Chapter 9: Shinigami Academy
*This fanfic belongs to Melkor's Mercy, I don't own anything*
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Soul Society One week Prior XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Walking alongside her father in a large open plaza, Karin was beside herself with amazement. They were now in the Soul Society which she had heard so much about. The fresh Shinigami looked around almost excitedly as they made their way past a set of descending stairs and further towards a gate. After passing through, Isshin glanced over and spoke for the first time, "Welcome to the Seireitei…this is the heart of the Soul Society. There's no place safer…well from hollows at least."
"Do hollows ever attack here?" Karin asked curiously.
Her father shook his head with a straight face, "Not often…most are wise enough to not provoke the Soul Society directly. It would be suicide to do so. There are many powerful Shinigami here…I will introduce you to the head captain. He will tell you what to do while I am away watching Karakura Town."
"So how exactly am I supposed to train?" she questioned eagerly.
Isshin sighed, "They'll teach you everything you need to know at the academy. You'll be at an advantage thanks to Kisuke's reckless methods…so it shouldn't be much for you."
"Hey, Dad…about White. There's something that's been bothering me about him," Karin began, but before she could continue, they were interrupted by none other than Gin Ichimaru.
The sly, foxy man grinned his usual creepy smile as he welcomed them at the gate, "Welcome back Captain Shiba…we received word that you had arrived. Who might this young lady be?"
"This is my daughter, Karin…she's enrolling in the Shinigami Academy," Isshin answered bluntly.
Gin cocked his head at the man slightly, "Well, that's wonderful news. Hello, Karin-chan, I'm Captain Ichimaru of Squad Three."
"Nice to meet you," Karin nodded politely, though she quickly took note of her father's stalwart demeanor in regards to the other captain. Deciding it was best to not mention, she simply watched the two of them wondering what was going to happen next.
"We should be on our way…" Isshin said as he continued to lead Karin further inside. Gin simply continued to smile in his eerie way and waved, "Good luck in the Academy, Karin-chan."
After they were a considerable distance away, Karin spoke her mind, "What's his deal?"
"I never got a good vibe from him…if that makes any sense," Isshin admitted to his daughter quietly trading a look of understanding.
She nodded approvingly, "Glad I wasn't the only one…why did he greet us at the gate?"
Isshin shrugged, "I'm not sure, but I would try to avoid him and that Captain Aizen if you see either one. They're the type of men who say one thing, but mean another."
"I thought you said this place was safe?" Karin shook her head somewhat concerned.
"It is…but it never hurts to remain cautious. Vigilance is something a lot of these newer captains lack. I'm not saying to not trust other people, Karin…but always stay aware of everyone's motives here. Some people might try to take advantage of your lack of knowledge about the Soul Society…especially since you're part of the Shiba Clan. Keep that in mind if anyone important approaches you for seemingly no reason. The only people here that you should listen to are the people I'm going to introduce you to," Isshin explained thoroughly as he led his daughter further towards the Squad One barracks.
As they continued in silence for a moment, Isshin remembered her earlier comment, "What was it about White that you wanted to say?"
"Umm…if that hollow White killed Ichigo, where would his soul have gone?" she asked vaguely wondering how her father was going to process the idea.
Isshin cocked his head uncertainly, "Didn't we already talk about this? I've wondered about that for a while now…the likely possibility is Ichigo's soul was reborn somewhere in one of the outer districts. While that would be good news, it could take decades to find him and he likely wouldn't remember us. The other is Ichigo's soul somehow ended up in Hueco Mundo…I can't even imagine what that would entail."
The topic was clearly a bit heavy for Isshin's taste as he glared at the ground deep in his own contemplation.
'Does he not even think it's possible that Ichigo could be a hollow?' Karin wondered.
"What would that mean for Ichi-nii though? If a hollow killed him…is it possible he could become one?" Karin tested coyly.
Her father cracked a fist angrily, "Even if he could…Ichigo would be swallowed up in the cycle of Menos Evolution. It takes decades if not centuries for them to evolve into Adjuchas. I don't want to accept it, but Ichigo being trapped in Hueco Mundo as a hollow is a definite possibility. Though with White being there as well…"
Isshin didn't seem to want to finish his thought aloud as he looked away with an angered face. Karin couldn't help but wonder if her father already suspected the worst case scenario.
"Why didn't White try to kill the rest of us if it wanted our family dead?" she persisted still beating around the bush.
"I don't know, Karin…that hollow is wicked to the core. It probably did that in order to cause more pain to us. It has no qualms about going after the weak first. I don't know what happened to Ichigo…I wasn't the one who saw it. However, rest assured that I will find out what that fiend knows when I see it," he replied bitterly.
"I'm sorry…let's change the subject," Karin apologized, "so how long will this Academy be anyways?"
Isshin seemed relieved to be on a new topic and answered promptly, "It varies depending on the skill of the individual. Typically it takes a few years…I'm not sure how long it'll be for you."
'Was that hollow really Ichi-nii or was it trying to trick me into thinking it was?' Karin wondered as she tried to weigh the possibilities, 'from the way dad talks about this, White, I just don't know what to believe. That hollow didn't try to hurt me…but it hurt that strange guy that showed up. Dad seems to be in a bad mood…maybe I should wait to tell him.' Karin concluded mentally as they continued onward
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Squad One Headquarters XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After a long and somewhat eventful tour through the upper area of the Seireitei, Karin and her father had finally arrived at their first destination. The past few hours had been spent vaguely discussing the architecture and layout of the Soul Society as well as the locations for each various squad.
Karin still seemed to be absorbing the information as she looked around constantly; she felt it was worth remembering references to landmarks. The Soul Society was much larger than she had originally anticipated. She was drawn from her contemplation as she and her father approached a very fancy building. Upon reaching the front doors to the Squad One Headquarters, Isshin and Karin were surprised to see Captain Commander Yamamoto exiting with his Lieutenant.
"Ah, Captain Shiba, I received word from one of our sentries that you had returned. I have heard no updates on the status of, White. Have you or any of the others stationed in Karakura Town discovered anything worthy of my attention?" Yamamoto asked.
"No, Captain Commander, my return here will be brief. I simply came to ask your permission to enroll my daughter in the Shinigami Academy." Isshin answered.
The seasoned warrior looked down at Karin as he pounded his cane, "I was under the impression your children were human…you're telling me a child this young is capable of harnessing spiritual power?"
Isshin nodded, "She wears the attire…Karin wanted to follow in my footsteps. I was originally opposed to the idea, but since you insisted on my eventual reinstatement as captain, then I figured it would be more appropriate."
The head captain narrowed his gaze, "I see…and what of your other child?"
"I'm still working on that…if you would be willing to grant me full time access to come and go as I please, then I would be able to keep an eye on her until she is old enough to live her own life," Isshin replied.
Karin looked down somewhat deep in thought, 'Poor Yuzu…I wonder if it's wrong of us to keep this from her? I mean she's part of our family too. Who's to say she's incapable of becoming a Shinigami as well? No…this is not something I want for her. She's a pure hearted person and deserves a peaceful life.'
"This is an awfully bold request, given your current disposition towards the Soul Society, but I will allow it. The Shiba Clan has not had a suitable heir since the death of Kaien Shiba. Does your daughter here understand the duty that will be required of her?" Yamamoto asked.
Karin bowed her head respectfully, "I do, Captain Commander,"
"Very well…what is your name girl?" Yamamoto said sternly as he gazed down like a hawk.
"Karin Kurosaki," she answered.
"For the sake of your clan, it might be better to go by Karin Shiba while you're here," Chojiro spoke for the first time.
Karin eyed the lieutenant uncertainly, "But that's not my name…"
"It's a formality, Karin…I wouldn't sweat it," Isshin tried to reassure his daughter.
She sighed in acceptance, "Alright, that's fine then. I'll be Karin Shiba if it's that big of a deal."
"Return to Karakura Town immediately, Captain Shiba. I will take care of the girl from here…" Yamamoto pounded his cane sternly signaling for Isshin to leave.
The former captain sighed for a brief moment, "I will leave at once, Captain Commander…please take care of her."
