See No Evil [JTT]

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

OOC: This is a joint training thread featurng Senshi odayakama and Alexander Kuma-Hebi. Alexander has the first post.

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Alexander sat on a rock. In a middle of a wilderness. In deep woods north of Rukongai, on a nice clearing. It was rather nice here, with sun shining down on him, and bright skies above and fresh air and nature around. And Alexander, well, he looked as million dollars. Indigo suit, black shoes, white shirt and matching indigo tie made him look extraordinary well. His trademark sunglasses were on his face, and his two Zanpakuto sheathed at his side, while his half-trenchcoat-half-haori was under him, as he was sitting on it rather than directly on rock. He looked good, and he looked perfect even. But that didn't change the fact that he was sitting on a rock. In a middle of wilderness. Essentially nowhere. But, Alexander had a clear purpose to be here. He was here because he cared. He cared about other Shinigami, and about all of Soul Society. Alexander wanted to see them flourish, prosper. So, where he could, he aided progress. From time to time, he would take it upon himself to train promising Shinigami, to speed up their growth and to give them more experience, experience that they could one day use and that could save their lives in a critical situation. Alexander was experienced combatant, so, it was not a big deal for him to pass on what he knew to junior Shinigami. In fact, he considered that to be his duty. A duty he took seriously. Very seriously.

And on today's menu? One particular Shinigami. Senshi Odayakama. Rising star in Gotei 13, she had a reputation as a decent fighter who was progressing quite good. She was decent, but Alexander knew that she definitively had the potential to be far better. He would help her on that way. Alexander studied her dossier, and according to it, she was predominantly a Kido fighter. However, while Kido was indeed powerful, good physical combat was part of fundamentals, and could not be foregone. Therefore, Alexander had initial idea to help Senshi on that field It would be good, if he could help her progress. Additionally, getting to know Senshi better through this training would only be beneficial, as it would ease potential cooperation in the future, in real conditions of a battlefield. Having somebody competent watching your back was always a good thing. And it wasn't that she was not competent. But she could be made more competent. She could progress further, and there may well be no border to her growth in the end. Maybe, Alexander thought, she could one day become strong enough to become a Captain. But, that day was in a very, very distant future. For now, Senshi had yet to appear here. Alexander just sat back and enjoyed the sun's warmth while he waited...

[OOC: Short one, but lets get it goin!]

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Odayakama Senshi had been walking through the wilderness after a brief training session. It was a bright day and not a cloud in the sky to be seen. The redheaded reaper had been dealing with the ever rising threat of Hollow in the area as lately their numbers have been rising. How horrible it was that the Soul Society was attacked not once, but twice and right after the other. Her cerulean blue eyes scanned the horizon before looking down to her feet. She was unaware that a captain would be meeting her personally, but she did know that there was a summons to come to a particular clearing. The young Shinigami of course did not deny it seeing it was an official summons. Walking step by step through the grass, the woman inched her way to the clearing past the dense trees.

There, she saw a man sitting there sitting in a suit and professional business attire. Immediately she recognized the figure based off of descriptions. “Konichiwa Kuma-Taicho. I had been summoned here by you I presume?” The young woman was intelligent and knew quite a bit of facts in the area. She had been filling her mind with knowledge after the failure of Kuroi, and even more so after the attack by the Vandenreich Quincy. The young redhead analyzed his way of dressing compared to her own. She wore a Shinigami standard uniform with nothing quite special about it other than the fact it was nearly two sizes too large for her frame. She simply tied it to her body with white bandages. She observed him closely before stepping forward and bowing politely.

“May I ask why I was summoned here?” She seemed rather polite although she wore no expression on her face. She seemed a bit nervous perhaps but no facial signal would register that as so. She was currently one of the Unseated Officers of Squad 9 and this would be the second ever captain she has met in person. The first was when she had been delivering mail to captain July Kasumi’Oji of Squad 8 and she identified the man in front of her as the captain of Squad 3. Odayakama Senshi remained quiet and waited for an answer. She was not daring to look into the man’s eyes as she was shy and ashamed.

