A/N Hey guys! :3 We're back in Frozen Tears: Centuries of Hate! In the last chapter, we stopped at the appearance of Urahara! Now what will happen to our team of Shinigami? Let's find out! Happy reading! :) And I am happy myself, since more people are supporting me... XD Thank you everyone!
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Kubo Tite owns it all. BUT... THE ANIME MUST CONTINUE! I want it to continue... I cry... ;-;
Some ten minutes later, the Shinigami were seated around a large foldable table which Urahara had brought down with him. Ururu, the black-haired girl, was busy pouring and distributing tea to all of them, including Ichigo and Karin, whose leg had already been bandaged up, with a few plasters on her face and arms.
Hitsugaya found himself wedged between his childhood friend and the soccer girl, with Matsumoto right beside Karin. He felt highly awkward with so many women around him, and shifted uncomfortably. Hirako, who was sitting beside his vice-captain, took note of his discomfort and smirked.
"How does it feel to have so many girls surrounding you, Hitsugaya Taicho?" He snickered, his signature grin on his face. Hitsugaya froze, a blush seeping up his neck when the heads of his fellow subordinates and a particularly pricky orange-head turned towards him.
"Toushiro..." Ichigo growled, his grip on his tea cup tightening visibly. Karin smiled at her Shinigami friend beside her, then shot a glare towards her brother, and he clammed shut, though his rage was still evident by his trembling shoulders. Hinamori giggled at Hitsugaya's embarrassment, while Matsumoto merely jumped on her captain, pressing her large bosom against the back of his head.
A soft sigh escaped the ice captain's lips, his white brow twitching in annoyance. "Matsumoto... Please get off..." he muttered quietly, crossing his arms over his chest. But his vice-captain adamantly pushed harder, giggling teasingly. Hitsugaya glanced over at his Shinigami subordinates, wondering how they were reacting to the absurd scene, and saw some rather interesting expressions.
First, there was Hirako. He had a particularly shocked expression on his face, his grin turned upside down. Then there was Hinamori, who looked ready to burst into peals of laughter. Ikkaku, Renji and Hisagi looked downright envious, while Kira, Yumichika and Kazuko were just looking away. Rukia was the only one who just smiled and didn't bother staring.
Hitsugaya, even though he had been attacked by Matsumoto's bosom countless of times, still found it highly annoying. He scowled at his vice-captain's stubbornness, and decided to elbow her in the gut.
"Ow!" The busty vice cried out, lurching backwards and successfully moving away from him. She clutched her stomach, and pouted at her captain. "That hurt Taicho! Why did you do that for?"
"You didn't want to get off me, so I took the pleasure in smacking you off instead," Hitsugaya replied dryly, scowling. Matsumoto let out a childish whine, but otherwise remained silent. The only problem left was that Hitsugaya was now entirely surrounded by girls: Karin on his left, Hinamori to his right, and Matsumoto now just behind him. It was suffocating, and he shifted again, grumbling inwardly about how women couldn't seem to leave him in peace for just one day.
"Alright, now let's get down to business! I suppose, Hitsugaya Taicho, that you and your team need your gigais?" Urahara chirpily said, a smile on his shadowed face. Hitsugaya nodded, and the man with the apron, Tessai, came forward, with the red-haired boy, Jinta, by his side.
"Hitsugaya-dono, your gigais have already been prepared upstairs. You may take them once you are done here," Tessai said, and his spectacles gave a glint.
"Thank you," Hitsugaya gave a nod of his head towards the assistant shopkeeper, and turned back to face his subordinates. "Well, we'll need a plan since we're here now. Considering that the enemy we're about to face is something that has never been seen before, all of you-"
"Wait," Karin interrupted, and to the Shinigamis' surprise, Hitsugaya didn't seem to mind. He glanced towards his friend, raising an eyebrow questioningly. Karin took that as a signal that she could continue. "You never told me why you guys are even here. What enemy are you talking about?"
"Recently, there has been some strange reiatsu activity going on around here in the real world, so we were sent down by the Sou-Taicho to investigate. Or, at least, Hirako and I were. Everyone else you see here were either chosen by the both of us or decided to tag along," Hitsugaya explained. Hirako nodded in agreement.
