Training

When Liu Hao followed Isane Kotetsu to the clearing, the sight before him made him frown almost imperceptibly.

About twenty members stood scattered about, their formation loose and their expressions varied. Some looked thoroughly confused, while others seemed indifferent. What concerned Liu Hao even more was that nearly half of them weren't wearing their Zanpakuto.

He turned to Isane Kotetsu beside him, his voice calm. "Lieutenant, didn't you tell them why they were coming here beforehand?"

"I did," Isane Kotetsu answered briefly, though a trace of helplessness flashed in her eyes. "It's just..."

She didn't finish, but Liu Hao already understood.

The Medical Guard Team had been assembled in a hurry, and most of its members had probably been transferred on short notice. They themselves likely had only a vague understanding of the new unit's purpose and duties, let alone these selected members.

At that moment, Isane Kotetsu stepped forward and faced the group, her voice clear and formal. "Everyone, as of today, the Medical Guard Team has officially been established. This is Fifth Seat Liu Hao. He will serve as your captain, responsible for your training and subsequent team assignments. From now on, please follow Captain Liu Hao's orders."

With that, she stepped aside and looked at Liu Hao, signaling for him to speak.

Liu Hao stepped forward. His gaze slowly swept over every face, his golden-red eyes as calm as still water, yet carrying a power that seemed to pierce into people's hearts. The group had been somewhat restless, but under his gaze, they gradually fell quiet.

"I'm Liu Hao." His voice wasn't loud, but every word reached their ears clearly. "Before we officially begin training, I'll announce a few basic requirements."

He raised one finger. "First, from now on, you must carry your Zanpakuto at all times. The Medical Guard Team is a guard team first and a medical team second. How can you talk about guarding anyone without a sword?"

He raised a second finger. "Second, you must also carry your medical pack at all times. Training, deployments, even routine team duties—as long as you're wearing your uniform, you must have your medical pack on your back. You need to get used to its weight and its presence in battle."

A third finger went up. "Third, you must never neglect Kaidō because you're practicing the sword, hand-to-hand combat, movement, or Kidō. Medicine is your primary duty. Combat ability supplements it; it does not replace it. If anyone dares to fail a Kaidō assessment, I'll personally send him back to his original post."

Finally, he raised a fourth finger. "Fourth, and most importantly, you are absolutely forbidden to rush into battle when you cannot ensure your own safety and the safety of those you're protecting. The Medical Guard Team's foremost duty is protection, not showing off."

He lowered his hand and swept his gaze over the group once more. "Those four points are the Medical Guard Team's iron rules. Violate any one of them, and you'll be expelled from the team. Now, does anyone have a question?"

After a brief silence, Isane Kotetsu was the first to speak, uncertainty in her voice. "Captain Liu Hao, wearing the medical pack even during training... won't that affect our mobility?"

It was a practical question. The medical pack wasn't particularly heavy, but it was still an extra load, and it could indeed become an obstacle during high-speed movement or intense combat.

Liu Hao nodded slightly. "That's a good question, Lieutenant. That's exactly why we need to train with the medical packs on. We need to adapt to them. On a real battlefield, Medical Guard Team members can't take off their packs before joining the fight. We have to get used to moving, dodging, and attacking with them on."

He paused, then added, "It may feel inconvenient at first, but with training, your bodies will gradually adapt. When the time comes that you really need it, you'll find that the medical pack has become a part of your body and is no longer a burden."

There were no further questions from the group.

Liu Hao waited a moment, and when no one spoke, he continued, "Since there are no questions, everyone who didn't bring a Zanpakuto and medical pack is to return to the barracks and fetch them immediately. You have fifteen minutes."

As soon as he finished, nearly half the members hurried away. Those who remained adjusted their stances on their own. Though they still looked inexperienced, they at least had the beginnings of a proper team.

Fifteen minutes later, all the members returned, their Zanpakuto properly fastened and medical packs on their shoulders.

Liu Hao stood before the formation, his gaze sweeping over them again. This time, he saw a team beginning to take shape.

"Good," he said slowly. "Now, we'll begin the first training session."

Training lasted the entire afternoon.

Liu Hao didn't start by teaching advanced techniques. Instead, he began with the most basic physical training: weighted runs, explosive sprints, and endurance exercises. He required everyone to complete them while carrying their medical packs, correcting their movements and adjusting their breathing rhythms from time to time.

Isane Kotetsu watched for a while, then, seeing that training was proceeding smoothly, quietly left for the Captain’s Office to report to Unohana.

In the Captain’s Office, Unohana listened to Isane Kotetsu's account. After hearing Liu Hao's four requirements in particular, a trace of approval flashed in her eyes.

"It seems Fifth Seat Liu Hao really is well suited to the position," she said softly. "He's considered everything thoroughly. The Medical Guard Team is different from an ordinary combat unit. Their duties are specialized, so the requirements for them must be specialized too."

Isane Kotetsu nodded. "Yes. It's just... the rigor and attention to detail Captain Liu Hao showed during training surprised me a little. He doesn't usually seem to have that kind of personality."

