Pain is Weakness Leaving the Body

After finishing his explanation, Ohta waited for Karin to finish writing in her notebook before saying, "I'm not sure how much mental energy you have, but your spirit energy should be decent since you can see those monsters called Hollows. Lucky for you, spirit and mental energy aren't too different in the things they can do. Spirit energy is better at suppressing those who are weaker than yourself, and mental energy is easier to control."

Nodding her head, Karin tried to transcribe Ohta's words, but he stopped her, saying, "That's enough note-taking. Utilizing spirit and mental energy is intuitive. The more you try to understand and define it, the further you get away from its essence."

Recalling what Kisuke had said during their first encounter, Ohta added, "The younger you are, the easier it should be to tap into both forms of energy as your way of thinking hasn't been 'polluted' by modern thought and rationales. Science, mathematics, and logic all have their places, but there's a reason you don't see Nobel Laureates and Physicists moving shit with their minds and blasting lightning from their fingertips."

Raising her brows, Karin asked, "I'll be able to shoot lightning from my fingers?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta replied, "That's on you. I'm in the former category. Here, check this out."

Pointing his index finger at the contents of his cup, Ohta flicked upward and made a little swirl with his fingertip. As he did, the cocoa in his cup came out, resembling a snake rising from his mug before swirling around in the shape of a ring.

Staring wide-eyed at the fantastical display, Karin's excitement increased at the notion that she, too, would be able to perform such feats.

"Don't get too excited," said Ohta. "Shit like this might look simple, but it's a lot harder than pushing or crushing objects. I'm a natural psychic, and it still took me a decade to reach this level. In the process, I suffered more headaches and nosebleeds than you have hair...in your eyebrows. Since I only have about ten to twenty days to teach you, our primary focus will be strengthening your body and learning the absolute basics."

Trusting that Ohta knew what he was talking about, Karin gave a curt nod and said, "Just tell me what I need to do."

"Ever heard of failure training...?" asked Ohta.

Shaking her head, Karin replied, "No, what is it?"

"It's repeating an action or exercise until you can't continue," said Ohta, further explaining, "When your body and mind are completely exhausted, it becomes easier to notice even minute changes in your condition. It also helps you understand and overcome your limitations as a human. Without the will to continue where others would break down and quit, you'll never be able to obtain the type of power you're looking for."

"Is that how you got so strong?" asked Karin, staring intently at Ohta as she awaited his response.

Adopting a cheeky smile, Ohta replied, "I was born exceptional, but yeah, even I had to bust my ass. Your old man can attest to that..."

"Then it's a good thing I brought my gym clothes," said Karin. Her current outfit, consisting of spats, a jersey, a white tee, socks, and running shoes, was also suitable for physical exertion, but they were also the clothes she would be walking home in. If they got dirty or stiff with sweat, it would be hell walking several kilometers in the summer heat.

"I'm using your bathroom," said Karin, grabbing her backpack and making her way over without waiting for Ohta's response. Instead of immediately entering, however, she looked back as if she had something to say.

"I'm not going to peek..." said Ohta, adopting a deadpan expression. The reason he and Tatsuki never started dating was because she was far too underdeveloped back in middle school. It could be said that his baseline had shifted after entering a relationship with Rukia, but he had no interest in peeping on an 11-12-year-old brat...

"You better not..." muttered Karin, entering the bathroom without another word while Ohta rolled his eyes. He could tell Karin had a bit of a crush on him, but even if Rukia died and he managed to hold off on entering a new relationship for a couple of years, the plucky tomboy wasn't in the running to become his partner. A 3-4 age gap wasn't too big a deal, especially in a country like Japan, but Ohta would rather shoot his dick off than date one of Ichigo's sisters...

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"Are you for real...?" asked Ohta, staring directly at Karin's face. Her gym uniform consisted of a short-sleeved t-shirt with blue trim and dark-blue shorts known as buruma. Such uniforms were fairly common, especially in elementary schools, but he expected Karin to come out in a tracksuit, not wearing pedo bait...

Feeling a little self-conscious, Karin avoided Ohta's gaze, holding her right arm in a closed posture as she quietly asserted, "It's 37 degrees outside and really humid this time of year..."

Though he shook his head and exhaled a faintly exasperated sigh, Ohta decided not to press the matter, rising to his feet as he said, "There's a park with a paved trail near here. When training your body, your primary focus will be cardio. After that, it's almost all core and leg workouts. I'll teach them to you when we get back."

Regaining a bit of her vigor, Karin responded with a curt "Understood." before following close behind when Ohta departed, leading the way to a park she had passed on her way to his apartment. The journey was super awkward, as Ohta didn't speak a word, but when Karin later learned the reason for his silence, she felt like a complete idiot. After all, if they had a conversation en route, it would have looked like she was speaking to the air...

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Watching Karin run several laps around the track, Ohta muttered, "She has good stamina..." while simultaneously pondering to himself, ("What the fuck am I doing here?")

