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BACK IN BLACK

"Asu o ushinatte shimau ka mo shirenai kakegae no nai ima ni se o mukenai."

CHAPTER IV

Kana was the silent one. Not just the quiet one, but the silent one. It was very rare of the youngest of the Urahara siblings to ever say much of anything at all, and even when she did, it was typically short and to the point. Sometimes there wasn't even a point; She was just saying something to break her classic state of silence. Even when she had watched her siblings and her father and his friends scramble to figure out just what they were to do about the mysterious naked woman who was now in their house, she said next to nothing, content to simply follow her family with her eyes, and making no move to help.

This tendency to say nothing, however, did come with certain perks. Despite saying very little during her life, Kana had seen very much. Kana saw almost everything; She watched all the time. That was her favorite pastime, after all... Watching. Even though Kana hardly ever spoke, she saw, as well as heard, pretty much everything that had ever happened both around Urahara Shop and within Karakura Town, itself. She had been the first to discover that Hiro was sneaking out after dark not because she was in a gang, but because she was caring for a litter of cats that lived in the valley by the river. Kana was still the only one of the three sisters who had figured out exactly what it was that her father sold in that sketchy little shop of his; She figured that her two sisters were content to assume that he just sold drugs. Most of his friends were strange enough to be junkies, after all.

Kana had also been the first and only sister to discover exactly what their father, and the woman that they called their mother, were. Yoruichi, of course, had a little more up her sleeve that Kisuke did. After all, Kana was almost positive that her dear old father could not in any way, shape or form transform himself into a little black cat. Kana was also certain that neither Hiro or even Reo were completely aware of the existence of Shinigami, nor did they know where their "mother", Yoruichi, had run off to for the past few weeks. Kana knew, though. The purple haired woman who had all but raised her had left the world of the living through a pair of shining doors called "Senkaimon" several weeks ago, and neither she or her father had heard from her since. Even Reo and Hiro were starting to get worried.

Lastly, Kana had her own suspicious about just what she and her sisters were. So far, it seemed that she was the only sister who had discovered her own strange form of... Powers. Kana was not too sure if that's what they could be called. But the caramel haired girl was quite certain that a normal human would have to work out for many, many long years in order to lift a fallen lamp post off of an injured dog's leg. And she had been able to do it on her first try, and everyone was well aware of just how out of shape Kana was. Since then, Kana had conducted a few experiments of her own; Not only could she lift obscene amounts of weight with only one hand, but she could also sprint/hop/leap across Karakura Town in a little over a minute and a half. It was no easy feat, even for her, but she doubted that any normal human could do it without killing themselves. Especially the jumping part; Jumping from rooftops was a very dangerous thing for anyone.

Even though Kana knew all of this, she told no one. Her mother and father did not know how much she knew, after all. She hadn't whispered a word to either Reo or Hiro about just how strong they all were- She hadn't even shown them her own powers. Urahara did not suspect that she no longer saw him as just a silly old man drug dealer, and Yoruichi hadn't the slightest clue that she knew about her... Feline side. Despite having all of this knowledge- Seeing and hearing all of these things- Kana did not speak a word of it. She guessed that she had to give props to whoever had coined the phrase:

"See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil."

Because, although Kana had seen and heard many, many things, she spoke about none of them. She was content to keep those things that she had learned as her own little secrets... For now.

Warm water lapped at Reo's skin, washing away her stress and doubts as she sank lower into the tub full of steaming water. It had been a trying day, to say the least, and Reo was quite certain that she would need more than a hot bath to get over the events of the day. Even though it was still only early evening, Reo felt as though she had been awake for ages, and the warm water enveloping her was only making her feel more exhausted. After a short pause, Reo sighed and slid her eyes open once again, only to stifle a small scream.

