Does Man Make the Monster?
Chapter 23
Life Choices
(A/N Well, here is the latest chapter. I feel it's not a good as it could be but I did some more rewrite again. Seems to be trend with this story here lately. I hope you enjoy.)
SOUNDS/sounds
Thoughts
(Last Time)
"What's this?" Uryu asked, unfolding the paper.
"Oh, that's a hot topic going on right now. They've been front page news for nearly a month now. So apparently this guy here Kurosaki was marked as a traitor against the CCG. He killed himself like over 2 months ago now, I think. He took a dive off a local bridge," The clerk answered. "That's his partner Hayashi. They think she was working with him to help cover up 'certain things.' She was imprisoned a month ago but two men apparently broke her out and made off with her like couple or 3 weeks ago. Neither she or those two men have been seen since. There is this huge bounty on their heads. It's plastered all over the media here so you better get used to seeing it."
"Thank you," Uryu said, tucking the paper under his arm and walked out.
He took a careful sip of his coffee and opened the bag of cookies. He was going to have to look more into this. It never dawned on him to look into Tokyo news before he left. There was a bit of wind that picked up. The coffee in his hands felt good. He turned back towards the apartment and yawned. He needed to get an idea of things before he just charged in over his head.
If that woman Hayashi had escape she might still be in town. He needed to know how she escaped and who helped her. Given she was Ichigo's former partner he had a very strong suspicion the carrot top was involved with this mess somehow. Uryu was going to have to do some digging around to get the right information. Hopefully he would find her before the CCG does and help keep her safe.
(Present)
Uryu brought up the last of his new lamps from the car and set it with the rest of his new belongings. It was just a little after 1 now and the sky was clear and blue compared to yesterday. He just let the natural light illuminated his new living quarters. He unpacked his lamp and put in the bulb. It was smaller than the one on his night stand now. He changed it out and put the large lamp back where it was by the couch. Higuchi was kind enough to give him a little extra money to help with a few unseen costs. He already spent a little more than half of it.
He even bought one floor lamp to put it by the door. He wanted a hang a few things but he was band from putting any nails in the walls. If he wanted pictures hung he had to us adhesive mounts and hooks. There were to be no holes in the walls whatsoever. He found the need mounts to start hanging up pictures. He had a couple of prints of famous paints and one of Orihime's… Well, it was something she drew for him for a birthday present a couple of years back. He still wasn't sure what it was but for some reason people seemed to like it.
He had a couple family photos he was going to put out on the tables. He found a couple of his friends but… Orihime and Ichigo were both wanted. He couldn't openly put those out. He wrapped them up and put them on the shelf in the closet.
He hung up the pictures but the place still seemed empty. He'd work on that when he had the money. He made lunch and right after that he got to cleaning up a little bit. He was going to head to the library later and see what he could find out about Hayashi Akane. The newspaper alone scared him. Uryu knew the real truth so reading all this slandering propaganda ate at him.
It was true that Ichigo did help ghouls just before his "death" but the CCG had the information mixed up. Ichigo smuggled information out to them. Clearly they never figured it out. Instead they started claiming that he was letting dangerous ghouls go at his discretion. They were saying that Akane was in on it, too, and had been fudging the papers and making up lies to cover Ichigo's wrong doings. They really had no clue how Ichigo was actually involved with ghouls and it made Uryu chuckle a little. He read all that one paper could give him but he really needed some more information.
He finished cleaning up and walked back down to his car. He had it until the end of the week and he was going to make use of this short-term luxury. He wanted to learn how to drive in case one day he had to and legally could. On good days, which were few and in between, Uryu did get his hands on his dad's car just to keep in practice. He wouldn't get his own car anytime soon that was for certain. He was going to have to learn the public transportation routes soon.
He found the nearest library on his phone and headed out. It was a pretty large building he noted as he pulled into the parking lot. He looked at the clock in the car. He still had a good long while before he was to meet Uta at the shop. He walked in and had a look around. He went on ahead and got a library card before he went over to the computer room off the children's section. There were quite a few people in there but he found an empty station toward the back.
He quickly started to get to work using the notes he made from the newspaper. This was certainly Ichigo's doing. He looked at the photos and some of the video evidence that was made public. The two men that made off with her were Shinigami there was no getting around it. Where they a couple of Hitsugaya's men? The CCG wanted Ichigo but instead they got something else completely different. They must have thought Ichigo would come in person. That was their mistake.
A teenage Ichigo would have charged in without a moment's hesitation. Uryu felt Ichigo grew a little smarter with age and Toshiro mostly told him to hold back as well. So the woman was freed but the men were only spotted once more before vanishing. Hayashi wasn't with them according to what he was reading. So either she was in someone else's protection or she was fending for herself. He really hoped she was in someone's care considering that the articles did mention she was injured and not dressed for the cold weather.
There had been no definite sightings of her so that could either be good or bad. If humans were looking for her, ghouls must be doing the same. This was going to be like searching for a needle in a haystack. She was alone or under care? Was she dead or alive? He never once met her so trying to sense her out in the immediate area wasn't going to be possible. He also doubted she had enough spiritual power to really even stand out. This might even be a lost cause.
He made a couple of printouts before walking toward the main entrance. He stopped at a wall full of brochures near the door. There were brochures for just about everything; travel, maps, restaurants, tourist destinations, shopping, local stores, government, and schools. He grabbed the brochure to the college he was said he was going to attend. Kamii University really did look like a nice choice. They listed some of the more popular course and there were several medical courses listed. It said to access the full list of courses to visit the university's webpage. Well, he said he was going to go to this school so he was going to go to this school.
"Oh, are you thinking of going to Kamii?" a woman asked as she walked by with her boyfriend.
"Yeah, I want to get a medical degree," Uryu said, folding the brochure up back up.
"I'm going for mine. I'm studying Medicine," she smiled and then look at her grumpy looking boyfriend. "And he's studying Pharmaceutical Sciences."
"My dad's a general surgeon. I might look into becoming one, too," Uryu answered her.
"Kimi, c'mon…" the boyfriend said, trying to usher her on inside.
"Well, good luck," she gave him a wave good bye and left.
Uryu threw his coat back on and walked back outside towards his car. It looked like Kamii was going to be his school. He still has a lot more time to kill. It was still too early for dinner but there was nothing else left to do. He could always get a couple hours of sleep. He didn't sleep well last night. He wasn't use to the place, the city noise, and just general nerves.
