Author's Note: I am glad to see so many people are following and favoriting this story. Thank you to all of you but please leave some reviews as well. Also I've decided to end the Rangiku Poll early since over 3/4 of you said yes. So at the end of this chapter, there will be a final list of who is part of Ichigo's harem. I will also be making a few new polls for later so be on the look out for those. Anyways on with the chapter.
"Juha Bach"
"Shiro"
"Aka"
"Ao"
"P.O.V."
'Thought'
"Attacks"
Shikai/Bankai
Chapter 11: Greetings from a Stuffed Lion
{Opening Theme: *~Asterisk~ by ORANGE RANGE}
At the Urahara Shop, Kisuke sets a weapon known as Senren Bakusatsu Taihō (Thousand Soul-Killing Cannon), which is a base shoulder cannon wrapped in cloth covered with writing that turns into a rocket launcher, on the ground beside him.
"Like they say, guess what's done is done." Kisuke says as Ururu approaches him.
"Um, Mr. Kisuke, sir?" Ururu says timidly.
"Hmm?" Kisuke asks turning to look at his charge.
"I, um, I am so sorry. I know this is all my fault. I hope that you're not mad at me." Ururu says bowing her head.
Kisuke smiles and reaches his hand out to her causing her to whimper before feeling the hand softly pat her on the head.
"Oh." Ururu says in slight shock.
"There's no need to be afraid, Ururu. We're in this together. So you made a big mistake." Kisuke says pulling her into a one armed hug. "I mean, you didn't do it on purpose. Accidents happen. Don't you worry. I'll take care of everything." He assures her.
"Oh, Mr. Kisuke!" Ururu says crying into his shoulder.
"There now. It's okay." Kisuke says comforting her.
"Excuse me, Mr. Kisuke." Tessai says interrupting the moment. "Everything's ready, sir." He says with Jinta next to him carrying a Muteki Tekkon (Invincible Iron Club).
"Good. Let's collect the merchandise." Kisuke says.
"Yes, sir." Tessai says on one knee.
"All right." Jinta cheers while Ururu picks up Senren Bakusatsu Taihō.
Meanwhile, at Karakura Junior High School, as the glasses boy and his friends watch the Kaizō Konpaku in stunned silence.
"Did you see that? He just jumped from way up there." The glasses boy says unable to see what stop the Kaizō Konpaku kick from hitting him and his friends.
Rukia runs onto the scene from behind the Kaizō Konpaku and gasps in surprise at the scene before her. Ichigo dodges two kicks from the Kaizō Konpaku before jumping over a sweeping leg and landing behind the Kaizō Konpaku, who is irritated by this.
"If I stay calm, I'll be able to predict every move you've got." Ichigo says calmly a he dodges a flying kick from the Kaizō Konpaku and catches another kick from him, which he uses as a chance to grab the Kaizō Konpaku and hoist him overhead before throwing him away, only for the Kaizō Konpaku to land in a crouch and leap over the nearby wall. "Wait, you-" He begins to say before hearing the sound of beeping.
"Ichigo, hold it! We have an order." Rukia says observing her Denreishinki.
"What? You have got to be kidding." Ichigo growls.
"We've got a Hollow alert here. We have to leave now." Rukia says reading the order on her Denreishinki.
"Huh? Right now?" Ichigo asks.
"Let's move!" Rukia shouts and runs off with Ichigo following her.
Meanwhile, in the schoolyard, the P.E. teacher, a young woman with brunette hair, blows her whistle and runs up to the three boys while the rest of the student were playing soccer behind her.
"Over here!" A male student shouts.
"All right, I'm open!" Another male student shouts.
"All right, you three, Why aren't you playing soccer?" The P.E. teacher asks the three boys and notices they, minus the glasses boy, were holding game consoles. "Oh, so you were playing video games again?" She asks.
"This high school guy just flew down on us and wrecked my player." The boy with glasses says.
"Yeah, his hair was bright orange." The obese boy says catching the attention of two girls that were close by.
"Lying's not going to help. Oh." The teacher says and then spots the game console on the ground. "Well, it is broken, all right. Huh." She says observing it after picking it up. "Hmm…I bet you three broke this fighting over it." She theorized.
