A zanpakuto's blade swoops down vertically through the air of the night. The moonlight reflects off of the illuminating blade. A shriek of an inhumane creature echoes throughout the atmosphere but falls on the deaf ears of the human world. The sharp sword falls right through the middle of a forsaken hollow and its body splits into symmetrical halves. It dissipates as the cry fades.
Haru raises his arm to wipe his sweating forehead with it. His other arm wields his zanpakuto that he recently used to exterminate the hollow.
He speaks, "I think I'm getting the hang of this Soul Reaper business." The dull side of the zanpakuto rests on Haru's left shoulder and behind his head as he fixates on the spot where the hollow once stood. "All I got to do is to kill hollows and send wandering spirits to the Soul Society."
Then Haru's attention shifts to a nearby bench where Kisuke Urahara is sitting. The mysterious shopkeeper holds his usual fan in front of his face and under his green and white striped bucket hat.
"Very impressive Haru!" Kisuke compliments the Substitute Soul Reaper's abilities. "That's hollow number twenty-seven that you have taken care of in the last week."
Haru remembers now that it has indeed been exactly one week since he became an actual Soul Reaper. It has been one week since he had received his zanpakuto, Soraryuu. Ever since that day, Haru has been patrolling the streets of Karakura Town for hollows and training a few hours a day with Urahara. His skills improve with each minute he gains experience.
"That many already, huh?" Haru responds. "Felt like I only done away at least a dozen hollows by now, but I wasn't keeping track. I was just only-"
Urahara intercedes, "Doing it for the sake of being a Soul Reaper, right Haru?" He lowers his fan down to peek over the top of it at him. Haru goes to a nearby bush where he stored his unconscious body to protect it from being discovered by anyone or anything. His soul goes back into the lifeless shell and it becomes alive once again.
"Yeah..." Haru answers. Kisuke shuts his fan in one motion.
"You know," he starts to state, "It really is starting to become a pain that when you want to become a Soul Reaper that you have to go find me every single time, don't you agree?" Haru notices this and finds truth in it. "What if I'm not around when you really needed me to stop a very dangerous hollow and you're stuck in your natural human self?"
Haru then asks, "Well then how can I change into a Soul Reaper if I don't have anything to get out of my body with like your cane?" He points to the former Soul Reaper's cane that has an interesting graphic of a flaming skull on the bottom of it.
"Correction Haru," Kisuke says as he looks at Haru. Then with his free hand that isn't holding the cane, he tosses a pearlescent green spherical pill towards Haru. He quickly catches the pill and inspects it. "You do now have a method to become a Soul Reaper when I'm not around."
"What is this pill?" Haru asks Kisuke.
Kisuke replies, "It's what's known as a mod soul pill. This small container contains an artificial soul that will inhabit your body when you swallow the pill and forces your own soul out of it. Then the artificial soul will take your place in the body so normal humans won't suspect a thing."
"That's really handy," Haru says in awe.
Then Urahara goes on, "This one is Tomoko. He used to be my mod soul when I was an actual Soul Reaper myself. He hasn't been getting into any action for about several years so I thought he could use a wake-up call by giving him to you."
"Thanks," Haru says to him. He stares at the pill for a bit and thinks out loud, "I wonder if it really works..." The pill goes into Haru's mouth and he swallows it. It tasted like a mix of fruits as the pill goes down his throat. In no time at all Haru's soul gets pushed out of his body. He looks at his own flesh and expects it to fall over again like it normally does when this happens; however, this time the body remains standing up. It turns around to face Haru and Kisuke. Then it stretches its arms and legs and gives a great big yawn.
"Boy..." Haru's body speaks on its own and this surprises its original owner. "What a nap that was." It looks at Kisuke after its stretching. "Oh hi Kisuke. It's been a while."
"Hey Tomoko," Urahara greets him. "I'm glad to see you back in action again." Tomoko turns to look at the unfamiliar Haru.
"So who's the new guy?" he asks his former owner.
Urahara introduces, "Oh this is Haru, Tomoko. He's going to be your new partner as of now. I'm giving up ownership of you."
