Chapter 10
First Encounter
Kurosaki Ichigo, 26 years old, the most successful and the youngest businessman in Karakura Town. He has a beautiful mansion by the beach with two pools, the other one with a Jacuzzi, and 3 cars (a Ford, BMW, and Porsche). He has a couple of establishments running along with restaurants that belong to his beautiful wife, Inoue Orihime.
They have been married for over half a year and seldom does a young couple be this successful and happy. Everyone envied them of course. They were a perfect pair. But they don't have a child yet.
Their other life? Well, Ichigo has taken a long break from being a shinigami representative. But he was still there when difficult missions require his help. Orihime was also at his side too. They became stronger than before even though they got to use their skills only when fighting hollows.
The two never learned any new details from Soul Society. Their shinigami friends weren't really leaving them out. They updated them with some changes, but mostly regarding enemies or Hollow appearances. Rangiku, who was their main informant, was being kept busy by Hitsugaya Toushirou, her captain, who was currently growing up to be a very attractive young man. The tenth squad vice-captain's visits were being cut short by the number of work done. Higher officials were also seldom assigned to the real world.
Soul Society…
Kira Izuru looked at the excited faces of his fellow 3rd division seated officers. Today was their monthly field training with their captain. They also wanted to see and learn from the infamous captain themselves. He knows a lot more about Hollows than any other shinigami, being a Hollow, more specifically, a Vasto Lorde, himself once.
But the captain didn't show off about it. Most of the times, he'd rather evade the topic. Grimmjow Jaggerjack has indeed become more mature and more like a shinigami as years passed by.
"Men," an authoritative voice rang out from above the Senkai Gates. "We are about to enter the human world for our monthly training."
They all looked up. Standing above them, with a commanding pose and a very handsome bearing, was the third division captain Grimmjow Jaggerjack with the lieutenant. The female shinigamis sighed as they beheld the display of pure masculinity in front of them.
Standing there, clad in his white haori with no sleeves and his electric blue hair moving easily with the soft breeze was who many people call the perfect captain. Many would say that since his command in the third division, his squad has been the best in executing commands and performing tasks sent by the first division or any other things at that matter. All of the men learned discipline and obedience from their captain. All were trained to be smart and calculating, unlike how ruthless and impulsive their commander had once been when he was an Espada. Because of this, he and his subordinates have been frequently recognized.
The whole division whispered words of excitement. They battle it out with both dummy and real hollows. There were no parameters in their training. A spirit camera was attached to their robes to record the actual battling and techniques used, along with the number of enemies slain. Some squads, especially the eleventh frequently laughed at this monthly training. The third division was the only group conducting such instruction, and some find the whole concept pointless. They believed that training in Soul Society was more conducive.
But, as the captain pointed out in one of their many meetings, this dumb practice is what makes the third force the most efficient and trustworthy of all. Since most of the action takes place in the human world, shinigamis have to make it a must to train in unfamiliar but highly-required grounds. The shinigamis' main job was to protect the souls and humans who are still wandering the real world from hollows. Special case battles that happen within Soul Society are very rare.
"Captain!" Kira Izuru said, as he reappeared beside his commander. "I have received the special command of the Commander-General. He has sent word of the place we shall conduct our training."
Grimmjow accepted the scroll and read through the brief command, after which he cursed to himself.
Captain Jaggerjack,
Request for Monthly Training granted. Commander-General specifically instructs that this training be a mission to, under the orders that the whole squadron, disperse in the town where the highest concentration of spiritual activity (and Hollow disturbances) are found. This, as most of the captains are aware of, within Karakura Town, Kantou Area, Japan. With this, the commander gives a special order that limits are therefore released and the squad is to report to Urahara Kisuke for the distribution of their gigai. The stay in the human world will be for one whole week.
Reasons for the command is that a force is again preparing to threaten this town. Details of an uprising scales to an area somewhere in this town comprising of exiled shinigami and a former captain, Watari Hideki. Motives are yet to be investigated. Other activities should be reported immediately to the office every after 24 hours and special reports when crucial.
The dispersion of the third squad means that the rebellion has gathered a considerable number of powerful exiled shinigamis. Training is exactly timed with the detailed report sent by the second division spies so the commander is left no choice but to let your entire troop engage in this mission.
You are hereby requested to announce details of the mission. Other findings would be between the captain, vice-captain, officers, and other subordinates concerned.
Thank you.
First Division Vice-captain
Sasakibe Choujirou
"Karakura Town…" Grimmjow whispered to himself.
