On the Knife's edge between life and death.

It was her first morning in Soul Society, no according Toshiro it was the Seireitei. Which was the proper name for it. She stood there having eaten breakfast and gotten cleaned up. It was different she was staying in her Uncles home which was more or less a mansion. On earth she lived in a apartment with her dad above the flower shop.

She stood there looking up at the sky in the Zero Divisions Fifth Squad's Pratice yards with Toshiro who was waiting quietly and patiently for Ryo to arrive. She only hoped he wasn't still upset, since the conversation yesterday had really made him unhappy.

In truth Sakura just wanted to try. She wanted to know if this was something she could do or something she couldn't and was well aware that it may cost her her life. But....if she didn't try then what? She couldn't see going away with her head bowed and admitting defeat before she got going. And already knew that Ryo had a bad history with her father. Perhaps it was why she had to try, Seishiro seemed to have done terrible things while he was here and she had to try and make amends she was his daughter after all.

Toshiro stood there quietly looking out at the sky line. He wasn't the only one there this morning. Ichigo Kurosaki had stopped by to visit Rangiku to get her oppion on what would be a good gift for Rukia Kuchiki, Rangiku was hardly ever up before noon unless shopping or having fun with one of the guys was involved but since it was neither and paper work...which he was still trying to get over her doing it yesterday...and wondering if she was ill or something or just wanting an excuse to visit Head Captain Touhokuhuu he wasn't sure. No Ichigo found out that Sakura would be training on that knifes edge when one of his division let it slip that Toshiro would be busy training for a girl for the forbidden sword. And Kurosaki true to form had a fit and followed him here.

"Hey Toshiro!" Ichigo said as he stood there. "Your not actually going through with this are you?"
"That's CAPTAIN HITSUGAYA to you." Toshiro said as his eyebrow twitched. "And it's not my choice Kurosaki, it is Sakura's. And this is something she want's to try to do." He said not happy about it but it was his nieces wish.

"That's ridiculous!" Ichigo barked looking at them both. "She's a girl, something like this will likely kill her! If it needs to be done then I'll do it, leave her out of this."

"Thank you Kurosaki-kun." Sakura said softly looking over at him. "But Uncle Toshiro is right, this is something I've choosen to do. I do thank you for your concern but I will be alright. There's too many people who will be hurt if I die during this. So I can't no matter what happens allow myself to die."

"What the...Uncle?" Ichigo said looking between them. "For crying out loud Toshiro she's your family."

"How many times are you going to make me say it Kurosaki?" Toshiro said looking over at him irrated. "It's Captain Hitsugaya to you." He looked away from Ichigo and took a deep breath. "And as I told you...it's her choice. I can't stop her from trying to improve her skills...even if that cost is her life."

All of a sudden a massive spirit pressure slammed down on the air around the three talking.... He had arrived Ryo Zaran in terms of battle the most powerful shinseina was here and ready to fight..... "Heh sorry i'm a little late had some last minate paper work to do..." He looked over at Ichigo Kurosaki he had only seen him once and their battle had ended in a draw much like Kenpatchi Zaraki before him he considered Ichigo the one to beat...

"Kurosaki Ichigo?... Huh why don't you train with us if Sakura can't pull it off then you can take her place your next in line to try anyway so lets all do this together then wasting eight months if Sakura cannot do it..." He obviously did not mean to insult her if he did he was just stating facts....

"huh Toushirou..... your grew a little since last night..." He grinned knowing that had to piss off Toushirou which is what he wanted because Toushirou would hold back against his neice if he wasn't angry and they definately did not need that....

To get a kiss he quickly grabbed her and kissed Sakura before training that way if she didn't make it they could share a last kiss together... "...good luck...."

Toshiro looked at him and pulled Hyourinmaru from his back narrowing his eyes. "Zaran..." he growled low he didn't like the constant reminders that he was short, and childlike nor did he like the fact that Ryo just kissed his neice. Ice was already wrapping around his Zanpakuto.

Sakura returned the kiss but shook her head. "You're such a pessimist." she grumbled since he was acting like she was already dead. Or about to be. But she let her fans drop into her hands the long chains dangling down towards the floor and moved the blades opening up and revealing the sharp metals edge. She wasn't going to go Ban-kai. Not yet.

