The wolf returns

Oh how he missed the Soul Society. The place he called home. His lifeless eyes scanning the area. He patted the sword that was strapped to his hip. His tattered clothes giving off who the vizard was. Keto had returned, hoping to see some of his friends. I hope they remember me. He thought to himself as he walked towards the seireitei. He had heard about what Aizen had done. His mind reeled as he walked and the eyes of soul reapers on him made him look down. His mind went to Riku. He wanted to see his old friend. Whispers filled his ears as he continued to walk. Soon he was close to the squad 11 barracks. He remembered when he ran that squad. A smile spread across his face and he pushed forward, walking to the captain commanders chambers to ask for a spare haori, showing he was the leader of the vizard Corp. His eyes rose as he walked past the other barracks. His hand went to his sword and he drew it. Oh how it felt good to draw Ookami once again. Ookami growled in content at being in his master's hand for that split second before being sheathed. The wolf patted his weapon and sighed, it was good to be back.

He made a few turns and passed by Kuris barracks. Memories flooded his head. The time he spent as her second in command, from the time he became a vizard. A tear rolled down his cheek and he sighed. That was the past and he knew it. He took one more step and a new soul reaper insulted him. Instantly his hands bunched into fists and he growled. Startling the new soul reaper, he walked over to the newbie and grabbed him by his kimono and lifted him into the air. His eyes sparked softly and the newbie in his hands gasped. He muttered the mans name and Keto smirked. So the new comers were told of the old squad 11 captain and how ferocious he was. Setting the soul reaper down he turned his back to them and started walking the way he was going, to see the captain commander and hopefully some old friends.

Aki had been looking at an interesting file. Keto...the wolf of Squad 11. Became a vizard and suffered the consequences. He doubted the man came here for a fight. Only a few seemed to recall the man. Pity he wasn't let out until after the guy was forced to leave, he seemed like the type that could use a friend or two. The former Captain Commander also noticed something in the vizard's file. He and Riku were friends. Maybe the two could rekindle that friendship and help the boy out with his lost memories. They were old sparring partners too, so maybe Keto pushing Riku would help get the boy's powers back. Lots of possibilities. Time to meet and greet.

The brown haired man was only five foot ten. He wore jeans and dress shoes along with a belt with his dual zanpakutou. He also wore a dress shirt, plus a top hat. Akihiko Iyou walked out of his office, which was right next door to Grainne, and went to meet the guy. He met the guy just as he entered the building. "Yo. I'm sure Grainne will appreciate the break. I'm Akihiko Iyou. I don't believe we've met, Keto Matsumoto." He was friendly as usual and easy going.

His ears perked at his name being called. "A new face. Sorry, I am Keto Matsumoto, but you already know that." A soft smile spread across his face. His eyes scanned the oddly dressed soul reaper. His brow furrowed somewhat and he smiled once again. He held out his hand and locked eyes. "I am sorry for my rugged attire, I was on my way to see if I could get a spare haori since I became head of the vizard Corp." His words were true and new soul reapers saw them and chuckled at Keto. His eyes shot to them and they looked down. Apparently his name was still spread around the seireitei.

"Sir, do you know where Riku is?" He asked with a sullen toned voice. He missed the short man he called a friend and ultimately called a brother. "I heard what Aizen had done to this place". He kept eye contact with Akihiko. When the wind picked up his nose wrinkled. He could smell the trees from his old sparring grounds. " If there is a spare haori, could you bring it to me at the sparring grounds please.. Sir and please bring a few of those whose insult me and my kind" .He addressed the man with respect, his shaggy hair blowing with the soft breeze that now caressed them.

Aki waved him off. "No one's gonna fault you for it. We're still trying to salvage uniforms for those that had to lose them or those that got it so tattered that it's unwearable. I'm sure there is some around." The former captain commander glared at those that were talking about the new arrival. The new ones scurried off. The man made a note to prank them later. He then paid attention to the man in front of him. "He's taken to rotating his duties to attend to. I believe today he's assisting in repair work and coordinating that in a few sections. Sadly, he won't remember you...he sacrificed his memories and a pretty good chunk of his power to seal Aizen. I think you're slightly misinformed. Aizen didn't do much. Raiden and his sister kept him contained after killing the Maggot's Nest leader until reinforcements arrived to keep him contained. Riku did his thing and here we are."

Aki chuckled a little at the man. "Enough with the sir stuff. Call me Aki, everyone does, despite I'm one of Captain-Commander Grainne Xios's advisors and chief of intelligence gathering. I'd prefer it really. I was planning on pranking them later for it and embarrass them...but maybe we could show them why it's not nice to insult our allies and comrades. See you there with company..." The captain left to do exactly that. Thirty minutes later, and he was there with a haori and the most prominent of the ones against Keto's being there. There was about twenty of them.

"Let's start with these ones. Most of this group stayed in Soul Society with Riku when things went to hell and forced us to retreat...so they're a little miffed that you didn't join the other two vizard that helped us. Have some words for them?"

