Author's Note 1: Hey everyone. Sorry for the long wait. I gotta say, I'm rather surprised by the reception this story has received. I never thought it would grab so much attention in such a short time. Seriously, thanks for the love. Anyway, here's the second chapter which will kick things off.
Ch. 2: Shadow on the Wall
It was late in the evening and Ichigo had finished his nightly patrol. He noticed there weren't as many hollows near his home district of Minamikawasa like there used to be. Instead, he traveled to the demolished ruins of Matsukura Hospital in the Tsubakidai area for his hollow hunting. By the time he returned, a small sigh escaped the substitute shinigami's lips. "That was pretty fast," he thought before he returned to his pajama-wearing body that was laying on the bed. The teen closed his window and glanced at the clock on his desk which read 11:38 P.M. Ichigo's eyebrows rose in subtle surprise and content. "Huh. Usually I get back home at around twelve or one in the morning. Looks like I have more time for sleep." Seeing his chance to catch up on some much needed rest, Ichigo pulled the covers over his body and went to sleep.
About an hour passed since Ichigo drifted to dreamland. The only sound in his room was of his light snoring. Shadows from the window frame and outside objects loomed over his sleeping floor due to the bright moonlight. However, the teen had no idea that he was being spied upon by a pair of emerald eyes beyond his window.
Sitting on a neighboring roof with a pencil and notepad in hand was Nemu Kurotsuchi. The lieutenant of Squad 12 watched the sleeping Ichigo analytically, keeping her reiatsu cloaked so as to not alert her target. The only thing giving her away was her long braid gently swaying in the breeze. The young woman was jotting notes in her book, chronicling any changes to his sleeping pattern. After she wrote the information down, the purple-haired lieutenant slid her pencil through the wired spine and skimmed over her notes.
Though the pad was small, it contained a week's worth of content revolving around the teenage shinigami's schedule. She also made sure to keep track of the everyday occurrences happening around town with a few of the residents. Among them was Renji's appearance at Ichigo's house in the past afternoon. She didn't know why the Squad 6 lieutenant was at the teen's home, but was glad his loss of balance allowed her to make a quick escape before her identity was revealed.
Nemu closed her pad once she finished reading. As the young woman stood up to leave the scene, she froze in place as a strange odor caught her attention. "That smell…" she thought as she took a whiff. Normally, she would ignore it and continue on her way. However, there was something about it that attracted her like a moth to a flame. "It's obviously chemical in nature…" She took another sniff in the air to make a more detailed observation. "Yet there's something unique about… It smells like a freshly synthesized project… but with a biological component from plant matter… strawberry, perhaps?" Perplexed by the strange mix within the odor, Nemu looked in all directions for its source. Then it hit her as she turned around to Ichigo's window. "Could it be possible that the aroma's origin came from within the subject's residence?"
Drawn by curiosity and the mysterious smell, Nemu leaped over the gap between the two houses and sat on the ledge of Ichigo's window. The lieutenant managed to undo the lock of the window and slowly slide it to the side. She glanced at Ichigo's face, which still wore a modest scowl as he slept. "How odd, yet… adorable, I believe the term is," she mused. Catching her odd musing, Nemu shook her head at the uncharacteristic sentimental thought. "My reason for being here is for investigative purposes." She crawled onto the bed and leaned toward the strawberry-haired teen as carefully as possible. With each passing second, her heart rate raced and thumped harder and harder. At the same time, her cheeks became beat red and hot. "Why is my body having this reaction whenever I am so close to him?"
A part of her wanted to stop and leave, but instinct and the smell overrode her logic. Aside from the scent, the lieutenant was also focused on Ichigo's reiatsu. Even asleep, he was still exuding a good amount of his strong spiritual energy. "Master Kurosaki…" she muttered as she reached for the teen's cheek. She hesitated just as her hand was inches from his face. However, that reaction lasted only a few short seconds before she gently placed her palm onto his cheek. His face was warm and surprisingly smooth. As she continued, Ichigo's frown began to unfurl. A small smile grew on Nemu's face. "You are an odd specimen, Ichigo Kurosaki," she said in a low tone.
