-Chapter 6: Making the Grade-
The two youngsters lay on their backs on the ground breathing harshly trying to get the air back in their lungs. Staring at the sky, both siblings had silly, exhausted grins on their faces. They had just gone through perhaps the most excruciating test they've ever had, but the results left them very satisfied and proud of themselves.
"Way to go!" Daisuke called out to them as he clapped, "You kicked major ass!" They all began to laugh, especially the two test-takers despite their fatigue, in happiness and relief.
"Whew! Thanks nii-san," Hinata spoke once her breathing regulated properly again.
"Yeah, thanks." Mitsurugi wiped the sweat from his brow.
"Alright kiddies! You stay and rest and I'll go get the final scores. Just so you know, your results are more than likely amazing," Daisuke told them as he left to get their grades. The two of them struggled to sit up but they managed.
"You think we passed?" Hinata asked as she turned to face her other 'brother'.
"Definitely!" Mitsurugi told her, "I think we passed for sure!"
At the same moment he finished his statement Ukitake and the others stepped out to talk to them.
"Wow. I must say you shocked me thoroughly with your knowledge and skill level. Daisuke really trained you well." Ukitake smiled at them, "Although I am surprised you were able to do things most beginners aren't able to do."
"Yeah they really made us sweat!" Kiyone said referring to the last part of their test.
"I've never seen kids this good since Hitsugaya." Sentarou pointed out, "They're prodigies!"
"Damn right they are!" Daisuke flashed them a proud grin.
"Now, do you want to know your written test scores first or the practical test results?"
"We want the practical first." They answered in unison. When they were asked that question, which by the way was a no-brainer for them, they remembered when they first began their examination.
-Flashback-
"Hey you two!" Daisuke called out to them before they could follow Ukitake. "You're gonna do fine so don't sweat it! I'll see you when you finish. Good luck!"
"Thanks." They both answered and then hurried after the kind, silver-haired captain. Ukitake led them into a vacant room with two desks in it. Once they were seated, he told them what they were to do.
"Alright! For the first half of the test you're going to have to answer these questions within the time span of about two-hours." He then dropped two extremely thick copies of a written exam on their desks. The test packets made loud thuds and shook the desks as they landed.
Mitsurugi's eyes went as wide as saucers at the sight of those mammoth exam packets. "What the… what… what is this?!" He practically screamed in terror, while Hinata eyed hers warily as if it would try and swallow her whole.
"These would be your tests. Now I suggest you get ready because I'm about to start the clock. Remember you have two hours to do this. Good luck!" He told them with a cheerful smile. "Ready?" They nodded seriously then looked determinedly at the beasts the captain calls their written exam. "Begin." Then Ukitake exited the room.
Walking down the hall, Ukitake saw Daisuke standing against a wall adjacent to the room where his 'siblings' were taking their test. With a chuckle Daisuke spoke to Ukitake. "I heard my baby brother yell. What test did you give them?"
Laughing a bit himself as he remembered the kids' reactions to the test, Ukitake answered, "I gave them the new entry exam to gauge how well they do against those who are actually trying to enter the academy for their first year. I don't think they were expecting a test that size. Little Hinata looked at hers as if it would grow claws and attack her and I was afraid you brother would faint since he yelled the way he did. He looked ready to have a panic attack." Both men shared a good laugh at that and continued chatting as they walked down the hall together. They would both return after the two hours were up.
-2 hours later-
"Okay! Time's up!" Daisuke announced as he stepped into the room, he was followed in by Ukitake, Sentarou, and Kiyone.
"Oh my great Kami! That test was long!" Mitsurugi exclaimed as he massaged his right hand. "I think my writing hand has a cramp."
"I know what you mean." Hinata muttered as she grimaced from all of her writing. She winced when she popped all five of her knuckles just by balling and un-balling her fist. 'I hope I don't get carpel tunnel. Is it possible to get arthritis after two hours of non-stop writing?' She thought bemusedly.
"You think you did a lot of writing? Try handling out paperwork for a day. Then you can complain to me." Sentarou said as he thought about his paperwork in his office.
"Yeah. Well, whatever. Listen up. You guys will have a short break in between this test and the next, so go stretch your legs and what not until we come get you for the next part." Kiyone gave them the go-ahead.
"Alright. See ya later aniki, everybody. C'mon sis; let's go." Mitsurugi grabbed Hinata and bolted out the door for some fresh air and freedom before anyone could blink.
"Well, I'll go get these to the scoring committee so they can process their grades." Daisuke said as he grabbed the monster test booklets and flash-stepped out of the door.
"Come Kiyone, Sentarou. We'll give them 30 minutes before beginning the last half of the evaluation." Ukitake headed to the training field near the 13th Division shrine. He had to make sure everything was completely ready for the final half of the test.
-30 minutes later-
"Okay you two, are you ready for the practical half of the exam?" Ukitake questioned them both casually.
"Hai."
"Well the practical consists of two parts. The first is a simulation that we use to determine how skilled each officer is in terms of rank and the second will be a battle between you guys and my third seats," the sickly captain explained to them with a smile.
"Wait… so the first part is a ranking test?" Mitsurugi was shocked to find out that they'd be tested like division shinigami would be to get a seated officer rank. Ukitake nodded to confirm this, which surprised Hinata as well when she realized this.
"So are you ready for the first half?" Ukitake still had his kind smile on his face.
"Yeah!" Mitsurugi never was one to dwell on things for too long.
"Yes sir." Her brother's enthusiasm always managed to give her more confidence.
"Well follow me this way then. You both remember that this part is a kind-of obstacle course, right?"
"Mhm. Is it like the type those military guys go through in the human world?" Mitsurugi was always curious about the things he's heard and read of the transitory world.
"No… not quite… actually, not at all. You'll see when you get there, now please hurry this way."
The two kids followed him to the training grounds behind the division shrine. The training area was basically barren rocky grounds inside of a large depression, but it would serve the purpose of housing the test these children would be put through. The only fact is… that's not what Hinata and Mitsurugi see. Instead of seeing the actual grounds for what they are they see a carefully constructed illusion that makes the area look like the surrounding forests of the 13th division, courtesy of a couple of members of the 2nd division. It sort of reminded them of their time spent training with Daisuke in the real world.
