Chapter Three

Ukitake took me in as one of his comrades and sent me to school. I never thought this could happen, but I was actually learning how to be a shinigami. Me! A shinigami! I never imagined an afterlife could ever be like this! But the thing was, ever since what had happened when I was a human, I had isolated myself and Takikanto from everyone except Ukitake just so we won't be able to get hurt emotionally in any way.

Everyday, when I went back to Thirteenth Division Headquarters from Shinigami Academy, and every night, before I went to sleep late at night, it was always the same routine. I practiced with no end and the white part of the yin-yang circle appeared, but barely did it form. When it was time to eat dinner, Ukitake would just stand by the door of the training room I used waiting for me. After two hours, he would give up on waiting and went to do his work. Before he went to sleep, he stopped by as he asked while yawning, "Aren't you going to your room to sleep, Ichimutsu?"

Panting, I would always reply, "Not until I'm done with my training for today, sir."

"Don't work yourself too hard, Ichimutsu. You're still so young and have so many things to learn," Ukitake told me. "Well, good night, Ichimutsu."

Approximately a year has passed, the white part of the yin-yang has fully formed and my shikai achieved. I never told Ukitake about it, but I continued with the training, and about another half a year has passed with all the continuous training. It was matter of time before the black part of the yin-yang had formed, and it was then when the bankai was accomplished, but only to the weakest point. When the circle had fully formed, Takikanto said, "Let's see your bankai now, Ichimutsu. The release is, 'Roar for me, Takikanto'."

Just as Ukitake walked in to tell me to eat my dinner, I cried out, "Roar for me, Takikanto! BANKAI!" My zanpakuto immediately went from sealed state into a sword, the blade completely changing shape as the sharp edge curved down ward slightly with the edge that wasn't as sharp turned into what appeared to be part of waves of the ocean.

Takikanto smiled with satisfaction before she patted me on the shoulder, saying, "You've done so much this past year and a half." She looked over to Ukitake as she told him, "I've trained her how to use even bankai, so from here on out, she's all yours when it comes to training her for other things, Captain Ukitake."

Ukitake smiled as he clapped and he asked, "Why didn't you tell me you were training to use shikai and bankai with no end, Ichimutsu?"

"Sorry I didn't tell you sooner, dad" I replied with a weak laugh. Even calling him 'dad' came out with almost no thought, and I hadn't even realized that I did. Yet again, this wasn't the first time. I have been calling him that for nearly a year now. "I guess I didn't want you to fuss over it."

"It's remarkable you managed to accomplish bankai and shikai in a year and a half," he told me. "It usually takes way more than ten years, seeing bankai alone takes ten years right there." His eyes lit up and took a letter out of his pocket. Handing it to me, he said, "Your teacher stopped by earlier and asked me to give this to you."

Takikanto read the letter over my shoulder. It wasn't long before I asked Ukitake without looking up at you, "Is this letter a joke? Don't I need to more training from the school?" Looking up at him, I cried out, "Why some time later this month? None of my other classmates are expected to graduate early! Are they?"

For a split second, he looked startled and took the letter from me to read it. He was reading it over and over several times before he said, "I'll ask your teacher about this tomorrow when ou come back to the Thirteenth Squad." He then looked up at me with a smile, saying, "How would you like to go visit your grave? It's been a year and a half since you arrived here to Soul Society."

Frowning slightly, I quietly said, "That's right. Six months ago today was the day I actually died." Looking up at Ukitake, I asked, "Can we? I've been wanting to go back to my home town for quite awhile."

Ukitake nodded and motioned me to follow him. We stopped by his office and he quickly got what looked like a dead body before we actually went outside. He slammed a hand ot the ground and a doorway appeared. Before opening the door, he asked, "Did you leanr how to form a hell butterfly yet?" When I nodded, he quickly said, "Form it right now. And make sur eyou have Takikanto inside the zanpakuto before we step through the gateway of the Senkai."

When Takikanto disappeared into the blade, Ukitake and I quickly formed our hell butterflies before we went through the doors. When we found ourselves in a short hallway, I asked, "What are the hell butterflies for?"

"To keep us safe from the Janitor while we're in here when the Janitor cleans," Ukitake informed me. "And it's thanks to you that I'll be seeing the World of Living for first time in who knows how long."

As we stepped through the doors at the end of the short hall, we realized that we realized we were starting to fall from high up in the sky, and it wasn't long before Ukitake took my hand to shunpo up higher. We stayed up there for awhile before slowly walking as we descended into the grounds. Just as our feet touched the ground in front of the cemetery not too long later, I saw my parents drive by and past the cemetery and all I could mutter without thinking was, "Bastards. Some parents they are." When Ukitake had a confused look on his face, I quickly told him, "They're my parents. Never cared much for me and my brother Hogosha." I could have told that he wanted to ask something, but held himself back as he gave me a small nod.

I practically danced around all the way to my grave. When we reached my grave, I heard Ukitake read aloud to himself, "Here lies Ichimutsu Karaguwa. A great sister, a great friend, and a great hero to this very town's middle school. Risked her own life to save many. Forever may you rest in peace." Ukitake told me without taking his eyes off the tombstone, "You must be honored here in this town so much."