She pulled her hand away from Ichigo's face and did something that she never thought she would do. Nemu crawled into the bed with Ichigo and nestled against his body. "I'll stay here for a short duration," she reasoned to herself. "The temperature outside is 40 degrees. I shall take this time to use Ichigo's body heat to warm myself up before I leave." Suddenly, Ichigo's body started to stir. At first, Nemu thought that the young male was about to wake up due to the physical contact. However, the substitute shinigami only rolled onto his side, his back now facing the purple-haired woman. A sigh escaped the lieutenant's lips, but she continued to smile and returned to pressing her ample form against him. "Only for a short time…" she told herself before slipping into unconsciousness.
The alarm clock blared its wake-up call at 7:00 A.M. Hearing the shrill noise, Ichigo groggily woke up. "Morning already?" he muttered. "And I was in the middle of a good dream, too." The strawberry-haired teen sat up and reached for the device on his desk. After a few missed swipes, the young male finally hit the off button on the clock. He stretched his back and arms, yawning in the process. "Annoying piece of junk. At least it's better than that crazy old psycho kicking me early in the friggin' morning."
As Ichigo let his arms fall, he felt something large and soft on the right side of his bed. "Hm? What's this?" he thought as he stared at the sheet-covered figure. At first, he believed it was just a bunch of pillows that were buried under his covers. However, Ichigo still felt that something was a miss. Wanting to put his fears to rest, Ichigo pulled the covers down, but was unprepared for what he would find.
Peacefully lying fast asleep was Nemu. Her pale complexion glimmered in the sun's morning light and her long braid laid curled behind her. Ichigo sat quietly for a moment as he began to process the information in his head. "This is still a dream…" he mentally told himself as he pinched his arm. After all, it hadn't even been five minutes, and his day already started on a terribly sour (or awesomely sweet, depending on the individual) note. "I'm still sleeping and found myself inside a nightmare…"
The morning light hit Nemu's face, causing her to stir. Her eyes fluttered opened and she saw Ichigo sitting next to her. She rose from the bed and sat with her legs folded under her body, hands resting on her thighs, and a calm smile adorning her face. "Good morning, Master Kurosaki," she greeted in a soft voice and a respectful nod.
Realizing that he was fully conscious and aware of his situation, Ichigo's face started to redden like a ripe tomato. Here he was with an attractive and seemingly innocent young female stranger sitting on his bed. Last thing Ichigo remembered was that he slept alone last night. While most men would see this as a dreamy opportunity, Ichigo saw it differently. Which is why, for him, the following reaction was completely understandable. "Aaaaaaaaagggggghhhh!" The strawberry-haired teen's terrified yell was enough to instantly wake up everyone in the house (and few other people on the block).
Though she was deafeningly close to Ichigo's fearful scream, Nemu seemed rather unfazed by the outburst. If anything, she seemed merely bewildered as she cocked her head to the side. "What an odd morning ritual the subject partakes in," the lieutenant thought.
"Ichigo! Is something wrong?" Yuzu's voice called from the other side of the door.
"Damn it!" Ichigo hissed. Though the substitute knew that he screamed, he didn't realize just how loud his yell was. The teen pushed himself off the bed and grabbed Nemu's wrist. Before the lieutenant could respond, she found herself in the closet on the other side of the room.
"Hey, Ichigo! What's going on in there?" This time it was Karin.
With the closet door closed shut, Ichigo opened his room door and saw his younger twin sisters at the doorway. Yuzu's face was filled with concern while Karin seemed more annoyed. "Oh, sorry about that," Ichigo said hastily as he rested against the wall. He tried putting up a reassuring smile, but between his quivering lips and rivers of sweat, the teen's expression would hardly fool anyone.
