Hasumi Ren nodded. He hadn't expected Yoruichi to bring it up herself.
"It's true. I'm interested in the idea. What do you think, Captain Yoruichi?"
"It's a good thing."
Yoruichi's expression finally softened slightly.
"Kaido is an important skill, especially for those of you on the front lines."
"Since Captain Unohana suggested it, the Second Division can help coordinate your schedule if you're interested."
Hasumi Ren looked surprised. He hadn't expected Yoruichi to be so accommodating.
"If it's possible, that would be wonderful."
The conversation then shifted back to the mission.
Yoruichi stood up and walked to the window, looking out at the Seireitei in the early morning light.
"There might be certain nobles behind Amamiya Shin. If there's evidence, the Stealth Force has the right to conduct a full investigation."
"But in the current situation, we have no leads."
"Lately, the Soul Society hasn't been very peaceful."
Yoruichi turned around to look at Soi Fon.
"Soi Fon, get some rest. I still have work to do, so I won't stay any longer."
Yoruichi gave a few more instructions before hurriedly departing.
The door closed gently, and Yoruichi's spiritual pressure faded into the distance.
The hospital room fell silent again.
Soi Fon leaned against the headboard, staring out the window. Her gaze was distant, lost in thought.
After a moment, she spoke softly.
"I just feel... a bit frustrated."
"We caught the guy, yet this is the result."
Hasumi Ren sat down on the chair by the bed.
"Thinking too much about it won't help. Captain Yoruichi and Third Seat Urahara will handle it properly."
As he spoke, he deftly opened the food container and laid out the warm porridge and side dishes one by one.
Soi Fon watched him, her eyes flickering slightly.
'This guy is actually quite good at taking care of people.'
She suddenly remembered the scene where Hasumi Ren had carried her through the deep night.
The steady, powerful thrum of his heartbeat, and the warmth of her cheek against the side of his neck.
Soi Fon's ears began to turn red. She quickly shook her head to clear those stray thoughts.
"Eat something first."
Hearing Hasumi Ren's voice, it took a long moment before Soi Fon nodded gently.
She took the bowl and began taking small sips.
After a while, she said softly.
"Lady Yoruichi must be troubled too."
"Even though she always acts like she doesn't care, I could feel her anxiety just now."
Soi Fon looked down at the bowl in her hands.
"She has to stand at the forefront and face the shadowy dealings of the Soul Society. Her pressure is much greater than what we see."
Hasumi Ren remained silent. He knew Soi Fon was right.
As the head of one of the Four Great Noble Houses, Captain of the Second Division, and Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force, Yoruichi carried far more weight than she let on.
"If only I were stronger, and could be closer to her side..."
Seeing the loneliness in Soi Fon's eyes, Hasumi Ren let out a soft breath and spoke gently.
"Don't worry. You'll definitely be able to do it one day."
Soi Fon looked up and saw the sincerity in Hasumi Ren's eyes.
Feeling encouraged, she gave a light nod.
A few days later, at the Second Division training ground.
The morning sun was just beginning to peek out, and the training ground still held the chill of the night.
Soi Fon had changed back into her form-fitting Punishment Force combat uniform. She had dragged Hasumi Ren here early to continue their development of Shunko.
Although Captain Unohana had advised her to rest for a few more days, Soi Fon couldn't wait that long.
The Amamiya Shin incident had made her acutely aware that her strength was still far from enough.
'I must become stronger... and I must do it faster.'
This thought burned within her.
Soi Fon stood in the center of the training ground, closing her eyes and concentrating. Spiritual pressure flowed slowly through her body.
She raised her hands, her left hand attempting to condense spiritual pressure and construct a complete path for her spiritual power.
Hakuda required condensing spiritual pressure into one's limbs, pursuing extreme concentration and explosive power within the body.
Kido required delicate control of spiritual power and complex incantation structures.
Trying to fuse the two was far from a simple addition.
Soi Fon had already tried many ways, but she could only maintain the amplified state for a few seconds at most before it inevitably collapsed.
Conflicts in the spiritual pressure circuit, loss of balance in control, her wrists unable to handle the load of the output—problems were endless.
This was still a long way from being combat-ready.
"Failed again..."
Soi Fon frowned as she watched the spiritual pressure dissipate in her hand.
She recalled the suggestion Hasumi Ren had just made.
"Instead of forcing two completely different systems to merge, it's better to find a junction point. Let them work together in some way rather than just clumsily fusing them."
"Use the method of mobilizing spiritual power from Kido to let the spiritual pressure flow around your body in a regular pattern, slowly increasing its output power."
She had thought the idea was novel at the time, but trying it now, it was still fraught with difficulties.
'Where is this output junction, and what is the method of coordination?'
Soi Fon took a deep breath and decided to look at it from a different angle.
If a breakthrough wasn't possible at the technical level for now, perhaps she could find inspiration from the underlying philosophy.
Hakuda was the pinnacle of physical combat, an art of fighting where one became a living blade.
Kido was the external manifestation of spiritual power, the application of spiritual pressure through mental command.
They seemed to have no connection, but on a higher level, there might be common ground.
The question then became how to keep spiritual pressure highly compressed for instant bursts while simultaneously shaping it externally with the precision of Kido for sustained use.
Hasumi Ren watched Soi Fon in quiet contemplation before speaking softly.
"You've already managed to use spiritual pressure to amplify your strikes. Finding that key junction to maintain a continuous output is what you should focus on."
"Maybe try channeling the output to a specific place... like the shoulders?"
His words were like a spark of light, illuminating Soi Fon's thoughts.
'The shoulders?'
Soi Fon closed her eyes and began to simulate it in her mind.
Countless possibilities flashed, collided, and reorganized like streaks of light.
Unknowingly, the spiritual pressure around Soi Fon's body began to undergo a subtle change.
It was no longer the violent fluctuations from before, but a more stable, orderly flow.
Spiritual pressure surged from her wrists, finding a specific path, gradually moving up her arms and forming faint whirlpools at her shoulders and back.
Though it was still unrefined—just a prototype—this time, the spiritual pressure didn't immediately collapse.
It held for a brief moment.
With a sharp rip, the fabric at Soi Fon's shoulders was torn open.
Soi Fon opened her eyes, a flash of surprise and joy crossing them.
She seemed to have found the feeling.
She looked at Hasumi Ren, her eyes shining with an unmistakable brilliance—the excitement of finally seeing dawn after a long search.
A flicker of surprise also crossed Hasumi Ren's eyes.
He had just been talking off the top of his head; he hadn't expected Soi Fon to actually find the trick based on just a few words.
"That's it. That's the feeling. Keep going."
She nodded excitedly and assumed her stance again as the spiritual pressure began to flow once more.
This time, it was even smoother than before.