Hey everyone, here's your next chapter. Yet again, I bring good news. Like the last chapter, I'll be combining two chapters into one, and it will be like this unless something happens. Each one will be over 12,000 words…I need a life lol. As I said, I'll keep you all updated on any important things that may hamper my writing. So now I'll go ahead and answer a review I received from chapter 3.
xXSpades231Xx: No, Tim is 'not' Batman; but I do like the hero though. As for your questions; 1: This chapter will answer that, lol. 2: I'm sorry to say that Albert is a side character, so no, he won't be meeting Kisuke or Rukia. 3: Sorry, but I can't answer that so as to avoid any spoilers. 4: This answer qualifies to everyone; Not at all! If you've got questions, shoot em. And 5: I guess a simple and easy answer would be that they just popped into my head; really no other way to explain it.
P.S. Love the rating system you're using to judge the chapters. It's really giving me a great visual reference as to how good or bad the chapter was for you. Thanks for the review.
(I DO NOT OWN BLEACH; ITS CHARACTORS, NAMES, LOCATIONS, OR STORY! THAT HONOR BELONGS SOLELY TO TITE KUBO AND HIS TEAM! ONLY THE OC, AND RANDOM NAMES NOT MENTIONED IN THE BOOKS OR ANIME ARE MY OWN!)
Chapter 3
(Introductions and Induction.)
67th District, South Rukongai, Fallen Tree, Present
Timothy slowly awoke to the sounds of birds chirping and the low voices of the residents outside. His eyes were still adjusting to the light, so he kept them partially closed.
He turned his head to the window to see it was light out, then slightly moaned as he realized that he had overslept. Timothy always tried to get up and leave town before the sun rose, that way no one would see him leave.
'I guess I was more tired than I thought.' He mentally stated.
He turned onto his back and started rubbing his eyes. After a few seconds, he briefly sat up and looked around to see that Albert had already gotten up and was not in the shack.
"Well…that's a first." Timothy mumbled.
He couldn't recall the last time that Albert had managed to wake up before him. But then again, he was the one who slept in, so he woke up 'after' Albert. Timothy turned back and rubbed his eyes once more and let out a yawn.
'Damn…guess I'm still a little tired. Yesterday must have ready done a number on me.' He mentally concluded.
He tossed his cover aside and slowly got to his knees before standing. Once he did, he started stretching out his limbs and noticed that they were a tad sore. Once he finished, he let out a second yawn before he grabbed his sword and walked to the door.
He pushed the rag aside and stepped out to see that the town was a little more…bustling than normal. He turned to his left to see two soul reapers talking to one of the women.
"Well…that's quite an improvement since yesterday." Timothy stated, but flinched when he saw the woman point towards him and the soul reapers look his way. "Oh great…what now?" Timothy moaned.
Whatever it was about, he didn't want to be around to find out. Plus, he was already far behind in his daily training. Timothy turned around and started walking towards the edge of town. He managed to make it a few feet, before the two soul reapers flash stepped to him, one in front, one behind.
"Excuse me, are you by chance Timothy?" the man in front asked, and Timothy rose a brow.
He looked the man over a second, then turned back to see that the one behind him was the Squad 7 officer from yesterday. He then turned back to the one in front.
"Who wants to know?" Timothy retorted.
It was then that he noticed that the man had a Lieutenant's badge on his left arm.
"I'm the Lieutenant of Squad 7, Tetsuzaemon Iba. And I'm sure you already know our 5th seat behind you." He announced.
Timothy turned back to Hetoku and the man slightly bowed.
"Nice to see you again." he greeted, getting a nod from Timothy.
Timothy turned back to the Lieutenant. "Well…that answers the 'who', now tell me the 'why'."
Timothy couldn't see the man's eyes because he was wearing sun shades, but he could see the skin above his right eye scrunch up, showing that he had a raised brow.
"Are you trying to be funny?" Tetsuzaemon asked, but Timothy made no change in expression.
"And if I am?" Timothy shot back.
Tetsuzaemon's brow dropped. The 5th seat walked up and put his hand on Timothy's shoulder.
"Easy there, we just want to talk. We're not here to fight, promise." he stated in a calm tone.
Timothy side glanced him. "About?"
Hetoku held his hand out to the side and smiled. "About yesterday. Don't worry, you're not in trouble for it. In fact, our Captain was quite impressed. He didn't even believe me at first." He cleared.
Timothy turned back forward and crossed his arms.
"If I'm not in trouble, then why are you bothering me? Is it because of my sword?" Timothy inquired.
The Lieutenant then looked down at it, then back to him.
"Although you're not supposed to have it, that's not why we are here." he stated, and Timothy rose a brow.
"Look, I'll tell you the same thing I told your 5th seat yesterday. I don't like my time wasted on small talk. So just cut to the chase here." Timothy stated in an annoyed tone.
Iba turned to Hetoku and the 5th seat shook his head.
"I see…" he started, then turned back to Timothy and crossed his arms as well. "Very well...our Captain wishes to speak with you. I'm to take you back to the headquarters." Tetsuzaemon stated in a clear and stern tone.
Timothy's eyes widened. "Back with you?…To the Seireitei?" he dumbly asked, getting a nod.
"I see…and if I refuse?" Tetsuzaemon simply scoffed.
"Then you can stay here…and we'll take your sword." Tetsuzaemon threatened.
At that moment, 20 members flash stepped in front of Timothy. He gave a quick glance at them and saw that they were in a ready stance, but none drew their zanpakutōs. He turned back to Tetsuzaemon with an annoyed glare.
"Lieutenant Iba…I can't tell you how many times I have stated this…I don't want to fight, but I will if need be." Timothy threatened, but the man's composure didn't change.
"I see…then come with us and we won't have to." Tetsuzaemon stated.
He gestured to the men behind him with his thumb. "They're only here if we have to take your sword, but myself and 5th seat Watashu are here to escort you. It's your choice."
Timothy took a slow look around to each of the men, then to Hetoku.
"Timothy…the Captain just wants to talk. If we wanted to take your sword, we would have done so by now. I promise." Hetoku said with sincerity, causing Timothy to rose a brow.
"After everything that the last squad did, you really expect me to trust you?" Timothy pointed out.
Hetoku sighed and turned to Tetsuzaemon. "He does have a point sir."
Timothy turned to Tetsuzaemon as well. "So, let me ask you this…how do I know you'll keep your word? What's to say you won't try to lock me away?"
Tetsuzaemon's face never changed. "You don't." he plainly stated.
Timothy took a breath and closed his eyes.
"What do you think?" he mentally asked his sword.
A moment of silence passed. "I can't say for sure Tim…but considering the situation…it doesn't look like we have much of a choice." the sword cautioned.
Timothy inwardly sighed. "The problem is…we can fight them here…but if we go to the Seireitei, our chances drop to zero."
His sword sighed as well. "I know…but if we attack them here…we'll constantly be hunted until they finally kill you…I'd say…take the chance and go with them."
Timothy thought for a moment. "There's no turning back from this…you know that." he inquired.
"I'm aware…let's just go and see what this guy wants." The sword suggested.
Timothy took a deep breath and opened his eyes.
"Fine…I'll go. But…my sword stays with me at all times. I don't care what your Captain wants. Anyone tries to take it, I will fight back." he stated and Tetsuzaemon nodded.
"Very well. Let's go." he returned.
Timothy turned back to Hetoku and the man smiled. "Don't worry, I'll stay here and let your friend know where you are."
Timothy rolled his eyes and turned back. "He's not my friend…I have no friends." He stated in a flat tone.
Tetsuzaemon raised his brow a second, then dropped it and set his hand on Timothy's shoulder.
"Ready?" he asked, and Timothy shrugged his shoulders.
"Yeah…whatever." Timothy answered in a careless voice.
In an instant, Tetsuzaemon flash stepped away, taking Timothy with him.
Squad 7 Headquarters, Seireitei, 20 minutes later
After a brief stop at the Shuwaimon gate so Tetsuzaemon could grant Timothy passage with the gatekeeper, they finally came to a stop in front of the building. Timothy would be telling a lie if he had said that he wasn't impressed.
The building looked similar to the rest of the buildings in the Seireitei, with white walls and tan colored tiles for a roof. But what had him impressed was the size of it. It was only about two or three stories tall, but the dimensions were enormous.
He looked over to the right to see a two-story building next to it, but it was a little slender and long.
"Those are the squad barracks. That's where the rest of the members stay." Tetsuzaemon clarified.
