Author's Note & Update: This story was on a hiatus because one, I have severe cases of OCD. Two, I realized I was going about it the wrong way. Three: I was struck with a better idea. I hope. I had to go back to the drawing board and now that I have I think I know the direction I want to go. I'm so sorry for the wait and I hope you all forgive me. Here's the correction: I'm not retelling or reimagining the established Bleach material. I'm writing a Bleach Roshomon Effect: contradictory interpretations of the same event by different people. In addition to adding a few AU tidbits here and there. But again, I am deeply sorry for the wait.

Thank you for checking out Shiroinazuma: Awakening. Included within are a range of genres from WTF moments to Romance to Fluff to Tasteful Sex to Angst to Humor to Tears and lots of Drama because who doesn't like Drama? Shiroinazuma begins one year prior to the 'Agent of the Shinigami' arc and will weave through the main as well as the filler arcs and possibly the movies if I have time. However, the stories based on the movies will be offside stories just as the movies seemed to be to the whole.

I am sticking to modern day speech and clothes with the human characters and referring to Japanese honorifics and clothing with the Shinigami. I hope it doesn't confuse too much but it's to establish the differences between the Japanese Feudal era of Soul Society, and the Human World's modern times.

If I flub on something super-duper ridiculously crucial and it's something my canon-hammer partner missed when we combed through the different chapters, please let me know. I have no problem changing it and I am 100% open to constructive criticism.

I sincerely hope you enjoy reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it.

Feedback and criticism (not senseless flaming) is greatly appreciated as it helps me craft something entertaining for you all to read.

Special thanks to CrimsonSkiesVII (my canon-hammer) for sitting through endless re-readings and brainstorming. Without him I'd be lost to the depths of my own dark mind. And thank you for all that have stopped by to check this out. You guys are an amazing lot.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Bleach or any other aspects that seem familiar in mainstream media. Only the OCs in the story are mine and mine alone.

Enjoy.

Chapter 1

Karakura Town.

It was a small borough on the fringes of Tokyo with an average-sized population that on this particular summer's eve seemed to be out and about just to enjoy the remainder of the summer before school officially began again. From the local street fair that was going on there was an air of celebration that, accompanied with the soft sounds of the gently flowing river that bordered the west side of the town, colored the light breeze that made even the trees dance with cheer. In addition, the sweltering heat was waning to a more tolerable degree and even the sky above Karakura reflected the whimsical ambiance as it was streaked with marshmallow clouds that reflected the remnants of the setting sun's cotton candy colored light.

But amidst the shuffling feet and celebratory atmosphere lied something more sinister unbeknownst to the innocent townsfolk. Karakura hosted a sickness that lurked just on the fringe of the picture perfect visage; a creeping darkness that plagued those particularly receptive to its effects. The town itself was situated on a special waypoint that possessed the greatest concentration of spiritual beings, which lured everything from grotesque masked creatures of the night seeking to devour the souls of the living; to guardians clad in black sworn to protect humans against those monstrous beings and lay deceased souls to rest; to those just seeking refuge from the powers that be. Throughout its sordid history, Karakura Town had become a clandestine battleground for the strange and unexplained. Some would even say the town was haunted, or cursed, as was some its inhabitants.

However, the events that were about to unfold would be the catalyst that would set into motion a great war that would blur the boundaries between the natural and the ethereal. It would be the sole impetus that will bind those friend and foe against a common enemy; and bring together some of the mightiest forces and greatest warriors the world has ever seen.

And it all started with the woman with snow white hair.

In northern Karakura on an old wooden bench in Yumisawa Children's Park sat that very same snow-haired woman in a modern pink lace kimono styled dress and white flat shoes on her petite feet, her soft sapphire eyes as bright and innocent as they could manage. Accompanying her was a bespectacled young teenage boy with fair skin and chin-length black hair framing both sides of his face. The woman looked more reserved than the teen as her legs were calmly crossed and her hands resting gracefully on her knee while the loose strands of alabaster silk fluttered across her face. The teen next to her, however, looked a bit more angsty as he shuffled idly in his seat, looking a bit weary of his deceptively harmonious surroundings.

