(Fighting Skill please. Also this thread will mark a huge change in Kaito's personality by its conclusion. Thank you judges as always. I hope everyone enjoys reading this.)

It was nightfall when Kaito was walking away from the Rukongai area where he had heard that there were some minor discomfort among the citizens, something about not getting the respect they deserve from the shinigami. For some reason the Sou-taichou had requested that the third seat of the third squad be the one to go and quell the discomfort that had arisen in that area. All in all the young shinigami didn't have a tough time reasoning with the poor souls that weren't strong enough to become shinigami and using his quick-witted insight he was able to come to a conclusion as to how to settle things. The night air was crisp as he walked through what he know recognized as the 45th district and he wasn't really expecting anyone to be out seeing as how the citizens of Rukongai generally avoided unsafe situations. Unfortunately for Kaito he had no friends among these people who would allow him to crash in with them for the night and if he did he would rather not have resort to spending the night with them.

As he was walking through the street of the district, Kaito noticed a cloaked figure up ahead which was an oddity because it was generally understood among the people of Rukongai that safety lay in numbers and in the light of day. "I wonder what this person could be doing up and about so late at night..." Kaito brooded as he continued his nonchalant stroll towards the being. When he finally was close enough to the person they seemed to find it in their particular interest to walk in the opposite direction of where Kaito was going when he had finally made his presence known to them, but Kaito wasn't going to let things happen like that. "You realize that it looks a bit odd for someone in a cloak to be just listlessly wandering around the dangerous roads of the 45th district at night, right?" Kaito posed the question to the back of the figure. At first there was no indication that his words had been heard, but then the being stopped and turned towards him as a hand reached out from underneath the cloak to pull the hood back.

The young shinigami's eyes widened slightly as he gazed upon the face of the beautiful girl that stood in front of him; her skin was a pearl like color and her eyes seemed to have a clear blue gaze that resembled something of a jewel with the sun shining on it. Trying to at least cover his surprise at the girl's beauty Kaito broke his gaze from her, but not before he noticed the slender leg that was revealed as the cloak was blown back slightly by a breeze that passed by. Looking up into the sky to clear his thoughts of the irrationality that was flooding it Kaito returned his gaze to the girl with dead crimson eyes and asked, "Who are you?". "The name's Utsukushi, Shii..." she said in a voice that suggested that she wasn't the least bit intimidated by the young man's presence, "I am in the 11th squad and I am the 9th seat so careful how you gander at me..." stating the last part as a warning. Sighing Kaito shook his head as he realized that she was going to be a lot more trouble than he was willing to deal with if he tried anything with her so he tried to settle for just having a nice conversation, "What's a pretty face like yours doing in the blood-stained barracks of the 11th squad?" he said lightly while still trying not to gawk at her.

Hearing only one step touch the ground, Kaito quickly turned his head back to face the girl only to find a knife to his throat and her beautiful eyes burning with indignant rage, "Don't speak of me as if I'm some defenseless dame that doesn't have a right to be in the 11th squad..." she spat at him. Kaito quickly brought his left hand and grabbed the wrist that held the knife to the throat firmly so that she wouldn't be able to move it anymore, "Please miss...I meant nothing by it. I was simply inquiring..." he said with a smile on his face. His attempt to try and placate the apparently very passionate girl was met by her free hand slicing through the air towards his neck with yet another knife so Kaito quickly yet skillfully flourished his blade from its sheath as he blocked her knife with precision. The girl immediately used the fact that Kaito had focused his attention upon the knife attack to bring both her feet up and press them into Kaito's chest as she pushed off them which broke her free from Kaito's grasp in one graceful movement. Even though Kaito was on the alert about the girl's violent tendencies he couldn't help noticed how the moon glinted off the girl's skin as her legs were showcased by her skirt-like shinigami clothing, "Geez...look at me drooling like a perv over this girl..." he chastised himself.

