In this chapter, Ichigo begins his actual training as a Soul Reaper for the first time! And is that the beginning of a relationship between him and the Captain of Squad Two? Only time will tell.
I had so much fun writing this chapter, and i would like you all to point out if i got some things wrong, especially about Central 46. I hope you enjoy it!
Chapter 7: Training Day
The next day, for quite the refreshing change, Soi-Fon didn't have to wait very long for her new Lieutenant unlike Omaeda who, in spite of his loyalty, constantly got on her nerves due to his lazyness and messy eating habits, not to mention that whenever she called him, he would almost always show up a good ten or more minutes late, sometimes even an hour late.
The Captain of Squad Two had instructed Ichigo to meet her at the massive training field of the Squad to begin his training as an actual Soul Reaper for the first time as soon as he would wake up and have breakfast at the Squad's Mess Hall. Many other members of the Executive Militia were standing in the field, arranged in many columns, all of them undergoing their morning training drills and going through many stances of Hakuda with a shout each time they changed from one to another. She didn't have to stand still before her men for long, overlooking their drills with her arms folded over her chest, this time with her Zampakuto Suzumebachi sheated behind her lower back, hanging by a rope. As soon as she heard the steps of the former Substitute Soul Reaper behind her followed by him greeting "Captain Soi-Fon." she greeted back with her usual calm and emotionless voice "Mmph. Not one to be late, i see.." without even turning around, having already sensed his spiritual pressure before she even heard his steps.
"Yeah, i always tried to be as punctual as possible for school, not just out of respect for the teachers but because i didn't want people to think of me as anything but a slacker." stated Ichigo proudly, charming Soi-Fon more and once again proving that he was much more humble than what she had been told, qualities that Omaeda lacked. Nonetheless, as she turned towards him, with a slight smile, she spoke "A humble one, i see. Perhaps, the Head Captain was right to assign you here after all." before her smile gave away to her trademark emotionless look "But enough about that. Before we begin your training, i first need to know what the full extent of your abilities as a Soul Reaper are. As you may have already heard from the Head Captain, there are four basic fighting styles of us Soul Reapers. First and foremost, there's Zanjutsu, the Art of the Sword. It is our most basic and essential fighting style, to the point it is considered shameful for any Soul Reaper to not be able to be at least proficient in it. Then there's Hakuda, the Art of Hand-to-Hand Combat of which we of Squad Two are the foremost practitioners, along with Hoho, a defensive style that incorporates speed and agility which finds its greatest expression in the Flash-Step, a movement technique that allows the user to move faster than the eye can follow. And finally, there's Kido, the art of being able to manipulate your Spirit Energy in order to cast it in the form of advanced spells. Now, how much skilled are you in those styles exactly?"
Ichigo listened with a look of calm and understanding as Soi-Fon explained how the four main fighting styles of the Soul Reapers worked, while the other Squad members in front of them, began to spar with one another in Hakuda. He then replied "Well, you've seen how good i am with Zangetsu, although i mostly developed my skill by fighting battle after battle rather than with formal instruction. Yoruichi did teach me the Flash-Step when she helped me attain Bankai but i know nothing about Kido. And as for hand-to-hand combat, i trained in Karate when i was younger and i got into fights all the time at school, so trust me when i say that i can hold my own even with my fists alone." surprising the Captain of Squad Two slightly. She knew from the records of his battles that his swordsmanship was nothing to scoff at, even if it still could have used some refinement. But she didn't know that he could hold his own even without his sword, having dismissed how he easily defeated her own Lieutenant along with two more with just his bare hands at Sokyoku Hill simply because he was stronger than all three of them.
Having understood, Soi-Fon replied, still with her stoic but intense expression "I see. But whatever the case may be, you will be trained in everything. It doesn't matter how good you think you are, there will always be someone better than you. Never forget that." Ichigo simply nodded before his Captain began to walk away from him, distancing herself from him by a good fifteen meters while she stated "But at least we now know the exact extent of what you're capable of."
Ichigo then tensed up as Soi-Fon promptly turned towards him and rounded her grey eyes towards his brown ones "And since you claim to be more than capable of holding your own even without your Zampakuto, let's see just how good your hand-to-hand combat skills actually are." and from those words, the strawberry knew already what she meant. Therefore, he took a stance that Soi-Fon found a bit amateurish and she thought to herself in skepticism "Karate is by no means a match for Hakuda. This won't take long."
The beautiful raven haired woman then spread her feet apart and straightened her stance before commanding "DEFEND YOURSELF!" earning the attention of all the other sparring squad members, who stopped fighting, as she lunged towards him at lighting fast speeds.
(OST: "BL_86")
Like a whip, Soi-Fon's arm shot forward, aiming to punch Ichigo square in the face and take him down with the first blow. Despite not using the full extent of her speed, the raven haired woman didn't think Ichigo would have been able to match her in this state.
To her shock, Ichigo ducked at the last second, mere moments before the fist could even graze his face, and slammed his left elbow in the Captain's midsection. Ignoring the pain, Soi-Fon spun around and kicked Ichigo in his side, making him skid several feet backwards. Both of them doubled over slightly from the hits they had received. All the other Squad Members could only look upon in awe, not believing that Ichigo had actually managed to hit their Captain, something not a single one of them had ever managed to do.
Despite having only lasted barely a few seconds, the exchange had left quite the profound impression on the two Soul Reapers. As she clutched her adomen with her left hand, Soi-Fon simply stood frozen in place with a look of pure disbelief plastered all over her face, beyond astonished by what happened "I can't believe it…. He managed to hit me with his first blow…."
Likewise, Ichigo, who genuenely had to use all of his strength to not fall on one knee due to how powerful that kick had been, was also left utterly speechless "I barely dodged her punch….It was so fast…." then, after noticing the look of pure incredulity on the beautiful Captain's face, he smiled, got back in his stance and stated "Did you like that, Captain? Perhaps i won't be so dissappointing as you thought!"
