I'm about out of pre-written stuff so posting will slow way way down since I'm busy learning photoshop I'm hoping that I'll be able to pass my certification exam before the semester is out giving me my 3rd certification this semester leaving only one more required certification for me to get over the summer.

"Captain Reitoushin…" Momo began.

"Stuff the Captain Reitoushin bull for now Momo we've known each other long enough to call each other by our given names. You only need to refer to me by title in formal settings…ok?" Kasumi stated.

"Ok…Kasumi I hope you'll be happy in our squad…" Momo stated wringing her hands nervously.

"I'm sure I will be Momo. It'll be different from the 10th but I'm looking forward to helping the squad grow strong and showing everyone that the past is just that the past. It's a new day and from now on our squad will move forward traitors be dammed." Kasumi stated placing her hand on her lieutenant's shoulder and giving Momo a fierce grin that showed off her long sharp fangs.

"Right!" Momo said with a small smile of her own and a fierce nod of her head "We're here Kasumi…Welcome to squad 5 Captain." Momo pushed open the gate to reveal the Kasumi's new home. "Attention everyone!" Momo called "The captain has arrived!"

"Alright everyone settle down! I am Kasumi Reitoushin I'm your new captain. I look forward to meeting you all personally and working with all of you to help you reach your potential. I also understand that some of you may not be exactly happy about my promotion over Lieutenant Hinamori and to that I propose a clearing of the air at the training grounds at noon. Come one or all what happens in the training ground during that period of time stays in the training ground. No grudges will be held if you voice any dissent about my promotion. After that time however our squad will move in only one direction...forward! Today is a new day…the past is dead and gone…we will move forward to greet the future traitors be damned! I also want to make it known that my door will always be open to you. Nothing can affect a squad more than a shinigami distracted by personal problems. Believe me I have more than a few scars that make that statement fact. Now that all of that's settled could someone show me to my office? I'm sure there's a mountain of paperwork I have to deal with concerning my taking over the captaincy in addition to the regular load…" Kasumi stated authority radiating from her body and in her words.

A young shinigami moved forward saying "Your office is this way captain."

"Thanks." Kasumi said with a smile.

Kasumi followed the young shinigami as she walked off.

"Would you like me to show you your quarters later?"

"That'd be great." Kasumi stated pausing in the door way to her office "Thank you again…"

"Aki Amaterasu…Captain Reitoushin. It's not a problem you're the captain it's your job to watch our backs and our job to watch yours."

"Aki then please call me Kasumi you can save the formal stuff for when it's necessary." Kasumi stated making her way to her desk and the mountain of paperwork that sat on it.

"Ok Captain Kasumi." Aki said brightly before running off to get her work done.

"Still too formal but we can work on that later right now I have to get all this done…" Kasumi sighed taking up her brush and setting to work.

Several hours later a knock came at the door of her office as she was beginning the routine paperwork involved in running a division from day to day.

"Come…" Kasumi stated not looking up from the report she was reading.

"Captain its Aki Amaterasu. I have a boy here with orders from the captain-commander himself…" Aki said siding the door open.

"Show him in Aki…and stick around I may need you to do some things for me after I read the orders." Kasumi stated signing the report in her hand placing her brush aside and setting the report in her outbox.

"KASUMI?!" Raiden yelled shocked "You're the new captain of squad 5?!"

"Yes Raiden I am. Now you had some papers for me? I'm in a bit of a hurry I need to be at the training grounds by noon…" Kasumi stated.

"Here they are captain." Aki stated handing over said papers.

"Just as I thought…Aki…" Kasumi said after reading through the papers.

"Yes Captain Kasumi?"

"Still too formal kiddo…anyway I'll need you to prepare a room for Raiden, give him a tour of the barracks, and get him something to eat knowing his stomach it should be growling any second…" Kasumi stated chuckling when she was proven right by Raiden's stomach "Raiden is going to be staying with us for a while."

"Of course captain will there be anything else you need?" Aki asked.

"I think that'll do it Aki thanks. I'm off to the training ground…if you need me I should be there for the next half an hour to an hour depending on how many people show. But you might notify squad 4 that I'm performing a training exercise and there will most likely be minor injuries…" Kasumi stated grabbing her zanpakuto while Aki dragged a stupefied Raiden off to get him settled in the barracks.

