Bleached
By Bluminous
A/N: A Harry Potter/Bleach Crossover
Pairings: Harry Potter and Yoruichi Shihouin
Timeline: Sometime before Yoruichi and Urahara leaves Soul Society.
Summary: AU- It seems that even in Death Harry is never given a break. His soul ends up in Rokungai where his past prevents him from moving forward. Will he learn to let go?
**************
A/N: This is the first time I will venture into the world of Anime fan fiction. I find the whole concept of the soul society hierarchy fascinating, and this story explores the world that is rarely described in length in the Anime series.
For a visual reference of a seventeen year old Harry, look up Diaz of Shadow Skill (He wears glasses too, awesome character.)
I'm not familiar with the Japanese Language, so instead of Unohana –taichou, I'll change it to Captain Unohana.
Reiatsu – Spiritual Power
Shinigami – Death God
Zanpakutou – Soul slayer
Haori – The White robes worn by captains over the standard black and white Shinigami Robes.
Chapter 1: The Black Wing
The young man scowled and tugged on the dirty cloak he had found in the street. He wondered if he being punished, since this was not the heaven he envisioned when he died at the hands of his nemesis.
He looked around and surroundings, looking for shelter from the cold winds that came from the north. He spotted a collapsed house, but the entrance was far too small for his frame with the wooden beams blocking the way.
You can always use your talent.
"Shut up." The young man muttered. He looked around, making sure that no one was watching him. Satisfied, the young man suddenly shrunk and a few seconds later a black cat stood in his spot.
The cat shivered as the winds buffeted his fur and he ran inside the demolished building to get away from the cold, and he sighed as he finally found suitable shelter against the strong winds.
See, I told you Harry. You don't ever listen to me.
The cat hissed in annoyance at the persistent voice in his head. Ever since he arrived in this place, he started hearing a voice, constantly whispering in his ears, roaming his dreams. At first the voice only spoke in his sleep, but now even when he was conscious it had started talking to him, giving its opinions about everything he did.
It was a chatterbox, but for some reason whenever he asked the entity's name, He was unable to hear its reply. The voice was muffled, like he was hearing the voice speak underwater.
He met a few souls that wandered the area, and learned that the name of this hell hole was called Rukongai. Time did not pass in Rukongai, and Harry wondered how long he was here. Weeks? Months? Years?
Harry shook his head, removing drops of moisture from his fur and prepared to settle down for the night.
"Oi, nice trick you have there. Can you teach that to me?"
The cat jumped up, surprised that he was unable to detect the presence of the intruder. He looked up at the other side of the dilapidated room and saw a woman with light brown skin wearing black robes sitting across from him.
Harry backed up and slipped through the fallen beams, using his small size to get past the debris of the collapsed house.
"Hey! Where are you going! I'm not going to hurt you!"
Harry did not bother to look back and continued his escape. During his stay in Rukongai, the few travelers he met on the road warned him of the Shinigami, powerful beings capable of killing even the eternal souls living in Rukongai. He felt a few of these Shinigami whenever they wandered around Rukongai and thankfully he was able to hide from them.
He saw more than a few of his fellow squatters and homeless used as punching bags by a few of those drunken Shinigami. He longed to fight them to teach them a lesson, but the spells he knew in his old life never seemed to work in this place and he wondered if his magic had finally disappeared.
He thought he finally escaped the Shinigami woman when he saw her waiting for him across the destroyed house, a frown on her face. Harry immediately stopped, wondering how she got ahead of him.
He looked around for another escape route and was about to run towards the bushes when he felt the strange energy coming from the woman.
"Way of Binding number 42, Kouro!"
Harry felt his body freeze, similar to the effects of the Petrification charm. He felt himself being scooped up, held by two hands and he found himself staring at a pair of amused golden eyes.
"You are definitely not a hollow." The woman said turning him over, inspecting every part of his body. Harry struggled against the spell constricting his movements and he vainly tried to use his paws to scratch the woman's face.
Her golden eyes widened in surprise when she saw his futile attempt to fight back and grinned at him. "You have quite some power inside you to fight against my binding. I think I better show you to Kisuke."
Harry watched as the strange woman began to create a complicated pattern with her fingers, and a moment later darkness consumed him.
Shihouin Yoruichi made sure that the black cat was tucked firmly in her arm before vanishing in the spot. The Goddess of flash grinned in delight, excited about this strange soul that she had stumbled upon.
******************
Research and Development Bureau
"My my, the beautiful goddess has suddenly decided to visit me" Kisuke Urahara said pleasantly. He led the secret mobile corps Supreme Commander into his office and started to prepare tea for his oldest friend.
"I found a curious soul with strange powers when I finished killing a hollow in the far in the outskirts of Rokungai." Yoruichi said, laying the unconscious cat on its side on the table.
Urahara looked at the cat and continued pouring the tea into two cups and sat down in front of his childhood friend. "Why didn't you have your own troops hunt that hollow down?"
"It already killed many of the other squads." Yoruichi said. "It's almost an Arrancar, and it's capable of hiding its spirit power, pretending to be a weak hollow. That's how it managed to get the jump on some of the seated officers of the Gotei-13. Someone's tampering with the natural order of things."
"I know." Urahara stared at his cup, the light reflecting on its surface. "And that's what troubling me. The evolution of these hollows usually takes hundreds of years, but now they are just evolving and mutating in mere decades. Someone has to be responsible for this."
"You already told me who you suspect is responsible." Yoruichi crossed her legs and finished her tea. "Anyway, this is the person I encountered in Rokungai!" She stroked the petrified cat's black fur.
"That's a cat." Urahara stated.
"Check it with your instruments will you?" Yoruichi said. "I saw him change from a man to the shape of this cat."
"That's interesting..." Urahara said as he waved his hand on the unconscious animal, his eyes glinting with renewed interest from the results of his passive scan. He recognized the sleeping spell on the 'cat' and performed the counter spell and the cat stirred on the table.
"Make sure to lock the doors and windows, he might try to escape." Yoruichi advised.
Urahara nodded and pushed a button on the wall with his sheathed Zanpakutou, and immediately a translucent barrier appeared on the four walls of the room.
"Hey, cat person, you remember me?" Yoruichi said from her seat. "Why did you run away from me? I said I didn't want to hurt you."
The cat hissed and jumped to the floor, clearly agitated as it tried to look for a way to escape.
"This room is completely sealed." Urahara said, his soul slayer lying across his lap. "Why don't you transform back to your original form?"
Seeing that he had no other alternative, Harry sighed and concentrated. A moment later he was sitting on the floor, while the woman from before and a blond haired man stared at him with interest and surprise when they felt his strong Reiatsu.
"Greetings." Urahara said his tone cool and pleasant to help the young man to relax. "I am Kisuke Urahara, Captain of the Twelfth Squad and head of the Research and Development Bureau. What is your name, cat person?"
Harry refused to answer, his senses warning him that he was talking to two particularly powerful individuals. Although they were consciously masking it, the feeling in his gut warned him to be on guard with these two.
"I'm Yoruichi Shihouin." The purple haired woman said when she realized the young man was not going to answer. "We met earlier."
"I know." Harry croaked, his throat parched from not having any liquid go through it for a long time. Urahara noticed this and poured a third cup and placed it in front of the young man.
Seeing that Urahara and Yoruichi were drinking their cups, Harry slowly took the cup in his hand and relished the warmth it provided. Taking a good sniff of the fragrant tea, Harry then drained his cup in one gulp, not caring if it was hot.
Yoruichi and Urahara glanced at one another at the young man's actions. The souls in the poorer districts of Rokungai barely had anything to eat, and it looked like their guest was suffering from hunger and thirst.
"Do you want more?" Urahara asked.
"Yes please." Harry said softly. Yoruichi grinned and leaned forward, her interest piqued at the young man.
"I see you have some manners after all." Yoruichi commented. "We already told you our names. What's yours?"
