A long while later.
In the underground training ground.
"Ah?!"
Looking at the small cabin and hot spring nestled in the underground space, along with several newly transplanted bamboo shoots stubbornly poking their heads out by the water's edge, Ukitake Jushiro was stunned.
What lay before him was a meticulously constructed, cozy little world of tranquility. He froze in place, his mouth hanging open in surprise.
"Captain, this place is—"
However, as soon as Suō Tsukasa started to speak, he was interrupted.
"It's alright, Tsukasa. Everyone has their own secrets."
"I am very happy that you were willing to share this secret base with me," Ukitake Jushiro said with a gentle smile.
Not every mystery requires an answer. Feeling the Reishi enriched within the hot spring, he already understood the significance of Suō Tsukasa coming here.
"Captain, here is a towel. Why don't you soak for a bit as well?"
"Even if it might not do much for your health, it's good to relax the body."
Tsukasa unfastened his sword, shed his blood-stained Shihakusho, and turned back to the cabin to grab two towels. Fortunately, he had never intended to keep this underground space entirely to himself and had stocked up on plenty of supplies in the cabin beforehand.
"Then I shall accept your kind offer."
Ukitake Jushiro took the towel. Looking at the sincere face of the youth before him, a warm feeling welled up in his heart.
After a while.
The two submerged their shoulders together into the spring.
"Tsukasa, I'm sorry. I didn't frighten you earlier, did I?"
Ukitake Jushiro noticed that Tsukasa's gaze had lingered on his back just now. Assuming the boy was confused by the unique tattoo of the One-Eyed God on his back, he spoke apologetically.
Tsukasa shook his head slowly.
"No... I just thought the totem was very special."
The impact of the totem wasn't actually that great. The pitch-black design carried a hint of eeriness, but it wasn't so grotesque as to make one lose their sanity at a single glance.
"This is the totem of Mimihagi-sama."
"I have been frail and sickly since childhood. I have only managed to survive until now by offering all my internal organs to the Great One through a ritual."
"Though life has been a bit of a struggle these years, I can still manage to hold on."
Ukitake Jushiro's voice sounded exceptionally calm amidst the mist. He reached up to lightly touch the totem on his back, his face carrying the piety of one who had entered a covenant with a god.
"So that's how it is," Suō Tsukasa replied, nodding nonchalantly.
He knew far more than just Mimihagi; he was even well aware of the origins of the Kamikake ritual. However, his current strength was meager. Even knowing all this, he couldn't change anything.
In the end, he was still too weak.
But he wouldn't berate himself for his current powerlessness. Suō Tsukasa had always possessed a high degree of self-awareness; this clarity had accompanied him throughout his growth. He had only just crossed the threshold of a Lieutenant; thinking about changing the future now would be overestimating his own abilities.
Nor was he so narcissistic as to believe that every future event had to rely on him for a resolution. Of course, it couldn't be denied that once he possessed sufficient strength in the future, he would inevitably become a key existence on the battlefield.
If circumstances allowed, he would certainly make some changes for his own personal reasons.
"Your recovery ability is even more extraordinary than I imagined."
"Is it the power of Hikari'?"
Ukitake Jushiro had also noticed the faint sun pattern on Tsukasa's chest. Despite withstanding hundreds of strikes from the Captain-Commander's blade today, not a single wound remained on Tsukasa's body. As the warm spring water flowed over him, the traces of mangled flesh had long since vanished.
Tsukasa placed his left hand over his chest. Recalling the Captain-Commander's instruction, he said with lingering fear:
"Yes. If not for Hikari' today, I wouldn't have been able to endure so many rounds."
"I still need to work harder to truly master the full power of my Zanpakuto."
Beside him, Ukitake Jushiro nodded slightly. The hazy steam made his already gentle voice sound even more ethereal as he spoke.
"The journey from Shikai to Bankai is a very long process. It might take ten years or even longer."
"The training for Bankai lies in the materialization of the Zanpakuto's physical form and gaining their true, heartfelt submission."
