4 - The first attack - Wiped out

Kasumi unlatched the zanpakutou from his sash, and set it on the ground, smiling. It was the first time she and him had gotten to be alone in a while. His black shinigami kimono hung, well fit on his body, in a perfect way for moving, but still keeping a stylish flair. Kasumi, still smiling, reached his arm into his sleeve, pulling out a small string which he used to tie back his long perfect black hair, leaving a small section of the side of his bangs hanging there in front of his face, but not blocking his eyes or vision.

He was preparing for a lesson. He had never taught anyone anything other than Kifuume, and only a small section of kendo, the way of the sword, to Hiiro when she was having a hard time in the kendo classes in the academy. But he was still good enough to teach this particular lesson, the ability to use shunpo, or flash step. He had once been a part of the assassin's 2nd squad, and was there for very quick, and was naturally, other than Shuunske, the fastest in the entire 11th squad. His hand to hand fighting was also well developed, although he much rather use his sword in a time of combat.

Looking up, his hair up, and all unneeded weight removed, Kasumi stood up. So long since he had done this. Where to begin. She was not a total beginner, but she was not an expert at anything yet. She had yet to become specialized. Kasumi had hoped to see her specialize into the medical aspect of combat, to thus keep her safe. But alas, she had come to the 11th squad. He was still confused on that ordeal, not that she was weak, but that she made a seated officer in such a squad. That surprised him. He had faith in her, and she was doing a great job so far, but she had much to learn before she could match up with many of the men in the squad. He intended to teach her those abilities, so that one day, he and her could fight on equal ground. Protecting her came first, then making her strong. Then himself.

"Alright Hiiro-chan. Ready?" His voice was cheerful, almost mocking. He meant it well though, and she would know that. He used to tease her about being weak with a sword, and she would charge at him, her bamboo shinai held high in the air, brandishing it like she had a fully evolved zanpakutou, against his already founded zanpakutou. He would laugh and easily disarm her, unless Kifuume was around, in which case, they would get into a wild fight, over who could protect her better. He had won.

The floor on which they stood was cold, and wooden. The same plank stretched from one end of the floor, to the other, calling for large trees to have been in the making of this room. The walls, other than the communications wall, were white like all the other ones, with the insignia of the Ginsuchi clan directly opposite the screen that was used for video communication. Hiiro stood opposite the room from him, her sword and everything also away.

"Alright, Shunpo is what I am teaching you. You have never learned it, and it seemed important to teach you. It is a valuable skill to have in combat. However, although it will make you faster by a long shot, do not think that you can suddenly out run any one. Many other peoples shunpo will be much faster than your own in the beginning, but just keep working on it. You will soon become fast. When I think your ready, we will race one day. But thats not for now." He laughed again. His canine teeth as white as snow, locking into a grin. He was so enthusiastic. He meant it all too, although he planned on teaching her how to better use the zanpakutou and such, so that she could fight on par with him one day.

"You already know how to use the basic kido spells, or atleast how to activate your rieatsu to do such don't you? I remember you did good in that class. It follows the same basis as that. First I will show you what an evolved shunpo looks like." With nothing more said, Kasumi vanished into thin air, just like that. He was gone. Less than a second later, he appeared behind Hiiro, moving at a slower shunpo pace, but that would not be noticeable to her. As he did so, for the moment that he was behind her, he whispered "Imagine being this fast Hiiro-chan." The whisper was enough to send chills down any ones back, and then he was gone again, flashing back to the other side of the room. His clothes fell back into place, as if he had just jumped to the side, and they had shifted. His smile lit back up. "You see. Its fun!" He talked in a laughing tone that shone out from his normal monotone expressions. This was his other side, the true Kasumi that shone forth when he was back with Hiiro, his long time friend.

"You know how to activate your spiritual energy don't you? Well it is simple after that. Unlike a kido spell, you dont have to form it into another element, or manipulate it to give it special properties. All you have to do is spread it through your body, and push it out at your feet as you accelerate." It sounds easier than it is, but once you get the hang of it, it is easier."

At once, Kasumi showed her, sending the spiritual energy through his body, allowing it to latch on the muscles in it, and strengthen them, pushing most back to the bottom of his feet. For the purpose of showing Hiiro, he exaggerated the amount needed causing it to almost crack the ground when it came out, sending him flying into the air, Kasumi making it graceful, his black shinigami kimono floating in slow motion around him. While in air, Kasumi bent into a backwards flip, falling and landing perfectly on his feet, his hands out to the side. The folds fell again to his side in neat fashion.

"Like that, only you don't want as much spiritual energy in every shunpo or you will be exhausted quickly. Try it Hiiro-chan. I am not expecting yo to get it perfectly the first time. In fact, I am expecting you not to. If you did, it would be flawed, and you would have nothing to work with." Kasumi changed his voice to a sort of jealous growl as he spoke again. "Unless your like Shuunske, mastering everything the first time. But that's no fun." Kasumi crossed his arms, and grumbled. He knew that it would take time for Hiiro to master and even get a hang of, but it only meant more time teaching her, which was what he loved doing most. He loved her.

This was getting to him. Kasumi smiled in and out of his flash step, a dark and mysterious grin on his face when he faced her back, for the split second that he was behind her. He loved that moment, the moment in which he saw her and their rieatsu could mingle. It made him crave that moment over and over again. It was the closest they had been.

Shaking the thought away, Kasumi listened to her, watching to see her try her own version of the flash step, shunpo. He was not expecting anything, except for the first step. In this step, he had seen it time and time again, the shinigami would grab a hold of the idea, but that would be as far as they would go for a while. He had had to deal with that step for almost a month, a month of only practicing shunpo. But he had mastered the technique now, and had wavered it into the fighting style he had, using his speed as the advantage in battle, along with his two blades, against the normal one.

On top of that, however, she had gotten it further then most shinigami. It was very impressive, and caused him to stagger back a little. She had always been good at kido abilities, even though she had only been taught the basics, and did not specialize in that art at all, but this was very impressive. He thought that maybe one day she would be able to learn his way of fighting, and he could train her in the art of high speed combat. It was difficult, but very affective. At least for him, a master of kendo.

Studying her every move as she lifted far into the air, Kasumi took note on her ability to control her rieatsu. It was very impressive. He aught to teach her kido spells as well some day, ones that she could work with very well. Still, it seemed that she was more based around positive rieatsu, although there was a very dark almost untamed feeling about her energy, especially whenever she drew her zanpkutou, as if it had a dark energy itself. It was not unheard of. His had the same energy, only it was direct link to him, and there for, not only bad. Only darker energy. Interesting.

"Good good Hiiro-chan!" He smiled and laughed, lightly clapping his hands together as she landed. "That is one of the best potential shunpos I have seen. You are great at learning to wield your rieatsu! This should be fun!"

It was as if he spoke to soon however. All the sudden, Kasumi felt a very dark energy, a dark rieatsu near by, an energy that made that of Hiiro's zanpakutou look light and happy. It was twisted. Kasumi looked over. Hiiro must have gotten some sort of report as to what that was. It was crazy powerful whatever it was, with rieatsu on par with his own, only wild and untamed. What was this?

"HIIRO! GET DOWN!" Kasumi shouted across the room, bending his heal forward to flicker across the room, flash stepping to her location. he landed just behind her again, his hand on her shoulder. With little effort, he puched her down, to her knees. He doubted that she was able to sense anything. She was good with her rieatsu, but he could tell that there was some one blocking the exertion of that energy, to a captain's level, but he had senses at par with some of the captains. he could still only sense the energy at a small dose, and it was still furious, or rather, ravenous. Hungry for something.

Kasumi bent down to one knee as well, looking at Hiiro, waiting for her to report to her. Only a second later, Jun burst into the room, hand on her zanpakutou, looking scattered. Kasumi was not in the mood to be calm, he had just been having so much fun. Figures that this would happen. Of course it would interrupt his time with her. Jun spoke. "Intruders have breached areas 5 and 6. It is impossible to track them, as even Muriasachi-san is having a hard time tracking them by rieatsu."

Kasumi had already figured out that there was an intruder, but wondered why Hiiro could not report anything. And how they had gotten to sector 5 and six, with numerous shinigami there. How powerful was this enemy?

"Got it, I am going to go out know. Hiiro-chan, stay here, you cant come into such a dangerous situation with your battle experience. Stay here until me and Shuunske are done here." He said it with an adamant tone in his voice, certain that he would keep her safe from everything. And with that, curved his body into another flash step, back over to the door. "Ill be back soon."

