The sun was bright, not a single cloud in the sky and the weather had been in his favour for a long time. The scarred assassin like the summer a lot, more than any other season of the year. It was always warm, the sun was a good compliment to anything and he never had to walk around with an umbrella or stay at home because of the rain. Sure, some days were rainy, but most were like they should be. He was pleased with where he was in life right now. Eiji walked around the Twelfth Division aimlessly, all alone with only his zanpakutou. Only a few months had passed since Eiji left his imprisonment. The Seventh Division had taken its toll on his mind; he had almost gone crazy in there. But he did not think of it too much. Instead, he practiced. He trained his techniques, searched for ways to become stronger and looked for someone to guide him. He needed to become better, faster, stronger, for himself. His walk took him to a small coffee shop in the Court of Pure Souls. He could see a few faces he had seen before but most of them were unknown. He took a seat in one of the sofas and ordered a cup of coffee. He sat there for a while, alone with his thoughts. He listened to the others speak and overheard a certain conversation. “Have you seen that weird guy around the Third?” one of them asked. The person next to him nodded while the third one in their party shook his head. “Apparently, nobody knows who he is. Some say he’s an elder shinigami, from the old times. Some say he’s not even a shinigami. I have heard that he has great strength.” The second man spoke up. “I hear that he is a hand-to-hand combat specialist. Nobody I know has approached him so far. I’m not even sure anyone has seen him.” Eiji kept on listening to the conversation and it got him somewhat interested. He left enough money on the table for the cup and a good tip and left in a flash. He moved quickly towards the Third Division grounds. Perhaps he could teach me something. He may be what I am looking for. He wanted to meet the man as quickly as possible.
[392/392]
Bish, Alan, let's get writing. Shunko training it is. Also, thanks for the name for the collab Alan!
This was the question which echoed around the vast canyon that was Satoru's mind. It had bothered him to no end for months now, always aching in the back of his thoughts like some unforgotten scar. In between his duties as a Mystic and basic physical needs, Satoru spent a majority of his time researching ways to test his limits. During his studies, he discovered scant records of a technique made legend by the former Captain of the Fourth. All he could glean from that document was the explosive power of the style and its rarity among the Gotei. Most shinigami would go try to find the original teacher and request his assistance; to learn its secrets directly from the source.
Satoru, however, took another path.
He had a few chats with the Fourth to ask for their knowledge on the matter. After his persistent determination, today was the day that he finally got them to mention that there was a man in the Third who had been seen training with Makoto a long time ago.
With that, he set off for the Third Division. Weirdly enough, there was a man ahead of him in shinigami garb who was following the exact same path that he was. They arrived at the gates at roughly the same time, but Satoru had to ask anyway.
"Hi there!" the Mystic greeted amiably. "What brings you around these parts?"
Cool breezes rolled silently through the boughs of the towering oaks surrounding the Third’s barracks, gently rustling their branches. High overhead, the burning amber sun cast its midday warmth upon the endless sea of green. Beneath the canopy, rays of sunshine poured from between the interwoven limbs of trees, casting a faint and beautiful light to guide those who would venture into the serene landscape.
Deep within the glade sat a single man. Though his appearance seemed adventitious in a place so dominated by nature, he himself radiated an aura of tranquillity and harmony. He was at peace with this world. Around him, various woodland creatures went about their lives oblivious to the meditating man. To them, he may as well have been invisible.
A slight smile traced its way along the statuesque man's covered features as a presence, or rather presences, tugged at the very edges of his perception.
'Interesting,' he mused inwardly to the creatures around him. '...It seems we have some visitors.'
Eiji turned back, facing the voice calling him. An almost dark-skinned man, smiling as he walked towards the scarred reaper spoke up. The assassin watched him as he approached, coming closer and closer. His smile crept the boy out a little but not enough for the assassin to ignore him. He was simply not interested in anything not related to his target.
“Hello.” His answer was short and cold. Unaware of whom he was talking to; he started wondering what the man could want with him. Eiji’s thoughts were only on the man he was searching for and he did not want to be disturbed by a random by passer. It was an obstacle he needed to get rid of quickly.
Short, sweet, and to the point. The Mystic liked this man already!
"Unless you're also looking for a guy in the Third with a verifiable shit-ton of rumors surrounding his power, then I'm afraid all you can offer me is a spot of conversation."
He bowed to the scarred man and spoke yet again.
"My name is Toride Satoru, Fourth Seat of the Tenth Division."