"This is the place." Ukitake stopped in front of the training area before turning to face the two testers. "Here is where we'll grade your overall performance in the field." He started to explain before erupting in a coughing fit. Daisuke stepped up to fully explain the test for his captain while the two third seats worried about their beloved leader.
"For this part of the test both of you will be on a team together and you'll be wearing these." He handed them both white armbands to put on their right arms. "It's so you know what team you're on. Now the goal of this exam is for you two to take down six hollows within an hour, if you don't do it in that time frame you automatically fail, no exceptions. There will be three teams of 2 'hollows' for you to defeat. Come on out people!" He called into the air. Within a few moments six more shinigami appeared albeit they wore slightly different uniforms. "Meet your hollows!" Daisuke said with a grin.
"What?" Mitsurugi interrupted him before he could continue the explanation.
"These. Are. The. Hollows." Daisuke said slowly, punctuating the words while waving to the other shinigami standing behind him.
"Sure don't look like it to me." Mitsurugi muttered under his breath, which, unfortunately for him, his brother heard. Hinata just shook her head at him.
Daisuke clouted his little brother on the head and shot him a glare to shut up his grumbling before continuing in his happy mood as if nothing happened. "As I was saying… the six officers behind me will be playing the parts of the hollows in this little simulation. Team 1, please step forward and introduce yourselves!"
The first pair of shinigami wore the typical black shihakusho and had their zanpakuto strapped to their waists. They both had red armbands on their left biceps and their division badges on their right. They were from the 11th division and had cocky smirks on their faces.
"Yo!" The taller of the two raised his hand at them in a lazy wave.
"Hey brats!" This one inclined his head in a nod at them with a grin for a greeting.
"I already don't like 'em." Mitsurugi mumbled once he heard the brat comment. Hinata giggled at him.
"Next up is team 2, the blue team!" Daisuke called out in a silly announcer voice and a fake microphone in his hand with a blue and gold star background behind him.
"Is that a…" Mitsurugi started.
"… fake background?" Hinata finished in disbelief. 'Great and I thought I got away from all of that when I left Konoha. I hope he doesn't like to wear green spandex.' She shuddered in fear and disgust.
"How'd he do that?" The tall member of group one whispered to his partner. The guy scratched the top of his head then shrugged in response.
"Uh right… Anyways (how awkward) we wish you good luck." The older female of the team said with a bow. They wore the standard women's outfit with blue armbands and their division insignia on their other arms. They were from the 8th Division. Both children returned the bow with smiles of gratitude on their faces.
"Thank you." Hinata replied politely causing the women to smile.
"And finally, the last but not least, the green team! Team 3, step up!" Daisuke said with a goofy smile as he heard the guy of the team mumble embarrassedly as his female companion rolled her eyes. Mitsurugi snickered at them while Hinata hid an amused smile behind her hand.
This team doesn't wear your average shinigami garb; instead they're decked out in the division 2 special forces uniform, mask and all. This team was silent in their greeting choosing to acknowledge the kids with a friendly (depends on how you look at it) glare and a slight nod of their heads.
"Ok… alright let me explain what's going to happen now. The red team is hollows you'll have to take out with strictly zanjutsu. Blue team needs to go down by kidou only and the green squad is solely hakuda. If you use any other techniques than the ones specified for that team you're disqualified 'cause it's cheating, got it?" Both nodded their heads in understanding. "Oh and here's the twist… you gotta compete against a second shinigami team. That team will wear black armbands like this one." Daisuke pointed at the one on his own arm.
"Wait! You're in this?!" Mitsurugi shouted in horror while pointing at his older sibling.
"Yes. Is that a problem?" Daisuke asked in a seriously non-threatening way… that's a total lie.
Mitsurugi gulped in fear while furiously shaking his head. "N-n-not at all!" He yelled with false cheer causing the other shinigami present to snicker quietly at the pair's antics.
"Um… nii-sama?" Hinata asked meekly.
"Hmm?"
"Who's your partner?"
"Heh… I thought you didn't notice." 'Damn I was hoping she wouldn't. Now the surprise is ruined… well kinda.' "He's over there. Hey! Get your lazy as over here so we can start!" Daisuke commanded his teammate, that was from the 10th. The guy just grumbled quietly as he took his time walking over. "Thanks for taking forever. Ok… are we ready?" Getting nods from everyone they turned to face the forest entrance before a recently recovered Ukitake halted their departure.
"Just a minute. -cough- I want you two to know that the second shinigami team is a neutral team, meaning they can either work with you or against you. They can either be enemies that compete against you or allies that work with you. In the end you two just have to out score them. The team with the most victories wins. Any questions?"
"What if there's a tie?" Mitsurugi wanted to be prepared for anything.
"Trust me, there won't be." Daisuke ruffled his brother's hair.
"Okay if that's all…"
"Um… excuse me…" Hinata quietly cut off the captain.
"Yes?"
"How do we know if we took down the hollow team?"
Daisuke slapped his forehead at his own forgetfulness. "I knew I forgot something." He whispered embarrassedly. Ukitake just grinned.
"You either knock 'em out, take their bands, or get them to surrender and it's the same vice versa," Daisuke told her.
"Like that'll ever happen." The pair from the 11th chuckled quietly… or so they thought.
"Yeah, the little brats don't stand a chance." The shorter of the two snorted hilariously.
"I'm so gonna beat their asses when this starts." Mitsurugi glowered at them for their comments.
Hinata grabbed the sleeve of his shihakusho to get his attention. Once she had it she shook her head calmly as the blank expression told nothing and her eyes promised all… 'We'll get them; just wait for it.' He nodded inconspicuously to show he understood. Mitsurugi knew when to wait for the right moment and he would be patient. The only ones that missed the silent exchange were the soon-to-be-victims themselves.
"Ahem!" Daisuke cleared his throat obnoxiously to get team red to shut up and if that didn't do the trick his warning glare did.
