Chapter 269: Come Tread on This Chancellor's Back
First Division, Main Gate.
Jūshirō Ukitake walked in with a smile on his face.
He was in a very good mood today.
The weather was fine, and his illness had lightened.
He felt comfortable all over.
In recent years, every winter, Satoru would come to the Thirteenth Division carrying Ryūjin Jakka, using its power to set up a year-round constant temperature barrier.
Thanks to this, he had spent the last few winters quite comfortably.
Although his junior brother didn't seem like it on the surface, he was actually a very considerate person.
He had come today to discuss matters regarding Shiba Kaien with his teacher.
Siba Kaien was a newcomer who had joined the Thirteenth Division just a few years ago.
Although young, the abilities he had displayed were already remarkably brilliant.
Ukitake felt that such talent should be put to use as soon as possible.
The problem lay with Shiba Kaien's identity.
As a descendant of the Five Noble Clans, whether, how, and when Shiba Kaien should be promoted all required careful consideration.
Acting recklessly based on whim would be interpreted as sending various signals.
Ukitake had no doubt that if he made an exceptional promotion for Shiba Kaien today, rumors like "Yamamoto Shigekuni's disciple secretly supports the Shiba family" would spread through noble circles tomorrow.
He didn't mind a little trouble for himself, but he was primarily concerned about causing trouble for his teacher.
Therefore, it was better to discuss Shiba Kaien's promotion.
As soon as he entered the First Division, he sensed two familiar Reiatsu.
Was the teacher sparring with Satoru?
Ukitake's lips curved into a smile.
Ever since Satoru joined their school, the teacher's life had clearly become more vibrant than before.
He himself was frail and sickly, rarely going out.
That guy Kyōraku slacked off whenever he could; unless Yamamoto gave an order, he would never voluntarily come looking for a beating.
Satoru was different.
Without the teacher having to say a word, he would come looking for a fight in his spare time.
Even if Yamamoto was unwilling and complained about him visiting too often, Satoru kept coming regardless.
Ukitake smiled knowingly at this.
Their teacher, despite his stern appearance, actually had quite a petty side to his nature.
Although the old man complained verbally, acting annoyed and bothered, he was actually quite pleased every time Satoru visited.
The teacher, who used to sit in his office every day, not crossing blades with anyone for decades, now fought heartily dozens of times a year.
He seemed to have regained some of his youth.
It was truly wonderful that the teacher had taken Satoru as his disciple.
With a somewhat emotional heart, Ukitake walked toward the training hall.
Speaking of his junior disciple... he sometimes envied him.
When he himself promoted a subordinate, he had to weigh the pros and cons.
But look at Satoru—whoever he wanted to use, he used, and there were quite a few noble children around him.
Yet none of the great clans ever suspected any conspiracies or ulterior motives.
Don't ask—if you do, the answer is simply, "Don't question Satoru's affairs."
If only he could live so freely...
...Hmm?
Ukitake suddenly halted in his tracks.
He looked toward the training hall, his expression turning to one of surprise.
Then, instinctively, he raised his arm to shield his face.
As he did so, a shockwave erupted from the direction of the training hall—
Whoooosh!!!
Ukitake's clothes were whipped wildly by the fierce wind, his long silver hair flying in disarray.
This was... Satoru's Reiatsu!
What technique had he used to create such a powerful aftermath?
He had seen Satoru's Sōkotsu before—though impressive, it was nowhere near this level.
Just as he thought to go and see what was happening, a warning bell rang in Ukitake's mind.
Not good!
Ukitake stepped forward, and a Reiatsu barrier shot up from the ground, enclosing the entire training hall.
The moment he completed this advanced Kidō, Yamamoto Shigekuni's Reiatsu surged into the sky!
The oppressive force was like that of a demon king descending, crushing the surrounding air until it creaked audibly.
Visibly, the scenery began to distort!
The teacher was serious?!
Why?
Ukitake was utterly bewildered.
Wasn't this just a spar? How had it escalated to this point?
BOOM!!!!
Under his stunned gaze, a figure burst through the roof of the training hall like a shooting star in reverse, trailing a brilliant light as it soared into the distant sky.
Faintly, a shout could be heard:
"What a terrible feeling!!!"
...At any rate, he was probably fine.
Ukitake wiped cold sweat from his brow and hurried into the training hall.
As soon as he entered, he saw the teacher standing in the center of the spacious hall.
The old man had removed the upper part of his clothes, revealing his robust physique.
