[JT]Squad 4 Official Training Exercise!

[Munemasa Iroka]

"You do know that the leg muscles are among the strongest muscle groups in the body, right?" Iroka replied to Fuuko's statement about her ability to choke someone out meaning she was not as delicate as she looked. "It's why I didn't bother to strike too often, seeing as kicking from that distance might not have been as effective as I'd have wanted it to be." At Fuuko's comment about meeting her match in terms of looks, Iroka's cheeks reddened, as she answered with a smile, "a blue oni to the very end, I guess."

At least they had something else in common. Both were from the East sectors of Rukongai. Iroka thought she would have liked to have been allowed out on her own a couple of times, but except when she was accompanying her parent to another hidden lab or similar place, Iroka spent most of her time underground, reading or undergoing training, when she was awake. She couldn't understand Fuuko's annoyance with finding a husband, but the moment passed, as she was unwilling to interrupt her friend's ranting. Fuuko was right, anyway; she was free now, able to see the world. She flinched at the slap to her shoulder, and rubbed the slightly sore spot. "Right...."

BR meaning blue and red was so apt that Iroka suspected the BR didn't actually mean that. It sounded too cool. Was she allowed to be cool? Iroka was sure Fuuko was; the blonde was already impressive in her brash way. Iroka was still figuring out what value she actually had. But she would strive until she became useful somehow. And then perhaps she would be considered cool in her own rights. It was a bit confusing to see that Fuuko did think highly of her. Unfortunately, the conditioning she had received from the hands of Kimyou were sufficient to leave her always feeling inadequate, and as such compliments often seemed out of left field.

While Iroka was still trying to contemplate what positives Fuuko found in her, she felt her hand grabbed again, and got flash stepped off to another location. As expected, there was another kiosk, in another clearing, and there were trees just ahead. Iroka trotted after her blonde partner, who hoped for something more difficult, as she slapped the pad. As Iroka did so herself to indicate readiness for the next assignment, she thought quietly, "I hope they don't give us something any tougher...." She did not speak her sentiments out, though. Harder assignments, after all, meant greater challenges, which meant more potential for growth.

The ominous words on the pad made the orange-haired shinigami stare up at her partner, who had just discovered a body behind a tree. "What sort of sadistic test is this?" she asked anxiously, as she took note of the count and the timer. The snarky side of her however could not resist replying Fuuko's question as to the reason they would be given this kind of test. "Well, you did ask for something a bit tougher, ne?" Iroka didn't sound in the least accusatory; she was merely stating a fact.

That was when she heard the howls. A shiver ran up her spine, and she unconsciously moved towards Fuuko. "What sort of animals make that kind of noise?" she asked worriedly. Of course, anyone her apparent age should surely know what wolves, or wild dogs were. Iroka was a special case. "Pigs? Please don't let it be pigs! You know those very ugly ones with shaggy fur and tusks, ne? They're found in forests, aren't they?" Were they allowed to kill the animals? Well, if it meant saving people, Iroka would have to do this. Still, wouldn't this somehow be a breach in ethical behavior of some kind?

Suddenly remembering that they were on a mission, Iroka, almost reflexively, abruptly made a dash for the small forest ahead, hoping to find a number of patients before the howling pigs did. Iroka's senses were not particularly impressive, but she hoped she would be able to find a patient to be rescued, if luck was on her side. But was luck really ever on her side? It turned out that it was, in this case. Rounding a tree, Iroka saw a body lying prone on the ground. She ran over to the body and noticed a similar counter to the one that had been on the bodies in the last exercise. The number was in the seventies and yellow. She could start by saving this one.

As Iroka knelt to see how best to convey the patient, movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention. Looking up, she saw a dog-like creature staring at her. It seemed to have a large head, but she couldn't say more, as the rest of its body was in the shadows. "A doggy!" the Shinigami said excitedly, just before it started to growl, as it stepped more into the light. It wasn't that its head was big, it was that IT was big. It would easily reach her waist. It was also at this point that Iroka realized that this, or others like it, was responsible for the howling. "Nice doggy..." she said nervously, as she positioned herself in front of the body.


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Tch." She didn't like the fact that Iroka was calling her out on wanting a tough chjallenge, but she couldn't do anything about that now. What was done was done and now they had a job to do. Iroka was already sashing off. "W-wait! What's wrong with pigs!? They're delicious!" Fuuko responded as she tried to catch up with iroka. The thought of a delicious grilled pig made her mouth water. She couldn't believe something so tasty could be so terrifying! Iroka had to be imagining things! 

But while it wasn't a pig, it was  something that looked dangerous. As beast growled at Iroka, who mistook it for a playful pup at first. Fuuko, who already had her weapon drawn, jumped up and landed in front of Iroka with her sword jammed right trough the skull of the beast. Blood splattered from the wound, but as Fuuko pulled out her katana and the dog slumped, there was a small button on its belly like the victims had had. It was grey, indicating the dog was no long "functioning." 

