Chapter 21: Before the 14th Day
Hey everyone! It's me, sakuraphoenix, and I am back! I know, I have updating issues, but I was busy with another story, which I had a bad case of writers block for, but that's a story for another time. Anyways, disclaimer time.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I also do not own Shizuku. He belongs to my friend Lyokowarrior1994
Enjoy!
The alarm clock that was on the guy who wore the pink kimono's back started ringing, causing Ganju to fall face first into the dirt.
"What time is it now?!" exclaimed Ganju
"It's nine already boss man! This is gonna be bad!" exclaimed the guy in the pink kimono
"What? Nine o'clock? Come on! We gotta go Bonnie!" Ganju exclaimed before whistling
I was wondering who Bonnie was, until I saw the female boar from earlier begin to jump over Ichigo! This is gonna end badly. Okay, I spoke too soon, the boar jumped over his head, and got a few of his hairs before she knocked Ganju on the ground. That was one hell of a skid.
"Ha. That's the way Bonnie. I can't play with you right now, though. Come on and give me a ride outta here." Ganju said while giving a thumbs up
Bonnie then seemed to have some kind of glint in her eyes as she tackled Ganju again, sending him flying into the air.
"What?! Hey! Come back here!" Ichigo exclaimed as he ran after Bonnie as Ganju landed on her
"Oh, I'm not running away! Just wait! I'll be back here again tomorrow, and we'll settle this thing once and for all! You just wait for me dandelion head, and try not to turn into fluff and blow away! After I'm done with you, curly head's next! Let's go everyone!" exclaimed Ganju
Oh boy, Ichigo's steamed. Can't blame him though. Curly head? Really? My hair's not curly!
"You stupid coward! How dare you…" started Ichigo
And he almost got run over by Ganju's gang of supporters and their boars. As much as I wanted to laugh there and then, it had to wait.
"That was weird." Said Orihime
"If you ask me, that was a disaster." Uryu said after he adjusted his glasses and put a hand on Ichigo's shoulder
"I'm gonna kill that guy as soon as I find out WHO HE IS!" Ichigo exclaimed to the air
Yeah, after you get some sleep Kurosaki. I'm not gonna waste my time waiting for Ganju to show up when I have more important things to worry about, starting with Jidanbo's wound. Orihime, Uryu, Chad, and I checked up on him the following morning, and he seemed to be back to normal. My burns seemed to have gone away as well. Man, Orihime's healing ability is amazing.
"It looks like Jidanbo's wound has closed up. I hope he'll be okay when he comes to again." Said Orihime
But all Jidanbo was doing at the moment was snoring away like he was having a good dream or something.
"Big bodied men like him have plenty of stamina and strength. I'm sure he'll be fine before long." Said Sado
"Yeah, you're right. It would take a lot to permanently harm someone as big and powerful as Jidanbo." Said Orihime
"Speak for yourself. My right arm is still sore from blocking those axes of his then breaking them. Good thing I didn't bring my violin with me to the Soul Society. That would've caused me some big problems." I said as I began rubbing my right arm
"Will you be okay?" Orihime asked in concern
"It's just the lactic acid that's affecting my muscles. I'll be fine. Don't worry about it. In about a day or two, my arm will be back to normal." I said
"But the only question now, is who exactly is this Kukaku Shiba we're supposed to be looking for? As usual, Yoruichi left out a lot of the details." Said Uryu
"It would have to be someone Yoruichi thinks can help us get into the Sereitei without going through the gates." Said Orihime
"Which would probably mean someone with great skill." Said Uryu
"Wow! I wonder if that means it's a really smart pureblood cat with pedigreed papers?! I hope so! Or an American short-haired type cat. Or even a Dalmatian!" exclaimed Orihime
"News flash, a Dalmatian is a dog. Besides, just because it's someone Yoruichi knows, doesn't automatically mean it's a cat." I said
"Are you sure?" asked Orihime
"Judging from the name Kukaku, I'd say that we're going to be dealing with a well-built man. Probably a powerful samurai warrior." Said Uryu
"No, I think he'll be more of a hermit-type master." Said Sado
"Or you both could be wrong, and Kukaku's a girl." I said with my arms crossed
"Yeah right." Said Uryu
"Why don't we have a bet then? If I'm right, then you'll have to buy me lunch for a whole week when we get back, but if I'm wrong, I'll cook a gourmet lunch for you for a whole week, regardless of if we're in school or not." I said
"A gourmet lunch?" asked Uryu
"I can cook you know. I usually cook my lunch when I'm not in the mood for food from the school cafeteria." I said
"I've tasted her cooking before. She rarely makes a bet with that end of the bargain." Said Sado
"In that case, you have a bet." Uryu said as he shook my hand
We didn't even notice that Orihime was drawing in the sand, and when she finished, well… it's something, I admit. She drew what seemed to be an old lady that looked like a hermit and a samurai master with cat ears and a tail.
