Ushering In a New Era

Tenkai had arrived at the Captains Hall only moments after leaving his own barracks. The hall was dark, quiet, and reeked of a despair that he himself had brought in. The last time Tenkai had been in this hall was when he was still only a Vice Captain being briefed on the invasion of Seireitei. They had retaken much of the Rukongai and were fighting back the quincies in a fairly successful campaign. Spirits were high and the efforts of the remaining shinigami matched it. They were all tired of living in fear, thinking any moment could be our last. They had wanted their home back, and as evident as it was today, they had taken it back.

Now though, the tone of the meeting would be drastically different. The previous Captain Commander had passed on in battle against the man who was now the current Captain Commander. It was a topic that was sure to spark controversy among all who would gather in the hall. There would be no Captain there that would fully agree with what Tenkai did. There were those who could understand it and agree with the outcome. But the method of which things had been accomplished would always be in question. He believed that even Sansuka would question the methods that Tenkai had undertaken.

He had discussed what he had now done with him previously, both understanding that changing leadership was in the Seireitei's best interest. However, killing Toshiro had never really been the objective of the undertaking. It was simply a byproduct of the situation that he had found himself in. He knew Toshiro would never relinquish his position so easily. Though he trusted Tenkai as a shinigami, Captain, and perhaps even as a friend, his position was a different story. One could never simply relinquish the title of Captain Commander. Even in the past, no Captain Commander had 'retired'. Granted, there had only been two prior to Toshiro taking charge, and now Tenkai would be the fourth. But both Yamamoto and Shunsui had fallen in combat opening the way for their predecessor.

Thus, a precedent was never really set for changing leadership when said leader was not truly suited for his post. So, though it was not particularly tasteful, it was necessary. At least Toshiro died as a warrior and not surrendering his rank and pride. He died as a true shinigami, no, a true warrior. With that, he knew that the young shinigami's soul could rest in peace. While he could see peace, it was now up to Tenkai to make sure that everyone else saw the same. Moving forward into the hall and sitting in the Captain Commander's chair, he knew his job was just beginning.

SC: 36

A portal opened, dropping Ren off into the Captain Hall of the Soul Society where he stood in front of the position for squad 2 captain. It was there he took his position and looked in the direction of the new Cptain-Commander. His mind kept bugging him, tugging at at his inner spirits like something wasn't right. Unfortunately he had lost his memories from an unknown event that wiped most of his memories, leaving Ren as an completely different person. Back to the previous thought, the one who sat in the chair wasn't even in the furthest corner of his mind which made him wonder. 'Should I know him?' He thought as he twiddled his thumbs uncomfortably, feeling out of place.

Suddenly Asuna, the soul from within his zanpaktou caught his attention as it created an image of itself in Ren's head.'Alright so here's basically what happened to you during the time you were gone. You became two people trapped in one body, escaped, was captured, helped in a war against the Quincy, left Soul Society... Are you getting all of this kid, because I'm not going to repeat myself.' He nodded, placing his hands behind his back as he waited for the rest of the story.'Good, so where was I again? Oh yes, leaving Soul Society, so you left the place, merged with the two personalities and here you are now, a less in tact version of yourself but you're much better than the two from before so you get a pass from me.' He then faded away, allowing him to continue business in reality.

He was going to working under a completely different leader as a one hundred percent different guy. It was quite the dice roll of destiny for such an arrangement to made. He fiddled around his mind for a moment before settling down in time to ask a question that otherwise would linger until he did. What happened to the Original Captin-Commander, what was there plan of action against the Quincy and why couldn't he remember anything though his last two questions would have to be saved for later since the secondary would be answered anyway and his third was more like a personal problem.

As Rensaku's went to open his mouth in order to ask he felt himself freeze up, not even allowing air out. It took some thinking but the idea to use notes as a way to communicate came to mind as he pulled out a notebook, started scribbling on it and then sent it the Commander's way through the air. The letter read,"What happened to the previous Commander?' He then waited for a response as he sat in the traditional samurai way.

Sentence Count: 21

As Tenkai sat patiently awaiting the Captains to arrive someone appeared before him. Their appearance itself was not startling to him, but the method of which he did. The young man appeared seemingly from out of thin air, and popped into existence. It seemed to be some sort of portal that brought him into the room and had phased him to his current position. Silently dismissing it within his own mind, Tenkai observed the individual for a few moments. They had not spoken since they had entered the room. They had merely stood in a single spot, shifting from side to side. It was almost like the motions of someone speaking to another person, but without a word being uttered. He simply sat, watching in slight amazement at the spectacle that unraveled before him. It was just, bizarre, whatever he was watching unfold in his presence.

