Not a Mob: Psycho

On the afternoon of their tenth day of training, Ohta was seeing Karin off, as usual, when she turned to him, hesitating for a moment before saying, "The Fireworks Festival is tomorrow, so I might not be able to come over. What about you? Are you planning to attend...?"
"Unlikely," replied Ohta. "I've more or less cut ties with the world of the living, so it would be awkward if I encountered my former self or one of the people from my class that can see spirits."
"I see..." muttered Karin, lowering her gaze and appearing more than a little dejected. Not because Ohta wouldn't be attending the Fireworks Festival but because his words implied he might just up and vanish one day.
Plopping his hand down on Karin's head, Ohta ruffled her hair and said, "Get home safely, bokukko. I'll see you when I see you."
Without waiting for Karin's response, Ohta retracted his hand and turned to retreat to the interior of his apartment, closing the door behind him. He didn't exactly slam it in her face, but Karin's brows furrowed as she turned to leave, kicking an innocent stone as she muttered, "Idiot..." in reference to both herself and Ohta...
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*boom* *pa* *ba-boom* *crack* *kapaaa*
While he didn't attend the Fireworks Festival, Ohta did observe them from atop the roof of his apartment complex. He wasn't going to originally, but Yoruichi had come by after giving Orihime and Chad the day off from their training.
"They're quite beautiful, aren't they..." remarked Yoruichi, sitting in Ohta's lap in her feline form.
"They're not bad..." replied Ohta. He hadn't been interested in fireworks since he was a kid in his previous life, so while they helped to create a pleasant atmosphere, his expression was a mask of indifference as the light from the fireworks reflected in his eyes.
"One more week..." muttered Yoruichi. "A few days after that, you and your precious little Kuchiki will finally be reunited..."
Though he was tempted to reply it would be sooner, Ohta remained silent. If Yoruichi was anything to go by, the strength of Captain-class Shinigami couldn't be underestimated. He might be able to defeat them one-on-one, but if the Captain-Commander or several Captains teamed up to take him on simultaneously, he was fucked.
Raising her head and tilting it back, Yoruichi stared at Ohta from one of his few unflattering angles, waiting until he looked down at her to ask, "Want me to suck your dick? It'll make you feel better..."
"Probably," admitted Ohta, narrowing his eyes as he added, "But then I'd feel like shit and be more susceptible to your wiles in the future..."
"Is that really such a bad thing?" asked Yoruichi, lowering her gaze and adopting a slight pout as she complained, "You getting with Rukia while I was away on a mission wasn't even remotely fair..."
"You chose to go on that mission or were convinced to do so by Kisuke," contended Ohta. "And therein lies the problem. Until his 'objectives' are completed, you will continue being used and helping that man use others. I wouldn't have cared if you were serious about our relationship, but that ship has sailed. Once we rescue Rukia, I won't allow myself to become a pawn in that man's schemes..."
"Kisuke isn't a bad person..." muttered Yoruichi. However, she knew better than anyone that he wasn't a good person either. He might sport a goofy and playful mask, but buried beneath that very thin veneer, Kisuke was a cold, calculating, borderline emotionless man. There was a time when she thought she could change him, exposing the true feelings she believed he buried deep down. However, even after a 'romance' spanning sixty years, she never felt genuinely close to him...
Instead of responding to Yoruichi's faint assertion, Ohta remained silent for several minutes before saying, "It's getting late...you're free to sleep here if you want to, but don't forget the rules..."
"Right..." muttered Yoruichi, furrowing her brows as she said, "We can take baths together, but I can't sleep with you unless I'm in my cat form. Did I get that right...?"
Though he could see where things were headed, Ohta responded with a curt nod, affirming, "That's right..." in a faint tone.
Leaping from Ohta's lap, Yoruichi transitioned to her human form, staring down at him from the parapet surrounding the building's roof as she said, "Then let's take a bath..." with narrowed, challenging eyes.
"I'm pretty sure Rukia didn't consider the possibility we'd be sharing the bath in our apartment," replied Ohta.
Crossing her arms, Yoruichi asserted, "If we're going with things Rukia 'did' consider, we'd be having sex at least once a week. She literally gave us her blessing to Soul Resonate, but you're being an obtuse asshole..."
"She may have given us her blessing, but I never agreed to it..." replied Ohta. "If anything, I'm starting to believe we shouldn't see each other at all. I put my foot down to avoid the drama of being in a relationship with more than one woman, not incur it..."