"It's Harry." The young man stared at Yoruichi in the eye, a guarded look in his dirty face. "Harry Potter."
****************
After a lengthy introduction to Soul Society and the Shinigami Hierarchy, Urahara had decided that Harry needed a more secure location where he wouldn't attract unwanted attention. The Captain of the twelfth squad could sense their young guest's hidden spiritual power, and he did not want the other captains to take notice of their latest find.
The captains of the Gotei-13 wanted the best and brightest under their squads. It was not uncommon for Shinigami, under their captain's orders to scout for potential in the Rokungai. Those that had made their way to the Shinigami Academy were subtly monitored, and captains would argue with one another to claim the ones they wanted under their squad.
You should trust them
"I said shut up." Harry said.
Yoruichi and Urahara had decided to show him to a room where he would sleep for the duration of his stay in Seretei. She handed him a uniform that her secret mobile corps used so that he would not stand out as they headed to her headquarters.
Harry found the clothing very snug and tight, and he was reminded of the ninjas he watched in some television shows while he was still alive.
"Huh?" Yoruichi looked back at her guest and raised an eyebrow at him.
"Nothing, sorry." Harry said. He was less guarded with these two, since they had fed him and offered him shelter after making a deal with Yoruichi to teach her how to become an animagus like himself. He was about to start an introduction on the topic when Urahara interrupted him, and claimed that it was not safe to talk about it outside his office or Yoruichi's.
"Harry, are you talking to a voice in your head?" Urahara asked.
"You mean you hear one too?" Harry asked relief evident in his voice. "And here I thought I was going crazy. The voice in my head is annoying, she barely shuts up."
"She?" Yoruichi asked.
"The voice is female, from what I can tell." Harry shrugged, not realizing the significance of what was happening to him.
"Do you know her name?" Urahara asked exchanging surprised looks with his lifelong friend.
"I've tried asking her, but I only hear a muffled sound." Harry confessed. "It's really frustrating not to know the name of the voice I'm talking to."
Urahara smiled when he heard thus and walked faster, while Yoruichi looked at Harry, appraising him with a keen eye. "I think you can be in my squad."
"What?" Harry asked.
"You should become a Shinigami." Yoruichi suggested looking at him directly in the eyes.
"Ah Yoruichi, you're already trying to recruit him!" Urahara joined the conversation. "I also want you to join my squad."
"I found him first." Yoruichi argued.
"But you told me that to become a Shinigami, I would have to pass an exam. What if I'm not qualified enough?" Harry asked. He remembered a few of the Death Gods he saw beating up the defenseless souls in the far district and frowned. "And I'm not sure I want to become one."
At Yoruichi and Urahara's questioning look, he explained what those Shinigami had done to the beggars of Rokungai.
"They are Shinigami, but they are a disgrace to the name." Yoruichi scowled. "Those death gods you saw are only there because they can't fight anyone stronger. They are pathetic, and that's the main reason the secret mobile corps was formed, to police our ranks and prevent them from abusing their powers. Harry, trust me when I say that you have more than enough Reiatsu to become a Shinigami. Kisuke and I will train you to pass the entrance exam."
"Why would you do that?" Harry asked. "You just met me today."
"We can't have one such as yourself to rot away in Rokungai." Urahara said.
"There has to be an exchange, I learned long ago that nothing is ever free." Harry said, his eyes narrowing in suspicion.
"I knew I liked you when I first laid my eyes on you." Yoruichi said. It seemed that the young man was not as naïve as she and Urahara thought. He may not have any clue about soul society, but he did have some experience in his past life. "Teach me that cat skill of yours, and I shall help train you to become a Shinigami."
"I'll also help." Urahara added. "If you allow me to observe and study your shape shifting talent that is."
Harry thought for a moment and finally nodded, to the two captain's delight.
"You are the leader of that division that polices the other Shinigami right?" Harry asked the purple haired woman and Yoruichi nodded in response.
"I think I'll like it in your squad." Harry mused as he remembered the abusive Shinigami he met earlier and Yoruichi gave a victorious smile at Urahara whose shoulders fell in defeat. He knew that if Yoruichi wanted something, nothing dared to stand in the Goddess of Flash's way.
***************
"Pick one." Yoruichi said, standing beside her guest.
Harry looked at the swords on the rack, every single one of them exactly similar in design and length. He shrugged and picked a sword and tested its weight.
"It will take a while for your Reiatsu to merge with the blade." Yoruichi said as she guided Harry to his new quarters. "This is where you will stay until you enter the Shinigami Academy."
"What am I going to in the meanwhile?" Harry asked.
Yoruichi grinned and stretched her arms. "I'm going to give you some basic training. If you need me, my room is the fourth door down the hall."
"Thank you Yoruichi." Harry bowed to the woman, a sign of respect he had seen when the subordinates of Yoruichi do when they came across her.
"It's nothing." Yoruichi said. "Just make sure to teach me that cat trick of yours, okay?"
"I promise." Harry said.
***************
I want to fly, Harry.
The young man looked around, surprised that he was not in the cozy room Yoruichi has given him. He was on the peak of a tall mountain, and everywhere he looked he could see clouds and the peaks of other mountains in the distance. "Where am I?"
"Your inner world."
Harry spun around and found himself staring at woman he guessed to be in her mid twenties, with long hair that fell in waves behind her back. She wore a strange black gown that exposed her collarbone and shoulders and Harry gulped when he saw the exposed cleavage.
The woman smiled when she saw his reaction and stepped closer to him. Harry backed away and he froze when he realized he had nowhere to go. One more step and he would tumble down the jagged surface of the mountain.
"You never fail to amuse me Harry." The woman said tracing her index finger along his jaw line. "Maybe that's why I decided to pick you, when you first arrive at Rokungai."
"Who are you?" Harry asked, staring at the woman's eyes. They were black, and Harry felt naked under her gaze.
The woman replied, but Harry only heard the muffled voice again.
"Sorry?" Harry said leaning forward to hear her better.
The woman looked annoyed and sighed, giving up. "I tried to tell you, but your refusal to accept the situation you are now in has blocked your ears from the truth."
"I don't know what you're talking about." Harry said. The wind picked up and he struggled against it, afraid that it would push him down the peak of the mountain.
"You know what I'm talking about!" The woman snapped, crossing her arms in annoyance as a powerful wind suddenly blew from the east. "You still look at your past life, yearning to return to it."
"How did you know?" Harry said, his eyes widening.
The woman smiled and sat on a boulder stretching her legs that Harry saw from the slit in her dress. "I'm a part of your Harry, I've always known. I know you better than you know yourself. Forget the past, and accept the situation you are in."
Realization dawned in Harry at that moment. He was already dead, and there was no going back to his past life. The faces of his dearest friends, Hermione and Ron, flashed in his mind.
"Yes Harry." The woman said. "The sooner you accept your situation here, only then can you hear my name. Cast off the chains of your past, that which holds you to the ground. I want to fly again."
***************
A powerful presence appeared right beside the Captain of the Twelfth Division and he smiled when he felt the Reiatsu of his childhood friend.
"He is strong." Urahara said, gazing at the moon. "It's mind boggling to see such natural talent. He's the second to commune with his soul slayer without even touching an empty Zanpakutou."
"I see much potential in him." Yoruichi agreed. "He's already hearing the voice of his soul slayer. He will be achieving Shikai very soon."
"That is what I suspected." Urahara replied. "Maybe he could be of use to us. I don't know who to trust anymore, aside from you. Having someone with us who isn't tainted with the politics and strict structure of soul society could be useful."
"Have you discovered who was responsible for the security breach last week?" Yoruichi asked.
"Not yet." Urahara said. "But you know who I am suspecting. That man is very dangerous; he's not what he appears to be. Always stay on your guard whenever he's in the same room."
Urahara waited for Yoruichi's reply, but seeing that she was not going to say anything, offered refreshments. "Do you want some tea?"
