"Are you sure presenting him like this won't get you killed by Yamada Kiyosuke?" Tokikaze asked, glancing at the bald man beside him. "When I handed him over to you, he was just a little guy…"
He spread his arms to indicate the height.
Before Ikkaku could respond, a booming voice came from the crowd: "I will explain it to my brother Kiyosuke!"
"I'm strong now!"
"I'll definitely make him proud!"
Ikkaku crossed his arms, nodding with satisfaction. "This kid couldn't keep up with the training at first, but after he started using his Zanpakutō, he caught up quickly."
Hōzukimaru, his Zanpakutō, could absorb injuries and store the damage as energy for future attacks.
"Hanataro is one of the few in this batch who's mastered Shikai," Ikkaku continued. "He went from being the weakest to the strongest in the group—it's quite an inspiring journey."
"So, what do you think? Should we transfer him to the Eleventh Division?" he asked.
Tokikaze replied calmly, "If you're not afraid of Captain Unohana coming after you with a blade, go ahead and take him from her division."
Cough! Ikkaku almost choked on his saliva. "Yeah, maybe not."
He prided himself on being fearless, even when facing Tokikaze, but the captain of the Fourth Division, Unohana Retsu, was a different matter. She was the only one who truly scared him.
"One more thing," Ikkaku's expression turned serious, "When will our captain be released from Muken?"
"Three to five years at best, eight to ten years at most," Tokikaze replied dismissively. He had no intention of meddling in Kenpachi Zaraki's situation any further, and Central 46 wasn't about to release such a sharp weapon so quickly.
Perhaps if another rebellion occurred that the Eleventh Division couldn't handle, they'd release Kenpachi from Muken.
"But before we wrap up, why don't you show me the results of their training?" Tokikaze suggested. "They look tough, but I hope they're not just for show."
Ikkaku hesitated. "There's no suitable opponent at the moment. Should I have them fight each other?"
Just then, Matsumoto Rangiku appeared in a hurry using Shunpo. "Captain, signs of a Garganta opening have been detected in District 4 of West Rukongai."
"Orders from the First Division: we are to investigate."
Tokikaze spread his hands, gesturing toward Ikkaku. "Looks like we've got our opportunity."
…
District 4, West Rukongai.
With Tokikaze's current spiritual pressure-sensing abilities, the Hollow presence couldn't hide. It only took a little time to track down the group of Hollows that had "accidentally" wandered into the Soul Society, cornering them in a forest.
The creatures resembled wild wolves, their elongated faces adorned with menacing masks, their blood-red eyes locked on the approaching Shinigami, drooling with greed.
To the Hollows, the souls of Shinigami were far more delicious than ordinary human souls.
"Wolves and too little meat," Tokikaze surveyed the group of Hollows. "Don't disappoint me—or Ikkaku."
"Go…"
At his command, dozens of black-clad figures stepped forward. Their already intimidating presence grew fiercer as they faced their enemies.
The Ninth Division members stared down the Hollows, their faces twisting into ferocious smiles that mirrored, if not surpassed, the greed of the wolf-like Hollows.
Under Ikkaku's leadership, they had learned to enjoy the thrill of combat, indulging in the bloodlust that came with it.
In an instant, the roles of hunter and prey were reversed, and the air was thick with the scent of impending bloodshed.
Clang!
Blades were drawn, and the faint smell of iron filled the damp forest air.
The wolf-hollows, sensing danger, grew tense, a rare hint of fear flickering in their crimson eyes. Despite their numbers, they now faced an overwhelming threat.
The battle erupted instantly, with the Shinigami launching ferocious attacks, shattering the Hollow formation and splitting them into more minor fighting.
Blood splattered and sprayed. Large chunks of flesh were torn apart by the blades, revealing stark white bones beneath.
The scent of blood further heightened the Shinigami's already feral instincts, driving their attacks to an even more savage level.
"After that day," Ikkaku's expression was calm, his voice devoid of emotion, "I came to a realization."
"Our captain's fighting style doesn't suit everyone. Even the Shinigami of the Eleventh Division struggle to adapt to such beastly combat."
"So, while training these guys, I deliberately taught them all the tactics and techniques I'd memorized."
"Now, after my guidance, they've become true warriors, capable of standing on their own!"
Amid the battle, Hanataro's fighting style was incredibly terrifying. He fought recklessly, exchanging injury for injury and life for life.
His mastery of Shunpo and Hakuda made him fight like a beast.