Perhaps too excited from the fight, his muscles were swollen with blood, making him look twice as bulky as usual.
"Teacher?"
Ukitake called out.
Yamamoto turned to look at him.
"Jūshirō... You've come at the right time."
The old man pulled the clothes hanging at his waist and put them on.
"Send for Captain Unohana. Have her meet me in the study."
Captain Unohana?
Ukitake was momentarily stunned.
Noticing Yamamoto's movements, he realized something was wrong.
When Yamamoto pulled on his clothes, he used only one hand—the other remained completely still.
Looking closely, he saw that the forearm of that arm had turned an unnatural bluish-purple.
The teacher's forearm was broken?
Recalling the scene of his junior disciple being sent flying by the teacher, a thought involuntarily crossed his mind.
"Teacher, did Satoru... break your arm?"
He blurted it out without thinking.
As soon as the words left his mouth, Yamamoto's face darkened.
"That brat? How could he? Him?!"
"I was merely caught off guard for a moment... No, I was giving him a chance to see what technique he had developed!"
"You fool, why are you still standing there? Do you want me to go myself?!"
Ukitake's eyes widened, and he froze for a second.
He quickly nodded, "Alright, alright, I'm going right away!"
Turning to leave the dojo, his heart was filled with astonishment.
Damn... this junior brother is really something?
Did he really break the teacher's arm?
Though there were certainly factors like the teacher not going all out during sparring, wanting to see how much damage the student could inflict, underestimating the power of junior's move... and so on.
But broken is broken.
For an ordinary Shinigami, a fractured arm is nothing unusual.
But for the teacher, this is a "serious injury" that hasn't happened in centuries!
This junior brother of mine is becoming more and more astonishing.
Before long, Retsu Unohana arrived at the First Division.
After examining Yamamoto's arm, she spoke expressionlessly in a calm tone:
"There's no major issue, just a minor fracture."
"You handled it quite well yourself—the broken ends align perfectly without any displacement."
"I'll use Kaidō to treat it, followed by two weeks of rest for full recovery."
As she spoke, she raised her hand toward Yamamoto's arm and began the treatment.
Once everything was handled, she slightly closed her eyes, nodded to Yamamoto, and turned to leave.
After stepping out of the First Division's gate, Unohana slowly opened her eyes.
In them burned unconcealable excitement and anticipation!
Satoru...
This child had grown far beyond her expectations.
She originally thought it would take him three hundred years to reach the level she envisioned.
Never did she imagine it would happen so rapidly.
What a delectable fruit... if she could pluck it and savor it thoroughly, it would surely be bliss.
However, this delicious fruit had been cultivated through fists, not swords.
Without the prospect of mutual sword clashes, it still felt somewhat lacking.
If he could advance just as profoundly in swordsmanship, she would die content.
Unbeknownst to her, the brilliant star she had awaited for centuries had gradually dimmed in her heart.
Not because the star itself had changed.
In fact, the luminary she yearned for still shone brightly, even more radiantly than before.
But it was now eclipsed by another, more scorching sun.
This nascent star was illuminating her vision and setting her heart ablaze.
Retsu Unohana took a deep breath, suppressing her trembling excitement.
Satoru... grow faster, grow more magnificently.
I can hardly wait!
...
...
After discussing the matter of Shiba Kaien with his teacher and receiving permission, Ukitake left the First Division and headed home.
Midway, he was suddenly intercepted by Kyōraku.
"Jūshirō, Jūshirō, hold up, hold up!"
Kyōraku jogged over with chopping hand motions, completely devoid of captainly dignity.
Reaching Ukitake's side, he glanced around.
Confirming no one was nearby, he grinned and lowered his voice:
"Jūshirō, what happened with Old Man Yama?"
Ukitake pressed his lips together.
Kyōraku persisted: "Don't tell me nothing happened... Satoru's Reiatsu suddenly skyrocketed, Old Man Yama immediately flew into a rage and got serious—clearly he suffered a loss and is furious about it!"
"Nobody knows the old man better than I do, hehe."
"I sensed you were there too—what really happened? Out with it!"
Ukitake remained tight-lipped and silent.
Kyōraku raised his eyebrows indignantly:
"What's this, Jūshirō? Do you think I'd leak secrets?"
"I'm his disciple same as you!"
"Old Man Yama's like a father to me—his business is my business!"
"His honor is my honor!"
"Trust your senior! Trust the me who believes in you!"
Ukitake: "..."
He was speechless.