Reo was definitely not in her bath anymore. Where she was, exactly, was quite a mystery. She did not recognize the many rustic brick buildings that surrounded her, nor did she recognize the cool waters on top of which she now appeared to be floating. Her choppy burgundy hair fanned out around her face on the surface of the water, her grey eyes wide as she stared upwards towards the crystal clear skies. In the distance she could hear the caw of seagulls, and the noise that the water made reminded her of a beach.

"What are you doing here?"

In a flash Reo sat upright, her uneven blood red locks whipping around her face in the light breeze as her stormy eyes searched for the owner of the voice. For a while she saw nothing, but upon closer inspection, the redhead was surprised to discover a boat floating towards her. Reo didn't move an inch, simply watching as the slim metal boat cut through the water's surface, carving out a path in the glass-like waters until it came to a stop just in front of her. Reo narrowed her eyes and pursed her lips. Had it been the boat that had spoken?

"Of course not," the voice said again, and Reo jumped, her head snapping upwards to stare into the boat. "It's too soon for you to be here... You're not even supposed to know about this place, yet." As slowly as humanly possible, Reo allowed her eyes to travel up from the front of the boat, cautiously seeking out the person who had been speaking. She blinked, pausing when her eyes at last fell on a pair of feet. Socks and sandals covered the toes of whoever it was who had spoken. After a short pause, Reo again allowed her eyes to travel upwards. She passed what she assumed were a pair of legs, which were covered with flowing black cloth. She couldn't help her face heating up as her eyes fell on the partially exposed chest of the speaker, who she now realized was male. But it was only when her stormy irises at last fell on his face that she really felt surprised.

"I... Ichigo?"

At this, however, the man simply laughed. Reo frowned indignantly, sitting up a little straighter on top of the water in order to get a better look at the man to whom she was speaking. In the middle of the boat was a fire, which was contained in a large metal bowl on the bottom of the boat. But this was not what interested Reo; It was the fact that the man's face looked almost identical to Ichigo.

"Of course not." he said again, setting down the long paddle that he held in his hand as he spoke. "I simply take on the appearance that you want the most." Reo's frown deepened.

"I don't want you to look like that creep,"

"Oh, I think you do." the man said, chuckling deep in his chest. The harder Reo stared, the more it astounded her just how much the man looked like Ichigo. The only difference was his coloring- His eyes were darker, and his hair was not only darker but longer, the shaggy locks ticking his jawline with every movement that he made. "I wouldn't look like this, otherwise." For a long while Reo stayed silent, content to simply listen as the waves in the water sloshed against the side of the boat, the man within it staring her down icily from his perch far above her.

"... So what do you really look like?"

"That's for another time." he replied calmly. Slowly, he leaned down, stretching out his hand towards Reo. Despite herself she flinched, unsure of whether or not she should trust this strange, boat-rowing man. This did not go unmissed by the Ichigo-doppelganger, who's hand stopped mid-reach, his long fingers still outstretched as though reaching for Reo's hand. The redhead shivered, her eyes meeting his. The next second, his hand had retreated, and he was back to standing tall at the opposite end of the boat.

"Who are you?" Reo whispered, ignoring the vague tugging feeling that she was now feeling in the pit of her stomach. The corners of the man's lips twitched into a sad smile, but only for a moment.

"You wouldn't be able to hear me, anyways."

Then Reo blinked, finding herself back in her bath in her home. The water had grown tepid by then, and Reo could only blink in confusion as she stared around her bathroom.

"I... Wha-"

Reo's own confused stammering was interrupted when the door to the bathroom was thrown open, revealing a seriously put-out looking Ichigo. Reo let out a loud yelp, sinking farther into the cooling bathwater surrounding her and covering her chest with her arms as quickly as possible.

"Ichigo, what the hell?" she hissed angrily. Ichigo simply rolled his eyes, attempting to play it cool even though Reo could clearly see his cheeks reddening in the low light of the bathroom.

"I've seen naked women, and you're sixteen, it's nothing that impressive." Ichigo taunted, causing Reo's cheeks to redden and earning himself a heated glare from the red haired girl in the tub. "Just telling you Rukia and I are leaving,"

"So get my dad to tell me!"

