Back to the Battlefield

''Kenji and Naishō. Two men with very different pasts and ideals, tales and exploits. One chance meeting sparked a friendship and now they meet again...

The black-haired Shiba clansmen lay barely motionless on one of the many banks of Horiwari, the base of his now bare right foot lazily stroking the water below with every pendulum-like motion the leg in question made. Today, he wore a black-colored Shihakushō in place of his usual blue, with his hooked swords resting on the freshly cut grass to his right; within easy reach. A red bandanna, taken from the cape of the recently deceased Margin Heart was wrapped tightly around his forehead; while a pipe, colored a dull grey with a golden-colored rim, rested on the ground to his left, still unlit. Over his black outfit, he also sported the rarely seen red haori with small blue diamonds running along the base that marked his rank of Head-Captain among the Ryū Order.

Music that was far from pleasant to the hearing sounded from the red-colored harmonica inlaid with golden swirl patterns pressed to the mans lips, the wind causing his long, spiked fringe to blow in as many directions as the wind itself. "This is the life," Kenji thought as he lowered the harmonic - much to the pleasure of the birds nesting in the nearby trees who were no doubt quite sick of hearing the screech Kenji thought was music. The wind lulled him into a calm slumber, the minutes seemingly whizzing by to his senses as the black-haired Shinigami thought happy thoughts about his friends and family. "Now that I'm thinking, Kusaka owes me a drink. Kaimen too."

While the young Shiba shinigami splashed around in the stream, Naishō appeared through a senkaimon, fully healed after his most recent battle. As he stepped out of the spiritual gate, he eyed his surrounding, already preparing a strategy. "Since I was a child, I was told that you can never be too prepared..." the royal kinsman thought. After making sure he had a plan of attack in place, he spotted his newfound friend: Kenji Shiba, although the man preferred to be called Kenji Hiroshi. He quietly made his way towards the black-haired shinigami, even though he knew fully-well that Kenji would notice his reiryoku signature from miles away.

Kenji's right eye opened slowly, taking in the surrounding landscape and the red-haired Kawahiru who didn't disturb any of the freshly cut grass beneath his feet as he moved quietly forward. Greeting him with a two-finger salute, the black-haired Shinigami moved to a sitting position instead; the back of his Shihakushō covered in small strands of greenery. "Let me welcome you to Horiwari, home of the Ryū Order." He swept his hand towards the horizon, waterways criss-crossing around several small islands linked with boats or wooden walkways; all holding several large houses with people moving at a steady pace to and fro, with friendly chat being heard from a distance. The docks were alive with activity, with the dockside merchants pawning their goods and crying their wears; with muscular deckhands unloading the most recent trade goods from.

"The docks are a bit messy," He admitted after a time, "but there's nowhere I'd rather be. There's something about the dockside taverns that appeal to me, I guess. Anyway, take a seat and enjoy the view, Naishō. Its not often we get a day as good as this around here." The Shiba clansmen lit his pipe and took a relaxing puff, blowing out ring shapes from the smoke in a somewhat practiced manner. "Its the anniversary of my adoptive fathers disappearance. I always smoke at least one on this day," He said, sliding his harmonica into his Shihakushō's inside pocket.

Naishō simply looked in awe at the beautiful area. "This is really something," he remarked, his usual smile still plastered to his face. After a brief moment of pure shock, the red-haired shinigami shook himself out of his trance-like state. Embarrassed, Naishō turned his face away from Kenji, hiding his rosy-red cheeks from view. After his jaw returned to it's normal pigment, the Kawahiru clansman turned to face his newest friend. "So, let's get done to business." he said, his tone quickly changing to dead seriousness.

"Not bad, eh?" Kenji said with a grin. His next actions were taken at the pace of a man who had just woken from a nap, slow and somewhat sluggish; though it was clearly evident that the black-haired Shinigami was as a alert as he could possibly be. "I take it this wasn't just a social call, then? Right!" He patted himself down, thin strands of freshly cut grass falling from his person with every motion his hands took. The back of his neck was slightly indented by the grass he had lay upon, Naishō would notice as the Shiba clansmen turned his back. "But we won't be sparring here," He said casually. "The people around here have enough problems with Hollow attacks and stray Arrancar to worry about us destroying the place. Lets go a little farther afield."

An assortment of intricate Kidō barriers were the thing that kept Horiwari seperate from the rest of Monte Rosa, and in no time at all, the calming view of Horiwari and the soothing flow of the waterways were replaced by cooler winds blowing down from Monte Rosa's peak; the second highest in this particular region. "Here should do nicely," Kenji said as he turned; knuckles and neck each giving forth a crack as he worked his muscles and joints in preparation for the rematch he had been looking forward to with some excitement.

Stepping several paces forward, the red-haired shinigami turned about to face his new friend. "Yes, this area is perfect," he said, his long, maroon hair swaying due to the wind. Without another word, Naishō gave Kenji the international signal to fight: a flick of the four main fingers in his right hand. While signally his opponent, he quickly took in his surrounding, having to adapt to this new environment. "Don't worry, Naishō; you'll be fine." he thought as he waited for Kenji to make his move.