Ichigo looked betwen the three and shook his head. "What are you talking about?" he asked looking at them and having no idea what was going on. Of course the idea that Little Sakura Hitsugaya was going to be doing this. He racked his brain and then remembered she was in the school's woman's Kendo club, as well as Fencing and a few other differnt sword clubs...which he mused quietly was why he never wanted to get on her bad side. Although her Zanpakuto was a set of battle fans, not a sword.

Ryo looked at Toushirou then said "You wont be needing those fans today...." He grabbed the fans and threw them backwards and they inbedded themselves in a rock perfectly like he had already mastered that style of fighting... "Today you are using this...." He drew a very long sword and a heavy one to boot it was almost impossible for one of her size to weild.... "You better get used to this swords length and weight because it's only half the length and weight of Excaliber....

Ryo turned to Ichigo and dropped one of the same size exactly as hers... "You and her are gonna be training with me and Toushirou to weild the human sword of magic Excaliber.... We intend to end this war Sakura wants to try and weild it first so your next in line if she fails.... so instead of wasting eight months of training both of you we're gonna train you at the same time and waste only four months so pick up the sword you two.... and one last thing.... this is our chance to finish this without blowing up Hueco Mundo with the ultimate weapon I pray for your success..."

He turned to Toushirou then said... "You'll start by avoiding Toushirous Ice shards at top speed With thos heavy weapons and everytime you pass a trial we'll increase the pressure on you.... goood luck...."

Toshiro looked at them then narrowed his eyes. "Reign upon the frozen Heavens...Hyourinmaru." he said as the ice shards started flying.

Sakura blinked they had not the time to adjust but in battle they wouldn't. She began moving and twisting the weight throwing her off a little so she was compinsating but was a bit slower then she was used to being. She kept on her toes though moving and twisting dancing thru them and kept on moving knowing in her heart that if even one of Hyourinmaru's ice shards hit her she'd be frozen solid. She knew the nature of his attack because it would be similair to hers and her fathers. The bitter sweet irony was she could feel that he was not holding back and that she would be hurt if she messed up.

Ichigo hollared and dived for the sword not grabbing Zangetsu from his back and twisting attempting to dodge but where Sakura looked more like a gazelle on the battlefeild he was pratically tripping over his own two feet stumbling and dodging as best as he could but where she was dodging with half an inch to spare he was barely dodging at all....Ichigo mentally cursed he really was no good at these sorts of things.

Ryo sighed it seemed in terms of speed Sakura was better than Ichigo but in terms of power considering that he's holding both that massive sword Zangetsu and the training blade and still dodging he would technically have the advantage in battle.... "Toushirou.... you can quit going thirty percent speed now kick it up to fourty-five percent..." Ryo has fought with Toushirou before so he knew full well just how much he was holding back....

"...Fine Ryo... but it's your fault if they get hurt..." He increased the speed and power of his attacks and it seemed to have hit them both at some point and soon they would have to stop the attack.... but not yet.... Ryo stayed silent watching every movement they made it seemed that Ichigo at the moment was countering better with each sword slash he used to block the shards that got into his defences but Sakura was dodging them all much better but she lacked the killers instinct to attack back unlike Ichigo whom was moving forward toward Toushirou she seemed to be moving back and that was not gonna work.....

Sakura was indeed moving back but for a good reason she moved watching the attacks, there was no doubt that Ichigo was stronger then her, even she could clearly see that with the way he was moving and had Zangetsu on his back and Zangetsu was not a small sword. Not by any means. Then there was the training swords she found what she had been looking for by biding her time and not rushign straight in, then began moving dodging around the shards she had been hit once or twice and even with the speed picked up now she was doing fine. Moving forwards she moved past Ichigo not having to knock them away like he was. It wasn't that she lacked a killer instinct. It was that she used her mind even in the middle of battle learning the moves which may be a bit more dangerous....but it's what came with having her style of Zanpakuto...one that recquired close range attacking. And flowing movements.