Kasumi sat on a bench at the edge of the training grounds dozing lightly waiting to see if any would take issue with her command and wasn't disappointed to see several seats and a few unseated officers show up.

"About time you showed up…" Kasumi yawned stretching lazily "I was about to fall asleep. Now feel free to use your zanpakuto, shikai, or whatever kido you can manage…oh and don't be afraid to double team me…" the group looked shocked by her declaration until she clarified "I want you to attack me how else will I prove my strength and worthiness of my title to you."

Kasumi took off her haori folding it neatly and leaving it with her beloved scarf before assuming a loose fighting pose. The squad's 12th seat kicked things off by firing a Shakkahō at Kasumi which she easily deflected with her hand.

"That was weak even a first year academy student could do better…" Kasumi stated firing off a blast of Sōkatsui at the group's feet sans incantation and name making a nice sized crater "You'll have to do better than that people if you want to take down a captain…" Kasumi taunted enraging her opponents.

In about thirty minutes everyone who had contested Kasumi's promotion to captain of their squad was soundly beaten and admitting that Kasumi was far tougher than she looked upon first glance.

"I plan to have squad wide sparring matches to assess everyone's abilities so I can figure out how best to help everyone get stronger…I should have the schedule posted by next week…now to get the rest of that paperwork done before I grab some lunch." Kasumi stated settling her zanpakuto on her back after putting her haori back on and tying her scarf around her waist.

"Damn she's tough looks like the rumors were true guys we'd better not get on her bad side…" the 12th seat panted trying to decide if he wanted to crawl over to the 4th squad for treatment or suck it up and get on with his duties.

"Ah excuse me but would you happen to know…oh that was easy Captain Reitoushin said she had left you guys out in the open. I am Hanatarō Yamada 7th seat of the 4th squad…Captain Reitoushin requested someone to tend some minor injuries incurred during a brief training exercise." Hanatarō stated taking off his medical pack.

"Captain Kasumi?" Aki said hesitantly.

"Aki come in I swear I don't bite unless you happen to be a tuna roll in disguise…" Kasumi grinned in as non-threatening a manner as she could with the long razor sharp fangs she bore.

"Ah Raiden mentioned that you hadn't had anything to eat since before you left the world of the living…so I took the liberty of bringing you something to eat…" Aki said timidly raising the tray of food she had brought.

"He's right I was planning on finishing this batch of paperwork before I went to eat but since you have kindly brought me something to eat the paperwork will just have to wait. You'll join me for some tea won't you?" Kasumi asked rising from her desk and stretching to get the kinks out before setting to making some tea while Aki set Kasumi's meal up.

"Come…" Kasumi stated to the knock at her office door without looking up from where she was preparing some tea to go with the meal "Oh was there something you needed 12th seat Daichi?"

"Why did you call squad 4? We challenged your authority…we raised our blades to you… you had every reason and right to lock us up for our actions…" Eiji Daichi Kasumi's 12th seat said.

"You are my subordinate I will fight to protect your life to my last breath and beyond so why wouldn't I call squad 4 to tend your wounds? I would have tended your wounds myself if I had had the time not to mention I invited you to challenge me so I could prove to you that I really did earn my captain's haori besides your ire was justified…Momo is too nice for her own good sometimes you were looking out for your lieutenant…" Kasumi stated walking over to her subordinate and placing a hand on his shoulder while looking him straight in the eye "Remember I told you no grudges would be held if you dissented…I wanted to let you get that anger out now so that it wouldn't fester and cause us to lose more good people in all the battles to come."

"I understand Captain Reitoushin…thank you…I was on my way to being a seated officer when Aizen betrayed everyone and I dissented because I feared you might be like our previous captain…" Kasumi's 12th seat stated.

"I figured as much…that bastard caused everyone a lot of misery…ordering me kidnapped the first time because one of his scientifically geared arrancar thought I could be turned into a useful pet…the second time I can't blame him for though…" Kasumi stated forgetting that she wasn't in the 10th anymore and no one really knew her back story.

"Captain I once again must apologize for raising my blade to you…Aizen has made everyone suffer even innocents who knew nothing of our world at the time…how could I have forgotten that?" he stated.

"Everyone suffers in war Eiji…why don't you join Aki and I for some tea? I assure you I don't bite not outside of the training ground…unless you happen to be a tuna roll…" Kasumi joked trying to lighten the mood.

