Learning at the feet of the Family Head

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko was sitting on a small boulder in what she knew as an underground training area. However, due to the fact until now she had never even heard of such a thing being on the Shihoin estate she believed it to be secret from most of the family. It was much larger than she would have ever expected so large that she wasn't actually sure how a fight could extend to such a wide area. It seemed as if there were actual cliffs and small mountains in this area. It just left Kimiko in awe of what belongs to her family and that they had such a thing to be used when deemed so. That was something that she pondered though as she happily looked over the area why had Okami told her of this place and to meet him here now by midday.

Kimiko wasn't entirely on good standing with her cousin Okami mainly because she still didn't understand why her own father had given the title of Head to him instead of waiting for her to come of age and then have her take up the mantle for him. Though she had moved on from that for the majority and now looked to Okami more as family then anyone other than her own father. At the same time however she had mixed feelings toward both.

Her father never would have allowed her to become a Shinigami and she was only one now because Okami had removed the order from her father. This made Kimiko wonder who exactly she could thank and trust in her family. The only reason Okami would have called her down here that she could think of was to tell her she needed to be careful and that most likely even though she was now a Shinigami that the Onmitsukido would still remain as personal guards to her like the rest of her family.

Honestly what could she do though. She had no authority yet not as a Shinigami or even within her own family as a princess she was the most powerless. Picking up a stone from the ground of the training area Kimiko let out a sigh of negative emotions and chucked the stone as hard as she could into one of the cliffs. She watched as it smashed into pieces and fell to the ground. She couldn't help, but compare herself to the stone and the cliff to her family. It seemed like no matter what she did or achieved she would never have a say and never be able to make the difference she dreamed of for the Shihoin family.

[Ōkami Shihoin]

OOC: Okami will be training Kimiko so that she may gain TP. Okami, since he is maxed out will only be training for TTP instead.

Play This

"You were able to make it..."

These were the first words Kimiko would hear. Those words would break her sudden train of thought. Not because of any sort of threat behind them. No. It was because of the suddenness of those words. Without warning, Okami had appeared. He was there, stepping out of the shadow of a small tree to her right. When he had appeared, would be a mystery to her. Had he been standing there that whole time? Or had he appeared just now? Either way, Kimiko would see the skill of the man who now called himself Head of her family firsthand. The Shihoin tilted his head up slightly and the dim light coming from the ceiling above flashed onto his goggles, illuminating them in a way that only one eye became visible. "I want to begin by commending you on finding this room on your own, Kimiko-shomai. It is a room that only those Shihoin who have become Shinigami are privy to. That brings me to a second commendation on your recent promotion." He took a few steps forward until he was about ten feet from her. There was an uneasy tension in the air upon his arrival, and he realized that his sudden appearance in this manner may have startled his younger cousin. "Ah, forgive me for not coming through the front door." He gave a small, brief smile to reassure her. He also realized that sometimes he came off as emotionless and robotic, a trait he had developed from his time serving with the Onmitsukido.

The Shihoin Head surveyed the vast training area he had stepped into. It was one of the great wonders his family owned. With the money they had once owned, they had been able to build this expansive underground training area. It was a great place to train and develop new powers and powerful techniques. This was the place most Shihoin came to learn Bankai. It had been where Okami himself had trained his own Bankai in secret. Those were the days... Kyūkyoku no Kasokuki piped up. The cheetah-like spirit reminisced on the time when he had first trained Okami to use his greatest power. Sadly, the two would never get the chance to use the powerful technique again. Alas, the connection between Okami and his zanpakutou spirit had been severed so much during Okami's grieving that he had broken the connection to his zanpakutou spirit's greatest power. As a result, he had been weakened severely by the loss. The Okami standing before Kimiko was not at the same level as the Okami that had returned from Hueco Mundo.

The Shihoin blinked and returned his gaze to the young Shihoin sitting on the boulder before him. "You've done well on your path to become a Shinigami. I'm very proud of you, Kimiko-shomai. I had no doubt that you would excel." Okami flashed another smile, this time a more genuine one. His body language was changing the longer he stood there. There was no longer the cold, aloof aura that had seeped off of him when he had entered. Now, there was only warmth and genuineness coming from the Shihoin Head. Okami was shifting personalities. He didn't like engaging family or friends with the cold, aloof personality he used during missions. So, he was shifting to his true personality in order to talk with Kimiko and tell her what it is he had brought her down here for. "Now, I want to see what you can do for myself. Just as my father did for me after I became a Shinigami, I will do the same for you. It is only right as the Head of this family. Think of it as a rite of passage of sorts."

