[BitP:R] Soul Society 2

[horngeek]

Natsuko smiles. "Yes, it does."

She adjusts her headpiece. "She always liked gardening. From what I remember of her, she had had that hobby since before arriving in Soul Society."

[Purple Rose]

[Sakura]

Sakura sat by herself in her office for some time, deep in contemplation of what she had set into motion. But it couldn't be helped. Some things needed doing. And she knew she could trust Magatsu to do what needed to be done, when it came right down to it. He was ruthless, true, and enjoyed the kill more than Sakura felt comfortable with. But he was in the squad for a reason. Vice-Captain for a reason.

With a sigh, Sakura rose, gathering some papers from her desk, folding and sealing them for delivery to their various destinations throughout the Soul Society, and stepped out of her office. On her way towards the front entrance to the HQ she pauses and looks into Daisuke's office.

"Daisuke, I hope you are not too busy with paperwork. Would you like to join me for a late lunch?"

[Kayne650]

[Sakura]

Sakura sat by herself in her office for some time, deep in contemplation of what she had set into motion. But it couldn't be helped. Some things needed doing. And she knew she could trust Magatsu to do what needed to be done, when it came right down to it. He was ruthless, true, and enjoyed the kill more than Sakura felt comfortable with. But he was in the squad for a reason. Vice-Captain for a reason.

With a sigh, Sakura rose, gathering some papers from her desk, folding and sealing them for delivery to their various destinations throughout the Soul Society, and stepped out of her office. On her way towards the front entrance to the HQ she pauses and looks into Daisuke's office.

"Daisuke, I hope you are not too busy with paperwork. Would you like to join me for a late lunch?"

Daisuke looked up again when he saw Sakura approach. He was still considering looking for Magatsu, but it was rare that Sakura had time to spend with him, and they hadn't spoken in a while.

"Sure! I don't think that I have anything really pressing. I'd be happy to join you!" Daisuke agreed cheerfully. Maybe she'd know something about Soushi. Daisuke still wasn't sure how to feel about him, and maybe Sakura would have some ideas.

[Kuroimaken]

[A few days later...]

Kazuma had been discharged somewhat earlier than expected on account of his good behavior as a patient. Despite the 11th divisioner's love of training and physical exertion, his behavior in the 4th division's barracks was nothing short of exemplar. He'd spent most of his time reading up on treatises of strategy that Masaru had recommended to him or playing Shogi against himself.

Nevertheless, he didn't seem to be slacking in any manner once he'd reached the place Seiko had asked him to meet once he got better.

"As per your request, sir, Amagatsu Kazuma reporting."

[Kayne650]

[A few days later...]

Kazuma had been discharged somewhat earlier than expected on account of his good behavior as a patient. Despite the 11th divisioner's love of training and physical exertion, his behavior in the 4th division's barracks was nothing short of exemplar. He'd spent most of his time reading up on treatises of strategy that Masaru had recommended to him or playing Shogi against himself.

Nevertheless, he didn't seem to be slacking in any manner once he'd reached the place Seiko had asked him to meet once he got better.

"As per your request, sir, Amagatsu Kazuma reporting."

Seiko was standing in the training ground, waiting for him. This particular training ground was Seiko's favorite; a large open field with grass let to grow to about ankle level, with only a single large tree to break the horizon (except for the rest of the seireitei, of course). Seiko appreciated the open space, and did most of his training and sparring here.

"Good to see you, Kazuma-kun. I trust you're feeling better?" Seiko asked, mostly out of courtesy. Seiko had actually been following Kazuma's recovery, though Kazuma wouldn't know that.

"I hope you're ready, Kazuma. We're about to find out if your performance on the battlefield was due to overwhelming odds, carelessness, or just your blade dulling. Are you ready?" Seiko asked, readying his blade. It was still unreleased, and Seiko seemed to think better of drawing it.

"Would you rather fight with blades, or hand-to-hand?" Seiko asked. He wanted to make sure that Kazuma was still up to snuff, and that meant fighting him on his terms.

