Ichigo scowled at his rice. It had been weeks since he had last seen Rukia! Where could she be? She could have at least let me know that she is ok? he told himself.
Isshin studied his son's expression as he stuffed Yuzu's homemade dumplings into his mouth. He had noticed the subtle change in Ichigo's demeanor. His son had become more sullen and withdrawn—not that he was ever overly talkative with his father.
"Whatcha upshet aboush?" the former Soul Reaper asked through a mouthful of food.
Ichigo looked up, surprised at his father's address. He looked away, as Yuzu watched him worriedly. "Nothing. Mind your own business!"
"I am minding my own business. You are my business. If you are going to mope around here, then I'm going to ask you why you're upset," he explained calmly.
Ichigo met his father's gaze, his own eyes hard with anger. "I said, mind. Your. Own. Business. Old Man."
"Fine, fine," he waved his free hand in the air. "But what I want to know is…where is Rukia-chan?" he sang. His eyes sparkled their adoration for the young woman whom he had come to care about as a daughter.
"Don't know," Ichigo avoided his father's stare.
Yuzu was chewing her lip, stressed at the entire situation. She, too, was worried about Rukia's whereabouts. "Y-you don't think…something happened, do you Ichigo?" Her eyes filled with terror.
"No, don't worry about her. She'll be alright," he said, stuffing his mouth with food. He even dared to flash his younger sibling a rare smile. He attempted to cover up his confusion about Rukia's disappearance with a well-played fib, "She went on a school trip with the Girls Association. She couldn't share where she went, but she'll be back soon." Yuzu smiled in return, feeling much better at her brother's confidence in Rukia's safety and whereabouts.
Karin stabbed her food furiously. Why did Ichigo have to pretend like they didn't know he ran around in some weird black outfit at night, fighting invisible ghosts? Yuzu may be in denial, but she had certainly seen it. Even his friends Chad and Toshiro were aware of his secret abilities. Speaking of Toshiro, she hadn't seen him since their soccer game months earlier…
"But I miss Rukia-chan," Isshin crooned, batting his eyelashes.
"Shut it, you ass!" Karin screamed, landing a hard left hook in her father's cheek.
He toppled over backwards. "Oww, Karin! Why do you treat your father in such a manner?" Tears filled his eyes, as his lower lip shook with emotion.
"You are a disgrace, not a father!" she yelled, before storming off to her room. The door slammed behind her.
Isshin rubbed his face as he slowly took his seat at the table. He lookedin the direction Karin had left the table. He knew his daughter resented him since their mother died. He had tried his best to make up for the loss of his own wife—a loss he felt every waking moment. Masaki had gifted him with his three children, and given him a new reason for life. Isshin had given up his Shinigami title to marry the human he had fallen in love with. Seretei had scowled upon his decision to leave, warning him that he could not return if he changed his mind. Kurosaki had known that would be their reaction, but he cared less—he was in love.
Masaki had known about him—his former life, Soul Society, and his duties as a Captain. She had accepted him, giving him more of a reason to fall in love. He had shed his former ties by accepting a life in a gigai. He knew that as long as he remained in the living world, he would never regain his former powers. Soon, his spiritual powers were confined to that of a mere human. He took a life as a physician, something he had learned as a former Fourth Division Lieutenant. He had enjoyed the Fourth Division duties before he took on an appointed Captain position of another division.
It was a simple rescue mission that led him to Masaki. She had been an innocent bystander as he battled the hollow that threatened to take a lost soul in the town. She had seen him—really seen him. He was smoking a cigarette after they slayed the errant hollow. She had approached him, thaking him for "saving that little girl." She also commented on how "cool he looked" while smoking. She meant his unusual uniform, but Isshin took it as her entire demeanor. In the end, Isshin knew his decision to marry Masaki was worth his losses. He reveled in his new duties as a husband and father. He felt the loss of his wife more deeply than he let on to his children. He felt more to blame than anyone. He should have protected her, just as he protected her ten years earlier. At times, he wished he could openly talk about it with his son and twin girls, though he feared he would have to discuss his former life as a Shinigami. But, at the moment, he was more worried about being a father to his children.
