Chapter 25: The Bombshell
Opening Song: *~Asterisk~
A few days later, everyone was ready to break into Seireitei through Kuukaku's method launching them through the sky. Yoruichi's tail was in a strangely bent position, which Ichigo took notice of almost immediately.
"Yoruichi-san, your tail looks like those really bendy toothbrushes," he pointed out. Orihime, Chad, and Uryuu let out small gasps at the statement while Yoruichi's ears twitched angrily.
"Do you..." Yoruichi snarled as she turned to glare at Ichigo, "...have a problem with it?"
Ichigo turned as pale as flour. "N-No, as usual, it's a beautiful tail," he stuttered, wisely backing off.
"You don't remember?" Uryuu whispered in Ichigo's ear, "You're the one who did that."
"Huh? Me?"
"You seized her tail in your sleep and it took three of us to get you to let go," Yui informed him, "You'd be wise not to mention is again."
"I-I understand," Ichigo replied, staring warily after the black cat.
"Hey, what's going on with Ganju?" Kuukaku asked the group in general.
"If you mean where he is, he was downstairs reading something and mumbling," Ichigo answered.
"Wait one minute!" Ganju shouted dramatically as he arrived, "The hero always arrives late!" he declared, pointing at himself.
"What the hell is that get-up?" Ichigo asked insolently.
Ganju ignored Ichigo's tone. "Ganju-sama's personal battle costume," he said, striking a pose, "Cool, ain't it? I wouldn't lend it to you even if you cried and begged me. Serves you right."
"Everyone, are you ready for the cannonball?" Yoruichi asked.
"Yes," they replied.
Ichigo looked at the Kido orb in his hands and seemed to remember something. "Oh, now that you mention it, Yoruichi-san, Kamikaze-san, can you make a cannonball?"
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes slightly. "Eh, I wonder. Let's see, perhaps I'll try."
"Don't tell me this is your first time..." Uryuu trailed off.
"Well, set it down here," Yoruichi ordered. Ichigo obeyed and the group watched as Yoruichi jumped onto the orb and created a perfect cannonball. Then, Yui picked it up and also made a perfect cannonball.
"Are you jealous?" Yoruichi teased a depressed-looking Ichigo, "Are you jealous that Yui and I managed to accomplish in mere seconds what took you days to do?"
"Not fair," Ichigo grumbled quietly.
"Alright everyone!" Kuukaku shouted. She hit the side of the giant chimney with her fist, making a large hole appear, "Get in!"
Those who were going to Seireitei filed into the small space. Once Kuukaku resealed the opening, Yoruichi addressed them all.
"We're taking off at dawn. Listen, once we're in Seireitei, don't separate no matter what," Yoruichi said sternly, "If we encounter a captain, run away without a moment's heistation. Our objective is Rukia's retrieval, that's all. You must, under NO circumstances, take unnecessary risks!"
"If running away isn't going to work, at least don't give your opponent a reason to kill you," Yui added equally sternly.
Outside, the sun peeked over the treetops. Kuukaku unsheathed her dagger and stabbed it into the platform surrounding the giant chimney. Not wasting any time, she began the first part of the chant to launch the cannonball into the sky.
Inside the chimney, Yourichi commanded, "It's begun! Pour in your spirit power!" The seven of them began to focus their reiryoku into the orb. A blue sphere appeared around the group, ready to shoot out of the chimney.
Kuukaku finished the chant and fired the cannonball out into the sky. She got up and watched for a moment. "You be careful and come back to me, Ganju," she said quietly.
Meanwhile, the cannonball floated through the sky smoothly with some of the occupants watching as Kuukaku's house grew smaller and smaller. "There wasn't as much impact as I thought there would be," Ichigo commented.
"Fool, just you wait," Ganju warned, smirking.
The cannonball suddenly changed direction and began flying through the air at an alarming speed. Ganju quickly took out the scroll that contained the second part of the incantation out of his pocket. "In order to break into Seireitei safely, we need to regulate everyone's spirit power level uniformly," he announced, "So here's the deal: while you're touching this, you can feel the others' emission levels. I need you to regulate yourself so that you match the others!"
Everyone nodded and focused on that as Ganju began the continuation spell.
"Kurosaki-kun, that's a bit too much," Orihime informed softly so that she didn't disturb Ganju.
"O-Oh, really?" Ichigo asked, "S-Sorry."
"Kurosaki, lower it some more!" Uryuu said.
"I-I know!" Ichigo snapped, getting annoyed, "I've already decreased it a lot!"
"Ichigo," Chad said quietly.
"I said I know...!" Ichigo yelled, which promptly made Ganju accidentally repeat a line of the spell.
"Goddammit!" the Shiba howled, "You made me read the same line twice!"
"What the hell, dammit?" Ichigo retorted angrily, "That's my fault, too?"
"I lost my concentration because you were yellin' and screamin', dumbass!"
The two of them butted heads, growling as the other five looked on. Suddenly, Chad gestured to something outside of the cannonball. "Hey, look outside."
Uryuu and Orihime turned their attention to what Chad was looking at. "It's Seireitei!" Ganju said.
The cannonball approached the barrier that surrounded Seireitei. All seven of the occupants were watching its progress apprehensively. "We're going to hit it!" Ichigo said.
"No choice now. Everyone pour in all of your reiryoku!" Yui ordered. Everyone immediately obeyed, shoving as much of their spirit power into the orb as possible. Then, the cannonball collided with the barrier. Ripples of energy appeared from the point of collision. The cannonball hovered there, not passing through but not getting destroyed either.
Ichigo gritted his teeth. "Go through!" he shouted.
After a few more tense seconds, the cannonball slipped through the barrier. It burst inside of Seireitei, the seven of them hung in midair.
"Stay together!" Yoruichi yowled, "Right now, the cannonball has hit the shield and is dissolving, and they're only momentarily intertwined. Soon, it will begin to whirl, then burst and be destroyed. If we're separated at the moment, the shockwave will send us flying in different directions!"
As soon as she finished speaking, a whirl started up, forcing the seven to start spinning around and around.
"Everyone, grab the person closest to you!" Yoruichi commanded, "Don't let go no matter what!"
"Damn!" Ichigo said, holding onto Ganju.
"Damn yourself!" Ganju retorted.
Orihime let out a yelp as Chad slung her over his shoulder. Yoruichi sat down on Ichigo's shoulder. "I'm borrowing your shoulder!" the cat yelled. Yui grabbed a handful of Ichigo's hair. "Sorry!" she called as the orange-head yelped in pain.
"Ishida!" Chad yelled as he and the Quincy reached for each other. Uryuu was torn away at the last second, forcing him away from Chad and Orihime. Thinking fast, Chad released Orihime and dived for Uryuu, seizing the Quincy and throwing him towards where Orihime waited anxiously.
"Sado!"
As Chad went flying out of the vortex, Yui released Ichigo and reached for the giant. Right before they could reach each other, the shockwave sent all of them flying out into different parts of Seireitei. Five arrows of orangey-yellow light shot through the sky, gaining the attention of every single Shinigami in Seireitei.
Ending Song: Thank You!