In the tea room of the First Division's barracks, Yamamoto Genryūsai had already prepared a special-grade Uihō tea, a gift from the Kuchiki family, after receiving the message from the Technology Development Bureau.
While it might seem odd for a teacher to personally welcome back his disciple, in Tokikaze's case—as the hero who saved the Soul Society—this level of courtesy was no big deal.
The fragrance of tea filled the air as the two figures, one old and one young, sat across from each other at the tea table, gazing steadily into each other's eyes.
...
"That's how the battle in Hueco Mundo unfolded," Tokikaze recounted the entire process, including Quincy's involvement, but he intentionally omitted Tsukishiro Sōya's fate—a small personal secret.
In many ways, Tsukishiro Sōya resembled Mayuri Kurotsuchi—both were obsessively fixated on their goals, often in a pathological way. This mindset usually had deep roots in their childhood experiences.
Tsukishiro Sōya had seen the rise and fall of his family, and after the traumatic death of his older sister, he mastered his Bankai, Rain of Jūjū, and slaughtered everyone present.
His sister's final words became his lifelong obsession: to uphold the duties of a Soul Reaper and eliminate all Hollows.
He chose a new path after suffering defeat and learning the world's truth from Tokikaze. However, his fundamental goal remained unchanged: fulfilling his Soul Reaper duty. This time, though, he placed his trust in Tokikaze.
In contrast, Mayuri Kurotsuchi was just born a madman.
"Quincy..." Yamamoto Genryūsai's half-closed eyelids lifted slightly like an ancient, slumbering lion suddenly stirred. A wave of killing intent emanated from him, chilling the room's temperature instantly.
His brutal spiritual pressure filled the space, causing the entire building to groan.
Tokikaze, slightly taken aback, stared at the older man before him. He had thought he had already estimated Yamamoto's strength quite highly, but he realised he had still underestimated it.
The limit of a Soul Reaper's power was far higher than he had imagined. He was just getting started.
"My apologies, I lost my composure," Yamamoto Genryūsai said, calming himself, his eyelids drooping again as he returned to his usual serene state.
"You should be aware of the Soul Society's war from long ago?" he asked.
Tokikaze nodded. "You mean the battle between the original Gotei 13 and the Sternritter? I've heard a little about it."
"Most of the original captains of the Gotei 13 perished in that battle, and the Quincy suffered heavy losses. Even Yhwach, the emperor of the Wandenreich, 'died' in that conflict."
He emphasised the word "died," not to remind Yamamoto but to remind himself.
Beyond Aizen, he needed to stay vigilant about the Wandenreich's threat.
"The Quincy in the living world did not participate in that war," Yamamoto continued calmly. "That's why they've been able to live as humans in the present world."
"But what surprised me was that the Quincy's abilities turned out to be Tsukishiro Sōya's natural counter."
"The outcome of this battle is sufficient for me to report an acceptable answer to Central 46."
Once Tokikaze confronted Tsukishiro Sōya alone, Central 46 lost any right to interfere with how the matter was handled.
As mere servants of the noble families, they had no business questioning their master's methods.
After this battle, Yamamoto's gaze toward Tokikaze was filled with even more trust.
It seemed his judgment hadn't declined with age. At the very least, his new disciple genuinely cared about protecting the Soul Society and maintaining the balance of the three realms.
With this thought, Yamamoto said, "Since this matter is settled, let's continue your training in Genryū. After all, you usually leave the Ninth Division's affairs to Lieutenant Matsumoto Rangiku and Third Seat Ise Nanao."
Hearing this, Tokikaze's eyes widened in disbelief. He stared at the old man, veins popping on his forehead as he stammered, "Slacking off doesn't count as being lazy… slacking off… Besides, can a captain's duties even be considered laziness?"
What followed was a series of hard-to-understand comments from Yamamoto about world peace and the balance of the three realms.
Even though his superior had caught him in the act, Tokikaze stood firm in his belief and vowed never to change.
After finishing their tea, they found themselves in a newly constructed dojo in the First Division.
Looking at the familiar architectural style and the extravagant materials, occasionally accented with costly Sekkiseki stones, Tokikaze knew the Kuchiki family must have funded this construction.
Even he had to admit that the Kuchiki family truly embodied the pinnacle of wealth.
The Kanemiyadai family might be wealthy, but compared to the Kuchiki family, who didn't even consider money to be money, they couldn't quite compete.
"The fundamental combat skills of a Soul Reaper are Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido," Yamamoto explained, removing his captain's haori. His Shihakushō was half undone, revealing a torso covered in deep scars.
Most impressive, however, was his muscular physique. His muscles were defined, like granite, gleaming in the sunlight with a metallic sheen.
Though elderly, his physique was even more intimidating than a young man's.
Just standing there, he exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"Hmm, what are you waiting for?" Yamamoto's white eyebrows lifted. "Take off your clothes too, or how else will you learn?"
