Chapter 3 - Expectations
Ichigo and Tastsuki approached the white door of the Kurosaki household. It had been a quiet journey for the two of them, this was not the first time the raven haired girl had rescued her best friend from bullies. But, she had never seen Ichigo cower from the trio before. He would usually live up to the stereotype of his fiery hair, by standing his ground, and Tatsuki would have to pull him out of the fray. Not before giving them some choice words herself, but never had she known the boy to just take all the attacks. The girls' blood boiled at the possibilities of what those disgusting boys must have said to him to react like that. No doubt something about his Mama, or the rumours Tatsuki had tried to keep away from Ichigo's ears.
I never want to see him like that again, the girl internally promised to herself, as her blue eyes watched the boy walk through the entrance of his home.
"Ichi-nii!"
"Big Brother!" High pitched voices chorused to them, upon their appearance, when the little twins barreled into Ichigo. Earning a laugh from Isshin.
Tatsuki watched as the dead-pan look in Ichigo's brown eyes slowly warmed into a loving glow. He returned the two girls waist high hugs with his own, wrapping his arms gently around them. Tatsuki was so glad to see him gradually come back to life, even if he managed it little by little. In a way, the girl admired him for it. No matter how hard circumstances became, the brother would always put a smile on his face for his sisters, just so they would not worry. He used to do it for Mrs. Kurosaki when she was alive as well.
He's so strong, despite the tears. A smile played on Tatsuki's face. Though, she had a feeling no-one will be witnessing those tears for much longer.
"Brother's hurt!" Yuzu's exclaim broke the girl out of her thoughts.
Isshin rushed over at the panic of the youngest of the twins. There was worry etched into his features, as he stood before his son, surveying the damage to Ichigo's face. It was too soon after losing a family member for the boy's habitual scrapes to go amiss this time.
Ichigo seemed to realise this, quickly answering Isshin's yet to be asked question. "It's nothing. I tripped and hit my mouth on the corner of a bench." He lied, dismissively walking past his father to sit on a sofa in the living room.
It was not unusual for Ichigo to avert the truth of being bullied, he never told his Mama what really happened so what would change with his Papa? Said parent looked at Tatsuki then, eyes searching her for confirmation on Ichigo's account of events, much like Masaki used to. She shook her head, silently, in answer, drawing a sigh from the man before her.
Isshin then turned to follow Ichigo, the girls trailing behind him, as Tatsuki hung in the doorway awkwardly. She did not want to disturb a potential father-son bonding time, though she somehow doubted that would happen. The girl watched as the short haired man sat next to his son, who paid him no attention. Ichigo clearly did not want to worry his Father, but even Tatsuki knew that their relationship was no where near like the one Ichigo had with his Mama.
"Son, you know you can talk to me if you're having any problems," he seemed nervous, rubbing his hands together and pausing before continuing.
"But, I'm not your Mama-" The mention of the women captured the boy's attention, perking up Isshin's hopes of getting through to him. He finished the rest of his sentence, in the vain hope his son would speak to him. "-But I will help you where I can."
"I know," Ichigo replied, not looking at his Papa, before putting a smile on his face that did not reach his eyes. "Though, I like the Papa that tells bad jokes more." He faced the man beside him then, nudging him with his shoulder.
Isshin laughed at the boys' words, "I like that Papa too." He cracked a smile, reaching out his hand to ruffle Ichigo's ginger hair.
The man suddenly raised himself from the sofa. "How about Papa cooks us a great meal!" he stated with gusto, complying with his son's attempt to change the subject. He could see Ichigo was uncomfortable with the topic, but some things have to be said.
At the announcement, Karin wrinkled her nose, "Papa cooks bad." The girls' remark caused everyone in the room to laugh, save the one in question who pouted at the criticism.
Laughter, Isshin thought warmly as he revelled at the sound.
He turned to address Tatsuki, who was still standing in the doorway. "You're welcome to stay. I'll call your Mama to let her know for you?"
Tatsuki beamed at the offer of being able to stay with Ichigo for longer. "Thank you, Mr. Kurosaki," she bowed out of politeness.
"No need for formalities. You're part of the family," he put simply, waving the gesture off just like Ichigo would.
Isshin strolled in the kitchen, not waiting for any response from the girl. Tatsuki gazed after him, uplifted by what he had said. She wondered toward the group of siblings on the floor, glancing to see Ichigo genuinely smiling at his sisters. The girl assured herself that she would do whatever it took to keep that smile on his features, just like it used to be.
