Skeleneko's Note: This isn't my story. I have permission from Twilight Countess (Amy) to repost this. If you like this story be sure to look out for her book "Eris"!
Senbonzakura
Chapter Sixteen: Hisana vs. Fuyumi
Hisana's P.O.V.
It was 2:30 when Hisana entered the 6th Division courtyard. Residing in it were ten tall sakura trees, and dozens of Chinese bellflowers which bordered the stone pathways and the grass. Hisana smiled. Typical Byakuya…
She wandered over to a corner of the courtyard where no less than twenty people were congregated. Hisana gulped. There was lots of competition.
"They're nothing to the Goddess of Air," whispered Takuaji.
"I must not overestimate myself," thought Hisana, "Arrogance is a guarantee to failure."
As Hisana examined the group, she noticed that only four of them were male. Hisana smacked her hand to her forehead. "I don't know how Byakuya does it."
"All right, listen up you maggots!" shrieked a voice at the top of his lungs. A man has stepped forth from the 6th Division office. "It was Kuchiki-taicho's initial plan to greet all of you, but he was called away on urgent matters. So, I shall be acting in his stead."
Hisana heard some of the women make noises of disappointment.
"Allow me to introduce myself; I am Susumu Ryozo, 3rd seat of the 6th Division." He started to walk among the candidates. "So you think you got what it takes to be my superior?"
He turned on Hisana.
"Do you?" he yelled in her face.
"Hopefully, 3rd seat Susumu!" said Hisana very quickly.
"Abrupt and respectful answer, good," said Susumu. He turned to the rest of the crowd. "All of you follow me."
They followed Susumu until they reached an arena the size of a football field.
"Okay, this is how it's gonna go," began Susumu. "You will be partnered will someone else in the group. Once you have your partner, you will be asked to fight them. All basic dueling rules apply The winner of the spar will move on to the next round while the loser buggers off. When the last two finalists are left, there will be a half-hour lapse period.
The winner of the final round will spar with Kuchiki-taicho after a two hour lapse period, and he'll decide whether you're any good or not. Got it?"
"Hai," the group said in unison. Hisana was paired up with one of the four men.
"May the better man win," said Hisana.
"I think it'd be more political correct to say 'person,'" the man said.
Hisana made it to the final round without having to unsheathed Takuaji. Her opponents were strong, but were unprepared for her Sky steps and were unable keep up. As the battles went on, more and more people began to file in the seats around the arena to watch.
Byakuya's P.O.V.
Byakuya entered the arena after 25 minutes of the minutes of the lapse period had passed. He stood beside Susumu. "What is the progress?"
"We've narrowed it down to two contestants," said Susumu. Then Susumu raised his voice.
"Ladies and gentlemen," Susumu bellowed to the audience. "The final round is about to commence. Will our finalists please step forward."
The crowd cheered. "To the left, we have the 3rd seat of the 9th Division, Sao Fuyumi!"
Lady Sao blew kisses to the crowd. Byakuya's eyes narrowed.
"And to the right, we have the 4th seat of the 5th Division, Goddess of Air, Sayuri Hisana!"
Byakuya's mouth dropped. "Hisana…"
The Hisana in question did a back flip and landed on a glowing square. She waved enthusiastically to the crowd.
Byakuya was imagining the possibilities. "Hisana as my lieutenant…"
"Not so fast, there," said Senbonzakura. "You must be just and fair, you can't play favorites."
"Are you okay, Taicho?" asked Susumu.
Byakuya regained his emotionless expression. "Yes, please proceed."
Hisana's P.O.V.
Hisana regarded her opponent. Fuyumi hadn't changed very much.
"Haven't I see you somewhere before?" asked Fuyumi.
"I doubt it," said Hisana. "I don't think someone like you would dare associate with some gypsy from Rukongai."
Fuyumi sneered. "Well, I'll try not to humiliate you too badly. This is no way a gypsy's spiritual power could compete with the well bred reiatsu of the Sao Family."
"We'll see," said Hisana, taking her stance.
"Are you going to get out your soul slayer?" asked Fuyumi.
"I was once in the 2nd Division," Hisana said as she took her ninja stance.
"I see," Fuyumi smirked. "Very well…"
"Begin!" Hisana heard Susumu shout.
"Flourish, Ayakacia!" she yelled. Fuyumi's sword morphed into a golden bo-staff with floral markings. Fuyumi came at her opponent. Hisana blocked and parried the staff with her hands and feet. Hisana landed a blow at Fuyumi's leg, causing her to stagger back and shunpo to a safe distance.
"Destructive Art Number 31: Shot of Red Fire!" A large ball of flames hurtled at Fuyumi.
She dodged it. Hisana shunpoed behind her and placed a hand on her spine. Fuyumi turned and twisted, but couldn't turn around to face Hisana. Then Hisana felt something grab hold of her leg. She shunpoed away from Fuyumi and looked down. It looked like a piece of a briar bush. Hisana ankle started to bleed from the thorns.
Hisana gulped. She never tried a binding spell this advanced, but…
"Way of Binding Number 61: Rikujōkōrō!" Six wide beams of light pressed Fuyumi together at her mid-section. Fuyumi just smiled and struck the ground with Ayakacia.
