Chapter 5: Transfer to the 4th Division

AN: Once again thank you everyone for your continued support!

Terminology:-Kaido: Turn Way or Healing Kido or Healing Spiritual Arts

-Kakegoe: Shouts and calls used in performances of traditional Japanese music/theater.

Chapter 5

Kishin sat in the back of the 3rd division courtyard as he drank some juice in peace underneath a large persimmon tree. Sitting across from him was Captain Ichimaru who took a bite out of his dried persimmon. They were separated only by a small wooden table between them. In the one year that he had been serving under the 3rd division he had expected more resistance and probing from Gin, however he found that he and Gin actually connected quite well. Every so often they would sit in peace and quiet in the division courtyard like this simply enjoying the shade provided by the persimmon trees. Sometimes they would exchange dialogue and sometimes Kishin even asked Gin for advice on certain Shinigami battle techniques.

They would both never reveal their true nature and character to the other, however in turn that also sort of revealed what their true nature and character was like. For instance. They were both calculative. They were both cunning. They were both intelligent. They were both sarcastic. They were both lax. So on and so forth. In the end they found that their efforts to mask their true nature to one another was what actually made them connect on a deeper level. In the beginning their probing conversations would feel distant and calculative, however over the past year it became the norm for them so occasionally they could even have somewhat normal conversations without all the cold, calculative, manipulative, and sarcastic aspects.

Kishin broke the silence between them first. "Captain Ichimaru. I have something to tell you."

Gin looked up from the dried persimmon in his hands and glanced curiously at Kishin's direction. "What is it?"

Kishin took a bite out of his own dried persimmon as he continued, "I applied for a transfer."

This revelation startled Gin a bit as he hadn't expected for Kishin to transfer so suddenly. After all he had only served in the division for a single year, of course not by his choice. Gin was lost in his own thoughts for a moment as he tried to discern what Kishin was thinking.

So he's gonna transfer huh? Shinigami who get accepted into the Gotei 13 are automatically placed in a division not of their choice after the entrance exam. Unless of course you have the backing of some noble family that pulls some strings to get you placed somewhere else, this is how it goes for all the others. Of course in the end Aizen was the one who had Kishin placed in the 3rd division. Anyways once they are placed they have to serve for 1 year regardless of the division they were put in unless there are certain special circumstances that require or give permission for their transfer early. After 1 year of serving they then have the option to continue serving or to apply and transfer themselves to another division. Still, most people who hold an officer rank within a division will rarely ever transfer. He holds the 4th seat title yet he still wants to transfer huh?

Gin picked up another dried persimmon and took a bite as he replied nonchalantly, "I see. So ya' applied for a transfer huh? Did ya' not like the 3rd division?"

Kishin shook his head and replied in his own nonchalant voice. "It's not that. The 3rd division was nice, but it's not where I see myself ending up."

"Oh? Then where do ya' see yourself ending up?"

Kishin simply shrugged his shoulders. "Not sure yet. I suppose I'll know once I feel something click. For now I'm going to transfer and gain more experience from other divisions that interest me."

Gin raised an eyebrow curiously. "Then which division did ya' apply to?"

"The 4th division."

This revelation startled Gin. "The 4th division? Under Captain Unohana? Hmm...to be honest I'm surprised. Why are ya' going to a place like that? With your skills I don't see ya' wanting to become a healer."

Kishin smirked. "Well, to gain experience. I don't see myself staying in the 4th division forever, however I would like to serve under Captain Unohana for a bit and learn some Kaido from her. Even if it's just a minuscule amount. I think it'd be interesting."

Gin couldn't make heads or tails of Kishin's decision. "To learn Kaido from Captain Unohana, wouldn't your time be better spent further increasing your skills in your other combat forms? Perhaps even spent tryin' to communicate with your Zanpakuto?"

"Hmm...it's not like I'm going to shirk my training in those areas, however, Captain, how would you rate my skills in each of the 4 Shinigami combat forms?"

Gin inwardly smirked to himself at Kishin's question.

Haha, instead of answering my question he asked one in return. If I question his skills that'll give him more reason to leave and explore other areas. If I praise his skills he'll still leave since I confirmed his proficiency in those areas. He's pretty good at directing the flow of a conversation for a kid so young. Guess I can't change his mind into staying.

Gin took another bite out of his dried persimmon before answering, "Mn...your skills in the 4 Shinigami combat forms are pretty good."

