Clash of Honor [Tento | Shura]

The sun had barely risen, casting a warm, golden hue over the 4th division barracks. The tall, muscular figure of Tento, a black swordsman of formidable reputation(good and/or bad depending on who asked), moved with purpose through the corridors. His ebony chestnut brown skin glistened with a light sheen of sweat from his early morning training, highlighting the chiseled muscles that rippled beneath his uniform.
Tento’s day had begun with a rigorous routine. He started with a series of intense sword drills in the training yard, his blade slicing through the air with precision and power. Each swing was a testament to his dedication and skill, honed over years of relentless practice. The clang of metal echoed through the yard, drawing the attention of his comrades who paused to admire his technique as well as those who wished to join in. He was more than happy to! Taking the time to mentor younger swordsmen, sharing techniques and encouraging them to push their limits was something he found himself doing more and more as he became more comfortable tutoring at Shino.

After training, Tento had made his way to grab a meal. His presence commanded respect, and the room fell silent as he entered the small food establishment. He greeted his fellow Shinigami with a nod, his deep voice resonating as he exchanged a few words with his closest friends. Despite his imposing appearance, Tento was known for his approachable demeanor and unwavering loyalty to his team. With breakfast finished, he headed to the room to inspect his gear. Or more specifically, bond. His zanpatuko, as silent and distant it was till the last few years, had grown to be his pride and joy. Friend and mentor and perhaps even a rival in a strange way. Each time he visualized them he felt he was challenging his old self. He wanted to make sure that they were meticulously checked and taking care of. Ensuring its edge was razor sharp that matched the mind that Shiomaru demanded from him. They were a sanctuary, a place where he could focus and prepare for the challenges ahead.

He still had things to do. There was a strategy meeting where he may be asked to offer insights and suggestions. As usual ideally, he would keep his eyes of any ladies and make sure to communicate with a calm, authoritative tone worthy of his position. His experience and wisdom were invaluable to the division, at least he hoped. There were many decades if not centuries over him and yet they trusted him. And he refused to let them be let down.

As the sun set, Tento returned to the training yard for one final session. The day’s end brought a sense of tranquility, and he practiced in solitude, the rhythmic movements of his sword a meditative dance. The stars began to twinkle in the night sky as he finished, a sense of fulfillment washing over him. A day filled with a blend discipline, camaraderie, and unwavering dedication to his craft and his comrades. In the quiet moments, he reflected on his journey, the battles fought, and the bonds forged. He was a warrior, a mentor, and a pillar of strength within his division. And he valued every second of it.

Up and down, up and down. On and on it went with blade in hand. Shiomaru rested in contentment in its partner's hands as Tento took those light polished steps forward and back with each practiced swing. Hands on the hilt of his blade, one on the top of the other. Connected and tight, yet loose. His arms were smooth and fluid but the core of his being tight and strong. Sweat had long ago started to form from exertion in each swing. The rhythm soothing his senses as he felt calm winds blow in his heart. There was much to still think about. How were his fellow officers, his seated officers for instance?

With a shift of focus his sensed recognized her presence. Her trademark location an easy guessing point to anyone trying to find her. She was up there alright, awake and just chilling in thought probably. Thinking. It was a bit of a solitude for her given no one really chose to bother her there. With a flash step he was up there though. Standing at one of the edges of the roof as he looked out at Shura. “Hey hot stuff, what you doing up still?”, Tento said in a slight welcoming tease to a growing friend. He did find it quite fitting, that nickname given her temperament. She spent a lot of time up here, even more when she was troubled..."You trying to be a night owl or something?".

Shura was someone prone to be here anyway, but the lateness was new. If she was up this late then Tento would have found her wreaking havoc in one of the training fields. Cutting up a training dumming, breaking ground, …maybe beating up a poor soul who got in over their heads with her, etc. But, that was different, this was. She had been acting a bit different than normal. Tento even caught her meditating a bit ago. SHURA!! Of all the people in the 4th who did it, Tento found himself being one of the few who did it the most, and there was not once he could remember seeing her CHOOSE to do it.

