Author's Note: So after taking care any outstanding business and moving into my new apartment earlier this month, do I return with a short chapter. I'm debating where my sources for this should come from. I'm mostly get this from reading the manga, but I'm wondering if the anime would yield more material for me to work with. I still haven't even decided if I'll be doing any of the arcs yet. I might put up a poll later and let you guys decided if I should do any of them.
"Alright…I think I get it…" Kūkaku said after puffing out smoke from her pipe.
Yoruichi had given her the rundown of everything that had occurred up to their arrival. Kūkaku listened patiently and without interrupting as the feline regaled her of their situation and explained why they had come to her for aid.
Ryuu was a bit worried as he waited for Kūkaku's answer. Yoruichi had told him of the tragedy that had befallen the Shiba family and their fall from the graces of the Soul Society. It had made him rather skeptical of asking her for help. Fortunately, Kūkaku was unpredictable.
"I'll take the job."
"Really?" Yoruichi asked in surprise. It seemed she wasn't too sure of asking Kūkaku either.
"Yeah," the Shiba head replied. "Since Urahara is a part of this, I can't really refuse. However, even though I trust you and Ryuu, it doesn't mean I trust those kids you brought with you."
"They're kids; what's the problem?" Ryuu asked with a bemused expression.
"One of them is a Quincy, the other's a Soul Reaper, and one's a golem. The girl's alright though, I guess, but they're all strangers to me."
Ichigo and Uryuu looked a bit agitated by her comment. Chad was…well Chad. Orihime on the other hand, looked as if she had received the highest praise despite what was just a baseless observation.
"I'll send one of my men with you just to be safe. Do you have an issue with that?" Kūkaku continued.
"Not all," Yoruichi answered.
"Who are you sending with us?" Ichigo spoke up.
"My little brother. He's still wet behind the ears so don't expect too much," the one-armed woman said before rising from her seat and heading for the door. "Hey, you ready?" she called.
"N-not yet! Wait a minute!" a voice replied from behind the door. Ryuu and Yorichi knew who it was before Kūkaku even called him.
"I'm opening the door now! Be respectful!" Kūkaku ordered sternly.
"Y-yes, big sister!" the voice replied nervously.
Kukaku pulled the screen door and revealed just who Ryuu expected.
"Hello everyone! My name is Ganju Shiba. Please to meet you," Ganju greeted politely while dressed in much more formal wear than what he was wearing last night.
There was a moment of stunned silence as Ganju and Ichigo laid eyes on each other. Everyone knew what was about to come next.
"YOU!" both of them shouted.
"Eh? You two know each other already?" Kūkaku asked in surprise.
Just as everyone expected, the two were soon throwing punches at each as they did the last night. Everyone just watched in annoyance until the boys' rough housing caused Kūkaku to drop her pipe.
"Oh shit!" Ryuu said in horror.
"Get the kids out of here!" Yoruichi ordered before scampering for the door.
"Let's go guys!" Ryuu ordered as he hiked Orihime onto his shoulder and then grabbed onto Uryuu's cape and quickly dragged the protesting Quincy out of the room and back up the stairs.
"W-What's going on?" Orihime asked in confusion.
"The only thing you really need to know about Kūkaku is never cause her to drop her pipe!" Ryuu replied as he hurried up the stairs.
They broke through the entrance and out into the sunlight just in time. About three seconds later, a massive explosion was heard, the ground shook, and smoke erupted from the house they had just fled from.
"W-What in the world was that?" Uryuu exclaimed for his haphazard spot on the ground, his cape still fisted in Ryuu's hand.
"Kūkaku has a rather…"explosive" temperament," Yoruichi explained. "She's usually calm, but getting her agitated can yield rather negative results."
"I'll…try to remember that," Uryuu said with an audible gulp.
"Smart boy," Ryuu commented.
When it was deemed safe to return inside, Ryuu and Yoruichi led the group back down the stairs. As they descended, they heard Kūkaku's raised voice and a loud smashing sound. Ryuu was the first to enter the room and assess the damage. Kūkaku was standing tall with her arms crosses and a scowl on her face while both Ichigo and Ganju were lying on the ground moaning in pain. The room itself was a wreck. The walls and floors were charred and severely damaged. Ryuu did not envy whoever had to clean this mess up.