"Junie?" The teen croaked urgently in his prepubescent voice, glancing over his shoulder to what could be construed to an average human as nothing but a park slowly emptying of its inhabitants. "Maybe we should head home for the day. It's getting pretty late."

"Uryū." June cooed her little brother's name gingerly as she let her eyes flutter shut, keeping a firm hold over her maturity and calm. "You worry too much. It's a wonderful evening and should be enjoyed as such. Don't you agree?"

"But…" the teen tried to protest with pleading eyes before June turned her beautiful and serene smile his way, the sight of it only quelling the turmoil within him only somewhat as their eyes met.

"But nothing." She stood firm. "Now, relax and enjoy the evening." The woman delicately tapped the tip of his nose playfully to divert his attention, which failed somewhat, but managed to get a small smile to crack across his lips. "The summer's almost over and you won't get another opportunity like this until next summer with your heavy schedule. Plus, Father doesn't even know were here. So enjoy it, okay?" She faced forwards and drew in a breath, releasing the cherry blossom scented air through her nostrils as she let her eyes flutter shut again.

However calm and mature her visage seemed to the teen boy next to her, deep down even she was getting terribly antsy. She could feel the pressured weight of exactly what Uryū seemed to be looking at and drawing attention to, but specifically chose not to acknowledge its existence for fear that if she acknowledged it, it would acknowledge her.

You see, June Ishida thinks she was born with what she considered to be this unnatural ability to see things past what the normal eye could see and could sense things the average human couldn't. She was only four when she'd encountered her first Plus; the ghost of a young boy whom she'd known from the day care that had died in a fatal car crash nearby her home. June had been too young to understand why exactly she could engage him, and when she'd tell her mother about the child she always seemed to ensconce a concerned look before explaining that she was just 'seeing things' and that the boy couldn't possibly be real. Her mother would then take her out for ice cream in an attempt to help June forget about her troubles. However, June knew her mother was hiding something. She could see it the uncertainty in her eyes.

That was all before she had decided to ignore her sixth sense and try to life her life normally; which seemed to work until just recently, when she started to take notice of the white masked creatures whose red-eyed and eerily horrifying gaze would make even the burliest of men shake in their boots. She'd been chased home countless times from her job as a nurse under her father at Karakura Hospital just to hide in the darkness of her closet, crying herself to sleep within the safety of her own haven. Not to mention all the other mysterious occurrences happening around her that only she seemed to notice. Like the candy shop owner with the green and white striped hat and wooden clogs, talking to a black cat with golden eyes that seemed to speak in return as they shared secrets amidst the backdrop of the evening sky.

June began to have her suspicions she was suffering from the same diseased insanity her mother had contracted before she committed seppuku with her own blade until today, when everything seemed entirely too corporeal to be a simple hallucination created by her subconscious mind; or be the consequence of having some sort of hallucinatory mental disorder.

It's just a dream, June. It's not really there. There's nothing there and Uryū is just seeing things. That's it. Just our imaginations playing with us. That's all…

"Junie!" Uryū started to frantically tap on his elder sister's arm, knocking her from her thoughts as now; he was completely turned around and wide eyed, wildly gesturing to the materializing hollow behind them. "Seriously! We need to go! NOW!"

June huffed and finally whirled around in her seat to see what he was up in arms about; her crystal clear sapphires growing to the size of silver dollars at what she saw. The small park began to fill with the sound of cracking bark as the trees were virtually being uprooted from their resting places; accompanied by the frenzied wails of whatever stragglers were left in the park as they ran for their lives in every which direction. The ground rumbled beneath their feet as a large centipede-like hollow with what seemed like endless tentacles materialized right in front of June's eyes and released an ear piercing cry.

The situation switched between what June thought could possibly be a hallucination into a grounded reality when the hollow landed on his feet and shrieked again into the evening atmosphere, sending a gusting shockwave of wind their direction, forcing both June and Uryū to shield their eyes from the splinters threatening to blind them. When its sights set directly on June and began to lumber in their direction, she knew then that maybe she wasn't as crazy as she'd originally thought.

June quickly turned to Uryū and grabbed his wrist tightly, her calm façade melting like ice on a hot summer sidewalk as her fight or flight response kicked in.

