BLEACH - Birth of a Shinigami (CLOSED Prequel)

Tanaka Ryoichi strolled along the busy street, head turning neither to the left nor the right as he made his way through the thronging crowds. He was never jostled, never once had to veer or stop and wait. Whilst everyone else was hurrying, Ryoichi just ambled along, with his head down and his hands tucked into the fold of his austere black haori.

A highway cop giving a motorist a ticket never even paid the oddly dressed man a glance, even as the wind ruffled the long haori so that it revealed the handle of the katana sword bound into the stiff kaku obi of the kimono. An observer, paradoxically, would quickly have ascertained that Ryoichi's fellow travellers were utterly incapable of seeing him.

This was a good thing - although many would have found the old fashioned traditional Japanese clothing amusing, the local police would have found the three foot length of the Katana less funny. Ryoichi's left hand never wandered far from the throat of the laquered scabbard, seeming to gain some comfort from the cool feel of it under his fingers.

Taking a fork in the road, Ryoichi found himself in China town - finding the architecture more familiar and comforting even if the smells and sounds were largely gibberish to him. He'd once taken the time to learn some Mandarin, but this Cantonese dialect was far more debased than that and he found the meaning just dancing away from him. Sighing he stopped his walk in front of a restaurant, Mei Fong's and turned to begin his route back to the more normal streets of San Fransisco.

As he prepared to walk past the restaurant and return to the main part of the city, Ryoichi was surprised to see a young woman looking right at him. At first his whole body tightened in surprise, but he willed himself to relax - things like this happened 10 times a day. She couldn't see him, she was looking at something beyond him or behind him or just staring into space.

However her eyes seemed to track him and then she spoke - "You're gonna get arrested carrying that thing around". Ryoichi froze as she walked past him - close enough for him to smell her perfume. Close enough that she almost touched him - although she lithely wriggled past and through the door of the restaurant with the movement skills of the born city girl.

He turned to watch her as she moved into the restaurant, hearing the sharply raised voice of the woman inside without understanding the words - but getting the meaning loud and clear. In a tableau as old as society the girl was getting scolded by her 'kasan. It was clear that the youngs respect for the elder was a key theme of the topic, just as it had been when HE was alive 600 years ago. Just as it had probably been for thousands of years.

The fact that she could see him was interesting. He let his senses unfold and caught the scent of her Spirit Energy - so ka THAT was why. The girl was a very powerful but totally untapped well of Spirit Energy. No training or natural inclination towards the use of her strength meant that her energy was unfocussed and soft, but nonetheless her strength was impressive. She'd be a target - he'd have to come back here, he realised.

Quickly he made his way off - not wanting to be too memorable in case she saw him again. Feeling her eyes coming back to him as her mother finished the scolding, Ryoichi hurried out of view, before sitting down on a wall to think out his next move.

Ryoichi was strolling casually by the water when he bumped into the girl again. Certianly he hadn't been following her, exactly, but then he'd been staying near her too. At any rate he'd been sucessful avoiding being seen by her and had finally become a little complacent, which is why as he stepped out around the street vendors cart, he almost ran into her.

She was strolling, between two other girls almost as pretty as she was, and sharing sufficient features that they must be family. Ryoichi looked quickly to the left and right, then made to step back into the shadows of the building across the street - but he was too late. Raising her hand the girl waved shyly at him causing him to roll his eyes in frustration at his clumsiness. Quickly deciding he nodded back at her impassively, hoping she would just let it pass - but her sharp eyed companions weren't about to let this behaviour lie and began questioning her.

Ryo shook his head in dismay as the girl pointed openly at him, her posture indicating her defensiveness. It seemed that high spiritual power wasn't that common in her family after all, because the others peered towards him, but failed to make him out (much to his relief!)

Finally she gave up and the slightly strained laughter revealed that she was a little freaked out. As she passed him, he nodded politely to her "Konnichiwa" his voice a dry whisper of amusement. He saw her back stiffen as she heard his voice for the first time, and leaped up and back onto the low roof, so that when she chanced a glance around he was already nowhere to be seen.