"Ta-da! A female hermit-type samurai warrior master with ears and tail of a cat." Said Orihime
"If he or she looks anything like that, we're in trouble." Said Sado
"Aw. How about I draw her with Dalmatian spots instead?" asked Orihime
"Not bad Orihime, except you forgot to give her a cape." Said Uryu
"*groan* I always forget something!" exclaimed Orihime
"What's the hold-up with Ichigo anyway?" asked Uryu
"He's inside. Should I call him?" asked Orihime
"That's okay. I'll go get him." Said Uryu
"Me too. I get the feeling this isn't going to be pretty." I said as I followed Uryu
And I was right. Ichigo was as stubborn as they get! He wanted to stay and fight Ganju later!
"Huh?! What do you mean 'not going'?!" Uryu and I exclaimed in unison
"That's what I said! You four can just go on ahead without me. I'm staying to finish my battle with that pin head from yesterday!" exclaimed Ichigo
"Ichigo, do you have rocks for brains or what?! That's not an option strawberry! I don't care if I have to drag you out by the pants, you're going and that's that!" I exclaimed as Uryu and I began pulling on Ichigo's pants
"If I don't show up, he'll think I'm a chicken!" exclaimed Ichigo
"I don't give a damn as to what that pig riding idiot thinks!" I exclaimed as Uryu and I kept pulling
"Hey. What's up? Aren't you three ready to go yet?" Orihime asked as she appeared behind us
"Help us out here Orihime! This idiot is as stubborn as they come!" I exclaimed as Uryu and I kept pulling
"Leave me alone! I'll beat that boar-riding punk quick and catch up to you guys before you know…" Ichigo started before Yoruichi scratched him
And judging by the way he screamed into the air, man was it painful!
"What's wrong with you? Have you forgotten why we came here in the first place?! Lives are at stake. Rukia's life in particular is in your hands! Surely you haven't forgotten about that! You don't have time to waste on foolish grudge matches with strangers! Are you ready for the task at hand?" asked Yoruichi
When Ichigo was silent, we took it as the hint to go. I was walking ahead with Yoruichi, with the map in my hands, when Uryu suddenly pulled up next to me.
"So tell me something." Said Uryu
"I thought you said yesterday that you weren't going to hit on me." I said
"I'm not. I just want to ask you something. It's about yesterday with… with you-know-who. That comment he said about Soul Reapers, why didn't it bother you?" asked Uryu
"Actually, it did. The thing is, like Ichigo, I have a bit of a short temper at times, but unlike him, I've learned how to keep it mostly under control. What Ganju said yesterday, it really struck a nerve. I didn't come this far to get insulted after all. I came here to find Shizuku, only for him to… to…" I struggled to say
"For him to break your heart? You fell in love with him, didn't you?" asked Uryu
"Yeah, I did, but the truth is, I've always sucked at admitting my feelings to others, so that necklace you helped me with… it was a gift for him. It was my way of saying 'I like you, a lot' but… I guess he never got the message." I said sadly
"Guys like that are just jerks if you ask me. If someone fell in love with me, and I wasn't in love with that person, I would politely reject them instead of breaking their heart. Even though you're a Soul Reaper Karen, if there's one thing I can't stand to see because of how I was raised, it's someone in distress." Said Uryu
"Thanks Uryu. I still think you can be sweet when you want to be." I said
"I don't care what you think!" Uryu exclaimed while walking ahead of me
I only gave a small laugh as I saw Uryu's embarrassed face. Still, the only thing I saw all the way out here was some house.
"Looks to me like we're headed out towards the empty countryside. Are you sure this is the right way Uryu?! Hey! I'm talking to you!" exclaimed Ichigo
"Just be quiet! I'm following the elder's map, and according to this, we're almost there now! If you don't like the way Karen and I are guiding us, why don't you take over great leader?" Uryu asked sarcastically
"Don't get your panties in a watt. I was just wondering." Said Ichigo
"Kukaku Shiba is probably the type of master who likes to keep his identity secret by hiding away out in the wilderness." Said Orihime
"That would make sense, but it's not the case here. Living in these types of surroundings is just Kukaku's personal preference. The fact is, Kukaku moves frequently, but the houses themselves always look much the same. I guarantee you'll know it's the house when you see it." Said Yoruichi
"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Ichigo
"You'll see soon enough. Just wait." Said Yoruichi
What exactly does he mean by that is the right question. It's not like there's gonna be a big banner that says 'Kukaku Shiba's home' outside the house.
"Ah. It looks like we've arrived." Said Yoruichi
Never mind. There is a huge banner outside her house! And two fist-like statues are holding it up!
