Chapter 13 - The Precision We Expect
Translations
Goteijūsantai - Gotei 13 - Thirteen Court Guard Squads
Tekkō - the white fabric gauntlets worn by Rukia and Byakuya Kuchiki.
Asauchi - A zanpakutō that hasn't revealed its name to its shinigami.
~ Day Four - Afternoon - Squad Thirteen Training Grounds~
Rukia bit back her nerves as she saw the members of her Division form their ranks before her. She'd led training before, but never anything as serious as an entire form of zanjutsu to the whole squad. Thankfully, Byakuya had insisted she learn the six forms fully, and with a deep breath, she thanked her brother for his wisdom. With her closed eyes focussed, she recalled the lessons he had given her on the subject, and she rested a hand delicately on the hilt of her zanpakutō. He had been sure in his delivery, and she needed to emulate that. With that in mind, she addressed the assembled reapers.
"Seimitsudō, the Way of Precision, is primarily an offensive branch of zanjutsu, but it offers significant means for the user to protect themselves. It is one of the six core forms and is characterised by extreme deliberation. As its name suggests, this form focusses on pinpoint accuracy and lightning speed. Those who have mastered it are some of the most elegant, and lethal, swordsmen in the entire Goteijūsantai.
"The essence of this form is the nature of its inflexibility; it is meant to allow the practitioner to drop their opponent in an instant. Used correctly, it does not allow the enemy the opportunity to strike back, nor is it designed for long drawn-out battles, in fact, it's quite the opposite. Therefore, your enemy should be quickly incapacitated, crippled or dead. If not," she pinned them with an unsympathetic look that wasn't quite a glare, and said, "you will be killed instead. This form is unforgiving to both you, the swordsman, and your enemy, because it depends on you taking the offensive."
A few sharp gasps met her ears, but the young Kuchiki wasn't worried. She concentrated on her reiryoku and allowed it to fill her. Soon, the air around her grew heavy with white wisps of thick reiatsu, and her eyes became lidded under its influence. Delicate snowflakes danced in the air around her.
"Your body and blade must move at a speed that your opponent cannot defend against, even if they can see you coming. You must be beyond reach, a shadow." Her voice was mesmerising, and filled with power.
The squad members became entranced as she walked towards them with slow, deliberate steps.
"You need to move with absolute determination and target your strike with purpose. You have no hesitation," she said, her words were soft and light, mimicking the falling snow "You have no fear; you are safe."
They hung on her every word. "Embrace this facet of your being," she took another step, and her body flickered for a moment, "and you will master this form."
The sound of a dull thud snapped them out of their trance, when the top half of a training dummy hit the ground.
Their eyes widened and she knew what they were thinking. How did she move so fast? I didn't even see her draw her sword!
"Spread out to the posts and give yourself lots of space; we don't want any accidents," said Rukia. They obeyed, but she frowned. "The next time I ask you to move, I expect you to employ hohō. Proficiency and mastery depend on your speed." When the last person found themselves a spot in front of a wooden beam with enough room around them, she nodded. "Better," she remarked.
"Now, pay close attention. The kamae for this form is called Kushi, the skewer." She adopted the opening stance. "My opponent must be within a distance I can reach with ease; that is essential. I, however, must stay out of their reach. Preferably, they are facing a direction where my movements are difficult to determine, but this is not an absolute rule. Generally, the faster you can move, the more distance you can have between yourself and your enemy, it won't matter if they can see you coming or not. Choosing your position correctly ensures your safety and success.
"Stand with your feet shoulder width apart with your dominant foot in front to give you stability and security." She drew her sword and pointed it out in front of her with a single raised arm. "Again, your dominant arm should point your blade in the direction of the target you want to hit. This will allow you to visualise that target and ensure accuracy as you aim for it." She could see widening eyes and the majority of the men adopting her stance.
"Form a tight fist, be sure to point your thumb down the blade," said Rukia. "This will make your sword strokes small, precise and fluid, saving you from wasting time and reiatsu, thus allowing you to outlast your enemy, if you need to, because you have more energy." As she spoke, countless shinigami readjusted their grip on their zanpakutō's.
"Excellent, remember that stance, and sheath your zanpakutō's." She gave a nod of approval and sheathed Sode no Shirayuki.
"Choosing your target wisely is crucial; this form requires you to exploit all possible weaknesses. We want to target the eyes, neck, spine, arteries, tendons, feet, hands, wrists, and even organs if you can manage it. We're not interested in areas that are protected or reinforced such as the ribcage, the skull, the upper back or strong bones in the upper limbs." She looked back at the throngs, and was pleased to notice thoughtful expressions and nods of agreement. It was clear they had plenty of common sense.
"The technique that I demonstrated is iconic to this form of zanjutsu; it's called agitowari or the jaw splitter. To begin, focus your reiryoku throughout your stance, with emphasis on the legs and not just the feet. Reinforce your sword arm to match the speed of your shunpō. In the meantime, visualise two things, your target and your exit. Attempting this technique with nowhere to go after the strike, is suicide, got it?"
Hundreds of voices answered her and slowly, but surely, she noticed problems. While the vast majority had succeeded in pooling their reiryoku, quite a few hadn't. In the first row of posts, a young girl was frowning with her eyes closed, and Rukia felt a stab of sympathy.
"Miss?" she said softly, approaching the girl. The reaper opened her eyes, and upon seeing her instructor, they widened as her face flushed with embarrassment.
"Sano, Katsumi, Kuchiki-senpai," she said, trying not to look Rukia in the eye.
"Katsumi-san, where are you having trouble?" said Rukia.
More embarrassment crept into her cheeks before she wilted slightly. "All of it; I don't know how to focus my reiryoku," came the quiet words. Rukia offered a small smile to ease the girl's embarrassment and decided to confirm her suspicions.
"You used shunpō to reach the posts; did you find that difficult as well?" Though her words were focussed on Katsumi, they carried across the grounds easily.
"Ah, sort of," she replied. "I'm able to perform shunpō and some kidō, but I've never really thought about how it works. I can feel my reiryoku; it's there, but when I use it, it just works?" She rubbed her ear sheepishly. "I don't know how to explain it."
Rukia addressed the entire assembly. "Is anyone else having this problem?"
Murmurs of unease met her question, and as she looked, she saw several individuals bearing various degrees of awkwardness on their faces. Some tentatively raised an arm just high enough for her to notice.
