Response to 'Ruberforumfree' review.

Seireitei and Gotei 13, are a part of the so-called east branch of the much bigger Soul Society.

There are also other branches. Europe is under jurisdiction of the West branch located in a 'Reverse London'. Instead of soul reapers they have Knights and Wizards.

Existence of those branches is canon as it was written about by Tite Kubo in a one-shot sidestory manga 'Burn the Witch'.

Additionally even in the anime it was stated that for every 50000 of the human population, must be one soul reaper. So around 3000 soul reapers in the Seireitei would be just about enough to cover Japan with a bit to spare.

Interestingly enough there's even an Asgard in this universe.

Similarly hollows are not the only species that prey on humans.

I hope I helped clear any misunderstanding.

Thank you for reading and enjoy.

Four weeks passed in a blink of the eye.

Funnily enough Kamui was dubbed as the 'most hardworking' student. This was a first. Even he himself always considered himself as a bit lazy.

No. That's wrong to say. His problem was always to find motivation to start working. He used to seek all sorts of ways to postpone making an effort. But once he started on something his inborn stubbornness and even a bit of perfectionism didn't allow him to give it anything less than his very best.

And now he had a very good motivation to start working hard…

Ichimaru Gin was being a prick.

It happened after their first sword fight during Zanjutsu class.

Kamui, while he trained some martial arts in passing in his former life, it was never serious, and while he was in a few fights it was never really carrying any risks. Just gaining a few bruises and such. Therefore he never developed any fighting instinct or a willingness to readily harm other human beings. Or a soul beings?

Whatever. That's not important.

Gin on the other hand spent a few years in the unbelievably harsh reality of the higher numbered Rukongai; and he had extremely difficult goal to accomplish which only further spurred him on.

Heck, it's possible that this maniac possessed inborn killer instinct. Kamui would not be very surprised.

Thus it was expected that he'd lose their first sparring session. What was less expected was the absolute thrashing he got from him. Or how Gin would later gloat for hours on end. Even when Kamui was falling asleep that day, his lullaby was a monotonous, mocking tirade from a silver-haired bastard.

And the next day it all started from the beginning.

It resulted in Kamui swearing bloody vengeance, and throwing himself into the most intense training in his life.

However the thrashing he always received in Zanjutsu classes continued, even if it lessened day by day.

There was a bit of a silver lining however. Gin held the edge only in Zanjutsu training.

In Hoho classes, Kamui was slightly superior. Not by much, but the difference was there. Here instincts didn't matter all that much. Instead what mattered were reflexes and dynamic vision. With his Ideal Body, and while carrying Tenseigan it would be a disgrace for him to lose in any of those categories. Although sadly they still didn't learn Shunpo. He was really looking forward to it.

In Hakuda classes, they were more or less equal. While again his instincts were a bit of a letdown, Kamui's punches were much heavier than Gin's, who even confessed later silently that he didn't hold much interest in unarmed combat. He was only training it to a satisfactory level, and didn't plan on giving too much of his time on that. This made Kamui a little sour, since his eventual victories didn't feel as satisfactory.

In Kido classes, however there was no contest. Kamui was hailed there as one of the greatest Kido prodigies in the history of the academy. While Gin could only be considered as above average.

Tenseigan's recently unlocked ability to perceive all forms of energy was giving him a new and different understanding of the art that even Kido Masters might lack. Seeing how Reishi interacted during spell casting, allowed him to infinitely tweak and upgrade spells at his leisure. Additionally as a side effect of him constantly manipulating Reiryoku to use his dojutsu it became like a second nature to him.

But in Zanjutsu classes he kept losing.

It wasn't that Kamui didn't improve in his sword fighting. He did. And his rate of improvement left other students sighing in envy.

Fighting instincts can be developed, unwillingness to harm others can be overcomed. Regular beatings have this effect on people.

His special body was making him constantly faster, stronger, more flexible as long as he put in an effort to try.

He learned to use Tenseigan to spot openings in his opponents stance, and used one of the many sword techniques he learned to exploit those openings.

But he still couldn't defeat Gin.

Unlike Kamui, who split his attention between four fighting styles equally, with a slight focus on Kido; Gin was focused almost exclusively on sword fighting. And it showed. Despite the outright cheat-like abilities that Kamui possessed, Gin's own combination of his considerable talent and overwhelming amount of hard work allowed him to constantly stay ahead.

In anime he didn't give that much of an impression of a hard working person, but Kamui realized how naive such thinking was. He was hailed as a great genius of the soul society, became a captain, and was Aizen's most trusted confidant.

These are not the results achievable solely by talent or luck.

And only maybe, Kamui's own existence was spurring him to work harder.

Hmmm, no. For a person with such determination and motivation like Ichimaru Gin, petty school rivalries probably don't matter much.

Although it's nice to think otherwise.