Once again the only thing he heard was one footstep on the ground and he could only react in time to stop the girl's assault as brought his blade up to defend against the cross knifed attack that the girl had attempted on him, "Looking down on me like that..." she snarled as she eyed him. Quickly throwing her knee to his groin, Kaito found himself seeing stars as he gasped for breath, "Damn...just what decent... woman decides to fight like that....after one encounter...?" Kaito wheezed as he dropped to one knee. The girl quietly stood over Kaito before deciding to walk behind him which she then lifted up Kaito's chin and pressed the cold steel of her knife against his throat as she brought her lips close to his ear and whispered seductively, "Do you know what Utsukushi, Shii means?". In his head Kaito was mad at himself for even getting involved in such a troublesome situation, but he reacted to the girl's question by gripping her arm with his right hand as he dropped his blade and then with his left hand he grabbed the cloak which was on the upper back part of her body. Using these two points as leverage, Kaito managed to shift his weigh enough so that he was able to throw the girl away from him, but more importantly get those knives away from his throat before he grabbed his blade and with closed eyes while answering her question, "I guess I should expect nothing less from one whose name means....Beautiful Death..." he solemnly stated.

+3 fighting, I demand MOAR!!!!!!!! lol (Miss-spelled on purpose.)

(Fighting skill please. Thank you judges. As always you have been great)

The girl's eyes seemed to glimmer as he whispered the meaning of her name as a small smile began to play at the corners of her mouth, "Bravo...not bad shinigami...I might even decide to ask your name before killing you now..." she said as she sauntered over to him seductively. Although he maintained his stoic expression upon his face, Kaito's gaze went up and down the girl's sleek figure as she made her way to a position where she knew she would have the best advantage of striking Kaito. Brandishing his blade once again so that it glinted in the moonlight in front of him the young shinigami brought his zanpakutou so that it was vertical in front of him as he stared at the girl who was circling him like a wolf hunting its prey. Kaito let out an exasperated which was immediately followed by the girl's swift footsteps coming towards him which he easily countered with a swift strike of his blade in the upward swing that collided violently with one of the knives that the girl continued to fight with. "Why do you only use these knives to fight when you have a zanpakutou?" Kaito asked as he remained locked momentarily with the girl, but she quickly disengaged their stalemate and then spun around with great speed as she brought her leg up in a powerful kick.

Not that Kaito couldn't keep up with the girl's speed, but the truth was that he hadn't expected that the girl would be such a proficient fighter, "She is an 11th squad shinigami...there's no doubt about that..." he realized as he leaped backward so that the girl's kick landed right where Kaito's head used to be. His heels skidding through the dirt roads of the Rukongai area, Kaito continued to watch as the girl's feet barely touched the ground before she leaped into the air after him once again. Utsukushi's movements were unbelievably skilled and Kaito was shocked that he hadn't heard about here from any of the other squads since he generally took an interest in eavesdropping while he bummed around the Sereitei, "I might have to get serious against her after all..." he contemplated. Swinging her knives in a horizontal yet outward arching motion, Ustukushi attempted to slit Kaito's throat, but the shinigami saw through her attack and quickly ducked to the ground as he pressed his hands into the dirt. Using his hands as a fulcrum, Kaito swung his legs upward in an attempt to kick the girl whose body was just above his own in the stomach so that he could at least try knocking the wind out of her or something to that effect.

Despite Kaito's fighting prowess, the girl wasn't going to simply give in to him that easily which she proved by whirling her body so that she spun just out of the way of Kaito's kick before landing on her left foot gracefully with a smug look on her face as she stared at Kaito. "I think I have heard about you...you are Kaito Saruwatari...they say that you are already becoming one of the biggest names in the history of the Sereitei, I have even heard that you are the same level as some of the captains" she sneered at him. Laughing a little bit at the girl's knowledge of him, Kaito was about to respond to the girl when she flash stepped beside him and then appeared in a crouched position at his feet with her knives poised to attack Kaito's knees. The girl smiled darkly as Kaito stared down at her while readying himself to move out of the way of the attack that he knew was coming, but at the same time he was slowly becoming more aware of a feeling that was arising within his spirit that he didn't really understand. Finally the attack that he had been anticipating came slicing through the air and headed straight for his knee, but Kaito leaped into the air so that his body was now horizontal in the air as he stared at the girl with a blank stare.

