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This article, Izanami no Jidō: The Path to Power, was added by Seireitou who determines its usage on this wiki. |
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This article, Izanami no Jidō: The Path to Power, was added by Darknesslover5000 who determines its usage on this wiki. |
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This article, Izanami no Jidō: The Path to Power, was added by Achrones150 who determines its usage on this wiki. |
Note: This name parallels the story, Bleach: The Children of Izanami, written by Aha and Arch (both usernames included above). As such, this japanese translation of their story's title, Izanami no Jidō (児童伊弉冉尊, literally "Children of Izanami"), is used for this particular story to note the parallels in the original story's continuity. It will feature the training of Ahatake Noriko Kurosaki, by Seireitou Kawahiru.
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Old Teacher[]
"I'll see you guys later." Ahatake said to his family, stepping into the portal which closed behind him. It seemed like a tunnel, though barely anything was visible.
He placed his hand on the walls, feeling his way through. As he walked, torches lit, illuminating the way for him, but he still had no idea exactly what kind of portal his daughter had created for him. He would just have to assume it worked.
It didn't take too long to get out of the "tunnel" and when he stepped out, he landed directly on the roof of a large building, causing an audible crash.
Before long, the man had rolled down to the floor adjacent to the building he landed on. As the dust cleared, the shape of a man with flowing silver hair stood over the befallen man with a comic look on the former's face. "It's amazing how everything you do further proves your idiocy, Ahatake-kun." the silver-haired man comically mused.
Ahatake groaned, getting up and dusting himself off. "You never have a pleasant greeting, do you?" He asked, his expression already irritated.
"I'm not the one landing on rooftops in the middle of the afternoon. You tell me a pleasant greeting to give someone who does that." he comically ranted, turning away as he began walking back toward the door to his building. As he walked, he spoke up. "You needed something?" he asked.
"Actually yes, if you want to get right to the point." Ahatake said. "We're having some problems up in the Soul Society. I already know I'm not strong enough to fight and I'm unfamiliar with my new powers. Can you train me again Seireitou?"
Seireitou stopped moving for a minute, and turned back to see Ahatake. "This is about that drug-dealer and his cohort, bloody-haired flat chest, right?" he stated comically, much to Ahatake's chagrin. "Yes, I know about them. I have my own Urahara, you know." he explained, opening the door to his building. "In any regular situation, I'd refuse. You... honestly have no talent. But, considering this is a matter of importance, I'll have to put my personal feelings aside." he finished, stepping inside, leaving the door open for Ahatake to follow.
A vein throbbed in Ahatake's head. No talent? He wanted to strangle the man honestly. He hadn't forgotten their last training session. His current Zanpakutō shuddered. He grudgingly said "Thanks" as he entered the building. "So this is where you live now? Never thought I'd see you living casually among humans."
While Seireitou walked, he looked over his shoulder. "Never thought you'd ever get laid. But looks like I was wrong, considering I trained your offspring." he mused in response, reaching a flight of stairs which he then began heading down.
"You're full of insults today aren't you?" Ahatake asked, his voice ice.
Training[]
The duo reached the bottom of the stairs, and for miles and miles, the rocky terrain could be seen, complete with forested areas and even rivers; as if this was an entire mini-earth downstairs. "Better than Kisuke's, eh? Saori's a much better designer than me, and her Chemistry expertise is pretty useful at times." he mused, stepping out. "Well, I guess we'll start here. Prepare yourself, we'll begin immediately."
Instinctively, Ahatake put his hand on his sword, not to draw it, but to protect it. He didn't want Seireitou getting close enough to shatter it this time. Being a wakizashi, this would probably be even easier now. "Prepare myself how? Are we sparring?"
He held his hand up. "No. No swords." he stated, taking off the sword along with its sheath, and left it atop a rock formation. He faced Ahatake. "Only hand-to-hand for now." he finished.
Ahatake eyed him warily, removing the sword and placing it on a similar rock formation. He could feel the blade's dislike of being too far away. Ahatake took a stance, though it wasn't anything professional. "Fine then, let's start."
Seireitou then flashed in front of Ahatake, about a mere foot away, aiming to slam his right heel into the latter's stomach.