The cold wind caused goosebumps to rise on Kenji's exposed neck, though he managed to ignore the cold weather for the most part. Deciding that he'd probably be best getting right to the start of their battle, the Shiba clansmen flexed his fingers, while his hands hung loosely at his sides. "We come to it again, eh, Naishō?" Allowing the beginnings of a smile to show upon his face, Kenji drew his arm back, with a spherical shape of energy soon forming in the center of his palm that glowed with an unnatural green light. The cool mountain air picked up then, as electricity began to emanate from Kenji's person, bolts of lightning trailing along the ground born from his very aura. "Sutorobo Kagayaku." He stated quietly, the green energy loosing from his hand in a Cero-like wave of energy!

But Naishō was already behind Kenji, tapping his shoulder in delight. "Hah, nice one, Kenji! I can't very well be hit by the first attack, now can I?" he asked, laughing at the Shiba man's attack. However, his tone soon changed to complete seriousness as he unsheathed his blade, pointing it at the small of his opponent's back. "Now, let's get serious," the red-haired Kawahiru said, once again allowing Kenji to make the next move.

"Utesumi," Kenji said from a small distance away, the after-image with Naishō's blade pointed at the small of his back vanishing in a flash of sparks. "You seem to aim for an opponents back quite a bit," Kenji observed before silently drawing the katana sheathed at his waist. "But you really shouldn't have dodged that last blast." The energy from Sutorobo Kagayaku continued traveling until it impacted the side of a mountain peak, the impact kicking up a great amount of snow. "Its as much a battle against the environment up here, I'm afraid." Snow and ice began to cascade down the slopes towards their location, the ground shaking beneath their feet the closer it came. "There's no one around today that could get in the way of our battle, or I wouldn't have done this to begin with." The Shiba clansmen took to the skies, but not before attempting to bind Naishō in place with golden Kidō chains.

However, Naishō was merely an afterimage as well, vanishing as the goldenrod chains of spiritual energy binded the Kawahiru clansman. Laughing, the red-haired boy revealed himself to be behind a tree a few meters away. "Heh, it's always fun to play games with the opponent. Although I don't usually laugh during battle, you just make it so much more fun!" he exclaimed, still chuckling underneath his breath. Suddenly, Naishō fired off Hadō #88 - Hiryugekizokushintenraiho, his family's signature kidō. "This should do the trick," he remarked before vanishing into the light.

"Glad to see your enjoying yourself," Kenji said as the thundering blast of Kidō energy approached his aerial position. "I've heard the Kawahiru use that as their signature Kidō spell," Kenji remarked as he snapped a small black orb between the middle and index fingers of his left hand, the action causing a barrier to surround his person that bore a noticeably elastic quality. Hiryugekizokushintenraiho struck his person, and the barrier did its job well by splitting it around the Shiba clansmen, where the elasticity Kenji himself had applied caused the energy to bounce away from him. "I can why your clan would choose it, Naishō. It's a powerful spell, and you make it all the more powerful." Dropping the remains of the orb into the wind, Kenji's face wore a slight smile; which signaled quite clearly his growing enjoyment. "Shinseina Hanketsu," He said casually, a green javelin forming in his right hand. "C'mon Naishō! I'm not down in the dumps this time, so I promise you'll get a better match."

While his opponent formed the javelin of green energy, the red-haired shinigami appeared next to Kenji's right side, his blade sweeping towards the Shiba clansman's rib. "Good luck blocking this one, you one-handed adversary." he thought to himself as he waited for his zanpakutō to make contact with Kenji.

Since the attack came from the right, and due to Kenji's hand being positioned in such a way that when the javelin formed the projectile was positioned in such a manner to protect his ribs. Channeling his lightning attuned spiritual energy into the javelin in hand, Kenji was sent skidding backward as the blade struck; a crack appearing in the length of energy held firmly in his hand. "Not bad at all Naishō," Kenji said as the energy dispersed. Drawing one of his hooked swords instead, the Shiba clansmen drew a perfect circle in the air in front before taking a deep breathe; his spiritual energy rising thereafter. "This is gonna be good," His eyes snapped open, revealing the intensity within those crimson-colored irises. Waving his free hand, lightning dancing in his palm, Kenji soon brought his arm forward, releasing a single bolt of lightning towards his foe!

Attempting to dodge the lightning bolt, Naishō became dazed and was paralyzed, allowing the bolt to hit the red-haired shinigami with all its destructive power. After the lightning had dissipated, Naishō fell to the ground, unable to move his muscles due to the electricity from the bolt hot-wiring his nervous system. As he made an effort to get up, he jerked his leg instead of picking up his hand. "Uh-oh... This is not good at all." the Kawahiru man thought to himself, unfortunate enough to be a sitting duck for his opponent...

"Don't pounce immediately, Kenji. Its not always the best course of action to lunge in without a plan," The words of Maki Zhijun echoed in the depths of Kenji's mind, causing the Shiba clansmen to stop the movements which would've taken him to Naishō's side for an attack. Keeping his senses honed not just on his opponent now, but the area behind him too, Kenji outstretched his free hand and began chanting beneath his breathe, the words uttered lost in the howling mountain winds. Combining Hadō 84: Norowa Shukufuku and Hadō 85: Zaiten Sōkatsui, Kenji's palm overflowed with a violet blast of energy, surrounded by a distinct blue outline that danced with vibrant flames; the torrent aimed directly for Naishō! The quick exertion brought a quick sweat to his forehead, though. "Now... I wait."

