[IC] Bleach: Finding Lightning and Ice

[Oblivion]

The first thing one noted when entering the dojo was that the inside was remarkably different from its grand exterior. What that difference was, the young noble couldn't tell as her attention quickly jumped to the hoard of students entering a room she vaguely supposed was the classroom, her classroom. A bolt of fear ran through the young girl and her head snapped towards the young man escorting her.

"Tanaka-san, didn't you say that there wouldn't be any people?" She inquired and dug her heels into the ground, in a successful attempt to prevent him from actually pulling her there, which he tried to do. It was not behaviour expected of two nobles, but as there wasn't anyone around, the man didn't see any reason not to. The 'heiress', after all, wasn't the most compliant of people and even then, he held little to no familial feelings for the girl, despite her having been adopted only a few years ago.

"I said there weren't many people, not that there aren't. Isao-sama insists you attend Akimoto-sensei's class. It is for your own good."

Minutes later, she now kneeled at the back of the class. From her vantage point, she could see the last of the students filing in, one by one, remarkably disciplined compared to the mild commotion outside the gates and in the entry hall. As her eyes strayed back to the teacher, she already felt respect for this man. The only similar kind of discipline she'd encountered was in her own family's dojo, even among the rowdiest men and fiercest fighters. The last of the students settled down, and Yue suddenly felt a deep feeling of uneasiness settle within her. Isao had assured her she wouldn't be among people but here she was, in one of the best dojo's in Seireitei, among a hoard of students, old and young.

[Phoenix]

It looked more like a palace than a dojo. Dojo's were typically modest and quaint. This building was made from the finest timber and constructed by the finest carpenters. Akimoto helped in its construction, of course. But after the renovation, the feeling of authenticity waned as his classes soon became armies of young men and women working to enter the Academy or simply learn to protect themselves and those they care for most. It certainly wasn't the same building it was almost a millenia ago.

Akimoto-sensei stood atop a shallow stage, his shihan ready demonstrating today's lesson. As a new year was on its way, he was told to start from the teaching the precepts of Kori no Tate and then into the various techniques. Though the first week was about learning twenty precepts about a martial art, this did not make it a slow start into the discipline. Many graduated students would say the most difficult week was the first. To learn the precepts properly, one needed to be them. There was much preparation in becoming those precepts.

"Welcome," the man in the center of the stage greeted the kneeling students. He bowed unnecessarily deeply as did his shihan for the purposes of respect for their sensei. "This is the dojo of Kori no Tate. You will learn how to be a shield of ice. One, that when large and sturdy enough, will be able to withstand anything." His speech was unusually colloquial as well. Did he lack a sense of authority or pride in himself? He was even wearing a white belt, placing himself at the level of the newest students.

"I will start today by teaching you the precepts by which we follow as practitioners of Kori no Tate." He motioned behind him as his shihan pulled some ropes connected to the ceiling of the dojo. The whining of canvas unrolling itself sounded as a large tarp fell to reveal the twenty precepts that they were to learn. Separated into categories, it seemed easy enough to learn.

Precepts of Kori no Tate
MIND
1. Conflict is close-mindedness
2. Be honest in your ignorance
3. Do not strike at contradicitions
4. Be considerate about your disagreements
5. Conflict will cease when understanding is met

SOUL
6. You are part of your environment
7. Others are part of your environment
8. Respect your environment
9. Others are affected by your environment
10. You are your environment

SPIRIT
11. Life is singular
12. Take care for yourself
13. Pleasantness is contagious
14. Take care for others
15. Life is all-encompassing

BODY
16. Mind your body
17. Keep oneself centered
18. Awareness is survival
19. Keep oneself strong
20. Mind your heart

Actually reading them, one might see a large margin of interpretation these precepts allowed. "Conflict is close-mindedness!" He bellowed, his voice changing drastically from his introduction. "The Gotei 13 is a useless organization full of power-hungry individuals seeking self-fulfillment!" The words echoed endlessly throughout the large open room.

