Releasing the Dormant Power: Seireitou trains Ryuka

Ryuka sat down on the rocky grounds. A few feet away was Seireitou, currently standing up. The two were both on a rocky plateau, which would serve as their training grounds.

Seireitou stood right infront of him, a few feet away. "Alright Ryuka, now i should warn you, this training will be unlike anything you've ever had to deal with. This is your chance, if you aren't willing to risk your life here, then leave" he stated

Ryuka merely looked at Seireitou with a calm expression. He didn't move a muscle, nor did he speak a word. He simply looked Seireitou in the eye, and it was very evident what his decision was.

Seireitou smirked, "Alright then, now, lets start like this" he said pointing at Ryuka's sheathed sword. "Release every bit of Yoki you possess, Bankai and Shukai, every bit of power you have, until you reach your absolute peak" he said

Ryuka slowly got up, nodding. He unsheathed Keibatsu from its hilt, settling it into a backhand position. Closing his eyes, he focused. Immediately, a release of yoki energy erupted from his body, continuously flowing outwards rapidly.

Seireitou's hair was slightly blowing in the wind, by Ryuka's Yoki. "More, go into your Bankai and Shukai"

Ryuka's ears caught the commands, but he continued to focus. At the tip his sword, purplish energy began to appear, and it instantly ran across his entire body. When it reached his feet, his clothing and sword had changed once more to his Bankai.

Then, he settled into another stance, eyes still closed. As the Yoki energy still exited from his being, he felt himself once again going into Shukai. His body pulsed, as he felt his body changing once again....

Seireitou nodded, but then quietly focused his energy opposing Ryuka's Reiatsu and crushed it, ending Ryuka's power-up. "Dont let your flame burn out so quickly, fight my pressure, defeat it"

Ryuka frowned, as he pointed his sword at Seireitou. "I intend to." As the Yoki pressed foward, his eyes glowed a light blue, enveloping his entire pupil. He felt that same determination and will that he had felt before, as his demonic pressure began to resist Seireitou's.

Determination and Solid Will
Seireitou smiled, as he then increased his spiritual pressure, beginning to overpower Ryuka agian. "Ryuka, you still have too much doubt!" he called out

Ryuka winced slightly, then his expression turned to one of mild frustration. "I...I won't lose again....!" He thought, as his demonic energy flared, pushing at Seireitou's power with a stronger force than before. Another pulse went through his body.

Seireitou chuckled and released his pressure. "Good, now, enter your Hollow Shukai" Ryuka's hands trembled slightly, as he grasped the power that had been given to him so long ago. He noticed his clothing once again began to change immediately, feeling that familiar power rushing through his body. Half of his Hollow Mask immediately appeared on the right side of his face, and his eyes turned a familar black and yellow.

"Exellent..." Seireitou said, smiling as he walked around the "Hollow Shukai" Ryuka. "Interesting..." he thought as he stopped, to meet Ryuka, eye to eye. "Alright, well, lets see how well you can fight yourself" he said

Ryuka stood still for a moment, apprehending Seireitou's words. Then, he raised his free hand up, a Gran Rey Cero forming in his hand. It rushed up to meet Seireitou, and once in contact, released the contained blast of spiritual energy at him.

The blast exploded upon contact to a hand of a person. Ryuka stared to see that the blast was not stopped by Seireitou, but by himself. Another Ryuka, in Hollow Shukai appeared infront of Seireitou. "This time, your the opponent of yourself" he said, smiling

Ryuka vs Ryuka
Ryuka resisted the urge to smirk. "I didn't know I looked so handsome..." He joked, staring at his own clone.

The clone made no reponse and slashed its blade through the air, making a large gash appear on Ryuka's chest.

Ryuka stepped back and raised his own blade, meeting the clones in a sword lock. Then, he forced his weight forward, pushing it back and returning with his own heavy gash to the chest.

