https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-591-Hueco-Mundo-Your-Master-Has-Returned-/12559979/
Chapter 590: What Do You Think of Aizen?
Chapter 590: What Do You Think of Aizen?
"Please guide me in mastering my Bankai, Yoruichi-sama."
In the captain's quarters of the 2nd Division, Soifon knelt before Yoruichi, her hands pressed against the floor, her head bowed.
Feng Ye...
Lilith...
One after another, they had achieved Bankai, becoming stronger than her. This realization made her aware of her own shortcomings and how inadequate she currently was in supporting Yoruichi.
Especially now, with dark clouds looming over the Gotei 13 and unknown crises lurking beneath the murky depths, she felt an even greater need to enhance her strength to protect Yoruichi.
She had to—
Master Bankai!
"What are you doing? It's still a bit early for you to attempt to master your Bankai."
Yoruichi sat there, casually sipping tea with her legs crossed, her delicate bare feet swinging gently less than a foot away from Soifon. Her voice was light and playful as she spoke.
Soifon lifted her head to look at Yoruichi, her expression determined. "My current level of training is insufficient. But I believe I must strive to master my Bankai... Otherwise, I won't be able to fulfill my duty of supporting you, Yoruichi-sama."
Yoruichi tilted her head, a thoughtful look on her face as she gazed at the ceiling. "It's not impossible for you to train in Bankai. Kisuke invented something to help with Bankai training, but I still think it's a bit early for you to use it. Oh, I know."
She suddenly seemed to remember something and lowered her crossed leg. Looking at Soifon kneeling before her, she said, "Why don't you go find Feng Ye? Ask him to guide you further."
"Eh?"
Soifon straightened her upper body, taken aback for a moment.
Yoruichi picked up a spoon with her right hand and casually stirred her tea. "While I have achieved my Bankai, it's not something I particularly like or am skilled at using. So, it might be a bit of a stretch for me to guide you in that regard."
A hint of hesitation crossed Soifon's face at the suggestion of seeking Feng Ye's guidance in mastering her Bankai. She felt conflicted because Feng Ye had already saved her twice before, and she wasn't sure what reason she could give for seeking his help again. His kindness toward her was already immeasurable.
But...
Upon further reflection, she realized that things had already progressed to this point, and her pursuit of Bankai was not for herself but to gain greater strength to protect Yoruichi. How could such concerns compare to her duty to safeguard Yoruichi?
"Yes, Yoruichi-sama. I understand."
Soifon stood up, bowed to Yoruichi, and then turned to leave.
Yoruichi watched Soifon's retreating figure and gently swirled the liquid in her teacup, creating a tiny vortex. She murmured to herself,
"People's physiques vary, and some can even master their Bankai in the midst of extreme anger during battle. Soifon, for you to achieve Bankai, you'll likely need more training."
...
At Feng Ye's residence.
It was morning, and the sunlight shone warmly into the corridor outside the living room, filling it with a cozy ambiance.
On one side of the corridor, Feng Ye sat with a delicate, petite tea table to his right, bearing tea and sweets. Before him was a square board with a grid pattern, upon which black and white stones were placed—a go board.
With nineteen vertical and horizontal lines, go was the most prestigious and noble board game in Soul Society, beloved by the aristocratic class.
The beauty of go lay in its infinite variations and near-infinite possibilities, even beyond the comprehension of Feng Ye's current abilities.
Each of the 361 intersections on the board could be empty, occupied by a black stone, or occupied by a white stone. This meant that the number of different board configurations, calculated in the crudest manner, was 3 to the power of 361, far surpassing the total number of atoms in the universe.
While the actual number of variations was not quite that crude, it still approached an immeasurably vast number, far beyond what Feng Ye's abilities could currently perceive.
Hizashi sat across from Feng Ye, contemplating the board.
She had a gentle and dignified personality and had grown fond of the game of go after encountering go-related books upon entering the Seireitei with Feng Ye.
"...It seems I can't do it after all."
After contemplating the board for a while, Hizashi eventually shook her head in resignation. "As expected, I still can't beat you, Mr. Feng Ye."
Standing behind Feng Ye, Rukia wrapped her arms around his neck as she saw Hizashi resign by placing her stone. "This game isn't very interesting. Let's play Captain's Killer instead."
"Not now," Feng Ye replied with a smile, his gaze turning toward the courtyard outside. "We have a guest arriving soon."
Just then, Soifon's figure appeared in the courtyard and made her way inside, approaching Feng Ye. She bowed respectfully and said, "Kakashi, please guide me in mastering my Bankai."
Feng Ye took a sip of tea from his cup and regarded Soifon, who stood before him with closed eyes and a bowed head, her request made with sincerity. He smiled amiably and said, "Sure, but you can drop the 'Kakashi, Vice-Captain' formality. Just call me by my name like Yoruichi does, and I'll call you Soifon."
