Arata wandered Karakura's streets alone. By the attack's end, he had a brief interaction with Kisuke about the condition of the others. The shopkeeper told Arata that while many had sustained injuries, they would heal in time.
That short conversation told Arata more, however. The shopkeeper's eyes have always been watchful, and his mind always aware. Veiled behind flippant words and a cordial attitude was the mind of a genius whose intellect far surpasses Arata's.
And those same genius eyes were on him. Arata knew wariness when he saw it.
So he made himself scarce. As the day was coming to a close, Arata let his mind wander as his body did. He needed time to himself, to think about what to do now that everyone was going to bar down on him.
He was at a donut shop to rest. The same one Orhime and him went to before their second falling-out. He did not let his mind wander on her. An exasperated breathe left him when he recalled Sakura and her words.
Arata knew that one day the Soul Society would be demanding he explain himself again. It was inevitable. After saving himself from execution by Kenpachi's hand, he gave himself more time, but that was all. He knew they would bite back, wanting answers to burning questions since his sudden arrival.
Where did he come from?
Apparently, Sakura gave them the answer. Or rather one answer.
An answer that would bathe him in a new light.
The hitokiri sighed. 'No doubt they have already came to their own conclusions. Immediate action will be taken, I'm sure of it.' He shouldn't have been surprised. Not even for a moment. The soul reapers were a military unit at the end of the day. Any conflict or unforeseen obstacle would be tackled head on, to be disposed of as soon as possible. Especially now since they were at war with Aizen. They couldn't afford any possible setbacks.
But...
He had hoped they would forget. Focus on more important matters than just one man and his shaded background. He thought he would have until the end of the war to give them an answer.
He then berated himself for thinking like that. It was naïve of him to do so. He become too comfortable; too hopeful. It was unbecoming of him. He was Sakura's student. He was a hitokiri. He wasn't like her. He wasn't-
Arata halted his thoughts, and sighed once more.
Orihime was still training in the Soul Society. She was safe. She was away.
For Arata, it meant so much more than he wanted it to be.
Meanwhile...
Candice had always wore her heart on her sleeve. Out of all the female sternritters, she and Bambietta were the more vocal of the group and the first to react to new developments.
Even more so if those developments were just outside their door.
The arrancar's second invasion was... not she was expecting. Before her king made his departure to Arata's homeland, he had told the cliff notes version of upcoming events so she can be able to report their progress or any strange happenings. Before the arrival of Arata, she was essentially told that Grimmjow's squad would inevitably fail, resulting in the loss of his fraccion and his arm after dealing major damage to the soul reapers.
Those things did happen down to the letter. The only thing she was surprised by was Arata and Sakura's involvement. Despite being powerhouses, their overall influence in the attack was minimal. Arata burned Grimmjow's arm, but it was still the arm that would later be sliced off.
That was not the case now, however, and it scared the green-haired quincy.
To start off, Ichigo was not meant to win his fight against Grimmjow. Her king told her specifically that his mask would fail before the final slice, and yet it didn't. Grimmjow fell, and though Sakura took his place in defeating the War Power, she was not meant to do so. She also wasn't meant to severely hurt Squad 10's captain and lieutenant - that was Luppi's role. She wasn't even a factor until Arata showed up.
Speaking of the male hitokiri, he must have had a hand in Ichigo's victory. She suspected he would help the boy along his journey to power, but not to this extent.
Was her king even aware of this? He can basically see the future, so it was not far off to say he saw both Arata and Sakura coming into the picture and affectively changing the course of events. Why didn't he give her something to work on then when he visited?! Was he just certain of that chain of events would happen?
She hated all this obscurity. She was walking through a minefield blind.
'Dammit... Dammit...! Instead of bringing up my mom, you could've warned me about a change in plans! Some king you are!' She had half a mind to storm back to the Wandenrich and demand she be brought to Yhwach. The other half was tempering her anger with words of self-preservation. The last thing she needed was Haschwalth cutting her down for insubordination.
She fished a phone out of her purse. It was rectangular and slim piece of technology colored white. A non descriptive phone on the surface, but allowed Candice to contact the Wandenrich through an indecipherable channel to ensure conversations would not be listened to by outside parties. She shivered at the idea of Urahara or Kurotsuchi catching wind of her.
She shuffled through her contacts for a certain individual. When she saw their name, she pressed the call button and waited, her leg jumping up and down as her anxiety made itself physical. The periodic ringing only made her more impatient.
The ringing stopped, telling Candice someone picked up. "Meninas, hey girl, I just wanted to-"
"Sheesh. You sound like the end of the world is happening around you. What happened? Found some white hair in your gorgeous locks or something?"
The greenette's relief turned sour at the bratty tone on the other side of the phone. Bambietta was satisfied at the sudden upturn in her fellow sternritter's mood.
"Bambi," Candice said through gritted teeth. She was already stressed out enough by current events. The last thing she needed was The Explode turning her more into a walking timebomb of nerves. "What are you doing with Meninas' phone? Did you steal it - again?"
"Pffft! Not like she'll miss it." Bambi dismissed. She stopped for a moment to locate her pink-haired companion's reiatsu. "She's training with some new guy Yhwach brought back with him."
The mention of their king's name brought the Thunderbolt's annoyance to a pause. "When did he come back?"
"About a couple weeks ago. Dropped off some dude at the palace before heading back out. Made a whole spectacle, too. Basically ordered us to show him the ropes." The Explode's voice held aggravation at the thought of spending her precious time with some recruit.
But Candice knew this person wasn't just some recruit. He had to be someone important, someone from Arata's homeland. He was hand-picked by their king specifically.
"Wait," she then realized. "Why wasn't I told of this sooner?!"
Bambi snickered. Candice could practically feel her grin. "Guess you weren't important enough to be called back."
"You little-!" Candice had to hit the brakes on her riled emotions. She refused to fall for Bambi's games - again. "What was the new guy like?"
"Oh my god, you should have seen him." Bambietta laughed. "I don't know where our king picked him up, but he was dressed like he was heading to a renaissance faire!" As she recalled the new guy's introduction, she had felt his spiritual pressure first. It was not high enough to match even the weakest sternritter, but it was certainly above that of a soldat. Then came the metal clanking he made with each step. It confused most of the sternritters present, but when he and their king came out of the shadows, there the new guy stood beside Yhwach. "He was pretty tall, a couple inches taller than his majesty. Came out in full plate and chainmail wielding a long axe."
Candice was very confused. Wherever Arata came from, it was certainly Japanese. This new recruit Yhwach brought into the fold sounded more European than anything. But he had to be from where the hitokiri originated from.
Candice made a good bet that this new guy won't be the last.
"What the fuck?"
The sudden cursing piqued Candice's interest. "Bambi, hey, what's going on?" she loudly questioned, her voice amplified by the emptiness of her living room.
The confusion in the Explode's voice was evident even on phone. "The new guy's spiritual pressure... It's stronger. I can feel it from-"
A loud rumble erupted in the distance on the other side of the phone. It was as if Bambietta had chucked one of her reishi bombs. Candice can personally attest that even from afar, Bambietta's explosions were loud just as they were destructive. If she could hear the explosion from a phone, then the blast must have been a powerful one.
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
"Bambi, what's going on?!"
"I gotta go."
"WHAT?!" Candice yelled. "Wait, you didn't even tell me-" A couple beeps later and she was staring at Meninas' phone number. "his name."
Words could not express her frustrations. Now she had even more questions! That was the opposite of what she wanted, and her own people are not even keeping her in the know.