It had been Masaki's death that to regain his former spiritual powers. Isshin swore that he would never allow his children to follow in their mother's fate. He would save them. He would become strong again. The elder Kurosaki was aware of Ichigo's duties as a substitute Shingami. He had known the boy had great spiritual powers since he was a child. His other two children followed in his eldest child's footsteps, in terms of their rietsu--though he felt that Yuzu suppressed it the most. He also knew of Rukia's true identity. He struggled to keep his own rietsu masked around his son and his female friend. Isshin wondered if he should just share all of this with children--perhaps then they could have a normal relationship a family, instead of the hoopla he created in order to shroud his true identity. He just didn't feel that they were ready for it.
Instead, he opted to play the role of the childish father. He pouted as he slowly ate, "She really does love me, doesn't she?"
Ichigo snorted as Yuzu giggled at her father's silly behavior. Despite their odd family dynamics, they cared about each other very much. He smiled inwardly. Some day, my children. Some day we will talk.
"You..what??" Yoruichi hissed. "Promised that I'd teach it to her?"
Urahara nodded solemnly. "I thought it was best that you do it," he studied her sudden change in posture before adding, "she's not Byakuya, you know."
The former captain was pacing, only stopping to consider what her partner had said. "I know that!" she spat. "I am not comparing the two!"
"I think you are. I think your competition with the young Kuchiki heir is clouding your ability to justify helping someone who truly wants to attain a higher level of power—that person being his sister," he pointed out.
"I am not mistaking Rukia for her arrogant brother!" she crossed her arms over her chest; her face becoming red from shouting.
"Yoruichi…" Kisuke began, his tone more gentle than before, "I know you still feel some anger from Byakuya's decision to not go forward with the marriage between the Kuchiki and Shihoin manors. I understand that." His rare display of seriousness caught Yoruichi off-guard, and he watched her shoulders slump in defeat. "Face it, you loved him as little as he loved you. You both saw each other as siblings rather than lovers. What kind of betrothal would that have been? You were lucky that he found Hisana and fell in love. It was the only thing that saved both of you from entering a marriage that would have disappointed each of you for eternity." He remembered being saddened by the news of the betrothal. He had grown up with Yoruichi and Tessai in the Shihoin household, and he had come to care for his purple-haired friend. He could still recall his elation at the cancellation of the marriage--he could have hugged Byakuya for the annoucement. Another story for another time, he thought.
The dark-skinned woman sighed, seating herself on the floor next to Kisuke. He studied her reaction in an attempt to gauge how much of what he said was…true. "You are right. I should let bygones be bygones. It's just that the stinking brat slighted me! I should have been the one to turn my nose up at the elders' arrangement for such a marriage. Our two houses may have been united, but it would have been under unimaginably false pretenses. Though that's expected of a noble family."
Kisuke grinned, "Could you imagine sharing a bed with Kuchiki every night?" He slyly draped his arm around his childhood companion, drawing her closer. She allowed him a few moments of contact, even resting her head on his shoulder.
"Ugh, don't speak of such things! No, I suppose he saved us both. But, part of me remained angry at him for having the balls to be the one to call off the nuptials—even if we both hated the idea of it. Me… married! To a Kuchiki, no less! Imagine that!" she smiled mischeviously, remembering how she had bowed her head in acceptance as both her father and Byakuya's informed them of the elders' decision. She had accepted her fate as being sealed, her main focus on her training and title. It wasn't until Byakuya called off the nuptials that she realized just how close she was to becoming united in an unhappy, arranged marriage.
"So, are you saying you should thank Byakuya?" the blond man pressed her.
