Kidō class (Open)

Yasu was stretched out on the grass, one arm bent, her hand holding the back of her neck, the other resting across her stomach. She was enjoying the weather. A light breeze pushed against the blades of grass, rustling the leaves above her head and she smiled: this was serenity. The birdsong around here was wonderful, she mused that even the birds were fancier here. Her Rukongai birds were probably half-plucked one-legged crows by comparison. But the day was about to hit full swing and she had a small break before her Kidō class began, so she'd made her way over early to try and enjoy the sunshine. The warmth faded down through the trees and rested across her like a blanket. Her silver hair caught patches of light and lit up the contrast with the grass.

This particular training ground was encircled by large oak trees. A large rectangle was drawn in the centre of the clearing. There were some practise dummies that were tidied away to one side. From what she understood, today they'd be learning Bakudō #1. Sai (塞, Restrain). Yasu was still trying to figure out the whole personal spiritual energy thing. Apparently she had it, but that was a good thing in this case, or so she'd been told. It was nothing to worry about though; as ever, she'd try her best and just see how it panned out. Yasu wasn't an over-achiever and wasn't burdened by a burning desire to be the best. In fact, she was really just here for the ride. Her personal call to be a shinigami would come later, not that she knew that.

For the time being, the woman enjoyed lying sleepily at the foot of a tree. Though class was about to start relatively soon. In fact, she could already hear some approaching foot-steps.

Ryu listened to the sound of the breeze rippling through the grass and trees as he made his way into the clearing for what was to be his first practical instruction on the use of kido. He'd spend some time going over the academic records available in the academy before this to try and prepare, but to little success on the topic. Real experience with harnessing one's spirit energy was leagues beyond anything that could be garnered from simply sticking your nose in a book. Still, it had not stopped him from attempting to gain some measure of understanding so that he could try and not embarrass himself in front of his fellow pupils. He was still new at all of this spirit energy stuff, and wished to learn more as soon as he could.

Taking a spot at the edge of the rectangle in the clearing, Ryu stood stiff and alert as he waited for the instructor to show up. First impressions were important after all. He didn't want to appear as a goof who wasn't taking this academy seriously. The seconds passed and he eventually relaxed the slightest bit as he found nobody around yet. Turning on the spot to take another look at the surroundings, his gaze fell upon a lone woman stretched out under one of the trees surrounding the clearing. Seeing her there in that state brought only one word to Ryu's mind: carefree. It was like they were complete opposites of each other. In fact, the only similarity Ryu could fathom at this first sighting was the punctuality they both had shown by showing up early for the class. He turned to face her completely and took a few steps closer. Raising an eyebrow in quizzical fashion, he called out to her in a tone that sounded very 'matter of fact.'

"You seem to be enjoying yourself."

Kana slowly walked behind several students, as she took her time following the students to a lesson to learn the first basic Kidō technique of many. She felt like this was all similar; déjà vu. However, she still had no trace of her memory, only her name. Which meant this was the best choice for her was to go back through the Academy and graduate yet once more. The one thing that set her off from the other students as she hadn't carried an Asauchi, she carried a Zanpakutō. Although that difference meant literal nothing due to her connection with her Zanpakutō being severed due to her forgetting its name. So her Zanpakutō laid in a dormant state. 

Luckily, the weather was nice-- well it always seemed like the weather was perfect in the Seireitei. She couldn't remember when there was ever any bad weather here, HELL! She couldn't remember, anything! The birds were singing and there was a slight breeze that made her long chestnut hair blew behind her as she walked her bangs framing her soft face. Due to it being daytime outside her eyes had more so an amber-honey brown look to them.

Kana showed up with the last group of students just in time, and she took her spot sitting off from the group by a few feet, where she could still hear the instructor. She sat with her knees sticking upwards and her arms crossed around her knees and her chin resting against her kneecaps. She was practically pouting as she sat still. Kana couldn't help but feel pissed that she might've been through this class once before and she just couldn't remember much of anything. She watched a particular duo a brunette man with a patch of snow-white hair, and a woman with tousled grey bed-head. As she focused on them she could sense their spiritual pressure was slightly different from the majority of the students here.


"Hmm..." Kana questioningly hummed.

Yasu watched with mild amusement as the funky looking guy marched right past her and stood (to attention) at the training area. She tried to wave as he passed but he hadn't seen. She watched him for a moment, still caught in the melody of nature. He was really tall but most people Yasu had met who were that tall seemed a bit floppy when they moved, like they were used to bending around the world. Nothing about this guy seemed floppy. He looked like an old-school military guy, and when he turned back around to face her, his face gave the same impression. Yasu appreciated people who wore their scars so openly, she'd never really been able to articulate why but it was an endearing quality for her. Most likely, it was because she appreciated life as a struggle and she could relate better to those who'd experienced just that.

He noticed her pretty quickly and Yasu smiled gently as he stepped towards her. His height seemed all the more towering when she was lying down. His tone of voice was unusual, in fact it seemed like everything about this guy was. He was probably a genius, the odd ones usually were. 'I am.' she mused, wondering if he'd need a wider explanation. Yasu allowed herself one more moment of bliss, she blinked slowly and tried to soak up those last rays of serenity. The woman brushed down her robes a bit and walked across to the man, offering out her hand as she spoke. 'I'm Yasu'. The chattering of classmates emerged around them and she gave her attention over to their instructor.

A bald man charged through the rabble. Everything about him seemed serious, even his gold medallion. He grabbed the nearest student and pulled them into the centre next to him. 'Please take your seats. Welcome to Kido class. I' sure for most of you, this will be your first practical exploration of the demon arts. Pay close attention, I will demonstrate once, then you will practice in groups.'...

Yasu lost her focus on what the man was saying next, her silver gaze tracked the students watching him instead. Some of them she knew, most of them she didn't. Her eyes landed on one girl in particular, who looked ready to go full psycho. Yasu glanced back at the teacher and then to the girl, wondering if she just hated him or the whole class. Her attention was brought back by the instructor.

'Bakudo 1. Sai' The poor kids arms were thrust behind his back and in the shock, he lost his balance, falling face first at the feet of the man. The teacher returned to his upright position, 'Now in groups, practice'.

