Chapter 59: Practicing with the Former Captain

What's going on with that profiteer?! If this gets discovered, even the captain might not be able to protect these two!

Wait, or does Captain Kyoraku actually know about it, but is just pretending to be ignorant?

Wow, I feel numb. The more I think about it, the more numb I feel, because he really could do it.

"So Homura and Master-sama know each other, right?"

Looking at Zhiwan and my brother's puzzled looks, I could only answer dryly: "...We've met a few times."

How can I explain this? However, during my time at Seireitei, I didn't have much contact with Captain Ichimaru. The only opportunities I had were through Rangiku-nee. Logically, he shouldn't be very familiar with me either.

"Well, she might not be very familiar with me, but because I'm your boss, I know her very well."

Wow, the looks of the other two people besides Yunmu are even weirder. Captain Ichimaru, please shut up!

After dinner, Yunmu and Zhiwan both seemed to be in a much more relaxed mood. Yunmu wiped her mouth and then returned to her basement work full of energy, urging us to be quiet and not disturb her. We, on the other hand, recommended a few recipes for Zhiwan to try, and then, together with Sanlang, put the remaining ingredients in the refrigerator.

"What kind of job does your cousin have?"

"she--"

"Ah, I know, I know!" Sanlang interrupted Zhiwan excitedly, "Adjust the blunt force!"

Excuse me, but who is this "Xiaodu"?

"Simply put, it's about adjusting the puppets she created previously, making them more effective in combat." Someone, probably used to this, ignored Saburo and explained it to me. "My two former servants were similar combat puppets, and of course, they were also very important family members to me."

"The time until the next full moon is short. I think that young lady is trying her best right now."

I glanced at the former captain standing at the kitchen door with a half-smile on his face. "What about you? If a battle breaks out, will Ichimaru-san also participate?"

"Well—it depends on the circumstances."

Still the same unpredictable guy as before.

So what exactly does Rangiku-sister like about him?

"Um, Homura-chan."

"What's wrong?"

Sanlang made a chest-expanding exercise with his hands: "Why don't we just do some exercise after dinner?"

"ha?"

"Since Yunmu told us to be quiet, why don't we go for a walk outside?" He continued confidently, "If you eat too much and don't exercise, you won't feel comfortable sleeping at night."

"Go home quickly after you've eaten. Auntie is still home alone, right?" I clearly saw Zhiwan rolling his eyes, but this didn't work on Sanlang.

"Mom is on a business trip today. We will check on her regularly."

"Pfft, Ango, your friend is really interesting."

"Why does even the master say that?!"

etc.

"Sure, it's good to do some post-meal exercise."

That’s a really good idea, Saburo!

“Huh?!”

"Right, right!"

I looked at the two people, one surprised and the other excited, and turned to look at the man who was still leaning against the door with a smile: "Do you mind accompanying the three of us to digest this, Mr. Ichimaru?"

Just like that, I dragged the other three people to a training ground far away from the basement.

"Uh, Yan, although it is said that exercise helps digestion, isn't this too exaggerated?"

I looked around the training grounds with a grin on my face while reassuring Zhiwan, "No, no, just warming up. Oh, there's a wooden sword, great."

But in fact, all these are excuses.

"I heard from Zhiwan that his kendo was taught by Mr. Ichimaru."

As I said that, I picked up the wooden sword and walked up to the silver-haired man.

"Could you also give me some guidance?"

Yes, I just can't stand this guy with a smile on his face who looks like a fox, yet is as unpredictable as a snake! I'm provoking him today!

The place suddenly became quiet.

"Do you need my guidance?" The man did not take the wooden sword, but continued to look at me with a smile, squinting his eyes.

Zhi Wan beside him also said: "Wait, Master he——"

"I know he's missing his right hand, but so what?" I didn't lower my hand holding the wooden sword, nor did I look at the two people beside me. "I believe that one arm won't be a problem for Mr. Ichimaru. After all, he is also Shiman-kun's kendo teacher, right?"

If Ichimaru Gin had both hands, I might not have rashly made this suggestion today. After all, he's one of those geniuses who skipped a grade and graduated after only one year at Seireitei. It's an honor to face such a genius.

"Can I ask a question?" The man's smile faded a little. "Are you making this request for yourself?"

This made me laugh: "How is that possible?"

The image of Rangiku-san's grey eyes, clouded with a hint of nostalgia and sadness when she mentioned Captain Ichimaru, flashed before his eyes.

"I made this request on behalf of someone."

The smile disappeared from his face.

After a while, the man in front of me sighed slowly. "Okay, I promise you." Then he took the wooden sword I had been holding.

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"Ah wow wow wow, the competition is really about to begin!"

