As Kasumi lay on her futon she couldn't sleep so she snuck out to the roof to watch the stars. Lying back against Yoru who had appeared knowing what his master wanted to do Kasumi was asleep in minutes against his thick warm fur.
"Come with me Kasumi you're to report to the academy prior to the start of classes today to receive your room assignment and class schedule. I'll see you to the headmaster's office before I have to return here to take care of all the paperwork snafus that my lieutenant caused in my extended absence."
"Ok…"she said "Yoru it's time to return my appearance to human." After a few moments Kasumi looked at Toshiro and he nodded signifying that her fangs, claws, and the moon on her forehead were gone. "I'm ready Captain Hitsugaya…Lead the way…" Kasumi said nervously.
"Relax no one will eat you…not when it's known that you're under my care…" Toshiro said sensing my nerves.
"Kasumi Reitoushin you will be placed in the advanced class for freshman. We expect great things from you Ai Ten will be your roommate and since she's in your class as well she will be helping you adjust to academy life." The headmaster said signaling his assistant to bring in the student in question.
"Hi! I'm Ai Ten…" the girl said exuberantly, extending her hand.
"Kasumi Reitoushin…" Kasumi stated taking the offered hand nervously.
"We should get to class Kasumi our sword skills class starts in fifteen minutes but it's a bit of a hike." She said.
"Um…sure...I'm sorry I'm just nervous it's been a while since I was in a school of one form or another…" Kasumi stated adjusting her zanpakuto on her back.
Once the two reached their class Kasumi was introduced as a new student before the lesson started which was sparing with another student for the first half of class. Kasumi paired with Ai and after seeing how the others fought she matched her skill with the rest of the class easily hiding the fact that she was actually far more skilled than she showed. The next few months passed uneventfully with Kasumi taking classes in all areas of being a Shinigami she found she had her evenings to herself she especially enjoyed stargazing from the roof of her dorm. Many nights Kasumi would sit out on the roof thinking nothing in particular or if she was troubled whatever was troubling her. When she was troubled she wished that she could call Yoru out but Kasumi knew she was watched by the boys of her class when she went stargazing which meant she couldn't call Yoru out without exposing the fact that she had shikai. One night after dinner Kasumi and Ai sat up for a bit discussing tomorrow's schedule their class was going to the real world for a training exercise fighting dummy hollows.
"Let's get some sleep Ai. I'm betting that we're going to need it to take out those dummy hollows." Kasumi stated remembering her first encounter with a hollow.
"Right I can't wait for tomorrow!" Ai said lying down on her bed.
Kasumi lay back unable to sleep so she thought about the tentative friends she had made during her time at the academy until at some point in the night she drifted off to sleep. Kasumi woke the next morning to Ai shaking her saying if she didn't hurry they'd be late.
"Crap! Let's go Ai!" Kasumi shouted grabbing her Zanpakuto and slinging it across her back.
The two made it to the rendezvous at the main senkaimon which happened to be the one Kasumi had come through what seemed like only a few of nights instead of a few months ago. Kasumi was teamed up with Ai and one of her friends named Tamotsu for the duration of the exercise. When they arrived in the area Kasumi immediately noted strategic points that they could herd the hollow into so one of them could deliver the final blow. The exercise went pretty much as expected for Kasumi she let the dummy hollow slip past her so that Tamotsu could take it out and she wouldn't reveal her true skill level. The three of them were returning to the rendezvous point when they heard screams. Kasumi sped up trying not to use flash step since they hadn't learned it yet in class to see what was wrong as did Ai and Tamotsu. When they reached the scene the two seniors that were leading the exercise were down the junior that was assisting in the exercise was wounded but holding off a huge hollow to allow the freshman to escape.
"Shit!" Kasumi muttered under her breath "I really didn't want to have to use Yoru so soon…Grrr it can't be helped I can't let them die."
Kasumi drew her Zanpakuto as she yelled for Ai and Tamotsu to get the two wounded seniors to safety. The hollow knocked the remaining junior to the ground and was preparing to deliver a killing blow.
Kasumi used flash step to place herself between him and the hollow yelling the release command "Awaken and fall from the heavens, HOKKIXYOKUYORUKEN!" her blade transforming just in time to halt the hollow's attack.
