(Intel please)

It had been some time since Kaito had seen the lieutenant of the 2nd squad and Kaito felt as if he could only improve his connection with his zanpakutou by fighting someone who had achieved the ultimate bond with it. He had seen Ryouta's bankai and was immediately curious as to how his own individual strength would hold up against something like that so he went searching through the Omnitskido barracks knowing full well that there would be consequences for being there. In fact Kaito had actually counted on some of the shinigami here to report of his presence to Ryouta which would essentially draw the lieutenant out. Sighing because of how much effort that it was going to take to simply find out the answer to a problem he had Kaito looked into the air with his head reared back which made the blowpipe stick straight up into the air from his mouth. Hands in his pockets, Kaito began to think about just how strong the lieutenant was since the last time he had seen him fight against the Quincy, "I'm alot stronger since then so I wonder how I will fair against such a guy..." Kaito mildly thought as he continued to make his way nonchalantly through the barracks, being full aware of the different presences of shinigami that were spying on him; he was counting on them to report to Ryouta so that the ball would get rolling quickly.

Ryouta looked up when he heard a knock at his door. "Report," he said.

An Onmitsukido member opened the door and said, "The 3rd Seat from 3rd Squad is in the barracks."

"Oh...I'll go see what he wants then," said Ryouta. "Thanks." He got up and exited his office. "Bakudo no Nijuroku: Kyakko." Ryouta became invisible and headed for the 2nd Squad barracks. He entered via one of the numerous secret passages that connected to it. Ryouta suppressed his reiatsu as much as he could as he entered, and moved around the room until he was facing Kaito.

He became visible slowly, arms crossed and a bemused expression on his face- or at least, as bemused as you can look with a toothpick between your lips. "So...whaddya doin' here, Kaito-san? Lost? Not a lotta people come here that aren't in the Squad."

Just as Kaito had expected the lieutenant had appeared before him within a very short time of having entered the fortress of the second squad area, but then again Kaito wasn't sure whether this would be worth the effort. Mulling it over in his head, Kaito responded to the lieutenant's jovial attitude towards his appearance, "Well, I figured there's really no other place that I could use as a central search point to find you, Ryouta-san" he said with a dead look in his eye. He looked side to side as he spread his consciousness to see whether there were still any Omnitskido agents around and he wasn't disappointed as he smiled slightly and let out a sigh. Clenching the bamboo blowpipe in his mouth, he looked up once again at the lieutenant, "It would seem that there are many eyes watching my movements...is that because I'm considered a threat around these parts?...", at this point Kaito's smile had faded away. "...or is that simply protocol for the paranoid assassins of Soul Society?" he finished with his crimson eyes piercing into the lieutenant's calm facade analyzing his every movement, gesture, and speech.

Not waiting for the answer from the lieutenant, Kaito quickly placed his left hand on the hilt of his zanpakutou as he lowered his eyelids and continued to stare at Ryouta, "Ryouta-san...I have no need to mince words with you since I'm sure you are busy so I will get to the point..." he bluntly said. Without shifting his stance or batting an eye, Kaito remained completely focused upon the person in front of him, "You're going to show me your prowess in battle along with that bankai of yours..." Kaito said with a bit of an edge. He knew that the way that he placed the words were grounds for the 2nd squad lieutenant to fight him, but deep down Kaito was too lazy to continued getting involved in this. "I have no choice...if I watch him then maybe I can learn something about connecting with my zanpakutou" he chastised himself as he rubbed the hilt of the still sheathed sword. Rolling the blowpipe in a circle with his tongue, Kaito prepared for any reaction that Ryouta would have to his rather rude request.

Perhaps in childish retaliation to his rude request, Ryouta chose to answer the first part of Kaito's response. Probably to see if Kaito was the impatient type, or the type to let his emotions show easily. "It's protocol," Ryouta answered. "Also...good practice. And...I learn a lotta interestin' things. Like...did ya know that your Captain has a stash of dirty magazines in a secret compartment in his room?" Ryouta laughed. "Haha, we all have our vices."

