Author's Note: Here is the next chapter of Deathberry's Journey. Thank you to all those that reviewed the previous chapter. Also be sure to tell me what kind of Zanpakutō Karin and Yuzu should have. Either leave a review or PM me with a description of their Zanpakutō. Now then, on with the chapter.
"Juha Bach"
"Shiro"
"Aka"
"Ao"
"P.O.V."
'Thought'
"Attacks"
Shikai/Bankai
Chapter 12: June 17, Memories in the Rain
{Opening Theme: "*~Asterisk~" by ORANGE RANGE}
In Hueco Mundo, as two figures emerge from the shadows on the ground and leap to the tops of the surrounding rock formations and stare down at a large Hollow on the ground.
"I shall go." The Hollow says.
Meanwhile, back in the World of the Living, Ichigo and family where walking up a hill to the cemetery and hear the sound of birds chirping.
"Boy, we're never going to get to the top." Yuzu complains rubbing her forehead of the sweat that had formed.
"Speak for yourself. This hill's no problem. And please, don't let Dad hear you say that." Karin says
"You can do it, Yuzu! Hang in there!" Isshin shouts encouragement to his daughter as he performs a handstand. You see, Dad's on your side!" He shouts making everyone sweat drop at the display.
"Now you did it. Just ignore him, or else he'll never stop. Giving guys like him attention only encourages them." Karin tells her sister as she continues walking up the hill.
"You're wrong about that. I'm automatically encouraged, even if you ignore me!" Isshin shouts as he uses his arms to move forward at a high speed.
"Look out, Yuzu!" Karin shouts to her twin as Isshin slides past and underneath Yuzu making her hold the end of her dress down from the wind he produced.
"Isshin Handstand Dash attack says, "This way to the top!" Isshin yells preforming a Hakuda move.
"And Karin Kick attack says, "Go back to the bottom!" Karin yells preforming her own Hakuda move which results in Isshin tumbling down the hill at high speeds, prompting Ichigo to step out of the way, before vanishing from sight. "Now we can walk in peace for a while." She says walking off.
"Phew. Man, it's hot. Even for the middle of June, this heat's a little unusual." Ichigo notes before recalling the day his mother died. 'That day was also June 17th. But that day was completely different.' He thought.
"And that following year lead you on a path of self-destruction and in turn lead you to us." Aka tells through their mental link.
'I suppose you're right.' Ichigo thought with a small smirk on his face.
"Someone's up there already. And it's…Rukia." Karin says a little surprised.
"Wow, she had to climb up there pretty early to beat us to the top." Yuzu says surprised as well.
"Uh-huh. Although…" Karin says seeing Rukia wearing one of Yuzu's sundresses and a sunhat waving to them while laughing. "Isn't she awfully happy for someone visiting a grave?" She asks.
"What is she doing here?" Ichigo asks a little irritated by her presence. "I told her I was taking the day off from Shinigami duties." He says clenching his fist.
"Well, she is your partner. Maybe she thought it's important for her to be close by." Yuzu theorizes.
"Maybe." Ichigo says before making his way towards her. "I'll go and have a little chat with her. Meanwhile, you two go on ahead to Mom's grave without me, okay." He says rather than asks.
"Ichigo…" Yuzu calls out to her brother but he doesn't listen as he grabs and drags Rukia off.
"Uh-huh! Or it could be this other thing I've been thinking of since Rukia started staying with us." Karin says with a devious smirk on her face.
"And what is that supposed to mean, Karin?" Yuzu asks in confusion and distress.
"What it means is, our little Ichigo may finally be growing up and becoming a man." Karin tells her making Yuzu gasp in shock.
Shortly afterward, as Ichigo stands on a path in the forest with Rukia in front of him.
"What are you doing following me here, Rukia?" Ichigo asks with his arms crossed.
"Isn't it obvious? I'm here in case a Hollow shows up. You certainly can't handle it yourself. And you'd be unable to get out of your Gigai." Rukia tells.
