Welcome back to another chapter in the Ballad of the Strawberry. I'm so happy to see all the follows and favorites, it really warms my heart that so many amazing people are out there. I am undeserving you your attention. Onto comments.
Mikey Nesser: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter and what was decided to change in the end. Thank you for reading and your continued support.
Glavados31: It's just how to system came out. It is what it is.
A lot of reviewers bring to my attention the fact that the chapters are rather short and I admit that they are. The reason they are short is so I can easily maintain this upload schedule. Quick and short ideas that can get the message across without too much filler. It also allows me to work on character as what you say has to mean a lot with how little there is to view. Please continue to review and give your feedback, it really is helpful. You're all amazing and I am most undeserving of such an amazing group of readers. Without further ado. On to our feature presentation.
Isshin had stayed inside with his twins long enough that mod soul could watch over them. He had to find his son. He stood up and walked outside to find nobody. Not even the mod soul. Strange.
"Better visit Masaki at least." He shrugged and took an extra umbrella knowingly.
Ichigo stood over the grave of his mother, Rukia said she'd take care of the damages to the graveyard while he was mourning. His hands in his pockets he sighed. The rain wetting his hair and drawing lines on his face before dropping to the ground.
Isshin strode out of the mist and approached Ichigo. He paid him no mind.
"Funny ain't it? I was just wondering where you had gone and here you are." Ichigo shrugged. What was he supposed to say? He decided to say nothing and hope the old man would go away. Isshin was a bit more stubborn. Withdrawing the second umbrella that he had brought, Isshin poked Ichigo with it.
"I brought one for you." Ichigo started to get irritated but allowed the poking to persist.
"It's pointless, I'm already soaked." That was it, after the 5th poke Ichigo grabbed the umbrella and pulled before shoving it out, throwing Isshin away from him. Isshin recovered quickly before sobering up rather quickly.
"I bet it passes so quickly. Already been 10 years since her death." Ichigo gaped and smacked Isshin upside the head with the umbrella.
"It's been 6 years you idiot! At the very least keep track of when your wife died!" Ichigo was making a scene but he started to realize the meaning behind it before sobering up himself. Ichigo watched his dad light a cigarette and take a slow draw from it, allowing the nicotine to burn his throat.
"I thought you quit smoking?" Isshin chuckled.
"Back when your sisters were born your mom complimented how my hand looked when I smoked. Said it looked cool. I smoke for her and for her alone, the same day every year." Ichigo looked down and sighed. He wished his father wasn't so eccentric, maybe he could handle being at peace if he was alone again. As much as Ichigo was loath to make a scene he had to know what his father thought before he could truly be at peace.
"Why? Why are you smiling? Why doesn't anyone blame me!? It would be so easy, so easy to just blame me!" Isshin merely smiled. He chuckled hollowly under his breath as if expecting Ichigo to act this way.
"Why would I blame you?" The look made it all worth it, he would save that look in his memory forever. "If I blamed you then Masaki would be mad at me. It's not anybody's fault that my wife died, she just happened to be willing to sacrifice herself for her son." He smiled while taking another draw of the smoke. He lightly pat Ichigo's shoulder. "Lighten up, my wife decided to give her life to make sure you lived. Pay respect to her memory by living a good life."
Ichigo looked incredulously at Isshin. "Live well Ichigo. Live well, die well, and go bald well." Isshin made his way back to the girls but stopped just within earshot of Ichigo. "And try to die smiling. If I can't I won't be able to face Masaki again." With those parting words Isshin was gone. Leaving Ichigo to dwell on what had just transpired. It was a lot to take in but his resolve hardened. He had slain his mother's killer and was one step closer to making her proud. Maybe by the time he crosses over, maybe then he'll be ready to face her.
Ichigo and Rukia were on a job. Running into an alleyway they found a scarred plus huddled in the corner of the alley. This was strange.
"Again?" Rukia studied her soul pager without luck.
"I don't know what's wrong with it. The orders are right, I mean we found the soul it was after but the Hollow's vanished without a trace" Ichigo and Rukia were stuck scratching their heads. All the while a figure watched from the roof, book in one hand, a blue spirit bow in the other hand.
Later that day in class. Ichigo was discussing plans to hang out with Chad when he felt a pair of eyes on him. The only source he could find was an odd kid from his class. Ishida Uryu. Some kid from the arts and crafts club. Ichigo could feel something off about him but couldn't pinpoint the feeling. He quickly felt his spiritual pressure.
Ichigo frowned. He had pretty good amount of reiatsu, very comparable to his own in fact. This Ishida is obviously spiritually aware but what race is he? He doesn't look like a Hollow or act like a Shinigami but he isn't a normal Human either. The orange haired teen settled on finding more out about Ishida after school. For now he had some friends to see.
Ishida was walking down the stairs deep in thought. How would he approach the Shinigami so he could prove the worth of the Quincy., He had to prove himself and his race and show the Shinigami weren't needed. He frowned as he heard his name called out. Damn, it was the Shinigami, probably to challenge his pride. He wouldn't let the Shinigami beat him to the punch though.
"Hey, Ishida! Wait!" Uryu was not pleased.
"Why should I wait for you Kurosaki?"
"Why are you being so hostile?" Rukia had caught up to Ichigo after she had said her goodbyes to Ichigo's other friends.
"You both can go home, Shinigami. You are not needed here." Ichigo noted the conviction in his voice.
"I'm guessing it was you that was taking care of those Hollows over the last couple days. What are you?" Uryu started to get irritated, he wouldn't show it but Kurosaki's apparent lack of knowledge was irking him.
"I am what is called a Quincy. Now leave, back to Soul Society from whence you came. This town doesn't need you." Ichigo wouldn't let it go, not when Ishida hadn't done anything about the other Hollow incidents.
"What about the other Hollow's that have been attacking Karakura?! That's right, I had to take care of them, Hollows that have attacked my friends from this very school! Where were you then?!" Ichigo was shouting in Ishida's face at the end. He simply pushed his glasses up his nose as they glinted in the light.
"Well, if you're not satisfied with the current set up I propose a duel, to see which of us kills the most Hollows." Uryu pulled out a small white disk and held it between hsi index finger and thumb. "Once I break this Hollow bait then hundreds of Hollows will flood to this point." Ichigo's perpetual scowl deepened.
"No deal, this will put hundreds in danger and if I won't let that happen. Not for some grudge match I want no part in." Ichigo turned on his heel and started to walk away when he heard a snap. Rukia gasped when she turned after following Ichigo. Turning his head Ichigo saw what was left of the disk slowly float to nothing. "What have you just done?" Ichigo rushed the Quincy and grabbed him by his shirt but he broke his grip when the cry of a Hollow filled the air. Ishida Simply raised his arm and a blue spirit bow formed quickly. Drawing a spirit arrow back he fired it and obliterated a Hollow that had just left the safety of it's Garganta.
"So it begins!"