[center][b][h2][u]Unbridled Potential[/u][/h2][h3][i]Team Masuuko
[sub]Part 2[/sub][/i][/h3][/b][/center][hr]

Hiro and Rēku found the Hollow almost immediately upon their arrival at the cemetery - it was a large creature, looming over the many headstones, and was making no effort to hide itself beyond suppressing its own reiatsu - though they could clearly discern the immense power the monster concealed. It was an Adjuchas - precisely what the Taikou wanted. Subduing it safely would be tricky, but hopefully not too difficult between the four of them. Assuming the two lieutenants could stop fighting for a moment.

The Hollow was sitting cross-legged before a particular headstone. It raised its head at their approach and snorted, rolling coils of caustic reiatsu biting into the stonework and causing it to dissolve. Upon inspection, the Adjuchas greatly resembled some kind of twisted satyr, with the legs and skull of a goat but the body of a man. Its Hollow hole was embedded in its right thigh.

“Shinigami.” It rasped. “Did not come to hunt. Pay respects to companion from first life. Will leave soon. Not cause trouble. Leave me to my misery.”

Arriving only moments after the two captains, having utterly abandoned Shizu--not really caring if she had more shade to throw-- Kairi glanced around. “A cemetery? That’s fitting,” she said, before laying eyes on the hollow.

Shizu was the last one to arrive. Curse my lack of ability in Shunpo. She silently cursed as her light blue eyes fell upon the Hollow. She was no more than three paces away from the others and several more paces from the hollow. She would soak in all that she could. Now was the time to listen, Shizu, not speak.

It looked...oddly peaceful, despite being grotesque. “Instead of mourning then, why not join ‘em, eh hollow?” She smirked and raised a fist, the threat implied.

Although he remained silent, Hiro quickly raised his fists. Sinking into a low and streamlined stance as his face grew grim. 

The Hollow snorted again in response, more coils of its toxic reiatsu rolling across the ground. “It is not your duty. No malice. Will not hunt. Do not disrespect this place. Only place loss is greater.”

With a sigh Rēku looked sympathetically at the hollow. “[color=#FF00FF]You see, as much as I wish we could...Well we need you. So either you come with us willingly, or we have orders to drag you back if need be.[/color]” 

The Hollow met eyes with her for a moment - its were but empty hole within its mask, bottomless and hurtful to look into. A single moment passed.

“You...are not Junsei...are you.” It stated the question flatly. Without waiting for a response, it slowly rose to its feet, and its long, burgeoning arms uncoiled from its lap - roiling with cords of muscle and ending with long digits and talons almost half as long as its whole body.

“You...are outcasts. Cast from where you belong. No different than Hollows now.” It laughed then, a rasping, rattling noise like bones clattering on the stone-tiled pavement. Its reiatsu was still suppressed for the moment, but clearly it had gone from being reticent to hostile.

"[color=#dc143c][b]No different from Hollows?[/b][/color]" Hiro’s voice seemed to deepen with each syllable, adopting a more predatory tone. "[color=#dc143c][b]Hollows are scum. Filth which feeds on the very essence of others in order to sustain the infestation that is their life.[/b][/color]" He began to exert his reiatsu, surrounding himself with a faint crimson glow. Then proceeded to raise his voice. "[color=#dc143c][b][i]We-[/i][/b][/color]" 

Kairi interjected, “[color=#FEFFE3][b]Happen to exist to help them, technically.[/b][/color]” She shrugged a bit and glanced at Hiro, “[color=#FEFFE3][b]As much as I enjoy a good fight, it’d be easier to cooperate with a hollow than force one to open a portal for us. So...maybe let Reku talk for just a minute, pretty please?[/b][/color]” She beamed up at the taller man, having lowered her fists to her sides. She’d even stopped chewing gum. “[color=#FEFFE3][b]Though, I will say that’s a low blow, Mr. Hollow. For someone not wanting to be disturbed, you really don’t know how to mind your manners.[/b][/color]” she admonished, though she was essentially joking when she said it, whilst waggling her finger in the air, before letting it drop.