Yasu turned to her funky looking friend, 'Do you want to work together?...We just need more people'. Her head titled back from the man, sweeping the class as groups began to separate off. Angry girl seemed free, Yasu raised her hand up, waving slightly at the girl as she called across. 'Hey! Do you have a group?'

"Indeed." Ryu answered the other student's response with a light affirmative answer of his own. She made no attempt to explain anything further, though this did not bother Ryu as he had not asked for any such explanation in the first place. He was considering whether or not he should introduce himself when his classmate brushed herself off and approached with her hand outstretched.

"Yasu-san is it? It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Ryu took her hand firmly but was careful with his strength as they shook. His father had taught him early on that a firm handshake was important when meeting others and he had taken this lesson to heart while helping with the family business. "My name is Ryu Katsuragi. I hope we get along in the future." Everything about Ryu's character, from his body language to his choice of words, was extremely formal. It would not be a surprise if some of his classmates thought of him to be a phony. He released Yasu's hand and took his spot at the side of the ring as the sounds of others grew nearer, just as stiff and serious as he'd been when Yasu had first seen him enter the area.

Ryu stayed focused on the instructor's every word as he introduced the class to the subject of kido. Even if everything he was saying was the summaries Ryu had previously read verbatim, he was sure to offer some kind of explanation that would provide better insight. However, Ryu's hopes were dashed as the instructor finished a hastily made opening spiel, quickly cast the spell of the lesson on his unwilling example student and told the class to practice it for themselves in groups. This level of instruction was unacceptable.

"Sloppy." The word flowed from Ryu's mouth dancing on his breath, barely more audible than a whisper. But that did little to hide the amount of judging disdain dripping from the word. He felt the gazes of a few close by classmates who'd heard his comment fall on him, but they did nothing further and returned to the task the teacher had set. Ryu started to wonder if they'd make any headway with their efforts today when Yasu asked if he wanted to group up for the practice.


"I have no reason to refuse. You are the only person here I am familiar with. But who else should we invite?"

Kana quickly noticed that this man with the snow-patch hair was a giant, he towered over the grey-haired woman, which she couldn't tell much from this angle but Kana was probably a little bit taller than her. Of course, her staring caught the attention of the woman as she looked back at her as the instructor explained the lesson and what they'd be doing and how they would be learning Sai. The first technique of Bakudo. She watched as the pair were discussing grouping together, and that's how Kana learned their names, Yasu the grey-haired woman, and Ryu the tall fancy one. However, what caught her off guard was when the woman who had this reckless image to her asked if she'd like to pair. 


"I guess . . . I should've expected to be asked, especially if I'm staring." Kana mumbled to herself, before jumping to her feet and moving along to the two of them. "I assume, Ryu will be the test subject for us, right?" Kana asked quietly, before quickly sliding in her name, "Oh! I am Kana by the way. Kana Rasui." She curtsied in front of the two of them.

With that being said if he agreed so, Kana would replay the scene in her head of the instructor, it was all coming back to her with this technique, most likely due to how easy it was to cast, it didn't have any incantations or complicated specific poses. She focused her mind and spiritual pressure forward at Ryu. She then lifted out her index and middle finger pointing at the tall gentleman. She felt this delay in the skill, as she was still focusing and channeling the Bakudo skill. In just a few mere seconds she had demonstrated the technique in front of the class as the first successful student at the lesson. 

She smiled slightly proud of herself that her memory loss wasn't hindering her ability to learn and excel. She realized Ryu was still restricted as she had a little celebration mentally, and Kana quickly blushed and looked down at the ground twiddling her fingers together. Which by her own choice had dispelled the Bakudo.

"Thank you for allowing me to take part, and thank you for being my test subject." Kana bowed. "It's only fair if I offer myself as your test subject for, Bakudo No. 1 - Sai." 

This chick was weird. Yasu tried to take stock for a second, she was kind of hard to figure out. Yasu nodded at the girl's name, offering her own with a somewhat bewildered look at the curtsy 'Yasu'. Maybe she was one of those old souls that died around the time people curtsied. The thought vanished quickly into nothing. Yasu turned back to Ryu, his formality didn't bother her, it just made him much simpler company actually. He was probably the kind of guy who would tell you if you looked bad in an outfit. Though he'd been pretty judgemental of their instructor who was making his rounds between groups, adjusting stances and explaining using your inner power force. Sure, he hadn't given a great demo but Yasu's experience of the academy staff was pretty atypical of that approach. They expected a lot from people and were kind of reluctant to give you everything you needed. Still, he'd said he didn't know anyone else, but Kana knew his name. Yasu gave up trying to catch up, opting to just go with the flow.

Kana seemed to have assumed fairly quickly that Ryu would be the first practice dummy. It had seemed like a pretty intense spell when their instructor had tried it, so Yasu wasn't jumping up to be attacked first but she felt like she could've offered it. 'Or I can...' She did the spell. Holy shit this girl made it look easy. The other students froze to watch Kana. Their teacher pointed emphatically, 'Yes! Just like that. Focus your energy.'. Yasu took a moment to drag her jaw off the ground. 'How did you do that?' was all she could manage. She laughed softly to herself, taking in the girl's gentle gaze, 'Shit, i'm glad you're in our group.'

'Are you alright?' she returned to Ryu, offering a hand to her tall new friend. 'You can try it on me next, i'm still not sure how its meant to work really'. It wasn't a pleasant feeling, waiting to be attacked in fact it felt counter-intuitive to very core but Yasu understood the need to practice. Though she did wonder, if someone could resist a kido attack like that. She braced herself, taking a few steps back from Ryu as she nodded to him. Yasu was still pretty amazed at how easy Kana had made that spell look. She was so certain she'd just be speaking words when she tried but she was open to any tips the woman had.

What manners. She certainly doesn't seem like someone from the slums. Ryu nodded toward Kana in response to her peculiarly high class introduction. "Pleased to meet you Rasui-san. You seem to know me already, but my name is Ryu Katsuragi." In order to match Kana's earlier level of formality, Ryu cupped his hands in front of his chest and lowered his head several inches in a respectful bow.

"I do not mind being the first target." Ryu agreed to Kana's suggestion and took a few steps away from the girls to give them a comfortable distance to focus on the practice. Inwardly, he found it rather amusing that she had referred to him as a test subject. It was a rather logical way of looking at the exercise, which he found no problem with at all. On the contrary, he was rather excited to witness just how well Kana would do at this. Maybe the class wouldn't be such a failure after all.

