A/N: Finally I wrote this chapter. I hope you like this. My original idea wasn't quite in this form but ultimately I'm satisfied.

Created Life from Death 17
Urahara Kisuke

Urahara Kisuke had always been at least peripherally aware of Kotobuki Mirai even if he didn't know the particulars.

The first time he saw the girl, it was in the aftermath of Kurosaki Masaki's death. She was shielding Kurosaki Ichigo from the rain next to the woman's body. Kisuke couldn't see the girl's face but the shaking shoulders told all.

He kept watch in the case of other Hollows and called the police and ambulance.

Next remarkable event was the strange not-his-feelings.

Scaredhelpalonealonedon'tleavemealonemyfaultI'msorryhelphelphelpSomeonepleasehelp…

Yoruichi never explained it to him when she came back, just told him not to worry. That it was all solved. She seemed guilty but refused to broach the topic again. Kisuke was forced to push the issue aside.

And possibly figure out why Isshin had wanted that kikashinki…

The first time Kisuke met Mirai was also the first time he officially met Ichigo. They actually came to his shop, apparently all the way from Karakura Honchou. They perused the candy and snack selection according to the list they had with their friend Arisawa Tatsuki. The children chatted this and that and Ichigo and Mirai had a playful argument whether or not to buy wasabi peanuts.

Then Mirai jumped and mis-stepped the landing. And Tatsuki noticed the nervousness of the girl. Kisuke blinked slowly. That was indeed correct. How curious. And…

Light slanting through the windows caught on the metal of Mirai bracelet as she lifted a hand to wave her friend's concerns away. Kisuke's eyes widened and, in a moment, he was on his feet and next to the children, with his paper fan through the loop of the bracelet and keeping Mirai's hand aloft. He noted the inscribes inside the bracelet even though from the current angle he couldn't see what they were for. But by having the fan inside the circle of the scribes, he could feel the tremor of the girl's reiatsu even though he couldn't feel the reiatsu itself.

Suppressants.

"May I… take a closer look at this?" He asked. Something uncomfortable was churning his gut and he really wanted to know what was going with that girl because these bracelets were definitely Soul Society made even if he didn't recognize the creator. (He could determine it was not Kurotsuchi however. If only because the girl was actually here and not on a dissection table)

"No, you may not, tenchou-san." The girl responded with a frown, her grey eyes narrowed.

Wait, grey…

A stray thought entered Kisuke's mind and he was reminded of the mess of emotions that collided with him years ago. Could it possibly be something like…

He took a step back with a smile and gave space for the children. Ichigo stepped protectively in front of the girl and told they were done and their purchases were to be rung into the register.

"You all are welcome to visit again if you have time." Kisuke called after the children.

"Maybe!" Mirai called back. And purposefully let the light hit the bracelet again. Kisuke let out a chuckle before making a snap decision. What he'd seen of the interactions between the children, they were bound to talk… Kisuke snagged his cloak and exited the shop once Ichigo's reiatsu signal turned around the corner.

Tatsuki asked the question Kisuke had suspected but had not wanted to be asked.

"Mirai, was that your father?"

The reasonings followed that question then, dropping hints of what had been going on outside Kisuke's sight.

The only other person in entire Karakura with blond hair and grey eyes…

Neko-san is no normal cat…

Running around with blonde hair even after dying it…

And when Mirai and Ichigo explained the spiritual world to Tatsuki, Kisuke resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose. Isshin obviously knew nothing of Ichigo's knowledge. And to think that Yoruichi had been teaching and in general known about everything while keeping it all from Kisuke.

This would require some careful investigation. Starting with the origins of one Kotobuki Mirai.

It took time. Naturally as Kisuke did have other things to than just investigate (which could almost be labelled as stalking) one little girl. And for one, he also needed to make sure that Yoruichi wasn't with them. The woman knew him too well and still easily surpassed him in terms of stealth and espionage. Which also included spotting potential observers.

During the next few years Kisuke learnt many things about the girl.

He learnt about her human family which outwardly was completely normal Japanese family of three. Both parents worked and some household roles were swapped with Kenji doing most cooking and Dina often working also on weekend nights due theater performances. Mirai went to school and interacted with pupils there but mostly hung around Ichigo. The pair had some mean reputation.

He learnt about Nakatomi Tomo, his former Ninth Seat (still was a Ninth Seat), who visited Mirai, was her creator and the contributor of the other half of girl's DNA. He remembered the woman. Not that well but he did remember her enjoying research and had some brilliant ideas even if she tended to frequently fade to the background. But… even though it had been almost hundred years since he'd last seen her, Kisuke doubted she was actually capable of creating a living, breathing being.

Something was amiss.