"Since you say so Captain then it reassures me. Then I can afford to spend some time learning Kaido from Captain Unohana without worries of my other skills not being up to par."

"I see. Since ya' said that you don't think you'll be staying in the 4th division forever, do ya' have an idea of what division you'll transfer to afterwards?"

"I have. I think I'll apply to the 2nd division after."

"Oh? The 2nd division under Captain Soi Fon and the head of the Onmitsukido huh? That's an interesting choice, but also better suited to your skills. Is that the division ya' see yourself serving under in the end?"

"Hmm...I'll have to see if it clicks or not."

"Ehhh? Still not sure huh? But even though you're not sure ya' sure chose some interesting divisions. The 4th division to learn Kaido. The 2nd division that excels in Hoho and Hakuda. Maybe you'll end up liking the 5th division in the end. I hear Captain Aizen is a jack of all trades."

"The 5th division under Captain Aizen huh? I thought you'd ask whether or not I'd end up coming back to the 3rd division instead, Captain Ichimaru."

Gin curiously glanced at Kishin and carefully considered his words before saying, "Are ya' planning to come back? If ya' are planning on returning to the 3rd division in the end then the doors are always open to you."

"I'll keep that in mind. Captain."

Gin smirked to himself when he heard Kishin's answer.

Hahaha, so in the end he didn't give a definitive answer and left himself open with options. Now that he's gonna leave the division I wonder what Captain Aizen will try to pull. He wanted me to observe him for a bit. As long as Kishin is in the 3rd division Aizen could tell me to send him wherever and whenever he wants. Aizen would have more control over Kishin this way for his sadistic entertainment, however Kishin is leaving for the 4th division. Even for Aizen it'd be slightly harder to influence the workings of the 4th division under Captain Unohana. Well, it's not impossible, but I suppose that's if Captain Aizen wants to put more effort in or not. Maybe he'll just let it go and watch how everything plays out.

Gin was snapped out of his thoughts as he noticed Kishin stand up and begin to walk off so he quickly chimed in, "When do ya' officially transfer out?"

Kishin paused in his step. "A few days from now."

"Hmm...I see. Your presence will be missed."

Kishin smirked. "Heh, I'll miss the 3rd division as well." With that he slowly walked away from the courtyard.

Phew. Finally I can get out of here and away from Aizen's watch. I wouldn't have minded staying under Captain Ichimaru if his division wasn't heavily influenced by Aizen's hands.

The next few days passed on quietly as Kishin officially transferred out of the 3rd division and into the 4th. As he made his way just outside their barracks he was warmly greeted by the Lieutenant.

"Hello, you must be Chigetsu-kun. I'm Isane. Kotetsu Isane. Lieutenant of the 4th division under Captain Unohana. Please follow me and I'll show you to the Captain."

Kishin nodded as he obediently followed behind her. As they walked through the division grounds he took note of how busy everyone was in the division. They were either rushing around cleaning the Seireitei or practicing their Kaido or reading and studying about the body. After they passed through several medical wards they stopped before a large double door.

Isane stood to the side and warmly said, "You may go inside. The Captain is waiting for you."

Kishin nodded appreciatively as he opened the door. He took note of the nice calming scent of tea in the air and watched as a person carried some snacks to a table in the middle of the room. This person was undoubtedly Unohana Retsu. He then heard her call him inside.

"Come in and have a seat. Let's have a little chat."

Kishin nodded and did as she asked. Before long he sat in front of the small wooden table across from Unohana and helped himself to some tea and snacks. Unohana simply watched amiably.

Mn. To think that this small boy has such a powerful presence already. Yet even in his young age he doesn't seem shy at all.

She cleared her throat before speaking her mind. "Ahem. Kishin-kun. I saw your application to transfer into the 4th division from the 3rd division. I accepted of course, but I'm curious. I suppose I'll just get straight to the point. I've heard of your abilities and accomplishments. Is there a reason why you decided to join the non-combative unit of the 4th division?"

Kishin popped another snack in his mouth, chewed, and swallowed before answering amiably, "Yeah. I want to learn some Kaido."

Unohana was startled at his answer. "Learn Kaido? But why? With your skills and capabilities surely there isn't a need for you to do so."

