Disclaimer: I do not own bleach ... but I do steal my roommates sometimes!
I have a poll up on my page! Please take a few seconds to vote on it. I want to know where you guys think/want this story is going!
Rukia glared at Urahara before deciding that she should hear him out at least.
"Now as I said before, this is a long and confusing tail. I only ask that you let me finish. It is neither a story you will like nor one that I take any pleasure in telling. This story is about the truth behind Ichigo's power, his hollow, and why Yamamoto would have him eliminated."
Rukia sat staring at the man as his features darkened. He was hesitating. What could he have to say that would change her mind? Part of her was curious, part of her wanted to hear this man out; but a larger more animalistic part of her wanted to slash her zanpakuto through his flesh. Ichigo would have taken action by this point.
Whatever he said, whatever explanation there was for what transpired, Ichigo was dead. She would never see him again. She could never argue with him again. Never again would she hear his voice calling her a midget. She would never look into his eyes, or see his scowling face.
Tears began silently running down her cheeks again.
Ichigo was a lot of things, especially to her, but not just to her. He was a son, even though his dad drove him crazy with his perversions and his childish antics. He was a brother; his sisters would be crushed by the news of his death. He was a friend; Chad, Tatsuki, Uryuu, Mizuiro, Keigo, and Orihime … he was a first crush.
She sniffed as she thought of the bubbly girl who had loved him for so long while he ran around oblivious to her affections. He was an idiot!
Then she remembered what Renji had said about Shuhei's theory; "Shuhei says that you and only you in could split the Soul Society in two." Ichigo didn't only have friends in the living world, but had many friends and supporters in the Soul Society, so many in fact that the Head Captain thought him a threat to start a rebellion.
He was liked by so many because of the actions he took against law and order to save her, his passion to protect everyone he could from getting hurt, and his desire for justice on those who abused their great strength.
With that thought Rukia began to stand, her hand reaching and drawing out her zanpakuto again. She knew what she was going to do. And it started with the man sitting in front of her.
"I know what you are thinking Rukia" Urahara spoke without taking his eyes off of her face. "Killing me is exactly what Ichigo would do. He was never one to listen to someone's reasoning for what they did. He was never one to question his actions, but that is not who you are. If there is even a little curiosity about what I am going to tell you than I will ask you again to please, sit down and hear me out."
It wasn't a command or a request. It was a statement, as if her sitting and listening to him would calm her heart that was beating madly in her chest. That he held the answers that would pull the veil from in front of her eyes and she would understand the events that unfolded early that morning.
She looked to her left out the window, the sun was rising. What time was it? Had anyone found his body yet? Why did she just leave him there on the street? She dropped her sword heavily as pain welled up inside her.
"Alright Urahara, start talking." Rukia spoke with a deadly serious tone.
"I will begin my story shortly. It would seem that the rest of Karakura Town's defenders are on their way. Yoruichi, would you be a dear and make some tea?" Urahara's voice dropped the seriousness from his tone for his annoyingly pleasant one.
Rukia could only blink at his sudden change in mood.
In less than five minuets Rukia felt the reiatsu of Uryuu, Chad, and Orihime outside the shop. She closed her eyes realizing that they all must have felt what had happened that night.
Her lips curled up as she thought of Ichigo's friends; her friends. They would help her avenge Ichigo. They were probably as shocked and furious as she was …
"I like the new door! It makes your shop so much more different from the others" Orihime giggled as she crawled through the doorway that Rukia had previously cut in half.
Rukia's eyes shot open. 'Do they not know?'
"I felt that the place needed a few renovations to bring in some more customers!" Urahara laughed lazily bringing his fan up to his face so that they couldn't read his expression.
Rukia turned to see Orihime standing next to Uryuu in the doorway as Chad crawled through with …
"What are you doing?" Rukia dropped to her knees at the sight of Ichigo's body draped over the quiet man's shoulders.
"What do you mean Rukia? We all noticed Ichigo's reiatsu suddenly vanish. These two were worried until I arrived and explained that he probably just went to the Soul Society and true to his character just left his body lying in the street." Uryuu then pushed his glasses tighter onto his face "He never has been one to consider his actions once they pop into his head."
"You don't understand." The tears began running down her cheeks again; she couldn't believe that she still had the ability to cry.
"Are you okay Rukia?" Orihime questioned as she walked over to the shorter woman.