"I better get back." Yoruichi shook her head. "I have to train Harry tomorrow."
"What will you teach him first?"
"It depends, maybe Hakuda." Yoruichi shrugged. "I'm counting on you to teach him Zanjutsu, before his soul slayer takes over."
"Of course. Good night Yoruichi."
********************
Harry tugged on the laces of his sandals, making sure they were tight as Yoruichi instructed. He stood up and looked at his trainer who stood in the middle of the private training area for the exclusive use of the influential Shihounin Clan.
"That's much better." Yoruichi inspected Harry's sandals. "Now that you have the proper footwear, I will give you a short introduction on the four disciplines."
"The four disciplines?" Harry scratched his head, wondering what they were.
"Yes. Zanjutsu, which is the discipline of the sword. Urahara will be the one instructing you on that in his free time. I will teach you Hakuda, the bare handed fighting techniques used by the secret Mobile corps."
"What about the two others?" Harry asked.
"The other is called Hohou, the walking method. This method will teach you how to use Shunpo, the flash step."
"Shunpo?"
Yoruichi smiled and suddenly vanished, reappearing beside Harry in an instant.
"AHH!!!" Harry yelped when he felt someone tapping him behind the back.
Yoruichi laughed at his reaction. "That is Shunpo. The other discipline is called Kidou, demon magic, and Urahara will also instruct you on that."
"Is that how you petrified me that night we met?" Harry asked.
"It is." Yoruichi said. She disappeared again and Harry found himself on his back, with Yoruichi stepping on his chest. "Now, we fight."
Harry frowned and slapped away her foot and slowly stood up and faced Yoruichi. The woman with shoulder length dark purple hair spread her feet apart, knees slightly bent and raised her hands halfway up her torso.
"What are you waiting for? Attack me!" Yoruichi said.
Harry did so and ran full sprint towards her. He was not exactly new to hand to hand combat, having trained with Kingsley Shacklebolt to improve his chances of survival in a duel with Voldemort. It wasn't enough, but at least he wore the Dark Lord down enough for McGonagall and other wizards and witches to finish him easily. Harry died slowly shortly after the battle, his body unable to cope up with the numerous wounds he received in the duel.
Harry launched a kick at Yoruichi, but the woman did not move from her spot. His foot was about to connect when the Shinigami captain blocked his foot with one hand, and casually tossed him by his leg.
Harry groaned and rolled on to his back, looking at Yoruichi who wore an amused expression on her face.
"That's impossible." Harry sat up from the floor. "My kick should have been enough to knock you down, how did you block it with just one hand?"
"It's in my stance. As long as I am perfectly balanced, no matter how strong your punch or kick is, it wouldn't knock me down." Yoruichi explained. "This is your first lesson Harry, learning to find your center."
"But how could you toss me in the air like I was a doll?" Harry asked.
"Do you think I deflected your attack with just my body?" Yoruichi asked. "No matter how strong I train my wrist is, it would snap when I used it to block your kick. My body is infused with my Reiatsu, increasing my strength exponentially."
Yoruichi held out a hand and pulled Harry to his feet. "And it all goes back to the stance. Finding your balance means finding your center, where your Reiatsu comes from. Now spread your legs and balance yourself in the balls of your feet."
Harry recalled Yoruichi's stance and copied her, and the Shinigami Captain adjusted his arms and legs to the correct position.
"Now, I want you to stand there for the whole day." Yoruichi said.
"The whole day?" Harry's eyes widened. "But..."
"Fine, two days." Yoruichi said, and she grinned when she saw the shocked expression on his face.
"If your hands and legs move even a millimeter, you'll learn what agonizing pain is." She warned him, a frightening look on her face. "Master your balance, and then will fight some more."
"But..."
"And to make sure you won't cheat..." Yoruichi released a small part of her Reiatsu, a signal to call her immediate subordinate.
"Captain?" A young woman with short black hair suddenly appeared kneeling in front of Yoruichi.
"Soi Fon." Yoruichi began. "I want you to keep an eye on him, make sure he doesn't move."
"Who is he Captain?" Soi Fon looked at what she guessed was a member of the Special Mobile Corps.
"That's none of your business. Just watch him Soi Fon, and if he moves his arms and legs from that position, kill him." Yoruichi smiled even wider when she saw the color in Harry's face vanish in fear.
"My pleasure Captain." Soi Fon said as she stared at the young man, hoping that he would move.
"Goodbye now." Yoruichi chuckled. She messed the young man's hair and headed towards her chambers. She knew that Soi Fon wouldn't really kill him. Her third seat officer was only allowed to kill a target if she authorized it.
****************
"Good morning Harry!" Urahara said cheerfully when the young man entered the training grounds.
"Morning." Harry grumbled.
"Why are you so grumpy?" Urahara asked. "It's a beautiful day!"
"I barely slept." Harry said and Urahara noticed the dark rings under his eyes.
"Yoruichi?" Urahara asked and he laughed when the young man nodded.
"She made me stand still for two days while her ice bitch taunted me." Harry complained.
"Ice Bitch?" Urahara pondered Harry's words for a moment before chuckling. "I can't wait to tell third seat Soi Fon that you called her an 'ice bitch' Harry."
"Don't!" Harry's eyes widened. "She'll kill me!"
"I'm sure she won't." Urahara said, Benihime in his right hand. "Draw your Zanpakutou Harry. Do you have any experience in wielding a sword?"
"Not really." Harry said. He fought a Basilisk with Gryffindor's sword, but he won by trusting his instincts and a little bit of luck and not his skill with the sword.
"Good." Urahara smiled. "It will be easier to teach you that way, since you don't have any preconceived notions about wielding a sword. You're a blank canvas, and with some work, I will make you into a masterpiece."
"I thought you'd be disappointed that I didn't have any experience." Harry said, relieved when he heard Urahara's reply.
"Not at all, I'm actually very happy." Urahara said. "Let's begin the lesson shall we?"
Harry nodded and prepared for Urahara's attack. The Captain of the Twelfth division suddenly rushed towards him, moving from left to right, making it difficult for Harry to judge and anticipate his opponent's movement.
Urahara finally reached him and swung his Soul slayer and Harry barely blocked it in time and stopped the sword inches from his neck.
Suddenly Urahara pressed his attack and his blade slid off Harry's sword and slashed the young man's shoulder.
"Arghh!" Harry cried out in pain.
"Rule number one Harry." Urahara said, his voice still the pleasant tone. "Never meet an attack head on. Always divert them to an area well away from your body. Do you know what you did wrong?"
"I tried to meet your attack head on." Harry said through gritted teeth. "And when your blade got closer, you slid it by my Zanpakutou and cut my shoulder."
"Very good." Urahara said. "Now let's see how you respond when in pain."
The Shinigami Captain attacked again and Harry, despite the throbbing sensation in his shoulder, raised his blade and blocked the attack and redirected it away from his body. Urahara attacked again and as their blades met, he used the contact between their Zanpakutou as a pivot point and slammed his hilt on Harry's upper arm.
"It's not just the blade that is part of the weapon." Urahara said, watching as Harry cradled his injury. "Remember that, especially when you finally achieve Shikai. Some Zanpakutou don't even become a sword, but some other weapon, so be ready for any kind of attack."
Harry nodded and he thought the exercise was over when Urahara suddenly attacked him again and he barely dodged by rolling to his left.
"You thought the lesson is over?" Urahara chuckled. "Captains have very busy schedules, and I rarely have free time as it is. Prepare yourself Harry. I don't want to accidentally chop of some part of you, and Yoruichi might get mad at me."
Harry gulped and raised his Zanpakutou on the basic guard stance, ignoring the protest from his tired muscles. As Urahara's powerful attack caused him to slide a few meters back, he wondered if he made the smart choice of agreeing to be trained by this lunatic.
**************
One hour later
"Do you need help Harry?"