Clenching her teeth, Yoruichi growled, "There wouldn't 'be' any drama if you were more sensible. Your girlfriend doesn't care if we fuck, and you 'know' you want me. I want you to, so what's the fucking problem...!?"
Catching Yoruichi off-guard, Ohta calmly replied, "It's because, as bad as your personality is, you're too amazing a woman. Even if it were just once a week, I would start looking forward to that day over spending time with my actual woman. You're free to blame whoever you want for giving you a heavenly body and an ass, pussy, and mouth that defy reason. But don't blame 'me' for sticking to my guns and remaining faithful..."
Recovering from her stupor, Yoruichi stared at Ohta incredulously as she asked, "Are you serious? You won't have fuck me because you're afraid it will ruin your relationship by making you want to continue having sex with me...?"
"Is that so hard to believe?" asked Ohta, eyeing Yoruichi from top to very perky bottom as he added, "You said it yourself...you're the closest thing to a 'Demigoddess' I'll ever meet. The time we spent together more than convinced me of that fact..."
Though she felt somewhat gratified by Ohta's words, Yoruichi's frustration far outweighed any positive emotions she was experiencing...
"Then, instead of once a week, we'll do it once a month..." said Yoruichi, her voice firm but her eyes subtly trembling. She felt like she was making a fool of herself, but after experiencing coupling through Soul Resonance, there was a feeling of 'emptiness' within her body that simply couldn't be filled by other means...
Instead of immediately rejecting Yoruichi's proposal, Ohta appeared to fall into deep thought before eventually nodding in assent, responding, "Fine. But only if you receive permission from Rukia on the day itself. If she dies, I don't want to see you in human form from then onward..."
Suppressing her almost overwhelming urge to punch, kick, and slap Ohta in the face, Yoruichi eventually offered a "Fine..." of her own. At the same time, she resolved herself, thinking, ("I'm going to fuck this asshole until he can't get it up for another woman..."). As for Ohta, his thoughts were, ("Well, there are worse things than having the Head of a million-year-old Clan eating from my palm...)
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*thump* *thump* *thump* *thump* *thump*
Recognizing the familiar knock, Ohta's brows creased as he opened his eyes to see that it was only 6:38. He had visited the underground study chamber to spar with Yoruichi the previous night, allowing them both to vent their frustrations, so he was hoping to sleep in until at least 8.
Exhaling a tired sigh, Ohta rubbed his face as he went to the front door, opening it to reveal Karin holding a helmet and wearing a red and white cyclist outfit. She had a bad habit of wearing very form-fitting clothes, but Ohta felt no obligation to comment on it. Once she realized the boys in her class were starting to view her as an actual girl, she would either start wearing more suitable clothes or go full 'sporty.'
After covering his mouth to stifle a yawn, Ohta looked down at Karin and asked, "Aren't you a bit early, boku? I'm guessing your dad bought you a new bike...?"
Instead of responding to Ohta's words, Karin stood statuesque as she stared wide-eyed at his exposed chest and abdominal muscles, nearly forming an eight-pack even while he was completely relaxed...
Snapping his fingers in front of Karin's face, Ohta stated, "It isn't polite to stare," before turning around, leaving the door open so she could follow at her leisure while he grabbed a spirit-thread t-shirt. Fortunately, thanks to his habit of always sleeping at least partially clothed, he at least had on a pair of sweatpants when he answered the door.
After following close behind Ohta, staring at his equally muscular back, Karin set her backpack and helmet down, waiting for him to finish getting dressed before saying, "Since I've been traveling back and forth so often, my dad bought me a bike..."
Exhaling a faint chuckle, Ohta mused, "If he knew where you were going, he would have bought you an iron ball and strapped it to your ankle."
Shaking her head, Karin surprised Ohta by revealing, "He's the one who let me come over in the first place. My sister blabbed about the scar on the right side of my body, so I told him about the Hollow attack and how you were the one who saved and treated me. After that..."
Unable to repeat her father's words, Karin averted her eyes and blushed slightly. She was pretty sure he was being his usual idiot self, but her dad had said it was okay to follow her heart so long as she didn't rush things or do anything against her will. She punched him hard at the time, but she was gradually starting to understand why he cautioned her after routinely coming to Ohta's apartment and spending time together...
