Bleach: Soul Reaper with the Red Lotus Blade (FlaminGlory/djgenxcide)

[FlaminGlory]

Natsumi flicked her gaze from him to her food. So he really did love her, but she wasn't sure how to act around him as she spent a big chunk of her life with out a father. Although she knew that her mother was safe with him as he loved her as well.

Flicking her eyes to him, when he said that he hadn't been able to do bankai yet. She wondered if he was going to use her to try and get to that level.

[DJGenXCide]

Zhou regarded her slowly.  She was so quiet.  A smile on his face as he watched her, assessing what was on her mind.  "If you got something you want to say feel free," Zhou said, gesturing for her to do so.  "After all, this is only the second...or third...whatever.  Anyway, we're going to be spending more time together, Natsumi.  Feel free to talk.  Or yell.  Or bluster.  But talking gets you the most points with me.  Blustering and yelling will leave you unconscious."  Zhou smiled, but it was a soft smile, a rare thing from him.  Merely relaxing and taking it easy for a few moments.

[FlaminGlory]

"Surprised that you didn't call me kid or anything," She teased giving him a smile of her own, "I think I would pay a big price if I yell or bluster at you." Although she wouldn't doubt that she would end up hurt if she yelled at him. Seeing him smile, she found it rare and she noted how handsome he looked. Shaking that thought away, he was her teacher after all.

"What do you think is happening in the Soul Socity now?" She asked him.

[DJGenXCide]

"Nothing," Zhou responded.  "They're still waiting on me to return with you.  I've got a few days to respond to that.  If I wait any longer they'll send more out to search for us.  However, this place is well-shielded.  And most people don't think to check on Urahara, as he's banished from Soul Society."  A sigh and he'd rub his neck, putting thoughts in order and how to proceed.  "We just need more training.  Training, training, and more training.  We need to see just what that blade of yours is capable of."

[FlaminGlory]

It seemed that was what her month was going to be filled with. Training. It wasn't like she was mad about it or anything, it just that she was going to have to learn in a month what took a person like him years to do it. "So are you going to respond to them?" She asked as she wondered if he was going to risk more people being sent out after them.

[DJGenXCide]

"If they find me sure," Zhou said, pushing his purple hair back from his face.  "If they don't find me then I'll simply say I got caught up in a few things.  Who knows."  Obviously the man didn't care whether he got in trouble or not.  "The way things are going, though?  We won't have to worry about all this.  Because YOU, Natsumi, need to unlock more of your power.  So you'd better start talking to that sword of yours to figure out what it can do.  Otherwise this conversation is pointless and you'll die in Soul Society."

[FlaminGlory]

"Gee thanks for having so much faith in me." She told him as she looked over at her sword, she needed to talk to it, but she was still unsure what or how to talk to it. Perhaps she had to be knocked out again or something.

[DJGenXCide]

"Hey," Zhou said with a smile.  "I'm a realist.  Besides, I figure if I push you, you'll push back, and we can help each other.  I'm nasty as is, but I don't have bankai.  If I get that?  Hell."  Zhou smiled, looking up at the fake sky that made up the underground room.  "I'd probably even try to challenge your father.  Just to see how well I stood up before he killed me."  The grin on his face at the thought of facing death was a true sign of his belonging in the 11th division.

[FlaminGlory]

"Do you think you would win if you challaged him?" She asked as she looked at him. Zhou seemed quite powerful but they way he talked that he was afraid of her father.

"I wonder what'll happen to me if I do end up saving my mother. I mean I doubt that the Soul Socity will let me go easily." She said as she looked down at her hands. It wasn't as though she doubted her skill, it just she didn't know what was going to happen to her when she got done.

[DJGenXCide]

"Oh not a chance in hell," Zhou said laughing.  "I don't have a prayer against him right now.  Even if I obtain bankai, he's still going to be able to whip my ass.  But he's had more centuries of experience than I.  Give me some time?  And we'll see."  Zhou would just sit there, looking over at her.