"Wha?" asked Ichigo
"No way!" exclaimed Uryu
"You can't be bloody serious!" I exclaimed in a fake British accent
"Oh. It's fantastic." Said Orihime
"Hmm?" wondered Sado
I have a terrible feeling now that this is going to be a long day.
"Like I said, you know when you see it." Said Yoruichi
"What kind of person would wanna live in a house like that?!" Ichigo exclaimed with a horrified look on his face
"I don't know, but whoever he is, he sure doesn't care about keeping his identity a secret!" Uryu exclaimed with a horrified look on his face
"Yeah, and with a house like that, it's no wonder Kukaku doesn't live in town anymore!" I exclaimed with a horrified look on my face
"I bet he's not allowed to live in town anymore!" Ichigo exclaimed with his face stuck in horror mode
"Hmph. So this time the banner's held up by giant human arms. It's actually quite clever, don't you think?" asked Yoruichi
"That is one word for it, I guess." Uryu said with a dead-panned look on his face
"But… not the word I was thinking of." I said while dead-panned
"Come on, let's go." Said Yoruichi
"Yeah!" exclaimed Orihime
Getting out of my shock, I was left with no choice but to follow.
"What's the matter with you two? Hurry up." Said Yoruichi
"Alright." Uryu and Ichigo said both in defeat and in unison
Ichigo then started to walk ahead with an annoyed look written out on his face.
"Oh, and Uryu, you better not tell anyone I went into this place or you'll pay for it. Same goes for you Karen." Ichigo said while glaring back at me and Uryu
"Don't worry about that." Said Uryu
I made a silent agreement, but I noticed the chimney in the distance. Not only that, but it was sealed shut. Unless Kukaku doesn't use firewood, I don't get why he or she would need such a huge chimney for a small house.
"Halt, strangers!" Two voices called out at once
Immediately, my hand went for my zanpaku-to.
"Who dares trespass here?!" exclaimed the man on the left fist
"Foreigners from the looks of them, and two of them are Soul Reapers!" exclaimed the man on the right fist
They both jumped down from their spot, and I could immediately tell that they were wearing outfits similar to each other's, but the color scheme was different as one of the guys was wearing white and the other was wearing yellow.
"Very suspicious. I, Koganehiko…" The guy wearing yellow started
"And I, Shiroganehiko…" The guy wearing white started
"Cannot allow you passage inside this building." They both said in unison
This is so not good.
"Be gone!" exclaimed Shiroganehiko
"Or advance, and be killed now for your insolence." Said Koganehiko
"Crap. More gatekeepers. This Soul Society is just one annoyance after another." Said Ichigo
Yoruichi then seemed to peek out from behind Ichigo, and the guards immediately recognized him.
"Master Yoruichi!" Both guards exclaimed in unison
Okay, question and answer time will have to come after Koganehiko takes us to Kukaku while Shiroganehiko keeps guard of the house from the outside.
"A descending staircase right from the front door? Now that's just weird." Said Uryu
"Kinda makes you wonder how they get to the upstairs, huh?" asked Orihime
"A thousand apologies Master Yoruichi for not recognizing right away that it was you. We have no idea these trespassers were your servants." Said Koganehiko
Servants? Really? Does the Soul Society have a system of nobility and royalty or something?
"It's my fault. I should've sent word ahead that my companions and I were on our way here." Said Yoruichi
"Ha-ha! You're too kind. Such generous words from such a great person. Please wait here while I announce your arrival. Uh, master. We have visitors. Now, please enter." Koganehiko said before opening the door
On the other side of the room, a woman with black hair, blue eyes, a prosthetic arm, bandages over her head, and a tattoo on her arm was sitting down. Her outfit, well… I'll just say that it's something that I would never wear in a million years.
"Well, it's been a long time, hasn't it, Yoruichi?" asked Kukaku
"Ku-Kukaku's…" started Ichigo
"A woman?!" Uryu, Sado, and Orihime exclaimed in unison
"I knew it. I win our bet Uryu. You know what that means." I said
"Yeah. I know." Uryu said while sulking
"Most of you assumed that Kukaku was a man, but I never told you that." Yoruichi said while turning his head towards our direction
"Hmm? What's this? You seemed to have brought along a bunch of brats along with you." Said Kukaku
"I shall explain that. First though, I have a favor to ask of you, Kukaku." Said Yoruichi
"That is usually the case when you look me up Yoruichi. Is it dangerous?" asked Kukaku
"Probably." Said Yoruichi
"Hmph. It's been a long time since we talked like this. Well, well my friend. Lucky for you, I enjoy danger." Said Kukaku
Yoruichi spent the next few minutes explaining to Kukaku our predicament.
"Alright, I think I get the picture." Said Kukaku
She was smoking an old-fashioned smoking pipe. At least it was tobacco leaves. Still, I can't stand the smell of cigarette smoke, let alone tobacco.