"No, go ahead, I can manage." Harry said weakly. He stared at his forearms that were crisscrossed by dozens of scratches and cuts that he accumulated from the hour of hell with Urahara Kisuke. He wanted to get away from the man as quickly as possible, he swore that Urahara was mad at the least, or insane.
"Excellent. Lesson one clear!" Urahara said happily.
*******************
"Harry! What happened to you?" Yoruichi said when she spotted her student bleeding on the footsteps of the training grounds.
Harry was supposed to practice his Shunpo exercises for today, and Yoruichi had planned a quick route into West Rokungai, the Shiba clan's territory. She thought Harry would get a kick from meeting Shiba Kuukaku. With his injuries, that plan had quickly gone down the drain. Pity, Kuukaku was among the few people in Soul Society that she trusted, aside from Urahara and Ukitate.
"Urahara" Harry said weakly.
"That idiot." Yoruichi said. She inspected Harry's wounds, and she noticed most of them were superficial, though she spotted a few that needed treatment and some healing salve. She wanted to use the hot spring, but Harry's wounds could be easily healed within the day. Besides, she wanted to show him the Hot Spring when the time was right. "Can you stand up?"
"Yeah." Harry said. He used his soul slayer to stand up and leaned heavily on it to remain upright.
"Come on, I'll get some bandages." Yoruichi said. In a quick movement she scooped up Harry in her arms, causing his face to blush beet red.
"Yoruichi!" Harry protested.
"Quit struggling you idiot, or you will only bleed more." The Shinigami Captain of the second division said. A moment later Harry found himself being lowered into a luxurious bed. He looked around the luxurious room and guessed it to be Yoruichi's private quarters.
After bandaging most of his wounds and applying some salve, Yoruichi stood up and put her arms on her waist. "Don't move from that spot, you hear? If you do, I'll have Soi Fon guard you."
"I won't move." Harry promised and he looked even paler than before at the mention of Soi Fon's name.
"Good, I'll be back in a few hours. We'll eat dinner here." Yoruichi said as she began to put on her white Haori.
"Where are you going?" Harry turned his head and looked at her.
"I'm going to knock some sense on Kisuke." Yoruichi said.
****************
"Why were you so hard on him?" Yoruichi asked. "You could have used wooden swords."
"The first lesson is always important." Urahara said. "Pain is a good teacher, and now Harry will remember the basics because of it."
"Because of the wounds you gave him, I had to cancel my visit to Kuukaku." Yoruichi scowled.
"I needed to push him, sorry for the inconvenience." Urahara bowed in apology. "We don't have much time, the entrance exam is near."
"That's still no excuse to cut him up like that," Yoruichi said.
"He said he was fine." Urahara replied. "I even offered to heal his wounds, but for some reason he refused."
"Of course he will refuse, you just used him as a blade sharpener."
"We can't afford to use the wooden sword." Urahara said. "We need Harry and his Zanpakutou to bond as quickly as possible."
"Fine, but if you're going to do that to him again, take him to our secret training grounds." Yoruichi said. "I'll show that to him tomorrow if he's feeling well enough."
****************
Three Weeks later
"Hadou 31, Fireball!"
Poooofft...
Harry winced as Yoruichi and Urahara laughed at his attempts at demon magic. He initially thought that he would breeze through the Demon Magic arts because of his experiences with his past life as a wizard.
He was expecting something to happen when Urahara showed him the most basic exercise of demon magic, the light sphere. He concentrated and tried to remember the sensations when he used to wield magic, but the memories were vague and he could not even let out a tiny pinprick of light.
Urahara thought that he needed to condition his body first to strengthen and gain more control of his Reiatsu. Harry thought it was a good suggestion and performed his assigned exercises with renewed vigor, even surprising Yoruichi during their frequent wrestling matches.
Three weeks later, Yoruichi asked him to perform the basic fireball technique but only a puff of smoke was released from his hand, and what was worse, it sounded like farting.
Harry's shoulders slumped down in defeat and in frustration he sent pieces of darts at the target, hitting the red circle in the middle.
"I was expecting you to be disappointed in my performance." Harry said to his two new friends.
"No, actually I was expecting you to perform poorly at this." Urahara said. "You must understand, not everyone can master the all the four disciplines. Everyone always has a weakness, never forget that."
"Still, I suck at the Demon arts." Harry sulked. "I can't even produce the low level spells."
"That's to be expected, after all you have incredible talent in Hohou, and you are really coming along with Shunpo." Urahara said. "I've only seen one person to have displayed such talent for Shunpo."
"Who?" Harry asked.
"Me." Yoruichi grinned. "I'm also bad at the Demon arts, but through training and hard work, eventually I manage to perform some of the spells. I can't claim to be a Kidou master though."
"Oh." Harry said, feeling better when he heard that he wasn't the only one experiencing such problems.
"You have displayed a natural affinity for the Hohou and Hakuda, and your sword skills are coming along nicely. With your performance in these three disciplines, I suspected that you would perform poorly in the Demon arts." Urahara explained.
"What about the captains?" Harry asked. "What's your weakness Urahara?"
"Take a guess." Urahara just smiled, smoothly evading the question. "Some of the captains, like Jyuushiro, are fairly bad at Hakuda. But through the years he managed to overcome his weakness somewhat with training and hard work, like captains should. Still, even though he knows the basic of Hakuda, he will not be as strong it that area of combat like Yoruichi here."
"Yeah, I always kicked his butt when we were little." Yoruichi grinned. "Byakuya was good at it though."
"Who is Byakuya?" Harry asked.
Yoruichi and Urahara exchanged amused glances and then looked back to Harry.
"He's the friendliest Shinigami Captain you will ever meet." Urahara said with a straight face. "He's just recently stepped in as captain of the sixth division. If you ever get the orders to deliver a message for him when you become part of the Mobile Corps, be sure to greet him by his name."
"Sure." Harry replied. He noticed that Yoruichi was coughing and looked at her with concern. "Is something wrong?"
****************
"Catch me if you can Harry!" Yoruichi shouted. She increased her speed and soon she was a good twenty meters in front of him.
Harry just looked on with amazement at Yoruichi. He was already travelling using Shunpo across Seretei, and by what Yoruichi said he was fairly proficient with the art. She was now teaching him to travel at a high speed Shunpo, something only a handful of the Secret mobile corps and the Gotei-13 Captains and Vice-Captains were capable of doing.
To see Yoruichi vanish like that while in a high level speed of Shunpo boggles the mind. The title Goddess of Flash truly belonged to her.
He suddenly felt someone pinch his cheek and he yelped in surprise. His concentration wavered and he stumbled onto a roof tile and crashed painfully on the ground.
"Yoruichi!" Harry complained.
"You were just too cute to pass up!" Yoruichi snickered. "What were you thinking back there?"
"I was just amazed at what you did." Harry dusted himself as he stood up. "You're really something else. You're really the Goddess of Flash."
Yoruichi smiled at what he said and regarded him for a moment. "Harry, visit my bed tonight."
"Yoruichi?" Harry asked.
"Just be there tonight." Yoruichi said simply. She gave him a sultry wink and vanished in front of him.
************
Urahara suddenly felt a familiar Reiatsu in his office and looked up from his desk. He smiled with satisfaction, he didn't almost didn't even see the blur that was Harry pass through his window. "Harry, our lesson isn't till tomorrow."
"Yoruichi..." Harry began, and Urahara noticed the young man's cheek redden when he spoke the name.
"She told me to show this to you." Harry continued. He pulled out his Zanpakutou and Urahara leaned forwards and inspected it. It had grown shorter, to the size of a Wakizashi, and its sheath changed from the ordinary purple to a dull black matte. Urahara's eyes widened when he saw a black blade when he pulled the sword partially from its sheath.
"Congratulations." Urahara said as he gave the bonded Zanpakutou back to Harry. "When did this happen?"
"Uhmm last night." Harry said evasively. In truth, he noticed his Zanpakutou released a small burst of his own Reiatsu as he climaxed for the first time, buried in Yoruichi's body. "Yoruichi thought that I should show you this. Something about fighting styles."
