A month later
Seireitei… Its outer walls were truly a magnificent sight to behold, at the approach of any unauthorized soul the walls would shoot from the ground and stand as an impenetrable barrier to hollow or ryoka. The gates could only be opened by one of the absurdly large guardians who stood almost twenty feet tall. The gates stood as strong as the walls, the guardians of its gates were powerful and had not suffered a breach in over 300 years.
'Far too long,' Kratos thought as he surveyed the monolithic structure in front of him.
Flashback
"THE SEIREITEI IS WHERE MY SONS TRAIN AND RECEIVE THEIR ORDERS. IT IS DIVIDED INTO 13 DIVISIONS; THE FIRST SQUAD'S CAPTAIN IS THE STRONGEST OF MY SONS…."
Kratos nodded in understanding as the King told him of the divisions and their respective captains.
"YOU WILL BE TRANSPORTED TO THE OUTSKIRTS OF A PLACE CALLED RUGONKAI, WHERE THE NORMAL SOULS LIVE. BECAUSE OF YOUR UNUSUALLY LARGE REIATSU OUTPUT, YOU WILL ALMOST IMMEDIATELY BE NOTICED…
Kratos absorbed the information and sat staring at the portal that would take him to this new world. He had a feeling that the king had more to say.
"…HOWEVER…"
Kratos looked up again.
"…THERE IS A TASK I WOULD LIKE YOU TO PERFORM BEFORE YOU REACH THE SOUL SOCIETY…."
"Yes… go on?"
"MY SONS HAVE DONE SOMETHING EXCEPTIONALLY FOOLISH. IN THE NORMAL PLANE THERE WAS A TRIBE OF ORDINARY HUMANS KNOWN AS QUINCY. THESE HUMANS HAD THE ABILITY TO SEE AND DETECT HOLLOWS. THEY DEVISED THEIR OWN METHODS TO ELIMINATING THE CREATURES. HOWEVER, IN TIME DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN MY SONS AND THE QUINCY LED MY SONS INTO COMMITING A CRIME AGAINST THEM THAT I CAN NO LONGER OVERLOOK."
Kratos looked up at the old being; he seemed to be embarrassed, of course admitting your children had done something foolish was not easy when confessing to a third party.
"THE RULING COUNCIL IN THE SEIREITEI DECREED THEIR DESTRUCTION."
Kratos snorted, 'foolish indeed,' he thought. To destroy something you don't understand. After all, he did not fully understand half the weapons he himself wielded or their full mechanics; however, he did not fear them, for to go into a battle with fear in your heart was to already have lost half of it.
"I REQUEST THAT YOU BREAK THE PRIDE OF MY SONS, AS IT WAS THEIR PRIDE IN BEING THE REAPERS OF SOULS THAT LED THEM TO THIS SIN."
Kratos nodded thoughtfully, "how should I do this?"
"SEIREITEI IS A MASSIVE MONOLITHIC STRUCTURE, ERGO THEY CANNOT RESPOND TO SUDDEN AND LIGHTNING SWIFT ATTACKS; I ASSUME YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO."
Kratos outwardly maintained his composure but inwardly grinned: if there was one thing he enjoyed, it was a challenge.
"HOWEVER, FOR MY SAKE, SPARE THE YOUNGER OF MY SHINIGAMI, FOR THEY HAD LITTLE TO DO WITH THE CRIME OF THEIR FORBEARERS."
Kratos nodded - while his methods were brutal and got results, he would control himself to a greater degree than usual; after all, he had to become one of them, did he not? He would avoid killing any of the captains or vice-captains… for the moment, at any rate.
"THERE IS ONE LAST THING YOU SHOULD KNOW…" Kratos turned and looked one last time at the king "…ONE OR MORE OF MY SONS ARE PLANNING TO BETRAY ME…"
Flashback end
Yamamato sat in his office, pondering the reports of the 4th and the 2nd division. A soul born with a Zanpakuto chained to its arms with the ability to shift into different forms, most definitely unheard off. Mayuri was salivating at the thought of a completely new kind of Zanpakuto. The rest of his captains looked intrigued; Kenpachi had of course worn that shark-like grin of his, thinking about fighting such a powerful soul.
