"You did well getting rid of that Hollow, kid." – A sharp male voice rang through the place after the Hollow was defeated.
"A… talking cat?" – Ren muttered coldly, though he couldn't completely hide his surprise as he turned toward the source of the voice. On top of the wooden dojo wall sat a sleek black cat, its fur glossy and smooth, and its yellow eyes glowing with an uncanny intelligence.
"Ah... don't look at me like that. I know it seems strange, but you'll get used to it soon enough." – said the cat as it leapt lightly from the wall to the ground in front of him.
Ren didn't move. His eyes narrowed slightly as he placed his hand back on his sword's hilt. "Who are you? I don't recall ever meeting an animal with this kind of reiatsu before."
Although he recognized Yoruichi from the memories of his past life, he couldn't reveal that fact—especially since he didn't rely much on those memories, unsure whether Yoruichi was still the same person she used to be.
"Shinigami... or at least, I used to be." – Yoruichi said indifferently, her voice confident and deep despite her small feline body. She showed no sign of worry toward Ren's wariness; on the contrary, she sat comfortably on the ground as if she owned the place.
"I sensed the presence of that strong Hollow and came to eliminate it… but I didn't expect to find you already engaged in battle with it." – she added calmly.
Ren was silent for a moment before replying, "You were late."
Yoruichi smiled faintly. "Oh, is that how people say thank you these days?"
Ren closed his eyes for a moment, then said,
"I didn't need help. If you'd arrived just a few seconds earlier, you would've ruined my chance to test my Shikai."
"Hmm?" – Yoruichi raised an imaginary eyebrow, looking intrigued – "So that was your first time using Shikai?"
"Yorugami no Mikazuki, wasn't it?" – she glanced at his sheathed sword with a hint of admiration.
Ren opened his eyes, a wary glint forming in them. "You know quite a lot."
"I was watching, that's all. You're not the only one drawing attention in Karakura Town." – she smiled widely.
Then her tone shifted to a more serious one:
"Though your sword's ability to cut through space is impressive... your fighting style is pathetic." – Yoruichi's words were as sharp as blades, brutally honest, striking directly at the heart of the matter without the slightest regard for feelings.
Ren stared at her in silence for a few seconds, his eyes narrowing slowly as a faint spark flashed within them. He didn't answer, but her words felt like a slap—not because they were untrue, but because they came from someone who clearly knew what she was talking about.
"Is that how people say thank you these days?" – he repeated her earlier words with a cold calm, though without any mockery.
"I'm not here to flatter you, kid." – Yoruichi said as she turned around, pacing lightly across the dojo. – "You've got power, no doubt. But your form? Full of openings. You rely too much on strength over technique, and your lack of discipline makes you more of a danger to yourself than to your enemies."
"And what do you suggest? That I get trained by a talking cat?" – Ren replied dryly, though a faint hint of provocation was present in his tone.
Yoruichi chuckled softly, then glanced at him over her shoulder:
"You'd be surprised at how much this talking cat can teach you."
"Fine, let's see what you can teach me." – Ren said, trying his best to maintain his indifference, not wanting to reveal his actual excitement about the idea of training under Yoruichi – "By the way, I'm Kurosaki Ren. And you?"
Yoruichi smirked playfully as she circled around Ren with light steps, as if examining him with her glowing eyes.
"Yoruichi." – she said calmly, then added while sitting atop one of the wooden beams – "Yoruichi Shihōin… but just call me Yoruichi. We'll be seeing each other a lot soon."
"I see. Then, Yoruichi-nee-san... what's the next step? Will you teach me how to fight without leaving all those 'openings'?"
Yoruichi laughed again, the amusement clear in her voice—it was the first time she'd been addressed so casually.
"First, I'll teach you how to move. Your movements are chaotic and utterly impractical in battle. But that can wait until tomorrow. I need to prepare a few things."
"That works out. I'm not free at the moment anyway." – Ren nodded with some satisfaction, then added – "But how will I find you tomorrow? I don't exactly know where you live."
"No need to worry. I'll come get you tomorrow morning." – Yoruichi said nonchalantly as she leapt onto a nearby wall, then to a rooftop, and disappeared into the distance.
"..." – Ren stared silently at her fading silhouette, his mind swirling with unfamiliar thoughts.
"Sigh… Looks like the game has started." – Ren muttered as he stood up, the earlier Hollow's presence confirming that either Aizen or Urahara was watching him and had sent an Adjuchas-class Hollow to test his strength.
Although Ren was confident in his immunity to Kyōka Suigetsu's illusion—thanks to his [Spiritual Life-form] ability granting him complete resistance to mental control including hypnosis—even if he avoided that illusion, Aizen's raw power was overwhelming enough to crush him like an insect.
Ren wasn't arrogant about his strength. At best, he could fight on par with a Lieutenant right now—maybe defeat the weakest among them—but facing a Captain-level opponent was completely out of his league.
As for Aizen, who saw even Captain-level forces as mere ants, Ren had no chance, especially once Aizen fused with the Hōgyoku and became a true monster.
"I guess after I'm done training with Yoruichi, I should try to attain Bankai..." – Ren murmured while glancing at the system notifications, noticing he had two treasure chests—one from his father, and another from a mission.
Without hesitation, Ren opened all three chests.
[Ding!] Congratulations! You opened an S-Rank Treasure Chest and obtained: Spells Archive (Bound Artifact)
[Name]: Spells Archive
[Type]: Bound Artifact
[Description]: A book of unknown origin, bound to the soul of its owner, automatically stores any knowledge associated with spells the owner sees and allows them to use these spells without having to practice them.
[Ding!] Congratulations! You opened a C+ Rank Treasure Chest and obtained: Uchiha Ryū Kenjutsu
[Name]: Uchiha Ryū Kenjutsu
[Type]: Sword Style
[Description]: A sword style created by Uchiha Sasuke that relies on the speed of drawing the sword, as it is essentially an Iaijutsu style combined with Battōjutsu style.
"..." – Ren stared at the book in his hands containing the Uchiha Ryū Kenjutsu, and felt the other book resonating within his mind. He couldn't help but let a small, pleased smile tug at his lips.
...
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