He was about to follow after along the rooftops when the phone tucked into his Kimono sash suddenly rang loudly. Drawing it out, he cursed loudly bounding in the opposite direction to Ling and towards the site of the prospective hollow manifestation.

"Kuso!" she'd really caught him flat-footed tonight! He'd been watching her when his schedule allowed over the last week or two - wondering that the flickers of energy hadn't already attracted a Hollow to her.

Maybe she was subdued enough that he shouldn't worry? But every time she walked past him and the orange flames of her Spirit Energy licked over him, he knew that she was Hollow Bait.

So he'd been cutting it a little fine. Staying close, making sure he didn't get far enough away not to be able to protect her if something happened. And, yes dammit, he'd been playing with her. He could have stayed totally out of sight - that was easy, but hovering on the edge of her perception - that was really fun and challenging.

Too challenging, it seemed! "Baka yarou!" he cursed to himself as she tried to keep up with him. He'd have to lead her back around to the restaurant...

<Beep! Beep! Beep!>

"Kuso! Kuso! Kuso!"

He'd probably lost the girl now, so it was safe to fish the phone out and.... A Hollow, a big Hollow. Close too.

Ryoichi spun to the right and vaulted over a fence and up onto a flat roof. He pounded over the tiles and leaped clear over the garden into the next buildings lot - a school playground. Around here...

The air darkened off to the right, and the creature emerged - black as sin, except for the pearl white headmask. Ryoichi squared his stance and smiled coldly at the creature - for its own part it recognised his costume and roared its hatred at him - loudly enough to shatter the school windows.

"Temper, temper... You big ugly freak..." Ryo circled to the right as the thing sought to back him into a corner. It was large and strong looking - a black gorrilla at least 10 feet in height with a blazingly white head mounting a fanged mouth that slavered and drooled to the ground.

The thing seemed slightly put off by the calm determination in his voice, and in the slow bunching prowl of his movements as he quietly stalked it. It suddenly realised it had lost the initiative, mesmerised by the look in his eyes and the cold smile on his face.

He fingered the handle of the Katana and whispered to it. "Ready to burn, Akemihotaru?" Sweeping the blade from the scabbard it glimmered scarlet and then erupted into bright yellow fire. The Hollow retreated a pace from the burning and Ryo deliberately hopped two paces closer.

"Teme! You think I'll forgive you, trash?" The thing lunged at Ryo, but he was already jumping, high, over it and down onto its shoulders as it charged under him. With an overhand blow he split the top of the head and white mask and vaulted to the side, ready just in case the blow was insufficient.

No blood came from the Hollow, but as it grabbed the white mask with both hands the ghostly visage shattered beneath its fingers. With an etheral howl the Hollow melted slowly to nothing - cleansed and at peace.

Ryoichi sheathed the sword smoothly and gathered his breath, his eyes bright at the victory. Then he remembered Ling - where had she got to? Did she make it back alright? A sudden feeling of dread ate at him - she was in trouble, maybe hurt. He could feel it.

With another curse he leaped clear of the school yard and quickly pounded back towards Mei Fongs restaurant.

Ryoichi had searched for her until he felt the pulse of her soul slow and then stop - whatever had happened to her, he'd been too late. He'd missed it and she was gone.

Probably a Hollow had happened upon her while he was distracted from the fight, and it had devoured this beautiful and unique soul. He'd failed.

He found himself back outside the restaurant, Mei Fong's, because this was where her 'kasan was. When they found the empty shell of her, this is where the news would be carried first. He sat on the wall outside - sometimes rising and pacing - waiting for what he felt to be true's confirmation.

It was while he was on a pacing jag that he saw her approaching him.

At first he felt his heart lurch with joy, but as she walked closer, he made out details that tempered his emotions with sadness. First of all was the obvious damage that she'd suffered physically. Knife wounds marked her body, her clothes were crumpled and it looked as if someone had hit her head with something hard, judging from the crusted blood. The thing that confirmed his suspicions though was the short length of chain emerging from her chest - the length of chain that should lead to her physical body, but which was hanging, limply severed.

So... She was dead then, after all. But no Hollow had done this, this was the work of her own kind. He'd almost forgotten how mean and stupid humanity could be - he no longer counted himself among their number. Being a Shinigami was to be something apart from them.

