Uncaged.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko pressed her kiseru up to her lips and took a hit of her pipe. She exhaled and let the smoke lazily waft up into the air. She was sitting on the roof of a building near the outskirts of town, watching a bunch of rookie shinigami running around. They were from the Juubantai, which was a far cry from Squad 4, but when you worked in the division that was responsible for patching up everything from sewer pipes to bifurcation, you didn't always get assigned to the most glamorous assignments. Unfortunately, for Fuuko, who reveled in battle, today, for the most part, promised no such action. 

Fortunately, however, it did give her a break from the rest of her tedious duties and a chance to get out into the real world and, maybe, show these rookies a thing or two. The assignment, however, wasn't just about patching up scraped knees and bruises from sparring that had gone too hard. No, Fuuko had received, through the chain o' command, an order for someone in Squad 4 specifically to come out for this "live ammo" practice session. Apparently one of the new Juubantai recruits wasn't an ordinary fresh faced Academy graduate. 

Aoshi Kuzan was, apparently, someone who had been given a choice between the academy or jail and had come out of the gate the other side. Fuuko didn't have all  the details, but she did know that he had some abilities that potentially made him dangerous and now was the time to see if he could get along with others. In case he couldn't, a request was sent out to squad 4 for someone who could both "clean up a mess" as well as "bring him down" if he lost control or couldn't actually perform his duties out in the field. 

Fuuko stroked her chin as she ashed her pipe and refilled it. She didn't know why he wasn't thrown int he Maggot's Nest if he was even a hint of a threat. She certainly knew people who were much less threatening on paper who were there just in case. Fuuko narrowed her eyes as she took another hit from her kiseru and blew another puff of sweet smelling smoke into the air. She wasn't sure how she felt about the policy, expecially if someone who was all but confirmed to be dangerous was allowed to run free and someone who never really was was going to rot there for the rest of their lives. 

"Tch." She hissed through her teeth. Everything seemed so fucked up. At the very least, Fuuko had the power and the ability to deal with this Aoshi kid if things went bad. She was only given a vague description of what to expect power wise, but it was enough to know she was perfect for the job. She had pack sitting next to her... just in case, but she didn't expect  to need it. She figured the Juubantai kids would run around until they got exhausted and she could just enjoy herself and the fresh air. If she was lucky, maybe a Hollow would show up and spook them and give her something else to do, but it didn't seem like that was going to be the case.  

"Aneeeegooooooo! I'm boooooored!" Came the voice, just as Fuuko closed her eyes. Her eye twitched open and she leered at nothing. 

"Shut up! All you ever  do is cry and whine! How'd I get such  an annoyin zan anyway!? Thought ya were supposed ta be a hard ass bitch?!" 

"I do not! Aneeegooo! Why are you so mean!? I'm tired of sittin around! I'm thirsty! Yer holdin out on me! I can smell  it!" 

Fuuko pursed her lips. She could smell it too and her nose wrinkled. Part of the reason she could afford to sit off on some roof was that if someone did  get hurt, she'd notice it right  away. She could pick out the scent of blood easier than the wafting scent of cooked food. She sighed. "That's only for you if one of the assholes out there actually turns out ta be  an asshole an starts fuckin around. Otherwise, yer just gonna haveta deal  with it!" 

There was grumbling from the voice, but Fuuko ignored it. She hopped up,  grabbed her pack and hopped off the roof she was on, getting closer to the squad, but trying not to be too close. She didn't want to interfere with whatever they had going on, but she did want to check up on Aioshi to make sure he was still visible and behaving. She got closer to the action and peered around, looking for Squad 10's "special little guy." 

"Heh." 

[Deleted]

A joint patrol exercise. Of all the things to send Aoshi on, why did it have to be a joint patrol exercise?

His first days in the Tenth had all gone pretty much the same. A rather tense talk with Celes Shindazu, his Captain; earning the hatred of all his teammates thanks to his lovely parole officer right before that, and just him training on his own for a little while. It would be clear that he would have to do his best work alone... which was probably the reason why he had been sent on this patrol in the first place. Those who struggle together, bond together, or so did someone say some time ago. Aoshi had serious doubts on the truth of that statement, because try as he might, nobody around him gave him even a chance to talk.

While the formation continued advancing, the Kenpachi felt it go awfully slow. Even while holding back well below his maximum speed so as to not lose his teammates, he felt they were getting nowhere. In fact, they'd been running around in circles for over an hour now, looking for some Hollow that was supposed to be lurking in the dark. He was so utterly bored, that he had stopped paying attention around him. Maybe that was why the entire patrol ended up messing up badly.

All of a sudden, a Hollow really did emerge from inside one of the buildings, ready to ambush them. However, it was not alone. This more powerful Stray seemed to have taken a large number of weaker ones under its command, because with just a few roars and barks, the monster had them all surrounded with its forces. The situation had escalated quickly, and Aoshi was back to back with his comrades. Maybe he would begin to see some of that famed teambuilding, now that they were all in dire need of cooperation.

"Alright, people. Let's do this. The one who kills the big one gets...!" Aoshi could only say before the monster, which had taken a liking to him because he spoke--and because as a Kenpachi, he was spiritually more powerful than his peers--, unhinged a massive jaw and rushed him down, ready to eat him in just a couple of bites. The convicted criminal could only stifle a gasp before quickly unsheathing his Asauchi and using it to hold back the creature, using it to ensure that its mouth wouldn't close around him. To an outside observer, it would seem as if he was half-engulfed by the monster's giant mouth, although it was clear he was still alive and kicking.

"It's your chance to get this bastard!" he yelled... to nobody in particular. His comrades were no longer around him. Instead, they were off, already fighting the weaker Hollows without showing any other concern for his wellbeing. With the leader being occupied like that, they had a much better chance at whittling down the horde, and so that was what they focused on. Aoshi would've liked to say he couldn't believe his eyes when he saw that scene, but he would have been lying. It didn't even made for a good joke. "Tch. I get that you don't like me, but was it really necessary to use me as bait?"

Of course, he was pretty damn useless with a katana. The standard Asauchi, issued to every single student that graduated to the Academy, didn't serve much to him when it came to cutting down Hollows, and right now, it was locked tightly by the beast's jaws. This Hollow was strong, too. Despite him already being far stronger than your common freshly graduated unseated officer, he was having quite some trouble keeping that monster at bay even at 150 Strength. Aoshi held his sword as best as he could, using it as a means to keep the monster's jaws pried open. As long as it wasn't able to chomp on him, it was all good, right?

Well, wrong. Slightly acid spit, probably courtesy of the Hollow's overall ability, began to drip on Aoshi's Shihakusho, quickly tearing some holes in it and reaching the skin. While it would not be lethal by any means, it burned. It burned good, past the point that he could ignore. Aoshi grit his teeth and steeled his resolve, knowing that if he so much as faltered, he would be in grave danger, ending up as yet another soul in a Hollow's stomach.

"Hey... as much as I don't like the uniform... could you maybe drool on something else?" he asked, gritting his teeth. A gutural laugh came from the Hollow, who just began to bite down even harder, further straining the Kenpachi.

Of course, a part of him just wanted to punch the monster away. It would be so easy. So simple. All he needed to do was give in to his instincts, to lose himself in battle, and he was sure that that monster would be gone right before he knew it. Every fiber in his body wanted him to just let loose, to literally kick back, relax, and forget all about holding back, all about consequences. Even with that Hollow's ten-days-without-toothpaste breath right on his face, Aoshi remained adamant that he could not do that. As such, he played the only card that he had: asking for help.

"Any of you guys mind lending a hand here?" The Hollow threw its weight forward, making him struggle a bit more. "Or do I have to wait for a fucking deus-ex machina to come and save me?"