Perhaps he may have heard a bit of Senshi’s attempt of assault to Yetsuna Yshmir after an argument gone wrong. She had been imprisoned for a short amount of time before her release, but it would surely be on her record for as long as she lived. He may also have heard a bit about her release Shonin Joka and it’s odd powers with its impracticalities. The redhead had rubbed her left arm slowly before daring to look at the man’s face before looking right down again. She wondered what he wanted her for, nothing good most likely. After all, she was a nobody who hadn’t done anything large to get her name out there. She sparred a lot of seated officers, but that was generally around it.

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

Alexander looked at Senshi as she arrived, and what he saw was the perfect confirmation of dossier. The red-haired girl looked frail, and her oversized uniform just made it more obvious. She approached his rock, and Alexander used that opportunity to take a closer look at her, with simple purpose of combat analysis. Even a way somebody walks can give a lot of information to one as skilled and as experienced as Alexander, and Alexander could within her steps see signs that she was trained in a martial art. Hakuda or something else, he couldn't possibly say, but it was evident to him. Light footsteps, with every feet perfectly touching the ground in ideal position unconsciously, while a person merely walks, that is the ultimate giveaway of somebody who has trained and imprinted the footwork of a martial art into their muscle memory. Other than that, Alexander gauged her as much as he could considering her oversized uniform. She was... weak. Purely in the sense of physical abilities. With so little muscle on her, it was obvious thing to Alexander. While he couldn't of course be sure, his estimate was that she would not exceed level of Human beings. She might be equal with their top specimens, true, but if she had more than that, she would also have more muscles on her, and not be looking like she just fled famine in Africa. "Konichiwa Kuma-Taicho. I had been summoned here by you I presume?" Alexander looked at her, smiling warmly. She offered a bow, and he responded with a deep and long nod of his head, serving as both return of her bow and answer to her question.

Senshi did have further questions, it seems, as she inquired further: "May I ask why I was summoned here?" Alexander smiled at her, offering a verbal answer this time. "All in good time." Saying that, he detached his two Zanpakuto from his belt and placed them next to himself on his trench coat with great care, and then he got up. However, Alexander did not remain to stand on that rock, but instead leapt off graciously, landing some meters away, his back turned to Senshi. He placed his hands in his pockets, and started to whistle a simple tune. It would be unknown to Senshi most likely, as she was too young to be around when sailors sang this song while sailing. But, he stopped after just a few moments, and he turned to face Senshi. "Senshi Odayakama. You really know not why you are here? I find that interesting." Pausing just for a bit, Alexander continued. "You are here because I called you here. That is all the reason you need to be here, a word of a Captain, correct? But, my reasons for having you here are very different than simply that." Alexander dropped that last word as if it was a stone hitting the ground, heavy. Yet, it was not cold. His tone was warm all the time, and despite his eyes being obscured by his shades, his face was seemingly warm, friendly. And indeed, there was no ill will, no evil intents. Senshi was here for lessons.

"I looked at your dossier. I must say, you have some fire in your belly. To go after Yetsuna, that requires either a lot of bravery, or a lot of power, and personally, I would advise both. But, it is all good. She became my Vice captain for a reason. It's a shame they locked you up for it. However, it is not only that, lets call it 'incident', that brought you here today. Your dossier was a pretty good read for a young officer such as yourself, and stories about you that I heard were good as well. Based on those two, you seemed like the right Shinigami." Alexander paused for just a bit, before he continued, his tone warm, his voice friendly. "You simply strike me as just the right Shinigami in terms of potential. And we need to see that it becomes realized, and not wasted. It became my habit lately. To tutor junior Shinigami I think would find a good use in what I could teach them. I would train you as well, for now that I see you, I am even more certain that you hold potential within." There, Alexander stopped. He offered Senshi to train her, and it was up to her to decide what she would do. Should she accept, he would address her further. "Well, for the beginning, let us start with a combined practice. Both warm-up, and opportunity for further evaluation so that I may better plan out rest of practice. So, if you are up for it", said Alexander, "come at me! Your goal is simple. Attack me with anything you have, in any way you want to. You goal? Either you or one of your attacks need to catch me. In meantime, I will plan for further practice." That was it. If Senshi wanted to be trained by Alexander, it would begin here and now. She had to catch him first, though...

