Into the Tiger's Lair 5 : End of Game
"What part of getting tricked, beaten, and toyed do you like?"
Komamura Sajin
The vice captains, abandoned by their respective captains, had long decided they could not just sit in their office doing paperwork for two and instead opted for waiting outside Kuragi Woods. They had agreed that should a captain asked what they were doing; they would give an honest--if not a bit cheap--reply of 'I am worried about you, taichou'. It was honest, as the last thing they would want is the captains killing each other—something that were highly likely. If anyone wanted to look deeper, though, they would find that the vice-captains were taking this as a form of entertainment.
"I'll bet you…5000 KinKon my taichou's going to win", Rangiku said confidently.
Iba raised one eyebrow. "5000, Rangiku-san? Isn't that a bit too high?"
"I know. But when it comes to this, that kid really knows what he's doing. He's a genius after all."
Iba shrugged. "Whatever you say. I'm not exactly planning on betraying my taichou but seeing the team he landed himself into…I'll bet 2000 KinKon for Kira's team."
"Why do you think they will win?" Nanao asked, adjusting her glasses shiftily.
"Well, the mates he chooses are definitely the strongest ones he can find", he explained.
"Really? They have to obey Kira's every commands, though, and I'm not so sure on that one."
"Kira-san is perfectly capable of leading", Hinamori said loudly.
"Sure he is, Hinamori", Rangiku said dismissively, "but Hitsugaya-taichou just happens to be in another team."
"What does that mean?" snapped Hinamori. Iba took his cue and edged away.
Rangiku, realizing her own faults, quickly replied, "It means that as I am his vice captain, I have to support him."
Hinamori gave a small snort. Rangiku glanced at her oddly, then said, "Anyways, what do you think about this whole thing in general? Especially…your new taichou?"
"She's not yet—"
Rangiku quickly said over her, "I know! I just want to know what you think of it."
Hinamori glared at her. "What exactly is there to say?"
"Oh, come on, Hinamori, a person must have thought of something when they are faced with anything!" Rangiku was losing her patience, a fact that seemed to make Hinamori sighed and answered.
"I won't say that I can manage my division on my own", she muttered, apparently her honesty had not ebbed away, "But what's the point in looking for an inexperienced captain in times like this?"
"You know, taichou did seem to doubt that part a bit", Rangiku mused, "Of course, in the end he gave his approval for her testing, but still…"
"The other captains didn't have problems with that and he had to go along with their judgment", Hinamori droned, "is that it?"
"Yes, I guess. Well, I'm as curious as you are, really. It's not like everyone knows exactly who she is…"
They didn't notice that Nanao was listening intently and was on the verge of saying something when Rangiku continued, "Back on the topic. Is it alright with you?"
"Rangiku-san", Hinamori said crisply, "The decisions of the superiors can't be denied by the subordinates. I will have to go along if that's how it's going to be."
"Out of necessity or out of trust?" Rangiku chanced her luck.
Her luck seemed to prevail that day. "Like it or not, a captain and a vice-captain have to trust each other", snapped Hinamori with finality.
"Whatever you say." However, Rangiku kept glancing at the younger girl every other second. Unlike the consistent toughness she showed before, the mask had melted, showing the true, sorrowful, frail vice-captain that she used to be. Rangiku grimaced, and placed a hand on her shoulder, surprising Hinamori.
"It's alright, okay? It's up to you what you want to be—it's always is. If anything's bad going to happen to you, you'll know that we'll always be there to help."
"We?" Hinamori croaked.
Rangiku smiled, nodding. "Your friend vice-captains, obviously, and Hitsugaya-taichou. Don't give me that (Hinamori's face had suddenly stricken), he really cares about you, you know? I don't know what's going on between you two (Hinamori opened her mouth, then wisely closed it again) but don't torture yourself, okay?"
"What do you—"
"Rangiku-san, how much time left?" Isane asked suddenly.
Rangiku looked up. Hinamori glared at Isane, disgruntled.
"Forty five minutes."
"Alright. I'll call Unohana-taichou just in case…."
"Is it going to be that bad?" Matsuda asked worriedly.
"Nah. The most thing they can do is disemboweling each other", Iba said dismissively. "No biggie, it happens all of the time."
The new vice-captain just widened his eyes in shock.
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"COWARDS! Stop running and fight—"
"What? Like a man?" Ikkaku cut the fuming Kurotsuchi, infuriating him even more. "You do realize none of them are men, don't you?"
"Shut UP!"
"Both of you shut up!" Komamura roared. "I've had enough with this game; I don't need any of you to make it worse! Now, focus or we'll lose them!"
