A/N: This is a bit shorter chapter but I hope you like this too. I wanted to show a bit the Soul Society side of this fic and... well, things needed to happen.
Created Life from Death 11
Nakatomi Tomo
The past years had gone well. Tomo had progressed with her projects concerning reiatsu suppression, concealment and enhancing. Mirai had remained safe and hidden. Life had gone on during the past decade and some. Everything was good.
A hell butterfly fluttered in. Tomo let it land on her finger.
"Ninth Seat Nakatomi-san, please meet with Ukitake-taichou at the Thirteenth Division's headquarters."
Tomo frowned. What was going on? There shouldn't have been any problems with her last report on the world of living. A thought crossed her mind but she banished it before it could make her nervous. Nevertheless, she needed to get going. As nice as Ukitake was, there was no reason for her to keep a captain waiting.
Tomo locked her private lab tight and made her way to the gates separating the Research Division from the rest of Seireitei. On the way out she met with another captain.
"Aizen-taichou, what brings you to the Research Division?" Tomo had always liked the Fifth Division captain. Well, about everyone liked him. He had first handled the previous captain Hirako well and then risen to head the division by himself. He was kind and considerate and had time for anyone who approached him.
"The previous patrol to Rukongai brought some samples to be identified. When I heard the results were out I decided to come myself to see to them." The brunette captain smiled.
"Ah, yes. I heard about it. Akon-san was talking about a hollow with strange abilities. Kurotsuchi-taichou took on dissecting of the samples himself." Tomo nodded. "I won't be keeping you then. I have also a meeting to get to."
"I see. How is your research going then, Nakatomi-san? Near breakthrough?"
"I believe so. Don't tell anyone, but I confiscated a certain cloak from captain's quarters before Kurotsuchi-taichou took the office. While I've been doing my own concealment research, I've tried to unravel the mechanics of that cloak too. I haven't succeeded yet though." Tomo laughed embarrassedly. She knew she could trust Aizen. He wouldn't tell anyone. It was an unspoken rule in the Twelfth Division that Urahara Kisuke wasn't spoken about, and in Seireitei in general, the Hollowfication incident was kept quiet about too. After all it had been almost a century since then.
"I wish you luck in your endeavor. The previous captain was genius in whatever he decided to do. I can't imagine your work being easy."
"No, definitely not!" The woman smiled. "But it has been enjoyable. Some of my concealment equipment has already been field-tested and it has helped the patrols evade hollows when they've been carrying wounded."
"That sound wonderful, Nakatomi-san."
"Thank you Aizen-taichou."
They bid each other goodbye then, Tomo hurrying towards the Thirteenth Division.
"Ukitake-taichou? You wished to meet me?" Tomo stepped into the office at the gesture of the Third Seat Kotetsu Kiyone. Apparently the other Third Seat was wherever like the silence had suggested when Tomo had first stepped onto the division grounds.
"Ah yes, I had Kiyone send a summons." The white-haired captain laid down some of his papers and got up from his chair. "Follow me."
They made their way to the porch surrounding the office and looking over the training grounds. There was a low table set with some papers and a tea set. At Ukitake's gesture, they sat down on the opposite sides of the table and had tea poured for them. The captain took a sip and seemed to be considering a while how to phrase his thoughts.
"Three weeks ago there was a surge of reiatsu in Europe and again last week in Japan. The latter one coincided with your trip to the world of living yet had no mention of it in your report."
Tomo's hand froze in mid-motion. She knew about the surges. How could she not when the latter came when she had Mirai demonstrate her shikai release. It was currently a mystery for her how she'd managed to materialize her zanpakuto on her first try. It was rare but not unheard of. Before the Shinigami Academy and systematic release of asauchi, there were individual who could materialize heir zanpakuto without it. But it always happened in Soul Society where the concentration of reishi was high enough to do so. Moreover… Tomo had believed that Mirai's artificial nature wouldn't have produced a zanpakuto for her. After all, Kurotsuchi Nemu didn't have a zanpakuto either. The asauchi she carried was just for a show.
"I was in spiritually dense area, it is possible that the reishi in the air prevented me from sensing anything." The Twelfth Division had no information about the latter surge. But they weren't the only ones observing the world of living. And Juureichi was Division Thirteenth's purview. Tomo took a sip of her tea, trying to calm herself down.
"Your denreishinki was right next to the surge." Ukitake cut in. "We have records of it. I had my sixth seat investigate and talk with the local Shinigami. They found nothing. So I'm asking you to explain before I bring this matter to your captain who can then do with the surge as he wishes."
Tomo's hands felt like lead. She placed her teacup back on the table. Scenarios were turning in her head. Say nothing and hope for best? Say nothing, run, grab Mirai and hide? Tell the truth and hope for best?
"What will you do with the information I give you?" She asked.
"It depends what you can tell. Something has been in Karakura-cho for a long time and has evaded the patrolling Shinigami there. Considering the reiatsu spikes, it has considerable amount of energy and we need to ascertain whether or not it will affect humans of Soul Society itself."
"Her. Not 'it', her." Tomo snapped, surprising herself and the captain both. Ukitake gave her a look that said 'go on' and the woman sighed. She reached into the folds of her shihakusho and drew out an old photo of Mirai she'd been given by Dina. It was from time when Mirai still had blonde hair and still called her 'kaachan'. She slid the photo across the table. "Kotobuki Mirai. My daughter."
