I don't think I show my appreciation for reviews near enough, but it's hard to show it other than saying thanks every time a chapter comes out. But I'll do what I can, so that will include shout-outs, because they're awesome and, at the very least, reviewers deserve to have their names bolded and mentioned before each new chapter XD So heartfelt thanks and gratitude to war90, COAIM, Twix10, DancerGrl16, Yanaril, aki6, and Demonbloodfeeder. I love having all of this support, it keeps me going and drives me to write each new chapter.
As usual, though, extra thanks to PerennialLurker, FLOL's awesome essayist and my beta-reader. She's been busy with college, but she still found the time to read over this and correct it. I am extremely lucky to have her.
This chapter's review incentive will be revealed at the end again. You'll see why ;D Enjoy and leave a review! I love them to death.
Chapter 7
Returning, Remembering, Redeeming, and Re-forging
It was a simple procedure, but as much as Urahara knew he wanted to do it and had to, he also knew it would be extremely painful to watch years' worth of experiments and work burn to nothing but a pile of ashes at his feet.
Though the lower-ranking shinigami could not understand the motivation behind Urahara's request to burn his notes on the Sokyoku, those who had known him before his exile – Kyoraku, Ukitake, Kurostuchi and even Riza, who had delayed her departure to witness this – understood his motivations, and had given him permission to act as he wished.
He was not burning all of his notes, and he had to keep reminding himself of that. Some of his inventions were still deemed safe for public knowledge, and what information he had to destroy was still, for the most part, in his head. But there was no mistaking the anguish he felt as he grasped in his hands the last set of notes to be thrown onto the enormous pile. So many hours of tedious note-taking and preparation, of well-planned experiments and thorough analysis… It was all to be destroyed in a matter of minutes.
As a scientist, it was his worst nightmare.
"Urahara-san?"
Ukitake's voice pulled him back from his train of thought. For the better, he supposed. He didn't want to think about just what it was he was doing. He'd much rather just get it done and over with. The pain would pass all that much sooner. "I'm fine. Is everyone ready?" he asked, directing his shadow-covered gaze at the captains.
"Ready when you are." Kyouraku attempted a joking smile, but it fell short.
The former twelfth division captain looked down at the document in his hands one last time, noting that, ironically, it was the notes of his first attempt in creating the Hougyoku. His eyes fluttered shut, and with a flick of his wrist, he scattered the papers on top of the pile.
Kyouraku nodded to the four junior shinigami. They stepped forward, torches in hand, and lit the mound. It was aflame in seconds, and the fire roared to life as it enveloped the heap.
Urahara bowed his head, his eyes halfway open as he watched his work incinerate.
Kurotsuchi sighed heavily as the flames danced in front of him. "Over a decade's worth of work. Painstaking notes, double and triple checking your steps, hours of laborious experimentation… it is the life of a scientist. We pour our energy into it, devote our entire selves into it, and think of little else but how to go about doing the next experiment, how to design that idea of an invention that invades your mind and refuses to leave, and pondering over the questions our predecessors left unanswered." His robes and haori rustled in the light breeze that blew in. "That is what we are."
Nemu clasped her hands quietly in front of her. "And then to watch it burn, as if it meant nothing…"
Either because of the somber atmosphere, or because he simply didn't feel like it, Mayuri said nothing, not even scolding her for speaking up when not addressed. He simply fell silent and continued to stare at the inferno.
Nanao shifted uneasily, and glanced over at Riza. "I think I understand why he chose to do this. Throwing his work into an incinerator and being done with it, it would have felt like, to him, that he was doing it injustice. That it meant nothing to him." She pushed her glasses back. "But why here?"
Riza nodded to the large column of smoke that flowed from the fire. "See that? How high do you think it goes up?"
"Pretty high. There's a lot being burned, especially with the cinder and wood he added to the pile beforehand. Why?"
"Think about it. You saw firsthand what happened here. You know what's being burned. That smoke is rising high, for everyone to see." She met Nanao's gaze sternly, but patiently, much like she used to a century ago, whenever she was trying to teach Nanao something.
The vice-captain frowned, and looked back up at the smoke. "Everyone to see the smoke? They…" Her eyes widened momentarily as the proverbial light bulb lit in her head. "Oh. It's a kind of testament?"
Pleased that she figured it out so quickly, Riza nodded. "It's been circulating around for days that the notes Aizen used for his schemes were being burned. It's a reminder to everyone of what has happened, and a warning to prevent it from happening again." She crossed her arms, despite the heat the fire gave off. "I think it also serves as a way of tying up a loose end. A statement that this won't be allowed to happen again."
Nanao added quietly, "It means a lot of things."
"Correcting what we can of the past, so we can move forward to the future." With all the days she spent in the Library, looking at texts of old and trying to find an explanation, perhaps it was understandable why Riza felt the need to say, "It's about time we all did."
When she returned to the human world the next day, she would be pushing forward, for herself, her friends, and for Ichigo and Orihime. With their bond and everything surrounding it that was happening lately, their future was a little uncertain. Tomorrow, Riza swore mentally, they were going to begin to uncover it.
As the last lick of flame smoldered under the heavy pile of ash and wood, a loud uproar tore through the somber silence that settled over the bonfire spectators. Everyone there held similar looks of confusion and intrigue as the noise grew louder. Then, moments later, a small rabble of shinigami, led by Oomaeda, came up from the stairs and over towards the group. Being pulled along with them was a very annoyed Shinji, who was the one causing half of the commotion. The other half was Oomaeda, who had been arguing with Shinji the whole way there.
Kyouraku quickly stepped forward. "Easy, guys. Let him go. Shinji-san, I hope you weren't trying to peek in on the fifth squad women's barracks or something. I do have a reputation to uphold, after all."
This was quickly met with a sound thump over the head, courtesy of Nanao. Kyouraku winced as he turned around and pouted. "Nanao-chan!"
"The sad thing is, you're probably being completely serious," she remarked drolly.
"He is being serious, I assure you," Riza added. She looked over at Shinji. "What the hell did you do?"