~x~
Isshin busied himself with preparing dinner. He did not want to admit it, but he was lost. Masaki usually did the cooking as it really was not his forte.
Which Karin helpfully pointed out, Isshin grimaced at the recall.
But, the man's thoughts wondered away, from chopping the vegetables in front of him, back to Ichigo. There was no way his son was going to open up to him, like he had to his Mama. The boy had already proved that today. It was clear he had been in a fight, most likely with the boys Masaki had been concerned about. He stood, pondering, with his hand on his chin, having abandoned the cutting, when an idea formed in his mind.
That might work... He considered, deciding to act on the plan tomorrow. But for now - cooking!
The storm pummeled the windows of the dark room behind Urahara's Shop for shinigami. Pattering of the droplets echoing in the silence. The ex-Captain felt the fluctuating reiastu levels outside raise the small hair on his arms, which tugged a frown at the man's pale brows. He was going to have to expect some visits in the upcoming future about the events occurring on this night.
"There are strange happenings going on outside, Yoruichi." Kisuke spoke quietly to the black haired cat sitting on his lap, while soothingly stroking its sleek fur.
Enjoying the repetitive motion, the feline purred in a deep voice, which lacked any indication of interest. "I'm surprised it hasn't peeked your curiosity."
The pale blond man smirked at the response. "Oh, it has. But, I have the feeling the answers are going to come to me."
At his mischievous tone, Yoruichi raised her glowing, yellow eyes to properly look at the man. "What do you mean?" Suspicion growing inside her chest.
What has he meddled with? She wondered. He was the type of man who always stuck his nose in where it was not wanted, leading to dire consequences. The feline thought back to the time when Kisuke was bought before the Central 46 for doing just that. Landing them both in the Human World, barely clinging to the information they could get from Soul Society. Yoruichi shook her small head, he needs the nine lives of a cat sometimes.
The hand movement ceased on the cats back, Kisuke's grey eyes widening at the women's question. "Can't you feel it? All the Quincy's-"
"URAHARA!" Came a bellow from inside the shop, the shattering of glass resounding in the background.
Kisuke stood up abruptly at the noise, causing Yoruichi to jump on to a coffee table beside the chair. The feline quickly morphed into her slender human form, sensing danger from the unstable reiastu, emanating from the person. She followed Kisuke in his wake, snagging a blanket to cover herself with in the process. The ex-Captain pulled across the heavy curtain that separated his home from the Shinigami Store. A silhouette of a muscular man stood in the gaping entrance way, chest heaving pants as if he had run to the place. The door, no longer housing its panes of glass, was banging against its wooden frame from the stormy wind now entering the room, soaking the floor with rain. A flash of distant lightening illuminated the intruder, displaying to Kisuke traditional shinigami uniform.
The bond has broken, he confirmed.
Kisuke raised his arms in a curving sweep, hands splayed out. "Hello, Isshin. Long time no see! When was it last? When your girls were born?"
There was no way the blond man has misread the situation, he knew exactly why Isshin stood before him. But, he needed to set a tone on the scene to convey to Isshin it was him who was in charge here.
The man trembled with anger. "Don't give me that bullshit!"
Isshin advanced on Kisuke, grabbing the cuff of his dark cloak in his fist in one fell swoop. The shinigami shoved his target until his back violently hit the wall closest to them, causing Kisuke's head to knock against the sheer face.
"Stop, Kurosaki," Yoruichi growled, clasping her tanned hand around the wrist, of Isshin's hand, that held tightly on to the green cloth.
Isshin simply ignored her digging nails in his flesh, fixing a fierce stare into grey eyes. Kisuke could see water dripping from the raven hair on to the man's face and the yet to fall tears in his burning eyes. He dipped his head slightly, causing the rim of his green striped hat to cast dark shadows over his features. A dark aura beginning to swirl around him.
"It's okay, Yoruichi. Let him go," he commanded calmly in a low voice, without removing his eye contact with the aggressor.
The women's golden orbs widened, but she obliged, silently loosening her grip on the man.
After she had dropped her hand, Kisuke focused all of his attention on the one in front of him. "You too, Isshin. Let go," he hoped his placid voice would quell the shinigami's anger.
"Tsk." Isshin roughly whipped his fist away. He shook his head, droplets of liquid falling away with the action.
Kisuke let the tension drain out of his muscles, sure that Isshin was not going to pounce on him again. It wasn't in the man's nature to stay angry, he had been around Isshin long enough to know that much. Given the situation at hand, he could understand why the usually happy-go-lucky doctor was so livid.