He wasn't surprised when she walked right up to him. He expected her to be feeling a little lost and confused - which is why he reeled a little bit when she turned into a spitting and snarling hellcat.

"Who are you?" she spat at him, angrily. "And don't you try running away again. I want to know who you are and what you want. And I want to know now!"

He paused for a moment to gather himself. The chances were that she had no idea she was dead. If he told her now, then he might lose the chance to have any conversation with her - but if he told her later she'd probably be angrier still with him. Ah well, the lower risk way was to simply answer her questions.

"I am Tanaka Ryoichi, fourth seat of the third squad, guardian of the heavenly court, Shinigami. I'm a Soul Reaper, to put it plainly, and I've been trying to observe and guard you from danger. "

Ryoichi felt the need to defend himself for some bizzare reason.

"You know, I'm not some guardian spirit of your family or anything? It's not my job to protect little girls who run down dark alleys on their own. I purify evil spirits - hollows we call them, and I gather wandering spirits, we call them plusses. Everyone gets sent back to the Soul Society, where I come from. That's how it works."

He walked, seemingly aimlessly through Ling's old neighbourhood - in reality letting her get a good look at it. The girl quickly fell in line, still buzzing with questions - until she came to one he wasn't quite ready to answer yet. They were just pulling into a park as she said it, so Ryo let the momentum of his steps carry him inside and onto the grass.

"No Ling. I'm afraid you don't get to just wander around here like I do. I'm a special case - mostly we keep the living here and the dead in soul society. Or Hell. As smart as your mouth is, you haven't earned a ticket to Hell, you're pure, so you go to the Soul Society. I'm going to send you back now, Ling"

He drew the Katana in an easy movement. Then smartly rapped her on the forehead with it - the Konsoh enfolding her in its embrace. Finally Ling faded to a faint perfume in the air and disipating shadow and all that was left was a Hell Butterfly, darkly black, flapping its way to her final home. Rukongai in the Soul Society. Ryoichi summoned the gate to Soul Society and travelled home himself, leaving a cold wind in the little park next to Mei Fong's restaurant where black car drew up and a policeman emerged with a serious face. Soon the only sign they'd ever been there were the anguished cries of a grieving mother and sisters which rose up along with the black Hell Butterfly as it flew back to the Sacred Courts.

"I'm going to send you back now, Ling."

Mei Ling opened her eyes, looking around in confusion. "Where am I?" she pondered aloud, not really expecting anyone to answer.

"YonJyu chome," a voice replied from somewhere in the shadows of the dimly lit room.

"District 40," said another.

"This is the Rukongai?"

"Hai."

"Shikata ga nai. Heiki," another voice piped in softly. "My name is Sumako."

"I'm Akiko."

"And I'm Yuriko," added the third.

"Ling. Mei Ling," she responded.

One by one the others began to rise from their futons, rolling them and setting them away in a cabinet. Thinking that it was probably best to learn by example, she did the same, a bit surprised to see that her clothing had changed also. Instead of her tee shirt and jeans, Ling was now wearing a pale pink yukata; nothing fancy and a bit threadbare, but utilitarian and her feet were clad in tabi, a pair of zori placed neatly near where she had been laying.

Slipping her feet into them, she followed the girls as one slid open a fusama door and walked out into what must be the main room of what was obviously to be her home for the next little while. A fragile orange glow from the banked coals in the irori enabled Ling to take a better look at her surroundings. The house was typical, she thought, in a feudal, "Shogun" sort of way. Ling couldn't help sighing.

"Water, you will find at the river," one of the girls informed her as she prepared to go outside.

"But... What am I supposed to do?"

"Do?" Sumako giggled, covering her mouth with her hand and shrugging. "You will know what to do when it is time."

Ling nodded, stifling the frustrated groan that rose in her throat. It had been a foolish question to ask, she realized. If she had understood Ryoichi correctly, everyone here was dead. Dead people didn't do much of anything, did they? Slipping on a pair of waraji that were obviously meant for her, Ling decided to take a look around YonJyu, hoping at least to make some friends.