"Okay! You're right! I agree! TIME TO GO!"

June yanked her little brother off the bench and started running at lightning speed away from the scene with him in tow. Uryū stumbled clumsily behind her, her speed and agile footwork a little too fast for him to gather his balance. The hollow growled and continued the chase after them, snarling and bearing teeth too sharp for its own good. June led them around a blind corner and without knowing, to a dead end culminating at a brick wall that was just entirely too high and too smooth for either of them to scale.

It was the end of the line as the duo turned and pressed their backs against the concrete, staring up with fear filled expressions.

Uryū had been sternly and repeatedly warned by his father not to unleash his Quincy powers in front of June. His explanation was that June never developed Quincy powers like her brother and he didn't want any additional trauma to be cast upon his innocent princess. He further explained after Uryū trained with Sōken Ishida, Ryūken's father, that her welfare and safety was the reason he'd retired, and purposefully kept whatever Quincy lineage she might have had from her. Uryū never understood this as he constantly argued that she could clearly see the very same things they could; or even be a Quincy herself if Ryūken would just let her train; and it was times like this that he deeply wished he could break free without reprimand to dispatch the threat to their lives. Just to prove to his sister that she wasn't as crazy as she thought she was, and like their father led her on to believe.

As much as Uryū despised Ryūken and wanted to tempt his own fate for every tear she'd shed because of the lies he'd forced upon her, Uryū cared for June more. Keeping her in the dark about the world beyond this one would save her the trouble of getting herself involved and possibly killed, which was the intended goal. He felt he had a duty to June since he couldn't save his own mother. However, Uryū didn't even get the chance to be her hero as he was swiftly knocked aside by a fast moving tentacle and hurled into a nearby tree, which splintered upon impact and sent his body skittering across the ground before he stopped just twenty feet from her.

He was hurt, that was for sure as he groaned in pain and rolled onto his stomach in a vain attempt to try to regroup from the injury to his spine and the sting of various splinters lodged under his tender skin. But it had been too late by the sound of June's ear shattering scream that echoed through the empty park.

"JUNIE! NOOOOO!" Uryū cried out as he struggled to stand against the hollow's immense spiritual pressure that held him in place.

He watched in wide eyed horror as the hollow wrapped a slimy appendage around June's throat and lifted her high off the ground. June clawed desperately at the tough skin of the grey tentacle as best she could with her blunted nails as she could feel the immediate onset of lightheadedness. The pain of choking to death became immense, and her lungs started to burn with a lack of oxygen as she mustered whatever energy she could to desperately fight off the creature by thrashing whatever limbs had been free.

As warm tears hung in Uryū's eyes and indecision momentarily rendered him paralyzed, he dreadfully watched June's face go from a beautiful peach color to a ghastly white and her limbs lose their vigor only to fall limp at her sides. This was the woman who'd been the only one to be there for him in the aftermath of his mother's death. This was his sister, the very same woman he'd loved more than his mother. Watching her die an excruciating death coupled with the fear of losing the only thing he'd had left in this world had been enough to break the promise he'd made to Ryūken. He extended his right arm out in front of him as he began to channel his Reishi with a dangerous look behind his glasses, his Quincy cross dangling from his wrist starting to glow a bright blue. But what he witnessed June do next had surprised him beyond words.

It's said that every spiritual being and human has a certain amount of spirit energy, called their Reiryoku. A human's Reiryoku manifests and increases rapidly when the soul of the human is in danger of being destroyed. Those with such an above-average level of Reiryoku are very rare among living Humans. And it seemed to be that the most basic ability that Humans with a higher level of Reiryoku had was the ability to see ghosts: Pluses, Shinigami, and Hollow alike.

That is… in theory of course.

June knew her days were drawing to a close by the way the black flecks expanded in her vision and how she could feel her windpipe collapsing under the sheer strength of this masked leviathan. As the burn of her lungs became less arduous, her blood froze in her system. The darkness threatening to swallow her hole crept on the edges of her consciousness, dragging her closer and closer to her inevitable death. The panic coursing through her veins didn't help either, and sent her mind into the worst possible scenario.

This was the end. She'd come to grips that she would join her mother in the afterlife.