Unohana smiled faintly. "Everyone has many sides. Perhaps this is what he's truly like."

Just then, a knock came from outside the door.

"Captain, Fifth Seat Liu Hao requests an audience," a member announced from outside.

"Let him in," Unohana said.

The door opened, and Liu Hao walked in. He had changed out of the uniform soaked with sweat during training and put on clean clothes, but the fatigue of training still showed on his face.

"Captain." Liu Hao bowed.

"Training's over?" Unohana asked.

"Yes. The members' physical conditioning is better than expected, but they're still a long way from meeting the demands of actual combat." Liu Hao got straight to the point. "But I came to discuss a fundamental problem currently facing the Medical Guard Team."

Unohana raised an eyebrow slightly. "Oh? Isane was just saying how well you'd led them. What's the problem?"

Liu Hao took a deep breath, his tone serious. "The problem is... I, their captain, am not strong enough."

The room fell silent for a moment.

Isane Kotetsu looked at Liu Hao in surprise, while Unohana narrowed her eyes.

"Your strength," Unohana said slowly, "should already surpass that of most lieutenants. Why do you say you're not strong enough?"

"Because the battlefields the Medical Guard Team has to face are often the most dangerous and chaotic parts of the front line." Liu Hao's voice was steady and clear. "In those circumstances, a captain leading a squad needs at least lieutenant-level strength. And as the overall captain of the Medical Guard Team... I need at least Captain-level strength to keep the situation under control and protect the members in a crisis."

He paused, then continued, "Otherwise, whenever a situation calls for Captain-level combat strength, we'll have no choice but to ask you to handle it personally. But if we need you to step in every time, the Medical Guard Team's reason for existing is greatly diminished. Besides, if the fighting is spread out, you can't be everywhere at once."

The analysis was sound and went straight to the heart of the matter.

Unohana was silent for a moment, her fingers tapping lightly on the desk. "Then how do you intend to solve this problem?"

"Two ways." Liu Hao had already thought it through. "First, train potential squad leaders from among the members. Let some of the promising ones gain combat experience on smaller missions, then select the best of them for focused training. Given time, they can share the responsibility of leading squads."

He raised his head and looked Unohana directly in the eye. "Second, I hope you'll train me personally, Captain."

When he said that, the air in the room seemed to freeze.

Isane Kotetsu stared at Liu Hao in disbelief. Who in the Fourth Division, or even the entire Gotei 13, didn't know that Captain Unohana had long since stopped training members personally? The First Kenpachi had long since sheathed her edge, becoming a healing spring breeze.

The gentle smile slowly vanished from Unohana's face. Her eyes narrowed to slits, her gaze sharp as a blade. "You want me... to train you personally?"

Her voice was soft, but it carried a pressure that made the heart tremble. "You know about me?"

Liu Hao met her gaze without the slightest retreat. "Yes. You took pleasure in battle and claimed to have mastered every school of Kendo in Soul Society, earning the name 'Yachiru.' To enjoy fighting for longer, you even learned Kaidō... First Kenpachi, Yachiru Unohana."

Every word rang out clearly, like a heavy hammer striking in the quiet room.

Isane Kotetsu's expression changed. She had never heard any of this, never imagined that the captain who was always smiling gently and healing the wounded could have such a past.

Unohana slowly rose to her feet. She moved slowly, but carried the oppressive presence of a mountain. Reiatsu began to stir around her, no longer the warm, healing aura she usually gave off, but a cold, sharp edge that seemed capable of cutting the soul.

"You really do... know quite a lot," she said in a low voice, her eyes as deep as an abyss.

Liu Hao continued as if he hadn't felt that terrifying Reiatsu. "I wouldn't claim to be all-knowing and all-powerful, but I do know quite a bit. Known as the greatest villain in Soul Society's history, you fought an earth-shaking battle with Kenpachi Zaraki when you met him as a boy.

"In that battle, you forced Captain Zaraki to seal away his own power, and you... blamed yourself for it and chose to withdraw, hoping that one day you could find a way to make him break the seal and inherit your name of 'Kenpachi.'"

The fluctuations of Reiatsu grew more violent. The air in the room began to twist, and the documents on the desk trembled slightly.

Unohana stared at Liu Hao, her usually gentle eyes now gleaming dangerously. "Oh? You even know about that."

Her voice grew cold. "Tell me. You came to me for training, but I doubt it's as simple as wanting to become stronger, is it?"

Liu Hao took a deep breath. He knew that what he said next would decide everything.

"I know how to make Captain Zaraki unseal his power." His voice was quiet but firm. "But I hope... I'll be the one to awaken him, not you."

The words exploded through the room like a thunderclap.

Unohana's pupils abruptly contracted. Her Reiatsu surged to a suffocating level in an instant, and the entire Captain’s Office trembled slightly. Isane Kotetsu had gone pale and could barely remain standing.

"Why?!" Unohana's voice seemed to come from the abyss.

"Because I don't want you to die," Liu Hao answered without hesitation.

"That is my mission," Unohana said coldly.

