Bleach Fanstory: Shinigami Academy

Initial Comments:

Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo

This is purely a fan story and I don't own any of the characters that appear that were created by Kubo, apart from original characters that I created myself.

This is the sequel to A Bleached Honeymoon, and the second part of the New Order Trilogy. Parts of it will overlap with Shinigami Academy, the third part of the trilogy.

Story so far: At the beginning of the fifth year, the students of the Shinigami Academy receive a surprise when their headmaster Kurosaki Ichigo and the Commander General Unohana Retsu announce a program of apprenticeships that would see each student undergo a year long training in one of the thirteen divisions and at the end of year receive automatic enlistment in the division of their choice. Yuichi, Karin, Yuzu, Orihime and Tatsuki end up going to different divisions, based on their personel preferences. Tatsuki choses the second division, Orihime heads to the fourth, Yuichi decides to remain in the fifth division, and Yuzu goes to the thirteenth division. Of all of her friends, Karin takes the longest time in deciding her division, for she initially goes with the eleventh, but after being told she wasn't suitable there, Karin decides on the eighth division. The five friends meet with their division's captain and lieutenant, and receive a wake-up call when the division's initial assessment tests see them acquainted with each of the division's modus operandi...

Chapter 14: Under the Masters

Of all the five friends, Karin was the last one to get acquainted with her division. The drama over her choice between the eleventh and eighth divisions meant she was one of the last students to get enlisted, and only made the cut by the skin of her teeth. Naturally enough, when she arrived at the designated meeting room inside the eighth division barracks, all of the other students were present.

"Ah, Kurosaki Karin is it?" the captain of eighth division, Abarai Renji asked. "You're just in time for my introduction speech. Please take a seat." Karin was relieved to hear she hadn't missed out on anything important. She quickly spotted and empty seat and sat on it. After making sure that nobody else was going to enter, Captain Abarai closed the doors of the meeting room. Then, with his lieutenant Yadomaru Lisa watching on, he stood in front of the hundred or so students with a microphone in his hand.

"Welcome everyone to the eighth division," Renji began. "I am the captain, Abarai Renji and the lovely girl at my side is my lieutenant, Yadomaru Lisa. We're a really laid-back division in terms of rules and regulations, but we do carry out an important task. As many of you may have noticed around Karakura Cho, the eighth division is responsible for the housing and welfare of Rukongai citizens. We assign the newly arrived souls accommodation and help unite family members whenever possible. It's a complex task and requires an almost fulltime commitment. Most of it the work is administrative in nature; however, there will be times when force is required. In those circumstances, what we value the most is versatility. All eighth division members must be proficient in all forms of Shinigami combat, for you may never know what situations you'll end up in." After Renji finished his speech, he allowed Lisa to take over.

"To test your abilities we're going to conduct a trial involving an obstacle course," Lisa explained. "Over a five hundred metre distance, the goal is to get to the other side whilst avoiding or dealing with all of the traps that are designed to hinder your progress. Each student will undertake the one at a time. When your name is called, proceed through this door at the side and follow the directions." As Lisa spoke, a hidden doorway opened up on the right side of the room. The first person's name was called out and he got up and walked timidly through the doorway. Karin waited nervously for her turn.

Half an hour later, her name was called and Karin strode through the corridor until she arrived at an outdoor area. She saw a building in the distance, but in between was a complex series of pits and other contraptions. So this is the obstacle course, Karin thought to herself, what a pain in the arse to get through.

A signal to begin was given and Karin immediately Shunpo-ed ahead as fast as she could. She cleared the first pit within seconds and reached the second gap, where a ten metre high steel wall suddenly rose out of the ground. Karin tried jumping over the wall, but numerous arrows shot out from the wall and scraped her legs. Karin fell onto her back, wondering what happened. She got up and studied the wall closely. When she glanced at the top she saw an eighth division symbol etched onto a trigger point. Realizing she had to hit the symbol, Karin released her Zanpakuto, summoned an energy ball, and kicked it at the symbol. The trigger point depressed and the wall quickly lowered into the ground. Karin was about to move ahead in triumph when she was suddenly slammed in the back by a catapult of some sort.