Kana's spell came swiftly without pause. No hesitation nor excessive prep work. It seemed as natural as breathing to her. Either this wasn't her first class, or she was a prodigy. These thoughts and more rushed through Ryu's mind as his arms were immediately swung behind his back and held there by force. The sudden movement caused his center of gravity to shift, throwing off his balance. He took a wide step forward and caught himself on one knee, managing to prevent himself from losing face completely by falling flat on his face. "I'm fine." He replied to Yasu lightly as his thoughts began to race again and an excited grin spread across his face. His jubilation bubbled out as he began to chuckle quietly and his thought processes leaked out in an excited fit of muttering.

"This spell is amazing...so quick, so simple. And yet it produces such an extraordinary effect. Used properly in combat, possible applications for various tactics are numerous. And it's just the most basic spell of them all!"

Ryu suddenly remembered where he was and gave a light cough out of embarrassment as he collected himself. "My apologies. It seems I got a bit excited by Rasui-san's amazing demonstration." He took Yasu's offered hand and pulled himself up to a standing position again. "Thank you Yasu-san. And that's alright Rasui-san. If we are to maintain fairness in this exercise, it would make more sense for me to target Yasu-san and then you be her partner after that. Then everyone contributes to the exercise equally."

Ryu took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Months before when he'd started feeling hungry back home he'd first been informed of the "power" inside him. Since coming to the academy he'd been spending time every night meditating in his room between studies in order to get a closer feel for this energy. But this was his first time trying to actually utilize it towards a directed goal. He glanced down at his hand, meticulously checking to make sure his fingers matched the pose the instructor and Kana had used before. Breathing deeply once more, he focused on Yasu standing nearby and thrust his hand in her direction.

"Bakudo #1! Sai!"

Upon greeting herself she noticed that Ryu was quick to take to calling her Rasui-san, which meant he had respect for her. Judging by the formality of this man he was probably someone of some sort of royal heritage or he had some kind of noble blood in him. Or maybe just maybe he had a taste for formality through years of practice, like being around them but he was a worker of some sort for the nobles. However, while Ryu seemed pleased with her introductory, Yasu seemed the opposite. It was almost as if her introduction seemed to disgust her, or judging by her facial expression confuse her. Had it really been that long since she had been in the Seireitei? She huffed but didn't let it distract her during her demonstration of Sai. 

Kana was praised by the instructor which further caused her to blush a deeper red as she wasn't used to being acknowledged. She went a century and nearly another half of a century fighting hollows in the human world, she wasn't used to interacting with anyone really. Yasu even made a side comment that made Kana smile. She held her hands together in front of her chest clasped forming a big fist. 'Was she really glad that I was apart of the group?' Kana thought to herself, she couldn't believe someone would feel that way towards her. Nonetheless, even if she had a hard time believing it she wanted to because it made her happy.

Next, it was Ryu's turn to demonstrate the technique against Yasu, his posture seemed right and he seemed to have it all down too, she could, however, tell that he wasn't use to channeling his energy this way. She stood on standby ready to be next to have the technique used on. When Yasu and Ryu were done it would be Yasu's turn to test Sai against Kana, and she was kind of excited to see how it felt.

Yasu watched the two interact, wondering how she'd managed to find such an odd couple in class. Divine intervention? Or maybe these was some greater power at play that reduced her decisions to the only two available souls. She'd never know but she figured these two were vibing. Their odd seemed to just match each-other well enough to get along great and as excited about the spell as Kana, Ryu seemed even more enthralled. In fact, he even lost his otherwise perfect composure for a moment. They both had really. It was these kind of small idiosyncrasies that made her smile.

The sunshine she'd been enjoying before class had sprawled out over their training area and it carried the breeze with a warming effect. She tousled her hair with her free hand as she watched Ryu. The stance seemed important, and the hand motion. Her own hand twitched as she tried to memorise the hand sign. Yasu watched the man intently as he spoke, it sounded different than when Kana had done it but that thought was fleeting. Her arms tugged behind her back for a brief second but then nothing. Like a rope that had loosened. It slackened off into nothing before it had full effect.

'Almost, you nearly had me. Give it another go' Yasu exhaled her tension, this stuff was hard but she had no judgement for her classmate, just respect. Honestly, the silver haired woman was still amazed at how easy Kana had made it look. Yasu dragged her hand around the nape of her neck, still feeling a little sore from her zanjutsu class earlier in the day. She shuffled her shoulders and feet, nodding to herself once more. Maybe Kana had some insight too? Yasu was hoping she could help her out when it was her turn.

It was tense though, waiting for the strike. So Yasu tried to think about her own reiatsu, she stared into Ryu's eyes and tried to focus. To feel any kind of energy inside of her and just try to move it around her body, the sound of the class broke away and her ears filled with the sound of her own breathing. There was a natural rhythm and flow, she could feel that much. Yasu even imagined a colour, passing through her entire body. She was sure she felt something, but honestly she didn't know.

Though it was natural for one's first attempt to fail, Ryu still felt frustrated from the failure of his spell. The desire to succeed burned within him, and he was determined to work as hard as necessary to achieve that goal. He hadn't been so enthused about joining this academy at first, having felt more inclined to continue his life as before. But the things he was learning here were fascinating and all promised to make him into the best version of himself that he could obtain in the future.

His spell had failed to take full effect, but like his classmate had said he'd almost managed to do it. Obviously he wasn't doing everything wrong. It probably was due to his inexperience with holding onto that feeling of spirit power within himself. Though perhaps he hadn't done a sufficient job maintaining his intent while casting either. Simply focusing your spirit power isn't enough here. You have to give it direction. Let it know what it is you want it to do. Ryu almost wanted to suggest that Yasu take her turn now, but since she was willing to let him have another shot at it first, he would gladly take her up on that suggestion.

