2/3

Jiraiya did the same, a spark of excitement racing down his spine as he faced off with the Lieutenant. He hadn't counted on a one-on-one match with Squad Eight's second-in-command so soon after joining the division. Having to fight her while still nursing a hangover was going to be a pain, but all the same he was very much looking forward to seeing what tricks she had up her sleeve. Even if she wasn't going all out, it would still be an educational experience.

Lisa turned to Kyōraku. "Do you mind officiating, Captain?"

Her commanding officer shrugged. "I suppose it's the least I can do. You ready, Jiraiya?"

Jiraiya smiled. "As ready as I'll ever be."

He turned to his Lieutenant. "Lisa?"

"Yes," she answered.

She then gave Jiraiya a nod. "This might be anything goes, but I'll do you a favor and refrain from using my Shikai. How's that for a handicap?"

Jiraiya smirked. "I guess that's fine, although to be honest I wouldn't mind seeing it."

She actually smiled at that. "Some other time, perhaps."

Kyōraku raised his right hand. "All right, then. Three… two…one…"

He then brought his hand down in a chopping motion. "Begin!"

The smile on Lisa's face grew ever so slightly…

…and then she was on Jiraiya before he could so much as blink.

….

She might not have been able to rival the likes of the Flash Goddess, but Lisa was still confident in her speed and had no compunctions about unleashing it on Squad Eight's newly-minted Seventeenth Seat. Her Flash Step took her from her starting position to less than a meter in front of Jiraiya in a mere moment, and her blade was drawn a second later. Her Captain might've ordered her to draw out the fight, but if her new subordinate couldn't block this blow then he wasn't worthy of the position that he'd been given.

Fortunately, Jiraiya proved himself to be up to the challenge. Rather than meet her head-on, he initiated a Flash Step of his own and evaded to the right. Lisa was able to close the gap in short order, but the move gave the new officer the space he needed to draw his Zanpakutō and deflect her strike.

Not bad…

It was a promising start, but she wasn't about to ease up just because he'd managed to block her first attack. Keeping her blade locked with his, she balanced herself on her left leg while raising her right to launch a kick straight at his chin. Much to her surprise, Jiraiya didn't fall back, but instead shifted to holding his sword in just his right hand while raising his left arm to block her kick. He then flashed her a smile, and she knew why; with both his legs still firmly planted on the ground, he had a much more solid position than she did.

Of course, she wasn't about to give him the chance to take advantage of it. Smoothly disengaging, she leapt backwards to allow herself an opportunity to regroup. Jiraiya thrust his blade forward, but she parried with fluid grace before going right back on the offensive. A series of rapid-fire thrusts was her counterattack, but Jiraiya stood his ground, blocking and redirecting each one without backing down.

He has solid frontal defenses, she mused, but let's see how he fares against a more acrobatic offensive…

Rolling to the right, she feinted with a stab towards his abdomen before suddenly leaping into the air. Performing a front flip as she passed over him, she lashed out with her sword in an attempt to cut his shoulder. At the last possible moment, he ducked, and as she came down on her feet Lisa was well aware of Jiraiya already whirling around to strike back. Her blade was up in a guard position before her feet even hit the ground, just in time to parry a powerful overhand blow.

His physical strength was impressive to say the least; in Lisa's trained eyes, it was easily several notches above what was expected from an officer of Jiraiya's rank. What made it even more formidable was that it wasn't the wild strength of a brute, but the controlled force of a trained warrior. It was honed and refined to the point that even though he was fresh out of the Academy he was already engaging her like a seasoned fighter.

His skills from his past life are no doubt a considerable factor here, she thought, I'm sure he'll be a real asset for our frontline teams…

It was time to shake things up a bit; she was here to do more than test his sword skills, after all. The Captain had said that this fight was anything goes, and Lisa was intent on putting their new recruit through his paces before the end of the match.

She Flash Stepped backwards to gain some space before shifting to a single-handed grip on her sword while raising her free hand and aiming the open palm towards Jiraiya. "Hadō 31: Shakkahō!"

