Disclaimer: I do not own bleach
Thankyou for all the lovely reviews, they really make me smile. I hope you like this chapter. ;)
Entry Test
It was the day of the entry test. Ichigo looked down at him traditional Japanese breakfast and his stomach churned. He didn't know why he was so nervous. Maybe it was the fact that his identity could be revealed. What if he didn't get in? What if he made a fool out of himself?
Kukaku would kill me. Ichigo took a bit out of his rice and chewed slowly.
"Today's the big day, Ichigo! Excited?" Ganju shouted as he came into the room, he slapped Ichigo on the back in greeting. Ichigo jerked forwards and turned to glare at his older brother.
"Was that really necessary?" He asked as he moped up the miso soup that had fallen over. "Jeez, I'm already nervous enough I don't need you shouting down my ear." He took another bite of rice and pushed his meal away from him. "I can't eat anymore."
"Yes you can." Kukaku announced as she walked into the room. She sat down next to Ichigo and grabbed his face with one hand and the chopsticks with another before she started to shovel food into his mouth. "You need lots of stamina for today. If you pass out because you've not had a sufficient breakfast I'm going to kill you." She threatened.
1 hour later~
Ichigo adjusted the white shikakusho. It was a little too similar to the one that Rukia wore for her almost execution for his likings but apparently this is what all students wore before they were accepted.
"You look fine, would you stop fussing." Kukaku sighed. She had insisted on joining him to walk him to the school grounds. Ichigo was happy for the company but luckily for him Ganju had things to do and wouldn't be able to make it.
"Sorry, sis." Ichigo smiled. Kukaku ruffled his still brown hair.
"You'll be fine. I wouldn't have signed you up otherwise."
Ichigo nodded, his heart skipping a beat as they entered through the school gates. Others were milling around in small groups of white clad students or with family members. Kukaku steered Ichigo to a table at the front of the large sand coloured school building. Students were coming and going from the table. A soul reaper sat behind it with a bored look on his face. It wasn't anyone that Ichigo recognised. Kukaku slapped him on the shoulder and sent him forwards.
The soul reaper looked up, itching with nose. "Name." he said with a yawn.
"Ichirou Kaien." Ichigo replied, the man's widened slightly before he ticked a sheet.
"Your appointment is in ten minutes, don't miss it. There are no second chances." The man said and pointed to the san coloured building behind him. "First door on the left. Good luck."
"Ah, Thank you." Ichigo said before returning to Kukaku. "It's in ten minutes." He told her nervously.
"You better get going then! Good luck, Ichirou." She winked before walking off, giving Ichigo a backwards wave whilst she disappeared the way that they had come and Ichigo was left alone.
Ichigo took a deep breath and made his way to the testing area. He had no idea what to expect.
There stood another soul reaper at the door, a clipboard in her hands She looked up when Ichigo walked towards her. She smiled happily. "Name?" She asked.
"Ichirou Shiba." Ichigo replied.
The female soul reaper kept a constant smile on her cheery face. "Fantastic, Your test is in a couple of minute. Please take a seat on the left." She motioned him inside. "Good luck, Ichirou Shiba!" She waved.
Ichigo blinked as he walked inside. She was far happier than the first soul reaper that had signed him in. He looked around inside. It was a small waiting room with a large door on the right. As instructed Ichigo took a seat on the left and waiting. There were eight other applicants in the room, looking nervous and jittery. Ichigo sat next to a blonde boy who was counting on his fingers. The blonde looked up with wide green eyes as Ichigo sat.
"Hello, I'm Ichirou Shiba. Nice to meet you." Ichigo greeted and extended his hand.
The boy, who looked to be around eighteen, took Ichigo's hand firmly and shook it. " Yukimura Mai." He introduced. "I heard someone from the Shiba clan was applying."
"That'd be me." Ichigo replied with an easy going smile.
Yukimura smiled back. "You're probably going to do really well. I bet they'll put you in the higher classes. I'm not even sure I'll pass." He said nervously.
"Just try your best, that way even if you don't pass you'll have no regrets."
Yukimura smiled. "Yeah." He said in a more confident voice. "It doesn't matter if I pass or fail. All that matters is that I try my best with no regrets."
In that moment the large doors to the right swung open to reveal a dark haired soul reaper with a bandage over his nose and a 69 on the side of his face. Ichigo's eyes widened.
"Okay! Next group come on in." Hisagi called.
Ichigo and Yukimura stood, walking forwards together. Hisagi waited at the door for the rest to walk in, Ichigo walking straight by him. Ichigo's heart was thumping in his chest. This was it. He was going to be discovered. But it didn't come. He walked straight into the room without a second look from Hisagi.
"Line up against the wall, feet shoulder width apart." He ordered. Ichigo did as he was told and looked around the room. It was huge, probably twice the size of the training room at home. Ten targets stood in front of them. "Only nine of you have managed to turn up." Hisagi stated. He pulled out a metal device no bigger than a mobile phone. "This will measure your reiatsu. Don't worry if you have a low reiatsu, that's what the academy is for. As you can see there are ten targets in front of you. Ignore them, You won't be using those till later." Hisagi said this as he walked down the line, giving the metal device to each applicant in turn till he got to Ichigo himself.
Ichigo took the device, a small electric current going through his fingers. He jumped in slight surprise as the device started to beep. It hadn't done that with anyone else. Hisagi sighed and took the device back. "Err, is it supposed to do that?" Ichigo asked.
"Sometimes." Hisagi replied and held the device to show Ichigo. After a second or two the device beeped. "It only beeps for those who have high reiatsu. I assume you're the applicant from the Shiba clan." Hisagi stated.
