Tempering the Soul [Training, NDE, PG-13]

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Himitsu’s cold, serious battle expression managed to suppress most of a peaking smirk as soon as his blade made contact with Kazuko’s Zanpakuto. Finally, one attack had been successful in crippling his sparring partner slightly in battle, though in this case, the damage caused is very minimal and mostly short-term. In several minutes, it should fade away and he would have comfortable use of his sword arm again. But for the time being, Himitsu doesn’t expect to be engaged in much more close combat with the Lieutenant. From a practical point of view, Kazuko would start attacking from long range using Kido or possibly some other tricks he might have up his sleeve. From what Himitsu’s seen so far, his sparring partner isn’t one to make many traditional moves in battle and that keeps the Fourth Seat on his toes.

“Regardless, you got me good there.” Those words of praise brought a bright grin to Himitsu’s face. He couldn’t help it, really. After all, it that definitely seemed like a compliment and being commended for his success is exactly the type of thing to make the giant’s youthful face beam with pride. Though this expression only flickered for a few moments over his grim expression. If Kazuko blinked twice, he might have missed it. Himitsu had no words to share in response but merely nodded in acknowledgement. He was never the type to open his mouth in a fight and just because this was a sparring session doesn’t change that at all. He had to make sure he stays alert and focused on the enemy in front of him.

Himitsu’s prediction had been confirmed. Since the Vice Captain’s right arm isn’t exactly suitable for close combat at the moment, Kazuko had begun using Kido. However, the way he did so was puzzling. He raised his numbed arm while casting the spell rather than his more stable arm. The question of why he would do such a thing was soon answered. “Hado #31: Shakkaho.” What began as a small spark was rapidly growing into a basketball-sized orb of flames. However, unlike most applications of Shakkaho, it did not stop there. The fire kept growing and growing until it was taller than not only Kazuko but Himitsu as well. But the worst part was that it didn’t even seem close to stopping. If Himitsu was going to attack, he had to make his move that moment or he’d find that the massive fiery boulder would soon be hurtling toward him.

Considering that Kazkuo couldn’t really maneuver his arm very well, Himitsu’s best shot is to get around the Vice Captain and avoid the massive ball of fire as a whole. That way, he could launch a quick counter attack. And if Himitsu’s plan is successful, he could make his counterattack without being seen. For starters, he lifted his left hand and muttered the name of the spell he was casting. “Hado #40: Gouzen Demizu.” A gush of war rose from thin air and surfed its way towards Kazuko in a title wave that was easily a good three feet taller than Himitsu. He put more energy into this technique in order to build up the wave with as much water as possible, though he could never summon enough to negate the fire as a whole. What he could do, however, was create a cloud of steam as soon as the mass of water and the seering flames touched. With luck, the thick mist would make it difficult for Kazuko to see where Himitsu is, considering that the mist would only be in his immediate vicinity.

From there, Himitsu can quite easily use Shunpo to circle to Kazuko’s back in a split second and cast two more techniques. One came from his extended hand, a silent execution of Hado #63: Raikoho, as well as from the tip of his sword, a rapid bolt of lightning as thin as Byakurai but far more concentrated, having equal power as Raikoho with a smaller volume. The Kido is more for a large power move that would be large enough to have more difficulty avoiding. The Zanpakuto technique, Inazuma [Lightning Bolt], is more piercing. However, the chances that both would hit are amplified greately due to one key fact. All around Kazuko would be water vapor lingering in the air and maintaining the steam fog. The water would be able to conduct the electricity, especially the water that had condensed onto Kazuko’s skin, assuming that since it was on his back and further away from the Shakkaho so that it had not evaporated. All in all, the Lieutenant might be in for a shock ((pun intended)).