As he made his way to the door, Isshin glanced back and Karin and smiled, "Make me proud, Karin…I'll make sure to keep an eye on Yuzu, so you just focus on your school while you're here."
"Understood…be careful dad," Karin nodded.
"Love you…" Isshin waved as he took his exit.
Afterward, Karin turned back towards the intimidating old Shinigami. Yamamoto towered over her with a look of pure seriousness, "Come with me, I will take you to the old Shiba Residence. It will be your new home. If you're anything like your father, then I expect you to be the cream of the crop in the academy. Do not slack off…it is a great honor to attend."
"Yes sir…I will train hard," Karin nodded somewhat fearfully.
After a short glare to emphasize his point, Yamamoto nodded, "Follow me then…I will explain the details on the way. Once you're established, I will send word to have you instated into the academy immediately. Normally one must wait until the new year, but since you already appear to have a Zanpakuto, and you are Captain Shiba's daughter, I will put you in the first class. Do not waste this opportunity…"
'Jeez…this guy is strict,' Karin sighed inwardly, but on the outside she bowed her head silently and respectfully.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Several hours Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
After another tour of her new noble residence, Karin was starting to feel slightly overwhelmed by the thought of staying in the Soul Society. The Shiba Residence, was quite large, and was strangely unattended by anyone.
Despite its initial emptiness, it didn't take long for servants and workers to begin pouring in to wait at her feet. The whole ordeal was rather stressful for the young teenager who had no way of knowing how to react to so many people referring to her as Shiba-sama.
Of course that wasn't the only stressful thing she had to deal with. Karin sighed heavily at the strange attire she had just been given by several of Yamamoto's attendants. It was a Shinigami outfit similar to the one she came in, but instead of being the official black, it was White and Red.
The girl looked in the mirror at herself and found it to be rather silly, "At least I won't be the only person wearing this getup. I look like a shrine priestess."
Deciding she had no choice but accept this as her new attire, Karin exited the rather large bedroom that now belonged to her and headed downstairs. The Soul Society's architecture had a very traditional Japanese look to it, but for some reason the Shiba residence possessed a few western elements such as a grand staircase that one would see in chateaus. As she descended the stairs, she noticed the elderly captain commander standing there at the bottom.
The head captain nodded approvingly as the girl approached him, "Ah I see your uniform is properly fitted…good. I already took the liberty of informing the other clans that you are in charge of the Shiba Clan in your father's absence. I have enrolled you in the academy as well…are you ready to go?"
"Already? But isn't it mid afternoon?" Karin protested.
"That means nothing…the sooner you begin your curriculum, the sooner you can graduate. The school year actually began several months ago, so you will be behind. You cannot afford another day of wasted time. I expect you to live up to your father's name…Isshin Shiba was one of the finest Shinigami my academy has ever seen. Remember that…" Yamamoto emphasized once again.
Karin sighed in defeat, "Yes, Captain Commander…let's go then."
The old man turned without a word, likely expecting Karin to follow.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Shinigami Academy XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As she followed Yamamoto down the halls of the massive school, Karin couldn't help but feel intimidated. 'He said something about putting me in first class…how do they expect me to know anything in there? I hope I don't embarrass myself. Okay, pull yourself together, Karin…how bad could it be? That Urahara guy said I would breeze through the academy…hopefully.'
Her nerves appeared to show slightly as the old man glanced back at her, "Stop looking skittish, girl…you want to make a good first impression. First Class is not for the faint of heart. Normally, I wouldn't go through this process myself, but given the special state of your admission, I believe it will negate any objection."
"Sorry…I'm okay," Karin straightened her outward demeanor as she tried to look more focused and less concerned.
The old man narrowed his gaze slightly, but finally nodded, "Good…through this door, is first class. Leave the talking to me."
Old man Yamamoto approached a large sliding door, and pushed it open, pulling in every glance from the room's inhabitants, who all appeared shocked to see the Head Captain. The instructor seemed unfazed, likely because he already knew about Karin's admission, but the rest of the class stared almost awestruck as the man gestured for Karin to enter.
"Captain Commander, Yamamoto," the instructor bowed, "you honor us…is this the new student you mentioned?"
"It is indeed, may I introduce to you, Karin Shiba…daughter of former Captain Isshin Shiba, and heir to the Shiba Clan," Yamamoto announced.
The class practically gasped in disbelief that a noble heir was in attendance. One student even had the audacity to announce this, "Onabara-sensei, I thought students couldn't join the academy this late in the school year!"
A quick glare from both the teacher and Yamamoto instantly caused the student to regret her outburst as she bowed her head immediately in embarrassment. Onabara shook his head and sighed, "Well this is a special case…and if the Captain Commander wills it then there is no restriction. Everyone welcome Karin Shiba to first class. Are there any words you would like to say?"
The teacher's question was directed towards Karin who seemed to be stoic on the outside. Inwardly however, she felt nervous and prayed that she wouldn't say or do anything embarrassing.
Yamamoto motioned for Karin to walk to the front of the class. As she slowly made her way there, she took in the looks from the room's students. Many appeared curious, some resentful, and a few awestruck. She had no way of knowing how well she was going to be received, but nevertheless, did as she was told, "I'm Karin Shiba…it's an honor to be here."
"Very well…take your seat, Shiba-san at that empty spot right there in the front," the teacher pointed to a spot in the auditorium like classroom that was center front. Karin dreaded the fact that she was going to be on the front row, but tried to focus on the positive aspect that at least she would be able to focus more on the curriculum and less on her classmates.
"Onabara, come with me…" Yamamoto motioned for the teacher to follow him into the hallway. The man did as commanded, but before leaving he glanced back at his class, "Keep the rabble down in here while I'm gone. Focus on your studies…I'll be back in an hour."
'An hour? What the hell are they going to talk about?' Karin wondered. She also didn't like the idea of being alone in a new class with no teacher. Nevertheless she kept up her shield of stoicism hoping nobody would be too interested in her arrival.
Sadly that was not going to be the case, as the girl she was sitting next to, happened to be the one that had the earlier outburst. She leaned back in her seat and gave Karin a disapproving glare, "So another one of the nobles, gets to just buy their way into first class huh?"
Karin immediately turned towards the girl with a straight, emotionless face. She thought about how to reply since everyone in the class stared as if they were watching reality television. Her lack of a response seemed to incite the bitter girl further, "What are you too good to talk to me, huh noble?"
"Hey, Ayame-chan…I don't think it's a good idea to pick a fight with a noble," a boy sitting above them interrupted somewhat skittishly.
"Shut up, idiot…I'm sick of seeing this happen. These damn nobles just think they can do whatever they want here. The rest of us had to earn our way into this class. And she just gets to walk right in halfway through the first trimester?!" the girl now identified as Ayame said angrily.
Karin was still trying to think of the best way to resolve this situation without making herself look like brat. The girl simply began to glare at Ayame much to the surrounding students' surprise.
"Ayame…have you seriously never heard of Isshin Shiba? He's like one of the strongest captains the soul society ever had. Do you really want to piss off his daughter?" the boy seated to Karin's other side defended her.
"So she just gets to ride out her family legacy like a spoiled child…that's hardly fair," Ayame huffed in annoyance as she began to glare back at the still silent Karin.
"It sounds like somebody's jealous…" another student giggled from further up in the auditorium.
"Screw you, bitch! You're all just afraid to say what you really think about this! Well I'm not! You hear me, noble girl?! I'm the strongest student in this class…and I will make sure you remember that," Ayame announced.
Karin simply looked away without even acknowledging her, 'It figures I'd make an enemy the first hour of the first day at school…'
"Oh, she won't even reply! Is she scared?" Another girl added. This other girl appeared to be one of Ayame's friends.
A strange voice echoed in her head upon hearing this, 'What are you doing, Karin? Put these arrogant kids in their place! If you don't stand up to them, they're going to bully you!'
'What the? Who are you?' Karin asked the weird voice in her head.
'We already met, remember? Under the tree…in the ocean,' the voice giggled.