But that rumbling before Bambi ended the call was something. Whoever it was Yhwach brought back was someone of power, evident by Bambietta's reaction. It gave her further evidence to support a certain stance - one that terrified her by its implications alone.
"Your people are something else Arata."
Elsewhere, later...
After eating away his frustrations in the form of a couple chocolate-glazed donuts, Arata went to his final destination for the day: the Kurosaki clinic.
He had been actively avoiding the place since Rukia and Ichigo made their escape. Though he had been meaning to check on Ichigo, his black-haired companion would surely be there as well to nurse him back to shape.
Both she and Ichigo were on his mind. The petite soul reaper was no doubt forming her own questions and possible rebuttals to his responses. She was gonna give him a hard time, Arata was sure of it. And depending on how he will respond and handle the situation would determine her reaction.
He had a better understanding of Ichigo and how he would react to matters though, so that was in his favor. The teen wouldn't hold anything against him, he was sure of it. He was the one who faced Sakura and insisted he take her by himself.
That was Grimmjow.
Hitokiri's interjection made Arata pause. '...Fuck.' he cursed. She was right. Ichigo had not said anything about fighting Sakura by his lonesome. Then again, with how the situation was and who Ichigo is, it was unlikely he would have said anything, especially coming off from his victory against the one-armed bluette.
Before another wave of emotions could hit him, he steeled himself. While true that Ichigo wanted to face Grimmjow alone, he also faced Sakura alone despite knowing how powerful she was. Arata had faith Ichigo's skills would carry him without another blade by his side, enough to make a meager wound from Sakura's flesh. But the difference in power was too great for Ichigo to close.
But there were clear signs, another part of his conscience pointed out. The way Sakura defended without so much as breaking a sweat should have warned Arata to intervene. The strength of her hierro as Ichigo sliced at her, only to come out fruitless should have raised alarms in his mind. Hell, past experience training with the woman should have persuaded Arata that Ichigo wasn't ready to take her on by himself.
The discourse happening in his mind left him occupied mentally while his body drew closer and closer to the clinic. 'Why am I even taking this so seriously?' he then asked himself. Warriors die everyday in battle. Only a fortunate few are able return, but that usually came at a cost; a lost arm, stubs for legs, sliced eyes, broken bones, the list goes on. Ichigo came out extremely lucky. He faced Sakura and lived to tell the tale. Grievous injuries, sure, but with time he would heal and continue on without trouble.
'It's not my fault.' Arata told himself. 'Sakura and Ichigo are just two warriors on two different levels.' Yet even when he comforted himself, he could not shake the feeling he did something wrong.
The front door of Kurosaki Clinic stood in front of him. He briefly opened his pesquisa. He was not surprised to find the people he expected.
He went to ring the doorbell, but one of the inhabitants opened the door before his finger could reach the button. He uttered a low groan when his face fell to Rukia's.
His fellow soul reaper didn't seem to register the sound. She wasn't emotive at all in actuality. She was quiet as she leaned her body on the door frame, looking at him, appraising him.
Neither of them moved for a time as both regarded each other. Arata broke their stare down when he went to move around her. Rukia had other plans though as moved in his way.
'So that's how you're going to react, huh?' Either she was trying to deliberately piss him off or keep him out as much as possible, Arata had no clue. What he did come to find out, however, was that she was a persistent little minx. Arata tried his luck again to get pass her, only to be faced with her small frame again and again.
He humored her for a time, but when he heard a couple school boys snicker at the sight of them, that was when he decided enough was enough. The hitokiri moved one again to the right, but was blocked again. "You do realize I can pick you up and move you, correct?"
"Touch me, and you'll be peeing blood for the rest of our life." Her expression soured, clearly hostile, but kept an edge of mirth behind it.
"I'll take my chances." Arata did not come to play games. He came because he wanted-
...
Need. No, he needed to see if Ichigo was okay. He was essentially his student, after all. What self-respecting teacher wouldn't check on their student?
An undignified yelp left Rukia's lips when Arata grabbed her by both biceps and lift her like she was a feather. She had to begrudgingly admit the man's muscles weren't just for show.
But just because her arms were pinned did not mean she was powerless. Arata was reminded of that when both her legs kicked his front in rapid succession. Even though his skin was hardened thanks to his introduction to this world, her fast and ferocious kicks left a stinging reminder for Arata of the little woman's strength.
The interaction couldn't have lasted more than a few seconds as Arata merely picked her up and set her to the side. Her struggling, however, did make moving her more of a challenge than it needed to be. Her feet of fury played a major role in that.
He made his way into the house, Rukia trailing behind him demanding he stop. He would not. Not when he had to see for himself how the boy was doing. Assess how long he will need to take to heal and if his bones were corrected properly. His proficiency with kaido was amateurish, but it was better than nothing if he needed to act.
"I said stop!" Despite the hostility in her voice, it was kept a leveled state. Perhaps Ichigo or the other Kurosakis were resting.
For the first time since entering the house, Rukia grabbed his wrist. She had to have known her attempt were futile. His body eclipsed hers in terms of physicality and size. The most she could do was slow his gait by a percent.
Arata noted her touch. it was admirable for her to try, fruitless or not. He could have easily ignored her and continued his way to Ichigo's room, but just as he fully ascended the stairs, she did the unthinkable: she grabbed his mask.
It was actually one of the streamers hanging on the red rope around his head. Just as he felt his mask shift downward, his free hand grabbed hers immediately. He held them above her head and pinned them to the wall. Their eyes locked, his showing clear annoyance - bordering anger - at his precious face-ware almost pulled down while Rukia's eyes held more aggression.
"WHAT do you want, woman?" he practically growled.
"Obviously for you to stop moving, but words can't seem to pierce that skull of yours. Had to do something to get your attention." Rukia stated coldly.
Arata grunted and released his hold on her. He saw her rub the both her wrists. He barely contained himself when she had moved his mask. Her wrist should be fine though, a minor bruise at most. "You should not have touched my mask."
"Didn't know it was a touchy subject." Her light grimace whenever she touched her sore wrists made Arata feel justifiably responsible. At least this he was certain of his role in. He crouched beside her and hovered his hands over her wrists. Rukia was surprised to see the man knew kaido, but allowed him to heal her. He stood back up when he was done and Rukia muttered her thanks. "Then again, I barely know anything about you. And with what I found out, I don't even know if I should feel safe around you."
Arata took a step back. "You don't trust me." he stated. "Ask your questions already."
"Why didn't you tell us about Sakura?" she asked for starters.
Arata shrugged, which only Rukia scowl. "It wouldn't have changed a thing."
"Wouldn't have changed- Are you serious?" she asked incredulously. "Arata, this is MAJOR. Do you realize what your connection with her could mean? How can we trust you again after what we just found out?"
"What you assume and what is fact are two different matters. I say this changes nothing because I am still fighting on your side against the arrancars." He put extra emphasis on the last part to nail in his allegiance.
Arata was not surprised she doubted his loyalties now that Sakura practically advertised her connection to him. There were many times back in Healthmoor he was detested purely for the fact that he was a sellsword and a hitokiri. What defined a warrior in the Myre - and in this reality's Japanese history - was ones devotion to their lord or daimyo. A hitokiri by definition rarely served a daimyo as they were migrating warriors. He had no such loyalties. No ties to one territory, and that made him disliked within the Dawn Empire to say the least.
But never did he once turn on his employers unless they proved to be criminals themselves. And even though the Soul Society tried to kill him once, he understood he stepped on many toes because of his previous actions. In the end, Arata deemed the Soul Society and the soul reapers as a lesser evil compared to Aizen and his lot.
