Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach. Tite Kubo does. So don't sue
Song Suggestion: The Greatest - Sia
"WOULD YOU GUYS LAY OFF ALREADY?!" Ichigo yelled from across the open field. He was seriously getting tired of dodging everyone else's attacks. Though after what all he'd put Orihime through, he knew he deserved as much.
The others still wouldn't let him off the hook – even after he'd "volunteered" for target practice multiple times. Out of everyone, Rangiku was by far the worst. She took great pleasure in aiming every single attack straight at his skull. Her reason being that someone had to knock sense into that hard head of his.
Ichigo only put up with it because deep down he knew she was right. He was doing a disservice to Orihime by playing both sides. But it was the only way he knew how to fix things for everyone involved.
Truth be told, he was going to have to a lot more dishonesty to work off before this festival was over. And if Rangiku even had an inkling about what he was planning, she'd kill him for sure.
On the other hand, having everyone pissed off and attacking him simultaneously really was the best way to show off their combined abilities to Orihime. He not only wanted her to see what they could do, but get an idea of what they wanted her to learn as well.
Out of all of them, Chad was the only one who tried to show a little restraint. The other three girls were merciless as they assaulted Ichigo together. With nowhere else to hide, the primed fighter was forced to keep moving in a tight circle, covering all angles at once to prevent being caught off guard.
Their movements played out like an intricate dance. And though it was hard to single out one fighter from the next, Orihime was left in awe trying to learn both the moves and the music.
Momo's kido attacks mesmerized her the most. Up until now, she'd had no idea that one could attack without using a weapon – let alone that energy was something to be picked up and thrown! She watched in wonder as the tiny fighter shouted out the name of different attacks, channeling energy directly from the ground, up through her body, and out through her hands.
As Momo aimed shot after shot at Ichigo, he parried them with his sword, sending them straight towards Nell in an attempt to knock her off her feet.
Nell, though, was a former Espada – meaning all his efforts were for naught. She was part of the training elite at her school – with completely different powers from the others. Not only could she produce kido attacks like Momo, but she could absorb them and send them back towards her opponent – making them even stronger than before. Orihime could only gasp as Ichigo's volleyed attacks were soaked up like a sponge and regenerated back towards his blade by way of Nell's open mouth.
Though Momo and Nell each had weapons, they remained largely ignored. Rangiku, however, had no trouble making use of hers. While Ichigo was preoccupied with the other two fighters, Orihime just barely made out the word "Haineko" before a whirlwind of dirt surrounded the samurai's somewhat surprised target.
Each grain of dirt cut into Ichigo's skin like thousands of tiny blades. But before they could do much damage, the determined fighter channeled a vast amount of spirit energy, drawing his own sword, and using it like a knife to cut through the wind, laying it to waste.
It took awhile for Orihime to catch on to what was happening, but it seemed to her that there was something strange about the way in which Ichigo was fighting. As metal clanked against metal, the spiritual pressures of each of Ichigo's opponents intensified sharply, while his never changed. It was like he wasn't even trying! Then…right at the point where it seemed he might be actually be annoyed enough to start fighting back for real… everyone stepped back and bowed, effectively ending the battle.
Clearly, the four of them could have gone at it all day. But with Orihime observing, it was best to focus all of their efforts onto her for the time being.
"There! You see?" Rangiku's voice rang out past the girl's racing thoughts, "First you'll be learning how to use kido to attack. Then we'll teach you how to channel those attacks using your Zanpakto. Most of us have swords, but since yours are those lovely barrettes, you'll have to figure out a way to talk with them that's specifically unique to you."
Orihime just barely comprehend what was being said. All she knew was that this busty young woman expected her to learn how to use kido by the end of the day. And from there, how to channel it…through…through…well…through whatever the heck it was she'd just said…
"Okay! Let's get started!" Ichigo commanded, snapping a stammering Orihime back to attention. She barely had time to blubber out "wait a minute!" before he positioned himself behind her and told her what he was about to do.
"We're going to work on your fighting stance first. So stand still, okay?"
Without any further explanation, her newly appointed teacher took his hands and put them around her waist, bringing her hips into full alignment with his. Instructing her to sink down, he took all her weight against him. Only when she was correctly positioned did he take her arms in his and bring them out to the correct angle.
Ichigo tried very hard to maintain proper distance, but Orihime still felt his energy like a gravitational force. The poor girl was forced to close her eyes just to concentrate. If she opened them, they both knew she'd be more concerned with Ichigo's guiding hand than she would about maintaining proper form. Immediately, Ichigo sensed this and pulled back, motioning for Momo to take over. They'd never get anywhere if she couldn't keep her feelings in check (to say nothing of his own).
The purple haired pugilist wasted no time in picking up where he had left off. She pushed herself right up against Orihime's backside and started helping her pull up all the spiritual energy she could muster. It took the better part of an hour, but Orihime finally started to feel small amounts of energy burning their way up through her feet and out through her chest.
By the end of the day, Ichigo would watch her master Hadou number 1 (pushing a target away with an energy blast) and Hadou number 4 (making a direct explosion). By the end of the week, he hoped to have Momo teach her Hadou 54 (incinerating a low level target with a single blast).
How she managed to learn kido so quickly was anybody's guess. But it was the fastest Ichigo had ever seen anybody pick it up without knowing anything about it. Not only that, but the young woman's energy and newfound confidence was so infectious, it made all her attacks that much stronger.
Though it certainly was an impressive feat for Orihime to master two types of attacks in one day, Ichigo knew that this was only the beginning for both of them. Using kido by itself was one thing, but to channel it through her Zanpakto was quite another. He was going to have to get down and dirty, pushing her past all tolerable limits if she was to have any hope of mastering it in time.
Turning his attention back to the others, he watched knowingly as Orihime shouted out Hadou 88, only for the attack to fizzle out. The poor girl was exhausted, and truth be told – so was he. After a few more minutes of watching her struggle, he finally gave the signal meaning practice was over.
As a group, they gathered around Orihime, congratulating her on a job well done. Ichigo, though maintained his distance – doing his best to look away as Rangiku's chest battled with Orihime's in the middle of a great big bear hug.
It's not like he was a pervert or anything, but he was still a guy after all. And after dating Rukia for so long, it was now fully ingrained in his nature to look away from any other woman's assets except hers.
Until now…
No wonder she hates Orihime so much…he pondered ruefully.
As the others offered to walk Orihime home, he quietly excused himself and went off on his own, wanting to be alone with his thoughts. Their goodbyes were brief and to the point, yet he was still keenly aware of the fact that his prized pupil walked away from him beaming ear to ear.
It was a look he would never forget as long as he lived.