This chapter's a little boring but it helps set up the action for the next few chapters so please bear with me on this one. Remember to leave a review after reading so I can get some ideas and advice. Enjoy the latest chapter!

Chapter 7

Oh man...why am I naked and trapped in some sort of sado-erotic world? Hakufu thought to herself as she assessed her surroundings. The mighty roar of a dragon interrupted the eerily calm atmosphere.

"AGGHHH!"

"Woah what a weird nightmare!" Hakufu woke up suddenly. The sunlight shone upon her fair skin.

"You're finally up." Yoruichi sat by her bedside with a steaming hot liquid. "Here, this will perk your spirit."

"What's wrong? Why do you sound so sad?" Hakufu registered the solemness in the cat lady's voice.

Yoruichi lowered her gaze as she spoke. "Hakufu...Last night...do you remember anything about last night."

Hakufu scratched her head dumbfounded. "Well uh..." A grainy memory of a shadowy figure being pummelled into a bloody pulp sprang into her mind. In an instant Hakufu's eyes changed from there usual brightness to utter sadness. She rest her tea on the ground and looked away. "It came out didn't it?" Her words were blunt but stabbed into Yoruichi's conscious like daggers.

"Hakufu...I'm sorry."

"It's alright..." Hakufu assured her. "You had no control over this...It's just." Hakufu sniffed as she tried to hold back the torrents of flooding emotion. "This was the reason I came to this town...so I could avoid my fate as a fighter...and so the Dragon which harbours inside of me won't come out...but still." She clenched her fists, scrunching her sheets which were dotted with tears. "It seems I cannot escape my fate, nor can I stop hurting those around me."

"Hakufu..." Yoruichi wrapped her arms around the poor girl.

She harbours a dragon? What kind of horrible power could she really possess?

KARAKURA HIGH ROOFTOP...

Ryomou leaned back against a shady wall as she stabbed the buttons of her mobile phone.

Saji...you bastard...

The phone beeped indicating a message had arrived. Ryomou was intrigued by the message insode of her inbox.

THE ANNUAL BIG FIGHTERS TOURNAMENT WILL PROCEED NEXT WEEK. ALL OF KANTO'S SCHOOLS SHOULD PARTICIPATE, ANY OTHER SCHOOLS ARE WELCOME TO COMPETE. A MAXIMUM OF FIVE ENTRANTS FROM EACH SCHOOL IS PERMITTED. THE WINNER WILL PROCLAIM THE GYOKUJI AND THE RIGHT TO DECIDE WHEN THE NEXT TOURNAMENT WILL PROCEED.

"So the Fighter's Tournament is coming soon?"

"Who are you talking to Ryomou?" A voice crept up behind her.

"KYAH!" Ryomou leaped twenty metres into the air in a comically Anime style fashion. "Geez don't sneak up on me like that...um..."

"Tatsuki...you fogot my name already?" The tomboy smiled cheekily.

"So now that you know about the Tournament, what do you intend on doing?"

"Isn't it obvious." Tatsuki smashed her fists together. "Where do I sign up?"

"I would strongly advise that you don't enter your school, you don't want to wind up with these guys at Kanto."

"Aw c'mon, I'm the second strongest girl in Japan, I think I can take 'em on with my eyes shut."

"Do you have any idea what a Toushi is?" Ryomou has an extra sense of seriousness in her voice.

"Look new girl, I'm not sure where you came from or why you're here but I'm a chick who craves a challenge, so just tell me how I get involved or I'll pound outta your cute little mouth." Tatsuki wasn't sure why she said the last part but she had an inkling she was influenced by the fact that this is an Ecchi fanfic written by a horny 18-year-old boy.

"Very well, if you are so desperate to die, then the Big Fighters Tournament will begin a week from now somewhere in Kanto, all you have to do is show up with four of your buddies."

"Well maybe I can get Ichigo and Chad to join as well, say what about that friend of yours Hakufu, do you think she'll-"

Ryomou grabbed Tatsuki by the collar and threw her into the wall. "Whatever you do, DON'T speak a word of this to Hakufu, it's for her own good that she stays as far away from Kanto as possible."

Tatsuki pushed down her assailants fists. "Fine...she'd probably weigh our school down anyway." She slyly commented before leaving Ryomou to her own niggling thoughts.

Why is Kyosho issuing a Tournament at this time? It just seems strange that shortly after Hakufu leaves Kyosho would make the announcement...And it's odd for them to welcome other schools from outside the region...this is a first...unless.

Ryomou gasped when she realised their plan. "So they want our school to enter so Hakufu will fight." She bashed her fist against the wall, her ungodly strength was enough to smash the concrete structure back into it's powder form. "Hakufu Sonsaku...I will make sure you do not enter the Big Fighter's Tournament..."

