CHAPTER THREE

When Ichigo woke up, he was in the room alone. He dressed quickly and went downstairs to the main room. Ishida, Chad and Orihime were already there.

'Ichigo!' the girl waved to him.

He joined them at the table. There was a big bowl with bacon and eggs in the middle of the table, so he put some on the plate prepared for him.

'So, today we're going to find your father's friend, aren't we?' asked Orihime, pouring him some coffee form the pot.

'Yeah,' he answered.

'Have you ever even seen him? Or did your father just tell you where to find him?' asked Ishida.

'Well,' Ichigo put the fork he was eating the scrambled eggs with back on his plate. 'I know his name. My father told me where he used to have his shop long time ago. And I used to know him quite well as a child.'

'That's awesome!' exclaimed Orihime happily. 'We won't have a problem finding him!'

'Supposing we find him, what are we going to do then?' asked Ishida.

'Well, we'd better see what kind of help he'll offer to us,' replied Ichigo.

He had a letter from his father to that old friend. Short, written in hurry. Ichigo was quite curious about its content, but did not dare to take a peak inside. To be true, he almost forgot about it. It should be somewhere in his saddlebag. But he'd have plenty of time to find it when they'd leave the inn. The previous day they decided to stay in there just for one night, feeling that the next day they roads might divide once and for all. They paid the owner of the inn and took their horses from the stable. Ichigo took the letter out of the saddlebag and put it into his breast pocket.

First, they decided to check the place where that man used to have a shop. It was a large store on the Karakura main street.

'We won't find him here,' stated Ichigo at first glance. 'He's not the owner anymore. All his estates probably got confiscated by the king and then sold to new owners. Typical.'

'How come you're so sure it is not his anymore?' asked Ishida, patting his horse's head. He seemed to get very well with his dapple-gray stallion called Claud. Maybe because they shared some character features, such as self-confidence and the ability to irritate Ichigo every now and then.

'Read the signboard.'

'Takamana&Sons. Oh.'

'Well, the family name sounds alike,' said Orihime.

'Rather not. We're searching for Urahara. Not Takamana, Unohana or anything like that. Urahara is the name.'

They stood for a moment in embarassing silence.

'So what are we going to do now?' asked Orihime finally.

'We have to search for him. Street by street,' answered Ichigo with his characteristic, gloomy face. 'No big asking, Urahara may be under constant surveillance and we don't want to catch anybody's attention.'

'We may not find him today. We'll separate, each of us will go different way. We'll meet here at dusk. Agreed?' asked Ichigo.

'I'm not against it, but Orihime won't be safe alone,' replied Ishida.

They all looked at the girl. She was standing, one hand around her horse, Ririn. The dun mare originally belonged to Karin, Ichigo's younger sister, but Isshin decided to give it to Orihime, who since her brother's death did not keep a horse, while it would just be an unnecessary expence. The mare was quite wild and when Karin mounted her, she would often show her own idea of where and how they were going. Fortunately, probably because her new owner was a completely different person than the previous one, she didn't even try to pose a problem since they had departed. Orihime would caress her every time she had her hands free and thanks to this, during only this two days she made friends with the whimsical horse.

To be true, Ichigo couldn't imagine anybody, who didn't like Orihime. It was not only thanks to her character, but also her looks. The only proper way of describing her figure was... Well, it was hard to describe it in any pleasant and courteous way. Maybe by comparison, to a hourglass or a guitar. She had long, red hair and big, beautiful gray eyes. No wonder, Ishida liked her.

'So you go with her,' said Ichigo as if it was the most natural thing in this world.

'I don't want to disturb the search…,' started the girl, but she was instantly interrupted by Ichigo.

'You're not interrupting. You're kind and people like you at first sight,' even too much, he added in his mind. 'You'll be a great help.'

'It's just that a lone girl in a big city attracts trouble,' finished Ishida.

They did not say, what kind of trouble she might attract. After this whole story with soldiers, she should have known that herself. And probably she understood, because she just nodded.

'So,' started Ichigo once more. 'We'll split up. Orihime will go with Ishida, Chad and I will go alone. We'll meet by that old sundial in the park, you remember it, don't you?'

They often used it as a meeting point with their classmates and colleagues when they were still at school, just a few months earlier.

