Chapter 312: The Spectator Becomes the Spectacle
"Teacher!!!"
Hearing the familiar shout, Yamamoto instinctively turned to look toward the door.
Immediately after, he suddenly realized the direction of the voice seemed wrong.
Turning back, he saw someone climbing through the window and crawling into the room.
"?"
The old man's blood pressure rose slightly.
"Wretched brat, why climb through the window when there's a perfectly good door?"
Satoru brushed the dust off his clothes and revealed a refreshing smile.
"Never tried it before, suddenly felt like giving it a shot."
Should I praise you for your experimental spirit?
A vein bulged on the old man's forehead.
He swung his hand, intending to smash Satoru's head into the floor.
But just as he moved, Satoru had already dodged his slap with a flicker of movement, simultaneously appearing behind him and reaching out to massage his shoulders.
Feeling the sensation on his shoulders, Yamamoto was somewhat surprised.
This brat... has he gotten faster since last time?
Although he hadn't entered combat mode and wasn't fully alert, even in his normal state, very few could so easily circle behind him.
For a moment, the old man couldn't help but feel emotional.
"Teacher, what's the sudden summons? Have you realized you're getting too old and decided to distribute your assets?"
"In that case, I suggest giving everything to me instead of my two senior brothers. They're nobles and don't need the money~"
Yamamoto sneered:
"If this old man goes, he's taking you, this troublemaker, along!"
Hearing this, Satoru thought for a moment, then nodded.
"I see, the old man fears loneliness and wants company. Fine, just call me when the time comes."
"..."
Yamamoto had been prepared to continue scolding, but upon hearing Satoru's words, he froze for a moment.
Two seconds later, he turned and smacked Satoru into the floor.
"Wretched brat! What nonsense are you spouting!"
...
...
With wood chips still covering his head, the two arrived at the dojo.
"Earlier, the Zero Division contacted us again, wanting you to go up for another visit when you have time."
Standing in the spacious, repeatedly renovated dojo that resembled the Ship of Theseus, Yamamoto explained the reason for summoning Satoru.
"The Zero Division... or rather, Hyōsube values you. This is a good thing. You should know that in the thousand years since the Gotei 13 was established, only the founding generation received such treatment."
"But, as I told you before, you can't apply normal thinking patterns when dealing with the Zero Division."
"Especially those two - Hyōsube and Nimaiya. Even I can't fully comprehend their thoughts."
"Starting today, I'll teach you some targeted techniques to help you... well, adapt to sparring with Zero Division members."
Hearing this, Satoru looked surprised.
"Teacher, are you planning to rebel too?"
"?"
Yamamoto struck.
Satoru dodged.
Yamamoto, already prepared, struck again.
Satoru dodged once more.
BOOM!!!
Yamamoto's muscles bulged explosively, his arm accelerating violently. Caught off guard, Satoru was smashed into the floor.
Watching the brat pull his head out completely unharmed, Yamamoto couldn't help but click his tongue.
This damned kid... Not only was he becoming increasingly proficient at evading his attacks, but his defensive capabilities were growing stronger too.
Decades ago, when he hammered Satoru into the ground, he had to use precise force to avoid killing him with a single slap.
But now, if he didn't employ force application techniques and relied solely on physical strength, even using his full power wouldn't inflict much damage on this kid.
Although he had known since taking Satoru as his disciple that the boy would eventually reach this level, he never expected this day to come so quickly.
"Teacher, don't space out. Hand over the gold coins first."
Seeing Yamamoto lost in thought, Satoru urged him.
The old man took a deep breath, suppressing his rising blood pressure.
He slowly said:
"First, I shall teach you a special Hadō technique."
"Unlike the Gotei 13, the Zero Division possesses a unique set of Hadō invented by Hyōsube. Only Shinigami who have ascended to the Zero Division can learn it."
"This technique is called 'Hidden Way of Destruction.'"
"The power of Hidden Way of Destruction may not necessarily surpass the Way of Destruction used in Seireitei, but it often carries special abilities and effects."
"If you don't understand it in advance, you're likely to suffer losses in battle because of it."
"To prevent this, starting today, you'll come here twice a week. I'll teach you how to counter Hidden Way of Destruction."
Satoru showed a somewhat surprised expression.
"How does sensei know how to use Zero Division's exclusive Way of Destruction?"
Upon hearing this, Yamamoto snorted with laughter: "I learned it just by watching."