"What is it, taichou?" Kira asked.
Grimmjow's eyebrows were drawn together in a frown. Karakura… the place that used to be Aizen Sousuke's target. The place where he was included in the massive Arrancar army to wipe the entire town out.
He quickly paced and called out in a clear voice. "Men, we are in a mission. An impending negative force is growing and our squad is tasked to crush it before it grows bigger."
"Specifications are that this subversive movement is spearheaded by an ex-shinigami captain named Watari Hideki," he continued, ignoring the incredulous stares of elder shinigamis. "I suppose some of you who are here way before me know this man."
"Yes sir. He is purported to be the former 7th squad captain before Komamura-taichou. He was sent along with five other shinigami captains to defeat the outlaw shinigami named Baishin. It was said that he was among those who are sacrificed in order to seal Baishin," 4th seat Hirameki Kenichi said.
"But then he's still alive after supposedly 'sacrificing' himself?" Grimmjow said, interested and disgusted. "Well then, thank you for the information 4th seat Hirameki. This all would be a great help. Now, listen carefully."
"We are going to Karakura, Japan to undertake a very crucial mission in which, we are honored to accept. We need to accomplish this task within a week, as given by the commander-general. When we arrive, I want the fifth, sixth and seventh seat officers to go to Urahara Kisuke to claim the whole squad's gigai and distribute them without failure or any kind of failure such as the interchanging of bodies, do I make myself clear?"
"Yes sir!" all of them said.
"I know most of you are excited with this mission, especially when you are given the golden opportunity to stay in the human world for quite a time," Grimmjow said, with his voice growing more serious as every word comes out. "But do not forget that we are under a crucial task. Any form of nuisance given to me because of irresponsibility will be given ample action, do you all understand?"
"Yes sir!" they all replied.
"Dismissed," he finally said. He knew that irresponsibility wouldn't be a problem among his subordinates. Being a leader of his caliber made his division members awed and respectful of his capabilities, such that they wouldn't dare do anything stupid while in his watch.
Other than that, there was a bigger problem impending, one that would require more than his mind and skills to fight off. He was being confronted by the past – a past he would do well to forget. But he couldn't do anything. Orders are orders. And he was a shinigami now. Technically, he had to be on the good side of everything.
Karakura Town…
"I don't even know why I'm here," Orihime muttered to herself.
She looked up at Ishida Uryuu, who was busily sewing up her torn skirt.
"You know why you're here," Ishida said. "You asked me a favor to fix your Gucci skirt that your husband obviously tore apart."
Orihime laughed out loud. Ishida certainly meant something else. He thought they were doing an activity that Ichigo was too impatient for.
"Not that," she said when she finally found air. "He tried fixing it, making it worse. It got caught in a hook. I said the sentence 'I don't even know why I'm here' because you were so absorbed in your work that I had to strike up a conversation with you."
"Oh…" the man said, adjusting his glasses. "What do you want to talk about?"
"You know what I mean…" Orihime said, smiling teasingly up at him. "I saw a certain female shinigami leaving your office window before I came in the building. I saw her flying to a nearby electric post and out of sight."
"And does this shinigami have a name?" Ishida asked, looking away and testing if Orihime saw everything correctly.
"Of course! The beautiful Kurotsuchi Nemu with her unusual shinigami uniform," she said, winking broadly. "And look at what she left behind…"
Ishida looked at the direction Orihime was pointing and gasped. He saw Nemu's underwear near his working table, the lace standing out visibly on the earthly colors of the carpet.
He quickly disappeared using Hirenkyaku and the underwear disappeared. When he finished the weird task, Orihime was laughing her head off.
"She didn't mean to leave it there, right?" she said. "Maybe it just fell off!"
"Be quiet, Orihime-san," he said, blushing abnormally.
"Sorry. So what's the story?"
"If you must know…" he said. He started to relay the romantic events when Orihime suddenly spotted something unusual up the sky.
Ishida seemed to have sensed the reiatsus that fluctuated in the air because he stopped talking and looked up at the sky too.
On the mass of treetops appeared almost thirty shinigami. Even at that distance, Ishida and Orihime could quickly tell that they were death gods. Another appeared amongst the crowd, wearing a white overcoat, making it clear he was the captain.
"Why are there so many of them here?" Ishida said.
"Beats me," Orihime said. "Maybe they're on to something again."
"Probably so. I guess Kurosaki would know about this."
"Maybe not. He's never told me anything of this sort over the past days," she replied. "Let's hope it's just not too alarming this time."
