Chapter 66: Black Rain

As the training session began. Scarlet and Kotori held hands, searching for Yoruichi. Kotori was blindfolded, and Scarlet earplugs in her ears. This training was that of trust and partnership.

"Ow! Hey watch where you're pulling me." Kotori growled as she bumped into a rock. "Hey! Are you even listening to me?!" 

Scarlet, who was oblivious to what she was currently doing to Kotori. Kept on walking, her hand squeezing the flame spirits hand tightly. Her Grimm strength was nearly crushing the bones in Kotori's hand.

Kotori winches in pain as she tries to pull her hand away from Scarlet's. "H-Hey! You're crushing my hand!" The flame spirit continued to try and pull away from her, but she also knew if she kept doing so. She'd remove her own arm from its socket. "Scarlet, hey! Are you even listening to me?"

Scarlet felt her hand becoming hot, she knew what Kotori was doing. But the more she ignored the burning sensation. The more it became unbearable, pulling her hand away from Kotori's. Scarlet shot an angry glare at the spirit. "Listen here you little shit! Don't you dare try burning my hand again. Got it? I don't like doing this either, but we don't have no choice in the matter."

Kotori heard what Scarlet was saying, but she couldn't see her. So it was hard for Scarlet to tell if she flinched or not. The sudden outburst had caught Yoruichi's attention. "Now ladies, is this any proper way to work together? I'm not sure what kind of history the two of you share. But that will get you both killed."

Scarlet had seen Yoruichi off the corner of her eyes as she hid a small grin, she leaned close to Kotori's ear and whispered. "She wants us to find her, that was the original plan...but lets keep this going."

Kotori opened her mouth, but closed it. She was about to protest, but the idea was something she never considered. "I'm a little shit? Well excuse me for existing! If I weren't blindfolded right now. I'll."

"You'll what? Stare me down?" Scarlet asked mockingly as she pushed Kotori. "Please, you're not even scary. I'm far more scarier than you ever will be."

Yoruichi only watched as the two bickered with each other. She sighed and started to come out from her hiding spot. It wasn't known yet, but she either seemed to notice the plan that was brewing or she didn't. "Alright you two, knock it off. You need to take this seriously."

Even though Scarlet couldn't hear what was being said, she could see Kotori stop talking, meaning Yoruichi was coming out from hiding. Even if she was told not to use her nose, she didn't listen. She locked her fingers in with Kotori's and swung her around, her eyes saw Yoruichi as she tossed Kotori. "She's all yours!"

Yoruichi's eyes widened, but she smirked. "Clever girl." She braced herself, putting her arms up to block whatever attack was going to happen.

Kotori flew towards Yoruichi after Scarlet had threw her. The flame spirit didn't have time to think of a strategy of how to attack her. But using her head, literally. She headbutts Yoruichi. Knocking her back, but thanks to her blocking, it didn't seem to faze her.

"Did I get her?" Kotori asked as she went to pull the blindfold up, but instead. She was grabbed in a head lock by Yoruichi. Kotori was taken by surprise, she really hated this training.

Scarlet watched as Yoruichi had Kotori in a headlock, or rather a headscissors lock. She couldn't help but chuckle at the sight, yet she knew she had to aid Kotori. 

"Try helping your partner. If you don't." Yoruichi spoke, her leg muscles tightening on her hold she had Kotori in. "I'll crush her."

