Attention: I just added a poll to my profile. I want to know what you guys think of doing a Bleach fanfic based off of a Shakespearian play.
Sorry, but this chapter is another dialogue heavy one, but I didn't see any other way of describing the 2,400 years of Ryuu's life without using 16 different flashbacks. I'm sorry, but things will heat up soon. I'm also sorry if anyone is OOC. It's hard to keep track of the way everyone at once.
Yea, don't own Bleach, but I claim any and all OCs I create.
Chapter 11- The Truth About Death Gods
Ryuu walked up to the door of Urahara's shop dressed in his black kimono and white, sleeveless haori. Noticing a medley of voices, coming from inside, he put his ear to the door. The only voice he could catch clearly was Urahara's
"There were always things that seemed unusual around Ryuu. He always seemed to know things he shouldn't have. He seemed to have an intimate understanding of the way things worked in the Seireitei that any non-shinigami of his assumed age would have never known. Whether they are right or not, we have been hoodwinked."
So, things have fallen into place it seems. Taking a hand, he made a split in the air and reached in, pulling out an ornate, sheathed tanto, stuffing it in his obi. (1)
Karin suddenly felt the skin on the back of her neck tingle. She could feel something… strange just outside the door, and then suddenly, it was gone. She also noticed that Tatsuki also glanced at the door, but did nothing else. Curiosity won out and Karin got up, headed for the door.
Yuzu looked at her sister, concerned. "Karin? Where are you going?"
Karin placed a hand on the sliding door, not looking back at her sister. "Thought I heard something."
Tatsuki looked at Ichigo's sister in surprise. She knew Ryuu was outside the door; she sensed it when he used his powers to open a rift to… where did it go anyway? Well, the place he kept stuff would have to do for now.If Karin can sense that too, what is she?
Karin soon found out what that something was. As she opened the door, the other door in the pair slid open, revealing Ryuu.
They both made a startled hop backwards. Ryuu noticed that most of the group was looking at Karin in surprise. Apparently I was noticed…
He cracked a smile. "You shouldn't surprise you elders Kurosaki-san. Though I don't mind the occasional surprise, it may be adverse to some others' health."
Urahara cleared his throat, breaking most of the others at the table out of their rude staring. "Well, yes. On that note, we wish to discuss something with you that may shed light on exactly how much of an elder you are."
Ryuu scanned around the table seeing who all was here after coming the rest of the way into the room and closing the doors behind him. "Didn't Tatsuki and Orihime tell you?"
Yourichi twitched her tail in annoyance. "You must excuse some of us for finding it a little hard to believe."
Ryuu sighed and sat down. Yuzu could tell that there was a weariness behind the action beyond her imagining.
"Well, I suggest you forget any and all notions you had of me before this day or this will be a very long night. I will tell you everything, but first Kisuke-san, may I have some tea too?"
Ryuu made a satisfied sigh after finishing the tea. He knew it was a little rude of him to finish off his tea so fast, but, my, did he need it. Training every day and guarding the town every night until the Gotei 13 bothered to assign a replacement for Rukia was tiring, but luckily he could sense a new shinigami in the city, meaning his first uninterrupted sleep was ahead of him.
He decided it was best to get straight down to business. "I would first like to mention that the story that Tatsuki and Orihime told you is completely true, as hard as it may be for you to stomach. However, this is but the head of a very long path."
"In the story, I leave the shrine to go on a quest. The journey is long and arduous, taking me though much of the Continent and back again. In the end, I found myself not far from where I started with 12 companions who sought, as I did, a special place."
"Long had we known of the existence of the corrupted spirits known now as hollows. Though they were weaker and fewer in number then, those of us with spiritual power drew them like moths to the flame. So, my companions and I looked for a place where we could find some measure of peace form both hollows and warlords to train our abilities and learn to protect the others from the corruption. Eventually we found a sage who had seen such a place."
"There was only one problem. It was in the land of the dead. After much council amongst ourselves, we bravely, or foolishly, decided to forge onward, no matter the cost. My companions and I gave up our current physical forms to pass on. When we arrived on the other side in the Land of Souls, we found ourselves on a great hill that overlooked much of the surrounding land. There we set up our monastery-dojo, training our bodies and minds for the sole purpose of fighting hollows. The other spirits started referring to us as warriors of the dead and eventually shinigami."
