With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
The park had the best tasting air in all of Karakura. Hachi inhaled deeply, exhaling through a slit in his mouth. Pausing on the cobble pathway, he closed his eyes and tilted his head to the sky, listening to the leaves rustling on the nearby trees. Opening his eyes, he saw some delicate pink sakura petals float over him, under the light, park canopy. It's so peaceful here. Not enough people care to pause and appreciate this...
Looking at the earth next to the path, he noticed a sapling, struggling to get enough nutrients and light to survive. He frowned and looked around, seeing if there were any others nearby. He plopped down onto the ground next to the small plant and put his hands around it, green light extending from his hands.
Slowly, the small tree regained strength and color, growing larger and larger, extending its branches with leaves sprouting in uneven intervals. He nurtured the tree until it was about three times as large as it had been, tall enough to catch some light.
Hachi then walked over to the nearest large tree and pressed his hands to it's bark. Then, looking at the upper branches that were blocking light from going underneath, he pressured the tree into moving the branch enough to allow for plenty of light to grace the fresh leaves of the sapling beneath. He smiled at his handiwork and, after passing the sapling again, patted it on its bark and gave it a prayer of goodwill, hoping for it to grow large and magnificent.
He brushed off the dirt on his pants and kept walking down the pathway until he came to a bench a little ways off the path, facing a pond. On both sides of the bench were tall and bright cherry blossom trees. The wooden planks of the seating were partially hidden by a small layer of petals, which he brushed off onto the ground beneath before sitting himself on one end. The wood and metal creaked and bent, experiencing their new, rather large burden. It held, but started tilting upwards. Hachi, of course, quickly realized this and moved to the middle and it groaned, leveling out.
It's really too bad food is so delicious...
He reached into a basket he had brought with him and opened it, a burst of scrumptious aromas wafting out of the opening. There was a roast chicken, some sushi, a couple bars of chocolate, a thermace filled with miso soup, a loaf of bread, some squares of butter, and lastly a cup containing iced tea. He smiled to himself and looked out over the water's surface before beginning his feast with a leg from the roast chicken.
It was seasoned most brilliantly, with flavors of rosemary and garlic rolling in his mouth atop the vessel of tender chicken and crispy, flour-enhanced skin. He was quite a good cook, and he didn't mind admitting it. Although the chicken wasn't exactly cultural, that didn't mean it wasn't exceptionally yummy!
Next he dabbled his hands in the water and wiped them clean with a cloth he brought.
He smacked his lips, considering what to consume next, smiling pleasantly to himself and rubbing his stomach in happiness. Nothing better than a picnic in the park!!
Sasuke was sitting in the park, a favorite place of his for many reasons the beauty and tranquility being one, but the prime hunting ground being the most prevalent. At 500 years old he still had the look and metabolism of a hungry twelve year old. Sitting in the branches of a large tree he was suddenly surprised when the branches on the other side shifted. Waiting for the cost to clear he then drops down from the tree and watches as a rotund man walkes to a bench and opens a large package of food. His stomach grumbles in hunger as the delicious aroma wafted into his nostrils teasing his taste buds. At the same time another hunger raised from within him this one dark and deadly it churned his insides in anticipation, the spiritual energy around Hachi causing him to salivate.
Shaking his head Sasuke plops down close enough to watch the man but far enough that it wouldn’t be obvious his stomach still grumbling. Recently life had become hard for Sasuke, for five hundred years he had lived with absolute impunity and disregard for his humanity now it seems to be bubbling up in his conscious. Breathing deep Sasuke placed his hand on his stomach he didn’t know how to get money or food without killing and now he simply couldn’t do it. The young boy frowned still staring at the man edging closer and closer to the back of the bench he stops in a bush maybe four feet away. The idea hit him like a rock he could steal. Placing the flat of his hand on the ground a vine grew out the palm tunneling through the earth to the leg of the bench and winding up to behind the man. As soon as the man looked away from the food, he would spear the basket using the sharp tip of his vine flinging it towards him so he could run away with some lunch.
Hachi just finished his leg of chicken and blindly reached for some more. His hand paused, mid-grab. What was that?
Hachi felt a presence near him. He kept quiet, looking over the pond, listening with his keen senses. A rustle here and then--a grumble!! It was a -HUNGRY- Presence!!
Without looking, or making much of a movement, Hachi pinpointed his location, calculating where the rustle stopped and from where in the bushes he heard the last quiet grumble. Stretching his hand behind his head, as if to scratch his scalp, he pointed at where the person was.
"Sai." Although he couldn't see his target, he knew the Bakudou worked like a charm, as they always did for Hachi.
Turning his head, he saw that there was a vine--now halted-- that had been approaching his basket of food. "Oh!" He smiled and looked at the vine. "You know, if you wanted something to eat, you could have asked!"
He didn't even bother to stand up. He had already gotten too comfortable on the normally uncomfortable bench. Smiling toward the bush, he waved a leg of roast chicken in the air behind the bench, it's aromas wafting pleasantly toward the bush thanks to the comfortable, cool breeze over the water's surface. "So will you join me if I release you?" He made sure to make his voice friendly as butter was to a warm pan, about to be used to fry an egg. Mmmm.... Fried eggs...
Sasuke is about to stab at the food when suddenly his arms snap behind his back tearing and pulling at the invisible binding he rolls out of the bush the vine that had extended from his hand withering and dying as it falls from his hand the very base of it retreating into his palm. Vines begin sprouting out from his arms the opens beneath the bindings pushing and stretching the vines as he continues to try and force his way out of it.