Okami gazed upon his younger cousin, wondering whether she would understand what exactly he was alluding to. It shouldn't take a rocket scientist to understand what was about to happen. He was going to test her now. He was going to see what kind of skill she had developed over the years of her tutelage. He wanted to see for himself, with his own two eyes, what strength she had. He would find out whether his decision to let her become a Shinigami had been a good one. "The Shino Academy has passed you as a Shinigami, this much is true. However, I will now see whether the strength you possess is worthy enough to represent our family. I want to see with my own two eyes whether you are ready to represent the Shihoin on the battlefield." As he spoke, he lifted a hand to the zipper on the black flak jacket he wore over his shihakusho. He undid the zipper and let the flak jacket open up. Underneath it, the shihakusho he wore had a deep V-neck, which revealed much of his upper chest, which had the Shihoin family crest tattooed onto it. "Come, Kimiko. Come and show me the strength you've developed during your tutelage under the finest teachers. Show me that I wasn't wrong for letting you become a Shinigami." With that, Okami's stance changed. He shifted his right leg back and crouched lower, hands out in front of him. He appeared to be rocking from side to side in his stance, arms swaying with his movements as he awaited his cousin's next move.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Okami's Stats and Skills}


Strength - Lowered [250 (150)] Points

Speed – [400] Points

Spiritual Pressure - [300] Points

Reiatsu Strength – Boosted [300 (525)] Points

Light Aura - [80] Points

Dark Aura - [20] Points

Instinct - [150] Points

Senses - [150] Points

Energy sensory - [50] Points

Healing Expertise - [0] Points


Total SP: [1600] Points

Abilities

[*][Battle Analysis] {3}

[*][Special Skill: Stealth] {2}

[*][Martial Arts: Capoiera] {3}

[*][Pain Tolerance] {1}

[*][Movement Skill: Parkour] {3}

[*][Hakuda] {3}

[Kimiko Shihoin]

"You were able to make it..."

Kimiko’s skin crawled at the sudden sound of a familiar voice she couldn’t help the sudden reflex of a startled jump. It was right after the Kimiko gained control of her body that she turned her head around searching for the source of the voice she knew all too well. It had been Okami she knew that much for sure the sound of her older cousins voice was one that she would never forget. She could still remember her oath to the man that one day she would obtain the status from him as the next Family Head. All of the negative emotions that she had been feeling only a moment ago were now replaced by those of ambition and determination that set in her gaze across the training area as she made eye contact with Okami.

Kimiko hadn’t even noticed him inside of the training area. Yet that didn’t seem right in it she looked behind him and saw the small tree. “Damn it why was he hiding when he asked me here.” Kimiko’s gaze focused back on Okami’s own as he walked toward her. She watched as he shifted the angle of his head and saw that he intentionally was displaying the workings of intelligence by revealing only a single one of his eyes through his goggles. Kimiko’s arms crossed below her breasts as Okami continued to walk over and speak to Kimiko on the details of this event.

"I want to begin by commending you on finding this room on your own, Kimiko-shomai. It is a room that only those Shihoin who have become Shinigami are privy to. That brings me to a second commendation on your recent promotion."

Kimiko was rather surprised that Okami was so willing to give her his commandment simply for passing the test to become a Shinigami. As he spoke it was revealed to Kimiko why she had never heard or been in this special training area until now. As that happened though Kimiko couldn’t help, but give Okami an evil eye squint feeling as if he didn’t actually believe she could obtain the status. If he believed that then why did he allow her to try the only thing that she could think of was that he hoped she wouldn’t be able to and then give up like her father wanted.

Damn him now he was apologizing for hiding the entire time. What was with her cousin one moment he was either just gone then the next he was tricking her or trying to appear friendly and caring. Out of all her family Okami was both someone she felt she could trust at times, but also knew almost nothing about in detail. It the past it just seemed like he was emotionless another of the fake Shinigami that were actually robots. Kimiko couldn’t believe that in her own family though due to the understand of the Onmitsukido teachings even she could come off like a robot when on assignments that couldn’t involve emotion so maybe Okami had just lost himself in the teachings at some point.

"You've done well on your path to become a Shinigami. I'm very proud of you, Kimiko-shomai. I had no doubt that you would excel."

Her Okami why was he so much harder to read than anyone else. One moment it felt like he was manipulating her and just using her to further himself like her father the next he seemed like someone that cared. Kimiko didn’t hate him for how he was she just didn’t really understand why he couldn’t remain one all the time instead of constantly switching from one to the other. This time he was smiling it seemed much truer like he was showing his true self.

It seemed that Okami had invited Kimiko to come to this special training ground in order to test her own capabilities now that she was a Shinigami. He was going to test her prowess as a Shinigami and he was going to realize that her potential was that of someone who would one day rule where he did now. It was then that Okami’s stance shifted into one that she knew all to well. She had never known to that Okami was a practitioner of Capoiera it was a shock to know that he utilized a martial that she did as well.

