A journey home for the day (open)(Thread closed)

The form of Shinji walked through the rain, he was not very tall but he was built stocky, standing in at just five feet nine inches tall, but weighed 172 pounds of well toned and carefully built muscle. Right now he was dressed in a white uniform, a black belt wrapped around his waist, and on his left side sat his somewhat flashy Katana. The katana was black, white an apparently crome in colors.

He was home, home for the first time in almost 8 years, and nothing had changed since he died near here, stabbed to death by a group of unstable street gangs. It was the 80th disctrict in west Rukongai. He shook his head as he continued to walk down the street, remembering any number of store fronts and even identifying some of the stores from his memories.

One or two of the old owners seemed to even appear to be familiar, but he would no longer be recognizable to them, so he just left them be. Eventually he got to a spot of the street and stopped. The store front he was staring at was a two story building across the street, it had been half gutted by fire an was falling down, but it hadn't happened recently, it had been like that for at least 4 or 5 years and nobody had bothered to knock it down or destroy its remains.

He sighed, bad memories flooded back to him as he took one more look, this place was no longer his home. His home, was now amongst the Gotei 13, his trip here had just been one last thing he had to do after he had left the academy, before he left this part of his life behind and moved on. He stood upright and held his head a little higher as he walked back in the direction he came from, he could now leave this place behind without feeling guilty.

Kanna Aikotsuki was a white hair, blue eyed girl, standing at exactly five foot seven inches tall. She walked with such purpose and confidence, nothing but a serious and true look in her eyes, well at least the one people could see. She constantly kept her bangs cut in a manner that kept her left eye covered. It's not like it hindered her in any way and she liked the way it looked, so she kept it that way. She was wearing the normal Shinigami Uniform, a black Shihakusho with a white sash around her waist, and her Zanpakutō on her left side.

Kanna was on her way to the Seireitei, passing through a town that she didn't even know. Having left the Seireitei previously to go on a short journey to a near by forest, she had finally found what she wanted and it was time for her to return. She had previously applied for a certain position within Gotei 13 and was hoping for a reply when she got back, but seemed to be taking her time. Although she walked with perfect posture and an uncaring look in her eye, she was truly the opposite of what most people perceived her to be.

The town that Kanna was currently in seemed sort of run down in her opinion. She had just passed by a building that must have taken fire, but that would have been years ago from what she could tell. Why would they keep such a hazard like that up? They'll regret it the day it actually falls and someone gets hurt. An annoyed roll of her eyes and a slight scoff made it obvious that she disapproved of such idiotic behavior. Either someone was cheap, or they were selfish. She wouldn't doubt that some brave little boys had ventured inside from time to time to try and prove that they were 'tough' to their friends.

"Pitiful..." she said to herself in a slight mumble as she continued on her way.

Spoiler:

Passed by Kanna as he walked past a familiar alleyway, it was the place he was stabbed in so many years ago. He shook his head, he swore she looked familiar, but he couln't put his finger on it. He kept walking past her, if she had noticed him she would have noticed that he seemed completely numb to such behavor. But then he heard her say 'pathetic' and there was something about that and how she said that.

"Kanna?" he asked stopping and turning around to look at her his silver eyes lowered to her smaller form. The left side of his face had been scared since their first meeting, he had recieve the wound in his first fight against a hollow that had jumped him on his last trip to the human realm, an his hair was all cropped down, way different from the last time she had seen him. "Wow it really is , its been month's since I saw you last."

Noticing a slightly lost look on her face he slapped his chest, "Shinji....Shinji Takasashi...from the Academy." he exclaimed. "How have you been?" he asked, looking her over seeing if there was any differences with her from her academy days. Also looked her over to see if she had any divisional badges on her, to see if she had been picked up by one yet.

Shinji, unfortunately hadn't seemed to be picked up by any division so he really couldn't talk if she hadn't been seated yet. It would just make him feel slightly better.

