Rest & Relaxation

The day was warm, & the sun was big & bright in the sky. Suu was in front of squad 5 Barrack's waiting for his friend to emerge. "Good grief come on!" Suu was getting slightly impatient, but a day like this rarely comes along in The Soul Society, with all the hollows & traning a break just seems out of reach. Suu sat down beside the door to the barrack, even though he was still an aceademy student & he wasn't even suppose to be near the barracks. "You know this would have never had happned if you would have been ready like I asked you to be a week ago."

Kyro knew he was running late. He always ran late. Why? He had no idea, but ever since he had joined Squad 5, he'd seemed to become even more nervous and started to constantly be late for just about anything. Now, he was supposed to be meeting with one of his old friends, who was still at the Academy, and he was running late. He'd been off schedule since this morning, when he'd slept in and thrown off his training plans. He had leapt out of bed, grabbed his Zanpakutou, and ran from the Sleeping Quarters to the Sparring Area, where most of the Squad was assembled. There, he'd spoken with the Fifth Seat, Sukeno Tennu, who had been doing his best to make Kyro at home, and to help him return to a normal schedule that didn't involve him running late for everything.

Now, he was leaving the Sparring Area twenty minutes later than usual. He was heading out with Suu, one of his only friends, someone who was still at the Academy but had helped him to graduate a bit earlier than most other students in a Surprise Graduation. Other Students had dropped out after a never-ending series of tests of their abilities, but Kyro was the only one who had stuck to it and actually managed to pass all of the tests. Kyro reached the exit and entrance to the Fifth Division Barracks, fixed his kimono so that it didn't look like he had just sprinted there as fast as he could, and then walked out of the Barracks to where Suu was waiting on a bench.

"Sorry for running late. I slept in this morning, and it kind of threw off my entire schedule for the day. I didn't ruin your plans, did I?" asked Kyro. No doubt that his newfound nervousness was showing through already. It had been a month since Kyro had left the Academy, two weeks since his application to join the Fifth Division had been accepted. Kyro had made only a couple of visits to the Academy since his graduation, and during those times he had been planning a visit to Rukongai with Suu. As these thoughts finished running through Kyro's mind, he allowed a huge grin to spread across his face. "God, it's good to see you though, Suu," he said with a cheerfulness to his voice. He then motioned for Suu to lead the way to wherever they were going.

"Ahhh finnaly....." As Kyro appeared out of the squad barracks, Suu stood up & walked over to his graduated brother. Suu was happy for Kyro right now, but the moment Kyro & him were on the same level again, that happiness would turn into a fierce rage to defeat his Friendly Rival. " This way Suu we are going into the 58th district of Rukongai where we were raised. Just too see how much has changed. We did have it pretty ruff being on basically the lower upper end of the districts." Suu quickly jumped off taking a good start before Kyro. Suu wanted to see what a student in a squad had an Academy Student didn't. Suu looked back at Kyro, his one trusted friend & one thing kept going throug hsuu's mine 'Pain is the same for everyone'. Suu shook off his thought as he looked back to see how fast Kyro had become. " Come on slow poke squad boy, I shouldnt be able to out-run you" Suu started to run a little bit faster after his taunt not taking any chances of Kyro catching him.

Kyro grinned slightly at the challenging tone to Suu's voice. His friend thought he could move faster than him, huh? He'd be surprised at what someone could learn in a month of being a Shinigami. As Suu began to move faster, Kyro simply stopped walking and allowed his friend to get quite a ways ahead of him. Then, he rocketed forward, shooting ahead of Suu. It wasn't Shunpo; he wasn't nearly at that level. However, it was still good to be able to use Reiatsu to somewhat speed up. He looked back and saw the confusion on Suu's face, and then the surprise as he saw Kyro shoot forward. Since Academy Students weren't taught to use Reiatsu for that sort of thing, Suu would no doubt believe that he was cheating by using it. Kyro didn't care, though, because he enjoyed being able to watch Suu's reactions.

Kyro finally came to a stop to allow Suu to catch up with him. As he did, Kyro spoke in a joking manner. "You weren't expecting that, now were you? I've learned quite a bit in the short time I've been a part of the Fifth Division, Suu," he said, and as he did, a small teasing tone joined his jesting words. Kyro began walking again, this time backwards so that he could speak with Suu as he moved. "You didn't seriously think you could still move faster than me, did you? Even if it has been only a month, I've still been training, and I mean a lot," finished Kyro, a taunting edge joining the two other tones in his voice. He grinned inwardly, and then outwardly as he waited for his friend's reaction to what he had said.

