Disclaimer: Bleach characters belong to Kudo Tite. But the OC characters do belong to me.
Ch. 7
The Scent of Plum Blossoms
Ichigo and Rukia were waiting at the 13th Division barracks for Ukitake and Yoruichi who were at the Captain meeting in the 1st Division, giving their report on what had recently happen in the World of the Living.
He and Rukia were sitting outside, "How long to we have to wait out here?"
"Be patient Ichigo, as soon as they give our report Ukitake-taicho will come straight here and tell us what is going to happen next"
"Alright whatever you say" Ichigo sighed and look up in the morning sky.
Meanwhile in the meeting hall in the 1st Division, Yoruichi and Soifon were standing in front of Captain-Commander Yatamoto finishing their report. "So that was causing this entire phenomenon here and the Living?" Yamamoto said both Yoruichi and Soifon nodded.
"And what of this Ryoka that has been reported earlier? Do you think this has something to do with what happen there and the discovery of the strange device?"
Yoruichi began to say "I believe it is so Commander as I report earlier," taking a deep breath she continued, "I am not entirely sure what is going on at this moment, but whatever the enemy is up it can be anything good"
"I agree with Yoruichi-san" said Kyōraku Shunsui of the 8th Division "I don't believe that our new friends went through all the trouble just to rebuild a senkaimon gate and come all the way here" fixing his straw hat, "and what else do we know about this, Ishiguro Akihiro fellow other than being a teacher at the academy and sent into exile"
Ukitake Jushiro stepped in to answer his friend's question, "I already sent my 3rd seats to find any record of him in the Achieves, but I have not heard any words yet"
"I see. So this is going to be difficult then I thought" said Yamamoto, he then stood up from his sit and pounded his cane to the floor, "so I have decided, we must capture the Ryokas, before they cause any harm to Seireitei"
-----
As promised Ukitake Jushiro came by the 13th Division where Rukia and Ichigo waited for him.
"Sorry for keeping you two waiting, it was a long meeting then I expected"
Ichigo got up and walk over to Ukitake and ask "so what did the old man have to say, what do we do now?"
"Well Captain-Commander Yatamoto decided that we, Captains, should send some of our seated officers out to patrol some of the districts in Rukongai. Even some of the Captains volunteer to have a look at the district their selves, since there are no reports of anything unusual yet and besides there is no telling how many enemies we may have to face"
"Well at least the old man is taking precautions; still do you think it's a type of rebellion or something?" Ichigo ask, "Some of the Captains ask the same thing earlier, but we can't be sure"
Ukitake then turn his attention to Rukia, "Oh before I forget, Rukia do you remember when you told me your report yesterday about the two women you encounter and that one of them was wearing a strange armor with patterns on it?"
"Yes, I do an also I have this feeling that I seen it somewhere before"
"I see. I wouldn't be surprised if you have seen it before"
"What do you mean Ukitake?"
"You see The Spiritual Arts Academy keeps many artifacts on display"
"Oh you mean what others had a accomplish or has been done before" Ichigo said, "Yes Kurosaki almost what your school does in the World of the Living"
Pulling a piece of paper out from his Shinigami uniform, Ukitake then handed the paper to Rukia " I believe the strange armor you seen looks like this, am I correct?"
Looking closely the picture had a full body armor suit with two medium size shoulder piece that look like it could block any heavy blow and a protective chest plate. The armor itself was color black but with silver linings almost framing the armor, the patterns were like symbols and swirls all over making it elegant yet almost dangerous looking.