"He … H-he's d-"
"I believe it is time for me to begin my story. Now if you all would just sit down by Rukia, Chad you can throw that over in the corner. I don't think he'll be needing it anymore" Urahara's voice darkened as he finished speaking.
Rukia choked back a sob so that her friends wouldn't hear before sitting down. The other three looked confused but they did as Urahara instructed after Chad placed Ichigo in the corner.
Of course they didn't think anything was wrong with him, she had healed his injuries before she left. He looked like he could be sleeping in the corner of the shop. Rukia looked away quickly; she couldn't bear to look at him anymore. Her heart ached, she felt weak. It was as if part of her soul had been ripped away leaving a hole in her heart.
Continuing with his dark demeanor Urahara began to speak. "The first thing I need to say is that Ichigo didn't leave his body Uryuu, he is dead."
This statement was met with shocked silence from all those listening to the story. Orihime felt tears in her eyes as she looked from Urahara to Ichigo's lifeless body and then to Rukia who seemed to be staring at the floor in a detached state.
"B-but -"
Urahara simply raised his hand to silence the auburn haired girl. "I have to ask that you listen to what I have to say. It will take long enough and I'd prefer to only do it once." All playfulness dropped from Urahara's features as he looked into each of their eyes.
"I believe we all want an explanation for that statement Urahara. Who could have killed Ichigo?" Uryuu questioned ignoring the older man's plea for cooperation.
Chad nodded while both girls sat in silence.
"I'm afraid that you will have to listen to me before you will be able to comprehend the complexities of the corruption within the Seireitei." Uryuu snorted in disbelief but sat there quietly.
"In order for you to understand current events I need to go back to the founding of the 13 Court Guard Squads. We have all been taught that Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto formed the squads. And that is true, he did create them, but they were not his idea."
"Yamamoto had a father and a brother." Urahara looked at Rukia as he was speaking. "His father was the Soul King" there was a collective gasp from everyone including Yoruichi who had never heard about this from her lover "but he could not continue protecting the growing population here in the living world as well as the souls in the Soul Society. He commissioned his sons to create two other organizations to ensure that all those in the Soul Society and the living world would be protected."
Rukia furrowed her brow as she tried to process this. 'Could he be telling the truth? It wasn't common knowledge that there was a Soul King before the incident with Aizen so his identity is still a mystery, but someone would know if the Head Captain had a brother!'
"Now the three of you may not know but I am sure that Rukia is already questioning my story as there are no records of the Head Captain having any siblings. I will say that this story originates almost two thousand years ago. The Head Captain is the only man left alive from that time."
Yoruichi shifted as she sat listening to Kisuke speak. The three humans were stunned that Urahara was choosing to tell them what only a few Soul Reapers knew.
"Now Yamamoto's brother was a brash man who acted on instinct. He took to the task of protecting everyone with frenzy. The desire was so deeply ingrained into his soul that that need was passed on to his children." A smile tugged at Urahara's lips "He was also a very loving and emotional man. He created a military organization to protect everyone in every world; The Thirteen Court Guard Squads."
Rukia's head snapped up at this statement. "But Head Captain Yamamoto is in charge of the Thirteen Squads! And there is no record of him having any relation to the Soul King or any siblings for that manner!" Rukia was finding it harder and harder to believe what the ex-captain was saying.
"Now, now Miss Kuchiki. As I said you must hear me out. Yamamoto's brother designed the squads; Yamamoto was not someone who wanted to be controlled by his brother in a squad so he created Central 46, a division that had unquestionable authority over his brother's militaristic division. He knew that his brother would blindly trust him, knowing that he was the smarter and more analytical one, to handle the decisions."
Yoruichi let a smile grace her face and Kisuke noticed the change in her reiatsu. 'She is starting to make the connections.'
"Now the Spirit King may have seen Yamamoto's the blatant attempt to usurp power from his youngest son, or he may not have. Either way he left the two to do as they thought best. He probably guessed that having his eldest son in control would be a better choice than his other quick tempered and emotional son. With the two of them in control the Spirit King sealed himself away using the Oken; entrusting the knowledge of its whereabouts to his two sons should they need his guidance."
"Unlike many stories about tyrants, Yamamoto did care about those that he was charged with protecting. He knew that his brother would make decisions with his emotions not using reason and he would have to clean up his messes." Urahara suddenly stood up and began to pace as he spoke to the five people in his shop.
