In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed, and in March of the following year, the new school semester began.
In the auditorium, Yamahiko stood excitedly in line, waiting for the temporary loan of a Zanpakuto.
Rather than calling it a Zanpakuto, it should be referred to as a "Asauchi," indicating the original state of a Zanpakuto before it undergoes Shikai.
All Asauchi were crafted by Ōetsu Nimaiya.
After completing his fourth-grade studies, Yamahiko advanced directly to sixth grade, and like the other sixth-grade students, he was to receive a temporary loan of a Zanpakuto.
Although the temporarily loaned Zanpakuto would only be officially bestowed upon entering the squad, if the rules were not violated, it would still belong to the individual.
Yamahiko eagerly anticipated his Zanpakuto, but it would take some time before he could truly wield it.
During this half-year period, Yamahiko's abilities continued to grow slowly.
In the latter half of the school year, he dedicated more energy to Kido. He first mastered basic Hado and Bakudo, and among them, Bakudo #21, "Sekienton," which released a massive red smoke screen to obscure one's presence, proved particularly useful and was a specialty of Marechiyo Ōmaeda.
There was also Bakudo #26, "Kyokkō," which allowed him to cover objects with spiritual energy, rendering them invisible to others.
Furthermore, Bakudo #30, "Shitotsu Sansen," created three massive, beak-shaped beams of light that could immobilize an opponent's waist and hands, restricting their movements.
Having learned basic Kido, with only one month left in the third year, Yamahiko could only study some practical intermediate-level Hado and Bakudo.
For example, Hado #31, "Shakkahō," which shot out a massive fireball at high speed, offering both impact and extreme heat.
Shakkahō was one of the most commonly used Hado in the Gotei 13 due to its balanced power and moderate difficulty.
Other practical intermediate-level Hado included Hado #32, "Ōkasen," which was high-speed flame gunfire, Hado #33, "Sōkatsui," a blue explosive flame attack, and Hado #58, "Tenran," which released a massive tornado.
These were some of the more practical intermediate-level Hado, along with various Bakudo such as Bakudo #37, "Tsuriboshi," which created a suspended bed in the air, allowing people to fall safely.
Then there was Bakudo #39, "Enkōsen," an original-type protective shield, and Bakudo #58, "Kakushitsuijaku," used for sensing an opponent's spiritual pressure and tracking.
After mastering these Kido, the third year ended, and he directly skipped to the sixth year.
In the sixth year, he would be granted his Zanpakuto, but it would be a temporary loan. The formal bestowment would only occur upon joining the Gotei 13.
Of course, even with the temporary loan, he could still infuse his soul into it, learn the Zanpakuto's name, and subsequently achieve Shikai.
Yamahiko stood at the front of the crowd. However, because he had skipped a grade, his student record was placed at the end. When the others in front had been called, a teacher's voice rang out, "Yamahiko."
"Here."
Yamahiko stood up eagerly and headed towards the stage. His appearance drew complex expressions from the other teachers and students.
At fourteen years old, Yamahiko was the youngest Asauchi recipient in the Soul Society. All the attention would be on him.
Of course, in future, an even younger and more powerful prodigy would emerge, shaking the entire Soul Society.
Yamahiko ascended the podium, where a teacher handed him a Zanpakuto, saying, "This Zanpakuto is temporarily loaned to you. It will be officially granted to you upon entering the division."
Yamahiko accepted the Zanpakuto, concealing his excitement, and returned to the line. The Zanpakuto was wrapped in a scabbard, which was not a part of the Zanpakuto but provided by the academy as a precaution to prevent accidents.
Most individuals, upon learning their Zanpakuto's true name, would abandon the scabbard. Most captains and vice-captains' Zanpakuto were too large to fit in a scabbard, which was evident in the Thousand-Year Blood War arc.
Yamahiko gripped the hilt and slowly drew the long blade from the scabbard. The black-and-white blade gradually emerged from its sheath, revealing a straight sword with a length of two shaku and two sun.
