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To avoid another mishap, Rangiku waited until Rukia and Orihime returned from school before attempting to release her Bankai for the first time, an event attended by Toshiro and the other members of the Advance Attack Squad.

After watching Ohta standing with his hand atop Rangiku's head for nearly twenty minutes, Toshiro, brows furrowed and arms crossed, couldn't help asking, "Are you certain that Matsumoto has obtained Bankai?"

Nodding her head, Rukia answered, "There's no doubt. Ohta is presently using his Zanpaktuo to stabilize the energy in Matsumoto-san's body so that she doesn't experience a rebound. Generally speaking, this process can take upwards of an hour."

"Speaking from experience?" asked Toshiro, having never watched Rukia's training directly. Bankai training was an extremely personal affair, and the release itself was regarded as the greatest secret of those who managed to achieve it. Most people, Toshiro included, elected to keep the specifics of their Bankai a secret, so if Rangiku hadn't asked them to attend, neither he nor the members of the Advanced Attack Squad would be present.

"Indeed," answered Rukia, her expression serious as she said, "My Bankai is exceptionally dangerous to both myself and my allies. With Ohta's help, my mastery is steadily improving. However, it will be some time before it's suitable to be used in battle..."

"That's common for Zanpakuto with elemental abilities. Fire and ice can be particularly difficult to master, but don't give up. You'll eventually get the hang of it," assured Toshiro, famous throughout the Soul Society for wielding the most powerful ice-type Zanpakuto. Rukia's Zanpakuto was also ice-related, so the youthful-looking Shinigami felt uniquely qualified to offer her advice.

Regaining her smile, Rukia replied, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. Thank you for your supportive words, Captain Hitsugaya."

Nodding his head, Toshiro was going to ask if Rukia had any questions for him but was preempted by a sudden change in the atmosphere, the result of a powerful yet stable Reiatsu erupting from Rangiku's body as she said, "Bankai..." in a faint tone, eyes closed.

Unlike Rukia's Bankai, which released a violent mist that instantaneously froze everything in its surroundings, there was no explosion of Reiryoku when Rangiku activated hers. Her outfit and appearance also remained fairly unchanged, the only notable difference being that two tufts of hair stuck out from the sides of her head, resembling the hairstyle of Yoruichi and Soifon. Other than that, her Zanpakuto had vanished, disintegrating into motes of grey ash before disappearing completely.

Opening her eyes, revealing distinctly cat-like pupils, Rangiku's voice sounded deeper, more sensual than usual, as she muttered, "Kyomu-no-Haineko(Void Ash Cat)..."

Guided by her instincts, Rangiku raised her right hand, directing it at a rock formation in the distance. The gesture seemed to produce a very faint breeze, but that was the only discernible effect for several tense moments. Then, all at once, every rock in the formation was cut at the same height, the severed sections promptly disintegrating.

Narrowing her now turquoise eyes, Rangiku looked to Ohta and mused, "Haineko demands your praise..."

"You both did well," asserted Ohta, caressing the buxom blonde's head, noting that the tufts above her ears twitched in response. He was a little disappointed she hadn't sprouted a tail. At least, that's what he assumed before noticing a bulge sticking out from above Rangiku's ass, squirming from side to side within her hakama...

Noticing Ohta's gaze, Rangiku looked over her shoulder in vain before reaching behind to feel what was brushing against her ass and right leg. When she realized what it was, her brows perked in surprise. Immediately after that, however, she adopted one of the most alluring smiles Ohta had seen on her face as she looked at him and asserted, "We're going to have a lot of fun later..."

"I don't doubt that..." replied Ohta, shaking his head with a slight smile on his face. "For now, stay focused. Your Reiryoku seems stable, but there is a chance it could run rampant if you get distracted."

Waving her hand dismissively, Rangiku assured, "You're overestimating both Haineko and me. We're certainly capable of 'going on the offensive,' if you know what I mean, but neither of us intends to rampage. Too much trouble."

Stretching her arms over her head in a way that intentionally emphasized her breasts, Rangiku added, "If anything, we feel like taking a nap. In fact, that's precisely what we're going to do."

Without waiting for Ohta's response, Rangiku walked off, moseying over to the mirror-like surfaces of the stone she had cut before sprawling atop them. Her behavior reminded Ohta of an actual cat, just more slovenly as Rangiku appeared human.

"She's scratching her tit..." remarked Ohta, staring in wonder as Rangiku reached into her Shihakusho to scratch an itch on her right breast. It was a very unladylike display, but if she was currently fused with Haineko as a part of her Bankai, it made sense. As 'voracious' as the maroon-haired cat girl had been, she was also incredibly lazy, leaving everything to him from start to finish...

Approaching Ohta instead of Rangiku, Toshiro asked, "What's going on...?" as his left eye twitched. He could tell Rangiku had succeeded in releasing her Bankai, but if it caused her to behave even lazier than usual, he would have an aneurism.

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta speculated, "I'm guessing her personality has overlapped with her Zanpakuto Spirit's. She kept using 'we' instead of 'I,' so it would make sense."

"I...see..." muttered Toshiro, running his fingers through his spiky white hair in an apparent attempt at self-comfort. It was unequivocally a 'good' thing that Rangiku had attained Bankai, but he knew his workload was bound to increase. He had known Rangiku for much of his time within the Soul Society, so he was certain she would slack off using the excuse of trying to 'master' her Bankai by maintaining the state as long as possible...

