A/N: This chapter just wrote itself. I had thought to maybe have Rose or Kensei now but then I realized that Tatsuki would be prefect because of the timing. I hope you like this chapter.

Created Life from Death 7
Arisawa Tatsuki

Tatsuki really liked Ichigo and Mirai. They were very different form each other but still had that undercurrent of sameness with them. Maybe it was because they had known each other for so long or because they both could allegedly see ghosts, Tatsuki wasn't sure.

And yes, Tatsuki knew about the rumors around Ichigo. Though the boy had tried to hide it he had never really succeeded in it. Until his mother died. And while Mirai had been always protective of the boy, it became more so after the incident. In the end it wasn't that big of a stretch to conclude that Mirai could also see whatever Ichigo could and had probably explained it to him.

The two grew closer.

Oh, they never tried to exclude Tatsuki out of anything they did together but they also didn't try and reach out to her. Probably in a fear of being laughed at. While Mirai seemed like she wouldn't care about the rumors, Tatsuki had seen the way the grey eyes narrowed whenever the whispers started. Mostly the whispers were about Ichigo, his hair, his lack of mother, his supposed craziness. And it wasn't just kids that did it. It was thugs on the streets, teachers and parents behind their palms… It was awful.

The trio had ganged up against some of the bigger kids more than once before and would do it again and again until they learnt their lesson.

(They never did.)

Ichigo and Mirai both dropped out of dojo. Tatsuki could understand that. She didn't like it but she understood. And they still saw each other at school and outside of it so it was mostly okay.

Then something happened in October that caused the pair to keep distance publicly yet huddle closer. Tatsuki didn't know how to approach the matter. She supposed that maybe they'd had a close encounter with that burglar in the area.

And Ichigo spent more time with Tatsuki trying to learn the katas she learnt at dojo. While Mirai was wherever.

Until Mirai did her own disappearing trick. Ichigo had done so right after his mother funerals but Tatsuki wasn't aware that something as bad had happened to Mirai. Nevertheless, she joined the search while Ichigo went to recruit another friend of theirs. Someone called 'Bara-san'…

Mirai was eventually found. She had run all the way to Yumisawa and had been found by 'Neko-san' and 'Bara-san'. It was frustrating how Ichigo and Mirai were avoiding telling Tatsuki anything concrete and of importance.

"Fine. But if your… imaginary friends hurt you I'm going to kick their butts, is that clear?" Tatsuki told the pair, receiving a baffled stare but two nods from them.

The year and the next went well between them. Whatever had rattled Mirai and Ichigo in October was slowly becoming a bad memory and trio had settled onto a routine. They met at school and did homework together usually at either at Tatsuki's house or Mirai's. (Apparently Mirai was unofficially banned from Kurosaki Clinic.) Then they'd either go to park to practice or parted ways for the day.

The break to the routine came eventually when junior high started. Ichigo and Mirai went to Mashiba Junior High in Mashiba while Tatsuki went to Hoshimori Junior High in Tsubakidai. and in that school she met with Inoue Orihime.

The first meeting between them was… emotional. Some girls were picking on Orihime because of the sweet girl's hair color and Tatsuki – who could only see Ichigo and his bullies and this time no one helping because Orihime didn't have a Mirai – intervened. The bullies were easily pushed to the ground but not before they'd managed to take scissors to Orihime's hair and cut it.

"Leave her alone!" Tatsuki yelled at the girls who scampered away, relatively unharmed and wailing anyways. Tatsuki was tempted to follow them but Orihime needed her more.

"Hey, are you alright?" She crouched in front of the crying girl whose once mid-back length orange locks were now choppy and barely reached her chin.

"Un…" Orihime nodded despite her tears and tried to offer a wobbly smile. "Thank you, Arisawa-san."

"It's Tatsuki. And you are welcome, Inoue-san."

"Y-You can call me Orihime."

"Okay. Can you stand? I'll walk you home." Tatsuki offered a hand to the other girl.

"I… I can't go looking like this! Sora-niisan will be worried!" Orihime's hand went to her choppy locks and a fresh wave of tears threatened to come.

Tatsuki tilted her head and regarded the damage. She had an idea…

"Why don't you come at my place? I can try to fix it. Or ask okaa-san to do it. She is a hairdresser but I don't know if she is home yet."