The stance he was in though Kimiko knew wasn’t going to be easy to land a clear hit against him while in it. She could do almost any kind of physical attack and it would only result in a swift counter from Okami that would never get through to him. It left her puzzled at how she could manage to strike him to get through to him and show him that she wasn’t going to go down easy or back off. Dropping down from the boulder Kimiko gripped her zanpakuto tightly as her test began. “Your going to regret questioning my strength cousin.”

Rushing Okami as swiftly as she could Kimiko gripped the hilt of her zanpakuto with her right hand ready to withdrew the long blade. Just as it looked like she would draw it out and strike with the blade Kimiko tossed the entire zanpakuto forward with every bit of her strength right towards Okami. They were little more then a distance of physical combat could allow so she hoped it would take him off guard. Right as it left her hands she would drop to the ground siding on the ground in order to get under Okami. If successful and his sight was taken by her zanpakuto for even a moment Kimiko would be able to execute a hand stand and kick forward with her right leg in an attempt to strike Okami in the face while he regained her focus.

SPOILER: Click to show

Current Stats/Skills
Strength - 200 (300)
Speed - 60 (75)
Spiritual Pressure - 30 (15)
Reiatsu Strength - 25 (13)
Light Aura - 70
Dark Aura - 30
Instinct - 50
Senses - 50
Energy Sensory - 0
Healing Expertise - 0

Abilities
•[Martial Art: Hakudo] {1}
•[Martial Art: Capoeira] {1}
•[Martial Art: Pressure Points] {1}
•[Strength of Will] {1}
•[Battle Focus] {1}
•[Acrobatics] {1}
•[Stealth] {1}

[Ōkami Shihoin]

OOC: Make sure to post your stats. The ones you had before your most recent upgrade to SP.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Play This}

The Shihoin Head watched closely as his younger cousin prepared herself. At first, she seemed hesitant to make an attack. Was she going through all possibilities before she made her attack? Given that Okami was the Head of the family, Kimiko was probably thinking that this battle with him would be incredibly difficult. She probably thought it would be best for her to make every move cautiously and give incredible thought behind each attack. That was what Okami figured she was thinking. He was trying to read her, gauging what her first move would be. He smiled within, proud of the fact that another Shihoin had become a Shinigami. He had truly believed in her when first letting her begin the training. He had seen the burning drive she possessed to be the next Head. He could tell there was great motivation in her to lead the family to greatness. So, he took a gamble on her. Now it was time to see if his gamble had paid off.

He wondered if it had been this same way for his father. He remembered thinking what he thought Kimiko might be thinking when he had fought his own father. He imagined what it must have been like for his father when he had tested him in this same way. Back then, had his father thought these same thoughts? Was his father also hesitant about their battle? Okami wasn’t sure about any of this, but his thoughts drew him to memories of his own battle with his father. Memories that his mind for some reason wanted to replay at this very opportune moment. Okami tried to shake them away, but in those few moments before Kimiko attacked, Okami’s mind delved into that place and he began to remember.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Kento has me hooked on these}

At first, he only stood there. At first, he stood there without moving a muscle. He had already shifted into the only fighting stance he knew, but he had yet to make a move. Back then, he didn’t know as many fighting styles as he knew now. Back then, he hadn’t developed his fighting techniques into what they were now. As a result, he could only go with the fighting style he had learned from private tutors and from the academy. Back then, he felt completely unprepared for the challenge that he was about to face.

Facing opposite him was his challenger. The man was tall with a face and skin complexion similar in appearance to his own. Okami’s father, Head of the Shihoin Family, stood across from him in a stance of his own. Unlike Okami, who had his dark purple hair cut into a short mohawk, Jiro Shihoin wore his hair cut in a much shorter, traditional look. It was a formal look, not too unkempt and not too messy. Jiro preferred the look on him while Okami chose to be more stylish. But, haircuts weren’t the most important thing at that moment.

Many things went through the young Shihoin’s mind in that moment. Many of those thoughts were about what his first move should be. Facing off against the Head, let alone his own father, was no small task. Whatever he did had to be calculated, thought out, and planned cautiously. He couldn’t just do anything and hope he landed a hit. This was it for him. This was showtime. He was facing off against his father, Jiro Shihoin, one of the greatest Shihoin to lead the family.

”Okami, I thought you said you were ready a few minutes ago? Did the Academy teach you how to go back on your words?” Jiro called out to his son, taunting him in order to mess with the young Shihoin’s mind. Jiro was good at psychological warfare. He used it a lot when engaging his opponents, at least this is what Okami had heard from his tutors. Most of the time, however, Jiro preferred to end things quickly. He didn’t like to draw things out. He didn’t like people wasting his time. Knowing this, Okami grew even more nervous about the prospect of facing his father.