"He loved his brother, but couldn't stand to be the one who was blamed when his brother went off and started more trouble than the Soul Society was prepared to deal with. He needed control. He needed to get rid of his brother which was a problem for him. Although he was very strong and an exceptional Soul Reaper, his brothers power in those regards dwarfed his own. He needed a plan."
Rukia felt like she could almost picture the Head Captains brother, like she had met him but then she shook her head 'There is no way I believe what Urahara is saying.'
"It took a few decades of swallowing his pride before he got his opportunity. His brother was going to the living world to investigate some potentially dangerous hollows. He was going to be there for a few months using a bit of new technology to come from the Soul Society. He would be using a very early, and backwater form of a gigai." Urahara sounded like he was offended at his admittance of not being the one who came up with the idea first, even though he wasn't even a Soul Reaper at that time.
"It was nothing like the works of art that I have created since THAT prototype!"
Everyone looked at him in confusion at his outburst.
"Mine are so much more durable, and sleek, and better functioning!" He rushed over and dragged Rukia to her feet. "Just look at her physic! An almost perfect replication of her beautiful body! She is able to meld into it so perfectly that she can transition from one form to the other just by focusing on her reiatsu!"
Rukia's eyes were as wide as saucers as he showed off her gigai form with no regard to her decency!
"Her grace! Her femininity just oozes from my creation!" He suddenly stopped speaking and let her go as he bent over with his hands on his knees. His breathing came in raged gasps and he would involuntarily shudder every so often.
The three humans only looked at each other with shock and embarrassment on their faces. Did they just witness a scientist's version of an orgasm? Their attention was directed towards a crash. They saw Rukia standing shooting daggers at what they could only assume was Urahara as all they could see of the man were his legs sticking out at odd angels from a hole in the floor.
"Well I think we should all move downstairs for the remainder of this conversation so that we don't completely demolish the shop!" Yoruichi laughed but she was actually wishing they had done so at the beginning of the night.
Urahara appeared from the hole in the floor without a scratch nodding in agreement as he smiled at her.
'He noticed as well, we have company' Yoruichi began walking to the hidden basement underneath the shop where no one would be able to eaves drop on them any further.
'Shit, they must have sensed me. I guess I'll just go report what I heard. My Captain … wait the Head Captain wanted me to report directly to him." Marechiyo Omaeda then turned and shunpoed away from the small shop to a safe distance before opening a senkaimon.
Once they had all assembled in Urahara's training ground of a basement it seemed that the man was having a hard time continuing his story.
"You were saying that the younger brother, who you haven't yet named I should add" Uryuu pushed his glasses further up onto his nose in disgust at this missing detail to the story "was in the living world for an extended period of time."
"Yes! And now is when the mad scientist appears and poisons the heroic brother but when he tries aliens abduct him in order to probe …"
"Uh, Orihime" Chad spoke causing the auburn haired girl to look at him questioningly.
Everyone in the room was looking at her with a strange face that seemed to be shock mixed with a lot of confusion except Urahara who was simply smiling at her.
"Well Orihime is actually correct … besides the aliens … and the probing."
All eyes were on Kisuke now.
"A few months had passed since the brother had joined the living world before Yamamoto made his move. He had spent those months conducting experiments of his own to create a poison that would be able to seal his brother's reiatsu so that he could kill him." Urahara looked over at Rukia.
"So this isn't the first time that he has killed someone because he threatened his power?" Rukia questioned as she flicked a few pebbles on the ground.
"No tonight was not the first, nor will it be the last should the telling of his history be brought to his attention. We are all in a precarious situation." Urahara then smiled "There is always a new threat of war on the horizon, but at least this way you will be able to choose you're side knowing the facts."
"I'm not saying I believe you yet Urahara!" Rukia glared at his smiling face. How could he still smile? She wasn't letting on, but her world was falling apart. She couldn't see herself making any decisions without Ichigo being there for her. "I don't even know why you're telling us this! There is no way anyone is still alive from back then besides Yamamoto, so the brother must have been killed! End of story!"
"There is a little more to it than that I'm afraid." Urahara cleared his throat as he let his voice deepen and become more serious again.