"Well, here goes nothin'." the Kawahiru clansman thought as he released a torrent of spiritual energy throughout his body, adjusting his nervous system back to it's original design. Reacting on instinct, Naishō held up his gauntlet-embedded arm, allowing it to intercept the double-kidō spell. After making contact with the colossal energy blast, said attack was instantly transformed into stone, effectively making the technique useless. Immediately following the petrification of Kenji's attack, the red-haired shinigami crushed it into billions of dust particles, making the spell no more. "Whew; that was a close one. Good job, Kenji!  I can see you've improved after studying our battle a few days earlier." Naishō remarked, his defining smirk plastered across his face.

"I'm just feeling a little more ruthless today," Kenji replied in a joking tone as he took a breathe of cool mountain air. Descending a little, the black-haired Shinigami took a quick look around his surroundings before his gaze fell finally on Naishō's gauntleted hand. "Somehow I reckon you'd have gotten out of that attack even without the gauntlet. Its got a pretty powerful ability, and after seeing it twice now, I reckon it could petrify a lot more than Kidō... a limb, maybe?" Not really wanting to find out in truth, Kenji began spinning the sealed state of Sanmiittai around his hand nonchalantly, a seemingly lazy posture adopted; though he kept his senses honed. "Naishō's fast, powerful and skilled." Kenji considered internally. Resolving to analyze his style more closely, Kenji purposefully made his stance inviting.

Naishō grin only grew from hearing this. "Yes, this is my own invention right here. I took me years to perfect it, but it was well worth it." the red-haired Kawahiru remarked, boasting a bit about his gauntlet. After looking at the armored glove for a moment, he quickly remembered the battle and became alert, a hue of red covering his face. Taking a defensive stance, Naishō waited for his black-haired opponent to make another move.

"Calm... collected... and quick to get his mind back in the fight. Not bad," Kenji observed with a slight grin. With the two being this high in the mountains, all that could be heard above the howling winds were there own voices. "Then here I come," Exerting his spiritual energy so that a lightning aura coiled around his body, Kenji then charged himself with the lightning energy; causing his body to flicker with a flash of blue lightning. His next Shunpo and accompanied sword strike whizzed through the air quite forcefully towards Naishō's right shoulder!

"Not bad," the red-haired boy said, his usual smirk still stuck on his face. Without much effort, the man side-stepped Kenji's incoming blade, as well as unsheathing his own blade and attempting his own strick at his black-haired opponent. "I expected more from you, Kenji. Have your skills really deteriorated since our last encounter?" Naishō asked in a mocking tone. While speaking, the Kawahiru clansman began to formulate a new plan of attack, knowing his current one wasn't going o get him far in the brawl.

"Please, I'm not that old that my skills diminish that quickly," Kenji replied, sharing a grin with his friend. His left hand flashed soon after, and in mere milliseconds sparks flew as Kenji drew his second hooked sword to block; though he was far from finished. Sliding the weapon along the length of Naishō's Hanaui Jaainsig so the crook of his hooked sword had effectively trapped his blade, Kenji then began his offensive. With that accomplished, the Shiba clansmen sheathed his right blade quickly at his waist, as he effectively twisted in the air - the entirety of his weight now on Naishō's zanpakutō, Kenji drew his arm back with every intention of landing a strike on his opponents face. As the punch neared, Kenji grinned. "Remember Hiroya Ginkarei from the Valhalla Tournament? He taught me something about a certain spell. Hadō 1: Shō!" It wasn't used to inflict damage, but rather to extend the range of his punch; though the spell was made somewhat stronger through the fact Kenji's own physical strength was fully behind it!

Releasing his zanpakutō, Naishō gained a bit of distance from his slippery opponent, but not much. As the punch neared his face, the Kawahiru clansman jumped up, causing the powerful hakuda technique to hit him in the stomach. Having taken the full force of the attack, the red-haired shinigami was thrown backwards, only being stopped by a ledge on the blistering mountain. "Nice move, Kenji. Really caught me off-guard.  However, that attack shall only be in vain." he retorted as he whispered into his black-haired adversary's ear.

A few disturbances in the wind patterns and subtle vibrations in the air where the only thing that alerted Kenji to Naishō's movement before his voice sounded in his ear. Reflexively releasing his own Sanmiittai, Kenji brought distance between himself and the Kawahiru clansmen by forming his body into a ball of lightning and then reappearing in his physical form a few meters away. A hawthorn staff was visible in his hand, which Kenji soon brought to lean lazily against his right shoulder. "I could say the same, but nothings ever in vain, my friend. No matter how weak or seemingly useless an ability is, they all have their uses depending on the situation. No situation is identical, which is half the reason why I'm trying to master every ounce of my powers." Spinning the staff between his fingers, lightning following each movement until it formed a ring, Kenji finally ceased his movements and gestured for Naishō to attack. "I can't help but feel like I'm the only one attacking here, pal. Come on, unless your still too tired from our last bout, that is?" He joked casually, stance ready.

As Kenji had been speaking, Naishō had been pointing above him. "My pleasure," the real Naishō said, having been above his opponent the entire time. After speaking those two small words, the red-haired boy thrusted himself, along with his already picked up blade, towards the ground, which caused an incredibly large explosion of reiryoku to envelop the surrounding area. Had Naishō really made contact with his target, or had Kenji been too fast for the Kawahiru to comprehend? Only after the dust settled would he know for sure...