"Are you alright, Big Brother?" a concerned Yuzu asked with clasped hands.
"Of course I am," Ichigo quickly responded. "I'm just peachy. Nothing wrong here."
"That's a matter of opinion," Karin thought. Unlike her blonde-haired sister, she saw through her brother's façade. She knew there was something else going on. Unfortunately for her, she didn't know what that was. "If you're so fine, then what was with the sudden scream?" she asked.
"Oh that? Um… Just a bad dream, that's all. Yeah, a little nightmare. That was it." Ichigo chuckled sheepishly, trying his best to keep up the act.
"A nightmare?" Yuzu asked. "It must have been pretty scary. At least you're awake now, so it can't trouble you."
"If only it were that simple," Ichigo thought as he glanced at his closet. He then turned back to his sisters. "Well, as you can see, I'm fine now. No need to worry. Now if you excuse me, I better get ready for school."
"Okay, Ichigo. See you down stairs." As Ichigo closed the door, Yuzu turned to her twin. "Do you think he's really alright?" she asked.
"Honestly," Karin began in a nonchalant tone, "I've been wondering that for many years. To be honest, it might have been that horror movie he was watching last night. Anyway, I'm sure Ichigo could handle whatever it is that has him so riled up." With that said, Karin walked to the stairway with Yuzu close behind her.
Inside the room, Ichigo pushed his closet door open and found Nemu sitting in a formal position like she was earlier. He breathed heavily as his eyes seemed to be screaming whatever he wanted to say. Nemu, as before, was merely confused. "Is there an issue, Master Kurosaki?" she asked. "You seem to be rather miffed by something."
"First of all, the word 'miffed' is an understatement. Second, stop calling me 'Master Kurosaki'. Third, and most importantly, who are you and what the hell were you doing in my bed!" Ichigo hollered.
"Hmm…" Nemu began to contemplate on the situation at hand. The lieutenant knew that her mission was compromised now that her target realized of her existence. However, the question the blonde posed was as confusing to Nemu as it was to Ichigo. All she knew was that she was entranced by something, as if under hypnosis. Everything that happened last night felt like a fuzzy dream.
"Hello! Earth to whoever you are! Answer the question!" an impatient Ichigo called, trying to snap the purple-haired woman out of her thoughts.
Nemu returned to reality. She quickly realized that it was possible for her to still salvage her assignment. "Perhaps it would be wise if I gave a variant reiteration of my purpose." In short, she was going to tell a close lie. Though it was something she rarely ever did due to the guilt she felt when using the deceitful action, Nemu knew that it was her only alternative. "Please forgive me, Master Kurosaki," she sighed. "I am Nemu Kurotsuchi, lieutenant of Squad 12 and vice president of the Shinigami Research and Development Institute. It is an honor to meet you." The young woman replied with a respectful bow to the substitute shinigami.
"Squad 12, huh?" Ichigo murmured as he tried recalling that branch. Then he remembered where he heard the name: it was the division which Yoruichi said Kisuke was in control of before fleeing to Karakura Town. It was also the squad belonging to the crazed captain Uryu took down during the invasion. "So why would they send a lieutenant here?"
"I would believe it's the same reason Lieutenant Abarai is stationed here," the young woman responded. "I was told by my captain to study the… hollows within this jurisdiction." she quickly lied.
"The hollows? Aside from those arrancars that showed up, there hasn't been anything happening with those boneheads. Besides, I thought Renji was here just to goof off."
"You see, there have been reports that the numbers have been fluctuating drastically soon after ex-captain Sosuke Aizen's betrayal. Ever since the Squad 5 traitor and his comrades escaped, the hollow population has been in a constant state of flux. It is possible that the ever-changing numbers maybe connected to Aizen's presence in Hueco Mundo."
