Kidou Training LOG

Wed, 21 May 2008 23:18:36 GMT

Okiko re-twined his hair with deft fingers, quiet for the few minutes it took to make sure all three braids were tight before she began joining them into one single braid at the nape of his neck. "I'm staying here, unless you need me..." she finally murmured, once she was almost done. She secured the tie around his hair again. "... that should stay." She offered him a hand up.

Nodding, Sazaeno reaches his right hand back to run his fingers lightly over the braid before he then accepts Okiko's hand to help stand. Not that he needed the assistance, but the gesture was always welcome. He gave her hand a squeeze. "...thanks. I feel a little better knowing that."

The weather is pleasant, as it usually is. To have a class outside of the normal academic venue is a nice change of pace and scenery. The noble breathes in, keeping a neutral smile for once in place of his constant worried expression. He walks casually, looking about the grounds to see if anyone else is already present.
Or maybe they decided to change the location again?
Yoshinori pauses. "...I hope I didn't go the wrong way," he murmurs to himself, eyes darting about. Oh dear. Again, he walks forward, blinking when he sees Matsuhiro. Insert a happy wave and the bowing of his head.

Lacing their fingers together briefly, Okiko returned the squeeze before she let go and leaned up on the balls of her feet to kiss his brow, pulling his head down just enough with hands on either side of his jaw so she could. She could pass the time training further until his class was over.
Speaking of-- "... here they come," she said, although he probably felt them long before she did. "Try to come back in one piece, I lost my sewing kit and I don't think tape would hold you together that well."

"Ito-sama." Matsuhiro offered a deep bow to the upperclassman. "It seems we're the only ones here..." That came as a bit of a surprise. Usually there were others who didn't run in late.

"It appears so," the second year replies softly, tipping his head to the side. Yoshinori glances around. "Hm...I wonder what's taking some of them..."

He was fairly certain that he couldn't possibly mistake where this class would be held. There were only so many wooded grounds on the campus, and he was actually quite happy to find that they'd have it outside rather than in. He lacked the usual bounce in his step, for as eager as he was to attend this class, there were still some things he couldn't quite free from his mind. As relieved as he was that he hadn't heard anything regarding the broken window, Katoji couldn't help but be concerned at the same time. Muuuuh....
The boy perked considerably as he came towards the small grove, and he grinned brightly, waving a hand towards his roommate and Yoshinori. "Hey!" he chirped, practically bounding over the rest of the way.

        It would've helped to know what time the class was scheduled, let alone what time it was right now. Takemaru was never keeping a distinct track on time. If time was anything, it would be against him. This would be the fastest anyone had seen him move in some time. Feet trudging in a gallop towards the area he was told the kidou class would be located. Occasionally Takemaru would kick his heels, almost tripping over his own limbs. But atleast balance was on his side this time. He managed to keep himself from falling and taking in a big mouthful of dirt.
        Only a few students were already present as he looked ahead. Hopefully Umeko was here! Faces were scanned while his feet would slow their frantic pace. Unfortunately, Takemaru didn't spot his best friend but that wouldn't stop him from attempting to do his best.
        The thought of who might be stronger or more trained never skipped through this student's mind. All he knew was that he'd want to be at the top! Lifting a hand to wipe a bead of sweat from his brow, Takemaru would finally join the group. Conveniently, he stopped right in front of that dull-faced Uemiya. 'Hmph, we'll see who's better.' The cocky smirk said it all.

Not following Katoji, not following Katoji, not following Katoji....

Coincidence brought him in from the same general direction that Katoji had come from, only much later. He'd managed to put his Academy jacket on over his own clothes, a rousing show of effort, but not to put out his cigarette before class. He wore his zanpakutou on a braided rope over one shoulder, his braids twisted up in one knot, and sunglasses to keep the nasty daylight out of his eyes. Ugh, and look at that, the sun was still completely up, looming overhead like a giant, pulsating migraine-in-the-making. Awesome. Substitute-sensei was a sadist.