"Big…" Timothy stated, then turned back to him. "Well…" Timothy started, waiting.
The Lieutenant gestured with his hand for him to proceed, so Timothy started walking to the front doors.
"So, tell me…now that I'm here, what does your Captain want?" Timothy asked.
Tetsuzaemon turned to him. "That's not for me to say. You'll find out from the Captain."
Timothy moaned, and the man turned back to open the door for him. The men stepped inside, and Tetsuzaemon closed the door behind them.
"Follow me." he ordered, but in a polite tone.
Timothy nodded and followed him as they walked to the hallway and took a left.
Timothy started looking around to see multiple soul reapers walking around, some with paperwork, some with books, and some walking and talking with each other. Most of them would glance at him, clearly wondering who he was and what he was doing there.
While the two of them walked through the hallway, Timothy kept a mental count of every soul reaper he saw. He didn't want to fight, but that didn't mean he couldn't be prepared for the worst.
Tetsuzaemon then turned left to stairwell and they started walking up the steps.
"One thing I should warn you about." Tetsuzaemon started, getting Timothy's attention. "The Captain is…not the same as you and I." he warned, causing Timothy to raise a brow.
"And that means…?" Timothy started in a question.
The Lieutenant then stopped and turned to him. "You'll see when you meet him. Just don't make any comments about it."
They both stared at each other for a second.
"Whatever." Timothy retorted.
Tetsuzaemon turned back, and they continued walking. They got to the third floor, then took a right at the hallway. There wasn't as many soul reapers on this floor, but Timothy still kept count.
"Here we are." Tetsuzaemon announced.
They stopped in front a large set of white double doors with the Japanese numeral for '7' painted in black in the center.
"You ready?" he asked.
Timothy stared at the doors for a second more, then turned to him. "Yeah…I guess."
The Lieutenant nodded, then turned to the door and knocked twice. The knocking caused an echo in the halls that almost drowned out the voice from inside.
"You may enter." a voice responded.
The voice was low, but calm. Tetsuzaemon pulled the left door open and gestured for Timothy to enter.
He walked through the doorway and was immediately impressed with the size of the room. As he walked forward, he saw two sets of couches on each side of the office with a small table in front of each.
"So, I see you've arrived." Timothy heard the man's voice say.
"Yeah yeah…so what did y…"
Timothy stopped talking when his eyes fell upon the…being…in front of him.
He brought his hand up to his eyes and rubbed them to make sure he wasn't crazy. He lowered his hand and turned back to the being.
He wasn't crazy.
Sitting behind the desk in front of him was a large, furry…human/animal. The only word that Timothy could even try to come up with was 'werewolf'. They both stared at each other for a moment, looking each other up and down.
"You don't seem afraid of my appearance." the man stated.
"No…not really…just…surprised." Timothy calmly replied, causing the being to raise a brow.
"I see…My name is Sajin Komamura, Captain of Squad 7. Am I correct to assume you are Timothy?" Sajin asked.
Timothy looked at him up and down again. "Maybe."
Tetsuzaemon then flinched and quickly turned to Timothy. "You'll address the Captain properly. Is that…"
"Tetsuzaemon, that's enough. He's free to speak as he wishes." Sajin stated.
The Lieutenant quickly turned and bowed.
"Yes Captain." he answered, causing Timothy to look at him with a raised brow.
"Are you always this uptight?" Timothy asked.
He heard the Captain slightly snort, trying to keep from laughing. The Lieutenant turned to Timothy with an annoyed look, that he returned.
"That will be all, Tetsuzaemon. You are dismissed." Sajin calmly stated.
Tetsuzaemon turned back and bowed again. "Yes Captain."
He raised himself, turned around, and gave Timothy one last glance before leaving the room.
Timothy turned back to the Captain and stared at him. "Well…I'm here…so what do you want?"
Sajin gestured towards the pillow seat in front of his desk. "Please…have a seat."
At first, Timothy didn't move, evaluating the situation. After a minute he started walking towards the desk and sat himself down on the pillow.
"Tea?" Sajin offered.
Timothy waited a second before replying, but held his hand up to decline. "How about we skip the formalities and get to why you wanted to see me."
Sajin nodded in understanding. "Very well. First, what is your name? Your full name?"
Timothy thought about if he should answer that, but didn't see what it could harm. "Timothy Durn."
The Captain gave a slight bow, then returned. "Pleasure to meet you. So, tell me, why did you attack those soul reapers? Surely you should have known that doing so is a serious crime."
Timothy crossed his arms.
"I think you misunderstand Captain. I didn't attack them…they attacked me. Therefor, by your 'laws' that falls under self-defense." Timothy pointed out.
Sajin held up a finger. "Not when they are trying to detain you for questioning. That then falls under resisting arrest, another serious crime." he warned.
Timothy scoffed. "Look, I don't care what their excuse was, the point is that they tried to take my sword from me, and no one touches it."
Sajin lowered his hand and leaned forward. "I see. And what if I try to take it right now? Are you going to try and fight a Captain of the 13 Court Guard Squads?" he asked in a dangerous tone.
Timothy simply nodded. "As I said, I don't fear you, regardless of your appearance. I may, or may not win against you, but I surely promise you that I 'will' fight to the death. I'll die before you put your hands on this blade." Timothy stated in a stern tone, his voice never wavering.
"I see." Sajin leaned back and crossed his arms. "That works out well for us then."
Timothy rose a brow. "What do you mean?"
Sajin lowered his head. "My 5th seat told me about you and your fight yesterday. He suggested to me that I test you and see if you are worthy to join our ranks."
Timothy tilted my head, confused. "…huh?"
The Captain looked back at him. "I shall test you…and see if you are worthy enough to join the 13 Court Guard Squads as a member of Squad 7."
Timothy brought his head back level. "And how do you plan to do that?"
Sajin reached beside him, then placed his zanpakutō on the desk. "We will fight."
Timothy's eyes went wide. "…Fight?"
Sajin nodded with a serious look. "Yes, fight. If you fight good enough to suit me, we will induct you into the ranks. However…"
Timothy's look turned to a glare.
"…If you do not meet my expectations, you will be killed." Sajin warned.
"I see…and if I refuse?" Timothy asked in a dull tone.
The Captain then stood up. Timothy went wide eyed at the Captain's incredible height.
"Then I will kill you right here." Sajin threatened.
Both men stared at each other for a moment before Timothy lowered my head.
"Tim…he's not joking…I can see it in his eyes…" Timothy's sword cautioned.
"I'm aware…but I don't want to fight him either…" he mentally stated.
"Think about this Tim…this could actually work for you." The sword advised.
Timothy opened his left eye slightly and glanced at his sword. "How?"
"They are all after Aizen, right? Why not join them? They may be useful to get us to Aizen." his sword cleared.
"That's risky."
"It's much better than where we were before…" the sword pointed.
"Good point…alright…we'll play puppet for a while." Timothy concluded.
Timothy sighed, then grabbed his sword and stood up to stare at the Captain.
"I accept."
Sajin nodded, then sat back down, gesturing for him to do the same.
"No…now." Timothy demanded.
The Captain raised a brow. "Why so eager?" he asked, and Timothy shook his head.
"I don't like playing the waiting games. Let's get this over with." he stated nonchalantly.
Sajin continued to stare at him for a while, then stood back up and tucked his zanpakutō into his sash.
"Very well. I will meet you on the training grounds. Tetsuzaemon with escort you there."
Sajin gave a low bow that Timothy returned.
"Until then." Timothy stated, and Sajin nodded.
"Tetsuzaemon!" he bellowed, then the door burst open with the Lieutenant running in.
He stopped next to Timothy and quickly bowed. "Yes Captain?!" he yelled, causing Timothy to give him a dumb look.
"Please escort Mr. Durn here to the training grounds. I will be along momentarily." Sajin politely ordered and Tetsuzaemon bowed again.
"Sir!"
Timothy turned to the Captain. "How much coffee does he drink?"
Tetsuzaemon glared at him while the Captain chuckled.
"Enough." he joked back, then walked out of his office.
Tetsuzaemon quickly turned to him. "You best watch how you talk about others, you might upset the wrong person." he cautioned.
Timothy simply turned to him with a careless look. "I do that all the time…yet I'm still here…aren't I?"
The man scoffed. "Keep it up and you won't be for long. Follow me." he ordered.
Timothy nodded, and the Lieutenant led him out of the office. He closed the office door, then took him to the staircase from before.
