Enter: Shiba Kukaku!
The Next Day,
"I wonder if Jidnbo-san is all right? His wound has closed, but…", Orihime asked Chad and Orihime.
"Big-bodied men have lots of stamina. I'm sure he'll be alright.", Chad told Orihime.
"He's so big and so strong. I'm sure he'll be fine.", Orihime noted with a smile.
"Still… Who is this Shiba Kukaku that we're going to go meet? Yoruichi-san never gives us any details…", Uryu noted, correcting his glasses.
"It's probably someone he knows who can get us to Seireitei without passing through the gates, right?", Orihime asked them.
"Probably, someone who is famous for his skill.", Uryu noted.
"Oh! It must be a certified pedigreed cat! Like a Persian cat… or American Short Hair or Dalmatian.", Orihime guessed.
"Inoue… Just because Yoruichi-san knows him, doesn't mean they're going to be a cat. Also, Dalmatian is… a dog!", Chad corrected Orihime.
"A dog?", Orihime asked in disbelief.
"Judging by the name… it sounds like a well-built man, someone like a samurai.", Uryu stated.
"No, he'll be an old hermit-type master.", Chad stated.
"I know! You see… It goes like this… then this… then this… Done!", Orihime moaned in realization before drawing a crappy picture of 'Shiba Kukaku' by combining all three of their ideas by crouching and drawing on the ground. "A hermit-like macho samurai with cat ears, and a tail! No doubt about it!", Orihime described, making Chad and Uryu sweat in disbelief.
"I can't tell what you drew…", Chad replied.
"Oh? Then what about a skinny guitar-wielding samurai?", Orihime asked him.
"You don't understand, Inoue. He has to have a cape.", Uryu told her.
"Too bad!", Orihime told herself for not understanding.
A few minutes later,
"Anyway, Kurosaki is late.", Uryu noted.
"I'm right here…", Ryuji told him from the roof of the house.
"WAAH!", Orihime and Uryu screamed in shock.
"Since, when have you been here?", Uryu asked him.
"Right from the time you tried to deduce the face of Shiba Kukaku.", Ryuji replied.
"That's…no matter. I am talking about your brother.", Uryu responded to Ryuji.
"Shall I go get him?", Orihime asked Uryu while Chad kept looking at the drawing.
"No, I'll go see.", Uryu said before walking inside the house.
"I have to think about how the next Shiba Kukaku's gonna look like!", Orihime said in excitement before crouching as she watched Uryu go inside the house to get Ichigo.
"No… you don't have to…", Chad told her.
"Huh?", Orihime asked puzzled.
Inside the house,
"What?! Not going?!", Uryu asked Ichigo in shock.
"Not 'not going'. Just go on ahead. I'll go after I finish the fight with that guy from yesterday!", Ichigo replied.
"What are you saying?! Quit joking and… come!", Uryu said before trying to pull Ichigo from the house.
"I don't want to! He'll think I ran away!", Ichigo said as he held onto the edge of the floorboards.
"So what?!", Uryu asked, trying to get Ichigo out.
"Hey, hey… Aren't we going yet?", Orihime asked as she peeked her head in.
"Inoue-san! Help me drag this dummy away from here!", Uryu told her as he struggled to pull Ichigo out.
"W-Who's the fool?! I'm gonna beat him up as soon as he shows up, and I'll follow you guys, so go on-!", Ichigo's reply was cut off when Yoruichi cut his nose with her nails, making Ichigo scream till the end of the earth.
"Have you lost your cool and forgotten why you're here in the first place? Fool! Rukia's life depends on this journey. Surely you haven't forgotten, haven't you?", Yoruichi scolded.
"…", Ichigo sat up and faced downwards.
"You can't waste more time just to see who's more stubborn. If you understand, get ready.", Yoruichi advised Ichigo.
"…", Ichigo looked downwards in sadness.
"Hey Ichigo…", Ryuji called Ichigo.