No! I can't… go… not yet.

June knew deep down in her very essence she had to survive this. She had to live. She had to live to keep her promise to Uryū and his mother, to protect him from their Father. There was no question about it. How she'd manage to escape from this with him she wasn't sure, but she fought against that darkness with all she had.

That was all until the damndest thing happened. The turning point that would change her life forever.

Awaken, Mother. Awaken your soul and protect me… You must protect him… You must protect us…

The silky baritone sounded from somewhere within June's inner self and in all honesty, she hadn't a clue who or what it was. Did this beastly thing trying to kill her know her name? And if so, why did it call her mother? How was it talking? Can these things talk? And how was she hearing it in the first place? Was she really going crazy? All she could physically make out was the slowing thud of her heartbeat as it tried desperately to overwork itself to keep her alive. It was then and only then when she followed the advice of the voice within, it hit her like a bolt of lightning.

Yes, a bolt of lightning.

As the wind picked up around the trio and the hollow closed in to draw her very soul out of her fleshy vessel, Uryū was forced to shield his eyes from the debris the growling wind had begun to pelt him with. And just as soon as the wind had arrived, so did the darkened mass of angry clouds above them. It was so thick it shielded out the rising full moon completely, casting the dimly lit grassy knoll into twilit darkness. Uryū couldn't believe this as his body hit the ground from the immense and foreign spiritual pressure erupting from the location where June had been held.

Before Uryū's eyes a white flash rained down from the heavens and blinded him, forcing him to take cover in the blades of grass rustling from the now gale force winds. He covered his ears from the ear shattering crack that echoed for what felt like miles over the town. Even the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end as the electricity crackling through the cyclone had become so thick he thought he'd be killed by electrocution for sure. That, or be struck by a stray bolt of that white lightning from the clouds that hovered overhead.

Another crack of lightning and Uryū felt his senses deaden. A buzzing from going completely deaf rang in his ears as he chanced a look over the log that had casually rolled by, his concern centered on the woman that he was sure had died. His eyes widened as he caught sight of the hollow's mask cracking down the center, its mouth agape with a painful screech, and the tentacles that had once been used as weapons fading out of existence. Once the hollow had completely phased out, Uryū caught sight of June's unconscious form as it hit the concrete below her with what the teen could tell just by his sparse medical knowledge alone, was a fatal thud.

"JUNIE!" Uryū cried out so loudly he could feel the vocal chords in his throat pop with the force behind it although not being able to hear it.

With both spiritual pressures now completely dissipated, that and he hadn't noticed the world around them had returned back to its tranquil state, he was able to lift his thin build off the grass and on his hands and knees to scamper to June's side. He pulled her into his lap and expected smoke to be seen swirling off her and at best, her body burnt beyond recognition. In all actuality, Uryū expected to see nothing but a blackened corpse with only shreds of the beautiful pink dress he'd specifically made for her on her 21st birthday visible over the charred remains. But what reality had presented him with had given him a run for his own sanity.

The woman that Uryū thought had seen her last days in the natural world was completely unscathed save for a bruise materializing around her throat like a macabre choker necklace, and one of her pink painted nails chipped from tangoing with the hollow's tentacles. Her clothes had been burnt in places, and she'd lost a shoe somewhere. But to his immediate relief she was breathing, albeit shallow, and her eyelids seemed to flutter the moment her body made contact with his. Tears of delight and relief rained upon her dirt streaked face as Uryū poured out his emotions in deep sobs while clutching her form to his own.

What Uryū hadn't noticed in his moment of respite were three Soul Reapers, the guardians clad in black as June had dubbed them, appearing at the end of a Shunpo maneuver far enough away as not to make their presence known to the Quincy siblings.

The Soul Reaper on the far right had shoulder length crimson hair and bore the outfit of the Onmitsukidō, or her own variation of it. Her upper shihakushō hung loose amid her ample bosom that allowed her naturally darker skin to glow in the moonlight as she crossed her bare and muscular arms under her bust. The one on the far left, who had been the obvious petite one as her stature didn't even stack up near the other two, had cropped raven hair that seemed to blend with the night as she pocketed her denreishinki and rested a ready hand on the hilt of her sword, the white cloth from her Lieutenant's badge a stark contrast against the black of her upper arm. The one in the middle, a slender and sickly looking man who towered over both women, had long silky white hair that fluttered behind them in the breeze, his stark white haori reflecting the air of authority he seemed to exude as the three of them silently and individually assessed the situation.

