Shino Academy...
It'd been another long day of lectures and training at the Shinigami academy. Nearly all the newly joined students walked out of their respective dojos with exhausted faces. Some could barely even walk to their hostels.
Toshiro, the normally nonchalant youth looked even more solemn. Dark spots under his eyes and calluses in his palm were the evidences of the rather intense and harsh training sessions he had subjected himself to both on and off campus.
Beside him, Genma finished the water in his bottle with a satisfied sigh. He looked just as exhausted as Toshiro was, and his newly received Zanpankutou was strapped to his lower back rather than his waist, unlike most of the other students.
The two had been pushing themselves day in day out, sparring almost like mad men. On certain days, it took Momo's express anger just to force them to break and eat.
"Tsk. Try not to finish all that water, you camel.." Toshiro angrily snatched the satchel from Genma who gritted his teeth and held on for dead life. The two were locked in a fierce face to face contest, holding onto both ends of the satchel.
"What? It's mine, snow flake! If you wanna have a drink, you're going to have to ask politely!" Genma clapped back. Toshiro's brows furrowed even deeper. Before long, a sudden explosion of his Reiatsu caused an explosion of ice, wind and dust, nearly freezing their entire vicinity.
"You wanna go?!!" Meanwhile, Genma didn't even hesitate, a Reiatsu of equal intensity exploded forth. His Reiatsu was a deep shade of yellow with a metallic sheen..
"You idiots!!! How many times have I warned you not to fight on campus!!" A sudden roar from a delicate voice from behind caused the two boys to shudder into their hearts. Behind them, Momo walked out with a tired and angry expression, hyperventilating.
Genma immediately stood attentively, like a soldier, as cold sweat dripped down his neck. Meanwhile, Toshiro grunted inwardly and turned around, not forgetting to send Genma a glare.
"Hahaha! Thankfully, I placed Momo in charge of both of you. Who knows what would've happened if I hadn't.." A sudden laugh from one familiar voice caused the three to shift their attention only to see Rangiku covering her mouth and wheezing..
"Liuetenant Matsumoto!" Momo bowed with respect. Genma on the other hand scratched his head in embarrassment while Toshiro rolled his eyes..
"We don't need you babysitting us here Matsumoto" He voiced out his cold solid opinion with his arms crossed.
"And you're still an annoying little brat.." Rangiku rolled her eyes at him. " Besides I'm not even here to visit you. I just came here to get him.." She pointed to Genma.
" Me? Why?" He asked in confusion. Rangiku coughed. "There's someone who to wants to meet you.." She said calmly.
" Now? Can't it wait? I'm pretty exhausted ." Genma protested, rubbing the back of his neck and sighing tiredly. But, it was then that he sensed something, a familiar Reiatsu signature, one that had grown to become overwhelming. Not just him, Toshiro's right hand grabbed the asauchi on his waist on instinct as he sent a concerned gaze towards Genma...
Rangiku simply smiled and stepped back. Cold sweat dripped down Momo's cheek. The deadly Reiatsu that had locked on them felt as if a predator was stalking them from the shadows. The two boys in front felt as if their hearts had stopped momentarily, as if their lungs had forgotten to breathe.
And then, right on cue, in a flash of yellow, a figure blurred into vision right in between the two boys.
Dressed in his blue Shinobi pants and footwear and a blue long sleeved shirt underneath a grey cloak, he stood there calmly. His yellow hair hidden underneath a turban further added to his looks, as his piercing blue eyes stared down the two youths in front of him.
Sending a glance towards Toshiro and then to Momo, he finally fixed his gaze on the shocked brown haired boy in front of him.
Tears threatened to fall from the boy's eyes as he stared into the eyes of the young man before him. His shivering hands reached out to grab his robes. Minato sighed and then slowly patted his head only for the boy to rush into his embrace, tears dripping down his cheek.
"Hey, a big boy like you shouldn't be crying and hugging your sensei. What would your friends think of you?" Minato joked to lighten up the mood, even he felt the tip of his nose turn sour.
Before the whole Shinigami fiasco, Genma and the old man were the two people he had come to regard as family. And now, the old man was gone forever, and it'd been more than three years since he last saw the boy.
" Sensei?" Momo and Toshiro exclaimed at the same time, until realization hit them. This was the man Genma wouldn't shut up about. That man who was so great, that Genma almost revered him like a God. The picture of the person they had in mind was vastly different from the young man standing in front of them.
"Sensei.. You're finally back?" Genma pulled away and wiped away his tears, and then finally cleared his throat to ask. "Not really. For now, the Gotei 13 needs me. You might not see me around that's why I came here personally to see you.." Minato patted his shoulder.
"Rangiku told me everything that had happened. I heard you surrendered to them because of me.. That you were put away because of me.."
He stammered. Words caught up in his throat as he released his pent up frustrations through tears that flowed down his face. Minato turned to Rangiku with an exasperated sigh and then turned to Genma.
"Hey. Don't blame yourself. If I was given a second choice, I'll still do what I did again. It's not your fault eh. What kind of Sensei am I if I can't even protect my student?" Minato chuckled lightly. He had no idea the boy felt this way.
Genma nodded and gritted his teeth.
Minato smiled proudly. "I see you still have the forehead protector I gave you. That makes me proud. Never let the fire in your heart die down, Genma. You'll make a fine Shinobi at your peak. I know so. I just hope you haven't been slacking on your training since I haven't been here.."
Genma rubbed the back of his head with a silly smile, meanwhile Rangiku stepped up from behind. "He's been training his hats off with Toshiro here like a madman, all because he wants to catch up to you one day.." She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms with an annoyed harrupmh.
Minato laughed lightly and then turned to the flabbergasted white haired boy and young girl staring at them in confusion. "You must be Toshiro, and Momo right? I'm Minato. Rangiku here has been telling me a lot about you two. Thanks for taking care of this brat.."
Momo nodded with a deep blush, while Toshiro on the other hand crossed his arms and turned his head to the side with a cold harrumph.
Genma then turned to Minato with an expectant stare. " Can I come stay with you? Before you go?" He looked at him with pleading eyes, but Minato could only sigh.
"No. I don't have much time. The nature of the mission requires that I leave immediately but I—..." Right in the middle of his statement, he shook, and turned around sharply. His eyes squinted as his senses picked up on the dominant Reiatsu blasting through the air at ungodly speeds towards them.
It took more than a few seconds for Rangiku's senses to register the Reiatsu heading towards them and her expression changed instantly.
BOOOOOM!
Right on cue a figure crashed into the ground before them like a meteor, tearing a large crater in the ground below and sending pieces of concrete and dust flying. Minato's eyes hardened. The incredible ferocity emanated from the Reiatsu of this person made his hair stand on end.
"Hahahaha!!" A boisterous laughter echoed, as the figure walked out from the groove in the earth slowly. His massive burly figure was wrapped in his Captain's Haori, bearing the sanji digit eleven. With Long spiked hair, an eye patch, and a long blade with a jagged edge hefted onto his right shoulder, while a cute little girl with pink hair dressed in a lieutenant robe sat on his left, no one could mistaken this person for another.
Rangiku's eyes widened the moment she recognised him. Minato on the other hand squinted and his figure instinctively stood in front of Genma, shielding him from the oppressive Reiatsu that emanated from the man's core.
"Namikaze eh?! We finally meet! You owe me a battle! Hehehe. Draw your blade. Let me see how sharp it really is.."
The man's blade pointed directly at Minato, as the lingering Reiatsu from his core blanketed the entire vicinity, almost turning day into night.
A/N: Enjoy.