"Oi!" Fuuko barked at Iroka. "We ain't got time! You can lift a body, right? I can probably carry two, but if I gotta use my weapon, that's really gonna hamper me! We need to find the ones furthest away. They'll probably be closer to the beasts too. I don't give a shit if we can't  win, we're gonna find a way." Fuuko nodded and clapped her hand on Iroka's shoulder and smiled. She then twisted the blade in her hand and flicked the blood off it with a swipe. "We know where one body is at. It feels like there's a few east, west and north, if we're coming from the south. If we're lucky, there's three in each direction and then just one more. plus the one a bit back." Fuuko wrinkled her brow. 

"Do you think you can handle the beasts?" Fuuko asked, I don't know if you can just kick these in the balls!" Fuuko said with a laugh. "We should probably split up either way, but if you find one, just lead it twoards me! Yell and I'll come runnin, ok? When you find one call out too! I'll try and scope out the area!" Fuuko said and hopped upwards, shumpoing up onto a tree branch and then hopping up higher so she could hop from tree to tree and get a better idea of the lay of the land. "I'll head North first!" 

[Munemasa Iroka]

Fuuko attacked the wolf even before it could advance further, sinking her weapon into its head. Iroka made a concerned noise. "Wait! Doesn't that violate some ethical concerns for... oh." The button on the creature's belly was an indication that, despite the blood, it wasn't actually a living creature. Or at least it was supposed to not be one. She jumped, as Fuuko barked at her. The brash Shinigami was right; they didn't have much time.

Fuuko's plan was for them to find the bodies furthest away, then work backwards towards the kiosk. Once they had found all the bodies, 'extracting' them would take less time, since their positions were already known. "A rather sound plan, Oni-chan," Iroka said with an approving nod. She wasn't trying to be patronizing. It did seem like a sensible plan, especially as there was the issue of limited time, as well as hostiles in the area. Fuuko's optimism was also quite commendable. It was a bit contagious too, and Iroka nodded again, this time more vehemently.

"I can't be a helpless slob, since Oni-chan is giving it her best," Iroka replied. "As for kicking them in more sensitive places, I'll just have to aim better, right?" She was certainly not going to attempt that. This was her trying to be funny. She wasn't sure whether it worked, though. Interpersonal interactions were all so confusing. Why weren't people straightforward like computers? Or math? Come to think of it, the last person she had told that math was straightforward had given her a strange look.

"I'll head west, then," Iroka commented, immediately picking the direction she'd chosen and heading for it. The path seemed to wind a bit among the trees, and then she saw a leg sticking out from behind the large trunk of one the trees. She quickly rushed over, and discovered another body. And not too far away, another. And not very far away as well, a third body... with a wolf's jaws clamped on its throat. There were three other wolves nearby, making four, which would make a hairy fight, but Iroka was already feeling frustrated at seeing one of the targets gone without even having a chance to save them. Never mind that it had been said they would not be able to save everyone.

Something changed in Iroka's eyes. With a primal shriek, she charged the four beasts, heedless of her own safety. The one which had been biting the body sprang at her, but wordlessly, she fired a white streak of lightning into its gaping maw. The last three attacked in tandem. She managed to evade one while she punched another in the side, shattering what would be its ribs, as she pumped reiatsu into her fist at the moment of impact. That was the interesting about her fighting style, Shintenken. It made it possible for one who didn't even have much physical prowess to become a killing machine in their own right.

The third wolf made three gashes with its claws on her left thigh. Ignoring the pain, she delivered a Shintenken-powered kick to to its lower jaw, wrecking the beast's skull. But the first one that she had evaded attacked again, this time its jaws finding purchase on her right shoulder. As she screamed in pain, it seemed for a moment that she sensed something in her subconscious... was it a voice? It seemed so far away, like a whisper, but she caught something distinct, "weak..." and then there was mocking laughter, and silence.

Whether it was because of that strange voice, or the pain in her shoulder, or both, Iroka reacted with a lot of enthusiasm. Grabbing one of the wolf's hind legs, she sank her own teeth into the furry extension, clamping down as hard as she could. The wolf yelped in shock and pain, and the Shinigami, having detached it from herself, but still holding the limb, swung the animal with as much force as she could muster, into a tree. The light on its belly went off immediately. "Three bodies here," Iroka called out, in order to inform Fuuko, "one is lost."


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

The two oni seemed to switch places for the moment. Where Iroka was suddenly whild and filled with fury, Fuuko coolly hopped from tree to tree, methodically hunting for bodies and beasts. More so beasts, if she was honest with herself. Thankfully, she was quick to find a small pack of breasts cornering a body with ill intent and, with surprising calm, hopped off the tree, stabbing one in the head and pulling her her katana forward, to slice up and skewer the next one leaping at her.