Ryu formed the sign with his fingers again and closed his eyes to grasp hold of that feeling inside himself again. No not yet. Simply grasping the edge wouldn't be enough. He had to go deeper. Ryu stayed motionless for several seconds as he pulled more of his energy out. A faint snow white aura began to shimmer around his body, unnoticed by him as he continued to concentrate. Now! Without warning his eyes shot open, both glowing with an intense light filled with his spirit energy. His gaze was completely on Yasu now, his eyes fully focused on her as the target. He thought back to what had happened when Kana and the instructor had cast the spell and forged his intent for the same to happen to Yasu into his mind and words. He thrust out his hand like before and made his second attempt.

"This time for sure! Bakudo #1! Sai!"

Kana watched at how Ryu had such confidence in his first attempt, and how kind Yasu was towards him and allowing him another go at the attempt. She could tell that Yasu was doing her best to make sure Ryu felt comfortable, and that just showed how compassionate Yasu was. Kana thought of a way she could explain it to the two to make it easier on them, but she had an idea but the issue was putting it into words. As the two of them continued practicing she noticed this time an outline around Ryu, maybe he had it this time, as he was focusing she took her opportunity to explain what she had done earlier. 

"If I may intervene and provide an explanation while he's at work," Kana spoke softly but yet stern. "I would say Ryu has the right idea and he's heading the right way, he's gathering that energy inside, and he's focusing on it, now he has to in a sense move that energy to the desired area, and focus on what he's trying to do with it, what is the target." 

She watched Ryu get ready to use Sai yet again, and if you think about it he hadn't failed his first attempt, Yasu's arms were almost impaired but it fizzled out before the spell completed. Maybe that was due to his excitement.

Yasu listened intently to Kana as she spoke, slowly nodding as she let the words sink into her understanding. It made sense, in theory though she felt skeptical about the genuine application. The intensity that surrounded Ryu when he opened his eyes was confirmation enough for Yasu that his second attempt would be perfect. Sure enough, her arms were clutched together behind her back. Though the woman had over-corrected her balance in anticipation of the forwards fall, she hadn't expected any backwards thrust. 'Oh shi-' She kicked off her back foot just in time to flip her body and land safely, it had been damn close though. She flicked her neck in a small circle to move her hair from her face and grinned at her two group-mates. 'Real nice' she nodded. Yasu even tugged at her arms to see if she could break free. It was an odd feeling actually, though it felt very sturdy she was sure that casting a spell like this one someone much stronger would have a much more limited effect.

When her arms were under her control again she rubbed her hands together, cracking her knuckles as she bounced on the balls of her feet a little. She was a little nervous. 'Okay, gather energy, direct it' she spoke quietly, more to herself than the other two. Yasu turned to Kana with a polite nod, to let the girl know she was about to start. Or, try to. Yasu mimicked the stance of the others, holding her two fingers together as she extended her arm towards the woman. She could already feel her heart beating faster. Yasu wasn't top of the class, she'd never even wanted to be but she was trying. The woman reminded herself modestly of this fact, acknowledging that she could only do her best at any moment.

Yasu closed her eyes. Focusing on the energy that flowed through her body, with every exhale she tried to guide it down her arm. Like a lightning rod. A flicker of light passed across her eyes as she opened them. 'Bakudo 1, Sai.' she'd tried to sound as commanding as possible as she spoke, though there was an audible hesitation to her voice.

Yasu was propelled backwards into a nearby tree. She bounced onto the ground, groaning in pain as a few rogue leaves floated down around her. That was about the level of success she'd been expecting. She brushed herself off again and tried to jog her somewhat battered body back to her group. She dropped her shoulders as she exhaled. 'Okay, let me give it another shot.' She might not be the most talented but she had grit enough to keep trying.

Yasu took a moment to tie up her hair, though several strands cascaded down and evaded her. The sun caught her hair and it glowed like liquid silver. Her back was aching. Yasu knew she had to commit, she could feel it in her bones. She took up her stance again and held her hand towards Kana once more. She slowed her heart-beat, letting her senses flood with the world around her. She didn't need to try and control everything, she didn't have to force it, just direct it. Her reiatsu swelled around her frame as she stared at Kana, focused solely on the spell. 'Bakudo 1. Sai!'

Yes! Ryu's heart leapt as his second attempt succeeded in casting the bind on Yasu. He returned the grin she gave and complimented her on the quick reflexes she'd used to prevent herself from falling. "Nice moves Yasu-san. That was some quick thinking there." He was glad they were classmates rather than enemies. The way she carried herself screamed of experience and knowledge on life's deeper harshness. Ryu saw Yasu pulling at the grip of the spell and cut off his flow of energy, disabling the seal. "Your turn next."

Ryu took position to the side of his group, giving them decent breathing room. Kana's advice had come at a good time, serving to confirm his hypotheses as he'd been focusing earlier and helping guide him to a successful outcome. It was up to Yasu to make use of that insight. But that would all depend on how well versed in spirit power she was. Ryu couldn't explain it, but some strange feeling was emanating from Yasu as she focused. It kind of felt like....

"Timid..."

Ryu lunged forward a moment too late. He tried to catch Yasu when she was blown back, but found his outstretched hand falling short as she was flung into a tree. The hesitation in her energy had been felt, but he'd reacted to the feeling too slow and been unable to give assistance. But his concerns seemed unnecessary as Yasu pulled herself back up and rejoined them. This girl was a tough one, not to be held down by anything. Ryu grinned in amusement at the sight. So many were so quick to look down on themselves, giving up before all possible routes had been considered. Not her. As her power flowed with stronger confidence and no hesitation this time, Ryu crossed his arms and smiled with satisfaction, certain that this time would be a success.

Watching Ryu was amusing as he would talk to himself, Kana could see it in his eyes that he was talking to himself. As he threw a little personal celebration that he succeeded in using Bakudo No. 1 - Sai. Now it would be Yasu's turn which Kana had a feeling she would either blow this out of the water, or she would stumble a bit. She just had that demeanor of someone who just wings it and goes for it. Maybe that was just for show though? Either way, Kana had faith in her fellow student.

Kana tried to embrace herself for the impact but just as she was readying herself Yasu had sloppily tried to cast the spell that it backfired on her and the power she was gathering in a sense imploded. Kana would've run to meet the woman but Yasu had stuck the landing and made her way back over. Ryu seemed like he had intentions to catch her but he was too slow. Kana made sure to make note of his speed and his reaction time. This time Yasu seemed prepared, however, like Ryu she could sense her outpour of Reiatsu was unsteady. Kana felt the spell snapping her arms backward. 