Luck hadn't been with Kenji, sadly. He had been hoping to goad Naishō into making an attack so he could spring a trap of his own, yet he himself became the trapped by failing to keep his senses honed. The ring of electricity the Shiba clansmen had formed though, had been the thing that saved him from taking on massive damage, though he hardly escaped from that explosion without harm. Finally emerging in a blue blur, a static sound being heard; Kenji turned to regard Naishō with a somewhat pained expression that was quickly hidden. "Guess I deserved that for not paying more heed to my surroundings, eh?" Blood trickled down his left arm and dripped from his fingertips, which he had risen to protect himself from the explosion previously; and now had no sleeve at all to cover the limb from the mountain chill that seemed to bite his exposed skin. "Right, I'll analyze a little while longer to see what else he's capable of." Taking a defensive stance, this time taking full heed of the landscape around, his senses tuned, Kenji awaited his foes next offensive with an anticipating little smile.

"What a strategist. We are the same in that regard, I guess.  I must say, he is one of the strongest shinigami I've ever encountered." Naishō thought while he calculated his next attack. After a few brief seconds, the red-haired Kawahiru ran towards Kenji, completely disregarding his shunpō skill. While running, he focused a large portion of his spiritual energy into his fist, which he launched at his black-haired adversary with the force of twenty stampeding elephants. "This better work, or I'm setting myself up for a killing strike..." The man's thought trailed off as he shuttered to think of what his opponent would do if he was given such an opening.

Noticing his foes movements and intentions early on, Kenji's spiritual energy flared to live slowly - but then much more quickly! Lightning crackled and flashed around his body before the aura seemingly sheathed his limbs and hardened, forming a type of armor not unlike a hardened skin. "Now we're talkin', Naishō!" Drawing his own arm back and flashing forward as his opponent had done, the two closed on another rather quickly, with their arms drew back for a strike! "We either connect at the same time... or one of us gets lucky."

And there fists made contact at the exact same moment, which caused a massive pillar of spiritual energy to rise from the two men of noble heritage. As the pillar rose, Naishō was flung backwards, causing him to slam into the side of the mountain the duo had been battling on. Attempting to get up, the red-haired Kawahiru winced in pain as he realized that his back had been sent to kingdom come and back, as the entirety of Naishō's backside being covered in blood. "I hope that Kenji suffered as much damage as me, or I'm done for in this battle." he thought, his hopes of winning slowly fading away with each movement of him and his opponent.

Kenji's body had been sent hurtling much like Naishō's own had been, but he hadn't been lucky enough to collide with a soft blanket of snow as he had hoped. So much for lady luck, he mused somewhat angrily. No, the mountain side reared up much to fast for the black-haired Shinigami's liking, and because he had been sent hurtling much faster than he had anticipated; stopping - or even cushioning his fall would be nothing short of impossible. So he braced himself as best he could, the remnants of his lightning armor quickly appearing very fragile to Kenji's thoughts.

And so he collided with the side of that jagged peak of rocky protrusions and sparkling surfaces. The mountain groaned under the impact, snow giving way to fill the hole he had created. He flexed his left arm and felt pain. He could still move it, so a thought came to his mind. "Okay... definitely not... my smartest moment," Kenji thought as he flashed from the hole just before the snow could effectively trap him. As he appeared in the skyline, the full view of his injuries came to light. His left arm had been damaged quite profusely, with blood dripping from shoulder down to his fingertips, which to Naishō's eyes hung loosely. Probably useless. Lacerations from the stone slicing his body when he made the impact were clearly visible, blood seeping through the slashes in his clothing; and from his movements, it was clear he'd either cracked or broken a rib or two. "Would it be too much to ask that we never do that again?"

Still wincing from his bloodied back, Naishō weakly nodded. Pushing the pain to the back of his mind, he Kawahiru boy silently launched a Hadō #34 - Kongōbaku towards his black-haired opponent, hoping the gigantic ball of flames would serve to distract his crafty adversary. As the fireball made it's way to the Shiba clansman, Naishō prepared himself for his next move, as well as Kenji's counterattack.

As he moved his hands over the sheathed zanpakutō at his side it quickly became a trident as Kenji released without speaking, the water suddenly flowing from the triple blades at the tip washing over and extinguishing the flames just before they reached Kenji's body; leaving not but steam in its place. With that accomplished, he allowed the tridents counter weight to impact solidified air in front of him - the liquid from the prongs bunching together to form a continually rotating sphere of water that formed on the point of impact. "Hope you like getting soaked," Kenji said with a grin. He controlled the water with a sweeping movement from the trident, directing it out in several sinuous waves all bound for the same target. "Fall for it," He thought, hoping his thoughts would will his opponent into making a mistake.

Knowing that Kenji was only planning something bigger, Naishō remained where he was, believing that moving away from this position was part of the Shiba man's grand scheme. As the water neared him, the red-haired Kawahiru let out a shockwave of spiritual energy, causing every milliliter of the liquid to fly back towards Kenji, this being a major part of Naishō's own battle strategy. "For all that is good, please let this work." he thought, his confidence - at this point - very diminished.

"Hmmm!?" For once Kenji was glad he'd left that as a simple stream and not infused with lightning before firing it. That had been hit plan, but a certain Kawahiru seeing through his ploys. The shockwave packed quite a hefty punch that knocked the wind from his lungs, but the water harmlessly splashed over his body and left him spitting water comically like a garden fountain might do. "Now I can't help but feel like an idiot..." He hung his head before the grin showed on his face. "Your move, Naishō." He made his posture inviting.