Flashback
"…according to the testimony given us by the child and various other survivors, mostly women and children, the Ryoka's weapon changed forms several times," Soi Fon stated.
"Hm, changed form, you say?" asked Ukitake.
"Yes, apparently they shifted in between four basic weapons: a pair of widely serrated blades, a vicious looking pair of hooks which emanated purple energy, a chain-like whip with blades at the ends which emanated green electricity, and lastly a pair of massive gauntlets shaped like lions' heads," Soi Fon replied.
"How interesting," Mayuri smiled with that look he usually wore when looking at a new test subject, "a shape shifting Zanpakuto - I have never heard of such a thing. Soutaichou, has there ever been a Zanpakuto that could change its form at will?"
The old General sat silently for a about a minute, "No, there has never been reported a Zanpakuto with such unique abilities. This ryoka is truly one of a kind."
Unohana spoke up at this last statement, "Soutaichou, there is another aspect to it."
All eyes turned towards the 4th division captain, and the General looked questioningly at her, "Oh? And what might that be?"
"From my conversation with the child, we were able to safely ascertain that this ryoka - while exceedingly violent - has his own sense of honor."
"Honor? A soul capable of such massacre could not know the beginning of honor," Kaname Tosen stated harshly.
Unohana nodded slowly, "true, but then why did he spare the women and the children?"
Tosen paused for a moment, as did the rest of the captains: of all the dead bodies they had laid to rest, not a single woman or male child below the age of seventeen was found.
"Be that as it may Unohana-san," Tosen began more calmly this time, "how could any of us condone the massacre of over 957 men?"
"I do not condone it, Tosen-Taichou, I am merely stating that this Ryoka has given every soul he has faced a clean battle."
"Enough," Yamamoto slamming his cane on the floor; "Whether or not this soul is justified is not the issue at the moment. You said you had other information regarding this ryoka's Zanpakuto, Unohana?"
Unohana turned back to her Commander, "Hai, upon interviewing the child we first discovered in the 80th district, I discovered that he had had close contact with the Ryoka and was able to obtain a description of him, along with a disturbing fact about his Zanpakuto."
"Ah, now we're getting somewhere," Shunsui stated.
"Disturbing fact?" Soi Fon looked curiously at Unohana, "What kind of disturbing fact?"
"Well, when the child first told me about it I thought he was wrong - after all, no Zanpakuto could be that vicious; still, he reaffirmed it through three versions of his tale. It would seem that the blades this ryoka carries are seared into his wrists and forearms and held there by chains. The boy was able to see traces of burn marks, ergo it is safe to assume that these weapons were quite literally burned into his arms."
Everyone present winced, even Yamamoto looked disturbed: a zanpakuto that would torture its own wielder... Cruel indeed, and dangerous.
"There is another thing, Soutaichou," Soi Fon continued, "It appears that this soul wields a strange kind of magic: one woman declares seeing an explosion of blue reiatsu shaped like a tornado, with the Ryoka at the epicenter of the blast."
"Hm, what about that description you told us about, Unohana-san?" Komamura asked.
"Well, the one thing that should be able to catch anyone's eye, would be his skin," Unohana stated, passing her report copies on her interview with the child to the other captains, "Apparently, his skin is ash-white with the exception of two red tattoos that extend from his body to his uncovered arm and over his left eye."
"Uncovered arm?" Aizen asked curiously.
"Yes, it would seem his left is covered in a kind of golden armor emblazoned with two serpents on the shoulder and on the forearm piece," Unohana stated, "We do not know whether or not this piece of armor is a part of his Zanpakuto or if it's merely for decoration, but given what we have seen of this unique ryoka, we must assume it's not merely for aesthetic purposes."
The captains were silent for about a minute each absorbing the information. Yamamoto had his eyes closed for much of the time forming a mental picture of this soul.
"Whether or not this soul is guilty, he will be judged before the Council of the 46," Yamamoto finally stated, "I am issuing a standing order to all divisions, he is to be arrested on sight. If he resists, lethal force is authorized."
"Yama-ji, is it really necessary to go that far?" Shunsui questioned.
