Strawberry Basket
A crossover between Bleach and Fruits Basket.
Summary: What if, instead of a timid, kind Honda Tohru, it was a hot-headed, fiery, female Kurosaki Ichigo (disguised as a guy) that was walking in the woods that day and stumbled across the Sohma's house? What if Kyo fell in love with her because of her independent personality? How would the story of Fruits Basket change and is it for the better? What if the Sohma's could see Hollows and Shinigami? And who is going to save Ichigo when Akito tries to do something to her?
Key:
"Ichigo"= talking
'Ichigo'= thinking
'Ichigo'= Ichigo thinking + Zangetsu talking
'Ichigo'= Ichigo thinking + Physic/telepathic
"Ichigo"= telepathy
'Ichigo'= Shirosaki talking + Ichigo thinking
"Ichigo"= Shirosaki talking
"Ichigo"= Zangetsu talking
Prologue
'Let's see, new school, check. New school outfit, check. New house on the block, check. And finally, picture of Yuzu, Karin, mom, dad and I? Good. I have everything.' Ichigo rolled her shoulders and sighed as she heard a satisfying 'crack!'
"Yuzu! Karin! You guys are going to be late for school! Come on, let's go!" she called as she slipped on her shoes.
"Ichi-go~! Daddy lo-" Ichigo ducked as her father flew over her head and out the door.
"Don't you have a job to go to?" she growled, Isshin whimpered and picked up his suitcase.
"I do, but I wanted to wish my eldest daughter good-bye!" he whined. She kicked him in the face and handed Yuzu her school bag, and Karin hers.
"Whatever. Remember to lock the door Goat-Face." she sighed. Yuzu and Karin were already out the door when she stepped outside. "Feels like a pretty hot day today." she grumbled. She didn't like it when it was hot, but she didn't like it when it was raining either. 'Zangetsu, I.W. report?' she thought to her trusty Zanpaku-to.
"Sunny and hot. Much like your world out there." he responded. She could hear her hollow, Shirosaki, laughing.
"Hey Queen? Ya know, ev'ry highness needs a majesty!" she shuddered unconsciously, knowing what he meant. The Vizards said it was weird that she was a girl, and her Hollow, a guy. They also said that when Hollow mating season came around, she was NOT allowed to go into her Inner World. Now was one of those times.
'Shut up Shirosaki.' Zangetsu and Ichigo said/thought at the same time. Ichigo could just imagine Shirosaki pouting in a corner.
"Onee-chan! Look over there! Aren't the woods pretty?" Yuzu asked, pulling Ichigo out of her inner argument. She looked around, noticing the woods that Yuzu had pointed out. "I wonder what's in there..."
"Ichi-nee, I dare you to go into the woods by yourself!" Karin called. "I'll bring Yuzu to school! I want to know what's in there to!" Ichigo sighed.
"Fine, but if I'm late for school, I'm blaming you two!" she called back and watched as they ran off. "Karin should know that I'm never alone. Not since last May..." she muttered to herself, pushing aside bushes among bushes. "Gods! I wish either Rukia, Renji or, I can't believe I'd even consider him, Byakuya were here with me... I've been getting a weird feeling around... this... part." With the last bush she pushed away, Ichigo stumbled across an Urahara Shōten type house. "Huh. Just my luck... There's a house in the middle of the woods... how original..."
"You should come in an' see your Inner World, Queen! It's fricken pink!" Shirosaki yelled.
"Shut up Shirosaki. It is not pink. Continue on, Ichigo." Zangetsu reassured his wielder. Ichigo nodded her head mentally and walked towards the house.
'Zangetsu, what's this weird reiatsu I feel?' Ichigo thought.
"It's the curse of the Sohma family." the old man answered.
'Curse? What the-'
"If ya ask me, we should kill 'em! End their misery!" A slap resonated in Ichigo's head.
'Slapped him?' She got a mental nod from Zangetsu and she snickered. Ichigo stood in front of the house. On the porch step, there were 12 animal ornaments. 'Zangetsu?'
"The 12 Chinese Zodiac. Look alive, someone is coming."
'Don't use sarcasm, doesn't work for you, Zangetsu.' Ichigo looked up at a man in his mid twenties. He had black hair and brown eyes. He wore a grey sleeping kimono and stood about 6 feet, 2 inches.
"How rare. There is a girl here?" he held down the newspaper he was reading to study her. 'Wow! And she's a high school student!'
"You got a problem with me being a girl?" Ichigo asked irritated.
"Aah, no! It's just... not many girls are seen in these woods. There are perverts and molesters living somewhere around here." he laughed nervously. Ichigo looked over at the figures of the Chinese Zodiac.
"You make those?" she asked, pointing to the ornaments. The man nodded.
"You can look if you want. I put them out so they could dry off." Ichigo nodded slowly before crouching down to the box and looked them over. "Young people like you think they are boring."
"Boring? Whomever thinks that the story of the Zodiacs is boring must be some sort of jack-ass." she huffed.
"You're not a normal girl, are you?" the man asked, looking at Ichigo's uniform and Ichigo laughed.