"So the reiatsus you were talking about... Do you mean those creepy, zombie-like creatures that I've been seeing around town lately?" Karin asked, blinking. The reaction was immediate. Both Hitsugaya and Ichigo slammed their hands on the table, crying out 'What?!' at exactly the same time once more, while all the other Shinigami were gaping at the human girl.
Giving the ice captain a glare for the synchronized action again, Ichigo turned to his little sister, who was sitting beside him. "You saw the enemy before? Why didn't you tell me?!" He exclaimed, his fists clenched.
"I hope you didn't engage battle with these... 'zombies'..." Hitsugaya muttered, pinching the bridge of his nose. Karin smiled, albeit a little hesitantly.
"Actually, I have."
"YOU DID WHAT?!" Again, the ice captain and strawberry screeched in alarm, and again, both glowered at each other. Snickers were let out by a few Shinigami, the loudest from Renji. "You have a problem, Abarai?" Hitsugaya scowled, his teal eyes flashing dangerously at the vice-captain. Renji froze and shook his head, hunching forwards in fear.
"Why did you fight with those monsters Karin?" Ichigo hissed, a strain in his tone. Karin shrugged, looking slightly guilty.
"Well, that happened a few days ago. I was walking home from soccer practice when I heard a scream and saw a soul getting chased around by this hideous beast. It had really sharp claws with a black liquid dripping from them. Actually, it's entire body was black, and I could only see its eyes and a wide mouth which had razor sharp teeth inside. I couldn't let the soul get eaten, so I kicked my soccer ball at it, infused with my reiatsu, and it ran away." The girl said, tilting her head towards the ceiling thoughtfully.
An uneasy sensation crept up Hitsugaya's skin at the description, and he could feel an urgent gnaw at his heart. Something didn't feel right. "What colour were the... eyes?" He asked softly. A memory tickled at the back of his mind, and he resisted the urge to clutch his head. Karin looked at him, confused.
"Uhm... Yellow. Like, this sickly kind of yellow... Poison yellow I guess," she replied. "Why'd you-"
It was then Hitsugaya lurched forward, a cry of pain escaping from his lips. His hand flew to his chest, where his heart now felt like it was being crushed slowly, and his head spun dizzily. His tea cup tipped over, spilling its contents all over the table, some of the liquid dripping down onto his Shihakusho.
"Toushiro!"
"Shiro-chan!"
"Taicho!"
Three women exclaimed at once. Hitsugaya soon found himself in the centre of attention as Hinamori and Matsumoto fussed over him, while Karin merely gushed out apologies, in case what she said had triggered the pain and whatsoever. The ice captain, determined not to show any signs of weakness, waved them off, leaning against the table and trying to regain his composure, chest still clutched. He groaned softly, squeezing his eyes shut as a blinding headache split through his mind, causing him to shudder.
"Oi, oi. Hitsugaya Taicho, are you alright?" Hirako asked, concern in his voice. Hitsugaya gave a small nod, grimacing as a thudding ache settled in his heart, the grip on it loosening at the very least, which allowed him to relax a bit more.
"What happened, Hitsugaya Taicho?" Kira asked worriedly, gazing at the prodigy. Hitsugaya shook his head, his throat unusually dry. What had happened? He had no clue. Just by hearing the sound of 'poison yellow', the pain emerged, and he had felt like he was drowning in water.
"You're not having a heart attack, are you Toushiro?" Ichigo said suspiciously, narrowing his eyes. Hitsugaya managed a scoff, before he launched into a coughing fit, his body trembling. Karin smacked his back, causing Hitsugaya to cough even more, but it quickly subsided as he took in deep breaths.
"Dear me... Hitsugaya Taicho, are you sure you're alright?" Urahara asked, gesturing for Ururu to clean up the spilled tea. Hitsugaya nodded again, a scowl settling upon his features.
"I'm f-fine..." he rasped, wincing at the dryness of his mouth. He needed to drink something refreshing. Ururu cleaned up the mess in front of him, before giving him a new tea cup, this time filled with water. He grabbed it and chugged it down, relishing the coolness of the liquid sliding down his throat. Instantly, he felt better.
"What happened Shiro-chan?" Hinamori whispered, concerned, as she put an arm around his shoulder. Hitsugaya felt Karin freeze beside him, and heard a soft growl rumbling in her throat. He felt confused, and instead of replying to his childhood friend's question, he turned to her.
