A white beard hung before Suō Tsukasa's eyes.
"Stand up."
The Captain-Commander's voice rang out in front of him.
"Cough—!"
Tsukasa endured the pain and propped himself up. His steps faltered for a moment before he regained his balance.
"Who taught you your Genryu style?"
"Uh, my Hakuda instructor, Yuuki Shinnosuke."
"Shinnosuke—?"
The Captain-Commander repeated the name in his mind, sinking into thought for a moment.
The Genryu lineage had been passed down for a thousand years and had countless disciples. In those few seconds, he still couldn't find a corresponding face in his memory.
"Captain-Commander—is there a problem?"
Tsukasa looked at the silent elder with confusion. His Hakuda teacher had only ever been Yuuki Shinnosuke. He had always felt that Shinnosuke taught well and that he had benefited greatly from it.
Is it because my Hakuda performance was too poor?
Tsukasa began to review his performance during the assessment just now. But during the Hakuda portion, they had only exchanged two punches before he was struck down. Even wracking his brain, he couldn't see where the problem lay.
However.
To Tsukasa's surprise.
"You have passed the assessment."
The Captain-Commander did not answer the question directly. After granting the pass, he reached out toward the nearby stone wall.
Two blade shadows instantly flew out from the rock. The Captain-Commander's Asauchi landed steadily back in his palm and was sheathed, transforming back into a simple, ancient walking stick.
Meanwhile, Hikari' hovered in front of Tsukasa, its blade emitting a soft glow as if congratulating him on passing the trial.
This sudden turn caused Tsukasa to daze for a moment. Subconsciously, he sized up the Captain-Commander again. The old man's face remained as stern as stone, showing no emotion, yet the atmosphere around him seemed slightly softer than before.
It was too subtle; Tsukasa himself wasn't certain.
"Thank you, Captain-Commander."
Tsukasa decided not to overthink it. He gripped the hilt, returned Hikari' to its Asauchi state, and sheathed it. Clearing his throat and straightening his posture, he gave a solemn bow.
"Tsukasa, congratulations."
"I knew you could do it."
As soon as he finished speaking, Ukitake Jushiro's voice rang out beside him. He had been waiting at the edge of the rocky ground and immediately came to Tsukasa's side as the assessment ended. He reached out and returned Oboroyo to Tsukasa, his eyes filled with relief and pride.
"Thank you, Captain."
Tsukasa nodded and tucked Oboroyo back into his waist. His expression relaxed, and the pain in his body seemed to lessen slightly.
The Captain-Commander's deep voice rang out again, his cane tapping the ground with a clear thud.
"Suō, your aptitude and performance are worth refining."
"I shall give you two choices."
"First, transfer to the First Division and train under my command."
"Second, remain in the Thirteenth Division and receive periodic guidance as previously mentioned in the letter."
As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, he had his own considerations. While he appreciated Tsukasa's potential, he had no intention of stealing a subordinate from his own disciple. However, his daily duties were busy; only by keeping the boy by his side could he offer frequent guidance. Thus, he handed the choice back to the young man.
"Tsukasa, do not hesitate."
"Regardless of which division you are in, the path we walk is ultimately the same."
Though Ukitake felt a sense of reluctance in his heart, he still spoke up to advise him.
"I choose to remain in the Thirteenth Division."
After the previous trial, Tsukasa understood deeply how precious it was to receive personal guidance from a powerhouse like the Captain-Commander. However, he did not hesitate, for he had always known that the First Division did not suit him; it was contrary to his path.
The Captain-Commander's gaze lingered on his face for a moment before he nodded slowly. He appreciated that Tsukasa could stand so firmly by his decision.
"Since you have made your choice."
"Starting next month, on the first and fifteenth day of every month, come to the First Division dojo to practice."
"Let us go. It is still early."
"I shall give you some further guidance today."
"I obey the Captain-Commander's command."
"Thank you, Genryusai-sensei," Ukitake Jushiro stepped forward and bowed solemnly.
The Captain-Commander nodded slightly and led the two away from the area.
At the same time, on Sokyoku Hill.
On the towering rock platform, the air seemed to be brushed aside by an invisible hand, quietly lifting a transparent veil. Two tall figures appeared where there had been no one.
One had a kind and polite aura, his brown hair groomed meticulously. A pair of simple black-rimmed glasses sat on the bridge of his nose, and he wore a Captain's haori with a practiced smile on his lips.
The other moved with a relaxed and casual grace. Beneath a head of striking silver hair, his squinted eyes seemed to be smiling but not quite. He was dressed in a black Shihakusho, a lazy grin hanging on his face.
Whether it was their distinct facial features or the numbers clearly marked on the back of the Captain's haori, their identities were clear in an instant.
Captain of the Fifth Division, Aizen Sosuke, and Vice-Captain Ichimaru Gin.
"That was quite a show!"
"Captain Aizen, aren't you going to be short a Vice-Captain in a while?"
"I think that young Shinigami just now was quite good," Ichimaru Gin suggested casually, his hands tucked comfortably into his sleeves as he looked toward the spot where Tsukasa had just been standing, as if he had discovered an interesting trinket.
Beside him, the smile on Aizen's lips remained gentle. He lightly pushed up his glasses and said calmly.
"He is very decisive and has great potential."
He gently affirmed Tsukasa's performance before shifting his tone, though his voice remained as smooth as a spring breeze.
"However, Gin, Suō Tsukasa's brilliance is currently too bright. He is not the keystone required for the path we are taking."
Hearing Aizen's words, Ichimaru Gin's eyes grew pensive, though his tone did not change in the slightest.
"Oh my—I didn't think even this newcomer could escape your observation."
"To even know his name so clearly... and here I was prepared to show off a bit."
"It's just a pity—it would have been better if it were a few years later."
Gin's tone was light but meaningful. He had been personally involved in the "internship accident" of the 2066 Elite Class and had built it alongside Aizen; naturally, he understood the intent behind Aizen's actions. He was familiar with the resumes of every elite from the Shin'o Academy, and Suō Tsukasa's file was no exception.
One could say that if the gap between Suō Tsukasa's enrollment and the graduation of Abarai Renji's group hadn't been so close, and if he hadn't graduated so quickly, a similar "accident" would have eventually found its way to him as well.
"No. I have no interest in re-enacting the same game," Aizen looked up and glanced at him indifferently. He shook his head slowly, his gentle voice carrying a hint of boredom.
As a special guest calligraphy instructor, he had heard of Suō Tsukasa's reputation while the boy was in school. However, at that time, he was focused on the subsequent experiments of the Hogyoku and had no time to waste effort on an elite class student.
Thus, between one person's deliberate avoidance and the other's lack of focused attention, they had never met.
Now that Suō Tsukasa had formally entered Aizen's field of vision for the first time, he was accompanied by two Captains: the Captain-Commander and Ukitake Jushiro. Such a situation was not suitable for him to pour blood and energy into Suō Tsukasa.
"Let us go. A chance viewing of a drama counts as a bit of entertainment."
Aizen turned around, his haori cutting an elegant arc in the wind. Today, the two had been lingering near the First Division to handle important matters, but they had been unexpectedly drawn by the Captain-Commander's unusual spiritual pressure fluctuations, leading them to stop and watch this accidental assessment.
"We still have many unfinished matters waiting for us, Gin."
"Yes, Captain Aizen."
Ichimaru Gin chuckled in response and followed. His duty had always been only to obey, follow, and watch. As for what this Captain truly intended to do, that was never something he needed to question.
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A new Demon Slayer fanfic has been uploaded! Don't forget to check it out—it's really good and I think you'll love it.