'Stupid question,' spit out Ishida. Chad nodded, as always.

'So, by the sundial at six,' summarized Ichigo.

Orihime waved both Kurosaki and Chad goodbye and together with Ishida they headed north. Chad went to check the district in which they used to attend their school, southeast. Ichigo went to the west, to the part of the town in which he had never been before.

He searched for the guy the whole day. Street by street, rarely only asking questions, more just looking around. In vain. Chad walked once more the streets they used to go in their schooldays. It was easier for him, while he could recall the bigger streets well, together with most shops and inns. He had only the smaller streets to check. There usually was nothing interesting in them – some were pretty and well-kept, with tenements' clean windows facing it and flowers on external sills and balconies. Some streets were tiny and filthy, only some stray dogs and peasants in them. The houses were mostly in ruin, a few times he noticed a greedy eye following his movements, but fortunately, most robbers thought him either too big, or knew him as the best boxer in town he used to be. All decided to leave him alone. His search was also vain.

And about Orihime and Ishida… well, they were just lucky.

'Have you heard?
there's a rumor in our Seiretei
have you heard?
what they're saying on the streets
although the king did not survive
one daughter may be still alive!
the king Kuchiki's daughter
but please-OWEE!' little, black haired girl shielded her had with both hands, letting the broom fall on the floor. 'Jinta! What was that for?'

She gave her fellow cleaner, a red-haired boy, not much higher than she was, a reproaching look, with her eyes full of tears.

'The manager told us to never ever sing songs like this. And this one especially,' he replied with an evil grin, clenching his broom. 'So now you deserve punishment!'

'Jinta, the broom is for cleaning the porch!' a voice came from inside the shop.

The boy lowered the broom and sighed. He hated cleaning the porch. He usually just stood there, waiting for Ururu to do the job.

'What's the point in keeping this damn shop clean, if we never have any clients anyway?' he asked the empty street in front of his nose.

'Clients can come any moment!' answered Ururu lifting her broom and starting to sweep up once more.

'Yeah. For sure. And who, in your opinion, is our next client?' he asked ironically. 'Maybe this cat?'

He pointed the purely black cat, who was sitting on the edge of the porch for some time now.

'Shooo!' he took a swing at it with his broom. The cat didn't even wink an eye. 'What the hell?'

'I guess I'm not your next client, you were right,' it said. Jinta's jaw droppped, together with his broom.

'It's… It's… It's talking!' he exclaimed.

'Indeed, I am,' the boy could swear the cat was grinning at him. His voice was deep and manlike. 'I came to visit your manager. Announce me.'

'As whom?' asked Ururu, practical as always. She didn't even stare at the strange animal.

'Shihoin Yoruichi. An old friend of his. Doubt he forgot.'

'Straighaway, mister Shihoin,' she bowed politely.

'Just Yoruichi.'

'We've been wandering for ages,' said Orihime stretching her back. Ishida gave her a fast glance.

They were leading their horses a little, dusty street, very close to the city wall. It was already after noon, and they had not sat for a single moment since their departure from the inn. They had neither eaten anything.

'I guess we can stop for a little while in some appropriate place,' he sighed.

'That would be so good,' she smiled. 'We could finally eat something nice. Like some red bean paste with fresh bread…'

Ishida just shook his head. Her taste when it came to food was quite… unusual. Good enough she didn't cook during their journey.

They were passing by little, wooden houses, not even tenants. One-, at most two-story houses. Mostly thrown together from some rubbish wood, found or stolen. Poor neighborhood. No way, there would be any kind of store here. It would have been constantly robbed. They went in the wrong direction. Tough luck.

'Look! We're here!' exclaimed suddenly Orihime catching his elbow.

At first he didn't know, what she meant.

'What?'

'The shop! We've found it!' she let go of his elbow and pointed in the right direction.

She was right. About twenty yards from them there stood a building, that distinguished from the whole rest in nothing but the big, white board on the roof, on which black letters formed the phrase "Urahara Store".

'We did it!' Orihime would probably start jumping and dancing around in joy if it hadn't been for Ririn, whose bridle she was holding with one hand.

