Fallen Blossoms: An Investigation

[Gol D. Roger]

((OOC: Anyone wishing to join in the thread and work towards investigating the events of Mission 1B, please feel free to do so! :D))

After a dizzying series of shunpō steps at top speed, Itō found himself standing in front of the 1st Division headquarters. He had spent so much time here leading up to, and during his appointment as Taichō that he managed to remember its location, even if much of the Seireitei was still unfamiliar to him.

He crossed the wide square, lined on three sides by the complex of 1st Division buildings: lodgings, offices for the day-to-day of the Gotei 13, libraries, record storage, and so on. He headed down towards the far end, where the massive, marbled front steps of the 1st Division Headquarters building rose from the ground like a monolith of stone. Hopefully Kenjuro-Sōtaichō would be present...

Nearing the entrance, he was greeted by a familiar face, the 3rd Seat of the 1st Division. He tried to remember his name, but for the life of him, he couldn't recall. "Oi," Itō said instead, which managed to get the man's attention just as effectively.

"Ohayō, Itō-Taichō," responded the 3rd Seat with a bow.

"Is Kenjuro-Sōtaichō available at the moment?"

The man glanced back at the enormous 1st Division building with an apologetic expression on his face. "I'm sorry sir, he's currently engaged in some matters regarding the..."

Itō waved a hand dismissively. "Nevermind, then." He produced his report from within his haori. "Just make sure this gets to Kenjuro-Sōtaichō and soon as possible. It is a matter of emergency; the security of the Seireitei has been compromised."

The 3rd Seat's brow furrowed. "This is regarding the disruptions at the 12th Division, isn't it?"

"Yes. It's all contained in my report. We have something much bigger on our hands than the usual fireworks at the Research Institute." With that, he handed over the papers.

The 3rd Seat accepted them, tucking them into his hakama. "I will deliver this immediately, sir."

"Arigatō," Itō said. "But that's not all." Again, he reached into the seemingly limitless storage space of his haori, this time producing a few large photographs, all of the murdered shinigami.

He went through them one at a time, showing them to the 3rd Seat. "These are the victims of a murderer targeting shinigami. I need you to make copies of these photographs, and put out an alert. If anyone should see these people-"

"Um," the 3rd Seat said, cutting in. Then, he seemed to realize his presumption, his face flushing red. "Er, sorry, Itō-Taichō, I didn't mean to interrupt."

"No, it's fine. Please."

"Well..." The embarrassment faded, replaced by a look of genuine puzzlement. "It's just that... Didn't you say they were... killed?"

Itō nodded. "I did. But somehow, our killer is replicating the victims and using these copies to do his or her bidding."

The 3rd Seat looked stunned. "Oh. But how-?"

Itō shook his head. "I don't know. The only thing that's important is that you make sure you put out the alert. I want anyone who sees these copies to stay put, observe, and call for backup. These opponents are armed and dangerous. One of them managed to grievously wound the 12th Division Co-Fukutaichō. Do you understand me?"

"Hai, Itō-Taichō," the man said.

"Under no circumstances should anyone engage the enemy alone unless they are a Taichō, or Fukutaichō from a combat Division. Even then, I want calling for aid to be the first priority. I don't want there to be casualties that could have been prevented."

"As you say, Itō-Taichō," the 3rd seat said with another bow. "It will be done."

"Good," Itō said, clapping the man on the shoulder. "In the meantime, I'm going to resume my investigation. I'll be in touch on my mobile in case Kenjuro-Sōtaichō should need any clarification on the report."

With that, Itō was off. Unbeknownst to the 3rd Seat, who even now ascended the steps back into the 1st Division building, he had company. A black speck alighted on the man's shoulder, something Itō had snuck out of the 12th Division when no one was looking. An observation bug.

From far away, Itō checked the status of the 3rd Seat from a remote. At this point, he trusted no one. The enemy could be anywhere, wearing any guise. If the man failed to deliver the report to Kenjuro-Sōtaichō, Itō would know about it, and he'd be one step closer to unraveling the mystery.

[Gol D. Roger]

So long as he was near the 1st Division complex, Itō decided the next place to go was the Hall of Records. Their mystery murderer was certainly no stranger to the way things worked in Soul Society, and it was already established that they had an intimate knowledge of the science of spirit bodies. With any degree of luck, he might find hints of this person some time in the past.

Heading inside, the first thing that hit him was the musty scent of old scrolls and books. He realized it was a scent he'd scarcely smelled in the past two hundred years. How interesting.

He walked down a shelf-lined aisle, to where the Master of Records, an aged, hunched man with a short, white goatee and glasses, stood behind a podium.

The old man squinted, taking in Itō's clothing. "Ahh, a Taichō. What can I do for you today?"

"I'm investigating a crime, I need to know where I can find old criminal records and incident reports."

"Not a problem," the old man said with a grin. He turned a knob on the podium, and a compartment on the top opened up, giving way to a rising computer screen and keyboard. "The 12th Division has made so many wonderful improvements. My days of wandering the shelves are over. Can you be a bit more specific about what you're looking for?"

"Yes, well, first, I need to see any previous records of decapitations along with destruction of the saketsui."

The old man's fingers danced across the keyboard. He was rewarded with a beep. He pressed another button, and soon papers emerged from a slot on the podium. "Here you are," he said, taking the papers and handing them to Itō.

"Arigatō. I also need to see any instances of inexplicable sightings of the recently deceased. Especially if the dates coincide with any of the decapitations."

Again, the old man navigated the records via computer, and handed Itō copies. "Gruesome business, I say."

"Very," Itō agreed. "But it can't be helped. Arigatō gozaimasu," he said with a bow.

"Iie, do itashimashite," the old man responded with a crinkled smile.

Itō tucked the papers into his haori and began to think about a place to sit down and work, and also to check his bug and confirm that his reports had been delivered.

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kaoru sat on the lowest steps at the base of the white tower known as Senzaikyuu. He was leaning all of his weight against the side wall, eclipsed in its shadow. Hair of a saffron shade fell in waves over his shoulders as his upper body was slightly hunched forward. Uneven bangs fell into his face, hiding eyes the color of purple irises. Pristine tears trailed down his cheeks, leaving behind harsh trails that dried on his pale skin. What had put the third seat in such a disheveled and unkempt state?

"Kusa... I can't believe that you're really gone... Why? How could this have happened...? Oniichan...", shattered words passed from his lips as more tears formed within his eyes. The shinigami brought both of his hands up to cover his face; hide the tears from view. Not but a few hours ago had he learned of the death of his younger brother, Kusa. Kusa had been assigned to tenth company but he had been found dead earlier that morning, his body drained of every last drop of reishi. The corpse was discovered in an alley that rarely ever saw visitors. No further information was given to the elder brother. His death was so sudden and unexpected that it had hit Kaoru like a ton of bricks. Even now, the sheer raw pain of losing his only kin was slowly eating away at his heart, threatening to devour it completely.

The third seat had come all the way out to the Senzaikyuu so that no one would see him caught in the throes of sorrow. He especially could not allow the other members of eleventh company to see him in this state. That would not only be disgraceful to Kaoru himself, but it was also unheard of for any member in eleventh company to be so uncontrolling of their emotions. Real men did not cry. Did not give themselves over to the mental pain and anquish. Or at least that's what he had come to see in those around him. But there was something else. A teaching from his days in the Academy that was constantly nagging at him in the back of his mind. From behind his hands, his lips managed to form the words.