Kishin shrugged his shoulders. "Captain, the truth is I don't plan to stay here very long, however it is true that I would like to learn some Kaido. My plan is to remain in the 4th division for 5 years dedicating all my time to learning Kaido. Afterwards I plan to transfer out. I hope this is acceptable."

Once more Unohana was perplexed. "Is learning Kaido very important to you? I don't mind teaching you but this seems quite sudden."

"Hmmm...well, I know it seems sudden, but I would like to get my skills to the point where I can semi-heal my own injuries at the very least. During battles of great intensity there won't always be a medic around. In those cases one might need the ability to heal themselves. Or perhaps a comrade. But you're right to suspect that this isn't the only reason."

"Oh? It's not? Then what is the other reason?"

"The true purpose of me wishing to learn Kaido is reiatsu control. Captain Unohana, will you do me a favor and observe my control over my reiatsu? Then tell me what you think?"

Unohana raised her eyebrow curiously but nodded in the end. "Very well. Please show me."

Kishin nodded and stood up. He walked a few feet away before closing his eyes and taking a deep breath. He focused his mind and after taking a moment to collect himself he opened his eyes and released his reiatsu.

WHOOOOOOOOOSH!

Immediately a thick dense heavy pressure with a hint of bloodthirsty murderous aura filled the room as every single item in the room began to quake and tremble. The walls began creaking and the teapot on the table in front of Unohana cracked. She opened her eyes in shock. Her heart pounded in her chest and the blood in her body began to itch. Her skin crawled and her hands twitched wanting to grip her sword. She stared at Kishin in the middle of the room with great caution. For the briefest of moments the monster deep inside of her had risen to the surface with the desire to kill. After several seconds passed by the pressure disappeared and Kishin let out another deep breath before returning to his seat, however the door swung open as Isane shouted, "Captain! Are you okay?!"

Unohana quickly calmed down her instinct to kill and put on an amiable smile. "Isane. I'm fine."

Isane confusedly looked at the broken items in the room and the giant cracks on the walls questioningly, but in the end she nodded and left the room closing the door behind her. Unohana then glanced at Kishin curiously.

I see now. It's incredible that he can manipulate his reiatsu to such a degree already for one so young, however I understand what he means. When he unleashes his reiatsu most of his reiryoku remains untouched. In other words he's only tapping into 25% maybe 30% of his power right now. Yet just that 25-30% of his control over his overall reiatsu is already at the Lieutenant level. Should he be able to tap into just 50% of his potential he would be releasing a pressure on the level of a Captain class Shinigami. At 80% control he could rival my own. It's a bit frightening to think about what level he could reach at 100% control. Perhaps he could rival the Head Captain himself. What's even more frightening is that this is his potential as a child. As he grows older the threshold of his potential will definitely increase. But what is with his aura...it's one of the most dangerous and powerful aura's I have ever felt. It reminded me of my own back when I carried the title of the first Kenpachi….Right now what he lacks is a teacher who can teach him how to better finely control his immense reiatsu. And what better way to learn how to finely control reiatsu then by learning Kaido. Using Kido to tap into reiryoku to stimulate reiatsu to heal. He wouldn't need to learn Kaido to control his reiatsu if he were older since by then his body would be mature enough to handle his power, however because of his young and immature body that can't contain all of his reiryoku he seeks alternative methods to grow stronger in his current situation. This is actually an intelligent move on his part. If he could increase his finesse in reiatsu control then despite his young body he can start to tap into more of his reserved power. In truth Hitsugaya-kun could benefit from taking the same approach as Kishin, however that will be left to Hitsugaya-kun's discretion.

Unohana took a deep breath in before letting a deep breath out and calmly sipped her cup of tea that wasn't broken due to it being held safely in her hands during Kishin's display of power.

"Very well Chigetsu-kun. I understand your intention. I will teach you some Kaido and help you learn to control the flow of your immense reiryoku, however I will not go easy on you."

Kishin grinned in joy. "I wouldn't have it any other way Captain Unohana..."

Under Unohana's guidance Kishin spent his first 3 months reading books for 6 hours every single day on Kaido and anatomy. He then spent the rest of the year practicing the ability to restore other people's reiatsu. Whenever he had time in between Kaido practice Unohana would make him study Kido as Kido played a large role in being successful in using Kaido. Kishin was astonished at how much more difficult Kaido was then just performing straight up Kido as it required much more focus, control, precision, and above all else, time. And to reduce the time it takes to heal someone it simply requires experience.

