Two Hearts, One Soul: The Start of the End
Kimiko sighed as she listened to Mayuri and Hiyori argue over something trivial once again. It had been a year since Hinata had entered the 13 court guards as a member of squad five despite the protests. Kimiko sighed as Akon hit his head on the table that he and Kimiko were working at.
"Why is always the same with those two? They bicker like two year olds about who's in charge in the labs when the Captain is not around." Akon grumbled.
"You know as well as I do that it would do no good to explain it to them. Lieutenant Hiyori just doesn't like that Mayuri's in charge in the labs when Captain Urahara isn't present. Plus not all of us can get along with Mayuri as easily as you can." Kimiko sighed as she put a cap on a test tube. "Akon would you please put these test tubes away for me while I get started on something else?"
"No problem." Akon picked up the test tubes and turned around to come face to face with the Captain of Squad ten, "Oh, Captain Kurosaki what brings you here?" Akon asked him causing Kimiko to turn around.
"Ah, Akon why don't you finish up that task that Kimiko gave you." The Captain smiled at him.
"Okay." Akon ran off with the test tubes.
"Kimiko I was wondering if your Captain was around, I have a favor to ask of him." Captain Kurosaki asked.
"Well, Captain Urahara isn't in the labs today, so he's probably in his office or he snuck off to West Rukon again." Kimiko said as she stood up and took off her lab coat.
She walked with Isshin to Kisuke's office. Kimiko smiled as she opened up the door to the office to find her captain fast asleep. She sighed as she walked into the office and kicked the desk waking up Kisuke.
"Hm, oh Kimiko what do I own the pleasure of you coming to my office?" Kisuke asked her as if he had no idea that he was asleep.
"Captain Kurosaki is here to talk to you." Kimiko told him as Isshin stepped into the office. "And wipe the drool off of your face Captain, it's not very coming of you."
"What can I do for you Isshin?" Kisuke asked.
"I was wondering if you could spare some time to help one of my squad members out with her fighting skills." Isshin asked.
"Kimiko why don't you stay. I believe you've been bugging me to let you and Yori work on some theory you have on his Zanpakuto." Kisuke said to the sneaking girl.
"Of course Captain." Kimiko smiled at the two Captains as she stayed put in the corner she was in.
"Now who is this person that needs some help, Isshin?" Kisuke asked.
"Rika Kanji, she seems to get a handle on releasing her Zanpakuto, but she can't hold it for very long and sometimes it is just a pale imitation of a release. Other than that she is a well rounded fighter." Isshin sighed.
'So that's why Rika's been depressed lately. She still hasn't fully released her Shikai.' Kimiko thought.
"Hm, why don't you send Rika to Soukyoku Hill in an hour and I'll see what I can do for her." Kisuke smiled as he turned toward Kimiko. "Kimiko, I also want you and Yori there in an hour as well."
Kimiko nodded as she followed Captain Kurosaki out of the office. An hour later, Kimiko, Yori and Rika followed Kisuke to a hidden place under the Soukyoku.
"Wow who would of thought that there was such an amazing training ground right underneath the Soukyoku?" Kisuke commented on the training ground.
Rika laughed as Urahara went on and on about it as Kimiko shook her head.
"You so know he knew about this place the whole time." Yori muttered to Kimiko, who smirked.
"Also, please don't tell anyone about this place ether, Yoruichi will kill me if she knew I brought someone other than Kimiko down here." Kisuke added as he finished.
Kisuke looked over at Kimiko, "Shall we get started, Kimiko?"
"Let's." Kimiko commented as she faced Yori.
"Rika, we are going to do a little training lesson okay?" Kisuke smiled at the red head girl.
"Okay, what's the lesson Captain Urahara?" Rika asked eager to learn from the Captain.
Kimiko and Yori watched as Urahara pull out a hat. "What's with the hat?" Yori asked Kimiko.
"I don't know, but we'll find out." Kimiko answered.
"Rika please draw your Zanpakuto." Urahara asked the girl as he put on the hat.