She expected one of two possible outcomes based on the level of skill he'd already demonstrated; either he'd dodge it cleanly, or he'd deflect it with his Zanpakutō. Of course, there was always the chance that it might actually hit him, but Lisa wasn't banking on that. If he'd been able to keep up with her up to this point, then a spell like this one was hardly a threat to him.

Then she saw Jiraiya smirk as he did something that she'd most certainly not expected. "Bakudō 8: Seki."

A small orb of light blue spirit energy appeared over the back of his left hand as he raised it to intercept the crimson blast heading his way. When Lisa's attack hit the orb it was deflected, and she quickly found her own spell racing right back at her.

Clever.

She side-stepped to the right, and the blast sailed past her before exploding against the far wall. Lisa then brought up her sword into a guard position; Jiraiya was already charging forward, determined to press the advantage. Deflecting his diagonal slash, Lisa decided to take a defensive posture for the next few exchanges so she could fully evaluate her opponent's Zanjutsu.

It was easy to see how he'd aced the Zanjutsu portion of the final exams. His swordsmanship was far above that of a typical student; indeed, Lisa doubted that even the Academy instructors could match him at this point. He was just the right mix of strong and cunning, unleashing an effective assault that was straightforward yet easily adaptable. He was capable of measuring each of his strikes, ensuring that they were powerful while at the same time not draining his reserves too quickly.

It wasn't just his swordsmanship that was impressive. Jiraiya was proving himself to be quite capable of mixing up Zanjutsu and Hakuda as the situation called for it. He shifted his blade to a single-handed grip, and as he blocked a horizontal slash he then reached out with his free hand, forcing Lisa to backpedal to avoid being grappled. Her opponent pushed forward, returning to a two-handed grip and unleashing a rain of powerful overhand blows. Lisa was able to parry them, but on the last one Jiraiya suddenly lunged forward, attempting to knee her in the gut. Once again, Lisa pulled back to avoid the hit.

He's strong and versatile, she thought as she guarded against a fresh onslaught, At this point, the only reason his rank is that of Seventeenth Seat is because he hasn't unlocked his Shikai. The day that he does, he'll start climbing the ranks quite quickly.

Personality-wise, he might've had a bit too much in common with her Captain for Lisa's liking, but there was no denying that his skills were the real deal. She could definitely do worse for subordinates, and all things considered she was actually looking forward to working with him out in the field. Parrying a diagonal slash from him, she quickly glanced at her Captain, who gave her a nod; he'd seen enough. It was time to end this.

Making a high-kick as she deflected his attack, she then leapt over him, making a slash of her own as she did so. Jiraiya was able to block the attack, but it kept him on the defensive just long enough for Lisa to land on her feet behind him. He whirled around and was able to redirect the thrust she sent his way, but it was a close thing. Now Lisa was picking up her pace, filling the air with streaks of silver as her blade lashed out like a hydra.

Much to her surprise, Jiraiya actually smiled as she intensified her assault. He clearly wasn't intending to go down easily, and Lisa was curious to see what he had up his sleeves. He once again shifted to a single-handed grip on his Zanpakutō, but this time he didn't move to strike her with his free hand right away. Fending off the blizzard of strikes she was unleashing against him, he held his free hand open, and Lisa's eyes widened slightly as blue-white spirit energy began to whirl over his palm, rapidly forming a sphere of swirling power.

What kind of spell is this?

She got her answer a moment later when Jiraiya thrust out with the spinning ball of energy. "Rasengan!"

Rather than aiming at her, Jiraiya slammed his energy ball into the ground between them. Lisa only had a moment to ponder why he would do such a thing before she was provided an answer in the form of a deluge of broken tiles and the dirt and stones beneath them threatened to engulf her.

Even though she'd been taken off guard by her opponent's strange spell, Lisa recovered quickly. Not giving Jiraiya any time to capitalize on the distraction he'd created, she Flash Stepped to the left. A second Shunpo brought her directly behind him, and she charged right at him. Jiraiya spun around to block the attack, but this time he was just a split-second too slow, and the point of her sword came to rest mere millimeters from his face.