He drove back to the apartment and walked into his new place. It still didn't feel right being here. He took off his shoes and hung his coat in the closet. He walked to his bed, taking off his glasses, and set his alarm. There really was nothing else to do. He couldn't afford TV or internet currently. He made sure his cell phone bill would be paid before anything else.
He fell back on his bed and looked up at the bare white ceiling. The day was dragging and it didn't look like anything interesting was going to happen much later. He pulled up the covers and finally remembered something else he was to get. The blinds the apartment provided just weren't that great at blocking out light so curtains would be great. Don't they make ones the help absorb sound now? He could use them. He pulled his pillow over his head. He just needed a couple of hours that's all he was asking for.
Uryu never got any real sleep and he felt worse than earlier. He decided to test out the public transit after dinner. He went down to the noddle shop he saw last night. The old couple that ran it were very friendly and loved new customers. The pair did serve some really good food. It might be a new favorite for him. It was getting close to Uta's closing time. It was nearly 8.
He looked at the bus schedules. He had better hurry, the next bus was going to be there shortly. He hurried down the block and not a moment too soon. He got on with about 6 others. He was packed in like a sardine. Karakura's buses could be crowed at times but this was a little much for him. He kept a good grip on the handle above his head. This was something else he was going to have to get used to. It was about three bus stops before he had to run again to his last bus.
He managed to make his next stop with a couple of minutes to spare. He stood at the stop with 11 others. There was nothing slow about this city. It was constantly go-go-go. How did Ichigo manage this when he lived here? It must have taken him a while to get use to this. The bus pulled up and people got off before everyone else go on. This one was a little less crowed but he still felt uneasy. Two more stops later and he was near his new job. He got off and had a look around before turning back to his phone to make sure he was in the right area. Uta did tell him that it could be a little hard to find for new people.
He wasn't lying. The store was kind of hidden from sight and it took Uryu a little while but he did find it. He lightly knocked on the door and he heard someone behind it before it opened. Uta gave Uryu a small grin and stepped to the side.
"I see you made it. You didn't have too much trouble, did you?" the ghoul asked.
"It wasn't too bad," Uryu replied, looking around the shop.
The photos on the website didn't do the masks justice. Uta was very much skilled and Uryu was indeed impressed by the craftsmanship.
"Take a look around and get use to the place," Uta said, closing the door and locked it. "Despite its location and its looks, this is a rather high end store. Everything is made by hand and custom fitted to each client. No two masks are ever the same."
Uryu studied the displays hanging on the walls. They were each a different style and constructed out of several different materials. Some were really fancy and delicate, others looked like masks from different cultures, and yet others looked like they belonged in horror movies.
"I don't skimp on detail and I noticed you don't either. I could use your talents here," Uta walked up to stand beside him. "You will help with time and work load. Sometimes I get cluttered with orders and fall behind. Once you get use to things here I know you will be a great help."
"You really do all these?" Uryu turned to look at his employer.
"Every last one," Uta motioned Uryu to follow him. "Back here is where all the magic happens."
Uta walked around the counter and into the back room. Uryu followed and looked a little awestruck at everything. There were all manner of tools he had never seen before, the fabric was perfectly organized, and the machines looked expensive. Even the counters were all lit with their own lamps and all the pins, scissors, measuring tapes, patterns, and other smaller items were labeled and sitting on shelves. There was were even a few file cabinets.
"First rule of my shop. Keep everything organized as it helps with efficiency and orders from being mixed up. You are also responsible for the maintenance of the machines. Keep them oiled, clean, remove any tangles, replace any snapped needles, and so on. If you can't get it fixed tell me and I'll see what I can do before taking it to a repair shop," Uta walked over and put a hand on one. "Given what I put these through daily they are quite expensive so respect them. Over here."
Uta moved over to his collection of fabrics and leathers. There were all kind of colors, prints, patterns, thicknesses, and textures. Uryu looked at the selection like a kid in candy store. He couldn't wait to experiment with what was presented before him.
"Help me keep up with inventory. If you notice a bolt of fabric is getting low, running short on certain threads, and other things I want you to catalog them so I can make the orders on time. Some of these bolts do to take time to arrive so make sure to really keep up with that," he pulled out a bolt of leather and handed it to Uryu to examine. "Some leathers like this one are worth some money. Try not to make any errors if you can help it. I don't want a lot of waste. If you think you can repurpose any scraps do so."
Uryu handed back the leather and Uta put it back its proper place. He followed Uta over to the large shelves. Things were stored in different types of bins and labeled perfectly. Some item were color coded to help differentiate sizes and shapes of the same type of items. Uta really wasn't playing around about keeping things organized.
"Over here are the tools I use along with my collection of patterns. The bins underneath are for the scraps. They are labeled so you know what scraps go where. Some of these patterns are getting quite old so I need you to be careful when handling them," he patted on a container of patterns. "Make sure the items are used for their intended purposes. I don't want my good fabric scissors cutting on paper, plastics, or other items that dull the blades. I'm sure you know that already."
He walked over to one of the cutting counters for the fabric.
"Keep your area clean when finished with an order or for the night. I don't want bits and pieces of material all over the place. There are lamps with magnifiers to help with stitching. Please make use of them. For more intricate designs I do make casts of clients' heads and do sculpting. That will come much later once I know you can handle the basics. So… What all do you understand and what do I need go back over?"
A lot of that was common sense but it was worth mentioning none the less. Uryu pushed up his glasses and stood up straight. He might as well impress the ghoul.
"Keep everything organized to help with efficiency and orders. Keep up with the maintenance of the machines. If I can't fix it, alert you. Expensive so respect them. Keep up with inventory as items can take time to arrive. Some fabrics are expensive, don't make mistakes, and repurpose any scraps. Tools and other items have their own containers and are labeled including those for the scraps. The patterns can be delicate so handle with care. Don't misuse any tools to prevent damages. Keep my work station clean at all times. The lamps are there for a reason and I must use them. You also provided the service of casting and sculpting."
Uta's shades slid down the bridge of his nose, eyes opened wide, and his mouth hung a little open. Uryu was just full of surprises and he was just a smart as he looked. Speaking of looks. He was going to have to do something about Uryu's… Well, his taste in style. It was clash with his own and even the store's. He'd address that once the human was more comfortable being there.
"Well, now… I must say you surprised me, Ishida," Uta choked out, looking at the man before him. "You actually retained all that in one go?"
"Not to brag but I was the top student in high school," Uryu smirked.
