The next day, Nanatsuki arrived at the Spiritual Arts Academy.
As soon as he entered the office, he noticed that his colleagues seemed to be talking about him.
That was expected.
Who would've thought that while others simply took a vacation, Katori Nanatsuki went off to fight in a war—as the Vice-Captain of Squad Four, no less.
Naturally, that made him the center of attention.
"Professor Katori is here!" Danmu Zōsuke waved toward the door. "Good morning, Professor Katori!"
"Good morning," Nanatsuki replied with a smile.
Danmu Zōsuke hurried over and slung an arm around Nanatsuki's shoulders, looking thoroughly amazed. "You sly dog! You became a vice-captain during your time off?"
"I have Captain Unohana's trust to thank for that." Nanatsuki walked over to his desk, only to find a large flower basket sitting on top. He blinked in surprise. "What's with the flowers?"
"The gate guards brought them in," Danmu explained, his face full of envy. "They said the Shinigami from Squad Four asked them to deliver this to you."
There was a card with a message of congratulations on it, practically overflowing with admiration. One glance, and it was clear how much they looked up to him.
Nanatsuki checked the names. Most of them were his recent Squad Four fanboys and fangirls. He hadn't expected them to be this thoughtful—sending the gift to his workplace no less.
"Professor Katori is incredible—he's already a vice-captain!" Shirai Riko exclaimed with awe.
She had been the one to register him when he first joined the Spiritual Arts Academy, and now he was already a vice-captain. His rise through the ranks was so fast it left others in the dust.
"Yeah, I heard from some classmates assigned to Squad Four that Professor Katori saved a lot of lives recently," added Professor Kobayashi admiringly.
"Now that you're a vice-captain, will you still be teaching here at the Academy?" Danmu asked the question that everyone was wondering about.
Nanatsuki's resignation from his vice-captain position hadn't been made public yet, so his colleagues were still unaware.
"I'm still the homeroom teacher for Class Two, and I can't juggle both jobs. So I've already stepped down as vice-captain—I'll be staying here to teach." Nanatsuki smiled warmly.
Everyone was stunned.
A vice-captain was second only to a captain in the Gotei 13, and even among peers, there were only thirteen such positions total.
And yet Katori Nanatsuki chose to resign… just to keep teaching at the Academy.
"Professor Katori gave up being vice-captain for the sake of his students. That's truly admirable!"
"Absolutely! I'm genuinely impressed—it's an honor to have a colleague like Professor Katori!"
"The Spiritual Arts Academy is an essential part of the Gotei 13's future," Nanatsuki said kindly. "We're all doing meaningful work."
His modesty only made everyone admire him more.
Danmu glanced at an empty seat deeper in the room and, seeing no one was there, changed the subject: "Professor Katori, I heard this year's Autumn Exams are tied to the selection of the Swordsmanship Department Head."
"It'd be great if you could take that position."
He really didn't want that job falling into the hands of Tsunayashiro Tokinada, who was rarely seen.
If Tokinada ended up as department head, he'd probably neglect the Swordsmanship Advanced Class—and the graduates' sword skills would likely suffer as a result.
"I'm definitely interested in that position. I hope I can continue teaching the Advanced Swordsmanship Class." Nanatsuki didn't hide his ambition.
Now that Azashiro Kana had achieved her Shikai, her Reiatsu was no weaker than Kuchiki Sōjun's. She still had a shot at being the top scorer in the Autumn Exams.
For Nanatsuki, becoming department head was far more valuable than holding a vice-captain position.
After all, department heads had a hidden perk—they got first pick when assigning new student classes in the future.
That meant he could maximize his chances of choosing disciples with true potential.
Just then, two more people entered the room—Ushada Hakugen, Head of the Kidō Department, and Nakano, Head of the Hakuda Department.
"Professor Katori, good—you're here. We wanted to discuss something with you," Nakano said with a friendly tone.
"Of course, go ahead, Director Nakano."
"Lady Yoruichi snuck off to the battlefield some time ago. Her family was quite upset and placed her under house arrest," Nakano said, clearly a bit exasperated. "They also invited me to help guide her training."
Nanatsuki's eye twitched. He'd thought it was a bit extreme for the Shihōin family to send Yoruichi to the battlefield so young.
Turns out, she had run away on her own!
That whole "my family sent me to train on the battlefield" line she fed him before? It was a lie—just to stop him from kicking her off the frontlines.
Yoruichi had already grown powerful, and even the other Onmitsukidō members couldn't stop her.
Nakano continued, "I taught Lady Yoruichi Hakuda a while back, so I know exactly what level she was at."
"I never imagined she would improve this much."
"I heard from her directly that her growth is thanks to your excellent guidance, Professor Katori."
Nanatsuki humbly replied, "Yoruichi has great talent and works incredibly hard. That's the real reason she improved so fast."
Nakano chuckled. "Lady Yoruichi is certainly gifted, but there's no doubt that your instruction played a key role."
"She's a bit mischievous—it's not easy teaching her."
"That you managed to become her teacher speaks volumes about your abilities."
"That's why I'd like to invite you to give a lecture to the Hakuda Advanced Class."
Nanatsuki immediately understood—this was an assist from Yoruichi!
Getting that first-time teaching bonus from the Hakuda class? Of course, he had no reason to refuse such a great opportunity.
"I'd be happy to. Just let me know the time, Director Nakano."
"Much appreciated," Nakano added. "Oh—and Lady Yoruichi also mentioned your skill in Kidō."
"After I spoke to Director Ushada, he also wanted to invite you to give a lecture for the Kidō Advanced Class."
The Hiryū Gekizoku Shinten Raihō Nanatsuki had used in Karakura Town had left a deep impression on Yoruichi, and made her respect his Kidō abilities as well.
Director Ushada spoke up. "Yes, I'm here to extend that invitation."
Like Director Yamada from the Kaido Department, they sometimes invited experts to guest lecture for their advanced classes.
And since Katori Nanatsuki was already an instructor at the Academy and had demonstrated sufficient skill, it was only natural for them to reach out.
"No problem at all—just let me know the time, Director Ushada." Nanatsuki was quietly elated.
Yoruichi really was his lucky star—back-to-back assists!