After a grueling year of studying under Unohana he had finally been able to successfully heal people from over exhaustion of their mental and physical faculties. Although the rate at which he can heal other people's exhaustion wasn't the best, he wasn't the worst. During his second year under Unohana he spent it completely focused on learning how to heal people who were actually wounded that had tears, gashes, and other external injuries. In this form he was less successful at. It was much more difficult to perform this feat as one had to first learn how to stimulate the patient's own reiatsu to help mend their body from the inside with the addition of his own reiatsu acting on the outside to heal the site of injury. It wasn't until the end of his third year in the 4th division that he was successful in this feat.

Kishin currently stood in the 4th division medical ward tending to a patient's wound that they received during a training exercise. As he was just finishing up the door to the medical ward slammed open revealing the frame of several members from the 11th division. Kishin's eyelid slightly twitched in annoyance at their appearance knowing they were just here to cause more trouble. As he had expected one of them stood out and shouted, "Oi! Which one of you is called Chigetsu Kishin?!"

Kishin smirked amusedly as he heard them ask for his name and he knew why. Not more than an hour ago a member of the 11th division was in the 4th division barracks getting treated for a sparring injury, however that 11th division member was being rude. He was making fun of the members of the 4th division calling them weak and useless even though they were the ones healing him. In the end Kishin asked to be in charge of that member's healing to which the others agreed. That 11th division member didn't hold back against Kishin either as he started calling him names like midget, pipsqueak, useless, fodder, and a burden. Kishin heard rumors that the 11th division, which was strictly a combat division, often made fun of the 4th division, however Kishin was incredibly irked by this so he beat that 11th division member to a pulp. Then he healed him. Then he beat him again. After healing him one more time he let that 11th division member go with his tail behind his legs. And now more 11th division members came back storming through the medical ward and calling for his name so he knew what the cause was immediately.

It was then he heard his name being called out once more so he stood up and walked over to them.

"Oi, can you guys shut up? You're being loud. This is a medical ward. Go take your kakegoe performance somewhere else."

That 11th division member was immediately incensed so he gritted his teeth and said menacingly, "Oh?! So you're the one eh? My name is Han. Remember that as I'm going to be the one to crush you."

Kishin put on an innocent smile and replied, "The wind sure is loud today."

A thick vein popped off on Han's forehead in anger. As he was about to reach out and grip Kishin by the collar he had instantly lost sight of him. It was then everyone heard Kishin's voice right outside the door.

"Oi. 11th division dogs. Like I said. This is the medical ward. There's no fighting here. If you want to duke it out then follow me. The 4th division may be a non-combat unit but that doesn't mean we don't have a training field."

With that Kishin walked off unconcernedly as the several other 11th division members quickly followed. It didn't take long before they all arrived on the training field. Han unsheathed his sword as he said, "No one interfere. This will be one on one. I'm gonna crush this kid."

Kishin stretched his arms and asked, "Why so adamant about fighting me? I only slapped one of your division members around a bit for his rude mouth."

Han smirked. "Heh. I'm here to reclaim the pride of the 11th division. How dare that idiot lose to a member of the 4th division. We, a strictly combat division had someone lose to you, someone in the non-combat unit. It reflects poorly on Captain Zaraki."

Kishin raised his eyebrow inquisitively. "Then...you're here not to avenge that idiot, but rather to reclaim the 11th division's pride?"

"That's right."

Kishin could only give a deadpan expression. "Are you all idiots? Does that mean that whenever just one of you loses the victor of the fight has to fight the entire 11th division so you could hold onto your pride? Lame!"

"W-What! How dare you call us lame! It's a good thing we're at the medical ward cause I'll be sending you right over!"

It was then that Han dashed straight for Kishin with his sword drawn, however Kishin nonchalantly dodged the first three sword strikes before countering with a palm thrust, a punch, and then a kick.

Wham! Bam! Boom!

Han immediately flew through the air several meters before crashing on the ground completely knocked out. Kishin brushed the nonexistent dust off of his shoulders and said tauntingly, "Wow. You really hit hard. The ground that is."

Immediately all the other 11th division members gripped their swords in anger and rushed at Kishin who simply out sped and outmaneuvered them knocking them out one by one using only his Hakuda skills as he didn't want to kill them by drawing his sword.

Bam! Boom! Wham! Thud! Boom!

