Chapter 32: Shopping
Ichigo chuckled as Orihime and Rukia disappeared into the changing room as he was left with the bags. The shopping trip to Kyoto was his sister's idea. According to her, Rukia was in need of a wardrobe that didn't consist of borrowed clothes. In his hand was Rukia's hollow detector cell phone, as Kon's soul candy was in his back pant pocket. It was a cool day, so he wasn't bothered with being the girl's personal bag carrier. Off to the side he spotted Karin and Yuzu laughing as they tried on some clothes as well. Yuzu was in a pretty pink dress as Karin was in a pair overall shorts. The two looked happier than they had in awhile.
Sitting on a bench outside the women's clothing store, Ichigo waited for the others to rejoin him. Stretching out, he leaned back and looked up at the sky. When he heard a throat clear, he look to see who it was, only to see Inoue and Verena move and reveal Rukia in a pretty lavender summer dress with spaghetti straps. He felt his cheeks heat up lightly. She looks beautiful. he thought before looking away. "I like that one." he announced.
"Good," Verena told him. "because we bought it for her."
"I bought her a hoodie that was on sale." Inoue said cheerfully. "It's got bunny ears on the hood."
Rabbit ears? Ichigo felt his brow twitch. Why am I not surprised? "Why are you obsessed with bunnies?"
Rukia frowned at him. "Is there something wrong with liking bunnies?" she asked, her voice getting defensive.
"When you like them like you do, yeah." he said with a smirk.
He's baiting her. Verena realized before covering her mouth with her hand. Oh Ichi, I didn't think you'd like her like this.
"Like you don't like something silly?" Rukia asked him.
"So you admit liking bunnies is silly?" he asked, his eyes twinkling with mischief.
Damn King, it's fucking rainbows in here. Why are you so damn happy? his hollow groused.
The smile broader on Ichigo's face. "Ichi's smiling." Yuzu's voice caught the teen's attention.
"I smile." he defended as he stood, picking up the bags as he did so. His little sisters handing him their bags as well.
"Sure, fake ones." Karin muttered.
Ichigo frowned at them. "Fine. Whatever." he mumbled as he walked ahead of them towards the food court. Yuzu and Karin blinked in surprise at his attitude, before giggling. Ichigo smiled at hearing his sister's laughter.
"I don't get it." Rukia stated as she walked between Verena and Inoue.
"Ichigo only smiles like that when he's very happy about something and you were letting him tease you." Verena explained to her.
"Tease?" Rukia inquired before looking embarrassed. "I didn't realize that was him teasing!"
Verena laughed. "You still have to learn Ichi's little quirks." she told the other girl. "So," she began as she looked at Inoue. "I hear you and Tatsuki will be joining us in our training sessions now."
"Yes!" Inoue said with excitement in her voice. "I can't wait to begin."
"Hachi seems nice at first, but he can be a real ball buster." she warned her friend, who nodded at the information. "Be careful, he may ask Love or Rose to join in your training. Rose is sweet, but when he uses his Zanpakuto, it turns into a whip and that thing hurts when it touches you."
"I've heard rumors back at the academy that Love's zanpakuto turns into a club." Rukia said, gaining a nod from Verena for affirmation. "I didn't see him fighting when we had the menos problem."
"That's because he was with Chad." Verena told her as they sat at the table where Ichigo had left their sisters and bags. "I'm sure Shinji will be watching over everything to make sure neither you or Tatsuki get hurt or are pushed too hard." she assured Inoue.
"He's the one with the funny smile, right?" Inoue inquired as she remembered the faces of the Visoreds.
Funny smile? Verena questioned before Shinji's face appeared in her head. Bursting out laughing, Verena was laughing when Ichigo returned with burgers and shakes for everyone.
"What's got Vere going?" he asked his sister's.
Both girls looked at him, though it was Karin who spoke. "Orihime asked if Shinji had a funny smile or something." she reported.
Ichigo grinned. "Yeah, that sounds like Shinji, though I'd call that smile of his perverted or something." he stated as he sat down between Yuzu and Karin.
"Exactly!" Verena gasped out as she tried to calm herself down. "Hiyori has even called him one a few times."
Ichigo nodded in agreement. "So, are we done shopping?" he asked them all. The girls all grinned at him, making him sigh as he realized that no, they weren't done yet.
Late afternoon was falling over Karakura Town when a senkaimon opened near the outskirts of the town. Out stepping two figures, both wearing a white haori, one with a pink woman's kimono over his shoulders as the other had his long white hair pulled back with a black cord. "Incredible." Ukitake spoke out loud in surprise.