Reiatsu Remaining: 880/2180 (-100 for Gouzen Demizu, -25 for Shunpo, -150 for Raikoho, -100 for Inazuma: -375 Total)

[Deleted]

When the Shakkaho had been released, Kazuko noticed a few moments after that as the crimson reiatsu cascaded forwarded into a tower-like explosion, it left a surge of steam behind. Puzzled, the boy stood there as the steam soon enveloped the area, almost as if a fog had rolled in. Even stranger, the fog was centered on the Vice-Captain himself. Is this some sort of attack, maybe? No, it just seems to be water. Then, a diversion? In response to his speculation, the boy detected the reiatsu of the Fourth Seat appear near his back. Along with it, he could make out a large build up of that very same reiatsu being prepared. With his sensory and the level of attacks the Fourth Seat was using, keeping things subtle was not very easy. Moreover, the Vice-Captain had already deduced what spell he was using along with the likely characteristics of the second attack as well. With his sensory, basic understanding of Himitsu, and his knowledge of Kido, it was only a wonder if the Fourth Seat expected this type of attack to produce any actual results. Does he actually expect this level of an attack to work against me? Even with all this steam, a surprise attack like this would never… Realization dawned on him that very moment as he turned around where exactly he was. Kazuko was surrounded by water… and there was at least one electric based attack on the way. Darn!


Both the Raikoho and Inazuma blasted through the fog of water, dispersing the charged fog into the surrounding area, until it slowly faded away. With the fog gone, Himitsu would likely notice that in the area where the boy had stood, the tile had been broken apart and scorched. Eventually, Himitsu, with his sensory, would notice that the Reiatsu signature of the Vice-Captain was no longer before him, but behind. The boy stood there, his uniform wet, with scruff marks all over his hands a few meters back. Strangely enough, there was a smile on his face. “I really cut it close there,” he said, wringing the water off his sleeves. He explained, “The moment I realized the nature of your trap, I generated and fired a miniature Shakkaho to my side to disperse some of the water vapor and create a path through the fog. Even with my body a bit wet, there was no vapor around me for the electricity to leap frog across to me as I made my way around your attacks. Still, that was close; a moment later, and I might not have made it in time." The Fourth Seat would notice the Vice-Captain, suddenly, vanish, with the sound of leaves following that; Shunpo. If Himitsu looked down, he would notice the boy right inside his guard…


In that moment, with a smirk plastered on his small face, the boy would simply wave his hand. Then and there, Himitsu would find that his body, along with his electricity, would immediately be propelled backward. Any attacks made against him at that instant would be pushed backward, no matter the direction. The Vice-Captain had used Surasorutoiera – also known as Area Thrust. In all directions around the user, a force similar to Sho was produced, creating an area of effect. More so, even without an incantation, Himitsu would find his body suddenly whiplash backward at 800 speed. Likewise, Kazuko himself was shot upward into the air; unlike Himitsu, he just as quickly stopped himself by using plates of air-ground at his hands and feet. The boy had used Advanced Air-Ground to stop himself, since Soul Society had no natural Air-Ground itself. He would have to figure out some way of slowly himself down or stopping himself, if he were to be able to react to what came next. As he traveled backwards, another mass of crimson was on route to his location; Kazuko had fired another massive Shakkaho again, and this time, the Fourth Seat would need to react faster if he intended to avoid it. Regardless, the Vice-Captain would simply stay hovering over the ground, letting off a heavy sigh. "Darn, that was tiring. Even with spells as weak as those, they take a toll on my body," the boy admitted to himself. Though, the fact of the matter was, he was enjoying this training with the other officer too much not to smile even then.


Remaining Reiatsu: 2875/4000 (-200 for 2x Shakkaho, -50 for Shunpo, -150 for Surasorutoiera, -25 for Advanced Air-Ground)

Combat Posts: 2/8

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

A victorious smile emerged on the Fourth Seat’s young face. The attack had hit directly, severly electrocuting whatever lay inside it. However, his proud expression had barely touched on his face before he noticed two things. First of all, there was no figure standing where the fog used to be before it thinned after the attack. In addition, there was a strong, very noticeable reiatsu source directly behind the Shinigami. “I really cut it close there.” The startled giant spun rapidly in surprise and leaped back to a safe distance, standing in the fog where Kazuko had been positioned just seconds ago, roughly in the center of the training grounds.

