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BACK IN BLACK
"Nagaretsuita sono basho de hito wa nani o omou no darou."
CHAPTER II
Anyone who had ever met Urahara Kisuke would avidly agree that he was one shady son of a bitch. He acted weird, he dressed weird, and he spoke weird. No one ever really knew the reasons behind anything he did, or why he bothered to do anything in the first place. But Ichigo highly doubted that anyone would have guessed that he would have a daughter- Or three, as the case may have been. He had never really pegged the sketchy back-alley store-owner as the family type, despite having been the caretaker of both Ururu and Jinta. Everyone knew that Ururu and Jinta were not his kids, despite them being just as questionable as Urahara himself, if not more so. Despite all of this shady activity, Ichigo never could have, or would have, predicted this, of all things.
"He's... He's your what?" Ichigo choked out at last. Even though it was the very last place that he wanted to look just now, he couldn't help but meet Reo's eyes full-force. Deep within their foggy depths, he could see exactly what this girl thought of him; He was rude, forward, and annoying. That was how she saw him. Ichigo felt his heart fall ever so slightly. However he had imagined her opinion of him, it certainly hadn't been this.
"My dad." Reo repeated, raising her eyebrows. Ichigo frowned as she looked to Urahara, who smiled and patted her shoulder in an uncharacteristically fatherly way. Urahara Kisuke wasn't a father. There was absolutely no way in hell hat-and-sandals was a father. "What're you doing here?"
"Uh... I... Well..." Ichigo stammered, his eyes traveling back and forth between Urahara and his 'daughter' so fast that he felt that his eyeballs might pop out. "I just... Urahara,"
"By all means, come in Kurosaki-san." Urahara said jovially.
Reo gave him a look, which he ignored and instead ruffled her choppy burgundy locks. Reo's stormy eyes followed every movement Ichigo made, studying his lithe form as he passed over the threshold, entering the Urahara Shop for the first time in many months. The reassuring nod that Urahara gave to Reo did not go unmissed by Ichigo, who's frown deepened to some degree, especially when Reo's expression changed from one of alarm and suspicion to complete calm and trust. But it wasn't trust for him; It was trust for Urahara Kisuke. It was trust for her father, and deep in her eyes Ichigo could still see that she viewed him as someone to be wary of. His heart fluttered again- How had Urahara, of all people, ended up the person that she trusted the most? That had been Ichigo, all those years ago. Maybe Orihime had been right... Leona was never coming back.
"So... What can I do for you, Kurosaki-san?" Urahara asked.
His tone was as business-like as it could be, which for Urahara was not so business-like. Yet another look to Reo, and the door to the room was shut, baring the redhead from sight, preventing her from hearing anything that might have been said. Ichigo paused; He didn't have any idea how to approach this situation. He didn't know what to say. Even though Reo had closed the door and walked away, somehow he was still worried that anything that he may decide to say would somehow get back to her. The last thing he needed was for her to think that he and her father were not on good terms... But saying that they were on "good terms" right now would have been a bit of a stretch, to say the least.
"Urahara..." Ichigo murmured, seating himself on the floor, across the table from Urahara. The blonde man was still smiling, his eyes mostly concealed beneath the brim of his hat. "This... Urahara..."
"Go ahead."
"What the fuck is this?" Ichigo hissed. He was struggling with all his might to keep his voice low, but what little self control he had obtained as a Captain of the Gotei Thirteen was quickly slipping out of his grasp. "What the hell have you been doing here? How are you a dad? This is... Leona, she-"
"Her name is Reo, Kurosaki-san." Urahara stated blandly, seeming to be completely unfazed by all of Ichigo's words, save for this one. The name "Leona" somehow made him defensive. Ichigo back peddled; That, of all things, was what made Urahara get all defensive on him? "I assumed she had told you. Perhaps I was mistaken?"
"No, she told me, but I-"
"Then let us call my daughter by her name, shall we?" he said, interrupting Ichigo mid-sentence.
Ichigo's eyes widened, and for several minutes he stayed completely silent. He didn't know what to say... Again. How to react, how to approach the situation. All of it was a complete and utter mystery to him. There was absolutely no way that Leona could be Urahara's daughter... Right? The man hardly attracted women, what with his sandals and his hat and just the general sketchy aura that the shady store owner had always put off. This, however, brought yet another question to light- Who was Reo's mother?
"Now, what brings you here today, Kurosaki-san?"
"Never mind that, what I want to know is what happened to Le... Reo." Ichigo said, stammering as he corrected himself. "Urahara, you have a ton of explaining to do." At this statement, however, Urahara simply laughed.