Soi-Fon did not reply. Instead an excited grin made its way on her lips at the prospect of having finally found someone who could actually give her a run for her money in hand-to-hand combat. She then dissappeared in a burst of flash-step and reappeared right above Ichigo before spinning around and kicking him in the face. Ichigo once again managed to block the attack only at the last second by raising his forearm in front of his face but the force of the kick still caused him to stagger backwards while Soi-Fon used his forearm as leverage to jump backwards with a graceful backflip that allowed her to land on the ground behind and use it as leverage to launch herself towards Ichigo once more.
This time the strawberry found himself assaulted by an endless lighting-fast barrage of punches and kicks which he only barely managed to block and counter with his own attacks. The other Squad Members watched in even more amasement as the two traded blows at amazing speeds, seemingly evenly matched.
"I can't believe it…. He's just as fast as our Captain!" remarked one of the many Squad Members, a woman whose long brown hair wasn't fully contained by her hood and mask, in awe.
"And he sure knows how to throw his weight around!" added another one, a man with short black hair, just as impressed.
Finding himself pushed back by the beautiful woman's endless and unreleting barrage of punches and spinning kicks, Ichigo remarked to himself in astonishment " Incredible…. She's so fast and yet she packs so much force despite being only slightly taller than Rukia! She might be even faster than Byakuya!" yes, he was that blown away by her speed and this was saying a lot, given that he had faced many opponents who were known for being quite fast.
Likewise, Soi-Fon was very pleasantly surprised and delighted to find out just how good his hand-to-hand combat skills were. Not only that, but he also knew how to take a blow or two. As he continuously matched his blows with her own, she remarked to herself "I didn't think he was this good. His reflexes in particular are very sharp. I guess i shoudn't surprised given that Lady Yoruichi trained him herself. But still….His fighting style could be refined even more…." she hadn't felt this excited and alive in a long time. To meet someone who could give her a tough time in hand-to-hand combat after so much time…. Besides her dear Yoruichi….
After a while, her speed seemed to decrease, so Ichigo seized the opportunity to intercept another fist aimed at his face with his left hand. Pushing the arm away, he thought to himself "Here's my chance!"
But it was all a ruse on Soi-Fon's part. As soon as Ichigo threw his left fist towards her, she simply side-stepped it with a smirk before capturing the strawberry's arm in a lock with both of her arms. Lowering his arm down, she pulled him closer and, with another smile, she complimented "You fight well, Kurosaki. It's been a while since i've fought someone who can actually test my skills."
Ignoring the fact that he was completely immobilised, Ichigo returned the smile and replied "I'm glad to hear that, Captain." then without any warning, he attempted to swipe Soi-Fon's legs with his right one, but with a grin, the Captain jumped and after placing her feet on his leg, she used it to reach out for his left shoulder, grabbing it and using it as a leverage to perform a mesmerizing front flip jump which allowed her to land right behind Ichigo, who could look upon in awe, entranced by the grace of the beautiful woman's acrobatic movements. He was soon pulled out of his trance by the sharp pain of Soi-Fon slamming her elbow straight into his back which sent him flying forwards.
But as the Captain reappeared in front of him, preparing to strike him down, Ichigo suddenly dissappeared in a burst of Flash-Step and reappeared behind her. Believing to have caught Soi-Fon off guard, he declared "I've got you now!" as he threw his left right fist forward, believing that this time, he would have hit her square in the face.
To his shock, in less than a second, the Captain spun around, bore her grey eyes right into Ichigo's own as she bent backwards, causing his fist to move past her. With a smile she swiftly grabbed his wrist with her left hand and wrapped her other arm around Ichigo's own. He grunted in pain as he fell on the ground hard, with the Captain on top of him, holding his arm still in an armlock, threatening to dislocate it. She then placed her left knee on his neck, thus immobilising him and decisively defeating him.
(Soundtrack Ends)
Ichigo breathed heavily, not believing just how utterly he had been defeated. This Soi-Fon…. Her hand-to-hand combat skills were something else, greater than everyone he had ever faced before. Not even Tatsuki had ever managed to defeat him so effortlessly. And yet for a while he actually managed to hold his own against her. He had never felt such a rush of adrenaline and excitement when sparring with someone. It must have been due to her incredible speed which caused him to sharpen all of his senses as much as he could.
"Well done, Kurosaki. Your fighting style could still use some polishing, but it's been a while since i've sparred against someone who truly knows how to fight with nothing more than his bare hands and feet." praised the beautiful raven-haired woman with a satisfied smile, looking at him while still holding his arm backwards in the lock. She then got off him, which allowed Ichigo to sit and recover before turning towards her as she continued "You do have potential. Perhaps, with the right training, you might one day even surpass me." while extending her hand towards him.
"So i guess this is the difference between an expert and a master of hand-to-hand combat…." mused the strawberry to himself before returning the smile and accepting her hand "Thanks, Captain." he replied as he got up on his feet "I have to admit, i haven't had this much fun sparring with someone in a while. Perhaps i shoudn't have stopped training in Karate all those years ago. I thought that after beating my friend Tatsuki for the first time, i would have been capable enough to protect those i cared about…. " while lowering his head as he spoke the last phrase, his voice taking on a dejected tone upon recalling that after beating Tatsuki for the first and only time, he thought he didn't need any more training. This of course, before he became a Soul Reaper.
This earned a scowl from Soi-Fon who then closed her eyes and proceeded to beckon him towards her with a finger "Come here, Kurosaki." she ordered, confusing the strawberry. But as soon as he did as he was told….