She was sent flying over the wall and immediately saw herself heading for a pit twenty metres in front of her. In a quick manoeuvre she pointed her left hand forward and shouted "Bakudo 37, Tsuriboshi!" A light blue net woven from spirit threads covered the pit, catching Karin as she landed on it. She got up quickly and leaped off the net, Shunpo-ing forward as fast as possible. She eventually reached the final hundred metres, which involved a long narrow walkway surrounded by pits. Karin ran across the walkway but as soon as she started crossing it rubber arrows shot out from the trees on both sides. With her Zanpakuto still released, Karin couldn't deflect any of them, and so her only option was to Shunpo across the walkway. Just as she was about to finish crossing the walkway, her ankle was hit by an arrow. She was sent flying forward and landed on the ground just in front of Captain Abarai Renji.

"Congratulations, you ran the fastest time," Renji said to Karin as he stopped a watch he was holding in his hands. "However, you allowed yourself to get hit by the arrows inside of deflecting them." Karin tried to respond but she knew full well that Zanjutsu was her weakness.

"Don't worry, that's an area I can help you improve on," Renji smiled. With that, Karin passed her first test as an eighth division trainee.

Over the next six months, Tatsuki, Orihime, Yuichi, Yuzu and Karin underwent intensive combat training either under the supervision of the division captain or the lieutenant, having been singled out as possessing exceptional abilities and qualities that placed them ahead of the other students in their groups. They still underwent the same training in regards to rules and procedures but it was their private sessions with the masters that really stood out.

"Hyaah!" Tatsuki yelled as she tried to land a punch on the lieutenant of second division, Shihouin Yoruichi. The two of them were having a sparring lesson and Tatsuki had already released her Shikai. The added power made no difference as no matter how hard Tatsuki tried, she could not hit Yoruichi at all.

"What's wrong Tatsuki-chan? You aren't trying your hardest," Yoruichi commented.

"I am trying my best!" Tatsuki protested. She tried doing a rapid series of punches before mixing it up with a spinning kick. Her right leg was blocked by Yoruichi's arm.

"If this is your best then I'm slightly disappointed," Yoruichi said. She grabbed hold of Tatsuki's leg and swung her right over her head. Tatsuki landed on her back with a thud. She recovered quickly and tried to punch at Yoruichi again, charging spirit energy into her right fist. This time Yoruichi used both hands to grab Tatsuki's gloved Shikai. Tatsuki shocked to feel all of the energy in her fist disappear. Yoruichi let go of Tatsuki's hand and watched as Tatsuki feel to her knees in confusion.

"What, what was that you just did?" Tatsuki asked.

"Hanki Sosai, a Kido cancelling move that negates an opponent's spirit energy by meeting it with an equal but opposite spirit energy," Yoruichi replied. "Only those who are highly skilled in Kido are able to master it. However, even without that move, I could have easily blocked your final attack just by grabbing your arm." Tatsuki looked at her right gloved fist, and pounded the ground in despair.

"The only thing I know how to do is fight using my hands and fists," Tatsuki said. "I can't use Kido, I can't move fast, and I suck at using my Zanpakto. I'm so useless." Tatsuki was about to break down in tears, but Yoruichi laid her hands on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, I can teach you how to use Kido properly, as well as a fighting style that relies primarily on Hakuda," Yoruichi said. "It's the style I taught Captain Soifon." Before Tatsuki could speak a word, Yoruichi went inside the division's storeroom. She came out a few minutes later carrying a large crystal ball with red crane symbol etched onto it.

"What this is that thing?" Tatsuki's asked.

"It's a Reishaku core, a device that makes it easier for a user to concentrate his or her spirit energy. It's the same object that your nakama and I used to break into Soul Society during our mission to rescue Kuchiki Rukia," Yoruichi explained. "How it works is quite simple. You just place your hands on the ball and try to focus your energy into it, like this." Tatsuki gasped when she saw a sphere of reiatsu surround Yoruichi. It disappeared a moment later as Yoruichi gave the ball to Tatsuki.

"I don't believe it; you created a reiatsu aura around yourself!" Tatsuki exclaimed.

"You shouldn't be shocked. Exerting reiatsu from my body is one of the simplest moves any trained Shinigami can do and I was greatly assisted by the Reishaku core. You can do it too. Here's a few tips. Picture a dark, deep circle in your mind and imagine yourself lowering your hands into it."

"A deep dark circle and lowering my hands into it...right," Tatsuki repeated. As she was trying hard to picture it, a voice spoke inside her head. Yes, dig deep into the source of your power. A second later, a two metre wide sphere of reiatsu appeared around an ecstatic Tatsuki.

"I did it!" Tatsuki exclaimed. She jumped up and down still carrying the core. "I created an aura Yoruichi-san!"

"Very good, you conquered the first step. But from now on, it gets harder," Yoruichi said.