Shrugging, I replied. "Maybe. There was not a single person who walked around in this town without knowing the names of Karaguwa children. We were most well known children in the town and all the students in this town feared us. All except for our close friends."

When we heard footsteps, Ukitake quickly got into the body he brought with him before he smoothed out his jeans and button down shirt. The footsteps stopped right behind us as we heard Kieth's voice ask with shock, "Ichimutsu? Ichimutsu Karaguwa?" He laughed weakly as he said, "Sorry. Of course you're not her. She died over a year ago so you can't be her."

I quietly asked without looking back at him, "Are you Kieth Nosko?"

He immediately stopped laughing as he asked, "How do you know my name?"

When Ukitake started to say something, I interrupted him by asking Kieth, "That's not the question that should be asked." Turning to look at Kieth with horror, I asked, "The question is how can you see me? Last year, when I asked if you could see or hear me, you didn't even reply! Instead, you held Hogosha-san back, saying I was dead!"

Kieth looked horrified for a short while as well, but soon smiled from ear to ear as he said, "I knew it! I actually could see the dead now!" He ran up and hugged me around my waist to life me up and spun me around. When I was put back on the ground, Kieth buried his face into my hair as he quietly told me, "I never thought you'd come to this town, Ichimutsu. I missed you so much."

When Takikanto appeared behind Kieth in her panther form, I quickly pushed Kieth to the side and got in front of him as I cried out, "Takiaknto! No! He's a good friend of mine!"

Takikanto stared at Kieth with murderous look in her eyes, as though she didn't trust him at all. Kieth stood behind me, terrified, as he asked, "Is it really a good idea to be here with a wild panther?"

Not paying much attention to Kieth, I snapped, "Creature of Day and Night, Human form! Now!" Takikanto quickly turned herself into a human, which, like her shinigami form, looked a lot like me.

Takikanto snapped, "Are you sure it's a good idea to trust him?"

Nodding, I told her, "I'm sure." Turning to Ukitake, I said, "Ukitake taicho, thank you for bringing me here tonight, but I'm ready to get back to Soul Society. Takikanto and I need to train more tonight."

Ukitake cried out, "Oh, no! We're not going back just yet, young lady! We have to get your body out of here so we could turn it into a gigai!" Looking around, I heard him mutter, "I know several other shinigamis left a shovel somewhere around here in the past."

As Ukitake walked around a little, Kieth asked me, "Are you here to stay, Ichimutsu?"

Shaking my head, I told him, "Sorry, but no."

Takikanto growled, "She has her own life to think about in Soul Society, kid. She's a shinigmai, not a living, breathing person."

I cried out, "Oh, for crying out loud! Why are you being so harsh on my old friend?" I turned to Kieth as I told him, "But she's right, Kieth. I can't stay in this world."

Ukitake handed me and Takikanto shovels as he said, "We need to get back to Soul Society soon so let's get digging right away, you two."

Before I took the shovel, I faced Kieth and formed a symbol as I cried, "Demon Binding Spell, Number One!" Quickly taking a shovel, I told Takikanto, "Try to cover his mouth so we don't attract attention in getting my body." As Takikanto did as asked by tying a cloth over his mouth, Ukitake and I started Digging my grave. As we got closer to the coffin, I quickly asked, "Ukitake taicho, is a gigai really necessary? And why are we digging up my body?"

"Your body is going to be used as a gigai, but we'll have to fix it up," Ukitake explained. "And gigai is necessary if you want to interact with people who don't have quadruple threats like your friend over there. After all, finding people with quadruple threat is hard to find." When we opened up the coffin, Ukitake picked up my body as he told me and Takikanto, "Let's go back to Soul Society. Ichimutsu, don't forget to make sure you have Takikanto back in your zanpakuto and form a hell butterfly while I make an entrance for us."

I untied the cloth from Kieth's mouth and undid the binding spell. I said, "Takikanto, get back into the zanpakuto. You heard 'dad'. We'll be leaving as soon as he sets up an entrance to Soul Society." As Takikanto disappeared back into the blade, I placed a hand on Kieth's shoulder as I said quietly, "I guess it's time to say goodbye again, Kieth."

Kieth hurriedly grabbed my hands as he begged with terrified look on his face, "Ichimutsu! Please! Don't go!"

Ukitake called, "Ichimutsu! Let's go before the Thirteenth Division gets worried about us! We'll eat dinner while working on you gigai!"

"Be right there, 'dad'!" I called back. Looking back at Kieth, I hurriedly told him, "I have to go, Kieth. I'm sorry."

As I got up to leave, Kieth cried out, "I love you! I've always loved you! I was afraid of your brother to tell you before, Ichimutsu!"

I turned to look at him, and it was then that one certain person had come into mind. Shuhei Hisagi, the lieutenant of the Ninth Squad. 69 tattoo on left cheek, three scars going down over his right eye and down his right cheek. Slightly spiky, black hair. A choker and an armband that looked the same around his neck and around his right arm. I couldn't help myself but softly reply back to Kieth, "I'm sorry that I can't say the same. My heart's gone to someone else that's over in Soul Society the past year and a half I've been dead."