A/n) I'M BAAACCKKKK.
Sorry for the year long hiatus, but life's been busy. I just graduated and am heading off to Alberta to study medicine (you can start calling me Dr. Ninthpixel) Anyways, I recently started getting back into fan fiction, and l can't help to feel like my English has taken a hit from all the bio and Chem. Anyways, we'll see where this plot takes us.
P.S, I'm writing this on my Note 3 at 4am so I apologize ahead for any grammar errors.
Kazumagulped, Soi Fon, the commander of the Onmitsukido and Captain of the 2nd approached the mat with a very feral expression. Despite her small stature and lithe build, she radiated power. Every step she took was efficient, wasting no energy and producing no sound. Truly, this was the fabled strength of a Captain, the absolute pinnacle for what a Death God could achieve.
"Kitagawa, to the mat." Soi Fon commanded, "I will be your next opponent."
Audible gasps could be heard from the stands, as the Shinigami in training began to process exactly what was about to occur.
Kazuma was about to face a Captain.
Katsumi couldn't help but to feel a rising sense of trepidation. While they still did share a somewhat violent rivalry, over the past few months the two had grown significantly closer, up to the point where she would call Kazuma one of her best friends. While she knew he wouldn't be in any real danger, she knew that his pride would.
"This will be a battle of submission, only until one of you yields will this spar be over."
Without warning, Soi Fon struck first, releasing a barrage of Kicks, jabs, and punches. Kazuma's eyes widened as he struggled to block or evade what strikes he could. Every punch she threw, every step she took flowed like water but struck like lightning.
Soi Fon's eyes narrowed, he guarded but never retaliated. Even despite losing to his silver-haired classmate, his moves were swift and fierce, so much so that she didn't doubt he would best her oaf of a Vice-Captain. Now, however, the fear was evident and the Captain of the 2nd couldn't help but to feel disappointed.
The Sereitei would need new blood, as it has and will always require. Their current roster of Captains was amongst the most powerful in Soul Society history, perhaps being bested only by those who fought and died in the Quincy genocide. However that didn't mean that there wouldn't be new, stronger enemies and therefore more casualties. The talent that Kitagawa Kazuma had would go a long way should he survive his initial years of Shinigami service. She wouldn't be surprised if he too would be donning a white haori within the coming fifty years. Of course, none of this would happen if he couldn't overcome his fear.
And so she would remedy this hindrance.
Allowing some reiatsu to flow into her biceps, the Onmitsukido commander delivered a two handed strike to Kitagawa's midsection, pushing him back. She closed her eyes and willed an ocean of killing intent to wash over the dojo, but focused the brunt of it to her sparring partner.
Kazuma's eyes widened. Sweat began to fall from his brow as he felt an imaginative knife get shoved towards his throat. His muscles clenched and he felt his stomach churn.
And then she struck.
Kazuma narrowly avoided a strike to his throat but was unable to avoid the vicious round house kick that followed.
She was trying to kill him.
Soi Fon continued relentlessly, striking at his vital areas. He had the reiatsu, but little experience in using it. If he didn't extinguish his fear, she would extinguish his life.
She was going to kill him.
Katsumi was frozen. She wanted desperately to intervene, to tell the Sensei that this had gone too far and Kazuma's life was in real danger. But she couldn't. The killing intent that filled the room quite literally paralyzed her along with the rest of her class. She could do nothing but watch as her friend was continually pushed into the corner.
The black haired prodigy could do nothing but cover his vitals as The small taicho delivered, blow after blow. He was in over his head. He should have forfeited after she threw the first punch and would've gladly forfeited now. The only problem being that if he were to let down his defense for a second, his would be punch in.
He was scared, terrified even. He was amongst the most touted prodigies of the Academy. Never before had he felt so completely overwhelmed in an art he had previously almost completely dominated. The difference in ability between a Hakuda expert and master was evidently night and day.
'Block, dodge, block, block' Kazuma was backed into the very corner of the dojo's sparring matt. This was the end.
'Abandon your fear. Look forward, move forward. Retreat and you will age, hesitate and you will die.' Time seemed to slow as the teen in his dreams materialized next to Soi Fon's slowing form.
'You are one and the enemy is one. What is there to fear?
Many battles have we fought, many hardships have we overcome. This is your mantra and I am your soul.'
The zanpakuto stepped forward, closing the distance until he stood within arms length of the black haired prodigy.
'We live, we fight, we die, together.'
Soi Fon couldn't help but to gasp as her fist was caught, seemingly effortlessly.
Brown eyes glances up towards her,
with so much intensity she felt her cheeks flush.
"The real fight begins now."
Kazuma pulled the Shinigami taicho towards him then used his hip as a fulcrum to throw her right back.
Katsumi's eyes bulged as new her friend began a ferocious assault against his opponent, not giving her an inch to breathe. He was so different from how he had just been moments ago. In place of wide eyes and a frightened expression, a small smile and confident eyes adorned his face. She couldn't help but to smile too. He truly was an enigma, an academy student able to not only last more than a half second against a captain, but to push her into the defensive.
Soi Fon wasn't like her colleagues from the eleventh. Fighting wasn't something she thought should be treated as recreation, but was instead something inevitable and necessary. Even so her smile only continued to grow as this boy in front of her matched blow for blow against her.
Kazuma's had, for lack of a better word, a shit-eating grin. While a name still eluded him, he could now feel his partner situated at the forefront of his mind, fighting alongside him.
