity to explain the current state of the Gotei 13, as well as the basics of the four combat techniques the Captain-Commander mentioned."
"Thank you, Captain Batsu'unsai."
'Even though I know all this from the manga, I still have to learn it,' he thought.
Soon, they arrived at the 8th Division barracks.
"I'll give you a rough overview of Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō. They represent the four combat methods of a Shinigami," Batsu'unsai explained. "Zanjutsu refers to weapon combat, primarily using our Zanpakutō. Hakuda is unarmed, hand-to-hand combat. Hohō covers agility and Flash Step, used for rapid movement. And Kidō is a form of spellcasting. You can think of it as magic."
Kazuma nodded.
He remembered the basics from the series.
"Mastering these four requires constant practice. Flash Step, in particular, is the foundation of a Shinigami's survival. You must master it to react in battle," Batsu'unsai continued.
"I see." Kazuma rubbed his chin. "So what kind of magic is Kidō, exactly?"
Batsu'unsai smiled. "Kidō is magic cast using spiritual power. It activates through incantations and provides various effects like attacking, defending, and sealing. Its power scales with the user's Spiritual Pressure."
"That sounds amazing." A flicker of excitement crossed Kazuma's eyes.
"Training in Kidō isn't easy. It requires mastering the correct incantations and possessing enough spiritual power to sustain the spell. However, with your talent, I believe you will excel," Batsu'unsai said.
"Next, I'll give you a basic introduction to the current Captains of the Gotei 13:
The Captain of the First Division and Captain-Commander is Shigekuni Yamamoto.
The Captain of the Second Division is Chika Shihōin. The Shihōin family is a noble clan in the Soul Society. He also serves as the Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukidō—the Stealth Force.
The Captain of the Third Division is Kinroku Izuhara.
He wears glasses, slicks his hair back, and usually looks quite serious.
The Captain of the Fourth Division is Chigiri Shijima. She wears a ponytail and has a perpetually gloomy face.
The Captain of the Fifth Division is Danjirō Obana. A tall, muscular, and rather cheerful man.
The Captain of the Sixth Division is Furōfushi Saitō. A crazy woman with an eyepatch and twin pigtails."
Hearing this, the corner of Kazuma's mouth twitched.
"The Captain of the Seventh Division is Nobutsuna Shigyo. He wears a fur coat and looks menacing.
The Captain of the Ninth Division is Entetsu Kumoi. A bald man with a gold tooth.
The Captain of the Tenth Division is Furuoki Ōtogawa. He wears a wide-brimmed hat. He's quite handsome and gentle.
The Captain of the Eleventh Division is Yachiru Unohana. She is said to have mastered every sword style in existence and has killed countless people. Before joining the Gotei 13, she was an unprecedented criminal. Stay far away from her. Don't let her cut you down.
The Captain of the Twelfth Division is Uhin Zenjōji. A stout man with red facial markings. We don't have much contact with him.
The Captain of the Thirteenth Division is Saizō Sakahone. Bald, hunchbacked, and has a creepy smile. Don't seek him out unless necessary."
"That covers the current Captains. You'll meet them all eventually. As for the Onmitsukidō, it's an organization independent of the Gotei 13, much like the Kidō Corps. The Onmitsukidō is divided into five divisions:
The First Division is the Executive Militia. Primarily responsible for executions and assassinations, it is the most violent enforcement unit.
The Second Division is the Patrol Corps. Responsible for patrolling the Seireitei and monitoring Shinigami.
The Third Division is the Detention Unit. They guard the Maggot's Nest, our prison, and monitor dangerous individuals.
The Fifth Division is the Reitei Guards. Responsible for rapidly relaying orders. Unlike Jigokuchō—Hell Butterflies—the orders carried by this squad are top-priority, strict commands.
As for the Fourth Division, I haven't had contact with them. I hear it was established to protect the nobility. If you want to know more, you'll have to ask Captain Shihōin, though he probably won't tell you.
Alright, that's all for today. Starting tomorrow, the Captain-Commander will teach you Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō during the day. At night, I will teach you about the Zanpakutō, the core of a Shinigami."
Humming a tune, Kazuma returned to the dormitory Batsu'unsai had arranged for him.
He dived onto the bed and rolled around like a caterpillar.
He reviewed everything from his arrival to now: Shinigami, Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō, Zanpakutō, and the legendary characters he knew so well. Starting today, he was one of them.
'No one stood at the top from the very beginning. Not you, not me, not even the gods. From now on, I will stand in the heavens!'
(You say this is the classic quote from the hair-gelled Aizen? Bullshit! Aizen hasn't even appeared yet. Even if the Soul King himself came down, this line belongs to Satou Kazuma!)