Ichigo folded his arms across his chest. It did make sense considering the strange happenings around town. Between the sudden assault by the arrancar to the unpredictable appearances and disappearances of hollows, it was clear that Aizen was starting to make his move soon. Though what that move was, he didn't know. "What the hell is that bastard planning?" Ichigo pondered with an intense scowl.
"What is wrong, Master Kurosaki?" Nemu asked.
"Didn't I say to stop calling me that? Anyway, I can see how Aizen might be behind it. But that still doesn't explain why you were sleeping in my bed."
"Oh, well the reason for my unexpected presence was because… I wanted to report these findings to you," Nemu quickly responded. "However, between my travels through the Senkaimon and the elimination of a few low-level hollows, I have exhausted myself. Father would be most displeased upon hearing of my performance." While it was true that she fought a number of hollows (which happened to be in Ichigo's home district), she knew that it wasn't exhaustion that caused her to act the way she did. Even now, she could still smell the fragrance upon the teen and was doing her best to restrain herself. "I ask that you accept my apology for any inconvenience that I may have caused."
Ichigo had a feeling that the female fighter was holding something back. However, he also felt it was way too early to start prying into an ally's business. Besides, he needed to get ready for school. He also wanted to get Nemu out of his home before anyone had the chance to enter his room (namely his father). "Alright, alright. Apology excepted," he said. "Just don't do it again, alright?"
"Affirmative, Master Kurosaki," Nemu nodded earning a groan from Ichigo in response to his new title.
As Ichigo was ready to turn around, he found himself in Nemu's tight embrace. "What the-!" For such a slender woman, he was surprised by the strength of her hold. Ichigo face started to grow beat red from a combination of the sudden hug, the lieutenant's ample bust pushing against his chest, and the loss of air. "C-Could you let me go now!" he replied as he struggled to get free. "I'd… like to breathe… right now…"
Realizing what she was doing, Nemu quickly released her hold of the strawberry-blonde teen. A blush crept on her cheeks from her sudden action. "I apologize again…" she said. "Forgive me." With that said, the Squad 12 lieutenant quickly ran to the other side of the room and leapt out of the window sill.
Ichigo rushed after her and watched as Nemu bounced from rooftop to rooftop until she was out sight. The teen pulled his head back and rubbed the back of his sore neck. "Oh man," he thought. "And I thought I knew enough crazy people as is." A relieving sigh escaped his lips. "Whatever. I need to get out of here."
A half an hour passed since his guest left his home and Ichigo had finished getting himself ready. After he fixed his hair (or at least, in a style he's accustomed to), sprayed on the "scentless" cologne (just for the hell of it) and put on his school uniform (consisting of a while shirt and gray slacks), the teen walked down the stairs with a lackadaisical stride. When he arrived at the bottom floor and was about to grab a seat at the table, he heard someone yell "Good morning, Ichigo!" It was none other than his father Isshin, who was in the air about to pounce on his son.
Knowing exactly who the instigator was, Ichigo quickly reacted with a spin kick. The bottom of his shoe impacted hard with his father's face. "What the hell is your problem!" Ichigo yelled as he shoved the older man away, generating enough force to toss his father at the wall behind him.
"Well, well. Not bad for a guy who screamed like a wussy this morning," Isshin said before racing toward his son once more. "What's the matter? Was the dream so bad that you pissed your pants, son! Or did you turn around and get spooked by your shadow?"
"Shut the hell up, you nasty old man!" Ichigo hollered as his fist connected with his parent's gut.
"Oh… not bad… For a baby!" Isshin quickly retaliated by grabbing Ichigo's arm and twisting it behind his back. The teen yelled in anger and pain before countering the hold spinning around and stomping wildly at the older Kurosaki male.
As this was going on, Karin ignored the familial violence while Yuzu looked on in concern. "Dad, Ichigo! Please stop attacking each other!" she replied.
