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Post by Chojiro Sasakibe on Feb 14, 2023 14:13:14 GMT -6
Bleach Unrated: REBOOTEDCurrent Arc: Deep RenewalEpisode 331 "Two Birds": Chojiro Sasakibe exited his manor into the back of the home which was composed of two things: a lush flower, fruit, vegetable, and tea leaf garden with sakura trees and a training grounds for zanjutsu and hakuda. In fact he banned the practice of kido from his training grounds after some of the First Division new recruits burned down a cultivation of his tea plants some odd centuries ago. So in the spirit of the teachings of his late master Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, Sasakibe only allowed zanjutsu and hakuda practice to "keep the balance between war and peace" as his master had once told him. Though he had to admit part of it was just simply being too terrified and anxious to lose his precious tea plants once more. In all his centuries since first visiting the Western world in the world of the living, he had made it his life's work to cultivate tea plants capable of producing the same delicious black tea in Soul Society that he had tasted in the land of the humans. And in that time he had perfected not necessarily a direct copy of the English black tea he had tasted, but something akin to it--inspired by it. The flavor was different, but the spirit was there, and that was something he was proud of. Though in this moment he was not here to check on his "children" as it were. Rather another child that was not necessarily his, but often times felt like it. A child he considered his nephew. Someone whom he now put all of the belief he had in his master into. His master's pride and joy--aside from his best students Ukitake and Kyoraku--his grandson Haku Katsumi Yamamoto. Sasakibe saw the boy sparring alone, his long white-grey hair pulled high up into a bun. The boy's hair had grown considerably and was now about as long as the elder Yamamoto's beard was at the time of his death. He wore a white training kimono with the sleeves tied up, and navy blue hakama. He was practicing zanjustsu with his asauchi in hand. He sighed, shaking his head slightly as he walked over to the boy. "You're still holding back I see," he said to him, referencing the asauchi in his hand. |
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Feb 14, 2023 14:27:55 GMT -6
Haku let out a sigh, wiping the sweat from his white brow. He turned to see his uncle, the man who had taken care of him since his grandfather's death, standing before him. Sasakibe was eyeing the asauchi in his hand. Haku lowered his head and looked at the asauchi in detest. "I'm not holding anything back. I'm not the one who's the problem."
He placed the sword on his shoulder dull side down. "Besides, I think I'm doing just fine without it," he said with a grin. "I can do up to Hado 25 without an incantation!"
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Post by Chojiro Sasakibe on Feb 14, 2023 14:34:41 GMT -6
Sasakibe raised an eyebrow at him and gave a low hum, reaching up to smooth one side of his thin moustache. "You were practicing Kido in my training grounds?"
Haku's grey eyes went wide and he lowered his sword. "Uh... no? I mean I was practicing when I was over at the First Division training grounds."
"Interesting. Ms. Kaede told me you've been here all day."
Haku gave a sheepish grin, raising his hands. "Yesterday?"
Sasakibe gave a "hmph" and shook his head. "In any case, you know your grandfather would not be pleased to see you treating your partner this way."
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Feb 14, 2023 14:39:04 GMT -6
Haku clicked his tongue, rolling his eyes. He raised his sword, point down and staked it into the ground, crossing his arms. "Partner. Yeah right. This thing has been nothing but trouble."
"That sword will be with you for the rest of your life, whether you like it or not, Haku," Sasakibe shook his head again, speaking sternly, crossing his arms behind his back.
"Ms Yoruichi never used her zanpakuto!" Haku raised his arms. He lifted a hand, gesturing in a random direction. "Ms Ise doesn't even HAVE one! Kenpachi didn't have one until the war! What difference does it make if I have a zanpakuto or not!?"
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Post by Chojiro Sasakibe on Feb 14, 2023 14:46:19 GMT -6
"Because you know this is not how Yamamoto-sama would have wanted you to act as a Soul Reaper," Sasakibe raised his voice, stopping just before yelling at him. "This would not make him proud and you know that. If you didn't, you would not be so defensive over this."
Haku's face twisted as if someone had stabbed a knife into his gut. He snatched up the asauchi and turned his back to his uncle. "Why would you of all people use that against me? You, Kyo-ojisan and Uki-ojisan know as well as I do how it feels without him here."
