Why We Bleed [Solo] [Nanashi, Igen]

It was always Igen's prerogative to look into how some of the Shino Academy students were doing. He had fond memories of the place, and frankly just going in and helping them out with training was something he had grown quite fond of. But there was more of a..,specific reason as to why he was heading there for the time being.

And it didn't take him much time at all to find exactly who it was he was looking for! Someone else within his class who had the same sort of hair situation going on. But had, for reasons unknown to him, been unable to partake in classes for a whole year. Of course, being in First Division, he was privy to the reason why. And so it was only natural that he go back to check in on her.

"HEY Nanashi!" He called out with a smile, spotting the young woman with that bright pink hair, offering a Wave as he approached the training courtyard. "Hey! It's been a helluva long time! Heard you were out for a little bit. Glad to see you up and on your feet!" He chimed out, his expression bleeding sincerity as he made his approach.

He'd always liked Nanashi, being the sortof...energetic kinda girl she was.

Hearing her own name was something that Nanashi was ALL too prepared for. The instant she heard it, she reacted like a well-practiced machine. A slight torque of her shoulders and her hips, adding just a little more OOMF to her turn so that as she spun to look in that direction, her hair splayed out beautifully, a brief flare of pink before bright green eyes beheld such maj- Oh it was just Igen.

She maintained that bright, enthused smile of hers even as he walked up and she felt a non-mutual enthusiasm radiating from the guy. TCH. She didn't...hate the guy or anything. But there was something about the way he conducted himself that she didn't like. No, actually it wasn't a mystery in the slightest. Nanashi had met a lot of people in the Shino academy, violently made friends with others, it was a match purportedly made in heaven! But for some reason, she just felt....anxious whenever she saw him. For all the work that she PUT into making herself nice and rad and likeable, it was annoying to see Igen just not caring! The whole 'Nah I don't even care' act was something that actually made her a little...irrate? Yet at the same time, they HAD hung out every now and then. As if by some grace she might...steal some of that attitude of his.

"Ah, hey there Igendai. I guess I should call you Igendai-senpai now." She noted with a sly grin....sortof. Making a concentrated effort not to have the same sort of ...usual smile that Igen did...that was actually a lot like her own. MAINLY ...because she'd copied it from him. As she did steal a lot of ...mannerisms and moves and all that stuff from her peers. That unabashed smile was something she'd also lifted because she thought it was cool. Seeing him use it kinda sucked though.

"What brings you here? It's been a LOT longer than you think since we last met. You think you can beat me this time?" She asked, leaning in aggressively into his personal space. Defensive? She wasn't being defensive, HE was being defensive.

Igen snorted just a little at Igendai-Senpai and shook his head, "Just Igen is fine. And I'm glad you're doing so w-" He balked just a little, backing his head up just a little as she leaned in and practically challenged him on the spot. It was true, they HAD done a bit of training together back in the day in the early year of their time as students. Frankly, they saw a LOt of eachother. Which was only reasonable. Two people with personalities this LOUD would have had to be deaf and blind to have never caught the attention of the other.

"Eh? I mean I was really just lookin to see how you were doing! You vanished for like, almost a whole year ya know? But hey, if you want to go a round I wouldn't say no." He replied. Frankly a little thrown off his game. Usually HE was the one throwing out the challenges. But all the same, he couldn't help but feel a little flame inside of him light up. He had no idea WHY she was so ..... sudden to issue the challenge. But the excitement of getting to spar with her again after so long really got him pumped up. "Right here should do fine right?" He ventured, gesturing to the courtyard they were in. In no real rush, even with how excited he WAS. Nanashi was always a neat gal! Maybe a little......eager to please, but he didn't mind that. He HAD initially, but the girl was also a very spunky fighter! Before she'd had to head out she'd given him quite the run for her money. Though he ...Did feel a tinge of worry.

Was she gonna be okay? She'd been out for so long, was she even fully recovered? But he wasn't gonna insult her by refusing the fight. And so he took on a calm stance, smiling as he did. "We can take things nice and slow. I don't mind if you need a moment to take off the rust." He assured her, raising his hands to be at the ready.

