Chapter 10 - The Foundations We Lay
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Warnings: Slight addition to the events of the previous torture scene; this chapter deals with the reveal and it's not pretty. (It's the final scene.) Gory, graphic description.
Spoiler Alert: TYBW – First Kenpachi revealed. If you don't know what I'm talking about, check out the manga (Chapter 523-526) or anime TYBW (Episode 9). Watch/read this; it's amazing! This is the only piece of TYBW being used in the entire story.
Japanese Translations:
Sanseki - san (three) seki (seat) translating to - Third Seat
~ Day 4 - Dawn ~
The sky was an odd colour as the night sky gave way to the sun's arrival; the sky was heavily overshadowed by the darkness, while light began to illuminate the ground. Hisagi's silhouette stood atop the hill of Squad Nine's training grounds, casting a shadow across the grass, as he gazed over the expansive districts which were only visible by an odd house light or streetlamp.
"Congratulations are in order," said Shūhei, as he turned his head. "Third Seat is a big deal."
"It's not that I'm not grateful, but I didn't want this," replied Yuumichika, glancing at his badge, determined not to admire the beautiful number on it. "I don't know why Zaraki Taichou gave it to me, and I don't know how I'm going to explain this to Ikkaku."
Shūhei nodded and returned his gaze over the sleeping districts. "I know it doesn't feel like it, but none of this is personal, however personally involved we feel we are. It's about those who live in the Soul Society and what's best for the Gotei to better protect them. After everything I saw two nights ago, and the conduct from both you and Ikkaku since, I can't fault your Captain's decision. I told you that you were the leader. Judging by his actions, I'd say that Captain Zaraki feels the same way."
Yuumichika made a funny expression between pride and embarrassment, but his overall response was still doubtful which aroused a modicum of incredulity from the Lieutenant.
"Yuumichika, we wouldn't be having this conversation if you hadn't said or done something that Kenpachi saw as leadership qualities beyond your capabilities of fifth seat. Clearly, you two had a productive conversation?" said Shūhei.
Yuumichika's eyes were pointed at the ground in a firm stare, as he recounted his version of events. His tone was quiet. "I don't know how I worked up the nerve to walk in there. I just came right out and said it.'' He paused noticeably. "I thought I'd die before ever revealing it to anyone," Yuumichika finished quietly.
Shūhei raised his eyebrows and knew he had to try to defuse some of the tension. "You could lump it in with your decision to reveal it to me the day you knocked me on my backside!" He laughed lightly.
A fond smile gave way as Yuumichika pursed his lip thoughtfully. "The day you saw it, wasn't because I'd made a conscious decision, per say; I'd say that was more like pride or vanity getting the better of me. It wasn't anything like this where I arrived knowing I would reveal it."
Yuumichika enunciated his words carefully, and slowly. His words carried the same disbelief as the expression on his face, feathers and all. "He could have ended my career with a single sentence. The few seconds he took to think about it felt like hours. After keeping it a secret for so long, I thought it would be harder to say the words out loud, but it wasn't. I thought that saying it would have instant consequences, but there weren't any."
Shūhei prompted him to continue, "What did he say?"
"At first, he didn't say anything. He just sat there, so I tried to explain a little bit about it. He wanted to know why I hadn't told him sooner." Yuumichika sighed. "I was honest; I explained why I was afraid to tell him because I thought it would get me thrown out of the squad. That's when he got up and left the room and brought me to the dojo. He wanted to see it for himself. He had the vines around his arm for nearly two whole minutes and didn't even flinch when I told him that the flowers could kill him," said Yuumichika.
"Wow," conceded Shūhei. "He must have been really impressed by it."
"The impression I got was more neutrality; he didn't vilify it or sing its praises," said Yuumichika. "He said, he should have demoted me exactly like Ikkaku because I had also been hiding a zanpakutō ability. I told him that I completely accepted that decision, because I could understand why; I was truly at fault. Then he said he wouldn't because I came to him first. He asked me what I thought about kidō in general; I told him I disagreed with the rest of the squad; they think it's weak but some of the strongest fighters in the Gotei use kidō-based weapons and techniques."
Shūhei wore a look of surprise and pride. "Well done, Yuumichika."
"He asked my opinion of the previous engagement and I told him the men were hopelessly outclassed; the creatures had them pinned down with superior speed, accuracy and were able to consistently hurt us. I used that to explain why I chose to have you and your men intervene, because if I hadn't, those men would be dead. That's when I told him about your offer to train me, so that I could help prepare the men. He said it wasn't a problem, as long as I was available for normal training with the squad and if I accepted the badge. I didn't want to take it; to me, it still belonged to Ikkaku."
Shūhei pressed him, "What made you change your mind?"
"If I refused it, then I wouldn't be allowed to teach the men anything I learn from you, and if they died because of that lack of training, then it would be my fault. We were both there last time, Shūhei; if your squad hadn't assisted us, well… I don't even want to think about it. I see them as family; we've trained together for years, and I don't want their blood on my hands. I felt like I had no choice but to accept it." Yuumichika sighed and waved his hands in a kind of shrug.
Shūhei replied in a soft, but serious tone. His eyes were soft and warm, and his lips bore a small smile. "You had a choice, and in my opinion, you made the right one. You had to choose between offending Ikkaku and potentially losing a friend and your position in your Division, or giving your squad members the chance of survival. I know it wasn't easy for you, but I'm very impressed, Yuumichika."
"Thank you, but now that I have the badge, I have to submit a training schedule to Zaraki Taichou tonight. I won't be leading any formal drills until then," said Yuumichika.
"What will you be doing today, then?" asked Hisagi.
The Third Seat became thoughtful. "After I introduce myself in my new role, I have to get the men into the right frame of mind; they will need to listen and knuckle down, they'll need to trust me and each other, or no amount of training will lead us to the results we need. How is the question; you know what they're like." He laughed, but Hisagi knew it was from a sense of building nervousness and stress.
He smiled a warm and soft smile in the man's direction. "You were made for this role, Yuumichika. No one knows the Eleventh Division like you do, and no one else could train them the way you could. Your Captain or Lieutenant could if they had that kind of time, and Ikkaku could have, but chose not to for whatever reason. Even at the heart of your personal feelings, you're the one that chose to step up because you haven't lost sight of the real mission. That is why you will succeed where others have failed. It's also the reason Captain Zaraki chose you, and why I will train with you before and after work for as long as it takes. I already know how committed you are, so I'm not going to ask if you still want to go ahead with this; instead, I will ask if you're ready to begin?"
Yuumichika stood up straight and returned his gaze to Shūhei. His gaze was as resolute as his stance and tone. "I'm ready to learn, Hisagi-senpai."
"Alright," Shūhei smiled and turned his gaze back over the sleeping districts. "Does the word zankensōki mean anything to you?"
Yuumichika would have shaken his head had the man been looking at him, but instead replied, "Yes, and no. I've heard it said, but it was never explained in detail." His tone couldn't hide his embarrassment.
Shūhei turned around. "Zankensōki encompasses the four pillars of fighting styles open to the shinigami race. Our bodies are spiritual, and our ability to harness and exert reiryoku into reiatsu allows us to fight in ways other races cannot." He noted Yuumichika's attentive gaze. "Zankensōki includes hohō, hakuda, kidō and zanjutsu."
Yuumichika nodded; this much clearly wasn't news. "Hohō is the use of shunpō, hakuda is hand-to-hand combat, and zanjutsu is swordsmanship. Kidō is self-explanatory."
