BLEACH: World Cup Fever
I wanna thank bcsaturdai, cy-grl, aragaki rey, 101fallingrock and pantastic45
for taking time ti review.
Also thank you for those who reads this but too lazy to click the review link =B
DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach or the World Cup.
CHAPTER 3
Referee
Living World
Somewhere in the African continent, far from any signs of civilization, something could be seen dashing across the savannah grassland. The sun was up, and its scorching heat feeds the yellowish grasses and the dry trees with its rays. Yet despite the heat, that something was still running without breaking a sweat.
"Wait Ken-Chan!" Yachiru, clinging on a larger man's shoulder pointed to the direction behind them "I think Ichigo is this way!"
"But we just came from there," Kenpachi still runs towards his current direction.
"We did?" Yachiru chirped happily "Then he must be that way!". She pointed to a totally different direction.
Kenpachi stopped running. He was panting heavily, something he rarely felt. He walked to the nearest tree to feel its cool shade. Yachiru hopped off his shoulder and stood next to the sitting Kenpachi.
"Why are we stopping?" she curiously looked at Kenpachi while he was opening the zipper of his backpack.
"This gigai," he paused to allow his throat to enjoy the mineral water he was gulping from a water bottle, "makes me feel tired. That's why I do not want to use gigai."
"Hmm, but I think our gigai looked pretty cute," Yachiru said as she spin around "and I like my Liverpool Jersey."
Kenpachi continued drinking his water before Yachiru addressed him again.
"And Yamamoto-san said we must always use gigai in the living world if we are not involved in any battle. We got into a big trouble the last time we hunt Ichigo down at Karakura in our Shinigami form." Yachiru in turn took her bottle from her bagpack and hands it to Kenpachi, requesting him to open it for her. As he spin the top, he chuckled, recalling the memories of Ichigo's freaked out facial expression when he barged into his school few months ago, causing him to cry and run away. He chased him around Karakura town, only to be revealed that Ichigo was actually Kon. Apparently Kon was using Ichigo's body to create some scene in school to 'settle the score', and Kenpachi had to ruin his plan. Of course during the chase, a lot of walls were wrecked, street lights collapses and cars crashed. Captain Commander Yamamoto was not happy at all.
"Yachiru, give me the map" Kenpachi said
"What map?" Yachiru tilted her head for a moment before saying "Oh! The one Uruhara-Chan gave before we got here?"
"Yes"
Yachiru looked through her bagpack and took out a nicely folded piece of paper and handed it to Kenpachi. He took the map and recalled what Uruhara told him earlier.
"There's a map of Africa on the table that would help you get around. We don't wanna get you two lost and run around aimlessly now would we?" Uruhara said as Kenpachi and Yachiru were packing their bagpacks. Kenpachi didn't like to use maps, he trust his sense or direction, namely Yachiru. But he took it anyway for an emergency situation.
'This is an emergency situation.' Kenpachi thought as he unfolded the map. He scanned the map. "Where did Uruhara said Ichigo is?"
"Hmmmm, I think its place called Jonasburger,"
"What a silly name," He scanned through the map and realized something. "Hey wait a sec, this is a world map." Yachiru laughed and took the map from him. She looked at the map and instead of showing the African continent, it shows the whole world and their capital cities. Africa was there. A small cockroach sized continent under Europe. At the bottom corner of the map was a name written in pen. Jinta Hanakari.
"I guess we took the wrong one. Well, here's Africa." She pointed at the continent "but I can't find Jonasburger".
"Well then," Kenpachi took back the map and crumpled it up before throwing it to the air. "We have to do it our way, like we always do." He sniffed the air "Besides, I can smell Kurosaki's scent from here! Hop on Yachiru,"
Yachiru clapped her hand and zipped her bag. She hopped on the large shoulder and grip hold tightly. Just when they were about to move, a sudden yell took their attention.
"HELP! HELP!"
Soul Society
All the campers room the 12th Division backyard were crowding the entrance of the captain's room. Everyone was talking about what just happened, and from time to time, they would look at poor Ikkaku with a death glare only to be retorted back by him with his Zanpakuto. If Yumichikka hadn't held him back, there would probably be a bloodbath right now.
"Make way for the Captain Commander!" a voice far beyond the crowd said.
As the crowd turned to the source of the command, they stepped back to form a path from the 12th Division's entrance gate to the captain's barracks. Walking down the newly formed path was Captain Commander Yamamoto and his trusted right hand man Sasakibe. They reached the barracks door and stood there as it slowly opened. Captain Unohana stepped out followed by Isane, with a gloomy expression drawn across their face.
"How is he, Unohana-taicho?" Yamamoto asked. His cane tapped the wooden floor repeatedly as he we waited for a response.
