Bleach AU: Rising Blades [IC]

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K3l

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Introduction

It all started weeks ago. Reports had been filled in throughout numerous divisions, while complaints and questions from civilians shot through the Seventh Division. Groups of hollow having appeared in numerous places, small numbers at first before growing larger as the problem grew more common. What seemed to be a simple hollow infestation problem at first soon showed signs of something else. The hollow were recorded to have unusual behavior from the norm. Instead of acting as wild savages, they would instead stalk and wait, watching their prey before striking, sometimes even with coordinates. If that weren’t enough to deal with, Central 46 had also been making weird decisions around the same time; Ordering the execution of poor, hungry, civilians for stealing a loaf of bread, suspending certain Shinigami for a single failed mission, and even throwing some behind bars for attempting to retire.

For hundreds of years, since the rebellion of ex-Shinigami and civilians alike due to poor treatment of souls in the Rukongai, the Seireitei has lived moderately in peace. Adjusting their military accordingly and focusing more on the Rukongai. But with the sudden rise of the hollow infestation and the sudden rash decisions of Central 46, it seems that time of peace is slowly coming to an end.
 
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blue A collab between @Aeronfarron and I, @Deuce. Spanning back to when the hollow events were more recent, Hikari sends Haruka to go check out a village. Fun plot stuff is fun.



Everything was relatively quiet in the barracks for the tenth squad. There were a few Shinigami tending to the various rock gardens along the southern wall and entrance of the barracks while others meditated on top of the bigger boulders. Along the western wall, more Shinigami practiced their katana with careful precision and slow, methodical steps. On the eastern wall, a few more Shinigami were talking amongst themselves with books and scrolls in their hands or laps. Needless to say, everyone was relaxing in their own way and taking in the rare moments of peace.

And then there was the Northern wall. This wall was notorious for those that lived in the Tenth Division barracks. This wall was reserved for two people: The troublemakers and the Lieutenant of Squad Ten, Haruka Katsuye. A harsh taskmaster, Haruka was the poster child of the Katsuye's special brand of brutality. A minor noble house well known for its unchecked murder of all but three baby girls per generation, Haruka was an anomaly, and easily identified as a Katsuye due to the odd grade and texture of her reddish blonde hair. One side of her hair was slightly curly and fell about her shoulder while the other was a unmanageably spiky and fell into her eyes as it flipped upwards a bit. Her eyes were a cold mix of green and blue, but every bit as unmercifully piercing as her murderous father's.

On this peaceful day, Haruka was overseeing what she called an exercise, but what her squad called an execution. Her eyes roamed over the ten or so Shinigami that had failed her rigorous physical exam, and had lost the privilege of relaxing on such a fine day. The troops were in the middle of weighted push ups with the Zanpakuto on and a fellow Squad 10 member on their back. Haruka walked up and down the line, adjusting postures and hand holds as well as adding weights to those that had been slacking. "This is the punishment you've earned yourself. Some of you may have skipped out on training or drills..." She stopped in front of one struggling young man and looked down at him, "Some of you have skipped out in both." He looked down in shame and embarrassed anger. "Squad 10 is often voted as the most relaxed of the Gotei 13. And that is because you have the option to choose whether or not to attend meetings, trainings and drills." She continued to walk. "As you can all see, your choices were the wrong one. You lack the discipline that is needed to ensure you succeed." A smirk played at her lips when one of the young women collapsed in a heap, though the man on her back helped her back into position. "I will ensure that you realize your limits. You will learn that it is just fine to need the help of your squad mates, even if it means drilling with them or asking questions. This is not a punishment of your choices. This is a punishment of your lack of discipline. You decide to skip the drills? Then fine. But I expect, and always have expected, you to pass the same tests that everyone else takes." She continued to walk along the line as the woman began her push ups again on wobbly arms.

Out of the barracks and into the training area walked Hikari with crossed arms. Near the entrance – or exit depending on how you look at thing – Hikari leaned against the wall, watching as Haruka whipped the boys into shape. A smile plastered his face. He often liked to keep things calm and relaxed in their division, make people feel as they belonged to boost their confidence. But at the end of the day they were a division within a military and had to uphold their own, which meant no slacking, and Hikari couldn’t think of anyone more perfect than Haruka to remind their division of that. Hikari pushed off the wall and allowed his arms to fall to his side as he began walking forth.

Hikari could feel reigns of happiness from individual members, probably thinking he was about to save them from Haruka’s punishment. “She’s right!” he called out, gaining the attention of everyone in the room, even as they continued on performing what Haruka had ordered. Hikari placed his arms behind his back, pacing back and forth slowly. “I like to think that I’m rather easy-going. That’s because I don’t want anyone to feel too pressured or uncomfortable. I want to encourage you all to do your very best. But that means I also expect you all to uphold standards placed within our division.”

Hikari halted with his pacing then turned to face everyone in the room. “We are a military. It’s no place to play around or slack. You may think the lieutenant is being harsh on you but I say she’s getting it through your heads. The punishment may seem harsh but once you’re on the field you’ll appreciate it. It’s better this than ending up dead on the field and that’s just the harsh reality of it. Now, show me that you’re willing to be the best you can be!” After his words, the Shinigami began working faster and harder than before. Hikari smiled before walking to Haruka.

“Words can achieve a lot lieutenant,” he spoke before making a motion with his hand towards the barracks, “A word?”

Haruka stepped back when her Captain began to address the troops. She had felt him from afar, long used to his spiritual energy from their time together. Her eyes softened slightly when she looked at him, but hardened again as she went back to correcting the postures to keep people from hurting themselves.

"That is why you're Captain." She joked with a wisp of a smile. A few of the troops looked at her, astonished at the smile before she whistled loudly. A little white puff ball scurried from its spot under a tree, barking loudly in excitement. Alucard has grown, and while he was still a puff ball, the bi-snake tailed dog stood at her chest. Truly, he was a terrifying beast when Haruka had introduced him as her second in command, for the dog was almost as harsh as his owner. Rumor still flew as to where she got the hound, but it had earned its nickname of Cerberus with how protective he was. "Watch them, would you Alucard? I'll be right back." The dog barked in acknowledgement then sat down with intelligent, staring eyes. Satisfied that they wouldn't slack, Haruka followed her captain, "What's going on, Hikari?"

“Well first I would like to ask you, how is your training with Yuurei going? Are you any closer to Bankai?” Hikari kept his voice relatively low, even if they had some distance from others. He didn’t want others to know he was toying with the idea of retirement. Not only did Hikari feel he had been doing the job for a while, but also because he was seeing the progress of Haruka’s leading and combat ability. She had already surpassed the level he was when he was Lieutenant, and that was around the time he began making a name for himself for defeating his opponents with just zanjutsu and tactics alone. He noticed she was steadily approaching Captain-level and within a few months would probably surpass him altogether. Atleast, that’s what he thought.