"How can we be sure you won't turn on us in the end?"
"I won't."
Rukia took his words with a proportional amount of salt. Arata hid the truth for an entire month after the fact Sakura had effortlessly took her down with her reiatsu alone and would've beaten Ichigo up if Arata hadn't taken her attention. A little heads-up about that monster of a woman would've been more than helpful.
Yet how tightly did he hold onto this information, she wondered. From her understanding, he and Ichigo had been training together for the last month. Was it possible he knew Sakura was Arata's sister? And what of Orihime? She and Arata have been living together and have formed a close relationship with one another; she could have been privy to his origins.
That just made things even messier. If they knew yet neglected to inform the others, they were complicit in hiding vital information from the Soul Society. She had no doubt punishment awaited them if that information was found out.
Not that she was going to report that. That's the last thing she was gonna do.
The Kuchiki noble sighed and rubbed her eyes free of exhaustion. "Why didn't you help Ichigo?" she then asked, changing to different topic.
Rukia didn't notice until that moment, but ever since her attempt at grabbing his mask, his eyes were always trained on her. They had their eyes locked on one another, and it would be lying for her to say it didn't unnerve her. It sent an uncomfortable feeling through her body, leaving goosebumps on her skin. Is it even possible to maintain prefect eye contact with anyone? She was sure he was looking straight at her eyes. Not her forehead, not her lips, just her eyes.
Such unwavering conviction... she respected it. Arata was type to never back down from anything. Whether it was a fight or a conversation, he would face it.
But no one was perfect. The way his eyes trailed to the side before his head followed the same direction told her that even Arata Takahashi - the same man that took on Kenpachi Zaraki and openly spat in the face of the Soul Society's laws - can be at a lost.
A sigh left his lips before Arata spoke. "I trusted his abilities to carry him. I knew Sakura was not aiming to kill the boy; just to test him, and if he landed one blood wound on her, she would relent."
Rukia's face wrinkled at his words. She was merely testing Ichigo? What kind of test left the test-taker unconscious with dislocated arms?! "But the difference in power was apparent. Why didn't you step in?" she then rebuked.
"Like I said, I knew Sakura's intentions so there was little to fear of the boy's survival." Arata reiterated. "And... he did not ask."
Rukia's deadpanned expression was mutually shared on Arata's face as well. Even he felt how moronic that added fact was.
Truth be told, Rukia didn't fully blame Arata for not helping out. She and Ichigo were some of the few who actually experienced Sakura's power first-hand and knew how potentially dangerous she was. Ichigo should have known better and waited for backup before engaging or actually asked Arata to join him. From what she had seen of Sakura, she'd probably welcome being double-teamed.
Then again, Arata also knew of Sakura's strength and still didn't help at a crucial moment when there were clear signs he should have.
All in all, Arata and Ichigo held responsibility for Ichigo's current state. She made a mental note to slap her friend for his blunder after he's fully healed.
The soft click of a door made Rukia look to see Arata entering Ichigo's room. She followed, stopping at the door when she saw Arata standing by her friend's bed. His back was turned to her, but his head was angled downward. He was just staring at Ichigo, most likely to assess his injuries.
Arata kneeled and leaned closer to Ichigo's shoulder - the same one Sakura dislocated. "Were you able to relocate his shoulder?"
"I think so, yeah."
"Mmmm..." The area looked to be swelling. Most likely it will be painful and hard to move afterwards. Arata had no clue how often Ichigo experienced this type of injury, but he will have to be careful in the future; it will take less force for dislocation next time. He looked fine though. He was bandaged up and probably was given modern medicine to alleviate the pain. "Have you tried contacting Orihime? Her powers would very much hasten the healing process."
"That's what I've been doing before you came. But she's not picking for some reason."
Her response also boggled Arata. Though his hostess was on the ditzy side, she was rather attentive of the happenings around her.
"My soul pager's probably picking up spiritual wave interference. All I'm getting is static whenever I try to contact the Soul Society." Rukia then added.
Ah... so it was technological problems. Arata understood that. He'd seen it many times, both here and back in Heathmoor. Bows once thought to be indestructible snapping in two because the archer pulled back too hard; catapults breaking down before launch and causing flaming boulders to crush its users...
Toilets failing to flush down the contents of his stomach, the list goes on.
All in all, Arata knew technology was not perfect. There was always room for failure, whether you see it or not.
"Rukia, Arata," a soft voice called out. The two soul reapers turned to see Ichigo's sisters, both holding a plate in their hands, in the hallway behind Rukia. "Is okay we ate dinner in here?" Yuzu asked.
Rukia smiled down at her. "I don't see why not." Arata nodded in agreement. "I'm sure Ichigo would like that."
"Oh! Are you two hungry as well?" Yuzu then asked. She presented her dish to Rukia, which looked to be some sort of omelet with salad on the side. Most amusingly, a caricature of Rukia's face was added made of ketchup on top.
"Oh... and here's yours Arata." Karin then gave her dish to Arata. It was simpler than Rukia's, but had the same charm. A bowl of ramen and milky broth with shredded beef. And just like Rukia's, his mask was designed atop the noodles in dark brown miso paste.
"I didn't expect you to show up today, Mr. Takahashi, so I pulled together some leftovers from a few nights ago. I'm sorry." Yuzu then said.
The hitokiri lightly shook his head the young girl. "It's fine. I'm grateful Yuzu. Thank you."
"This smells very nice Yuzu, but I was just about to go out." Rukia said, gently trying to pass down the dish.
"You know it would rude to reject someone's cooking they made specifically for you." Arata said.
"What can I say? I'm just not-" A loud rumble escaped her stomach and reverberated through the hallway. "hungry."
"Your tummy knows more than you do. You are hungry!"
Arata had already moved downstairs by the time Rukia's stomach growled, so he failed to see her skin turn ruby red.
Later...
After a fulfilling supper, Rukia took it upon herself to do the dishes. She had assumed Arata would have left when he was done; he came to check on Ichigo and ate, so there was no other need for him to stay.
But he was just leaning on the counter beside her as she rubs a sponge across the dirty surface of her plate. The sound of running water was the loudest sound in the room, but if she listened closely, she can hear Arata's slurping of his orange soda through a bended straw.
To say she minded his presence was an understatement.
"Is there a reason you're sticking so close to me?" she eventually asked.
More slurping was Arata response. Rukia had half a mind to snatch the aluminum can away if her hands weren't already preoccupied with dish-washing.
Eventually though his slurping came to a stop when all the contents in the can entered his stomach. "You have more questions, I presume? Might as well ask them now since I am here." he stated, like explaining himself was a chore he can do anytime rather than a big conspiracy.
Rukia actually raised an eyebrow at his attempt to assuage her suspicions of him. He just seemed so apathetic of what others thought of him. He didn't care he broke some of Soul Society's laws or that most of the nobility want him dead; he carried on as if they didn't exist.
She made her confusion known when she said, "You seem to be putting more effort in convincing me you're an innocent in all this mess than you actually want to."
And what she said was true. Arata felt like he gave the right amount of content in talking about his involvement in Ichigo's last fight. Even if she still had her doubts, it not like she can force anymore out of him.
If it hadn't been the influence of a select few individuals on his conscience, he wouldn't have bothered with anymore of this conversation. "Ichigo and Orihime trust you." he stated simply. Now trust by association was not Arata's style. Confiding in others was only a recent development. He wasn't going to let out his secrets like a dam just because of - what Arata perceived at least - an inconvenience.
