Torin was led into the basement of a strange candy shop "This is!" He gasped "it's just like the place back where I became a captain!"
Rida and Aurora walked up. "Awesome right?" Rida asked
Aurora ran up and threw herself at Torin, hugging him tightly. "I missed you" she said, placing her head on his chest
"Wha...?" Torin said "I saw you this morning, why the strong reaction? "
"She hasn't seen you in half a year, be more considerate" Rida scolded
"Whaaaat?" Torin asked, now thoroughly confused "wait a sec, are you taller Rida?"
Rida smiled "so you noticed huh? Half a year of training will do that to you "
"ALRIGHT!" Torin snapped "someone tell me why everyone I've met today has been completely insane!"
"It's my invention" Urahara said "it really has been 6 months since they've seen you"
"Eh?" Torin asked, going back to being confused
"In this room, while the device is active, time slows to a crawl." Urahara explained "or to be more accurate, it's compressed"
Urahara pulled out a diagram to visually display the concept. It consisted of two lines, with a box around the center of each. The second line was all scrunched up inside the box.
"Normally, time has a fixed size, taking up a certain amount of the space time continuum" Urahara explained, pointing to the first line.
Pointing to the second line, Urahara continued. "Here, I 'shrink' time, fitting more of it into a space. The result is such that while a single day passes outside this room, a year passes in here." He said
"So while I was outside for half a day, they were in here for half a year" Torin said, realizing what was going on "and that means I'll be training in here for 5 years, but as you said only 5 days will pass"
Urahara smiled "You catch on fast, Aurora and Rida will be training as well. They don't have the raw talent to become captains in a few days of extreme training, like you did. But when I'm done with them they'll be beyond the level you're at now, and you'll be in another league altogether" he said
Torin thought back to the patched man, and how that fight had gone. "When do we start?" He asked
Urahara smiled "immediately"
Rida and Aurora went to separate pars of the large underground training room to train, leaving Torin and Urahara alone.
"So what is it you plan to teach me?" Torin asked
Urahara held up three fingers "first I intend to hone your skills. Your technique is excellent, but far from perfect, your apparent superiority in speed comes primarily from the effects of your bankai, and all of your other skills are lacking"
"Second, you need experience, you've fought many battles against foes weaker than yourself, but none where you were truly outmatched, until recently that is..." Urahara said "so to cover these two things, I'm going to fight you and give you that combat experience, as well as force you to master your skills, for three years"
Torin nodded, it was the same basic method that had brought him to captain level in the first place, it was simple, but effective. "What about the other 2 years?" He asked
"In those years, if I deem you ready, I will teach you a series of techniques, eventually leading you to the strongest technique you can learn" Urahara answered "there is also... One other thing we will address, but we will cross that bridge when we come to it."
Torin didn't like the way Urahara talked about the 'other thing' at all, but the training plan was good enough.
"What about Rida and Aurora?" Torin asked "if you're fighting me, who will train them?"
"Aurora is being taught kido by my associate, Tessai, as well as learning to use her zanpakto, depending on how she does with that we may teach her bankai as well" Urahara replied "Rida will be working on his Hakuda with another associate of mine, as well as training for his bankai"
Torin nodded "alright then, what do I do now then?"
Urahara smiled "survive for as long as you can" he said from behind Torin.
Torin dove forward, rolling away as a sword sliced the air where he had been standing before. He reached for his sword, but was forced to dodge a falling thrust from above, which Urahara used to make his sword the axis of a spin and a kick, nailing him in the chest and sending him flying.
Torin recovered in the air and tried to draw his weapon again, but Urahara wouldn't let up
Exactly one minute after beginning, Torin found Urahara's sword at his throat, his own zanpakto still sheathed.
Urahara sighed as he backed away "we have a long way to go" he said "round two"
Torin reacted immediately, drawing his sword and slashing, but only hitting air.
"Your draw slash has power, but it's predictable, and it leaves you open" Urahara scolded, slashing Torin's shoulder to prove the point.
Three rounds later, Torin's survival time had risen by 10 seconds, and he was about as many seconds away from death
Urahara tossed Torin into a hot spring. "That water will heal and rejuvenate you, we begun again as soon as it's done. You are nowhere near the level you need" he said
-one week later-
Torin ducked a slash and countered, then continued his slash to party Urahara's strike from behind, pushing the man back. Torin went on the offensive with a jumping slash, followed by rolling sideways to dodge a counter, only to take a sokatsui to the face.
"Two minutes" Urahara said "twice as long as when you started, good work"
Torin responded by rolling into the healing spring.
"Ichigo trained like this for 10 days, and rose to a 3rd seat level from scratch, your improvement rate can't compare to that, but in 3 years of training..." Urahara mused
Torin climbed out of the water "next round" he grunted "I still got fight left in me today"
"So serious" Urahara said "relax, we have time"
Torin responded with a shunpo and a slash "and we're wasting it" he replied
Urahara sighed as he blocked "I need to teach you to loosen up too, fine, lets continue"
-2 years later-
Torin had been completely transformed over the past years. 2 years of constant combat with an opponent like Urahara had brought him to a level infinitely beyond where he had been before. His body had grown taller and bulked up a bit, making him look about 21 years old, and in superb physical condition.
Torin's hair now hung down past his shoulders, since he hadn't bothered cutting it while training. He wore a brand new uniform and haori, his old ones having been reduced to tatters ages ago. He was definitely not the kid he used to be in any way shape or form.
"Urahara-sensei" Torin said "shall we begin?"
Urahara shook his head "it is time to do training of a different sort"
Torin raised an eyebrow in surprise, having grown accustomed to fighting from dawn to dusk on a daily basis.
"Do you remember your fight with the shapeshifting arrancar from your past?" Urahara asked
Torin nodded "of course" he replied, not bothering to ask how Urahara knew about that, he'd had two years to get used to the fact that Urahara tended to be involved in or know about pretty much everything of import.
"You remember eating a bit of his flesh right?" Urahara asked
Torin nodded again "yeah, but whats that got to do with…"
"I've been watching your reiatsu carefully" Urahara interrupted "it appears the flesh you ate, however small in quantity, infected your reiatsu with hollow reiatsu. It was very slight, but that infection has grown into its own entity, an inner hollow"
Torin paled "what!?" he exclaimed "I have a hollow inside of me!?"
"Sort of, it's actually a part of you, as much as Kessho Satsujinsha is" Urahara said "they both reside in and are part of your inner world" Urahara said "the hollow just isn't as friendly"
Torin shook his head "so what does this mean for me? Is it gonna take over? Or am I just gonna start shooting cero?"
Urahara smile grimly "Depends on how this next training goes, I've called in an associate of mine who has… a similar problem, he will explain the details and oversee your training for the next year alongside myself"
"Long time no see Urahara-taicho" a male voice said.
The owner of the voice appeared beside Urahara. It was an average height man with jaw-length blonde hair in a straight cut. He was wearing a gray long-coat, shirt and tie, and a newsboy cap. His zanpakto was in his hand, held loosely at his side.
"So you're one of us now, eh Captain Inzanki?" the man said with a smile "name's Shinji Hirako, pleasure to meetcha"