Ryouta paused for a long moment, and then finally got to Kaito's request. "Well now...and why should I go through all the effort to do that? You of all people should understand my lack of enthusiasm. But...it's not like I have anythin' better to do..." Ryouta seemed to think about it for an inordinate amount of time. "Maybe if I work my way up to it I'll feel better about it," he said to himself.

Ryouta shrugged. "Let's go outside." He led Kaito outside of the barracks, to a small training ground. "OK...here I come." Ryouta flash stepped unexpectedly and appeared crouched behind Kaito- he hadn't even drawn his Zanpakuto; instead, he was attacking by sweeping his leg out to trip Kaito. As Kaito dodged, Ryouta flash stepped again, and this time appeared slightly above Kaito, where he stomped down at his right clavicle.

Again, Kaito dodged, but Ryouta flash stepped a third time, and this one brought him crouched in front of Kaito, where he rose and drove his elbow up at him. He flash stepped directly above Kaito as soon as his elbow connected, and then came down with a powerful kick downward, aimed at Kaito's right shoulder.

ooc: speed please

(Speed please)

Kaito followed Ryouta's movements with a lot more ease than he had intially thought, but then he remembered the grueling training that he had gone through to increase, "If he is going to end up fighting for real...then this isn't the fastest that he is going to get..." Kaito concluded. He watched as the kick came crashing down towards him, but he quickly opened his body away from the attack so that it sailed harmlessly past him; Kaito was surpressing his reiatsu and holding back on his speed until Ryouta revealed his own true strength. He knew he couldn't pull back on his fighting strength though when he watched as Ryouta's kick crashed into the earth leaving a huge crater in its wake. Using only 50% of his full speed Kaito flash stepped behind Ryouta, "Seriously...such a display of destructive power is going to get us into trouble...be a bit more precise with your attacks..." Kaito said as he stood behind Ryouta.

A wind passed within the time frame that both shinigami stood still without saying a word, yet anticipating the other's attack, "If you won't come at me then I will make the first move..." Kaito said unenthusiastically as he remembered Ryouta's movement and threw an arching kick at Ryouta's head. Instead of making this a direct attack though, Kaito decided to flash step using only half of his true speed to appear in front of his Ryouta, but to the right side and in a crouched position. Noting a slight hesitation on Ryouta's part to react to his sudden appearance Kaito threw a right hook with crude technique since unlike the 2nd squad lieutenant he wasn't skilled in Hakuda.

"..." Ryouta paused. "Ya think this is destructive? If I use my Bankai...well...I think ya can infer from there." Ryouta swung his head back to dodge Kaito's kick, and hesitated for the briefest of moments as Kaito suddenly appeared in front of him and threw a crude right hook. Ryouta saw his chance. He reached forward with lightning speed and grabbed Kaito's right wrist and pulled, sending him stumbling forward. Ryouta then whirled and kicked, saying, "I'm surprised at ya...I woulda thought ya'd force me to draw my Zanpakuto- considerin' I've been trained in Hakuda and ya haven't. Thought ya were smarter than that." (Another childish attempt to rouse ya )

"Hado no Juni: Needle Release!" Ryouta's skin sprouted spines all over it- some of the spines could clearly be seen protruding from his robes. "But if ya wanna try your hand at Hakuda- no better place for it!" He sprang forward toward Kaito, but at the last second flash stepped above/behind him and kicked at the back of his head. Failing to land the kick, Ryouta landed crouched on the ground and swept his leg again in an attempt to trip Kaito, who was again able to dodge it.