But he knew in the back of his mind that the girl in front of him was near and dear to Ichigo and Orihime just as they were to her. She was hostile because she felt Arata was a threat to her and her own. She probably didn't even care so much that Sakura and him were siblings. Only the idea that he was here under Aizen's orders to do whatever.
Arata let out a small sigh then. 'To think I let a couple teenagers cloud my judgment. What have I devolved into?' Even though he knew words would do little to encourage faith in him, he also knew the two would want him to try to be diplomatic; at least towards Rukia. 'At least she is mature about all this.' he eventually conceded. 'She's cautious, but inquisitive. She would rather know the full story before jumping to conclusions.'
"With that in mind... I suppose I can tell you more." Arata said. He didn't know much more he can tell though, to be honest. As mentioned before, he felt like he addressed the elephant in the room quite well.
There was a lot circulating through Rukia's mind when he brought up the two oranged-haired high schoolers. The fact that he brought it up was shocking in and of itself due to its implications. It meant Arata was willing to grant more information on the premise that a couple friends of hers vouched for her character.
She had no clue how much they talked about her in Arata's company, but her effect on them must have been apparent if Arata was able to take note of it. It felt good to have close friends like that. Ever since Kaien died, she hadn't been able to form such relationships anywhere close to what she had with him. Things were better now though; her growing bond with her brother and friends reinvigorated her. The added thought of her mentor brought a sense of guilt to accompany her thoughts, however.
For sure her friends knew what they were doing in trusting the mysterious hitokiri. Or at least a measure of trust. Rukia wasn't blind. She knew Ichigo and Arata were training at some old warehouse with an unknown group. Former soul reapers she guessed. It was actually where she went to in order to heal him after Sakura's beating.
And he lived with Orihime for much longer. They must see something in him that gives them comfort, to spend time with him to get to know him. "I... I want to trust you, Arata." she confessed. "I want to see what Ichigo and Orihime see. I want to stand by your side as an ally, but I just-..." Her eyes squeezed shut for a second, to gather her thoughts and plan out how to put them to words lest she lose her wits. "You hurt my brother. You claim a relation to an arrancar - an elite in Aizen's army no less. And I-"
The sound of an aluminum can landing inside the nearby recycling bin was like a gun shot rang out in the otherwise silent room. Rukia saw Arata was beside the bin and frowned that he hadn't let her finish.
"Watch me." he then said.
Her annoyance shifted to confusion, but her frown remained.
"Just watch me. Only then will you see where my allegiance stands." It was fine, Arata thought, that Rukia did not trust him. She may never come to trust him, but that was on her. If she couldn't get over the fact he was related to an Espada, if she couldn't set aside his right to keep his own past under wraps, that wasn't Arata's fault. He was gonna do what he felt was right regardless of what her or the Soul Society thought.
His life was own to lead. Only he decides what he is and what to do.
Yet you're trying to persuade someone you're trustworthy solely because you share mutual friends.
The hitokiri's temples creased.
"'Watch me' eh?" Rukia parroted with a chuckle. "So you're saying I should just... stand back as the situation unfolds? Is that it?"
Not exactly his words, but Arata didn't say much to that. He just continued to stare at her, hands pocketed and standing almost rigidly straight.
The female soul reaper slackened her arms to their respective sides. She let out a low sounding sigh. "I'll try." It sounded so simple, yet so risky. It was the least she can fulfill when to came to Arata. Of course she needed to know more - of him, of what Ichigo and him were trying to obtain, and so forth - but his request wasn't unreasonable. She was going to do it regardless.
"Anyway... Now with that out of the way, I'm gonna head out." Rukia said. Her voice returned to a leveled state. "I'm going to check in with Urahara if he can patch me to the Soul Society."
She turned in the direction of the couch where her coat rested. "Don't you have anymore questions?" Arata reiterated.
"I do." She buttoned up her rather long coat as she felt the chills of the night creep in from the open window. She looked up at Arata and noted offhandedly that he always wore tank tops. Doesn't he ever get cold? "But to be frank, I'm not in the most mentally energetic mood at the moment." After everything that has happened as of late, her latest talk with Arata with the final straw. She can feel the slithering tendrils of mental fatigue start to grip her mind, and as much as she wanted answers, she needed a break. She wasn't quite sure, but she also felt that Arata didn't really want to continue broaching the subject of trust either.
She can ask him and hopefully Ichigo for more later when all had time to rest their heads.
"Oh, and Arata..."
"Hm?"
It came at the speed of light. At this point, Arata was used to moving faster than light, but he was sloppy. He became too relaxed. There was no notice or hint of possible occurrence so the hitokiri failed to block the the small, dainty foot from completing its upward arc towards his nether regions.
And it connected very fast and very hard.
"Ugh!" Arata caved to the immense pain spreading in his groin. His left hand held his injury manhood while the other leaned on the counter next to him. Yet again he was impressed by the surprising power the girl held in her small frame, but his expression underneath his mask did not display anything positive. Quite the contrary.
"I told not to touch me." she replied haughtily.
Before Arata could deliver retribution, she opened the door that led to the hallway leading to the front door, but stopped in surprise when she saw Isshin Kurosaki, a towel draped across his neck in fresh clothes indicating he had just bathed. "Oh! Mr. Kurosaki, I didn't know you were still up."
"Good evening there Rukia." he greeted back. He took a look and saw Arata still keeled over. "Um... you good there Arata?"
He let out a quiet groan as he straightened himself out. "...Fine enough." He sent one last glare towards Rukia's way before his eyes narrowed slightly at the middle-aged man. It was somewhat difficult separating the clueless buffoon with the strong and capable former captain that just one-shoted an arrancar, but he respected Isshin's desire to be inconspicuous about his true origins so he acted like nothing was wrong.
"How's my idiot son doing by the way?"
"He's fine, but he's still sleeping." Rukia answered.
The Kurosaki patriarch didn't seemed the least perturbed by the status of his son. He waved off Rukia's apparent concern with smile and said, "Don't worry about him. It's his own stupid fault he got beat up by some bullies." To further nail in his words, he playfully tapped his fists on both cheeks. "I mean how pathetic! They're not even from his school."
Either that was a pretense to hide his true feelings or how he actually felt, Arata couldn't say. It still surprised the hitokiri how well Isshin can hide how much of the truth he actually knew. He had to had to have known the truth behind his son's state. Not with the foreign reiatsu signatures practically advertising their appearance just hours ago.
"I'm sorry about all this Mr. Kurosaki. It's my fault he got involved with those delinquents." the female amongst them apologized.
'So that's the story they are spinning.' Arata mused. Mostly likely for the twins.
"What're you talking about Rukia?" Isshin questioned assuredly. "The kid's old enough to know better. I'm just glad you're safe." He popped open the beer can in his hand, but had unknowingly shook it too much before opening and caused much of the alcohol to fizz out.
Rukia giggled at the scene while Arata remained silent. "Well, thanks a lot. I'll be heading out, but I'll be back later."
"Just be careful, alright?" Rukia nodded at him as she headed towards the door. She gave one last look at Arata, a neutral yet studious look, like he was a book she would pick back up later. She quietly opened and closed the door behind her.
As his pesquisa sensed the growing distance between him and her, his sights then went back to Isshin, who was trying to wipe off some beer stains off his fresh white shirt.
