Cracks in the Asauchi

Since our breaks don't line up, I'll just have to...

Just as Yoruichi imagined how she would play tricks on Xuanxin at night after mastering the technique, a steadily more perverted smile spreading across her face, a discordant voice suddenly drifted over from the side.

"Oh my, wipe your chin. You're about to start drooling. What are you thinking about now? Could it be that you're lovesick because you can't see a certain handsome first-year junior?"

Kisuke Urahara, who had skipped class along with Yoruichi, was holding a folding fan over half his face and gleefully trampling on every one of her nerves.

The air suddenly fell silent, and then...

"Kisuke Urahara! You're asking for death!!"

With a roar like an enraged tigress, a purple afterimage swooped down from the treetop in an instant, its terrifying Reiatsu cutting off Kisuke Urahara's escape.

"Bang! Rumble! Smack! Aah!"

An hour later.

In the Shin'ō Academy infirmary, there was another blond patient wrapped up like a mummy, moaning and groaning.

Luckily, Yoruichi's mind had been full of her "infiltration plan" for that night, so she had gone just a tiny bit easier on him. The infirmary's medical staff had been just capable enough to save him.

Chapter 6: Cracks in the Asauchi

After that, Xuanxin's days once again settled into a routine.

Training, eating, attending classes, dealing with Yoruichi as she randomly spawned around him from time to time, and, when he occasionally had the time, visiting Kisuke Urahara in the Fourth Division, where he was always having accidents.

Before long, Xuanxin's reputation as a Zanjutsu genius had spread throughout the academy. Of course, his reputation as a Hakuda idiot had spread along with it.

In fact, Xuanxin wasn't the only one at a loss. Even the teachers couldn't make sense of it.

His reaction speed, dynamic vision, and physical coordination were clearly all but perfect, yet whenever it came to unarmed sparring, his movements became bizarre.

But the teachers throughout the academy had lost who knew how much hair puzzling over it and still hadn't figured out why. Perhaps only a Hakuda master better than them could solve Xuanxin's problem.

Compared to his struggles with Hakuda, however, Xuanxin's performance in swordsmanship class was a completely different story.

The instructor stood in the center of the training ground with a wooden sword, demonstrating orthodox Shinigami swordsmanship to the new students.

"The foundation of Zanjutsu lies in the unity of mind, body, and technique."

With that, the instructor gripped the wooden sword in both hands, raised it sharply, and swung down with tremendous force. A sharp whistle rang out as it cut through the air.

He looked at the eager students below and said, "The first and most fundamental principle I'm going to teach you today is that holding a sword with both hands is always more stable and powerful than holding it with one. This is an unchanging truth."

After speaking, he cast a pointed glance in Xuanxin's direction.

Xuanxin paused at those words, naturally understanding what the instructor was implying. He also knew perfectly well that the instructor had gone out of his way to stress the point because he had taken two Asauchi.

That evening, in a rarely visited forest on the back mountain.

"Bang!"

Xuanxin held an Asauchi in his right hand and moved with the blade. Wood chips flew, and a deep gash appeared in the tree trunk.

He then stepped back half a pace, took a deep breath, and gripped the hilt with both hands. His muscles pulled taut like a fully drawn bowstring as he slashed fiercely at the same spot!

"Boom!"

An even deeper, heavier crash rang out. The entire tree shuddered violently, and leaves rustled down.

Xuanxin studied the two cuts of differing depths in the trunk and thoughtfully rubbed his faintly aching right wrist.

The instructor was right. Without using Reiatsu, the explosive power and stability of a one-handed grip really can't compare to a two-handed grip. If I faced an opponent with overwhelming strength in a fight to the death, wielding two swords would instead divide my strength and become a fatal weakness.

With that question on his mind, Xuanxin returned to his dormitory and pondered it quietly.

Yoruichi came to see Xuanxin during that time, but when she saw him staring blankly at the Asauchi in his hand, she admired his profile from the shadows for a little while before leaving. Not long afterward, a meal appeared outside his door.

One hand or two, instinct or experience. Xuanxin wavered between the two, trying to forge a path of his own from those two roads.

That night, Yoruichi, still unable to put Xuanxin out of her mind, once again used Shunpo to sneak into the dormitory area.

