Shiba Kaien was stunned for a moment.
Then, he nodded in understanding.
At first, he didn't quite understand what Yoriichi Tsugikuni meant, but after a little thought, he figured it out.
—The Kuchiki Clan.
With the precedent of the Kuchiki Clan, his taking over Shiba Isshin's position would likely be misunderstood by others.
In the eyes of some nobles hostile to the Shiba Clan, this was a sign of revival with a strong purpose.
Those people would absolutely not stand idly by.
If no one helped him.
Even if he successfully challenged and became a Captain, his future days would undoubtedly be extremely difficult.
But with the support of Captain-Commander Tsugikuni, it would be different.
As long as he received his approval, the Shiba Clan would surely be able to slowly recover under his protection.
Thinking of this, Shiba Kaien took a deep breath, his mood heavier than ever before.
Since this battle concerned the future of the Shiba Clan, he absolutely could not take it lightly.
He had to unleash 120% of his combat power.
Seeing Shiba Kaien's invigorated appearance, Yoriichi Tsugikuni nodded with satisfaction, his gaze full of appreciation:
"Very good, this is how a clan head and a Captain should be."
"Come on, I'll give you three chances to make the first move. As long as you can push me back, you pass."
Normally, this was almost impossible. Even if Shiba Kaien used Bankai, he might not be able to break Yoriichi Tsugikuni's reishi defense.
But there were exceptions.
That is.
Trickery.
No matter what, this was a real combat exercise, so naturally any move could be used.
It just depended on how flexible Shiba Kaien's mind was.
And whether his Bankai had an advantage in this regard.
If it was purely an offensive type and lacked adaptability, he couldn't blame anyone if he failed.
Upon hearing this, Shiba Kaien felt a sudden surge of pressure, as if an invisible mountain was pressing down on his heart.
He gripped his Zanpakuto tightly, but secretly smiled bitterly in his heart.
Three chances, that was too few.
If he had thirty chances, he could try, but...
"Forget it, three chances it is. It just means the margin for error is much lower."
Although he really wanted to protest, Shiba Kaien knew he didn't have the right. At this moment, he could only passively accept these rules.
His gaze was fixed on Yoriichi Tsugikuni, with clear determination flashing in his eyes.
His breathing slowed, muscles tensed like steel, and adrenaline began to surge rapidly.
Clang.
As the Zanpakuto was unsheathed, a cold light flashed, and the surrounding air gradually became stagnant under the pervasive reishi.
Not far away.
Kyōraku Shunsui looked at the scene of the two confronting each other, a helpless smile playing on his lips.
He knew well Yoriichi's purpose in testing Shiba Kaien, and thus, he also knew the deeper meaning behind it.
He looked at Jūshirō Ukitake beside him, a hint of emotion in his voice: "Jūshirō, do you think I'm getting old?"
"Yoriichi intends to single-handedly make the Shiba Clan glorious again."
"While it might not return to its peak during the million years ago, restoring its status as a normal high-ranking noble family should be no problem."
"...If Shiba Kaien wins, that is."
He couldn't help but complain: "How does he seem even more reckless than the old man?
He could already foresee the pressure Yoriichi Tsugikuni was about to face.
Jūshirō Ukitake sighed softly, a hint of understanding in his eyes: "Recklessness is normal; you know his personality."
"He doesn't want to see anyone in front of him being bullied."
"These past years, the suppression of the Shiba Clan by those nobles has indeed been excessive. Yoriichi doing this is most likely for balance."
Ukitake lowered his head slightly and looked at the others around him. Since Kuchiki Byakuya and Yoruichi Shihouin were in the field, he quickly ended the topic.
"No need to worry, Kyōraku. The Captain-Commander's strength is evident. What teacher couldn't do, doesn't mean he can't."
"Next, let's watch Shiba Kaien's performance closely. Maybe he'll give us a surprise..."
Hearing Jūshirō Ukitake say this, Kyōraku Shunsui's eyes flickered, as if he had thought of something, and he could only abandon the idea of continuing to speak.
His thoughts reined in, he pressed down his straw hat, the wide brim casting a shadow over most of his face.
His gaze shifted to the field, where Shiba Kaien had already begun his first round of attacks.
...
"Let the heavens and waters surge, Nejibana!"