"That's correct." Urahara hid the grin in his face, since he already suspected what had happened. "Because of the change in your Zanpakutou, you have to learn to fight with its shorter reach."
"I thought as much." Harry agreed. "I'll practice on my own today."
"Good." Urahara said pleasantly. "Go on now, Mayuri's coming and he's too nosy for his own good."
Harry nodded and headed to the window he came from.
"Oh and Harry?"
The young man already had one foot on the ledge before he stopped and looked at the Shinigami Captain. "Yeah?"
"Try to keep the noise down." Urahara grinned. "You and Yoruichi were too noisy last night. Did you enjoy yourself?"
Harry did not bother to reply and instantly vanish, at a much faster pace of Shunpo than before and causing Urahara to chuckle with amusement. The kid was really easy to tease.
*********************
"He'll be fine Yoruichi." Urahara said. The two captains were perched on the roof of a building nearby, watching Harry as he lined up with other students, all hoping to pass the test to gain admittance at the Shinigami Academy.
Harry had undergone a rigorous training session with Yoruichi and the Urahara in the four disciplines. After three months full of broken bones, sword cuts and bruises, Yoruichi had finally proclaimed him to be ready for the exam.
He swore Urahara was a lunatic, because the man had constantly pushed Harry to exhaustion in his lessons. The man was unpredictable, and in one session in his second week, he unleashed a dozen dummy hollows for Harry to fight. The young man barely survived that night, and only thanks to his budding skills in Shunpo that he was able to defeat the dozen dummy hollows. As he finished dispatching the last Hollow, he did not see Urahara's impressed look and the slight smile on the eccentric Captain's face.
"There goes your young protégé." Urahara said as Harry entered the examination room.
Yoruichi smiled at the name and stood up from her perch on the roof. "I don't think Harry realizes that the training we gave him is enough for him to breeze through the academy. He's going to be surprised when he sees the difference in power between him and his peers."
"I bet." Urahara chuckled. "Have you an idea what type of soul slayer he will wield once he achieves Shikai?"
"It has to be a wind type Zanpakutou, like mine." Yoruichi said confidently. "His affinity and talent for Shunpo only confirms my suspicions."
"I see." Urahara also stood up. "What do you think of the other genius?"
"Captain Commander Yamamoto already has his eyes on him." Yoruichi said. "Hitsugaya Yoshiro is too uptight for my taste anyway."
"Still, the revelation that his Zanpakutou is Hyourinmaru is surprising." Urahara said. "The most powerful Ice type Zanpakutou has now surfaced."
"He'll be a captain within a year, two at most." Yoruichi guessed. "Let's go, we have a captain's meeting to attend to."
"I really don't want to see that man's face."
"I know Yoruichi, you only want to remain in bed with Harry." Urahara teased.
"Admit it, you also don't like that man." Yoruichi tried to ignore the last comment, though her cheeks blushed at the secret she and Harry had been keeping. "How did you find out anyway?"
"You two should keep down your voices." Urahara smirked. "And Harry has not completely mastered his control his reiatsu. I sensed his power spike in four different occasions last night. You wore Harry out, didn't you?"
"Shut up." Yoruichi said. She smacked her friend on the head and disappeared, and Urahara after arranging his hair, followed his friend into the Captain Commander's office.
*************
"You already have a sword?" The examiner looked up at the young man with glasses standing before him. "Where did you get that?"
"My friend gave it to me." Harry said. "It bonded with me a while ago while in training."
"You... you already bonded with your sword?" The examiner said, staring at the zanpakutou in Harry's hand.
Harry nodded, wondering what was the fuss was about. The other examiners in the other tables stopped their conversations with the other applicants and Harry felt his cheeks heat up at the attention focused on him.
"You better talk with my superior." The man slowly stood up and led him into a door on the right. Instantly Harry heard mutterings behind his back and he wondered what he did wrong. He had kept his Reiatsu firmly in check just as Urahara advised and followed the examiner past the door.
"Another one? First that Hitsugaya and then him?"
"Who is he anyway?"
"Does he belong to the noble families?"
"Quiet! He might hear you!"
Harry walked into another room, this time it was decorated with elaborate gold leafs and banners. He found himself standing in front of a man with long silver hair that was wearing the Haori of a captain.
Jyuushiro Ukitate looked up, surprised at the young man standing before him, with a bonded Zanpakutou in his hands. This was the second time in two years that he saw such a sight.
"Captain Ukitate, this applicant has already bonded with his Zanpakutou." The examiner said nervously.
"Thank you, I'll take it from here." Ukitate said. The captain of the thirteenth squad waited until the examiner left the room before he continued speaking.
"Another one eh?" Ukitate smiled and indicated that the young man in front of him to sit down. "It seems this year is very special. The whole of Seretei is already talking about Hitsugaya Toushiro, now you come along. What's your name?"
"Harry Potter, Captain." The young man said.
"Did you have any training with the four disciplines?" Ukitate asked, though he knew the answer. Though Harry Potter was completely keeping Reiatsu under control, he could still sense the power within the young man.
"I did Captain." Harry replied.
"I see." Ukitate said. "Who trained you?"
The young man was clearly uncomfortable with the question and Ukitate chuckled. "I understand why you are hesitant to answer my question. I know many applicants train with their relatives who are Shinigami to gain an advantage when applying for the academy. I still need to know who trained you though, so that I can gauge how advance you are."
"Captains Yoruichi and Urahara." Harry mumbled.
Ukitate's eyebrows shot up when he heard this and after a moment he grinned at Harry. "I see. Those sly dogs."
"Captain?" Harry was confused with Ukitate's reaction.
Ukitate was about to reply when a hell butterfly entered the room and the Shinigami captain held out a finger for the butterfly to land on. After delivering its message, the butterfly flew out and Ukitate chuckled and looked at Harry.
"I wish I could have found you before those two managed to sink their claws in you." Ukitate said. "Have you released your Zanpakutou Harry?"
"Not yet Captain, but Urahara said that I am close to achieving it." Harry rubbed his forearm as he remembered his fight with the lunatic captain of the twelfth squad.
"How long have you been training?" Ukitate asked.
"About three months Captain." Harry replied though with Urahara and Yoruichi's training, it felt like a lifetime.
Ukitate stroked his chin, pondering on what to do with this new applicant. "This gets complicated then. If you pass the assessment test that I will personally supervise, you could easily get in on any of the Gotei 13 squads. But becoming a Shinigami is not just about power. You also need to study the history and traditions of the Soul Society."
Ukitate stood up and adjusted his white Haori. "Come, let's move to the training grounds for your practical examination."
Harry followed the Shinigami captain and looked around the large space where he observed his fellow applicants using their generic Zanpakutou against the examiners. He frowned when he saw their clumsy and awkward movements, the swing of their swords, the foot work.
"Is something bothering you?" Ukitate asked Harry who was walking behind him.
"I'm just wondering why they didn't prepare that much for the exams." Harry looked at the hopeful applicants.
Ukitate chuckled and headed to the far end of the examination grounds. Applicants and examiners alike stopped their exercises, since the appearance of Shinigami captain was a rare sight. "I doubt anyone of them had two Shinigami captains training them for the various disciplines. I would say you are lucky, but I think the squad captain you would choose to serve would be the lucky one."
"How can you tell?" Harry said. "You haven't even seen me in the exercises."
"It's the little things." Ukitate said. "It's always in the eyes. I can sense your reiatsu no matter how much you dampen it."
Ukitate unsheathed his own Zanpakutou and faced the young applicant. "Now, let's see how much Yoruichi has trained you."
Harry unsheathed his own soul slayer and warily faced the Shinigami captain. Suddenly Ukitate lunged at him and he parried. He pushed back with his own blade and forced Ukitate to jump back and he counterattacked with a lunge of his own.