"Mmmhmm." Hummed his companion. "It's stronger this time around. I don't think he's not letting us know where he is."
"Why would Kisuke do that?" Jushiro wondered thoughtfully. "He has to know somebody would sense his reiatsu."
"An invitation?" Shunsui inquired with a quirk of his brow at his friend who just chuckled.
"I doubt it." he answered. "But it wouldn't hurt to take him up on it if it is an invitation." The two shared a look before flash stepping towards the location where the reiatsu was emanating from. When they arrived in front of the small shop, the two shinigami captains stared at the building for a moment before approaching. Knocking at the door, they were a bit shocked to find Tessai the one answering the door.
"Tessai!" Shunsui said loudly with some excitement to his voice, a grin appearing on his face.
"Kyoraku, Ukitake, you both look well." Tessai greeted both men. "Come inside. The boss is waiting for you." He stated as he moved to the side to allow both men passage into the shoten. Leading the two men passed the candyshop and into the main backroom, Tessai opened a door to reveal Kisuke sitting on the floor in his usual attire, with papers strewn about him.
"Was wondering when you would show up, Kyoraku." he said looking up from one of the papers he was looking at.
"You seem no different from a hundred years ago, Urahara." Shunsui commented. "We're not here to cause trouble..."
"And yet, by being here you are." Kisuke commented. "How long do we have until Soi Fon suddenly shows up with her men to take us to the Maggots Nest or worse, Muken?"
Shunsui's eyes widened as he realized that they hadn't taken either of those facts into thought when coming here. "You're the one who is blasting their reiatsu out like a big sign." He threw back at their old comrade.
"True." Urahara said with a knowing smile. "It could have been a trap." he teased them.
"Yet it wasn't." Jushiro countered with a true smile. "You knew it was us the moment we began our approach."
"True again." Urahara teased them with a smile that was growing. "That's two for two." He waved a paper fan in front of him before nodding towards the two cushions that were placed on the tatami floor. "What can I help you two with?"
Shunsui sighed as he sat on the floor, a moment later a cup of tea was placed before him by Tessai. "Thanks Tessai." he said as he took the cup. "Well, perhaps you could direct us towards where Miss Rukia Kuchiki is?"
Jushiro perked up at the name of his subordinate. "Yes. Please?" he asked. "I have been so worried. When we arrived, I could not sense her, though I'm not certain if it is because your reiatsu energy is covering hers."
"Rukia was injured by a hollow several months ago." Kisuke told the white haired captain, however, upon seeing his worried expression, he continued. "I've been trying to help her, but her powers are in a slow decline. I believe her power will be completely gone within the next six months." Both captains had shocked looks upon their faces upon hearing this. "However, I haven't given up yet on returning her to what she once was." He was hoping this was placate the older men.
"I want to see her." Jushiro demanded, his eyes sharpening as he stared at Kisuke.
Urahara sighed. Of course he wouldn't just take that. he thought. I really don't want them near the Kurosaki household. Suddenly a thought came to his mind, something he had overheard Verena saying to Lisa. Something about going to Kyoto shopping with Rukia. Verena could handle herself if need be. Hopefully, Ichigo isn't with them. "I believe she's in Kyoto at one of the shopping centers with a young girl that she has befriended." He inched away from the subject by not saying Verena's age.
"She's befriended someone?" Jushiro inquired. Upon gaining a nod, he smiled. "I'm so glad. She's always been awkward when making friends. I'm glad she's got one here." He looked at his old friend. "Can we go?" he asked, sounding excited. His condition rarely allowed him long trips into the living world, so he needed to make this quick.
Shunsui chuckled. "I'd hate to make this such a short visit." he told Urahara. "But you know how he can get when excited about something." Jushiro flushed lightly in embarrassment.
Urahara chuckled. "Of course!" he exclaimed. "I don't mind. However, once you leave you will not be able to find this place again without help."
"Huh?" Shunsui asked only for Urahara to point at the cups of tea both he and Ukitake had consumed. "You drugged us!?" he asked in a loud voice before he burst out laughing. "That sounds like something only you would do."
Urahara smiled behind the paper fan that was in front of his face. "You didn't think I wouldn't have a countermeasure, did you?"
"Of course not." Jushiro said with a slight nod. "We will be going now." It wasn't long after leaving that they really did loose the memory which would tell them where Urahara was and by the time they reached Kyoto, they had completely forgotten what city Urahara had been in, though they still knew they had visited him and what had been said.
