Chapter 1
Ichigo walked back home after school as usual, he stopped by at his favorite ice-cream store. It was said to have opened for a long time, perhaps decades now, this ice-cream store which attracted the hearts of many people, but alas, most people still stayed away from said store. There were rumors running around with how strange the owner is like how he doesn't get old or how the previous owner looks so much like the next owner, etc.
Though, Ichigo doesn't give much of a damn to these rumors, the owner was the only person he could ever open up his feelings to.
"Yo, Ichi-chan, how's school today?"
"As usual, one..."
"Done." The owner handed him a strawberry ice-cream in a cup.
"I haven't even called for my order..."
"I just assumed you would ask for strawberry." He said with a grin.
"I was planning for a mango one today."
The owner sweat dropped. "What?"
"Why do you always give me a strawberry flavor? It annoys me that you always use my name as an excuse."
"It can't be helped, can it?" he said with another grin.
"Hey, we are friends right?"
"Well, you could say so." he finished with another grin.
"Since you know me so well..."
"This is the eighty-first time you asked, I said I just couldn't reveal it to you. Don't ask about the rumors too."
"Fine..."
"Rukia, I have a new assignment for you." A man with wearing a clock with the kanji "Thirteen" said.
"What is it, Ukitate-taichou?"
"You are to go to the human world to eliminate hollows for a month."
"Yes, taichou."
"You will be leaving tomorrow, do whatever you need."
"Understood, taichou."
"Haven't you heard of it, Rukia-san is leaving for the human world tomorrow, aren't you going to say goodbye or something? Or at least tell her about your promotion?" A bald guy said.
"I don't think I'm gonna tell her about my promotion. It isn't official yet until the ceremony commences so I was planning to make it a surprise for her." A red spiky haired guy said.
"Do what you one, Renji-san."
"Maybe we could say goodbye?" a girl said.
"Perhaps, Hinamori-san."
(The next day)
"Help me!" The voice of a little girl rang throughout the city. Though, it seems like nobody heard it, except Ichigo who was turning his head around, desperately looking for the source of the sound for help.
"Now, come to daddy, little girl." A monstrous voice said, destroying the buildings along the way while chasing the girl.
"What? It's the girl from yesterday?" Ichigo was shocked to see the same girl he met yesterday.
Then, suddenly, out of nowhere came a girl in black kimono with a katana hanging by her waist. She unsheathed it and killed the monster in an instance. When it was done, she hit the girl's forehead with the back of her sword.
"Wait!" Ichigo tried to stop her but decided not to when he noticed her glowing and sinking into the ground. Maybe it was for the greater good after all.
"You saw a woman in black killing one of these monsters? Then she did something with the litle ghost girl?" The owner of the ice-cream shop asked.
"Right. Do you have any idea who or what she is?"
The owner hesitated a moment before saying, "Nope, no clue at all."
"I'm leaving, goodbye." Ichigo stood up and left.
"Oh my, a shinigami has came, hopefully for the sole purpose of slaying hollows."
Ichigo was lying on his bed, wondering what happened earlier ago when suddenly he saw her a black butterfly flying in his room followed by the same woman he met earlier.
"Hey, what are you doing here?" She did not answer.
"Hey! I'm asking you a question here!" Still, she did not answer.
"Fine then, I'll make you answer!" Ichigo said and kicked her right from the back, causing her to fall down.
"What the hell, how the hell could you see me?" the girl said.
"Of course I can see you, it's not like you are a ghost or something."
"Who are you?"
"This is my house and shouldn't you be telling me who you are first?" Ichigo said annoyed by her actions and words.
"I'm Kuchiki Rukia and I'm a shinigami."
"A.. what?" he said before bursting out laughing at her words.
"What's so funny?"
"You just said you're a shinigami, they don't exist."
"What makes you think so?"
"They appear only in fairy tales, that's all."
She was angered by his words and muttered something and before Ichigo knew it, his hand and legs were somehow tied towards the back by something unknown.
"Can this prove to you? Only a shinigami could do that."
"Okay. I believe you. What are you here for?"
Rukia then continued with the explanations of Plus and Hollows and the purpose of her being here.
"Why are you looking away from me?" Rukia said with a little tone of disappointment, maybe because she thought he wasn't paying attention to her.
"It's... it's just that... your drawings totally sucks."
"What?! You bastard!"
BOOM!
"Something's off, I have to check it out." she said.
"Karin! Yuzu!" Ichigo shouted anxiously.
Rukia on the other hand ran downstairs. A girl was lying on the floor unconscious while another was being caught in the hands of a Hollow.