In his right hand he still held his zanpakutou which he now gripped firmly as he quickly brought it down in a slash that would have slashed the girl's shoulder most likely decreasing the amount of attack power that the girl had at her disposal, but the girl leaped into the air in the same manner that Kaito had done to avoid her attack. For an instant in time the two strangers floated in the air staring at each other, one smiling with the delight of meeting someone who could put up a good fight while the other simply watched the other's reaction in awe of the person. The air seemed to carry their bodies for a couple of seconds and in that time, Utsukushi jabbed at Kaito with one of her knives, but Kaito grabbed her hand in mid air effectively stopping her attack. Even as he prepared to make his next move, Kaito couldn't help watching as the girl's hair floated messily in the air and in her eyes he could see her mind working overtime trying to come up with a move that would put an end to Kaito's life and legacy. Knowing that she was attempting to kill him without a legitimate reason besides the fact that she liked to fight should have warranted Kaito disliking her, but he found himself completely enthralled by the gracefulness of her movements and the free manner that she conducted herself in.

Their feet tapped the ground in unison and immediately after landing, the girl made her move as she did a half cartwheel so that her head was now only inches from the ground and her feet was about the same distance away from Kaito's face with the distance closed as the kid sped towards his face. Kaito was sure that the girl expected him to let go of her hand and attempt to dodge, but he had already foreseen how things would end so he quickly used his free hand to grab the foot that was coming at him. A surprised look spread over the girl's face as she hung upside down, practically defenseless within Kaito grasp as he stared at her with the same dead expression that betrayed his emotions to no one, "Now, I think it's safe to say that its over..." Kaito said with a hint of annoyance in his voice. Dropping the girl to the ground, Kaito quickly caught her wrist and brought it behind her back as she fell to the ground and then he followed this maneuver by catching her neck in between his bicep and forearm which guaranteed that she wouldn't be able to attack anymore. The only part that hit the ground was the girl's heels and they only scraped upon the ground as she attempted to struggle fruitlessly, "Let me go! ...I deserve more respect than this..." she gasped, but Kaito's only response was to move his head closer to her left ear and whisper, "A lady such as yourself shouldn't pick fights she doesn't need to..." he advised coldly.

Nice work. This is an interesting...date. lol

+3 Fighting Skill

(Fighting Skill please. Thank you judges.)

It had been a few days after the meeting with Utsukushi that Kaito was summoned to the office of his captain once more on an apparently important mission that was close to home and surprisingly he would be graced by the presence of a partner which made Kaito very willing to take this mission. The young shinigami was quite pleased with the news since it meant that he could simply give his partner most of the work and he would just kick back making sure that nothing out of the ordinary happened. All these happy ideas faded away along with the smile that they had been accompanied with once he reached his captain's office to find the captain, the current lieutenant, along with a certain female whom Kaito had a peculiar run in with only day's before in Rukongai. The captain stifled a laugh as he pretended to cough into the sleeve of his white hakama, "Er...Kaito-san, I would like you to take the mission within the Rukongai area to take out a band of ruffians that are causing trouble in Rukongai" the captain explained. Then as an afterthought, the captain waved his left hand towards Utsukushi with a mischevious smile on his face as he pretended to introduce Utsukushi, "This is--" he began, but Kaito stopped him, "I know who she is Taichou...I told you about the encounter I had with a certain La Femme Nikkita in District 45...two nights ago..." he said gruffly as turned to leave for the mission with the captain bursting out in laughter.

