HEART OF SWORD
"Whaccha doing Kurosaki-kun?"
"Inoue?!" He yelped, turning to face his classmate while he hid the baseball bat behind his back and outside her curious gaze. Not for the first time, he cursed that midget Shinigami for getting him into such embarrassing situations.
She blinked, Ichigo could almost see the light bulb on her head when she pounded her tiny fist on her hand in glee. "Oh I get it! You're playing Base Soccer!"
"That's-" Ichigo groped for a better excuse and gave up. "Absolutely right!"
"Tee-hee. I didn't think it would catch on so quickly. Other than Tatsuki-chan, I also showed it to Karin-chan and her friends. They must have liked it. That's great." Orihime beamed and before he can fully process the fact that she hangs out with his tomboy sister, she asked."Do you mind if I join you?"
"Course not." And get to skip Rukia's useless training regime? Hell yes. "I'm fine with it. I was getting bored playing by myself."
'Okay, way too sound like an eager loser' he grimaced and felt his eyes bulge out at the scene before him. "Wait. Why the hell are you stripping?!" His well endowed classmate lifted her purple shirt off mid way, the long flower patterned skirt already discarded on the ground to reveal biker shorts and legs.
Ichigo gulped, feeling every inch of regret over his preference for tight clothes.
"Whoops. Sorry, Kurosaki-kun! I'll be right back" True to her words she comes back, chest heaving as she waves in excitement. Her Zombies baseball shirt stretching out at the movement.
Sweet, sweet torture...
"Oh. Are you helping Mizuiro-kun with the Kendo Club?" This time, Ichigo isn't caught off guard since his nose caught her familiar sweet scent. He lets his tense shoulders relax, the wooden sword falling limp on his side.
Ichigo's voice raises an octave higher to mimic the tone, brows furrowed. "Mizuiro-kun?" That playboy. Didn't he say he only hits on older women?!
"Ah he didn't tell you? Mizuiro-kun and I are childhood friends. We met at the local Kendo dojo and trained together. Just like you and Tatsuki-chan!" Orihime prattled on an explanation, a sheepish smile on her face. "We don't really interact much at school though."
"You know Kendo?" He asks, making a note to confront his friend in the morning to set the record straight. She nods vigorously. "I'm very good at it!"
Inoue is surprisingly vicious and quick on her feet, it's only his reflexes honed from street brawls and nightly hunts for Hollows that saved him from getting disarmed. "You're a natural, Kurosaki-kun!" She praised.
"Do you go there often?" He parries back, not sure what else to say but finding this unknown side of the accident prone girl intriguing.
Orihime shakes her head. "The fees were getting expensive so I stopped."
"Now this is interesting..." Deep within the confines of Ichigo's mind, the Hollow watches him cram the necessary skills needed to survive after learning His Name. Zanjutsu training is going to be handled by Mizuiro and Orihime, while real life combat with a Zanpakuto is deferred to Hats 'n Clogs. A good well rounded training session to offset Ichigo's pathetic lack of experience.
Zangetsu finds it hilarious that while Ichigo is praised as a natural, that ditzy girl knows how to wield a mean killer instinct and channel intent through her weapon with the ease of a veteran. Even the quick footed pretty boy is no match for her bloodthirst.
Something that shady shop owner knows very well, if his cheerful last minute instructions are any indication.
"Inoue-san, please don't hold back on Kurosaki-san! He needs all the training he can get. Kurosaki-san, please take Inoue-san's instructions seriously~! Who knows, it might save your life one day."
"Hai~!"
"Shut up! I'll do that even without you nagging about it." Ichigo grumbled, hefting his newly acquired Zanpakuto on his shoulder.
"Let's get started, Kurosaki-kun." The smile is wiped out of her face, crouching low as she angles her sword overhead in a style he'd never seen before.
"My oh my, going in for the kill already? Inoue-san sure knows how to bend a man to his knees." Kisuke notes behind his fan, trading a glance with Yoruichi.
Next to the conspiring cat and scheming shop owner, Mizuiro's eyes are dark with worry. "I hope she doesn't push herself too far."
"Saitou Hajime? That Shinsengumi guy? You're the real deal!" Ichigo blurts out in shock, pointing a finger at an increasingly irate Saitou.