As he continued to watch on the young man silently nodded. To what, Tenkai hadn't the slightest clue as there was no one else in the room other then the two of them. So unless the young man was hearing voices, which now that he thought about it was a very real possibility, he was perhaps uneasy or perturbed. But that was neither here nor there, perhaps the first thing Tenkai should have done was ask the young soul his name. He could not place his face, or the reiatsu that the man carried. However he had shown up and had to understand what was happening in the room they were both in. As if in answer to his ponderings, the young man pulled out a small note pad. Jotting something down upon it quickly, he sent the note across the room in Tenkai's direction. Swiping the note out from mid air, he looked upon it reading that which the young man had wrote.

On the piece of paper was a single sentence, one that he had a feeling would be asked of him many times that night. 'What happened to the previous Commander.' Sighing, Tenkai set the note down on the floor beside his chair and readjusted himself. Turning his head to look at the young shinigami before him he spoke, giving his answer. "The former Captain Commander, Toshiro Orahara, has fallen in battle. He died less then a day ago and has since passed back to the World of the Living to be reincarnated." Pausing a moment Tenkai was unsure of exactly how much information he should unveil before the full repertoire of officers had gathered. He did not want to unveil too much while not everyone was here and risk some leaving before everyone arrived. Perhaps it was best at the moment, to only give out as much information as was necessary until everyone had gathered.

Clearing his throat, Tenkai put an eloquent wrap to his previous statement. "As for how the young Captain Commander met his demise. That, shall be discussed once all of the others have arrived." Moving his arms into his laps from the arms of the chair, he folded them into the sleeves of his haori, keeping them shrouded from view. He had another thought on his mind as his attention, and gaze, was kept on the shinigami that was in the room with him. The mans identity, he still did not know it, and he would be interested in finding it out. Leaning forward ever so slightly, he gazed quizzically at the man and posed the question to him. "So, my young soul, I would ask that you present your identity to me in its full. I cannot say that I recognize your face, or the reiatsu that you bear." Tenkai sat quietly after asking his question waiting with interest for the shinigami's answer.

SC: 43

Hearing new about the old Captain Commander made him a bit upset for some unknown reason; He never knew the guy before so it made no sense for him to feel such a way, yet he felt pretty bad anyway. He started to wonder just how great a chunk of his memories were missing since the time he disappeared. It was now important that he asked his zanpaktou, Akuma, everything that happened while he was gone. He looked at the new leader as paused, as if he was holding back some information. It was best to never question a superior about anything or risk facing punishment for insubordination. Ren was almost positive his question would be completely answered by the end of the meeting and if not then oh well.

His Attention turned back to the Commander as he cleared his throat as if he had something else to say. Sure enough, it was related to him discussing the details later. He nodded to show that he accepted his words and was willing to wait patiently until then. "So, my young soul, I would ask that you present your identity to me in its full. I cannot say that I recognize your face, or the reiatsu that you bear." The question caught him off guard as he wasn't sure how to answer it. He'd only recently came back to being alive after what ever happened during his absence.

He started thinking to himself, wondering what would be the best way to explain his situation. At first he thought maybe it would be better to just say he couldn't remember who he was, but that wasn't completely true as he held some fragment memories. He could go all the way back to the reason he was born, which was so he could be an assassin for the Shihoin family, but wasn't sure if it a good idea to add the details as they weren't very pleasant. Rensaku paused briefly, finally deciding to only include the important parts of his life as well as what he was told by Akuma. While he was thinking, a harmless fire surrounded him without his noticing of it until he finally came up with an explanation.

Ren took a deep breath before completely turning his body, while still in the tradition samurai sitting position, in his direction."I am Shihoin Rensaku, acting Captain of squad 2, born from the Shihoin family. I.. Don't remember everything about me, before the memory gap, but I do know that while I was still me that I was in training to be a killing machine or what you may call an assassin. That's where my story ended and another's began, if you know what I mean." He knew perfectly well that he wouldn't know what that meant, and even if he did it would be better to explain anyway. "So basically my mind was completely broken, so in order to protect the what ever remains of me there was I was replaced with two people. It was only a few minutes ago that I became myself again..." He said, bowing his head before thinking about how wordy and winded his statement was. "Pleas forgive my long winded exposition dump, but I thought you might want to know most of the details. Everything else that I didn't say was pretty much background details."

