Two Hearts, New Soul: Lesson One-Breathe Before You Walk
Ichigo followed Hat-n-clogs down to a large training field underneath Urahara's shop.
"No way! This is amazing!" Urahara exclaimed, "Who would have guessed that there was an underground training field under my store this whole time?"
Ichigo looked ticked, "Oh give up the act. It obvious that you knew this place was down here, but I'll admit that it is pretty awesome."
Urahara laughed, "So you want to get down to business or what?"
"Yeah let's get this training session or whatever over with." Ichigo sighed.
"Always be careful of what you ask for." Urahara advised him as he poked Ichigo in the forehead with his cane.
Ichigo's soul tumbled out of Ichigo's body, "What's the big idea of ya knocking me down like that?!"
Ichigo started to argue only to realize that he couldn't breathe.
"Its hard to breathe when you are in the form of a soul isn't it Ichigo?" Urahara pointed out. "Right now your Soul Sleep, which is the origin of your spiritual power, and Soul Chain, your booster, have been destroyed. So right now you are like every other normal human soul with no spiritual power. Before we can proceed we need to restore the spiritual power you lost."
"Alright already just tell me what to do!" Ichigo yelled.
Meanwhile Shikamaru took Tasuki to the Vizard hideout in hopes of training her there.
"That's strange all the animals around that building are going around it for some reason as if they can't get near it." Tasuki muttered to herself as she followed Shikamaru.
"Um, yeah let's just say we don't really want to be found." Shikamaru told her as he stopped right in front of that building. "Give me a minute okay?"
"Yeah do whatever you have to do." Tasuki huffed as Shikamaru walked closer to the building.
Suddenly Tasuki felt ten presents similar to Shikamaru's. 'So there's a barrier around the building, and ten more like Shikamaru that's odd.' She thought as Shikamaru came back.
"Okay so I guess we go with plan B." Shikamaru shrugged his shoulders as a pan came flying towards his head.
Tasuki sniffled her laughing, as the pan hit Shikamaru in the head, "So was that apart of plan A?"
"No that was just a byproduct of it." He growled as he kicked the pan, "What a drag, let's just get going."
"Okay so now where are we going?" Tasuki asked him get a bit irritated at him.
"Well I figured we might be able to train with my team in there." He pointed back towards the building behind them. "But I was wrong about that, so we are going to join up with Ichigo in his training ground."
The two jumped into a window of Urahara's little shop after finding a sign on the door saying that it was closed.
"Isn't this breaking and entering?" Tasuki asked as Shikamaru landed next to her.
"Only if that's the way you want to look at it." Shikamaru smirked as he lead Tasuki to the open trap door.
Below them Ichigo was starting on his first lesson.
"You are so impatient. Let's bring out your opponent then we can start. Warrior are you ready for battle?" Urahara asked as he motion towards the black pigtail girl.
She bowed without dropping the gear she had in her hands, "Nice to see you again Ichigo."
"Here's your first lesson, you must go one on one against Ururu here." Urahara gave Ichigo his first lesson as Tasuki and Shikamaru arrived.
"Huh?" Ichigo asked looking puzzled at the girl.
"The rules are quite simple the lesson is over when one of you is unable to continue the match. If you can I suggest going for the knockout punch."
"Are you kidding me?!" Ichigo asked him, "You expect me to punch a little girl."
"It's always dangerous to underestimate your opponent, Ichigo." Urahara warned him as Ururu tossed a set of gear towards him.
"Isn't that an understatement." Tasuki rolled her eyes as she and Shikamaru walked up.
"Huh? Tasuki what the hell are you doing here?!" Ichigo asked her.
"She's going to be my training partner Ichi." Shikamaru smirked.
"Please put on your protective gear Ichigo I wouldn't want to hurt you." Ururu quietly added as she tossed a punch towards him.
"This whole thing is ridiculous. I'm not fighting her." Ichigo protested as Ururu ran towards him.
Tasuki gasped at Ururu was suddenly right on top of Ichigo, "Get out of there, you idiot!" She yelled at him.
"We tried to warn him." Urahara laughed from behind his fan.
"Shoot where is he?" Tasuki asked as she scanned the dust made by Ururu's punch.
"Do you suppose he's dead?" Tessai asked.
"Hard to say." Urahara answered as Ichigo came rolling out of the dust.
"Oh there he is!" Jinta pointed him out.
"Good one Ichigo yell about not hitting a girl then get plastered by one. Smart move." Shikamaru commented as Ichigo started to get up.
"Oh shut up." Ichigo growled at him as he started toward Ururu.
"Oh it looks like he's going after her." Tessai pointed out.
"That's the spirit Ichigo!" Tasuki cheered him on.
"And he passes her." Shikamaru added as Ichigo ran right pass Ururu.
Ichigo ran right pass Ururu straight for the protective gear that was thrown at him earlier. He picked up the gear and continued to run further away from Ururu.