"Of course captain it would be my pleasure…" Eiji stated inwardly glad that his new captain was truly as skilled and kind as the rumors had suggested if not more so.

"Excellent! Let me grab another cup and we can enjoy a break from our daily grind…yes I know I'm a captain but I still remember the pains of being a seated officer like it was yesterday…" Kasumi joked handing her 12th seat his cup of her private stock of tea.

The three of them spent a companionable couple of hours getting to know each other better by trading war stories, laughing about academy snafus, and picking on each other unmercifully before Kasumi had to get back to her paperwork. Of course she invited her companions to stay so long as their work was done or got done correctly before the start of business tomorrow.

"Ah! Finally I'm done with the day's paperwork!" Kasumi stated putting her brush aside to rub her cramping hand "If you have some free time Eiji I'd be happy to help you improve your kido…if not I'll probably…Captain Kyōraku…Lieutenant Matsumoto what are you two doing here?"

"You're coming out to celebrate your promotion with us!" Matsumoto stated clapping her hands.

Kasumi dead panned there was no way she could escape both of them without help. She quickly contemplated her limited options deciding to run seemed to be the only option that had any chance of ending without the inevitable hangover that accompanied a night out with the infamous duo of Kyōraku and Matsumoto.

"Ah…sorry I have some training to do with Yoru…so SEE YA!" Kasumi said flash stepping out of her office and running as fast as she could to find some sort of sanctuary with Kyōraku and Matsumoto hot on her heels.

Both Eiji and Aki were left in Kasumi's office with shock plastered on their faces at how fast their captain really was.

'She must have been holding back a lot when she fought us even though we were already way out of our league because I don't remember her being that fast.' Eiji thought.

"LOOK OUT! Coming through!" Kasumi yelled dodging people at a breakneck pace.

"Got ya!" Kyōraku crowed before realizing that the Kasumi he had caught had faded "Huh?"

"Way of the Omnitsu, 3rd of the Shihou: Utsusemi…Later!" Kasumi stated before resuming her flight 'surely Jushiro will hide me! He knows I hate to drink!'

"Kasumi what brings you here in such a harried state?" Captain Ukitake asked concerned for his friend.

"Kyōraku…Matsumoto…sake…trying to catch me…" Kasumi panted.

Captain Ukitake understood the disjointed message "Go on and hide I'll see if I can't divert them…"

Kasumi nodded her thanks before secreting herself away and concealing her reiatsu.

"Shunsui what brings you here?" Captain Ukitake asked taking a sip of his favorite tea.

"Have you seen Kasumi around Matsumoto and I wanted to treat her to a night out…"

"Ah that would explain why she came running through here like the devil himself was after her…I believe she went to the Rukongai…she's likely planning to go to one of her training spots they're remote and hard to reach if you don't know the way well…" Captain Ukitake stated calmly taking another sip of tea.

"Thanks Jushiro hope Kasumi won't get mad at you for selling her out…" Captain Kyōraku said.

"I doubt she will besides she needs to enjoy herself a little every once in a while." Captain Ukitake smiled as his old friend and his companion left for Kasumi's training ground on the edge of Rukongai "You can come out now they're well away from here."

"Thanks Jushiro it'll take them forever to get there and back if they don't give up and go to a bar…" Kasumi stated emerging from her hiding place.

"Any time I'm sure Yoruichi will be happy to know her techniques are still successful against Shunsui." Captain Ukitake laughed "Can I offer you some tea and refreshments?"

"How about you let me buy you dinner for getting me off the hook with Kyōraku and Matsumoto?" Kasumi asked "There's a great sushi place near my barracks in Rukongai…"

"Sounds wonderful Kasumi." Captain Ukitake said with a smile pleased that Kasumi finally has the rank she earned long ago and seems so comfortable in it.

"Kasumi! What a wonderful surprise! I thought you were on assignment in the world of the living! Hold it are you a captain now?!" the owner of Kasumi's favorite sushi restaurant exclaimed sweeping her up in a massive bear hug.

"I was on assignment till I was recalled…I get home BAM! Captain Reitoushin! And it's always great to see you too Jiro…" Kasumi laughed struggling playfully against the bear hug "Think you've got room for two captains who're hungry?"

