Hisanachan - thanks! ^^
BrazeRancor - well... not evil evil - just a tad bitta darkness to leverage this ficcy... :)
Soraya the All Speaker - you have no idea how happy this review made me.... :p Thanks!!!!!
Ah, well! Disclaimer! If I owned Bleach, there would be utter pwnage, but, alas! there isn't! says enough on my claim for bleach, ne?
xTeam Ichigox
"Oi, Kuchiki-san.... Why is it that I come here after helping Ishida for a good thirty minutes and see that you haven't even nicked the tree?"
"The tree's a sheen of green, Kurosaki-san," Rukia shot back.
"It's an illusion, like that sadist that's withering away in Hueco Mundo," Ichigo retorted, equally irritated. "I don't care if it's bright green or dead-black, for that matter."
"Then.... I can switch trees?"
"No." Ichigo replied flatly. "Try again."
Rukia held the katana with outstretched, stiff hands; persperation was evident on her pale skin.
"Wouldn't this be considered tree abuse?"
"Tree abuse?" Ichigo lifted an eyebrow. "So paper and pencils and everything would be some symbolism of abuse, wouldn't it, Kuchiki-san?"
"Oh, shut up," Rukia blushed crimson. "It's still tree abuse."
"It only counts as abuse if the said victim can feel it."
"So?" Rukia retorted. "My science textbook tells me animals don't have feelings but we have animal abuse, don't we?"
"You.... go to a really stupid school, don't you? Animals don't have feelings?" Ichigo quoted, sourly. "Haven't you ever seen a dog flinch? That would be fear and pain, right? Haven't you ever seen a cat play with yarn? It's not fundamental for survival, but it's done in sake of boredom and fun, right?"
"Textbooks don't lie to you," Rukia muttered.
"One just did," Ichigo replied. "And, anyways - if this is tree abuse, the poor tree must be suffering now. Take it out of it's misery, will you?"
"Are you really sure this is absolutely fundamental to my training?"
"Really absolutely fundamentally sure," Ichigo promised. "Hit the tree again."
The Kuchiki exhaled, letting out a slow, deep breath before clutching the sword in both hands and whacking it against the tree...
....Only to have the sword fall out of her hands, clattering on the stones that littered the training area.
Dead silence ensued before -
"You've gotten even worse than before?" Incredulous disbelief coursed through the Kurosaki's voice.
"....Shut up...."
"O...kay. So.... maybe a top-notch tree isn't good for you right now, seeing as you can't even hold onto your blade, ne, Kuchiki-san?"
"Shut up," Rukia's face turned scarlet. "I'll cut down this tree before.... Ishida-san gets onto Kido or whatever you call it."
Ichigo quirked an eyebrow. "That a bet?"
"Yeah. Yeah, it is. 926 yen? (A/N: That's equivelant to 10 dollars. I looked it up. xD)"
"926 yen? You think you can afford it?"
The Kuchiki held the sword loftily in her hands. "Deal?"
"Yeah." Ichigo's upper lip twitched in amusement. "Deal."
Rukia started shifting balance in the sword. "Sure you can afford it, Kurosaki-san?"
Ichigo smirked. "You wouldn't be asking me that question if you knew how much a Captain's salary is."
"Which would be...?"
"More money than you could dream of in a lifetime by the end of a year."
"Yeah? Did you know I have two part-time jobs? Bet I could match the amount of money you get."
"And what would your part-time jobs be? Assisant at Build-a-Bear workshop and the toy company?"
"Hey!" Rukia shouted, nearly hitting the Kurosaki with her sword in her enthusisasm.
"....Oi, Kuchiki-san. The point of this excersize is to get rid of the tree. Not me."
"Shut up."
oxoxooxoxoxoxooxxooxoxoooxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxxoxoxxoxooxxoxooxxoxoxoxooxoxxooxoxoxxoxoxooxxoxoooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxooxxooxoxoxoxo
xTeam Tatsukix
A flash of light swirled around the clearing - blindingly white before disappearing once more.
"Wait. Almost got it there, Sado. Try it again?"
Another flash - perpendicular to the first; agonizing white filling the clearing before vanishing as abruptly as it had come.
