Chapter 2 Re-edited is up! Warnings ahead, this fic is slightly dark, especially in the beginning; BUT I promise romance which means it isn't 'going to be dark all the way through. (And that should end somewhat in this chapter I promise!) I took some cannon to describe some of the characters futures but also changed some cause well, I like it better that way! Also, I plan on making this BoyXBoy so if that irritates anyone please walk on out of the room before I continue this tale…. oh good, now it's just the fans of this genre, or those who are interested in trying something new!
Don't' Own, wish I did! Thanks, Tite Kubo!
Five months after Ichigo Kurosaki's tragic death, the search continues for the soul of the departed hero, but no sign nor hint has given his friends and loved one's hope. Human friends have reluctantly returned to their lives in the living world, praying their Shinigami friends send word that the orange topped boy had been found.
Orihime, Ishida and the others in their class prepare for their exams. While Ishida decides on joining the medical career like his father, Orihime considers going with education, her power of ultimate healing being a dead giveaway if she followed Ishida. Chad now worked as a trained fighter while working at the dojo Tatsuki took over. Ichigo's father continues at his clinic, while his sisters get ready for high school. Urahara's shop reopens for business, though Urahara often sends his feline friend into Serieitei for news.
Serieitei goes on… The 12th division continue their strange experiments, Captain Ukitake is constantly stalked by his subordinates, Kenpachi often gets lost while taking advice of his second in command and Shunsui, though now Captain of the 1st division can be found periodically not in office. While their lieutenants disappear periodically the Captains sit in their offices working on paper work, at least for the 10th and 6th divisions. Life does move forward, yet at the back of everyone's mind remains the bigger questions that won't go away. Where is Ichigo? What is he doing now? Why hasn't he returned? Is he even in Soul Society?
Captain Byakuya Kuchiki was working on the paperwork his red headed missing lieutenant had left him with these very thoughts eating away at the back of his head.
Byakuya sat at his desk as stone faced and quiet as always. His hand moving across the parchment, the only sound the scratching of pen and rustle of paper as he shifted through the documents. They had a ruckus in the 53rd district of the East Rukongai. That district wasn't usually covered by the 6th division but as Soul Society had had to deal with so many upheavals in recent years it had been passed on to the Captains desk in hope of some relief. The area was a sea fearing area of Soul Society, and much of their fish and seafood came from its small island shores and lakes within the landscape. People had been disappearing at an alarming rate and food shortages would be felt if people continued to refuse entering their fishing boats. He knew something had to be done but his mind kept wandering.
"Captain Kuchiki," Byakuya looked up at the sound of Renji Abarai's voice, he hadn't heard him come in. "I dropped off that report with Captain HItsugaya." With a nod from his captain the red head sat at his station and started on his own reports…smaller then his captains. Byakuya took notice of the ever present extra paleness of his lieutenant these days. The circles under the mans eyes had grown darker, his shoulders drooped slightly when he thought no one was watching. He had seen that in many a person close to the missing young man. Rukia also had took on def notes of sleep deprivation and Shinji and Kenpachi were less talkative at captain meetings. The captain of the 10th division had grown even more scowling then usual. Byakuya didn't comment. He knew his subordinate, like the others, were still searching for Ichigo, Byakuya himself would send out his reiatsu when he could, looking for the tell-tale signs of Ichigo over powering all others in the area. He rubbed the bridge of his nose and continued with the missing souls in the East.
Then a flash of orange caught his eye, he looked out the window, only to find orange lilies growing by the open window. He let out a breath he had not realized he had been holding. He wondered when that had been planted, ignoring the fact that he had once again been looking for a certain substitute Shinigami. He Tapped his pen across the paper. A cough caught his attention, he looked back at the other man in the room. Renji was staring at him wide eyed. Byakuya realized he had been caught staring out the window as though in a daydream. He glared pointily at the man but Renji merely smiled, long gone were days when Renji feared his ice-cold stares. He understood his captain more then Byakuya liked to admit, even if it was appreciated most of the time.
With understanding eyes Renji asked, "What of the reports of the disappearances in the East captain?"
Thankful the man had chosen wisely not to comment, Byakuya replied, "The number of souls missing has reached a high enough toll that it highly suggests an infestation."
The other man took in a sharp breath, "Hollows?"
"Most likely, if that is the case this requires more than one soul reaper, we are not sure the number of hollows, and after the recent battle we can never be sure what we may find."
The red head nodded, "Should I get a task force together right away?" Byakuya shook his head.
"No, at the current moment we are limited, we are still cleaning up the last big battle, many areas are being rebuilt and though most recovered from injuries there is a lot of work that has been put off within Soul society." He stood up and looked outside the window at the orange lilies. His grey eyes narrowed, but that was all the emotion he showed. When he spoke again his voice was as level as always, "We shall investigate together, you, and I as well as a couple from our squad. We will leave first thing in the morning, though maybe we should ask the 10th squad if he could allow his lieutenant to accompany us. She is good with people."
Renji stood wide eyed at his captain's orders, as he usually sent others for this type of task. Then he affirmed and left to inform Toshiro of the request. Byakuya stood at the window a long time, contemplating. He wandered if he would feel that man's reiatsu if he branched farther out, into the farther Rukongai districts. They had of course searched but there was so much ground to cover. Where is he? He shook his head and stepping away from the widow he closed it, so he would no longer be distracted by the vibrant orange dancing outside. Hours later, to the captain's annoyance, the color wouldn't fade from his mind. Like so many around him, he only had the appearance of moving on.