Himitsu was very much confused by the Vice Captain’s simultaneous disappearance and reappearance, completely evading what should have been a lethal attack. Luckily, the youth had explained his method of rapid escape. Firing another Shakkaho that quickly? Himitsu’s best attribute is Kido, and he can’t see himself besting his superior officer of the Gotei 13 for at least a very long time that included consistent training and conditioning. Though that fact had been established at the start of their fight, Himitsu had only realized the size of the gap between their strength. Unless he managed to dig up some new tricks from somewhere deep in his sleeves, Himitsu would be toast and this sparring session really wouldn’t last much longer.

Before the Fourth Seat could plan and execute another attack, the Lieutenant disappeared in a blink. He was there and then… wasn’t. It didn’t take much deductive thinking for Himitsu to realize that his opponent was once again using Shunpo. This time, however, the Vice Captain reappeared directly in front of Himitsu, immediately activating a technique that propelled both of them in opposite directions. Before he knew it, the Fourth Seat’s body was hurtling and an insanely fast speed straight for the wall at the end of the training grounds. Uh oh, not good. And in a place without air ground, Himitsu really didn’t have too many options to save his neck. His only chance was to use the Hoho technique Stepping Ground. However, he found that his time to react was limited, for another massive Shakkaho was headed right his way. Considering that Kazuko had used his numb arm again, he most likely couldn’t aim the technique too high upwards. Therefore, Himitsu used his remaining three steps of Stepping Ground to gain a good 10 meters in altitude, definitely taller than even that large ball of scorching flames. From his high position, Himitsu decided it was more than appropriate to launch another Shakkaho at his sparring partner, though this one was the size of an exercise ball rather than a house.

Reiatsu Remaining: 730/2180 (-50 for Stepping Ground, -100 for Shakkaho)

[Deleted]

Ah, so he knows some Hoho too. The Vice-Captain thought, as he watched the Fourth Seat make his way above his spell using a few hastily prepared plates of Air Ground. The boy continued to hover in the air as well, watching the whole scene, and was soon confronted with the counter of the man. A Shakkaho was fired forth, burning a path through the air straight toward him. For a few moments, the boy considered how he would deal with the attack; should he simply overpower the spell, or just dodge? Both seemed like viable options, but then a thought happened upon him. He said he wanted to be pushed further past his limits…I guess its alright if I use that technique then… The Vice-Captain took a few breaths, allowing his body to tense up with the incoming strain and channeled his reiatsu along the core of his body. Next, he focused on the incoming Shakkaho, tracking its trajectory with his Battle Analysis, and figuring at what moment he would lash out against it. With that determined, the boy merely extended his right arm toward the approaching crimson ball of reiatsu, as if to catch it. Though, even with his reiatsu, the spell would still damage him if he attempted to take it head on. Then again, for what Kazuko had in mind, taking on the spell head on was never a possibility.


Himitsu from his vantage point in the air would then find that something unexpected and peculiar happened as soon as the spell appeared to have its mark. The Vice-Captain caught the Shakkaho with his right hand, causing the crimson reiatsu to disappear completely; then, with his left hand, he pointed it at Himitsu. With one fluid motion – exhaling and channeling his reiatsu as he did so – the Vice-Captain redirected the very same Shakkaho that he had caught and fired out with his left hand. The only differences however were the size and power of the spell. Kazuko had layered his own Reiatsu on top of the Reiatsu Himitsu had used in the spell, redirecting his Shakkaho with a Reiatsu Strength of 1143. This newly enlarged Shakkaho raced back toward the person who had originally fired it: Himitsu. The Fourth Seat, after just avoiding two subsequent attacks, would not have much time to rest or gather his wits as another even more devastating attack was on its way. Kazuko was interested to see how his opponent would react to all this as he dropped his arms. Already, he found that the feeling in his right arm had already returned, and that he was able to move it again without too much trouble. Still, there were another set of problems rising up for the young Vice-Captain even after one had been quelled.