Kisuke learnt that Isshin did not know that Ichigo and Mirai were friends. Which was strange since the girl had been present when Masaki died, had been walking home with Ichigo and Masaki when the attack happened. So something must've happened… but he was definitely not asking Isshin since that would only alert the man that something was amiss and Kisuke really didn't want to attract more attention on Mirai. She was his daughter! Concrete proof be damned, he would not put her in anymore danger, even from a fellow exile.

Huh? Protective already?

Kisuke learnt about the various Visored orbiting around the kids. About Muguruma Kensei at Kotobuki dojo. About Otoribashi Rojuro who taught reiatsu control and kidou for the kids and later zanjutsu once Mirai's zanpakuto manifested. About Yadomaru Lisa who caused Mirai's cheeks redden and the girl occasionally stammer. About Kuna Mashiro who flitted in and out and mostly just bugged Kensei but had been dubbed Kamen Yaiba anyways and where had that name come from? About the man Mirai had met in Rome and who definitely was Hirako Shinji.

The scientist sighed and ran and hand through his hair before placing his hat back on. He turned to look at the black cat lounging on one of the cushions in the room. Yoruichi's ears flicked in his direction and the sway of her tail slowed down a smidge.

"When were you going to tell me about Mirai?" The man asked.

The tail froze. Then it swayed some more before the cat sat up and turned to face him.

"Not until she was comfortable with the matter herself." His friend replied. "She… has an unfortunate but healthy fear of Shinigami and a pair of stable parents already. She wanted to stall. But I guess you've known for a while."

"A couple of years. Since she came to my shop with two of her friends." Kisuke stated. "Can you then tell me where her fear stems from?"

"Two sources." Yoruichi said gravely and Kisuke got a feeling he really wasn't going to like this.

"Tell me."

"Nakatomi Tomo and Kurosaki Isshin."

He really didn't like this.

Mere weeks after the conversation with Yoruichi, Kisuke needed to redirect his attention. To the Shinigami stationed in Karakura, her powerless state and the opportunity it presented. To Ichigo's new duties and the way the boy acted regards of skill. To Mirai's avoidance of the boy and frequent patrolling around Karakura whilst out of her gigai and concealed by one of Kisuke's own cloaks.

He actually saw her thrice during those weeks. First when she was hanging around the shoten when Kuchiki Rukia bought for more supplies.

"Do take care, Kuchiki-san!" Kisuke grinned as the female Shinigami was leaving. "Please come back…" The familiar black cloak fluttered in the wind on top of a building diagonally across his shop but was soon gone when Rukia turned around to look. "…soon."

"Was there something?" The short girl frowned when she turned back around. Kisuke just flapped open his fan to cover the bottom of his face.

"Nope. Not a thing." He said cheerily. If the tone was sharper than normal and the look in his eyes in direct clash with the general demeanor, Rukia didn't notice.

Mirai wasn't a something. She was someone.

The second time was a couple of days after Masaki's death anniversary. Kisuke happened to glimpse Mirai on patrol while Ichigo was recuperating from his wounds. What Rukia said after stopping by for supplies and wasabi peanuts, that they'd run into some troublesome hollow. Kisuke hoped it wasn't the Grand Fisher. Nevertheless, his daughter – he was still reeling about the fact – was patrolling and slicing and dicing some minor hollows with something that looked like a metal fan while still inside her gigai. Huh, had someone shown her how to conceal her zanpakuto then? Handy.

The third time he saw her was during the Don Kanonji fiasco. Ichigo did good work with educating the man but Kisuke couldn't help but shake his head at Mirai antics. And worry about the fact that the newly formed hollow could've easily gotten a swipe at her.

Then they finally met face to face. Though Kisuke wished it had been in different circumstances.

It was a sweltering July day, less than a week from Don Kanonji show. Kisuke had been minding the store, Tessai had been running errands with the kids, Yoruichi was actually sunning herself on the porch…

The not-his feelings slammed onto him full-force and without warning. Distress, panic… And they weren't easing up, like last time.

"Kisuke?" Yoruichi was there. Kisuke blinked and found himself lying on the floor or the shoten between the shelves. A jar of candy was broken in front of him, the contents scattered. What had happened? Had he really collapsed? "Kisuke, are you alright?"

"I… She is panicking." He drew a deep breath and tried to push Mirai's distress away so he'd be able to think clearly. Back when he'd confronted Yoruichi about the girl's existence, she'd explained the parent bond that had caused him to experience the not-his feelings so he was aware this time what was happening. And since he had acknowledged the girl, the clarity of her feelings was much, much greater, thus making it harder for him to concentrate. "She… She can't breathe…"

"I'll find her." The cat promised and hesitated a moment. "…Follow me if you're able."

