Disclaimer:I do not own Naruto or Bleach…but if there was an apocalypse this would be the first thing I take. 8D
A/N:This chapter is a little OC-ish. I wanted to give Sakura a family, and I wanted to make her a combination of her two parents… coming up with these characters was hard, so please don't hate or flame them. Especially Takehiko, who everything we know about him we can only assume from what Sakura says. So again, please don't hate or flame. I usually hate putting OC's in manga and anime, but you know what, Jiryokou and Kyomu turned out pretty good…
xXx
( Konoha )
Ichigo admitted it; the meeting with the Hokage had not gone as planned. Although he wasn't sure how Tsunade, Shizune and Kakashi seemed to think it would go, it certainly did not go that way. Before returning to her rabid eating cycles, the great Hokage of Konoha excused the four teens with a furrowed brow and a long shelf of wrinkles on her forehead. She was in no way in a good state of mind after talking with them, Ichigo knew that. Sadly, now it seemed he and his friends would be forced to partake in a war that was not theirs. Ichigo wondered that if he had been a little more welcoming to Tsunade's ideas, the sentence would have been lighter. Of course things were never as clean as that. Their disregard for her ideas only made things worse, and now the shinigami would be forced to fight with the shinobi on the front lines.
While heading to Sakura's home for the rest of the evening (a thought that Ichigo was none too pleased about) he couldn't help but send a look towards Rukia and Kon behind Sakura's back; all three of them had the same thoughts about the matter. They simply didn't like the thought of cooperating with the war, and before such a dangerous thing started they needed to find a way home, and fast. Ultimately that pointed to Jiryokou, who was not only the only way home but nowhere to be found! If Jiryokou wasn't found soon, it was likely they would be stuck in the Elemental Nations forever, forced to participate in a dangerous war in which they would surely die. The sheer quantity of Chakra would surely outweigh their measly Ban Kais, even with the training Kon and Rukia were getting.
Oh, but how could he tell Sakura that he intended to leave soon? Although he and she weren't on speaking terms at that moment, that didn't stop Ichigo from feeling sick. No, it wasn't a bad sick, in fact it seemed to be a happy sick; the type of feeling that formed in his stomach whenever he looked at Sakura, and made him feel as if he were floating… But to float away from Sakura, to leave her without warning her? Ichigo was positive such a notion would only make him sicker. And then there was the matter of Konoha itself, if they left so soon there was no telling what would be forgotten. Ichigo had been at the Summit, he had seen Renji with the Suna nin, that to pack up and leave so suddenly, without even offering a bit of their assistance, almost seemed criminal. Especially to Sakura, who Ichigo didn't want to betray like that.
Confined to his own thoughts Ichigo was oblivious in nature, simply following the others through the village. The village was shaping up, piece by piece. There were now more buildings than there were tents, and the piles of wood had been significantly reduced. Even more impressive was the safe fence that ran around the large crater in the center of the village. However Ichigo only glanced at these things. Albeit he was proud to be residing in a village that was so adaptable, he was too caught up in thoughts of the 4th Shinobi War and the eminent doom it would have on all.
The group stopped before a two-floor building, freshly coated with paint. It was a pleasant place, and had a distinct homey feeling to it that reminded Ichigo of Karakura. This place almost felt normal. No shinobi, no shinigami, no back-breaking battles or Hollows. This quaint house, as simple as it appeared, was a haven away from the tortures of the world they lived in. Ichigo rather liked it.
However, the group didn't go in. They just stood in front of the building, looking up at it until Sakura briskly turned to face her new friends. She looked puzzled, Ichigo noted. Her lips were pressed and her eyes narrowed a look that she showed more often than not when she was deep in her own thoughts. Thinking Sakura was just flat-out creepy, and the group hesitantly took a step away from her. It was this same face she had on when she devised the plan to train Rukia and Kon. Although said plan had worked wonders thus far, it had still been a lengthy and tumulus process. Thus the group had a bad feeling about what she was coming up with now…
Suddenly she placed both hands on her waist, pushing her weight to one side. "I can't let you in there looking like this." She told them frankly. "No disrespect to you, Kon, but I don't want you to be the Ichigo my parents meet." She looked to him apologetically. ("Oh Heaven's sake…" Rukia muttered.)