Even though Himitsu had his own troubles to contend with, Kazuko was glad that he had a little time to catch his breath while the man did so. The Fourth Seat would likely not be able to notice given the sleeves on the boy, but his arms had burns all along their lengths. The skin was red with irritation, and it chaffed along the fabric of his black robe. Moreover, he could feel the very same feeling on his insides. Redirection, a versatile technique that could, at different levels, redirect an opponent’s reiatsu and send it hurling back even stronger, took a great toll on his body. Kazuko found that his breath was heavy and his face was glistening with sweat. It was bad enough that the officer had terrible stamina, but he also had to pay for the cost of exerting his body without getting any rest. Well, that burned… After a few breaths, he said, “That technique was called Redirection; as you saw, its able to catch an opponent’s reiatsu and send it back toward them. Though… I can’t say I really want to use that technique again – not when it hurts so much to use it.” The boy giggled, innocently toward the other man. It seemed that Kazuko was enjoying himself a bit, all considering. If Himitsu were still able to continue fighting, then he would see a possible opening against his opponent. It seemed that Kazuko was very tired, to the point where he did not seem to want to press on the attack or go on the offensive. If he wanted an opportunity to make something happen, then would be the right time to do it.


Remaining Reiatsu: 2750/4000 (-25 for Advanced Air Ground, -100 for Redirection Level 2)

Combat Posts: 3/8

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

Himitsu’s gaze flicked down just to ensure that the giant Shakkaho soared safely under him as he hovered in the air, out of harms way. However, he immediately returns his focus to his own Shakkaho that had jumped out from his palm and was racing towards his opponent. Kazuko did not seem to even attempt dodge the flames hurtling toward him, and if the past meant anything this would only spell out danger to Himitsu. There was absolutely no chance the attack would hit if the Vice Captain’s confidence wasn’t misplaced. However, Kazuko did not seem like the type to use the same technique twice. According to the previous events of their sparring session, this he seemed far too innovative and creative to repeat any prior actions. That left Himitsu with only one question in his mind. What is he going to do this time?

Of course, the Fourth Seat’s question was answered a split second later when the ball of fire made contact with the Lieutenant’s outstretched hands. To Himitsu’s surprise, rather than it exploding like it normally would, the Shakkaho was enlarged greately to the size of Kazuko’s own flames and reflected back at the Shinigami. With the immense strength added to it, Himitsu would have no chance of blocking the technique with any sort of Bakuda. Therefore, his only option once again is dodge. If he merely released stepping ground, Himitsu would take too long to fall and would therefore be hit by the flames before he could descend enough to evade the Shakkaho as a whole. Therefore, the Shinigami planned on using another instance of Stepping Ground to propel himself to the floor. He could concentrate his reiatsu into a plate above him and turn his body one hundred and eighty degrees so his feet could push off the Stepping Ground and launch his body towards the ground at a much faster rate. Himitsu made sure that his trajectory was diagonal. That way, he could roll of his shoulder when he makes contact with the floor to decrease the force he has to directly take.

