A Meeting of Urchins [Kaito/Hyosuke]

Hyosuke gave a small nod of approval as Kaito went with a more reserved approach in keeping a hand on his sheathe, his eye keeping a studious watch on Kaito's motions, searching for ways to help the determined young man refine himself even as he stayed ready to respond. Though the eyepatch made it a bit more difficult due to a little loss in depth perception, as Kaito stepped in, using a short burst of movement to close the distance, Hyosuke judged the length of Kaito's blade and noted the first thing to comment on as the young man leaned just a bit too far forward when executing his slash. It was a subtle thing, a small mistake, but it was there and Hyosuke's own footwork adjusted the moment after Kaito stepped closer to him. Carrying him back just a scant few inches, leaving one leg slightly forward while leaning his torso back just a bit, to let Kaito's blade sing through the empty air.

In the same moment Hyosuke's body turned, that leg he had left forward pulling him forward those scant inches he had retreated to dodge the strike, and with a bit more quickness than Kaito himself had used, enough for Kaito to perceive and react to, Hyosuke simply raised his low guard and pointed the tip of Benicho Kogo at his chest. Perilously close to his leaning posture with the deadly point, and a lesson in and of itself, that had Kaito not been leaning into the blow he would have, perhaps, enough room to respond to the inevitable follow-up skewer that would come from such a position. Without saying a word Hyosuke then took a step back, lowered Benicho Kogo again, and adopted a different posture. This time his arm extended downward as if to take the same low guard, but his wrist turned upward to present Benicho Kogo at a diagonal angle toward Kaito.

When Hyosuke spoke his voice was calm, but firm, as he nodded to Kaito.

"Your footwork is good for now, but remember the legs carry the body, and to expose your chest is death. Think of each attack not only as an individual action, a word spoken in the rhetoric of combat, but like a sentence think of what is to come after each stated word. What you will do to follow-up each action you take."

With that said Hyosuke went silent once more, allowing Kaito to make his next move, and even give him a moment to contemplate how he would approach Hyosuke this time.

Hardly surprise, seeing him dodge the attack. He used to be a Captain, after all. He didn't have the proper footing to immediately back up and switch to defense, so, letting his sword cut through the empty air, he quickly adjusted his footwork and took a step backward, bringing his sword back to his chest, just as Hyosuke changed his own posture, pointing the umbrella at his chest.

He leaned back slightly, keeping a firm grip on his sword, he carefully adjusted the grip of his hand around the sheath. In a quite, subtle move, he let it covertly slip from his uniform, all the while keeping the impression that he was holding it in the same place as before. As Hyosuke lowered his own weapon, Kaito quickly moved his sword closer to his chest, keeping as much of his front guarded as possible before the other man switched posture, now pointing it diagonal to him.

He let out a shaky breath as his eyes went from Hyosuke to the tip of the umbrella pointed at him. Even as he listened to the ex-Captain's criticisms, he kept looking him over, thinking of what to do next. The moment he went silent, Kaito made his move, flicking his sword to the side to quickly push the umbrella aside as he took a step forward. He flipped his sheath around, thrusting out to Hyosuke's stomach as cut down mercilessly toward his neck. Even if the sword was dull, he didn't intend to hold himself back.

Hyosuke made one simple movement as Kaito prepared himself and stepped to the left just a bit, keeping the diagonal of the umbrella point more centered on Kaito's chest and the point more between himself and Kaito. As Kaito stepped forward Hyosuke could only think of his choice of movement as completely and utterly ironic since he had just taught this same technique, albeit a simpler version, to Hana not long ago. Were this a more traditional fight Hyosuke knew a few techniques that could be used here but, to emphasize his point with Kaito and the training dummy, Hyosuke decided to do something more... unique to him.

With startling quickness and somehow more force than Kaito himself put into his strikes, the Wagasa Hyosuke wielded would suddenly spring open as it's tip was pushed aside. If Kaito was observant, some dried flecks of crimsom would flake off the Wagasa to the ground where his blade struck and a tiny whiff of copper would permeate the air for a second, before the large crimson plane of the Wagasa's angled fabric would not only push the blade back but also expand to cover the second attack. Somehow the fabric of an umbrella did not buckle or rip against sheathe or blade and in the same moment a heavier scent of copper reached Kaito's nostrils a spike of blood would unweave itself from the fibers of the Wagasa, the blood having been hidden in the very crimson fabric that made up the umbrella.

