Chapter 17: Practical Jokes

"Ohhh yeah that's the stuff" Mitch said letting out a huge sigh as he slowly sunk into the warm relaxing hot springs and let the warmth spread throughout his body. Resting his head back on a rock his mind wandered to the upcoming battles that he would face and began to think if Ania and Tom were really ready to face the atrocities of war. Remembering back to his first time on a battlefield Mitch wasn't really that scared but that was due to the bloodlust and battle fury that overcame him and he guessed that neither of them would succumb to it as easily as he did.

Shaking those thoughts from his mind he grabbed a handful of water and began washing his hair and face before his entire body. After washing thoroughly he decided to lie in the warm waters for awhile longer as he was sure no one needed at the current point in time.

Attempting to gain some amount of sleep Ania had been lying down on the couch in the captain's room for the last 20 minutes but sleep wouldn't come as thoughts of the upcoming battle and what will happen revolved around in her head. She had never been in actual combat before but had witnessed Mitch fighting a few times and the thought of dying crossed her minds a few times but she knew that Mitch would make sure no harm would come to any of them.

Finally realizing she couldn't sleep Ania decided to get some training in as she walked outside and closed her eyes trying to sense Mitch's reiatsu. Catching onto it briefly she pinpointed that he was the 11th squad barracks and quickly raced off eager to get some training in.

Mitch unaware that he was expecting a visitor lay back against a rock in the springs with his eyes shut having a brief moment of peace and quiet in his already busy life. The last week had been pretty full on what with Ania and Tom becoming shinigami's then the sudden arrival of his captain and now the news he would be shifted into an epic battle.

The sound of the spa door sliding open caused him to open one eye as he expected to find Ikkaku or someone else from his squad coming for a soak but the sight he saw made him jump back startled.

Standing at the entrance of the spa with a sly smile on her face was Ania "Guess I found you but I didn't expect to see you like that" she said as Mitch sunk deeper into the water while Ania laughed and wandered into the spa taking a seat on the rock where Mitch's clothes were.

Grabbing them in her hand she just smiled as Mitch lay in the water unable to really do anything. "Alright what exactly do you want I'm basically at your mercy" Mitch growled as Ania simply waved a finger at him "Hmmmm what do I want, what do I want indeed". Finally after 10 awkward minutes Ania finally threw Mitch's clothes to him "Alright and your proposition is?" "Oh I want nothing more than some training from you".

"That's all you wanted here I thought it would be something far more degrading for me but if it's training you want then fine I'll train you" "I don't want you holding back for fear of hurting me though I want your full power unleashed on me" Ania said as Mitch took awhile to think before nodding his head "Fine I won't hold back, now could you turn around so I can change".

"I think I'd rather watch and see how you get out of this one" Ania chuckled to herself as Mitch shook his head in disbelief. "So I have 3 options here one I can get my clothes wet, two I emerge naked and get dressed but you see me or three I invent some way of evading you from perving on me" Ania nodded her head as Mitch thought of his options which were all risky but he finally chose the try and evade Ania.

Quick as a flash Mitch darted out of the water as Ania couldn't even see his body move it was just a blur but she reacted and chased after him as they both burst out of the spa room and into the courtyard of the 11th squad.

The whole time Mitch never stopped moving using his shunpo every single step for if he stopped for one second he would be naked for everyone to view. Gripping his clothes tighter in his right hand he looked back over his shoulder to see Ania in the distance still hot on his tail "Damn it she can't see me but can still sense my reiatsu and track me" he growled to himself as he took a hard right and bolted through the main courtyard in Seretii.

Shinigami's going about their daily jobs saw a white blur just race by them as they went about their work like nothing had happened. Making a hard left Mitch raced past the 2nd squad barracks as another blur erupted right next to him as he looked back over his shoulder to see Soi-Fon the 2nd squad's captain and leader f the special op's tailing him. "Uhh Soi-Fon what exactly are you doing" Mitch yelled back to her as she just smiled "I saw a blur rush past my base and thought it might have been Yourichi-Sama so I decided to take a look".

"Well ermm would you mind kind of leaving now I'm not exactly in the best situation" he said as Soi-Fon looked down to see him holding his cloak wrapped around his waist "That girlfriend of yours giving you trouble?" she said as Mitch sighed "She's not my girlfriend this is just a weird torture game she's playing". "Surrreeee" Soi-Fon said simply smiling as she disappeared leaving Mitch to try and find a safe location to get dressed at.

Ania still darted along behind Mitch laughing gleefully at this little as she rounded a corner and saw Mitch just standing there with his robe wrapped tightly around his waist. "So you've given up then?" Mitch sighed as he turned to face her and ran straight towards her, this caught Ania completely off guard as he swerved behind her and wrapped both his hands around her waist in a tight arm lock. "Sure this holds me but you still aren't getting dressed either" she said as Mitch just laughed "Unfortunately you don't know half my skills I'm a simply a clone of Mitch".

"Huh a clone?" Ania said confused "It's created by moving an extra step faster with shunpo" he said as Ania jerked her head around to see the clone Mitch smiling as the real one walked around the corner fully dressed "Didn't think I had any other tricks left did you?". Leaping into the air he stood centimeters away from Ania smiling "I'd be careful now he may be a clone but he does have all the same characteristics as myself and there is only a robe covering his waist" he said teasingly as the clone tightened his grip pulling her closer to his bare chest.

"So now how do you plan to escape with the tables turned?" Mitch asked as Ania attempted to break free but found he was far too strong. "Take all the time in the world I'm sure he's enjoying it, just a pity we can't trade places" slowly Ania reached down to her blade and managed to her fingers on the hilt as she drew it free and slashed across Mitch's chest as the clone dissolved into nothing. "Not badly done I must admit I thought you wouldn't get out of that one" Mitch said smirking as Ania turned around and slashed her blade towards him as he simply blocked it with his bare hand and closed his finger around the tip. "Watch where you point that thing you might ruin my hair" he mockingly said letting it go as Ania sheathed her sword "Follow me and I'll start your training just keep up this time" Mitch said darting past Ania as she quickly followed hot on his heels.