“Yamamura Eiji, Twelfth. It seems as if we are going the same way.” Eiji tightened up a bit as he spoke to a higher ranked officer, unaware of it from the start. It was not the fact that he was afraid or had some respect towards authority. It was simply that he had recently served his sentence and gotten his freedom back and the scarred reaper did not want to go back there. This was probably the biggest reason he was seeking out this person. If anything could keep him out of trouble, it was training. He did not want any assignments, any missions, anything at all. All he wanted to do was to get stronger and take care of himself. “Do you know where we could find him perhaps?” Eiji asked, as he led the two of them into the Third Division grounds, just past the gate.
"No idea, but that's why we have eyes and ears, right?" he asked.
Without waiting for a response, he continued walking and looked around. The Mystic walked unflinchingly next to the straight-backed assassin. If he was fazed by the fact that he was talking to a member of the Tracking and Assassination sect, it certainly didn't show. Frankly, he didn't care. Anyone who pursued knowledge was an ally of his, and so far that's what Eiji seemed to want.
He swiveled his head and reached out with his spiritual senses, searching for anything that could possibly be out of the norm. For a couple of minutes, there was nothing of note. The birds chirped, people bustled about, and all seemed well... yet his intuition still prickled at the back of his head, spurring him to keep vigilant.
It was then that Satoru suddenly noticed what was out of the norm.
"Something's off with the birds around here," the Mystic stated, half to Eiji and half to himself.
In the Tenth grounds, they were everywhere. Their song could be heard at a relatively even tone throughout the grounds and they flew in specific patterns. He would know; he often flew among them when he was blowing off steam. Here, it was different. The birdsong seemed to be emanating from only one area of the division. Not only that, but the birds seemed to flock to one spot rather than roaming about. When he looked closer, Satoru saw one man sitting at the epicenter of the birds' concerto.
"I don't know if it's him or not, but something strange is going on with the man in that clearing over there. The birds are flocking to him, but I can't discern why," he explained with a wondrous tone in his voice. "I've never seen anything like it before! Let's go see if he knows where to find the mystery man."
With that, he began to walk straight towards the bird-charmer.
Eiji tried reaching out to the reiatsu he could feel coming from the bird-gathering. He stood still as the mystic walked towards him, trying to get a feel of what kind of person he was, any information would suffice. He felt a strong spiritual power coming from him but kind. There seemed to be no evil intent, no malice coming from him. The fact that the birds were gathering around him calmed the reaper. Animals always went to good people, that much he knew. “Hey, wait up,” Eiji called as he ran up next to Satoru. The slow pace he walked at made it easy to catch up, with only a short sprint. “Can you get some sort of read on him? It feels as if he has enclosed himself somehow.” Eiji was an assassin, and supposedly a tracker, but that was not his strong side. He was good at the killing part, which made it easy for him to simply group up with someone to track. He knew that he would have to learn it some day but not today.
Quick GM note here: Since this collab came at a bad time when things got really busy for me both IG and OOG, it's kind of been left to collect dust. So you guys don't miss out on your training, Seraph will be taking control of Kazu for this one from here on out. Have fun!
A sort of chuckle rocked the man's shoulders, once. A ragged tailcoat pooled around the ground below him, legs hidden by the baggy garment though he was clearly in a seated position. Two sleeves rolled up identified the garment as a haori, but in a strange coloration.
Dull gray and far from the pristine condition of most Captain's, multiple patches had been sewn onto the coat. Some the right shade of gray, others too dark or too light. It made a strange gradient, and Kazu took a moment to glance slowly over his shoulder. The various critters seemed unperturbed, continuing to wander to and fro while occasionally stopping to observe the strange - but peaceful - man.
"Who's enclosed?" He mused aloud, his voice low and smooth. "I don't see any walls."
Eiji stood there, silent, unable to answer the question. The thought that what he said would be heard never crossed his mind. He was starting to feel a little uncomfortable, slightly scared even. He did not want to get off on the wrong foot with the man in front of them, especially not when he was going to ask him for a favor.
He opened his mouth and it took a full minute for him to answer. “You are.” Honesty was the only way to go from now on he figured and just went with it.
The Mystic looked around him and noticed that the avians had retained their state of complacency despite the approach of two intruders. This man seemed like he had himself under control to an extent that even the birds could sense it.
A small smile appeared on his lips as he momentarily closed his eyes.
It pleased him that a man of such rumored ability possessed this level of calmness. Satoru was always one to believe that power was best wielded by those who could control it. After all, that was the reason that the body only grew stronger after training; power was meant to be wielded by those who were disciplined enough to obtain it.