"What the hell is wrong with the two of you?" she shouted at them. "You started throwing punches the second you saw each other!"
"Ow…" Ichigo ground as he pushed himself up off the ground. "Randomly attacking someone…I guess you two really are brother and sister!"
"Ichigo shut up and play dead!" Ryuu hissed from the doorway.
But it was too late. Kūkaku was already on him. She fisted his hair and pulled him to her face and gave him a glare that would make a grown man soil himself.
"Listen you little punk! This is my house and I make the rules!" she said in a deadly tone. "Are we gonna have a problem?"
"Nope!" Ichigo replied quickly, fear evident on his face.
"Alright then," the Shiba head replied, her voice returning to a much more contained tone. "All of you!" she returned to shouting, this time at Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu.
"Yes Ma'am!" all three replied in unison.
"Follow me this way," the older woman ordered.
Kūkaku led them all down another hallway in the underground manor. When they stepped into the room at the end of the hall, they were greeted by a rather surprising sight.
They entered into a wide open circular room large enough to fit at least a hundred people in. At the center of the room, sitting on top of raised platform, was a large violet tower like object that reached up to the ceiling.
"What is that thing?" Ichigo asked in awe.
"It's huge!" Uryuu added.
"I'm going to use this to send you into the Soul Society…from the air!" Kūkaku stated.
"What?" both Ichigo and Uryuu shouted in confusion. "How?"
"I'm Kūkaku Shiba…Fireworks Master of the Rukon District! Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko, bring us up!" she shouted towards the ceiling.
A few seconds later, the floor started to shake and the ceiling started to split apart. The sky became visible as the floor started to rise up along with the massive tower that Uryuu had earlier mistaken for a chimney. The floor continued to rise until it stood above the ground outside the entrance to Kūkaku's underground home. Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko were standing a few feet away next to a crank system.
"So? What do you think kids? This is my personal fireworks station!" Kūkaku stated proudly.
"The Kūkaku Cannon!" Ganju added from beside her. His comment only earned him and swift kick to the face from his elder sister.
"Who said you could stand up here!" she shouted angrily.
"Sorry!" Ganju said from a heap on the floor.
"This…this isn't the time to be joking around!" Uryuu spoke up. "I don't know what kind of expert you are, but firing us at the Seireitei with that thing is impossible, it has to be!"
While the Quincy was shouting, Kūkaku procured something from her person- Ryuu had no possible idea where. It was a round clear sphere with a bird like marking on it. Before Uryuu could finish his rant, the Shiba head threw the object at him, hitting him square in the face. The sphere bounced of the boy's face and landed in Ichigo's hands.
"What is it?" he asked, ignoring his friend who was now lying on the ground with a large red mark on his face.
"It's a Reishūkaku," Kūkaku answered. "Hold it and give it your spiritual energy."
Ichigo looked at the orb for several seconds with a look of concentration on his face before realization crossed his features.
"Hey…how do I give it my spiritual energy?" he asked.
"Huh?" Kūkaku looked at him with a raised brow. "Just focus your power into your hand like when you use your Kido. You're a Soul Reaper right? You should know this."
"Well…he's not an official Soul Reaper," Yoruichi said with slight embarrassment in her voice. "He hasn't been trained in Kido."
"That wouldn't be an issue if I was the one who trained him," Ryuu interjected.
"You're right because the issue would be that he would be dead!" Yourichi shot back.
"I guess it can't be helped," Kūkaku said in annoyance. "Ganju, show them how!"
"You got it!" the younger Shiba replied dutifully.
He tried to grab the orb from Ichigo, who decided to be a smartass and play keep-away with Ganju. Just when it looked like the two were about to enter another brawl, they received a powerful fist to the back to the head by both Ryuu and Kūkaku.
"Behave yourselves!" Kūkaku seethed through gritted teeth.