”Forgive me for my hesitance, Otosan.” Still unsure of how he would approach his father, Okami attacked anyway. He rushed forward, using his full speed to approach the powerful Shihoin Head. He saw a smile form itself across Jiro’s face as he came. As he launched himself forwards and closed the gap between himself and his father, he could already tell that his first attack would not go so well. He could already tell that his father had no plans to make this easy. No, not at all.

SPOILER: Click to show

{Now Play This}

Okami was snapped back to reality as Kimiko launched off towards him. She launched herself with a hand on the hilt of her blade, as if ready to draw it at any moment. She was going to start off with zanjutsu? He didn’t mind that. He didn’t have a preference for how the battle should play out, actually. He didn’t have a preference because he would counter using whatever means he had available to him. If she chose to begin with zanjutsu, he would simply counter with whatever was in his arsenal. If she switched to something different, he would switch along with her. He didn’t have a preference because he was willing to flow with her own preferences. That was how his fighting style worked.

He noticed that she wasn’t moving very fast at all. But of course, his speed was about 5-6 times her own; thus to him, her top speed would be nothing compared to his own. He decided that he wouldn’t approach this battle as his father had approached their own. He wasn’t going to be as hard on her as his father had been on him. Not unless she really needed it. Thus, he resolved himself to move more slowly. His rocking was much slower than it could have been. He essentially cut his speed by a quarter of what it was as he watched her approach.

He was taken aback by her method of attack when she came within striking distance. He was taken aback, but it didn’t surprise him so much that he couldn’t dodge it. He could increase his own speed anytime after all. But in this instance, he chose not too. Moving at 100 speed, he shifted to the side, lowering himself to the right side. In that lowered position, the blade passed right over his head, missing him completely. While lowered like that, he kept his eyes on her, and not on the blade. At the moment, she was at a level where he had no need to worry about surprise attacks involving the blade. Plus, his eyes didn’t catch any glimmer of light shining onto any sort of wire. Thus, she had no connection to her thrown blade after it was released.

Kimiko decided to slide into him, thinking that the thrown blade would catch him off guard. It hadn’t actually, and given his level of experience, he had realized that he should pay more attention to her than the blade. In his experiences, attacks like that were only meant as distractions. So, as he watched her approach, he pushed off of his right leg and flipped to the left. He flipped to his left and moved into the air, moving above her to avoid the sliding kick. He landed to her right, and spun on his right foot as it landed. He wash’t spinning in order to gather momentum for his own counterattack. No, he was spinning for an entirely different reason. When he came out of his spin, he kicked the right leg out towards her, aimed in such a way that he would miss. That would probably catch her off guard. As he kicked, he dragged up dirt and debris from the ground. The dirt and debris he had purposefully kicked up would blind her and prevent an immediate followup to the sliding kick if she happened to look towards him at that moment. While she was blinded, he chose to retreat and leapt away to prepare himself for her next attack once she was able to gather herself.

[Kimiko Shihoin]

Kimiko had watched as Okami had managed to lower his body to the right at a speed she was unable to replicate in order to evade her zanpakuto from striking his body. Kimiko knew her attempt to catch him off guard was now void and the only hope of her attack actually landing would be her incredible strength. She slide across the ground heading right towards Okami only to watch as he flipped to the left off of the ground evading her attack. A sneer spread over Kimiko's face as she watched Okami flip making eye contact with her cousin. As she kept eye contact she placed her hands down on the ground behind her just as Okami flipped over her to land on her right.

Right as Okami had touched the surface of the ground and began to spin Kimiko exterted a good deal of her strength gripping onto the ground and pulling up on her lower body. The major muscles doing the work were that of her abdomen and biceps which allowed the young princess to actually execute a hand stand. Although the problem was she wasn't facing Okami she had no knowledge of what he was doing right at that moment only where he would have landed. Focusing on that small amount of information Kimiko spun her palms on the ground while bending her legs downward in an attempt to kick Okami with both legs as she spun.

That however wasn't the best plan due to the fact that as she spun the debris and dust from Okami's kick had been knocked into the air right in front of her face. This causes Kimiko to lost much of her concentration as her body forced her eyes shut and much of her strength that had been channeled into her abdomen and legs vanished. Although her legs both were successful in striking the pathway Kimiko had planned for Okami was no longer present in that path. He had moved backwards and managed to evade her double kick. Her legs both moving with her body to the left Kimiko bend her legs inward and allowed them to slide into the ground giving her the hold on the ground in order to lend down and clear her eyes of dust.