-

It was at that moment a quick memory played out in her head when she first attended the academy, and she was taught how to dispel someone's Sai.


"Now if you're under the influence of someone's Sai and they're not overly advance in Kidō Arts, or below your skill, the easiest way to dispel the art is by focusing on where the area that is being affected and if there is any lack of energy flow." The Instructor Kana had originally announced.

-

Kana had focused on the energy in her arms and could feel that although the spell was complete there wasn't a strong flow all the way through. Using her own Reiatsu she had dispelled the Sai and stood in front of her classmates. 


"That was really well-done Yasu!" Kana complimented her as she rubbed her arms in pain.

Since she'd joined the academy, Yasu had worked with a variety of different people. It was rare to get a group with two supportive and kind people. Usually, the competitive nature of the courses overwhelmed people and in some cases they'd just start sabotaging others. Yasu could recall several classes of just that, in fact if you had a look around you'd notice the say belligerent attitudes abound. So even though she'd catapulted herself into a tree (and gotten a few snickers from other classmates) Yasu was feeling damn proud that she actually managed to cast a spell. In fact, her mouth dropped open when Kana's hands whipped behind her back. The woman had literally cheered. 'No way! Thanks guys' It was a momentary joy.

The instructor clapped his hand twice and gestured for the class to sit around the edge of the training area. 'Only two groups have successfully all cast this spell. The rest of you have failed and will retake this class tomorrow. However, the top grades in this class will only be reserved for one group. Now you must fight together, in your group. You must each correctly cast the spell, during combat AND you must win the fight.' Yasu's pride had whittled away as the man spoke. She hadn't seen the other group that had managed it but she also doubted her own ability to cast the spell during a combat scenario.

Talk about trial by fire. Yasu's mind kicked into gear as her eyes swept over the training ground, 'Are we allowed out of this box?' she called across to their teacher. He seemed extremely inconvenienced by the interruption. 'No.'. Damn. If she could get some wider range, she would've felt more confident. Yasu breathed out hard, forcing the air out of her lungs as she calmed herself.

'Team one'. He gestured across the grid and Yasu's eyes narrowed in on the group that rose to their feet. Searching them for weaknesses. She was a hunter, she had a keen eye. Two men, one woman. First man was tall and broad, probably slow. The second man, about the same height as his brown haired counter-part was more lithe, but he wore glasses. The girl, Yasu knew from her Hohō class. She'd tripped two other students to win a race. 'Watch the girl, she fights dirty' Yasu spoke under her breath, to her team-mates.

Yasu was confident in her partners, they were both clearly competent as hell. In fact, if it were just a normal fight, she was certain they'd win. 'Second group, stand up.' The man turned and pointed at the three. He looked between the two groups and seemed to quickly come to the same conclusion. 'No swords. This is hand to hand combat only.' He announced with a grin. 'Remember, the fight is the main objective. Don't waste time casting unless you're certain your attack will land. Otherwise you leave yourself open and defenceless.'

Once the groups were assembled, he stood between them, holding out his arm to begin the fight.

As Ryu had expected, Yasu managed to cast the spell on her second attempt too. It was a moment to be proud of for their team, but the joy was cut short as the class was called back together and their next test was announced. Ryu especially was feeling the pressure here. He'd had no problem accepting the invitation into the practice group for class, but he was not used to working with others in a combat scenario. How could one so easily trust others to have their back? Looking out for yourself was the much more efficient method. But it was a fact that they would not be able to overcome these opponents without working together. He had no choice but to trust his group for now.

Ryu's gaze scanned the training field they would be using as their arena. A decent sized box in the center of the clearing, but it would limit the space they could take from each other, which would make kido casting even harder for those inexperienced at it. And it sounded like since this was a kido class, just plain victory would not be accepted. All three members of their team were required to cast the spell they'd learned in this exercise. To make things worse, Yasu gave some bad news on one of their opponent's lack of sportsmanship.

"Guess we should look out for the whole group then." Ryu scratched his head as he tried to think of a plan to make it through this spar. "'Birds of a feather flock together and all.' If she's inclined to dishonor, I wouldn't trust the company she keeps to maintain any stricter moral code."

Ryu sighed and walked slowly into the ring. At the instructor's final direction he let out another long sigh. So which is it? Cast or don't cast? He says we must cast the spell during the fight and win, then contradicts himself by saying that the fight is the main objective and we shouldn't try to cast without an opening. This guy's instruction is all over the place like always. Kana would make a much better instructor. Ryu put his thoughts aside and began to focus on the challenge in front of him. As discreetly as possible, he began to inch his focus toward gathering his spiritual energy again. Preparation was the key to victory after all. If he could hit them with a super quick Sai as soon as the signal was given, it could possibly give them an opening to reduce the other team's numbers and give them the tactical advantage.

Kana thought for sure her ability to undo the casting of Sai on her would be a remarkable feat, maybe it would've gone better noticed if the Instructor hadn't interrupted and told them that only SIX people had completed today's training. Luckily for the Instructor, Kana was all for getting to let out some steam on her fellow classmates. He gave them one last test to use Sai in a fight against each other and the group as a whole must pass by winning their fight and successfully using Sai during the fight. She felt her blood racing, as she gripped her Zanpakutō ready for what was ahead of her. If it was up to Kana she'd offer to take both of her teammate's places in the fight and just go for a one versus three fight. Sadly though the lesson here was not only for each of them to win their fight and use the spell successfully but have trust they can handle themselves. 

"Alright." Kana blankly agreed. 

Kana let go of her Zanpakutō after the Instructor stated they would only be fighting hand to hand. She had jumped In the ring whether her team followed right away with enthusiasm or slowly followed behind due to their nerves that were getting the best of them it was all up to them, and how they handled this new test. Kana had already claimed the man she'd be fighting, the brute.

"Hey, the big oaf looking one, you're my opponent." Kana pointed at him, her voice had confidence. 

Most likely due to the fact that she had hundreds of years worth of fighting experience on her peers. When they were given the green light to begin the fight, Kana wasted no time jumping into action. She had used Shunpo/Flash Step. When she was behind the broad man, she had slammed her palm of her hand into her opponent's back. 