Scarlet mimed to hear ears, wanting Yoruichi to speak up. She mimed pulling the earplugs out for her ears. "I'm sorry, I can't hear you. Do you mind speaking up a bit?"

~~~

Yoruichi slammed her fist into Kotori's stomach, as she kicked Scarlet in the face, the two girls fell backwards. Their training was becoming more and more intense and harder, Yoruichi sighed and crossed her arms as she looked down at the two. "Come on, you two are already dead, the enemy won't go easy on you. Take things seriously!"

Scarlet glanced up at her and smirked. "You want me to take things seriously? Fine, I'll play seriously." She spoke as she slowly got up to her feet, and focused all her aura into one single spot. Her shoulder blades squirmed and wiggled, Scarlet screamed out in pain. her shoulder blades began to tear open, blood trickled down her back. Her nevermore wings tore through her flesh as they fully grew out from her shoulder blades. 

Yoruichi watched, but Kotori couldn't tell if Yoruichi was amused or disappointed. She just stood there, with her arms crossed. The flame spirit glanced over to Scarlet as she watched her flap her Nevermore wings dry, the blood that drenched them splattered all over the ground.

"Let's see if you can keep up with me now." Scarlet spoke flapping her wings as she floated off the ground. "You say our enemies won't wait for me and Kotori to stop arguing? Well let's see those odds switched into my favor." She glanced down at the two. "Can you hit a flying target?"

Yoruichi scoffed, but she smirked. "Well now, this training just got a lot more interesting. Fine, I'll show you what I can do, normally I wouldn't pull out my last resort card. But..." She smirked and got on her hands and feet. Her body began to spark lightning as it surrounded her, tearing away at her orange over-shirt, leaving her in her backless, black sleeveless undershirt. "Shunko! Flash War Cry!"

Scarlet raised an eyebrow, watching as she floated there in the sky. She continued to watch Yoruichi as she saw more lightning form around Yoruichi. Then she noticed how Yoruichi's appearance slowly changed, she still looked normal. Yet with the addition of a cat tail growing. Scarlet smirked as she chuckled softly. "Ara Ara."

"Shunko! Thunder Beast form! Black Cat!" Yoruichi hissed as her hands and feet turned into electrical clawed cat paws and cat ears formed on her head. "You're not the only one who can be a hybrid."

Scarlet grinned. "I'm not even finished my transformation. But I'll give you a taste of it, but not right now." She fingered Yoruichi to come at her. "Show me what you got pussy cat."

Yoruichi took one step forward as she vanished in a blink of an eye, her speed became quicker. One moment she was standing on the ground, on all fours. The next she appeared behind Scarlet and swiped her electrical cat paw at her back. Hitting her with a powerful swipe, knocking her out of the sky and down to the ground.

Scarlet didn't have time to react as she crashed down hard onto the ground. The impact from her landing shook the ground, creating a crater. She groaned as she slowly stood up, she turned her head to look up at the sky. "Fast one are we?" She noticed Yoruichi wasn't there anymore, she did however have her scent. She sniffed the air as she quickly turned around and round house kicked Yoruichi in the side.

Surprised by the contact. Yoruichi acted quick and vanished once again, her speed was starting to show. She could see Scarlet tracking her every movement, she cursed under her breath as she almost had forgotten about Scarlet being able to sniff her out. "You're cheating. But what can I do? You may need to rely on your nose to sniff out the enemy." Right as she appeared behind Scarlet, the Grimm girl flew into the sky and out of her reach. "Tsk."

Scarlet glanced down at Yoruichi and then did a M Bison head stomp. Yoruichi moved, but not fast enough. Scarlet's feet had made contact with Yoruichi's back. A loud sickening crack was heard as Yoruichi cried out in pain, landing flat on her stomach.

~~~

Kotori sighed as she sank into the hot spring water, she closed her eyes, enjoying the warm water against her skin. "Ahhh~ This is nice, yeah....this really is worth the wait.."

Scarlet stayed silent as she sat there in the hot spring water, leaning back. She looked up at the waterfall as Yoruichi jumped from the top of it and came splashing down into the water.

Yoruichi rose up from the water as she looked at the two. "Aside from the breaking of my bone. You are correct. This will sooth our bodies and help with anything else our bodies are aching from." She gave Scarlet a glare after saying that, but looked towards Kotori. "After we do this, I believe you two are ready to come with me to Soul Society. I do hope you two are prepared for war."

Scarlet scoffed but grins. "If it means I can fill my belly with the blood of my enemies. Then very well, just don't get in my way." She glanced over to Kotori and Yoruichi. "Working together is one thing I would rather not do. But if it is very necessary. Then I suppose I could learn to work with you."

Kotori was too busy enjoying the warm water to argue or make any statements on what was said. Her crimson red hair pooled around her head like a halo. Eventually after a long while, Yoruichi got out of the water and walked out onto the dry land, getting her clothing back on.

"Come on you two, party time is over." Yoruichi spoke. "Get out and get your clothes back on, we have a long trip." Her voice then took a stern and dark tone. "Once we enter, we cannot leave. If we leave, it'll just show we are weak. This war needs to come to an end, before the entire world crumbles."

Kotori slowly got out of the water as Scarlet had already gotten out and got dressed, she walked past Kotori and pushed her back into the water. Kotori yelped as she fell backwards into the warm water.

"Hey! That was uncalled for!" Kotori growled as she stood up. "Why I oughta!"

After Kotori had gotten out and got dressed, she joined Yoruichi and Scarlet, the two looking towards Yoruichi for the next step. Yoruichi turned to face the two, she took a moment to take in the sight of the area they were in before speaking.

"Okay ladies, listen up and listen closely." Yoruichi spoke crossing her arms. "Ichigo and the others are putting up one hell of a fight, however. Intel tells me that the war has spread throughout the entirety of Soul Society. Groups and squads have been split into separate teams to face off against their own enemies. Some of the squad captains have either perished or had been badly injured."

"And where does that leave us?" Scarlet asked crossing her arms. "Where do we come into play?"

Yoruichi chuckled. "That's the fun part. You and Kotori will be aiding our fallen comrades. But if you get caught in a cross fire, or a lone wolf battle. Try not to get killed, if we are unable to reach each other to help."

Kotori raised an eyebrow up as she tilted her head to the side. "Wait, so we trained together for nothing? If you knew we'd be split up, then what was the point of me and her working together?" She looked towards Scarlet and then back to Yoruichi. 

"Eventually you two will be working together. The training wasn't a waste of time, but for now. The three of us will have our own battle to fight. So I hope you two are ready." Yoruichi spoke and turned away from the two.