Hinamori's Apprentice

Chapter 10

"So are you ready for your special elite Shinigami training?" Rangiku asked.

"Yes! Of course!" Karin said excitedly. It had been several days since they originally planned to begin, but due to a combination of extra work, changing schedules, and overdrinking by Rangiku, they didn't have the chance until now.

"Okay then! I'm not sure where to really begin, so I guess the best point to start is spirit energy. I've explained the basic premise to you before, so tell me what you remember, and we'll start from there."

"Okay, spirit energy…" Karin said thinking back to the conversations she'd had with Rangiku, "Spiritual energy, or Reiryoku, is what gives Shinigami their power. It is the energy stored within their bodies and determines how powerful they are. Spiritual energy that is controlled and usable is called reiatsu, or spiritual pressure. Reiatsu can be considered the 'refined' form of spirit energy. Is that right?"

"That is correct," Rangiku said, "Spirit energy is the source of our power, and reiatsu is the power we're able to use. That's one of the core aspects of Shinigami training, the strengthening and focusing of reiatsu. A person with extremely high spirit energy is unable to do much good if he is unable to control it. If they don't obtain control over their reiatsu, their power level spikes and dips from time to time, making them unreliable in battle. People with high spirit energy, like your brother, also have high reiatsu, if only for the simple fact that they have so much power that it is constantly emitted. However, as I said before, this is disadvantageous, as without control a large amount of reiatsu is wasted."

"So how do you train to control it?" Karin asked.

"The main focus is controlling it, but in your case, it's probably best to think of tapping into it before you try that. Some people naturally release reiatsu, but others have to work at it. I'm sure that you have spirit power, given the fact that you were able to see Shinigami and hollows while human, we just need to work at unlocking that power. You already leak a bit of it, but to be able to consciously control your reiatsu, you'll need access to more of it. Too much or too little makes reiatsu difficult to control properly."

"So how do I do that?" Karin asked.

"Well, it's not that hard. You already release a bit without realizing it. For starters, think about how you released it in the past."

"But I didn't release it in the past," Karin said, "You said yourself that I only released it subconsciously."

"Think back carefully," Rangiku repeated, "Do you remember anything strange happening when you were involved in situations with spirit beings?" Karin thought about it carefully. She couldn't recall anything unusual from the times she had been involved with hollows or Shinigami, just...

"Headaches!" Karin said suddenly, only just remembering, "I used to get headaches whenever I was around hollows! I'd get all sick and everything!" Rangiku nodded.

"That was the result of your body experiencing a hollow's reiatsu. Since you weren't emitting any significant reiatsu of your own, yet were still able to perceive spirit beings, the reiatsu of the hollows made you sick. Tell me, how did you get rid of the headaches?" she said.

"I don't know, they just faded when the hollows were gone," Karin explained, "There really wasn't anything I did to stop them."

"Are you sure? Wasn't there anything that you did that relieved the headaches?"

"I tried medicine and tea and rest, but nothing did much good until the hollows were gone," Karin said, "Sometimes I would imagine things that made me feel better, but that was just my imagination taking my mind off of it."

"Really? Do you think you could think those sorts of thoughts again?" Rangiku said gently. Karin was confused by this request, but nodded.

"Um, sure, I suppose so…" she said. She closed her eyes and thought back to the things she had thought of in her head whenever there was a hollow around. It hadn't been anything meaningful, just things she thought of to help ignore the headaches. She thought back to what she had imagined those times. Suddenly Rangiku let out of shriek of delight, causing her to jump.

"Karin! That's it!" she said excitedly.

"What's it?" Karin asked, more confused than ever.

"I just felt your spiritual pressure fluctuate! That must be it! You instinctively released your reiatsu to push back that of the hollows! And you can replicate it now! What was it that you thought of when you were getting rid of your headaches?" Rangiku asked.

"I imagined using an old water pump. It made me feel like I was pumping away the headaches and the bad feelings," Karin explained.

