2) A girl and her sword

Tatsuya was never a man to take it easy on some things but he couldn't bear to see his charge ever cry or get sad. They had grown close, like an older brother and a little sister in fact. Not that he would dare speak this allowed but one thing always got to him, he trained her to her limits but when she goaded him about always losing to her it irked him. If only she knew... if only. His eyebrow twitched as she spoke her words as she drew her blade. He sucked it up though as a good man of duty should.

"Uh huh, at least you're dressed properly this time Akane- sama. I think those dresses you wear are not so good for patrols.. or anything. You look much cuter in that.."


He stuck out his tongue playfully at her, knowing that it irked her just to be in the shinigami garb and not her fancy dresses. At the same time as this however he took his stance, widening his feet, his left hand on his sheathe his right on the hilt of his zanpaktou, his straw hat he had hung up on the tree next to them blew in the wind as he waited for her to make her first move. He would not go easy on her... until the end.

She mouthed off as expected, though her mention of him losing to her made his eyebrow twtich again. One day.. just one day he was not gonna let her win.. maybe.. probably... not. Ugh... regardless of any of that she made her advance, quick as all could be. She favored a one handed style but the second she came with thirty yards he felt every movement she made, he could see it.. project it. He timed it perfectly, drawing out his blade from the sheathe as hers was thrust forward, as her blade came within range plunging for his chest his own met hers in a blurr. He locked swords with her smiling, through their momentary lock.

"You've gotten faster Akane-sama.. almost as fast as me."

As he finished saying the last word his hand that had been on his sheathe shot forward to attempt to punch her in the stomach to drive her back. If this hit he hoped it would provide an opening for his next move of pommel strike from his hilt on her forehead to follow up. If it all worked he would take a different stance this time, angling towards her and bending his back leg, holding his katana like shikai in his right hand,turning the blade upward he angled it to the ground, his left hand extending along it as if guiding it, his eyes on her. Gods he hoped she was ready for this...

She seen through his guise of trying to distract her with words, clever girl. As she hopped back he didn't have time to take what would have been his next stance. After moving to the left and right dodging her first two stabs with her shorter blade his calm and collected smirking face, gritted just a little bit, on the third stab be took his longer and heavier blade and and struck hers intending to parry it off and to the side with his greater physical strength and use his marginally better speed to close in.  So as soon as his blade would strike hers block and deflecting it to the side as fast as he could he closed in with his body, again his left hand shooting out grabbing for her face.. yes her face!


If he managed to grab her face he would take a single step forward and throw her like a small doll. This was meant to teach her something, her style of fighting with her smaller and short weapon was in effect no condusive to her defense. Wakazashi's are meant to be used defensively, to quickly fend off an attacker and slash when you clear their guard.  She was using it like her shikai, a rapier, and this is what would cause her imbalance and his opening on his deflection. He was hoping this worked.. so he could explain that to her. He was not holding back, she would have to crawl like a worm from a bird if she hit the ground. Because he was already preparing for another strike, taking his previously mentioned stance.

My my how she had grown, perhaps they had done this too much if she could see through his style so easily, because of that more than likely, as he assumed. She managed to just barely dodge his grab and get a light cut across his palm. He could have used his greater reaction time and speed to avoid the cut but, he needed her to feel accomplished. No mere swordsman could see through such an attack. So as she stood back and taunted him. He smirked and took his stance, this was something he had never showed her but it was about time she seen how a real fight was.


Angling himself towards her and bending his back leg he took his sword into his right hand again, turning the blade upwards. He didn't answer her, but she would be able to tell she may want to ready herself.  He took a deep breath and with a small shockwave left behind him as he pushed off flying towards her at a record rate. Then just as he got within 2 meters of her he used shunpo appearing, still coming at her at the accelerated rate, but now from her right side. He thrust his blade forward in a blurr hoping to have caught her off guard, he would stop it, if it got passed her guard, just infront of her forehead, the tip not an inch away.

He knew he had gotten her, because he had time to come to a full stop before she said her words and pushed his blade up, she was tenacious however, after pushing up she slashed down.. a good move. He had gotten her, but he let her play it off, slowing down just a hair to allow her to get close, leaving barely enough time to catch her blade and push off the ground backwards  avoiding the haircut chuckling as he answered her.

"You got me good Akane-sama"


He shook a finger form a bleeding hand at her. Before even being about ten foot away swung his sword and sent a blast of air at her to throw her off balance.. or try to as he charged in again aiming to slap the guard of her weapon and try to disarm her in the confusion. It was a cheap shot but who said anything about playing fair? He was her guard and sparring partner not a saint, and gods forbid she learn that life isnt fair sometimes.. not that he wasn't going to preserve her "Win" streak but ya.. gotta be on your toes when training with the tats-miester!