"Huh?", Ichigo looked up to find Ryuji extending his hand to him.
"We're getting her back!", Ryuji told him with a smirk.
"Absolutely!", Ichigo said as he took his arm with a smirk of his own.
On the way to the house of Shiba Kukaku,
"Hey…Looks like we've come to the outer reaches of a village. Are you sure this is the right way? Hey!", Ichigo asked as they were arriving at the outskirts of Rukongai.
"Shut up! According to the man the Elder gave us, It's supposed to be around here. If you have any complaints, you take the lead!", Uryu replied in frustration as he showed them the map.
"No, I'm not complaining.", Ichigo stated taken aback by Uryu's suggestion.
"Shiba Kukaku probably wants to keep his identity secret, that's why he lives in a place like this.", Orihime theorized.
"Unfortunately, that is not the case. It's just that person's nature… and that person's preference.", Yoruichi replied to Orihime.
"…", Ryuji looked as Yoruichi moved forward.
"Don't worry. This person moves around quite a bit, but their house is always built the same way. Once I see it, I'll recognize it!", Yoruichi told them as they started to follow him.
"Once you see it, huh?", Ichigo asked skeptically.
"Yes, yes. Just once…", Yoruichi replied confidently and they moved a bit further.
"…", Ryuji and the others stopped as they notice Yoruichi stop.
"Oh, I see it! There it is.", Yoruichi noted while others looked at the house in disbelief.
"Wha-?", Ichigo could not finish his question in shock.
"What's this?", Uryu asked in shock.
"Wow! How neat!", Orihime said in excitement.
"…", Chad stood without a word.
'What in my skateboard is that?!', Ryuji asked himself in his mind as he noticed that the house had two giant stone arms holding a banner reading 'Shiba Kukaku' in front and a large smokestack behind it.
"You can recognize it once you see it, right?", Yoruichi asked like a boss.
'That's not the issue!', Ichigo thought in disbelief.
' "Wants to keep his identity a secret?" That's a lie! He's probably not allowed to live in town because he builds houses like this.', Uryu thought to himself.
'That's gotta be it!', Ichigo thought to himself, following the same flow of thought as Uryu.
"Hmm… This time, they went with human arms holding the banner. That's a nice touch.", Yoruichi noted.
'Each time…', Ichigo thought.
'He changes the motif?', Uryu concluded in the same flow in disbelief.
"Let's go.", Yoruichi said as he started walking towards the house with Orihime following her with enthusiasm while Chad has a neutral expression.
'Can't I be blessed with a few normal people?', Ryuji thought to himself as he followed Yoruichi as well.
'Argh… We're going to that embarrassing house right now?', Uryu thought to himself.
'I don't want to be seen walking into a house like that.', Ichigo continued the thought flow.
"What's the matter? Hurry up!", Yoruichi told the two.
"Yes…", Uryu and Ichigo replied in unison.
"Hey, Ishida! I know that you don't want to go, but hurry up!", Ichigo said before walking past the others, toward the house.
"What's that supposed to mean?", Uryu asked as he joined the rest in walking to the house.
'What's with that chimney? It's awfully big compared to the house. Its opening is covered up.', Ryuji noted to himself as he notices the chimney of the house.
"Hold it!", A duo of voices was directed at them, making them stop in their tracks.
"Huh?", Ryuji kept his hand on his Zanpakuto, which hung on his back.
"Who goes there?!", A man asked as he revealed himself to be on the top of the left arm.
"Strangers! And two are Shinigami!", Another man said from the top of the other arm.
"…", Ryuji looked at the two men drop down to the ground and stand taller than Chad.
"You're suspicious characters! I, Koganehiko…", The man on the left introduced himself after noting.
"And Shiroganehiko…", The other man introduced in the same flow.
"-will not allow you to pass!", The both of them stated in unison.
"Tch.", Ryuji's lips twitched in annoyance at the two men.