Sentence Count: 33

Any normal being, or more appropriately, corporeal being would have been astounded by what the young man had said. So much information, and many more wild expositions of his life were tossed about in the most casual of manners. Though, in the spiritual realm things that would be considered impossible or farfetched were rather, mundane. They were things that happened casually on a day to day basis. They were things that one would never even take the moment to turn their head to look at. In the World of the Living however, these things would catch the attention of the entire globe. Such a difference between life and death, and a very pertinent boundary that separated them. Though Tenkai could not recall much of his life as a human after so many centuries, he preferred this life as opposed to that as a human.

He had lived for many human lifetimes and at the rate he was going, many more to come. Putting aside his own life and analysis of the afterlife, there still stood this young man before him. He had unveiled his entire history to Tenkai within the matter of a few moments. The most important of these facts, which Tenkai could number at three, were what stuck to him the most. The first of course was his name, Rensaku Shihoin. His name alone bore a tag of importance. Secondly though, his rank now obliterated the question as to why he had arrived here. He was the acting Captain of the Second Division, which brought up more questions for Tenkai to ask in the future. He knew the Captain of the Second Division, Kamisama Shiro, though not particularly well. Tracking down his whereabouts, along with the rest of the Captains, would become important very soon.

But, that was a matter for after the meeting. The third piece of information was Rensaku's last name, Shihoin. They were formerly a noble house, one of the great noble houses to point out. They had fallen from grace when their previous head, Yoruichi Shihoin, had 'betrayed' the Seireitei by breaking Kisuke Urahara and Tessai Tsukabishi from their containment. Though these charges were later rectified when Aizen's betrayal became apparent. The clan though, was never reinstated to its former status as a great noble house. Perhaps this would be something on Tenkai's to do list. He would take note of it and address it later on whenever he had the time to spare. "Rensaku, you have quite the tale to tell of your life, much of it intriguing. Though I certainly hope this shattering of your mind will not become an issue in the future for your post, or the Seireitei.

I am going to be expecting a great deal of things from you in the future. This will be especially true considering the absence of your Division's Captain." Nodding lightly at the boy after speaking, Tenkai turned his attention to another who had entered the room. It was the one man amongst the Captain's that he knew would show up to the meeting no matter what tasks he had at hand. He was the Captain of the Ninth Division, a member of a noble house, an honorary member of his own clan. However, among all of that the most important factor in determining his loyalty was that he was above all, his friend. "A pleasure as always Sansuka, it has been a while since we have actually met." He said this in a very purposeful manner, knowing that Sansuka had been nearby for the fight between Toshiro and himself.

"I see, I was wondering what had kept you for so long. I was wondering if you were becoming slow in your old age." Tenkai laughed heartily, knowing full well what Sansuka's retort would be. It was no mystery that the two of them were the oldest of the Captains. At this point they were most likely within the handful of the oldest shinigami. The next sentence that came from Sansuka's lips was one to cause a great heave from Tenkai's chest. He knew that he was most likely right. He had sensed their reiatsu after the battle between himself and Toshiro had ended. They were all gathered near the Senkaimon, having already planned to be leaving on a mission before hand. Now though, they had reason to not return. In Tenkai's mind though all of that meant one thing, and one thing only.

Sighing softly, Tenkai stood up slowly from his chair to address the room. Though only two had met their orders, two was better then none. As he was about to begin speaking Tenkai shot an inquisitive glance at Sansuka as a woman carrying a tray of tea entered the room. It was always strange, some of the things he did. To Tenkai it appeared that the man always had an entourage of people with him or something akin to that. Dismissing it from his thoughts, he went on to address the room as he had planned to do. "All of you have gathered here for one reason, because I have ordered it as the new Captain Commander. This however can only mean one thing, the former Captain Commander is gone." Pausing for a moment, Tenkai cleared his throat to prepare himself for the next phase, and heaviest part of his speech.

"Toshiro Orahara died in combat, with myself. He died as an honorable shinigami and a warrior, something his soul can take with him into his reincarnation. I shall spare you all the details of why this happened, just accept that it has happened. By the evidence that many Captains have not shown here today shows that this is upsetting news. Even I have reservations of having had taken Toshiro's life. However..." Tenkai had slowly began to pace about the room, walking back and forth down the hall as he was giving his speech. At this point though, when he reached the point in the hall where his chair was, he spun about face and stomped down loudly for all in the hall. "We here are all shinigami, we have duties to perform that come above and beyond our personal feelings. Those who have not come to the summons and have abandoned us are no more than spineless cowards and traitors.