"Usually, combat strength after Bankai can increase by five to ten times. The consumption of Spiritual Pressure is the same, sometimes even exceeding the multiplier of the increase, making it extremely difficult to control."
"My suggestion is for you to wait until your Spiritual Might reaches at least Grade 4 before attempting to begin Bankai training."
Through a full day of observation, he had estimated the state of Suō Tsukasa's Spiritual Pressure and made his judgment accordingly. Theoretically, one needs Grade 3 Spiritual Might to support the consumption of Bankai.
But there are always exceptions. Although Suō Tsukasa's Spiritual Might was only Grade 5, the quantity of his Spiritual Pressure and his recovery ability had already surpassed the level of an ordinary Lieutenant.
"I understand, Captain," Tsukasa responded in a deep voice.
Though he desired it in his heart, he knew that Bankai was a classic high-risk, high-reward ability. If one lacked sufficient Spiritual Pressure, then no matter how powerful the Bankai's ability was, it would be difficult to truly unleash its might.
This world, after all, still relies on Spiritual Pressure to do the talking.
"Good."
Time passed slowly. The spring water flowed quietly.
After hosting the Captain for dinner in the cabin, Suō Tsukasa escorted him to the exit. Afterward, the entire underground space was once again left to Tsukasa alone.
Sitting on his bedding, the mental fatigue accumulated during the day washed over him like a tide. Tonight, he only completed the most basic evening cultivation before resting early.
In the blink of an eye, a few more days passed.
The sunlight was just right. Suō Tsukasa's daily routine had gained a new segment: reading while basking in the sun.
During this period, he had slowed down his cultivation pace slightly. The Spiritual Pressure increase brought by high-intensity Kido training was substantial, but it had also placed a great burden on his body.
Despite the recovery ability provided by Hikari', a few days ago, his Saketsu and Hakusui—the two vital junctions for generating spiritual power—had signaled him that they were overstrained.
On the second night after returning from the First Division, a faint, stabbing pain from those points forced him to terminate that night's Kurohitsugi training. He realized clearly that if he continued to practice so immoderately, he might unknowingly leave behind hidden injuries that would be difficult to heal.
The path of cultivation is never achieved overnight; the body is the foundation.
And today, Kotetsu Kiyane, whom Suō Tsukasa had been waiting for, was finally finishing her one-month stationing mission in the World of the Living.
This was a perfect opportunity. He could ask her to help introduce him to the Fourth Division, while also getting a comprehensive physical examination.
That night, Suō Tsukasa held a private welcome-back feast for her in his small courtyard. This was strongly requested by Kotetsu Kiyane because Tsukasa and the others had held a feast while she was away. Furthermore, she had brought him the handheld game console he wanted, so she insisted on having this exclusive meal.
In the courtyard.
Kotetsu Kiyane finished the last sip of soup from her bamboo cup in one go, exhaling a long sigh of satisfaction with a hearty smile on her face.
"I'm satisfied, I'm satisfied!"
She set down the bamboo cup and immediately remembered another crucial matter, adding, "Tsukasa, I can only give you the handheld console in a couple of days. The Twelfth Division's efficiency isn't that fast; there's a queue."
"It's fine, Kiyane-san."
"Regarding my cultivation, there's something I'd like to ask your help with."
Suō Tsukasa briefly explained his need for medicinal herbs and the anomaly in his body before making his request.
"I know that the Lieutenant of the Fourth Division, Kotetsu Isane, is your elder sister. I'd like to ask you to introduce me to her."
"The Saketsu and Hakusui? That's no small matter!"
The smile on Kotetsu Kiyane's face vanished instantly. She leaned forward, her expression full of surprise.
"The pain hasn't reappeared since I've been resting for a few days."
"Just to be safe, I want to do a full check-up," Tsukasa explained.
"Leave it to me!"
"I'll take you to see my sister first thing tomorrow morning."
Kotetsu Kiyane patted her chest and agreed readily.