She jumped in front of the body as the third one pounced and it got its claws into her back, raking down against her. She shouted in pain and then lifted up her arm and jammed her zanpakutou backwards, stabbing the wolf in the head. She twisted as she turned, and the wolf slid off of her sword after it sprayed blood on her.

"You bitches." She hissed, grinning as she looked at the carnage. She then knelt down and grabbed the body she had just protected. She hoisted it up and then heard a growl and leaped over to kick at another wolf who was pulling one of the bodies off into the woods. "Shit!" She said as the wolf's teeth tore some flesh of the body. She dropped the body she was carrying and hopped after the wolf, jumping in front of it and shaking her head. "Oh, no ya don't!"


This one she slugged with her free hand and slammed her fist in its face, knocking it away and driving her zanpakutou in its head. That's when she heard Iroka call out. "What!?" She barked. "Fuck that!" Fuuko dropped the body she was holding and quickly dashed over to where Iroka was. "I found two! Where's the..."



When Fuuko saw the body, she screeched into the air, with her fists clenched and covered in blood, she was a site to behold. "FUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!" She slammed her foot into the nearest tree and began a string of epithets until she noticed Iroka was hurt. She quickly raced over to the orangette.


"Sis! Shit!" She said and waved her hands in the general direction of Iroka's injuries. "You're hurt!" She said, stating the obvious. "Are you ok!?" She fussed immediately and looked around for some way of helping Iroka. "Shit! Shit! Shit! I knew we shouldn'ta split up!" Fuuko bit her lip and fidgeted. That's when she saw the other two bodies. They were running out of time. "How bad is it? Can you still lift a body?!"

Munemasa Iroka

[Munemasa Iroka]

Heedless of her own injuries, Iroka stared with horror at Fuuko, who was covered in blood. "Oni-chan! What happened to you?" she asked in concern, though she was unlikely to be heard over the expletives that were streaming out of Fuuko's mouth. And then Fuuko noticed Iroka's condition and rushed over her to fuss. One of Iroka's problems was that she believed she was the one to do the fussing; others did not need to fuss over her. She wasn't that important. She had, after all, been made as the intended prototype of a series of units which would extend Shinigami life expectancies at the expense of their own.

"Don't worry about me, Fuuko-chan, I'll live," the ginger haired girl said with a smile, though her expression became more serious when Fuuko talked about spliting up having been a bad idea. "Actually, Oni-chan, splitting up was a strategically sound plan. It allowed us to find more bodies quicker than if we had stayed together." Although there was quite some gore on the blonde, from her movements, she seemed quite alright, and there didn't seem to be any open wounds on her person. The blood most likely belonged to the wolf adversaries they were facing. "You seem fine. That's great. My combat ability is shit. That's not so great...."

Iroka had been focusing on becoming a better Yonbantai Shinigami, but it seemed it was at the expense of fighting. She needed to get a little better at doing battle. Maybe that spar with Fuuko wasn't going to be a bad idea; after all, it was always said that to be better in anything, one had to actually engage in it. The thought of being somebody's rag doll wasn't an exciting prospect, but she had to consider it if she wanted to improve. Perhaps fighting with a sword would have been easier, but then, Shintenken had some benefits that zanjutsu did not have. She was sure she would access those benefits, if she improved.

At the blonde's question concerning whether she could carry a body, Iroka responded by going over to the nearest body and lifting it onto her shoulders. Her leg, where the wolf had scratched, throbbed, but it wasn't too deep, and Iroka knew how to take pain. She gritted her teeth, and stabilized herself. "Fotunately, my leg injury isn't bad at all. It's just a scratch." She was lying. It hurt like crazy. But she was not going to cry or wimp out because of the pain. Her ability to handle pain was something she had built on during her experiences with Kimyou, her parent. Everything did have an advantage.

"Only the eastern area is yet unchecked. Since you have more mobility than myself, and are obviously a better fighter, why not check it out and see if there are more wolves to kill. I shall attempt to begin conveying the bodies here to the kiosk." So saying, she began to move as fast as she could, towards the direction from which she had come. She would have moved a lot slower if she wanted comfort, but now was not the time to be comfortable. Soon, she saw her destination in view, and hobbled over, dropping the body beside it. Immediately, the counter went up from 0/11 to 1/11.

No time to rest. There were more bodies to rescue.


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Huh? Nothin." Fuukop said as Iroka fretted over her. She glanced back and saw that her shihakushou had some claw marks in it. There were red slashes down her back, but mostly her clothes were torn up more than she was. She only felt the soft sting on her back when Iroka mentioned it. Fuuko shook her head as Iroka tried to play things odd and denigrate herself. 