He paused a moment to see the reaction among the sea of children before him. Most widened their eyes while others contorted their faces in confusion. A few seemed rightfully angry or upset while a few others seemed accepting of the statement, already believing this statement to be true.

[Oblivion]

Far out at the back, the shock that Akimoto-sensei's statement had caused barely registered within Yue, let alone the angry responses, for she herself only managed to give the man a blank stare. How could the Gotei 13, an organization she'd looked up to and revered most of her life, be 'full of power-hungry individuals'? Anybody else, and she'd have scoffed at them, dismissing that statement as an outcome of their mediocre minds but with Akimoto-sensei, Yue highly doubted that. Hell, that man himself was a Gotei 13 Captain! Her brow furrowed in a slight but barely noticeable frown, as she mulled over his statement. Yet, it did nothing to crumble her resolve to join the honorable Gotei 13.

[Phoenix]

"That statement is what causes wars. It is also an observation. The Gotei has had eight civil wars in its history all because they wanted individual power over others." His voice returned to a normal level, though more authoritative than the beginning. "The Arrancars believe this statement to be true and act upon it. Some of the Noble Houses believe themselves above the Gotei and can use them as means for their own ends.

"The Soul King was not wrong in appointing an organization of thirteen different Divisions each with their own tasks to organize the souls which reside in this realm. He was also not unwise to allow these individuals power in order to combat our natural enemies. But since their is conflict, does this mean there is close-mindedness between these groups? And which side does this close-mindedness come from?"

He paused for another moment though gave no indication that he wanted a student to speak. The shihan stood behind him in a neat line with their hands behind his back. They spoke not a word which somehow made most of the new students follow their example. Of course, there was always one student that lacked the understanding of social cues. "From the Hollows, obviously!" The boy's voice was small even though Akimoto-sensei's elevation was not much higher.

[Oblivion]

'Right.' Absentmindedly, Yue pinpointed the boy that had spoken as she felt another wave of confusion and slight dismay at Akimoto-sensei's words. She had already made out several Nobles among the kneeling students, and even his own shihan were from her House! They made no emotion visible, but a man seated next to her whose wedding she'd recently attended, huffed. She recognized him as some high-ranking member of the Ichigawa House, but that detail quickly left her mind as she turned back to Akimoto-sensei. Having none of the pride Nobles had, that particular example didn't sting her but it made her wonder why her 'father' recommended him so highly.

[Phoenix]

"You are wrong!" Akimoto-sensei almost screamed back at the boy though did not make eye-contact with him. "Both sides hold a close-mindedness." In one breath, his voice returned to normal. "How do we know the Hollows couldn't organize themselves if we allowed it? Have we not instilled a status quo that creates this conflict and encourages it? How do we know that we are not the ones that are the oppressors? Be honest in your ignorance!"

"But I may be just as wrong. Conflict is best resolved through communication. Understanding comes from words and less from actions. Actions are expressions of beliefs, but misinterpretation can occur. Actions indicate beliefs at that singular moment, but people change. Ideas change and opinions change. We are not without internal evolution. But we are not beyond internal degradation. Because of this, it is best not to 'Strike at contradiction,' whether that be another's hypocrisy or heresy. Learning their intentions and understanding them can stop a conflict from occurring.

[Oblivion]

As the initial shock of his statement wore off, his first 'precept', the one hanging just behind the sensei made her think back. Instead of anger, or a similar emotion Yue had expected to feel, she only felt an unfamiliar feeling of... confusion. Her frown deepened. She was liking this class less and less. And his latest declaration did not make sense either, not the her riddled brain, not to the girl who'd spent close to 200 years grappling with men far older than her for just a piece of bread. For a fleeting moment, Yue opened her mouth to speak, but then closed it again, choosing not to make her presence - and opposing opinion - known.

"But Sensei, how can we 'not strike at contradictions', when everyone is entitled to an opinion? Remaining silent also carries serious consequences!" Before she knew it, the sound of her own voice rang across the room, much to her own surprise. Not even a moment later, she felt the overwhelming urge to look down at the floor, but, despite her slight fear of the man, wanted to see Akimoto-sensei's reaction to her statement. It was a disorderly thing to do, to interrupt a person during their lecture, but the words had just slipped past her lips without her even thinking of it.