Kanna raised an eyebrow as someone called out her name. She turned toward this male and glanced him up and down. "I don't know you." was her first remark to him, but he continued on. "Shinji?" she looked off, thinking for a moment and then she nodded a bit, showing that she was remembering the name only slightly. "I think I remember you now. Weren't you the guy who died and someone had bring you back, right?" Assuming immediately that she was right, she raised her arms to cross them along her chest and continued staring at him.

"I've been fine. I applied for a Vice Captain position within Gotei 13, and I am currently returning to the Seireitei to find out whether I have been accepted or denied." She told him rather bluntly, not much emotion coming from her tone. She glanced up at him once more and then took a step back to create some distance between them. Clearing her throat, she swung her head slightly to toss her hair back into place. "So, how have you been and what are you doing here?" She blinked a couple times, that serious look in her eyes not leaving her at all. She always acted rather cold and distant to people. Most people would describe her as 'evil' or 'uncaring'.

As she stood there with her arms crossed and listening to her story. She heard a cracking sound. She blinked a few times and turned her head to see that the old building that she was passing by before was ready to fall down. A major beam had finally given way and caused a loud snap. More and more began to crack and the entire house began to fall forwards towards the street. Unfortunately this was a rather busy street and there were at least eight people in the way. Although the look on her face remained emotionless, her eyes widened as a final beam cracked and the house came falling down completely.

"Ironic that you would bring that up, you choose the very place it happened to stand near." he replied indicating the alleyway where he had basically been killed. "It happened there." he replied subconciously rubbing his chest where the scar was uderneath the jacket of his uniform. "I've been doing ok, I'm still trying to find a division to join. I am glad you are finding success since you left the Academy." he offered a smile. He pointed down the street to the burnt down husk of a building "I used to live there, my parents had a shop there."

He ran across the street and braced himself catching the beam just enough to slow it down so a stray dog could get out of the way of the falling beam, he then pushed the beam off to the side so that at least some of the debris didn't fall into the street and he shuffled out of the way of the rest of the falling debris. He didn't stop all of it, but he did stop some of it, he shook his head and moved back across the street dusting himself off. "That was pretty heavy." he exclaimed. "They really need to tear down a bunch of these old Dilapotate buildings, they are really becoming a hazaard to everyone around here."

He looked back at her "So which division did you apply too?" he asked brushing off his hands. "Ive narrowed down the places i want to apply to down to 5 of the 13 divisions. But might be leaning more towards the first." He explained with a shrug.

Kaminari raised an eyebrow at his words and glanced off to the side, looking down the alley. "This is where it happened?" she looked back to him, still sounding almost uncaring about the significance that this place probably had for him. She noticed that he had rubbed a certain spot on his chest, but decided to ignore it. As he ran towards the falling building, she just watching his actions, not really showing any care for it. She did agree with his later statement though. They really did need to take care of these old buildings, otherwise someone could get hurt.

She watched him with dull eyes as he looked back towards her. Clearing her throat, she tilted her head to the side, popping her neck. It had been bugging her lately while being forced to lay in the most uncomfortable places. "I applied to the Fourth Division, Relief Squad." She told him as she watched a few people walk over to the old building that had almost collapsed. She shook her head and sighed, "Seems these people never learn... I'm heading back to the Seireitei... You heading back there as well?"

He pointed to a certain part of the Alleyway "I don't think I'll ever forget that night." He exclaimed, having a momentary flashback to the night were he tried to interfer in an attack by a group of kids who decided to attack a business man. It was horrible there was like 6 of them and he fought valiantly, but the game of numbers started adding up on him quickly. Then he just remembered being stabbed through the chest by something that was spear like. The next memory afterwards was of him waking up in the Fourth Divisions medical center being looked over by three healers including the Captain of the Division.

He snapped out of the flash back a moment later "Sorry about that bad memories." He sighed and heard that she was applying to the fourth Division. "Great squad, they saved my life. I hope you get the position." He offered a supportive smile. He looked back over his shoulder at the people running off to probably salvage the collapsed house. "It's not so much about learning a lesson Kanna, around here....around here the law is lax, and getting some of the very important things people need for basic living is hard to get, so you got to get what you can get whereever you can. It's really hard out here in many ways."

