Training with a veteran.

(Challenge to get Jensen from 1-4 to 1-2)

Jensen stepped into the training field weapon in hand. his haori lay on the grass at the side line, next to a cooler filled with a few bottles of water and orange juice. He remembered his new freinds weakness and made sure to bring some orange, in case he needed something to drink. The man had agreed to spar with him after all, and Jensen was sure he'd get more than a few bruises out of the match.

In preperation, Jensen drew his sword, and began going trough a series of forms swinging with one or both hands, he preformed several differnent slashes and thrusts, switching trough stances. As he did he cleared his head, letting nothing preterb his concetration. A quick slash down, twisting into a round house slash and followed up by a spin of the blade and a thrust with two hands. Jensen straightened up and sheath his sword, then romoved the his weapon. his sparring partner should arrive soon, in the mean time, the man would would stretch and warm up.

When Aki got there, he was running a little late, Jensen was warming up. "Sorry I'm late...something came up that needed my attention..." The five foot ten man had light brown hair and auburn eyes. He wore a plain, white T-shirt with a dark grey long sleeved shirt underneath. Blue jeans and red tennis shoes finished it. He also had a baseball cap on. On his belt was the oval device that held his twin katana. Swirling around him was also a pair of chibi dragons, one blue, the other red. They looked quite cute.

Each one perched themselves on a seperate shoulder as he took off his haori. Placing it on the ground, he stood about ten yards away from his opponent. "All right you two, let's see if I've gotten rusty over the years..." The dragons disappeared into the swords. Next, he spoke to Jensen. "If I make a mistake, make me pay for it. I'd like to get back in shape soon. I hope there is more than one reason why you were made a captain...ready whenever you are..." As if to signal, he took off the hat by the bill of it, had it spin on the tip of his finger, and flipped it up high into the air.

Immediately, his hands were ingulfed in an alternating pattern of red and blue. But he stayed put, until Jensen made the first move...

Jensen looked up as aki arrived greeting and appologizing to Jensen for being late. "No problem, these things happen." Jensen noticed the pair of dragons that accompanied Aki. These were obviously his zanpakuto spirits, the two reminded Jensen of Riku's mischievous pair of Zanpakuto slightly. They landed on aki's shoulders and he spoke to them.

Once done talking to his spirits, Aki continued to speaking to jensen, telling him not to go easy if aki made a mistake. jensen nodded in agreement. No point holding back, aki was still stronger than him, even if he wasn't in tip top shape, and there was no point going easy. it would benifit everyone in the long run. "Alright. i'm ready. 3,2,1.... Start!" As Jensen said start he dashed forward, drawing his sword as he moved.

He aimed a rising slash at aki's chest, and turned his Ninjata as it reached its highest, bringing it back down towards his enemies shoulder. using shunpo he circled to the side and pulled off a roundhouse slash, then reversed direction and lashed back across aki's side. Watching carefully he tried to identify a weakness in defence or reaction time as he preformed his series of attacks. Then Jensen shunpo'd back a few feet, and began circling to the right of his foe as he waited for retaliation.

Jensen charged in with a quickdraw. So, he was a sword fighter, mostly...seems like everyone is mostly that and hardly anything else. Aki at least had hand to hand to fall back on. Aki ducked to avoid and aimed a punch to the knee. Only to back off and get a cut on the front part of the shoulder. Aki was physical fighter for the most part, so speed was a specialty. The entire time Jensen moved, Aki's eyes were on him. He punched the incoming blade, his hands still glowing, alternating between red and blue. Reiatsu concentration, which allowed him to block even shikai level blades. That still didn't stop him from slashing again and falling back. Aki cartwheeled over it. For some reason, he was expecting to get hurt more the first exchange.

"Not bad. Good form, and you're ever observing me. Clearly a warrior in the past life?" He ventured a guess. And then started his own little assault. He used shunpo, and added a spin to it. The technical name being called the senka. He aimed a chop to the back of the head, followed by a single punch to the stomach/between the kidneys.

Aki took a few steps back, only to do a spin kick, either aiming for the face or catching him in the side. His physical strength was also quite high, being able to make house sized crators with his fists. But let's see if he can manage a hit here...

Aki dodged and weaved, and even punched jensen's blade away. Now that was a surprise. Aki cartwheeled over Jensen's last attack and spoke. "Your good at reading people, it seems. I know for a fact you didn't read that in my personal file." Jensen said. his past was his own, he didn't share it much. But for someone like Aki, it wasn't hard to see the warrior in Jensen.