"I have absolutely no obligations to fulfill your demands, Kurosaki-san." he chortled, waving his fan in front of his face in his usual flirtatious manner. Ichigo's heart skipped a beat; Leona had never missed an opportunity to make fun of that. "What I have been up to for the past twenty years is not your business. I am a businessman, and if there is anything you wish to purchase here- Say, a Gikongan*,"
"If money'll buy me an explanation, then yeah, I'll buy something from you."
"I'm afraid not, Kurosaki-san." Urahara said, folding his hands carefully in front of him after placing his fan delicately on the tabletop. His voice was no longer relaxed- Ichigo could sense that he was rapidly becoming less and less accommodating to his incessant questions. "Details on my personal life are not up for sale. If they were, I would have written an autobiography and sold it by now. There's much more money in that," Ichigo frowned. Now he was being just plain difficult.
"Well, then... I was coming to discuss the situation with Le-Reo." Ichigo said, catching himself once again before saying Leona's name. He saw Urahara's expression twitch, and his frown deepened. "But, clearly, that's not possible. I guess I can't count on you, either."
"I guess not." Urahara replied, his voice monotonous. For a while both men were silent, neither wishing to make eye contact or break the heavy silence. At last, Urahara spoke, his voice once again returning to its usual lighthearted tone. "So, I've heard that you were promoted to Captain."
"Let's not do this, Urahara."
"No, let's. That's quite an accomplishment- I worked many, many years to get that position, as well." he said, staring off into the distance fondly as if reminiscing. Ichigo's lips twitched back into a frown for merely a second before he replied.
"You can go back, you know." he informed him. Urahara raised his eyebrows. "Most of the Vizards have come back. Rose is even in my division,"
"Yes, I've heard that, as well." Urahara replied. A heavy sigh escaped his lips before he continued. "But I have a life here. This works for me. I like my shop and these children. Well, most of them. Kon is a bit of a handful, but-"
"Wait, what?"
Before either one of them could progress any further with the conversation, however, a loud crash was heard from beyond the doors, causing both men to jump a little. A second crash was heard, along with the sound of several boxes toppling over, which was accompanied by a yelp that sounded distinctly male. Another moment's silence, and Ichigo was about to dismiss it as the wind knocking over boxes- Before he heard the yelling.
"God dammit, Kon!" Reo's voice was shrill, carrying through the double doors that block Urahara and Ichigo from the rest of the shop. "Where the hell have you been?"
"I caught him skulking around school," said a second voice. It was very similar to Reo's, but a little deeper. More malicious. Ichigo pursed his lips; He recognized it. "Can you believe he actually chased some of the girls from school? You realize that it was your turn to pick up Kana, don't you?"
"But Hiro~" Kon's voice sounded exactly the same, and Ichigo couldn't help but laugh. "Wait... Who's here?"
"Some weird friend of dad's." Reo responded. Urahara chuckled as Ichigo's face fell a considerable amount.
"What does he look like?"
"Orange hair. Tall. Attractive if he wasn't so creepy. But that's how all of dad's friends are,"
Ichigo and Urahara's eyes met briefly, and the expression on the older man's face told him that he should brace himself for what was undoubtedly coming. Kon was Kon, after all, no matter how many years it had been. A third crash told Ichigo that his prediction was not wrong, and a second later an unfamiliar-looking boy burst through the locked doors, breaking the wooden handles in the process. Ichigo flinched; Aside from his appearance, he hadn't changed one little bit.
"ICHIGO!" Kon yelled.
His body slammed into the ground full force, Ichigo having dodged his tackle rather easily. From behind the broken doors, he saw two identical pairs of eyes staring at him, Kon and their beloved father. He could only imagine how ridiculous they all must look. Groaning, Kon sat back up, sporting a bloody nose and a hand-shaped bruise on his arm, but Ichigo suspected that it was no doubt Reo who had put it there.
"I-Ichigo... I was gonna hug you!"
"I know."
"Then why-"
"I don't want you to hug me," Ichigo said, shrugging simply before standing up. Kon looked hurt, but Ichigo shook it off easily. Even as a stuffed lion, Kon had never been able to master the infamous puppy-dog look that many girls, Orihime included, pulled off so easily. Maybe it was because he was a perverted Mod Soul. No... That was definitely it.
"Nii-san, you know him?" Reo asked, her expression skeptical as her eyes darted between her father, her brother, and Ichigo, who was now gaping.
"Nii-san?" he repeated, pointing at Kon, a look of disgust on his face. "Absolutely not."