"I have to strip too?!" Tokikaze hesitated, surprised. "Isn't this a bit…"
"Of course! If you don't, your spiritual pressure will tear your haori and Shihakushō apart."
Yamamoto explained, "What I'm teaching you today is derived from the Shihōin family's Shunko technique."
Reluctantly, under Yamamoto's urging, Tokikaze slowly removed his haori and Shihakushō.
He had some muscle, but his physique was lacking compared to Yamamoto's compared to Yamamoto. While he had a decent build, it couldn't compare to Yamamoto's imposing presence.
Yamamoto's physique seemed more likely to impress other men than women.
"A fragile body…" Yamamoto glanced at Tokikaze with disdain before snorting. "But your spiritual pressure is acceptable. You meet the basic requirements for learning."
"Today, I'll be teaching you Hakuda, or close-quarters combat! The technique is called Bone Flow!"
...
After a full training day, Tokikaze finally understood why Genryū hadn't become widely practised in the Soul Society. Even Yamamoto's prized disciples, Kyōraku Shunsui and Ukitake Jūshirō, hadn't fully mastered it.
The primary reason was Yamamoto's overly "hands-on" teaching method.
As Tokikaze donned his haori, he recalled the day's lessons.
"Come on, Tokikaze, get ready. I'll only use 30% of my strength with this move."
"Use your body to memorize and comprehend it!"
"Too slow! At this rate, when will you master Bone Flow?!"
"This next punch, 50% strength!"
...
Predictably, the dojo, which had only recently been rebuilt, collapsed again, leaving debris scattered all around.
Vice-Captain Sasakibe Chōjirō stood off, calmly noting the damage as he prepared to submit another deficit report to the Kuchiki family.
He had done this so often that he could probably do it in his sleep.
The First Division's atmosphere was getting more and more chaotic.
...
Tokikaze returned to his room at the Ninth Division barracks, collapsing lazily into the soft sofa like a dried-up fish.
The high-intensity battle had left him physically and mentally exhausted. While his recovery abilities were top-notch, the fatigue in his soul wasn't as easy to shake.
What he needed was a trip to the pleasure district...
"Captain!" A highly flirtatious voice suddenly interrupted as a figure burst into the room.
As soon as Matsumoto Rangiku entered, she noticed Tokikaze lying on the sofa, relieved to see him in one piece.
When he went to fight Tsukishiro Sōya in Hueco Mundo, she had been on an investigation mission in Rukongai with Ise Nanao. She had feared she might never see him again.
"Stop groping me! I haven't lost any body parts!" Tokikaze batted away her wandering hands. "I'm just a bit worn out, that's all."
After a thorough check, Matsumoto finally relaxed.
When she looked up, she saw that her captain had fallen asleep, his chest rising and falling softly, his face entirely at ease.
In front of Matsumoto, Tokikaze had nothing to worry about.
The trust between them had long surpassed most others.
Matsumoto gently lifted Tokikaze in her arms, cradling his neck and legs with practised ease.
"Sofas aren't meant for sleeping."
She said softly, "You might wake up with a stiff neck."
Carrying him through the corridor and into his bedroom, Matsumoto gently laid him on the bed. As she gazed at his familiar face, a small smile crept onto her lips as if she had just remembered something pleasant.
Then, she bent down and lightly kissed his cheek, whispering so softly it was barely audible:
"You've worked hard, Tokikaze-kun..."
The next evening, when Tokikaze awoke, he first poured himself a cup of Uihō tea.
There was hot tea ready on the coffee table in the living room.
Everything around him was spotless and perfectly in order.
If nothing goes wrong, something must have gone wrong.
Tokikaze tightened his grip on the teacup, pulling his robe closer.
If he remembered correctly, he hadn't changed his clothes before falling asleep.
And where did this rabbit-print pyjama set come from?
Only someone close to him could have known his exact measurements for something well-fitted.
"Gulp..."
Even after finishing the tea, his mouth still felt dry.
It seemed the situation was more severe than he thought.
Matsumoto Rangiku was nowhere to be found.
After asking around, he learned that there had been sightings of Hollows in Rukongai, and the vice-captains and third seats of Divisions 3, 5, 8, and 9 had all been dispatched to investigate.
"To think that Rangiku has grown into such a capable vice-captain..." Tokikaze sighed, feeling both proud and nostalgic.
He had no intention of interfering in the investigation.
With four divisions' vice-captains deployed, they should be safe unless they ran into an Adjuchas-level Hollow.
For now, Tokikaze had more pressing matters to attend to.
His training in Bone Flow had reminded him of something he had long neglected.
Now that he had some free time, he needed to put it on the agenda.
Changing back into his Shihakushō and captain's haori, Tokikaze disappeared from the barracks in a flash of Shunpo.
When he stopped, he stood at the Second Division's barracks gate.
Unlike the peaceful atmosphere of other divisions, the Second Division exuded an eerie presence. Black-clad officers moved silently about, never making a sound.
Standing on the rooftop, Tokikaze gazed down at the orderly officers below, pondering for a moment before deciding to... take the window route.