"Well if that's it, I want the designated shinigami pairs to follow Kiyone to one side and the hollow teams follow Sentarou to the other. Remember if you don't complete the objectives within the one hour time limit you'll fail this portion of the test."
Once everyone was sent to their positions and ready to go Ukitake gave the signal to begin. Both sides shot off into the 'forest' as quickly as they could; after all they only had an hour to defeat each other. The hollow teams easily hid themselves within the foliage, some more efficiently than others, and then concealed their reiatsu. Now they were ready to play the waiting game.
Shinigami duo 1: Hinata and Mitsurugi were told to stop by duo 2: Daisuke and his partner, because it was time to figure out how to take down the enemy.
-Outside the Forest-
Ukitake and his two subordinates/proctors-for-the-exam were watching with interest what was going on in the illusion forest. This test would certainly prove the children's worth as potential shinigami soon enough.
As they paid close attention to the siblings, six extra people came to stand next to the original three of the group.
"How goes it Ukitake?" A man said lackadaisically while adjusting his straw hat.
"Hello Shunsui, everyone." Ukitake turned to acknowledge the newcomers briefly before turning back to watch the match. "Have you come to enjoy the show as well?"
The others with them were: the 2nd, 8th, 10th, and 11th division captains along with the lieutenants of the 8th and 11th by their sides (or in Zaraki's case, perched on his shoulder).
"I was wondering why you'd need four of my officers to help you Ukitake-taichou," Soifon stated placidly. Two were maintaining the illusion while the other two participated in the simulation.
"Yeah, why'd you need my girls hmm?" Kyoraku just grinned lazily at him but Juushiro didn't miss the suggestive tone of the question. It made him chuckle lightly; same old Shunsui. Nanao politely walloped her captain with her book.
"I figured there'd be a good fight since you asked for 2 of my idiots to come over." Zaraki scratched his exposed chest through his uniform lazily while Yachiru giggled from her position on his back.
Ukitake chuckled before answering them. "No it's nothing like that Zaraki. I just needed their assistance in testing some possible new cadets; that's all."
"New cadets? As in academy cadets? Why are you testing them?" Hitsugaya spoke up, voicing everyone's confusion.
"I'll explain everything once the simulation is over but only if they perform to my expectations. Maybe once you see what I do all of you could help me discuss this with Genryuusai-dono." That statement shocked and bewildered them more. He wanted to talk to the captain-commander about this? Everyone present returned their attention to the view below.
-Within the Forest-
"Okay we need a plan of attack. We can't go running around here blindly." Daisuke spoke with an air of certainty. "I think we should stay together as a group--"
"We should separate into two teams." Mitsurugi stated authoritatively, "I'll pair up with one of you guys and imouto-chan can team up with the other."
"Why should we split the teams?" Daisuke asked in confusion but smiled inwardly because Mitsurugi was showing signs of good leadership by taking charge with a plan.
"Because with our tracking abilities we can find the enemy faster. By splitting up we can cover more ground quicker." Mitsurugi ticked off his points on his hand while referring to his and Hinata's tracking skills.
"I'm not gonna get told what to do by some snotty lil' kid," Daisuke's teammate said before beginning to walk off. "I'll be fine on my own. I don't need help. I can take down the others by myself and wipe the floor with the rest of you so I'm outta here." He flashed away before anyone could retort. That just pissed everyone off.
"Why that…" Mitsurugi balled his fists angrily.
"What a jackass," Daisuke deadpanned while shaking his head. "That's why he won't pass this test."
"Huh?" Both children looked confused at that.
"This is as much a test for him as it is for you that's why I'm also part of it. I have to keep an eye out for all three of you. The only difference is this counts for his rank and placement when he transfers to the 13th, but that doesn't matter right now."
"He's right. We need to do this as a team." Mitsurugi got nods from the other two with him.
"Yeah, so I'll go get him to come back," Daisuke said before flashing after his wayward partner.
"I guess it's just you and me, imouto." Hinata nodded before talking.
"I suggest we get moving towards the northwest because I felt a pulse in that direction. Put your spirit barrier up and stay on the look out. We'll need one-hundred percent concentration."
"Right." Mitsurugi nodded as both placed barriers around themselves before dashing off to that direction.
-With the Captains-
"Did you just see what those two did?" Sentarou asked in shock while the others were wide-eyed. The only ones that didn't seem to notice or care were Zaraki and Yachiru.
"What? What did they do? What just happened?" Zaraki scratched his head bemusedly.
"They used an unknown kidou on themselves," Soifon said quietly as she continued to watch.
"I wonder what it does." Shunsui smirked while his lieutenant studied the children calculatingly.
"Well they certainly seem to be earning some good points." Ukitake smiled.
-Back to the Forest-
The siblings were moving quickly and cautiously through the woods as they leapt from tree branch to tree branch. Hinata kept a silent vigil of the area ahead while Mitsurugi focused on all the nearby trees hoping to spot 'the enemy'. They both stopped when they detected nearby movement. It would seem strange to others that they stopped when the opposing team was completely out of their sensing range… or so they thought.
Their spirit barriers double as not only a shield, although it's very weak, but also as a sensor that extends their detection range and upgrades their tracking abilities. Should a foreign reiatsu be nearby it'll 'bump' against the barrier, allowing them to pinpoint the location faster and before the target senses them, giving them the advantage and element-of-surprise. It's also a scrambler of sorts making it harder for the target(s) to feel them coming. They may be able to sense their reiatsu, but because the reishi (spirit particles) in the air gets circulated in with their reiatsu the enemy can't pinpoint their location properly before it's too late. It's in the shape of a dome around their bodies that extends further out by about 30 meters. Unfortunately it takes a lot of focus to maintain since it's a fairly new technique that hasn't been mastered yet. They got the idea from one of their many training sessions over their three month stint in the mortal world. When Hinata was talking a little about the Hyuga techniques she knew of the kaiten (heavenly rotation) came up and they based this kidou off of that, making it strictly a defensive technique.