Ishida just sighed and started walking towards the store. From a closer look, it differed from all the houses around. True, it was wooden, but it was not made from rubbish. It had been built from solid, well-chosen logs and planks. In the windows there were real panes, not some thin paper. It stood strangely undisturbed and solid in the middle of this poor and collapsing neighborhood.

Orihime immediately caught up with him.

'So what are we gonna do?' she asked. 'Should we enter and tell him everything?'

'No,' replied the boy. 'He doesn't know us. And as far as I know, he probably is careful with strangers, while he's the same type of outcast as Ichigo's family.' And mine too, he added in his thoughts. 'He won't help just the two of us for sure.'

Orihime's face fell.

'So what are we gonna do?' she repeated her question, but this time more calmly.

'We have to memorize the way, meet the rest, and then bring them here.' He answered. 'Don't worry, it's a lot of time so we can search for someplace nice to sit down and eat.'

After these words the girl brightened up. Oh, how easy it was to make her happy.

They met as they had agreed. By the sundial at six. Sun was already low and shadows started to lengthen. Orihime, Ishida and Chad were already there when Ichigo came.

'Useless. I didn't find a thing…,' he started.

'But we did!' exclaimed Orihime.

'What? Really?' Ichigo seemed quite stunned.

'We've found Urahara Store,' bore out Ishida.

'That's… good,' replied Ichigo. 'Have you talked to him?'

'No, we thought he might not believe us,' answered Ishida. 'I guess it would be better if you talked to him and showed him this whole letter.'

He was probably right, Ichigo had to admit it in his mind.

'Okay, so we're going,' he said aloud.

'Yay!' Orihime jumped up. 'Oh, I can't wait to see this old friend of your father! I wonder if he is in anyway like your father…'

The other two also stood up and took their horses. Chad's stallion was definitely a cold blood, destined more to pull a plow or carriage, not to carry a horseman. But no normal horse would be able to carry this giant. And so, Nova was a twenty-one hands high bay horse with beautiful, black feathering. He strikingly resembled his owner, not only in size and strength, but he was also very calm and quiet and got along very well with other horses.

They left the park, Ishida with Claud leading, then together Ichigo and Orihime, who was telling him what they had seen today, their horses and Chad with Nova were closing the group. It was getting a bit colder and they all put cloaks on before they reached Urahara's shop.

'Thank goodness that it's still bright,' said Ishida. 'And I'd like us to take care of everything before the dusk. We won't be safe here when the night falls.'

That was right. Ichigo knew, that it was one of the places, from where a gullible stranger might not come back alive. He didn't find himself and his friends gullible, but tempting providence was not a good idea.

'So what are we gonna do?' asked Orihime once more.

'We're going in,' replied Ichigo. 'I guess someone just should stay outside and keep an eye on the horses. Chad?' he asked.

The tall boy just nodded. He took the reins from the rest. Kon, Ichigo's white stallion, immediately tried to bite Claud, but was calmed down when Ririn jostled him with her head.

Ichigo went on the porch. Ishida and Orihime followed him. He firmly knocked on the door. They waited for what seemed ages before the door opened and they could see the one who had opened them. A little girl, with her hair tied into two ponytails.

'Welcome to the Urahara Store,' she said in a very shy voice. 'Please, come in.'

She opened the door to them.

'Mister Tessai, customers!' she announced to someone inside.

They entered the shop. It seemed to be too small for a shop. There was only a long counter by the wall on the opposite side of it, extending almost to the full length of the wall. Behind the counter there was just a single display cabinet with many parcels, larger and smaller, each wrapped up in brown paper and tied with string. There was also a door, painted green, this horrible, strong, dark green, that is most commonly used for painting fences and roofs. The third element, crowning the whole scenery, was a high and broad-shouldered man, comparable only to Chad. He wore a navy blue apron and dark glasses, completely useless inside any room.

'Welcome to Urahara Store,' he said in a stentorian voice. 'How can I help you?'

The three of them were already inside and the girl closed the door behind them. She approached the counter.

'We're searching for Urahara himself,' answered Ichigo.

The man wouldn't have turned a hair.

'Ururu, get the owner,' he told the girl.

She even did not reply, just disappeared under the counter, so high they could not see her from behind it. The door, green one, opened for a moment with a squeak. They were alone with the high man, Tessai, as the girl called him, in the shop. Silence fell, embarrassing as always.