There was a long silence where he thought for a few seconds she was ignoring him. There was no loud voice, smart comment, or a bit of that ‘Shura’ vibe he expected when they lightly shit talked to each other in greeting. A shrug, a short straight sentence. ‘Loss’. But what did that mean? Battle? Body? Was her warrior spirit clouded in a fog? He could not see her eyes, but he felt something. There was something over this hot headed lady that had her…not her.

He stood by his spot, letting the wind blow before hitting a still calmness. His eye shifted to her right arm, at least where it should have been. He had heard a lot happened to her, and that was an understatement. What was going through her head? It was like she was not here, just gazing off at the distance towards the past. “Look”, Tento sighed, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. “I know we give each other shit. But I wanted to check up on you since you are up so late. Given…everything…”. Tento then gave a resolve word, his voice heavy yet light. “Do you want an ear? I’ll cut my shit talking and jokes back if you want. Or I will sit down next to you till you punt me off the roof, 3rd Seat Kurata”.

There had to be a bound note of things eating at her mind. The Gotei was challenged, and with all the faith that it was strong and ready out of the shadow of its predecessor to maintain the safety and balance of the worlds. It was a shatter of that, ideology at the least. Betrayal once again from within the Gotei. It was Aizen, then Ichigo, and now Kiskue. How did the warriors that stopped the 1st traitor turn into redcoats themselves? Where did it go wrong? How would the world find balance with the number of souls lost in the invasion? The amount of energy of a Captain and countless plus as well as regular shinigami could take their toll.

But it was more than that. There was pride lost. Hope burned. And Faith laughed at. What he had left felt even more pitiful to keep, trust. Half broken but still standing like the Soul Society. Somehow. For a moment, he felt her open and give a serious answer. So she wasn’t shooing him away after all. For that he just walked in a slow number of steps, settling behind her as he gazed out at where her eyes were burning holes upon.

He wanted to say something, anything. But what good would that truth do? Shinigami could leave as long as their foe, but hollows were innately stronger. Shinigami, defenders and guides of souls, were always playing the marathon race of catching up. And sometimes it looked like that was much too out of sight. “We fight. We die. We learn, and teach in the mean time”, Tento said keeping his gaze out on the horizon. “That has helped me in perspective in the short time I have had here. Balance is what we need, unless the worlds collide. We fight in a struggle for that, for there is no end. Just a never ending cycle so that the souls can live their lives. As some of us once did when were simply humans”.

Tento gave a pause, a somewhat sigh. “Ignorance is bliss eh? Back when the spiritual world was hidden. Back when I was a human, the weight of it was not there”. He gave a shift of his eyes, seeing how Shura was talking it. All of it. “We may grow stronger but there is always one above. There is always bad luck. There is no point in fearing it, only making harder for when death comes knocking for us death gods. Try as we might, we can only help ourselves, and each other grow stronger to face them. To be ready. For all possibilities”.

“But now? Now what Shura? You were all about strength within the Gotei since the day I met you? What… is there now?”.

“I do get it, I just choose to not let it control me. Ignorance is the act of no information or choosing not to learn. Shinigami are soldiers. People. Imperfect. There are always signs of the bad apples, self evaluation to catch and stop them is what we need. Otherwise, people, they can be taught. If not, the reality is that the history of the Gotei is all too eager to lock ‘trouble makers’ away. But it is not that. It is never JUST that. It is a sense of superiority thinking one is above the whole of the Gotei and it's duty. It is a hunger for power to rule and not lead. It is a loss of faith in the Gotei to carry out duty and its justice. It is allowing the soul to turn fully dark, evil. Delusion. Heck, you can consider the ways someone's heart can be tainted. That sin and taint heart and soul. Aizen, Tosen, Gin. Ichigo and hundreds of other souls in the history of time have fallen one way or another to betray us and the Gotei”. Tento said in a slow calm yet strongly firm counter. Aiming to come off as an equal and not one lecturing to a student. He had to admit though. Betrayal was still betrayal, no matter the reason. Its consequences were the same using the end.