"Um... Thank you..."
Soifon straightened her posture, slightly turning her face to the side as she glanced at the ground next to Feng Ye, a hint of shyness in her eyes.
Soi-fon lifted her gaze slightly, looking up at Feng Ye, who was a bit taller than her. "If possible, I'd like to start now."
"Sure, follow me," Feng Ye said with a gentle smile, turning to walk out.
He had some free time anyway, and he didn't mind guiding Soi-fon in her Bankai training. After all, she had the potential to achieve it, and it would happen sooner or later. Plus, helping her with her Bankai training was a form of cultivation for him as well.
The next six months passed by as Feng Ye guided Soi-fon in her Bankai training and enjoyed leisure time playing Go with Hizashi.
During this period:
The acting captain of the 5th Division, Sosuke Aizen, successfully mastered his Bankai and passed the captain's test, becoming the official captain of the 5th Division.
Gin Ichimaru was transferred to the 3rd Division as the vice-captain, while Kaname Tosen became the acting captain of the 9th Division.
With the expulsion of the ten captain and vice-captain positions, Aizen was finally able to place his trusted allies in important roles within the Gotei 13.
Yoruichi didn't idle during this time either. She had been secretly investigating the truth behind the Hollowification incident and, at the same time, trying to track down Kisuke Urahara and his group in the human world.
Kisuke Urahara had gone into hiding, completely erasing his spiritual pressure and leaving no traces in the human world. Even Yoruichi's efforts turned up nothing.
In fact, after her fruitless investigation, Yoruichi suspected that Kisuke Urahara had deliberately left no clues for her. With his intelligence, he could have easily found a way to stay in contact with her.
However...
Although she hadn't found Kisuke, she had come across a message he left for her: Beware of Aizen!
"Sosuke Aizen... Was it him?" Yoruichi muttered to herself.
On the day of the Hollowification incident, all her investigations pointed to Aizen being within the Seireitei. Even with her suspicions, she had no choice but to temporarily rule him out. But the message Kisuke left directly implicated Aizen.
She trusted Kisuke more than Aizen, but if it really was Aizen's doing, there was something else she needed to test.
Swish!
Yoruichi left the place and headed back to the 2nd Division barracks.
Moments later, she arrived at a spacious underground area.
This was a secret training ground that Soi-fon had created within the 2nd Division specifically for her Bankai training under Feng Ye's guidance.
In the underground space, Soi-fon was on her hands and knees, gripping her Zanpakuto as she panted heavily. Her clothes were torn in several places, and her soft, jade-like skin bore numerous scars.
"Can you still take it?" Feng Ye asked calmly, standing before Soi-fon with his Zanpakuto in its initial form.
Soi-fon's chest heaved as she looked up at Feng Ye and said, "I still... can..."
"Soi-fon, why don't you take a break?" Yoruichi's voice came from above as she stood on a high platform, looking down at them. "I need to speak with Feng Ye about something."
"Yes, Yoruichi-sama," Soi-fon replied, letting out a breath and then making her way toward a distant hot spring pool. She jumped in with her clothes still on.
Feng Ye sheathed his Zanpakuto and joined Yoruichi on the high platform.
Yoruichi turned to Feng Ye and asked seriously, "Feng Ye, I want to ask you something. What do you think of the new captain of the 5th Division... Sosuke Aizen?"
"Aizen, huh?" Feng Ye replied casually with a smile. "He's a remarkable Shinigami."
As Yoruichi watched Feng Ye walk past her, she turned and continued, "Is he only remarkable? Don't you feel any threat from him?"
"Not at all," Feng Ye responded calmly. "Well, Soi-fon's training is almost done. She's ready to attempt to master her Bankai. I'll leave the rest to you."
Yoruichi furrowed her brows as she considered Feng Ye's first statement, but then she scoffed at his latter comment, "What? Are you leaving already after only half-training my Soi-fon? You should always finish what you start."
"Don't make guiding someone's cultivation sound so lewd," Feng Ye glanced at Yoruichi and said, "I have something important to attend to."
Just as he finished speaking, the Hell Butterfly he used for communication delivered a message: "Requesting backup! Encountered a powerful Hollow in the southern area of District 7 in East Rukongai!"
"Alright, I'm off," Feng Ye said.
"... " Yoruichi shook her head helplessly as she watched Feng Ye leave, then turned her gaze toward Soi-fon below.
Soi-fon had thrown her wet clothes out of the pool, leaving only her head above the water. She glanced up at Yoruichi, her cheeks slightly reddening, before looking away.
"Indeed, it seems she's about ready," Yoruichi remarked, sensing Soi-fon's condition. She furrowed her brows in thought and said, "At this stage, she should be able to use the Turn-Soul Body for her Bankai training."
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