What absolute nonsense.
Finally yielding to Kyōraku's persistent questioning, he sighed.
"What I tell you must not leave this conversation!"
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed!"
"Earlier, Satoru sparred with the teacher..."
Kyōraku perked up his ears and nodded repeatedly.
...
...
Satoru returned to his loyal Eleventh Division.
This fight had been immensely satisfying for him.
Before the old man had flown into a rage, the sensation in his arm clearly indicated a fracture.
He had actually broken the old man's arm!
What a thrill!
The next step was to ruthlessly squeeze out some gold coins!
Hehehe… Kekekeke!
He raised his hand and examined the fingers of his right hand.
During the execution of the Triple Impact technique, a minor mishap in control had resulted in two broken fingers.
Fortunately, with Shadow Manipulation at his disposal, he had effortlessly pulled and secured them back into place.
Thinking back to the first time he used shadows to forcibly realign bones, the excruciating, heart-piercing pain was unforgettable.
Now, it was just a slight discomfort.
And even somewhat pleasurable.
Scratch that last line.
He flexed his fingers, made a fist, and after confirming everything was in order, nodded with satisfaction.
Keeping the shadows tightly bound, he only needed to wait half a day for the fracture to heal on its own.
The human body—isn't it marvelous?
Instead of heading to his large beast-skin throne, he returned to his study.
As he closed the door, Suì-Fēng's figure flickered into view.
"Lord Satoru."
Suì-Fēng knelt on one knee, paying her respects to Satoru.
Under Yoruichi's arrangements, Suì-Fēng had been temporarily relieved of her duties as the Punishment Force captain's guard and assigned to assist Satoru in the Eleventh Division.
Although Satoru had repeatedly emphasized that such formalities were unnecessary in his presence, Suì-Fēng merely paid lip service to the idea and continued as she always had.
"The Quincy, Bambietta Basterbine, has been returned to the living world."
"The vice-captains and high-ranking officers from all divisions have attended the lecture."
"The content of this session focused on how to minimize casualties during group encounters with Quincies."
"I have compiled the details into a written report, ready for mass printing and distribution to all divisions at any time!"
Hearing this, Satoru nodded.
Over the years, preparations against the Wandenreich had never slackened.
At regular intervals, Bambietta would return to the Soul Society to instruct the Shinigami on how to combat Quincies.
Initially, she had been somewhat reserved, feeling as though it was an act of betrayal.
However, under the collective "DIY" efforts of Satoru, Suì-Fēng, and Yoruichi, her body had become utterly dependent on these individuals.
Torn between the profound satisfaction and pleasure of her soul and her loyalty to His Majesty, she had chosen the former.
After all, it was Haschwalth who had betrayed her first.
Her actions now were merely returning the favor.
Satoru picked up the documents Suì-Fēng had organized and began flipping through them page by page.
Simultaneously, he asked, "Any news on the Wandenreich?"
Suì-Fēng shook her head.
Before coming, she had anticipated Satoru's question and had already inquired with the Twelfth Division.
"All shadow Reiatsu detection devices set up in the Seireitei have shown no abnormalities."
"The Twelfth Division believes the Wandenreich may have left the Seireitei and gone into hiding in the Rukongai."
Satoru clicked his tongue in annoyance.
The Seireitei was already vast enough that deploying a comprehensive detection system was nearly impossible.
If they expanded the scope to the entire Soul Society, it would be futile—abandoning the pursuit altogether would be more practical.
Over the years, he had also asked Yamamoto about the Wandenreich.
Yet Yamamoto seemed unwilling to discuss the topic.
Each time, he would brush it off with a few vague remarks, saying things like, "When they come again, you all handle the subordinates, and I'll take care of killing Yhwach."
To this, Satoru felt an urge to yank out the old man's beard.
Hmm… that actually sounded like a good idea. He'd have to try it when he had the time.
If all else fails, I can always team up with Ryūjin Jakka.
That rebellious sword has been itching to turn against its master for ages now.
With just a little prodding from me, it's bound to succeed.
The thought of that scene brought Satoru immense delight.
He stood up and stretched lazily.
"Attendant, accompany me back to my room."
"This Prime Minister is tired and needs to rest. You shall massage my back!"
"Apologies, you scum of a lord, but I still have official duties to attend to. I'm afraid I cannot—"
Before she could finish, Suì-Fēng was abruptly scooped up by the scoundrel and carried toward the room.
"!!"
Suì-Fēng's blood pressure skyrocketed.