“[color=#FF00FF]All that aside, any chance you’d be willing to help us?[/color]”

“Help Shinigami…?” The Hollow sounded genuinely perplexed. It had turned its skull to leer hungrily at Hiro - or perhaps warily, it was hard to tell. “With for what…? Pitiful secrets of the soul in trade for a blade through the visage of my heart…? For what purpose would I help your kind…?”

With a shrug Rēku spoke up again. “[color=#FF00FF]Well as you said: we’re exiles now. Outcasts, so it’s not as if all the rules need to apply anymore. Perhaps we can make some sort of an arrangement?[/color]” It was rather different making a deal like this, but honestly it had been five years since being exiled, why the hell not.

There was no hesitation, simply a shunpo. One which landed him directly between both Rēku and the Adjuchas. His zanpakuto now manifested within his hand, blade extended towards Rēku’s throat. Yet, his eyes never left that of the hollow’s frame. 

“[color=#dc143c][b]Our duty is to destroy them. Anyone who forgets that, can no longer consider themselves Shinigami.[/b][/color]” There was a dire seriousness within his eyes. The Adjuchas’ shoulders twitched, and its arms hung down from its body with visible tension as it watched. A faint clicking noise like stone grinding against bone echoed from its maw, but otherwise it was silent.

With a smirk Rēku glanced at Hiro out of the corner of her eye. “[color=#FF00FF]Then are saying that the commander is no shinigami? After all he is the one that instructed us to find a hollow capable of helping us-[/color]”

“[color=#dc143c][b]And capture it.[/b][/color]” His arm flexed, a show of his unwavering resolve. “[color=#dc143c][b]We were sent to obtain a specimen for exploitation. Not parley. They are to be the tools of our retribution. Not our allies.[/b][/color]” He lowered his blade, shifting it instead towards the hollow.

At this point the smirk fell from her lips, replaced by a more unamused look as Rēku responded. “[color=#FF00FF]So just because you are obsessed with being violent towards Hollows, every human and soul around here should more than likely be killed just because of that?[/color]” At this point she looked back at the Hollow. “[color=#FF00FF]Besides. He’s trying to be reasonable, why shouldn’t we? If he’s not here to harvest souls then we should at least give him the slightest of chances if it means getting home sooner.[/color]”

“[color=#FEFFE3][b]Yeaaah, I gotta agree with Tatasuko-san on this one. A fight between any number of shinigami and hollows is inadvertently going to cause damage to our surroundings. Trust me though, I like a fight as much as the next gal, but if we fight here...human lives will be in danger, and I guarantee Taikou will be...unhappy with that report.[/b][/color]” Kairi gave him a sort of awkward, but sympathetic smile, followed by a shrug.

“[color=a4d4ff]Despite our squabble beforehand, I agree with everything that Kairi said,[/color]” Shizu said, eyes directed at Kairi briefly. “[color=a4d4ff]We must avoid putting innocent humans in harm’s way. They are what’s most important.[/color]” Shizu said. Though she was opting for the peaceful course of action, her hand was firmly grabbing the hilt of her zanpakuto. Should the hollow want to attack, she would be ready for a swift draw.

“At least some of you are still Shinigami. Maybe you are even Junsei. Just not this one.” The Hollow said with a sinuous intonation, a rattling chuckle accompanying its words as it addressed Hiro.

Inwardly, the war still raged. His desire to slay the hollow weighing against his duty to protect. While he knew that the others [i]were[/i] right, reluctance still riddled him. Keeping him from outwardly voicing it. Hence, he instead settled for a simple sigh. Allowing his face to regain its former demeanor as he simply stepped aside. Turning his back to the hollow before utilizing shunpo to return to his original position behind Rēku. At last consenting to the will of the others. With a crimson flash, he then reverted his zanpakuto. 

With a small smile Rēku continued as if nothing had happened. “[color=#FF00FF]As I was saying it would be great if we could come to some sort of arrangement. You help us and we can leave you alone after that, or perhaps there is something that you want?[/color]” Rēku offered to some degree raising her arms slightly in a shrug.

