She wanted nothing more than to understand. There was no telling what to expect when she reported to the Commander. The man stood as the symbol of might and order within the Soul Society. In many ways, the fear and respect granted to him as the Commander of the Gotei Thirteen were somehow
stronger than what Atsuko felt when thinking about Shobatsu Murasaki. There had not been much time to scope out the new Commander, but she was aware of him, his achievements, and his capabilities. What instilled the most fear in her was that of the unknown. She had no idea how he would react, which meant she could not gauge what actions he would take. In some ways, the difference between him and Shobatsu made her even wearier. The former Commander was not an open book by any means. However, one could assume that their punishment and duties assigned by him would be the worst possible. He was meticulous and cunning, all for the sake of the Seireitei. His methods were totalitarian, to say the least. While Higen held similar aspects, he was certainly not the same as his predecessor. He certainly had the same desire to keep order, but his methods varied. This much would be clear as the meeting went on.
“Thank you, Fall In.”
Failing to hide her surprise, the Ise Matriarch's eyes further with shock. It was not her place to question his words, but she couldn't help but find herself dumbfounded. To her, there appeared to be a distinct lack of concern. There was no doubt that Captain Asakura was a twisted individual, but to brush off his death in such a matter-of-fact manner was something she could not comprehend. Was the Commander not worried about the fact that two Captains had died within 100 years of one another? Yes, Captain Kojima's death was far less mysterious, but he was still a Captain, nonetheless. There had to be
something going on. Gathering herself, Atsuko falls in line as she is commanded to do. Her eyes fail to stick to the Commander, plastering themselves on the floor instead. Peering at the wooden boards beneath her, her mind begins to wander. Every word uttered by Higen is filtered out to only pick up on the important details. Simultaneous with her deep thoughts on the situation at hand, she comes to a very small understanding of his actions. Hesitant to look up for fear of showing her shock and dismay, she falters for a second. As Higen nears the end of his speech, she has regained enough composure to look towards him.
“Lieutenant Ise, the moment the autopsy of the Captain’s remains is complete I want a report sent to Captain Nakamoto first, which he will then share with Head Lieutenant Kasumi based on his findings.”
Opening her mouth to answer, nothing comes out at first. Had she spoken at that moment, her tone would have been off. Clearing her throat, she manages to speak with clarity.
"Understood, Commander."
Nothing else needs to be said, at least not anything she could voice out loud.
As they are dismissed, Atsuko turns back for a brief moment to set her eyes upon the hall. A grimace now adorns her face as she turns back and continues her departure, her image fading from the scene.
Two Weeks Later
The Rukongai has been rather silent within the last two weeks. Crime has not gone up, instead, it has surprisingly gone down ever so slightly. Atsuko sighs as she looks towards the sky for a brief moment, reflecting on what had happened two weeks prior. Unsurprisingly, the situation still bugged her. For all intents and purposes, Itsuki's death had been brushed off. Her attachment to him was not as strong as she believed, unfortunately. Considering that he had been missing for years prior, finding him dead had unleashed a turbulent amount of emotions. In her heart, she always knew that his day would come. It simply happened sooner than expected. Given her childish outburst, she had to focus on relief effort to Kuroari, the rest of the Rukongai, and clearing the 7th's bad reputation that Captain Asakura had cultivated. Impurity had only festered because of the insane man's exploits. If she were to become Captain of the Seventh, she would need to work on much more than just her service to the Rukongai.
As it stood, she was lacking. This is not to say that she cannot hold her own in a fight, nor that she cannot go toe-to-toe with opponents that may be considered of a higher caliber than her. What this actually means is that the Lieutenant realizes that there are limits to what she can do when faced with an opponent whose skills are similar to hers, but they wield a functioning Zanpakuto. Unlike others, her Zanpakuto was no more than a blunt object unless certain conditions were met. With things going as they currently were, there was little chance she would be able to wield it. Instead of dwelling on this, Atsuko has decided to continue her training. She will not do this alone, however, as she has come to the conclusion that not including those of her Division in her training sessions does more harm than good. Allowing them to become lackluster or failing to prepare them for threats did little good for anyone. Just 20 feet in front of her stands Sanyu Komamura. He holds a weapon that may seem rather simple to those who know little about it. In reality, this weapon is a major threat given how versatile it is. With this knowledge in mind, Atsuko has brought him to an empty forest that resides miles away from and in between two districts within the Rukon.
Breathing in and then out, her Reiryoku begins to swell, but not in the typical way it would had she been casting a Kido spell. This feeling is fleeting, rigid, and dense. It goes in and out multiple times, as she is intentionally scratching just the surface of what she intends to do. Channeling this energy throughout her body is her main goal, yes, but she is simply preparing herself to take this next step. In the meantime, as an effort to psych out the 4th seat, she allows for her energy to pool as if she
were casting a spell every other time it swells. The distinction is easy to make, as this other method is not as fleeting, nor uncontrolled. The Lieutenant has decided that she will push her limits during this training session while remaining entirely aware of their surroundings and everything that they couldn't perceive as well. At a moment's notice, she would halt their session in order to attend to more important matters if they came up. Putting her right foot forward while her left stays in position with her knee bent, Atsuko's right hand extends towards Sanyu with her palm open and thumb tucked. Her free hand remains by her left side, curled into a fist. Whatever stance this is, it is unlikely that her subordinate has seen it before. Is she intent on physically attacking, or will she construct something to do it instead? There is no telling currently.
Another breath is taken and the Lieutenant breaks her silence.
"Come, Sanyu. And don't hold back."