"The armor is like a type of shield you can say. What I've read, who ever wears this type of armor can focus some of their spiritual energy in to the armor itself making it indestructible. The silver patterns you see helps the user to channel their spiritual pressure to any location that he or she wants the armor to be less vulnerable. Only a few of these armors were made hundreds of years ago"
"If these armors were so 'indestructible', how come you or any of the Shinigami wears them?" ask Ichigo. "Well you see the armor itself would drain the user's spiritual energy, making them weak through the process. Almost reducing half their life and eventually the user would die"
"What?" Rukia gasp
"But it depends on the user's spiritual pressure. If the user has that of a Captain then the user would survive the process"
"Oh I see whatever happens to the armors, Ukitake-taicho?" ask Rukia. Trying to make sense of everything what Ukitake just said. "All the armors were discarded long ago because Central 46 thought they were too dangerous even for us captain to handle so they were all destroyed or though it seems"
"If you don't mind me asking Ukitake, who made the armor in the first place?" Ichigo ask
"That I do not know. When I found the information about this armor there was no name or when exactly it was made, but I did manage to find something" getting a scarp piece a paper out from his shinigami uniform, Ukitake unfolded the paper and handed it to Ichigo. On the piece of paper there was what seems to be a name of some sort it read out in bold letters: Tenzen
"Ten-zen" Ichigo was confused "but isn't this a name, Ukitake?"
Ukitake shook his head slowly, "I am unsure it could be a name or maybe something. If it is a name then I don't know who this person is or if this person was a shinigami or not"
Ichigo looked back at the piece of paper. What exactly is going on?, Ichigo thought
-----
The Captain- Commander requested that the 6th Division Captain Kuchiki and Captain Komamura, with their lieutenant and their seated officers to Rukongai in the 79th District to check if there has been anything out of the ordinary since the Shinigami Research and Development Institute picked up strange spiritual pressure that was located in the district the was in not long ago.
"In order to protect Seireitei before the enemy attacks, I want the 6th and 7th Division captains, Kuchiki-taicho and Komamura-taicho to go through the south districts of 75th through the 80th since the Research and Development Institute picked up some spiritual readings between those Districts." Yatamoto informed the Captains, "Also I want Soi Fong-taicho and the Onmitsukidoto to comb through the first 5 districts as a precaution. We do not know how powerful the enemy or their sole reason of being here"
"I understand sir!" Soifon said
"Then it is settled, our sole priority as Shinigami is to protect and defend Seireitei in all means necessary"
Once there, he and Komamura-taicho decided to split up to cover more ground. Everything seems quiet in the 75th district and up. When Kuchiki Byakuya and his leitanut Abarai Renji reached the 78th district, Byakuya ordered his seated officers to question some people to find some clues if anyone seen suspicious looking characters and what they may look like.
Since the 78th districts seem 'calm' in a way, Kuchiki Byakuya began to take their leave. Renji followed his captain as he was leaving. Since they were in the district, a lot of people walked past them trying not to get in their way or even accidently bump into the two Shinigami, especially a Captain. Kuchiki Byakuya and his lieutenant Abarai Renji made their way through the 78th District of Rukongai, Byakuya kept his eyes straight ahead
As the two Shinigami made their way through the crowded streets of Inuzuri.
Something bump Byakuya on his right side making him stop to he see what or who bumped into him. Indeed it was a who, a woman, a petite woman to be exact with raven colored hair. Byakuya could not see the petit woman's face because she had her head bowed apologizing, "I am terribly sorry, Shinigami-sama, I was not looking where I was going, please excuse me" and with that said, the raven hair woman left, keeping her head down. After the woman left, a slight breeze began to pick up.
Byakuya was about to walk away but something caught his attention. All of a sudden there was a faint smell in the air, a familiar fragrance in the breeze.
That scent. He stopped dead at his track and tuned around to find the source of the faint smell, it smells familiar. Remembering the raven hair woman, who had accidently bump into him a few moments ago.
Like white plum blossoms. Like her.
Renji stop a few feet away wondering what made his captain stop in the middle of the crowed road, "Taicho, what is it, is something wrong?" asked Renji.
Before Renji could hear an answer, two other Shinigami appeared bowing in front of them, "Kuchiki-taicho, Abarai-fukutaichō" they said at the same time.