'You?!' Karin thought shocked.
'Yes me…I'm your Zanpakuto. We never really had time to get fully acquainted, but whatever. I'm not going to sit here and let you take these insults.' the voice answered.
Karin immediately felt a strange sensation as her sheathed Zanpakuto began to glow. Finally deciding that she had to stand up for herself to end the ridiculous string of following comments, Karin stood up and turned to face Ayame.
The girl seemed genuinely shocked when Karin reached for the hilt of her Zanpakuto. As she slowly drew it, the blue glow seemed to amplify greatly from the actual blade.
"Her spiritual power…it's…" the boy sitting above them gasped shocked.
Before Karin could fully draw the blade, the classroom's teacher instantly appeared in the room, "Shiba-san sheathe your weapon and come with me!"
"Ooooh, somebody's in trouble!" The Ayame girl taunted with a smug grin as Karin sheathed her weapon and followed the stalwart teacher outside. After she left, the male student that had been sitting above Karin shook his head at Ayame, "Are you stupid or something?! Don't even act like you didn't feel that spiritual power. She was about to draw out a shikai!"
"Don't be ridiculous, Akira-kun," another student cut in, "there's no way somebody that young has a Shikai…well other than Ayame that is."
"I wouldn't be so sure…" Akira shook his head, "Captain Hitsugaya achieved Shikai at a young age."
"Why are you all provoking that poor girl for no reason?" a blonde haired girl sighed, "it's not like she came in here flaunting herself."
A loud chorus of approving and disapproving comments followed as the class began to converse on the topic of Karin Shiba.
Meanwhile, outside, Karin was brought to what she could only assume what the principal's office would be in the academy as she was directed to sit down across from Onabara. Sitting down next to her were several other instructors as well as Yamamoto.
Deciding it was best to admit her fault, Karin immediately bowed her head in apology, "Forgive me, sensei for brandishing my weapon."
"I will overlook it for now…I overheard some of the students calling you out, so your reason might have been justified. However if you wish to remain in first class, you had better prove to be as strong as you presented yourself. We resolve conflicts here through competition…prove to them you are good through excelling in the curriculum. I hope there will be no more undisciplined behavior? You are a noble…you must always present yourself as such, despite what other students think. Is that understood?" he asked
"Yes sir…" Karin bowed briefly.
Yamamoto coughed catching their attention, "I have fully briefed the instructors here on your status and they have been notified to grant you extra study time and special privileges. Everything is left up to you now, girl. I will send people to check on your progress periodically. Good luck."
After the old man left, many other instructors followed, leaving only Onabara left. Karin turned back towards Onabara who seemed deep in thought. The man cocked his head slightly, "I sensed your spiritual power fluctuate from all the way in my office. I know you are likely strong…but do you have a shikai already?"
"I…don't really know what a shikai is," Karin admitted embarrassed.
The man nodded, "I see…well the Captain Commander tells me that you were recently human, so I will look past your lack of knowledge on the subject for now. Despite what the class may think, I am honored to receive a child of Isshin Shiba in my classroom. If you're anything like him, I expect you will be my star pupil. While you're here, I suppose it will be best to hand you your new books and brief you on the rules of conduct."
'Books?! Rules? Oh great…I thought this was going to be like a swordsman school. What the hell…' Karin groaned mentally.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Half an Hour later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Karin followed Onabara back into first class with a huge stack of books and took her seat immediately. Ayame seemed to be focusing the same smug look from earlier, but was immediately brought out of it by the teacher's announcement, "If any of you, choose to incite your fellow students in the classroom, you will find yourselves back in the main student body. Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir!" the class replied in unison. It was so well executed that Karin couldn't help but wonder how many times they had done it before.
Ayame focused her attention forward again, but Karin could tell she was even more bitter. The voice of her Zanpakuto quickly pointed it out, 'Serves her right…you'll be the new queen of this class.'
'I just want to get through school,' Karin sighed to herself.
"Alright, so in continuation of our previous discussion on Menos Evolution, we discussed the various levels of hollows. Who here remembers what they were?" the teacher asked.
Ayame quickly raised her hand and answered before being called on, "They range from normal hollows to Gillians, then Adjuchas, and finally Vasto Lordes!"
"Very good," the teacher nodded as he turned back to write it on the board.
Karin couldn't help but find the girl's need to be the center of attention annoying, 'I can tell I'm going to hate her guts.'
"We went into detail about the differences in power level each of these hollow classes. Can any of you tell me, what they are?"
Ayame waved her hand again eagerly hoping to answer before anyone else got the chance.
The teacher sighed, "Does anyone besides Yukimura-san know?"
One of the girls from higher in the auditorium raised her hand, "I do sensei."
"Go ahead," he nodded.
The girl cleared her throat and began, "Gillians are a massive collection of regular hollows. They're usually on par with mid to high seated squad members. Adjuchas, range in power, but are about lieutenant level according to the base estimate. Vasto Lordes however are on par if not more powerful than most captains."
"Very good, Koizumi-san, what else can you tell me about Vasto Lordes?" he continued.
The girl seemed a bit uncertain, "Well…not much, sensei. Very few have ever been sighted according to Soul Society history. It's uncommon for the few that exist to ever leave Hueco Mundo."
Ayame appeared to be waving her hand again to catch the teacher's attention. He motioned for the girl to answer, "What can you tell us, Yukimura-san?"
"Well, technically the power level for Vasto Lordes can't be determined since there are no records of any battles involving them and us. I wouldn't imagine it possible for any hollow to be more powerful than a captain. Especially those like Captain Zaraki or Captain Yamamoto," Ayame explained.
The teacher shook his head in annoyance, "No…no!"
His shout caught the class off guard causing many students to immediately perk up with full attention. Onabara pounded his fist against the board, "Wrong! We actually do have a record of a battle involving captains and Vasto Lordes. I want all of you, to pay close attention to what I'm about to show you."
The class stared with avid anticipation as they watched the man prepare a projector, "Thanks to Captain Hitsugaya's Lieutenant, working with Captain Kurotsuchi, there actually is a recording of a sighting of the infamous hollow, White. What I am about to show you has only recently been permitted appropriate for the student population. Hollows are a lot more powerful than we think they are."
"There's a recording of White?!" Ayame gasped in excitement.
Karin seemed surprised by the girl's eager expression, 'What's she so happy about?'
"Captain Commander Yamamoto granted me permission to show this video to you earlier. Watch and see for yourself how Vasto Lordes deal with captains," Onabara stated as he began the video.
The class stared in awe as it began. Karin herself was extremely curious as she noticed the start of the video. It began with four Captains standing across from two Vasto Lordes. One had no mouth, black wings, and large green eyes. The other looked exactly like the hollow Ichigo, Karin encountered the night she ran from the cemetery.
Her eyes widened in shock as she watched the video unravel. "Captain Kuchiki, the power restrictions have been lifted. The Captain Commander sent all of us when he heard there were two Vasto Lordes." a short white haired captain explained.
The students all leaned off the edge of their seats as their eyes widened. Karin seemed especially shocked when she saw the look of hatred in Ichigo's eyes as he traded a glance with the mouthless hollow, "Let's kill them!"
As the video continued the class jaw dropped upon seeing Ichigo fire his first cero between his horns. One of the male students jumped out of his seat, "He sent Captain Zaraki flying?!"
"You'll pay for all the Shinigami you killed last time! I won't let you live this time, White! Bankai!" the white haired captain shouted.
Ayame seemed amazed, "Captain Hitsugaya opened with his bankai?!"
They simply watched with both shock and awe at the sheer overwhelming power that White displayed as he fought Toshiro. Upon seeing Kenpachi's return, several cheered in excitement. Karin simply stared wide-eyed, 'Is Ichigo really that powerful?! I thought captains were super strong?'
"That black spiritual energy is unnatural…I've never seen a hollow do something like that. It's wielding its sword arms almost like dual Zanpakutos," the male student seated next to Karin spoke aloud as if he was trying to process the scene.
"Woah! He just stabbed Captain Zaraki with his horns!" one random, overexcited student announced.
