It was Gosuke Shigure's deliberate decision to teach Shunkō to Soi Fon.
After all, even if he did not teach her this technique now, Soi Fon would inevitably grasp it herself in the future. At most, the path would be different, but the destination would be the same.
For Shinigami who had already pushed Hakuda and Shunpo to their limits, stagnation was unavoidable unless they sought a breakthrough. Once sword techniques were deprioritized especially for those who did not favor prolonged Zanpakutō combat—the options became increasingly narrow.
Kidō.
Shunpo.
Hakuda.
If one wished to advance further without relying on a blade, then the fusion of these disciplines was the only remaining road.
"Shunkō?"
Hearing the name, Soi Fon looked at Gosuke Shigure with unconcealed curiosity.
Gosuke Shigure smiled faintly and in the next instant, vanished.
A violent surge of Reiatsu erupted.
When he reappeared, lightning-like spiritual pressure roared around his body, wrapping him completely. Brilliant arcs of condensed Kidō energy danced along his limbs, crackling with restrained destructive force.
Yet
His Shihakushō remained intact.
Unlike Shihōin Yoruichi or Soi Fon herself in the future, Gosuke Shigure's clothing was not torn apart by the violent release of power. This was because the garment he wore had been personally crafted by Senjumaru Shutara of the Royal Guard, its structure reinforced to withstand extreme spiritual output.
Soi Fon felt it immediately.
The pressure.
The overwhelming density of Reiatsu compressed tightly against the body, controlled with terrifying precision.
Her pupils contracted.
"Kidō… enveloping the entire body?"
"How can something like this even be possible…?"
This was her first time witnessing Shunkō directly, and the shock was undeniable.
Gosuke Shigure calmly explained:
"This technique began as nothing more than a theoretical concept."
"Kidō is extraordinarily versatile. Among its many forms, some function almost identically to Zanpakutō abilities."
"From there, a question naturally arose. if Kidō can be channeled through a weapon, then why can it not be channeled through the body itself?"
He continued evenly,
"Yoruichi was deeply interested in this idea. Over many years, and with Urahara Kisuke's assistance, she refined it into a complete technique."
"To make it viable, existing Kidō formulas had to be modified simplified, compressed, and reshaped so they could circulate continuously around the body without tearing it apart."
"When activated, high-density Kidō surrounds the user like a storm. Mobility increases explosively, and every strike carries the destructive force of a Kidō spell."
"Because the spiritual pressure erupts outward like thunder, the technique was named—Shunkō."
During the explanation, Gosuke Shigure once again mentioned Urahara Kisuke.
Soi Fon instinctively suppressed her displeasure.
To her, Urahara Kisuke was the man responsible for Yoruichi-sama abandoning the Soul Society. No matter how great his intellect, that fact alone made him unforgivable.
So she simply focused on one thing
This technique belonged to Yoruichi-sama.
That was enough.
Gosuke Shigure dispersed the lightning around his body and continued:
"Because I witnessed Shunkō's development firsthand, I was able to master it as well."
"Now, I'll formally teach it to you."
For the days that followed, thunderous impacts echoed continuously through the hidden training ground beneath Sōkyoku Hill.
Fortunately, when Urahara Kisuke had constructed this place long ago, he had layered it with advanced barriers structures capable of isolating both sound and Reiatsu.
No matter how violent the training became, nothing leaked beyond the mountain.
No one in Seireitei noticed.
And no one came to investigate.
Of course, that was assuming Soi Fon did not suddenly decide to report everything afterward.
Shunkō was both difficult and simple.
Its difficulty lay in its brutal requirements
only those with exceptional mastery of Hakuda and Kidō could even attempt it.
But for someone who met those conditions, once the theory was understood, progress could be astonishingly fast.
The most obvious example was Shihōin Yūshirō in later years despite his youth and lack of formal captaincy experience, he mastered Shunkō after only learning the concept.
Soi Fon's foundation was already outstanding.
Within the Second Division, she had long been an elite operative capable of commanding units independently. Her Hakuda was ruthless and refined, her Kidō precise and efficient.
Especially after witnessing Urahara Kisuke pass the Captain Proficiency Examination and assume command of the Twelfth Division, she had trained with near-maniacal intensity.
If someone as seemingly lazy as Urahara Kisuke could become a captain
Then she had no excuse to remain stagnant.
Ironically, before Yoruichi and Urahara fled Soul Society, Soi Fon did not hate him.
On the contrary, he had once been a source of motivation.
If not for his escape with Yoruichi, if not for that betrayal
She might never have resolved to pursue the captaincy of the Second Division so fiercely.
After Gosuke Shigure explained the full principles of Shunkō, it did not take long for Soi Fon to grasp its fundamentals.
Her progress was astonishing far faster than Yoruichi's had been in the past.
But the comparison was unfair.
Yoruichi had pioneered Shunkō from nothing. Every formula, every adjustment, every failure had been hers to overcome.
Soi Fon, on the other hand, inherited a completed system.
Even so
Her talent was undeniable.
In the original timeline, she had reconstructed Shunkō purely from fragmented memories of Yoruichi's movements, later evolving it further during the Thousand-Year Blood War.
And unlike Yoruichi
She had no Urahara Kisuke at her side.
That alone spoke volumes.
As Soi Fon finally stabilized the flow of Reiatsu around her body, Gosuke Shigure spoke:
"Your strength has always been sufficient."
"Even without Shunkō, you already possessed a strong chance of passing the Captain Proficiency Examination."
"Now, with this, your odds are even higher."
"I've done what I can."
"The rest depends on you."
Soi Fon bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Gosuke-sama."
Though the training had lasted barely a month, Gosuke Shigure had given her something invaluable a technique that fundamentally elevated her combat potential.
If she succeeded in becoming the captain of the Second Division
Then at least half of that achievement would belong to him.
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