Yamamoto's Fury

Yamamoto stood in the center of the courtyard, staring at the two battered figures before him. His veins bulged with rage, and even the cross-shaped scar on his forehead seemed to flush with a blood-red hue, as if two worms were writhing to life beneath his skin.

"You two bastards! To turn the courtyard into this state the moment I step away! Is Gen Private School a place for you to run wild like this!?"

Lin Nan and Kyoraku Shunsui stood with their backs against the wall, looking like two children being punished for standing in the corner.

Kyoraku didn't dare move a muscle; the remnants of his shirt on his back were already soaked through with cold sweat. The spiritual pressure Yamamoto was unconsciously emitting in his fury made Kyoraku feel as though his very ability to breathe was being suppressed.

If he were to make any rash moves now, Kyoraku dared not imagine what this demonic grandmaster might do.

Lin Nan also sensed something unusual, as if a giant balloon filled with water had rolled over him, exerting a uniform pressure that could be felt from every angle of his body.

So this is "spiritual pressure"? he thought to himself. It actually feels a bit like a massage; quite comfortable, really...

Sasakibe Chojiro, standing to the side, saw that Captain Yamamoto was truly incensed and hurriedly tried to mediate: "Lord Genryūsai, please calm your anger. They are still young and ignorant, after all; perhaps there was a reason for this outcome..."

Yamamoto turned his head, fuming: "No reason is sufficient! What kind of student nearly tears down their own school!?"

Seeing his expression now, Lin Nan truly understood the meaning of "brows bristling with rage."

Sasakibe was at a loss for words, wanting to help but not knowing what to say, so he hurriedly signaled the two with his eyes.

Kyoraku was already drenched in cold sweat from Yamamoto's furious expression, and upon seeing Sasakibe's eyes, he remained indifferent.

Seeing this, Lin Nan hurriedly took half a step forward and said with a grin: "Lord Yamamoto, I have something to say."

Sasakibe Chojiro offered a well-intentioned reminder from the side: "You are now a disciple of Lord Genryūsai; you should call him Master."

Lin Nan glanced at Sasakibe, realization dawning on him, and he turned back with an even broader smile: "Old Man Yama, here is what happened..."

Yamamoto's angry expression faltered slightly: "Hm? What did you call me? Was it you again, Kyoraku, who taught him to address me like that?"

For a thousand years, apart from that unruly disciple Kyoraku Shunsui, no other student had dared to address him so casually. This matter surely had to involve Kyoraku.

As he spoke, his questioning gaze immediately locked onto Kyoraku.

Kyoraku Shunsui's body stiffened, his eyes filled with panic, and he hurriedly shook his head: "It wasn't me! I'm not even close enough with him to talk about such things. And why would I ever call you Old Man Yama behind your back!"

Lin Nan glanced at Kyoraku with black lines on his forehead, thinking that the guy wasn't technically lying—he usually called him Old Man Yama behind his back.

Yamamoto snorted coldly, noncommittal, and returned his gaze to Lin Nan's face: "I haven't had the chance to teach you anything yet, so not calling me Master is understandable for now. You have something to say? Speak."

Yamamoto's cold and stern gaze reminded Lin Nan of the dean he had feared most in middle school, and he couldn't help but swallow hard.

Sometimes, the fear of a person is truly carved into one's bones; perhaps that was why Kyoraku was so afraid of Yamamoto.

Lin Nan steadied his emotions and said: "Actually, the cause of this incident lies with me.

"Yesterday, after I arrived here, classmate Kyoraku very enthusiastically showed me the layout of the hall and carefully explained the history of our martial arts school... ah, no, Gen Private School. Hearing about how many heroes you have cultivated under your tutelage made my blood boil with excitement!

"...Later, I asked him why he could become your disciple at such a young age, and he said he was a famous genius from the surrounding ten miles, and that you had personally selected him to be your disciple...

"Could I agree with that, you ask?... After all, I am someone who just traded blows with Kenpachi, and my vanity was at its peak—could I just let him get away with that, right?

"...I wasn't convinced, so I asked if he dared to spar with me. He said, 'As the beloved disciple of the Head Captain, what do I have to fear? I must uphold the dignity of the sect; if you have the guts, bring it on!'

"...Then we started to spar. It was just a friendly match! Since we are both lacking in skill, once we got heated, our hands naturally grew heavier... You are a grandmaster, so you surely wouldn't blame us; we are still just children, after all...

"...Later, we got too carried away and couldn't hold back. Kyoraku is truly worthy of being your disciple—that Kido, that agility, tsk tsk tsk...

"...So this is all my fault. Please don't blame Kyoraku; it was my bad. I wouldn't complain even if you expelled me from the sect..."

Lin Nan rambled on, narrating the process of their fight while weaving in various overt and subtle flattery, speaking for a full twenty minutes.

Sasakibe, standing to the side, was already covered in black lines, thinking that this kid was far too talkative! Once he learned Bankai, would his Zanpakuto be a language-type one??

Yamamoto's icy expression had slowly softened as Lin Nan continued his relentless narration. He remained silent, his gaze shifting between Lin Nan and Kyoraku, as if he were analyzing something in his mind while listening.

By the time Lin Nan finally finished, both Sasakibe and Kyoraku felt a tightness in their chests, as if they were struggling to breathe.

Yamamoto spoke calmly: "Your lung capacity is quite impressive; you are a good candidate for physical arts."

As he spoke, he turned his gaze back to Kyoraku, who was still adjusting his breathing: "Kyoraku, how much of what he said is true?"

Kyoraku: ???

Why are you asking me? I didn't tell him to say all that.