She gave Jiraiya a confident smile. "Match."

Jiraiya smiled back. "Looks like it."

The two of them sheathed their swords, and Lisa took a moment to survey the damage caused by Jiraiya's last-ditch attack. It had blasted a decent-sized crater in the training yard, and bits of tile, stone and dirt had been flung everywhere.

She heard applause off to the side, and she turned towards the source to find her Captain grinning. "Well, well… that was quite a show!"

Jiraiya bowed. "I aim to please."

Lisa nodded. "You certainly accomplished that much, although I doubt the Soul Reapers that will be assigned to patch up the training yard will share our sentiments."

Her Captain shrugged. "They've cleaned up worse messes than this before."

"Maybe I should buy them all drinks to make up for it later," said Jiraiya, "I guess I overdid it a bit at the end there."

Kyōraku smiled. "Perhaps, but I'm glad you did. Seeing that technique of yours was certainly worth the damage you caused!"

Lisa's eyes narrowed as she regarded her new subordinate. "What manner of spell was that? It didn't match any Kidō technique that I'm familiar with."

A knowing smirk was on her Captain's face. "Let me guess; a little holdover from your Shinobi days?"

Jiraiya nodded. "I've always liked having an ace in the hole or two up my sleeves. It took me a while to figure out how to recreate it with spirit energy as opposed to chakra, but I've got it down now."

Lisa took a moment to consider the amount of power the spell had packed. "That technique could likely take out lesser Hollows in a single shot."

"Looks like its power is proportional to your own," Kyōraku added, "So, the stronger you get, the more powerful this 'Rasengan' of yours should get as well."

"That's what I'm hoping, anyway," said Jiraiya.

"Intriguing," Lisa murmured, regarding the division's Seventeenth Seat with renewed interest, "Is this a technique that you could teach to others?"

Jiraiya grinned. "Are you volunteering to be my first student, Lieutenant?"

"Can you or not?" she snapped.

Jiraiya nodded. "I suppose I could. The same basic principles apply for the technique in the afterlife as they did when I was alive, although manipulating spirit energy in such a manner is more difficult than chakra."

Kyōraku raised an eyebrow. "Really? Why's that?"

"Spirit energy seems to be more volatile," Jiraiya answered, "That seems to be part of the reason why most of the Kidō spells we learn have incantations; they help control the energy. Firing off the spells without the incantations doesn't just result in a reduction in power, but also lessens the efficiency of the spells."

"But the spell you just used in our bout required no incantation, only the name," Lisa pointed out.

"Saying the name is the easy part," Jiraiya countered, "It's getting the spirit energy to form that ball you saw and properly contain it before releasing it on a target that's tricky. The technique never had an incantation when I was using chakra to fuel it. That might be one of the reasons why it took me so long to remaster it once I came here; I was first trying to manipulate spirit energy exactly like I would chakra, and it was only after taking into account the differences between the two and adjusting accordingly that I was finally able to relearn the technique. Even then, it wasn't exactly easy."

"Any other tricks from your Shinobi days that you can still use?" asked Kyōraku.

"My taijutsu skills are still intact," Jiraiya replied, "They translate pretty well to Hakuda since both are basically the same thing; hand-to-hand combat. As for actual techniques such as ninjutsu or genjutsu, as of right now I'm afraid the Rasengan is the only tool I've been able to pull out of that particular closet. Still, it's early days, so there's no reason why I wouldn't be able to figure out how to use more of my old techniques with spirit energy instead of chakra if given enough time."

He then flashed another grin at Lisa. "So, you still want to learn my little spell? Just say the word, Lieutenant! I'm always happy to have a beautiful woman as a student!"

She actually was tempted, if only for the possible utilizations of the spell rather than the personality of her would-be teacher. "Eventually. For now, though, it'd be better for you to focus on acclimating to your current role as the Seventeenth Seat of Squad Eight."