"Yeah, right. You're the one who's helpless right now, miss "I can't even preform a Kidō spell below 10." Ichigo says to her which makes her a little depressed from that comment. "Anyway, why were you waving at us like that? You're at a cemetery. Its not a very cheerful place to be." He says.
"I suppose I could have been more discreet. Or at least have left when you all did this morning. I just didn't think of it." Rukia says thinking about her actions a few moments ago.
"That's okay. So what are you upset about?" Ichigo asks her.
"Actually, I'm not upset about anything." Rukia clarifies for him but pauses for a moment before continuing. "Listen, about your mother, I heard you mention that someone killed her." She says.
Unknown to them, Eikichirō, now wearing a tan farmer's hat engraved with a four-petal flower design on its tip that he keeps attached to his head with strings of cord which wrap around his chin and the back of his ears, puts his hand on a tree and watches the two Shinigami.
"I didn't say that." Ichigo says knowing where she was going with this.
"But you never said who killed her. When I first met you, you said you'd been able to see spirits since you were very young. Ichigo, I need you to answer one more question. "Your mother, could she have been killed by…a Hollow?" Rukia asks making Ichigo sigh. "Do you think that it's possible? If your spiritual capabilities were that high as a child, then there may have been a Hollow who sensed you. And when it came after you, it could have killed your mother by mistake." She says before Ichigo holds his hand up to stop her.
"Enough, Rukia." Ichigo says calmly. "You're right that I had high Reiryoku at a young age and that because you know my dad is a former Shinigami Captain but it's also because my mother had a unique power as well that was inherited by me, Karin, and Yuzu." He says.
"Oh…then do you think it could have been a Hollow that killed her that day?" Rukia asks again until she notices Ichigo walking forward.
"Come with me." Ichigo says and continues walking with Rukia following and unknown to them, Eikichirō as well, but keeping his distance. "My mother was something you would never believe. She had been about to see Hollows and Shinigami from a young age too but her powers were different from ours." He says making Rukia curious as they arrived out of the forest and spot Karin and Yuzu at Masaki's grave setting things up. "The day she died was different from today. That day it was pouring down rain as my mother and I were walking home from the dojo I was enrolled in. As we were walking along a path by the riverbank I noticed a young girl standing close to the river's edge and noticed she was about to fall in so I rushed over to try and save her while my mother called out to me. As I reached out to grab her everything goes black and the next thing I knew; my mother was on top of me…dead and covered in blood." He says shocking Rukia. "Maybe a Hollow was there that day or maybe not the point is I don't know what between when my mother called out to me and when regained consciousness." He says.
'Hmm. Something about that story sounds fishy.' Rukia thought about the detail Ichigo just told her.
"Listen." Ichigo says snapping back to reality. "You can stay close by but this is a day of mourning for me and my family. My mother was everything to us, so just let us mourn, okay?" He asks.
"Alright, Ichigo and thank you for telling me what happened." Rukia says.
Ichigo nods and walks off to join his sisters as Rukia takes a seat watches the Kurosaki-Shiba family from the hill close by.
Meanwhile, back in Karakura Town, Orihime is outside the front door of Tatsuki's house waiting for her to answer. After being let in, the girl make their way to Tatsuki's room to talk.
"So what is it, Orihime? You said you had something important you wanted to tell me about Ichigo." Tatsuki says sitting on her bed as she reaches into an open chip and takes one out. "Um-What's it all about?" She asks.
"Mm-hm. Wait till you hear this. I think I have finally figured out the mystery of Ichigo." Orihime says raising her finger for emphasis.
"The mystery?" Tatsuki asks in confusion.
"I think Ichigo is actually some kind of superhero, and he's here on a mission to protect Earth." Orihime says with enthusiasm.