Shūhei added as the new Third Seat spoke. "Essentially, you are correct," he said, "but there's quite a bit more to it than that. Hohō—" came his voice as he vanished from sight and appeared suddenly next to Yuumichika, "—is more than just a swift method of transportation, pursuit or evasion; it involves any technique that utilises reiryoku-enhanced speed. It can be incorporated into any of the other three fighting styles to deliver rapid blows to an enemy, be it using your body, your zanpakutō, or indeed, using kidō.
"Hakuda can be as generic as punching someone in the face, or as complex as the style that sets the Covert Corps above any other hakuda-based organisation. It's an art rooted in psychology; depending on the mindset of the unarmed shinigami, that officer can overcome any enemy if they are sufficiently determined to do so using perseverance through stamina, subjugation through finesse or destruction through spiritual pressure. The styles depend on the individual reaper, the opponent, or the objective. Of all the members in your squad, Lieutenant Kusajishi is the most skilled in hakuda."
Returning his gaze to the Third Seat, he noticed his mildly calculated expression. With a wry twitch of his mouth, Shūhei knew from that one expression exactly what the Third Seat was thinking; Yachiru was perfectly positioned to provide one-on-one training for Yuumichika personally, or help him with specific sections of his training schedule that involved hakuda. It was smart; knowing what resources were available and figuring out how best to use them, was yet another sign that Yuumichika was thinking like a leader.
"Let's not forget kidō; I realise you're not intending to include it as part of Squad Eleven's training regime, but I wouldn't be doing my job if I condoned a seated officer blatantly ignoring one of the pillars," said Shūhei with a mild chuckle. Yuumichika nodded. "Kidō is broken into three subcategories; hadō is destructive in nature, bakudō allows for restraint or subjugation and kaidō is used to heal the injured, both their reiryoku and their wounds. It's possibly the most complex and cumbersome pillar of the four fighting styles, because it's an art that involves manipulating reiryoku to form constructs using your mind, and then exerting that power into reiatsu. Without the mental concentration and willpower, kidō is extremely difficult to master.
"Kidō is summoned, for lack of a better word, using incantations ranging from one to ninety-nine, where the lowest number implies a low level of difficulty. Beginners tend to rote-memorise each incantation which takes enormous amounts of time, and isn't often possible in a combat situation, because by using the incantation, the spell itself will be much more powerful when released. Those who practice eishōhaki, or kidō without the incantation, are able to release spells at a much faster rate, but it greatly diminishes the power of the spell. Experts can use this to great effect without much of a loss of power, but we still recommend using the incantation for the higher-level spells."
Hisagi continued. "Kidō is more versatile than any of the other pillars of zankensōki; its capabilities are only limited by your creativity. For example, Hinamori Fukutaichou is able to enhance her zanpakutō by combining two pillars, zanjutsu and kidō. She is one of the most innovative Lieutenants where kidō is concerned because by merging the two, she's actually using an advanced form of zanjutsu—the Way of the Enchanted Blade.
"Kira Fukutaichou used to be a member of the Fourth Division, and was trained at length in using kaidō. Not only is he ridiculously well versed in his ability to manipulate reiryoku and reiatsu, but he can do the same to another shinigami's reiryoku. If he chose to, he could kill you in any number of ways if he ever got close enough. Based on that, I hope you won't be quick to dismiss kidō."
"Absolutely," said Yuumichika, as alarm coloured his tone. He had no idea those two were so formidable; they came across as docile and, dare he think it, weak. The Lieutenant nodded, and faced him.
"Now, Squad Eleven focusses deeply on zanjutsu; to lead a Division with such a strong specialisation, you'll need to be as knowledgeable as your Captain. I doubt Zaraki Taichou is too interested in what the forms are actually called, as he is very much an instinctual fighter, but I guarantee you, he's familiar with all of them. In order to teach zanjutsu, you need to understand each form like the back of your hand, whether or not you can actually perform it. Do you know how many forms there are?" he said.
Yuumichika shook his head.
Shūhei nodded. "Zanjutsu has six forms or disciplines, each with its own specialised combat philosophy. These six forms are the core of zanjutsu, and once mastered, can lead a soul reaper to learn additional, advanced forms, like Hinamori Fukutaichou did. Each form focusses on a specific way of engaging an enemy, say for example, the Way of Aggression or the Way of Precision. The form a shinigami chooses to use will depend on their individual aptitude and preference, the mission, how many opponents there are, and the threat level of that enemy. For each form there are sequences of moves or kata's, as well as an opening stance which is known as the kamae. Just looking at a stance of a reaper will tell you a lot about that reaper's mindset, philosophy, preferred fighting style, and based on the stance, you can even gauge how they perceive their opponent."
Yuumichika had never heard any of this before, and realised that not having graduated from the academy might have left him at a disadvantage. How much did other shinigami learn before developing their skills under more well-rounded and diverse squads?
His expression of disbelief was quite transparent, and Hisagi spoke. "I know that was a lot of information, but as we really delve into each one during our training, this will hopefully, become second nature. I'm going to test you on all four pillars, and see which areas that you need to work on or not. As a Third Seat, I expect your fundamentals to be solid, but again, I'll go through all of them in due course."
Yuumichika made a slight face, and Shūhei grinned. "More than that, I need to assess how skilled you are at manipulating reiryoku; it'll tell me if you're ready to start learning the advanced techniques of zankensōki."
Shūhei's grin remained as the Third Seat nodded.
"Most reapers have decades to learn what I'm going to teach you in a matter of days, so let's get started."
A few hours later, Yuumichika adjusted his obi to make sure his shihakushō was perfect; it was breakfast time at Squad Eleven. Unlike the majority of his squad, he was wide awake and alert. Shūhei had tested him relentlessly and Yuumichika had actually managed to surprise both himself and the Lieutenant. Despite the drawback of not having attended training at the academy like most reapers, he was no slouch; he was every bit as qualified as any Third Seat should be. He was actually looking forward to seeing what the men were really capable of.
Knowing he had procrastinated long enough; he took a deep breath and gave the door to the large hall a push. Without looking at the loud congregation who were busy with their breakfast, he simply strode past the many tables and benches towards the top table. As he passed, he heard a few murmurs. With each step he took, the murmurs grew, turning into gasps and he knew people were pointing; promotions didn't happen often, and Squad Eleven was no exception. He walked along the bench, past his normal seat, and sat next to Yachiru.
"Morning, Yun-Yun!" said the Lieutenant with a wide smile.
"Good morning, Yachiru-chan; how are you today?" He reached for some eggs.
"I'm happy, 'cause I got toast with honey on it," said Yachiru, who happily took a big bite out of her slice of toast.
Yuumichika smiled softly, before chancing a look at the crowd. He picked Ikkaku out of the throngs in an instant, and immediately frowned. Ikkaku's eyes were utterly fixed on his arm where his new badge sat proudly. Subconsciously, Yuumichika's face became slightly apologetic in response to the look of unguarded betrayal before Ikkaku curled his mouth and nose into a silent snarl. His eyes promised retribution, before he tore his gaze away, and tossed his breakfast aside. His neighbouring peers glanced at him in a questioning manner and Ikkaku said something inaudible.
Yuumichika sighed, and returned his eyes back to his own plate. He knew Zaraki would be watching the entire squad like a hawk until he was sure it was running the way he intended, so as much as he wanted to race after his best friend and explain the situation, he knew he was under just as much scrutiny as everyone else. His position was new and precarious; he needed to remain professional.
Focusing on his breakfast was the wiser choice, but he resolved to address it later. Ikkaku deserved an explanation, but now was not the right time.