The man rested his hand on the petite woman's shoulder, giving her a silent cue before speaking quietly, a soft smile warming his pale face. "The threat has passed, Kuchiki Fukutaichou. There's no need to unsheathe your weapon."

"There's always reason to unsheathe your weapon, Ukitake Taichou." The red headed woman muttered softly as she rested a hand on her cocked hip, trying not to seem disrespectful in the presence of one of the few captains she actually respected and a man who'd been her friend growing up.

"This isn't a time for fighting, Kaizoku-kun!" Rukia quietly scolded as she leaned forward to glare at the woman from around her Captain, "In addition, there's nothing here anymore to fight!" Her attention then turned to her Captain as the other woman snorted and turned her head. "You think that woman with that white hair… did this?"

Ukitake sighed softly and folded his arms over his broad chest, his dark eyebrows furrowing, and his eyes settling on the young man lifting his unconscious sister into his arms to carry her away. "Yes, it would seem so. However, with the new information that has just come to light, I think its best we report back to Yamamoto Soutaichou. He's going to want to know what happened here."

"We could just you know, follow through with our mission and ignore this little episode. It would solve all our problems. The Quincy are of no concern anymore." Again, the red headed woman mumbled as she shifted anxiously on her feet, watching the siblings disappear into the distance with a worried, yet thoughtful look; her attention catching onto two other visitors to this spectacle. But she paid them no mind as not to reveal their presence.

Rukia began to retort before Ukitake chuckled softly, taking his Lieutenant off guard and drawing the other Soul Reaper's attention back to him. "You have a point, Kaizoku-kun. It would create much less paperwork on our part. But consider this: this human woman, the daughter of a Quincy, summoned lightning without any special abilities or crosses, gave off a great amount of spiritual pressure that even affected us as seasoned Soul Reapers, and destroyed a hollow without a weapon. Don't you think that calls for a deeper investigation?"

Kirei looked up into the man's eyes, sighing softly as deep down inside she knew he'd been right. The woman turned forwards, her eyes scanning the area idly as she picked up on another familiar presence so faint and oddly familiar she figured the Captain and Lieutenant wouldn't have noticed it unless they were focusing. "You're right, Jūshie Senpai. But… something doesn't seem right about this at all. Something seems… off. The residual spiritual energy-"

Rukia frowned deeply and again glared over at Kirei, putting her hands on her slender hips. "Taichous should always be referred to by their rank, not their first names!"

That comment alone triggered Kirei's buried anger and she abruptly turned to the shorter woman, also resting both hands on her much fuller hips, her face contorting into one of scorn. "No one asked you, Kuchiki-Fukutaichou. What I call my Senpai is my damn business, so keep your noble shit to yourself, okay? This ain't Soul Society."

Ukitake breathed an exasperated sigh as he'd known, and had been casually warned by the Eighth Division's Captain, that bringing both women on this mission was going to cause this particular kind of problem because of their rocky history that stemmed back to their Shin'ō Academy days. But he'd needed both of their particular brands of expertise and it couldn't be helped. Rukia had an uncanny knack for tracking hollows, which they had been chasing the hollow named Grand Fisher for a few days now. Despite Kirei Kaizoku's outfit she was actually a member of the 11th division under Captain Kenpachi Zaraki, and a damn good tank with her strong Hakuda and pristine Zanjutsu abilities. Nevertheless, he found himself sadly regretting the decision.

"Ladies…" Ukitake sighed softly in calm warning and put his hands up, blocking both women from immediately tearing into each other.

"SHOW SOME RESPECT!" Rukia yelled around Ukitake's hand in her face, her eyes now cut to slits as the glare on her face intensified.

"Whatcha gonna do?! Tell your nii-sama?! Seems like that's all you ever do to get your way, Kuchiki-san! Damn nobles…" Kirei took the hint from her Senpai and backed down after the low blow to her fellow Soul Reaper.