"It was only a mater of time until we started attracting followers. Eventually our little monastery grew into it took over the whole hill and down into the valley below. With the help of local masons, we discovered Sekkiseki stone and surrounded the growing complex with a great wall of it. After this our new fortress was called Seireitei."
"Or swift growth as a community and a local political power drew the attention of a great man who had a dream of uniting the many villages of spirits into one great city outside of ours. While we assisted him in forming a civil government for the souls of the new Rukongai, he eventually used this against us. He used his influence among the lower ranks of the shinigami to force our retirement. My successor, the mighty Yamamoto reorganized the shinigami into the Gotei 13, transforming our spiritual warriors into lapdogs for the tyrant. Though publicly we were recognized by the Gotei 13 as founders of their great organization, but many of us found little joy in this."
"However, the tyrant died heirless. A wise man stepped forward to take his place, starting the Yamato dynasty that rules in Soul Society to this day. He did not change the Gotei 13, but he did found the Central 46 in an attempt to keep them in check. Also, to remove any threat of the Imperial family trying to exert too much influence, he established his palace outside of Soul Society itself."
"The new Emperor also recognized the injustices that had been inflicted upon my original comrades and I. The survivors and descendants, he made nobles in an attempt of adding another power pole to Soul Society. I found myself adopted into the Yamato clan and still serve as the Voice of the Emperor to this day, though in the past centuries there has been little need for my position and the Imperial Court became more and more isolated."
"Though the most recent of these events I have described took place 1,800 years ago, little has changed between now and then, except that I alone survive of the original 13 shinigami and these events have become ancient, forgotten history for all but a precious few."
Ryuu smiled at Yourichi. "Don't worry, this time I have some proof."
He took the tanto from out of his obi and drew it from its scabbard. Then, dropping it point-first in the center of the table, it buried itself a good half inch into the wood.
Yourichi got up from her spot and slowly padded around it, taking in every angle. The handle was beautifully decorated, silver wire interlaced in amongst the black wrappings. An old form of kanji ran halfway down one side of the 8 inch blade.
Yourichi returned to her spot before saying a word. "It's a Shihoin ceremonial blade. Every member of the noble family has is given one at gempukku. This one is strange though."(2)
Isshin cocked his head. "Why do you say that? It looks like ever other one I've seen."
"But every tanto is engraved with the owner's name on it, this one only has the family name on it. Also, every dagger is buried with their owner's remains."
Ryuu shook his head. "I knew Shihoin for over 500 years and never did she use any other name beyond simply Shihoin."
"But if you have this dagger that means that you are Kiryuu Tensenku…"
She was interrupted by Urahara, who had burst out laughing until he started coughing. In between his bursts he managed to choke out, "The reputed… founder of… the Gotei 13… and Imperial… Crown Prince."
Tatsuki pinched the bridge of her nose trying to stave off a headache. "But I though you said that the daggers were buried with their owners."
Yourichi nodded. "Shihoin's was a special case. She didn't want her grave being ransacked in order to get her tanto in order to use it as a chip in any future succession squabbles. So, she very publicly gave her tanto to Kiryuu Tensenku before she died as a honorary member of the family."
Karin felt like her head was swimming. All of this seemed so strangely familiar, yet foreign. "So, for those of us who know little about shinigami and soul society… what are you?"
Ryuu gave her a sympathetic smile. "I am Kiryuu Tensenku, child of Amaterasu and Shano'o, founding taicho of the Seireitei, adopted member of the Yamato clan, and heir to His Serene Highness, the Emperor Jimmu. Meanwhile, you are an incarnation of one my sibling, the Lady Ka, the Phoenix of the South."
There were some gasps and whispers floating about the room. Tatsuki mused out loud, "So that's why she could sense Ryuu."
Orihime cocked her head at her lover. "What do you mean? What's why?"
"Lady Ka is one of the five Heavenly Guardians created by Susano'o."
1-a tanto is a Japanese dagger that runs between 6-12 inches along the blade. Prior to the invention of the wakizashi, the tanto was used as the traditional sidearm for samurai. Even after this, the tanto was often used on the battlefield instead of the wakizashi, since it, a stabbing weapon, was more useful against armored opponents than it's longer cousin.
2- gempukku in this case is a coming of age ceremony, similar to that celebrated by samurai when they reached 14-16 years of age and received their daisho.