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Matching Toshiro's expectations, Rangiku became noticeably lazier as she maintained her Bankai state throughout the day. Her feline transformation placed little to no strain on her body when she wasn't actively utilizing her ability to cut and effectively 'atomize' things. Inversely, when she 'did' use her power, it consumed Reiryoku at a ludicrous rate. She would then need to rest to recuperate or receive a Reiryoku 'infusion' from Ohta, so she had plenty of excuses to laze about as much as she wanted.

Fortunately for Toshiro, he wasn't the most affected by Rangiku's change in behavior...

"Rub my belly..." demanded Rangiku, lying across Ohta's lap in an effort to get him to pay attention to her rather than focusing on watching Orihime's Kido training with Rukia. Her demeanor had truly become cat-like, so the more he tried to ignore her, the more she wanted his attention.

"This is why I'm a dog person..." muttered Ohta, abiding Rangiku's request to caress and rub her belly but keeping his eyes on Orihime.

Echoing a phrase commonly used by Yoruichi, Rangiku narrowed her eyes and mused, "You know you love the attention..."

"Says the woman fishing for 'my' attention..." retorted Ohta, moving his hand to Rangiku's hip and subsequently caressing her ass as she rolled onto her side, her cat-like tail, covered in blonde fur, whipping behind her.

"Most guys don't complain when beautiful women give them attention..." remarked Rangiku, briefly attempting to bite Ohta's zipper with her teeth before giving up when he gave her a firm smack on her rump.

*beep* *beep* *beep*

"Well, that's no fun..." groaned Rangiku, rising to a seated position while Ohta checked his phone. When he saw it was just a standard, everyday Hollow signal, he showed the screen to Rangiku and said, "Go do your job..." in a dull but authoritative tone that left little room for argument.

"Yeah, yeah, I know..." replied Rangiku, rising to her feet and fixing her clothes before Shunpoing away much faster than she used to be capable of. One of the 'justifications' she used to adhere to Ohta was that he could improve her mental energy while using his Zanpakuto to stabilize all three energy systems within her body. This 'balancing' not only allowed Rangiku to maintain her Bankai as long as she wanted, but as her mental, spiritual, and physical energies harmonized, they became much easier to control. For someone who hated strenuous physical exercise and dull meditation, growing more powerful by lazing about and having her body caressed by a handsome man was fairly close to Rangiku's 'ideal' training method. The only thing more convenient would be growing stronger by drinking alcohol or simply breathing...

Freed from his pseudo-feline companion, at least for a short while, Ohta spent a few minutes watching Rukia and Orihime before closing his eyes to meditate. He was already in his transformed state, complete with furry ears poking out from the top of his head, so he figured he might as well prolong the silence with training. At least, that's what he intended before Soifon appeared next to him, kneeling with her head lowered and right fist to the ground as she said, "I bring news, Master..." in a curt tone.

"Go ahead..." replied Ohta, opening his eyes to observe the increasingly 'loyal' Shinigami. He didn't believe anyone could experience a change of heart as quickly as Soifon projected, but he was willing to play along as it was exceptionally convenient to have a capable subordinate willing to do just about anything you ordered without question...

"The eldest of Kurosaki Ichigo's younger twin sisters has requested to see you," revealed Soifon, briefly causing the gears in Ohta's brain to stall. He wasn't too surprised that Karin had been able to pinpoint his location, but it wasn't exactly welcome news...

Noticing Ohta's reaction, Soifon asked, "Shall I send her away...?"

Shaking his head, Ohta replied, "No. I'll at least hear what she has to say," before rising to his feet and dusting himself off. Soifon would have gladly done it for him, but Ohta wasn't in the mood to tease his pocket assassin. At least, not right now...

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Feeling nervous after learning that the hotel she was in belonged to Ohta, Karin sat statuesque in the waiting area, hands atop her knees and back straight as she began to wonder if she was dealing with the same person whose old, dilapidated apartment served as her hangout...

("Was he just pretending to be poor?") wondered Karin, her eyes roaming about as her head remained fixed in a forward-facing position. Fortunately for her, it wouldn't be long before she received her answer as the elevator on the far side of the lobby chimed, opening to reveal Ohta's familiar face and figure.

Exhaling a sigh of relief, Karin descended from the comfortable chair she had been seated upon, grabbing her backpack before racing over to Ohta with an unintentional smile. The setting had certainly unsettled her, but it didn't actually matter so long as the place truly belonged to Ohta.

Seeing the sporty girl rush over to him, Ohta stopped in place, holding his position and allowing Karin to be the one to approach before interrupting her greeting with a curt, "What's up...?"

Though initially taken aback by how 'unruffled' Ohta seemed to be, Karin quickly recovered, adopting a serious expression as she said, "I want to know what's going on. Ichi-nii is rarely home these days, and he's been skipping classes for weeks. Yuzu is super worried about him..."

"Your dad still hasn't told you anything...?" asked Ohta.

Tilting her head to the side, Karin responded with an incredulous "Huh?" before questioning, "Why would my dad know what's going on...?"

"..."

Feeling a little sorry for his would-be protege, Ohta shook his head and said, "Come with me," before turning around and stepping back onto the elevator. Karin immediately followed him like a little duckling, so Ohta took her up to his penthouse and gave her something to drink before making a rare exception by revealing 'everything' to her, including the identities of her parents, her familial connection with one of the most ancient families in existence, and how much of a special snowflake her brother was...

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(A/N: Karin.exe has stopped working.)