"No, I'm not. For one thing, I can handle myself when it comes to fights. Another is that I don't take shit from anyone. I hate wearing girls uniforms since they reveal to much and are just asking for high school girls to get raped."
"What's your Zodiac sign?" the man suddenly asked.
"The snake. Why?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow as the man put a finger to his chin.
"One of my cousins is the snake. You two might get along!" Ichigo took a step back.
"I also forgot to mention, I hate it when people get to close." she sweat-dropped. "Sorry. Something that happened when I was young..."
"You look more like a pedophile like this." a boy her age said as he hit the older man over the head with his book bag. "Shame on you, moving closer and closer."
"Itai! What did you put in that thing? A dictionary?" the man held his head.
"Yeah. Two in fact." the boy said and looked toward Ichigo who started to laugh. "What's so-"
"Funny? You remind me of how I am with my dad. He always tries to attack me when I'm sleeping, or when I'm eating, or when I get home... but anyway. I always end up hitting him over the head. You two remind me of that. I'm Kurosaki Ichigo." she held out her hand to the two.
"Sohma Yuki. This is my cousin, Sohma Shigure." They shook hands and soon after, Yuki noticed her school uniform. "New student?" he asked and she nodded her head.
"Yeah. By the way, Shigure, how did you know I was a girl?" she asked. 'Because I didn't tell you, and my chest is wrapped really tight, I couldn't even tell I was a girl in the mirror this morning...' she added in her head. 'And my hair isn't long so I wonder-'
"There's just something that screams, 'I'm a girl' about you..." he answered and both Yuki and Ichigo sweat-dropped. "Plus, your name means 'Strawberry!'" A tick mark appeared on Ichigo's head.
"Don't call me that. Bad enough people think I'm sweet because they watched 'Tokyo Mew Mew' and thus, my name must mean 'Strawberry' and I must be sweet. My name means 'One who Protects' so don't get any ideas."
"I see... Well, we better be off, Ichigo. School will be starting soon." Yuki walked off and Ichigo followed. When they got there, three girls started singing to Yuki.
"L. O. V. E. M. E. Yuki!" Ichigo chuckled at their lame routine. "WAH! YUKI-KUN HAS A NEW FRIEND!" they screamed into Ichigo's ear.
"They scream to loud..." she winced. "I never thought I'd say this, but, I should have worn the girls outfit..." Yuki shook his head.
"It's better to gain their praise, then to get their censure." Ichigo nodded her head.
"If they even so criticize me, they'd never see tomorrow." Yuki sighed.
"Come. Let's get you to the front office so you can get your schedule." Yuki walked to the front desk with Ichigo trailing behind. "And you might want to try and sound like a guy." he pointed out and Ichigo nodded.
"Thanks, Yuki." she said, sounding like a teenage boy. "That better?"
"Much." Yuki opened the doors to the office.
"Aah! You must be Kurosaki-kun! Welcome to Kaibara High! Come this way and we'll get your things. Stuff like, gym clothes, text books, and your class schedule. And Sohma-kun, since you're already here, I can expect you to show Kurosaki-kun around?" Yuki nodded and Ichigo followed behind the woman. "Okay! Here's your schedule, here's your gym clothes, and follow me to the library to get your text books." While walking, Ichigo looked down at her schedule.
NAME: Kurosaki Ichigo
AGE: 16
YEAR: Freshman
CLASS: D
SCHEDULE:
K-day
9:20/10:40- Class 1-D/Language
10:45/12:00- Class 2-C/Arts
12:05/12:35- Lunch
12:35/1:20- Gym
1:25/2:30- Class 3-A/History ADV.
H-day
9:30/10:40- Class 1-B/Arithmetic
10:45/12:00- Study Hall
12:05/12:50- Class 2-D/Science
12:50/1:20- Lunch
1:25/2:30- Extra Class of choice
AFTER SCHOOL EXTRAS
Karate- Mon, Fri
Dance- Mon, Wed, Fri
Archery- Tues, Thur
School Newspaper- Wed
Cheer Team- Everyday
Football- Fri
Soccer- Wed
Tennis- Tues
Swim Team- Thur
NOTICE: ALL STUDENTS NEED AT LEAST ONE AFTER SCHOOL EXTRA TO GRADUATE!
The main extra of your choice will fill in for your 'Extra class of your choice' period.
WELCOME TO KAIBARA HIGH SCHOOL.
Ichigo's eye twitched. 'How do they fit all these activities in?' Ichigo thought to herself. 'Which one should I-'
"Go for Swim Team! Go for Swim-" A clank followed when he said swim.
"If she doesn't want to do Swim Team, she doesn't have to." Zangetsu sighed.
'Plus, Shirosaki, you just want to see me in a swim suit. It's not happening. I'm going to do three things: Soccer, Archery, and Karate.' Ichigo thought and checked off the things she wanted to do. 'Try-outs are next week it says.'
"At least I'll see you in a soccer outfit, and a karate kimono." Shirosaki snickered.