Elsewhere, the Kaizō Konpaku was running along the rooftops thinking back to the three boys he tried to attack.
'That really stunk. Here I was, in a really great mood, having fun, and those three had to ruin everything. That Shinigami didn't help out, either.' The Kaizō Konpaku thought before he was snapped out of his thought when he sensed familiar Reiatsu. "Huh? I sense a Hollow coming. It feels like it's going to
that school I was just at. Who is it going to attack? Huh! It could be those three kids." He says looking back towards the school he fled from.
[Flashback]
"Just kill him off." The brown haired boy suggests much to the Kaizō Konpaku surprise.
"Yeah, totally. Anyone who doesn't obey their master should die." The glasses boy says deleting the creature in his game while the
Kaizō Konpaku looks on in shock.
"Jeez, you destroyed him!" The obese boy says in surprise.
"So what? I'll just make a better one!" The glasses boy says and they all begin laughing.
[End Flashback]
Back at the schoolyard, the boy with glasses and his friends sweep the yard as he complains about having to clean up as punishment.
"This having to clean up after school is weak." The glasses boy complains.
"Yeah, being punished stinks. Why didn't Miss Ito believe us?" The obese boy asks.
"I don't know. Could it be because we lie to her about stuff all the time?" The glasses boy says making the brown haired boy laugh.
"You got it." The brown haired boy says.
"Well, I'm not going to let her get away with this. I'm telling my mom." The glasses boy says unaware of a large millipede-like Hollow emerges nearby and arches above a shed behind them while chuckling evilly.
Elsewhere, as she runs through the street while looking at her Denreishinki, Rukia come to a stop when it beeps at her.
"Hmm." Rukia says as she stops running.
"Hmm? What is it now?" Ichigo asks stopping next to her.
"My soul pager. There's something the matter with it." Rukia says.
"Oh-What?" Ichigo asks.
"Is the battery dead?" Rukia wonders holding the Denreishinki to her left ear.
"You didn't recharge it? Next time, do that instead of wishing for that psychotic Chappy the Rabbit!" Ichigo shouts.
"Now I can't figure out where that Hollow is." Rukia tells her partner.
"That's just great." Ichigo says but then realizes something. "Wait a minute. That school we tracked the Kaizō Konpaku to was Karin and Yuzu's school." He says.
"Yeah, what about it?" Rukia asks not seeing the point.
"Think about it. They're Reiatsu are pretty high, so don't you think it would be possible that the Hollow would show up there?" Ichigo asks making Rukia's eyes widen in shock.
"You're right. We better hurry!" Rukia says as they rush back towards the school.
Back at the schoolyard, the Hollow dives down on the boys with its mouth open, only for the Mod-Soul to suddenly appear and kick it hard in the face, leading it to instead crash into the ground behind the boys, who are sent flying several feet away.
"It's that guy again. Hey, why'd you push us down?" The glasses boy asks.
"It is that high school student from earlier." The obese boy says after dust clears and gets a good look at him.
Yelling, the Kaizō Konpaku runs toward the Hollow, who extends one of its tentacles at him. The Kaizō Konpaku kicks the tentacle away and leaps into the air, where he kicks away another tentacle before having his shoulder sliced by a third.
"Did you see that?" The glasses boy asks in shock as the Kaizō Konpaku lands on the ground and clutches his arm while falling to his knees. "Blood?" He asks before running away with his friends when the ground is shaken by the Hollow, who glares at the Kaizō Konpaku.
Meanwhile, as Ichigo and Rukia were running back to the school they spot something on the rooftops of the school.
"What's that?" Ichigo asks seeing the Kaizō Konpaku jumping onto the rooftop
"There! There's the Hollow." Rukia says seeing the Hollow following after the Kaizō Konpaku.
"Yeah, I see it." Ichigo says.
"He's there too." Rukia adds.
"That idiot!" Ichigo says drawing Getsu no Ikari and Shunpo towards the rooftop.
"Hold it! Wait, Ichigo, don't go!" Rukia tries to stop her partner but was too slow.
On the rooftop of the school, the Kaizō Konpaku stands with his back against the fence as the Hollow laughs at him.
"How rude. You're disturbing my lunch, and we haven't even been introduced. I don't know who you think you are, but you're too weak to take me on." The Hollow says before extending one of his tentacles.