Haruka rubbed the back of her neck as she thought about his question. Honestly, she and Yuurei Mamoru were doing just fine. They were meshing well and were getting stronger every time they trained together. She trusted Yuurei more so than anyone else, but Bankai? She hadn't wanted to bug her for more power, not when they could take out most others while Yuurei was still sealed. "Training is going great. As for Bankai...I am unsure. We haven't talked about it in a while. But I am able to manifest her here. Did you want to talk with her?"

Hikari shook his head, smiling. “No, it’s fine. Maybe another time, but I’m glad to hear that you two are working well now.” Hikari reached forward and brushed a few strands of hair from her face so he could take a good look at her. “You get more beautiful by the day Haruka. I long for the day that we’ll be able to just…settle down. Perhaps my retirement plans are a step closer to that,” he would mumble. Before he would give her the chance to reply he cleared his throat and dropped his hands. “Anyways, lieutenant,” Hikari reached into his haori, pulling out a paper and then handing it to her, “There have been scout reports of hollow gatherings in a small village. The thing is though, it seems they only attack people during certain times a day; otherwise they just…ignore the villagers. It’s a new thing, but I want you to take a small team to check everything out. If you can’t find a reason behind their sudden switch in behavior then wipe them out and report back.”

Haruka leaned into his touch and touched his hand with her fingers before he pulled away. Her smile widened, as did her eyes when he mentioned that he was planning to retire. There were, however, bigger problems so she filed the information away to discuss that with him later. She took the scroll and read it over as she listened to his synopsis. "Hm...I'll take Alucard and two others. We'll watch the Hollows throughout the day and make note of times of aggression. On the surface...this seems too organized for a pack of Hollows...one is either leading them--which the implication is very, very bad--or they are being incited." She frowned then set the scroll in a fold on her keisen uniform. The uniform had been a hold over from her time in the Onmitsukido which kept her from tearing her garments if she ever used shunko. Her lieutenant badge rested at the middle of her bicep so that wouldn't get messed up either. "I'll take care of it, Captain."

Hikari felt a sense of contentment hearing her analyze the situation. "Sounds good. Be safe, alright?" he spoke before turning to leave. "I will. Keep these guys going, yeah?" She asked him then winked secretly. She whistled again then flash stepped away, Alucard followed her almost as quickly.

The team was stationed at the outskirts of the village, the middle-point of a hill which was riddled with trees providing the team with cover. From where they stood they could make out a group of hollow, around twenty, distant from the village. The hollow group remained still, a few pacing back and forth. Alucard, with a vision more enhanced than Shinigami, would be able to make out something weird about the hollow masks. But a closer inspection was obviously needed to tell what exactly. Haruka stood beside Alucard as she watched the group of Hollows. She frowned and looked over at her partner, "Can you get closer?" she asked her dog. The dog nodded once then slinked closer to try and get a better look at the Hollows. She stayed with the others to keep them in line.

Once Alucard got closer, one hollow would immediately turn to him. The hollow stared at Alucard before getting in a position to lunge. Before it did so the pink around the eyes of the mask, which Alucard had noticed before, flared more causing the hollow to stumble back. The Shinigami would now be able to clearly see the pink around the eyes of each hollow as they brightened. The specific hollow near Alucard was thrashing around as if having a mental fight. Suddenly the hollow dropped to the ground remaining still.

Alucard dropped into a defensive stance and growled lowly, his teeth and fangs bore in warning. The fur along his spine and ears were raised. "They are definitely being controlled...and their controller is powerful." Haruka noted to herself, even as she wordlessly motioned for one of the Shinigami to write down exactly what was happening. The lieutenant kept her eyes on the hollow even as she flash stepped to stand on Alucard's back. "You know what is going on, don't you?" she asked the Hollow in question. She wondered how far deep the mind control was. Could the controller hear her? Could it see her? Was it integrated into its thoughts and personality?

The hollow looked up at Haruka almost as if studying her. Haruka would get the feeling that there was more than a hollow watching her. Suddenly, each hollow began clawing at its own mask furiously. Pieces chipped away until the masks broke away fully. The hollow would all then disintegrate, leaving no trace of them behind. Haruka's eyes narrowed as she dropped down from Alucard. She licked her lips and looked over at Alucard. "Discretely look around, Alucard. If you sense nothing within...thirty meters, come back. If the controller can make them suicidal any further out than that...that is someone that we shouldn't tangle with without backup." She ordered him.

The dog nodded once in understanding before he flash stepped away to see if he could sense a scent or a spiritual energy trace. Haruka began to scan the area quietly but thoroughly after she sent the non-scribe Shinigami to gently inquire into the attacks on the nearby village. After a moment of being alone, Haruka's attention would be drawn to the barely audible sounds of footsteps approaching from behind, the footsteps of someone who had been trained in stealth. The person let out a breath, standing tall with shadows hiding their facial features. Their hand laid rest on the hilt of the Zanpakuto strapped to their side. “Oh? Lieutenant of Division Ten?" The voice indicated male, one who chuckled. "The pink haired wonder. And what brings you here at this lovely hour?" The man waved his hand, a motion towards the sunset. His tone seemed genuine but was obviously more condescending.

The Lieutenant didn't seem surprised as she continued to search the area. "Yes. I am quite surprised that my old academy nickname would show up some two hundred or so years after my graduation." She noted quietly. "Though...I wonder what else others have called me. Would you care to elaborate? Or were you attempting to be an original?" She ran her fingers over the tracks left behind by the Hollows. "As for what brings me here, I should be asking you that. I don't recall a report of a Zanpakuto user being sent to this area." At that, she turned to face the man, though her naturally apathetic countenance was on full display.

"Beautiful is one I hear people call you. There's another B word I hear often, but you seem like the hurt the messenger type so I'll refrain from saying it." The man smirked before moving his hand away from the hilt of his Zanpakuto. He took a couple steps back before speaking again, "I was just taking a stroll. Nice and peaceful stroll that has now reached its end. I'd really rather not get in the way of your work. After all, not paying attention to things may prove rather dangerous. Wouldn't you agree, lieutenant?" The man turned and began walking. As he did, around a dozen hollow began running towards the village with the same pink glow around the eyes of their mask.

Haruka chuckled quietly to herself and closed her eyes with a smirk. "Come now. I'm sure you know that I don't believe that." She opened one eye as a slit, "I would like to believe that you would give me more credit than that, assuming that you know exactly who I am." There was a crackle of lightning as Alucard howled out loudly and appeared from the trees. His body cleared the tree line easily as he swiped at packs of Hollows easily with her paws and tails. One even found its way into his horns while another was crunched between his teeth.