"Okay! Here we are! Text books for History class, Arithmetic, Science, and Language. You keep these with you on the appropriate days." Ichigo held the four books with ease. "Wow. Work out?" Ichigo blinked and shrugged.
"I guess you could call it that." 'If running after giant monsters count as exercise... Then I guess so.'
"Alright, head back with Sohma-kun and get to class." the woman said.
"Don't forget, you go over to Urahara's every weekend to practice Kidō, Hohō, Zanjutsu, and Hakuda." Ichigo nodded her head. She had by now mastered having a conversation with Zangetsu and/or Shirosaki while talk to others outside her head.
"Mmm... Queen hot and sweaty, asking to be cooled off by my ice cold skin-" Another clank was heard in the sideways world. "ZanZan! Why'd ya hit me with a frying pan?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow.
'A frying pan? Zangetsu, how-'
"You'd be surprised what falls out of the sky when he annoys us. I just use whatever falls." Ichigo chuckled inside her head.
'Zangetsu, I will never understand my own soul...'
"Ready to go?" Yuki asked. Ichigo nodded her head, blocking the other two out.
"Yeah. Let's go." Ichigo placed the text books into her bag and walked next to Yuki.
"Can I see your schedule? I need to know where you go." Ichigo nodded and handed him the slip of paper. "Hmm, looks like all your classes are with either me, Uotani, or Hana. Let's go." Ichigo followed Yuki into the classroom. They were, once again, showered with the 'Yuki, love me' routine.
"L. O. V. E. M. E. Yuki and Friend!" the three girls sang.
"Well, if their singing was any worse, I'd be deaf." Ichigo sighed, taking a seat between a girl with long blond hair and a girl who reminded her of Nemu, that 12th division's fukutaicho.
"You new?" The blond asked. Ichigo looked over at her.
"Yeah. And you are?"
"Uotani Arisa."
"Hanajima Saki." the other girl said. 'Okay, now I really think something is up. This 'Hanajima' person reminds me to much of Kurotsuchi Nemu.'
"Kurosaki Ichigo." The two girls looked at each other.
"Where are you from?" Uotani asked.
"Karakura Town. Why?" Hanajima looked at Uotani again.
"So you know about those strange explosions?" Ichigo nodded.
"Yeah. Not many people know what cause them." she said sincerely. 'Though I am one of those few who do know.'
"Are you one of the people who know?" Hanajima asked.
"No. Like I said, not many people know what causes the explosions." Hanajima took a deep breath.
"Your energy waves are different."
"Hana-Chan?" Uotani raised and eyebrow to her friend.
"Energy waves?" Ichigo asked confused. 'Does she mean reiatsu? This girl can sense reiatsu?'
"It would seem so, Ichigo." Zangetsu muttered.
"You have two different energy waves. One is calm and collected, the other is disastrous and violent." Ichigo blinked in shock. She closed her eyes and pulled her reiatsu in, completely withdrawing it all. "You've hidden it. Your energy waves disappeared and turned normal." Ichigo swallowed the spit it her mouth. 'Yeah, she can definitely sense reiatsu.'
"Kurosaki! What is the meaning of this? You know something." Uotani growled.
"It is something I am not allowed to tell. Go bother someone else or else I'm moving." she growled.
"Tch. We could settle this in a fight, but you probably have morals to hitting a girl." At this, Ichigo laughed.
"What morals?" she chuckled. "I could use a good fight. It's been a while since I've fough someone good. When and where?" Uotani smirked.
"Park, this Saturday."
"Ooh, what time? I gotta visit someone over the weekend."
"Say, 3:00."
"Let's see, it takes me 20 minutes to get from here to there. I get over there at 7 in the morning, 2 hours of Kidō, an hour working on Hohō, 3 hours working with Zan, and an hour of Hakuda...? Yeah. I can make it then." she nodded.
"Two more questions."
"What now?"
"What is all that stuff? Kidō, Hohō, and Hakuda? And who is 'Zan'?"
"That's for me to know, and you to never find out. That goes for both questions." Ichigo sat back and smirked. This was going to be fun.
School went by fast with the prospect of a fight on her mind. Yuki offered to walk with her, but she declined. That was, until a Hollow decided then to show up. 'Shit.' She looked around to see if anyone was around. When she knew the cost was clear, she pulled out her Substitute Shinigami badge and hit her chest. Her body fell and she took off to the Hollow. Little did she know, Yuki saw her leave her body.
'What have I gotten myself into? She's one of those Shinigami.' Yuki sighed. 'I have no choice. I'm going to have to carry her to the house and watch over her until she returns.' Yuki picked up the teen's body, which was surprisingly light, and carried her to the house. 'I just hope that this isn't considered a hug...'
Kawaii-Berry: Yuki stoled Ichi's body! Oh noez! Is a piggy-back ride considered a hug? I don't think so, and technically she's not hugging him, right?
Ichigo: I'm just glad you didn't have me cry like you did IN YOUR LAST STORY!
Kawaii-Berry: Oh hush up! You know I had to! Yuki, if you would please?
Yuki: Kawaii-Berry does not own Bleach or Fruits basket. Review.