"We should not shed tears.
That is a surrender of the body to the heart.
It is only proof that...
We are beings that do not know...
What to do with our hearts."

Those words stung at him. He knew that they were in place for a reason; knew that he should at least try to obey them and reprimand himself. But Kaoru just could not help himself. Now that he thought about it... Was he really out here because he did not want to be found by anyone? Or did he come out here believing that someone would find him? Did he really want to be found in such a sorry state? Was he hoping that someone would find him and offer up some sort of comfort? At the moment, he really could not discern which was the truth. His hands fell away from his face so that he could wrap them tightly around his own body as it shook from another wave of tears. "Why the hell am I so weak...?"

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

"Niichan, why are you crying?"

An all too familiar voice suddenly captured Kaoru's immediate attention. He slowly forced himself to look up from the ground. Only to find himself staring straight into a pair of ember orange eyes. The eyes of his younger brother. Kusa was standing just a few feet away in front of him, a soft smile gracing his lips. His naginata was secured in the strap upon his back. Kaoru began to shake uncontrollably.

"But... Kusa, you were... You're supposed to be dead! They told me that you'd been killed this morning...", the elder brother exclaimed.

"Well, that's rather disappointing. I thought that you'd be happy to see me again.", Kusa appeared unphased by the information that his sibling had just recounted.

He brought his right hand back to grasp the handle of his naginata, drawing it from its holster. Kaoru's purple eyes widened slightly as the other now held the weapon towards him. Immediately experiencing a sense of overwhelming fear, he managed to push himself up off of the steps and onto his feet. The third seat also made sure to move off of the stairs so that he wasn't trapped within the area.

"Kusa, what are you doing...? You wouldn't attack your own kin... would you...?", his voice was shattered in several places.

The smile that had previously been on Kusa's lips then dissolved into a devious smirk as he lunged forward, raising the naginata above his head. He then quickly swung it down in an arch that was aimed straight for his big brother. Kaoru was slow to react, only barely managing to dodge to the side. However, he didn't escape unscathed. The blade of the naginata cut into the fabric of his hakama on the left leg. A thin red line appeared as blood welled up from the small wound.

"Damn... So you can still move. Ah well, should be more fun this way.", Kusa said, turning to face his sibling once again.

Kaoru brought one hand to his waist, drawing his fan from the obi. He held it lightly, letting the blades fall open of their own accord. Though it was clearly seen that he was still shaking severly, as his grip on the fan was unsteady. "... Who are you? There's no way that you can be my younger brother... Yet why do you wear Kusa's face?", he forced the words to form in his mouth.

"You shouldn't worry so much. Besides, even if I answered you, you wouldn't remain alive long enough to comprehend everything."

Then Kusa dashed forward to strike at him again. The two became embrawled in a hack and slash fight, which included a lot of dodges and counter attacks on Kaoru's part. Yes, he was the third seat of eleventh division, but he wasn't prepared to fight his own flesh and blood in a life or death battle. Nothing could have prepared him for that. Unfortunately, since he'd become entangled in the fight while in such a broken state, he recieved some injuries that were more critical than just a cut on his leg. Finally, the only thing that he could do was turn and run, hoping to run into help along the way. His feet carried him away from the base of the Senzaikyuu as fast as they could.

"Someone! Anyone! Help!", whatever air that he drew into his lungs was released in screams and pleas for help. Kaoru didn't have to look behind him to know that Kusa was trailing him along the surrounding rooftops. He just hoped desperately that his speed was just a little bit faster. "You won't escape me, brother!", Kusa's words reached him, and he attempted to ignore them as he continued running and screaming.

[Gol D. Roger]

An inch thick sheaf of documents, and a bag lunch. What a way to spend the afternoon, Itō silently lamented. He'd take the shade of a tree, grassy hills as far as the eye could see, and a small jug of sake any day.

But then again, looking out over the Seireitei, he knew he'd never trade what he had now for the pastimes of yesterday. He had waited too long to return to the Gotei 13, and to his great honor, he had been appointed Taichō. And yet, in some Divisions the station remained unfilled. He was needed now, perhaps more than ever. So...

Time to start reading. Scanning the skyline, his eye could not help but be drawn to that great white pillar, the bastion called Senzaikyū. Despite its rather ominous purpose, it was a marvel of architecture. Sitting for lunch beneath its shade might actually be nice.

As he took off towards the tower, he couldn't help thinking of the Muratas back at the Rukongai dojo; Ōtomo, his top student; but most of all, Akiko... He hoped she would enter the Shinigami Academy soon. He knew that once she graduated, she would make an excellent officer...

Flares of reiatsu suddenly burst into Itō's awareness. They were coming from the direction of the Senzaikyū. With a sigh, he tucked his bag lunch into his haori as securely as possible. Never a dull moment.

And then he was zipping through the air, his shunpō carrying him at top speeds.

"Someone! Anyone! Help!"

Almost as soon as the words hit his ears, Itō spotted them.

"You won't escape me, brother!"

In a split second, he flash stepped between them, drawing his zanpakutō.

"You've been caught committing an aggravated assault on another shinigami. Your brother, no less," he said, his face stone cold. "Now why don't you explain to me what you think you're doing, or you're the one who won't escape."

The aggressor said nothing, possibly figuring out what to do next. Itō glanced back at the wounded shinigami, his voice lowered. "What's happened here?"

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kaoru stopped running. A massive spiritual pressure held him in place where he stood. He sensed that his brother had haulted as well, and turned around with a desire to know what had stalled them. His purple eyes fell upon a haori jacket. One of the squad captains had intervined between them. The third seat could not have possibly been more grateful to him.

"I was informed that my younger brother had been killed this morning... But was given none of the details surrounding his death. However, my brother stands before you now... Weilding his zanpakuto as well as any living shinigami.", Kaoru managed to give a steady response to the superior officer.

Across the distance between them, the imposter calling himself Kusa smirked. He lowered the naginata down towards the ground and made no further moves. "Hmm... Would you like to know something interesting, Niichan? My real feelings towards you?"

Kaoru looked at him, remaining quiet.

"You're weak, and you deserve to die. Despite being born into a noble family, you care nothing for honor or status. You reject your true breeding and continue on as though you're some street hound. You're always letting others trample over you without even so much as a harsh word. In short, you're just a rose whose stem will bend and break under the slightest bit of pressure. Killing you might do something to at least preserve the family's status.", Kusa smiled as he brought the naginata upwards from the ground. "Thrive, Yorufuchi! (Night Abyss!)"

There was a sudden spike in his spiritual energy as he unsealed his Shikai. The naginata transformed into a shining blade composed of pure light. Dark swirls of mist surrounded the light blade, giving it an ominous countenance. He pointed the blade towards them, directing the mist at them as well. Kaoru's eyes widened as he ran in front of the taichou. "Careful, that mist is poisonous.", he said, bringing his fan up. A strong gale had begun to encircle the fan, acting as a barrier against the invading mist.

[Thantos-Espada]

Sai flumped slothfuly from the 11th devision HQ. most of his Squad where away, nearly all seated officers. it was quite relaxing to him. he like working alone anyway. he had kept up todate with the events that had been happening if onyl he had been told earlier he could have helped in the investigation. working with the others of the Gotei 13 was a problem thoguh.


most of them resented the 11th devision. due to its pure blood lust. Sai loved fighting there was no doubt but actually killing his opponents? and these assassins that had attack the Seretei. no way would he do somthing that cowardly.