"You what?" Tomoko interjects. "I'm not going to listen to this newbie!" He crosses his arms and closes his eyes. "I'd rather be left in that storage room than go along with someone who is of no rank!"
A nerve snaps in Haru's head. In one fell swoop, Haru has pinned Tomoko in his body to the ground with his zanpakuto sword drawn and is pointing down straight at Tomoko's face (which is technically Haru's). Tomoko crosses his eyes to look at the sharp point of Soraryuu.
Haru threatens, "I'd rather cut my body in half with you in it than rather take your trash talk, got it?" A light blue spiritual glow illuminates from his spiritual body as it rests on one knee on Tomoko.
Tomoko stammers, "Oh o-o-k-k-k-k... y-you're r-really not as... bad as I-I thought." Beads of sweat go down his face as he apologizes. Haru gets off Tomoko and helps him up. Then he removes the mod soul pill from the body and it becomes lifeless yet again.
"This really is handy," he compliments to Kisuke who is now once again holding his fan in front of his face. Haru gets back into his body and pockets Tomoko in his pants. "Thanks for it," he says and then smiles a bit at him.
"My pleasure Haru," Kisuke welcomes him.
Haru walks on his way back to his penthouse after a long day of patrolling for hollows. He passes the very same park where he encountered Yoruichi for the very first time when she killed the same hollow that attacked him at the arcade. Subconsciously Haru walks into the park and takes a seat at a bench. He tilts his head up to look at the dark night sky.
The sound of quiet footsteps approaches him and Haru looks down to see Yoruichi approaching him. She wears the very same garments she wore the day the two first encountered: white shoes, black pants, and orange jacket, and a hair band to hold her long, purple hair in a ponytail behind her head.
Yoruichi greets to him, "Hi Haru."
"Yoruichi," he responds back.
She then says, "So are you enjoying being a Soul Reaper?"
He looks at her and answers, "Yeah I am having a great time. I just don't know when I have felt like this before in my life. It's a good kind of feeling that I don't want to go away."
"That's good then for you," Yoruichi says. "That means you are finding purpose behind fulfilling Soul Reaper duties." She smiles and Haru can see her teeth through her gaping smile. It didn't take long for him to smile back at her.
"So..." Haru slowly says as he tries to think of what to converse with her next. "Is there a reason why you're here to see me Yoruichi?"
She starts to reply, "Actually..." Then her eyes look away and down a bit. Yoruichi finishes, "No... I just wanted to check up on you and see how you're doing."
"Oh," Haru says in response. "Well... thanks for checking up on me... I guess."
Yoruichi turns around and starts to walk away when she states, "I should get going now."
Haru says, "All right. Have a good night Yoruichi." He watches her walk away.
She doesn't respond for a bit until, "Thank you Haru. You too." Then she disappears in an instant. Haru knows about the stealth technique known as shunpo after Yoruichi explained it to him when he wondered why was she able to move so quick and fast.
After Yoruichi left Haru then stands up from the bench and walks down the path that goes through the park and back to the street that will lead him home. His feet stop at the curb as Haru looks at the domain of Karakura Town that stands before him. He looks at each lit window on each building he sees before him. The night wind blows from behind Haru and flows through his auburn brown hair.
Suddenly a heavy spiritual pressure befalls onto the top of the unsuspecting Haru. He tries to breathe as best he could but his lungs feel like they were being crushed under the abnormal spiritual pressure. Haru is able to pinpoint the source of the presence and it's coming from behind him. He slowly turns his head around to behind his back.
With his eyes Haru sees something that resembles a black rip in the night sky that overlaps the moon. On the ground about 20 feet from him stands the silhouette of a figure. The mysterious, ominous being appears to be wearing a long coat of some sort and is wearing half of a grotesque helmet because Haru can see its hair flowing in the wind on the other side of its head. The figure approaches him.
Haru had no time to react because of the weight of the spiritual pressure being pressed down on him. A fist punches right in the middle of Haru's stomach and then another smacks him in the head. Haru blacks out.
The unusual rip in the sky then closes. The wind blows a few fallen tree leaves over the same spot in the sidewalk where Haru once stood, but he's now no longer there-nor is the wraith that appeared to him.