As reishi water waves surged, a long spear resembling a trident was held in Shiba Kaien's hand.
He guided the tide, accompanied by elegant spinning movements, approaching Yoriichi Tsugikuni step by step.
With each step he took, the water waves around him increased.
After approaching, Nejibana's power was already close to its limit in Shikai state.
Without hesitation, Shiba Kaien unleashed all his power towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Visibly, as the spear was swung, vast waves like a high-pressure water gun, along with the thrust of the spearhead, directly struck Yoriichi Tsugikuni's chest.
Boom!
Yoriichi Tsugikuni felt a substantial impact, the force like a surging tide, constantly battering his body.
But his feet seemed rooted to the ground, no matter how these reishi waves impacted him, they didn't make him retreat half a step.
In fact, at this moment, Yoriichi even had the leisure to raise his head and carefully observe Shiba Kaien's movements.
"Not bad." After observing for a while, he praised and analyzed, "The water-type Zanpakuto, Nejibana, is renowned as the strongest water-type in Seireitei at this stage."
"A strike after accumulating power can even injure a Vasto Lorde."
"But... Shikai is far from enough. Use your Bankai. You only have two chances left."
Nejibana's mechanism was quite good, but unfortunately, Shikai was limited by reishi, at most only able to stack power to a level beyond one's own reishi.
At this moment, Shiba Kaien could injure a second-grade spiritual power, but against beings with spiritual power above second-grade, it posed no threat at all.
Seeing this, Shiba Kaien, who had originally planned to conserve reishi and use Bankai in the final round, no longer maintained a low profile.
He gripped the long spear, took a deep breath, and muttered: "Two chances, huh... In that case, I'll go all out."
His eyes held determination; as the clan head, he absolutely could not fail. Even if he exhausted all his reishi, he had to gain Yoriichi Tsugikuni's approval.
He could only use that one move.
Before this, he found it difficult to perform perfectly, simply because his mentality had not yet met the standard.
But now, even if it wasn't up to standard, he had to try.
This was his last chance.
Strike while the iron is hot, then falter, then exhaust.
Shiba Kaien's eyes gradually became serious. He tried to adjust his breathing, only to achieve a mind as still as water.
Immediately after, with another burst of reishi, the trident-like long spear in his hand drastically changed its appearance.
Originally three meters tall, it suddenly shrunk.
Smaller than Ichimaru Gin's Shinsō, from a distance it looked like a toy, but in terms of form.
Clearly, this was Nejibana's Bankai.
"Bankai, Zenka Nejibana."
Shiba Kaien's voice was very soft, his eyes incredibly calm, as if he had merged with the surrounding environment.
Yoriichi found this intriguing, as very few people's Bankai would shrink with a burst of reishi.
There was only one possibility.
That was, all that expanded reishi had been condensed and gathered by Shiba Kaien.
The seemingly small Zenka Nejibana, its power, was at least dozens of times that of Nejibana.
"Very impressive, is this your trump card?"
Yoriichi Tsugikuni looked up at Shiba Kaien, asking in a slightly emotional tone.
"Perhaps." Shiba Kaien held the small trident, the serenity of his mind making his voice much colder.
Facing Yoriichi Tsugikuni's query, he calmly replied: "My Bankai is a further enhancement of reishi control in Shikai form."
"The smaller the weapon in my hand, the stronger the control."
"Currently, I can only achieve this much, but I think it should be enough to make you, Captain-Commander, take a step back."
He didn't explain why, just took a step forward.
Just one step, and the power of the reishi waves surrounding him completely surpassed that of Shikai.
The sound of surging waves was like ocean waves crashing against rocks, making a "whoosh" sound.
The moisture in the surrounding air instantly increased.
Not far away, Kyōraku Shunsui suddenly felt as if he were walking in the rain.
His whole body was drenched, water droplets sliding down his hair.
He lowered his head slightly and wrung his collar, only to find that his clothes, including his hands, were soaked just from touching them.
"...!"
Looking up at Shiba Kaien, a sense of absurdity suddenly welled up in Kyōraku Shunsui's heart.
—This was another Zanpakuto that could control the weather phenomena?!
Although it could only increase the moisture in the surrounding air, its scale was already very impressive.