"After that, what...?" asked Ohta. He had a vague idea of what Karin's father might have said to her, but it was difficult to accept any parent could be so 'irresponsible.'
Shaking her head, Karin quickly replied, "Nothing. He basically said I can train with you and that if I need to spend the night, I should call ahead to let him know..."
"Your father is a colossal idiot..." asserted Ohta, not doubting that Karin was telling the truth. Luckily, while he was an opportunist, he definitely wasn't a predator. If he was, the eldest of the Kurosaki twins might have found herself in a dangerous situation due to her father's ineptitude.
"You're telling me?" asked Karin, asserting, "I've known he was an idiot my whole life. But still, there are only seven days remaining of the time you agreed to train me. I want to become as strong as possible before then, so..."
("And here I thought I was the opportunist...") mused Ohta. Lucky for Karin, he did happen to have a free room on the second floor, above his old one. Thus, after a bit of deliberation, he adopted a teasing smile and asked, "Are you sure about this? You know how strenuous my training can be. At least when you commute, you have time to rest and relax."
Holding up her right fist, Karin replied, "I want to become stronger...!" in an enthusiastic tone. She was also excited by the prospect of staying in the same room as the boy she liked, but Ohta quickly shattered that hope when, after she was done calling home, he showed her to the apartment he had been using for storage on the second floor. As for her first training exercise, it involved moving all the boxes and bags from the second to the first floor...
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(A/N: I guess Isshin can't complain since he was at least several hundred years older than his wife, huh? It's too bad for Karin that even someone like Yoruichi has to jump through hoops to phase Ohta even a little xD...)

Contrasting Karin's expectations, Ohta didn't force her to train 24/7 or deprive her of sleep. The only real change to their schedule was that he had her wake up at 5:30 AM, joining him for a 3km run and training with free weights until breakfast. At 8 AM, her 'real' training began, alternating between failure drills and repeating a single exercise for upwards of four hours without any meaningful breaks or rest.
Fortunately for Karin, Ohta afforded her free time from noon to 3 PM. He advised her to use that time to rest. Instead, she used it to loiter about his room, curling up atop Rukia's beanbag to read manga, asking for help with her Summer classwork, relaxing in the bath, or surprising him with random questions.
"Can you do the splits?" asked Karin, sitting with her feet together on the floor.
"Not without hurting myself..." replied Ohta, his gaze focused on the book he was reading, a variation of the Dirk Pitt novels from his previous world. There were many things in this world that were similar but subtly different from his past, including a trading card game called Pokomon, a growing search engine called Goggle, and a middle-grade book series called Harry Mason.
In an obvious attempt to get his attention, Karin asserted, "I can. Here, check this out..." before doing a split and leaning forward to lean on her elbows. It was a decent display of flexibility, but if he looked beyond the intent, Ohta would have been able to see Karin's increasingly perky butt, bound in navy-blue bike shorts.
"Not bad..." replied Ohta, briefly casting his gaze to Karin before returning to his book. His 'dismissiveness' earned him a frown, but the raven-haired Kurosaki didn't say anything as she held her position, periodically looking his way while her eyes meandered about his room.
Seemingly finding her courage, Karin asked the question Ohta had been anticipating even before her week-long training camp, specifically, "Hey, Ohta...do you have a girlfriend?"
"You should know the answer to that, even without me telling you," said Ohta, turning the page in his book. Karin had seen the inside of Rukia's apartment when she was moving stuff from the second to the first floor, and she had sneakily searched through his dresser drawers when he was unwinding in the bath. Ohta hadn't said anything, as Karin's behavior was fairly common for her age, but he quickly noticed some of Rukia's clothes and one of his spirit-thread t-shirts were missing since then.
"Well, where is she?" asked Karin, either pretending she had no idea what Ohta was hinting at or completely unaware she had been found out.
"The Soul Society abducted her," replied Ohta, turning another page as he casually revealed, "I'll be leaving to rescue her tomorrow, along with your brother and several of his friends..."
Not expecting such a revelation, Karin stared at Ohtat with wide eyes and her mouth slightly agape. Before she could exclaim or ask any follow-up questions, however, Ohta calmly lied through his teeth, assuring, "Relax, boku. It's not as serious as it sounds. Your brother will be back before the end of Summer, maybe a lot sooner."
"..."