In less time than it took to boil a cup of tea Kishin had defeated and knocked out every single member of the 11th division that had arrived at the medical ward.

"Serves you right."

He then walked back into the medical ward building leaving the unconscious 11th division members sprawled out on the training field. Isane watched everything happen and was too stunned to even say anything. Kishin only wanted to go back to training his Kaido when once again, a few hours later some members from the 11th division intruded into the medical ward. This time however Kishin was a bit intrigued as he recognized the one leading the group.

Madarame Ikkaku huh? If memory serves me right. I wonder if he's currently the 3rd seat in the 11th division at this time.

"Which one of you is called Chigetsu Kishin?" Ikkaku asked loudly.

Kishin smirked and stepped forward as he replied, "I am."

"Heh! I see I see. Eh? You're just a kid aren't you?" Ikkaku turned to look at the division members behind him and scolded, "The hell? You lot lost to him? He doesn't even look 10 years old?"

Kishin interrupted before anyone could give a response. "If you judge me by my age and size you'll only end up beneath my foot."

This snapped Ikkaku back to reality and took a moment to size Kishin up. "Hmmm? Heh! Ha! Hahahaha! Good! Great! You got some attitude kid! I like it! You must be a fighter then right? Fight me?"

Kishin raised his eyebrow curiously. "Why should I?"

"Huh? Obviously because I'm here challenging you to a duel, that's why?"

"Your division members have been coming in here yelling, mocking, and being rude to the 4th division members. What's most annoying is if I beat one of them they just go crying home and come back with some other peeps. Isn't that the definition of a sore loser?"

Ikkaku widened his eyes in shock. "Oi! The kids right! If you lost you lost! Take it like a man! If you want revenge then go fight him yourself. Don't go dragging the others into it! Understood?"

The other division members felt embarrassed and nodded in consent. "Yes!"

Kishin then interjected and pointed to Ikkaku as he said, "Then what about you? Aren't you here though because they came crying to you?"

Ikkaku smirked. "That may be so. But now I've given out my disciplinary orders. They have nothing to do with me now. Right now I feel like you're probably strong. You're right. I shouldn't judge you by your looks or age. Let's fight!"

Kishin smirked amusedly. "Right. The M.O. of the 11th division is fighting, fighting, and more fighting."

"Hehehe! That's right. We seek only the strong. Anyways you beat nearly twenty of our guys already in a fight. You're definitely strong. Come on. What do you say? Fight me!"

"And if I win?"

Ikkaku thought for a moment before asking, "What? There's no need for a prize or anything. We fight to fight because fighting is fun."

Kishin simply shook his head. "If I win you can't keep bothering me. It's because you think fighting is fun and you guys seek the strong that when you find someone worthy you probably won't leave them alone."

Ikkaku grinned. "If you win of course I have to fight you again! That's the whole point. When you fight someone strong you get stronger and stronger yourself."

"Tch. Damn. I knew I should have never gotten involved with the 11th division. Fine. How about this. If I win you can't mention me to your Captain. The last thing I need is your Captain chasing after me because you told him you found someone strong to fight against."

Ikkaku felt his adrenaline pump through his veins in excitement. "Oi! From your words just now you rate yourself a pretty tough customer. I hope you can walk-the-walk and not just talk-the-talk."

Kishin cracked his neck as he began walking to the training field once more and replied, "Promise none of you will say anything about me to your Captain and I'll show you what you're up against."

Ikkaku couldn't help feeling incredibly hyped and quickly agreed. "You got a deal! Show me what you're made of!"

Once they made it to the training field and stood opposite each other they both drew their swords. A moment of silence passed between them as not only the other 11th division members stood off to the side to watch, but many of the 4th division members came out to watch the show as well. Ikkaku smirked and released his reiatsu causing a powerful pressure to weigh down in the area. Everyone felt beads of sweat drip down the side of their forehead as they stared in awe at how powerful Ikkaku's spiritual pressure was, however in the next moment Kishin released his own reiatsu.

WHAAAAAAAM!

Instantly the pressure around the training field became so dense and heavy that everyone watching on the sidelines were forced down to their knees. Their backs all drenched in cold sweat as they began to struggle for air. Ikkaku widened his eyes in shock. A formless pressure began to weigh down on him as he stared at Kishin a few meters away. He felt a powerful bloodthirsty killing intent from him. One so powerful that he thought he was fighting against Captain Zaraki for a moment. His arms felt heavy. His shoulders felt like they had rocks on them. His feet felt like he was dragging them in mud. His expression instantly became serious, focused, excited, and nervous.