"I see, I see. Well, that is a good skill to have. Things can get complicated at times. Some clients are very nitpicky about what they want," Uta hummed, walking to the front again and stopped at the register. "This is just your basic register. I'll show you how to ring up clients when you start. First repairs of masks are free and I charge for others. I do have catalogs of the things we do here under the counter so let customers look at them. Please push sales and talk about our products. If you feel like a customer is becoming a threat, return to the back and I will handle them in your place. I will not leave you alone in the shop during work hours for your protection."
"I appreciate that," Uryu said, looking around the shop again. "It sounds like you run a well oil machine."
"That I do. I have my standards and they are high. If you have time I'll go on ahead and give an introduction to the machines and some of the tools. I want you to be a little familiar with things for tomorrow so I won't have to hover so much," Uta hummed. "I'll train you more after hours as the skills do take time to master. I don't expect you to be perfect anytime soon but I have something you can work on that you should be comfortable with. I've been backlogged and this is more of a side project for someone."
Uta walked into the back and started going through a couple of files before handing some papers off to Uryu. The Quincey looked at the design of an outfit. It was made for fighting from the way it looked.
"If you're as good as I hope you are… I want you to make this. I want it constructed exactly to what's documented. I have a few patterns already made but you need to finish the last of them and cut the fabric," Uta said, walking over to a small bin and opened it, showing the paper patterns. "I want it done soon. I keep getting more and more orders and I have barely touched on it. Consider this your probation. I want to see your craftsmanship in action. I need to know your full knowledge of the trade, how well you follow instructions, and how fast you can work under pressure. Being a tailor this can't be complicated for you, right?"
Uryu smiled and looked at the design again. Challenge accepted. There wasn't anything fanciful about the design. It was just skintight, nothing complicated. He was going to blow this project clear out of the water.
"I believe I can manage this without any problems," Uryu answered as Uta took the papers back and put them in the folder again.
Uta walked over to one of the machines and put a tattooed hand on it.
"Good. Now… Let's get you familiar with the machines."
It was finally at the point where Akane really couldn't stay much longer at the café. They had at least one customer pick up on her familiar scent about 3 days ago. They managed to play it off somehow and things were—okay-ish? Someone was going to have to take her and soon. Everyone was wanted by the CCG for something or another and if she was found with one of them everything they built would crumble. Just tossing her out wouldn't do either as Yoshimura wouldn't allow it.
After her little outburst a few weeks ago, Touka wasn't even allowed upstairs. She had to take her breaks in the café or outside. She was also suspended without pay for a week. Hinami was not at all happy to hear how she got suspended. She overheard Kouma and Kaya once say that if it wasn't for Hinami staying with her it would have been an extra week. She counted her blessing on that one.
Touka sighed as she walked over to the door and flipped over the sign telling people they were closed for the evening. She sighed and walked over to the last two tables that still had dishes out. She picked those up and put in the sink while Kaya and Kouma wiped down the tables. The day just seemed to drag by for Touka. Even at school the day just seemed rather long. She started to fill up the sink with water and soap and she sighed again. She couldn't wait until everything was cleaned up and she could leave.
She turned off the faucet and began scrubbing the dishes. Kouma started to count the register while Kaya swept the floor. Other than Kouma's mumbling while he counted the money no one really spoke. This only made things go even slower for the teen. She wanted out of the café so bad that she was actually doing the dishes a bit faster than normal. Thankful there weren't many given that they wash everything several times a day.
After a few more chores the café was ready for the next morning. Kaya and Kouma left for the night as while Touka went into the back and let Ryoko in who had been waiting patiently for a while. Ryoko landed on her shoulder and they walked into the locker room so Touka could change out of her uniform.
"Touka, is something bothering you?" Ryoko asked, sitting on the arm opened locker door.
"No. I just had a long day," she answered putting on her sneakers before grabbing her coat. "Yoshimura is upstairs I'll call him to come down for you."
Ryoko flew back down onto Touka's shoulder as they walked out the changing room and toward the door leading upstairs. She opened the door but dared not to put a foot on the step. She wasn't going to push her luck.
"Yoshimura, we're going home for the night," she called up the stairway. "Everything's been cleaned up."
That last line was a sign that Ryoko was in the building. She closed the door and as Ryoko flew the one the chairs closed to the door.
"Take care, Touka," Ryoko said as Touka opened the door.
"You too," Touka gave a small nodded and walked to the door and closed it behind her.
It wasn't long before Yoshimura came down to greet her. She quickly flew over to him.
"What's wrong?" she asked as Yoshimura did a once over to make sure everything was done.
"Several things…" he said, walking around counter to check on thing back there. "My main issue is still the young lady upstairs. No one wants to take her and it's becoming too dangerous for her to stay."
"I've been keeping an eye of the CCG like you asked. They are getting a little desperate now. They pulled other investigators off minor cases to help look," she said, hanging her head low. "I don't know why she's so important to them.
That was a lie. She did know what they wanted her for and it was to draw out Ichigo. From what she understood Akane hadn't mentioned anything about Ichigo being alive. She didn't know if Akane was being truthful or she was keeping it secret, too.
"I'd really like to know," he replied, seeing everything in place. "I haven't seen a man hunt like this in a long, long time."
"I've been trying but I just can't get anything other than what she told you," Ryoko answered as Yoshimura went to the kitchen and pulled out a piece of cheesecake for Akane. "I'm like you. I think something else is going on but I don't know what."
RIIIING! RIIIING! RIIIING! RIIIING!
Yoshimura walked over to the phone and picked it up. He recognized the number as Uta's and he had feeling he knew why the man was calling. He answered and put the phone to his ear.
"Moshi Moshi."
"Yoshimura, do you mind if I come over this evening? I have some more projects I want Hetare to try out and I have a surprise as well."
Yoshimura turned to look at Ryoko and she gave her version of a shrug.
"I suppose it will be fine. When will you arrive?"
"Not too long. I've already left the shop and nearly there now."
"Then I will see you shortly."
Yoshimura hung up the phone. It had been a long while since Uta was over. Ryoko usually tried on her outfits with Kaneki when he would visit Uta. Yoshimura walked back upstairs with the dessert in hand. Yomo would be by shortly with the woman's dinner. He lightly knocked on the door before entering. She slightly looked up at him as she worked on another crossword puzzle. He walked over to her and sat the plate and its contents on the nightstand.