"That must be your trigger. Different people experience tapping into their reiatsu different ways. We visualize this in various ways, usually things that we are familiar with. Water seems to be a frequent theme for people's imagining of their reiatsu and spirit energy. Your brother's release of reiatsu has been described as a tap gushing out water. I personally feel the release of my spirit energy as feeling like a pot of boiling water turning into steam. Captain Hitsugaya's is like a constantly expanding block of ice. There are others too of course. Izuru Kira has described his spirit energy as heavy lead being unloaded, Captain-commander Yamamoto's reiatsu is like a burning firestorm, and Momo Hinamori says hers is like a sort of plasma. It's all a matter of how we personally describe the feeling of our reiatsu being released. The same can be said of controlling and focusing it."

"Wow, all of this information is interesting, but you're kind of losing me," Karin said. Rangiku smiled.

"Very well then," she said, "Just try this and you'll see what I mean. Imagine that you're pumping out the water like you did before, only this time, really, really focus on it!"

"Okay then…" Karin said uncertainly. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She imagined an old fashioned hand-operated water pump. Focusing carefully on it, she imagined herself pumping it, and the water coming out. The pump gave resistance, but as she did it more and more, building up a rhythm, the feeling became easier. As she did this, she began to feel funny, like she wasn't pumping water out of the well, but from herself. It felt like the water she was pumping was being released into her body and then expelled through her pores. It was an odd feeling, but she didn't stop. As she became more and more used to the imaginary pumping, she decided to try something. She imagined the water filling her being held back, prevented from leaving her. Almost as soon as she did so, she felt immense pressure building up. Within moments, the imaginary walls she had built within her had collapsed, leaving the water gushing out.

"That was great Karin!"

Karin gave a start, remembering where she really was. She had been so engrossed in her thoughts, that she had nearly forgotten the reason why she was doing it.

"What happened?" she asked in confusion.

"You did it; you successfully tapped into your spiritual energy and turned it into reiatsu! I sensed you trying to control it too. I never would have imagined that you would be able to succeed so quickly!" Rangiku said.

"But I didn't do anything, I just imagined…" she trailed off, her eyes wide.

"That's right," Rangiku said, "What you were imagining was just a way for your mind to think of the process by which you tap into your spirit energy and release reiatsu. Eventually, you'll be able to do that without even thinking about it! Now, onto the next stage."

"Isn't it a little soon? I only just got to this part," Karin said. Rangiku waved a hand dismissively.

"After you've shown yourself able to release it at all, you'd might as well move onto the next stage and practice both at the same time. Besides, I can tell that you're a quick learner," she said.

"Well okay, if you're sure," Karin said. She personally felt that this was going way too fast, but Rangiku seemed to know what she was doing.

"Okay, this step will be a lot harder. You've shown that you can release reiatsu, but right now it's just being released loosely in all directions. Next we're going to work on how to direct reiatsu. Understand?"

"Yes, I understand," Karin said. Rangiku nodded.

"Alright then! Let us begin…"

---

"No, that file goes over there! That cabinet is meant for storing the records for the Shinigami in our division," Momo said.

"Understood. Sorry for the mix-up," Ichigo said.

"You should be stronger in the way you present yourself to subordinates," Momo chided, "If you give the impression of authority, you won't be able to keep your troops in line."

"Sor… I mean, that's right," Ichigo said, correcting himself. Momo nodded in satisfaction. He still frustrated her at times, but Ichigo was getting better. She still had a lot to teach him in regard to administrative duties, but the fact that he was improving was obvious.

"Do you remember where I told you to put this week's patrol assignments?" Momo asked.

"Yes. You told me to put them in the drawer so that they'd be within easy reach," he said.

"And do you remember which drawer?"

"Yeah," Ichigo said, though a hint of uncertainty entered his voice.

"Take them out," Momo instructed. Ichigo reached down to the drawers at the side of the desk, hesitating for a moment before opening the bottom drawer. There were no files in it however, only a stack of spare paper and some writing instruments. Momo crossed her arms and Ichigo immediately shut the drawer and opened the one above it, revealing the necessary documents.

"Here they are," he said, trying to sound confident. Momo did not answer, continuing to give him a stern look.

"Oh come on, it was just a minor mistake!" Ichigo said.

"A minor mistake can cost a Captain his life, or worse, the lives of his subordinates," Momo said, "Being Captain is a huge responsibility. You must dedicate your life to it."

"I know, I know," Ichigo said, "You've told me all of this before. Believe me, I really am trying." Momo sighed.