Toshiro continued the attack increasing to forty five percent and attacking. He watched them and moved accordingly Ichigo was blocking and slicing away more and more of the attack but Sakura was flowing around and with it.

Ryo grinned they were doing well for both of them they both had their own way of doing things and that nessecarily isnt so bad.... "My turn..." He lit his sword a blaze and spun rapidly.... rings of fire flying towards them with no actual pattern of attack in-like Toushirou Ryo didn't need a particular pattern of attack he liked keeping his opponents guessing.....

Toushirou kept up his attacks this time flowing with Ryo using trace amounts of Ice shards inside the ring of fires center making it impossible to jump through them without getting hit and he also kept the shards flying in the outside air to make it harder this was an advanced level training session that some captains couldn't even complete....

Ichigo found that there was no way he could evade the attack at its level his only hope was to blow it out of the sky.... "Getsuga Tenshou!!" A massive blast of energy blasted away the attack and he managed to get up to Ryo while the smoke cleared and crossed blades with him... "Your mine!!" Ryo grinned "Not bad Ichigo Kurosaki!!" And their blades began clashing.....

Sakura looked and moved as the rings where coming towards her, tossing the pratice sword up in the air, she jerked her wrists bringing her fans back to her by the chains that are always fastioned around her wrists, catching them she spoke unleashing her Shi-kai. "Ten kara Oriru, Zakurakadoguchi." She breathed as the vines of ice flew even as she moved catching the ring of fire coming towards her and the cherry blossoms flew. "Chire." She said lowly, closing the fan blades as they went into a frenzy of motion and during it all she moved fast, faster then one would have thought out of her, catching the pratice sword, closing the distance between herself and Toshiro so that he could no longer attack long range but had to defend with Hyourinmaru.

The exchange happened quickly sword swing to sword swing and speed to speed they were keeping up with each other even as Ichigo fought against Ryo. Sakura's sword seemed to move as if fluid from offense to defense and back again. It was what it meant to possible the 'Tenken' ability. Of course she didn't want to use the Shukugi. That wasn't what was supposed to be happening at the moment.

Ryo defended against Ichigo's attacks using a one-handed swords style that was passed down to him from the squad eleven troops and brung his fist under the clashig swords and nailed him as hard as he could in the gut.... "Expect the un-expected.... Get up Ichigo!!" He stood up and they clashed again aswell as Toushirou's clashing with Sakura and at some point the two of them yelled "Switch!!" And in a split second later they traded places and Ryo was infront of Sakura and he slammed his sword into hers.... pushing her as far back as he could....

Sakura grit her teeth and shifted as she was being pushed back in terms of brute strength a guy would always win, but it's not alway a battle of strength verus strength. Sometimes..in order to get anywhere you had to...she looked at him and stopped pushing back so hard instead allowing him to seemingly push her down as she went backwards with it ducking low and dodging around swirling around fast and hitting him in the lower back with the blunt edge with enough force to knock him forwards but no where enough to kill the point of this was to get stronger but she wasn't going to let him just use brute strength against her either.

Ryo groweled that wouldn't be enough she had to strike to kill he even left an opening by using brute force and leaving his blind side open but she didn't strike to kill.... "Thats not gonna work come at me as if I were your greatest enemy because... Awaken Benishihone!!!!" His sword entered shikai state and he stuck it into the ground... and he sat the entire battlefeild around him and Sakura.... "Are you ready for the fight for your life?"

Toushirou kept up his onslaught on Ichigo....

Name: Blaze Burst
Rank: 6
Type: Kenjutsu
Element Fire
Description: Sticks his sword into ground and runs his spirit energy into the ground setting the battle feild ablaze.

(OOC: all i had)

Sakura looked at him. Intent to kill, he wanted her to come at him with everything that she had. But her attacks unless in Bankai used her fan, so that wouldn't work. She was supposed to be using this sword, however that in and of itself wasn't so bad, she moved going from standing on her feet to tapping a toe on the ground when he thrust his blade in the ground and set the area on fire. Sakura focused on him.
"Everything I have.." She said softly looking at him. It wasn't that she lacked the intent to kill, it was that since she first awoke as a Shinigami with Shiori inside of her, she found that she felt nothing when she killed a hollow felt nothing when something before her died and she tried to not let that consume her.