"Little miss muffin hits me with another one of those and I'll be taking a long dirt nap!" Ichigo commented as he ran.
"Suck it up Ichigo and take it like a man!" Tasuki yelled at him.
'It's bad enough with Shikamaru watching this, but Tasuki too!' Ichigo added in his head.
Shikamaru smirked as he caught mischievous smirk on Kisuke's face. "I wonder what Urahara's got up his sleeve now?"
"Hey Hat-n-Clogs! How do I put this gear on anyway?" Ichigo asked as he slid to a stop.
"Strap the headgear to your forehead, Ichigo." Urahara started.
"Like this?" Ichigo held the headgear to his head.
"I have a bad feeling about this." Tasuki shook her head at her old friend.
"Then yell as loud as you can. Amazing headband of justice in place! Amazing armor of justice protect me now!" Urahara dramatically ordered him, "Go on say it."
"Amazing headband of what?" Ichigo started as he tossed down the headgear. "Aw that's just stupid!" he added as Ururu came flying in with another punch.
"Interesting how the fear of death can change one's mind." Urahara added.
"Alright I'll say it!" Ichigo yelled as he dodged another punch, "This is nothing. Amazing headband of justice in place! Amazing armor of justice protect me!"
Tasuki and Shikamaru started to laugh with Urahara, "Well what ya know I can't believe he actually said it."
"What?!" Ichigo came to another sliding stop. "You're gonna pay for that!"
"Look out behind you Ichigo!" Tasuki warned him in between her laughing as Ichigo finally got the protective gear on.
"Alright bring it." He said to Ururu as he stood in a fighting stance then continued to just run away from her, "Amazing armor my ass! More like junk! Running from her is like the only thing that's keeping me alive."
"And now it finally hits him." Shikamaru sighed as Tasuki also figured it out.
"Oh I get it now by having the girl attack Ichigo they're trying to get Ichigo to regain his speed and strength. Is that right Shikamaru?" Tasuki asked him.
"Yeah. See a normal soul doesn't have much strength or speed compared to the soul of a soul reaper like Ichigo was before. You should also have the strength and speed of a soul reaper so you shouldn't have to do this." Shikamaru quickly explained.
'Wait a minute! If I'm out running her then that must mean my speed has returned! And that means maybe I can dodge her punches!' Ichigo finally caught onto his speed as he faced Ururu and dodged her next punch. 'I can do it! I won't aim for her face. Just a tap on her headgear should be enough to get her to back off. And because of my size I can…' Ichigo thought as he tossed a few punches at Ururu with the last on grazing her cheek, 'Oh damn I cut her!'
Ururu's eyes widen at Ichigo's last attack. She jumped onto his out stretch arm, and kicked him right on the head sending him flying. Tasuki and Shikamaru both winced in pain as Ichigo went flying.
"That's gotta hurt." Tasuki added to her wince as the dust started to settle.
Urahara had grabbed onto Ururu's leg, "Safe!" he yelled as Tessai had caught Ichigo.
"Hey, give me one more chance at her please!" Ichigo asked as he stood up.
"Congratulations! Lesson one cleared!" Urahara congratulated him.
Ichigo cocked an eyebrow at him, "What the hell are you talking about I lost. She just kicked my ass just now."
"I never actually said anything about you having to win the fight to clear the lesson, did I?" Urahara pointed out.
"But I thought…" Ichigo started as Tasuki and Shikamaru joined him.
"The fact is Ichi Ururu has the fighting skills to counter even full pledged soul reapers a mere human would have the strength to beat her in battle out right." Shikamaru pointed out Ururu's ability, "By the way are you still having trouble breathing?"
"Huh, well no now that you mention it." Ichigo realized that he wasn't feeling short on breath.
"And that means what?" Tasuki asked.
"We've successfully restored his spirit energy." Urahara answered her; "The whole purpose of that lesson was to determine in a one-shot battle if Ichigo could dodge Ururu's first attack."
"Huh?" Ichigo asked.
"Spirit energy increases faster when the body is in danger of being destroyed." Shikamaru explained.
"We just need to see if you could raise yours fast enough to have dodged that fatal blow." Urahara added.
"And if I hadn't?" Ichigo dared to ask.
"You would have died." Urahara calmly answered him.
"Why didn't you say so in the first place?!" Ichigo yelled.
"I wasn't worried about it." Urahara smiled at Ichigo, "I had a lot of faith that you'd be successful."
Shikamaru pulled Tasuki away from Ichigo as Urahara continued, "Shall we celebrate the return of your spirit energy shall we."
Tasuki cocked an eyebrow at Shikamaru as he pulled her away from Ichigo. She suddenly realized why he was dragging her away as Tessai swung an axe at Ichigo cutting his soul chain.
"Wha?!" Ichigo's eyes widen at his freshly cut chain.
"With Lesson two!" Urahara finished.