Chapter 7
A.N.: To answer your review, Witcher Xarxis, that's how the Viz English manga pronounces Oh-Etsu's name and whenever I write I fall back on my volumes for reference. SpudyPotato, to answer your review: I wanted draw out the Shikai scene and in my personal opinion Oh-Etsu got the short end of the stick along with the rest of Squad Zero so I wanted to include more of them. Also… I kinda forgot that only Bankai were unable to repair on their own….
Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.
The Next Day….
Osho's Palace
Yuzu lay on the ground, trying her hardest to just take deep breaths. The spirit energy was so heavy here it was like she was drowning at the bottom of the ocean. "Guh…." She felt weak and had to fight to stay conscious.
Beside the fallen Yuzu sat Osho, who stayed right where he was and watched his student try to not succumb to his palace's heavy spirit energy. He again wondered if this was the right decision but decided that it was for the best. The sooner Yuzu could withstand the effects of strong spiritual pressure, the better. "Just breathe," he instructed her, patting her head gently. "The strong effects of the air here will soon pass, I promise…."
Taking huge gulps of air, Yuzu relaxed her body. Even though she'd slept like a baby in Senshumaru's palace she was so tired. Her body became covered in sweat, and she clawed at the ground, squeezing her eyes shut. She thought of her brother and the countless perils that he'd endured, remembering what Osho told her. She thought of her father and twin sister, who must've been sick with worry by now. Did they know about her being in the Soul Society? Or did they think she'd been kidnapped or ran away? It killed her to think that maybe her family thought she'd left them.
Her thoughts then turned to her mentor, Captain Soi-Fon. She remembered how strong and fierce the woman was. She could almost hear the woman's voice in her head. "Get up, Rookie! This isn't enough to break a member of my Squad!" she'd always say when she knocked Yuzu to the ground, when she was helpless and on the verge of passing out. The woman's words helped her light a fire under her and always helped her stand even when she was on the verge of crying. She then thought of the kindness the woman showed her, and the look of pride in her eyes she so briefly gave Yuzu.
Osho raised an eyebrow when Yuzu, still groaning in pain, sat up. Sitting on her haunches, Yuzu took deep breaths, her hands balled into fists. The monk stared at her intently, seeing the same ferocity in her that Ichigo possessed. "Are you alright, Yuzu?" he asked, sitting up straight.
Suddenly Yuzu could feel her body become more adjusted to the atmosphere here. It still felt like she was wearing heavy weights but she didn't feel like she was about to be crushed anymore. "I'm…I'm fine." She looked up at Osho with determined eyes. "I'm ready for your training, Mr. Osho."
But to her shock and disappointment, Osho shook his head. "I'm afraid you're not ready yet for my training. You need to be able to stand up without straining yourself before you can begin. However," He stood up and walked over to her. "I do need to instruct you on some of the lore of the Soul Society, so I'll take you inside and we'll talk there since you're feeling much better."
"Okay…" she said as Osho picked her up. As the monk carried her up the steps she started to giggle.
"Something the matter?" Osho asked.
"Your beard tickles…" Yuzu giggled. Osho merely laughed as he carried her inside….
Meanwhile….
Soul Society: Squad 6: Byakuya's Office
"Ichigo! Stop pacing!" Renji said, starting to get annoyed as his friend continued to pace back and forth. "She'll be fine! The Head-Captain already assured us that Squad Zero has no intention of harming her."
Stopping in the middle of the room, Ichigo merely sighed, his brow covered in sweat from the stress. "I know, Renji, I know!" Ichigo snapped. "But…it's my sister, Yuzu, for pity's sake!" He looked out the window and up at the sky, knowing that his sister was enduring more training in a world she shouldn't be a part of. "I just wish that I wasn't an idiot and made sure I wasn't followed…."
Renji looked at his friend with a sympathetic look. "I understand, Ichigo. But if your sister's anything like you, I'm sure she'll be fine."
Putting down a stack of papers, Rukia, who was here to deliver some things to her brother on her captain's behalf, shook her head. "I don't know, Renji. I've met Ichigo's sister. She's nothing like her brother."
Renji raised an eyebrow. "Really? What's she like?"
"She's kind-hearted, eager to listen and doesn't fly off the handle. Unlike someone else I know…" Rukia said smirking when her eyes darted over to Ichigo, who merely huffed.
"You're not helping…."
Putting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, Rukia looked into her secret lover's eyes with concern. "I know you're worried but have faith, Ichigo. She'll come back soon. And then you can take her home where she belongs."
Forced to take her word, Ichigo merely nodded and left the room, needing to step outside for some air. He continued walking until he found himself in front of Byakuya Kuchiki. "Byakuya! Has there been any word on my sister?" he asked, out of concern.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed in annoyance. "There has been no word. Just like there's been no word the last twenty times you've asked me. It would not cost you a thing, Ichigo, to learn patience."
"She's my sister!" Ichigo said, angry at the man's flippant notion. "How'd you feel if Rukia accidentally wound up there?"
"I would trust in her abilities and have faith that she would return unharmed," the captain said matter-of-factly. "Your sister was able to endure a week of training with Captain Soi-Fon. That is a feat that many officers in the Thirteen Court Guard Squads could never say they can ever accomplish. If she's anything like you, Yuzu will be alright."