The Kaizō Konpaku leaps into the air to avoid the tentacle, which rebounds off the ground and hits him in the back, knocking the Kaizō Konpaku to the ground. As the Kaizō Konpaku lands, the tentacle hurtles toward him, ready to pierce him until…
"Bakudō #4. Hainawa (Crawling Rope)!" Two female voices shouts as two crackling yellow energy rope wrap around the Hollow and its tentacle.
The Hollow was immobilized and restrained as it looks behind itself along the Kaizō Konpaku to see Karin and Yuzu, wearing their gym cloths, were the ones who cast the Bakudō spell.
"Hey, what the-Why are you helping me?" The Kaizō Konpaku asks.
"Don't get the wrong idea." Karin says shocking him.
"Yes, were not helping you because you're in trouble." Yuzu says.
"We're helping because that body belongs to our brother." Karin says.
"And we know you're not him." Yuzu finishes as she and her sister struggle to hold back the Hollow but at the moment Ichigo flashes in between them.
"Great job girls, I'm really proud of your teamwork here." Ichigo tells his sisters.
"Ichigo!" Karin and Yuzu shout happily to see their brother.
"Allow me to add my contribution in taking down this Hollow. Hadō #11. Tsuzuri Raiden (Bound Lightning)." Ichigo says as he generates an electric current through the Hainawa ropes holding the Hollow by touching Getsu no Ikari to them causing massive damage to the Hollow, making it fall to the ground in pain. "And you." He growls reaching out and grabs ahold of the Kaizō Konpaku. "Do you have any idea what you just did to my shoulder? It's my clothes and my body that you're messing up. Listen to me, if you can't take on a Hollow without getting hurt, then don't do it." He tells him as they stare at the downed Hollow with Karin and Yuzu behind them.
"What is your problem? I had to fight him 'cause you were late. If I'd waited for you, those kids would've been dead meat." The Kaizō Konpaku says trying to justify his actions.
"Shut up. Aren't you supposed to be some badass Kaizō Konpaku?" Ichigo asks.
"Time to eat." The Hollow says as it hurtles toward Ichigo and the Kaizō Konpaku.
"Take this!" Ichigo shouts as he and the Kaizō Konpaku proceed to slash and kick its mask in unison.
As the Hollow screams in pain, its mask splits open and its body begins to fall backward, startling the Kaizō Konpaku, who runs toward the falling Hollow.
"Hey, hold it!" Ichigo shouts, confused by his action.
Leaping toward the Hollow's head near the railing, the yelling Kaizō Konpaku kicks upward into the Hollow's body, which is propelled upward as it disintegrates. The Kaizō Konpaku watches this with a smile on his face as he begins to fall over the side of the building, but Ichigo catches him by the leg at the last second.
"You dumbass. What were you thinking when you just did that? You see, once you have split a Hollow's head, that means he is finished." Ichigo says grunting as he struggled to hold his Gigai's body weight up with one hand. "So there was no point in you going and kicking him." He says but then hears voices below in the schoolyard.
"Now you're telling me someone was bleeding here? You know what I see? Nothing." The P.E. teacher says to the three boys from earlier.
"But Miss Ito, this time we're telling you the real truth. I mean it!" The glasses boy says pleading with his teacher.
"All right, then. Show me. Where's this bleeding student you saw? Let's see him." The teacher, now known as Miss Ito, asks.
"He really was here, honest." The obese boy says.
"Since you haven't shown me anyone, you'll have to stay after school again tomorrow. Hmm." Ito says walking away, much to their dismay and protests, as the four of them walk back into the school.
Ichigo then pulls the Kaizō Konpaku back up onto the roof and allows his sisters to begin healing his wounded shoulder with their Kaidō.
"Why did you save those three?" Ichigo asks sheathing Getsu no Ikari as he watches the Kaizō Konpaku sit still and watch a line of ants go by. "I thought you said you hated them." He says.
