Yay for chapter four! I actually had some of this chapter originally as a part of chapter three, but then I realized that the explanation process would be rather long, so I decided to split it up. Hopefully we'll be out of the shop by the end of the next chapter.
So, enjoy reading!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach
Orihime watched the shop owner with confusion and apprehension as Ichigo shot a withering glare in Urahara's direction, but they both kept silent as they listened to what he had to say.
"First of all, let me start by saying this; the transformation is completely reversible. You will change back, Ichigo, I can guarantee you that. The question is whether or not you will change back on your own. That is one of the major reasons we are doing this experiment. If everything goes according to my calculations, which it should, the transformation will reverse itself in exactly twenty five days. If you don't change back in that amount of time, then I will have to administer a special serum that will force the reversal process. Now, before you go getting any ideas, the serum itself takes nearly a month to synthesize anyway, so you're going to have to spend at least one month in that form no matter what."
Urahara paused to catch his breath before continuing. After all, that had been the good news.
"During that time," he continued, "you must live as normal a life as possible. That means you stay in the gigai. No soul-reaping of any kind. I've confiscated your badge, and will return it to you after the experiment is over."
Ichigo seemed about to argue, but before he could get started the shop-owner held up a hand asking the irate teen to be patient and wait until he had finished.
"Kurosaki-san, you don't have to worry about the safety of the town. We will handle things until Kuchiki-san returns from the Soul Society at the end of next week. We plan on telling her that you're off running an errand for me and won't be returning until the end of the month. That should keep her from worrying too much."
"And on the subject of worrying," He continued without missing a beat, "I plan on putting Kon in your body so that none of your friends or family gets suspicious about your absence. I've even worked out a deal with him so he will go to class and behave like a good boy while you're gone so that you don't miss any days at school."
Urahara stopped again at that point, deciding to let what he had just said sink in a bit before taking the big plunge. The next part was definitely not going to go over well.
"And as for you, Kurosaki-san, I had originally planned to keep you here and have you help around the shop for a while… but after seeing how… uh… upset you are over this incident I have decided that you staying here is no longer an option."
Taking in one last breath, Urahara quickly blurted out the last bit of his plan as quickly as he could while still being marginally understandable.
After all, this was the part that was likely to get him killed later.
"Instead, I think it would be best for everyone if you stayed with Inoue-san until the experiment is over. I will arrange for you to join your class as a transfer student starting Wednesday so that you won't fall behind in your studies. I think we'll have you play the role of one of Inoue-san's distant relatives. That way, people won't question why the two of you are living together. We have also set aside a little money for any necessities that you might need over the next month. I would suggest that the two of you go shopping for some cloths that fit as soon as possible, since I don't think you want to be walking around in that blanket for the next month."
The two teen just stared at Urahara, dumbstruck and trying as best they could to make sense of the swiftly spoken monologue.
Ichigo recovered first, realizing that Urahara had essentially just told him that he would going to school while staying at Inoue's house. First of all, there was absolutely no way that he was going to school like that! How could he be around his friends and have them not notice it was him? Everyone would figure it out on the first day! And secondly, how could he stay over at Inoue's house, or any girl's house for that matter, for a whole month? It wasn't right! Just the two of them. Together. Alone. Every night. For one month. One whole month…
"Hold up, I can not stay at Inoue's!"
"Why not?"
"Because I'm a guy you moron! Guy's don't stay over at girl's houses. It's indecent!"
"Well… I suppose that is true to some extent. My, I didn't think you were quite that chivalrous. However, there is one small flaw in your argument."
"Oh really?" Ichigo sent Urahara another one of his patented withering glares, "What exactly might that flaw be?"
"Simple. You're not a guy anymore; you're a girl."
Ichigo's jaw dropped of its own volition at that simple statement. Denial raked at the teen, but somewhere in the back of his mind he knew that it was true. Sure, he hadn't really… 'taken inventory' so to speak, and he'd tried his best not to think about it, but there it was. His entire predicament summed up into one little sentence.
Still, the substitute soul reaper wasn't about to let the demented shopkeeper win that easily.
"I am not a girl!"
Urahara quirked up his eyebrow before smiling mischievously. During the explanation Ichigo had begun to let his guard down. Before anyone could stop him, the scientist quickly snatched up a handful of the blanket that Ichigo was hiding under before pulling it away with a jerk, letting the pseudo-cloak wad up in the corner well out of the reach of the now-exposed gender-bent teen.