With a flick of her wrist Kasumi knocked the hollow off balance and took advantage of the opening to take it out unfortunately it had already called its friends.
"Crap! This isn't good one powerful hollow was no problem but this many powerful hollows there's no way in hell I stand a chance." Kasumi said to herself. She turned and helped the junior up after he called for reinforcements. "Can you fight?" She asked him.
"Yeah I can fight…thanks for saving me by the way I'm Tetsuo Bureizu." He said.
"Kasumi Reitoushin…" she responded leaping and taking out another hollow.
Kasumi sensed the rest of her class gathered in the abandoned warehouse behind her she erected a barrier of ice around it though it took most of her strength to do so praying that help would arrive soon. Kasumi diverted a portion of her remaining reiatsu to the ice barrier she had erected while using the rest to hold the hollows off.
"Burn, Tenen!" "Growl, Haineko!" "Reign over the frosted heavens, Hyōrinmaru!" Karin, Matsumoto, and Toshiro yelled as they landed in front of Kasumi.
"About time you got here…" she said tiredly "I can't maintain the barrier shielding my class and continue fighting much longer."
"Sorry about that we had trouble with the senkaimon." Matsumoto said slashing with her hilt destroying two of the hollows.
Somehow a hollow got past them and threw Kasumi into the building next to the warehouse she was shielding. It hurt like hell but she wasn't going to go down that easily Kasumi shook the dust and rubble off before being forced to block the fist of the hollow that had knocked her into the building in the first place. She was sent flying again only to be caught this time by Captain Kurosaki.
"Oi ugly! Why don't you pick on me instead of this puny academy student?" he said handing Kasumi off to one of the other Shinigami from his squad.
She was about to voice her annoyance at being called puny but she was whisked away to the med station to be treated for the injuries she had sustained. Kasumi was in the middle of being treated when a member of the 4th squad ran up to their captain reporting that there was no success in penetrating the ice barrier surrounding the building Kasumi's classmates were sheltered in.
"Of course you can't get through the barrier…" Kasumi stated causing everyone to look at her "I've worked hard with my zanpakuto spirit to make sure my ice barriers will only break apart when my reiatsu is depleted to a dangerous level or I decide it's no longer needed…if you're worried about the wounded don't be they are stable."
"You are the originator of the barrier? And how do you know the wounded are stable?" Unohana asked.
"Yes I made the barrier and a unique feature of my barriers is a portion of the reiatsu used to maintain its integrity is diverted to heal the wounded. I can heal minor injuries easily with it major injuries on the other hand I can only get them stable and hold them in stasis once stable until help arrives." Kasumi replied getting up and stretching.
"Will you take the barrier down so we can finish treatment?" Unohana asked sweetly.
"Of course." she said gladly cutting the reiatsu she was feeding the barrier to maintain the strength then breaking it apart so that several hollows were crushed at the same time "There all done…"
"Reitoushin-san I would like to speak with you later about your abilities if that's alright with you." Unohana said as the first of Kasumi's classmates were brought in all of them fine except the two seniors that were leading the exercise.
Above all the chaos a lone figure departed unnoticed through a garganta.
"Well my brother is she all you expected her to be?" a voice said as the garganta closed.
"Yes and so very much more she will make a most useful pet however I believe I will wait a few years for her power to become more refined before I call my little wolf cub to my side." The one that had been observing the battle said.
After that trip to the real world Kasumi was either considered a hero for releasing her shikai for what everyone thought to be the first time or a freak because of her appearance and then there were her friends Ai, Tamotsu, Haru, Tetsuo, and his sister Takara who didn't care about what she looked like or the fact she had shikai. Kasumi's time in the academy passed quickly as she taught her friends how to use flash step early and helped them release their shikai a little sooner by relating her experience and what she did to attain shikai. Kasumi spent her breaks with Captain Unohana, Captain Ukitake, or Captain Komamura learning what they had to teach her and developing bonds of friendship for the inevitable day when she would join them as a captain as well as training secretly for bankai. Hollow attacks continued to escalate in the Rukongai and before Kasumi knew it she was close to graduating and had Toshiro asking her if she'd like to join his division upon graduation as his 4th seat. The problem was before Kasumi could respond an alarm began to sound signaling that she needed to return to the academy for orders.
