Chapter 87 - An unlikely romance
As Ryu teleported to a random area in the Protectors' base, he saw a weird scene. Kettei was standing in the middle of a forested area, randomly pointing at various trees and bushes.
Kettei looked like a young man in his early twenties who exuded an air of mystery and intelligence. His short, messy black hair was slightly disheveled, giving him the appearance of someone who is in constant deep thought. The raven-colored hair was slightly longer on the top, causing it to fall onto his forehead in small, delicate strands.
Kettei's eyes were perhaps his most striking feature. Having a deep and rich brown color, they were piercing and intense, holding the gaze of anyone who looks at him.
Kettei's body was toned and well-muscled, though not overly so, as he mainly focused on his Kido rather than physical strength. His broad shoulders and defined arms suggested that he had a natural athleticism and strength that he maintained through his magical practice. Despite his muscular build, he still retained a certain gracefulness and fluidity in his movements, making him appear agile and nimble.
Despite his defined jawline and high cheekbones, his face had a slight roundness to it, which softened his features. Additionally, his lips were full and slightly upturned, giving him a natural smile that added to his approachability.
Listening closely, Ryu could hear Kettei's mumblings.
"Search within my mind's eye, reveal to me what I can't find. Point me in the right direction, Bakudo #38, Hakuryu!" Kettei uttered an incantation Ryu hadn't heard before, probably testing a new Kido, before pointing at a particularly lushes bush.
"Damn it! How did you create such a useful Kido in a couple of days?!" A high voice that sounded both equally annoyed and impressed came from the bush.
Coming from outside the bush was a strikingly beautiful woman with a petite yet toned build. Her appearance exuded a sense of power and confidence.
Starting from the top, she had short black hair that was styled in a way that highlighted her sharp facial features. Her eyebrows were thin and angled, adding to the intensity of her gaze. Her eyes were a bright and piercing golden color, giving off an almost predatory quality. her nose was small and pointed, while her lips were thin.
Moving down, her neck was slender and graceful, leading into her broad, muscular shoulders. Her arms were extremely toned, a testament to her strength and skill as a warrior. The woman's chest was modest but well-defined, and her waist was narrow, giving her a sleek and agile appearance.
Her hips were subtly curved, adding a touch of femininity to her otherwise androgynous figure. Her legs were long and muscular, tapering down to her small, delicate feet.
Her attire is just as impressive as her appearance. She wore a tight-fitting, black jumpsuit with gold trimmings that hugged her figure. The jumpsuit had a high collar that covered most of her neck and extended into a matching black mask that conceals her mouth and nose. The mask had two slits for her eyes, giving her a more intimidating look.
On her arms, she wore a pair of black arm sleeves that extend from her wrists up to her biceps. These sleeves were adorned with gold accents. Her feet were covered in a pair of black, calf-high boots with gold accents, adding to her imposing presence.
Finally, her most prominent feature is the large tattoo of a hornet that covers most of her back.
She was Soifon, captain of the second division.
"Well now, this isn't a place I expected to find a captain, what were the two of you doing?" Ryu asked as Soifon averted her head with embarrassment.
"We were testing my newest Kido!" Kettei said with excitement evident in his eyes. "Really? What does it do?" Ryu asked, causing Kettei to go on a rant.
"This Kido allows the user to locate almost anything within a certain radius. By activating the Kido, the user's mind becomes a conduit for a powerful spiritual force, which amplifies their sensory perception and allows them to detect and locate objects or people within a certain distance.
The Kido's radius can be adjusted by the user, depending on their level of mastery. Beginners may only be able to detect things within a few meters, while advanced users can locate targets several kilometers away.
When the Kido is activated, the user's eyesight becomes incredibly sharp and their hearing becomes enhanced. They can pick up even the slightest movements or sounds that would normally go unnoticed." Kettey finished his expertly crafted explanation.
"I see, that's certainly a good Kido. How did you think of it?" Ryu asked. "Well, I caught Soifon lurking around gathering information. That gave me an idea, so I told her to try and sneak again while I develop the Kido to match her masterful skills. They really helped me develop this Kido fast, and she also helped me by pointing out some errors," Kettei replied energetically, not noticing how Soifon's face turned red from the compliments.
"That's great," Ryu said while struggling to suppress his chuckle. When he got sucked into his work, Kettei had a tendency to not notice obvious things. Or anything at all, really. He was quite the workaholic.
"Oh, that reminds me," Kettei said while looking at Soifon. "You helped me a lot in developing this Kido, so I thought I outta make one for you as thanks," Kettei said sheepishly.
"you... Made a Kido for me?" Soifon said with a shocked expression on her face.
"Yeah, I made something that I figured would help you a lot. But since it's so useful it's very hard to use... You'd probably need my help in learning it... If that's okay with you," Kettei said, his shy peering its head.
"...Sure, I'd like that," Soifon replied, causing Kettei to adopt a wide smile. "Kettei, the Kido," Ryu remainder the ecstatic Kettei to explain about his new creation.
"Oh right!" Kettei focused as he began an even more detailed rant than usual.
"Shinigami's Vanishing Cloak, also known as Bakudo #49, is a highly specialized Kido that allows the user to completely erase their spiritual energy and presence. This Kido can be an invaluable tool for stealth and espionage missions, as it makes the user virtually undetectable to any and all beings.
The Kido's effects are instantaneous and encompass the user's entire body, with the additional effect of making them partially invisible to the surrounding area, making it incredibly hard to detect them through eyesight.
However, the Kido requires a significant amount of spiritual energy and concentration to use, and it can be challenging to maintain for extended periods. The user must be highly skilled in Kido and have exceptional spiritual energy control to use this technique effectively.
Additionally, Shinigami's Vanishing Cloak has limitations. The Kido does not make the user completely invisible to the naked eye, meaning observant opponents may still be able to detect subtle movements or distortions in the air caused by the user's presence.
The Kido is also ineffective against certain forms of detection, such as the ability of certain powerful abilities to specifically detect the presence of spiritual energy." As Kettei finished his remarkably detailed report, he looked at Soifon.
"I tried to make it as useful as I could for you. I hope you'll be happy with it..." Kettei said nervously as he scratched the back of his head.
"Are you kidding me? This Kido will be spectacular. You're incredible, Kettei!" Soifon said excitedly as she had stars in her eyes while imagining what she could do with such a powerful weapon.
Kettei's face turned redder than a tomato as he looked away. Understanding the words that came out of her mouth, Soifon turned even redder than Kettai, before using Shunpo to vanish from her spot, only leaving a note that told Kettei when she'd be arriving tomorrow to learn the Kido.
"Nice job!" Ryu said in the tone of a proud father.
"I-is it okay? I thought you'd be mad since she's a Shinigami," Kettei asked with a hint of worry in his voice.
"Like I care if she's a Shingami. Do you like her?" Ryu asked.
"...Yes," Kettei replied.
"Great. If anyone protests, be it from the Protectors or Gotei 13, tell me. I'll solve the problem," Ryu said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes.
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Alright, confession time. Honestly, I didn't watch Bleach in years and even then I stopped pretty early on. I did some research for the chapters as I always do, but I didn't know/remember that Soifon had an obsession with Yoruichi. At least one so bad. Just treat it as an AU where that part of her is a lot more passive, and I feel like it's for the better since their relationship is just sad in my opinion. Anyway, just know that if anything is off, tell me and I'll try to fix it. I already said before, but I love feedback, so don't hold back.