Excellent in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō—possessing supreme fundamentals.
This had always been Tōshirō's perception of Suō Tsukasa.
However, the scene before him and the ripples of Spiritual Pressure in the air refined that understanding once again in the most direct way possible.
In just over six months, a monumental change had occurred within Suō Tsukasa, leaving Tōshirō far behind.
With such a rate of progress, how could he ever hope to catch up—?
As Tōshirō dazed off, his pupils contracting, a crisp splash from beside him snapped him back to attention.
Tsukasa had finished his first round of cultivation.
With a towel draped over his head and his upper body bare, his well-built frame sank into the hot spring pool.
The rising steam blurred the sharp edge between his brows, leaving behind only an air of relaxed comfort.
He looked up at Tōshirō, who was standing by the pool with a somewhat stunned expression, and spoke with a hint of teasing.
"What's with that look? That doesn't seem like you."
Tsukasa leaned back against the smooth stones at the edge, stretching his body as the warm water crested over his shoulders, before adding naturally, "Well? The spring isn't bad, right?"
"—It is very good."
Tōshirō paused, his voice turning slightly somber.
"I just feel like I'm wasting your time."
At this moment, he felt discouraged.
Earlier, he had put everything he had into preparing for Tsukasa's assault.
But once they actually traded blows, he could only barely keep up with those unpredictable attack trajectories.
Under that airtight suppression, wounds had opened up one after another.
And that was under the condition that his opponent had explained the key points beforehand.
If not for those reminders, he likely would have fallen much sooner.
Tōshirō lowered his gaze, staring dejectedly at his own reflection wobbling on the surface of the water.
"—I am too weak."
He truly felt that his strength was lacking.
Despite his immense frustration, he did not want to become a burden to Suō Tsukasa.
Tsukasa knew it was time to give his companion a proper psychological lesson.
He looked at Tōshirō with a calm gaze, his tone as light as usual.
"If our positions were reversed right now..."
"If you were the one leading and I was the one who needed to catch up..."
"Would you help me the way I'm helping you today? Would you think helping me is a waste of time?"
"Of course not! Absolutely not!"
Tōshirō was startled. He nodded then shook his head, without a hint of hesitation.
Tsukasa spread his hands and laughed easily.
"Then that's that."
"True friendship doesn't keep score; it only hopes for the other to get better."
He turned his head and arched a brow at Tōshirō, offering encouragement.
"When we entered the academy, your Spiritual Power rank was higher than mine, and you achieved Shikai earlier than me, too."
"Who knows, maybe one day you'll become a Captain before I do. I'm still counting on you to look out for me then."
"Really?"
Blindsided by Tsukasa's logic and feeling a bit lightheaded from the long soak, Tōshirō's thoughts began to drift.
He imagined a future scene where his grown self wore a Captain's haori—
His mind momentarily stalled.
"Really," Tsukasa stated with certainty.
The effort he spent on Tōshirō was not entirely selfless.
To succeed in cultivation, one needed the four pillars: Wealth, Companionship, Technique, and Environment.
Cultivating in isolation behind closed doors was never as beneficial as sparring with others.
Tōshirō's talent was plain to see. By spending time polishing his potential, Tsukasa would gain an excellent practice partner.
Moreover, with one more person around, his training in this underground space would no longer be so lonely.
To tell the truth, at least for today, knowing there was a pair of eyes watching gave Tsukasa a faint, secret thrill of showing off.
The few "Black Coffins" he had just released had inadvertently seen a significant improvement.
"I will work hard," Tōshirō replied solemnly.
Under Tsukasa's encouragement, his previous self-doubt was completely cast aside, leaving only a gaze of clear determination.
"That's the spirit!"
"I have a high-level Kidō book in my room. Once we're done soaking, I'll let you take a look."
"You can practice the ones up to number eighty for now. Don't try anything after that yet."
"Is that... allowed?"
Tōshirō asked hesitantly. Having been in the squads for over a month, he was well aware of the rules and boundaries of the Seireitei. This was clearly a violation of protocol.
"Of course it is. I asked Captain Ukitake, who gave me the book. He fully supports my decision."
Tsukasa answered frankly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Though Ukitake Jūshirō had only met Tōshirō once, he had been deeply impressed by him.
Since Tōshirō was Tsukasa's close friend, there was no reason to refuse such a small request.
Tsukasa shifted the topic and continued.
"Besides, if you asked Captain Isshin directly, he'd definitely give you a copy too. I have no doubt about that."
"But you know him. He's certainly not stingy, but he's definitely not attentive."
"If you don't take the initiative to mention it, you'll probably be waiting until the cows come home for him to remember and give it to you."
"—You're right!"
Those words struck a chord with Tōshirō.
Recalling Shiba Isshin's daily conduct and his casual "go-with-the-flow" attitude, Tōshirō nodded in deep agreement.
Striking while the iron was hot, Tsukasa raised a thumb and said proudly:
"Besides, my copy has Captain Ukitake's meticulous annotations. The content is definitely superior! You'll see when you read it."
"Furthermore, increasing our strength is for the good of the Seireitei. There's no need to be so obsessed with bureaucracy."
"Makes sense! Then I shall accept your kindness."
Tōshirō fully accepted Tsukasa's reasoning and nodded in acceptance of the favor.
Minutes later.
The two returned to the small hut wearing white yukatas.
The interior was simply furnished, with the only change being a bamboo floor screen that partitioned the room in half.
Tsukasa pointed to the bedding on the left. The futon was thick, topped with a soft pillow.
"You'll sleep here tonight. In a few days, I'll help you build another hut nearby."
"I don't know if I snore, so you'll have to make do for a few days."
Though he was used to living alone, time was short, and this simple arrangement was the best he could do for now.
"It's fine."
"Is there anything I can do to help with building the hut?" Tōshirō asked.
"No need. Once you've done it once, the second time is easy. I can handle it alone."
"There are plenty of raw materials near Sōkyoku Hill. It's no trouble."
Tsukasa spoke casually.
As he talked, he reached out to pull a book from the shelf near the window and handed it to Tōshirō.
"This is it. Take your time with it. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me."
"I'm going back to continue my cultivation."
"Okay."
Tōshirō sat on a cushion before the low table and opened the book by the light filtering in from the window.
The rustling of paper sounded particularly peaceful in the quiet underground space.
Outside, the air soon vibrated again with heavy, violent ripples of Spiritual Pressure, transmitting in wave after wave.