BLEACH: Blade of Purification

On a winter's day of the first snow, a day of unknown year in the Soul Society. Outside, snow was falling heavily, while inside, the air was thick with steam.

Bathing culture is prevalent in Japan. In Japanese society, bathing is a daily habit, like eating and sleeping. The quality of one's bath signifies the quality of one's life. Although the Soul Society is the world of the dead, and logically souls from other countries should arrive there, it is primarily composed of souls from Japan, so such traditions have been passed down.

Whether there was some special meaning to deliberately coming to the bathhouse near the 1st Division barracks on the day of the first winter snow was unknown, but it was certainly full of ceremony.

Bathing is a private matter for many, but the Japanese feel it can bring people closer. Ling Qing, for one, would never have imagined that his first meeting with the legendary founder of the Gotei 13—Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni—would be like this.

Was it really okay to be baring it all on their very first meeting?

However, it had to be said that while it was a bit awkward to think about, in this environment, Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni seemed remarkably approachable. Even his blunt order for Ling Qing to scrub his back had the feel of an elder addressing a junior member of his own family, without any sense of distance.

Ling Qing wasn't so clueless as to need a hint from Sōichirō to know what to do. If someone his own age, or some arrogant fellow like Sōichirō, had asked him to scrub their back, he wouldn't have even bothered to reply. But Yamamoto Genryūsai Shigekuni's age made Ling Qing feel like he was helping an elder, and he was still someone who respected his elders.

When Yamamoto said this and turned his back to Ling Qing, a middle-aged man sitting not far from him immediately took action. He was a man with a tan complexion, white hair, golden eyes, and a small black mustache, with a rather Western appearance. He quickly and smoothly stuffed a set of scrubbing tools into Ling Qing's hands, so fast that Ling Qing barely had time to react.

"This is Vice-Captain Sasakibe, the Vice-Captain of the 1st Division," Sōichirō, who had flown into the bath thanks to Ling Qing's punch, introduced as he approached.

Chōjirō Sasakibe gave Ling Qing a slight nod, his eyes showing a hint of gentleness and familiarity.

Normally, the task of scrubbing Yamamoto's back fell to him. There were various reasons for this, one being that he had followed Yamamoto for a very long time and was one of his most trusted men. Another was that Yamamoto's intimidating presence was so overwhelming that few dared to get too close to him.

And now, Yamamoto had actually asked Ling Qing to scrub his back. This meant that Yamamoto thought highly of Ling Qing. It had been hundreds of years since Yamamoto had shown such kindness to someone.

Of course, it was also true that most Soul Reapers, even those at the Vice-Captain level, would become tense and quietly leave upon seeing Yamamoto in the bath, not even giving him a chance to be friendly...

"Vice-Captain Sasakibe," Ling Qing greeted with a nod of his own. This was a bathhouse, not somewhere else; being too formal would be out of place.

After the greeting, Sasakibe and Sōichirō started chatting idly while soaking on the side. The bathhouse was large, but there were few people bathing at the moment. It was normal to chat with familiar faces. If you came here and didn't know anyone, it wouldn't be called socializing in a bath; it would just be washing.

Taking the scrubbing tools Sasakibe had handed him, Ling Qing began to scrub Yamamoto's back. Yamamoto was said to be the oldest Soul Reaper in the Soul Society, but his body showed no signs of it. In some ways, his physique was more robust than that of a young man. However, the dense network of countless scars covering his entire body silently told the story of the countless battles he had fought over his long life.

"Put more strength into it. Are you afraid this old man can't take it?"

Ling Qing was diligently scrubbing Yamamoto's back when the old man spoke up. There was no dissatisfaction in his tone, only a sense of "let me test your strength, boy."

Ling Qing paused for a moment, then, following his advice, channeled spiritual pressure into his hands and increased the force.

Yamamoto chuckled softly. Though his expression couldn't be seen, he seemed quite satisfied. He had thought he would need to remind the boy a few more times, but Ling Qing's perceptiveness was better than he had imagined.

Since he had already started talking, Yamamoto saw no need to maintain his stern demeanor to intimidate a child. He asked directly, "You've been in the Seireitei for some time now, haven't you? Why are you still cooped up at home, unwilling to come out and about?"

It was not surprising that Yamamoto knew about Ling Qing and his situation. Although Ling Qing was now a noble, he was once a commoner from the Rukongai. Sōichirō's series of actions had also been supported by the Captain-Commander from behind the scenes.

Sōichirō might not report everything about Ling Qing to the Central 46, but he would definitely report it truthfully to Yamamoto.

"Well... there are various reasons..." Ling Qing couldn't bring himself to say that he was sulking at home because he couldn't achieve Shikai!

Besides, although Yamamoto was being friendly, this was still their first meeting. It was better not to disclose personal information related to his strength, like his issues with his Zanpakutō.

"...Hmph. You sly little thing." Yamamoto was surprised that Ling Qing had dodged the question, but he also found it quite amusing. "Just a moment ago, I said you were more like Jūshirō, but now it seems you're more like Shunsui. Just as slippery."

"Captain-Commander—!"

Just as Yamamoto finished speaking, Sōichirō's complaint came from the side. "He's my son! Why do you keep comparing him to Captain Ukitake and Captain Kyōraku? Anyone who didn't know better would think the boy was their illegitimate child!"

It was the bathhouse effect. Ling Qing was a fearless newcomer, but even Sōichirō had become more casual.

"Hmm? I was only a little late, and now there's talk of illegitimate children? If it were with some pretty young lady, that would be one thing, but an illegitimate child with Ukitake? What's that supposed to mean?!"

Before Yamamoto could reply, another voice, overly casual and somewhat languid, came from the entrance, seamlessly joining the conversation.

"Hurry up, Ukitake! If you're any slower, you're going to have an illegitimate child too—!" the man who had just entered shouted back to someone still outside.

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