"It's hard to explain. If I hadn't helped those kids, they would have been killed. No one should have the right to kill anyone." The Kaizō Konpaku says looking back at Ichigo as he stares right back at him. "Right after I was created, the Soul Society sent out an order. They made an announcement that all Kaizō Konpaku should be destroyed immediately. So the very day after I was born, the Society gave me a death sentence." He says shocking the three Kurosaki-Shibas. "I waited. I trembled with fear inside that pill, just waiting to die. Day after day, I watched helplessly as the others were disposed of. Then I got lucky. I got shipped out with a load of goods by mistake. But I always expected to be discovered and destroyed." He says standing up after the twins finished healing his shoulder. "I was alone for what seemed like years. I had quite a while to think about how things should be. And you know what I feel? I decided no one has the right to take someone's life away. I exist, and I should have the right to live my life for as long as I want to. Like humans, I deserve that. So I refuse to take a life. That's the reason why I will never kill any living creature." He says.
"Well, look who we have here." Kisuke says behind the group.
"Kisuke." Ichigo says.
"Mr. Urahara." Karin and Yuzu say together.
"So finally we find you. And what a picture. You're all beat up and worn out. All that trouble for nothing." Kisuke says walking up to the Kaizō Konpaku and holds up his cane, pointing it at Kaizō Konpaku's forehead.
Urahara pushes it forward, causing it to phase through his head while pushing out the Kaizō Konpaku's pill, to the twins surprise. As Ichigo's lifeless Gigai falls to the ground and Urahara picks up the pill.
"Huh?" Karin and Yuzu gasp in shock at what they just witnessed.
"Mission accomplished. We're done. Let's go home." Kisuke says to Tessai, Ururu, and Jinta as he kept tossing the Kaizō Konpaku pill up and down in his hand.
"What? Come on. I came here to have a real fight, and that's all I get?" Jinta complains.
"Hey, hold it. What are you going to do with that Kaizō Konpaku now, Kisuke?
"No choice, Ichigo. I've got to destroy him." Kisuke says.
"But why? I'm sure you heard his story. He's was just trying to survive because he wanted to live." Yuzu says.
"That may be but I still got to follow orders. However, I will say this, you've been doing a great job in dealing with these Hollows, Ichigo. I'm pleased. And as for you two younger Kurosakis." Kisuke says turning his attention to Karin and Yuzu. "With how quickly you two are progressing, I think you're just about ready." He says.
"Ready for what?" Karin asks in confusion.
"Ready to-huh?" Kisuke begins to say as he felt someone take the Kaizō Konpaku from his hand.
"I believe that's mine, thanks." Rukia says revealing she was the one who took the pill from the former captain.
"Miss Kuchiki, you can't have that." Kisuke tells her.
"And why can't I have it, Kisuke? Are you saying that it's your policy to seize goods that your customers have already paid for?" Rukia asks making Kisuke go wide eyed for a second.
"Oh, she's good." Yuzu whispers to her twin behind Ichigo's back.
"You got that right." Karin agrees.
"Uh, hey, I'll give you a full refund. How does that sound to you?" Kisuke asks.
"That's okay. I'm completely satisfied with my purchase. Besides, I know and you know that you're operating outside the law. And I also know it's not your job to recall this Kaizō Konpaku." Rukia says.
"I just hope you know what you're getting involved in. So don't blame me if you get into trouble." Kisuke tells her.
"I won't. I've already dealt with a lot of trouble since I've been here." Rukia says staring at the Kurosaki-Shiba siblings making Kisuke sigh as she walks over to them. "Here." She says placing the Kaizō Konpaku pill in Ichigo's hand. "Come on, let's go." She tells him.
"Just a second." Ichigo tells her and looks to his sisters. "P.E. was your last period, right girls?" He asks and receives a nod from them. "Then go get changed and grab your things and we'll head home together." He tells them.
"Right, Ichigo." Karin and Yuzu says together and rush off to change and grab their things.
"By the way Kisuke, what did you mean by you think their ready?" Ichigo asks.
"Oh, yeah. I think their ready to try and obtain their Shinigami forms." Kisuke says shocking Ichigo. "But just to be on the safe side I'll talk to your father before we proceed with the process." He says making Ichigo sigh and give reluctant nod.
Later that day, as the sun begins to set, Ichigo walks next to a construction site with Rukia, Karin, and Yuzu before stopping and clutching his injured shoulder in pain.
"You're really feeling it." Rukia says stopping next to her partner.