He yelped comically as the young woman swiftly punched him straight in the face, causing him to fall on the ground on his back. As he clutched his nose, he looked at her with much vexation before yelling "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?! I haven't done anything to des-"
Only to stop upon seeing the intense and cold look she was giving him, which caused him to stop talking all at once. She then spoke, with a berating voice that matched her fierce gaze "That, was for being as arrogant as to think of yourself as the very best hand-to-hand combatant just because you beat that friend of yours in a fight. It doesn't matter how good you think you are, there will always be someone stronger or more skilled than you, as i have shown you. A true warrior always seeks to improve his strength and skills, not stop at a certain level and assume that no one else can reach it. Only an amateur would think that way and such a way of thinking has no place on the battlefield." dissappointed to see that, in spite of how much he had changed, his mentality had mostly not.
All at once, what little irritation Ichigo had at Soi-Fon's gesture dissappeared as soon as she began to lecture him for his mentality, or the one he used to have. He could only look at his Captain in awe and surprise at those words of wisdom which caused the beautiful woman's fierce gaze to dissappear and with her face softening, she began to explain "But i can understand why you would have such a way of thinking, after all, you were never born here. You used to be a human just a few days ago." she then turned her head away and gazed upon her troops while declaring, her beautiful voice going from strict and reprimanding to proud and encouraging "So let this be your first lesson, Kurosaki: as Soul Reapers we are duty bound to always be prepared to give our lives away for the sake of others. Hesitation and compassion are not something we can allow ourselves to have on the battlefield for they inevitably lead to defeat and death. We of the Stealth Force in particular, have to uphold this duty the most. As the scouting force of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and defenders of the law, it is our duty to preserve the natural order of the Soul Society, without which it would collapse, by eliminating anything or anyone that would pose a threat to it. And in order to do so, we can't be allowed to be held back by hesitation, kindness and compassion, not even towards each other. If your comrades are being defeated, you should see it as an opportunity to strike the enemy from behind instead of standing in the way. And if your enemy is so above your level that you can't even do that, then you should leave your comrades to their fates and live to fight for another day instead of sharing their fate. That is what it means to be an assassin. That, is the way of the Stealth Force." she finally proclaimed, having given Ichigo the same speech she gave Omaeda during the battle at the Fake Karakura Town while all the other members of the Executive Militia stood at attention, proud of their status as members of the Stealth Force.
And with that speech, all became clear to Ichigo. He disagreed with what Soi-Fon said about leaving your comrades behind, but she was right. If he truly wanted to protect everyone, he would have to always strive to become stronger. He coudn't afford to stop at a certain level and pretend that he was the best. While it may have been accepted in the world in which he used to live, it just wasn't the way of thinking of the Soul Society. And like Zangetsu said, hesitation will always fail you, therefore he coudn't allow himself to feel that in battle. It was the same thing the Arrancar and former Espada Dordoni had told him after their battle. One must not hesitate to cut down its foe and the only way to withstand ruthlessness is for one to become ruthless itself. If not….
With a look of determination, Ichigo rose back on his feet, his resolve back in full "I understand, Captain. If i am to protect everyone i care about, i must let go of my hesitation and of any compassion for my enemies." he spoke, bearing his brown eyes towards those of his Captain "Thank you for telling me that. However…." he paused, causing Soi-Fon to raise a eyebrow "I have to disagree with what you said about leaving people behind." he declared, earning a surprised look from her. Her grey eyes began to shake upon seeing the sheer resolve in Ichigo's face and eyes that she had seen the day before when he swore his oath "Aren't Soul Reapers supposed to protect the weak? Shoudn't this also extend to your fellow Squad Members even if they're not as strong as you are? Why would it be a waste to try and save as many as you can even while in battle?" he asked, causing her lips to part away in even more surprise. She coudn't even reply to him. The look in his brown eyes was so powerful that she coudn't even counter his argument.
Ichigo then turned to the other ninja-like Squad Members who looked at him in pure disbelief at what he had said. Not one of them had ever dared to question their Captain before. Their astonishment turned into awe as he declared "I know that as an outsider, i have no right to ask you to follow me in battle from now on, but i just want you to know this. Ever since my mother died, i vowed that i woudn't let anyone else die and it was for that reason that i became a Soul Reaper in the first place. Which is why from now on, above everything else, i will fight to protect all of you and ensure your safety. The way i see it, no one's life is worth more than anyone else's. At least that's what i've come to believe."
Soi-Fon could only stand there in muted amasement as all of her men, without hesitation, put their left fists over their hearts and bowed before him as one of them, the leader of this group, stated "We believe in you, Lieutenant Kurosaki. It will be an honor for us to be led by the victor of Sosuke Aizen himself." earning a nod from the strawberry as well as an encouraging smile that greatly charmed the Executive Militia Members, the female ones in particular. Soi-Fon then looked at Ichigo and her heartbeat increased. His voice was solemn and absolute, completely devoid of any doubt. He genuenely wanted to protect all of them despite having only just met them. She was also surprised to hear clear sadness in it as he recalled the death of his mother. The hesitant and frightened boy from a year ago was gone, replaced by an indomitable and fearless young man. She still coudn't believe how much he had changed.
Putting her thoughts about him aside, Soi-Fon turned towards her men and commanded, with her trademark scowl returning to her face "Very well,then. If there are no more interruptions, you may resume your training." and with that, the squad members all bowed and soon began to go through their daily training in the ways of Hoho. She then forcefully grabbed Ichigo by his wrist, taking him by surprise by how suddenly she did it, and made him look towards her. As his brown eyes met hers, she stated with her usual intense and cold voice "Quite the inspiring speech, Kurosaki, but don't forget that the Squad's official policy goes through me. I won't ask you to compromise your beliefs and you're welcome to fight any way you see fit but that policy stands for the Squad as a whole, so i hope that some day you will try to apply to it yourself. Losing a warrior as powerful as yourself would be a great loss for the Soul Society….." she reminded him while Ichigo simply calmed down and looked at her eyes without any visible emotion. He figured out from what she said that this Squad lived by that code and that it wasn't going to change anytime soon. Still, it won't keep him from putting the safety of others before his own.