If he let go right now, it wouldn't be the Hollow who'd die. He'd soon turn to see why exactly his partners weren't doing their job, and demand that they gave him a good fight to compensate. While Aoshi held no sympathies for the comrades that have left him to literally melt in the mouth of a Hollow, it'd be straight to death by giant fire chicken if they ended up dead by his hand.

"Ah, fuck it! I guess deus ex machina it is!" he said, grinning ear to ear at what he was about to do. "I NEED A HERO~! I'M HOLDING OUT FOR A HERO 'TIL THE END OF THE NIIIGHT!"

The last part, he sang. At the very least, he could get some enjoyment out of this predicament, right?

OOC: Aoshi is holding back so Ruination will not activate.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Hn..." Fuuko exhaled and opened her eyes when she felt something. She stood up and tapped out the ash of her pipe on her heel and noticed the invasion of Hollows. The Juubantai seemed to be running around like chickens with no heads, but, Fuuko could see that most of the Hollows were pretty weak. She stowed her pipe and grabbed her pack, but didn't move as she slung it around her shoulder. She expected  even these low level rookies could handle what was coming at them, at least as a pile. 

As she observed, however, she noticed one of them was a bit more powerful than the rest. She watched it bee-line right for Aoshi and her eyes narrowed. The rest scattered and Fuuko's lips curled up. "Tch." She hissed. If Aoshi could see what his squad was doing, Fuuko definitely could too. She didn't like it, but she waited to see what Aoshi would do. This Hollow, powerful compared to rookies wasn't much of a threat to her. If they started to get nibbled on, she would come to rescue them. 

Fuuko smiled and nodded when Aoshi lodged the sword between the monster's mouth, but shook her head at the acidic drool. "Ok... that's just shitty. C'mon, kid." Fuuko whispered. Valiant as his efforts were, it seemed Aoshi couldn't fend off the hollow alone. Fuuko sighed when he started singing and her knees bent. She jumped off the building and landed with a small crunch of the ground underneath her. 

"You picked the big one, eh?" Fuuko said, standing next to it. "I like the balls on ya." She mused. "Well, not literally." She laughed. "Anyway, need some help?" Fuuko then jumped up, raised her fist and slammed it into the top of the beast's head, to not only send it crashing to the ground with a forceful blow, but to also force the Asauchi to forcibly jam itself through the creature's head. Then, she looked around to make sure the rest of the juubantai rookies were doing ok. 


Reiatsu: 3400/3400 - Blood Bank: 530 - Umreleased Tachi

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Stats:

Reiatsu: 3400

[[Strength - 400 Points (600) +50%

Speed - 300 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 272 Points (340) +25%

Reiatsu Strength - 45 Points (31) -30%

Light Aura - 95 Points

Dark Aura - 05 Points

Instinct- 75 Points

Senses- 68 Points (51) -25%

Energy sensory - 40 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points



Total: 1200/1200 SP]



Current Skills 15/15

• [Battle Focus] {1}

• [Pain Tolerance] {2}

• [Lack of Fear] {2}

• [Zanjutsu] {1}

• [Strength of Will] {2}

• [Damage Recovery] {2}

• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}

• [Anti-Stealth] {1}

• Blood Scent {2}

[Deleted]

While Aoshi struggled to fend off the creature, it seemed his pleas would not go unanswered. Heavens answered by sending him an angel... in the shape of Satoshi Fuuko, the fourth seat of Squad four, although her identity remained a mystery to the Kenpachi for the time being. All that Aoshi knew is that, at one moment, the monster was actually managing to close its humongous mouth around him, and he was only startled by the sound of someone landing pretty violently, the ground beneath her letting out a crunch sound.

"You picked the big one, eh?" Fuuko said, standing right next to the monster and Aoshi. "I like the balls on ya. Well, not literally." She laughed.

Even while almost devoured by the monster, Aoshi couldn't help but to blink. "Whoa. I cannot believe that actually worked", he thought before he returned back to his usual banter. Was it the best time to do that? No. Was he going to let the chance slide? Oh, hell no. "Well, that's disappointing. I do tend to like people that like my balls in a literal way, but I'll take what I can get", he said, putting a bit more strength behind his grip. He felt his mentality slipping just a little bit. It would be sooo easy to just ram the sword straight through the creature. So, so easy. And then, well, maybe then someone else would put up a good fight.

"Anyway, need some help?" Fuuko's voice snapped him back to reality.

"Aw, you needn't worry! See, I got gumdrops and icecream in here, and my wonderful teammates of the tenth to help me! Isn't that right, guys?", he yelled the last part out loud, and got absolutely zero response, as expected. At that moment, Fuuko proceeded to make short work of the monster by literally punching the stuffing out of it, sending it crashing to the ground. Aoshi's Asauchi would thus ram through the monster's head and brain, and if Fuuko's punch hadn't already killed it, then that for sure did. One moment later, all that remained of the monster was the Reishi it was dissolving into... except for the acidic drool, which had somehow lost its dissolving properties and was just plain gross now.

"Sorry about the kill steal..., he began, only then realizing that he had absolutely no idea who the extremely powerful Shinigami that had just appeared in front of him was. He was pretty sure she would've remembered someone with that imposing appearance, specially given that her strength was abundantly clear just from that look. It had to be a seated officer, and one on the pretty far end of the spectrum, too. Fairly tall, muscular, and clearly freakishly strong, in a way that put his own physical prowess to shame. And she was... very buxom, too. He didn't want to consider the last part in his mental image, but it was kind of hard for anyone's eyes not to wander there by mistake, and it wasn't like he was made of stone. Still Aoshi was pretty quick thinking on his feet, and came up with a way to both get out of that predicament and crack a joke, despite the fact that they were still surrounded by Hollows. "... fellow squad member of the tenth whom I most definitely sure I haven't met yet. And who was definitely not in our patrol today."

That statement was more than geared toward making do without knowing her name. He had a feeling that he'd been assigned a babysitter, and that was his way of fishing for the information. Although judging by the way she spoke, she didn't seem like the type to mince her words, and he could appreciate that. "I'm Aoshi Kuzan. Hey, if you have nothing better to do, why not stick around? Punch some Hollows, maybe help me knock a few of these idiots on their heads, who knows? The world's wide open with possibilities!" There weren't actually that many, but the near-death experience had left him pretty riled up, with adrenaline raging through his veins like a wildfire. He only hoped he would not get too excited.

The rest of his teammates in the tenth were dealing efficiently with some of the minor Hollows, but it didn't take long for two bigger, badder ones to appear. Toad-like in appearance, with armored mask heads and long, disgusting tongues that Aoshi wished he could cut the moment he saw them. He had had enough drool on him for a day, after all, and that shit smelled. Badly. Without losing time, one of the toads snapped its tongue and caught one of the Tenth's greener recruits, who was flung around like a ragdoll for a moment before being dragged toward the monster's mouth.

"Oh, come on! Five minutes, guys, five minutes!" Aoshi said, while the other frog leapt forward to cut their path. Had these bastards banded together to get themselves a buffet of fresh squad meat? He couldn't make way fast enough, as the beast was at about his speed. However, someone faster and stronger may be able to stop it before the nameless Shinigami was consumed.

Aoshi wished he could've been the one to do it, if only for the dramatic irony, but he'd need to deal with this giant frog for now. Thus, if she hadn't already--and even if she had--, Aoshi would call out for Fuuko. "Hey, Ballsy!" He had little else to draw on from for a nickname, and it was the best he could do on the fly right now, so he just went with the comment that had marked their first interaction. "Can you make sure nameless recruit number 53 doesn't get eaten?!"

With that done, he could finally focus on the target. Steady, now. Never using his fullest. "Whohoa, aren't you ug... I mean aren't you a handsome boy? What's your name? What's your name?" he repeated, not unlike a sickeningly corny pet owner talked to their animal. The Hollow roared, snapping its tongue at him, but Aoshi managed to dodge it despite it being at a speed of 100, which would be nearly double the average that the other recruits had. "And aren't you just happy to see me? Sorry, but I've had enough kisses for today!"