The good news was Himitsu was safe from the firy Hado. The bad news was that he had not anticipated how much of the force his shoulder would have to take from his descent, leaving him with a large bruise and certain soreness for a few days. Though he would rather take that over the Shakkaho for sure. “That technique was called Redirection; as you saw, its able to catch an opponent’s reiatsu and send it back toward them. Though… I can’t say I really want to use that technique again – not when it hurts so much to use it.” Himitsu nodded slowly, absorbing every word like he was a sponge. However, his battle-ready mindset was interrupted by an unexpected sound. The Lieutenant let out a young giggle that put a quizzical expression on Himitsu’s face. After fighting a one-way battle with Kazuko, it was surprising for the Fourth Seat to be reminded that the powerful leader in the Gotei 13 was a child. Despite his real age, he even had the innocent air of a minor. The people you meet in battle are never the same outside of it. A smile eventually crawled its way to Himitsu’s face, slow to cover up his surprise. The large man lowered his sword and ended his Zanpakuto’s release, deciding that if Kazuko was not going to pursue the training battle, he would end it for now. In fact, he had another new objective on his mind that he sought the Vice Captain’s help with. After witnessing redirection for the first time, Himitsu was already fond of the technique. The only problem was that it wasn’t in his arsenal. Not yet, at least. He opened his mouth and spoke with his usual disarming voice, although they had not just been testing their strength together (or at least Himitsu was testing his strength) just a few moments earlier. He wanted to learn outside of battle, and he had hoped the Vice Captain was willing assist him. “Please teach me that technique.”

Reaitsu Remaining: 680/2180 (-50 for Stepping Ground)

[Deleted]

Oh, he dodged that one quite nicely. Kazuko commented, watching as the Fourth Seat picked himself off the ground, wincing a bit at some pain from the maneuver. The redirected Shakkaho, having missed its target, collided against another section of tile, sending another pillar of fire skyward. A little nervously, the Vice-Captain realized just how expensive repairing all these damages would be, and felt a lot of the fight go out of his pocket. A little bit disheartened that he was the cause of the that damage, Kazuko looked down, and found Himitsu staring at him, some thought plastered clear across his face. Is he planning another attack, maybe he wants me to go and make another move? He thought, trying to deduce what exactly the Fourth Seat was waiting for. Well, that is, until Himitsu’s zanpakuto reverted back into its sealed state, locking away much of the Reiatsu that had been present earlier. Is he giving up? That was strange; the Vice-Captain figured the Shinigami had a bit more fight in him before he tapped out. Not that he wasn’t thankful himself for it; physical activity was not one of the officer’s strong suits after all, so continuing would only add to his terrible fatigue.


“Please teach me that technique.” Himitsu said to the other officer, throwing him off a bit. The Vice-Captain descended downward, landing on what remained of the tile with an audible click of his sandals. Casually, the boy rubbed the back of his head, trying to make out just what to do in this situation. “Um…You want to learn Redirection, eh?” He mumbled to himself, before saying, “Well, then, the answer is no.” Kazuko tried to feign a nervous laugh, in an attempt to ease the tension and rejection in the situation. “You see, Redirection is a powerful technique that can’t be learned just over night. It took me months just to learn all three levels, and a few weeks to learn how to apply them. Besides, I don’t really have the time to train someone else from another squad…” A few seconds passed, where the Fourth Seat would probably be thinking about how to respond to his rejection. Well, what did he expect? The Vice-Captain of Squad Nine couldn’t just drop everything to train some other officer from another squad; that made no sense; he had his own men to take care of.


“Well, lucky for you, I have a solution!” Kazuko piped, dispelling the downed mood. The boy walked up to the Fourth Seat, dusting off his uniform as he did so, and gave a loud whistle with two of his fingers. “Everyone! File in!” He yelled, as he stopped right in front of the man, about a meter off. Himitsu sure was tall, now that Kazuko looked closely at him. The Shinigami who had been watching the training moved from their vantage points and formed two straight rows beside both officers; it seemed that even they did not know what was going on there judging by their faces. The Vice-Captain cleared his throat, making sure that it wouldn’t crack and embarrass him, and declared, “Himitsu Misute, you have impressed me today not only with your courage and strength, but also with your sheer audacity in the face of danger. You’ve earned my respect. For that reason, I, Kazuko Shiba, Vice-Captain of Squad Nine, invite you to join Squad Nine as our new Third Seat; we could use someone like you here, and I would be proud to train you myself and help you develop, if you’d agree. Of course, I’d take care of all the paperwork and pencil pushing in the transfer, but this is all up to you. What do you say, Himistsu?”