"I take it there's more to that than partying hard and sparring with my superior officers," said Jiraiya, "So, what's on the list for today?"

Lisa smiled. "First, go gather a suitable group of unseated division members. You're going to help our maintenance personnel clean up the mess you made here."

Jiraiya chuckled. "All right, fair enough!"

As he left the training yard, Lisa turned to her Captain. "He shows more promise than I'd initially given him credit for. He might be a bit too similar to you for my liking, but I have to admit that he'll be a great asset for Squad Eight."

Kyōraku grinned. "Glad to see you're coming around! Can I count on you to keep putting him through his paces? We need to make sure to polish this gem that we've acquired, after all."

Lisa nodded. "Of course, Captain."

….

A week later…

"Hold here!" Soi-Fon ordered as Itachi and Visaelya came to a stop behind her.

Itachi nodded; although he was able to maintain his composure, he was privately thankful for a chance to catch his breath. "Understood."

Next to him, Visaelya sighed with relief. "Yes, ma'am."

Yoruichi's bodyguard was a stern taskmaster, but Itachi couldn't deny her effectiveness. Ever since she'd started running him and Visaelya through these exercises, he'd noticed a measurable improvement in their endurance and speed, and they'd only been doing them for a week.

The day after the welcoming party that had been held for the new recruits of Squad Two, Yoruichi had placed Itachi and Visaelya under the direct supervision of Soi-Fon, who had proceeded to run them through the same series of drills from morning to dusk. The exercises consisted of a series of Flash Step courses that went across the Seireitei, and both newly minted officers had immediately picked up on the dual nature of the drills; they were meant not only to increase their proficiency in the swift movement techniques that Squad Two placed such value in, but also to hammer into them the layout of the Seireitei so that they would be more effective in responding to a potential crisis within its confines.

As the Eighteenth and Sixteenth Seats took advantage of the respite to regain some of their energy, Itachi caught Soi-Fon carefully studying them. The look she gave them was not unlike those he and Visaelya had received from their instructors at the Academy, save that Soi-Fon had much sharper eyes.

After a moment, she gave the two of them a nod of approval. "You've both done well so far. Lady Yoruichi will be pleased."

That was about as high of praise as Itachi had ever heard her give before. "Thank you."

Visaelya bowed. "You honor us, Miss Soi-Fon."

Soi-Fon took a few seconds to survey the part of the Seireitei the three of them were in before turning back to her subordinates. "There's a teahouse not too far from here that Lady Yoruichi's taken me to before. We'll stop there for lunch today."

Itachi was surprised at her sudden announcement; normally she just took them back to the Squad Two barracks for a quick meal before resuming their exercises. Still, he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.

"We'll follow your lead," he said.

She nodded before leading the two of them to the teahouse in question. It was a modestly sized establishment, with a very cozy feel to it as the three of them walked through the front entrance. As it was midday there was already a sizeable crowd present, the bulk of which consisted of Soul Reapers enjoying a quick break before returning to their duties. Soi-Fon simply nodded at a waitress who immediately led the three of them to a booth in the back corner of the teahouse. The three of them were seated, and a few minutes later they were swiftly provided with drinks and menus.

"This is a nice place," said Visaelya as she looked around, "I've never been here before."

"Lady Yoruichi's fond of it," said Soi-Fon, "and I suppose it's grown on me as well over the years."

There was a very small smile on her face, and Itachi realized that their taskmaster was actually letting her hair down a bit, so to speak. If he played things just right, this would be an ideal chance to not only learn more about her, but their Captain as well.

Gathering intel on the target of your affections?

Save the quips.

Fine. I'll simply watch in amused silence.

"If you don't mind me asking," Itachi cautiously began, "how did you come to be in Lady Yoruichi's service? She seems quite relaxed around you. Were you two friends before you officially became her bodyguard?"

Soi-Fon shook her head. "No. I'm fortunate to have earned her friendship in the time I've served her, but she was not familiar with me when I initially entered her service."