"Of course I do! First three orders are on the house for both of you to celebrate our little Kasumi's promotion!" Jiro said carrying Kasumi under his arm to a private room with Ukitake following trying not to laugh too much.

"Thanks Jiro! By the way that's Captain Ukitake…Jushiro this is Jiro he runs this sushi shack" Kasumi said turning as much as she could trying to make proper introductions were hard when you were being carried under someone's arm like a child's rag doll.

"Anything for my best customer and defender!" Jiro exclaimed before setting Kasumi down at the table in his best private room "It's wonderful to meet you Captain Ukitake I'm glad to see Kasumi having some company for once!"

"Wonderful meeting you as well Jiro." Captain Ukitake stated with his trademark warm smile.

"Let me get you two some tea while you decide what you'd like Captain Ukitake…I already know Kasumi's order by heart." Jiro grinned.

"What did he mean by you having company for once Kasumi?" Captain Ukitake asked his fellow captain.

"I usually come alone…I'm actually a very solitary creature. You get to liking solitude when you're picked on for being different." Kasumi said with a shrug "It hasn't happened here but there's a reason I didn't want to go back to high school…anyway let's talk about something else happy before Jiro decides I need to be cheered up."

Kasumi and Captain Ukitake talked for a few minutes until Jiro brought some tea and joined them while they waited for the food to arrive chatting about everything from prospects for Raiden once Kasumi completed his training and he completed the soul academy to how Kasumi's mission was going in the living world before she was recalled and what occurred in the captain's meeting after she left.

"Ah here we are! Three orders of tuna rolls with one order of salmon rolls with a miso soup for Kasumi and a shinigami special with the house salad for Captain Ukitake! Enjoy you two! And Kasumi I'll be sure that Kyōraku and Matsumoto don't bother you…knowing them they'll be here shortly." Jiro announced rising to let Kasumi and Captain Ukitake eat in peace.

Kasumi nearly choked on her tuna remembering that Jiro's place was also a favorite watering hole for her two pursuers. Captain Ukitake gently pounded Kasumi on the back while she coughed and spluttered trying to get some air. As Kasumi finally caught her breath she froze realizing that the same two people she had been running from earlier were approaching at a breakneck speed.

"So much for a quiet night…those two won't stop pestering Jiro until they get to see us…" Kasumi said with a groan resisting just barely the urge to let her face hit the table.

"Don't worry Kasumi you're a captain now you can order Lieutenant Matsumoto to leave you alone and I can keep Shunsui in line…after all I've had many years of experience doing so." Captain Ukitake stated unable to keep back a chuckle relieved when it didn't turn into a coughing fit.

As expected as the two captains were finishing their second round of food Captain Kyōraku and Lieutenant Matsumoto managed to get past Jiro to try and celebrate Kasumi's promotion the way they thought it ought to be. Of course by that time Captain Ukitake and Kasumi had come up with a plan to salvage a relatively peaceful evening of celebration that worked remarkably well. By the time Kasumi made it to her new residence she was exhausted she made her way to her bed and like the past several nights simply dropped face-down on it effortlessly falling into a dreamless sleep.

"Come on Aki, Momo trust me she's been doing the same thing the whole time I've known her…" Raiden stated just outside Kasumi's quarters.

"Alright we'll go in and check on her but I don't like the thought of disturbing Kasumi…" Momo stated opening the door.

The trio entered noting that Kasumi's quarters were actually very comfortable much like an apartment in the world of the living. They headed for the bedroom sliding the door open a tiny bit to see Kasumi still fully dressed her zanpakuto still strapped to her back. With a sigh Raiden went to her closet to get a blanket while Aki and Momo removed her zanpakuto and placed it carefully on its stand right next to the bed.

"Here we go…" Raiden whispered gently draping a blanket over the slumbering captain.

They all grinned watching Kasumi burrow into the blanket mumbling something incoherent until she spoke again.

"Raiden…" Kasumi mumbled in her sleep turning over before letting out a heavy sigh.

"Um we'd better get out of here before Captain Kasumi wakes up guys…" Aki whispered quietly.

"Agreed we have a certain substitute shinigami to grill…" Momo stated shooting Raiden a suspicious look before grabbing him by the sleeve and hauling him out of her captain's quarters.

"Why would she be whispering your name Raiden? Tell us the truth or you'll meet the wrong side of Tobiume." Momo stated trying to imitate Captain Hitsugaya's trademark icy glare.