        He leaned over obligingly, and he brushed the side of her cheek with his lips as he straightened. A nod was all given in response to her as she noted the arrival of the students. Yes, he'd been aware. Only a few so far. He was pretty sure he was supposed to expect more.
        "...I didn't realize reiatsu training would be so demanding of me that I'd have to worry about that," he replied, completely deadpan. "I'll make sure damages are minimal." He finally stepped away from her, reluctantly, and went to retrieve his haori that he'd left at the corner of the platform, slipping it over his sleeveless uniform as he started towards the small group of students in his usual inconspicuous manner. Purely out of habit, really.
        He purposely took the round about route towards the students that had arrived. Each of his footsteps rolled along the ground, minimizing the sound as he went along. He came up behind Antoku, brushing past in silence, fingers a blur as they idly snatch at the cigarette in passing like a hawk snatching up fish from a stream. Not a glance given towards the boy, Sazaeno resumed his leizurely pace until he came up towards the edge of trees where the rest of the group waited.

What a surprise that Nakamori had even bothered to show up. Yet not enough of a surprise that it would prompt Matsuhiro to comment, or even acknowledge the other student with more than a brief nod. The nod he offered Katoji was deeper, though, and more polite. A product of his growing fondness for his roommate, no doubt.
He had only just noted Antoku's arrival, noting his arrival with nothing more than a slightly creased brow, when he caught sight of the sensei's approach as well. Well, it was about time. But because it wasn't his place to scold any teachers for showing up late (even only a few moments late), Matsuhiro greeted him with a deep bow. "Sensei."

Yoshinori brightens when Katoji arrives, nodding at the first year with a faint smile. "Good to see you again, Chihara-san." When Takemaru shows up and says such a simple 'greeting' toward Matsuhiro, however, he reacts with a short, nervous laugh. Ararara.
And then...with another student on the scene, the second year looks over. He feels sort of uneasy for a moment, but as soon as the blur known as Sazaeno comes around, he is instantly confused. "Eh? Ah!" A nervous bow is added.

"Forgot," Antoku said a hair's breadth before he lost his smoke to an instructor. Again.

It would be nice if Yoro could do more than warn him. Between Masa, Iki and this new guy, Antoku might have to start buying the things like real people did.

Broken windows and what not were shoved aside in favor of enjoying the company of his friends and fellow classmates. Katoji grinned as he nodded between Matsuhiro and Yoshinori, but at the curious look from the other, the boy followed his senpai's gaze towards the others that have come. Oh, there's Nakamori- he got a wave too, and OH WOW A TOKU. For a moment or two, Katoji stared as he saw the dark-skinned boy approach, before he shook his head out and decided to offer a biiig smile and a wave to him as well. Hey, Antoku attending class was a rare thing, so he was ecstatic to see the guy making the effort.
And like a shadow sweeping up from behind and then past him came who Katoji figured must be their teacher. He glanced at Matsuhiro and nodded to himself in confirmation before he hastily attempted to follow his roommate's example, acknowledging their teacher with a bow.

        After barely acknowledgin Uemiya's nod, Takemaru would turn away. A single hand raising in less than a wave to greet the other students. Smirk replaced with a friendly grin. He didn't need a greeting from the rest of them, just as long as they were aware he was here.
        Just as Uemiya's voice reached his ears, Takemaru would offer a glance over his shoulder, to spot the sensei approaching. Turning on his heel, he'd offer a less formal nod (but more than respectful in his own mind) to Sazaeno. Squinting, Takemaru would finally notice Antoku. This is like the first time he's seen this guy in any class. Atleast he has a better attendance record than Sadakata.

        Sazaeno came to a stop at the edge of the mishapen circle that they had unwittingly formed. He looked... almost bored. Eyes scanned those present, and to those that acknowledged him with bows and nods he gave a nod back. Sigh. Formalities. This would take some getting used to. Just another mission, he told himself, closing his eyes, half expecting (or was it hoping?) that they'd all be gone once he opened them again. No such luck.
        Drawing in a breath, he straightened from the slight slouch he'd adopted in his walk over. "Uegami, Sazaeno," he introduced, without much flourish. He turned his head towards each student, looking not so much with his eyes as with that of his senses. He'd had plenty of time to observe the particular reiatsu presences of the students, and it hadn't been too hard a task to find the names to tag onto them. It was basic information gathering, something he knew how to do well.
        "Uemiya... Ito... Chihara... Nakamori... and Sadakata," he said as his gaze passed over each one. Smaller a group than he'd expected, but he supposed that was something he should be thankful for. "I expect you all know why you're here." He turned and started to circle the group rather than take a place at its center. "...I suppose a good place to start as any is to figure out what you know about reiatsu, what its significance is to us, to you as future shinigami." It was supposed to be a question, even if he didn't make it sound like it. Brown eyes darted from one to the next, finally pinning Takemaru. "Nakamori." If you'd care to give it a shot?

