Part 35 - A Kree? Here? Why?
Ichibe went to visit all three captains. He listened to their experiences and the problems that they had. Thankfully, there was nothing difficult during the time he wasn't there.
He also visited Raven while she was doing her undercover work. He slipped into the secret hideout of the Hand and using his calligraphy concealed himself like he did to buy real estate in America.
Raven also told him about her training and her experience in the Gotei 13.
"So you are enjoying yourself then?", Ichibe asked after her monologue.
"Yes, I believe it to be a noble cause and I can see that you weren't all talk.
I am able to see my friends every once in a while and that's fine."
"Good. Tell the others if you need any help or you find out something. We don't want you to get hurt on your first official mission."
"Will do."
After that, Ichibe left and went back to Kamar-Taj. Just as he went to say goodbye to the Ancient One, he felt something. Something was wrong or didn't feel right.
The Ancient One looked at him and questioned.
"What's wrong Ichibe?"
"I don't know. I was just about to say goodbye to you when I felt something wrong."
"You feel like something is wrong?"
"Yes."
"But you can't put it into words. Like there is something you are missing?"
"Exactly. Do you know the feeling?"
"Indeed I do. after living for as long as I did, I felt this feeling multiple times.
It's a premonition that something is going to happen. And should you go on with your current plan, you might make a mistake.
It's a very rare skill to have."
"Like clairvoyance, but without actually seeing the future, but feeling it?"
"Somewhat, yes. But it's very personal. There might be something that would profit you, should you stay here but that doesn't mean it would be good for others.
It is just for you."
"Hmm. Something that is good for me should also be good for the Gotei and earth as well.
I'll stay then and see what this feeling is."
Ichibe decided to stay and not return to Vormir right away. He could practice and train on Earth as well. And he could always use the Mirror Dimension if he wanted to go for some sparing with the Ancient One.
She was also happy to really be pushed to her limits. Her skills also advance and she becomes stronger in the process. She has begun to create new spells and use her current repertoire of spells in more efficient ways.
Most of the uses she found out, come from observing Ichibe using them. He was a gold mine in the usage of seemingly weak or ordinary spells.
The Ancient One valued him and his fighting prowess very much. He also enjoyed fighting against her. He was getting more and more ideas on how to use different spells and Kidos in tandem or on top of each other, for different effects.
Ichibe found out that just with different pronunciations, he could achieve different results for the spells. So, the number of different results you could get with spells was limitless.
And it was fun for him to discover new ones.
He told the Ancient One of his discoveries and told her what effect each pronunciation of a certain spell had. He could only tell her of those he had already tried. The other ones were still a mystery.
The Ancient One had effectively almost doubled the number of spells she had in her repertoire, without actually learning new spells.
With Ichibe's help, she was also learning new spells though.
Other than practising and playing around with spells and Kido, Ichibe also did physical training. He was pushing himself beyond his limits.
The other Monks in Kamar-Taj weren't spared from that. He spared with Mordo and Kaecilius and others as well. he trained apprentices who were starting out and even helped some masters who were willing to learn from him.
The Gotei 13 had celebrated the first promotion of a lieutenant. This showed the other members, that there was a way to become captain without powers and that only you yourself mattered and your devotion to the cause.
Lei Feng travelled to America and used the first month to get familiar with the big 4th division that was located in America. It was just as big, if not bigger than the 3rd division.
The reason for this was that he was handling the entire American branch himself. And in China, he had help from his captain and other divisions as well.
This wouldn't stop him, however. He got to work and improved the communications network and information gathering. With the help of the Head Captain, he got his own lieutenant and third and fourth seat.
They were good men and women, that helped him with the workload he had to deal with. So the time it took for him to settle in and get familiar with everything didn't take as long as it might have, had he been on his own.
As was their custom, Lei Feng prioritized information gathering. There was nothing as valuable as information gathering. And he also set up safe houses and big chunks of land without any internet.
The internet was a big liability for them and he wanted some places, where it couldn't reach. Just in case.
When the month of June came in the same year of 1995, Lei Fang was glad that he put so much focus on information gathering. Because there was an interesting event that happened.
Apparently, an unidentified object with a passenger had landed on earth, and SHIELD was trying to apprehend this person.
Lei Fang called Ichibe as soon as he got the information about this.
"Head Captain there has been something of interest happening."
"Oh, what is it?"
"There has been a crash landing of an unidentified flight pod with a passenger on board. From what I could gather, the passenger is on the hunt for something she calls 'Skrulls'.
I have a few people on the case, who are keeping tabs on the situation. But SHIELD is very closely involved in this, so there might not be something we can do about it really."
"I see. What is SHIELD doing then? How are they involved?"
"An agent of theirs is travelling with the alien woman. The man's name is Agent Fury and the woman is apparently a Kree soldier that goes by the name, Vers."
"Very well done Lei Feng. Please keep me updated on the matter."
"Yes sir."