But now she tapped her right foot on the ground bringing her sword up to rest on her shoulder. "Your not going to be happy with this training unless I am trying to kill you then.." She said as she looked at him. "Ah well...I suppose it can't be helped." She pushed up off of the toes on her right foot then dissappeared her sword coming hard and fast connecting with enough force to knock Ryo out, enough that if this was anything but a training sword she would be doing serious damage. She hit him three more times before repearing and tapping her right foot on the ground. "It's called Shukugi...it's the final form of Ten-ken.." She said speaking softly. "I suppose it's the complete focused ability of one who kills...after all, a sword is a weapon." She said as she bounced from one foot to another seemingly in slow motion. "The art of swordsmanships is learning how to kill.." She finished and was gone to strike him hard and fast again from three different angles before repearing all within seconds of each other.

Ryo grunted with each hit she was underestimating him she seemed to be thinking that those blows would knock him un-concious.... He began laughing histerically then he yelled.... "I LOVE IT!!!!" With each of her next blows he countered and rolled out of the way then he cut her stomach to everyones surprise eventhough he loved her he would fight to kill no matter the cost it's the way it was sposed to be when a fight breaks out all warriors know this.....

Toushirou looked at Ichigom and said.... "Where's your resolve you are stronger then this Kurosaki...." He looked at him and attacked again with Hyurinmaru....

Sakura felt the blade hit her stomach, just the tip and was gone, other then a small cut she wasn't cut open so bad that it would cause her a problem. Although the fact that he could strike her in the middle of Shukugi was something else. She looked at the training sword and knew she had a problem the sword was heavy which was slowing her down by a second or two.
"I see, so four step Shukugi....isn't going to work." She said as she looked at him. Oh she did love him but he wanted her all, and she would give it to him..that and the bold decliration of 'I love it' only served to drive her on that much harder. She once again moved in coming in and out at insane speeds yeilded to her by the technique. And stuck him with it. She moved it down to three step, faster still because she had removed one of the steps in the technique...

Ichigo grit his teeth catching Hyourinmaru on the sword and hollaring as he shoved him back and away. "My resolve is right where it needs to be Toshiro." He said in return then reached up and summoned his mask. He may have to use the training sword but that didn't mean he couldn't summon his mask and deal with this. Which he did using Tensa Zangetsu's speed to attack Toshiro who managed to match him just fine. As if Toshiro was still holding back, of course if Sakura's speed without the use of a mask or anything else was any indication this was far from over yet.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! Why is this so fun!!" He got under her mid technique and this time struck strait up and he saw blood.... "heh is this all youv'e got?!" He brung his leg around and kicked her hard in the stomach and then puched her jaw....

Toushirou looked at him and said fine then let's kick it up a notch... "Bankai: Daikurin Hyurinmaru!!" The frozen dragon attacked with all of its fury.....

Sakura felt the heat of the blade connect with her flesh, felt it's sting and felt the blood flow, although the cut was shallow enough that it was no life threatening it was annoying, even at midway he was still able to see and attack her, keep pace with her. She looked at him as she bounced lightly from foot to foot. "Ban-kai." She said softly releasing her form and her robes changing, the blue vest long to her ankles bounced behind her as she continued to move, her sword now strapped to her back, Kurogane Zakurakadoguchi visible to the eye. She looked at him. "Shukugi final step..." She said said softly skipping the step down from three to two and two to one. Her foot hit the ground then she was gone sword swinging and hitting him in the back stomach and arm seemingly all at once drawing blood although with his abilities she knew they weren't deep but weren't shallow either. Just like her own that she recieved from him.

Ichigo dodged Toshiro's Bankai flying about the field fast it was no easy feet to dodge Toshiro's bankai. Let alone the fact that now he could fly thanks to the icy wings of the dragon like state he was in. Ichigo reached up tossing his sword up for a hairs breathe of time taking a page from Sakura's book and holding Zangetsu before him. "Ban-kai." he said in that shrill voice then caught the large sword in his hand holding Tensa Zangetsu in his left hand and the pratice sword in his right he looked at the dragon coming at him and shouted. "Getsuga Tensho." unleashing that black energy wave to crash into the ice dragon even as he moved to dodge and once again strike at Toshiro although this time he was using two swords to Toshiro's one.

