With a yawn at the pre-dawn sky, Mashiro got up out of bed and tugged on her uniform. That was definitely the nicest thing about being in the Ninth Division: she got to wear normal clothing like everyone else. She didn't mind how high the 2nd Division uniforms had been in the back but she'd always felt like they were too tight on her chest. Now that wasn't a problem at all. Scratching the back of her neck, Mashiro walked out of her yet-to-be-unpacked room and down to the main training ground of the 9th Division. Kensei had asked her to be there at this time and so she was.
He however, wasn't.
Pouting, Mashiro looked around the field but only found herself alone. Stretching her arms up she yawned again before bending forward, easily placing her hands on the ground in front of her. Walking her hands back until she was able to grab her ankles, Mashiro pressed her forehead to her knees, feeling the backs of her legs stretch. Straitening up, Mashiro bent slowly backwards until her hands touched the ground, her body arching. She kicked off the ground, using her muscles to hold her legs up in the air. Dropping her legs down the other side she held her legs off the ground for a moment before sitting down, legs stretched in front of her as she bent clear in half, laying her hands past her toes as she looked through her parted feet.
Still no Kensei.
Sighing she sat up strait and spread her legs, bending forward placing her toso onto the ground. She was almost all stretched out and he was nowhere to be found. When she felt ready she pressed her hands to the ground and pushed herself upwards, jumping to her feet. Placing her hands on her hips she looked around the training area one more time, turning in a slow circle. When she came back to her starting point she was still alone in the middle of the training field. Pouting she looked at the ground.
"There you are. Lets get started."
Mashiro spun around to see Kensei striding toward her. She swallowed. His steps were wide and powerful. If she was supposed to keep up with him he'd either have to slow down or she'd have to run pretty fast. He walked towards her, his gold eyes much clearer than they had been when she first saw him. He must have gotten some sleep finally. He didn't carry himself like a Third Seat, he carried himself like a man who was used to being obeyed by way more people than a Third Seat was in charge of. Well he had told her, in far fewer words, that he was the one to come to. So maybe he was running the Division, it certainly seemed that way to her. And now she was the Fourth Seat so did that mean she was like his Lieutenant. Looking at him, Mashiro decided that there were probably way worse things to be--even if she wasn't sure she really liked the Ninth Division all that much.
"Good morning!" she said happily before looking over, "well I guess its not morning quite yet. But the sun'll be out soon!"
Kensei stared at her for a moment before deciding that she had to take a lot of caffeine or be on some other kind of drug to be that energetic this early in the morning. Well at the very least training with her wouldn't be like it was training with the rest of the rest of the Division, none of whom were morning people. At least not until he came into their rooms with a bucket of cold water to throw on them. Mashiro stood there, her arms behind her back as she smiled up at him. Kensei looked down at her for a moment.
"Where's your Zanpakuto?"
"Oh I don't like to fight with my Zanpakuto," she replied as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"You--" he stopped, "wait, you don't fight with your Zanpakuto? But you're a seated officer--"
"I can fight with a Zanpakuto. I just don't like too," she said.
"Why?"
Mashiro hesitated for a moment, her eyes clouding. Immediately--and irrationally--Kensei felt bad. Whatever the reason, she clearly didn't want to talk about it and for some weird reason he felt guilty for bringing that look into her eyes. He felt his fist clench. He knew the girl for barely a day and she'd been asleep for most of that time and he felt bad about making her upset. Pulling Tachikaze out of his belt he put the sword down on the ground and looked at her. Her eyes went to the sword and then to him, her eyes confused but not as sad as they had been a moment ago. At the look in them, for an equally unexplainable but surely irrational reason, Kensei felt satisfied that she didn't look upset anymore. Turning he walked into the middle of the training ground so they'd have room and she skipped after him, stopping right across from him.
"Whenever you're ready," he said.
"Mmm kay," she said with a smile.
He had no intention of hitting her, no more than he would actually fight her with his sword. He simply wanted to see what she was capable of. He wasn't going to hurt her, not by a long shot but if he was going to command her he had to know how she fought. She stood there completely relaxed, as if they were doing nothing but standing around. He stood there waiting for her to move. she made no attempt to do so. It was like a stand off, though it was certainly the most relaxed one in the world. Mashiro continued to grin, as if it was the most natural thing in the world to be standing there instead of moving forward, obviously waiting for him to make the first move. So he did, moving forward quickly. She reacted with speed and grace that was almost instinctive. His arm moved slightly forward and he felt her hands grab him in a hard grab. There was a quick strike to his shin and suddenly he found himself coming close to being face down in the dirt.
