Captain Juushiro knelt, shifting the smaller rocks below the boulder, then stood again, a strange ball in the crook of his arms. It glimmered a strange metallic color and seemed to camouflage with the white of the captain's coat and the blue sky ahead.
Tsukiro's eyes grew in wonder. Questions flooded his mind. He only asked one.
"What are we going to be doing with that?"
Juushiro explained, "This is an Astral Ball, one of the Science Division's only creations before the time Kisuke Urahara stood at the top of their organization. This ball acts both as a stabilizer to the separate dimension created nearby and a portal to enter said area."
"Such separate dimensions serve as many captains' main training arenas. When calling to our zanpakutos, the reiatsu is masked and won't cause undo alarm. The arena can also take damage but will repair itself much quicker than natural means. The Science Division knows when one is opened and only interferes with the dimension if it needs repair."
"The particular dimension I am opening for us was built for myself, Shunsui, and Captain Commander Yamamoto. As such, it can withstand vast amounts of reiatsu and it will serve as a good hiding place from Aizen. Hopefully, that will deter his curiosity."
Though I doubt it.
Tsukiro nodded, following the captain's words.
“And what will we be doing in there in the meantime? Just hiding or are we going to be training?”
"Hiding from his sight since I don't dare try to confront him while I am with you and beginning the training I mentioned before."
Juushiro held ball steady in hands, made a half-turn, then tossed it in the air, up. Up, Up, Upwards it rose then seemed to stand still before falling down the same way. A sliver of dazzling light appeared as it descended. The ball dropped at Juushiro's feet, flared up with the same brilliant light, and vanished.
Juushiro stepped forward and touched the sliver of light, nudging the invisible door open. He stepped into the threshold, body nearly gone in the glare of the light, waited for Tsukiro. "Running may be easier the first time you try this. The shields create a lot of visual pressure."
Tsukiro shielded his eyes from the blinding light and followed the captain in. As soon as he stepped inside, his body felt five times lighter. It as an incredible sensation. When his eyes adjusted he opened them. He gawked at the sight before him.
A huge field of tall grass with a blue sky, tuffs of clouds drifting on a light, honey sweet breeze, greeted him. Turning around, he saw the same thing, except for a single flat boulder, where Juushiro now sat with the sliver of light dimming over his head.
Tsukiro thought it too beautiful to be a training ground. He turned to Ukitake.
“Alright. you wanted to test me. What's first?”