The clone dodged and slashed back at Ryuka, knocking his sword out of Ryuka's hands. "Dont get so cocky!" called out Seireitou. The clone continued on and slashed at Ryuka's chest again.

"Who says I'm being cocky?" Ryuka called back, sidestepping this time. His sword out of his hands, he went forward behind the clone, striking the back of its head with his elbow. It was enough time to catch it off-guard, allowing Ryuka to snatch his sword out of mid-air and land on his feet again.

"I have to stay on my toes..." He thought.

The clone retaliated quickly, and shot a blast of Yoki from its blade at Ryuka.

Ryuka sidestepped it once again, rushing at the clone and covering the distance between it and him. With another diagonal upward swing, their blades collided once more. "This seems so familiar..." He thought, as he released a burst of Yoki from his blade, knocking the clone on its back.

The clone immediatly arose and sliced Ryuka's arm, not enough however to cut it off but to paralyze it somewhat.

"NNNNGH!" Ryuka hissed, staggering back. "Damn...." His arm hung loosely at his side, as he was forced to wield it with one hand.

"Ryuka!" Seireiyou called out, "Your allowing your fear and darkness to take over again, your gonna die out there" he stated as the clone went in, slicing at Ryuka's remaining arm

"I...can't lose!" At this moment, a feeling of anger and will raced through his body, and he glared into the clone's eyes, as it prepared for a seemingly final strike.

"I...NEED TO WIN!"

This time, to his opponent's shock, Ryuka did not block the blade, but instead, his "paralyzed" arm reached out, grabbing the blade in mid-air and stopping it in its tracks. Before anyone could react, he thrust it back, swinging in an upwards motion and slashing through the clone's right shoulder.

Suddenly, a bright light shone, blinding Ryuka as he appeared in another area.

Within the Fortress: Confronting the Uchiha
Ryuka's eyes suddenly widened, as he saw the clone fall, then the sudden flash of light appeared in his eyes. But it was over for an instant, and he found himself standing somewhere else. The air was much cooler....colder....darker, than before.

"What the...." He muttered, slinging Keibatsu over his shoulder.

As he looked over the horizen, a small wisp of black flames sneaked ahead of him, not before a large wave of black flames approached Ryuka from behind. In the distance, a voice could be heard, a dark voice, "Amaterasu" the voice stated as the black flames attacked Ryuka.

A burst of spiritual pressure instantly repelled those familiar black flames. Ryuka immediately spun on his heel, his eyes widening as he saw a familiar figure.

"You....."

The man revealed himself to be none other then Madara Uchiha, the man Ryuka killed over 1000 years ago. Madara stared at Ryuka silently.... and then spoke, "Pathetic.... Is taht all the power you have?.... You've fallen, Ryuka Uchiha" Madara stated, holding a black fan with the Uchiha symbol on it.

Ryuka frowned. "Wanna bet, old man?" He took several quick steps, and once he was in range, swung Keibatsu in a sideways swing. Adrenaline was rushing through his veins, as he slashed right into Madara's side.

Suddenly, a wall of black flames halted Ryuka's assult, and blew Ryuka to the ground, on his knee. "Stand... Uchiha Ryuka.." he said, blowing several black flames at Ryuka, causing the very ground to collapse.

Ryuka flipped back onto his feet, quickly rushing at Madara with immense speed, avoiding the flames. With Flash Step active, he rushed at Madara in a zig-zag pattern, closing the gap between the two in seconds. He brought his sword up again, channeling it with demonic energy.

"KAGE BAKUHA!" He shouted, tearing apart Madara's body with the intense blast. It was enough to send him flying a few meters, blood rushing from every place possible.

However, out of the smoke, stood an unscathed Madara, staring into the eyes of a shocked Ryuka. "Its amazing that you have not yet realized how confused your heart is" he stated, blowing several flames at Ryuka, knocking him over a cliff, as he hanged by one arm. Right above him, stood Madara, staring at the fallen Ryuka. "Uchiha Ryuka, i always knew you could never use a Zanpakuto, even less a Bankai or Shukai" he stated, standing over a bloodied Ryuka, hanging by a hand.