Maede Hara was no stranger to prodigies and geniuses. Ichimaru Gin, Shiba Kaien, and Hitsugaya Toushiro were all shinigami that she instructed in the noble art of Hakuda and each respectively carved a lasting legacy in Soul Society's history.
Kazuma Kitagawa, a peasant from the 78th district of Rukongai had just gone toe to toe with one of the greatest Hakuda users alive today.
Now admittedly, despite her theatrics with the Killing intent, she was not nearly going 'all out.'
However, it seemed that neither was Kitagawa.
When she taught prodigies in the past, she knew that, with some luck and hard work, high seated positions were well within reach. When she thought about Kitagawa on the other hand, all she could see was a Captain's haori.
She taught captains too of course. Each one of them except the older ones like Unohana and of course the Captain Commander and his pupils had once graced the halls of the Shinigami academy.
What separated Kazuma, from even them was that when she visualized his future as a captain, it wasn't just as a captain.
No, it was as the Captain-Commander.
Yamamoto-Soutaicho was old. The battle with Aizen seemed to only stress this fact. While he was still the most powerful Shinigami and had been for two millennium. His power was waning slowly but gradually enough so that in a century or two, his power would be eclipsed by one of his pupils.
Kitagawa, while raw, had strong convictions and the power to make them happen. His growth rate along with his natural talent as a Death God was second to none.
As she handed in his Hakuda mastery form to administration. She wished she could've taught him a while longer. Such interesting people come only once every few centuries. Despite this, she sincerely doubted that after yesterday she could teach him anything more. Add to the fact that he could probably take the entire advanced Hakuda class in a fight and still win? It was a moot point.
Word and rumor spread quickly as it did in any school. The news that the resident genius, Kitagawa Kazuma had successfully gone toe to toe with the Captain of the 2nd in Hakuda no less, spread like wildfire throughout the academy. Naturally, the black haired prodigy found himself as the center of the Academies adoration and attention.
"Tell me again why you're wearing a hood during lunch."
"So they don't find and touch me."
"People have touched you?"
"Please, more like groped." Katsumi said as she took a seat next to Kazuma. "Pretty boy here can't keep the girls off him."
Kazuma grumbled indignantly and spooned more rice into his mouth while simultaneously hiding an ever growing blush.
Ryoto gasped, "O my God, I understand now. Holy shit, you're gay aren't you?"
Kazuma choked on his rice while Katsumi laughed hysterically.
"Wh-what the hell! I don't swing that way!"
"Could've fooled me. The girls are literally throwing themselves at you and you run away like they have the plague. You're totally gay." Kazuma smiled lightly, "ya, I guess you're right."
Ryoto felt his cheeks burn as his friends hand slowly went up his thigh, "and I've been waiting to get you alone all. this. time." The Kasumioji noble sprinted away so quickly that it would put Yoruichi to shame.
Stifling his own laughter, Kazuma couldn't help but to admire his classmates beauty. Her silvery blonde hair flowed gracefully down to her neck and looked as if gold dust was sprinkled on to it giving it an almost ethereal quality. Her bangs partially covered two incredibly vivid teal eyes that still shone with tears of laughter. Her laugh itself sounded melodic. (A/N I know, I hate to interrupt the story but think of Saber from Fate/stay Night)
"I-it's not polite to stare." Katsumi's stuttered, her cheeks red.
Kazuma blinked before his cheeks also turned red.
"I think I'm gonna take a shower."
"Sooooo, I saw that Kazuma-kun was quite flustered running out of the cafeteria like that," Senna said settling next to Katsumi with a tray in hand. "Did anything juicy happen?"
"Nothing, nothing at all," Katsumi replied quickly, a little too quickly. Senna's smile widened.
"I won't deny it, Kitagawa is smoking hot. After everything that happened yesterday, I'd say he would be the number one bachelor at the academy."
"Are you interested?" She didn't like where this conversation was going.
"I'm thinking of asking him out soon." Senna replied. "You don't have any problems with that do you?"
Inwardly, Katsumi frowned, for whatever reason, she did have a problem, several in fact.
She sighed, "ugh, I can't believe I'm gonna say this, please don't ask him out." Senna's grin grew into a rather creepy smile.
"Oh? And why pray tell do you have a problem?"
Katsumi grimaced, "Just please, as one girl to another." Senna laughed, "So you do like him?"
The blonde was about to retort, but found that it died on her throat.
"I don't even know anymore."
Kitagawa Kazuma sat alone in the Academy sauna and allowed his mind to wander. It had been only six years since he arrived in the Soul Society. Many souls spent many hours pondering their previous lives and the young prodigy was no exception. He had absolutely no recollection of who he was prior to dying. He couldn't even remember the act of forgetting his former life.
Was I the same as I am was now? What kind of friends did I have? What was my family like? Did I have a girlfriend? Was I married?
Each question he asked himself he felt himself referring to his previous self as 'he' rather than 'I.'
In many ways, we all are but a product of our experiences. Of course, the soul did exist, but it was kind of like a blank canvas for fate to write on. While no two canvases were the same and some were truly blacker than others, the fact remained that it could be torn, cleansed or burned by whatever the soul in question had gone through.
Death was bleach, it cleaned away what came before. Some stains were more resilient and others didn't wash out at all.
Kazuma did feel very dirty.
From the moment he arrived, the Shinigami in training always felt hollow. More often than not, he'd randomly feel betrayed or abandoned. He'd feel forgotten. He'd feel depressed.
It made him think exactly what kind of holes existed in his canvas.
A/n - a new chapter is already in the works so stay tuned.
Hope yall enjoyed pls comment.