“Want…” The Hollow stated flatly for a moment, but it was clearly considering. Several moments passed in silence before it responded. “Yes. This grave…” It turned back to the headstone it had been sitting at, kneeling before it. “Earth is unmoved. The chamber is whole. There is nothing here. Those degenerates refused to interr. Cremated the body…” The Hollow paused as it crossed its legs into a proper seated position. It turned its head back to Rēku, and for a moment there seemed to be a red glint in the depths of its eyes. “I killed them all...but I could not find the ashes. Monsters hid them...cannot find them. Stone here all I have left. All memory gone. Need ashes. Find the urn. Know it exists. Somewhere in city. Get urn. Get ashes. Give them to me...and I will do anything. [i]Anything.[/i]”

There was an audible grunt from Hiro at this point.

Kairi watched as Masumata quite nearly attacked the young captain Tatasuko, her expression flat. Growing slightly irritated she turned her head slightly and spat out her gum. It had lost its flavor. She was also getting bored and sort of had to admit that this whole--help a hollow, get a hollow--bit was rather...odd. Of course, additionally she started thinking further. What would Taikou say? How would they make sure that the hollow didn’t just...leave once he had what he wanted? How would they make sure the hollow didn’t leave and come back with more hollows to attack the mansion.

She frowned. That last one was a problem. “[color=#FEFFE3][b]Hmmm…[/b][/color]” she made a thoughtful sound, even as Hiro shunpo’d back to his former position, the dispute apparently solved. “[color=#FEFFE3][b]I’m all for having no casualties, as I said, but um...I’d like to note Hiro had a small point. How do we know you’re not just gonna leave or turn on us? What do you want with the urn?[/b][/color]”

The Hollow looked briefly back to the headstone. After a moment it replied, faintly, with a furtive intonation of despair.

“I do not know.”

That said, she turned to Reku, “[color=#FEFFE3][b]Hey, don’t you like...have some finders keepers kido or something?[/b][/color]” She had no idea what the name of the spell was, and had really only recalled it because she’d seen Kenpachi’s group using it before their team had departed.

“[color=#dc143c][b]Kakushitsujaku.[/b][/color]” Hiro turned his gaze towards Kairi, nodding with approval. “[color=#dc143c][b]And we cannot trust it.[/b][/color]” He momentarily moved his gaze over the hollow before letting it settle instead on his fellow captain. “[color=#dc143c][b]Sunafureku, you should take Shizukesa and determine the whereabouts of this urn.[/b][/color]” His gaze once again moved towards the adjuchas as he paced in Kairi’s direction. He stopped upon briefly gesturing to her with his hand. “[color=#dc143c][b]She and I will remain. To ensure our...ally, maintains his part of this proposal.[/b][/color]” Hiro then sought to meet Reku’s gaze. “[color=#dc143c][b]I will restrain myself, unless provoked.[/b][/color]”

With a sigh Rēku started to kneel to the ground reaching into her haori and producing a small pouch. She dabbed a couple of fingers in it before sprinkling the black powder in a circle and then drawing some symbols. “[color=#FF00FF]If I were to go...[/color]” she started as she looked up at him. “[color=#FF00FF]I’d rather take Kairi, since she’s faster. However for a simple retrieval I don’t think we’ll need me to go with her, but if you insist.[/color]” Rēku placed her palms below her work of art as she looked back down. “[color=#FF00FF]Kakushitsuijaku.[/color]” 

With that the circle began to glow a brilliant bright blue and numbers started to cycle about as they waited momentarily until finally a lovely set of numbers appeared. “[color=#FF00FF]Kairi, will you need my assistance?[/color]” Honestly if it was as simple as it sounded the obvious answer was no, the question was whether it was actually that simple.

She shrugged, “[color=#FEFFE3][b]Naw, I need to get some more gum anyways. I’ll be back in…[/b][/color]” she paused a moment, glancing at the coordinates and then closing her eyes briefly, “[color=#FEFFE3][b]...maybe 5 minutes? 10 tops. Yeah, let’s go with that.[/b][/color]” She winked and gave the lot of them a thumbs up before turning in the proper direction, bending her knees and then vanishing in a shunpo.