"Sure am, but not as much as I would have thanks to the girls. That Kaizō Konpaku really took my body for a pretty rough test drive." Ichigo says digging into his pocket and pulls out the pill. "You tried to wreck me. Hey, are you even listening to me?" He asks after receiving no response and forgetting it was just a pill
"I must say, you look awfully silly yelling at a pill in public, big brother." Yuzu says.
"This must be the trait he inherited from our goofball father." Karin says making Ichigo drop to the ground in depression at hearing his sisters words.
"I still want to tell him how I feel. Help me out here." Ichigo says getting back to his feet and turns towards the three females. "Is there a way I can give this damn Kaizō Konpaku what's coming to him?" He asks.
"You need to insert him into a body, a dead body or one that doesn't have a soul." Rukia informs him.
"Uh-huh! I gotcha. I'm looking hard for a dead body. And when I find it, bam, is he gonna get it!" Ichigo shouts punching a hole through the construction site wooden fence.
"Just be quiet." Rukia tells with him as she and his sister sweat drop at the way he was acting.
"Oh, what do we have here?" Ichigo asks as he notices a lion plushie sitting on top of some trash bags nearby. "So, let me get this straight. You're saying a non-living object could work for this, right?" He asks trying to make sure he understood what she told him.
"Hold on. That's not exactly how it works." Rukia says but then realizes something. 'Although, on second thought, he and I are in bodies that aren't real bodies, so I guess it really could work.' She thought.
"Rukia?" Ichigo asks as she snaps out of her thoughts.
"Huh?" Rukia asks and sees that Karin and Yuzu had gathered on either side of Ichigo to observe it closely. "There's a possibility it could work. Let's try it." She says.
"You think? All right. So all I have to do is put the pill into the toy's mouth?" Ichigo asks.
"I would imagine so." Rukia says leaning over Ichigo's shoulder to observe closely as well.
"So like this? There" Ichigo says insert the pill into the stuffed lion's mouth, however after a few seconds of silence, he picks up the plushie by the arm and holds it out in between all of them.
"So you got any ideas that might work?" Karin asks.
"That should have worked." Rukia informs her as Ichigo begins to spin the plushie around by the arm and then the most unexpected thing happens.
"That hurts, nimrod! Got it?" The Kaizō Konpaku says before hitting Ichigo in the face and pushing itself away from him. "Ichigo Kurosaki, I hereby challenge you to a no holds barred duel!" He declares.
"Count me in." Ichigo says standing directly in front of him as the Kaizō Konpaku gets a good look at him.
"Hey, wait! When did you grow big? Or did I somehow shrink? What happened? I'm in a super cute plush toy with soft paws and no muscle. This isn't fair!" The Kaizō Konpaku cries out in disbelief.
"Oh my gosh. It's so cute." Yuzu squeals at the scene before her.
"Really I find it rather disturbing." Karin says feeling the opposite of her twin.
"Hey, Kaizō Konpaku, relax." Ichigo says smirking at the Kaizō Konpaku's misfortune.
"Huh?" The Kaizō Konpaku asks looking up to see Ichigo crouching in front of him.
"Time for some payback for what you were doing in my body earlier." Ichigo says grabbing him by the head making it squeak. "Your little field trip could have taken me out completely. I need to make you understand." He says with an evil smirk on his face.
"Guess I'm gonna have to mop the floor with you just the way I am!" The Kaizō Konpaku declares and takes a few swings and kicks which end with one result; his quick defeat.
The next morning at the Kurosaki Clinic, the Kaizō Konpaku inmates a rooster call.
"Hey, Ichigo, it's morning. Get up. Rise and shine!" The Kaizō Konpaku shouts jumping off the desk beside Ichigo's bed and onto the sleeping Shinigami's chest. "Don't try to play dead with me, you lazy Shinigami wannabe. I know you!" He shouts as Ichigo closed eyes twitch from the annoying voice I'm warning you, if you don't get your butt out of bed, I'll hide in your backpack and go to school with you! And all the girls will say, "Poor Ichigo is a big baby because he brings his widdle baby teddy to school, and-" Ow! Hey! What the-?" He begins to asks after feeling someone grab him by the head.
"Will you shut up? You are so annoying!" Ao yells throwing the stuffed plushie hard against the closet door.
"Thanks for that Ao." Ichigo says to the ice half of his Zanpakutō spirit.