The otherworlder had no clue as to when he was going to confront him about his son, but he was prepared for an onslaught of scolding to say the least. Just as he most likely sensed the arrancars, he must have sensed him around his son as he battled. He probably had a word or two he wanted Arata to hear.
"You know, you've got a piercing gaze to you. It's almost as bad as Ichigo's when he's really pissed with me." Isshin laughed.
Arata's patience was large, but not indefinite. He was not fond of the attempt to dodge the issue. "...Aren't you going to say anything?"
The ebony-haired father turned to him. His brow had dipped as a drop of beer dripped down his chin and added another stain to his shirt. "The hell are you talking about?" he bluntly inquired. The way his expression pinched indicated a level of thinking, curious as to what the guest in his home was referring to.
It almost struck Arata as sincere. "Ichigo."
Isshin surprised him by tilting his head to side, almost like a child being asked about a matter his parents already talked about. "I already spoke my piece about that. I was sure you were listening with Rukia when I said-"
"But why?" Arata interjected. "You must have sensed me near his battle. I could have assisted him yet I stayed put. Do you not blame me?" He was deeply confused. He was the boy's father wasn't he? Arata practically stood by as his son tried to fight a losing battle. Any loving father would be a little angry if someone close to their son chose not to intervene.
Rukia laid some of the blame on him and she wasn't even related to Ichigo. So why wasn't the boy's kin doing just that?
Isshin and Arata continued their eye lock. It was less intense than the one he shared with Rukia. While he was focused on answering her inquiries, she was fueled by a large degree of inquisitiveness, reservation, and antagonism.
Isshin did not stare at him like that. His face held mostly curiosity - not at him, but his words.
"Do you want me to?" the former captain eventually asked. When Arata did not respond - or just didn't know to to respond - Isshin then said with a huff, "'Cause honestly I don't want to scold you for believing in my son. Like I said before, Ichigo should've known better than to bite off more than he can chew."
"But-"
"And I've seen Ichigo survive worse encounters than this. He's a tough kid, and he'll only get stronger with every battle. You of all people should know that." Isshin then took a big swig of his beer. A couple audible gulps sounded off as they went down his throat. He sighed when he took his lips off the can. "I always knew my impromptu training sessions would pay off!" he beamed, recalling all the time he launched himself at his teenage son only to end up shooting out of his bedroom window, or having his face planted against the living room floor.
His fatherly skills were top-notch, he just knew it.
The man Arata faced seemed adamant he did not hold him responsible for Ichigo's injured form. He was not used to such leniency. Back in the Myre, even when he completed his duties as expected, the people always had one or two things to about his methods. They were rarely positive.
"And about my sister?"
Isshin actually laughed when he said that. "You of all people in this house should know I have a secret or two under my belt. Don't you think it would be a bit hypocritical of me to judge you because you have a right to privacy?"
Well, when said it like that, it made simple sense.
Damn... he didn't know what to do now. Arata came here expecting a verbal lashing, but Rukia and Isshin were more understanding than he thought.
Either this world was too generous when it came to chances, or his world was too harsh when it came to transgressions. Perhaps it was a bit of both.
A hushed wince escaped escaped his mouth as his body was reminded of Rukia's bloodline-destroying kick. He swore he was going pay her back for that.
But strangely, something else caught his attention, and it wasn't Isshin spilling more beer on his shirt. It was not sudden like Rukia's attack, but still a surprise. It was like someone brushing their hand against your own. A rather minor and accidental breach of personal space, one most would excuse, but the feather-like touch was lingering more than it should.
Arata followed his gut and opened his pesquisa, but to add another surprise for the night, he sensed no new signatures nearing the clinic. Was it just his imagination? Was he really so addled by recent events he started sensing things that did not exist?
Arata was crazy, he will admit, but he wasn't insane.
He first looked to his fellow man in the room. The former captain displayed no inkling that something was amiss, which was almost enough to persuade Arata he was losing his mind. Almost. He turned to the door, his destination the boy's room.
"Oh, if you're heading up to Ichigo's room, do you mind taking Karin and Yuzu to bed? I'd hate for them to wake up with back cramps." Isshin softly requested. Arata merely nodded and continued his way up the stairs.
Moving the twins couldn't have taken more than a couple minutes. Yuzu was last Arata held as he brought the young girl back to her room. He even took their plates, glasses and utensils down to clean. By that time the room was empty save for the room's owner.
He was making his way back up the stair when he heard it. The sound was unmistakable. It was too heavy to have been a book or falling to the floor. And unless Ichigo was up and about already, which Arata highly doubted...
Someone was in his room.
He quickened his pace.
A few minutes earlier...
The sky had turned from a bright orange to a dark blue, the sun giving way for the moon. Peeking through the curtains, it was the only source of light and bathed as much of the room in a cool but cozy glow.
The room's sole occupant slept his stress and pain away, unaware of the two individuals about to enter his modest sanctuary.
But they did not come at the same time nor the same manner. As Ichigo's light snores filled the room, Orihime Inoue had peaked through his closed window and slightly parted curtains. But there was no disturbance of the environment. Not even a slight movement as Orihime, intangible, walked through the solid window and curtains and into Ichigo's room.
"Okay, there we go." She didn't even bother using her inside voice. The bracelet Ulquiorra gave her made sure no one but arrancars could see, hear, or even perceive her presence. "Hehehe. That's hard to get used to. But here I am!"
Her mind demoralized itself when she thought back the cuatro's commands. Twelve hours? Just to say goodbye to one person? She had enough time to say farewell to the entire town. And she nearly did. Or at least to the ones that mattered to her.
Maybe that was why he gave her so much time - to hurt her. Crush her spirits by picking just one person to give her last words to. It nearly did just that. She almost balled her eyes out when she tried to approach Tatsuki, but didn't get the chance to. She walked away too fast, and Orihime couldn't think of what to say even though she had practically essays about each person in her heart.
Her heart only grew heavier with every person she visited. She tried Renji or Chad, who were both at Urahara's shop along with Toshiro's group, but she couldn't say anything to them. She tried finding Uryu, only to discover he practically disappeared off the face of the map. She even passed by Rukia on her way to the clinic, but lost her nerve when they passed each other.
Arata though... she saw him at the donut shop. The one they went to before their latest argument. She was tempted to take her bracelet off, just for them to have a true, last heart-to-heart. Maybe hear a couple more stories about Heathmoor and the Myre. She wanted spill the things she thought about him, how he inspired to keep standing despite whatever pain she may endure. The things she hoped he would see in himself one day. To encourage the goodness in him to prosper.
For him do more than just survive. She wanted him to live.
But what if it ended in another argument? What if the relationship they built only crumbled into ruin? The last thing she wanted was to cause him anymore emotional distress, even if it meant leaving everything between them unresolved.
Not to say that Ichigo was last on Orihime's list. Far from it. She just thought she should see everyone at least once before she had to leave.
It was only dampened by the fact she couldn't even give them a simple and proper goodbye.
She peered down at the unconscious teen before her and frowned. She saw his and most of Arata's fight with Sakura. Ulquiorra had opened a one-way windows to their fights like he turned on a T.V.
The difference in power they had before to now was evident by their performance. She saw Ichigo's mask, and couldn't quite get the image out of her head. It perturbed her that she still felt that way about hollow masks considering her roommate. But Ichigo changed when he donned that mask. She couldn't quite say how due to her method of viewing, but his movements looked so powerful yet natural, focused yet primal. She had seen Ichigo fight before, but with that hollow mask... he was like a different person.
And Arata's Shingetsuha was also something to behold. 'He really is dedicating to his 'man-cutter' role, huh?'