OOC:

Stats and skills:

Stat	SP	Ken. SP	Type
Strength	140	190	332
Speed	55	105	183
Reiatsu Strength	25	25	25
Spiritual Pressure	25	75	112
Senses	50	50	50
Instinct	50	50	50
Energy Sensory	0	0	0
Healing Expertise	0	0	0
Light Aura	50 (0)
Dark Aura	50 (100)

• Massacre Demon: 1
• Strength of Will: 1
• Pain Tolerance: 1

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"Heh." Fuuko flashed Aoshi a grin and then shook her head. She looked down at the dispersing Hollow and then crossed her arms under her chest. "I guess it was your zan... technically." She said with a shrug. She then reached into her cleavage, ready to pull out her pipe again when Aoshi began trying to figure out who  she was, exactly. "Don't worry, kid, I'm not from the Juubantai." She said with a wave of her free hand as she lit her pipe with a match. "And I'm not just here for a lark." She added as she took a hit on her pipe and blew the smoke into the air. 

"I do know who you  are, though, kinda." Fuuko said and then her eyes drifted away from Aoshi. "I'm-" Just as she was about to say her name, the giant frog hollows appeared. She licked her lips and cracked her knuckles. These things were big and punchable, the kind of Hollow Fuuko could wail on all day! That sounded like fun, but she had to put her pipe away and those few seconds were all it took for the Hollows to start getting into the rookies. 

'Shit! Come on, guys!" Fuuko barked as she saw the tongue snap out at one of the rookies. She immediately used her left hand to pop out her zanpakutou and snatched it up with her right hand. As the tongue tried to reel in one of the Squad Ten rookies, Fuuko's zanpakutou began to glow. "Sakugen!" She barked and from her sword whipped a golden blade of energy that would cut the tongue right in half. She followed up her Sakugan with a shunpo to close the distance and used her free hand to blast the frog as hard as she could in it's armor-masked face. 

"That's not a nice way ta treat yer squadmates, ya know?" Fuuko barked at Aoshi. "They're stuck with you  as much as you are with them." She reminded and then grinned. "So... ya good? Ya got that one? Or does Ballsy gotta come save those shrivelin grapes a yers? Cause I ain't inta that." She mused. Fuuko then frowned as she looked around suddenly. Most of the mooky Hollows had been dispatched and the rest of Squad Ten seemed eager to throw themselves at the second Frog, or what was left of it, but something didn't sit well with Fuuko. 

She was by no means a battle general, but she was told that this was more like a search and destroy drill. As a unit the team would go out and locate Hollows or menos and perform the cleansing ritual on them. Pretty humdrum stuff, all things considered. All of it was designed to just give these newbies a taste of things while seeing how well or if Aoshi could integrate. There should not have been a swarm of tiny Hollows and definitely not these much larger frog ones. It felt more like they had been unleashed than they had shown up.

______________________________

Reiatsu: /3370 - Blood Bank: 000 - Unreleased Tachi

[5]Shunpo

[25]

SPOILER: Click to show

{Sakugen}
Technique Name: Sakugen (Cut)

Technique Class: 7 - 10 TTP

Technique Type: General Shinigami.

Usable By: Shinigami, Vizard, Rogues.

Technique Element: N/A

Technique Cost: 25 Reiatsu.

Description: The user pours Reiatsu into their body, and their sword, and releases it in a mighty slash attack. A small slash of Reiatsu shoots outwards, and can cut with the same force as the user, if it hits. It also bypasses the cutback effect, as well as comes with the user's weight. It feels like it hits the enemy with the user's body weight, on top of cutting into them or their tools.

How to Use: Charge and slash in an instant.

Incantation: N/A.

Drawbacks: It drains some Reiatsu and some stamina, but also comes with a requirement. One must have a minimum of 200 in strength to be able to use this technique, or it cannot be used.

Made By: Ozuru Ren.
Reserved?: No.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Stats:

Reiatsu: 3400

[[Strength - 400 Points (600) +50%

Speed - 300 Points

Spiritual Pressure - 272 Points (340) +25%

Reiatsu Strength - 45 Points (31) -30%

Light Aura - 95 Points

Dark Aura - 05 Points

Instinct- 75 Points

Senses- 68 Points (51) -25%

Energy sensory - 40 Points

Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total: 1200/1200 SP]

Current Skills 15/15
• [Battle Focus] {1}
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
• [Zanjutsu] {1}
• [Strength of Will] {2}
• [Damage Recovery] {2}
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
• [Anti-Stealth] {1}
• Blood Scent {2}

[Deleted]

Aoshi couldn't help but to mirror Fuuko's expression, flashing her a half grin of his own. Finally, someone that wasn't so uptight, someone he could bounce off of. Benjiro, or Rocky, as Aoshi had taken to calling him, was always dead serious. Celes didn't seem to trust him enough to joke with him on any matter--though time would tell--, and the rest of his squadmates were a no-no. Thus, it was pretty unfortunate when she revealed that no, she was not from the Tenth Squadron, after all. It wasn't just that she was a seated officer he hadn't had the chance to meet before, it was that she literally belonged to a completely different part of the Gotei 13. "Kid, huh? Well, I'll be damned, ma'am, I didn't think I looked that young." When she mentioned that she wasn't there for a lark, he upped the ante. "'Just'?" he repeated, putting emphasis on that particular word. "And here I thought most of the squadrons walked with a stick up their ass. If you're interested, wanna help me making the Seireitei a bit livelier? Might be good practice to run away from an angry captain." It wasn't like Aoshi didn't take his job seriously, of course, it was just how he was.

Still, things would take a turn for the interesting, as the buxom Shinigami revealed that she did know who he was. Before the Kenpachi could make any further questions about it, the frog like Hollows grabbed one of his teammates. Fuuko's reaction wasn't too far off from his, aside from being less patronizing to them, but her speed when acting was far superior to his. In a matter of a second, she had unsheathed her Zanpakuto, and with a technique named Sakugen, launched a cutting shockwave that severed that sticky tongue without an iota of apparent resistance. The fleshy appendage fell to the ground, writhing, but allowing the caught rookie to escape after what had been an almost certain encounter with death.

After Fuuko scolded him, he couldn't help but to follow suit with another remark. "Nah, I'm just returning the love, Ballsy. All in good fun, isn't that right, nameless recruit #53?!", Aoshi said rather loudly to be heard in the heat of battle, not without delight. She then goaded him a bit into fighting, asking if she had to step in and save him again, using the nickname he had given her and everything. Needless to say, that got Aoshi going even more than before. This was going to be fun. "Meaning you'd be into me otherwise? Well, now I just have to fight this Hollow on my own, don't I?"

He had barely stopped talking when the second Hollow lashed out at him with the same tongue appendage. It didn't exactly catch it by surprise, but he might as well have some fun with it. The monster quickly wrapped it around him and under his arms, which was disgusting on its own right, but when it tried to pull back... it didn't work. Aoshi was squatting a bit, holding his body weight firmly anchored in one place, and all of a sudden the Hollow realized that it had not trapped the Kenpachi. He had trapped it, using the arms that were free, even though the Asauchi was left on the ground. He didn't really need it.

With a wide grin, the Shinigami shifted his stance and grabbed the monster by the tongue, digging his fingers in with an iron grip. He then let out a delighted roar as he threw the creature up over his shoulder and, in a quick motion, slammed it on the rooftop with a loud crash. The moment the monster hit the ground, the tongue went limp and loose, as the creature could no longer maintain its hold. By this point, it would be clear that Aoshi, despite being freshly recruited, was far different from the usual Academy graduates that joined the Gotei 13, perhaps giving clues on why he had been given this second chance instead of being directly executed by giant fire chicken.