Oomaeda scrunched his nose as he glanced down at Shinji. "We caught him trying to sneak into Yamamoto-soutaichou's room, where he's been resting! On Soifon-taichou's orders, we were told not to allow anyone but Kyouraku-taichou, Ukitake-taichou, and Unohana-taichou to-"
Shunsui gave him a cursory wave of his hand to silence him. "All the squads were made aware of those orders, and you've done well. But please, release him. I'll talk to him. He may not have been aware."
Obviously upset by the thought of not being able to throw Shinji into a jail cell, Oomaeda gestured to his men to let him go. Shinji scowled as Oomaeda sneered at him. The Vizard's eyes slitted, and Oomaeda took a step back, glaring fiercely at Hirako before turning and hurrying off.
"Thank you for not beating him senseless, as I know you're very capable of doing," Kyouraku said, smiling wryly.
"Eh, it was nothin'. I thought about puttin' my mask on and making him piss his pants, but I was havin' more fun arguin' with him. How the hell is he a fukutaichou?"
"Money" was the only word Nanao provided, accompanied with a roll of her eyes.
"Glad to see nothin's changed," Shinji commented dryly.
Ukitake chuckled lightly. "The politics of the Gotei 13. I'm sure that's something you haven't missed."
"Among other things." For the first time since before the fire was lit, Urahara spoke. His tone was a little heavy, and quieter than normal, but it was to be expected. "Strange though. I don't remember paying a visit to Yamamoto-soutaichou being on your list of things to do while you were here."
Trying to play it down, Shinji shrugged. "Eh, not originally. Thought I'd check up on 'im, but I shoulda known he'd be guarded. Besides, I got bored, and I didn't feel like seeing a pile of papers burn up."
Riza shunpoed behind him, and kicked him hard in the back of his legs. As Shinji fell to the ground, muttering in pain, Urahara sighed softly. "Ah, I understand, really." He took off his hat, and ran a hand through his hair tiredly. "I think I'm going to go get some rest."
"Perhaps we should as well. How about it, Nanao-chan?"
Ise gave her captain, who was looking at her hopefully, a steely glare. "I know where you're going with this, and the answer's no. But I am tired, so I will sleep. Alone." She glanced over at Riza, ignoring her captain's piteous cries of rejection.
"I'll catch up with you in a minute. I want to talk to Shinji." She smiled reassuringly at her friend, and Nanao smiled and nodded.
She bowed to the others before disappearing in a flash, Kyouraku following after her after bidding everyone a quick good night. Mayuri glanced at Shinji. "What a ruckus," he muttered before shunpoing as well, Nemu on his heels. Ukitake waved and disappeared as well, leaving Urahara.
"Go sleep," Riza urged him. "It's been a rough day for you."
"I know. I just wish I was back at the shop. There's so much to do yet, and I…" He smiled slightly and shrugged it off. "Well, the quicker I fall asleep, the faster tomorrow comes. Good night," he said with a tip of his hat. He took a few steps, twirling his cane before shunpoing into the distance.
Riza glanced over at the remaining shinigami with a frown. They blinked, and many of them fretted nervously before taking off, either shunpoing, or if they didn't know how, just flat out ran towards the long stairs.
"Still looks like ya can strike fear into any of 'em," Shinji said with a chuckle.
Riza brushed some ash off of her shirt before casually asking him, "So, seeing as what happened, I take it you weren't able to do it?"
His smile vanishing, Shinji glanced skyward. "Nope. Nothin' we can do about it now. We'll just have to wait, that's all." He gently fingered something tucked into his coat pocket, and sighed. "No big deal. It doesn't matter when it happens, just as long as it does eventually, right?"
Riza tugged at her braid. "As long as they don't notice, yes."
Shinji shook his head. "Let's not worry about it now. We gotta rest up fer tomorrow. It's gonna be a hell of a long day, and we still don't know what the heck we're gonna do. I don't need to be worryin' about other crap on top of it."
Orihime's thoughts were also turned to the training that would begin the next day. Naturally, she had concerns about exactly what they would be doing, and if she and Ichigo would do all right. She wasn't going to let herself walk in there with any delusions: she doubted anything significant would happen on the first day. She doubted it would be much more than an examination to assess the current level of power she and Ichigo controlled.
I think so, anyway. Shinji-kun was pretty clear that he was in no rush about doing this. Maybe it is best if we take it slow. She frowned as she walked to her refrigerator and pulled out an onion. She was planning on making a beef, tomato, and noodle stir-fry, and diced onion was another key ingredient. She set the onion on the counter with the rest of her ingredients, and inhaled deeply. I feel a little tired. I think I've been worrying about this too much.
The distinct sound of chatter drifted in from the living room. Orihime smiled slightly as she heard Hitsugaya make some dry retort to Hinamori's teasing. Hinamori-san sounds much better today. Her smile fell, and her gaze rested on the food in front of her. I think I've been worrying about too much in general, lately. But Hinamori-san… I don't know if she's made any progress. Maybe it'll take awhile, but I just-
She shook her head, trying to dislodge such consuming thoughts. She pulled out a pan, and turned on the burners. The stir-fry was Hinamori's favorite. It was the first meal she had eaten in the human world, and despite Orihime's initial fears, she loved it. Hinamori had quietly asked her earlier if she could make it again, and Orihime certainly wasn't going to say no. If it helped Hinamori feel better, she would do whatever it took.
As she began to prepare the ingredients, her thoughts took a reprieve from her worries, and reminisced about her first meeting with Hinamori.
She had been fretting over that dinner the entire day. Thoughts racing, she felt like she had gone all over the place, finding a recipe that Hinamori might like and getting ingredients.
The stir-fry was sizzling in the pan when she heard a knock on the door. Nearly jumping out of her skin, Orihime had to quickly compose herself before answering the door. She pulled together a bright smile and cracked open the door.
Hitsugaya stood alongside of a small woman, only barely taller than him, wearing a bun and a shy smile. "U-um, hello," the woman greeted.
"Ah, you must be Hinamori-fukutaichou! Come in," Orihime answered cheerily, opening the door all the way and letting the pair in.
"Hinamori, this is Inoue Orihime. Inoue-san, this is Hinamori Momo." Hitsugaya gently led Hinamori inside, and closed the door behind them.
Hinamori bowed slightly to Orihime. "Please call me Momo. Thank you for letting me stay here, especially on such short notice."
Orihime waved her hands in front of her face, flushing faintly. "Oh, please, I don't mind at all! Ah, um, excuse me! I have to check on dinner! Please make yourselves at home!"