Kimiko stared across the training ground into Okami's eyes displaying her own determination and resolve to defeat him. After a few moments of silence Kimiko rushed forward in what seemed to be a naïve frontal assault. AS the distance between her and Okami was reduced to little more then five feet the princess vanished from sight. Kimiko had resorted to utilizing Shunpo in an attempt to surprise her cousin although she doubted such a thing was possible. Just as she vanished Kimiko would appear behind Okami in mid air executing a flying jump kick with her right leg extended outwards aimed right for the back of Okami's head. Kimiko knew that her cousin would most likely be able to defend or evade in some way so if necessary she was prepared to spin and kick outward with her left leg if he leapt to the sides or flip forward to kick downward with her right leg.

[Ōkami Shihoin]

OOC: You forgot reiatsu for shunpo.

IC:
The young Shihoin launched forward from his stationary position, moving with all the speed his young body could muster at that age. His body zigzagged, moving left and then right as he approached in order to confuse his opponent. It wasn’t until he reached within a few feet of his father that he made his move. He launched himself from his father’s right, aiming a high kick with his left leg. The man was effortless in dodging, however, and simply ducked to avoid the leg that swept over his head. Okami didn’t miss a beat after landing and launched right into another kick, swinging his right leg into his father, who was now coming up from his crouch. The older Shihoin was much faster though. With incredible speed, he flipped over the young Shihoin’s kick. From there, Jiro Shihoin attacked with an elbow to the young Shihoin’s back.

Pain rippled through the Shihoin heir as he was sent reeling forward from the jab. Okami stumbled and caught himself, knowing that another attack from his father would soon come. No sooner had he thought this did he feel the blow to the back of both knees. His legs collapsed under him and he fell to the ground. He was at the mercy of his father, who leapt into the air in order to deliver a finishing strike to the young boy’s back. As quick as he could, Okami rolled to the side, onto his back and away from his father’s attempt to finish it all. His father’s fist pounded the ground next to him, missing him by a hair. Not wanting to lose this opportunity, Okami acted and launched into a counter of his own. He spun his body while on the ground and kicked out at his father. Jiro caught the leg and turned the attack back on the young Shihoin. He swung Okami, dragging his body along the ground before throwing him about five feet. From there, he launched towards Okami without even waiting for him to get up.

”Okami, your movements are slow, and your attacks lack skill.” the Shihoin Head chastised as he closed the gap between himself and Okami. He launched out with a blow to Okami’s chest as he was getting up, winding the boy before he even had a chance to recover. From there, he launched into a rapid barrage of punches to the boy’s face and chest. All the while, he was lecturing. Even as he attacked, he was giving feedback. ”When the opponent is faster, you must be more cautious with your attacks. Don’t just attack with everything you have. Let them come to you and do your best to deflect rather than dodge. Then when the enemy has grown tired and slips up, that is the moment you strike.” These were the words Jiro Shihoin delivered to his son as he barraged the boy with a flurry of punches. Finally, Jiro launched a palm strike into Okami’s chest that sent him flying backwards. ”It saddens me to hurt you like this, Okami, but you have to learn. You would learn nothing if I went easy on you. Now, get up.”

Present Day

SPOILER: Click to show

Okami closed his eyes, reflecting on the memories his mind chose to go over as he waited for his cousin to recover. As she stood up and rubbed the dust from her eyes, his mind was remembering the words of his father. His mind was taking everything in from his current surroundings while reflecting on the past. He was remembering the importance behind those words his father had said to him that day. Despite how harsh Jiro had been on him in that battle, he had been right. I understand now what you meant. Okami understood now the purpose of Jiro’s pressuring. He understood now why his father had pushed him so hard in that battle of theirs. And now, he would help Kimiko to understand this same lesson.

As she came forward, he prepared himself. He prepared himself by moving once more into that stance that would be all too familiar to Kimiko. His body was crouched and he was prepared for another frontal attack. He was quite surprised once again with what came next. Right before his eyes, Kimiko seemed to blur. Her speed increased very suddenly and she moved quickly around the Shihoin Head. He didn’t have to guess as to how she had done it, for he had sensed the release of reiatsu as she blurred before his very eyes. However, her sudden use of shunpo wouldn’t have the effect she had intended.

As she moved, Kimiko would notice Okami’s body turning slightly to follow her. He could see her. She would see his eyes beneath the goggles keeping up with her increased speed and actually following her. Okami’s eyes were following the path she was taking to get behind him. ”You’re slow.” His words would break the silence in that moment and quite possibly surprise the young Shihoin. The realization that Okami was able to track her during Shunpo might come as a surprise to her. This was the level of power she was dealing with. This was the strength of the man standing before her. Okami, who naturally moved at a speed 4 times her own, had no trouble following her movements while in shunpo. Against someone at her own level, her attack may have worked. However, against Okami, it was doomed to fail.

