"Yoruichi-nee, will you still come back to the dojo after graduation?" Azashiro Kana swung her wooden sword at Yoruichi's forehead.
Both Azashiro Kana and Yoruichi wore headbands across their foreheads. The goal was to cut the other's headband with a wooden sword.
This was a required training exercise at the Katori-ryu Dojo. If a dojo became famous, there was always a chance of challengers showing up at the door.
In such duels, either it would be a deadly battle with real swords, or a pure test of swordsmanship. In the latter, cutting your opponent's headband with a wooden sword meant victory.
After all, if you could cut a headband with a wooden sword, it meant you could likely cut off someone's head with a real one.
"Of course I'll come. There's still a lot to learn from Sensei. I'll keep coming back until I wring him dry!" Yoruichi suddenly leaned back, slid in low beside Azashiro Kana, and slashed toward her forehead.
After the sixth-year combat evaluation, graduation was right around the corner. Their performance would determine which squad of the Gotei 13 they'd be assigned to.
"Won't you be busy carrying out missions as a Shinigami?" Azashiro Kana asked while blocking the slash.
"It's not like I'll be on missions every day. I'll have free time!" Yoruichi kicked backward, launching herself up. "Gotcha! Haha!"
She landed behind Azashiro Kana and sliced clean through her headband.
"I still can't beat you. You're amazing, Yoruichi-nee." Azashiro Kana caught the fluttering headband with a helpless smile.
"Obviously! I'm a graduate!" Yoruichi grinned.
"I'm kinda thirsty." Yoruichi walked over to Katori Nanatsuki and poured herself a cup of tea.
Nanatsuki smiled and asked, "Yoruichi, how's your Zanpakutō Meditation Training going?"
Yoruichi shrugged. "So-so. My sword is still mad at me and refuses to talk."
She had already established basic communication with her Zanpakutō and formed her Inner World, but they were currently on bad terms—the sword refused to tell her its name.
At that moment, a message popped up on Nanatsuki's Status Interface:
[Current cultivation quest added: Guide Shihōin Yoruichi in completing her Shikai training (In Progress)]
Nanatsuki suddenly felt a headache coming on.
The reason Yoruichi hadn't achieved Shikai yet was due to her strained communication with her Zanpakutō. That wasn't something an outsider could usually help with.
Then he remembered—he still had a lot of Zanpakutō Meditation EXP.
During Zanpakutō Meditation Training, using this EXP could strengthen the bond with one's Zanpakutō.
His connection with Kagehime was already so strong that even without entering his Inner World, he could speak to her directly through thought.
Only a handful of Shinigami with exceptionally close bonds to their Zanpakutō could manage that.
Because of that, he no longer needed his Zanpakutō Meditation EXP, yet he still gained more every time he attended class. At this point, he had stockpiled over 10,000 points with nowhere to use them.
Nanatsuki wanted to try using his meditation EXP to see if he could enter Yoruichi's Inner World.
Normally, a Shinigami's Inner World was completely inaccessible to anyone but themselves.
"Yoruichi, my Zanpakutō's ability is a bit special—maybe I can help. I've never tried this before, though, so I can't say for sure if it'll work." Nanatsuki planned to use his Zanpakutō's ability as a cover.
"Something's better than nothing..." Yoruichi nodded.
"Then come meditate with me in the quiet room." Nanatsuki stood up.
He brought Yoruichi to the meditation chamber, casually lit the incense burner in the corner, and soon the room was filled with curling smoke.
"You just go ahead and meditate." Nanatsuki released his Zanpakutō and made something up. "My Zanpakutō can invade all shadows. And there are shadows in the Inner World—I'll see if I can slip inside yours."
Yoruichi already trusted her teacher, so she didn't question it. She sat cross-legged, placed her Zanpakutō on her lap, and began meditating.
A few moments later, Nanatsuki sat cross-legged in front of her as well.
He placed his hand on her Zanpakutō and tried to inject his Zanpakutō Meditation EXP.
In an instant, Nanatsuki entered a deep state of meditation.
When he came to, he found himself in a picturesque mountain valley.
It worked!
He hadn't entered his own Inner World this time!
Yoruichi was right beside him.
"How did you get in here, nya?!" a panicked voice cried out.
Nanatsuki looked up and saw a black-haired girl with cat ears and a tail sitting cross-legged on the roof of the valley's only cabin.
"Tch, and here I thought you were mute," Yoruichi grumbled. "Every time I come here, she ignores me, but now that Sensei's here, she suddenly speaks?"
The cat-eared girl pouted and said no more.
Nanatsuki tugged on Yoruichi's sleeve, motioning her to cool it. 'We just got in here, don't make this harder!'
He jumped up onto the rooftop and crouched beside the cat-eared girl, smiling. "You're Yoruichi's Zanpakutō, right?"
"So what if I am, nya?" she answered.
She didn't actually dislike Katori Nanatsuki. If the wielder didn't lock their Inner World, the Zanpakutō spirit could observe the outside world—so she knew who Nanatsuki was.
Her dumb owner had nearly died in the World of the Living last time. If it weren't for Nanatsuki showing up in time, her grave might've had grass growing on it by now.
When a Shinigami died, their Zanpakutō also reverted to an Asauchi.
Nanatsuki decided to be the good guy. "Why don't you want to be friends with Yoruichi? Did she do something really awful?"
The cat-eared girl immediately began venting. "She said I was short! And useless! Who says that about their own Zanpakutō?!"
"I just blurted it out..." Yoruichi scratched her head. "But you are short. Your reach really puts me at a disadvantage in swordplay..."
"You're saying it again!" The girl's ears and tail bristled in rage.
"Alright, I'm not here to watch you fight. Yoruichi, if you can't say anything nice, then hush." Nanatsuki restrained the furious feline.
He turned to her. "A Zanpakutō and Shinigami are one. It's your most important partner. No matter what kind of ability it has, you should think about how to bring out its full potential."
"Short blades have their uses too. The Katori-ryu sword techniques, and the Raikiri I taught you, can all be executed with a short blade."
"You might not know this, but Katori Batsu'unsai's Zanpakutō remains in a naginata form after release. Many Katori-ryu techniques can't be performed in the usual way—but that didn't stop her from becoming powerful. She simply adapted them to suit her."
The cat-eared girl nodded enthusiastically, clearly agreeing with everything Nanatsuki said.
He shot a glare at Yoruichi, urging her to say something nice already.
He could tell—this girl had a childish mindset. She was easy to win over.
Yoruichi got the message and quickly pressed her hands together. "I'm sorry!"
"I was wrong before. I'll make sure to develop your powers properly from now on!"
"Please forgive me!"