She hurried off to check on the stir-fry. She nearly stumbled into the kitchen, but managed to keep her balance. As she checked on the meal and stirred it, she heard Hitsugaya ask, quite hesitantly, "Inoue-san, what exactly are you making for us tonight?"
It was no secret that Hitsugaya usually suffered through her meals, and ate out whenever he could. "It's a stir-fry. Beef, tomato, and noodles with some chopped onions. I found it in a cookbook!" she answered, hoping the "cookbook" part would ease his mind.
There was a barely audible sigh of relief. Orihime smiled as she turned off the burner, and dished the stir-fry out. "It's done!" she announced as she brought the stir-fry into the dining area.
Hinamori and Hitsugaya sat down, and Orihime followed their lead as she set the food down on the table. "Oh! Would you like anything to drink?"
They both declined. "Maybe later?" Hinamori offered. "But I am hungry though. This looks delicious!"
"Thank you!" Orihime felt a swell of pride, not used to people liking her cooking. She served the stir-fry, and then leaned back slightly as she sampled it. Her body tensed as she awaited her housemates' reactions.
Hitsugaya chewed carefully, and then smiled. "Pretty good."
Hinamori nodded in agreement. "This is great!" She shot Hitsugaya a stern frown, and he glanced away uneasily.
Pretty sure what the frown was about, Orihime laughed nervously. "My cooking is a little eccentric, and most people don't like it."
Momo looked down at the stir-fry, and then back at Orihime. "Hmm. Even so, you know how to cook. I think it's more than we can say for Hitsugaya-kun here," she said, smiling at her friend, who glared playfully back at her.
Most of the dinner passed by in relative peace. They chatted about a few things regarding Karakura Town, and both Hitsugaya and Inoue told Hinamori about Karakura High, and how to get by posing as a student.
"So, you and all your friends that came to Soul Society attend this school?" Hinamori asked.
Orihime nodded. "Yep! Well, almost. Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, and Kurosaki-kun all go there."
"Inoue-san is going to be spending a lot of time with them for a couple weeks. Catching up on assignments," Hitsugaya added.
Orihime flushed faintly as she poked at her food. "That's right. I'll have to try to make more normal food. They'll be here once or twice a week, since we're rotating houses. I don't want to have them go home with upset stomachs."
Hitsugaya smirked slightly. "Kurosaki doesn't seem to mind your cooking. He'd probably really enjoy this. Then again, he'd probably say he likes this even if he really didn't."
"Kurosaki Ichigo?" Hinamori looked over at a beet red Orihime. "Ooh. Is he your boyfriend?"
Orihime squeaked loudly, and almost violently waved her hands. "No no no! Just a friend! I think Hitsugaya-taichou just meant he'd say that because Kurosaki-kun is very kind!"
"To you," Hitsugaya countered. "He acts like a punk around the rest of us."
Unsure of how to react to that, Orihime focused intently on her food, and shoveled an enormous amount into her mouth.
As she tried to chew through her food, Hinamori, who sensed her embarrassment, chided Hitsugaya for teasing her. He countered with some dry remark (Orihime was still focusing more on her chewing than listening, and missed what he said), and they went back and forth with insults and comebacks.
When it looked like Hitsugaya and Hinamori were about to get into a full-blown argument, Orihime quickly asked Hinamori, "You've never been in the human world for really long?"
Blinking in surprise, Hinamori shook her head. "No longer than a day or two. But I'm looking forward to it. I mean, there's a lot to be done here, and a lot that might happen yet. After everything that happened-" Her smile suddenly fell, and Orihime's heart clenched. "I know I've been a problem to everyone. That's why I came along."
"We need someone who's skilled at kidou, someone who's really good with it aside from Kuchiki. It's not a suspension or vacation. You're down here on duty." Hitsugaya tried to sound stern, but Orihime could make out a distinct plea in his tone.
Hinamori sighed, and pushed her nearly empty plate away from her. "It's fine. I, um, I'd just like to rest."
Feeling terribly guilty that she might have somehow made Hinamori upset, Orihime nodded and got up. She beckoned for Hinamori, and showed her where she would be sleeping.
Later that night, as Orihime did the dishes, she heard Hitsugaya quietly approach her. She turned around, and bowed her head. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be. The strangest things will remind her of him, or dampen her mood. I've done it already and I still don't know what it was I said." Hitsugaya shoved his hands into his pockets. "I don't know what to say to help her."
Orihime glanced out the window. "I don't either. But, I trust Unohana-taichou, and I think Hinamori-san is strong. I think she's just forgotten how to be. We'll figure it out."
Orihime lost confidence in her prediction the first night Momo had a night terror. No one was sure how or why these terrors started, but Hitsugaya feared it was because of the location. Aizen did, technically, die right above Karakura Town. Hinamori hadn't been told who killed him, with good reason, but she certainly knew where he spent his last moments.
There was no definitive answer.
Orihime had no intention of giving up on her. Right then, though, she was holding onto the hope that Rangiku would be able to help when she came. Until she was sent there, however, she and Hitsugaya were just going to have to deal with things as best as they could.
With everything cooking in the pan, Orihime walked into the living room. Another thing she had been worrying about was what to tell Hinamori and Hitsugaya in regards to her training. She couldn't tell them the complete truth, but she wasn't going to lie, either.
"Hitsugaya-taichou? Hinamori-san?"
The pair, who had been on the couch watching television, craned their heads to see her.
"Will you two be all right for dinner tomorrow? I might not be back here until later."
They exchanged glances before turning back to look at Orihime. "Yes," Hitsugaya answered. "Are you doing something with Arisawa-san?"
She had to be as honest as possible. This wasn't going to be a one-time thing, so they had to know. "No. Training. This will be happening a couple times a week, I'm thinking. I'm not totally sure yet."
Hinamori blinked confusedly. "Training?"
"H-Hachi-san. His powers are sort of similar to mine. He's going to help me learn to use them better." She paused, and waited.
"One of the Vizards?" Hitsugaya stared at her thoughtfully, and then nodded. "All right. Just don't overdo it."
Orihime beamed, and gave him a little salute. "Yes, sir!"