They have forsaken their duties and fled to the World of the Living. To do what, is well beyond my grasp of understanding. All I know is that we do not abide by fugitives or traitors. I have prepared orders for the Gotei Thirteen and for those who arrived today." Closing his eyes for a moment he took in a deep breath and stomped once more. His eyes shot open wildly with a ferocity and zealous gaze that could pierce the heart of a normal man. "All those that have decided to leave will be labeled as traitors, stripped of their position, and will be hunted down as what they are. I will dispatch all executive officers to the World of the Living to find these individuals and bring them back to the Soul Society for trial. I they refuse to return you are permitted to use whatever means necessary to bring them back. I will send specific instructions to each of the squads and its remaining leaders on what your orders are in detail. Dismissed!!"

With that Tenkai sat back down in his chair waiting for the officers to either move off to prepare their squads or ask him questions about whatever curiosities were on their minds. While he would wait though he would prepare the hell butterflies to be sent off to those in question.

SC: 84

Rensaku, while waiting for a response for the commander, was spoken to directly by another who seemed to be Captain of the ninth division. He turned his attention to the man before bowing out of respect for his captain position. My apologies for the disappointment, Captain, division leader of squad nine, but as you see I am no woman." He bowed as second time to end the conversation before reverting his attention back to his commander who had much to say. His mind was so broken that, even though he was less-likely to, it was possible he'd lose himself though he didn't want to concern anyone with it. "I.. won't be a problem, but if I were to be I will not hold a grudge against you should the time come when my death is necessary."

"I fully understand and humbly accept all of my duties to the Seireitei." He said, thinking of what would happen to the deserters and how bad their punishment would be should they ever be caught. He looked around, completely surprised the he and the ninth division captain were the only two to show up. Things were worse than he had originally expected since a majority of the 'staff' were no more. Not to mention that if he were ordered to fight a captain, it would be quite a battle. For one, his body was well conditioned for combat so it would take a ton of punishment to kill him if it were possible and not to mention his power to heal himself.

"Is there anything in particular that you need done? The onmitsukido are at your service. Should you give the order we shall act swiftly, commander." He said, switching to the 'taking a knee' position as he waited for an order and/or to be sent off.

Sentence Count: 10

After the meeting was adjourned Tenkai had stuck around to deliver the personalized orders to each squad. Including into this he was also prepared to answer any questions that he knew would arise. The officers in the room were privy to the same degree of information that he was. There was no reason for any reason questions to be asked other then what their particular orders would be. However, ever the man to create a new situation, Sansuka asked for a belay of the orders that Tenkai had just issued. Apparently the man had encountered a soul in the World of the Living he had grown attached to. It certainly seemed like something his friend would do, though it was at the worst possible time. Luckily for him, as long as it did not impede his post, it would fit into his machinations. "Duly noted San, you will get your answer in your orders"

Nodding lightly after speaking he felt the disappearance of the man after he uttered one final phrase. It was something that he was all too aware of, but was unavoidable. There was a war coming, another one to be precise. It was a shameful display from all parties that the Soul Society would need to be descended into chaos after just recovering from the Quincy occupation. Tenkai had already bared many sins on his back, he knew their weight and would live his life with them. He just hoped that the others could do the same. With Sansuka gone, Tenkai turned his attention back to the only other person in the room, Rensaku. It was still distressing to him that only two individuals how shown up to the meeting. Tenkai had done something that he was not proud of, but it had to be done for the good of the Seireitei.

They needed a leader who could guide them into the future with certainty and strength. Toshiro was not the man to do that, and he would not lay his position down without a fight. He was too prideful, Tenkai knew this for he was the same way. So, they came to the situation where they not currently resided. But did his own merits mean nothing in the death of the Captain Commander? Tenkai was an aged shinigami with great strength and leadership skills. He had lived for over eight hundred years and had seen the ebb and flow of many people. He had seen all of Aizen's treachery first hand, the creation of the vaizards and his betrayal. He had fought in the war against the Vandenreich when Yuwach was first resurrected. He had seen the destruction of the Seireitei, no, the Soul Society, countless times.

