A/N: I knooooow I promised to update this weekend … but I had to work both Saturday and Sunday so I was busy :( Here's the chappie to make amends! (pleads for mercy and bats eyes)

Chapter Ten – Just One Little Spar

Toushiro bolted down the corridor, Naruto hot on his heels, the two running for all they were worth. Even shunpo wouldn't help them now, and they knew it. There was no escape. They were coming, and nothing would stop them. Ever. It was impossible. They were doomed.

"Toushiro!" The boy let out a yelp as he put on an extra burst of speed upon hearing the scream from behind himself. "Toushiro, just one spar!"

"Go away you crazy psycho!" he hollered over his shoulder. "I already have Kisuke after me, I don't need you!" he insisted. "And you always hug me!"

"Toushiro, just one spar!" Jyuushiro insisted as he and Shunsui chased the two boys.

"Run faster, Hitsu, don't slow down!" shouted Naruto, picking up speed even as he spoke. Like hell was he going to get tackled by Shunsui while Toushiro got glomped by that Ukitake man. "Ahhhh!" Naruto screamed, crashing into a broad chest - and why did that seem familiar? Thankfully, it wasn't Isshin - but even worse, it was Shunsui, the very person he was trying to avoid. "Cheater! You used shunpo against trainees!"

Shunsui smiled, dropped a hand onto Naruto's head and ruffled the boy's hair affectionately. "Captain."

Naruto cursed and jerked his head away. "Damn you, just wait until I'm a captain."

"See ya!" Toushiro yelled over his shoulder as he used shunpo to try and escape. When he stopped to take another flash step, he immediately slammed into a giant bear hug, arms wrapping around him and practically crushing his ribcage.

"Toushiro." Jyuushiro nuzzled the top of the boy's head as he lifted him off the ground, Toushiro kicking his legs.

"We're gonna be late for class, you crazy ass captain figure people!" he hollered angrily. "It's a miracle we're still listed as being enrolled considering we spend more time with captains than in class! How are we even learning anything?"

"Because we teach you stuff." Toushiro could practically see the heart at the end of Jyuushiro's sentence.

"Liar!"

"..." Naruto didn't even deem the captains worth talking to any more. He turned sharply on his heel and started semi-calmly walking away.

"Where do you think you're going, Naruto-kun?"

Shunsui had suddenly wrapped him in a hug from behind, crushing him backwards into his chest. Naruto squirmed as best he could. It was futile. "Curse you."

"So cute!"

Naruto felt his eye twitch as Shunsui pinched his cheek. "Get the fuck off me." He struggled more and looked over to Toushiro helplessly. "I don't wanna fight!" He swore he was near tears - frustrated tears.

"Well, neither do I."

"Then why were you chasing me?"

"Because of Jyuu-chan and for Jyuu-chan, of course!" replied Shunsui like it was the most obvious thing.

Toushiro continued to kick his legs about as Jyuushiro brought him back closer to Naruto before letting him put his feet back on the floor. "Well, then, shall we?"

"You know, you can't actually make us spar with you," Toushiro muttered, looking away annoyed. If he could move his arms, he would've crossed them.

"Oh?" Jyuushiro asked.

"Yeah. You see, this is how it is - with Kisuke and Isshin - on days where we say we don't want to spar: they attack us without mercy until we're forced to spar. But you're too nice to do that, thus, we won't be sparring."

"Hm, you have a point."

"Exactly." Toushiro nodded. "Therefore, you might as well let us go."

"I have a deal."

"Not interested."

"I will never glomp you again."

Toushiro paused, turning to look up at the captain. "Ever?"

"You have my word." Jyuushiro smiled.

"Lead the way."

"Oh no! Hitsu-teme's conceded to the enemy! The enemy, goddamnit!" Naruto whined, lashing out at Shunsui with a well-placed kick to the groin. The captain noticed in just enough time to spin Naruto around so the blond was kicking out at thin air, crushed face first into the captain's chest.

"Well, that was rather rude, Naruto-kun! We invite you to fight with us and this is how you treat me?"

"I'm not fighting, and there's no way you can make me. Plus, you don't even want to fight me. And I doubt Ukitake-taichou wants to fight two kids, ya know?"

"But ... but ..." Shunsui floundered for a response. "Awww ... come on, Naruto-kun, just this once? Jyuu-chan won't have any problems fighting two trainees!" He laughed heartily and ruffled Naruto's hair with a wide grin on his face. "So, what do you say?"

"What do I say? I say no! N. O. Noooo!"

"Well, if you're going to put it that way, you're going to force me to fight." The man sighed, obviously not liking the idea. "Jyuu-chan's too nice to beat a silly kid like you to a bloody pulp. I, however, when I get in a fighting mood, have no qualms."

"But you're not in a fighting mood?" Naruto quirked an eyebrow, hopeful.

"I'm getting there." Shunsui grinned. "The one thing that can make me mad is someone denying my Jyuu-chan of something he wants, or even hurting him. Simple as that."

"Dammit! Let me go!"

"Nope, ain't happening, kiddo. Let's go!" He tugged the blond in the direction Toushiro and Jyuushiro were headed. "Oh, this going to be fun."

"Are you joining in the fighting, Shunsui?" Jyuushiro asked with a smile, not even having to hold Toushiro anymore since he was so eager to get this over and done with. "That's so exciting."

"We have rules," Toushiro informed.