Impressed he still managed to move with the throw, turing around and locking her narrow frame under his grip, using his size to what he thought was his advantage, something she quickly disproved by dropping lower in his grip, her leg snapping around and up and back into his knees. Kensei felt his knees buckle before an elbow was slammed into his stomach and his arms were empty. Jumping backwards, Mashiro landed on her feet, her grin not slipping as she looked at him, her head cocked to the side almost like a bird. Kensei straitened up, his stomach aching from her elbow.
"Not bad," he said.
"Uh huh, its a good thing we're not really trying," she said bobbing her head, "I don't wanna really hurt you."
Kensei gaped at her. The way she said it, it was so innocent. She stated it so easily without event he barest mocking edge to her tone as if she was simply telling him about the weather.
"You wanna keep goin?" she asked.
"Sure," Kensei said heasitating only a moment before swinging his arm out.
Mashiro caught it and when he pulled her flush against his chest, she threw her leg clear over her head, the ball of her foot tapping his nose instead of breaking it before she swung her leg down and slammed her heel into his stomach to once again knock the air from his lungs. This time Kensei wasn't having any of it and instead when he doubled over it was to snap his own leg out, knocking her feet out from under her. His hand streaked out and caught her before she could collide with the dirt and he pulled her back to her feet. Mashiro flashed him a bright smile before her arms streaked out. He blocked them a moment before she was suddenly air born, her feet pressing into his chest before she vaulted backwards, her first foot brushing his chin, her second whacking it enough to send aches through his jaw. She landed on her feet a good distance from him, smile not slipping a fraction.
"You're not so bad fro someone from the Ninth Division," she said.
"Yeah, well," he reached up and rubbed his jaw, disliking the throbbing there, "your hand to hand combat ain't bad," he said, "but we're a combat Division. You're gonna need to use your Zanpakuto."
Mashiro's eyes widened, her lips parting as she looked at him, protests clearly on her lips before her smile once again reappeared and she shook her head as if he had said something amusing. She made absolutely no move to get her blade. Walking back over to his sword he picked Tachikaze up and slid him back into the belt of his hamaka. Mashiro continued to stand there, watching him for a moment before he turned around.
"Get cleaned up. I'll see you in the Office in an hour."
"Kay!" she said Shunpoing past him towards the Division, "see you then Kensei!"
It was only after she was in the safety of her room she let her smile slip off her cheeks.
An hour later she skipped into the Ninth Division, only to find it in a much more crazed state than she thought it would be for so early in the morning. People were hurrying in and out of the Captain's office, papers clutched tightly in their hands. Frowning Mashiro followed two of them towards the Captain's office. As she ddi another came running out, moving much more quickly than the ones going to the Captain's office. Making a split second decision she turned on her heel and ran off with them towards where the others were. She jogged with them, falling into line as they hurried towards another room. They pushed open the door and she moved with them into the room.
The room they raced into was unique to the Ninth Division. On the walls were shelves, shelves that held rolls of paper--of maps of all the known areas of Soul Society. In the center of the room there was a massive circular table and in the center of that was a three dimensional map of Soul Society. Raised land masses, the Divisions, even the walls surrounding the Court of Pure Souls was all laid out in perfect miniature. Standing at the head of the table, his palms pressed to the narrow rim of the table was Kensei. The two men came running up, one thrusting the papers in his hands at the Third Seat.
"The latest reports detail three Hollows in the area with more possibly still in the woods."
Kensei gave a curt nod of confirmation, his eyes staying on the map. The people laid the pages down as if this happened every day. Clearly the procedure had become routine. The two hurried out, leaving her and Kensei as the only ones in the room. Mashiro hurried over to where he was standing, looking at the map and then back at Kensei.
"Hollow's have been reported in the area," he said finally looking at the map, "they're Class 2 Hollows but there are enough they're becoming a serious threat. Sixth has been sent to take care of it but the Sixth ain't good at moving their asses, pretty sure their Captain's Scarf slows him down too much."
"Okay," she said.
"They're in this area," he said motioning to the area of the map, "most of the Forrest's been destroyed," he explained moving his hand over the area. In the wake of his hand, the area of the map disintegrated, revealing a barren and destroyed landscape, "heading towards one of the housing developments in Rukongai."
"Kay," Mashiro said peering at the map.
"Muguruma!" Kensei's head flew up as a woman came racing through the door.
Mashiro looked up. No, it wasn't a woman but a man. Except at a quick glance she'd have thought he was a woman. Delicate almost effeminate features were contrasted with dark reddish brown hair that fell down his back almost clear to his waist. Like most of the Division he had no sleeves on his uniform and his arms were obvious with lean muscle. His eyes were wide as he clutched a report in a hand that ended in fingers that were equally delicate. He looked between two of them quickly before his eyes landed on Kensei. Instead of handing him the report he threw it up in the air, his hands landing on the map table.