"Well...this just got interesting. Then again...he has been getting a little chubby lately." She chuckled lightly. Her eyes flashed, a cruel and murderous gleam shined unapologetically. "But for now, let's get to know each other a bit better, hm? At least buy me dinner before you start the foreplay and dirty talk, yeah?" She said before she followed him. She kept her steps loud, so he knew she was right behind him. She motioned for the other two to support and protect Alucard while he took on the bulk of the forces, which left her quite alone.

The man halted before looking back to see the dog tearing through the hollow. He sighed, turned his body, and then walked towards Haruka. He stopped, darkness from the shadows hiding most of his face again except for his mouth which was scowled. He remained silent, hand going for the hilt of his Zanpakuto, before opening his mouth. "What is it that you'd like to know exactly, lieutenant?" His tone was less condescending and now hinted towards frustration.

"I want to know your name. I want to know why attack this village and how you are controlling the hollows. I want to know how you have a Zanpakuto and aren't dead. There are many things that I'd like to know." Her right hand was wrapped around her sheath, thumb up against her wakizashi guard. "So, make this easy on me. Come in quietly, and I won't throw you straight to Squad 2's prison. I'll give you that chance to tell me what I want you to tell me. Sounds pretty cushy, right?"

The man scoffed. "And what proof do you have that I'm involved with all of this exactly? Coincidentally taking a stroll? I doubt Center forty-six will lock me up for such a thing." He smirked. "And what gives you the idea that I can control hollows? I didn't recite a Kido incantation nor did I ever unsheathe my Zanpakuto to display such ability. I think this is goodbye lieutenant." The man turned and began walking once again. Before Haruka could act, one of the Squad Ten Shinigami ran up to her panting and bleeding from the shoulder. "We need you in the village!"

Haruka laughed loudly but left the man alone. She looked at the bleeding Shinigami then nodded once. "Get your partner and rest. Alucard and I will finish this." She said to the Shinigami with a smirk. "Give me a sitrep. I trust that you helped evacuate the village?" She asked as she made her way to the village, double time.

"I'm sorry Lieutenant, ma'am, there were simply too many hollow to try and get everyone out. I-I got some out...b-but my partner urged me to come and find you. I'm not even sure he made it. We must hurry!" The Shinigami began picking up his speed, though obviously nearing his limit especially with his injury.

Haruka listened silently for a while before she frowned, "Rest here. Stay out of sight." She gripped him firmly by his good shoulder so he knew that it was an order. "I'll find your partner. Wait here for my signal. When you get it, flash step ahead of me to Squad 4 for treatment and debrief." She told him before she flash stepped away.

When she came upon the village, Haruka let her spiritual energy raise to the point that the ground below her began to crack under the weight her spiritual pressure. When she was sure that she attracted most of the Hollows away from the innocents she whistled quickly to Alucard. The massive beast shrunk down to his normal size and began to herd the Hollows towards the Lieutenant and away from the rest of the populace as he searched for the scent of the missing Shinigami. Soon would Alucard pick up the scent that leads him to a small hut which the Shinigami stumbled out of holding his bloodied side.

His eyes widened at the number of hollow nearing the Lieutenant. "To make up for my failure..." The Shinigami held his palm out, "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south!" The crimson red orb charged in his palm before shooting forward, colliding with the group of hollow. The Shinigami could only hope he helped. It was his final thought before fainting, both from blood loss and reiryoku loss. Unlike his partner, there was no chance of survival.

Alucard barked at him to try and stop the Shinigami, but even he understood the sheer force of will one would find when they wanted to protect something. After all, it was how he had found his true form: When Haruka was surrounded by waves of spider-like Hollows and their allies had fallen. Gently, the dog lifted the Shinigami with his snake like tail and laid the bloodied form on his back. His fur became stained with red but he cared little. The man had been a true warrior to his last breath, and had sacrificed himself to even the odds for his leader. Alucard hoped that the man lived the life he would deserve in the next one.

Carefully, Alucard carried the man into the Lieutenant's view, which drew and pained breath from the woman. Death was always a possibility in the profession she had chosen, but a sacrifice...a selfless death for the sake of others. That was a bittersweet pill to swallow. She had been astonished by the appearance of the orb, and even more so at the devastation it caused amongst the Hollows' ranks. "You have truly embodied the soul of your squad today..." Her words were soft as a crackle of white flame ignited along her shoulders. "I will make sure your death was not in vain. Shunko!" An inferno blast surrounded her immediate area as her hair blew from her face at the force. A pillar of fire accompanied the blast at her back, which roasted the Hollows that had sought to sneak up on her. Her movements were a blur of fire and rage, her arms and legs wreathed in swirling flames that flared with every punch or kick. In only but a minute or few did Haruka manage to wipe out the rest of hollow that, much like previous two groups, had that pink glow around their eyes.

Due to the flames of her technique it managed to spread across the grass and into the village. The flames seemed to have not caused major damage as the villagers were able to put it out, but one hut had caught some flames. Plus the Hado from earlier had caused a bit of damage to the surrounding grounds, not counting the hollow group managing to destroy some property and take some lives. "If it isn't hollow then it's some Shinigami not caring about our land," an elderly male soul spoke aloud, staring at Haruka. The elderly man shook his head.

Haruka rushed over to help where she could within the village once she was finished with the Hollows. She'd managed to reign in the rest of her flames and spiritual pressure to keep from creating more collateral damage. Unfortunately for the old man, she'd heard him. "Keep your mouth shut. A good man gave his life today to keep more of your people alive." Haruka stared right back. "You may not be grateful to be keeping your life, since I'm sure you've lived a nice long one." Her eyes narrowed, "But I'm saddened that a child would show more respect than the man that is supposed to know better. Buildings can be rebuilt, dead kids, mothers, fathers, and GOOD men and women cannot. Next time you're facing down Hollows, YOU can stand between them and ‘your’ people with me so you can understand a few things that you've must have forgotten." She said before she stalked off to help the villagers with whatever she could. Really, she was just securing the village before she would return to her Squad.

Back at Squad Ten, after reporting in, the mission turned out a success. Despite the casualties, the threat was neutralized and the village was secured. The injured Shinigami was going to survive, currently being treated at Division Four. As well they had a potential suspect on their hands. But being a Shinigami it was now in the hands of Division Six. “You’ve done good work today,” spoke Hikari to Haruka in his office, sitting behind his desk, he smiled. “Maybe work on that Shunko fire though. I’ll write up to the First Division, you’re dismissed.”
 