"You know that he's not going to go easy on you, right?" Tetsuzaemon warned.
Timothy shrugged his shoulders as they started going down the stairs.
"Fights are not supposed to be easy. If the fight is easy, it's not a fight…it's a squabble." Timothy pointed out.
The Lieutenant huffed at that.
"So where are the training grounds anyway?" Timothy asked.
They got to the first floor and turned to the right.
"They're behind the squad barracks in the field. Most of the squad will be there as well. It's not every day you get to see the Captain fight." Tetsuzaemon answered.
Once they got to the main walkway, they took a right towards the back of the building.
"I see...So I guess once I beat him I'll have to go to your academy?" Timothy inquired.
Tetsuzaemon glanced back. "Not in your case. The Captain is giving you a test through combat. Normally it's not allowed, but since we're in a state of emergency, the rule is lifted. Although, this method is rarely ever used. If he determines you're fit to join the ranks, you'll be inducted straight in. We'll have to teach you the rules and regs, but after a few months you'll be where you need to be." he cleared.
Timothy nodded, and Tetsuzaemon turned back as they came to the back doors of the building.
He opened the door and Timothy walked through to be impressed with the view. It looked like the squad had a miniature forest in their back yard. Just to the right of the woods he could see the grounds with some running tracks around it.
"Let's go, the Captain's already there waiting." Tetsuzaemon stated. Then he put his hand on Timothy's shoulder, and flash stepped away with him.
Squad 7 Training Grounds, Seireitei, Present
Timothy and Tetsuzaemon suddenly appeared at the field. Timothy now found myself now standing a few feet from the Captain.
"Good luck." Tetsuzaemon stated.
Timothy nodded, and he flash stepped away. Timothy then turned back to the Captain.
"The rules are simple. You may release your sword, and kidō is permitted, but you may not use any kidō above the 40s level. Do you understand?" Sajin instructed, and Timothy gave him a solid nod.
"Very well. Fight with your all, and good luck." He finished in a bow, and Timothy followed suit.
They both straightened, then Sajin flash stepped to the far end of the field. Timothy turned and walked to his end. Once he got there, he turned around. Sajin drew his zanpakutō, and Timothy drew his sword. Tetsuzaemon walked up to the edge of the field in the center.
"Fighters, are you ready?!" he yelled and turned to the Captain.
"Ready." Sajin announced, then Tetsuzaemon turned to Timothy.
Timothy continued to stare at the Captain for a moment. "Let me ask you something…Captain."
Sajin rose a brow. "Go ahead."
Timothy held his sword in front of him. "If I win…you will avoid any future inquiries regarding my sword…are you willing to accept that?"
The Captain stood there thinking about it, but finally nodded. "Very well. If you pass…I will refrain from any questions about your sword."
Timothy lowered his sword and nodded, turning to Tetsuzaemon.
"Ready." Timothy stated, and the man nodded.
"Begin!" he yelled.
"Tease…Moeru Kitsune." Timothy commanded.
The blade of his sword burst into flames and began its transformation, earning a surprised look from the Captain and the observers.
"You're releasing your sword right away, are you? Very commendable." Sajin stated in surprise.
His surprise became more evident when the numerous flames started appearing around them. He took a look around at some of them to see that there were around 20 flames surrounding the two duelists. He then turned to Timothy to see that he had not moved from his spot.
"Are you not going to attack?" he inquired, and Timothy scoffed.
"A fighter who rushes into combat without first gauging his opponent is a fool, one that will quickly lose." Timothy state in a nonchalant tone.
Sajin chuckled. "That is true. Very well…then I shall attack first."
He disappeared in a flash step, then re-appeared in front of Timothy with his sword high. Timothy then disappeared right in front of him as he swung at empty air.
Sajin quickly recovered and stood in a ready stance, waiting for his opponent.
Timothy appeared behind Sajin and swung to the right, but Sajin quickly turned and blocked it, raising his large foot to give Timothy a kick. Timothy backed away and disappeared again. Sajin lowered his foot and returned to his stance.
"I see the reports are accurate. Being able to disappear, and re-appear at will." Sajin observed.
Timothy appeared behind him again and Sajin turned to swing, but found that his opponent was no longer there. he then appeared behind him again, and yet again Sajin turned to him, again seeing his opponent was gone.
He predicted the next move, and quickly turned to attempt to catch Timothy as he reappeared.
However, Timothy had planned for this, and instead reappeared right in front of Sajin as he was turning. Sajin quickly looked at Timothy shocked, but it was too late. Timothy swung at Sajin, and caught him in the side, producing a shallow cut. Sajin recovered and swung out with his free hand.
Timothy raised his sword and blocked Sajin's arm, but he was not expecting the sheer amount of force behind it and it tossed him back a few feet.
'Damn…he's a hell of a lot stronger than I pegged him.' Timothy mentally complemented.
Sajin held out his palm to Timothy.
"Hadō #33, Sōkatsui!" Sajin bellowed, and multiple blue flames shot from his palm hurling towards Timothy, who held his sword in a block.
"Bakudō #39, Enkōsen!" he yelled, and a yellow disk appeared in front of him.
Sajin's attack hit the barrier and exploded, kicking up a large cloud of dust and obscuring Timothy's vision. Timothy eyes went wide as he felt Sajin behind him and he glanced back. He saw Sajin with his sword held back, ready to slash across his back.
"Impressive reaction…but not enough to stop me." Sajin stated, then swung.
'Crap! Got no choice…'
A split second before Sajin's blade made contact, the Captain suddenly disappeared, shocking the entire group of observers. Sajin then quickly re-appeared a few feet over to Timothy's right, facing the way he was before.
Sajin finished his swing, then quickly looked around, completely confused. Timothy turned to him in a ready stance as Sajin glanced at him.
"So…you can also do the same thing with your opponent…I will admit I never expected that." Sajin commented.
After he stated that, the flame next to him, as well as the flame behind Timothy disappeared. This caught his attention.
"I see now…these flames are how you vanish, then reappear. It seems that they act as catalyst for your ability, allowing you to move quickly from one location to another." Sajin observed.
Timothy raised his brow, surprised the Captain caught it so quickly.
"He's very observant." He said to his sword.
"Yeah, but I ask that you please not make it a habit of using that move. You know what it does to me." It warned.
"Well sorry, but I didn't have a flame near me; he did." He shot back.
"Now it's my turn to admit my impression. I expected you to eventually catch on, but not so soon. And you should feel honored."
Sajin turned to him. "And why is that?"
Timothy scoffed. "You're the first one that I've ever had to use that technique on. I didn't want to do it…but you left me with no choice. I made a mistake and underestimated you speed. No offense, but I really didn't expect someone of your size to be able to move so quickly." Timothy complimented.
Sajin lowered his head slightly. "I see…then I suggest you put more effort into this fight, or you won't last for much longer."
"I agree…" Timothy stated.
After Timothy said this, more flames started appearing around them. Sajin looked around, surprised to see that there were now over 40 flames littering the field.
"Now that you've figured out how my ability works, I'm sure you've also figured out that you could use that to predict my movements. It's true that that is the ability's downfall…but in an area this small…and with this many flames…it makes it impossible to predict where I'll be." Timothy taunted, then disappeared.
Sajin returned to his ready stance and kept his eyes looking at each of the flames. Timothy remained hidden for a few minutes, but Sajin was holding his composure, and Timothy could see that the Captain was starting to get a little anxious.
"So…you're going to remain hidden until I make my move?" Sajin asked.
Timothy was slightly pleased to see that his tactic was starting to take effect, so he decided to push Sajin further.
"What are you talking about? I'm right here." Timothy stated, showing up a few feet to Sajin's left.
Sajin turned to him, getting ready to attack.
"But I'm also here…" Timothy added, and Sajin quickly turned to see another 'Timothy' to his right.
"And here…" Sajin turned to see that Timothy was also behind him.
Sajin's eyes widened a bit, now confused.
"I'm everywhere!" Timothy stated from every direction and suddenly showed up at each and every flame, with now more than 40 'copies' of him surrounding the Captain.
"What is this?" Sajin growled, and Timothy chuckled.
"My sword's ability allows me to transition to any one of these flames instantly, much faster that you flash steps. In fact, it's so fast, that I can create copies of myself by going from one flame to the next and over again nonstop. So…tell me…which one of me is the 'real' me?" Timothy taunted.
Sajin quickly turned from one clone to the next, observing each one trying to discern his real opponent. Sajin turned and struck the closest one, causing it to vanish.