[Phoenix]

His eyes remained straight ahead as with the boy who spoke out before. Again, his response was cold and quick. "I never said anything about not sharing one's disagreement. Didn't I say 'communication is key'? This is why we must 'be considerate about our disagreements.' They are inevitable. You cannot possibly agree with everything anyone does or believes. Understanding does not mean agreeing. Acceptance does not mean taking their beliefs as your own. It's understanding that they believe something different and accepting the fact that you do not see eye-to-eye."

His responses seemed almost scripted, but his speech remained simple and conversational. It was clear he'd done this countless times before. There were few new questions he'd be asked at this point in his career. Most new questions would come from his shihan, anyway. "And this is why 'Conflict will cease when understanding is met.'"

His neck now twisted for the first time since being up on the platform. He looked across the crowd of new students he'd be teaching. It was clearly already proving difficult for some of the students to handle. Such philosophical precepts in a martial art was largely unheard of, but Akimoto had a very philosophical mind. It was only inevitable that he would merge the two. "Are there any questions? What can I clear up for you?" he asked, insinuating that any questions asked before this point were out-of-turn.

One asked why he would be part of the Gotei and fight Hollows if it was really just a disagreement. He corrected him by clarifying that his style of combat is purely defensive, never striking at the opponent unless out of necessity, which can also be argued. One asked why he would bother fighting if it was below him to which he responded with "combat is not below me. It is part of my duty as a Captain of the Gotei 13. No one organization or government is without its own conflict. We are humans and lash out at cultural taboos other cultures commit. No one has all the answers. Some are unwilling to find them. Because of this, we fight to protect our home and, more importantly, our souls. A shinigami's first duty is to protect and guide pluses into the Rukongai. Hollows are manifestations of pain, anguish, sorrow, and hatred. They still have minds, but they are poisoned. But this topic belongs in the Academy," he cut himself off from his ramblings.

His voice grew softer as the discussion continued.

[Oblivion]

As the students finally started asking questions, Yue shifted her posture, feeling her back beginning to ache slightly. She couldn't bring herself to voice one last question, as Akimoto-sensei would surely recognize her voice. But, with her curiosity peaked, Yue eventually ducked her head, thanking whatever deity was up there for her short stature and said, "But Sensei... no matter how you look at it, conflict is healthy. It allows people to get a feel for the other side, and not only theirs. You did say 'communication is the key', but people are biased and some oppressed. It isn't natural. Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but not everybody is open enough to listen. Sometimes it takes a conflict to understand. And I dare say, some even enjoy conflict." It only just then struck her how much like a Yukihiro she sounded.

[Phoenix]

"Very good point. However, I never said conflict is either bad or unhealthy," he said. Of course he was cherry-picking, but it was true. "Still, conflict is for conflict's sake. The only thing to gain from conflict is fatigue, injury, and pain. I do not deny that relief can come from a physical discharge of aggression, but our culture especially encourages aggression. Those who are not willing to listen or understand, going so far as to requiring conflict in order to understand, are not adept at verbal communication. These precepts take into account that our culture is one based on conflict and, thus, requires physical conflict in order to understand the other side. A strict form of communication was not addressed among the precepts, just that it was necessary. How two individuals choose to communicate is up to them. Assuming its through conflict still proves that there is a misunderstanding or an ability to accept. Furthermore, these precepts merely prevent two people from fighting each other to the death for the sake of hoping to understand each other.

"But what about those that wish the end of others, more specifically yourself?" he asked broadly, a sweeping question for the crowd. "Their opinion is that you must die and your instinctual opinion is that you must remain alive. But how should you know that your life is actually beneficial? How do you know that everyone is better off without the other's existance? This is why I've developed Kori no Tate. We don't know for sure what our existance has to offer this realm or any other. We're not entirely sure of the reprecussions we constantly cause by our actions. All we know is that Hollows must die and Pluses must survive in a continued balance for all realms to remain tangible. Because of this uncertainty, simply enduring and defending against another's 'disagreement' is the safest way to ensure that we do not take away from existance what is necessary or keeping an existance that is a hindrance."