"Everyone get to your stations the academy has been activated! Arrancar have invaded the Rukongai and are headed for the Seireitei!" one of the instructors called over the hubbub caused by the alarms going off.
"Come on guys let's go!" Kasumi said grabbing her Zanpakuto and slipping it into its usual position on her back. Takara, Tamotsu, Kasumi, Ai, and Haru were to patrol near the western gate that connects Rukongai to the Seireitei because they were some of the strongest their class had to offer with Kasumi having mastered her Shikai and secretly being close to achieving bankai while her friends/teammates able to release their Shikai thanks in part to Kasumi's help. Once they made it to the area they were to patrol they were dividing into groups of two when nine Gillian and an Adjuchas appeared.
"Crap we can't let them get any farther into the Seireitei who knows how much of a problem they'll cause if they do!" Kasumi said softly to her friends "Ai go to the academy let them know what our situation is and bring back reinforcements if they can be spared."
"I got it! I'll be back soon!" She said right before she flash stepped out of there one of the Gillian tried to stop her but was met by Kasumi's blade.
"Awaken and fall from the heavens, Hokkixyokuyoruken!" Kasumi shouted the burst of her reiatsu created by releasing her Shikai forced the arrancar back she looked to see that her friends had also released their Shikai.
Not wanting to let the arrancars pass without a fight they charged praying for reinforcements to arrive quickly. Kasumi quickly wiped out two arrancar as her friends fell to their second opponents.
"NO!" She shouted using flash step to place herself between the arrancars and her friend's fallen bodies.
Kasumi could feel her rage and reiatsu escalating quickly turning from its usual soft white to pale blue with a white outline so bright several of the arrancar were forced to look away as it surrounded her body like ice cold flames.
"It's time Kasumi…Call upon my power and save those you care about!" She heard Yoru roar in her head as she brought the pommel of her sword to meet the palm of her other hand.
"BANKAI, AREKURUUKAZE HOKKIXYOKUYORUKEN!" Kasumi roared her voice halfway between a scream and a snarl ripping her hand away from the pommel as the tassels turned into a chain with the star shaped bead on the end growing into a razor sharp blade she grabbed the chain roaring "You will not touch my friends again!" Kasumi swung the blade over her head summoning a fierce arctic storm while ensuring that her friends were protected from the raging storm by sharing some of the characteristics she shared with her Zanpakuto spirit with them.
The release of Kasumi's bankai caused the Adjuchas to break its silence urging its subordinates to attack. Kasumi summoned falling stars from the sky sending them to crush one of the arrancar while she dispatched another with a blade of wind summoned from the storm itself. One of the arrancar managed to get behind her and before Kasumi could block its attack it had slashed her diagonally across her back from her left shoulder to her right hip cutting right through her sword's sheath.
"Yoru please help me!" she cried falling to her hands and knees as her broken sheath slipped from her shoulder shattering on the ground like crystal.
"I am here Kasumi…" Yoru said softly his warm baritone voice filled with concern "Will you be able to continue?"
"Yes…I can't fail if I do everyone I care about will be in danger…I won't let that happen not while I have breath left in my body to protect them…" Kasumi gasped the pain making her vision fade in and out.
In response to her desperate cry for help and immense desire to protect those she cherished Yoru eased the pain Kasumi felt from her wound allowing her to kill the arrancar that had wounded her but from there it only got worse. Kasumi fought allowing her instincts to take over since her mind still could not handle the pain of her injuries despite Yoru's help by the time only the Adjuchas was left Kasumi had sustained multiple stab wounds to the stomach, chest, and legs all miraculously missing vital areas, she was hacking up blood like old faithful, Kasumi couldn't see out of her right eye because it had in it blood from a diagonal cut reaching across her face from her right temple to her left cheek, her hair usually kept carefully pulled back hung around her face matted with blood from a scalp laceration, a myriad of shallow cuts covered Kasumi's arms and her ruined uniform hung from her body in tatters that barely managed to keep her decent covered in both the blood of her fallen foes and her own.