"He's in no danger," Unohana replied, washing her hands in a basin held by Isane, "He has a slight fever. But the impact had caused Kurotsuchi to suffer a severe concussion. Normally, this would cause either a permanent head trauma or amnesia. But due to the fact that he was wearing his head gear, it only knocked him unconscious."
"Unconscious? Still?"
"Nothing serious. His body just requires rest after being so worked up for the last few days. He'll wake up in a day or two—"
"We don't have a day or two." Yamamoto interrupted sternly. Unohana didn't respond. "We need to ensure the broadcast from the living world to be ready by tomorrow night."
Yamamoto turned back towards the crowd. His eyes gave a deadly glance to Ikkaku who was slightly shivering by the fearful reiatsu emitted by the Captain Commander.
"Announce a meeting for all Captains," Yamamoto addressed Sasakibe. "Now."
Garganta
"I wish to go home."
Ulquiorra finally spoke out after receiving his current mission from Aizen. As much as he hated the job, this job, he cannot refuse. If Aizen-sama had trusted him more than the other Espada, he should be proud. But still, it that does not change the fact that he hated this specific job.
"Come on you sadistic airhead," Grimmjow patted Ulquiorra's back. He was glad his companion finally spoke out. The half an hour walk they had in the Graganta was getting pretty dull. "We get to watch the Finals! LIVE!"
"I told you I have no intentions to watch the ridiculous game. Our job is to plant the Garganta Frequency Transmitter and be gone"
"No, our job is to plant Szayel's crap and watch the game!" Grimmjow waved the tickets in front of Ulquiorra's face. "That's what Aizen said, and that's why I was asked to go with you since I have the tickets. And he said you need to have fun once in a while."
"This is not fun," Ulquiorra slapped Grimmjow's hand away from his face. "After we plant the crap— Garganta Frequency Transmitter, I will go home."
"Pfft," Grimmjow retorted. An opening was then can be seen, where the blue sky was suddenly visible and rays of sunlight shone through the portal to Hueco Mundo. Ulquiorra then fiddled something through his pocket.
"By the way," Ulquiorra said "Aizen-sama said we need to suppress our reiatsu to avoid being detected by Soul Society. To help with this he said we need to enter into an artificial body". He took out two small pills and handed one to Grimmjow. "Take this. It will create a physical layer around us and form an artificial body similar to a gigai. Our reiatsu will be contained inside the layer until the pill loses its effect or get it destroyed. They can only last for three days."
"Fancy gadget eh?" Grimmjow took the pill and swallowed it. A blue light than began to surround his body. The light than seemed to be solidifying and slowly covers the whole body with a new-formed human skin. His masked jaw had disappeared and became a clean lightly tanned cheek. The whole on his body was filled with artificial flesh. Ulquiorra experience the same phenomenon too, except in his case, a green light radiated around his body.
"I look like a human," Grimmjow commented, "and you look like an emo wannabe."
Ulquiorra ignored the comment and looked at his body. His dark black hair covered one of his green eyes. His Espada uniform was still there but the Number 4 had completely disappeared. He then walked closer to the exit and saw an overview of a large metropolitan city he was not familiar with. "Where are we?"
"Johannesburg." Grimmjow said with a grin. "And the first thing we gotta do to lay low is get a new set of clothes."
Living World
Have you ever kissed Rukia? That question had been stuck in replay ever since he went out of the airport's restroom. Stupid Toshiro, why would he ask a question like that?
He was sitting in a van with everyone. The van was an eight-seater: two in the front (includes the driver seat) and six at the back in two rows. Isshin was driving and Chad was sitting at the passenger seat, still listening to his iPod. The girls sat in one row, which meant that all four have to share the three chairs. This was not a problem as Rukia was small enough to squeeze somewhere between Orihime, Yuzu and Karin. Ichigo sat between Ishida (who finally stopped shivering and began to look at a map of Johannesburg) and Toshiro. Toshiro fidgeted uncomfortably next to Ichigo, still holding his nose.
"It's not that smelly" Ichigo said to him in an irritated tone as low in volume as possible so the rest would not know what happened.
"I'm not taking the risk," Toshiro retorted. His voice was a little squeaky from holding his nose. "You could have the decency to warn me about the Hiroshima Bomb you're going to deploy. Now I'm exposed to its radiation."
Before Ichigo could make a comeback, Isshin stopped the van and turned around. "KIDS! WE ARE HERE!"