Visaelya leaned forward, sensing a story to be had. "Miss Soi-Fon… you're a member of one of the Shihōin Clan's vassal houses, right? The Fon Clan?"

Soi-Fon nodded. "That's right. My family has served the Shihōin Clan since before the Andunayan Conquest of the Soul Society. The retainers we've provided have typically been for martial or espionage duties. Warriors, bodyguards, assassins, spies; we've performed those roles and many more. In turn, we've been rewarded by the Shihōin Clan with an estate in the Seireitei as well as our own land holdings within the Shihōin Principality. It's quite common these days for members of my clan to serve in Squad Two or the Stealth Force as need and ability dictates."

"I've heard that members of the Fon Clan undergo rigorous training even before they enter the Academy," said Visaelya, "Was it the same for you?"

"Yes," Soi-Fon replied, "The Fon Clan maintains training grounds both within the Seireitei and the Shihōin Principality. Before members of our clan can enter the Academy, we must prove ourselves to the family instructors. It was the same for my generation of the family as it was for those that came before."

"You must've performed very well at the Academy, given such a background," said Itachi.

A slightly more confident smiled appeared on Soi-Fon's face. "I did. My marks in Hakuda and Hohō exceeded those of my peers by a considerable margin. I even outdid my siblings, and they'd been given the same prior training as me."

"How many siblings do you have?" asked Visaelya.

Her smile vanished, and while for the most part she maintained her composure there was a hint of mournfulness in her gaze. "I was the youngest of six. The other five were all brothers… and they all perished in the line of duty."

Visaelya couldn't suppress a gasp. "Oh… I'm so sorry."

Soi-Fon sighed. "It was years ago. Our family's accustomed to such losses. Duty and service come first, and we all go into our training knowing that we may be called upon to give our lives at any time for our missions."

Itachi nodded; he understood all too well where she was coming from. "Whether it risks our lives or our personal honor, the mission comes first."

Soi-Fon's eyes widened ever so slightly at that. "Yes… spoken like a member of my clan, in fact."

"Your clan's duties aren't all that different from those that I had during my time as a Shinobi," Itachi pointed out, "I believe that prior experience played no small part in my gravitation towards Squad Two."

They were interrupted by the arrival of a waitress who quickly took their meal orders. Once she left, Itachi picked up right where they'd left off.

"When we first met," he said, "you mentioned that you were a member of both Squad Two and the Executive Militia. The latter's part of the Stealth Force. When you graduated from the Academy, did you start in Squad Two or the Stealth Force?"

"My initial posting was specifically the Executive Militia of the Stealth Force," Soi-Fon answered, "By my senior year in the Academy my Asauchi had adapted to become my personal Zanpakutō, and the small size of its sealed state lent itself very well to the kind of fighting that's expected of the Stealth Force. When that was combined with my scores in Hakuda and Hohō, the choice was obvious."

"Was that when you first met Lady Yoruichi?" asked Visaelya.

"Yes and no," Soi-Fon replied, "It was my first time formally introducing myself to her, but I had seen her before when she'd visited my family prior to my passing the Academy entrance exams."

A slightly wistful smile then appeared on her face. "When I first saw her… I was captivated. Her bearing, her grace, the strength that radiated from her… she was everything I wanted to be and more."

The smile then became a slight smirk. "When I officially met her upon joining the Stealth Forces… well, I was a little thrown off, to be honest. Then again, looking back on it all, I suppose I shouldn't have been surprised. After all, when she visited my family it had been in a formal capacity as the heiress of the Shihōin Clan, and since we were amongst her most loyal vassals, she naturally went to great lengths to present a suitable image. She's much more relaxed when she doesn't have to deal with the trappings of the aristocracy, something I quickly came to learn during my time in the Stealth Force and Squad Two."

"Forgive me if this comes across as rude," said Itachi cautiously, "but you two do seem to have somewhat clashing personalities. Did that impact your ability to settle into your new role?"