The phone rang, and she hurried over to answer it. Her expression was understandably confused when she answered the phone, since she hadn't been expecting any calls that night. "Hello?"
She listened intently as Hinamori and Hitsugaya watched her. Orihime then beamed, and placed a hand over the receiver. "It's Abarai-kun. He and some of the others are getting together after dinner. He said no gigais?" She wasn't exactly sure what Renji meant by the last statement, but hoped one of the two resident shinigami knew.
Hitsugaya raised a brow, but nodded. "Letting off some steam, it seems. Are you up for it?" he asked Hinamori, turning to look at her.
She grinned, and nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes! I feel so restless sitting around here."
Letting off steam? Oh, sparring! Orihime lifted her hand, and spoke to Renji. "All three of us will come after dinner." She paused, and then giggled. "No, Hitsugaya-taichou's fine with it."
Hitsugaya's expression became deadpan. "I have a sense of fun, despite what he might think."
Hinamori smiled innocently as she looked over at Hitsugaya. "I can't imagine where he got that from, Hitsugaya-kun."
"It's Hitsugaya-taichou."
"I take that back," she said with a laugh.
Fun was not the word Grimmjow would have used to describe what he was doing. He still couldn't fathom just how the hell he had gotten into this. But, he supposed that if it garnered him just one more fight with Kurosaki and thus one more chance to redeem himself, it was worth it.
And, although he would never admit it to anyone, ever, he was actually genuinely curious about what Tousen and Ichimaru were doing. At first, he had begun spying on them begrudgingly, not caring in the least about what he would find out. But after watching them for two days, he began to wonder.
There were a few things he was already quite certain about in regards to the activities of Tousen and Ichimaru. One, they had rounded up almost all of the surviving Arrancar. None of the Espada, save him, had survived the war's end, but a few groups of Numero had. Two, they were not operating alone. Three, they were looking for someone or something.
The second and third observations went hand in hand. What stumped Grimmjow was who was helping Tousen and Ichimaru, and who or what they were looking for. The people aiding the two former captains were not Hollows, this he was sure of. They certainly couldn't be humans: their reiatsu was too strong for that.
But why would they be collaborating with shinigami? Grimmjow's perch from where he was watching the going-ons in Las Noches didn't allow him to get a close look at the strange men that had been wandering around. They didn't wear shihakusho, or even any black wardrobe. He thought he saw some sort of cloak hanging from their shoulders, but he couldn't be certain. They always stayed too far away for him to see.
It was frustrating not to be able to tell who they were, because he didn't recognize them in the least, but he had twelve more days to figure it out. If all else failed, maybe the damned shopkeeper who set him up to this task would have an idea.
I still can't believe I fell for that fucking trap of his. Now I'm roped into doing this spying shit. I hate sneaking the hell around and acting like a motherfucking coward.
He glared intensely into thin air, a growl building up in his throat. He should have been more careful.
But really, did he have any choice in the end, aside from walking out with no chance of fighting Kurosaki? Urahara was the one to offer the deal. Essentially, he had the power in the whole thing, and that was what Grimmjow hated the most. Yes, he was curious about what was going on, but there were others ways in which he would have preferred to obtain the information. But the spying was just a means to an end. An end he had to fulfill to get what he wanted.
Goddamn bastard shopkeeper.
"So, you are thpying on them."
Grimmjow's spine immediately went rigid, and he spun around to confront the source of the voice. He had thrown caution to the wind again, and could have easily been caught. It wasn't one of Tousen or Ichimaru's lackeys. It was only the little Arrancar that had been hanging around him since the day Aizen fell.
"Nel!" Grimmjow hissed, resisting the urge to pick her up by the throat and shake her. "Why the fuck are you here?"
Little Nel frowned slightly. "Becauth I was worried. I knew you were thpying on Touthen and Ithimaru for that Uwahawa guy, but I didn't know where you were!"
Grimmjow bit back yet another snarl. "How the hell did you know that?"
"I overheard you tawking to him." Neliel looked away uneasily. "I fowwowed you that night."
"You spied on me? You little shit!"
Eyes that, to Grimmjow, looked too old and wise to belong to a child narrowed at him. "Aren'th you one to tawk?"
He would have smacked her to the other side of Las Noches, except she was dead right. So, instead, he glared at her and turned away. "Whatever. Get lost. It's not safe here, anyway."
As much as she annoyed the crap out of Grimmjow, he owed her. She had healed him from the brink of death, and she and her friends had gotten him out of Las Noches before Tousen or Ichimaru could find him. If he had been found, especially so broken and bloody and weak, there was no telling what would have happened to him. Although he'd never say it, he was grateful to Neliel for saving him. And she did it out of no ulterior motive or reasoning. She did it simply because he needed her help, even after how he treated her.
So, once he recovered, he stuck close to her and her so-called brothers. They were tiring and made Grimmjow want to rip his hair out, but he supposed that it was better than being alone, or dead for that matter.
"B- but-"
He sighed. "Scram, Nel."
"I thaw thinigami!"
Grimmjow froze. "What?" he snapped, his eyes wide in surprise as he glanced back at her.
She recoiled slightly from him, but nodded. "I think they were thinigami. I don't know what elth they could have been."
There was no doubt that she saw the strange men that had been loitering around lately. Grimmjow used his pesquisa to scan the area. "Where?" he asked.
Voices drifted further down from where Grimmjow was. He grabbed Neliel and moved further back in his hiding spot in one fluid motion. He clamped a hand over her mouth, not risking her blabbing something and getting them caught. He dampened his reiatsu as much as possible, and he felt Neliel lower hers as well. Normally, he wouldn't care if the men found him, but a little voice in his head nagged that he had his end of the bargain to uphold, and that meant not getting caught.
From a distance away, he saw Tousen and Ichimaru emerge from around the corner, followed by three of the strange men. Their backs were turned to him, and they were covered in the shadows.
He couldn't see much of them, but he saw something hanging from their backs. Definitely wearing cloaks or something. Their outfits ain't baggy, either. The hell are they?
"Ara, ara. I wonder how you expect us to find someone, when ya don't even tell us who it is we're lookin' fer? Like a scavenger hunt with no clues," Ichimaru said in the same happy, almost cheerful but creepy tone he was known for.
Tousen, however, was not being as patient. "This is impossible. You want us to do what you ask, and yet you won't provide us with any clues to which you seek."