Outside, Yuumichika took his place on Yachiru's right. Captain Zaraki stood in front of them and addressed the entire congregated squad.
"Line up!"
The squad members hastened to do as their Captain bade, and soon Yuumichika stared through the perfectly positioned ranks. As his eyes lingered on Ikkaku, he admonished himself, before drawing his eyes back to the Captain.
"There is a new enemy out there and some of you had the pleasure of facing them. Imagine my surprise when I found out afterwards that my squad needed the help of another squad."
Yuumichika saw Ikkaku cast his eyes downward as he continued to gaze out over the assembly. Kenpachi paced before the embarrassed men and purposely chose not to look at them, as if doing so would increase the level of humiliation.
"The Eleventh Division is reserved for the strongest fighters, for men who give their all to take the enemy down." He finally graced the squad with a sideways glance. "What does it mean to be strong? To be a man? Some of you seem to be under the impression that real men throw their weight around, run their mouths, have big muscles, act tough and pick fights just because they can. They think the rules don't apply to them because they're that strong."
He glared at the squad members. "Let me set the record straight; real men have principles. They fight, not to show how tough they are, but for reasons that are important to them. They fight to achieve something, or to protect something. They dedicate themselves to learning the philosophies of men that came before them, to preserve the traditions that those warriors passed down to us."
An eerie silence fell over the crowd, as Kenpachi's voice became serious and quiet. "Real men know their limits and accept what they can and can't do. They work with their limitations and use every fight to get stronger, to learn. They don't repeat their mistakes. Instead, they face their demons, they come clean in their lies and they trust in themselves and their brothers that enter the battle beside them.
"I don't care how tough you think you are, or how good you think your sword skills are; I will not be allowing any of you to fight in this conflict until you prove yourselves." Kenpachi pointed his index finger up for the entire squad to see.
"Only one of you saw the enemy for what it was and the only one who showed any initiative. He is the only reason your sorry hides made it home in one piece. That is why I promoted him to the newly vacated position of Third Seat."
Yuumichika felt the heat creep up behind his ears as the squad followed the Captain's outstretched hand. Hundreds of pairs of eyes stared at him and Yuumichika resolved not to show an ounce of nervousness or weakness. He straightened his back and gazed out over the squad.
"Ayasegawa Sanseki will be leading drills on how to effectively fight our new enemy, and will be posting his regime on the official bulletin board this evening. If you want to face this enemy again, you will give him your full attention and do everything he says."
Yuumichika darted his eyes quickly to his Captain and Lieutenant to double check if he could address the squad. The last thing he wanted was to put a proverbial foot in it and make an embarrassment of himself in the first five minutes. With a nod from his Captain, Yuumichika stepped forward and spoke.
"I am deeply honoured to stand before you all this morning as Third Seat; I will strive to uphold the proud traditions of this Division, and earn your trust and respect." His voice rang out melodically and clearly across the squad, as he bowed deeply to Zaraki Taichou and Kusajishi Fukutaichou. Meeting a gleam of approval in his Captain's eye, he straightened and bowed to the members of the entire squad. He was met with a reciprocating bow from the squad, noticing some of the men were more reluctant than others.
"Our previous engagement threw into stark relief the areas where we excel, and the areas of training that we have neglected to study. Rather than dwelling on the mistakes we've made in the past, it is time for us to focus on improving our skills for the future. To truly defeat this enemy, we need to identify their strengths and weaknesses. Can any of you tell me one of the enemy's strengths?"
Murmurs of inaudible words rose from the squad, and one brave man bowed to Yuumichika, who nodded in return.
"Their speed," said the stout, balding man.
"Absolutely, Moto-kun," replied Yuumichika. "They are as fast as Seated Officers." The man seemed pleased, and Yuumichika glanced back at the men, seeing a few more eager to follow Moto's lead. He gave another nod to the next volunteer.
"Their numbers?" said the taller, dark-haired man.
"Interesting, Himura-kun." Yuumichika looked back at the crowd. "Despite the fact that we had forty men, and faced twenty-five creatures, do you still think their numbers were one of their strengths?"
The man faltered. Some of the men began to laugh at him, but were quickly silenced by a glance from their new Third Seat. "Yes, Ayasegawa Sanseki; we may have outnumbered them, but we were still unable to overcome them." Yuumichika pinned him with a slightly sharper gaze, but the man continued. "They used their numbers to their advantage and didn't attempt to strike as individuals."
"Yes, exactly! Himura-kun is absolutely correct; the enemy used their numbers more effectively than we did, adding teamwork to increase their likelihood of success. Well-reasoned, Himura-kun," said Yuumichika. The man smiled, while some of the nearby men either sneered or pursed their lips in surprise and sudden realisation. "Did anyone notice anything else?"
A woman bowed to Yuumichika before speaking. "Agility," she said simply.
"Succinct as always, Taka-san; they were able to use their speed and momentum to navigate their environment expertly by scaling trees and leaping towards their targets." He nodded to the woman and continued. "Did any of you spot any weaknesses?"
The crowd seemed to shift with a small amount of unease at the more difficult question. Yuumichika realised some of them might consider it a trick question, but it wasn't. When no-one answered, he spoke. "This is a very impressive enemy, but they relied heavily on the element of surprise. We shinigami have never encountered them before, and so, were easily overcome by their remarkable speed, agility and teamwork. We were more concerned with fending them off to notice their weaknesses."
Yuumichika noticed how quiet the squad became. Everyone, even Captain Zaraki, was paying very close attention.
"The enemy led using a direct fighting style; we could see them, and they could see us. But," he held up a finger, "when they intelligently deduced that we excel under these combat conditions, they chose to switch to a covert style of attack." Yuumichika began to pace before the congregation. "They backed off, and began targeting specific individuals.
"Despite having the element of surprise, they were cautious. They used their environment expertly; they scaled trees and used the high branches as a perch. When they did choose to leave the relative safety of the trees, they only ever attacked in pairs or in threes, and they only targeted those they perceived to be weak, while avoiding those who had proven to be a threat.
"They knew if they got too close to anyone threatening, and that person was able to land a hit, then they could potentially be killed or injured. That is why they attacked using their speed, numbers, and teamwork. What does this tell us?"
He pinned the crowd with a serious expression, but no one was very forthcoming with an answer to his question.
"It tells me that they're physically weak!"
Loud rumbling rose from the squad members, as they began to whisper among themselves. Yuumichika ignored this.
"What would happen if we could match their speed, or their teamwork?"
Again, beyond the quiet murmurs, no one replied.
"It would change everything. Their speed is their main defence, and without it, they would be more vulnerable to us if we were as fast. If we challenged them as a unit, their numbers and tactics wouldn't matter; they wouldn't be able to overpower us, because they've already lost their element of surprise. If we limit their access to any defensible positions, like trees, then this enemy would find themselves on an even playing field. I will be teaching you all to work together with vastly improved hohō, hakuda and zanjutsu. We will overcome this enemy by removing their advantageous strengths."
The response was mixed; in some of the shinigami's eyes, Yuumichika noticed a sense of excitement and eagerness to get started, while in others, he saw unguarded disdain or scepticism. His eyes darted across the throngs as he continued to gauge their thoughts and narrowed his eyes in response.
'I need to know their overall level of control over their reiryoku,' he thought. 'I'll have to put them through exercises to group them correctly. It's a good thing I came prepared.'