"Surprised?" Kana smiled, she knew she was probably one of the faster students in the ring. 

She stood giving her opponent this cold stare as if she couldn't care if she ended up killing him. Truthfully, she would, but this was a fight to showcase your skills. 


"Stand up and come at me, OAF." Kana had given him a pet name, even if it was a belittling one.

Come at her he did too, the broad man charged at her, trying to cast the spell, and Kana smirked. She shifted her arms backward by choice to give him false hope, just as the man had jumped up in the air to punch her Kana yet again used her Shunpo/Flash Step to once again go behind her opponent in his blind spot and slam her palm back down again this time focusing on his spine. The impact of his landing made the ring shake, and she once more gave him that cold stare, as if he wasn't a threat to her.


"You should've known that your form was sloppy and there was no way it would properly connect, sorry for giving you a false sense of accomplishment." Kana teased him, "Can you handle any more or should I use the technique on you to show you how it's really done, and we can be DONE?"

As her foe laid there taking his time standing she looked out for her teammates to see how they were performing.

Yasu was annoyed she wouldn't get to use her sword but she untied it from her hip anyway. Who'd have thought she'd ever be so attached to a sword, that thought brought a vague smile to her face. It had been a real adjustment and Yasu longed to used her bow again. The woman placed her sword gently on the ground, letting her thoughts drop like water in her mind. The ripples continued as she readied herself beside her team-mates. Her fingers twitched as she remembered her bow and her mind made a great connection. This kido spell worked in the same way. You had to draw your energy, aim it at your target and release. Both even had similar follow-through. A smile stretched across Yasu's face, as the connections stretched through her conscious. Oh, it's so on.

Kana called dibs on the big guy. So Yasu had the choice between spectacles and the girl. She didn't care which one, though a part of her felt like they could've been more collaborative than one each. Divide and conquer was a classic for a reason though. Her back foot dragged backwards as she dropped into a solid stance. Their instructor held out his arm and Yasu chose her prey. She glanced across to Ryu. He was smart guy, practical, tactical...She figured he'd go for a quick draw spell and she had a feeling glasses guy would do the same. She'd put her money on Ryu any day. Yasu raised her arm up, pointing squarely at the girl opposite. 'You're mine then'. Ryu was probably right, if the chick was that type of person, it stood to reason her team-mates would be too.

Yasu gently rolled her neck to the side, loosing off from her tree-fling. Their instructor grinned from ear to ear, he clearly lived for this kind of thing. 'Begin!' he yelled, swinging his arm up as he stepped back.

Yasu leapt forwards, just in case her chick wanted to try and grab her early. They'd swapped sides. Kana had already blurred beyond Yasu's vision and her focus was on her girl anyway. She was charging at Yasu, a manic smile stretched across her face and she dove foot first at Yasu, trying to take her feet from under her. The dust swirled in spirals as she burst through, Yasu had waited. Her weight shifted to the side as she grabbed the girl with two hands and threw her backwards; her feet sprawled over her head. Her opponents hand hit the ground first and she grabbed fistful of dirt. Yasu dropped her, stepping back to wipe the stinging from her eyes. The girl's mistake was assuming Yasu relied only on her sight. She was loud and clumsy when she moved. Yasu grabbed the punch before it connected, pulling it to her side as she slammed her elbow at the girl's jaw.

She felt the connect, even if she still couldn't see properly. Then the she vanished for a second, Yasu couldn't hear a thing until she heard her heavy breath behind her. The woman's foot slammed into Yasu's chest and propelled her backwards. She wiped her eyes, able to make out fuzzy shapes as her opponent closed in the gap between them. Yasu exhaled back into her stance, her heart was used to the pressure of the hunt so she was calm in this space. Unlike her agitated foe. Her punches came fast and Yasu dodged and blocked where needed. She was waiting for her opening, this was not a race. She needed the right moment, the opening.

She'd over-committed to a strike. The faintest smile toyed on Yasu's lips, gone in a second as she thrust her head forwards at the girl. She stumbled back a space and Yasu led an upercut to her jaw. Two hooks to follow and one last roundhouse. This was her moment, while she was dazed. Yasu exhaled, no time to panic. As soon as her foot landed back into her stance, she extended her arm. Just like shooting an arrow. 'Bakudo #1, Sai!'.

The signal was given and Ryu's teammates took off like arrows from a bow while he took the rearguard position to fire his spell. He was especially impressed with Kana's demonstration of the shunpo. Was there anything that this girl couldn't do? But on the other hand, it seemed like all her former politeness had vanished. It had been replaced with a cold display that gave off a feeling of arrogance. Though Ryu concluded that that was not a surprising outcome for someone as talented as her. Those with ability above their peers were more naturally drawn to such feelings. But it mattered not to Ryu, as Kana had not been confrontational to him yet. He decided to take advantage of the surprise her shunpo had created and fired off the spell he'd been prepping.

"Bakudo #1, Sai!"

Ryu's spell landed speedily on the leftover member of the other team as he tried to gather his energy to fire his own. His arms were snapped behind his back, though he seemed to be used to the feeling and did not fall over as Yasu and Ryu nearly had during practice. But in his haste to cast the spell, Ryu's control of the energy had been faulty and he could sense the spell would not hold long. That he'd managed to land it in such a state was good enough for him though. Missing no opportunity, he sprinted across the sparring field and delivered a ramming punch with all his momentum behind it in the opponent's chest. The force threw him backward and off his feet, but Ryu's spell came undone as Glasses fell, allowing him to catch himself before he slammed into the ground, preventing further damage. He pulled himself back up and took a stance against Ryu, appearing to have given up on the idea of casting a spell at this time.

"Let's do this then." Ryu declared his intent before charging into a furious spar with his opponent. Neither of them seemed especially specialized in hakuda, with amateurish punches and kicks raining down on each other that could only be called barbaric in appearance. Ryu gave as good as he got though, watching his opponent and using his long limbs to invade his space so he could mess up his rhythm. The exchange lasted for several seconds, though it seemed much longer than that to Ryu. The tension was so high that it made him feel twice as worn as a normal fight would. This guy wasn't the only other piece in play. There were two other enemies to worry about and his two allies as well. Something would have to be done to tip the scal- "Arghhhhhhh!"