"You are not worthy in my eyes of knowing," spoke the leader of the mystery trio. "Prove to me your loyalty, and I will tell you more. For now, I will say this: we are searching for a small group of people."
Grimmjow's eyes narrowed. He felt Nel shift and turn to look at him. He looked back at her, and read the surprise and worry in her eyes.
Tousen nodded curtly. "We'll take it for now. We'll prove our worth, and you'll fulfill your end of the bargain?"
The leader waved his hand. "Of course, as long as we get who we are searching for. Once we acquisition that power, Soul Society will once again be ours. Then the Gotei 13 can be yours to command."
Ichimaru tilted his head. "Oh? Yer lookin' for some pretty darn powerful folk, eh? There are a lot of scary-strong people out there, ya know."
"It is not your concern right now. We still do not even know where they are. We're finished here, for now. Expect us at the end of the week." The leader motioned to his silent comrades, and they disappeared in a flash.
Shunpo. Grimmjow heard the distinct swooshing sound associated with it. But they can't be shinigami. The fuck?
Tousen turned to Ichimaru. "We'll see Aizen-sama's goals fulfilled in time."
Ichimaru shook his head, and walked away from Tousen. "It ain't the same," he said, his tone flat. He glanced back at Tousen, his expression unreadable, before flash-stepping away from him.
Tousen stood in his spot for what felt like long minutes. He crossed his arms, and bowed his head, contemplating something. What it was, Grimmjow couldn't guess, nor did he really care. Finally, Tousen walked away, his head still bowed.
Grimmjow waited a few more minutes, until Tousen's reiatsu was far away. He then relaxed, and stepped away from his spot.
"Gwimmjow."
The former Espada frowned down at Neliel, but the expression faded when he caught her scared look. "What? They ain't gonna find us."
"It's not that," she murmured, her little body starting to tremble. "Wemember what those men thaid, about wooking for powerful people?"
"Yeah?" he asked, not getting where she was going with this.
She sniffed as tears formed. "Think about it! Powewful people, a power to take down the thinigami! They could mean Itsygo and his fwiends!" She waved her tiny arms in emphasis. "Weren't they weally stwong? Wasn't Aizen-sama intewested in Itsygo's powers? He even kidnapped Owahime for hers! His fwiends took down Ethpada!"
Because she very well could be right, and because it would be his luck, Grimmjow's eyes widened. "Oh, fuck," he muttered.
They didn't know where the people they were searching for were, and to this, Grimmjow was slightly relieved. It wasn't like he cared about Kurosaki's well-being, but if they found him before he got his fight, he was going to be pissed. He also knew that Neliel was worried about Ichigo for her own reasons.
"There ain't much we can do. If that's who it is, just start hoping they don't find Kurosaki in the next twelve days."
He really had no choice now. He would have to watch these men's every move, and listen for any news of them announcing who they were looking for and where. If it was Kurosaki, or someone in Karakura, then Grimmjow would just have to get there before they did.
Orihime let her head fall back, and the breeze rustled her hair as it flowed gently behind her. It was so nice, she thought, to get outside and enjoy the day, instead of being inside and doing homework, as she had been for the past couple of weeks.
Walking alongside of her were Hinamori and Hitsugaya. However, to most people, it would have appeared Orihime was walking alone. Her housemates were out of their gigais, and they were on their way to meet up with Renji and the others for a good bout of sparring.
The air was cool, and Orihime slightly shivered in her jacket. She hoped that the all the running around and movement she would soon be doing would warm her up quickly enough.
"You should have brought a heavier jacket, Inoue-san," Hitsugaya chided lightly.
She smiled at him. "Oh, it's all right. I didn't want to bring too heavy of one and make it hard to fight. This jacket is warmer than it looks," she insisted. "But, aren't you cold?"
"These shihakusho are a lot warmer than they look, too," Hinamori answered. "And she's right, Hitsugaya-kun. Once we start fighting we'll warm up quickly."
"Yo!" Keigo's voice resounded from further up ahead. The trio looked in his direction, and could make out the others waiting for them.
Orihime waved, and they hurried over to them. Ichigo and her other friends were there, along with Keigo, Mizuiro, and Tatsuki.
Hitsugaya nodded to everyone, but cast Tatsuki and company a wary glance. "This is going to be dangerous."
"That's why they're going to be all the way back there," Ichigo said, pointing to an area several yards back, "and we're going to be up here."
"We'll be all right," Tatsuki said with a roll of her eyes. "Just don't get too crazy. We've always wanted to see you guys in action."
"Some of us have seals, so we'll have to take it easy." Hinamori's glance flitted from face to face. "I think staying at shikai level is a good idea."
Renji nodded. "Probably best, so we don't cause too much of a mess. All right, how are we doing this? All out brawl or teams?"
"Teams," Hitsugaya immediately answered. "I hate brawls. Too chaotic."
"We should warm up first," Rukia suggested. "Against somebody who balances out our strengths."
Everyone nodded in agreement, and began to pair off. The trio who weren't able to fight walked to their chosen spot to put a safe distance between them and the fighting. As the sparring partners strolled off to find a good place to warm up, Orihime found herself left alone with Ichigo.
"Ah, um, looks like we're partners, Kurosaki-kun." She smiled, but her shoulders hunched when a cold gust of air blew in.
Ichigo made some move towards her, and she idly wondered if he was going to try to shield her from the wind. Seemingly realizing what he was about to do, he instead scratched his head and smiled nervously. "Y-yeah, seems like it. You okay?"
She nodded vigorously. "Yep! Just a little cold."
He frowned in concern. "Come on, let's run and pick a spot. We'll warm up quicker." He motioned to a spot, and jogged over to it. She followed after him, willing her frozen muscles to work. When they found a suitable area, Ichigo looked at her nervously.
Orihime stood in a defensive stance, or at least as much as she could with her body hunched together from the cold. She blinked when Ichigo kept looking at her uneasily. "It's okay, Kurosaki-kun," she said, wondering if he was feeling hesitant about attacking a friend.
He scratched his head. "This is awkward. I don't want to strike at you. You're my friend, and, well… you're a girl."
"Don't just stand there you moron!" Tatsuki shouted almost perfectly on cue from her seat on a dead log. "Geez. Orihime, you attack first then! Get him to move!"
