Kagekiyo Kira & Shizuka Kira. The names of his parents still are easily read as the day that the stone had first been chiseled. Izuru likes that about stone; it's sturdy and seems to last forever. It's been nearly two centuries now since those names were carved into the headstone, and still it stands tall.
He clasps his hands together, murmuring a silent prayer for his parents to watch over him from beyond - from wherever they had gone. Wherever a soul goes, after they die. Wherever nobles go. After all, he's about to set off on a new adventure. An adventure unlike any he had been on before, in his short life. He was going to go to the Academy, and become a shinigami. He wonders if they'd be proud of him?
He's almost finished when he hears crashing from above him, and leaps back as a flash of red falls from the trees and slams into the headstone, and he hears coughing. It's a boy, probably around his age. But much, much taller than he is. Izuru just stares in shock, not entirely sure what to make of this other boy. He's wearing the Academy uniform too, so he must also be a student? Perhaps it's his first day as well, and he's gotten lost? But then, this is pretty out of the way; it'd be difficult to get lost like this. It's then that he hears a girl's voice as well, scolding the boy.
"You fool, you should have known better than to sleep in that tree," the girl calls out chidingly. The other boy merely splutters and starts to defend himself, in between coughs as he picks himself up off of the tombstone, dusting himself off.
"W-Wha-... W-What's going on?! Who are you people?!" Izuru finally manages to muster his voice to exclaim out, staring in shock. He's merely given a long stare from the boy and girl both, before they scamper off. He rushes to make sure that the tombstone is undamaged. That's another reason why stone is so wonderful; very little can damage it. He sighs in relief when there isn't even so much as a scratch. Content that his parents will be able to continue to watch over him without worrying about their tombstone crumbling, Izuru turns to make his way to the Academy. It's time for the first day of classes, after all.
Most of the classes are very boring, Izuru realizes. History, politics, and the like. Things that really, should be commonly known. He certainly knows all of this, at least. He sees the tall boy, and the girl who had been with him, again. The boy at least shares most of his classes; they were both put in the Advanced Class. He wouldn't have thought that the boy would be capable, from first looks. But then, he shouldn't judge. He doesn't look like much at first glance either, he's sure.
He pays no more mind to the boy as they go to kido class, and hums in appreciation of the skill shown by one of the other girls in their class. If he heard correctly, her name is Hinamori? Something like that. He mentally makes a note to befriend her later; he may need a study buddy, after all, and she looks like she would be a good one.
When his name is called, Izuru stands and begins the incantation. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado #31, Shakkaho!"
He receives praise for his skill with the kido despite it being the first day, and can't help the pleased smile as he resumes his seat. Perhaps he won't need a study buddy for kido after all, although he still wouldn't mind befriending the Hinamori girl. The servants back at the Kira estate had been urging him to try to make friends, after all. He allows his mind to wander, thinking over the Shakkaho he had just fired. Considering how well he had done compared to everyone else, it appears as though kido may be his strongest subject. He wonders which Squad he would do best in, then.
He's torn from his thoughts by a loud explosion, and he stares in shock as the red-haired boy from before - Abarai Renji? - merely croaks out a reply after covering himself in soot and ash from a failed kido. That one would not be joining any Squad that uses a lot of kido, then. Izuru absently wonders if perhaps he should offer tutoring.
With the class dismissed for a short break to rest before zanjutsu, Izuru makes his way to the Hinamori girl and holds out a hand with a small smile.
"Izuru Kira," he introduces himself carefully. "Do you mind if I sit here with you?"
She shakes his hand, even as she giggles out a reply. "Go ahead! There's plenty of room, after all. I'm Momo Hinamori. Oh! You're the other one who did great with that kido, aren't you? That was really impressive!"
Izuru flushes some, and glances down. "Ah, well, I'm not sure if it was that wonderful. I'm sure that there are others much better, after all. You weren't that bad yourself. I had actually been thinking about asking if you'd like to be study buddies, at least for kido class."