Looking out, even the sky above Seireitei, not far away, showed clear traces of dark clouds.
The distance was about one hundred kilometers...
"The younger generation is formidable."
Kyōraku Shunsui genuinely sighed. He could probably understand why Shiba Kaien's Bankai looked like this.
There was an inevitable connection between Bankai and Shikai.
As the current clan head, there must be a determination in his heart to break free from restraints.
That's why his Shikai was that kind of move that used spiritual power to create waves, constantly stacking power, and crushing enemies.
An attempt to break the shackles placed on himself and the Shiba Clan by various families through repeated impacts.
But from the current situation, simply stacking power was no longer enough.
Only by changing himself and taking control of the overall situation could he lead the Shiba Clan back to its former glory.
For this, the move of controlling natural phenomena, transforming from an individual to a collective, was born naturally.
And the shrinking of the weapon probably corresponded to Shiba Isshin's desire for a low-key inner self, which was a relatively contradictory mindset.
In this mode.
Except for Yamamoto Genryusai's Ryujin Jakka, other fire-type Zanpakuto, if their range of burning moisture did not reach one hundred kilometers, would certainly not be a match for Shiba Kaien.
The same applied to ice-type, though with less consumption. Water could also turn into ice and counterattack Shiba Kaien, which was probably his only current weakness.
...
Thoughts swirled. In just ten short seconds, Kyōraku Shunsui had roughly guessed the origin of Shiba Kaien's Bankai by combining it with his personality.
Although he knew in his heart that his speculation might have errors, for example, the specific effects of Zenka Nejibana were still unclear.
But even if it wasn't about controlling water vapor, it must be greatly related to water. He was almost certain of this point.
"If it's just relying on water control for impact, then Shiba Kaien might suffer a big loss."
Kyōraku Shunsui closely observed the battle situation while reaching out to slowly remove his straw hat, which was soaked with water vapor, and whispered softly,
"Yoriichi fears frontal power clashes the least. Even waterfalls and tsunamis are no different from cool bathwater in front of him."
"Zenka, Zenka, is this Bankai related to Zen meditation?"
Kyōraku Shunsui's gaze swept across the battlefield, muttering unconsciously.
Zenka refers to a certain state of Zen meditation. Although it previously represented a river, now, it certainly doesn't refer to those.
"Jūshirō..."
He instinctively turned his head, just about to say, "Jūshirō, what do you think."
Unexpectedly, the moment he turned his head, he saw Jūshirō Ukitake rubbing his chin, a look of sudden realization on his face.
As the Captain of the Thirteenth Division, among everyone present, no one understood Shiba Kaien better than Jūshirō Ukitake.
At this moment, hearing Kyōraku Shunsui's words, Jūshirō Ukitake turned his head and asked with a hint of confusion, "Are you calling me?"
"Yes, did you figure something out?"
Kyōraku Shunsui smiled faintly; he vaguely felt that what Jūshirō Ukitake saw was different from his own observations.
Ukitake paused, then casual words slipped out:
"Actually, it's nothing."
After he finished speaking.
His gaze slowly moved over Shiba Kaien's body, as if sensing some complex emotion, and he sighed softly:
"Kaien is too impulsive. If I'm not mistaken, the weapon in his hand isn't merely a product of compressed reishi..."
"Because I know a bit about Nejibana's Bankai."
"Nejibana isn't purely a water-type Zanpakuto; it cannot control natural water currents, it can only turn reishi into water."
"That water moves with the trajectory of the spear's movement."
"Because its power increases with each rotation, my squad members previously called his spearmanship a dance-like spearmanship."
"Since it's reishi turned into water, it naturally can't control the weather, even Bankai shouldn't be able to do that."
"After all, his personality has never undergone a major change."
Only when one's personality changes will the operational mechanism of Bankai and Shikai abilities change, just like Ryujin Jakka.
Shikai unleashes flames, Bankai unleashes heat, but before the personality change, Bankai would unleash more flames.
What happened to Shiba Kaien is precisely similar to what happened to Yamamoto Genryusai.
This shouldn't be.
Kyōraku Shunsui pondered for a moment, carefully considering Jūshirō Ukitake's words in his mind, then nodded: "Is that so? I understand, but..."
He looked down at his soaked clothes and asked in confusion, "How do you explain these?"
