"Haah!"
In the training ground, Byakuya swung his Zanpakuto wildly, launching a fierce assault on Kyoya.
Clang!
Clang, clang, clang, clang!
Kyoya raised a single finger, effortlessly blocking Byakuya's attacks.
Each slash from Byakuya's Zanpakuto struck Kyoya's finger, yet not even a scratch was left on his skin. Instead, the force of his own strikes rebounded, nearly wrenching the sword from his grip.
Had Byakuya not been trained by Kyoya and built a solid foundation in swordsmanship, his Zanpakuto would have long been sent flying.
"Your mind is unsettled, Byakuya."
Kyoya casually deflected Byakuya's strikes as he spoke, "Swordsmanship is not just a battle of skill… it is also a battle of will."
"A resolute will sharpens your blade, making it faster, stronger, and more precise."
"Conversely, a weak or disordered will dulls your sword."
"That said, even if you were swinging your sword with the intent to kill me, it wouldn't make much of a difference to me."
"But controlling your strength to prevent your rotten wood from shattering under the rebound is a different challenge altogether."
With that, Kyoya flicked his finger, sending Byakuya flying backward.
Whoosh!
Byakuya's feet skidded across the ground, leaving two deep trails before he finally came to a stop several meters away.
"My apologies, Kyoya-sensei..."
Byakuya shook his head: "The fault lies with me."
"Sigh..."
Kyoya sighed, "Is this about your grandfather and your uncle?"
"Huh? You know about it too, Sensei?"
Byakuya looked at Kyoya in surprise.
The tension between Ginrei and Koga as was something even Byakuya had only noticed two days ago when he returned home.
However, no matter whom he asked… his grandfather, his aunt, none gave him a clear answer.
As for asking Koga directly, Byakuya had long abandoned that idea after being coldly ignored whenever he approached him.
"Mhm."
Kyoya nodded.
The affairs of the Kuchiki Clan, especially concerning Koga, were among the matters Kyoya had been keeping an eye on.
As for the conflict between Koga and Ginrei, Kyoya was well aware of it.
Ginrei's decision to have Byakuya join the 11th Division and become Kyoya's disciple was a clear indication that he intended to pass the future of the Kuchiki Clan and the 6th Division to Koga.
And Koga, after the death of Byakuya's father, Sojun, had lived up to Ginrei's expectations.
Over the years, Koga had taken the lead in every battle and had built strong camaraderie with the members of the 6th Division.
The Shinigami of the 6th Division also recognized Koga as their future Captain. Though he currently held the rank of third seat, even the vice-captain, Shirogane Ginjiro, had to consider Koga's opinions when making decisions.
After all, everyone knew that the only reason Koga wasn't the Lieutenant was that once he mastered his Bankai and passed the Captain Assessment, he would immediately assume the position of Captain.
If Koga were promoted to Lieutenant now, and Ginjiro were demoted to third seat, who could guarantee that Ginjiro wouldn't harbor resentment?
Not every division was like the 11th Division, where rank was determined purely by strength.
In the 11th Division, if you were weaker, you stepped aside.
But in other divisions, while strength was a factor, politics and interpersonal relationships also played a role.
Removing a seated officer without just cause was akin to openly declaring, "I have a problem with you."
And every seated officer in a noble-based division had powerful backings.
Even a century later, the 6th Division's Lieutenant, Renji, though said to be from Rukongai, was personally endorsed by Kuchiki.
It wouldn't be wrong to say that Byakuya was Renji's backer.
After all, if Byakuya hadn't recognized Renji's worth, why would he personally visit the 11th Division to invite Renji to join the 6th Division?
Ginjiro saw through Byakuya's intentions, so once Renji had grown strong enough, he voluntarily retired to make way for him.
As for the current conflict between Ginrei and Koga, it stemmed from their differing views on the nature of Koga's Zanpakuto.
According to Ginrei's original plan, once Koga mastered Bankai, he would nominate him to take the Captain Assessment. However, when Koga went to take the test, his Zanpakuto's Bankai became a source of unease for both Ginrei and Yamamoto.
Koga's Zanpakuto, Muramasa, had the terrifying ability to communicate directly with other Zanpakuto's Spirits and amplify their resentment toward their wielders, allowing Muramasa to control them.
For Shinigami who had not yet learned their Zanpakuto's name, Muramasa could force their Zanpakuto to turn against them.
Even for those who had already mastered Shikai, Muramasa's Bankai could materialize their Zanpakuto's Spirits and make them fight their own wielders.
And for those who had achieved Bankai, the situation was even worse.
Once a Zanpakuto was swayed by Muramasa, its wielder could not use Bankai again unless they defeated their own Zanpakuto in battle.
After all, Bankai required perfect synchronization between a Shinigami and their Zanpakuto… a fusion of their Reiatsu to unlock greater power and abilities.
If their Zanpakuto was stolen by Muramasa, how could they possibly perform Bankai?
This ability made Koga the natural counter to all Shinigami.
Ironically, it was useless against Hollows or Quincy, and Muramasa could only strip Shinigami of their Zanpakuto and send the swords to fight Hollows.
But doing so would severely weaken his own forces, potentially getting them all killed before Koga could finish off the Hollows.
In short, Koga's power made him a 'God of Internal Conflict'… He's unstoppable against fellow Shinigami but far less effective against external threats.
Because of this, both Ginrei and Yamamoto opposed Koga's promotion to Captain.
They believed he was too young and inexperienced to wield such dangerous power responsibly, needing more time to mature.
Ginrei's current attitude toward Koga was likely part of their test… to see if he could handle setbacks with composure.
Kyoya even suspected that the nobles' later scheme to frame Koga and have him imprisoned might have had Ginrei and Yamamoto's tacit approval.