"Yeah, sure, but it's still no fun to battle someone who's keen on running away", Ikkaku said crossly.
Komamura glared at him, growling. Ikkaku was reminded forcibly of an angry fox, only that the one in front of him was bipedal.
"Alright, alright, I get it!"
Ahead of them, Hitsugaya hissed demandingly, "Why are we running again?"
"We don't want to get squeezed, that's why", Idaten muttered darkly.
"Squeezed? We will be anyway, if we can't loose them off our tails", Soi Fong contradicted.
"Not if we can move faster."
"I'll do it", Hitsugaya volunteered lazily. He slashed his zanpakuto, and the ice dragon appearing out of nowhere soared straight to the ground in front of the chasers, who managed to dodge it, but cursed at the ice wall the dragon made. It gave them enough time to move far away from chasers, but into the domain of another team.
"Ah, finally! I was thinking that we might never get the chance to see you at all!" Kyouraku said gaily. Given the situation they were in, Idaten was slightly nonplussed by his cheerfulness, but something told her—the same thing that told her about Kurotsuchi's madness—it was a unique talent of his that should be left like that.
Kira said nothing, although his expression made it quite clear that he would rather not see them at all.
"Is that why you ran away in the first place? Because Kuchiki-taichou is moving to your position at the same time as Kurotsuchi-taichou?" Ukitake asked appraisingly. Kira didn't say it again, but he seemed to like the idea of the three teams engaging one another.
Yes. I see that you have one crest as of now", Soi Fong said, right hand drifting to the zanpakuto on her back.
"Unfortunately, we had to trade it for Kira-kun's life", Kyouraku said lightly, then his face loosened, "We have to fight now, don't we?"
"I'd rather not", Kira mumbled, his voice barely audible.
"Right, that will reduce the casualty—"
"There would be none at all if we just keep talking like this", said Soi Fong snidely.
Kyouraku smirked. "Fine. This is your game, after all." He unsheathed the twin blades. "Shall we dance?"
"Old men are stupid", Hitsugaya mumbled lowly so that only Idaten could hear.
"Children are impolite", she replied in the same quiet tone. Hitsugaya ignored that.
All of them got into their poses, zanpakuto's ready. Then, as though they had planned it before, Kira approached Idaten, Kyouraku and Hitsugaya rushed at each other, and Soi Fong made to attack Ukitake.
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"We lost them!" Kurotsuchi cried angrily.
"Man, I'd never thought they were that cowardly! They always run away!" Ikkaku said, sulking.
Komamura merely scowled, growling aloud, "Show yourselves!"
In a blur, Byakuya, Renji, and Shuuhei appeared before their eyes.
"You again, taichou?" Groaned Ikkaku.
Kurotsuchi eyed the Genbu dangling on Byakuya's obi greedily. "Alright, we can fight you instead."
That would be a waste of time", Byakuya replied monotonously, "You don't even have a crest."
"But you do. We won't let you get away, you know", Kurotsuchi said assuring, hand drifting casually to Ashisogi Jizou.
"Like how you let the one before us escaped?" Renji raised one eyebrow.
But Shuuhei sighed wearily. "We will fight you, if that's what you want."
"What? But senpai—"
"The other groups are fighting anyway. Besides, I doubt we can get away from them."
Though Byakuya didn't show it, it was clear he thought of the otherwise.
"Ehehehe……Don't you just love this game?" Ikkaku asked brightly.
"What part of getting tricked, beaten, and toyed do you like?" Komamura grumbled.
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Kira slashed downward, an attack which Idaten blocked yet again, and deflected him again in the same pattern. Taking a brief glance at the others; Hitsugaya was sending icy dragons to Kyouraku while Ukitake was defending against Soi Fong's relentless attacks; he quickly returned his attention.
"You haven't used your Shikai", he remarked.
"Neither have you", she replied.
"It will be over once I do. Show your face, Wabisuke!"
Twice that day the zanpakuto turned into its odd question-mark-like shape. If Idaten was curious of what it did, she did greatly to hide it.
Without anymore words, Kira attacked again. Idaten blocked that one. Kira quickly slashed diagonally, which Idaten stopped by waving her zanpakuto sideways. She countered him with a horizontal swipe, and Kira blocked using the hook end of his sword to catch Idaten's, twisting his wrist so that the force was enough to threw Idaten aside. He quickly attacked again, leaping into the air and using the gravity to add the force of his offensive move. Idaten braced her zanpakuto horizontally, deflecting Wabisuke just in time. He pushed away from her, crouching low on the ground before throwing himself to her again, Wabisuke raised high. She blocked the downward slash, pushed Wabisuke back before it lunged again, she blocked it too, and counter-attacked him, which he blocked. They leapt back, creating a great distance between them. Their zanpakuto's were low on the ground, only that Idaten's seemed to require all her strength to keep it from sinking into the grounds.