Hanataro plunged both hands into the belly of a wolf-Hollow, allowing other Hollows to tear into his body as he ripped the creature apart with a sickening tear.
Blood rained down, soaking the ground, as Hanataro bathed in it, his aura becoming even more monstrous.
Even Tokikaze couldn't help but wince at the sight.
He now seriously suspected that Yamada Kiyosuke might chop Ikkaku to pieces. His once timid brother, while weak-willed, was still a human being. But now, after this training, only his appearance remained human.
After dispatching the Hollow in his hands, Hanataro grinned wickedly at the two other wolf-Hollows biting into him. He placed his large hands on their heads.
With a sickening crack, their skulls shattered under the force of his grip.
No cries of pain—just instant death.
By this point, Hanataro's Shinigami uniform was in tatters, with large chunks of flesh missing from his body. He looked like a ragged doll but didn't seem to care.
With a calm expression, he withdrew his already-released Hōzukimaru and, under Tokikaze's astonished gaze, stabbed it into his chest.
In an instant, Hōzukimaru emitted a powerful spiritual pressure, and Hanataro's injuries began healing visibly.
The blade's glow grew even more intense.
Once fully healed, Hanataro pulled Hōzukimaru from his chest and turned his gaze toward the struggling Hollows.
"Overflow, Hōzukimaru!"
With a loud chant, a crescent-shaped crimson energy slash erupted from the blade, hurtling toward the Hollows.
Boom!
The decisive strike cleaved several Hollows in half, instantly relieving the pressure on the battlefield.
This attack seemed to signal a full-on offensive as the already-frenzied Shinigami ramped up their assaults, the sound of flesh being torn apart filling the air.
Half an hour later, the battle was over.
The once peaceful forest had turned into a blood-soaked hell, with severed limbs scattered everywhere.
All the Ninth Division members had sustained light injuries.
Ikkaku had claimed to have taught them combat tactics, but the profoundly ingrained savage fighting style couldn't be erased.
For them to come away with only light injuries was enough to impress Tokikaze.
…
Fourth Division Quarters.
General Infirmary.
Yamada Kiyosuke tilted his head, staring at the figure before him with one eye squinting. He was seriously beginning to suspect that his brother had died during Ikkaku's hellish training and that this was just someone from the Eleventh Division sent to fool him.
Cough. "Look closely—it's Hanataro."
Tokikaze gestured. "Show your brother your Zanpakutō."
A short surgical blade was presented.
At that moment, Yamada Kiyosuke's eyes widened, his pupils shrinking in shock. It took him a moment to accept what he was seeing.
"Before coming to the Fourth Division, he personally killed six Hollows," Tokikaze sighed. "In close combat, your vice-captain might not even be able to beat Hanataro."
"For what you asked me to do, he's more than surpassed expectations."
"That's… beyond the mark…" Yamada Kiyosuke's deadpan eyes stared as he tried to process that his timid brother had turned into a berserker.
"Hanataro staying in the Fourth Division would be a waste now," Tokikaze proposed. "If you don't mind, I'll bring him back to the Ninth Division, where he'll serve as the Sixth Seat."
"He'll also lead the group of Shinigami who underwent Ikkaku's special training."
Yamada Kiyosuke fell into deep thought.
There was no doubt that the Fourth Division was the safest place.
His original goal had been for Hanataro to "slightly" change his personality and no longer be as cowardly as he once was—at least not enough to be bullied by the other Shinigami.
But now, it seemed the change had gone a bit too far.
Yamada Kiyosuke looked at his brother and asked, "Hanataro, what do you think?"
Hearing this, Hanataro flexed his arms, his muscles rippling with power.
"I-I prefer my life as it is now..."
"Alright, alright, stop showing off," Yamada Kiyosuke said, unable to bear watching any longer, feeling his eyes twitch. "Since that's your choice, I have no objections."
Because the Fourth Division had an abundance of members, transfers were a minor issue, and Yamada Kiyosuke, as vice-captain, had the authority to handle such matters.
Moreover, knowing the close relationship between Tokikaze and Unohana Retsu, he didn't feel the need to go through any additional formalities.
After quickly processing the transfer paperwork, Tokikaze was about to find Unohana Retsu when the communicator in his pocket suddenly rang.
"Hello, Captain Tokikaze."
Mayuri Kurotsuchi's eerie voice came through. "Something's happened—someone has discovered a large Hollow nest in Hueco Mundo..."