Ahatake was quick on his feet, able to jump back before the blow managed to make contact, sliding back on the ground, his hands on the dirt. He had forgotten how fast and strong this guy was. It would only seconds before he pursued, so he'd have to move fast. He vanished, appearing in front of Seireitou. He threw the dirt he had gripped from the ground earlier at Seireitou's eyes, and, hoping it provided a sufficient enough distraction to allow him to land a blow, swung his fist forward to meet the man's face.
"Agh!" cried Seireitou, the dirt in his eyes, as Ahatake's punch neared his face. Closer... Closer... An Inch, a Centimeter... "...Just kidding." he mused, dodging the punch at close-range, as Seireitou took two quick steps off to the side, spinning around as the back of his fist came into contact with the back of Ahatake's head, sending him flying far through the air, slamming into a building. Seireitou returned to a standing stance, overlooking the dust cloud caused by the crash made by Ahatake's body.
Ahatake got up slowly, his the back of his head immersed in flames. He groaned as the flames dissipated.
"Dammit." He grumbled. "I was so sure that would work. Bastard. Hits just like my father." He cricked his neck. "You still enjoying joking around I see." He ground his feet into the dirt. "Let's see if you after this..." He vanished, appearing behind Sei, his feet covered in flames. "If it's hand-to-hand combat you want, I'll take it up a notch as much as I can without cheating." He aimed a kicked towards Sei's side, the flames enhancing the force.
"Janenhinote." Seireitou stated, a larger wall of white flames erupted between the two, clashing with Ahatake's own fire attack. As the flames began to split down the middle, and Seireitou's form was then visible to Ahatake, the former bore a serious look. "You're not the only one who can use flames. And I told you... This was solely Hakuda!" he stated, launching a straight-forward punch for Ahatake's gut, aiming to send the boy flying.
It connected, forcing the wind out of Ahatake's lungs as it sent him back. He managed to gain some foothold in the air with reishi particles, breathing deeply. "I honestly don't care what you said." Ahatake snapped. "If you're trying to punch my head off, I'm going to make use of what I have." Ahatake launched himself towards Sei, sliding on the ground. As he neared him, he pressed his hand to the ground, performing a swift upper kick towards Seireitou's chin.
Seireitou narrowed his eyes, catching Ahatake's leg with very little effort. "...Unimpressive. Stop trying to hit me, and actually hit me." he demanded, throwing Ahatake into the air only a small distance, but then threw up his leg in a curve, aiming to connect with Ahatake's chest and send him flying.
Ahatake vanished with Shunpo, appearing a distance away. "Stop trying to hit him and actually hit him? Why does he enjoy confusing me so much!?" He frowned. He was sure that move would have worked. This was "only Hakuda" he had said. Ahatake himself didn't know any Hakuda techniques at all, so he was at the disadvantage here. He took a stance. Then he vanished, appearing behind Seireitou, slamming his knee into the back of the man's head.
Before the knee connected, Seireitou spun around, and halted the knee with both of his palms. "Not even close." By grabbing Ahatake's ankle with his left hand, he twisted Ahatake's leg in a manner it wouldn't naturally be able to twist, causing Ahatake's entire being to fall in that direction, causing the boy to fly into the air. Seireitou continued to watch, unimpressed with Ahatake's efforts.
Ahatake kept flying until he began falling, landing headfirst into the rock on the ground, the fall softened with flames. "Bloody dammit!" Ahatake rubbed his head, getting up. "What the hell is the point of this?" Ahatake asked, irritated. "What am I learning with this training, how to take a hit?"
Normally, Seireitou would look up and give the kid a sarcastic answer, but this time was different. He rose his head up, eyeing the opposing man with his amber eyes. "You want to master the power of your Zanpakutō, right? How do you expect to master a weapon that way? Listen well. If you attempt to use a weapon in order to gain its strength, then you can never become its master. You must first become the master of yourself." he explained, as he hid both arms within his bell-shaped sleeves. "But seeing as there's very little time to go into an extensive training session, which would be very helpful to someone lacking of talent, such as yourself, we'll move on to your Zanpakutō." he continued.
The Real Zanpakutō[]
"Before we continue, I just want you to know you sound like a fortune cookie." Ahatake said, walking over to pick up his sword, making sure he had a firm grip on it, as the memory of when Seireitou broke his original as always fresh in his mind.
Seireitou narrowed his eyes at this, moving his arms behind his back as he looked on. "I can only assume you know Bankai. That being the case, I'd like you to manifest the spirit of your Zanpakutō." he ordered.
