Disclaimer: Bleach, its characters and its settings don't belong to me

The explosion rocked the Seireitei. Yumichika sighed and flashed into the open air. If he'd timed this right Ikkaku's descending arc would pass right-

Hanataro materialized across from him, also looking towards the falling Ikkaku.

"Fourth division is hardly punctual," said Yumichika.

"Sorry," replied Hanataro. "I came the moment I felt Ichigo's pressure. He's gotten fast, hasn't he?"

"He's always been fast," replied Yumichika. They snagged Ikkaku out of the air as he sailed by, the broken stump of his Zanpakuto still clutched in one hand.

"I have to admit," said Yumichika, "I didn't think he could handle Ikkaku in one hit. Is he all right?"

"Out like a light," said Hanataro. He shifted a little, got under Ikkaku's flacid arm to support the third seat. "Can we land there?" He pointed at a nearby building.

Yumichika nodded, and the fifth and seventh seats carried Ikkaku down, landed on the roof.

Hanataro checked Ikkaku's breathing, launched into a minor healing kido.

"He's fine," Hanataro said. "Just had the wind knocked out of him. He'll wake up in a few minutes."

Yumichika said "He won't be pleased at losing."

Hanataro put on a very solemn expression. "No, he won't."

The two shinigami grinned at each other.

Ikkaku started to stir.

"He-huh? Did I get him?"

"Not so much," replied Yumichika.

&&&

I felt Yumichika and Hanataro arriving to catch Ikkaku. He'd be in good hands. Despite getting beaten he'd enjoyed the fight, I know that much. He's like Kenpachi that way, though neither would admit it. They like losing as much as they like winning. Better to win of course, but all that really matters is the fight.

I didn't bother landing of course, it was only a matter of-

I parried Kenpachi's zanpakuto as he tried to take my head.

"Good morning Ichigo!" Shouted the captain, taking another swing that I blocked.

I like Zaraki. Once you understand the guy he's great. A little weird, but still great. If all the world collapses around me, Zaraki Kenpachi will be there with his Zanpakuto, ready to fight me in the debris. In a way he reminds me of Chad, except he's Chad's opposite in virtually every way.

"Good morning Captain Zaraki!" I knocked him so hard with Zangetsu that Zaraki was actually thrown backwards.

"So how's our captain commander?" Zaraki doesn't care about titles, he cares about fighting. He launched forward, took a swing that should have cut me in half.

"As well as can be expected." I bashed him hard enough to throw him a second time. Zaraki didn't mind, these were just the preliminaries. Casual conversation so to speak.

"So you're here to keep me in line? Good! We can fight every morning! Zaraki lay a few heavies on me. I returned the favor with a blow that should have cut him in half. "Glad to have you back, boy!"

"You can't call me boy, Zaraki! It's Captain Commander now!"

"Not yet, boy!"

"Enough of the pleasantries! Let's rock!" We backed off to get some running room, the pair of us hanging in the sky above Execution Hill.

I don't know when I started to like these fights with Zaraki. Strictly speaking we're not fighting to kill, though one of us wouldn't have to go far wrong to get killed by the other. These were a friendly sort of fight.

We smashed into each other hard enough to drop a lot of Vice Captains, drew back for another go. It wasn't about speed, it was about how hard you could hit and be hit.

Zaraki hits hard. I'd give the average bank vault door one pass before he folded it like butter.

"Sorry to cut this short!" I shouted, "But I've got a lot to do today!"

"Oh no you don't!" He reached for his patch, shouted back "Call your Bankai!"

"Oh no!" I shouted back, "Not until you show me yours!"

The look on the man's face – it was classic. You've never seen something like that, it was like telling a child Santa wasn't coming until every room in the house was cleaned up, washed down and painted. I've never seen something so funny in all my life.

"What do you mean you won't use Bankai!"

I have to admit I was enjoying this.

"Sorry Kenny!" We smashed into each other, shot back and smashed into each other again. "Not until you have a Bankai of your own!"

I swear it was like looking at an outraged five year old. I didn't want to make him too angry, so I didn't actually laugh, but I came awfully close. Zaraki wasn't having it, he tore off his eye patch and came at me for real.

This time I hit him hard enough to knock him out of the sky. It didn't last, he was back in less than ten seconds and blasting out his full pressure. I had to gain some altitude just to keep his pressure from killing anyone on the ground. We hammered for another ten minutes, then I backed him off with a few heavy hits, the last of which drove him through a building. He was shouting abuse and shaking his fist from the rubble as I shunpoed off.