With practiced ease, she took out the key she had made long ago—or rather, it would have been more accurate to say the one in her hand was the original—and opened Xuanxin's door with a simple click.

"What are you thinking about? Your brow's so furrowed you could crush a Menos Grande in it." Yoruichi walked over and sat down casually in front of Xuanxin.

Hearing the familiar voice, Xuanxin knew who it was without looking back.

Xuanxin sighed helplessly and told her all about his confusion in swordsmanship class that day and his dilemma over choosing between one hand and two.

After listening, Yoruichi curled her lip dismissively. "That old stick-in-the-mud's rule about 'two hands being stronger than one' is common sense for ordinary mediocrities! You're the man I, Yoruichi Shihōin, have taken a liking to. Are you ordinary?"

She moved in close, her warm breath brushing the tip of Xuanxin's nose. Cupping his face in both hands, she said, "If one hand isn't strong enough, then train it until it's stronger than other people's two hands! When that happens, wielding two swords won't be a weakness that divides your strength. It'll be twice the overwhelming power! Do I really have to teach you something so simple?"

Her words woke him from his stupor!

Xuanxin's pupils widened sharply. The fog that had troubled him all day was torn to shreds in an instant by Yoruichi's seemingly simple and blunt words.

That's right! If one hand isn't strong enough, I'll train it until it's stronger than two! Then wielding two swords won't be a weakness that divides my strength. It'll be overwhelming power!

Having realized this, Xuanxin finally relaxed his body, which had been tense all day, and the gloom between his brows vanished.

Only then did he realize that Yoruichi's face was less than three inches from his own. He could even smell her delicate fragrance, and his reflection was clearly visible in those captivating golden eyes.

"Grrr..."

Just then, an ill-timed sound broke the silence in the room, followed by a powerful pang of hunger.

Yoruichi froze for a moment, then burst out laughing, her whole body shaking.

She let go, turned around, and pushed an elegantly wrapped meal box in front of Xuanxin. "Here. You were so lost in thought earlier that you didn't even eat. Go on."

Xuanxin didn't stand on ceremony. He opened the box and began eating in large mouthfuls. Halfway through, he suddenly stopped and looked up at Yoruichi in puzzlement.

"By the way, it's so late... How did you get in? And I'm sure I locked the door."

Yoruichi had been resting her chin in her hand, admiring Xuanxin as he ate. At his question, her eyes immediately darted about guiltily.

"Ah... Haha, how could a mere door stop me? Oh, don't worry about the details! Right, I heard your Hakuda grades are awful. How embarrassing. But don't worry, I'm a Hakuda genius the likes of which Soul Society sees only once in a century! Starting tomorrow, after physical training every day, I'll give you private Hakuda lessons. What do you say?"

Yoruichi laughed it off, forcibly brushing past the dangerous topic.

Xuanxin, meanwhile, was troubled by his complete lack of progress in Hakuda. Even his instructors no longer knew how to teach him. Hearing Yoruichi's offer, he readily nodded with barely a moment's hesitation.

"All right. Sorry for the trouble, Yoruichi."

"Hehe, leave it to me! But you're not allowed to skip class!" Seeing that her plan had worked, Yoruichi's lips curved into a sly smile.

Progress on the Xuanxin conquest plan: +1.

She glanced at the darkness outside the window. Her eyes turned, and she suddenly stretched, teasing him in a lazy voice.

"Oh my, it's already so late. Going back now would be such a hassle. How about... I squeeze in here with you and make do for the night?"

With that, she deliberately strode straight toward Xuanxin's less-than-spacious single bed, raising her hands as if to undo the buttons at her collar.

"Pfft—cough, cough, cough!"

Xuanxin's hand shook sharply around his rice ball, and he nearly choked. Startled by Yoruichi's actions, he hurriedly stood up and held out a hand to stop her.

"Wait! Absolutely not! That's... that's against the rules!"

Seeing Xuanxin, who was usually so composed, now red even to the tips of his ears gave Yoruichi immense satisfaction.

"Oh my, so you're not a block of wood after all. Look how scared you are. No fun."

Yoruichi knew full well that going too far was as bad as not going far enough. She quit while she was ahead, turning around and heading for the door.