Sasakibe let out a sigh, his shoulder falling. He stepped up and placed a hand on Haku's shoulder. "It is because I know that I push you so hard. He would be doing the same if he were here right now. But he is not and I cannot guide you forever. You are almost an adult. Soon it will be time for you to walk the path on your own. You may not have his blood, but you have his stubbornness all the same. Do not let that Yamamoto stubbornness be your undoing."
When Haku said nothing he lowered his hand. "This is not why I came to check on you, however. You have a guest." Sasakibe's voice indicated a smile that Haku could not see.
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Feb 14, 2023 14:56:15 GMT -6
Haku lifted his head and blinked up at his uncle. "A guest?" When Sasakibe nodded Haku turned and ran for the door, pulling out his hair tie to let his long stormy white hair flow down his back. "I want spaghetti all'amatricana for dinner tonight! With that Sangiovese you've been hiding in the cellar with the sake!" "And why were you down there?! And what makes you think I'm going to let you drink alcohol with dinner!?" Sasakibe raised his fist at his nephew as the boy made a speedy getaway. "Because you promised you'd let me try wine with dinner the next time you cooked something European!" Haku shouted as he disappeared through the door into the manor, ignoring his uncle's first question. He grinned when he heard his uncle let out a groan, running down the hall to greet whoever was there to see him. Moved |
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Post by Makino Tori on Oct 10, 2024 14:01:55 GMT -6
Bleach Unrated: REBOOTEDCurrent Arc: The ChaosEpisode 541 "Just For Fun": The sun hung low in the sky, casting warm golden rays across the open field where Makino, stood waiting for her sparring partner. She brushed a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze locked on the figure approaching her—a familiar face, Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto, a longtime friend and sparring partner. The wind teased the ends of Makino's dark braid, and her eyes glimmered with excitement. Today’s match was supposed to be fun, but both knew that whenever they faced off, the line between fun and serious became blurred."You're slow, Haku-kun," Makino teased, stretching her arms overhead as Haku came into view, his asauchi strapped across his back. "What took you so long?""Sasakibe-jisan was asking what we were up to since he saw me with my asauchi. When I told him he told me, 'Don't destroy the training field like you two did last time'." Haku replied with a grin, his voice casual.Makino giggled, rolling her shoulders to loosen them. "Hey, we helped with the clean up and rebuilding."Haku unsheathed his asauchi, the blade shimmering under the fading sunlight. "I think he's more worried about the cost." He paused for a brief second. "Anyway, we should set some ground rules." His tone shifted to something more serious. He always took their practice sessions to heart, knowing they sharpened both their skills."Right," Makino agreed, her own asauchi, now in her hand. "First round with weapons. Once someone gets disarmed, we switch to hand-to-hand.""No killing strikes," Haku added with a smirk."Naturally," Makino replied, matching his grin. "We're friends, after all."Haku nodded, his stance shifting as he prepared to engage. "First to three takedowns wins?"
Makino raised her asauchi, her expression sharpening. "Sounds good to me. Try not to hold back this time."
Haku’s grin widened. “I wasn’t planning to.”
The two circled each other, eyes focused, their playful banter fading into silence as the tension between them grew. Makino’s mind went quiet as she found her center, her grip tightening on her sword. Haku’s footwork was quick, but she knew him well enough to predict his first move. |
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Oct 10, 2024 16:29:25 GMT -6
Haku watched Makino intently as he circled her, holding his sword properly like his Ojiisan taught him all those years ago. The art of Kendo was something his grandfather took seriously. Swordplay had become second nature to Haku. But Makino and he had been training together for just as long. It was difficult for either of them to get a move off on the other.
Still, he would give it his all.
He took two quick steps forward and feinted right before slashing from the left in a diagonal arc, leading with his left foot. Makino caught the fake out just in time, blocking his attack before countering with a horizontal swipe. Haku twisted his blade down to block, then backed off, ready to defend if she decided to retaliate.
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Post by Makino Tori on Oct 10, 2024 16:37:02 GMT -6
Makino’s eyes flickered with recognition the moment Haku made his move. She had sparred with him so many times that his techniques had become as familiar as her own. As his sword feinted right, she didn’t flinch but focused on the subtle shift in his weight. That told her the real attack was coming from the left.
