"That's supposed to make me want to show up?" Raiden asked.
"No you show up because you are willing to do anything to get stronger including suffering a few hits with a shinai." Kasumi replied helping Raiden to his feet.
"Oh so if I'm not afraid to suffer a little pain in order to get stronger I will show and you'll teach me how to fight like that." Raiden stated more for his own understanding than for Kasumi to confirm "I'll be there…Urahara's right?"
"Yeah see you soon Raiden I'm off before my wound starts up again." Kasumi said walking in the direction of Urahara's shop.
After a few minutes Kasumi arrived at the shop where she was immediately treated by Tessai who was overseen by an anxious Captain Hitsugaya before relaying her report to the soul society on the battle and her discovery of another possible substitute shinigami in Raiden.
"I'm set to spend a couple hours a day training him to fight so if I happen to train him to be a substitute at the same time excluding things like kido and flash step all the better for the poor sap that gets the job of making him into a shinigami…right Captain?" Kasumi asked looking at her young captain.
"Tha's awful nice o' ya Kasumi offerin' ta train tha boy…" Gin said with his usual creepy grin.
"I'm generally a nice person when not annoyed by fox faced exiles." Kasumi growled flexing her hand forgetting she was in a gigai and her claws were not there due to remembering her unfinished business with said exile from the morning.
"Enough Kasumi he is just trying to get under your skin." Captain Hitsugaya stated calm as ever.
"Ya ought ta listen ta tha little chibi captain…" Gin laughed watching Captain Hitsugaya round on him causing the temperature to drop drastically.
"Urahara if I could borrow two shinai I'd like to get out of here before my captain freezes the whole building…" Kasumi whispered urgently to the shopkeeper.
"Of course Reitoushin-san…here you go…" Urahara said sweat dropping at the escalating argument as he handed over the requested items.
"Raiden I wouldn't go in there if I were you…Captain Hitsugaya is pissed enough to freeze the whole building thanks to that damned Gin Ichimaru. Sometimes I wonder what Captain-commander Yamamoto was thinking exiling him to Karakura town under Urahara's care since Urahara was cleared of all the charges against him and welcomed to return to the Seireitei anytime he chooses…" Kasumi stated shaking her head while tossing Raiden a shinai "Let's get out of here…I don't want to be too close to this place if Ichimaru makes my captain lose his temper."
"Where will we practice then?" Raiden asked.
"The park near here should have enough space…" Kasumi stated shouldering her shinai.
Once they reached an appropriately sized place in the park Kasumi whirled attacking Raiden.
"Whoa! What the hell are you doing?!" Raiden yelled barely managing to block the blow.
"Training you…" Kasumi stated flatly "You must always have your guard up…the moment you let your guard down is the moment you get wounded or worse killed. My fight against that Arrancar was a prime example. I allowed myself to be distracted and was run through as a result."
"I thought you were going to teach me how to fight better with kendo." Raiden said as the pressure from Kasumi's shinai released.
"Kendo only gets you so far you want to reach my level then things have to be done a little differently." Kasumi stated absently blocking Raiden's attack "It seems you're ready to begin your first lesson in zanjutsu."
"Zanjutsu?" Raiden said confused.
"Yes zanjutsu the method of sword fighting used by shinigami we learn kendo then from there we move on to the more advanced techniques of zanjutsu…" Kasumi stated as her soul pager went off "Crap no wonder Captain Hitsugaya sent for reinforcements…wait that's where the academy students are performing a training exercise! Raiden I have to go there's trouble at the warehouse district and it's my watch."
"Go I'll return the shinai to Urahara's shop." Raiden stated as Kasumi swallowed her gikon.
"Yoko go with Raiden keep him safe at Urahara's and tell Captain Hitsugaya and Lieutenant Matsumoto I'll meet them there." Kasumi shouted before her flash step kicked in.
In moments she was at the warehouse district following the screams as she drew her sword and activated her shikai.
"You fought well get the injured and run as fast as you can I'll deal with the hollows." Kasumi said to a freshman nearby before releasing her bankai "Yoru help evacuate the injured."
"Of course Kasumi I won't be long." Yoru stated grabbing a fallen student in his powerful jaws and moving away.
"Alright you ugly bastards let's see how you like the cold…" Kasumi growled swinging the star shaped blade over her head summoning a raging arctic storm.
Calling the winds of the storm to bend to her will she fired off blade after massive blade of wind and spun the winds to create massive tornados of ice killing hollows two and three at a time until no more hollows arrived.
"Return to slumber silently in the heavens, Hokkixyokuyoruken…" Kasumi whispered softly to her dear friend before turning to help the 4th squad relief team that was sent.
"Kasumi!" she heard a voice call.
"Raiden what the hell are you doing here? I thought you were safe at Urahara's…" Kasumi stated looking up from the injured academy student she was treating "Just lay still and don't be afraid I'm going to put an ice barrier around you that should finish healing you…alright?"