"And that trident, isn't it something formed by a large amount of compressed reishi?"
"I feel it's very dangerous."
"Feeling dangerous? Are you feeling the weapon, or the person?"
Jūshirō Ukitake looked at Shiba Kaien's stored power, his tone still calm, explaining unhurriedly,
"That weapon has now become a part of him, which led to your misjudgment. As I said, I understand him."
"He isn't the type to be keen on pursuing power, so it's unlikely he would awaken an ability that changes the weather."
"From the name Zenkawa, you can also get a general idea: the state of Zen, focus..."
Jūshirō Ukitake narrowed his eyes slightly and continued, "If I'm not mistaken, this isn't an ability to change the weather out of thin air using Nejibana."
"Instead, it's an ability to turn his own reishi into water vapor, integrate it into the surrounding environment, and then control the water, indirectly affecting the weather."
"Because it requires extremely focused control to spread the range, the reishi becomes so diluted that it's difficult to detect."
"It looks like a flaw, but it's actually an advantage, because everywhere the reishi spreads is his domain."
"The water in the soil, the water in the air, the water in the trees—they are all his limbs."
Jūshirō Ukitake said this, gently brushing the visible wisps of water vapor in front of him, and made his final conclusion,
"Therefore, the Zanpakuto shrinking is just an illusion."
"The danger you perceive doesn't come from the blade, but from every wisp of air around you."
"Now, Kyōraku, do you understand?"
Kyōraku Shunsui's mouth slightly agape, somewhat surprised that his own guess was completely wrong.
A domain made of water?
No wonder he always felt a slight sense of disharmony before; now it seems, even from a personality perspective, it makes sense.
Shiba Kaien wasn't trying to break free from the constraints of other nobles with his own strength, but rather to borrow the strength of others.
Only by integrating into the collective could he resist the nobles targeting him.
Exhaling, Kyōraku Shunsui felt a slight sense of emotion, but then, he suddenly remembered something...
If it was a domain composed of water, wouldn't that mean they were in great danger right now?
After all, every breath could inhale a bit of Shiba Kaien's reishi...
Although extremely minute, even difficult to perceive, was he sure there wouldn't be any hidden dangers?
Just as he was about to speak.
On the field.
Boom!
With a deafening roar, Shiba Kaien's full-power strike after charging, like a tsunami carrying a destructive momentum, surged fiercely towards Yoriichi Tsugikuni.
Kyōraku Shunsui's thoughts were instantly pulled back by the loud noise.
He subconsciously touched his chest, found nothing unusual, and while secretly relieved, he finally turned his gaze to the battlefield.
Ahead, it looked as if it had been washed by a flood; trees were uprooted and lay fallen, and large areas of soil were turned over, presenting a chaotic scene.
What was surprising was that the battle between the two did not affect anyone else.
The surging flood stopped ten meters in front of everyone, as if blocked by an invisible wall of air.
This scene precisely proved Jūshirō Ukitake's previous words.
Every wisp of water around was Shiba Kaien's limbs; with someone controlling them, they naturally wouldn't lose control.
Yoriichi Tsugikuni also realized this now; a relieved smile appeared on his face, and he wasn't angry about Shiba Kaien's deception.
It was correct not to honestly reveal Bankai's ability before the end of the battle, because only this way could one create an information gap and gain a chance at victory.
It was just a pity...
"It's still not enough..." Yoriichi Tsugikuni stood firm against the flood, still as steady as a mountain. He muttered to himself, his tone slightly disappointed.
Disappointed that the attack pattern was too singular.
In terms of strategy, he was unqualified.
Shiba Kaien seemed to hear this.
He glanced at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, a hint of determination flashed in his eyes, then he manipulated the water flow to invade Yoriichi Tsugikuni's body, attempting to achieve a breakthrough from within.
Those water vapors, like small snakes, drilled into Yoriichi Tsugikuni's pores.
Because the reishi contained within was extremely minute, it wouldn't be blocked by the reishi-formed defenses.
The idea was good, similar to taking a bath.
Except the bathwater was full of transparent bugs.
But unfortunately.
"Bang."
Yoriichi noticed Shiba Kaien's little trick; with just a slight exertion of force, the water on his body exploded with a roar.