However, despite all his talk, Aoshi was not beating the Hollow in one go. He was enjoying himself, yes, but always keeping a mindful limit on his strength, reeled in at 200. Thus, he needed to finish it off. To that end, the Shinigami walked leisurely toward the frog like Hollow, stopped right next to it for a second, and delivered a downwards punch to crush its mask and the skull beneath. He would worry about Konso later. With the impact, the skeleton beneath the frog-like monster made a sickening crunch, and blood sprayed on a small radius due to the force of the impact. When Aoshi lifted his fist, now dyed crimson, he wiggled it a bit to get rid of the foul ichor. Only then did he went to pick up his Asauchi, for which he showed absolutely no care.

After all these past days, he really needed letting loose.

Turning to Fuuko with a grin, he began speaking again. "Okay, why don't we clean up here? I guess my teammates might need some-" No, actually they didn't. The rest of the squad had cleaned up nicely, after all. "Well, I stand corrected."

With a quick movement, he sheathed his sword again, then turned to the seated officer. "So, what do you think? Any more Hollows like this around, or can all of us head back to Soul Society already?"

Surely, Fuuko had something to say about why a group of particularly powerful monsters had ambushed a patrol of the Gotei 13, when they would typically steer clear of it. Maybe there was something more sinister afloat? If there was, Aoshi was completely oblivious to it. This was, after all, his very first mission.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

"My squad can't really afford to be stiff. The whole place would fall apart id we were." Fuuko said, shaking her head. "And, as long as I outrank you, yer a kid ta me. Besides, you ain't got a beard and fer all yer tough talk, I'm still not sure you're not a a baldy." Fuuko teased, joking that Aoshi had yet to come of age and grow a patch of manly hair downstairs. "But... maybe when we're done here we can see if you can hang with me." Fuuko added while she watched Aoshi flail around with the toad hollow. 

As much as she wanted to go take c    are of business, this was exactly  what the shinigami needed  to experience. As long as no one was in real  danger, Fuuko would keep her zanpakutou sheathed. Thankfully, once the tongue was severed, the first toad was easy enough pickings when swarmed and when Fuuko turned her attention back to Aoshi, she watched him carefully. As the frog demon was crunched and Aoashi started bragging, Fuuko shook her head. "What, you wanna be Soutaichou  because you can punch tadpoles better than the rest of the guppies?" Fuuko said with a smirk. "I can't believe I'm sayin this, but bein strong ain't everythin." Fuuko began. 

"Thoooough, maybe it's like, I dunno, eighty, ninety percent of it?" She mused. "You can't be an island. Ya gotta be able ta work with  yer teammates. Especially someone like you." Fuuko exhaled. She was about to tell Aoshi about how she knew who he was and what this exercise was about when, suddenly, her eyes widened. In a quick flash, she cut the air in front of Aoshi with her zanpakutou. 

There was  a loud *tink!* and Fuuko watched as something went spinning off into the distance after sparking off her blade. Before she could even turn to look at Aoshi, Fuuko heard something sickening behind her. "Shit!" 

"Ghhhhghhh!" 

Begind her and Aoshi, one of the other squad members was down, holding his neck and bleeding like a stuck pig. "Ok, here we go!" Fuuko said as she grabbed her pack with one hand and held out her zanpakutou with the other. 

"Nomibanji, Shukketsubuki!" Fuuko barked and her zanpakutou began to glow red. As she landed next to the downed Shinigami, she pushed the glowing end into the downed Shinigami. As she did, the blood, dripping from the fingers of the shinigami and even the residual blook left flecked on Aoshi's hands and on the ground was drawn into the weapon. 

"LISTEN UP EVERYONE, WE-" Fuuko shouted but paused when, suddenly, a massive hollow came barreling into view. It was about as long as a Menos Grande was tall, but it was snake-like in appearance, with a hollow mask and a coiled up body with a sharp, bladed tail on the end of it. The hissing was loud, almost ear piercing, and after it hissed, it raised its head and turned to Aoshi. Fangs, which poked out from underneath its mask, shot at Aoshi like darts at a speed of 150. 

"Oi! Baldy! Look out!" Fuuko called out. "All of you! Work together!" She shouted and looked down at the downed Shinigami. "It's gonna be ok." She said, leaning in to brush aside his hair just before reaching for her pack. 

'It's just one...' Fuuko thought. 'It's big, bug it's just one, if there's any time to get your shit together, it's now!'

___________________________

______________________________

Reiatsu: 3170/3400 - Blood Bank: 000 - Released (*)

[200] Shikai Release

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Stats:

Reiatsu: 3400

[[Strength - 400 Points (600) +50%
Speed - 300 Points
Spiritual Pressure - 272 Points (340) +25%
Reiatsu Strength - 45 Points (31) -30%
Light Aura - 95 Points
Dark Aura - 05 Points
Instinct- 75 Points
Senses- 68 Points (51) -25%
Energy sensory - 40 Points
Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total: 1200/1200 SP]

Current Skills 15/15
• [Battle Focus] {1}
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
• [Zanjutsu] {1}
• [Strength of Will] {2}
• [Damage Recovery] {2}
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
• [Anti-Stealth] {1}
• Blood Scent {2}

[Deleted]

Did Fuuko say what Aoshi thought she had said? The Kenpachi laughed out loud, greatly amused by the implications, and when she said that they would see whether he could hang with her, he gave the Seated Officer an amused look before he turned to destroy the toad-like Hollow. "I'll be looking forward to it~", he said, not without delight. It was rare to have someone to return banter with among the Shinigami, who all seemed to take their job far too seriously for their own good. The mood was awful in the Tenth, what with all the destruction that had been happened lately. Even the Captain seemed a bit depressed, which didn't speak well for the future of his new home unless someone brightened the mood.

After defeating the toad-like Hollow began a lecture on the power of teamwork and how strength was not everything. "Hmm. Somehow I get the feeling that being the voice of reason doesn't really suit either one of us", Aoshi joked, although her words did make him reflect, if only for a moment. What would've happened, had he not been born with that unnatural strength? Well, that night it wouldn't have been just his father. It would've been him, and most likely, his mother as well. It was also his strength that had allowed him to help with the family business, that had carried him through the academy and, most likely, what had literally kept them alive by being an object of mild interest to the Gotei 13 at the best, or Central 46 at the worst. Needless to say, all that greatly conditioned Aoshi's view on the role strength played in life--specially for someone whose livelihood would be made by literally fighting Hollows and other beings that threatened the balance of the realms.

She did make a strong point when she said that he should be able to work with his teammates, though. "Well, that goes both ways. Though I'm excellent at annoying others just by existing, I'd rather fight alone than with people who'd rather see me eaten by a Hollow. Call it personal choice~", he stated, though by his tone it was clear he was completely and utterly unbothered by the lack of teamwork displayed from both ends of the spectrum. Their little chat would be cut short, however, as Fuuko suddenly blocked something with her blade. Something that had come straight at him, and that he hadn't been able to see or perceive in any way. Then, someone began... drowning? Aoshi immediately turned toward what had made that gut-wrenching sound. Or rather, who.

One of his esteemed teammates--nameless recruit #54, going by the same order--, was holding his neck while bleeding out as if his throat had just been cut. The Kenpachi was greatly alarmed by this; no matter what he might say, he was in no mood to watch one of his squadmates die. First, because as much as they disliked him, they were still comrades. Second, because they were here sticking their necks out together for the Soul Society. And third, because there was no way he wasn't going to get some of the splash from one of the recruits dying on a 'simple patrol'.

Fuuko, experienced as she was, was far quicker to act than Aoshi. With a release command, she unleashed her Shikai, and quickly got to work by... stabbing his companion?! Aoshi was about to protest this action, but soon he saw the blood began to leave his hands, as well as the rest of the battlefield, and concentrate on Fuuko's Zanpakuto. Understanding that she had to have some sort of plan, he was about to look for the new threat, but he didn't need to. In fact, it was actually barreling towards them all.