Everyone stepped out of the van and stretched their cramped up limbs before gazing at the five-story building in front of them. The building was at the centre of a small courtyard filled with green grass and pebbled path, giving it a very soothing environment despite the fact that it was sounded by other buildings in the noisy city. Its outer walls were painted with a dull yellow paint. The stains on it indicated that the building was not new but the beautifully arranged flowerpots on the entrance door made it look lavishly fresh. There are windows placed in a regular pattern up to the fifth floor. Next to each window was a small balcony with a sliding door and wooden railings on its edge. Above the mahogany entrance door was small wooden sign with neon lights that says "Bafana Inn".
"Urahara is a cheapskate," Karin was analyzing the whole building with a scowl in her face. "He could at least get us a proper hotel"
"Karin-chan, be grateful" Yuzu elbowed her twin,"He already paid for the whole trip."
After Isshin parked the van at one of the guest's parking spot, he led the others to the lobby to check them in. The inside was decorated with banners related to the World Cup. Dark red wallpaper decorated the whole wall of what seemed like a small living room with few couches and a flat screen TV placed on one of the four wooden pillars. The lobby was not crowded, with only their group, two men watching TV on the couch and a receptionist. The receptionist at the counter was a tanned man, and has a local African feature. He was probably in his uniform: a red vest over a dark grey buttoned-up shirt. A small black bowtie was neatly placed on his collar and a name tag was above his vest pocket on the left. 'Zuma Modise'
"Good evening sir," he spoke in a very fluent Japanese with a friendly smile "Welcome to Bafana Inn, how can I be of service?"
Ichigo and the others were surprised at the man's fluency in their language. Ishida walked towards the counter next to Isshin and readjusted his glasses.
"Your Japanese is surprisingly good. How'd you know we're from Japan?" Ishida asked the man.
"I did my Hotel Management course in a college in Japan a year ago." Zuma replied "With Japan in the finals a lot of Japanese had came to Johannesburg looking for an empty hotel to stay. I can safely assume you are Japanese seeing your distinctive Asian features." Ishida smiled impressively.. Zuma then sat on a chair at the counter and placed his hands on the computer's keyboard. "I hope you had made reservation because this inn is fully booked"
"Yes, we made reservation," Isshin reassured him. "Look under the name Uruhara Kisuke."
Zuma hit the keys on the keyboard gracefully similar to a stenographer in a courtroom. He stared at the monitor and smiled before turning to Isshin.
"Ah yes, three rooms." He stood up and opened the drawer on his reception desk. He took out three cards which is assumed to the key to their rooms and handed them to Isshin. "Here you go sir. Two of the rooms are on the fourth floor while the other is on the fifth." He handed him a registration book for signature.
"Thank you," Isshin signed the book and took the key.. "These rooms… had been paid for right?"
Zuma smiled "Certainly sir. It has been paid for five nights, including our buffet package"
"Splendid!" Isshin turned around and led the others to the elevator. "Lets have a short rest before heading out for lunch!"
A few minutes later, everyone was in their allocated rooms. The girls were in one room with two queen size beds located on the fifth floor. Toshiro shared a room with Ishida and Chad while unfortunately, Ichigo was stuck with his dimwitted father. Both rooms were on the fourth floor, and each have three single beds, a small televison and other basic furnitures you can find in a normal inn's room. And right now as he was trying to get some sleep, Isshin was humming loudly as he posted up an A4 sized picture of Masaki on the wall above his bed.
"Oh dear Masaki! We are in South Africa! Don't you just love it here," he lovingly spoke to the still poster of his belated wife. "And I have a feeling that some of our children will get me grandchildren very soon!"
"What the hell?" Ichigo stood on his bed and threw the lamp that was innocently sat still on the dresser next to his bed. Isshin dodged it in the most perfect timing ever and the lamp smashed into pieces on the wall. "Don't say some stupid stuff to mum!"
"Come on son!" Isshin happily hopped around his bed as he dodged every object Ichigo threw to him, ranging from pillows to vases. "If you would ask me nicely you could bring Rukia in the room tonight! "
"Shut up!" Ichigo threw his shoe
"I promise I will not interrupt you two!" Isshin dodged the shoe. "I'll sleep in the lobby tonight!"
"GET OUT!" Ichigo now jumped towards his father's bed. Isshin jumped off and ran straight to the door.
"I've packed the 'safety rubber' in my luggage bag if you wanna use them. They're strawberry flavoured!" were Isshin last words before leaving the room happily.
"Idiot!" Ichigo cursed mentally as he lay back on his bed. He glanced at his mother's picture and sigh. What do you ever see in dad?
Soul Society
The Captain's meeting looked less crowded than it should be. After Aizen's betrayal three of the captains were already gone. Kenpachi was not around and Mayuri was still half dead in his barracks. Toshiro was hanging around with the Kurosakis in the living world. That only left them with six captains. That fact however does not stop Yamamoto from commencing the important meeting.