        "Quit waving, you look epileptic," he muttered to Katoji when he was close enough. Big word for someone who couldn't read. Antoku's final slouch landed him somewhere within arm's reach of Katoji, who was -not- his friend, and who he was studiously not looking directly at.
        One of the first things you learn at the Academy is which classes you can skip, which classes you can't skip, and to never skip a class taught by a substitute or a temporary teacher. (Unless it's kidou. And you're Antoku.) He'd have been happy to blow this one off if the instructor had been one of the Academy's instated teachers, but....
        ...but he was... .....walking behi-
        And Antoku found himself holding the blackened copper hilt of the zanpakutou behind his back, even though he resisted the urge to turn and keep the threat in front of him. You /always/ keep the threat in front. Instead, he compensated by taking a small step away from his nearest classmate and watching Sazaeno with Yoro instead of his eyes.

Well atleast this sensei wasn't so uptight about formalities and manners. Takemaru was tired of getting an earful of that. Listening intently to Uegami-sensei's words, this student pondered the answers in his own mind. A confident grin hopefully could cover any confusion. It came as a surprise when he heard his name. Smile disappearing for only a brief moment as he took a step forward, clearing his throat with a muffled cough. "Uh... reiatsu is a spiritual power that allows us'ta use kidou fightin' techniques. But not limited'ta that. It has somethin'ta do with zanpakutou, I think." He was mainly thinking about appearing smarter than he looks-... wait, that was insulting! Well the confidence dulled the more he spoke. It wasn't because he was embarrassed or nervous! He just lost his train of thought for a moment.

Matsuhiro stood a bit straighter when class began, hoping to impress his sensei not only with his abilities, but with his manners and attention as well. Yet he couldn't help but smirk when Nakamori offered that... less than impressive answer. Not that he was about to jump in himself without being asked...

There is no response on Yoshinori's part. Just seeing how well Takemaru handles his answer is enough to nod his head at slightly. He can't help but feel nervous around Sazaeno, however, standing at attention.

Oh no, he hated answering questions like that. At the very least he was surrounded by familiar people, and it was a small enough number. That was enough to have Katoji relax a little. He was all smiles when Antoku spoke to him, smiling all the more when the other came to take a spot beside him. That was probably the only reason he noticed when Antoku suddenly grew tense. He blinked, arching a brow in question, but he looked back towards the teacher to see his reaction to Takemaru's response.

A look was shot in Antoku's direction, a sharp look that was a definite contrast from the lethargic one he'd been regarding them all with earlier. And just as quickly it was banished, quick enough to make anyone that might have caught it wonder if they'd really seen it then or not. Sazaeno ceased his circling, standing back where he had started, looking at Takemaru again. He finally nodded. "A good start. How about a non-textbook sounding answer though?" His eyes roved the faces of the students again, seeking another target. "There's much more to reiatsu than that. Sadakata." He could easily tell out of the group that this boy was at least familiar in reiatsu control, and from what he'd heard of Antoku, Sazaeno was not in the least surprised.

"Reiatsu is for killing each other with," answered the figure skulking darkly behind Katoji in a bland, ill-amused voice.
That wasn't a threat, it was a prediction.

"......" Sazaeno arched a brow faintly at that response. It wasn't exactly what he'd expected as an answer. Smirking lightly at Antoku, he shrugged. "I won't deny that answer, although that's putting it pretty bluntly." He decided to try someone else then. "Uemiya, if you please?"

Yes, now pick the kid with no reiatsu at all. Where'd Satsue find this cruel bastard, anyway? The gutter?

        A step was taken back again so he could blend back with the group, even though he was almost always placing himself infront of his fellow students. Takemaru only offered a brief glance in Uemiya's direction before the teacher called on someone else. He always had the problem with not answering in textbook lingo, wanting to put definitions and instructions in his own words. That was always easier to learn right?
         Only when he heard the answer from Sadakata, hand was cupped over his mouth and stifling a snicker. And here Takemaru was going to say something similar. It was used in fighting, whether it was to kill or harm an enemy or ally. Finally that expression dulled. Just hearing that name made him ill. Though, Takemaru could only sneer when looking in the student's direction. 'Let's hear it, Uemiya.' He thought.