This kid...his reiatsu is heavy. He easily blew away the influence of my reiatsu with ease and filled the entire area with his presence. It's as if I'm a little sailboat made of paper voyaging on the storm waves of the ocean. I could get crushed at any moment from just his pressure alone.

Kishin smirked and noted the shocked and nervous expressions of all the members from the 11th division so he finally let up on his reiatsu causing the heavy pressure in the air to ease up again.

Hmpf. I think I made my point with my reiatsu. Still. To think that in only 3 years my control over my reiatsu has gotten this far. It's all thanks to Captain Unohana's training.

He snapped out of his thoughts as he turned his attention back to Ikkaku and said nonchalantly, "Oi, we doing this or what?"

Ikkaku gritted his teeth and shouted with excitement and nervousness, "Hell yeah we are!"

He didn't waste anymore time and dashed right in. Kishin completely focused his attention on Ikkaku's attacks and countered appropriately. He deflected, parried, and blocked multiple strikes to his head, neck, arm, chest, leg, waist, thigh, ankle, feet, shoulder, and back. He met Ikkaku strike for strike not giving him any ground.

Ting! Clank! Ting! Cling! Zing! Clang! Clink!

Just as Ikkaku chopped down at Kishin's head he raised his sword to block it, offsetting the force just enough to make it non-threatening before letting it slide down his blade in a smooth parry. This left Ikkaku vulnerable as he couldn't stop his current downwards swinging motion so Kishin kicked out and struck Ikkaku right in the face.

Bam!

The force of the kick sent Ikkaku flying through the air disorientally. Before he could stabilize himself Kishin arrived in the air above him and sliced downwards right at his chest. Ikkaku quickly placed his sword in front of him defensively, however the force of Kishin's strike had knocked Ikkaku right out of the air and into the ground.

Wham!

He crashed into the dirt hard creating a dust cloud to rise in the air. As he struggled to get back up he felt the cool sharp edge of Kishin's blade on his neck.

"So, about that promise." Kishin said nonchalantly.

Ikkaku felt a bead of sweat drip down his forehead as he responded with a nervous grin. "Yeah. I got it. None of the guys nor I will mention you to the Captain."

After Kishin confirmed Ikkaku's verbal verification he removed his blade from Ikkaku's neck and sheathed it back in the hilt. Ikkaku slowly got up and stared at Kishin for a moment in wonderment. The height difference between the two was quite noticeable. Kishin currently only stood at 131cm tall whilst Ikkaku stood at 179cm tall. He couldn't quite fathom how the little kid before him brought out so much power, however in the end he grinned happily and extended his hand amiably.

"Hahaha! Damn! I lost! You got some crazy skills and power kid! I like you! Call me Ikkaku. You're my friend from now on."

Kishin stared a bit dumbfoundedly at Ikkaku for a moment.

Huh...well, I guess he isn't a terrible guy. The way he said it, I feel like this is how kindergartners make friends. Accepting his friendship shouldn't be a problem. What's the worst that can happen.

Kishin extended his own hand out to him as they shook hands. "Alright. Ikkaku. Then you can call me Kishin."

Ikkaku nodded happily. "Alright! Now that we're friends I found another sparring partner!"

Immediately Kishin felt like a bucket of cold water was dumped on him.

I suppose this isn't the worst thing that can happen. He could have decided to tell Kenpachi about me and I'd be chased around all day by that maniac. Tch. The question is how often is he gonna try to come bother me to fight…

Kishin watched as the 11th division members left obediently behind Ikkaku. It was then he felt Isane hit him on the head.

"Ow."

Isane glared at Kishin as she scolded, "Don't do that again."

Kishin could only rub his head awkwardly replying, "Don't do what again?"

"Release your reiatsu like that. Even if you were trying to intimidate the 11th division members with your spiritual pressure you were affecting the other 4th division members as well. They were having a hard time breathing because of you."

Kishin finally took notice of the 4th division members in the area who were still heaving and panting pretty heavily and once more awkwardly rubbed the back of his neck.

"Ah...sorry."

Isane let out a sigh before shaking her head and returned to attend to patients in the medical ward. In the dark recesses of a building nearby the training ground stood Unohana as she had observed the entire ordeal take place. She watched as Kishin slowly walked off following Isane back to the medical ward before she stepped out from the shadows.