Blood splattered from Ryu's front as a wound appeared in his chest. What was that? His mind raced as his opponent let out a mischievous grin. Ryu growled in fury as he saw the culprit in this mystery. Glasses had been quick in concealing it, but a flash of sunlight near his sleeve let Ryu locate it before it disappeared into his uniform. This guy had a small blade hidden in his sleeve; an anken. Looking around at the observing class, Ryu noticed that some of them seemed a bit horrified by the appearance of his wound. But the instructor was doing nothing to stop the fight, so Ryu figured he must not have seen the weapon. If he tried to stop the fight now and accuse his opponent without proof, he'd be seen as nothing but a troublemaker. After all, it wasn't unheard of for hakuda users to be able to inflict slashing wounds with their blows. The likelihood of an academy student having that kind of skill was slim but, again, Ryu had no proof to the contrary. He leapt back from his foe and took notice of the awkward way that his torn uniform was dangling on his body. "Guess it's more sensible for me to just do this then." Ryu undid his uniform top and let it fall around his waste over his bottom.

"This wound means nothing to me. As you can see, I've already got plenty of scars from my past." With his top removed, Ryu's entire torso was on full display for the whole class to see. Unlike his face, which simply had three neat scars crossed on his cheek, his body was littered with wide ugly lines from various old slashes and gashes that had set into his flesh before he could receive any proper healing. The most prominent of all these wounds was a large blotch on his shoulder, reminiscent of a burn he'd endured. "I don't care if you don't play by the rules. Reliance on such methods just serves to prove how weak you really are."

Glasses seemed insulted by this latest taunt and rage bloomed over his face as he charged in to continue their fight. Ryu had other plans however as he saw an opening. "Bakudo #1, Sai!" The spell was landed with much more stability this time, and the awkward snap of his arms behind his back as his opponent was running made him fall flat on his face. Glasses craned his neck to look at Ryu, but found him running in the opposite direction.

"Coward! Where are you running off to!? I'm your opponent!"

"In case you've forgotten..." Ryu responded as he came upon Yasu and the girl she was sparring with, "...this is a team fight!" He sprinted with his body down low and his arm stretched out to the side, catching Yasu's foe in her midriff as her arms wrapped helplessly behind her back, disabled by Yasu's spell. "He said we couldn't leave the ring. So this is the end for you." Ryu dragged her to the edge of the field with his arm wrapped around her stomach, then threw her outside the sparring area with a twist of his body.

"One down, two to go. Advantage secured."

Kana looked at the man as he tried to perform a spell she knew about from reading the books on the Hado Artes, however, there was no telling if she knew the spell long ago, but she certainly didn't remember. The spell he miserably failed was Hado No. 5 - Fireball. He started to apologize for trying to learn Kido during the midst of their little spar. Both parties were obviously holding back, 

Kana had watched her team fight their opponents, as her foe struggled to stand and kept falling to his knees, she noticed how Yasu even though her enemy had played dirty and she still managed to overcome her foe. Meanwhile, she looked over and saw a Ryu using Bakudo No. 1 - Sai, yet again, she had heard him scream the name once more. Maybe he had failed the previous one, as he had disabled his foe. She saw Ryu run and throw out Yasu's challenge from the ring. Kana rolled her eyes, did Ryu not trust Yasu to finish her fight? 

The Kana that the two of them knew met an hour or so ago was gone, she had less of a pouty shy look to her and more of an austere face and ice-cold glare.

"So, tell me. Ryu Katsuragi, do you have a lack of faith in Yasu's skills?" Kana asked. "She seemed to have it under control, although we're fighting as a team . . ." Kana raised the volume of her voice, so even the Instructor could hear, "I believe this was not only a trial to see how we can coordinate as a team, but also to test our trust in our allies, because, out on the field there will be trials where we're all tied up in our own messes. Running to help her even after immobilizing your opponent could give them the surprise attack, you completely turned your back to Four-Eyes over there." Kana smiled, as she turned to slam her palm in the big oaf's gut once more, sending him back into the ground. "Just like earlier, I had broken free of the Sai, Yasu casted, what if Four-Eyes had done so too? You'd not only be bleeding from the front but also the back."

With that said Kana decided she was done with her opponent, without announcing the skill her stance showed the Bakudo she was going to use. Pointing her index and middle finger at the large man his arms quickly snapped behind him, Kana winced as she heard the bones snap before she had kicked him out of the ring. Kana stared at Four-Eyes and her partners. 


"I had trust that Yasu was able to overcome her situation." Kana smiled, "Which she did, even impaired." 

She leaned against one of the ring's poles, watching the rest of this play out. She understood wanting to help your fellow allies, Kana would've wanted too as well. Also, she knew there would be situations where you'd be able to assist them mid of a battle, she just felt he wasn't fully prepared and had a lack of trust in his fellow teammates.

Well, this is awkward.

...

Silence followed Kana's rant. Yasu stood between Ryu and Kana, the outline of dirt around her eyes made her look like (from a distance) as though she was wearing some kind of mask. In truth, hadn't seen a problem with Ryu helping her, in fact it had felt like a well timed assist to her. All the same a small part of her appreciated Kana speaking out on her behalf and she could see where the girl was coming from. She saw no fault from either side of her team though. The other team were eliminated, they'd won. It was supposed to be a happy moment. Yasu wiped her face with her uniform sleeve as she strolled over to Kana. Ignoring the screams from the man with broken bones, she wrapped her arm around the girl's shoulder with a soft smile. 'Hey, it's all good. Thanks' her cool tone made her seem almost indifferent to the whole scenario but Yasu was really proud of their victory and grateful for the girl's comment, even if she deemed it unnecessary. She turned back to Ryu, hoping he wouldn't leave her hanging as she held up her hand for a high-5. 'Great fight, Ryu'.

Their instructor leapt back into the ring. 'A good victory, your classmates should be envious'. Yasu disliked how much the staff here seemed to encourage in-fighting and how much sway they had with some of the students. 'Though your team-work needs improvement' His gaze lowered as he darted his gaze from Kana to Ryu then Yasu. The silver haired girl was replaying the combat in her mind, trying to pull out her focus and recognise better the actions of the other two. She'd been lucky they were on her team, truly. This was probably one of Yasu's most successful classes to date.