"My pleasure," Naishō replied, swinging his zanpakutō at his opponent's torso. In mid-swing, the red-haired shinigami had infused his reiryoku with the blade, which would only serve to send his black-haired adversary flying into the stars if it made contact.

Kenji made it appear outwardly that he was committed to his defense, even as Naishō's blade neared his chest. "Timing is everything," He thought as the blade neared. Closer. Closer still. There! The movement technique Utsusemi brought an afterimage to replace the real deal, with Kenji appearing an average distance from Naishō's exposed back with his trident returning to its sealed state - two hooked swords held firmly, one per hand. Impacting the floor, Kenji drew one sword back; charging the blade with energy before bringing the sword in question forward. Kenji didn't even name it - he didn't know its name - yet its destructive power was matched by few others in his entire arsenal. The energy peeled from the hooked sword, flying towards the Kawahiru clansmen with a great deal of force and speed!

Noticing the Kenji before him was only an afterimage oh-so-too-late, Naishō turned his head just in time to see the whip of energy smack him in his back, sending him, literally, through the mountain. "God damn, that hurt! When this is over, I'm gonna need a massage therapist for the next twenty years!" the red-haired Kawahiru thought to himself as he placed snow on his back, hoping it would dull the excruciating pain he was feeling on his poor backside. As he strained to lift himself out of the ground, Naishō began to merge his current strategy with a new one; one that would not fail.

"C'mon, Kenji! Show me some real power." he yelled, hoping his voice was convincing enough to effectively hide his pain, which he was finding it hard to do with every passing minute. Appearing out of the mountain side, Naishō grabbed his blade from the ground and spoke the words "I want to become" into the sword. Immediately, a shockwave of reiryoku sent from the Kawahiru's person knocked any and all things away. After the spiritual energy surrounding him dispersed, Naishō's irises revealed themselves to be a distinct goldenrod colour, as well as the sclera being jet-black - the signs of a hollow. "Let the true battle begin." he demanded, his voice having a distinct dual-toned to it.

The only indication that Kenji gave that he was surprised was a quick raising of his left eyebrow, quickly dropped again as all sign of goofiness vanished from his face in a single breath, replaced with a serious expression that was rarely seen on the man. "Hollowfication..." He said the words with a hint of sympathy and regret, for he had been down that road before and knew the dangers those powers could wrought. "I hope you know what you've let yourself in for with that, Naishō. Inner Hollows have a nasty habit of popping up where you don't want them to,"

Cracking his knuckles and neck quickly, Kenji eased his breathing as the effects of Naishō's own release began to take shape. He was standing close to a mountainside, so it was no surprise that the ground was beginning the shake as an avalanche from the shockwave occurred! "I'd move if I were you," He advised with a shout. "Even someone of our strength would find it difficult to stop that." He pointed to the tsunami of snow and ice plummeting down the mountainside. At the minute it would soon land directly on top of Naishō if he wasn't quick. Without even speaking, Kenji formed a multitude of hexagonal Kidō barriers before Naishō's person, strengthening all of them after their forming with a whispered incantation; effectively trapping the Kawahiru clansmen between the shields and the natural force plummeting towards him. All Kenji done was smile and prepare himself.

Letting out a unusual roar, the barriers surrounding Naishō were vaporized instantly. While the shields around him vanished, the avalanche that was rushing down the mountainside was mysteriously stopped, with what seemed like an invisible force preventing the tsunami of snow to crash into him. "Don't worry about me; just worry about your own safety." the possessed Kawhairu clansman whispered, his face mere inches from his black-haired opponent's ear. With one great arc, Naishō sent his soul blade towards Kenji's heart!

"So we're suddenly all serious, eh?" Kenji said, something about the Shiba clansmen changing. It was as though someone had flicked a switch. His stance became more ready with no indication of the slouch that had been there previously. Even his spiritual energy seemed to become sharper. As that blade neared his heart, anger flashed across his face. A hawthorn staff was present in his hand from his reflexive release and his body broke into a ball of lightning that caused Naishō's blade to pass harmlessly beneath it.

Whizzing past and reforming mere meters away, Kenji regarded Naishō's hollowfied eyes with a weighty crimson gaze that finally ended with the Shiba clansmen sighing. "As I thought. You certainly know how to make things difficult for a guy." His eyes softened, but the seriousness remained. "You haven't controlled it yet, have you? You should be fit to hear me, if my own experience it anything to go on. Don't let him claim you, Naishō..." He left the rest unsaid, but the way he held himself indicated he'd do his best to ensure their wasn't a Hollow running wild with Naishō Kawahiru's body and power.

"Oh, I'm not going to claim him. I'm just borrowing him for the moment.  Once I'm done, he'll be back to his regular self." the devious hollow remarked, hoping he'd initiate a response from his black-haired adversary.

A small degree of the tension left Kenji's shoulders, though he knew better than to trust the words of a Hollow. They had a habit of feigning friendship until your guard was dropped, where they then struck like a viper. "You have no idea how relieved I am to hear that," He said, thoughts drifting to his final fight with Margin Heart. The soul that was his friend was now dead, killed as surely by Kenji's own hand as the Inner Hollow that had grasped control. He wouldn't see the same happen Naishō, so his spiritual energy rose again in challenge, regardless of what the Hollow said. "I can't imagine he's too happy with that arrangement. Naishō struck me as a man who preferred to fight with his own powers, in his own way." He needed to stall for time and give Naishō the time he needed to regain control.