"As I said, Yamamoto created a poison that would seal away his own brother's reiatsu and then made his way secretly to the world of the living. Back then there was no tracking of Soul Reapers in the Precipice World so he only had to sneak out without being seen."
"He then met his brother and tricked him into taking the poison. But unfortunately the brother had so much reiatsu that it only sealed part of it. Yamamoto is a powerful Soul Reaper, but he was dwarfed by his brother who had dedicated his life to protecting everyone from his world and this one. He now had to fight for his life." Urahara then drew his zanpakuto causing all listening to flinch as he cut a gash into his left forearm.
He let the blood run down his arm and slowly drip off his elbow to mix with the dirt next to him. After looking up at the shocked faces of his listeners he used kido to heal himself. They all watched as muscle tissue and skin began to entwine and the wound began to seal up leaving no trace of the serious cut that had been there moments before.
"As you can see, kido can heal even the most serious injuries without leaving a scar. How then did the Head Captain come to have so many scars all over his body?" Urahara looked back at his unblemished arm again before he began to speak again. "Because he wasn't healed with kido. He was forced to let it heal naturally. He couldn't return to the Soul Society with his brother's blood on his hands. His brother even with over half his reiatsu seal within himself was able to bring Yamamoto to the brink of death, but in the end, yes, hi was killed."
"How was Yamamoto able to get away with killing his brother? And couldn't he heal himself with kido?" Rukia had jumped to her feet and was clenching her fists to her sides.
Urahara smiled inwardly 'She is starting to believe this story.' He didn't let his emotions play on his face though, she may be listening but that didn't mean she wasn't still going to try and kill him.
"He was unable to use kido soon enough to avoid scaring. He won the battle, but he was still left on his deathbed as well. For days he laid bloodied in a field of destruction from the battle before some humans found him, and using their primitive healing arts were able to nurse him back to a point where he could heal himself. He returned to the Soul Society with tales of a vicious hollow that had left him permanently scared."
""What about his brother? What excuse did he have for his disappearance?" Uryuu was showing a little more enthusiasm about the story than he wished and immediately took a deep breath. "Surly his powerful brother wouldn't have been forgotten over a few months."
"He was not forgotten, Yamamoto told them all that he had died, sacrificing himself for his brother before the hollow could land a final blow." Urahara leaned back against a rock that he was using as a chair. "He had them celebrate the man's death. He did love him, but his desire for power was stronger than the bonds of family."
Orihime had tears running down her face. Uryuu quickly put his arm on her shoulder blushing slightly. His face then reddened as the young girl dove into his chest letting the tears flow.
Rukia couldn't understand her tears. 'She hadn't cried like that when she heard that Ichigo was dead. Why is she crying over someone who died a thousand years ago? She didn't even know the man.' Then again, Rukia also felt some kind of connection to Yamamoto's younger brother too. It was as if she had met him before, but that was not possible.
"You shouldn't cry Orihime. Yamamoto's brother may have died, but that is not the end to his legacy."
The group looked at the shop owner as he let his features lighten.
"You never told us the brother's name." Chad spoke as if he knew he would have liked to meet the brother who had had his life cut short.
"I haven't have I. That is because I do not know myself. Only Yamamoto can answer that now. Everyone who knew him is dead except one." Everyone knew who the sole survivor was.
"You said that his legacy has lived on? How do you mean?" Rukia eyed him suspiciously.
Urahara brightened and then brought his fan to his face. "Well my dear Kuchiki, there is something that the old man didn't know about his brother. As I have told you, he had a desire to protect all those he could and one day he met a woman after having saved her from an attacking hollow. This woman was different from any other human; she could see him in his Soul Reaper form."
The group almost gagged at Urahara's face once he lowered his fan. You could almost see the hearts dancing in his eyes as he spoke.
"It was fate! Love at first sight! He layed her down right there and proceeded to make …" SLAP!
"I think we can skip the details of that part of the story Kisuke." Yoruichi spoke getting nods from everyone except Uryuu who looked disappointed.
'I thought I might get some insight into courting Orihime while I waste my night listening to Urahara' Uryuu mentally slapped himself for even thinking about that.
"Right, well, I suppose we could skip ahead a bit, But that is a very interesting part"
"URAHARA!" His head snapped to look into Rukia's violet eyes. "If you don't get to the part where this tale is relevant to tonight I will be sure to remove the part of your anatomy that allows you to think about those perverted things!" Rukia's killing intent was spilling from her crashing into all those present in waves.