"Well, no, not by blood." Reo replied, pursing her lips and glaring at the orange haired man. "You know, for a stranger, you're awfully rude."
"This guy is not who you think he is," Ichigo said, still pointing to Kon, who was now sporting an impressive pout. "I mean, he is not 'Nii-san' material."
"Oh, no doubt. That guy's a pathetic homeless loser, but I still grew up with him." Reo replied. From beside her Hiro was snickering, taking in Kon's bruised face and equally bruised pride with glee. "Also he's a pervert. But you're kind of a creep, and you're still my dad's friend, so-"
"Dad is kind of a creep," Hiro interject. It was now Urahara's turn to pout.
"That hurts, Hiro-chan." he said, his fan once again in place in front of his mouth. Reo frowned as he waved it back and forth.
"Don't do that, dad, it makes you look girly."
Despite all of the chaos, Ichigo could only laugh. There was no doubt in his mind that this was Leona. She spoke like her, she looked like her, she acted like her... She felt like her. So why did she dislike him so much? He had thought their first meeting had gone rather well, despite him having been wearing strange black robes and carrying a large and possibly illegal sword around with him.
"Right..." Reo said, giving Ichigo a look. "Well, we're gonna go pick up Kana. Our idiot Nii-san left her alone at school."
"I'm sure Kana-chan can find her way home." Urahara replied, still waving his fan flirtatiously in front of his face.
"Doubtful, that girl has no internal compass."
"Directionally challenged." Reo said, nodding in agreement with her twin's previous statement.
With that, the pair of redheads exited the shop, leaving a frazzled Ichigo with the injured Kon and the humming Urahara. An awkward tension soon fell over the whole group, and Ichigo was quickly coming to terms with the fact that he would absolutely have to down at least a bottle of Sake to get over this whole horrible ordeal. Kon, however, wasted no time with bombarding Ichigo with words.
"Ichigo, what're you doing here?" he began, pushing himself off of the ground swiftly. His shaggy brown hair was covering another bruise on his forehead, probably obtained from falling face-first onto the wood floors. "I mean, why? What's taken you so long? Oh, I've got so much to tell you! Y'know, this guy- Oh, man, Ichigo, you better thank him for taking care of Reo and Hiro and Kana, because they-"
Urahara chose this time to clear his throat rather loudly. Kon ceased to speak, his brown eyes wide as he turned to face the flustered man on the other side of the table. His fan was now closed, showing that he was serious. Through the shadow cast by the brim of his hat, Ichigo could see the threatening stare that he was now sending in Kon's direction. It wasn't even directed at him, and he had chills crawling down his spine. He figured that Reo, Hiro and Kana at least must never act out, because if that look was what they got as punishment, he doubted they'd ever want to get into trouble.
"Kon." Urahara said, speaking slower than Ichigo had ever heard him speak. The man paused, chewing over his words carefully before continuing. "Go find Reo and the others. It's getting late, and I don't feel comfortable with them out by themselves." he continued.
His tone was no less threatening, and Ichigo could almost hear Kon gulp in fear. Urahara's eyes then traveled to Ichigo himself, settling on the orange haired Shinigami before finishing his instructions.
"Kurosaki-san was just leaving. You can see him out." Kon nodded, turning away from the blonde businessman and gesturing towards Ichigo to follow him. "Oh, and Kon?" Urahara blurted, causing Kon to stop mid stride, his fingers curling around the broken door when he stopped walking. Urahara's tone was icy and dangerous- And Ichigo didn't like it one bit.
"Silently."
"Go get the groceries, Kon. Go get a job, Kon. Don't tell Ichigo, Kon. Look after your sisters, Kon."
A frustrated Kon shuffled down the sidewalk, his hands stuffed into his pockets. His brown eyes were turned towards the ground, glowering at his feet angrily. It was a look that he had wished to give to Urahara, but he wasn't so brave as to speak out against him. After all, he was the one who was taking care of them all. He didn't want to mess that up; Not for himself, and certainly not for Reo and the others. That was the last thing those girls needed.
Currently, Kon was a little less than two blocks away from Kana's school. Karakura Junior High was a little farther from Urahara Shop than the high school that Reo and Hiro attended, but Kon had never been one for taking the long way. Reo enjoyed it, but Kon found that he much preferred walking past the empty parking lots and sketchy back alleys; Creepy, but well worth it for the time it saved to get where he was going. Turning right, Kon made his way swiftly through the parking lot, still muttering to himself as he walked.
Without any warning, Kon let out a loud yelp. With a thud he landed on the ground, hitting the surface face-first for the second time that day. The brown haired man groaned loudly; His nose was probably broken by now, there was no doubt, and he wasn't sure just how much more of a beating his fragile face could take. After a considerable amount of swearing, Kon gathered his bearings and attempted to stand up.