Undeterred, Ryouta began aiming kick after roundhouse kick at Kaito in an attempt to drive him up against a wall. His whirling kicks were clearly a specialty- he kept his balance very well, and there was a fluidity to his movement that belied special talent in this area.

ooc: fighting skill please

(Kido please)

Kaito could tell that as long as he continued to mess around trying to keep up with Ryouta in terms of using a Hakuda-based fighting style he was going to lose so as the whirling kick made its way towards him, Kaito decided to up the ante a little bit. "Ryouta-san...forgive me for jump starting the battle so much..." he calmly apologized as he ducked underneath the kick and raised his index finger at the second squad lieutenant. "Hado # 64, Blast of Green Light..." he said with no emotion at all as reishi particles began to gather at his finger tip at lightening speed, "I would advise you to at least release your shikai in this instance" Kaito said with his eyes half open as if in a daze as he maintained his crouched position. Suddenly the green light exploded towards the lieutenant at almost point blank range, but Kaito also knew that the lieutenant was definitely not going to be taken out so quickly even if it was a higher level kido. With the area shrouded in the smoke and debris created in the blast Kaito suppressed his reiatsu so that Ryouta wouldn't be able to discern his location as quickly while he prepared his next move. Closing his eyes, Kaito began focusing small amounts of kido energy and releasing it into the air; he was sure that Ryouta would have trouble picking up on the kido particles since the previous attack had also left much kido energy in the air.

Kaito formed the kido energy into a net as he had done so many times before, but this time he was much more proficient at it than he ever had been before,"Bakudo # 12, Ambush Flare" he stated matter of factly. "Just one more little move for this hat trick and hopefully I can move this little farce of a battle on towards the real part..." Kaito murmured quietly. Placing his hands upon his net made of kido, Kaito softly whispered, "Bakudo # 46, Cat's Cradle" as he watched the threads made from his reiatsu crept through the the Ambush Flare and attached itself to the net strands made of kido. "Man...what a troublesome guy...making me go through all this trouble..." Kaito murmured again as he awaited the smoke to lift and Ryouta's assault to begin once more.

"Bakudo no Rokuju: Wall of Entropy!" A wall appeared in front of Ryouta, a wall of swirling color, from the vividest red to the darkest black. Kaito's spell hit it and seemed to dissolve within the colors, becoming one with the shield. He noticed that he could not discern Kaito's reiatsu through the dust- which he found odd, as Kaito did have a high spiritual pressure. If he's hidin'...he's up to somethin' tricky...thought Ryouta.

"Hado no Gojuhachi: Tenran!" A tornado of wind exploded forth from Ryouta's palms, blowing away all the dust and debris, and (unwittingly) blowing apart some of Kaito's kido threads. They became visible as the dust was blown away (as they are visible unless Bakudo#26 is cast on them). Ryouta looked up at the kido threads with an expression of supreme lack of concern. "Tricky, Kaito-san," he complimented Kaito.

"I suppose I should oblige ya...get this over with...A flash of lightning, the sound of drops, falling among the bamboos. Raikou Arashi," Ryouta drew his Zanpakuto and they lengthened and curved at the end to form a pair of hook swords. "Todoroke!" Ryouta used solidified air to blast away the remaining strands of Kaito's trap. "Mendokuse..." he complained.

But it turned out to be a statement intended to lull Kaito into a sense of security, as before the complaint was even finished, Ryouta had flash stepped and appeared behind Kaito, swinging his right sword down in a powerful slash aimed at his right shoulder.

ooc: intel please

(Intel please. Or Kido I suppose. whatever the judges deem appropriate.)

Kaito had expected that Ryouta would have tried some trickery and he was surprised at the luck that the lieutenant had as he had managed to blow away some of the kido technique that Kaito had been setting up. Without bothering to look back Kaito said, "Geez...2nd squad vice captain you really are troublesome one.." he aid with a steady voice, "...the only problem is that you have forgotten that Ambush Flare is formed all around the user's body and then spreads out from there..." he said as he grabbed hold of one of the remaining threads from the Ambush Flare and looped it around the attacking lieutenant before leaping out of the way. Ryouta's body became more and more entangled in the web of the Ambush Flare, "Be careful Ryouta-san..." he warned with the same dead look in his eyes, "These threads also have loops of Cat's Cradle around them so unless you are able to break free in time you will end up falling asleep" he finished. Sighing Kaito walked away from the lieutenant in order to create space in case the lieutenant did something unexpected, "...there's no way that he can break free without showing his true powers so I had better start preparing" Kaito said.