And she was gone. Kisuke got on his knees and took support from the nearby shelf before standing up. He was bad with feelings and expressing himself. He could easily lie to himself about his own feelings. Thus the rawness of Mirai's panic shook him so much. He hadn't felt things like this… For a century or more.

Eventually Kisuke did follow Yoruichi. The cat left a trail for him and led him to Mirai, Ichigo and Rukia. Actually… Two Mirai's. Her gigai lying on the ground and the girl's spiritual form on Ichigo's arms, dressed in simple t-shirt and capris. The girl had buried her face against her friend's chest and was shaking. The onslaught of emotions was gone but Kisuke was still reeling in the aftershocks. He took in the scene before him and noted Rukia wearing a gokon tekkou and Yoruichi poking the bracelets that Kisuke had seen Mirai wearing.

"What happened?"

"Gigai malfunction." Yoruichi replied. "Mirai-chan collapsed and couldn't get out on her own. The reiatsu suppressors prevented that. Ichigo removed the suppressors and had Kuchiki push her out of the gigai."

The scientist crouched down and picked one of the bracelets. Once seeing the inscribes within, he scowled heavily. Had Nakatomi really crafted these? What had the woman been thinking?

"Urahara… Kotobuki-san's gigai…" Rukia spoke up.

"Don't worry, Kuchiki-san. I'll inspect it myself." The man stated and used his cane to turn the gigai on its back. It was still dressed in school uniform and its black hair was spilling all over the concrete. Eyes were still open and terrified look remained on its face. Kisuke ran a hand over the face, closing the eyes and smoothing over the features, before picking it up. "Let's go back to the Shoten. We can talk more there."

Ichigo, who'd remained silent during the entire situation and concentrated on soothing Mirai, nodded and gathered the girl on his arms. Behind him, Rukia picked the fallen bookbags and thus began the quiet trek across town.

Kisuke rolled back on his heels. Mirai's gigai laid on the floor of one of the bedrooms in the back of shouten. What a quick inspection showed him, was what he'd suspected already. The gigai had been stretched too thin. The maintenance done was great considering the circumstances and Mirai's lack of experience but honestly… She should've gotten a new gigai at least two years ago when she manifested her shikai. But preferably she should've gotten a new one five years ago when her first big growth spurt was over and the next one up-coming.

Anyways, as a result, the gigai had simply failed on her and due the general restrictive capabilities of those fake bodies, Mirai was unable to breath when the lungs stopped working. According to Ichigo's story, the girl had simply tilted forward and stopped moving aside from her facial expressions.

Kisuke sighed. No wonder the girl was shaken. And with her muscles not working, she was unable to take off her reiatsu suppressors that kept her inside the gigai.

The scientist stood up and exited the room, making his way to the sitting room where the trio was quietly drinking tea that Tessai had made for them. When entering, Rukia and Ichigo both looked up at him.

"I'll be making a new gigai for you, Kotobuki-san. Free of charge." Mirai nodded but kept her gaze on her tea cup, one hand tugging on her blond hair. The color suited her better than the black he'd previously seen.

"What was wrong with her previous one?" Ichigo asked. "What exactly… happened?"

Ho, he was surprisingly mellow here. Probably grounding Mirai in process. Kisuke had expected a bit more brash demands like when they actually met face to face last time with the mod-soul mess and all.

"It stopped working. Kotobuki-san got disconnected from both voluntary and involuntary musculature. Thus rendered unable to move and breathe." Thankfully, it didn't affect her heart but he rather not mentioned that to them.

"But she could just use Soumafixers…" Rukia frowned but stopped when the shopkeeper shook his head.

"No, this is not the case of gigai falling out of sync. In this case the gigai was… stretched too thin. Kotobuki-san, how long have you had this gigai?"

Mirai looked up at him but glanced away then. Kisuke noted that she was getting some color back on her cheeks since the scare.

"I'm not sure but I think Tomo-san gave a new one when I was five or six…"

"About ten years then."

"Yes." The girl nodded.

Well, that was better than he feared. At least she didn't have the same gigai since infancy.

Yoruichi approached the girl and jumped on her lap, settling there. Mirai began absent-mindedly petting her. Next to her Ichigo was faintly scowling at everything and Rukia seeming faintly uncomfortable with the situation whilst glancing between Mirai and Kisuke. Ah, she was going to…

"Umm… Urahara, are you and Kotobuki-san… related somehow?"

Ichigo's shoulders tensed and the movement of Mirai's hand stuttered.

"She is my daughter."

Cue surprised faces from all of them though from faintly different reasons.

"Kisuke…" Yoruichi sighed in exasperation.

"Neko-san, did you…" Mirai began with a broken voice.

"No, I did not tell him." The cat protested. "I wouldn't break your trust like that, Mirai-chan."