"Fine, I'll believe you," she said tiredly, "Just…try to focus more. Until you're officially promoted, I'm still acting-Captain of the Fifth Division. When I hand over control to you, I need to know that you can handle everything properly, from paperwork to organization to leadership."

"You really care about this Division, don't you?" Ichigo said. Momo fidgeted with her hands a little before answering.

"I originally came to the Fifth Division because of Ai…Ai…" she stuttered, unable to bring up the name of her treacherous former Captain. "Because of him," she finally said, "I was naïve at the time, I didn't understand what a huge responsibility being a Shinigami was. I mean, I knew all of our duties and responsibilities thanks to the Academy, but nothing can really prepare you for the weight of that responsibility. The realization that you are a Shinigami, a god of death, it just really hits you hard. At first it wasn't that hard thanks to my friends and…the Captain making it a more comfortable setting. But as I advanced in rank and as my friends grew more distant, the weight of everything really hit me. Then with…well, you know, I found everything I thought I knew taken away from me. My Captain abandoned me, I betrayed my friends, and I was made to look weak and foolish for all of Seireitei to see. When I woke up from…that, I almost didn't want to resume my post. I was sure that none of my subordinates would respect me. I was supposed to be a leader, yet by the end, I was in an absolutely pitiful state and had made myself look like an emotionally crazed fool. But despite all this, they didn't abandon me. They supported me and still showed me respect. I still have a lot of issues to work out, I know, but I know that it is my duty to serve and protect this division, and I will absolutely dedicate myself to that."

Ichigo listened to her as she spoke. He was beginning to understand her.

"Are you upset that I will be replacing you as leader of this Division?" he asked. Momo seemed to be taken by surprise.

"N-no! Of course not! Haven't we already discussed this before? I know I could never become Captain, why would I be upset at you becoming Captain instead?" she hastily said.

"Well, I know I probably don't seem that bright or dedicated to you, but I promise that I will do everything I can to take good care of this division, so you needn't worry about that," he said. Momo shifted her eyes away nervously, unsure what to say. She suddenly took a sharp intake of breath when she felt Ichigo's hand on her head.

"You're a strong girl. I don't know the exact nature of all your problems, but I think you can handle them," he said, patting her on the head. Momo's cheeks turned pink at this, but she didn't do anything to stop him.

"Well…I think I'd better go do an inspection of the barracks," Momo finally said, "You…you should just stay here and deal with any incoming work."

"You'd trust me with that?" Ichigo said with a small smile.

"Yes, I guess so," she said, "Oh! And I almost forgot, I brought you some books to read." She ran over to a bag leaning against the wall and pulled out several thick books, setting them on the desk. "They're guides for leading troops in battle. That is valuable information for a Captain to know. I also have a book on the history of Seireitei that I'd like you to read at some point. Well, bye then!" She ran off, leaving Ichigo behind.

---

Karin grunted and growled as she gripped the glass orb with both hands. She tried as hard as she could to focus her reiatsu into it, but it just seemed to keep on leaking randomly from her body. Rangiku had given it to her and told her to try to focus her reiatsu into the orb. As Rangiku said before, this was much more difficult than simply tapping into her spirit power.

"You don't need to squeeze it, just do your best to focus with your mind," Rangiku coached.

"Yes, I know!" Karin said irritably. They had been trying to do this for quite some time, and it was getting frustrating. Not only was the reiatsu she produced difficult to direct, it felt impossible to force it out in a single area. To complicate things, she still had to imagine herself pumping water while simultaneously trying to focus the direction of her reiatsu. Rangiku had told her that tapping into reiatsu would soon become natural instinct and that she wouldn't have to imagine things like that, but Karin didn't feel like that time would come soon.

"Just relax and focus," Rangiku said, "Relax, and focus…" Karin tried this but it didn't work. The reiatsu inside her just seemed to float around randomly, releasing itself just as randomly.

"Do you think you could show me again?" Karin finally said.

"Sure," Rangiku replied. She took the glass orb and held it in her hands. Almost immediately, it lit up with a bright white light and seemed to fill up with smoke for a moment. She handed it back to Karin almost immediately. "You have to find a method that works well for yourself. What works for me would only frustrate you. Manipulating and controlling reiatsu is a tough skill to learn, you won't get it right away."

