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Chapter 2 - Chapter 1: Katori Batsu'Unsai

In the backyard of the Katori-ryu Dojo, a red maple tree of unknown age stood quietly by the wall.

Katori Natsuki's left hand tightly grasped the scabbard at his waist, his thumb resting on the hilt.

The wind blew through the treetops, and the maple leaves swayed gently with the rhythm of the breeze. Several leaves broke free from their branches, carried upward by the gust.

In that instant, a flash of steel illuminated the yard.

One floating maple leaf split perfectly in half, the two pieces drifting down to join the others carpeting the ground.

Katori Natsuki turned his wrist and sheathed his sword, then counted the bisected leaves at his feet.

His tally revealed one leaf remained uncut.

He had missed his mark today.

"I lost focus, so my technique suffered," Natsuki thought with disappointment.

A medicinal aroma wafted from the kitchen - the herbal decoction was ready and needed to be delivered.

Moments later…

Natsuki carried a bowl of steaming medicine, its potent spiritual energy palpable, to the left wing's chamber. When he opened the door, he found the ailing beauty already awake.

"Is it time for my medicine already?"

As Natsuki entered, the sickly woman - Katori Batsu'unsai, former captain of the 8th Division - had roused herself. Her pale, delicate features showed no trace of a captain-level Shinigami's usual vigor.

Natsuki lit the table lamp, brightening the room slightly.

"The medicine is prepared," he said, presenting the decoction to Batsu'unsai.

After drinking, some color gradually returned to her complexion. Following a brief rest, her spiritual pressure stabilized somewhat, allowing Natsuki to relax slightly.

"How many days has this illness lasted?" Batsu'unsai mused, having lost count of her doses. "This episode feels particularly prolonged. I wish to walk about - assist me." Though weak, her melodious voice reminded Natsuki of his favorite voice actress from his previous life, Kiritani Hana.

She extended her arms toward him like a child requesting to be carried.

"Thirty-two days now," Natsuki replied as he helped Batsu'unsai rise. Each visit to Captain Unohana's 4th Division pharmacy yielded a week's medicine - this marked his fifth trip during this bout.

"My condition worsens. Previous episodes required only twenty days' rest…" Batsu'unsai met Natsuki's gaze. "Natsuki, I'm fine."

"Do you take me for a fool?" Natsuki countered wearily.

Batsu'unsai's deterioration was undeniable - each recurrence demanded longer recovery periods than the last.

The Reiryoku Core, foundation of spiritual existence, had sustained irreparable damage from centuries of warfare. Even Kaidō, the healing arts, couldn't restore what was lost.

Unohana Retsu, 4th Division captain and the Gotei 13's foremost healer, could only suppress the symptoms temporarily. With time, the core's degradation would inevitably progress. Now that Batsu'unsai's condition had worsened again, even Unohana's expertise might prove insufficient.

"By my reckoning, a year has passed since my resignation, hasn't it?"

Batsu'unsai gathered her straight black hair, securing it with a red cord into a long braid. Normally she wore it up, but her prolonged bedrest had left it unbound. The braid now draped over her right shoulder, accentuating her figure.

She tied a white satin sash around her slender waist, knotting it neatly in front.

Their facial resemblance was striking, with only subtle differences in their eyes and brows. Natsuki's sharp features exuded martial vigor, while Batsu'unsai's delicate beauty carried gentle elegance.

This likeness had connected them ten years prior when Natsuki, newly arrived in this world, wandered Rukongai. There he encountered Katori Batsu'unsai during one of her Rukongai missions. Seeing their similarity, she adopted him as her younger brother.

For a decade since, Natsuki had trained under her in Katori-ryu swordsmanship.

"Two weeks remain until the full year," Natsuki answered, retrieving her glasses from the bedside and handing them to her.

As Batsu'unsai's health declined and her strength waned, she could no longer maintain her captaincy. Last year she formally resigned to convalesce at home.

Witnessing Batsu'unsai's suffering, Natsuki had devoted himself to studying Kaidō. Yet even his diligent practice could only alleviate her pain during flare-ups - the 4th Division's master healers couldn't cure her condition, let alone an amateur like himself.

"How progresses your training?" Batsu'unsai asked, donning her glasses.

"Nearing completion, though occasionally my strikes miss when my tactile focus wavers," Natsuki replied as he took the haori from its stand and draped it over her shoulders.

"Your progress is commendable," Batsu'unsai said after adjusting her glasses. "When Ayane visited recently, she mentioned the Shin'ō Academy requires a new swordsmanship instructor. I recommended you for the position."

Ayane, formerly Batsu'unsai's lieutenant and now the Academy's dean, had come while Natsuki was away collecting medicine. Though he'd missed this visit, he'd met her during previous check-ins and was reasonably familiar with her.

"An instructor at Shin'ō Academy? But the dojo…" Natsuki hesitated.

After Batsu'unsai's health failed, even managing 8th Division affairs became burdensome, leaving no energy for the dojo. The Katori-ryu dojo had stood abandoned for years, its legacy entrusted to Natsuki.

"Natsuki, while I would rejoice to see you reopen our dojo, without sufficient strength to sustain it, the effort would be futile. Even if restored, few students would come now," Batsu'unsai said gently. "My spiritual pressure develops too sluggishly, severely limiting my growth," Natsuki admitted.

Having watched Bleach in his previous life (though some details grew hazy), he remembered enough to know impending crises would soon threaten Soul Society. This knowledge drove his relentless training—his swordsmanship now rivaled veteran Shinigami, yet his spiritual pressure remained at low-ranking levels.

"You've been a Shinigami briefly—spiritual power accumulates gradually," Batsu'unsai reassured before continuing, "However, your current swordsmanship qualifies you to teach at Shin'ō Academy. If you seek promising students throughout Soul Society, no better hunting ground exists than the Academy. Perhaps you'll find suitable candidates for our style there."

"Very well. Additional income would help regardless - we still owe Captain Unohana considerable debts," Natsuki conceded.

The medicines stabilizing damaged Reiryoku Cores were exorbitantly expensive. Batsu'unsai's lifetime savings couldn't cover the costs, leaving them deeply indebted.

Suddenly, text materialized before Natsuki's eyes. Focusing made the words resolve clearly:

[Katori Batsu'unsai's recommendation accepted. Teacher System activated.]

[Teach students to receive feedback rewards.]

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