Once Kaito felt that he was far enough away where he could react to anything that Ryouta could have possibly have thrown at him, "Things should only get more troublesome..." Kaito said once again. It occurred to Kaito that he may not be able to handle Ryouta once he powered up to the highest level that he could using bankai, "Maybe I should let a little air out of the hothead..." he concluded as he raised his palms into the air facing the ensnared Ryouta. "By their hands, drain them of their gifts, Bakudo # 32, 7 Pillars of Sin" he said as he released 7 pillars of reiatsu from each hand and motioned them towards Ryouta's being hoping that he wouldn't be able to escape the attack. "If this works then he is definitely going to be easier if I am able to drain the reiatsu from his body before I even start to fight..." he thought.

"Bakudo no Sanjuichi: Shielding Aura!" Ryouta glowed blue, and Kaito's seven pillars of reiatsu fell away harmlessly. "Asleep? I don't really consider that to be a bad thing- I'm half-asleep most of the time anyway..." he commented. He yawned- whether it was a real yawn or just an act to make Kaito think that the Cat's Cradle spell was working was yet to be seen (it's not working that effectively yet- after all, you didn't say the whole incantation). "Mendokuse," he said again, this time complaining for real.

Ryouta looked down at the kido threads binding him. He sighed, and dispelled the needles that were poking out of his skin, causing the threads to loosen somewhat. He then tried to get out of them, but found that there were just too many to escape them fully.

New plan then, he thought. Out loud, he said, "I believe ya mentioned that the threads are connected to your body...so...how will you react to Hado no Juichi: Tsuzuri Raiden!" Electricity seemed to surge forth from Ryouta and travel all along the threads toward Kaito. It was obvious that Ryouta was putting more reiatsu into this attack; he was trying to force Kaito to dispel the threads.

An electricity-based kido spell? I shall aid you in this endeavor, as it *is* my element, after all. Raikou Arashi's thought rang in his head. Ryouta felt the electricity output he was letting out triple. Kaito was in for a real shock.

ooc: i believe this post warrants intel points

(Intel or Kido please. And Ryouta-san, where the hell did the Wall of Entropy come from?...I'm so confused...)

Realizing that Ryouta was trying to drag things out so that Kaito's abilities might become more clearer to him, Kaito decided to detach the threads of the Ambush Flare from his body and in doing so escaped the electric that was charging down the thread. Although it was definitely troublesome to having to change his battle strategy, Kaito was actually quite pleased with Ryouta's level of insight. It had been some time since he, despite the fact that he was a child, came up against someone that could match him wit for wit, "Ryouta-san, you really are one annoying person to deal with...quite honestly, I wouldn't do if I didn't think I had to..." he admitted. Sighing Kaito immediately ran through a 100 different scenarios in which he could corner Ryouta to the point that he would be forced to reveal his true strength, "This next step is definitely going to be a pain..." he sighed to himself. Gathering his reiatsu, Kaito raised his right hand into the air and calmly said as he continued to stare at Ryouta, "Hado # 59, Heavy Ox Stampede". Instantly a gigantic head of an Ox came crashing down in front of Kaito, the head breathed heavily so much so that the air blew away the dust of the surrounding area causing dust to fly up into the air.

Now that he was blocked from Ryouta's view by the giant head of the Ox, Kaito decided to implement the second maneuver of his strategy, closing his eyes, Kaito began to concentrate his energy. At last he said, "Bakudo # 44, Illusory Clones" as he opened his eyes; three copies of himself appeared around him and Kaito smiled because he was actually a bit interested in seeing how Ryouta would deal with this next attack. Knowing that Ryouta would soon come charging at the head so that he could flush Kaito out from behind it, Kaito placed his hand and the back part of the Ox and sent it crashing towards Ryouta. At the same time he dropped his reiatsu to a level undetectable to Ryouta once again, but he cast a kido technique before he retreated, "Bakudo # 26, Curving Light" he said quietly as the technique spread towards the clones as well. Without waiting for the Ox head to strike Kaito and his clones moved in unison to somewhere on the battle field where Ryouta wouldn't accidentally stumble upon them as Kaito watched how his opponent would handle things now.