The Shinigami captain easily blocked the attack and continued looking at the eyes of the young applicant. After a few exchanges later he frowned and suddenly attacked with such ferocity that it surprised the growing audience around them.
Just as he expected, Harry was able to deflect the powerful attack by dangling the sword sideways, redirecting the blow into another direction instead of meeting it head on. He could see Urahara's fighting technique in the young man and smiled.
"We both know you are holding back Harry." Ukitate said. "Why don't you drop this charade and show me your full strength."
Harry nodded and he spread his legs apart to gain better balance. Suddenly the whole exercise yard was saturated by his Reiatsu and the applicants and most of the examiners fell down on their knees, unable to withstand the powerful pressure.
"That's more like it." Ukitate said. He opened his mouth to give compliment on the control harry had on his Reiatsu when the young suddenly vanished before his eyes.
'Shunpo!' Ukitate thought as his eyes widened in shock. A fraction of a second later Harry appeared in front of him, the black blade of his unreleased Zanpakutou heading towards Ukitate's torso.
The captain's easily blocked the attack but he felt the sheer physical strikes generated by the attack to be impressive. He used a small portion of his own Reiatsu and used it against the young man. He too used Shunpo and attacked Harry, appearing behind him in a flash.
Harry did not use his soul slayer to block the attack, but instead he ducked and the blade sliced over his head, cutting a few strands of his unruly hair. Without losing any speed, the young man used his foot as leverage and aimed his left fist towards Ukitate, but the captain raised his hand and blocked the punch with his arm.
Harry gritted his teeth and tried to press his advantage. He brought up his sword and tried to make a cut on the Shinigami Captain's neck but it was blocked by Ukitate's own Zanpakutou.
Harry felt a powerful burst of Reiatsu from his opponent and suddenly a blade flashed towards him at incredible speeds. He was barely able to block it, but the attack was so powerful and it pushed him back a good distance away.
"Good." Ukitate said, sheathing his sword. "I've seen enough. Congratulations. Welcome to the academy, Harry."
"It's finished?" Harry said. He was expecting a long grueling fight that would push him to exhaustion, but the spar he had with Captain Ukitate only lasted for a minute.
"I've seen enough." Ukitate smiled. "You need to suppress your Reiatsu though. Some of the applicants are having a hard time coping."
"Oh right." Harry suppressed his own power and the strong spiritual pressure vanished in an instant. "Now I know why Yoruichi wanted me to always control my power. I didn't know it affected some people."
"The Captains and the Vice Captains need to do that, otherwise the fourth squad would be overworked by now, and I don't want to annoy Captain Unohana." Ukitate said. "Let's go to my thirteenth squad headquarters. Let's discuss your schooling there."
Ukitate used Shunpo and a moment later he felt Harry following him closely from behind. He now knew why Yoruichi wanted him so badly in the secret Mobile corps, to the point of sending a hell butterfly to persuade him. He was sorely tempted to head hunt Harry and incorporate him as a fourth seat in his squad, but he knew Yoruichi would get annoyed with him, and she was the one woman in soul society he didn't want to annoy.
*****************
"Congratulations."
Harry panted as he continued moving his hips while Yoruichi sighed and scratched his back with her nails, drawing blood. Yoruichi liked what she saw when Harry had cleaned up and took a proper bath removing the dirt and grime that had accumulated in his hair and body. She had not gone without a lover for a long time and decided Harry would do nicely to satisfy her urges for the time being, and Harry could not say no to his generous host, and she was incredibly alluring. One month into his training, Yoruichi finally bedded him.
"I can't wait to have you as my subordinate." Yoruichi mewled as Harry continued his pace. "Imagine what we will be up to."
"You... already used me for... sex." Harry said. He grunted and thrust harder, feeling his climax approach.
"It's different if you're my subordinate." Yoruichi said. She bit Harry in the shoulder making him groan and she grinned when she felt Harry erupt inside her. "If you refused my bed, I'd have you killed."
"Really?" Harry said as he laid his head on Yoruichi's soft breasts, using the soft mounds as a pillow. "I don't think so, you like me too much."
Yoruichi giggled and rolled on the futon until she was straddling Harry. "You'd make a bad subordinate, but you're too good to let go."
"In bed or my Shinigami skills?" Harry teased. He admired Yoruichi's sweat drenched body and wiped the sweat from collarbone and licked it, savoring the salty taste.
"Take a guess." Yoruichi said as she stretched up and yawned. She leaned down and gave Harry a passionate kiss, then stood up and moved to the window to enjoy the feeling as the wind cooled her body down. Harry admired her long legs and shapely buttocks, and her slender yet strong body.
"Jyuushiro told me that you're going to graduate with this year's batch." Yoruichi said. She picked up her uniform and began to put it on to Harry's disappointment.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"I have some matters to discuss with Soi Fon." Yoruichi said.
"Her again?" Harry said. He met the ice cold bitch the day after Yoruichi showed him his new quarters. He didn't know what he did wrong, but the young woman continued giving him death glares whenever Yoruichi wasn't looking. "She's too uptight."
The captain of the second squad laughed and donned her Haori and looked at the mirror to check herself. "You better start showing her some respect. She'll make your life very difficult once she becomes my vice captain for the second squad."
"Good, you have too many responsibilities as it is." Harry said. He stood up and stretched his limbs and heard the familiar pop as he stretched his back. "Managing the second squad of the Gotei-13 and the secret mobile corps takes too much of your time."
Yoruichi sighed and observed her protégé and lover. Harry really didn't care about propriety and rank, and only showed respect to those that he deemed deserving. It was going to cause her much trouble if she allowed him to get into the second squad. Goodness knows what will happen if Soi Fong and Harry stayed under one roof without her around.
Still, his casualness and disregard for protocol was what attracted Yoruichi to the young man she had been training. She needed to remind him once in a while about she was the captain, and the one in charge.
******************
"What do you think Soi Fon? Would you like to spar with him?"
The young woman immediately bowed in respect to her beloved captain. "Good morning Captain."
"I told you to cut it with that crap." Yoruichi admonished her third seat. "Call me Yoruichi."
"But it won't be proper!" Soi Fon argued. "It's disrespectful!"
"But Harry does it, why can't you?" Yoruichi said.
"Harry..." Soi Fon narrowed her eyes and returned to look at the Secret Mobile Corps practicing their drills. At the middle of the training grounds, a young man in the gray suit of a student of the Secret Mobile corps division sparred with six regular members of the corps.
"So, do you think he can give you a good challenge?" Yoruichi asked.
"He is talented." Soi Fon admitted. She observed the Hakuda exercise and it looked like Harry was winning. His technique and fighting style were good, like he had been trained by the best, though Soi Fon's critical gaze could still spot a few things that he needed to polish. "He needs to work on flexibility though. He mainly relies on speed and strength."
"Work on it with him." Yoruichi said.
"Captain?" Soi Fon asked. "He's only a student..."
"And the most talented in Hakuda in this training yard, except for me and you." Yoruichi added. "I suspect he will be graduating soon."
"But he's only a first year academy student!" Soi Fon gasped.
"He is, but he's very much like Hitsugaya." Yoruichi said. "He's a natural, you have to admit that. Can't you feel his Reiatsu?"
Soi Fon nodded. "He's very strong, though he needs more control with it. So he's very close to achieving Shikai? Once that happens..."
"He will automatically become a Shinigami and will become the latest member of the Secret Mobile Corps." Yoruichi said. "I heard rumors that the other captains are taking an interest in him, but since he already expressed interest in joining the Corps, they can do nothing about it."
"He will be a fine addition, perhaps even a seated officer." Soi Fon grudgingly admitted.
"Go, train him, Vice Captain." Yoruichi said once Harry disposed of the last of his opponents.
"Yes Captain!" Soi Fon bowed and headed towards Harry, while the second squad members and the Secret Mobile Corps bowed as she passed.
******************
A month later.