"We don't have time for your stupidity!" Ryuu added angrily.
"Sorry," both young men said with pained voices.
Once he got up, Ganju took hold of the Reishūkaku, concentrated and after pouring enough of his spiritual pressure into it, he formed a large spherical barrier around his body.
"W-What is that?" Ichigo asked in amazement.
"This is the cannonball," Kūkaku said while tapping on the orb her brother was standing proudly in.
"The cannonball?" Uryuu repeated with a slightly worrisome expression.
"It's our way into the Seireitei," Ryuu spoke up.
"What do you mean?"
"Well-"
"Hey, who's telling the story, here?" Kūkaku shouted irately.
"Fine," Ryuu grumbled.
"Anyway…the wall around the Seireitei is not the only barrier. The wall itself is made of a special mineral called Sekkiseki that completely blocks out all spiritual energy. Unless you can break through the wall, you can't get it in. The bigger issue is that the Sekkiseki releases a unique form of spiritual power from its surface that acts as a barrier. The Seireitei is covered by this barrier both above and below ground," the one-armed woman explained.
"So, if you guys just try to fly in, your bodies will be turned to dust on contact," she continued while tapping on the sphere Ganju was still trapped in. "That's why we need this."
"S-Sis…I…can't hold much longer!" Ganju gasped from inside the sphere. Indeed, he did look like he was about to pass out from exhaustion.
"Just hold it!" Kūkaku replied coldly before continuing her explanation. "My invention here creates a specially hardened spiritron shell. By providing spiritual energy to the Reishūkaku you can create a cannonball strong enough to penetrate the barrier surrounding the Seireitei. I'll then use the Kūkaku Cannon to fire you into the air and break you in with one clean shot. It may sound ridiculous, but it's the only chance you guys have of getting in. Any questions?"
Before any one of the kids could speak up, Kūkaku snapped her fingers.
"Meetings over! Time for you guys to train," she ordered abruptly. "Koganehiko! Shiroganehiko! Get them to work!"
The two tall men grabbed the teens and began carting them back towards the house.
"And train hard! If you can't do it by tomorrow, you'll be blown to bits!" Kūkaku called out casually.
"What? Why didn't you mention that earlier?" Ichigo shouted angrily as he was carried away.
"You think they'll get it?" Ryuu asked Yoruichi.
"They don't really have a choice," the feline replied as she headed off as well.
Ryuu was about to follow her when he heard Kūkaku arguing with her younger brother.
"I won't do it!" Ganju stated adamantly. "I'll never help a Soul Reaper. I don't care what you say to brother!"
"Ganju," Kūkaku said her voice deathly quiet. "I told you to neverbring that up again!"
"Sis, I-" Ganju tried to argue, but his elder sister cut him off.
"Go, you're done here. And one more thing…don't let them see that pathetic face of yours," she said coldly before turning her back on him.
Ganju looked as if he might burst into tears, but he hurried off back to the house before anyone could see.
Ryuu glanced back at Kūkaku who stood silently before her massive cannon. She may have waved off things with anger, sarcasm, and more often than not aggression, but Ryuu had known her long enough to know when something was really bothering her. He wasn't sure if the fact that she was helping a few Soul Reapers despite what happened to her brother that was bothering her or if it was something else. Kūkaku never seemed like one to hold grudges, but maybe it was her long standing friendship with Yoruichi that was making her help them out. Either way, it was best not to ask her right now. Perhaps he would ask later when she cooled down.
For the remainder of the day, the kids spent their time training to form the cannonball in the underground manor. Orihime was able to master it quickly, Uryuu had a bit of trouble with the shape, Chad needed to tone down the amount of power he put into it, and Ichigo…couldn't even form a solid shape.
Ryuu would have helped, but teaching the boy to do something was like teaching the rain not to fall, so he left it to Yoruichi and Ganju. He left the manor and spotted Kūkaku sitting in front of the canon. He approached her cautiously and noticed that she was drinking sake.
"I know you're there," she spoke up in annoyance. "I may never have trained as a Soul Reaper, but don't think I can't sense you."