They huddled closer together and crouched low on the ground as they stared in the direction of the energy signature. Without warning the two siblings flash-stepped toward their target. It was the blue team who were shocked to see that they'd been found so quickly. Before they could defend themselves Hinata and Mitsurugi already called out their kidou spells.
"Bakudo 4... Hainawa (crawling rope)!"
Mitsurugi had his palm facing the unsuspecting pair and a golden rope of energy wrapped around them quickly trapping them. However, these ladies weren't part of division eight for nothing. The two kidou specialists were already breaking the rope down despite Mitsurugi's efforts to hold it up and keep them from countering. He could only hope Hinata was ready to cast her spell. Just as they were about to break free from it, Hinata launched her kidou.
"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini! Look upon yourself with horror and then claw out your throat! Bakudo number 9: geki (strike)!"
The two females were engulfed in red light and were paralyzed completely before they could make their escape from Mitsurugi's low level bakudo. Hinata was panting lightly from the rush of energy used to hold two targets simultaneously. Her efforts weren't in vain because immediately after locking the other girls down, Mitsurugi grabbed their armbands knocking them out of the match. Hinata dropped the spell soon after.
"You've just been cleansed," Mitsurugi said gleefully before he and Hinata flashed away. "One team down, two more to go!" Hinata couldn't help but smile and agree with an elated nod. Maybe they won't do so badly after all.
-With the Observers-
"Looks like they're pretty good with the basic kidou," Sentarou stated calmly.
"And they managed to sneak up on their opponents with decent flash steps," Kiyone added.
"Hmm… Daisuke really did a great job handling them." Ukitake hummed while rubbing his chin in thought.
"For new cadets they sure are advanced. You don't start learning basic spells and shunpo until what was it… third year in the academy?" Shunsui said absently while submerged in thought.
"Second year, taichou," Nanao corrected him quietly although you couldn't miss the annoyance at her captain's forgetfulness in her voice.
"Hmm, and that barrier spell seems to have multiple uses," Hitsugaya mentioned.
"It seems to double as a sensor and a blocker at the same time, since it would seem Kyoraku-taichou's subordinates couldn't sense them and thus were caught off guard," Soifon analyzed it accurately.
"And perhaps it is a weak defense against low level kidou," Nanao suggested thoughtfully. "However, that remains to be seen."
"It's a nifty trick I guess." Zaraki didn't care either which way 'cause if they were strong he'd find 'em despite that barrier so he could fight them.
"Hmm… it's ingenious," Soifon concluded, which could only mean good things for the test takers.
-With the Performers-
As the two smiling contestants moved about quickly to the north-eastern end of the training grounds other things were going on that were vital to their success. Towards the other side of the northern boundary was the black team… well half of the black team, engaged in combat with a member of the red squad.
"That all you got?" The fighter from team red taunted as he clashed with the arrogant jerk of the black team.
"Hurry up! I wanna go eat," The second, taller member of the red pair whined before yawning in boredom.
"Shut up!" The hotheaded partner of Daisuke shouted at him before he swung his blade once more. Too bad it was blocked yet again with an ease that further aggravated him. But he managed to think clearly enough to form a quick and simple plan; it would be easy to execute.
"If this is your best then I'm through with you," His current opponent said before preparing to finish him. However, before he could, the guy from team black dashed toward the unsuspecting partner of his enemy. Before he realized what hit him he was knocked unconscious by the guy and had his red armband snatched away.
"Too easy." He smirked whiled holding the red band up like a trophy. He looked over at his shocked opponent with satisfaction all over his features. "One down and one to go."
The guy simply grinned before saying, "Don't get too cocky punk. I'm not stupid like my buddy is. I'll make you pay for that dirty trick."
Daisuke's partner just shrugged smugly before settling into a loose stance. "Then do it ya numbskull," He goaded the eleventh division shinigami.
Daisuke, who was sitting near a tree watching the whole event unfold, only shook his head and uttered, "Idiot. It's over now." He sighed when his partner was promptly handed his ass then flashed away to the southern end to meet with the green team. He had to put his plan into action now.
As soon as he left his 'siblings' arrived to see Daisuke's partner on the ground, face down and out cold. Sitting on top of his back was the final member of the red team. All they could think was, 'Not good,' and 'Where the hell is Daisuke?'
"Well look at what the cat dragged in. Hey ya brats!" He smirked at the shocked kids. Mitsurugi's eye immediately started twitching.
Hinata grabbed her brother before he could lunge wildly at the guy. "We need a plan. We can't just attack him blindly," she hissed. That seemed to remove the angry, red veil over the young Watanabe's eyes. The Hyuga let go of his arm when she noticed he was calm.
"Right." He could only agree and listen as his 'sister' took control this time.
"We have to get Daisuke's teammate out of the way first and then get that guy's sword before grabbing his armband," she whispered so only he could hear.
"Sounds easy enough although one of us has to distract him." Hinata gave Mitsurugi a look. "I take it that'll be me, right?" She nodded.
"I figured you'd want to do that since you're so eager to fight him. Besides once everything is clear we can take him out. Don't engage him until I get the baka out of the way, okay?"
"I got it." With a nod to each other both turned to face the 'hollow'.
"You guys done now?" The only stared at him. "It's about friggin' time! I was gettin' bored here! So which of you brats wants to lose first? Or maybe both of you want to go down at the same time?"
"Shut up shorty," Mitsurugi quipped. "I'll take you on."
"Heh heh alright runt, let's go!" Without any warning he launched himself at the two kids with a speed they weren't expecting. However, they weren't trained for three months for nothing. They used their shunpo skills to the best of their abilities easily avoiding his attack.
Hinata quickly went to help the unconscious shinigami out of the way and see if she could wake him up. They never said it was against the rules to aid the competition. Using a basic healing kidou the guy came to immediately. She scanned him swiftly before checking on Mitsurugi. As far as she could tell, he was doing fine, seeing as though that guy can't catch her brother. Hinata turned back to the idiot that insulted her brothers and herself earlier.
"Are you alright?" Her voice was low but firm. His attention instantly snapped to her.
"Yeah," he responded quietly. He knew she helped him despite him being an ass in the beginning.
"What happened here?" She looked at him expectantly.
