Chapter 106: Final Technique
The flying blades of Suzumushi continued slicing through the torrents, while the churning waters of Nejibana consumed the blades one by one.
For a brief moment, the two forces seemed evenly matched.
In the end, as Suzumushi's countless blades were fully expended, the powerful suction of the reverse torrent weakened and eventually dissipated.
At that moment, the remaining energies of Suzumushi and Nejibana fused together, causing the entire water sphere to expand violently.
The sphere reached its limit, then detonated, sending a shockwave straight into the sky!
Within seconds, a torrential downpour engulfed the entire Gojo estate, covering a one-kilometer radius.
To ordinary people, it was an eerie, localized rainfall—a freak weather event with no apparent cause.
However, to those within the Jujutsu world, the meaning was clear: a battle powerful enough to alter the weather had just taken place at the Gojo estate.
"What's going on? Why is it suddenly pouring rain?"
"There was a massive energy fluctuation coming from the training grounds just now. Should we go check it out?"
"No need. I heard that Master Shunichi and Master Saemon were having a sparring match."
"But there were massive waves rising into the sky! Am I seeing things? There isn't even a pond near the training grounds!"
"This strange weather… it must have been caused by their battle. The power of Grade 1 sorcerers is terrifying."
"You're thinking too small! Master Yagyū Saemon is only able to fight Master Shunichi on equal footing because Young Master Satoshi forged a Zanpakutō for him. Otherwise, how do you think he suddenly became a Grade 1 sorcerer at his age?"
"Why does Young Master Satoshi keep forging Zanpakutō for outsiders? We have so many talented young sorcerers in the Gojo clan—why aren't we getting them instead?"
"First Zenin, now Yagyū Saemon… when will it be our turn?"
Murmurs spread among the Gojo disciples.
"Focus on your training!"
A cold voice silenced the group instantly.
The disciples, who had been whispering just moments ago, quickly straightened their posture and resumed their sword practice with serious expressions.
"If you had Master Saemon's kenjutsu or Zenin's strength, you might have the qualifications to discuss Zanpakutō with Master Satoshi."
"But right now, with your half-baked skills, you aren't even worthy of mentioning them."
The disciples fell completely silent, their heads lowered in shame.
Those who were perceptive enough realized that the balance of power between the Gojo clan's factions was shifting.
Ever since Satoshi's falling out with the Zenin clan and Zenin Toji's departure, the Zenin clan had been closely monitoring the Gojo clan. Any information related to them was immediately sent to Naobito.
Thus, mere moments after Gojo Shunichi and Yagyū Saemon's battle ended, Naobito received firsthand intelligence.
"Did their techniques really cause that localized downpour?"
"As expected… the Grade 1 sorcerer evaluations aren't just formalities. So even Yagyū Saemon has reached Grade 1 strength?"
"A Zanpakutō with water-element abilities… and it's capable of unleashing such powerful attacks?"
Naobito sighed at the thought of Nejibana.
One of his subordinates suddenly spoke up, "Master Naobito! Gojo Satoshi has failed a forging attempt before, we should take advantage of this!"
Before the man could continue, Naobito interrupted him.
"Look at this first."
The room fell silent as Naobito's sharp eyes scanned the report in his hands.
His expression darkened.
"This doesn't make sense. Didn't he fail before? How is the Zanpakutō he forged for the Yagyū family so powerful?"
Naobito shook his head.
"Maybe Satoshi was simply trying to push the limits of Zanpakutō forging?"
His intuition had always been sharp.
The subordinate hesitated for a moment, then fell silent.
---
"Good thing I ran fast. Otherwise, I would've been drenched."
Satoru stood in the corridor, shaking his head in mock fear.
If Satoshi hadn't warned him to move in time, he would have ended up just like Yagyū Hidetsugu and Kumaen, soaked from head to toe after being caught in the sudden rain.
"I never expected Saemon to develop Nejibana's techniques this far. The compatibility between them must be incredibly high."
The technique he used hadn't existed in the original world of Bleach. Even Shiba Kaien had never shown anything like it.
Yet in just three days, Yagyū Saemon had grasped Nejibana's abilities to such an advanced level. It was beyond Satoshi's expectations.
"I never imagined Nejibana's final technique would be this strong. Master Gojo, on behalf of the Yagyū family, I thank you for supporting Saemon."
Yagyū Hidetsugu and Gojo Kumaen approached the corridor, their clothes still drenched.
Despite the cold, the excitement in Hidetsugu's heart burned brighter than ever.
So this is the power of the Zanpakutō…
Now, it was clear why the Jujutsu Master Association had promoted Yagyū Saemon to Grade 1—it wasn't just out of favoritism for the Yagyū family.
Gojo Kumaen remained silent, his expression grim.
Regret weighed heavily on him.
The stronger Nejibana became, the more he felt that the Gojo clan had lost an invaluable treasure.
"The final technique?"
Hearing those words, Satoshi chuckled and shook his head.
"Who told you that the ultimate techniques of Nejibana and Suzumushi were the ones you just saw?"
There was a confident arrogance in his tone, yet Hidetsugu felt no resentment toward it.
"Wait… could it be…"
A bold realization struck Hidetsugu.
"That was only their Shikai. If Yagyū Saemon manages to reach Bankai, that will be the true final technique."
Satoshi nodded slightly, glancing at Shunichi and Saemon, who still held their Zanpakutō firmly in their hands.
"Saemon has already mastered Shikai in such a short time. That's impressive. But I hope you achieve Bankai as soon as possible. That will be the true sign of your worthiness to wield Nejibana."
It was an unusual sight, a child speaking to grown men as if he were their superior.
Yet neither Saemon nor the others felt even the slightest bit of dissatisfaction.
Saemon listened intently, treating Satoshi's words as absolute truth.
In his eyes, as the creator of Nejibana, every word Satoshi spoke carried profound meaning and had to be carefully considered.
(To be continued.)
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