"I want everyone to follow me please." Yuumichika turned and began to lead his squad to a more spacious area of the training grounds. The murmurings rose when the men saw what looked like an obstacle course, though they had no idea it was a hastily prepared, and yet impressive mock-up of a similar course Yuumichika had seen at Squad Nine. This one was massive.
At the start of the course was a long straight strip of grass outlined by plain ribbons wrapped around wooden posts. Halfway through, the ground inclined steeply, while small bushes and trees obstructed the previously unobstructed path. At the end of the strip lay a fallen log, before the course curved onto the next section.
The second stage of the course was also sectioned off by ribbons, and began with a large 'x' written in chalk on the grass. From beginning to end, dozens of masts and poles filled the space, each vastly different from the last; some were closely spaced, while others remained outliers. They varied in texture, height, and even girth. The final, and tallest mast, held a brightly coloured ribbon dancing in the breeze.
Beyond it, was a flat dug out pit of water and a large area of freshly overturned soil.
Returning his gaze to the men, Yuumichika held up a clipboard. "I want each of you to enter the obstacle course and achieve three objectives." He held up a finger. "Your first objective is to reach the end of the strip as quickly as possible and move the log to the second section in front of the first mast, marked by the 'x'." He held up a second finger. "Your second objective is to retrieve a ribbon from the highest mast." He held up his final finger. "Finally, I want you to get across the pool of water without getting wet and find the ball; it will correspond to your ribbon. When you find it, place your ribbon over the spot where you believe your ball is hidden and you will have completed your goal.
"I will mark you out of ten for hohō, hakuda, zanjutsu, reiryoku and reiatsu manipulation. I will also award tens based on objectives achieved and how creatively you achieve them. This course is designed to help me assess your skill sets, whatever they may be. There are no rules. You are free to decide how you achieve your objectives and I encourage you to use any and all techniques you're familiar with to complete the course."
Even before he finished speaking, the sound of loud rumblings reached Yuumichika's ears. As he looked around, he studied their expressions. Some were excited and eager to rise to the challenge, like Lieutenant Kusajishi. Some were displeased by the idea of revisiting such fundamentals, with Ikkaku among them. Some looked nervous by the prospect of being embarrassed in front of the entire squad.
Either way, Yuumichika was sure this would separate the metaphorical men from the boys, and reveal those with the potential to challenge the enemy in a future engagement. No one would be exempt from this, not even him. Yuumichika stared at the course, and took a deep breath. It was time to lead by example.
(Flashback — Early Morning — Ninth Division Training Grounds)
"The first hurdle for any shinigami, in beginning their training at the academy, is to learn how to control their flow of reiryoku. It starts in here," said Shūhei, pointing to his chest. He assumed a comfortable position on the grass, and gestured for Yuumichika to follow his example. "During this exercise, I want you to close your eyes, and only open them if I tell you to, okay?"
The new Third Seat nodded, as he too, got comfortable. He laid his zanpakutō close to him on the grass.
"The first thing I want you to do is feel for you reiryoku; it is stored in every cell of your body. You can ask it to move from one area of your body to another, or you can ask what reiryoku you have in an area, to multiply. It has an ebb and a flow. Can you feel it?" asked Hisagi.
Yuumichika took a moment to concentrate on his reiryoku; it wasn't something he was used to doing consciously or often. He could hear his own heart beating, along with a gentle flow of reiryoku. The Lieutenant was correct in that it didn't seem to pool in any particular area of his body.
"Good. Now, I want you to test it a little. See if you can focus your reiryoku in your arms, but don't try to force it; we want a clean, steady flow."
A tiny crease formed on his brow, as Yuumichika began to consciously push at his reiryoku, to get to move towards his arms. For a moment, nothing happened. The crease became slightly more pronounced as Yuumichika tried again. Instead of pushing, he took a deep breath and imagined a clear path from his chest to his arms. With nothing more than a gentle nudge, his reiryoku moved steadily, but this time, with purpose. As the reiryoku settled in his upper arms, the Third Seat gave a little nod to Hisagi.
"Good. Hold it there," said Shūhei. "Concentrate on the sensation of it pooling in your arms; what does it feel like to you?"
"Um," said Yuumichika, as his cheek tightened as he thought about it. "It feels like the start of pins and needles. It's not painful and my arms don't feel heavy. It's less than a tingle; if I wasn't focussed on it, I probably wouldn't notice it."
The Lieutenant nodded with a smile, despite Yuumichika having his eyes closed, but his approval still crept into his tone. "Perfect, release it and we'll move on to the next step."
Using the same method as before, he guided his reiryoku to return to his chest, with a tiny smile on his lips replacing the crease on his brow.
Shūhei smiled. Most reapers could do this subconsciously with ease if they were asked to perform a specific technique, but when asked to control the process, many tripped over the how's and whys. Reiryoku wouldn't move if you told it to. If a reaper couldn't master this step, they would find subsequent training almost impossible.
"Very good, Yuumichika. I've seen many reapers struggle with this. It's something each and every individual to figure out for themselves, because we're all different. Mastering this step allows us to build a foundation upon which we can grow and learn more advanced techniques. Now, I want you to focus it in your head. Let it pool as it pleases, but don't let it move lower than your chin."
An imperceptible frown crossed Yuumichika's face, as he failed to understand why the Lieutenant would ask that, but he trusted Shūhei. Imagining a clear path, he gave his reiryoku a nudge and felt it creep along his sinuses and tingle behind his eyes and ears, before nodding to Shūhei.
"Excellent, Yuumichika," said Hisagi with a little excitement. "Keep your eyes closed, and just concentrate on that feeling."
With so much reiryoku centred in his head, everything felt strange. A deep and surprising sense of tranquillity washed over Yuumichika, as he sank into the sensation of low buzzing and miniscule pinpricks—it felt as if someone had drugged him; he couldn't decide if his senses had decided to stop working or if his brain was failing to interpret new information correctly. The sound of Shūhei's voice seemed strange to Yuumichika. He could hear the words, but it was as if each syllable had floated to him through a cloud of fog.
"Okay, push your reiryoku out of every pore. Let it bleed and become reiatsu."
Wisps of green reiatsu began to cling in the air around Yuumichika's hair. It continued to build and seep from the Third Seat, rolling from his head to his shoulders, across his chest to his lap, and onto the grass. The tiny blades vibrated under the green wash of energy, before it curled around Ruri'iro Kujaku like smoke, causing Shūhei to hold his breath in anticipation.
Yuumichika gasped, as an unexpected surge of colour burst across his senses. Azure assaulted him, like fire running through his veins. As he became accustomed to the jarring sensation, he finally realised that he was feeling his zanpakutō. Before he could dwell on it, Shūhei's voice wafted through the fog.
"Try to follow me with your reiatsu."
If not for his closed eyes, Yuumichika might have blinked as he began to comprehend the instructions. He pushed his reiryoku with an urgency and felt it respond with alacrity. The fog around him lifted slightly, as the heavy reiryoku became less concentrated in his head. A wave of energy surged from within some deep recess of his body and rushed outwards across the grass, before flinching in a sense, as he met a burst of new energy. Another gasp rose from his lips as he caught a glimpse of it. Shūhei's reiatsu was powerful and different. He frowned as he sensed a massive propensity for violence combined with vicious wrath, and yet, a calm well of restraint and control. He found it both paradoxical and disconcerting.
Instead of backing off, he urged his reiatsu to give chase. It responded easily with a voracious hunger, and Yuumichika saw bursts of sea green forming a trail. He could 'see' the bursts of shunpō, zigzagging far away. He flinched when the sea green signature exploded like a firework in a dark sky as the Lieutenant shot upwards into the air, and found himself breathing heavily when he suddenly stopped mid-ascent.