Aki vanished, and Jensen tried to follow his movement using his ability to sense. Aki tried to chop at the back of jensen's head, and he raised his shoulder, twisting it to intercept the blow while leaning in the opposite direction. It hurt, but it protected him from worse damage. Not the first time he'd done something like that to save himself either. Aki aimed a punch at Jensen's gut, Jensen slashed at his hand while spinning to the left of the attack. The roundhouse caught him off guard, and clipped Jensen's face sending him spinning to the ground.

Regaining his feet quickly, the old warrior wiped the blood away from a split lip. "Frankly I'm disapointed in myself. I think i've become complacent, with all the lack of fighting. Dont be so forgiving next time." Jensen brushed the dirt off, as he took stance. He wouldn't fall for that again. This man was more than jensen's match in strength, he'd just proven, and he was fast to boot, making him a hard foe to deal with. Jensen wondered how much he could handle however. If he tired him out he'd have a better chance of winning.

Jensen attacked more carefully this time, watching Aki warily. He moved in, watching for sudden movements. Two handing his staight blade, Jensen quickly stepped left slashing the same direction in a rising motion, aiming for aki's upper arm and chest. He attempted to step around and cut across the man's back slicing down. If Aki dodged these or used Shunpo jensen would follow as best he could and attack a third time, cutting straight down on his enemies shoulder, and finish with a thrust.

Aki chuckled and shrugged off the comment. "In my time, I wasn't one of the veteran captains for no reason." There was more, but perhaps they speak more about it later. Everything else was as stated.

The time of relative peace didn't do Jensen good, as he was slapped around a bit. Even complained a little bit. "Then I guess we'll do each other good. I'll try not to hold back again..." Aki teased. The other man came at him again, though a bit more carefully. Good. Then he swung. From his forearms, oval shaped red and blue shields formed, and parried the first blow with it. Aki didn't know any kido, they all blew up in his face, but he did learn some very mild reiatsu and energy control. Jensen stepped around him and slashed again. This time, Aki only barely parried it by spinning and whacking it with the other shield, earning at least his clothes to be cut. He felt so sluggish. The next strike was down. His hand was still glowing red and blue.

Aki grabbed it, his right hand not being cut. "That's it. But try to be a little more creative. I don't have much to tear you apart with, so I'll get the real party started. But first, how about we not use bankai. No need to scare the troops. Besides, this is only to get us back into shape..." Aki tossed him back towards the wall. The freed captain drew his twin katana, which were thicker than usual. One he drew normally, with his right hand drawing the bottom blade. The top he drew in a reverse grip, dropped the blade part down, and spun it length wise to face the same direction as his right. The shields would stay active for four posts. "Try again, but be more creative than strike step strike strike. Even without kido, surely you can do it. You are a captain after all..."

The man teased Jensen. Often, when fighting one just as skilled as the other, the first to come up with something different often wins a match...

Aki blocked Jensen's attacks easily enough, and surprised him with his skillful use of reiatsu and proving to jensen he wasn't trying hard enough when the man grabbed his sword and flung jensen bodily over him. jensen twisted as best he could in the air and managed to land on his feet, he was no acrobat after all. Aki spoke, suggesting they not use bankai, and gave Jensen a few pointers and told him to be more creative. "Aye, bankai maybe unwise here. As for that, well I think I can manage something." Aki drew his duel Zanpakuto, reminding Jensen of Lilia, although the girl did not have twin spirits like Aki had. Now the fight was going to get interesting, and jensen would help towards that.

Charging in like before, Jensen brought his blade left in a feint, and spun right in a round house slash. Jensen kicked low, aiming for the shin. With the sword in his left hand he punched with his right, aiming to bring aki's guard low, then brought the hilt of his sword towards the top left of aki's head. He two handed his weapon and brought the blade down a second time, aiming for Aki's right shoulder. With Another slash he drove aki's guard up, towards his shoulder and stepped back then thrust low. If The last attack slipped past the man's guard, jensen would stop it before it made contact, not the hesitant action of a rooky, but that of a veteran fighter who knew when he was about to go to far.

Jensen charged. Aki bent his knees and prepared for an assault, ever so watching his opponent. Back in his prime, Aki wouldn't have made such an amateur mistake as falling for a feint, but he did. He turned slightly and put his swords in an X formation to block. Only to never see the blow coming. Instead, he saw Jensen spinning for a round house slash. Aki started lowering. The attack gave him a tiny trim, but Aki also counter attacked with a sword swing to the legs. More specifically, towards the incoming leg. When Jensen punched towards his back, his kidney, the veteran stabbed his free sword in the ground and lifted himself above it, kicking the fist away.

