"I'm going to kill him..." Ichigo said and stood then paused. He hadn't ever told his father that he was a soul reaper although it made him wonder how much his father did know and simply let go.
Sakura climbed out of the closet and walked over so that she was sitting in the window having no idea that she was mirroring her Uncle's favorite place to sit when he was visiting Ichigo.
"I suppose you have questions." She said as she looked at him.
"Yeah about this other type of Soul Reaper..." Ichigo said and she smiled.
"Three." She said looking at him. "There are three levels of soul reaper. The first is the Crimson Gaurd, which you have probably never seen and never will see. There nickname is the blood gaurd." She shook her head. " There Fuku's are crimson red and there Zanpakuto's are more then often frayed. They don't play very well with others." She shook her head, while holding up her hand, one finger extended and then the second one went up.
"The second group is the Seiretei Shinigami, or soul reaper." She said and smiled. "Your class of soul reaper. The Gotei 13, or thirteen court squads, also an Imperial court squad that protects all of the Seiretei and the Mortal realm keeping the eternal balance between the spirits, establishing the ranks going from your average soul reaper not much above the crimson all the way up to captian rank or just below a Puree."
Ichigo nodded. "So I'm among the Seiretei Soul Reapers?" He asked and she nodded.
"Yes. From what I hear you are Captian level. Even though you don't hold an offical postion among the Seiretei?" Sakura asked and Ichigo shrugged.
"I can go Ban-kai." He said and giggled.
"We'll have to duel sometime. I would love to see your Ban-kai Ichigo, in exchange if you'd like I'll show you mine." Sakura said smiling.
Ichigo flet himself smile and nod. "Sure we'll have to do that some time." Her smile was getting to him it was infectous it was as if nothing got to her.
"But alas I digress, the third and final is the Imperial Royal Seishin Soul Reapers, or as we are nicknames Puree's. The reason I tend to think is the white robes." She said smiling. "Really we're alot like the Seiretei except we have white robes and some of our skills are by birth...OH and I'm human like you."
Ichigo looked confused. "Huh?"
Sakura giggled. "My Gi-gai. As they call it, well I never actually died. I was born here on earth, to Seishirou and Hana Hitsugaya." She said looking at him. "My my father was Uncle Toushirou's elder brother, and my mother was a Quincy...although I can not use any of the Quincy's skills."
Ichigo grinned. "Really wonder if you're related to Uryu in any way."
Sakura giggled. "Who knows."
Ichigo sat back and took a deep breath. "Renji didn't go over it with me, not really. Why....are you here Sakura, it can't be to study me."
"Oh but it is, more or less." Sakura said softly. "I'm here to learn about you Ichigo Kurosaki, in all the years there has never been a Soul Reaper like you. And Lord Enma has heard of your deeds. He want's to know about you."
"Yeah? How come?" Ichigo asked and she tipped her head.
"Because he has the power to take and make you a full Soul Reaper if you qualify for it. Surely you where told that there are times when someone appears with the skills and proves themselves beyond measure?"
"Yeah, I heard something like that." Ichigo said as he sat there looking at her. "But at the same token I have my far share of strikes against me there."
Sakura giggled. "Boy are you honest." She said looking at him. "Good thing that's not what I'm here to look at." She leaned forwards. "I'm here to learn what lays here Ichigo." She said poking him in the chest. "Who you are, not your strenghts, not your mistakes, those can be noted down on paper. No, I need to learn who you are, not just the facts."
Sakura leaned back. "And for that I need to spend time with you and your friends. It's not something anyone can tell me. Oh sure Rukia Kuchiki could tell me that your a strong warrior and a good fighter, that comes thru in a pinch. But those are facts." She looked at him and smiled. "Facts won't tell me who Kurosaki Ichigo is. What you do yes, but not who you truly are."
Ichigo nodded and looked at her then sat back and nodded his head.
Sakura stood up out of the window on the floor in his room and was about to say something when a yellowish golden thing went flying rambling faster then anyone could understand and Sakura showing incredible speed caught up his pillow and smacked it into the wall hard enough that it hung there for a second showing off the blue plus sign in the back of the stuffed tiger's head.
"Kon!" Ichigo grumbled.
"Wow...she hits hard." Kon said as he pulled himself up off of the floor. "Long slender legs, a delicate hip, and that rack..." the stuffed animal said and then was flying again.
"Kyah!" Sakura cried and her foot came up kicking Kon hard and sending the stuffed animal flying again into another wall and down behind Ichigo's dresser.
"Nice aim." Ichigo said and Sakura stared.
"Did you know your stuffed animal was possessed by a leecherous soul?" Sakura asked looking at him.
Ichigo smirked. "Sort of. Kon is always like that. He's a mod'soul." Ichigo looked over at the dresser where Kon's muffled shouts could be heard. "He's here because there are times when leaving behind my Gi-gai is not a good thing."