"Ah, he's a superhero." Tatsuki says chuckling as she leans her head on her folded hands. "The first time I saw your superhero, we were both only four. I was at the dojo were I started my training, and I saw him come in for the first time. He was holding his mom's hand. She was so beautiful. But what I noticed most was his incredible orange hair, and his big, goofy grin. I knew right away he wouldn't last too long. He was just too skinny and weak." She says remembering when she first met Ichigo and saw his mother, Masaki. "In fact, in our first match, I made him cry with a single punch. I just reached out and poked him with a soft one, and that was all she wrote. One quick shot, and he was down for the count. You know, he cried every time he lost." She tells her friend recalling hers and Ichigo's first fight. "But then the most amazing thing would always happen. When his mom would come to pick him up, even if he was still sobbing, as soon as he saw her, that big smile would break out across his face again. He was such a baby. I mean, what kind of a kid smiles when he's just lost a fight? I didn't get it. Here was this total wimp, just a complete mama's boy, and yet he seemed to be so happy all the time, like life was just one big ride, no worries at all. He was a happy kid because of his mom. But then when we were nine…she died." She says making Orihime gasp in shock and go wide eyed. "He didn't come to school that day, of course. I was kind of worried, because no one seemed to know where he was or if he was okay. It seemed so unfair. No nine-year old kid can handle that kind of grief alone. So I went looking for him where I thought he might have gone. I finally found him by the river, right where his mother had died, just wandering around in circles. He'd crouch down when he got tired, then he'd get up and keep walking. For days I watched him. He did that from morning till night, like he was waiting for her to come back. I hated seeing him that way. The happy Ichigo was gone." She says.
"How sad." Orihime comments.
"It got worse." Tatsuki says confusing Orihime. "After a while, Ichigo just stopped coming to the dojo or even talking to me entirely. He just…cut himself off from the rest of the world." She says.
Back at the cemetery, Rukia was still sitting on a walled area of the hill and watches Karin and Yuzu at what she assumes is Masaki's gravestone. Turning her head to the left a little she sees Ichigo a distance away sitting cross-legged on the walk way into the forest.
'Ichigo…no matter how much I try to figure you out, you still remain an enigma to me.' Rukia thought observing her partner. 'Still, something about Ichigo's story sounds familiar to reports I've read back in the Soul Society.' She thought before the sound of unzipping was heard coming from the bag on her back.
"Hey, Rukia, yoo-hoo!" Kon's voice is heard as his arm appears from the unzipped hole before the rest of him pops out.
"What are you doing, Kon? I told you not to come out until I said so." Rukia says sending a small glare towards him.
"Give me a break. I can hardly even breathe inside here, Rukia. I need oxygen, stat. When are we going back home, anyway?" Kon asks fanning himself from the heat.
"I told you before, it's my duty to always stay close to Ichigo so I can help him if a Hollow shows up." Rukia tells him.
"Hollows? You're like a broken record, Rukia. That's all you ever talk about. Hollow this, Hollow that. I think you need to get out more, maybe make some new friends!" Kon says before Rukia suddenly stands up causing him to fall out of the bag. "Hey, how about-" He begins to ask.
"Shh." Rukia quiets him as they hear the sound of snoring close by.
"Huh?" Both Rukia and Kon ask turning in the direction the snoring was coming from.
"What is that?" Kon asks as Rukia begins moving towards the sound.
Rukia walks into the forest, where she hears snoring and soon comes across Eikichirō sleeping against a tree, only to be startled and lose her hat when Eikichirō wakes up and stretches.
"That was a nice little nap." Eikichirō says rubbing his eye a little. "Hm? Hello there, comrade." He says greeting Rukia after noticing her.
"It's you." Rukia says making a sharp movement that causes Kon to fall off her shoulder and roll into the grass while Eikichirō laughs and somersaults forward to get to his feet.
"Sorry. I hate to be caught napping, but these missions get so dull sometimes that I just can't seem to stay awake." Eikichirō rubbing his neck in embarrassment.
"A Shinigami?" Kon asks with a gasp noticing Eikichirō's Zanpakutō, which is a wakizashi with a black hilt and gray guard. Not good. Not good at all." He says before quietly fleeing.
"Mission? What kind of mission are you on?" Rukia asks.
"Don't you know, Rukia?" Eikichirō asks chuckling.
Meanwhile Ichigo was still sitting cross-legged on the walk way to the forest, recalling the day his mother died.