"Tch! I'll be worried about ya, dammit!" She growled. "If yer not gonna let me, then I'll kick yer ass and give a real reason for it!" Fuuko barked with some concern in her eyes. She didn't like that Iroka was trying to play tough, that was Fuuko's job! At the very least, Iroka seemed capable of hoisting up a body, which meant she wasn't out of the game. 

"Yosh." She said with a nod. "There's still four more bodies, hopefully they are east. Just, take care." Fuuko said and put a hand on Iroka's shoulder and gave it an encouraging squeeze. "I don't know if more of those things will show up or not, but for now let's assume we cleared the areas we've been to. Which means."

Fuuko pivoted and faced East. She threw herself in that direction and dashed off towards the East. She hopped up to a tree and began jumping from branch to branch until she felt the sensation that she had every time she approached a group of bodies. She also felt the presence of more wolves too. From her calculation, there were about four of them as well, one for each body, she presumed. 

She moved faster, but then, suddenly, as her foot moved to touch a branch, there was no branch there. She lost her footing and and at the speed she was going, was thrown like she was shot out of a cannon to the ground, rolling and slammign into a tree while her zanpakutou skittered away from her. 

"Shiiiiiit!" She groaned and got to her hands and knees. She looked around. There was one body with a yellow light on its chest. One with a red and... Fuuko shivered. She saw one of the bodies cut open with three gashes and what looked like a crushed pelvis. 

"Fuck! No No No NoNononono!" Fuuko got to her feet and rushed towards the fallen body when she was hit with a foul blast of hot air. She stopped and turned and her mouth opened, but no sound came out. Standing before her, covered in wood splinters was not four wolves, but one wolf, about as big as four put together. In its maw, which was snapped shut, was a limp, dangling body, dripping with blood. 

"Shit! Shit Shit!" Fuuko backed away and reached for her zanpakutou, only to grasp nothing. It was out of its sheath and laying nearby. When Fuuko flinched, the beat raised a paw and slapped it down. The fur was red and the claws dripped with blood from where it had gashed open the other "victim." When their eyes locked, the beast snored again, its nostrils flaring and another hot gust of wind caressed Fuuko vilely. 

She had some choices, at least. She could trust that Iroka could get as many bodies back as possible before the time limit and Fuuko could lead it away from the bodies. 

Or... Fuuko lunged for her zanpakutou and the beast's muscles tensed. It only took a few hops to get close enough that if Fuuko went for her sword, she might not get her arm back. She grinned at the wolf. "Yeah, yeah..." She hissed drolly. She pivoted and used shunpo to get to one of the other bodies and hoisted it up onto her shoulder. The wolf gave chase and Fuuko was off. The beast deftly covered the south and west with good positioning, so Fuuko went north, hopping up to t a tree and trying to circle back to snag the body she couldn't get earlier. She only paused long enough to make sure the giant wolf was still following and didn't stop to kill the final Eastern body. 




Munemasa Iroka

[Munemasa Iroka]

Iroka noted with mild displeasure that she had been unable to make Fuuko leave off worrying about her. Having someone else worry for her was a strange feeling. It made the carrot top feel somewhat irresponsible. She held up her hands in a placatory gesture, but she wasn't going to be swayed yet. The mission was more important than her comfort. More important than even her health. Of course, this was a rather unhelpful mindset, but it was the way she was. Even though Fuuko's barking intimidated her, she would not allow any attention to herself until they were done.

As Iroka hoisted the body before her, Fuuko squeezed her shoulder, an affectionate and encouraging gesture. Despite her willingness to immolate herself for the success of whatever she was affiliated to, Iroka truly felt grateful, for a reason she could not yet identify. "I shall be careful, Oni-chan," she replied, a soft smile on her face. "You should as well." The four bodies unaccounted for were very probably going to have some wolves abut them. For why would the mission organizers want to make anything easy for the two Shinigami rookies?

It was on her way to the kiosk that Iroka realized why she felt grateful. It was because of the presence of a bond, though an unlikely one, which the two Shinigami women were forging. Her parent, Kimyou, had shown no sort of affection towards her whatsoever, and she hadn't made any friends in the Shin'ou Academy, thanks to her weird behavior. Maybe it was that Fuuko was a weird one herself, but the brash blonde was becoming the first person that Iroka could truly call a friend. And friends worried about those close to them. Even though Iroka preferred to worry over others as opposed to others doing the same for her, it felt good to know that there was someone who did care.

The body was dropped, and Iroka returned the way she had come, in order to convey the next body. Picking it up, she ran back for the kiosk, taking care to ignore her throbbing muscles. The time for rest would come after the mission was complete. As things presently seemed, the situation looked a little bleak. Even though the instructions had said they wouldn't be able to save everyone, it didn't prevent her from feeling disturbed that they had lost some bodies already. And others were yet to be accounted for, which meant that there was the high probability that there would be more losses before the mission was accomplished.