Satoru was astonished.
He never expected that Yamamoto, this dried-up old fossil, actually possessed such miraculous ability!
As he was thinking this, someone knocked on the door.
Sasakibe entered.
"Lord Genryūsai, the Hidden Way of Destruction materials you requested from Zero Division have arrived. Please review them."
Yamamoto: "..."
Satoru: "..."
The two silently looked at each other for two seconds.
Then, Yamamoto punched the latter into the floor.
"Why!!!"
Satoru pulled his head out of the floor.
He was furious at this unfair society where people took their anger out on others!
Yamamoto took the materials from Sasakibe.
He said irritably:
"I was just confirming to prevent using outdated information!"
"Bastard, always making me angry!"
Satoru wanted to retort, but seeing Yamamoto's bulging muscles, he held back.
Yamamoto suddenly remembered something and turned to Sasakibe:
"Chōjirō! Tell the kitchen not to prepare any food for this brat!"
"You old thief, this is too much!!"
Satoru roared and launched himself at Yamamoto.
Yamamoto sneered and met him with a punch.
Soon, the training hall became lively with rampant Reiatsu and swirling air currents.
Sasakibe stood at the doorway with an exasperated expression.
Do these two even remember why they came here?
Then, he smiled.
Over these past few decades, Lord Genryūsai seemed to have become centuries younger - not only was his physical condition improving, but his energy was increasing too.
If this continues, he might truly live another two thousand years.
He closed the door and left, heading toward the kitchen.
He needed to tell the chefs to make more of Satoru's favorite dishes today, so the young man would visit more often.
...
...
At noon, Yamamoto and Satoru entered the cafeteria together under the watchful eyes of the squad members and found a seat.
Seeing the two of them, the squad members were somewhat stunned.
Both Yamamoto and Satoru were shirtless, their Captain's Haori and Shinigami Uniforms nowhere to be seen.
Their lower garments were also torn and tattered.
Satoru had a large swollen bruise on his face, his chest looked like it had been burned, and his hair appeared as if struck by lightning.
Yamamoto's carefully maintained white beard had been completely disheveled, hastily tied with a strip of cloth torn from a Shinigami Uniform.
The old man sat at the table, a triumphant gleam in his eyes.
Earlier, he had instructed Sasakibe to tell the kitchen not to prepare any food for Satoru.
Just thinking about Satoru having to make do with some steamed buns and vegetable soup gave him a sense of satisfaction.
Unexpectedly, Satoru went to the serving window and soon returned with a full meal.
Yamamoto glanced briefly and noticed they were all the brat's favorite dishes - clearly someone had given advance instructions.
Chōjirō, have you betrayed me!
Yamamoto was furious.
The two powerhouses devoured their lunch like a storm, then went to the central courtyard for a walk to digest their food slightly before continuing their fight.
Suddenly, a member of the Rapid Mobile Corps appeared with a Flash Step.
"Captain-Commander, Captain Satoru, a battle has broken out in the Noble District."
"Young Master Raijima has been attacked. The assailant is extremely powerful with an unknown identity."
"Captain Kensei of the Ninth Division is on the scene but unable to subdue them."
Hearing this, the old man raised his eyebrows in surprise.
An unknown individual capable of fighting the Captain of the Ninth Division... impressive.
Satoru grinned.
Though he didn't know who was behind this, it sounded interesting. He wanted to go see the commotion.
Yamamoto said calmly:
"Reiatsu analysis?"
"Reporting, Captain-Commander! The assailant hasn't released a trace of Reiatsu from start to finish. They're fighting Captain Kensei purely with physical strength!"
"What?"
This time, the old man was genuinely astonished.
Fighting without relying on Reiatsu at all? Using only physical combat?
In a battle between equals, such an approach would be tantamount to suicide.
If the opponent could match Kensei Muguruma using this method, their true strength was unimaginable.
Noticing the Rapid Mobile Corps member seemed to have more to say, he frowned:
"If you have something to report, speak quickly. Why hesitate?"
The corps member lowered his head:
"Yes, Captain-Commander... Regarding the assailant's identity, there are rumors at the scene that it's someone Captain Satoru brought back from Rukongai."
"?"
Yamamoto looked at Satoru.
"?"
Satoru tilted his head.
The next second, he suddenly realized.
Oh. He wasn't going to watch the commotion.
He was the commotion himself.
