Noticing a change in Kaelith Yurei, Captain-Commander Yamamoto squinted slightly, casting a curious glance his way.
Seeing the serious expression in Kaelith's eyes, Yamamoto looked momentarily puzzled. Then, as if realizing something, he smirked faintly.
This kid, like Shunsui, could be quite a handful, yet he had a good heart.
Once Kaelith finished writing, Yamamoto picked up the paper and glanced over it.
"Hmm, not bad at all."
"Next time, write it thoroughly from start to finish. I'll keep it as a collectible."
With that, Yamamoto summoned a subordinate, instructing them to preserve the writing in a scroll for safekeeping.
Kaelith's eyes widened, "Captain-Commander, how could you slander me like that? I poured my heart and soul into this piece!"
Yamamoto rolled his eyes in exasperation.
Ignoring Kaelith's words, he removed his white haori, tossing it aside casually. The haori drifted gracefully, landing precisely on the wall.
Then, Yamamoto took off half of his Shihakushō, tying it around his waist, his muscular upper body exposed.
Under Kaelith's gaze, Yamamoto clenched his fist and nodded with satisfaction.
"Last time, I had an unexpected task and couldn't check your training progress."
"Since you've mastered Ikkotsu, today let's have a real fight."
"If your performance meets my expectations, I'll teach you the techniques of Sōkotsu."
Hearing this, Kaelith's eyes lit up. Mimicking Yamamoto, he removed his top, tying it around his waist.
Clenching his fists, he locked eyes with Yamamoto for a few seconds, then charged forward.
*Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam!*
The sound of fists colliding echoed through the dojo.
Sensing a shift in Kaelith's techniques, Yamamoto couldn't help but be impressed.
The last time Kaelith used Ikkotsu, his skills were still at a beginner level. While the basics were in place, there were quite a few errors in the details.
Initially, Yamamoto had planned to use those mistakes as the basis for today's lesson. Yet, within a single week, Kaelith's Ikkotsu had become far more refined. The obvious mistakes had all been corrected, with only a few subtle points left to improve.
Yamamoto hadn't taught him the techniques of Ikkotsu; Kaelith had mastered them all on his own. Though Yamamoto had witnessed Kaelith's remarkable talent more than once, he still felt a sense of disbelief.
If given enough time to grow, this kid might very well inherit the title of "strongest Shinigami" within the next three centuries.
With that thought, Yamamoto couldn't help but look forward to it.
After assessing Kaelith's strength, Yamamoto casually punched him into the floor.
As Kaelith struggled to free his head from the ground, Yamamoto put his top back on.
"Not bad. Just barely satisfactory."
Yamamoto crossed his arms and pointed out each of the mistakes he had noticed in Kaelith's technique.
Sitting beside the dent he had made, Kaelith took out a small notebook and jotted down everything Yamamoto said.
Seeing Kaelith attentively taking notes, Yamamoto looked pleased. Despite his usual carefree attitude, Kaelith was serious when it came to learning.
With such dedication combined with natural talent, it was no wonder he was advancing so quickly.
If Yamamoto knew that Kaelith was only paying attention to relay the training notes to Aizen for practice, he'd probably faint from frustration…
Once Kaelith finished, Yamamoto slowly began to teach him the techniques of Sōkotsu. Though Sōkotsu appeared to be just an extra punch compared to Ikkotsu, the difficulty level increased substantially. Its power also grew exponentially.
So far, only Yamamoto and Jūshirō Ukitake had fully mastered this technique. However, despite Ukitake's exceptional talent and dedication, his frail health was a limitation.
Sōkotsu required great physical strength, and Ukitake's body could barely withstand even a single punch without causing him to cough up blood.
It had been a regret for Yamamoto that his student couldn't fully utilize this skill. Now, with Kaelith, that regret seemed to have a solution.
During their midday break, Kaelith's eyes gleamed as he moved closer to Yamamoto.
"Hey, Captain-Commander."
"Recently, I heard from Uncle Shunsui that there's a powerful Shinigami causing a stir in Rukongai."
"Apparently, this guy's strength is so formidable that not even seated officers with Shikai can match him…"
"After all this investigation, have you found out who he is?"
Yamamoto glanced at him. "Why, interested?"
Kaelith chuckled, "Not exactly interested; it's just that our academy is near Rukongai, and it's better to be prepared if I run into him."
Hearing this, Yamamoto lifted his teacup and took a light sip.
A few seconds later, he spoke, "Though his identity hasn't been confirmed, we're close."
Kaelith blinked in surprise.
Yamamoto set down his cup. "This Shinigami didn't just appear recently."
"Over three months ago, I received reports about him."
"Initially, he acted cautiously, eliminating anyone who saw him, regardless of affiliation."
"As a result, tracing his identity has been challenging."
"At the time, the Gotei 13 was focused on the rebellion, so we didn't pursue it further."
"However… recently, he's only been targeting rebels, sparing members of the Gotei 13."
"Thanks to this change, my people have managed to gather some clues."
"If he makes another move, I'll know who he is."
With that, Yamamoto took another sip, the warmth of the tea seeming to ease his wrinkles.
This kind of information wouldn't typically be shared with just anyone. But Kaelith was different.
From the moment he accepted him as a disciple, Yamamoto had decided to train him as a successor. Even if Kaelith hadn't asked, he would eventually tell him these things.
Nodding as though listening to a story, Kaelith felt a surge of emotion.
Good thing he had the foresight to ask Yamamoto. He'd better find a way to warn Sōsuke to keep a low profile…