And so, Yamabuki Haruto spent the entire night tossing and turning, tormented by the agonizing question of whether he was truly a Shinigami or a Quincy. Just as he was about to drift into sleep, the door to his room was kicked open with a thunderous bang. He instinctively rolled and drew his sword, only to find Yamamoto Genryūsai standing in the doorway.
"Hmph! Good vigilance. You have not grown complacent due to your comfortable surroundings," Yamamoto nodded with satisfaction. Then, a strange look crossed his face. How did this boy's spiritual pressure increase so much overnight?
Raising a Shinigami's spiritual pressure is no simple feat; if it were, Captain-level Shinigami would be everywhere in Soul Society. There are many ways to increase it—rest, sustenance, combat, and communication with one's Zanpakutō—but it is a slow process. A Shinigami's spiritual pressure has a hard limit, one that can only be broken by transcending their own inherent nature, much like Aizen Sōsuke.
Yamamoto had never seen anyone's spiritual pressure rise just from a night's sleep. Haruto, seeing the Head Captain's intense gaze, felt a surge of panic. Had the Old Man discovered my Quincy identity?
"What time is it, and you're still sleeping? Get up and train with me!" Yamamoto's face remained stern, hiding his surprise. After all, many a genius has fallen to their own arrogance.
Haruto's speculation about his identity was just a guess. If he truly was a Quincy, why had the system given him a Zanpakutō? He didn't know that the reishi density in Soul Society far exceeded that of the Human World. An ordinary Shinigami's spiritual pressure would slowly rise just by being there, until it reached their natural limit. Haruto, however, with his "infinite" growth potential, absorbed the constant influx of reishi at an accelerated rate.
Gripping his sword and stifling a yawn, Haruto followed Yamamoto to the backyard training grounds. It was still early, and they were the only two present. He wondered what the Head Captain would teach him—swordsmanship, Shunpo, Kido, Hakuda, or perhaps a way to increase his spiritual pressure?
He was still pondering when Yamamoto approached with a sinister smile. "It looks like you didn't sleep well last night. Don't worry; if you can endure my training, you'll sleep very soundly indeed… and you may never wake up!"
Haruto instantly sobered up. What is this Old Man planning? Why is he saying such dangerous things?
Yamamoto drew his Zanpakutō, and a terrifying spiritual pressure instantly surged forth. "Today, I will teach you your first lesson: how to survive against a powerful foe! All things in creation, return to dust, Ryūjin Jakka!"
Only then did Haruto realize what the troublesome old man was about to do. "Wait a minute, wait a minute, Captain! At least let me prepare…"
"Take this!"
"Yamete!"
"Boom!"
At breakfast, Shihōin Chihiro couldn't help but let out a hearty laugh as he watched Haruto, charred black and walking like a zombie.
"You're still… laughing… I almost died!" Haruto croaked, a puff of black smoke escaping his lips. I'm just a kid! Do you know the psychological trauma of a massive Ryūjin Jakka coming down on you?
Yamamoto, however, didn't actually intend to kill him. A single full-power strike from his Zanpakutō would have reduced Haruto to ash. He sat nearby, eating calmly. "Hurry and eat. We have something to do after breakfast. A Hollow has been reported in Rukongai. Go investigate."
"Me alone?" Haruto asked.
"Of course, you alone. We don't have enough manpower right now," Yamamoto replied.
Haruto sighed, wondering if joining the Gotei 13 had truly been the right choice. After breakfast, he grabbed his sword and headed for Rukongai.
Rukongai is divided into four large districts: East, South, West, and North. Each district is further subdivided into eighty areas, with the main Shinigami story taking place in the eastern part. The Hollow this time was in Hishōzan, in the northern section of West District 3, which is relatively close to the Seireitei. With only four people in the Gotei 13, they couldn't manage anything too far away.
Haruto wasn't overly nervous. With his Vice-Captain-level strength, an ordinary Hollow would be no trouble. When he arrived at Hishōzan, he found the streets deserted, every house with its doors and windows tightly shut. He gently knocked on a door, and after a long while, an old woman cautiously opened it a crack, looking at him with frightened eyes.
"Excuse me, is there something you need?" She was nervous, likely mistaking Haruto for a noble from the Seireitei.
"I'm from the Gotei 13. I came to Hishōzan specifically to slay Hollows," Haruto said.
The old woman looked at him in confusion. "Gotei 13? Never heard of it! I don't know anything, don't come looking for me." With that, she quickly shut the door.
Haruto, having been given the cold shoulder, tried several more houses with the same result. The people were terrified, and most wouldn't even open their doors. Haruto fell into deep thought. This won't work! He knew that without the cooperation of the locals, finding the Hollow in such a large district would be impossible.
Just as he was at a loss, a barefoot child timidly walked over. "Excuse me, are you a noble?"
Haruto responded gently, "I'm not a noble. I'm a Shinigami of the Gotei 13, here to slay Hollows!"
Although the child didn't know what the "Gotei 13" was, his eyes lit up. "Then can you help me get Hana back? A Hollow took her. If you bring her back, I'll give you all the money I have!"