Currently Kamui and Rangiku, were together, sitting under an apple tree in a secluded part of the campus. Over those four weeks the slight signs of malnourishment on Rangiku slowly kept diminishing, and the girl in question started thriving on campus.

While she wasn't the most hardworking and talented person around, she was considered as average. Average in the First Class also dubbed as 'Genius Class'. This coupled with her great looks caused her to have quite a big circle of admirers. Of both genders.

Even Kamui witnessed few confession attempts and consequently rejections. Although that never seemed to discourage Rangiku's pursuers. Ah, youth.

Gin and Kamui, also had their own share of admirers, but none courageous enough to approach them openly.

Probably that was the reason, Rangiku felt so comfortable around Gin's roommate. Because she felt that there was no ulterior motive behind their interactions. After all Kamui while admired her beauty it never affected him all that strongly. He was treating her as any other person. Familiarly but with a bit of distance.

"So, how is Gin doing?"

"That's a strange question coming from you Rangiku-san. Shouldn't you know that better than me?"

"I'd like to, but…"

"What is it?"

"Ever since we came to the academy… No. Even before that. He kept distancing himself from me. I see him less and less in our free time, and even when I see him he keeps blowing me off."

"I don't know how I can help you. It's true that due to the fact that we're roommates I have a bit more contact with him than you do, but you know Gin-chan well enough to know that he isn't a person to share."

Rangiku smiled lightly hearing Ichimaru's new nickname. While his mocking grin almost never wavers it always twitches slightly, when hearing the phrase Gin-chan as a sign of his outright hate at that nickname. Thus Rangiku copied Kamui and started calling him such.

But her smile quickly vanished and she whispered with frustration.

"I know that something is bothering him. I know that there is something he's not telling me. I want to. No. I need to help him. I just have no idea how to do that."

"Rangiku-san, you overthink it."

"I am?"

"Yes. I'm sure that Gin-chan is fine. And if you really want all your answers, then you should march up to him and demand them on your own. You know that he can't possibly refuse you."

"But what if I bother him even more?"

"Knowing you, you probably will." He ignored her hurt expression and continued "But it's something that must be done. His response and attitude will be enough to answer a lot of questions. You're a smart kid after all."

He patted her on the head, as one would pat a child who just learned to tie her shoelaces on her own.

"Hey! Don't treat me like a child. I'm older than you!" She obviously liked it.

"Look, nothing will come of just waiting for an answer. You need to take action, and get them on your own. Whatever the answer, you'll have an inkling of how to proceed."

"You're right!" She stood abruptly, eyes burning with determination. Kamui watched with a bit of scientific interest, how this action affected her already considerable bust. "I'll go find him right now!"

"Go for it. Seize the day. You can do whatever you set your mind on. Trust your inner goddess."

Kamui threw a few more tacky fitness slogans after her quickly, very quickly, receding silhouette, after which he sighed heavily and turned his gaze towards one of the few small trees in the surroundings.

"Try not to hurt her too much. You mean a lot to her."

Although he received no answer, after a long while, some figure left the shadow of a tree and followed the trail that Rangiku just left.

"I hope I didn't overdo it."

Kamui sighed once again, stood up and went in the opposite direction.

He had enough of the drama.

Kamui didn't know how the conversation between Rangiku and Gin went. But Rangiku stopped actively approaching her old friend, instead throwing herself into training. It was a bit surprising seeing this somewhat lazy girl working hard, but Kamui had a strange premonition that this change will not last for long. Or maybe he'll be proven wrong. Who knows.

Currently was Monday's last class on Hoho. It was already the seventh week of the academy. Kamui rested on the side, observing other students' training. In the ground in a randomized manner were inserted 300 pillars with a person standing on top of them. Additionally there are some ropes hanging in the air obstructing the view.

The goal of this exercise was to stand on top of one of them, spot which pillar lights up next, and jump on them as fast and with as few steps as possible. While avoiding the ropes which randomly come to life and try to smack you in the face. Yes to the chagrin of some of the girls, those strike almost exclusively targeted the face. And when you got used to that, and let down your guard only then it would strike lower. Or a pillar which you stand on, can shake suddenly.

It was quite a devious training. Especially since it has different levels of difficulty. Once you clear it satisfactory on one speed, the speed at which pillars light up, and randomness increase.

At the level Kamui currently practices, the speed in which those pillars blink is half of a second. So he has 150 seconds to clear them all. As a side note he's the only person who reached this level in his group as of yet. Gin is still at the 300 seconds mark.

Rest of the group is not even worth mentioning. After all normal students complete their training within six years. In the anime Gin completed the academy's entire curriculum within only one year. And Kamui planned to do the same.

He had enough school in his previous lifetime.

Finally the last person finished and it was Kamui's turn again.

He leaped on top of the centermost, starting pillar, closed his eyes, bent his knees and waited for a signal to start.