"Forget those two morons," Karin said. "This is there version of hugging it out. Besides, this fight will be over in 3… 2… 1…"
Just then, a loud crash broke out and Yuzu quickly turned to the two males. Ichigo breathed heavily as he stood over Isshin's battered and bruised body. "Why the hell do you keep beating on your son every damn morning!" he shouted. "You crazy old fool!"
"It seems my son… has finally surpassed his father…" Isshin replied. "I have nothing more to teach you…"
"You say that every time, but then you try beating me up five hours later," Ichigo noted. With the quarrel ended, he left his defeated father and went to the table, joining his younger sisters for breakfast. Once he finished eating his breakfast, Ichigo placed his empty plate in his sink. He went to the doorway to grab his backpack and put on his shoes before saying his good-bye and leaving the house for school.
After about an hour of riding public transportation and hiking a few blocks, Ichigo arrived at Karakura High School. The strawberry-haired teen made his way into the building and climbed up the next floor. When he arrived at his classroom's door, the teen slid it open and entered inside. As soon as he came in, the teen saw his friend Keigo flying after him. "What's up, ICHIGOOOOOO!" he greeted with his loud, annoying voice. The strawberry blond easily stopped him with an outstretched fist which collided with the absent-minded brunette's face.
"Hey," the substitute shinigami greeted as he continued to his desk. Meanwhile, Keigo was lying on the group wounded, but still smiling. Watching over his beaten friend was Mizuiro, who wondered why the brunette acted the way he did.
Congregating near his seat by the window were three more of his friends: Chad, Uryu, and Orihime. The trio noticed their comrade advancing toward them and made room for him to get in his seat. "Hello, Ichigo!" Orihime waved with a warm smile.
"Hey guys," Ichigo responded as he sat in his seat. "So what's going on?"
"Nothing really?" Uryu replied. "Just talking about yesterday's homework. Did you get it finished?"
"Yeah, I got it all right here," Ichigo said as he pulled his papers out of his backpack. "For once, I had enough time to do it all in one go last night instead of trying to speed through it in the morning."
"Ichigo," Chad began. "Renji came by when school was over yesterday. He said he was looking for you."
"Renji was here?" Orihime asked. "I didn't know that."
"It happened after you left. I wonder what it was about?"
"Oh, Renji? Yeah, he caught up with me at the park," Ichigo responded. "Get this: the guy's now working at the mall as a perfume seller."
"Renji as a perfume seller?" Uryu said in disbelief, trying his best to hold back a smile. "You can't be serious."
"Wow! Lucky guy!" Orihime replied as she clasped her hands. "I wish I could do something like that. Hey, you think he'll give us free bottles?"
Ichigo only smirked. With the bottle he received yesterday, the teen was sure that would be the case. However, he was also sure that if they were anything like the cologne he received, they would be nothing but cheap duds. The only reason he wore it was because it quickly masked odors without a smell he could detect (making it a good body spray replacement when he didn't have the time to take a shower).
"Hey, Orihime!" Tatsuki called as she made her way to the group.
"Oh hey, Tatsuki!" Orihime exclaimed. "So did you understand the language assignment?"
"I did. Thanks for the help last night, Hime. What about you guys?"
"It was rather simple, really," Uryu replied as he pushed his glasses against his face. "And I'm sure Chad had no problems whatsoever." The large teen responded with a small nod. "Though I'm sure Ichigo had more than his fair share of issues."
A tick mark appeared on the strawberry-haired teen's forehead. "Watch it, four-eyes," he warned. "And for your information, I understood it completely."
"Well reading was never your strong suit, Ichigo," Tatsuki responded with a shrug.
"Whatever. The point is I did the work alright? Geez."
"Sure you did." Tatsuki smiled as she teased the teen. True Ichigo was as smart as he was tough. However, the young man was far from a genius (Uryu took that title with stride). Suddenly, a lingering, yet barely noticeable smell caught the raven-haired karate fighter's attention. It was weak, but she knew that there was something there. "What is that?" she thought.
Orihime noticed her friend glancing around the room, as if trying to find something. "Is something wrong?" the blonde asked her.