The whole ground started to quake. Hundreds of briar bush vines were erupting form the ground at a rapid pace. Hisana jumped onto a glowing square and continued up. The vines followed her. Hisana hopped from one square to another while the vines criss-crossed around her. Hisana knew they were trying to trap her.
By then, Fuyumi had broken free of the light beams. "After all this time and you have yet to release your zanpakuto?" Fuyumi laughed. "It must not be that impressive then. You will learn not to be so foolish, gypsy, and pain will be your teacher."
The vines caved in. Hisana gripped Takuaji's hilt.
With lightning speed, Hisana cut through all the vines, sending the broken pieces scattering away from her. She shunpoed in front of Fuyumi and laid Takuaji against her throat, still unreleased.
The look on Lady Sao's face was murderous. "Impossible," said Fuyumi harshly. "No one can be that fast without at least being in shikai."
"You forget," said Hisana, bringing Takuaji to her cheek. "That I'm a gypsy and you're a noble. Your rules don't apply to me."
"We have a winner, Sayuri Hisana!" boomed Susumu. The audience roared. Hisana stepped away from Fuyumi.
"There will now be a two hour lapse period. When Sayuri returns to this arena, she will face Kuchiki-taicho!" Hisana looked over at Byakuya. His face gave nothing away. Sighing, she exited the arena.
"Hisana!" She was then smothered by a certain bubbly red-head.
"Hey, Rangiku," said Hisana.
"You were absolutely amazing!" Rangiku said breathlessly. "The way you…and your Sky steps…and the vines…Wow," said Rangiku.
"Uh, Rangiku, I can't breathe," said Hisana. Rangiku backed away a little, but still clutched Hisana's hand.
"You need to rest!" Rangiku insisted. "You can't go against Kuchiki-taicho with half of your energy spent. Let's go to your room."
"No!" Hisana almost shouted. She was so close to getting out; she didn't want to be within five miles of the 5th Division now. "Can we just sit in the courtyard, under one of the sakura trees?"
Gin's P.O.V.
Gin was sitting with Aizen in his office, bored to death by doing paperwork. His mind wandered to Hisana.
"Don't worry, Ichimaru-fukutaicho, that problem may be resolved this very afternoon…"
She was up to something. He knew it, but couldn't place his finger on it. And Aizen's demand for the paperwork to be finished forbad Gin from investigating the matter further.
She had said it herself, she didn't trust Aizen. Gin realized that he was now dealing with an unusually sharp woman. He wondered how long it would take for Aizen to lure her into his web. Gin had no doubt that Aizen could, but Gin knew that she would be a hard shell to crack. She was so fiery, so set in her beliefs.
Gin sighed. "Just like you, Rangiku…"
"Gin," Aizen's voice broke him out of his soliloquy.
"Hai, Taicho?"
"Where is Hisana?" he asked from his desk.
"Dunno, guess she's run off again," said Gin.
"She seems to be doing that a lot lately," said Aizen.
"Ya know gypsies can't stay in one place too long," said Gin.
Aizen peered over his shoulder. "You seem pretty quick to defend her, Gin."
"She takes paperwork wit' 'er ta do, so I don't see the problem. I could go find 'er if I wasn' stuck here."
Just then, the 5th Division's 6th seat came through the door.
"I have those forms for you, fukutaicho," he said, handing the file to Gin.
"Thank ya very much," said Gin brightly.
"Oh, and should I start making a sign up sheet so people know that our 4th seat will probably be open?" he asked. Gin saw the brush in Aizen's hand freeze.
"Whatcha talkin' 'bout," asked Gin, keeping the smile.
"Didn't Sayuri tell you?" he asked. "She applied for and is now the finalist for the lieutenant position in the 6th Division. She's going to fight Kuchiki-taicho in ten minutes."
Gin looked over at Aizen. The knuckles grasping the brush were chalk white. Gin smirked. "Perhaps I didn' give ya enough credit, Hisana-san…"
Hisana's P.O.V.
Hisana was standing back in the arena. Takuaji was unsheathed. She was facing Byakuya's icy glare. She gulped. She knew that Byakuya would not go easy on her. He had always believed that emotions just got in the way of things.
Hisana felt anger at this thought. Had she been an obstacle? Did he ignore her because he had worked her out of his system?
"I shall praise you for making it this far, Sayuri," Byakuya said.
"Thank you, Kuchiki-taicho," said Hisana.
"But you do know that your ascension probably ends here," he said.
Hisana blinked. "You seem sure of that, Kuchiki-taicho?"
"It will take more than some well-placed Sky steps to impress me," he said. Hisana felt like she had been slapped. "My lieutenant must be strong-willed and powerful. I do not tolerate weaklings with just a few tricks up their sleeve."
"Of course, Bya…Kuchiki-taicho," said Hisana, her fists clenching.
Byakuya's P.O.V.
"What do you think you're doing?" demanded Senbonzakura. "You're just making her mad."
"That's the point," he said. "Not even Ukitake-taicho knows what her zanpakuto looks like. She has always kept it a secret. She's going to have to get over that if she wants to be my lieutenant."
Byakuya unsheathed Senbonzakura. "Let us begin, Sayuri…"
Author's Note: Next chapter will reveal the power of Takuaji.
Chapter Seventeen: Hisana vs. Byakuya