The bastard was big and tall. But more than that, it was reeeeally long. The snake-like body ended in a bladed tail that looked sharp and deadly, and the Kenpachi had no intentions on actually testing it out on his own skin. The beast seemed to outright ignore the rest of the weaker Shinigami around, and instead shot straight towards Aoshi at a Speed just a bit higher than his current one, since he was still holding back. That meant that to intercept the sudden attack, the young man had no choice but to fall back on his instinct and react at 180 Speed, almost his maximum. He managed to intercept the fangs by gripping them, keeping the monster from chomping down and ending up in, again, a position that saw him very close to becoming Hollow lunch.

However, this monster was far stronger than the previous one that had nearly eaten him. Aoshi was slowly pushed back. "I... am sick and tired... of you lot finding me so damn tasty!", he grunted, still finding time to crack a joke. Fuuko called for the rest of the squadmates to join in and fight the monster, as they had the numbers advantage. While Aoshi was about to be consumed, they could jump and cut that thing to pieces, right?

Wrong.

Perhaps this was not just distaste for their new comrade. Perhaps it was that this was their first mission, just like Aoshi's, and they could've never anticipated a disaster like this striking at them. But all of them, green as they were, found themselves paralyzed by fear, fear of that monster devouring them whole, skewering them with its tail, or constricting their last breath out of them. A few of them even dropped their newly issued Asauchi, which fell to the ground with a clattering echo. Struggling to not be eaten, Aoshi was struck with a grim realization. His comrades would not be jumping in to save him, and this time, Fuuko would not be able to help him either, as she was taking care of a wounded one. This time, it all depended on him. Aoshi breathed in, then breathed out.

All of a sudden, the snake was unable able to keep pushing forward.

A terrible snapping sound echoed through the city as Aoshi, gripping at one of the fangs with 300 Strength, snapped it out of place. But he didn't use it to impale or kill the monster. In fact, he didn't take any advantage of the creature's recoil to deal a finishing blow so that it would not be a threat toward the rest of the squad. Instead, a nasty grin had taken over his expression.

"Okay, okay, okay. Now isn't this much better, much more interesting than all the pieces of shit we've crushed today", he said with a slightly different intonation than before, taking a few steps to the right to circle his opponent. If Fuuko paid close attention, she might be able to see notice as if new tattoos, similar on his forearms that marked him as a criminal, slowly began to fade into existence on his body. Likewise, his skin became a tone paler. However, his aura didn't begin affecting everything around them indiscriminately.

That meant that, while he was close to becoming afflicted with Ruination, he was still holding back, even if only by just a little bit. But in this state, who knew how long that would last.

"Come on. Stop squealing like a little bitch, and try to eat me again", he taunted, making a beckoning gesture with his right hand to add further insult to injury.



OOC: Aoshi's holding back at 300 Strength. Aura split has gone from 50LA-50DA to 25LA-75DA

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko pulled out some gauze from her pack and began to patch up the wounded shinigami with one hand while holding the glowing Shukketsiubuli in her other hand. It wasn't that easy, but she really didn't have any other choice. 'This is where I wish you were here.' Fuuko thought as she tried to keep her eye on the squad as well. She didn't like having to divide her attention between a lot of different places and none of them were where she could swing her sword.

Unfortunately, her hopes of them working together seemed to fall apart at the clattering of zanpakutou. "What the shit?" She hissed. "Now's not  the time to be a fuckin pussy!" She barked to no one in particular. Sure  it was a scary monster and sure, it would probably hurt them and maybe even kill  them, but Fuuko was not  going to let that happen. She still had options if she needed  to use them, but only id she had  to. Right now, at least, the cowards were probably safe. Unlike, it seemed, Aoshi. At least he  was fighting, though. 

He even managed to snap  one of the fangs. Fuuko watched his complexion change and narrowsed her eyes. He had not  taken the opportunity to finish the beast off, and while most beasts would have recoiled at having a tooth broken, this one ejected the broken bit and a knew one replaced it. However, it wouldn't last long as it pulled back and whipped its bladed tail at Aoshi to try and pierce him. While it did that, both of its teeth launched like darts out from its mouth, and new ones retracted in its place again. 

Fuuko glanced at the discarded tooth as she watched. "Is that what I saw?" She asked. She had barely  noticed the incoming attack that she deflected from hitting Aoshi. It seemed like the most logical conclusion. She glanced down at the shinigami in her care. She had a good loop going. Any blood that spilled fromt he slowly healing wound, now seeped into the glowing weapon that Fuuko had and was reabsorbed as fresh, clean blood. Now it was going faster than they were losing it. Fuuko was glad, she just didn't know how long Aoshi coulf hold on. 

"You need help yet, Baldy?" Fuuko barked. 

[Deleted]

Fuuko was busy saving a life, his squadmates seemed far from inclined to help, still quivering in their sandals, and the foe was able to regrow its fangs as if it were a fucking dispenser. Summer jolly all around to spread the cheer, damn it. In this situation, Aoshi, who was already struggling to keep his more base instincts at bay, was quickly running out of reasons to be holding back. It quickly occured to him that it did not matter if he let go now, because otherwise, that snake-like Hollow would do a number on the rest of the squad before the Seated Officer could fend it off. Even if she did, breaking treatment on that man would cause him to bleed out like a pig and die. There really was no other option, was it?

The snake-like Hollow threw its tail against Aoshi, spear-like in nature, in an attempt to pierce him. The time for thinking was over, and Aoshi tore down his last shred of reticence before his hands moved to catch the tail at his full strength. Of course, it was still complicated, given the speed. The tip pierced him a little on the gut, but not enough to be fatal or break into his organs, partially thanks to him flexing. Given the speed, Aoshi's hands got some cuts due to the haphazard way in which he had stopped the blade just short of getting pierced. But if it looked like he had been injured, that would change soon as he looked up again, finally free from all restraint.

"Help? No... THIS ONE IS ALL MINE!"

A deranged smile appeared in Aoshi's lips, taking over his entire expression. The last remnants of positivity in his aura plummeted into utter darkness, leaving naught but a chilling feel that left clear that something was going very, very wrong with him. Marks similar to the criminal tattoos in his forearms spread through his entire body, and his skin became pale, deathly pale in fact, as if he had gotten poisoned and was on his last legs. His hair became a burning hot pink with shades of crimson, and his eyes glowed with the yellow pigment so characteristic of Hollows. However, not a shred of Hollow Reiatsu could be felt from him. This was, simply put, Aoshi at his best... and arguably his worst. The moment the final change set in, the area around them began to suffer, quite literally. The materials around them began to erode. Pebbles turned to dust, concrete began to crack, any iron in the vicinity started rusting at a rather alarming pace.

However, that was nothing they needed to worry about. No, what was truly worrying was the effect Aoshi's mere presence would begin to have on his own squadmates. Those who had been injured by the Hollows would begin to see said injuries aggravating. Bruises grew and spread a bit more around the impact zones, cuts and gashes became deeper, and began to bleed out more profusely. The same Shinigami that Fuuko was treating would see his condition worsen, although with the Seated Officer's help, it should be fairly easy for him to survive.

The Kenpachi cackled as the area his hands were touching--the Hollow's spear-like tail-- also began showing signs of decay, losing durability due to the prolonged contact with his body. The monster seemed to become aware of it at that precise moment, but when it tried to retract the tail, Aoshi's hands gripped it even more tightly, not letting it go. As Ruination accumulated on the enemy creature's body, it grew weaker and weaker; not offensively, but defensively. Aoshi dug his feet in and pulled on the tail, far too lost in the thrill of battle to worry about any potential injuries his recklessness may cause him. Like the crackle of a whip, the Hollow's body made a terrible sound after Aoshi exerted his strength, and the other end began quickly going towards him.