"Who?" Ganju asked, a being born and raised in Soul Society. Completely oblivious of the fact he's seeing a real life historical figure and legendary samurai.
"This is why I hated using my real name."
'That opening stance? Gatotsu!' Ichigo's thoughts whirled, body already moving to counter the move he'd only seen executed by his bubbly classmate during their hellish spars at Hats n Clogs' basement.
"Impressive but that won't be enough!"
Orihime snaps and turns a frenzied Tsubaki against the Arrancar, it was only due to Ichigo appearing just in time to stop her rampage that Yammy's entire existence wasn't erased. She knows more than anyone the potential of her power and why she fears using her combat fairy, preferring to use martial arts and swordsmanship in battle. Or taking a much more supportive role as a healer.
"Who cares if you have the memories of a retired Slayer? His sins aren't yours to bear! Your name isn't Kenshin. You are Inoue Orihime, our friend. Get that in your head already you foolish girl." Rukia trails off, her fierce nagging stopping as their foreheads touched. "I won't allow you to degrade yourself in that tone. Your gentle courageous heart is a much more greater asset than the sword skills you've inherited from the memories of a dead man. Don't allow your fear to paralyze you."
Orihime's tears blur her vision. "Kuchiki-san..."
Her dear friend rewards her with a rare soft smile. "Have faith, Inoue. You are not alone."
"But I'm not Kenshin tho? Is that alright?"
"Silly, I know that already! Just as that tangerine haired boy that follows you around isn't Kaoru-san, you are you. Don't you remember my words when we first met?"
"If I remember right...you introduced yourself and told me how happy you are to meet me at last."
Misao's face morphed into an impish grin as she stuck her hand out, the endearing tilt of Kyoto-ben coating her words like always. "See? That wasn't so bad wasn't it. I'm always up for new friends. It's nice to meet you, Hime-san!"
"Thank you, Misao-chan."
A/N: This is probably one of my oldest and most invested fanfic yet this is all that was left to show for that dedication. While IchiHime is still front and center in the romance department, the protagonist of this particular tale is actually Mizuiro.
I fell in love with the untapped potential of Mizuiro, especially after reading a fic where Kyoka Suigetsu choose him as it's new wielder after Aizen discarded it in favor of the Hogyoku. It made play around with the idea of Mizuiro gaining a Fullbring.
It's a crossover reincarnation fic. The Kenshin-gumi, minus a few who snagged a comfy job in the Gotei 13, went through the wheel of reincarnation and started new lives as Karakura denizens.
Mizuiro was Seta Soujiro, the former apprentice of Shishio Makoto and a troll who loves to flunk his history exams by not answering with the official version of the events written in textbooks. His sleek ladykiller skills is something he picked up from Yumi, a former Oiran and Shishio's lover.
Orihime was Kenshin, which brought about complicated feelings when she realized right off the bat the horrifying lethal potential of her power while having surreal dreams starring Tomoe and Hiko that fed off her martyr complex. It wasn't until she had a heart to heart talk with old plus new friends that she was finally able to move on from the shackles of guilt and simply be herself, a teenage girl and not the former assassin.
Ichigo was Kaoru, mercifully oblivious and confused on why Orihime is besieged by historical figures after the whole Aizen betrayal debacle. Seriously, why the heck is Saitou Hajime challenging her to duel?!
My intense love for the Rurouni Kenshin live action movies is what made me so open to the idea of a BLEACH live action movie which in turn jump-started my love for the Tokusatsu genre. I might revisit this crossover idea someday, if I ever get to unearth my lost notes in my old cellphone.
(06/19/2020) - Recovered my old notes from my battered phone and added some new scenes. I wish my old tablet didn't drown since I jotted down Orihime's dream sequence there.
Karakura Gang | Kenshingumi
Kurosaki Ichigo - Kamiya Kaoru
Inoue Orihime - Himura Kenshin
Unagiya Kaoru - Myojin Yahiko
Arisawa Tatsuki - Sagara Sanosuke
Ishida Uryuu - Takani Megumi
Kojima Mizuiro - Seta Soujiro
Karin & Yuzu - Ayame & Suzume
Gotei 13
3rd Division - Saitou Hajime, Himura Kenji
2nd Division - Makimachi Misao, Shinomori Aoshi