Though she had developed that habit of believing just about everything Ohta told her, Karin furrowed her brows, clearly mulling over her thoughts for several minutes before muttering, "You mentioned that Ichi-nii will be back...what about you?"
"I'll most likely remain in the Soul Society," replied Ohta, shifting his gaze to meet the hurt-looking Kurosaki's as he teased, "But don't worry. I'll still come to visit Karakura every so often. Your daydreams might not bear the fruit you're hoping for, but I can at least check in to see how your training is progressing."
"..."
Feeling saddened by Ohta's words, Karin lowered her gaze to the space under his bed, staring at nothing in particular. She knew her chances were slim due to the difference in their age, but most of the female clothes she found in Ohta's dresser were a comfortable fit. When she originally found them, she even suspected that Ohta had bought them specifically for her to wear, but the existence of romance novels and other girly things in his apartment told a different story.
Not sure what else to say, Karin's eyes wandered for a few minutes before she eventually asked, "How tall is your girlfriend...?"
"I'm not entirely sure," responded Ohta. "Somewhere around 140-145cm? She's a short stack and a half."
Rising to his feet, Ohta used telepathy to unlock the drawer containing his sketchpads and notebooks, pulling one out and tossing it to Karin as she rose to a seated position.
"Is this a sketchbook?" asked Karin. However, even before Ohta replied, she understood why he had tossed it to her, opening it to discover the first page depicted a raven-haired girl with delicate features but sharp, emotive eyes.
"Did you draw this...?" asked Karin, her expression a mixture of shock and awe. From her viewpoint, the casually created sketch looked like a photo that had been superimposed onto the page.
"Her name is Rukia," revealed Ohta, sitting on his bed as he added, "She's the one who gave your brother his powers, forced to relinquish them after sustaining a serious injury while trying to protect you and your family. You should thank her when you meet."
Though Ohta's remark inspired several questions in her mind, Karin didn't ask them. Instead, she continued to gaze at Rukia's headshot, wondering if she could get Ohta to create one of her.
Seeing through the diminutive Kurosaki's thoughts, Ohta asked, "Let me guess, you want me to draw you?" with a teasing smile.
"Can you...?" asked Karin, looking at Ohta with a glimmer of hope in her ebony eyes. She felt like an idiot for having a crush on a boy who already had a girlfriend, but if she could have a memento of their time together, it would lessen the blow, at least a little.
"Sure," replied Ohta, getting up to grab a second sketchbook and a set of graphite pencils. Contrasting Karin's expectations, however, he didn't ask her to pose or model for him. Instead, he sat down at his desk, drawing a near-perfect rendition of her present appearance from memory.
Observing Ohta's progress from over his shoulder, Karin was awed again by his skill. She 'knew' he was good after seeing the sketch of Rukia, but she didn't realize how effortless the process was for him. It was actually a little unnerving, her ears burning at the prospect that Ohta could draw her in whatever pose or position he pleased...
"Done," said Ohta, holding up the sketchbook so Karin could get a better look or hold it directly. In it, Karin had a slightly annoyed look on her face, but she only had herself to blame for that, as, even when she smiled, her brows were almost always furrowed.
Staring at the image, Karin felt like she was staring into a static, black-and-white mirror. Its expression annoyed her a bit, but instead of voicing her thoughts aloud, Karin couldn't help smiling as she said, "You're really good..." Unfortunately, as was often the case when people learned that someone they knew was good at art, this was immediately followed by, "Can you draw another one? This time in an action pose...?"
Exhaling a scoffing chuckle, Ohta remarked, "You're lucky I'm in a good mood..." before setting the sketchbook down, flipping to a new page, and creating a sketch that could pass as the cover of an action comic...
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"Someone's early. Are you that eager to enter the Soul Society?" asked Yoruichi, waiting in the parking lot of Urahara's store in her feline form. Ichigo, Orihime, and Chad had yet to be apprised of the fact she was a bodacious beauty in disguise, and she planned to keep it that way until she found a good time to fuck with them.
"You're lucky I've waited this long," remarked Ohta, looking around as he asked, "Where are the others?"
"I just said you're early," replied Yoruichi, rolling her eyes as she added, "They're a bunch of high-school brats. Did you think they would show up an hour ahead of the scheduled meeting time...?"