"It's alright," said Rukia. "Everyone runs into this problem at some point. It's one thing to use reiryoku subconsciously, but all shinigami need to know how to direct it, and control that process. It is essential when advancing your training. Just follow my movements, okay?" she smiled, and with a nod, Katsumi gave her a shy smile in return. Rukia gazed out over the assembly and received a few nods and smiles.
"Good! Close your eyes and concentrate on your reiryoku. Feel it, it is swirling and flowing." Her voice adopted a calming quality, as she demonstrated exactly what she had just said. She continued, "To execute agitowari, we need to focus our reiryoku in our sword arm to facilitate the lightning strike, as well as from our hips to our feet to achieve the necessary speed. Don't force your reiryoku to move by poking or pushing it; instead, imagine a clear path from your chest to your hips and arm and give it a nudge."
Rukia waited, knowing this might seem out of character, but crippling these shinigami at this stage would do her no favours. Not only would it halt the training for those affected, ruining any chance of personal success, but it would also reinforce the notion of her being unapproachable, and uncaring towards them as individuals. She didn't want that.
Noticing a smile on Katsumi's face, Rukia released a silent breath in relief. "Excellent, repeat this process. Visualise and control it; direct your reiryoku to your chest and back to your arm and stance. As you repeat the exercise, it should become faster and easier. With sufficient practice, this will become second nature. When you are ready, place your hand on the pommel of your zanpakutō."
The majority of the shinigami followed her mandate immediately, but it took almost two minutes for the others to catch up. "Excellent," she said. "Now I will demonstrate the kata's of agitowari.
Simultaneously, she lifted her right foot and reached for her zanpakutō. As she withdrew her blade from its sheath, she had taken three steps towards the wooden post in front of her. As she took her fourth step, she slashed her blade in a wide arch as if imagining she were cutting the throat of her opponent. Her fifth step brought her side by side with the beam, and as she brought her foot up for the sixth time, the tip of her sword was already being redirected to its sheath by her left hand. Sealing it with a click, her next several steps brought her to a halt far from the wooden beam.
"Target your strike carefully. Then step and draw, aim and approach, move and slash, and finally, bypass and sheath. You have four seconds to repeat this exercise without using reiryoku. Please begin," said Rukia. At this speed, the technique wasn't nearly as intimidating. It was exactly how Byakuya had taught her at the mansion.
After ten minutes had passed, Rukia was pleased to see them executing the correct kata's. At the beginning she had noticed several shinigami reach their post before their zanpakutō's were properly positioned. More shinigami had halted to look at the blades while they resheathed them. She caught herself wincing at the rookie mistakes, despite knowing she had done exactly the same thing. These mistakes brought them directly to the enemy, unable to execute their intended strike, allowing said enemy to hit them first. It also potentially allowed a resilient or desperate enemy that hadn't fallen to the attack, to strike them in the back because they hadn't bypassed their opponent sufficiently.
"Good, now do it in three seconds." She watched their progress carefully and noticed several of them beginning to break a sweat. Several more minutes passed before she was satisfied.
"Now focus your reiryoku to your sword arm and stance; you have two seconds to complete the exercise."
She counted silently, again surprised by their competence. Those who had trouble focusing their reiryoku at the beginning took longer. "Again!"
She allowed them to repeat the kata's several more times before she held up her palm. "That was very well done! I want you to practice this in the future until you can do it in a fraction of a second. Now, we will move on to the next technique.
"Semu or snip, is almost the same as agitowari with one major difference; we're going to add additional strikes to perform the same technique on multiple opponents, simultaneously. For the purposes of this exercise, we will increase the number of sword strokes to three, understood?" she asked.
She nodded when she received an affirmative response from the squad. "Begin!"
Inwardly, she was interested to see how they would incorporate the additional strikes at a single post. Normally, they would have set up extra posts, but with less than three hours to cover the entire form, she was a little short on time. She expected them to pause as they struck, but she hoped a few would increase their speed to prevent this pause. As she watched, she observed a very small handful succeed, but knew it was a big ask for the entire division. She called a halt.
"Good. The next technique is very special; it is a powerful mental and physical attack. For this to work, you need to be within very close quarters of your opponent with your zanpakutō sheathed. Because you are that close, an enemy will believe you are unarmed and vulnerable. This is exactly what we need them to think because they will allow you to get closer."
She saw varying degrees of confusion and scepticism, but also noticed a few grins from those who were already familiar with the technique.
"Onibi or oni fire is a reiatsu infused pommel strike to the solar plexus, so powerful, it can burn a hole through their chest. The mental side of this attack tells the enemy that even though they thought you were vulnerable, you are much more of a threat than they realised, and you haven't even drawn your sword! Many enemies flee or surrender because of this attack, because they now believe that you are too dangerous to engage. I know personally of a Lieutenant that had a fight end in seconds thanks to this technique. Pay close attention," she finished.
She faced the wooden beam as if she were standing right in front of an enemy. She allowed her reiryoku to swell in her chest, imagining a clear path to her sword arm and into her hand. As if shielding herself from an attack, she twisted her upper body ever so slightly to the left in a crouch, gripping the pommel almost indiscernibly. She exerted her reiryoku, pushing her white reiatsu over the entire sword. A powerful presence burned through her. It was unmercifully cold, and yet, comforting and flexible. In a fraction of a second, she drew her blade, slowly uncurling her body, and as she drew to her full height, a gleam formed along the revealed blade. A loud smack sounded throughout the grounds when the pommel struck the post. As quickly as she struck, Rukia bent her knees and leapt backwards to a safe vantage point, revealing a charred, smouldering beam behind her. Gasps rang out as people blinked at the speed, accuracy and destruction. Rukia was sure some were imagining a wound on the chest of an unfortunate foe.
"Focus your reiryoku and pick a position in range of the beam, and aim; don't take your eyes off the point you intend to hit. Allow your reiatsu to flow through your zanpakutō as you touch it. Draw and strike, then bend your knees and evade. Please begin," said Rukia.