"Yeah, I know," Karin said tiredly. She tightly held the orb again, focusing with all her might. She held her breath and clenched her teeth as she tried to force the reiatsu swirling around inside of her into the orb. She could feel some of it slowly travelling down her arms, and she urged on further.

Suddenly, just for a moment, the orb lit up with a bright blue flash. It flickered like an old lightbulb for a moment before going out. Karin nearly collapsed from exhaustion. She panted heavily, her face red from the effort.

"That was good Karin! It was a small step, but you're definitely improving!" Rangiku said encouragingly.

"Th-thanks, but it wasn't really anything. I could only do it for a moment. I'd…better try again," Karin said.

"No," Rangiku said, taking away the orb, "You need to rest a while before we train more."

Karin almost protested but found herself too tired to speak. Deciding that Rangiku was right, she leaned back to rest. It was several minutes before she spoke again, but in her tiredness, she didn't speak of training, but of something else on her mind.

"Rangiku, do you think I'll ever become a Shinigami?" she asked.

"I suppose so," Rangiku said, "In fact, if you dedicate yourself to it, I'm sure you can!"

"And if I'm a Shinigami…I'd be going on trips to the real world?" Karin asked again.

"Yes, most Shinigami go to the World of the Living at some point," Rangiku said.

"So…if I were to become a Shinigami and go to the World of the Living, do you think that I might be able to see my dad and sister?"

"Oh…" Rangiku said, realizing why she had been asking those questions, "I…it's hard to…you see…"

"Please be honest. I really need to know," Karin said seriously. Rangiku sighed.

"I doubt it. Interactions between Shinigami and living beings is strictly prohibited except on missions requiring it. You wouldn't be able to just visit them, they'd never permit it. You'd probably never even be assigned to an area you lived in while you were alive. I'm really sorry Karin, but chances are you won't see your real family again, at least not for a very long time."

"I…I see…" Karin said quietly. Rangiku looked at her sympathetically.

"Are you okay?" she asked gently.

"Yeah, I'm fine…" Karin said, "It's just…there's so much in life that I missed out on. High School, being a teenager, college, a job, maybe even a romance some day, and retirement…just so much to life that I'll never get the chance to experience. I was hoping that I might at least be able to see Yuzu experience those things." Rangiku was startled to see tears coming to Karin's eyes.

"Hey…you want to go on to the next part of our training?" she asked.

"Um, sure…" Karin said, trying to wipe away the tears, "What do we do next?"

"Next I'm going to teach you some physical combat," Rangiku said.

"Okay, that works. I learned some martial arts and I'm in pretty good condition, so I think I can do decently in this," Karin said, glad that there was something else to focus on.

"Yes, well this is a special style; one that I don't think you can stand up against," Rangiku said with a playful smile. She suddenly tackled Karin and grabbed her sides. "Tickle fight!"

"Ra-Rangiku! Stop it!" Karin said, trying to stop laughing and push her off, "Cut it out!"

"If you can out-tickle me, I'll let you go!" Rangiku laughed.

"I-I'm not a little kid! I don't do tickle fights!" Karin said as she laughed, trying to get away.

"You look like a little kid to me!" Rangiku teased.

"Why you!" Karin put up her arms and began tickling Rangiku's stomach. This caused her to lose enough concentration for Karin to flip her over and pin her down. They stared at eachother silently for a moment before both bursting into laughter.

"I knew you'd play along if I said the right things," Rangiku laughed.

"Well, I normally don't," Karin said, trying and failing to stifle her laughter, "I'm not the type of person who plays tickle fight while laughing her head off."

"But laughter feels good, doesn't it?" Rangiku said, "I know you like to be all serious and stuff, but playing around every once in a while is good for you. Don't you feel better now than before?"

"Yeah, I guess you're right. Thank you, Rangiku," Karin said. Rangiku smiled back for a moment before suddenly pushing her off and starting to tickle her again.

"Haha! You shouldn't have let your guard down!" Rangiku said as they rolled around on the ground laughing.

Thanks for reading! Thank you to Yemi Hikari, Thunder Claw03, Shirochan21, war90, RosieLEK, Hinata-cutie, Reven Firebane, Chillis, Taeniaea, The Great Pinapple MEKI, Photophobic, Ladiie-Angeliie, AmberDawn, and Psyco101 for reviewing! Please review!