Secret Circumstances [Shishiyuki, Mizu]

"I cannot offer much in the way of advice with regard to zanjutsu, I am afraid, but I would certainly be willing to assist in any difficulties you have in hakuda or kido. Hoho as well, though I would certainly never call it one of my strong suits."

Then again, she wouldn't have necessarily considered herself a master of hakuda or kido, either, despite how far ahead of most she actually was. After all, Shishiyuki was equally aware of how much further there potentially was to go. She was most certainly old enough to remember the accomplishments of others in both fields that completely eclipsed her own, but that was only reason for her to push herself further.

"Ah, not that I wish to simply show off or anything of the like. Rest assured, I am concerned with your growth, not with some idle vainglory."

Was that something she needed to clarify? Perhaps. Shishiyuki was something of a selfish woman, at least in her own mind.

Mizu considered the Vice Captain's words. Truthfully she did not know much about Shishiyuki outside of what she had read in official reports. While she had read a great deal about essentially anyone and everyone noteworthy in the Gotei United, official reports often left out specific details of Gotei members' abilities and feats and instead focused on mission results. She knew at minimum Shishiyuki was powerful and experienced, being both one of the older members in the Gotei and a Vice Captain who could probably easily seek promotion. Beyond that she didn't know a thing about her, but she hoped to learn.

"I appreciate your candidness, Vice Captain Koizumi. I never would have suspected you of such boastfulness. Truthfully neither Hakuda nor Hoho have come easily to me as I have struggled to improve upon the basic knowledge and training I received from the Shin'o Academy, but I won't ever give up. I have been incredibly fortunate to become somewhat proficient in Kidō, though I know I could still train for many lifetimes and not come close to what Captain Urahara-sama is capable of. If you would take me as your student despite my lack of talent I would owe you a great debt, Vice Captain Koizumi!" Though Shishiyuki had already offered to train her, Mizu's experience with teachers in the past had not always been so rosy. There were those who had grown frustrated with her slow growth and inability to improve physically. She hoped Shishiyuki would not see her as a waste of time as so many others had before her.

"Some would say not to compare yourself to the mastery of a captain, much less one such as Captain Urahara, but I believe it is good to hold his success and ability in mind. He is an exceptionally bright man, certainly, and skilled, but I would not ever say that he achieved that simply through talent. Diligent effort to learn was instrumental, I believe."

Of course, perhaps she was wrong. Shishiyuki hardly knew Captain Urahara on any personal level, after all. But she knew that his family was certainly not one with a bloodline that would have ever created a man of his power naturally. One way or another, he had worked to his current position. In a way, she found it enviable.

"A lack of talent only means that there is nothing clutting your efforts to learn. It is a blank scroll upon which to write, and as the Sage Who Knows Ten Thousand Words, I would wish to see you able to compose the finest work upon it. Not only for the sake of my niece and her Gotei, but for your own sake, as well."

Watching others train, grow strong, struggle, that was what Shishiyuki had enjoyed the most all those years ago during her time in the 11th Division. That age was certainly long past, but the ideals were hardly unreachable. She would simply cultivate that in this younger generation herself, if that was necessary.

Mizu nodded her head repeatedly and attentively as Shishiyuki spoke. Generally she absolutely agreed with what she was saying, and she certainly did not think any of the Captains got to where they are on talent or "natural born genius" alone. Still, considering how much she had struggled to improve at anything not named Kidō, Mizu saw herself less as a blank scroll and more as a small sheet of paper. Blank, sure, but to her a person like Captain Urahara was an endless scroll where through dedicated work he could grow immeasurably, while someone like Mizu was both writing with a dull pencil and had limited space to fill with it.

Yes, I also....niece?! Though she made it her mission to know as much as she could about the Gotei United's Captains, Mizu had not made the connection between Shishiyuki and Captain Commander Murasaki. After stuttering for a few seconds Mizu closed her mouth tightly causing her lips to purse as she struggled to calm herself. With another brief pause from the diminutive blond she breathed out deeply before speaking again "I...apologize for my...state of shock, Vice Captain Koizumi. I just did not know about your ties to the Captain Commander. I hope I can work even harder than Captain Urahara-sama to live up to the standards set by him, you, the Captain Commander, and every other great Shinigami in the Gotei."

Mizu's apparent surprise was enough to arouse a faint chuckle from Shishiyuki and her expression lightened a bit more. In a way, it was pleasant that the younger shinigami were unaware of everything that had occured back then, of her sister's exile and promotion to the Zero Division. It was one more reason that she felt so assured that the youth were far more valuable than her contemporaries.

"She and I are not close, so it comes as no surprise that you would be unaware. Regardless, it is good to hear that you are willing to put forward such effort. Do bear in mind that you always ought to watch your own health, though. Working oneself too hard will only undermine your efforts."

It was something Shishiyuki probably wouldn't have even thought to mention, were it not for having seen it so consistently in Makoto. Maybe it wasn't something that the young Morikawa would need to be reminded of, but if her drive was any indication, she seemed the type who would be willing to train until she was sweating blood.

The Gotei was an endless series of surprises for little Morikawa Mizu. She knew there were great people in the military organization, but even up till now most of her experiences had been limited to her own squad, the Eight Division. Though even in the Eight she had legendary war heroes as Captain and Vice Captain, a fact which often made her head spin when in their vicinity. Now she was told this woman, a mighty Vice Captain in her own right, was the illustrious Captain Commander's aunt!

Mizu remained unsure of how to respond to Shishiyuki even as she imparted further wisdom upon her. Her knees wanted to clank together out of nervousness as she barely held herself together in the face of such an intimidating person, even if Shishiyuki did not mean to be. She eventually managed to force some words out in response, her voice clearly less confident than before "Y-yes, o-of course Vice Captain Koizumi. I will work hard at not working too...um...hard!" Mizu practically turned into a tomato out of embarrassment from saying such a ridiculous thing.