"It's not that. It's just… Do you smell something?" she asked.
"Hmm?" Wondering what Tatsuki was talking about, Orihime began to inhale. However, the young woman smelled nothing out of the ordinary. She turned back to Tatsuki and shook her head.
"I guess it's my imagination," she replied.
"Alright students!" a female voice called. The group of five turned their attention to the entrance and saw their teacher, Misato Ochi, walking to the front desk. "Everyone place their papers on my desk and get to your seats! We have a lot of stuff to do today!"
"Aw man!" Keigo whined from hearing the news. "Can't we just cut the work and leave early!"
"Shut it, Asano!" the teacher demanded.
After handing in his homework with the rest of the class, Ichigo sat in his desk with a book on the table's surface. As usual, the class was rather dull (though some of Keigo's interruptions and Chizuru's failed advances on Orihime did liven it up a bit). Most of the time, he muted the lecture out and gazed out the window. The substitute shinigami was wishing there was a hollow nearby just so he had a reason to leave. There was also another thought on the teen's mind, his unexpected guest Nemu. "God, I hope that doesn't happen again," Ichigo thought as he rubbed his forehead. "If that clock didn't go off, then my father would've came in and found her instead. That would've been hell. Though... she was pretty attractive... Wait, what the hell am I thinking! God, I hope I'm not becoming a pervert like my dad."
Unbeknownst to Ichigo, he was being watched a few desks away by Tatsuki. The black-haired teen glanced at Ichigo out of the corner of her eye and wondered what the teen was mulling over (besides the obvious boredom). She also noticed the smell again and that it was coming from his direction. However, it was temporary and would suddenly cease. "Is Ichigo doing this?" she asked herself.
A couple of hours passed and lunchtime had started. As usual, Ichigo went to the roof of the building and ate his lunch. Joining him was Chad, Uryu, Keigo, and Mizuiro. As usual, Keigo and Mizuiro were having their annoying dialogue while Chad and Uryu paid no attention to the pair's antics.
Meanwhile, under the shade behind the school, Orihime was busy eating her lunch with a few other female students (Tatsuki being among them). As she ate her custom-made delicacy (a ham and cheese sandwhich with sweet-and-sour sauce, ginger and red bean paste), the busty blonde noticed something sitting on a branch above. At first she thought it was a student trying to spy on the girls. However, it turned out to be a young woman wearing shinigami garb. It was none other than Nemu engaging in her research. The purple-haired woman gazed at the roof, literally watching Ichigo's back.
Orihime examined her carefully. Even though she lowered her spiritual pressure, the blonde teen still knew that she was quite strong. However, Orihime also noticed something else about the lieutenant. She didn't know why, but the way the shinigami was looking at Ichigo didn't sit right with the her. To her, there seemed to be a hint of either lust or longing. "Who is she? And… why is she watching Ichigo like that?" Orihime wondered.
Back on the roof, Ichigo was halfway finished with his lunch when he heard his Seal of Approval blaring. The teen dug into his pocket and pulled his badge out. The only ones who heard the sound was Uryu and Chad. "A hollow's nearby, huh?" Chad asked. "Do you need any help, Ichigo?"
"It's alright," Ichigo responded. "I'll take care of it."
"Just try not getting yourself killed," Uryu replied.
"Tch. Yeah, yeah." Pressing the badge against his chest, Ichigo's soul was ejected from his body. With his hand on the bandaged hilt of Zangetsu, the teen jumped on top of the gate and flew from the scene.
On the ground below, Orihime noticed Ichigo's sudden spiritual pressure. She looked up at the sky and watched as Ichigo soared from the school. Seeing the substitute shinigami, Nemu waited a few seconds before following suit with a shunpo. Now Orihime's face was painted with concern. It wasn't for the threat posed by the hollows or the shinigami, but the fact she might pose an obstacle to any possible relationship between herself and Ichigo.