[fieldbox=Shin Kimoto]
Shin walked down the streets of the seireitei, looking around for the barracks of the squad he was to join. He remembered that the squad was all about large-scale operations, but he couldn't remember who the captain and liutenants were. He expected to be assigned to squad six, since his family had died to a group of criminals. I guess it's for the best... Since my zanpakuto seems to be great at helping large numbers of shinigami not get quite as bottle-necked at choke points... That, and I can kind of help out fairly well with defending large numbers of people if I use a portal to move an attack away from allies... He exhaled slowly as he stopped, looking up at the barracks of squad 10, mentally preparing himself to find out who the captain was. He was sure he'd remember the name when he saw who it was, but when they taught this, he was too busy trying to focus on becoming stronger, and just decided to remember their names for if he needed it later. He stepped into the squad barracks, looking around to see if he could find anyone in a captain's jacket or someone with a liutenant's badge anywhere nearby. As he didn't see anyone, he entered the barracks, going directly to the captain's office. He knocked on the door, calling in "Hey, Shin Kimoto, I just joined your squad." He heard someone say he could enter, and he opened the door, seeing the captain, Hikari Shinrai, inside. "Hello captain, are you busy, or can I ask a few questions...?"

[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Julia Himura]
Julia whistled to herself as she stepped through the wall of the seireitei, the sound becoming very muffled for but a second as her mouth moved through the solid object. A voice shouted from inside "The door's over there!" Julia smirked to herself before using shunpo to get to the top of a building. She glanced around the place to make sure she knew exactly where she was before dropping down to the ground and walking through walls directly towards the barracks of her choosing. The walls contained much less reiatsu than any living creature, so it was almost nothing to move through them, in fact, it was easier than going around or jumping over. She stretched slightly as he walked through yet another wall, surprising a random passerby for a second. She waved, smiling, as she walked through the next wall only to realize she was in the squad 6 courtyard. "Oh, oops... Still getting used to judging distances while I walk through things..." She looked around to see where the gate into the courtyard was, and walked over to it, then turned around, stepping forward as if she had just walked through the gate. She looked around, hoping to see the captain, Edme, somewhere. She assumed she'd be inside, and thus, didn't put very much effort into searching out there, possibly missing the captain if she was out there before walking through the walls of the barracks themselves and looking around. She might walk into a bathroom or washing area if she kept walking through walls, but she wasn't exactly trying to avoid that, honestly. She knew she'd get a chance to see exactly what she wanted if she bathed with any of the other girls from the squad, but getting an early peek wouldn't hurt. She almost forgot entirely that her main purpose was to search for the captain as she searched through different rooms by putting her head through the wall and looking around.
[/fieldbox]
 
Takumi Date,
Captain of the Eight Division.


He frowned. Staring at the board, his opponent was quite cunning. If he would make a move, his opponent had already a counter move at the ready. "What if I will do this then?" Takumi friendly suggested, his eyes moving up. The old man, Junichiro Takayama, took a sip of his tea. His eyebrows perked slowly up as he then shook his head. "I'll be able to take your bishop." A friendly smile crept over Takumi's lips.

"But then I'll be able to take down your knight." Takumi made a gesture to the board. "And then--" "I'll be able to fend off that tactic. My queen shall take down your knight." Takumi's smile vanished as he looked at the board again. "But if you'll use your queen like that, then you'll leave an opening at your right." A silence followed.

"Perhaps." Junichiro replied. He lowered his cup as he calmly looked at the board. The pieces hadn't been moved as the two were simply trying to outsmart each other with their wit alone. It was perhaps a confusing sight and even more confusing to try to follow them, but the two didn't care. It was one of the few moments where Takumi had time to spend time with the ex-captain of the Eight Division. Though he wasn't anything as he was in his prime, Junchiro's wisdom was what Takumi considered the man's greatest treasure. "Weird things are happening." Takumi softly said. Junichiro frowned as he would stay silent. "Such as?"

"Hollows have been showing weird behavior. Starting to pick out preys and being more intelligent than before. They aren't being much of the mindless beasts they once were." Takumi answered, his tone giving away that he wasn't feeling easy about it. The old ex-captain simply nodded as he also became silent. "That seems troublesome." Nodding simply, Takumi thought about it. He had several questions with the odd behavior of the Hollows. And then there was the Central 46. Was there a link between the two? Could it perhaps be that Central 46 had done something or was it because they knew more about the odd behavior of the Hollows?

"Have you done much investigation yourself?" Junichiro asked politely. Takumi shook his head lightly. "No, I can't. I've too much to do. Though I was considering giving Takako the assignment, there are more urgent matters that require attention. Such as the training of the newest recruits." Takumi replied. His answer made Junichiro frown again. "Then I hope you stay safe. Would be annoying if I need to find some new opponent for shogi." Chuckling, Takumi rose up. He made a deep bow towards the senior as he would turn away, walking towards the barracks of the Eight Division. Still thinking about the matters he would need to attend to. If he could find Takako, then he could start to arrange the most urgent of matters.
 
[fieldbox="Takako Chinen, aquamarine"]
Vice-Captain of the Eight Division

Normally Takako would sit at the largest table in the, in her eyes, rather small library that was present in the Eight Division's barracks. And although the table was large her books and her papers would occupy all of it, leaving no spot for any other members of the division who might want to enjoy the space. That thought, however, the idea that someone else might want to use the table had never appeared in Takako's mind. It was her work place which meant it wasn't for other people.

That was only logical.

If she wasn't out on a mission or performing her duties as Vice-Captain she could be found at that table, large books before her, stacks of paper next to her, pencil in her hand. She preferred pencil to a pen in almost every case. Especially when she was drawing, and she had been drawing a lot lately.

But not today.

Today was the day that new recruits would be joining the Division and Takako had figured that, with the fact that Takumi was visiting the old captain, she would take up residence in his office. If anyone were to knock to seek admittance to the division she would be there to help them on the way. Just like she had done many years ago. It was only logical for a new recruit to search out the captain's office first before doing anything else. She had done so too. And if no one was in the office at that time they would get confused and then everything would get complicated. New recruits would start to wander around, cause problems. No, this was the most simple solution.

So she was now occupying the captain's desk with her work. The thought that he might not like the fact that she shoved his stuff aside and placed her own on it didn't occur to her. He had always been interested in her business and had always urged her to keep pursuing it. This way she was doing two jobs at once which was a win win situation. There was no one anyway could object against that.