Perhaps it went deeper than the children considered possible, but it was around this time that he would hear silence among the crowd. But now was the time to move into the next subject, which was the Soul.

"Everyone is a part of an environment. But how far does that environment stretch? For example, you are all part of the evnironment which is this dojo, but this dojo is part of the district we are currently in. So does that mean our environment is this district? But this district is part of the Rukongai which is further part of the Spirit World. That's a large environment to be a part of.

"And because of each of you is part of the environment, the others around you are part of the environment. Because others are part of this same environment, it's necessary to respect it. You like your environment to be comfortable and safe, so keep it comfortable and safe for others since they are part of the same environment. But what if someone deems the environment too dangerous and must be destroyed? Well, under what authority do they make that claim? What is precisely 'wrong' or 'dangerous' about it and is there a way to amend this?

"Furthermore, how you treat your environment, and even yourself, can and will affect others. How you keep your surroundings impacts the others around you. When you twitch or shift your seating, others are distracted by this, but only for a moment. But this moment was dedicated to you rather than the self. But, then again, others are part of your environment and dedicating some time to others can keep your environment safe and comfortable.

"But the environment doesn't respond without stimuli, and it doesn't produce much of its own. So if we strip down to the fact that the environment changes due to individuals or groups acting as one, then an individual can be considered 'an environment.'"

[Oblivion]

Akimoto-sensei's monologue was quickly getting on Yue's nerves. While most of his words registered in Yue's mind, it was hard to accept the statements without solid proof. All this about environment brought back rather unwanted memories of Rukongai and, unknowingly, she realized that that was proof. Rukongai was the proof she was looking for.

It was in the run-down areas of the 80th East District that Yue had found herself sitting on one of the surrounding hillsides, partially hidden by surrounding vegetation and tall trees, looking down at one of the half-collapsed house she called 'home'. Even from her vantage point Yue could see the crowd that had gathered around the old woman she had knocked down and stolen the bag next to her from - the harder she tried to ignore the woman's desperate cries of 'I have nothing left..!" and the disgusted expressions of the people, obviously aimed at the thief, her dead eyes flicked back every single time. She felt worthless - there was no doubt about it. Being the only newcomer in a few years, the residents of District 80 knew who it was that had committed the 'crime'.

She was never there. The seemingly 'young', 8-year-old was never a part of the community. She didn't exist in the eyes of the 500-something impoverished souls that spent their lives in misery. But no matter how miserable, they had each other to some degree. She was always in the background, forgotten, unwanted. Not even a part of the most hated, miserable, dishonorable people the whole of Soul Society had to offer.

So what did that make her?

Yue blinked, taken aback at the sudden rush of memories she'd worked so hard to bury under years spent in the harsh environment of the Yukihiro House. Wasn't that another factor to consider? Hadn't a decade spent with those emotionless brutes made her one as well? Grudgingly, Yue looked up, realizing that the man actually had a point. But what that had to do with fighting was beyond her. The time she'd spent in her own thoughts, shocked to an extent, meant that she'd missed a bit of the rest of the Akimoto-sensei's explanation but that wasn't a huge loss, compared to the realization she'd come to and those horrific memories that had come streaming back. Her mood worsened - Yue sighed quietly and frowned again - the 'class' seemed to be taking forever.

But, in spite of her rather bored demeanor, there was a part of her that wanted to know more. Did the rest of those precepts hanging above her head make sense too?

[Phoenix]

The accusing questions slowly became inquiries and even insights and suggestions as time went on. Still, others refuted or disagreed with some of these points, but that was the idea of introducing the precepts of Kori no Tate on the first day. It weeded out, for him at least, who might be unable to endure the style and those that showed the promise to keep true to what his idea of combat was really for.

