Just Keep Running [Tento | Hana ]

The first light of dawn broke over the horizon, casting a pale, ethereal glow on the decimated outskirts of the destroyed distrct. The silence of the early morning was broken only by the distant calls of birds and the soft rustling of leaves in the gentle breeze. The destruction left in the wake of the hollow's invasion was starkly visible in the dawn's light, revealing the shattered remains of homes and the charred remnants of what once were thriving streets.

Amidst this desolation, a lone swordsman made his rounds, Tento, his silhouette a dark shadow against the soft hues of morning. He moved with a quiet grace, his keen eyes surveying the ruins for any signs of lingering threats. The scent of smoke and ash still lingered in the air despite the week passage, mingling with the fresh morning dew. As he walked, his hand remained ever close to the hilt of his sword, ready to defend what little was left of this ravaged land.

His mind was a whirlwind of thoughts, but his resolve was unwavering. Each step he took was a promise—a vow to the souls who had perished and to those who survived. As the first rays of sunlight touched the ground, they revealed the true depth of the village's loss, but also hinted at the resilience that would see it rebuilt. The swordsman pressed on, driven by a fierce determination to protect and to restore. "So much...lost".

In another time Tento perhaps would have tried cracking a joke at the correction. This was a far too gruesome state for his goofy nature to try and cut through tension. A weeks time was far too short for any real start of healing. And to be quite frank, Tento was still in the middle of his shifted seriousness. The 4th division. The balance. And the current state of the Gotei foot soldiers and seated officers in all. Soul King curse him for a small piece of normality shown there.

Nevertheless there was no normal anymore. It was a chaotic state of destruction and sensitivity to danger. It was pushing each Shinigami to their limits. Changing the shell that even the most delicate of considered Shinigami into developing a warrior’s mindset. As he felt her hand reach up to tap his shoulder Tento kept his gaze at the shifting rubble, his hand still on the hilt of his blade. Tento had been in this area a few times now in his patrolling. The number of hollows remaining decreasing greatly through the 4th’s effort but still, the possibility of harm was ever present. Knowing that, Tento chose this area for the sake of Hana’s training. The best teacher was life experience, and this was double the case after the invasion they all went through. He watched with an attentive eye as Hana went on the move, ready to shift to give her aid if she needed it. But Hana was most certainly different. There was no hesitation in her body, her blade struck true, and the shy nature of her personality was anything but present. The sight of her turning into a better warrior made him want to smile… as well as frown.

Such was the toll of Gods of Death.

At her words Tento nodded his head, his gaze sweeping the area. Despite the chaos, there was a semblance of calm in this pocket of destruction. Everything was still going in some form and fashion with the lingering hollows that did not succeed in their retreat out of the Soul Society. The fires were distant, the cries of the wounded and desperate a dull murmur that was slowly ending. For a brief moment, it felt like they could catch their breath. "This is as good a place as any, Hana", he said, his voice steady despite the weight of their surroundings. "But remember, Hana, training here today isn't just about improving your flash step. Its about your awareness as well. It's about understanding the stakes, feeling the urgency, and channeling that into every move you make." That felt unwarranted to say given what happened to her but…that reality was important to heed in their spirit. Both of them.

“Before we begin. Hana, could you tell me more about the issues you are wanting to address with your hoho?”. She had asked him to train her today, specifically in regard to her flash steps. But she did catch him in the middle of getting ready to go out on a patrol so he hoped to get a bit more detail.

As Tento listened to Hana's words he nodded his head a few times as he took them in. She wanted to be more efficient, which was something he thought he could do. But it may be more work for her then she may have thought. “Alright. I should be able to do that. However it is going to rely on you for this too”, Tento began shifting his body to face her more in the aftermath if her slaying that small hollow. He sensed no other spirits around at the time. At least any with a hollow signature. His facial expression may have softened into that relaxed glaze she have been used to seeing by now, but his hand never shifted too far from his blade as it dropped to his waist.