"You'll be able to determine that.  If you can save her.  You'll have proven you're capable of much if you can go up against the best of them and win."  A shrug of his shoulders and he'd lean forward to look at her.  "They respect strength.  If you prove yourself?  You'll find a home there I imagine."

[FlaminGlory]

"I guess." Natsumi said, she wasn't sure if she wanted a home there or not. If she had a choice, she would much rather be back here instead of there. Looking back at him, before she flicked her gaze up to the ceiling and she couldn't help but wonder how her mother was doing.

[DJGenXCide]

As if he could read her thoughts, he'd make a quick tsking sound.  "Don't think of anything else but the here and now," Zhou spoke in a slightly menacing tone.  "If you think of anything but right here, and right now, you're as good as dead.  Do you want to know how I got to be such a nasty bastard?"  Zhou leaned forward, his gaze flicking over her quickly and efficiently.

"I suffer no distractions.  I focus on the here and now.  Your here and now?  Is obtaining as much power as possible to survive.  To live.  I'm not the deadliest thing out there.  I'm not even in the top thirty, I imagine.  But I know if I push you, you'll push me, and we can both be nasty bastards in short time.  So c'mon, little girl.  Lets see if you can finally commune with that blade of yours.  But ah...."  Zhou trailed off as he stood, flicking his blade out form its scabbard.

"If you want me to put you in night night land again, hey.  I can do that.  Just say the word and you'll be ass out on the ground again."

[FlaminGlory]

Hearing his voice, she jumped back to the real world. He seemed so menacing and she knew that he was right, she needed to focus on the here and now. It wouldn't do her good as she needed to learn everything she could from him before she saved her mother. "I'll never turn into a nasty bastard." She said as she flicked her eyes toward him, leaning back as he came closer to her.

"I have no intention of letting you do that to me." She told him as she gave a soft smile as she stood up, her sword out and ready to fight him. Urahara thought that this would be a good time to leave and he gather up his stuff and left them alone.

"I'm ready when you are or are you going to keep me waiting." She said to him with a soft smile.

[DJGenXCide]

A shrug of his shoulders and he'd snap his sword up and away.  Shikai was immediate, the sword turning into a living lightning bolt even as the lightning encased him completely.  Seeing as how she was being a bit more serious about this, perhaps it was time to give her exactly what she'd need to push herself higher.  His reiatsu grew until it was at its maximum strength, letting her feel exactly what kind of monster he was.  A miniature Zaraki in the making, but had more of a tactical head than his mentor.

"Okay little girl," he spoke as his blade flashed forward.  The smell of ozone was overwhelming as it struck at her faster than it had earlier, coming with all the might he could deliver behind it.  It was time to push the pace, and push her to the very brink.

[FlaminGlory]

When his sword flashed at her, she went to dodge it. Causing her to step back a few steps, but she held her ground as she pushed back. He wasn't going to put her on her but and she will learn to be one with her sword, so she could save her mother. She came up and started to swing at him, hoping to catch him off balance and have him fall, but she knew she was along way from being able to do that.

"I'm not going to back down." She told herself.

[DJGenXCide]

Blades clashed as Zhou laughed, a wild laughter, a joyous exultation in the events that were occurring.  "Come on!" He taunted, meeting every one of her strikes and returning them easily, quickly.  He fed off of battle, loving the sensation, the dangers that it presented.  "More!  Harder!  Push yourself!"  His swings carried with it that electrical covering, each one seeming to be harder than the last.  His purple hair floated around him as if caused by static electricity.

To show her a lesson, though, instead of meeting her blade one time, he'd step to the side to let her pass, flicking his blade around in a quick circle to let it rest near her undefended back.  "Another lesson," Zhou said calm as could be.  "Deceit is the core of all battle.  You aren't here to look impressive.  You're here to win.  And while many of Soul Society would disagree with that, a battle is war.  Everything is fair game."