"Begin"

When he opened his eyes, he was already six meters away from his starting position, landing on the forefoot of his left leg. Without waiting for his position to stabilize, he kept his momentum, as he dashed forward solely relying on the strength of his toes, this time landing on another pillar four meters away on his right forefoot. Not even a second passed during those actions. When he jumped again, he had to curl himself in midair, in order to avoid a rope swiping at his legs. This position allowed him to land on the next pillar, fully on his both feet, in a half crouch. He used additional power, such jumping position would give for a powerful leap forward, almost 50 meters away.

He kept this momentum for about two minutes, presenting a striking view for the awe struck students, before the first accident happened. While he was in midair, his left arm was grazed by a swiping rope, disrupting his leaping position. He managed to right himself in the air, even going so far as to create reishi foothold under his right foot, to correct his jumping trajectory. The sound of a buzzer spread, signalling that his use of a foothold cost him an additional three seconds. To make matters worse, his landing position was a little tilted, forcing him to land on his hands. He quickly spinned in place, and pushed his hands away, shooting towards the next pillar. Another penalty buzzer sounded. The use of hands in this exercise is allowed, but as to signalize the risk such a position would signify in the combat situation, the penalty was introduced.

Regretfully, he didn't regain his momentum until the very end, and he was very dissatisfied hearing the final result.

"Finish! Shirato Kamui, 176 seconds."

"Tch, damn it."

Kamui returned to his sitting place next to Gin who looked at him mockingly.

"What are you so smug about? You can't even pass the 300 seconds mark."

"You really have no consideration for other people's feelings Kamui-kun. You already passed the prerequisite, for graduating from Hoho class, and yet you're dissatisfied. Other people would be puking blood if they heard about it."

That's right. The requirement for completing movement class, was one pillar one second, which is the level Gin currently struggles. The next best student can't even complete the challenge of one pillar, three seconds.

That's how big of a difference is between those two monsters and the rest.

Kamui who already passed this mark, can already apply for advanced instructions on Shunpo, or even ask to be excused from lessons altogether, only coming back for the end of the year examination.

Passing more levels at this point, would only result in some extra credit. Yet Kamui perservers. It's actually not entirely by design.

After yet another lost Zanjutsu spar with Gin, he was full of indignation and declared to his rival that he'll complete 150 seconds challenge before Gin completes his own 300 seconds challenge. His own pride and stubbornness not allowing him to back off.

And while at the start it seemed that he'd indeed manage to accomplish it, lately his progress considerably slowed down, allowing Gin to catch up with his own challenge. Gin's current record is 322 seconds.

So understably Kamui felt a bit bitter about the whole ordeal.

"So how are your flute lessons going?"

"About as well as you'd expect. It's not quite a disaster, but I'm still below average in that aspect. Why do you ask?"

"Don't you remember? I was promised to watch the supreme prodigy Shirato Kamui, crash and burn. It's been seven weeks already, and yet you still didn't deliver."

"Huh? What are you…" The bespectacled face appeared in his memories. Oh right, there was that. "You mean the calligraphy lesson? You're quite insistent on that."

Gin didn't respond, just grinned a bit wider, and tilted his head.

"And your face is creepy." He sighed with exasperation. "Fine, how about we go tomorrow."

"Excellent. I'm giddy with excitement."

"I can see that."

They waited until the class ended after which they left the training hall together. Seeing the direction his roommate was heading, Gin tilted his head and asked.

"You're not going to the library?"

It was a valid question. Unless mood strikes him and he visits one of the various classes taught, at that time he would head toward the library, or a training field. Sometimes he takes a walk around the campus, but that's rare.

"No, I'm going back to the room. I want to meditate a little."

He left, not missing the smirk on Gin's face. As if he knew something that others don't.

Man did he want to punch that bastard at that time.

Kamui, sat cross legged on his bed, his katana laying across his laps, his eyes closed.

Currently he was focusing his entire Reiryoku and pushing it, towards a certain point in his soul, where a green, seed-like object is located.

Now that he thought about it, this is the ability he should have focused on at the beginning instead of at the Tenseigan. He wouldn't catch the eye of Aizen, if he used it properly it's quite possible that he'd crush Gin already in their sparring sessions.

But he won't complain. After all, after Tenseigan matured further, it really started helping him out. Currently it had 360 x-ray vision; extended sight to about one kilometre (it was weird but if he concentrated he could even pick out the conversations from this distance. He really had no explanation for this phenomena); ability to perceive energy and insides of one's soul; he even began manifesting the ability to manipulate those to an extent, but it still would take him a lot of time and hard work to do anything with it.

He had an idea to create a Hakudo style similar to the Gentle Fist, but focused on manipulating the spiritual body instead of the physical one. It was doable but he couldn't exactly work it out except for some theory as he couldn't really try it with the students at the academy. Thus it's work in progress.

However if his current actions bore fruit, a lot of his problems will potentially disappear.

And here, behold. The seed within his soul sprouted integrating itself fully into his being.

His second ability gained from his reincarnation, Innovate Clear, has awakened.

Please comment and give feedback.