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH!!!!! Now i know why I love you so much.... your just like me on the inside.... a killer...... now lets see who's resolve is deeper mine or yours!! BANKAI!!!" Benishihone appeared with a solid body and the two of them attacked they spun and dug deep into the flesh of Sakura no longer holding back and also attacking vitals this was a battle to survive just like it would be in a real battle only a real enemy wouldn't stop after the opponent gets to weak to defend themselves....

Toushirou sighed and did his best to avoid Ichigo's blades and was easily being pushed back.... He wished he hadn't traded places now considering Ryo would be the one pushing Ichigo back considering he could match his two swords with his own two.... "I'll freeze you solid Ichigo..." He dug his sword into Ichigo's chest due to him leaving an opening....

Sakura looked at him as she continued to swing her sword around fighting hard and fast not at all stopping or slowing down. She felt the blade connect and took a deep breath. She looked at him even as she continued to swing hard and fast holding the large sword in one hand and grabbing the hilt of Kurogane Zakurakadoguchi in the other before she started fighting them both, blades flying and bitting into there flesh one or the other as she looked at him also hitting vital areas. "I know." She said softly as she continued to fight. Sakura brought Kurogane Zakurakadoguchi around and blocked and fought against them. Two against one...and yet she didn't care about the odds only about winning this fight. "I love you but I will not loose to you." She said coolly as she continued to fight with him.

Ichigo grit his teeth as the blade bit into his chest and then knocked Hyourinmaru away with the pratice sword before narrowing his eyes. "Getsuga Tensho." he snapped as he swung following up with the other sword. Toshiro was way to skilled to take this match lightly not if he wanted to live.

Ryo looked at her as they fought.... "Not bad!! Let's see you defeat me!!" Benishihone and Ryo crossed their swords and perpared their favorite move.... "You better dodge this Sakura... or you'll die...." Their swords came down hard on a cross chop....

Toushirou took the hit head on and it left a deep gash in his chest it seemed Ichigo had won this battle Toushirou had no means of dodging that move so he took significant damage.... "We're done for today i'm at my limit..." He turned to watch Ryo's battle... "This'll be interesting.... I wonder does she have what it takes to kill him?"

(OOC: Writers block)

Sakura looked at him narrowing her eyes. She moved dissappearing before the attack hit but still taking a bit of a cut from how very close it had been. She looked at him and turned her blade. "Whisper the Heaven's Frozen Cry...Kurogane Zakurakadoguchi." She said as the sky darkened around them and her sword shattered into dust, which swirled around them clinging to there skin as ice blossoms formed...thousands of them. Each one began to slowly open. "When the last one opens...you will die." She said in a cool tone as she brought around the training sword.

Ichigo looked at Toushirou having left a nasty wound in his chest before turning to look at Sakura and Ryo. "What do you mean you wonder if she has what it takes to kill him?" Ichigo said looking at him. "Toshiro I thought he was your friend and she your neice why on earth would you want to know if she will kill him."

~~
Whisper the heavens frozen cry, Kurogane Zakurakadoguchi.
Weapon Style: Blue Bladed Katana
Weapon Level: 10
Attack: The frozen blade seems to shatter as the sky darkens and the air and ground freeze around her, the sword's frozen dust swarms the enemy wrapping around them but does not cut them, it seems to collect on the enemies skin where thousands of closed flowers appear, the frozen air and dust hold the enemy in place as the flowers open each one opening steals the enemies Reiatsu until they all open and none are left the more the enemy struggles the faster the flowers open.

Ryo roared as loud as he could and this time dug the blade deep into her skin letting the cold heat burn her insides to dust.... "It's over...." She was now at a large disadvantage he was screwed if he let the flowers open so he had to end it right then.... The flames circling them disappeared and he sheathed his sword... "You could have killed me had you used a different move but you used one that would take time to fully work you do not have the required intent to kill just yet had I been a true enemy I wouldve just taken your life and these flowers would have disappeared you would lose either way..... Gain the will to take my life then you can resume your training..." He didn't like being hard on her and it showed on his face but he had no choice had he been soft she would never get stronger...