"But i can tell you're a stubborn one and it's not easy to change your mind. And while i may not fully agree with your methods, i won't argue with the results, so long as they are good ones. Therefore, it's probably better that i don't mold you into my own image." she concluded with a slight smile while letting go of Ichigo's wrist, earning a nod from him. Normally she would have been far more reprimanding towards someone who would openly disagree with her in front of her men. But this time, she just coudn't. There was so much sincerity and resolve in Ichigo's eyes that it left her in awe and wonder. No one she had met before ever held so much willpower and desire in its eyes, not even her dear Yoruichi. How could someone who had lost everything have such unwavering resolve?
"Thanks, Captain. I'll keep that in mind." thanked Ichigo with his kind smile making his way on his lips again. Once more, he was happy to see just how fair and just Soi-Fon was in spite of her strictness.
"Good. Then without any further ado, we can progress to the next part of your training." she declared, looking forward to test him in another style "You said Lady Yoruichi taught you the Flash-Step, right?" she asked him, earning a nod.
"Yes, why?" asked Ichigo, in a somewhat sheepish matter. In response, with a downright evil smirk, Soi-Fon punched him lightly in the arm and after jumping away by a few meters with a few backflips, she becomed him forward with a finger "Let's see if you can keep up with me. You're it." before she vanished from sight. In response, Ichigo smiled deviously, having already got the hint before he followed after her with a Flash-Step of his own.
Thus began quite an interesting game of tag, to say the least. Every time Ichigo got close to tagging the somewhat petite Captain, she either increased her speed, made a sudden movement in the opposite direction or tagged him before he could tag her. Ichigo ended up getting several bruises from Soi-Fon's tags, a reminder that she would not go easy on him. But despite that, Ichigo found himself enjoying this game of tag a lot and it allowed him to become reaccustomed to his Flash-Step skills again. Without realising it, both ended up playing this game of tag for a whole hour and when they finally stopped, Ichigo found himself on the ground, once again on his hands and knees, breathing heavily in exhaustion.
Looking at some of the bruises on her left arm, Soi-Fon was impressed. In spite of having tagged him more than 50 times, Ichigo had actually managed to hit her exactly 24 times which was more than what almost anyone could pride itself for. Looking at her newest Lieutenant with a satisfied smile, she stated "Not bad for someone who's been a year out of practice. Lady Yoruichi taught you well." positively impressed by the speed he had demonstrated. Still, one thing she had noted was that Ichigo more often than not, ended up using too much energy than what was necessary for his movements, hence why the strawberry was now on his knees and hands, catching his breath.
As Ichigo got on his knees, he smiled back and replied apologetically "Yeah, sorry about that. It just coudn't be helped. Now, i wonder if i could have done better had i not lost my powers a year ago…." a little bummed that he wasn't able to keep them and that if he hadn't lost his powers a year ago and kept his skills in check, perhaps he would have been able to tag her even more times than what he did, even despite the vast difference in experience.
"Don't be too hard on yourself, Ichigo." suddenly came a beautiful and alluring voice behind him, which caused not just him, but also Soi-Fon to gasp and their eyes to widen. It was a voice that they both knew very well. And, indeed as soon as Ichigo, still on his knees, turned around, his eyes began to shake upon seeing that, lying with her back on the wall with her arms folded over her large, well-developed breasts, was a dark-skinned woman of the utmost beauty that had golden eyes, long dark purple hair that reached at her waist, kept in a ponytail with chin-length bangs framing the sides of her flawlessly scuplted face, so beautiful it almost look like that of a greek statue. The woman's body was overall quite slender and voluptous but also quite athletic and well-toned and she wore an orange long-sleeved over-shirt with two white straps on each shoulder with what appeared to be a black undershirt underneath, a large beige sash around her waist and black stretch pants with a pair of lightweight brown shoes. With a friendly smile, the beautiful woman, none other than the one and only Yoruichi Shihoin, former Captain of the Squad and former head of the Shihoin Clan, one of the Four Great Noble Families of the Soul Society, stated "In fact, out of everyone in the Squad, you tagged her the most."
Soi-Fon felt her heartbeat increase, along with her cheeks turning slightly red as she called out "L-Lady Yoruichi!" in great surprise, upon seeing her beloved mentor, the person that meant the most to her. She did not expect to be visited by her today.
Once again, Ichigo found himself utterly bewitched by Yoruichi's beauty. Having not seen her like this for a whole year, he had forgotten just how utterly drop-dead gorgeous she was. With a happy smile, he greeted casually "Oh, hi there, Yoruichi. Didn't expect to see you again so s-"
Only for Soi-Fon to suddenly yell "YOU IDIOT!" and smack him on the head with her left fist causing him to yelp comically and almost hit the ground with his face.
(OST: "Bl_995" funny music)
Wasting no time, Ichigo growled, turned towards his Captain and promptly yelled back "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU DO THAT FOR?!" his face heavily contorted in irritation and outrage.
"You do NOT address Lady Yoruichi like that!" barked Soi-Fon back in much anger but unlike 99% of people that would often back away in a corner in terror at the mere sound of her voice filled with anger, Ichigo promptly got back up, loomed over her and countered "EXCUSE ME?! She's no longer a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and she's my friend! As far as i'm concerned i can address her however the hell i want to!" his voice clearly filled with indignation…..
Only for him to cringe as soon as an even more incensed Soi-Fon forcefully grabbed him by the collar of his Shihakusho with both hands and angrily spat back "YOU INSOLENT, UNRULY BOY! I should have you arrested on the spot for even daring to address Lady Yoruichi withou-" in a manner similar to what Tatsuki usual did anytime he pissed her off…..