He turned to Eiji and regarded him for a moment before saying, "Walls are solid and unyielding, not meant to be disturbed unless by force. However, this man's entourage is there because the birds are choosing to be here."
He then refocused his gaze and attention on the man of the wild. There was no sense in beating around the bush, so Satoru decided to come right out and speak his mind.
"My name is Toride Satoru, and I am the Inquisitive of the Tenth Division," he stated. "I came here in search of a power made famous by the former Captain of the Fourth, Makoto Matsumara. I admit that I'm not actually sure of what it is or how it works, but I was hoping that I could find someone who does. Can you help?"
"Can I? Isn't that the wrong question to be asking? I mean, I very well could," The man replied, standing slowly. Animals skittered away, but remained near.
Brushing down his cloak briefly, he chuckled as he continued. "It'd matter if I will, wouldn't it? Tell me, oh Inquisitive of the Tenth Division... why should I teach you this supposed technique, if I even know it?
"What good is power without cause or reason to use it?"
Satoru gave a hearty chuckle. This man had quite the sense of humor. It was like his own zanpakuto's, only much more tolerable because this man was asking the right questions.
"I would disagree, birdkeeper," he retorted with a grin. "You see, asking if someone can help is necessary. You have to know if they have the ability to help in the first place. If someone can't help you, then what's the point in asking if they will? The questions are not mutually exclusive; both need to be asked."
The man held up a finger, before tipping it down across the small metal visor across his eyes. "Ah, but does it not stand that even if someone had not the ability to help you directly, but the will... they would do all in their power to get you to someone with the ability to help?"
A wan smile crossed the man's face, and he finally introduced himself. "Kagirinai Kazu, but you may simply call me Kazu."
He returned to his seated posture just as quickly, gesturing for the pair to join him.
Eiji moved towards the Blitzkreig reaper, Satoru next to him. A few feet away, the scarred reaper stopped.
“I have to agree with him. Willpower will not do you any good if you don’t have the actual power to change anything.” He spoke from experience. There had been times in his live when his lack of power left him unable to act, unable to do anything. He took a deep breath before turning to his newly made companion.
“This power you speak of, from the former Captain of the Fourth Division.” The assassin had only heard a few words about Kazu. The powers he held were completely unknown to the young shinigami. “Mind telling me about it?”
Head tilting in the direction of the assassin, Kazu's smile became tight-lipped. "Thinking like that doesn't suit someone seeking strength. If you only desire the means to act, leave. I've no patience for someone without true willpower."
Lying back, he rested his head against the soft grass and finished his sentence dismissively. "Power, power, power... all anyone seems to care about."
Satoru let loose a small puff of air at the man's irritation. He could understand vaguely why the man seemed to stiffen up as he repeated that word.
"I think you misunderstand me, Kazu," he stated with the simplicity of one who knew the truth. "I am not a man who seeks power for the sake of power. Let me show you something..."
His gaze continued to lock onto the man's own as he raised one gloved hand. The Inquisitive removed the accessory from it and as he did, black vine-patterns formed began to squirm and crawl their way to the surface of his skin. They were created seemingly from nothing, as the reishi around his hand seemed to simply disappear. Out of respect for the man of the wild, he made sure not to forcibly break down the spiritual bonds of the surrounding wildlife.
"This technique was taught to me by Haresuno Uchiharu, but only after he instructed me in the difference between power and strength," Satoru explained as the vines gradually faded from view. "Power is meaningless without the strength of character to use it wisely. I have come here to seek strength through the teachings of old, for I believe that the training involved will help me to better myself both as a man and as a soldier. That has proven to be the case in the past and in the present. As for my future, I believe that lies with your teachings. Willpower is something that I have plenty of, but knowledge is something that I am always seeking."
For a moment, Kazu didn't respond. He finished scratching the squirrel's head, and watched as it ran off into the surrounding woods. When he turned his head, a low tutting came from him.
"Willpower... yes, but not true will. Not nearly." He began, folding his hands behind his head where he lie. "You continue to speak only of acquiring power. Of seeking it. Of having the will to seek it.
Eiji watched the magic coming from the mystic. It was an impressive technique; he had to give him the credit for that but it was not what he sought. He wanted the power to be able to act, not just the will to do it.
“We are all soldiers of the Gotei. Our reason for joining is our will to act. Without the power though, how can we?” The assassin did not really believe in what he said himself, and it could probably be noticed if you had a keen ear but he knew he had to play this part, if he really wanted this to happen.
“What am I supposed to do with the will to act if I don’t have the power to back it up?”