"Oh, he is. I doubt he's taking this sitting down; in fact, I know he's not.  I can feel him trying to take back his body, but I'm not gonna let him have it back just yet." Naishō spoke, a mocking tone that every hollow possesses being present in his voice. Without another word, the devious creature appeared before his black-haired opponent, his blade held up much like a knight of old would do. "Let's dance," he said, swinging his zanpakutō down as to strike.

Confidence and seriousness were apparent as Kenji's hawthorn staff deconstructed and reconstructed into the shape of a hand-and-a-half-sword. The force of their blow was tremendous, the air shifting and blowing wildly as steel struck steel, sparks flying in every angle imaginable. Concentration and effort marred Kenji's features. Naishō was already strong, but with his Inner Hollow in control, that strength was greater. Had Kenji not infused his arm with a degree of lightning energy to empower his blow, his arm would have been knocked aside without much opposition on his part. "Then I guess its about time I knocked you out." Kenji said, bringing his foot up quickly to seperate them. "The personality in control is the one that recedes back into the unconscious when the body is knocked out. That'll bring Naishō back," With a plan made, Kenji severed his emotions - thought and feeling pushed to the back of his conscious mind. All emotion left his face, but the seriousness etched in his rigid posture indicated he wasn't going to take things lightly.

However, Naishō merely let out a laugh! "Ha! I don't think so, Kenji Shiba.  You see, an inner hollow is different from another soul, such as the one that inhabits your body.  We hollows are part of the person we control, having been born from there negative emotions.  Therefore, if you knock "me" out, you'll only serve to make the true Naishō unconscious, while I'll be up and about.  Try it, and you'll see who's right here." he bellowed, his hand gesturing for the Shiba clansman to attack.

Then that knocked that plan out the window, even though it seemed to work when Kusaka had done it for him several times in the past. Or was he merely overcoming his Hollow influence as Kusaka overcame with his body? Shaking the thoughts aside, Kenji rose to his full height with his back straight, exuding an aura of calm authority expected of someone in his position. "Yet the more you talk, the more time Naishō has to pull you down." He was silent then as he inhaled fresh mountain air, his palm outstretched before him in the shape of a stop sign. "Seeping crest of turbidity, arrogant vessel of lunacy. Boil forth and deny, grow numb and flicker, disrupting sleep. Crawling queen of iron, eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite, repulse. Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness. Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi!" A coffin-like box formed around Naishō's body, and due to the injury on his back; his motions would be encumbered, even with the Hollows influence.

But Kenji wasn't finished. Before the box was fully formed, the Shiba clansmen had used his other hand and a delayed incantation to utilize Bakudō #74: Shinseina Basho. But instead of using the barrier as it was designed, Kenji copied his brother's usage of said spell and separated the petal-like barriers before hurtling them towards Naishō's body with a kick, causing them to spin like great sharpened discs! In the meantime, Kenji charged his entire body with a lightning aura; his stance firm. His aura unwavering.

Knowing fully-well that he wouldn't be able to counter both kidō spells, the hollowfied Kawahiru exuded a large sum of spiritual energy, sending the petal-esque spell back to whence it came. Allowing the high-level hadō spell to encompass him, Naishō layered his reiryoku upon his body, effectively creating a shield that would block a large portion of the damage he'd receive. As the spell concluded, an incredibly injured Naishō stood before his opponent, although his smirk hid any pain that the red-haired shinigami may have been feeling.

"Hah, now that's what I'm talking about! Finally, you're actually trying." the devious creature yelled, his voice no longer mocking, but full of joy. Besides destroying Naishō's life, the hollow enjoyed creating chaos wherever he may go, and Kenji was only helping him with that. Appearing beside the Shiba clansman, he attempted to stab him in his leg, thereby making movement unbearable for his black-haired adversary. However, as the blade neared it's intended target, Naishō's body froze! "D-don't think yo-you can control m-me, you fiend!" the true Naishō yelled, his body finally free of his inner hollow's control. Moving his zanpakutō away from Kenji, the red-haired Kawhairu scratched the back of his head, like many do when embarrassed. "Sorry about that. I hope he didn't cause too much trouble."

Kenji's emotions returned in due course, and the serious expression he wore broke away like a mask upon his face to reveal his usually seen goofy and happy-go-lucky expression that was normally associated with the Shiba clansmen. "Trouble?" Kenji asked, all jokes once again. "Trouble is when I land home late for supper that so reeks of garlic that it'd keep vampires from your door for a week and an angry wife waiting with a wooden spoon besides," He made the motion of hitting the air to further his point. "Good to see your back in control, though. My gamble payed off," he said, breathing suddenly heavy after his exertion. "Just make sure you never allow him to win," Kenji continued, tone suddenly serious again. "I've already lost one friend because of an Inner Hollow, and almost someone whose like a younger brother to me as well because I lost control, so I don't really wanna lose another."