He strolled towards the 4th devision morg that had been the main area the events occured. the report he got as a 3rd seat was that there was a grusom murding and following they could find no evidence to point at who the culprate was.

as if they where killed by a ghost, there was a report that a kadavor, a former member of the 4th had caused an exsplosion, thinking this kadavor was the reason behind the assult. the investigation was terminated there.



Sai yawned.

"These damn stealthy types have no idea what honor is..." he then had a thoguht.

even thoguh the kadavor was destroyed, was its master? Sai spun in a tight cirle before leaping with speed onto a nearby roof. and in the blink of and eye. he was running, he ws not amazing at flash steps and beleive them to be a waste of time. when his running speed was far above anything simple move.

"Maybe the 2nd devision would know somthing. their the stealth force squad and should know how to track an assalant of this quality."

[Gol D. Roger]

Itō placed a reassuring hand on Kaoru's shoulder. "Do not worry," he said. "This man is not your brother. He is nothing but a copy."

With that, he stepped in front of the other shinigami. "And he picked the wrong day to challenge me. I'm in no mood for mercy." He held out Akebonohtori, pointing it straight at Kusa's eyes. "Surrender yourself, and tell me about your master, or I'll be forced to dispatch you here and now."

The clone merely chuckled, and the mists grew thicker.

"Fine then," Itō said, his voice calm. Deadly calm. A predator waiting to pounce.

Like a rushing fountain, reiatsu, red and orange, the color of flame, erupted from him. As it burst forth, Kusa's smoke was washed away by the sheer force of it. Itō's eyes flickered like fire. And then...

Faster than the eye could see, the blade of Akebonohtori was suddenly pressed against Kusa's throat, crimson droplets of blood beading against the curved metal surface. Positioned behind the clone, Itō leaned in, speaking low in his ear. "One more chance. Tell me everything. Or die."

Kusa glanced back at the Taichō as best he could, gritting his teeth. A single bead of sweat rolled down his forehead. Time to make a choice...

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kusa's demeanor abruptly changed. He closed his eyes, mouth conforming to a cynical smile. His grip on Yorufuchi released and the weapon fell to the dirt below without any sense of reverence. "Hmph. Kill me. Another copy will simply come along and replace me. But the result will be the same. You won't be getting your answers from me.", he said quietly, resolved to death. Not that he was ever truly alive to begin with.

Kaoru watched the scene unfold from just a few paces away. He had been greatly relieved by the knowledge that his real brother wasn't the one attacking him. His hand had come up to shield his eyes as Ito unleashed his flaming reiatsu in a brilliant blaze. It would have been quite a beautiful attack had it not been quite so deadly in combination. The mere pressure of it suddenly forced his battered body to its knees and he remained in the position while listening and waiting for the clone to respond to the taichou.

Kusa's answer came. Kaoru felt nothing towards the decision he'd made. Instead, the third seat merely folded his fan up, replacing it in his obi as though that were a more important task to perform. Though the words the clone had said before were still like thorns pricking his already bruised skin. He sincerely hoped that Ito would not inquire him about it after Kusa's on the spot execution was over. "Please... Just silence him..."

[Gol D. Roger]

"Please... Just silence him..."

Needing no further encouragement, Itō prepared to draw Akebonohtori across Kusa's throat, when suddenly...

The clone began to convulse, limbs shuddering. Itō took a step back, motioning for Kaoru to do the same. Despite the apparent pain he was in, Kusa was smiling, laughing.

"It seems... my Master took some... contingency measures, after all... Can't be... too careful after... Daichi's... failure..." he managed to utter, before the spasms overtook his body entirely, and he collapsed, writhing on the ground.

And yet, he continued to laugh.

A moment later, there was a bright flash, and the copy of Kusa disintegrated into dust.

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

In his current position, which was something of a sitting position, Kaoru couldn't move as easily as he would've been comfortable with. But he did his best to move his body back as Ito motioned for him to do so. When Kusa became spasmodic, laughing like a mental patient, the elder brother closed his eyes and turned his head away from it. Even if that thing was just a copy of his brother he still could not bring himself to watch it meets its end in such a way.

The poor shinigami still had no idea of what was going on. Of why his brother had been killed and then cloned. He was more than a little hesitant to ask Ito-taichou... After all, his status was merely third seat. Since the medical squad had not informed him of any details surrounding Kusa's sudden death, Kaoru sort of doubted that he'd be told anything even if he asked directly. Though, maybe since he'd become directly involved in this, there was a slim chance that he deserved to know what was going on. It was worth a shot.

"Um... May I inquire as to what has just transpired here, Ito-taichou...?", Kaoru asked softly, looking up from his place on the ground.

[Thantos-Espada]

Sai stepped up to the entrance to the 2nd division HQ, and it was huge, black clothes guards partollled its gates like a fortress of its own. the 2nd division control over the stealth teams was truly an impressive sight.

Sai stared up at it as 2 guards walked up to him. their hands firmly gripped their daggers, as they addressed him.

"What business do you have with the Second division?" asked the closest, walking directly up to Sai.


Sai grinned, he loved the way nobody knew him, being so new to the Gotei 13. "I'm the 3rd seat of the 11th division and im here to Speak to your captain." after this he ignored the 2 guards and stroled in throught the gate.

"But Sir, the captains is indesposed at the moment."

Sai turned, a blank and un amused look upon his face. "What?"

"The captain is away on a secret mission and isn't within the Seretei."

Sai grunted before swiverling and heading back out the gate. he smiled thought, atleast one thing could be ticked of his list of things to do. Just then, there was somthing faint in the air. like a warming heatwave. its tingling strands of Rietsu where some of the smallest Sai had felt and being amonst the other rietsu powers flowing back and forth it was hard to pin point, but it wasn't that of a shinigami.

Sai finally found a rough direction of the source and Vanished, appearing again above the roofs. and blasting towards Ito and Kaoru. once he had arived he was stood outside a building. Upon thinking that its best to not intrude on a captain, Sai could sence his overwhelming rietsu through the walls, and patiantly leant against the wall outside.

[Gol D. Roger]

((Ouch. Well, whoever's character was approved first should probably get the position.))

"I can't tell you much," Itō said. "I will say that the person who killed your brother is also responsible for his reanimation. For now, anything more than that could pose a security risk."

He replaced Akebonohtori in its sheath and knelt, examining the dust that had once been Kusa's clone. "Well... I would add that you may not have seen the last of your brother. Be wary."

Suddenly, he stood, his eyes shifting to a nearby wall. He had felt someone using shunpō a moment ago, and then their reiatsu had abruptly stopped nearby. He placed his hand on the pommel of his zanpakutō. "We have a visitor."

"I am Itō Haruki, Rokubantai-Taichō. If you are a friend, then reveal yourself," he said, loud enough for his voice to carry to the unknown person.

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Well, at least the taichou had given him an answer. It was better and more helpful than the utter silence he had recieved from the medical squad. Nonetheless, he lowered his purple gaze to the ground. "Oh, I see... All right, I understand, Ito-taichou.", Kaoru replied quietly.

At the mention of a visitor, he lifted his head once again. In his current condition, he would be no use in combat if the need arose for it. The injuries that had been inflicted on him by Kusa were already taking their toll. The third seat couldn't even stand up. He sighed forlornly and placed a hand over his obi where his fan rested. If nothing else, he could use wind-based attacks from his position on the floor.