The group approached their posts and for nearly a whole minute, the grounds were silent as they concentrated. The air began filling with reiatsu, and the young Kuchiki found herself waiting with bated breath. Like a gatling gun being fired, the sound of metal on wood shattered the silence. Instead of cringing at the noise, Rukia grinned broadly, as every bang meant a reaper had performed the technique to perfection. As she gazed through the ranks, she made out the form of another young soul reaper, Kōji Miyamoto, she believed his name was. He stood before his post with a look of utter shock as he stared at his still smouldering post. Her eyebrows rose; a reaper with that kind of power needed to be honed and developed. Slowly it died down, and the reiatsu began to dissipate. When every shinigami had returned to a safe point, she applauded them.
"That was outstanding! Well done!" A burst of pride filled her as she took in their determined and pleased smiles and grins. 'Good,' she thought. 'They should be proud; that wasn't easy.'
"I'd say you've earned a quick breather," said Rukia, who chuckled when a delighted shinigami flopped to the ground dramatically. "Get some water, and we will pick this up in fifteen minutes. Good work, everyone."
Jūshirō shivered as he stared around the bedroom that once belonged to Seiya Chiba, before he turned to gaze at Shunsui with horror and sadness in his eyes.
"How could someone do this? I mean," he paused and sat on a chair nearest the door, "I just don't understand." He combed his fingers through his hair and leaned an elbow on his knee.
Shunsui's eyes softened. "Murder is legitimately a rare occurrence in the Seireitei," he paused for the benefit of his lover, "Torture is even rarer, especially, considering the victim was a nobleman; that's just unheard of."
Jūshirō turned his head a little, just enough for Shunsui to know he was listening. "For someone to do this, or feel like they had no choice but to go this far, is equally shocking. I'd like to believe that these actions are a response to something, because the alternative is this person did this for pleasure. What it could relate to, is the real question," said Shunsui.
Jūshirō nodded with unseeing eyes. "This is the final scene of Seiya's life; to find the individual responsible, we need to look at Seiya's past."
Shunsui's eyes hardened with a nod, and determination coloured his tone. "Yeah, and we know we're looking for someone with reiatsu and lots of it."
"More than that, they can use kidō and they know how to modify it; that's not a novice ability," said Ukitake with sudden realisation.
"The more I look at this, the more inclined I am to believe this is the work of a soul reaper. There is one more massive clue though," said Shunsui, meeting his lover's eyes.
"His knowledge of the body, or rather, how to take a body apart," said Jūshirō with a shudder.
"The only reapers taught anatomy in this level of detail are the Fourth and Twelfth Divisions; that is assuming this individual didn't learn it from another source," said Shunsui.
"True; we shouldn't exclude any reapers based on their division. How do you think Chiba met this person? Nobility tend to stick to themselves outside of their business partners."
"Well," said Shunsui. "Some reapers live here and are nobility themselves; look at us," he said with a chuckle.
Jūshirō's eyes remained serious, despite Shunsui's attempt at humour. "I think it's more than proximity. I wouldn't murder and torture my neighbour for no good reason, if I were so inclined." Shunsui tilted his head in another nod. "What about a long-standing business venture that turned sour?" asked Jūshirō.
That gave both men pause. "Do you mean additional crimes like extortion, bribery or blackmail?"
Jūshirō nodded. "We see it all the time, but if it becomes a severe problem that the parties involved can't settle by themselves, it's normally sorted out by the courts."
They locked eyes.
"What about a shinigami that was sent to Central 46 for disciplinary action? Those are always for serious crimes, and even if the sentencing was brief, it could have longstanding repercussions for both sides," said Shunsui, mentally wondering if his own personal circumstances were drawing this particular conclusion.
"Perhaps," said Ukitake, "Such as an offence that warrants severe punishment or even… judgment?"
"It's too similar to dismiss," said Shunsui. "Those matters are settled by committees though, not individuals."
Jūshirō raised an eyebrow. "You did say you had reason to believe this individual wasn't done; what if his list of targets is this panel of judges?"
Shunsui hummed. "It ticks all the boxes. We'd need a list of every such instance on record that involved Seiya Chiba."
He looked back at his lover and saw the same fear he had in his eyes, " But that means—"
"Exactly!" said Shunsui. "If we want those records, we'll have to request them directly from Central 46."
Jūshirō closed his eyes, with an expression of defeat. "I wish there were an easier way to identify the person responsible."
Shunsui gave him a soft smile. "Maybe there is? We could have the reiatsu analysed; maybe we'll get lucky and find a match?"
Ukitake laughed. "Let's try that first," he said, "And while we're at it, maybe we can interview the family to see if he had any business dealings, they're aware of."
Shunsui nodded. "We can check the office for files too. Good thinking, Jū-chan!"
"How was the Lieutenant's Meeting?" asked Suzuki, when he saw Renji return to the training grounds. "You were gone for quite a while, Sir."
"Sorry, we had a lot to go through," said Renji.
Haru shrugged his eyebrows. "Anything interesting?"
Renji nodded. "Two points were very interesting. Squad Eleven demoted their Third Seat to an unseated rank for disrespecting a superior officer, and for neglecting his duties. Ayasegawa Yuumichika was promoted in his place," said Renji.
Suzuki's widened and his mouth dropped open. "You're kidding?"
Renji laughed. "Nope! To top it off, Ayasegawa got permission from Zaraki Taichou to train with Hisagi Fukutaichou, and he's putting the men through some serious training. He did an entire assessment of his Division in a day."
"Holy sh—," whispered Suzuki, before he blushed and bowed in apology for what he was about to say.
"Don't worry about it; that's exactly what I thought when Yachiru Fukutaichou mentioned it. It is impressive."
"No kidding," chuckled Haru, as he rubbed the back of his head. "What was the second thing?"
Renji nodded. "Lieutenant Kira proposed an occupational change for Squad Three. He thinks they should become Combat Medics." When Suzuki's jaw dropped, Renji laughed. "I know, it's insane!"
"What? The entire Division?" asked Suzuki.
Renji gave him a slow nod with a sly grin. "You should have seen that proposal; it was badass! It had kaidō experts, yes, but scouts, and heavy hitters too; it'll still be a Division rooted in combat. Ugh, I can't explain it, but I'll see if I can get a copy of it. Just trust me." He threw his hands over the back of his neck, exposing his forearms from beneath his shihakushō. "Man! Who knew he had the stones?"
Haru's face remained somewhere between awed and shocked. "Oh, I can't wait to read it, now that you've made it sound so good."
Renji laughed. "It was that good. Hell, if we didn't have an occupation already, I'd consider having it become our Squad's occupation. That, and I'd never pull off the kaidō; I'm barely passable at normal kidō."