Facing his friend squatting next to him, Shimano Ango breathed a sigh of relief: "Why are you so nervous, idiot? It's just a simple sparring session."

Although he said so, he actually had no idea.

During their first meeting in the kitchen just now, Jiu Jingyan's kick was obviously more powerful, and the look in her eyes when she looked at her master was also unusual.

If they were just acquaintances, there wouldn't be so much hostility.

His master's origins were shrouded in mystery. Aside from his name, the Shiman family could find no information about him. Despite being one-armed and missing his right hand, he still managed to be a freelance exorcist in Kansai, eventually becoming his own swordsmanship instructor. The young man clenched his fists and swallowed unconsciously.

The two people on the field have been motionless since the start.

However, the air around them was so tense and heavy, as if it would explode in the next second.

In fact, deep down in his heart, he also hopes to see the day when his teacher reveals his true strength.

The moment this thought came to mind, the red-haired girl suddenly moved!

She was so fast that even Shimango Ango could only catch a glimpse of her shadow in the moment he was distracted.

However, the girl's first attack did not hit the man holding the knife in his left hand.

"ha!"

She was not discouraged. After a few jumps, she had exchanged several sword strikes with the opponent.

However, Gin Ichimaru still did not fight back. He just played with the girl in front of him like playing hide-and-seek, occasionally using a wooden sword to deflect her attacks.

As expected, his master was very strong, but Jiu Jing was also quite strong.

The boy suddenly remembered that once in the store, Black Rose touched her head with a pale face, and lamented that Jiu Jing Saburo's sister looked cute, but she didn't expect that she was a woman as scary as her colleague.

Could being a Shinsengumi increase a junior high school girl's strength to such a high level?

Seeing the fierceness and murderous aura of her sword swinging, even Zhi Wan was shaken for a moment. He was not even sure whether he would win or lose if he fought against that girl.

"I, don't know..."

At this moment, his friend's mumbling caught his attention. Zhiwan turned to look at the usually carefree red-haired boy, only to see that his eyes were fixed on the training ground.

"It turns out that Xiaoyan is so powerful."

"So, she can also make such an expression."

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"Why didn't you fight back?" After a few exchanges, I suddenly realized that he was showing mercy, so I stopped and looked at him with a frown. "Pity? Or guilt?"

"Oh, what are you saying?" Ichimaru Gin's expression remained unchanged. "I dare not show mercy to the apprentice of the dignified Captain Yamamoto."

That's guilt.

"Why don't you go back?"

The curve of his mouth flattened a little, but I didn't stop.

"Why don't you leave anything behind? Do you know—"

"I know." The man's aura changed. "If I leave a trace, she'll stop." The originally peaceful atmosphere became sharp and cold. "Actually, at that time, I was planning to die. But then I remembered something."

He suddenly laughed again. But this time, I felt a sense of danger, as if I were being watched.

"Do you know what expression Hitsugaya-kun made when he looked at the remaining Zanpakutō and its remains after the Yamamoto Four died?"

My heart suddenly felt like it was put into ice.

In a trance, the smiling man seemed to turn into a snake ready to strike.

"Rangiku told me that for several weeks, he didn't even speak."

The poisonous snake spit out its tongue, lowered its body, and showed its fangs.

"Later, that guy Kyoraku came to the Tenth Division. I don't know what they talked about, but at least Hitsugaya-kun started communicating normally again."

...Stop talking.

"You know what? In fact, Aizen told him who released the fused Hollow on the day he left."

Stop talking!

"That guy was really mean. 'It's a shame we couldn't get any specific information about the child. After all, he was so burned that there wasn't even any tissue left to study.' Even I thought that statement was a bit harsh. But he succeeded. After all, when Captain Hitsugaya heard that, for a moment, I even felt like I was confronting a demon."

“That’s enough!”

I swung the knife suddenly and rushed towards the man in front of me!

However, this time, the other party did not play tricks on me.

"There's a flaw."

The wooden sword didn't hit the damned one, and the smiling man narrowed his eyes. His hands suddenly felt a pain, and the sword was knocked out of his hands.

I lost.

The scene in front of me became a little blurry, and I stood there in a daze, while Ichimaru Gin walked up to me.

"Let me ask you a question. If one day you knew someone was hurting or trying to hurt Captain Hitsugaya, what would you do?"

I didn't even look up. "Need I say that?" My throat felt like it was filled with lead and pricked by needles. "I will kill that man, no matter the cost. I'd rather be hurt, and the one who dies is me."

"Look, it's over now." He patted my shoulder. "Perhaps, we are very similar, Homura."

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The author has something to say: Actually, these two people are quite similar.

Then this time, because the important person in Xiaobai's heart is Homura, Aizen changed his way to kill the person and destroy his heart.

He succeeded.