She chewed on the end of her pencil, a habit she had developed during her many hours of study. It was probably bad for her, but it was just such a mindless thing to do. Her sword rested next to her against the desk. As she stared to the letters before her she found herself drifting away from the words to other matters at hand. The news about the hollows. Generally Takako kept to herself only medding in affairs relating to the outside world, both the Rukongai and the Human World, when necessary and when ordered to. It wasn't her place to do something about it when it wasn't her place to do something about it. She had better stuff to do anyway. But this news did strike her fancy. Hollows didn't hold a very dear position in her heart and they had enough wounded as it was. They didn't need to get smarter or that would only cause more problems for them and more work for her.

She chewed some more on her pencil as her eyes dropped from the book down to her paper to a picture of an arm that she drew.

She didn't need more problems.

[/fieldbox]
 
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For some, keeping one's self in shape was a pastime or fancy. Something to do while to keep themselves in shape and not idle. For others, it was a way of life. To these people--really fanatics--it was a matter of life or death if they didn't stick to their schedules and diets.

To Haruka, it really was a matter of life or death...just not her own.

To Division 10, Haruka's workouts were both a reprieve and a warning. The former meant that classes would be cancelled for the day, the latter meant that a fitness test would be happening soon.

The sounds of the speed bag against her flesh could be heard as the new recruit walked in. Haruka paid the recruit no mind, though she did look over to him out when the door opened. From her vantage point, she just needed to lean a little bit to see around the speed bag, without having to mess with her rhythm. She gave her customary glancing nod to the young man then focused back on her punches, forearms, and elbow strikes. "Captain."

Her bangs clung to her sweat slicked forehead, even as her breathing came out in steady puffs. She wore her typical uniform, including the wakizashi sized zanpakuto at her lower back. Her muscles burned wonderfully, and her skin held a light sheen despite the paleness of it. Everything from her stomach to her legs and even her bottom was sore, but in such a delightful way. The soreness of a hard workout, of pushing back against the frustration that those irritating little pricks that dared to keep checking on their supposed 'heir', the soreness that was associated with the ache in one's fist as they caved their enemy's face in punch after punch until the bone--

The speed bag smashed against its anchor and burst from the impact, the sound of it brought her from her rapidly darkening thoughts.

Right. She wasn't working nearly as hard as she needed to. Maybe some focusing will help.

She heaved out a sigh and set to replacing the speed bag for the third time in as many weeks. After that was done, she then began a set of one armed pull ups that forced her to focus so she didn't injure herself.
 
Edmé
Captain of the Sixth Division.

Edmé was enjoying a warm cup of mint tea. Sitting in her office, she had already arranged and done the paperwork that she had need to read and react to. Organized in small piles, she was simply enjoying her brief moment of peace. Though today there would be new recruits joining her division, Edmé didn't seem that curious or eager to meet them out. They would sooner or later end up knocking on her door or she would hear of them later.

Raising the edge of her cup, she would gently blow in order to cool down the hot surface of the warm liquid. Her clear green eyes moved her gaze towards the window, allowing her to oversee a court yard where several members of her division were training. Slowly, Edmé would stop blowing and take a sip. Licking her lips after the small sip, she decided that lemon tea wasn't really her thing. Putting the cup down on the table, Edmé thought of what she could do. She was done with the paperwork and needed to wait for the new recruits. Going for something as a walk or inspecting this or that wouldn't thus be something she considered wise. Knowing nothing yet about those who were going to join the Sixth Division made her wary to determine that she could leave them stranded in front of her office.

Instead to kill the time, Edmé would lean back as she opened a drawer of her desk. Pulling a small book, the woman started to read as she would continue waiting for the new recruits to knock on her door.
 
Hikari Shinrai, Division Ten Captain
Hikari sighed as he sat aside some reports. It seemed the hollow incident wasn’t getting any better as even more were appearing in unison, within various places this time. The captain of division twelve was someone Hikari had plans on speaking with soon. With him and Takumi’s tactical insight, and the monitoring of division twelve, Hikari felt they could subdue the problem rather quickly. He also had plans to visit the captain of division six sometime, Edmé, as he wanted to gain her opinion on recent Central 46 decisions. She was so distant though. For such a beautiful woman she was certainly missing out on a lot. Shin’s voice, and the fact that his lieutenant had burst open another speed bag, was the only thing stopping him from reminiscing on his Casanova days as well as the thought of him pulling Edmé to him. Hikari cleared his throat and sat up straight, flashing a smile.

“Shin Kimoto, the portal guy,” Hikari nodded, remembering him from the report. “I’m never too busy for my division members. After all, that is my job. I’ll be happy to answer any questions you may have, so shoot.”
 
[fieldbox=Julia Himura]
After walking through a few different sets of walls, one or two of which causing a yelp of surprise from shinigami who hadn't exactly expected someone to poke their head through the wall, Julia stopped and looked around, frowning. Maybe she was too obsessed with her newfound ability to go through walls, and hadn't actually paid any attention to where she could find information on walls and such for where certain facilities were. She looked around, passing her glance over the sign on a nearby door that told her that it was the captain's office, and finding her eyes locked on what looked like a sign for changing rooms. She instantly got an evil smile, taking a step forward before suddenly realizing what the other sign had said. "Oh... That's right... I needed to tell the captain that I'm here..." She looked around, searching for where she had seen the sign for the captain's office, looking over it once more before finding it. She nodded her head, walked over and knocked on the door. "Hello? May I come in?" She spoke, then moved before listening for the response, whether it came or not, she poked her head and arm through the door, looking around just a bit before seeing the captain and waving, a smile across her face.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox=Shin Kimoto]
Shin bowed and nodded at the same time, showing both his respect, and his agreement with what the captain said. When he brought his eyes back up, he looked to the one who was punching the bag. He didn't get a glimpse of who it was, but he was more worried about the captain for now. He looked back to the captain, thinking for a second to gather his thoughts. "Well... First, I was wondering what I should start off doing. Whether I should have a mission, or simply take the time for now as training time?" He glanced down to his zanpakuto, "And another question was whether you knew what my zanpakuto could do, but it seems you do. So instead, I ask, do you know a good training partner for when I'm not on a mission, based on the reports you've been given?" He didn't expect to have a perfect training partner, or even a good one yet, but at the very least, the captain could probably judge who was about his capability based on the reports. If not, he fully intended to show him what needed be shown to get a good training partner, as he knew that training on one's own could only do so much, though it was always good.
[/fieldbox]
 
The lieutenant dropped to the ground after she finished her finally rep. When she heard the young man's name, she'd taken a few moments to gather her thoughts as she cooled down.

Taking a drink of water, she eyed the young man with an almost proud look in her eyes. Shin had come quite a long way from being the kid that bugged the crap out of her about teaching him. Now, she supposed, he stood there a full shinigami and still so eager to learn. She looked at Hikari over Shin's shoulder and gave him a twitch of a smirk that said it all: I'll take care of this first session.