Suzuki patted him on the arm. "Ah, you're not that bad. At least you had the brains to improve," said Haru.
"Okay, okay, enough of that," said Renji. "Continue down that rabbit hole and you might end up saying something I'll regret."
They shared another chuckle, before glancing back at the training grounds. The four teams and the reserves were loitering around, and most of them looked exhausted. Renji frowned at Haru.
"You ran mid-air shunpō drills, didn't you?"
Suzuki raised an eyebrow at his lieutenant. "Yes, get from point one to point two and back again as quickly as possible. It was pretty tough on them. The other teams are tired from casting so much kidō. They won't be much use for the rest of the day, I'm afraid."
Renji's frown deepened. "That's unfortunate. We should be using their energy reserves more effectively, instead of hoping for their stamina to increase rapidly." His eyes flickered downwards as he considered the problem. "What if we simulate a battle?"
Suzuki turned. "What?"
"Have the reserve Shunpō Team play decoy creatures and have Team One find them. Then have the initial teams perform their specific functions, corral them to a designated area that's been set up by the Bakudō Team. Obviously, we're not going to have the Fourth Team engage, but it might give them the training they need while also allowing them to get an idea of what fighting these creatures is actually like. Then we can alternate the teams, so that the Reserve Teams can get some practice too. What do you think?"
"It would be a smarter use of our time and energy; I think we should do it."
"Alright," said Renji. "Let them rest for today and we'll implement this in the morning. Can you alter the schedule, please?"
Suzuki nodded, and left his Lieutenant's side. As Renji glanced out over the tired men, he vowed they'd be ready when the time came.
Excited chatter filled the air at the training grounds of Squad Thirteen, as they remarked on one of the most thrilling training sessions they'd had in ages. Veterans were taking the opportunity to tell tales of how they had used some of the demonstrated techniques in battle. The rookies burned with determination to match the speed and grace they'd witnessed, and as Rukia took her place at the forefront, she couldn't help but smile.
"Okay, now that you've had time to rest, we will move on to the more powerful and dangerous techniques." A rumble of further excitement rose from the squad. "These techniques are both firm and flexible; you will have a lot of versatility choosing when and how to use them."
With all eyes firmly fixed on her, she continued. "Haretsu, or split, is a double-handed slash at a weak point of an enemy. Whether your intention is to sever a tendon, or break a bone, you will not require reiryoku. However, if you wish to bisect your opponent or cut spiritual weapons or even debris on the battlefield, you will need to infuse your reiatsu into the strike. Watch carefully," said Rukia.
She adopted the zanjutsu form's opening stance, but altered her aim and grip. She held the pommel with both hands and flexed her wrists. Concentrating her reiryoku, she moved just fast enough for the eye to see and slashed at the post in front of her, before she bent her knees and returned to her original position. A single embedded line marred the wooden beam.
She allowed a few seconds to pass, before extending her reiatsu. Delicate snowflakes began to dance around her as she readjusted her grip. Again, she moved quickly, but not at lightning speed, and this time when she returned to her starting point, a section of the post dropped to the ground at her feet with a dull thump. Awe and surprise rippled through the squad members.
"As you can see, I altered the opening stance to account for my chosen target. When I flexed my wrists, I was allowing you to see the sheer range of motion I had; using two hands, I could point the blade in any direction.
"For the second strike, I took my time infusing my blade with reiatsu and carrying out the kata's; that was purely for your benefit. In a combat situation, if you take longer than a split second to direct your reiryoku or reiatsu, your opponent will know what you're doing and be able to counter any strike you intend to carry out. Lightning speed is the only way to successfully use any of these techniques.
"Now, one more thing," said Rukia, with her tone adding a strong inflection of warning. "As I said, choosing whether or not to employ reiryoku outside of the specified suggestions, is a personal decision. Today, I don't want to see any amateurs using reiatsu, as this technique is too dangerous. Please begin when you feel you are ready."
If she was being honest with herself, Rukia would admit her fear. This was nothing like the occasion where Byakuya had supervised her training when she was learning this technique. They had gone to a large clearing in the grounds to create the necessary space as a cautionary measure, on the off chance she damaged the buildings. On the one hand, it came off as a bit of an insult as if her brother didn't trust her not to destroy their ancestral home, but it was also a compliment. If there was even the slightest possibility of that outcome occurring, then he was acknowledging her strength and power. He knew she was new to learning this form, and therefore couldn't control how much reiatsu to pour into her strikes, but she knew those who were practiced and familiar with this form of zanjutsu, presented no danger.
She was decidedly nervous, as she watched them concentrating on their posts. Most of them got the correct stance after some fumbling with their grip and aim, but as they settled in, she sent out her reiryoku as a precaution. She allowed it to sweep through the ranks, and noted the individuals that were taking the time to carefully wrap their reiatsu over their zanpakutō's. Kondō, Taeko, and Hasegawa, Yuji, were the first two veterans she noticed, and she allowed her reiryoku to continue its journey.
She froze.
"Halt!"
The reapers broke their concentration and staggered to look at their instructor, only to find her spot at the forefront vacant. A swirl of air rushed through the ranks, until a second later, when she touched down in front of a shinigami near the back row of the squad.
"Name and rank, please?" asked Rukia. Her kind words were entirely unmatched by her vicious tone, which was as frigid and sharp as her zanpakutō. The entire division watched as he shifted where he stood, before blustering with false bravado.
"You might be a Kuchiki, but you're not a Seated Officer; I don't have to answer you," came his belligerent reply. The shinigami gasped at his response and Rukia's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"Name—," she repeated, "— and rank!" He began to shrink under her unblinking gaze. Finally, he hesitated.
"Kaneko, Tsutomu," he murmured. "Unseated new transfer from Squad Six."
"Did you not hear what I said before I gave the order to begin?" she asked. He shook his head. "No, you didn't hear me, or no, you didn't understand me?"
"I heard you," he grumbled.
"Then, I'd like to know why an amateur, like yourself, was using reiatsu? Did you intend to bisect the shinigami next to you?"
Further gasps erupted around them, but Rukia started him down. His face began to redden.
"I can handle myself," came the reply, and Rukia pursued her lips.
"I gave you a specific warning of how dangerous this technique was, and that under no circumstances was a novice, such as yourself, to attempt using reiatsu. Your hubris could have ended the career, or life, of one or more of your peers; I have no choice but to report your actions to the Third Seats for disciplinary action. You may wait in the barracks," said Rukia.
