Battle for the Heart: Shunsatsu and Ahatake (and the third wheel Akiko)

Ahatake's return
"Hey Shunsatsu." Akiko chirped popping up out of nowhere. "What's up? Is Onii-san back?"

"Hardly." Was the blunt reply of the Shinigami.

"Awww. Too bad Echo isn;t here. He'd make for good company."

"Mhm...." Shunsatsu didn't seem to be paying much attention to her, however, focusing on the tips of his own nails.

"What's so interestin about your finger nails?" She asked. "Sexy lady right over here!"

"Uhn."

Akiko raised her fists and was about to slap Shunsatsu over the head, when a Garganta appeared between them and out stepped Ahatake, looking slightly older and his spiritual pressure was high.

"Yoh!"

"Hm?" That was when Shunsatsu finally looked up from his sitting position. "About time... I was getting bored."

"You all look well."

"We could say the same for you, Ahatake-san." Shunsatsu returned, grinning.

"Yeah, I did some training. I'm still sad but I'll deal with it."

"Sad?" Shunsatsu cocked an eyebrow, rising to his feet immediately, but slowly. "I don't see why."

"Akiko go away." Ahatake hissed and she walked off grumbling. "I'm just sad because I'm not sure Tereya likes me." He sighed. "Sounds childish."

A skeptical look crossed the other Shinigami's eye, as he looked at his partner-in-crime. "Well.... you trying to buddy with her right away didn't help much...." He noted. "After all, we techinically are foreign to her."

Ahatake siged and then pointe dhis finger at what looked like a mountain. He fired a small demi-ero towards the center and it blew way the entire formation.

"....Feel better?"

"No." The man sighed. "Not really."

Shunsatsu remained silent for a moment, sitting down again and putting his arms on his knees. "I'm really not sure what to say, man, only other than you have to give things like this time." He suggested.

Ahatake sighed and got up. "Maybe I should just go back to Hueco Mundo. Train some more."

"Or..." Shunsatsu suggested. "Maybe you could.... I donno.... visit her?"

"And get cut up."

"Oh, come on! I'm sure she doesn't hate you!"

Ahatake sighed. "If she does cut me up, I'm suing my new power to beat the hell out of you. Bear that in mind."

Shunsatsu grinned sagely. "Come now, Ahatake..." He said, using the tone that only parents would use when teasing their child. "You didn't think I spent all of this time wasting my life away, did you? I've been improving, too."

"You're not near me though. I can feel it. Though you do seemed to have attained some new power. Bankai?"

"Arrogant, as usual..." Shunsatsu closed his eyes in disapproval, frowning. "Do I have to remind you that you had to use your Hollow mask against me before?"

"I was weaker then. You get stronger when your constantly under attack."

"And I've gotten weaker?" Shunsatsu defended. "Hardly."

"Fine. I have a question. Do you like Tereya?"

That question immediately took the short-haired man off-guard, eyes widening a bit. "W-well..." He said hesitantly. "S...she did seem nice...."

"Why don't we do this? Make it a contest to see who she likes better? Try and win her heart you know."

"Hm?" The shock immediately faded from Shunsatsu's face. "I said that I liked her, not that I loved her."

"Scared of competing with me?"

"...." Shunsatsu's fingers immediately started tapping on his arms, out of slight annoyance. "This isn't a competition, Ahatake. You have a crush on her, I don't. Do as you please."

"Scared."

"Shut. It."

"Or what?"

"...." With Shunsatsu's eyes twitching, it was apparent he was getting irritated. Immediately, he pushed himself off of his feet, dusting himself off. "I don't have to stand here and let you bug the hell out of me. I'm out of here."

"I'm sorry, dude. That was uncalled for." Ahatake got up. "You're right I should go visit her."

"Good." Shunsatsu stopped in his tracks, tilting his neck from side to side. "Who knows? Maybe I'll come up some time after you get there. Got nothin' else to do...."

"So transparent..." Ahatake muttered and vanished and started to feel for her spiritual pressure. "Where could she be?"

A Story To Tell
It wasn't common to see two swords, held by different users, held across from each other, the blade tips in an X-cross for anyone watching to the side. They gleamed in the bright sunlight, not moving an inch.

One of the blades were wielded by Tereyu.

The other was wielded by a white-haired man, muscular in build, and taller than her. A serious glare came through the black sunglasses he was wearing, and a frown was definite on his face. They were mirrored by her own hard-faced expression, although her glare was more apparent.

Without warning, they vanished, flashes ringing throughout the air, along with the clashing of blades.