Upside-down and couldn't really do much, Aki did get clonked in the head. Luckly, he pulled his other sword with him as he landed and stumbled back, trying to catch himself. He almost should have continued going back, as he ducked low and backed up, but still earning a wound that almost crossed his earlier one. But now he had his guard up, he parried the strike and stabbed at his foot with the other sword. However, Jensen read it and jumped back to lunge. Moving the grounded sword up, again he parried, but Aki also lunged with his other, stopping the blade just an inch from the side or gut. Like that of a veteran fighter. Aki grinned. "That was a bit close. Thought you had me there...but now it's my turn..." Aki headbutted the guy before jumping back.

(For some reason, listen to this while you read the next part: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adN-4pls_AM&feature=related )

Only to charge head on. Watching the hands on his sword carefully, he tried to time it just right...and now! Aki backflipped, kicking the sword or handle up. At the same time, he swung with his right sword to aim for the thighs. Upon landing, he threw his left sword up and struck left to right with his right blade. Only to find no sword in the hand, but one in the left, the back of the blade aiming straight to the ribs. He caught the airborn sword with his right and crashed it down on a shoulder. Let's see how he reacts to that...

Jensen had to abbandon his kick and took a slice to the shin too. He regained himself and contined with his other attacks, managing to land a few blows on aki. Aki stabbed at his foot, jensen dodged and lunged and aki parried it, thrusting his own weapon, stopping before the stab connected, like a veteran would. Jensen smiled back as aki spoke. "Likewise." He said. Seconds later he was forced to step back by a fierce head butt that would have broke his nose if it connected.

Aki charged and back flipped, kicking Jensen's gaurd up, and slashed for the thighs in an atlethic spin. Jensen spun his blade and parried the sword, Aki threw one sword up, and slashed left to right with the other. Jensen back stepped, attempting to block but missed aki switching hands, and took a slash across the ribs. It didn't cut, but it hurt like hell. The second blade came down and aki caught it, jensen moved to block and steel clashed. Aki's sword cut into jensen's shoulder as the force of the attack drove his own blade down, but he managed to stop it going to deep.

Jensen pushed the blade away from him and stepped back. "Not bad. How about we take this up a level." he said, placing his weapon across a leather vambrace on his right arm. "Pulse, Celestia." He said, and his weapon glowed bright blue green, and was replaced with a long handled, heavy headed flail. the handle was about 2 foot, the chain attaching the head 1 and a half foot long. A thick hard baskt hilt proteted his hand. The vambrace on his right arm became a thick steel gauntlet made from the same stuff as his zanpakuto, with sharp clawed fingers.

Jensen took a defensive position. "I'm ready to continue when you are."

Yep, definitely a seasoned warrior. Not many could do that well, even if they were a recent promote, with shinigami life alone unless they were truely gifted. When his blade was forcefully pushed back, Aki also jumped back. Then Jensen said that maybe they should take it to the next level. Aki only grinned. This was the part that he really need to get into. His spirits didn't agree with him, but he thought that they need to reconnect. Aki observed Jensen's shikai and frowned.

"I hope you're more mobile than what that weapon says that you are. Because just trying to withstand attacks from my shikai will end this match rather quickly...." The man crossed his arms, the blades pointing upwards. Theatrics, mostly. "Shock and Burn: Raikou-Faia." For a second, Aki's eyes glowed red and blue (one eye each). Then his swords busted in elemental power, his right lightning, and his left fire. Power oozed forth, and heat greatly increased. The increased heat was a passive ability, one that was only active every other post, but tended to tire out his opponents 15 percent faster. Another passive ability was active, and also only active every other post. Electro-detection allowed him to locate and better predict his opponent's moves within a ten yard area of him.

Aki swung outward, firing a pair of elemental balls, one fire, one lightning, the strength of a Hado 40. Not particularly strong. Next, came the blades. Each blade was pure fire or lightning, and can stretch up to 15 yards. One of each was lengthening towards Jensen. But they split and went around his defense if he put up any with his weapon. One curved towards the thigh, another slipped around and cut at the side, one criss-crossed with a fire one to hit just below the chest, while the last lightning blade curved right into the shoulder. The fire ones mirrored the lightning, just with the right side of the man's body. But that was not all. The fire one criss-crossing with the lightning blade also exploded with the power of a cero in a ten yard radius.