"I'll be downstairs for a little while and Yomo should be here with your supper soon," he said flatly as she looked up at him again.
"Okay," was all she said, turning her eyes back down to the puzzle book.
He turned and headed back towards the door. He went on downstairs and waited for either Yomo or Uta to show up first. While he waited he fixed Ryoko her usual little meal. The first time she tried something like a cracker it was a bit of shock to her along with seeds and other things she could eat. She seemed to adjust to the new food after a while.
KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!
Yoshimura left Ryoko as he went to open the door. It was Uta's scent but there was another person with him. A human male? That was rather odd for Uta be traveling with a human. Yoshimura opened the door and greet the pair.
"Good evening, Uta," Yoshimura said to his fellow ghoul before turning to Uta's odd company. "And to you, sir. Come on in."
Yoshimura stepped out the way to let the two in. Was young man the surprise Uta mention. Honestly it was quite a surprise in fact. He shut the door behind them and faced his guests. The man was fair skinned and thin. He looked to be in his mid to late 20s. He had a long face, blue/black hair, with glasses that frame his bright blue eyes. Truth be told he looked the complete opposite of Uta, human or not.
"Before anything else… Yoshimura, I'd like to meet my new apprentice—Huh?!"
Uta was lightly grazed by the left of wing of Ryoko. She hit Uryu's face like a feathered rocket. His glasses were knocked off his face and he stumbled back before slipping and landing hard onto his back. Yomo had walked in at the moment Ryoko slammed into the unaware human's face. Yomo was almost temped to walk back out the door. He had a feeling something odd was happening. The kind of odd he wasn't fond of that had been happening lately.
The poor human was sprawled out on the floor with Ryoko's wings wrapped around his face. She looked a small, feathered alien face hugger. The three standing ghouls could only stare in shock and a bit of horror at the man and the bird on the hard floor.
A few quiet seconds ticked by before the man removed the bird from his face, fighting not the throw it across the room. A couple claws had gotten mouth and cut the inside of his bottom lip. What the hell was that all about? He felt a couple of feather in his mouth and tried to spit them out. He looked back down at the birdie bullet in his hands with a rather angry expression. Wait a minute! His face went from anger to one of shock. He knew this… No, not the bird but the spirit inside within the bird he knew.
She was Ichigo's friend. Fueguchi something or another, right? What was she doing in the cockatiel? He then mentally hit himself. He remembered the story about boy inside cockatiel that Ichigo and Chad told him about years ago. This had to be Ichigo's bright idea. More than likely she got so excited to see him she just hit him off guard.
"I am so sorry," Yoshimura said apologetically, walking over to him and helped him up to his feet. "Are you hurt?"
"My head mostly," he answered.
Yoshimura took Ryoko from his hands as he dusted off the seat of his pants. He fished a couple more feathers from his mouth and lightly rubbed the small cuts with his tongue.
"Your glasses," Uta passed them over this employee.
Uryu checked them to make sure they weren't scratched or broken. They were intact thankfully and he put them on as Yomo walked in, closing the door behind him. They turned to look at him as he made a steady beeline towards the door that lead upstairs, a plastic bag with hot food in a Styrofoam container.
"Whatever it is I want no part in it," he stated as he opened the door and started up the steps.
"Okaaay…" Uta drawled, turning from the door towards the Quincey and the café manager. "That wasn't the introduction I had wanted to make but… As I was saying this is my new apprentice, Ishida Uryu."
Uryu lightly bowed and Yoshimura did the same before they shook hands.
"Welcome to Anteiku. I'm Yoshimura, the manger," the elder ghoul introduced himself.
Uryu reached up and lightly rubbed the back of his sore head. Yeah, this was the introduction that no one wanted. That really hurt. Fueguchi worked herself out of Yoshimura's fingers and went back to her spot on the counter. She never meant to blindside him like that. She was just so happy to see one of Ichigo's friends and she just went after him without second thought.
"I'll get you a bag of ice," Yoshimura said, turning towards the back. "Take a seat, won't you?"
Uryu took one of the chairs off the table and flipped it over to sit on. Uta did the same and sat across from him. Yoshimura returned a couple of minutes later with small towel wrapped around the hefty bag of ice.
"Thank you," Uryu said, not hesitating to place the bag on the back of his skull.
"Hetare has never done that before. Don't hold it against him," Yoshimura said, looking at Ryoko with a scold. "He's usually a very mild mannered bird."
"I won't," Uryu looked around Yoshimura at Ryoko as well.
She wouldn't look at anyone and kept her back to them.
"It was funny though," Uta chuckled a little under his breath. "The look on your face just before impact was priceless."
Uryu turned his eyes back to Uta who was grinning quite a bit. The quincey didn't find the humor in it. His head ached and his lip stung. Uryu let out a long sigh and briefly looked around the small café. It was a quaint shop and nothing fancy and didn't follow a particular theme. It was just a normal café but run by ghouls. He wasn't sure if that was normal or not but, hey, he'd seen weirder thing than this.
Yoshimura grabbed his own chair and joined them at the small table. He wanted to know how Ishida came about working for Uta of all people. Clearly the young man had to know that his employer was a ghoul. Uta wasn't bashful about his lineage for the most part.
"May I ask how this all came about? I never would have thought that you would have…" Yoshimura paused not quite sure how to word it.
Yomo opened door and half listened to what was being said. He just wanted to go home. He wasn't in the best of moods tonight. He gave the woman her meal and pretty much left her to eat in quiet. He had an idea of what was going between everyone in the café and he wanted no part in it.
"You mean how I ended up hiring him? Well, there's a small story behind that," Uta said, leaning back in his seat. "You see the morning after the raid I met him hanging out with Ms. Kitty as they got breakfast."
At the words of "Ms. Kitty" Yomo picked his feet and moved rather hurriedly toward the front door. Now he knew he wanted no part of this. Yoshimura may be fine and dandy with all this ghost and psychic stuff but not him. "Ms. Kitty" had really been his breaking point and whatever this young man could do he didn't want to know. He was close to the door now and he couldn't wait to close it behind him.
"Full frontal," Uta yelled out just before Yomo grabbed the doorknob.
Uryu just slapped a hand over his face and shook his head. Yomo looked like he was about to murder Uta for just belting that out loud the way he did. Uta was just grinning ear to ear at the irate look on Yomo's face. Uta would not let it go and always found some way to bring it up whenever he could.