"Yes I am returning to the Seireitei, I came out here one last time to see my former home before more or less putting this part of my life behind me." He explained. "It's time for me to move on and find a Division to join." He started walking with her, not looking over his shoulder again at where he came from.

They weren't too far away from the Seireitei. It was probably about an hours walk from where they currently stood. Kanna continued her distant behavior, only replying when she was asked a question of some sorts. Most couldn't tell, but when someone talked to her, whether it be telling her a story or trying to teach her something, she actually did listen, but rarely did she reply. There was this constant feeling of distrust and people could see it in her eyes when she looked at them. She trusted no one.

As she walked, uncaring to the fact that he was following her, she made it to the outside of this little town. She was currently headed into the last forest, and the largest, that would be between her and the Seireitei. A lot of people purposely moved around this forest, but she was never patient enough to do so. She preferred to move through it and cut her time in half. Many time she had taken this route and every time she had bumped into some sort of trouble.

"This forest is full of Hollows. Some are powerful, some are not." She told him, dropping her arms from across her chest and back down to her sides, "Just don't get yourself killed, okay?" She continued on and finally entered the forest. The trees were thick above them, causing it to be slightly darker in this area, but still in certain spots some light did shine thought to illuminate their path. Kanna knew that the only thing she had to make sure she did to not get lost was to keep going straight. One wrong turn in this place and you could be lost for a long time.

"Hmmm Hollows huh?" he actually smiled, his large hand finding its way to wrap around the hilt of his katana as they walke. "I'll watch your back if you watch mine." He replied to her as they walked, his silver eyes watching, and his senses were at maximum awaiting an attack that he was sure was coming from the first moment the stepped through the very edge of the woods. "Don't know why so many people avoid being in here, its a place for good practice." He commented in passing.

He was careful to keep track of where they were going, and was trying to make sure that they continued walking in an absolutely perfect straight line, but with the tree cover above them made it difficult due to the inability to see the sky. He partially drew out his blade from the sheath just about a quarter inch to make drawing and awakening the weapon in one movement should be quicker then if it was fully sheathed.

He also prepared his best Kidō in his mind, sifting through what Kidō he knew and what would be the absolute best one to use incase they got jumped from above specifically. He was hoping that Kanna was paying attention to the possible ground level threats because he definately was more concentrated on what was upwards. "You do know where you are going right?" He asked looking back at her.

He wasn't all that worried quite yet but between the Hollows, the tree cover and never having actually been in this particular forest before sent a chill up his spine and made him slightly nervous. He reached into the jacket of his uniform and pulled out a pair of sunglasses and slid them over his eyes when he looked back up, the sunglasses blocking out what was left of the suns glare so he could see to the tree branches easier.

"Yes. Hollows." she told him in reply to his semi-question. She glanced back towards him as he grabbed his katana. He was obviously ready and willing to fight. "That's fine with me, but if you're watching my back, don't get me killed." Her words seemed rude, but rather, they were just blunt because she was serious. She took everything most people said literal, so she won't really be watching her own back anymore, but instead keeping track of his.

"Of course I know where we're going. I am no idiot." Kanna kept her attention forward as she continued walking, "Nervous?" Her question was that of slight mockery. She could tell that he was nervous with how much he was glancing around. She stopped walking. Something was off. Raising her right hand, she pointed out both her index and middle finger. Aiming them straight forward, she mumbled, "Byakurai." with those words a shot of blue lightning burst from the tips of her fingers and shot straight forward. He moved through multiple trees, creating large holes in each.

"We're surrounded." She said and brought her right hand over to her left side to grab the hilt of her Zanpakutō. She glanced around for a moment. She had purposely stopped in a clearing to give the two of them enough room to move around and fight whatever they were off. Soon, the shining red eyes of a dozen hollows made themselves known through the shadows of the trees. "Twelve of them. They're all low level. They shouldn't be much of a problem, but just in case there are more out there, don't go crazy." There were three larger ones that seemed to stand a few feet above human size, while the rest were their height or shorter. Some came through the trees, while others slithered around along the ground.