He had spoken to soon. As he opened the door, Shuunske pushed it the rest of the way open, obviously having run here, knowing this was were everyone was. Kasumi bent over into a slight bow, stunned. "Captain, there is..." "I know Kasumi-san, that is why I came here."

Kasumi was confused, but ready to leave. Him and Shuunske could surely take care of the situation, what with their ability to track and such. They could find and kill the enemy. Dispose of them before they got away.

"I came here because I know that you would tell Hiiro to stay here. She came on this mission prepared for these situations. She is a seated officer now, and capable of handling herself. We cannot spare anyone. She needs to come. Hiiro-chan, you and Kasumi-san will go out there. I am going as well, but in order to find the enemy, we need to split up. Me and you can keep in contact by kido spell, and for Hiiro's case, I have mics that we can use. C'mon now."

Kasumi's jaw almost dropped. Hiiro, going out there alone. What was this? Was he insane. It was such a by the book thing to do from such a different captain. but he respected that. After all, he had too. Kasumi bent his head. "Hai. Come Hiiro-chan." This would be her initiation into the ability to truly be a 5th seat. He hoped she would survive. No. He needed her to survive. Shuunske handed him a mic, which he quickly fastened around his neck. She was not ready for such combat at all. She was fresh from the academy. But he had chosen to bring her here. What was he thinking? When she got back from this, he would see what he could do about sending her back to Soul Society. He could not have her getting hurt.

Kasumi took the initiative and left first. As he left, he heard Shuunske command to Jun: "Make contact with Soul Society, tell them that we have made contact. We are in pursuit." Jun nodded her head, and moved to the side, allowing for Hiiro to follow him. Kasumi's blood pumped through his veins as he ran up to the main room, hand on his zanpakutou. This was going to be intense if he had to come in contact with whatever beast was wielding that rieatsu. And he hoped that Hiiro would keep away from it. Whatever it was. Dark enough to be a hollow. Tainted enough to be a hollow, but in the shinigami form. Strange. It was the first of many encounters, he knew. he was not knew to this.

The snow fell more thick than she had ever cared to see. She hated it. Her foot stomped on it as she passed by, some how remaining silent. She hated the weather in general, but could only stand the cold because it made her think of the likeness between her and that of a dead body, both numb and both cold. With that thought her eye twitched, and she jumped into the air, with the advanced flash step that she had acquired through years of training.

When she reappeared, she was perched on a branch, the snow coming around her like a nightmare that could kill, her twisted smile alone causing mental paranoia. Her eyes glowed with that of her wicked and evil energy, a bright yellow that shone through the white snow, only allowing that part of her to be seen.

It had been too long since she had done this. She had waited so long for this moment, the moment in which she could kill the shinigami, and watch them die. That was her favorite part, the feeling of power when she saw another die, leaving them helpless, playing with them until they lose the will to live, or until they simply cannot physically take it anymore, and die. Those were less fun. She more enjoyed watching others blood spurt from their body, risen from it by her own blade, showing off her power. It was what was right. It was her way of fighting.

The feeling made her entire head twitch, before her long tongue shot out of her mouth and licked her lips, her tongue the color of blood itself as it circled around her small grinning mouth. Her glowing eyes narrowed into a slanted evil pool of energy before she once again shot off into the night, reappearing on the ground, her feet making hardly any tracks, even though in this amount of heavy snow, they would be covered in a mere matter of minutes. She was a pro at killing, and it was all she cared about.

She could already feel the fear in ones heart when they saw her, the night encompassing her in all her dark glory, before she ran her sword through them. It was such a good thought, one that made her lick her lips again, wanting the taste of fear for herself again. It was better than food, and if she could, she would choose to live off of it instead.

Her energy hit another energy. She was near the shinigami that were standing around whatever they were guarding. She had never seen a safe house here before, and yet she knew exactly what was being hidden. She knew everything she wanted. She was ordered to kill. Kill them all. Her smile left the boundaries of what was normal, and moved onto the scary realm, her face bending around the tweaked smile that consumed her.

Tsubaki's hand moved to her zanpakutou before she shook her head to herself and decided against it. Her legs moved faster and faster until the snow was pushed back up into the air as she passed by, in part because of her flaring and untamed rieatsu that seeped from her, controlled so that only those who saw her could feel it, unless they were especially skilled at detection, and all there was was an 11th and 12th captain, along with their weak little tag along shinigami followers, including one vice captain. Pathetic. She wished that she had been allowed to challenge the 11th squad captain. She knew of 11th division devotion to being the most powerful in Soul Society.

Tsubaki spat at the name, before twitching her right eye. Her hands flew back, followed by her body, flinging her into a black flip that carried her into the trees above. She was so near now. The snow swirled around her, her glowing eyes looking out for the signs of those shinigami near by. She could not help but be taken over by the fun she was having, and was about to have. Killing more and more men.

She had heard about the woman as well, the 5th seat of the 11th squad. Who did she think she was coming here. A mere 5th seated officer. She would be the easiest thing to kill in that entire base.

Tsubaki let out her evil small and tweaked laugh into the snowy night. It echoed for a second, and then she stopped. It was high, and terrifying, but none the less, a way to draw out her opponents. Looking up, the moon was full and high in the sky, the dark sky. It was of no interest to her.

All the sudden, she heard voices as she had wanted to. She heard three, all the sounds of men. They were coming closer. Were they stupid. She giggled was it a rhetorical question, they were men. And what was more, they were men from the unsophisticated 11th division, all gun happy brutes that had no brain. Nothing had changed. One was very near, closing her eyes, Tsubaki heard his foot come down on the snowy ground. Her smile grew still. He was twenty three point five feet away approximately. Tsubaki closed her eyes, smelling the fear before it happened, feeling the numbed and already cold, stiffening body slump on her hands. With that she disappeared again, causing the snow on the branch she was on to fall to the ground.

When she appeared and giggled, as she was no less than three feet away from the first shinigami target. He was a goner. Looking up, she saw the shinigami man's widened eyes before she shot her hand up faster than a katana slash, slamming it into him, ripping through the flesh that protected him. Her hand ripped through the mans body. She smiled before raising her other hand to slam her other hand down on his neck. She would have rather heard him scream but she was supposed to keep things quiet if possible. His eyes rolled back, but, smiling into them, she yanked her first hand out, grabbing his liver as she did so, and pulling it with the hand, ripping it out of him, and crushing it then and there. The man groaned feeling the pain of it all, but not having enough time to react before passing out in the snow.

Tsubaki heard the feet coming in of two other shinigami, one from each side. They were stupid, charging in without knowing the situation. They came into her view, she slowly stood, the night and swirling snow covering her, and settling upon the man, blood still spilling from him and his wound. This meant that she had come into view of them as well, and she had to act quick, her least favorite way of doing things, as it meant that the amount of pain she could inflict on them was minimal.

A second later, the men saw what had happened. They stood there for a half second, taking in their teammates death before the one on the right raised his hand to his neck. Tsubaki knew what he was doing, making the connection to the communication bay. Not gunna happen on her watch.

Tsubaki disappeared once again, into the snow, before reappearing behind the shinigami. "I would not do that if I were you. bad things will happen." The man froze. He did not move, thinking it would save him for at least another second. He was wrong. The other man was frozen as well, knowing full well that she would kill the first if he moved. "But standing there makes it all worse for you in the end..."

With that, Tsubaki shoved her hand into the man she was standing behind's neck, taking over half of it with her, as a blade penetrated through his stomach, coming out so the apposing shinigami could see. She laughed full on, before pushing the blade to the side, causing it to snap the shinigami's back bone, along with tearing out his side, and the organs what were hooked on the sword, as she had bend it slightly so as not to employ the full sharpness of the zanpakutou.

The other man raised his hand to make the contact, his other hand shooting for his zanpakutou like a cheetah after a deer, but it was too late. His hand made it, turning it on, only to turn off as the same blade ran through his body, Tsubaki curling and twisting it inside of him, popping and ripping the veins that went with it. Blood shot from the man as her hand entered the hole that she had made from her sword, reaching up into his body to fasten her hand around the mans beating heart. It throbbed once before she crushed it, letting out a huge laughter that was more corrupt than anything that had come yet. The shinigami fell to the ground, limp, only his heart remaining in the air, crushed, held by the crazed girl. Blood squirted onto her hands.

Tsubaki dropped the heart, bringing her sword to her mouth, and releasing her long tongue, now obviously pigmented with the blood of her foes. It stuck out and licked the blood that had just been taken from the shinigami. It was still warm against her tongue, and soaked in her mouth. Her tongue moved to the blade part, causing it too to split by her blade, only a small cut, but one large enough to mix the taste of blood with her own. It was beautiful.