[Thantos-Espada]

(((OOC- Aye, my bad... though i did check it, must have thoguht your where inactive or somthing. i can move to 4th or 2nd seat tho, and to decide maybe we should have a duel. like that way it is in the 11th squad. just make thread to fight in or somthing. if i win, i take 2nd seat. if i lose i take 4th seat. that way you wont lose nomatter the outcome.)))


Sai spun about the corner elegantly flowing into the room. his hair a gentle grey of his peacful tone.

as he blinked his took in all the infomation in the room, like a photograph. he stared at the wounded shinigami on the floor. his first thought was what had happened, and his second was the well being of this shinigami.

"Ito-Taichou... um, whats going on?" he asked in a rather cocky tone, almost making out that the captain had caused this, seeing as he was hte only other perso in the room.

Sai simply stared his hair changing to the shadowy grey colour of concern.

[Gol D. Roger]

Itō gestured at Kaoru. "This shinigami was injured by an attacker. I've already dealt with them..." He trailed off, taking in the strange, changing hair of Sai.

"Well, anyway, I'll be handling the matter of the culprit myself, but this man could certainly use medical attention." He looked the newcomer up and down. This fellow was... well, too conspicuous to be working for the enemy.

The way in which he'd stumbled upon them also belied the man's lack of knowledge of the situation. Besides, Itō doubted there would be any use in further assaulting the wounded twin, who obviously had not a clue as to what was happening. Whether the man was entirely trustworthy had yet to be discerned, but Itō was sure that he could at least entrust injured man's safety to him.

"Would you mind taking him to seek medical help, uh..." He looked expectantly at Sai, waiting for him to identify himself. It was then that he realized he didn't know the other shinigami's name, either. "And I'm afraid I haven't asked for your name," he said to Kaoru. "Perhaps introductions are in order."

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kaoru was just a little bit surprised to see one of the other seated officers from his own squad enter the room. Though, unfortunately for him, he just could not recall what the man's name was. Only Sai's varying hair color allowed him to recognize the other. He immediately moved his hand off of the fan and let it fall into his lap. It was now apparent that there was no more danger coming for the time being.

He lowered his gaze to the floor, his pale cheeks now a light shade of red from embarrassment. His long purple hair fell around his face like a curtain, clashing with the red of his cheeks. The shinigami was truly ashamed of his current state.

Naturally, as fate would have it, there was also a Captain and a fellow squad member present to bare witness to his disappointing state.

As Ito-Taichou turned and addressed him directly, Kaoru jumped. He finally turned his gaze up so that he was looking at the other shinigami. "Oh...", he said quietly, realizing that none of them had exchanged their names as of yet. "I'm Kaoru Miyazaki, 3rd Seat of 11th Company."

[Thantos-Espada]

Sai's eye's widened. this person, was higher ranked then him? but he allowed himself to be defeated in this manner?

"Sai Amilay... 4th seat of the 11th division."


his hair was now gentley flowing into shades of red, and lightred. to show a slight sence of anger. but not rage.

"Miyazaki-sama... you are hurt, and as Ito-taichou has surgested, i will take you to the forth division medical wing..."

with that sai, nodded to Ito, before lifting the wounded bloody body of Kaoru into his arms like a child. before swiftly turning and walking out the door. Sai then leapt to the roof infront of him, to get some bearing on the 4th division. upon locating it sai began to shunpo.

"So... what the hell happened, i take it you made the person that did this to you pay?"

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

The sudden changing of Sai's hair from grey to red caught Kaoru's attention. If the grey had symboled concern, then he assumed red meant anger. It didn't really surprise Kaoru that the sixth seat was mad. But his thoughts were suddenly interrupted as Sai said his name. Though the honorfic of respect certainly wasn't needed.

"Thank you, Amilay-san...", he replied quietly before turning his gaze to Ito. "Thank you as well, Ito-Taichou. I hope that your investigation is successful."

Kaoru cringed slightly as Sai lifted him from the floor. He noticed the shinigami was taking care to be as gentle as he could manage, and was grateful for it. Kusa's clone had been at least three times as strong as his real younger brother. The injuries he had inflicted were bad but if he had landed a solid blow, Kaoru was sure that he would have been killed. His purple eyes shut tight as Sai began a series of Shunpo.

"It started this morning. I was told that my brother had been murdered. But... then I was attacked by a clone of him. I wasn't in any sort of mental state to fight it, and I didn't anticipate that it's strength would be triple of what my brother's was. In the end, I was wounded and forced to flee from the battle. Luckily, Ito-Taichou heard me calling for help. He's the only reason I'm still alive right now. Right now, he's investigating the murders and who's behind them, as well as the clones of the deceased. That's all that I know...", Kaoru brought a hand up to cover his closed eyes.

"In answer to your question, Amilay-san... No, I wasn't able to make that clone pay for anything that he did. I... I don't blame you for being angered by the thought that there is a weakling among your squad..."

[Thantos-Espada]

Sai grinned.

"I don't care for weakness..."

Sai knew in his mind only 2 options laid before him. he could either allow himself to be lead into battle by this man, the timid and frail one layed in his arms. the one unable to make blood for blood, the vow taken by all 11th squad members. or to fight Kaoru in a duel. a duel to elevate that Sai should hold high rank and honor.


"The second you've been healed. i wan't you to head out to the Ken-Kai Arena. you know the place?"

said Sai a harsh tone in his voice. but he wasn't doing this to hurt or betray Kaoru, but in the 11th squad strength is key to victory, and Sai had to measure Kaoru before, he was prepared to serve under him.

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kaoru wasn't in the least bit surprised as he heard Sai's return comment. Unfortunately, since his eyes were closed and covered by his hand, he missed the grin that adorned itself upon the other shinigami's lips.

He cringed, a whimper escaping his mouth before he could bite it back. His wounds continued to bleed and cause him deep pain. Sai's arms were covered in crimson. Kaoru's purple hair was damp with blood. At the time, he believed that the Shunpo just wasn't fast enough in getting him to the fourth division medical center.

But then his immediate attention was captured by Sai's voice. The tone was harsh... However, the words uttered were far worse. At the mention of Ken-Kai arena, Kaoru realized that the other shinigami was directly challenging him. His hand fell from his face to rest in lap. Eyes the color of purple irises were opened wide as he stared up at the other's face.

"... A... all right... Amilay-san... I will go to the arena after my injuries have been healed. For what it's worth, I'm grateful for your assistance in getting to the medical center... Arigato...", Kaoru replied, his voice quiet as he closed his eyes again.

[Thantos-Espada]

"The arena was said to be the place our captain obtained his control of the 4th division. Its not that i beleive you to be weak, but i wish to mesure you against all of my might..."

Saiwas now concentrating on only one thing, getting Kaoru to help. Soon after he gently slowed and stopped.

Stepping into the 4th division HQ, he ignored the Questions hitting him on all sides, and simply pushed doors open with his feet untill he found a nice looking room for Kaoru to stay in.

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

"I understand, Amilay-san. I will honor your wish and join you in the arena as soon as it is possible for me to do so.", Kaoru replied, going quiet as the two of them entered the fourth division medical center. He honestly didn't want to answer to any of the barrage of questions that rained down on them from the squad members. Thankfully, Sai just walked past them and kept searching until he found a vacant room. Kaoru stayed down as the other set him on the bed. "I guess I'll be seeing you soon then, Amilay-san.", he said with a small smile up at the other shinigami.

(Shall we move to the Duel Thread now, since there isn't a whole lot more that they can do or say in this one?)