"What in the hell....." Suu looked back & saw Kyro was lightly walking & Suu was a bit confused that Kyro was moving so slow too slow even to make it in a division. Though as Suu turned back to look forward Kyro was standing a small ways ahead of him. "..............." Suu's face was hidden behind his hair but he was confused alright. Quickly Suu remembered the moving technique Shunpo & a slight grin came across his face. " So that's the infamous shunpo huh, looks like it's pretty handy."


Suu lightly laughed as he came to a complete halt at the beginning of district 58. The area was filled with trees some dead some alive. the 58th district was slightly above your average slums, it had running water, in-door piping & a few people had enough money to own a pet. Suu was amazed to see how little the town had changed but as he took one step into district 58 , an omunious reiastu swept past him. " I know you felt that Kyro, somethings worng with this scene...." Suu took a gentle pace as he walked deeper into district 58 & soon came to realize the town was in shambles, doors were barely on hinges houses busted up & a few bodies beaten to death. " What happned here......this can't be real..." Suu went over to a body & touched it the young girl turned over & coughed as if she just awoke. "Please, leave this place where souls are laid to rest in peace." With that the young girl turned back over & laid face on the ground. Suu was astonished as he turned to Kyro. " Looks like our day of rest & relaxation went down the tubes... *sigh* Guess we will have to try next week after we figure out what's going on here."

"Excuse me, I believe you meant that I am going to be figuring out what happened here. We may be friends, and I know that you are strong and that I can trust you, but if I let you stay, I'll be breaking the rules even more than I already have. I can't allow you to put yourself in harm's way, especially for something like this. Whoever, or whatever, killed all of these people, it's way too powerful for you. Go warn my squad's Fifth Seat, Sukeno Nerru, and have him come back here with help," Kyro replied sternly to Suu's statements. He then drew his Zanpakutou and, assuming that Suu would just listen to him, he began to move slowly forward. He had no idea what kind of Hollow would be able to do this, but he did know that it was most likely out of Suu's league. So, he was glad that he had done what he had done.

"Damn... I don't know what I'm doing myself, and yet I'm acting as if I can take this Hollow, or whatever it is, all on my own..." muttered Kyro under his breath. He silently began to pray that Suu would make it back very, very quickly, as he was only a newbie Shinigami, fresh from the Academy. His skills were extremely limited at the moment, even in Kidou, where he excelled. Mostly, although it took him longer to learn Kidou than others. He was still quite powerful when he used them though. Perhaps in this upcoming fight, as a fight was so obviously coming up, he could make up for his inexperience with his skill in Kidou. If not, he had doubt that he would be able to win against an opponent that could cause this much destruction, even against simple civilians.

Suu looked at Kyro, did Kyro forget who Suu was? Suu the cruel, cold, heartless,sadistic, pain loving, freak? I mean they were already in enough trouble according to Kyro so why would they make it worse by revealing they went somewhere. Suu simply nodded & ignored Kyro. Kyro would soon get his turn......

"He is gonna suffer, never does anyone tell me to go get help only weaklings go get help.....pfft...."

Suu kept a safe but admirible distance from Kyro enough to where he could figure out weither or not the hollow was attacking him or not. Suu wouldn't help but only if the hollow started to win & seriously hurt Kyro his best friend. Suu knew Kyro would probably hate him for not getting help & then letting him get beat up if he lost but he would get over it.

As Kyro walked head of Suu he would notice that the bodies were getting more frequent & closer together as if the walk path was getting tighter. More & more if he walked the bodies would be pretending to act dead but lightly moaning & groaning. As Kyro walks past a pile of bodies one grabs his leg from the bottom.

"Go BACK!"

The souls eyes grew bright red & his voice was pure evil but then his eyes quickly faded to white & the old man passed out. The sounds of people still screaming could be heard up-ahead, & it would seem as if Kyro had entered a massive bowl of reiastu as it poured onto him, the hollow was growing stronger from feeding on the village.

Kyro's jumped as he heard Suu call out to warn him, but then gasped and nearly dropped his Zanpakutou as a hand grasped his leg. He looked down and prepared to slice whatever it was off, and then saw that it was the dying move of a man that was lying in the pile of bodies. At least, until he looked up at Kyro for a moment. When that happened, he saw only pure evil in the man's eyes. His gaze seemed to look into Kyro's very soul, and for a moment, the rest of the world seemed to fade away. Then, the man's evil glare faded into the blankness of death, and his hand let go of Kyro's leg. That's when he could sense the large Reiatsu, belonging to the Hollow, up ahead, and all around. Whatever it was, it was steadily growing stronger. He sensed that he could probably defeat it on his own at the moment, but if he waited much longer, then he wouldn't be able to win He gulped, and then turned to Suu.