Only for the tan-skinned beauty, who had watched the whole argument between her two protegees in much amusement with her hands on her hips, to chime in "My, look at you two." causing both of them to stop bickering at once and turn towards her "You've only met yesterday and yet you act like you've known each other for 20 whole years. Aren't you quite the adorable couple?" she teased, causing both Soul Reaper to blush intensely, to her amusement. She was delighted to see that Ichigo was one of only a handful of people who were not afraid of Soi-Fon at all, even when she raised her voice in anger.
"L-Lady Yoruichi!" squealed once more Soi-Fon as she let go of Ichigo, her face so red in embarrassment that it was almost unbeliavable that less than a moment ago, she was yelling at Ichigo's face with such a fiery temper that it would have scared most men shitless.
"I-It's not what it looks like, Yoruichi!" stammered the strawberry with a blush that matched that of Soi-Fon, while putting his arms in front of him and waving them in all directions in embarrassment "Besides, why have you even come here?" he asked her after calming down, while Soi-Fon once again glared at him for once again not addressing her properly.
With a chuckle escaping her soft lips at how similar they were, Yoruichi replied casually while gesturing to both of them "To see both of my proteges, of course." as she began to walk towards them, while the other Squad Members looked upon in awe at the former head of the Shihoin Clan, having stopped their training once more. None of them had even felt her arriving.
"So imagine my surprise when i found out that not only you ended up in the same Squad i used to lead, you even became its new Lieutenant. And look at you now, sparring with my dear little bee. It really must be destiny." she stated as she walked towards both of them, smile still on her lips, causing Soi-Fon to blush even more and look at her former Captain with surprising tenderness and admiration at how affectionately she had called her while Ichigo looked at the raven haired young woman in surprise, not believing how she was reacting and thinking that she looked so adorable when blushing. Truthfully a part of Yoruichi was so happy that her two former students had met. Ever since she met Ichigo she coudn't help but think of how much he reminded her of her dear Soi-Fon what with his scowls, tough guy exterior and extremely shy behaviour towards immodestly dressed or downright naked women.
As her golden eyes met Ichigo's, she playfully told him "And you think you were bad at keeping up with her? You should have seen Omaeda trying the same thing once. She got her only once while she tagged him more than two hundred times. No contest whatsoever. Every other Squad member at most only managed to tag her no more than three to four times." causing a smug smile to replace the blush on Soi-Fon's face as she fondly recalled how she utterly thrashed him on one of many times she "attempted" to train him.
The orange haired Soul Reaper sweat-dropped and looked at Yoruichi in utter, comical disbelief with his eyes wide open "Are you for real? How the hell did that fatass ever manage to get promoted if he was that slow?" he asked her in comical incredulity, actually causing Soi-Fon to chuckle cutely in amusement with a hand over her lips, to Ichigo's shock. He had to do a double take just to make sure. He coudn't believe that his Captain had just let out such a cute and girly chuckle. Umberknownst to him, it was because of how it greatly amused her to learn that he also thought so low about her former Lieutenant.
(Soundtrack ends)
"There's actually a good reason for that. Marechiyo comes from one of the richest families of the Soul Society. His Clan, the Omaeda Clan, has a history of not only serving in the Stealth Force and in the Second Squad for many centuries, but some members of it used to be members of Central 46 in the past. In fact, his father, Marenoshin Omaeda, used to be my Lieutenant a hundred years ago." explained Yoruichi, shocking Ichigo even more, as soon as he learned that Omaeda's father used to be her Lieutenant.
"And he certainly was much more competent than his son could ever hope to be." added Soi-Fon, not even bothering to hide her dislike of her former Lieutenant.
"Yeah. His son was only promoted because his father retired from service several years ago. But one way or another, Marechiyo was going to get his demotion sooner or later, in spite of what a brilliant tactician he is. If anything, your arrival here served to replace an inefficient Lieutenant." continued Yoruichi before, with a soft and caring smile, she placed one of her soft hands on Ichigo's right shoulder and declared "You have no idea how happy i was when i found out that you ended up here, Ichigo. With how well you did in the past, i'm sure you and Soi-Fon will get along just fine." while glancing at the raven haired woman, earning a soft smile from her.
Soothed by her caring and heavenly voice as well as her gentle smile, the strawberry smiled back at his former teacher and spoke "Thank you, Yoruichi. I'm glad you took the time to visit me so soon." visibly grateful that the woman who taught him the flash-step and how to achieve Bankai had come to care so much about him to the point that immediately the day after he had left the world he used to call home, she had already come here to see if he was okay. And for her part, Soi-Fon looked on at the display of friendship shared by the woman who meant everything to her and her newest Lieutenant with surprising happiness "I didn't know Lady Yoruichi cared about him so much…. To the point she would visit him as soon as she learned that he had been assigned here…." she mused to herself in her mind, for some reason heartwarmed to know just how much the Flash Goddess meant to even Ichigo while also feeling a little jealous at the amount of tenderness Ichigo was receiving from her.
"Well now, it's been fun seeing both of you…." stated Yoruichi as she let go of Ichigo's shoulder before she turned around and began to walk away, her well toned hips swaying around alluringly just to make Ichigo uncomfortable "But i have to get going. Take care, Ichigo, Soi-Fon. I'll see you two love-birds around." and with a peace sign, she dissappeared in a burst of Flash-Step, leaving the two blushing Soul Reapers alone once more.
After an awkward silence passed for several seconds, Ichigo broke it by calling out "Captain…." earning her attention "Why did she call you, "my little bee"? " his curiosity getting the better of him.
He immediately regretted asking that question when Soi-Fon raised a eyebrow and gave him one of her trademark death glares "Why are you asking me that? It's none of your concern." she replied, her voice cold and fierce as it usually would be. Realising he had hit a nerve, Ichigo raised his hands in apology and apologised by saying "Sorry for asking you that, Captain. It's just…." he paused, looking away in shame for having dared to ask something that he had no right to ask "I didn't know you actually cared about her so much…."