"Um, Rukia"
"What!"
"I thought you wanted to kill Kisuke, why would you bother cutting that off?" Yoruichi sounded puzzled.
"Cut what off-f …" Rukia began to blush immediately after she realized what everyone in the room thought she meant by that threat. "I was referring to his head! I would cut off his h-head so h-he … oh forget it!"
"Why would you remind her to kill me?" Urahara sobbed.
"Why would Rukia want to kill Urahara?" Orihime asked innocently.
"Because he was the one who came up with the idea that Ichigo needed to die" Yoruichi responded quickly.
"You're analytical skills must have diminished if you gave up and submitted to the death of someone who you could call your apprentice. I confess I'm disappointed and I believe I will help Miss Kuchiki remove you're … er … head." Uryuu pushed his glasses up onto his face as Chad nodded in agreement standing up.
"Now now, please allow me to finish my story. I wouldn't have brought up that woman if she wasn't important." Urahara raised his hands in defense as he pleaded for his life.
"Talk fast Urahara. You're living on borrowed time as it is" Rukia stated as she too stood up next to Chad.
"Well then I'll get to the meat of the matter. That woman gave birth to a son nine months later. He was the first in a line of sons until hundreds of years later a daughter was born. Her name was Masaki Yamamoto."
Rukia's eyes widened at the woman's name. 'Masaki! It couldn't be?'
Now this woman soon met a dashing and devilishly handsome Soul Reaper. He was an ex-captain who defected to the living world to get away from all the battles. He was a lover, and he loved her very much. They soon got married and together they had three children, two twin girls and"
"A boy" Rukia whispered and then blinked in surprise that she had spoken out loud.
"Aw Rukia you didn't tell us you knew this story too!" Orihime beamed at her with a pleasant smile on her face.
"I-I didn't, I d-don't"
"Eh hem, as I was saying, two twin girls and a boy. Soon after that woman was killed by a hollow leaving her husband to raise her children. That mans name was Isshin Kurosaki, Ichigo's father …"
There was a collective gasp as the truth about Ichigo's heritage was reviled to them.
"Ichigo is …"
Yamamoto is …"
"This room is really big. We could fit all kinds of people in here to have a welcome to the family party for Ichigo and the Old Captain!"
The other four occupants collapsed at Orihime's statement.
"What?" Orihime looked at them all as the tried to untangle themselves from one another.
"I don't think the two of them would be very happy to meet at the moment Orihime" Uryuu fixed his glasses as he tried to untangle himself from Yoruichi's legs. He tried to push himself up but when he placed his hand down the floor felt soft and his hand sunk a little as he heard a sound come from his left.
"Mmmhmmm Uryuu, I think you need to take a girl to dinner before you can make advancements like this." Yoruichi almost purred into the younger mans ear.
Uryuu then looked where he had place his hand and his face turned red so quick that you could swear it had given him a bloody nose. He was lying on top of the woman with her legs wrapped around him and his left hand was squeezing her right breast.
"I-I-I-I" he leapt up using the excuse that his glasses were falling off to cover the rising color in his face.
"That was something that Yamamoto's brother probably did to the woman he met! I new you looked like you wanted to hear that part of the story Ishida! If you would lie back down we could continue with the demonstra … AH!" Urahara barely avoided a bolt of reshi that went flying by his face.
Uryuu simply sat back down next to Orihime, who hadn't noticed his compromising position.
Rukia could only slap herself in the face and even Chad looked a little uncomfortable.
Once they were all seated and everyone, except Yoruichi and Urahara, had plenty of space from one another did Rukia speak.
"So Ichigo's great great great great uncle is Head Captain Yamamoto?"
"I believe there are a few more greats in there but yes, he is related to Yamamoto. But he also had a particularly powerful Soul Reaper father. It was that fact that awakened the sleeping power within him." The room had fallen silent as Urahara began speaking again. "Now it didn't fully awake mind you, but his ability to see spirits at such a young age goes to show that they were developing inside his young body."
Rukia closed her eyes and remembered the night that she met Ichigo.
Flashback
He had been the only human to ever see her. She had been so shocked that she plopped right down and explained everything to him; what she was, hollows, spirits … after she had put a binding spell on him of course. What she couldn't explain was the fact that she couldn't detect the hollow she was searching for.