The second body was deposited by the kiosk, and Iroka went off again. This time, she went east, just in case Fuuko needed help. She was sure Fuuko could handle herself well; between the blonde and Iroka, Fuuko was clearly the better fighter. Still, something told the orange haired girl that Fuuko might need just a bit of assistance. The northern sector was cleared, as was the west. If the eastern sector was cleared of wolves, evacuation could proceed quicker and with less distractions or interruptions. Just in case of wolves, Iroka began chanting the incantation for Byakurai in her mind. At least, she would be able to hit one from a distance before going into melee range, if the predators were about.

The sound of heavy and fast footfalls informed Iroka that a chase was in the offing. Moving to the sound, she rounded a large tree, and saw what seemed to be the boss battle of all wolves, chasing after Fuuko, who seemed to be missing her zanpakutou, while carrying a body. Immediately, the orange haired girl let fly the kidou she had been preparing. "Hadou #4: Byakurai!" The beam of white lightning surged forth from her fingertips, boring a clean hole through the giant wolf's hind flank and making it lose the momentum of the jump it was about to execute. It crashed heavily as Iroka prepared to battle it.

It was only then that her mind retroactively realized that this creature was way bigger than one of the normal wolves they'd been fighting. "Uwaah!" she exclaimed, "why is this one so big? Isn't this cheating, or something?" Why she had not freaked out as soon as she had seen the wolf, like any normal person would do, was anybody's guess. Well, better late than never to freak out, right? In any case, with this size, perhaps it was truly the boss battle. If they dealt with it, they would most likely be able to evacuate the other bodies in peace.

"Go for the kiosk, Oni-chan!" Iroka yelled, as she held out her hands before her, prepared to cast another spell. "I'm sure I can handle this!" Or so she hoped. Still, Iroka had an advantage. Having hit the wolf on one of its hind legs meant that it would be less mobile, and that would be useful for her, as she meant to fight from a distance. After all, she wasn't so mobile herself, as she had claw marks on her right leg. But she could do long range fighting, and the wolf could not... or so she hoped. She began chanting again, even as the growling monster rounded on her.


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko was frustrated as the Wolf seemed to be doing a good job of keeping her from circling around to get back to the Kiosk or the final Eastern body. She was leading it around, though, so it wasn't going after any more bodies. Still, they were losing precious seconds and Fuuko really wanted to just Fight the damn thing! If she wasn't holding two bodies, then maybe... 

That's when a streak of lightning shot through it and Fuuko's eyes lit up. "Oi! Sis!" She barked as Iroka appeared and fired off her Kidou. Fuuko really wished she could use some of that, but it just wasn't in her...Still, she was grateful for the opening and hopped next to the wolf. "Yosh!" She barked and jumped up and zoomed past Iroka and ran off to drop the bodies off at the Kiosk. 

Once that was done, she had to decide which was the best way to go. Now that the tables were reversed and Iroka was fighting, Fuuko could probably scoop up more bodies than Iroka and deposit them quicker. However, if the wolf was dispatched, then they likely were free and clear to finish the task together. Plus, Fuuko was worried about Iroka facing such a large beast by herself. Not to mention, she needed her Zanpakutou back. 

With a quick huff, she decided to make her way back to where Iroka was. She hopped up into the trees and jumped from one to the other until she came upon the scene. The wolf was now entirely focused on the orangette and Fuuko grinned. She threw herself off the branch she was on dropped down fee first onto the back of the giant wolf, catching it off guard and putting it off balance. 

"C'mon! Let's tussle!" Fuuko barked and sprung off the Wolf and turned. She grabbed its non injured hind leg, which made it hard for the wolf to keep its balance, though it did turn to try and bite at Fuuko. She tried her best to maintain a tight grip, but the wolf was definitely stronger than the other two. She had to hope that Iroka could take care of things from here. As much as Fuuko wanted to mess around, they were on a clock. 

[Munemasa Iroka]

If Iroka had told Fuuko she was certain she could handle the wolf, she was beginning to wonder if she had been overconfident. Even though she had injured the large canine by a sneak attack, it was still capable of making sudden lunges, and despite its injuries, it had an unholy reach. She herself was not as fast as she would have wanted; her own injuries were not helping things, and the first signs of fatigue were beginning to show themselves. Still, she had said she could do this. She would not disgrace herself in the eyes of her friend.

The wolf lunged at Iroka, as she raised a hand. It seemed as though the creature was smart enough to know that the white bolt of lightning that had charred its nether regions was released when she made that pointing motion. Iroka yelped and flung herself to the side, evading it successfully but not particularly gracefully. The wolf wasn't allowing her to concentrate enough to cast, with all this moving about, and it was always making sure that it was within lunging distance, so that it could attempt to snap her face off if she attempted to cast anything.

