"Terrible, absolutely terrible."
Standing in the empty dojo with his arms crossed, Naraku Sora offered his blunt critique.
"Your forms are loose and weak. There's absolutely no killing intent."
"Your movements are sluggish and stiff, completely lacking in flexibility. You want to be a captain with such pathetic skills?"
"Again!"
Not far away, Kuchiki Byakuya gripped his Zanpakutō tightly, repeatedly demonstrating the techniques he had mastered.
The exquisite skills praised by his family instructors were reduced to worthlessness under Naraku Sora's scrutiny, dealing a severe blow to his pride.
"Damn it!"
The youth gritted his teeth, unleashing his Reiatsu to its absolute limit as he delivered his strongest strike yet.
A visible wave of sword pressure shot out like an arrow from a bow, striking the stationary target ahead with a deafening explosion.
Countless fragments and dust scattered through the air.
"At least you have some spirit."
Naraku Sora nodded, his tone serious. "If every strike from now on is like that one, you'll barely pass my standards."
'Are you kidding me?!'
Kuchiki Byakuya had already formed a basic understanding of this man's terrible personality.
Even so, he found it hard to harbor any real resentment toward Naraku Sora.
Perhaps it was due to the stories he had heard growing up. In Byakuya's heart, Lord Naraku was a kind-hearted, selfless man who constantly thought of others.
Even someone as stubborn and eccentric as his uncle praised him highly, which spoke volumes about the greatness of his character.
Senior Naraku definitely had his reasons for acting this way.
After Kuchiki Byakuya finished his full demonstration, Naraku Sora grabbed a bamboo sword from a nearby rack and began explaining the flaws in his techniques.
As one of the absolute elites in the Soul Society, Sora usually preferred to crush his opponents with sheer stats, but techniques and forms were things he had mastered and moved past long ago.
The only reason he relied on overwhelming power was that he had already reached the absolute pinnacle of martial technique.
Kuchiki Byakuya listened with rapt attention.
As expected of an existence acknowledged by his uncle, Sora pointed out all of his flaws in just a few words and even provided methods for improvement.
To think there was such a selfless person in the Soul Society!
Not wanting to show favoritism, Naraku Sora also took the time to instruct Ichimaru Gin after finishing with Byakuya.
Gratifyingly, Gin lived up to his reputation as a genius who graduated from the Spiritual Arts Academy in a single year.
When it came to the basic techniques—Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, and Kidō—there was absolutely nothing to nitpick.
His forms were practically textbook examples.
He had even innovated upon the foundations, employing clever little tricks when casting Kidō to increase the release speed without diminishing the power.
An absolute genius.
Watching Ichimaru Gin's demonstration, Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes widened.
He had thought his own talent was exceptional, but he never expected that a random person Senior Naraku brought along would perform better than him.
Was this the quintessential prodigy everyone was always compared to?
In response to Gin's display, Naraku Sora simply offered a few brief suggestions.
Ichimaru Gin stood in place, pondering quietly for a few seconds before a look of surprise crossed his face.
He had thought his execution was already perfect.
He never imagined that in Lord Naraku's eyes, there was still room for improvement.
Following Naraku Sora's guidance, the two began their meticulous and grueling training.
A heavy Reiatsu blanketed the entire dojo, making the invisible air feel as thick and viscous as mercury. Every single movement required ten times the normal effort.
Soon, Kuchiki Byakuya had exhausted his stamina.
He was just about to open his mouth and give up, but seeing Ichimaru Gin beside him—drenched in sweat yet still strictly adhering to the training—a strong sense of defiance welled up from the bottom of his heart.
'I bear the responsibility of revitalizing the Kuchiki clan. How can I admit defeat so easily?!'
Kuchiki Byakuya gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead as he desperately squeezed every last drop of potential from his body.
Crack!
A crisp shattering sound echoed within him. His previously depleted strength suddenly surged, and his exhausted body was revitalized with intense vitality.
Even his Reiatsu increased significantly as a result.
Kuchiki Byakuya was thrilled to discover that under this training method of constantly pushing his limits, his Reiatsu had made delightful progress.
"Alright, that's enough training for now."
Naraku Sora retracted his oppressive Reiatsu. "Next up is lunchtime. Let's go next door to Squad 5 and crash their cafeteria. The Spiritual Arts Academy is closest to the Squad 5 barracks anyway."
"But..." Kuchiki Byakuya felt that since he had just broken through, it was the perfect time to strike while the iron was hot.
Naraku Sora seemed to see right through his thoughts and explained with a smile:
"Playing hard, eating well, resting properly, and living happily—these are all part of your training too."
"Lord Kuchiki entrusted you to me, so naturally, you have to follow my methods."
Ichimaru Gin looked thoughtful.
The trio made their way to the Squad 5 cafeteria without any hindrance. Naraku Sora skillfully flagged down a chef, ordering them to prepare a top-tier feast.
The chef was already used to Lord Naraku frequently dropping by their barracks to freeload food and drinks; he even knew every single dish Naraku Sora preferred.
Soon, the three of them devoured the meal.
Four-fifths of it went into Naraku Sora's stomach alone, while the remaining fifth was split evenly between Ichimaru Gin and Kuchiki Byakuya.