Curious, Yuumichika paused as he wondered what the Lieutenant would do next.
Hisagi, standing calmly in the sky, had no need to look down at the Third Seat. He could feel the man's reiatsu circling him unobtrusively, and he couldn't help but smile. The smile widened into a grin, as he devised a devilish scheme to throw him off. Wordlessly, he spun, casting lightning fast hadō into the air around him. Some of it diffused harmlessly into the sky, while others grazed the canopy, sending shards of leaves down upon the Third Seat, like confetti. Abandoning his perch, he resumed zigzagging to other spots, as he began a slow descent, back to the ground.
A clipped laugh of haughty disdain rose from Yuumichika, as he realised what Shūhei was attempting. Flashes of goldenrod and bursts of crimson, ignited across his senses, but he ignored it, choosing only to chase the dots of sea green. It was incredibly clear now for some reason. He wanted to laugh as he felt the wisps of Shūhei's reiatsu shrink and become fainter. Was he trying to hide? How was Hisagi to know that his reiatsu was born of a desire to consume? Naturally, it had to be able to sense reiatsu in order to do that.
Hisagi clamped down on his reiatsu as tightly as he could, as Yuumichika finally came into view. He was exactly as Shūhei had left him, sitting on the grass with his feet tucked under his body, and his hands resting gracefully at his sides. He made no sound as he drew Kazeshini, and crept ever closer to Yuumichika. Grasping the sealed sword with both hands, he vaulted himself silently at the man's back.
Clang!
Yuumichika waited for the strike to come before he countered. In a flash of hohō-enhanced speed, he drew Ruri'iro Kujaku with his right hand, and swung it around his head and behind his neck. The impact of Kazeshini's fury-filled strike was easily absorbed, as his own sword rested harmlessly across his shoulder, preventing Shūhei from cutting him. Then he pushed with his reiatsu, relentlessly, forcing Hisagi to step back. He opened his eyes, the moment he sensed the Lieutenant sheath his blade.
"Nice try, Shūhei."
He turned and rose, meeting Hisagi's gaze, unaware that his eyes were glowing with azure reiryoku. Slowly the reiatsu dissipated, and the Lieutenant broke the silence.
"Outstanding!" said Shūhei. "You have remarkable control of your reiryoku; you made that look easy!"
Yuumichika wasn't exactly sure how to respond. Was it normal to fail?
Sensing the confusion, Shūhei continued. "When shinigami do this exercise for the first time, the weight of concentrated reiryoku is tough to see past. The more reiryoku that gets released as reiatsu, the clearer your senses become. It's very difficult to direct reiatsu once it's released, and most soul reapers tend to fill up the air around them. Few actually direct it to seek or follow. It's precisely the reason I asked you to focus your reiryoku in your head and not your whole body; I wanted you to engage your senses and not just fill up the air around you."
Yuumichika considered his words carefully. "Then, perhaps some amateurs are set up to fail?"
Shūhei tilted his head. "Oh?"
"If you wanted me to fail, then you wouldn't have performed a massive burst of reiatsu when you used shunpō to leave; you would have masked it beforehand. Since you didn't, I was able to get a clear sense of it first; your reiatsu is very distinct," he paused, and Hisagi paid very close attention. "It felt like an intensely violent anger, almost like a consuming desire to kill. Equally, it felt extraordinarily calm and controlled. I followed the bursts of colour, but right before the moment of your 'attack', I could feel Kazeshini's bloodlust. Coming from Squad Eleven, that's a difficult emotion to miss."
"You felt Kazeshini?" Shūhei wore a stunned expression. "That's how the kidō didn't confuse you? You saw the different colours?"
Yuumichika nodded. "I saw goldenrod and crimson, so I suspected you cast Raikōhō and Shakkahō. I followed the sea green."
With eyebrows almost vanishing to his hairline, Shūhei blinked. "Unbelievable," he said in an almost whisper. "Students never discern colours on their first try. Wow!" He began laughing to himself.
"That's good that I managed it, then," said Yuumichika.
"Good? It's a lot more than that. It's a mandatory skill for any seated officer, especially a Third Seat. Oh, they'll have trouble hiding from you!" He laughed again. "Come on, we still have work to do. When we're done, I have something I want to show you."
Yuumichika frowned.
With a goofball grin, Shūhei clarified, "No tricks, I promise. You are going to love this."
Yuumichika closed his eyes, frowning with deep concentration. He pushed his reiryoku to his neck, spine and legs in the shape of a double pronged fork. Adding reiryoku at his neck would protect his head from whiplash and allow him to utilise as much speed as possible. He took his place at the start of the obstacle course, breathed deeply, and vanished in a burst of shunpō.
Air rushed past his ears, and his surroundings began to blend together as he tackled the straight, unobstructed part of the course. After a few seconds had elapsed, the first shrubs and trees began to block his path. He avoided the sparse bushes easily, before taller trees presented a wall. He sped up the incline as he approached it, and directed his reiryoku to flood his thighs. In the microseconds it took for him to reach the base of the tree head on, he bent his legs and released the massive amount of stored reiryoku. The air erupted in a burst of green reiatsu, as he shot himself vertically into the air.
As he broke free of the canopy, the air around him shivered with thick, dense vibrations, as his reiatsu swelled up rapidly around him. With poise, Yuumichika moved his foot to take a step forward, and his reiatsu responded effortlessly, as if it possessed a mind of its own. It shimmered and glittered as it packed and folded itself into panels, allowing the Third Seat to gracefully step beyond the treetops to dodge them altogether.
The diamond tiles formed and disintegrated with each fluid step, as Yuumichika jogged past the thickest group of trees, before he closed his eyes serenely and allowed the panel that was supporting him to dissipate. His sleeves and hair immediately fluttered in the updraft as he began to plummet.
His reiatsu hung around him like a cloud, and its tell-tale pinpricks soothed him. When the ground approached like a rocket, it caught him in an invisible cushion a few feet from the ground, allowing him to land effortlessly at a pace fast enough for him to continue to run. He had finally reached the log.
When he had designed the course, he decided to add the log because it was a useful way of representing many different battle conditions such as blockades, fallen debris, and even an injured shinigami. Moving the log to the marked spot meant any potentially injured reapers could be removed from harm's way or that anything blocking a reaper for any reason, would no longer be an issue.
Yuumichika maintained the reiryoku in his legs and now directed more to his arms, shoulders and back. With a strength that looked like it was beyond his slim frame's capacity to muster, he scooped it up at one end with both arms, and shimmied towards the marked point, glancing over his shoulder as he did. This would be the exact pose he would use, if this were indeed, an unconscious comrade. He dropped it in place and stood, allowing the heavy reiryoku to retreat back to his core. He eyed the masts.
Again, in this context, the masts were not merely wooden poles; they could represent trees, walls, roofs or an area of steep or sparse footing. The Third Seat knew the whole squad was paying close attention, so instead of taking the easy route and forming more tiles of reiatsu, he decided to keep them guessing. The towering poles had one more trick up their sleeve. The key lay in the variety of heights and the spacing between them.
Reinforcing his legs with reiryoku, Yuumichika bent his knees and jumped. He monitored his momentum carefully, making sure his flow of reiatsu behind him would taper off as he approached the tip of the mast. As he placed a foot forward to land, he was already eying the next mast; if he stopped, he would only waste his reiatsu reserves and the momentum he had built. He touched down with his toes, and leapt again, this time choosing a taller mast on his right.
