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