"Nope." The apprenticing teacher pushed aside a lock of hair, sighing discontently, as she watched Sado's arm let out another burst of energy.
She would have to be both deaf and blind to not notice the similarities to a Hollow that Sado's powers substained, but still...
"Too much reiatsu this time," Tatsuki noted offhandedly. "Did I teach you to minimize your reiatsu yet?"
"Yesterday," the gigantic bulk of Sado turned half-heartedly. "Suppressing reiatsu, wasn't it?"
"Yeah." Tatsuki nodded, relieved for the most part. "Your power seems to be somewhat similar to the Quincies - you let out a burst of reiatsu. The power of your attack is based on how much reiatsu you use."
Sado flexed his fingers, glancing briefly at them before turning back to Tatsuki. "But then wouldn't suppressing reiatsu make my attacks weaker?"
"Um.... Well, yeah. But if you use too much reiatsu in the first few blows, you'll spend up all your reiatsu faster than flies get stuck on honey." Tatsuki snapped her fingers. "Get it so far?"
"I think so."
"Good." Tatsuki glanced to the side. "Hey, I'll be working with Inoue. Have to teach her something new now before she gets bored with reiatsu excersizes. You'll be okay?"
"Yes."
Tatsuki nodded at the definite edge to the word. "Call me if you need help, alright? I'll be coming back soon, anyways."
Sado nodded in the affirmative, evoking something of a smile from the apprentice before she turned back towards the other.
oxooxoxoxooxoxoxooxoxxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxxooxoxoxooxxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoox
xTeam Ichigox
"...I'm going to lose the bet..."
"What bet?"
"Nothing, Quincy-san. Get back on your reiatsu-control."
Ishida growled under his breath as he reattached the reiatsu strings. "Stop calling me that."
"Stop calling you what, Quincy-san?"
"Kurosaki..." There was a definite threat in the tone.
"Okay, okay! I'll stop!" Ichigo held up both hands defensively towards the Quincy. "You're not making life easier for me, though."
Ishida scoffed. "Since when has it been my life ambition to make life easier for Shinigami, Kurosaki?"
"No clue." Ichigo muttered in reply. "But it'd make my life easier."
"Save your brain cells for something other than ridiculous daydreaming."
"I have enough brain cells to go around, thanks." Ichigo fired back, equally coolly. "More than you, I daresay. How's reiatsu-shifting going along anyways?"
"Decently enough." Ishida turned back to the reiatsu activity.
"Yeah? My idiot dad can do better than that."
"I'm considering that it's an insult that you assume anyone of your family can do better than me."
"....You have a huge ego complex, don't you?"
The Quincy blushed scarlet. "I do not."
"Sure you don't, Quincy-san."
"Don't call me that!"
"Why not? You don't like the fact you're a Quincy?" Ichigo quirked an eyebrow. "Well.... whaddaya know? Last Quincy in the world and you don't like your origins. Ouch - that's got to be cold. Your ancestors must be turning in their graves, Quincy-san."
"I... ah.... wha..... oh, shut up." Ishida snapped, at last granted the ability to talk coherently. "I'm not ashamed of my kin. But being referred to as the only one left as well as an oddity seeing as no one else is referred to that way is demeaning, Shinigami-san."
"Shut up." Ichigo replied tartly. "You're the one that's the last of your kind - not me."
A very audible silence fell, before...
"....How many times do I have to tell you to shut up before it gets through that thick skull of yours?"
"I'm not thick-headed," Ichigo protested. "....Just.... kinda misunderstood..."
Ishida couldn't help but scoff then. "Says the idiot Shinigami."
"Shinigami Captain, actually." Ichigo turned his head to the side awkwardly. "Kinda changes your mind on things, doesn't it? Me being a Captain?"
A pause before - "Hardly." A scoff. "Rather - I can't seem to help but take a moment to pity the ones under you."
".....Shut up...."
oxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxoxxooxoxoxxooxoxoxooxxxooooxoxxxxooxooxxxoxxoxxoxxoooxxoxooxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoxoxoxooxoooxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox
xTeam Tatsukix
"You're done with your excersizes?"