As he neared the second mast, the Third Seat paused mentally. His hair fluttered furiously around his face. Creases formed on his brow; he had very little margin for error. The second the momentum from his jump brought him to the second mast, he reached out with his hands instead of his feet, flipping himself in a handstand. All in a fraction of a second, he eyed a third mast off to the left, barely a third of the height of the one he was touching. He bent his legs, forming a tile of reiatsu, before kicking off in the downward direction of the third mast.
This was a crucial skill to master; if a soul reaper was forced to flee from or pursue an enemy, they had to be able to do so with fluent agility. Fleeing in a straight line wasn't smart, and enemies knew that. Their current enemy loved working from many different vantage points, and knew instinctively how to navigate from one to the next; the squad members had to show competence using the same technique at the same speed to remove any advantageous benefit the enemy had from using this skill. That meant pursuing them in every direction.
He made quick work of the majority of the masts, zigzagging between them with ease. He readied himself to land on a particularly tall mast, and drew his zanpakutō.
"Sake, Fuji Kujaku," said Yuumichika, ignoring the petulant anger rising from it. The four identical blades appeared from the hilt.
As he touched down on the mast, he kicked off towards the tallest, where an aquamarine blue ribbon danced amidst the rush of reiatsu. With careful aim, Yuumichika swung his false shikai within a hair's breadth of the slippery fabric, before his momentum slowed and he began to fall. He didn't try to prevent his descent, which he realised would confuse his spectators. He landed without fuss, before glancing upwards. Sure enough, the blue ribbon spiralled downwards exactly like a sycamore seed.
With expert accuracy, he plucked the ribbon out of the air and made his way to the water-filled pool. Shūhei had explained that some reapers found it more difficult to create reiatsu tiles on a surface whose fluidity continued to change. Yuumichika had argued that it wasn't any more difficult than solidifying the gases which made up the air, until the Lieutenant pointed out the kink in his statement. The gases in the air were microscopic and therefore invisible, whereas the water molecules were quite visible. It was that difference that messed with a reaper's ability to visualise the process. Again, Yuumichika was sceptical of whether visualisation was the correct way to manifest tiles, but Shūhei reminded him gently of the varied proficiency levels among reapers, as well as those who tended to be more visually inclined. For those reapers, this would be a valuable test.
Yuumichika inhaled and closed his eyes. Like the blades of a helicopter creating unnatural ripples in nearby water, the reiatsu built up in the air, dense and heavy causing the surface of the water to billow and undulate under its effects.
Consciously, Yuumichika packed the reiatsu, forcing it to fold itself repeatedly until it blanketed the steady, bubbling surface. Very gradually, the bubbles and ripples slowed, but remained visible as if looking at the water through a film of plastic. Unlike ice that cracked and split, the reiatsu clung to the surface like smooth, shimmering glass. Now that it was solid, he raced across the pool with ease, and like the tiles from earlier, the film dissolved naturally as a matter of course. Fine droplets of water sprayed around him, as the reiatsu dissipated.
Yuumichika walked to the pit of freshly dug soil and closed his eyes before he exhaled. He focused his reiryoku in his head and revelled, despite himself, in the intoxicating sensation of tranquillity and peace. He pushed at his reiryoku, allowing it to spill from him, causing a burst of blue across his vision from the ribbon in his hand. It fluttered as his reiatsu moved to the edge of the pit, where hundreds of bursts of new colours popped up peripherally.
He saw the tiny swirls of fuchsia, marigold, lime and cyan, to name a few. He focussed only on the aquamarine, identical to the fabric in his hand, before he spotted it two feet deep, in the north-east corner of the pit. He crossed the pit and dropped his ribbon over the spot, causing the reiatsu signatures to meld together. As he opened his eyes, the swirl of reiatsu caused tremors in the soil, as the pull from the ribbon started forcing the ball to the surface like a magnet. With the ball and the ribbon in his hand, the brilliant blue reiatsu faded, and Yuumichika exited the course.
As his feet carried him towards his squad members, he mused at the remarkable training tool the ball and ribbon had proven to be. Hisagi had given him a box full, saying each was created to mimic the signature of a reaper, who had held it for a few seconds, and only when the items were brought back into close proximity would that signature fade. For that reason, they had to be stored separately until any training exercises had been completed. It was a useful way of teaching reapers to seek using their reiatsu for those that had trouble with detection.
He was instantly roused from his musing when the sound of scattered applause reached him. He blinked and took in the sight of the squad in their hundreds, clapping and smiling. Some stood in awe, clapping enthusiastically, while some were impressed and their claps echoed politely. Others were not so gracious. Their expressions came across as bored and even resentful, and their claps were little more than palms touching fingertips, a poor imitation for the sake of appearances.
Yuumichika bowed and smiled at the assembly, and acted as though he hadn't noticed any surliness. He needed to walk a fine line of showing his competence, but not rubbing their noses in a strong sense of superiority. If he wanted them to knuckle down and trust both him and each other, then he couldn't alienate them by pushing them away. It was clear, however, he had already pushed some beyond what was considered normal for Squad Eleven. Unfortunately, when it came to controlling their reiryoku, he couldn't do very much about it; they needed to know this.
Yachiru had no such compunctions with Yuumichika's instructions or demonstration, and bounced on her tiptoes with impatience. "Is it my turn now?" she asked, staring up at the Third Seat with huge round, pleading eyes. "I wanna go, please!"
"I would love that!" said Yuumichika, "But I'm going to need my clipboard and pen first; I put it down when I entered the course."
"Why?" she asked, with a cute little pout.
"Remember what I said at the start? This is a test, and I need to watch the whole squad and see what they do. Then, I'm going to give them numbers out of ten and make notes if they do anything special so I don't forget later when I make teams." He gave a mild shrug.
She hummed in serious thought before an epiphany caused her face to light up in a huge, adorable smile. "Like try-outs?"
"Exactly," said Yuumichika.
With a nod, she vanished and the Third Seat blinked. In a flash, she returned with his clipboard and pen, earning a wry smile. When he held his hand out to the tiny Lieutenant, she took it with a squeal of delight, and proceeded to start dragging the Third Seat to the start of the course.
When he broke away from her, she pouted, but he had to move the log back to its original position and put a new ribbon on the highest mast. With a burst of reiatsu, he took his position in the air in the centre of the course, and gave the go ahead. With a grin, Yachiru squealed in delight and disappeared.
Her speed was incredible; Yuumichika could scarcely make out her form as she rushed through the straight like a bullet. The steep incline didn't give her a second's pause. When she reached the trees and bushes, he was sure he heard a giggle as she began to hop in a zigzag shape to avoid the thickest groups. All he could see was her vast reiatsu rustling the tops of the canopies.
Clear of the trees, she faced the log. Instead of slowing down, she approached it from its side, sliding along the ground, delivering a well-aimed reiatsu-reinforced kick. It was so well measured, the log slid to the marked spot in seconds, and not an inch further. To say Yuumichika was impressed was an understatement. Under her name, he noted the chart with full tens for speed, accuracy and ground agility, with a feather-adorned eyebrow raised in approval.
Jogging rhythmically, she hopped onto the wide surface of the centre of the log and pushed off with a huge burst of pink reiatsu. As she somersaulted into the air, he could feel her utter joy and freedom; her reiatsu was beyond beautiful. At its core, he could feel it as the epitome of a carefree childhood wrought with games and laughter, and safety. As she bounced from mast to mast, it was as though it was against the rules to touch the ground. She performed expert rolls, falls and vaults as if the entire section was little more than a trampoline made for her amusement. With every leap and dive, she squealed and giggled, and despite himself, Yuumichika couldn't help chuckling at her antics.