[Thantos-Espada]

Sai simply stared. smiling inside, yet his face remaining emotionless, He wouldn't kill this person, but if he had to, Sai would imobilize him. rendering useless, that would also need to be avoided. Sai knew Kaoru was strong enough to be selecte as a 3rd seat. so dont under estimate him due to his timidness...


"Good day, i will call some medical staff to heal you..."


Sai walked out


((( Ya we can move to the Arena, and I'm now the 5th seat... ¬ ¬ just got bitched at again for having a seated plce some else has said, Not matter that mine was approved and made first...^^ ok, so if i win i get 2nd, that way you wont have to move.)))

[shinikage]

<Shinn fujiwara, 11th division>
Shinn wandered around the seireitei. The current issues were somewhat amazing. It kinda disturbed him that such event could happen while a lot of people were left clueless. 11th division, as the strongest division, should be the one protecting seireitei. "Yet we almost weren't involved at the event at all", he thought. It wasn't an anger, it was more like he felt ashamed. He jumped on the roof and shunpoed, not knowing what he was looking for. Wandering around like this calmed him a bit and gave him time to think. "The fact that the murderer could mimic the victim might mean they can easily intrude, if they disposed or hid the original body", he thought again. He jumped off the roof, head first. On the critical time, he curled his body and turned his upside down position back to normal. His feet harshly hit the floor, and soon after, he shunpoed. "I hope it can be solved soon", he thought.

(( OOC: I don't put my seat until the chaos is solved lol ))

[Dizzy]

Ryuzawa Ken, the 11th Division's 5th Seat, lumbered up to Shinn, looking just as stupid as always. The man had given new meaning to the stereotype of thuggery, managing to fulfill every related label - he was boorish, rude, severely lacking in hygiene, lecherous, and most of all, incredibly dim-witted. Built like a gorilla and possessing similar mannerisms, one could make a strong argument for him being the missing link between man and ape.

Despite the brain deficiency, however, he made up for it in brawn - indeed, his reiatsu could rival a third seat's, while his physical strength often exceeded that. Further proof that hard work in gaining strength was no match for dumb luck in the grander scheme of things.

"You heard 'bout them killings lately?" he grunted, digging into his left ear with a pinky. "Heh heh heh, I wouldn't mind fightin' whoever did it."

He began to either squint at something in the horizon or intensify his concentration on whatever was clogging his port-side ear, narrowing his gaze and furrowing his brow, while wriggling his finger into the crevasse with increased fervor.

[Gol D. Roger]

((Just so you guys know, I've been sick most of the week. I'll be back to posting when I'm better.))

[shinikage]

((hope you get better, Gol D Roger. Btw, Dizzy, I think you should change the rank of the NPC <it's NPC, right?> Read my PM about it))



Shinn looked back at the talker. He was standing in front of a man that somehow looked like a gorilla. It seemed that he was in 11th division like Shinn was, but he couldn't remember a name. Shinn was not the type who liked to talk, but for now, he needed info. Looking at the man with a cold expression he always wore, he went straight to the point.
"Yea. And what do you know about it?"

[Dizzy]

(Get well soon, Gol! And hopefully, my rationale has become clear enough in my return PM. Just gotta tell Thanatos now.)

After quite a pause, the obscene man wrenched his pinky out of his ear, inspected the contents, and wiped it onto his shinigami robes, utterly nonplussed by the question.

"What?" he wondered aloud. "Uhh ... well I know that thing or whatever'd prob'ly be a damned good fight."

At the thought of smashing heads together and punching things, his mouth broke out into a repulsive, gap-toothed grin. The condition of his plaque-stained, greasy yellow teeth was enough to send a dentist into convulsions.

"Whadda you know about it?" he asked, his simian countenance rearranging itself into a frown - the closest thing to thoughtful that one could imagine his malnourished brain as being able to simulate.

[shinikage]

A thought suddenly appeared in Shinn's mind. If the criminal really intruded in the gotei 13, it would have been better if they targetted him. After all, he was a battle addict like the rest of 11th squad members, in spite of his like-I-care look.

All he needed to do was to make people thought he knew a lot. 'The first one to be fooled might be this guy', he thought.

"Quite a lot actually. I just found a possibility that some captain might overlook. The criminal might intrude by replacing the original member of gotei 13. That might happen if he has disposed of the body or hidden them. It should be hard to hide it outside Seireitei since people might see that person carrying dead body all the way. And he need to collaborate with gate guardian for that. I should check some guy who can do corpse disposal kido or kido to make things invisible. I think one guy in 11th can do it, although I can't remember the name. But it's not like he's the only one capable of doing so, so I should ask people about other people capable of doing such kidos. Do you know any? And I should check some gate guardian. It's still possible that that person is someone from outside who is capable of mimicking a shinigami. And if that's the case, gate guardians are the ones to suspect. That's all I can tell you. The remaining parts of what I know are classified. Sorry, but given the possibility the culprit is someone around, I should be more careful about what info I give to people. It's easier to move if the opponent doesn't know what we know."

He wanted to sigh, but he didn't. The explanation was way too long for him while even a word was quite a pain for him. 'I hope it works', he thought. 'Since this guy doesn't look that smart, he might believe I know a lot from the length of my speech.'

[Dizzy]

Ryuzawa was taken aback; he hadn't expected anything close to this fountain of words. His expression looked dumbfounded, then for a split second, he grimaced uncomfortably before his face returned to its regular confused look. Scratching his head in an remarkably ape-like manner, the man looked as if he was trying to digest the information but incapable of squeezing so many words into his skull at once.

"Too much talkin' hurts head," he grunted. "You sure know lots 'bout this criminal-guy. Maybe if I follow you, I can find him and fight 'im and break 'is bones, heh heh."

He guffawed once more at the thought of violence, though this time, it sounded more subdued and forced. His simian posture had straightened a bit, and he was now watching Shinn with a piqued interest - and not merely because of the other shinigami's giant deluge of words, it was almost as if something was behind his eyes.

"Better hurry," smirked Ryuzawa, looking skywards, apparently relishing the thought of finding the criminal and pounding whoever it was. "Be harder ta find when it's dark."

[shinikage]

'It works', Shinn thought. "You haven't answered me. Do you know anyone with disposal kido or kido to make things invisible?"
He turned his body and prepared to run again. After all, this guy said he will follow Shinn. So there was no need to wait.
"I prefer being alone, but if you want to follow me, just do it."
He ran without lowering his guard. He didn't forget that this guy could also be the criminal. 'I think I should spread the rumor that I know a lot, and ask people about such kidos. For now, I'll head for the 4th division', he thought.

[Dizzy]

"Kidou?" spat Ryuzawa. "People 'oo use kidou are weaklin's, why would I ever talk ta them? Prob'ly mosta Seireitei uses it, cos everyone outside 11th is a buncha pansies."

As Shinn burst into a run, Ryuzawa followed, his simian lope keeping pace with the speed of his superior officer. He guffawed again when the latter spoke. "Course I'll follow you, you've got me all excited 'bout fightin' whoever this guy is."

As if to illustrate his point, he yanked his zanpakuto out of his scabbard and waved it wildly in the air, in apparent anticipation at what would happen once he found the criminal. The show was amusing, both in its flamboyancy and in how ridiculous it looked. However, probably due to a lack of propensity for multitasking within his arid brain, he also began to lag behind.

Once he fell back to about a foot behind Shinn, Ryuzawa lunged fiercely at the other shinigami, sword now poised in a controlled swipe at the retreating man's back.