"How the hell should I know?! Until recently I didn't even know she existed!" Raiden whispered vehemently holding up his hands to fend off any attacks that may come his way.

"Alright you get a pass for now but we will discuss this again later." Momo stated continuing to imitate her favorite snowy haired captain's icy glare "Both of you better get to bed…Kasumi is known for training hard and she plans to make the squad shine to prove we're better than the captain that betrayed us."

"Yes Lieutenant Hinamori…" Aki stated dragging Raiden off to his room.

Momo smiled after they turned the corner before headed to her own room to get some sleep knowing tomorrow was going to be a long hard day.

"Keep your guard up Eiji…Raiden try to be less impulsive! Aki focus on the target and then give it everything you've got…you two hold so I can take care of your injuries…shoot…" Kasumi called shouting advice and orders to various people while she took care of injuries caused by her training exercise "Yoru take care of the two kido burns over there will you?"

"Of course Kasumi..." He replied with a nod of his massive head.

"Alright Momo it's your turn I won't be going easy on you so give me everything you've got. Understood?" Kasumi asked drawing her zanpakuto and releasing her shikai without another word.

"Yes Captain Reitoushin..." Momo said sweetly provoking Kasumi by using her formal title despite the informal setting.

"Looking to make me angry right off the bat…good idea however your execution needs work short stuff…" Kasumi stated knowing that her remarks would set her opponent off.

Which they did of course Momo launched at Kasumi only to have the attack parried easily many even thought Kasumi parried it lazily.

"See the right taunt enrages your opponent allowing you to anticipate their moves more easily…" Kasumi stated while their blades were still locked then forced Momo back with no more than a flick of her wrist.

Kasumi felt Momo weaving a kido net much like the one she had used in the battle of the fake Karakura town and couldn't hold in a chuckle but Kasumi allowed Momo to finish since Kasumi had always wanted to test some things about the net and her zanpakuto.

"Momo that won't work…have you forgotten I've made an extensive study of the winter war?" Kasumi asked before sending a spray of ice shards in all directions to reveal the net then before the net blew she drove her blade into the ground and was surrounded by an ice cocoon.

When Momo broke through the cocoon she found it was empty and there was a hole in the other side where Kasumi had escaped. She jumped when she was tapped on the shoulder by her captain and Kasumi stated "You're dead…" causing her to hang her head in defeat.

"Cheer up Momo you did very well I was impressed with how quickly you wove the net and its destructive force. I had to pour extra reiatsu into my ice cocoon to keep it structurally sound so that I could use the cocoon as a decoy to distract you. Though you need to remember to keep a cool head in combat no matter what the taunt…" Kasumi stated patting Momo on the back with a warm smile.

"Yes Kasumi I'll try to remember that for next time." Momo stated with a small smile.

"Excellent…alright folks sheath your blades finish whatever kido you're working on and get on whatever you have to get done today you know which squads are on patrol in the Rukongai and or are on hollow hunting in the world of the living." Kasumi stated over the final blasts of kido smiling when everyone roared their acknowledgement of her orders.

After her squad had dispersed Kasumi smiled softly before she left the training field to begin the day's paperwork. Hours later Momo found Kasumi signing the last report and stretching to work out the kinks that made themselves known when she stood.

"Um…Kasumi it's time for our patrol in the Rukongai you said you wanted me to come find you when it was time." Momo said hesitantly.

"Right almost forgot thanks Momo. Let's get going then the reports are indicating an increase in hollow activity similar to the increase when I was in the academy. It has me concerned…" Kasumi stated folding her arms into her sleeves a thoughtful if concerned look crossing her unique features "The last time things got this way I wound up in Hueco Mundo."

"Kasumi you don't think that the presence you sensed has something to do with this…" Yoru asked softly from the back of Kasumi's mind.

'It's a possibility I need to consider Yoru. If the increase in incursions is linked to the presence I felt ignoring the possibility could get my men killed…' Kasumi replied quietly forcing the demons of the past that wanted to rise up at the thought of that presence back down.

"Where to first Lieutenant?" Kasumi asked adjusting her zanpakuto on her back.

"The outer districts and then work our way back the others will meet us at the gate to the Rukongai." Momo stated resting her hand on her blade.

"Alright then let's go." Kasumi said leading the way to the gate.