Looking back up, back into the reality, Miku heard more and more feet coming. She counted the rest of the men, dashing her way, not visible, covered by the immense amounts of snow. Another moment passed before she could see them all. Raising her head and sword, she jumped towards the next blood carriers that came her way.

After only a minute of brought on heat, Tsubaki jumped back to the original three bodies, admiring the pile of seven or eight other shinigami bodies she had made, each with something horribly wrong with them, all with something torn off or ripped to nothingness. Blood spilled over the entire scene, melting the snow, and causing a small amount of steam from the warmth contrast to steam up.

She was done here. She longed for more to show up. More to kill.

".......ZCk...HE-. KKKkkkkkkKKk."

"HElp! back--p, w---ba---KKKkkkKkkkKKKKKKkkkkkKkkkKcc......."
"i would not do that if i were you........AAAAHH--HKK-AHH-KKkkkkkkkkkkk......."

" Ba---K!! AHHFKkkkKkKK Help, backup is n--des y-ou......OH GOD AAHhhhh pl-ea-e, he-p -s........cckckcccccc....BA-K -UP SEC-T-N..........some-bod-.....cccccccccccckk."

Time seemed to crack. His orders had been heard, and yet nothing could be done about those up above. They had not advanced healers. In fact, they had no healers at all. 4th squad had not come. 1st division captain, Marugon, had not allowed them to come, saying that they were to weak in combat to face a mission like this. He had tried his best to have them come, but they would not allow them. It had made him mad, and now he was out of men. There would only be one warning, and that was the sound of them dying. The last warning. It was a harsh reality, but one that he, as captain, had to face.

Shuunske turned his head back to Jun, and nodded. His Haori flooded over his small but built and strong, handsome body. He was not worried about the corque he normally had over his rieatsu, and thus it slowly trickled out, the most powerful of most the other captains in Soul Society, and thus very powerful. Out of the corner of his eyes, Shuunske saw the seals on the side of the walls start to glow red, trying to keep in his rieatsu so as to make it not detectable. They were working hard, but he knew that they would be able to handle the small amount of rieatsu that he was asserting.

"Hai." Jun said, her head nodding in the courtly fashion that she had around Shuunske, and all other captains, whether she liked them or not. That did not matter, she respected them as a superior. Shuunske both liked that and didnt. It gave her a lack of self and personality. but he respected her ability to take orders from higher up powers, and display at her top notch performance all the time.

He nodded once more in response, before walking from the room, the barrier seal protectors starting to become blank as he realed in his rieatsu for the unprotected halls, that, if rieatsu were to pour into them, they would not hide its trace. At least, not a captains rieatsu. He was too strong for the normal barrier.

His feet made a small tapping on the floor as he walked behind Kasumi and Hiiro, the 5th seat of his squad. He knew that alone she would not be much better off then the men up above. She was a weak shinigami as it were, filled with potential. The only problem was filling out that potential. Kasumi had faith in her, and so he did as well. He knew her more than he did, and he was the one that had recomended her to 5th seat. He wondered if that was clouded by his feelings for her, feelings that were stronger than orders given to him, or if he actually thought she would make a good 5th seat. Either way, she had done a great job so far, and was able to deal the treatment of the other men. They respected her now.

But she was raw. He was not worried. He knew that, even though he had given the order to go separatelly into the night to search for whom ever it was attacking the men up their, he would go with her, to protect her. He thought that Kasumi might also know that he knew that. It made it acceptable. If Shuunske really asked something of Kasumi, he would do it however.

Shuunske's feet moved to the pace of a jog, and then a full on run, coming closer and closer to Kasumi and Hiiro until he was only three feet away from them, and coming closer with speed. "Don't waist time. Those are our men up their." With that, Shuunske jumped up and disapeared, allowing his evolved shunpo to carry him past the two with ease, before he continued to shunpo down the hall, each shunpo carrying him farther and farther away until he made the turn into the main entrance hall, out of site to the others. He was going to make it there first. He had to at least try to protect his men. There was no way that they could all be taken out. He had only sensed one rieatsu stream. Or flow. Meaning that it would take speed as great as that of the 2nd division captains to get to them all, unless whom ever it was had grouped them all together before killing them. But if so, he should still have time to make it there and save them. At least some of them.

Shuunske turned into the door that led to the staircase. Lights came on as he ran upwards, his hand on his zanpakutou, ready for combat. If he came in contact with whatever it was, he would kill it. Them.

Shuunske used shunpo once more, carrying him to the door. Closing his eyes for a moment, he hit the small seal on the top of the door, causing it to, in that moment, slide open quickly, allowing him to jump out. His hand was still on his zanpakutou when he was in the air, his head towards the ground in the middle of a aerial rotation, a flip. The snow fell in slow motion, carrying the message of pain and suffering. Shuunske landed, his knees bent before flashing into the flash step again, darting forward into the night. His hand never left his zanpakutou.

It was then when he heard a screem. It was all he had heard other than the tiny tiny sound of the snow flakes hitting the ground. But the scream came from near him. Was he too late. He heard the sound of a body hitting the ground. Shuunske focused and flash stepped into the area, coming to a complete hualt as he did so, his hand clenched around his handle, ready to pull and attack or defend if need be. He was ready.

Looking down however, Shuunske's eyes widened. He saw the red of blood splattered on the ground. "Wh-what!" Shuunske bent down. It was fresh blood, still warm on the ground. It was from his men. Closing his eyes he took another step forward, opening them to see the creation of the attacker. His men lay in a single pile, sprawed out, some not quite part of the pile, but in the same area.

There were some that were just still holding onto life. Their eyes were open, and they were still, all motionless, all expressionless. "Wh-what happened here?" None answered. One man opened his mouth and whispered in a very quiet voice: "Captain... Shuunske... sh-she came... and... were sorry..."

It was a her. They had all been taken out by a single being. That was impossible. The man that had just talked, rolled over, his eyes rolling back. As he fell on his stomach, Shuunske saw the hole that had been ripped in him, his organ hanging out. His liver.

Shuunske clenched his teeth. Who ever had done this did it without the mentality to simply kill them. No. Instead she had to out them all through hell, and give them all pain. When he found this person, he was going to kill them. Making sure that she suffered in the same way.

Shaking his head, Shuunske noticed what he was thinking. he could not let emotions take over like that. He was a captain. It was time for him to think. He had to use his ability to think to piece this all together.

First, the bodies were bloody and torn, meaning that it was probably not the same person as the original attacker of his units, as they had left no trace what so ever, other than rieatsu tracks, and a body, a single body. Kifuume. This killing scene, although it left no identifying traits, left a trace. Second, a supporting thought to this was that, although it was small amounts and not very accurate, the 11th division shinigami had been able to contact Hiiro shortly before dying which was more than the other shinigami from the original attack could say, meaning that this attacker was probably on a slightly lower level, while still being elite.

Shuunske closed his eyes, and reached out his hand, using the basic ability to sense rieatsu on a small level, turning them into the soul ribbons. He opened his eyes again, widened further. There was no rieatsu trace. Like before. Whatever killed these men had no problem doing it. There was no trace of them entering shikai form of their zanpakutou, since he had been informed that they were weilders of things like zanpakutou, if no the exact thing.

Looking around, Shuunske studied them more and more. He had to think of the answer to all of this. he had to protect what he had left.

"........aaahh...."

""Don't waist time. Those are our men up their!"

The snow fell like innocent minds that could not tell what had just happened. It was a horrible thing that happened. All these men, gone. Dead. Nothing more for them to do in this life time. They were to simply not return to thier families, and homes. Their squad would miss them. They were of the elite among the squad, Shuusnke's some what favorite team. They were the ones that he brought or sent some where when he was serious about something.

This posed more of a problem than them not being able to say good bye however. Shuunske had learned to push emotions away and focus through the years. There were other bad things that could come of this. First, these were of the elite, men that had all become adapt fighter, and well trained men. Them being dead meant that simply none of the men and women back in the safe house had a system of constant look out. These were the men that acted as a protection. It had not gone as planned. Who was able to ttake them out this easily? It was loud, and they had heard of it, but they had not been able to get there, and the trails that they, or she, the attacker might have left were for sure already wiped out fromt he hgue amounts of snow. Perfect weather to launch an attack on anything.