"Be gone!", Shirogamehiko started.
"Or you'll die right here!", Koganehiko ended.
"Damn, gatekeepers again? Soul Society is such a pain!", Ichigo stated in frustration as Yoruichi peeked her face out, making the two men notice him.
"Huh?", The two men looked at Yoruichi.
"Ha…", Yoruichi gave them a teasing smile.
"Yoruichi-dono?!", The duo asked in shock.
A few minutes later,
"A descending stairway as soon as you enter? This house is really weird.", Uryu noted as Koganehiko led them down the stairs which came immediately after the door.
"I wonder how you get upstairs?", Orihime wondered.
"Please pardon us! We did not know it was you, Yoruichi-dono, and your companions. Please forgive our rudeness.", Koganehiko apologized as he led them further down.
'We're not his companions.', Ichigo thought to himself.
"That's all right. It's my fault for not notifying you beforehand.", Yoruichi replied as she walked down.
"Thank you! Such generous words from such a great personage! Please wait here for a moment.", Koganehiko said as they reached a corridor that was modeled after a traditional Japanese home, with a sliding door near them.
'…', Ryuji took in the interior before hearing the sound of claps coming from the room inside the sliding door.
"Y-Yes! Yes, right away….Kukaku-sama.", Koganehiko answered with respect before opening the door.
"Hey, it's been a while, Yoruichi.", Shiba Kukaku, with a smoke pipe in her mouth, greeted Yoruichi from her seat.
She was a youthful-looking woman of average height, having green eyes, and wore bandages over her long messy black hair that parted down in half at the small of her back. She wore a white skirt and provocative red robe exposing her ample bosom. She was missing her right arm, replaced by a robotic one, and had a tattoo on her left arm. She wore bandages around her right shoulder and both ankles. She had wooden sandals and a cloak
'She is…', Ryuji entered the room and thought to himself with a smirk as he noticed the beauty of Shiba Kukaku.
"K-Kukaku is…", Ichigo stated in shock.
"-A woman?!", Orihime and Uryu ended the sentence in the same state.
"I never said Kukaku was a man.", Yoruichi told them.
"Huh? Who are these kids?", Kukaku asked as she noticed Ichigo and the others before her gaze landed on Ryuji.
"Actually, Kukaku… I have a favor to ask of you.", Yoruichi told Kukaku.
"That's usually the case when you come to visit.", Kukaku stated, making eye contact with Ryuji.
"Hmm…", Yoruichi agreed.
"Is it a difficult problem?", Kukaku asked her.
"Most probably.", Yoruichi replied with a smile.
"It's been a long time since we've talked like this… All right, tell me. I love difficult things.", Kukaku noted with a smirk before asking Yoruichi about their plans.
'I like this woman… She's alluring, gutsy, and tough.', Ryuji thought to himself with a smirk as Yoruichi proceeded to explain to Kukaku about the issue.
"I see…I do get the picture.", Kukaku replied after listening to Yoruichi and smoked a bit before answering, "All right. I'll take on the job.".
"Really?", Yoruichi asked in happiness.
"Yeah. If Urahara's involved, I can't refuse even if I wanted to.", Kukaku replied before standing up and continuing, "However, while I trust you… I don't trust those kids. I'll include an underling to keep an eye on them.".
"An underling?", Ichigo asked.
"Yeah. But, he's actually my kid's brother. He's still a brat and not that useful.", Kukaku replied as she walked over to the sliding door to her left.
'Somehow, I have a bad feeling about this…', Ryuji thought to himself.
"Hey, Are you ready?", Kukaku asked her brother, who was behind the door.
"Oh. Just a minute…", The man replied.
"I opening the door, so behave!", Kukaku told him.
"Y-Yeah.", The man replied and Kukaku opened the door to reveal Ganju, who introduced himself, "Nice to meet you. I am Shiba Ganju. Please be good to me.".
