The stage was set. Shikyo stood at the far end of a cement block approximately 100 yards by 100 yards and raised seven feet off the ground. His Zanpakuto still sheathed on his back, he waited patiently with his hands at his side. He had trained with Hiroshi for a little over a year and in that time had learned all he could from the elder. It was time for him to interact with others from the Academy and put his training to the test. He knew that he still had a long way to go before he would be able to achieve his goal and this was a necessary step if he intended to realize his ambitions. As he waited for his opponent his mind tunneled back to the last lesson Hiroshi had taught him.

[Flashback]

The sound of metal against metal rang in the distance as the force of the two weapons colliding caused the rocks surrounding the pair to become nothing but dust. Shikyo breathed heavily as Hiroshi leapt high in the air, using his shunpo to instantly move directly behind Shikyo and aim for his neck. Dodging the slice, Shikyo ducked beneath the sword, planting his hands on the ground and kicking his feet backward in an attempt to plant one of his heels into Hiroshi's face. As the elder leaned back to dodge the blow, Shikyo spun on his hands and propelled himself into the air, using the white lightning kidou to blast Hiroshi. Hiroshi brought his blade before his face, blocking the attack but was still pushed back a number of feet.

"That's enough for today." He stated as he sheathed his katana. "You've learned well over the course of our training and now there is nothing left for me to teach you."

"What?" Shikyo asked confused. "But there's still much I need to learn."

"Yes, but you must discover the rest with another teacher or on your own. It's time for you to move on."

[/Flashback]

Shikyo was brought back to the present as he felt the approaching spiritual pressure of another. It was finally time to put his training to the test.

Kajitora approached, his black ponytail swaying back and forth in the now confident dancing of his reiatsu. It was amazing what a few weeks of kidou had done for the ex-samurai's confidence as a shinigami. His tied up sleeves were moving as well but stopped as he drew Suzaku quickly, neatly and with flawless form. His large round child-like eyes seemed to capture all the light around the two shinigamis. Let’s see how that kidou stuff works with kendo. He thought.

Kajitora was surprised to see that his opponent had the same eye and hair color; it was indeed rare that he ever meet anyone with green eyes. His opponent had his hair in spikes; Kajitora took this to be a sign of his personality. Kajitora's hair was conservative and his opponent's wild; this would be a battle of order v.s. free spirit. Kajitora smiled at this, he had wanted nothing more than to sparr since he entered the academy. Sure, there were new factors like shunpo, kidou, etc...but as long as he was holding a sword-Kajitora was happy.

The smile faded and Kajitora spoke his first words to his opponent, "I'm Kajitora. It’s nice to meet you...Your move." This time Kajitora's goofy child like smile spread across his face.

Shikyo gazed forward as a young man, shorter than himself, entered the stage. The man immediately unsheathed his katana as he greeted him, "I'm Kajitora. It's nice to meet you...Your move." Shikyo said nothing as he carefully evaluated the man. The fact that he would immediately draw his katana indicated that he was either a novice or exceptionally confident in his skills, but the way the man carried himself would indicate the latter to be true. His hair was tied back, Shikyo assumed so that it would not get in the shinigami's way during battle, as were his sleeves. Shikyo narrowed his eyes as he looked at the blade Kajitora now held before him. It was a simple blade with the exception of the dual crimson tassels hanging from its end. Shikyo unsheathed his own Zanpakuto, the emerald staff glistening in the light of the setting sun. "My name is Shikyo Yoshi." He finally responded.

His body illuminated in a golden light as he prepared his spiritual energy for the upcoming battle. Closing his eyes for a second, he removed everything not having to do with the battle from his mind, concentrating only on his waiting opponent. "I hope your ready." Shikyo stated a half-second before his eyes shot open and he flash-stepped to right in front of Kajitora, his staff already in mid-swing. The sparring match had begun.

(OOC: Sorry for the late post, I was supposed to be off work today but now I have to come in early. I'll be back on tomorrow night. I will definitely be off from work on Sunday. I usually reply back same day.)

Kajitora was slightly surprised by his opponent's speed, luckily he had already decided to use a kidou. He wanted to see how effective they were in a real bout. He simply leaned forward and muttered, "Hadou no ichi: Shou!" A blast of wind shot forth from his free hand toward the ground and propelled his small body up at his opponent with lightning speed. He spun with the propulsion and brung his sword down with the force of his velocity, gravity, and his muscles. It was a tactical power swing; he wanted to see how strong his enemy was. He wasn't as fast as his opponent regularly, but he thought: what if I use kidou to keep up with him as long as I can...just maybe I will find an opening.

Suzaku's blade shimmered red in approval-it was the first time Kajitora had appeased her.

( OOC: Good work, + 1 Kidou for Kajitora and + 1 spirit power for Shikyo)

Flash-stepping to right in front of his opponent, Shikyo wasn't sure how Kajitora would react but he definitely wasn't expecting him to use a kidou to elevate his speed; however he had little time to think about that as the blade descended upon him. Moving purely on instinct, Shikyo moved his staff above his head, the sound of metal on metal echoing throughout the courtyard. Leaping back a few feet, Shikyo evaluated the situation. Judging from the way his opponent countered his attack Shikyo discerned that his shunpo was at least faster than Kajitora's, but it appeared the shinigami had found a way around that.