Underneath that cloth barrier was a truly unique site to behold. Ichigo now had a body that could rival a Greek goddess. It was a body that most women would kill for. Her face was framed by sixteen-inch long strands of shimmering orange hair serving as an excellent contrast to the deep chocolate orbs that had widened in shock at the sudden removal of the only decent garment the poor teen could find on such short notice. She still had an angular face, but her chin had rounded and her cheek-bones risen. Her neck and shoulders were still covered with corded muscle, and she still looked like she could break most people in half, but the muscles themselves had grown more lithe, and the tight shirt she was wearing looked as though it might split apart if she started flexing. That constricting black shirt, however, was just barely big enough for her breasts, hugging them tightly across her chest, just shy of being unbearable. The shirt itself was a few inches too short, so there was a small gap of tanned skin and toned muscle between where the shirt ends and the shorts begin, exposing the washboard abs that had shrunken to fit the confines of her new waist. The shorts themselves hung low as they hugged her hips tightly before abruptly ending just shy of decency. This had the effect of making her already long and shapely legs look even longer as they sat coiled underneath a body that most men would find absolutely luscious.
"From what I can see," Urahara began while trying his best to not stare, "you, my dear, are most definitely a girl."
A look of shock and disbelief fell across Ichigo's face as he stared incredulously at Urahara's lewd grin.
Unfortunately, the previously silent Orihime chose that particular moment to break out of her reverie by suddenly blushing and returning to her previous state of incoherent babbling and near-hyperventilation.
Her distress was understandable, of course. She had just learned that her crush had just been turned into a girl – a pretty girl – and was going to be staying with her! It was insane. It was above and beyond anything she could have ever imagined happening, quite the feat considering the young girl's extravagant daydreams. So many emotions ran through her head all at once, each one vying for the driver's seat. She was confused by what had happened to Ichigo. She was embarrassed that he was going to be staying with her in her tiny apartment. She was worried about whether or not Ichigo was going to be okay with being a… girl. And a small part of her deep in the darkest recesses of her mind was a little jealous of just how gosh darn pretty he was!
Ichigo remained silently shocked as Yoruichi, who up till this point had wisely decided to remain unobtrusive in the corner of the room, tried her best to placate the madly flailing healer. Eventually, Orihime calmed down enough to get her breathing under control, but she was still visibly shaken.
It was at this moment that Kisuke Urahara had an idea come to mind that was nothing short of genius. He did his best to hide his triumphant smile as he addressed the upset young lady.
"Inoue-san, think of it this way; this is a game – a competition if you will. The objective is to keep everyone from finding out what's happened to Kurosaki-san. We have to make everyone think that the person sitting next to you is not Ichigo Kurosaki, but is instead Ichigo Inoue, your long lost cousin that has come to live with you for an unknown amount of time. If we can keep it a secret for the entire transformation period, then we win. If someone finds out, we lose. So, Inoue-san, don't you want to win?"
Much to Ichigo's dismay, Orihime's eyes lit up at the idea as her lips puckered slightly in interest. Most people don't know about the young girl's extremely competitive streak, but Kisuke Urahara wasn't most people. He knew all of the mannerisms and personality quirks of all of his 'patrons,' and Orihime Inoue was no exception. Based on his previous observations, Orihime should now go into 'competition mode' where the only thing important is winning. By making the bubbly girl think that this entire scenario was a game, Urahara had not only neutralized the akwardness of the situation for her (abet temporarily), but he had also effectively recruited her into unconditionally helping out as much as possible.
And just as he had predicted, Orihime's face burst out into a massive grin quickly followed by a look of steely determination – a look she had actually picked up from Ichigo, although she would never tell him that.
"I want to win, so that is precisely what we are going to do! Right Kurosaki-kun?"
Orihime looked over to Ichigo then, her big grey eyes twinkling with excitement.
Ichigo stared at her for a moment before realizing that he had yet again been out-maneuvered. Urahara had gotten him into a corner that he couldn't get himself out of without either agreeing to go along with this insane plan or breaking Inoue's heart. And Ichigo absolutely refused to hurt the excitable girl. She'd been hurt enough for a dozen lifetimes.
Which left him with only one option.
"…*sigh*… That's right Inoue… we're gonna win…"
Orihime practically glowed with joy at his answer as she began babbling excitedly.
Ichigo turned away from the ecstatic girl in defeat. At this point, he just didn't care anymore. She was happy, he was tired, and as he thought about it he realized that he was hungry too.
Raising his glance up to Urahara one last time, Ichigo decided to get all of his thoughts straightened out before embarking on this insane mission he'd just been conned into.
"So, let me get this straight. I have to spend the next month as a girl, living with my classmate, who is also a girl, go to school posing as her long lost relative, and keep all of my friends from finding out that it's really me."
"In a nutshell, yes."
Ichigo scrunched his face up as he pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated beyond rational thought.
This, he thought to himself, is going to be a very long month.
And there you have it! Chapter Four done and done!
As you can see, Ichigo is in for WAY more trouble than just Kon. ^_^
And just so you know, I plan on torturing Ichigo severely soon. The boys out there have no idea just how traumatizing shopping for 'girl clothes' can be.
Any girl that has ever had to get sized for a bra knows exactly what I mean.