His father, Tenryuu Bushinji, was a found member of the Gotei Thirteen and the first Captain of the Tenth Division. He had brought their clan to ascend to the status of a noble house. He was even granted the honor of becoming a member of the Zero Division. Despite all of this, all of the lineage and merit behind him and his family, it meant nothing to the Captains who betrayed them. He committed one grave sin, that he would never forget and bare for the rest of his life. But did the sacrifices that he had made in the past count for nothing? Apparently so as he now stood with only two loyal shinigami that were there not as servants of the Captain Commander, but as members of the Gotei Thirteen and guardians of the Soul Society. Sighing, Tenkai stood up slowly and walked over to Rensaku.

"Rise Rensaku, the meeting is over and I have never been one for protocol. As long as you fulfill your orders and perform admirably in your post, I will be content." Smiling slightly at the young shinigami a thought rose over him. The young man bore a strong reiatsu, not overly powerful, but he noted something specific about it. "Rensaku, have you achieved your bankai yet?" Tenkai took an interest in the young man, especially noting that he was to be a Captain in the future with the way things were heading. Perhaps it would be beneficial to place sometime into developing a protege. Sansuka apparently had a similar idea, and he was correct. The youth were after all, the future of any society. As such, it would serve them well to make sure they were prepared to take over in the future.

He was not invincible, none of them were, as strong as they had become. Yamamoto would serve as the chief lesson in that matter. He was the strongest Shinigami that had ever lived. To this day he would still say that none have been born that have been able to rise to his strength. As strong as he was though, even he fell in battle. It was a lesson to be learned by all. Everyone will die one day, and it is good for that day, to be prepared.

SC: 57

As he waited for his orders he was instead put on something similar to a stand by. It was also more or less like the command to 'fire at will', poor Mr. Will.. He didn't deserve to be fired at, yet people still shoot at him anyway. Fortunately, this meant that he could deal with a problem that followed him through all of his past life times, the Borja. Those people are among some of the most ruthless people and worst of all, they always have a way of making their moves after a big war or when chaos is on an all time high. It was common for him to train for such an occasion as it served to better his chances for success. It also helped that he could call on the onmitsukido assistance if need be though he usually prefers to work alone.

Most of them were weak enough that he could run through them in matter of hours. The real problem really came from their overall resilience to keep fighting in spite of their losses. He could vaguely remember all the people he mowed down in his first life time and how they only retreated because of a combination of him being a Vice Captain and the sudden arrival of his own Captain who later defeated their so called General. The six lieutenants on the other hand were Ren's problem to deal with. His second life was a bit different in that he actually was apart of them for a time being, before they became corrupted with greed and power. Unlike his brethren, he knew how much he didn't belong which was why he left them only to return to put the Gang out of commission with the help of a few onmitsukido.

Rensaku snapped out of his imaginary, planing state in order to answer Commander Tenkai's question. "Yes Commander, I have achieved bankai; shall I demonstrate for you?" He asked, raising from the ground, placing the palm of his off hand over the hilt of his blade.

Sentence Count: 15

Tenkai could actually say he was surprised by the young mans answer. Rensaku said he did indeed have his bankai and had even offered to display its prowess to him. There was more to the young shinigami then he had imagined. Tenkai's interest in this particular soul grew even greater in that moment. Striding casually back over to his chair he motioned for Rensaku to come forward. He would indeed like a display of the Vice Captain's power. He already had a general idea of the young mans strength. His reiatsu excelled well beyond that which was expected of your average Vice Captain. Though, he was not quite strong enough for what Tenkai would consider from someone who was a Captain. To be a Captain you were of course expected to be able to release your bankai. There was more that was expected beyond that.

One must of course needed to have mastered the use of their bankai so it could be sustained and used properly in combat. You were also expected to have combat expertise that involved leading a unit of others. Military acumen and strategy that would be seen from a veteran officer of the humans military. Though most souls that became a Captain of course had to rise through the ranks and had been in charge of smaller groups of individuals. Though to command what was typically between two and three hundred squad members was a vast difference. A Captain was also preferred to have well rounded combat expertise. They must be capable in the four pillars of the shinigami arts. Mastering Zanjutsu, Hakuda, Hohou, and Kidou were a must for a Captain. Though on their initial entrance it was of course not required. Over the course of their service though, they would of course need to continue expanding their abilities.

