"What do you think she's like?"

"Is she really as small as they say she is?"

"Isn't she a genius or something?"

"I'm so nervous!"
"I heard that she barely ever uses her zanpaktou in battle and that she prefers hand to hand combat, drawing out the fight like a game and then finally finishing off with her blade."

"No way, I though she was supposed to be really nice!"

"Really? I heard she could really be a bitch."

"Well I heard she was a drunk…"

Keiko stood behind the door of the main squad fourteen room, listening to her new members gossip. She always loved to hear the rumors about herself. I guess I should start she thought.

The door burst open and the graduates sat up, shocked, as she finally entered the room, fifteen minutes late. They stood together against the back wall of the room and watched as she walked in, Kagame following her looking emotionless. She stopped in front of them and waited for a few moments, looking them over in silence, before speaking. Kagame stood alone against the wall to her left. She began to pace.

"Welcome, new graduates, to squad fourteen. I will start this by informing you that your positions here are not on whim. Each on of you has been hand chosen, by me, as individuals that I feel are best suited for this squad. Don't get cocky though. That does not mean that I think you are any good at fighting. Frankly, most of you have very poor fighting skills, but there is potential in all of you. I –"

She stopped and looked over at one of the men. He looked absolutely furious. She knew he would. She had offended his pride.

"Is something the matter Siskiyou-san?"

"No captain."

"Now, now, let's be honest. I've offended you by implying that you have no fighting talent. I've upset you all. You've worked hard to get here, trained and trained, and here I am acknowledging it, but not counting it as anything. You felt so accomplished only moments ago and now I've smashed you down. I understand all of this, but there's something you don't understand. It's well known that squad fourteen has an individual fighting style. You will soon be joining the leagues of very elite soldiers, and I will tell you that when all of them were in your position, no one would have seen their potential but me. I don't know what they teach you kids at the academy anymore, what war philosophies they preach, but I know what we believe around here. One rule, one fact, one almighty truth held above all others here at squad fourteen; the very essence of battle has nothing to do with strength, size, or power, but strategy and analysis of your opponent. You spent the last ten years of your life honing your body and physical power, now that you are a fourteenth squad member, you will spend the remainder of your life honing you mind. Once you have done that you will be indestructible."

She stopped and looked at Siskiyou again. He was confused.

"Siskiyou-san, I know you don't understand" he blushed and grimaced his face in embarrassment. "Don't worry; you're not the only one. You're just the only one who's not afraid to show it. It's admirable in a sense." His eyes widened "I'm going to show all of you what I mean. Siskiyou-san, I'm going to put my hands behind my back and close my eyes. I want you to come at me with all you've got."

"H-hai Taicho." He said as she closed her eyes and turned her back to him. He hesitantly reached before his zanpaktou before looking at her again. "When I said 'with all you've got' I meant with your zanpaktou so don't worry." She added without turning around. He looked at her again. He knew that she was incredibly powerful, but he couldn't get over her appearance. She was so small and feminine. It didn't help that she restrained her reitsu so that it felt like that of an average soldier. If it weren't for the captain's robe and that intimidating glint in her eye, one would never be able to tell her status. But if she looked so harmless, why was he so scared? Then he understood. She knew this would happen from the beginning. She took every aspect of her appearance and used it to her advantage. It was part of her deadliness, and this was all a game; not just this challenge but this entire meeting, and he didn't know if he hated or respected her for it. "Oh, by the way, Siskiyou-san, if you hold back at all, I'll kill you." She smirked, and with that he charged.

He couldn't hit her. She barely moved at all, yet with every swing of his blade she managed to dodge it. Like water, she was fluid. No doubt the most frustrating opponent he'd ever had. Never once facing him, never once opening her eyes, he couldn't believe it. None of the graduates could. After only a minute, the "fight" came to an end when he swung at her legs and she swiftly jumped onto his sword and deftly hit him on his neck with her small bear foot. The only offensive move she had made the entire time was fast, delicate, and required no reitsu, yet made a man twice her size collapse.

There was a moment of awed silence as she walked over to Siskiyou and held out a hand with a beautiful and compassionate look on her face. He was embarrassed, but took her hand as she pulled him up. "That was much better than I expected Siskiyou-san. Impressive." She commented with a small nod. That was not the reaction he had been expecting. "You may take you place back at the wall." She turned back to the group "Now, I was not mocking Siskiyou-san in anyway. In fact, the results would have been the same if Kagame had been in his place, actually, especially if it had been Kagame. Does anyone know why?" A girl with dark brown hair pulled into a ponytail who had been standing in the corner in silence the whole time spoke up. "Because you are most familiar with his fighting style so it would be almost effortless to predict his movements, Captain." "Correct! The entire purpose of this exercise is to teach you to accurately analyze and predict your opponent's attacks. If you know what it the enemy is going to do before they do, then you will have the ultimate advantage. By practicing this you will soon be able to read the infinite influences of behavior. For example, I was able to predict all of Siskiyou's attacks based on analyzing his speech, emotion, and facial expressions. It's quite amazing what little things like that can tell you, that is, if you know how to read them. Unfortunately, that is something that you will have to teach yourselves, so I suggest you practice that exercise I just showed you." Siskiyou slowly began to raise hand for permission to speak. "Hai, Siskiyou-san?" "But, captain, isn't it true that the more we do this, the less effect it will have? I mean, we'll get to know everyone's fighting style and it will get too easy-""But that's when it get fun!" she said clapping her hands together. "Once it gets to that point, the main goal is catching the other person off guard by doing something they won't be able to predict!" his response was a nod. "Basically my rule of thumb for the newbies is, if in first week, all together you guys don't have at least 12 trips to squad four due to training accidents, then you have not been training nearly hard enough, and then I'll have to discipline you. Hahaha! Welcome to squad fourteen!" She laughed. "Kagame, show this kids they're living quarters, I've got to go bug some people." "Hai, Captain." He said as he led them out the door.

Just as she was about to leave, Keiko turned around, as though remembering something and walked over to the girl with brown hair from before and gently grabbed her arm. She looked startled "Takata-san, Meet me in my office tonight at about, ehhhh" she looked up in thought "about midnight. I want to talk to you." "H-hai captain" and with that, Keiko left.

As she walked outside she leaned against the railing along the walkway. She sighed and let some reitsu slip as she yawned.

"Hmph" she heard and turned around to see Hitsugaya leaning up against the wall behind her. "And how long have you been there?"

"Long enough to hear you ramble, beat up a graduate, and then threaten everyone."

"So in other words, the whole time?" she laughed, walking over next to him.

"And what did you do to your new kids?"
" 'Just told them to behave, be responsible, and not to embarrass me. Then Matsumoto took over and told them God knows what…"

"Hahaha, I guess we're both extra stressed then." She said, leaning up against him "Want to get something to eat."

"Yeah"

"Let's go"