"…", Ryuji and the others gave him a look of disbelief.
"…", Ganju gave them a look of disbelief.
"…", Ichigo's eyebrow twitched while he looked at Ganju.
"HAAAAA!", Both Ichigo and Ganju screamed while pointing at each other.
"What? You guys know each other?", Kukaku asked in surprise.
'Wait until you see how they express their 'familiarity' with each other.', Ryuji thought to himself with a smirk.
In a few moments, Ichigo and Ganju punch each other in the face simultaneously, and after reeling back from this, Ichigo grabbed the back of Ganju's head and threw him forward, resulting in Ganju crashing through a set of sliding doors that shatter around him. As Ichigo confidently ran toward him, Ganju sprang up and kicked Ichigo in the face, sending Ichigo rolling back past his friends. Ganju ran up to Ichigo, spread his legs, and eagerly jammed his foot into Ichigo's crotch, to the latter's immense pain.
'Ouch!', Ryuji thought to himself.
Angered by this, Ichigo kicked Ganju across the room, sending him crashing through the sliding doors next to a shocked Koganehiko before an angered Ganju ran back inside to resume the fight. Watching calmly and smoking her pipe as Ichigo and Ganju continue to fight around her, Kukaku had her pipe knocked out of her hand when Ganju slams one of the sliding doors into Ichigo, irritating her.
As Ichigo ran over her pipe and broke it, Kukaku was enraged.
"Why you-", Kukaku cursed as she unleashed a powerful Hado spell that ripped through the floor, sent both Ichigo and Ganju flying, and exploded out of the top and the front door of the house right after the others evacuated the building. The house, the smoke stack, and the arm-shaped pillars tilted at the magnitude of the blast.
"Did she have to go that far just to stop their fight?", Uryu asked in disbelief.
"I think I know why she moves around a lot.", Chad commented in disbelief.
"It must be hard.", Orihime commented in disbelief.
'…', Ryuji let out a sigh.
"What's with you?! Fighting from the minute you set eyes on each other… Don't you know it's dangerous?! You destroyed my house!", Kukaku scolded Ganju as she kept her leg on the back of his head as Ganju and Ichigo lay on their stomach.
'…Really?', Ryuji gave her 'the look' as he thought.
"But Sis…", Ganju's explanation was cut off by Kukaku.
"No excuses!", Kukaku yelled, shutting Ganju up while stomping on Ganju more while the others peeked their heads in to see the three.
"You got any complaints?!", Kukaku asked them, pissed off.
"Err…No!", Orihime, Chad, Yoruichi, and Uryu replied in unison while Ryuji continued to give her 'the look'.
'What's up with that? Both brother and sister…', Ichigo thought to himself as he picked his head up a little to look at Kukaku and Ganju.
"…", Kukaku turned around towards Ichigo.
"Huh?!", Ichigo started shivering when he noticed her coming over to him.
"Hey, brat! This is my house. If you have a problem with the way I do things here, get outta here!", Kukaku told him with an intimidating glare while holding him up by his head.
"I-I'm sorry…", Ichigo apologized in fear while sweat dripped from his face.
"Okay. As long as you understand.", Kukaku said as she let go of Ichigo, who fell back down on his face and crawled up to Ganju.
"Your older sister is scary.", Ichigo stated to Ganju.
"Right?", Ganju asked in acceptance.
"All right. Everyone, stand!", Kukaku commanded, making Ichigo, Ganju, and Koganehiko stand up in attention.
"Yes!", All three of them replied in unison as they did.
"Koganehiko, go outside with Shiroganehiko and start with preparations.", Kukaku ordered.
"Right!", Koganehiko said with a salute before leaving.
"The rest, be quiet and follow me!", Kukaku ordered.
"You had to destroy the house, didn't you?", Ryuji asked her, surprising everyone else.
'Ryuji! What are you saying?!', Ichigo thought to himself in fear.
'Do you have a death wish?!', Ganju thought to himself.