"Nope…try again." Timothy taunted, and Sajin flash stepped to the next, swinging at that one, the copy vanishing. "Wrong again."
Sajin was starting to lose patience, much to Timothy's expectations. Sajin jumped to the one on his right, swung at it, then flash stepped to the next, swung, flash stepped again, and swung. In all, he hit a total of 14 copies, never finding the real Timothy.
"Give up?" he taunted, and Sajin looked around growling. "I've discovered that I can't fight you with my normal method of fighting…we would be here all day exchanging cuts and scratches, and I would eventually become exhausted and lose. So, I decided to resort to an alternate method…psychological warfare…the combat of the mind. If I can't take you down physically, I'll do it mentally." Timothy taunted.
The taunt had the desired outcome, Sajin growled in annoyance. "Very well…if I can't find you this way…I'll try another way." Sajin stated in a low and annoyed tone.
Sajin held his sword high above his head.
"Tenken!" he roared.
Timothy eyes went wide as a large, ghostly arm holding a sword as large as the squad barracks appeared above Sajin. The Captain swung down with his sword, as he did this, the ghost arm swung down and struck the ground.
The sheer power of the impact was astounding! The whole ground shook and the impact produced a shockwave that blasted out in all directions.
Timothy held up his guard, causing the clones to do the same. But the force of the impact was too much and struck all of the clones almost simultaneously, causing them all to vanish.
The whole field was now covered in think dust, and neither of them moved while they waited for it to clear. Timothy reached out with his mind to try and detect the Captain's spiritual pressure. He suddenly picked Sajin up to find him twenty feet over to his front right.
He could sense that the impact from Sajin's attack had taken out most of the flames, leaving only a little over a dozen left. Thankfully, one of them was near him, so Timothy used it to get closer. Once he got there, he was now only a few feet away, and he could see the Captain's silhouette through the dust.
'Got you.' Timothy thought and raised his hand.
"Hadō #31, Shakkahō!" Timothy yelled.
A red ball of fire grew in the palm of his hand, then shot out towards his target. The dust around the kidō split apart as it flew through the air, before the spell impacted the Captain and blew away the dust around him.
Timothy watched as the dust began to blow away, and froze with wide eyes when he saw what it hit. Instead of the large Captain, he saw a large boulder with his white coat draped over top of it.
"…What…?!" he started, but froze again when he suddenly felt something.
Timothy gulped, then slowly looked down to see Sajin's blade against his throat. He stared at it for a second, then glanced back to see Sajin standing behind him with an emotionless stare, not wearing his coat.
They continued to stare at each other for a moment, then Timothy smiled.
"Gotchya!"
Sajin went wide eyed and glanced back as he noticed that there was a flame now behind him. Not only that, Timothy was there with his sword to Sajin's back. He turned back to the person he thought was his opponent to see it was now gone.
"How did…" Sajin choked.
"Simple…that 'was' me that sent that kidō after your decoy…but once I realized what it was, I knew you would come up behind me during my shock, and I immediately created a flame where it would be behind you when you showed up. At the instant that you did, I used my cloning technique to keep you distracted just long enough for me to get into position." Timothy stated with a grin.
"Although…I will admit that was a bright idea, using your zanpakutō's ability to take out all of my clones at once. The only downside was that it clouded our views, causing us both to fall for each other's tricks." Timothy added.
The dust began to clear, and the observers were all wide eyed with jaws dropped at the sight. Sajin stared at his opponent for a moment more, then stood straight and turned to him.
"Well done, Timothy. You are a worthy opponent." Sajin complemented as he returned his zanpakutō to its scabbard, then he gave a low bow.
Timothy let his sword return to it's original form, then placed it back as well. He returned the Captain's bow.
"And you." Timothy returned.
They both raised and Tetsuzaemon raised his hand.
"Match! The winner is, Timothy Durn!" he announced, and the audience cheered.
"Go with Tetsuzaemon, he'll let you get yourself cleaned up. Then meet me back in my office." Sajin directed, then Timothy nodded and held out his hand.
"Good fight." he stated.
Sajin nodded and took the young man's hand in a shake.
"Yes, it was." Sajin agreed.
They released hands, then Sajin turned, and flash stepped away.
Tetsuzaemon then walked up to Timothy. "Impressive display, young man. I never expected you to force the Captain to use his shikai."
"Thanks…but it wasn't my strength that caused him to do it…he lost his patience." Timothy remarked.
Tetsuzaemon scoffed and gestured towards the barracks.
"This way." he stated, and both men started walking back.
"So…what is your impression of our Captain?" Tetsuzaemon asked.
Timothy turned to him puzzled. "What do you mean?"
Tetsuzaemon turned to him. "What do you think about the Captain?" he rephrased.
Timothy turned back and thought about it. "He's a good leader, from what I have seen so far. He's respectful…yet stern."
Tetsuzaemon nodded and turned back as well. "He is, but he is also fair. I've been his Lieutenant for a long time, and have no intention of serving with anyone else."
Timothy nodded in understanding.
Squad 7 Barracks, Seireitei, Present
Both men entered the through the rear doors of the barracks and Tetsuzaemon took Timothy to the baths.
"Go ahead and get cleaned up. I'll be waiting out here." Tetsuzaemon ordered.
Timothy nodded to him and walked inside.
The bath was a standard one, but it was by far better than anything Timothy had back in Fallen Tree. And that was because they didn't have anything in Fallen Tree. The closet thing you could get to a bath was a jump into the stream.
Timothy pulled his sword out from his sash and set it next to the tub. He turned on the water to the right temperature, then began taking off his cloths. He then heard a knock on the door.
"By the way, you'll find a change of clothes next to the door. Go ahead and use them." Tetsuzaemon stated through the door.
Timothy turned to the said clothes to see that it was a standard shihakushō.
"You want me to wear one of your uniforms?" he dumbly asked.
"Yeah, you'll be fine." Tetsuzaemon cleared.
Timothy rolled his eyes, then walked over to the mirror. He could see some of the scars that he had acquired over the years. His body never did heal well to injuries, so most of them were minor. Some of them from fighting, some self-inflicted from training accidents.
Timothy let out a sigh and sat down on the stool to begin cleaning himself off.
After a few minutes, he finished, then stepped into the tub to rinse off and relax a moment. The water felt amazing, and he closed his eyes as his body relaxed in the water.
"Nice job today Tim…you really gave it to him." His sword complemented.
Timothy opened his eyes a little and stared at the wall.
"Yeah…but it showed me one thing though…" he answered lowly.
"What's that?" the sword asked.
Timothy closed his eyes again. "I'm nowhere as strong as I thought I was. I got lucky today." he cleared.
"How so?" the sword asked, now confused.
"I fell for his trap…and almost payed for it…" Timothy moaned.
"But...you still got him…" his sword pointed out.
"Only because he let his assumed victory blind him…if he had kept his guard up, he would have noticed right away what I was doing." Timothy clarified.
"…Are you telling me you didn't plan for that?" His sword was now in shock.
He took a deep breath. "Yes…He caught me off guard…I came up with that at the last second."
"I'm impressed, and I'm also surprised that you didn't release me…" his sword stated, hinting towards a question.
Timothy opened his eyes in a death glare. "You really think I'm that stupid? You know full well what could happen if I did that. There is only one instance where you will be released." Timothy plainly stated.
He then heard snickering. "Oh…I can't wait for that! Nevertheless…I had fun in that fight today. I can't wait for the next one."
Timothy sighed and closed his eyes. "You're hopeless." he moaned.
The sword growled. "You're one to talk! You said it yourself, you fell for that Captain's trap!" it retorted.
He growled back. "You shut your mouth!" Timothy demanded.
"Or what? You gonna 'slap me'~" the sword teased in a suggestive tone, causing Timothy to blush.
"Don't start that again…" Timothy moaned.
"Why? Am I getting to you…" the sword taunted.
"I said…shut up!" Timothy demanded.
The sword kept on with its taunts. "Awww…am I making the big, bad boy angry?"
"SHUT UP!" Timothy yelled out loud.
He then heard a knock on the door.
"Hey! You alright in there?!" Tetsuzaemon yelled and Timothy blushed more with anger.
"Yeah…I'm fine…just blowing off some steam." Timothy cleared.
The man didn't respond, and Timothy turned back and growled. "I can't believe I fell for that again." he whispered.
"Serves you right for yelling at me." the sword continued to taunt.
"God, I wish you were standing in front of me, so I could choke you." He moaned.