"You little b-" Rukia's scathing insult was cut off by Ukitake sternly clearing his throat and as after Kirei's verbal sucker punch, he'd found himself hitting the limit of his patience.

"Both of you need to learn how to get along and it must happen sooner than later, you both understand?" Ukitake put his hands down as he cut steely glances to both women who were now pouting with their backs turned to each other. "A mission in the Human World is no place to open old wounds. Now, I know you both have animosity towards each other for whatever the reason may be, but you both are on the same team." He sighed softly before the smile warming his face returned and reflected in his tone. "You both are two of the most important people in my life and my deepest hope is that you'll get along… someday." Ukitake rested a hand on both their shoulders. "Regardless, we should be getting back."

"Yeeeees, Ukitake Taichou." Both women responded sullen and remorseful before turning their backs to the scene of the attack, and shooting each other similar knowing looks around their Captain's back as they both had similar thoughts planting seeds in their brains.

Rukia extended her sword outwards into what seemed like thin air before giving it a half twist, using her zanpakutō as a key to open the senkaimon back to Soul Society. Soft light illuminated the area before yet another shoji door behind that opened, releasing three Jigokuchō to guide them through the Dangai. Kirei's landed on her shoulder as the other two fluttered ahead, and the trio disappeared through the illumination, the doors closing and cutting off all light to the area.

Once the illumination faded and revealed to be perched in the shadows to avoid being detected by those same Soul Reapers, was a mysterious man in a green and white striped hat and clogs, his arms crossed over his broad chest and the shadow of his hat hiding a perceptive yet emotional look deep within his eyes. Casually occupying a small tuft of grass next to his feet was the black cat June had seen him speaking to earlier, her tail now stilled behind her in sheer shock. A casual chuckle rumbled through his chest as he cut a glance down at the feline.

"Now do you see what I mean, Yoruichi?"

Yoruichi's eyes narrowed in a keen understanding of the current situation as she was finally convinced of the truth in her old friend's words.

"Yes. I see." Yoruichi mused in that male voice that made Kisuke shudder in slight repulsion, "But now the question remains, Kisuke. What are we going to do about it?"

Kisuke stayed silent for longer than he truly intended as his mind raced through a million scenarios as it always had in situations like this, hoping for the best but expecting the worst.

"Nothing… yet." He stated simply as his eyes settled on the darkened spits of concrete where June just vanquished the hollow. "We wait until the right time before we make our move. If we move in too early, Ryūken will have his suspicions and will hide her from us. If we move in too late, I guarantee the Soul Reapers will have found her and executed her by then." Kisuke released a soft sigh as his entire demeanor changed, his head falling forwards in contrition. "I made a promise to Nami, Yoruichi. And this time, I intend to keep it."

"Say no more, Kisuke." Yoruichi cooed softly to ease her companion's contrition before pausing, letting her mind assess the situation not as Kisuke's old friend, but as a former Soul Reaper Captain. "I'll check into a few things for you, alright? But, it's going to take some time. Can you and Tessai keep her out of trouble until then?"

"I can try. And thanks, Yoruichi. Just be careful." Kisuke lifted his gaze and buried the reservations he had with this entire situation, replacing the worry with a fictitious smile he was sure Yoruichi would see through. To which she did, but didn't question it.

Anyone that had known the two didn't have to be a rocket scientist to see the weight fall onto Kisuke's shoulders as he watched his dear friend trot off to wherever her little furry paws would carry her. Yoruichi Shihōin had always been there for him, even in times he wished she hadn't been. He'd loved her the moment he'd set eyes on her as a teen and she had been the driving force behind his life since day one. So to say he didn't love her tremendously was an understatement. He adored her more so than he rightfully should have and as he made his way back to the shop, he just hoped he wasn't dragging her into something that would inevitably get her killed.

On the other side of Karakura Town, Uryū checked June into the hospital and allowed a nurse to treat his splinter wounds, his eyes lowered and his arms deliberately crossed as he casually awaited the vicious argument that would most certainly erupt between he and his Father over the welfare of Ryūken's most precious possession: his Princess; the girl with the snow white hair.