Bleach: Heal The Soul

Chapter 7: The Difference A Memory Makes

I could feel the release of spiritual pressure around me before any other sense returned. With eyes eventually opened, I stared toward a similar yet different ceiling to the one under Urahara's shop. Slowly I sat up to get an understanding of what was going on. Jutting out of several rocks were swords like Ichigo's in different shapes, and as the haziness of whatever Yoruichi shoved down my throat faded, I could tell he was fighting someone. It wasn't Yoruichi, she was standing nearby, watching from the side as I picked up my Zanpakuto, still released, and approached her.

"Another training ground," I commented, finally seeing who Ichigo was fighting, a man in a dark cloak, wielding the same sword as him.

"It's a safe place for Ichigo to learn Bankai," She looked over to me, "Take it slow, that medicine I gave you might leave you disoriented for a little while."

"Yoruichi," I said, somewhat disconnected, "Why did you save me when you could have grabbed Rukia? I thought saving her first came above regrouping."

"It wasn't a hard choice," She said, gazing back at the fight, "Captain Ukitake is a good man, Rukia may be returned to her cell, but the others will be safe as long as they surrendered. But you wouldn't have, would you?"

I gazed at Joigaku, "My heart and mind were saying two different things. I wanted to stand and fight, forgetting about the difference in power and push through." I felt the torn part of my clothes where Kenpachi struck me. "I was crushed." I stepped in front of Yoruichi, "Tell me, am I missing something, or am I just weak?"

Yoruichi's discerning eyes and expression showed no immediate answer, as she stood there with her arms already crossed, "Do you know the important part of Shikai training is not only knowing the name of your Zanpakuto, or communicating with it, but also harmonizing?" She stared at the snakes wrapping the staff, "I believe this is the source of your problem."

"But that doesn't make sense, I withstood a Captain's Shikai with it," I pointed out trying to understand.

"I was nearby when you encountered Kenpachi and felt your spiritual pressure, it felt the same as when you entered your inner world." Yoruichi then revealed the problem to me, "You're not in proper harmony with your sword, it's too one-sided in your Zanpakuto's favor, and that's what is inhibiting your growth."

"I see," It has been rather one-sided since I learned her name, "Then I'll fight it." I turned to face the battle between Ichigo and his sword. "To fight my Zanpakuto and to get rid of my weakness, will you let me?"

Yoruichi uncrossed her arms and stepped beside me, "The tool I have Ichigo using can force a Zanpakuto to materialize in this world, yes. But answer honestly, do you think you can defeat it? You'll only have three days to make it submit before it proves fatal."

"In beating it, I'll obtain Bankai, as well as grow stronger, right?" I looked over, she nodded, "Then I'll do it."

Her eyes went from evaluating me to accepting my answer and told me she understood how I felt as if she had seen others like me before. After facing near-death with Kenpachi, I don't think anything else could scare me so deep to my core. Not even Rukia's brother could in the brief exchange we had. Yoruichi disappeared for a moment to retrieve the tool, a human-shaped, flat, solid doll the size of a person.

She told me that once I stabbed it with my Zanpakuto it would begin. Returning the blade to its sealed form, I ran the sword through the doll. Almost instantly, it shattered and my sword disappeared. Yoruichi jumped back, leaving her there alone in front of me. The same as she was in my inner world, with eyes that I could no longer look away from. Her expression was emotionless, though the staff in her hand said enough.