(Untitled)

[likeanegyptian]

Who: Gintoki and Shinji
What: Shinji meets a new challenge
When: April 7th evening
Where: Starts at the lobby of the apartments, end…who knows?
Summary: Gintoki meets Shinji in an attempt to understand and control his inner Hollow. Hilarity most likely to ensue.
Rating: PG-13, because Shinji has a mouth on him. And things could get a little gory.

Comments

[likeanegyptian]

Shinji heard the light footfalls of the boy he was due to meet, hands in his pockets as he continued staring into the distance. He didn't turn his head to face Gintoki and instead let him make the first approach. He wasn't really sure what to expect, after all.

When he heard the greeting and the tone of respect mixed with curiousity, he couldn't help but smile and turn, slowly, to face the silver-haired boy. He gave him a once over with a flick of his brown eyes, turning around fully as he replied.

"Nice hair, kid," he chuckled softly, already starting to walk towards the exit and twitching his finger as an indication for Gintoki to follow, "Might muss it up a bit wit' me, though. We ain't gonna waste time, but I sure as hell dun wanna be in here to discuss my plans for ya. I dun think ya neighbours will take too kindly to it, after what I've been hearin'."

He kept the grin up the entire time, resting one hand on the hilt of his sword as it hung casually from his belt, having mapped out the way to the forest already and expecting Gintoki to follow him, hopefully with some interesting conversation.

[jumpismylife]

The (former) samurai followed behind quickly and quietly, Toyako (his wooden bokuto-cum-zanpaktou) falling at his side as well, and his head still hung rather low as he thought about what would happen. Knowing Shinji from the manga, it really wouldn't be anything pretty at all... but he had to do this. For Hijikata, if not for himself. As well as for everyone else. Although hearing him saying about his hair was pretty... refreshing?

"I think most of them prefer me to being dead or tortured," the man replied blandly, "Like Okita and Ogichi-kun," the nickname for the other Hijikata (that is, the Hijikata of Okita's) fell out of his lips before he could stop himself. It was a habit, after all. "Whatever you'd want to do to me can't be worse than that... or my fight with Sh--- it, I guess," he stopped himself from uttering the name he'd thought he had never wanted again.

Shiroyasha. The name of his hollow.

How fittingly iconic.

[likeanegyptian]

Shinji slowed slightly as he listened to Gintoki speak, the names washing over him without so much as registering, until he heard the boy falter.

"Dun tell me, ya one o' those who think it'll make it more real if ya say its name, eh? Wise up kid, it don't care what ya call it, it'll fuck you up anyway. Unless ya break it, anyway." he grinned over his shoulder, somewhat manic, and gestured towards the looming forest. "Run with me, Gin-kun~ It'll take you're mind offa the stress, for the moment..."

And with that Shinji sprang forward, darting towards the forest with a hand clamped over his cap so it wouldn't blow off the top of his head. He really did want to get this thing started, before the kid's Hollow got more agitated than it already obviously was.

As Shinji saw it, there were both pros and cons to the current predicament. On the plus side, there didn't appear to be any Hollows or Arrancar or other nasties here to hunt down a kid with weird spirit pressure where it shouldn't be, which meant he didn't have to be as restrained as he was with Ichigo. On the bad side, he was just one man, and the last time he'd done this a whole team of experienced Vaizard were needed. He admitted, grudgingly, that this was one of those rare times when he'd have to use extreme caution.

[jumpismylife]

"I didn't name it," the freelancer muttered back, obviously annoyed by that remark, "it named itself." And sure as hell it did, screaming out that name when they were facing each other then... even now, the samurai could remember that frenzied look on its face as it said that name aloud. He was slightly taken aback when Shinji suddenly asked him to run, but the man did anyway, falling behind the other vaizard slightly as he darted forward as well. Not that he minded - he still did work out rather often so as not to have his skills dull around here.