Seeing him taking up that stance only FIRED her up even more. Nanashi, you need to calm down. Amanta warned. Which she ignored. This FOOL! The concern made her suddenly puff out her chest! Flashing a peace sign into the air before LAUGHING out loud. "I think it's YOU who is gonna need to take it easy. IGENDAI!" She called out, before she suddenly became a blur. In a flash of black and pink reiryoku, her sclera suddenly turned black, and in a sudden burst of terrifying speed, appeared directly infront of Igen, already twisting in mid-air, as she brought her heel down on the ground between them.

SHOCK! AWE! That's what she was going for! As her foot connected with the ground, the sand burst skyward and the concrete underneath promptly shattered, caving in from the monstrous increase in strength that suddenly flowed through Nanashi's body. The ground rupturing beneath the pair of them, intent on throwing Igen off as that mask vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. Nanashi smiling from ear to ear as she then pushed off of a reishi platform, and aimed a superman punch to the center of the man's chest! With every intention of SLAMMING him into the ruptured ground with her fist! Already her heart was SATURATED with smug glee.

She was NOTHING like the Nanashi that he'd known a year ago. The one he'd left behind when he graduated!

The young man was caught COMPLETELY off guard when his once-peer suddenly shunpo'd infront of him. And there he saw it, the reason that she'd been out for so long. A Hollow's mask! The sudden SHATTER of ground beneath his feet was more than enough to briefly alarm him! Staggering as he lost his footing, and in that very next moment, Nanashi was back to her usual speed?! He blinked owlishly, staggered, but raising his fists into a cross! Blocking that sudden punch to his chest and grunting as he slid back, not having enough leverage and footing to keep himself upright despite blocking the hit! He tumbled, his back hitting the ground before he SHOVED his feet up and into her stomach! Aiming to Vault her up and over his head to land on the broken ground just behind him.

WHEW! What an escalation!

But he was having too much fun to say anything about it! That smile only widened as he suddenly felt a THRILL watching her fight. He'd never seen her like this before. And even more....his worries that she would have lost progress, that she'd be crippled or disabled in some way, something...less. That all melted away in favor of sheer excitement!

He followed through with the roll, planting his hand into the ground and PUSHING himself up into the air, reiryoku pulsing through his arm, augmenting his strength with Hakuda to then launch himself toward Nanashi! A full drop kick aimed RIGHT at her center of mass! Trying to skid her along that broken ground before he promptly made platforms beneath his feet as well. Rushing right in and unleashing a flurry of punches and snap kicks!

"Now that's what I like to see!" He called out.

Tch?! The feeling of him blocking her punch got her a little pissed, and then suddenly PUNTING her with those feet, sending her over his body only to skid along more invisible ground! Woop! She slid RIGHT off the platform she'd made and landed on the busted up ground. STARTLED when he launched himself right at her! IRRELEVENT! She ignored the sudden kick, tanking it to the chest and skidding back, leering at his face and ....frowning. The heck? He wasn't impressed at all?! She didn't even see ...shock or surprise. She'd pulled out her dang MASK for pete's sake! She'd busted up the courtyard and he just went with it?! She was disgruntled by the lack of 'cool euphoria' going through her system.

"GUH!" She caught that first punch straight to her face! She took it like a champ, but she still wound up backing up! suddenly on the defensive as she began blocking those stringed attacks! Thankfully they were around the same speed, and so she was able to struggle, but keep up the work! Her eyes darting to each incoming blow, taking a hit here and there. A punch to her shoulder. A clipped kick to her hip, a jab to her wrist as she threw out a few snaps herself! Trying to hook him right on the chest and chin to get him to back off! Using enough force to try and SHOVE the both of them away from eachother, get herself a bit of distance so that she could HUFF.

This guy ticked her off. Or ....something? Unlike a lot of her old class.... all of them graduated now... Igen was always able to keep up with her energy. She'd liked that a lot, until she realized that as awesome as she thought he was, he didn't seem to think the same of her! Even taking up some of his mannerisms, even growing stronger. He never seemed MORE or less impressed with what she managed to bring to the table.