Either way, Kaito knew that Ryouta would eventually have to change his tactics to an all out offensive assault based upon the amount of stamina that each person had; Kaito knew well that he had the advantage in that area. In his unknown spot of the battle field, Kaito awaited to see whether Ryouta would turn this into a real battle or if he would continue to play dangerous games in the fight.

ooc: i dunno- but it is a wiki, editable. someone must've added the spell in. i saw it...so i used it

"Why thanks, what a nice thing t'say," said Ryouta in response to Kaito's "complaint." As the ox head came charging at him, Ryouta swiped his left sword up and uttered, "Shuurai", causing a slicing bolt of reiatsu to erupt from the sword and slice the ox's head in half so both halves fell past Ryouta, leaving him unharmed. Obviously, he noticed that Kaito was no longer there, and also that his reiatsu signature had disappeared. He's up to something tricky I suppose- he either became invisible or ran away, and I doubt it's the latter, so...Ryouta ran through his options in his head. "Hmm...I think I'll take a leaf outta your book, Kaito-san," he said.

Ryouta leaped high into the air and stood about twenty feet up in the air using Hohou. "Though the spider failed to ensnare you, the cat is far more cunning. Rock to sleep in his cradle. Bakudo no Yojuroku: Cat's Cradle." Ryouta made several slashing motions with both his swords, sending strands and strands of white silken thread down toward the battlefield, confident that if Kaito was there, the sheer amount of the thread (based on reciting the whole incantation) would locate him.

Ryouta was surprised to see four shapes take form under the white carpet of thread that was quickly forming below him. "Clones? Well then...Hado no Juichi: Tsuzuri Raiden!" The entire carpet of white thread began to crackle with electricity, and it quickly intensified.
I'll force him to the sky, Ryouta thought. After all, it *is* Raikou Arashi's domain.

ooc: intel please

(Spirit Power please. Thank you)

Even though Kaito was enjoying the chess match between Ryouta and himself, he also knew that Ryouta's reiatsu would soon reach its limit even with the help of his zanpakutou and he didn't want to miss the chance to witness a bankai. As the kido came flowing down towards Kaito and the clones, he breathed out and allowed the full weight of his reiatsu to come into fruition. This caused the clones to be blown away and it also release him from the threads of the Ambush Flare technique; some of the lightening had managed to reach his body, but it didn't really have an effect because he had also used his reiatsu to decrease the damage that it had done. His shinigami robes flowed around him as the current of reiatsu seemed to smother everything that was in the surrounding area, Kaito could feel the weight bearing down on the trees and other aspects of Sereitei. "Although, I'm no captain..." he said as he turned his gaze back towards Ryouta, "...I have a considerable amount of reiatsu...and I think you know as well as I do that the way things are you can't hurt with that current level of reiatsu" he explained.

While Kaito knew that he had over exaggerated a bit, the fact of the matter was that Ryouta wouldn't have a chance against him if he didn't fight all out as Kaito was about to do. Normally Kaito wouldn't be excited ab out getting into situations like his current predicament, but this was different because it wasn't a chore to him like any other thing was. Grabbing his zanpakutou's hilt with his right hand and quickly unsheathed quickly; the blade glinted in the sun as he pointed it at Ryouta, "Ryouta-san...how about we get the real battle started now?" he asked. Knowing that he wasn't quite the fighter that the lieutenant was Kaito decided to increase his blade's cutting power by running an electric current through it, "Hado # 11, Tsuzuri Raiden" he called out as electricity sprung into the blade. Kaito prepared himself, "I have no choice now, but to fully exert myself....I wonder how fast Ryouta is...hopefully he can keep up with me..." he thought as he gathered his reiatsu around him in torrents which caused a burst of wind to blow in all directions as Kaito's crimson eyes locked Ryouta into their sights.