Gintoki pondered over the current situation at hand, now feeling rather stupid. After all, when they had did this with Ichigo, they did it with the entire team of Vaizards at their disposal. Now it was just him and Shinji alone, and that was... not a very comforting thought. But the samurai really couldn't do anything else but place his trust in the ex-Fifth Division captain. He had to trust the eccentric man, if he were to get this thing over and done with.

[likeanegyptian]

When Shinji felt that they were deep enough in the forest he stopped dead and held up his hand for Gintoki to halt, looking around and smiling at the density of the trees, the thick canopy shrouding their entire 'playing field' in near darkness. Oh, this would be an enjoyable night.

He glanced over his shoulder, knowing the boy had kept up well, though secretly hoping he was a little tired out. That would make him weaker, and make it more likely for his Hollow to show itself. Slowly he started to unsheath his sword, movements deliberate so that Gintoki could see exactly what he was doing. The sleek sound of metal in the air contrasted with Shinji's own playful words, little more than a whisper.

"So, what's his name. Or would he rather introduce himself to me, Gin-kun?"

[jumpismylife]

The man almost tumbled when Shinji suddenly stopped like that. Honestly, couldn't he give a warning at least?! Gintoki, while he had been trained for the majority of his life on the battlefield, had not expected to run that much, so he was a bit tired out...

His instincts suddenly buzzed with danger then, and the silver-haired man gulped audibly as the other vaizard drew out his sword and faced him. The deliberate movements only served to increase the latter's fear as he could already begin to feel the hollow inside edging for a fight. This was not good. Not good at all. He bit his lip as the other spoke.

"I... I would rather not," the silver-haired yorozuya responded with a nervous determined-like voice, "It took me nearly my life to gain back control of it."

Even then, he could feel his control starting to break again due to the creepy situation. This was really, really not good at all.

[likeanegyptian]

Shinji cocked his head to the side as his grin widened, showing the top row of his perfectly straight teeth. He looked almost predatory, and utterly confident.

"You're gonna hafta let him out at some point, Gin-kun. We ain't gonna be able to do this otherwise. Now, do ya need me to explain what it is we're gonna do, or did that silly picture book o' yours let you in on the secret?"

He tossed his saya to one side and held his sword loosely in one slim hand, hip stuck out with his free hand resting on it. He could see the fear flickering across Gintoki's face, as well as a flare of occasional rage and lust for blood. My, he really did have a nasty one in him. Poor kid mustn't have known what hit him. Shinji, who usually saw the funny side of damn near everything, and hardly ever felt a shred of sympathy, felt a little compassion for Gintoki. He was, afterall, removed from his home, his comfort and everything he had believed to be fantasy was now coming true. Shinji wasn't entirely sure how he'd handle something like that, either.

[jumpismylife]

"...not really," Gintoki replied with a shaky breath. Really, he had pretty much no idea how did this go about again. The manga sure didn't bother to elaborate on that part - all they did was to have Ichigo fight his inner hollow and... yeah. Pretty much what he already went through. Although without former knowledge.

All the more the smile freaked him out even more. The hollow inside was already pressing on, and it was now only a matter of time before the yorozuya would fall into the darkness again--- no. He would not. For Hijikata. To protect him, he needed to control to monster inside him. But as much as he wanted to, a greater part of him still feared the beast within him.

"I... I don't really... want to let it out after last time," he muttered shakily once more. The last time, it had injured well over twenty people and sent one of the captains to his grave. Whatever the case, Gintoki sure didn't want anything like that to happen again.

[likeanegyptian]

Shinji felt his grip around his sword tighten involuntarily at the kid's words. Okay, now he was being a stubborn ass, and that was ticking Shinji off.

"Listen, Gintoki," he barked, face suddenly set into one of cold seriousness, "Ya can't fear it, ya can't run away from it with ya tail between ya legs. This 'thing'? Your Hollow? It is ya, it's a part of ya and if ya fight it it'll only get worse and you will destroy yourself from inside." He let out a shaky breath and pressed his fingers to his temple, smiling and letting a low chuckle rumble from the back of his throat.