It seemed that Kazuko had made up his mind to try and recruit Himitsu at some point in their training. The Vice-Captain had no Third Seat in his squad, and not for lack of trying. Not many were qualified for that position after all, well, not until now. It mattered little to the boy that he belonged to another squad. Kazuko only had to pull a few strings, and he would get the transfer one way or another. Still, it was left up to Himitsu to decide whether he wanted to leave his old Squad in place for this new one. The Vice-Captain, despite his overbearing confidence in the decision, did not exactly know just how the Fourth Seat would react to this proposal of promotion. He had offered to train him personally if he agreed, and that probably extended past just learning one technique if he so wished. If Himitsu agreed, then the files of Shinigami would break out in congratulations and cheers; they had seen just how well he had managed to hold his own against the Vice-Captain, so they were happy at least to have someone capable in the position. If Himitsu refused, then everyone would respectfully accept the decision, and there would likely be no hard feelings between any of them. No one could blame the Vice-Captain for at least trying.


Remaining Reiatsu: 2750/4000

Combat Posts: 3/8 (1/2 Resting Posts)

[Himitsu Kasumi'Oji]

(( Sorry for the Shorter Post, I'm trying to rush with posting before I leave on vacation this week xD ))

There it was. Himitsu had been asking the Vice Captain for favor the whole day so far, not offering a single thing in return. After all, he didn’t have any method of payment beside some spare Ryo. It was only a matter of time until Himitsu received his inevitable rejection. In fact, it was his fault for pursuing the training without minding the availability and willingness of the Lieutenant. “No” was just a word he hated to hear and strove to avoid at all costs. Failure and rejection are never the kindest words to hear after a working hard, and it would be a straight out lie to say that the Fourth Seat was not disappointed. But he did understand and would walk away pleased what he got from the training.

“Thank you for everything, Kazuko. Hopefully, we can do this again sometime.” He had a slightly hopeful tone underneath his cheerful voice, but he didn’t want to be put in the same situation of being turned away. Himitsu was preparing himself to walk away before the words of the younger Soul Reaper stopped him in his tracks. “Everyone! File in!” The large body of Squad 9 Shinigami that were not-so-stealthily watching from the corner flooded out from the broken gates into the training area, where there were many signs of battle such as scorched and broken tiles. In the mean time, Kazuko walked abruptly toward the large Soul Reaper and stopped not too far in front of him, and his invisible aura of command was almost tangible enough for Himitsu to reach out and touch. Just a few words had gotten the Shinigami, appearing very well trained and disciplined, to efficiently rush into two rows around Himitsu and the Vice Captain. And Kazuko continued to bellow with a far more formal voice than he had used in the exchanges that occurred between himself and Himitsu. But the words seemed much more kindhearted than that, despite the formality they were practically drowning in. It took a few minutes for understanding to set in, and when it did, a response was immediate.

“Yes. We can split the paperwork or I could even do it all, but I’d be more than happy to become your new Third Seat.” Himitsu hadn’t expected to impact the Vice Captain enough for him to be personally invited to Squad 9. Even though the Fourth Seat was already an established member in Squad 10, he had no ties to any of his immediate comrades. While at Squad 9, not only had he developed a potentially strong friendship with the Lieutenant, but he had gained the respect of the remaining Squad members as well. Just seeing his new comrades standing along both sides of him was the closest thing Himitsu has ever had to a family, the type of close-knit group he had been searching for since his death. “Thank you, Kazuko,” Himitsu said, extending his hand to the Lieutenant. His Lieutenant.

[Deleted]

(OOC: Recruitment/training thread is over. Further training will continue someplace else.)

[Kyomei Kuchiki]

+470 TP to both participants