Seeing Kyoraku Shunsui stammering, Yamamoto snorted lightly: "It seems that apart from the fact that you fought, not a word of it is true. You little brat only love to sleep; of course you wouldn't go out of your way to uphold any [dignity of the sect]. You were the one who started this, weren't you?!"

Kyoraku's mouth twitched, and he nodded slightly without speaking. He hadn't expected his master to guess the truth so quickly.

If one could uphold the dignity of the sect by sleeping, he would certainly be the most dignified disciple of all.

"Having just entered the sect, you are willing to take the blame—not bad." Yamamoto looked at Lin Nan with a hint of approval, then turned back to Kyoraku: "Look at him and learn!"

Kyoraku hung his head, silent.

Lin Nan couldn't help himself: "Old Man Yama, you... you should punish me! You should expel me from the sect!"

I took all the blame to create an opening for you, why are you so useless? Why are you praising me instead?

"Kyoraku, your personality is lazy, you lack responsibility, and you enjoy bullying the weak. If a classmate as righteous as this were driven away because of your bullying, how would you take responsibility for that?!" Yamamoto ignored Lin Nan and focused his verbal output entirely on Kyoraku.

I actually wanted to leave, Lin Nan thought quietly.

"Look at me, then look at him! Between the two of us, who is bullying whom?" Kyoraku Shunsui, bruised and swollen, felt deeply aggrieved.

"You have the nerve to argue after being beaten into such a state!" Yamamoto slammed his scabbard heavily against the ground and roared.

"So what!"

Feeling the fury radiating from Yamamoto, Kyoraku Shunsui, who had been trembling under the pressure of the spiritual energy, now stared back at him stubbornly, refusing to yield in the slightest.

"What! Do you intend to defy your instructor?" Yamamoto was thoroughly incensed by the look in Kyoraku's eyes; his explosive temper flared, and he raised his right hand, ready to strike.

Sasakibe Chojiro and Lin Nan, seeing this, immediately stepped forward to intervene. Sasakibe grabbed Yamamoto's arm, while Lin Nan lunged forward to stand between the two.

"Um... Master Yama, please, calm your anger. At the end of the day, it was my fault for clashing with my senior brother as soon as I arrived. Perhaps I should just leave..." Lin Nan sighed inwardly and said in a low voice.

You are the strongest Captain-Commander in a thousand years, yet why does everyone always dare to talk back to you?

"No need! I never said I was expelling you from the sect," Yamamoto replied immediately.

"To be honest, Kyoraku was very strong during our bout; I am far from his equal. Many of his techniques and Kido were things I couldn't even imagine. He is still young, and as your disciple, he certainly hasn't brought you any shame. Please, let your anger go." Lin Nan casually smoothed things over.

Yamamoto looked at Lin Nan with slight surprise. This was the first time he had heard Lin Nan speak so earnestly and candidly: "When you aren't chattering away, your speech is quite composed. Despite being the same age as Shunsui, you carry yourself like a grown man."

"Uh..." Lin Nan was momentarily speechless and offered no reply.

As a corporate slave in my past life, isn't this a required skill? Besides, what else could I say? I can't exactly admit that I was babbling so much just to find a reason for you to fire me, can I?

"Your foundation and temperament are both excellent. Rest assured and stay here! Once I finish the work at hand, I will return in three days to instruct you personally." Yamamoto exhaled, suppressing his temper, and then said to Shunsui, "Shunsui, I will have your brother, Kyoraku Yoshiki, pay for all the damages caused today, including Lin Nan's clothes. For Lin Nan's sake, I will not pursue your behavior today, but you had best conduct yourself well."

Taking advantage of the moment Yamamoto was speaking to Lin Nan, Kyoraku turned his head away and rolled his eyes. He then whispered to Sasakibe, "Mr. Sasakibe, why isn't Old Man Yama concerned about whether I won or lost today? He used to care so much about my results."

Sasakibe glanced at Yamamoto and Lin Nan, who were still talking, then looked down at Kyoraku and smiled: "Perhaps... Lord Genryūsai already has his own assessment? Just two days ago, Lady Unohana Yachiru personally praised Lin Nan's talent for hand-to-hand combat."

Kyoraku forgot his pain and his mouth fell open in shock: "Ah? That great fiend... er, that great swordmaster Yachiru? Unohana Yachiru?"

"Indeed." Sasakibe surveyed the courtyard, which was nearly reduced to ruins, and mentally simulated the battle scene before saying, "When fighting an opponent with strong physical combat skills, you should prioritize using more flexible Binding Kido before resorting to Destructive Kido..."

Kyoraku was stunned for a moment, but after a long while, he nodded to Sasakibe in thanks: "Thank you for your guidance, Mr. Sasakibe!"

This Mr. Sasakibe was, in name, his senior brother. However, there was at least a thousand-year gap between them, and Kyoraku felt too awkward to address him as such.

At this moment, the steward responsible for overseeing the Gen Private School arrived. Seeing the ruined courtyard and the presence of Captain-Commander Yamamoto, he was terrified, fearing he would be held responsible.

Yamamoto did not make things difficult for the steward; he whispered a few instructions in his ear, then turned to leave with Sasakibe, tossing one last sentence to Kyoraku:

"Until the courtyard is fully repaired, take Lin Nan home with you for two days! Return in three days to attend the lessons."

Watching the Captain-Commander's retreating figure, Kyoraku defiantly wiped his nose, only to touch his swollen lips, wincing in pain.

He turned his head, his gaze meeting Lin Nan's. After a moment of hesitation, he gave Lin Nan a sincere nod: "Thanks for speaking up for me just now."