"You're welcome, Ichigo." Ao replies before vanishing back into Ichigo's inner world.
"And as for you, I can't have you starting the day that wound up. Make like a real stuffed animal and shut up, Kon." Ichigo says to the Kaizō Konpaku.
"And just where did you come up with that name for me?" The Kaizō Konpaku, now known as Kon, asks.
"We've named you Kon because it's short for Kaizō Konpaku. That's another name for a Kaizō Konpaku like you." Ichigo says scratching his head.
"You're not the boss of me, and I want a say in this! Please call me Kai instead. That sounds like a cooler name, doesn't it? Huh? Plush Bod Kai. Now that's a snappy name!" Kon says excitedly.
"No way." Ichigo denies the request.
"Oh, why not?" Kon asks angrily.
"Because you're right. Kai does sound cool, but there's nothing cool about you." Ichigo tells him.
"You think you can just tell me that I-" Kon begins to say before someone lands on top of him.
"I will not stand for all this commotion. I like getting dressed in peace." Rukia says having jumping from the second floor, already dress in her school uniform, and lands in front of Ichigo's closet and notices he wasn't looking at her. "What?" She asks as Ichigo points down at the floor making her look down too. "Hmm?" She asks and then realizes that she is standing on Kon, who is looking up her skirt and praising the angle with a thumbs up.
"I was just telling Ichigo my name should be Kai. Don't you agree? It's better than Kon." Kon says angering Rukia as she begins grinding Kon into the ground with her foot.
"My stuffing!" Kon cries out in pain.
"Knock, knock, Ichigo. Can I come in?" Yuzu's voice was heard outside the door.
"Yeah come on in." Ichigo tells her as she enters the room.
"I thought you'd like to know your friends are down- Huh? Like, what is Rukia doing to Kon?" Yuzu asks seeing Rukia still grinding her foot into Kon.
"She's punishing him for being a little pervert as well as an annoyance." Ichigo says continuing to watch his partner torment the
"Okay. By the way, Mizuiro and Keigo are downstairs waiting for you." Yuzu informs her brother.
"They are?" Ichigo asks and looks at the clock on his desk. "Wow, look at what time it is. I gotta get going quick." He panics and begins undressing, forgetting that he was in front of his sister and Rukia causing them to both blush.
"Your breakfast is ready, so you'd better get downstairs." Yuzu says as she exits the room quickly.
"Check it out, guys. I just woke up." Ichigo says, now dressed in his school uniform, and looks out his window. "Hang on. I'll be right there." He tells them.
"It's all good. We'll see you in a minute." Keigo says.
"Yeah, take your time. But hurry up." Mizuiro says.
"Yeah." Ichigo says and takes a few steps back from the window. "Hey." He calls out to Rukia who was now sitting on the stairway to the second floor.
"What is it?" Rukia asks.
"The memories of my classmates. You erased them again, didn't you?" Ichigo asks.
"Of course I did. Are you saying you'd really want them to remember what happened yesterday? I don't think you would. Given how you whined about your reputation." Rukia says.
"No, you're right. I wouldn't want that. That was a day I wish I could forget." Ichigo says and walks over to his dresser and straps on his watch. 'But I do feel like I've forgotten something.' He thought before noticing his watch read; Thu, 16-Jun, 8:40., causing him to gasp in shock.
"I'm leaving now, Ichigo. I'll see you at school." Rukia says about to head out the opposite window so Mizuiro and Keigo didn't see her but then sees Ichigo just staring at his watch. "Ichigo? What's wrong?" She asks.
'Yeah, it's tomorrow.' Ichigo thought.
"Ichigo?" Rukia asks again with concern for her partner
Soon afterwards, at Karakura High School, in Ichigo class, Michiru walks over to Tatsuki's desk to talk to her.
"Excuse me, Tatsuki. You take art class, don't you?" Michiru asks.
"Yeah. Mm-hmm." Tatsuki replies.
"So did you do our assignment, the one that was on our future?" Michiru asks.
"How we see ourselves in the future?" Tatsuki asks trying to clarify what her friend was talking about.
"Can I see yours? I drew one, but it's not very good." Michiru says.