Then that hollow appeared and attacked his sisters. She had gone to fight it when he rolled himself down the stairs. Using pure determination to protect his family he had been able to break her kido spell and charged the hollow.
He was easily swatted away and the hollow made it clear that he had been searching for him. She had used the hollows distraction to cut its arm and it retreated for an instant. Ichigo had refused to run away once he learned that he was the one putting people in danger. He went as far as to challenge the hollow to fight one on one before she had to step in and save him, getting severely injured in the process.
He had always been a fool. She remembered the choice she made which had changed the course of Ichigo's life.
"I'm too injured to fight; do you … want to, save your family?"
"Of course I do! If there's a way then tell me how!"
"It will only be temporary, but you must become a Soul Reaper yourself!"
"What?"
"You must take my zanpakuto and run it through to the center of your being so that I may pour my powers into you. I can't guarantee that you will live, but if it doesn't work it won't matter."
"Then give me that blade, Soul Reaper."
He had responded without any hesitation. With no regard to his own life. He only wanted the power to protect his family, no matter what the cost. If only she knew then what it would cost him.
"My name is Rukia. Rukia Kuchiki" She knew then that he was a special human. He was one who she would have been happy to die protecting.
"And my name is Ichigo Kurosaki!"
End Flashback
"Rukia fully awakened his powers the night they met." Rukia was brought out of her thoughts by Urahara's voice. "However, she took something from him as he took her power."
Rukia looked at Urahara slowly, confused. Ichigo had taken her powers; she didn't take anything from him, did she? Well, she did take his opportunity to live a normal human life.
"Rukia was ill trained to transfer her powers to a human. It was a custom that the Head Captain had done away with centuries ago to avoid any chance that his brother had sired an heir." Urahara looked at Rukia with more emotion than she had ever seen on his face. "I'm sorry that I have to tell you this Rukia, but you killed Ichigo that night."
There it goes. The world was now lost to her. She couldn't feel anything as she blinked at the shop owner.
"I k-killed him?" Tears ran down her cheeks as she let those words wash over her over and over again. How did she always manage to kill everyone she held dear? First Kaien, and now she finds out that she killed Ichigo as well!
"I'm afraid so Rukia. I made sure to sneak over to his house and give him a gigai before you moved into his closet. I know this is a shock but this is not the time to feel sorry about that." Urahara reprimanded her as he slapped her on the back. "Ichigo wouldn't want us feeling down in the dumps over something that happened to give him the power to do everything he desired. He could protect his family and his friends. He was able to protect his town and he was able to save you. These are all traits that his predecessor valued and passed through the centuries to the man we all know and love."
Rukia smiled inwardly 'He would probably call me a midget for thinking that he held that against her.'
"Now, Yamamoto did not know of Ichigo's existence when he sent the Captain and Lieutenant of the Sixth squad to retrieve Rukia on orders from Central 46." Urahara began his story again only to be cut off by Uryuu.
"If Yamamoto created Central 46 and was put in charge of it, why did he take charge of the Thirteen Court Guards which submitted to Central 46's orders?"
"Ah, well that I can't be sure of my young Quincy. If I was to guess …" Urahara lifter his hand to his chin in mock contemplation "I would say he felt regret after killing his brother. Like I said earlier, he did love him."
"So he took control of the weaker division to remind him of the cost of becoming power hungry?" Yoruichi questioned.
"Like I said, I do not know. I can only speculate on his decision."
The group fell silent for a moment before Rukia spoke quietly. "Please, Urahara. Finish the story."
"Yes, Rukia." The quiet in her voice and the lack of almost any reiatsu from her was disquieting to him. 'I need to finish this quickly so that the weight of tonight's events can be lifted from her shoulders.'
"So, the Soul Reaper that Rukia awoken was not the one buried for generations. It was the one past on by his father, so when Byakuya severed Ichigo's Soul Chain and Soul Sleep he had the unique possibility to awaken the latent Soul Reaper powers past to him by his mother."
"So that's why you were able to restore his abilities, and how he continued to grow in strength exponentially as he gained experience!" Rukia blinked the tears from her eyes and then rubbed them with the back of her hand.