"Report"
"Hai, there has been no sighting of a Ryoka but some people reported seeing four strange looking characters early this morning, wearing dark cloaks and two of the strange characters were carrying large objects, possibly swords"
"Taicho" Renji said "do you think it the Ryokas? If they are we should…"
Before the Renji could finish his sentence, he was cut off by a loud explosion sound coming from a few feet away from them. Huge dust clouds gathered everywhere, unable to see what cause the explosion. People were screaming and running in different directions. As the dust was clearing, out of nowhere a claw came straight from the dust hurling towards them. All four of them manage to shunpo just in time before the huge claw came crashing down on the ground hard, breaking the piece of earth underneath it. By the looks of the huge claw it belong to no other than a hollow.
The Hollow itself was a massive one standing on all four legs and had a long tail. Its teeth were razor sharp like that of a shark. It shook its head violently as if it was shaking off some of the dirt and it began to let out a loud roar.
"What…a hollow" one of the shinigami said.
"Just don't' stand there you idiots, this is what you are trained for, am I right? Renji shouted out to the two shinigami. They both nodded at the same time taking out their zanpakutō from their sheath and prepared to attack the hollow that was charging towards them. The Hollow used one of its claws to begin its assault. The two shinigami dodge the hollow's claws. While the hollow was being distracted by the two shinigami, Renji jump up in the air and cut its tail off. The hollow let out a loud scream went straight for its mask; Byakuya used his shunpo and struck the hollow mask and landed on the ground. The hollow mask suddenly split into two but not completely
Renji then jump up in the air to finish the hollow, he took out his zanpakutō and slashed the hollow's mask. The hollow began dissolving where it stood
"It's over" Renji said in relieve.
Then Renji felt something behind his back, something very sharp almost a blade.
He turned around to see a tall figure behind him with a sword pointing behind him. Renji moved forward before the figure could stab him, and jump in midair before Renji could bring zanpakutō into his shikai form the figure appeared in front of Renji.
"What the…" before Renji could react, the figure raised his/her sword high up in the air ready to strike Renji down. Renji manage to block the blade, but by the strong force from it, he could not completely avoid it. With that force it knock Renji from mid air to the ground almost knocking the wind out of him. The figure landed gracefully on the ground and began to walk towards Renji as he was trying to get himself up.
The figure stop in front of him and raised his blade "how pathetic" the figure said in a deep masculine voice. Before the blade came down, the figure swiftly block a blade from behind.
"Identify yourself" Byakuya ordered as his sword was against the strange man's blade.
The man shifted his eyes at the white haori, "what do ya know a captain, it must be my lucky day", the man pushed Byakuya blade from his and jump a couple a feet way. Byakuya saw that the strange man had dark brown hair and dark eyes. As from the appearance, fairly tall, he was wearing a light brown cloak hanging over his left shoulder, and in his right hand he was holding a large katana, but some of the blade look like it was chipped.
"What is your name? I will not repeat myself" Byakuya said in an emotionless tone.
"My name huh" the man with the dark brown hair said and started to grin, "My comrades call me Jurou" shifting his eyes pass Byakuya "and my comrade there" pointing behind Byakuya "her name is Jun". Behind Byakuya was a young woman in black ready to strike from behind. As the young woman, Jun was about to make her blow from behind, Byakuya used his shunpo just in time before.
"Damn" Jun hissed
"Tell me" Byakuya began, "are you two of the Ryokas?"
"And what of we are" Jurou said "you going to kill us"
"It depends what you and your comrade are doing here"
"I see. Well then I guess you're going to have to kill me then". Getting ready to attack, Jurou reached in his cloak ready to pull what looks to be another weapon of some sort, but froze when he felt a hand on his shoulder he turned to who was behind him, it was Jun, "Jurou, we don't have time for this right now"
"And whys that?" he turned towards her with an annoyed look on his face.
"You know why, it's not time yet" she said almost in a threaten voice. "fine" Juror sighed
The woman in black, Jun took out a small object and threw it to the ground it was a smoke bomb
"Well looks like I can't fight you right now until next time Shinigami" Jurou said, and both of them disappeared in the smoke. As the black smoke cleared they were gone
"Don't' let them get a way" Renji order the two seated shinigami
"Hai" they both said, leaving their Captain and Lieutenant to find the two Ryokas that had just escaped. A crowed was form from a distance, probably watching the fight from a safe distance. Byakuya was about to turn the other way around, until something caught his eyes. In the crowed he saw a familiar face. A face he hasn't seen since that tragic day fifty years ago. Soon the crowed started departing, people losing interest on what exactly was going on or were afraid that something else might happen if they stayed there too long.
