Hey everyone Leo here again, as you guys know the story wasn't well received by certain reviewers and their constructive criticism may have dampened my will to write for a few months hence the hiatus. I was looking to the readers to point me in the direction of a story I was writing, looking to please the readers and follow their desires even while I didn't always agree. However looking at my email everyday and finding at least one more follower just reminded me that someone somewhere likes my writing as bad as it is. Thus with some research and quite a bit of hesitation I present you a rewrite of The Hollow Strawberry and the Black Sekirei. Ps. Credit to Ghostface112 who wrote Veiled Moon, he was the main source of inspiration for this story. Disclaimer: I do not own Sekirei or Bleach, wish I did though.
Prologue: Leaving the Nest
The town of Karakura was a quiet town in the eyes of most; no large shopping malls or historical sites worth visiting save for the unusually large number of ghost sightings that seem to occur there. Being close to winters in Japan there were no birds to be seen small in the town, the rapidly lowering temperature causing them to migrate to warmer regions. Despite it being nearly eight in the morning barely any sunlight shone through the autumn morning, leaving the town's inhabitants to wake more slowly when compared to the activity and energy the town's residents usually had in spring or summer at around the same time.
Well, this was the case for most of the town anyways. In a residential district somewhere within the quiet and peaceful town was a small family clinic, a place that mainly treated small cases of illness and injury. Though the clinic get many customers for a small family run clinic, nearly every morning it seems the doctor of said clinic seems to be the one that would soon require the most treatment.
"GOOD MORNING ICHIIIIIGOOO!" The loud and comically cheerful voice of the doctor shouted, abruptly ending the illusion of silence and peace the neighborhood had.
"Damn it old man!" Another voice could be heard shouting, this one belonging to a young man in his late teens with a voice that could only be compared to a katana blade being slowly sharpened on a Japanese water stone.
The next moment, the body of the middle aged patriarch of the Kurosaki household was thrown out of the window of a room from the second floor. His body was marked by what looked like impact craters in the shape of fists all lover his upper body, the one that looked like it had the most force applied to the blow was the one on his right cheek which was little more than a giant red welt with a large indent now.
"That's what you get for bothering me on a Saturday goat face!" The eldest Kurosaki child, Ichigo Kurosaki, a tall eighteen year old with a lean muscular build and a head of bright neon orange hair shouted. The boy leaned out of his shattered window to glare at the twitching mass that was his father on the ground below.
"Ichi-nii, Breakfast is ready!" A little girl, his younger sister, Yuzu, called from down the hall.
Huffing one last time at the antics of his father, the teen proceeded down the hall to the bathroom for some much needed cleaning up. A long sigh escaped his throat as he moved to his closet to pick up his clothes from the closet, only to find it empty of any clothing. Ichigo's mind went blank for a moment, his brain trying to explain the reason as to why his closet was empty. His eyes caught sight of the suitcase off in the corner of his room, taking a moment to remember what had transpired over a week ago.
"Today's the day isn't it?" The teen thought as he ran the memory through his head again.
*One Week Ago*
"Oh my, if it isn't Kurosaki-kun! What brings you to my humble shop this fine afternoon?" The near constantly aloof and cheerful voice of Kisuke Urahara, owner of a small candy shop in Karakura Town and recently reinstated Soul Reaper called out.
The pair were seated on opposite sides of a Chabudai table within the living area in the back of the store. The shopkeeper had his characteristic green and white striped bucket hat and black haori with white diamond patterns on while his fan hit most of the lower portion of his face as usual. Ichigo was seated opposite the man, clad in his Soul Reaper attire: a black shihakusho and several tattoo like bands on his forearms and ankles while an X shaped pattern decorated his chest, on his neck was a black bone-like guard that looked similar to his other marking on his body. A thick red chain-like strap across his chest holding the giant Khyber knife that was his Zanpakuto, Zangetsu, diagonally across his back. The sword itself was a massive blade as tall and almost as wide as its wielder wrapped in grey, metal-like bandages with a black grip and no hilt, a small black chain dangled off the end of its handle.
"Hat n' clogs, you're the one that called to get over here after my patrol so stop beating around the bush and tell me what you want." The orange haired teen said, an exasperated sigh escaping him at the shopkeeper's antics.
"My, my~ impatient as always Kurosaki-kun what makes you think me calling you over just means I want something done, can a teacher not ask for some company from his favorite pupil every once in a while?" The shopkeeper grinned from under his fan, earning him a deadpan look from his 'favorite student'.
"Nevertheless you are right once more Kurosaki-kun." The blonde shopkeeper said, flicking his fan shut and his voice suddenly becoming serious.
The teen stiffened at that, the few times he had heard that tone of voice from the shopkeeping mad scientist was when he had discovered something very, very wrong was about to happen. If there was something bad enough to make Kisuke of all people serious then it was more than worth investigating. Ichigo nodded once, fixing his gaze on the man and hardening his near permanent scowl to the point that it could be burned into metal.
"Have you heard that Tokyo had been acquired by a medical company called MBI?" The shopkeeper asked, earning a quick nod from the orange haired reaper.