"Quiet all of you…just keep watching," the teacher sighed annoyed.
Karin continued to watch the battle almost disgusted by the sheer brutality at which Ichigo fought off the two captains. The video briefly panned over to Ulquiorra and Byakuya's fight, but not for long, since the battle between White and the two Captains was far more important.
The class burst into cheers when Kenpachi managed to impale Ichigo with his sword.
"I'm going to snap your neck hollow!" Kenpachi added as he gripped the Vasto Lorde around the throat squeezing tightly.
The classes' excitement immediately went away after Ichigo stabbed both blades into Kenpachi before pulling them out and slashing him across the torso. Everyone minus the teacher jaw-dropped as the rabid Kenpachi was sent to the ground.
"He took down Captain Zaraki…" Ayame said quietly with widened eyes.
The video continued on for a while leaving the class in a state of shock. When it got to the part where Ichigo sent Ulquiorra away, they were beyond surprised.
"Why's White sending his ally away?" the guy next to Karin couldn't help but ask.
Onabara shook his head, "Nobody knows…but watch closely at how this hollow manages to escape."
After a brief standoff, White snatched up Rukia and held her hostage against the four Shinigami captains. Karin simply couldn't believe what she was seeing, 'Ichi-nii would never do something like that…would he? Did that hollow trick me? There's no way in hell, Ichigo would do something like taking somebody hostage!'
Her Zanpakuto laughed at her disbelief, 'Is it so hard to believe a hollow would do anything to survive?'
"You go back…or she dies," White spoke almost evilly. His voice sent a haunting chill up the classroom students' spines.
The class visibly cringed in fear at the dangerous, hate-filled eyes of the Vasto Lorde. Before the video could continue any further, Onabara paused it. Many seemed angry that they couldn't see what was about to happen, but Karin was truthfully grateful.
She sat there dumbfounded by White's actions. Ayame quickly seemed to notice the visible distress in caused her and chuckled, "It's probably good sensei stopped the video when he did…princess over here is shaking."
Some people in the class laughed at her comment, but were immediately silenced when the teacher slammed a fist against the board again, "This is no laughing matter!"
Dead silence filled the room as he glared around at the students, "You've all heard the rumors about White…they're true. This hollow does not fear the Soul Society. Some believe it deliberately came to the world of the living to provoke us. You see how easily it handled Captains Zaraki, Kuchiki, Hitsugaya, and even Aizen. I hope this recording shed some light on the dangers of hollows. This is our enemy…we train to kill monsters like that! This hollow wants a war…will any of you be ready for it?!"
Karin stared at the paused video looking deeply into the golden black eyes of White, 'That's not Ichigo…it's impossible. He wouldn't want a war with anyone.'
The girl higher in the auditorium raised her hand again, "Sensei, how exactly did a Vasto Lorde outmaneuver four captains?"
"That is what we have been trying to figure out. Take this lesson to heart…all hollows want to kill you. Do not assume they are stupid. Every one of these masked creatures is dangerous…and Vasto Lordes are easily as powerful as any captain. White himself eluded four. Let that be your motivation to train in this fine academy. So long as hollows like that exist, then the Soul Society will need its best to give their best. You are dismissed for the day…"
As everyone stood up and gathered their supplies to leave the class, Karin remained behind staring at the paused image of White still. The boy next to her quickly waved his hand in front of her face, "Hey new girl…are you okay?"
Karin snapped out of her daze and turned towards him nodding. She spoke for the second time in the classroom, "I'm fine…I've seen that hollow before is all."
"You have?" the guy sitting above her cut in interested. The girl from higher in the auditorium also stopped to overhear the conversation as she passed by.
Karin nodded, "Yeah…it killed my brother."
This comment seemed to cause many additional students to gather around fascinated. The boy next to her seemed saddened by her words, "I'm sorry…by the way, my name is Daisuke Yanai. Nice to meet you, Shiba-san."
"I'm Akira Suga," the boy above them added. Several others introduced themselves as well, but Karin tuned most of them out as she wondered what to say.
The girl identified as Koizumi from earlier pushed several people along, "Hey why don't you all give Shiba-san some space. Go on, keep walking."
As many took their leave, the blonde girl extended her hand, "Hey, I'm Junko Koizumi…it's an honor to have you here, Shiba-san. My family was friends with Kaien Shiba. If you need any notes or help in here, feel free to ask."
"Thanks…I probably will," Karin replied as she shook hands with the other girl. The blonde cocked her head, "You're staying at the Shiba residence right? I can bring my notes by and help you catch up if you'd like."
"Gee…that's awfully generous of you Junko. Sucking up to the princess already?" Ayame mocked somewhat rudely.
The blonde sent a sharp glare at the white haired Ayame and huffed, "Don't bother learning her name…"
"The name's Ayame Yukimura…you'll know it all too well after I outclass you noble girl. Hahaha," the white haired student quickly took her leave followed by a posse of friends.
After she left, Akira shook his head, "Watch what you say to her, Shiba-san. She might be cocky, but Ayame-chan's head of the class. She's a true prodigy."
Karin simply shrugged, "I don't care…I just want to get through this academy."
"By the way…was that your shikai you were about to draw earlier?" Akira asked eagerly.
"Take a hike, dude…stop crowding her," Junko waved the boy to leave. He simply did so casually but as he left he waved at Karin, "It's nice meeting you Karin Shiba."
After he left, Daisuke and all of the remaining students did as well. After they were gone, Karin gathered up her books and stood up.
"Hey do you mind if I walk you home?" Junko asked.
"If you insist," Karin nodded. Outwardly she didn't appear to care, but truthfully she was grateful somebody reached out to help her. As the blonde girl led her outside, she turned towards Karin curiously, "So White killed your brother you said?"
"Yeah…two years ago," she nodded.
Junko frowned, "I'm sorry to hear that…one of my friends died in a hollow attack. So I can sort of understand what you're feeling. It's easy to think the Soul Society is invincible, but hollows can always catch you off guard."
Karin said nothing as the two made their way down the street headed for the Shiba Residence. The blonde girl looked away for a moment before speaking again, "That White is really terrifying…for one hollow to stand up to four captains. I didn't think such a thing was possible. It really makes you wonder huh? What would we do if there were more hollows like White?"
"What do you mean?" Karin questioned.
Junko shrugged, "Well you know…more Vasto Lordes. What would the Soul Society do if there was one for every captain?"
"How should I know…" Karin said distantly.
The other girl simply frowned, "I mean, it's probably impossible, but still…knowing there are hollows as strong as White scares me."
"How come hollows never attack here?" Karin asked curiously.
The girl seemed confused by her question, "What do you mean? The Seireitei is surrounded by Sekkiseki. They couldn't get into the Seireitei even if they wanted. Although they can invade the outer districts. It's not uncommon for those poor souls out there to fall victim to hollow attacks. I just fear going to the world of the living now. I mean what if I was the Shinigami stationed where White attacked? How could I stand up to such a monster?"
"A monster…" Karin said distantly remembering the terrifying look of hatred in White's eyes. 'Those were the eyes of a monster…how could that possibly be Ichi-nii?'
"Well, anyways…" the other girl changed the subject, "it's good to see another heir to the Shiba Clan. After the death of Kaien, many people wondered what would happen to their house. I heard a rumor that Isshin Shiba had returned…I had no idea he had a daughter."
Karin began to tune the other girl out as they continued onward back to her new home. Upon arriving, the blonde spoke seriously, "Alright well, If we're going to catch you up in the curriculum we'll have to start with all the basic stuff."
"Okay, let's get started," Karin replied grateful to take her mind off of Ichigo.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX One Week Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The following week had been very busy for the poor new heir to the Shiba Clan. Not only was Karin overwhelmed with homework, but she also had to catch up on months worth of information. She spent almost all of her free time studying, trying to absorb as much as she could.
Thankfully, she proved to be a quick study, but it was the hands on training that she truly excelled in. The few hours a day the class spent learning Zanjutsu was her favorite.