Taking a deep breath and closing her eyes as the student nodded Kasumi slowly built one of her well known healing barriers around the student.
"I heard from Urahara that there were a lot of huge hollows and I don't know much about the situation but I do know that powerful opponents can take a toll on anyone." Raiden said looking away quickly.
"That's sweet of you to worry Raiden but I'm not just anyone I'm 4th seat of squad 10 being groomed to take over squad 5 as captain. I'd have been captain years ago if Captain-commander Yamamoto had had his way." Kasumi stated with a smile "In other words I'm equally powerful as my captain in the soul society and more so here since I'm not a captain yet."
"4th seat Reitoushin may I examine your injuries?" a squad 4 member asked.
"Oh Hanatarō it's you…sure though I think I managed to avoid any major damage this time." Kasumi stated with another grin pleased to have avoided being dragged back to the 4th squad where Unohana would ensure she didn't move around much less train.
"You have fangs…" Raiden stated a little confused.
"Yeah they were given to me by my Zanpakuto along with the crescent moon and the claws they leave little doubt just whose master I am." Kasumi stated grinning widely to show off her razor sharp fangs.
Raiden was a tad unnerved by the fangs and the claws he had only noticed when Kasumi pointed them out but he was never the less fascinated by the shinigami who had defended his life earlier that day.
"Thanks for the help with that shoulder Hanatarō my zanpakuto should be able to handle the rest unless another round of hollows pops up. Raiden I'll escort you home after we pick up my gigai at Urahara's." Kasumi said rotating her left shoulder a couple of times before walking to Urahara's.
When they arrived Gin made a smart ass comment about the two of them causing Kasumi to lose her temper.
"Gin I am so going to kill you this time!" she roared manifesting her ice sword and whip while in her gigai.
That alone was sufficient to send Gin running for the training ground that Urahara had hidden beneath the shop. Once Gin had disappeared Kasumi let the ice she was holding onto melt shaking her hands to get the water off of them.
"So that's what he meant by a special gigai…I figured he just meant adjusting the age appearance…anyway Raiden let's get you home." Kasumi stated as though nothing really out of the ordinary had just occurred.
"Kasumi what just happened?" Raiden asked.
"Huh? Oh you mean the ice sword and whip…like my captain I have power over ice though my abilities with ice are a little different from my captain's but that's normal. He can drop the temperature of the area he's in causing it to freeze I can form an ice sword and whip. The ice sword and whip are abilities taught to me by Hokkixyokuyoruken for when I am separated from my blade though we've been working on negating that problem ever since the Hueco Mundo incident…" Kasumi stated noticing Raiden was about to speak she said "Please don't ask…I will only say this about the results of that time if you see my eyes go dead as in no life in them but I'm still very much alive…run…as far and as fast as you can or I can't promise you'll live to see the next sunrise. I'd rather you never see me like that but if a member of my family falls or I'm injured to seriously…I'll lose control."
"Who's your family?" Raiden asked he knew he should shut up and stop asking questions but he couldn't he loved hearing Kasumi's voice.
"My squad and my friends are my family it's just one of those things that once you'll get to the soul society you'll understand…" Kasumi replied with a small smile "What about you? Tell me about your family…"
"I don't really have one I was orphaned young got passed around to different relatives before I came into the first part of my inheritance which allows me to work part time at the kendo studio that I live above and go to school." Raiden shrugged "Tell me about how you got your zanpakuto…"
"Alright about…jeez could it really have been twenty years ago? I was a medical tech working at an urgent care clinic in my home town and though it had happened countless times earlier my soul was restless. Restless to the point that there was a gnawing ache in my chest from where my soul was crying out with every fiber of its being searching for something that was missing…it felt like I was only half of what I should be during those restless times. Eventually I sat down to meditate to see if I could soothe the ache except when I opened my eyes I wasn't in my little apartment in Naples, Florida I was in my inner world. In the meantime my dormant body was discovered and hospitalized in a coma like state for seven days…which was seven years in my inner world's time after which I slept for several more days. When I woke up Captain Hitsugaya and my zanpakuto spirit were right there."
"You're really close to your captain aren't you?" Raiden said with a tinge of regret before he realized he had said anything.
"I suppose you could say that…" Kasumi laughed "Captain Hitsugaya, Karin, and I usually go out for drinks at least once a week when we're all in the Seireitei."
"Who's Karin?"
"Karin Kurosaki is Captain Hitsugaya's girlfriend and 3rd seat of our squad they've been dating for as long as I've been a shinigami and actually several years longer." Kasumi couldn't help the chuckle that slipped out at the happiness on Raiden's face "Captain Hitsugaya is my superior, my friend, my mentor, and the little ice dragon I love to annoy on a hot day…he's never been anything more nor will he ever be anything less."