It was a general improvement. Mindset within battle, endurance. All of which came down to more time using it and being alive. Plain and simple. But, there was some way at least give her something. “Before we work on anything physical I want you to know this mentally. Dodging is as much of a part of combat and your shunpo then attacking. It is up to your split second decision making you do one of the other. From what you say. Your mind is playing a big role in this”.

He waited for her to give some form of affirmation before he continued. “Shunpo is a movement technique. Like anything it comes with time, usage, and exposure to other people using it. When you move, focus on where you want to go and how. Your path must be clear or else you will waste time in the technique and thus your shunpo”, he then raised a hand up to his chin as if he was in thought. “Your base speed tends to help how fast it comes out too. So you need strong legs, agile mobility, endurance-”, suddenly. In the middle of his sentence Tento was gone. Flashing in front of Hana in a shunpo step before giving a soft tap to her forehead with his index finger.

He was testing whether or not she would respond in time to react and what she would do. Freezing in place, blocking, or evading did not matter but it would help in his evaluation. Depending on how she responded he would have to go about stuff in different ways. He did hope he didn't make her mad doing this though. He put a little bit of killing intent out when he did this. "- and the ability to stay in control of your emotions. Awareness".

Tento watched Hana's reaction, a mix of confusion and determination in her eyes. Scratch that. Just confusion and a state of being unaware.He realized that his attempt to convey a lesson through intensity had not landed as he intended. Just an insight for her base. And boy was it bad. He hoped to have a moment of confidence for her but instead, it highlighted areas where Hana needed to grow, both in her spiritual awareness and her mindset. He did like she had trust in him it seemed but…

He softened his approach, a small smile playing on his lips. "Hana. For today, let's focus on the basics. We'll start with some agility drills to improve your speed and leg strength. You will only be traveling by hoho. Attempt to try and be normal. We will go from there”.

“In addition, you will be asked to keep an awareness of energy. If you fail to notice a person's energy. You will go back and try again on this patrol”. This was his first thought on an exercise to help her better sense and interpret spiritual pressure. He hoped the flash step wouldn't be too difficult. But if it was he had another idea he could use.

He placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Remember, this is all part of the journey. We'll take it step by step, and you'll get stronger and more aware with each session. Let's get started". With that, Tento led Hana onward in their walk. It was also a patrol unofficially but eh. It was an added effect for her. He was ready to guide her through the exercises that would help her grow into a more skilled and aware Shinigami. And she better be ready to feel the burn!

Tento observed Hana’s movements, his eyes sharp yet compassionate. He had to carefully watch her if he truly wanted to help her. He got an awareness of her mindset, now he needed to get a characteristic of her skill. He kept up with her and kept a still face as she spoke. She was aware and accepted it. That was good enough. For many simply realizing where they needed to grow was the most daunting place. “Well you haven't been a Shinigami long right? I don't expect you to be some god at sensing A year or two after graduating from Shino”, Tento said in a factual yet attempted encouraging words.

It wasn't bad though. Far from it. It was by all standards what it was supposed to be as a Shinigami. She was balanced, she moved at a good pace and seemed to not have an issue traveling a bit of distance. But she missed the boy. That would be another lap in their patrol then. He hoped she wouldn't beat herself up too much. Skills took time and effective training to improve. Awareness was no different

Following her in a flash step of his own, Tento walked over, his steps measured as he stopped beside her. "Your shunpo was well executed. Focus on that progress," he said, his tone firm but kind. "Now, about your senses. It's not about how fast you move, but how you perceive your surroundings”.

He gestured around the area "Try to feel the energy, not just see. Close your eyes if you have to. Listen to the environment, sense the spiritual pressure. It's all there, even if it's faint. The basic root is letting that be a subtle alarm for you to notice things of concern. A low spiritual pressure is easy to miss”. He then would smile before blurring away. "Again!".