Shino sat up on her bed and stretched her arms as a yawn escaped her lips. Her eyes adjusted her vision while she scratched her chest, only to feel that one of her breasts slipped out of her pajamas. She yawned again and stood up from the bed. In a haze, she grabbed her uniform and slipped into the bathroom. She dropped her pajamas to the floor and had a quick shower to wake herself up. She dried off and put on her uniform and went over the schedule for the day. Swordplay, Shunpo, Kidou, and then a written exam; how lovely.

Mai had to participate in the tests as well, so the thought of sticking around there for double the length had exhausted Shino before she even took her first step toward the Swordplay classroom. When her feet carried on, she ran her fingers through her long hair and kept her bangs behind her ears.

“Mai, when are you ever going to let me get a haircut?”

“Never! Just put it in a bun or something!”

“...But buns don't suit me...” she sighed as she opened the door to the Swordplay room.

The room looked the same as last time. The instructor was new, however. Shino took note of this and took her place in line. Her bokutou had been placed on the side of her hip like a katana. The instructor explained the procedures of the exam. The students were to show basic thrusts and slashes. Easy enough.

When the time came for Shino to show her skills, her body showed that she had the basics down to an above average degree. The instructor nodded in approval and motioned for her to switch her patch.


Mai showed the fruits of her training and education and also performed the basics with no trouble. The sensei nodded once more and requested to change back as she had something to discuss with Shino. Mai raised a brow, but did as told.

“So what did you require of me, sensei?” Shino gave her eyes a roll.

“Well, I've heard that you've had previous combat experience, and it made me curious. So I thought to ask for a quick spar to gage your abilities.”

“Oh, I see,” she rubbed her chin “then I will be happy to oblige you.”

Shino placed her hand on the hilt of the bokutou and drew it out and stood in her stance. The secret to Shino's swordplay was to adapt her martial arts form around the sword. It worked for dodging and predicting oncoming attacks, but she still had to improve her fluidity with a weapon.

Sensei could easily see that Shino attempted to merge her style with the sword, but she knew Shino went about it the wrong way. Though again, Shino's heart was in martial arts and not swordplay, but one that had strengths in both areas would be a force to reckon with.

They bowed to each other after the spar session, and Shino left for the Kidou class. Though before then, she stopped that the cafeteria for a little booster. She needed it for the next examination. On her way out, she noticed that one guy Tamashi's exam. He was slightly above average, but nothing special.

Word about Shino spread like wildfire. Before long she would most likely be the prime example teachers use for their combat classes, aside from most Kidou spells. Shino could use them, but they were very inaccurate and dangerous. Shino didn't mind the attention, but at times she would prefer to have her original body back. Mai's body was not prime for martial arts, but it wasn't a liability either. She just preferred the most efficient body that she was used to all her life.

Shino sighed and decided to undertake Mai's advice and change her hairstyle and add buns to it. She went to her dorm room for a moment and brushed her hair and rolled it into two buns. To her surprise, she actually looked rather decent, or perhaps attractive. She nodded to herself and left the room and continued to the Kidou examination room.


This time, Shino let Mai take the test first. She walked into the room, and noticed Haruka. She wanted to go to her, but thought better of it because of an exam. The exam itself was relatively simple. Just do a binding spell and an attack spell toward the volunteer shinigami.

Before she knew it, Mai's turn to shine had arrived. A while ago she was appointed as a tutor for two students who had detention, so this exam should be easy peasy for the likes of her. She took her place at the predetermined spot. She took a deep breath and mouthed the incantation and shouted the spell. Multiple large rings manifested in the air and surrounded the shinigami and enclosed him within their grasp as Mai brought her hand downward.

“Mai, you performed the wrong spell, though since it was more advanced than what you were supposed to do, I will give you a passing grade,” she said as she marked Mai off on the roster.

“Now for your attack spell, Mai.” Mai nodded and mouthed the incantation and aimed her arm straight at the shinigami. It charged on her fingertips and sent a warm sensation through her before it shot to its destination with the loud sound of chirping birds. The ground cracked in its wake and the shinigami thought better to step slightly to the side as it brushed straight through his coat and continued onward and drilled through the hard surface of the cliff and sizzled to nothing.

“Seems you have found your special talent, Mai... Now, if you please...” The professor didn't even need to finish her thought. Mai switched her patch and Shino took over for her own exam.

Shino took the same exam. Her bind was tight yet not overly so that he managed to slip out of it. Although her lightning strike was strong and split away from the shinigami instead.

The instructor shook her head, though gave Shino a barely passable grade. On Shino's way out of the exam room, she again caught Tamashi's exam in the corner of her eye. He seemed to be close to Mai's level of Kidou, yet was more precise with the instructions.

Now it was time for the Shunpo exam. Shino insisted with Mai that they stop by for another snack because of the Kidou exam.

The Shunpo exam began and Tamashi was before them this time, seemed he did 12 and 12. A very nice exam. Shino took her turn and did the exact same thing. Mai did 10 and 11. Short of Shino, but still very good. Shino found the concept of Shunpo easier to understand than the concept of Kidou, for whatever odd reason it was.

Oh joy, the written exam. Shino thought as she scratched her head on her way to the classroom.

The written exam felt like hours to Shino and Mai, though it seemed Tamashi was breezing through the written exam as if he enjoyed this kind of thing. After another short break, the hand to hand exam was the last one for the day. Shino was ecstatic to finally do something she was born ready to do, though the exam itself was such a dull. Basic attacks. Tamashi had no problem, but Mai was off a little bit, but with practice she would be sufficient.

Shino went back to her dorm room and plopped on her bed without a word.