Hearing the man who'd almost killed him (thrice) praise his sister's endurance did ease Ichigo's anxiety a little. Taking a deep breath, Ichigo nodded, looking at the ground. "I understand, Byakuya. It's just…" he looked up and for the first time in a long time, Byakuya saw the boy beneath the Substitute Soul Reaper. "I'm her big brother. Big brothers aren't supposed to let bad things happen to their sisters…."
Byakuya figured that Ichigo was overlooking the fact that HE was Rukia's brother; otherwise that statement would've sounded insulting when you thought about it. "If you're so distressed, Ichigo, why not retire to your little cabin?" he asked as he passed him by.
Whirling around, Ichigo stared at Byakuya with his mouth gaping. 'He knows?!' "Byakuya…."
When the man turned he gave Ichigo the shadow of a smile, his form of approval, before turning back and continuing to walk, leaving Ichigo just standing there stunned….
Meanwhile….
Osho's Palace
Yuzu sat down, completely fine now as she listened to Osho give her details on how to incorporate her spirit energy into Kido spells. To her it was just like school except much more cooler. Osho handed her a large orb and told her to put her spirit energy into it. After a few tries she managed to get the knack of it and began to understand the method, creating a large sphere around her. "Can Ichigo do this?" she asked out of curiosity.
"Well he can, but the finer arts of Kido are not his specialty. He's more of the close-combat fighter. He's not suitable for the more subtle arts of Soul Reaper combat, unlike you," Osho explained, taking the orb out of her hands. Yuzu looked to her side at the Kido scrolls that Osho had given her to study.
"Now then, for the rest of today I will help you develop your zanpakuto's abilities." He stood up and walked to the center of the room. "Draw your zanpakuto and release your Shikai."
"Yes, sir," Yuzu said, standing up and drawing her zanpakuto. "Cross the sky: Hikarugetsu." Shining with silver light, Yuzu's zanpakuto transformed into its true form; Its silver blade shining in the afternoon light.
"Good, good," Osho said, eyeing her blade with interest. "Your zanpakuto has the same capabilities as your brother and father's zanpakuto but because of your mixed powers you also possess something else as well."
"Really? What?" asked Yuzu, who stared down at her blade.
"That is for you to discover, Yuzu," Osho said sagely. His face turned stern as he saw the true capabilities of her Shikai. 'This girl has the same potential as her brother. How frightening….'
"Let's begin."
Meanwhile….
Urahara Shop
"So she's with Squad Zero?" Isshin choked, not believing his ears as Yoruichi relayed him the news. "Can't they just send her home from there? It's not like she's done anything wrong?"
"You mean, other than the fact that she snuck into a place that Aizen tried and failed to get into with an army and the godlike powers of the Hogyoku?" Kisuke asked, smirking behind his fan.
"You're not helping!"
"Anyway," Yoruichi interrupted. "I don't think they mean her any harm. I believe that the reason they want to train her is to make sure that she can handle her powers correctly. Soi-Fon taught her the basics of stealth and Zanjutsu , but she needs to someone who can properly instruct her on how to control her spirit energy properly. Otherwise she could accidentally run wild."
Sighing, Isshin stared at the wooden table in disappointment, just wanting his daughter to be home safe and sound. "Do you know when Squad Zero plans on returning her?"
"I'm afraid not," Yoruichi said, shaking her head. "But if I were to bet on how long it'd take, I'd say at least a week. What Yuzu's experiencing is training at a hyper level, even greater than what Ichigo went through. She's having an actual teacher to instruct her."
"Hey!" Urahara interjected, his pride as a teacher wounded. "I taught Ichigo plenty!"
"You spent five days hurling him into rocks…."
"Very INSTRUCTIVE rocks, thank you very much…."
Isshin wanted to bang his head on the table. He told Karin that Yuzu would be fine but to have the house so empty of his little girl reminded him too much of how it felt when he lost Masaki. "I see." Getting up, he sighed and headed for the door. "Alright. I'll head back to make sure Karin's okay. Let me know if anything sudden happens."
"We will," Yoruichi looked at the father with sad eyes. "Isshin, I'm sorry. I failed to find Yuzu and-"
"It's okay, Yoruichi. You did everything you could," was all Isshin said before leaving, though the words didn't make her any better for failing to keep her promise. Turning to Kisuke, she spoke with a stern voice. "So how stronger do you think she'll become?"
"Yuzu? I doubt she'll be at her brother's level but this IS Squad Zero we're talking about. Who knows what will happen to her once they've finished her training." He took a sip of tea and looked at Yoruichi with an inquisitive eye. "So, how's Soi-Fon taking it."
Yoruichi looked away, not sure how to answer the question. "Well…."
Meanwhile….
Squad 2: Soi-Fon's training field
Soi-Fon sat on the bench, looking up at the sky. Next to her was the mask that Yuzu had worn as well as the Squad badge she had given her. Sighing, she looked up at the sky with forlorn eyes. She hadn't felt this bad since Yoruichi had vanished. Closing her eyes she saw Yuzu's happy face and the memory made her heart throb with ache at what she'd done to her. The fact of the matter was clear to her and she could not deny it.
She missed her little Rookie.
To Be Continued