"Fuck off!" she answered, swiftly rising to her feet. "And as for Rukia-san…I will…help. The best I can. But I make no promises. It takes years--no, decades--to learn Onmitsukido! Though, if she has a basic expertise for Hoho, perhaps I can help her at least master the technique. I know that she is more than capable with her shunpo, but I cannot ascertain that I will successfully teach her senka--or utsusemi even! Especially in such a short period of time! Perhaps with her substantial improvement in hakuda we can see some major milestones accomplished in a mere few weeks." She continued to pace as she moved her hands through various gestures as she spoke. Urahara simply smiled at his former captain. She hesitated once she realized he was smiling at her. "What now?" she growled.
"You seem…excited by the prospect of teaching our young pupil. Feeling a bit nostalgic, perhaps?" he pulled his hat onto his head.
Yoruichi studied him with her golden eyes, "She is no Soifon, but I think we will see improvements." She sighed, crossing her arms and leaning against the door frame. A small, triumphant smile spread across her face. "Perhaps I do miss being a captain at times. Don't you?"
"Do I miss responsibility? Absolutely not!" he blurted, fanning his face.
"Of course you don't," she replied absentmindedly, gazing out the door. "Tell Rukia that I will be ready in one hour's time."
"Work harder! You should at least be able to keep up with me!" Yoruichi told the dark-haired Shinigami as she sped ahead of the younger woman. Rukia furrowed her brow, focusing more of her rietsu to boost her speed. She reached Yoruichi's side momentarily.
The older woman smirked, "Better." She immediately disappeared.
Rukia slowed to a halt, balling her fists in frustration. It had been weeks since the former Second Division Captain began training her, and she felt as if she had yet to improve in her shunpo. "I'm sorry, Yoruichi-sama," she whispered. She felt like a complete failure.
Within moments, the Flash Goddess was back at her side. "You are improving, Rukia—even though it doesn't feel like it." She studied Rukia's pale face carefully, "You are finally able to at least catch up to me. You couldn't do that weeks ago, could you? Quit being such a downer!"
Rukia thought about the dark-skinned woman's words. It was true. She had managed to decrease the distance between the two women as they flash stepped around the grounds. When they first began, Rukia couldn't even follow Yoruichi's movements. Now she could follow them easily, often catching up, or predicting the former captain's movements. She allowed a small smile to break through her disappointment. "I see. You are right, of course. I should be happy about the accomplishment, no matter how small or insignificant it may seem."
"Exactly. You are also able to maintain your shunpo for much longer than when you began. Consider that, Kuchiki."
Again, the older noble was correct. Rukia's small smile broke into a grin of accomplishments, "Hai!"
"I"ll make you a deal, Rukia," she whispered, "if you keep up the practice, and you can maintain my pace for more than a minute's time, I will teach you Flash Blossom. The same technique I taught your brother centuries ago."
Rukia's eyes widened in surprise. She hadn't expected such a promise. She nodded her head solemnly. She would practice as hard a she could, until she could stay by Yoruichi's side for a substantial amount of time. She would surpass the full minute allotted. She would surpass Ichigo. She turned her back on the dark-skinned woman as she spoke, "If you'll excuse me, Yoruichi-san, I have shunpo to practice."
Two more weeks of training with Yoruichi had worked wonders for Rukia. She had been successful in becoming an expert of shunpo, thanks to the many hours she spent practicing instead of sleeping. Though she aspired to eventually become a master of the technique, she understood that it would take much longer than a few weeks. Maybe even decades.
She had spent the past few days challenging Renji to a few races. She reveled at his dark mood when she beat him to the finish line. If he recognized her improvement, then surely she had accomplished something. As promised, Yoruichi was instructing the young Kuchiki on how to perform senka—a technique that Byakuya used quite frequently.
She had comprehended the basics, but her agility was holding her back. Her first attempt ended in utter embarrassment, as she stumbled over her own two feet during the final turn of the move. Or perhaps it was a spin. Either way, she was clumsy, as indicated by the way she fell into her victim instead of taking them by surprise. Though there was a slight element of surprise at being barreled into by your attacker when you least expect it. She would need many more weeks to be able to attain the fluidity and grace necessary to pull off such a maneuver. Once she did, perhaps she could work on making herself unobservable to the opponent. Either way, she was thankful that Yoruichi felt Rukia could learn such a technique. Especially one her brother so highly coveted.