"O-Okay… Thank you, Tatsuki-chan!"

They made it all the way to Minamikawase without meeting people that'd recognize either of them.

"Tatsuki-chan, long time no see."

Mirai was standing in the middle of the road, her hands folded behind her back and rocking heel to toes cheerfully.

"Have you made a new friend?"

The interesting thing about Mirai was that she never seemed to be surprised about anything ordinary. Though considering how much she seemed to spend time with stuff that was 'extraordinary' it probably shouldn't have come as a surprise.

Meanwhile Orihime let out a 'meep' and hid behind Tatsuki.

"Ah, yeah… We were just going at my place? How about you? School ended?"

"Yep. Kanzo-iro just managed to somehow snag a little errand in the neighborhood and ditched me for it."

Considering that money was tight with the Kurosaki family even after the clinic was working again, Tatsuki could understand. Mirai's father still brought over leftover food for the kids and sometimes oversaw Yuzu's cooking as doctor Kurosaki was useless in the kitchen.

"Who's your friend? I haven't seen her around before?" Mirai asked then.

"Oh, this is Inoue Orihime, from my class. A little mishap happened earlier today so I'm helping her." If she told Mirai what had happened, she'd surely devise a way to get revenge on the bullies despite being in another school and not even knowing Orihime. That's the type of person she was… She got bored easily.

The said girl nodded, her black locks bobbing up and down with her head's movement and wait a minute…

"That isn't a wig, is it?" Tatsuki noted. While Mirai had numerous wigs she used to mess up with people's perceptions of her and her appearance, the cut and volume of her current look was identical to her natural hair: brushing her shoulders and some bangs swept to the side and almost falling on her left eye.

"Ah, you noticed…" The girl continued smiling. "I got bored with them. Too much of a hassle in the mornings when the route to school takes longer anyways…" And she casually side-stepped mentioning that her hair color was the one she hid, not style. Maybe it was because of Orihime. "Kanzo-iro wasn't too happy about my decision but understood eventually."

Ichigo must have. Unusual haircolors were what had caused the two originally bond over.

The girls parted ways then. Mirai headed towards Sakurabashi and Tatsuki and Orihime made their way to the former's home. Eventually Tatsuki got the orangette open up and chatter about anything and everything. But the previous conversation couldn't lieave tatsuki alone for a long time afterwards. Because it was strange that… Sometimes Tatsuki could swear that she'd seen a glimpse of Mirai running through the streets with her blond hair fluttering behind her while she chased after a black cat…

Almost a year later Orihime's brother died. He was brought to Kurosaki clinic which was the closest to the place of accident and that's where he took his last breaths while his little sister cried. Tatsuki comforted her new best friend (because there was no denying that Ichigo and Mirai were that to each other) the best she could and was horrified to later discover that Orihime continued living alone in the apartment that she and Sora had shared. Some distant relative paid for her rent and bills and gave some allowance but eventually days found the orange-haired girl working at local bakery as an assistant.

Well, Tatsuki could in the end only be thankful that the custody of her friend hadn't gone back to her parents.

"Ugh!" Tatsuki grunted when she hit the ground. They were sparring at Tsubakidai park which was located at Sakurabashi instead of Tsubakidai for some reason.

"And the match this time goes to Kanzo-iro!" Mirai announced, holding her right arm out at the 'side' that Ichigo had fought from. Tatsuki got on her feet.

"Again." She demanded.

"It's almost lunch-time, Tatsuki." Ichigo scowled. It had become his default expression during the past three years. Though he still smiled and laughed occasionally, those expressions were reserved solely for his sisters, Tatsuki and Mirai and her family.

"Fine…" Tatsuki sighed and got up with the help of Ichigo's offered hand. Then she shifted her weight and pulled Ichigo down with her sitting on his back, the arm she'd been holding onto now twisted at the small of his back. Mirai laughed at the background when Ichigo let out a curse. "Language. What was the rule number one again?"

Considering the amount of fights they got on their free time and also at school, the trio had developed rules for themselves.

"Rule number one: Fight isn't over until the opponent is down and stays down." Ichigo sighed. Then Mirai tackled Tatsuki.

"And what is rule number two then?" The former blonde grinned.