The sword snickered. "Mmm…so do I, that way I could see your body~" the sword said suggestively.
Timothy blushed and growled. "Just be quiet…"
The sword started laughing. "Oh, chill out, you don't have to make a fuss about everything you know."
"Just go to sleep or something…" Timothy moaned.
"Uh, duh…I'm a spirit, I can't sleep…dummy." The sword teased.
Timothy had heard enough. he sat up and got out of the tub to start drying himself off.
"By the way…if they do take us in, what's the plan?" the sword asked, now in a serious tone.
Timothy started drying his hair as he thought about it.
"Not sure, we just gotta see how it plays out." he answered.
He set the towel to the side and grabbed the uniform.
'Let's see if I can figure this out.' he thought.
Timothy noticed that there were multiple parts to the uniform, so he had to go by visual memory, recalling what the uniform looked like while worn, to determine how it goes together.
The first thing was a white under robe, called a 'shitagi'. After that was a black, loose leg trouser, called a 'hakama'. Next was the black top robe, a 'kosode'.
Once he those on, he tied the white sash around his waist, then slipped on the white socks called 'tabi', and rope sandals known as 'waraji'.
Once he finished, he slipped his sword in the sash on his left side and grabbed his old clothes.
He took a look in the mirror and straightened out his messy hair. He took a last look to see the uniform on himself, and was quite impressed.
Timothy then heard a knock and turned to the door.
"You about finished?" Tetsuzaemon asked and Timothy took a last glance in the mirror to make sure he looked alright.
"Yeah, one second." he answered, then walked to the door.
He opened it to find Tetsuzaemon sitting on the floor with his legs crossed. He turned to him and rose a brow.
"Well that's quite an improvement." he stated, and Timothy rubbed the back of his head.
"Yeah yeah…whatever. What do I do with these?" referring to his old clothes.
"Just leave them inside, they'll be tossed out. I doubt you'll need them anymore." Tetsuzaemon cleared.
He then got up and gestured with his head for Timothy to follow him. 'Well…here goes.' he thought as they started heading back to the headquarters.
62nd District, South Rukongai, Dancing Bear, Present
It was close to midday, and by this time most of the residents in town were getting ready to retire to the shade for the day.
But this was not the case for two individuals walking down the road. Both were of average height, with one being a couple inches taller, but much older. They were enjoying their morning walk and discussing latest news and rumors. Just another typical day for them.
Or so they thought.
The younger one suddenly stopped and took a closer look down the road.
"Hmm? What's wrong?" the elder person asked.
"Uh…I'm not sure. I think I see something up ahead." He remarked.
The elder turned around to where the man was looking, by his eyes were starting to fail him and he saw nothing.
"What is it?" the elder asked, but got no answer.
The younger one kept staring down the road. He then started to see what looked like dust being kicked up.
"I don't know. It looks like a dust cloud." He commented.
"A dust cloud?" the elder asked and the younger man nodded.
"I think…something's coming this way." The younger man added.
The elder turned to him with a raised brow. "Well…can you see what it is?"
The younger man continued to stare for a moment longer and he could now make out the silhouette of a person.
"Yeah, someone's coming this way…and in a hurry too." The younger man stated with a hint of worry.
The elder turned back to the road and could now see the dust cloud himself, but not the silhouette.
"In a 'really' big hurry!" the younger man quickly added.
In the distance, a tall man was running at flank speed down the road with a serious frown on his face.
The man was none other than Captain Kenpachi Zaraki.
He barreled down the road right at the two men and was damn near about to run them over before he suddenly stopped. Zaraki took a second to look at both of the men. The younger one was terrified, but the elder one stood his ground and looked back at Zaraki with kind eyes.
"Hello to you soul reaper. Can we help you?" he asked and Zaraki turned to him.
"Yeah…where is this place?" Zaraki asked in a flat tone.
"Well…you're in Dancing Bear…the 62nd District sir."
Zaraki rose a brow. "Is that right?" he asked passively and the elder nodded. The man then turned to his left shoulder with anger. "I thought you said it was this way, Yachiru!" he yelled.
His Lieutenant then popped up and hung on his shoulder. "Don't get mad at me, Kenny! You took a left when I said take a right! It's not my fault you have no sense of direction!" she yelled back.
"No…you said go left, and I did!" he retorted.
The two residents stared at the show with confusion on their faces. "Uh…sir?" the young one started and Zaraki turned to him.
"Which way to the 67th District?" Zaraki demanded.
The elder was about to answer, but Yachiru butted in.
"It's that way, Kenny!" she stated, pointing her finger.
"Uh…young miss, that's the…" the elder started, but stopped when Yachiru gave him a death glare. "Uh…never mind…"
Zaraki turned to her. "That's what you said the last time, and the time before that!"
"I know it for sure this time! It's that way!" she insisted, again pointing.
Zaraki gave in, as he usually did. He let out a sigh and continued his run in the direction that his Lieutenant pointed to him. The two men watched as the pair took off and considered stopping them.
"Uh…shouldn't we tell them that's the wrong way?" the younger one asked.
The elder turned to him with worry. "Not unless you want to dance with the devil he has on his shoulder." he solemnly stated, and the younger man quickly shook his head.
"No, I'd prefer not." He answered.
The two men watched as the pair disappeared into the distance.
Back with Zaraki, his Lieutenant hung on tight as Zaraki ran at a fast pace.
"Why are we out here, Kenny? Are we looking for the guy 'Red Man' told you about?" Yachiru asked.
Zaraki turned to her. "Yeah…I'm gonna find that guy."
Yachiru turned to him. "And then Kenny is gonna have some fun?" she asked in a cheerful voice.
Zaraki grinned. "Yeah…I wanna see for myself how good he is. Who knows…maybe I might be able to get serious." he stated in a chuckle.
Yachiru giggled. "Yay! I can't wait!" she yelled.
"Neither can I." Zaraki finished in a low and happy tone.
The pair continued running down the road in search of the Captain's prey.
Squad 7 Headquarters, Seireitei, Present
Tetsuzaemon and Timothy let the staircase and turn down the hall on the headquarters third floor. They came back to the large doors that led to the Captain's office and Tetsuzaemon turned to him.
"Regardless of what the Captain may tell you, that was a good battle, and I think I believe he thinks so as well. So, it should go well for you." He stated.
Timothy nodded. "Thanks. Well…let's get this over with."
Tetsuzaemon nodded back, turned, and knocked on the door.
"You may enter." Sajin answered.
"Sir!" Tetsuzaemon yelled, then opened the door and let Timothy enter first.
Both men entered the office and Tetsuzaemon closed the door behind him. Timothy noticed the Captain sitting behind his desk with paperwork in his hand.
"Tetsuzaemon, will you kindly give us a moment?" Sajin asked, not turning from his paperwork.
"Sir!" he announced, then turned back and left the office.
Timothy stood there for a moment in silence, waiting for the Captain to say something.
"Mr. Durn, please come and have a seat." Sajin stated, again not turning from his paperwork.
Timothy nodded and began walking towards the pillow seat.
As he got closer, he noticed the spot where he had struck the Captain earlier. The hole in his uniform was still there, but he could see a white bandage underneath.
Timothy walked up to the seat and slowly sat down. The Captain continued to look as his papers, not saying a word. A moment passed before Sajin put the papers down and set his hands in his lap.
"Before we begin…" he started, then bowed. "I would like to apologize for my actions earlier."
Timothy rose a brow. "What actions?"
Sajin raised himself. "At our last meeting, I threatened you with death should you choose to decline our battle. That is not in my nature, however curiosity had gotten the better of me and I wanted to see your powers for myself and gauge your abilities. For that, I apologize."
Timothy simply waved him off. "The past is in the past. I don't think you can go back in time and change it, so it's already over with. You did what you did. Now with that over…what happens now?"
Sajin nodded. He grabbed the papers he had before and handed them to Timothy.
"What's this?" he asked as he took a brief look at them.
"The reports for the 67th District in South Rukongai. I think you'll be interested in a particular report from the 5th seat." Sajin stated, and Timothy flipped to the mentioned paper.
Timothy took a few moments to read it over. After a short time, he looked at Sajin and rose a brow.
"Ok…am I supposed to be looking for something?" he asked puzzled.
"No…instead you're supposed to notice something is missing." Sajin cleared, and Timothy turned back to the paper to read it once more.
After another few moments, Timothy turned back to Sajin with a puzzled look.
"The report about me isn't here…" he stated, and Sajin nodded.