        It was a challenge not to smirk at Antoku's answer, though Matsuhiro at least had the courtesy to wait until the sensei had turned his focus away to allow the expression its freedom. Thankfully, by the time the sensei turned his attention back, Matsuhiro's face was as serene as possible. Had he been smirking? No, not Matsuhiro.
        When the question was directed his way, he was silent for a moment, contemplating his best answer. Nakamori had managed to get some of it right, but he wasn't sure exactly what Uegami wanted to hear. Still, giving a poor answer was better than none at all.
        "It gives us our strength, measures our power..." There was no enthusiasm in the response, though.

....

The second year just blinks slowly, the corner of his mouth twitching shortly after Sadakata's sweet response. It's like he doesn't know whether to smile or look disturbed by this.

However, Matsuhiro makes him relax a little. Just a little.

Katoji glanced back at Antoku with his response, forcing a grin. He really wasn't sure how to respond to that one. Was it just him, or was the tension in the area spreading? At least Yoshinori didn't seem to be at anyone's throat. The boy offered the second year student a reassuring smile before he looked past him to Matsuhiro, blinking.

        In truth there was no particular answer that Sazaeno was expecting. He mainly wanted to know where this group was so that he could figure out where to start things. Matsuhiro's lack of enthusiasm wasn't helping for things. At least the answer was fairly close, short as it was. Nodding, Sazaeno folded his right arm across his chest, tilting his head in thought.
        "All right. Everything I've heard is correct; they're all part of what reiatsu is as a whole, but not limited to." He closed his eyes for a moment. "Reiatsu is an important thing to acknowledge. As with what Nakamori and Uemiya have said, it does influence our power, for combat, for kidou, to some extent even our stamina. And as Sadakata offered, it can be used to kill. A person's reiatsu makes all the difference depending on a situation. In some ways it can be considered a lifeline. If you can't tap into that presence, then you can't harness its strength."
        Opening his eyes again, he looked at each of the students. "I'm getting ahead of myself though. Bear with me, this is my first time teaching," he admitted, waving his right hand. "We'll go back to the beginning of things. You didn't have to provide me with introductions. Aside from thinking I'm either some crazy stalker or something, how do you think I could manage that?" His throat was going to hurt at the end of this; he'd never spoken so much in his life. "Ito." He gestured in the young noble's direction.

"H-hai!!" Katoji's reassurance (in place of Chitaka's) goes poofle at the simple mention of his last name. Wait - he's suppose to give an answer? Right - add to what has been said.
Yoshinori fidgets. Easier said than done.
"Um," he blurts, recomposing himself seconds later, "...You're...psychic?" OH NO WAIT. "I mean! Uh- r-reiatsu can reveal, or be an identifier of sorts, since...everyone here has their own spiritual level..." Most of his words are tumbling, but he's doing his best on formulating an answer.

Antoku was too busy squinting at their teacher--the same way he spent hour squinting at the sky--to notice Katoji's attempt to stay positive. When Sazaeno began speaking again, Antoku shut his eyes and blocked out the sound of his voice. He'd had this class before, who knew how many times. Nothing that Sazaeno told them would be new to him. Instead, fingers tapping uneasily over his zanpakutou's handle, he listened for something else. It was always much...much harder to hear when it came to experienced shinigami.
Mildly compromising Matsuhiro's ability to hear was a small sacrifice he was perfectly willing to make.

It seemed his answer hadn't been all that bad. That, at least, was some form of comfort. More of a comfort than his weak reiatsu would be once the class really got started. A sidelong glance was cast first at Takemaru, then at Katoji. What if they were stronger? No, it couldn't be possible. The universe couldn't be so wrong, could it?
He paid close attention to Uegami's speech, though it was a bit odd that he had to strain to catch all the words. One hand rose, pressing firmly against his left ear as if that would somehow help. How strange. Maybe he was coming down with something...

Yeah, go Ito-senpai! Katoji mentally waved a couple of pennants in silent support as Yoshinori was called on to answer. He somehow or another managed not to fall over at the response. The follow up was better, he thought, and to show his approval, the boy flashed his taller senpai a thumbs up.

-as a scarred hand swung around and cuffed Katoji sharply upside the head. Knock it off.

What the- hand coming at 3 o'clock!! The boy yanked his head back out of reflex, and nearly ended up falling into Yoshinori.