Who ever was behind this, which ever group if that was maybe it, had the place of choice. He knew not how long they had been here, but he guessed that even if they had not been here for very long, this kind of weather was perfect for attacking, and horrible for defending or finding clues of anything at all. It was only good for one thing. Killing. And this was what they were good at. How, however, had who ever that had done this gotten them all dead before the intercoms had gone off. It did not make sense. Not even a flash step that made his look slow could do that. Nothing more than them having the same number of attacking enemies as the shinigami he ahd posted, which would have been impossible to do without Shuunske and Kasumi senseing anything. No. It had all been done, as was shown here, from the huge pile of bodies. What was this? Why were they not able to communicate. What had Hiiro heard that had made her so distraught? Whatever it was was nothing like this however.

Walking a step forward, Shuunske moved towards the man that had the liver ripped form him. He looked at him for a moment, before turning his head away. Shuunske closed his eyes for a moment, before realizing that it was a bad idea to close his eyes at all, or, for that matter, come off his guard in the least. But this man had been killed withou even the use of a sword. Looking closer, Shuunske saw the place were nothing but a hand could have gone through, leading to the place his liver should have been, now crushed, in a heap of nothing more than steaming flesh and blood now, bodily fluids running from it.

Shuunke's head perked up for a moment, his hand tight against his sword. He sensed the rieatsu for a moment before realizing that it was Kasumi and Hiiro. He had told them to go in a different direction, and to split up. Now was not a time to be going against orders. He had been worried about bringing her here, but now it was not even foggy. he knew that she did not belong here in this amount of intense battle. She was not conditioned for it. The responsibility of being 5th now was too much. She had not been out with the men when they had died, although that would not have helped much considering the apparent skill of whom ever had done this.

Senses became accurate as Hiiro and Kasumi came through into the same area. He had expected her to be with him. Tearing them apart was a bad idea. They would need each other in a fight if it came about. Or rather, she would need him. He was an accomplished fighter, and she knew that, so did he. He knew that he had what it took to protect another. Shuunske had picked him from that. To have a powerful man that was a responsible leader, and the men of 11th squad loved.

As soon as she got to the scene however, Hiiro covered her mouth, the sight obviously to much for her to handle.

"...Oh God."

"W-who could've..."

"Anyone?!"

"Please. Somebody be alive..."

A small amount of silence ensued. Shuunske could feel for her, but at the same time knew that what was running through his and Kasumi's heads was more aimed at the fact that they were out here, and there could be any number of the enemies, at any power limit. It was a scary thought, but it was true. He knew she could not handle it, but she needed to be quiet. She would have all the time in the world to freak out, only later. He hated to think that, but it was true. If she was not careful, she could give away their locatin, and have them all hurt badly.

"SOMEBODY SAY SOMETHING!!"

Shuunske's and Kasumi's eyes shot open and at the same time shot towards her, both grabbing her with one hand, the other on their zanpakutou. "5th seat Hiiro-dono, you must silence yourself. This is no time to let your emotions come out like that. We are along out here. All of our men were just taken out, and you cant even stand strong? Get ahold of yourself. I know your better than this!" Shuunske shook her with the hand he was grabbing her with. "This is no time to stop paying attention or be as selfish as you were. You could have just let them know where we all are, if they do not know already. I am sorry to be hard, but this is a crucial moment." Shuunske looked up to Kasumi, who nodded back at him. He knew he had said enough, anything more would just hurt her more. At least anything along the lines of what he was saying. He knew that she could be better, but he did not know how much better.

"Vice captain Kasumi-san, you and Hiiro move back to the safe house, where you can stand guard at the entrance. We cant afford to have anything get inside. Once they are inside the energy mufflers will not allow them to be spotted. It would be a very bad thing. Go now, and stand guard until I get back. I have my intercom on now to channel number fifty three, a private chanel. Switch and keep me updated if you need anything. Stay there until I tell you otherwise. Go."

With that, Kasumi, who was holding Hiiro nodded his head, a simple "Hai," before he vanished into thin air, holding her, and carrying her on the swift wind of his shunpo. He was alone again. His hands loosened on his zanpakutou a slight bit before he looked back around. He needed a way to provide protection for the bodies so that he could have them preserved and have the 12th squad look at them. From there, they would probably be able to decode the secrets of this not so secret and elite attacker. Or at least, less caring about being found out.

Taking a step back, Shuunske held his hands forward. Closing his eyes he gathered rieatsu to them, using them as focus points for his kido spells. Shuunske opened his eyes before whispering in a voice only audible to himself, "Bakudo No Sanjuuku - Enkosen." In that instant, the snow itself seemed to begin to break down and become blue rieatsu. It gathered around each other the separate bodies, and started to materialize around them, providing a small sheild. It was a level 39 kido spell, and thus would keep them safe from a lot, especially the snow, but would not keep them from getting colder and colder. Something that he wanted, but most of all, the kido was made to be able to block riatsu fom passing through its walls, meaning that the fiendish rieatsu of whom ever killed them would stay lingering around them to the already deluted form. It might help later. Shuunske kept his hands out for a moment later. The blue finally solidified around their bodies. Kido was more than nice to have, and almost useful in any ocassion.

But now for the matter at hand. Shuunske rmoved his hands from their straight out in front of him position, and placed them by his side, slightly in front of him before bending down into the snow. He was going to activate another Kido, one that acted as a tracker for rieatsu. With it, he could, in theory track the one that just killed his men. Bending his spiritual energy once more, Shuunske shoved his hands into the ground, the snow coming over them and making them icy.

"Heart of the south, eye of the north, finger of the west, foot of the east, arrive with the wind and depart with the rain. Bakudo no Gojuuichi - Kakushitsuijaku." The snow began to melt. His rieatsu built up into what looked to be an eye. It was a sort of summoning kido spell. Only it could simple produce locations as an answer to the summoning. As the kido came into completion, a small orb came into materialazation, made of blue light, glowing. Numbers flashed on it, all in japanese characters. They flashed so fast that Shuunske could not see anything it was saying. He had little to go on, but he hoped to find her, the girl that was supposedly the one responsible for his men. The numbers started to slow, meaning they were coming closer and closer to the answer that he was looking for if the kido spell took effect properly and could run on such a small amount of anything to go on. The numbers slowed still, acting as a suspenful moment, before they suddenly cut out. The glow of the kido spell faded for a moment, and then started to recalculate. Shuunske's eyes widened as the numbers stopped. The air seemed to get colder.

Something was near him. Very near him.

Spoiler:

As soon as Hiiro opened her mouth, Kasumi and Shuunske shot forward. They were both masking thier rieatsu along with blocking hers as much as possible, but they could not do anything about the noise. Grabbing her arm, Kasumi looked ehr in the eyes, his eyes quiet and understanding, but also showing her that she needed to get herself together. She was the 5th seat, and although she was not ready for intense moments like this, she needed to adapt. She would see this all the time from being in the 11th squad. It was a horrible curse that had befallen them all. Every member of the squad had to learn that they could harnass their emotions in the moment with practice.

Kasumi shook her, her loud words shaking the very silence that kept in suspense. The silence that made them uncertain where their enemies were. Kasumi's other hand was on his zanpakutou, ready to draw and fight at any moment. Ready to release it at any moment.

The snow fell more quiet than ever now, to the point that one could only see the breath coming from each others mouths, and hear Hiiro's small sobs. She should not have come. But at the same time. This is what she needed. He had reacted similarly when he ahd first been exposed to this kind of blood shed. It was horrible, but it could not be stopped. As long as there was power, there was opposition. Both in human and shinigami history it was the same. It always repeated itself. It was redundant, and over estimated. Each individual thinking that they are going to be histories exaption. No, they are wrong. No one has that kind of power. No one can fight history. No one can keep up with the title waves of repentance. No one can destroy what has already happened. And here it was, another shinigami, first seeing the blood shed of others. First laying eyes on what can happen to those that think they can change anything.

"5th seat Hiiro-dono, you must silence yourself. This is no time to let your emotions come out like that. We are along out here. All of our men were just taken out, and you cant even stand strong? Get ahold of yourself. I know your better than this!"

"This is no time to stop paying attention or be as selfish as you were. You could have just let them know where we all are, if they do not know already. I am sorry to be hard, but this is a crucial moment."

Kasumi had to feel the same. If the enemy knew, no matter the fact that together, him and Shuunske were powerful, that they were alone out here, they could attack, and hurt us. Kasumi and the shingiami knew nothing abou their enemy, and probably would not for a little while, if ever. 12th squad was supposed to do that sort of thing, searching the rieatsu traces and such. 11th squad was simply supposed to ensure their safety, and make sure they were strong enough to fight the on coming enemies. They had once again underestimated the opponents power. Now it was only them.