"Your daughter?" Ukitake picked up the photo and scrutinized it. "With whom?"
"Technically no one. She was created in my laboratory, hidden from everyone. Once 'born', I realized that she wouldn't have a future in Seireitei or even in Rukongai and relocated her into the World of Living with an infertile but spiritually aware couple. She is fourteen years old now." Tomo explained curtly.
"'Technically no one' you said? But still someone?"
"Urahara Kisuke. There was a reiatsu sample from him in his quarters that I fetched after his arrest and exile. I took the other samples too but have never used them." Might as well confess everything. Ukitake was another trustworthy captain despite being the former student of Yamamoto. "I've been checking with Mirai regularly to observe her growth and make sure she was alright."
"I see…" Ukitake had surprisingly solemn expression. "I'm technically required to report this to Yamamoto-soutaichou and the Twelfth Division but…"
Tomo held her breath.
"What do you say about an exchange? You get me in contact with your daughter and in exchange I keep this quiet… From everyone else."
Sometimes it was easy to forget that Ukitake was one of the oldest and strongest captains in Gotei 13. He was so kind and open and relatively young-looking too. But then he showed the side that had allowed him to rise through the ranks despite his illness.
Frankly, Tomo had no choice.
"I agree."
"Tomo-san?" Mirai blinked. "How come you are back so soon? Has something happened?"
"Yes, I suppose so…" Tomo sighed. "Don't tell Dina-san and Kenji-san but… your existence was discovered. Only one person knows." She added hastily when Mirai seemed to be starting panicking. Hmm… Maybe she shouldn't have frightened her as a little girl that much.
"W-What happened?"
"The reiatsu surges of your first shikai releases were caught by the Thirteenth Division. I had to explain them to Ukitake Juushiro-taichou-san before he took the matter to my division."
"And?"
"He has promised to keep quiet in exchange of you observing the situation in Karakura-cho and reporting directly to him." Tomo gave the girl the newest model of denreishinki. "This connects only to him. No one else can contact you unless you know their numbers."
"I see…" The girl hesitantly took the 'phone' and placed it onto her desk. "I'll do my best so no further actions are warranted here."
"Thank you." Tomo sighed in relief. "I'm sorry, Mirai-chan. For everything. I've caused so much pain for you even when I've only tried to protect you."
"It's alright Tomo-san. You tried your best. Okaa-san has explained me a lot what different women go through in motherhood and… You tried. It could've been worse, it could've been better too. But you tried and that's what matters. So I forgive you."
Tomo wasn't an emotional person. Or physical person. But she couldn't help herself. She drew her daughter into a hug. Because even though she wasn't Mirai's 'mother' anymore, Mirai was still her 'daughter'. And honestly? It was fine. It was perfectly fine.
"I'm so proud of you, Mirai-chan. Prouder than you even know."
But everything had to come to the end eventually. Tomo needed to leave and Mirai needed to prepare for the next schoolday.
"I need to go now. Ukitake-taichou is covering for my absence but couldn't give me much time here. This is off-the-books trip after all."
"I understand. Just go now. I'll be fine." Mirai smiled. Tomo didn't ever want that smile disappear in tears.
Aside from her rare visits to the world of living, Tomo didn't have much contact with Mirai anymore. According to Ukitake she was doing fine and since Tomo hadn't been dragged off anywhere for questioning, she was inclined to believe him.
"She calls me Shironeri." The captain told once when Tomo was gathering inter-divisional paperwork to be carted off to her captain.
"Ah, she must really like you then. Only those closest to her gain nicknames to my understanding." Tomo replied cordially. After that one meeting, she had been warier around the deceptively kind captain. She really didn't fancy being blackmailed again. By anyone.
And if Ukitake noticed it, he didn't complain or mention it. Maybe it was for his own sake though. If his third seats happened to hear him to complain about anything… the resulting chaos simply wasn't worth the effort.
The next time she finally met her daughter properly was around two years later, when she and her friends broke into Soul Society.
A/N: Next chapter is Ichigo's. Mirai breaks the news for him, we get to meet Chad and eventually high school will begin.
Why Aizen in this chapter? Well, why not? He is the freaking butterfly effect in Bleach world. And damnable pretty boy.
Replies to Reviews:
-flevantein:
There will be an explanation coming about this. Maybe even in the next chapter, or in Urahara's chapter, not sure yet. Don't worry though, there is no inner hollows involved. And I'm ignoring a lot of info from the TYBW arc. I've read it only once last spring and haven't bothered rereading it like the case is with the pre-timeskip arcs. I mean, there will be a different reason for Masaki's Quincy powers not working than Yhwach.
-xenocanaan:
Thank you! I doubt anyone expected him. :)
-Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:
Great to hear. :)
-Girl-luvs-manga:
Thank you. I stemmed from a fanart of him that I saw a while back. He was just in a bar but then I began thinking of where that bar could be and what the Visored have done during the past hundred years.
-Queen Mo-Freakin: (chapter 1-10)
Thank you for your reviews! They made my day! Great to hear that you've enjoyed my fic.
-Mitsu: (chapter 1)
I'll update it when I have inspiration to write it. But I'm glad to hear you like it.