Soi Fon turned her head, her face pale with shock.
"Impossible! I clearly hit you!" she said in disbelief, staring at Kaito, who was currently disguised as Madara Uchiha.
In her mind, this defied all logic. She knew for a fact her attack had connected, and there was no reason why he should be standing there completely unharmed.
Even if he had somehow stopped the blow, the Soul Society was vast, and encountering a strange, unfamiliar Zanpakuto ability wasn't entirely unheard of. What truly unnerved her was his complete nonchalance. It was the kind of effortless casualness that made a person question their own senses.
"Simply put," Kaito said, crossing his arms and radiating an aura of absolute dominance, "your attacks just can't touch me. Is that really so hard to grasp?"
If he was going to commit to the persona, he had to go all out. This disguise was going to be useful for a long time.
"Nonsense!" Soi Fon retorted angrily.
To her, it had to be a trick. As the Commander-in-Chief of the Stealth Force, her Flash Step had been honed under the tutelage of Yoruichi Shihoin herself. This mysterious stranger hadn't used Flash Step to dodge, and he wasn't even carrying a Zanpakuto.
That ruled out a Zanpakuto ability. Furthermore, there had been no spike in spiritual pressure just now, meaning he hadn't used Kido either.
How had he evaded her?
"Ignorant woman. Since you don't believe me, feel free to try again with your hand-to-hand combat." Kaito kept his arms crossed, looking down at her with cold disdain.
Soi Fon unleashed her Shunko to its absolute limit, waves of spiritual energy rippling outward from her body. The sheer gale force generated by her spiritual pressure made Kaito's wig flutter violently.
Thank goodness Kisuke didn't sell me a cheap knockoff, Kaito thought, a brief wave of panic washing over him. If this wig flew off right now, I'd become a legend in the Soul Society for literally laughing a captain to death.
Boom!
Lightning crackled around Soi Fon. With a sharp step, a sonic boom shattered the air. In the blink of an eye, she reappeared right in front of Kaito, throwing a swift, direct punch aimed straight at his face.
What?!
Now fully focused, Soi Fon finally noticed the anomaly. Her fist had reached within a meter of Kaito, but the moment it crossed that threshold, it slowed down drastically, as if submerged in thick mud. As her hand penetrated deeper, getting within less than a meter of him, it encountered an endless, invisible resistance. It couldn't advance a single millimeter further.
Because her initial movement had been so fast, she had mistakenly thought she hit him. In reality, she hadn't touched a single hair on his head.
In a flash, Soi Fon retreated a hundred meters.
Kaito looked at her and smiled faintly. "It seems you've finally realized."
Looking at his imposing figure, Soi Fon's internal danger assessment for this man skyrocketed. She drew her Zanpakuto, her eyes narrowing into slits. "Who are you? There is no one like you in the Seireitei."
Kaito kept his arms crossed. "My name is Madara Uchiha. Woman, I will overlook your disrespect this once. Leave now, and I shall spare your life."
'Man, playing the villain feels incredible', Kaito thought. No wonder people love doing this.
His words weighed heavily on Soi Fon. She couldn't gauge the full depth of his power, but the absolute defense he had just displayed was enough to prove he was incredibly dangerous.
"Were you the one hunting the Hollows before I arrived?" Soi Fon questioned.
Kaito replied smoothly, "If you mean those misshapen monsters, then yes, I disposed of them."
That confirmed it.
Without another word, Soi Fon raised her Zanpakuto and chanted, "Sting all enemies to death! Suzumebachi!"
Following a bright flash of light, a small, gold-and-black stinger blade manifested over the middle finger of her right hand.
Kaito scoffed inwardly. Straight to Shikai, huh?
As he spoke, his eyes shifted. The artificial pupils turned blood-red, revealing three distinct tomoe marks that gave him a sinister appearance.
Soi Fon didn't notice the subtle shift in his eyes, but a sudden, inexplicable chill ran down her spine, as if all her movements were being completely seen through.
On the other side, Kaito subtly hid his left hand in the fold of his sleeve, clicking the small controller that operated the contacts. Urahara's tech really is top-tier, he thought. The remote control on these things is seamless.
I can't draw this out! Soi Fon thought.
Maximizing her speed, she vanished and reappeared directly behind Kaito. She thrust her arm forward, aiming Suzumebachi precisely at the invisible barrier surrounding him.
Two hits. If I can just land two hits, his defense won't matter! she reasoned.
But Kaito merely said calmly, "Captain Soi Fon, your movements are entirely predictable."
What?!
Shock crashed over Soi Fon like a tidal wave, but her momentum was too great to stop. She couldn't pull her strike back in time.
At that moment, Kaito countered.
He didn't make a habit of hitting women, but right now he was playing Madara Uchiha—and Madara certainly wouldn't hesitate.
Kaito pivoted smoothly, evading the trajectory of Suzumebachi. He caught Soi Fon's extended arm with one hand and delivered a rapid, heavy striking combination to her midsection.
The heavy impacts forced a gasp of blood from Soi Fon's lips as sharp pain flared through her abdomen. Despite the agony, her instincts as a trained assassin kicked in. She spun fiercely, throwing a high sweep kick aimed at his head.
"Hado #12, Fushibi!"
Spiritual energy shot forth in thin, thread-like lines, attempting to snare and blast Kaito at close range.
Whoosh!
Using Flash Step, Kaito blinked away from the blast radius, giving Soi Fon a moment to breathe.
"As expected of the Stealth Force Commander," Kaito said, clapping his hands in mock praise. "To launch a counterattack like that while injured is quite impressive."
After that brief exchange, Kaito had a clearer understanding of his current capabilities. His combat skills were roughly on par with a captain's level, though he would still need to be careful if he ever found himself outnumbered.
High above in the night sky, Soi Fon landed on a nearby rooftop, dropping to one knee while clutching her stomach. She panted heavily, the pain from the strikes making her vision blur slightly.
The mysterious man calling himself Madara Uchiha was an exceptionally difficult opponent. His eyes seemed capable of reading every motion, meaning any successful strike would have to come from blind spots out of his line of sight.
"Well, that's enough for today," Kaito announced.
Soi Fon looked up, her expression turning tense.
"It's getting late. I'll look forward to testing Captain Soi Fon's strength another time."
"Wait!"
Realizing he was about to slip away, Soi Fon tried to intercept him. But Kaito utilized Blue to warp space, vanishing instantly the moment she spoke.
That was a rush, Kaito thought as he traveled away. Show off, land a few hits, and log out.
Left behind on the rooftop, Soi Fon couldn't even trace his spiritual pressure. She had been completely outmaneuvered.
Furious, she bit her lower lip, a tiny drop of blood appearing at the corner of her mouth. She had etched this man's face permanently into her memory.
"Madara Uchiha..." she whispered, her voice shaking with rage. "I will hunt you down. And when I do, I will make you pay for tonight."