After touching down on every mast at least once, the fluttering lavender ribbon was too much for the tiny Lieutenant to continue to ignore. As she neared the tallest mast, she pounced like an experienced hunter, and with her bounty in her tiny hand, she rushed towards the water instead of the ground.
Her rapid descent threw massive amounts of reiatsu into the air, forcing the water to erupt in turbulent waves taller than a man. The second they reached their crescendo, she pulsed her reiatsu with precision, freezing the water in that shape. With a squeal of childlike glee, she landed on the tip of the solid wave, and used it as a slide to reach the other side. Yuumichika furiously scribbled on his notepad with absolute shock and amazement at her novel approach. He awarded her perfect tens for mid-air agility by combining reiatsu control and hakuda.
At the final stage, she paused for a moment, pacing in the forefront. He could feel her reiatsu probing the ground, and while it looked like she was treating the exercise as a game, she was taking it very seriously. Honing in on her target, she performed a quick burst of shunpō and dropped her ribbon. As the ball rose to the surface, she bounced on her tiptoes, as peals of laughter filled the air. Ball in hand, she exited the course to a loud, genuine applause. She rushed towards her father, eager to show him her prize, and he swept her up in a bear hug. His joy and pride filled his reiatsu and his smile lit up his face despite his fresh scars.
Yuumichika finished noting his final comments, and reset the course, replacing the log and adding a new ribbon at the highest mast, before looking back at the ground. Holding his hand out in a thumbs up position, his voice rang down clearly, "Perfect score, Kusajishi Fukutaichou!" Cheers rose at his words, and Yuumichika looked back at his list; next on the roster was… Zaraki Taichou! He grinned; this ought to be good.
"Captain Zaraki," said Yuumichika, causing the throngs difficulty in choosing whether to look at him or the Captain. "You're up!" The vibe of the crowd changed dramatically from warm-hearted cheers for their Lieutenant to a manly ramped up chant for their fearsome leader. As one, it rose, "Za-ra-ki! Za-ra-ki!" and their fists pumped the air.
"Go, Ken-chan!" Yachiru pumped her tiny fist in the air and a vicious, toothy grin was his only answer, as the Captain eyed the course with his game face. He strolled to the starting point and vanished.
Yuumichika watched as his form melted into a blur, and instantly he knew he would have trouble following the progress of a Captain as fast as Zaraki. He focused his reiryoku in his head and engaged his senses to rapidly hone in on the giant Captain by pushing his reiryoku into reiatsu with urgency. Unlike during his training with Shūhei, he kept his eyes open, keen to follow the man's every move carefully. His reiatsu rushed to follow as Zaraki neared the trees. When he finally caught up, he shuddered at the sheer force and power of his Captain's reiatsu, but noted it was determined and excited. At its core, Yuumichika felt its hunger. It wanted a challenge, a bloodthirsty fight, and one morsel of combat would never be enough; it was insatiable. It was hard to describe the demonic feeling. He also felt the overwhelming urge to protect, and even a tiny shred of it felt lost. Apparently, there was a lot more to the Captain than most realised.
Like a mountain slamming into a forest, Zaraki's reiatsu bulldozed through the large section of trees, and the sounds of branches being ripped apart flooded the entire Division. From his vantage point, Yuumichika was shocked when a second surge of reiatsu filled his senses and encroached itself inside the obstacle course; it was Lieutenant Kusajishi. As he raised an eyebrow in confusion, his attention was pulled back to the Captain who had reached the log. He felt the Captain curl his reiatsu carefully around the log to avoid obliterating it, before scooping it up over his shoulder in one fell swoop. Yuumichika was forced to raise another impressed eyebrow when the Captain used shunpō while hoisting the log with a reiryoku-enhanced shoulder.
'Definitely a ten for speed and reiryoku manipulation!" thought Yuumichika, as he rapidly noted his pad. His attention was ripped away from his hastily written words, however, when Yachiru's path finally intersected with Zaraki's.
Kenpachi's grin grew at the sight of her, and whatever plan of attack he had for the masts flew out the window when she resumed her usual perch atop his shoulder. This time, though, she hunched carefully on the balls of her feet with a slightly more serious expression than normal. As Zaraki flew past the first mast with excessive speed, Yachiru kicked off like a rocket. Yuumichika watched their trajectory as Zaraki continued in a straight, horizontal line, while Yachiru beelined directly towards the tallest mast without a single sideways glance at any of the others. With pinpoint precision, she landed on the tallest mast, grabbed the freshly replaced peach ribbon, and leapt towards the ground feet first. Yuumichika smiled when Zaraki simply reached out one giant arm to catch her and place her on his shoulder, in the same second his shunpō brought him to the end of the section.
The second they reached the water, Kenpachi stood and pushed his reiatsu out forcefully. Above him, Yachiru didn't so much as flinch when he unleashed that much, and joined him by adding hers to the mix. As both masses of energy hit the bank of the pit, Yuumichika gasped both from the sheer amount of reiatsu in the air and from the shock at what he was seeing; the water was receding, revealing nothing but fresh dirt. Zaraki took a step forward, and then another, while Yachiru began to surrender to the sheer amount of reiatsu coursing through her body if the lazy, dreamy smile was any indication. The further he walked, the more the water began to refill the pit behind him. They crossed the pool, unfettered, and with each step, the water returned to its previously calm state.
As Kenpachi stepped up to the overturned soil, Yachiru covered his eyes with her hands and melded their reiatsu until he could sense the same colours as she could. He walked blindly, with complete trust, and dropped his ribbon over the place where she indicated. When the peach ball rose to the surface, the crowd erupted into thunderous cheers.
Yuumichika finished his final notes as they clapped in celebration. Another perfect score with extra credit for seamless teamwork. Secretly, since both the Lieutenant and the Captain had thoroughly enjoyed the course, he hoped some of the men's misgivings may have left them. With an imperceptible shrug, he decided to withhold his fears, instead hoping for the best. He had faith in his squad.
"Alright!" he said, as he reset the course, and took his place in the centre, "Furuda Harunobu, you're up!"
Kyouraku Shunsui found himself escorted inside the threshold of a mansion, deep in the Seireitei, and he could scarcely understand why. The Chiba's were nobility, undoubtedly, but nowhere near as revered or influential as say, the Kuchiki's. All he knew was he had been woken up by a hell butterfly directly from the Soūtaichou, saying to get to the Chiba residence yesterday. It had to be the most bizarre wakeup call he could remember in a very long time.
When he stepped inside, he got a strong sense that something was very, very wrong. None of the staff would make eye contact, and there was an instant foreboding air to the place. It was decidedly dreary and depressing.
"Good morning," he said hesitantly, as a young man stepped forward. Shunsui bowed to him.
The man returned his bow, but it was far shallower than Shunsui was used to. He wore a stunning midnight blue kimono, adorned by exquisite, delicate silver embroidery, over several layers. His steps were quite surefooted, but silent. His body was delicate, and yet belayed a strength that suggested years of physical training. His chocolate hair fell behind his back in a perfect curtain, with the top sectioned and tied back in a loose bun at the base of his head. He completed the look with a pin in the shape of five kusamaki leaves in a symmetrical fan.