His face burned with fury, but her tone and stance left no room for argument. If he didn't do as she bade, then she would remove him forcibly.
He stalked off, and Rukia followed his progress as she returned to her position. When he entered the main buildings, she returned her gaze to the assembly.
"Due to this disregard of my previous warning, if any of you wish to use reiatsu, I ask you to please do so in a safe place after the day's training is concluded. No one is to use reiatsu during this training session."
There were a few groans, but overall, relief shone through a few faces now that they actually understood just how deadly their training session had become. Now that the young Kuchiki had removed the threat and dealt with the situation decisively, their expressions began to change. Their initial relief faded into determination, attention and respect. Once again, they lined up at their posts.
Rukia frowned minutely as she watched the squad members reassemble with new determination and found her gaze flickering to the ground. Had she made a terrible mistake, and ruined her chances? She snapped her eyes shut and shook it off; now was not the time.
"On my count," she said. The Squad seemed to hum in anticipation, causing Rukia to become mildly surprised. She didn't let it show, and raised a hand. "One, two, Kushi!"
As one, they answered her and assumed the opening stance. Like mirror images of each other, they stepped forward, raised their arms and gripped their blades with two hands. Their eyes were utterly focussed on the wooden beams before them. As if the air was humming, they waited, and Rukia couldn't believe it.
"Haretsu!"
The air shivered and flickered across her vision when the entire division raced towards their post. Their blades caught the sun as they slashed at the beams broadly, and Rukia followed their progress with widening eyes. Dust flew from the ground as they simultaneously returned to their original starting points and sheathed their blades. For a moment, nothing happened, and then they felt it.
Dots of ice touched their skin and as they raised their eyes to look up, they saw the snowflakes dancing around them. Swirling strands of reiatsu swept across them, wistful and uncontrolled. Rukia stood with tears collecting in her eyes, and her gaze glowed with pride. She wiped her eyes with a gentle fist revealing her elbow-length tekkō. The light snowfall began to dissipate as she composed herself.
"I'm sorry," said Rukia, though her words were almost indiscernible from the amount of emotion in her voice. "I am beyond proud of you. That was an incredibly difficult feat to accomplish, and all of you made it look effortless." She bowed to them and held it. When she rose, she found the entire squad returning her gesture. She wiped her eyes one more time for good measure and cleared her throat.
"We will practice one final two-handed technique. Senshi, also known as puncture, is a thrust towards a weak point." She drew Sode no Shirayuki and held it with both hands. "My arms are straight, but not rigid, and I've created a triangle between my shoulders and wrists. By bending my elbows, flexing my wrists or rolling my shoulders, I can adjust my aim to hit any target I choose. Combining the two hands adds huge strength and power that makes this attack almost impossible to defend against. You will need to support your shoulders and arms to wield this kind of power.
"Don't be fooled," she added, "I know a thrust sounds like the easiest thing you'll ever have to learn, but the intensity of your focus cannot be understated. It takes years of practice to get used to directing the additional power that comes from using two hands. Imagine having to control the strength it would take to cut a mountain in your hands, but trying to put the tip of your blade through an enemy's eye socket; it might give you some idea of the kind of focus you'll need."
She laughed softly as she took in their unnerved faces and widening eyes. "I'm not trying to put you off; it's not easy but you'll definitely feel a difference when you try to pierce something as opposed to slashing at something, especially when your target is small. I recommend a large target, and as your training progresses, reduce the size of it. It's really as simple as that."
Resuming her stance, she sent her reiryoku to her legs and shoulders and pointed her zanpakutō at the wooden beam. With eyes burning with deep determination, she vanished and struck the post. When she reappeared, there was a single glimpse of light peering through the post like a keyhole. A distinct ripple of wonder emanated from the crowd of reapers and Rukia held up her hand.
"When you're ready," she said, as they retook their stances. "Begin!"
They raced at the posts with their blades pointed horizontally and Rukia paid close attention. A tiny handful of reapers hit their target dead on with the necessary strength to poke a katana-sized hole through the beam, but most of the others were beginning to understand what she meant. A few managed to embed the tips of their blades into the wood, only to wind themselves on the pommel when they realised that the blade wasn't going to move any deeper. She winced, with a smile. Others struck the corner of the beam or missed it entirely, only to find themselves on the ground.
Rukia approached Katsumi, one of the unfortunate souls that had winded herself. She was sitting on the ground staring at her sword which was still sticking out of the wood. As Katsumi looked up, Rukia offered her a hand to get back on her feet, before releasing the blade gently. The young Kuchiki held it out to its owner with both hands, hilt first. Katsumi's face turned bright red, but she sheathed the zanpakutō.
"That happened to me," said Rukia.
"No way," replied Katsumi.
Rukia giggled. "Yes, it did, in front of my bro—, er, Captain Kuchiki, no less. It happened for months until I got the hang of it."
"Wow," said Katsumi. "I bet he expected you to get it right the first time?"
Rukia shrugged. "I doubt it; he's an excellent teacher, but a very pragmatic person. Still, it was incredibly embarrassing, but it really is just part of the learning process, so don't feel bad."
Katsumi grinned. "Alright. Thank you."
Rukia nodded and returned to the forefront. "This technique will take months, if not years, of practice to master. To those of you who succeeded, congratulations, to those of you who didn't, just take it slow and keep practicing; it will come with time.
"Now, your training is officially over, and I'd like you all to return to the grass at the top of the training grounds. There are two more techniques I'd like to cover for this form of zanjutsu. It will be a simple demonstration, and is not to be attempted by anyone. These are lethal techniques, and can only be learned under the direct supervision of a Seated Officer."
Rukia flash-stepped out of view and returned to the grass where she had cut the training dummy. She made quick work of setting up two new ones while the squad members began to arrive. They got comfortable on the grass while Rukia stood.
"These techniques are considered to be lethal, not only for the damage they can do to an opponent, but for the risk a shinigami takes with their own life when they choose to use them. The fact that a reaper has decided to use either of these moves means they consider their opponent to be highly dangerous, and these techniques require the reaper to put themselves in harm's way to execute the attack correctly. Either way, a death will occur, be it the enemy's or the reaper's.