"... He's currently incapacitated."

"You mean drunk,"

"Yeah, I mean drunk." Ichigo admitted, bowing his head.

For a while both parties were silent, simply averting their eyes from the other's and staring off into space. Reo was still curled up into a ball beneath the water's surface, her mind still reeling from her strange dream, and from the fact that Kurosaki Ichigo had just barged into her bathroom while she was naked.

"So..." she murmured, her grey eyes meeting Ichigo's as she spoke. "Are you gonna leave now?"

"Oh!" Ichigo exclaimed, his eyes widening with a mixture of realization and surprise, as if he had forgotten completely what he was supposed to be doing. "Yeah, of course." And without another word he closed the door, leaving a mildly flustered and confused Reo in his wake. Standing up, Reo focussed on listening to anything that may have been happening just beyond her bathroom door. Down the hall, she could almost make out Rukia's words... And she definitely heard her say "Soul Society". Narrowing her eyes in suspicion, Reo worked quickly to dry herself off and slip on her clothes, ignoring the way the thin fabric of her black sweatpants clung to her still damp legs. Her choppy hair was still dripping wet, the water droplets traveling down the back of her neck and sending shivers across her skin that had nothing to do with what she was planning on doing... She was going to follow Ichigo and Rukia.

Exiting Urahara Shop swiftly and quietly, Reo only had to glance left and right quickly to know which way the pair had gone; Ichigo's brilliantly orange hair was still visible from just around the corner. After pulling on a thin black sweatshirt, on which the number fifteen was printed in bold red letters, Reo took off after Rukia and Ichigo, being sure to stay just far enough behind to remain out of their eyesight. Reo was cold, her whole body was still dripping wet, and she was not at all dressed for the weather; But she had to know what they were up to. Reo wasn't stupid- She knew that the girl Kon had brought home was not normal. She also knew that Rukia knew, and she was quite positive that if Rukia was acquainted with both Ichigo and her father, she was far from normal, as well. The fact that both she and Ichigo were now dressed head to toe in black robes and carrying swords was more than proof of that.

"... Shinigami..." Reo whispered to herself as she trotted along behind the suspicious black-clad duo in front of her.

The two were speaking swiftly, but she couldn't make out what they were saying from that far away. As Reo drew closer, she found herself almost swept off her feet as a strong wind swept across the empty lot in which the three of them were now standing. Out of nowhere, a circular door appeared in the air, opening as the winds increased tenfold. Reo let out a gasp, watching in surprise as both Ichigo and Rukia entered the round double doors together. Mustering whatever courage she had, Reo made up her mind, sprinting after the two without even bothering to consider just what could happen to her if she did. She got there just in time, slipping through the small crack left between the two doors, which closed together with a snap no sooner had she passed through them.

Reo's eyes widened, and she soon forgot that she was cold, or that she was wet, or that she was not at all dressed for the weather. All of her small, insignificant worries were swiftly swept away as her eyes were met with possibly one of the strangest things that she had ever seen in her whole life. The redhead was given little time to take in the appearance of the tunnel that she was now standing in, however, as it seemed that her cover was now officially blown.

"Reo!" Ichigo called, his voice close to a growl, a mixture of surprise and anger. Reo jumped, the hairs on the back of her neck standing on end. Why did she feel like she was in danger? What was this place... And why was Rukia looking at her as if she were about to die?

"Reo-chan, look out!" Rukia's scream bounced off of the walls of the tunnel, filling Reo's ears as she turned all the way around. Her eyes as wide as saucers, Reo could only watch as an enormous... Boulder, of some kind, made its way straight for her. A small light glimmered at the very top of it, illuminating its path as it barreled straight forwards. It was feet from her, and Reo highly doubted that she had any hopes of outrunning such a monstrous thing. No sooner had she thought this, however, did she feel a strong arm wrap around her waist, pulling her away from the giant boulder and back towards Rukia faster than she could even comprehend.