"The thought never crossed my mind," Ryuu replied. "Mind if I join you for a drink?"
The woman said nothing. She merely set a second cup beside her and poured a bit of sake into it. That was as much of an invitation he was going to get from her. Ryuu joined her and downed the sake in one gulp.
"I must admit, I thought you would have turned us down and kicked our asses out," Ryuu said trying to start up a conversation.
"If it was just you and those kids, I would have," she replied bluntly.
"You're a cold woman."
"You got a problem with that?" she asked with a frown.
"Not as long as you're helping us."
"Right, I forgot; you like the sweet and soft-spoken types," Kūkaku replied with a light chuckle as she refilled his cup.
"Retsu's not always like that. Sometimes she's scarier than you," Ryuu said with a smile.
"I don't doubt that," Kūkaku said before downing her own cup. "Seriously though, Ryuu, why'd you come back?"
"You have to ask?"
"The Seireitei betrayed you, called you a criminal," she pointed out.
"They didn't betray me. They were deceived and given the cunning of the one who did it, I can't fault them for being misled," Ryuu responded honestly.
"So you would just go back after everything that's happened?" Kūkaku asked in disbelief.
"I have a bigger reason to go back than proving my innocence, Kūkaku."
"There weren't other women in the World of the Living?" she asked with a sly smile.
"There will never be another woman like Retsu," the former Soul Reaper replied adamantly. "I never even so much as held a conversation with another woman besides Yoruichi in the last century."
"What a shame. I guess Retsu's one lucky woman," Kūkaku said thoughtfully.
"Is that envy I hear in your voice, Kūkaku?" Ryuu asked with a hint of grin.
"Don't flatter yourself!" she growled.
He chuckled as he looked up at the massive cannon. It was his ticket back home. He had tasted that familiar feeling when he took those few steps into the Seireitei yesterday before Ichimaru forced him to flee. Tomorrow he would be back in the Seireitei and he wouldn't be leaving until everything was settled. He didn't forget why they were there; they need to save Rukia, but hopefully once they put a dent in Aizen's plan, Kisuke could help him get to work on proving his innocence.
Only time would tell. He just hoped he didn't have to wait for Retsu for another hundred years.
The next morning...
Retsu had been quietly drinking her tea when the alert was given. Every captain was to report the Squad One barracks immediately. She wagered it was about the incident that occurred at the West Gate yesterday and she was right.
Head Captain Yamamoto had summoned all the captains other than Gin Ichimaru ahead of time to give them a report on what had happened.
It seemed Gin Ichimaru had acted outside his jurisdiction and without proper authority. This would have only passed as a minor transgression and would have resulted in some simple punishment like excess paper work or probation of some sort. The problem was that Ichimaru did not eliminate the intruders as was his duty and this was odd because someone of the Third Squad Captain's skills should have been able to handle a handful of intruders with no hassle. This was a cause for great suspicion for the Head Captain.
She herself had no real opinion on the matter. If it was merely a mistake or an act of poor judgment on Ichimaru's part then the Head Captain would grant him some miniscule punishment. If it was something more, than he would still be punished accordingly. Either way it was of little consequence to her; she had her own concerns.
The doors to the room opened and in walked Ichimaru.
There was a tense silence in the air amongst the captains in the room as they all turned the eyes to the captain of Squad Three. Gin himself looked completely unfazed by the scrutinizing stares, but then again it was impossible to know what he was thinking and what emotions that foxlike grin was truly hiding.
"What's goin' on?" the man asked innocently. "Is this really so important that every capn' had to come just for me? But wait, the capn' of Squad Thirteen ain't here."
"He's been excused due to illness," Squad Nine Captain Kaname Tosen spoke up.
"Oh? He's still sick?" Gin asked his grin faltering for a brief moment. "Well I wish him the best."
"Enough!" Eleventh Squad Captain Kenpachi Zaraki said in annoyance. No doubt he viewed this meeting as a simple waste of his time. "I heard that you dealt with some intruders outside of your jurisdiction and that you failed to kill them. Explain yourself! Someone as strong as you should have no problem dealing with a bunch of intruders."