The current curriculum in the first class seemed to be centered around how to draw upon one's Zanpakuto by learning its name. Karin wondered about this as the she stood in front of the class alongside Onabara. They were currently in one of the sparring rooms and he just so happened to pick her least favorite person to be her opponent.
"Alright, for today's training, I want Shiba-san and Yukimura-san to be my examples," the teacher announced. The other girl smugly strutted out as she reached for her Zanpakuto's hilt and lowered into a quick draw stance.
"Everyone step back…now as you know, Yukimura-san is our resident expert in Zanjutsu. She's an appropriate match for Shiba-san. Pay close attention to the way she harnesses her spiritual power into her swings. One must realize that their Zanpakuto is an extension of your very soul. I don't expect any of you to achieve this level until graduation, but knowing the name of your Zanpakuto is a key factor in wielding its power. Observe…"
Ayame grinned cockily as she drew her sword, "C'mon noble girl…show me what you've got!"
The class watched eagerly as Karin slowly reached for her Zanpakuto, 'This whole week of training and I'm still lost on half of this stuff…how am I supposed to know the name of my Zanpakuto? Junko didn't really explain it that well.'
The familiar voice of her Zanpakuto immediately took offense, 'Have you forgotten that you are capable of talking to me, Karin? You're a stubborn idiot, aren't you?'
'Shut up you annoying lady…so if you're my Zanpakuto, what is your name?' Karin asked.
'Why should I tell you that? You've done nothing to impress me…show me what you can do against snowflake over there, and maybe I'll tell you…' her sword taunted mentally.
Karin sighed as she drew her blade. The other students watched with excitement as she did so, but their excitement immediately ceased when they noticed it wasn't glowing blue like it did the first time in the classroom. It appeared to be a simple Zanpakuto, much to their disappointment.
Without warning Ayame sprung forward drawing her blade in a quick slash stopping a mere hair away from Karin's face. The class began to gossip as Karin stood there still, shocked by the other girl's speed. Ayame burst into a disgustingly self-pleased grin, "Too slow, I see…"
"Again…everyone else, pair up and train. You two, will keep at this," Onabara announced as he gestured for the class to split up and form into different lines. In the hour that followed Karin repeatedly failed to ever get the upper hand on Ayame, who appeared to be a master swordsman by her estimate.
Despite being in their own duels, most of the class would glance over and watch the two. After the final exchange, Ayame even managed to knock Karin on the ground pointing her Zanpakuto down at the other girl.
"Enough! Everyone take a break…Shiba-san, and Yukimura-san will continue," the teacher announced loudly. 'Why the hell can't I take a break?!' Karin thought annoyed as she took a moment to catch her breath and stand up.
The class eagerly took seats around the edges of the room gathering into various cliques as they continued to watch Ayame and Karin who were not allowed to take a break. Junko was quick to try and say something, "Why don't they get a break, sensei?"
"Silence! Shiba-san needs more training. Her form is lacking," Onabara said defensively.
One of Ayame's friends quickly laughed, "Ayame-chan's beaten her every time! That girl's a noble?! Hah, she's hopeless."
Karin gripped her sword tightly feeling the anger swell from the comment. Ayame seemed to notice her shift in mood and grinned widely, "Oh did that strike a nerve? You're proof that being a noble doesn't make one fit for First Class…I'm going to beat you until you quit."
'This bitch…' Karin grimaced angrily. She glanced over at the teacher who appeared to not care about Ayame's comment. It was then that Karin realized what this was, 'He's doing this to test me…to see if I deserve to stay. But can they really kick me out of first class?'
"I'm not going to quit…" Karin replied with an evident anger in her voice. This seemed to excite the class as they watched the noble girl's newfound resolve with a heavy anticipation.
Ayame immediately came in for another quick draw strike, but much to her disbelief, Karin actually blocked it this time. Before the white haired girl even had time to wrap her head around the impossibility of Karin's action, she felt a powerful kick connect to the side of her leg.
The white haired prodigy immediately buckled over as Karin knocked her off balance and to the ground. "Did you see how fast she just moved?!" somebody gossiped amazed.
"Get up Ayame-chan, don't let this girl embarrass you!" one of her friends shouted.
The white haired student immediately leapt to her feet with a hostile glare in her eyes, "You cheap shotting little bitch…"
"Watch your language, Yukimura-san…" the teacher growled.
Ayame seemed unfazed by his comment as she lowered into another stance, "You're going to regret that."
"Bring it on, snowflake!" Karin said angrily.
Without warning Ayame flew into another quick draw, but this time she followed up slashing like a maniac. This display seemed to catch Karin slightly off guard, but for some reason her reflexes felt a bit faster as she barely managed to parry them.
The loud clanking of steel whizzing against steel and air being sliced apart was quite the sight for the rest of First Class. "Get her Ayame! Mess her up!"
"You can do, Shiba-san!" Junko shouted in opposition.
The teacher simply stepped further back and crossed his arms with an approving stare, 'Good…if I have to nurture a rivalry to bring out their best, then so be it. Though, I am rather surprised to see Shiba-san perform this well on the fly. She's quite like her father…she can perform under duress.'
As the two continued Onabara watched them, 'Shiba-san was a human not too long ago. For her to have progressed this much in such a short time is nothing short of remarkable. However…if I allow this to continue she will eventually lose. I should end it as a draw so they'll both strive to be better than the other. Hmph…'
"That's enough for now!" Onabara shouted as he stepped between the two stopping them from continuing. Ayame appeared furious at the intervention, "Why?! I was about to win!"
"Like hell you were!" Karin growled.
He shook his head, "You are all dismissed for lunch…return to the classroom afterward and we will finish our lecture on Zanpakutos."
"Yes sir!" the class all bowed in unison before dispersing into their lunch groups. Now came Karin's least favorite part of the day…lunch time.
Exiting the class, she felt the adrenaline high from moments prior still raging, 'I could have beaten her…what's with that annoying girl anyways? Why does she hate me so much?!'
'She's just jealous…and rightfully so. You're way more powerful than she could ever hope to be. She feels threatened by you,' her Zanpakuto laughed.
"Hey Shiba-san," Junko ran up behind her, "that was amazing back there. Nobody has ever toe to toed Yukimura-san like that before. You're making incredible progress."
"I was about to beat her…" Karin said annoyed.
"Fat chance…Yukimura has a shikai just so you know. You'll never reach her level," one of the random passing students giggled.
A quick death glare from Karin immediately silenced it causing the girl to move on. Ayame strolled by shortly afterward with two of her friends and stopped next to Karin, "You got lucky, noble but I'll see to it you fail this school if you ever try to embarrass me like that again."
"Keep walking, Yukimura…" Karin hissed.
"See you later, loser…" she laughed with her friends as they all made their way towards the lunchroom. Karin sighed as she and Junko headed that way as well.
Running up behind them, Akira quickly placed on hand on Karin's shoulder, "Good work back there…I didn't think you stood a chance, but you held your own pretty well. Trust me though…nobody would have judged you even if you lost. Ayame's a prodigy…I reckon she'll be a captain one day."
"Why did that teacher end the fight before we could finish it?" Karin asked annoyed.
"Probably because it was lunchtime…" Akira chuckled at her question.
Junko pat her on the back, "Relax, Shiba-san…nobody is going to think less of you."
"Easy for you to say…" Karin muttered under her breath.
"What? I couldn't hear you," her blonde friend asked.
"You can just call me Karin…I'm not a big fan of all the honorifics," Karin changed the subject.
Her blonde friend seemed surprised, "Are you sure? That's almost too casual to address a noble by their personal name."
"We're friends aren't we?" Karin asked.
The other girl's face lit up with joy, "Of course…Karin. C'mon let's go get some lunch."
"I'll catch up with you two later…I need to go to the restroom," Akira said taking his leave.
After a brief walk down the student filled hallways, the two girls finally arrived in the infamous lunchroom. It seemed even more awkward than usual as every pair of eyes in there turned towards her and stared. 'I hate this place…everybody just stares at me all day. I'll bet the gossip about our fight's already spread through the school. I can't live this down. I have to beat this Ayame girl so she'll back off.' Karin thought as she tried to look unfazed by the awkward gossiping and pointing from the many students.