Soi-Fon shook her head. "I thought it might at first, but I quickly discovered that, despite her laid-back nature, she was and still is a very competent commander. The strength that I had sensed in her the day I first saw her was genuine, and to this day… well, she's a true marvel to witness in combat."

Itachi allowed himself a small smile as images of the night he'd first met her flashed through his mind. "She certainly is."

Soi-Fon nodded. "I resolved to redouble my efforts, both in my missions and in my training, so I could serve her to the fullest of my capabilities. It took seven years, but eventually I'd progressed to the point that she promoted me to one of her personal guards. In time, she actually began to personally instruct me, and we became not only commander and subordinate, but teacher and student. Now I'm the head of her personal guard. I wouldn't be half the Soul Reaper I am today if it weren't for her tutelage."

"To be taught by the Flash Goddess herself would be a huge honor," said Visaelya, "I hope I can earn the same opportunity someday."

Soi-Fon regarded the two of them thoughtfully for a moment. "Both of you are actually closer to that than you might think."

She looked like she was going to continue, but it was at that moment their food arrived. The three of them busied themselves with their meals, although Itachi's mind wasn't fully on his lunch and tea. His past interactions with Yoruichi played out in his head, in particular the efforts she'd put into helping him catch up to his peers after the incident with the soul fracture.

The instruction was from one of her clan's private tutors rather than Yoruichi herself, but still…

Looking forward to some private training time with the lovely Captain?

Yes…

He had the satisfaction of actually taking the spirit of his Zanpakutō by surprise for once. Well, now… I didn't think you'd actually admit it. That's progress.

After a few minutes of eating, Soi-Fon spoke again. "The two of you have progressed quite well in the week that you've been under my wing. We'll still go through the remainder of today's exercises once we're done here, but after that I'll make my recommendation to Lady Yoruichi."

"And that would be?" asked Visaelya.

"That you're both ready to begin your first official Seireitei patrols," Soi-Fon replied, "You'll be on those for a couple weeks in order to reinforce your knowledge of the layout, but after that you'll likely be deemed ready to start branching out into the Rukon District and The Wild. The Realms of the Living will be next, and while that will in large part depend on the performance you demonstrate in your patrols, if what I've seen over the past week is any indication, I don't think it'll take long at all to get you both out there."

Itachi nodded. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Soi-Fon actually smirked at that. "You might want to save your gratitude. You never know what sort of trouble you can run into on your patrols, after all."

Visaelya smiled. "We'll be ready for it."

Soi-Fon nodded. "Yes… I think you two will be."

….

A week later…

Dusk was giving way to night as Jiraiya approached the Squad Four barracks. He couldn't help but smirk as he thought of what an outside observer might think of the situation. Here he was, Seventeenth Seat of Squad Eight, going to visit the Captain of Squad Four just as the sun was fading from the horizon. It was all too easy to imagine what sort of conclusions someone could jump to…

…and Jiraiya would be lying if he said that he wasn't hoping that one or two of those 'conclusion' might someday become something closer to the truth.

Approaching the gate, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him. It wasn't the Captain, but that was okay; Jiraiya wasn't about to send away Squad Four's cute Seventh Seat.

Isane smiled. "Welcome, Jiraiya. Captain Unohana sends her apologies; she felt it would be better if I greeted you in her stead. After all, this is an endeavor that we're trying to keep under wraps, so her standing by the gate of our division's barracks at this hour would draw

Jiraiya chuckled. "And you standing here at this hour doesn't draw attention?"

"I'm only the division's Seventh Seat," Isane pointed out, "Who pays attention to a Seventh Seat?"

"When they're as cute as you, I do!" Jiraiya replied with a grin.

Isane blushed and looked down in embarrassment. "Oh… thank you! Anyway, let's get going. She should be ready for you."

She hastily led him through the Squad Four barracks. The last time Jiraiya had been here it was to visit Itachi during his recovery from the soul fracture years ago, but the place hadn't really changed since then. At this late hour there were only a handful of Soul Reapers milling about, most of whom only gave Jiraiya a curious glance before continuing on their way.

"Sorry for any trouble this causes you," said Jiraiya as he followed the officer inside.