"What's his deal....?!" Ryuka thought, staring at Madara incredulously. His hand had a strong grip on the cliff edge, trying desperately not to let go. "There has to be some way to beat him....come on, Ryuka, THINK!"

Madara grabbed Ryuka by his hair, forcefully, meeting him eye to eye, "Are you reall that confused, Ryuka?" he said, letting go, kicking Ryuka off the cliff, sending a wave of flames at Ryuka, burning him as he dropped hard to the floor. "Those who do not have the desire to fight, cannot defeat my power" he stated, as Madara jumped off, and charged from the sky at Ryuka.

A bright light shone once more, as Madara disappeared and Ryuka returned to the trainign sight, where the Clone charged in and sliced at Ryuka's shoulder.

Now Ryuka was completely focused. He put his blade once again of the path of the clone's, and they collided fiercely. Ryuka's eyes were flaring, as he shoved the clone back with a vicious force, then raised his sword, his yoki channeling into it once again.

"Kage Bakuha!" He shouted, bringing the sword down upon the clone's head. The immediate clash of energy with Hierro resulted in a massive explosion, similar to that of the aftermath of the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken. It filled the area with a bright light.

Mentor vs Student: Illusions and Reality
The bright light had seemingly changed the area once more, as Ryuka stood facing Hikaru "Shadow" Kurosaki, eye to eye. Ryuka tried to wipe his eyes, "No... this is an illusion, this isnt real!" he stated. Hikaru stared at Ryuka, "Maybe so, but.... Illusions are seen with the heart, not the eyes. That you made a replica of me inside your soul reveals that you regret never defeating me" he replied.

"Damn it...." Ryuka cursed, lowering his sword into a slightly defensive stance. "What's going on here?" He asked, with a slightly calmer voice, although having a confused tone to it.

Hikaru ignored Ryuka's question and continued, "As soon as the battle ends, you turn your back to the enemy you defeated and the friends you couldn't protect." he said, staring deep into Ryuka's eyes with his Kagirinaigan. "Are you that hesitant to move forward after the battle? Are you that afraid of walking down the same path like Madara or Itachi did?" he asked.

At first, anger flared up within Ryuka's body, but then, he took a deep breath. "Calm down...I can't get unfocused here...." He exhaled, staring into Hikaru's Sharingan. "No." He said. "I'm not." His tone held a more surer tone to it, as he faced Hikaru.

Hikaru smirked slightly, his eyes closed. "Your putting on quite a tough act" he stated, as he flashed towards Ryuka, grabbing Ryuka's wrist with immense power, revealing that Ryuka has lost Keibatsu. "What happened to Keibatsu? You think you can defeat me with your bare hands?!" he stated forcefully, throwing Ryuka to the ground with a loud thump about 4 feet back. As Ryuka slowly tried to rise, Hikaru slowly walked over, "You've lost Keibatsu. Do you understand now what it feels like to be helpless? To be as vulnerable and defenseless as a baby?" he asked, now halting.

Ryuka panted heavily, staring into Hikaru's eyes as he kneeled forward. "I don't need a sword....in order to keep fighting!" He retorted, thrusting his hand out, a blue Cero forming into his hand. "Gran Rey Cero!"

Hikaru grabbed Ryuka's wrist once more, dispelling the unformed Cero. "You want a weapon that badly? Then, ill give you one!" he stated, as the surrounding area changed once more, similar to the area where Ryuka learned Bankai, with blades of different shapes and sizes all sticking out of the ground.

At first Ryuka seemed happy, "Keiba!" he looked around, only to see Hikaru on a cliff. "Sorry, just me" he stated, looking at Ryuka. "You needed a weapon, right? Take whichever you wish" he stated, holding his blade.