"Oh, sure." Tatsuki says and reaches into her bag and pulls out the portait. "Here." She says placing it on her desk to reveal that it portrays her standing over a defeated opponent in a fighting ring.
"Wow. You did a great job." Michiru complements.
"That's me. It shows how I'm going to be the first female Vale Tudo champion." Tatsuki says smugly confident.
"This is awesome. My drawing looks so lame, I don't even want to show it to any of you. So, Orihime, can you show me what you drew?" Michiru asks.
"I'd love to. I'm glad you asked to see it, because secretly, I'm very proud of what I did." Orihime says happily reaching into her bag.
"Great. I can't wait to see it. You must have done-" Michiru begins to say.
"Ta-da!" Orihime shows her drawing making Michiru gasp in shock with Tatsuki as they see that Orihime drew herself as a large robot armed with weapons. "I'll have a velocity of 240 miles per hour. A 20,000 degree Celsius flame will shoot from my mouth, and my eyes will project destruction beams!"
"Orihime, what have you done?" Michiru asks.
"You'll get detention for that! You'll get suspended! It's just too way out!" Tatsuki shouts at her.
"Come on, it's not that bad." Orihime says trying to justify her actions.
Meanwhile the girls were completely unaware of a bespectacled teenager of average height and slender build. He had straight, chin-length black hair framing both sides of his face, and is fair-skinned with blue eyes and wearing the respective school uniform along with a tie. The teen was cross-stitching behind them but also listening on their conversation but then hears the classroom door open and looks to see Ichigo entering.
"Hey, good morning, Ichigo." Orihime greets cheerfully.
"Hm?" Ichigo asks pausing in his walk and turns towards her. "Hi, Orihime. How's it going?" He says greeting her in return in a friendly manner, which surprises both her and Tatsuki.
"What is up with Ichigo? He never says hi or acts friendly towards anyone. It's really kind of strange. It's like he's in a good mood." Michiru says but then sees Orihime is still staring in Ichigo direction. "Hm? Orihime?" She asks.
"Mm-hmm. What's that?" Orihime asks absently
"Michiru, what's the date today?" Tatsuki asks having an idea of what was going on.
"Huh? Oh, today, it's June 16. It is." Michiru says looking at the date on her watch.
"I knew it." Tatsuki says hearing laugher as she turns to see Ichigo talking with Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro. "Sometimes Ichigo hides his feelings. He's not in a good mood. He's acting nice, but he's really tense today." She explains.
"Tatsuki?" Orihime asks after hearing her friend get up and walk away.
"It's nothing to worry about. I know why he's acting like this. And I'll bet you tomorrow, Ichigo's going to skip school altogether." Tatsuki informs her.
Later that night, a notice note what taped to the doors of the clinic while the Kurosaki-Shiba family were gathered at the kitchen table.
"I put a sign saying, "We'll be closed tomorrow. We apologize for any loss
of life our absence might cause." Time for our meeting. First order is to go over everyone's jobs for tomorrow. And as chairman, I have final say in all decisions." Isshin says standing before his seated children.
"As if. What kind of a meeting is this?" Karin protests as she stands up from her seat. "And who made you chairman?" She asks.
"Hey, hey. You must raise your hand if you wish to speak, chief of staff." Isshin says pointing at his daughter.
"Hold on. I'm chief of staff?" Karin asks with sparkly eyes that clearly tell she's pleased with her title.
"Yuzu, you have been appointed to be secretary of lunch." Isshin says.
"Aye-aye, chairman." Yuzu salutes.
"Karin, you will load our packs." Isshin tells her.
"I thought I was chief of staff." Karin says.
"Did I say chief of staff?" Isshin asks as Ichigo watches with a smile.
"Yeah." Karin replies.
"I meant chief of stuff." Isshin informs her.
"Stuff?" Karin asks.
"Stuffing our packs, that is." Isshin says.
"Oh, come on!" Karin whines.
"Now to bed!" Isshin orders.
"I'm better than that." Karin tells him.
"That's an order!" Isshin shouts.
Later, as the lights are turned off, Ichigo stretches in his room after a shower.
"That sounded like fun." Rukia voice is heard above him as he turns and looks up to the second floor to see Rukia standing at the railing.
"What do you mean?" Ichigo asks placing the towel on top of his head.
