*DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach! Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo.

CHAPTER 1: INTO THE ACADEMY

"I still can't believe it."

She gasped. She was still in the midst of taking everything in. Taking in the fact that she was accepted into The Spiritual Arts Academy on her first try, at such a young age. Taking in the fact that she was within the compound of an Academy that many desired to be in. Taking in the fact that she was officially on her way to becoming more than just a normal girl. It felt as if it was just yesterday, that Ukitake had found her in Rukongai. One way or another, everything seemed so surreal.

"Well, I think I had better find my class..."

She took advantage of her small size to squeeze through the crowd of students, swarming towards the notice board with the class lists posted on it. She stared hard at the list and let out a tiny squeal of delight. She had been put into Class 1, the special accelerated program. Many students who came out from that class eventually moved on to become Captains, Lieutenants and seated officers. The students in that class were seen as more than just ordinary students. They were seen as the future leaders of Soul Society, wielding extraordinary abilities and powers. For the students of Class 1, The Spiritual Arts Academy would help them realise their potential to the fullest and become outstanding Shinigami. The girl smiled and immediately hurried off to her class.

The Spiritual Arts Academy looked like a grand school from the outside, boasting a massive size and beautiful architecture, but it looked ordinary on the inside. There were corridors filled with classrooms, classrooms overflowing with students, students creating a ruckus as they always do on the first day of a new school term. For the first year students, everything was the same except that it was a completely new school to them. It was a new year for them and everyone around them were new. The fact that everything around them was as fresh as paint was traumatising, because they felt as if they were stepping into the unknown. It felt rather unsettling; the young girl could not help but shiver in fear at the thought of entering unfamiliar surroundings.

The girl stepped into the classroom. Most of the students were already in class, standing around. A well-built man was standing in the classroom and it was natural to assume that he was the Head Teacher of Class 1. He looked like a stern man, with glasses perching on his nose bridge. He introduced himself immediately, after all the students of Class 1 had entered.

"Welcome, students! My name is Gengoro Onabara. I will be your head instructor and congratulations for your successful entry into The Spiritual Arts Academy. As students of Class 1, I am sure that the teachers and I will expect a lot out of you. You have obtained the most exemplary exam scores out of the batch this year and we see a lot of potential in you. As long as you work hard, you will eventually be not only members of the Gotei 13, but Death Gods at the top thereof. I will now assign you to your seats and learn your names as we go. Please line up according to height, males on my left and females on my right!"

The girl blushed. Standing at a hundred and twenty-five centimetres, she was sure to be the shortest in the class. True enough, she was. She sighed, realising that getting more sleep did not increase her height at all.

Gengoro Onabara walked over to her, smiled and spoke.

"Hello. What's your name?"

The girl replied him and Onabara smiled. He pointed her to her seat. The girl sat there, wondering who Onabara sensei would assign to be her table mate. Probably the shortest guy in class, she thought.

Just then, she heard someone pull out the chair beside her. The girl slowly looked up, wondering what her new table mate would look like. As she had predicted, he was probably the shortest boy in class and was slightly taller than her. He had snow white, spiky hair and turquoise eyes. He kept a straight face, his face wearing anything but a warm smile. Somehow, he felt cold like ice. The girl did not dare say anything to him, fearing that she might provoke him and ruin his first day at the Academy.

After minutes of silence with her new table mate, Onabara had finally assigned seats to everyone and began an ice-breaking session with his new students.

"Just briefly introduce yourself, by telling us your name and something about yourself, " Onabara said. "Maybe you would like to start the ball rolling?"

Her table mate beside her stood up from his seat and turned around.

" My name is Hitsugaya Toushirou. I come from West Rukongai. Nice to meet you."For now, she could only use one word to describe Hitsugaya: cold. She was sure that there was a warmer side of him and that she would get it out... Eventually.

Suddenly, the girl realised that it was her turn. She was completely stunned. Nervously, she stood up from her seat and turned to face the rest of the class. She took a deep breath, determined not to let her nerves get in the way of letting her true personality shine.

"Hi everyone!" she giggled. "My name is Tayomi Sakuri! Um... I'm happy to meet all of you and I hope to be friends with you!"

In the next chapter, Tayomi will finally engage in Kidou training!
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