"What the hell did I even- Oh."
Kon's eyes widened as they fell on the object over which he had tripped. Blood trickled over his lips, the red liquid streaming out of his nose a little too heavily, but Kon ignored it. His breathing was uneven, and he could feel fear and maybe even bile rising in his throat. He wasn't sure what he was looking at, but he was about eighty percent sure that it was a body. Whether that body was alive or not, only time would tell. As slowly as he possibly could, as if any sudden movements would make the situation even worse than it already was, Kon crouched down low to the ground.
One of his trembling hands reached out for the hand that was protruding out of the folds of grey cloth that covered said body. Kon gulped audibly, not entirely sure what he would do if the person was, indeed, dead. Closing his eyes, Kon mustered up what little courage he had and pulled back the sheet; His cheeks grew red less than half a second later.
The body- No, the girl. It was definitely a girl. And Kon knew without a doubt that it was a girl because... Well, because she was completely nude. Her deep green hair fanned out around her face. Her eyes were closed, a peaceful expression on her face, and she was definitely breathing. But none of this interested Kon- He was mostly too wrapped up in seeing breasts to really care if she was alive or dead or whatever he had been so worried about less than two minutes ago. This temporary feeling of peace was swiftly chased away, however, when three familiar, as well as severely disapproving, voices cut through the stunned silence that had previously enveloped him.
"Kon!"
The voices of Kon's three younger sisters met his ears, shocking his already very stunned system. He whipped around, looking in the direction of the noise instinctively. His face was still red, and his head was spinning, but he would recognize those three faces even if he was surrounded by hundreds of naked women. Kon's previous feeling of happiness evaporated like water in the desert.
"Oh... R-Reo... Hiro..." he muttered, his voice shaking, his nervousness exposing itself. "... K... Kana..."
The three girls of the Urahara family were all wearing identical expressions- Even the one who wasn't a twin looked exactly the same. Each girl's jaw was set in a stern manner, her eyebrows furrowed, a deep frown turning her lips downward. All their arms were crossed, and their hands were balled into fists. Kon gulped. By the end of this, he figured the blood still pouring from his nose would be the least of his worries.
Darkness settled over Karakura Town more quickly than Ichigo had wanted. The orange haired man sighed, frowning at the clock while he poured himself a glass of water. After gulping down most of it, Ichigo turned and sat down at the kitchen table, the half empty glass still clutched in his fingers. Staring at the glass, Ichigo couldn't help but feel that it described his life perfectly right about now. Half empty.
He didn't care if that made him a pessimist, because right then he was feeling pretty damn pessimistic. Nothing had gone according to plan. Orihime didn't support him, Reo hated him, and Urahara was her father. And Kon was her brother. Where the hell had that even come from? Not only that, but the whole day he had been met with reminder after reminder that Leona, the girl he loved, was dead. She wasn't coming back. As much as he wanted it to be true, even if Hitsugaya Leona had been reborn, she was not the same person. She would not remember him... Or would she? Ichigo didn't know how to go about approaching any part of the situation, and Urahara's usual shady antics were not helping matters.
From the other room, Ichigo could still hear Isshin clearing up in the clinic. Time had treated his father well, but Ichigo figured that that was one of the perks of living out your life in a Gigai. He paused, staring down at his own hands for a moment. Studying them. Perhaps this had all been one big mistake; Maybe Byakuya had been right in telling him to stay, and right about not telling Toshiro, as well. Maybe all of this effort on Reo was simply wasted time...
A sudden knock on the door drew Ichigo out of his musings. The water within his glass sloshed as he stood up, unsure of what to expect. Who would come here so late? Before he could get to the door, however, Isshin had motioned for him to sit back down. His father jogged to the door, opening it to reveal the very last person that Ichigo felt like seeing just then.
"... Urahara." he said stiffly, taking another sip of water as Isshin invited Urahara to take a seat.
"My son, we mustn't be rude to guests," he said jovially. Ichigo rolled his eyes; How was it that even after twenty years, no one seemed to have changed at all?
"What do you want?" Ichigo continued, his tone still sharp, his glare still icy. Urahara simply smiled, thanking Isshin as he set a glass of water in front of him, as well, before exiting the room. The two men were silent, Urahara perfectly content to down the entire glass as slowly as humanly possible before speaking. "So? What is it?"