"Last time, you didn't know what the hell was goin' on. This time, ya can be prepared. Meet him head on. Let him know he ain't the one in control." he levelled the young man with a stern glare, letting him know he wasn't kidding aorund any more, "For the ones ya hurt, killed, for the ones ya love. Let the bastard out and have me deal wit' him. I'll let ya fight the battle in ya head," at this, Shinji flash stepped towards Gintoki and knocked him gently on the side of the head with his knuckles, "An' I'll keep him put here. If he can handle that~"

[jumpismylife]

The samurai's face faltered at those words, and more upon seeing the other man turning dead serious. He knew whatever Shinji was talking about, knew it pretty well and everything else... but there was just that part of him that was so terribly unwilling to do so. He bit his lip once more, steadying himself mentally as he listened to the other vaizard's words --- and hissed slightly as his head got hit. Why did everyone around here like to hit his cranium so much? Was it that appealing to all of them anyway?

Gintoki closed his eyes and exhaled heavily though his nose, thinking about Katsura and Hijikata. He had to protect them in his own way, no matter what - his best friend and the one that he loved to hell and back. He had to, at any cost. His eyes opened to show them set and determined to do this. He would do this. He would. And he would succeed. On his honor as a samurai.

"Okay," he breathed, looking straight at Shinji's eyes with all the dtermination that he could muster. "I'm ready. How do I start this then?"

[likeanegyptian]

'Good, looks like there's some sense in him after all...' Shinji mused, not needing hear the samurai's words to know that he was ready to start listening, though they were a happy confirmation.

The blond took a few steps back to put some distance between the two of them, flicking his wrist experimentally to make his sword whip through the air, limbering himself up.

"Start?" he asked, giggling a little, "Well, drawing your sword and defending yourself would be good. And let your little friend out, too, otherwise I'm going to kill you~"

And with that he sprang forward with all the inhuman speed he posessed, sweeping his sword up in an arc that would, if the kid was too slow and not quite as capable as Shinji suspected he was, only give him a light flesh wound to the chest. He didn't really want to kill him, afterall, but hoped the threat was enough.

He also hoped that, when Gintoki's Hollow was forced out, the freelancer would remember to fight his own battle one the inside, while Shinji was risking life and limb out here.

[jumpismylife]

Gintoki had a lifetime of experience and a history of war behind him, but still nothing could prepare him for the sudden display of speed from the elder Vaizard. He barely managed to draw out Toyako to deflect most of the attack, but the blade still managed to graze his shoulder a little. Rivulets of blood dripped from the wound, and the effect on his mind was immediate as the samurai looked at the wound. The man hissed as a sudden pain shout through his forehead, wincing visibly. The hollow was starting to come through already.

He knew he had to let it out fully to make this work, but there was still that unwilling part of him that wasn't cooperating. The samurai knew that there was only one way to let go of that part. And that was with fighting. Fighting hard and deep until he succumbed into the heat of battle. He wouldn't like this later, but he had to do this. For the sake of those he loved and cared for.

Gritting his teeth together, the man let himself become immersed in the heat of the battle. His eyes flashed with the age-old samurai spirit that was revived as he retaliated by ducking low as he dashed forward to the blond, wooden blade swung low in an attempt to strike Shinji low, although he half-knew it pretty much wouldn't work anyway.

[likeanegyptian]

'A wooden sword...pff.' Shinji thought it would be all too easy to simply cut Gintoki's wooden blade in half, but a more sensible part of him, one that rarely managed to get through, warned that there was no doubt something very special about that sword. Afterall, it appeared to belong to a very special person.

So he instead jumped over the blade as it cut where his shins had been just a moment ago, whistling as he didged the blow, seeing that there was enough strength behind it to do some serious damage if he got sloppy.