Ryuka frowned, looking around at the surrounding weapons. "Damn you..." He said, annoyed, as he pulled out the nearest weapon next two him, which happened to be a longsword katana. "This is starting to get on my nerves...." He thought.

Hikaru frowned, "Acting tough the moment you get your weapon? You really are the worst" he stated as Ryuka meerly retorted, "Shut up!". "Then try to kill me" Hikaru stated as he flashed right infront of Ryuka. Ryuka thrust his sword at Hikaru, but Hikaru held it with one hand, without any effort. "You cannot cut me" he stated

"This is useless....where is my sword?" Ryuka thought, pulling the weapon from Hikaru's blast and aimed for an upward diagonal strike for his head. "I can't afford to lose here." He stated. "Not even to an illusion like you!"

Hikaru halted the blade once more, this time, with nothing but his finger. "I told you, i can't be cut. Atleast not by a blade that regrets losing to me." he stated, throwing Ryuka down to the ground. Hikaru stared at the fallen Ryuka. "Let me tell you the truth. The truth behind fighting." he began.

Reason behind Fighting
"Fighting continues forever. When you've defeated one person, someone stronger appears. If you've managed to defeat them, then someone even stronger comes along. If you dont have the resolve to endure that eternal struggle, then your confindence will eventually erode. But it doesnt end there!" he stated, kicking Ryuka into a rock formation, still standing over Ryuka's fallen body. "The battle will continue elsewhere, fought by others. Its an endless cycle! That doesnt end with a person's death! The cycle will continue! As long as a people and their souls exist, there will be disputes, and those disputes will lead to fights. And those fights will continue without limit, for all eternity." stated Hikaru. "Thats not true!" yelled out Ryuka. "That is what makes you so naive!" retorted Hikaru, as his spiritual pressure blew Ryuka away into another rock formation with immense force.

"DAAAAGH!" Ryuka screamed in pain, as his spine was nearly crushed by the immense force of the spiritual energy. He slumped to the ground, unable to stand any longer. His arms shook violently, as he tried to move them.

"Why won't my arms move...?!" He could only stare blankly at Hikaru. "MOVE, DAMNIT!" He shut his eyes, as an intense wave of pain raced through them. "No....I can't lose....I can't...."

Images flashed through his mind. "Kyashi-chan had put her faith into me...her determination...her own honor....in me....if I just stand by and let myself be crushed...I'll be crushing her heart...." He forced himself forward, rushing at the immensely powerful Hikaru.

"I will defeat you, Hikaru Kurosaki!" He shouted, another Cero forming in his hand. He thrust it out, and unleashed its deadly energy upon Hikaru's person with a fierce flash of light.

"You stupid boy" he stated, punching the cero, and kicked Ryuka up into the sky. Hikaru flashed infront of Ryuka, thrusting his hand through Ryuka's stomach and grabbed him by the collar. "Those who have power will eventually be drawn into battle. That is how it was for us Yonkou." Hikaru began as Ryuka staggered to meet Hikaru eye to eye. "And naive people like you are the first to lose their lives!" Hikaru said letting go and fired off a few rounds at Ryuka's face violently. Ryuka, during Hikaru's assult, attempted to cut Hikaru, but Hikaru meerly caught the blade by his hand. "Shit!" retorted Ryuka. "Are you still gonna fight with this weak sword? Have you no pride?" Hikaru stated, lowering the blade slightly down. "You bore me" he stated, as he too disappeared as Ryuka returned to the training area where the clone had succedded and shattering Ryuka's Keibatsu.

Ryuka blinked, as the clone stood in front of him. His sword was in pieces before him, as he stared in shock. "I continue to fight....and yet I continue to lose....why?!" He thought, staring at the clone blankly. "Why have I become so weak...?!"

The clone charged in, slicing Ryuka's stomach up as a bright light shone once more.

Never Drop Your Sword
This place was different then others. It was a red/black sky with large metal building floating in the skies, boundless by gravity. Ryuka, who was on his back, looked around as a blade was thrust through the ground, half an inch from his face.