"He's improved. If his reiatsu control was about 25-30% of his total reiryoku before, then right now he's reached perhaps 37% of that capacity. Just that little increase in control was enough for him to put a heavy pressure on even Ikkaku. The 3rd seat of the 11th division who's strength and power should be on equal footing with the Lieutenant class. Not only that but his pressure was heavy enough to cause everyone to have trouble breathing and moving. Even Isane was having some trouble. He's nearing closer and closer to the Captain class level and he's yet to reach even 80 years old. Chigetsu-kun. Just how far will you be able to go? It's a shame that you'll only be in the 4th division for another two years before you leave. Still, the training that he's done here will go a long way in the future."

Kishin had no idea of Unohana secretly watching him as he simply continued on with his day. He finished his rounds in the medical ward before heading out to the library where he bumped into someone he hadn't seen for awhile.

"Toshiro? I didn't know you read?"

Toshiro was also surprised to see Kishin as they hadn't seen each other in the past 3 years.

"Kishin!"

Kishin smirked and replied, "That's me."

Toshiro realized that he was being made fun of again so he grumbled in annoyance, "Tch. It's you. And of course I read! I won't fall for your provocations this time."

"Haha, I know. What's with you? I can't ever tell if you're happy to see me or if you wish you didn't see me."

"Both."

Kishin shook his head. "You just make it too easy to poke fun at. Come on. Lighten up a little. You don't have to be so serious in front of me. We're friends aren't we?"

Toshiro let out a sigh as he unknowingly started following Kishin around the library. "Kishin, I heard you transferred to the 4ht division. Why?"

As Kishin stopped in front of a bookshelf and started browsing he replied nonchalantly, "I wanted to learn how to control my reiatsu better."

Toshiro raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Control it better? How does joining the 4th division help?"

"Well, Captain Unohana runs the 4th division. She's a master at Kido and Kaido. Both forms of techniques that require extreme precision in controlling one's reiatsu and tapping into one's own reiryoku. At best I can maybe tap into 35-37% of my reiatsu. I suppose you can think of it like this. My body is a dam. In that dam holds a vast amount of water. That water is my reiryoku. When I want to use my reiryoku to wield Kido I end up having to use more reiryoku than is necessary for the spell so it's a waste of my energy. For instance, let's say that to cast Hado #33 it would usually take one cup of water from the dam inside of me, but because my control isn't yet perfect it takes 3-5 cups of water. What a waste right?"

"And what about reiatsu? Well reiatsu is the ability to control your reiryoku and exert that as physical pressure. In essence imagine throwing a stone in a lake and it causes a ripple. Sure it ripples but the vast majority of the lake remains untouched and unshaken. If you want to truly shake things up then you need to drop something like a boulder, a mountain, an asteroid into the large lake. Am I exaggerating a little? Sure, but you get my point. A small pebble creates a small ripple. That's like your reiatsu's pressure on the outside, however if it isn't a big ripple it barely does anything. But drop a boulder in the lake? Large ripple. That can be felt much much more and so as it manifests as reiatsu you can exert more pressure. You can keep going with this analogy and drop something bigger than a boulder and continue on and on and on until the amount of reiatsu you exert is the full capacity of all your reiryoku. But what happens to the dam after all that water bursts and shakes, it could break. That's my body. I'm still too young for my body to handle all that pressure. Very likely my pressure would end up crushing myself. That's why I'm learning to increase my precision and control over reiatsu. Instead of using 3-5 cups of energy every time I exert myself I can try to narrow that down to 1 cup. The bare minimum and save myself a lot of energy. As my precision and control over using reiryoku gets better, the stronger my body becomes since I can start to alleviate the burden it places on my body. If that happens then the stronger my body is, the more powerful the reiatsu I exert will become, as I am less prone to crushing myself under my own power."

Toshiro widened his eyes in shock and revelation as he never thought of it like this. He stared at Kishin carefully and took note that the reiatsu leaking off of Kishin didn't seem as messy as it was before. It was starting to remain more and more contained closer and closer to the center of his body. Kishin took note of Toshiro's silence so he asked, "How about you? You know you can transfer to the 4th division as well and study under Unohana? Of course after I told you this you could also just try to dedicate your time into practicing more Kido. Honestly learning Kaido is pretty hard."