Without a moment of warning, Aoshi drove his fist down toward the head of the snake, aiming not just to punch it, but to punch it against the ground. The force of the impact, having his full might behind, should be enough to make a crater on the floor they were standing on. However, if that connected, the savagery would not end there; no, it had just started. With the same smile turning into a full blown grin, Aoshi would deliver punch after punch after punch, alternating between left and right, each of them not only putting a dent on the Hollow's body, but also further weakening it defensively.

If left to his own devices and without any retaliation from the beast, Aoshi would not stop until the combination of his strength and Ruination turned it into nothing but mulch, the same bloody paste that the authorities had found in his place the day he had murdered those six men. Throughout this process, the Kenpachi would keep the smile, but it would quickly wear off and turn into frustration instead. The novelty of going all out was fine, but he lacked something else. He lacked a proper challenge. And if that monster was dealt off through his relentless assault, surely there would be someone else to give him the time of day, right?

Like a certain Seated Officer, currently doing her best to save his comrade's life.


OOC:

Aoshi has stopped holding back, and Ruination has activated.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Aoshi's updated appearance}

SPOILER: Click to show

{Ruination}Aoshi's Spiritual Pressure is a representation of death itself, corruption, rot and the decay of things: entropy, in a single word. To be more precise, the theme of his power would be 'entropy acceleration'. Cinematically, this is represented in multiple ways in an growing area around Aoshi. Cinematically, spiritually weak beings (never RPCs) in a 100ft area around him will see their injuries, such as cuts, scraps or bruises, increase in size and gravity. Flesh and bones ache with strain, skin dries up, etcetera. Physical and spiritual matter will see any imperfections slowly take over: stone slowly turns to dust, metal rusts, wood rots and moulds, the grass and plant-life around him wither. Ruination also causes Aoshi to shift in appearance and personality, as described earlier, as the ability turns him into a counduit of decay and destruction.

How does this play in a fight?

Aoshi's physical touch on an opponent cause the natural effect of entropy decay effect to greatly accelerate, further weakening the foe's body and causing an increase in severity of previous injuries around the impact area. This is easily noticeable by the zone in particular becoming grayer and grayer, with its colors losing vividity. The skin cracks a bit, too. Under the effects of entropy, the opponent's physical defenses are also made more brittle, and injuries increase in severity: minor cuts don't close and become deeper, leading to grievous wounds; fatigued muscle fibers snap, bones with partial fractures break completely. This allows Aoshi to overpower defenses through relentless assault.

While the opponent retains their physical Strength, each contact with Aoshi will cause this stat to be treated as 5% lower of their maximum, but only when defending against a physical attack (does not apply to OS clashes). barrage/multi-hit techniques will see this amount double. Note that Massacre Demon techniques may have a different rate of reductions (contingent on approval for each), as the style was conceived to make full use of Ruination. These reductions are cumulative, but reset when Aoshi starts holding back again. If he won't stop going all out, the opponent must remain untouched by Aoshi for at least three posts of combat to purge the decay effect. Items/defensive powers or Releases that make contact with Aoshi's body will see their durability is directly cut by this ability in the same way, but at twice the rate; this durability is not refreshed if Aoshi starts holding back again. Of course, this includes any items he himself holds, which will rapidly decay due to prolonged contact with him. Thus, Aoshi can't physically hold an item for more than 2 posts without it breaking.

Since the enemy's body becomes weaker and frail, techniques that are taxing or have adverse effects on the foe's body will further strain them. This will lead to injury if their durability goes under the required Strength threshold for use. However, they will never be locked out of using them if they so desire. For example if a technique requires 400 Strength, it would injure the user's body if the stat would be considered as 380 defensively due to this ability. As Ruination also affects spiritual matter, long lasting spiritual techniques in contact with Aoshi's body (such as Bakudo) will wither and decay at a much faster rate, making it easier for him to break free of them. Hierro also suffers greatly from Ruination's effects, reducing the number of posts required for adjustment by 3 per hit (multi-hits do not add any extra for this purpose). Techniques like Cero or Bala that hit the foe to cause damage and then disperse are too fast in their effect to be weakened by Ruination.

Now, how can you stop Ruination, other than by not getting hit?

• On hit, any opponent who has been struck can spend a flat amount of Reiatsu to cancel the effects of Ruination on their body. The necessary amount to cancel a 5% debuff will increase with Aoshi's class, and will be increased/decreased by 50 per Class difference with the opponent. The numbers are 5 (Class 8), 25 (7), 50 (6), 75 (5), 100 (4), 125 (3), 150 (2), 175 (1), and 200 (0), with a +/- 50 Reiatsu per Class difference adjustment. For example, with Aoshi at class 4, it would take 100 Reiatsu to block the Ruination effect when taking a single punch if the foe is also class 4, 150 if the foe is class 5, or 50 if the foe is class 3.
• On cast, defensive techniques can be formed at higher Reiatsu costs to undermine Ruination's effects by granting them a spiritual buffer to repel Aoshi's strikes. For defensive release overalls, paying the cost of releasing at 1 class higher will negate a total of 15%, up to a total of a 60% Ruination buffer per increased class. This cost can still be paid even if you would overshoot any maximums, (e.g. Shikai could pay an extra 150, 300, 450 or 600 Reiatsu to gain the 15, 30, 45 or 60% buffer respectively, but would still only be class 3). A 60% buffer means Aoshi must, for example, land 12 basic attacks before Ruination will begin to take any effect on it.
• For defensive non-overall techniques, (e.g. Danku or a release technique that creates a shield), paying 20% more for it will grant a 10% Ruination buffer, up to a maximum buffer of 40%. This won't have any effect if Aoshi has a +2 class superiority over the technique. Conversely, the buffer % for the same cost will double if Aoshi has a +2 class inferiority over the technique. Release overall buffers stack with these, but will be consumed first.

Another added drawback is that Aoshi's personality change makes him far more unstable and difficult to deal with, going as far as to attack his allies if they get in the way of a good battle. He may even attack them if he feels unsatisfied with the brawl. This personality effect does not go away just by lowering his stats back down again, and will require 3 posts of non-combat to be purged entirely. Needless to say, any ally Aoshi touches will be subjected to the same decay effects as an opponent would.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko watched as Aoshi began to slip deeper. Exactly what she was afraid of. Exactly why she was here. She watched as he grabbed the snake's tail and even the the small cuts, any blood that seeped out was instantly sucked into Shukketsubuki. She narrowed her eyes and watched, not having to do anything more than hold her zan as she kept the squadmate from bleeding out. As she watched Aoshi transform, she pursed her lips. It sure was something. She could feel the darkness take over, and the aura that came with it. She saw the affect it was having, just as an aura and her slight interest and wariness instead turned into annoyance.



"Fer fucks sake." She hissed. "Yer really gonna make me work like this?" Fuuko sighed as the squad seemed to be getting hurt just being around Aoshi. She took Shukketsubuki and flung it into the air. "Raining. Blood." She growled. with a red flash and the sound of thunder,  the sky filled with red clouds that immediately began to pour literal blood from the skies down onto the squad. The effect was immediate. Wounds began to reclose and heal. Shukketsubuki  dropped from the sky into Fuuko's hand and she pointed her weapon back at the downed squadmate and went back to cycling their blood. With the healing, however, came a heaviness that soaked into those it touched, making those it dripped on sluggish and slower.



As it dripped, Fuuko narrowed her eyes as Aishi began to smash the snake into paste. She might have been impressed if she didn't know what was coming next. These types all followed the same direction and Fuuko wasn't about to fuck around with it. She was here to do exactly not  that. She didn't need to test her skills to know how this was going to play out. She was just glad Aoshi was a rookie, but as Aoshi finished up, all the mess he made of the hollow was sucked right up into Shukketsubuki as she hoisted it up and pointed it at Aoshi. The weapon was glowing and sword-like, but as it glow pointed at Aoshi, there was an audible sound. Loud, like the cocking of a gun hammer. 