Hinamori easily agrees, and the two talk throughout the rest of their short break before the next class. As they enter the gym, they are paired off to have short duals. This, they are told, will allow the teacher to determine their skill levels and better teach them. Izuru notices that he's paired with the Abarai boy.
Feeling confident, he raises his wooden sword and waits. Abarai looks like he's likely hot-headed, after all. Izuru's suspicions are proven correct when Abarai rushes him, his blows swift and powerful. So powerful, in fact, that Izuru can barely keep up. He is able to defend, but just barely, and he's left no time to try to launch an attack of his own. The short duel ends when Abarai manages to disarm him and land a smarting blow across his arms, which he had raised to defend himself lest his head be hit instead.
Izuru remains on the floor, collecting himself, and hears Hinamori scolding Abarai for how rough he had been. He spends the rest of the class collecting himself and replaying the short duel in his mind, trying to figure out what he might have been able to do differently. He doesn't hold it against Abarai; far from it. He can understand his roughness - he had been frustrated because of his failure with the kido, Izuru's fairly certain.
After that class is a lunch break, so Izuru hunts down Abarai. He finds him under a tree, so he goes to shove his hand into his face much like he had with Hinamori.
"Izuru Kira. Do you mind if I sit with you?" The same introduction, the same question. It's how he was taught to do it, though. He's startled and pulls his hand away when Abarai laughs, though.
"You're a noble, aren't you? I can tell," Abarai answers before waving a hand dismissively. "Abarai Renji. I hope you don't mind, but I'm not really the kind of guy who shakes hands, you get me? I don't mind if you sit with me, though…" Abarai then eyes him, then clearly recognizes him. "Sorry for being so rough earlier, I guess I lost my temper a bit."
"That's alright," Izuru replies as he seats himself with a small smile. He absently rubs his wrist as he recalls how brutal it had been. "You were frustrated with the kido, right? I'll admit I wasn't expecting you to be so strong. My arms still feel like they might fall off."
"Sorry again," Abarai mumbles, still eyeing him. "So what? You're here to make nice then?"
"Something like that," Izuru laughs. "You weren't wrong, by the way. I am a noble. Well, from a lesser noble family at least. But please, don't let that get in the way of any friendship we may form. I actually have a proposal for you."
That catches Abarai's attention, and he gestures for Izuru to continue. So he does, of course.
"I'll help you with kido, if you'll help me with zanjutsu. Hakuda, too. I suspect you'll probably do better in that class than I will too, in all honesty. How does that sound?"
Abarai thinks it over, before grinning at Izuru in agreement. It's feral almost, in a way that Izuru had never seen before. That tells him right away that Abarai must have come from further out, in the Rukongai. From somewhere dangerous. It makes his innards tingle in a way that he had never felt before, a thrill of excitement in a way that he finds odd. But he doesn't dwell on it, nor does he mention it to Abarai.
Their attention is caught by a large number of students, from first years like themselves to those just getting ready to graduate, gathering. Curious, Izuru and Abarai get up to wander over as well, to see what the commotion is. Hinamori joins them as well, following behind their bigger bulk to worm her way in since she is too small to see for herself. As they push their way through, they hear what it is. A Captain and Lieutenant!
Izuru and Abarai stop a few feet away from the edge of the crowd, able to see from where they are, while Hinamori accidentally goes too far and falls into the pathway in front of the Captain and Lieutenant. But she's quick to bow, apologize, and scramble back into the crowd where she is out of the way. Izuru's eyes are transfixed, however, on the Lieutenant.
Tall, silver hair, and eyes squinted shut in a way that almost makes him look like a fox. That smile, too. Izuru feels another flutter of excitement somewhere deep inside him, like he had before. Something tells him that this Lieutenant will be a person to watch, for sure. Especially since, after a moment's thought, he recognizes it.
The Fifth Division. Captain: Sousuke Aizen. Lieutenant: Gin Ichimaru… Ichimaru… Izuru decides right then and there that he wants to join the Fifth Division, when he graduates from the Academy in a decade's time.