A Different Holiday

"Is Kensei actually injured?"

Looking at the densely packed fine wounds on Muguruma Kensei's arms, everyone in the Visored group immediately lost their composure.

The captain of the prestigious Ninth Division was injured during special training?

You know, the one who fought Muguruma Kensei wasn't a fellow captain but merely a freshman.

Even though Kensei wasn't using his Zanpakutō and the fight had its limitations, the result was still unbelievable!

"I didn't expect such an outcome," Hirako Shinji's face was full of surprise. "Kensei must be feeling very conflicted right now."

Love Aikawa stroked the beard under his chin and mused thoughtfully, "Hirako, I'm more worried about his temper than the result."

"Are you worried that Kensei will get angry?"

"Exactly!"

"That's quite possible."

Love Aikawa nodded firmly. Among the captains present, Muguruma Kensei was the most impulsive and quick to anger. His competitive nature meant he wasn't one to take a loss lightly. Given how things have turned out, if Kensei loses his composure, Saikyō's fate could be grim.

Drip, drip...

The sound of blood dripping was especially jarring in the night, and the atmosphere grew tense.

"Captain Kensei..."

"Don't act impulsively. The special training is over now."

In a flash, Kuna Mashiro appeared beside Muguruma Kensei, desperately grabbing his arm. As the lieutenant of the Ninth Division, she knew her captain's temper better than anyone. If Kensei truly lost his cool, things would only get worse.

However, to everyone's surprise, Kensei remained unexpectedly calm.

He wiped the blood from his wound and, with a nonchalant expression, glanced at Mashiro, "Mashiro, what do you take me for? I'm still a captain of the Gotei 13."

"Great, I knew Captain Kensei was reasonable."

Mashiro sighed with relief.

"Alright, enough flattery. Since the training field is damaged, let's end the special training here," Muguruma Kensei said as he approached Saikyō.

"Kid, I lost this time. Your Hakuda is indeed superior!"

Kensei patted Saikyō on the shoulder, offering sincere encouragement.

"Captain Kensei, you're overestimating me. It's just because you didn't use your Zanpakutō. If this had been a serious fight, I would have been the one on the ground," Saikyō replied calmly.

In truth, he had anticipated injuring Kensei. With a tenfold talent bonus, mastery over Hakuda, and enhanced skills from the head captain's techniques, the result wasn't that surprising.

"Anyway..."

Muguruma Kensei paused for a moment, then asked, "Saikyō, have you thought about which squad you'll join after you graduate?"

"Huh?"

Hearing this, Saikyō couldn't help but laugh. "Captain Kensei, I've only been in school for a month. Isn't it too early to think about that?"

"Better to think about it sooner rather than later," Kensei replied. "With your talent and strength, you'll probably graduate in a year at most."

"Hey, hey, hey!"

"That's not fair, Kensei! You're trying to recruit him already?" Hirako Shinji's voice complained from behind.

"Exactly, you're jumping the gun!"

"I agree, it's still too soon."

"But hey, Saikyō, would you be interested in joining Squad Seven?"

"Why Squad Seven? He should join Squad Three!"

...

Despite their status as captain-level Shinigami, the members of the Visored couldn't resist trying to recruit Saikyō.

Saikyō, now the center of attention, found himself warmly welcomed by everyone. Although the special training was cut short, the night had been a fruitful one for him.

At the very least, he had earned the goodwill of several captains!

The journey was off to a great start!

---

Time flew by. Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and the Shino Academy finally entered a holiday break.

Saikyō didn't stay in the dormitory or return to the Shihōin mansion. Instead, he went back to an old familiar spot: the training base under the Twin Peaks Hill.

"Oh ho ho..."

"Saikyō, it's been three months. I thought you'd forgotten about me." Urahara Kisuke stepped forward in his clogs, his usual outfit looking somewhat disheveled.

After three months, Urahara Kisuke's appearance hadn't changed much—he still looked as rough and laid-back as before.

As the third seat of the Second Division and vice-leader of the Onmitsukidō's patrol unit, Urahara Kisuke was usually busy and only occasionally came to the training base to relax.

"Mr. Urahara, I heard from Yoruichi that you've been focused on research these past three months?" Saikyō asked curiously.

"You know about that too?"

Urahara Kisuke feigned mystery before pulling out a black ball from his pocket.

"Mr. Urahara, what's that?"

Looking at the black ball, Saikyō felt a sense of déjà vu.

"This is a recent invention of mine. I call it the 'Portable Prosthetic Skeleton.' It's pretty nifty!" Kisuke waved the black ball in front of Saikyō.

"Portable skeleton..."

Suddenly, Saikyō's hazy memory cleared up. The so-called portable prosthetic skeleton could inflate like a balloon to become a stand-in during battle. In the original timeline, Urahara had used this trick to fool Yammy when the latter invaded the Human World.

"Saikyō, let's test it out!"

Kisuke inflated the black ball in front of Saikyō, and within seconds, the tiny ball expanded into another "Kisuke Urahara."

The look, the expression, even the demeanor—everything was spot on. If you didn't inspect closely, you'd think they were identical twins.

"Amazing, right? If you're interested, I could make one for you too," Urahara Kisuke said as he tossed the portable skeleton, which stood upright next to him like a twin.

"Kisuke, as cool as this invention is, I'd rather study under you, even as your assistant."

This unexpected request left Urahara Kisuke taken aback.

"Study with me?"

Kisuke hesitated for a moment before shaking his head. "Saikyō, research isn't as easy as it looks. It requires a calm mind and endless patience."

"So..."

"I don't think you'd be able to endure the monotony."

Kisuke declined politely. Though he admired Saikyō's determination, he had to be practical.

"Mr. Urahara, how will you know if I can't handle it if I don't try?" Saikyō didn't back down.

Months ago, when he first encountered Urahara, this idea had taken root. He wanted to follow Kisuke closely and eventually witness the creation of the Hōgyoku.

That was Saikyō's greatest desire!