"I'm talking about that family meeting you had with your dad.
"So instead of going to school tomorrow, you're having a family picnic, huh? That sounds nice." Rukia says with a smile.
"Picnic? What time should I be ready to go-" Kon begins to say jumping onto the railing until Rukia shoves him off causing him to plummet to the ground floor.
"Rukia, listen." Ichigo says catching her attention.
"Hm?" Rukia asks looking down towards her partner.
"I know I have serious responsibilities as a Shinigami, but I'm taking tomorrow off." Ichigo tells her rather than asks.
"What? Did you just tell me you are taking a day off? Are you crazy? There is no way. You act strange all day, and now you spring this on me? What are you thinking?" Rukia asks feeling insulted by all of this.
"It's the anniversary. The anniversary of my mom's death. Well, actually, it's not just the day she died…it's when she was killed." Ichigo says stunning Rukia
Elsewhere in Karakura Town, as it begins to rain, Orihime looks out her window and recalls Ichigo's behavior and Tatsuki's words about tomorrow.
[Flashback]
"Hm?" Ichigo asks pausing in his walk and turns towards her. "Hi, Orihime. How's it going?" He says greeting her in return in a friendly manner, which surprises both her and Tatsuki.
"It's nothing to worry about. I know why he's acting like this. And I'll bet you tomorrow, Ichigo's going to skip school altogether." Tatsuki informs her.
[End Flashback]
'Why is it that the rain makes me want to cry? Sometimes I wish I were the rain, so I could touch people
and feel their feelings and maybe connect with their hearts. Maybe then I might understand his pain.' Orihime thought staring out into the pouring rain.
In his bed at the Kurosaki Clinic, Ichigo sleeps with a cloth over his eyes and recalls the day his mother died, with him seeing a girl by the river and trying to save her, his mother calling after him, and him finding her dead in a pool of blood, all as a child, which makes him clutch his head in pain.
'I'll never forget seeing my mother lying dead. She died because of me.' Ichigo thought still clutching his head in pain while Rukia laid in her bed on the second floor thinking about Ichigo's words.
Meanwhile in the Soul Society, a Shinigami, who is a tall man, fair-skinned man with a somewhat angular face and pronounced chin with has dark brown eyes with small pupils and short black hair, with two bangs of different lengths falling on the right side of his face, was playing a game of spinning tops with a group of kids.
"Go! Knock that one out! Go on, get him!" The Shinigami cheers for his top only for him to lose the next second. "I lost!" He says clutching his head in disappointment.
"Yeah, I did it!" A boy cheers.
"Good job!" A girl applauds him.
"Wait, one more time, okay? I bet I don't lose this time." The Shinigami says with a smile making the children laugh at him.
Unknown to the children another Shinigami approaches and stops a distance away.
"Is something the matter, mister?" A tall boy asks.
"Uh, I forgot about something I need to attend to." The Shinigami tells them making groan in disappointment.
"But we want to play more." A little girl says.
"This'll help." The Shinigami says handing the girl some Kan making them gasp happily as they run off.
A Moment later both Shinigami were in an alleyway to talk official business.
"Eikichirō Saidō of the Onmitsukidō (Stealth Tactics), sir, so tell me, who is it today?" Eikichirō asks.
"Rukia Kuchiki, from Division 13." The Onmitsukidō member says.
"Kuchiki." Eikichirō says and chuckles. "What offense has that young lady committed?" He asks.
"She has stayed for far too long in the human world." The Onmitsukidō member says.
"Is that all?" Eikichirō asks with a chuckle.
"I wouldn't be talking to you if that were all. There's something else going on out there. Find out what it is." The Onmitsukidō member tells him.
"So are you saying I can get rough if I have to?" Eikichirō asks.
"Take care of it. Quickly." The Onmitsukidō member says and Shunpo away.
"I will. Rukia Kuchiki." Eikichirō says.
{Ending Theme: "Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu}
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. The first new poll I'm creating is what kind of Zanpakuto should Karin and Yuzu have. Please leave a review of pm telling me what you think they should be and I'll give a shout out when the girls uses them.
Ichigo's Harem: Rukia Kuchiki, Yoruichi Shihoin, Orihime Inoue, Rangiku Matsumoto, and Nelliel Tu Odelschwanck.