[shinikage]

'What?'

The sudden killing intent shocked Shinn. Instinctively, he sped up, changing his run into a shunpo. It was a bit late. The back of his shinigami uniform was cut. And there was a shallow cut on his back. It was fortunate that he was a speed-based fighter. He turned back. The speed of his shunpo remained, pushing him backward while his feet tried to brake.

He stared at Ryuzawa, trying to understand the situation.
'A nibble? This fast?' It seemed that his bait was eaten.
He unsheathed his zanpakuto, and pointed it at Ryuzawa.
"What does this mean?"

[Dizzy]

Ryuzawa looked rather shocked himself; his face had contorted itself into a look of utmost confusion at his arm.

"Wha - " he spluttered, "What's goin' on? Why can't I move?"

With a yelp, his body stuttered forwards, apparently outside of his accord, moving erratically and as if it lacked full control. Eventually, it managed to assume a fighting position, leveling his sword arm and pointing it towards Shinn's neck.

"This ain't funny," Ryuzawa whimpered, panic overcoming his composure, with a cold sweat running down his face. "I dunno who's doin' this, but this ain't fuckin' funny."

[shinikage]

Shinn continued to stare. The words Ryuzawa said were unexpectable.
'Is it a trap? Or did he say the truth?' he thought. Another idea entered his head. 'Could it be.. the reason no reiatsu were detected is that the victims committed suicide?' He stopped thinking further. For now the most important thing was this fight.
"Flap your wings, Jigoku chidori!" he said the command of his shikai release. Fighting against people who were unwilling to fight and harm him was against his ideals, but he needed to prepare himself if it was a trap. Also, if it wasn't, he should knock him out without doing much harm. Most people would lower their strength for it, but Shinn knew that to win a fight without doing much harm to the opponent, he had to be stronger than his opponent. Also, chidori's tricks might be useful in this fight. It had simple ability, but in fact, if being used correctly, it was a very tricky zanpakuto.
In her own realm, a bird opened her purple eyes. She was slightly bored since this fight might be less bloody than she wanted. As Shinn said the shikai command, she started flying, moving toward nothingness.
The zanpakuto disappeared. Red auras covered Shinn's hands, and soon transformed into red metal gloves. Two red katanas were formed, one in each hand. He waited for Ryuuzawa to attack.
'It seems that he still can control what he says. That way, if he says the truth, he won't use shikai. Except if the enemy does something to get more control. I shouldn't assume that the controlling ability has been used in it's full capability. I should knock him out fast.'
"Sorry, but I have to knock you out. Please don't use Shikai."
((When I write '...' it is a thought, and when I write "..." it is the one said.))

[Thantos-Espada]

Sai grinned.

His latest victory still hung in his mind even though, he still could taste the unease on the Air. a certain disgusting wetness swallowed his lungs.

He knew somthing bad would happen soon. the Gotei 13 where not yet as atune to the investigation as Sai would have thought. thought he himself could do no better. He decided to take an important mission under his belt. Finding out

what kind of Explosive was used when the Cadavor commited Suicide.

Sai didn't know where to start, so maybe asking someone who was present. Miss rayne Himura for starts.

[Dizzy]

(OOC: Sorry about the wait, Shinikage, must've overlooked this thread or something >>)

Ryuzawa lurched forwards awkwardly, one step after another, towards Shinn, eyes wide with fear as the latter released his zanpakuto.

"H - hold on," he spluttered, panicking his head off now, "What are you going to do with that?"

His body gave one more hesitant stagger forward, and then it halted, still as a statue. Ryuzawa's eyes betrayed his horror and disbelief; even if he could hack and slash his way through a battalion, he was powerless against this intangible force controlling his body.

Ryuzawa's arm twitched. His entire body convulsed for a split second. His eyes glazed over, and he slumped forwards, gagging.

[Gol D. Roger]

With the departure of Kaoru and Sai, Itō had finally been left to his own devices yet again. With his stomach now gurgling indignantly, he decided to simply settle down where he was, sitting in the cool shade of a nearby building.

After a few minutes picking over his now cold lunch, he reached into the folds of his haori and withdrew the series of documents he'd procured earlier.

The old incident reports soon proved fruitless. Nearly all of the perpetrators who were responsible for murders along the same lines in recent history had been apprehended and executed. And as for the rare few that had eluded capture, their modus operandi were too far removed from the current killer's methods.

As the day passed on, the pile of discarded papers grew larger and larger. It was getting close to late afternoon, and with his frantic perusal of the documents, Itō's eyes were becoming so tired that he could hardly focus on the words anymore.

He was about to give up, when a certain report suddenly caught his attention. Spirit Body Reconstitution: Principles and Theory by Dr. Kurotsuchi Toshio.

Rejuvenated, Itō flipped past the title page...

...only to be greeted with disappointment. The vast majority of the document had been blacked out, impossible to read. The only parts that remained were the opening paragraphs.

It is a well established fact that those dwelling in the dimensional plane known as, 'Soul Society,' can only exist in said space by inhabiting spiritual bodies composed of particles identical to those which constitute any and all structure, atmosphere, and indeed, life itself, within this sphere.

In the Living World, material particles have certain fixed properties, which in turn limit them to specific combinations and functions. Obviously, living bodies are also made up of the particles contained specifically in that realm. However, the similarities end there.

For whatever reason, which is both inconsequential to this specific work, and beyond the scope of current scientific analytical technology to understand, particles within Soul Society are only fixed insomuch as retaining a specific form or function, but are ultimately malleable, mutable.

In fact, my esteemed father ██████████ ██████'s research on the lifeforms known as, 'Quincy,' have proven that spirit particles can actually be broken down and manipulated at their most basic level.

This, in turn, leads me to a profound question. If the same particles that make up our surroundings also compose our bodies, then can we not essentially recreate one's body from the very, 'stuff,' of which our dimension is made?

Again, my honored father broke ground in this field, though it was unbeknownst to him at the time. He was able to dissolve his own body into what one might call, 'basic spiritual matter,' and then recompose it through machinery of his own design in the 12th Division. Of course, this was only a contingency measure based on self-preservation, but I have found within this technique the principles to apply this to any spiritual body, even to such an extent as to recreate bodies already in existence.

And so ██████████...

The rest was blotted out. Itō hurriedly went through the full document, but it was all the same. Blacked out. Except...

The last page. Well, it was still impossible to read, but someone had scrawled a note in the margins: "Security hazard. Dr. Kurotsuchi relegated to Maggot's Nest."

"Maggot's Nest," Itō murmured to himself. He didn't what or where it was, but this Dr. Kurotsuchi's research was chillingly close to what seemed to be occuring at this very moment. He would need to seek him out, and fast.

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kaoru hadn't been far behind Sai. He continued to walk softly behind the other, a gentle smile on his lips. At the end of their battle, he had agreed to assist Sai with this new part of the investigation. But since he didn't know all that much, even though he'd recently been attacked, he doubted that he'd be of much help. Without realizing it, he'd stopped walking, lost in his thoughts.

“Hmm...”, he sighed softly. “What am I doing? I couldn't even handle that duplicate of Kusa... So, why am I suddenly involved in all of this?” Kaoru stopped talking, bringing a hand to his head. “Ah well, I already told him that I would assist him.” He then ran to catch up with Sai, ending up beside him.

[Thantos-Espada]

"You tell me ya know, anything thats troubling you..."