"I decided to say goodbye to you Ichigo. There's actually a lot of other people I wanted to say goodbye to as well. Like Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu, Rukia, Arata, and many others. But I would get in trouble if I did... so I had to chose."
Ichigo was undisturbed by her confession.
"Oh!" she then realized. "Your bedroom... This is the first time I've ever been here since I've known you. And by myself, too." The scent of his room brought a faint red on cheeks, but she quickly shook herself of those thoughts.
With a tentative hand, she grasped his right hand, threading her fingers with his own. Even though she cannot be seen by the rest of the world, that doesn't mean she can't touch other people. She gently rubbed circles with her thumb on his bandaged-covered skin...
And lowered her face closer to his. She could feel his faint and steady breathing on her lips and she grew bolder, holding his hand a bit tighter as she was just seconds from giving the man of her dreams her first and precious kiss. A strand of her hair fell and she closed her eyes, ready to feel his lips touch her own...
but she stopped.
She was so close, just a hairpin away from fully embracing the boy.
She realized this, but couldn't find it in her to commit. She cried then. She cried because she couldn't push through. She cried because she felt she didn't deserve to share this moment with the boy who has treated her with nothing but respect and care. Here she was, a prospective member of Aizen's army, and she was going to kiss her noble crush.
Would Ichigo hate her when he finds out what she did? She hoped not. At the very least, she hoped he would understand.
A few of her stray tears fell on Ichigo's cheek as she cried at her pitiful resolve. Arata would be disappointed for sure if he saw her like this. "Just look at me. The truth is I can't bring myself to do it." Rubbed her eyes dry with the back of her hand. "I'm so ashamed of myself. I-It's my last moments with you, and I'm trying to..."
She smiled despite herself. She let her bottom half hit the window still. A subtle thump emitted - the same one Arata heard.
"When I think about it, there's so many things that I want to do. I-"
But her audible musings were soon promptly ended when Arata burst through the bedroom door. Orihime was so shocked she let out a startled yelp. Fortunately for Ichigo, he was still in sleep so the door slamming open did not bother at all.
'Oh god... Arata... he's...' How could could she forget? Arata was not like most soul reapers. His hollow powers differentiated him. He was a lot like an arrancar now that she thought about it, and she cursed herself for only noting it now.
Did he hear her? How much did he hear then? What if he told everyone? Ulquiorra is one of the strongest enemies she has seen; if he knew she was found out, there would be Hell to pay.
"U-Ummm... H-H-Hi Arata!" she greeted way too excitedly. "You're probably wondering how I got here, huh? Well, you see, I've been... training how to do parkour! Yeah! Parkour! Just keeping my limbs in tip-top shape just in case I need them... right?"
She soon came to a hush when she saw Arata was not responding to her babbling like he usually does. He looked in every direction from his position by the door. When his eyes came to her, he still didn't say anything. Orihime was confused, but then realized he wasn't looking at her - he was looking through her.
He didn't see her. Arata and her may have their differences at the moment, but he would still give her some attention, not give the complete cold shoulder. She was fully convinced the bracelet worked even on him when Arata looked inside the closet and under the bed for something.
'Of course. He isn't an arrancar. He similar, but he isn't one of them.' Orihime concluded.
The only conscious man in the room scratched his shaved head in confusion while his orange-haired hostess watched him in plain view. He was sure something was here. His body was surely sensing another person and that noise earlier couldn't have been made by Ichigo. Isshin was downstairs and the girls were fast asleep. There had to be an intruder; it just wouldn't make sense why he was reacting like this.
Arata took one more look around the room and sighed. He gave Ichigo a side glance and groaned. He went to close the door and returned to Ichigo's side. Though he was significantly taller and larger than the boy, his in-room chair supported his frame.
Orihime didn't say a word. She didn't know why; she just deduced Arata couldn't hear or see her. She was safe. Ulquiorra wasn't going to come and kill her friends because she accidentally said goodbye to two people.
Arata looked at the boy in curiosity. He was still the same as he was few hours ago: unresponsive, but alive. It really wasn't him that made that subtle thump. Even after surveying room and finding no other form of life, he could still feel his insides tickling him, warning him of watching eyes.
He continued to look at Ichigo, and he let another sigh as he took off his mask completely to rub his aching temples.
Orihime gasped. She spun herself so fast, she swore she had vertigo. She couldn't look at him without his mask. It felt... almost the same as when she attempted to kiss Ichigo. It was too personal to take it with their current situations.
'Honestly...' He must going insane. Was he so worried about the boy he conjured up false assumptions of danger? Was he really that guilty of his current state?
He shouldn't be. He wasn't the one who hurt him, it was Sakura. She was the one who sliced him, who kicked him, and left him broken. He shouldn't be prosecuted because of the actions of another. Hell, Ichigo wasn't innocent in all this either; he should've known she was too strong for him and called for assistance.
But you knew better, too. You knew Sakura would be too much for him, yet you let him fight her alone.
Hitokiri's worlds ignited another tree.
Arata breathed another sigh. Why didn't Ichigo call out for him? He must have recognized the gap in his and her power. Did he also believe he could make her bleed? He knew the boy was steadfast when it came to challenges, but that shouldn't override the fact he needed help.
Arata would have flashed by his side if he just called his name.
Arata held his gaze of the boy. Despite being one of the most mature and toughest teens Arata has ever seen, he was still jut a kid. The hitokiri was no stranger to children who picked up arms; he was one of them. It was commonplace in a land polluted by war and crime.
Yet here in this reality, while there were still problems to face, there was peace. A kind of peace Heathmoor has rarely experienced - and probably never will. With that peace came opportunity and freedom to chose your own path, far more than what was allowed in his world; if you were born a farmer, you were a farmer for the rest of your life. Just replace the word farmer with any other class or profession and you would get the Dawn Empire.
Arata had stopped rubbing his head in place of putting a hand over his eyes, his face angled down and shadowed over. "You must not be so reckless." he started. He felt ridiculous talking to an unconscious person, but he was basically alone; no one but him would be privy to those thoughts.
That was what he perceived at least.
"You have a future ahead of you. Don't squander it because of one fatal mistake. You have so much to live for than you realize." He sighed before starting again. "You have a family. Friends. A whole world to fight for. If anyone is going to be reckless with their life, it should be me. Do not die to win, Ichigo. Risk death, but do not cross it. Value your life, savor your victories, and live."
Truer words cannot have left Arata's lips. The boy before him, despite being a fighter at heart, did not want to constantly endanger his life in duels of blades. He wanted to have normality. Peace. Arata could see Ichigo dropping his sword after all of this was done, continue his schooling, go to college, find a woman and start a family.
He couldn't see anything better suited for the boy than stability.
Perhaps at one point in his younger years did Arata also want the same things. After some years as a hitokiri, perhaps he would have find a wife and have a couple of kids, grow and die old, and find satisfaction in stability.
But he was not that boy anymore. He enjoyed ending the lives of criminals and the scum of humanity. He lives now for the thrill of bloodshed and battle, seeking them everyday without end. He may have been hated by society, but he was content with his existence as a man slayer.
This isn't to say Arata saw his life as dreary and without value. He trained for this life ever since he met Sakura, and he knew he was making a difference, however small it may be. He was satisfied in his own way, even if others disapproved of the path.
But a life of fighting and killing needed people of an acquired taste. No one wanted to be the janitor of humanity's filth, yet hitokiris practically volunteer for the position. They are cut from a different fabric, and Arata was one of those people. He knew what a hitokiri's life would be like. This life was simply not for everyone and he would never ask anyone to trade in a peaceful existence for one of conflict.
