Lessons

Ahatake sighed, kicking back in his seat. School was finally about over, the summer holidays were welcoming themselves around the corner, and, all of the bullshit in his life couldn't have come barreling his way, practically broadcasting that they were about to make his life miserable. What had happened again? As he recalled, he had woken up in the back room of Entenryū's shop...

"Huh!?" Ahatake sat bolt upright, looking around the dark room, his long bangs obscuring his vision. "What the....wait, wasn't I bleeding out worse than an animal in a slaughterhouse?"

"You were." A deep, yet quiet voice came from the doorway. There stood Etenryū, the man who had hosted and funded the tournament from his school. He was holding a tupperware, inside was rice and chicken. The casing implied he had gotten it from some convenience store; was he unable to cook? He handed it to Ahatake, who took the food, but shot a look up at Entenryū.

"I've read about these kinds of things." Ahatake said slowly, and Entenryū's eyes widened ever so slightly.

"You've read about food? Congratulations, you're past grade school literature."

"No, not that." Ahatake waved jabbed his chopsticks in Entenryū. "I've read you should never trust a creepy older man who takes you in after you've nearly died. I heard they turn you evil."

"...and yet you eat the food I handed you." The boy, who was eating at top speed as he spoke to Entenryū, continued to stump the shopkeeper. "We can cross "intelligence" off the list of your positive attributes, I can already tell that."

"Ever been left bleeding out?" Ahatake shot back, his mouth full. He made one large swallowing motion, feeling the food slide down his throat.

"Actually, several times." Entenryū shrugged. They were having a conversation about implied kidnapping and death by blood loss as calmly as if it were afternoon tea.

"Well, it makes you hungry." Ahatake put the chopsticks back into the tupperware. Now that he had food in his stomach, he was starting to process the world again. "So...where the heck am I? Better question, what happened to Dohko?"

"You're in my shop." The man gestured around lazily. "The Green Dragon Shop. You've been in my care for the past few days. I healed your wounds and returned you to your body. Your friends have also been informed, but they are currently in school. I would not allow them to miss a day, they will be here shortly. As for Dohko..."''I don't need your help, my wounds aren't as serious as his. Just make sure you patch him up good, I can't beat down a corpse.''" is what he said."

"...yep, sounds like him." Ahatake nodded.

"So...what are you going to do?" Entenryū shot him a piercing look. "The last attack inflicted upon you, it deprived you of your spiritual energy nearly completely. No Shinigami powers. Not even enough to manifest your Fullbring, or your flame-related powers."

"Wait...I'm powerless?" Ahatake was a bit shocked by this. He tried to expel flame from his mouth. The end result would make a lighter proud — of itself. He frowned. Entenryū was right. He had nothing. With powerless of this state...Harumi would really be executed by those freaks. He looked up at the shopkeeper. "Why exactly did you even ask me, what was I going to do? A question like that implies you actually can help me."

The shopkeeper's eyes narrowed. "You're not as thick as you seem. I suppose I would be able to help you. It's always a shame, losing a regular customer."

"Do we even have time?" Ahatake's voice had an edge to it. "Even with training here, we don't know how long it'll take before she's killed! I'm not going to sit here and twiddle my thumbs, while Harumi needs help!"

Entenryū shot him that piercing look once more, his eyes cold. "And what will you do if you go in there now? Exactly as you are? That would be akin to going into a den of starving lions, wearing a tuxedo of raw flesh."

"Then what am I supposed-!" Entenryū interrupted Ahatake's ramblings. "You will train here. With me. Your friends, in fact, are welcome to come and improve themselves as well. You have the time. The Soul Society typically allows for a grace period of around a month for the maximum penalty in a convict's execution. Harumi will be given the same." He leaned against a wall, watching Ahatake, who seemed thoroughly annoyed. "Thus, your little ragtag group will train here with me, for ten days. It will take me seven days to properly open a door to the Senkaimon, allowing you to travel to the Soul Society. From there, you will have a remainder of thirteen days to rescue Harumi. "You have the time.

"In ten days...." Ahatake's eyes seemed lamenting. "Can I really get stronger?"

"Ahatake!" The loud, annoying voice of Saotome rang in his ears, snapping him out of this less than sweet memory. "Ahata-!" Ahatake slammed his fist into Saotome's face, sending him hurtling into the blackboard. Well, he still had his brawn.