Sazaeno maintained a mask of seriousness, even though it would have been very easy to facefault at Yoshinori's response. He very much wanted to facepalm too. Thankfully, Yoshinori got his brain in gear and provided a more acceptable response. To that, he received a nod from the teacher. "Exactly," he said, snapping his fingers before pointing at the young noble. "Identifiers, easier by feel, and with some work, possible to be visualized. I want all of you to close your eyes. And no, we won't be visualizing oceans," he added. "I want you to try sensing those around you. Believe me, that'll be the easy part. Getting your own reiatsu under control will come later, and from what I can tell with some of you, definitely needed. Some of you are practically blazing." He sighed, eyes sweeping the students again, pausing on or between Katoji and Yoshinori for a moment longer before continuing. He flicked another glance towards Antoku, lasting not a second longer before he looked towards Matsuhiro. "Something wrong, Uemiya?" he asked.

A chuckle erupted from Takemaru's throat at the noble's response. It sounded like something he would say himself. Only when he corrected himself and sensei agreed to it, Takemaru would gather himself. A single brow would arch at the mention of oceans. Man, what was that about? He heard about it from some of the other students.
The moment eyelids would slowly shut, he heard sensei's question of concern for Uemiya. A single eye opening to send a glance in the snob's direction. What was Uemiya doing, being a spoil sport? But at the sight of what looked to be struggle, Takemaru could bask in amusement.

        The subtle reference to Nozomi's silly kidou class produced another faint smirk... that is, if he'd heard correctly. With a quick shake of his head, an attempt to clear away whatever had come over him, Matsuhiro turned his full focus back on the class just in time to hear the instructions, or at least what he'd made of those instructions. Try to sense those around you... Yeah, we'd see how well /that/ went.
        His arm came to rest at his side again and he was about to follow instructions when he thought he caught his name from Uegami-sensei. "Hm? Oh... No, sensei. Nothing's wrong." He offered a deep nod of acknowledgement and closed his eyes before he was forced to explain anything further.
        One would think it would be easy to sense those around you, and yes Matsuhiro managed to get a sense of something, but it was muddled. There were distinctions there somewhere within it all, but it was difficult to draw the line where one person stopped and the next started. But the centers were clearly there, distinct... only the borders were fuzzy.
        Of course, Takemaru was completely ignored.... if he'd even been noticed at all.

Well, at least he didn't fail completely. Yoshinori sighs, relieved from the attention as Uegami-sensei continued onward with the lesson. Thankfully, he sighs inwardly when there is no imagining of large bodies of water. Other than this, he closes his eyes as well, his breathing silent.

Stifling a snicker himself, Katoji sobered almost instantly as he met Sazaeno's gaze for that brief moment. Huh? Did he mean him? He shuffled his feet, hesitating to close his eyes as they'd been instructed as he instead looked curiously at Matsuhiro. Well, if he insisted nothing was wrong... The boy closed his eyes finally, taking a deep breath before letting his shoulders droop as he expelled it.
...it sure was dark. What was he supposed to be looking for? Brow furrowing in concentration as he squeezed his eyes shut more tightly, he brought to mind where everyone had been standing. Maybe that'd help?

        Antoku said, "/Hey,/" quietly, his head turned off to one side where no one was standing.
         He opened his eyes just as the rest of the students were closing their own. While sound came shrieking back in focus for Matsuhiro, Antoku was grumbling to himself and backing subtly away from the rest of the group again. Yoro's reflexes were better than his own, but some damn warning that he was going to retract his hands would have been nice.
        Sulkily, he hooked the hand not holding Yoro's hilt across his torso and watched his classmates with his own eyes. Two of them had better be taking this seriously.....

With no acknowledgement, Takemaru shut his eyes as instructed. It was so quiet, dark... and comfortable. What exactly was it they were looking for?
Head began to droop as it became far more relaxing, Takemaru's mind wandering from the lesson. A minute soon lingered, feeling like forever. Takemaru didn't even notice that he was starting to lean until he began losing balance. Eyes opened quickly as he took a step back to regain balance, placing his heel atop of someone's toes. He hoped it was just a clump of dirt... Falling asleep standing up is not a good idea!