'...Huh.'
With all their differences in morality and personality, they were trivial in comparing Arata and Ichigo. They were all made inconsequential to one thing.
Ichigo seeks a life of balance.
Arata seeks a life of blood.
The hitokiri chuckled, but it was devoid of any humor or amusement. Rather, it was clear understanding at how disconnected he and Ichigo actually were. "To think Orihime finds us comparable. How wrong can she be?"
"You're wrong. You're wrong..."
No response back.
Her bracelet hand constricted the wrist of her other arm in the attempt to hold herself back. Because if she didn't, her friends would pay with their lives.
All because she wanted scream her protest at Arata's words - or rather a certain part of them.
Her eyes, once thought dry of their supply of tears, dripped fresh droplet to the floor. Her back still faced Arata, but if she was visible, he would have seen her quiver in renewed sorrow and frustration. 'Why? Why would you say that about yourself?'
Reckless. Only he should be reckless. But why? Why was Arata the only one between them deserving of the right to act that way?
Because he had no friends? Then who was Ichigo to him?! Unohana, Kisuke, Yoruichi... her... what were they to him? Just business associates? Does he really not see - or refused to see - how much they actually cared about him?
Because he had no family? Yes, that was true, but he had so many people around him that blood relationships shouldn't matter. Can he not see that?
Because he had no world to fight for? But he was fighting for this world! He was willing to fight a nigh unstoppable foe and his own sister for the safety of the three realms. Even if that was not on his mind, surely he recognizes the good he was doing by fighting by their side. And didn't he say he considered Karakura his new home, a place he was willing to settle down in when all he had before was an axe and the clothes on his back? Did he not consider himself worthy to a part of this world?
There was so much wrong in what he said, she wanted to scream at him. Actually scream her lungs and heart out because she just couldn't bear the thought of Arata seeing himself as just the janitor of humanity's evil.
Because he was better than that. She always felt his heart was not evil, but now she wholeheartedly believed in it. That good heart in him was there. Yet he continues to distance himself from it. He continues to disassociate himself from what that good heart in him could mean, of what it could bring him.
Because just as Ichigo had a bright future ahead of him, so did Arata if he just accepted that deep down, he was good. That he cared for others just as they cared about. That he was more than the sum of his parts and birthplace.
The dam within the girl was already cracked from being unable to fully commit her feelings to her crush; but now with Arata here who unknowingly confessed his inner most thoughts, that dam had completely broken, letting all the emotions welling up inside her to flow without interference. How Arata did not notice the deluge of tears was beyond her.
She wanted to leave at that very moment. She couldn't stand to be here anymore. Not with her feelings for the men before her so closely strangling her heart. She was half scared she might expose herself just to talk to them more seriously, but that would undermine her sacrifice for them. For Everyone.
Plus she needed to do one last thing for Ichigo and she couldn't do it with Arata in attendance.
And so dreadfully she waited. She waited until Arata was satisfied with his time in Ichigo's company, but it pained her to do so.
Both she and Arata did not know how long they were in Ichigo's room, but it felt longer it was in actuality. Arata eventually slipped his mask back on and stood up. 'I should leave. The Visoreds said their reiatsu would hinder Ichigo's recovery. I should make myself scarce.'
He quietly made his way out the door despite his large stature. He closed the bedroom door with a soft click and leaned on it. He felt... not exactly good, but less heavy. It was like saying those words made a deeper, stressed out part of him relieved. Allowed it to breathe more steadily.
Yet he has never felt so bare. So laid out and naked. Ichigo was not even cognitive to hear him, but he felt like he just gave him something so precious, even he was pierced by their value.
How utterly truthful he was.
He laid his head back, jolting the door slightly from impact. "I need a drink..." Did the Akiyama twins still serve at this hour?
His his steps became quieter and quieter, Orihime let a breath she did not even know she was holding. It was shaky, clogged with more emotion than she wanted to feel.
She did not want to do this. She didn't want to go with the arrancars. This felt like a betrayal of trust all her friends had given her. She felt like a turncoat even doing this despite being unwilling and having no blood on her hands.
But that dislike grew to hatred, a rare occurrence for the young girl. She hated this because she was leaving so much unresolved or unfinished. Her feelings for Ichigo, her friendship with Arata, her friends, her future, everything. She wanted so much out of her life, so much to look forward to, but now it was all getting swept away in an instant.
She cried even more, before unleashing her healing barrier.
The next day...
Redwood was still open by the time Arata got there, ready to serve him after a day of deep thinking. He drank carefully, however. It did not matter how strong his body was inside and out his mortal frame, he was a light weight when it came to alcohol. This night was a special exception; he rarely indulged in liquid courage, so his tolerance was not high. At least by Heathmoor standards.
Apparently the Soul Society and the World of the Living believed in diluting their booze with water. No wonder he was able to stand against Kyoraku in their drinking match; had they been in Heathmoor, he would've been down by the third bottle.
In the end, he was thankful the twins had an avenue for him escape his thoughts for at least a moment. He was buzzed by the time he left the establishment. The Visoreds were too far and he didn't feel like traveling that distance. So he went to Orihime's place instead.
Thankfully Rangiku and Toshiro weren't there waiting for him, or any of the others either. It appeared he would continue his existence in this reality for a bit longer.
When he awoke, it was a slow and aching process, mostly for his head. His eyes did not open when he scratched his head, but when his ears picked up the sound of fabrics rustling and swords jiggling, he finally cracked them open.
And it brought no amount of surprise when he saw Ikkaku, Yumichika, Rengi, Rangiku, and Rukia standing over him with everyone - save for Rukia - holding their sheathed swords.
They were poised for action, ready to react should the man before them tried to escape or - most likely - fight his way out.
"... Did you at least make breakfast before attempting to arrest me?" Arata jabbed, his mood a bit snappy thanks to his light hangover.
The mindsets in the five soul reapers were varied. While Ikakku was rearing for a rematch and Yumichika more inclined to watch, but Rengi, Rangiku, and Rukia did not know how to feel.
The redhead of the group hadn't spent enough time with Arata to get a good grip on him personally, but he knows what saw. A rebellious soul reaper with only his own agenda in mind, disregarding rules and taking heads without a thought of the consequences. Add that with the fact he was tight-lipped about his past and that just made him look even more shady. He did save a little boy from a hollow though, even when he did not need to, and fought by their side against the arrancars.
He hesitated to say he trusted him solely on that last part. He too knew a nice guy who he once thought was trustworthy. That same guy is now leading an army to destroy everything he knows and loves.
As for the strawberry blonde, memories of Sakura tossing her around like some fleshy rag doll were still fresh as the moment they were made. Rangiku felt the two were very similar, but sibling? She did not want to believe it. The connections were obvious, however, and she as a member of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads could not leave them out in good conscience.
But she remembered how he helped soothed Orihime to peace and pushed her to greater heights came to mind. She was reminded of the humanity hidden beneath his rough exterior, and that gave her pause.
She was not going to say she thought she knew the hitokiri, because she didn't; almost everyone - save for Orihime perhaps - knew next to nothing about him. It was that ambiguity combined with conflicting knowledge that left her mind at a standstill concerning Arata Takahashi.
She had been wrong before in her assumptions. Gin proved that with flying colors.
Finally, Rukia had agreed to keep a watchful eye on him, still skeptical but willing to give the man a chance.
"Looks like you had a good night." Rangiku joked, alleviating the mood. "Shame you didn't invite me. I would've shown you how to really party."