"Is that your zanpakuto's ability?" She panted. "Making your opponent's heavier?"
"Anything Wabisuke touches", he explained dully, "will have its weigh doubled. I doubt you can use your zanpakuto now."
Idaten smirked crookedly. "I haven't used my Shikai, have I?" She dragged the zanpakuto so that the hilt touched the edge of sheath on her back.
Kira blinked, realization and a memory dawned on him. "Not again…"
"Create chaos, Mitsurugi."
The sky was getting dimmer, and yet at the same time it was brightly lit by Idaten's zanpakuto, which seemed to be made—sans for the hilt—out of light since it was emitting radiant light equal to modern days neon lights. The blade was long: it seemed to be made by joining two long katana's together, the first half of the blade and the hilt was as long as Idaten's full height. A nagging feeling on Kira's back of head, including his past experience, told him that Wabisuke's ability wouldn't do any good against this weapon.
From the distance Idaten swiped. A bright crescent beam resulted, soaring straight to Kira in an alarming speed. Kira reflexively raised Wabisuke to block it. He barely succeeded in doing so: the force had sent him crashing to the nearest trunk. In a flash, the neon blade had touched his neck, giving an unpleasant sensation of something hot and deadly.
"Kira-san, if you are aiming to be a captain, shouldn't you use your full strength?" Idaten asked earnestly, a bit farther from Kira than people would normally be in that position.
Kira, mortified, didn't reply for a second, and then his expression hardened. He abruptly hooked the katana threatening his neck and shoved it aside. He quickly threw himself to Idaten.
They clashed again.
----------------
Kyouraku crossed his zanpakuto's against Hitsugaya's ice dragon. Despite the cold and the force, he didn't flinch one bit, and he still managed to block the next dragon, and dodging another one. He thrust his katana sideways so that Hyourinmaru's chain wrapped around it instead of his arm.
"Ne, Hitsugaya-kun, you have improved!" He praised the white-haired captain currently attempting to attack him from behind. Hitsugaya snarled silently, releasing the chain on Kyouraku's katana and leapt away from him.
"That's because you're holding back", he accused.
"Just doing what Ukitake said, reducing the damage", Kyouraku said casually.
"You'll be damaged, then", Hitsugaya said haughtily, "because I don't want to hold back."
Instantly, he ran around Kyouraku, the chain making a circle around him and creating a solid, circular ice wall around the Eight Captain. Ice began to form in front of him in the shape of a dragon, this time bigger than the ones before.
As he had predicted, a huge crack appeared on the wall in no time, giving Hitsugaya the cue to unleash his charged attack. The dragon hit Kyouraku squarely, so cold it created a thick fog around them. Hitsugaya glared at where Kyouraku had been, sharpening his senses for any signs of danger. When the fog cleared, Kyouraku was still standing there as though nothing happened, except that some parts of his body were covered in ice. He gave a hearty laugh.
"My apologies for underestimating you, Hitsugaya-kun", he said merrily, "I didn't think that even a little of your strength could be this great."
"Well, then", Hitsugaya smirked, "I should say the same to you."
"Indeed. Shall we continue?"
Hitsugaya nodded.
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Ukitake used the flat side of Sougyo no Kotowari to stop Soi Fong's fist from hitting his head. He used the other one to block her reverse kick, and both of them above his head as a landing plane for her heels, from which she quickly jumped off. Soi Fong noted warily that each time he blocked her attacks, the left blade seemed to glow an eerie yellow, which ran through the rope connecting both blades and into the right blade.
She soon knew what that meant when Ukitake pointed the right blade on her, glowing alarmingly red. Split second later, red lightning-like bolt shot out from it. It was too late to dodge, and all she could do was using her arms as a makeshift shield for the impact. She skidded all the way back to a trunk. Ukitake looked worriedly at his wounded opponent.
"Are you alright, Soi Fong-taichou?" He called, lowering his blades. Soi Fong merely glared at him, wiping away the blood trickling from her mouth.
"Is that your zanpakuto's ability? It has been a long time since I saw it. Next time, Ukitake, you will miss your shot."
She was gone in a blink, appearing with a roundhouse-kick from his left side. He blocked it with the flat side of his left blade (it glowed yellow), used the right one to stop her left foot, but was quite unprepared for a hammer-like blow on his head.