One could never assume themselves to be perfect, they must continue to grow and learn. Even Tenkai, as strong as he was, would always have more that he could learn. This was something that he hoped he could instill as a value in the new generation. Though he would have to take things one set at a time, one person at a time. "Go ahead Rensaku, show me your bankai. Show me the strength that you have and know that you will be judged by it." Folding his arms across his lap, he slipped them into the opposite haori sleeve. He sat patiently awaiting the display of the young shinigami's strength.

SC: 32

As he stood, the commander had walked back to his seat, motioning for him to follow. He obliged, following him to his seat, but making sure to at least leave a yard of space out of respect. Rensaku began to wonder if the commander had believed his word of having access to his bankai. Visions of his former identities began to appear in his mind as he thought about activating it. "Understood." He said, drawing his sword and placing his hand on it as he went to activate his second release."bankai." He said casually as the air around him began to heat up, creating heat waves before a fiery aura had cover him. Finally, his power had fully unleashed with enough power to make the ground shake, but not by much.

Fire orbs started forming around him on their own as they rotated around him. "This is my bankai, though there are a few skills that I cant use unless situation requirements are met." He said, wondering if it was ok for him to seal his power or if he needed to keep it going. "From what I can tell, one of them involves me making a contract with another person before I can use it on them. Once said contract is made, I can either heal them instantly or even bring them from the grave... though they may feel slightly weaker than they were before their death." He said, still not quite sure how to explain it any better.

Tenkai sat quietly in observation as Rensaku revealed his bankai before him. Though the shinigami's strength was very real, and very much so impressive, Tenkai held back laughter. It was his zanpaktou that made him find amusement, nothing more. He had grown tired of seeing countless zanpaktou of this new generation that had fire as its power. Though they had no choice in how their zanpaktou decided to manifest itself. It was what was willed through fate, and fate was quite the comedian it seemed. Nodding ever so slightly, Tenkai stood for his chair and stepped forward. He extended a hand forward just out of reach of the flames that now cloaked Rensaku. He could feel the warmth emanating from his reiatsu as his hand hovered only a few inches from the Vice Captain. "Interesting, very interesting."

Tenkai spoke quietly in a way that seemed like he had commented on what Rensaku had said. Within his head though he had his own thoughts and plans that were culminating. The boy was perfect for what he had in mind, especially with all that had just transpired. He was strong, was capable of releasing his bankai, but not quite what Tenkai would consider to be strong enough for Captaincy. That however was the point of which that he found perfect in all of this. He was loyal, ready, and still needed to become stronger so that he could fill in the gaps that the previous Captains had left. Moving slowly past Rensaku, Tenkai began walking towards the large doors that served as an entrance. He motioned slightly with his left hand for the young man to follow him. Returning his hand to the opposite sleeve that served as its home, he spoke to the Vice Captain.

"Rensaku, muse me for a moment in this question I would like to ask you." Reaching the entrance to the room, Tenkai stopped and turned slowly. He leaned every so lightly on the frame of the door as his eyes met Rensaku's with an interesting look. "I would like for you to become your squads successor. That is, as far as Captaincy is concerned. You are strong, intelligent from what I can tell, and most importantly loyal. This however cannot happen just yet." A light smirk came to Tenkai's face and then disappeared just as quickly as it had appeared. He certainly had something in mind, something that always seemed a treat but was much more then anyone bargained for. It was something Tenkai enjoyed greatly, and had always created great results from. However, he had a sadistic streak that tended to come out for those who subjected themselves to it.

Perhaps if he could withstand and endure what he offered, Rensaku could indeed become a Captain. That however, would rely of course on him saying yes to his question. "Rensaku, how would you like to be trained by me?" After speaking it seemed a silence fell over the room as the full inclination of the sentence became aware. If he accepted it would be grueling sessions of training that would be endless. But by the end of it the results would be more then apparent. The question now was simple, would he have the will to endure and say yes?

SC: 41

Rensaku stood, unsure of what the commander's thoughts were on his abilities. It didn't help that he seemed to be observing him to either give a good or bad judgement on his ability. When told that his bankai was interesting he was made a little less tense. He bowed, appreciating his acceptance of the second release known as bankai. "Thank you, commander." He said, sealing his ability while sheathing his sword before placing his hands beside him. Tenkai had motioned him to follow, so Ren walked with him to the entrance of the room.