Isane shook her head. "It's quite all right. I'm in full agreement with Captains Unohana and Kyōraku regarding this initiative, and I understand the need to keep a low profile."

"If I keep showing up like this and you keep greeting me, people might start talking," said Jiraiya with a smirk, "They might get certain ideas about the two of us!"

Once again, Isane blushed. "Well… it'll just be gossip. That's hardly unusual in an organization as large as the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I'm… not concerned about it."

Jiraiya was skeptical to put it mildly, but he figured that he'd teased her enough for one night. It only took a couple minutes for Isane to lead him into a large open room towards the back of the barracks where Unohana was waiting for him. Jiraiya suspected that the room was normally used as a meeting or lecture hall, but tonight its only occupant was the Captain. He certainly wouldn't complain about the atmosphere; the room was only lit by a handful of candles, and his companion for the evening looked all the lovelier in their flickering light.

She smiled as Isane led him inside. "Welcome, Jiraiya. I'm glad you could make it here at this hour. I hope the time isn't an issue to you."

Jiraiya grinned. "Who am I to say no to a late-night rendezvous with a woman like you?"

He had the pleasure of hearing the Captain's soft and warm laughter. "As charming as ever. I do hope that you remember the reason you're really here, though. Should you find yourself becoming distracted…"

Her smile remained, but once again there was that unmistakable shadow in her eyes, one that was given an added menace by the dimly lit room. "…you may find yourself having to apply the lessons you learn here in a practical manner much sooner that you might've imagined."

Even when making threats, there was an undeniable elegance about her that Jiraiya found damn-near irresistible. "I'll try to keep my mind on the lesson. No promises, though!"

A surprisingly pixyish smirk appeared on her face. "Well, then… proceed at your own peril. Isane, thank you for brining him here. You may leave now."

Isane nodded. "Understood, Captain."

As the Seventh Seat shut the door, Unohana nodded at a circular meditation mat that was spread out on the floor in front of her. "Please, have a seat."

Jiraiya did so, and as he settled in, he saw what looked like a cloth covering a small object laying next to Unohana. He suspected he'd find out what it was soon enough; he doubted the Captain would've brought it if it weren't needed for the opening lesson.

Sure enough, a moment later Unohana picked up the object and removed the cloth, revealing a clear crystal about the size of a children's ball. "I know it's been six years since the Academy entrance exams, but surely you remember this?"

Jiraiya nodded. "The crystal from Phase Three. Hard to forget."

Unohana smiled. "If you recall it so clearly, then that will make this much easier. As you know, this crystal will create a visual manifestation of your spirit energy. I need to be able to judge just how much your power and energy control have grown over the past six years, since both of those are crucial to the healing arts. This crystal will give me a sufficient sample. Pour your energy into it, and do not hold back."

She then passed it to Jiraiya. "If you require some time to meditate in preparation, please feel free to take it. I'm in no rush."

Jiraiya grinned as he focused on the crystal in the palm of his right hand. "No need for that."

He sent his spirit energy flowing into the stone, and the fruits of his training made themselves known just a few seconds later. The crystal blazed with blue-white flame, the radiance of which soon lit up the entire room, easily surpassing the light of the candles.

Unohana leaned forward slightly, her gaze focused intently on the crystal and not appearing to be bothered in the least by the bright light. "Impressive. Maintain this until I say otherwise or you are unable to do so."

Jiraiya's brow furrowed in concentration. He hadn't been expecting an endurance test right off the bat, but he wasn't about to back down from the challenge. His focus on the crystal and maintaining the flow of spirit energy was such that he soon lost track of time, and he was only dimly aware of the sweat that was slowly building up on his brow.

After what felt like hours but could very well have been just minutes for all he knew, Unohana gave him the command to stop. As he did so, she passed him a wet washcloth; somehow, she'd left the room and returned without him ever noticing her absence, so intent had he been on the exercise.

She gave him a warm smile as he set the crystal down and wiped his forehead. "Very well done, Jiraiya."

