Sora had thought he was in for a wonderful summer vacation.
He could guide his disciples in his free time, or perhaps take them for a picnic in the mountains behind the dojo.
But this idea was shattered by the old man at his gate.
"For the Head-Captain to grace my humble home, it is truly a great honor!" Sora said, glancing at Kyōraku Shunsui and Jūshirō Ukitake behind Yamamoto. He had a bad feeling.
None of the three were wearing their captain's haori, or even their shihakushō. They were dressed in ordinary civilian clothes.
Sora questioned Kyōraku with his eyes, and Kyōraku returned a look that said, "You'll find out in a minute."
Sora sighed helplessly and could only welcome the three into the dojo.
"It has been several hundred years since this old man last came here," Yamamoto said as he walked into the dojo. He recalled some old memories and sighed softly. "The last time I was here, it was to ask Batsu'unsai Katori to be the captain of the first 8th Division!"
To this day, only three of the original captains were still active in the Soul Society.
"But this place is much livelier than the last time I came," Yamamoto said, standing by the courtyard wall and watching the disciples train for a moment. He nodded slightly. "It seems you truly have a talent for teaching. These disciples are all quite good."
Batsu'unsai came out from inside and was also very surprised to see the three visitors.
"Head-Captain Yamamoto, Captain Kyōraku, Captain Ukitake, what brings you here?"
"This old man has come to discuss a matter."
Isshin Shiba noticed the commotion. He hadn't paid much attention to the unremarkable old man at first, but when he got a clear look, he realized it was Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni.
"Head... Captain!"
"You must be the boy from the Shiba family. Are you also practicing the sword at the Katori Dojo?" Yamamoto thought for a moment, remembering he might have seen him at the Shiba estate.
"Yes... Professor Katori's swordsmanship is much better than the Shiba family's!" Isshin said.
"The Katori style of swordsmanship is indeed extraordinary," Yamamoto nodded.
Nearby, Sōsuke Aizen had long since focused his attention on the three men standing beside his professor.
He had never seen them before and couldn't sense their hidden spiritual pressure, but their imposing manner made it clear they were not to be trifled with.
After learning the old man was the strongest captain in the Soul Society, Aizen began to size him up discreetly, secretly comparing him to his professor.
"I wonder if the professor could defeat Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni," Aizen thought to himself.
"I will not disturb their training. Take us inside," Yamamoto said, turning to Sora.
"Please, follow me to the tea room," Sora nodded and led the three of them there.
After they were seated, Sora poured them tea.
Yamamoto took a sip and then spoke. "I wonder if you know, the 'Genryū' dojo has a tradition."
Sora and Batsu'unsai looked at each other, seeing the confusion in the other's eyes.
"I do not know..."
Yamamoto had no intention of waiting for an answer and continued, "Back when I was teaching at the 'Genryū' dojo, I would take my disciples out on a study tour for a period of time every so often."
"A study tour?" Sora asked. "To visit various dojos and exchange sword skills?"
Yamamoto nodded slowly. "That is one part of it. Besides those dojos, there are also some renowned masters who are worth visiting."
Batsu'unsai had a flash of realization. "Oh, so it's that. I remember now. I have seen the Head-Captain bring the 'Genryū' disciples for an exchange of skills."
Yamamoto sighed with emotion. "Yes, your father was still around back then."
He paused, then continued, "After the 'Genryū' dojo was changed to the Spiritual Arts Academy, although I no longer took students on study tours, the habit has remained."
"This way, I can personally experience the things in the Soul Society that we as captains cannot see."
Sora understood. This was the Soul Society's version of an incognito inspection tour!
As a captain, if one only ever saw the information reported by subordinates, it would indeed be easy to fall into an information bubble.
Sora smiled and asked, "Then are the Head-Captain, Captain Kyōraku, and Captain Ukitake going on an incognito 'study tour'?"
Yamamoto nodded. "Now, every few decades, this old man goes on a 'study tour' to observe the state of the Soul Society."
Shinigami were long-lived species and were not so sensitive to the passage of time. This was even more so for an ancient Shinigami like Yamamoto. The "every so often" he mentioned meant every few decades.
He continued, "This old man thought that since it is now summer vacation, you probably don't have classes at the academy, so I wanted to invite you to join us for a while."
"You will surely bear the heavy responsibility of a captain in the future. Before that, it is very necessary to understand the situation in the Soul Society."
Yamamoto felt he had a bit of a master-student bond with Sora, and since he was certain to become a captain in the future, he had come to invite him on the tour.
Sora was slightly taken aback. He never expected Yamamoto to come and invite him on an incognito 'study tour.'
It was currently summer vacation at the academy, and his disciples at the dojo were no longer clueless beginners. Their training didn't require his constant supervision. He did indeed have the time to go with them.
"Since the Head-Captain himself has invited me, it would be disrespectful to refuse."
After a moment's thought, Sora agreed.
For Yamamoto to personally invite him was a sign of his high regard. Refusing would probably be a slight to the old man's pride.
Sora also went to his room to prepare, changing out of his dojo's instructor haori and his shihakushō into a set of ordinary clothes.
In addition, he prepared a cloth knapsack for his luggage. This bag had a reishi space inside and could hold many things.
After packing, Sora went to arrange his disciples' training:
"Isane, Sōya, and Lisa, your foundations are all very solid. You must practice the 'Shungeki' I taught you well. Train it until it becomes a neural-level reflex. The way you exert force in 'Shungeki' is the root of the Katori style."
"Yes, sir!" x3
Sora continued, "Isshin, I hope to see that you have learned 'Shunpo Iai' by the time I return."
"Sōsuke, I have no worries about your training. You can arrange it yourself. However, you must help me keep an eye on Isshin. He will definitely slack off when I'm not here. If you have time, give Isane, Sōya, and Lisa some pointers on their swordsmanship and Kidō."
"Rest assured, Professor. I will watch over them," Aizen nodded lightly.
"Is the professor going on a long trip?" Isshin cried out. "I want to go too!"
"You will practice your sword properly! You are the one who loves to slack off the most. Even Lisa, who started the latest, is about to catch up to your progress!"
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