Without waiting for Ohta's response, Yoruichi met his gaze, appending, "Actually, it's good that you showed up early. That Quincy boy from the Menos incident will be accompanying us on our trip. If you could avoid planting his head in the ground until 'after' we've rescued your beloved Rukia, that'd be great..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta responded with a dismissive, "Whatever..." He assumed Uryu was just another unwitting pawn drafted into Kisuke's schemes, but that didn't concern him. Once this shit with Aizen was over, he planned to cut all ties with the creepy uncle, the only exception being Yoruichi. However, unless she went out of her way to visit him in the Soul Society, or wherever else he ended up, he would have nothing to do with her...
Though she couldn't read Ohta's mind, Yoruichi suddenly felt annoyed, prompting her to ask, "You're not thinking anything rude, are you...?" in a flat, accusatory tone.
"Is that going to stop you from seeking my attention?" countered Ohta, patting his chest as he added, "C'mere."
"..."
Suppressing the urge to scratch or bite him, Yoruichi briefly hesitated before pouncing over and leaping into Ohta's embrace, perching atop his left forearm and allowing him to pet her. It frustrated her to no end when he treated her like a pet, but she endured it, having convinced herself it was only a matter of time before she got even with him...
"Oh? You two look like you're having fun," remarked Kisuke, emerging from his store in his usual outfit, sporting his characteristically creepy smile.
Furrowing his brows, Ohta asked, "Are the preparations for our departure complete? There aren't any 'surprises' waiting for us, are there...?"
"If you knew, it wouldn't be much of a surprise, would it?" teased Kisuke, unruffled by Ohta's glower as he added, "But yes, the preparations have been completed. All we're waiting for now is for the remaining players to arrive. Look, here comes one now..."
Pointing into the distance with his cane, Kisuke prompted both Ohta and Yoruichi to look back, the latter perching atop the former's shoulder for a better view. There, seemingly materializing from the shadows, was a tall, brown-skinned man with messy brown hair, rugged features, and a broad, muscular body. He looked to be in his late twenties, but the truth was that he was barely three weeks older than Ohta.
Spotting Ohta, the inordinately tall youth, Sado Yasutora, colloquially known as 'Chad,' briefly paused before raising his right hand and offering a curt, "Yo...it's been a while..."
"And you're even bigger than the last time I saw you," remarked Ohta.
"Mmm...I've been working out..." replied Chad, balling his raised hand into a fist and flexing, his bicep looking like it might tear the fabric of his pink Hawaiian shirt.
"So it would appear..." replied Ohta. However, as he could barely sense any 'real' power within Chad's body, he felt compelled to ask, "Are you sure you want to come along? You're definitely powerful for a human, but the place we're headed is filled with literal 'Gods of Death.'"
Without any hesitation, Chad responded with a curt nod, calmly asserting, "Rukia helped me out once. I want to return the favor..."
"Then you better not die..." mused Ohta, deciding to no longer press the matter. Chad was similar to him in how they both 'repaid' their debts. The key difference was that Chad primarily repaid debts of kindness and let those who wronged him go in peace. Ohta was the opposite in the latter regard, as he could hold a grudge for years and 'always' got his revenge, even if it killed him...
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(A/N: Chad is such a Chad o_o...)

After the hell of the first day, Ohta genuinely didn't expect Karin to return for a second. He had pushed her much harder than strictly necessary to try and discourage her, but just as he was beginning to wrap up breakfast, a knock sounded at the door.
Making his way over, Ohta opened the door to find Karin looking up at him with a resolute expression on her face, this time wearing a sleeveless blue tank top, navy-blue spats, and a baseball cap.
"You don't know when to quit, do you?" asked Ohta.
Craning her right brow, Karin countered, "Don't tell me all that was just to scare me away? If it was..."
"Nah, it was legit," replied Ohta. "I just had you doing stuff you ordinarily wouldn't do until your body and mind had acclimated to intense strain and pressure. In other words, I threw you into the deep end."
Exhaling a sigh of relief, Karin regained a serious expression and said, "If that's the case, let's continue. This is to ensure my and my family's safety, so I won't give up or break that easily."
"So it would seem..." muttered Ohta, stepping aside to allow Karin into his apartment. He had spent the previous night wondering if he was wasting his time, but as Yoruichi was training the scrubs and Ichigo was using the underground study chamber to regain his power, Ohta had nothing better to do but focus on finding his center. It was said that teaching others was a good way to get a new perspective on things, so with Karin showing up of her own volition, Ohta figured he might as well teach her the basics. It beat sitting around, moping, and meditating all day...