"THERE!" Ahatake cried and rushed in the direction of the two powers.

A skidding of a feet signaled the two combatant's re-appearance, as they propelled a distance away from each other. Immediately, they settled into their own stances: the man in a backhand stance, and Tereyu in a sheathing stance. It was a tense moment in the fight, neither of them seeming to back down.

Then, they vanished once more.

And Ahatake landed watching the battle. "Wierd." He thought. "Thier power isn't much to speak of." He cleared his throat. "Hey Princess!"

"Uhn?"

That was when Tereya turned around to the sound of the voice....

.....and she felt her face sting violently.

When she landed on her feet, she discovered a deep gash on her cheek - one caused by the opposing sword. Not only that, when she lowered her eyes, the blade of her Zanpakuto had virtually cracked, near to the point of shattering to pieces.

"What...?"

"That wasn't a very good attack...." The man commented, sheathing his blade. "You really need to learn to keep your concentration."

"Training, little Princess?" Ahatake asked running over.

Tereya's glare immediately turned itself towards the man who once again addressed her by that pet name. The tightening of her hand around the hilt didn't soothe her anger and annoyance as much as she thought it would, and only seemed to feed her trigger finger. "Ahatake...." She muttered. "What do you want?"

"Just droppin' by." Ahatake said. "You seem angry."

"Oh...." She put a finger to her chin in false thought. "I wonder why!" She asked, with savage sarcasm, though her voice was still not showing her anger completely.

"Cut me, if it will calm you down."

Meanwhile, the man stood, cocking an eyebrow and frowning faintly. This strange man seemed to know Tereyu very well, but not in the positive way. Pondering if he should intervene in their chat, he started to walk forward, sandals stepping lightly.

"I'm not angry...." Tereyu replied. "But you're going to push me to it if you don't haul your ass out of here!"

Ahatake sighed and opened up a Garganta. "Back to hell for another month."

"Leaving already?" The man asked, finally reaching the spot beside Tereyu. "You seem nice enough." A smirk climbed onto his face, a friendly and humored one. "Don't see why or how you managed to tick off Tereya, though...."

"The Princess has an attitude." Ahatake said sighing. "I'm Ahatake Noriko Kurosaki. Nice to mee you." He extended his hand.

As the man moved forward to shake his own hand, however, he was soon made to pull it back, surprised by Tereya's katana pointing straight at Ahatake's neck. "Uh....?"

"Was I talking to a brick wall, when I told you we were strangers?" Tereya said in irritance, twisting around and sheathing her katana once more. "Don't call me Princess."

Ahatake expelled massive ammounts of spiritual pressure that forced her down. "Sorry Princess."

The man himself simply raised an arm to keep the resulting winds out of his eyes, closing one eye.

Tereya, however, fell to the ground, clutching her chest and letting out choked gasps, eyes shut as she attempted to recover her breath under the intense pressure.

But Ahtaake stopped, after seeing what looked like pain. "Sorry Princess." He repeated though this time he meant it.

The moment her pain stopped, her hands clenched the ground, as she pulled herself to her feet again. "Well?" She asked, a more menacing tone to her voice. "What are you waiting for? Christmas?" She nodded towards the open Garganta. "Get out of here, if you know what's best for you."

"Like you'd stand a chance against me, little Princess." And he turned to the man extending his hand again. "I am Ahatake Noriko Kurosaki. Who are you?"

"Hmmm...." He raised his own hand, gripping Ahatake's in a tight and strong handshake. "My name is Smirnov. Good to meet you."

Now, it was clear to notice the foreign, seemingly Russian accent in his words.

"Russian?" Ahatake asked, closing his Garganta.

"That's right, my friend." Smirnov replied coolly. "I'm a bit of a foreigner to this new country."

"I'm sure you'll like it. Aside from the overabundance of Hollows."

"Ah, no need for that... my family has been here for quite a while."

"I see. By the way, what does the Princess have against me?"

He didn't answer, for Tereya once again stepped in.

"Excuse me? It should be very apparent what I have against you." She replied. "First off, that stunt you just pulled made it very clear that you came to annoy me. Secondly, you're still calling me that pet name of yours. Has it occured to you that my name is Tereya, not Princess?"

"That stunt I pulled Princess is because you had a blade to my throat."

WHAM!

Tereya's furious fist backhanded Ahatake across the face, before he even had time to react. He fell ungracefully onto the ground, a tooth flying from his mouth from the force.