Seeing the pain within his new-found friend's words, Naishō placed his palm on the Shiba man's shoulder. "I know, Kenji. I have been getting better at controlling him, although this was the first time he actually took full control.  I'll be sure to keep him in-check on, and off, the battlefield.  Now, let's continue.  I hope that you're still up for the fight, 'cause while my hollow self was in control, I was busy healing, which is why it took so long for me to resurface." Releasing his grip on Kenji's shoulder, he took a few paces back, allowing some room between the two incredibly powerful men. Outstretching his blade, Naishō awaited his opponent's next move.

Nodding his head in agreement, Kenji directed a bolt of lightning into the sky where he seemed to struggle for a time. "Inazuma Kyōka." A bolt from the heavens surged down the bolt he had sustained and struck his body, but instead of frying him alive; it suffused his very limbs with the raging ferocity of a lightning bolt! He seemed to glow with an intense blue light before he opened his eyes - now blue as well - and turned his gaze on Naishō. "Then you won't mind me going a little wild myself," he said, and although his face was grim seriousness, his words held such joy at friendly competition that it was quickly evident the Shiba clansmen was enjoying himself. "Your move, friend."

"Excellent," the Kawahiru uttered, his voice clearly joyful. Instantly, Naishō swung his blade towards his black-haired opponent, hoping to find out if this lightning was armor or just an aura...

Kenji smirked and intercepted his friend, who'd clearly note his speed has just increased. When they clashed blades he'd find the same was true for his strength, as his blow held a lot more force. "My student reckons this is like the boost gotten from Hollowfication, especially when a Vizard dons their mask." Kenji uttered as the two exchanged quick and pinpoint sword strikes, with Kenji finally skidding backwards to speak again. "The observations only half true though. True because its boosts me physically and false because it does next to nothing for me spiritually."

Smirking, the red-haired shinigami jumped backwards and sent his family's signature kidō spell, Hadō #88 - Hiryugekizokushintenraiho, directly towards the mountain behind his black-haired adversary, hoping an ensuing avalanche would serve as a way to distract Kenji while he continued his own assault. As the tsunami of snow and ice sped down the length of the mountainside, Naishō's usual smirk instantly disappeared; a face of pure seriousness now present. Just as quickly as the avalanche was coming, the Kawahiru clansman shot Hadō #32 - Ōkasen at Kenji, a wide arc of golden reiryoku making its way to the Shiba man before him.

Kenji stood with nothing but a smirk betraying his intentions. Reaching into an inside pocket, he plucked from it a small black orb-like object which he promptly crushed between his middle and index finger. The Ōkasen spell struck him before the contents of the orb made itself known, causing the Shiba clansmen to fall in a cloud of smoke towards the ensuing avalanche! As he neared that torrent, however, a barrier sprang up around his person that caused the snow and ice to bounce away from him as though they were hitting the surface of a trampoline. It took whole minutes for the cascading natural occurrence that was forced due to Naishō's Kidō to cease, yet when it did Kenji stood with naught but the wounds from the successful Ōkasen attack, his body giving off smoke as though it had been burned. Small lacerations were present on his arms and legs, as well as his chest, his kosode sporting a bloodied hole that showed the exposed flesh beneath. "Now now, Naishō," Kenji said with his usual fool grin, "using my own plan against me? Nice regardless, though. But... Hadō 84: Norowa Shukufuku!" A beam of purple energy, wide and powerful, flew towards the Kawahiru clansmen from Kenji's raised hand!

Immediately creating a shockwave of spiritual energy, Naishō blocked most of the incredibly powerful hadō spell. However, he could not completely evade injury, and the magenta-coloured blast of energy hit the left side of the Kawahiru boy's body. "Nice little trick, Kenji," his serious face soon disappearing into the abyss and replacing itself with the red-haired shinigami's famed smirk, "but you won't win this time!" he remarked, his voice incredibly joyous for someone that had just had the left side of their body blown to kingdom come and back. Without another word, Naishō stood in his place as over five dozen clones of Naishō surround Kenji. "I am the fastest member of the Kawahiru clan, so I hope you enjoy my utsusemi technique."

"And I'm the Archon of Storms," Kenji said as he formed electricity to his hand and fired it off in all directions in the form of a magnetic field, expanding ever outward! The field effected the weather, which at this altitude, didn't require much change to bring forth stormy conditions. "Who said anything about winning? This fights far from over!" Waving his arms in complicated ways, the Shiba clansmen dragged lightning from the very heavens to strike all around! The blasts weren't random at all however. Each flashing bolt of power sought a seperate clone, with other bolts falling thereafter to seek them out.

Using Kenji's destruction of the red-haired Kawahiru's clones, Naishō found this to be the perfect moment to strike his black-haired opponent. Without any hint of movement, the ex-Lieutenant left an afterimage behind as he appeared in front of the Shiba clansman's back. Deciding slicing him up would be a terrible thing, Naishō instead sent his elbow jabbing towards his opponent's neck, therefore knocking the powerful individual out.

Leaping so the blow met him squarely in the back instead of his neck, Kenji fell forward with a surprising amount of force. While falling, his right palm impacted the air he purposefully solidified briefly to twist his body. Now with Naishō in his sights, Kenji's grin somewhat cruel. "While I'm glad you did, never pull your punches my friend," His words faded as energy crackled to life on his palm, signaling his usage of Sutorobo Kagayaku! The green-colored blast was fired at an arc however, while Kenji sent a bolt of electricity flying in the other direction. If he didn't move, Naishō would be trapped between both forces.