"How...how did Masaki die?" Isshin began quickly, balled fists shaking at his sides with his head bowed. "She is... was a Quincy! She should have been able to easily defeat that Hollow!" At first he was struggling with his words, then his head shot up. Face full of anguish and the tears, he had so done well in preventing to drop, were jostled out of their wedge, freely falling down his cheeks.
Grey eyes softened at seeing the mess of someone who had become his friend. As close to one as he could get in the Human World anyway, since the deed he had done for the man and his wife all those years ago.
"Come, sit down." he spoke gently, placing his hand on Isshin's quaking back and guided him in to his home to a chair. Kisuke sat opposite him, with Yoruichi leaning with her arms crossed against the wall beside them.
The black haired man was mute, having placed his elbows on his legs to cradle his head in the upturned hands. It was a stark contrast to the demeanor of the raging torrent he had been just a few minutes earlier. One side of Kisuke wanted to leave the man to his grief, but the other was brimming with his curious nature and the fact the man should know what really happened to his wife.
The blond decided to prod Isshin out of his muteness. "So, I know Masaki has died, considering you can now enter your shingami form. I'm sure you want to know how and why."
Isshin took measured breaths before lifting his eyes to meet Kisuke's. "That is exactly why I came here," his mutter raspy due to his heated throat. "You told me back then that our Soul Bond wouldn't block her powers! So, why couldn't she use them when she needed them?" Voice raising to a shout, anger rekindling inside him.
Despite the outcry, Kisuke's serious expression did not waver. "The bonding I performed on your souls only prevented your shinigami abilities, not Masaki's Quincy's abilities." He rebuked slowly, leaning forward to get closer to Isshin.
"Then how-"
"However," the man interrupted Isshin's confusion. "There seems to have been a reaping of the impure bloodline of the Quincy's. You are not the only one to have lost a loved one tonight." He spoke, dauntingly.
Isshin was stunned into silence, mouth opening and closing with words... questions that would not come. It would mean that relative of Masaki's, who they had not spoken to since the birth of their children, would have lost his life too.
"I don't know who, or what, did it. But, their reiryoku was pulled form their bodies, leaving them drained. Your wife would have died today, even without the Hollow's interference." He told the grieving man everything he knew.
The raven haired shinigami was stricken at the news, colour draining out of his face. Kisuke observed his reactions, waiting for a response patiently, giving the man time to collect his thoughts.
"We need to find out who done this." The ex-Captain looked to see Isshin's brown eyes harden with determination. Tears long forgotten, only their tracks giving his former despair away.
A bell sounded, indicating the arrival of a rare customer at the Urahara Shop. Kisuke was torn out of his recollection of that night a few months ago. No new information had presented itself in his investigation as of yet, a part from the mysteriously missing Resident Shinigami...
"Are you Kisuke Urahara?" The customer said after clearing their throat.
He turned to see a petite shinigami with reserved, hooded eyes, standing before the desk that held the till.
"I am, and you are?" Kisuke replied in an equally monotonous tone, only raising his intonation to pose the question.
"Rukia Kuchiki of the Thirtheenth Division." Not bothering with a respectful bow to someone of his position.
The shop owner's expression lit up at the family name. "Ho, ho. So, the Little Prince gained a new member, huh?" A playful grin spread on his lips.
Rukia cocked an eyebrow at the man, who was clearly mocking the noble status. "If you mean Byakuya Kuchiki, then, yes, that Little Prince is my older brother." Making it clear to the disgraced shinigami of his place.
She should report the man to Captain Ukitake, he had been on the run from the Gotei 13 for a century. Though she had the feeling that if they were really interested in him, they would have come for him years ago as the shop seemed quite established. That did not mean she had to treat him with any special respect either way.
"Ah, yes. And what do I owe the pleasure of having the sister of the, not so little, Prince visit my humble store?" He spoke coyly, having unfurled his fan to cover his mouth.
Kisuke knew exactly why the Kuchiki girl was visiting him. She had no real rank in her division, from the sound of her introduction, suggesting that Seireitei was yet again up to their usual tricks. To discover what really happened and then quickly cover up their blunder, before the rest of Soul Society could find out. There was no doubt in his mind that it what they had done in his case, as that would be the only reason why he had been allowed to stay where he was for so long.
"I'm here to investigate the recent reiatsu disturbances in this area, and to find the currently MIA Resident Shinigami. I have heard rumours from visitors, that you are the person to see about occurrences, such as these, in Karakura Town." Rukia spoke as if she was reciting, with no emotion in her voice.