"I knocked his partner out and then he beat me," he said scornfully, looking shamefully at the rips and stains in his tattered clothing. "My partner didn't even back me up."
Hinata didn't voice the fact that he deserved the treatment he got for his behavior from before. Instead she changed the subject. "Hmm… would you like to get back at him?" Hinata asked innocently as she calmly stood up and offered her hand to him. The man stared at her bewildered.
"But I'm your competition."
"Sort of and so is Daisuke-niisan; however, they said we could work together to the defeat the hollow packs, like true shinigami do despite their differences. So you don't have to be my enemy you know." He thought about her words for a moment before accepting her offer.
"Here's what we need to do…" and she laid out the plan before dashing off to get her brother. When she met up with Mitsurugi, with one glance at her he knew… it was time. Mitsurugi drew his blade with a flourish before going in for a head-on attack. He clashed swords with the enemy before grinning arrogantly at him.
"You're from the eleventh?" He asked the shinigami in disbelief. The man grunted in reply. "Sure had me fooled. You're way weaker than I thought. Guess you ain't as badass as people make you guys out to be, eh?" He smirked before ducking the enraged man's swipe at his neck. He slashed at the guy's midsection in retaliation, forcing him to leap back to safety, but not before it tore into his shihakusho.
"Damn it, you're gonna pay for that brat!" He growled as he eyed his ripped clothing.
'This kid's better than I gave him credit for. Heh, he might be something worth remembering one day.' He smirked ruefully at this thought. He was forced out of his quiet musings when he saw Mitsurugi come flying in with his sword poised above his head ready for a downward slash. The guy barely had enough time to put up his own sword in defense. There was a loud clang as Mitsurugi's blade crashed down on to his opponent's. The force pushed the guy down to one knee before he dodged backwards to make some space between them.
"You gotta pay attention! I almost split you in half, shorty!" Mitsurugi panted from the effort as sweat trickled lightly down the side of his face.
"Tired already punk? Then I might as well finish you off." He too panted, albeit lighter than Mitsurugi. Just as he got ready to make his move Hinata came from seemingly nowhere and disarmed the startled guy. The man was even more caught off guard when Daisuke's partner slammed the flat of his blade into the side of his face, knocking him out cold. Mitsurugi and Hinata sheathed their zanpakuto as Daisuke's partner calmly snatched the other man's armband.
"You did a good job distracting him," Hinata said casually. "But I knew you would." Mitsurugi raised his head in mock conceitedness making Hinata giggle and Daisuke's partner snort in amusement.
"Well, let's go get the last group and call it a day." The boys were already walking away.
"Wait." Hinata asked quietly, "How much time is left?" No one really cared to keep track of the hour long time limit they had, but they needed to know how long until Ukitake said it's over.
"I'd say half-an-hour, give or take a few minutes." Daisuke's teammate slung his weapon over his shoulder nonchalantly before walking off in the direction of the traces of reiatsu his partner left behind.
"Hey wait up!" Mitsurugi called out before running after the guy. Hinata calmly moved to catch up with him while pondering the last leg of the test.
The three of them ended up at the southern end of 'the forest' when they lost Daisuke's reiatsu signature. Hinata, Mitsurugi, and the tag-along (Daisuke's teammate) immediately cloaked their own reiryoku (A/N: spirit energy) before moving toward the unknown. This last hollow team's expertise lied in their ability to hide their presence.
Then she felt it and stopped completely in her tracks. The hairs on the back of Hinata's neck rose in hushed alarm, warning her of a threatening presence. She knew exactly where they were despite the lack of energy to follow. It was their auras that gave them away, changing the feel of the air around them. It would seem her perceptive nature developed as a ninja-hopeful stuck with her.
She briefly wondered if she'd be able to use Byakugan the same way it's used back in Konoha to see and sense pure spiritual energy instead of chakra before filing it away to try out at a later date.
Hinata looked at her companions meaningfully before stealthily letting them know what direction their enemy was in with her eyes. Both males flash-stepped to that area, swiftly and without hesitation or doubt.
The green squad was found and caught by surprise.
-With the Watchers-
"Those two are the best at hiding themselves among my upper-level subordinates." Soifon's brow furrowed in concentration. "Only someone with training similar to those under my command would be able to locate them."
"What are you implying?" Hitsugaya asked, not seeing where this was going.
She responded, referring to the girl, "I'm saying that child could've been in training to be an assassin or spy like the majority of the Onmitsukidou." That statement shocked all of those present to hear it.
"These kids get more interestin' by the second," Zaraki muttered as he eyed them with intent. The others couldn't help but agree.
-Back with the Contestants-
One second they were laying in wait to strike the team of shinigami and the next, two of them were right in their faces launching a barrage of kicks and punches. The 'green hollows' were astonished by the skill level of the boys; they didn't think anyone outside of their division were even half as decent at hakuda as they were. But here they were being kept on their toes by an arrogant ass and a little kid… granted they haven't gone beyond novice-level hakuda yet, but still, they were impressed. Deciding enough was enough, both 'hollows' began fighting back with a higher caliber and intensity that their enemies lacked in their attack. Apparently even now their foes are very capable of keeping up with them.
Hinata sat back and observed her teammates battle it out with the last hollow team while wondering about her nii-sama. She knew he hadn't been eliminated as of yet and could only guess as to where he'd be. She also mused over why he didn't help his teammate out because she knew he was the type of guy who wouldn't let grudges get in the way of duty or protecting comrades. He stressed that point to Mitsurugi and herself during their training. She immediately snapped back into awareness when she saw the third member of their impromptu team get his arms locked behind his back in the same manner as someone forced under the influence of bakudo spell number one (she and Mitsurugi know that from firsthand experience). Instantly, she began scanning for Daisuke, realizing that the hollow teams have to follow the same rules that the shinigami do in this simulation.
'So he's a traitor it seems,' she thought placidly with a calculating indifference. 'He'll have to be dealt with after the hakuda specialists.'