Ishida nodded. Then, his mobile phone beeped.
"I'm sorry Orihime but it looks like we have to go to Urahara's shop," he said.
"He called for us?" Orihime asked, a bit worried.
"Well yes. Chad gave me the message. We have to go now. Kurosaki's there already," the quincy said, standing up.
Orihime nodded and followed him outside and into his car.
Urahara's shop…
"What's going on this time?" Ichigo asked the smiling Urahara Kisuke.
"Nothing to be worried about Kurosaki-san," Urahara said in his usual carefree manner. He unfolded his fan and continued. "There's just another secret uprising going on. It's nothing big at the moment but Soul Society isn't taking any risks anymore. They're sending the whole 3rd squad to do instantly crush this movement before it grew too large."
"I guess they're being wise this time," a serious Ishida said, entering the room with a disoriented Orihime.
"Kurosaki-kun!" she said, rushing toward him, giving him a kiss that he returned. "What's going on Urahara-san?"
"Nothing really major, Orihime-chan," the shop owner said again. "As I was saying, I just called you here because in any time, Soul Society might call on us as reinforcements. We should still be prepared. Who knows what this former captain's got under his sleeves."
"Former captain?" Chad asked.
Shihouin Yoruichi suddenly appeared from under the table and perched her cat self on it. "Apparently, the problem is another ex-captain by the name of Watari Hideki. He was exiled after illegally using an immortality product Kisuke was working on back then. He was caught before testing it."
"Another one of yours?" Ichigo asked a smiling Urahara.
"I can't help it if my genius is often misinterpreted and misused. But I do not have any bad, ulterior motive in making these things, unlike my successor," the man said, grinning wider. "I just make these things to satisfy my, ah, what do you call this? My sense of curiosity."
"Well, curiosity killed the cat," Ishida said. Yoruichi purred at this statement and looked blandly rueful at Urahara. The man laughed in return.
"So my curiosity killed Yoruichi?" he said after recovering from his laugh. "Well then, let's just say that another reason why I called all of you here is that Watari may be after another one of my works. He's always been so curious about my projects, although back then I considered them as another form of inquisitiveness. We have to be sure. And I don't think I'm at full capability to fight."
"Why is that? Are you hurt somewhere Urahara-san?" Orihime asked with concern.
"No. It's that in his body, he can't fight full force," Yoruichi said. "Remember, Urahara tried to be a human. He's still hanging on the balance."
"So you still haven't perfected that part huh?" Ichigo said.
"Quite so," Urahara said seriously. "Nevertheless, we have to move on. I'll do the investigating with Yoruichi. I'll just call on you if Soul Society and I need you."
"Good on the 'I' part," Ichigo said. "By the way, you mentioned third division is the one handling this mission."
"I did. Why?" Urahara said.
"Do they have a new captain?" the orange-haired man asked, eyebrows furrowing.
"As a matter of fact, they do. He's new."
"Who is he?" Ishida asked.
"I am sorry young Quincy but for the first time, I can't answer that question."
"And why is that?" Ichigo pressed on.
Urahara Kisuke looked at them with a spark in his eyes as he said dramatically. "Because I don't know!"
He laughed as he left leaving an annoyed Ichigo and Ishida, a confused Chad and Orihime, and a surprised Yoruichi.
"What's up with him?" Ichigo growled out.
"Don't mind him. He's just like that," Yoruichi said, following Urahara.
"Yoruichi-san! Do you know the man?" Ishida asked.
"No," the cat answered. "I haven't been to Soul Society for a while, you know. And the others are too busy to tell me anything. Don't worry though, we'll find out. It's not that he's too exciting or anything. We're just positive he's male. And from what little news I hear about new captains, I think he's the hot one."
"Planning to have him Yoruichi-san?" Ishida inquired. This question made the others' heads turn in surprise. They were expecting the former Secret Mobile Corps Commander to launch a series of attacks on the quincy, but received none. Instead the cat smiled in an unusual way.
"Watch your mouth Quincy boy. I'm not planning to do anything," she said as she left.
"Ishida and his big mouth," Ichigo said, laughing hard.
(Singsong voice) Chapter 10 is here… Chapter 10 is here…
So, this is actually a 'cut' chapter. I was going to something, but I got too lazy to do it. Anyway, this is my first time just adding one chapter. Progress of my story is slow because I'm getting hooked to this TV series I bought in a DVD pack, "House." You know, the anti-social, maverick doctor who is a medical genius!
Haha. I recommend this series. Highly intellectual.
Anyway, R&R!