Yomo said nothing, turned the door handle, and walked out, almost slamming the door. Uta lightly chuckled and Uryu let out a low groan. Yoshimura just looked a like uneasy. The elder ghoul cleared his throat some.
"So, then know Kuro-neko, Shiro, and the others?" Yoshimura asked and Uryu nodded.
"Yes, I was brought along with them for backup purposes. Three others along with me never participated in the raid," Uryu clarified. "We remained at our base and just sat there the entire time. Like he said I was with Yoruichi getting breakfast when we ran into him. He learned that I was the one that made Shiro's cloak."
"Of course I was quite impressed with the detailing and craftsmanship he put into the cloak. He originally declined my offer to work with me and he turned to Karakura Town with the others," Uta hummed. "He then called me out of the blue, wondering if I would still like to hire him. Obviously I couldn't say no. He's been under my employment for around a week now. We're still adjusting working together."
"It's going to be a while still," Uryu breathed taking off the ice pack and felt a small bump under his hair. He put the ice back on. "I've already irritated one customer for just being there."
"Trust me he's not nice to anyone," Uta said nonchalantly. "He's bucked to me in the past as well. He comes in about 4 times a year asking for new masks so he can stay hidden from the CCG."
That's what had worried Yoshimura. Ishida was human and ghouls usually don't like humans involved with their affairs, especially those with criminal backgrounds. Uta's shop was vastly different from the café. Ishida would be safer away from Uta and his mask shop. Uta had to have known he was putting the young man in danger and Ishida most likely knew the dangers beforehand. Yoshimura couldn't wrap his mind around why he would come and work for Uta. That baffled him a good bit.
"It's not safe for you to be there," Yoshimura stated bluntly.
"I am more than aware of that. Uta gave me a full warning of what to expect and that it was 'anything but boring.' He's been right so far," Uryu answered just as bluntly.
"Ishida can handle his own," Uta said looking at his apprentice and then back at Yoshimura. "He's an Esper, too, like the rest of his weird little friends."
"Oh… I see," Yoshimura somehow let that detail slip his mind. The young man just stated he knew everyone from the raid and was even there to help. "So you can perform a particular ability like the others?"
"I can. I can gather the energy around me and focus it into weapons," Uryu said, holding up his left wrist. "Uta and his friend Itori learned that."
Uryu gave his employer a rather sly and devious expression. Uta half unconsciously rubbed his neck. He thought Uryu had been joking when we said he could literally blow his head clear off his shoulders. It wasn't a joke and he only saw a small percentage of what Uryu could do.
"You made it quite clear that night and I know better," Uta said, pulling his hand from his neck. "He is a force to be weary of, Yoshimura. He gave us a demonstration a few nights ago. It was rather frightening and enlightening at the same time."
"You fell on your butt," Uryu stated.
"That was only because you took me by surprise," Uta affirmed.
"You got cocky with me and egged me on. You got what you asked for."
"I did indeed and I'm all the wiser for it."
Yoshimura was half torn between wanting to know what happened and not wanting to know. It was a good thing that Uta was given a firm warning from the young man. However, that still did little to quell his fear for the young man's wellbeing.
"If you're wondering, he thought he'd be smart and purchased a whole hog from a local butcher after I told him what I could do. The next night he takes me and Itori out to a secluded area so I can demonstrate my skills. What happened after that?"
Uryu turned to look at his boss.
"I mocked you and before I could even fully return to a safe location you launched a glowing arrow right past my head and hit the pig's head dead on. It exploded into nearly nothing and I hit the ground."
Yoshimura said nothing for a few moments. Uryu could actually obliterate a person?
"How big was the pig?" Yoshimura asked.
"I would say about 220lbs (100kg)," Uta hummed. "All that was left was the bottom and even that was barely remaining.
Yoshimura remained silent again for a couple of seconds. Yes, clearly Ishida made a very big point not to mess with him. Despite this, Yoshimura still felt this was a mistake but if the young man felt that he knew what he was doing he couldn't do much to change it.
"Are you sure about this?" Yoshimura had to ask just once more.
"Yes. I know what I signed up for. I'm not going to be there all time. I'm starting medical school in the coming semester," Uryu said, pulling the ice from his head and put on the table. "My dad owns a hospital in Karakura and I kind of wanted to become a doctor like him. We never really got along but some part of him rubbed off on me."
"What was your father a doctor of?" Yoshimura asked.
"He was a general surgeon but he's good with politics, too, which of course earned him a hospital," Uryu grumbled under his breath. "Despite me coming here for school, he wasn't happy, and we started fighting—again. He didn't even see me off and he tried several times to keep me home."
"Did he know who you employer was?" Yoshimura asked and Uryu shook his head.
"No. I wasn't about to let that happen. I think he would have hogtied me and locked in a closet if he knew. Or worst…" Uryu grumbled. "We don't get along but on those very rare occasions he does act somewhat fatherly."
Yoshimura let out a long sigh. Well, Ishida clearly made up his mind. He then suddenly remembered something that Touka brought up a good long while ago. Ishida knew Shiro and the others so, chances were he knew the Kurosaki family. Maybe he could fill in a few gasps that the internet wasn't providing. Would he even want to talk about it that?
"A young lady under my employment tried to contact Mr. Kurosaki and found that the lines to his cell and clinic were cut. She learned that CCG was in your hometown and going after the Kurosaki family and some others there were associated with them," Yoshimura questioned as Uryu's face clearly showed he was not happy with the topic. "Can you fill of some blanks for us? We would really like to know what happened to them."
"It's complicated but most of us went into hiding. It's just Chad and I now for the most part," Uryu said in a rather cold tone. "They are in a location that the CCG can't locate and they are safe. Hime is with them as well that's how bad things got."
"Hime…" Yoshimura whispered the name.
That woman could heal anyone. Could she help Akane? No, that would be far too dangerous. The last thing she needed was to come here. It would be pointless to ask but maybe if he saw the redhead in person… He drew in a long breath and promptly got up, catching Uta and Uryu off guard. Maybe Uryu could help with something else, too. He walked over and picked Ryoko.
"Ishida, I just thought of something you can help me with," Yoshimura said as Uryu looked oddly at him. "Uta, do you mind staying down here?"
"It's not like I can hear or anything," Uta said, waving them off. "Or smell the human female upstairs for that matter."
Uryu looked at his boss and then back a Yoshimura.
"Just stay here," Yoshimura ordered. "Ishida, please come with me."