Sakura nodded. "I can certainly understand that....I think."
"You think?" Ichigo asked.
"Well...here, I'd have to show you." Sakura said softly looking at him and turning. She stood before Ichigo a moment then took a deep breath and spoke low softly her musical voice a gentle candace as she spoke the soft words.
"Okiro Zakurakadoguchi." She said softly.
Ichigo blinked as she seemed to glow for less then a second and an explosion of cherry blossom petals swirled around her falling to his floor and bed, slowly fading away. But her apperance had changed, or at least what she was wearing. She had on an almost solid white fuku, purist white, with soft redish pink cherry blossom petals going a long the sleeves and pant legs, always travling up towards her shoulder or hips. Around her slender waist was the same redish pink in tone sash, he could see a relaxed bow at the back as her golden Orabi settled down about her, the long vest was sleevless with deep silver white markings along the lower hem, a small four point diamond like marking with a circle between each one. White trim and marking on the back, the same symbol he saw on the white vests of the Seiretei captians. Only hers said one. In her hair where pale icy blue beads with a sakura crystal every third bead going down the whisps when he stopped to think about it they were there in her 'gi-gai' state as well. Over her right shoulder and going down towards her left hip was a golden shash held at the shoulder area by a sakura blossom. As if to hold a sword but not sword was there. Wrapped around her slender wrists was a thin golden ribbon, with beads alternating between pale blue and that reddish pink in color every so often going down the length to a beautiful metal fan. The ribbon was long enough that it swept the floor. The fans where in her hands at the moment open, delicate golden latice work with small stones matching the beads interwoven thru it. She lifted one of the fans so that he could see it more clearly.
"This is my Zanpakuto's released state. My Shi-kai. Although I can not close it down." Sakura said looking at him.
Ichigo shook himself he had never seen a prettier look. It was hard to believe that she was a shinigami, even if she was an Puree one.
Sakura looked at him. "Your turn."
"My turn?" Ichigo said looking at her and then shaking his head. "You aren't planning on dueling are you?"
Sakura rolled her eyes her hand glowed as she moved the fan no longer in her hand but dangling hidden away in her sleeve as well as the silken cord and she grabbed his head, seperating him from his 'gi-gai'. She giggled as he stood there looking at her as if she where nuts. He was in his black fuku and the red 'spinal-chain' that held his zanpakuto visable.
"Hmm, out of all the Seireitei's fuku I think I like yours the best." She said as she moved and jumped to the window. "To be honest Ichigo, I don't know my way around town and since it'll be quicker this way."
Ichigo smirked. "A guided tour huh?"
"Yeah something like that." Sakura said smiling and Ichigo paused. "Kon come here."
Kon came up and Ichigo used his 'pass' to seperate the bead from the stuffed animal body and then tossed it down his bodies mouth.
It took only a moment for Kon to reanimate his body and look at him. "Ichigo?"
"Don't get into trouble Kon. I going out for a while." Ichigo said and then they were moving.
"Karakura Town...is interesting." She said looking about and he nodded. "You can say that."
~*~
Toushirou sighed as he looked at the paperwork before him. Things where not going to be easy the next couple of months. Sakura was a sweet girl but that was just it, he was certain she was alot like Orhime and other girls who where only the mortal age of 15 years old. Wanting boyfriends and to play and everything else along those lines. Seishirou had done him no favors by dying and leaving him with Sakura's care. Then there was the fact that his half mortal neice was a Imperial Royal Seishin. He pinched the bridge of his nose and listened to the soft sound of Rangiku's breathing as she napped on the couch in the study with him. Toushirou walked over to the windows and looked out, hands folded behind his back, his silver hair blowing in the breeze as he watched the clouds in the Seiretei pass by. Even Byakuya Kuchiki knew that she was a teenager and could not be counted on to be responsible enough to prepare this properly. If she was capable would he have not left it to her, or at least him? Or was it because she was his only living family left that he was being far too harsh on her?
Toushirou looked at the clouds a moment longer then turned slightly at the sound of Rangiku's voice.
"Captian Hitsugaya?" She asked as she sat up and looked at him brushing sleep from her eyes. "What's wrong you seem troubled about something."
"It's nothing Rangiku." He said turning to face her and then walked back towards his desk.
"She'll be alright, Ichigo will take care of her, I'm sure he'll treat her right, after all he has two little sisters and has always treated Orhime and Rukia right in his pressence." Rangiku said and he shook his head.
"Is she too young Rangiku."
"To young?" Rangiku asked then moved and hugged him. "OH my your sounding more and more like a worried daddie then an Uncle. To young? I suppose for marriage yes, but I don't think that's something she's even thinking about....although girls too age mentally much faster then men do..."
Toushirou felt a muscle jump in his temple and had to seriously wonder about that, or perhaps it wasn't all girls because Rangiku certainly seemed a bit childish at times....like now, now would be a prime example in his mind of her childish behaviour. He could only hope that Sakura didn't behave in the same manner.