[Kuroimaken]

"One doesn't choose methods in the battlefield, Seiko-san. We can spar in whatever manner you find appropriate." With that, Kazuma assumed a fighting stance.

"It would be ill-advised to use blades in any case. I have a hard time not going for the kill when I've got mine in hand."

[Kayne650]

Seiko laughed at Kazuma's statement. It was exactly what he'd come to expect from his 8th-seat.

"Very well, Kazuma-kun. Hand-to-hand it is, but feel free to draw your sword. I won't prohibit you from using any and all tactics available to you."

"The match is to last...No, not until one of us yields. One of us would die before either yielded." Seiko said, muttering to himself. "Hm, perhaps then, we shall duel...Ah! We shall duel simply to first blood. Fighting hand-to-hand, that should give me plenty of time to examine your skills. Though, you are still welcome to use any and all means available to make me bleed. That includes your Shikai."

"Now, Kazuma. Are you ready?" Seiko asked, assuming a fighting stance. "As the challenged, the first move is yours."

[Kuroimaken]

Kazuma gave Seiko a nod, then charged headlong. He didn't use Shunpo - he had no expectation of catching Seiko off-guard. Crouching low, he started with a quick barrage of punches aimed mostly at Seiko's torso. They were neither particularly heavy nor fast - if anything, he seemed intent on testing Seiko's guard before anything else.

[ThreadOfFate]

"Just a moment! We'll be ready soon!", Nasumi's muffled voice echoes through the door, accompanied with rapid shuffling of feet and rustle of clothes. And please get your mind out of the gut- ... Aieee! What am I thinking? Oh no, it's infectious!

Assisting Nasumi with donning the new outfit took little effort, just ensuring that it was in fact the proper size for the gigantic girl. Having to look up more than a few inches just to make eye contact was admittedly intimidating, but since she was no longer bursting out of her outfit, she looked a lot more presentable.

She smiled as she straightened it and looked her over, making sure it was properly fit, and then she turned the girl around and nodded. Magatsu's knocking and subsequent comment made Minuet whirl and slam her fist into the door, causing it to shatter into thousands of tiny splinters and shower Magatsu with the storm of wood. The sound of rolling thunder greeted it and she had a darker expression on than usual.

Knowing that such an action would have little effect against the intimidating man, it still felt fun to do, and she didn't really feel sorry to the fifth seat who no longer had a door.

Watching his chuckle and shuffle off made her roll her eyes and turn to face Nasumi, and Minuet was once again all smiles and her usual cheery demeanor. She looked at her once more, looking for confirmation if she was good now.

[Kayne650]

Kazuma gave Seiko a nod, then charged headlong. He didn't use Shunpo - he had no expectation of catching Seiko off-guard. Crouching low, he started with a quick barrage of punches aimed mostly at Seiko's torso. They were neither particularly heavy nor fast - if anything, he seemed intent on testing Seiko's guard before anything else.

Seiko, instead of dodging the punches like he normally would, elected instead to grab Kazuma's fists, with Kazuma's lessened force giving Seiko the opportunity to do so. Still holding Kazuma's fists, he leaned in close to Kazuma.

"I know I've talked to you about holding back, Kazuma-kun." Seiko whispered dangerously, punctuating his words with a powerful side kick to Kazuma's stomach, which would send him flying away from Seiko.

"Now try for real this time!"

[Kuroimaken]

Something odd happened when Seiko kicked at Kazuma's stomach - he would find that at the last moment, the 8th seat actually brought his shin up, lessening the impact to his side. It was... quite hard. Harder than his shin was supposed to be.

Kazuma skidded along the ground with one foot, holding his position. It was a strange stance he'd adopted in his defense.

Perhaps more than that, it was strange that he had defended at all.

What HAD he been doing these few days in recovery?

"Who's holding back against whom? My leg was supposed to be broken if you were serious!"

Taking off his shades and putting them away in his shihakusho, Kazuma pulled his top off, exhibiting his quite scar-free torso. For someone who fought the way he did, it was something of a surprising sight.