Said spike shot out toward Kaito at alarming speed, halting itself in front of his throat as, all around from the impact, like any wet fabric that got shook too violently, flecks of blood bounced out of the fabric into the air all around Kaito. Hovering there, in the air, before forming into the forms of tiny needles that simply pointed out at him. No further attacks came, however, and Hyosuke smiled behind the Wagasa, gently pulling it's open form up to rest on his shoulder again as the blood needles hung there in the air, as if in suspended animation. A pleased smile and hum coming from him as he nodded to Kaito.

"Excellently done. In fact, I showed another student a very similar maneuver just a day ago. Well done Kaito, were I at parity with you and not possessing my own surprises that excellent attack would have been quite effective. Did you...... see this coming?"

He hadn't accounted for the umbrella opening -- but, as his sheath and sword were pushed to the side, he noticed something flicking off the head, just as red as the umbrella itself. He could smell the small hints of iron and copper. Blood?

'Did he cut me when I wasn't looking?'

His eyes briefly flicked downward, but he didn't see an open cut, or any kind of pooling under his clothes. Did he have blood on the lip of it the entire time? Wouldn't he have noticed it? But, the questions would quickly cease as a scarlet spike quickly sped toward his throat, stopping just short of it. In response, Kaito leaned back, his eyes showing visible worry and concern as he saw the needles.

"N-No, sir. Not in the slightest. I just saw an opening and took it. I didn't account for the umbrella opening or the...blood powers."

Hyosuke nodded, approvingly, as Kaito confirmed he had not expected his response. They were things that Kaito could not have known without intel, and even the umbrella being able to open would have been no hint as to it's ability to open with such force, and Hyosuke closed Benicho Kogo above his head. The blood spike and needles suspended in the air would liquify and flow back into Hyosuke's Wagasa, waving seamlessly back into the fabric enough that even the scent of copper vanished when it hardened and Hyosuke gave a soft smile.

"Correct."

Dropping Benicho Kogo into his arms he would show it to Kaito to emphasize his words, before gripping the handle gingerly, and stating.

"It was, after all, prior to you gaining that knowledge.... a completely average umbrella."

Hyosuke would then use Benicho Kogo to point at the training dummy with the tip.

"Just as that is an ordinary training dummy and, most importantly of all......"

Hyosuke would once again point the umbrella at Kaito, his smile fond, like what a teacher's shoulder be for their student.

".... just as you are an ordinary man so.... what would someone do to an ordinary umbrella, an ordinary training dummy, or an ordinary man that could give you an advantage?"

Hoping his next hint spurred Kaito to realize what his point had been Hyosuke rested the tip of Benicho Kogo on the dojo floor and continued to smile at his student, lazily tilting his head to the side as he chuckled.

"Do you have anymore guesses Kaito-san?"

He could breathe easily again as the spike and needles retracted, flowing back into the scarlet fabric of the umbrella as if it never left in the first place. Once again, Hyosuke asked questions related to what he had inquired before, and even still, he didn't know the answer. He had already given the answer of nothing, the normality of it all, but that wasn't it.

He just couldn't figure it out. What would someone do with an ordinary object that could give them an advantage? As Hyosuke lowered the tip of the umbrella to the floor, Kaito's gaze turned to it. Just a few minutes ago, it was a normal umbrella, nothing ever gave off the assumption that it had anything to do with blood. It was obvious that it was supposed to be his Zanpakuto, but...

"Is the answer...to turn it into something else? To hone it and make it into something stronger?"

Hyosuke kept that gentle tilt to his head, that smile, even as he shook his head in response.

"I am afraid not Kaito-san as, remember, this is something somewhat unique to you.... well.... and the training dummy. As a teacher I can turn any willing, able student into something else."

Hyosuke now wanted Kaito to both succeed with the riddle, and help him in doing so, but also to see his student achieve it on his own. This made Hyosuke rub his chin with his free hand, thinking, before he sighed and gave a soft shrug.

"I'm afraid I cannot think of anymore hints to give Kaito-san, at least not today, but you are a smart young man and I am certain you'll solve it. Now then....."