"Life is for living. How you live, where you live, what you live for, and why you are living are largely the same for most everyone. And this 'living' isn't necessarly relevent to the World of the Living. This 'life' I'm talking about is simply existance. We all exist to persist. We want to better ourselves, whether that be through helping others achieve lofty goals or actually reaching those yourself. We exist and then we fade away. We're all needy and superficial, crying for the things we cannot attain ourselves at birth and forever seeking approval of others as our life continues."

Some still couldn't agree with such sweeping "answers" for something so broad. "'Approval' changes from person to person. This can be a lasting impression to merely a smile or even a tear shed by another that was caused by one's self. 'Approval' is both a positive and negative thing, depending upon who's viewing the 'approval.'" He reminded everyone to keep a wide mind and to stretch the meanings of words to what they could mean rather than what they think they mean automatically.

"The reason for the preposition 'for' in the twelfth and fourteenth precepts is to not only keep one's well-being healthy but to do it for the sake of living a comfortable life, in respect to the thirteenth precept. It also has to do with being wary of the choices made on your own behalf as well as the effect it may have on others. This 'pleasantness' will be contagious, given the proper audience. And because of this, Life incorporates everything. Though life is simply for existing, existence should be comfortable for all."

[Oblivion]

If there was one thing Yue disagreed with, it was the fourteenth precept, 'Take care for others'. It was no surprise that so little was thought of why people were selfish, why they put themselves first over others. She'd have thought that given his lecture about the evironment, Akimoto-sensei would have stopped and thought about the situation in certain parts of Soul Society and not overall. Because it was impossible to survive in those areas without putting yourself first. Had it been so, Yue would have died 150 years ago in the winter's cold embrace.

[Phoenix]

With that, he decided to move on. "It's important to know how one's body works. It's also another reminder to keep healthy and active in addition to the twelfth precept. Along with this, it means to pay attention to how you behave, not just for yourself but in regards to those around you.

"Meditation is important. Knowing one's place in the world is key to keeping oneself centered. It's also important not to become distracted by others from what it is you're trying to accomplish. Be mindful of your opponent and don't allow them to disturb your thoughts, do not let them consume you for that gives them more power over you.

"Of course eating and sleeping are required for living, but beyond that, it's important to be aware. Aware that you are hungry but, furthermore, aware of what is best to eat. Aware that you are tired and need to rest or push through that pain to gain strength. The obvious aspect of 'awareness' is being aware of one's surroundings. But it's also being aware of those around you and your relationship with these people. Even strangers share a relationship with you, however superficial.

"Then we come to being strong. Note how I did not mention about becoming 'stronger' when that's what most people strive for. But this is emotional strength as well as mental and physical strength. 'Strength' can mean many different things: keeping from harming yourself or those you care about, keeping from harming others you don't know, and even keeping from stubbornness. Have a strong will accompanied only by a strong sense of self for that is when decisions become easy.

"And finally, mind your heart. Of course, it's something to physically protect from harm because without it you will die. But emotions, feelings, and memories are important aspects of one's existance and keeping those with you can both be challenging but give you determination to succeed or admit failure. It also reminds you to listen to your instincts and intuition, for they are powerful tools which, when left ignored, can result in unfortunate outcomes.

[Oblivion]

It made little sense.

Yue's mind, having focused so long on Akimoto-sensei's words, was starting to throw her thoughts into one big giant mess. Having sat in the classroom for more than two hours and listened to the man speak, most of it had only served to earn her disapproval. From what little sense it made, particularly precept # 6 which she would grudgingly admit made more sense than all of them combined, the moment the class was dismissed Yue was on her feet and dashed out of the classroom, eager to get out of the crowd of chattering students.

The moment she crossed the Yukihiro compound's threshold, Yue leaned against the inner wall and took a breath to calm herself and organize her thoughts. It was hard work, harder than she'd anticipated but by the time she pushed off the whitewashed wall and headed into her room to change her training uniform - which, admittedly, seemed to be of no use in class - several long minutes had passed.