"The first technique is called Unmeinonejire, or Twist of Fate. It requires a combination of hohō or hakuda with zanjutsu by an expert." She stepped in front of the first training dummy. "As the enemy strikes, the objective is to get behind them. Whichever way that is achieved depends on the individual. Some use speed to walk or run past, some use air tiles to propel themselves using agility if they routinely rely on hakuda. Once the reaper has successfully evaded the attack and bypassed the enemy's defences, they will impale the enemy through the head, heart or abdomen. I will demonstrate both."
She spared them a glance and saw utter shock, but also excitement on their faces. She eyed the dummy and concentrated. As if imagining a strike, she employed her reiryoku with lightning speed throughout her spine and legs. She vanished behind the dummy and as she skidded in a tight curl, she drew her reiatsu fuelled zanpakutō and pierced it straight through the head.
Ignoring the rising noise of the assembly, she eyed the dummy again. This time, she bent her legs and hopped. In that split second, she formed an air tile and kicked off past the dummy horizontally in a blaze faster than the eye could see. As she reached its shoulder, she formed another tile and put her knees out to halt her progress and spun in a fraction of a second with her blade drawn. The second her feet touched the ground, she drove it cleanly through the heart of her 'enemy' and evaded.
"It's more difficult to pierce the skull, as I mentioned earlier, but with enough reiatsu, it's very doable. Obviously, it's only possible when you're behind your opponent so they can't block your attempt."
She stepped up to the final dummy. "This is the last technique I'll show you today before we end for dinner. It's called Yuiitsu, and means Only One. As its name suggests, only one combatant will be left alive after this attack is used, and it's quite a bit more powerful than the previous technique.
"To perform Yuiitsu, you need your opponent to raise their arms so that they will expose the entire torso. You can target any point, the front, the sides or the back. It depends on the angle, how fast you are or how quickly the enemy is coming at you. You'll only have a fraction of a second to decide what your target is, and another to perform the strike. Never hesitate when you use this technique."
The dummy stood innocently with its makeshift 'arms' raised, and this time, Rukia approached with deadly purpose. Employing the fastest speed she could muster, she kicked off low and crouched, raising slightly with each step. She slashed broadly at the dummy, targeting a straight line across the breast under the armpits, and rendered it in half. As the top half flew upward, Rukia landed silently nearby and resheathed her zanpakutō. The upper body of the dummy landed in a sprawl, and a few gasps and exclamations carried across the ranks. Rukia positioned the second dummy to match the same as the first.
Surprising them, she stood motionless before the dummy. "I'm going to act as if I've encountered an enemy and asked them to surrender their weapon. Naturally, they're going to tell me to get lost, and when I don't leave, they'll attempt to strike at me in three, two—," came her disembodied voice, "— one!"
Using a huge burst of reiatsu, she launched herself into the air, high above her 'attacking' enemy, before she allowed her momentum to slow. As she reached the threshold between climbing and falling, she began to draw Sode no Shirayuki, using the motion to turn and spin her body downwards. Using one more tile, she kicked off and extended her arm, striking at the dummy's back, cleaving it easily in two. Unfolding her legs, she allowed her reiatsu to collect under her to facilitate a graceful landing.
The squad burst into applause, and she returned her blade to its sheath and bowed to them.
"Thank you for your attention and dedication; your work was exemplary. I hope that I am fortunate enough to be able to teach you again in the future."
She gave them a final bow, and the squad members gave her another huge round of applause, before they began to separate from their tightly formed ranks. Rukia began to follow them towards the main hall for dinner when she noticed Katsumi beckoning to her.
"Sano-san?" questioned Rukia.
Katsumi stepped out in front of a few reapers Rukia didn't know personally, and shyly smiled at her. "We're going to the Seireitei for dinner; there's a great little seafood place not far from here. Do you want to come with us?"
Rukia paused.
This was very unexpected and her gaze flickered past Katsumi to her friends. They looked excited by the prospect, and Rukia faltered.
"Oh, say yes," said Katsumi, "Please?"
Rukia smiled softly and nodded. A blonde girl in the group clapped joyously, and two of the young men bumped fists.
"Lead the way," said Rukia, with a soft laugh. "Seafood sounds excellent, and I'm famished!"
Squad Twelve - Early Evening.
Mayuri Kurotsuchi read over his notes. So far, the controls had dissipated normally; the standard reiatsu had taken ten minutes to fade, while the compressed control sample lasted an hour, before it unravelled and evaporated. The test samples taken from Byakuya Kuchiki hadn't followed the standard reactions in the slightest, but honestly, he would have been beyond disappointed if they had.
He finished his brief perusal, and began to stare intently at the test sample contained in the third safety cabinet. He'd been feeding it tiny pieces of his reiatsu steadily throughout the whole afternoon.
Each time it finished eating, he was ready with the next piece and it pounced, for lack of a better word, on the morsel as if it hadn't spent four hours gorging itself.
Interestingly enough, each time he approached the desk that contained fresh reiatsu, the starving sample in the fourth cabinet unglued itself from the glass that separated it from the third cabinet, to follow his approach from the desk to its door. It fluttered in a frenzied manner each time he paused, only to continue his trek to the third cabinet to feed the third sample. That's when it would resume its position on the glass wall and the Captain found himself chuckling as he noted its behaviour in his hardback lab book, when he'd finally realised the significance of its actions.
It was begging.
As he stared at the third sample, he questioned whether or not to continue feeding it, and what would happen if he did. Four hours had passed and nothing had changed.
He sighed.
Nothing would come from rereading the same observations. He decided to go check on the reiatsu sampling machine to see if it had found a match for the creature's reiatsu. It was unlikely, but after ten minutes he'd know if the third sample would object to waiting for more food like the fourth sample had.
He grinned at the thought.
Kamui stood in front of his fireplace and remarked on the creeping chill in the air. He couldn't fight the sadistic grin that overtook his features, because he knew that meant the sun was going down.
Crossing the room, he reached for his zanpakutō, and whispered its name.
"Kansen o Sōsa Suru, Gūre Makihige," said Kamui.
The blade glowed with tendrils of murky grey reiatsu curling around the blade like smoke. Deep in the recesses of his core, Kamui used the power of his shikai, to follow the smoky strands to monitor the condition of the Captain. As he concentrated on the compressed specks he had implanted, he held his breath and searched for signs of life. When he couldn't find so much as a whiff of reiryoku cling to his own reiatsu, he exhaled with a whoop of glee.
