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"Renji's control is improving nicely," Rukia admitted. "A large part of the problem behind Renji learning Kidō was that his control over his own reiryoku wasn't sufficient to go beyond the low-30s level Hadō. We're working on that first through a technique I developed."

Hitsugaya looked at her interestedly. "Really? What technique is this?"

"I cast the Kidō using both my power and the power that he naturally emanates, stabilize it, then slowly let him take control over it and maintain," Rukia explained. "It requires a lot of trust, though."

Hitsugaya's eyes went wide. "You can directly manipulate the reiryoku in the air?" he breathed.

"Yes, why?" Rukia asked. "Is that unusual?"

"Most can only impose their own will upon their reiryoku before releasing it as reiatsu or as a Kidō!" Hitsugaya replied, his voice a little higher than normal. "Kuchiki-san, have you not thought of the implications? You are using the energy around you, not just inside you! Can you do this consistently? Try to draw on the power I release into the air."

Rukia's face took on an expression of determination, and she extended her awareness, gathering her focus. Taking some of the icy reiatsu that she recognized as that of Hitsugaya-taicho, she gathered and shaped it with some of her own power, forming a small but perfect Hadō 31: Shakkahō. "That wasn't as easy as with Renji's, but then again your power is like mine: tinted with cold," Rukia murmured.

Hitsugaya reached out and felt the spell with his own spiritual sense. Sure enough, his own power was there, swirling and stable. "Kuchiki-san, you must swear to me never to abuse this ability," he said suddenly. "Hide it from everyone, especially Kurotsuchi!"

"What? Why?"

"You are casting spells, using the power in the air! You are actively changing the way someone else's power is utilized! Just like a Quincy!" Hitsugaya hissed.

Rukia's concentration failed entirely at the statement, and the Kidō imploded on itself, lightly scorching her hair. "Like a Quincy?" she repeated, dumbstruck.

"But, how can that be?" Renji demanded.

"I don't know." Hitsugaya nodded, calming slightly as he saw they understood the situation. "How long have you been able to do that?"

Rukia shook her head slowly. "I… hadn't really tried until yesterday. It was just a thought I'd had – if I can sense it, why can't I work with it? I just wanted to help Renji…"

Hitsugaya shook his head, still trying to gather his composure from the shock of being informed of Rukia's ability. "That ability will no doubt prove extremely useful to you," he muttered. "Kuchiki-san, while this ability has several implications, you must keep it secret! Can you imagine what would happen if Yamamoto-sōtaicho found out? You could commit crimes and pin them on someone else by their reiatsu! He'd have you locked up for the integrity of Soul Society! Or allow Kurotsuchi to experiment on you to determine how it was done! And THEN what do you think would happen?"

http://www.fanfiction.net/s/5002293/53/