Soi-Fon's face softened as soon as she heard the sincerity in her new Lieutenant's voice. She knew from his apologetic tone that he truly meant the apology and the high regard in which he held Yoruichi caused what little irritation she held for what Ichigo had asked to fade away. With a smile, she averted her gaze from his eyes, looked downwards and began "Lady Yoruichi…. She was my Captain, my mentor…. She was everything to me…." her voice filled with pure happiness upon recalling all the time she spent with her both in and outside battle.
Ichigo could only look at his Captain with his brown eyes shaking slightly in realisation and dejection as the happiness in Soi-Fon's voice gave away to sadness "She took me under her wing after she saw how good my skills were….Made me her own personal guard…." the raven haired woman paused as soon as she remembered when she suddenly dissappeared "In many ways, she was the mother i never had… It hurt so much when she left all those years ago….." she finally concluded, her voice actually cracking slightly. That day she wanted to die. For an entire century she had to shoulder the burden of being alone, without the woman who was everything to her. She felt betrayed by her. That was of course, until she learned the truth after the end of the Ryoka Invasion.
"Captain…." called out sorrowfully Ichigo, ashamed to have caused her to recall those memories. His heart had been overcome by sadness and pity as soon as she had spoken those words, words filled with pure grief. In that moment he glimpsed a woman who, like him, had once lost everything that made her happy. Lowering his head downwards, he declared "Forgive me. I…. I didn't mean to…."
Soi-Fon stopped him with a hand "No, Kurosaki, it's alright. If anything, i should be grateful to you and your friends for having brought her back here, even if we ended up fighting each other. And i've seen just how much you care about her too." she spoke, looking at the young man before her with a heartfelt smile.
Surprised and heartwarmed that she had forgiven him, Ichigo looked at her with a smile of his own and fondly recalled "She was the one who lead us here in the Soul Society. If it wasn't for her….. I would have never been able to learn Bankai…. I would have never been able to save Rukia. For that, i'll never be able to thank her enough." warming Soi-Fon's heart with his heartfelt words.
"Kurosaki….." she thought, for some reason wanting to know more about him. The fact that he cared this much about her beloved Yoruichi only served to make her appreciation of him grow even more, aside from the fact that he was also a former student of hers.
"Although she sure liked to tease me a lot, especially after seeing how shy i was towards women who liked to show their body around." he jokingly stated, looking away with a slight blush upon recalling when she revealed her true form to him for the first time, earning a chuckle from Soi-Fon, the latter fondly remembering how her former mentor had absolutely zero shame showing her beautiful body around, even without clothes.
"Yes, i know what you mean. Lady Yoruichi always prided herself for her beauty and was always eager to show it off to others. I thought it was quite unbecoming for her given her status as a noble, though." she fondly recalled, earning a chuckle from Ichigo before her professional and stoic look returned to her face and she declared "But enough reminiscing. It's time to proceed to another part of your training." she then walked towards the Squad Members who had gathered and stood at attention towards her, turned towards the leader of the group of Squad Members and ordered "Prepare the targets for Kido practice." to which the man simply nodded. And in less than two minutes, a huge wall of targets of many sizes and shapes for many types of kido was set up in front of the wall of the training field, some closer than others. As all the Squad Members began to practice their daily Kido training, Offensive spells of all shapes and sizes were soon cast towards those targets, with great accuracy.
"Hado Number 31! Shakkaho!
"Hado Number 4! Byakurai!
"Hado Number 7! Yamakaze!
"Hado Number 13! Shiratsuyu!
Shouted the many men and women of the Executive Militia as they took aim and fired red balls of fire, blue beams of energy, gusts of wind and pressurised streams of water from their hands among various other things towards those targets while Ichigo watched in awe at the variety of spells being casted. He was pulled out of his thoughts by Soi-Fon's voice "Pay attention Kurosaki, because of all four of our fighting styles, Kido is the hardest to master." and as he turned towards her, she faced one of the targets and held her arm out, index finger facing said target before she began to explain "Kido is divided in two major categories: Hado, offensive spells that are used to directly damage the enemy and Bakudo, supplementary spells used to immobilise an enemy or inflict an effect besides a direct strike. Each Kido spell from both categories is ranked on a scale from 1 to 99, the latter being the most powerful and the most difficult to perform. The higher the scale, the harder a spell is to perform and to properly use Kido, you must correctly recite the specific incantation for each spell which requires a few seconds to be spoken. Otherwise the spell will fail and its intended effect will instead be reflected on you, meaning that, yes, in some cases if you are unable to do it, the spell will literally blow up in your face." she then paused and took the time to see if Ichigo was paying attention, which he did.
"Soul Reapers well versed in Kido, like myself, can negate this weakness by using Eishohaki, or Incantation Abandonment, a technique that releases the spells without the chant. While it does decrease the time needed to release the spells, it drastically weakens their power. " she continued to explain before she gazed back towards the target, bracing her outstretched arm with the other. She then began to build up her Spirit Energy while taking aim "I will show you a simple Hado for now. First you must gather your Spirit Energy around your arms, this will dictate where the spell will be unleashed. After which you can recite the chant."
Ichigo nodded and then watched as Soi-Fon's spirit energy spiked before she chanted "Ruler! The Mask of Blood and Flesh, all the Things in the Universe that fly, that which makes All! Wind and Will, fight the oncoming waves and make your presence known! Hado Number 1! Sho!" and after the incantation was over, a small amount of white energy was dispelled from her index finger which sent a considerable amount of kinetic energy to the target, sending it flying away by a good five meters. The Captain then lowered her hand, turned towards Ichigo and explained "That was Sho, the lowest ranked Hado Spell. It can be useful in pushing your comrades out of harm's way or by pushing your enemies away from you." she then gestured to another target and asked him "Now, do you think you're ready to perform it?"