"That's correct. That is the finalized report for me to turn in to the Head Captain. I have omitted some of the minor reports as I deemed them unnecessary." Sajin confirmed.
Timothy rose a brow. "I see…but that doesn't answer the question as to 'why' the report about me isn't in here."
Sajin folded his arms. "As I said, I deemed that report unnecessary."
Timothy set the papers down on the desk. "Why? According to what you said, I broke the 'laws' by having a zanpakutō, and by 'resisting arrest'. I don't quite understand."
Sajin uncrossed his arms and set them on the table with hands joined, him now leaning closer.
"Under normal circumstances, I would file those reports, and have you arrested to await trial. However, it is 'because' of those reports that they have been omitted." Sajin calmly stated.
Timothy shook his head. "I still don't understand."
Sajin leaned back again. "Alright, I'll break it down. From the testimonies of some of the residents, the crime rates in District 67 have fallen over the past couple of years. It's plainly obvious that the previous assigned members were not doing their job, so that leaves you as the only cause for the rate drop. Do you follow me so far?" Sajin asked, getting a nod from Timothy.
"In short, you have helped the residents with the crime rate in the district. Regardless of whether you intended to help or not, you still helped the district. My reasoning, is that you also inadvertently helped Squad 7 by 'keeping things in order' until the squad arrived to take over. Therefore, you should be commended. Are you still with me?" Timothy again nodded.
"Because of your actions, I have made the administrative decision to expunge any crimes you have committed in the past, and by what reports we have, there are only two offenses that we know of. Therefore, both have been erased. As it stands at this moment, you are free to go. And I have also granted permission for you to possess your zanpakutō."
Timothy raised a brow. "What's the catch?"
Sajin shook his head. "There isn't one. As I said, you are free to go."
Timothy slowly nodded, but knew that there was something else he was about to say. "Go on…"
Sajin chuckled. "You catch on quick I see. There is something else I wish to discuss with you."
"Let me guess…you want to discuss me joining your squad, right?" Timothy asked, and Sajin nodded.
Sajin reached behind him, then turned back and set a sword down on the desk in front of Timothy. Timothy looked at it, then raised a brow at Sajin.
"In case you hadn't noticed…I already have one." Timothy stated in a nonchalant tone and set his hand on his sword to emphasize his point.
"I'm aware, however the laws still state that you must be presented with a zanpakutō upon entering the academy. But since you won't be going to the academy, it's up to me to present it to you." Sajin put his hands back in his lap.
"Isn't it wrong to possess two zanpakutōs?" Timothy asked, actually curious of the answer.
"Although it is very rare, there have been cases where soul reapers possess two zanpakutōs. And most of them from your situation, possessing one before entering the academy." Sajin clarified.
Timothy lowered his head and both men sat in silence for a moment.
"Although, you do not have to join if you do not wish to. This is not a demand, only an offer." Sajin calmly alerted.
Timothy kept his head down as he thought about it. After a minute, he sighed.
"I'll need a little time to think about it. Would it be alright if I went down to the training grounds to walk and think?" Timothy asked, getting a nod back.
"You may. Tetsuzaemon should be right outside, ask him to escort you to the grounds. You are not a member, so I cannot allow you to go anywhere unobserved. Do you understand?" Sajin stated, and Timothy nodded.
Timothy then stood up and turned to the Captain. "Just give me a couple hours…I'll have your answer by then." Sajin nodded.
Timothy then bowed to him, and he returned it. "I await your answer, Mr. Durn."
Timothy scoffed. "Just call me Tim if anything, just don't call me 'Mr.'. Makes me sound old."
Sajin lightly laughed. "Very well…then I await your answer, 'Tim'."
Timothy rolled his eyes and nodded. "Be back soon." He stated then turned to the door.
He walked up to the door and pulled it open before turning back to Sajin.
"Oh, and by the way…" he started, and Sajin raised a brow.
"You lost that fight the moment you lost your temper. If you had kept your cool, you would have won without a doubt." This caused Sajin to chuckle.
He was surprised at the man's open words, but knew what he said was true. If Sajin had indeed remained calm and not let Timothy get the better of him, he would have quickly won. In fact, Sajin wanted to berate himself for it.
"Your combat observations are duly noted and appreciated." Sajin stated with a slight bow.
Timothy returned the gesture, then left the office. Sajin sat there thinking about what the man might say. In truth, he was really hoping that he will say yes.
Although Timothy had a slight issue with respect, something that Sajin held in high regards, he actually liked the man. Afterall, for the exception of a few individuals, he hasn't met anyone with enough courage to stand up to Tetsuzaemon.
His thought turned back to Timothy's earlier comment about his Lieutenant and he chuckled.
"He is a bit uptight…" Sajin admitted and returned to his paperwork.
Squad 7 Training Grounds, Seireitei, 1 and a Half Hours Later
Timothy continued walking along the unused running track while Tetsuzaemon sat in the shade of a nearby tree. Thoughts were weighing heavy on Timothy's mind, as this was not a decision to take lightly. This decision would determine the rest of his life in the soul society.
Timothy cleared some of the thoughts as he opened his mind and reached out to his sword.
"Well…what do you think?"
"…I don't know what to think…I mean…we had decided to go with it, but now that everything has been cleared for you to go back peacefully, I'm not sure." the sword stated.
Timothy nodded. I agree, this is not going to be easy. Whatever we decide, we'll be stuck with it forever."
"I agree…but…my opinion is to go with it. When you think about it…what else is there for us in Fallen Tree?" the sword asked, and Timothy nodded.
"Well then…so be it." Timothy finished, then turned to Tetsuzaemon.
Timothy began walking towards the man and he turned to him.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Timothy came up to him and rubbed the back of his head. "I guess so…"
Tetsuzaemon nodded, then quickly stood up. "We've got some time, so come with me. I want to show you something."
Timothy nodded, then followed the man as they began walking towards the barracks.
Once they arrived at the barracks, they walked inside and took an immediate right turn towards what appeared to be a common area. The men both stopped and Tetsuzaemon started looking around.
"Gōrō, here boy!" he yelled.
After a second, they heard the faint sound of barking. A moment afterwards, a small dog ran up to Tetsuzaemon.
"Ah, there you are boy." He turned to Timothy. "This is Gōrō. He really belongs to the Captain, but the whole squad pretty much adopted him."
Timothy knelt down and ruffled the dog's ears. "Cute…So why did you want to show him to me?"
Tetsuzaemon leaned against the wall with arms crossed. "You don't need to hide it Timothy, I can see you've made up your mind to stay and join."
Timothy turned to him. "Wow, uptight 'and' observant."
"Tsk…you best watch your mouth once you've become a member. It may not hurt you right now, but that won't be the case once you're assigned."
Timothy sighed, then stood and turned to him. "Look Tetsuzaemon, needless to say, I've had a rouge life over the past twelve years. I've learned to keep to myself to survive. I've spent my whole life in the soul society pushing others away, and I'm suddenly thrown into having to keep others close to me. So, you'll have to forgive me if I'm a little touchy around others."
"You think you're the only one who had it rough? What about the rest of your district? You had a way to keep the criminals away, they didn't. So, don't give me that 'I had it the worst.' story. Quit your whining and man up. You're about to be a member of the 13 Court Guard Squads, and we have no room for saps like that. If you are unable to see that, then decline while you have the chance and save us the trouble."
Tetsuzaemon then stood straight and started walking towards the door. Meanwhile, Timothy continued to stand there dumbstruck at the Lieutenant's words.
It was true, he had been pushing people away for years because he thought he had had it worse because of the circumstances leading to him being in the soul society.
His thoughts then turned to Albert, and he suddenly felt bad. He had always been rude to him and tried to push him away. But Albert never gave up and always stuck with him. Albert considered him a friend, but Timothy had considered him an annoyance.
He sat down against the wall and lowered his head in shame as all those thoughts went through his mind and he hated himself for it all. A tear started to form in his eye, but then his brought out of his thoughts by his hand being moved.
He looked up to see Gōrō nudging his hand with his nose, trying to be petted. Timothy lightly scoffed with amusement as he started to rub the dog's ears.
"Yeah…you probably think I'm pathetic too after hearing that, huh?" he indirectly asked the dog.
The dog rolled over onto his back exposing his belly, that Timothy began to scratch, causing the dog to kick his lower paw repeatedly.
Timothy gave a slight chuckle before he stopped, causing the dog to slightly whine. "Yeah yeah...I'll pet you again later boy…but right now…I've got something to do."