She was attacking from behind, an error on her part. No matter what kind of attack she was planning, Okami’s first instinct was to get out of range of any close range assaults. He did this by spinning to his right. While he spun, he decided that he would show her something. The attack was a skilled one, had it been against someone other than him. For that, he would honor her by giving a response to her attack. Now, it was his turn to attack. From his spin, his body flowed into a forwards roll towards her, and underneath any further attacks she could have made while in the air. He moved towards her, getting low to the ground into order to roll himself into a handstand. From there, he went on the offensive, deciding that he would teach her in the same way his father had taught him.

Sorry, but I have to teach you the hard way.

He spun on his hands and lashed out with his left leg, kicking into her back as she was landing. Then from there, he twisted his body and swung his legs around. They were coming at her again! He was shifting his weight onto his right hand now as both legs came launching out. He twisted again and launched off of that hand, spinning his body so that he propelled himself into her with a double kick that would send her skidding away from him. With such high resilience, Kimiko would be able to survive the devastating kicks if they hit. What would be more surprising for her was the speed in which they came. One after another so fluidly after her own attack. There would barely be any time to respond given that she also had to land after her own kick missed. Okami chose to address her then after resuming standing position. ”A noble attack. I commend you on the use of shunpo in an attempt to try and catch me off guard. But, you have to try harder than that…”

[Kimiko Shihoin]

This was it the moment that Kimiko would prove herself to her cousin Okami that she had been worth all the effort and that she would replace him as the Shihoin head. As the distance between the two of them closed and Kimiko prepared herself for the attack in her mind she had seen that Okami’s eyes were closed. Instead of reacting like most others and halting her attack Kimiko couldn’t help the feeling of a burning rage in her chest. “How dare he fight me like that!” Kimiko wouldn’t allow him to take her so lightly.

As she concentrated her reiatsu and preformed shunpo in order to move around and kick Okami from behind while in the air the princess saw Okami’s eye lids open and the dark pupils line up with her body. Okami was already in the same lowered position of Capoeira that he had been the first clash. Kimiko bit down on her lower lip realizing that the chances of success were dwindling every moment that pasted. “I’ve got to land a blow on him NOW!”

In that instant Kimiko would be right behind Okami performing the flying jump kick aimed now above Okami’s actually body. Kimiko’s eyes shrunk to nearly half the normal size in shock as she looked down and saw that Okami had been able to actually turn himself around and face her while she was performing Shunpo. “What the hell how is he that fast” In that moment though Okami spun to the left of her leg. Ready to extend her left leg and kick her cousin in a make shift attempt to still land a blow Kimiko couldn’t help, but have her sight drawn to the performance of the maneuver Okamin was executing.

He had been in the normal Cadeira position that was idle for the style of Capoeira something that Kimiko hadn’t actually be paying attention enough to realize thus resulting in a large majority of her mistake. Now though Okami was moving his entire body into a roll underneath Kimiko. Kimiko shifted her weight accurately to the right causing her actual body to turn in that direction. As Kimiko planned the downward kick she realized she was moving to swiftly and wouldn’t be able to land a strike against her cousin.

Now slight in mid air a few feet off the ground Kimiko faced the opposite direct that she had been only a moment prior. In that moment though Kimiko saw her cousin’s body in a handstand and shifting around with one of his legs coming right towards her head. Without much thought Kimiko flexed the muscles of her neck only to have Okami’s kick hit her squad in the face a moment later. One might not think her efforts very wise or successful, but in truth Kimiko hadn’t known how strong Okami was physically and was preparing her head for a kick that might have very well of sent her flying backwards.

The blow wasn’t one that Kimiko would fear that much was sure, but it was by far the strongest physical blow that the princess had ever taken in her life. Kimiko felt her entire body being pushed backwards by the force of Okami’s kick yet as she opened her eyes once again ready for her body to fall to the ground she saw Okami swirling around once again and knew that a follow up was coming for her. As Okami swung both of his legs outwards towards her and began to launch himself off the ground Kimiko felt the souls of her own feet make contact.

Immediately following that Kimiko was caught off-guard by Okami’s speed as he was already upon her now in the air himself. She saw that both of his feet were coming right for her head just like a moment prior yet this time there might be something the princess could do. Launching her own body off the ground as she made contact Kimiko kept the muscles of her neck flexes as tight as she could manage. In the next moment a loud thwacking sound would echo off the incredible walls of the training ground.

Falling backwards Kimiko would move her arms upwards and step back from her cousin feeling the incredible pain that seemed to enclose her mind. Kimiko hadn’t had the speed to utilize her arm or legs and as such had managed only to head-butt Okami’s legs as they made contact with her forehead. It would be obvious to see the red bruise that was already forming on her skin. In the following moment Okami would speak much to Kimiko’s surprise on praising her efforts.