"This is it…it's not much but its home." Raiden said stopping in front of a closed kendo studio "Did the restlessness go away when you obtained your zanpakuto?"
"Yes it did…wait a minute you're having the same feelings aren't you Raiden?" Kasumi asked immediately going for her soul pager.
"Yeah…" Raiden stated.
"How long has it been going on and how bad is it each time?"
"It's been happening all my life getting worse each time till it feels like my soul is being torn apart piece by piece…" Raiden stated.
"Ok here's the plan I'm calling my captain to explain the situation then we're going back to Urahara's to use his training ground. We've got to get this taken care of now…your reiatsu maybe what's drawing more hollows and arrancar to the area than usual." Kasumi said concern radiating from every pore for both the town and Raiden she couldn't put her finger on it but she couldn't help worrying about him as she dialed her captain's number "Captain we've got a situation it appears that Raiden is similar to me and could be verging on producing a zanpakuto…I'm taking him to the training ground to try and contain this…Looks like schools out for the moment I'll make a full report in the morning…Yes sir…Get some sleep while you can snowball Urahara and Ichimaru can manage to keep the town out of trouble for one night."
Kasumi snapped the phone shut and grabbed Raiden by the collar dragging him in the direction of Urahara's shop.
"This is taking too long…" Kasumi growled swallowing her gikon pill and bursting from her gigai she grabbed Raiden in one arm Yoko in her other arm then leapt onto the roof of the nearest building before flash stepping her way to Urahara's.
When they reached the small shop Raiden was struggling to keep from throwing up as he asked "Urgh…what the hell was that?"
"Flash step…if I'm right you'll be able to do it for yourself soon enough…Oi! Urahara open up or I'm freezing the locks and coming in any way! I need the training ground." Kasumi yelled putting Yoko on her feet to pound on the door.
Urahara appeared seconds later muttering about there being no need to destroy the locks.
"Reitoushin-san what can I do for you?" he asked.
"I need the training ground it appears you may have a new student before too long if my hunch is correct." Kasumi stated.
"Ah please feel free to utilize the training ground for as long as you need then…" Urahara stated leading them to the hidden entrance to the training ground.
"Thanks see to any incursions while I'm down there won't you I was supposed to be on duty tonight but Raiden's situation takes precedence over patrol. Oh and Gin don't bother us or I will shred you to little pieces no matter what my orders may be." Kasumi growled at the fox faced exile.
"Nah Kasumi would I really do a thin' like tha?" Gin asked with mock hurt plastered on his face.
"Yes." Kasumi stated flatly "Now get out of my way so I can figure out if my kendo captain here has the potential to be a shinigami."
She jumped into the hole that led to the training ground eschewing the ladder falling through the air Raiden screaming like a little girl. Landing softly she clamped a hand over Raiden's mouth to silence his screaming.
"Will you put a sock in it!? We've already landed!" Kasumi said keeping her hand clamped securely over Raiden's mouth.
"H-how are we alive?" he asked shaking.
"Trade secret." Kasumi stated putting Raiden on the ground "Now what is going to happen is you're going to meditate. If the restlessness comes let it…use it to call to the source of the restlessness. I'll be joining you in meditation but once you learn the name of your spirit I want you to come out of your meditative state. I was terribly weak once I finally woke up and I don't want that to happen to you." Kasumi instructed pulling on her soul separating glove and smacking Raiden upside the head.
"What was that for?!" Raiden yelled before realizing that there was a body that looked like him in Kasumi's arms.
"I reacted the same way the first time I was separated from my body…only I was smacked billiards style in the fore head…" Kasumi laughed "it'll be easier for you to come out of your meditative state if you're out side of your body."
"Is there any specific way I should sit or something…" Raiden asked uncertainly.
"Just watch me and follow my lead I've been meaning to visit Yoru for a couple weeks anyway…" Kasumi said "Darn paperwork and damned lieutenant that won't do her share of it…" she muttered removing her zanpakuto before sitting down cross legged with her back against one of the many boulders scattered across the training ground she leaned her zanpakuto against her shoulder then placed her hands palms up on her knees.
Raiden copied her position then in unison they took a deep breath as they closed their eyes. Kasumi opened her eyes when she felt the familiar arctic winds of her inner world to see her other half lounging on their rock formation.
"Welcome home Kasumi it has been some time since you came to see me…" Yoru admonished.
"I'm sorry Yoru I was busy trying to get the squad caught up on paperwork since Lieutenant Matsumoto and Captain Hitsugaya were stationed in the world of the living…" Kasumi said climbing onto the rock to hug her other half.
Yoru leaned into her embrace accepting her apology.
"You shouldn't stay long Arashiwo Jixyouka should be revealing herself very soon…" he stated cryptically looking to the sky where growing on the moon a mirror image of the leaping wolf constellation was forming and in the distance seen only by Yoru was a storm that raged as its master tried to claim it.