"Eyes -closed-, Nakamori," Sazaeno said. He watched and waited until they all had their eyes closed. If any of them were able to get a sense of anything at all, they'd probably notice that the picture according to their senses would be obviously lacking in one's presence when there clearly were supposed to be six. It had been that way since he had come to join his students. He'd kept his reiatsu tightly constricted out of habit, aside the fact that he found it easier to observe the presence of others without having to peer through a curtain of his own.
His mouth opened as he saw Takemaru sway, about to say something, but his attention was quickly pulled back to another matter. Instantly his eyes fell back upon Antoku. It was an impassive look on the outside, but one just as scrutinizing as Antoku's had been earlier. Eventually he turned his attention away from the boy, but not without something to say. "If you find this exercise to elementary for you, then you can at least offer some pointers to those that might not be doing as well."

"It's just not my thing," Antoku answered. "/Sensei./" Shut up shut up shut up. He was used to being left alone in classes, and didn't want to argue for it. The kids weren't going to learn anything that way. And he couldn't compromise by doing what the old man wanted, that'd just-
He searched for the quickest, lowest common denominator possible. "They aren't like me. Zanpakutou's broken. I just watch." Understand? That's how we do things around here.

"Broken, perhaps. But that doesn't change the fact that you've obviously more experience than them in controlling and sensing reiatsu levels," Sazaeno replied, although he was looking at the rest of the students as he did so. "I may not have taught classes before, but I've certainly attended them, and from my understanding, participation is required if one's expecting to get properly evaluated for passing. You're here for a reason, and I'm not accepting watching as an answer."
He stepped over to set a hand on Takemaru's shoulder. "Keep your eyes closed," he directed the students, adding a "and don't sleep, Nakamori" as he moved the student to another area of the small clearing they occupied. He went over to do the same with Yoshinori, and then Matsuhiro and Katoji. "This isn't a memory game. I want you to actually try to get a sense of who's near you and who isn't."

        For fuck's sake.
        "Broken, and I don't have advice for them," he muttered irritably. "I know who the hell they are with my eyes shut." He just doesn't know their names. They'd be gone in a couple of years, it wasn't worth the trouble. And it certainly wasn't worth arguing about.
        -in front of Mitzy-mae.

Matsuhiro cracked an eye open for just an instant, peering at Nakamori and his napping. Amazing how that boy could sleep even on his feet. It was one thing to sleep through his classes (at least when he wasn't watching Neal), but another entirely to fall asleep in a class like this!
He didn't think long on it, though, as there was something much more interesting going on. With his hearing back to normal (and what the hell had that been about anyway?) it wasn't hard to divide his attention between his task and listening to the conversation between Uegami-sensei and Antoku. Brows creased a bit, but he said nothing, instead turning his focus back on sensing his classmates.... and damn, but Nakamori was still too close for comfort, even after having been moved away from the fool.

        "Sadakata, ya can do it. A lil' extra trainin' an' practice never hurt nothin'." Takemaru announces as he's directed to another location in the area. Once over there, he sits his rear down on the ground so he doesn't risk falling face first into dirt; just in case he would doze off. Hands were tucked behind his head as his eyes closed again. Legs crossed, Takemaru attempted to concentrate.
         "Now ...what am I supposed'ta see..." He muttered to himself. Brows furrowed as he tried to keep his attention on the task.

No, he's not really stuck in another realm yet. He can hear the teacher talking fine. He can also sense Takemaru tipping over and catching himself. How strange...was that part of it? And with Sazaeno's additional prompt, Yoshinori now takes the time to 'glance' around at the others in the area.
Matsuhiro....ah, there he is. Yoshinori twists his mouth a little, now able to sense Katoji and his happy vibes, or something similiar to that. And then there's Takemaru again, and...wow, it is hard to sense the teacher. Very interesting. Antoku also has....something he cannot really describe. Is there even something there? Well....it's not like Yoshinori is hiding or anything. In fact, he probably has his reiatsu going wild. Whoops.

Unlike Matsuhiro, Katoji didn't risk a glance over at Antoku. He heard the words exchanged easily enough. Chewing on his lower lips, he lowered his head as he tried to resume concentration on trying to sense out where everyone wa- oh hey, he was being moved.
No, wait, now he wasn't sure where everyone was... and... that.. was the point, wasn't it? He found it pointless to grin since no one'd really be seeing it anyway, so he kept it to himself. He had a vague sense that someone was to his right, and so he tried to focus in that direction. Blurred masses of glowing... stuff. That's what he made out. There was one there beside him, and something across.... and then to his left. A grin split his face in spite of himself.