________________________________________

The sun dipped below the horizon, submerging the compound into darkness. Lights flicked, faintly illuminating the corridors and courtyards in a golden glow, just as Yue took a seat four feet away from the middle-aged man at the head of the room. It was lavishly decorated, being the meeting and sitting room of the Main House and Yue sat patiently, waiting for the man to finish, he lifted his brush off of the calligraphy scroll and looked up. She waited, waited for the man to speak first, something that had been instilled into her from the very first day, from the very first hour of her arrival in this foreign, high-class society.

"How did you find your class with Akimoto-san?" The man, Yukihiro Isao, finally inquired.

Yue found herself at a loss for words, although she'd been expecting this very question. "It... it went well, Father."

She could feel Isao's hard grey eyes on her, scrutinizing her. "Do not lie to me, Yue."

Taken aback, Yue hesitated for a moment before speaking, choosing her words carefully. "He made no sense, Father." With that, she lauched into a recap of his lecture and explanations, her eyes fixed onto the dark wooden floor. Finally, she concluded, "I don't want to go back. Take me to a real dojo."

Silence reigned for a split second, before Isao chose to speak. "Do not speak of Akimoto-san this way again, am I clear? You may be intelligent, Yue, but you still have far too much to learn." He paused for a moment, letting his harsh, biting words sink in. "You may leave."

Shocked, Yue hastily stood up and backed out of the room, barely managing not to trip over her overly-long and decievingly heavy kimono and quietly slid shut the doors behind her.

Inside, Isao frowned, not pleased in the least. He could feel his irritation mounting at the girl's nerve, disliking her mannerisms all the more. Perhaps his wife wasn't strict enough with the etiquette lessons, like he'd specifically ordered her to? Nevertheless, he picked up another scroll of thinner paper, dipped the brush in the pot of ink and began to write.

[Phoenix]

He wanted the class to consider the precepts and what more they might mean and what else they could explain or resolve. How could they be combined or broken down to apply to most aspects of one's life? It'd take years, but the smartest among them could figure out the universiality of Kori no Tate. But the next day, he'd test their physical capabilities to the max.

It started out with laps around the large building, outside, in the rain. During these laps, they'd have to drop to do ten push-ups and ten sit-ups and then continue running. They had to keep single-file for the sake of discipline and any who stepped out of line for any reason was punished with an extra lap and sets of push-ups and sit-ups. He'd have them jog inside for some jumping jacks and then back outside for more laps and sets. Their drinking water was the rain. For two hours they ran, sat, and flexed their way around the large building. He was one leading the line and notifying when to drop and perform the sets.

Once he pushed everyone the furthest he could, to the verge of vomiting, he rushed them inside to have them being sparring. The air was filled with heavy gasps and wheezing. He showed them defensive stances they'd have to keep for ten full minutes when their lungs were working to knock them over. His shihan walked through the students, analyzing and critiquing their instability or improper technique. An hour of standing passed of the students standing in the least comfortable of stances he had developed.

Though there was no rain within the building, they all remained just as wet. Some began to fall over, passed out, at the end of the hour. Dead asleep, neither the shihan nor Akimoto-sensei would bother their slumber. "Don't knock yourselves out, this isn't that hard!" some of them would shout. It was a tactic to hit their pride and make them push beyond their assumed limits. He was performing the same exercises while keeping a steady breath.

Another hour passed of moving stances. The students remaining were enough that each could be paired with an individual shihan that would perform strikes against these stances, intentionally trying to knock them down and even hurt them, only to make them return to the stance and continue to be beat. "Keep oneself centered," Akimoto-sensei would shout out to those remaining. They, too, began to stay down when they dropped. "Mind your body!" He was now being assaulted by one of his own shihan, but he remained stoic in his stances, unmoving and persistent.

Grunts and short shouts began to sound as the remaining few had a mind stronger than their bodies. Only five in this class, it seemed. What was the Yukihiro House sending him? When the last one dropped, he waited until they all returned to consciousness so he could address them before sending them off.

"Now take all these precepts and relate them to the exercise we performed today. That's going to be the warm-up from now on. You may leave," he said, departing them even though some of them still couldn't walk considering their legs were bruised and exhausted. Surprisingly, he was still sparring and exercising with his shihan, which would actually go late into the evening.