"You're gonna have to try harder than that!!"

A much faster dash this time, followed by a low kick aimed at Seiko's ankle, as Kazuma's right hand shot in an open palm strike towards his stomach. It... wasn't quite Shunpo. But the speed of approach held a similar feel.

[Kayne650]

Seiko found himself confused. Not only did Kazuma, who was not known for his exceptional defensive ability, had blocked his kick, but also that his leg had shown such resilience. Perhaps this would be a great deal more fun than he though.

"Perhaps, Kazuma-kun. But I'd like you to remain in one piece when this is all over. But, if you'd like me to use a bit more strength, I could." Seiko said while Kazuma was posturing. Seiko had never liked Kazuma's tendency to yell at opponents while tearing his shirt off. It just seemed cliche and unnecessary for him to act in that manner, but, to each his own.

But Kazuma was charging him again, with what appeared to be a modified Shunpo. Much easier to see coming, but it seemed to carry something of the same momentum. But Seiko could still see it coming.

Seiko twisted to the side and jumped a short distance so that his body was between Kazuma's palm strike and kick, spinning in midair. Spinning around to face Kazuma, Kazuma would see a split-second glimpse of Seiko's grin before Seiko once again planted his foot in Kazuma's stomach again, though this strike was significantly faster, and Seiko then used Kazuma's stomach as a surface to shunpo off of.

Seiko appeared again several feet behind Kazuma, grinning. "You'll have to do better than, Kazuma." Despite Seiko's bravado, Kazuma might notice his shoulder being held a bit funny. Seiko underestimated Kazuma's speed and ended up turning into Kazuma's strike, which hurt a bit more than Seiko thought. Not enough to draw blood, but it hurt.

[Kuroimaken]

Likewise, Seiko's kick to his stomach had shot some of the air off his lungs. Reflexive tightening of his abdominal muscles kept him from taking much damage from it, but that doesn't mean the impact hadn't been there.

Kazuma turned to face his sparring opponent again. Inhaling in deeply, the 8th seat tightened his stomach again to improve his breathing. He shot off towards Seiko once more. This time, it was faster than the last. Again, it wasn't quite Shunpo, but by the third time he attacked, it was looking a lot less dodge-able... even though Seiko could see it coming.

And even though Kazuma had been advancing in a straight line, every time.

It was difficult to understand why Kazuma wasn't fighting the way he usually did. Perhaps he was trying something new.

At the last second, Kazuma flipped. The circular motion of an axe kick with a short leap off the ground made his intent clear. It was something Seiko could dodge, like last time.

Until it sped up midway, and Kazuma finished the flip with an outstretched fist intended for Seiko's chest.

A feint, of all things.

[KnightDisciple]

[12th Division]

Having made a couple of other brief visits at 4th Division, Yoshi had, perhaps inevitably, returned to his laboratory in his own Division.

Currently, he'd set aside a couple of projects inspired by his most recent patrol to concentrate on a favor to a man he felt deserved none: Vice-Captain Karite.

Specifically, he was scanning the Mortal World for the man's Zanpakutou. As he possessed a detailed scan of the mans' reiatsu, it made the work theoretically easy.

He'd just started to pick up some traces, when his scanners went wild. A surge of energy broke through from the Mortal World to Soul Society, and made an enormous display on the 13th Division grounds.

Quickly, he dispatched messages to several officers from 13th, including the Captain and the Vice-Captain. He wasn't going to retrieve the sword himself, but he would send word. It was only polite.

[tgva8889]

Natsuko smiles. "Yes, it does."

She adjusts her headpiece. "She always liked gardening. From what I remember of her, she had had that hobby since before arriving in Soul Society."

"Hmm. A continuation of something she had done before. We do need to hold on to that, don't we?" Taiki pulls a cherry blossom petal from seemingly nowhere. It flies off as he releases it.

[horngeek]

Natsuko nods. "Yes, we do... but on the other hand, the old shouldn't stifle the new."