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

Immediately upon falling under gaze of the captain did she know she was being analyzed. She felt though as if she was being judged for her record and her action in the past that had her rejected for some time. Thinking about the humiliation of losing to Yetsuna without even a single hit disgusted her. She wanted to just forget that ever happened...the burning intensity of anger she felt flowing through her. Frankly though, it was still very fresh in her mind and it was something that haunted her. Her skills were invested wrong and her power was...poor. Extremely poor she might mention as she had lost most battles she has had. One thing she learned was that Kuma-San’s Vice Captain was Yetsuna, but she wouldn’t be a sore loser about it. She would forget her past and respect the captain in front of her. Bowing down, she had asked about why exactly she had been summoned to the wilderness of the Rukon.

As she listened, she found that the only reason why she needed to know she was here was simply because she was called. Simple enough request, but she did find herself growing curious on exactly why she was called. Was she going to be reprimanded or perhaps punished further for her action against this man’s Vice Captain? Was she going to be receiving a training lesson from the man as she had with July Kasumi’Oji? It bothered her that she could not see into the man’s eyes as the eyes were the gateway to the soul. She couldn’t read the man or his intentions so long as they were hidden behind those shades. However it really didn’t matter to her at the moment seeing it seemed she had been called for training indeed. The finely dressed captain said that she had ambitions for going after his Vice Captain, and it seems that there was some confusion on that.

“Actually Kuma-Taicho, Fukutaicho Yetsuna had called me...not the other way around. If I may ask though...what have people been saying about me? I would assume that someone like myself wouldn’t stand out amongst the crowd. Your vice captain had wanted to face me simply because I possessed a Shikai. I don’t know what deeds people have been saying about me, but surely I’m being given too much merit. Frankly put, I don’t think I’m as good as people may have been telling you. I find myself rather...pathetic seeing I have lost every battle that I have faced except for one which ended in a draw. What is the potential that you see in me Kuma-Taicho? I find it surprising you find that I have such potential...hasn’t your Vice Captain told you?” She didn’t say anything else as it wasn’t her business to share such things. It wasn’t important right now as she was being offered a rare opportunity to train with a captain.

Kaen had told her about this man as he was one of the best sword duelists in all of Soul Society. She quickly spoke as to move past the issue. “Excuse my tongue. I would be honored to accept the chance to be trained by you. I do want to improve and spread my wings persay.” As the man had explained what the training was, she felt a sense of stress pressing down on her. She was to land any strikes she could on the captain and through any means she found possible. She assumed that he wouldn’t be using any strikes against her as his mission was most likely to dodge the strikes she launched. “I’ll try my best. I am assuming you will be attempting to gauge my strengths and my weaknesses. So, I suppose I’ll start off with my weakpoint.” Drawing her Katana, the young lady figured that if she were to attempt to hit the captain, her blade would simply clang and hurt Senshi herself just like Yetsuna. Perhaps the pain would be even worse than the last time. She learned from that mistake and she decided showing the superior officer her skill might be important.

“Extend above the Heavens and fly. Shonin Joka.” The long five foot blade had glown a red color as a small twister had formed around Senshi’s frame. As it dispersed, there she stood with a three foot long blade in the shape of a tanto. Not much had changed about it seemingly, but this was indeed her release. She then held the blade horizontally from her body, level to her chest. Her feet were adjusted in a triangular stance with her right foot extended to match the footing of Alexander’s. With his sharp mind, he would perhaps this foot stance was from the martial art, Aikido. Only one hand was holding the blade, and that was her left. In this time frame, Senshi was thinking of the most effective thing to do to face Alexander. She needed to really “wow” him if he really believed she had potential to become something greater. “Shrapnel” Swinging her blade outward, her blade had shred itself, launching sharp shards of blade at the man as a small swarm. This technique was meant to be a counter against step techniques and crowd controllers against large amounts of foes.