[Oblivion]

The actual training was grueling, no doubt about it. From when she'd bleakly stepped into the room and took her position at the end of the back row, Yue had expected another two-hour long lecture, not push-ups and running. Having never done actual push-ups while training with the Yukihiro sensei, she found it extremely hard to get her muscles to cooperate and raise herself on just her arms. Minutes later, her chest burning painfully, she managed to get the hang of it, as much as her rather frail body would allow. She was conscious of how weak and staggered she looked compared to the the rest of the class, composed mostly of fit male students that had little to no problems with this exercise. Naturally, when they started on jogging, Yue exhaled a sigh of relief and ran, keeping in pace with the man in front of her and all too soon, it was back to push ups again.

The stances were hard to keep up for more than half a minute and it hurt every single part of her body that had her weight on it. Although she'd endured such stances back with her tutor, it was no match for this.

It hurt. At one point, she didn't want to do it any more. Every part of her body screamed in pain and protest, urging her to collapse next to some of the students and surrender her body to sleep. Somehow, beyond her knowledge, she managed to push on, right until the near end of the sparring session with Akimoto-sensei's shihan. You'd think sparring with a 4'5, 12-year-old girl would make you think twice and consider her predicament but no, her shihan barely noticed and continued on with his brutal hits. Unlike some other shihan, however, he did not taunt her. He kept silent everytime she collapsed under one of his hits or could not maintain the painful stance, offering no praise or words of discouragement. It was uncharacteristic of him; many other, if not almost all shihan were rather abusive, both verbally and physically but he was not; he stuck to his technique and kept aiming blows that would knock her down. That was probably because he was not a Yukihiro - it was clear from his mannerisms and physical features. Later, she would learn that this was Akimoto Kouta, Akimoto-sensei's only son.

After getting up for the nth time, Yue could feel herself getting light-headed. Some of the students had vomited and nearly every one had passed out with the exception of herself and seven others. In the particular stance she was now holding and shakily deflecting blows from the shihan, her legs could not withstand the pressure and immense pain anymore and even before the shihan readied himself for another hit, she collapsed and hit the floor. The shouts and grunts of the other students and shihan in the room were deaf to her ears - she instantly passed out, leaving the pain behind.

How much time passed after that, she couldn't tell. The moment she was brought back to consciousness, the pain hit her truck and from the other students' faces, they were in the same condition as well. Only Akimoto-sensei and his shihan were perfectly fine, although Yue attributed it to decades and possibly centuries of practicing and perfecting the technique. Amazingly, even as she slowly and carefully walked out of the classroom, Yue could still hear Akimoto-sensei training.

[Phoenix]

Every day there was a class, but it was not every day that Akimoto-sensei would be leading the class. Instead, his son, Kouta, would be leading the class with the same intensity and severity, though a touch more apathetic. He wore the same white gi and belt his father wore in contrast to the black on black of the shihan, many of them older than Kouta himself. Akimoto-sensei believed this to be a humbling gesture to the students. And just like his father, Kouta would train with the students, and usually to a greater degree than the students as he could handle the abuse.

Akimoto-sensei had his duties in the Academy as well as his Division as well. It seemed he had to slough off some of his responsibility to second-in-commands, but this was expected when running three different organizations simultaneously. His son was more than capable of running the Dojo himself, having grown up with Kori no Tate and inside the Dojo itself, as was evident by his physique. Kouta was noteably larger than Akimoto-sensei but had the same body structure, mannerisms, and posture. His face was very much from his mother's side, an attractive and handsome face that could unarm women unusually easy along with his demeanor.

At the Academy, Akimoto-sensei had a group of five Shinigami from his own Division that oversaw activities within the Academy and most of the missions into the World of the Living. They were unseated, but this meant more being from his Division than it did in others.

His Lieutenant, however obsequious, was one of the most loyal and arguably the strongest among the other Lieutenants, having one-on-one training with Captain Akimoto, as he was called in the Barracks. Captain Akimoto didn't take pride in most anything, but he took pride in the strength and resilience of his Division. The Captain-Commander had expressed gratitude and awe toward his Division in particular.