"Ah, what the hell, I'll take the job." Said Kukaku
"Excellent." Said Yoruichi
"I have some reservations, but with Urahara involved, how could I say no? However, while I trust you completely Yoruichi, I do not trust these kids accompanying you, so I'm gonna send an overseer with you just to keep an eye on them for me." Said Kukaku
"Overseer?" asked Ichigo
"Yeah. Well, I call him that, but he's actually my kid brother. He's still kind of a doofus, and not all that useful, but, he'll have to do. Hey in there. Are you ready?" asked Kukaku
"Yeah sis. I'm ready." A male voice said
Weird. Why does that voice sound familiar?
"Alright, I'm opening the door, so behave yourself." Said Kukaku
"Okay. I promise." The guy on the other side groaned
Well, the guy's a noble, seeing his attire.
"It's an honor to meet you. My name is Ganju Shiba, and I'm pleased to be of service." Said Ganju
What the…?! It's the boar-riding jerk from yesterday! As if both Ganju and Ichigo decided to have a screaming contest, they suddenly stood up and pointed fingers at each other while letting out a yell.
"You two already know each other?" Kukaku asked in surprise
"It's a long story." I said as I dead-panned
And I was only watching as Ichigo and Ganju were duking it out. As much as I wanted to see Ganju's behind handed to him, personal matters can wait. I noticed that either Kukaku had either dropped her pipe, or Ganju stepped on it. Either way, she looked mad.
"Why you little…" started Kukaku
A sudden burst of energy flowed throughout the room and only one word crossed my mind: run. The others got the same idea, and we ran out of the house! As soon as we did, the house tipped to the left, and the arms tipped inwards. In other words, the place was wrecked.
"Did she have to wreck the place just to stop them?" Uryu asked with a scared look on his face
"At least we know now why this lady has to change houses so often." Sado said with the same look on Uryu's face
"Extreme makeover!" Orihime exclaimed with the same look on the boy's faces
"Don't even get started with that." I said with the same look on everyone else's faces
We snuck back inside the house to see Kukaku beating the daylights out of Ganju. As much as I wanted to hear her berate him, all I heard was my heart hammering in my chest.
"You got something to say?" Kukaku said in a pissed off tone
"Uh, no. Nothing at all." We said terrified
They're brother and sister alright. They share the same temper. As if Ichigo was scared for his life, he started shaking on the ground before Kukaku picked him up like he was a rag doll!
"Listen you idiot. You're in my house now. If you don't like the way I do things here, then get the hell out. Any questions? Nope. No punches. Fine with it." Ichigo said in a small voice while sweating up a storm
"Okay then. I'm glad you understand." Said Kukaku
Ichigo then wormed his way closer to Ganju. I bet he was saying that Kukaku's a piece of work.
"Alright! Everyone on their feet!" exclaimed Kukaku
That did the trick.
"Koganehiko. You and Shiroganehiko begin preparations outside." Said Kukaku
"Understood." Koganehiko said while saluting
"The rest of you, gather up your crap and follow me." Said Kukaku
Not wanting to end up like Ganju and Ichigo did, we had no choice but to follow her.
"How can it be so bright down here? I didn't notice any generators anywhere." Said Uryu
"Lots of firefly creeper vines. I keep them growing along the walls and on the ceiling." Said Kukaku
"Don't think I've ever heard of that. Is that some kind of plant that only grows here in the Soul Society?" asked Uryu
Instead of answering Uryu's question, we found ourselves in front of a door with red writing.
"Alright then. Here we are." Said Kukaku
"Hey." Said Uryu
"Open the door, Ganju." Said Kukaku
"Yes sir!" Ganju exclaimed in fright
He quickly began walking over to the door
"I said…" started Uryu
Ichigo clamped a hand over his mouth and dragged him to the floor. If Ichigo's scared of her, now I have even more of a reason to be scared of her myself! Ganju soon opened the door, and well, I found myself staring at the base of the chimney.
"Whoa." Said Orihime
"But… what is that thing?" I asked
"It's huge." Said Uryu
"You can quit worrying about getting through the wall. With this launcher, I'll get you all into the Sereitei through the air." Said Kukaku
"Through the air?!" Ichigo, Uryu, and I exclaimed in unison
"Or my name's not Kukaku Shiba, fireworks expert of the Rukon District!" exclaimed Kukaku
Kukaku's… a fireworks expert?!
Oh, I'm cruel, aren't I, to leave off on a cliffhanger. Well, it's been a busy life for me. Before I forget, check out my boyfriend, Detriod434's page. You'll like what you see. I promise. Until then, please review, and until next time, I'm sakuraphoenix, saying I heart you, signing off for now. Kan dao ni!