"Okay." Rika pulled out her Zanpakuto, which looked like a sabre. "Now what do I have to do?"
"In this lesson Rika all you have to do is knock this hat off my head with your Zanpakuto." Kisuke explained the exercise as he pulled out his own Zanpakuto.
"Aw somehow I knew this wasn't going to be that easy to do." Rika commented as she charged at Kisuke.
Yori sighed, "Shall we start Kimiko."
"Yeah I want you to fight me with your Shikai as I attack you with my ninjutsu okay." Kimiko explained.
"Are you nuts?!" Yori questioned her.
"No just a bit crazy that's all. Now let's go." Kimiko smiled her vixen grin.
"Fine. Bring the world to a stalemate, Mittsu Kiso Choowa!" Yori released his Zanpakuto.
"Alright here I come!" Kimiko told him as she started making some hand signs, "Fire Style: Phoenix Flower jutsu!"
"Shoot!" Yori gasped as several small fireballs flew from Kimiko's mouth towards him.
He didn't even second-guess as he plunged Kanji into the ground and pulled Mizu from his mouth and pointed Mizu towards the fireballs.
"Suiton Suryuudan!" A dragon of water flew from the blade and defused the fireballs and continued towards Kimiko.
Kimiko smirked as she jumped out of the way of the water dragon.
"Just as I thought Suiton Suryuudan is just like our water dragon jutsu." Kimiko commented as she shunpo towards Yori and kicked him in the stomach.
The force of the kick on top of the speed of Kimiko's shunpo sent Yori flying into the rock pillar behind him Kimiko started to taunt him as she pulled Kanji from the ground.
"Come on, is that all you've got Yori?" She slashed at Yori with his Zanpakuto.
Yori blocked Kanji with Mizu and Denki.
"How dare you use my own Zanpakuto against me?!" Yori yelled at him as Denki started to glow. "Charge Raikiri!"
Yori stabbed Kimiko with the lightning sword only to have there be a poof of smoke as Kimiko was replaced with a log. Yori fired his Raikiri on the log to get it off of his blade causing the log to splinter into many pieces. Just before Yori or Kimiko could attack again Kisuke landed right in between them as Rika released her Shikai.
"Dance upon the wind, Attack within the shadows, Kistune!" Rika yelled as her broken Zanpakuto became whole again as a latito with a red orange hilt and a diamond shaped guard. Rika pointed the blade at Urahara, "Release Kaze first tail!"
A blast of wind shot towards the trio. Kimiko tossed Yori Kanji as the windblast headed towards them.
"Sing Benihime!" Kisuke protected himself with his Zanpakuto's ability.
"Tri barrier!" Yori also protected himself with his Zanpakuto's shielding ability.
Kimiko joined them with her own shield, "Protect ShinkuRen!" Kimiko was surrounded in a dome of energy in the shape of a Lotus flower.
Rika's windblast was powerful enough to pop Kimiko's Lotus dome and break down Kisuke's Bloodmist shield. Even Yori's barrier was damaged from the wind attack.
"One thing is for sure she knocked off your hat Captain Urahara." Yori commented looking over at Rika who had passed out at the use of her Shikai.
Kisuke just picked up the hat and dusted it off.
"She didn't just knock it off." Kisuke said as he looked at the hat.
"Well that wasn't nice of her. Captain, I do believe Rika killed your hat." Kimiko joined Kisuke at looking over the hat, which was shredded.
"It looks like you are correct Kimiko." Urahara laughed. "What's on your mind Yori."
"Right before Rika blasted us with that wind attack she said something about a tail." Yori recalled.
"Your right she did say 'release Kaze first tail' right before the windblast." Kimiko agreed. "I guess that's explanatory her Zanpakuto is called Kistune."
"You're quite right Kimiko. A Kistune could have up to nine tails so it's possible that Rika's Zanpakuto has more than one attack form." Urahara agreed.
"So her Kistune is like my Mittsu Kiso Choowa?" Yori asked.
"Yes I do believe it is. Why don't we go back?" Kisuke headed for the entrance of the training ground.