Her first day in District 40 brought many surprises. It seemed there were very few oldsters, in fact most of the people she came across were children. Running and playing, laughing and singing.

There was a marketplace as well and she spent what seemed like hours watching tatami makers, potters and others crafting their wares in small buildings that were nestled between food stalls and sweet shops. Tanaka Ryoichi had spoken the truth. Despite the scents and delights she had seen, Ling had no desire to eat, though she was feeling a bit thirsty.

When she spotted a merchant carting water, for those who couldn't fetch their own Ling supposed, she followed him finally following him to find out where the river was. Its banks were crowded with people filling jars or simply dipping their hands into the gently flowing water to quench their thirst. Here, she saw folks of all ages though she noted, once again, that the majority of them were young children.

This fact both saddened and delighted Ling all at once. The realization that these children had to have died to come here made her feel heavyhearted, and yet... it was their laughter and cheery voices that also gave pleasure. Perhaps it wouldn't be so bad here after all.

Ryoichi was greeted by his Fuku-Taichou as he entered the barracks.

"Yo! Ryokun. Taichou told me to tell you to pack up your gear and clear out - you're going back to the academy."

Ryoichi froze in astonishment. Had the girl been some sort of test that he'd failed? Back to the academy? He imagined the shame his parents and sister would feel, knowing that a Tanaka was being... was being... was being WHAT?

"Fuku-Taichousan. Why am I to report to the academy?" he asked in a calm voice that prompted a guffaw of laughter from the man he'd been training with these last 20 years.

"Seems that life as a Shinigami is boring you, Ryokun. You're chasing after pet projects and tearing great holes in the material world doing it. You're so keen to train new Shinigami, so your honourable father suggested you become an instructor. It's great honur, gaki, so ganbarre!"

Ryoichi pondered this and saw the wisdom in it. He had been getting a little too blase about his job recently. Killing Hollow's had become second nature to him - at least the cheap trash he normally encountered. He knew that if he met something stronger it would likely kill him while he wasn't paying proper attention.

He picked up the few personal possesions he had, tying them into his bedroll and clasped the forearm of his lieutenant warmly. He WOULD try hard, he'd teach the recruits as well as he was able and, he knew, learn much about himself in the process.

"I am Tanaka Ryoichi of the Tanaka Clan and I am your instructor in the academy. But it will be some time before any of you have the right to address me as such. Do not call me Tanaka-san or Sempai. Do not call me Sensei - for I am not teaching you yet, I am winnowing you. Any of you who calls me Ryoichi-san or Ryo-kun will be dead before their body hits the floor. I tell you these things not because I am cruel but because I have had to kill people for them before - and my sword arm grows weary. There are 500 of you who think you are here to become Shinigami. You are wrong - you are here for me to determine whether you are worthy to even TRY. The first 100 of you will step forward. You will externalise the energy of your sprit into the form of a sphere of light. This is the easiest manifestation and I do not want to have to even exchange words with those of you who cannot expand it larger than your head. I want you to simply turn around and leave. Now. Begin."

Of the first hundred Ryoichi watched 20 turn and disconsolately walk from the room. Some had never had what it took, whilst others were rattled by his cold stare and harsh manner and could not perform under the pressure. The latter might well be back next year, he supposed. Weaklings like them were unlikely to do any better.

Ryoichi walked down the line, dropping his hand on the shoulders of those who had passed. For him this was the best part of the selection process, the dawning victory that rose like the sun on these faces. The worst part were the crushed looks on those who had created a sphere larger than their heads, but whose energy was simply the wrong type for a Shinigami, or whose technique would not bear training yet. Those he shook his head at as he passed, so that there was no lingering hope.

"Those I touched on the right shoulder will pass through the gates. You will be sorted into intakes and allocated accomodation. Congratulations. Those I did not touch have not been accepted - please leave by the door you came in through."

Such was the air of command that he forced into his voice and gaze that despite mutterings there was no dissent from those dismissed. He turned to the mass of hopefuls still waiting.

"The second hundred will now step forward."

And so it went...

Days blended into nights and back to mornings again as Ling continued to practice forming the golden balls of energy which gradually increased in size. Plums, then oranges and grapefruit, then larger still. She'd come to the realization that they were somehow associated with her Chi, her spirit energy.