"Vice captain Kasumi-san, you and Hiiro move back to the safe house, where you can stand guard at the entrance. We cant afford to have anything get inside. Once they are inside the energy mufflers will not allow them to be spotted. It would be a very bad thing. Go now, and stand guard until I get back. I have my intercom on now to channel number fifty three, a private chanel. Switch and keep me updated if you need anything. Stay there until I tell you otherwise. Go."

It was a direct order from a captain, and could thus not be disobeyed. Even if that meant leaving him alone out there, where the enemy was. He would be ok, he was Shuunske, the captain of 11th squad, there was no way he could die. At any rate, he was more powerful than all the shinigami in those squads put together and them multiplied by ten. If not more. It was his job to get away as quickly as possible. Although the entire, un hurt 12th squad was in the bases, they could not fight an enemy they did not know was there. Even if they could, that would be neglect of their own duties as 11th squad to let them in. But Kasumi also knew of the emotional bond Shuunske had with that safe house. He did not know everything, but he knew enough. "Hai."

With that, Shuunske let go of Hiiro, and in that instand, Kasumi bent forward a small bit and flashed away with the shunpo, carrying Hiiro with him, as he had learned to do in such short notice, carrying someone and letting them barrow his shunpo speed. When they flashed back to reality, Kasumi landed on the snow, running, holding Hiiro's hand as he did so, his other hand on his katana. Not even his flash step could bring them all the way to the base in one step. No. He had a long way to go still before he could do that, meaning that they were still away from the main entrance, their destination.

Kasumi hoped that Hiiro could pull herself together soon, and be able to fight if it came to that. They were in the first attack phase, one of the most dangerous of all. This was simply because they knew nothing about the opponents abilities. It made for a hard fight when they could suddenly pull out an attack that you did not know about. This being said, Kasumi hoped that the same was for the enemy as well. He hoped they did not know the abilities of them already. That would ake it all the more troublesome.

Running more and more, Kasumi looked back at Hiiro before his heart pounded so hard against his chest that he thought he was going to be knocked over. Stopping in his tracks, Kasumi grabbed his zanpakutou and partially drew it, letting it half way from his sheeth. His eyes wide. He had just felt something. What was that. Another energy. Another person. Who was it? Where was it? Kasumi's eyes widened further as he felt where the rieatsu was coming from. It was coming from where Shuunske was. It felt huge, and evil. It was only there for a moment however, before, all in one moment, it was gone. Completelly gone. He had felt its crushing presence from all the way away from Shuunske, this far. Who was it. He had to go help. Looking at Hiiro, Kasumi turned back, the darkness and the snow starting to, at once, become twice as intence. He could hardly see. Kasumi took one step forward before he froze again, a demonic laughter ringing from behind him, seemingly twenty feet back. It was a loud laughter that seemed to echo and then fade off into nothingness.

Shooting back around, Kasumi drew his sword, and umped back, making himself close with Hiiro. He could feel her trembling against him. "Hiiro-chan, please draw your sword. Keep alert. This is your first test. Please do not fail." With that, Kasumi looked into the distance. He kenw that he had been trapped. Whatever it was that he had felt earlier was nothing more than something that distracted him so that he could have fallen into this trap. Now the darkness and snow was so intense that he was more than trapped, the moon light glowing off of the snow, contrasting the dark, yet, not revealing anything.

The laugh came again. Crazed. And yet, he could not feel anything as far as rieatsu. He could not feel anything of the sort. What was this laugh? Kasumi felt himself shake in fear, an emotion that had not gripped him in a long time. The laugh faded again, sending chills up his back. It then occured that he needed to contact Shuunske. He was on the same channel as him now. Kasumi's body did not move. Kasumi shook again, what was this? His muscles were frozen in place. Was this the same ability that had allowed who ever this female was to kill all the other men? Rendering them useless first. Then going about it.

Takinf back control of himself, Kasumi's hand moved slowly up to his neck. "No no no. Naughty boy." Kasumi froze. The voice came from directly in front of him. Kasumi slashed his sword at the snow ahead of him, but hit nothing. What was this? He could have sworn. Was he going crazy!?

Tsubaki flashed off into the distance. She quivered in the cold before she landed on the branches abover her. A small amount of snow fell where she landed, onto the ground. She could feel them coming closer, feel their rieatsu, that which tasted of thick merkiness, and another that felt of dark washed out nature. It was the second that she liked. It was similar to her own rieatsu.

Tsubaki straightened her legs, using her inate ability to become virtually weightless to stand on the pencil thick branch, on the first level from ground. That would not be a very good place for ambush and she could be easily found out. Of course she did not want to hide, but she had been given orders, and she knew that if she was going to do it, it was not to be in her usual manner, leaving her mark on the victim more so than what she had done. What she had done to the other shinigami had been nothing more than a small exercise for her, a simple game.

With a flick from her ankles, Tsubaki flashed again, this time coming back into a tree, one that was originally placed about twenty feet away, at the top. From where she stood, she could be seen as a shadow on the full moon, the snow beginning to fall harder and harder. She stood on the tip of a small bamboo tree, many many feet up from any one else that would be on the ground, and out of sight. She did not need her eyes. In fact she had killed more in the dark than in the light, but many in both environments.

her black short kimono fell to a very short level on her, seemingly ripped from what used to be her original long kimono in a dress form, the female shinigami uniform from the ancient 14th squad. It had been ripped in a fight that she had had against a superior, and she had not spent the time to fix it. Its ripped edges gave her a more barbaric look, and made her already occuring fearsome look multiplied by ten fold. Further more, the black fabric that was ripped to be at her knee level was ripped more so on her left leg, carving its way up to her higher thigh. Other than that, only minor scratches and tears dominated her clothing. All the blood patches had been washed out over the years. Even stains would be after enough washing. Not that she minded.

Tsubaki grabbed her zanpakutou, now back in its sheeth, her mouth clenched so hard that her teeth would have broken if she had gone on much longer. But she stopped when she felt the next wave of rieatsu. It was massive, and controlled perfectly. She had only felt that amount of rieatsu in one other place. And she hated that place. Hated it. Tsubaki bit her lip as she thought about the torture of the humility in Soul Society. She hated it. Her lip started to be crushed under the force of her jaw, until her canine tooth ripped through, causing blood to come forth. Tsubaki did not stop. It was why she was here. It was why she had come back so much stronger than before. It was why she had to kill!

It felt so good. She knew that that rieatsu had to come from the captain of the 11th division. Nothing else made any sense. She would have it, she would attack that man. The one that she had wanted to fight, a rumored legend in battle. Tsubaki's teeth ripped further into her lip as she got excited by the taste of her own blood, pretending it was not only hers, but his as well.

Tsubaki dissapeared into the night, coming back head first, flying towards the ground quicker than a brick being dropped. She spead to the ground until she raised her head, and rotated into a front flip, landing on her knees with her hands stretched out to either side of her. Her tooth came free of her lip, allowing it to fully bleed. Her tongue, the red color of blood shot from her mouth and licked at the red pool that seeped down her face. Her hand slowly drew the sword that she had killed so many with until she was stopped.

"Tsubaki. Do not get careless. He is too much for even you. I will handle this. You move on to the others. Do as you wish. We can end this in one fowl sweep if need be."

The voice was cold, and sent chills down even her back. "Hai." She replied, like an obediant possessed girl, with a half drawn sword. "I will make my mark on the shinigami race." With that, Tsubaki flashed into nothingness. The voice had not seemed to come from any direction in particular, and had not stopped as the sentence stopped, but almost echoed on until it finally faded in her mind.

She came into focus only a minute later, after having flashed far away from where she was. The bamboo were less populated in this particular area than the rest of the forest she had just come from. It was better by her own standards, although she had wanted to use the bamboo to sever a body. But she would have to wait. Tsubaki allowed her rieatsu to flare as she let out her girly but demonic laughter. Closing her eyes, she heard the last step of her victims. They were exactly 32.375 feet away by her calculations based on the sound they made and the rieatsu flare that quickly came to a hualt as she laughed, probably in an attempt to hide their presence. It was to no avail.

She felt their rieatsu flare all the same. It was useless trying to hide it. The snow began to grow thicker and thicker. tsubaki drew her own zanpakutou half way from the sheeth. She was excited. Fighting the 11th squad vice captain was enough for now. And the 5th seat would be a laughing joke. She could feel the fluctuation in her energy from here, and knew that she was scared, and uncertain. The man however was more focused, and was able to hide his emotinos and thoughts within the waves of his energy. Skilled.