Had his back turn facing departed crowed, Byakuya said while sheathing his sword, "Renji, you scout ahead as well and if by any chance you see Komamura-taicho, inform him what has happen". Renji was surprised by is captain's order, "but…" Renji began but stopped himself before he could finish his sentence, whatever caught his captain's attention, and he didn't want Renji to come with him.
"Hai, I understand, Taicho" with that said Renji left.
-----
Far way from the fight, there was a man standing on a roof top. It was Rokuro with his arms crossed and his eyes looking straight ahead, watching black smoke rising up in the air. Assuming that the dark smoke belong to Jun's smoke bombs
"Those fools what were they thinking, they almost jeopardized the mission"
Turning around "guess we have to change the plans then", he jump off the roof and landing on another and kept continued on going back to the hideout.
Meanwhile far away from the fight, there were loud screaming noises coming from in a huge forest area. Within the forest, some tree trunks had claw marks on them while some were practically pulled off from a ground. On the ground floor were served limbs and blood spattered almost everywhere.
Hmm that spiritual pressure no doubt its Jurou, Yaeko thought as she was leaning against a tree with her arms crossed, I thought the plan was to keep ourselves quiet until we were ready to strike
I guess that moron forgot to take the capsule, or he just didn't want to,
"What an idiot" she said to herself. Yaeko pulled a small pouch from her cloak and opened it. She pulled out a small round capsule that Akihiro gave not just her, but the rest of the group before they leave to come to Soul Society.
Akihiro instructed all us to take one capsule per day to conceal our spiritual pressure even though he gave us five capsules per person. Once we take these we can't sense one of our own or the shinigami we have to go against.
Putting the capsule back in the pouch and into her cloak
Yet he didn't mention any other of the side effects.
Yaeko sighed and shifting her eyes straight ahead watching some of the ground fly through the air and hearing sounds of limbs tearing, and screaming. In front of her was a giant Hollow with one of its arms missing and then another arm landing on the ground with a huge thud noise. The one who took off the hollow are was Nana, who had a huge grin across her face. It look like Nana was getting bored, so she ran passed the hollow and halting to a stop right behind it, the turned and was about to attack
Crack
A breaking like sound was heard coming from the hollow. The hollow's mask was sliced in half, as it was being to fall the hollow then began to dissolve in the air.
"Hey Nana are you done yet?" Yaeko said in her calm voice.
"Yeah I'm done" Nana said, sheath both her blades and started to look around like she was looking for something "hey where did the other one go, I though there were four?"
"The fourth one got away" Yaeko said walking over to Nana
"Ah so you let one hollow get away, huh" Nana sighed and put her hands on her hips "So what now should we go after it?"
"There will be no need it seems like someone else took care of it and besides Jurou messing around"
"So that's who spiritual pressure I felt earlier"
"We better get going. I guess we have to change the plan now because of Jurou being reckless and all. Why did he have to come along in the first place?"
She and Nana began to take there leave. After 5 minutes of walking, there were sounds of breaking twigs and bushes. The two of them stop and where ready to grab their weapons, waiting to see if it was another hollow, but out from behind some tress were people, men. By the look of their clothing and weapons hanging on their sides, they were bandits. It wasn't a surprise to run into bandits when you're in the lowest district. One of them came up, he was tall and dirty and his eyes were scanning both Yaeko and nana's body slowly.
"Well what do we have here, two beautiful ladies walking through a forest alone? Please let me and my friends escort you two out, or we could have some fun here and now". The man's 'friends' were slowly circled them and with smiles on their faces probably think what they are going to do to them since all of them are middle of nowhere.
Yaeko and Nana glanced at one another giving each other a devious smile.