"I'm going back home, Smirnov." She said irritantly. "It's apparent that my words are just not getting through to this dumbass."

Smirnov shrugged. "Have it your way, sister."

With that, Tereya turned around and disappeared, not a trace of her left.

Ahatake got back up and crushed the tooth. He sighed and just fell back down again.

"What's with you?" Smirnov asked. "Don't tell me that wasn't the reaction you were expecting."

"It was." He sighed. "But still...I guess she hates me." He extended his finger and blasting a considerably large cero at the spot where she had been.

"Truthfully." Smirnov shrugged. "I'd hate you too, if I was brutally attacked like that....and had a hot-headed temper."

"That wasn't an attack it's a defense mechanism."

"Uh?"

"If you're reffering to the power I unleashed that pushed her down."

"Heh..." Smirnov chuckled. "Well, you're going to have a hard time talking to her, Ahatake. She's not so forgiving once she's been irritated, so..." He trailed off, leaving the rest to Ahatake's imagination.

"She can't take me on." Ahatake muttered. "Not if she can't release her Zanpaktuo."

Smirnov immediately laughed. "You misunderstand! She already has her Zanpakuto "released", as you say. I believe the correct term is..." He paused for a moment. "Constant-release?"

"Mine used to be like that." Ahatake said getting up. "Well it was nice meeting you, but now I've gotta hunt."

"Fair enough, comrade." Turning his back, Smirnov gave a two-finger salute. "Fairwell."

Ahatake mimicked it and raced off toward Tereya's spiritual pressure. But soon he was accompanied by someone.

"I knew you'd show up eventually."

"Told you I had nothing else to do." The voice of Shunsatsu replied, leaping down from a tree branch.

"And you brought Akiko." Ahatake said, noticing his sister running between them.

"Correction...." Shunsatsu nodded curtly towards the girl. "She decided to follow me."

"Well if you guys are gonna try an' bag her, I wanna fighting chance."

"Wha..."

"That's great, and all, Ahatake..." Shunsatsu replied. "But...don't you think you should wait for now? At least until she's....ahem...." He raised a fist to his mouth, clearing his throat. "....cooled down."

"No." Ahatake replied. "You how they say with food. Come and get 'em while their hot."

Now Shunsatsu's gaze turned serious. "You don't get it, Ahatake-san. While I had come by here, I had sensed yours and Tereya's spiritual energy. I could also sense hers getting away from yours, as if she was trying to get away from you. Clearly, that meant she was."

He sighed heavily, putting his hands into his pockets. "If you keep pressuring her, that chance of her returning your feelings will be shot to hell. She'll hate you, simply because you were being a pest. That what you really want?"

Ahatake skidded to a stop. "I hate your logic."

"Mhm." Shunsatsu nodded his head towards the way they had come. "Now, we gonna go back and give her some time?"

"Fine." Ahatake muttered and expelled spiritual pressure that crushed the entire forst they were in and made Akiko actually quake in fear.

A smile came across Shunsatsu's face. "Oh, and one more thing." The smile immediately turned into a frown. "Did you just compare Tereya....to food?"

"It was the first thing that came to mind." He said, more power exuding.

"....There's a lot you're going to have to learn...." Shunsatsu sighed, walking over to the previous direction, with Ahatake and Akiko close behind.

"You really have a death wish." Ahatake hissed as Akiko jumped on his back, giggling piggy-back ride.

"Just because I speak the truth? How troublesome..."

"Stuff it or I'll blast you into hell."

"All right, all right..."

Ahatake hoisted his sister up on his back. "Why can't you have Echo do this?"

"'Cuz it irritates you, when i make you do it Onii-san."

"Kill me..." Ahatake muttered.

Revelation
Tereya gazed at the moon evenly, a piece of grass in her mouth, and a relaxed look was on her features. Her ears were at peace, listening to the cricket music, and her body slept on the dull blades of glass sticking into her back. It was almost like lying in heaven for herself, a rare time of peace.

She was even tempted to fall asleep, when....

"Hey!"

A foreign voice immediately rang in her ears, and she turned her head to the right, spotting something moving towards her. "Hm?"

"Idiot." Ahatake muttered, sitting in a tree.

Shunsatsu's footsteps treaded lightly on the grass, but even under the midnight sky, his good-natured smile was evident. "Seems like you're quite comfy here. Mind if I join you?"

She cocked an eyebrow, but turned her head back towards the white sphere itself. "Knock yourself out." She replied bluntly. "Just don't make too much noise."

"Fair enough...." The boy lay down right beside her, putting his hands behind his head in the same position that she was in.