Ichigo grabbed Rukia as well, holding a girl under each arm as he activated his Bankai and flew through Dangai, Kōryū* hot on his heels. Glancing down to his left, he watched as the Substitute Shinigami badge that he had held onto all of these years slip from the sash around his waist before being swallowed up by the Kōryū. Turning to face forwards once again, Ichigo mustered up all of his strength, putting forth one more enormous burst of speed- And then they were through. The three of them fell through the sky, and Ichigo felt Rukia slip out from under his right arm as both he and Reo fell through the treetops. The two hit the ground with a loud thud, and he heard Reo cough and splutter as the wind was knocked out of her.

"Ich... Kurosaki!" she cried out angrily, pushing herself up as swiftly as possible. He was sure he could see her wobble a little, apparently disoriented from their fall, but she managed to stay upright. "What the hell was that?" Reo hissed. Without so much as a warning, the vivacious redhead had grabbed him by the collar and shoved him up against a tree. Urahara hadn't been kidding when he had said that he hadn't left his daughter's powerless- Anyone who knew about Mod Souls would have no trouble identifying her as one with this kind of strength.

"Don't act like this is my fault!" Ichigo retorted as he pried Reo's fingers off of his collar one at a time. "You're the one who followed us! I didn't ask for you to tag along,"

"Only because you were hiding something from me!"

"How is it your business?"

"I... That..." she began, stumbling over her words clumsily, unsure of how to reply. "That's not the point!"

"Oh really?" Ichigo replied skeptically, raising his eyebrows before meeting Reo's gaze. If anything had changed about Reo since Leona's death, it certainly hadn't been her stubborn personality. Her stubbornness seemed to be completely intact, and then some. "What's this about, then? Because you followed us here- And you could've gotten yourself killed back there! What the hell were you thinking?"

"I just want to know what this place is!" Reo protested shrilly. But before Ichigo could answer, he found both himself and Reo surrounded by several familiar faces. Reo blinked, suddenly realized that several swords were now pointed right at her.

"Byakuya..." Ichigo muttered darkly, his eyes narrowing in suspicion as he gazed around at the circle of people now surrounding him. From behind Ichigo, Reo could see a short man with white hair, who was staring at her in surprise, but said nothing. The man the Ichigo had spoken to, who's eyes were the same color as Reo's and who's hair was a deep black, at last spoke up.

"I do not know what you were planning, bringing her here," he began, nodding his head in Reo's direction. Reo frowned. "But we must bring you into custody as a material witness."

"It's nothing personal, Captain Kurosaki," said another voice, but Reo was too busy staring at the man with white hair to pay attention to anyone else. "This order's from the top." At last Reo tore her eyes away from the man, instead choosing to stare straight up into Ichigo's light brown eyes.

"Ichigo..." she murmured, her eyes traveling over the unfamiliar faces surrounding her once more before continuing. "What the hell did you do?"

*Koryu is the current that is constantly flowing through the Dangai, in order to prevent enemies such as Hollows from using it. The current stops souls from moving, and even one foot caught by it makes escape almost impossible.

This chapter is basically a transition chapter- You'll notice that it's a bit shorter than the others! In this chapter we get a little bit of insight into Kana, who has been a bit elusive for the first several chapters. As you can see, she's kind of the silent-watcher type of gal. We also get a peek at what appears to be Reo's new Inner World- Which looks an awful lot like a weird version of Venice, Italy in case anyone was shaky on the description. The man she meets looks a lot like Ichigo- Who is he? I'm sure most of you can guess! We also get a little Reo-Ichigo interaction, that is until they are surrounded by what appear to be some Captains of the Gotei Thirteen. Keep in mind though, in the Bleach Invading Army Arc, they are meant to be Reigai, as the real ones are in the human world!

Thanks so much for the reviews on last chapter. And to all who have added this story to their favorites or to their alerts, your support is really appreciated! Keep the reviews coming, and get ready for some seriously action-packed and mysterious chapters to come!