That was a couple of hours ago, presently they were leaping from building to building in the 91st district towards the secluded spot where the supposed terrorists were concocting their half baked plans to take over the Sereitei. The commute over to the area was filled with awkward tension and nervous energy because despite Kaito's unwillingness to actually engage her in conversation he couldn't help noticing the elegance in her demeanor and the way she moved. It seemed as if the girl beside effortlessly pushed through the air to her next location and the fact that she was refusing to look at him made him feel even more comfortable about eying the girl so much. When they finally arrived at the base of operations, they decided to set up a meeting point on a trees which was exactly 23.4 kilometers away from the focus of their mission should they get separated. Kaito explained to Utsukushi the plan of attack with emotionless precision which included showing here the diagram of the house that they were in, the layout of the surrounding area, and even points where the felons shouldn't be followed into because of the danger of an ambush.

Once Kaito had finished, he looked up at the girl and asked, "There...any questions?" to make sure that she had understood everything since he didn't want this to take longer than it had to, but he knew from fighting her that she was a loose cannon anyway and she probably wouldn't bother asking questions about the strategy. Kaito's eyebrow's arched up curiously as the girl voiced that she did have a question and he motioned her to ask in case she was going to provide important insight to the information they already had, "Why is it that the "Prodigious Genius" is nothing more than a coward hiding behind plans and strategies?" she said coldly before taking off towards the base without waiting for an answer. Scratching his head with his eyes closed Kaito wondered whether he did anything to deserve being put through such a pain in the ass event, but he quickly overruled these thoughts as he leaped after the girl in case she needed any back up support from him. It seemed that the rogues knew that they were coming because they immediately hopped out of the cabin with drawn zanpakutou when Utsukushi came sprinting into the clearing that was between the surrounding forest and their base of operations. As she had in her fight with Kaito, the girl drew out her knives rather than her zanpakutou as she quickly executed the first two rogues that had tried to attack her with a swift yet elegant swirl of her hips.

Kaito could see that the girl's fighting skills were immense and he almost pulled back thinking that the girl would actually be able to handle the mission completely on her own, but then he saw as a blur came crashing down towards her from one of the nearby trees. Gathering reiatsu into every fiber of his being Kaito burst forth while unsheathing his blade just in time to block the rogue shinigami's zanpakutou from severing the beautiful girl's head from her shoulders and the rogue was surprised that his attack had been intercepted. Kaito used the moment to flick the shinigami's blade into the air effectively disarming him before driving a hard elbow to the shinigami's stomach followed by a spin so that he was now behind the shinigami where he brought a heavy fist crashing into the back of the shinigami's head. The other rogues stood back and watched as Kaito dispatched of their partner with nothing, but his bare hands, "O-oi...this guy...he's even better than the girl is..." one of them stammered as he dropped his blade and took off running towards the house. Kaito smiled as he turned towards Utsukushi, "Let me show you what the cowardly genius that you speak of can do..." he tauntingly said to the girl before he raced away to catch up to the rogue; which he did in a single bound despite the latter being surrounded by his brethren.

The man stammered his apologies as he backed away from Kaito with both his hands raised in resignation, but the ones surrounding Kaito didn't seem to be willing to do the same as they all moved in closer encircling the young shinigami more tightly than before. Still wearing the confident smile that he had given Utsukushi, Kaito pointed his thumbs at the rogue shinigami that were packed tightly around him and thirsty to attack him while he remained looking at the rogue that was surrendering to him, "You should probably tell your guys to back off...that is unless you want them to get hurt..." he finished with a serious look on his face. At the last part of Kaito's statement the surrounding rogue shinigami leaped forth in attack, but Kaito didn't lose any composure as he drew in a deep breath and immediately took action as he leaned back throwing a kick to the face at the closest shinigami behind him. The shinigami sailed backward with a pained expression, but Kaito wasn't done there as he immediately twisted his body and threw a left hook that knocked another shinigmai unconscious upon contact. Seeing another two of their group fall prey to Kaito's fighting prowess, the rogue shinigami took a couple of unsure steps away from Kaito when suddenly they heard screams of pain erupting from the crowd and Kaito saw Utsukushi flip through air landing beside him with sparkling blue eyes, "You can't have all the glory..." she whispered as one of her bangs fell seductively across the bridge of her nose.

+1.5 Fighting Skill