"Seiretei is in an emergency state," he said without showing any emotion in his expression. "The World Cup finals is tomorrow night and we have no idea how to receive the broadcast on the television without the help of Kurotsuchi-Taichou"
"Can't we go to the living world ourselves and watch the game?" Komamura barked.
"We cannot afford to have anymore Captains out of Seiretei. We already have six left."
The whole room was quiet. Without Mayuri, no one knows how to set up the device. Not all of them have any knowledge on modern technology. The 12th Division's squad was merely following his orders.
"We could ask him," Soi Fon broke the silence.
As if knowing who she was referring to, the other captains looked at each other. Ukitake then supported her idea. "I agree. He was one of the 12th Division before."
"And he started the Research and Technology Department" Shunsui added.
"Not to mention that was banished in the living world for years," Soi Fon continued. "As much as I hated his attitude, he's the only solution we got"
Byakuya and Unohana nodded. Another silence filled the room as Yamamoto fiddled with his long white beard during his deep thought about the idea.
"In that case," Yamamoto stood up and knocked his cane on the floor "Bring in Uruhara Kisuke."
Living World
He raised his zanpakuto in the air and slashed with full force. The hollow's mask was cleanly sliced in half and it disintegrated into the air. Chuckling by himself, Kenpachi put his zanpakuto back into his sheath.
"That was a disappointment. Five hollows and three adjuchas and I didn't even break a sweat." He turned to Yachiru who was sitting on his gigai's lap as she watched the half and hour battle. "Where's the kid?"
Yachiru pointed to the trembling girl behind Kenpachi. The little girl's eyes were wide opened and filled with fear as she stared directly towards Kenpachi. Kenpachi walked in a slow pace towards her.
"You can see me?" he asked. His voice was rough like a general in an army addressing his soldiers. The little girl nodded her head and wiped her tears with her torn up brown dress. Kenpachi was surprised how she could see him in his Shinigami form. There was no chain attached to her chest, so she couldn't be a stray soul. She must've posses a strong reiatsu. The little girl muttered something in a foreign language that he could not comprehend.
"Ken-Chan!" Yachiru carried his gigai and approached them. "Get into your gigai. Uruhara-chan said that our Gigai were upgraded to be able to translate other language into Japanese. If you wanna speak to her you must get in."
Grunting heavily, Kenpachi entered his gigai. The little girl stood still while Yachiru walked to her and offered her hand. "Hello, I'm Yachiru Kusajishi. This is Ken-chan"
"Kenpachi." He corrected her as he wipes the dust off his top. "Zaraki Kenpachi."
The little girl was the same height as her. She had dark brown hair and skyblue eyes. Her skin was dirty with few scratches throughout her arms and legs. She was in a dirty brown dress and a grimy black footwear of what used to be a sandal. She reached out her hand to shake with Yachiru.
"My name," she whispered shakily "my name is Rachel Dumitre. I'm just like you. "
"Hm?" Kenpachi shoot up his eyebrow when the Dumitre girl pointed to him.
She continued "A Shinigami."
Chapter done.
Tonnes of writers block occurred here and again the multiplots unabled me to thicken the plot more than it should be.
The Bafana Inn is fictional. I took the name from the South Africa Soccer team. So are Zuma Modise and Dumitre. (A mixed name from their players)
The Grimmjow and Ulquioora having a human artificial body might sound absurd and all the silly gadgets I put here was just to support the plotline.
No fluffy moments here yet, hopefully in the next chapter to come.
Until then
=B
*Kon Flies across screen*
SHINIGAMI WORLD CUP FEVER!
The room was pitch black. I felt like I was hovering over a deep abyss of darkness. I feel light. Light as a kid. That's when suddenly a small mirror appeared out of nowhere. I looked at the reflection. I was small and young. My blue hair was short and messy. A worn out robe was the only cloth that covers my body. My zanpakuto is missing.
"Nemu!" I yelled helplessly as the response was nil. I swear if I see her I will slap her for not being any assistance. Suddenly the setting around me was shifted into a soccer stadium. The stadium was filled with men with shinigami robes and dark silhouettes was hovering their face. Then out of nowhere, a soccer ball was flying right at me at an amazing speed. I barely dodged it when another one came. I shunpoed my best as the soccer balls kept coming and coming.
When the balls stopped flying, a larger ball crashed the stadium walls and rolled towards me. My body was unexplainably stiff as if a strong restraining kido was cast upon me. With horror I screamed to the top of my lungs as the ball got closer. My screeching voice drifted away as it crush all the bones in my body..
"Isane-san," Hanataro pulled Isane's robe and pointed to the trembling Mayuri who was frantically sweating and moving on his bed. "Is he okay?"
"He'll be fine," Isane took a wet cloth and placed it on Mayuri's head. "He's probably having a bad dream."