Xuanxin had just breathed a sigh of relief and gone to see Yoruichi out when she suddenly spun around at the door and leaned close to him.

A faintly fragrant breeze brushed past him.

"Smooch!"

A soft, warm touch landed on his cheek, light as a dragonfly skimming the water yet forceful all the same.

"Good night, Xuanxin. See you tomorrow."

With a soft chuckle tinged with shyness and pride, Yoruichi vanished on the spot with a swish. All that remained was a dumbstruck Xuanxin and her lingering fragrance in the air.

He stood there in a daze. After a long while, he raised a hand almost mechanically and gently touched the cheek she had kissed.

The heat that had just faded quickly spread up his neck again, and his entire face turned scarlet in an instant.

Xuanxin didn't know that the culprit, who had seemingly made such a smooth departure, hadn't actually gone far at all.

Yoruichi had merely used Shunpo to change direction. She was now hiding in the shadow of a tree not far outside the house.

One hand was pressed tightly over her own burning cheek, while the other gripped the tree trunk. Her heart was beating so fast it felt as though it might leap out of her throat.

Through the shifting shadows of the trees, she watched the white-haired boy standing outside like a wooden statue, unable to suppress the smile on her lips.

Only after watching Xuanxin return to his room did Yoruichi prepare to leave, thoroughly satisfied.

There's always a risk that spare key will be discovered sooner or later. To make the next stage of my plan go more smoothly, practicing the Cat Transformation Technique must become my top priority immediately!

The next day, Shin'ō Academy began the most essential course in the Shinigami system—Jinzen.

As the name suggested, "Jinzen" involved a Shinigami meditating to immerse their mind in the inner world of their Zanpakuto and communicate with the "Zanpakuto spirit," the manifestation of their own soul.

Only by earning their Zanpakuto's acknowledgment and learning its true name could a Shinigami possibly take that most basic step: Shikai!

But that was easier said than done.

Every year at Shin'ō Academy, plenty of students failed at Jinzen because their spiritual power was insufficient or they could not face their own souls, graduating with nothing but a nameless Asauchi for the rest of their lives.

That was why every instructor frowned at the sight of Xuanxin's two Asauchi.

A single sword was already enough to stump the vast majority of people. Xuanxin had to train with two at once, making it even harder.

But after seeing the astonishing talent Xuanxin had displayed in the various tests over the past few days, as well as his refusal to turn back until he hit a wall, the instructors ultimately chose to remain silent.

After all, with the talent and level of Reiatsu Xuanxin had shown so far, releasing his Zanpakuto was only a matter of time.

Rather than forcibly correcting him now, they might as well wait for the stubborn mule to run into a wall and give up on his own.

Besides, the Shihoin Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Clans, stood behind him, so there was even less need to worry about Xuanxin's future.

In class, the instructor explained the details of Jinzen to everyone, while the students listened attentively, not daring to slack off in the slightest.

After the brief explanation, everyone quietly dispersed to find a spot that appealed to them. They hoped to use the largely useless mysticism to improve their chances of success and get the better of Xuanxin.

Xuanxin had no such concerns. He simply found a place to sit, laid the two standard-issue Asauchi flat across his knees, and followed the instructor's earlier directions. Sitting cross-legged with his palms and soles turned upward and the crown of his head facing the sky, he slowly closed his eyes.

As his breathing gradually steadied, Xuanxin's immense mental power began to turn inward, reaching along the scabbards on his knees toward that unknown realm.

Yet there was none of the resistance the instructor had described. Instead, the process went unusually smoothly, and he easily crossed the "mental barrier" that trapped countless new students.

But when he opened his "eyes" once more, everything before him had changed.

He was no longer in the classroom. Instead, he had appeared in a meadow that was both strange and familiar, with a few trees scattered across it.

A small table stood neatly beneath a tree in front of him, and beside it sat a white figure with legs crossed, seemingly waiting for someone.

What truly drew Xuanxin's attention, however, was the old book resting quietly on the table. He could even feel it calling to him.

Xuanxin's heart stirred. Just as he prepared to step toward the wooden table and the white-haired figure, he once again felt a subtle but unmistakable sense of rejection.