"Or how to get an even worse hangover." Arata mumbled. Wordlessly and slowly, he stood up, causing the soul reapers present to stiffen. And as much as taking them all on was a fun prospect to delve into, the hammering headache he was experiencing was the one prioritized first. "I'm getting water. Or am I not allowed to do that?"
A short trip to the kitchen later and Arata saw his fellow soul reapers just lounging about. Save for the fact that they just got roughed up real bad the day prior, they were fine. No evidence of scarring, bruising, or any bandages for that matter. Kisuke and Tessai must worked wonders on them to get them back into shape.
Unless...
"Did Orihime heal you all?" Arata asked.
"That would've save us a lot of time if she did." Ikkaku stated. "But no; Kisuke Urahara worked his magic on us."
"Now that you mention her, I haven't sensed her spiritual pressure for some time now." Rengi realized.
"The spiritual interference ended a few hours ago. She should be here by now." Rukia then added.
"That's strange actually." Rangiku then added. "To my knowledge she's training in the Soul Society. What in the world is holding her?" Especially with the arrancar's surprise attack. From her time with the girl, she can confidently say she worried about her friends and would rush to assist them if she even sensed they were in trouble. Traveling to and from the Soul Society didn't take that long either unless you're traveling through the Precipice World, and even then that would take about several minutes at most.
Why she was not present during the aftermath was peculiar, borderline distressing.
Arata realized this as well, and for a moment, his heart spiked in worry. It was entirely out of character for her to not be present at all right now, especially since Ichigo still needed healing.
'No. Calm down.' he told himself. 'Rukia said there was interference in contacting the Soul Society. She probably just did not get the message in time.' he then reasoned.
"I am assuming since you are not trying to detain me, you have other business here?" Arata then asked.
"Quite astute of you, big guy." Rangiku grinned.
"Comms came back up and we're waiting for a video call from the Head Captain." Yumichika then said. "I suggest you stay put. I have a feeling he would like a word with you."
Arata was not surprised.
With his head cleared up, he transformed back into a soul reaper and waited along with the group. They turned on the huge monitor set up in the room only to receive static, but that was expected since they were waiting for a call.
The front door opened. Before he even noticed Toshiro, his eyes bulged when he saw Ichigo awake and walking. More so when he saw his health in great condition.
That must have been Orihime's doing, he just knew it. But where was the girl?
"Rukia..." Ichigo muttered. In his last moments before passing out, he heard her freeze Sakura before pulling him away from the battle. He was so concentrated on the fight, he had no clue as to when she first came. 'She's probably wondering what I've been doing the past month' he guessed as he hid the purpose behind his training to everyone but Arata and the Visoreds.
Said girl turned away, the questions in her mind refusing to let her look at her friend.
"What's this? Why is everyone standing in Orihime's room? And where is she anyway?" Ichigo looked to Arata, who stared back in confusion. Even he didn't know where Orihime was? Then when did he get healed?
"What's the status?" asked Toshiro to his lieutenant.
"Sir, we have regulated the spiritual wave."
"Fine, put me through."
Rangiku then fine-tuned the frequency on the monitor, allowing a clear screen to pop up. To everyone's surprise, it wasn't the Head Captain who received the call. It was Captain Ukitake.
Toshiro was the first make his confusion known. "Ukitake. I was looking for the Head Captain."
"I had him switched to me." the elder of the two then said.
"Your reason?"
"Because I was the last person who saw Orihime Inoue before she went through the Senkaimon to return to the World of the Living."
Shock. Arata and everyone in the room was shocked at the news. But for Arata, this type of surprise was different, yet all too familiar.
Arata had learned to react in the face of surprises, acting quick and efficient in the process. But this was not just finding out new information that came out of right field. This was a surprise that made his skin crawl. It made his spine lurch up and stand in full attention. His brow had gained a wetness unlike any he felt during battle. And despite his body stiffening, his fingers felt numb as if all the strength in them had left, leaving them similar to a corpse.
How ironic, he thought numbly, since his heart was beating the fastest its ever had.
"...Huh?"
And just like that, Arata had been dropped into his own special Hell.
1.) Omake: Honored Warriors Illustrated Picture Book
Akira and Akane had been doing their own preparations for the coming battle with Aizen, but when you had a thriving restaurant to also look over, training can be hassle at times. So they agreed to alternate ownership as the other spends the day training.
Tonight was Akira's night as he washed cups behind the bar, tending to his patrons and directing his employees.
But when Rangiku, Yumichika, and Ikkaku came in wearing civilian wear, his expression heavily dipped.
Despite not sharing his sister's temper, he too did not like Zaraki's squad and what he did to Squad 11. He and Akane kept tabs on it though so he was aware of who the latter two were.
And he was not happy in the slightest to see them.
They came to sit at the bar to his annoyance, so he had to put on a brave smile despite himself. "Hey bartender! Give us the good stuff." Ikkaku barked.
"Oh! Lets try the margaritas, guys!" Rangiu suggested.
"What? That stuff's weak!"
"I'm paying remember?" The bald-headed man quieted himself with a grumble.
"...On the way" Akira smiled darkly. He made their drinks well enough and handed them out one by one, the last one being Ikkaku. Thank to the small wall between him and his customers, Akira had the privacy to put one last ingredient in the third seat's drink.
"Enjoy sir!"
"Whatever..." Ignoring the small orange discoloration, he took a big gulp as he viewed margaritas as weak drinks.
This drink was an exception.
"IT BBBBBURNSSSSSSSS!" And like an angry dragon, fire spewed from his mouth as a spiciness he has never felt before permeated his mouth.
Rangiku busted a gut at the sight and even Yumichika couldn't help but laugh at his partner.
Akira, meanwhile, smirked rather proudly.
2.) Omake: Honored Warriors Illustrated Picture Book
Kisuke's training area was expansive. Larger than anyone would expect. Though its terrain was rocky and uneven, it was mostly flat with the exception of some big inclines.
Which made it the perfect place to learn how to drive.
When Arata brought up the subject, Kisuke pulled out an old but still functional station wagon. "I don't drive a lot so this thing was just catching dust in storage." the shopkeeper said. He even offered to give it to Arata when he gets his license.
At the moment, they just sitting in the front with Kisuke beside Arata teaching him how to handle a stick shift. "Remember: keep your hands on both sides of the wheel and never let it go. Also, keep your eyes on the road. Don't want to get into any accidents, do you?"
"Uh huh, got it." and by that he mostly got it.
"Alright then. I set up a makeshift track, so be sure to-"
But as soon as Arata stepped on the accelerator, his ears were closed off.
Kisuke held on for dear life as Arata sped through his track with reckless abandon, even going so far as to go off track on his own.
"Arata, I think you should- SLOW DOWN?!"
Arata was driving up one of the those big incline with a huge gap in between.
"Bankai!"
And to make matters worse, Chad and Rengi were in that gap.
As Hihio Zabimaru rose from the gap, Arata put more power into the car. It then dawned on Kisuke of his intentions. "Are you planning on-?!"
The car drove up the rocky ramp, barely avoiding the bankai's head and landed on the other side of the ravine. The vehicle skidded across the ground, Arata turning the wheel and pushing the brakes hard to come to a full stop.
"So... how did I do?"
Even though he was a soul reaper with over a hundred years of experience under his belt, that did not make him impervious to motion sickness. Chiefly when it came of the form of action movie style driving.
"I think..." Kisuke swallowed. "You need to pracctice more."