"Is there a problem Karin?"
Karin flinched, and quickly shook her head, giving him a strained smile. "Nothing's wrong Toushiro," she answered. Hitsugaya then felt Hinamori's grip on his shoulder tighten considerably, and winced. Honestly, he had no idea what was wrong with the two girls.
"Back to our problem at hand... Hitsugaya Taicho, I advise you take a break for the rest of the day. Who knows, that little... 'attack' could have been a bad omen," Urahara advised.
"That's right," came a new voice, and all the Shinigami, including Ichigo and Karin, turned to find a new figure standing on a rock nearby, clothed in bright orange. Shihoin Yoruichi, former 2nd Division Captain and Flash Goddess, grinned. "Hey,"
"Yoruichi-san!" Ichigo exclaimed, watching as the lithe woman jumped down from the rock and headed towards them.
"Like what Karin here had described, these unknown beasts act and behave like Hollows, only their strength is on a whole new level, close to an Arrancars'," the cat-lady said, sitting down next to Urahara.
"Oh? So you've seen them too?" The shopkeeper asked, faintly surprised. Yoruichi nodded.
"I was out buying milk a couple of hours ago, when suddenly I found a Plus Soul being attacked by several of those beasts," she reported, and suddenly Hitsugaya felt that same painful clench in his chest not long ago. He grimaced, his hand twitching.
"They were hunting the soul in groups of three. Apparently their intellect is that much higher of ordinary Hollow, not just their strength. They nearly got to the soul and would've had him if I hadn't stepped in," Yoruichi went on. The grip on Hitsugaya's heart tightened, and almost unwillingly, clutched his chest, gritting his teeth in pain.
"Toushiro?" Karin murmured, her eyes widening in alarm when she saw the ice captain bite down on his lip, nearly drawing blood.
"These monsters were-"
"Stop! Yoruichi-san, don't talk about the monsters anymore!" Karin cut in, glancing urgently at the rapidly paling Hitsugaya, who now had his hand clutched on his chest so tight, his Shihakusho ripped slightly. Yoruichi abruptly stopped, narrowing an eyebrow at the young captain who was struggling to fight against the agony in his chest.
"It seems that speaking about these new creatures have some very serious side effects on Hitsugaya Taicho... But why only him? Do the rest of you feel pain anywhere?" Urahara asked, glancing around the group of Shinigami. They all shook their heads, gazing worriedly at the ice captain, who was now trying to control his breathing.
"J-just... Go... On... I'll... Move away... For now..." Hitsugaya gasped out, groaning. He staggered to his feet, only to have his knees buckle. He was about to fall when a pair of strong arms caught him, and he wearily glanced up to see Ichigo holding on to his arm. The Substitue Shinigami's brown eyes held a mix of feelings. Hitsugaya could see anxiety, fear, and the most confusing of all, suspicion, but that emotion quickly disappeared from the orange-haired man's eyes when he pulled the ice captain back up.
"You shouldn't strain yourself," Ichigo simply said. Then muttered under his breath, "Cocky midget," A tick mark appeared on Hitsugaya's temple, and he scowled at the Substitute, his eyes twitching.
"What did you just call me Kurosaki?" He growled, and Ichigo gave a careless shrug, before tugging at his arm and dragging him away, towards a secluded corner of the training grounds. Hitsugaya could still see the meeting, but was out of earshot, so he couldn't hear a thing. It frustrated the prodigy a bit, but at the very least he would still be able to keep an eye on his subordinates.
"Ok, so where were we?" Ikkaku said once Ichigo came back.
"Yoruichi-dono was talking about these creatures' battle prowess," Kazuko replied nervously. Yoruichi gave a nod of her head towards the 10th Division fourth-seat.
"I think we should refer to these beasts as something much more simpler, like a term we can all understand," Hisagi suggested before the cat-woman could speak.
"Like a name we can use, instead of calling them 'monsters', 'beasts' or 'creatures'," Kira added.
"Why should we give something that sounds ridiculously hideous a name?" Yumichika asked vainly. Ikkaku smacked the pretty boy's head upside down.
"It's to make things easier you idiot," the cue ball smirked.
"So a name for these zombie things, huh...?" Ichigo muttered, and his mind wandered off to think of a suitable term to call the beasts. Everyone began to think.