Suddenly, Fuuko returned. And her entrance was dramatic, as the blonde dropped in a double foot stomp onto the back of the wolf, catching it off guard. Even though this was just a few seconds of respite, that time would give Iroka all the time she needed to do what needed to be done. And hopefully, this next attack would be her last, at least for this battle. Fuuko was holding the uninjured hind leg of the wolf, which was an intelligent maneuver, as the wolf could not balance itself properly, since it could not rest its weight on its injured limb. Still, it was stronger than the blonde, and if Iroka did not act quickly, its snapping jaws could soon reach Fuuko.

Chanting in her mind again, and as quickly as she could afford, Iroka punched out her right hand, her index and middle finger extended from her closed fist. The familiar surge of white lightning came again, briefly illuminating the path through which it flew. Iroka had aimed for the wolf's large skull, and the bolt flew true, striking it just below its left eye and boring a nasty hole through its head to emerge at the other side, with a generous amount of what seemed to be brain tissue and blood. Having completed its task, the bolt of lightning extinguished itself on the trunk of a large tree, leaving a smoking indentation.

"I think that's it for the wolves!" Iroka announced, as she flung herself towards the next unmauled body. Hopefully, time had not expired, and they would be able to bring all the undamaged bodies back to the kiosk. There would probably be like two or three more, if Iroka remembered correctly, which meant that this would take one or two more journeys to get them to the kiosk. By her calculations, they had lost four bodies, which meant seven were left. Three had been delivered to the kiosk, and she had one, which meant three remained. "Let's, what's the term, haul buttocks!"


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko held fast to the wolf and watched as Iroka lined up her shot. She smelled the ozone of the lightning and was washed in more guts from the wolf. She shoved it off to the side and clapped her hands together. She marched up to Iroka and gave her a little slap on the back and clapped their hips together.

"Yer a killer!" Fuuko grinned. "Oh! Yeah!" She realized they were still on the clock and Nudged Iroka with her hip. "Take your body back and go get one more. I'll get the two furthest away and scoop up two and that should be that." She flashed off and bounded to where she had found the bodies and grabbed two of them and her zanpakutou. Once she heaved up a body in each hand, she bounded off to the kiosk. 

She made sure  to keep one ear out as she made her way back to the kiosk. She  didn't run into any trouble herself and dropped off both of the bodies. She looked at the clock, it had eaten a lot of time for them to fight off the wolves, but that was probably the point. She wondered how others seemed to fare in their same place. She also wondered if this was a generic test or buils specifically for squad 4. If that  was the case, they probably didn't all have someone as tough as Fuuko or as resourceful as Iroka. She wondered how many would-be Janitors actually failed. Maybe that's why they said they couldn't save everyone, to temper expectations? Fuuko wondered if they could  have saved them all if they had been quicker or smarter or stronger. She balled her fist in anger at that thought. 

But now it was all in Iroka's hands. Fuuko barked, trying to encourage her redheaded squadmate. "Oi, Sis!" She barked. "I'm here at the place! Shout if you need help! Time's runnin out, though! If ya got anye extra zoom in ya, now's the time ta use it!" 

Munemasa Iroka

[Munemasa Iroka]

Iroka performed the victory sign with both hands, when Fuuko praised her ability to kill things. "I'd really rather be known for something else, but I guess, yeah, it's good to be able to kill things every once in a while." Sadly, there was no time for prolonged socialization, as the timer was counting, and bodies needed hauling. She was off, carrying the body on her shoulder, until she got to the kiosk. Yep, they really didn't have much time left. She would really have to push herself if she hoped to get the last body back in time.

Fuuko had the gist of it. By the time Fuuko was rescuing two bodies, Iroka would have time to go for the last undamaged body. The question was, would she be able to make it with the body before the time expired? Well they would all have to find out, wouldn't they. Fortunately, Iroka had knowledge of where the last body lay, and so, pushing herself with Shunpo, she made her way to where the form was slumped, ignoring the nerves in her leg which were on fire. Now wasn't the time to try to take convenience into consideration. As a Yonbantai squaddie, Iroka believed that it was necessary to hurt herself if it meant lives would be saved. That was how she could be useful.

Placing the last body on her shoulders, Iroka began hobbling back as fast as she could. Why on earth had Kimyou decided that the perfect body to use for the IROKA Project would be this soft, dainty form? Then again, had she any right to complain? She, after all, was approving of what she saw in the mirror. Her form had its advantages, and it was wisdom to learn one's strengths and weaknesses, and compensate for the weaknesses, instead of wishing to be someone else. And if she found herself failing due to lack of strength, she would strive to surpass this weakness. But she would not fail today. For she realized this test was a proof of worth.