Next came their rest period.
Naraku Sora led the two on a stroll through the district under Squad 5's jurisdiction. They met quite a few Soul Reapers and gained some understanding of the tales surrounding the Document Dragon.
Finally, they returned to the Spiritual Arts Academy.
"Now for the most important phase of your training."
Kuchiki Byakuya and Ichimaru Gin's expressions instantly turned serious.
If nothing else, their leisurely stroll this afternoon had indeed relaxed their minds considerably. This peculiar training method truly had its unique merits.
As expected of Lord Naraku!
Seeing their expectant expressions, the corners of Naraku Sora's mouth curled up.
"All the hard work you put into training is for the sake of achieving victory in battle. So, let's fight."
"A true life-and-death struggle."
"Use whatever means necessary to take down the other. Winner takes all, loser bites the dust!"
Kuchiki Byakuya's eyes widened, his face full of shock. "But..."
Before he could even finish his sentence, Naraku Sora had already issued the command:
"Gin, take him out."
Without a moment's hesitation, a flash of silver light erupted within the dojo, seemingly slicing through the very air. A deafening boom shot straight toward the roof.
Naraku Sora nodded in satisfaction.
Obedient and sensible kids like Gin were hard to come by these days. Compared to a certain someone who loved to feign compliance while slacking off all day—Kisuke—the difference was like heaven and earth.
"Hadō #4: Byakurai!"
Crackling arcs of electricity shot out, hurtling straight toward Kuchiki Byakuya.
The white lightning blasted against the sturdy floorboards, instantly exploding into countless charred splinters.
An undisguised killing intent enveloped him, leaving Kuchiki Byakuya both shocked and furious.
'This guy is actually serious!'
Soon, the two clashed, the sound of ringing steel echoing endlessly.
An unknown amount of time passed before two heavily bruised and battered figures collapsed almost simultaneously. Kuchiki Byakuya, being slightly weaker, didn't even have the strength to twitch a pinky finger.
'I lost.'
That was the first thought that popped into his mind.
'But next time, I'll definitely be the one to win!'
Ichimaru Gin, on the other hand, appeared quite calm, mentally reviewing what he had learned during the brutal fight.
He had to admit, this training method was incredibly effective.
Naraku Sora reached out and placed his hands over their heads. A green light symbolizing vitality cascaded down, covering their bodies.
Although he wasn't particularly skilled at Kaidō, he made up for his lack of finesse with sheer brute force. Besides, they only had superficial wounds, so a simple healing session was well within his capabilities.
"Not bad. You both did very well."
Naraku Sora did not hold back his praise.
"Remember what I said earlier: overtraining will only drag you down."
"Alright, today's Naraku-style training ends here. I'll come check on you when I have time."
After the healing was complete, Naraku Sora dusted off his pants and left.
Watching the man's retreating back, Kuchiki Byakuya subconsciously asked, "Gin, what kind of person do you think Senior Naraku is?"
Hearing this, the corners of Ichimaru Gin's mouth curled up slightly.
"A reassuring person, of course."
After returning to Shino Prison, Naraku Sora experienced a rare period of quiet.
The Soul Society fell into a long-absent state of peace and tranquility.
He spent his days hanging around Urahara Kisuke and Aizen, occasionally training with Komamura and the others, or beating up Zaraki Kenpachi.
From time to time, he would visit the Squad 4 barracks to exchange sword techniques with Unohana Retsu.
When he had free time, he would head to Squad 2 to offer guidance on the advanced Shunkō that Yoruichi had developed.
It was worth noting that her talent for Shunkō was far greater than her talent with a Zanpakutō.
After just a few sessions, she was gradually able to maintain her sanity while in her lightning beast form.
At the very least, she wouldn't act like a feral cat that needed someone else's help to deactivate the beast mode.
Under Naraku Sora's one-on-one tutelage, Soifon had also managed to grasp the basics of Shunkō, a high-level Hakuda technique.
Because of this, the young girl's attitude toward him grew much more affectionate.
There was even a faint trend of her surpassing Yoruichi.
Without a doubt, for a girl like Soifon, who didn't discriminate in her affections, these days were the absolute happiest.
Getting to see the person she admired and the person she liked every single day was practically like living in paradise.
The only thing that troubled her slightly was...
Every time she visited the Shino Prison barracks, she would be met with inexplicable hostility from an orange-haired girl.
Judging by the look in her eyes, it seemed she wanted to compete with her.
Soifon wasn't entirely sure what was going on, but her intuition told her it probably had something to do with Naraku Sora.
Thinking of this, she lost any desire to back down.
Just as Lady Yoruichi had said, there would be countless competitors on this path.
But she would never retreat; she was determined to make it to the very end!
Meanwhile.
After a period of arduous research, Aizen had finally made a breakthrough with the Impure World Reincarnation technique.
To test it, he specifically brought Naraku Sora to the Rukongai.
"What is this?"
Looking at the precise machinery set up in the clearing, Naraku Sora wore a puzzled expression.
"I analyzed the principles of the Impure World Reincarnation. Based on that, I built a device powered by the Hōgyoku as its core," Aizen said with a calm expression.
"Next, we can attempt to seize the authority of Hell."