"Boy." Fuuko said. "You come at me and it ain't gonna end the way ya think  it is. Stand down before I have ta put  ya down. That thing's dead and we gotta go before ...." Fuuko paused. "Well, if yer  the one that gets these guys killed," She said, noddign tot he squad. "It's gonna be a tough sell ta keep ya out of the Maggot's Nest or off the choppin block." 

__________________________

Reiatsu: 3100/3400 - Blood Bank: 516 - Padao - 3 posts

[100] Blood Collection - All in LoS

SPOILER: Click to show

{-レイニングブラッド (Raining Blood):}[20] Fuuko hurls Shukkestusbuki in the air and it releases all but 1 point of its stored up blood and returns to its [First stage]. It begins to rain blood in a 50ft. Radius around Fuuko. The blood is infused with Reiatsu and heals, but also slows. Each post, 25 points of the released pool is spent. Anyone (except Fuuko) who is in the radius heals wounds by one step (Minor wounds disappear, small wounds close, moderate ones begin to heal and major wounds no longer become life threatening), but also has their speed reduced by 25 points as well, for as long as they are in the blood rain. The healing and speed reduction is cumulative.

The aura literally soaks clouds in blood and can be affected in the way clouds are. If Fuuko moves, the aura moves towards her, but at a clouds pace [Speed 300], unless 100 Reiatsu is spent to speed it up to catch up and/or follow Fuuko.

If the Cloud is affected by non-natural wind powers, Fuuko can resist it with OS and spending 100 Reiatsu. If there is natural wind, Fuuko can instead spend [100 Reiatsu] to keep the cloud in place. This ability can be used on a cloudless, sunny day. It is only affected by natural weather after it is used. The clouds are formed by using the ability if there are none.

Fuuko cannot reabsorb the blood rain, but she can spend her own Reiatsu to extend the blood rain by floating the Reiatsu shukketsubuki would put into her pool into the blood rain at a 2 for 1 ratio with a minimum of at least 50 Reiatsu needing to be spent to add 25 back into the blood rain.

The Speed reduction can be resisted with OS, but if the Speed reduction is resisted, so is the healing.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Stats & Skills}Stats:

Reiatsu: 3400

[[Strength - 400 Points (600) +50%
Speed - 300 Points
Spiritual Pressure - 272 Points (340) +25%
Reiatsu Strength - 45 Points (31) -30%
Light Aura - 95 Points
Dark Aura - 05 Points
Instinct- 75 Points
Senses- 68 Points (51) -25%
Energy sensory - 40 Points
Healing Expertise - 0 Points

Total: 1200/1200 SP]

Current Skills 15/15
• [Battle Focus] {1}
• [Pain Tolerance] {2}
• [Lack of Fear] {2}
• [Zanjutsu] {1}
• [Strength of Will] {2}
• [Damage Recovery] {2}
• [Bleeding Tolerance] {2}
• [Anti-Stealth] {1}
• Blood Scent {2}

[Deleted]

Fuuko immediately told Aoshi to stand down before she had to put him down herself. That only fueled the excitement of the bloodlust-fueled Kenpachi, who was getting ready for the fight of his life... until she made the point that he might be the one to kill his teammates. That made a quick change happen in Aoshi, as if he had been reminded of the existence of the fodder around him. His smile died out. In fact, his expression turned serious, and his eyes drooped ever so slightly. His expression right now was disappointment, disconnect, and complete and utter boredom, as if the mere suggestion was asinine.

"If I'm the one to kill them, you say?" he said, beginning to understand that Fuuko had been sent there for more than just keeping an eye on him. She was also a safety measure to keep him from murdering the rest of his squadmates. However, the Soul Society (and Aoshi himself) had grossly misunderstood his Ruination-afflicted self, a point that he would make clear immediately after.

"I have no interest in fighting these cowards that preach the sanctity of the Gotei 13, only to drop their swords the moment things get just a little rough. They're nothing but a waste of space. But I suppose that's why the Gotei wants them for. Meat shields", he said, with a quick, encompassing gesture toward all his still alive teammates. Aoshi had heard them say how he did not deserve to be there, and quite frankly, perhaps he did not. But they were not in any position to act any holier than thou. As far as he was concerned, these lot were nothing more than cannon fodder, doomed to meet their ends at the maws of one stronger Hollow or another. Hell, if Fuuko hadn't been there, they would have most certainly died, because Aoshi wouldn't have given a damn about their deaths while afflicted by Ruination. He would have done his job, killed the monsters, return to the Seireitei, and tell them that his teammates simply were not up to the task. Granted, that would land him a straight passage to an execution... but it was what he would do, no doubts about it.

Instead, he turned to face Fuuko again. His dejected expression turned into a small smile, almost inviting. "No, I'd be more interested in fighting you. You are different from them, aren't you? And not just because you're a superior officer. No, you've fought your way here. You're not going to run home crying just because you're outgunned without even putting up a fight", he said, meaning it as a sincere compliment.

"I know you'd be able to beat me, you wouldn't be here if you couldn't. But isn't that what makes it truly fun? How far can I pull on my leash before it breaks? I'm just dying to know", he said, cracking his knuckles. The idea of fighting Fuuko was getting more and more appealing by the second, a flame fanned by Aoshi's unrelenting love for physical confrontation. His brutalizing that snake Hollow had been nothing more than the appetizer, a satisfying way to open a meal, but not a main course. Of course, Aoshi was not going to actually force Fuuko to fight him. A fight only was best when both parts were giving it their all, right? He didn't have any desires to partake in lukewarm confrontation.

Aoshi turned to see the sorry state his teammates were in. His sheer presence was making their injuries worse, but it could not outpace Fuuko's blood healing. Well, all for the best. He didn't have any reasons to want them dead or injured, provided they stayed out of his way, and frankly, it would be better for his immediate future to return with the full squadron.

"If you're going to be worrying about them and not putting your heart into it, then I'm not interested in challenging you. I'll behave and tag along, let you bring my so useful teammates back home so they can cling at Celes's skirts", he said, spitting on the ground.

The floor was Fuuko's to do as she pleased. Aoshi's Ruination would continue to strike at the teammates, but he could not really control that. If his words had inflamed her enough to want to fight, then he would gladly fight her. Otherwise, he would just follow his superior officer, with a little smile all the way.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko narrowed her eyes as Aoshi began to speak. She didn't like what he was saying, even though a part of her definitely wanted to give in to the words. When he was finished, especially his remark about his own captain, Fuuko's fist clenched around her zanpakutou. "Boy, I wish I had time to wash that mouth of yers out, cause it's spittin some pretty vile things." She said in a low tone. "If it was the two of us, I might indulge it, cause, yeah, I sure as shit wanna beat that smirk off yer face." She glanced away. "But, unlike you, I give a damn about people, even the weak and cowardly." She glanced at the squad again. "These people are fresh from the academy. This is their first live expedition and they were assaulted not only by a buncha hollows, includin a big, fuckin snake, but by their own squadmate." 

Fuuko shook her head. "Soul society doesn't exist if we don't work together. If we don't protect the weakest among us. This ain't a playground." Fuuko barked. "And, even if yer right about me, I am  the way I am because I have somethin to protect. That's what makes me fight. That's what keeps me goin. My love fer fightin comes from within, but without somethin behind it I'm, what? You? A grinnin asshole who don't give a shit? Nah." Fuuko said. 