Truth, she was feeling stronger, both physically and mentally, and something else had begun to happen. Ling had acquired an appetite, her preference being wa-gashi -- especially manju, a steamed cake filled with sweet, anko paste. Some days it seemed she couldn't get enough.

There were special occasions in the Rukongai that Ling now equated with the passage of time as they were celebrated again and again, many of which were focussed on the children. Shichigosan, when everyone went to the Shinto Shrine and the little ones were given candies in bags decorated with cranes and turtles which signified longevity seemed one most appropriate to the people of the Soul Society being one, but there were others... Hina Matsuri, a doll festival for girls which was followed by a Boys' Day with carp banners and their own Samurai dolls.

The most poignant of all, ironically, was Shogatsu -- the New Year. Not only did it bespeak leaving the old year's worries and troubles behind, it symbolized longevity and gave a promise of a fresh start. This celebration began with viewing the hatsu-hinode or first sunrise, and the rest of the day was full of joy and free of stress and anger, everything was clean and no work was done.


It was on the third day after her fifth Shogatsu that a coach arrived in YonJyu chome. Standing among the crowd of villagers who had gathered, Ling stared boldly at the man as he stepped out into the square and gestured. Palm out and fingers up, he raised and lowered his fingers a few times, gesturing to someone.

Craning her neck, Ling looked around curiously to see who he had come for, not noticing that he was now standing in front of her until Sumako yanked her arm as she bowed reverently. Her eyes widened at the sheer impossibility, her finger moving to her nose. "Who? Me?"

The man nodded and turned away, Ling following close behind as she wondered what he could possibly want with her. It wasn't long before she found out.

"Konnichiwa, Mei Ling," the man said, proffering the very slightest of bows in her direction as they neared his coach. "I am Kawabata Yasunari, an instructor at the Academy. I am here to test you."

"Excuse me, Kawabata-san, but I don't understand. Test me?"

"You don't need to understand. Just... do. Form a sphere with your Spirit Energy, Mei Ling."

Well, he was right. She didn't understand about this testing thing, but making golden balls of light with her Chi was something she could do. Closing her eyes for a moment, Ling took a deep breath and held her hand out. It seemed, at first, as though nothing would happen, but slowly, slowly... a beautiful, shimmering ball of light began to form and grow in the palm of her hand. Her eyes widened in delight as it appeared, only slightly smaller than a basketball. "Larger?" she asked. "I don't know if I... "

Yasunari waved his hand back and forth in front of his face. "No. That is... " He turned and reached inside, pulling out a parcel and handing it to Ling. "Put this on and hurry back. We have a long ride to reach the Seireitei. You will be given accommodations there and begin your training."

Ling could barely conceal her excitement, almost knocking people over in a mad dash toward her home. The Seireitei! That is where they trained the Shinigami. Could it be? Was it possible?

Indeed, it seemed it was. The parcel Kawabata had handed her contained a keikogi - a training uniform. Quickly putting on the white dogi and the black, skirtlike trousers called hakama, she slipped on the tabi and tied an obi around her waist. By the time she was dressed the instructor and his coach were waiting outside.

"Come," he gestured in a no-nonsense sort of way, urging her to climb in. Cripes! She had a gazillion questions to ask, but he sure didn't look the type that was going to answer them.

Ryoichi paced in the induction room, awaiting the arrival of the new batch of intendents. Those of the general induction, those who presented themselves, had now been sorted. Hopefully, over the last week or so, he'd weeded out the lazy, the stupid and those who had no aptitude for the study they'd need to become Shinigami. However, before this years draft was complete, he needed to assess the sponsored candidates - that is those intendents who had been scouted by Shinigami from the Rukongai as superior candidates for Shinigami.

This second type of intendent had a much higher rate of success, as high as 80 percent in fact, so Ryoichi was less here to test them and more here to welcome and process them. The first coach arrived outside and Ryoichi welcomed the Shingami, a man slightly past his prime who now had an eye for training replacements. The young boy dressed in the black and white of a Shinigami he welcomed too, and then indicated the arch the boy should pass through to. That would be the last time he'd wear the Black and White for many years - soon he'd be in the blue and white uniform of a low level intendent.