No answer this time. Perhaps he felt the same that Antoku had. It wasn't worth the trouble. This was only the first session, and Sazaeno knew it was already turning out to be a rocky start. How long has it been anyway? Likely not as long as it felt it was. Sazaeno held back as sigh as he looked at the other boys, resting his right hand at his hip. Starting with Matsuhiro, to the student's left was Katoji, then across from the boy continuing in the now spread out circle, Yoshinori, with Takemaru situated in a space somewhere between him and Matsuhiro.
"All right. Eyes still closed. Uemiya. Who is to the left of you?"

Of course he had to be first... and he wasn't even ready! Maybe if he'd been given longer he could have started to turn those overlapping images into something more concrete... or something even identifiable, but no. He had absolutely no idea and that uncertainty showed on his face. Still, far be it for him to give the simple answer and admit he had no idea. Better to guess than to admit to a failure.
"To my left..." A stalling tactic. He had a one in three chance to guess correctly. Those odds weren't terrible... He would just have to hope for the best. "Nakamori." At least he sounded confident, even if he wasn't.

"Nice try," Sazaeno replied, no sarcasm in his tone. He looked towards his next victim. "Nakamori. Who's to your right?"

Takemaru was just not getting ahold of this exercise. Eyes squinted tightly shut and relaxed continuously. Then he made the foolish mistake of repositioning himself. Back layed on the ground, hands still tucked behind his cranium. Legs stretched out.
        For a moment he'd open his eyes and take a glance up at the sky. Only after a deep breath, Takemaru would close them again. Oh hey... there's something.. some blurry th-... 'Wow, it's really quiet and relaxing out here.' Mind drifting again...
        By the time the teacher had come to him, he was drifting off. Hearing his name, eyes would open. "Huh, what?" He wasn't sleeping, no way!

"....." Clearing his throat, Sazaeno shook his head again. "I'll come back to you later." He wanted to sigh. "Ito. Who's across from you?"

His mind stops wandering for the moment, brow knitting. This should go well...

Wait. Across??

"Ah..." Is there someone there?!? Yoshinori sees....NOTHING. Blank space. He clenches his teeth together before answering, lacking any of the confidence he should have already under his belt. "......no one?"

With Yoshinori's response, Sazaeno had to smirk. "I should have been more specific. I guess I'll give that to you, it's true enough." He looked towards Katoji.
"Chihara. Where's Sadakata."

Oh THAT's no fair! Katoji frowned at that question. "Huh? Oh, um... well he's right over there," he said, pointing back over where Antoku had been left. He arched a brow as he realized what he was saying, but he was pretty sure of his answer. Now that he mentioned it, he could very easily tell where Sadakata was, he was the most obvious to him, apart from all the other blurs that were there around him.

"Where he needs me to be," muttered Katoji's tag-along nastily.

This guy...really need to leave.

        Matsuhiro's breath caught in his throat and for an instant he neither moved nor breathed. It was safe to say he was still not entirely used to Yoro's presence, no matter how he tried to convince himself of the opposite. And yet, Yoro did have a tendency to be incredibly helpful when the need arose....
        The breath he'd been holding released slowly. There was Katoji. He was easy to recognize in those calming shades of blue. But the black... this was new. Someone entirely different.
        "Sensei?" He cleared his throat to attract Uegami's attention and then, eyes still firmly shut, pointed directly at him.

        Darn it, he fell asleep again! If he wanted to get somewhere in this lesson, he'd have to keep focus. Another deep breath and Takemaru sat up, eyes closed. Brows furrowed as he tried to get that blurry imagery back. "Focus.. focus..." Takemaru muttered to himself, reminding himself to keep his consciousness.
        "....They're just blurs." He spout, not necessarily meaning to say it aloud. Takemaru had no idea how these other students were identifying the others. They all looked the same to him. Heck, he couldn't even see anything of the sensei. But he was aware that he was there, since he had heard his voice.

        It had been a random question, really. Sazaeno had only asked because he hadn't want to leave Antoku out, but with Katoji having successfully pointing out Antoku's position, he hms quietly, stroking his chin. "Good." He flicked a look out of the corner of his eye at Antoku, deciding not to comment on that. There was that odd feel again in the air, the one that he'd only picked up ever since Antoku had entered the area, but as usual Sazaeno kept it to himself. Instead he turned his attention back to Nakamori, about to address him again when he heard Matsuhiro's voice.
        "Hn...?" He looked towards the boy, quirking a brow as he found the young noble facing him. "....." It bothered him. Nevertheless, he acknowledged the student. "Good, Uemiya." He watched him a moment longer before turning around to face Takemaru again, not without his eyes passing over Antoku again though.
        "That's a good start. Now that you're awake, Nakamori, who's to your right?"