'It's not a big shop, is it?' started Orihime with a nice smile. 'What do you sell?'

'We get whatever a customer needs,' answered the man.

'Um… do you have many customers?' she continued.

'Not to much. We haven't had any this week,' he replied politely.

'Do you have maybe… some food?'

'Not at this moment, but we can get for our customers whatever they want.'

'And if I wanted…'

She was not given a possibility to finish her question as the door swung open.

'I heard someone was looking for me,' said a tall, thin man, who appeared from the back. 'Oh my, isn't it anybody but Kurosaki Ichigo? I can recall you being about her age!' he exclaimed, pointing at something, probably the little girl from the moment before, that was invisible from behind the counter.

'Captain Urahara,' said Ichigo.

'No, don't call me captain anymore. I'm no longer one. Just Urahara,' the man smiled. Strange, as it may seem, he had a fan in his hand and each time he spoke he made gestures with it. 'How is your dear old father doing? But we should't stay here, come with me, in back is where I lead my plain life. Jinta, take the horses from their friend outside. Ururu, go prepare some tee. We're closing for today.'

Just ten minutes later the whole four of them was sitting in a little living room upstairs, drinking some fresh tee. There was still one free place, probably for the man called Tessai.

'So, what brings you here, dear Ichigo?' asked Urahara, still the fan still in his hand.

He looked quite different from what Ichigo remembered. No sword, no traditional 13 Protection Squads' captain's traditional outfit. He looked like a peasant or tramp – big, coat-like, dirt-colored thing on his shoulders, beneath it a green blouse, and matching pants reaching just beneath his knees. The rest of his outfit consisted of wooden sandals and a bucket hat in white and green straps. And of course the fan and a wooden cane.

'We had some… problems,' Ichigo started explaining. 'Orihime was attacked by the king's men and we saved her.'

'Oh.'

Urahara gave Orihime an interested look. She stared at her knees. Why, why did he have to remind her of that day? She felt bad every single time she remembered it. Like crap. Like something worse, dirty. She hated herself, hated that men and hated herself for hating them. Something told her she should hate them, hate them as much as she could, but something else told her she cannot hate anyone. She just didn't hate people. She didn't want to change it, even if they deserved it. They were bad, they did wrong, but she shouldn't. And then again, she wanted to hate them. not only to hate them, but also to punish them somehow. She just clenched her fists harder. She wanted… But she couldn't… She had to be a good person, her brother would have wanted her to be good. But her brother would probably get angry with them. They tried to hurt her. She wanted… She couldn't… Oh, damn it all to hell!

'I didn't mean that, but in the fight I… killed one of them.'

'Oh.'

'Oh.' Just an 'oh'. He killed a man, and Urahara just gave him an 'oh'. It angered him, he didn't even know why it did. Damn. Did killing use to be his everyday bread? Ichigo couldn't imagine any other reason why his father's friend could have reacted in this way. So it was true. Being a member of 13 Protective Squads meant killing. Killing to protect. But it was still killing. But he had already decided what he wanted to do, didn't he? To join the rebels. To kill for justice. Kill… A strange shiver came down his spine. Kill.

'And so we had to run,' finished Ishida, feeling that no-one else wanted to continue the story. 'Kurosaki's father told us to get to you, while you can help us. He gave us a letter to you.'

'A letter? Oh, how nice!' exclaimed Urahara, hiding his face behind the fan. 'I haven't heard from the old folk in ages!'

Ichigo snapped out of his thoughts. He reached to his breast pocket and took the letter out.

Urahara grabbed it and immediately tore the envelope open. He read the short letter very quickly and sighed.

'Now I can see,' he said, putting it down onto his lap. 'So, my dear, what do you want to do now? How can I help you? And what are your names? We forgot about the most important courtesies in the beginning. I'm Urahara Kisuke, the owner of this place. This is Ururu,' he pointed at the little girl. 'You probably already know Tessai,' he continued when the tall, dark-skinned man from before entered the room with a tray full of food, 'and the boy's, wherever he is now, name is Jinta.'

'Pleased to meet you!' exclaimed Orihime. 'My name is Inoue Orihime.'

'Sadou Yasutora,' said Chad.