'Kurosaki!', The other three thought in unison.
'This daring brat…', Yoruichi thought to herself in concern.
"Huh? Can you repeat that?", Kukaku asked Ryuji with the same intimidating glare.
"YOU JUST HAD TO DESTROY THE HOUSE, DIDN'T YOU?", Ryuji repeated loudly, making Kukaku's eyebrow twitch.
"Why you brat!", Kukaku cursed as she crossed half the distance between them and stood before Ryuji.
"I asked you a logical question. If you can't digest it, the doctor's somewhere inside the village.", Ryuji replied, closing the remaining distance between them and looking Kukaku in the eye.
"You have the such nerve to talk back to me in my own house, You brat!", Kukaku commented, glaring at him with a smile.
"No matter whose house it is, when I'm inside it, the arena is mine.", Ryuji replied, glaring back with his signature sexy smirk.
'This Brat! He's handsome, cocky, and potent.', Kukaku thought to herself as she continued her eye contact with Ryuji.
'This woman is getting even more interesting to look at.', Ryuji thought to himself as he continued to glare back.
"….", The others stood there and watched this interaction go.
"….", Kukaku kept on glaring at Ryuji.
"….", Ryuji gave the glare back two-fold.
"….HAHAHAHA!", Kukaku started laughing as she stooped her glares.
"S-She's laughing?", Ichigo asked in disbelief.
"You've brought a gutsy kid, Yoruichi…. I like him.", Kukaku told Yoruichi, while looking Ryuji up and down.
"Same here.", Ryuji replied smirking more.
"Now, follow me.", Kukaku said as she started walking forward.
"Hmm…Woah!", Ryuji started to follow her but was pulled back by Ganju and Ichigo.
"Are you an idiot?!", Ichigo asked him.
"That'd be you, Ichigo.", Ryuji replied like a boss.
"Do you want to die?! Aren't you a little bit scared at my sister?!", Ganju asked Ryuji.
"Well…She's kind of… Cute.", Ryuji replied.
'What?', Kukaku blushed in shock as she heard it from afar.
"HAAAA!", Ichigo and Ganju shouted in shock at Ryuji's comment.
"Kurosaki-Kun!", Orihime and the others turned back to see what happened.
"I can't believe it! How can you think of her as cute?!", Ganju asked in disbelief at Ryuji's comment.
"I definitely can! Ryuji is into older women!", Ichigo stated in response while pointing at Ryuji.
"Geez Ichigo, can I offer you a job as an advertisement presenter?", Ryuji asked in a sarcastic tone.
"Hey! Get yourselves here this instant!", Kukaku ordered from afar in a commanding tone.
"Yes!", Ichigo and Ganju replied in unison as they all caught up to Kukaku.
Underground,
"Wow… why is there light when we're underground? I don't see any generators.", Uryu asked as they were walking through the underground hallway which powered up light that was unexplainable.
"I keep hotarukazura in the ceiling cracks and on both sides of the wooden frames.", Kukaku replied to him while leading on.
"Hotarukazura? Is that a plant or something that is only found in Soul Society?", Uryu asked her.
"We're here. Here it is.", Kukaku stopped next to a door closed with an 'Authorized Personnel Only' sign, ignoring Uryu's question.
"Open it, Ganju!", Kukaku ordered Ganju.
"Right!", Ganju replied in fear before going to open the door.
"Umm!", Uryu tried to ask Kukaku again but was stopped by Ichigo suffocating him. "What's the big idea?!", Uryu asked Ichigo when released.
"Don't defy her! Okay?", Ichigo told him in fear.
"Heave!", Ganju yelled as he slid the door, revealing the base of the smokestack behind the house.
"W-What's this thing?!", Ichigo asked in surprise.
"It's huge!", Uryu noted.
'So, this is the base of that smokestack…', Ryuji thought to himself as he noticed Kukaku walk near it.
