Zanpakuto Fusion

Tsuna woke up in the Fourth Division's barracks, and Tatsuki was sleeping next to him. It seemed that Isshin had concluded that there was no immediate danger in Soul Society.

He trusts Isshin Tsuna completely because his children and wife are now human, and he must consider things from their perspective.

Tsuna gently clenched his right hand. It seemed Inoue had already been there. His severed right hand was still the same as before, without any discomfort.

Tsuna's unusual behavior caught Tatsuki's attention. "Tsuna? You're awake? You can't abandon me again if something like this happens!"

Seeing Tatsuki's rapid change in expression, from concern to serious admonition, Tsuna gently replied, "Understood."

Tatsuki's voice quickly attracted the attention of those outside. The door was pushed open, Tsuna's friends came in.

"Tsuna! Are you feeling better?" Yuzu ran to Tsuna's bedside and asked. Compared to Karin's tendency to pretend to be mature, Yuzu was always more lively.

"I'm fine," Tsuna said reassuringly, then turned and asked, "How long was I unconscious? How come everyone's here?"

"I know, I know, we've been playing here for half a day!" the Yuzu replied, raising his hand.

"Thank you." Tsuna patted Yuzu's head and continued, "By the way, where's Isshin- san?"

"Huh? Oh, where did Daddy go?" Yuzu asked innocently.

"I saw him go out with that white-haired brat from last night," Karin said coldly.

"Karin, he's the captain, you should call him Captain Hitsugaya..." Masa never forgot her family's education.

Just as Tsuna and the others were joking and teasing each other, the door to the room opened again, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto walked in alone.

"Has Sawada Tsunayoshi regained consciousness? May I have a moment of your time?" Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto asked earnestly, his tone completely pleading.

The group exchanged glances, and it was Masa, after receiving a look from Tsuna, spoke up first, "Alright everyone, let's go outside and give Tsuna and Captain-Commander Yamamoto some private space."

Only Tsuna and Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto remained in the room. Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, without any hesitation, sat down in the chair opposite the hospital bed and, in a way, was the host of the ward, spoke first.

"Grandpa, what would you like to talk about?"

"Two questions. First, I'd like to know your attitude towards Soul Society. Second, if you're willing, I'd like to talk to you about that— Beyond Bankai!"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto is very goal-oriented. He had even considered these two issues during the battle. If Tsuna hadn't been exhausted, he would have already pulled Tsuna aside for a private chat.

"Let's take it one at a time," Tsuna said. "It's less about our attitude towards Soul Society and more about our attitude towards Three Worlds being the same."

"I have no intention of disrupting the balance of the world— the World of the Living, Soul Society, Hueco Mundo —nor do I have the same ambition as Aizen. I simply want to live a peaceful life and try to get to know some familiar people or things from my memories."

Whether we become friends or just meet briefly, at least we haven't lived in vain.

"Regarding Soul Society, I really like the distinctive Bleach of the Gotei 13, but that's about it. I can't comment on the structure and system of Soul Society outside of it."

Tsuna interpreted Tsuna's words as a call to protect, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto desire to maintain world stability. Was this Sawada Tsunayoshi's true intention?

And what about Soul Society? It seems that apart from the Gotei 13, nothing else catches his eye. Reform of Soul Society is imperative, and he wants Kyōraku, that traitorous disciple who is responsible for the transition between the old and the new, to transform Soul Society into a new one within a hundred years...

In Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's view, Tsuna's sense of protection and his fondness for the Gotei 13 him seem like someone who naturally understood the Gotei's ideals. Without realizing it, he had come to regard Tsuna as one of his own.

Even the arrangements for Kyōraku were adjusted according to Tsuna's ideas. Over the course of a thousand years, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto knew that he and the nobles had restricted the development of Soul Society, and that the remnants of the old era should give way to the ships of the new era.

It's important to know that the Soul Society, which connects to the World of the Living, isn't limited to the Eastern region.

Could Sawada Tsunayoshi, surrounded by human Fullbringer, Quincy, Bleach, and even those possibly connected to Hollows, be the future leader of the Eastern Kingdom?

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto remained silent for a long time, then silently made a decision in his heart before opening his eyes and asking, "The second question... of course, it's okay if you don't want to answer it."

In Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's view, the power Beyond Bankai belonged to Tsuna himself, and since Tsuna was not a member of Soul Society, he had no right to demand that Tsuna hand it over.

However, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto was not discouraged. As long as he Tsuna Tsuna the Soul Society after he entered the Soul Society, this power would eventually belong to the Soul Society. It was just a matter of time, and for them, the Bleach, time was the last thing they lacked.

"There's nothing we can't talk about. As I've said before, I have a favorable view of the Gotei 13. If you can gain new power, it will benefit both me and the world."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's back was ramrod straight; facing the Bleach's new direction, he had to take it with the utmost seriousness.

"Before we discuss this, I'd like to ask you, old man, what kind of existence do you think Zanpakuto is to Bleach?" Tsuna asked.

"Zanpakuto are an integral part of the Bleach power system; within the Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohō, Kidō..."