"Eh? Rules?"

"Yeah." Toushiro turned to smirk at Naruto. "Don't kill him, idiot, we're going to need them later to get out of detentions."

"Cocky brat." Jyuushiro sniffed. "We'll show you."

"You've never seen us fight. On our first day here, we tied with Kisuke and Isshin." Toushiro saw no reason to hide it. Everyone knew that he and Naruto had defeated a bunch of Hollows a few months ago. They'd gotten quite popular with the ladies, much to Toushiro's distress. "And now, we're even better than we were back then, so don't underestimate us."

"Ah, so it was true, then," Shunsui mused, playing with Naruto's hair much to the disgruntlement of said blond. "Well, that makes me tempted to fight you even more! I suppose my skills have been getting a bit rusty lately, might be good to fight with a few brats like you." He grinned and tightened his hold on Naruto. "Where to fight, I wonder?"

"Can't ... breathe!" This seems to happen repeatedly in the presence of this particular man. Naruto gasped for breath, scrunching his nose up as his face was buried into the chest hair that Shunsui seemed to possess. Stupid man and his open haori!

"What was that, Naruto-kun?"

"Yes it was true," Toushiro stated dryly. "I think Kisuke and Isshin didn't want anyone to know because it would've wounded their pride." He paused, and then added, "By the way, you're suffocating Naruto."

Jyuushiro turned to Shunsui appalled, pointing at the boy. "Shunsui! Let him go at once! How could you be so cruel?"

"You do it to me all the time," Toushiro growled.

"I do not! Do I, Shunsui?" He turned to his friend and pouted. "I don't do that to Toushiro, do I?"

Toushiro sighed. "I act more like a captain than most of these ones do... I think their captain license or whatever should be revoked..."

"I agree!" Naruto said bluntly in conjecture to Toushiro's comment. Crazy people shouldn't have swords, too ... maybe they should take those away as well. He pounded his fists against Shunsui's chest, still gasping for the much needed air.

"Hm?" Shunsui looked down, cocking his head to the side. "Aww ... poor Naruto-kun!" He loosened his grip and then did the unthinkable - at least to Naruto. He threw the boy over his shoulder and grinned. "And now, to my Division! I have a wonderful training center we can borrow for the afternoon. Not to mention lots of liquor!" He laughed, loud and carefree. "I need a few drinks before a promising fight. And I insist you have one, too, Jyuu-chan!"

"If you insist," the man sighed. "But Naruto and Toushiro must have some, too!"

"We're minors," Toushiro remarked.

"Well, technically not. You're how old?"

"How should I know?" Toushiro asked with a shrug. "I don't know how the age system works in Soul Society. I just look like a kid, and so does Naruto, so I'm basing our being minors on that fact."

"Ah, because you're short?"

Toushiro's eyebrow twitched. "No, because we look like kids."

"Which is worse than saying you're short." Jyuushiro grinned.

"I hate captains," the boy muttered, following after Shunsui.

Naruto, meanwhile, kicked and screamed for all he was worth. "Why do I always end up slung over someone's shoulder?" he demanded, pounding furiously on Shunsui's back.

"Because you're so troublesome and difficult," Shunsui answered with a cheerful smile. "And of course they should have some sake, too." He paused, considering. "Hmm ... but taking into account their short statures, they'd probably be lightweights."

"Wanna bet?" growled out Naruto. "I can probably out drink your sorry ass."

"Haha, impossible, kid. Impossible."

"Is not!"

"Shut up before I make you eat your words." Shunsui slapped Naruto on the bum, the blond squeaking in protest. The captain just kept walking.

"Pervert!"

"Naruto, you're just making things harder for yourself. Concede defeat so we can all go home happy and uninjured." Toushiro sighed.

"Well said, Toushiro." Jyuushiro hugged him as they walked, then released him as they reached Shunsui's division. "Ah, brings back old memories."

"Weren't you just here, like, ten minutes ago?"

"Yes, but ten minutes ago is the past, hence, old memories." He grinned. Toushiro just rolled his eyes.

"Whatever, can we please do this so Naruto and I can potentially make it to class on time?" He dropped his books on the ground and unsheathed his sword, twirling the hilt in his hand before holding it tightly in both and waiting.

"Fine, fine, just let me down," Naruto said with a sigh, slumping in pure defeat. "I really don't think our record can stand another hundred detentions."

"That's the spirit!" crowed Shunsui, putting the blond back on the ground. "Hold on a minute there, Tou-chan, just a little further and you can have your fight." He gestured for them to go around back, the four of them walking around the building itself to the training field where some Division members were sparring. "Clear out!" he ordered to his men with his usual smug smile. "Time for a real man's fight!"

The Shinigami nodded respectfully to the captain and did as told, vacating the premises.

"Now! Time for some sake!" He pulled out the extra bottle of sake he always kept tucked into his uniform and gulped down a large amount before tossing it over to Jyuushiro. "Let's get going, then, no time to waste!"

Naruto just shook his head and sighed, unsheathing his own sword and twirling it in one hand. At least I've gotten better. Well, that's a good thing considering the final exam's in a month. "Why are you just standing around, then? You said no time to waste, pull out your sword."

"Well, aren't you eager?" Shunsui smirked as he pulled out one of his swords, letting his haori fall off his shoulders. He didn't want it to get stained with any of Naruto's blood, so he figured it would be safer by the dojo itself. "I won't hold back just because you're a kid, you know."