Keto chuckled as Aki showed up with the men and women that were miffed at him. He strode over to the man and bowed before taking the haori and donning it. Turning his back to them he took a few strides as Akis words filled his ears. "Aki, could you please request Riku Tomoshibi to join us. I wish to have him join". His voice was stern. Something changed in Keto once he put on the haori. He turned quickly and looked at the men and women and smirked, his hand sitting on the pommel of his weapon. "Call me traitor all you like, but the reason I was not there, was because I was sealed away and a rogue at the time. When many fear the thing inside me, that turns into a cold blooded killer, that knows no difference between enemy or ally, then you too would stay away". His voice was cold, tears streaking down his face.

His tears soon stopped and his eyes turned fierce. He had the look of when he used to be the captain of squad 11. "You all against me as punishment, I won't even use my mask". His voice was cold and commanding, Keto was truly showing he was an alpha wolf when it came to his expertise on the field. "Just be warned, I was called this day in ages Kenpachi". Those were his final words as the wind picked up and jostled his attire and hair.

Aki shrugged. "I could see if seeing an old friend would interest him enough to check it out. But don't underestimate these guys...they may surprise you even if you will win in the end. I'll get back to work afterwards. I look forward to serving with you in the future, Captain Matsumoto." With that, Aki disappeared with shunpo. It wouldn't take long for him to get Riku, after all, speed was one of his strengths.

Four of them started to chant right away while two charged him, with two more shortly behind them. Four more went to Keto's left, while the other four went to the right, all of them firing hado 4 at him. The two that charged him drew their swords to attack, while the two trailing them backed them up and would work in unison to cover them, from blocking an attack to attacking themselves. The 8 kido users spammed hado ones, almost always concentrating solely on a single body part. It was clear these were not the shinigami of old, where single combat ruled...they were highly coordinated and combined attacks. Fruits of their hard work and instruction when attacking the Maggots.

The fight was still going when Riku got there. Although the twenty members were tired, they weren't giving up. Especially not in front of their captain...

(ooc: sorry for the vagueness, use your imagination, controlling 20 npcs ain't fun...)

As the spells hit The wolf, he started to chuckle. They clearly did not know what he was capable of. His right hand ripped Ookami from it's sheathe and he snarled. As the ones charged him he started to laugh, he was sounding like his predecessor, Kenpachi Zaraki. With one foot he kicked up dust and the shinigami would hear one word muttered from the large mans mouth. Bankai. Keto was releasing Ookami at full potential right off the bat, not caring if he grew tired solely for the fact he would grow stronger in battle. As the dust started to settle. Torrents of those razor sharp petals shot out at both formations that charged him. His hands were glowing with the mixed reiatsu.

The large man growled as he felt a blade sink into his flesh, but he soon laughed like a mad man. His right hand that held the handle of his weapon flew out and collided with one of the shinigamis ribs, making a loud cracking sound in the air. Suddenly his body blurred and he was closer to the spellcasters. His eyes shot to them and suddenly a torrent shot at them. He felt Rikus presence and smirked. Riku my good friend, hopefully you remember me. Once again he felt a blade bite into his flesh and he growled loudly then chuckled as his power increased more and more. Suddenly the petals disappeared and his sword went back to normal, his hands still cloaked in his reiatsu.

(ooc: overkill much? XD)

Riku...was not impressed. But it seemed he knew when to quit. The boy spoke up. "That isn't a good way to teach respect. Respect is something that's earned, not necessarily given. At least, not in full. You guys go clean up the barracks, I want it shining when I get back. Once you're done with that, clean Jensen's barracks, then, if it's still daylight, help clean Aki's barracks. You do not talk ill of a comrade, new or not." The boy's eyes were darker than normal. A dark navy blue in color.

Seeing that, the men and women gulped and hastily retreated. They knew better than to try to argue with a pissed off Riku Tomoshibi. His eyes lightened a few shades now that they were gone. "Frankly, I'm surprised they lasted as long as they did. Or you held back some, despite being in bankai. Aki said you were an old friend...though I'm...currently not really seeing it like I did with Jensen..." The blond seemed tired, but he tilted his head cutely and curiously. He was wondering about this man...well, anyone substantial to his past really.

Around his neck held two pendants. One was the original, with a very noticeable crack down the center. The one beside it was a perfect replica both in appearance and function...he found that out in a very, very, very short little spar with Aki. It seems he mostly knew mid to high leveled kido spells, hence the short fight with him running out of energy so fast.

"Draw your sword Riku Tomoshibi. We used to spar before and after I became a Vizard". Keto had sheathed Ookami at this point and turned to look the young captain in the face. Suddenly his reiatsu spiked with unbearable power. His wounds bled some as his body tensed, but the air grew thin as Keto was letting his power swell. Soon his mask might appear. "I recommend sending for Aki at this point runt, because I don't plan on pulling my punches with you like I did with the ones who stayed with you. Just think Riku, if I wasn't afraid of losing control when Aizen showed his face.... It would be me who would not remember a thing!!!". Keto was showing emotion and who knew him would know he barely did that.