Uryu got to his feet and looked at his boss. The young ghoul shrugged and Uryu followed Yoshimura to the door. Yoshimura opened the door and soon Uryu found himself standing at the top of the steps looking at another closed door.
"I could use your help with her. We can't keep her any longer and maybe you can figure something out," Yoshimura knocked on the door before opening it. "I hope we're not interrupting you."
Yoshimura walked into the room first and Uryu followed a few steps after not sure about what was going on. Uta said there was woman upstairs so… Uryu moved to the other side of Yoshimura and turned to face her. He froze solid the moment he got a good look of her. It was Ichigo's former partner. Had they been harboring Hayashi this entire time? He just looked at her a little dumbfounded and her expression looked like she wanted him dead on sight.
"Who is that and why is he here?" she snapped, moving the tray of food from her lap.
"This is Ishida Uryu. I was hoping that he might be able to help you," Yoshimura said calmly but she still looked rather upset. "You mind introducing yourself?"
"Why should I? My face is plastered all over the city and that dumb look he has says he knows me," she snapped.
Uryu straighten himself up a bit and cleared his throat. He was being a bit rude staring at her the way he was. That couldn't have helped things. It was good to know she was safe for the most part. He took a couple steps towards her.
"That's more than close enough," she barked. "Keep your distance."
"Hayashi… I'm Ishida Uryu…"
"I got that already."
"Yes, well, I'm an old high school of Ichigo's from Karakura Town and—Shit!" he ducked as a fork was chucked at his face. "What the hell was that for?!"
"You can't honestly think I'm that damn stupid," she snapped at him.
"I'm not lying to you! I really am a friend of Ichigo's. I don't have anything on me right now to prove it but… I do have some pictures at home that I can bring over and show you."
"I'm not buying it! Get out," she snapped she then pointed Yoshimura "You too!"
"Calm down, calm down both of you," Yoshimura said trying to defuse a bomb he didn't know he'd light. "Hayashi, he is telling you the truth. I was hoping we could figure out some way to help you out of this mess."
"I just can't believe him and how can you?!" she huffed.
Uryu tried to figure what to do with this situation. His idea still had his old address on it. He reached into pocket, pulling out his wallet, and withdrew his driver's license. We was going to get it changed just before he started school but it was good he didn't do it right away.
"Here, look at that," he tossed his ID at her.
It landed at her feet and she picked it up. She looked at the picture, name, and address printed on the thin piece of plastic. It looked like a valid license and she was trained to spot fakes. She really scrutinized the plastic card just to be sure. She tossed the card back at him and he awkwardly managed to catch it, before putting it back.
"Well, it's not a fake," she snorted.
"Of course it's not. I'm telling you the truth. My dad and Isshin were old college friends and I went to high school with Ichigo," Uryu explained. "I don't know what else I can show you to prove that. I can come back by with those photos… Photos…"
He pulled out his cell phone and started going through a few old photos on a social network. He finally found some of after their high school days. It was when Ichigo was still a cop. He found a couple of them with them goofing off together as a group.
"Look at this and then say you still doubt me," he held out his phone a carefully walked over to her.
She snatched it and looked at the photo before she sifted through a few more. There were even a few pictures of that girl Mado and Amon spotted that night. Inoue something… The more photos she looked at the more she realized she couldn't disprove him. She had even seen one of these photos framed sitting on Ichigo's desk. The date on the upload proved it was taken a long while ago, along with some of the others in the selection.
"Now do you believe me?" he asked as she scrolled through a couple more. "When I arrived I knew nothing about you… It didn't take long though… It was by chance I happened to find you. I'd like to help you if I can."
"Then you can get me out of here?" she said bluntly. "Can you take me to Karakura or to where Dr. Kurosaki is?"
"Karakura Town is still being somewhat watched by the CCG last I heard and Isshin, his daughters, and the others are in and area that is inaccessible," Uryu clarified and he took his phone back from her. "If I did take you back Karakura, there aren't many places you can hide. My father is being watched, too, as he inherited Isshin's emergency clinic and I don't want to risk another friend of mine helping you or he may have to go into hiding as well. It wouldn't be fair to him or my dad."
"Then what can you help with? I can't go anywhere without the chance of being recognized or sniffed out," she said, pulling her knees to her chest.
"I'd offer you to stay with me but I'm in an apartment and there are several people around me and my current job wouldn't allow it," Uryu sighed and hung his head. "I'll have to see what I can do. I'm stuck right now. Give me just a couple of days to figure something out."
"Ishida, before anything else… I know you said Isshin, and those with him, are inaccessible but is there any way you can contact your friend Hime?" Yoshimura asked, breaking into the conversation. "The young lady has proven she can heal others and clearly Hayashi could use some help. That might be asking for too much given she is wanted as well."
"Contact is not impossible but I don't know about bringing her here. Trust me getting her directly here isn't going to be a problem. It's just where she is and if they will allow it," Uryu sighed. "Like I said give me a couple of days to work things out. I'm sure something can be arranged if certain strings are pulled by the right people. There are people there that know how to bend rules and sneak around better than me. Just give me the time I need."
"And how long will that be?" Akane asked.
"I can't say until I make contact. It's not easy to get up with them," Uryu said, shaking his head. "You stayed here this long so just wait a little more. I'll get something worked out."
"Please, I want out of here so bad. I'm going crazy being stuck in the building day and night," Akane buried her face in her knees.
"I can understand that and I'm trying to help. When I get home I'll make the call and go from there."
"Are you sure you can actually help me?"
"I'm almost certain I can. Ichigo trained us to be crazy and we've done crazier than this. High school was insane and leave it at that."
"You'll forgive me if I remain skeptical. I don't have much trust in people anymore."
"I don't expect you to just go along with me blindly."
"Do you think he's telling the truth, Yoshimura?" she turned her attention to Yoshimura.
"I do. I have seen his other friends in person and I know they can help you," the old ghoul nodded. "If they can get you out of here it will be better for all of us."
"Fine but I still don't trust you," she looked back up at Uryu.
"Then allow my actions speak for me," he stated.
"Now that sounds like somethimg Ichigo would say," she smirked. "Okay, Ishida, let's see what you can do."
Uryu shivered as he waited for Yoruichi to meet him at Anteiku. It was close to closing time and it was good and dark now. He blew into his cupped hands, trying to warm them. He leaned his back up against a brick walk and watched people walk by.