If he put up an actual barrier, they would still split, but four went on each side and one of the fire blades would still explode. Each set of four attacking at the sides. This was more of an experiment, seeing what Jensen's abilities were. Aki's was flexible and nimble. Jensen's weapon was bulky. This should be interesting to watch.

Aki followed suit and release his own shikai. jensen watched as power burst forth from his weapons, one fire, the other lightning, and he sighed. He was somewhat expecting this from the name of Aki's Zanpakuto, but he had hoped he had been wrong. He had a bad feeling already. Jensen took stance and prepared for what was to follow. Aki Launched a pair of elemental balls and Jensen used shunpo to move himself out of the way, while trying to keep close enough to aki that he wouldn't be able to run away. the danger was, aki used short weapons, he'd be much more effective than jensen in close range. But Jensen had the advantage of reach. Or so he thought....

The two blades shot forward at him, and jensen slapped at them with his gauntlet and basket hilt, attempting to knock then aside, which worked until the split into four and attempted to stab at him. Jensen swung his flail, throwing a pulse wave at the set of lightning blades, attenpting to push them away. At the same time, the fire blades stabbed into him, burning his chest shoulder side and leg at once, along with a lightning blade that made it past as it curled around a fire blade. Jensen recoiled and shunpo'd back a good bit, seconds before one of the fire blades exploded, which could have hurt a good bit. This was an interesting turn of events, he lacked the speed to take on aki. Even if he was as strong as the man, he'd likely loose. He was suppose to be defensive, but the flexabilty of those weapons cracked his defense in half.

Scratching his chin, Jensen smiled. "Not a chance in hell I can win against you." Jensen said, watching to see the man's reaction. "But I don't think I can back down either." Spining his flail Jensen shunpo'd, moving as fast as he could. He kept an eye on aki, watching what he did with those blades, and tried to move in fast. He brough the flail down hard, the heavy steel ball lashing trough the air as it went for his shoulder. He raked with the clawed gauntlet, spinning in a full round house, and launching out a pulse wave, trying to throw Aki off with the heavy wave of reiatsu.

If it he, and aki stumbled, Jensen would push forward aiming a strike with the basket hilt of his right hand. If aki moved, he would throw three heart peircers in a row, aiming for aki's shoulders and chest with them. Either way he ended the string of attacks with a shunpo, as he began to charge his flail's head with reiatsu. He might loose, but he'd put up a fight.

As expected, Jensen dodged the initial blasts. But used some sort of knock back ability to push away the lightning blades and the one fire while getting hit by the other three fire blades. He also jumped back before one of his blades exploded. Jensen soon spoke as he scratched his chin. Aki smirked. "Don't be discouraged. In a true fight, you would have to tactically retreat and think. How do you counter your weakness against such flexibility? Especially in the short term." Meaning in a sparring match such as this. The amber eyed man started walking as his blades returned to a normal katana length and merged back into one. At least the guy didn't give up easily. That in itself could be a weakness as well. Learning when to cut your losses and retreat. Aki had learned that lesson well in his early days as an officer.

Jensen spun his flail and moved as fast he could. He didn't like where this was going. His lightning sword flickered and flashed. A sphere of lightning surrounded him. When the flail came, electricity charged into the flail and tracked it, and then jumped to electrocute Jensen. The flail hit his reiatsu shield, but still knocked him off balance. If Jensen continued with his claw, he would catch Aki in the face, giving him some claw marks on the face horizontally, but he would constantly be electrocuted. As the veteran was knocked back by the same ability, part two of his own activated.

Within fifty yards of Aki, the sphere broke up and expanded into several lightning balls. The man slashed with his fire blade and knocked whatever was thrown at him out of the air. Just as Jensen charged at him, the lightning balls exploded with a force of two ceros, a whole, within that fifty yards of its user. Aki himself was immune to his own attacks, so the electrical spectacle didn't harm him any. But Jensen might have felt it...

Jensen followed trough, slashing up The mans face, but was electrocuted for his trouble causing him to grimace in pain. He shunpo'd back a bit as balls of lighting spread out around him. Jensen considered it, then charged in full speed as the multiple ball's of electricity exploded. He continued on, pushing trough the pain of the blast, and threw an upper cut with his gauntlet, although the attack was like to miss, the blast having distracted him.

Jensen spun the flail over head and brought it in at Aki's ribs. If it hit, A powerful blast of reiatsu would explode out and throw aki back. If it missed, he'd swing again, aiming for aki's ribs on the other side. He'd tried two more times to hit with it, and if he failed all four times, he finally just slammed the flail down at Aki's feet. The star burst would be set off, and launch the man into the air if aki didn't escape the 5 foot range. If he did get hit, Jensen would jump up with him and aim a round house slam with the flail to the man's right arm.