Ahatake sighed and kept watching charging a cero to fire at him in case he got to close.

"So, you do this often, huh?" Shunsatsu piped up.

"Mhm. It calms me down when I'm ticked off."

"Oh....I see." Shunsatsu frowned a bit. "Do you want me to--"

"No, it's not you." Tereya replied coolly. "I'm fine now....it was just this afternoon that got me riled up.

"....mind if I ask you what happened that afternoon?"

A silence went through them for a moment, before she spoke again. "Your friend decided to play stalker and follow me to where I was training with my brother."

"Oh. Checking up on you, I suppose?"

She laughed harshly. "Far from it. He came to tick me off..."

"No I didn't..." Ahatake thought.

"He even had the nerve to unleash spiritual pressure on me, just for his own amusement. Bastard doesn't know how to treat a lady..."

"....Well...."

"If you're here to convince me otherwise, I'm not gonna hear it. You might as well leave immediately."

"I'm not here to do that." Shunsatsu assured. "But I will tell you this: He may not know what he's doing, but he's trying his very best to show you how he feels about you. He...just doesn't know how."

"Well, what in the hell am I supposed to do about that?"

"Give him a chance."

"Why should I do that?"

"It's clear from what you said before...." Shunsatsu smiled knowingly. "That you want to give a more positive feeling back, instead of rejecting him fully. I donno whether it's love or whatever, but.... it's there."

Tereya frowned immediately, but remained silent, choosing to gaze at the moon once more.

Ahatake sighed and sent a wave a sad spiritual pressure towards Shunsatsu. It felt like a gentle waterfall.

"....you're not like him." Tereya said immediately.

Feeling the wave of spiritual pressure, Shunsatsu's eyes widened a bit, but he chose to ignore it. "Hm?"

"Why are you being so nice? After all, I told you that we were strangers the moment Mozou was defeated."

He closed his eyes. "Well... I like people like you." He admitted quietly.

"Uh...?" Her eyes widened immediately, and she turned to stare over at Shunsatsu, having not expected that blunt statement.

Now Ahatake sent a wave of hate towards Shunsatsu and this time it felt like fire.

"Oh, no!" The brunette said immediately, raising his hand towards Tereya immediately. "Don't take it the wrong way, but... when you're not angered, you're pretty easy to speak to. It's....hard....to do that with anyone else I know."

"Oh...." Tereya closed her eyes again. "So you just enjoy my company."

"Yeah...."

Ahatake sighed. "Guess I can sabotage them..." He opened a Garganta a few feet away from them and out stepped a Gillian.

STOMP.

"Huh?" Shunsatsu immediately tilted his head, getting up to a sitting position. "What was that...?"

"What?" Tereya muttered lazily. "Crickets stop chirpin'?"

"No...I just heard a--"

A loud roar was heard that caused them both to look up.

"--....Hollow." Shunsatsu finished, glaring up at the monstrous beast that loomed over them. He grabbed the hilt of his sword, cocking his neck from side to side. "Fucking pests..."

Tereya sat her own self up, eyes focused on the beast. But she didn't make a move to draw her own sword. "Try not to overdo it, OK?" She asked coolly.

"Sure thing."

The Gillian opened it's mouth and fired a large cero.

WHOOSH!

Instantly, Shunsatsu disappeared, re-appearing right over the beast's head. His eyes was set in an indifferent glare, and his mouth into a slight scowl, his sword poised. Without hesitation, he brought it down, slicing deep into the Hollow head and mask like a butcher knife cutting through meat.

Unfortunately it missed and only sliced into the left side of the Gillian.

"Retreat!" Ahatake commanded and it obeyed moving back into the Garganta and closing it.

A confused look donned Shunsatsu's face, as he landed on his feet, sheathing his sword once again. "That was....odd...." He muttered, looking over Tereya, who had gotten on her feet.

"What isn't these days?" She asked, shrugging. "Whatever the case, it's gone now."

Ahatake sent a stronger wave of hate pressure at Shunsatsu and it actually forced him down.

"Ooof....!"

The stunned man fell to the ground, gritting his teeth as gravity seemed to work against him. He gripped the ground with his knees and hands, in an attempt to push himself up. "Tereya...if you're doing this...!"

"It's not me." Tereya assured, her eyes narrowed at a certain spot in the trees. "Did you enjoy the good points of our conversation.... Ahatake-san?"

There's was no answer, only a small sound of a Garganta being open and closed.