"Yes, but there was something that I also awoken that I did not intend. There was a hollow residing in his latent powers. Yamamoto's brother must have been a Visored to have past that on to him." Urahara lifted his hands and began rubbing his temples trying to fight off the impending headache. "That is why the Old Man wanted the Visoreds that Aizen created destroyed so quickly, casting aside their right to a trial. He would have me killed for Aizen's actions to quickly be done with the matter. He didn't want anyone else to have the ability that his brother did in case they learned to control it and he would once again be dwarfed in power."
"He sure was thorough in his attempt to cover all of this up. How is it that you are aware of things that aren't recorded and are long before you're time Kisuke?" Yoruichi cocked her head to the side voicing the question that he had assumed would come from Rukia.
"I have studied Ichigo's reiatsu and it corresponds to Yamamoto's. I also had the opportunity to study the reiatsu of Masaki Kurosaki before her pasting, and then I traced her lineage until I came upon a woman who had died in child birth. The child was the first to have that reiatsu impression similar yet fundamentally different to the Head Captain." The man smiled widely as he spoke as if reliving the search showed his brilliance. "I then began sifting through anything and everything recorded from that time and after decades of research, I had pieced this all together."
"I always find myself amazed by you Kisuke." Yoruichi smiled at the man she loved.
"I stand in awe of myself as well my dear." She laughed as the man she somehow had fallen in love with inflated his ego even further.
"If all that is true, then why did you allow my brother to kill the only one who could challenge Yamamoto for control of the Thirteen Court Guard squads?" Rukia couldn't lift her eyes from her feet as she awaited his answer. Depending on what he said next, she would either believe him or kill him.
"As I said earlier, Ichigo is dead. Just as every Soul Reaper is dead." Rukia's head snapped up as Urahara spoke. "He still retains his spirit form that he has lived on as since he met you Rukia, when he was fifteen."
"S-s-so … so he's, n-not"
"I already said he is dead, but the Ichigo you've gotten to know and love is still alive. Though where he will resurface is unknown to me." Kisuke scratched his chin as he stated simply "I never actually got to test where people return after they are killed in there gigai form."
Marechiyo Omaeda stepped into the Head Captains office. He had never been in the Head Captains presence without his Captain with him. They may be polar opposites but she was able to comfort his soul whenever he was distressed.
"Lieutenant Omaeda. What do you have to report on Kisuke Urahara's actions?" The head Captain raised his head but Omaeda couldn't tell whether he was looking at him or not.
"H-he. Ah. Sir!" He began sweating as he began to speak. "He had gathered all the spiritually aware humans, Ex-Captain Yoruichi Shihoin, and Soul Reaper Rukia Kuchiki to his shop."
"Rukia Kuchiki you say." The older Soul Reaper looked down at his desk. 'I can't say I didn't expect her to return to the living world. In fact I had thought that Lieutenant Abarai would have defected with her.'
"Yes sir. He was telling them a story sir."
"A story? What was this story?" Yamamoto looked directly at the Lieutenant now.
"He … h-he was t-t-telling them about … you Head Captain" Omaeda began sweating profusely now. 'I wish my Captain was here right about now!'
"About me? What did he say?" The Head Captain was on his feet quickly as he spoke. "SPEAK!"
"He told them that you were related to the Soul King and about you having a brother and that you needed to kill him to protect the Soul Society!" Omaeda rushed through his answer hoping that going quickly would help calm the Head Captain.
Yamamoto did nothing except tap his hand on his desk before his Lieutenant ran his Zanpakuto through the back of Omaeda's neck and out of his throat.
The Head Captain didn't even look at the man dieing in his office as he began giving his Lieutenant orders.
'I'm afraid I can no longer allow you to live on in the Living World Urahara. You and everyone who has heard your tale will soon be dead." Yamamoto then drew his zanpakuto and burned the remains of the now dead Second Squad Lieutenant.
Sorry for a late update. I really struggled with this chapter. I had it finished a few days ago but when I tried to read through it to proof read it I realized I didn't really like where it was going. Too many people have used Isshin as the Soul King thing and I wanted to go a slightly different way. Hence Masaki's role. Hope you liked that slight twist.
This chapter is a bit longer than I usually do so give me you opinion about that with some reviews! I want to know what you guys think! If it great, if it sucks, ways I can improve, and things you like! I also have a pole up so please please please check it out on my profile! Thanks and I hope you like the story thus far!