Gen Private School

Yamamoto Shigekuni and Sasakibe Chojiro strolled out of the 8th Division barracks. The lower-ranking Shinigami they passed hurriedly stepped aside, bowing in respect.

"Genryusai-sama, do you truly intend to take that Rukon District commoner as your disciple? There are still unresolved questions regarding his background check. Besides, for an ordinary soul to survive against a Kenpachi is suspicious no matter how you look at it..."

"Furthermore, the mysterious individual from the 'Menos Grande Invasion' incident remains at large. What if it is this Lin Nan? If he is a spy from Hueco Mundo or a pawn planted by the rebel nobles, deliberately approaching the Court Guard Squad to sow discord from within..."

Sasakibe followed closely, his voice filled with concern as he posed these questions.

Yamamoto walked with a steady gait, gazing toward the distant horizon, and softly interrupted Sasakibe:

"I have investigated him multiple times; his spiritual pressure shows no trace of a Hollow. Even if we take a step back and assume he is a rebel mole, keeping him by my side is the safest course of action."

Hearing the Captain-Commander's reply, Sasakibe felt slightly more at ease, yet another question surfaced: "Captain Katori has been training this Lin Nan in private—could she be intending to recruit him into the 8th Division? Has she not considered the implications of his identity?"

At an angle where Sasakibe could not see, a flicker of imperceptible helplessness appeared in Yamamoto's eyes, but he remained silent.

Receiving no answer, the anxiety in Sasakibe's heart became impossible to suppress, and he couldn't help but urgently add:

"The newly established Central 46 is constantly causing us trouble, restricting the Court Guard Squad at every turn.

Under the current circumstances, once Captain Katori's actions are discovered, it will surely bring unnecessary trouble to both her and yourself, sir! This..."

"Chojiro..." Yamamoto's gravelly voice sounded low, cutting off Sasakibe's words.

"You must learn to view matters from the perspective of a Captain.

The Court Guard Squad's greatest enemy at present is not in Hueco Mundo, but the old rebel nobles in the Rukon District. Who are they opposing? They oppose the monopoly of power held by the Four Great Noble Houses and the new elites of the Seireitei—that is, the Four Great Noble Houses and Central 46.

And Central 46, having just grasped power, is most wary of the Court Guard Squad, fearing that our influence is too vast and will hinder their expansion.

--This is a vicious cycle. In this cycle, the Court Guard Squad is the only loser."

Sasakibe did not respond, waiting quietly for what would follow. He knew the Captain-Commander's words were true.

Yamamoto lowered his voice to a level only the two of them could hear: "Years of war have caused constant attrition in every division. Now, the intake of the Shino Academy is also controlled by Central 46. If this continues, you know what will happen."

Sasakibe pondered for a moment and said: "Our Court Guard Squad will be usurped, with all positions replaced by people from Central 46."

Yamamoto nodded slightly, his tone exceptionally heavy, as if he had already foreseen that worst-case scenario:

"If that day truly arrives, it will prove that all the Shinigami who have fallen since the founding of the Court Guard Squad have sacrificed their lives for nothing, and the life and honor they bought with their blood will have vanished into thin air. Their sacrifices will have been in vain.

"Katori is trying to find a way to avert such a future. Lin Nan may indeed be a mole, but it is more likely he is not. A mole with a functioning brain would not be as conspicuous as he is; they would choose a less noticeable method to integrate into the Court Guard Squad.

"You must realize that the core combat power of the Court Guard Squad still rests with the Vice-Captains and Captains. This is why I intend to initiate the Seat system to improve our overall combat strength.

"Discovering a genius with immense potential is also of great help to the combat power of the Court Guard Squad."

Sasakibe pondered Yamamoto's words for a long time before tentatively asking: "Then... if, and I mean if, Lin Nan really is a rebel mole?"

Yamamoto's footsteps faltered for a moment, and he said in a low voice: "If there is any shred of evidence proving he is a mole or an enemy, then I shall strike him down with my own hands."

Four days later. 1st District of South Rukon, Danzhao.

Lin Nan, dressed in brand-new clothes and accompanied personally by Katori, arrived before the gates of the Gen Private School, located at the border between the 1st and 2nd Districts of South Rukon.

"This is the Gen Private School? Isn't it a bit... remote?"

Unlike the dignified and grand martial arts halls he had imagined, the Gen Private School was merely a simple, unadorned courtyard. Compared to the vibrant and imposing buildings in the same district, the narrow gate looked rather shabby.

"I told you the Gen Style isn't as good as my Cloud Style—do you remember the fist techniques I taught you?" Katori didn't even glance at the Gen Private School, turning her attention to Lin Nan instead.

For these past four days, she had forced him to learn Cloud Style Hand-to-Hand.

"You only gave me four days; isn't that a bit too short?" Lin Nan rolled his eyes, recalling, "I only managed to memorize a move or two..."

Katori hammered her fist into her palm with force: "That's enough! I just wanted to leave the techniques of my Cloud Style in your head before he could teach you anything!

That way, no matter how high a realm you reach in the future, your first identity will always be a disciple of the Cloud Style!"