He paused at the knock on the door and turned. Rangiku still clinging to him and snuggling him to her chest saying something about drown his worries in bussom or some such nonsense.
"Enter." He said and pushed at Rangiku not hard enough to hurt her, but with enough force to get his now pouting vice-captain to pout at him. In walked three girls.
One had long red hair, tied up in a ponytail with a big ribbon and green eyes. It looked like she had taken a page out of Yamichika's book as she had long delicate feathers fanning one eye. A deep emerald green and saphire blue. Emerald green at the eyebrow and saphire blue at the corner of her eye. Her fuku was white with deep blue accents and she was looking around a Zanpakuto at her waist.
"Mauh....is this where we can find Toushirou Hitsugaya, captian of squad...Um.." She pulled out a piece of paper and quickly read it.
Toushirou felt an eyebrow twitch.
"How could you forget?" Another asked. She had short black hair and pale grey eyes, they reminded him for a moment of Rangiku's eyes. Then took a deep breath she was also in white with green accents.
The last yawned and blinked sleepily as if she just wanted to go back to sleep, her hair was a pale cotton candy pink and her eyes a mint green in color. Her fuku matched in theme it was white with black accents.
"Taicho Hitsugaya Toushirou, of division 10, and vice captian Matsumoto Rangiku." The last spoke her eyes almost closed as she stood there talking in a semi dreamy state.
"I am Toushirou Hitsugaya." Toushirou said looking at them.
"We are looking for our Captain it was decided moments ago that we would be staying with her during her stay either here in the Seiretei or on Earth in Karakura town, which ever it is she is handling first." The first said looking at him.
"Your captain? Toushirou asked.
"Ah forgive me pleas Taicho Hitsugaya." The first spoke again. "I am Kage Akahana," She said then pointed to the second one the one with black hair. "She is Hishiori Choko, and lastly is Matsumori Miyuki. We are squad one of the Imperial Seishin."
Toushirou looked at them, surely these three girls would not be the whole of squad one? But they claimed to be and they looked like it....except.
"Who is your vice-captian?" He asked and the two looked at the third, the one with very light pink hair.
"That would be me." Miyuki said as she nodded her head and looked as if she was about to go back to sleep right here and right now.
"Looks can be decieving with her." Choko said smiling and shaking her head. "If Miyuki 'wake's up' there's a problem. She's always lethargic."
"Hmm.." Miyuki said softly and tipped her head. "Is there a problem with our going to the same area as our Captian?"
"It's just that there isn't a lot of space where she's staying." Rangiku said looking at them, and it would not be right to dump them on Orhime...of course...
Toushirou sighed. They where Seishin. It wasn't like they delt with the human world alot. Asking Ichigo to deal with Sakura who was from the mortal realm up until the age of seven or eight wasn't a problem she knew it. Asking them to deal with these three girls who grew up in the Seiretei and had never once set foot in the mortal realm not even to stop a hollow was asking simply too much of Ichigo and the others.
"Wait here. I must talk with my Captian-commander, before any futher action is taken." Toushirou said and Choko narrowed her eyes.
"We're asking you to tell us to be nice..." She said and Miyuki stopped her by placing a hand on her shoulder.
"It's fine Captian Hitsugaya. I imagine your conern is our lack of knowledge cocerning the world outside of the Seiretei correct?"
"Yes." Toushirou said feeling anger boiling up insde of him.
"Talk to your Captian -Commander and determine the best course of Action, even if it takes a couple of days that is fine we will wait." She looked at the others. "It is the way Lady Hitsugaya would have us handle it. The way she would handle it. She would not be upset. WE do not know the Mortal Realm, the Seiretei Shinigami do. So trusting in there judgement is the best course of action don't you agree?"
Choko sighed. "Yes, sorry Captian Hitsugaya." She said looking over at him and nodding her head. "I'm worried about Lady Hitsugaya, our Captian is a gentle girl, I fear what those males will be trying to trick her into."
Rangiku seemed to take a clue from that and crush his face into her breast all over again, she, he noted had not let go to begin with....not as much as he had wanted her to anyways her arms had been around his shoulders loosely and he had ignored it for the sake of dealing with this now he was being crushed into her chest all over again.
"Is that what your worried about? " She said gushing to to him, and shaking him as he tensed up. "You have nothing to worry about there, Sakura is soo sweet and adorable I'm certain that Ichigo will pumble any nasty boy who tries to make a move on her."
"Rangiku!" Toushirou ground out trying to breath and she laughed letting go.
Toushirou looked at her warily and nodded then looked at them. "I'm going to my Captian-commander now and will discuss things with him. In the mean time please stay with Vice-captian Matusmoto."
Miyuki smiled, eyes closed. "That's fine, please take your time."