"Sure." Ahatake replied, frowning. It didn't take long, the spirit of his Zanpakutō, young woman with pure white hair tied in twintails, a grey shirt with unattached sleeves, a tie, a short skirt, and black boots that reach past her knees, appeared standing next to him, looking much like a doll. "Hello Master..." Her words, directed at Ahatake were short, and spoken with a very soft voice. Ahatake nodded in her direction, but his eyes were more on Seireitou. "What next?"
Seireitou looked toward the two for a moment, and then drew a menacing grin as he drew his Zanpakutō, flash stepping between the two as he aimed his blade for the young girl, slicing his sword through the woman's chest, causing her to bleed downwards. She only managed a few mutters, as her body began to slowly dissociate into individual reishi, effectively disappearing. He looked back to Ahatake, a small trace of the spirit's blood was on his cheek, as he returned to a more calm and serious composure. "Well then, now we can move on."
"...." Ahatake could only splutter as he watched his spirit fall. He ran over to Seireitou, gripping the man by his collar.
"Are? You? INSANE?!" He hissed, his eyes wild.
Seireitou was held up by the collar, and only looked down at Ahatake. "Do you find this wise? In this position, all of your vital spots are... open." he remarked, noting that his left hand was placed right where Ahatake's right lung would be, his right hand being shown to have made its way near the left side of Ahatake's neck, leaving a medley of pressure points open, and also that his right knee was lifted, ready to nail Ahatake right in the crotch.
Ahatake dropped the man, immediately jumping back to gain distance. His eyes were flickering from his wounded spirit to Seireitou, like a man looking from windows to doors trying to find an escape.
"What is the point of this Seireitou?" He tried to calm himself by realizing every insane action this man did always had a point to it in the long run.
Seireitou shook his head. "There is no point. Atleast, there is no point in this worth really explaining. It should speak for itself." he vaguely explained, causing question marks to appear above Ahatake's head. The silver-haired man sighed deeply. "Like I said, no talent. But anyways, it's like this. That Zanpakutō was never yours to begin with. It belonged to your Kanna counterpart. Not Kan'na, Kanna. Learn to spell it right." ranted Seireitou as he closed his eyes. "Anyways, more to the point, you lost your powers at one time and obtained Fullbring in its place. Meaning, before obtaining your counterpart's Shinigami powers, you had more Hollow spiritual energy inside you. I'll explain it like this. Originally, you were a Visored, with demonic attributes. One part Shinigami, one part Hollow, and one part Demon. Then you obtained the powers of a Xiāochú. Thus, the powers of Shinigami and Hollow returned to one, and you were then one part Shinigami-Hollow, and one part Demon. Then, you lost your Shinigami powers, and as a direct result, your Hollowfication powers too. However, a small sliver of it remained, allowing you to develop a Fullbring. Thus, you were then left as a Demon with Fullbring. Don't ask me how that works, since Fullbring is nothing more than the resultant of a merger between hollow reiatsu, nurtured within a human soul, but maybe you become more human when you lost your powers, so that explains." he continued, taking a deep breath.
"Thusly, when you obtained your counterpart's reiatsu, your Fullbring was lost because it re-merged with your newfound Shinigami powers. And you were right back to the starting point. But the problem is, it isn't your power. Only a small part of it is, the former Fullbring. The ratio between your reiatsu and his is about... let's say, 30-70. It should be 50-50... but." he began, drawing a soft smile. "We're not going to do that. We're gonna do something alittle different. You know why? It's because, as you are now, or could be, you're no match for either the Moniter or the Punisher. Maaaaaaybe the Punisher, but you'll still stand no chance against someone like the aforementioned former. This is why the next step... is to merge your demonic powers with the powers of your own Shinigami powers, and forge something new entirely." he finished, as steps could then be heard from the stairs nearby the training zone.
Down the stairs came a familiar face to Ahatake, as Seireitou looked back to Ahatake. "He will be your training partner during this process."
Ahatake took one look at Raian's face. "Oh hell no."
