Bleach: Watch Closely, This Is How You Use a Zanpakutō novel Chapter 28

Chapter 28 - 28: Ikkotsu

In the time that followed, aside from necessary training and lessons, Masatsuki dedicated most of his energy to practicing the Hakuda techniques Yamamoto had taught him.

Shinigami primarily relied on their Zanpakutō in battle, but they couldn't afford to depend on them entirely.

After all, Masatsuki Aozaki wasn't just someone who had crossed into this world—his instructor at Shin'ō Academy was Sōjun Kuchiki, whose brother-in-law was Kōga Kuchiki.

He would never overlook the existence of beings like Muramasa, a Zanpakutō that could sever the bond between a Shinigami and their sword.

Beyond that, during the Thousand-Year Blood War, the Quincy of the Wandenreich would use their "Medallions" to steal Bankai from the Shinigami.

If, by then, he hadn't acquired the power of the Hōgyoku or attained Hollowfication, he would undoubtedly be in extreme danger.

This was where the importance of alternative combat techniques became evident, and Hakuda was one of them.

...

Hakuda was an arduous skill to refine. Its true power could only be unleashed by those with exceptional spiritual body conditioning.

And improving one's spiritual body wasn't something that could be achieved overnight—it required relentless training.

Masatsuki had spent nearly half a year on it, and only now was he beginning to grasp its deeper principles.

In between his own training, he often sparred with Yoruichi Shihōin.

After becoming captain, Yoruichi had recommended Kisuke Urahara for the 12th Division.

Masatsuki had initially planned to use this as an opportunity to subtly inquire about Urahara's research progress.

But after meeting more than a dozen times over the past months, one thing was certain—Urahara's Hōgyoku experiment had yet to begin.

Masatsuki wasn't too concerned. If he couldn't obtain the Hōgyoku just yet, building a good relationship with Urahara was still beneficial.

And so, time continued to pass...

...

"Rainy days are such a hassle."

Yoruichi strolled through the mountainous outskirts of Rukongai, holding a white umbrella as she glanced around.

She was always full of energy. Rather than walking through the rain, she much preferred those sunny days when she could chase after a certain someone with Shunpo.

"I actually like light rain," Masatsuki remarked, tilting his head up. "Of course, only when it's light. As long as the ground isn't filthy, the scent of damp earth is rather pleasant."

He smiled as he looked at Yoruichi's white haori.

Under her gaze, he took a deep breath, clenched his right fist, and drew it back to his waist before suddenly thrusting it forward.

His movement wasn't particularly fast, but Yoruichi instantly felt as though she was staring down a wild beast.

She kept her eyes locked on him. Dodging his punch would be easy, but she was more interested in seeing just how much force it carried.

"Boom!"

The waterfall in front of Masatsuki exploded, scattering apart under the rain.

The impact sent rocks crumbling from the cliffside, leaving a massive crater in its wake. Shattered debris splashed into the pool below.

It took a while for the waterfall's flow to return to normal.

Yoruichi's eyes widened at the sheer force behind his strike.

On the surface, Masatsuki's punch looked simple—like something any trained Hakuda practitioner could replicate.

But the sheer power behind it... It far exceeded what someone of his Reiatsu level should be capable of.

She had caught the key moment—when his fist met the waterfall, a terrifying burst of Reiatsu erupted.

By layering the strength of his spiritual body with his Reiatsu, he had channeled the force through the flowing water, shattering the rock face.

Masatsuki stood calmly beneath the waterfall, looking down at his hand.

"Ikkotsu."

He had tested this move a few times before Yoruichi arrived—the broken trees scattered around were all proof of that.

After nearly half a year of refining Yamamoto's Hakuda fundamentals, he had finally unlocked this technique just the night before.

Yoruichi snapped out of her daze and hurried over.

"Masatsuki, are you alright?"

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