Sai Paused.

he then smiled and carried on untill he arrived at the Building he was looking for. the 4th Division. where miss himura was residing.


(KK, sais going over to the 4th div, if u wanna come kaoru, feel free)

[Kaoru Miyazaki]

Kaoru looked up at Sai, listening to his words. He honestly hadn't been expecting to hear them but... It made him feel better about their whole situation. A smile touched his lips and he nodded softly to his friend. "Um, sure... We'll talk later, all right? For now, let's see what we can get done...", he replied, sticking close to Sai until they arrived at the 4th Division headquarters.

(Of course, sure thing.)

[shinikage]

((never mind. Btw, I was busy on Sunday, so I replied now :P ))

'It seems that his body is unstable', Shinn thought. 'That way I should attack first. I should take his sword away.'
In each of Shinn's hand, three knives were formed, occupying spaces between his fingers. He swang his arms, letting go of the knives that the six knives were thrown at Ryuuzawa. Meanwhile, he did shunpo, trying to attack from Ryuuzawa's left side.
'I'll swing my swords and and fight him in a short ranged combat. After all, my specialty is in close-ranged combat,' he thought.

[Dizzy]

[OOC: Okay, someone slap me the next time I forget about this thread.]

For a split second, Ryuzawa froze up, completely immobile, stock-still like he was made of stone. Then he leaped up, high enough to clear the rooftops and landing on a nearby building's overhang. The knives whizzed harmlessly through the space he had just occupied.

The 5th seat leered down at his opponent and lunged, sword outstretched, rocketing himself at Shinn and aiming to bisect him, laughing in a raspy voice that was not his own.

[shinikage]

Shinn swang his swords. He only hit a blank space, as his opponent had just jumped to avoid the knives. He turned back and looked at his opponent, thinking of another attack. Yet, Ryuuzawa didn't give him a chance. He dashed at Shinn directly while laughing. 'He laughed?' Shinn thought. 'So he may be under full control or he is tired of his act.' Shinn put his katanas in front of him, taking defensive stance. Ryuuzawa attacked him, trying to bisect him. Shinn managed to block the attack, but he was pushed backward slightly.
'This makes things easier. He comes right away without knowing my abilities.'
While Ryuuzawa's swords were still in contact with his, he moved his right forefinger that his right sword's hilt was now pinched by his forefinger and middle finger, while he pushed forward to keep Ryuuzawa's sword in contact with his. No sooner, two swords were formed in his right hand. One was between his middle and ring finger, and the other was between his ring and little finger. The three swords pinched Ryuuzawa's like a fork.
Shinn let go of his left swords. His right hand was suddenly moved aside and spun. He intended to move Ryuuzawa's sword away and grabbed it like a fork grabbing noodle. If he was lucky, he might even take away the opponent's sword with only this attack. His left hand was ready for a sudden punch.
'If he got thrown away while his sword is still pinched, he might lose his sword. If he blocks with his hand, I'll destroy the blocking hand by growing knives in my left hand, and give him another punch and pull the sword more during the shock created by pain. How good are you without your zanpakuto?'


(( wolverine XD , as I said, the specialty is close-ranged fight :D ))

[Dizzy]

It was an interesting technique, creating several swords to lock his own in place, probably following up with an attack from the other hand. Certainly a good idea in theory. On the other hand, it had several fundamental flaws - trying to hold that number of swords in one hand made his grip tenuous and the entire maneuver unwieldy. In addition to that, his hand's strength would be divided among all of his swords. A tricky style, but one that needed considerable polishing.

A new development - rather than attacking with his free hand, the 4th Seat attempted to disarm Ryuzawa by wrenching his zanpakuto away with his many blades. An optimistic, gullible fool. The other man probably though he had all of his bases covered with this interesting shikai, but Ryuzawa knew better.

Rather than try to hold his position and grapple between swords, which would leave himself open to attack and at a tactical disadvantage, he lunged in the direction that Shinn was pulling him, trying to topple his opponent's balance. At the same time, he twisted his zanpakuto with all of his might to shatter Shinn's hold on it, and once it had been freed, slashed heavily at the other man's left shoulder.

[shinikage]

((actually, there is sticky reiatsu in the hilt to enhance the grip, and they have small hilt too. And actually, Shinn also punched (by 'ready for a sudden punch' I actually mean Shinn was the one punching, sorry for the double meaning ^_^), so it's not 'rather than attacking with his free hand'. But I'll go along :D ))

The swords in his right hand was shattered. Shinn was shocked. Those were supposed to be fixed in his hand with reiatsu, but it seemed that he got too cocky that he had lost his concentration. The prisoned sword was released. And the opponent evaded his punch by moving toward Shinn's right hand.
The sword was swang at Shinn. He withdrew his right hand, trying to block the sword. It was too late that the sword almost broke his clavicle (the bone between neck and shoulder), but he managed to grab the sword with his right hand that was covered with metal glove, stopping it to get any deeper from his cracking bone.
He felt an intense pain. His concentration was shattered that the instinct took over. Instinctively, as the pain arose, he moved his left fist that was already moving to punch the enemy to the opponents right chest.
Out of his control, he grew four katanas. The one between his thumb and forefinger grew to the side that it was kinda meaningless.
But the remaining three grew toward Ryuuzawa's right chest, going for three direct stabs. With the speed of his punch and the sword's instantaneous growth, it was extremely hard to block or evade.
And Ryuuzawa's movement was restricted since his sword was grabbed.

[Dizzy]

[OOC: Ah, well you've got to mention that in your shikai's description, I can't factor in what I don't know.]

The fight was just getting better and better; it seemed that Shinn wasn't a stickler about taking pain either. It took considerable guts to try and catch a sword like that, even with his shikai's gauntlets. Now that he knew Ryuzawa to be a threat, it seemed he wasn't about to hold back on him either. Just like the spirit of their division.

This time, Shinn's glove had his zanpakuto in a far better grip than before; he wouldn't merely be able to rip it free this time. The metal glove covering his opponent's hands meant that he wouldn't be able to just go forwards with the flow either. There was no way to avoid the incoming katanas without losing his sword in the process.

He raised his left arm to take the attack; the blades slid into his flesh like a hot knife through butter, letting fly a crimson deluge of blood that stained the marble floors. There was no pain, no feeling in it at all. Ryuzawa contorted his simian face into a grin, and then responded with a kick aimed at the midsection, followed by trying to wrest his sword out of Shinn's grip and an attempt to skewer him.

[shinikage]

((I explained that in the katana's description))

Shinn was finally back to his sense. It was all merely a reflex. People would withdraw their hand after felt heat, but it seemed that Shinn's reflex was altered into 'go brutally when feel pain'.

Ryuuzawa blocked the sword with his arm, having it stabbed in the process. But he managed to stop the attack, giving him chance to kick Shinn away.

Shinn was thrown backward. He had a totally weak defence after all. His enemy continued attacking.

'Doesn't he feel pain? And why does he insist fighting in close combat without releasing his shikai? What might he plot?'
Ryuuzawa tried to stab him. There was no more time to think. Doing the same trick, he created three swords in his left hand. His right arm wasn't strong enough for the trick after the attack. He moved his swords forward, trying to put the enemy's sword in the space between his swords. He intended to twist them and pull Ryuuzawa's sword away to the left side. This time he had to disarm Ryuuzawa for sure. If it worked, Shinn will aim for Ryuuzawa's arm. Hitting it with the dull side of the katana created by his right hand.
But if it didn't work, he would have to hit the sword away with the katana created by his right hand.

