Chapter three: Prove Your Strength And Admit Your Lies

Tanshin listened attentively the warning. Because the 4th division, the one which should supervise the kidou exam, was busy tending to the shinigami who just come back from a pernicious mission, the exam was moved to the following day. Instead, today will take place the hand-to-hand combat in the 2th division quarters. Tanshinsighted. She's never been that good in that. But maybe, with this shoes... moving at the right speed... she could pass.

Finding the 2th squad was an easy quest, seeing how many people were moving in that direction.

"Alright, losers, listen up." the second division taicho shouted. "Change in your gi, if you don't have one, you can find it in the locker room. No shoes. No weapons. Nothing. I can't stand cheaters. We'll began in five minutes. If your not here by then, you can go home already."

She was in trouble. She was in deep deep shit. Fuck!

"Ritsurei!" Yelled the taicho. Tanshin bowed. "Let's begin!"

Her opponent was another applicant and by his grin and build, it seemed like this was his speciality. Oh, kami... she thought. Assuming her position, she observed the man.

He seemed strong. So, if he was to hit her, she wasn't sure she would be able to stand up again, so it was better attack first. She lunged at him with all her might. But he was faster, and soon, she found herself on the floor.

She growled. No way in hell she was loosing in 10 seconds.

The adrenaline rush made her stand up soon. She couldn't feel the pain. Rugonkai had taught that to her.

"Ya really think ya can beat me, sweetheart?" he said mockingly.

She tried to hit him again. Nothing. She moved her arms and legs as fast as she could, putting all her strength in her hits, but she soon found it was useless. She looked up and saw the people who were watching her defeat. The soutaicho, some other shinigami and there he was... Byakuya-san. Impassible as ever. Likely disappointed. And then, he stood up and made his way out. He didn't want to see her fight.

The man, abusing on her distraction, lunged at her. But she instinctively hit his eyes. Byakuya stopped, watching the scene closely. First, she can't even stay on her feet and then, she hit him without even looking. She hid her reiatsu. At that, Byakuya left. Knowing she had won. If you can't see nor sense your opponent, you're as good as dead.

"You left."

Byakuyaturned sharply. It's not often that somebody broke in his home and spoke with him like she was invited.

"You broke in again."

She shrugged. "You left the door open again."

"Why are you here?" he asked.

"You left."

"I know."

She arched an eyebrow. The conversation was going no where.

"And why's that?"

"I wasn't there to watch you, you know. I could be there and go away when I pleased."

"That," she began, "won't make you avoid the answer. Things will only get harder."

"Really?" he said absentally, before continuing doing his paperwork.

"Why were you there to begin with?"

"Because I could. And nobles are supposed to show their faces in occurrences like these." he explained calmly.

She nodded and said nothing.

"Care to go away, now?" he asked, rising his head from the paperwork.

"No."

"Good to know." he replied, his tone not matching his words.

"Why were you with me yesterday night?" she asked, sitting down at his side.

"You told me to catch you. That's what I was doing."

She seemed thoughtful for a while. "So... If I am to tell you to run away with me and buy a farm out of seireitei, you'll do it?"

He looked almost outraged by her words. "Of course not!" the girl lifted an eyebrow at his temper. "You challenged me. I had to defend my honour."

Honour. What a funny thing to consider. People have fight and died for honour. Honour was the first thing she lost after her life. "Oh, sorry," she replied sarcastically. "So... if I challenge you to leave and buy a farm?"

"And what kind of challenge is that?" he asked.

"If you don't run away with me, then you're a chicken!" she exclaimed, imitating the roaster verse.

"Oh, shut up, brat."

"Why don't you just answer?" she yelled in frustration.

"What happened to you? Yesterday you were so calm and... collected. Now you're acting like a child. Why?" he asked, completely out of character, almost loosing his cool.

"Because that's the last time we see each other. And I'm curious. And I don't have to worry about what do you think about me or if I'm rude. I don't have to worry that if you become my taicho, things could be awkward. Because tomorrow I'll go back home. And we'll never see again. And that's ok. I really don't care. But I'm bored, so I could as well tease you 'til I've got the chance." She said, like a child who's trying to explain something she's just drew.

"Why should I waste my time with you?" Tanshin couldn't hide her hurt expression for a moment, before recovering. "I've seen you fight today. You were as fast as a turtle in a coma."

"I thought you were the turtle here."

"Put on a pair of ears doesn't make a rabbit."

"You're right." she said nodding.

"Are your strange trainers?" he said, pointing at her feet.

"Yeah." she replied guilty.

"Don't ever try again to behave like we're equals. You're nothing."

Tanshin put her hand under his chin and got a lot closer to him. "You don't know anything about being nothing. Who do think you are? Everything you have, you have it for the simple fact of being born. You're a noble. Nobles are supposed to rule the common. I am one of them. And you've done nothing to gain my respect. For me, for them, you are nothing. You've never protected one of them, you never fed one of them. Maybe you've never been in Rukongai. Maybe you've never... seen... hell itself. That makes you nothing. Not the words or some noble or your speed or your lies. What makes people nothing is so much more. It's the complete loss of dignity, nothing is the devastation you see in the eyes of a ten years old's eyes who's just been raped and the knowledge you can do nothing. That's nothing. I'm not nothing. I've seen it. I've been there. I've done something. And now, I'm here." Then, she got away from him, turned and ran.

Byakuya stayed still for a pair of minutes, without even blink, before resuming his work like nothing had happened. But something ached in his chest.