As of late everyone's heard of the mysterious company called "MBI", a strange organization that first rose up about twenty one years ago and since then made huge advanced in medical technology. Uryu had mentioned that his father had some trouble with then due to the organization's extremely aggressive expansion as of late. Recently, MBI had even managed to own nearly all of Tokyo and decided to name the city "Shinto Teito" or so he had heard. Apparently the company wasn't limited to just medical products as since it's inquisition Shinto had experienced extreme improvements in security, public transport among various other changes that had been made to the city.
"Yeah, haven't thought of it much now that you mention it." Ichigo said, his steel gaze never wavering despite the possible implications of a human organization messing with spiritual affairs.
"As I'm sure you already know Kurosaki-kun, we Soul Reapers exist to maintain the fragile balance between the dead and the living. Yet we cannot interfere with the affairs of the living directly, given our status as well... dead people." Kisuke said, lifting his head so he could look at the teen he was addressing eye to eye.
"But since you're still alive that means you however, can interfere and that's what we need you to do. Over the course of the past few weeks a large number reiyoku spikes have been detected in Shinto Teito, these...individuals that have strangely high and unstable reiyoku have seemingly been battling each other for some reason any and all human witnesses have been silenced by MBI." Kisuke said, making his point clear to the young Reaper in front of him.
"So you need me to stop it, yet since these people are alive I can't use most of my Soul Reaper abilities?" Ichigo asked, already hating what the shopkeeper was suggesting.
"Actually, these people seem to be drawn to human with above average reiyoku for some reason so you Kurosaki-kun are more like...bait!" Kisuke said, flicking open his fan over his mouth in the end of his sentence in an attempt to hide his grin.
With a small sigh, Ichigo uttered the words he may come to regret for the following three years. "Fine, when do I leave?"
Kisuke had to take a moment to steady himself at the word he heard exit the mouth of the teenager, the teen that had argued and reacted explosively at the slightest implication of change for two whole years since becoming a Reaper didn't utter a word of argument. A smile crept to the shopkeeper's face again as he fanned his face slowly, tipping his head down so the teen in front of him couldn't see the satisfied expression he now wore.
"Next week Kurosaki-kun, and don't worry about college I took the liberty of applying to a place I know you had your sights on for since you graduated last week, Teito Medical." The shopkeeper said.
"Well, see you later Hat n' clogs." Ichigo said as he turn to leave, leaving a rather satisfied Kisuke behind.
"Kyoraku-taicho and Ukitake-taicho weren't kidding; when the young ones grow up we old folks are left behind in the dust..." Kisuke said as he stared wistfully at the door the young Sould Reaper had just left.
*Present*
Ichigo opened his luggage case fishing out a sweater and thick, long pants and his thermals beside finally taking out his towel and moving to the bathroom.
*A Short Time Later*
Ichigo sat at the same table he had eaten at for most of his life, in the house he had lived in for just as long. It took some time for the true impact of where his life was leading to sink in. He was about to depart from his home for what could be months or years depending on how bad the situation in Teito was. His family ate in silence even his father, just like when he broke the news to them over dinner a week ago. Yuzu had openly protested at first, finding any argument she could as to why Ichigo couldn't stay in Karakura until Ichigo said it was another assignment from the Soul Society.
Yuzu piped down at that, even the normally stoic Karin and his overactive father knew just what a how severe anything like a hollow outbreak in a densely populated city could be. Over the course of the week his friends met up once, he contemplated telling them what he was going to Shinto Teito to do, but decided against it. his friends had wasted enough of their high school life helping him, he didn't want to waste their college experience the same way unless he had no choice in the matter. Instead, he simply told them a half truth, he was going to Teito to study for an extended period of time.
Gathering his dishes from the table and moving them into the sink, Ichigo wordlessly walked up his stairs to gather his luggage, muttering his thanks for the food on his way past the table. As the Soul Reaper left, his little sister, Yuzu, a light brown haired girl with large, hazel eyes looked down from her plate.
"Ichi-nii is really leaving isn't he?" She said, earning a sad nod from her twin sister, Karin.
"Don't worry Yuzu, it isn't like Ichi-nii wouldn't call once in a while." Karin said, her black eyes darting from the stairs their brother had disappeared up and her twin sister.
*Some Time Later*
Ichigo's family waited with him for the train to arrive, Yuzu clinging to his side as Karin held his hand. His father was uncharacteristically silent. All was still until the sound of the tracks rattling brought the Vizard out of his daydream; he bent down to pick up his luggage bag as the train made a curve down the track and entered his vision.
Noticing his teary eyes sisters, Ichigo sighed and smiled before kneeling down to look his sisters in the eye. "Hey it's not like I'll be gone forever, I'll be back before you know it." He said.
The twins hugged their brother as the train came to a halt behind him, prompting him to let them go and watch him walk on board along with a few other passengers. Before the ddors could close his father decided to chip in on the feel train and give Ichigo some real advice.
"Son, remember that even though your school years are the best of your life, your college years determine your future." He said, earning a wide eyed look from his son. All pretense of seriousness evaporated as his usual goofy grin made it's way to the former captain's face.
"Remember to find a good woman and give me lots of grandkids you useless prude for a son!" Isshin shouted at the top of his lungs as the doors were closing on Ichigo's face, letting all the occupants of the station hear the man's "advice"
Despite for hearing the angered shouted from the Vizard from beyond the closed doors of the train, the sheer rage coming from the teenage Soul Reaper could be felt even as the train departed. Isshin smirked as he pumped his fist in the air in an obvious victory pose.