"Stop!" Tsuna immediately interrupted Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto. "I'm not interested in this kind of official response. Just tell me your feelings in one sentence."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto lowered his head, the seal on his cane was released, revealing the form of Ryūjin Jakka Asauchi. He had been with Ryūjin Jakka for over a thousand years, and he was probably the one in Seireitei who felt the deepest connection to Zanpakuto.

"Zanpakuto is a weapon that carries the power of Bleach!"

Tsuna clapped lightly twice. "As expected of the Captain-Commander, but my understanding differs slightly from yours. I believe that Zanpakuto are the keys to unlocking Bleach's talents and potential."

"Shikai is the release of a Shinigami's power by calling upon the name of the Zanpakuto after a dialogue between the Bleach and the Zanpakuto. It is a basic reflection of the Bleach's power. On this basis, the Zanpakuto submits, and the Shinigami can learn a second release, which is Bankai."

"Then, Captain -Captain-Commander Yamamoto, in this process of liberation, is it the power of the Zanpakuto, or the power of the Bleach?"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto understood Tsuna's meaning. "Each time Zanpakuto is released, it is releasing the Bleach's own power. The Asauchi issued by the Shino Academy are all the same. The one who gives the Zanpakuto different forms and displays different powers is the Bleach himself."

"So, the key means you believe that the Zanpakuto establishes a bridge between Bleach and latent powers?"

"As expected of Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he's so easy to talk to." Tsuna offered a light but not overt compliment. "Therefore, I believe that each release of Zanpakuto is actually another instance of Bleach gaining control over their own power."

"Just as your Great Fire Sword can transform into the Zanka no Tachi, when you raise your own fire concentration to a higher level, the form displayed by your Bankai becomes completely different."

"Sawada Tsunayoshi, don't forget, there are a large number of Bleach who don't use Zanpakuto, such as the Kidō Corps, the researchers of the Squad 12, and Yoruichi Shihōin, who is famous for combining the other three abilities," Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto asked.

"These people are not incapable of displaying their talents, but they have all abandoned their Zanpakuto and chosen a different path."

"According to you, it would be more appropriate for people to choose their workplace based on their inherent potential."

Tsuna scratched his head. He'd gone a bit off-topic; this wasn't his place to concern himself with the topic, but Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto had asked, he'd reluctantly offered his thoughts.

"This issue involves a conflict between Bleach's personal perception and potential. It's like Bleach who is skilled in healing and Bleach who is skilled in Kido, but who chooses to abandon their talents and devote themselves to the world of Zanpakuto."

"There is no right or wrong in choices, but such choices mean that they will have to spend more effort to reach another level of achievement. For example, Yoruichi combined Kido and Hakuda to develop Flash Cry. In the past thousand years, only she has created a new path."

"Conversely, those who choose to focus on cultivating their own talents, like the Bleach who develop their Zanpakuto, are more likely to obtain greater power, namely Bankai."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto frowned and asked, "Your two examples..."

"Yes, yes." Tsuna didn't hide anything. "I suspect that Ikkaku Madarame and Yumichika Ayasegawa of the Squad 11 possess the talents of the Dao of Reincarnation and the Kido, respectively. It's just that they prefer to follow Kenpachi Zaraki and fight people."

"Kenpachi Zaraki..." Hearing this name, Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto understood a lot. The Squad 11 was a team that highly valued both strength and personal charisma, so it was understandable that those two followed Kenpachi Zaraki, wasn't it?

"Based on the above understanding, I have considered whether I can unleash my own power if I don't need Zanpakuto, or whether I can fight using the power within my body without relying on the external Zanpakuto to unleash my power."

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto snapped out of his daze and stood up to listen.

"It's a pity, I can't do it, or rather, I can only do a little bit. It's like how you, Captain-Commander, can release flames without releasing your Zanpakuto, but it doesn't meet the standards for combat."

"That's right." Ryūjin Jakka was still in its scabbard, a palm-sized flame burning on the hilt. "It's only about the quality of a roasted sweet potato."

Tsuna choked a little. Could it be that this old man Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto, with nothing better to do, actually use Ryūjin Jakka sweet potatoes?

"Ahem, if we can't directly release our internal power, we still have to rely on the path of channeling our power into our Zanpakuto and then releasing it externally."

"But I feel that although this path is easier, it is still a bit slow, so I'm trying to see if I can erase the intermediate element of the Zanpakuto and release the power within my body directly."

"Since Zanpakuto is an external object, if it becomes part of my body, does that mean I can release my power directly?"

Genryūsai Shigekuni Yamamoto's eyebrows twitched, his eyes widened, filled with a sharp light; even he was merely gathering his power within the existing framework.

Sawada Tsunayoshi's decision to overturn the fundamental path of the Zanpakuto being released from within the body is like flipping the table, overturning the order that has existed in Soul Society for thousands of years since the appearance of Zanpakuto!

"I'm lucky, I did it. This is Beyond Bankai, and its basic principle is the fusion of Bleach and Zanpakuto!"