'I know the rest why my mom died that day thanks to Juha Bach and the Soul King telling me about the Quincy folklore of "The Sealed King" but why can't I recall who killed her that day?' Ichigo wonders before sighing. "Okay, I just need to go over it again." He said before closing his eyes and thinks back to that June 17th six years ago.
[Flashback]
"Goodbye, Tatsuki." A nine-year old Ichigo says to his friend.
"Bye, Ichigo. See you at the dojo tomorrow." A nine-year old Tatsuki replies back.
Later, Ichigo and Masaki were walking toward the street from the dojo in the rain, a passing truck splashes water onto Ichigo's face, to his surprise
"Ah!" Young Ichigo cries out in surprise.
"Oh, that careless driver. Come here. Are you all right?" Masaki asks her son as she wipes down and cleans his face with a handkerchief. "Let me switch places with you and walk next to the street so that doesn't happen again." She offers.
"Nah, you don't have to do that. I'm the one with the raincoat on, so I don't mind. Let met protect you from stuff like that, okay?" Young Ichigo asks making his mother smile.
"What a brave boy. That's very sweet. But before you worry about protecting me, I think you should work on protecting yourself from that Tatsuki." Masaki tells her son continuing to wipe and clean his face.
"Come on. I won a point from her the last time." Young Ichigo says unknown to him the silhouettes of two females, a two horned creature, and a middle age man appeared behind Ichigo making his mother's eyes widen for a second before realizing who they were and continues to smile.
"There you go. You're all cleaned up now. Let's go. And I'll walk on the street side this time." Masaki says as the spirits disappear.
"Hey, Mom, can I-can I hold your hand, please?" Young Ichigo asks.
"Why, of course you can." Masaki says with a smile and holds her hand out to him.
'I loved my mother so much, and I always felt safe as long as she was with me.' Ichigo thought remembering how he felt about and around Masaki.
Young Ichigo and Masaki were walking along the path on a riverbank, when he stops upon noticing a young girl standing at the river's edge.
"Hm? What's that girl doing?" Young Ichigo wonders watching her closely.
'Back then, I didn't know I was seeing ghosts. I couldn't tell the difference between the living, and the dead.' Ichigo thought.
"Ah-I'll be right back!" Young Ichigo shouts after seeing the girl moving towards the river.
"Ichigo, where are you going?" Masaki asks as she watches her son rush towards the river but then spots something. "No, Ichigo, stop!" She yells in a panic by what she saw.
As the girl seemingly falls into the river, young Ichigo reaches out to grab her, only for her cape to disappear in his hand as a train roars by.
'When I was little, my dad told me that my name meant "He who protects." Up until then, I had just wanted to protect my mother and my sisters. But that day, I knew I was meant to protect that little girl too. That's all I was trying to do. But instead, my mom died trying to protect me from going into the river. I never saw what caused it. I never saw it coming. But I knew when I looked at her, my mom was dead. That little girl was gone.' Ichigo thought.
"No!" Young Ichigo cries trying to make his mother wake up.
'I remember thinking, how was I going to explain what had happened to Karin and Yuzu? We all loved my mom. She was always the center of our universe, the heart of our family. And now that heart
had been cut out because Yhwach stole her powers, but who killed her?' Ichigo wonders.
[End Flashback]
As the memory comes to an end, Ichigo grits his teeth in anger and frustration at being unable to remember what happened after the girl disappeared.
Meanwhile, Karin stands in front of Masaki's gravestone, her hands in a prayer position as she stares at her mother's grave.
'Hi, Mom. I know it's been a while since we visited you. Sorry about that. But we're all doing pretty well. Yuzu and I are training to become Shinigami just like Ichigo did, but unlike him, we have yet to meet our Zanpakutō spirits. We are however learning Kidō, Hakuda, and Hohō from Mr. Kisuke, Mr. Tessai, and Ms. Yoruichi. Speaking of Ms. Yoruichi, I've noticed how she stares at Ichigo since he's been growing up and I think she's developed a crush on him. In fact, between us, I think Rukia, another Shinigami who's been staying with us since losing her powers, has a thing for Ichigo as well. He's becoming quite the lady's man, if you can believe it.' Karin thought with a grin on her face. 'But enough about us, how have you been? W-well, not that great, I guess, seeing as how you're dead and all.' She thought before hearing the sound of crying right next to her. "Hmm?" She asks looking down to see it was Yuzu crouching while crying her eyes out. "Hey, you can't keep bursting into tears every time we come here, you know. We're 11 years old. We're big kids now, for crying out loud." She tells her twin.