"We cannot ignore the threat he represents, Kyōraku-Taichou, nor can we ignore the deeds he has done. According to the latest reports of the communication and detection division, he will appear in Soul Society soon. We must be on the alert for this ryoka."
"Soutaichou, do you really think it is possible he will attempt to breach the gates of Soul Society?" Aizen asked, "No one has breached the gates in over 300 years and it's not likely that anyone will do so now."
"Perhaps, Aizen, perhaps," Yamamoto stated nodding, "However, it would be unwise for us to be caught off-guard at a critical moment. I am issuing an order to all divisions: double the patrols in the immediate districts around Soul Society; I do not want this Ryoka to come within ten miles of Soul Society without us knowing about it. Understood?
Furthermore, Kuchiki-Taichou, I want you to organize a party of strong Shinigami to engage this Ryoka in the event he somehow manages to breach the walls of Soul Society," Yamamoto stated, "This group may consist of as many vice-captains or non-captain Shinigami as you deem necessary."
"Very well," Byakuya responded.
All the captains nodded.
"Ano, Soutaichou, about the woman we encountered…?"
Tosen looked slightly embarrassed about bringing her up and Yamamoto sighed. The encounter with the strange nearly nude woman had nearly left him with a heart attack. Furthermore, the woman did not seem concerned with the fact that she walked over the wrecked bodies of men. It took a very cold and hard hearted person to ignore the dead all around your feet. She had carried herself with an air of confidence, grace, and sensuality that very few women in Soul Society could mimic. Although he was certain every one of said women would be green with envy if they were to ever be in the same room with that woman. The lieutenant of the 10th had to restrain herself from physically assaulting her.
Flashback in Flashback
There was complete silence as she appeared. And there were nosebleeds aplenty. Then the shouting started.
"For the love of…! FOR HEAVENS SAKE, WOMAN, PUT SOME DAMN CLOTHES ON, THERE ARE CHILDREN PRESENT!"
This was the alarmed response of Matsumoto Rangiku who had just seen a woman with a breast size equal to her own, appear out of nowhere virtually naked in front of the group! Of course the erm…child in question was not so happy about being referred to as such.
"WHAT! I AM NOT A CHILD!", came the indignant response.
The woman in question who had just appeared glanced at Toushiro, "Ohhhhhh, is he of age? Awfully cute for such a young Captain."
Every single captain and lieutenant - save for the Commander - gaped at the woman who was now leering openly at the short captain of the 10th division. Said Captain was suddenly uncomfortable as the white and green eyes of the naked female seemed to ravage his form.
"You were saying, miss…" the Commander slowly said closing his eyes against the alluring sight.
"Hmmm... ah, yes, I was… My name is Venus, but you boys may call me Gloria," the woman smiled and licked her lips.
"Well," she said, "I am afraid I must go: my lord has finished his work in disposing of the trash and it is time for me to join him."
"Wait, who are you!"
Before any of the Captains could so much as blink, she was gone, "I'll see you later boys," the sultry voice echoed around them, "especially you, little boy."
Toushirou developed a tick on his forehead, "How many times do I have to say it…"
In the 8th squad Barracks
Shunsui and Ukitake were interrupted in their game of shogi when they heard:
"I AM NOT A CHILD!"
"Hmm, looks like someone ticked off lil' shiro again," Shunsui said.
The two Captains laughed and went back to their game.
Flashback end
Yamamoto sighed - he'd been doing that a lot lately, "If she is sighted then she is to be brought in for questioning concerning the Ryoka. However, it seems unlikely that she will appear on her own again. When she appears, it will doubtlessly be with the strong Ryoka so we must first focus our efforts around finding him. Understood!"
Nods came from the entire room, "Good. Dismissed!"
Flashback end
Yamamoto read again the reports of the interviews with the women in the 80th; apparently this had been not just some random act of mass murder. The women in question had been used as slaves and prostitutes for the various gangs. So far it looked as if the ryoka had slaughtered the main figurehead of the 80th district a warlord by the name of Oda. Soul Society had known about him for a long time but the 2nd squad just never seemed quite successful in tracking him down. As galling as it undoubtedly would be, the Council of the 46 might actually have to thank this ryoka for ridding the Seireitei of that kind of scum.