"I'll shoot you guys into Seireitei with this! From the sky.", Kukaku stated, pointing upwards.
"Sky?!", Uryu and Ichigo asked in incredulity.
"My name is Shiba Kukaku. I'm the #1 fireworks expert of Rukongai!", Kukaku announced her identity, surprising everyone.
"Fireworks expert?", Ichigo asked.
"Right!", Kukaku replied with a smirk before ordering while looking upwards, "Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko! Raise it!".
Outside, a crank rises in front of Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko, who each grab one side as they begin to enthusiastically turn it.
"Y-Y-Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes! Yes!", The two of them continue to repeat after every turn.
"Huh?! What is that?!", Ichigo asked as felt the ground beneath them shake.
"What's happening?", Orihime asked in concern.
"Huh?!", Chad looked down at his feet while sweat dripped from his head.
"The floor… is rising!", Uryu stated in shock as the ground beneath them rose up.
'…', Ryuji looked in shock as the smokestack behind Kukaku's house crumbled as the cannon rose up through it.
"The ceiling is… opening!", Uryu stated in shock as the ceiling opened up.
"Is this for real?!", Ichigo asked, feeling gravity hit him.
Turning the crank faster and faster, Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko come to a stop and point to the cannon upon fully raising it above ground while Ryuji and his friends stared in astonishment.
"Are you scared kids? This is Shiba Kukaku's Special super-sized fireworks stage!", Kukaku told them with excitement in her eyes but was interrupted by Ganju.
"Kakaku Taiho!", Ganju spelled its name to them, interrupting his sister.
"Don't say it before I do!", Kukaku stated in anger after kicking Ganju down by the back of his head.
"I-I'm sorry…", Ganju apologized as he laid on his stomach with the back of his head letting out smoke.
"What, speechless?", Kukaku asked them with a triumphant smile.
"What kind of joke is this?! You may be a Fireworks expert or whatever, but you're crazy if you think you shoot us over with that-", Uryu's critique was cut off by Kukaku throwing a ball at his face which bounced off and landed on Ichigo's hand after hitting Uryu.
"What is this?", Ichigo asked Kukaku after taking a look at the ball.
"It's a Reishukaku. Place your palms on it and focus your Reiryoku!", Kukaku told Ichigo.
"Huh? Like this?", Ichigo asked before squeezing it for some seconds before asking Kukaku, "How do you focus Reiryoku?".
"Huh? What are you saying? Like this! If you're a Shinigami, you should know how to use a Kido.", Kukaku responded to Ichigo in perplexion as she created an energy ball in her arm.
"Actually…", Yoruichi started.
"Huh?", Kukaku turned her attention to Yoruichi as she made the ball disappear.
"This boy is the newbie Shinigami I told you about earlier. He can't use Kido at all.", Yoruichi informed Kukaku.
"What the hell?!", Kukaku asked in disbelief while looking at Ichigo struggle with the Reishukaku.
"Like this?", Ichigo asked as he tried different positions of holding the ball.
"Then, what about him?", Kukaku asked in frustration, pointing to Ryuji.
"Well… I do not know.", Yoruichi replied.
"What?", Kukaku asked in surprise.
"I do not know… He simply is too secretive about his strengths.", Yoruichi explained to Kukaku.
"How hopeless! Ganju, show them.", Kukaku ordered Ganju.
"Yes! Hey, give it here.", Ganju replied before trying to take the ball from Ichigo, who pulled it away.
'Really Ichigo? Now of all times?', Ryuji thought to himself with a sigh at Ichigo's behavior.
"Why you- You kid, you wanna fight?!", Ganju asked in anger.
"Yeah… Take it from me if you can. I'd rather die than have you show me.", Ichigo replied with the same anger.
*smack* *smack*
"Cut it out!", Kukaku ordered after smacking the two to the ground.
"Sorry…", The two replied in unison.