Those in the lesser classes appeared even more interested in the gossip surrounding her. Karin managed to overhear one table's conversation as she gathered in a line to buy food.
"That's her? The new Shiba Heir?" one girl said not so silently.
A nearby guy nodded, "Yeah she's the one who stood up to Yukimura-san."
"No way! Yukimura's like the strongest student in the academy…" another person added.
"I hear she joined a week ago…didn't even have to take an entrance exam. She just immediately went to first class. Talk about pulling some strings. It must be nice buying one's way through school," another girl spoke.
"That's hardly fair…pfft, it figures that nobles get to skip the system. I hope Yukimura-chan schools her noble ass." the first girl said again.
"She pretty much did from what my friend in first class told me," one of the guys laughed.
"What happened exactly?" the first girl perked up.
"You didn't hear? They did Zanjutsu training, and apparently Ayame-chan's quick draw was too fast for her," the other girl stated amused.
"That's pathetic…I'm glad Ayame-chan knocked one of those nobles off their high horse. She's such an inspiration," the first girl spoke again with an evident admiration.
Karin felt a seething anger rise the longer she listened in on similar gossip. By the time she reached the end of the line, and bought some quick food, she turned back looking over the lunchroom again. Of course there were no empty tables as usual. She noticed Junko and Akira wave her over, but decided to simply leave the lunchroom much to their surprise. As she headed out the door she caught a fleeting comment from a nearby student, "Those nobles are so arrogant…she's too good to eat with the rest of us I guess."
Upon entering the hallway, Karin made her way back to the main classroom to eat. Thankfully, Orabara left it open all the time. As she sat down in the empty classroom, Karin began to silently eat her meal.
She felt a strange bitterness as she sat their alone, 'Why did I have to come here as a noble? Why is everyone treating me like I'm some kind of pampered diva? What have I done to deserve this?'
'Oh, will you get over yourself please? Look at you…you're pathetic! The real Karin wouldn't be sitting around moping like some victim. She would make these ignorant students eat their own words!' her Zanpakuto shouted annoyed.
'I guess you're right…I need to put Ayame in her place. I'm tired of her spreading rumors about me and making me out to be this condescending spoiled girl. If she wants a piece of me, I'll give it to her!' Karin thought still seething in anger.
Her Zanpakuto appeared pleased by Karin's anger, 'That's the spirit…Onii-chan never would have let somebody bully him. Why should you? You are after all just like him…aren't you, Karin?'
'Shut up lady! Don't you ever have anything useful to say?!' Karin growled mentally.
'My name is Aoigetsu…'
Before Karin had time to respond to this shocking new information, she felt herself lose perception with reality and was now within her inner mindscape. The young Shinigami looked around confused, "What the hell? Where am I?"
It was then she noticed the familiar massive tree on the lone island in the ocean. Above her shone a blue moon and it was then she remembered, "What am I doing back in here?"
A slender blue haired woman immediately leapt off a low tree branch across from her and answered, "You've been blowing me off for quite a while now…when are you going to realize that my opinions are your subconscious thoughts?"
"What are you talking about?" Karin backed away as she reached for her sword's hilt.
The blue haired woman laughed, "What are you going to do with that? Fight me? Ha!"
"Don't laugh at me…" Karin scowled.
"You're so much like Ichigo, that it's funny…I guess you always did idolize Onii-chan hmm?" Aoigetsu laughed.
"It's Ichi-nii…and stop saying that. My brother is dead. I don't need you reminding me of that every day!" Karin said angrily.
"But he's not dead…is he? You know that he's actually White. You know that you're just like him…" the blue haired woman taunted.
"Shut up! I'm not like that! I wouldn't take people hostage! I wouldn't brutally cut somebody up like he did!" she shouted.
The woman's blue hair flowed back and forth as she shook her head, "Then how do you intend to stop him? If you can't even beat some pompous little girl, how are you going to fight a hollow that powerful?"
"I'll train harder! I'll do whatever it takes! I'll free Ichigo's Soul!" Karin said assuredly.
"With what? A sealed sword? I laugh at the thought of that…" Aoigetsu giggled.
Karin immediately charged the blue haired woman and attempted to slash her, but much to her shock she quickly found the sword in her hands disappear. "What the?" Karin looked around.
The woman whistled, "Over here…looking for this?"
She waved the Zanpakuto in front of Karin. The girl glared, "How did you do that?"
"Have you forgotten already? I am your sword…I am the warrior part of your soul. I'm the inner you that wants to run over these annoying children you call classmates," Aoigetsu said seriously.
"So why did you bring me here? What's the point of you trying to piss me off all the time?" Karin demanded.
"You see this ocean here? Do you know what it is?" Aoigetsu turned and pointed into the vast moonlit body of water.
"Ummm…water?" Karin said bluntly.
"Yes and no…this water represents several things in your inner world. Sorrow being the main one…it drowns out everything you see in all directions. You've been living in a hopeless state of mind for quite some time. In truth, this Island…this tree, they've only recently emerged from the water," the blue haired woman explained.
"What about the old guy?" Karin asked, "and who was that old guy anyways?"
"Don't worry about him…" Aoigetsu answered.
Karin cocked her head curiously, "So then where is he? What does he represent here? Why did I see him the first time we met?"
"That is not something I would concern myself with if I were you. You need to focus on this tree here. Notice anything different about it?" Aoigetsu asked.
Karin stared at it for a long hard moment before the revelation struck her, "It's larger than it was before…"
"That's right…This tree represents your growth. If it can reach the moon, you will achieve your full potential," she continued.
"How's a tree possibly supposed to reach that high?!" Karin shook her head, "that's impossible."
"This is your inner world…anything you set your mind to is possible. Remember that, Karin…the only limit is the one you create for yourself. Your father is a captain, and your brother a hollow even more powerful than that. What makes you think you can't achieve that same level with enough time and effort?" her sword asked.
"You're strange…you know that? First you insult me and then you give me a pep talk?" Karin shrugged.
"You're the tree…and I'm the moon. How high can you reach, how tall can you grow? It'll be up to you to decide…to Rise," Aoigetsu concluded.
Before Karin could say anything else, she felt herself regain clarity as she now found herself back in the classroom with her half-eaten lunch. She immediately looked at the clock and was shocked, 'It's been thirty minutes? I felt like I was there for five.'
'Hey Aoigetsu? You there?' Karin asked mentally. Much to her shock the sword did not speak. Karin decided to finish her lunch as she reflected on the conversation with her Zanpakuto, 'She's got this weird way of helping me, but it makes sense though. I have to push myself harder and tap into my power.'
Looking back at the clock Karin wondered how to spend her remaining half hour in the classroom. Her mind was too distracted to study, and she didn't particularly like the idea of sitting in an empty, quiet room for half an hour sulking in anger.
Thinking about what Aoigetsu just said, Karin stood up, 'She's right…how can I help Ichigo if I can't even beat that dumb girl.'
Karin immediately made her way back to the lunchroom. As she headed down the hall, even the older, larger students moved out of her way, clearly spooked by the angry look on her face.
Karin quickly found herself back at the lunchroom doorway and took a deep breath, 'There's only one way I'm going to settle this…I hope I don't get expelled.'
As she entered the large open lunchroom, all eyes turned towards her again, clearly shocked by her return. Junko and Akira seemed happy to see her return but immediately knew something was wrong when they saw the seething anger on Karin's face.
She wasn't even trying to hide it this time as she locked onto Ayame's location. As they did before, many nearby students gossiped like mad. "Oh it's her…what's she doing back?"
"Wow that girl looks angry…she's heading for Ayame-chan." somebody else said. As she spotted Ayame's table, Karin walked there with a look of determination in her eyes.
Along the way, the table from before filled with the gossiping people all loudly conversed about it, "She's going for Ayame-chan? What do you think she's going to do?"
"Catfight obviously…" one of the guys grinned excited.
"Yeah right…she's too scared to fight Ayame in front of the whole school," one of the other girls laughed.