Ichigo held his hand out at Verena as she snapped a picture with her camera phone of him next to Rukia both wearing rabbit ear balloon crowns on their heads. Yuzu had seen a clown making them and had gone to get a few made for everyone. After shopping they had gone on to a park where they had enjoyed a small festival going on. The girls had taken pity on Ichigo and had taken a few of the bags away from him; though he still carried the majority of them. Having found a picnic bench to sit at while the younger girls went to play some of the festival games, Ichigo had found himself suddenly wearing one of the crowns.
Inoue laughed lightly, happy to have been invited out on this trip. "Ichigo, you look adorable!" she giggled as his cheeks turned pink as Verena snapped a second picture.
Ichigo glared at his twin and mouthed I'm-going-to-kill-you at her. Verena stuck her tongue out at him as Yuzu and Karin suddenly jumped onto their older brothers back, surprising the teen. The younger twins laughed joyfully as Ichigo struggled to sit up, Verena taking a few pictures of the scene and texting them to their mother back home. "Ack!" Ichigo cried out as he fell out of his seat and gained a mouthful of grass. Spitting it out, he took off chasing his sister's, who laughed at his silliness.
"I've never seen this side of Ichigo before." Rukia commented as she sat watching the scene. "He seems to care free."
"This is Ichigo without worries." Verena told the other woman. "This is big brother Ichigo making his little sisters laugh." She watched Ichigo grab Yuzu with one arm and then snatch Karin with the other and heft them both in either arm. Both girls laughing the whole time. "Goatface use to act this way once in while, so Ichigo acts silly like Pop did every so often, so that the girls have some fun."
"Like movie night." Orihime pointed out.
"Exactly." Verena stated with a nod.
The three teen girls watched Ichigo set his sister's down only for Karin to jump back onto his back to try and take him down. Yuzu going for the legs. With teamwork, the two brought Ichigo down. Placing his hands out in front he land with his arms outstretched to stop himself from faceplanting into the ground and to stop from landing on top of Yuzu.
Rukia held a hand in front of her mouth to stop from bursting out laughing. He's different from my adopted brother. Big brother Byakuya doesn't seem to ever do anything other than follow the rules of the clan and of the Seireitei. Rukia found herself wishing Byakuya would allow himself to show emotion more freely. She loved her older brother, but sometimes she found herself wondering if he even cared what happened to her. In the beginning when he had adopted her into the Kuchiki family she had done everything to make him proud of her, including cutting off ties with her best friend, Renji. Now, since meeting Ichigo and Verena, she had come to begin to doubt how her own brother truly felt about her. These two have opened my heart to so many thing, but they have also made me question so many other things. I find myself wondering if the way we shinigami do things is actually right or if there is another way in doing them more efficiently. It was then that all color from her face faded away as her eyes widened in surprise.
Verena felt Rukia stiffen next to her and looked towards the shorter dark haired girl. Upon looking at her, Verena saw her staring with wide as at something to the side of them. Turning her head towards what her friend was looking at she found two men standing their waving at Rukia. One with white hair, the other brown colored hair. Both wore white haori's, though one had a pink floral woman's kimono over his shoulders and seemed to be grinning widely. What's more, both wore the shinigami uniform. "Rukia, who are those two men?" she asked her.
Rukia's mouth opened but no sound came out at first. Fearfully, she spoke at last. "One is the captain of the eighth." She looked at Verena with worry etched onto her face. "The other is my captain." she answered. "Captains Jushiro Ukitake and Shunsui Kyoraku."
M-Angel: Surprise! Yes, I'm back with a new chapter to this story. I've been put on 5-11 night shifts all week and its taken me 3 days to write this chapter. Today was my day off, yet I was very busy until recently. Tomorrow I'll be working on a new chapter for Double Trouble. I want to update as many stories as I can on my days off. So, our two favorite captains have appeared on the scene, whatever shall happen now? Hmm...
Midnightscar17 - I'm sorry that this took nearly a week and a half to be updated, but as I stated above I have been very busy with my new job. I hope this chapter satisfies you for now. ^_^
GunBlade2018 - Yes. In the magna I thought that it was stupid that all of these smart captains never put it together before Ichigo arrived on the scene. I like Kyoraku and Ukitake, and them being the eldest amongst the captains; minus Yamamoto, you'd think those two would have figured it out.
MungetsuIchigo - Yes, I'm planning an epic battle with Kyoraku and the traitors, but getting there will be half the battle. ^_^
Antex- The Legendary Zoroark - He is! I'm glad you liked it.