"He's not expecting you to," Toushiro said, tapping his foot impatiently as Jyuushiro drank. "God, we're actually good fighters, why are you both getting drunk beforehand? I'm insulted."

"We just want to give you an advantage," Shunsui insisted with a smile as he pulled the front of his hat down slightly. "Wouldn't be fair for two captains to go all out."

"Isshin and Kisuke do," Toushiro reminded, still waiting.

"Trust me, those two are hiding more than you could ever known," Jyuushiro said off-handedly, pulling out his sword from its place at his side. He shrugged off his own haori and let it fall to the ground. It was hard to get blood stains out of white, after all. It had been a spot of trouble to get Toushiro's blood out of his robe last time, as it were. He dropped into a fighting stance and bowed his head to the boy. "If you will." He raised his head back up, grinning. "Let's begin."

"Wait, we haven't even set the rules!" Naruto yelled, eyes going wide. What the hell had that guy meant? More than they could ever know? Just what was he on about?

"Rules? Isshin and Kisuke set rules?" Shunsui laughed. "Why would they want to set rules? That's probably why they keep losing to the two of you. There are no rules in battle, it's a win-all, lose-all situation. If you lose, well, you die - but don't worry, we're not going to be that hard on you." Shunsui tapped the end of his sword gently into the ground.

"All right, we'll admit that maybe Kisuke and Isshin don't go all out on us, but they're still pretty rough. I mean, they don't like losing, so it's not like they just let us win, but they don't want to hurt us, either." He gave Naruto a pointed look before the other could say anything. "No, they don't want to hurt us, Naruto. I know it may not seem like it sometimes, but it's true. As stupid as they are, they still respect the fact that we're trainees."

Naruto scowled and looked up at Shunsui, glaring at the older man. "So what? People who set rules, set standards, are actually pretty smart. At least they think, unlike you, Kyo-raku-tai-chou," the blond stated, drawling at the name with a mocking sort of tone. He didn't like the way the captain was talking, like he already had the advantage and knew it. At least Urahara and Isshin weren't that damn smug about it. His scowl deepened when he noticed Shunsui had only taken out one of the two swords at his waist. "What, don't think you're going to need both of them to beat me, you jerk?" He knew it wasn't wise to egg on an opponent, but still. Shunsui could be so infuriating sometimes; he really didn't know how the kind, gentle Jyuushiro could put up with this man.

"Shunsui," Jyuushiro started softly. "Maybe we should just set some ground rules, to at least appease Naruto-kun if nothing else." He gestured the riled up blond. "Or do you really want to make him even angrier?"

"Maybe if I make him mad enough, he'll be a decent fighter." Shunsui smirked. "After all, even if he can best Isshin, we both know that I'm hundreds of years older than that idiot. I might only have to swing my sword once before Naruto-kun is on the ground." He sighed, reaching into his robes to pull out another bottle of sake. "Really, this is so tedious. Can we hurry up?"

"Please," Toushiro said dryly. "I would actually like to make it to class on time, and if you two hurry up, we might actually make it." Toushiro gripped his sword tighter with both hands, poised and ready to fight.

"Maa, maa, so anxious." Shunsui smirked at his friend's opponent. "Don't underestimate Jyuu-chan, or you'll regret it," he almost sing-songed. Toushiro just rolled his eyes.

Jyuushiro just shook his head at his friend, smiling gently as he turned his gaze to Toushiro. "I promise not to be too hard, but you have to understand ... I'm going to push you as far as you can go. I want to measure your power, and this is the only way I can." He pointed his sword at the boy. "Now, if you're ready, begin." The man wasted no time in launching his first attack.

00000

Blinking, Naruto raised his own sword and waited for Shunsui to put down the bottle of sake he held. Just how much liquor did that man have on him exactly? "Well, come if your coming, Kyoraku-taichou." His determination was set. If Shunsui wanted a fight, a fight with him angry and ready to kick ass, than so be it. He'd teach this man not to underestimate him. It was just plain insulting.

Shunsui continued drinking his sake, glancing at Naruto in a bored fashion. "Hm? You think I'm going to come to you? Naruto-kun, I always remind you I'm not much of a fighter unless I have to fight. So I'm going to stand right here and enjoy my sake. Once you start trying to cause me bodily harm, I'll consider actually using my sword instead of my sake bottle." He continued to drink, seeing no reason why he should concern himself with Naruto. Besides, contrary to popular belief, it took a hell of a lot to get him drunk.

Cursing at Shunsui rather loudly, Naruto darted forward with his sword still raised, blue eyes flashing with pent up anger. Maybe if he chopped him up a bit Shunsui would learn to stop being so annoying. First crushing him to his chest and depraving him of oxygen, then ordering him to fight when neither really wanted to fight. He brought his blade crashing down, aiming for the sake bottle. "You bastard!" He used his greatly improved shunpo, thanks to Toushiro - though he hated to admit that particular bit - and appeared behind the captain, pointing his sword at the back of the man's neck. "At least fight me if you want a damn fight!"

Shunsui wasn't in front of Naruto anymore when the blond appeared behind him. The sword was hovering in midair as the captain stood beside the blond, still drinking his sake. He leaned over, resting one arm comfortably on the blond's shoulder as he looked forward at what Naruto was aiming at.

"Ho?" he asked, suppressing a smirk. "Is that it? I actually thought you would touch me before I got away, but I didn't even feel the light graze of your sword. Isshin and Kisuke give you two way too much credit." He continued leaning against Naruto as he took another sip of sake. "Damn, this stuff is good. Want some?" He offered some to Naruto.

Eye twitching, Naruto realized he wasn't thinking too calmly. If he had, he would have thought that out better, would have considered a better course of action than what he had. He couldn't help it. Shunsui was just so damn irritating that it was hard to merely think around the idiot. Maybe it was some kind of vibe the man was giving off that was making him act rashly? What was he thinking, he knew that it was purely himself guiding those movements. Emotions clouded judgment, he remembered Toushiro lecturing him one time when they were sparring one-on-one. If you let your emotions control you, you're playing into the other person's hands. Sighing, he took a breath and lowered his sword from its position in mid-air. "You're such a bastard, Shunsui." He used the man's first name to prove how truly annoyed he was.

"Ho? I couldn't say. My parents weren't really the type to talk about their pasts, but I'm pretty sure they were happily married when they conceived me." He smiled pleasantly as he pulled away from his opponent, taking another sip of sake. "Mou, I'm gonna be finished soon." He looked down the long neck of the bottle and sighed before putting it down near his haori. He reached into his robes and pulled out another. "Good thing I always come prepared. Who knows when I may run out. Always be prepared, that's my motto." He took another sip.

The scowl on the blond's face was permanently etched there by now. "Watch it, you ass. If you get drunk, you might not even be capable of wielding that sword." If Shunsui wanted to play mind games, wanted to banter and rile him up, he wouldn't let the man do it. Instead, he'd play his game right back at him. See how he liked it. "I bet the only reason you're not fighting is because you're pathetic compared to your friend. I'm pretty sure Ukitake-taichou isn't weak, but you on the other hand, I do believe you're just a dumbass."

"I see." Shunsui smiled, not rising to the other's bait. "Well then, maybe you should keep attacking me to find out. I'm not going to go out of my way to fight you. Like I said, I dislike confrontations. If it's a Hollow or the end of the world, for example, I will pick up my blade to fight. If it's just to prove a point to a bunch of brats like you and Toushiro, I'm quite content with standing here and drinking my sake." He almost sat down just then, but remembered he was 'fighting' so stayed on his feet.

Rolling his shoulders, Naruto looked up at the sky for a short moment, pretending to sigh. "Well, if you insist on just drinking that sake, I suppose I'll just have to .." He trailed off, smirked, and let his blade swing out and crack open the sake bottle in a barely there movement. "You thought I wasn't fast before? Just wait until you see me in real action, dumbass. I had ... a pretty good teacher." He wouldn't admit there was a smile playing at his lips when he said that last part about Toushiro. "So, what do you have to say now?" He watched the sake leak from the bottle, delighted. "And if you say drink more sake, well - I'll just have to cut them in half, too. Doubt you want to waste your precious liquor, now do you?" He spun his sword absently in his hand. Shunsui wasn't attacking so why should he be tense? He needed to be relax so he could read his opponent if need be. Anger and all those other emotions sometimes really did get in the way ... but he knew he could never stop feeling. It was just the type of person he was and would forever be. He felt too strongly, and that would never change even if he did.

Shunsui blinked at the sake falling onto the ground, the front of his robes also soaked through with alcohol. "That bottle was almost full," he said in a dejected voice. "I can't believe you're that mean! That was my last reserve bottle, too!" Shunsui started looking through his robes before looking down his sleeves and feeling his chest and stomach. "It really was my last one! Mou." He sighed, pulling out his second sword and sighing. "Guess this is war then, Naruto-kun. Nobody messes with Kyoraku Shunsui's sake and gets away with it." He smirked. "Let's see what you've got."

00000

Toushiro was pretty good, Ukitake had to admit as he dodged the sword aimed at him again and again. But - "You're still leaving too many openings here and here, Toushiro-kun!" He smiled and moved out of the way of Toushiro's sword at the last moment. He then proceeded to demonstrate where exactly those openings were by lashing out with his own sword, stopping his blade inches from the boy's side, not wanting to slice the boy in half. "Come on, come on. Quicker! You need a faster reaction than that."

Toushiro grunted and panted as he stopped, turning to Jyuushiro with his sword raised. His shoulders shook slightly as he struggled to regain his breath, narrowing his eyes and furrowing his eyebrows angrily. Kisuke was an amazing swordsman, he knew that, but he'd never had to work this hard to just touch the man. It made him wonder if Kisuke really fought him as much as Toushiro thought he did. It was a little disheartening to think that all this time he and Naruto had been drawing with people who were only using one-tenth of their strength.

"Maybe if you gave me more of an incentive, I would be trying harder," Toushiro gasped out. He was already getting tired, but he didn't want to give up yet. He figured if Jyuushiro actually nicked him, like Kisuke, it would give him an idea of just how fast the other man was. All the retreating and dodging was making it hard for him to truly understand the other's speed.

"Incentive, huh?" Jyuushiro paused and tapped his chin in thought. "What would make you try harder? I thought this was your best. If you're holding back, by all means please show me your real skills." He leaned against his sword as it dug into the ground, currently idle and waiting to fight again. A coughing fit ensued, but it was a mild one. He coughed one last time and then smiled at Toushiro once more. "How about this?" He walked forward and ruffled the boy's hair playfully, letting them both have a short rest while they regained their breath. "Do you not remember our deal? Come on, Toushiro! At least nick me once so the deal seems more substantial! If not," he said, tone light and deceptively soft, "I won't stop glomping you!"

Toushiro slapped the older man's hand away and held his sword with both hands again. "Don't patronize me!" he hollered. "I always get underestimated! Sure, I may not be Urahara Kisuke or Ukitake Jyuushiro, but I'm still a good fighter! Hitsugaya Toushiro will not lose to anyone if it's important enough! This is just a spar, but in a real battle, I can still excel." He narrowed his eyes. "Or have you forgotten about the Hollow fight?"

He used that conversation to distract Jyuushiro. Toushiro was never brash and loud unless he had a plan, but he didn't expect anyone else to know that. It was his own little secret. While Jyuushiro was focusing on him because he was talking, Toushiro was calculating his next move, predicting what kind of counter the captain would have based on his many moves. Once he was confident, he finished his sentence and used flash step to appear behind Jyuushiro, expecting the other to disappear and appear either behind him, or to his left.

He could only hope he was right.

Jyuushiro shook his head, appearing directly behind Toushiro. "Well, that was foolish. Were you trying to distract me or something? And of course I remember that Hollow fight, how could I forget about that?" His sword was out in front of him, raised in a defensive stance. The 13th Division was pretty good at defensive tactics, but maybe he should consider giving Toushiro a taste of his offensive skills.

Toushiro smirked. Jyuushiro had done exactly as he predicted. He was sort of hoping the other would have appeared on his left, but this could work, too. Using shunpo, he quickly spun under the sword aimed at his back and swung his own, the tip of his blade just barely connecting with the sleeve of the captain's Shinigami uniform. He let out a frustrated grunt at the older man's speed, but as long as he could keep calculating the man's moves and shift accordingly, he would be able to turn this battle around to a point where at least Jyuushiro had to be on his toes. He'd almost gotten the captain just there, and he was pretty sure even Jyuushiro wouldn't be able to insist it had been on purpose. The captain was surprised, and Toushiro didn't care what lies he came up with.

"Good job, Toushiro-kun!" Jyuushiro's smile only widened at the attack, the boy was finally starting to get into the fight. Resourceful, too, he noted, considering what the little white haired child had almost pulled off. Going against a fully-fledged captain was always tough, though. He remembered training with Yamamoto those long years ago. The man had never once gone easy on them. He straightened his stance and gestured for them to continue. "Good job, indeed. Now, let's try something a bit different? We're going to go at each with shunpo. I'll adjust my speed to match yours and then we can see how long we both hold up." He grinned. It had been too long since his last good fight. Shunsui always refused to fight him; that man had a coddling problem. And he was a bit too overprotective sometimes. "Might as well make this interesting, right?"

"Hn," Toushiro grunted. "I'll have you know, I've trained with Yoruichi. I'm not saying I'll ever be as good as her, but you might not want to underestimate me in that area of battle." He tightened his grip on his sword. "So how are we doing this? We charge at flash speed, collide swords and jerk away? Or are you actually going to take me seriously this time and try and hit me?" Toushiro wasn't going to admit this was the hardest fight he'd ever had, but after the injuries he'd gotten during the Hollow fight, he knew he could withstand a hell of a lot of pain. He wished Jyuushiro would just attack him as if they were enemies.

"I'm not underestimating you, Toushiro-kun. This is supposed to be a test, like I told you from the very start. I'm just measuring your skill. I don't really want to hurt you or anything. I very rarely want to hurt anyone. I'd need a very good reason to attack you. If you give me one - well, then, I'd consider seriously hurting you." He shook his head. "But I doubt you will."

Toushiro growled, thinking things over in his head. He thought about Jyuushiro and his actions. His personality and his habits. Just as he thought he'd never figure it out, something clicked, and he smiled slightly.

"Oh? You're not underestimating me? I think you are. I think you're too used to fighting trash like Shunsui that you can't even figure out how to deal with someone of my level. I mean, look at him." Toushiro glanced at Shunsui briefly before looking back at his own opponent. "Drunk off his rocker most of the time, and he can't even hold a sword straight. That, and he wears a pink haori over his captain's robes. The idiot doesn't even take his responsibilities seriously." He smirked.

Jyuushiro's smile slowly disappeared as Toushiro went on. "Toushiro-kun, please, that isn't very nice. He is a captain, and you should give him the proper respect. You shouldn't insult him like that." He had tensed, his grip on his sword tightening to the point where he knew his hands would be raw. He hated it when people insulted his friends, people he respected and admired even if they did have their flaws. "Please don't continue saying such things." His guard changed from its casual position to a more standoffish, ready-to-fight kind of stance. He hadn't known Toushiro was the type to so carelessly cut someone down.

"He may he a captain, but he's still worthless." Toushiro smirked. "I expect Naruto to beat him in five minutes. Six, tops. The guy's an absolute idiot. I don't even know how someone of your stature can stand to be around him as much as you are. Aren't you afraid his stupidity will rub off on you?"

Toushiro felt bad insulting Shunsui, especially since he knew what the captain was capable of. He'd seen the man fight before, he knew Shunsui was amazing, but if it was the only way to anger Jyuushiro enough for him to fight seriously, he would do it. I just hope he realizes I was trying to rile him up before he chops off my head, the boy thought nervously as he noticed the tense posture of the captain in front of him.

"I told you," a soft, angered voice came from behind Toushiro, blade pointed at the boy's throat, "not to insult him in my presence." His hands were shaking slightly from how tightly he was gripping it, but he paid it no mind as his face hardened, his whole being radiating anger. He had warned the boy, and now he wouldn't be held accountable for his actions. "Don't you dare belittle that man when speaking to me."

Toushiro had to admit, he was expecting that move, but it had happened sooner than anticipated. He used shunpo to get away, the blade slicing into his neck slightly. He winced, but it was bearable. He turned to face off with the captain, noting the other's posture had changed entirely. He felt sweat beading on his forehead. Maybe this hadn't been the best idea.

00000

Naruto panted, flash-stepping in time to get out of the way of Shunsui's twin blades. Damn, maybe I shouldn't have ruined his sake ... Man, he moves pretty well for a guy who just drunk two bottles of sake in one go. He winced as he realized Shunsui had anticipated his usage of shunpo and had done the same to make sure he had caught up with the blond; there was now a deep gash on his arm, the wound bleeding freely. He cursed under his breath and brought up his sword to block the other blade from connecting with his other arm. He's definitely good ... damn. Maybe I underestimated him.

"What's the matter?" Shunsui smiled as he twisted his blade around Naruto's block and nicked him in the hand. "All of a sudden, you're moving much slower than you were before. Maybe the sake's out of my system already. I never could stay drunk for long." Shunsui was still hoping Naruto would give up or something so he could go get another bottle of sake. This whole fighting thing was so tedious. Why couldn't Jyuu-chan just fight them both himself? he thought with a sigh. He didn't really want to be fighting, he'd much rather have been playing Go with Yoruichi or something.

Instead of replying, Naruto jumped back, putting distance between them as he flash-stepped backwards at least three times. He caught his breath, chanced a glance over at Toushiro's fight, and balked at what he saw. Why the hell is Hitsu yelling at a captain? He's not the type to ... Well, whatever the other boy was saying, it was seriously riling up Ukitake far more than anything he had used to provoke Shunsui.

"Don't get distracted." Shunsui swung his sword, metal hitting metal, and then twisted his wrist. The action caused Naruto's grip to loosen on his sword and he threw it across the clearing, the blade slamming into the ground. He aimed one sword at the blond's neck and held the other over his shoulder, smiling. "Is that all? I could've had a third bottle of sake." He was a little disappointed. Just how easy were Isshin and Kisuke going on these two for them to draw. It was a little pathetic, actually.

"You're too close," Naruto hissed, paying no mind to the blade at his throat as he raised a hand and pointed it at Shunsui. "Hadou # 4, Byakurai!" A bolt of lightning shot from his index finger and blasted its path toward Shunsui chest with all due haste. "Take that, you bastard!"

Shunsui leapt back, just barely avoiding the lightning as it singed the front of his robes and burned away at the top layer. He stared down at the damage done, confused. How had that happened? He had seen the blond perform Kidou numerous times in class and, to be honest, he sucked at it. Shunsui didn't understand how this had happened.

Must be one of those things Urahara and Kurosaki have been hiding from us. He stood with his swords poised again, waiting for Naruto to retrieve his own. Either way, they're not as amazing as the other two captains lead me to believe.

Smirking, Naruto made no move to retrieve his sword right away. "You look kind of bored. Why don't I show you how well I can use Kidou when at full power? My sword work, I admit, needs a little work." He positioned out his hands, readying another attack. The familiar wave of reiatsu that had washed over him when he'd lost his sword was getting to be a common occurrence, and he was slowly getting use to handling and maintaining his reiatsu. Well, at least he didn't faint unexpectedly anymore. "Hadou # 5, Enmamoui!" A long trail of flames fired from the palm of his extended hand in hopes of making a fiery circle around Shunsui and trapping him in place. He followed up with another round of white lightning, moving all the while lest Shunsui make his own assault on his person.

Shunsui would admit, he was impressed, but this was hardly anything to concern him. He swished one sword towards the fire while the other swung towards the lightning, blocking both from hitting him before they extinguished. He calmly stood with both hands at his sides again, gripping his swords. This was utterly ridiculous. The only amazing thing about Naruto appeared to be his high reiatsu, and the only thing remarkable about Toushiro was his mastery of shunpo and his sword skills. Nothing else about these two was striking him as utterly amazing.

He's still got that look on his face ... like he's not at all impressed. Naruto scowled. Damn it, I'm still learning here! At least give me some credit for trying, the blond thought furiously, tempted to tell the man exactly that. Instead, he settled for trying to keep up with Shunsui. He fired one Kidou spell after another, never stopping. At least one has got to hit his sorry ass.

Shunsui dodged the attacks easily, watching Naruto as he struggled to continue. Honestly, he probably would've been more impressed if Kisuke and Isshin hadn't mentioned the draw. He suspected that was why he was so disappointed. He had been expecting these amazing warriors, and ended up with little kids playing with swords. It was sad, to be honest. He sighed, shaking his head.

Trying to catch his breath, Naruto paused momentarily. His reiatsu was strong and everything, but if he kept using it like he was ... at this rate, he definitely wasn't going to win. He needed a new plan, and fast. A head-on assault was the first thing that popped into his mind. Eyes gleaming with renewed vigor, he charged at Shunsui with a battle cry to rival all battle cries. Unexpectedly, he used shunpo to get behind Shunsui and then leaped at the man's hand, biting furiously into the arm. He then kicked out, hitting the man in the privates as he did so.

Shunsui's eyes widened at the action Naruto had taken, and he barely managed to avoid the blow to his groin, sweat trickling down the side of his face as he realized how close it had come. I so need more sake to put up with this, he thought, annoyed, as he swung his other sword at Naruto to make the boy let go of his hand. He was going to let go, or lose his hand. Shunsui was finished with this child's play.

Letting go, Naruto backed up just in time to avoid losing his hand. He growled and circled Shunsui, waiting for whatever the captain had planned. This fight was getting him no where. Hell, he hadn't even want to fight in the first place. Neither of them had. Then why, oh why did the captain have to insist they fight? Scowl deepening, he shouted, "Let's finish this, I got class in five!"

00000

Toushiro cried out as he flew off his feet, an explosion having gone off behind him He groaned, struggling back to his feet and turning, his sword raised as he panted. He was hurt in places he didn't even know existed, and he'd never been so tired in his entire life. He realized that insulting Shunsui was a bad idea, because Jyuushiro had been beating the shit out of him ever since he'd started attacking again.

Note to self, never insult Shunsui... ever He dodged another blow, grunting as he spun and used his sword to block the captain's attack, his arm shaking. This was definitely not how he'd been planning on having this fight go. Maybe I should apologize? Tell him I didn't mean it? Concede defeat? I might not last if I don't...

Jyuushiro's eyes were narrowed as he concentrated on firing off another demon art spell, using that as yet another distraction to get inside Toushiro's defense. His sword scratched at the boy's shoulder, barely a nick as Toushiro brought up his sword to block the attack. He could feel Toushiro's arms shaking once more as the boy held fast onto his sword. It hardly registered in his mind that he might be going a bit too hard on the boy … that maybe Toushiro couldn't hold up against his furious assaults. But he was too angered, too insulted ... he couldn't stop. He would stand up for his friend's honor.

No one so carelessly degraded his friends in his presence. He would not stand for such rudeness. Shunpo, after shunpo, Jyuushiro was far from finished with the boy. His only thoughts were on teaching Toushiro some respect for those older and far wiser. To so easily disgrace Shunsui, Jyuushiro would never stand for it. His friends were his friends. They did not deserve such foul treatment from those who scarcely knew them.

Toushiro tripped on something and fell onto his backside, letting out a shout as he held his sword out at the last second to block a blow. He's really going to kill me! I would be dead by now if I didn't have these reflexes! He didn't know anymore if it was blood or sweat falling freely down the side of his face. His robes were dirty, covered in blood, and full of tears. His face had so many nicks and scratches he could barely count them all, while his hands and arms didn't look any better. He wondered if Jyuushiro even knew what was going on anymore. Did he remember this was just a spar? Did he honestly think Toushiro was serious?

"Ukitake-taichou," he exclaimed as he rolled away, getting unsteadily back to his feet. He had to stop this before Jyuushiro actually killed him. "I didn't mean anything I said! I was just trying to rile you up." He screamed again as he blocked another blow. "I didn't mean it!"

Before anything else could happen, Jyuushiro collapsed onto the ground in a violent coughing fit, his whole body shaking. He dropped his sword, bringing his hand to his mouth in hopes of muffling the severity of the cough. Blood splattered his palm, hair falling into his face as he continued to cough without pause. He couldn't stop, and he could barely breathe. White hair quickly became soaked with red; just as much as his hand, if not more so. He closed his eyes, the cough continuing to demand his attention.

Toushiro just stared, eyes wide. He hadn't touched him, he didn't understand what had just happened. "Ukitake-taichou?" He knew this wasn't a trick; no one could do something that severe. He dropped his sword and ran to Jyuushiro's side. "Ukitake-taichou! Kyoraku-taichou!" he yelled over at Shunsui as he grabbed Jyuushiro's shoulder to stop him from slumping forward. "Kyoraku-taichou, something's wrong!"

Shunsui turned away from Naruto for a second to see why his name was being called, and his eyes widened. He disappeared from the spot he'd just been standing in, appearing beside Jyuushiro and bending down beside him as he grabbed his other shoulder, his eyes wide and panicked.

Wheezing, Naruto had his hands on his knees. He blinked when he realized Shunsui had disappeared. And ... hadn't that been Toushiro calling for the captain? He looked over to where his friend and the white haired Jyuushiro were, surprised to see Toushiro and Shunsui in a slight panic over the other captain. Just what was going on? Heading over there at a more subdued pace, he stopped in his tracks when he noticed Jyuushiro was coughing up blood. "Wh - What happened?" he asked, eyes wide.

Shunsui was still fretting over his friend when the blond arrived, demanding to know what had happened. He overworked himself, I know he did! Dammit! He never listens! Turning to Toushiro with a livid expression on his face, he inquired in a dead serious voice, "What did you do?" His anxiety over his friend and the sake he had had earlier weren't helping matters much, not to mention he was already disappointed and irate from his fight with Naruto. To calm himself, he kept rubbing small circles on his friend's back, hoping to ease the horrible cough Jyuushiro was experiencing, mumbling a soft "It's okay" very few minutes.

"I - I didn't do anything!" Toushiro insisted, absolutely horrified. Was this his fault? Was it because he'd made Jyuushiro so angry? "I - we just fought. I tried to make him angry, so I insulted you - I didn't mean anything I said, honest! I just wanted to get him a little mad so he would take me more seriously. He just - he snapped. I mean, look at me!"

Toushiro motioned himself; all his cuts and bruises. "I didn't mean to rile him up so much, I didn't - I didn't know he was sick!"

Jyuushiro was listening to the young boy's words as his coughing diminished slightly. He wiped the back of his blood-covered hand across his mouth, any stray blood being wiped away. His other hand was against his chest as he struggled to breathe normally again. He closed his eyes and shook his head slightly before opening them again and straightening.

"I'm fine, Shunsui," he whispered. "I just over-worked myself. I'm all right." He put his blood-covered hand on the ground and pushed himself back to his feet with a grunt.

"The hell you're okay!" Shunsui scolded, helping his friend stand nonetheless. "Look at you, you're shaking all over. You need to lie down. I knew this was going to be a bad idea. I mean we were inspired to do this by Kisuke and Isshin, for crying out-loud. It's just like spelling trouble. Dammit, I'm getting you back to your Division and then I'm calling Unohana for a house call immediately." Sighing, Shunsui wrapped an arm around Jyuushiro's waist, throwing one of the white haired man's own arms across his shoulders. He then gave Toushiro a look, clearly not amused. "And, Toushiro-kun, the one thing you must understand about Shinigami ... we all have something we want to protect. For Jyuushiro and me, that would be our close friends and people we care about. To insult them ... that's just like pointing a sword at an unarmed man. It's disgraceful and never worth it. Think before you speak next time, do you understand me?"

Naruto could only blink, completely left out of the loop. Looks like Ukitake did quite a number on Hitsu. He rubbed at the back of his neck, wincing at the motion. And Shunsui did quite a number on me as well.

"H – Hai," Toushiro said, feeling guilty. This was all his fault? He hadn't known Jyuushiro was sick, he hadn't meant it! "I'm really, really sorry. Is he going to be okay?"

"I'll be fine," Jyuushiro insisted, forcing a smile as he looked over his shoulder. He paused, and then nodded to the boy. "You did well, Toushiro." He then faced forward again, allowing Shunsui to help him walk away, a small smile on his face. "You know, he understands our bond more than you think, Shunsui," he said to his friend. "You didn't have to be so hard on him."

"I know, I know," Shunsui said with a roll of his eyes, tightening his hold on his friend to keep him from shaking so much with suppressed coughs. "But still, I was worried for your sake, and you're going to scold me?" He laughed a little. "Come on, let's get you tucked into bed and I'll make you something warm to sooth that cough." Toushiro may understand ... but has he realized who he shares it with yet?

Naruto watched the two captains walk away, silent and watchful for once. "Well ... what was all that about?" he asked, coming to stand beside Toushiro. "Are you okay?" He added the last part quickly, noting the worn out expression on the other boy's face. "Come on, we should try and make it to class, we have about three minutes left."

Toushiro nodded, getting back to his feet and clutching his side. He had a stitch there for all the moving he'd had to do. "Man, that was a workout. Makes you wonder if Isshin and Kisuke actually fight us for real, doesn't it?" He turned to Naruto with a sheepish smile as he went to his sword, bent down, and replaced it in its sheath. "We got our asses handed to us." Toushiro was disappointed with himself. Sure, he'd lasted the assaults and hadn't died, but he was still disappointed that he hadn't been able to strike back.

Kicking at the ground, Naruto had to agree. They hadn't been able to hold up against Shunsui and Jyuushiro as he had expected. Maybe Isshin and Kisuke weren't being as truthful with their powers as they had been led to believe. "Yeah ... we did," was all he could say, an exhausted edge to his voice. He collected his own sword a fair distance away and then walked back over to Toushiro, eyeing the discarded captain attire that Shunsui and Jyuushiro hadn't bother to take with them, along with a few bottles of sake and Shunsui's ever present straw hat. "Should we ... I don't know ... take that stuff with us and return it later?"

"Good idea." Toushiro smiled as he headed for Jyuushiro's attire before freezing in his steps. He felt an odd tingle run up his spine, and frowned, wondering what that could possibly be. Turning, he scanned the area, confused. What had that just been?

As if in answer to his silent question, someone appeared behind him and hugged him tightly. He let out a cry of shock before crying out in pain. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow!" he hollered, kicking his legs out as he was lifted off the ground.

"I've been looking everywhere for you, Whitey-chan! I wanted to spar with you before Kisuke showed up."

"My, my, now that's not fair, Isshin," drawled a lazy voice from behind Naruto. "And, oh my, why are you kids so beat up?"

Naruto shrieked and dropped the bottle he had been picking up, the glass busting and sake flying everywhere. "Urahara, stop doing that!" He cursed the heavens for the fate they had bestowed him. Stupid Urahara and his stupid timing. He didn't even want to get started with Isshin and his stupid.

"Why isn't it fair? You always cheat." Isshin pouted. "Stealing my Whitey-chan for yourself. I can't believe you! Now, Whitey-chan – Let's spar!"

Toushiro only slumped in defeat in Isshin's arms, forcing back tears. They were never going to make it to any of their classes on time. What did I ever do to deserve this?

Character Lists:

Sarge – Toushiro, Isshin, Ukitake (Shunsui during the fight)

Avril – Naruto, Urahara, Shunsui (Ukitake during the fight)