"What about Yellow Eyes?" Matsumoto stupidly suggested, a smile on her face.
"Too long," Urahara replied simply.
"Then Zombies?" Hinamori tried.
"People might think differently,"
"Razors?" Renji said.
"What kind of a name is that?" Rukia berated him, smacking his arm.
"Arrancar-Hollows?" Ikkaku gave.
"Sounds like a mix breed, when we don't even know whether it's a mixed breed or not," Urahara said logically.
"Uglies!" Yumichika exclaimed.
"Is beauty and fashion the only thing you can think about, Ayasegawa-san?" Kira mumbled.
"Uhm, what about-" Kazuko said.
"I got it!" Ichigo cut in. Everyone turned to look at him.
"What is it, Ichigo?" Hirako questioned.
"We should call them... Toushiro's Bad Omen!"
From where Hitsugaya sat, staring into space, a sudden chill went up his spine and he sneezed. What the...? He narrowed his eyes and glanced back, peering from the rock he was leaning against. The meeting seemed to be going good, though everyone was staring at Ichigo as though he had said something horrible. He had a feeling that the Kurosaki male was talking about him. And it didn't feel like a positive comment.
"That's a bit too... Centred around Toushiro, Ichi-nii..." Karin said, giggling.
"Yeah! It's rude to say that! It almost sounds like an insult!" Matsumoto pouted at the orange-haired adult. Ichigo shurgged.
"Yeah I know, but he seems to be the most sensitive when we talk about these monsters. I mean, just look at him! It's like as if he got a heart attack when we talked about this topic in front of him," Ichigo retorted.
"Shiro-chan is not weak, if that's what you're trying to say. He's one of the strongest people I know. I'm sure there must be a reason as to why he's experiencing pain just by listening to this topic," Hinamori snapped back, coming to her friend's defense. A scowl settled upon the Substitute's face, but he remained in an angry silence.
"Well, to continue on, how does Black Chappy sound?" Rukia suggested. A few amused smiles were raised.
"That certainly sounds good enough, but it is too long. Are there any other suggestions?" Urahara asked. Hirako gave a shrug.
"Making up names was never a strong point of mine," he replied lamely.
"Uhm... If I could-" Kazuko began again.
"Oh! What about Hooligans?" Hisagi interrupted excitedly.
"That sounds rather drab. And people might mistake it for those real hooligans out there," Renji scoffed.
"Then Emos?" Kira mumbled out.
"Says the emo himself," Ichigo snorted. Kira sighed, scratching the back of his neck.
"Please, could I-" Kazuko pleaded, only to be cut off again.
"Ooh, I got one! Maybe Soccer Freaks!" Karin grinned.
"That sounds more like a club name or team name," Hinamori sniffed distastefully. Karin glowered at her, but said nothing to counter back.
"Tuna Stealers!" Yoruichi declared. Everyone stared at her like as if she had gone mad(which was most probably the case). "What? Is it wrong to express my love for tuna?" The cat-lady growled. No one answered, and she huffed.
"Could I please, please, please speak now?" Kazuko squeaked, his face tinted red. Everyone turned to face him. He gulped and took in a deep breath. "I-I was thinking we should call them Unknowns... We don't really know much about them after all... We don't know where they came from, what kind of beings they are, and even though Yoruichi-dono has fought against them before- as well as Karin-san- their powers are still relatively... unknown to us..." he concluded, face turning different shades of red.
Silence fell over the group for a moment. "Now why did we not think of that before...?" Ichigo finally muttered.
"Well, since no one is complaining, 'Unknowns' it is then!" Urahara declared. Hisagi and Kira, who were the ones sitting closest to Kazuko, gave him friendly smiles, and the 9th Division Vice-Captain gave him a pat on the back.
"Well done! I'm sure Hitsugaya Taicho would be happy to hear you came up with the name for these new monsters we're about to face," he complimented, and Kazuko blushed.
"I-it was nothing really..." he mumbled, looking away shyly.
"Now, on to the next topic: what we're all going to do about the Unknowns," Urahara went on. "We should make this quick, since we don't want to keep Hitsugaya Taicho waiting at that miserable corner over there," he added, indicating to the secluded spot a pretty far distance away from them, where Hitsugaya's hair, shoulder, and leg could be seen behind a rock.