Taking a large risk, Naishō yelled, "Hadō #21 - Sekienton!" causing a huge puff of pink smoke to appear from the red-haired shinigami's person. Immediately following, about a dozen other Sekienton's were releasing in other parts of the mountain. Although it was using a massive amount of spiritual energy, Naishō was confident he had enough to continue battling. As the smoke bombs went off, the Kawahiru clansman took this distraction as a way to hide and recuperate for a few moments, before his opponent found him. "Please allow me the time to heal myself, even if it's just a bit." he thought, his thought patterns running frantically with each passing moment.

Finally managing to control his descent enough to soften his landing on a blanket of snow, Kenji looked at the smoke cloud above and dusted himself down casually as the mountain air eased his mind. There was no doubting it. The mountain was stunning, now that he actually took the time to look at it. Staunching the blood from his many cuts and the wound on his chest with a slight amount of healing Kidō, Kenji dropped to a sitting position - his senses still tuned - and began meditating. It was a practice he'd begun since his brother, Rosuto, had been teleported from the Wandering Spirit World. The pent up tension his battle with Naishō's Inner Hollow had caused left his body seemingly with a single breathe after only mere minutes in his meditative stance. Rising once again, the black-haired Shinigami took his time scanning through the smoke clouds. If his opponent was resting, he could as well.

Sensing Kenji's spiritual energy beginning to ebb, Naishō took a deep breath of relief. His opponent may be resting, but that only served the Kawahiru to heal himself. After a few minutes, Naishō felt quite rejuvenated and revealed himself to his opponent, the black-haired man, along with Naishō's own, clothes in tatters. "Well, it seems like neither is letting up." the red-haired boy remarked with a bright smile present.

"You could always give up," Kenji said with a shrug of his shoulders and a joking tone. He seemed to hold himself more lazily, unlike the straight back he had demonstrated before his meditation. Rubbing the vestiges of snow from his backside, Kenji up at his opponent and slowly hefted his hand-and-a-half-sword once again to level it at Naishō. "Not a bad way to spend an evening, now is it?"

"You're right about that one, my friend." Naishō said. "However, if anyone's going to give up, it's gonna be you." he continued, his tone just as much joking as his black-haired adversary. Mirroring his opponent, Naishō leveled his own zanpakutō at Kenji. "Would you like to attack first? I suck something fierce at being the initial attacker." the red-haired shinigami chuckled, hoping for the Shiba clansman to do the same.

"Hey, I may have attacked first, but you connected with the first blow." Kenji interjected, recalling the way his opponent had stabbed the small of his back with a still sheathed blade. His smile was triumphant as he flashed through the cool air of Monte Rosa, though it was obvious he meant it only in the spirit of fun. No fancy maneuvers were made, he simply charged straight forward with that knowing little look in his eyes that shouted he had a plan in mind. Hanaui Jaainsig and Sanmiittai glanced past one another...

With a large grin sprawled across his face, Naishō spoke. "Since we're both exhausted from this battle, how about we continue it at a later date, hm?" he requested.

... and both blades stopped mere inches from their respective opponents chest. The motion abruptly stopped by both men, they stood and watched. Kenji weighed the idea for a time, calmly considering, before nodding his head in respect for his opponent. "Then I think its high-time we got ourselves a drink! The taverns around Horiwari serve a nice drink, and an even nicer stew. I'd offer you Ino's cooking, but I value my insides." He cringed at remembering the last time he ate her "garlic surprise". Not surprising was the time he spent in the restroom shortly afterwards.

"Hah, sounds good." the red-haired Kawahiru laughed while thinking of Kenji dying from burning innards. "So, where is this tavern that you wanted to show me?" he asked, the largest grin he'd ever had covering the majority of his face.

An emotionless look covered Kenji's face and a small degree of lightning energy suffused his body and then the air between them before a void similar to that of a Garganta opened, and after he and Naishō passed through the Dangai Precipice World, they arrived just above the waterways of Horiwari; a cheer going up among the dockside populace as Kenji and Naishō descended. An old man with a hunched back walked forward and inclined his head, informing that his fourth grandchild had just been born; the grin nearly splitting his face in two. "Give your daughter my congratulations," Kenji said as he fished around in his inside pocket and removed some coins. "Consider it a welcome gift for the kid. Tell her to get him a good cot or something."

"You!" A voice called from farther up the wooden walkway. A man with a bandanna walked forward and shook his head. Slapping Kenji on the back, he wore a casual grin as the wind caused his loose-fitting kimono to billow in the wind. "S'up?" He said in greeting to Naishō before extending his hand. "Names Kaimen Kazuki, and this asshole here drank my nephew and the new recruits under the table not three nights ago. I'm here for some payback."

Kenji only grinned at his friends words, before shaking his head. "Kaimen, my friend, those are fighting words... in this case drinking words. This is Naishō Kawahiru, and he wants to sample our taverns." The tavern in question was a small establishment, though roomy, with a friendly atmosphere. That changed the minute Kaimen and Kenji walked through the door, where some of the patrons nodded and reached for coins to buy them a drink before they circled the table Kenji sat at, for a moment unsure of where the wounds came from. With a glance at Naishō and his wounds, they soon put two and two together and respect past through their glances when they looked upon the red-haired man. Naishō would find a tankard in front of him the minute he sat down. "One of the many perks about my position," Kenji said as he took a seat.

End