He scratched the dog once more, then stood back up and went to join Tetsuzaemon.
"You ready?" Tetsuzaemon asked in an annoyed tone.
Timothy nodded and gestured for him to lead the way. Tetsuzaemon nodded and they began their walk back to the headquarters.
Squad 7 Headquarters, Seireitei, 10 minutes later.
Captain Komamura sat behind his desk with his hands in his lap, head lowered, and eyes closed. He wasn't sleeping, but he was resting. The majority of his paperwork was finished, and he was simply waiting for Timothy to come back with his decision, so he took this time to rest his mind.
He suddenly heard a solid knock on his door and it brought him back to his senses. "You may enter."
The door opened, and both Tetsuzaemon and Timothy walked in. "Welcome…Tim. Please have a seat."
Timothy held up his hand to decline and both men stopped in front of him.
"So, have you made your decision?" Sajin asked.
Timothy lowered his head a moment, then nodded. "I have."
A moment passed, then Sajin rose a brow. "And that is?"
Timothy looked back at him. "I'll join you…" He then held up to fingers. "On two conditions."
Sajin sat there a moment thinking about it. "Go ahead."
Timothy put his fingers down. "First, I want to be able to train as much as I want, when I want. Of course, I'm aware any assignments take precedence, but when I'm 'not' on assignment, I want to train at my leisure."
Sajin thought about it a moment. He didn't see any problem with that, if someone wanted to train, by all means let them train.
"Agreed. And the second?" Sajin inquired, then Timothy smiled.
Timothy quickly turned and punched Tetsuzaemon as hard as he could in the jaw, causing the man to fall over. Sajin's eyes went wide in shock as he did this.
Timothy began shaking his hand side to side as his hand was now throbbing in pain. Tetsuzaemon quickly got up and turned to attack Timothy, but Sajin held his hand up, causing the man to stop.
Timothy turned to him. "That's in case you piss me off later as I won't be able to do that once I join."
Tetsuzaemon growled and Sajin stood. "And what about me? I may 'piss you off' in the future as well. Are you going to strike me?"
Timothy looked him up and down a second. "Nah, my hand will shatter if I hit you, and I need my hand. So, I'll just stick with calling you 'asshole'."
Tetsuzaemon balled his fists, ready to attack, but Sajin burst out laughing, surprising the Lieutenant. Sajin laughed for a moment, then calmed down.
"Very well, I accept both terms. How is your hand?" Sajin asked.
Timothy started rubbing and massaging it. "Sore as hell." He turned to Tetsuzaemon. "You've got one tough jaw."
Sajin chuckled, then grabbed the sword off the desk and walked over to Timothy. He held out the zanpakutō to him, and Timothy took it.
"Timothy Durn, I, Sajin Komamura, Captain of Squad 7, hereby accept your induction into the ranks as a member of Squad 7."
Timothy turned and gave the Captain a low bow, that he returned.
"Tetsuzaemon, please show our new member to his new quarters." Sajin ordered, then walked over to his desk. He then stopped and turned back. "And no fighting." he added in a serious tone.
Tetsuzaemon bowed. "Sir!"
He then turned to Timothy, still maintaining his death glare. "Come with me."
Timothy nodded, then they both left the room. Sajin returned to his desk to begin filling out the induction paperwork. He let out another chuckle remembering Timothy's second 'condition.'
'I think he'll work out just fine.' Sajin thought and began writing.
Meanwhile, Timothy and Tetsuzaemon continued their walk towards the barracks, but stopped at a large office near the rear doors. Tetsuzaemon turned to a woman sitting at one of the desks.
"Mizuki." He addressed and the woman turned to him.
"Yes Lieutenant?" she answered.
"This is a new member to the squad." He stated gesturing to Timothy with his thumb. "I need you to add him to the barracks roster and assign him a room."
The woman nodded. "Yes sir, it will only take a moment. I'll assign him to the second floor, east side. Once you find him a room, please let me know what number."
Tetsuzaemon nodded, then gestured to Timothy to follow. Both men left the headquarters and turned towards the barracks.
"Tetsuzaemon." Timothy stated, and he turned to him.
"That's Lieutenant now." he instructed with a scowl and Timothy sighed.
"Lieutenant, may I ask you something?" Timothy rephrased.
Tetsuzaemon nodded. "Go ahead."
Timothy began scratching his head. "Well…what exactly is the Captain?"
The lieutenant raised a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean…is he human, or…something else?" Timothy cleared.
Tetsuzaemon turned back forward. "I don't know, he's never said anything about where he comes from, and I've never asked. Why? Does it matter?" he asked in a side glance.
"No, I guess not."
"Now let me ask 'you' something." Tetsuzaemon stated, keeping his side glance.
"Sure." Timothy replied, not liking where this might go.
"Why did you set the condition to let you train as you wish? You should know that there is no limit to training, right?" Tetsuzaemon inquired.
Timothy took a breath. "I was sure of that; however, I have my own training schedule and would like to keep to it."
Tetsuzaemon nodded, then turned back. "I see. Well, as long as you don't kill yourself, or anyone else, train as much as you want."
Both men then entered the barracks and took a left turn to the stairs.
"Now let me ask you something else." Tetsuzaemon started.
"Shoot." Timothy replied.
"Where exactly are you from?"
Timothy rose a brow. "What do you mean?"
"I mean originally…before you came to the soul society." Tetsuzaemon cleared.
"Oh…well…when I was alive I lived in the United States, in Texas." Timothy answered shyly.
"I see, that explains your name and accent. To be honest, we don't have anyone in the squad from there." Tetsuzaemon stated plainly.
"I see. So anyway, what happens now?" Timothy inquired.
"Once we find your room, you have the rest of the day to get situated and rested from earlier. I recommend walking around the barracks and get yourself familiar with the layouts and meet some of the other squad members. But, it's your choice."
They turned down a hallway and stopped a few doors down.
"This is your room." He stated and slid the door open.
Timothy walked in and noticed that it wasn't that large, just a little over twice the size of the shack he used to stay in. The bed was against the left wall, no window, a small dresser that contained spare uniforms, and a low table with pillow seats on each side.
A simple, yet quaint room.
"If you have any questions, get with one of the members and they'll help you out. Tomorrow you'll be assigned to one of the seated officers so that he can give you the run down on the squad rules as well as the laws. Any questions?" Tetsuzaemon instructed.
Timothy looked around for moment, then turned to him. "No…thank you sir." he finished in a bow, that the Lieutenant returned.
"Welcome to the squad…and before I forget…" he started, and Timothy rose a brow. "That right swing was pitiful." he mocked and walked away.
Timothy groaned, but then chuckled.
"Whatever you say, 'Lieutenant'." he returned, and Tetsuzaemon left the room, sliding the door shut.
"I think he likes you." his sword stated in a giggle.
"I strongly recommend that you do not start your nonsense right now." he retorted.
Oh, come on, lighten up Tim. So how does it feel to be a soul reaper?" the sword lightly teased.
"Different." Timothy flatly stated.
"Well, that's to be expected. So, I guess now that you have a zanpakutō, you won't need me anymore, huh?" the sword inquired jokingly.
"What are you talking about?" Timothy asked as he walked over to the bed and sat down.
"I mean it looks like you have a new favorite." The sword teased, getting a moan from him.
"Knock it off…does it really look I am in the mood to argue?"
"No…but that's why I do it." his sword finished in a laugh.
Timothy moaned and set his face in his hand. "What did I do to deserve this?" he whispered in an annoyed tone.
"I tease you because you make it too easy and irresistible. Good grief, live a little Tim. You're gonna give yourself a heart attack." His sword was now a little annoyed.
"Uh, news flash…I'm already dead, stupid." he retorted.
"Tsk…whatever, dummy. So, what are you gonna do now?" his sword asked.
As if in response, Timothy laid back on the bed and closed his eyes. "This."
His sword chuckled. "What makes you think I'll let you?"
"The fact that you can't do anything about it." he retorted.
"Oh really? How about if I start singing?" it asked, and Timothy's eyes shot open.
"Don't you dare!" he scowled, and the sword laughed.
"Or what? What are you gonna do about it?" the sword mocked.
Timothy then got up, took the sword from his sash, and held it to his face. "This."
He lifted up the mattress and stuffed his sword under it.
"Tim! umphh…"
The sword was cut off as he let the mattress drop back into place. "There…peace at last…"
He turned and laid right back down on the bed and turned onto his side facing the wall. He closed his eyes to try and sleep, but he then heard a knock on the door.
