The sun's light was just starting to rise over the horizon as Kuro made his was out into the courtyards of the academy. He had no classes today, but he was not going to let that stop him from training. He made his way over the track area, allowing himself to grin with excitement. Speed was his true element and the one thing he was best at. Nobody in his class could come close when it came to speed exercises.

He did a few stretches to start off, loosening up his limbs. As he prepared to start his warm up run, he remembered his life before the academy. His skill with speed had come to him through times of thieving and invading. Not a bright past to look back on, but it had taught him the life lessons of hardship and struggle. So he would never regret his past. Just try to make brighter choices in the future.

Kuro began his exercise with 25 laps around the track. He was barely breaking a sweat by the time he finished. Next was a tougher practice: flash step training. Standing in one "corner" of the track, he concentrated on the other side. As the sun broke the barrier of the sky, Kuro seemingly vanished from where he stood and reappeared on the other side of the track. Immediately, he vanished from that spot and reformed on the corner opposite of the one he had started in. Continuing this practice in a rectangular shape around the track, he worked until the sun was high in the sky. He fell on his back, completely out of breath.

"That.....was......tough......" he panted to himself, "But I........cannot.......stop now...."

He took a number of deep breaths in an attempt to steady his heart. Then he wearily picked himself up off the ground and went to set up his next exercise. The track was equipped with various obstacles for stamina exercises, but Kuro had a different idea in mind. It took a while to set up, but by afternoon he had a nice course for high mobile practice set up in the grass next to the track. A set of climbing walls he had placed a few yards from each other would serve as the starting point. Afterwards, he had stuck a series of poles into the ground. Then there was a wide open space with nothing in it leading to an elevated platform on the far end. This exercise would be completely aireal. After his first jump from the ground, he had to make his way to the ending platform without touching the grass and no use of flash step. He smiled in anticipation.

Kuro stepped between the walls and focused his power. In the next moment, he was bounding up the walls, back and forth, gaining height every jump. Spacing his jumps carefully, he made a final leap from the further back wall and sailed over the second one, landing nimbly on a pole. Not bothering to use all the poles he jumped his way over the area, skipping a pole or two with every leap. When he reached the last one, he glared across the empty space between him and the platform. With a flash step he could easily reach it, but that was exactly why he had to use a different method. That way he would further increase is skill with agility and pracitce using his spirit energy. He focused more deeply and dashed out into open space above the grass. He had tried this technique a few times before after starting his kido classes, but trying to do it continuously was more draining than he had predicted. He was taking his own spirit power, as well as the spirit particles in the air around him, to make small platforms for his feet to gain friction on. He made a mental reminder to himself to not try this technique outside of soul society until he had further mastered it. When his energy levels were at their limit, he made one last leap and sailed towards the platform. At first it looked like he wouldn't make it. But as he dipped under the ground level of the platform, his hands caught hold of the edge and he hung on, satisfied with his performance.

Kuro dropped to the ground and looked back on his day. He had pushed himself to his limits and improved upon his talent of speed. Today was a good day. He smiled in happiness as he slowly put all the equiptment away. He had done a good job, but he was sore from head to toe.

+1.5 to speed

Kuro's class was getting impatient as they watched the instructors set up a large, yet simple running course. The course Kuro had set up for himself a couple of months prior had been more impressive. This course was simply set up as the regular track with long stretches on either side of it that were dug out. In the dug out sections, giant poles were the only way to cross. After a while, the lead instructor walked up to the class.

"Today will be a free for all, minor restrictions race to boost your ability to run effectively in a hostile environment. The only rules are that you must stay on course of the race and there is to be no killing. Besides that, anything goes. Try to remain uninjured and make it around the track 5 times as fast as you can."

This test was suddenly getting more interesting. Speed was easy to train yourself in, but utilyizing it when attacking and being attacked was more of a challenge. Kuro immediately took his place at the starting line as his classmates eyed him with looks of discontent. He was the fastest in the class and they knew it. He was positive that he would be a major target.

"Let the race begin......now!"

Kuro took off, but not as fast as he could. He decided to let others have a head start to tire themselves out fighting each other first. His classmates shot off as fast as they were able, and Kuro paced himself in the center and watched the ensuing chaos. Some were drawing blades and slashing at non-vital areas of others, but the majority were breaking into high speed hand to hand matches. Kuro decided to be a sport and launched a couple of karate chops at those around him as he picked up speed a tiny bit.

The first two laps went without many injuries. A few had to drop out of the running due to broken bones or severe cuts, but the majority were still in it. Kuro had avoided most attempts on him, but there was still three laps left. As they completed the next lap, Kuro crossed the pole stretch, landing at the other end. As he touched solid land, three of his classmates already on the other side ambushed him together. He quickly leapt through their advance, causing them to clumsly crash into each other. With another short leap back, he jumped off of the three of the them, throwing himself forward and sending them falling into the pit.

Kuro now ran as fast as he could, sailing past the rest of the class and completed the rest of the race without any interruptions. The instructor afterwards walked up to him and said that he was one of the best pupils in speed she had ever taught. Kuro bowed in respect and smiled, proud of his accomplishment.

+1 to speed