"I wish I could return your pleasant sentiment, but alas, I cannot," replied the man, with measured emotion in his voice. His voice, and upon closer inspection, his hands, were shaking. It was slight, but it was there. "I am Ryuunosuke, and this is my mother, Shiori-sama." He moved his arm in a delicate wave, and as Shunsui followed its progress, he made out a finely dressed older woman staring at a wall. Kyouraku bowed to her, but she didn't acknowledge him. He hesitated.
Ryuunosuke moved, catching Kyouraku's eye, and pinned him with a serious expression. His mouth was tight and pursed and his eyes were firm and troubled. With a simple shake of his head, Kyouraku got the message and moved away from the woman. Returning his eyes to the son, he continued to press him silently and frowned when he tore his gaze away from the Captain's, instead of shining a light on the reason for his presence.
What in the blazes was going on? Why is everyone acting so strangely?
"Come with me," said Ryuunosuke, as if reading his thoughts. "I wish I could explain this to you, but I do not possess the adequate words. Nothing will prepare you for what you are about to see."
Kyouraku noticed that the house staff had stopped following them the further they walked towards the private wing. As they neared what Kyouraku suspected to be the master bedroom, the man paused and faced him. As if he had lost control of his own arms, the man touched Shunsui's shoulders as if pleading with him.
"My father, Seiya-sama, has been the victim of a horrific crime. I want you to find the person that did this, and have them executed." He spewed the word almost viciously before pausing conspicuously. "He was murdered."
"Murdered—?" said Shunsui. His eyes burned with alarm.
Whatever he thought the man would say, this was not it. Nobles were not murdered in their own homes; they weren't murdered at all! Shunsui's eyebrows all but vanished into his hairline and the man gave him a quick nod, released the door handle and returned, presumably, to his mother. As Shunsui stared at the unlocked door and braced himself.
The first thing that hit him in the dim, but spacious room, was the smell. It was the most terrible smell he had ever experienced. Old, stale blood hit him with a force so strong, his eyes almost watered. It was laced with other scents; sweat, possibly a number of bodily fluids that he didn't care to identify, as well as the scent of new decay. As a combination, it was so thick in the air, he could taste it and fought the urge to gag where he stood.
And then he saw it.
The body of a once proud nobleman, spread naked on his own bed. His limbs looked incredibly strange, but worst of all, his ribcage had been resected and left open in a gruesome display leaving the organs exposed.
Shunsui's mouth fell open in an audible shriek of sheer horror; this was no murder, it was torture. He took a step closer to process what he was seeing, before instantly regretting it. Streaks of blood stained the expensive silk where blood had trailed from raw nail beds. Sweat had pooled under the largest parts of his body and Shunsui found himself imploring the corpse with his eyes.
'Why didn't you move? Why didn't you fight back? Surely, your screams would have woken the household?' Each thought took him another unwitting step closer.
A gleam of light crossed his peripheral vision from the visible rib bones, all the way above the body, and Kyouraku flinched. For a second, he thought a second cadaver was tied to the canopy of the bed, when it dawned on him. It was nothing more than a reflection on a mirror, coincidentally, the length of a man. He glared at it, genuinely feeling thunderous rage for the first time.
Whoever did this, made you watch. No… needed you to watch!
His anger intensified, as he raked his eyes across Seiya's body, and he felt a terrible sadness for the man.
He hesitated to touch the body, but he couldn't understand why his limbs looked so strange. The hands and feet looked like they had been inflated, they were so swollen, and the long parts of the arms and legs were flat. He pinched the tip of a finger above the nail bed softly, but to his dismay, all he felt was fluid when it gave way under his touch. He moved his hand higher and prodded the lower arm. It was exactly as he suspected; the bones were shattered.
But how?
He bravely brought his gaze to the man's chest, and tried to be objective, as difficult as it was to hold back his outrage. The top of the skin around the ribcage was smoothly cut, but as he followed the clean line on the edge of the skin, he knew from a certain point, the killer had lost their patience and ripped the skin the rest of the way open. Marks on the bone, meant they had been forcibly yanked out of position somehow, and all just to expose the man's heart. It was sliced through. He was stabbed.
Is that what eventually ended your suffering?
He tore his eyes away from the scene and tried to process it all. Nothing made sense and he burned with questions, for which there were no answers. The thing that did this would never admit it, and Seiya, well, he couldn't tell anyone what had happened. Shunsui's eyes hardened as he vowed to uncover the truth.
The sound of a fly buzzing around the room, broke Kyouraku from his abysmal thoughts, as it flew closer and closer to Seiya as if to land. Something snapped inside of him and he lashed out with his reiatsu to bat it away. Instantly, he staggered to his knees, and his mouth fell open in a silent scream.
The room was steeped in a sick sense of rage and revenge. Like a cloud of black fury, it clung to the textiles and walls like ash after a fire. There was a hint of madness, but it was controlled and delivered to draw the utmost amount of pain and misery from the victim. He felt the condescending presence of a captor that patronised Seiya, and prolonged his suffering with every spoken word and every agonising touch. He felt fierce retribution, and a burning promise of more to follow.
Shunsui tried to catch his breath as he was mentally assaulted by pain and misery. He could feel the agony and flashes of Seiya's screams echoed in his head. Tears rolled down his aged face, as there was nothing he could do to stop his torment, because he was restrained by kidō. The helplessness ate at the Captain, as he dwelled in the never-ending yearning for the pain to stop. He felt every pitiful sob and every cough that rattled his frail body. Amazingly, at the very end, he felt acceptance.
The swell of sounds and images came to a close and Shunsui swayed where he stood. Before he made any theories, he brushed his reiatsu across the doorframe and sighed in understanding, the killer had sealed the room using kidō. As he investigated further, he saw a used and empty glass of alcohol next to a comfortable armchair in the corner of the room. Suddenly, a picture began to take shape in his mind, and as it did, Shunsui's panic rose.
Someone entered this room when Seiya was sleeping, and sealed it; their presence and any sound made, would be obscured from the rest of the household. They made themselves comfortable, knowing they wouldn't be disturbed, because they were intimately familiar with the routine of every member of the family and the staff.
They came here with the intention to squeeze every ounce of pain possible from a man's body, because they truly believed he deserved it. He had done something this individual considered unforgivable and this was his punishment. This person believed wholeheartedly, everything they had done, was correct. The specific elements to the torture meant the killer was deeply knowledgeable in anatomy and had no qualms with blood, screams or gore.
Lastly, the reiatsu. The person that did this had vast, deep reserves of reiatsu. When Seiya accepted the torment because he knew it wouldn't end. Why? Simple; he knew his attacker, and because he knew them so well, he knew they would never stop.
Shunsui fled the room. His eyes were wild with the implications of everything he had seen and learned. As a lone Captain, this was far above his capacity to prosecute. He would need three Captains, including himself, if not a tribunal composed of Central 46 members.
"Kyouraku Taichou?"
Shunsui's unseeing eyes focused as he finally noticed Ryuunosuke. Somehow, he had wandered back to the foyer. He snapped into action, shocking the already traumatised family.
"I have to contact the Captains; my orders did not prepare me for this." He took a deep breath. "Whoever did this, knew every person in this house; they knew who would be here, where they would be and what they were doing." Alarm rose on their faces. "This person was holding an unbelievable grudge. This wasn't an accident; they wanted it to happen like this because they were holding an unbelievable grudge; Seiya-sama knew his attacker, and so do I!"
Every person gasped in shock at his admission. Three black hell butterflies formed in his palm.
"Someone with reiatsu did this; a member of nobility or a soul reaper!"
He vowed to himself for Seiya's sake, he would find who did this, and they would pay.
He released the butterflies.