Interesting Shikyo thought. Deciding to try a different approach this time, Shikyo rushed at Kajitora once more, this time planting his staff into the ground and using his momentum to propel himself into the air as his fingers locked into their familiar position. Hovering above his opponent Shikyo shouted, "Way of Binding #4: Hainawa!" A golden rope seemingly composed only of energy appeared from nowhere, launching itself toward Kajitora. If the attack should land, the kidou binding would result in Kajitora's arms being bound together by the rope, but if not Shikyo had landed by this time and would be prepared for the next counter-attack from his opponent.

Approved +1 spirit power for shikyo

As the rope entangled Kajitora, he instantly decided to counter the kidou with another kidou: it was the only way he knew how to counter a binding kidou. Kajitora watched his opponent descend from the air, and lunged at his opponent's legs head first. He tried to time the dive as low to the ground and right before his opponent's legs hit the ground. In his dive he said, "Hadou #4: Byakurai!" His finger touched the rope that was all around arms. The Hadou's energy surged through the ropes shattering the rope's molecules by exploding against the equal amount of energy. Kajitora's head hit his opponent's legs of inbewteen them and he began to push forward with his legs using his shoulders to disrupt his enemy's balance or to trip him all together.

With his hands finally being able to move again, Kajitora began to grasp at Shikyo's leg...

Approved + 1 Kidou for Kajitora.

Shikyo was surprised at his opponent's movements, and this was very apparent when his shins were hit by Kajitora's shoulders. The move was interesting and knocked Shikyo slightly off-balance if only for a second. However in the next movement, Shikyo leapt back into the air hovering a few feet above Kajitora. Spinning his Zanpakuto in his hand, Shikyo decided to test Kajitora's swordmanship until he saw an opening.

Using his shunpo, he appeared on the ground a few feet behind Kajitora, leaving enough distance between them that his opponent would surely have enough time to draw his own blade. Leaping forward he swung his staff low, aiming for Kajitora's feet before spinning and raising his staff to send another strike toward Kajitora's head. Shikyo planned to continue this combination of lower and upper strikes, attempting to catch his opponent off guard with a double strike to his feet once the pattern was established.

Approved + 1 spirit power, Shikyo.

(OOC: Admins, Can I work for Intelligence for the rest of this sparr, please.)

While Shikyo shunpo'd behind Kajitora, Kajitora rolled back up to a kneeling position sheathing his sword. As he spun around and saw the new distance between him and his opponent. He knew exactly what to do-the samurai in him smiled. Kajitora, without warning, performed a move that he had practiced countless times in the real world and in Seireitei-his Iai Quick draw! Kajitora used his shunpo to move forward at a swifter speed, and as he saw the Zanpakutou come up for a low strike he decided to readjust his feet. He stepped on the zanpakutoh before it could pass too far from the ground, and gain too much speed and power. And once he had stepped, throwing off his opponent's attack for a brief second-he drew his sword from its sheath in flash of silver. His muscles relaxed as they remembered the movement, and he breathed out with the fusion blow of strength and speed. After the quick draw, he did not return his sword to it's sheathe, he kept his sword out and waited to block his opponent's next attack.

Sorry no, It's against the rules to use different sections for different stats. Sorry mate.
+1 spirit power for kajitora.

Shikyo smiled inwardly as his opponent placed his foot upon his Zanpakuto. He had planned to wait a bit before using this ability but did not want to pass up this opening. His reiatsu spiked, raising its intensity as Shikyo gathered the necessary energy to perform the maneuver. Concentrating the spirit energy through his hands he announced, "Way of Destruction # 11: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Sparks of electricity danced around Shikyo's body, traveling from his appendages and into his staff.

The surging lightning hungrily rotated around the staff, seeking an exit point from its entrapment. The kidou Shikyo used sent a jolt of electricity through the object in his hands, intending to electrify anything or anyone also in contact with the staff. After the electricity exited the object, Shikyo pulled it closer to himself, spinning the object between his hands as he leapt back a few feet. He had been on the offensive long enough, it was time to see how his opponent would respond now.

(OOC: Gomen Xavier, I wasn't exactly sure what the main skill was for this area, thats why I asked. lol)

Kajitora felt the electricity jolt through his body, and momentarily stop his quick draw but that moment was all his opponent needed to shunpo out of the way. He shook the buzzing, throbbing pain from his body and focused on the task ahead. Kajitora still had his zanpakutou in hand-ready but something in him (maybe his new kidou confidence) told him he should use kidou. He had remembered reading about a vice-captain that once used a particular combination which had fascinated him. He knew the combo would drain a great deal of his reiatsu but it would be worth it.

He commanded, "Fushibi", as he raised his reiatsu and focused it on his layered kidou. Once he was enveloped in the red light, he formed the last part of his brilliant move. "Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the south! Hado no sanjyuichi: Shakkahou!" (Destructive Art # 31: Red Fire Shot). It was the kidou he and the other trainees had practiced on time and time again on wooden targets. Kajitora held the blast but waited a moment to see how his opponent would move. He readied his action to aim wherever Shikyo moved. And then he would run into the smoke created by the huge explosion, using it as cover. From there, he was certain victory would be his because his kidou plan would be complete; all he needed to do was focus.