“Shura. I am not blind to reports. Majority of the casualty rates in every division was at least 50 percent, if not more. The Gotei had a combination of 70% of our officers dead, missing in action, or severely injured unable to operate”, Tento began letting her exasperated sigh hit his ears. “A Captain dying is a heavy debt on the scale. As well as any other Captains or Vice Captain level staff without the rank. But, do you forget that hollows were slain as well? Not the biggest at the top that caused so much destruction. But numerous other hollows fell by our blades or by cross fire. They are in limbo or already back in the cycle. There is time”, Tento said, giving what he believed was a pretty straightforward factorial declaration.

It was a question of how much but given that there was no immediate cracking of the words so far in the hours that passed. Perhaps it was jot a dire as everyone seemed to fear. “Balance is always to be attempted even when it is going off scale. Our duty is to watch and correct, if we feared when it became like this then we are not true Gods of Death. 3rd seat Kurata, you sound broken and defeated right now. Where is that fiery fierceness and ideology that you have been known for?? Why are you proclaiming a loss of the cycle balance before it happens, and actually have the realms colliding”.

He then sighed and began still. It seemed that despite how he was feeling at first seeing her. They were going to get into one of their philosophical conversations yet again. “Learn. Teach. As any soul does as it goes through its experience. If you dislike the thought of it, so be it. But don't look down on it 3rd seat. The way of balancing the words. The arts. Personhood as a soul. An organization is a living being. It shifts in time. It ages, it dies, it reborn anew as the cycle goes. Numbers grow and decline. We are part of the cycle as any other soul is. You know that the number divisions decreased as a systematic decision to focus personnel, not because we had less Shinigami than hundreds of years ago. Now how ‘battle ready’ everyone is as a whole. I won't bother with that as both failed at key moments at one way or another”, at least that was how he got told about it by one of his professors. “And as a ‘new’ Shinigami. I know the whole Gotei. The good. The bad. And the gray that we really are. We are not perfect or ideal, never have been nor will ever be. We win, we lose. That is a fact. And we get back up and continue. That is the true power we have".

Tento did give a pleased cheeky smile though from behind her. Being afraid of things was a useless, pointless waste of time. Now THAT sounded like Shura. “I'm glad you are still the dependable 3rd seat that will charge into battery against anyone. Lot more of a bad ass”, although he was facing away from her. It was quite easy to tell that there was a level of happiness and pride in his voice as he spoke.

But there it was again. The crutch of the Gotei 13. The reliance of the old times. Of Zaraki. A Kenpachi. It always felt like to him that she relief and trusted the Gotei 13 more than the Gotei United. That was a truth he felt in his core and he disliked that but Shura could feel what she believed. As for her question? “We d9 the only thing we can right? Plan. Prepare. Body, mind, and soul. Perhaps for some it is as easy as getting stronger to cut the for in front of them down. While others will improve their skills to contain and reduce the enemies influence on the battlefield. While others work on strategies to outbeat whoever they must. We fight in what ways we must. And prevent what we can”, he then. For once gave a scoff of disappointment at her words. For once she had his hat and tongue. “Because the balance is what matters. Not us. Not Ichigo. Not hollows or anyone else. It is our duty given by the Soul King. It is not ‘pointless’, but the key point of everything, Shura. We were pitiful before. What were were before we were founded? Nothing. Just souls with swords in chaos. Order was forced. Progress made.”. He said given a concern thought about that expectation of Zaraki's action in the hands of the 4th defeat. “I speak as if you show a missed focus on what a Shinigami's goals are. We have not failed in all, we have not run out of time. And as of now. You sound defeated to me. You sound driven by failures, not the ambition to correct them. Give me solution as your subordinate, not wide frustration against the abyss”.

“If strength is what you need. What type. What more will you get and how, Shura. Luck is made not given, so how will you play it into your hands??”. He then gave a sigh and a pause. “Have you heard any report about what happened? Her disappearance is a mystery but given that it was Kisuke…it is not a far possibility he is responsible”, with that man's history of tricks and ability…

In the back of his mind he felt stings of questions come. What happened to their commander? Why was their Captain fighting another Captain. Really why, the deeper details of why the 6ths had committed treason. Why didn't she show up with that strange unknown power to face the most serious of foes. And…what was it??