"I'll be your training partner, New Blood." She spoke up and walked over to Hikari's desk, "I test each and every candidate for this squad." She told him, as she tried to catch Shin's eyes with her own.
 
[fieldbox="Hansuke Araki : Unseated, red, solid"]
Shrouded in the cool shades cast by the tree he leaned back against, Hansuke Araki contemplated his decisions in the absence from others. The embers within his thin pipe's silvery metal cup flared awake, illuminating parts of his visage whilst the glow reflected in his black eyes.

Along with a deep sigh a cloud of smoke passed through a small slit between his lips, a bitter frown displayed for a mere second. It was certainly not an easy decision to make, to find a position where he could feel relevant but also at home. A parchment with a large, rather grand title of 'Sixth Division' rested within his loose grip.

Within minutes the herbal mixture within his pipe extinguished, he began to rise up from his comfortable position and humbly tapped the pipe against the nearby tree to knock the cinders out of the little cup. When he was finally done being lazy he pocketed the pipe away within his black robes.

The walk felt incredibly short due to constant thoughts pestering his usually blank mind. There he stood, before The Sixth Division. Hansuke looked at the on-going practice as he passed by and finally reached the quarters. Stubborn as he was, he never agreed with himself that he was lost within the building - luckily enough a few shinigami managed to subtly point him towards his desired destination.

Upon his arrival he might have caught the vision of an unknown individual (Julia Himura) by the captain's door. He was certainly not in a hurry and showed a mere sign of respect by a brief nod, whatever she saw or not appeared to be less important. Hansuke settled down on his knees near a wall with closed eyes, simply waiting for his turn.
[/fieldbox]
 
Nene Sanada & Chigo Zho
Unseated Shinigami
Onward to Squad Eight!​
Nene walked the streets being stared at by others, it could be seen on their faces that they were confused on how this woman wasn't bumping into anything with her clear blindness. It was when a fellow graduate of hers was her speaking to others. "Don't worry about her, shes somehow capable of seeing everything around her." The woman said pointing at Nene before walking out of sight, who just looked bored. "I can still get lost though, anyone have directions to Squad eight?" She asked and that was when another female placed her hand on Nene's shoulder. "Yeah I'm heading there as well, so you can just follow me. Names Chigo Zho, future ass kicker of everything." Chigo grinned placing her hands on her hips while Nene just looked at the woman. "Well thank you then Chigo, I am Nene Sanada. I wish you luck in that task then, just be careful of who you end up beating up. Never know which one will end up being your downfall." Nene said with a smile and as Chigo looked at her, she could instantly tell this woman was far more deadly than she seemed. She wasn't sure if it was how she spoke or if it was her presence. All she knew was that being careful around her was top priority. "I'm going for squad eleven one day, so its gonna be my job to kick the shit out of everything. Anyway we should get going." Chigo said starting to walk off until Nene spoke up. "Oh just so you know that's the wrong way." Chigo looked back at her just to see a smile that just seemed to know what she was doing. "For a blind person, you are more diabolical then you let on...." Chigo said before gesturing for Nene to lead the way after her little ruse. "Sorry, I just wanted to see if anyone would pity me for being a lost blind girl." Nene giggled as she walked the pathways, with Chigo following behind.

Sure enough though, if Chigo thought it was a joke that Nene knew where to go it certainly faded from her mind when they came to the barracks. Nene would stand and smile at a grumbling Chigo, who just strode in to the grounds and asked where the captains office was. So after being given directions, Chigo marched her way to the office with Nene walking behind her. Upon reaching the office Chigo knocked on the door and only just realized when standing beside Nene, that this chick was freaking tall. Chigo was 5'4 and she had to look up to see her. "Five feet ten inches." Nene said without looking at Chigo who looked a little shocked. "Your face looked surprised as it scanned me up and down, so I assume you were curious as to what my height was." Nene explained when really Chigo was curious as she saw her face without looking at her. She just pinned it as something blind people who practiced so they could walk around could do. "Lucky giant ass amazon." Chigo muttered as they awaited approval to enter.
---​
Yu Hardt
Unseated Shinigami​
Sitting under the shade of a tree he thought about what squads would be ideal for him to improve and better himself. He wanted himself to be perfect in every way possible, as if he wasn't then he could easily be overwhelmed by someone. Yet Squad one was for those that were quite literally perfect at everything they did, so he would need to be much stronger in order to even be there. He would also need a strict captain that wouldn't hesitate to correct him on something he did poorly. So the only captain that would be capable of doing this while being capable of helping him be balanced, would be the somewhat new squad six captain Edme. He would have went to the squad ten captain, but he felt he would be more relaxing than squad six would be. So after standing up he would take a nice walk over to the barracks where after being allowed in he would walk the halls and then see someone walking through the place.... quite literally. So upon reaching the office he would see one man kneeling down and a female inside the door. Yu would stare at this scene and wonder just how this man wasn't skeptical at all of the scene before himself. Well he would have knocked on the door, but quite frankly he was a little worried about doing so. Yet somewhere in his mind this felt like deja vu in a way. "I guess I will just wait as well..." Yu mumbled as he knelt down much like the one man was doing and waited his turn as well, while slightly hoping she would stop fusing with the door.​
 
[fieldbox="Ayami Cho, #ffcc99"]
Unseated,
10th Division.


Ayami had considered her choice. There was a lot of divisions one could chose to join. In fact, Ayami wasn't certain at first which division she should join. It was certain that the Eleventh division wasn't much one she favored. She wasn't glory or battle hungry. Not at all. The Sixth Division? Joining a division that held discipline and order high was something Ayami could find herself in, but led by somebody that killed the previous captain? It made Ayami turn her attention to the other divisions that were left. The Eight and Tenth were all that remained left. While Ayami was a bit uncertain which one she would be better to enlist for, she decided to try her hand at the Tenth Division. Forming plans and executing them sounded just like she would fit in fine with the Tenth. And if not? Then she could always try later at the Eight Division, though Ayami hoped that it wouldn't happen that she ended up failing horribly.

Heading towards the barracks of the Tenth Division, the young female shinigami wavered for a moment. Arriving at the court yard, she wondered if she shouldn't first consider to request an appointment instead of just knocking on somebody's door and asking then if they had time for her. Scratching her left cheek, Ayami decided that she should give it a try. Noticing some other people who seemed new - at least Ayami hoped she wasn't mistaken with those assumptions - she walked a bit around. Much to her surprise, she hadn't bumped into somebody else or done something to embarrass herself. Something she had expected of herself on the first day.