Their amusement was short lived, as Karin briefly looked at their table and kicked it. The sheer force behind it flipped it over spilling their food on the ground.
The table's occupants appeared visibly frightened when Karin looked each of them in the eyes, before moving on. The girl didn't even bother to look back at their shocked, and slightly worried expressions as she finally reached Ayame's table.
The white haired girl glanced up at her amused, "You still mad about earlier? You're going to get in trouble for that little hissy fit."
Without even wasting her breath to reply, Karin drew her Zanpakuto and kicked over Ayame's table frightening several of the other girl's friends. Junko tried to make her way over to intervene but stopped in her tracks as Ayame swiftly drew her blade in response.
"Oh I get it now…you want a rematch? I'll beat you in front of the whole school!" Ayame boasted.
"Shut up already…you've had it out for me since day one, and I'm tired of hearing you talk!" Karin finally spoke.
"Fight Fight Fight Fight Fight!" many nearby students cheered as the two girls immediately continued the swordfight from earlier. This time, Karin moved with a lot more speed and power. It greatly surprised not only Ayame but many of the other students.
The sound of whizzing air filled the lunchroom as the two girls flurried around one another attempting to land a hit. After a short bout of evasions, their blades finally met again, emitting a thunderous shrieking clank.
Karin immediately broke the deadlock as she went for another side kick. It successfully caught Ayame off guard sending her to the ground. The students cheered at Karin's display and watched excitedly as Ayame narrowly avoided Karin's curb stomp.
The girl tripped Karin as she got to her feet and swung her blade down for a swift slash. Everyone seemed surprised by Ayame's newfound fury as she viciously attempted to cut Karin. The dark haired girl narrowly rolled out of the way as Ayame swung her sword down, cutting the nearby table in half.
"Oooh!" The crowd gasped at the feat of strength. Karin quickly rose to her feet and managed to parry several swift jabs from the other girl before ducking down. Ayame reared back for another quick draw strike.
As she moved in for the draw, she instantly regretted her decision as Karin unleashed a powerful high kick right in her face. Though it sent her to the ground, she managed to recover before Karin could follow up.
Jumping to her feet again, Ayame held her sword back angrily, "That's it, Shiba! You asked for it! Bleed Daburu Subeta!" Everyone present gasped in disbelief as the white haired girl summoned her rumored shikai. After the a briefly blinding glow subsided, Karin was shocked to see the girl's previous Katana was now some type of double ended glaive.
The very end of the blades had a serrated razor like edge. Karin knew one nick from it could easily cut deep. The girl backed away slightly as she stared down the vastly more confident Ayame who clutched her weapon with deadly intent.
"Let's see how well your pathetic Zanpakuto holds up against my shikai!" she bragged.
Karin thought for a brief moment about some of the recent revelations she had learned. Thinking about her conversation minutes, prior, Karin simply scoffed at the other girl much to everyone's shock.
The girl's resolve seemed to be unfounded to many in the crowd who all began to shout out their own various remarks. "Back off Shiba, you can't take her!" one of Ayame's friends tried to dissuade.
"Karin, just stop okay? We're not allowed to fight like this…" Junko tried to reason, "you're going to get somebody hurt if you two continue."
The young Kurosaki teen stared the overconfident Ayame down as she held her blade out.
"No way…she's not really going to do it is she?" Akira said surprised.
"Rise, Aoigetsu…" Karin said calmly. A very bright blue glow came from her sword much to everyone's pure disbelief as Karin's Zanpakuto actually transformed into a Shikai.
Its appearance was now something akin to a black western styled broadsword. Down the blackened steel blade, many silvery spots, twinkled off of it almost like stars. The guard curved up in an almost crescent like shape. The pommel's crescent curved down however. Down the fuller line of her shikai a very beautiful tree like pattern decorated the pitch black metal of the blade. The grip of her sword was blue, as was the gorgeous sapphire that rested in the middle of the guard on either side. There also appeared to be a light blue glow around the blackened blade as Karin gripped it tightly.
"Shiba has a Shikai!?" somebody gasped quickly exciting the crowd even further as the two girls appeared evenly matched now.
"How…since when have you had a Shikai?!" Ayame demanded very upset.
"Since I decided I was going to kick your ass…" Karin replied as she waved her hands back gesturing for Ayame to come at her.
Taking the taunt, the white haired girl swept in at remarkable speed and began to spin and twist around in an almost dance like motion of attacks. Karin dodged and parried most of them, but it didn't take long for Ayame to break through with a swift fake out.
Karin grimaced in pain as the other girl cut her shoulder leaving a painful wound that drew blood. Drawing her blade back angrily she swung it without holding back and shockingly fired a blue wave from it. Everyone in the room immediately dove to the ground taking cover as the blue wave smashed against Ayame throwing her into a wall across the room.
The girl fell to her knees afterward and looked up almost terrified, "W-what the heck was that?!"
"What's going on in here?! What in the…YOU SHIBA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" an instructor finally arrived to the lunchroom. Of course it had to be Onabara-sensei as well.
The man looked around at the massive damage Karin's attack had inflicted in the Lunchroom, 'What the hell was that? Wait…is that a Shikai?! This girl has a shikai already!? Ha…looks like this rivalry is definitely going to pay off.'
"Sensei, I don't know what happened…she just came in here and went berserk and started attacking people. I stood up and tried to stop her from hurting anyone, but she was beyond reasoning. I had to summon my shikai to defend myself!" Ayame lied as she acted like the victim.
Karin immediately regretted her actions, 'What the hell was I thinking…now they're going to think I'm some kind of freak. Damn it! I'm so getting expelled.'
"Shiba! Are you out of your mind?! I thought I warned you last week about what would happen if you brandished a weapon with the intent to harm another student didn't I?!" Onabara said angrily.
"It wasn't like that, sensei, I…" Karin tried to think of anything she could say to justify her actions, but truthfully there was none. She started the fight.
"You what?! Explain to me why you just put the lives of your fellow students at risk?" he demanded.
"Everyone get back to class…you have study time for the rest of the day. Shiba-san, get to my office immediately!" Onabara growled.
"Yes sir…" Karin nodded as she sheathed her sword. Luckily that was all it needed to return to its original state.
'She made them hate me…and I only made things worse,' Karin thought as she looked over at Ayame. The other girl beamed smugly from behind the teacher's back but immediately went back to acting as Onabara turned around.
"Are you alright, Yukimura-san?" he asked.
"I'll be okay…sensei. I'm just a bit shaken is all. I didn't realize it was okay for nobles to attack regular students," she said. It was so fake that it made Karin sick.
'What have I gotten myself into…' Karin thought annoyed as she exited the lunchroom.
After she left, Ayame stood up and dusted herself off, "I don't feel safe anymore, sensei…"
"Well maybe you should train harder then," he said carelessly once he realized she wasn't injured. The girl was put off by his comment but continued to play the victim. However, her acting was ignored the moment everyone realized somebody actually was hurt.
It was one of Ayame's friends. A bunch of the students were gathered around and seemed worried as they noticed the injury the girl now had.
Ayame instantly ran over catching everyone's attention, "Nariko!" as she knelt down and grabbed her friend's hand, Ayame shook her head, "That Shiba girl hurt her! Somebody get help!"
Standing nearby, Junko frowned at the sight, 'I thought Karin said she didn't have a Shikai…was she lying? That girl looks badly hurt…'
Onabara stood up to leave once medical help arrived and made his way to the door, 'It's good Shiba didn't kill her…I would hate to expel my new star pupil.'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Onabara's Office XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The bloody wound that had been inflicted on Karin's shoulder from earlier had to be self treated since nobody else seemed to care. Luckily there was tape in the office that she was able to wrap it with, but it still annoyed her that Onabara didn't even seem to notice. Karin sat in her teacher's office for what felt like an hour until finally he entered.
Much to her horror, Captain Commander Yamamoto also entered with him. She couldn't quite explain the terror she felt from the intimidating old man who simply stood in as Onabara took a seat.
The man took a deep breath before speaking, "I've talked to several witnesses…the lunch vendors say you started the fight, and that Yukimura activated her shikai in self-defense."