"That's correct."
Hisagi nodded. "No doubt you've been training. You wouldn't be here if you weren't going to pass. I'm looking forwards to it."
Ichigo nodded and Hisagi moved on.
Ten minutes later and everyone had been checked. Ichigo wondered why the second seat was in here working for the academy but by the look on Hisagi's face he assumed it was some sort of punishment.
"In the next room, you'll be showing your sword skills." Hisagi announced and led them through to another room. Six soul reapers sat kneeling in a line. A large mat infront of them. They were directed to sit opposite, third in line. Yukimura sat beside him.
"Your reiatsu must be amazing! It didn't beep for anyone else in the room." He said in awe. Ichigo shrugged.
Hisagi walked in front of them, a sealed sword in his hand, one that Ichigo did not recognise. "This is an ordinary sword, I assume none of you here have a zanpakuto yet. You'll demonstrate your skill with a sword similar to this." Hisagi explained before he called the first person forwards.
A tall girl step forwards, Hisagi handed her a sword, she thanked him and stood opposite a small male soul reaper. They bowed and begun to fight. The girl was quite quick on her feet for her height, she dodged the first attack and defended the second but it was obvious that she didn't have much experience with a sword. In less than a minute she was knocked to the floor. Her opponent helped her back to her feet, they bowed.
"Good effort. Please take your seat."
The next person went up, lasting only a few seconds more than the first. Next it was Ichigo's turn. He stood when called, walking over to Hisagi to take his sword. If felt foreign in his hand, too light and a little off balanced. "Problem?" Hisagi asked.
"Ah, no. I'm just used to sparing with a heavier sword." Ichigo answered.
"That's a beginners sword. Here." Hisagi took the sword that Ichigo was holding and replaced it with another. "Any better."
This sword was heavier and felt more real in his hands. "much."
Ichigo stood on the mat and awaited his opponent. When none of the soul reapers sitting on the side stepped forwards, Ichigo looked confused.
Hisagi instead stood opposite him. " You have the reiatsu of a seated officer. The soul reapers here are ordinary squad members. So you'll be fighting me. This is a test afterall." He smiled.
Ichigo bit the inside of his lip. He would have to be careful to not be discovered as he had fought Hisagi before, his moves might be discovered.
"Bow." They bowed. "Start."
Hisagi and Ichigo faced each other, neither of them moving an inch. Ichigo swayed to the left slightly, his grip on the blade tight. Hisagi moved with him then quickly made his move. Ichigo's eyes widened, he forgot how fast the other soul reapers moved. Ichigo spun and raised his blade just in time to defend the attack from the back. The sound of steel scrapping was loud in the room. Ichigo jumped back and attacked straight away. He saw Hisagi's eyes widen but the soul reaper was experienced, their blades hit again, feet sliding forwards so that there was less than 20m centimetres between them.
"I'm impressed." Hisagi said.
"Thanks." Ichigo replied as he applied a bit more pressure. His reiatsu fluctuated. He still wasn't up to his old level and keeping up with Hisagi was taking its toll on him. Ichigo breathed heavily as their swords clashed again, this time Ichigo was sent backwards slightly but he righted himself and came right back.
It felt as if minutes had passed but in reality it had only been a few seconds. The two of them were moving so fast that the battle was over quickly. At a particularly hard swing, Ichigo was caught unaware. He was sent backwards.
Hisagi had won but like Ichigo, the vice-captain was breathing hard. He offered a hand to help Ichigo back up with a smile on his face.
"Well done. I haven't fought like that for a while."
"Me neither. Ganju isn't the best sparring partner." Ichigo joked. Hisagi clapped him on the back and sent him back to his seat. Yukimura gaped.
"You were so fast! That was like a real fight. You're really strong." He said before being called up himself.
Ichigo wiped the sweat off his face and watched his new friend take the floor. Yukimura bowed and took a fighting position. Ichigo saw his green eyes change to a more serious gaze. The soul reaper struck, hard and fast. Surprisingly Yukimura held him off, using the reaper strength to his advantage as he turned the blade at just the fight angle. The sword was sent flying from the soul reapers hold. Yukimura had disarmed him in one strike. Yukimura was asked to sit down again.
Ichigo raised an eyebrow, " I don't think you have anything to worry about, really."
The day went on, going from room to room. There was a written test on Kido as well as a practical. Ichigo also had to do a history test. Which luckily he had been tested on by Kukaku, otherwise he would have been in trouble. Naming the thirteen captains and their vice-captains was easily done as Ichigo had met them all and fought by their sides. He was finished with that test quiet quickly.
It was the end of the day. Ichigo and Yukimura were sitting in another waiting room. Hisagi walked in with a clipboard and a package in his other hand. Yukimura nudged Ichigo. "That's the uniform in that package. I wonder who got through. There doesn't look like enough for all of us."
Yukimura was right, Ichigo estimated four uniforms in that package. "Okay, you've all done well today. Sadly we can't admit everybody." He dropped the clipboard and took out a red and white uniform and three blue and white ones. " Kai Ayame, Yukimura Mai, Ichirou Shiba and Arisa Taro. Congratulations, we'll be seeing you at the start of term. For those of you who didn't succeed this time there is always next year." Ichigo was handed a pack with blue trousers. He smiled happily.
Yukimura jumped in glee as he was handed his package. "We passed, Ichirou!" he shouted, jittering over to Ichigo and giving the surprised fake brunette a hug. Ichigo patted him on the back.
Kukaku was going to be ecstatic.