Coming to a halt, Ayami noticed two people. If she saw it correctly by the outfit and the piece at the shoulder then one of the was the vice-captain. The other? She wasn't sure, but assumed it was either a member or who knew? A new person like her? Perhaps already enlisted for the Tenth Division? Not able to subdue her curiosity, Ayami decided to lean with her back against the nearby wall and watch the vice-captain and the other from the shade. She was patient after all and maybe she could pick up a thing or two by just observing the two.
[/fieldbox]

[fieldbox="Edmé, royalblue"]
Captain,
Sixth Division


Her eyes lowered slightly, her fingers - index, middle and thumb - gently holding the top of the page as she continued reading her book. Turning the page, Edmé enjoyed the moment of serenity and peace. While she knew that it could be 'disturbed' any moment, there was no point in denying it. She loved to just sit there and reading while nobody seemed to need her advise, instruction or help with anything. But then her attention was moved from her book.

"Hello? May I come in?"

The question was asked by a young-looking female, a teen with blue hair. For a moment, Edmé simply eyed the unknown person. Then she nodded slowly as she would close her book. "Hmm, yes." There was some undertone that made it seem like Edmé had to consider as if there was a real option of denying the other from entering her office. Guessing that this was the first person that would like to know this or that about the Sixth Division, Edmé realized something. Getting up from her seat, she calmly gestured to the other - Julia - to further enter the office as she would stride towards the door herself. "One moment." Edmé mumbled as she would glance just to see what the 'situation' was like outside her office.

Noticing two other unknown shinigami, Edmé spoke up. "You two, please come in if you're here to enlist or ask about the Sixth Division." After she had spoken, Edmé would turn around again to walk back to her seat. She had so far a calm facial expression and tone present, deciding to wait until the others outside would join the first newcomer into her office. Placing her elbows on her desk, Edmé would intertwine her fingers together. Eyeing the people in her office, she had requested them all together inside. It was more efficient than else taking an interview or meeting one by one. Beside, maybe it could spark some healthy competition or one of the newcomers would be able to ask something that the others wouldn't be able to come up with? It was in any way more interesting and efficient, so far it concerned Edmé.

[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox="Takako Chinen, aquamarine"]
Vice-Captain of the Eight Division

Everything had been quiet which was the way Takako prefered it to be. No recruits had come by yet, no members of the division, unranked or ranked, had bothered her so she had been able to spend all her time reading and drawing. Which was good. This was what days were supposed to be like. Maybe hiding in the office of the captain was the best idea of being left alone. Then again she liked the small library they had. Despite it being more noisy it was also more lively. Takako wasn't a shut in. She liked people, or more accurately people fascinated her. Their behavior, little habits, all the tiny things that made them who they were. And that were just the souls here.

Real humans were ten times more interesting.

She chewed on her pencil as she remembered the first time she had set foot into the Human World. She had literally been at awe. In Soul Society everything was based on spiritual energy. But in the human world everything was so... fresh. Everything tasted differently, felt differently, moved differently. It was amazing. And even now while she had done so many missions in the human world she could still be surprised or amazed or grossed out by some of the things that were going on there.

She flipped a page in her book as a knock resonated through the room. Takako's head shot up and for a split second she looked around for Takumi about to ask if she should open the door. Habits were funny things. She straightened up, flipped her pony tail back and placed her pencil down.

"Enter!" she called towards the door. As she did she wondered if Takumi was on his way back already. While she could take care of the new recruits just fine it would be good for them to see their captain's face. He was the person that demanded their loyality and respect after all. Sure, she was the second in command and demanded that respect as well, but there was a clear gap between a vice captain and a captain. And it was not just strength.

[/fieldbox]
 
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Hikari Shinrai, Division Ten Captain
Hikari nodded. “The lieutenant here is the one in charge of majority of the training.” Hikari stood from his desk. “In fact, why don’t you show her what you’ve got right now? Then afterwards,” Hikari looked at Haruka, “you show him around the barracks. Show him to his room. I need to go stretch my legs.” With that Hikari turned and walked out of his office. Humming, he would almost immediately take notice of the new reiatsu signature approaching. I guess I shouldn’t put too much on Haruka’s plate, thought Hikari as he stood there awaiting the new person. Once she was in sight, Hikari took a moment to study her before using shunpo to appear right in front of her.

Hikari stood tall, one hand resting on the hilt of his Zanpakuto and the other stuck forward for a hand shake. With a friendly smile and tone he spoke, “Hikari Shinrai, captain of the tenth division. Are you looking to apply or are you just checking the place out?”
 
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[fieldbox=Shin Kimoto]
As the new voice came from the vice-captain, Shin raised an eyebrow as he realized he recognized the voice. He glanced to the side as she passed him, looking to see who it was, only to find the one who had inspired him to become a shinigami... after a few requests to help, that is. He nodded as the captain agreed with, and advanced, the liutenant's plan. "Alright, gladly." He said as the captain left. He crossed his arms, glancing around and ending with his eyes meeting Haruka's again. "Where are we gonna do this, then? I didn't get a chance to find a training area here, I just wanted to greet the captain before searching for it." He asked, noting the fact that she had just been training already, and so, he might not get a chance to see how well she actually fought in the match. Of course, he didn't expect to win the fight, only that she'd likely be slightly weaker than she would have had she not been training the very moment he walked in.
[/fieldbox]
[fieldbox=Julia Himura]
Julia didn't notice the other two arrive, as her face was through the door. When the captain said she could enter, she nodded, walking through into the room, only to step to the side quickly as the captain walked past her to check outside. She adopted a surprised and confused face as the captain began talking to others, "There were others out there?" She stepped to the side once again, trying to look over the captain's shoulder, but due to being a bit back so as to not provoke the captain, she couldn't see anything. She frowned and stepped to the side once more to avoid being in the way of the others that were entering. She debated, for only a moment, simply poking her head out through the wall and checking to see who was out there, before deciding not to. She figured that she'd see the others in but a moment should they both intend to the join the squad, and otherwise, it didn't matter much anyway.
[/fieldbox]
 
Haruka let out a hearty snort of a laugh at the young man, "Training typically happens in the inner court yard. Whether it is day or night, raining or sunny. Thanks to your entrance, I was unable to finish my workout, so I hope that you are ready to supplement it." She shook out her hands, "According to your file, you have realized your shikai. So, I'll be testing you with mine." She motioned towards the door with hand then moved to leave once Hikari had left. "I'll give you a tour of the barracks once the paperwork is filled out."