Ryuka comically cringed at the sudden "attack" on his person. "GAH!" He yelled, glaring comically at the blade that had nearly cut his head off. "WHAT THE HELL?!" He blurted.

"I see you finally came to, Ryuka" said a voice above him. Ryuka looked up into the face of Seireitou Hyuga.

At the sound of his voice, Ryuka could only stare into Seireitou's eyes once more. However, his expression was blank, having returned from his comical moment. He breathed heavily, not knowing what to say.

"Sei-ani? So its you this time" stated Ryuka as Seireitou stared at Ryuka. "Sei-ani? Who's that? I just came here to kill you!" Seireitou retorted, swinging his blade down at Ryuka with sheer force.

Ryuka's eyes widened, before he rolled over to his side, the sword missing inches away from his face. He flipped back onto his feet, staring at "Seireitou". "Damn it..." He cursed mentally. "I don't even have--"

As soon as he said it, he felt Keibatsu shuffle in its holster. "Oh wait. I do have it...." He thought, slowly unsheathing it and settling into a defensive stance. "....Of course." He said, frowning. "Another illusion...."

After a few thrusts and blocks, Ryuka flipped through the air, "Stop it! We finished our fight long ago!" called out Ryuka. Seireitou stared at Ryuka, "Finished? It'll never be finished." stated Seireitou as he slowly walked over to Ryuka. "A battle isnt like some stupid arguement. As long as someone is still breathing, the fight isnt over." replied Seireitou. "I dont have any reason to fight you!" retorted Ryuka. "You want a reason.... for fighting?" asked Seireitou, staring at a shocked Ryuka. "Why wont you just accept it already, Ryuka?! You seek out fights. You desire power. Isnt that right, Ryuka? Anyone who searches for power, without exception, searches for battle! Do you fight in order to become more powerful? Or do you want more power so you can fight? I cant tell you that. The only thing i know for sure is that gusy like us were born this way! We were born to fight, Ryuka!" Seireitou stated, staring into Ryuka's eyes, making him flashback to all his fights in his past. "Your instincts will keep leading you into new battles. Its the only way you have. The only way to become stronger. Fight, Ryuka! If you want the power to control your enemy, take that sword in your hand and cut him down! Thats your only option! Thats the road that continues in front of you and remains behind you! Ryuka, you must fight!!" yelled otu Seireitou.

Instinct: The Power to Prevail
Ryuka was returned to the training field, where the clone began it's final attack.

Immediately, Ryuka saw Keibatsu's blade gleam in his hand once again, as if it had never been broken. He closed his eyes, twirling around, fighting back the pain from his previous wounds. He unleashed a massive amount of spiritual energy, and his eyes glowed an intense blue.

"I will not lose."

He charged at the clone. His footsteps rang on the ground as he ran, covering the distance between him and his clone in seconds. With an upward swing of his blade, he sliced straight through the counter-part, spilling its blood everywhere.

The clone was cut in two, as it fell to the floor, and disappeared. Seireitou jumped down to greet Ryuka. "Exellent Job.... Ryuka.. tell me, how do you feel?"

Ryuka breathed heavily, as he held his stomach gently. "Like I've been sliced in the gut with my own sword." He replied.

"Well, anyway.... now... do you finally understand why you couldnt beat me?" asked Seireitou

"Because....in everyone of my fights, I feared losing them....I kept telling myself that I had to win....I feared the fact of defeat....is that it?" Ryuka asked, staring at Seireitou.

Seireitou sighed, "No, you idiot.... did you learn nothing?..... You couldnt beat me for a simple fact... because your weaker then me" he stated as a silent breeze covered the field. "While what you say is true, you do fear that, its something much deeper... think about it" he said

Ryuka frowned, slinging Keibatsu over his shoulder. "I can't believe it...I had nearly gotten myself killed for nothing." He thought, annoyed. "Weak....and stupid." It seemed so obvious....Hikaru....Seireitou....Echo....they were the strongest of the shinobi in the world....how could he expect himself to win against such impossible odds?