The girl had to be careful how she spoke to the shop keeper, he had been one of the strongest Captains of the Gotei 13 before he lost his status. He was known for his, how could she put it? Experiments. Lieutenant Kaien had filled her in briefly before she left on the mission. He had told her, rather secretly, that the Captain-Commander had allowed Urahara to conduct such 'science' while it served the shinigami well. Though, as soon as his meddling with nature blew up in their face, creating people now dubbed as The Visored, the man was exiled to the Human World. But, he escaped before he could properly receive his punishment from the Central 46. To Rukia, the Lieutenant had seemed nervous and shifty when telling her this information, which made her feel like he did not believe the whole story. Otherwise, surely she would of heard of a Captain Urahara before.
"I see," Kisuke's eyes narrowed at the abruptness of the shinigami's tone. "As it so happens, I am also conducting an inquiry on such matters. I have made it my business to fill in where Soul Society has, let's say, failed. How about you and I team up? So that nothing can be allowed to slip through the gaps." The wryness of his voice shielded the warning tone, Kisuke's features masked by the darkness created from the brim of his hat.
Rukia hardened her gaze at the conspicuous offer. She spoke, caution edging her words, "if you and I are on the same page, I see no harm in joining two heads. Is there any information that you have come across worthy of noting?"
The blond's lips rose to a half smile, glad that she accepted. At least he could keep her close. "Nothing, I don't doubt, that you already know," he spoke lightly, once again opening his stance in a welcoming gesture. There was no need to scare her off, now the Kuchiki girl was on board.
Her features also rearranged from their guarded expression, to a more accepting one, mimicking her temporary partner's change in demeanor. "Well, if that is all. I shall be on my way," once again sounding bored. Rukia turned her back on Kisuke, walking toward the exit of the shop as she called out, "I'll be back when I have some news."
May it deem fruitful, Kisuke wished after her, a glint in his eye, as she left the store.
Shortly after the bell had signaled the exit of Rukia, did it chime again. This time, however, Kisuke looked up to find a more than welcome customer. Someone he had wanted to see.
"Welcome, Isshin!" The blond man beamed. He could not help compare his entrance to the last time he had come to the shop, the man standing the doorway was much calmer than that night.
"Hi, Urahara."
The shop owner saw that the man was holding a brown envelop at his side. "What's that you got there?" Genuinely interested.
Isshin glanced down and lifted his arm slightly, as if he had forgotten what he was carrying. "Oh, this? It's a poster of Masaki that I had printed for Ichigo, I thought it would help him move on. You know, having her picture around." The man smiled at his plan.
Kisuke felt himself smiling in turn, glad the family seemed to be coping in difficult times. Though, he saw the glee falter ever so slightly after a moment.
"I thought I'd pop in to see if you had any more news." Isshin said, hope tinging his voice.
Kisuke shook his head solemnly. He watched as his friend's shoulders drooped at his response, he downcast his eyes so that he would not have to witness the man's faith shatter. This was not the first time in his life, that he had put the longing to help others before his own curious desire to learn and experiment. The whole purpose for him studying the Hollowfication process of shinigami, before he had met Isshin and Masaki, was so he could find a way to cure, or at least ease, the Lieutenants and Captains who had escaped from Soul Society with him and Yoruichi.
The two men stood before one another, each consumed by their own inner dwellings before Kisuke decided to speak. A new thought pressing on his mind. "Isshin, did you see a shinigami leave this shop on your way in?"
The man in question focused on to Kisuke. "I did, though I assumed she was the Resident. Is that not the case?" He asked, doubtfully.
"She's investigating the circumstances surrounding Masaki's death, and I've gained her aid." Isshin's brown eyes widened at the man's words. "Though, you need to be careful. Now you're a shinigami again, she may take to you back to Soul Society considering you were a Captain. She may, also, take interest in your son, as he poses a potential threat with his vast reiatsu." Kisuke warned, his concern clear to Isshin.
"I'll watch out for her." The blond witnessed Isshin's resolve harden, just like it had done that night.
The ex-Captain had to keep Isshin out of the watchful eye of Seireitei, for their own safety. If that man caught any drift that someone as powerful as his little boy had the potential to be, he would scheme his way into getting his hands on Isshin's son. No way could Kisuke allow that to happen, otherwise they would all be in danger.
A/N: I had a bit of difficulty writing this chapter, so I hope you guys find it as fulfilling as the previous chapters.
Thank you to those of you who have adding this fanfic to their favourites/follows, and for the reviews! They are great!