The air grew more dense suddenly as Keto started to growl. His lifeless eyes now shining brightly. RIKU!! he shouted loudly as the hollow reiatsu flowed around him. With a clap of his hands the pressure disappeared and his hands were covered in the black and blue reiatsu, but more dense. "Come at me Riku Tomoshibi... Show me what you were once made of!!!". Keto was heated at this point. His eyes glowing a fiery crimson.

Clara Firestorm still felt uneasy walking down the streets of Seireitei. Despite the efforts the Captain-Commander put into the integration of the Vizards into the Gotei, Seireitei still felt foreign in a way. Maybe it was just the length of time she had been away. She had returned to meet the new Captain of the Vizard Corps, Keto Matsumoto. The man was at one stage the Captain of the 11th Division in the old Gotei 13. A formidable warrior, he would be a fine Captain. She sighed as she recalled the conversation she had had with the Captain-Commander and Jensen Reinhart about the Vizard Corps captaincy. They both wanted her to take the post, stressing her skill and the respect she had earned from her exploits. But Clara staunchly refused. Leadership was about more than being an able warrior, and she felt she lacked the other elements needed to make a good leader. She agreed instead to take the post temporarily until a suitable replacement could be found. Clara would then assume the Vice-Captain role, with her main duty being teaching the Vizard Training class at the Shinōreijutsuin.

Clara arrived and was drawn to a commotion happening in the main courtyard of the Academy. Captain Tomoshibi was confronting someone. It was Keto Matsumoto, her new Captain. Keto's power had flared up, and Clara knew what would happen if it went too far. She silently observed from the background, her hand on her sword handle. Just in case.

Riku gave him a deadpan look. "Hardly. Most you would be able to do was assist in keeping him contained. It took a kido spell to stop him fully, and he was immortal...so unless you have more tricks than brute force up your sleeve, that's all you would have done. Not only that, surely you've heard I lost a bunch of power? I'm barely a vice-captain class fighter." The blond rose what his full power currently was. Which wasn't much compared to the captains. Keto clearly outclassed him. He could lead, but that was all in his current state.

The air was heavy, and while he could breath, the small boy could hardly move. He felt another nearby. He didn't recognize it, but he kept an idle stare at Keto. "I'm not the Riku you used to know. I'm not that strong anymore. Unless you turn it down a bunch and pull your punches, you're not getting anything from me. I don't even remember my shikai. If you want to visit again after you've calmed down, fine. But I'm not going to subject myself if this is what you're like."

Riku promptly turned and walked, albeit with a good amount of effort, like wading through an ocean, away, towards the stranger. How could he be a friend of this guy? Seemed like he was more of a sparing partner than anything...

Clara stepped forward as Riku approached her. She bowed respectfully to the man, keeping her mask on. The mask resembled her Hollow mask, but had no powers. She proceeded to offer a handshake to Riku and introduced herself. "Captain. I do not believe we have met. My name is Clara Firestorm, Vice-Captain of the Vizard Corps. I was just on my way to introduce myself to my new Captain, but it appears he got here first." She looked to Keto and bowed respectfully to him to. "Greetings Captain. I am Clara Firestorm. I will be serving as your Vice-Captain." She looked from one gentleman to the other, waiting for a reply.

The large mans eyes were glued to the back of Tomoshibis head. " Clara, send for Akihiko please, also it is nice to meet you, but I have Riku to deal with". His reiatsu flared once more, this time the hollow reiatsu was mixed in with the once pure blue aura that was enveloping his fists and feet. You will remember, one way or another. Even if I have to go fight Aizen myself and die trying to get answers out of him. Those were the thoughts that ran through the large mans head as he watched Riku wade through the pressure towards Clara. His eyes glowing a deep crimson, almost blood like in color now, and if anyone knew him personally they knew that when his eyes changed to that deep crimson, The Wolf was ready to fight.

Riku was a bit awkward. "Pleasure to meet you too." The small captain in name only looked at Keto. "I fail to see a reason to get Akihiko. You two are close in power if you want a fight and a challenge." Riku started to walk away again. It was pretty obvious Keto wanted a fight, maybe even a challenge. And that's what he'll get if Clara was the one to give him that challenge. Only time will tell if he'll ever get along with Keto.

(Exit Thread)

Clara cocked her head slightly when Riku spoke about her offering Keto a challenge. Under her mask, Clara was confused, but her face remained covered. "With all due respect sir, perhaps it would be best to go get settled in first. I'm sure the Captain-Commander will want to talk to you. Then, if you still desire a fight later, we could organize something a little less... dramatic. After all, things have only just returned to normal around here. Even after the commendations given to the two Vizards that helped reclaim Soul Society, I imagine people would be alarmed by a powerful Vizard walking in and unleashing his power."

Clara watched Riku leave, and then looked back to Keto. "What do you think sir?"