But once again, no use. She was going to attack either way, and, affriad or not, she was going to kill them both. Using the shunpo, Ttsubaki came only three feet away from the man, only for a second, her glowing yellow eyes able to be seen, before she laughed. The laugh whip lashed back at her, and she flashed away, drawing her sword. It was perect for this. Killing.

Flashing in three different directions to slow the rate at which the shinigami vice captain could pick up her energy, Tsubaki came in for the attack, her sword pointed straight at the man, twisting and spiraling as it came in at bullet speed. Her laugh became audible again as she thrilled with having a fight that was worth her time. The sword shot in for the kill, her first notable kill in a long time.

The earie silence carried on. Kasumi's sword lay still for a second. He could already harldy pick up where the girl was from her rieatsu, as she could hide it quite well for being in such combat closeness. It was more advanced than most other even of the shinigami ranks. Then it occured to him that what he was facing was possibly a shinigami, and probably was. He just did not want to admit it.

Kasumi was sweating now, despite the freezing cold that gripped him, making him raw and numb. His eyes were peeled, he did not know what to do in this situation. His resources were wiped out. He could not sense her. He was cold, and not used to fighting in such an environment. And he had to protect Hiiro on top of everything. If this opponent was up to this level, Hiiro did not yet at all have what it would take to take a warropr of this calibor. Even in his shikai he would not be much more powerful, as his shikai was only good for offense, and not protecting another. And he could not use it anyways, because it would not exactly help the situation. In this snow, his extra speed would not grant him the ability to do much aside from run into a tree that much harder. He did not know what to do.

Then there was the matter that the enemies had picked this place to start this all, meaning they all knew it as well as Shuunske if not more, and all could work here fine. At least, thats what it probably meant. It was time to put a hypothesis together and test it, figuring out the girl from the inside out.

If she was well working in the snow, and able to conceal her rieatsu to this point, then she must also be very fast. So then she had actually come close to him when he had swung his sword. Kasumi's eyes widened. That meant that her ability to move was faster than his ability to swing a sword. Without his site, he was even more slow and much more innacurate. This was a bad situation.

Even so, he could feel a slight slight tiny bit of the womans rieatsu, trailing to where she was, but it was not strong enough to gather anything, and he was not as good as Shuunske. If only Shuunske were here. He could handle this situation better than anyone he knew.

Holding on to that small small trail of rieatsu with his dear life though, Kasumi traced it to figure where she was. With his knew hypothesis however, she would be able to move at par with him, and thus knowing where she was at this moment was not good enough, and if she were to move...

Kasumi's eyes opened wider as the small trail he was tracing twitched, meaning that she had moved. It twitched again. Kasumi's sword came close to his body. It twitched again. He had already completely lost track of her. "Hiiro-chan, she is coming, don't let your guard down." Kasumi was worried for the split second however, he realized how much he had just been played. With her coming close, she had been testing her hypothesis on him, seeing if he was infact a sensory type shinigami that was good at picking up on rieatsu. Meaning she had probably gone close to Hiiro as well, without her noticing, concluding that I was the threat to her survival, and that I needed to be taken out. Or, that Hiiro was the weak link, and she was an easier target to destroy. This was bad. The game had turned back on him, only this time, his hypothesis was nothing in comparison to his opponents, who had all she needed for this instant.

His thoughts were cut off. Kasumi's head turned violently to the right, he sensed it. She was so near him. Turning to match his head, Kasumi threw his arm at where he thought she was, his actual vision impared, cutting down into a trained and powerful downward slash. It was too late. She had seen it coming. Kasumi felt her shift her location once more, just far enough to her right to dodge the attack, making her move to Kasumi's left where she thrusted her sword in at point blank. Kasumi could see the tip as it came in, faster than he could dodge without using the flash step which would carry him away, and let the sword hit Hiiro. Not an option.

Kasumi moved as fast as he could, only to let the sword come in, slashing him rather deeply on the upper chest. Red blood splurted out, and Kasumi gasped, but before he could do anything, she was gone. In that instant. He had done it though, he had protected her. She was fine. As the sword had come in, he had pushed himself against it, making it cut deeper, but move it away from her. He had been able to do it in round one.

The pain consumed him, causing his hand to grab his chest, the blood leaking out. He was not on a time limit. If he lost to much blood, he would fall over and freeze. On top of that he would not be able to protect Hiiro. What was he thinking? He could not protect her if he was hurt like this. But her attack had come in so quickly. If he had not forced her to move the first time, the attack would have plunged straight through him. Kasumi bent to one knee. It was the snow. He had fought against such speed before, but never like this. Even in the case that he could not see, he was never unable to sense the opponent in tne same way. He was blind, and slow now. What could be worse. He took that back quickly.

All the sudden Kasumi had an idea. It would set them on more equal terms. "Keep on guard Hiiro-chan. I am going to set us on equal terms!" Kasumi held up his hands, his sword still in his right, wincing at the pain of raising an arm now in his condition. Hiiro needed to stay on guard, because he was not going to be able to help her at the moment. Focusing the spiritual energy down into his arms to thrust it into the air.

"Way of binding number 37: Suspending star." Kasumi held up his finger into the air, as a blue energy ignited from it. It very quickly grew and massed into a huge blue ball, that in turn fired five string like pillars from it. Kasumi heard them fire into trees, and take ancor in them. The blue massing energy raised from his hand, and took the form of a star. It stopped glowing. The star grew and grew until it acted as a large roof. The snow stopped. It had worked. His vision was back. Now he would be able to see his opponent is she made another attack. Standing back up, Kasumi limped back to Hiiro. The enemy girl remained silent, and not attacking. Hiiro was safe. First round was complete.

Spoiler:

The darkness closed in around Shuunske. He could not see or sense anything other than the monstrous rieatsu that was making it hard for even him to stand and move. Falling to one knee, Shuunske grabbed his sword, and pulled it from the sheeth where it was. He needed to be done here. He did not know what the level of the other enemy was that was now away, and targetting Kasumi and Hiiro was, and he had to be able to get there unless they were in trouble. But now there was this problem. What was this. The rieatsu was on par with a captains. A powerful captains.

Shuunske stood once more, his body adapting to the heavy rieatsu that poured from who ever was near him. "Who ever you are, Show yourself!" Shuunske pointed his sword in front of himself. Squinting his eyes, he peered into the swirling and quickly falling snow, pushed down faster by the rieatsu that pulled it to the ground. Shuunske closed his eyes for a split second, reopening them with the ignition of his own rieatsu exploding from his small and frail looking body. It clashed with the other darker rieatsu until they both reacted to each other in a small explosion, causing the snow to be blown away in a sudden gust of wind, the snow on the ground also pushed up, and the snow on the trees falling in piles from the trees. It was completely white for a second. That was when Shuunske saw it. The shape of a person appearing before him, his sword thrusting at Shuunske.

Shuusnke shot from the huge pile of snow, up side down, pushed by the flash step he had mastered, and pushed his left hand into the ground, pushing off of it, and causing it to send him flipping into the air, his sword held up in a guarding position. It was no sooner that he had gotten free from the snow and into the air that the enemy was over him, in the sky that was covered in white. The full moon behind the man caused Shuunske to only be able to see the shadow and black out lining. Their swords clashed in a furious moment, sending Shuunske flying back into the dark sky, his feet falling on the ground like it was a ground of normal matter, sliding back. It was only possible to do this in the real world. The rieatsu could be hardened into stepping stones here.

Shuunske flew back, the sky sending up snow as he flew by, standing on thin air. Bringing his sword back up to position in order to block, Shuunske made it just in time to block the sparking and powerful thrash of the enemy. What was this? Such a shinigami style of attack. Such a shinigami style rieatsu, and the sword was in fact some thing more than a normal katana to take an attack at that power. Was he fighting another shinigami? How?

The second attack only sent him flying further, followed by another lunging stab on him. Shuunske bent to avoid it, swinging his sword back at the man. The man's sword came back just in time to block Shuunske's attack. They were at equality, only the snow was blocking Shuunske's vision in a way that it seemed was not affecting the other man's.

He had gotten what he had wished for. The person had shown themselves, but how was this rieatsu not detected and reported before. There was no way that this could only be found now. No matter how much he tried to hide it, there was too much to not show up on the meters of the 12th division rieatsu scanners. What was this? It was so powerful at this range that Shuunske felt his kido would not even work, it would be crushed by the mere force of this rieatsu.