He recoiled, giving Soi Fong enough time to fall on her hands and sprung to her feet instantly. This time, he was the one to be offensive. Recovering from the hit, the right blade glowed yellow, and as he slashed it down, the yellow bolt struck down like a whip-like extension from his blade. Soi Fong grunted, stepping aside when Ukitake used the last energy in his blade to give her a horizontal approach. Soi Fong hastily stepped back, but not before the bolt had a chance to graze her right forearm. Wincing ever so slightly, she used shunpo to move behind his back, ready to strike with a kick. Ukitake positioned his left blade vertically so that its flat end absorbed the incoming attack's power. Rather than attacking again, she used Ukitake's shielding blade to bounce off it, evading his turning right blade. She bounced again off the tree she happened to land on, and lunged to Ukitake. He was preparing to counterattack…
…When he got into a coughing fit. Surprised, but also realized that she was already very close to him, Soi Fong grabbed his shoulders instead of hitting him, and both of them fell on the ground, although she vaulted to her feet even before they did so. She cast him an odd look, something that (thanks to him being busy coughing) he couldn't guess what it meant. If he wasn't mistaken, it was a pitying look. He got up miserably.
He apparently was mistaken, since she said contemptuously, "Find a cure for that."
"Unfortunately", he coughed heavily, blood spurting out of his mouth, "My illness is incurable."
"Humph. Then retire."
Caught off guard, Ukitake spent the next few seconds coughing blood to his hand before answered, "I beg your pardon?"
She raised one eyebrow. "Senpai heard me. Retire, unless senpai want to someday lose senpai's life because of it."
Ukitake stared disbelievingly, his coughing fit miraculously stopped for a moment before coming back at full force.
Soi Fong snorted derisively. "The last thing we need right now is another dead captain."
Ukitake smiled weakly. "Thank you for your concern, Soi Fong-taichou, but I will only retire when I die on the battlefield."
She snorted again. "You're a real pain."
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"Isane, it's time!" Rangiku shouted.
Isane began drawing lines and muttering incantations.
"Be sure to include everyone in the woods", Unohana reminded.
"Hai, taichou. Bakudou 77, Tentei Kuura!"
"To all the shinigami's in the Kuragi Woods, this is Kotetsu Isane, vice-captain of the Fourth Division."
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"The time given for the test has run out. By the orders of Unohana-taichou from the Fourth Division and myself, please stop all the activities that you are all currently engaged in."
Senbonzakura Kageyoshi and Konjiki Ashisogi Jizou—that had been in a strength-contest with each other in the past five minutes—stopped moving as the respective masters obeyed.
Not far from there, Hihiou Zabimaru's head froze in middle of throwing Ikkaku and his Bankai. They both looked up to the sky, as if expecting it to speak directly to them.
The only ones moving were Shuuhei and Komamura, as Tengen had already been in the process of squashing the vice-captain when Isane cut in; the gigantic blade had been too late to be stopped and it crushed Shuuhei; not long after that Komamura rushed to help him, apologizing gruffly.
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"Please head to the west exit of the Kuragi Woods. You shall find your vice-captains there. If there is anyone that is heavily injured, please escort them to the exit, and we will take it from there. That is all."
Kira and Idaten pushed away from each other for the umpteenth time. They looked at each other, bowed, and called for their teammates.
Hitsugaya, who had been airborne when the announcement rang, landed gracefully in front of Kyouraku, who already had Katen Kyoukotsu set for motion. Both of them sheathed their sealed zanpakuto's anyway.
Soi Fong scoffed, helping Ukitake to his feet (his coughing had gotten even worse than before). He muttered refusal of her help, but when he collapsed again, the Second Captain flung his arm around her neck (he had to hunch his back due to their height difference) and made their hasty exit.
Somehow, Kyouraku found that scene funny.
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"Ren-kun! And Pachinko-dama! You're both unscathed?" Yachiru was bobbing up and down in front of them; she was apparently confused why none of them bore the signs of the Eleventh Division: bloody battle.
"Well, I was wondering about that myself." Ikkaku cast a glance at his captain. "Apparently, taichou wasn't in the mood of anything."
"You wouldn't, if you had seen the piles of work I left behind", Renji said with a shudder.
"What? You should be relieved you could get out of that heavy load of work. Why, you also got to battles!" Ikkaku retorted.
"Why didn't you become the captain of our division?" Renji asked testily.
"'Cause I don't want to. Don't you know the loads of work you get?"
"Actually, Pachinko-dama is just toooo lazy to do anything but rolling around!" Yachiru interjected, giggling.
"Why you pink-headed freak…"
"Cut it out, you two."