However, she wasn’t done here. As the shrapnel had been launched, Senshi had pointed her hand out, focusing her eyes on the target. Wordlessly without an incantation, Senshi launched a gigantic flaming ball known as a Shakkaho. With her mastery of the technique, she had made it move at a faster pace and made it take a fraction of the time to charge as compared to a novice. The Shrapnel was simply used to cause a distraction as she had no doubt in her mind that he could dodge all of these projectiles. The Shakkaho was to cause a wide area of damage to surely cause some sort of damage at least in her mind. However. She was aware that many of the opponents she fought had an insane speed. She focused on matching her attuned eyes to those speeds all the time as she had fought many individuals with blinding movements. There was no need to preserve Reiatsu against the captain seeing there was no chance she could land a hit if she was stingy. She had to barrage him faster than she could doge in all reality. If the man was anything like Kaen, he would be talking in the middle of their training session giving her helpful tips. She missed Kaen right now...

[Alexander Kuma-Hebi]

So, it was indeed as Alexander hoped it would. Senshi accepted to be trained by him at least. She accepted to be trained by him, and to also learn more though the initial practice. But Alexander was the one who would probably learn more in this exchange, as his assessments of combat situations were honed during his long career as a Shinigami, and even before that, as a mere Human, serving in the Navy, doing his duties on the cramped decks in the century long gone. Alexander looked carefully at Senshi while she released his Zanpakuto. It was a smart move, to immediately release where existed a clear gap between combatants off the gap. Not only it would off the bat reduce or entirely eliminate that gap, at least for time being, it also protected from cutback, which was something not to be overlooked in any way. As Senshi adjusted her footing, Alexander could see that it definitively came from a Human martial art and not Hakuda. That put Senshi in inferior position. Human martial arts were just that, Human. Designed with Human capacities and limitations in mind. They best worked for Humans and their level of physical prowess. Shinigami tended to often exceed those levels, some by lesser, some by greater margins. And while Human martial arts were still a formidable option for combat, they had to undergo certain adjustments to be most fully used at levels above that of Humans. Either by changing forms to adapt it to individual, or to mix it with Hakuda into a mixed style. And that is why Hakuda was inherently superior. It needed no adapting at all. It was created with Shinigami levels of physique in mind, and it was thus on its own a perfect choice for a Shinigami.

But it was Senshi who chose the martial art for herself, so Alexander could only reason why she picked up something Human and not Hakuda. Answer was simple. Her strength, or speed, or even both, were simply still on a level of ordinary Human. Thus she would struggle with Hakuda and have no use for it. His analysis though shifted more attention to her sword. Her form was not bad for someone like her, but it certainly could be better, as Alexander saw opening being left there, that was not something that Senshi should be doing in real combat, but as this was practice, Alexander gave her the benefit of the doubt, if she left openings in real combat situations, she would have been dead long time ago, and not being trained by him right now. As she yelled "Shrapnel!", Alexander only needed less than a second to observe it, seeing how this technique broke off chunks of blades and launched it at him. Alexander however wasted no time in dodging, but if he wished so, he could have given himself some lenience, due to how superior his own speed was. But, it would be a waste to utilize his full speed as it was tiring, so Alexander chose to go slower, at 400 speed. His choice of action was not a step to the side or wherever, but rather a jump, and with his strength, it was easy to achieve a decent altitude above Senshi's shrapnel with not much of an effort.

However, he could notice that while he was in air, Senshi shot a Shakkaho at him, without a word said, however Alexander recognized the technique with no trouble. It was fast, but still not fast enough for Alexander. Being mid-air was an issue though, but not the one he couldn't address with ease. He only needed less than a second to cast Advanced Air Ground beneath his feet, giving himself the firm footing of air ground for second. But he didn't need that second. He needed less than a second, a mere moment, to use Shunpo from that footing, and vanish from Senshi's sight. He restricted his own speed just as he did with the jump while still using Shunpo, so that he wouldn't start to tire himself out. This session would last quite a bit, and so Alexander intended to stay fresh all the way through, though it would be a very different story for Senshi. She would have to sweat, and sweat, and sweat more to pass the first portion of this, and then to continue to do so for each next one, because only way to true progress was through either blood or sweat, and it was highly preferable to go the later path than the former, as every learning curve was bound to have errors on the way, but not having the errors cost you your life was certainly beneficial, especially if you want to tutor somebody into being better, and not dying.