[Note: shaku (30.3 centimeters) and sun (3.03 centimeters), Japanese Unit]
In the Soul Society, almost all Asauchi were straight swords. Unlike Zanpakuto, which had a more curved shape, Asauchi were relatively shorter and had a smaller curve.
Furthermore, the method of wearing them differed. Most Zanpakuto had their blade facing downward, with two rings on the hilt, allowing them to be hung from the waist.
In contrast, Asauchi had their blades facing upward and were inserted into the waist, capable of being drawn with either the right hand in a normal grip or the left hand in a reverse grip.
Yamahiko gazed at the sword before him, filled with joy. This was his Zanpakuto, and it would accompany him in the days to come, standing by his side.
After receiving his Zanpakuto, Yamahiko listened to the teachers' instructions and then returned to his dorm room.
Just as he entered the room, Renji Abarai noticed the Zanpakuto and his eyes lit up. He pounced forward, saying, "Let me see your sword."
Yamahiko handed the Zanpakuto to Renji Abarai, who grabbed it and drew the blade out. He looked at the sharp edge and asked, "Is this your Zanpakuto?"
As he spoke, Renji Abarai gripped the hilt and raised the sword high, then swung it down with a powerful gust of wind.
Renji Abarai felt quite envious and said, "I envy you for getting your Zanpakuto so quickly."
Yamahiko smiled and replied, "Renji-niisan, when you reach the sixth grade, you'll get your Zanpakuto too."
Renji Abarai sighed and said, "But that's still three years away."
Renji Abarai had just completed his second-grade studies, and the next academic year would be his third. His grades were average, and while he had a high spiritual pressure and performed well in swordsmanship, his exam scores were consistently low.
Nevertheless, he would graduate sooner or later, and his future wasn't bleak.
Izuru Kira and Konda looked at Yamahiko's Zanpakuto with envy in their eyes.\
Renji Abarai turned to Yamahiko and asked, "You've been noticed by the Second Division and can intern with them. When are you leaving?"
Yamahiko replied, "I'll be leaving in a month."
After receiving the Zanpakuto, he still needed to learn the method of infusing his soul into it. By doing so, he could communicate with the Zanpakuto, gain its recognition, learn its true name, and then achieve Shikai.
Of course, achieving Shikai was not guaranteed, and many individuals couldn't achieve it even after graduating. However, that didn't prevent them from performing their duties as Shinigami.
So, after a month of learning the infusion method, they would begin their internships.
Internships were designed to assess whether individuals had the ability to graduate. Based on their internship performance, the Gotei 13 would decide whether to admit them.
If someone's internship performance was too poor, their graduation status could be revoked, and their Zanpakuto would be reclaimed.
Internships included various tasks. The first task was performing soul burials, which didn't require Shikai but involved using Kido in conjunction with the Zanpakuto to lay souls to rest and guide them to the Soul Society.
The second task was hunting Hollows, particularly low-level ones. Even without Shikai, using Kido in combination with swordsmanship and Shunpo could prove effective.
As long as they performed well in these two tasks, graduation was assured.
Of course, the purpose of the internship was to join the Gotei 13. Individuals like Yamahiko, who were recruited early, didn't need to worry about internship evaluations. They would simply undergo the graduation ceremony and receive their assignments.
Renji Abarai, upon hearing Yamahiko's words, looked somewhat downcast. Yamahiko joining the Second Division meant they would be separated, and they wouldn't meet again until graduation.
Yamahiko also felt a sense of sadness, but Renji Abarai patted his shoulder and said, "Yamahiko, you have to train diligently. Even though you were recruited early, I won't fall behind. Maybe I'll become a vice-captain before you."
Izuru Kira, who was present, teased, "Renji, by the time you become a vice-captain, Yamahiko might already be the captain."
"Captain? Kira, you're underestimating me." Renji Abarai pretended to be angry, glaring at Izuru Kira.
Konda, on the side, also chuckled and said, "I think so too."
"You two idiots."
Renji Abarai raised his fist, as if about to strike, and playfully chased after them.
Seeing the three of them playfully interacting, Yamahiko silently said in his heart, "Renji-niisan, I'll work hard."