[tgva8889]

A smile slowly forms on Taiki's face, entirely natural if only slight. "Of course."

[horngeek]

Natsuko smiles at him. "It's been a while since we first met."

[tgva8889]

Taiki looks up. "Has it? It seems like not too long ago...the time we've had together has just flown by so quickly. I wish it had lasted longer." He smiles and looks up a bit.

[horngeek]

Natsuko smiles teasingly. "What, scared of being a father?"

[tgva8889]

"Oh, no. I just realize how much closer we get, every day, to the possibility of war or death." Taiki paces slightly, then stops with a foot in the air and rocks into a backward step. "It's a dangerous world out there. Many possible threats. All I can do is work against them one at a time."

[Kayne650]

Likewise, Seiko's kick to his stomach had shot some of the air off his lungs. Reflexive tightening of his abdominal muscles kept him from taking much damage from it, but that doesn't mean the impact hadn't been there.

Kazuma turned to face his sparring opponent again. Inhaling in deeply, the 8th seat tightened his stomach again to improve his breathing. He shot off towards Seiko once more. This time, it was faster than the last. Again, it wasn't quite Shunpo, but by the third time he attacked, it was looking a lot less dodge-able... even though Seiko could see it coming.

And even though Kazuma had been advancing in a straight line, every time.

It was difficult to understand why Kazuma wasn't fighting the way he usually did. Perhaps he was trying something new.

At the last second, Kazuma flipped. The circular motion of an axe kick with a short leap off the ground made his intent clear. It was something Seiko could dodge, like last time.

Until it sped up midway, and Kazuma finished the flip with an outstretched fist intended for Seiko's chest.

A feint, of all things.

Something was definitely different, Seiko could see that. With each attack, Kazuma's technique improved, his speed increased, and blows became that much more powerful. Was he still holding back, or was he actually improving as the battle went along? Seiko wasn't sure, but he liked the results. Kazuma had certainly improved since their last spar.

Kazuma's charge this time was just as easy to see coming, but seeing something and reacting to it were two different things, at least for most people.

Seiko just never expected the feint.

Seiko brought his arms up to defend against the axe kick that he expected, intending to grab Kazuma's leg and throw him to the ground, probably with some witty comment about telegraphing your attacks. It didn't particularly help Seiko's ego when Kazuma's fist caught him in the sternum. Seiko was caught almost completely off-guard. A feint? From Kazuma? He was learning!

Seiko managed to move backwards and roll with the momentum somewhat, turning the backwards shove into a back flip, trying to catch Kazuma's hand between his feet as he came up, which he would use to throw Kazuma to the ground on his way down.

[horngeek]

"Oh, no. I just realize how much closer we get, every day, to the possibility of war or death." Taiki paces slightly, then stops with a foot in the air and rocks into a backward step. "It's a dangerous world out there. Many possible threats. All I can do is work against them one at a time."

Natsuko looks at him. "And make sure our child can live in safety."

[tgva8889]

Natsuko looks at him. "And make sure our child can live in safety."

"Exactly, exactly." Taiki sighs.

[horngeek]

"...is there anything in particular that's got you worried?"

[Kuroimaken]

Something was definitely different, Seiko could see that. With each attack, Kazuma's technique improved, his speed increased, and blows became that much more powerful. Was he still holding back, or was he actually improving as the battle went along? Seiko wasn't sure, but he liked the results. Kazuma had certainly improved since their last spar.

Kazuma's charge this time was just as easy to see coming, but seeing something and reacting to it were two different things, at least for most people.

Seiko just never expected the feint.

Seiko brought his arms up to defend against the axe kick that he expected, intending to grab Kazuma's leg and throw him to the ground, probably with some witty comment about telegraphing your attacks. It didn't particularly help Seiko's ego when Kazuma's fist caught him in the sternum. Seiko was caught almost completely off-guard. A feint? From Kazuma? He was learning!

Seiko managed to move backwards and roll with the momentum somewhat, turning the backwards shove into a back flip, trying to catch Kazuma's hand between his feet as he came up, which he would use to throw Kazuma to the ground on his way down.