"Oh wow!" Orihime said in surprise. She looked down at the dead rabbit she was healing. When lieutenant Hachigen gave her the corpse of a rabbit and asked her to use pure healing Kidou to close up the wounds, Orihime feared it would take hours of work. But within twenty minutes, all of the internal wounds were healed and she was just finishing up sealing the outside skin.

"Amazing," Hachigen said as he observed Orihime's work. "You healed wounds that would take even a high ranking officer at least half an hour to finish. You certainly have talent for healing, Orihime-chan." Orihime blushed in embarrassment.

"So, does that mean I'm done with basic healing training?" Orihime asked.

"I suppose it does. You've completed something that will take the other students a week at least to master," Hachigen replied. "But, I suspect you still want to be trained." He looked at Orihime, who hesitantly nodded.

"I...may be able to heal people, but I'm not a soldier," Orihime said. "I don't have the will or the skill to fight unless I'm doing to protect my nakama." Hachi remembered the things he and Orihime discussed a long time ago, underneath the abandoned warehouse he and his Vizard nakama were staying in at the time.

"Ah yes, I said to you once that you weren't a fighter type, and neither was I. However, I also said there was a way that you could fight with the powers you had back then," Hachi smiled. "The powers you have now are obviously quite different, but the same principle still applies."

"Are you really going to teach me how to use my offensive powers?" Orihime asked. Hachi nodded. He requested permission from Captain Tsukabishi to leave Seireitei and a few hours later he took Orihime to the fourth district of Southern Rukongai. They stood in a patch of grass near the bottom of a gigantic waterfall. A hundred metres high and two hundred metres in width, the waterfall plummeted into a vast pool of water that flowed outwards into a river.

"You may be wondering why I have taken you here," Hachi said. "This is one of the most popular outdoor training destinations for many divisions. Not only is it a perfect meditation spot, but the waterfall makes for excellent target practice."

"Target practice?" Orihime was confused.

"Here, you can fire Hadou spells and Zanpakuto attacks at the waterfall and it will never break, for the cliffs are made of Sekki-seki stone. Try cutting the waterfall in half with your Shikai ability, like this." Hachigen summoned a yellow barrier that divided the waterfall into two neat sections, much to Orihime's amazement.

"That was awesome!" she exclaimed.

"It was merely an application of my abilities. After I became a Vizard, I learned to develop special hollow powers, mainly in the area of Negacion. After decades of training I finally learned how to make barriers that could shield; barriers that could regenerate and barriers that could sever objects."

"No wonder you could do stuff similar to my Shun Shun Rikka," Orihime said. "Oh well, I'll give it a try now." She placed her hands in front of her body and shouted out "Koten Zanshun!" Tsubaki shot out of her hairclips like an arrow and flew at the waterfall. He cut through the water and caused the waterfall to be divided into two neat halves just like Hachi did. Orihime called Tsubaki back and watched as the waterfall returned to normal.

"I did it!" she jumped happily.

"There's a long road ahead to go, Orihime-chan," Hachi reminded her.

Yuichi barely managed to dodge a slow thrust that was aimed for his eyes. He jumped away and skidded on his knees for several metres before coming to a stop. He lowered his sword for a moment and tried to recover his breath. However, a second later he was staring at a sword pointed directly at his neck.

"You lowered your guard," Captain Kurosaki Ichigo said. Yuichi stared at the released Zangetsu and trembled in fear. He could feel the killing intent that was present within the blade. Ichigo allowed Yuichi to get up again.

"What happened Yuichi-kun?" Ichigo asked. "Your movements are awkward and your reaction times are slow. If this was a serious battle, you would have been dead." Yuichi bowed his head in shame. He had relished an opportunity to spar with his captain and idol in a sword match, and learn how to master his Zanpakuto, but his experience so far had been disappointing. He glanced at his Zanpakuto, Yatagarasu, in disgust.

"I don't know why I can't fight properly, Captain Kurosaki," Yuichi said. "No matter how hard I try, I can't replicate the energy attack I performed on that demon."

"I happen to know the reason," Ichigo said. "You lack resolve, Yuichi. Since you think this is but a sparring match, you don't have intent to kill. This weakness is reflected in the strength of your Zanpakuto. Your power is dictated by your emotions. I assume that during the battle in the underground temple, you fighting for your survival, and had no hesitation to kill the demon. Hence your power at that point was at its peak and you were able to unleash your Zanpakuto's true abilities."

"How do you know so much about my powers?" Yuichi asked. Ichigo closed his eyes and sighed for a moment.