"I know, but this place just makes me sad." Yuzu says looking to her sister with tears streaming down her cheeks as she continues to cry.
"Oh, geez. Are you sure you're really my sister?" Karin asks but deep down she was struggling to keep her own tears from coming to the surface.
'Look at our children, Masaki.' Isshin thought standing a distance away watching his daughters and son. 'Ichigo is still struggling to remember who it was who killed you that day after learning of how you lost your powers.' He thought observing his son near the forest walk way. 'And our little girls; sweet Yuzu knows when to let her emotions out, which in a way makes her more like you. Karin, however, rarely ever cries anymore even though I can see she struggling to keep up that tough girl demeanor.' He thought looking at his daughters. 'Guess it's time for dear old dad to remind her why she's a tough girl.' He thought putting on his goof demeanor as he rushes over to the girls. "I'll cheer you two up!" He shouts laughing like a mad man and doing ridiculous gestures. "It's time for the annual Kurosaki-Shiba family headstone leaping and incense eating competition, so let's get started-" He begins to say before receiving a hard kick him hard in the face.
"You win for most annoying dad of the year." Karin says as she follows through with her kick causing Isshin to be sent flying and crash into a headstone several feet away.
"I won already? But I was just getting started!" Isshin shouts recovering quickly.
"Can we trade in our dad? We really need to get a new model." Karin says with a sigh.
"Here we go. Losers gotta wash my feet!" Isshin shouts running back over to them, prompting Karin to kick him in the stomach.
"Dad, that's disgusting." Karin says and runs away.
"Come back and fight like a man!" Isshin yells chasing after her.
Meanwhile back in the forest with Rukia and Eikichirō, the two continue to stare at each other.
"No more games. Who are you? Just answer the question now." Rukia demands causing Eikichirō to snicker at her.
"Rukia Kuchiki. That's a name that everybody at Shinto Academy knows." Eikichirō says.
"Huh?" Rukia asks in confusion.
"Let's face it, you're famous. Adopted into the noble Kuchiki family, you were known to the rest of the student body as the "Princess of the Rukongai." And I, of course, am Eikichirō Saidō. You remember me now, don't you? I was older than you, but you know my reputation." Eikichirō says but receives silence from Rukia. "Maybe this'll ring a bell. They call me that really funny guy, right?" He says getting close to her.
"I've never heard of you." Rukia says making him feel deflated and dejected by those words.
"Oh well. No matter. I suppose we should get down to business." Eikichirō says causing Rukia to take a defensive stance. "Hey, settle down. All you gotta do is answer a few questions." He tells her making her remember something.
[Flashback]
"Miss Kuchiki, you can't hope to hide it forever." Kisuke says to her.
[End Flashback]
"Oh, wait. The Onmitsukidō." Rukia says.
"Ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding, ding." Eikichirō says as he pulled a cord falling from the side of his hat, which causes the engraved section to flip up, revealing the message "正解" (Seikai, Correct) written underneath. "Woo-hoo! That is the correct answer. Johnny, tell her what she's won." He says pretending he's a game show host while holding up the peace sign.
"Would you just knock it off?" Rukia asks, annoyed with his goofiness.
Meanwhile, Kon was running through the grass searching for help.
"Ichigo, help! Emergency! Rukia's in trouble! Ichigo, where are you? Ichigo-" Kon calls out only to find himself at the edge of a cliff. "Uh-oh. This can't be good." He says as he falls off the edge before landing on a kneeling Ichigo's shoulders.
"I am really not in the mood for you right now, Kon!" Ichigo shouts grabbing the stuffed lion off his neck and hold him in front of him.
