Looking at the pillar of fire shooting straight into the sky opposite him, Yamamoto paused for a moment.
Before he knew it, this brat had actually grown to such an extent.
Given the power Naraku Sora was currently displaying, taking him down and teaching him a painful lesson using only Hakuda and Zanjutsu was already impossible.
At this thought, a hint of absentmindedness appeared in Yamamoto's expression.
If he remembered correctly, it hadn't been that long since his rebellious disciple joined the squad, had it?
Even if other Soul Reapers trained for hundreds of years, it would be difficult for them to catch up to this kind of power. Sometimes, talent was just that unreasonable.
Even for him, at that age, he had seemingly only just embarked on his journey.
While Yamamoto was lost in thought, Naraku Sora had already erupted with his full Reiatsu. Crackling arcs of electricity coiled around his body as Kidō Reiatsu burst forth wildly.
*Shunkō: Blazing Lightning Hell!*
A state created by perfectly fusing the Lightning Release Chakra Mode with a derived Shunkō technique. Twisting electrical arcs and scorching flames intertwined, causing the surrounding air to constantly distort.
Naraku Sora stood with his sword in hand, the firelight dyeing his face red. With the tip of his blade pointing down, he slowly lowered his stance, the atmosphere around him roaring as if it were exploding.
The two figures surged forward almost simultaneously, colliding like high-speed meteorites. The moment their silhouettes merged into the terrifying heat, their blades clashed countless times in a single instant.
Dazzling afterimages intertwined, and sparks bloomed like starlight. Then, an incomprehensibly terrifying shockwave expanded from the center.
In just a split second, a massive crater a hundred meters in diameter was created.
The entire Squad 1 barracks trembled.
Countless squad members stopped their work and looked toward the back mountain.
Even now, they still had no idea what was going on.
First, a terrifying, heart-palpitating shockwave erupted from the direction of the Inner Court, dyeing the azure sky into an endless expanse of fiery clouds.
Just as things had finally settled down, such an astonishing shockwave erupted from Squad 1.
Was Hueco Mundo invading?
In the past, the scale of Head Captain Yamamoto disciplining his disciple was nowhere near this intense.
It couldn't be that Naraku Sora had gotten tired of being the Prison Warden and wanted to see if the Head Captain's seat was comfortable, right?
Even the barracks located far away could detect the terrifying aftershocks.
At the Squad 2 barracks, Yoruichi, who was busy handling squad duties, suddenly stopped her brush and looked out the window into the distance in astonishment.
"It's Sora's Reiatsu!"
"That guy can actually hold his own against Head Captain Yamamoto. It seems he was holding back during our previous spars. I have to work twice as hard."
"Even if I can't catch up to him, I can't let the gap get any wider."
Soifon gripped the railing, staring blankly at the firelight dyeing the sky red.
Meanwhile.
At the Squad 4 barracks, Unohana Retsu stood under the eaves of the building, her hands resting in front of her. Her demeanor was quiet and beautiful, exuding an alluring gentleness.
Her calm eyes looked toward the direction the Reiatsu was coming from, a thoughtful look flashing across them.
So many things had happened recently that even she found it a bit hard to digest.
First, there was the replicated Hell Hot Spring, and then Ukitake Jūshirō recovering only to be hospitalized again.
As a result, before the patient was even cured, something seemed to have gone wrong in Muken again. Then, the master and disciple turned against each other, fighting it out without holding back.
Compared to when the Gotei 13 was first founded, the Head Captain's personality seemed to be getting younger, and even his energy was more abundant than before.
From a healer's perspective, if this trend continued, Yamamoto could probably live for another two thousand years.
A person's mindset truly does affect their physical state.
Just as she was thinking, Ukitake Jūshirō got up from his hospital bed and came under the eaves, looking in surprise at the raging waves of fire at the edge of his vision.
"Even after being taught a lesson by Ichibē Hyōsube, that child still isn't very well-behaved."
Hearing this, Unohana Retsu looked to the side in slight surprise. "If you say that, does it mean the recipe for the Hell Hot Spring was indeed brought back from the Soul King Palace by Sora?"
Ukitake Jūshirō nodded. There was no need to hide such a thing.
In terms of seniority alone, Unohana Retsu could be considered his senior, and her exquisite Kaidō was taught by Kirinji Tenjirō.
Even if he didn't say anything, Yamamoto would inform her in detail when the time came.
After carefully sensing the Reiatsu fluctuations in the air, Ukitake Jūshirō raised an eyebrow, feeling somewhat emotional.
"It seems that compared to when he was in the Soul King Palace, Sora's strength has grown significantly once again."
"Did this guy take some kind of medicine?"
"At this rate, it probably won't even take him a hundred years to catch up to our teacher's level."
"Having such a disciple, it's not easy for our teacher either."
Despite saying that, as Yamamoto's disciple, Ukitake Jūshirō still had a lot of confidence in his teacher.
After all, he was the one who founded the Spiritual Arts Academy; there was no need to worry too much about his teaching abilities.
It was nothing more than teaching students according to their aptitude.
Unohana Retsu remained silent, simply watching the direction of Squad 1 quietly. No one knew what she was thinking.