Hinata quickly leapt into the trees to conceal herself as she watched the tag-along get his black band taken from him and then be rendered unconscious by his opponent. She took note of the fact that they were working together to bring the test takers down. It would only be a matter of time before Mitsurugi was taken down next.
Her pale eyes roved over the battlefield for any signs of Daisuke before spotting him hidden within the foliage. He was preparing to use another spell to take out Mitsurugi before Hinata launched hadou spell number 4: byakurai (white lightning) at him, catching everyone's attention. Daisuke expectedly evaded the attack, but Hinata didn't lose sight of him and she went after him, leaving Mitsurugi with two hakuda experts to deal with.
-With Mitsurugi-
"Shit," Mitsurugi cursed under his breath once he realized what happened. "Damn you aniki." He smirked bitterly because he knew Daisuke wanted to split his team up so it would be easier to eliminate them. The only thing Daisuke forgot to take into consideration was his little brother's determination; he wouldn't lose here, not when he's so close to his goal.
'Time to improvise,' he thought confidently as he took advantage of the moment of distraction caused by the use of Hinata's kidou and disappeared into the trees.
By the time the two members of the green squad turned back to defeat the boy, he was already gone. They were shocked because they didn't look away for more than a second, so why couldn't they sense him at all?
"Damn that boy! This can't be good," the man murmured under his breath.
"We should fan out to look for him. If we find him, take him down," the woman told him calmly while ignoring his not-so-quiet gripe.
"Aren't you underestimating the boy just a little?"
"No." She walked off in the opposite direction of her partner.
-With Hinata-
She knew what was going on the minute Daisuke turned rogue. She understood what was happening when he used that spell and that's why she purposefully played into his trap. She wanted to separate him from Mitsurugi because should one of them fall, they both fail.
Hinata was perfectly aware of what Daisuke had planned when his partner told her that Daisuke wasn't around to help him fight. In her mind, it added up to this: Daisuke betrays them, then goes to the enemy for help; the best way to defeat Mitsurugi and herself is to break them apart, so he'll need to separate them and they'll go down one-by-one. Those shinigami officers may outclass them each individually but they can't totally outshine both children together, so the separation is a must, as common sense dictates.
However, Hinata didn't know how he'd go about doing that so she had to sit back and wait, and sure enough he showed himself. By interfering directly she could go after him away from the others, although by waiting for him to make his move she would, unfortunately or not so unfortunately (depends on how you look at it), have to sacrifice their third teammate. Ah, the beauty of war tactics: it all lies in complexity and execution.
Now she's simply chasing him while remaining out of his visual perception range. As long as he can't see her, he can't fight her. She doesn't plan on battling him one-on-one (Kami knows how that would turn out), she just needs to buy time for her teammate. As soon as he engages the hollow team she'll double back, since she and Daisuke are well out of range of that battle now.
When she felt Mitsurugi get away to safety she immediately used her reiatsu cloak to completely 'disappear' on Daisuke; now he can't sense her at all. While he's at a loss in trying to find her she's heading back to help Mitsurugi take out the last hollow team so they can beat Daisuke together because there's no way she can do it alone.
-With the Captains-
"Hmm… clever girl," Shunsui spoke suddenly with a smile. Nanao nodded quietly as Juushiro smiled broadly. The captains (except for Zaraki and his lieutenant, since they don't really care either way) and Nanao caught on to Hinata's strategy.
"These children are very skilled. Where did they come from?" Soifon eyed them appraisingly. Ukitake's grin faltered just slightly before he answered. No one really took notice to the fact that it did.
"The 75th District of Rukongai." 'Well it's true… for the most part,' he added silently in his mind.
"I'm really impressed," Hitsugaya commented, doling out very rare compliments.
"Yes, well so am I. Kiyone, Sentarou…"
"Yes Ukitake-taichou!" They were bowed before him immediately.
"Go switch with Daisuke. We'll combine both parts from here."
"Yes sir!" They disappeared with the wind.
-Back on the Field-
Mitsurugi had his barrier up as he contemplated his next move, being sure to stay out of sight as well. 'Hmm… who should I go for? I'm closer to that woman but I don't like fighting girls if I can avoid it. Guess the clod will have to do. I'll have some fun with this guy,' he thought deviously before using shunpo to go after the male of the enemy team. He appeared behind him within seconds, but instead of going for a quick and silent knockout he untied the man's sash, and then flashed away with his prize.
The man felt a breeze as he leapt to another tree branch. Once he landed he waited to feel that zephyr again. 'Odd… I know I just felt a draft a minute ago, yet there's no wind blowing.' He scratched the top of his head in thought. Shrugging to himself, he let it go and continued his search for Mitsurugi. He took to the air again only to feel that same draft once more. 'What the hell?' This time when he landed he looked around to figure out if the kid was playing a trick on him. Then he heard the sound of low snickers behind him. Turning around he saw his prey standing there holding up his pants while trying not to laugh like a madman.
"Nice undies," Mitsurugi pointed out the man's yellow tweety bird boxers before bursting into an uncontrollable laughing fit. Tears came to his eyes as he tried to keep his gut from busting for laughing too hard.
The man stood completely mortified for all of two seconds (or was it two minutes?) before going red in the face from a mixture of anger and embarrassment. He ran after Mitsurugi, fueled by fury and a desire to exact painful revenge, like a bull chasing a red flag and Mitsurugi dodged him teasingly like a matador, dangling the guy's pants in his face just barely out of his reach all the while.
-With the Captains-
Everyone was having laughing convulsions from watching the comical scene play out. The only exceptions were Hitsugaya: who merely smirked (he had a reputation to uphold), Nanao: who didn't find it funny at all, and Soifon: who sighed in embarrassment at the shameful spectacle before lowering and shaking her head at it all. 'So much for my squad's prestige,' she thought cynically.
-Back with Mitsurugi-
"Here! Catch!"
Mitsurugi flung the pants at the man who dove to catch them. While the man was distracted with pulling his bottoms on, Mitsurugi rushed forward and attacked. He managed to grab the guy's armband and take his black belt in the process. After he pocketed the green band he used his opponent's sash to tie him to the tree he was standing next to, tying the knot at the back. With a cheeky wave he ran off to finish off the man's partner… that is if his sister didn't do it first.