Kazuma followed through with his fist. Seiko ended up catching it, but he didn't count on the excess momentum.

Rule number three. Every warrior has habits.

Despite the strength of one's legs, a grasp with one's feet was tenuous at best. As Kazuma continued the motion, he turned on his side and suddenly sped up again. The effect was twofold. First, it allowed him to break free of Seiko's grasp. Second, but no less important, it allowed him to mount an offensive following through his last successful attack, as he rolled forward with a spinning kick intent on following Seiko's momentum and kicking at him when he finished the backflip.

[Wahrheit]

Assisting Nasumi with donning the new outfit took little effort, just ensuring that it was in fact the proper size for the gigantic girl. Having to look up more than a few inches just to make eye contact was admittedly intimidating, but since she was no longer bursting out of her outfit, she looked a lot more presentable.

She smiled as she straightened it and looked her over, making sure it was properly fit, and then she turned the girl around and nodded. Magatsu's knocking and subsequent comment made Minuet whirl and slam her fist into the door, causing it to shatter into thousands of tiny splinters and shower Magatsu with the storm of wood. The sound of rolling thunder greeted it and she had a darker expression on than usual.

Knowing that such an action would have little effect against the intimidating man, it still felt fun to do, and she didn't really feel sorry to the fifth seat who no longer had a door.

Watching his chuckle and shuffle off made her roll her eyes and turn to face Nasumi, and Minuet was once again all smiles and her usual cheery demeanor. She looked at her once more, looking for confirmation if she was good now.

Magatsu merely raised an eyebrow as he flicked a couple of splinters from his sleeve. "I suppose I'll send the bill to Ryuunosuke-taichou. Nasumi! Next time you have wardrobe problems, see an officer about getting it fixed. Sakura-taichou is strict about the proper order of things." Though it seemed rude, Magatsu's habit of omitting honorifics for most of his subordinates was... okay, it was rude. That's just the sort of guy he is, and most of 3rd Division has gotten used to his demeanor.

[tgva8889]

"...is there anything in particular that's got you worried?"

"No." Taiki turns to Natsuko, smiles, then turns back out into the distance. "I always worry, though. I always worry that the pendulum will swing too far and we'll be thrown out of balance."

[Kayne650]

Seiko felt Kazuma break out of his admittedly poorly-thought through grab, and cursed himself for underestimating Kazuma. Seiko finished his flip, landing lightly on the ground when he saw Kazuma's spinning kick heading for his chest. He started moving back just as the kick caught him, and the impact threw him back several feet. As he skidded back, Kazuma could see him grin.

He really has improved, Seiko thought to himself. Maybe he's due for a promotion.

All that Kazuma would see was Seiko's grin widening as the battle became more intense. Seiko straightened...and then vanished.

Shunpo was one of his best attributes, after all. Kazuma would remember that as Seiko appeared behind him almost as soon as he had vanished, his right heel heading for the small of Kazuma's back.

[HirokatsuGoto]

[9th Division Barracks]

Hirokatsu Goto, Vice Captain of the 9th Division, stood on the front porch of the 9th Division barracks.

He stood silently, his eyes closed behind his black rimmed glasses, a gentle expressionless face looked out ahead, his short black haori gently swayed in the slight breeze, his closed Bangasa (umbrella) behind his back horizontally held with both hands. He stood there calm, taking in the immediate vicinity and feeling the subtle reiatsu patterns moving gently around. It was a rather customary routine for Hirokatsu to do in the few moments of relaxation he granted himself each day.

He had just finished the paperwork for both himself and his Captain minutes earlier. He did not mind doing the Captain's paperwork at all, in fact he quite enjoyed it. Besides Hirokatsu's inherent love for paperwork, doing the Captains work also kept him abreast of any information which he might not have been immediately privy to, fulfilling Hirokatsu's inner desire for preparedness and information.

He stood calm, diligent yet relaxed, awaiting the needs of his Captain, the Gotei, and the Soul Society at large.