It was true that the Soul Society did not usually involve itself in matters that went on outside their walls and often complaints arose because of this reticence - Soul Society usually brushed off such criticism because after all did they not have more important things to do? Was it not their duty to destroy the Hollows just as great as their duty to those outside their walls?
Yamamoto knew this but he also knew that times had changed there were now more Shinigami than ever before. These were not the desperate days when he had been young and there had only been a few candidates for the newly built Shinigami academy. These were not the anxious months of waiting for a Hollow attack on the Seireitei and every guard that could be spared waited upon the walls. These were not the years spent in counterattacking the Hollows offensives all the way to Hueco Mundo. These had been years of relative peace and prosperity and all decisions that had been made had been made for the greater good.
'But nowadays I must ask myself for the greater good of whom,' the old warrior thought.
It was partially true that many Shingami could not be spared to patrol Rugonkai but there many who merely whittled away their time in idleness when they could be doing something useful. Soul Society had become corrupt and decadent, too inoculated by their own splendor and wealth to waste time with the lower classes.
'Perhaps the coming of this ryoka is some sort of sign of things to come, he mused silently.
'…and of course there is the execution coming up soon, Yamamoto thought.
While he had agreed entirely that Kuchiki Rukia had indeed committed a serious felony that was worthy of a harsh punishment, execution by Sokyoku was a punishment reserved for Captain Class Shinigami, not a mere unseated undistinguished officer of the 13th squad. True, she was of a noble house and that put her on a more distinguished pedestal than most, but even so there was something strange about this - the punishment simply did not fit the crime. Yamamoto was not personally acquainted with the girl, but he had seen criminals before and Kuchiki Rukia was so far from the mold that it was almost painful to watch. He could see in her eyes that her spirit was utterly broken and that she had resigned herself to her fate, but to see her not put up so much as a token defense against the charges laid against her was…he truly did not know how to put it into words. Sad, perhaps…
Shihoin Yoruichi in her black cat form stretched lazily in the sun as she watched the comings and goings of the 72nd district from her perch on a tree branch. Normally, she would never dare to venture this close to Soul Society but Kisuke had asked her to check things out - said something about there being a big incident in the 80th district of Rugonkai, probably nothing but his informant in Soul Society had confirmed that something big had gone down, big enough to even warrant the Sotaichou himself leaving the Soul Society - that had caught Yoruichi's interest. To her considerable knowledge, the Commander-General never left the Soul Society unless there was nothing short of a full blown Hollow invasion.
Leaping down, she leisurely walked through the forest thinking, how many years it had been since she had helped Urahara escape from Aizen's plot to destroy both him and eight other Shinigami. She would have to leave soon though, Urahara desired her help in awakening a human boys spiritual powers - the former 12 division Captain was going to be busy helping another human regain his spiritual powers as a Shinigami. But before she left, she wanted to investigate just what the heck could attract the Soutaicho's attention.
*SNAP*
A snap of a twig to her left immediately had her running up the nearest tree branch to hide. She absolutely could not afford to be seen by anyone, especially Shinigami; Soi Fon, her precious Vice-Captain, would have this sector crawling with the 2nd division in a heartbeat if she was spotted.
A large figure garbed in a tattered cloak pushed his way through the underbrush, his face and body hidden. There was also something wrong with his arm, if the large foreign object that seemed to be sticking out from his shoulders was any indication. The figure crouched down and rested on one knee for a few moments, then looked around again. Yoruichi blinked - for a second she had caught a flash of something white underneath that hood when the strange figure had turned his head.
Deciding to find out if this stranger was a threat or not, she cautiously extended her senses…
…and touched power…
Yoruichi's eyes widened: there was simply no way for a simple stranger to have Reiatsu output this large and Soul Society not be all over him. She managed to catch the tempered nature of his power, further intriguing her. Amazing, an ordinary soul figuring out how to suppress his power, she thought. The stranger had been turning his head this way and that way trying to make sure that he was alone before he finally dropped the hood. An ugly scar extended over his right eye, marring his hard lined yet handsome face. A red tattoo extended over his left eye covering his white skin. A black goatee grew from his chin indicating the color of his hair. He apparently had shaved his head and kept it that way.