"I owe you no explanations." Urahara stated simply. His glass made a small ringing noise as he set down carefully on the tabletop. Ichigo scoffed, rolling his eyes but saying nothing. "That being said, I know all too well that things tend to get out. Especially around here."
"What's your point?" Ichigo asked, his voice cutting, but seeming to slide off of Urahara like oil. The man seemed entirely unfazed by his fellow Shinigami's hostility, and he kept his face calm. "Are you ashamed of whatever one night stands lead to Hiro, Reo... Kana? Don't be. It's not my business." At this, Urahara simply laughed, earning himself another heated glare from the carrot-top across the table.
"One night stands?" he repeated. He removed his hat, setting the green and white striped accessory next to his fan on the table. "Come now, Kurosaki-san. Do I really seem like the type for such frivolous things?"
"I dunno. Yoruichi's the mom, right?" Ichigo retorted, ignoring Urahara's frantic hand gestures. "Gotta be. She's the only woman who-"
"Kurosaki-san, I am trying to explain the situation... If you'll let me." At last, Ichigo fell silent.
His eyes were still downcast, glaring through his glass at Urahara's fingertips. Ichigo knew that he was being immature- He didn't enjoy acting this way. But nothing was how he thought it would be. Quite the opposite, everything was quite the opposite of what he had been expecting.
"Fine." he said curtly. "Shoot."
A pause. This is what made Ichigo the most suspicious. It was not like Urahara Kisuke to be nervous- Or to question his own words. It was very much like him to hide things, however, and that was what scared Ichigo the most. What was so important that Urahara Kisuke didn't want to hide it any more? The blonde man on the other side of the table took a long, shaky breath before speaking.
"Urahara Reo is not my daughter." he said at last. His grey eyes, so similar to Reo's, were now meeting Ichigo's own brown ones unblinkingly. "None of them are. They're not even human."
"What... What?" Ichigo breathed. His eyes were wide, and he could barely breathe in and out. He had been so sure... Leona was reincarnated. That was the only explanation. So how could she not be human? Urahara pursed his lips, still meeting Ichigo's eyes but looking far less confident about doing so.
"You heard me." Urahara replied, sitting up a little straighter. "Urahara Reo and her sisters are not human."
"Wh-"
"Do you understand now, Kurosaki-san? Leona was not reincarnated. I don't think she ever could have been had I not intervened."
"I don't... I don't understand." Ichigo choked out. The rest of the water in his glass was forgotten, despite his now parched throat. All of his attention was only on Urahara. Not his thirst, not his worries, not his fears. Just Urahara.
"Urahara Reo is not my daughter through some miracle of nature," Urahara began. "She is my daughter because I gave her a body again and repressed all of her memories that she hadn't already lost."
"But Leona, she-"
"Reo isn't a human. She's a Mod Soul."
In this chapter, we really just see a few more interactions between all of the main/most prominent characters in the story. In the beginning of this chapter, we can tell that Urahara is hiding something about Reo and the other Urahara siblings. Kon almost lets it slip, but Urahara catches him before he can tell Ichigo any important details, and Ichigo is kicked out of the Urahara Shop before any more questions can be asked. Kon has also officially found Nozomi Kujo in the parking lot- As I've said, this is an adaptation of the plot of the Bleach Anime-Only Invading Army Filler Arc. We also see all of the Urahara siblings together for the first time, even though it is only for like a paragraph. Ichigo is having a lot of doubts about his decision to return to the World of the Living for Reo- That is, until Urahara decides to reveal some critical information about Reo and the rest of his "daughters"! A more detailed explanation of Reo, Hiro and Kana's situation to come next chapter. I think I may also bring Rukia in next chapter, but we'll see.
Also, due to the recent things that came to light in Bleach Chapter 479, I mentioned briefly that the Vizards are back in Soul Society. Which, in the manga, they are. In the manga Rose is Division Three's Captain instead of Ichigo, but for obvious reasons I changed it. For those of you who have yet to read the latest chapter, you should get to it!
Thank you so much to everyone who reviewed, and for any of you who also read my other works, I would like to publicly announce that my other stories have officially been put on the back-burner. Back in Black is now my top priority, story-wise. I'd love to hear your thoughts on this chapter, my characters, or anything anyone has to offer! Thanks to all who added Back in Black to their favorites/alerts list, as well. I got so many emails when I published this, it was crazy, so keep 'em coming! Look out for the next chapter, and don't forget to review!
*Gikongan: Artificial Soul Pill. Contains a Gikon, which is an Artificial Soul, or souls designed by Shinigami scientists to separate a Shinigami's spirit from a Gigai, should they be inhabiting one, or to evict stubborn spirits from their corpses if necessary.