Ururu was often Rukia's opponent, as her swift movements proved to be a deadly combination of stealth and strength. At first, when the young, timid girl stood opposite of her, Rukia refused to fight back. It wasn't until Ururu's foot connected with Rukia's abdomen that she realized the child was tougher than she appeared. She was a formidable opponent. Rukia spent most of her time using shunpo and kido on the girl. If they failed, she relied on her hakuda to prevent herself from majorly injuring the dark-haired child.
After one particularly exhausting game of tag, Ururu was sent flying from a rapid succession of Way of Binding No. 39 and Way of Destruction No. 1. Rukia instantly felt guilty at her aggressive counterattack, flash stepping to help the girl to her feet. "Ururu, I'm sorry! Are you hurt? I didn't mean to use those attacks so forcefully!" she reached a slender hand toward the raven-haired pre-teen.
Ururu accepted the offered hand, allowing herself to be helped to her feet. "It's ok, Kuchiki-sama. You are supposed to be using those attacks on me. Urahara-san wants you to become stronger."
"Please," Rukia groaned, "just call me Rukia. No titles. Ever!"
"As you wish, Rukia," Ururu blushed, pushing her disheveled dark hair from her face.
"Am I interrupting you, ladies?" came the shopkeeper's smooth voice. Next to him Jinta carried a tray of sweet cakes and tea. "A little break?" he gestured toward Jinta who grumbled at his new role as hostess.
Rukia smirked at his anger. "Thank you, Jinta!" she replied between gulps of the cold tea. She welcomed the break. Her body was screaming for rest. She was confident that if her muscles could commit mutiny, they would.
"You may not thank me too much," he mused, rubbing his chin.
"Oh? Why not?" came her reply.
"Because, your friend…that Kurosaki boy, came looking for you today. He looks quite…distraught."
"You didn't tell him I was here, did you?" came her accusing tone. She felt her stomach lurch at the thought of Ichigo knowing exactly what she was doing at Urahara's. She felt partly guilty at not contacting him these past several weeks.
"No, of course not. Actually, we are quite lucky he is pitiful at sensing spiritual energy, since he could have easily figured out that you are here. But, he accepted what I told him as the truth. I think I bought us a few more weeks, at least," he promised.
Rukia narrowed her eyes "What exactly did you tell him?" She wasn't entirely sure she wanted to hear his response.
"I told him that last I knew, it had been requested that you return to Seretei by Ukitake," he explained. "And that you were assigned to another mission for an unknown length of time. He seemed quite…put off by my knowledge of your 'whereabouts'." He smiled at the young noble.
"And?" she asked, trying to sound as nonchalant as possible.
"I would say that he was displeased that he hasn't seen you in almost two months. If I must say—" he continued.
"You must not say," Rukia growled. He was plodding on dangerous territory. Her eyes flashed their challenge. Urahara made a note to use this scenario again when he wished to elicit a large quantity of spiritual pressure from the young shinigami.
"Very well, if you wish," he sighed. "I was going to tell you this anyway," he waved his hand, "that I suppose it's time that I trained you. Yoruichi has returned to Seretei on a recon mission with Soifon. So, that leaves just you and me, Rukia-chan!"
Rukia eyed him warily. A mischevious smile tugged at her lips. "Now, Kisuke, I'd almost say that you are sad that Yoruchi left you all alone."
Her only answer was an incoherent grunt from the shopkeeper as he drowned his thoughts in his own cup of tea.
New stuff ahead, I have the next chapter almost finished, so I'll get that up soon!
Please review. I'm debating on having a fifth shikai release for Rukia--but that would be it, I promise! But, as I said, that's debatable. Too much?
Let me know what you think. I hope it's not too dry for you.
I added some history for Isshin--which is purely my speculation (I at least think it's plausible), and also about Yoruichi and Byakuya ;)