"Lord Captain-Commander."
Suzuki Makoto bowed to the old man who had presided over the Soul Society for over a thousand years.
"No need for excessive formalities."
At this moment, both had changed into white training uniforms and stood facing each other within the Genryusai dojo.
"Your Captain once said that you are better at learning through combat, is that correct?"
"Yes, although I am also happy to accept traditional instruction."
Before coming here, Suzuki Makoto had already heard about Kenpachi Zaraki's "feats" over at the Captain-Commander's place, so Retsu Unohana had specifically exhorted him: if he wanted to learn the Captain-Commander's swordsmanship, he needed to restrain his temper a little.
However, she was worrying a bit too much. Suzuki Makoto liked learning in combat simply because it was the simplest and most direct method for him; he had not reached the level of being a fanatic about battle.
"Well then, attack me."
Shigekuni Yamamoto raised his wooden sword.
After Kenpachi Zaraki ran off, Shigekuni Yamamoto had actually considered whether there was a problem with his own teaching methods. For a guy like that, he should have taught according to the student's aptitude, rather than blindly conducting rigid instruction.
Now, facing Suzuki Makoto, he decided to try a different approach.
Eh? Why is this different from what the Captain said?
Suzuki Makoto felt some doubt in his heart, but the movements of his hands were not slow. Upon hearing the old man's words, he immediately swung his sword and charged straight in.
"Too slow! Do you really take this old man for a cripple who can't move properly?"
Shigekuni Yamamoto scolded with dissatisfaction.
Seeing this scene, it was obvious that the Captain-Commander wanted to defend first to evaluate him. Suzuki Makoto decided simply not to leave any openings for the opponent to attack, displaying his skills with full force.
The two of them had a tacit understanding not to use Reiatsu, just like during the sparring in the 4th Division; it was merely the purest contest of Kendo.
The more they fought, the more satisfied Shigekuni Yamamoto became. He saw many things in Suzuki Makoto's swordsmanship—some he was very familiar with, others were relatively strange. But these moves, whether familiar or strange, transformed into an endless offensive in Suzuki Makoto's hands, enough to prove that the other party had long since mastered and integrated them.
And his battles with Retsu Unohana had only been going on for less than two months.
Such talent was even above that of Kenpachi Zaraki!
Thus, undoubtedly, the old man, eager to nurture talent, also could not quite hold back his own desire for battle.
Suzuki Makoto keenly perceived the change on the other side. Even if it was just defense, the opponent's moves began to carry a hint of aggression, and the power contained within them suddenly increased sharply. It was clear he wanted to rely on suppressing power to gain an opportunity to attack.
How could it be that easy!
Suzuki Makoto's competitive spirit also rose, and the result of the two exerting pressure at the same time was—
Crack.
The movements of both men paused simultaneously, and only then did the two broken sections of wooden sword that had flown into the sky fall onto the floor of the dojo.
"How about we switch to our own swords?"
Suzuki Makoto suggested. Using wooden swords and the like really wasn't satisfying enough.
"Good."
Shigekuni Yamamoto was in the same frame of mind at this moment, but he immediately reacted: Ryujin Jakka might indeed not be suitable for something like sparring.
"Let's use ordinary Asauchi; at least they will be a bit sturdier."
Suzuki Makoto was a little unclear as to why, but he quickly realized that the Captain-Commander was probably worried that Ryujin Jakka's lethality wasn't about killing people, but about destroying weapons.
Thinking of this, he also felt a bit diffident. After all, his own sword hadn't been completely forged with his mind and infused into the Asauchi yet. If he were to really use a physical blade to clash with Ryujin Jakka now, it was hard to say if problems would arise.
The two then switched to Asauchi and began to continue the battle from just now. However, although these swords came from Oetsu Nimaiya, when faced with the high-intensity confrontation between Suzuki Makoto and Shigekuni Yamamoto, one could only say they were indeed a bit sturdier than wooden swords, but that sturdiness was limited.
Suzuki Makoto took a step back, exhaled a breath of turbid air, and threw away the sword hilt in his hand. When it landed on the ground, it no longer made a muffled thud, but the crisp sound of metal colliding.
Without turning his head, he pulled out another Asauchi from behind him and attacked Shigekuni Yamamoto again.
At this moment, aside from the circle where the two were engaging in the center, the entire perimeter of the dojo was already strewn with various damaged blades and hilts. The slaughter between the two was evidently a pressure these ordinary Asauchi simply could not withstand.
The two parties involved were also somewhat helpless. It wasn't that they hadn't thought about using Reiatsu to protect the swords in their hands, but both of their Reiatsu now carried their own attributes.
The sword in Old Man Yamamoto's hand instantly began to turn red, then black—a manifestation of the temperature reaching an extreme. And when Suzuki Makoto slashed against such a sword, he was actually able to cut it apart instantly—
Then his own Asauchi was also melted.
One was high temperature, the other was sharpness; both were extreme attacks. Therefore, after infusing Reiatsu, the rate at which the Asauchi were scrapped became even faster.
So both sides gave up on that method, and in the end, they honestly went back to exchanging basic attacks; at least this way, the swords could last a little longer.
"Good."
Shigekuni Yamamoto threw down the remnant blade in his hand. Looking at Suzuki Makoto, who had also stopped, the fire in his eyes gradually faded, restoring him to the appearance of an old man.
"You are indeed a peerless genius, Suzuki Makoto. I can be certain that if this were a thousand years ago, you would have surpassed Yachiru Unohana... no, you would have surpassed the Shigekuni Yamamoto Genryusai of the past, becoming a banner of the Soul Society."
"You praise me too much, Captain-Commander."
"I never flatter people. To become the Captain-Commander, what is needed is not just power, but more importantly, management of the organization and responsibility. That you were able to establish the Yellow Turbans and fight for them until today, even willing to enter the Seireitei alone despite it being incredibly dangerous for you, is enough to prove your will and power."
Shigekuni Yamamoto never concealed his attitude. He truly saw his past self in Suzuki Makoto.
The man who once defeated Yhwach and crushed the ambitions of the Quincies. The man who could sacrifice countless things for the stability and future of the Soul Society, who could even hide his own sword in its sheath.
Suzuki Makoto was somewhat puzzled as to why Shigekuni Yamamoto was saying these words; it sounded like he was entrusting his final affairs.
In fact, the Captain-Commander did indeed have such thoughts.
He was already very old. A thousand years ago, he had already reached middle age. Afterward, having presided over things for a thousand years, he was truly very old.
Previously, the successor he wanted was Shunsui Kyoraku. Although Kyoraku's power was sufficient, and his will and sense of responsibility were also quite good, he would be somewhat constrained by the nobles. This was something Yamamoto did not want to see. After all, Kyoraku's background would definitely allow the nobles to make a big issue out of it.
During this time, he had been making Shunsui Kyoraku responsible for handling matters with the nobles, making him antagonize the Tsunayashiro family, precisely because he wanted him to draw a clear line with the nobles—
As the Captain-Commander of the Gotei 13, one must be unmoved by any outside interference!
____
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