'As I thought…', Ryuji noted to himself as he saw Ganju hold the Reishukaku in his hands and imbued it with his Reiryoku, causing it to glow blue, and grunted with exertion before using the Reishukaku to create a spherical barrier around his body.
"W-What's that?!", Ichigo asked in surprise.
"This is the cannonball.", Kukaku stated after she knocked on the barrier twice.
"Cannonball?", Uryu asked in astonishment.
"Now listen up. You think that the only thing guarding Seireitei is that barrier, but you're wrong. That barrier is made from an ore known as Sekkiseki, that's rare even in Soul Society.", Kukaku explained.
'…', Ryuji listened patiently and visualized the structure in his mind.
"This is a fragment of it.", Kukaku said as she placed a small fragment on the wooden floor and struck it.
'…', Ryuji looked at it in astonishment when he saw that a spherical area around the Sekkiseki was destroyed while the fragment and the small portion of the floor under it remained intact.
"As you can see, it completely breaks down Reiryoku. That's why it's impossible to bore a hole through the barrier with Reiryoku. On top of that… even when cut, it emits a wave that breaks down Reiryoku from all sides. In other words… Seireitei has a spherical barrier, Shakonmaku, around it that reaches from the sky to the underground, all thanks to Sekkiseki.", Kukaku explained as she picked up the fragment, causing the intact floor it was sitting on to crumble.
"Tch.", Ryuji's lips twitched.
"And so… that's where this comes in!", Kukaku exclaimed as she knocked on the barrier around Ganju once.
"Sis, I'm tire-", Ganju's complaint of exhaustion was cut off by Kukaku's 'Deal with it!'.
"This is the Special Hard Spiritual Partition Penetration device that I invented. In other words, If all of the combined put your Reiryoku into this Reishunkaku, you can create a temporary cannonball that will break through the barrier. And then… I'll shoot that cannonball with my Kakaku Taiho and it will pierce straight through the barrier.", Kukaku finished her explanation.
"Any Questions?", Kukaku asked them.
"Uhh… well…", Ichigo's question was cut off by Kukaku.
"All right, you are dismissed! Go to the practicing room underground and practice focusing you Reiryoku!", Kukaku ordered, cutting Ichigo off and Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko apprehend them to take them underground.
"Hey…", Ryuji called out to Kukaku.
"Huh?", Kukaku turned around to Ryuji.
"Can I have a try right now?", Ryuji asked her, extending his hand and demanding the Reishunkaku.
"HAHAHA!", Kukaku began laughing at Ryuji before asking, "You've just seen someone do it and think you can do it yourself?".
"…", Ryuji looked at her with no change in emotion.
"You're a funny one, aren't you? Here!", Kukaku stated as she threw the Reishunkaku to Ryuji from Ganju's hand.
"…", Ryuji caught the ball with one hand, held it in position, and closed his eyes.
"Are you serious? Even if you're strong, you can't hope to do this after you see it onc-", Kukaku's advice was cut off by the Reishunkaku glowing blue.
"Hmph!", Ryuji grunted as he created a spherical barrier around his body.
"Huh?!", Kukaku exclaimed in shock as the others did.
'Now… Change!', Ryuji thought to himself, making a spike appear on the top surface of the barrier and changing it to a sphere with multiple spikes.
"I-Impossible!", Kukaku exclaimed as she witnessed Ryuji change the form of the barrier again and again in different ways.
"This is nice…", Ryuji stated as he put down the ball.
"…", Everyone around him gave a look of shock.
"Well, if there isn't anything more, I'll go train with my Zanpakuto.", Ryuji told them before turning around.
"W-Wait!", Kukaku called out to him, making him stop.
"What?", Ryuji asked.
"How did you do that?", Kukaku asked him.
"How did I do that? Bakudo #1 Sai!", Ryuji said before using Kido on Kukaku, locking her arms behind her back.
"Gah!", Kukaku grunted as her arms were restrained.