"Forget going for help. It's too dangerous for you to be alone around here. Stay with me, and stay close. This creature is steadily growing stronger, as you can probably tell through all of this carnage. Do not interfere with this fight unless you absolutely have to, understood? If it looks like I'm about to go down... run," Kyro warned him, and then he turned and began to move forward. This would be his first major fight since becoming a Shinigami, and it was against an opponent stronger than he'd ever been up against. He shook off his fears, and walked forward in more confidence. He could defeat this thing; he knew he could! All he had to do was keep his mind clear and concentrate on the battle. Nothing terribly hard, right?

Suu stayed silent, he wanted to make it seem as if it was too late & he had already gone & left Kyro on his own. Suu meant he was gonna make his suffer & suffer he was gonna. Suu could feel the moster slowly growing stronger & it wasn't slowing down.

'Looks like this will be one hell of a fight. I only hope Kyro, learns his lesson. This was our hometown I have every right to help as he does.' Suu thought

Suu was a good far distance back, & he supressed his reiastu as best he could. The bodies near Suu grabbed at him as he walked as well, & Suu looked closely at one body & it was crying as if it didn't want to but was being forced to do what it was doing.

'God, This is horrible but, at least they aren't dead....' Suu thought


If Kyro walked farther, the hollow came into view with, 10 maybe 20 people enveloped in it's grasp. Their spiritual being was being eaten away leaving only a mindless, painfilled body. As he finished with the bodies draining them, he spit them out & kept on with his power gaining. The people would try to run, but the hollow had a pull barrier that would pull in weak beings enough so he could absorb them.

Spoiler:

The hollow was growing bigger & had not noticed Kyro yet. But a small girl was barely making it out of the pull when she tripped over a wasted body. She screamed as the hollows pull began sliding her small body back & into the hollow.

As he watched the girl get dragged towards the Hollow, Kyro's eyes grew wide and he almost rushed forward before he saw the danger of getting in too close at this moment. Thinking quickly, he sheathed his Zanpakutou and held his hands out before him. "Bakudo No. 4, Hainawa!" cried the Shinigami, and immediately, a red tentacle of Reiatsu appeared and shot forward. Using the Bakudo, he wrapped first the girl, and then the tentacle belonging to the Hollow that held her there. As the Bakudo completed its job and his control over it left, he drew his Zanpakutou and, keeping his hand up so that the Bakudo remained active, he ran over and sliced the Hollow's tentacle off a few feet away from the girl. As the Hollow roared in pain, he ran and caught the girl just before the Bakudo deactivated. He breathed a sigh of relief, and then brought her over to Suu. "Watch her!" he growled angrily, rage starting to boil up at the Hollow. His mind began to clear; he was in combat now. He wouldn't allow himself to fail.

"Bakudo No. 6, Totte!" cried Kyro, and he felt his weapons hilt attach itself to his hand. He had to used it to his advantage while he could. Running forward, he began muttering the incantation for another Kidou, except this time, instead of Bakudo, he was preparing a Hado spell. "A single feather flutters. Sojourn on the clouds, bend the wind on my wings! Hado No. 16, Sonic Wave Arrow!" was what he muttered, and then he raised his free hand. As he did, an invisible blast of v-shaped Reiatsu shot from his palm. It struck the Hollow just beneath its mouth, and it put a hole, small but still there, through the spot where the Hado had struck and then to the ground. The Hollow roared in pain and fury, and then reached out with its tentacles, attempting to grip Kyro. He used Thrust to keep the tentacles back, and then rushed forward.

"This had better work!" cried Kyro, and then he brought his blade back and then forward. It almost reached the Hollows mask. Almost. However, before it did, Kyro felt something wrap around him and then he was lifted from the ground. The Hollow brought it up to look the Shinigami in the eyes. "Well, you gonna eat me, or not, you bastard?" asked Kyro, speaking to the Hollow. The Hollow growled angrily, and then began to bring Kyro towards its mouth. Kyro knew he only had one shot to escape, and so he brought his Zanpakutou up into the air, and then down into the Hollow's tentacle. He let his Bakudo deactivate, and then he brought his hands up before him, facing the Hollow. He closed his eyes and began to draw upon his hidden reserve of Reiatsu that he had in place in case he ever needed just a little extra firepower for Kidou. Then, he opened his eyes.

"Burn of the blades that have been lost! Hado No. 8, Blade of Flames!" cried Kyro. He directed the Hado to his Zanpakutou, and as it was embedded in the Hollow's tentacle, it caught on fire and ignited the arm. Kyro ignored the heat, and then used the moment of shock, for the Hollow, to deactivate the flames on his blade and then pull it out of the Hollow's tentacle. He forced the weakened tentacle away from him, and then fell several feet to the ground. As he hit the floor, he rolled and bolted away from the Hollow. He could sense the Hollow behind him, growing even angrier. He reached Suu, and then stopped and turned to face the Hollow once more. "Suu, watch my back!" said Kyro, and then he waited for the Hollow to advance once more.

