Shin'ō Academy, Kendo Dojo.
Satoru knelt on the floor in a sowhat improper posture, a bamboo sword placed before him.
For a fleeting mont, it felt like he had returned to yesterday afternoon.
He couldn't help but fall into deep thought.
He had been properly attending Kaidō class—how had he ended up here again?
Half an hour earlier, he had been collecting the healing rabbits in the classroom when Unohana suddenly announced:
"Everyone, I just confird that the Hakuda instructor for the next class is also sick, so I will be taking over again."
"However, I am not well-versed in Hakuda, so we will temporarily switch to a swordsmanship lesson instead."
"Please take a ten-minute break, then gather at the Kendo Dojo~"
Hearing this, Satoru couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.
He had been standing right next to Unohana—since when had the next instructor fallen ill?
If his old P.E. teacher from his past life saw this, they'd probably feel a strong sense of déjà vu.
And so, after a short break, Class 7 assembled in the Kendo Dojo.
Under the students' eager gazes, Unohana slowly walked to the front of the dojo.
With a bamboo sword in hand, her presence seed to shift subtly.
Just monts ago in the corridor, Unohana had exuded a gentle, serene aura.
But now, there was an unmistakable edge to her presence.
"Everyone, swordsmanship class begins now."
"Since I'm not entirely clear on your current progress, today's lesson will be a little different."
"From this mont on, each of you will take turns sparring with . Through this, I'll assess your skill level and identify areas for improvent."
"We'll start with the student over here."
Before the students could react, Unohana smiled and turned her gaze to a student wearing a blue-and-white uniform.
The student was montarily stunned, then quickly stood up, grabbing a bamboo sword and walking over.
Watching this scene, Seinosuke looked puzzled.
"What's this all about...? The Fourth Division isn't a squad where combat skills are the standard for evaluation, right?"
"I don't doubt Captain Unohana's abilities when it cos to healing arts, but swordsmanship... Is she really qualified to give pointers?"
"If she's not professional enough, she might end up instilling bad habits in the students."
Hearing this, Sōjun gave a slightly odd smile.
"On that point, Seinosuke, you needn't worry."
"Captain Unohana holds a Tenth Dan certification in swordsmanship from the Seireitei."
Seinosuke froze.
"What?"
Clang!!!
Just as he voiced his disbelief, Unohana effortlessly parried the student's strikes before lightly flicking her wrist and disarming him.
Then, she lowered her bamboo sword and spoke gently, "You focus too much on your upper body and neglect footwork. From now on, while training your strength, pay attention to coordinating your footwork with your strikes. Aim to make the integration of footwork and swordsmanship instinctive."
Hearing her words, the student's eyes lit up with realization. He quickly nodded and bowed deeply in gratitude.
Next, a second student stepped forward.
After a few exchanges, Unohana easily subdued him.
"Your sword-swinging posture is flawed. During your daily practice, you lack focus, leading to sloppy movents... While this might not seem like a big deal in training, as your skills grow, an unstable foundation will cause increasingly severe consequences. Please keep this in mind."
The second student's expression turned to surprise.
It was true—he often slacked off during sword drills, sothing even his peers hadn't noticed.
Yet, after just a few exchanges, Captain Unohana had imdiately pinpointed his weakness!
He hastily bowed. "Thank you very much for your guidance. I'll rember it!"
As the third, fourth, and more students took their turns—each swiftly defeated yet receiving precise, tailored advice—Seinosuke's gaze gradually shifted to one of interest.
Aizen stepped forward, bamboo sword in hand, and exchanged four or five moves with Unohana before being defeated.
Standing before her, the boy's expression remained calm, showing no frustration at his loss. Unohana gave him an approving look.
"Your fundantals are solid, and your adaptability in combat is excellent. Continue training as you are now—I look forward to your future progress."
Aizen bowed slightly. "Thank you for your guidance."
Hearing Unohana's praise for Aizen, the students exchanged surprised glances.
From the start of the lesson until now, this was the first ti Captain Unohana had given such comprehensive praise to a student.
Sōsuke Aizen... This usually low-key, unremarkable figure whose biggest label was "part of Satoru's group"—turns out he's actually pretty skilled?
Watching Aizen return, Satoru raised an eyebrow. "Why'd you suddenly show so skill?"
Aizen knelt beside him and sighed. "It wasn't 'so' skill—that was my full strength."
Satoru grinned. "You say it seriously, I'll listen seriously."
Hearing this, Aizen turned his head slightly, giving him a curious look.
"Satoru, why are you so insistent that I'm hiding my strength?"
Satoru confidently lifted his chin. "Sōsuke, I understand you far better than you think. No one knows Aizen Sōsuke better than I do."
Seeing Satoru's unwavering confidence, Aizen couldn't help but feel puzzled.
He could tell that the guy across from him genuinely believed what he was saying—that he wasn't just boasting.
So where did this confidence co from?
Could it really be, as Satoru claid, that he had already seen through him completely and knew everything about him?
…Impossible.
While Aizen was lost in thought, at the front of the dojo, Sōjun and Unohana had already engaged in an intense duel.
Unlike all the previous students, when facing a powerhouse of Unohana's caliber, Sōjun fully displayed the qualities befitting the heir of one of the Four Great Noble Houses.
Gripping his bamboo sword tightly, his entire body moved like a precision machine, deflecting Unohana's strikes with near-impossible speed while seizing every opportunity to counterattack.
Unohana's goal was to assess the students' abilities, not to defeat them, so she had limited her strength to a certain level.
Faced with Sōjun's flawless offense and defense, she found herself enjoying the rare thrill of a proper duel.
After several exchanges, she seized an opening and delivered a swift reverse-slash, sending Kuchiki's bamboo sword flying.
Looking at the refined young man before her, she nodded in approval.
"Lord Ginrei truly has an excellent successor."
Hearing this, Sōjun froze for a mont before bowing deeply.
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