He'd done it!
"What is it, Kamui?" asked a voice.
He snapped his eyes open, and blinked as he became unaccustomed to his living room. A vision of beauty entered his sights and he leapt from his spot, and took her hands softly in his.
"It's done; the Captain is dead!" said Kamui, forcing himself to restrain his mounting excitement for fear of harming her.
Yaeko raised an eyebrow delicately. "That is excellent news," she remarked.
He nodded, but as he stared into her golden eyes, he saw the lingering fatigue. "You should rest, my love; it's not good for you."
"You can reduce the strain by recalling the scouts that watched the Chiba house; their presence is no longer required."
"At once, my queen," said Kamui. She nodded with poise and left him to his thoughts.
He jumped into action, and formed panels before him. Looking out through the eyes of his scouts, they woke from their hiding places and began to creep through the grounds, and back towards the Seireitei. He urged them to move quickly.
"Captain!"
Kurotsuchi turned from the screen that was compiling endless lines of data with a frown.
"What is it, Nemu?"
"Come quickly; something's happening with the samples."
"What?" He followed his daughter at a flat out run, his haori billowing behind him. He skidded to a halt in front of the safety cabinets and watched in horror.
The samples of compressed reiatsu were pulsing and expanding.
"When did this start?" said Mayuri urgently, as hints of anger crept into his tone.
Nemu frowned. "Approximately, thirty seconds ago, sir." He scribbled furiously in his hardback, pausing every few seconds to look back at the samples. The seconds ticked languidly and he found himself cursing mentally.
As he continued to stare, and the seconds turned into minutes, his anger turned to dismay. The flecks of reiatsu pulsed one final time, before they began unpacking themselves at an alarming rate, and sure enough, he could make out wisps of gas along their edges.
They were evaporating!
He slammed his hand down on the ledge.
'Why? This doesn't make any sense; they were kept under completely different conditions!' He snapped from his thoughts. 'I changed the conditions when I stopped feeding the first test sample. Damn it, what does it mean?'
He swore aloud and knew the only way he'd ever understand these infernal flecks was by capturing a live specimen. As far as he was concerned, that moment couldn't come soon enough. As it stood, his experiment was at an end.
"Masahiro-kun, can you pass the salt please?" asked Katsumi. The young soul reaper with shoulder length black hair, put down his glass and picked up the little salt shaker, and nudged it within arm's reach of the brunette. "Thanks."
Rukia savoured another bite of her red snapper and mentally made a note to tell her brother just how good the food was here. Unbeknownst to her, the Lobster Pot, was a secret hidden gem.
"I'm glad you invited me; I've never heard of this place. The food is amazing!" said Rukia.
"I know," said Katsumi. "I hoped you'd love it, but I wasn't sure you'd come."
Rukia nodded. She was known to be aloof and a bit of a challenge to approach. Inwardly, she knew this was a subtle attempt from Sano to reveal why she had suddenly deigned to accept their invitation. "Well, I think it was just luck. We all worked up quite an appetite, and I didn't have any plans for this evening." She laughed lightly, trying to mask her awkwardness, but at least now Rukia knew the girl wouldn't push her to reveal more information than she was comfortable with.
Masahiro decided to take advantage of the lull in their conversation. "I have to say, I am more than a little impressed by your swordsmanship. You've always held a kind of mysteriousness, but I don't think anyone realised how good you were."
"Takagi-kun!" said the other young man. "That training was incredible; the Third Seats never show us any lethal moves! Is it any wonder she was asked to lead the drill with skills like that?"
The girls nodded and Masahiro grinned. The redhead next to Katsumi spoke up, and Rukia vaguely remembered her name. "I hope you boys aren't trying to imply anything bad?" They squared both with a challenging look. They appeared suitably chastised. "I suppose the polite question would be, why you're not a Seated Officer with that kind of skill and power?"
Rukia recalled Kiyone's exact question, but had no intention of divulging the details of her private conversion. "I'm happy where I am. I do want to become an officer, but I'd like it to happen the conventional way."
That seemed to settle well with the group, and Rukia wiped her mouth with a napkin.
Takagi leaned across the table. "I think when the Captain hears about today, he won't be long bumping you up the ranks?"
Katsumi frowned. "None of our ranks are open except the Lieutenant's position." Realising what she said, she clapped her hand to her mouth. "I'm sorry."
Rukia waved a hand. "Don't be. I'm definitely not cut out to be a Lieutenant. I might have a good grasp of zankensōki, but I don't think I have the leadership qualities."
She was met with looks of confusion and disbelief. Kaoru caught her eye. "I disagree. While it's true you haven't led much training and you're not seated, you must have noticed the Squad's reaction today. You earned the respect of every one of them," she said.
Takagi laughed. "Maybe all but one?"
Rukia groaned. "That was my fault; I should never have allowed the use of reiatsu for that technique. I'm actually glad he ignored my instructions; who knows what might have happened if he hadn't?"
She shuddered and the others paused in confusion. Rukia looked at them. "Double handed techniques are only used by experts. The additional power could have destroyed the training grounds or half the buildings. Even Captain Zaraki isn't allowed to use both hands."
Katsumi frowned. "What? How do you know that?"
"You're forgetting who my brother is. Apparently, Head Captain Yamamoto took him aside when he first became a Captain to show him how things work as part of the Gotei. He trained him in double-handed zanjutsu, but when he realised how powerful Captain Zaraki was, he forbade him from ever using them in battle, because he has so much reiatsu, he could destroy the Seireitei, if not the entire Soul Society."
With eyebrows raised, they stared dumbly at her, some with their mouths open. Takagi exhaled with a stunned expression, and Miyamoto just stared.
"Wow," he said, and the other murmured in agreement.
"In any case, at least you had the chance to rectify it. I wouldn't call your decision a mistake, rather, it was more of a learning curve. Next time you'll remember Keneko's actions and employ your new wisdom to keep people safe, because you'll know where to place your trust. I say it was a good thing," said Kaoru.
Rukia smiled. "Thank you," she said softly. "It was amazing, and I had a lot of fun today. We're part of an incredible Division." She nodded to Masahiro. "Your Onibi strike was powerful."
He rubbed the back of his neck and laughed. Kōji elbowed him, "I told you the ladies would notice, eh, Takagi-kun?"
Rukia felt her cheeks turn red and everyone laughed.