Toushirou looked at him and said... "To put it simply thats the way of the warrior a warriors life consist of fighting your opponents to kill never holding back no matter whom it is.... and she does not have what it takes to take her boyfreinds life when he intentionally left an opening for her to attack with he wouldve blocked it and ended the training with a smile but she refused to try and end his life..... It's not up to me its between them..."

Sakura looked at him. "It's not over." She said simply looking at him. "I give you credit for being able to move....but." The flowers opened. Almost as one not having disperesed when he attacked her and called it over... "But you're failure was in your movement." She said as he looked at him the flowers blossoming as one Stealing away his life...the dust that would have held him in place he had powered through, and his movement, his cutting her had been his down fall as every flower blossomed as one. She looked at the deep cut, her down side was fighting with the bulkier sword she was still adjusting for the weight in one day, but as the last blossom opened she silenced the attack. "It's not that I don't have the intent to kill...you didn't know the true depths of that attack." She said as she held the last blossom in her hand the rest having opened almost instantly upon his moving to slash her. "Zakurakadoguchi is not so easy to defeat nor am I." She said looking at him as she held the last ice blossom in her hand the others now shattered having pulled out almost all of his reiatsu, although she stopped the last one from killing him. "The difference being...I don't want to kill you..."

Ichigo paled as the ice blossoms opened after he declared her a failure. Said she had a lack of intent to kill...they had sprung open as one and he shook his head. "Yeah but he could have killed here doesn't that bother you Toshiro." he said looking at the smaller captain. His neice could have been killed as well. Was it because of the attack she chose to use?

Ryo looked at her and sighed stubburn to the end.... "What I mean is if you had died the Zanpaktou spirit inside our sword would have ceased to exist and it's attack would have dispersed...." His eyes still wishing he would'nt have to be so mean to her.... "So in a situation like this you should have used a fast killing move.... and I know that you don't want to kill me but if you don't try to kill me you'll never reach the required level of power needed to weild excaliber the mystic sword of the world of the living....." She didn't seem to realize that if he had taken her life just now like he verywell could have done that her attack would have ceased and he wouldv'e won the fight....

"Ichigo..... yes of course it wouldv'e bothered me but she is a warrior.... and death comes to anyone whom weilds a sword theres no getting around it the sooner you accept that fact the sooner both you and her can elevate your strength..." He looked up at the sky he was not strong enough to keep up such high level training a shinseina shinigami needed to take Toushirou's place both Sakura and Ichigo were already as strong or stronger than he was....

Sakura looked at him and sighed. "Black Steel Cherryblossom Gateway." She said as she looked at the frozen blue blade in her hand. "Zakurakadoguchi's power is limitless." She looked back up at him. "I used that attack, because unlike you it freezes a person, making them unable to move, each attempt to struggle causes the ice blossom's to open more." She regarded him quietly. "You consinder this done, that is your choice." She looked at him then rose up the training sword the edge of the heavy blade chipped apart and ruined. "A sword is worthless when it gets to this point." She mused shaking her head. "It was not made to handle the Shukugi." Sakura looked back at him. "I'll go, it's been obvious since yesterday that you do not want me learning or even trying." She shrugged indifferent to his comments about her lack of will to kill.

A beatiful woman appeared wearing a head dress unlike anything seen normally. She wore beautiful robes and water spread out beneath her feet both froze and liquid all at once. She smiled at Sakura then looked at Ryo. "Do not let these events trouble you Sakura...I will train you as I have in the past." Zakurakadoguchi said looking at her then at Ryo. "I will train you where he will not."

Ichigo looked at him and then at the other two shaking his head. Ichigo looked at Toshiro. "I won't ever accept that Toshiro." He said as he looked over at them. "And I will get stronger, because I won't. I won't let her or anyone else die." He narrowed his eyes. "There'll be none of that while I'm around I don't care who they are I won't let them die." He said not meaning the hollows but the people of the living world or here he'd protect them all. It was just that simple, and he would gain the power to do so.