Chapter 4: Finding the Menos
Ichigo's POV:
He looked around and saw the team that Toshiro had decided to take with him. He knew the strawberry blond haired, busty, loud woman. Right now she was busy talking to some other guy. Something about early mornings and alcohol. And the little raven haired girl, who now was standing with Toshiro. He could not hear what they said, but they looked serious, but content. What the heck is the matter with them? She yelled like crazy yesterday and he was madder than ever.
He figured he would go over and ask them, but as he made his way over to the two kids the tensai spoke up. "It is time for us to leave. The faster we get there the better. But I will warn you! I got a message saying that the menos is about a six hour run away from here. So please save your energy to the fight." Save energy? Why not just use shumpu all the way. That will be fast and affective. He was pulled out of his thoughts by the tensai speaking again. "Now, let's go and get rid of this thing before it destroys too much. Ikkuso!" As soon as the last word had left Toshiro's mouth Ichigo was already gone. I will be there in no time.
Hitsugaya Toshiro POV:
What the…? Did Kurosaki just run off, with his bankai already activated? The young tensai turned to the group of people behind him. "That is an example of what you ABSOLUTELY shouldn't do! Do you all understand?" The little group answered in sync. "Os!" "Good then. Ikkuso! I will find Kurosaki and we will wait for you a bit ahead. Understood?" once again the group answered. "Os!" Then the young taicho was gone. What kind of fool runs like that? He has never used the shumpo for long distances and the fact that he is already in his bankai does not help. The orange haired man had managed to come pretty far, however he was soon caught up by the ice boy who stopped him at once.
"What do you think you are doing, Kurosaki?" The other guy just stared at him questioningly. "As far as my knowledge goes you have never used shumpo to travel big distances, have you" The taller man looked at him for a second before answering. "So?"
The tensai shook his head. "Using shumpo for a long time means using a lot of your energy. As I said it will take us at least six hours getting to where the menos was last reported seen. If you are trying to get there fast this way you will have no chance of fighting when you finally get there. You will be too exhausted." The man placed his sword over his shoulder, finding a more comfortable position. "I don't see the problem. Shouldn't we get there fast? Isn't that what's important here."
The taicho glared at him for a little while before he answered. "You do not understand what is important or not. What is important is that we take down the menos as fast as possible when we get there. Without any innocent people getting harmed. And to do that we need to be ready and strong. Not ready to fall over. In battles as this we can't just rush in without a plan. Understood?" While talking he kept a serious eye on the taller man, as if he knew the other would try something if he didn't. "I don't get it. You say we need to get the job done fast. Then why can't we hurry, Toshiro?" Kurosaki took a step forward and swung his sword back to his "running" position. The tensai did not as much as flinch at this he only stood there, in the way, not mobbing an inch. "Change out of your bankai, or I will do it for you."
Ichigo took yet another step forward and was ready to shumpo when the taicho spoke again. "Do you know where you are going? Do you know where the menos is?" The orange haired man stopped dead in his tracks. "Well….ehh.. ano.. I guess I hadn't thought about that." The boy put down his sword and thought for a moment. "Yosh! I will wait and do this your way." He then changed back and sat down on a nearby rock. The white haired man stood surprised for a minute before he went back to his former state. "Good. They will be here in about a minute."
A minute later the rest of the group had caught up, and they were on their way to the menos. IF the system had just been a little more effective we would manage to get there a lot faster than this. Now we have to find the earlier location and from there manage to get on the menos tracks. If everybody just went in for being a bit more… attentive, we would get so much more work done. Well, there is no use in arguing about it. The soutaicho and the others do not wish to anything with it.
They kept on running and shumpo for a long time. Just hoping they would they would get there in time.
Six hours later….