Orihime chuckled nervously, but drew out her Santen Kesshun. "It's fine, really. I have my shield up."
Still unsure, although apparently resigned, Ichigo nodded and ran at her, sword drawn. Orihime planted her feet into the ground, and tried not to stumble back from the impact when he struck her shield. He swung out again, and she blocked it once more. She matched him each time, swing for swing.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" he asked quietly as he pulled back.
She almost thought she imagined him asking, but when she met his glance, she saw the question in his eyes as well. "Um, yeah, I think so. It'll be nice to do something else besides homework," she added teasingly. A smile formed as she stepped back. "You?"
He nodded in determination. "Yeah. I want to get this settled."
In a rare display of aggressiveness, which was born from her need to keep coming to stay warm and to get Ichigo moving as per Tatsuki's orders, Orihime ran towards him. "Were they hard on you when you trained with them?" she asked as she aimed a kick at him.
Caught slightly off guard by her actions, Ichigo took the kick, but spun around as soon as he could. He got behind her, and went to elbow her, seemingly more comfortable with just basic hand-to-hand than actually using his weapon against her. "Yeah, they're pretty tough. Especially Hiyori."
Orihime brought the shield in front of her, repelling his elbow. "Oh. Well, that'll be good for us, right?"
Ichigo stumbled back. He recovered quickly, and shunpoed behind her. "I won't let them go that hard on you."
She spun around to face him, and lifted her leg to kick him from the side. He grabbed her ankle with his hand to stop her. Unfortunately, with Orihime's klutziness, the sudden change in momentum caused her to lose her balance and fall over to the side. Ichigo instinctively let go of her foot and reached out to catch her. His hands automatically grabbed her shoulders, steadying her. She, in turn, snagged her arms around his neck, since it happened to be the nearest thing to hold onto.
In such close proximity of each other, they stared and blushed furiously. Ichigo attempted a lighthearted smile. "Heh, s-sorry about that. But, uh, yeah. We'll be fine tomorrow."
She wasn't sure if it was some desperate attempt to change the subject, which was a moot point by then, but she nodded along and chuckled. "Oh, th-thank you, Kurosaki-kun. That's, um, really sweet of you." A smile lit up her face, and she slowly slipped her arms from around his neck. "Sorry for tripping."
"No, I'm sorry for tripping you to begin with. I…" He glanced away in shame. "It was a cheap move."
"Huh? It's okay, it was the smart thing to do." She didn't want him to treat her any differently than he would if he were with any other sparring partner. "And you shouldn't be upset with yourself. We're sparring. Just think of me like any of the others."
A small snippet of conversation from her earlier reminiscing floated to the front of her thoughts.
"I think Hitsugaya-taichou just meant he'd say that because Kurosaki-kun is very kind!"
"To you. He acts like a punk around the rest of us."
It wasn't like she didn't notice. She just never really understood why. He was a fundamentally good person, and she had no doubt about it. But for the first time, she really made a note of the way he treated her, and questioned it.
"But you're not like any of the others." He went rigid, but still kept Orihime in his grasp. "Er, what I mean is, you are my nakama, just like the others. It's just that, well…"
A part of her wanted to ask "But just what?" What set her apart from everyone else?
And for that matter, why was his face suddenly closer to hers? She wasn't sure, but all she knew was that his breath was warm, and her head was beginning to spin. He smiled slightly, before dipping his head and-
"All right! Practice is over!"
Renji's voice cut through the air, and brought them back to reality, their almost-moment shattered. Ichigo shook his head, and mumbled out another apology as he let go of Orihime.
If anyone saw them and what almost happened, they didn't mention it. "Hinamori, Ishida, Sado and myself will be on one team," Hitsugaya said as everyone gathered around him, "and the rest on the other team." He looked around them and towards Tatsuki and the others watching from afar. "This is when the three of you need to be the most cautious! Understood?" he shouted down to them.
A faint "Yes, sir!" could be heard from down there.
"Good. Everyone, split up." Hitsugaya motioned to his team, and they jumped back a few paces. Ichigo's team backed up as well, never taking their eyes off of the others.
The captain looked at everyone, gauging them. "Ready?" When he received seven nods, he nodded back. "Go!"
For a split second, no one did anything. Then, Ichigo and Rukia made a dash towards their opponents. Sado ran forward to meet them, and nearly collided with Ichigo as both went at each other. Rukia chanted, and fired a kidou spell at the rest of the opposing team. It forced them to jump apart, scattering them.
"Hoeru, Zabimaru!" Renji swung out his zanpakutou. Zabimaru released, and it arched out towards Hitsugaya. The younger man parried, and leapt back into the air to avoid another swing.
"Soten ni zase…" Hitsugaya pushed off from the air, and went hurtling at Renji. This wasn't a fight about tactics or strategy: it was just a good fight to let off steam. Normally, it would have been a stupid move to make, but he didn't seem to care as he shouted, "Hyourinmaru!"
The long chain of Hyourinmaru shot out, and was entangled with Zabimaru. Renji tugged, but he was at a disadvantage, especially when ice began coating Zabimaru.
"Some no mai, Tsukishiro!" Shirayuki's pillar of ice shot out from the side, where Rukia was, and collided with Hyourinmaru. Hitsugaya was forced to release Zabimaru in order to avoid getting hit.
Renji grinned at Rukia, and she smirked back.
An arrow shot between them, making them both leap away in surprise. Ishida leapt up into the air, and fired a rain of arrows down on them. Hinamori charged at everyone on the ground in the meantime. She swung Tobiume, which was already released, and sent a fireball soaring at them.
The Santen Kesshun appeared in front of Rukia and Renji, protecting them from the attack. Rukia turned, and smiled proudly at Orihime. "Thanks."
Hinamori, undeterred, leaped and swung down at Renji. He swung Zabimaru up, knocking Hinamori back. Hitsugaya quickly went after, and caught her by the arm, steadying her and preventing her from flying back any further.
Orihime heard Ichigo curse. She glanced over, and saw Sado knock him back. "Zanten Kesshun!" she shouted, and Tsubaki soared, creating a cutting shield between the two friends, forcing each one back. He wasn't aimed with deadly force, but enough to knock them apart.