Recalling the scene where Yamamoto had intercepted her that day, Katori still puffed out her cheeks in anger.

"But you won't let me call you Master, so no one will know I'm a Cloud Style disciple. What's the point of doing this?"

"Oh, I already told you! Even if you only remember a move or two, it's to carve the knowledge of the Cloud Style into your mind first! I can't let the Gen Style get such a big bargain for free!"

A thought drifted through Lin Nan's mind: It's over, I've been tainted...

For an ordinary person, four days would only be enough to get a rough idea of a Hand-to-Hand style. However, because Lin Nan already had a sliver of proficiency in Hand-to-Hand, he had managed to grasp about thirty percent of the secrets of Cloud Style Hand-to-Hand during these four days of study.

Does this count as stealing the technique?

Of course not; I learned it by watching the recordings over and over in broad daylight. How can a martial artist call it stealing?

Lin Nan looked around the somewhat desolate street and said with disappointment:

"Sister Katori, our dignified Captain-Commander's dojo isn't even in the Seireitei, but opened in the suburbs of the Rukon District?"

Katori's lingering anger hadn't faded, and she frowned at the question: "I am over three hundred years older than you; who are you calling 'sister'?"

"You won't let me call you Master, and you look so young, I can't exactly call you Grandma, can I?" After four days of getting along, Lin Nan no longer felt any fear toward her, wearing an expression of utter indifference.

"That wouldn't be impossible. I don't mind." Katori shot a sidelong glance at Lin Nan and replied airily.

Lin Nan was momentarily speechless. His eyes drifted downward, glancing at Katori's figure, and he muttered: "Forget it, that would be too much of a stretch."

Katori didn't catch the subtext of Lin Nan's words and turned her gaze to the main gate of the Gen Private School: "Yamamoto wasn't very wealthy before he made a name for himself. It was only after the Gen Style gained fame that he had the money to rent a small courtyard in a place as expensive as the 1st District, let alone open a hall within the Seireitei."

As she spoke, she shifted her tone, leaning in toward Lin Nan with a hint of slyness:

"The Cloud Style is much stronger in that regard; it's just as much of a time-honored institution in the Soul Society. Our dojo is located in the First District of the West Rukon District, and it's huge and luxurious. Don't you want to come and take a look?"

Over these past few days, the two of them had become quite familiar with each other. This was not the first time Katori Batsunsai had tried to poach him, nor was it the first time Lin Nan had shot her down.

"Thanks for the invite, but no. The West Rukon District is too far, and I can't be bothered to walk that far... Tell me, shouldn't the Captain-Commander at least have some privileges? Why isn't the dojo opened inside the Seireitei?"

"Even the Captain-Commander doesn't have that kind of privilege. The Central 46 are terrified that we captains might become too powerful and threaten their status. How could they ever allow us to take on disciples within the Seireitei?"

From the outside, the Gen Private School did not look very wide, but once you entered the courtyard, you would realize it had significant depth. The entire compound was divided into three sections, which was sufficient for use as a dojo.

As the two walked into the first courtyard, what caught their eyes was a simple dry landscape garden.

Seeing Lin Nan still surveying the surroundings, Katori seized the opportunity to interject: "A bit shabby, isn't it? Don't you want to go check out my Cloud Dojo?"

Lin Nan turned his head, just in time to see Katori Batsunsai's charming face hiding behind her round glasses, beaming at him. He couldn't help but take half a step back: "Boss, cut it out. You smiling like that all of a sudden is genuinely creepy."

Katori's smile didn't waver: "What's creepy about it? I'm inviting you in all seriousness."

Lin Nan shook his head slightly. Recalling the aura she projected when she stood her ground against Yamamoto, the beautiful smile before him felt truly disillusioning.

"There's no helping it; those glasses of yours have an incredible 'low-IQ' effect. No matter how beautifully you smile, it only makes people feel a sense of pity, like they're looking at someone who needs special care."

"I'll kill you!"

Lin Nan didn't continue the banter, instead looking into Katori's eyes quite seriously and asking: "Since you didn't oppose the Captain-Commander taking me in back then, why did you insist on teaching me the Cloud Style later?"

Katori's round eyes darted around as she replied: "Because you're a once-in-a-century genius! Even Sister Retsu speaks highly of you, so naturally, I have to seize the opportunity for my own dojo."

"If you didn't roll your eyes so much, I might have believed you." The corner of Lin Nan's mouth twitched slightly. "If you're out of excuses, there's no need to force one."

"Hehe, I'm serious, I'm really serious... hehe." Katori laughed with a hint of awkwardness, following Lin Nan as they walked toward the rooms in the courtyard. Suddenly remembering something, she asked:

"Why do you keep using the term 'Court Guard Thirteen Squads'?"

Lin Nan looked a bit surprised: "Is there something wrong with that?"

"It's true that there were thirteen squads at the very beginning, but that term hasn't been mentioned by anyone for at least two hundred years..."

"Why?" Lin Nan asked, feeling puzzled.

Katori frowned slightly, a strange look appearing in her peach-blossom eyes, as if she found Lin Nan's reaction difficult to comprehend:

"Because for over two hundred years, the Court Guard Squads have only ever had seven squads!"