With a nod, Ichigo replied "Doesn't seem too hard. I'll give it a try." and positioned himself in front of the target. He then began to focus his Spirit Energy in front of the target and as he did this the wind slightly picked up and seemed to focus around Ichigo and his arms. Finally he aimed towards the target and recited "Ruler! The Mask of Blood and Flesh, all the Things in the Universe that fly, that which makes All! Wind and Will, fight the oncoming waves and make your presence known! Hado Number 1! Sho!" and much like before, a burst of kinetic energy, only much more powerful, was fired from Ichigo's index finger, and it sent the target flying backwards by more than 20 meters, actually embedding it into the wall.
With a smile, Ichigo exclaimed "Alright, i actually pulled it off on the first try!" but Soi-Fon was nowhere near as ecstatic as he was "Well, that proves one thing: he can perform the spells but his spirit energy is way too uncontrolled to be able to perform them properly. It's just like earlier with the Flash-Step: he put way too much energy in his movements and as a result, he ended up tiring himself much sooner than me." she thought, after seeing just how much energy he put in the spell. She then stated "Not bad for your first spell but your spirit energy is too uncontrolled so i'm not sure if you can properly use the more advances spells at the moment." and after Ichigo looked at her in puzzlement, she added "Although in this case, the more force you put in Sho, the more the target of the spell will be flung backwards, so this is not a spell to properly illustrate what i mean. So let's try a slightly more advanced one."
She then pointed her index finger towards another target and, after taking a stance, she began to chant, her spirit energy coming out and flaring in all directions "Ruler! The Mask of Blood and Flesh, all the Things in the Universe that fly, that which makes All! With the Power of the Storm, let the Fury of the Heavens come forth! Hado Number 4! Byakurai!" as and she did, high density spiritual energy gathered around the tip of her finger before a concentrated bolt of lightning erupted from it once she finished chanting, running the target through and leaving a small hole in it. Ichigo shuddered upon recognising the same spell Byakuya used to greatly injure him in their final battle.
"That spell…. It's the one Byakuya used in our battle to blast a hole in my shoulder…." was all Ichigo could say in surprise, the pain of that blow still fresh in his mind. Soi-Fon then turned towards him and stated "Yes. It's a very useful spell to use in order to catch your enemies off guard and it can deal massive damage if used properly and with enough precision since it is designed to specifically destroy your opponent's inner organs. Now, can you handle this spell as well?" she asked her Lieutenant, who was still thorougly shaken upon seeing it again.
With a nod, Ichigo replied "I'll give it a shot." as he took aim to another target. After concentrating, pointing his right index finger towards the target and grabbing his right arm with his left hand, his energy spiked in all directions and he chanted "Ruler! The Mask of Blood and Flesh, all the Things in the Universe that fly, that which makes All! With the power of the Storm, let the fury of the Heavens come forth! Hado Number 4! Byakurai!" and much like before, a beam of lighting, only much larger and more powerful than the one fired by Soi-Fon, erupted from his finger and it completely obliterated the target.
"See? Wasn't too hard now, wasn't it?" proclaimed proudly Ichigo, causing Soi-Fon to lecture him by saying "That just proves my point again. Byakurai is not supposed to create such a large attack. Rather it is used to strike vital parts of your enemy instead of obliterating them. You put too much energy in the spell and because of that, instead of focusing the lighting on one point, it scattered in all directions and that way, it's only effective against weak enemies." and after seeing how he was looking at her in confusion and perplexity, she sighed and stated "I guess the only way to make you understand is to show you a much more advanced spell." hiding her satisfaction that at least, he could use the spells of low rank, albeit without restraint.
She then aimed at another target, holding her arm outstretched with the palm facing it and after grabbing her left arm with her right hand she chanted "Ruler! The Mask of Blood and Flesh, all the Things in the Universe that fly, that which takes All! Gathering Heat and War, beyond the Seasons in reverse, march to the South!" and as she did, her whole body became covered in a red aura of energy as an orb of crimson red energy appeared in front of her palm. She then shouted "Hado Number 31! Shakkaho!" as she fired the orb towards the target, obliterating it in one shot and causing Ichigo to look upon with awe at how powerful that spell was. And if he could fire a barrage of it, it might just become his favorite.
"Go ahead. Try that spell for yourself and see what happens." ordered the raven haired Captain. And unsurprisingly as soon as Ichigo took the same stance she did, recited the incantation and yelled "Hado Number 31! Shakkaho!" the same red aura of energy surrounded his body, the red orb manifested in front of his hands and it growed more and more until….
BOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM!
He blew up, the shockwave of the blast actually sending some of the other Squad Members flying on the ground. And as the smoke faded away, it revealed Ichigo, now charred by the Kido having blown up in his face. Smoke came from all over his body and he stood with his eyes wide open and his arms comically flung around left and right and as he opened his mouth to chuckle awkwardly to lessen the embarrassment he had found himself in, even more smoke came out of his mouth.
Soi-Fon nearly face-palmed "It's gonna take a while for him to become well versed in Kido. But at least he can perform the lower ranked spells without much difficulty." she thought as she sighed. Just when he had demonstrated such skill in hand-to-hand combat and Hoho. She then declared "Once again, this proves my point. Your Spirit Energy is too unbalanced for you to properly use Kido, or at least, the more advanced spells. The only thing we can do now, before we can go back to your Kido training, is teach you how to properly control your Spirit Energy."
Utterly ashamed by what had happened, to the point some of the female Executive Militia members chuckled in amusement at how funny he looked all charred like that, Ichigo could only nod awkwardly, reply meekly "Y-Yes, Captain….." while musing to himself "Ugh, i'm not looking forward to this…..At all..." not liking what his Captain had told him in the slightest. His dad sure wasn't kidding when he said that those who coudn't control their Spirit Energy properly would be looked down upon.