...
...
In the Noble District, Ulquiorra leaped high and landed on a rooftop.
His expression remained calm as he stared intently at the white-haired captain who had followed him up.
Kensei Muguruma wore a ferocious grin, veins bulging on his forehead.
"Bastard... How dare you still not use Reiatsu? Are you looking down on me, Kensei Muguruma?!"
Hearing this, Ulquiorra shook his head:
"It's not about looking down. There's a special reason I don't use Reiatsu."
"I don't care about your reasons! Use it!"
Kensei roared and charged forward again.
Ulquiorra sighed, forming his hand into a blade to meet Kensei's attack.
Just moments earlier, he had been walking through the streets of Seireitei with a sightseeing mindset.
Suddenly, his keen hearing picked up someone mentioning Satoru's name.
Moving closer, he found several obese men gathered in a carriage, discussing various captains of Soul Society.
When the conversation turned to Satoru, they all expressed dissatisfaction.
"That gutter trash from Rukongai, coming to Seireitei to beg!"
"Not only did he come begging himself, he brought a whole bunch of Rukongai beggars with him!"
"Look at his fighting style - completely lacking elegance. How dare he claim noble status?"
"Thank goodness the Shiba Clan produced some talent, or else the noble divisions would be contaminated by these gutter dwellers!"
"Don't even mention it... that Shiba guy is scum too, always hanging around with Satoru and that Sōsuke Aizen. Clearly becoming gutter trash himself!"
"Now that you mention it, the Shiba Clan really is like that - their mansion is small and shabby, completely unlike how nobles should be."
"Why else would they hang out with that upstart Satoru?"
"Satoru... when will this vermin finally get out of Seireitei?"
One noble shook his head and sighed helplessly.
At that moment, a voice sounded behind him:
"Shinigami, I'll give you a chance. Apologize to Lord Mikami now, or... die."
"What?!"
Startled by the sudden voice, the noble quickly turned his head.
He saw a pale-faced young man with green eyes and black hair standing outside the carriage window, quietly watching him.
"A ghost!!"
Terrified, he fell from his seat and scrambled backward several steps.
The other nobles in the carriage also showed expressions of surprise.
The carriage window was quite some distance from the ground - how had this person gotten up there?
One of them stood up.
He asked suspiciously:
"Are you... from the Eleventh Division?"
Ulquiorra shook his head: "No."
The noble breathed a sigh of relief.
But just to be safe, he asked another question:
"Are you from the Mikami Family?"
"No."
Ulquiorra shook his head again.
"Are you from the Shihōin or Kuchiki families?"
"What are those? Never heard of them."
Ulquiorra frowned.
Just as he was about to explain his identity, one noble angrily shouted:
"You insolent fool! With no status whatsoever, how dare you cause trouble here?"
"Do you know whose carriage this is? How dare you disturb us? Do you have a death wish?"
The other nobles all nodded in agreement.
Not from the Eleventh Division, not from the Mikami Family, and he hadn't even heard of the Shihōin or Kuchiki families... What kind of background could someone like this possibly have?
For a moment, everyone began shouting insults.
Amid the curses, Ulquiorra remained unmoved.
He simply stared calmly at the first man.
"Apologize to Lord Mikami, or die. Which will you choose?"
The noble's face twisted with rage.
A commoner, repeatedly disrespecting a noble like himself - did he think the laws of Seireitei were a joke?
He roared:
"Guards! Seize this insolent fool!"
Footsteps approached from outside.
Ulquiorra glanced back, then jumped down from the carriage.
After a moment, he returned.
"Alright, final chance. Apologize."
Ulquiorra was exercising the utmost patience.
He remembered Satoru's words - try not to cause trouble in Seireitei.
But... if his lord was insulted like this and he did nothing, he would be unworthy of his position.
The noble's legs felt weak, but constrained by the status hierarchy between nobles and commoners, he couldn't bring himself to apologize.
"You bastard, you damned... Do you know where this is? This is the Noble District, our territory!"
"If you leave quickly, I might let this slide. But if you continue this disrespect, I'll have your head!"
Hearing this, Ulquiorra nodded.
His figure blurred as he entered the carriage.
Then, under the shocked gazes of the other nobles, his hand swept horizontally.
The young master of the Kito family's head flew clean off.
Everyone froze.
No one could have imagined that there really was a madman who would dare to take action in Seireitei, in the Noble District!