”A noble attack. I commend you on the use of shunpo in an attempt to try and catch me off guard. But, you have to try harder than that…”

Kimiko bit down on her lower lip as she thought over some type of strategy that would lean the tables in her favor against her cousin. “Damn this I don’t have anything else to use against him. He’s to fast to land an actual hit on. I can’t use kido and I’d be even worse off if I attempt to use my zanpakuto. On top of that I’m already dwindling low of my reiatsu just from that single shunpo. Think come on think there has to be something I can do.” Kimiko continued to think over the situation however while she did the princess took to the same patient defensive counter maneuver her cousin had been utilizing by moving into the Cadeira.

Remaining Reiatsu: 100/150

[Ōkami Shihoin]

SPOILER: Click to show

Okami's kicks managed to connect and sent his younger cousin reeling backwards. What he hadn’t expected, however, was for Kimiko to take both kicks to the face. He hadn’t been aiming for her face. The first time, it appeared to have been on accident because of her adjustment in the air. The second time he had been aiming for her stomach and yet somehow his kicks had hit her face. He had to commend her though. To take both kicks to the face was quite impressive. Especially coming from him, a Capoiera master in his own right. It was actually proven that a kick from a Capoiera master could deliver 1,800 pounds of force. For his cousin to take a force like this to the face and still stand was quite impressive indeed.

Okami was impressed, and his lips curled up into a small smile briefly as he stared at his cousin. The smile was small, but Kimiko would notice it nonetheless. It was brief and quickly disappeared. The time for praise was over. It appeared as if Kimiko was ready to do battle again. She had taken up the same stance he had at the beginning of this battle. So, she knew Capoiera as well? Interesting. Interesting indeed. When she had learned it, would be anyone’s guess. At the time that he himself had learned it, no one knew of the Brazilian martial art in this Japanese-esque society. He had had to teach himself, traveling the world to various masters of the martial art to further increase his own knowledge. It appeared that more diverse fighting styles had appeared within the Soul Society during his 100 year absence. Anyway, there was a fight to get back to.

He closed his eyes and breathed in deeply. Then, he breathed out just as deeply. He was warming himself up, getting himself ready. He wasn’t going to take Kimiko lightly anymore. There was a reason his mind had suddenly chosen to remember that fight with his father at such an inopportune moment. It was because of the important lesson his father had been teaching him at that time. He was going to impart this same lesson onto his younger cousin, the future Head of the family. She would need to learn strength the hard way, and he was planning to teach it all to her.

SPOILER: Click to show

Okami started off by walking slowly. He started off walking slowly towards Kimiko, approaching at a gradual pace. At that moment, the two were about 15 to 20 feet apart. He approached gradually, taking 4 or 5 steps in a slow manner, piercing into her soul with his gaze. It was a bit intimidating, to say the least. The way he was walking towards her now. She wouldn’t know what his next move would be either. For now, he had an element of surprise because of the way he was approaching. He had an element of surprise that he planned to use to his fullest advantage.

Suddenly, his body went into motion. He blasted towards her, this time increasing his speed a little. Rather than the 100 speed he had been using before, he upped it a little. He blasted towards his cousin now at 150 speed, double her own current speed. He stepped towards her when he drew near and moved into a quick Ginga about two feet before he was within striking distance. Then from there, he made his move. His body flipped to the right and when he came down, he moved into a crouch. It was possible that Kimiko would recognize the stance he had taken just then. If she did, she would also recognize that it would be a good idea to dodge rather than take the attack that would soon come. If she didn’t, well she would soon find out.

His body was crouched low, with his left leg outstretched and his right bent. His right arm was planted on the ground, to steady his spring-like stance. His left arm was bent to cover his face slightly, to protect it from an attack. This was the Martelo De Negativa. There wouldn’t be much time to marvel at the stance, however. There was only a small second of delay as he moved into the stance after his flip before he launched out with his attack.

His left leg moved inwards and his right leg launched out quickly towards Kimiko’s left side, specifically her left thigh. It came with incredible speed, speed Kimiko would not be able to achieve yet with her own Capoiera attack. If she took the kick, she would find out just how powerful a kick from a Capoiera master could be. What made the Martelo De Negativa so powerful was that it took advantage of the spring-like stance to transfer the body’s mass into the kick, generating a powerful force that was enough to cause major damage to internal organs and structure or even possibly stop a heart. With such a powerful kick coming at the Shihoin princess, just how would she respond?

[Kimiko Shihoin]

The Shihoin princess was in her stance and awaiting her cousins onslaught. He was walking towards her slowly and she knew that based off the speed that he had displayed already that he was in fact playing with her and not taking her seriously. The expression on her face shifted from a calm one to one filled with irritation and rage. "Bring it on Okami!" Kimiko screamed at her cousin and just as she did he rushed towards her. His body was actually blurring to her and she felt like her defense wasn't going to cut it.