"Oh yeah," said Katsumi, suddenly remembering something. "You mentioned a Lieutenant that used Onibi to end a fight? Who was it?"
"Stop being nosy, Sano-san," said Kaoru, but Rukia held up her palms. She'd take any distraction after Miyamoto's comment.
"Lieutenant Abarai. He was engaged in an altercation when his opponent started grandstanding about her abilities. She was so confident, she let him get really close, because he hadn't drawn Zabimaru. When she was busy mouthing off, he struck her in the chest, and told her he'd spent the last two years training to defeat Aizen; she was nothing. She folded instantly, because of the way he said it and how he handled himself," said Rukia, before she brought a finger to her mouth thoughtfully, " I think she committed suicide to get out of the battle, even though Renji would never hurt a woman."
"Abarai Fukutaichou is badass!" said Takagi, while Kōji agreed.
"I didn't know he used the Way of Precision?" said Kaoru thoughtfully.
Rukia ate the last morsel on her plate with a hum of satisfaction before laying her utensils down. "All reapers have to learn all the forms of zanjutsu. Otherwise, they'd never stand out and develop their own styles."
"Huh?" said Katsumi.
"When you begin working with your asauchi and enter the academy, they try to give everyone a broad foundation in zankensōki. Having a wide range of techniques to draw from helps a reaper start on the same page as everyone else, and when they join their chosen Division, they develop and hone those skills. Like today, I demonstrated things that are too dangerous for the vast majority to attempt, but they need to see them to know what they're working towards.
"Once they learn the name of their zanpakutō, and truly begin to connect with it, they'll use all the pillars to develop their own style. Some zanpakutō's call for enormous strength, like Zaraki Taichou. Some require hakuda to be their foundation, like Fon Taichou, and some, like Captain Kuchiki, need hohō. His Senka attack is actually a variation of Agitowari, but utilises his natural talent for shunpō. Even Head Captain Yamamoto used this form of zanjutsu to create his Nadegiri attack; it's a variation of Yuiitsu. Only by mastering the forms and pillars, will you ever become a master of your own zanpakutō by falling back on your strengths and using the best techniques to unleash its potential."
They were all staring at her in shock, as they processed her words.
Takagi shook the stunned look off his face. "Yeah, you've got to lead more drills. It just clicks when you explain things."
Kaoru smirked. "And you think you have no leadership qualities? Why, you've got these two eating out of the palm of your hand." The girls giggled and Kōji wrapped an arm over his affronted friend.
"I'd call it good taste," he said, and as Rukia's eyes became alarmed, he laughed and added, "In teachers!"
Everyone dissolved into fits of laughter, and even Rukia found herself laughing.
She laid some coins on the table, causing Katsumi's eyes to bulge slightly. Kaoru glanced down and pinned Rukia with a wide-eyed expression.
"That's too much; we can pay for our own dinner," she said.
When the other began to nod, and the older hostess appeared, Rukia shook her head. "I'm happy to pay; it was a wonderful meal."
A look of pride and pleasure crossed the woman's face, and Kaoru attempted to protest.
"Kuchiki-san—," she began, as Rukia held up her palm. The hostesses eyes widened dramatically upon hearing her surname, and gasped.
"I insist." She looked directly at the woman who Rukia presumed owned the restaurant. "The food was outstanding, and I'll be sure to recommend it to my family. I'll definitely be coming back."
She bowed and the hostess bowed lower, before pocketing the coins in her apron and retreating to the raw bar.
"Thank you, Kuchiki-san, but next time let us chip in when it's time to pay, okay?" said Kaoru.
"Yep, 'cause that's what friends do!" said Katsumi. The boys nodded at Rukia's questioning look, and Rukia relented.
"Okay, okay, I won't pick up the tab in future."
Takagi grinned, " Maybe not the tab, for sure, but you played her like a pro! Being a Kuchiki sure has its perks, eh?" He sighed dreamily. "Ah, next time she'll seat us at a table by the veranda with complimentary drinks."
He sighed again, and the others laughed as they entered the street outside. The moon was high in the night sky, and the breeze rustled around them peacefully.
"Don't pay him any heed, he's always like that," said Kaoru. "We don't care what your name is. You're a good person, and that's all that matters."
Rukia continued to stroll down the street with them. These were definitely a good-natured group of people; maybe it wouldn't be a bad thing to consider actually befriending them. It didn't even have anything to do with her deciding to become more approachable to achieve her goals, she decided. They were just nice people.
She liked how Katsumi was a fledgling reaper, still unsure how to direct her reiryoku, and Rukia could relate to that. Kaoru spoke with a lower level of refinement than she was used to, but Rukia still found her to be the voice of reason. Takagi was a jokester, and liked to make those around him laugh, and Kōji was happy to follow his lead. He was powerful, but still had a level of uncertainty when it came to people. She could relate to all of those things.
A blur caught her eye peripherally, and she paused to look at it. A gasp escaped her and the other stopped at the sound.
"Kuchiki-san?" said Kaoru.
Rukia didn't reply, as her gaze was firmly fixed. "Everyone, get behind me now," she said in a quiet, but gravely serious tone.
"What is it?" said Takagi, and he followed her fixed eyes into the bushes. His eyes widened.
"Get behind me," Rukia repeated even more softly than before. "Slowly."
She released a hell butterfly, and the other three finally walked calmly towards her to where Takagi stood frozen with fear.
"Just stay where you are, and don't move."
Takagi stuttered, "B-but—," he started.
"Promise me."
Katsumi and Kaoru put a hand on his arm, and pulled him back, when they finally noticed the reason Rukia had stopped with a gasp of horror.
Golden eyes were staring at them from the bushes.
'What's this?' thought Kamui. 'Soul reapers?'
He studied the five of them carefully through the eyes of his scouts and couldn't see a rank to distinguish any of them. They were probably just some low-level recruits heading back to their barracks.
He frowned.
He couldn't just ignore them; the girl with the amethyst eyes and black hair had definitely seen his pets. He couldn't take the chance that she would make a report of their movements.
He urged one to step closer, and began to pick up pieces of their conversation.
After a few moments, he watched her give the others instructions before his eyes widened at her name.
'Another Kuchiki!' he thought. 'What a stroke of luck. I wonder if she knows that her relative just died, or that she's about to join him?'
He grinned at the thought.
After all, the only good kind of Kuchiki was a dead one.