"My powers used to be very similar to yours. I too had a fluctuating reiatsu that peaked only when I was on the brink of death or filled with killing intent. And just like you, I had trouble unlocking my Zanpakuto's power, only releasing it at certain moments. And from my experience, I can tell what you're feeling now. You're afraid aren't you? You're afraid to get hurt and afraid to hurt back. So far, you've done nothing but block or evade my attacks. Such a strategy will never win you any battles."

"What shall I do then?"

"It's all about resolve. The resolve to fight, the resolve to survive, and the resolve to shed another person's blood, these are fundamental to a Shinigami's power. We must suppress our emotions on the battle field, but at the same time, rely on the same emotions to fight with everything we have. You see my sword? It is bursting with the resolve to cut flesh. Your sword is itching out to do the same, but your fear is holding it back. Let go of it, abandon your fear, and unleash your sword's inner power." Upon hearing Ichigo's words, Yuichi finally understood at last. He had been keeping Yatagarasu locked up in its cage because he feared it would fly away and never return. But he knew now that he made a terrible mistake.

"I'm sorry Yatagarasu, I'm sorry for keeping you locked up in that cage," Yuichi talked with his Zanpakuto. "This time, I promise to let you out for good."

"You finally realized at last Yuichi," Yatagarasu spoke in his head. "I thought it would take forever to get to you. You've finally allowed me to show my true powers." At this moment, Yuichi's body was surrounded by an aura of reiatsu. He held Yatagarasu with both hands and pointed the tip of the blade at Ichigo. Upon seeing Yuichi's stand, Ichigo smiled.

"You've finally did it Yuichi-kun, you mastered your resolve," Ichigo said. He lifted Zangetsu up in the air with one hand, and formed a reiatsu aura around his body. "Never forget this feeling." The master and the student faced off against each other for a brief moment, before they unleashed energy attacks against each other.

"Come on, you can do better than this!" Hiyori yelled out to a struggling Yuzu, who was doing push ups on the ground whilst carrying a ten kilogram bag and with metal bands around her wrists and ankles. The extra weight on her shoulders was already a burden enough, but the bands had the effect of constricting Yuzu's spirit energy, forcing her to rely on her own physical strength.

"Urgh, why am I doing this again, lieutenant Sarugaki-san?" Yuzu asked.

"You're doing this to improve the toughness of your reishi body," Hiyori replied. "A Shinigami cannot rely on their reiatsu alone. They must also train their bodies like a living human being. The tougher a Konpaku's reishi is, the greater their ability to survive and recover from crippling injuries, and to keep going even when their spirit energy is depleted."

"Alright, I understand the need for the bag, but what are the bands for? It feels like they're sucking my spirit energy!"

"You got that right; they're designed to suck Reiyoku from your body, limiting the amount of reiatsu you can exert. Not only does this make you rely more on your physical strength, but they also have the secondary purpose of refining your reiatsu control. You'll be more efficient at using your spirit energy and have a much greater endurance once I'm through with you." Yuzu groaned at the prospect of enduring a whole year of training like this. When at last Hiyori ordered her to stop doing push-ups, Yuzu collapsed onto her back in exhaustion.

"I'm...too...tired...to...even...move," Yuzu panted.

"This is pathetic, you couldn't even last an hour," Hiyori shook her head. "Your brother Ichigo was able to walk on an energy sucking walker for a whole day without getting off." She got off the box she was sitting on and helped Yuzu to her feet.

"I'll let you rest for a short while, but next up we're going to have a long sparring session. It seems from the results your brother gave me that you're weak in both Zanjutsu and Hakuda. Being proficient at Kido is a good thing to have, but often in battles it comes down to who is stronger with a fist or a blade." Yuzu understood and followed Hiyori to the thirteenth division's drill building. At the moment, the building was empty, as Isshin had specifically assigned the regular Shinigami active duties, and the other recruits were being trained elsewhere. They stood in the middle of the floor, facing each other. Hiyori pulled out her Zanpakuto and ordered Yuzu to draw her sword.

"En garde!" Hiyori shouted. Yuzu prepared herself, but was caught off guard when the lieutenant launched a sudden forward attack. A thrust from Hiyori narrowly missed Yuzu's cheek, and Yuzu only managed to block the second strike because Hiyori had slowed down her attacks.

"You're not using your eyes," Hiyori said to Yuzu. "You should anticipate an opponent's attack by looking at their arms, hands and feet. If you react only after they're moved, then it's already too late." Yuzu gritted her teeth. Even though she knew the lieutenant was using only a fraction of her strength, she still found it too hard to follow her movements.