"No, that's just a rule you set for yourself, the so-called mission you've decided is yours." Liu Hao met her gaze. "'Kenpachi'... what a ridiculous title. The strongest Soul Reaper in Soul Society is Captain-Commander Yamamoto, and above him is the Royal Guard, the Zero Division. No matter how you look at it, that title of 'strongest' could never go to the so-called 'Kenpachi.'"

Unohana fell silent.

The fluctuations of her Reiatsu gradually subsided, but her deep gaze remained fixed on Liu Hao.

After a long while, she finally spoke. "You're right. The Captain-Commander and Zero Division don't appear among the combat units on the front line. So on the front line, 'Kenpachi' can indeed be considered the strongest Soul Reaper."

Her tone had become calm again, but something more complicated lay hidden beneath that calm.

Liu Hao shook his head. "Even so, there's no need for you to sacrifice yourself to pass on a title. What Captain Zaraki needs isn't your death, but an opponent who can make him fight with everything he has, an opportunity to break his self-imposed seal."

Unohana sat down again, her expression unreadable. She remained silent for so long that Isane Kotetsu thought time itself had stopped.

At last, she raised her head and looked at Liu Hao. "It's too early to discuss this. Captain Zaraki hasn't yet rediscovered his desire to fight, and I haven't finished my preparations."

She changed the subject. "You want me to train you... very well. But you must be prepared to die. My training isn't as gentle as the Fourth Division's medical courses."

There wasn't the slightest wavering in Liu Hao's eyes. "I'm ready."

"Then," Unohana said, rising to her feet, "follow me."

Unohana didn't take Liu Hao to the training grounds or the dojo. She led him down an inconspicuous corridor deep inside the Fourth Division Barracks and stopped before an ancient-looking wooden door.

She pushed it open, revealing a space entirely unlike anything Liu Hao had expected.

It was neither an indoor training ground nor a courtyard, but a vast, boundless white space. The ground was smooth as a mirror, and the sky was a soft milky white. There was no sun, yet even light filled the space. It was so quiet that one could hear one's own heartbeat.

"This is..." Liu Hao looked around, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

"A space I created for battle," Unohana said calmly. "Here, we can fight without holding back, without worrying about damaging the barracks or being disturbed."

She walked to the center of the space and slowly drew the Zanpakuto at her waist. The moment the blade called Minazuki left its sheath, it no longer radiated healing gentleness, but a bone-chilling killing intent.

"Come," Unohana's voice echoed through the vast space. "Let me see just what a brat who knows so many secrets... is really capable of."

Liu Hao took a deep breath and drew his Zanpakuto as well.

"I hope," Liu Hao said, holding his sword horizontally before him, "that I can please you."

The instant the words left his mouth, both figures vanished.

No, they hadn't vanished. They were moving so fast that they left afterimages in their wake.

"Clang...!"

A tremendous metallic crash exploded through the space. The first clash of their Zanpakuto sent dazzling sparks flying.

Liu Hao immediately felt the pressure.

It wasn't suppression by Reiatsu; Unohana had deliberately kept hers at a level close to his. It was the overwhelming force of technique and experience, honed through countless trials until they had become instinct.

Unohana's swordwork changed unpredictably. One moment she delivered broad, sweeping slashes; the next, they became vicious, tricky thrusts. A seemingly straightforward lunge would change direction strangely halfway through, attacking from an inconceivable angle.

Liu Hao could only devote all his attention to defending. He pushed the swordsmanship he had mastered over years of sparring with the Imperial Sword inside the barrier to its limit. It was a style entirely unlike Soul Society's mainstream schools: more direct, more concise, and more focused on efficiency and lethality.

There were no flashy moves, no unnecessary preparation. Every block was precise to the millimeter, and every counterattack aimed straight for a vital point.

The two moved at high speed through the white space, their flashing blades weaving a deadly net. The sounds of their clashes rang out without pause, like a downpour beating against an iron plate.

After exchanging dozens of blows, they both sprang back, opening the distance between them.

Unohana looked at Liu Hao, surprise flashing in her eyes. "Your Zanjutsu... who taught you?"

There was genuine puzzlement in her voice. As "Yachiru," who had mastered every school of Kendo in Soul Society, she couldn't discern the origins of Liu Hao's swordsmanship at all.

"Aside from the basic Zanjutsu taught at Shin'ō Academy," Liu Hao said, breathing slightly hard, "I learned the rest through constant sparring with my Zanpakuto."

Unohana narrowed her eyes. "A school you created yourself?"

She studied his grip, footwork, and the way he generated power, then nodded slowly. "It certainly doesn't belong to any known school. It uses a straight sword as its foundation, combining the precision of a rapier, the power of a greatsword, and a certain... sense of rhythm I've never seen before."

She paused, interest gleaming in her eyes. "Not bad, brat. To create your own school of swordsmanship at your age, you've already surpassed the vast majority of so-called 'geniuses.'"

Liu Hao steadied his breathing, the tip of his sword dipping slightly. "You flatter me. My swordsmanship is still very immature."

"But if you want to please me," Unohana's tone suddenly turned cold, "this level alone is nowhere near enough."