She led the young man through the rather empty halls, and decided to explain the emptiness to fill in the silence, "Currently, most of the barracks are in their collective classes. You may find a few lazing about here or there or practicing on their own. Which is perfectly fine. Here, personal responsibility is everything. We, Hikari and myself, are your leaders, not your babysitters. We have other things to worry about instead of wondering if our subordinates are training. As such, you are free to spend your time as you wish. I--and many other seated officers--offer classes that you can attend throughout the day. We offer almost everything, from various hobbies to communicating with your zanpakuto to kido lessons. None of the lessons overlap, and the leaders are available for extra practice. However.." She opened a sliding door to the left and stood aside for Shin to walk through. The door led to an arena area in the middle of the barracks, complete with four corral like areas at the four points of a compass as well as a larger square one in the middle. There were practice classes in three of the corrals, with shinigami practicing hakuda or zanjutsu under the watchful eye of a seated officer. All movement stopped as the shinigami felt Haruka's spiritual energy and bowed in respect. She nodded back in response then dismissed them to continue their classes. "At random times throughout the month, I conduct regular tests. These are one of two events that are mandatory. If you fail one of these tests, you will lose the privilege of deciding when and what you train. You will be in a group with myself that meets from 4 am to 9 pm, training as intensely as I do until the next test. Which can be anywhere from a week to three weeks later." Haruka watched the class then looked over to Shin. "That imposed training is also mandatory. And you will stay with me even if you fail the second test. Trust me...you don't want to fail my test."


"Gather around everyone. We have a new prospect." She waved over the classes whom all gathered around the middle area in a stir of excitement. It was often that the Lieutenant fought or sparred, with only a few of them having seen her shikai once. Murmurs began to circulate as Haruka motioned for Shin to step into the corral. "You will have ten minutes to show your strength to your prospective comrades. Use anything you wish: skills, techniques, or tricks. On the battlefield, these will be the men and women that you will stand beside. So show them that you are worthy of their best. That you are worthy of watching their backs and their trust that you'll do everything in your power to bring them home."
 
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[fieldbox="Hansuke Araki, red, solid"]While within the comfort of his zanpakuto's presence Hansuke made a fair attempt to discern the voices around him, even if he experienced said voices as a rather abstract sound due to parts of his attention being spent communicating with his companion. But once he heard footsteps draw closer to the door he managed to snap out from his mental state. He opened his right eye and looked towards the door with both curiousity and anticipation, not that these emotions were well displayed upon his visage - more exposed due to him holding his breath and subtly adjusting his back to a proper, disciplined posture.
As the Captain of The Sixth Division Edmé came into his vision Hansuke inclined his head forth rather generously to atleast mention his unspoken respect. After Edmé's words Hansuke replied with his own "Thank you", even if the captain had already withdrawed into her office. As he raised up to his feet he decided to take a more proper inspection of the other shinigami, Yu Hardt. He offered a quick nod to hopefully undo any awkwardness due to his stern silence.
Once he came into the office he also took a proper look of Julia, thankfully she was not fused to a door which made it all much easier and the same simple nod was geastured to her as well. Before his attention drifted over to the person it should be on already, the captain ofcourse.[/fieldbox]
 
[fieldbox=Shin Kimoto]
Shin smirked, listening to what Haruka said, leaving at her motion, and proceeding to follow through the hallways that seemed they should have had more shinigami in them, at least until Haruka explained where everyone is. Classes, huh? I'll probably look into some of them that work on the finer aspects of being a shinigami... Like talking to my zanpakuto spirit. He thought this to himself without taking too much attention away from what she was saying. He stepped through the door, looking about as the number of shinigami here bowed, then proceeded with classes once Haruka had greeted them and dismissed them back to. He listened to her explanation of the mandatory events, as well as the events that become mandatory if you fail the previous ones. "Heh, training that you do sounds good. Maybe I should fail on purpose so I can join in on that..." He glanced to her, knowing it would likely be more difficult than he'd be able to handle on his own, but he also knew that having someone that does it regularly push you could make it possible, no matter how taxing it is to do.

He glanced around at all those that had surrounded the center ring/corral and stepped forward, entering the ring. He smiled and nodded to groups of them at a time in an attempt to quickly and silently greet them before turning his attention back to Haruka. "Show them I'm worthy? I'll do what I can." He unsheathed his zanpakuto, getting into a semi-ready stance, "And if I prove unworthy, I'll join your training from four to nine from day one so I can be worthy later." He said, before pointing his zanpakuto at her. "You said you'd use your shikai, but I trust you'll use it when you feel you wish to." He said before letting his smile fade, and transforming the emotion he displayed from happiness to that of determination. "Traverse the heavens in but a step... Ma." He spoke, releasing his shikai from the start of the battle. His wasn't one he could use in a deadly serious pinch, he had to utilize it to prepare as well as use as needed. Thus, he didn't waste time on activating it instantly.

"Good luck... Even if we both know you don't need it." He swung one of his two half-circle shikai behind him, creating a portal where he had cut. He then set off at a run directly towards the liutenant, stopping a good distance away. He didn't get close enough to begin sword-play, as that wasn't his intention. He swung his left blade behind him, making another portal and jumping backwards, preparing a byakurai, "Hado #4, Byakurai!" He said, shooting it directly through the portals he had just made. The second he saw his byakurai disappear through the portal, he swung his other blade through the portal, removing the one farthest from Haruka so she couldn't reach him as quickly as he had backed off.
[/fieldbox]
 
Haruka just smirked at his countenance, "I will give you that...you sure have grown since I last saw you, Shin." The lieutenant waited with her arms crossed as the young man called on his shikai. Her eyes never wavered from him as she watched his cuts and the creation of his portals so she could recognize the movements later. She didn't move as the spell came at her, intent on watching him move and his sword slashes. She disappeared right before the point of impact then reappeared a few meters to the left. "Impressive. Quite interesting, I must admit. Your portals are something that I haven't seen before." The Lieutenant grinned and drew her zanpakuto then held it in reverse grip.

"Enrage and Burn, Nenshō no Yūrei." The lieutenant called. Her spiritual energy burst forth as two mismatched gauntlets appeared on her arms. The golden clawed gauntlet with two purple gems laid upon her left arm while her right sported a dark gray/silver gauntlet with a clover or a butterfly gem and a darker gem near the elbow and wrist. The ground cracked a little beneath around her but then she settled it slightly with a hearty laugh, "It has been too long, Nenshō no Yūrei. She gets very restless when I don't release her."

Haruka shook out her arms, the metal shifted and clanged against each panel before a symbol slashed across both gauntlets. It was bright yellow and took the appearance of a stylized bird of some sort, which she showed to Shin by pushing both arms together with the symbols facing Shin, "Chi's Flash!" She called out. A bright flash of light shot from her symbols and hands, accompanied by a loud quasi-thunder sign.
 
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