one scary lady
Ichigo couldn't believe the situation he was in.
"She's really trying to kill me!"
The young man only just managed to raise Zangetsu in time to block a vicious swing from the normally calm and caring taicho of the fourth division.
"Now, now Kurosaki-san this won't do at all, won't you use your bankai for me?" the woman asked.
"No, I don't think so, the whole point of training is so I don't need to use it all the time" Ichigo replied "but if this keeps up I may have to just to stay alive."
"Ohh that's no fun." Unohana said in disappointment.
"Did she just pout?"
"You know she did partner, and hot damn I'm interested."
"She's over a thousand years old! And she's trying to kill us to boot!"
"Hey, hollows are creatures of instinct. She's hot and successfully thrashing us, is there anything else I should be looking at?"
"Are you really a part of me? I sometimes struggle to believe it."
"Me to Ichigo, me to. Oh! here she comes again!"
Ichigo once again struggled to raise his defence in time to avoid being eviscerated by his zanjutsu instructor.
"Best not let your guard down Kurosaki-san. Now I understand not wanting to use bankai but you shouldn't be surprised by my teaching methods, I was told this is the same way Urahara Kisuke trained you, or have you grown soft over your break?" she asked.
"Of course I have, I haven't fought in over a year!" Ichigo shrieked.
"I don't think you're as rusty as you think you are Kurosaki-san. You're the kind of person that's called a natural fighter, and besides you HAVE kept fighting over the past year and a half, it just wasn't with a Zanpakuto. How many thugs have you put in the hospital? How many a week? A day? Don't think about it so much, your muscles remember the motions, let them remind you." Unohana advised "Also, don't hold back, if you do I will kill you" she continued before launching another furious attack on her student.
"This really is like with Urahara" Ichigo thought in the split moment he had before he was forced to respond.
He managed to raise Zangetsu in time to prevent being impaled by a quick forward thrust but his mentor didn't let up, following through with a low swipe at his legs forcing Ichigo into the air. Instead of landing, the student utilised his mastery of shunpo to hurl himself back at the fourth taicho, their blades meeting with a resounding crash, Ichigo's superior power driving his opponent back.
"A little to straight forward but better than before Kurosaki-san." Unohana complimented.
"I'm not done yet!" he answered before firing a Getsuga Tenshou at point blank range. Knowing that it wouldn't be enough, he ran headlong into the dust cloud, seeking to keep her on the defensive. It didn't work, Unohana blindsided him using the same dust cloud he was hoping had restricted her vision. As Ichigo whipped around to respond to the threat his mentor, of all things, threw a handful of dirt in his eyes.
"What the hell Unohana-san?!" he shouted, putting as much distance between them as he could "What was that?!"
"I wanted to remove your capability to see me and respond effectively, is there a problem Kurosaki-san" the woman replied sweetly
"Yea, there's a big problem!" Ichigo shouted before being interrupted.
"You're thinking it's dishonourable, aren't you Kurosaki-san, but what you need to realise is that in a life or death battle there ARE NO dishonourable tricks. You say your name means "to protect" but if you limit your tactics and abilities in a situation you could die in, and because of it DO end up dead, who will protect the people behind you? Remember, I watched you battle Yammy, the tenth, or zero, Espada almost immediately after fighting a much stronger enemy. By all accounts even weakened you should have beaten him, the difference in your power was that great. I don't know what happened on the dome but you didn't need that level of power to win your next fight. As far as I can tell something happened up there to damage your spirits, and you allowed that to weaken you. In truth the level of power you displayed in Hueco Mundo, whilst more mature then what you displayed during your invasion of Seireitei, was not up on the same level of raw drive and power."
The young man was shocked into silence at Unohana's answer. He had always known he may die but had never really thought about what could happen to the others if he did, and they survived. He had always known the consequences of his actions for himself, but what if he did die? Who would watch Chad's back? Keep Ishida from growing too cautions? The list went on Yuzu, Karin, Rukia, Renji, Byakuya, Kenpachi, Toshiro and more. On some level they all relied on him, not only to triumph but to survive as well. He had allowed his fear of his inner hollow to weaken him much more than he had ever realised, even after his training with the Vizard.
"Remember Kurosaki-san, there is no true honour or glory in battle, only valour and duty, best not get them mixed up. Too many people rely on you to allow yourself to weaken because of something as simple as fear. On some level everyone is afraid in a life or death situation, courage is not the absence of fear but to feel it and act anyway. A common saying but I think you may be in a position to truly understand it, as all Shinigami must. Now shall we continue?"
Ichigo didn't bother replying, instead he shunpoed behind his teacher and attempted to take her head off. She ducked, spinning as she crouched, bringing Minazuki around trying to slice her student's gut open. Ichigo, completing a spin of his own, brought Zangetsu down to guard himself. Both took a step back before lashing out at their opponents, blades meeting with a crash. Ichigo soon found his strength overpowering Unohana's and decided to try and push for an advantage, but the older woman proved once again why she was the teacher and he the student by shifting her footing and sending his blade to the side. Having put this weight into the clash, the sudden lack of resistance sent Ichigo tumbling forward; however one didn't last as he had by not adapting to an ever changing situation. Tucking into a roll Ichigo carried himself out of reach of his teacher's blade, arcing toward his back, but Unohana once again showed her willingness to use underhanded tactics by revealing throwing knives that were immediately hurled at Ichigo's exposed back. His senses screaming were all the warning he had for the attack and he didn't move in time to dodge them all. Searing pain lit up his back as two of the knives embedded themselves in his flesh.
"Shit, this is going to take some getting used to." Ichigo groaned.
"Don't stop now Kurosaki-kun, we've only just begun" his teacher said with a smile.
"-Kun huh? Damn she really is creepy when she wants to be, SHUT UP YOU!" Ichigo shouted inward to his cackling hollow. "It's gonna be a loooong day."