Her blade met his with a resounding clash as she blocked the strike, feeling the force behind it but holding firm. In a fluid motion, she twisted her wrist, deflecting the attack to the side before spinning on her heel. With the momentum of the spin, Makino launched a swift horizontal swipe aimed at Haku’s midsection. It was quick but precise, designed to make him react rather than harm.
Haku was prepared. His sword angled downward just in time to intercept her counter, the clang of steel echoing through the training ground. He slid back a step, eyes locked on her, but didn’t let his guard down. They both knew this sparring match wasn’t about power but finesse.
Makino’s lips curved slightly. "Not bad, Haku. But you're not the only one who's been paying attention all these years."
She shifted her stance, weight poised, ready for his next move.
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Oct 10, 2024 16:44:15 GMT -6
Haku smirked and shifted forward a step. "Oh yeah? Then why don't you show me instead of standing there waiting for me to attack?"
He feinted again, this time from the left but swiftly swung his right foot out and knocked it into her left knee, causing her leg to buckle. He took the opportunity to slash down at her from above, both hands firmly on the hilt of his sword.
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Post by Makino Tori on Oct 10, 2024 16:57:45 GMT -6
Makino’s leg buckled under the force of Haku’s kick, but she refused to give him the upper hand so easily. She dropped to one knee, allowing the momentum to guide her rather than fight it. As Haku’s blade came down in a powerful overhead slash, she thrust her own sword up, catching his with a sharp clang. For a moment, their blades locked, and she could feel the force behind his attack pressing down.
But Makino wasn’t finished.
She smirked, her eyes gleaming with a mixture of mischief and determination. "You want me to show you? Fine."
With a quick twist of her wrist, she angled her blade to deflect his downward strike, letting the force carry it just past her shoulder. In one fluid motion, she rolled to the side, avoiding the brunt of his attack and sweeping her leg out to knock Haku off balance. As he stumbled back, she flipped herself upright and spun, bringing her sword around in a wide, showy arc that hummed through the air.
Her sword whizzed past his cheek, close enough for him to feel the wind from the strike but far enough to leave him unharmed. Haku barely managed to lift his sword in time to block her follow-up strike, the force of it pushing him back a few steps.
"What's wrong?" Makino teased, eyes glinting as she pushed him further back. "I thought you wanted me to show you."
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Oct 10, 2024 17:07:52 GMT -6
Haku smirked, wiping his cheek and checking his hand but finding no blood. "Close. But just you wait. I'll show you that theatrics like that only leave you open to attack."
He rushed forward, slashing at her with repeated strikes that were tight and controlled, like his grandfather taught him. No wide, sweeping angles. No over exaggerated swings. Only precise strikes. The combination of slashes were all blocked, but they accomplished what he set out to do. Push her back and force her on the defensive. He left no openings and when she tried to kick out at him again, he blocked her leg with the blunt side of his blade. He tipped his blade and pushed her off balance, then thrusted forward at her.
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Post by Makino Tori on Oct 10, 2024 17:16:08 GMT -6
Makino's eyes narrowed as Haku's blade pressed her backward with a series of precise, relentless strikes. His movements were controlled, sharp, and left little room for her to counter. Each of his attacks was met with a quick block, but she knew he was gaining the upper hand, bit by bit.
She felt the shift when her attempted kick was blocked, the force of his blade tipping her off balance. His thrust came fast, aiming to exploit the momentary opening he had created.
But Makino wasn’t one to be caught off guard so easily.
In a split second, she twisted her body and flipped her sword upward, angling the blade to deflect his thrust just enough to veer it away from her midsection. Using the momentum of the deflection, she pushed off with her feet, launching herself into a nimble handspring backward.
Her body flipped gracefully, her hands touching the ground for only a brief moment before she landed lightly on her feet several paces away. The escape was seamless, a display of her assassin training in action. She had learned to evade in tight situations, and Haku’s straightforward tactics played right into her hands.
"Nice try," she said with a playful smirk, straightening up and twirling her sword in a smooth, fluid motion. "But sometimes theatrics can save your skin."
Before Haku could fully recover, she darted back in, using the distance she'd created to her advantage. She moved low and fast, her sword aiming for his side in a quick, unexpected strike. Haku barely managed to turn in time to block, but the force of her attack pushed him back a step.
He grinned, his breath coming quicker now. "Alright, I'll admit it—nice move. But I’m still not done."
Makino’s eyes gleamed as she adjusted her stance, ready for whatever he threw at her next. "Neither am I."