It worked. Ichigo got the time he needed, and was able to recover. He shunpoed behind Sado, and swung down. Sado blocked it with his arm, but grunted under the weight. He was now forced on the defensive. They exchanged and dodged a few blows before Sado leaped away from Ichigo, and Ishida joined him at this side.
Hitsugaya motioned to his team, and gave the signal for them to attack at once.
Rukia stepped forward, and drew Shirayuki back. "Tsugi no mai, Hakuren!" She performed the attack, and the wave of ice sped towards her opponents, breaking their offensive line. Renji and Ichigo took advantage of the opportunity. Renji lashed out Zabimaru, forcing Sado to duck and tumble out of the way. Ichigo launched a Getsuga Tenshou, which Ishida and Hinamori only narrowly dodged.
Even scattered, Hitsugaya's team managed to recover and come at Ichigo's group from all sides. Things got extremely chaotic as attacks were fired off and swords were swung. Ichigo felt like he was trying to keep up with three different attacks when, suddenly, there was a cry of pain.
His heart seemed to freeze in his chest. His head snapped around, and found Orihime kneeling on the ground, clutching her arm. Everyone around them came to a halt. Within seconds he was at her side, crouching down to look at her wound. "How bad is it?" he asked, trying to mask his worry.
"Not bad, really! It was my fault. I went to shield Rukia-chan and Abarai-kun, and I didn't protect myself." Orihime silently called out the Soten Kesshun, and the healing shield formed over the wound.
Ichigo frowned as he clenched his fist. "Who hit you?"
"It was one of my arrows," Ishida answered in Orihime's stead. He carefully stepped towards her, never taking his eyes off of Ichigo. "Inoue-san, I'm so sorry, I-"
Ichigo went to say something to him, nothing particularly nice which he would have felt completely justified in saying, when Orihime stopped him. "Please don't take the blame for my carelessness, Ishida-kun. See, the wound's already healing."
Ichigo wasn't sure what he felt more: anger at Ishida for being so careless and wounding her, even though he knew that it wasn't intentional, or disappointment in himself for not being able to stop it, even though there was no way he could have prevented it.
Hitsugaya stepped forward. "I think it's time for this to end. Besides…" He looked to the south, towards the direction of the town. "I sense a Hollow or two towards town." As if on cue, his communicator beeped.
Hinamori looked over at her childhood friend, and smiled. "Why don't you and I handle them?"
Hitsugaya nodded, and glanced back at everyone. "That was good. Nice job. Let's just not get too carried away next time." He motioned for Hinamori, and the pair shunpoed towards the town.
Renji stretched, wincing when he heard an audible crack in his back. "Damn, I needed that." Zabimaru morphed back into its unreleased state, and Renji sheathed it. "And now I could go for a nice, long soak in the tub. Fat chance of that happening, though."
Orihime, her arm now healed, got on her feet. Brushing off some leaf pieces and grass from her pants, she breathed out a heavy sigh. "That really was fun. And it's a good warm-up for tomorrow." She smiled at Ichigo, but he looked away, unable to meet her stare.
"Yeah, it'll be great" was all he offered her as an evasive response.
Rukia frowned, and went to smack him over the head when Tatsuki called out to them. She turned around, and the on-lookers to the fight walked over to them. "What did you think?" she asked them.
"That was awesome!" Keigo said, "Well, before Inoue-san got injured, but it was still cool!"
Ichigo clenched his jaw, and turned his back to his friends. He didn't know that Tatsuki noticed, or that she suddenly frowned inquisitively at him.
But he did hear her say, "Hey Mizuiro, Keigo, you guys walk on home without me."
Mizuiro blinked in surprise and confusion. "Huh?"
Not addressing his confusion right away, Tatsuki turned to Ishida and Sado. "You two walk Orihime home, okay?" She then glanced at Renji and Rukia. "And while I think you two can take care of yourselves, I know Keigo and Mizuiro had some questions they wanted to ask you, if that's okay."
Rukia beamed, and nodded. "Sure! Come on, you two. We'll walk and talk."
The two boys exchanged grins, and nodded. They followed after Renji and Rukia, and wasted no time in firing off questions. Ishida cautiously walked to Orihime's side. She smiled happily at him, and nodded. Sado joined them, and the trio walked away in silence, with Orihime shouting good-bye to Tatsuki and Ichigo, and Ishida giving him an uneasy glance before looking away.
Tatsuki watched them walk off, hands in her pockets. She seemed calm, and Ichigo couldn't fathom what she intended to do. She finally turned towards him, a curious frown in her features. Ichigo glanced back at her, his usual scowl in place. After a minute of silence, Tatsuki spoke quietly, "Ichigo, we need to talk."
What had he done? Ichigo nodded and straightened his back, very unsure of Tatsuki's motives. "All right. About what?"
"You, me, Orihime… that Shinji guy." She began walking, and he fell into step alongside of her. "A lot of things, really."
Ichigo kept walking, but didn't know what to say next. He tried to think of something to say to prompt her to talk, but before his brain could conjure up an idea, she spoke.
"I don't trust him." Tatsuki crossed her arms, her expression unreadable.
Well, she was always blunt and to the point, and Ichigo knew this. Her statement still caught him off guard, and he almost stumbled. "What? Who, Shinji?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Her gaze went skyward, and she drew in a shaky breath. "In general, I do, but in regards to this whole training business, I don't like the way he's approaching it."
So, he wasn't the only one who had noticed. Shinji's extreme curiosity about Ichigo's new power sometimes unsettled him, and he did question on a few occasions if Shinji really cared about him or Orihime at all. "I don't either."
"What?" She hadn't expected the same of him, apparently. "And you're doing it anyway?"
"I'm not doing this for kicks, Tatsuki." Quite the opposite, in fact. He felt almost masochistic for deciding to do it, especially if there weren't other questions he needed answered riding on it. "Do you think I want to go back into that form? I brutally killed someone with it, and attacked Ishida. I don't remember how I did it exactly, and now weird stuff is happening as a result. I don't want to, but I have to."
"Why?" she asked, her brow furrowed. "Why, if it's not something that'll come up again?"
Ichigo frowned at her. "Come on, you don't really think that. It may very well happen again, and it's something I need closure on. And I want Inoue to have peace of mind. I think she still blames herself for the entire thing."