"Let go off her!" Rukia said.
"Oh? A shinigami!" the hollow said interestedly.
Ichigo fell down the stairs and landed with his head but it did not matter him. He remembered Rukia saying that hollows searched for souls with high spiritual energy and especially him. He desperately tried to break free of the binding made by Rukia and to Rukia's surprise, managed to do so.
"How could a mere human break free of a binding spell casted my a shinigami? How does he even have such high reiatsu for a human?"
"Out of the way, I'm who you want right? Let go off my sister!" Ichigo said angrily.
"You smell good for a human, very well then, I'll devour your soul too!" the hollow said, showing more interest.
Unfortunately, he couldn't do much of a help and was about to be killed when Rukia jumped straight ahead and blocked the attack but was injured.
"Damn it."
Meanwhile, another person watching from the top of a house was planning to rush in to save the both of them when suddenly Rukia stabbed her sword into Ichigo's chest. Then, suddenly, Ichigo was wearing death god suit with an insanely huge sword.
"Seems like they're save without me after all." The person turned to leave after Ichigo defeated the hollow.
"Good afternoon, Ichi-chan." said the owner again with a grin the next day, noticing another girl beside him.
"Would you stop calling me that?"
The owner flinched. "Nevermine, do you believe in shinigamis?"
"Death gods? Well, you could say so, why?" he said with a tone of curiousity.
"Remember what I told you yesterday, this was the girl. Turns out she was a shinigami."
"Are you sure it's alright telling him?"
"He's where I can open up my feelings to. Say hello to Owner."
"Owner?"
"He just never reveals his name."
"You don't look like one." He said.
"I changed my shirt, can't I?" Rukia said, wondering how did the owner know about her change of outfit.
"Damn it, I left my watch at school. Rukia, can you wait here while I go get my watch?"
"Okay, no problem."
The owner waited until Ichigo left before asking, "So what flavor are you in?"
"What do you mean?"
"One to Thirteen, choose a number."
Rukia somehow was shocked by that question. Could he be relating to the Gotei 13? Anyway, what's wrong with telling him which squad was she in?
"Thirteen."
"I see. The flavor's vanilla then." He said, grabbing a few scoops of vanilla ice-cream.
"Who are you?" Rukia asked, concerned with this man in front of her.
"Me? The humble owner of an ice-cream store."
The same line of sentence… Used by an all too familiar man…
"What Is your relation with Urahara store?"
"Urahara store? Oh, we share our stocks." He said grinning.
"I'm asking again. Who are you actually? Don't give me the bullshit answer like Urahara did. I know who he is."
"Oh my, you really are pushy aren't you?"
"Go on, tell me."
"A retired shinigami, just like Urahara-chan there. Does that satisfy you?"
"I'm gonna look for Urahara later about this."
"How is old man Ukitake doing?"
"With respect, add the word taichou. He is doing well as usual."
"That old man…"
"I found it." Ichigo said running back and noticing that they both were chatting.
"Welcome back, strawberry flavor again?"
"No. Vanilla." He said after looking at Rukia's ice-cream.
"You both seem to get along rather well."
"We were just having a little chat." He said with his usual grin.
"Man, why does hollows keep appearing nowadays?" the owner said, turning his head in disappointment. "Haven't they reduce?"
"I don't suppose so. People die, they either go to Soul Society or be rotten to Hollows, the balance won't stop." A man with sandal hat said.
"Heard there is this substitute shinigami going around." A black cat said with a masculine voice.
"I've known him since he started middle school. He always stop here, almost everyday."
"Is he your only customer?"
"Perhaps, Yoru-chan." The owner said with another one of his grins.
"It should be in two or three months time before they come to take Rukia back, anybody want to train him so he could at least be able to counter any of the assigned shinigami coming to retrieve Rukia?"
"Why not you? Apparently your apprentices all made it to captain." The black cat said.
"Oh? I could say the same to you, your little admirer had apparently became commander of the serect mobile corps, just like you, Yoru-chan."
"Let's not forget about me too, apparently my right-hand man is currently 12th squad taichou." Urahara said, feeling a little left out.
"When are you going to reveal yourself, Yoru-chan?" The owner said.
"Maybe after Rukia is taken back to Soul Society."
"What makes you so sure they will be able to take him successfully? I can beat a taichou no problem."
"Now, now, don't get cocky, Naru-kun. Don't you all think we should stay out of this?" Urahara said.
"Why?"
