BANKAI TRAINING: Hitomi Akiyama

[Akiyamasan]

Arriving at the place her Captain directed her to, Hitomi notices that she's far out past Rukongai. It is still dark outside, the rain has died down a little bit, and Hitomi can feel a gentle breeze. The area is an empty field, with several trees, and lots of holes from previous training attempts. This place was a fascinating area, Hitomi could feel the power and struggle that this place has seen.

All the power here...This feels.... right. Okay! I'll do this... I have to succeed..

Hitomi pulls her Zanpakuto out of it's sheath and holds the blade so that one hand is holding the handle, and the end of the blade is resting in her other hand. She then begins to concentrate heavily on her Zanpakuto. A fairly inaudiable voice starts to ring in her mind, as a slight breeze begins to form.

Masamune..... lend me your power... lend me your knowledge.... allow us to strengthen our relationship... and bring forth true strength!

The breeze picks up, and the voice begins to pick up in volume. Hitomi opens her eyes, and then stabs the blade into the ground. She takes a step back from the blade, and then puts both hands together as if she were praying. The voice finally is loud and clear enough to understand. Masamune has heard Hitomi's prayers. From the blade which is stuck in the ground, a woman starts to materialize. She has long dark-brown hair, and is wearing a traditional kendo uniform. She gracefully steps out of the blade and in front of Hitomi, and then begins to address her.

I have seen your desires.... I have seen your hopes, your dreams, your gripes, your annoyances, your fears..... Before I grant you power... you must overcome these things and prove your worth to me... Take up my blade, and we will begin.. know that you will not have access to any of the abilities I grant you during this trial... it will be overcome by your strength alone..

Hitomi nods, and suddenly, the blade lifts up out of the ground, and gently floats towards Hitomi, stopping in front of her. With a look of determination on her face, Hitomi grasps the blade by the hilt, and takes up her fighting stance.

I am not powerless without you, I will not buckle under the burdens of my dreams.... I will not bend to the pestulance of my annoyances... And I will break the chains that symbolize my fears! My determination cannot be stopped!


Time limit begin!

[Akiyamasan]

Masamune outstretches her hand, and in it, the shikai form of Hitomi's sword appears. She steps toward Hitomi in a graceful manner, not even opening her eyes to address her master. Hitomi looks on with determination, awaiting the trial that Masamune has on hand.

What is your desire...?

Hitomi finds this a strange question for Masamune to ask of her. But without a single moment of hesitation, she gives her answer.

I.. desire the strength to protect those that cannot protect themselves.

Masamune stands still for a moment, thinking about what Hitomi had said.

Why...?

Hitomi full-well knows the answer to this. Her past life in rukongai was harsh and filled with sadness and danger. She full well knew the crisis that the poor face everyday of their lives, and when she had reached the brink, and her life was in jeopardy, a soul reaper saved her life. Hitomi had no desire at all to waste the life that that man saved, and she had since then resolved within herself to always protect those that need it. She opens her mouth to answer the question, but Masamune smiles, and then cuts her off.

You need not answer. I have seen it in your eyes.. your past has shaped you in a way that it affects your current desires.. You will not forget your roots, nor will you ever forget that desire...now... face the apparitions of your past...

Masamune waves the sword in her hand, causing a tornado that kicks up a large amount of dust, obscuring Hitomi's vision completely. When the dust settles, a lone figure stands in the middle, it is not Masamune, but rather a man... a man that Hitomi recognizes as the shinigami who had once saved her. She peers into his eyes, to see a warm light, a light that brings her comfort, but she knows this is merely a ghost. That man had long since departed from the Soul Society, and last she heard, he had been killed by a high ranking Espada while covering his squad's retreat by himself. Hitomi tightens her grip on her blade, and prepares to meet this man in battle. Knowing full well what this has led to.

To gain the power to protect... I must overcome that which protects me... my memories of this man have shaped my desires, I must find strength within myself, rather than my memories if I am to prove myself worthy of being Masamune's master... Come forth spectre of my past, I shall defeat you and continue this trial.

This man was a strange lad... even for a soul reaper he was a bit of an anomaly. He had orange hair, and a large zanpakuto. Almost as big as the man himself. In one hand, he hefts the blade off his shoulder, and charges at Hitomi. Soundlessly. In response, Hitomi changes stance, almost alike a rapier duelist. When the man comes within her attacking range, she makes a stab to his torso. The man easily sidesteps this stab, and strafes around to Hitomi's flank, where he makes a harsh downward slash, trying to cut Hitomi in two. Knowing what was about to happen, Hitomi steps forward, and then to the right, and gracefully slashes her blade during her step. The man in response, steps to his right to get out of the range of Hitomi's cut, and hoists his blade back onto his shoulder.