Though he empathized with Karin's situation, Ohta had no obligation to instruct or train her. Hell, he didn't even need to save her when she was being attacked by a Hollow. That responsibility should have been Ichigo's, but while the orange-haired Hero was off training to rescue his lover, here he was, babysitting the annoying youth's sister...

Thinking back to what the shadowy jackal had said, Ohta felt like he was starting to understand the reason for its frustration. Because of Kisuke's plot to turn Ichigo into a weapon, he had been biding his time and going with the flow, effectively waiting for shit to happen. He could have easily prevented Rukia's capture by fleeing the country with her. Instead, he let her be taken from him, and for what? To advance the agenda of a man he wouldn't entrust a fucking ficus to...

Understanding 'why' he had behaved in such a way, the frown on Ohta's face became a conflicted glower. He hadn't been with Rukia then, so he simply didn't care what fate awaited her. He 'let' himself be used because it permitted him to fuck Yoruichi and secure a place for himself within the upper echelons of Soul Society. The moment he got with Rukia, however, that immediately changed. So why the fuck was he still doing the creepy uncle's bidding?

Interrupting Ohta's self-reflection, Karin abruptly collapsed, tripping and lying still on the pavement. Rather than the 37 degrees she said it was, it was closer to 39(102°F). Thus, even though it had only been about half an hour since she started running, it wasn't too surprising she would collapse from heat exhaustion.

Shunpoing over to the hyperventilating girl's side, Ohta calmly inquired, "Can you continue...?"

Furrowing her brows, Karin did her best to push herself to her feet, but her body refused to listen. The most she could manage was getting to her knees, sweat dripping from the tip of her nose and forehead like raindrops that disappeared when they touched the hot pavement.

"Then this is your limit as a 'human,'" said Ohta, taking a knee and placing his hand on Karin's head as he instructed, "Continue taking deep breaths and focus on the changes in your body. You're going to feel like you want to pass out, but don't allow it. When that moment comes, you 'will' get up and keep going..."

Heeding Ohta's instructions, Karin continued gasping for air even when her blood was oversaturated with oxygen, causing shadows to creep in on the edges of her vision as a tingly, strangely pleasant sensation filled her head. Her body slumped forward, and she nearly crashed face-first into the ground, but an invisible force caught her at the last moment, arresting her fall and allowing her to push off the ground like a sprinter, releasing a loud shout akin to a war cry.

"She's definitely got pluck..." remarked Ohta, watching Karin sprint faster than most Olympians. His psychic powers had awakened during a similar form of training, so he was mildly curious to see if Karin could emulate his results. The odds were slim, but if he kept channeling power into her and healing her at the exact moment she wanted to collapse, she was bound to learn 'something.' If nothing else, he would vest her a will stronger than even the most seasoned veterans...

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After running for hours, the only thing preventing Karin from collapsing in the streets was an invisible force supporting her up like a harness as she dragged her feet. Her voluminous sweat made it look like she had dipped in a pool, but instead of feeling cool and refreshed, she felt like her brain and body were being baked in an oven...

"We're here," said Ohta, causing some focus to return to Karin's as she gazed into his apartment and felt the cool rush of airconditioned air hit her face.

"When we get inside, you should take a lukewarm shower and slowly, 'very' slowly decrease the temperature until it is completely cold," said Ohta. "Also, keep in mind that if you collapse, I'll have no choice but to come in and slap some sense into you..."

Regaining even more of her faculties, Karin glared at Ohta and said, "You wouldn't dare..."

"The entire process should take around an hour," said Ohta, his expression serious as he said, "Don't come out before then."

"..."

Though she was tempted to point out she would get hypothermia if she stayed under cold running water for an hour, Karin dragged her feet into the bathroom. She believed that if she started doubting Ohta's words, it would negatively influence her training. Thus, while she felt his methods were completely ludicrous, she stripped out of her gym uniform and took the lengthiest shower of her life, doing her best to ease into the cold as slowly as possible...

Seeing Karin emerge from the bath with pale skin and blue lips, shaking to her core, Ohta gave an approving nod, saying, "Good job. You did well not to pass out."

"I-I-Is a-a-a-all the t-t-training go-going to b-b-be like this?" stammered Karin, barely able to speak due to the clattering of her jaw.

Nodding his head, Ohta calmly asserted, "Cultivating mental energy and willpower requires enduring various extremes. Your body and mind 'will' want to quit on you. If you want to survive and become strong, you can't yield, even if you want to cry."

Though her teeth continued to clatter loudly, Karin did her best to appear resolute as she nodded in understanding. Fortunately, Ohta rewarded her by patting her head and infusing more of his psychic energy into her body, quashing her shivering nigh-instantaneously. Unfortunately, her relief was short-lived as they immediately transitioned into core exercises, primarily squats, crunches, and planks, but also a few unorthodox training methods like duck walking and something Ohta called 8-count body-builders. The exercises weren't that difficult to perform, but Ohta had her do each until she couldn't continue. Thus, by the time of her second long shower, Karin really wanted to go home...

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(A/N: Ohta over here training an 11-12-year-old girl like a Special Forces Operative...)