"You don't want more of those people after you again now? We only managed to hide here by luck you know. If none of us train him, that shinigami will also assist him, so there isn't much to worry."
"Hold on, Kisuke, is that shinigami your.."
"Please don't tell anyone else about it, let this be our little circle."
"What are you going to do about the kids that heard our conversation?" the owner said worriedly.
"Don't worry, they won't spill a word, right Jinta-kun?"
A red headed boy slowly walked out with another girl and said, "Ye…s, Urahara-san."
"Looks like the little circle has to be extended after all." The black cat sighed.
(Few weeks later)
"Urahara!" Rukia was in the compound of Urahara store looking for Urahara.
"The shop's not open yet, Rukia-san." Jinta said.
"Let me wake Urahara then."
"No need for that, I woke up already."
"What do you need?"
"I need you to check my phone and refill these." She said taking out a tube with four circles with a red light shining in the last circle.
"What's wrong with the phone?"
"It seems like it rings off when there isn't even a hollow."
"Alright. Just a reminder, using too much of those will cause damage to your gigai."
"I understand that."
"Anything else you need?"
"Yeah, do you have the rabbit one?"
"No, but I have another one that just arrived."
"Whatever."
"Hehe, Ururu! Can you go to the storeroom and look for a box that says 'New Product' and hand the item over for Rukia-san here?"
"Hai, Urahara-san."
"I have always been wondering where have you picked these two kids up."
"Let's just say I picked them up from the streets."
"What? Is this suppose to be a joke?"
"Yup." Kisuke said and caused Rukia to sweat drop. "Alright, it is true that I picked them up from the streets but that little girl there just seems to have a strange..."
"Urahara-san, this is the product you asked for." Ururu said and handed over a tube with the head of a duck on the top.
"That would be...(A/N: Don't ask about the price, I'm not even a businessman.)" he turned towards Rukia and said.
"What are you doing here, Urahara?"
"Can't I just come over to grab an ice-cream from a shop of my old friend's?"
"What... You never come here for ice-cream."
"Chill... I want Flavor 12 please."
The owner turned to scoop out an ice-cream of strawberry flavor and handed it to Kisuke.
"How's business in that little store of yours?"
"Sold a duck tube, helped to refill."
"Sold thirteen cups and five cones of ice-creams."
"You said business isn't good today."
"I don't know, Ichi-chan kept coming to this today and demanded for all 13 flavors. The other 5 is just regular customers."
"That seems to be a problem. Does Ichigo look normal?"
"When you come to think of it, no, he isn't normal, he doesn't frown as usual but instead acted like a total idiot."
"Well, looks like we've got some job to do."
"You want me to come?"
"I miss that cute you anyway."
"Alright." When the owner finished, there was a bright light and... (A/N: Sorry, I lost this part of the story.)
"...That's why I won't kill. I won't kill anything..."
"My, my..."
"We finally found you, and you are all roughed up already. This makes all the equipment we brought totally useless..."
"Are you saying I'm useless, you old hag!" A fox beside Kisuke said.
"No, no, please do not mistake me!"
"If you think so, I'm doing the extraction today." The fox said and moved with blinding speed that not even Kon (A/N: I know he hasn't got a name now but it will be his in the future anyway) could catch up with and pressed his paw lightly on Kon's forehead, effectively pushing out a little green ball.
"Nice job as usual."
"Fox? Since when do you have a pet fox?" Rukia said.
"I'm not his pet, he doesn't even deserve to take me as a pet!" The fox said angrily then went to pick the ball with his paw.
"Mission complete. Let's go home guys." Urahara said.
"What? I thought we were going to see some action for the first time in a while!" The red head shouted.
Ichigo panicked and asked, "Wait... Wait a moment, what are you going to do with him?"
"Dispose of it, why? What.."
"You can see me. Who are you?"
"Oh, how should I answer that?"
Rukia caught hold of the green ball and said, "To put it simply, he's a greedy salesman."
"Ku...Kuchiki-san! Don't... Don't take that!"
"What, Urahara? Does your store take items you sold to a customer without compensation?"
"Bye, I'm going home while you continue with your boring talk." The fox yawned and left.
"Hold on a second... A TALKING FOX!" Ichigo shouted out loud and fainted.
"Did he just notice it?" The red head said again.
"Maybe he was too busy worrying about this mod soul?"
"Nevermine, I'll just take him back home now. Goodbye." Rukia said and pushed him back into his body and continued to carry him home.
TO BE CONTINUED...
(A/N: If anybody wants to give a shot on who the owner is, just pm me. But the answer is simple, isn't it?)