Hearing Yamamoto's command, Satoru's expression changed.
He raised a hand to his forehead and groaned, "I can't... Captain Unohana, I feel dizzy... seems like my previous injuries haven't fully healed... quick, take me back to the 4th Division..."
Retsu Unohana approached and examined him carefully.
Then she gave him a somewhat eerie smile.
She glanced at Yamamoto, shook her head slightly, and turned to leave.
Under Shunsui's sympathetic gaze, Satoru was taken away by Yamamoto.
Entering the dojo, Yamamoto waved his hand, and the doors closed automatically.
Looking at the slightly nervous Satoru, he got straight to the point:
"Boy, have you mastered that?"
"That?"
Satoru was momentarily confused before suddenly understanding Yamamoto's meaning.
He scratched his head, "Speaking of which, Captain-Commander, I actually have a question I wanted to ask you."
Yamamoto remained silent, waiting for Satoru to continue.
Under Yamamoto's gaze, Satoru removed the sword hanging at his waist.
Then he raised his hand and drew a circle in the air above his head.
With this motion, a soundproof barrier expanded, covering the entire dojo.
After completing these actions, he spoke:
"That night when fighting Yasushi Takada, I seemed to awaken my Zanpakutō's ability."
Hearing this, Yamamoto's eyes lit up.
Satoru had been practicing daily sword meditation with no results, making Yamamoto begin to doubt himself.
Had his developed sword meditation method been useless, delaying Satoru and preventing him from learning Shikai?
Now hearing that Satoru had finally achieved Shikai, the old man could finally relax.
"After release, it has three effects."
"The first is to send out my shadow as an invisible swordsman that silently attacks opponents."
"Using this, I successfully intimidated Rennosuke Kamikawa, making him forget to team up with Yasushi Takada against me."
"The second ability allows my shadow to merge with my body."
"The reason I could execute Sōkotsu was by using this technique."
"My shadow and my body simultaneously perform the Sōkotsu attack. Though it appears completely fused and synchronized, because light doesn't travel infinitely fast, the shadow actually hits the enemy about 0.000..."
Satoru rattled off a string of zeros until Yamamoto's forehead started twitching with irritation.
"...000 a few seconds later."
"That minuscule, almost negligible difference creates a gap between the two attacks."
"In this tiny interval, one attack becomes two, yet the two remain infinitely close."
"This special dual attack can inflict unimaginably massive damage!"
"I've been thinking, this shadow-merging combat style could probably develop other techniques. When you have time, old man, maybe you could help brainstorm..."
Yamamoto nodded. "And the third?"
"The third is simpler—it's about manipulating my shadow to perform actions outside my body. Like extending it to bind someone, fetch me a drink, or turn off a light."
Hearing this, Yamamoto looked puzzled. "These all seem like excellent abilities. What's the issue?"
Satoru spread his hands. "The issue is... it doesn't have a name."
Yamamoto's eyes widened instantly.
Unnoticing Yamamoto's reaction, Satoru continued, "I've figured out all its abilities, but I still haven't received its name."
"Honestly, I've never heard any voice from this blade."
"My powers all stem from this sword's shadow, but the blade itself hasn't changed at all... It still feels like an asauchi, not a Zanpakutō blade."
"Am I experiencing some kind of... bug?"
Only at the end did Satoru gradually notice Yamamoto's odd demeanor.
Under his astonished gaze, Yamamoto suddenly released his spiritual pressure, scanning their surroundings.
Only after confirming no one was nearby did Yamamoto slightly relax.
Then, the old man tapped his cane against the ground.
Multiple Barriers wrapped around the entire dojo, layer upon layer.
Now, not only would no sound escape, but even if a nuclear bomb detonated inside, the outside wouldn't feel a thing.
"...Captain-Commander?"
Seeing Yamamoto's actions, Satoru grew uneasy.
What was the old man planning? Had he violated some taboo that warranted being eliminated here and now?
Yamamoto gripped his cane with both hands, brows deeply furrowed.
After a long silence, he suddenly spoke: "Satoru, do you know where a Zanpakutō's name comes from?"
In truth, he didn't expect Satoru to answer such a question, so he continued immediately:
"All Zanpakutō—their abilities and names are determined when they form a connection with their Shinigami wielder."
"And these names and abilities are known to someone who has survived from ancient times to this day."
"Under that person's rules, a Shinigami can only obtain their blade's power by knowing its name."
"Naturally, the reverse also holds true."
"If a Shinigami possesses a Zanpakutō's power, they must know its name!"
"Satoru, do you truly not know this sword's name?"
Under Yamamoto's grave gaze, Satoru realized that his next answer was likely of great importance.
What would Yamamoto do if he nodded?
Though he had become Yamamoto's disciple, he had no idea how much weight that title actually carried.
If he admitted ignorance of his Zanpakutō's name—would it bring calamity upon the Seireitei, or even the Soul Society? Would Yamamoto kill him right here?
But if he claimed to know the sword's name, Yamamoto had ways to verify whether the name truly matched the blade. Wouldn't that be digging his own grave?
In an instant, countless thoughts flashed through his mind.
Yet in the end, Satoru helplessly concluded that none of the self-preservation methods he could think of would mean anything before Yamamoto.
Even if he could use spatial Kidō to teleport away, there was no way he'd manage it under Yamamoto's watch.
Five seconds after Yamamoto's words fell, Satoru finally steeled himself.
"Yes, Master Yamamoto. I truly don't know the sword's name."
As soon as the words left his mouth, Satoru couldn't help but tense.
If Yamamoto truly intended to strike, his only chance would be to trade what little intel he had on the Wandenreich for survival.
As long as he lived, he could eventually synchronize with Aizen's power and regain his freedom!
Hearing Satoru's answer, Yamamoto closed his eyes, expressionless, and fell silent.
Satoru stared fixedly at the old man, not daring to blink.
After a long while, Yamamoto slowly reopened his eyes.
Seeing Satoru's battle-ready posture, the old man snorted in amusement.
"Not bad."
"Though I don't know what escape route you prepared… in the end, you chose to tell me the truth."
"Not bad."
A trace of satisfaction flickered across his wrinkled face.
At the very least, this brat hadn't betrayed his trust.
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