"Rule number two: always expect the unexpected." Unless it was an official tournament in question. But the other two didn't have those to compete in.

"And number three then?" Ichigo had twisted his hand into Mirai's hair and yanked her upright sitting position.

"Ow, ow, ow… Rule number three: There is no such thing as fair fight." And the hand was gone and the girl slumped onto Tatsuki before she sprung up, rubbing her scalp (for show). "That was mean, Kanzo-iro!"

"I made my point, didn't I, Asagi?" Ichigo crossed his arms.

"Hai, hai…" Mirai groused. "See if I give you any of your favorites from papa's bento!"

"Oi!"

Tatsuki grinned at the exchange and lifted up one finger at her position still on the ground.

"Rule number four: threats and blackmail are definitely acceptable."

"That doesn't apply here!" Ichigo shouted, indignant.

"Yes, it does." Mirai and Tatsuki chorused.

"Why are you ganging up on me?"

"Because you are a boy." Tatsuki shrugged.

"Because you get riled up easily." Mirai grinned from a spread picnic blanket and separated three low-rimmed bentoboxes to serve them as plates and pulled apart a layered bento that the three of them would share. It was on weekends like this that Kenji would with Mirai's help do a large bento like this for the three of them. Tatsuki loved it. And so did Ichigo who always brought the leftovers home for Yuzu and Karin. And apparently next time Yuzu met with Kenji, she'd ask him how a certain part of the dish was made.

"Mirai, your birthday is coming up soon, right?" Tatsuki noted then whilst filling her plate with tempura. Ichigo had already snatched teriyaki chicken for himself while Mirai was already enjoying some tamagoyaki.

"Yup! Next Monday actually!" The former blonde chirped. "We're gonna hold the celebration at the theater."

Right, since Dina worked at the theater in Karakura Honchou, Mirai had gotten to know the people there too. And during the past year for a reason or other had also occasionally dragged Ichigo there too.

To practice his foot work in the form of dance lessons if his complaining was to be trusted. The results did show though with Ichigo managing to surprise Tatsuki whenever they sparred with his unconventional choices of dodges and blocks.

"Am I invited then?"

"Sure! It's mostly just my family and family friends but you and Kanzo-iro are invited too."

Next Monday after school the trio met up in the crossing that connected their home streets and went together to the theater. Only for them to be turned away on an errand.

"Go to… Hmm… Oh, yeah, there is a cute little store in Mitsumiya." One of the actresses, Harumori Nanami, told the kids. "Buy these supplies from there and come back then."

The list was thrust into Mirai's hands with enough cash to cover it all and some extra.

"And what is this shop called then?" Ichigo scowled, irritated that they had to go all the way to the other side of Karakura. "So we can actually find it."

"Urahara Shoten. I visit it regularly since it's so close to my boyfriend's apartment." The actress smiled.

"You just want us out of the way so you can finish the preparations for the party." Mirai smiled back, not at all bothered by the task.

"Right on one. Now, shoo. Go on. And remember to walk. Kids need fresh air."

The shop was… a lot of things but 'cute' wasn't one of them no matter what Harumori thought. 'Dingy' would been a lot more describing word for it. Tidy and eccentric too.

Tatsuki had her doubts from the place but concentrated on getting the stuff they were assigned to get. Behind her Ichigo and Mirai were pickering over whether or not they'd add wasabi peanuts in their haul since they weren't on the list itself. And the shopkeeper himself just chuckled to himself. Shady-looking man that one couldn't be sure if he was old or young.

"Do we have everything that was on the list?" Tatsuki broke the two apart. Mirai blinked and looked down at the list she had been clutching the entire time and had refused to give to either of them. Her palms were sweaty. It was weird, usually nothing affected her.

"Yes, I think so. But why can't we get the Wasabi Nuts too?" She pouted.

"Because you are the only one that eats them." Ichigo snorted.

"Not true! Neko-san eats them too!"

"He is a cat. You just say so to explain why you eat double portion of them."

Mirai buffed up and deflated then.

"Okay… You got me…" Something in her expression said that she disagreed with Ichigo though. "Can we get them then because it's my birthday?" She asked hopefully.

"…Fine." Ichigo groused and dropped a packet of said peanuts coated in wasabi into the basket full of treats. It had a lot of stuff and all three of them would be needed to carry them all.

