6: Zanpakuto
"Good morning, Kuchiki-san," Sousuke greeted Sakura kindly at the door, a genial smile decorating his features.
"Good morning, Sensei," she responded, entering the training facility and closing the door behind her. Her zanpakuto, Kiriaiseika, dangled from her left hip, and the extra weight of it was strange and uncomfortable.
"How are you doing today?" The chestnut-haired lieutenant queried as he readied a few wooden practice zanpakutos in the corner.
Sakura shrugged. "I'm fine, thanks. You?"
"I'm doing quite well, thank you." He turned back toward the noble girl and handed her a wooden sword. "Here you go. We won't be sparring with our real zanpakutos just yet." That said, Sousuke unbuckled Kyouka Suigetsu from his waist and set it down on a nearby rack. Sakura copied him, fumbling with Kiriaiseika's sheath before she managed to set it down next to the other zanpakuto. She snuck a good look at Kyouka Suigetsu quickly, noting the green hilt and hexagonal tsuba. It really was a beautiful zanpakuto and Sakura found herself wondering what kind of powers it possessed, momentarily forgetting where she was and what she was supposed to be doing. Her unfocused gaze did not go unnoticed by Sousuke, who asked, "Are you all right, Kuchiki-san?"
Sakura shook herself out of her daze, embarrassed. "Oh! Yeah, I'm fine. Sorry, Aizen-sensei." She noticed the wooden practice sword she was holding, a confused expression marring her face. "Um… what was I supposed to be doing again?"
The lieutenant smiled. "We were about to spar. I wanted to test out your abilities before I began training you, just to see where you're at. Is that all right?"
"Oh… of course. Yeah. Let's do that, then." Sakura raised the wooden zanpakuto slowly, the long piece of wood feeling awkward in her hand. She had heard some warriors talk about how their zanpakutos felt like extensions of their own arms, and she sometimes wondered if that meant she wasn't a true warrior. She had never felt that way about her sword in her life; her zanpakuto felt like something that had been glued to the end of her arm and expected to function. Surely Sousuke never felt like that? Sakura focused her attention back on the lieutenant standing in front of her, his own wooden sword raised in preparation. "Sensei?"
He lowered the sword, tilting his head slightly in curiosity. "Yes?"
"Do you have to know Zanjutsu to be a good warrior?"
The chestnut-haired lieutenant looked taken aback; obviously, he hadn't been expecting this question. "Of course not. I've never once seen Shihoin-taichou use a zanpakuto, but she is still formidable in her own right. Zanjutsu is just another art of battle that a Shinigami should know. And every Shinigami should at least be able to communicate with their zanpakuto." He smiled at her. "Are you asking because Zanjutsu is not your preferred form of combat?"
Sakura nodded, lowering her own sword as well. "Yeah. It feels awkward to have something in my hand when I fight. I like Hakuda and Hohou better. Kido too." She hesitated for a moment, then said, "I haven't even achieved Shikai yet, if you want to know the truth."
Sousuke smiled warmly. "Well then, we'll have to work on that, won't we?"