"Have fun with that!"
-With Daisuke-
Daisuke was on his way back to where he felt the last hollow team move when he was stopped by his superior officers.
"Take a load off Watanabe. We'll take it from here," Sentarou told him as he placed a hand on Daisuke's shoulder.
"Yeah, Ukitake-taichou wants you to switch places with us. He's combining our part with yours," Kiyone explained.
Daisuke tilted his head to one side then the other feeling the tense muscles there pop with the movement. He then smiled and shrugged before saying, "Have fun and don't cut 'em any slack!" Then he shunpo'd to his comrades' former post beside their captain. He couldn't help thinking, 'This ought to be interesting. I hope those two can beat 'Tarou and Kiyo-chan within the time frame.'
The third seats turned to each other and grinned mischievously. They both thought simultaneously, 'This should be fun!' before silently taking off toward the location of the two kids.
-With Hinata-
She had found her target moving swiftly and silently through the forest like a panther on the hunt. Too bad the panther couldn't sense its prey right behind her.
Quietly Hinata snuck up on her and used her basic jyuuken (gentle fist) taijutsu knowledge to hit the pressure point at the nape of her neck, with a minuscule controlled amount of reiryoku channeled into the tap, to temporarily paralyze her from the neck down.
Hinata cradled her opponent's limp body and gently set her down on the ground then took her green armband before addressing the stunned woman with the wide-eyed stare.
"Don't worry. It's only going to last for a few minutes so it'll be over before you know it." Hinata bowed as if in thanks for receiving the armband and then dashed away to meet up with her brother.
-With the Captains-
"It's as I thought," Soifon spoke lucidly. "She was trained in the art of the silent kill. She knows the body's pressure points and knew which ones to target in order to incapacitate her enemy. That girl can't be from Rukongai. No one gets trained liked that, even in the basics, outside of Seireitei simply because there aren't any possible ways to access that particular knowledge."
"Where is she really from Ukitake?" Shunsui asked seriously this time as everyone's attention was on him and Daisuke (since they remembered the mention of him being their sibling).
"It's a long story," Daisuke began.
"Please wait until the examination is over then I will… we'll explain everything to you." Ukitake pushed any further questioning back until later.
They all silently agreed to wait it out since there were only a few minutes left (no more than fifteen) anyways.
-Back on the Field-
The siblings met up with each other quickly enough and were glad to see that they were successful in defeating their opponents. Both were happy to say it's more or less over; the 'hollows' have been 'cleansed' and they have the most victories compared to the other pair of shinigami, plus they did it within one hour with time to spare. However, the thought of dealing with their brother quelled any hoots for joy before they even started.
"Should we bother with aniki at all?" Mitsurugi was reluctant to say the least.
With a tired, frustrated sigh Hinata replied, "We should. He's the 'enemy' and it's our job to at least subdue him."
"Capture?"
"Mhm," Hinata nodded.
"Well then let's hop to it! Then we can get a break!" Just the thought of rest was motivation enough to complete the simulation once and for all.
"And just where do you think you're goin' gaki?" An amused deep voice rang out.
A light, feminine chuckle resounded behind them causing the Watanabe and the Hyuga to turn around tensely and eye the newcomers with wary apprehension. They didn't like the feel of this situation.
"Ano… is the test over?" Mitsurugi was strangely timid all of a sudden.
"Not yet," Kiyone purred in amusement.
'Damn, they're starting part two up kind of early aren't they?' Hinata let that question remain unspoken as her body's thoroughly worked muscles coiled in anticipation of this last obstacle. She could sense Mitsurugi doing the same. They moved closer to each other, ready to fight side by side until the end.
Without giving any outward signs or inclinations both Sentarou and Kiyone launched themselves at the slightly startled kids, their swords raised. Instinctively, the prodigious duo blocked their powerful strikes with their own zanpakuto. However, the children weren't at their best and they were up against two third-seats. All they could hope to do was ward off the assault for now.
The kids jumped back completely out of breath from that little skirmish. Kiyone and Sentarou grinned and prepared to attack again. Suddenly Hinata grabbed her brother's sleeve and yanked him away with her as she shunpo'd away into the cover of the forest, leaving a slightly astonished pair of third seats in her wake. She stopped when she felt they were far enough away from Kiyone and Sentarou, and then put up her barrier-cloak. Mitsurugi followed suit as they hid in the shadows of the trees.
Trying to quiet her panting, Hinata spoke breathlessly, "There's (pant) no (pant) way we (pant) can handle this (pant) right now (pant). I'm exhausted and (pant) you look just as tired." She gulped in more air then continued, "We need a solid plan before we try to fight them." Her brother nodded avidly.
"What do you suggest we do imouto?"
"I think we should separate them and then defeat them one by one. They'll be too much for us as a team."
"A team? They barely get along while being in the same room!" Mitsurugi stared incredulously at her.
'Wow, who would've thought Iruka-sensei's class would come in handy here of all places? Ninja principle 1: Look underneath the underneath,' Hinata thought with a light chuckle.
"Onii-chan, if that were true don't you think they'd avoid being around each other? It's a ploy to throw people off the fact that they're probably one of the best shinigami pairs in Soul Society, and they've been ranked together as third seats for a reason."
Mitsurugi's eyes showed comprehension, but he had to ask, "Both of 'em are really competitive though, so couldn't they have simply tied for third seat rank? And if that's the case then that would mean that individually they're really good 'cause they're two ranks higher than aniki."
"Good point. I suppose it could be a combination of both but we don't have time to figure that out. Let's go somewhere else; they're getting closer," she ended in a whisper. Stealthily they snuck away again making sure to maintain their cloaks as they spread the distance between themselves and the hunters. After running around until they felt they were safe again they stopped and decided to map out a plan.
"I was thinking we go after Kiyone first and then Sentarou simply because Sentarou seems just a little bit more level-headed, so he'd be a little tougher to deal with."
"Right. I was thinking in order to break 'em apart we could use stronger kidou since that's easier to do, at least for me."