"Don't yell in my ear dammit." Ahatake groaned, and turned to see Kayla and Gaikou getting up out of their seats. Apparently class, and therefore, the current school year, was done. The summer holidays were here, and he honestly wasn't excited.

Gaikou asked, "...The heck has been going on? I mean, where's Harumi?" She was legitimately concerned; very serious about it.

"I guess Entenryū didn't mention it?" Ahatake sighed. "She's been kidnapped by Shinigami and taken to be executed." He stooed up, swinging his bag over his shoulder. "I personally don't care what their reasons are, she could have tried to destroy the entire Soul Society, I'm still going to save her."

Kayla smiled at this. "You know we could be rescuing a legitimate criminal?"

"I doubt it. She saved us, remember?" Ahatake firmly doubted Harumi was a true criminal. "We'd be dead without her."

"Going by the logic of ghost samurai, everyone is a goddamn criminal. They kill perfectly nice people for no reason other than "war". Buncha tools. Let's go save her, dammit. And smash up the place while we're there. Tell 'em to stay the fuck out of our business." Gaikou made a fist-pumping motion, ready to send heads rolling.

"Then let's go." Ahatake walked out of the classroom with the two girls at his heels, leaving Saotome forgotten on the floor. They quickly left the school, and made a beeline for the Green Dragon Shop. It looked fairly unassuming, a small, wooden shop that doubled as living quarters for Entenryū and his daughter, Yuriko Tomomi. Ahatake would never have pegged the man for a parent, but, you get surprises everyday.

Gaikou was thinking to herself, "...Wow, this...you'd think that people would stop setting up unassuming shops. Pretty much everywhere the "unassuming shop" is generally a secret hideout." Genius logic right there.

"Very smart." The door of the shop opened as Entenryū walked out, his hands within his sleeves, crossed in front of him. "It's a good thing that you arrived on such short notice, however. Come into the shop with me." He stepped aside as they entered, and a girl with glasses came in from another room, carrying boxes.

"Oh, Father, the guests are here so soon?" It was the same girl that had pushed Ahatake's soul from his body to let him fight the Shinigami. He remembered her name as Yuriko. "How are your wounds now, Ahatake?"

Ahatake grinned. "They're fine now, thanks to and Entenryū. I think I'm ready for anything."

Yuriko smiled a bit darkly. "I wouldn't go as far as to say that, but I am glad you're well."

"...Wow, ignoring us? Geez, how nice.." Gaikou scratched her head, irritated. "What's so important about bishie-boy anyway..."

"You'll see in due time." Entenryū was mysterious on this front. "Ahatake, come with me, I will train you personally. Gaikou, Kayla, my daughter, Yuriko, will trait you herself." He immediately saw Gaikou about to object. "All three of you are human, and Gaikou, you are a Quincy, as is Yuriko. Your training will progress farther if she helps you."

Gaikou nodded. "...She's so small. Like an ant. I bet I could defeat her so easily..." cue incoming punch in 3...2...1...

Yuriko's glasses flashed ominously. "Then come with me." She led them away from Ahatake and Entenryū, who himself led Ahatake from the main shop area to a trap door beneath it. Jumping down, and followed by Entenryū, Ahatake was greeted by what seemed to be an artificial forest beneath the shop. The air was so fresh he actually hacked for a moment, completely surprised by breathing what he couldn't see. "What the....how did you do this?"

"It's a greenhouse, idiot. It's best used for looking after plants; what else would it be? it's not some magic; it's a greenhouse." Entenryuu felt like kicking this boy in the shins for his idiocy.

"A greenhouse...underground....right." Ahatake groaned. "Anyway, what the hell am I supposed to do down here anyway? You brought me here for training, but what do I do?"

Entenryuu let out a cold smile; totally unexpected, that. "Yes, indeed I did. We're about to start." He revealed from his sleeve; a glove with the skull symbol; immediately palming Ahatake in the stomach; releasing a powerful pulse that freed him from the meaty restraint of his human body.

"GRAGH WHAT THE FUCK!" Ahatake gasped, falling to his knees as he tumbled out of his body in a white Shihakushō. "What fucking freak does that without warning!?" He was gasping, seemingly having difficulty breathing.

"Pardon me. I'm not a freak. The correct term is spiritual eccentric." Entenryuu corrected him. He snapped his fingers, as darkness began to rise from the ground besides him. "Say hello to my little friend, Ahatake Kurosaki."