As she rounded the final group of trees which were between her and the kiosk, at Fuuko's yelled encouragement, Iroka sought the extra 'zoom', and found it. She simply imagined this to be a real life-and-death scenario, with the person on her shoulder a Shinigami who would die if she did not save the few seconds remaining. Somehow, Iroka knew that there were just a couple of seconds left; she wasn't particularly sure how, but she knew that very soon, any moment now, the timer at the kiosk would ring, and the body on her shoulders would die. Not if she had a say in the matter.

With a cry of equal parts anguish and equal parts determination, she forced her tired, burdened legs into performing one last Shunpo. The result was not very graceful, but it got the job done. The body sprawled across the kiosk, while Iroka went facedown onto the forest floor, her hands stretched out in front of her. A moment passed, and then a buzzing sound emanated from the kiosk. Time was up. But the last body had been saved. Slowly, with a pained gran, Iroka raised her eyes to the kiosk counter. It read 7/11. That was reasonable, she supposed, although next time, it would be better if she could save everyone.

"I want chocolate cake...."


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko waved her arms, beckoning Iroka as she came into view. It was like she was waving a runner home in a baseball game. The play at the plate was definitely going to be close. Fuuko's whole body wriggled as Iroka made one last ceremonious dash and practically flung the body onto the kiosk, granting them a gentle "Ding!" as she flopped face first onto the ground. 

"Oh, shit! Sis! Are you ok!?" Just as Fuuko was about to check up on Iroka, the buzzer sounded. Fuuko glanced back. "Huuh? Oh, shit! We did it! Yosh!" Fuuko pumped her fist. "Did ya hear?! We got all of em we could in time!" Fuuko bent over and grabbed one of Iroka's arms and raised it like she had just won a boxing match! "Yosh!" She barked  in joy again. 

As she held onto Iroka's arm, the kiosk began to light up again. Fuuko frowned. "Not another fuckin test..." She groaned. "What more we gotta do!?" The kiosk flashed like a spinning slot machine. Her eyes gleamed as it started spewing out numbers and finally it dinged again to give their results. 

• Tests Completed ... 3/3
• Test Percentage: 1 - 100% 2 - 100% 3 - 64%
• Avoidable Deaths - 3
• Completion percentage ... 87%
  
• Final Score 324/500
• Average Score 240/500

"Shit, yeah! We're the fuckin best!" Fuuko gloated and gave her puffed out chest a slap. Though, as she scrutinized the board, it seemed to reveal that indeed, at least two of those they were supposed to rescue were doomed from the start. That made her blood boil. 

• Congratulations! Munemasa Iroka and Satoshi Fuuko have scored high marks!
• All threats Eliminated as well, Bonus marks!

"Fuck ,yeah!" Fuuko quickly pumped her fist again. "Did'ja hear that, Iroka-chan!? We kick ass!" She grinned and looked down at Iroka. "Shit! Sis! Are you ok!?" She quickly knelt down and gently rolled Iroka on her back. "C'mon, sis! We did it! I'll buy you all the chocolate cakes ya want!" She said, with a smile, even though she was getting a little teary eyed. 

As Fuuko sniffled, there was another small burst of fanfare from the kiosk. Two little candies appeared and the screen flashed. "Take these to heal any injuries from the exercise!" Fuuko sighed. "Thank goodness... I thought they were just gonna make us limp back!" 

Fuuko snatched them up and quickly tossed hers in her mouth. She then held up Iroka's and rolled it in her thumb and forefinger. "Open wiiiiide, Sis!" Fuuko chirped and moved to stuff the healing candy into Iroka's mouth like the orangette was a baby refusing to eat. A little steam was coming off Fuuko as she could feel the claw marks in her back already starting to heal. 

Munemasa Iroka

[Munemasa Iroka]

At this point, Iroka was not interested in doing any more hoop jumping. She was done with tests for today. Even if she was probably expected to get ready for the next possible test, Iroka had reached her limit. And while an observer could comment on how trashy her stamina was, there was a reason she was in the 4th Division, not the 11th or other similar violent squads. Her usual self-deprecation rose again, and that condemning voice within her head informed her of how the proctors of the exam would be disappointed by her unwillingness to continue. Unfortunately, it wasn't as if she could do anything about it.

Fuuko had come over to see if she was alright, but had become elated as the buzzer sounded, and it had been revealed that Iroka had gotten the last body to the kiosk in time. The orange haired girl felt her friend lift her arm as though she had just won a fight. How did that blonde have so much energy, Iroka wondered. Unlike the rejoicing Fuuko, Iroka was absolutely knackered, and while she was still very much alive, Fuuko might have been holding the arm of a corpse for all the response she was giving. Iroka tried to give a response, but what emanated from her mouth was a tired croak.