"Man, I thought ya were the type to give up after a long time...of this game-playin'," Ryouta said. "Clearly I should have more Onmitsukido members on all the seated officers," he said to himself. "Fine. Have it your way. Bankai." Ryouta glowed with an intense, blinding blue light for about three seconds, and then the light vanished, and he was wearing a beautiful set of midnight-black armor with blue trim. (Note that Bankai adds stat points- see info section)

Ryouta flash stepped down toward Kaito, eager to engage him in melee combat. This eagerness may have been because Raikou Arashi was so tightly entwined with his consciousness. Ryouta's first slash was from his right claw aimed at Kaito's left shoulder. He followed this up with a slash from his left claw aimed at Kaito's ribs. This attack was succeeded by a stab with his right claw at Kaito's chest. Several more slashes and stabs were aimed at Kaito; and they came in this order: ribs, left clavicle, stomach.

Ryouta dropped to a crouch and slashed at the knees, flash stepped behind and aimed at the right shoulder again. All of this took place within a very short period of time, five seconds at most.

ooc: fighting skill please

(Naturally I looked at the stats, Ryouta-san. Hopefully you make sure to look at mine as well. Spirit power or speed please. Judges please.)

Kaito had been awaiting the moment of Ryouta's release of his bankai, but despite all his sense of being made ready for the upcoming increase in his abilities even Kaito wasn't ready for the flurry off attacks that Ryouta unleashed upon him. The moment that the blue light wore and the moment that he heard Ryouta land behind attempting to slash at his shoulders seemed to be almost something of a dream. Despite Kaito's speed, his lax approach to the burst of power that is induced by bankai allowed Ryouta to score several hits on both his shoulders, his stomach, and even managed to wound Kaito's knee. Kaito sensed that Ryouta was behind him now, but his entire body was inflamed in pain, "Strikes from a bankai, are nothing like strikes from one's shikai..." he observed through the pain as he glanced behind him at Ryouta. Quickly whirling around Kaito stopped the last slash that came crashing towards shoulder with a strike from his own blade, but since his shoulder's had been wounded even this counter caused him pain as the force of the blow sent him flying back.

In order to escape the pain, Kaito tried to remember a time which his body had experienced a pain like this; there were many and it seemed to put Kaito's pain in perspective as he once again focused on Ryouta. Blood dripped in heavy doses from his wounds, but the only expression on his face a distraught look that only indicated that this situation had become a nuisance to him. Taking a step forward, Kaito felt his body scream in pain once more as he wanted to test the level of the damage that Ryouta had done to his body. Sighing Kaito realized that there was definitely no longer any room for error as he had done before as he looked down at his own body with one eye open because of the pain seeping through him. His robes were now in tatters where Ryouta had struck his body and the blood from the wounds dripped even now at quite a furious rate, but Kaito still managed to keep his mind from submitting to the pain completely.

Breathing, Kaito poured out his reiatsu once again and he felt it suppress the pain that his wounds were causing him as it smothered everything else under its weight, "Ryouta-san...that's quite a nasty initial strike that you have there..." he commented. With reiatsu now pumping through his veins, Kaito looked on at Ryouta, "Now let me show you my counter strike..." he said as he flash stepped behind Ryouta leaving an after image in his wake. He was sure that Ryouta was fooled by the after image and Kaito quickly unleashed a flurry or strikes laced with reiatsu in an attempt to crack the armor Ryouta was wearing, but he only managed to cause a tiny crack to show up near Ryouta's left shoulder at the back. Then he placed his blade against Ryouta's throat, "I told you...I wouldn't do this unless I had to...so throw away all your assumptions about how I'm going to handle this situation..." he said in a cold voice that surprised even him in its quiet fury.