"Yoru take my friends to safety…" Kasumi rasped hacking up yet more blood.
"No Kasumi! You cannot continue to fight! Not like this!" he whimpered softly.
"I'll be fine Yoru! Please take my friends to safety and return to me…I will hold off the Adjuchas until then…" she rasped wiping the blood from her previous coughing fit from her mouth replacing it with a feral grin showing off her long razor sharp fangs.
"Please stay safe Kasumi…" Yoru said taking her friends two at a time to safety.
"Thanks Yoru…" Kasumi whispered under her breath before charging the Adjuchas allowing herself to submit completely to her feral instincts to buy enough time for her friends to be taken to safety.
Her reiatsu swirled around her as Kasumi locked blades with the arrancar only to be sent flying back through a thick wall with a lazy flick of the Adjuchas' wrist. As it approached to finish her Kasumi struggled trying to get up despite her injuries she feebly raised her blade to stop the slash that she knew was to be her death blow. As the Adjuchas brought its sword down Kasumi closed her eyes waiting for an impact that never came she opened her eyes to see Toshiro in his bankai form his blade locked with the Adjuchas'.
"You know I really need to speak to the Captain-commander about that damned human I was ordered to look after…she's more trouble than she's worth sometimes no matter how powerful she is…" he grumbled "and as for you no one lays a finger on my subordinates potential or otherwise not when I'm around."
Kasumi gave a laugh that turned into a hacking cough with more blood coming up as her breathing became shallow the broken ribs from crashing into the wall sent waves of pain rolling through her. Out of nowhere Matsumoto and Karin appeared gingerly lifting Kasumi's broken body from the rubble of the wall and placing her in the arms of Captain Kurosaki he started to take her away from the battle but Kasumi fought back feebly coughing and hacking her lungs up refusing to leave her post. Understanding what she wanted to do he set her down on her feet stepping back to allow Kasumi to stand on her own.
"Kasumi don't be stupid you can't fight like this…" Karin said racing to support Kasumi's body as it sagged against her will.
"Not like this I can't…" Kasumi rasped her breathing growing more ragged with each shallow pained breath "Yoru…"
"I am here Kasumi…" Yoru said appearing at her other side Kasumi touched his shoulder and was pulled inside of him allowing her to use his body to recuperate while continuing to fight.
Once they finished merging they leapt sinking their fangs into the Adjuchas' shoulder flinging it into a wall just as it had with Kasumi. Dodging the thrust from its sword they sank their fangs in its sword arm and tore it off flinging it away they went for the throat instinct taking over them. In an instant it was over with the two captains, a lieutenant, and a 3rd seat watching with amazement written on their faces.
"Return to slumber silently in the heavens, Hokkixyokuyoruken…" Kasumi rasped as her appearance returned to normal along with her blade.
Kasumi turned to face her superiors before falling to her knees her sealed zanpakuto skittering away, she no longer had the strength to hold onto it, Kasumi watched barely conscious as the snow pile her blade rested in formed a new scabbard just like the one that had been shattered and then as she lay her left cheek resting in the cold snow created by her storm she slid gratefully into the black abyss of unconsciousness.
"She's quite the fighter eh Toshiro?" Ichigo said laughing at the face Toshiro made upon being called by his given name.
"It's Captain Hitsugaya to you CAPTAIN Kurosaki and no you can't have her she is my prospective 4th seat and she will be my 4th seat if I have anything to say about it." Toshiro said gathering Kasumi's limp broken body to take to the 4th squad for critically needed treatment.
"They failed!" a voice raged "I should have never sent an Adjuchas to do a Vasto Lordes' job!"
"It would appear so…however the pup managed to take out six Gillian and one Adjuchas arrancar. Of course she sustained major injuries but she continues to live. It will soon be time to retrieve her." Another voice answered.
"Ahh well it appears we will have to go to plan B to retrieve my little wolf cub." the first voice stated suddenly calm at the prospect of reclaiming his property stolen by the shinigami before the end of the winter war many years ago "We'll let her recover from her wounds and make sure she's back to full health before we claim her…after all it wouldn't to lose her to injury or illness. It truly saddens me that Lord Aizen will never get to see what wonderful things our little cub will achieve."