Bleach: Gazing Mirage

Returning to his sick bed in the 4th Divison, Yuichi's mind churned with the events of the past two weeks. The weight of his near-death experience and the loss of his classmates hung heavily on his shoulders.

As he entered his room, a sense of frustration and urgency overcame him. The stark reality of his vulnerability gnawed at his mind. The desire to become stronger, to protect himself and survive, fueled his determination. However, the injuries sustained during the recent battle restricted him from engaging in any rigorous training.

With a sigh, he decided to channel his energy into something productive. Sitting on the edge of his bed, he began to focus and channel his reiryoku throughout his body, a skill he had honed over the months. Closing his eyes, he envisioned the energy flowing through his body, seeking to gather it around the wounded areas. He began trying to change and channel the reiryoku into Kaidō, the healing kidō, to accelerate his recovery.

As the soothing warmth of the healing energy began to form inside it faded, Yuichi contemplated the nature of Kaidō. The traditional method involved using one’s hands and incantations, directing the energy toward the injured or affected area. It was a fundamental skill taught at the academy, yet Yuichi couldn't help but question such limitations.

He looked down at his hands, the conduits for channeling his reiryoku. The idea struck him—what if he could direct the healing energy internally without the need for external gestures? If the energy originated from within, theoretically, he should be able to target specific areas or even heal his entire body simultaneously. Captain Unohana, known for her mastery of Kaidō, demonstrated its versatility by healing herself during battle.

With this mindset, Yuichi delved into experimentation. He focused on the energy swirling within him, guiding it with his will. Initially, the attempt was met with failure as the energy dissipated soon after forming. The energy felt unwieldy, resisting his attempts to redirect it. The moment he attempted to move it vanished. He persisted, refining his concentration and refining control over his spiritual energy.

Failure after failure, Yuichi looked up to see that the sun was down. Having expended his reiryoku he laid back down. Frustration and weariness settled over Yuichi as he lay on his sick bed, the room cloaked in the soft glow of a dim lamp. The memories of the recent battle and the death experience he faced added to the emotional burden he carried.

Closing his eyes, Yuichi replayed the moments of the failed experiments in his mind. Despite having better control of his internal reiryoku as compared to most of his peers this technique still eluded him. In the quiet of the room, Yuichi contemplated the nature of this technique and why he failed.

As he rested, the door to his room creaked open, revealing the figure of Mei standing in the doorway. Concern etched across her face, Mei spoke softly, "Yuichi, I sensed you releasing some reiatsu. Are you alright? What’s wrong?"

Yuichi offered a weary smile, appreciative of Mei's concern. "Hey Mei, I'm fine. I was bored being stuck in bed all day so I was just working on my kidō incantations. I thought of a theory and was just testing it out but sadly I failed. It's a bit frustrating, but I think I'll get it eventually."

Mei approached, sitting on the edge of his bed. "I’d recommend you stop now you're pushing yourself too hard. Healing takes time, both physically and spiritually. Captain Unohana would say the same. All you doing now is extending your stay. But knowing you I can expect you to take my advice. So what’s this theory? Two heads are better than one, so maybe I can help."

Nodding in acknowledgment, Yuichi explained his theory and what he hoped to accomplish. "I know it can’t be used practically in battle since Kaidō requires concentration and skill. However, I at least hoped it could used as a form of a painkiller and first-aid."

"Well, that's an interesting concept," Mei remarked, her thoughtful expression mirrored by the glow of her aqua-blue eyes. As she touched her white hair with the ends dyed a purple-lilac color an idea seemed to come to her. "Hmm, Hanatarō or Captain Unohana would be the best person to ask but he hasn’t awoken yet after passing out. The idea of using Kaidō as a form of painkiller and first-aid would be incredibly useful, especially to the members of the Second Division. Lady Yoruichi might appreciate the innovation. I’m unable to use Kaidō myself but once I inform Lady Yoruichi she’ll most likely rope Captain Urahara into solving the issue for her. So I’ll inform you about the results."

Yuichi chuckled, “So it's already a forgone conclusion that you’ll be telling her. Well, it doesn’t really matter if they can make it work then I’m glad. As for Captain Unohana please don’t tell her about this or I may be forced to join the 4th Divison and I don’t think I could handle that.”

“True I hear weird stories about them. Luckily I’m already promised to the 2nd Divison so I don’t need to worry about that,” joked Mei as she got up to stretch before heading for the door.

Yuichi got off the bed and grabbed her hand to stop her. “Wait. I still need to ask you something.”

“Hmm, what is it?” asked Mei

“Although classes have been canceled until who knows when I still need to train. So I was wondering if you could meet up with me in three days at the academy gates. I want us to continue our morning sparring matches but I was hoping you could up the intensity more. The last few days have really shown me how weak I am and that I need to get strong as soon as possible.” explained Yuichi

Mei's eyes showed a mix of amusement and understanding as she listened to Yuichi's request. She could understand his urgency to grow stronger, as she also felt her strength was inadequate. With a serious expression, she replied, "So, you want to up the intensity, huh? I can certainly accommodate that request. However, I want you to consider it a special training session to push your limits. So I want you to bring out everything you’re hiding and stop holding back. If you can’t do that then you’ll never grow stronger."