"Sir there's a Class 4 Hollow," he gasped out, "just reported in."
"Damn it, the Sixth isn't equipped to deal with that!Eishima go tell the Captain we're heading out to act as relief for the Sixth. Take over the reports. Kuna you're with me."
Mashiro bobbed her head as Kensei strode down the hallway. She ran after him, stopping only long enough at the doorway to turn around.
"Nice to meet you!' she called before speeding up to catch up with Kensei.
Kensei was a quick with Shunpo but Mashiro was faster. They bolted through Rukongai. Though he was clearly good at Shunpo, it was equally clear to Mashiro that Kensei didn't exactly like to do it. When she glanced over at him she saw his features were tight and she didn't think he was worried about the fight. Together they raced past the gates and through the maze of the city. Both moved with the same way, with the speed and ease of people who were long accustom to the maze that Rukongai could appear to be.
It was a strange thing about Rukongai. The Court of Pure Souls had experienced very little change from the moment of its creation. No Division was even able to claim it had existed long than any other. But Rukongai, Rukongai was a constantly changing place. Souls came in and out faster than anyone could keep track of, though it wasn't to say people hadn't tried. Areas shifted and changed, new ones came up and fell with equal speed. As long as there were supplies to build they would build. There was no shortage of people who needed places to sleep at night in the endless stretch of the city. Still there were people who knew how to adapt, how to change to work with the landscape and there were people who were unable too. It was predictable that they would be capable of navigating the surrounding area but as they got deeper into the city, Mashiro felt her lead increase, just enough so it was noticeable. Just enough so she knew that wherever Kensei came from it wasn't the deep dark pit of Rukongai.
"This way!" he called to her.
Mashiro nodded and veered to the right with him. They flew through the blur of buildings, buildings that seemed to be in less and less state of construction. Mashiro's eyes widened as she looked at the wooden planks, at the bricks and half filled cans of paint that lay around. Mashiro's eyes widened as she realized they were in the middle of a housing development, a development that was about to become the fall site for a very large Hollow. She swallowed thickly as she looked at the area, her Shunpo slowing only fractionally. Still it was enough to give him a fair lead. Mashiro's eyes widened and she sped up, bolting after him as quickly as she could. Finally the half finished buildings began to ebb away until the area was suddenly barren.
Kensei stopped short, Mashiro's reflexes allowing her to do the same. She could feel the Spiritual Pressure that covered the area, a thrumming, living, choking thing. She shoved the nausea down, focusing her gaze instead on the line of Kensei's vision. Either the Sixth had been untruthful or the big Hollow had attracted many many more. She could see smaller ones and three very large ones, ones that were far too big to be just Class 2 Hollows. Kensei's hand dropped to his Zanpakuto as he looked at them before turning to her.
"Evacuate the area," he ordered.
"But you--"
"Damn it get those people out of here!" he shouted.
Mashiro nodded and turned, racing away. Kensei faced the Hollows before darting forward to where the Sixth Division members were falling like flies. Tearing Tachikaze out of his belt he faced the Hollows, holding the sword tight in his grip as he looked up at the massive creatures.
"Blow it away! Tachikaze!" he ordered.
The Zanpakuto instantly transformed, dust around him kicking up by the force of his Spiritual Power. He swung the sword around, the air blades slicing through the air, their whistling sound making the hollows shriek in agony. Kensei felt his own ear drums protest the feeling but he ignored it, focusing instead on sending the blades lancing through the creatures, trying to slice them small enough so they did not injure people further. With quick motions he threw out blades, fine and lattice like that lay like a net, catching and shredding every piece of the hollow that was not turned to dust quickly enough to not injure people by the first wave of the attack.
A blur out of the corner of his eye signaled the return of Mashiro. She streaked past him, charging for the Hollow like a blast of Kido. He continued to fight as he saw her collide with one of the Hollows. There was a snapping sound as suddenly the Hollow shrieked and began to desintegrate. He caught sight of her backflipping away from the rapidly vanishing form. He sent out a handful of air blades to destroy the remnants of the Hollow as she landed on another and quickly sent a handful of kicks towards it. This time the attack was precise and forceful and the Hollow was quickly turned to ash.
Between the two of them it was only a matter of minutes before most of the Hollows were destroyed. Mashiro flipped backwards and landed on her feet beside him, looking around the area.
"Kensei if there were more of them--" she turned her head from side to side, "do you think we got them all?"
"Hold on," he said hurrying over to one of the men who was sitting on the ground, struggling against pain, "you, where's Captain Kuchiki?"
"C-captain wasn't here," the man choked out, "had to go--" he made a horrible sound, "Just us."