"So, what'll it be today?" asked Karin, looking around Ohta's apartment as she asked, "Running through a field of blades? Bathing in lava? Skydiving without a parachute...?"
Shaking his head, Ohta replied, "I told you it was important to experience various extremes. Yesterday had a lot of variety, so it wasn't as stressful as it could have been since your brain and body constantly received new stimulation. Today will be the complete opposite."
Demonstrating a horse stance with his knees bent at ninety degrees, back straight, and fists near his hips, Ohta stated, "You will get in and hold this position for as long as possible."
Though it was an incredibly awkward position, especially since she was wearing spats, Karin gave an affirming nod before emulating Ohta's form and posture. Getting into it immediately made her aware that her thighs were about to be incredibly sore, but what made things worse was Ohta moving over to his bed, sitting atop it in a meditative posture, and closing his eyes without further explanation...
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Though he had been hearing the sound of her distressed groans for quite a while, Ohta waited until Karin had fallen onto her ass to open his eyes, finding her splayed out on the floor with closed eyes and a pained look on her face, brows trembling.
Looking over to his alarm clock, Ohta remarked, "Four minutes and some change. Not bad."
Hearing Ohta's words, Karin's brows furrowed deeply. It felt like she had been holding the pose much longer. Hearing that it hadn't even been five minutes made her realize just how hellish the day's training was going to be...
Matching Karin's expectations, Ohta got off his bed, making his way over to her to extend a hand as he said, "Get up..." in a firm, authoritative tone.
Clenching her teeth, Karin accepted Ohta's outstretched hand, allowing him to pull her up and subsequently place his hand atop her head. As he did, the pain in her groin and thighs seemed to melt away. Unfortunately, the moment he was finished, Ohta retracted his hand, saying, "That's one. Unless you can reach the six-minute marker, ninety-nine more to go..."
Though she trembled at the notion, Karin only hesitated for the time it took Ohta to return to his bed before getting back into a horse stance, a look of grim resolution on her face as she was determined to reach six minutes at all costs...
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Roughly three hours after they had begun, Karin was only her forty-first set when she fell to the ground and abruptly started silently sobbing. It wasn't an exaggeration to say the training was tortuous, but, as anyone with a strong will could attest, it was by enduring pain and suffering that one became unbreakable.
Instead of pitying Karin and asking if she were okay, Ohta gave her a few minutes to collect herself before asking, "Can you continue...?" in a calm tone.
Though she sniffled and kept her eyes concealed with her forearm, Karin eventually gave a silent, affirming nod. In response, Ohta got up from the bed. However, instead of extending his hand to pull her up, he knelt next to her, placing his hand atop her head and alleviating her pain as he said, "Then we'll continue after a short break. Want some hot cocoa...?"
While still hiding her eyes, Karin gave another nod, responding, "Yes..." in a meek, sobbing tone. She was experiencing a mild emotional breakdown, so she needed some time before rising to a seated position a few minutes after Ohta set a cup of cocoa next to her.
Taking a sip of the bittersweet beverage, Karin made her opinion of it known, muttering, "Your hot cocoa sucks..." with furrowed brows and a notably sheepish expression. She couldn't believe she had broken down and started crying, causing her to feel a blend of anger, embarrassment, and self-loathing...
"Hey, don't beat yourself up," said Ohta. "Most people would have given up a long ago. You've also improved your time from four minutes and ten seconds to four minutes and fifty-three. That's still quite a ways from six minutes, but, considering your muscles haven't really gotten any stronger, it shows your willpower has increased."
Though the truth was that Karin got stronger each time he healed her torn muscles, Ohta knew from personal experience that belief played a critical role in mental and spiritual development.
Hearing that she was improving, Karin's frustration and anxiety lessened considerably. Before Ohta informed her otherwise, she thought she was performing worse each set. If it was true that she had improved her time by forty-three seconds, that was a lot of progress in a fairly short period.
Sniffling one last time, Karin adopted a hopeful and resolute expression, earning an approving nod from Ohta as she said, "I'm ready to continue." in a firm tone. She failed to surpass the six-minute marker, plateauing around five minutes and thirty seconds, but she didn't give up or break down a second time...
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"I'm back," said Ohta, plopping down outside the twenty-meter no man's land marking his Zanpakuto Spirit's personal space.