"How long did I last?" he asked.

"Long enough for me to determine where you currently stand as a Soul Reaper," she answered, "I must say, I'm quite pleased with your progress. Your current rank may be that of Seventeenth Seat, but I can think of more than few officers in higher positions who would be envious of the power you just demonstrated."

Jiraiya smiled. "You're too kind."

Unohana chuckled, the smile on her face taking on a slightly ominous feel now that the light from the crystal had died down and only the candles were illuminating the room again. "You may wish to retract those words once the night is over. That was only the first test I have in store for you, Jiraiya. The night is young, and it shall not go to waste."

….

His endurance is impressive, mused Unohana, although I imagine that he'd like me to be thinking that in a different context…

Throughout the night, the Captain of Squad Four had run her guest through a series of exercises designed to fine-tune his manipulation of spirit energy. These were just the first steps; it would still be some time before Jiraiya would be ready to begin applying it to actual healing spells. Still, it was a promising start, and the fact that he was able to complete all of them even after pouring so much energy into the crystal at the beginning gave Unohana high hopes as to his potential.

Breathing heavily as the glow of spirit energy once again faded from his hands, Jiraiya took a sip of water before turning to Unohana again. "So, what next?"

Unohana smiled. "Actually, that's the last of what I had in store for you tonight. Since this was our first session, I wanted to make sure that you had a solid foundation before we proceeded further. I'm pleased to say that you've exceeded my expectations."

Jiraiya grinned. "Good to know!"

Unohana stood up and motioned for him to follow. "It'll be dawn in a few hours, but you should be able to make it back to the Squad Eight barracks with a little time to spare for rest. It wouldn't do for you to go about your duties with no sleep whatsoever."

Jiraiya yawned. "Next time, can we schedule this so that the morning after will be on one of my off days?"

Unohana shook her head. "I can make no such promises, unfortunately. Remember, we are trying to keep this a secret from the Central Forty-Six for the time being. It's necessary to vary the nights that we have these lessons. If you're seen coming and going at regular intervals, that will only serve to raise suspicion."

Jiraiya smirked as she led him towards the entrance to the barracks. "Are you sure? Sounds like the real reason might be that it'd be embarrassing for you to be seen with a guy like me at such an hour! Is that closer to the mark?"

Unohana giggled; if nothing else, his willingness to joke about such things with her was actually rather refreshing when compared other Soul Reapers who feared stepping over the line. "Well, as a Captain I do have my reputation to consider. After all, for me to take on a student so lacking in technique and experience is scandalous in and of itself, wouldn't you say?"

She had the satisfaction of seeing his eyes widen ever so slightly for a moment before he started laughing. "All right, I guess you've got me there!"

Unohana nodded. "Jokes aside, I do hope that you'll remember the importance of this little endeavor of ours. I'd hate for all the work that we're going to put into this to be undone just because of some careless words or a poorly-timed sighting."

"Don't worry," said Jiraiya, "I'll be careful. Can't have the stiff old geezers from the Central Forty-Six ruining the fun, after all."

"I'll send a Hell Butterfly with the date and time for our next session," said Unohana, "Please give Captain Kyōraku my regards; his help in this matter is greatly appreciated."

Jiraiya smiled. "I'll let him know. Until next time, Captain!"

Unohana nodded and smiled as she watched him depart. "Yes… until next time, Jiraiya."

….

A few weeks later…

It was his day off, but that didn't mean Itachi was relaxing. Keeping up with his training was one of his duties as an officer of Squad Two, and the Sixteenth Seat didn't intend to slack off now. He had the training yard to himself today, so he was taking full advantage of it, honing the precision of his Shunpo by Flash Stepping across a web of mats that he had set up earlier in homage to the test that the Head Captain had run him through years ago during his recovery from the soul fracture. His accuracy and speed were leagues beyond what it had been back then, but it wasn't nearly good enough as far as Itachi was concerned.

Compared to her, this is sloppy, he thought as he finished up another circuit, I still can't hold a candle to her…