I do NOT own Bleach

Izumi had her zanpukto hidden beneath her training kosodo as she made her way to Dojo 11. It was isolated and, going by the size of the structure, quite large. She was grateful that it was noon on a Saturday –most of the rest of the student body was either in bed or wandering down to breakfast in the great hall.

Etui-sensei was waiting for her inside.

"Welcome, Kihara," he said. "Now, before we begin, do you know anything about your zanpukto-spirit's nature?"

"He's a fire-based type," Izumi said, remembering how her inner world was made up entirely of flames and how she had accidently burnt her sister. "He likes fighting. In fact, it was when I was fighting him in my inner world that I came closest to hearing his name."

"Are you sure your zanpukto spirit is male?" Etui asjed, and Izumi nodded in response. "It's actually unusual for zanpukto and wielder to be of different genders (1), but that's not overally important.

"The other part of what you said is important. If he likes fighting, and you almost heard his name during an internal fight, then let's make that an external fight."

He drew his sword, effortlessly drawing his zanpukto's shikai. The blade whistled and the air suddenly felt heavy, as though it was made out of concrete, pressing down on Izumi.

She felt as though she was being suffocated even as she breathed; it felt as though there was a hand around her throat, squeezing tighter and tighter.

"What are you waiting for?" demanded a voice she knew all too well. She was back in her inner world, the flames starting to die as though her teacher's zanpukto was having a direct effect in here. The spirit of her zanpukto was crouching before her.

"Are you going to call for me, or do you want to die?" the spirit asked. The failing flames licked around her and, in that moment, Izumi at last heard the one word that she could never make out before.

Leaving her inner world, she felt as though she was no longer alone, that another power was sharing her body with her, guiding her.

Her spiritual energy rose, forcing the effects of the opposing zanpukto's shikai to disperse slightly.

Etui smiled to himself –here it comes.

"Blaze, Fenikagi (2)!" Izumi pretty much shouted.

Her dagger changed form; it was now a katana, red flames swirling around its length. It was very impressive, and Etui could sense the danger of a controlled fire oozing from it.

"Very good," he said, recalling his zanpukto to its sealed form. Izumi did the same. "I think that's enough for one lesson. Return to your daily activities and keep that zanpukto out of sight."

"Yes, sensei," Izumi said again, leaving the dojo.

Etui smiled to himself –there was a lot of potential in that girl. Give her a few more years here, and she would have matured into an ideal Lieutenant.

(1) The only Soul Reapers I can think of that share this trait are Urahara's Benehime and Kyoraku's Katen Kyokotsu

(2) 'Eternal Phoenix'