"I don't much experience fighting at close range," Yuzu protested.

"No wonder your defensive skills are so poor," Hiyori sighed. "I guess I'll have to start with the basics over again." She resorted to teaching Yuzu the most fundamental sword techniques and stances, the types of defences against them. Though Yuzu had learnt most it during the first two years of the Academy, she was glad to have a refresher course, because she barely remembered it all.

Karin began her private training nearly a week after her friends had already begun theirs. However, she was told by the captain of the eighth division Abarai Renji that she was proficient in all four combat areas and only needed specific training to improve her weak points. Though Renji's lieutenant Yadomaru Lisa volunteered for the private lessons, the captain decided to give Karin a hand's on approach. He took her to the eighth division's outdoor training grounds, which was an expanse of grass surrounded by sakura blossom trees.

"Um, captain, what are you going to teach me?" Karin asked.

"That's a good question. Before I answer it, I want you to show me your Zanpakuto," Renji said. Karin nodded and pulled out her sword.

"Spin, Gozenhoshi," Karin said. Her Zanpakuto changed into a metallic glove that covered her right hand. Using the glove, she summoned a yellow ball of energy that dropped to the ground. She then kicked the ball into the air with her feet. The ball landed a fair distance away before dissipating. Karin was about to seal her Zanpakuto when Renji ordered her to remain released.

"I see what the problem with your Zanpakuto is," Renji said. "You can only summon one ball of energy at a time and you must use your feet to launch it at a target. Furthermore, once you have kicked the ball, it goes beyond your control." Karin was impressed that he was able to analyse her Zanpakuto's power so thoroughly.

"I don't know how to control the ball. It just bounces around by itself," Karin said.

"That's no good is it? If you don't have thorough control of your Shikai's powers, then an enemy can exploit those weaknesses and strike when you're vulnerable," Renji reminder her. "But, I can teach you a way to overcome your weaknesses." He released his Zanpakuto, Zabimaru, without changing the command.

"You see my Shikai? It used to have two big weaknesses. The first was that I could extend it outward and strike with it three times before I had to return the blades to normal. The second was that if the spirit threads linking the blades broke, then my Zanpakuto would be severely damaged. I've managed to overcome the first weakness by adopting an Iaido style of sword combat where I retrace the blades after one strike and quickly unleash them again. The second weakness was overcome by learning how to control the individual blades by my energy alone." It took a while for Karin to understand what the captain was saying, but eventually, she got what he meant. She had to find some way to strengthen her mastery over her Zanpakuto.

"How do I get better control over my Shikai captain?" Karin asked.

"Part of it will involve regular fighting experience, but another part is about communicating with your Zanpakuto. Sometimes, the Zanpakuto itself will teach you a new ability or grant you better control over it. Overtimes, you'll have to figure out by yourself. From now on, we'll have regular sparring sessions but we'll also combine it with Hakuda, Kidou and Hohou training. How does that sound?"

"Sounds like a lot of fun to me," Karin grinned.

Six months after the Academy students began their division apprenticeships; they were all summoned back to the Academy's Seireitei campus grounds. The headmaster of the Academy, Kurosaki Ichigo, greeted all of the fifth students, before addressing them on top of a podium.

"I hope you've all enjoyed these last six months," Ichigo began. "I've certainly had fun personally overseeing the development of a hundred students. Although there are still a few months to go in your apprenticeships, and even though the vast majority of you will be automatically enlisted in the divisions you chose to train under, there is still a series of assessments that must be passed for all of you to graduate from the Academy and become fully fledged Shinigami. These assessments will involve examinations that test you on everything you have learned in the last five years of education. They will cover Shinigami duties and etiquette, the history of Soul Society, Zanjutsu, Kidou, Hakuda and Hohou abilities, and finally literacy and academic skills. Because this will be the first time the examinations will be conducted, things might not go according to plan. Nevertheless, you will sit the written tests in various classrooms. The combat ability tests will be conducted inside the Academy gymnasium and various special buildings around the campus. That's not all. Once all of examinations are finished and the results are tallied, there will be one final series of trials that will be held to determine the best students of the Academy. This will involve an all-out tournament of strength and skill. The winner of the tournament, along with the other finalists will receive special consideration for division seats upon graduation."

Notes: I decided to stick to the training shown in the manga when covering each of the main characters' lessons, with classic references such as the reishaku core and the 'resolve' flashback. I must admit it was hard to make each of the individual training lessons unique. Next chapter will see the beginning of the final tournament arc, where everyone will face off against each other.