Yoruichi blinked again - white skin? Well, that was sufficiently odd to hold her interest. Whoever he was, he sat down with his back to a tree, his eyes closed - he appeared to have gone into a meditative trance. Yoruichi slowly and carefully climbed down from the tree, approached the strange man and sat in front of him. As soon as she entered the clearing, his eyes snapped open and his hand seemed ready to grope for something on his back when he saw her.
"A cat?"
He sat there looking at her and Yoruichi decided to just play it dumb for the moment. His voice was deep and low, almost a thoughtful tone as he regarded her. The intensity of his stare was something she had only seen once before when she had the fortune to see Yamamoto's Shikai. It was an unreal experience, the heat of his stare was almost palpable, but then again that might have been because of the flames turning the dirt at her feet to magma; still, there was something inside this warrior's stare that just seemed to freeze one in place.
His gaze then relaxed slightly and he regarded her a bit more calmly. He took his other hand out of his sleeve and leaned his head on his fist. A ghost of a smile flitted across his face, "I suppose I have had worse companions."
Kratos leaned his head back and rested against the tree the cat continued to stare at him in a curious fashion.
"Tell me, little one," Kratos said drawing his eyes back to the feline who sat before him, "does the hope of food draw you to me? If so, then I am afraid I will be sore company for you. Even worse if you tried to follow me on the path that I must take, for mine is a path of war and suffering."
"Oh? And just why is that?"
"I am a soldier, I have known no other way to live: war is what drives my bla - WHAT THE!" Kratos' posture stiffened and his head whipped back to the cat who had apparently just responded to him in a male human's voice.
"No need to be alarmed," the cat said walking up to him and gazing at him curiously, "I'm not a bit surprised at your reaction."
Kratos looked down into the yellow eyes of the cat and something tickled in the back of his mind. He had attempted with Athena's aid to try and use the sensing technique the Shinigami had, but it had almost ended in disaster as he was forced to abandon the notion and decided to just take his opponents as they came. Something in his mind, however, was telling him that this was no ordinary cat.
"You… you are not a cat at all, are you?"
The question was said as a statement rather than a question and Yoruichi cocked her head to one side, "I am impressed: I did not think anyone, let alone a soul without any formal Shinigami training, could see through my disguise."
Kratos slowly took his hand away from his blade in his cloak, "One does not need to able to guess at a disguise when the actor reveals his own face from the mask."
"True," Yoruichi replied.
The two stayed silent for about a minute or two, "What are you, then?"
"Hmm, my answer depends on what you can tell me about yourself - from what you have said already, I can guess a great deal but I must ask you to tell me the rest of what you were saying."
Kratos stared at the cat for about a minute more, some innate sixth sense telling him he could trust this strange Jinn or whatever it was, "What I was saying is that something as small as an animal does not have a chance to survive the path I take."
Yoruichi narrowed her eyes, "And just why is it that you must you walk this path?"
Kratos gazed off into the distance for a moment before answering, "I have already said it: I know of no other way to live."
Yoruichi was in a bit of a quandary: on the one hand, she needed to get back to the human world; on the other hand, this soul's power was incredible - he would be a major boost if they ever had to go up against the Captains of the Gotei 13. Somehow, she needed to get him on her side.
Yoruichi got up and started walking, "You have been truthful with me so I suppose I am obligated to be truthful to you."
Kratos turned his head back to the retreating cat, "What?"
"Come with me and I will tell about this world," Yoruichi said, "and I will show you my true form."
Kratos stood uncertainty clouding his brow, "Of course there are going to be Shinigami patrols passing through these woods in about fifteen minutes so you can take your chances with them if you like."
Kratos eye's narrowed; he did not like being bullied and even worse not knowing something that this cat seemed to figure out so easily. So with mistrust in his heart, he followed the retreating figure of the 'cat'.
Kratos found himself standing in a cave in the side of a cliff. A makeshift door made of wood stood at its entrance. The place might have been used as a thief's hideaway for their loot: it was large and had abandoned fire pits, unused blankets and other gear strewn around.