Gripping the air as if it were the ground he normally stood upon, Shuunske got ahold of himself. Thrusting his sword forward, the enemy was sent back, using the sky as another ground as well, setting them on equal level. It was as if dust kicked up around the man as he flew back, still positioned in front of the moon, causing blackness to hide his face. Shuunske had to think. He had to be able to get to Kasumi, but killing this man was going to be harder than something that could be accomplished in a short amount of time. Pointing his sword back at the man, Shuunske asked, "Shunpo style flash step, rieatsu of a shinigami, zanpakutou. You seem like a shinigami, only you attack me. Who are you?"

The answer did not come for another ten seconds, and even then, it was not what Shuunske wanted to hear. The voice was deep, and ignored the question all together, making Shuunske feel ignored, and weak. He saw the body move in front of the moon for a split second, before the man's voice sounded.

"I have no intention of answering your questions. I am done here." With that the body flashed into nothingness, dissapearing all together. Shuunske's eyes widened as the rieatsu and everything that had been with the man vanished in a split second, as if it were a shunpo, but carried him further away than Shuunske could feel out. What was this man? Why was he so similar to a shinigami?

Then Shuunske realized what he had just heard. He was done. What did that mean about Kasumi and Hiiro. They were still alive. He could just barely feel their rieatsu, and something was wrong with Kasumi, it was weakened. Had he used kido, or been injured? Whatever the reason, he was fatigued, and would not be at full power. Shuunake had to make it there in time to do something about his teammates.

Using the mastered shunpo flash step, Shuunske vanished into nothingness, and came to be on the ground a second after, running at his full speed. It was not adding up to him. Even if that was a real shinigami, how was it that they were not documented ever, and could not be identified by their rieatsu tracings. And how were they not detected even if they had some how been able to do the impossible and erase everything known about them by hacking into the 1st division over manual that contained concrete information on everyone in Soul Society? And even if they had done even that, why was it that they were attacking other shinigami? It all made no sense. And an attacker that powerful would have been noted many times over, but there was nothing on any of them. Only that they attack was dealt by a shinigami like being.

Using the flash step over and over again Shuunske traveled to where he could feel Hiiro's unhidden rieatsu. She was like an open target in an open field. It was good that Kasumi was there. She was not meant for combat this intense yet. She was still raw, and needed to be shaped into the great shinigami that she could be.

Shuunske's final shunpo brought him to the place where Kasumi and Hiiro fought, only about twenty feet away from them, still within the swirling snow. Gripping his sword, Shuunske reached out of his body with his rieatsu until he shot to alertness. He felt the enemy, the girl from before. She was hiding her rieatsu, but she could not hide it from him. Shuunske shot to alertness as he traced the path of rieatsu in real time to where is was ending up.

Using the flash step once more, Shuunske shot into the dome of kido that formed a tent, blocking the combersome snow mounds falling from the sky, just in time to guide his sword across his face, throwing sparks into the air as the sword of the girl hit his, saving Hiiro as the sword aimed for her was blocked, being carried at a speed that was almost on par with that of Kasumi. Another strong opponent, but not as strong as the one before. There was a huge gap in their power, between Shuunske and this girl.

Quickly Shuunske parried with the girls blade and side stepped her, helped with his shunpo like speed, creating the split second time frame that he was able to use to be behind her. His blade at her throat. She was slow in comparison to his mastered speed. But a powerful enemy all the same. Surprise and shock had helped him in this round, a factor that would be hard to gain again.

He quickly bent over and whispered in her ear, "Way of binding number 1 - sai." In that same second, The girls arms were bent backwards by an unknown force, as the kido took hold of her, causing her to drop her sword. Her face was knarled, and bent as she went from fun to pained, and anger. The kido was a simple kido, but a kido none the less. After it had fully taken over the girl, she fell to her knees, her arms behind her back as if she was hand cuffed. Her sword lay next to her, now useless. Shuunske pointed the sword at the girls back, another inch in pointing would cause the sword to pierce the girls back, and thus he gave her little room to move.

"Who are you girl? Why do you carry a zanpakutou?" The answer did not come. Shuunske was tired of not being answered, but could do noting about it. At least he had caught her. He could easily get the answers he needed when he brought her back to the labs in the safe house.

Looking up at Kasumi and Hiiro, Shuunske saw the situation. Kasumi had used the kido as a tent to block the snow so that he could see the girls attacks, and thus react on the same speed basis as her. He was smart, but that was a risky move. It had meant that he had left Hiiro open for that moment. Looking over to Hiiro, Shuunske saw that she was not injured, only alert and on top of things. Scared.

It was good to see her like this. She had what it took to be great. But that was not what was important now. He had to get back before they were attacked again. If he had not showed up, who knows what would have happened in Kasumi's current delima.

All the sudden, before Shuunske could react, the girl spoke. "Disintegrate, you black dog of Rondanini!! Look upon yourself with horror and tear out your own throat!" Shuunske knew what that was, the incantation to a kido spell, but she was able to finish it before he could figure it all out. "Way of binding number 9 - geki!" As soon as the word 'geki' had come from her mouth a red light shot over Hiiro, Kasumi and even Shuunske, freezing their muscles completely. It was a weak spell, but cast by such a strong rieatsu. Without wasting time, the girl bent her legs, and lunged forward, her hands still locked behind her. As she jumped forward, she rolled, her teeth taking hold of the handle of her sword, before she turned to face Shuunske and the rest of them. "I am done here, but next time." Her face twitched as if she was more than pissed, licking her lips, as if she was tasting their blood in advance. "I am done here for now." With that she vanished.

The spell faded slowly, allowing him to move along with the others. It was silent for a moment. The first silence that he had heard in a long time. But like a deadly silence. His heart beat quickly, and his adrenaline was pumping. It was over. For now.

Spoiler:

"Scar them, Sunibunki."

Cauterization: The destruction of Flesh with controlled fire. In a sense, Searing a wound closed for the sake of saving lives. a barbaric way of healing. All while causing an immeasurable amount of pain.

"I'm so sorry, Kasumi i'm so sorry."

None of the choices Shuunske were forced to make were easy. He had not way to heal the man, Kasumi. Hiiro did, through the use of her horrible Sunibunki. He was aware of this, and aware that this was the only way to keep him from death before the medic bays back in the safe house could fully heal him.

Shuunske watched as Hiiro looked at her sword, doubt running through her mind about using it as well, even though they both knew what was going to happen, the pain that Kasumi was going to go through. The though alone made Shuunske shiver. He had respected Kasumi ever since he was little, and now this had to happen to him, a no sure way to keep his last best friend alive.

As Hiiro released her shikai form, Shuunske turned around, only catching the black rieatsu like flame carry itself over the blade, causing it to become red with the intense heat, that scorched over the snow, melting it, even at the distance it was at. It was odd that such a girl had such a zanpakutou.

Shuunske shu his eyes, almost trembling as he heard the hissing touch of the blade touching Kasumi's already open chest, the blood drying up, and the skin melting. The snow melted faster. Only a split second later, Kasumi let out a blood curdling scream, Shuunske biting his lip in the mental pain he was going through. He had heard the sound before, in the past, in his family, and in his dreams. Dreams that had huanted him ever since the death of his friend and teammate Kifuume. Dreams about Kasumi dying as well.

It was too much, Shuunske staggered, almost falling forward into the melting snow. What was this feeling, the feeling that he was feeling. Was he useless? Was he really not able to come down before all of this happened. He was supposed to be the 11th captain. He was supposed to be strong, he was supposed to be the one in command, in control, the savior. But he was none. He could command, he was too far away. He could not have any control over this, other wise it would not have happened like this, and he was not the savior, otherwise he would not have been here, going through all of this. Kasumi would not have to experience this pain. What was he doing with the captain's Haori cloak. What was he doing on this mission. The man that he had faced was on another level. He was virtually powerless over the situation. He had fought with everything he had to defend himself in those brief moments, what with all the factors against him.

Shuunske's sword dropping into the snow, Shuunske closed his hands over his ears, scrunching his eyes. He was not going to cry. He was not going to be helpless anymore. It would be ok. He was ok. He was the captain here. From now on he would not slip up, and he would be able to make the clear choices that he needed to make.

As though the universe was trying to throw him off, the hissing stopped, and Hiiro spoke.

"We need to get him to the Safe house as quickly as possible..."

"i can't use shunpo yet....but. He needs to get to better medical attention, I've ..done what i can but..."

Her point was a good one. What to do about this? However, it was les simple than that. Although he had his teammates to think off, he also had the mission, and the mission was to avenge Kifuume, one of much importance. And with that, he had to retrieve the bodies he had preserved a small way back in the forest, where he had originally been. Because of this, he had a couple choices he had to make.