Every third day, Akimoto-sensei would lead the class, making Kouta-sensei the regular instructor of the Dojo, as was the usual. Luckily for Akimoto-sensei, or perhaps this was on purpose, every sixth day was a day of meditation and rest, in a sense. They'd go over some of the precepts, discussing what the students were most curious about regarding the tarp which hanged from the ceiling ever since the first day.

Months passed, and the class dwindled. They did not quit, no. These students had been through his classes at least once prior and were deemed acceptable to attend the Academy. This was not openly stated by the shihan or the students themselves, but whispers might have spread suspicion or their families might have revealed this truth. But this in itself was a frightening realization. Most, if not all, of them would have to do this multiple times.

Now in the middle of winter, classes were usually high-energy low-impact for the sake of keeping warm, for there was no heating or cooling systems within the Dojo. Some of the more seasoned students might have considered this season to be easier, in a sense. The truth was they were growing stronger. There were days to push one's limits and other days to just learn techniques and then other days to actually impliment these techniques. It was cyclical, organized in a sense. With some days for discussion and others for meditation, there was a sense of familiar change that Akimoto-sensei hoped would become a kind of comfort to his students.

[Oblivion]

It had become something of a second home to Yue, having spent more than half her days in the dojo with the rest of the class. Over time, Yue learned to ignore the pain and carry on, trying her best to perfect her stances as much as possible. Of course, this was hard work, and she had close to no time for herself - she had been hoping to explore the library but no such luck.

Meditation was her favourite part - it was something she truly enjoyed, losing herself in her mind and even then, when Akimoto-sensei allowed discussion, Yue never spoke again. It was strange, knowing that she hadn't spoken in the dojo for several months, not a single word, but she kept her skepticism of the precepts to herself - it would do no good to argue.

Since Akimoto-sensei was almost always busy, his son, Kouta-sensei took over. This, sadly, meant that he would not be her shihan during these times. Her new shihan, a tall and muscular brute, that Yue immediately recognized as a Yukihiro, did not go easy on her despite the knowledge that he was beating on his House's heiress. Yue quickly speculated that titles held no significance here - only skill. She had to work twice as hard, dodging his blows while maintaining her stance, knowing that he was deliberately going harder on her than others; soon enough, she began to wish she had Kouta-sensei again. However, not a word passed her lips.

The months passed in this vein, when finally, during a meeting with her Father, he approved of her wish to join the Academy. There was one catch, though - she'd have to improve dramatically as he'd see fit. He'd been watching her progress in his own dojo. Every week, he made her spar with the same man that was her alternate shihan. The results were inaccurate, in a way, as the man was not as brutal in the presence of his House's Head.

A month later, he noted she was not progressing fast enough and promptly told her so. This brought Yue to despair, and it began to affect her sleeping habits. She pushed herself twice as hard in class, vehemently fighting back against her shihan as the stress mounted - when would Isao ever be satisfied? It didn't matter to him that he was asking something of her that took decades - she'd only started actual training in the Yukihiro house's dojo a few years ago. He refused to see how fast she'd improved, forgetting her age and instead focusing on the immediate results. But even through all that, she was still happy, content in trying her hardest and her energetic fighting spirit never failing her.

Night after night, Yue spent the majority of the dark, moonlit hours reading next to her window, not daring to put on the light. By day, she was in Akimoto-sensei's dojo. In the evening, at her own dojo. This pattern repeated itself for quite some time, and the class was slowly but surely dwindling down to just a few students. Yue was among the last of them left and luckily, there were more than enough shihan to spar with the students. She began to hope her shihan would switch back to Kouta-sensei more frequently, as the Yukihiro-shihan was clearly doing her no good. Yue was half tempted to ask for Kouta-sensei again - only once had she had the nerve to actually ask, and she faltered at the last moment before hurriedly asking for a change in shihan after class, her words jammed together and almost inaudible.