"I don't want anyone wondering about, alright?" Kotetsu Isane said. The vice captain of the fourth squad was assigned to watch over the group of Shinigami academy students for their first official mission, a requirement needed for graduation for the sixth years. It was a prestigious occasion, since only those who showed skill and leadership, regardless of year level was picked to join the hunting party.
"Yes Captain!"
Isane observed her fourteen charges, assessing each one of them with a meticulous eye. She was confident the class could handle the two hollows that were currently wreaking havoc in the human world. The secret mobile corps had reported that the hollows were stage two hunter hollow class, the second weakest of the hollows that even a low rank Shinigami will have no problem dealing with them.
She smiled at her sister, Kotetsu Kiyone who was part of the advanced hunting party. Kiyone had shown much promise, and like her was capable of releasing her Zanpakutou in her sixth year. She noted the powerful Reiatsu of Hisagi Shuuhei, another promising candidate once he graduates.
She looked at their faces and was surprised to see a student of the Secret Mobile corps standing out with his gray outfit among the white uniforms of the regular academy students.
"I never knew the students of the secret mobile corps participated in the hunting parties." Isane mused. "Why are you here?"
The other students looked at the young man, his face hidden in gray clothes except for his green eyes that seemed to glow whenever the moon hit them.
"My superiors thought it would be good for me to join the hunting party, Vice Captain Isane. Captain Ukitate approved of it." The young man said.
"What's your name?" Kiyone asked, looking at her fellow Shinigami student. She rarely saw a Secret Mobile corps by himself, since they usually travel in groups and always hid their faces, except for the eyes.
"Kiyone, they do not tell their names except to their commanding officer." Isane said. "They usually address themselves by numbers if they are in the company of regular Shinigami. What's your number?"
"You can call me eighty-six, Vice Captain Isane." The young man bowed slightly in a sign of respect.
"Okay eighty six, I assume you are proficient at Shunpo?" Isane asked.
"Yes Vice Captain."
"Good, you'll act as the scout." Isane said. She turned to the other students and gave them last minute instructions. "Remember, I will not step in unless you are clearly in danger. This is your mission, I am just here to supervise. Got that?"
"Yes Vice Captain!"
The hunting party stepped through the portal and a moment later the fourteen students and a Shinigami Vice captain appeared.
"Shall I go ahead Captain?"
Isane was surprised when she heard the voice close to her. She didn't even realize that the student from the secretive Mobile Corps was standing beside her.
"Report to Kisune, since she will be the one leading the mission." Isane said.
The young man nodded and turned to the younger Kisune sister and waited for his instructions.
"Sweep this side of the mountain. According to the report there are two hollows in the immediate vicinity. I'll lead this side okay?" Kisune said.
"Shouldn't we try and split up into two groups so we can cover more ground?"A sixth year suggested.
"Yeah, we could do that." Kisune said. After a minute of organizing themselves into two groups, the hunt began.
"Do you think this Hollow will be tough?" Kosanu, a fourth year said.
"Nah, my brother told me that the hollows they allow us to fight are the weakest. We shouldn't have any trouble at all." A female sixth said. "I heard of rumors that they sometimes use Dummy Hollows to simulate real hollows."
"But why did Vice Captain Isane join that other party?" Kosanu fretted. "I'll feel much safer if she's with us."
"Of course she would join the other party, her baby sister's there you idiot." Natsuki Ando, the sixth year Shinigami student said.
"Yeah, and we have that secret mobile corps student with us." Hisagi added.
"You idiot, everyone knows those guys are runners. At the first hint of trouble, they'll just use their Shunpo to get away from the hollow." Kosanu said to the second year. "They always leave the real fighting to the Gotei-13."
The roar of the hollow in the distance made everyone unsheathe their Zanpakutou, and the conversation among the students immediately died down.
"That's got to be it!" Hisagi said.
Immediately the student from the secret mobile corps appeared before his fellow students to report on his scouting mission.
"I only sensed one Hollow, past by that ridge there." Harry replied.
"Good, tell Vice Captain Isane that we have found our target, and we will engage with it shortly." Natsuki Ando said.
"You don't need my aid?" Harry asked.
"We can handle it, just go to the Vice Captain already."
Harry nodded, and used Shunpo and headed towards the other party. If he knew he was only going to be used a messenger boy tonight, he would have declined the invitation and remained in bed with Yoruichi.
As the wind rushed past his face, his Zanpakutou again decided to add her own opinion.
At least you get to feel the wind in your face, you don't know how I longed to feel that once again.
'Just tell me your name, and we'll fly.'
Idiot. You already know my name. You're not just looking at the right spot. There's no wind in here Harry. I want to feel it again, the howl of the wind on the mountains. Speak my name.
Harry finally reached the other hunting party and arrived just in time to see the group lead by Kisune pushing back a bear-like hollow. Isane was watching from the trees, ready to step in case of trouble.
"My group has started to engage our hollow, Vice Captain."
Isane shrieked in her spot and she immediately put a hand on her chest. She was so intent on watching her sister's actions that she never even sensed the young man's arrival. Normally she would feel a few of the secret mobile corps as they reported to her in a few missions she went through, but it seems this student was very talented at hiding his Reiatsu.
Isane was about to reply when a strange Reiatsu filled the surrounding area and she heard her younger sister scream.
"Kisune!" Isane unsheathed her sword and saw that the hollow they were fighting had suddenly changed its shape. It became leaner, and sprouted additional limbs that had scythe like claws from the ends of the arms.
Kisune had already released her Zanpakutou and was now busy fighting for her life, while her teammates tried to attack the mask from all sides. They were immediately swept away in mid air by the creature's tail that had elongated and grew spikes at the end, and one unfortunate fifth year was impaled in the shoulder before being thrown down on the ground.
"Vice Captain!" Harry took hold of the woman's shoulder. "Can't you feel the other squad is in trouble too?"
Isane could deal with both hollows, but she would have to do it one at a time. If she disposed of the Hollow nearest her, the other squad might get annihilated, and if she went there first, she might find her sister and her team slaughtered. She saw the intelligence in the hollows eyes, it was assessing them, learning their tactics.
"I'll deal with this Hollow first." Isane said, though she knew she would be condemning the other team to their horrible deaths.
She had no choice, since this was the most logical and efficient manner, and she was just lucky that her sister was in this team. Immediately she headed towards the hollow and intercepted its tail just as it was about to crush her sister who was trying to move away some of her injured schoolmates.
"There's no time." Harry muttered. He looked over the valley where his own team tried to fight of the hollow and headed towards them, increasing the speed of his Shunpo causing his Reiatsu to spike up.
As Isane fought off the Hollow, she suddenly felt the Reiatsu of the student from the secret mobile corps. She realized that he had been holding back, suppressing his own spirit power like she did. Suddenly her heart wasn't so heavy anymore for deciding to fight this hollow first, knowing someone at least as powerful as her was on his way to the other team.
"Sprint, Itegumo!" Isane released her Zanpakutou and revealed its true form in a flash of light.
*********************
Harry pushed forward, but it took him four seconds to travel to the location of his own team. In those four seconds he had already felt the life force of three of his teammates to be in critical condition, while he sensed three others moving across the forest and luring the hollow away from the injured.
"Faster." Harry grumbled as he moved swiftly past the wind, the end of the black cloth that covered the lower half of his face fluttering against the wind.
He arrived right just and saw Hisagi, the youngest member of group, barely avoid the hollow's attack. He had spotted the Hollow ten minutes ago, and noticed that it too had changed as well. It had strange protrusions on its back and its thin head had elongated, and its body had grown feathers. Larger feathers had grown from the wrist to the elbow of the hollow and Harry noticed that it used the feathers to cut through the trees in pursuit of its prey.
Hisagi stumbled as he desperately tried to get away from the Hollow. A moment ago they were about to kill it when a strange Reiatsu hung in the air and the Hollow began to transform. Its new body was fast, and it was able to pin down the three most senior members of the group by shooting out sharp feathers from its arms.