Uryu had kept his word and used the small soul phone Yoruichi had given him. The only bad thing was that it only called Toshiro's office. If anything was going to discussed it was going to have to go through Toshiro first. For an hour Uryu quarreled with the icy captain to ask for help with Akane. Toshiro said he already did he could do for her and even went through Shinji just to get her where she was now. Toshiro finally had enough and just hung up on Uryu.
A few hours ticked by and he found himself at Kamii University, looking around the campus. He was about ready to walk into the administrative office when he heard the soul phone ring. He had been surprised that Toshiro had called back. The captain had a small change of heart but made it clear that enough was enough. He would send out Yoruichi to meet him and get an idea of things and what could be done. Uryu told Toshiro to have her meet him just outside Anteiku.
That of course left him where he was now. He stifled a yawn and stuffed his hands into his coat pockets. It was getting colder by the moment. Where was she? It was honestly starting to get irritated.
"Uryu!"
He turned to his name and saw her wave to him. He pushed off the wall as she stopped at his side. She gave him a grin and he only turn toward the café.
"I was getting a little worried," Uryu said, approaching the café door.
"I made it so don't be," she said as Uryu opened the door as she followed him inside.
The space was pretty much empty with exception on the last patron gathering his things and the floor staff. The waitress closed to them turned to address them.
"It's like 5 minutes to closing, sir," Touka said, turning to face Uryu as she picked up some used coffee mugs. "I'm sorry but…"
"Miss Kirishima, right?" Yoruichi poked her head around Uryu's shoulder. "It's been a little while."
Touka almost dropped the cups. That was one of the last people she had expected to see walk in the door.
"O-oh! I take it you want to see the manager?" Touka said, adjusting the cups again in her hands.
"That would be why we are here," Yoruichi nodded and stepped out from behind Uryu and looked around.
"Nishiki, can you get Yoshimura?" Touka asked as Nishiki set down his towel and walked by the pair.
Nishiki knew Yoruichi from that night at the raid but the man she was with looked ever so familiar. He just brushed it off and started upstairs. Uryu and Yoruichi stepped away from the door to let the last customer.
"So, you're Kuro-neko, right?" Kaya asked, walking up to Yoruichi. "We were never actually introduced that night. I'm Irimi Kaya."
"Shihoin Yoruichi," woman smiled at the ghoul.
"Ishida Uryu," Uryu said putting out his hand and she lightly shook it.
"So, uh, what brings you back here?" Touka asked, walking back over to them.
"The lady upstairs," Uryu stated and Touka as Kaya looked at the door. "We're going to see what was can do about her."
"How did Yoshimura get a hold of any of you?" Touka asked, looking back at them. "I couldn't get Dr. Kurosaki and I didn't think there were any other contacts."
"Well, actually it was me. I took a job here in Tokyo to see if there was something I could help with and it paid off," Uryu said as Kaya and Touka looked at him.
"You know, you kind of have Uta's scent on you," Kaya said, leaning in a little.
"Yeah, well he's my…" Uryu's voice fade as Yoshimura walked down with Nishiki right behind him.
"Ishida, welcome. I see you brought Kuro-Neko," Yoshimura said, walking up to them.
"You can call me Shihoin Yoruichi now," she smiled at the aged ghoul.
"Very well, I'm Yoshimura, the manager," he said giving her gentle bow. "I never got to properly meet you the last time you were here. Won't you come upstairs?"
"Of course," Yoshimura lead the way as everyone head upstairs but Touka stopped at the door.
She turned and looked at the empty café. She might as well get something done while they were upstairs. She turned the sign over and locked the door. She cleaned off the last table before grabbing Nishiki's towel, rinsed it out, and started wiping off the tables. She wanted to see what was going on but she had to settle for listening while she cleaned up the store. Yoshimura couldn't control that after all.
Akane got to her sock clad feet as a small group of people walked into the room. She knew all of them but the mocha skinned woman with warm amber eyes. She smiled and only took a couple steps forward.
"So you must be Hayashi Akane. I'm Shihoin Yoruichi. I'm another old friend of Ichigo's from back in Karakura Town," Yoruichi smiled and gave small bow. "So, I understand you're stuck here."
"So, you're going to get me out of here?" Akane asked a bit of optimism on her face.
"That's what I'm going to try to do," Yoruichi said, looking Akane up and down. "I can see why you wanted Orihime, Uryu. How did you get this?"
She pointed at Akane's damaged arm. Akane held her deadweight limb and slightly looked down at it. How was she going to word this? No doubt Ishida and Shihoin knew Ichigo was a live and was the being calling himself Shiro.
"It got hurt in a ghoul raid when I confront—someone… They damaged by shoulder and the CCG destroyed it," Akane said, keeping her eyes cast down.
"Oh, that's right… I think I remember something about that… So… Let's see what I can do for you," Yoruichi looked around the area. "You've been stuck in this place for weeks now?"
Yoshimura lightly cleared his throat.
"There is such a massive manhunt looking for her I feared for her safety but even staying here comes with its own troubles," Yoshimura answered. "We already had one close call recently where someone recognized her scent. We can't keep her here for everyone's safety. No one wanted to take her home for the same reason. We've even restricted contact with her to help reduce her smell coming down into the café."
"I see. You're doing what you can but you've also exhausted everything,
too," Yoruichi said, walking a little closer to her. "We've been trying to figure out how to deal with this situation since it was brought to our attention, Uryu's hands are tied as he is just an observer as he has his own CCG troubles."
"How are you in trouble?" Kaya asked.
"Yeah, what did you do to incur their wrath?" Nishiki added.
"Technically nothing. When the Kurosaki family went to the hiding from the CCG, the city hospital, which is owned by my father, annexed the Kurosaki clinic. It didn't help that Isshin and my father were old college friends," Uryu turned to look at her. "I went to school with Ichigo and I think you can figure out the rest. I'm still a tiny blip on their radar for just being involved with the family.."
"And what about you, Shihoin? Aren't you worried about the CCG as well, being friends with the family?" Kaya questioned. "You also helped in the raid that night."
"In this world I don't exist. Literally. I have nothing tying me to this world, not even a birth certificate," Yoruichi answered, closing the gap between her and Akane. "Now let's have a look at that arm. I can help it to where it won't trouble nearly as bad. Once another friend gets here she'll can heal everything. Would you mind?"
"What can you do? I need a hospital," Akane stated as Yoruichi leaned in a little more. "Seriously, what can you do?"
"A lot actually," Yoruichi grinned and held out her hands to the woman's shoulder. "You're going to find this weird but I'm going to ask you to stay still and don't freak out. This will help."