Raian narrowed his eyes comically at the man, "Is that any way to greet a beloved old teacher of yours? Tch, same as always. No respect." he muttered, walking to where Seireitou was. Seireitou then crossed his arms. "Raian-san is the perfect opponent for you, because of the nature of his techniques, and the means of which they can be used and controlled." he explained, looking away for a moment. "Besides. Against me, you'd be dead within the half-hour." he muttered under his breath. Raian turned to face Seireitou, comically annoyed at what he said, jutting at his chin with the butt of his sword's hilt. "What was that?" he blunted asked. Seireitou then held a fan in front of his face, bearing a comical and innocent expression. "Nothing, nothing at all, Raian-san!" he mused softly. Raian narrowed his eyes again, "Tch... You can be such a pain, Grey-Hairs." he mused back, as Seireitou narrowed his eyes in anger. "I told you to stop calling me that!" he yelled, as Raian then returned the expression. "Grey-Hairs. Grey-Hairs. Grey-Hairs... Grey-Hairs!" Raian persisted. Seireitou narrowed his eyes comically, and then turned toward Ahatake again, Raian snickering.
"Anyways... Raian's abilities are best suited for the training I've devised for you. So, you best prepare yourself." he stated, backing up as Raian took the lead, drawing his blade from its sheath.
Ahatake looked at his Zanpakutō spirit. He'd grown attached to her, but she was out of commission, she was unconscious now. Due to her injury, his sword itself was broken. "So, I'm expected to fight you bladeless?"
"You're not as dumb as you look, Aha." Raian mused, swinging his blade on Ahatake, aiming to cut right through his torso with a clean slash.
The Battle for Blade[]
Raian vs Ahatake[]
Ahatake formed dark black flames in Raian's way, which slowed the process of the blade enough for him to move back. He flicked his wrist, pushing his Zanpakutō spirit out of the way, before throwing a lance of pure ordinary flame straight at Raian.
Raian narrowed his eyes, thrusting his sword at the incoming lance of flame. As his own blade became engulfed in the flames, a soft whisper was heard. "Rip... Jūjiraiku." Suddenly, the flame-engulfed sword transformed into a large broadsword with a half-moon-shaped guard and two tassels handing from the pommel. Raian held the burning sword at Ahatake. "Kiteni." he stated, as the flames burned bright white, and were launched back at Ahatake, near three times as fast and five times as intense.
"Not a chance!" Ahatake extended his hand, absorbing the flames through his fingers and then redirecting them back at Raian. "I control flames. Any flames that are near me are mind to do with as I please!"
Seireitou smirked at this, as Raian shrugged it off, jumping right over the torrent of flames. "Oh? You should know better, Ahatake. Even masters can't do certain things. A master of blades can be defeated by a stronger blade. A master of martial arts can always be beaten by a stronger and more skilled martial artist. And your flames... can be beaten by a flame that even you cannot manipulate. The very flames... of the sun." he began, holding his large broadsword above his head. "Taisuga... Tenshō." he stated, unleashing a massive burning wave of bright gold spiritual energy, appearing as a large crushing tidal wave of spiritual power, aiming to obliterate Ahatake.
Ahatake punched forward, shooting a massive blast of flames. They vanished before they even made contact with the blast. Ahatake immediately started to move back, but the flames managed to graze his body, burning into the flesh, leaving a mark. His eyes widened with the pain, but he kept it in, making a low hissing now.
"Son of a bitch..." Ahatake felt a quick surge of both panic and anger. Panic at being trapped in this corner, anger at being unable to properly fight. He slammed his fist into the ground, releasing a geyser of flames under Raian.
Raian swept his blade against the incoming flames, swatting them away as if the embers were breezes of wind. Raian shook his head, and began slowing walking, blade in hand, toward the panicking Ahatake. Seireitou, standing a ways off, had his arms crossed and his eyes narrowed, watching the fight thus far. "Ahatake... If you plan to survive this fight, you need to look deep within. Find the strength... pull on it."
Ahatake's hair began to lighten a bit, turning a shade of grey. His spiritual energy spiked, and he made a wide leap, appearing in front of Raian, his fist coated in black flames. He slammed his fist forward with great force, his eyes strangely blank, his expression aggressive.
Raian blocked the assault with his broadsword, pushing Ahatake back. "Taisuga Tenshō!" he called out, unleashing another massive torrent of spiritual energy at Ahatake, from mid-air, leaving very little room to dodge.