53rd District of the East Rukongai: Morning
"Mister, Mister?" Two pairs of eyes appeared through the wooden planks of a small door.
A man 'hmmmed" groggily within the small shack.
"Mister, please!" they tapped at the door till they heard another muffled response, "C'mon mister it be time to meet!"
"Kye! Kye! I'm up and going don't worry none," though sleepily the man had started moving. "Who's it this time?"
"The butcher, mister, his son gone missing and he blaming the town drunk for a stealing him"
A snort, "If that drunk could string two words together I might think him smart enough" the man replied.
"That be why ya gotta hurry on Mister, butcher gots that big enough knife to run poor old Ginsho throughs"
"IF the butcher could think past breakfast I might be in a hu-u-u-urry" he ended with a yawn.
"No mister the butcher ain't the one with the knife, it be his wife!"
"Shit!" The door banged open and the kids fell to their butts on the ground, their dirty faces looking up at the man they had been calling on. "What the fuck you leave that out for?! She's scary!" the two grinned up at him.
"Cause your no fun if we go telling you right away mister." One had pigtails to the side, only sign it was a girl, she was covered in old rags, that had been recently patched. The other was a boy, with a pointy nose and chin. He had a toothy grin as he galled their friend on. "Go on then mister or you going to let poor Ginsho be done it by that she thing of the butcher's wife" The man glared at them and grunted. He started stalking off in a hurry toward town.
Under his breath he grunted, "Why I took two creepy ass midgets in," He glared back over his shoulder as they followed, "Why the hell you are following Kinta, Shiro?!" The two just continued to laugh.
"You'd miss us mister, you be lonely without us!" He rolled his eyes before picking up speed to get to the center of town. The butcher shop was next to the local bar, which probably gave the butcher's son a place to drink during his time from home. Where the butcher wife got the idea the town drunk could drag himself out of his stumper to kidnap a fully-grown man was beyond him. They guy was huge, at least 6' foot with muscles and large head to add to the picture. No way the old guy with thin arms and vacant eyes could touch that. He slowed as he neared the butcher shop, looked slightly to the left at the long stretch of peaceful blue sea, then caught the arm of a furious woman wielding a large blade as it came crashing down on the half-drunk beaten man on the ground.
"Ahhh Dammit, you!" The woman glared daggers as he disarmed her, then lightly pushed her backwards into the arms of her waiting and slightly calmer spouse.
"Now Mrs. Ginsho, killing your brother in-law isn't going to find your son." Yeah, the drunk was her husbands brother, but that really wasn't important now, she often found excuses to do away with the man. The spouse sighed appreciatively at him before taking the chance to speak his mind.
"Honey there be no way he could have stolen Kinzo, ya know he probably been snuck out like the rest round here." Sadness and fear entered his eyes and the anger his wife showed him showed her anxiety at the idea her son was gone like the rest.
"Like hell! You're damn drunken brother taken Kinzo out one to many times, he done lost the drunken fool somewhere and I be getting the answer right quick so- "She glared daggers at the drunken brother laying on the floor.
"We will find them, we already sent word to Serieitei and we should get answers soon Mrs. Ginsho." The young man tried to placate the angry mother.
"Like hell I'm goanna sit here awaiting. Them slow soul reapers, they only care when the food stops!" He let out deep breath, she needed assurance, though he didn't have much to give her.
"Alright I will help look for him- "
"What can you do?!" came the angry retort.
He took another breath to calm down, irritation in the voice wouldn't help. "I know he likes to keep to the tavern near the shore and I will ask about his hangouts, and yes I know where they are and I'll double check the docks, I will find him Mrs. Ginsho, Mr. Ginsho" He stared Mrs. Ginsho down, she terrified most men, him included but she eventually backed down, though it was obviously not easy for her. She grunted then turned away to walk back into their shop. Mr. Ginsho, the butcher nodded at him and gave small thanks before following her inside. They ignored the drunk Mr. Ginsho. He sighed and looked up at the young man who had saved his neck.
His eyes were clearer then they had been in years.
"You'll be finding that young nephew of mine, don't let him be a missing long." It was a statement, not a question. He believed in him.
"I'll do all I can, I will find him" The old man smiled again, a large gapping toothed smile.
"Thank ya mister, be good, when you show up here, town folk needing a strong back like yours with spirit and nobleness," he stood up on wobbly legs and brushed his hands free of dirt, "It's not many take to helping us poor folk, yet in all your strange looks, with no idea in that head who you may be, you take care of us, Thank ya mister!" He grinned wider, then sobered up and went off to the bar, he obviously needed to catch up on his morning drink.
The young man watched him go, relief and bitterness warring. He was glad he found a place to be accepted. Since he was happy to help people they seemed to take him in so easily, yet he always felt he was missing some vital clue, that he was supposed to be somewhere else. He shrugged it off and walked towards the dock, it was best to start with Kinzo's drinking friends, the local fishermen. A breeze went through his hair, and a tanned hand came up and ran through orange locks.
End of chapter!
Ok that was hard…. obviously more dialog then last chapter. Dialog is not easy haha. Hope it came out well. SO, you like the ending? Probably saw it coming right! There is a reason Ichigo doesn't remember who he is, I promise. It will come out with time.
I plan on having him meet up with people very soon, I am not sure if it will be next chapter or not. Let me know if you have any problems with my bleach universe vocab, I have been doing all the research, but I could still mess it up! I am going out of town for a couple weeks, but I'll try to get another chapter done first, if I don't then it will prob be done a little later then this time.
Anavas88