"I raided this hideout and killed all the thieves but kept the knowledge of its exact location to myself just in case I ever needed a quick hideout," Yoruichi said padding up next to him.
"A wise determination..." Kratos responded, "…Shinigami."
"…"
"…"
"Very good," Yoruichi said staring at him with unblinking eyes, "Yes, I was once a Shinigami, but no longer. Or should I say, a Shinigami in exile."
"I see," Kratos sat down against the wall and leaned against it.
"Ah, yes - I was going to show you my real form," a soft light gathered around the cat's body and its eyes began to glow. There was a small high-pitched noise as the shape in the smoke began to change. Kratos raised one eyebrow as the figure became decidedly female in nature. A surprisingly beautiful nude female at that. He stayed silent as she opened her eyes without the slightest change of feature or expression.
Yoruichi mistook his silence for shock and smirked, "I can see you're shocked… hmm… can't be helped, I suppose. Every time I transform like this, everyone displays an expression of stupefied shock."
Kratos snorted, "believe me, woman, almost nothing in this world could shock me anymore."
Yoruichi's eyes widened slightly, "Ohhh? Is that so," she remarked, striding towards him a distinctly feminine sway to her hips, "then I suppose you won't mind if I go without clothes for the time being? They're so restrictive and confining."
Kratos smirked at her attempts to make him feel embarrassed by being absolutely naked; after all, he had taken thousands of the most insatiable women into his bed and none of them had completely satisfied him, though every woman walked away from his bed with a noticeable limp to their stride. He had even laid with the Goddess of Love herself, Aphrodite, and with her twin daughters. If this woman was trying to entice him by merely being naked, she had another thing coming. Still, there was no harm in teasing her a bit, now, was there?
"Hmph. Do as you please - I suppose you could always seduce any Shinigami out of your way."
Yoruichi's jaw dropped, oh he did NOT just say that, but Kratos wasn't done, "Tell me: do the Shinigami promote prostitution or do all female Shinigami walk around naked?"
If one were to look closely, they would be able to see the flames burning inside of the cat like woman's eyes: playful banter she could do with, but being compared to a prostitute?
*SLAP*
Although Kratos had been through many battles, he never quite developed immunity to the legendary Female Slap of Doom that even the titans had feared. When he had cleared the cobwebs out of his head, he saw her donning black pants with metal shin guards and an orange jacket with a black undershirt.
"Hmph! Just for that comment, I'm going to deprive you of seeing my young firm female skin," Yoruichi said with a sniff.
Kratos chuckled, "Believe me, woman, it's nothing I haven't seen before."
Yoruichi glared at him, "Is that so? Well, I have revealed my true form, so don't you think it's time you told me who you are and what someone with such a tempered Reiatsu signature is doing so close to the walls of Soul Society?"
Kratos cocked his head to one side and raised one eyebrow. Yoruichi continued, "Don't try to act like you don't know what I am talking about!"
Kratos grinned: this woman was perceptive, she could tell when he was playing dumb and when he wasn't.
"Sit down - this will be a long story…"
6 Hours later...
Yoruichi stared at Kratos for a long time after he had finished - his tale had been interesting to say the least.
"You actually expect me to believe that load of bullshit?"
Kratos had closed his eyes for some time and opened them, "Believe me or no, Yoruichi-san, I have said what I will do and I will."
"Okay, you are officially CRAZY…"
"Hm, I have been called that before."
"Look, there is no way in hell you are going to able to break into Soul Society without help!"
"I have never required help from any other warrior save myself."
Yoruichi began to realize he was serious, but even with all of his admittedly massive reiatsu reserves it took more than brute strength to take on even one captain, let alone all of them.
"Do you even have a weapon? Do you even know how Shinigami fight?", Yoruichi countered.
Kratos smirked at her, "I do have weapons, and I do know how to use them, little kitten - that is enough."
Yoruichi glared at the reference to her spirit form but shrugged it off quickly, "Listen, I have been in Soul Society before and I know how it works and where its weaknesses are."
Kratos looked at her calmly, "what are you saying, woman?"
Yoruichi grinned, "If you help me with a little errand I have in the world of the living, I'll help you get into the Soul Society without having to use the gate. I'll even enlist a little backup on the way; think of it as 'I scratch your back, you scratch mine', alright?"