"Ah? Tatsuki-san?" Inoue turned from her activities, leaving the mass of reiatsu to smolder as she turned towards the apprentice. Startled gray eyes blinked languidly. "Weren't you helping Sado-kun?"
"He's getting around to minimizing his reiatsu in his attacks," Tatsuki replied. "But, aside from that - you've finished, haven't you? Your reiatsu excersizes?"
"Kind of...." Inoue glanced worriedly back at the smoking pile of reiatsu strands. "I've been improvising...." A scarlet blush adorned her features as she spoke.
"Improvising?" Tatsuki quirked an eyebrow before turning back to the excersize Orihime had been working on.
The pattern of the activity was relatively simple. Inoue had combined swathing reiatsu together with a consequtive burning pattern. It was simple in appearance - but deadly hazardous.
"It's alright." Tatsuki hedged. "But rather dangerous. I'm surprised you'd gotten that far without burning yourself."
"Well...." Almost timidly, as if fearing rebuking, the apprenticed student lifted her left hand - where a series of light burn patterns were evident.
"You burned youself." It was a statement; not a question.
"I wasn't really careful, see.... and...."
"It's alright." Tatsuki managed a half-hearted smile. "I'd heal them, but they're relatively light. They should disappear by tomorrow at the latest. And.... since they're that light, and I'm not a Kido master like Hinamori..... I don't think I'll be able to heal that without causing damage."
"Oh." Inoue withdrew her hand hesitantly. "Who's Hinamori, though?"
"Third seat to our Division," Tatsuki waved a hand dismissively. "She used to have my position..... but that was before, so...." Tatsuki trailed off.
"I see."
"Well, it's not really important anyways," Tatsuki replied cheerfully before subtly changing the topic. "Do you feel up to a new Shun Shun Rikka technique?"
Gray eyes blinked up at her. "I thought you only memorized one, Tatsuki-san."
"Soul Society sent me the documents," Tatsuki replied, waving the stack of paperwork she had received just the morning before in front of the other. "Would you rather work on them now or take a look at them first?"
"I'll... work on them, I guess."
"If that's so.... Can you try out the Kuro-Shiro technique?"
"Kuro-Shiro?"
"It's a nickname for the technique I taught you."
"I see." Inoue's brow clipped together sharply in a line. "But... why review it again?"
"Evaluating your skill." Tatsuki adopted a priceless look of utter apology - an expression she wouldn't be caught dead in if Ichigo was around. "Please?"
"I guess."
Inoue lifted both hands - intricately laying her reiatsu inches before her outstretched fingers - head slightly bowed as a tangled net of reiatsu formed...
"Kuro Hyoumenka: Shiro Akegata."
Light shot out from the top of her fingers, faster than before. A triangular barrier formed, swathed in black light that flickered momentarily gold....
Inoue turned away, dropping her hands and thus effectively ending her technique. She looked faintly inquitiive....
"Is that okay?" she asked. Worry was faintly evident in her voice.
"Well - yeah. That was perfect." Tatsuki stared wistfully at the disappearing barrier. "I'm guessing that you're good at reiatsu-control so let's go to another technique.... there was one that focused specifically on reiatsu control but it's drastically tricky...."
"A new technique?" Inoue's voice was at once alight with enthusiasm. "What is it?"
Tatsuki smiled bitterly as she finally spotted the technique she searched for in the documents - the Shun Shun Rikka technique that was completely off-chart in difficulty and feriocity.
"Hauringu Kouu. (A/N: Howling Rain)" Tatsuki glanced at the distinctly etched clouds in the distance. "Otherwise known as 'Tears of Blood.'"
I'm sorry this chapter came out so late!!! I lost motivation for a while and it took a while for things to click back together for me..... T,T.... I'm sorry...!
Anyhow.... I hope you like the chapter. :p I spent hours on this chapter for you readers, I'll have you know!
^^".... heh.... Well, aside from that, I don't really have anything to say except - ...does anyone know where I can find challenge fics? *blinks* Preferrably bleach ones. I'm looking for something to stretch my mind....... (do I have to notify the person that I'm going to try to make the challenge fic?) I don't know.... I never found one before....
Anyways - thanks for everything!
Review and you'll make my day! :p