It then focused on Hisagi, since he had the most potent Reiatsu in the area and despite his team mates to lure it away, it did not take the bait and swiped them with his arms, creating deep gashes in their bodies. Hisagi was now on his own.
The second year Shinigami leaped to the next tree branch and jumped to the next when he felt a sharp pain in his leg. He landed awkwardly on the ground and noticed a feather dart stuck in the back of his thigh. He pulled it out and tried to stand but his leg felt numb and he saw the strange liquid in the dart.
The feather had finally caught up to him and it opened its mouth to consume him when a blur darted past them and the Hollow cried out in pain.
Hisagi's vision faltered as the poison on the feather affected him, but he could not mistake that gray blur anywhere. It was the student from the secret mobile corps, and by the sounds of the hollow he was able to injure it.
Harry slashed the leg of the Hollow with his soul slayer, immediately attracting its attention on him. He used Shunpo and appeared near its head and tried to kill it, but the Hollow seemingly knew he would try it and attacked him with its blade arms.
It was only with Yoruichi's training that he was able to evade the attack by twisting his body in mid air and used his legs as leverage and kicked the Hollow in the mask. At the same time, he used his soul slayer and blocked the other arm and stopped the sharp feathers mere inches from his face.
The Hollow realized that it was dealing with a much powerful opponent and the strange lumps on its back burst, revealing large leathery wings dripping with blood and fluids. The Hollow moved his wings and a powerful gust of wind forced Harry to cover his eyes as his enemy took off towards the sky.
Harry scowled as he tried to gauge the distance between him and the Hollow. He could not reach the beast with Shunpo since he did not have enough leverage to reach that altitude, though he knew Yoruichi could do it.
The Hollow roared again and from its arms it shot off another round of dart feathers and Harry was forced to evade them and started running.
'If only I could reach him' Harry thought. He used his Zanpakutou to deflect the darts aimed for his head and increased his speed through the trees.
"I long to Fly Harry."
Harry scowled. His Zanpakutou always picked the best moments to become talkative. "Not now."
"Set me free, I can help you."
"How can I help you when you don't even know your name?" Harry said. He flipped again and saw the darts hit the trunk of a tree and took off to the opposite direction.
"Stubborn brat. How many times do I have to scream in your ears to make you hear my name? Look within you. I am apart of you, you are a part of me. Let me fly."
Harry immediately stopped and the Hollow overshot its target and started to circle back. Seeing that its prey was standing still, it climbed higher and angled for a steep dive, eager to sink its claws on the Shinigami's body.
"Let go of your past. You are free. Look to the heavens and fly to your future."
Harry gazed at the heavens, his back to the Hollow that came nearer every second.
"We will fly together, and I shall show you the true currents of the wind with my black wings."
Isane had just finished giving first aid healing to the injured members of the second party. She found Hisagi half paralyzed, but the promising Shinigami was able to point out the direction where the Secret Mobile Corps student headed to lure the Hollow.
The Vice Captain of the fourth squad was always sensitive to the currents of Reiatsu and she was able to pinpoint where the Hollow and the young student were battling. After a minute she finally found the young man standing still in a clearing and a flying hollow flying straight towards him from behind.
Isane was about to yell for him to get out but it seemed that the young man didn't hear him. He just stood still, with his head looking up to the heavens, not the least worried that a Hollow was seconds away from killing him.
She was about to Shunpo in between the Hollow and the young man when a strong gust of wind suddenly blew around them. A moment later Isane realized that this was the effect of the young man's Reiatsu, like the air got colder when Hitsugaya Toushiro releases his own spiritual power. It was powerful and potent and the winds started to pick up, causing the Hollow to change its dive, but it was still determined to kill the Shinigami.
"Let my soul give me the wings with which to fight."
Isane looked at the Mobile corps student. 'What is he doing?' She thought.
"Power with which to soar..."
The vice captain noticed that the young man had raised his bonded Soul Slayer and realize that it was the first she had seen a black blade on a sealed Zanpakutou.
"Let her black wings fly once more.... Fly, Fujin!"
Isane struggled to remain upright as a vortex of wind rippled around the young man and his raised Zanpakutou. She struggled to look and as the winds died down she gasped in surprise. Eighty-six, as the young had asked her to call him, had just achieved Shikai!
She looked on with interest as she stared at him, seeing his face for the first time as the gray cloth that covered the lower part of his face blew away because of the strong wind. In his right hand, his Zanpakutou finally revealed with its true form.
It was massive, almost as tall as he is, dark steel shaped like a boomerang, with a series of runes carved on its shiny black surface. The edge of the weapon was sharp, reflecting the moonlight and Isane noticed that there were hand grips for the wielder at either end at the dull end of the V shaped blade.
The Hollow felt that its opponent had suddenly increased its Reiatsu, and it tried to stop its attack but it had committed itself earlier and it was traveling too fast for its wings to stop it.
Harry turned his head sideways and looked behind him, and observed the Hollow's progress. He twisted his arm, and he stepped to the side and used the blade end of his unsealed Zanpakutou to slice the Hollow's wings from its body.
The Hollow shrieked in pain as it crashed on the ground, but its mask was still intact. As it slowly stood up it stared at its adversary who for some reason did not have a weapon in his hand. A second later the Hollow heard a sickening crunch as its head was severed from its body as the Shinigami's weapon sliced cleanly through its neck. Before its decapitated hit the ground, its body slowly vanished, swept away by a powerful wind.
Harry flicked his Zanpakutou to the side, removing the blood that stuck on its edges before he traced the runes engraved on his Zanpakutou with his fingers. He looked up when he felt Vice Captain Isane looking at him from the trees and walked towards her.
"Congratulations, you have achieved Shikai."
"Thank you, Vice Captain Isane." Harry said. He smiled at his Zanpakutou, as he heard an amusing comment from her and looked back to the Vice captain.
"What is you Zanpakutou's name?" Isane asked. The first time a Shinigami achieved Shikai was always a special moment, and they consider themselves lucky if they were present to witness one of their comrades achieve that level.
"Her name's Fujin." Harry said fondly. "She's been frustrated the past few months, but finally she's glad to be able to fly."
"I see..." Isane said, realizing that this young man was like Hitsugaya. "Wait, did you say your Zanpakutou's name is Fujin?"
"Yes." Harry said. "Is something wrong?"
"Nothing..." Isane said. She needed to talk to her captain first to confirm her suspicions. "Good work back there, now help me with the injured. We need to get them back to my captain immediately."
***********
Yoruichi tried to hide her smile as Harry, wearing the uniform of the secret mobile corps walked exactly two paces behind her. Soi Fon was on her other side giving murderous glares to the new Shinigami Mobile corps that continued to attract Yoruichi's attention and favor.
"Soi Fon?"
"Yes Captain?" Soi Fon asked.
"Can you handle the drill inspection for today?"
"Of course captain." Soi Fon said. "If there is an emergency, where shall I find you?"
"I'll be in my quarters." Yoruichi said. "Let's go Harry."
The newly appointed member of the Secret Mobile Corps nodded and followed the Captain down the wooden hall. When Yoruichi felt that they were alone she walked slower so that Harry could walk beside her.
"When will you show me?" Yoruichi asked. "And what's her name?"
"Her name's Fujin." Harry said.
Yoruichi smiled when she heard the name. She couldn't wait and tell Urahara that Harry's Zanpakutou was the most powerful of the wind type soul slayers.
"I can't wait to see you in action." Yoruichi said eagerly. "But that's for tomorrow. Congratulations on becoming a Shinigami."
"Thanks." Harry said.
"Now let's get back to bed." Yoruichi pulled on Harry's arm. "I need to reward you for all your hard work."
"Yes Captain!" Harry said eagerly, causing Yoruichi to laugh as she pulled her current lover into her room.
**********
A/N: Edited, I added a few scenes which I earlier cut because it was too long. I decided to post them back again.