[Dizzy]

[OOC: Huh, how the heck did I miss that? Sorry, my bad.]

The killer laughed softly to herself from her perch in the 12th Division; this excursion had been more interesting than she would've thought. Fujiwara had proven to be resourceful and cunning, qualities that reminded her of herself. He, along with the other higher officers of 11th Division, had sparked her interest long ago, and she had not been disappointed - these were shinigami that she could use.

In her quarters, she feigned meditation while secretly directing her clone's every move and decision. Despite being the strongest of her victims yet, Ryuzawa had been an expendable choice simply because the idea of him disgusted her; every facet of him from his ape-like appearance to his insufferable stupidity was as repulsive as any septic tank.

And yet, he had worked wonders against Fujiwara - the enormous strength of his reiatsu spoke for itself, and the only thing seperating them was intelligence and polished skill. With her taking control of the situation, Fujiwara would definitely have a run for his money.

On the other hand, she was still hoping for a loss. She wanted to allow the shinigami masses to think that her control over her puppets had diminished, or perhaps that it was Ryuzawa's actual, living body that she was manipulating. She had purposely acted to imply that, and the absence of a cadaver was a point in her favor. If all went well, Seireitei would be sent on a wild goose chase, possibly even trying and failing to interrogate her makeshift Ryuzawa, while she would be allowed to indulge in a bit of revenge for herself.

But at the moment, she hungered for battle, and there was no reason not to quench it.

---

Through Ryuzawa's body, the killer was attempting to analyze Fujiwara's style and discern any weaknesses that she could capitalize on. She did think that the man had already shown off all of his cards, but the possibility remained that he still had something to hide. That was an exciting possibility; it meant that the fight would only get more intense as she figured out a way to thwart that as well.

For this fight, she wanted to make the clone seem impulsive and careless; rushing in without a second thought, trading wounds rather than avoiding them altogether. After all, deception was part of her chess game, and her pawns deserved some excitement.

It seemed that Fujiwara wanted to disarm her clone again. This time, he would probably have a clever trick thought up just in case she tried to follow his lead again. Thinking quickly, she directed Ryuzawa's body to jump and plant his sword downwards, allowing gravitational momentum to trump her opponent's pull.

Once he landed, he surged forwards like a striking cobra, using his useless and bloodied-up left arm to take any blows that Fujiwara was going to give, while trying to stab him with his sword arm.

If they both managed to take each other down to submission, another body could easily be sent to collect them. As far as the killer knew, Fujiwara didn't have that luxury. She grinned, waiting to see what her quarry would try next.

[shinikage]

Shinn watched his opponent jumping to the air. Swinging his sword vertically, he released the sword from Shinn's fork katanas.
But Shinn could always resupply his katanas. He let go of the previous katanas, that he wouldn't lose his stance from trying to grab the scattering katanas. He regrew three katanas in each of his hand. He moved slightly aside to avoid the stab and pinched the sword with the swords in both of his arms in the same way he previously did with one arm, twisting them to grab it better and pulling his arms to different direction to make Ryuuzawa's sword spins. This way he could keep Ryuuzawa's sword still with double force.
Normally, he only needed to occupy enemy's arm for a moment and went for a direct stab. But in this case, he couldn't do it. There was still chance that he was innocent after all. And even if he wasn't, he couldn't let such 'clue' to lose his life, seeing how others knew almost nothing.
He tried to kick Ryuuzawa, ignoring whatever attack he might give. If he blocked it, he would give another kick. 'Even if I get thrown away, I'd bring the sword together with me!!!' After all, this kind of ridiculous kick-and-punch fight would only make them faint at most.
And...
"Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!"
it gave him time to chant kidou's spell. Such a short distance kidou would surely hit. But he had to survive the physical fight for it. It was good that Shinn was extremely stubborn.

[Dizzy]

The killer was amused at this development; it turned out that Fujiwara was scrappier than she had thought, willing to go down to grapple and kick his way out. She had Ryuzawa match his attacks with kicks of his own underneath all of their locked swords, forcing both combatants to take heavy hits to their legs.

The kidou, on the other hand, really surprised her. She hadn't expected it from a member of the 11th Division at all, least of all a bakudou. As the red light flared up, she had Ryuzawa try to dive forwards and knock him hard enough to break his concentration, but the effort was too little, too late. The shinigami's swelling reiatsu bound Ryuzawa's movements and completely paralyzed him, and she knew that his body was lost. It was a pity, really, she would've liked to have added Fujiwara to her collection.

The killer made a mental check to see if sending anybody else after Fujiwara was an option, and decided not to. She sighed; that miscalculation, that foolhardy assumption had been a grave error on her part. If that fight had actually mattered, then she would've been sunk.

Ryuzawa's now-rigid body had slumped forwards onto Fujiwara. The killer decided to have it try to break free, but only through halfhearted and futile reiatsu pulses and fidgeting. Her opponent had deserved this victory, she conceded, and besides, she was interested in deciding on her next big step forwards in order to claim her prize.

[shinikage]

It finally worked. The bakudou #9, geki. It was quite a gamble since at the last second he had to move his arm to use the kidou, releasing Ryuuzawa's zanpakuto. But it worked, and he wouldn't let this chance go to waste.
He quickly created a sword and hit Ryuuzawa hard at the back of the neck with the dull side of the sword. Wondering if that would be enough, he hit him again in the same spot and gave him a kick on the stomach before finally grabbed opponent's arm and hit it with his other arm to make Ryuuzawa lose his zanpakuto. He kicked it away as Ryuuzawa's body fell toward him. Quickly, the grabbed arm was bended and moved toward Ryuuzawa's back, locking his movements. Shinn breathed quickly. It was bad that he had to have a fight without knowing who his opponent was and what rank he was. It seemed that he was quite a high ranked shinigami, but he knew almost nobody even in his own division.
He coughed. The damage during the last part of the fight might have affected some of his internal organs. Blood was pouring out of his right shoulder.
His katanas and metal gloves started disappearing while one normal black-hilted katana appeared in his unoccupied hand. His shikai was resealed. He wiped his blood with his katana and said, "I know you want it. But that's all." Then, he put the sword back to it's black sheath.
In her realm, chidori sighed. "I want more, you know," she said with a voice that wouldn't be heard by Shinn. She could only talk to Shinn when she was materialized.
Shinn began to walk, pushing his prisoner to the direction he wanted. One of his arm helped the fainted body to stand straight. It might be hard to move like this with someone fainted, but he shouldn't loosen his guard as Ryuuzawa might be pretending and he knew no way to check his consciousness. For now, they both needed medical treatment. Also, Ryuuzawa should be restrained before he got up. Shinn headed toward 4th division, being slightly proud with the fish he caught.

[Dizzy]

Well that was it. Fujiwara had taken care to knock Ryuzawa unconscious, and the killer's view of the situation was gone. However, both of them had been heavily damaged, so it was a safe guess that he would go to 4th Division, bringing the defeated and bound Ryuzawa along with him.

Quickly, the killer perused her mind for a nearby puppet and found one. This time, she decided not to interfere; she'd already had her fill today. She'd sit in on the proceedings, but keep as inconspicuous as she could.

[OOC: Guess everybody's at 4th now, we should probably end this thread for good.]

[edit @ shini's post below: Yeah, so am I in a few. Nice RPing with you, hope you don't hold the laziness/forgetfulness against me >>]

[shinikage]

((Okay. But I'm going to be offline for now :D ))