The force generated by the explosion scattered the surrounding water vapor again, and the flood also ended; the second attack was declared a failure.
Although Shiba Kaien was a bit unwilling, he could only accept this result at this moment.
He glanced at the dark clouds not far away, took a deep breath, and said:
"Captain-Commander, you are truly strong. No wonder those nobles don't dare to provoke you."
"This is the last strike; please receive it well."
"You said before that if I could make you take one step back, it would count as success... So, is there a time limit?"
"Time limit?" Yoriichi Tsugikuni had never considered this question. In his opinion, whether the three strikes succeeded or not was not important at all.
What he wanted to see was how Shiba Kaien performed during the three attacks.
Even if all three failed, if he performed excellently, it would be fine to count it as a success.
Now...
After thinking for a moment, Yoriichi casually said:
"Five minutes."
"I'm not sure how much longer your Bankai can last, but five minutes should be enough for you to charge up and launch your final attack."
"Any problems?"
"None." Having received a definite number, Shiba Kaien felt much more relaxed inside.
He looked at the dark clouds again, and fighting spirit reignited in his eyes.
Five minutes, that's enough.
With a wave of his hand, the dark clouds drifted over.
This was his backup plan, in case he ran out of strength after the second attack.
He had thought he wouldn't need it, but he hadn't expected Yoriichi Tsugikuni's power to be stronger than he imagined, remaining completely unmoved even when washed by tens of thousands of tons of tsunami.
There was no other way; since he couldn't compete in terms of raw power, he could only use some unconventional techniques, like integrating Kido...
And it was precisely because of this that the subsequent attacks were imperceptible even to the Captains present.
Like a torrential downpour.
Soon, five minutes passed in a flash, and Shiba Kaien's complexion gradually turned from rosy to pale.
During these five minutes, Yoriichi had probably endured tens of millions of strikes, an astonishing number.
The Captains not far away, seeing this scene, all narrowed their eyes, secretly marveling at the power of Shiba Kaien's final strike.
Rain isn't scary, but falling knives are, and a change in quantity leads to a change in quality, especially knives with increasingly stronger impact.
Shiba Kaien's Bankai inherited some characteristics of his Shikai; if it were them, they definitely wouldn't be able to withstand it.
However, even so, this rain failed to harm Yoriichi Tsugikuni in the slightest.
Bang.
Mud and water splattered, and Shiba Kaien, exhausted, sat on the ground, his Bankai disappearing with him.
He no longer had the strength to speak, and his mood was somewhat despairing; clearly, the challenge had failed.
Uncle Isshin must be very worried, thankfully he didn't come to the scene, otherwise, he wouldn't have the face to meet him.
Closing his eyes and regulating his breathing, Shiba Kaien's mind was filled with a myriad of thoughts, waiting for Yoriichi Tsugikuni to announce the result.
He only heard footsteps getting closer and closer.
Before he could open his eyes, he felt a hand on his shoulder, and then.
He was helped up.
"Very good."
Yoriichi Tsugikuni's warm voice gently resounded in Shiba Kaien's ear,
"A remarkably powerful Bankai, a non-discriminatory, wide-area strike? It seems you truly made thorough preparations for this challenge."
"Don't be disheartened."
Yoriichi patted Shiba Kaien's shoulder, encouraging him, "Although you failed this time, I never said before that failure means you can't pass the Captain assessment."
At these words, Shiba Kaien's eyes suddenly widened, an indescribable emotion brewing in his chest.
Could it be... could it be...
No way.
No one had told him that before!
He looked blankly at Yoriichi Tsugikuni, but a glimmer of hope surged in his heart.
Immediately after, he heard the words he had longed for day and night from Yoriichi Tsugikuni's mouth.
"I am very satisfied with your performance. At least among the current twelve Captains, your ability is sufficient to rank among the top ten."
"Although there are slight shortcomings, there are also commendable aspects. This time, I will count it as a pass for you."
"Work hard, and I hope you do not disgrace the Shiba Clan's name."
...Silence, as if unable to believe it for a moment.
But then.
Finally!
Shiba Kaien was overwhelmed with excitement, so excited that he was about to cry.
What a turn of events, this was a turn of events.
The Captain-Commander is truly a good person.
He had misunderstood him.
He had thought...