"Huh? Ya mean he didn't die?" Gin asked with his usual grin indicated he was most likely not surprised.
Retsu had to admit that she was suspicious now. Granted, the Third Squad captain wasn't exactly what she would call trustworthy.
"That's odd," Ichimaru continued flippantly. "I was so sure I got 'em. Guess my senses are getting' dull."
"Stop your games!" Squad Twelve Captain Mayuri Kurotsuchi snapped. Clearly another captain who thought this meeting was a waste of his time. "It is impossible for a captain to be unable to detect whether or not his opponent has eliminated. Can it be that deliberately failed and are using 'carelessness' as an excuse?"
"Are ya sayin' I purposely let 'em go?" Gin asked.
"Exactly."
"Shut up Kurotsuchi! I was talkin' first!" Kenpachi snapped at the skeletal captain. "If you keep talking over me, I'll kill you!"
"How ridiculous…" Retus heard Squad Two Captain Soifon mutter beside her.
"Enough!" Head Captain Yamamoto spoke up irately. "Stand down both of you, Captains Kurotsuchi and Zaraki!"
The two captains glared at each other for a few more seconds before backing off. Now they could all get back to the matter at hands.
"Now, Gin Ichimaru, are you aware of why you were called to this meeting?" Yamamoto asked. "You acted alone and without proper authorization. What's more, you failed to kill to capture or defeat the intruder. These actions are most unusual for a captain of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. I would like to hear your explanation for all of this. So, do you have anything to so say, Ichimaru?"
There a brief silence as all eyes turned to Ichimaru.
"No I don't," he answered casually. "I got no excuse. I made a mistake and won't try to justify my carelessness."
His was lying, any foo could see that. The question was: why? What was he hiding from them? For some reason it all put Retsu on edge. Across from her, it seemed Sosuke Aizen the Captain of Squad Five shared her concerns.
"Just a moment, Ichimaru," the man spoke up.
Before he could continue, however, the alarm sounded again.
"Emergency! Emergency!" the man over the loud speaker exclaimed. "Intruders are approaching the Seireitei! All personnel report to their stations immediately!"
"What? Is it the same ones as last time?" Aizen asked somewhat worriedly.
Before anyone realized it, Kenpachi was running out the door. There was no stopping him. All he wanted was to find the strongest one among the intruders and fight them.
Yamamoto sighed in annoyance before speaking up.
"I suppose this meeting will continue later. Ichimaru's punishment will be decided when the situation is dealt with. Everyone return your barracks."
Retsu was eager to return to her barracks. She wasn't overly worried about these intruders yet, but any mother would worry for the safety of the children.
And of course, thinking of her children made her think of the husband she had lost.
"Retsu? Everything alright?" Shunsui asked from beside her. He noticed her usual serene face sullen somewhat.
"Yes, everything's fine," she replied quickly returning her expression to its normal peaceful one.
Shunsui was not entirely convinced. He was much more perceptive than people gave him credit for.
"How are those girls of yours?" he asked with a friendly smile.
"They are just fine. They are happy and healthy," she answered.
"Must be hard being a mother and captain at the same time," Shunsui said with a sigh as he tilted his straw hat up. "With all the work I do, I don't think I could manage being a parent on top of everything else."
"I wasn't aware you did any work, Captain Kyōraku. I thought you had your lieutenant do all the work," Retsu said with a light giggle.
"Well, ya got me there," Shunsui replied with a light laugh. "Speaking of which, I better get back and make Lil' Nanao is up to speed and I guess you better get to your kids."
"Indeed, thank you for your concern, Captain Kyōraku," the bell flower captain said with a serene smile before taking her leave.
Still, she could not shake this odd foreboding feeling that had come over her since the alert was sounded. What was going on in the Soul Society that had her this worried?
I apologize if Retsu seems OOC. I can't really help it since Kubo keeps her mostly as a background character and we only catch the tiniest of glimpses of her inner most thoughts and feelings throughout the anime. Hopefully, you all find the thoughts and emotions I've put into her believable.