This year there were only five sponsored intendents and Ryoichi had recieved advanced notice of all of them. He was just turning to leave the hall of intendents when he heard the clatter of another coach outside and his assistant who was bowing people in at the door stuck his head around to report that Kawabatasensei was here with an intendent. Ryoichi raised his brows in surprise, but knew Kawabatasensei as a good and wise instructor - an intendent he was sponsoring was bound to have potential.

As the two of them came in he bowed to Kawabatasensei.

"Greetings Kawabatasensei - I had no idea you were sponsoring an intendent this year."

"Good day to you, Tanakasensei - I hadn't intended to, in truth. However I was shopping in the Rukongai when this aura leaped out from right under my nose."

Ryoichi looked over at the freshly scrubbed looking young girl stood next to him and controlled the sag of his jaw with only a degree of effort. From a distance he heard himself politely responding to Kawabata's chat as the man made social pleasantaries before departing - leaving Ryoichi stood in front of an entirely unexpected person.

"Mei Ling?"

The aura was as strong as he remembered, stronger maybe. It was also as unfocused as any he'd seen in this intake of intendents.

"You're strong, Mei Ling, but you couldn't cut noodle dough with this spirit energy. You're going to have to study hard to master it, and yourself I think. Too much loose emotion crashing around inside you. It's going to be hard to turn you into a weapon, girl."

Ryoichi reached out and drove a finger into the globe of energy, effectively popping it.

"You fully deserve your place here, Ling. I had my eye on you back then, but I'd counted on you maturing a little before you passing on to the Soul Society. But you're here now and you had better believe that this place will mature you fast enough. Now, let's get you your uniform and get you to a barracks."

Ryoichi's pacing had taken him around behind the mortified Ling, so Ryoichi leaned in and kissed the top of her head.

"Well done for making it here. Study hard, Lingchan"

And then he swept away, heading for the archway within which the rules of the Academy bound them.

Ryoichi swept into an intendents barracks his air of authority trailing out behind him like a cloak. At his entrance the 9 students stopped talking and quickly scrambled up to rough approximations of the position of attention. Ryoichi smiled thinly.

"Until you pass the intendent portion of your training, your politeness is worth less than that of a child to me." he said coldly, watching as some of the milder ones flinched from the rudeness visibly.

"I'm certain that some of you were hoping that bed would stay empty, so you'd have extra space. However, unfortunately you were wrong. This is Indendent Mei Ling, who will be joining you. She's already stronger than most of you, but she is a silly little girl with no focus or direction. I'm hoping that you will all provide a good example of the sacrifices needed to train to be Shinigami."

Ryoichi pointed to the bedspace without even looking at Ling.

"You! Hayaka-kun! Ling-kun will be attending the same classes as you, take her under your wing and see she gets timetables, books and everything she needs. Answer her questions when she has them and basically make sure she doesn't flunk for lack of direction."

Hayaka-kun, a prissy looking young girl just managed to hide a look of impatience at this task, which would eat into her valuable study and personal time. Then her expression grew slightly cunning.

Tanakasensei, would it be possible for you to help me with some trouble I'm having with a subject, in return?"

Ryoichi stifled a smile with effort. "If Ling survives the week, I'll make sure you learn the Kido spell, Sai." Ryoichi turned on his heel and swept out of the room leaving a grinning Hayaka and an irritated looking Ling.

In the darkness Hayaka stirred as she decided whether or not to answer, in the end a willing discussion of her favourite thing overcame her natural standoffishness and her respect for the lights out rules.

"We should sleep, Lingkun, I was serious when I said you'll need your sleep. But because I'm supposed to answer your questions, Kidoh is the Demon art of magic. It's perfectly safe for shinigami to use too. Sai is the First spell of Binding." Hayaka's voice settled into the comfortable rhythms of someone discussing a dearly held topic "Sai isn't really a great spell, but it's the foundation of all the Binding spells, and therefore the foundation of all Kidoh. I want to be a strong Kidoh practioner."