And then the kiosk seemed to begin some weird activity again. Despite Fuuko's energy, Iroka could hear the frustration in her friend's voice. While she sympathized with Fuuko, she had transcended frustration. She had reached the final stage of enlightenment, which was just lying where she was until she was rested enough to get up, or someone dragged her back to Seireitei, or a hollow came along and ate her. Hopefully, that third option was not a feasible one. The proctors of this test were close by, weren't they? Surely they would do something.

It just suddenly occurred to Iroka, in the weird way the most ridiculous or profound thoughts came to one unbidden, when one was on the cusp of consciousness, that the Yonbantai did not have ambulances. True, Shinigami did not use cars, because they did not need them, but still. Iroka thought having squad cars would be really cool. Cops had squad cars, right? And the Gotei 13 could be seen more or less as the armed and paramilitary forces of Soul Society, couldn't they? In a flash of perspicacity, Iroka knew what she needed to do. She knew that she would survive this ordeal, and she knew why she had to.

Once she returned to Seireitei, she was going to write letters to the Shinigami R & D guys in the 12th. Surely, they could come up with vehicles capable of Shunpo. Imagine the enemies of Seireitei coming to do battle, and met with Shunpo-executing battle tanks. But the ambulances were the most important here. Even if other squads didn't want vehicles (Iroka could imagine the 11th Division Shinigami, apes that they were, laughing at the concept of flash-stepping Shinigami manned vehicles), Iroka was certain that the 4th had to have ambulances. With the flashing lights. Definitely with the sirens.

Iroka's contemplation of higher things was suddenly interrupted by Fuuko shouting. She could barely hear what her friend was saying, butt then she felt herself rolled over, her half closed eyes staring at Fuuko's worried expression. Wait, was that a sniff Iroka had heard? Iroka was filled with a mixture of two emotions, amusement and gratitude. While she was quite moved that someone was showing this much concern over her, she was also tickled that someone would be worrying this much over her, being very much alive. She did consider that her unresponsiveness might somehow be disturbing, though.

At Fuuko's insistence, Iroka was barely able to work her jaws open, and the healing candy was stuffed into her mouth. For a moment, she remained as she was, but then she began to feel her muscles getting flushed with energy; not enough to go running full tilt through Rukongai, but enough to get out of her half-dead stupor. She opened her eyes and grinned at Fuuko. "Tell me you weren't just about to cry some moments ago," the carrot top said with a teasing smile. "Oni-chan is such a softie. Looks can be so deceiving, ne?"

She sat up, and turned to face her friend, but the teasing look was gone, replaced with a more grateful expression. "Jesting aside, I am really grateful that you worry this much about me. I am after all not very useful, and I'm supposed to be quite expendable, so it may not sound like much, but know that I really appreciate your concern. I shall try not to make you worry too much about me, going forward. But I can't make any promises. It's not like I'm really capable of doing many things properly, in any case, ne?" She stretched slowly with a smile, feeling her wounds closing up.

"Hey, Oni-chan, the Yonbantai could definitely do with flash-stepping ambulances, ne?"


Satoshi Fuuko

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Once Fuuko pushed the candy into Iroka's mouth, she looked on with wide-eyed anticipation to see if it would work. Thankfully, the orangette started to come around. Fuuko went in for a tight hug, only to hear Iroka's mischievous little comment. Her eyes widened and she shoved Iroka.

"Tch! Of course not! I knew you'd be just fine! Hmph!" Fuuko harumphed. She crossed her arms under her chest and shook her head. It was Iroka's next words that nearly had Fuuko flipping out.

"What!?" Fuuko balled her fist and stood up. "Who the fuck said you were useless?! Or expendable!? Do ya think I coulda done any of that without ya!?" She thumbed back to the course. "Course not!" Fuuko shook her head vigorously and then stabbed a thumb into her chest. "I'm the pain in the ass around here! We can't both be stones or we're gonna sink!"

Fuuko sighed. "I'll do my best ta give ya somethin ta do." She said with a grin. "If  ya hang round me too long, yer gonna wish you were expendable. Heh! But, at least it'll be excitin! If I'm anythin, I ain't dull!" Fuuko's eyes lit up. 

She stepped towards Iroka and scooped her up bridal style. "I can put ya down when yer all healed up. Just rest fer now, Sis! Ya did great today! We make a fuckin awesome team!" Fuuko was about to lightly step away when she heard Iroka's words. 

"A what?" She paused to think about it and then shunpo'd away from the trial area, heading back to Seireitei cradling Iroka. She heard Iroka's words as she bounded off. "Flash-steppin ambulances?!" She repeated with a confused bark. 

"That sounds fuckin awesome! You should tell Squad Twelve about that!"

Munemasa Iroka

[Kitai Yoru]

Factoring in the Coupon; 168 paragraphs paragraphs, 1,680 TP awarded