"I say, we first discuss where we'll all stay. It'll be too troublesome to just wander around and ask strangers to house us," Ikkaku put in. "Yumichika and I will go to Asano Keigo's house, like we always do when we come to the real world," he said after a moment to let his words sink in.
"Well then! Hinamori and I could stay at Orihime's! I don't know whether Taicho would want to tag along though, since he normally sleeps on the roof," Matsumoto said as well, slinging her arm across Hinamori's shoulder.
"Eeehhh?! Shiro-chan sleeps on the roof?! But he'll catch a cold!" The 5th Division Vice-Captain exclaimed, horror on her face. Matsumoto shrugged.
"I know that! But somehow he never does!" She mused.
"Toushiro could stay with Ichi-nii and I at our house," Karin offered. Ichigo ogled at his sister.
"WHAT?!" He cried out in alarm. Rukia spanked his head.
"Be quiet you fool! There's no need for you to scream all the time! And what's the problem with Hitsugaya Taicho staying with you and your family?" She chided. Ichigo rubbed the back of his head, tentatively touching the spot where Rukia had whacked him.
"It's not like I don't want him to stay in our house... There are things I'm worried about..." he answered, glancing at his sister swiftly. Karin caught his gaze and snorted.
"What, you think he'll do something to me? I wouldn't even let that happen. And he knows better than to make me angry, Ichi-nii," she said. Ichigo didn't look convinced, but nodded anyways.
"Yeah ok... I guess he can stay with us..."
"Of course, I am coming with you too Ichigo! Your closet is still my room!" Rukia pouted, glaring up at the orange-haired male in front of her. Ichigo gave a light chuckle.
"Yeah I know..." he sighed.
"Uh... Uhm... Kuro- I mean... Ichigo... Could I... Stay with you too?" Kazuko suddenly asked timidly. Ichigo blinked at the blue-haired fourth-seat.
"Why?" He asked. Kazuko lowered his head, his face entirely red.
"I-I'd like to... Stay with... Hitsugaya Taicho..." he mumbled, and a blush crept onto the already red face of the fourth-seat, darkening the flush.
"Oooh! So you're one of his admirers? Well, guess I can't say no to that then..." Ichigo laughed, grinning. Kazuko squeaked, eyes widening in surprise.
"N-no! That's not it! I-I just feel like... I should... I just feel like it's my duty to protect Hitsugaya Taicho in times of danger!" The fourth-seat spluttered. Ichigo guffawed.
"Toushiro can take care of himself perfectly well. You, as his fourth-seat, should know that," he said. Kazuko nodded.
"But now we're up against a new enemy... And... Seeing how he reacted when we were talking about the Unknowns... I just can't help but get a feeling that things will become worse than they already are..." he said firmly, the blush disappearing slowly. Ichigo smiled at the fourth-seat's spirit.
"I guess you're right. Maybe another one more person wouldn't hurt..."
"Hisagi, Kira and I are going to stay here at Urahara's Shop. It's much more convenient anyway," Renji said.
"Then I guess I'll go visit the gang. It's been a while after all," Hirako said lazily.
"That makes all eleven of you then!" Urahara said gaily.
"Should we pretend like we're students? We could go to the college that Karin is studying in," Matsumoto suddenly suggested.
"Honestly, I don't think that's necessary, since most of you look like adults... But maybe Toushiro and Hinamori-san will have to go. And Rukia too," Ichigo said.
"HAAAAH?!" Karin cried out, alarm on her face. Even Rukia and Hinamori were gaping at him in shock. "But, Ichi-nii..."
"Don't worry, you'll be fine! And anyway, Toushiro, Hinamori-san and Rukia will be able to protect you and Yuzu if those monsters come," Ichigo said, waving off her words. Karin opened her mouth to protest, but then thought the better of it and sighed.
"Alright..."
A/N And we're done! Oh dear, what had happened to our dear Hitsugaya? Will he be alright? And why do these newly named Unknowns sound so familiar? Also, what will happen once the ice captain finds out he will be staying at the Kurosaki Residence, as well as attending SCHOOL?! Find out in the next chapter of Frozen Tears: Centuries of Hate! Stay tuned! Reviews please! :)
(P.S This was almost 4000 words... I'm amazed at myself... :O)