If his star burst missed, or aki dodged, Jensen would shunpo after him and aim an upper cut with his flail. If this hit, he'd kick aki in the chest with enough force to throw him back a good few feet. If the upper cut missed, he'd go low with his kick, and aim a two handed attack with his flail for the center of aki's chest. jensen backed off to give the man some breathing room and consider his next course of action, the man's words heavy in his mind. How did he counter his weakness to the man's flexability?

Jensen didn't stop and continued forward. The man was a tank. Luckily, the blast distracted him enough for him to miss the gauntlet uppercut. Though Aki reflexively took a step back anyway. What he didn't expect was the flail slamming straight into his ribs. And then the explosion. Aki slid back. He knew at least one rib was broken completely, but at least two more heavily fractured. His durability was average, and flails were slow and hard to weild, but they were made to batter things to dust. And that reiatsu blast didn't help matters either.

Stage two of Jensen's assault came. Aki put up a lightning shield. Electromagnetic Shield, one of his defensive abilities. But nothing after that. Good. As soon as the other man landed, twenty gallons of lava was formed five feet behind him. The lava came up and aimed to splatter across his back. Unfortunately, as time went on, his control over the lava would grow difficult. Again, the younger of the two captains extended his fire blade, which split into four. When they reached the seven foot mark, he sent four fire ribbons that would start to burn anything biological for three posts.

Right after Jensen dodged or blocked, he sent a much more powerful lightning blast, one comparable to a Hado 88, with a two post cooldown. Aki stayed at a distance, blood coming down his face from the claw marks. This match needed to end soon.

Jensen felt heat from behind, and bad memeries shot through his mind. Lava splashed across his back as he shunpo'd away.The lava ignited his shirt and he pulled it off with a curse. Oh lovely, lava. From the first moment he faught that fire weilding arrancar in england, he hated the stuff.

Next came Aki's Flaming sword again, extending to try stab at him. He dodged back once more, confronted by 4 ribbons of fire. with a quick lash of his flail he shot out a pulse wave, the heavy wave pushing the fire back from Jensen. He was already burnt enough from the lava, he didn't need to find out what those things did.

Jensen Moved to attack, Throwing out a pair of heart peircers aimed for aki's leg and shoulder. hit or miss however, Aki replied with a ball of lightning. Jensen moved to dodge but it moved faster hitting him anyway. Only for the fact that he'd managed to get the gauntlet between him and The lightning, the blast would have put him out for a while. He imagined the look on Kurama's face when the fox found out he'd been rushed to the 4th's healing bay. Again. as well as how the 4th captain would react. Again.

The blast exploded and propelled Jensen backward. He tried to catch himself, and instead hit the ground and skipped across it like a stone. Caughing, he lay in the grass for a few seconds. it took a while to regain concentration, but he eventually managed to push himself to his feet a grim smile on his face.

"That wasn't so bad." he said, noticing he could neither move his arm from the shear amount of pain, and the fact that his gauntlet, for the first time in the history of his life as a shinigami had been broken. Or Shreaded was more like it. He had a few other wounds, cuts and grazes, several burns from aki's swords. but none matched the pain in his arm. He was pretty sure the bones were broken.

He looked at the blood dripping from the claws of the gauntlet, then up to aki, who's face was bleeding pretty badly. "I think i need a drink." He said. Followed by, "Kurama's going to kill me."

Jensen fired out two pointy things at him, aiming for his legs. Moving a little slow, he spun away, managing only a light cut on one side of his leg and a scratch that still caught skin on his right shoulder. Both of them were battered. This was indeed a good match. Aki laughed at the drink part. Though he didn't know this Kurama guy at all. He only managed to visit two squads before he got busy again. "I might join you on that one. Along with anyone else you may invite. Come on, let's head on over to Squad 4...I haven't made my rounds to the others yet, so I guess this will be a good time to meet Squad 4's Captain."

His shikai went back to his sealed form. Sheathing them, he offered a hand to the sitting down captain. Grabbing his haori, he made sure the Squad symbol wasn't showing. After all, he did become Captain Commander four days ago. Come to think of it...he should have let off a bit more...maybe he was more used to his powers than he thought? After all, it's been over three centuries since last using them. Especially since he did break the gauntlet, someone's zanpakutou, a captain's at that and in shikai! Oh well...he'll break the news later.

(OOC: I would say pass. Congratz, Jensen is now 1-2.)