-----
As Kuchiki Byakuya walking through the 78th district in a steady pace, he ignored the dirty faces that were thrown at him probably anger at his for almost destroying half of the houses when dealing with the hollow and the Ryokas.
Back there in the crowed.
Byakuya remembering after his meeting with Jurou and his female accomplice Jun. Something caught his attention, he saw the face of his wife, Hisana. He couldn't believe it. His heart was pounding through his chest when he saw her face.
That woman look just like Hisana, but it couldn't have been. I have to make sure. But if it Hisana reincarnation then she would not remember who she was or me.
He then heard noses coming from a near by alley way as he was walking by. He then looked at the open alley way and heard a familiar voice he hadn't heard for fifty years ago saying: "I have nothing that is valuable so please leave me alone"
"Hisana" he said almost in a whisper.
-----
Three men corner the woman in the pink faded kimono in a dark alley. Her back against a wall. "Look what we got here boys" one of the men said. "My, she's an attractive one, don't ya think boss?" "She smells nice too", another man said. One man stepped forward, assuming to be the leader of the two pulled out his knife and placed the knife on the young woman's cheek, barley touching her skin.
"I have nothing that is valuable so please leave me alone" she said, almost in an emotionless tone
"Really?" looking up and down her body slowly, "perhaps we can think of something". Moving his knife down from her cheek down to her neck to clasp of her pink kimono.
The young woman knew what he was going to do to her. She closed her eyes. Just get this over with, she thought
"B-boss"
"What, what is it" the leader sounded annoyed. The leader turn to the one who was addressing him who was looking at something. Whatever it was the man had fear in his eyes.
The woman opened both her eyes to see what the man was looking at. There behind the men only a few meters away was a Shinigami with what seems to be a white haori, his features were hidden in the shadows since the sun's light didn't reach the alley.
"I believe the woman said to leave her alone"
"So what are you going to do about. You Shinigami think you can do whatever you want. Come to our district thinking you are an All Mighty being that thinks he could sod whatever he wants, huh? You have no business here so leave" the man spat at the shinigami.
Byakuya moved his eyes from the man to the woman who was against the wall. He just kept staring back at the woman's eyes. Those same sad eyes. Byakuya swiftly took out the two men using shunpo. By the time the 'Boss' could react, a sword was at his throat causing the man to drop his knife.
"If you want to keep your life", still pointing his sword at the man's throat, "then I suggest you and you friends leave my sights at once". After Byakuya said those last words, he watched as the three men scramble to get up and practically ran for their lives. When the three men were out of site, Byakuya then turned around where the woman was. He looked at the woman. She was on the ground bowing her head, "I thank you, Shinigami-sama. I am ever in your debt". Keeping her head down, Byakuya felt the urge to touch the raven-hair woman. His wife, His Hisana, but he was against it.
"There is no need. It seem like you were in distress". She looks up toward the Shinigami
"Still thank you" she bowed again "if its not trouble I like to know name of the Shinigami that saved me, if that is not too much trouble"
"Kuchiki Byakuya". She repeated his name slowly, as she did that she brought one hand up, rubbing head as if she was going to have a headache.
"Are you hurt?" Byakuya ask this caught the woman by surprised.
"Yes I'm alright I guess I bump my head hard, thank you for your concern. I'll take my leave now" she said and was about to exit the alley when the Shinigami, Kuchiki Byakuya said, "What is your name?" without realizing it what he just said, Byakuya kept his gaze at the young woman face, the face he once and still loved, the same raven hair color, those same doe eyes, same petite body, and that same pale skin.
"My name is…it's…" the woman hesitated for a moment, seems like she was either debating whether or not she should answer his question. He did save me after all, it is a least I can do to repay him.
The woman closed her eyes and open then with a smiled on her face and answered in a soft and gentle voice,
"It's Ume"
Author's Note:
Jurou- Tenth
Ume- Plum Blossom
Wow this chapter is long, lol. So what do you think? Sorry for the late update, I was having some trouble putting scenes together. If anyone has any questions or are confuse on some parts of the story please just ask or PM me and I will do my best to answer your question. Please review and comment.