"Rukia's in trouble." Kon says whimpering.
"Hm?" Ichigo asks perturbed upon seeing Kon's tears.
Back at Rukia's location, both she and Eikichirō continue to talk.
"They're getting pretty irritated with you back there. They want to know why you're still here. I'm still here because the Hollows keep coming. Orders come in, too. It's simple as that." Rukia says.
"That doesn't explain why you're dressed like a high school girl." Eikichirō says gesturing to the Gigai Rukia was in.
"Wh-what? What's the difference? I'll wear whatever I want to!" Rukia says flustered as she covers herself.
"Oh, don't be embarrassed. It looks like you're finally growing up into a woman." Eikichirō teases.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Rukia asks in confusion.
"Oh, stop, you're killing me." Eikichirō says giggling. "Why not admit it? You're involved with that kid whose mother was killed by a Hollow. The guy with the spiky hair?" He asks making hand gestures.
"What are you talking about?" Rukia asks.
"Do you feel sorry for him, or are you looking for fun in the human world?" Eikichirō asks getting in her face.
"None of your business, Saidō!" Rukia says fighting back a blush that was about to break out on her face. "Shut your mouth, or I'll shut it for you!" She yells.
"Nothing to be embarrassed about, my little flower. Everybody needs love. And I guess the best you could do was a human boy to get all smoochy with." Eikichirō says teasing her some more before seeing Rukia was charging a Kidō spell and leaps away from her. "No, huh? Too bad. That's the only excuse I think the Soul Society would have bought. If I don't get an answer from you that satisfies our superiors, I'll have to take you back, even if it means dragging you by the hair." He says getting serious.
"Are you threatening me?" Rukia asks.
"Could be." Eikichirō says.
"Well, Saidō, I have no intention of returning until I'm done." Rukia says.
"Eh, I tried. But you leave me no choice." Eikichirō says and draws his Zanpakutō.
"Rukia!" Kon's voice is heard making both Shinigami look in the direction of the shout.
"Huh?" Rukia asks looking to her right to see Ichigo rushing towards her.
"Rukia! Are you all right?" Ichigo asks but then notices the Shinigami with his Zanpakutō draw. "Who are you? And what do you want here?" He asks glaring at the man.
"Well, it's spiky head. Am I really visible to you, lover boy?" Eikichirō asks in surprise.
"Kon, who is this clown?" Ichigo asks.
"I don't know. Beats me." Kon says shrugging his shoulders.
"You brought me here in a panic because you said it was an emergency, you furball!" Ichigo shouts. "Next time, assess the situation before jumping to conclusions!" He yells.
"Never mind about me right now. Tell me about yourself, son. Just what do you do?" Eikichirō asks.
"Ichigo wait!" Rukia shouts trying to stop him.
"I'm a Shinigami." Ichigo says.
"A Shinigami? Is that right? What division do you belong to or should I still be waiting for the punchline 'cause that has to be a joke." Eikichirō says.
"No division. I'm an unofficial Shinigami." Ichigo says.
"Oh, Rukia, that's a big mistake. What you've done is considered a serious crime." Eikichirō says.
"Now how up. I know all about that law and that's not what happened." Ichigo tries to explain but Eikichirō wasn't listening.
"Maybe it's better. It'll be more fun to kill a Shinigami impostor than just another dumb Gigai. So let's do it!" Eikichirō shouts throwing his hat into the air.
"Seriously? He's not even listening!" Ichigo shouts seeing Eikichirō charge right at him with his Zanpakutō above his head.
Ichigo quickly sidesteps a downward slash from Eikichirō at the last second, surprising the Shinigami, and follows through with a subsequent horizontal slash but is once again surprised when Ichigo vaults over him and lands a good fifteen feet away from him.
"Cough it up now!" Ichigo shouts at Kon, who was still in his hand.
"Huh?" Kon asks in confusion as to what he meant before Ichigo shoves his hand into Kon's mouth to grab his pill, to Kon's great discomfort.
"Give it to me." Ichigo says searching through the stuffed lion's head for the pill.