"Good to see ya tryin', Gin-kun~." he jeered, using the momentum from his dodge to get right up in Gintoki's face, twisting his sword to smack his opponent's sword arm with the flat of his blade. He was unwilling to hurt Gintoki seriously as he was now. There was something compelling about him, and something desperate. Shinji wasn't cruel, and he certainly wouldn't take pleasure in making the poor kid helpless before his Hollow even had a chance to come out.

[jumpismylife]

Shinji was good. That Gintoki could admit. Very good.

The blond had swiftly leaped over his attack as if it was nothing and quickly attacked back with the blade aiming for his sword arm. The samurai twisted quickly, wooden zanpaktou twirling alongside his actions as he shifted to defend himself from the smack. The two blades clashed loudly in a flurry of sparks and a display of metal grinding against refined spirtual wood. The man's deep maroon eyes flashed an intense silver with his reiatsu once before he barked and sent out a burst of reiatsu from Toyako which parted their blades. The silver-haired samurai was sent sliding backwards, a trail of dust following his path.

The heat of the battle was building, and the man was letting himself get lost in it, just as he had always done back in the Amanto war back in Edo so long ago. He fought like a beast, eyes burning with the revenge of demons as he then fought with the fury of a thousand suns. At then time, with him and Hakukaze... he was unstoppable. To save his friends then, to protect them and his comrades... Gintoki allowed himself to become a monster, cutting through his enemies without remorse. With his silvery-white hair and haori and his ruthless battle skills, he soon earned the title of what he hated now.

The White Demon.

Shiroyasha.

And now it was in the form of his inner hollow. Which was beginning to break free. Gintoki snarled, more to himself rather than Shinji as pain shot through his cranium like a bullet again as the things began to wrestle for control, his mentality naturally trying to stop it. He still needed to fight... steeling himself, the man charged reiatsu into his bokuto, which glowed once before Gintoki swung it in a wide arc to send out a wave of silver reiatsu towards the latter, charging behind, blade at the ready to strike the elder vaizard at the side with a powerful swing of Toyako when he dodged the first attack.

[likeanegyptian]

The problem for Gintoki was that Shinji had been doing this for hundreds of years. Fighting, seeing moves before they were played out...that was in his blood, in his very bones. Of course, he was a little rusty, and he had let out a soft hiss of annoyance when he'd been forced back by a burst of spiritual power from Gintoki's zanpakutoh.

The next attack, too, was unexpected, but beyond the eerie silver crescent in the air he could see Gintoki's muscles tense in a spring attack. So, instead of dodging, he swept his sword up through the air, trying to force back with his own reiatsu to cut through the attack, or at least deflect it. His plan worked, though his next move was ill-planned, and as he tried to block Gintoki's shockingly fast attack he realised how he'd underestimated the younger man, eyes widening as he tried to make a last minute save.

He winced as Gintoki's blade connected with his hip, sending him sprawling into the trunk of a near tree with pain blossoming bright down his leg and up his side. He grinned through it, though, and looked up at the silver-haired man, reaching to take off his cap and toss it to the floor.

"Time to get serious, eh?"

[jumpismylife]

Gintoki didn't respond, instead standing where he was now, clutching his chest and starting to pant heavily. His injuries from before hadn't really fully healed up, to be honest - which the samurai would suspect, would help aid things about here. Another bullet shot through the head, and the silver-haired natural perm winced once more. Not good.

"..." the man would have spoken, but right now he was having his mentality unwillingly struggling against his vicious other side. His right eye was already starting to switch between maroon and gold, crimson light flickering weakly from it. But things were getting serious, and at this rate things would go like... what Shinji planned. Or so Gintoki hoped. He just had to trust the elder Vaizard on what he was doing.

The samurai dashed forward once more, reiatsu packed into his limbs as he ducked low, as if to strike like what he did for his first attack, but then used shunpo to flash behind Shinji instead and with a grit of his teeth and eyes flashing dangerously, lunged Toyako towards the latter's shoulder with a force possibly enough to shatter bones.