"That's a lie! She activated her Shikai first! She even cut me!" Karin outburst showing her shoulder, but immediately shut up after Yamamoto coughed.
"Your attack caused a lot of damage to the lunchroom which you WILL be fixing after school until it's done. Not only that, but you inflicted an injury to one of the bystanders…thankfully Nariko Fukuzawa is in stable condition and being treated promptly. She shouldn't be out for more than a day or two. You're lucky you didn't hurt her badly, or you'd be in serious trouble," the teacher explained.
Karin remained silent, but was relieved she didn't inflict a lasting injury to anyone with her attack from earlier.
Onabara glanced over at the head captain and frowned, "This is beyond unacceptable however. I had to call the Head captain himself just so I could figure out how to deal with you. He is the one who recommended you atone for this mistake by fixing the lunchroom and apologizing to the girl you hurt. Remember, Shiba-san, It is a privilege to attend this school…not a right. I'm giving you one more chance, only because of who you are. However, don't mistake that for forgiveness. You are a violent, renegade troublemaker, and that has been noted. This is your strike two. Mess up again and you're expelled…is that clear?!"
"Yes sir…" Karin bowed her head.
'Strike two?! What did I do wrong the first time?!' she yelled mentally fuming.
"Good…go back to class and study," he waved his hand in dismissal. After Karin left, Onabara turned his head towards the Captain Commander and smiled, "Thanks for coming, Head Captain…it really sold it to her."
"You had better hope Isshin doesn't learn about your teaching methods here…" Yamamoto shook his head.
"She's going to be a captain one day…I know it. Pitting my two strongest students against each other will make them both work harder. Surely you remember such methods?" Onabara chuckled.
The old captain coughed, "Such things can be effective…but you may have alienated Karin Shiba from the rest of her classmates by incubating this rivalry. I hope her rise in resilience will not dampen her ability to work as a team?"
"It'll make her stronger…if she's anything like her father, I know she can handle it. These things just have a way of working out," Onabara replied.
As Yamamoto took his leave he briefly turned back, "Do what you will…but see to it she succeeds. If not, I will inform Isshin you are to blame for this."
"All I have to do it play my role…she'll do the rest," Onabara grinned.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Back in First Class XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
As Karin stood outside of the doorway, she took a deep breath once again. 'Just ignore them, Karin…you can't get in trouble again. Dad's going to kill me when he finds out about all this.'
Braving her way through the door, Karin focused immediately on her seat and made sure not to make eye contact with anyone. Seeing her enter, caused quite a few people to tense up fearfully as they began to whisper.
As she sat down, Karin noticed a note on her desk area. Looking down at it the girl read it slowly, 'Nobody wants you here, freak! Who the hell wrote this? Ugh…just ignore it, Karin.' The note, while offensive, didn't seem to get the reaction out of her that some people probably hoped for as Karin simply brushed it off her desk carelessly.
"I'm shocked they let you back into the classroom…you hurt Nariko. It seems you nobles just don't care about the safety or well being of others," Ayame already started trying to anger her again.
Karin simply ignored the girl and everyone else as she tried to find some way to survive the remainder of the day.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX After Class XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
The last two hours felt like an eternity to Karin, but she somehow managed to survive them and leapt to her feet the moment school ended. As she made her way to the exit, she was instantly stopped by her teacher who shook his head, "You have to go fix the lunchroom…go. You'll spend every afternoon after school until it's done. Though I would hope it wouldn't take more than or two."
'Oh yeah…I forgot about that,' Karin thought annoyed.
As she made her way to the lunchroom, she was greeted by several workers. One of them was an older man who handed the girl a broom, "You're the one helping us I take it? Start by sweeping up the debris…"
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX Three hours Later XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Miraculously, Karin managed to help the workers fix the damaged lunchroom in only one afternoon and sighed in relief as she made her way home. Night was falling as it was clearly evening. Karin shook her head, 'It felt like this day was never going to end…I just want to get home before anything else bad happens.' Along the way she was quickly drawn from her thoughts by a familiar voice.
"Hey, Shiba!" Junko shouted out. Karin immediately noticed the drop in both honorific and her given name. She turned back and looked at the blonde girl curiously, "Did you wait for me to finish? What is it?"
"I thought you said you didn't know anything about Shikai…have you been lying about yourself this entire time?" Junko half-demanded.
She cocked her head disbelievingly, "What? Of course not…why would I lie about that?"
"You tell me, Shiba…nobody learns how to do a Shikai overnight. I don't know what kind of fool you take me for, but I'm done sticking up for you if you're going to lie to me."
Karin couldn't believe what was happening, "I wasn't lying, I honestly don't know much about how to be a Shinigami. I haven't even lived in the Soul Society for more than a week."
"Is that another lie too? How do I know you weren't just living in the outer district coming here to ruin Kaien's family name with your behavior? Kaien would never use his power to hurt other people. I told you to stop and you attacked Ayame anyways. I guess your pride is more important to you than anything else? You've just been downplaying yourself so people would think you're innocent, haven't you? I guess Ayame was right…you think you're better than everyone else here."
"Junko…that's crazy. How could you possibly think that about me?" Karin asked dumbfounded by the other girl's faulty logic.
"Don't call me by my given name…it's Koizumi-san to you," she said before turning to take her leave.
Karin stood there frozen, 'My only friend here…gone. Everyone in the Academy probably hates me now. I hate this damn school…'
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX The next day XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Upon arriving to class the next day, Karin was met with the all too familiar stares from every person she passed. Many parted in either direction as she walked dead center down the hall towards first class. Upon arriving, she was surprised to see a note on the door, 'Meet in the training room.'
As she made her way there, Karin briefly passed a group of gossiping girls who looked at her like she was the plague. They all stopped talking and stood frozen as Karin walked past them. As she made her way further down the hall, she overheard them speaking.
"So then, Ayame tried to stop her, but she just went berserk…who knew a brute like that could call themselves a noble?" one of the girls said.
Putting on her auditory filter, Karin simply started to count loudly in her head so she wouldn't have to hear anything else. As she passed outside and made her way to the training room across the courtyard, she was stopped by a random student she didn't know.
It appeared to be an older teenage boy, but Karin had never seen him before from the first class. She looked at him cautiously, "What do you want? Why are you blocking me?"
"Hey I just wanted to say…your shikai was really cool. A lot of the people in my class were rooting for you when you called Ayame out. Not everyone believes all the stuff she says about you. For what it's worth, I think you're awesome," he grinned as he rubbed the back of his head.
"Are you serious?" Karin cocked her head uncertainly. She couldn't tell if this was some kind of prank or joke.
"Sorry if this is a bit out of the blue, but I just wanted to say something. I've seen Ayame do this before. She tries to vilify other people, especially nobles, so that everyone will see her as some kind of champion of the people. Though the difference between you and the last girl she did it to is, you're way stronger than Ayame. Don't let her get to you…and don't back down. Somebody needs to teach that lying bitch a lesson," the older teenager said before taking his leave.
The whole conversation seemed so random and unusual, but for some reason it was the uplifting thing she needed to hear to get through the day, 'Well at least, that guy doesn't hate me…it's a start…but what did he mean his class was rooting for me? I thought I was public enemy number one now?'
Upon entering the training classroom, the girl was surprised to see more than her own class there. There were the second and third classes as well. Many unfamiliar faces turned to stare at Karin as she found a seat on the outer edge of her class.
She hoped it would be auspiciously stealthy to sit near a corner, but her idea was short lived as Orabara announced the day's training, "Today is the Academy Ranking Tournament. Each of you will compete for a chance at placement into first class. Afterward, first class will have an inter-student tournament in order to rank you all in combat. This plays a major role in your placement upon graduation. So good luck...Are you ready?!"
"Yes sir!" the three classes shouted unanimously.
'Well if it's a school sponsored fight then maybe I'll get another chance to beat that lying girl's face in…' Karin though as she looked over at Ayame with a glare.
The other girl met her glare with a one of her own. The tension could literally be felt as the two locked focused their death glares even harder.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone