After the first round of the tournament the fighters had one day to re-cooperate and rest before their next match. They didn't want them to take to long to rest to where they'd get out of shape so fast. So they gave them twent four hours. An angered Suzume was outside practicing her sword techniques for the zanpaktuo tournament. She was slashing a tree with her sealed zanpaktuo. She was making deep cuts into the tree trying hard not to actually cut it. Kenmaru was walking around to find a good spot to sleep hoping to sleep in his normal tree spot. When he got there he found Suzume.

"Huh?" He walked over and looked at Suzume, "Ummm...Suzume why are you cutting my tree?"

"Huh?" Suzume turned around and saw Kenmaru with half lid eyes. "Ih I'm just training for the zanpaktuo tournament. I wasn't all too happy about my current loss. Hand to hand is my speciality."

"It's okay, Ruriko just out smarted you."

"Out smarted! Yeah right! I can still take her and I'm going to prove it by beating her in the zanpaktuo tournamnet."

"Well you guys might not get matched up again."

"Oh shut up." An angered Suzume said.

"Well then." Kenmaru turned.

"Oh Kenmaru I didn't mean it sorry!" Suzume grabbed his arm.

"It's okay I was kidding." Kenmaru smiled.

"Huh...hmph. Well whatever." Suzume blushed.

"Well if you're going to be attacking my tree I guess I'll help you out."

"What do you mean?"

"Like this..." Kenmaru got behind Suzume and placed his hands on her arms and stood perfectly behind her, he made her put her sword back where a sheath normally would be. "How come you have no sheath?"

"No reason, I'll just tell you later."

"Whatever." He then helped her draw her sword with the hint of Flash Step to make her draw and slahs all faster. When she cut the tree it almost went all the way through even when she was holding back. "You can't hold back. If you get used to holding back then you won't get anywhere, keep going on and on."

"Okay."

"When you draw your sword put your wrist into it by flicking your wrist." Suzume flicked her wrist and her sword flew out of her hand, "What you want to do isflip your sword and grab it by the hilt then come back down and slice the tree from the top down." Kenmaru picked up the sword and gave it back to her.

"Right." Suzume was blushing as Kenmaru continued to hold her from behind to help her train. The two trained all day. Kenmaru taught her some moves, but he didn't teach her the things he learned by fighting with his zanpaktuo Kyuseishu. Eventually the tree was cut down by Suzume's blade and they fell asleep leaning on the tree stump that wa left. Kenmaru was asleep with his hands behind his head and Suzume was resting her head on his chest with one hand on his stomach.

Suzume woke up and looked at where she was on Kenmaru and quickly blushed before sitting up and realizing what day it was.

"Kenmaru wake up!"

"What?"

"You have to go fight Ruriko? Remember?"

"Oh yeah huh...oh well."

"What!"

"Calm down we'll get there in time." Kenmaru picked up Suzume and placed her in his arms and then suddenly Suzume found her self in the stands with her friends watching Kenmaru face off against Suzume.

"Whoa..." Suzume didn't realize how fast Kenmaru truley was, was that his true speed and if so what else has he been holding back. Just that hint of power alone Suzume could tell he was diffrent.


"You may begin!"

"Here I come!" Ruriko yelled.

"Hold up." Kenmaru said and suddenly, for some reason, Ruriko stopped.

"Did you think about what I said?"

"You want it to be a battle of brains?"

"It's about time you got something right."

"What are you saying."

"I already came up with an idea on how to beat you."

"Oh yeah how?"

"You'll just have to figure it out." Kenmaru closed his eyes and felt a punch in his stomach. "That all Ruriko? Embarrissing."

"Shut up!" Ruriko went to go punch Kenmaru in one of his pressure points, but he simply dodged.

"Fail." Kenmaru commented.

"What the!" Ruriko then used Flash Step to get up to Kenmaru. She cocked her fist back and aimed for his face. Kenmaru ducked and stopped her fist, he made Ruriko hit herself by redirecting her fist into her own stomach. "Guah!"

"Get up." Kenmaru looked down at Ruriko. She quickly jumped up and went for a high kick to Kenmaru's head. Kenmaru ducked and grabbed her ankle, he pushed her ankle down making her stand on the ground again.

"Why aren't you fighting back?"

"I am, it's called a defense."

"Defense? Thought it was supposed to be a fight between two geniuses."

"Well this genius knows exactly how to fight back physically so I don't have to waste energy."

"So what are you saying?"

"I'm saying I've already won. You've wasted your time trying to figure out how to beat me physically which lead to you trying to think of a way to beat me mentally. Something you cna't do, while this whole time I've won."

"No! No one's one yet."

"I will it's already planned, you will fall of the arena and not lose by knockout."

"That's why you won't fight back?"

"No, that's why I won. Now you are going to process everything in that little head of yours but the truth is I'm a genius."

"I'm a genius too..."

"You don't think I am? I'm just lazy." Kenmaru looked at Ruriko with half lid eyes and then suddenly he fell asleep.

"This is my momment!" Ruriko thought as she backed up and then used Flash Step. She cocked her fist back and aimed for Kenmaru's face to knock him out of the ring.

"Gotcha!" Kenmaru woke up and flipped Ruriko out of the arena on her back.

"Guah!"

"Told ya." Kenmaru snickered, "But truth Ruriko you probably are smarter than me when it comes to stuff like math and everything mathematical but..."

"But what!"

"I'm phsycilogically superior."

"So everything you told me!"

"Was a lie." Kenmaru smiled and walked off.

"WHAT!" An angered Ruriko got up with a volcanic colored red face and stared down Kenmaru.

"It was a short battle Ruriko, but good try trying to figure out the things that weren't really there."

"I'm going to kill you!"

"You can't kill the immortal." Kenmaru laughed off the stage with one fist raised high in victory.