Ling had been quiet, making only the required noises politeness dictated meant you were listening attentively. Lulled into sharing a confidence Hayaka leaned forward to whisper to Ling.

"I haven't told anyone this, but a friend of mine from Rukongai is a friend of a friend of Tanakasensei's sister. It seems he's coming up in the family's ranks. It's so totally obvious from his spirit energy that he's ready to be a lieutenant, and they want him to mentor someone to enter Tanaka clan! Quite apart from the privilige of joining a noble house, there's the practicalities - the best training and equipment and the little luxuries, like a spell library. Then there's the fringe benefits - Tanakasensei is soooo cool and having him as my elder brother?"

Hayaka was almost gushing now as she sat up in her bed to lean even closer to Ling. In the gloom though, Ling could see several of the girls stirring in their beds and craning over to listen in.

"It's so hard to be noticed though! There are hundreds of intendents left still! I'm going to use these lessons to impress Tanakasensei, so it's important that you don't flunk out and lose me my chance, Lingchan! You have to try hard! You've no idea how difficult it's going to be - he's so totally cold around us intendents and not only does he practice kidoh, but he's a great swordsman too, so most of the boys are trying to impress him to get training tips."

Hayaka sighed, a sigh that Ling noticed was echoed in three or four other beds. Obviously social climbing was a big deal in Soul Society - even more so in the Academy. Hayaka flopped back down in her bed and turned over. "So you have to let me sleep now, Lingchan. I have to be pretty and bright and alert and ... ...perfect... tomorrow."

Ryoichi looked at the rows of intendents. He took the Katana from his belt and held it up - it was quite plain at first glance, but when the light caught it you could see the dark, dark red enamalled sections in the hilt and scabbard. The guard was also a dark, dark red, so that a sword that at first seemed black suddenly glittered scarlet when the light caught it.

"This is Akemihotaru. This is my Zanpaktoh - none of you HAVE a Zanpaktoh yet, because none of you are Shinigami. Instead you use the nameless swords. You will until a Zanpaktoh claims you, or vice versa. This will not happen until you qualify from the Academy - at the very least. Most Shinigami reached for their nameless sword in battle one day, and found something VERY different to hand. Some, on the other hand awoke theirs during training."

He paused, judging the effectiveness of his words on the young candidates.

"Yesterday we ran through some basic swordmoves. These are things you should have learned as children, alas few intendents come with any sword training these days." Ryoichi sighed, it was true, these days you were lucky to find a handful of sword enthusiasts, kendo practitioners or martial artists amongst a whole crop of intendents.

"I am going to wash fifty of you out this morning. Those who display no comprehension of the basic forms after three weeks instruction need to return to Rukongai and think about whether soul reaping is what they should be doing for another year. Now. Step up here and each take a nameless sword. You have an hour to practice the forms. Hayakakun and Lingkun - step over here and I'll run through some basics with you. You are excused todays exam."

Ryoichi narrowed his eyes as a wave of murmurs swept through the crowd, picking the boy with the largest mouth he faced him down.

"Is there something you have to say to me, Keikun? Do you disagree with a decision of mine? Do you think I have made a mistake?"

The boy considered not speaking but something drove him to air his mind.

Tanakasensei, whilst the other girl has just arrived and couldn't possibly be expected to pass an exam, Hayakasan is one of the worst here with a sword. If she took the exam she'd surely wash out, so now somebody who might have gone on to become a shinigami will fail, just because you decided to pair Hayakasan with the new girl."

Ryoichi shrugged. "Do you think that my excluding Hayakakun from the examination this morning will make her a better swordswoman? If she is too poor a swordswoman to be a Shinigami, then she will fail eventually. The person you speak of who fails today in her place would also fail eventually. It seems unfair to you, from your perspective - but training is supposed to make sense from MY perspective and not yours. Because you were brave enough to face me, and polite when you made your statement I will not judge you harshly for your outburst. Both are good traits in a Shinigami - which you MAY one day become. But there is a difference between a qualified Shinigami questioning a superior in a moment of leisure and a knownothing intendent questioning an instructor in class. I want a two thousand word paper on that difference in my office by last bell tonight. Now go and practice, Keikun - and let's hope your guard has improved!"