The six hour run wasn't tiring for Hitsugaya, well not physically anyway. Kurosaki has been nagging the whole way. Why can't that guy just shut up? The taicho slowed down and signaled to his team that they were supposed to do the same. "This is the place where the menos was last spotted…" Before he could continue he was cut off by Kurosaki. "Hey, Toshiro!" The taicho got a pulse pounding on his forehead as he turned to the other. "What is it now, Kurosaki? We need to get started searching for the menos." Then he added. "And it is Hitsugaya-taicho to you!" "Yeah, I know. So this means we are not going to rest now?" The white heaired boy sighed. "No" The other continued. "And we are not going to stop until it is found?" The tensai was back in his "care-face" state and kept on answering short. "No" Kurosaki put down his sword. "And we are soon going to start fighting" Now the shorter boy decided it was time to make his point. "Yes… And if you are so ready for a fight, it would have gone faster if you would let me start."
After this Kurosaki shut up and the tensai examined the ground for a short while. "Everybody, the menos has just moved and is about 3 miles south-east from here. We will split up in smaller groups and circling it in. You all know your groups. Sukyatta!"
Hitsugaya Toshiro's team consisted of: Matsomoto(he did not know what she would do if he did not keep an eye on her), Kurosaki(even though he was annoying, Hitsygaya felt like he had to watch over him an teach him what he needed to learn), and Hinamori(he would not go anywhere without being sure that she was safe. And since she was here it was no way he would leave her alone). They had taken the path that leaded them right to the menos. I hope we will get there before the others. I need to learn firsthand what this menos is capable of doing.
It did not take them long before they were at the end of the tracks, and saw the thing. The tensai stood and concentrated for a second to see if any of the other groups had arrived yet. Luckily they were the first to arrive, but the others were close by. He told his group to be quiet as them sneaked closer to the menos. It did not look anything out of the ordinary, but it was something with its aura that was disturbing. This aura was much more threatening than of any other menos, and by far as well.
The tensai knew he needed to find out what the menos could do. So he made a clone of himself and let it go out to the menos to see what it could do. The first thing he noticed was that it had several arms. That way it could fight with a number of people at the same time. He also noticed to large claws that were placed at each of the hands. Five on each. Those is surly something to stay clear off. I have a feeling they have a bigger effect that just being a good stab weapon. He let the clone get hit an move in the simplest ways so he could se the reaction time and the speed to the menos. "Shiro-chan, this does not seem to be an ordinary menos. I am afraid of what else it can to." Me too. "Baka, why did you come then? Well, since you're here, just stay close to me." He went back to watching the menos and his clone fight. "Yo, Toshiro, can't we go out and beat that thing?" Kurosaki had started to rise, and the taich was thankful to Hinamori that pulled him down again.
He let his clone go on for a little longer before he made it disappear then he spoke(he had ha hell moth with him as well, so the other groups hear him). "Right, my group and group 2 will go first and try to destact the menos and all its arm and the rest of you will try to attack from behind. Do not make any sound! After the attack hurry back into the bushes and trees and switch possitons. Group 2 and my group wil do the same. This way the menos will start to wonder where we are. We will wait and then attack at the same time, but from a fare. Understood?" he got answers from everybody. "Good. Now!" he said and they got out fram the trees which amidiatly caught the menos attention, even though it was still looking for the clone.
The first part of the plane worked perfectly, but then the menos manage to surprise him. The menos had the ability to learn what his apponantes do, and actually find counter tactics. But the worst part was the claws. He knew it was important to stay clear of them, but some from the groip had not heard him, and came to close. Then he saw that the claws could move it selves. He rushed to the fallen man and when he got there he noticed that they were poisonous as well. "Matsumoto! Get all the wounded out of here." Kazou. How could I be this ignorant? Why did I have such a rush? While he was thinking more and more fell. What can I do? He looked over at Hinamori, she was now fighting along with Kurosaki. I can't let her get hurt. "Everybody, go to the woods where the wonded are, we need a new tactic." He looked over at Hinamori and saw her concerned look. He knew she knew, and he knew his face of ice, told her what was about to happen.
A/N:
Key, guys. I know I have been a bit slow with publishing lately. It just a lot going on right know. Who knows, maybe it would have gone faster with some Reviews? What do you say? I want your honest opinion and the offer from last chapter stands. Just tell me and I will to my best to make it happen.
I will thank all of you for reading, and since my vacation starts in 1 ½ week I hope to be finished with the story before the New Year starts. I think I will have around 3 or 4 more chapters.
I will also say soory fo r any bad grammar. My head seems to leave me these days.