"That might give you the answer and by the way, The name is Ryuji… Kurosaki Ryuji.", Ryuji told Kukaku before walking away.
"Wow… Ryuji knows to use Kido.", Ichigo noted in surprise.
"It seems he can use Kido.", Yoruichi noted to Kukaku.
"As if I don't know that considering my hands are tied.", Kukaku replied to Yoruichi with a pissed-off face before breaking off the hold.
"Well, at least we have one who can use the Reishunkaku.", Yoruichi stated.
"That's true. You all! Go down there and practice. Listen, If any one of you lose focus, you will blow up right there!", Kukaku told them as they were taken away by Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko.
"What?!", Ichigo asked in shock.
"You all need practice! Practice hard!", Kukaku wished them as they were away.
"You never mentioned that before!", Ichigo yelled as he was taken into the house.
Somewhere else, in the evening,
Ryuji Kurosaki stood in the middle of nowhere with his eyes closed. He had three targets namely wooden dummies surrounding him. A small leaf from the tree cut itself and began gliding down. Slowly, just slowly, it glid down like a feather in the wind and touched the ground, setting Ryuji into action.
Ryuji took off at a blinding speed and slashed the target in front of him. He turned around and boosted towards his left and stabbed the next. Using its body as leverage he had, He boosted himself to the sky and dropped down on the next target, splitting it into two.
*clap**clap**clap**clap*
"Who's that?", Ryuji asked as he turned around to find Kukaku.
"That was some impressive swordplay…", Kukaku praised Ryuji.
"Hmm…", Ryuji replied.
"But, that's not all you'd encounter in Seireitei.", Kukaku told him before changing up her arm and punching the ground.
"Damn!", Ryuji cursed as he jumped off the ground where Kukaku's Hado blasted.
"You have good reflexes but It'll not be enough for you when it comes to Kido battle. Hado #31. Shakkaho!", Kukaku said as she pointed her index and middle finger at Ryuji, generating and firing an orb of crimson-red energy toward him.
"Bakudo #39. Enkosen!", Ryuji placed his hand in a blocking motion, generating a dull yellow energy, which took the form of a large spinning disk of condensed Reiatsu, in front of him, blocking Kukaku's attack, and landed on the ground.
"That's some good defense but… it'll not help you in this state. Hado #63. Raikoho!", Kukaku said generating an orb of yellow lightning above the palm of her hand and firing the built-up energy at Ryuji as a massive concentration of energy that resembled a lightning strike.
"!", Ryuji stood there as Kukaku brought down her lightning strike to him, bringing a lot of dust and destruction.
"Don't be so arrogant, Kid.", Kukaku said with a triumphant smile.
"Who's the kid?!", Ryuji asked from inside the dust.
"What the-", Kukaku was surprised at that.
"Hmm…", Ryuji smirked at her with his eyes closed as he held her arm, perfectly containing her Hado.
"Impossible!", Kukaku said in shock.
"It is.", Ryuji stated.
"No, it is not! To be able to catch a Hado this powerful, you need ultra-keen vision and precise timings. You don't-", Kukaku's explanation was cut off by Ryuji.
"I don't what?", Ryuji asked opening his eyes to reveal his two tomoe Sharingan.
'Beautiful… It looks so beautiful.', Kukaku thought to herself as she was mesmerized by Ryuji's Sharingan.
"Do you accept that I am not a kid?", Ryuji asked with a smirk.
"I accept…", Kukaku replied, still staring deep into Ryuji's eyes.
"…", Ryuji kept staring into her green eyes.
"…", Kukaku repeated the same.
Out of nowhere, Ryuji pushed his lips onto Kukaku's, and Kukaku accepted the move by letting him in more. She wound her arms around Ryuji's neck while Ryuji's arms pushed her head towards him for more leverage in the kiss.
As the sun set down, a new one arose in the relationship between Kukaku and Ryuji.
End of Chapter - 9