'I'm Ishida Uryuu,' added Ishida.

'And I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, though you all know me, I guess,' summarized Ichigo.

Urahara's face beamed with a smile.

'Once you got to Karakura you're probably are safe. Nobody will look for you this far. And I'll be more than pleased to help you all settle in here,' he said. 'Or does anybody think about leaving this beautiful town?'

'Actually…,' started Ichigo. 'I thought of using the opportunity and now, as we're outlaws anyway, joining the rebels.'

'The rebels?' Urahara raised an eyebrow. 'Well, I could have expected that from what I remembered of you. And what your father wrote me.'

For a moment he seemed to be thinking.

'And what about the rest of you?' he asked. 'It would be easier for me to know from the beginning what you're planning.'

'I'd like to attend some kind of a medical school,' answered Orihime. 'To become a nurse, maybe even… a doctor?' she finished shyly.

Urahara nodded.

'I'm going with Ichigo,' said Chad.

'What?' the red-haired girl almost jumped in surprise. 'You want to join the rebels?' she asked quietly.

He just nodded. Ichigo threw Chad a thankful look. It was good to know that not only he wanted to fight. That was a load off his mind. It made him finally accept his own choice as a right one.

'And I was thinking to finally take a chance on becoming a full-time tailor,' said Ishida. 'What?' he asked surprised, when all the eyes turned towards him.

'No, nothing,' murmured Ichigo.

'Wow, you were really into handicrafts at school, but I didn't know you were so good at it,' exclaimed Orihime.

Ishida just smiled.

'Have you ever attended any kind of a medical school?' Urahara asked Orihime.

'No,' she replied.

'Hm… And do you have any… predisposition for that?' he continued asking.

'I… well, I really don't know,' she answered.

'Well… Pardon my next question, but does any of you have any kind of… abilities?'

'What do you mean by abilities?' inquired Ishida suspiciously.

'Magical abilities,' answered Urahara as if it was something common.

'Do you know how rare those are?' asked Orihime surprised.

Urahara just smiled.

'No, they aren't. It's just what Aizen wants you to think. If you don't realize that you have them, you won't use them. And fighting people who can use magic is a lot more difficult. Same with keeping them under control,' he said. 'In the times of king Kuchiki it was normal for specially trained people to wander from town to town and search for children with magical abilities. Then they could be taught, how to use their powers.'

None answered.

'So I can assume, none of them has this kind of powers,' he summed up, throwing Ishida a meaningful glance. 'My dear,' he addressed Orihime once more 'would you mind supporting as a 

doctor people who fight for the freedom of this country? For the upright ruler and justice? For escapes like yours never to happen to anyone? Would you like to join the so called rebels as a doctor?'

Orihime got really surprised this time.

'I… I don't know. I've never thought about it…,' she said.

But that was not quite true. She often thought about bringing justice to that man. If there was a rightful king to take the throne, not the so called traitor Aizen? From what she heard from Ichigo, from his father, from all the people around her in their old village, Aizen was not a good king. There was no justice under his reign. If she could help to restore the justice… That was something she wanted. She believed in Ichigo. If he thought helping rebels would bring the justice back, she wanted to believe him. And she wanted to help.

'Well, I guess I'd like to do that,' she said. 'But first I must become a doctor, don't I?'

'Not necessarily,' replied Urahara grinning. 'You'll be able to become one after joining the so-called rebels. And as for you,' he turned towards Ishida. 'You won't be safe here. You know that. They'll find you anyway. You should flee.'

How the hell does he know?, thought Ishida. i've never told any of my friends about it. He must have sensed it, and that means I'm not safe here and he's right. But what the hell is he up to?

'Anyway, you are all to do the same thing. Escape to Hitori.'

'Other country? Really?' asked Orihime.

'Yes. In Hitori, with the help of king Byakuya, the forces you refer to as "rebels" are formed,' he explained. 'Most of king Kuchiki's soldiers who had survived the revolution have fled there. And you can join them. Or just live there safely,' he added looking straight at Ishida. The boy did not react. The rest remained silent.

'Will you help us?' asked Ichigo finally.

'Yes, I will help you,' said Urahara. 'But under one condition.'

'What condition?'

'You'll take king Kuchiki's younger daughter with you.'