In their minds, if Koga could endure such injustice and still follow the Soul Society's rules, it would prove he had the 'capacity to be a Captain.
But unfortunately, they messed up.
When Koga realized he had been framed, he didn't go to Ginrei for help… Instead, he slaughtered the nobles and Shinigami responsible.
And Ginrei's disappointed gaze and tone became the final straw that pushed Koga into open rebellion.
He had done nothing wrong, yet he lost everything… because of his Zanpakuto.
Perhaps that was why, a century later, when a weakened Muramasa crawled through Hueco Mundo, devouring Menos to regain strength and desperately trying to free his imprisoned master…
Koga killed him without hesitation.
…
"Kyoya-sensei, can you tell me what's really going on?"
Seeing Byakuya's urgency, Kyoya stroked his chin before nodding, "Fine, there's no harm in telling you."
"To become a true powerhouse, you must have your own convictions and uphold your will."
"Only then can your blade remain sharp."
"Like today… your mind was clouded, so your sword lacked all killing intent…"
Byakuya laughed dryly.
Honestly, he didn't fully grasp what Kyoya meant by 'the sharpness of the sword'.
To him, his Zanpakuto felt the same as always.
Kyoya called it 'firewood' or 'rotten wood', yet it could still slice through trees and boulders.
But after training under Kyoya for so long, Byakuya could tell that he wasn't in top form today.
"The core issue between your grandfather and uncle is distrust… fear of your uncle's Zanpakuto's power and doubt in his judgment."
Kyoya then explained how Koga's Bankai had been rejected during his Captaincy Assessment due to its dangerous nature.
"Byakuya, where do you think the real problem lies?"
Byakuya frowned, deep in thought.
Previously, he had thought there was some major issue between his grandfather and uncle, but after hearing Kyoya's explanation, he realized it was actually because of his uncle's Zanpakuto ability.
When Kyoya asked him the question, Byakuya was momentarily stunned before replying, "It's about magnanimity, sensei."
"Once, sensei taught me that a true strong person fears nothing."
"And the reason Grandfather refused to continue recommending Uncle as the Captain of the 6th Division, citing his inability to control his Zanpakuto's power, stems from the fact that Grandfather harbors fear toward Uncle's Zanpakuto's ability."
"But Grandfather forgot that a Zanpakuto is only one part of a Shinigami's strength."
"Even if Uncle-in-law's ability is the bane of other Shinigami's Zanpakuto, that doesn't mean he is invincible."
"If Sensei were in Grandfather's position, you'd probably be eager for Uncle to master his Bankai so you could have a proper battle, right?"
"I don't believe that losing the power of your Zanpakuto would make you any weaker than Uncle."
These words were indeed Byakuya's true thoughts.
After all, Kyoya's greatest strength was not his Zanpakuto's ability, but his mastery of swordsmanship.
In the three years of training under Kyoya, Byakuya felt his swordsmanship had improved tremendously.
But the stronger his swordsmanship became, the more he realized how vast the gap between him and Kyoya was.
It was a difference of entire dimensions.
"Heh, not bad. You've gained some insight."
Hearing Byakuya's words, Kyoya nodded in satisfaction.
"Then, what exactly is troubling you?"
"No matter what issue exists between your grandfather and uncle, it all boils down to one thing-"
"They're both too weak!"
"If your grandfather were strong enough to suppress your uncle with one hand, would he still worry about your uncle straying down a dark path because of his Zanpakuto's ability?"
"If your uncle were strong enough to take on the entire Gotei 13, would he still feel disheartened by the lack of recognition from your grandfather and Captain-Commander Yamamoto?"
Byakuya pondered for a moment, mentally replacing his grandfather and uncle-in-law's strength with Kyoya's, then shook his head, "No."
"Then there's your answer."
Kyoya patted Byakuya's shoulder, "The same goes for you. If you had the strength to defeat both your grandfather and uncle, would you still be worrying about their issues?"
"No."
This time, Byakuya answered without hesitation, "If I truly had that kind of strength, I'd beat both Grandfather and Uncle into submission, make them calm down, and then have an open discussion to resolve their issues."
"Then what are you doing now? Will worrying about things beyond your current ability help you grow stronger?"
"I understand, sensei."
"Please guide me!"
"Scatter, Senbonzakura!"
After watching Byakuya collapse exhaustedly onto the ground, Kyoya spread his Observation Haki and quickly located Koga.
If his memory served him right, after noticing the discord between Ginrei and Koga, the noble families would begin scheming against Koga, exploiting his personality flaws.
Kyoya had no intention of letting someone he saw potential in be forced out of the Seireitei in disgrace.
Even if Koga were to leave, it should be by his own choice… because he no longer wanted to be part of the Gotei 13 or the Captain of the 6th Division, not because he was manipulated by petty schemers, driven to madness, and forced to flee after killing multiple Shinigami.
So, before that happened, Kyoya needed to establish some kind of connection with Koga.
At the very least, he wanted Koga to feel that joining his ranks after leaving the Seireitei wouldn't be an unacceptable outcome.
"Byakuya, your fundamentals are still lacking."
"Once you recover, continue strengthening your basic swordsmanship."
"As for your Zanpakuto's abilities, don't focus too much on them until you've reached the level of a Great Swordsman and can unleash flying slashes."
"Once you can deliver slashes purely through your swordsmanship, combining that with Senbonzakura will elevate your strength tremendously."
"I have some matters to attend to outside. If anything comes up, tell them to go find Zaraki directly."
"Yes, sensei."
Byakuya responded lazily.
This wasn't the first time Kyoya had said something like this to him.
And Byakuya wholeheartedly agreed with his teacher's reasoning.