"Now you die!" Eikichirō declares as Ichigo swallows Kon's pill, causing his soul to burst out of his body, which surprises Eikichirō, and blocks his attack with Zangetsu, propelling them both away from each other while Kon clutches his throat and chokes a little. "Not bad. You're human, and yet you were able to transform. I'm interested in knowing how you got that ability." He says and observes Ichigo closely. 'This boy isn't normal. He clearly has been trained extensively well. That shihakushō is custom designed.' He thought looking over Ichigo's Shinigami uniform before spotting his waist. 'Wait a second…three Zanpakutōs? That's impossible. Just who is this boy?' He wonders.
"I tried to give you an explanation early but you went and attacked me or my friends. So now, I think I'll just keep quiet." Ichigo tells him.
"Wait, Ichigo, just stay out of it! It's my battle, not yours." Rukia says rushing over and stands in front of him. "This won't bode well for our plan." She whispers to him.
"What can you do? You don't have your Zanpakutō." Ichigo says placing a hand on her shoulder. "I thought the plan was to explain the situation to the person who came after you so you wouldn't get in trouble." He whispers to her.
"Yes but he doesn't have enough authority to explain to my superiors the situation we got ourselves into." Rukia whispers.
"Then we'll just have to make him listen one way or another and he'll be a witness when the person we want comes to get you." Ichigo tells her softly as he moves her out of the way. "Move it, Kon!" He yells making Kon in his Gigai jump into the air and out of the way.
After Kon leaped away, Ichigo yells and runs forward with Zangetsu over his head, leading Eikichirō to grin as their swords clash.
Meanwhile, at Masaki's grave, the girls sense something coming and stand up with a gasp.
"Something's here." Karin says looking around the cemetery.
"You're right, Karin. This Reiryoku is that of a Hollow but if feels strange for some reason." Yuzu says looking around as well.
"There you are." A voice says shocking the two girls as they turn around and look forward.
"Karin, did you feel that?" Yuzu asks her sister.
"I did. Where are dad and Ichigo?" Karin asks standing protectively in front of her sister.
"Dad told me he went to talk to the cemetery director but I don't know where Ichigo is." Yuzu says.
'Just when we need them, they're missing in action.' Karin thought as she groans.
"I'm going to have you keep me company for a while. The bigger the bait, the bigger the catch." The Hollow says slowly approaching them as they get a good look at him.
The Hollow resembles a giant hamster with red bird-like hands and feet and a red tentacle-like limb that hangs from his forehead, similar to the lure of an anglerfish.
"What do we do? All we have at our disposal is Hohō, Hakuda, and Kidō." Yuzu reminds her.
"Yuzu, we're going to have to buy time until Ichigo or dad show up." Karin tells her twin.
Elsewhere in the forest, Eikichirō leaps into the air and hits Ichigo with a powerful downward slash, which he blocks with some effort, before bouncing off their clash to a tree that he propels himself off of with a grin. Clashing with Ichigo once more, Eikichirō drops to the ground and tries to kick Ichigo in the side but he blocks it with his foot and flips backwards to put some distance between them for a moment.
"Man, he's strong but Ichigo seems to being reading his every move." Kon notes as he and Rukia watch from the side.
"Yeah, I've only ever seen Ichigo fight you and Hollows but never against another Shinigami yet he seems to be holding his own against him." Rukia says a little amazed by this.
After a moment of analyses of Eikichirō's skill, Ichigo leaps back and runs towards him before slashing at him, which Eikichirō sidesteps before preparing to slash at Ichigo in return. Ichigo leans back as Eikichirō's blade crosses the air where his head had been and blocks a laughing Eikichirō's subsequent and rapid attacks before locking each other in a sword struggle. At first, Eikichirō smirks thinking about his next move until he sees Ichigo pulling a finger back against his thumb, he then flicks it at Eikichirō. The blow carries enough physical force that sends Eikichirō flying a considerable distance away and crashes into a tree, hard.