She huffed, frowning just a little. That childish side of Nanashi loud and proud in evidence as she tried to figure out what to do about this. Nah, she had WAY more tricks. She'd gotten TRAINING! From a NOBLE. Surely she had something that would make his eyes go wide. A look of awe! Tch, this dang spot wasn't gonna fly. If she went too hard, she'd get in trouble for wrecking the place. Turning, she suddenly used a shunpo to blitz off! No doubt surprising Igen as she sped off toward the open grass. A little hilly area with no nearby buildings. She knew he was gonna follow her. And so as she finally came to a stop, she spun around. IF he really WAS following her, he'd arrive JUST in time to have her fist fly right at his face! A hard right hook to try and shake that big ol smile on his face, a confident smirk already on her lips.

"Think fast!" She'd call out after the fact, promptly drawing Yōjutsusha as she did. She wasn't going to just start attacking right off the bat. But she DID move in quickly, closing distance with the blade up as a guard. Making it clear she wasn't satisfied with just fists!

Igen couldn't help but grin just a little as she traded blows with him. Every sharp, CRACK of impact rattled through his frame, and e noticed she was pretty durable as well! IT only got him more hyped up! He was concerned of course. What the hell was she ACTUALLY all psyched about that had her challenging him so suddenly? Did something happen before she'd left that he just forgot? HE couldn't really sus out what her motivation was for fighting him. And in truth, it DID keep him from enjoying this as much as he otherwise might have.
All the more, she suddenly was running? He followed with shunpo of his own, narrowing his eyes a little. She was taking him someplace more remote...was she planning on using something ... big? Tch, he just continued to follow her for now.

He was jarred out of those thoughts, the sudden gleam of steel catching his attention! He drew his own zanpaku'to on instinct and the blades collided as he let out a sudden grunt as sparks scraped along the edge! He twisted, bracing the weapon with his other hand before he SHOVED the blade to the side, snagging Nanashi's wrist in the spinning motion and then promptly twisting his frame to throw her over his shoulder and onto the ground.

"If you're looking to have a Kido battle I dunno if I'm gonna be able to give much of oONE!" He was cut off as Nanashi suddenly SPRANG back up onto her feet, and that blade lashed in to collide with his blade once again, that blade getting awfully close to his face! Before he knew it the two were trading swipes and parries with their zanpaku'to, both katana sparking as their blades vied to bite one another, the sudden ferocity of Nanashi's attack and insistence was enough to keep him on his toes. And yet he STILL felt thrill rushing through him!

"WHEW you're really getting into this. Got any big attacks to show me out here?" He goaded her. Not gonna lie, it was pretty awesome to have to use his zanpaku'to a little!

Hn! She tensed, startled when her blade was turned to the side and she felt his grip lock onto her wrist. SHIT! The world suddenly spun as she was pulled along and THROWN over Igen's shoulder, letting out a GRUNT as she landed flat on her back and instantly her eyes widened. Dammit she should be way STRONGER than him! In a sudden fierce burst of energy she jumped up onto her feet and laid into him! Hissing and grinning as she swiped and slashed at him! Every hot sparking clash of steel fueling her desire to end the fight decisively! Mixing in bare handed blows into those slashes, as he started to speak. Big attacks?

She paused, in truth she had been planning on something big, but she realized that THIS at least should throw him off. With a strong uppercut she BULLED Igen away from her, backing up a little herself before her grin spread across her face, before THROWING her blade at him! Of course she fully expected him to deflect it, promptly snapping her fingers on her right hand and winking at her zanpaku'to. "Claro que si~" She called out, no doubt startling Igen again when she LAUNCHED herself right at him! Closing the distance as fine dust condensed into her hands. Her Zanpaku'to having dissolved where it had landed to take the form of a ninjato, holding the blade dangerously infront of her before her eyes promptly darkened once again, her mask creeping over her face as she pointed her blade towards him. Energy ROARING to life at the very tip of the blade!
"Boop." She chimed before firing the cero.