You've gotten stronger since I last saw you Hitomi, let's make this a good fight!

You too....sir... do not let up for a second.

That kind of nonchalant attitude is exactly what Hitomi was looking for. Not wanting to waste an opportunity where her opponent isn't completely on his guard, Hitomi quickly rushes forward and stabs him through the shoulder. This blow connects, and the man rears back in pain. A twisted smile comes over his face as he screams.... almost as if in pleasure.

AIIIEEEHEEEHEEE THIS IS GOOD! REALLY GOOD! COME! FIGHT ME HITOMI! FIGHT ME!

The man's once almost heroic look, deforms, and he looks scary, the warmth in his eyes disappears, to reveal nothing more than a manic blood thirst. He begins unwrapping the tape around his large zanpakuto, and then starts swinging the thing by the tape. Hitomi is perplexed by what he's going to try to do, like this, but keeps up her guard either way. She shifts from the rapier-fighting stance into a more traditional zanjutsu stance, both hands on the handle, one leg back, arms above the waist. The man throws the sword at Hitomi, via the tape around the blade, which Hitomi casually sidesteps to avoid. He pulls back the string to retrieve his blade, and throws it again. Hitomi of course, realizes that he had done this in order to gain a reach advantage over her. She dodges another attack made by him, and begins to advance forward in order to cut him. His attacks begin to get more rapid as Hitomi gets closer, but she manages to maintain her ability to dodge these attacks as they come. When she finally gets close enough to cut him, she delivers a fierce downward slash, slicing him from the right shoulder down to his gut. Blackened blood gushes out of his wounds, and he falls to his knees and disappears. Hitomi hears a voice behind her.

You have overcome your desires... now.. what are your dreams?


Total words thus far: 1322

[Akiyamasan]

Hitomi turns around to face the voice, the owner she recognized as Masamune, she thinks for a bit, wondering what she could possibly say was a dream of hers. A thought forms in her head, and she proceeds to give Masamune her answer.

My dream is to see the hearts of the people, filled with joy.

An admirable answer... now then... what are the people to you?

This question was something that struck Hitomi as strange again. Why would her zanpakuto ask her a question that is essentially one of the core aspects of Hitomi's entire being? Hitomi smiles gently at Masamune, and answers the question.

To me, the people are the past, the present, and the future. They symbolize everything that we, our forefathers, and one day our children, have served and protected with our very lives. The people are the reason we continue this thankless vigil, the people are the driving motivation that led our fathers to take up the sword. And foremost, as a person who is very in tune with what the people think and feel, I can say that the people are my lifeline.

Masamune, with her eyes still shut, smiles to this answer. Hitomi notices how beautiful Masamune really is when she smiles, and begins to wonder how the bankai will look, if she succeeds in this trial. Knowing that if her determination ever wavers during this test, Hitomi quickly perishes the thought, and awaits Masamune's response.

A wonderful answer indeed...I am glad that I was granted such a master as you.. Now... what... is your greatest fear?

Hitomi places one hand behind her head and smiles when asked this question. In a playful manner, she gives Masamune the answer.

It's embarrassing really, but the answer to that...is that I am afraid of powerlessness. I have trained all this time, overcome many dangers, made many friends, and have become this strong for the purpose of overcoming my prior powerlessness, and becoming strong enough to make a difference.

To that, Masamune smiles once more. She waves her hand, and before Hitomi, appears a book. The book opens in front of Hitomi, and Hitomi is sucked into the pages. The book closes, and falls onto the ground. Within the pages of the book, Hitomi finds herself on a dark beach all by herself. She notices that her shinigami uniform is gone, and instead she is wearing what seems to be the uniform of a schoolgirl. With blade in hand, Hitomi wanders the beach, looking for signs of life.

It seems..I am in a land of uncertainties... The trial awaits, I must escape this place and return to my own realm if I wish to complete my trial. I will not fail... not when the captain has such high hopes in me..

As she continues walking, Hitomi comes across a cottage on the shore. From the window, Hitomi can see that there is a light on inside the cottage. Her curiosity piqued, and with nothing else in sight on the beach. Hitomi steps inside the cottage, the door closes itself behind her. Suddenly, the blade in her hand disappears, and the light in the cottage is extinguished, making the inside of the cottage completely pitch black.

....Okay, I suppose I can admit to myself that this is scary. I can't let a little darkness and the loss of my sword deter me though.. that simply won't do!

Hitomi places her hand on the wall beside her, and begins to feel her way around the cottage. Eventually, she comes across what she feels is a downward stairway, and is suddenly filled with a desire to go down into it. Knowing a bit better than that, Hitomi instead travels down a bit more, and comes across what is perhaps a den. Suddenly, she hears a voice.