"Yay!" Mirai gave a little jump but stumbled the landing and fell on her back. "Oww…"

"Are you alright?" Ichigo shoved the basket on Tatsuki and helped their friend on her feet again.

"Fine, fine…" The former blonde sighed. "Just excitable is all…"

"You're shaking. You nervous?" Tatsuki asked, noticing the faint tremor in Mirai's hands.

"Eh, never been to Mitsumiya before so yeah…" A shrug.

"I'd be inclined to believe that if you hadn't run all the way to Yumisawa that one day…" Ichigo was scowling, letting go of Mirai's hands and putting his own hands on his hips.

"I actually took a bus there." Mirai interjected waving a dismissive hand when…

A paper fan went through the loop of her bracelet and lifted it a bit higher. The three preteens looked up at the shop keeper who was observing the bracelet that Tatsuki had never seen Mirai without. Like nowadays Orihime always wore her hair pins without fail.

"May I… take a closer look at this?"

"No, you may not, tenchou-san." Mirai frowned. Tatsuki noted that the girl's right hand which still clutched the shopping list was clenched into a fist and hidden by her body from the shopkeeper.

And something clicked in the whole situation. It wasn't Mitsumiya itself that made Mirai nervous. It was that man, the owner of Urahara Shoten. But it was obvious from their interaction that this was the first time they met and Mirai wasn't afraid. So what was it then…?

Ichigo's shoulders were tense even when the man retreated with easy smile on his face, nothing overblown like the acts Ichigo's father pulled but not completely honest either. Something that was used because it was a habit. It was familiar…

Tatsuki took a stock at the man again. Ichigo seemed to have been figured it out when he stepped in front of Mirai and moved to pay their load of treats. Admittedly the man's appearance was quite unsual but not as strange as some fellows in Karakura Honchou. Bit old-fashioned look in his green jinbei and dark haori and geta. The bucket hat effectively hid his eyes unless one looked from certain directions… Like from the slight down-ward angle that the three of them had just watched him. And the grey eyes and blond hair definitely weren't common. Actually, Tatsuki had only seen such color combination on…

Wait a minute… She looked at Mirai who was now seemingly just perusing the selection again. Could it be…? Tatsuki did know that Mirai was adopted by Kotobuki's but still…

"Done. Let's go." Ichigo gave one bag for each girl and they made to exist the shop.

"You all are welcome to visit again if you have time." The man called from behind them.

"Maybe!" Mirai called back, waved again while making sure that sunlight hit the bracelet in her left wrist. Like teasing the man that he failed in whatever he was trying to do about it.

"Asagi…" Ichigo began once they were several blocks away from the shop.

"I… dunno… Maybe. Neko-san might tell if I asked him but I don't really even want to know." Mirai sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. Tatsuki didn't like being out of the loop so she bluntly told what she thought.

"Mirai, was that your father?"

"I… what?" The pair of them stared at her in shock.

"C'mon, I'm not stupid. You are the only other person probably in entire Karakura who has blond hair and grey eyes." Tatsuki glared. "Stop keeping me out of this. I want to know. Everything! It's obvious that you know something big going on here and you refuse to tell anyone. And this Neko-san you've mentioned twice this far obviously is no normal cat and… I've seen you Mirai! I've seen you running around with blonde hair even after you dyed it."

"Oh…" Mirai's eyes softened and she sighed. She exchanged a glance with Ichigo who shrugged and tilted his head, like saying 'your choice'. "Okay. We'll tell you."

The following explanation was insane yet it made sense. That was probably the most frightening part. The truthfulness of it all.

"Neko-san told us that because of Ichigo's large amounts of reiatsu which are still growing and general reishi reserves of Karakura town, it is possible that heäll end up affecting people he spends most time with and who have the potential reiatsu within them already." Mirai explained seriously. "For example Yuzu-chan's sight has already improved during the past years."

"But wouldn't that affect the people on your class then too?"

"No. I can keep my reiatsu closer nowadays and my control is only improving despite the growth." Ichigo said.

"It's like training any muscle despite going through growth spurts." Mirai continued explaining. "But when we are together and especially when we are sparring, Ichigo can't focus on his control that well and thus might slip. That's why you've been able to see a glimpse of me and Neko-san when I've been out of my gigai."