[FlaminGlory]

Stepping forward, she felt the sword at her back and she tensed before looking back at him. Remembering what he was teaching her, so decit was what he thought would win. Well then she was more then ready to do that. Turning around fast, she started to swing her sword towards him, intent of landing him on his but or at least injury him.

Her sword seemed to sing to her with each swing like she was slowly becoming one with her sword.

[DJGenXCide]

He'd take a few steps back to avoid the initial strikes, but his eyes followed every strike she was making.  A pattern was beginning to form, as each strike could only come in certain ways, from certain directions.  However, he did not use this knowledge just yet.  After all, part of him hoped she was using it as a distraction, a way of forcing him into a less favorable position.  So he merely fell back, his blade coming up to strike randomly, other blows merely being avoided.  Waiting, his patience an endless thing.

[FlaminGlory]

When she thought that he was distracted enough, she changed the direction of her blows. She flashed stepped and aimed for an opening at her side, her mind intent on hitting him there, but who knows he might just block her attack like he always seemed to do.

[DJGenXCide]

Zhou wasn't about to take a sword strike when she wasn't quite there yet.  So he rolled with the strike, skirting along the ground in a quick tumble, letting it swipe clean over his head.  After which, he popped back up with a grin.  "Good!" he said.  "Keep that up!"

[FlaminGlory]

Her eyes flicked toward him as she gave him a smile of her own. "Don't worry I won't." She told him as she went to attack him again. Keeping her eyes for any openings as she attempted to push him back. Suddenly she felt something connect and her sword transform. When she swung her sword, she felt enegry moving from her body to the sword and then out. Her eyes focused on a red lotus petal created by energy as it moved toward him.

"Uh...what just happened?" She asked she stopped and stared at him. Although she didn't mean to do that, she had a feeling that he wouldn't want her to say sorry for it.

[DJGenXCide]

Zhou would pause as she stopped herself, looking at her sword as well.  "Welcome to initial release," Zhou said, pointing at the lotus petal as he fell back a few paces.  "That would be the shikai stage of your blade.  And it looks quite pretty.  Spend a few moments convening with your sword, Natsumi.  Figure out if you can unlock any of its abilities."

[FlaminGlory]

"Okay, but the truth is I don't even know how I did that." She said, she knew that she needed to do this and that their was no time for her to be weak. There was to many important things that were at hand and she wouldn't waste time being unsure.

Her eyes flicked up to him. "Pretty?" She asked as she didn't think that it could have been describe something like that.

[DJGenXCide]

"Take your time then," Zhou responded, his steps swift as he made sure he was well out of her immediate range.  Damned if he knew what the thing would do when she began tapping into its power to see what could happen.  "Commune with the blade.  Find out what's going on.  What it can do.  It's not merely a sword.  A zanpaktou is a sentient thing, and will assist you as a partner."

Seeing as how that might take her some time, Zhou proceeded to sit down near some boulders in case he needed to head to cover quickly.  Given the myth behind the sword, he just hoped it wouldn't blow up the entire room.

[FlaminGlory]

Deciding to sit far away from him as she didn't want to hurt him or anything. When she sat down, she looked down at her sword. How was she suppose to commune with it? Remembering what her mom had told her, she said that she use to medate with her sword. Clear her mind so to speak. Leaning against the boulder, she cleared her mind and controled her breathing. She could hear Zhou shift and breath. Ingoring that, she contrates on her sword. It felt like she could feel the heartbeat and the next thing she knew she was standing in that same training ground, she had first started. Standing in front of her was the same women.

"Back again I see. I'm glad you figured out your inital relase, but you know that you have more work to do." She told her.

"I do and I hope that you will be willing to work with me to help me." She said to her. It felt like she was talking to a noble lady.

"I will and since you have figured out your intial relase, it should be easy for you to sense what moves you can do and I'll be there to help you when you need it." She told her.

"And I thank you for that." She replied as she gave a soft smile.

"Now go back to your training." She ordered.

"Right." She said as she pulled out of the mediation and went walking up to him.