"GRAAOOWWWW!"

Ryomou pulled back her blue gloves. "...But for now...I have some other business to attend to..."

AFTER SCHOOL...

Ichigo was walking amongst his usual group of friends. Rukia and Hakufu had not shown up at school today and Ichigo was slightly concerned since he had not heard anything from them since last night.

"Hey Ichigo!" Tatsuki tried to surprise Ichigo with a karate chop to the skull but he instinctively blocked. "Good work, those sort of moves will help you where we're about to go."

"Hmm?"

"There is a fighting tournament in that place Ryomou and Hakufu came from. I forget the name of it but it sounds really cool, you in?"

"Ichigo's mouth lowered. "Fighting huh? Sounds a bit lame to me?

"Aw c'mon, don't tell me your afraid of getting your arse kicked by a bunch of delinquents."

"I'M NOT AFRAID OF THOSE LOSERS!" Ichigo proudly boasted. "C'mon Chad, we're going in this strange tournament thingy."

"Um...I don't like fighting others without cause." Chad said in his usual glum manner.

"Don't be such a loser, we have to do it for our school, right Tatsuki." Suddenly Ichigo was the local promoter of this unfamiliar tournament. "And what about me? Are you going to just stay here while I might get hurt?"

Chad groaned as he accepted defeat. "Alright, I'll go in it to protect you and Tatsuki."

"Awesome...how many more do we need?"

Tatsuki counted on her fingers. "Just two."

"Well those two new students can join up, they have some fighting experience right?"

Tatsuki raised her arms in protest. "We can't tell Hakufu about this...she is not allowed to come with us."

"Why the hell not?" Ichigo said in his usual angst.

"Because Ryomou told me not to."

"Whatever you do, DON'T speak a word of this to Hakufu, it's for her own good that she stays as far away from Kanto as possible."

"...So anyone but her..."

"Ichigo was still confused as to why he couldn't tell Hakufu but put it aside for now. "Well maybe Rukia and Uryu or that eyepatch girl."

"I doubt Ryomou will join us...She was the one who told me about it in the first place."

"Well I'll go ask Rukia and you can ask Uryu, then we'll have enough right?"

"Sure thing, okay see ya." Tatsuki darted off in her own direction leaving Ichigo and Chad to muse about the fighting tournament.

"I'm not sure about this Ichigo...what happens if some hollows attack while we're gone?"

"Surely old hat-and-clogs can deal with them while we're gone, I mean they managed to get by before I became a Shinigami right?"

"Hmm..." Chad groaned in his scepticism.

"By the way, where do you thin Rukia might be? I've been trying to contact her all day with no response."

"I'm above you idiot!" Ichigo was alarmed to find Rukia was casually standing on his head. He slipped over as Rukia landed with the grace of a fine young Shinigami woman.

"Where the hell have you been all day?"

"At Urahara's place...Last night..." Rukia stopped.

"What's wrong?"

"It's about Hakufu..."

MEANWHILE...

"HYAH!" Uryu fired another energy arrow into the trunk of a large tree. He panted as he slowly became exhausted. "Come on...I need to get stronger so can protect those I care about." He pulled back on another arrow until he was disrupted by some rustling in the bushes. He dissolved his energy bow as Tatsuki revealed herself.

"Hey Uryu...whatcha doing?"

"Nothing...Just catching some evening air..."

Tatsuki thought it was a bit weird but had more important things to discuss. "Anyway, I was wondering if you'd like to join us in the Fighter's Tournament."

"Fighter's Tournament?"

"Yeah..." Tatsuki nodded with a cat tooth poking out of her mouth (It's Anime alright). "Ichigo and Chad are going so I thought I'd see if you wanna come as well?"

Uryu began to walk away much to Tatsuki's annoyance.

"Hey what are you doing?"

"I don't participate in such foolish sports...what gave you the indication I could fight anyway?"

"Well...I always see you with Ichigo Chad and Orihime when you're fighting those strange monsters."

Uryu stopped in his tracks. "How do you know about all of that?"

"I can see them too you know."

Uryu stood silent for a moment before adjusting his spectacles. "I have too much at stake to fight petty thugs..." Those words drifted into the distance with Uryu.

Tatsuki stood idle for a moment before resting her hand against the tree. She got a shock when she contacted the tree before she realised there was some blue energy embedded within the trunk.

I wonder...If this is what it means...to be a Toushi?


The Big Fighters Tournament is coming up and it seems Tatsuki's really gunning to try and get involved. But does she and her friends have any idea the type of opponents they will encounter in this new world? How long will Ryomou be able to keep this a secret from Hakufu? And why is it so important that the wandering Dragon doen't find out about this? All will be answered in the next thrilling chapter!