Tatsuki sighed, and he knew she agreed with him. "She does, I'm sure. You're right, it's a resolution you both need. But does it have to be those Vizards that help you?"
It was something else Ichigo had wondered over the past few weeks. A lot of things had been on his mind, that being one of them. "The thing is, no one knows for sure what to do. Shinji and the others are more adept with dealing with Hollow powers than anyone else, so it seems they'd be best in handling it. Not much is going to happen tomorrow, but it's a start." He couldn't falter now. He wouldn't let himself, or anyone else.
Tatsuki didn't flinch when they were hit with another cold bluster of wind. They both pressed forward. Over the wind, he barely heard her say, "You know, I had it all wrong before. I thought you weren't taking this seriously enough, and that you were just doing it for the power. I'm not sure why, to be honest. And I thought the Vizards were setting you straight. It's almost the other way around, and I'm sorry I felt that way." Tatsuki angled her head to look up at his. "Do you think it'll work? The training?"
"I have to believe it'll work, for both me and Inoue." Not believing wasn't an option. "It's scary, but if there's one thing I don't regret about the dome incident, it's that I was at least able to protect her with that form. It's the only thing that's keeping me from hating myself completely for what happened. She wasn't harmed and…" Ichigo felt his chest tighten for reasons he couldn't understand. "Yeah, I have to live with the guilt of knowing I killed someone so mercilessly, and wounding Ishida, but if Inoue was put out of harm's way, I can live with it."
He paused apprehensively when Tatsuki suddenly came to a halt. Her erratic behavior was worrying him, and he sensed there was something else beneath it all. "Tatsuki?"
He became even more concerned when she suddenly started chuckling. The… hell? He stepped towards her, and his arm slightly reached out towards her as the giggling turned into full blown laughter. "Uh…"
"S-sorry," she stammered when she calmed down enough to breathe and talk. "It's just, I can't believe it. It's really happening."
He blinked rapidly, not following her logic. "What is?"
"You and Orihime."
"You mean the bond thing we have going?" he asked, his expression quickly becoming confused.
She shook her head, wiping stray tears from her cheeks. "Nah. That's the last thing on my mind right now. I mean in general." She crossed her arms, but smirked smugly at him. "I didn't think you'd get it. Lemme ask you: you said you could live with what you did, since Orihime wasn't hurt. Why?"
Well, wasn't that obvious? "She's my nakama. And-and I went there to rescue her."
"So, the ends justify the means?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, that's not what I meant. Ishida's my nakama, too, and I wished it all happened differently." He was struggling to find and word the explanation that made sense in his head. "I told her I'd protect her, no matter what, without fail."
Her expression seemed intrigued, and Ichigo suddenly felt like he was in the spotlight. "But why her? You never swore that to anyone else, right?" Before he could answer, she raised her index finger. "Could it be," she said, speaking almost like a professor would during a lecture to his class, "for the same reason you treat her differently, and why you almost kissed her before?"
He thought his head was going to explode. "Wh-what?" He sputtered something incoherent, but he was not even sure what he tried to say. "I-I didn't-"
"Yeah, you did. When you were warming up. I saw the whole thing." Tatsuki grinned widely. "I'm not mad."
Ichigo raised his hand, ready to protest. But speech failed him, and he was left to stare blankly at Tatsuki. The problem was, she was right. He hadn't realized it at the time, but looking back, that was what he was trying to do. "I…"
"Ichigo." Her smile fell, and her eyes bore a serious intensity, one that made Ichigo nearly want to step back and look away. "What is she to you?"
What was she to him? He had always thought that she was his nakama, a dear friend, someone he swore to protect. But he was beginning to believe that he was also avoiding an answer to that question, which suddenly seemed so important, giving shallow reasons where a deeper one was required. His eyes closed, and he bowed his head, facing the ground. "I don't know anymore," he admitted hesitantly. "I…I spent a lot of time with her over the past few weeks. Things between us got weird way before then, but being in the same proximity as her as much as I have, and walking her home nearly every day…"
He got to listen to her talk, blabber on about something her imagination cooked up, or be privy to her voicing her more serious thoughts and musings out loud. In the process, he got to learn more about her than he thought possible. But it wasn't just getting to know her better over homework and books and daily walks, it was the comfort and peace he felt whenever she was near, and her uncanny ability to calm him down. Most of all, it was that, despite everything that happened, she accepted him as he was, and he never felt the pressure to be something more around her. That was something he hadn't felt in a long, long time.
"Feelings change, Ichigo." Tatsuki clapped her hand on his shoulder. "People change, and so do the circumstances. I'm not totally sure of what's going on or what'll happen, but I do know this: when you're around her, I see the kid I used to know, that I became best friends with."
His heart clenched. "Tatsuki-"
She shook her head. "About six years ago, things changed for you. I lost you then. Now, you're going through another period of change, and I'm going to take advantage of it." She inhaled deeply, and, her feet firmly planted and her stance stoic, she continued, "When your mom died, you drifted away. I didn't see the old you until recently, and I know an opportunity when I see it. I want to be friends, good friends, again."
His expression softened, and he spoke with uncertainty, "But I thought we were."
"Not like we used to be. A lot has happened, I know, and I get that now. I know what's going on. But we have something in common again: Orihime." Tatsuki smiled determinedly. "She's my best friend, and she's your… well, something special. We both wanna protect her, and we should. Orihime's a really good person, one of the few people out there with a pure heart. That's worth protecting. There are too many out there that would try to harm her for it. You and I both know this way too well."
Ichigo tilted his head, but half-smiled. "Definitely."
She held out her hand. "Let's protect her together, then. I can protect her from Chizuru and everyday stuff. The little things, you know? You gotta protect her from the really scary stuff, things way out of my league." Her expression became grim. "And tomorrow, I want you to not let Shinji use her. Lay down the ground rules, and don't you dare let them push her around for their own curiosity."
"Like I would." Ichigo grasped her hand in his. "Partners?"
She grinned. "Yeah. Partners, I like the sound of that." She squeezed his hand, a sign of friendship and partnership. Something had been lost between them, but the pact they formed would hopefully help them find it. She didn't know for sure if this would work, but her heart and her gut told her so, and for now, that was good enough for her.