1. He could send Hiiro with Kasumi, his 5th seat acting as a guard over him, and moving at a slow pace that would not be very defendable against an enemy, and she would not stand a chance against the ones they had been fighting, while he went to contain the bodies, and bring them back for further analysis, and possibly more info on the bodies, and the ones that had killed them, the girl.

2. Bring Kasumi back on the flash step, being able to better guard him, and moving at a quick pace, however leaving Hiiro behind to run, alone and attackable. Also, the bodies would be lost this way.

3. Have all three of them go to get the bodies, neither he nor Hiiro using flash step, and thus being able to stick together, and better guard, however leaving a great window for another attack open, one which, in theory, might over whelm Shuunske from having to protect both Hiiro, and Kasumi, now unconscious. This way however, they would be able to get all they needed, with a higher chance of Kasumi's injuries over whelming his body.

There were other variations to these plans, all of those possibilities running through his head in about three seconds before he spoke, another, better idea coming to mind.

"You stay here Hiiro-chan. I am going to go attend to something that I need to do. I will be right back. It is your job to guard Kasumi while I am gone. I will protect you with my kido. Don't worry, I will be back very soon." Shuunske spoke in a way to inspire Hiiro, although he had no intentions of letting a fight come to her. Instead he would use his kido abilities. Nodding, Shuunske used the shunpo, carrying him just out of site of Hiiro, beyond and into the whirling snow that Kasumi had sheilded against with his kido abilities. Shuunske smiled. It was a good idea.

"Way of binding number 81 - Danku!" Shuunske held up his hands, as the high level spell came to him, and launched itself at Hiiro, and Kasumi. All the sudden, Shuunske saw the kido take affect four fold, as the normal one wall that was created from this kido massed into four, no doubt costing much of Shuunske's rieatsu force, but at the same time protecting Hiiro, and Kasumi. The walls that were created from his kido were almost see through, giving them the name, cutting viod, as there was nothing to see, only a see through almost hazey wall that had the ability to block spells of up to level 89. It was Shuunske's strongest Bakudō spell, and his ability to use it without the incantation attested to his genius. The four walls bent around them both, the top of the walls covered by the suspending blue star that was made from Kasumi's kido. They were safe.

Shuunske panted. He had grabbed his sword before the flash step, and had already put it away. He was not planning on using it, only more riestu for the time being. He had exuasted much of his rieatsu on that spell however, and took a second to breath before he raised his arms again, and activating his rieatsu once more.

"Way of binding number 26 - Kyokko." All the sudden Shuunske's image flashed, and then slowly went black, as if nothing was there, the spell completelly hiding him, and his rieatsu as well. The spell was another hard one, and semi high level, more damage to his rieatsu that was already fatigued from the fight with the man from before.

He could waist no time. Looking and then speeding off into the snow, Shuunske flashed from one place to another, using the shunpo, although he could not be seen, only small foot prints from his petit feet where ever the shunpo took him at landing.

He had only preserved the bodies not too far up, and before long he was there. He had not sensed any rieatsu on the way there either. Nothing more than the night air, the snow becomming less and less as the night cleared, allowing the bright full moon to shine through a small bit more.

Shuunske saw the orange glow of the rieatsu shield he had cast over the bodies. He knew that there was no way he could carry all of them, and he knew it would take more of his rieatsu. But he had been prepared for this fatigue before he had come here. Staying focused, Shuunske began the process by which he was called the child genius and asked to be in the kido corps three times for - the ability to edit and modify his kido into something different with the same basic ability. He knew that he did not have much energy left, and thus the spell he was going to create had to be low energy cost, but still able to lift them all.

Only moments later, Shuunske had his hands up. "Way of destruction number 1 - Sho" Activating his energy in the same way to perform the spell that normally simply pushed the target away, Shuunske neutralized the flow that the rieastu pushed into a pull, and lift, causing the bodies all to lift behind him. He had to strain to keep the concentration, but gathered his energy again, and started to sprint.

Once again, nothing more than the clearing snow was around him that he could sense, it all still eerie though. They had come and go so eaily, and yet were so powerful, and had such massive spiritual pressures. Shuunske did not know how they his it as they did.

Only able to run, Shuunske made it back slower, seeing that Hiiro, and Kasumi remained untouched, Hiiro looking as though she was ready for anything. Ending the spell as he got under the star that blocked the snow, Shuunske fell back into view, the bodies still lifted in orange boxes of energy, constantly draining at Shuunske.

The huge walls that had been protecting Hiiro faded as well, as did the star, leaving them alone with each other. "Come Hiiro-chan, it is time to go back in now." All ten or eleven bodies hung behind Shuunske, each brutally injured with blood pooling at the floors of the orange energy.

Shuunske began to run again, expecting Hiiro to stay close behind, carrying Kasumi. It was the least she could do. She was a strong girl, and carrying him on her back would not be too hard.

It was time to go back now...

"You stay here Hiiro-chan. I am going to go attend to something that I need to do. I will be right back. It is your job to guard Kasumi while I am gone."

"I love you...Kasumi."

"Come Hiiro-chan, it is time to go back in now."

'Kasumi-kun...just hold on."

The snow crunched harder and harder as both of their paces became faster and faster. Shuunske knew that once Kasumi was healed, and once he was able to fight once again, he would teach Hiiro the shunpo. Without it, her speed meant nothing at all. One can be fast as a normal shinigami, but that could not even compare to what he had fought tonight.

Shuunke's head started to hurt, he was losing his rieatsu very quickly through the new kido he had come up with. Since he had just made it on the spot, he had not been able to control the huge rieatsu pour out that was happening.

Shuunske started to breath hard. He was running out of energy faster than expected, even with his rieatsu amount that was above that of a normal captain. That superhuman rieatsu that he had was still fragile. It had not helped him much in the fight against that man. And he had not even gained any info, other than that they are much more dangerous than even Shuunske had thought. Also, the threat was more intense than he thought only he and the 12th captain could handle. In one night he had lost his entire unit, and had his vice captain injured. It was too much. Also, the men and woman from 12th squad that had been brought were those that had gotten good test results, and were brainy, they could not be used for fighting against anything that the men of 11th squad could not.

Shuunske winced in pain as his finger twitched, his finger being the one that was transposing all of the rieatsu that was pouring out of him into the boxes that he was also having to keep.

After another full minute, what seemed like an hour of running, Shuunske saw the entrance, or atleast the bamboo grove around the entrance that shrouded it. They were very close. Looking at Hiiro, Shuunske made one last check for an enemy presence and he could detect none. None could thus show up in that short amount of time.

"Hurry Hiiro-chan!" Shuunske said as he flashed into a shunpo to the entrance, bending down and opening it for her to more easily get through. They were back, and they were safe. The entrance opened, as it had before, sliding into the earth, and opening the stairs downwards. Shuunske's finger was beginning to turn red, and sweat dripped from his brow.

He was good at making new kido, but he still had to take the toll for not putting together all of the odds and ends for the kido to actually work. It was ahrd to do that, and took some time, time which he had not had.

As soon as Hiiro and Kasumi were in, the entrance closed, aided by the 12th squad shinigami that were operating the doors above. Shuunske could not let the bodies fall here. But he could not carry them much longer at all.

"Hiiro-chan, take him to the medical bay... in the 12th squad station... here. It is wear we first went. Go to the lab downstairs... I will meet you there. I cannot wait any longer."

His voice sounded drained, and he sounded as if he was about to simply fall over and sleep, or go into a coma. Shuunske's eyes started drooping. Launching himself into a shunpo, Shuunske flashed into the hallway below. There three men and women from the 12th squad lay in wait with stretchers ready to carry anyone that might have survived. There were none so lucky.

As soon as Shuunske came into sight, with the many bodies behind him, the eyes of the 12th division shinigami widened. It was not what Shuunske was expecting either. To lose all of the shinigami he had in the first night aside for Hiiro, the only one that was not at all injured. He was not planning this at all.

Even so, Shuunske used the stretchers that had been layed out, causing the boxes of men to hover over the bed on wheels, and then break away into spiritual particles. The men fell, hard onto the stretcher, the blood falling with them so that it scattered all over the white tiled floor.

Shuunske stayed standing another minute, until he saw Hiiro come into the room, and then his vision went blurry and then black. For one more second he could see nothing but blurry images, the shinigami in their white uniforms, designating their medical stature hovering over him, all in panic.

"P-please... save... K-Kasumi-san..."

"11th division Shuunske-sama!"

"Somebody get a stretcher!"

"She's going into a hypothermic shock, get me another stretcher!"