Seireitou sighed louder, "Wow, you STILL dont understand, your more hopeless then i thought.. looks like i need to tell you then." he said as Ryuka payed close attention. "Look, while you are kinda right at the fact that you cant expect to become stronger then me or Hikaru or Echo or even Ryun.... but im not saying that its impossible. Im trying to teach you that you cant expect to be stronger. You must make yourself stronger, instead of hoping that Keibatsu or the little boy will come to your aid." stated Seireitou at a slightly dismayed Ryuka.

"Do you have a knack for reading my thoughts?" Ryuka muttered, eye twitching. "But I think I can understand what you're saying to me." He placed one hand on his hip, staring at Seireitou.

"Good... oh, and you might wanna go into your inner world, say hi to the little boy for me" Seireitou said, sitting down.

"Uh...." Ryuka's eyes widened slightly, but he simply nodded. "Sure...." He said hesitantly, sitting down as well, and closing his eyes to focus.

A moment later, he opened his eyes, standing in his own mindscape once more. It was now the same area where he had faced "Seireitou" again. He sheathed Keibatsu again, walking on the metallic building. Around him were other metallic buildings, similar to the one he was on.

"Brat."

Instead of the smaller child's voice, Keiba's arrogant tone was heard. Ryuka stood on the top of one building, and frowned as he turned to face Keiba, standing on the other.

"Teme." He retorted, looking around.

"Tell me, Ryuka Uchiha." Keiba said, smirking as he stared into his counterpart's eyes. "What makes someone strong?"

That question took Ryuka back, and he stared at Keiba questioningly. The Hollow merely chuckled.

"Don't tell me you haven't noticed it yet..." He mused, folding his arms across his chest. '"But I suspect you wouldn't know. After all, you've been relying on me as your power source for over 1,000 years..."

Ryuka scowled. "What are you getting at, Keiba?" He said, slightly irritated.

"Do you want to know the other reason why you were weak, Ryuka?" Keiba said, in a laughing tone. "It's because you've relied on me too much." Instantly, he disappeared, re-appearing right beside Ryuka. "I don't know if you understand this or not....but me and Konpaku are a part of your spiritual power."

Ryuka's scowl remained. "I know that already."

"What you don't know..." Keiba turned towards Ryuka, a smirk etched on his own face. "...is that we only make up a smaller part of that power...oh, I'd say about..." He raised a hand up to his chin in pretend thought. "9 percent, maybe?"

Ryuka folded his arms across his own chest, staring at Keiba intently.

"Where does the other 91 percent come from?" Keiba asked, unsheathing Keibatsu and twirling it around like a flail. "That other power you've been pushing away in turn for ours....where did that come from?"

"....me?"

Keiba's sword stopped twirling, and he grinned. "You're not as dumb as I thought you were, Uchiha."

"But....I did use my full strength against Seireitou, but I--"

"You didn't trust in yourself completely enough." Keiba interrupted. "You feared that since Seireitou was stronger than you, you would be defeated if you relied on solely yourself to fight."

The Hollow received only silence from Ryuka, and he knew that he had struck a point. He turned away, his back facing the Uchiha.

"You may not realize it....but before you discovered both me and Konpaku....you relied solely on your own strength. Your own strength was what allowed you to beat Madara....your own strength allowed you to help Otonami succeed in defeating his father....your strength..." He turned back around, staring Ryuka in the eye. "Allowed you...to gain control over me."

Ryuka's face held an expression of understanding, as he looked down at the roof ground they both were standing on. "I see."

Keiba smirked. "In battle, you must trust in only yourself. From the moment you start fighting....nothing else matters. Not me, nor Konpaku, not even your own fear....just you...and your own strength." He turned to walk away. "If you learn to trust in your own power....then you can overcome the binds that hold you." Without another word, he disappeared, leaving Ryuka to fade back into the real world.