Release me ha, I’ve met enough shinigami to know they never release you.” The vines continue to press against the bindings as more and more sprout from his arms the vines pressing against the bindings as they weave together electric energy swirling through them until his arms jolt free. Breathing heavy his stomach growls quickly making a dive for the food he fired vines out of both his arms swirling towards Hachi’s food at the same time three red small seeds fly out of his sleeves towards Hachi’s face. As the seeds get closer to Hachi’s face he calls out ”Bloom”. The second Sasuke speaks the seeds burst in a flash of harmless bright light.
It all happened rather quickly. The little kid rolling out of the bushes, going crazy mad, and spouting words like a gibbering chimp. All Hachi could do was widen his eyes and laugh to himself as the kid gave his performance. He must be -very- hungry indeed to go all out like this!!
Then the white-haired kid did something really funny: throw some little flash seed things. They exploded right before his face into bright white light just as Hachi put up a shield to block them.
As the light cleared, he saw the kid had grabbed hold of the basket and started to turn away. "Oh boy, if you want it that much take it!" He laughed, holding his hands on his stomach and bending over.
"Heaven knows -I- don't need what's in there." He slapped himself on his belly and watched it bounce around.
Sasuke stops as he hears what Hachi said turning his mouth filled with food, he looked at the man scanning him up and down. He didn’t smell like other shinigami’s but he could feel his rieatsu and felt like shinigami… and hollow? Staring at the man as his stomach bounces Sasuke feels the hunger within him rumble a bit, swallowing his bite he speaks cautiously looking back and forth to make sure he knew all the ways he could escape from, while at the same time sprinkling a few red seeds onto the ground. Only one thought was on his mind, shinigami don’t help him they hunt him.
”Why? What’s in this food? Im not going back without a fight I’ll die first."
Sasuke stairs at the man every muscle and every instinct screaming at him to run while he had the food or before whatever was in it could take effect. For some reason he couldn’t explain though he had to know why.
Hachi looked surprisedly at the boy who had actually stopped running away, his mouth full of food and bread crumbs falling onto the ground beneath him. He must not be a villain, just a hungry, homeless little child!
<”Why? What’s in this food? Im not going back without a fight I’ll die first.">
Hachi pondered this statement, not knowing exactly how to react. The kid actually thought a jolly, chubby man poisoned the food he had brought for -himself-? He chuckled. The boy must have had some rough times in his past.
But what did he mean by I'm not going back without a fight, I'll die first! Back? Back where? Why would people be looking for him? A little kid who had a natural gift with plants, or seeds, or something.
"Where could it be you don't want to go back to? Your parents?"
Maybe that was it--he had run away from his home. Maybe because he got in a quarrel with them about his abilities, or maybe because they treated him badly, or maybe just because he was a restless teenager. Either way around it, he had run away from somewhere, and he hadn't eaten for a while.
He moved a little left-of-middle and patted next to him, signaling for the boy to sit. Running-while-eating wasn't good for digestion, and it wouldn't do you any favors for regaining one's energy. Sure, there was probably enough food in that basket to last him for a whole day, or two days if he was smart.
He winked at the boy, hoping he might be more amiable than at first he seemed.
Sasuke eyes the man clutching the food tightly as he walks over to the bench sitting as far away from the man as he can he takes a few bites of the food before eyeing the man suspiciously as he eats he avoids every vegetable and fruit only eating the meat, but scarfing down and tremendous amount if he wasn’t chewing another piece of food was on the way to his mouth crumbs falling down his shirt as he spoke slowing his eating down only slightly.
”So what kinda shinigami are you anyway, you smell funny for one you been fighting a hollow or sompthing.?”
Hachi's stomach grumbled a little, betraying that fact her didn't want what was inside his basket of delicious goodies. He hadn't eaten for a good five hours now, and he had only eaten a couple eggs, three pieces of toast, four slices of bacon, a cup of herbal tea, and some fruit cake: not enough to satisfy his normal breakfast desires, but he had to start being a little careful with his money--and he could at least -try- a diet.
Ignoring the kid's question about Hachigen's actual identity, he pressed on with his own questions. "So then, why is it you don't want to go back?"
Hachi figured that any more questions about where the kid didn't want to go back to would end up just as futile as the last. It's always been easier to say why you don't want to go back to said place, rather than telling a complete stranger where it is you are avoiding; after all, who knows if that agents isn't some spy, or agent looking out for people who run away from that specific place?
He patted his pocket, immediately remembering something. Reaching inside his pant's left pocket, he felt the reassuring, paper feel of a brown-paper bag. Pulling it out of his pocket, careful not to damage what was within, his unwrapped its top and reached inside, pulling out a small rice cake. From the exterior, the boy couldn't tell what hid inside: a delicious, bean jam.
Hachi brought the small cake to his lips and took a bite, the bean jam exploding into his mouth, mixing with the texture of the rice-vessel, and creating a wonderful, appetizing, and satisfying experience.
He put the paper bag on the bench, next to him and away from the ravenous kid. Patting it, he felt the comforting bulges of three more, similar rice cakes--each with a different bean jam. He couldn't wait.
Sasuke gives Hachi an incredulous look rubbing his hands together as he reaches into the lunch box to pull out and consume the last of the meat in the container before pushing the vegetable filled lunch box back across the bench. Pausing a few moments before he speaks he says in a matter of fact manner.
”Cause if I went back they’d make him come out again… Kinda funny though, ignoring my question. Though I guess you’re a kinda funny shinigami. You smell like hollow but there’s no blood on you and you feed people instead of throwing them in cages. ”
Smacking his lips, Sasuke mouth is dry from thirst slowly he reaches down and touches the ground looking back and forth before he speaks he calls softly out "Bloom". The ground began to glow very slightly as a cactus sprouted and grew from the ground reaching a height of five feet before it stops. he then reaches over ripping off a piece and pouring the water within it into his mouth.