Her body was moving on its own to defend itself as she broke the Cadeira and began to flip backwards. Kimiko was in a backwards hand stand ready to push herself off the ground in order to get out of the way, but just as her body started to fall back down to the ground the connection was made and a loud snapping sound rang throughout the training ground. In the next moment the piercing screech of the princess spread throughout the underground facility.

Her left arm had been broken from Okami's kick and snapped in the opposite direction. Her elbow and forearm were both broken and the princess had felt so much pain that her body had failed and dropped right to the stone floor. Kimiko lay on the ground of the facility grabbing at her left arm in pain as she bit down on her bottom lip to the point the lip had been cut and was bleeding. The princess struggled for about a full minute, but managed to stand up and look at her cousin.

Her left arm was completely useless and limb at the side while her right hand was up in a position that resembled boxing and her body was arched forward slightly in the same manner. The stance wasn't that of a boxer though it was a new martial art that Kimiko had been thinking about her right leg was bent and up off the ground ready to deliver a kick or knee if needed. Kimiko spit the blood that ran off her lips to the ground and starred at Okami. "I won't back down Okami. I will be your successor." Kimiko spoke with complete determination to the point that it seemed as if she was stating a fact like it already had occurred.

[Katekarin Mekatoku]

290 TP to Kimiko

290 TTP to to Okami

[Ōkami Shihoin]

SNAP!

It was an awful sound. It was a sound that signaled the infliction of a wound that would end their battle. The sound rang through that large amphitheater-like underground training room, echoing all over the place multiple times. Okami heard it as clear as day when it sounded and he grimaced at the sound. His face didn't show it, but inside, he felt remorseful. He had never expected his attack to connect. The piercing shriek from his cousin had jarred him out of his memories and as his kick came to connect, he was finally brought back to the reality of the situation. He was drawn from the memories of his own battle with his father and made to look at the damage he had inflicted upon his younger cousin.

Is inflicting this kind of pain on her really necessary? Is it imperative that she learn this way? Through pain?

He was torn as he stood up once more from his crouched position. The kick should never have landed. Granted, he had used speed double that of hers, but he had expected Kimiko, as a Shihoin to find some way to avoid the full brunt of the blow. He had expected more from her as a Shihoin, and as the next Shihoin Head. Maybe he had forgotten that she was still learning. Maybe he had forgotten that she was still young. Maybe he had expected too much from her.

"I expected too much from you, Kimiko-shomai." he said suddenly, after having stared blankly at his younger cousin for what seemed like a few minutes. In truth, it had only been a few seconds of silence after the kick, but the silence between them had made it seem much longer. The suddenness of his statement would draw a reaction from his younger cousin, no doubt. His statement, though short, said many things all at once. What Kimiko drew from it would be up to her alone. Either way, the Shihoin Head continued, "I had thought you to be strong enough that I could use such an attack without injuring you that much. My hopes were that you would have avoided the full force of that kick." His gold eyes bored into her own from behind his tinted glasses as he spoke.

Deep down, Okami hadn't meant to hurt his younger cousin. But, deep within his mind his father's words were telling him that it was fine. That Kimiko would grow stronger this way. That having injured her in such a manner would increase her drive to get stronger and faster so that she would never fall prey to an attack such as that every again. He felt remorse for injuring her like that, but he didn't let this show on his face. His Onmitsukido training allowed him to hide such emotions from ever appearing across his visage. Thus, in that moment, the Shihoin Head would seem harsh, cold, and unapologetic for what he had just done to his younger cousin. In the future, as the relationship between the two grew better, Kimiko would come to understand her older cousin more. However, for now, she would come to see him only as a cold, harsh Head who took no pity to her current situation.

Okami suddenly turned and began walking away. He didn't say anything as he walked and remained quiet. He didn't bother to say anything to Kimiko to let her know why he was leaving. It wasn't until he had reached 20 feet from her that he finally stopped and spoke to her. "This spar is over. You've shown me that you're capable of being a Shinigami, but it's not enough. You don't yet have what it takes to follow my path. Come back when you're ready." he stated in that monotone voice of his. His words were cold, and a little harsh, but he said the truth. His aim was to make her stronger. By telling her this now, she would train harder and grow stronger. The next time she faced him, she would put up more of a fight. And at that time, he would have much more to teach her as well. With that, he blurred and disappeared before her very eyes, moving at speeds that she would be unable to perceive at her current level. He left her there to ponder on his words and on her failure. While she had proven herself capable of being a Shinigami, she had failed to prove her resolve to be the next Head of the family. He left her with those last words to linger on this failure and to grow stronger from it. She would hold on to those words of his and use it to fuel her resolve the next time they fought. He was looking forward to it.

OOC: This is the end of the first part of training. Will be continuing the rest of the training series in this thread, with each one requested to be graded separately from one another.

[Takashi Kuchiki]

+ 25 TP for Okami