Suu was calmy watching from the distance, he was gonna make Kyro fight that hollow all on his own. Suu could have easily jumped in saved the girl & Kyro killed the hollow, but Suu was stubborn & didn't lift a finger. Suu lightly laughed as Kyro unleased Bakudo #4 & saved the girl but he caught the attention of the hollow. ' I would have let the girl die, I mean come on, save one girl or the WHOLE village....' he thought to him-self.

Suu watched on as Kyro brought the girl to him, she was crying & scared still un-aware of her surroundings. Suu shook his head in dis-appointment but then felt a LITTLE bad for her. He grunted a bit & caught her attention.

"Soooo uh, why are you crying again?"

The little girl put her hands over hear head, revealing marks on her wrist as if she was tied up & her knee's were badly scuffed & Suu realzied she only just fell. Suu put 2 & 2 together, then lightly touched the girls head. She was just a small girl afraid & alone with no-one to be her friend. Suu wasn't going to be her friend but he was going to help her.

"Look quit crying your safe now, you can't always cry & expect something to get done. You see that guy over there he is going to suffer because of you, he could have easily killed that hollow & let it eat you. But hee was brave & had a heart & saved you risking his life for you he didn't sit & cry, & say 'Oh please don't hurt her Mr.hollow!'. HELL NO he took action & fought back no matter how much he gets hit he will keep going until the end. Now with me saying that do you wanna cry about everything?"

Suu was a creul speaking guy but he had a large & magnificent point, the little girl wiped her face & lightly shook her head. Suu grabbed her hair & lifted her face. He looked at her & just stared.

"Don't shake your head at me......I have your hair in my hand & I am pulling what are you going to do?"

The little girl swung her fist & hit Suu across the face & kicked him in the chest using her small feet, & attempted to bite him as well. As the small girl landed her blows Suu felt good inside, seeing as she no longer feared nothing she would do & become something. He released her hair & patted her head.

"Good, that's what I wanna see you still won't speak but at least you don't just sit & cry while someone hurts you. Now go & do something, things here are getting too much."

The small girl rushed off & Suu lightly heard her speak.

"Thank you"

Suu sighed & turned back to the battle Kyro was back in front of him & told him to watch his back. Suu grunted & watched as the hollow barged in. Suu jumped onto a near-by roof & wtached.

"Nah Kyro. Imma sit this one out, use your skills to defeat this hollow as if I wasn't hear at all. I mean you dont need my help my you need me to go get the squad for help."

"Damn you, Suu..." muttered Kyro. If he wouldn't help him out, then he'd just have to figure something out. Kyro suddenly raced towards the Hollow, which was still aflame in some places. He rushed forward while the creature was distracted by its burning tentacles, and then slashed off two of the the ones that weren't caught on fire. Roaring in pain, the Hollow spun to face Kyro, and brought one of its still undamaged tentacles towards him. It shot towards the Shinigami, but he held out his Zanpakutou in front of him, which in turn impaled itself on his blade. The Hollow pulled its tentacle off of the blade, roaring in pain once again. Kyro used that distraction to rush forward and put a gash on the creature's main body. Three more tentacles raced towards him. One grabbed his leg, but he sliced the part holding him off of the main part. One grabbed him around the waist and lifted him off of the ground.

The last one gripped the wrist belonging to the hand that held his Zanpakutou, forcing him to drop it. Kyro's eyes went wide as the Hollow roared in triumph and began to bring Kyro down to its mouth. He was going to be devoured if something didn't happen, soon! Kyro began beating his free fist against the tentacle that held him around the waist, to absolutely no avail. Cursing, he twisted and turned, attempting to break free of the Hollow's grip on him. He was going to die, only a month after joining the Gotei 13. What a waste. Kyro closed his eyes, hoping it wouldn't hurt too badly. "Screech, Kurou no Aruji!" someone cried. Kyro's eyes snapped open to see a sycthe slicing the two tentacles gripping him in half. Kyro turned to see Sukeno Nerru, Fifth Seat of the Fifth Division, wielding the sycthe.

"Dakō Itami!" cried Sukeno, and then he brought his weapon back, and forward. A blast of brown Reiatsu shot from the blade of the sycthe, striking the Hollow in the mask and shattering it. The Hollow let loose a pained roar, and then it dispersed. Kyro hit the ground, rolled, and then stood to his feet. As the Hollow completely dispersed, the Fifth Seat turned back towards Kyro, a look of humor on his face. "Couldn't help it, huh? You should've gotten help, instead of coming in against this thing on your own," he said, and Kyro, surprised that he wasn't angry, simply stood, mouth agape, speechless. Sukeno laughed.