"Just you?" Kensei turned to Mashiro, "send a report into the Fourth. Tell them we need emergency relief, now!"
Mashiro ran as fast as she could to the man with the small cage with the Hell Butterfly. Grabbing the cage she fished the butterfly out of the cage and quickly told her message to it, throwing it into the air. It flew away before Mashiro grabbed one of the men's torn shirts, balling up the material and pressing it tightly to the first wound on his chest.
"You know any healing Kido?" Kensei shouted.
"Um--" she looked down at him and then at Kensei, "only for low level stuff, poison things," she looked at the man, "not enough."
"Do everything you can!" he shouted over to her, "we have to keep them alive for the Fourth."
"I--" Mashiro stopped, her eyes wide as she looked down at the blood that seeped over her hands.
It was dark and red and sticky and like everything she couldn't stand to see. Her eyes widened as she looked at the chest and then at the man's face. But it wasn't his face she saw, it was another face, the face of a man who was a very long time dead. Mashiro felt her lip tremble dangerously as her stomach rolled at the slight metallic taste in her mouth.
"Mashiro!" Mashiro gasped at the sharp call of her first name, her eyes snapping over to where Kensei was kneeling with his hands pressed to another man's legs, clearly trying to stop the flow of red, "you can do this. Just focus on healing him!"
Mashiro frantically nodded, quickly summoning Kido to her fingers and beginning to do the rudimentary healing she knew. She couldn't see the change on the surface but she must have been doing something right because the blood that had been spilling from in between her fingertips. As soon as he looked as though he wasn't going to die in front of her, Mashiro jumped up and ran to the next man, quickly beginning to heal him too. She brought each one back as much as she could, fumbling on some but eventually they all were healed enough so that when the Fourth showed up, they were not hopeless.
"Muguruma," a man with shoulder length dark hair walked over to him quickly after giving out orders, "these men owe your Division their lives."
"Lieutenant Yamada," Kensei said, "Where the hell's Kuchiki?"
"Family business," he said, "Shihon and Kasumioji have been called away as well."
Kensei made a sound of disgust. These noble pigs didn't know how to choose anyone but themselves. Them and their damn families. He glanced at the men who were being carried away on stretchers before his eyes found the bright green hair of Mashiro Kuna. Giving Yamada a nod he accepted the relief kit with water and a handful of medical things before walking over to where she was sitting against the tree truck, watching the men being taken away. He sat down next to her, pulling the canteen out of the pack and offering it to her.
"My hands are icky," she said.
"Forget that, you look like you're gonna pass out," he shot at her.
"But--" she looked down to where she had her hands tucked away.
"Here!" he grabbed a big piece of bandages out of the kit and wet them, grabbing her narrow wrist and beginning to clean her hand. It took him all of two seconds to get her hand clean before the water was placed in her hand, "now drink!"
Mashiro drank.
"You're bossy," she said finally lowering the canteen and looking at him.
"Yeah well you're being a baby," he told her.
"I don't like blood!" she objected looking at her cleaned hand, "how'd you do that?" she asked, "you even got under my fingernails."
She watched as pink stained his neck.
"I grew up on a farm," he said finally, his voice low as if he was embarrassed by the fact. Before she could question further he barreled on, "come on, we gotta get back," he said getting to his feet and grabbing the pack. Mashiro pushed herself up to her feet, "come on Kuna," he said.
"No," Kensei looked at her, eyes narrowing, "not til you agree to call me Mashiro."
"Huh?" he looked down at her, surprise on his face.
"Yep," she said brightly, "Mashiro," she smiled widely, "now you try. Ma-Sh--"
"I know how to pronounce your name!" she continued to smile, not even perturbed by his anger, "alright fine! Mashiro. Lets get back to the Division."
"Okay Kensei!"
Aww its their first mission together!
So a few notes. They're still getting used to each other but she's already annoying him and being unaffected by his anger, so they're moving towards their usual relationship.
As this is a prequel fic, things are a bit different. Like the Noble Families are in some strange circumstances you'll hear more about in a bit. And I decided to include the Kasumioji family too but we'll find out more about them later on.
Also the Yamada mentioned is not Hanataro, its a different character from the Pendulum Arc. The blood incident and why Mashiro doesn't like her Zanpakuto are intertwined and we'll find out more about that later. Also why Kensei's so good at cleaning girl's hands. Maybe he's got some family members he's not talking about yet.
Oh and for those curious about the name, Shukra is the Sanskrit name of gods associated with the planet Venus (and the name for Venus itself) which is the planet that coincides with the Coyote Eye which is also called the Buttercup which is the flower of the Ninth Division.
Anyway please Review!