WHO DARES ENTER MY HOME WITHOUT PERMISSION? IDENTIFY YOURSELF WOMAN, BEFORE YOU MEET BULLETS!

This man's sudden voice startles her slightly, she feels as though this voice is familiar, but cannot quite put her finger on it. Realizing that it is probably a good idea to identify herself, she turns in the direction she heard the voice from, and identifies herself.

Oh, my apologies good sir... I simply came into the cottage because it was cold outside, and this was the only place I could see for miles.... I am... Hitomi Akiyama. Wh-who are you?

She could hear a clicking noise, and also the sound of scratching. She deduces that the man has scratched his beard, and clicked some kind of firearm, that is likely pointed straight at Hitomi.

The hell kinda answer is that? I own this place, this is my house, my beach, my dang ISLAND! How the heck did you get here, and what the hell are you looking for?

The hostility in this man's voice is starting to put Hitomi on her toes, knowing she doesn't have her zanpakuto available, Hitomi feels as though she should not irritate this man. She responds to him in a subdued manner.

I really meant no harm sir... I just... appeared here...

Hitomi hears a gunshot, and suddenly a large amount of pain fills all her senses. She had been shot in the chest. She crumples to her knees, one hand on her chest, the other on the floor, and looks up toward the man who had just shot her. The light comes on, and she can now see the features of his face. The pain comes in waves, and Hitomi can feel herself losing a large amount of blood. She knows that if she makes any sudden moves, this man is going to shoot her once more, so despite her body's pain, she slowly stands up again, not removing her hand from where the gunshot hit her.

I...that hurts... so much...so much... blood...pain..

Hitomi now feels herself being stabbed through the gut with a long knife. The pain causes her to once again fall to her knees. This time, she cannot summon the strength to stand once more. Realizing her powerlessness, Hitomi can do nothing more than stare at this man once more.

Not so high and mighty now, are ya wench? Coming into a man's home thinking you can just own the place? "It's cold~!"my ass. Just sit there and die, stupid harlot!

Hitomi can feel herself getting cold, her sight starts to blur, and she begins to feel herself sinking into darkness.

(I can feel myself... dying...? is this..? this is...I...I..)

Hitomi has a sudden thirst for life, she does not wish to die, and will not allow this man to simply murder her for simply seeking shelter from the cold. She makes a stand once more, despite the pain and loss of blood. Her blade appears in her hand again, and with all her strength, she slices the firearm in the man's hands in two, and then points her blade at his neck.

Your retribution is disproportionate to the crime committed. To commit murder simply because someone had come onto your property, seeking aid is simply inexcusable. You, are not God. And as such, you do not possess the right to judge another.

Suddenly, this world disappears around her, and Hitomi finds herself laying down on someone's lap. She opens her eyes, and sees Masamune's face looking down at her. Slowly, she sits up, and gazes about the area. She is back at the training ground, sword in hand, and with her shinigami uniform still on. She turns to Masamune, who stands up and smiles at her.

Powerless, and on the verge of death, you had made your stand, not for anyone else, but you had deemed yourself worthy of saving. And by your actions, you had saved your own life. Now.... I will personally test your mettle, to witness your power first-hand. Hitomi Akiyama, Master... do not disappoint me.


Current Word Count: 2633

[Akiyamasan]

Masamune waves her hand, and Hitomi finds her surroundings vanishing. She keeps her stance and watches Masamune intently anyways, in order to make sure Masamune doesn't attack her while she's off-guard. When the surroundings vanish completely, Hitomi finds herself..... in the sky. She is standing atop a cloud, while Masamune is standing close by on another.

Our battle takes place in my realm.... This beautiful cloudy sky is what is in your heart. It reacts to how you feel, Hitomi. Right now, your determination makes this place clear, the clouds a pure and fluffy white. When you are depressed, the place darkens, and so too do the clouds.

This of course, is knowledge that Hitomi was aware of, as she had been here before, such as when she first activated her shikai. Back then however, the place was dark and stormy, as it was a somewhat trying time in her life. Putting those memories aside, Hitomi doesn't skip a beat, and moves forward to attack Masamune. By leaping off her current cloud as quickly as she did, she thought she would be able to catch Masamune by surprise. This didn't work, as when Hitomi attempted to slash, Masamune quickly blocked the attack and stepped backward.

Whew, good thing you blocked that one. I was getting scared that this would end up being too easy.

Masamune smiles at this comment, and for the first time in Hitomi's memory, she opens her eyes.

I should have known you would go on the offensive. If this is the case, I can no longer afford to hold back against you, master.

Holding back huh? I haven't begun to fight yet either, partner.