At least they were not the only group that made a lot of noise, Renji mused. The Kurotsuchi's were definitely noisy (actually, only Mayuri was shouting orders and whatnot; Nemu was just nodding), and Kotsubaki wasn't helping either, fussing over Ukitake's apparent proof of his bad day. Rangiku was busy teasing her captain, who told her blushingly to shut up and return to their office; Kira and Shuuhei had walked back to Seireitei together; Byakuya and Komamura (Iba following his captain looking badly defeated) had left the earliest; Kyouraku was back into his girl-chasing mood, the obvious victim being his vice captain, who fixed her glasses and told him curtly to be serious. He was rather surprised when he saw Hinamori there—she didn't have anyone to wait for, after all. Then he remembered about their last conversation, and also saw that she was glaring fixedly at Idaten, who was having a hard time avoiding Kyouraku (he immediately went to her after Nanao rejected him).
Renji pondered, ignoring Yachiru who was biting a screaming Ikkaku's head. He resolved to himself to just let Hinamori to herself.
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Soi Fong, who was considerably irritated when Kotsubaki rushed to her and his coughing captain, was irritated even more when the vice-captain began ranting things she had wisely chosen not to hear (and the things Ukitake had to say loudly over them, "I'm fine, Sentarou!", causing him to cough even more and Kotsubaki to fret even more). She was more than glad to get loose from the bunch, leaving Ukitake into the hands of the Fourth Division.
She looked around, setting her eyes on the carefully-hidden-but-jealous Nanao, the jovial Kyouraku who acted as though he had met a very old friend, and the uncomfortable—but somehow managed to hide it—Idaten. She suppressed a smirk and approached them.
"Kyouraku-taichou, that is enough."
"What is enough?" Kyouraku asked innocently.
Soi Fong didn't answer verbally, merely jerking her head slightly to Idaten. Kyouraku understood immediately, dragging Nanao away instead.
"Let's have a lunch together sometimes, Idaten-kun!"
Nanao whacked him with her book, saying something about his busy schedule, at which he pouted but didn't protest.
Soi Fong turned to Idaten, who didn't look at all relieved, but instead she was eyeing the captain warily. After all, they didn't get off a good start, and while Soi Fong listened to everything Idaten said in the woods, she had given the impression that she always did anything out of importance. Not only that, but there was something about Soi Fong that Idaten felt was very familiar, even more so than the other captains.
"You did well", Soi Fong said brusquely.
"Thank you." What else?
Don't mind him, he's just an idiot like that", the captain muttered. "Listen, get used to it, alright?"
"Are the other captains as flirty as Kyouraku-taichou?" Idaten asked under her breath.
"No." Soi Fong gave her an odd look. "To the staring."
"Oh…" Idaten was clearly not expecting a gentle—quite, for Soi Fong—advice like this, especially when everyone's eyes were anywhere but on her. Except for one girl whose hair was in a bun, though. Soi Fong seemed to notice this as well.
"That", she nodded to Hinamori, "is your vice-captain."
"I'm not yet inaugurated", uttered Idaten, careful not to sound belittling.
Soi Fong—was that a smirk? It was lopsided and very slightly, at least. "Yamamoto-soutaichou's test is anything but difficult. It's more of the formality anyway. Just bring your zanpakuto to the First Division office tomorrow, he'll tell you what to do."
"Showing my Bankai?"
"Precisely."
There was an awkward silence, broken by Matsuda. He was apparently very frantic because he couldn't find his captain, and he emphasized that by panting and blabbering in front of them.
"Taichou! Thank goodness you're alright! I've asked Unohana-taichou if she had taken care of your injuries, but she said she didn't so I thought you were still in there but Kotetsu-san said everyone was out already—"
A glare from Soi Fong was enough to shut him up. Without any words, he followed her to their office.
Idaten gaped. Not at the odd pair of captain and vice-captain, but at Soi Fong's back. There was something wrong with the sight of the kanji two on the white robe and the short wearer…
She shook her head slightly, and sighed dejectedly. Perhaps she should just confront any of them and asked directly instead of stupidly and arrogantly insisted to understand by herself.
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Note :
KinKon : Kin—gold. Kon—soul. My version of the currency in Soul Society. The rate—the same as yen.
I made Ukitake's Shikai abilities based on the poem he cited when he released his zanpakuto. Wave, shield, lightning, and blade. I hope no one mind. I still can't figure his Bankai, Kyouraku's Shikai and Bankai, Kira's Bankai, Shuuhei's Shikai and Bankai, Iba's, Yachiru's, and Nanao's Shikai, for all that matters.
I apologize if this seems Naruto-ish. The idea used to be a simple hide and seek game, then I thought that it's too simple and meaningless. Although I didn't mean to plagiarize, I'm afraid that so many things have influenced me greatly and unintentionally.