"I figured it out on my own a few years ago." Kisuke added. "And asked Yoruichi-san for confirmation two months ago."

Mirai made a keening noise at the back of her throat and Ichigo drew her into a sideways hug. Rukia seemed even more uncomfortable.

"Don't tell anyone, Rukia. She doesn't need people knowing." The orange-head said.

"Of course. This isn't my secret to tell. You can trust me." The Kuchiki girl nodded vigorously.

Kisuke sat down at the table, opposite Mirai, and reached a hand across the table.

"Kotobuki-, Mirai-chan, do you think we can stop hiding from each other?"

"I… Yes." The girl choked out, a hand quickly shooting out to grasp Kisuke's. "Please… I… I want to get to know you too."

Naturally, not everything got resolved at once and other matters required their attention too. But with Mirai temporally without an available gigai, she was spending time at shouten. Mostly she was working with assignments from school but sometimes she wandered to wherever Kisuke happened to be and sit by him as he worked.

"Kanzo-iro-kun has told me that someone has been killing hollows before they get to the scene." Mirai spoke one morning.

"Yes… Yoruichi-san mentioned something similar. On the good news though, your new gigai is almost done. You can take it on a spin tomorrow. You said your exam results and class rankings will be out then?"

"Yes, Thankfully I managed to attend all the exams before the… collapse." Mirai fidgeted on the stool she had perched on. Kisuke smiled at her. Interactions weren't easy but… they were getting there.

A/N: Next there will be exam results, hollow bait and powers awakening!

Replies to reviews:

-xenocanaan:
I'm glad to hear you liked it. Mirai's crush... It isn't obvious. And since there hasn't been Mirai's pov for a while, only the people who've met/seen Lisa and her together and actually notice things like that, will mention it. Like, Ichigo would't notice, Rukia and Tatsuki haven't met Lisa etc...

-mk0008:
Really? Wow, I really like Walk Two Lifetimes too. Thank you for your comment.

-Antex-The Legendary Zoroark:
Thank you!

-BookKeeper88:
I hope you liked this chapter.

-Girl-luvs-manga:
Very true.

-skidney:
Thank you. :)

-urs-v: (chapter 6)
I don't bash him. I understand that I don't like him and that might color the interractions between him an other characters. But mostly it has been through avoidance. Mirai doesn't visit Kurosaki household anymore because she is afraid of what he might do. Ichigo and twins don't talk about her within his hearing because they realize she doesn't want him knowing about her. I'm working withing canon here. Isshin is paranoid, for a reason. Mirai had a knife and stabbed him after needling him for months. Neither is innocent in this matter, Isshin overreacted, Mirai counterreacted. And due Isshin's paranoia he isn't exactly in terms with other people. You know how he described Visored after slaying Grand Fisher. And in general how he treats Ichigo. I'm only making my own interpretation. And in chapter 15 I do have Ichigo admitting that Isshin can give some good advise sometimes.
And Ron in Death Eaters? Is that actually a thing? I've read of him ending in Slytherin but he'd never join Death Eaters no matter how warped his views are. Besides... Maybe you should try writing a fic before coming here and critisicing. It wasn't even constructive.

-Honey and Spice: (chapter 10)
I'm glad to hear you like it. I'm hyped to write this all too, I just need time to order my ideas first so they are comprehensive to read. ;)
About creating a Zanpakuto... try picking some simple concept and then expanding it. In the end the zanpakuto powers are not that complicated. Shunsui's are based on children games, Juushiro redirects reiatsu attacts, Toshiro has bunch of ice, Rukia has snow, etc... I chose ripples and waves for Mirai and a jian because they look nice.

-demonavenger888:
Updated!

-Kay Starlight:
Ah, a new reader! Welcome! o/ I'm glad to hear you like this fic and I hope you liked this chapter too.
I... don't know about the Ichigo/Mirai pairing. I personally love it even though I really didn't plan it when I started writing this. And considering how action packed Bleach is, I don't know if there will be space for actual romance.
Not saying. ;)

-Rayakashi:
Hur hur hur... :3 He does have his fingers deep in the web.
Glad to find another Ichirai fan. No Rose/Mirai though. It'd be a bit awkward.

-Molten Thunder:
Thank you. I'm glad to hear you like this style of storytelling. Some readers haven't been too hyped up but thankfully they seem to be a minority.
Things will happen but at the same time they won't spiral out of control. (She is ripple not a butterfly) Mirai tries to be careful since even though it was canonically very close call, in the end there was a moderately happy ending. It's a fine line.
And I agree, the rescue arc was brilliant. I hope there had been more time between that and Hueco Mondo Arc... which is why I will be including anime filler arcs to some degree.
I'm not sure when Mirai will fully demonstrate her zanpakuto but I can't wait for it either. I hope you liked this chapter. :)