When he was told that a question would be asked of him, he nodded responding,"Yes commander, what would you like to ask?" As they made to the door, he watched Tenkai turn slowly and lean on the door, making eye contact. Being a shy person, looking people in the eyes made him embarrassed so he looked toward the ground. He was able to see the interested look that was given just before looking away though. A question entered his mind, wondering if that meant there was some kind of greater role that would be played by him. " I appreciate your complements commander, and I will wait as long a time is required of me."

as he was asked if he'd like to be trained, Rensaku looked up with a surprised look on his face. The thought of being trained by someone leagues a head of his skill seemed quite promising as it meant he was getting higher level training that out classed the shinigami academy; More important, being trained by a seasoned, hardened, veteran meant that training his skills would be twice as efficient as opposed to soloing his improvements. Not wanting to keep his commander waiting for an answer he commented on the idea. "If you will have me." He said, accepting training.

Sentence Count: 16

Tenkai was very much so pleased by the young shinigami's response. He had, with perhaps more words then was necessary, said yes to his offer. For Tenkai this meant two separate things, both of course good. The first was the most obvious, that Rensaku had accepted his training, which was his hopeful outcome. The second, which was much less obvious, but the more important matter to Tenkai, was humility. Over the generations it was incredibly rare for a shinigami to attain their final release phase, or Bankai. Only a handful of shinigami in every generation are capable of doing so. Whether or not they train hard enough to acquire said release, or die before their time, is up to fate. Rensaku was one of the ones fortunate enough to be able to attain this release. Much shinigami though instead of continually train start to slack with that realization.

In their mind they believe their is little left to do, and cease to become stronger. Rensaku was humble with his strength, a trait that Tenkai very much so admired. There was always more for one to learn, more power to attain and grow. Tenkai himself was a prime example of this. He trained rigorously on his off time to improve and hone his skills as much as he possibly could. If someone as strong as himself had room to improve, then everyone did. It was just a question of if they realized it or not. Some individuals were happy with the level of strength that they had obtained. Others had a strong desire to continue increasing their powers until they were as strong as they could be. It truly depended on the person and if they wanted to better themselves. Though, even as much of a personal preference as it was, Tenkai considered it a flaw of character.

He nodded slightly for a moment before turning his gaze to Rensaku again. "One should always strive to better themselves in mind, body, and spirit. Only when one has mastered themselves can they truly help another." He smiled ever so slightly before removing him body from the frame of the door. Placing his right hand upon it he slowly pushed it open and began to walk through. "Consider that your first lesson Rensaku. Granted the phrase I give to you is few in words. However, it is one you should carry with you for the rest of your life." Moving forward into the night sky Tenkai began pacing slowly towards his clans home. "Come Rensaku, if you are to be my apprentice then you shall stay under my roof while under my tutelage. It has been a long night so I am sure you could use some rest. We can attend to squad matters and training in the morning."

With that Tenkai vanished in the blink of an eye heading towards his estate. He expected the young shinigami to follow him as he had accepted the duty he was just given. Tenkai was already his commanding officer, but even that had its limitations. However, the relationship between Master and Student was an even greater bond then that. The Master imparted all of his wisdom unto their Student in hopes that they would use it to better themselves, and their peers in the future. Tenkai truly did wish that centuries from now, when he had left their realm, that Rensaku would have his own student, perhaps several. Then with the same relationship he would forge with him, he would share his wisdom to the next generation creating exceptional shinigami to lead their society into the future. For now though, it was best to stay in this moment, and state of time.

The future was for those who would inevitably be living in it. Tenkai felt that his time in this place was numbered. He would of course continue to live on for some time. However, he could feel a shadow looming over him. There were those in the world that would like nothing more then to take his head and put it on a silver platter. Though he doubted among those that were present, any would take his life. However hate often carried from one generation to another, especially familial. If it was not one of those that was alive this day, it was one that would be born that would be destined to take his head.

SC: 54

[Exit: Bushinji Clan Manor]

OOC: Will create a new topic there soon.

Ren listened to the first lesson of the training session. His words were in fact few in words but that was fine as it made it's point. He nodded, showing that he was going to take his words and keep them for himself. That was quite a power as well as a true collection of words. He wondered just how many words he had to share with him that he might be able to share with his students should the time come to train them. As they were leaving, Tenkai had already shunpoed off and sometime after that a hell butterfly had approached him with new orders. "He certainly works fast to say he's aged well, but then that's to be expected from someone of his caliber." With that being said, it was also time for him to go that he may be trained. Rensaku opened a senkaimon to the world of the living.