Squad 5 barracks.
Hirako Shinji clicked his tongue in wonder as he looked out the window while helping to organize documents.
"Sōsuke, tell me, you guys graduated at the same time, so why is the gap between people so big?"
"I still remember when that brat used to come to our squad to spar with you all the time. How long has it been since then?"
"Now, his sparring partner has changed to Head Captain Yamamoto."
"He even became the Warden of the Shino Prison. In terms of status, he's no worse than us Captains. And look at you..."
"Still a 3rd Seat."
Aizen stopped his brush, raised his gaze, and looked at Hirako Shinji with a calm expression.
"If you have nothing to do and are full of energy, Captain, you might as well take these back and handle them yourself. I've already finished a third of them; there are about a hundred and forty files left."
"Look at you, I only said a couple of words and you're already getting defensive!"
Hirako Shinji tried to ignore the blade-like glare, chuckling awkwardly as he placed the organized files on the desk.
"Actually, what I meant was, do you want to be promoted to Lieutenant?"
Aizen: "?"
He seriously suspected that Hirako Shinji had taken the wrong medicine today; otherwise, why would he choose to promote him to Lieutenant?
"My apologies, Captain. My strength is too poor, and I lack the seniority. I'm not qualified for such a great responsibility. You should find someone else."
Hearing this, Hirako Shinji shrugged.
"There's no need to worry about that. The whole squad knows you've mastered Shikai, and you performed very well during the previous Zanpakutō rebellion."
"Besides, our Squad 5 isn't a place that cares about seniority anyway."
"So, how about it? Want to give it a try?"
After a few seconds of silence, Aizen replied, "I'll think about it."
With that, he stood up from the desk, picked up a stack of processed files, and walked out of the office.
Watching his retreating back in the hallway, the smile on Hirako Shinji's lips slowly faded, and an imperceptible voice echoed in the room.
"Aizen, I hope my feeling is wrong, otherwise..."
On the other side, Aizen's expression in the hallway remained indifferent, as if nothing had just happened, but the sudden coldness behind his glasses said it all.
When he graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy, Hirako Shinji had chosen him out of all the students. Aside from his Zanpakutō, it was also because he had faintly sensed something.
But hadn't he also chosen Hirako Shinji?
Although the current situation differed slightly from his expectations due to certain reasons, the overall direction was still correct.
This overly perceptive Squad 5 Captain might have guessed something, which was why he was testing him.
But that was as far as it went.
If he tried to probe into deeper secrets, it would invite disaster.
While thinking, he looked up toward the Squad 1 barracks. Seeing the pillar of fire that swept away the clouds, the corners of Aizen's mouth curled up slightly, a hint of gratification flashing in his eyes.
*After all, from beginning to end, I have never walked alone...*
"Taimatsu!"
Wielding Ryūjin Jakka, Yamamoto swung his blade upward. A scorching tornado howled forth, rising from the desolate, crack-filled earth.
The entire back mountain transformed into a sea of fire.
The constantly spreading high temperatures forced Sasakibe Chōjirō and Okikiba Genshirō, who were watching the Genryū infighting from afar, to retreat.
If they continued to stand there, they would probably be caught in the crossfire.
The squad members stood on the rooftops, gazing into the distance, occasionally wiping the sweat from their foreheads. It felt as if the heat in the air had no limit.
It continued to rise.
It was as if another sun had risen.
Facing the sudden assault of Taimatsu, Naraku Sora showed no intention of dodging. He swung his Zanpakutō, wrapped in electrical arcs and fire, downward in a straight vertical slash.
*Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō!*
A massive, roaring torrent of lightning shot out, swirling with crimson light, transforming into a crescent-shaped sword pressure that split the battlefield.
The two forces collided, instantly detonating the entire battlefield. The earth within a thousand-meter radius shattered and collapsed, emitting a deafening roar.
The terrifying wave of Reiatsu washed over everything recklessly, like a giant swinging an iron plow, casually altering the terrain of the back mountain.
The sea of fire spread, fierce and violent.
Seeing that Taimatsu had proved ineffective, Yamamoto felt a bit emotional. A move that could easily instantly kill an ordinary Soul Reaper Captain could no longer threaten Naraku Sora.
This brat's growth speed was simply too fast.
However!
A blade too rigid will easily snap.
Such talent would inevitably lead to arrogance and cause him to lose his true self.
Take, for example, the incident of him trespassing into Muken just now.
He had to be disciplined as soon as possible.
Otherwise, if he dared to trespass into Muken today, he might just slaughter the Underground Assembly Hall tomorrow.
At this thought, Yamamoto's mouth curled into a grin. As his Reiatsu accumulated, the surrounding space visibly distorted.
Boom!!
A terrifying golden-red pillar of fire shot into the sky, like a blazing sun rising, illuminating the entire battlefield.
A suffocating pressure instantly fell upon Naraku Sora, immediately slowing his forward momentum and even the speed at which he raised his sword.
"Brat, I'm not so old that I can't even teach my own disciple."
"Keep your eyes wide open and watch closely. This is what true Genryū is!"