CHAPTER 7

A/N: This chapter and the next one are shorter because of the break in subject matter. I didn't feel right putting a serious segment AND a romantic one in the same chapter.

Yoda gestured for the quartet to sit on the ground before him, but when Ichigo went to sit down the elderly spirit spoke: "Not you, you shall be first." Yoda pointed at Ichigo.

"A handstand, you can do one...yes?" Yoda asked seemingly out of the blue. The group looked at Yoda like he was senile, which didn't escape the old master's notice. "Train Luke this way, I did...obvious the results are. Trust me you all must."

"A… handstand? You're joking right?" Ichigo asked. Rukia frowned at him, "Do what he says! or are you going to question him like you did when Urahara pushed you into the Shattered Shaft!"

"Gghh-Don't remind me of that pervert!" Ichigo snapped. Olivia sighed and sarcastically said "Ah, young love!" which made them bothe turn beet red and shut their mouths before the argument could continue. Ichigo walked over to the middle of the grassy area and did the required task with little effort at first.

Yoda hopped onto Ichigo's foot as he did the hand stand, nearly causing the boy to lose his balance.

"Remain calm and focused, shut out distraction you must...even under pressure. This exercise, meant to teach you this it is." Yoda pointed to some of the boxes the younglings had been seen lifting earlier.

"Clear your mind, and lift those using the force." Yoda instructed.

"I'm TRYING!" Ichigo said loudly as though under a lot of stress.

"No! Try not. Do. Or do not, but there is no try." Yoda said from atop Ichigo's foot.

The Soul Reaper's were taken aback slightly by this statement. Rukia asked, "But wouldn't that mean everything is predestined to happen a certain way no matter the intentions of the people involved?"

Olivia laughed slightly. "I am not going to pretend I understand that phrase, but it is common knowledge around here."

"You don't say?" Rangiku muttered.

Toshiro merely sighed as Ichigo fell over from too much weight to one side. "Ichigo, If you do not listen to your instructor then you will never be able to do something in harmony with your Zanpakuto, much less the Force. Concentrate on the boxes and your blade in harmony and you will achieve Master Yoda's lesson." Toshiro said calmly as the boxes lifted themselves under the silver haired student's power, while an icy aura surrounded him. "See? Now do you understand?"

Ichigo's mouth fell open, along with most everyone else's.. "But Taicho… how-" Rangiku asked dumbfounded.

"I don't need to sit here and take this! Alright you little hermit. I'll Do it this time! I swear it!" Ichigo said determined.

Yoda looked at the boxes as they began to slowly lift off the ground. "Good, good! Keep concentrating!" As Ichigo concentrated, the boxes practically shot off the ground and collided with a tree. Yoda's eyes practically bugged out of his head...and for once the small green hermit was speechless. Yoda hopped off of Ichigo's foot, "Relax, you may."

Obi-Wan materialized, he seemed to be flustered. "What was that!? I sensed an extremely high level of force energy just now!"

Yoda looked between Ichigo and the boxes laying under the tree with a thoughtful expression on his face. "More potential than we first thought, he has."

Obi-Wan looked between Ichigo and Yoda back and forth, "What does this mean, Master Yoda?"

Yoda turned around to face Ichigo. "Nothing to worry about in terms of having the required skills for this training, quite clear that is. But Ichigo, restraint you must practice. Too much power, you put into that."

Yoda pointed at Rukia, "Your turn, it is."

Rukia fared better than Ichigo in terms of progress, and was able to slightly spin the crates, but not in terms of power, as she only succeeded in doing so for a small amount of time. "It's amazing what we can do with the Force, and I'm not even dehydrated!" she said as she bowed and thanked Yoda for his wisdom.