"What are you going to do?" Akane took small side step away from Yoruichi.
"I'm going to help heal the damage in your arm. Now, don't squirm. It won't do you any good if you do," Yoruichi said as small faint greenish-blue glow started to radiate from her hands. "Orihime will be able to make so that none of this ever happened."
"Hey! What's that going with your hands?" Akane back up even more. "They were glowing!"
"So, you can do that, too? Nishiki asked, looking quite surprised.
"It's a healing kido. It's not going to hurt you," Yoruichi sighed. "Now look. It won't take anytime if you let me do what I need to. You can have this addressed now or you can wait for Orihime. It's your call."
"Who is this exactly is Orihime? Another old friend?" Akane asked moving away a little more.
"We'll hold off on that but, yes, she is also an old friend," Yoruichi pulled her hands away. "A couple of loose plans were run by me before arriving here. The main thing is to get the CCG off your back so you can regain your freedom. You are going to have to make some nasty sacrifices though…"
Akane's face scrunched at those words. Hadn't she already made enough sacrifices?
"You mean forgetting everything about my life? You want me to just toss it in the dump?" Akane snapped.
"I can only guarantee your freedom and nothing else," Yoruichi affirmed. "You will have to leave your family, friends, and everything else you hold dear."
"I can't do that," Akane bit out.
"It could be a blessing in the end," Yoshimura spoke up. "Not many get the chance to write a new story for their life."
"I'd like a reset button once in a while myself," Kaya snorted.
"We all would," Uryu muttered under his breath.
"I would like several," Nishiki sighed.
"But what am I going to do about my family and friends?" Akane asked. "I know this is just killing my father right now not knowing where I am. Please, there has to be another way!"
Yoruichi shook her head and sighed.
"Hayashi, I'm going to tell you a very brief story of my own and I want you to listen to every word I say. Back when I was younger I held several positions of power as did several dear friends of mine. Over time, however, we had gotten too close to uncovering a dangerous plan and the mastermind didn't like that. So he set up my friends as criminals along with several others to get any suspicion off of him. They were unfairly judged for things that they didn't do and for things out of their control. I risked everything I mine so they could make an escape. I left everything I held dear that day; my positions, my title, and even my family. I understand your situation quite well and I'm telling you it's not the end of everything. I did what I had to and I'm still here. If you want my help I'll happily give it. If not you can stay as you are and just hope of the best."
"If I do decide to… How do you plan to keep the CCG from tracking me?" she asked, feeling uneasy of the upcoming answer.
"Let's just call it an extreme makeover for now. I will let you in on more things when the plan has been properly smoothed out. There are parts you're not going to like," Yoruichi stated and crossed her arms. "But it will be the best way to keep the government off your back."
"You're not putting me under the knife are you?" Akane's face took more agitated than before.
"No. No surgery is involved in this but major modification will be made," Yoruichi explained. "It's nothing painful and you can live a happy and productive life."
"I'm still unsure of this. I want to know how you're going to modify this?" she pointed at her missing eye before taking off her hat.
"I don't think you need to know all the details right now," Yoruichi shook her head.
"Well, I want to know before I agree to anything you're offering. I'm not going to trust some sketchy stranger I just met," Akane replied sharply. "You tell me right now or you can just turn around and walk out."
"No. Not yet. I'll have to ease you into it. If I show out right it might make things worse for you," Yoruichi explained. "You don't need that kind of shock forced on you at this time."
"Then I don't want any part of it," Akane bit back.
"Then you are on your own. I won't force you into something you don't want to do," Yoruichi said, turning on her heel and walked back over to everyone else. "I'll keep the offer open for a few days so you can be absolutely sure. They can't keep harboring you so sooner or later something is going to give and it might not be pretty. Keep that in mind."
"I said no," Akane voice was firm.
"I would consider it, Hayashi," Uryu spoke up. "Like we said earlier… Most don't get a reset button. Think it over and be absolutely sure before she leaves by the end of the week."
She didn't say anything more. She just stared at him still looking rather angry.
"You have 3 days. That's Friday and I'll be gone," Yoruichi followed up. "I hope you make the right choice. You sound like some ungrateful child who doesn't know what she being handed."
Akane half choked on her own breath at those words. So she had contact with Ichigo as well? She guessed it made sense. Was this something else of his? She lightly bit her lip and looked at the floor. Should she say yes or not? Saying good bye to her current life wasn't something she was ready for even it was a pile of crap right now. She worried about her father given how he took the trauma of losing her mother and little brother. Was it worth it? Could she actually do it?
"I'll… I'll think on it…" she mumbled, keeping her eye fixed on the floor.
"Make sure you do. This is your only chance," Yoruichi warned, walking towards the door. "It will not be offered again."
Yoruichi vanished into the hallway and the others quickly did the same. Akane stepped back and sat on the bed. This was her only chance and she had 3 days to make up her mind. This was a very hard choice. She could change her life and start anew or she could remain how she is now and pray for a good outcome with this life. She looked at her shoulder and gently rubbed it.
She didn't know if she had the strength to do something like that. Ichigo did. She cast her eyes back up at the door. Ichigo faked his death so he could return home and hopefully live in peace. The only difference was, was that he got to return to his family but she could not. She couldn't return to her father without causing him more pain. She clinched her teeth and squeezed her eye shut. She had three days, just 3 days to make her choice.
She suddenly found herself moving towards the door and out into the hall. If this Shihoin was right and this wasn't the end of everything she might as well bite the bullet. She raced down the stairs and opened the door leading into the café, almost hitting Touka with it as she mopped up the floor. She spotted Yoruichi and Ishida about leave. She just did catch them.
"Hey, what are you doing down here?" Touka asked a little flabbergasted. "Go back upstairs!"
Akane barely even looked at her and stepped out onto the café floor.
"Ishida, Shihoin, I'll do it! If I wait I'll never agree to it! I'll do whatever I have to get out of shithole!"
"You have to be absolutely sure, Hayashi. You only get one chance," Yoruichi affirmed, facing her.
"I'm sure. I'm very sure," Akane exclaimed.
"All right, by this time next week you'll be a whole new person." Yoruichi smiled at her.
(A/N Okay, I think I'm done with chapter. I'm just going to leave it here for now. It felt a little chapter was a little awkward. Maybe that's just me. I don't know. Please leave a review about what you think. Thank you for reading.)
Millie M. Banshee