Ahatake's head, however, was forming an entirely different mental image, and in his head, all he could hear was "Hiiiiiiiiiiiiii~" along with a truly demented laugh that made him shiver. "What is that?" He asked cautiously, watching the darkness take form.

"Oh contraire. That, is an experimental demon that I've summoned from a different dimension. The destroyer of worlds, the doombringer; a being so powerful you'd go mad from the revelation of looking at it." Entenryuu let out a subtle chuckle.

Ahatake could immediately sense the farce here. "You're overselling it, shopkeeper." He snapped waspishly. Having trouble breathing angered him it seemed.

"Hm, is something wrong? The air is saturated with high-grade spiritual particles; you'll need to adjust to get used to it. And once you do, you'll become much stronger than you once were." It wasn't certain if he was a fair mentor or a jerk.

"...wait...you aren't....oh you couldn't be...." Ahatake seemed to be catching onto whatever Etenryū was about to do, and it was ticking him off.

"...Pecking order." With a single command, Entenryuu caused the dark beast to run towards Ahatake, chasing him down with the "elegance" of a wild bull. "How did you not see that coming?"

Ahatake immediately took off running, and, for the difficulty he had breathing, he was moving considerably fast. As he moved, a light pink bird fluttered over to Entenryū's shoulder. "So this is him, Entenryū-san?"

Entenryuu nodded. "...That is correct. This is the heir to a legacy. Originally running, he'll eventually fight and topple everything." Meanwhile, the beast picked up it's pace, running after Ahatake- who was flailing around like a girl.

"Son of a-!" Ahatake made a wide dodge to the left, jumping over the chain that still connected him to his body as the beast barreled towards him. "HOW IS THIS TRAINING!?"

"Run as fast as you can from this dangerous beast. Soon, your leg strength will increase through the high concentrations of spiritual particles- which will affect your true form after a fashion, bolstering your power. Then, the element of offense comes in." Entenryū showed a subtle smirk.

"I'm going to kill you dead!" Ahatake shouted as he ran.

"He has a way with words, doesn't he?" The little pink bird on Etenryū's shoulder seemed to be laughing.

"Such a phrase doesn't even make sense..." Entenryuu chuckled; as the demon picked up speed- it's black aura expanding as it roared violently; all but stating its intent to rip him to pieces.

And suddenly, as if by instinct, Ahatake slid back before turning on his heels, fist clenched tight. "Really...sick...of running!" He roared, swinging his fist towards the beasts as it neared him.

"You know what they say: the way to learn to become a true warrior is not through the way of the bear- but the way of the butterfly. It'll come naturally, like the sun rising." Entenryuu was on his philosophy mode again; as the demon dissipated and tried to attack Ahatake from overhead.

However, Ahatake seemed to be adjusting to his new predicament, and quickly jerked on the chain on his chest, coiling it before leaping upwards, spinning around the beast and using the chain as a noose, strangling it with his own Chain of Fate. "I'm not as weak as you think!"

Entenryuu was impressed by the display of power. "Interesting." The beast, however, had other plans- albeit failing ones. The beast was successfully defeated; strangled to death by Ahatake's Chain of Fate as it dissipated in an eruption of blackness. Entenryuu clapped his hands, subtly smiling. "Good job, boy."

Ahatake plopped down on his rear for a minute, breathing, and he noticed his breathing had become easier. Even his movement had become easier. So....making him run like an utter idiot actually had some benefit?

A small smirk crossed Entenryuu's face. "...You are learning. I'm impressed. Soon you will be as strong as a mountain, and swift as a great typhoon."

"So what's next, anyway?" Ahatake asked curiously. "I can move just fine now. I think I even have a bit of spirit energy returning."

"That's good. It means soon, you will return to your former self- no, you will become stronger than ever." He cracked his neck. "Next..." He showed no prior warning; but the owner of the Green Dragon Shop immediately reached forward and tore Ahatake's Chain of Fate straight off before Ahatake could do a thing about it.

"Wha-!" Ahatake was stunned, not just with shock, but the removal of the chain rocked his body. "What did you..." Before anything else could be said, however, a white liquid erupted from his mouth, eyes, and nose, causing him to let out a bloodcurdling scream.

Entenryuu snapped his fingers. "Relax. You wished to gain power, right? You should thank me." A dark energy surrounded Ahatake; as he explained, "This is simple. All you need to do, is resist Hollowification long enough, to gain the power of the Shinigami once more. It's easy. However, if you manage to fail, I will end your life by my own hands. Good luck."

END