She snorted. "And he runs off...." Looking down on Shunsatsu, she walked over to him, pulling him by the shoulder up to his feet. "I think I'd better go. Your friend might cause trouble for you..."

Shunsatsu merely coughed in return. "Y...yeah.... See you later....I guess...."

"You, too." With that, she vanished into thin air.

The boy sighed heavily. "Man.... I'm going to have to face a lot of crap when I get home..." He muttered, disappearing into the wind as well.

When he got home
Ahatake was sharpening his sword on a rolling stone. ''"I'll kill 'im."

Oblivious to the sounds of metal scraping stone, Shunsatsu allowed himself to step near where Ahatake was sitting. "Honey....I'm hoooome!" He called, attempting to get a laugh from whoever was here.

Ahatake sent a speedy cero at him.

With a wave of his hand, he smacked it away, putting the affected hand back into his pocket. "Oh.... I see you're a bit irritated. I guess I'll be on my way, then."

"On your way to you funeral." Ahatake hissed, pointing his finger and firing yet another cero.

Now it was Shunsatsu's turn to growl in annoyance, as he pushed his feet off to the side, drifting for a split second as the beam raced by him. "I don't see why you have any reason to be angry at me." He insisted.

Ahatake sighed. "Guess I really can't be mad at you. But you said you didn't like her!"

"I do."

Another cero singed Shunsatsu's hair.

"You know....you were listening on our conversation." Shunsatsu said in irritance. "You should've heard what I said and understood clearly how I felt."

"You felt my spiritual pressure. You know my hate."

"Hate? For what? Explain to me, Ahatake-san, because I don't seem to understand."

Ahatake sighed. "You don't need to know." He stood up. "Now if you'll excuse me I have business to take care of."

"Your business...." Shunsatsu snapped, stepping forward and glaring at Ahatake. "Is right here. I won't let your ridiculous jealousy screw me over, just because I attempted to befriend Tereya!"

Ahatake moved so fast, Shunsatsu didn't see it, but Ahatake's fist connected with his gut and Shunsatsu connected with the wall. "By the way, that Gillian you fought. I sent it."

"Nnnngh...." Shunsatsu managed to pull himself back up onto his feet, although his posture was still slumped against the wall. "You sent that beast on us?! What for--?!"

"Beat the crap out of you." Ahatake said simply. "Not on both of you. Just you."

For a moment, Shunsatsu was silent, eyes shadowed over, and his hands in his pockets. Then, he turned around and walked towards Ahatake. "That's a real shame, Ahatake-san. You've clearly let your feelings for this woman blind you from your friends, simply because you can't stand the thought of another man who might take "your woman" away from you. I can see why she hates you...."

He walked past him, and a chill could be felt between the two. "Feel free to do whatever you want. If you come back without so much as a gash on your body.... I'll be surprised."

"I'm sorry Shunsatsu. I love you like a brother (which is good since all I have is an annoying little sister) but still I want her."

"Whatever. Go tend to your business and what-not. I'm off to Urahara's for a little while."

And then Akiko popped up out of nowhere. "You weren't thinking of leaving me behind Onii-san?"

"Oh God."

WHOOSH!

Shunsatsu immediately vanished, leaving the two to stand alone.

"Fine you can follow me..." The man sighed and took off, Akiko following close behind.

"Now to find the Princess's spiritual pressure."

Attempt Number 2
"Brother...." Tereya muttered, to the white-haired man sitting ber.

"Hm?"

"What do you do when you feel like killing something?"

He shrugged. "Read a book or something. Something productive to pass the time. Something happen?"

"Ahatake decided to show up and bug me again, while I was talking to his friend." Tereya replied.

"Oh?"

"Yeah. This time, he sicked a Gillian on where we were at. Then, he nearly tried to crush Shunsatsu with his own spiritual pressure. I swear...." She took in a deep breath. "It's like trying to cope with a stalker!"

"Hiya!" Ahatake said hanging upside down from the nearest window.

"And here he is...." Tereya turned her head around, face set in an annoyed glare. "What's the matter? Didn't get enough last time?"

"Calm down, Tereya." Ahatake said quickly, then sighed as his sister popped up behind him. "Smirnov-san this is my little sister, Akiko."

The Russian gave a little wave in response. "Good to meet ya."

"You're cute." She said, immediately running over to get a better look at him.

"Uh..." Smirnov blinked a bit. "Thanks?"

"Smirnov-san pay no attention to her." Ahatake sighed, walking over to them and pulling Akiko away. "She's insane, and already taken anyway."