Catching Ohta a little off guard, the shadowy jackal asked, "Why do you waste time training that whelp? How does aiding her 'benefit' you in any way?"
"Are you genuinely curious or just fishing for an excuse to insult and tear me down?" asked Ohta.
"Answer me," ordered the shadowy jackal.
Snorting through his nose, Ohta asked, "How can you claim to know me better than I know myself and 'not' know the answer to such a question? There's only one reason I'm helping that brat..."
"..."
With the jackal remaining silent, Ohta adopted a cheeky smile and said, "I'm training her because I fucking feel like it. Watching her push herself beyond her limits sure as shit beats sitting here, attempting to talk sense into your sorry ass..."
Rising to his feet, Ohta dusted himself off, stating, "To that end, there is something else I wanted to tell you..."
Knowing what Ohta would say even before the words left his mouth, the shadowy jackal narrowed its ghostly white eyes.
"I don't fucking need you," declared Ohta, turning around and slipping his hands into his pockets, walking away as he asserted, "I'll crush everyone and everything that stands in my way using my own power..."
"..."
Waiting until Ohta's form had vanished from his sight, the shadowy jackal put its head down on its paws. However, instead of looking upset like it usually did, it appeared fairly relaxed as it closed its eyes and muttered, "That's what you should have been doing from the very beginning..."
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Though it never got easier, Karin felt like she had gotten accustomed to Ohta's tortuous training methods by the end of the first week. She also noticed that her body had started to experience changes, her previously flat abdomen gaining a bit of definition as her thighs, calves, legs, back, and, somewhat worryingly, her butt became notably more toned.
While the changes in her body were objectively good things, a testament to the progress she had made, Karin couldn't help noticing that Ohta had yet to teach her anything remotely supernatural. He just had her training her body and increasing her mental resistance, so after entering his room for the eighth day in a row, she dropped off her backpack, turned to him with furrowed brows, and asked, "When are you going to start teaching me telekinesis and stuff? At this rate, even my brain is going to become a muscle..."
Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta replied, "We've been trying to get you to a level that typically takes months in just a few days. Without a strong mind and an even stronger body, you could break both trying to learn even the basics of what I have to teach."
As Ohta's physique was the best she had ever seen, both in-person and while perusing magazines, Karin didn't doubt his words. She did, however, ask, "Then, how much longer do I need to keep this up?"
Adopting a teasing smile, Ohta replied, "That depends on you. Once you learn to tap into your mental and spiritual energies, you can use them to develop your physique indefinitely. If you're looking for a more concrete answer, a good baseline is reaching a point where you're bulletproof. The odds of you getting shot at are slim, but never zero..."
Blinking in surprise, Karin asked, "Are 'you' bulletproof...?"
Exhaling an amused snort, Ohta replied, "At my level, I could stare into the barrel of a tank like I'm posing for a picture."
Though it was difficult to imagine 'anyone' taking a tank round to the face without sustaining damage, Karin's ebony-black eyes glistened with awe as she correlated Ohta with a Hero from a comic book. She knew he could fly, and if the power he had lent her was any indication, he could probably level entire buildings with his attacks. Combine that with imperviousness to bullets, and he wasn't much different from a real-world Superman...
Quashing the idolatry in Karin's eyes, Ohta gave her head a light chop as he stated, "Anyways, if you want to get a jumpstart on your psychic and spiritual training, I have a few methods in mind. Before that, though, it's business as usual. Bust your ass from now until around three o'clock, and I'll teach you how to begin developing your psychic abilities. Fair warning, though...it's incredibly boring at the start..."
"Yeah, but then I'll be able to move things with my mind, right?" asked Karin. "Seems worth it to me."
Exhaling an amused chuckle, Ohta ruffled Karin's hair and mused, "You sweet summer child. If you think the frustration of training to failure is bad, wait until you spend hours failing to get a paperclip to twitch..."
"..."
Though she initially felt a fluttery sensation in her chest when Ohta ruffled her hair, Karin's somewhat embarrassed smile morphed into a deadpan when she heard his words. Fortunately, unlike Ohta, who had to figure things out from scratch, she had an experienced teacher who could boost her psychic powers using his own...
...
..
.
(A/N: Only another chapter or two of the 'centering' sub-arc. Then we're off to Soul Society~)

Chapter 35: Compromises and Opportunities