The Captain's Advice

"Captain, how did the rebellion end so quickly?"

The captain's lips curved slightly. "It would have taken a little longer, but they were bold enough to attack someone from one of the Four Great Noble Houses, so we acted immediately."

"Tch~ They really brought it on themselves. Why not just make a big fuss, negotiate some terms, and then take the out we offered?"

"Heh~ It's not that easy. When someone's desires outgrow their abilities, there's no telling what they'll do. But you, on the other hand, performed terribly this time. You're only a vice-captain, yet you ended up this badly injured. I'm very disappointed in you."

At the words "only a vice-captain," Ichiro's mouth twitched. He wondered if the captain had some misunderstanding about what "only" meant. "Captain, he was a vice-captain-level fighter. There are only twelve of them in the whole Seireitei, you know?"

"His spiritual pressure was at that level, that's all. Otherwise, why wasn't he a vice-captain?" The captain glanced at Ichiro, who clearly wasn't satisfied, then continued, "In any case, I'm very unhappy with your performance this time. Once this business is over, you'll set aside an hour every day, and I'll personally train you in swordsmanship!"

Everyone looked at Ichiro and the captain in surprise, including Urahara and Yoruichi. They knew Ichiro's talent was certainly enough to catch Captain Unohana's attention, but daily instruction was another matter entirely.

People in the Soul Society had always had a rather loose sense of time. Even once-a-week lessons were considered frequent, let alone daily instruction. That was practically the same as taking someone on as a disciple.

Or rather, it was usually a privilege reserved for a personal disciple.

There was just one problem with Ichiro's situation.

There was nothing wrong with the captain being his teacher. Even if she never said so, Ichiro already thought of her as one.

But!

She'd be teaching him swordsmanship!

That was rather awkward.

There was no question that the captain was an expert swordswoman. She was a tenth-dan master, and it was said that she had mastered every style of swordsmanship in the Soul Society. She even called herself Yachiru Unohana! Of the captain's skills in Zanpakuto, Hakuda, Shunpo, and Kido, swordsmanship was the strongest. Whatever her actual teaching abilities, she was certainly qualified to teach. As the saying went, a famous teacher produced outstanding students.

But that was assuming the "outstanding student" had a normal level of talent.

And clearly, Ichiro wasn't within the normal range.

"Captain, I'm touched that you think so highly of me, but there's something you might not know."

"What is it?" The captain turned to look at Ichiro with curiosity. She didn't think he was worried about how grueling the training would be. Kaido and Kido practice were far more exhausting.

"I have no talent for swordsmanship. I've been at the academy for three years, and I've only just learned the basic techniques they teach there. I haven't made much progress at all. I haven't even figured out the first thing about Sword Meditation. It's embarrassing to admit, but my Zanpakuto was the one that reached out to me and initiated my Shikai."

When he finished, Ichiro lowered his head in shame. He knew the captain's story from the original work. It was no exaggeration to call her the greatest swordswoman in the Soul Society, and he truly wasn't talented enough to deserve her instruction.

In fact, this was one of the reasons he'd felt safe joining Squad 4 and showing what he could do. The captain sought her own death, but she wanted to die at the hands of someone who could bear the name Kenpachi, because there could only be one Kenpachi in each era.

Kenpachi, Kenpachi—the name clearly had something to do with swords. With his swordsmanship talent, there was no way she'd set her sights on him!

So, deep down, Ichiro was still a little nervous. He knew the captain had already found the best possible candidate for Kenpachi, but he couldn't help worrying that she might change her mind and turn her attention to him instead.

But contrary to Ichiro's expectations, the captain smiled casually and asked, "Ichiro, what do you think the Way of the Sword is?"

"The Way of the Sword?" Ichiro thought for a moment. He didn't brush her off, but honestly shared his own view. "In times of peace, it's a path of self-cultivation. In times of chaos, it's the art of defeating the enemy!"

The captain smiled, delighted.

"As I thought, Ichiro still has a habit of looking at things from different angles. Then let me ask you another question. What is swordsmanship?"

"Swordsmanship?" Ichiro paused. Hadn't he just answered that? Was she dissatisfied? Even so, he didn't change his view and replied firmly, "The art of killing."

"Exactly. The art of killing. So, does killing require talent?"

Ichiro was completely stunned. That was right. Did killing require talent? Stab someone with a blade, pull the trigger with a gun to their head, strike their heart or throat with your elbow—any of those could kill. Did killing require skill?

Yes.

But did it require talent?

Not necessarily.

The captain glanced at Ichiro, who was lost in thought, and continued, "Swordsmanship is the art of killing, and killing doesn't require talent. So why should swordsmanship require talent?"

Ichiro thought it over and understood. He gave the captain a wry smile. "Captain, that's sophistry. It sounds the same, but it's not. Swordsmanship has different meanings in different eras, but when you reach its highest level, it's the same."

"So why do you need to reach the highest level?"

A spark of insight flashed through Ichiro's mind. It felt as though he'd grasped something, and yet nothing at all. The captain continued.

"Swordsmanship requires talent when you take it to its highest level, because that's the Way of the Sword as a path of self-cultivation. But you're only learning the art of killing. What talent does that require? Those with talent have one way of training; those without talent have another. The essentials of combat are simply three words: fast, ruthless, and accurate.

"Your attacks must be fast, your reactions fast, your thinking fast. Your attacks must be ruthless, your aim accurate, and your training goals clear. Tell me, which of those requirements do you fail to meet?"

Ichiro still didn't answer. Instead, he stared at the Zanpakuto in his hand, lost in thought. Yes—what was he missing?

"If you can't master one particular style of swordsmanship, then learn more of them. If the enemy can counter one of your techniques, learn ten. If they can counter ten, learn a hundred, a thousand!

"There are so many sword styles in the world. How many people can learn them all? A sword fight is a battle of techniques and counters. If your swordsmanship is ever-changing, your reactions are unmatched, and your responses leave no openings, what kind of swordsmanship talent would you need to achieve that?"

When she finished, the captain quietly looked ahead. She believed Ichiro would understand.

And Ichiro did understand. The captain's point was actually simple: change the way he fought. Most swordsmen competed in technique, but he could forge his own path by learning broadly rather than mastering one style. Others focused on technique; he would focus on adaptability!

And using tactics was precisely the kind of fighting Ichiro excelled at. Looking back at every fight he'd led, he'd always relied on tactics to face his opponents, and almost never met them head-on.

If he fought purely on swordsmanship, he definitely couldn't match those who had specialized in it. That was beyond question. But the thing was, swordsmanship was only one part of a Soul Reaper's battle!

He could use his varied sword techniques to bring his opponent's skill down to his own level, then defeat them with his wealth of experience!

So learning swordsmanship—

Was worth a shot!