Kratos considered her for a moment; it would be nice to have someone else to distract the lesser Shinigami while he went after the captains. That and a readymade way into Soul Society without having to break down the front door was a very tempting offer, indeed. Kratos grinned, "What sort of errand do you have in mind, Yoruichi-san?"
"Tessai-san, Kisuke-san… A kitty." Uruu pointed with one hand to her right. Kisuke was instantly up and out the door.
"Ooooohhh, what do ya know it's Yoruichi-san, welcome home! Woo Upsey Daisey, Woooo Upsey Daisey, One more time Upsey Daisey!"
The three helpers at Urahara's candy store stared at their eccentric boss as he lifted the cat up in the air.
"Uh... What's with the cat?"
"She is called Yoruichi-san… She is also the owners best friend."
"The owner's best friend is a cat? That's kind of… pathetic." (Wanna go one more time? Okay! Woooooo Upsey Daisey!)
"Well, I suppose you could put it like that.."
"Oi, you can put me down now," Yoruichi grumbled.
"Noo, one more time, okay? WOOOOOOO Upsey…*SCRATCH*…EYOWWWWW," Kisuke was down on the ground nursing the scratches on his face.
"Oi! Get up, moron, I know you're not hurt," Yoruichi said as Urahara managed to straighten up, sporting three new scratch marks across his face.
"Now, now, you know I don't like it when you play rough, Yoruichi-san," Yoruichi managed not to blush and set to cleaning her claws.
"By the way, I think you might want to close up shop for the rest of the afternoon, I am going to need the basement and I think you might want to watch."
Kisuke's brow furrowed inquisitively, "Oh? What for?"
Yoruichi looked up, "You can come out now."
Around the corner of the store, a spiritual pressure made itself known. Kisuke glanced up and stared at the newcomer: he was tall about as tall as Tessai and powerfully built, his eyes were cold and his gaze unnerving. The most surprising thing about him was his skin color which was ash-white. A red tattoo came up over his bald head and over his left eye, a long stitched scar running over his right eye. He was dressed in a long black cloak with only his head uncovered.
Jinta, Uruu, and Tessai just stared at the unusual stranger. Kisuke studied him in a scientific manner, "Ah, Yoruichi-san, I didn't know you had a new friend along with you."
"Whatever, so can I use the basement?"
"Well... Sure, but you know about that other favor I asked for?"
"Yeah, Yeah, don't worry, I'll get it done."
Urahara had of course immediately noticed the massive presence hidden behind the restraining nature of this soul Reiatsu.
"Well, then, I believe introductions are in order: my name is Urahara Kisuke, humble owner of this fine establishment and these are my helpers - Tessai-san, Jinta-kun and Uruu-chan."
The stranger stared at him for a moment looking him up and down as if evaluating his threat level.
"I am Kratos."
Was his only reply. The breeze was the only thing that broke the silence. Kratos looked the absurdly dressed man with the fan in his face up and down. To him it was all black and what safe or unsafe, protect or kill.
"Oi! Hello, anyone home," Kratos glanced down at the red headed boy that was glaring at him, "Oi, come on, say something." Jinta took a swing with his foot at the guy's shin.
Not a smart move.
Kratos looked amused as the child that had kicked him rolled on the ground rubbing his foot.
For his part felt, Jinta as if he had just kicked an iron wall - what the hell was this guy made of, anyway?
"You shouldn't kick the owner's friend's friend, Jinta-kun," Uruu said glancing down at her fellow helper.
"Listen to the female, boy, she is wiser than you," Kratos said in a low voice.
Uruu blushed at the compliment, "Okay, how about we all go inside for tea." Urahara said snapping his fan shut. Yoruichi followed him inside with Jinta and Uruu, Kratos glanced at the mustached man who was still appraising him, "I trust Yoruichi-san completely," he said finally.
Kratos nodded and followed the group inside.
Alright, I may have messed with the timeline a bit with that last scene, but I think you'll all love the next chapter. Also, some people wanted Gloria to make an appearance, so don't worry: I'll see to it in the next chapter.