At this point Hyosuke would move up to Kaito, standing close enough Kaito's blade could reach him easily.

"I would say we have worked a bit on your endurance with the dummy and a bit on your precision with our short spar but, perhaps, it would be best to take a step back and work on it a different way. It was quite effective for Hana, who did not even have your level of skill, so I am confident you won't disappoint. It's rather simple. I would like you to strike at me, bring your blade as close to my body as you can, without hitting me."

Hyosuke couldn't help but grin a bit.

"Naturally I won't subject you to the same punishment as Hana but for every hit you do deliver to me I will retaliate. Does this sound acceptable?"

This was frustrating. At this point, he hadn't a clue what the answer was. He didn't know what else the dummy and him had that were unique. The frustration began to visible show in an irritated, creased brow as he brought up his sword, sliding his sheath back in its former place. He wasn't getting any new hints, either, which just made it even more irritating, because he didn't know what else to guess.

As Hyosuke got a bit closer, Kaito let go of his sheath, now taking his sword with both hands. He wanted him to strike, but not hit him? Kaito raised an eyebrow, but didn't object or complain as he returned to his stance. Bringing his sword to his shoulder, Kaito began to put a foot forward, dulling his sword to make sure he didn't hurt him in case he wasn't able to restrain himself.

Without warning, Kaito suddenly slashed horizontally, aiming for his neck -- but, attempted to stop before it reached him. But, he had put too much power behind his attack out of frustration and irritation toward the riddle, and smacked Hyosuke's neck rather hard. He flinched at seeing it, instantly bringing his sword back to his chest as he took a half-step back.

He didn't know who Hana was or what her punishment was, but, he instinctively was nervous about what his retaliation would entail.

Truth be told Hyosuke had expected nothing less than to receive a good hit from Kaito and his head did jerk to the side as a small bruise formed on his neck where the impact of the hit had landed. His singular eye closing and his lip twitching a bit before he cracked his neck and sighed. His shoulders slumping briefly before Benicho Kogo lashed out with frightening speed, little more than a blur, aiming for Kaito's head.... only to pause just above his head, the fabric of the Wagasa tickling Kaito's hair, before Hyosuke delivered a comparatively light 'bop' to Kaito's own head.

With that done Hyosuke calmly returned to his neutral position, that usual calm smile on his face, though even he had to admit his neck hurt as he suggested softly.

"Perhaps aim for somewhere less vital until you get the hang of things, hmm?"

Hyosuke chuckled softly, motioning for Kaito to continue, and opened his eye again. Watching Kaito's motions more closely now to see if he could observe exactly what was giving his befuddled student so much fuddling.

"But as far as the strike is concerned, well done. I will likely be feeling that tomorrow."

Hyosuke tried to keep a good nature about things, though his grin did sharpen a bit as he squared up his shoulders.

"And don't expect the next retaliation to be so forgiving if you earn one."

He wasn't sure what he was expecting when it came to Hyosuke's retaliation, but, as the man suddenly lashed out with blinding speed, Kaito took in a sharp breath, squeezing his eyes shut as the umbrella became a blur, only for him to feel...nothing, at first. Then, a small, light bop to the head, as if he were a child. It was a bit embarrassing, but, he wasn't going to admit that openly. Rather, he appreciated that the hit wasn't any harder than it very well could have been.

Giving an awkward nod, he lifted his sword again, resuming his stance. He felt a little pride well in him at being able to cause some kind of injury to the man, even if it was ultimately superficial and didn't matter in the end, but was quickly humbled, flinching as Hyosuke mentioned that the next retaliation, more than likely, wouldn't be so gentle. So, with that mind, he lifted his sword slightly, before suddenly cutting from the right.

He did manage to stop himself before he hit Hyosuke, understandably worried and concerned about the next retaliation and how hard it might be. However, he had stopped himself too soon, and left his sword about a hand's distance from the wrist. He brought the weapon back to his center, before swinging it repeatedly.

He never consistently got the same place, often going between just about grazing his arm to slightly further away from the second attempt. But, he kept an eye on himself, making sure to keep himself from hitting him as he switched between his wrists, hands, shoulders. He kept cutting close, then far, gradually inching himself closer and closer, all the while making sure to not hit him.