AN: I do not own either Bleach or Naruto, which belong to their respective mangakas, I do however own an overactive imagination and a mild case of insomnia…cheers. PS: The title of this chapter refers to the names of the children (i.e.: Umeko is plum blossom child, and Keiji is Cautious leader….at least according to my sources.) PPS: Sorry for taking so long to update, but I apparently know jack shit about the early naruto stuff, so I had to do a crap-ton of research. Also, my chapters will eventually get longer... at the moment certain things need to be researched or polled in order for me to continue.
A CAUTIOUS LEADER, AND ONE BORN OF PLUM BLOSSOMS.
Ichigo and his new companion walked along the back streets of the town so as not to attract any more attention. Eventually they stopped in front of a small shack that reminded him of Renji's description of where he and Rukia had lived prior to the Academy. The boy stopped in front of the doorway covered by a moth-eaten, light purple sheet and made the universal gesture to come inside.
The inside of the house, frankly wasn't much better than the outside. Though it was obviously clean, the furniture and other items were all in various states of disrepair, the only thing that was spotless was the family shrine featuring a picture of a brown eyed, dark haired man, and a beautiful woman with black hair and onyx eyes.
The boy, who Ichigo had identified to be around 10 years old (albeit a small and malnourished 10 year old), moved towards the bed in the corner of the room and lifted up the moldy blanket to reveal five year old girl with similar features, who appeared to be of a healthier weight, indicating that the boy skipped meals just to feed her. He reached into the ratty yukata he had been wearing and pulled out a small piece of bread and gave it to the girl, who until that point had been staring in fear at Ichigo.
Sighing, Ichigo bent down to their level, and said in the most calming voice possible, "Don't worry, I'm not here to hurt you….in fact I'm not even from around here, so there is no reason for you to hide." 'Not from around here…..that's the understatement of the year, thought Ichigo privately. "So, you gonna tell me why you are getting chased?"
The little girl looked scared, as did her older brother, though he tried not to show it. Seeking to reassure them further, he said, "Look, no matter, I am going to protect you with my life." Apparently the conviction in his voice and eyes swayed the boy as he finally began to speak.
"My name is Keiji, and this is my sister Umeko. We've been living on our own ever since our parents died. At first we were sent to live with some relatives, but they just took all our money and tossed us in the street. We were doing ok until we were sold to the town leader as the next sacrifices to the Kyuubi no Yoko."
"Kyuubi no….what now?", questioned Ichigo.
"The Kyuubi is a giant demon fox that demands a sacrifice from our village every so often in return for not destroying it. And I don't wanna be a sacrifice, and neither does Umeko", Keiji cried out, finally showing his age.
"Don't worry, I'm not gonna let you become a sacrifice, even if I have to take down this freaky fox thing myself"
"But mister", Umeko said in a soft voice, "I don't want you to get hurt…..you're nice."
"Don't worry about me Umeko, I may not look it but I'm pretty stron-" Just as Ichigo was going to reassure them, a group of villagers (read: ignorant sheep) shoved through the small doorway in an attempt to get to the children. Both Umeko and Keiji quickly hid behind Ichigo who showed neither fear nor surprise at their arrival.
"Keiji…I hope your not too attached to this shack…"
The young boy barely had time to mutter a "huh?" before he witnessed the long black haired male whip his hand to the side, forming an ethereal black blade that appeared to be composed of obsidian fire from the deepest pits of hell. Ichigo then calmly brought the blade to bear parallel to his torso, holding the edge of the blade with his other hand. A whispered "Getsuga Tensho" was the only forewarning before the world erupted in a sea of hell-fire.
When the smoke cleared, Keiji was amazed to see half the building destroyed, villagers strewn across the alleyway….most unconscious.
"Wow, If that was my version of low powered…I can't wait to see what a full powered one will do", Ichigo said offhandedly, causing the children's eyes to widen. 'We might just make it yet'. thought Keiji optimistically.
AN: before I can continue, I need a little help. Please place your choice in a review for the question below…
Should Ichigo change his name
A- Yes, to Mugetsu…the name Kurosaki Ichigo would be too painful to use and lead to severe homesickness
B- No His name is just fine
C- Combination….Ichigo Mugetsu perhaps?