The flames this time enveloped Ahatake, blocking him from the view of Seireitou and Raian. It was strange, as the damage these flames were doing should have made his spiritual energy drop like an anvil. However, his power was quickly rising, and the flames were compressing themselves into his body. They easily draped around his form now, and his hair was a shining shade of silver. The flames gathered around his fist, and in the center of his neck was a glowing jewel. The Saikōkyū was still in his body.
"This feeling...it's like before..." He could remember the last time he'd felt this power, the rush he'd had when he fought Hiraishin. He had easily overwhelmed him that time. He looked at the golden flames around his fist. It was time for payback. He crouched, and vanished, appearing behind Raian. He swing his fist, letting loose a shockwave with the power of Taisuga Tenshō combined with brute force.
Seireitou continued to watch, while Raian stood his ground against the assault, using his large blade to block the fist. He let out a soft smirk. "Not bad... But you're still a hundred years too early to catch me off-guard!" he mused, pushing Ahatake back as he unleashed another massive Taisuga. However, he didn't stop there, he then swung his blade once more, sending off another Taisuga, and the two merged into one, aiming to crush Ahatake in mid-air. But it wasn't over. Using flash step, Raian swiftly flashed behind Ahatake, and swung his blade once more, unleashing a third Taisuga, aiming to crush Ahatake in-between the two powerful attacks. "It's over." he stated.
Ahatake's Power: Harukīro Emerges![]
Ahatake extended his hands, allowing the Taisuga to envelop him as he took the full force of the power in. He could feel his body fully absorbing Raian's Shinigami power, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed his Zanpakutō spirit fading, and in his hand a new sword was emerging, a standard katana with a pink guard. His eye winced at this. The flames fully entered his body, and his hair dulled to it's normal raven colour, but he still felt strong.
"What's...this?"
Seireitou began clapping his hands amusingly. "Well then, that was quicker than I thought. Ahatake, your powers are now complete. You're now just one part, not split between different beings anymore. For one of the Kurosaki family, it is the ultimate form they can obtain." he explained, as Raian held his Shikai on his shoulder, also smiling a bit. "Pretty cool, it seems the Kurosaki kid finally finished a training session with us." he began, as Seireitou stepped forward. "Not quite, Raian-san." he explained, as he too drew his sword. "Alright, Ahatake. Now... it's time for me to enter the fight. Get ready!" he stated, as he charged in, as Raian followed suit. Ahatake's expression turned into a comical one of pure fright. "OH FUUUUUUUUUUU-" was all he mustered, as explosions rocked the valley.
End of Training: The Fight Ahead[]
After several hours passed, there stood a damaged and ripped-clothed Ahatake, panting while holding his sword in hand. Seireitou crossed his arms, his sword apparently re-sheathed, and Raian stood, his clothes scatched but nothing serious. Seireitou then smiled, closing his eyes. "That should do it. You've become strong enough to fend the two of us off with your Shikai, and even though neither of us went too serious with our own Shikais, it was still an impressive feat. Strength-wise, that Punisher should be no problem. However..." he began, as he threw Ahatake a silver-colored cell phone. "This is a new model, right from Urahara-san. Both my and Raian's numbers are in there, so should there be a situation you and your cohorts can't handle, just give us a ring. Things get boring around the dojang from time to time." he explained, hiding both his arms in his sleeves. "The cell phone also contains a spiritual pressure detector and library, which allows you to record spiritual energy that you come into contact with, and label it with a name, allowing you to easily know when those specific people come near you. The phone has a bunch of other features, but you'll figure them out as you do." he finished, as Raian re-sealed his Zanpakutō, putting it away in its sheath. "Ahatake, just remember one last thing. Regardless of our stained encounters over the years, I value the teacher-student relationship we have. I consider that bond to be a very important one, so if you truly need help, don't feel too prideful to ask for help. Even you have alot to learn." he finished, as Raian yawned softly, sitting on a rock structure.
Ahatake caught the phone, pocketing it as he sheathed his blade. "Reminds me of a movie I once saw. Some guy made a watch with so much stuff, there wasn't any room for the clock." He muttered as he pocketed the phone. A portal opened for him. Probably set to do that by Miharu. He took in Sei's words for a moment. "I'll say this. If my family and I triumph in this battle, I'll definitely be less bitter towards you two. Either way, I'm grateful for the help." He took a step into the portal, all of their eyes meeting one last time before the portal closed.
It was time to fight.
END