        It was so difficult to identify each of them. Uemiya wasn't to his right, since he just heard his voice come from the opposite side. That's a way to cheat, think of the voices! He couldn't just admit that he couldn't really identify everyone with those blurs. Then he was called on again. Brows furrowing as he thought; trying to construct a picture in his mind as the blurs continued to offer him no help.
        "...Uhm, Ito?.." He had to make a guess. Hopefully luck was on his side (for once) and would hand him the right answer!

Though he should have felt somewhat ashamed of the unfair advantage Yoro created for him, Matsuhiro's feelings were anything but. There was a certain thrill to this power that he couldn't quite grasp or even explain. There was simply the realization that with this, he could reach beyond his own weaknesses and boundaries and become something truly amazing. He would be able to impress his teachers and make a name for himself.
There was no stopping the smile from spreading across his face and even the unsettling words from Yoro did nothing to stop it. His fascination with the things he could see went beyond any instinct of fear. He spoke softly, a mutter under his breath that would be difficult to distinguish from a soft sigh. "Thank you."

Such was not a possibility Sazaeno had ruled out of his mind. It's one of the reasons he'd resituated them fairly far apart, in order to limit the students from using their more mundane senses in order to figure where everyone was. After nodding slowly at Matsuhiro, although still unable to shake what bothered him, the unlikely teacher watched as Takemaru's face twisted in effort to figure things out. He nodded then. "Correct. All right, you can all open your eyes again." He once again rested his right hand at his hip, his left arm having remained hanging at his side the entire time.
"I think that'll be it for today. Not too bad for a first. I want you all to keep practicing though. Practice watching without your eyes, sensing without simply relying on hearing and seeing." And for Takemaru's

benefit, "- and try not to fall asleep while doing it."

...How was the last response suppose to explain anything? Unless...Sazaeno /is/ standing right there in front of him. Of course, this may have changed because of Matsuhiro's unseen realization. Then again, the teacher may even still be in place without moving an inch. This is very complicated.
Crimson eyes flicker, adjusting themselves in the day's light. He sighs, rolling a shoulder, stopping when he sees Sazaeno is nearer to Matsuhiro than him. Okay, so he did all right after all. Fortunately, he doesn't have to go to the clinic, either.

"-'ll do that," muttered Antoku, tapping his sheathed zanpakutou against his thigh impatiently while he glared off to one side. This was such a waste of his time. And he could be sleeping, too. Or eating, or smoking. He could practically be doing all three at once.

Eyes opened immediately as he got a right answer. Silently cheering, but advertising his achievement with a wide grin. Hey, no one knew that he was just using his other senses! Yes, it's done... no way he'd be able to pry at Takemaru anymore. This student would be one of the first to leave the scene at the mention. Passing Uegami by, Takemaru offered a nod. "Thanks fo' the lesson Uegami-sensei!" He didn't mean to appear eager to leave, but... he was late for his afternoon nap.

Katoji blinked in the light as he opened his eyes again. Oh wow, he was way over here. With no reason to be so far off from the others anymore, the boy gravitated back towards the rest, slowing as he neared where Antoku was. He gave a wave at Takemaru as the boy was off almost immediately. An accomplished grin was cast towards both Matsuhiro and Yoshinori, and a brief bow in thanks towards Sazaeno.

Matsuhiro said very little once he'd opened his eyes. He simply offered a bow to Uegami-sensei, doing his best to fight the growing smirk on his face. "Thank you for the lesson, sensei," he offered, though his mind was far away from Uegami or his class. It was focused instead on that voice.
"I will practice."

Yoshinori also bows after a while, a silent thank you. The second year then takes a step back, turning to go back to...whatever he has to do. And have snacks.

First mission, done. Sazaeno nodded towards his departing students, looking over at those lingering for a moment longer before he turned and started to walk back towards the area where Okiko's obstacle course was.
Only the first...

Antoku dispensed his professional opinion to Katoji beneath his breath once the other student was close enough. "He's probably not a rapist."
... "Serial, anyway." Let's get the hell out of here before he comes over and tries to put his hands all over my reiatsu again.

Nakamori's Journal

Kidou Training LOG

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