Toshiro turned to the bookshelf and pretended to look at some books as he replied, "I...I like the 10th division so I don't know if I want to transfer, but...but what about you Kishin?"

Kishin pointed to himself confusedly. "What about me?"

"Could you...teach me a bit about reiryoku and reiatsu control?"

Kishin was a bit startled at Toshiro's request as he seriously gave it some thought. "You want me to teach you?"

Toshiro nodded awkwardly. "Well...I mean if you have the time. I don't want to force you or anything. I know you're always really busy. But if you keep training the way you do then you'll…"

"I'll what?"

Toshiro clenched his fist a bit frustrated. "You'll end up leaving me behind."

Kishin was inwardly surprised as he wasn't expecting that kind of answer from Toshiro. He thought about it for a moment before he let out a laugh. "Ha! Hahahaha!"

"O-Oi! W-Why are you laughing! I was being serious!"

Kishin wiped a tear from his eyes. "Ah, sorry sorry. I didn't mean to laugh at your resolve or anything. It's just that I never thought I'd hear something like that from you. I mean, after all right now between the two of us you can already use the power of your Shikai. I can't."

Toshiro felt a bit better after hearing what Kishin said. "T-That may be true but I'm sure it's only a matter of time before you can unleash the power of your Zanpakuto. To be honest...I think of you as my rival. But...I probably can't be a good rival for you. I beat you in only one area and that's the fact that I can utilize my Shikai. Aside from our skill in Hoho which is relatively equal I rank below you in all the other Shinigami combat forms. My Zanjutsu isn't as good as yours. My Hakuda can only be said to be at half of your skill level. And while our Kido used to be around the same level, I'm sure after you spent time learning under Captain Unohana you've surpassed me in that skill too. You even know Kaido now and you're continuing to work to improve your reiatsu control. Honestly I feel...inadequate."

Kishin closed his eyes for a moment taking in everything Toshiro said before he smiled and picked some books off of the shelf. He then threw them into Toshiro's arms startling him.

"Here. Take these books. Out of all the books Captain Unohana made me read I found these to be the most helpful for understanding how to increase my ability to control my reiatsu. You have 6 months to read all of them. I'll check up on your progress then. After that I'll help you put those theories into practice. Since I'm currently in the 4th division it should be relatively easy for you to come visit. Starting tomorrow every single day you should come pay me a visit. We'll spar for 2 hours everyday in Zanjutsu and Hakuda. That's about the best I can do."

Toshiro widened his eyes a bit surprised, a bit happy, and a bit frustrated. He grit his teeth and said with seriousness, "Kishin. Thank you. I won't let you down. You're my friend and rival. I'll work hard so I won't just be a burden that you're carrying along."

Kishin grabbed a book and smacked Toshiro on the head.

"OW!"

It was then the people in the library turned and shushed them causing Toshiro to blush in embarrassment. Kishin smirked amusedly as this scene of events was like deja vu except instead of it being Rukia this time, it was Toshiro.

"Why'd you hit me for?" He whispered loudly.

Kishin shrugged his shoulders and put the book in his hands back on the shelf. "You're my friend. When did I say that me taking some time to help you out was a burden for me? You should have a little more confidence don't you think? Genius."

Toshiro grumbled inaudibly, "You're good at using people's words against them."

Kishin raised his eyebrow inquisitively. "What'd you say? I can't hear you if you mumble."

Toshiro smirked. "Nothing. I said nothing."

Kishin grinned. "Mn. Then I look forward to seeing your progress. Toshiro-student-chan."

A vein popped on Toshiro's forehead knowing Kishin was back to his antics again.

Calm down. It's just Kishin being Kishin. He's just trying to rile me up.

Kishin smirked in amusement as he confirmed that his teasing statement was successful at causing the gloomy and serious atmosphere around Toshiro to disappear.

"Oh, Toshiro. You forgot. Other than beating you in Zanjutsu, Hakuda, and Kido there's actually one more area I have you beat in."

Toshiro raised his brow curiously. "Eh? What do you mean?"

Kishin grinned and said, "Height."

Another thick vein popped on Toshiro's head as he balled his fist in anger. "Ki-Sh-In!"

Kishin let out an loud laugh and disappeared with Shunpo as he said, "Don't forget to check out those books before you leave."

With that he left a completely defeated, annoyed, frustrated, and thankful Toshiro behind.