The wind picks up at Masamune's feet, and she seems to be gliding as she gracefully spins to attack Hitomi with a horizontal slash of her blade. Hitomi parries the blow, and moves to run Masamune thorugh with her blade, but Masamune is able to regain balance in time, and delivers a side kick into Hitomi's stomach. The force of the blow causes Hitomi to fly backwards several meters, while Masamune glides after her. Once Hitomi manages to break the momentum and regain her footing, she charges once more toward Masamune, attempting to get in a good attack. Masamune effortlessly glides to the side, and buffets Hitomi with a tornado that sends her flying.

Ugh, when they said you were the Goddess of the Wind, they weren't kidding... I'm having difficulty landing a single blow!

Masamune continues to give a gentle smile, knowing that had she kept her eyes closed, Hitomi's blows would have hit her. She glides toward Hitomi again, and slashes the blade in the air, which emits a shockwave that speeds toward Hitomi. Hitomi leaps into the air to avoid the shockwave, lands back on the ground and charges toward Masamune once more. Masamune responds in turn by gliding over toward Hitomi to meet her blade. When the two clash, Hitomi struggles in an attempt to overpower Masamune, whereas Masamune maintains her serenity, and simply applies pressure onto Hitomi. After five seconds of bladelocking, Hitomi notices her blade beginning to crack, and leaps backward to break the lock.

That.. didn't just happen, did it? No, it did. Hoho... this isn't a good turn of events for me at all.

Hitomi's hand glows green, and she runs it across the edge of her blade, repairing the cracks. Masamune looks on during the process, pleased that Hitomi remembered that Shinigami could repair their blades by putting out more spiritual pressure. When Hitomi finishes, she charges once more at Masamune with a fierce horizontal slash.

Current Word Count: 3236 Word Count Requirement: EXCEEDED. (Though I could technically stop at this point, I am not yet done.)

[Akiyamasan]

Hitomi's slash meets only air, as Masamune glides backward to avoid it. With a short flick of her wrist, Masamune causes a tornado to rise up from below Hitomi, which sends her flying into the air. Hitomi relaxes, and turns her body around so that her head faces downward, she straightens out her body, and places her sword in front of her, preparing to fall down and strike Masamune with the momentum of the fall. When Hitomi does begin to fall, a tornado appears above her, which catches her off guard, and sends her flying right back down to the clouds.

Not.. the most graceful of landings, but I guess I'll let this slide.

Masamune maintains her serene smile, as she glides forward once more, to meet Hitomi's blade. Not about to disappoint, Hitomi raises from the cloud, and holds her ground in preparation for Masamune's blade. Masamune slashes vertically at Hitomi, to which she sidesteps to avoid, Hitomi then slashes horizontally at Masamune, which she glides backward to avoid. Then the two slash at each other at the same time, resulting in another blade-lock. Masamune seems to struggle this time, as Hitomi begins to pour spiritual pressure into her attack. Eventually Masamune is indeed overpowered by Hitomi's earnest strike, and is forced to retreat backward in order to avoid being counter-attacked.

Your determination is... outstanding..

Hitomi makes an easy-going smile, and steels herself for yet another attack. Masamune can see the green spiritual pressure raising all over Hitomi's body, and in turn also exerts her own pressure. The two race toward one another, and begin slashing furiously at one another. Slash and block, slash and block, neither combatant can seem to land a blow on the other as they stand there exchanging blows. In between one of the exchanges, Masamune manages to summon a tornado in order to push Hitomi back once more. Hitomi in turn responds by doing a corkscrew leap back, and re-engages Masamune in the exchange. Both their spiritual pressures seem to raise with every exchange, and very soon, their blows against one another start to damage the cloudy landscape until eventually, the cloud they stand upon bursts, and both are sent plummeting towards the ground.

Your power...
Hah... this is... nothing... -wheeze-

The two continue to exchange blows as they plummet toward the ground, faster and faster they slice at each other until they finally reach the ground. A sudden powerful gust of wind prevents them from becoming floor paste, and they continue their fight back down on the field. The force of their blows at this point leaving a sizable crater where they're standing, that increases in diameter with every blow.

I had no idea that you... were capable of this much... I am ashamed to think that I knew your true strength..

Don't stop your concentration now, Masamune! We're not done here yet! Hyaaaah!

Hitomi delivers a fierce two-handed strike that Masamune moves to block. Upon doing so, Masamune's blade shatters, and Hitomi's blade strikes true. Masamune is sent reeling backward, and then to her knees. Hitomi, knowing that this battle is essentially over, sheathes her blade, and then sits down next to Masamune.

Well, is that good enough for ya, Masamune?

Masamune simply smiles, and puts her hand on Hitomi's.

Allow me...a moment..please..

Bankai thread complete

Sending PM to staff member for grading.

[Jachimaru]