'We'll end class there. I'll see most of you back here tomorrow. I suggest you practice in the mean-time. Dismissed'

A few students were trying to pick up the guy Kana had pummelled. He was pretty heavy, so they were making quite a fuss. Yasu exhaled slowly as the rest of the class threw daggers at the three of them. 'Well, we didn't win many friends there.' she thought aloud, looking blankly back at the angry faces. The woman tugged her hair free from its tie and wrapped the black cord around her wrist, scooping down to re-attach her sword to her hip. Yasu shook her head, trying to release any dirt or leave that might be stuck in her hair (it was more common than she'd like to admit).

Yasu looked between her two class-mates, wondering if they'd become friends in the future but she wanted to see how their argument played out first. Kana's attitude in combat changed entirely, she moved with experience, like someone who'd fought a thousand times before. Ryu fought with a similar level of focus, though he seemed more calculating. Her head lulled to one side, letting her silver locks brush her shoulder as she considered what they thought she fought like. It wasn't something she'd thought about before, though she'd been in enough fights to know she could handle herself she didn't know if she came off as intense as the others. Oh well.

Well, this was different. In response to Ryu's tactics, Kana's intense battle mood turned its focus towards him with what seemed like no hesitation to jump down his throat about what he'd done. She may have been extremely skilled, but he did not like the tone she was taking with him as if she were his superior. Her attitude made her sound like a parent scolding a child. And he was having no part of it. He turned to face Kana with all traces of emotion and faux-kindness wiped from his features.

"Your choice of words is very amusing, Rasui-san. I 'ran to help her?' You are mistaken. Helping Yasu-san never crossed my mind in that exchange. Everything I did was to use the battle situation to bring about the greatest chance of victory. By disabling one opponent, I was able to move freely and blindside another to reduce the enemy's numbers. That gave our team an overwhelming advantage in finishing this fight in our favor. Of course there would always be the chance of plans going awry, but he who hesitates based on what ifs never gets anything done on the battlefield."

Ryu stepped closer towards Kana with Yasu between the two of them looking very uncomfortable. He didn't like putting her on the spot like this, but Kana had to hear that her queen bee behavior would not go unopposed just because she had some talent.

"Don't try to lecture me about trust and battle based on your own beliefs. You are the one who jumped the gun and decided to operate this team match like three individual one-on-one fights. I received no such direction from the instructor. Our objectives were to both eliminate the enemy team and use the kido we were practicing. I conducted myself in the best way possible to accomplish both of those goals."

Then acting as if nothing had gone wrong, Ryu smiled lightly as Yasu tried to lighten the mood with Kana and celebrate their victory. "Yes, it was a great display of our abilities. A great fight indeed Yasu-san." He was curious as to what Yasu's hand was raised for. Normally with his father and their business, people exchanged handshakes upon a successful meeting or accomplishment. He held up his own hand in similar fashion, wondering what the gesture could mean. The instructor announced the results and dismissed the class. Ryu pulled his robe top back on, noting the cut in it and thinking about how he'd have to get it fixed. The gazes of the class were not lost on him, but he paid it no mind. They were merely the looks of envy from those who were behind. The success their team had achieved today would definitely put them on the radar of those seeking the top of the student hierarchy. But that's what made the game so amusing.

"Better to keep few real friends than many fakes. That's what my father always told me. Though I will admit, I've never spent time with anyone enough to really know what friends are like."

Kana was listening to Ryu explain himself, and how he didn't even think for Yasu's safety that it was all for victory, she sighed and glared at the ground- she knew damn well that could be true but he also had the motive to help out his team. Yasu looked at Kana and thanked her. Yasu then was telling her it was all okay and told Ryu that it was a good fight. Kana couldn't help but feel her eyes start to water. She couldn't help but feel a sort of pain in her chest as her mind was flooded with thousands of thoughts and regret. Kana couldn't help losing her sympathy in battle, she spent countless days fighting Hollows, she had real battle experience against Hollows- unlike most of these students. 

As the other students looked at the winning group in disgust, Kana hurriedly walked ahead of Yasu and Ryu. Yasu made a comment about how they hadn't won many friends today. She felt disgusted with her lack of control in battle- how she instantly went hard on her enemy. 

"I should go . . ." Kana mumbled.

As Kana turned to tell them she was leaving her eyes, she had tears forming. She was more so upset with herself and couldn't be around them any longer for the day. Leaving her new acquaintances, or friends she hadn't taken into consideration they might consider her as a friend due to their lesson and team fight today. Kana just couldn't bring herself to be around the both of them, she felt disgusting like she was losing herself without her memories, all she knew was fighting- well that and the hundreds of books she spent time reading since her return. Was she even stable enough to have friends? Kana brushed it off as she ran off once she got a bit away from the two of them.

-Exit-

There was an innocence to Ryu that Yasu hadn't noticed until then. Until he spoke without reservation, admitting he'd had no friends. It dug deep in her chest and Yasu saw herself in the man's reflection. She'd spent most of her life isolated too. People were hard to trust and mostly corrupted or corruptible (herself included) but she had learnt, slowly, to appreciate the value of others. Her eyes widened with a hint of sadness as she nodded at the man. 'I think we should change that then.'

Kana rushed past them, her own emotions over-flowing. Yasu raised her arm as she called after her, 'Kana!...Catch you around'. Everyone had their own burdens to bear, that much was clear. Yasu watched her run for a moment longer, wondering if she should chase the girl or not. She knew she had no responsibility for her feelings but it was a shame to see her crumble like that. -In the heat of battle- turned out to be a real thing. It wasn't so surprising. She decided Kana might prefer a moment alone.

This had been a pretty eventful class. Yasu shrugged, mentally removing the weight on her shoulders. She glanced around their training area, inhaling deeply as the warm air settled in her lungs. 'Come on, we can swap stories about scars over some food'. Ryu's body was tapestry of struggle from what she'd seen, she'd heard him though, explaining how he wasn't ashamed of his scars. He seemed like a good guy. Yasu hadn't realised how hungry she was until that moment but her mind was already drawing up some tasty ideas to remedy that problem. She began to stroll back to the main compound. It was a perk of the shinigami academy, their cafeteria was amazing.

((OOC: Happy to end this here? We can continue it elsewhere))