"You have got to be kidding me…" he moaned and got right back up. "Who is it?" he asked.
"It's Issei, Hinata, and Kenta. We're squad members." an answer came.
Timothy let out a sigh. "Come in." he announced.
The door slid open and two men and a woman entered. One of the men held up a hand.
"Good afternoon sir. I'm Issei." he greeted, then gestured to his companions. "And this is Kenta and Hinata." The last two bowed to him.
"Pleased to meet you." the woman greeted, and Kenta nodded.
"As to you. May I ask why you are here?" Timothy asked.
"Oh, we simply wanted to meet and welcome our newest member. And you are?" Issei answered.
"Timothy Durn. And look, I don't mean to be rude, but I'm tired, and would like to get some rest." Timothy stated, trying to be polite.
Hinata raised a hand. "Oh, we're sorry. But after your duel with the Captain earlier, we wanted to meet you for ourselves." She finished in a bow.
"We'll leave you now, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask us. We'd be happy to help you." Kenta added.
Timothy nodded and returned the bow. "I'll be sure to do that."
Issei nodded. "Please excuse us."
The three then turned, left the room, and slid the door shut.
Timothy walked back to the bed and laid back down, this time facing the other way.
'Well…let's try this again.' he mentally stated and closed his eyes, letting sleep take him.
Squad 7 Headquarters, Seireitei, Present
Tetsuzaemon walked through the second-floor offices searching for the 5th seat. He came around the corner and saw the man sitting at a table with the 7th and 8th seats.
"Hetoku." he called, and the man turned to him.
"Oh, afternoon Lieutenant. Can I help you?" he asked politely.
Tetsuzaemon walked up next to him. "It's about the new guy, Durn."
Hetoku rose a brow. "Oh, so he did join us then?"
Tetsuzaemon nodded. "He did. I left him in his quarters and told him to take the rest of the day to rest and get oriented with the barracks." Hetoku nodded.
"I see, that's good." he stated.
"Since you are already somewhat acquainted with him, I'd like to ask you to take care of him tomorrow, show him the ropes and get him started on the squad rules and regs, as well as some of the laws." the Lieutenant instructed.
Hetoku slightly bowed. "I will sir. Will that be all?" he asked and Tetsuzaemon nodded.
"Yeah, that's all. Just keep an eye on him, make sure he don't do anything stupid. He seems like that kind of individual."
Hetoku chuckled. "I will keep him out of trouble sir."
Tetsuzaemon nodded. "Carry on."
The Lieutenant turned and walked away. Hetoku turned back to his fellow officers. "Is he referring to the guy from earlier?" the 8th seat asked.
Hetoku nodded. "Yes, his name is Timothy Durn, from the 67th District of South Rukongai."
The 7th seat whistled. "That's a bad neighborhood." he stated and Hetoku nodded.
"Indeed, especially after how 11th squad handled it." Hetoku commented.
"Yeah, I briefly read over some of the reports, not a single one good." the 8th seat remarked.
"By the way, how was the fight? I was out running an errand and missed it." the 7th seat asked.
Hetoku turned to him. "The only word I can come up with is unbelievable."
The 7th seat rose a brow. "Really?"
Hetoku nodded. "Everyone was impressed, he really kept the Captain busy, to put it simply." He then looked around to see if anyone was near.
He saw no one close, then leaned in, causing the two men to do the same. "He even made the Captain lose it." he whispered.
The 7th seat's eye went wide. "Nuh uh, you're lying!" he stated with shock.
Hetoku and the 8th seat both shook their heads. "Nope, the guy managed to cause the Captain to lose his temper and forced him to use Tenken." the 8th seat stated with a serious tone.
The 7th seat was frozen in shock. "How in the hell did he manage to do that?" he quickly asked.
Hetoku looked around again, still seeing no one around. He turned back to the officer.
"It's a little difficult to explain, but his abilities allow him to quickly move from one spot to another. I guess it's fast enough that he managed to make several copies of himself. He then taunted the hell out of the Captain. The Captain tried to find the real guy, but eventually gave up."
The 7th seat leaned back in his chair and shook his head.
"Unbelievable. And here I thought it was impossible."
"And what would that be?" a gruff voice asked.
The three men turned to see Sajin now standing behind the 7th seat. The men froze for a second before Hetoku could try to cover it up.
"Uh…nothing Captain…we were just…talking about that ryoka! Yeah!" he quickly lied.
Sajin rose a brow. "I see. Indeed, that was unbelievable. Well, carry on." he instructed and turned back towards the doorway.
He then stopped and glanced back. "And the fight was indeed great. Thank you for the complements." he stated with a smirk and left the room.
The three officers turned back to each other with wide eyes. "How did…" the 8th seat started, but Hetoku stopped him.
"I think it's best if we stop while we're ahead." he stated and the 7th seat quickly nodded.
"Agreed." the 7th and 8th seat both stated in unison.
Meanwhile, Sajin continued his walk towards the stairs. He was on his way to the 8th Squad Headquarters to speak with the Captain when he happened to overhear the officer's conversation.
He was now mentally starting to scorn Timothy for causing him to lose his temper, because he knew that it would be a long time before that story died, and it wouldn't be long before it got out to the rest of the squads.
He was starting to fret that he would never be able to live it down. He lowered his head and started rubbing the top of it.
'That boy is going to be the death of me.' he mentally concluded.
As he walked up to the front doors, he heard a voice stop him.
"Hey, Captain Komamura!"
Sajin looked up to see the Captains of Squads 8 and 13 walking up to him.
"Ah, Captain Kyōraku, good afternoon." He turned to the white-haired Captain. "And good morning to you as well, Captain Ukitake."
"Good morning Sajin. I trust things are going well for you?" Ukitake asked.
"Indeed, they are. In fact, I was just on my way to see you, Captain Kyōraku." Sajin stated, now looking at Shunsui.
"Were you now? Well it looks like I managed to save you a trip." he replied with a tilt of his straw hat.
"Well, now that you are here, would you care to join me inside for some tea?" Sajin offered.
"Nah, I've got something a little better." Shunsui retorted, holding up a bottle of sake.
Sajin was not a drinker, but he would occasionally enjoy a drink with his fellow Captains when they discussed business.
He gestured both men inside and then both nodded. The three of them entered the building and walked up to Sajin's office.
"Please make yourselves comfortable." Sajin offered as the three men entered the room.
The guests walked up and sat on one of the couches along the left wall while Sajin grabbed the pillow seat from in front of his desk.
Sajin walked up to the table in front of the two men and sat down on the opposing side. Shunsui poured all three of them a saucer, then the men each grabbed one.
They all held their saucers up for a moment, then each took a sip.
"So, Captain Komamura, what was it you wanted to talk about?" Shunsui asked.
Sajin set his saucer down. "I was hoping if you knew what sectors of Rukongai Squad 11 has been assigned to."
Shunsui put his chin in his hand and thought a moment. "If I'm not mistaken, I believe that they were assigned sectors thirty, through fifty-nine in East Rukongai. Might I ask why?"
Sajin took another sip, then set the saucer back down. "The sectors from Squad 4…Well, as I'm sure you're aware, my squad took our sectors over from them." Shunsui and Jūshirō both nodded.
"We heard." Jūshirō confirmed.
Sajin nodded back. "Well, we ran into a…problem when we took over, though."
Shunsui narrowed his gaze. "What sort of problems?"
"The 'picking on others' kind." Sajin clarified.
"I see." Shunsui paused.
"I intend to secretly dispatch a few dozen men to keep an eye on things and report any misgivings." Sajin stated.
The two men nodded. "I think that would be a good idea. Not all of squad 11 are bad eggs, but it's still bad nonetheless." Shunsui remarked, and Sajin nodded.
"Agreed." Jūshirō added.
The three men sat in silence for a bit.
"But, with that out of the way, we also had something we wanted to discuss with you." Shunsui stated.
Sajin turned to him. "Go on."
The two men turned to each other a moment, then turned back with smirks on their faces.
'Oh no…' Sajin mentally fretted, thinking he knew what was coming.
"So, tell us…what is this rumor about that you lost it in a fight against a soul?"
Soooo, yeah. I'm sure you might be thinking that Sajin is going to start hating life real soon. Well…I guess now would be a good time to remind everyone that…I'm evil! I think comedy brings a special bit of life into a story, so I've gotta have my fun at some point, lol.
Thanks for reading everyone, and I'll see ya next weekend.