"They sent me particular, ya know? Ya never thought ta ask why it was a buncha squad ten members and me? Or did ya think I was from Squad Ten? No, my name is Satoshi Fuuko, Fourth Seat of Squad Four." She inhaled and puffed her chest out proudly. "In the Yonbantai, our pimary mission is makin sure everyone else is safe and sound, no matter what the reason they are in danger is." Fuuko explained. "I'm sure you think yer hot shit, but I think yer a liability, and I know a thing or two about bein one a those!" Fuuko laughed. 

"Besides." Fuuko looked around. "It ain't safe. This wasn't a run of the mill Hollow attack, this was an ambush. Some one was or is around." Fuuko said as she pointed at where she had blocked an attack incoming at Aoshi. She hopped over to where the item landed and picked it up. It gleamed white, but was small with a sharp point and a slight curve. "This was made to look like the Hollow's fang, but it didn't dissipate. I don't know if the attacker knew I would be here or not, but I think yyou  were the target. I think the other squadmate was collateral damage to make things look indiscriminate." 

Fuuko shruffed. "I don't know. Not my problem or area of expertise, frankly. Personally, I think they should put someone like you in the Maggot's Nest, but, what do I know? Heh." Fuuko barked. "So, no, long story short, the saftey of you  and your squad is my biggest priority, not seeing how long it would take me to kick your ass. Now, are ya gonna settle the fuck down or do I have ta stack yer unconscious body on top of yer friend's and carry ye both back?" 

[Deleted]

Of everything Fuuko said, Aoshi had to admit she had a point. His teammates were fresh from the Academy, and this had hardly been the typical patrol the greenest of the Gotei 13 would be performing... only he was part of the same green crops, too, and he had chosen to fight. Still, he didn't bother making the point, and instead kept his smile, which was already doing a poor job at concealing the lust for battle within. What did get an answer out of him was her comment regarding his arrogance. The Kenpachi chuckled and shook his head in a slow negative.

"Hot shit? Far from it. I've done nothing but get my ass kicked ever since I got here. Not that it has stopped me from fighting when I had to fight." Once again he directed his gaze at his teammates, eyes wandering over all of them. It was not a reprimanding gaze in the slightest, but an amused one. He doubted any of them would even think about giving him any more lip back at the Tenth.

"I know this is not a playground. Fact is, I've been aware of it for quite a while now, ma'am. On the contrary, my dearest teammates didn't get the memo", Aoshi said, already growing weary of the whole great defender of the mooks shtick Fuuko had adopted. Of course, she was right: Soul Society needed to nurture their young so that the future would be safe for the organization. Unfortunately, there lie the difference. As of right at that moment, afflicted with Ruination, Aoshi didn't give a rat's ass about such ideals. The only thing he cared about was sating that hunger for proper one on one combat.

While that made him a liability, just as Fuuko had said he was, the truth was that Aoshi was also well aware. But that was precisely the only card he had to play in his life right now. Fact is, where many saw a liability, there would be many people who'd see an actual weapon. "I know exactly what it is that has kept me off the chopping block. Soul Society wanted an attack dog, and they fished it out of the dog pound. That's the only reason why I'm still alive right now... so no need to try to convince me about how we are fighting for the future. Great speech, ten out of ten, but not the right target audience."

What he hadn't considered was that this whole ordeal had all been staged. The moment Fuuko said those words, pointing out her suspicions, Aoshi's face changed from his previous cheeky grin to a rageful grimace, turning around, looking to see if he caught a glimpse, any glimpse, of the coward that had been behind this entire incident in the first place. "Again with this shit?!" he roared. At that precise moment, he no longer gave a damn about fighting the Seated Officer, or about the ill-prepared status of his squadmates. Instead, his attention had all turned to whoever it may be that lurked in the shadows and had yet to reveal themselves, instead of hiding like a damn coward.

It had been like this since the day he had killed the fuckers that had gotten into his house and killed his father. Ever since then, it looked like an invisible hand was steadily guiding him on a path toward, as Fuuko eloquently put, the chopping block. He was only alive yet because of the imposed detours some people had ensured he would follow, but he was still on that path all the same. If he went ahead and got executed because of his own actions, so be it. But he would not be framed for a crime he did not commit, just like he had been framed for his father's murder. His Reiatsu concentrated, and Ruination's effects over the Squad 10 mooks, as well as the city around them, increased.

If they did not come out at that very moment, Aoshi would tighten his fists so much that his fingernails would bite into his skin, causing droplets of blood to run along his fingers and drop to the ground. His muscles tightened as if they were to crush his own bones in sheer frustration. Whoever this was, they were not going to ever fight him directly, were they? If that was the case and the bastard never showed up, Aoshi's eagerness to fight would've soured to the point that his mood would've dampened, turning with a contempt-filled expression. They'd better pray that he would never find out who was behind this all.

Normally, he would've been absolutely giddy about Fuuko's proposition to stack his body on top of his teammate's--after a proper fight, of course, but now he didn't feel like it anymore. "Fine by me. We'll settle this later, once they've gotten their medical attention", he barked.

[Satoshi Fuuko]

Fuuko raiused an eyebrow at Aoshi and then looked at the other squadmates. "How are you the one gettin bullied here?" Fuuko muttered. She found it odd that the qhole squad could be both incredibly cowardly and also willing to ostracize Aoshi as a group. Especially after what just transpired and the state Aoshi was in. Maybe she needed to do more than just make a report to Captain Shindazu. She let it go, though. There was more important things to worry about. 

"Attack dog?" Fuuko raised her eyebrow. "Soul Society is already supposed to have thirteen of em. We don't really need more. Certainly not more rabid ones." Fuuko added. "But that don't mean you should be put down either. I don't like what's goin on here, not that I know who  it was." Fuuko tapped her chin as she glanced around and made sure everyone else was safe enough before sealing her zanpakutou.  As it returned to a katana, Fuuko flicked it and a stream of blood vomited out of the blade. It splattered on the ground like it had been dumped out of a bucket, but the zanpakutou was completely clean and blood free as Fuuko sheathed it. Fuuko then used a Hell Butterfly to contact the senkaimon. 

Once she sent off the butterfly, Fuuko leaned in close to Aoshi. "If you have any idea who it might be, if you think it's coming from inside the Gotei, then you need to speak to Lieutenant Youji about it. Tell him Fuuko sent ya." She smiled. "That might get his attention or it might put ya on the bottom of the stack. heh." Fuuko shrugged. "In the meantime, maybe you should talk to your own captain." Fuuko paused. 

"I just wonder, why you didn't join Squad Eleven. Unless you got assigned?" Fuuko asked. Fuuko then shrugged. "Either way, good luck." She said and looked over the rest of the squad. "Ok, everyone! We're headed out. We're goin back to the Yonbantai first, to patch everyone up, then yer free to do whatever. Hope ya all learned something." She said. "I ain't yer captain, but if ya don't get yer shit  tagether..." She stopped and pivoted slightly with her words. 

"Let's just put it this way: I don't wanna see any of ya bein carted to my division cause ya fucked u p, got it?"  Fuuko said as a senkaimon suddenly opened up. She wasn't good at detecting Reiatsu from far away, but she narrowed her eyes and focused as she gave a look around. She had made a lot of assumptions today. It could have just been anything, right? Part of the hollow that didn't dissipate? Why did her mind go to a conspiracy? Why would there be one with Aoshi? He seemed to think there were people after him. She shook her head. Whatever this  fight was, it didn't smell like a good one. 

'Anegoooo! I'm tired! I don't feel good! Can you give me one of  the drinks you brought? Pleaaase?!' 

Fuuko pursed her lips. "You just drank so much. Tch. And you had some Hollow blood! Stop crying." She hissed as Shukketsubuki whined. "Don't." She held up her hands. She sighed deeply, relenting before Shukketsubuki could speak up again. "Maybe when we get home. If you keep yer trap shut until then." Fuuko shook her head and gave one last look at everyone to make sure they were as ready to leave as she was.