At the same time, in the Underground Assembly Hall of Central 46
"Head Captain Genryusai Shigekumi Yamamoto, how could you be so reckless?!" thundered one of the many members of Central 46, an bald, elderly man with a mushy moustache, one of the 40 wise men of the judiciary authority of the Soul Society, sitting on his chair with a plaque obscuring his face, showing his identification number, much like the other members. He and the rest of the council members were sitting all over two concentric rings, one higher than the other, surrounding an open area where Yamamoto was now standing in. He had been called to have a meeting with the members of Central 46 for his decision to make Ichigo join the Thirteen Court Guard Squads and give him the position of Lieutenant of the Second Squad without first informing them. Many members had decided to not voice their opinion on the matter, knowing that ultimately they will have to have a poll in which they would all vote their agreement or disagreement with Ichigo having joined the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. But several other members were quite vocal about their disagreement with what Yamamoto had done.
"Making him join us is one thing, but giving him the position of Lieutenant is outrageous!" thundered said man once more, only for another member, a young man with swept back silver and black hair to counter in outrage "How can you say such a thing?! Ichigo Kurosaki is the one who defeated Sosuke Aizen himself! We owe him everything! Had it not been for him, the Soul Society would have ceased to exist!" while going as far as standing up from his chair to look at his fellow member, indignated that he would talk about the Hero of the Winter War with such ingratitude. Many other members beside him shared the same belief.
"But he's just a Substitute! He wasn't even born here! He should have never been given the opportunity to join us!" interjected a elderly woman, raising a good argument which caused the rest of the members to murmur to each other.
"And for what?! To rob a high ranking noble of a Position that was his by birthright?! Such a outrage should not go unpunished!" roared yet another member in indignation, obviosly a simpathiser of the Omaeda Clan.
"He was a former enemy of the Soul Society! And he knows nothing of our laws! How are we supposed to be comfortable with someone as undisciplined as him and with the powers of a Hollow at his disposal, among us?!" shouted yet another member, raising another valid point.
The shouting continued for several more minutes before, Yamamoto, tired of it, tightened his grip on his cane and, with a twitching eyebrow, fully opened his eyes and roared "ENOUGH! YOU ARE NOTHING BUT A BUNCH OF IGNORANT BABOONS!" so loudly that all members of Central 46 ceased speaking at once. Silence befelled the entire hall as all the men and women looked at Yamamoto before he began to speak "Ichigo Kurosaki may have been our enemy once, but he has done nothing but protecting us in our times of need, from the very first moment he stepped foot in the Seireitei, despite the odds being stacked up against him and unjust laws being enforced under Aizen's illusions! He upheld what Soul Reapers should always stand for, despite being no more than a boy! To protect the weak and the innocent, no matter the cost. He may have obtained his powers illegally through Rukia Kuchiki, but it was in order to stop a Hollow from becoming stronger and harming more innocent people. And he fought at our side against Aizen without a second thought and he was even willing to sacrifice his life to stop him despite not being one of us! I believe that is more than enough to prove that he is worthy of joining our ranks." and with that, the old man retreated into silence, hoping that he had made all the members open their eyes.
Several more minutes of silence passed before the six judges, the ones who would approve any new law that would come to pass, as well as sentence everyone who had broken it after hearing the vote from all the other members, all stood up and their leader, a elderly man with long silver hair and moustache, declared "I agree with everything the Head Captain has spoken. While appearing to be in the wrong in a lot of things, Kurosaki ended up proving that he was always on the right path. He showed to us all what the Soul Society's flaws were and how unjust some of its rules where. It was because of said rules that monsters such as Aizen were born. It was thanks to him that, after the new Central 46 was established following the murder of all the members of the one before, that our laws were reformed, hopefully for the better." while looking at all the other members of Central 46 before he turned back towards Yamamoto and added "Therefore, offering him a position within one of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads was the least the Head Captain could have done for him after everything he has done for us." those words made many members's eyes wide in realisation.
Then, another judge, a beautiful, middle-aged woman with long black hair, added "And i believe that the Head Captain's decision to assign him to the Stealth Force was a wise one. As the enforcers of the law, it is the most appropriate squad for him to learn of our ways of life as well as our laws. No doubt he will also learn discipline and respect there, qualities that he lacked beforehand." earning several more approving murmurs among the other members.
"And besides, much like Captains Hirako, Muguruma and Otoribashi, as well as Lieutenant Kuna, he has been ordered to use his Hollow Powers only when strictly necessary and under authorisation, with the penalty of death, should he fail to do so." added yet another judge, a man who appeared to be in its fifties, with short black hair and a thin moustache.
Finally, the leader of the Six Judges, declared "With that being said, i believe it's time for us all to vote. Those who are favorable with Kurosaki's acceptance in the Soul Society and the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, please stand up." and as soon as the old man spoke, no less than 28 of the 40 Wise Men did so, to Yamamoto's contentment. The other 12 could only look upon with great shock and then murmur their displeasure in a very low voice.
"Then it is decided. From now on, Kurosaki will be one of the us for the rest of his existence, therefore, he will be expected to uphold our laws and ideals until the moment he will draw his last breath. I believe that he is destined to bring much balance and prosperity to the Soul Society. And one last thing, Head Captain." he spoke again, passing the judgement of Central 46 before turning towards Yamamoto and telling him "Make sure that he doesn't fall from grace. It would be a shame to have such a strong and righteous man, lose his belief in the world around him, should he find the truth about it." the strongest Soul Reaper to have ever existed then nodded with a smile and then he excused himself out of the room.
Yamamoto silently exited the Compound of Central 46 and after walking on the bridge amidst the pool of water that surrounded the entrance to the underground building, his thoughts went over the one to which he owed everything "Ichigo….I have taken a great risk in making you one of us without even having you attend to the Academy or informing Central 46 beforehand but i did so anyway because i owed you everything. I only hope with all of my heart that you will not go down the same path Aizen did….I hope you will understand when you will learn the truth about the Soul King, one day or another…."
And with that, he left, heading back to his Squad Barracks to attend to his daily duties.