"I see…" All that information was making her head hurt. And they were almost at the theater by now. "What do you say if we talk about this more tomorrow or something?"

"Don't you have karate tomorrow?" Ichigo asked.

"Ah, yes I do. Damn…" Tatsuki ran a hand through her choppy black locks in frustration.

"Next Saturday then. Same time and location as always." Mirai smiled. I'll make something special for us."

"Deal."

They stepped in the theater and went to the large stage which had a table set and some of the set pieces around. It was like they were in a royal French garden or something.

"Happy Birthday, Mirai-chan!"

"Congratulations on your thirteen years!"

"Best of luck in the consecutive years!"

"Long life for you, Mirai-chan!"

The birthday girl laughed happily.

"Thank you everyone!"

A/N: Ta-daa! Timeline is a mess but please don't mind it. Due the fact that birthday's are generally ignored in shonen-manga where things exist in fluid timeline, I've decided that Ichigo will celebrate his sixteenth birthday during the Agent of Shinigami arc, naturally just before Hollow Bait case.

Okay, it was suggested for me to make a glossary of words I use here since I prefer Japanese terms over English ones. And I understand that not everyone scrolls through wikia on their freetime or have character-books in their possessions but I strongly recommend at least check out the Karakura town's map so the mentioned districts make sense to you.

-Kikashinki: Memory Replacer with stupid actual name.

-Gigai: Fake/artificial body. Shinigami utilize these. Some fanfictions put Arrancar into them too, mostly for shipping purposes.

-Reiatsu: Spiritual Pressure, part of everyone with high reiryoku. Can be used to crush people. :P

-Reiryoku: Storage's of reishi within a living being. Inactive until pulled into active use to be reiatsu.

-Reishi: Spirit Energy/particles. Passive energy found in nature and utilized by shinigami and quincy. Walking in the air, quincy bow etc. Entire Soul Society is made of reishi.

-Karakura Honchou: Karakura old town. The karate dojo, Karakura Hospital, train station and shopping district are located here.

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Replies to reviews:

-Guest:
Thank you. The reaction itself is under work since Kisuke is bad at emotions. He does suspect at this point that something is off with Mirai but the actual revelation will take time. But Mirai in the other hand might ask Yoruichi confirmation since she 'finally' has a candidate.

-wolfzero7:
No, the development of abilities happened after Ichigo became a shinigami. Especially when he was out of his body in his shinigami form. Otherwise he would've affected his entire class and neighborhood. Orihime and Chad were both exposed to Ichigo's shinigami form before SS arc and by that logic Tatsuki should've developed abilities too but didn't. And it was because of Don Kanonji show that Keigo and Mizuiro were affected too. And Chizuru. But they never developed anything further than just a sight.
One other point that goes against the 'long time' argument you point out is that Ichigo knew Chad only a year before the start of series and Orihime even less (met only once when her brother died). He knew Tatsuki a lot longer yet she was excluded from everything.
So here I'm going a bit different route. I hope it makes sense.

-xenocanaan:
Thank you! I really like Rose even though in the end we don't know much about him.
The revelation will take a bit more time but will happen. :D

-DragonClanMaster:
Naturally. :D
Yeah, I like Kisuke's quirks and try to utilize them in a way that they come naturally for Mirai and don't make her seem like a copy of him.

-ZiggySmallz:
Ichigo and Tatsuki? I don't see why not. Since I have them remain close than what happened in canon, I can see it possible.
Keigo... I need to think. I haven't given much thought to him. Probably not dating with Mirai though...

-Irie27:
You're welcome!
Eventually yes, maybe. I just need to think how to approach it since Mirai does have wonderful parents in a form of Dina and Kenji.
Tomo... *sigh* She is difficult. In one hand she cares about Mirai, in other hand she is scientist through and throught and the decades under Kurotsuchi's lead in the division haven't been good for her mental health.

-Silverlined Phoenix:
Thank you for telling me so! This makes me so happy!
And thank you for suggesting the glossary. I'm so used to thinking with the Japanese terms since the English ones sound so weird.

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Any suggestions for the next pov character? Should I pull Ichigo again? Or someone else? Not Urahara yet. He will have a chapter eventually but not yet.