As Alexander vanished from Senshi's sight, it was merely a Shunpo. But a well placed and quite fast one, that led to him avoiding all dangers and appearing some ten meters behind Senshi, but facing her. As he touched the ground firmly with his feet, Alexander addressed her: "You think badly of yourself. What for? You faced masked man in the latest invasion, and you lived through. Let me tell you something. We know that the masked man was Arrancar, and his subordinates Mod Souls. To invade Soul Society like that? Only two Arrancars could pull it off like that, either the Primera Espada, or the former Segunda. I fought Kuroi once, and barely made out alive. And De-Mona is even stronger than that. So you think you lost all your battles and that makes you weak? Wrong. You were strong. Strong enough to survive each and every one of them. That is no mean feat. I know that there is more of that strength inside of you, and I shall draw it out. So, come and try again. Certainly you can do better."


[OOC: This is just a training, so I am not going to keep track of Reiatsu, and neither should you.]

[Senshi Odayakama (Crimson.)]

It was just as Senshi expected. The man was incredibly fast and easily dodged the shrapnel by simply leaping into the air. The shards of blade as a result either impaled the ground or the rock the man was previously sitting behind, which was of worthy mention seeing that rock was quite literally ripped to shreds. However, as the man decided to leap into the air did Senshi see the perfect opportunity to launch her Kido. Hado#31:Shakkaho.
Kido was one of her greatest strengths but yet was one rarely if ever utilized. Shonin Joka took far too much reiatsu and was nearly unusable otherwise in most cases. Senshi and her lack of strength was the reason why she fought so ineffectively. Speaking of which, she would have to talk with her Zanpakutou spirit about that sometime to see if they could make some changes about that. She was trying her best but there was only so much that Shonin Joka could do.

As the ball of red fire had been sent flying to the captain, he used the technique advanced air ground which Senshi remembered well. He then used the Shunpo to appear behind Senshi around ten meters. The ball of red fire had flew into the air farther and farther before exploding in a massive blast of red fire. The ambient temperature of the atmosphere rapidly heated and cooled for a moment as it looked as if a large firework just went off. She with her analytical eyes and his motions had been able to discern where he would step to. She also knew one other thing. This man was the fastest being she's ever seen. His speed surpassed even that of Captain July Kasumi’Oji and made his step seem pale in comparison. The redheaded Shinigami turned quickly to look at the man dressed in a fancy suit. He had something to say to her about her thoughts of being weak. She listened all the way through before she decided to answer.

“Why do I feel weak? For a lot of reasons...but one is because surviving a battle isn't good enough for me. Winning a battle is the next step and stage. I want to not just stand by unable to do anything as my comrades are slaughtered again. If I were strong, people wouldn't die in my presence. I wouldn't allow it.” Looking down at her blade, she used the Shunpo to approach the man and attempt to slash diagonally with her short sword. She assumed the man wasn't going to take it and so she subtly aimed her middle and index finger on her right hand outward towards the man's feet. “Bakudo#4:Hainawa.” A golden rope had been launched in a manner to bind his movement and if it had hit it’s mark, she had used her mastery of the technique to grab the rope. “Hado#8:Tzusuri Raiden!” This was one of the few Hado she used regularly.

A stream of electricity would flow from Senshi’s hand and down the rope in order to try and send electrical signals down Alexander Kuma. The feeling would be like a taser hitting the body thanks to Senshi having mastered the technique, she maximized the pain and paralysis aspect of the technique. She found that in order to find speedsters, she needed to make them more sluggish and or cripple them to lower their speed output. It wouldn’t hurt him much seeing when she used it on Kaen he was only locked up for a few short moments. As the rope send electrical signals through him at that moment, Senshi would attempt to launch an open palm to the man’s chin. She learned that punching would be a bad idea seeing she could break her hands on people as strong as Kaen or in this case Kuma.