"Okay then I'll focus more on hakuda and hohou, since I'm stronger in that area." With that in place they took off in the direction of their opponents. When they found them they were, as usual, bickering amongst themselves. They didn't know it was to draw them out of hiding… or maybe they did?
"I'm telling' you they went this way!" Sentarou shouted as he pointed to the right.
"And I'm saying they went that way!" Kiyone said equally loud while pointing to the left. They stood there glaring at each other for a moment before firing off a low-level hadou in the direction of the kids. Hinata and Mitsurugi's barriers cracked open against the force of the attack, revealing the children to the third seats.
"Damn. I knew it," Mitsurugi muttered. Hinata sighed then shrugged as if saying 'oh well'.
"Didn't think we'd figure out your little trick, eh?" Sentarou gloated.
"We're third seats for a reason you know," Kiyone mentioned haughtily.
"Actually…" Hinata began.
"… we were counting on you to do that," Mitsurugi finished.
"What?" The high ranked officers were confused. They never got the chance to find out because Mitsurugi aimed a kidou spell right at them.
"Hadou number 33: soukatsui (blue fire, crash down)!" A blazing burst of blue fire sped toward Kiyone and Sentarou lightning quick, forcing them to dodge in separate directions.
Mitsurugi was winded after casting the strongest low-level destructive spell without the incantation, but he still managed to fire a weak spell as a follow up and it was headed straight for Sentarou. "Hadou number 4: Byakurai!" A beam of white electricity smashed right into the flabbergasted man's chest. Bull's eye!
"Shit!" The electric volts from that bolt of lightning numbed his body and dulled his senses. Sentarou's head was spinning, eyes watering, and ears ringing from being hit dead on by the spell as his body shook from the thunder coursing through his veins. He would be out of it for a little while.
"It worked. It actually worked," Mitsurugi stated reverently as his eyes sparkled in astonishment. It wasn't long before his astounded-state gave way to joy at his success. He hoorayed for his feat before calming down and setting up a spell to help his sister take out Kiyone.
"Holy crap! Mitsu-kun just beat 'Tarou-chan." Kiyone's eyes went wide in shock before she realized she was in trouble. Too bad it was too late for her as well.
Hinata was in front of her in a flash and dished out a series of forceful palm strikes to Kiyone's torso, literally knocking the air from her lungs with each hit. Before Kiyone could recover Hinata flash-stepped behind her and sent her flying through the air toward Sentarou with a strong kick to her back. Kiyone landed on top of him with a terrible pain in her chest and tears blurring her vision. It stung just to breathe and she knew she'd need more than a minute to recover.
Six thin, wide rods of light shot toward the downed pair and pinned them securely to the ground. "Bakudo number 61: Rikujokoro (Six Rods Prison of Light)." Sweat was rolling down the side of Mitsurugi's head as he held the spell firm. Once he was sure it would hold without much added concentration he ran over to his sister. Finally they were done!
"Way to go imouto! Ha, ha, ha! You rocked!" Mitsurugi hefted her up into his arms and twirled her around, both of them laughing freely the entire time. Soon they grew dizzy and fell to the ground on their backs, smiling in relief. The binding spell dispersed in a flurry of glowing spirit particles soon after.
"Alright! You're time's up!" Ukitake called to them with a smile. He looked to his fellow captains with a grin and said, "I'm going to talk to them for a moment then I will address all of your questions, unless you'd like to meet them now?"
"I'm sure we'll see them around much more later, so I think I'll wait," Shunsui replied with a smirk of his own. The others agreed and went inside to wait for Ukitake's return. Soon the kind captain and his fifth seat went to speak with the children.
-End of Flashback-
"Well for your practical results you passed with flying colors! I haven't seen anyone handle the test the way you two did just now. If you want an actual grade it's in the upper ninety percentile. Congratulations! Your brother should be back with your written scores right… about… now." As soon as he finished Daisuke appeared with a slip of paper from the scoring committee. Ukitake gave him a nod of consent before Daisuke stepped up to talk.
"What I see here ain't good. Not at all," Daisuke spoke gravely. Hinata and Mitsurugi sat up immediately at that with shocked looks.
"There's no way we failed that damn test! The writing was easier than this! We had to have passed!" Mitsurugi exclaimed incredulously before his brother could continue. Hinata was beyond worried, now thinking, 'Did we fail because of me?'
"Shut it otouto and let me finish," but he didn't. Instead, Daisuke paused dramatically.
"Well?! On with it, come on!" Mitsurugi was impatient and anxious.
"You guys did…" The captain and third seats were rapt with attention, thinking it will be hilarious. This'll be good, they could tell.
"Spit it out!" Surprisingly it came from the youngest present, Hinata.
"Amazing!" Daisuke and the others broke into peals of laughter at the sight of their faces. It was a comical mix of annoyed twitching and happy amazement. Soon Mitsurugi and Hinata settled on tackling their older sibling for the dirty trick he played on them, but the wrestling was all in fun as it turned into a three way tickle war in celebration of their success. The captain and his two rambunctious subordinates chortled at the scene in front of them.
Eventually they calmed down and Daisuke snickered one more time then told them, "Oh boy! Whew! You should've seen the looks on your faces." A vein popped on each of their foreheads in slight anger at the teasing. Daisuke ignored their killing intent. "Anyways, you both got high scores. Hinata yours was in the upper ninety percent and Mitsurugi you got a low ninety, which is far better than most of the honors students at the academy."
"Awesome!" Mitsurugi broke out into a victory dance, flashing the victory sign in triumph as his sister giggled and his brother smirked, both amused with his antics.
"Yes well congratulations again. If you'll excuse me, I have other matters to attend to. Daisuke come with me," Ukitake ordered. They really needed to get back to the other captains to discuss what they know.
"Yes sir." Daisuke faced his siblings to say, "See you both later!" before following after his captain.
"Come on kids, let's go treat you both to something nice," Sentarou said with a smile.
"Yeah! I know this great place we can go," Kiyone mentioned before it led to an argument between her and her fellow third seat. Both youngsters followed along, enjoying the amusing bickering of their elders.