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Post by Haku "Katsumi" Yamamoto on Oct 10, 2024 18:12:40 GMT -6
Haku slowly approached her, a smirk on his face. She backed away, keeping distance between them, but Haku advanced once more. Makino tried to retreat again but Haku kept the distance between them short, holding his sword at waist height, indicating no intent to attack. He saw Makino become frustrated but she resisted the urge to lash out at him. Eventually though, he knew she would attack. Eventually she would get tired of him avoiding attacking her and make a move of her own instead of countering.
"What's this? Mind games? Aren't we a little old for that?" Makino huffed at him.
"I don't know. Are we?" Haku's smirk grew.
He shunpo'ed behind her, causing her to spin and counter an attack that never came. Haku grabbed her wrists with one hand and knocked her off her feet with his opposite foot, sending her flat on his back. He held his sword above him and plunged it down towards her. Makino rolled out of the way just in time for his sword to pierce the dirt ground. Just as Makino performed a kip-up Haku clenched his sword to pull it out of the ground. However, a blast of burning, ice cold energy burst from the sword, covering the asauchi, Haku's hands, and the ground surrounding them in a thick sheen of ice. The radius of ice grew and Haku turned towards Makino with wide eyes.
He raised two fingers and pointed at her. "Hado 1: Sho!" He pushed as much energy as he could into the spell, the blue ring growing larger than it usually did. The energy released, pushing Makino several feet back, out of the way of the growing ice surrounding him and his sword. Haku turned his attention back to the ice covered asauchi, to which his other hand was now frozen to. The realization of pain set in and he winced. "That's enough! Stop it!"
The waves of freezing cold energy only raged further in retaliation. Haku tried to pull his hand away, ignoring Makino's cries of concern. His hand was firmly frozen to the hilt. The pain was nearly unbearable. Like it was burning him down to the bone. It felt like that time he had gotten too close to Ryujinjakka while activated. Maybe worse. He hadn't actually touched the fire zanpakuto that time. But this. This brought tears of pain to Haku's eyes and made his heart hammer wildly in his chest.
Panic bubbled up in his throat and he did the only thing he could think of. He raised one foot and aimed it at the sword's blade. "I said... enough!" He slammed his foot down on the bade twice, hard enough to crack it the first time, the second strike snapping it in two. The reiatsu fizzled out and Haku stumbled back onto his back as he was freed from the bottom half of the blade. He cradled his arm in his lap as Makino ran towards him. The ice slowly melted--no, evaporated--away, allowing Haku to remove the hilt and toss it as hard as he could away from him.
He honestly never wanted to see it again. Especially as he hissed and brought his hand closer to his midsection. "Fuck!" He couldn't move his fingers, let alone feel his hand up to his wrist.
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Post by Makino Tori on Oct 10, 2024 20:03:50 GMT -6
Makino’s heart dropped the moment the ice began to spread across the ground, its creeping chill radiating outward. She had seen this before—years ago, when her youngest brother Shirou had connected with his zanpakuto for the first time. But this… this felt different. It was erratic, wild, and uncontrollable. And Haku was right in the middle of it, his hand frozen to his sword, pain evident on his face.
“Damn it, Haku…” she muttered under her breath, backing away cautiously as the ice grew, sending a pulse of cold air that made the hairs on her arms stand up. She knew what was happening, but that didn’t make it any less dangerous. The wild reiatsu was out of control, and Haku was struggling to reign it in.
When Haku turned toward her and cast Hado 1: Sho, Makino’s body reacted on instinct, bracing herself as the blast of energy threw her back several feet. She hit the ground hard but quickly scrambled up, her eyes never leaving Haku as the ice raged around him. It wasn’t just an accident anymore—Haku was losing control, and fast.
“Haku!” she shouted, her voice laced with worry but steady. She wanted to run to him, to help, but she knew better. The ice was too unstable, the energy too unpredictable. Getting too close would only make things worse. Her mind raced, trying to figure out what to do, when the only name she could think of spilled from her lips.
“Sasakibe-san! Help!” she called out desperately, hoping he was nearby. Sasakibe was always around when she and Haku trained, and if anyone could assist, it would be him.
Makino bit her lip, her worry clear as she glanced around for any sign of help. "You’re going to be okay," she said, more to reassure herself than him. "Sasakibe will be here soon."
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