"I'm impressed, you've been well trained." Eikichirō says getting up from against the tree he was sent flying into. "At first you look like an amateur but you were analyzing my abilities to look for a pattern in my fighting style. And once we were lock in a sword struggle, you performed a well-executed Oni Dekopin (Oni Headpoke). I'm impressed." He says smirking raising his Zanpakutō once again.
"Flattery won't get you anywhere with me." Ichigo says as he runs toward Eikichirō while Rukia's Denreishinki starts beeping, prompting her to check it.
Ichigo and Eikichirō preform three slashes at each other but all three were block before locking into another sword struggle. It was at that moment that they noticed Rukia checking her Denreishinki.
"What's that?" Eikichirō asks.
"It's a Hollow." Rukia says with her eyes widening from the reading she got.
"Where is it?" Ichigo asks rushing to her side.
"It's close. And it's big. Take a look at this." Rukia says showing him the screen. "The Reiryoku reading is higher than usual." She says.
"Yeah, normally I'd say it be out of your league but considering you're not fighting at full strength, I wonder." Eikichirō says rubbing his chin and looking towards Ichigo.
Ichigo and Kon to freak out upon noticing that the Shinigami was standing behind Rukia and in between them.
"You want to finish this now?" Ichigo asks after calming down.
"Ichigo, there's no time for that anymore. Your family may be in danger." Rukia says making Ichigo eyes widen as he sensed the Hollow's Reiryoku along with Karin and Yuzu right by it. "Let's go." She says and the two partners take off for the cemetery.
"Hey, wait." Eikichirō tries to stop them but they were already gone.
Meanwhile, Karin is thrown along the pavement a few meters from Yuzu and Masaki's gravestone.
"Oh no, Karin!" Yuzu yells rushing over to help her as she began screaming in pain when the Hollow's hand clamps down and pins her to the ground.
"Hadō #4. Byaku-" Yuzu begins to say but one of the Hollow's tentacles wraps around her throat and lifts her into the air.
"Yuzu!" Karin yells seeing her sister lifted into the air.
"Karin! Help me!" Yuzu screams struggling to get free from the tentacle.
"Let her go!" Karin demands but is pinned further by the Hollow.
Elsewhere, Ichigo and Rukia were rushing through the forest as fast as they could to take care of the Hollow.
"So he's not the one we should tell about our situation then who?" Ichigo asks referring to Eikichirō who happened to be following them with Kon behind him.
"I'm pretty sure the longer we wait, the Soul Society will send a Lieutenant or Captain and I'm just hoping it's someone who will listen when they do but you need to forget that for now. You've got your own problems now. My scans show the Hollow is near your family and I saw your reaction so I know you know this as well." Rukia says as they reach a long stairway and begin rushing down it.
"I know you want to ask me about what kind of special power, don't you?" Ichigo asks as time seemed to slow down around them.
"Yes but would you answer me if I did? You are a completely enigma to me and I've only gotten bits and pieces whenever I do ask. As you partner, I want to bet there to help you in any way that I can." Rukia says.
"There is just a lot to tell you and part of it might bring pain to you as well." Ichigo tells her.
"Even so, I'm sure I'll be able to help you through it just like you've helped me in my time her so I'll wait for now. But when you're ready to talk, when you feel like you're ready to tell me about it, I'll be there to listen." Rukia says with a smile.
The two round a corner as they continue running in the direction of the Hollow, Eikichirō lands at the bottom of the stairs and watches them.
"This is a big mess. What do I do now?" Eikichirō asks himself with a sigh.
Meanwhile, the Hollow continues to pin Karin to the ground while lifting Yuzu higher into the air.
"Yuzu, no." Karin continues to grunt in pain.
"You're too noisy. And anyway, you're too small, even for an appetizer." The Hollow says opening his mouth ready to devour the Shinigami in training making her go pale at the sight.
[GRUNTING]
{Ending Theme: "Life is Like a Boat" by Rie Fu}
Author's Note: Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Next one is the one I'm excited to write; Ichigo vs Grand Fisher. Stay tuned for it. Please be sure to review and tell me what you think. Also don't forget about the poll of what kind of Zanpakutō Karin and Yuzu should have. PM me or leave a review.