Kon didn't seem at all offended, in fact it wasn't even considered an offense; he was far too busy daydreaming about a certain large-breasted Hyuuga. Getting no response from him, Sakura turned her attention to Rukia, purposefully avoiding eye-contact with Ichigo. "So how does the whole body-switch thing work, anyways?" Sakura asked.
One explanation soon became a long conversation as Rukia went over the particulars, explaining not only how it worked by why Kon was there in the first place. Sakura may have liked Kon, but she was in no way interested in his existence. She only wanted to know what they could use as a replacement for Ichigo's body, and when she heard what Kon used to occupy, she smiled. A tiger plushie? She thought to herself, earning an Ah! What a wimp! from inner-Sakura.
The idea of a tiger plushie, or more specifically a stuffed animal, seemed to trigger something in Sakura's mind. The invisible light bulb above her head immediately illuminated the streets, having outshined even the sunset. Before they knew it Sakura was gone, having rushed around the side of the building and disappeared. Ichigo rolled his eyes at Sakura, a typical shinobi. "Why couldn't she just use the front door?" He asked himself. Within moments she returned from where she came, something small and furry wrapped in her hands.
Both Ichigo and Rukia worked hard as they kept their laughter bottled up, making throaty noises from all the effort as they stared at that overly-pink object Sakura seemed to love so much. The kunoichi was cradling the animal in her arms gently. "This," she began, holding it out in Kon's shocked face, "is Inu-chan." Sakura didn't seem to notice the distinct hilarity of the object: pink and fluffy, Inu-chan was as brightly colored as Naruto's windbreaker. Not only that, but the stuffed dog had large floppy ears larger than it's body, and a pair of round eyes accompanied by long, girlish eyelashes. Though it wasn't the actual dog that caused their frivolity, it was the thought of Konas that pink monstrosity that really got them going.
Ichigo watched as Sakura slowly seemed to pick up on their hidden laughter and Kon's uncomfortable stature. In a brief second her face went from confused, to angry. Obviously they were insulting her by mocking her choice of childhood friends. If Ichigo had known that his laughter could harm Sakura so severely he would have tried harder to lock it up. However, he had yet to figure out his own feelings for the roseate, thus the thought of containing himself for her sake never occurred to him. Soon he found his recently repaired ribcage hurting from all the laughter, and was hunched over to ease the discomfort.
Sakura, needless to say, was not amused. "What? What's so funny?" She asked spitefully, forcing Inu-chan in Kon's unwilling arms so she could cross her own defensively. "Yes, I admit that Inu-chan isn't the most modest stuffed animal out there, but it's the only one that made it through Pein's attack…so it'll have to do."
Finally, Kon seemed brave enough to input a word or two. "Can't we just…I don't know…go take a doll from one of the neighborhood children…?" He seemed desperate, but even with his/Ichigo's face contorted in such a pleading way Sakura didn't listen.
"Not with you dressed like that," she replied to Kon, gesturing to his outlandish apparel, which inevitably insulted Ichigo. He liked his T-shirt that, in English, boldly stated 'whateva' in red on the front. It was one of his favorites, ever since he revealed the secrets of the English and their "txt tlk".
Nonetheless, when things died down and Rukia was able to stand up straight again, the female shinigami forced a smile. "Alright, Sakura. Kon will wear Inu-chan." Taking the stuffed animal from Kon, Rukia set it down on the ground gently. Much to Sakura's surprise –she had never seen something so…impersonal before- Rukia took her tiny bare hand and stuck it right down Kon/Ichigo's throat, apparently reading for something. When she removed her hand, Ichigo's body collapsed and in her palm she held a small green bead-looking pill. "This is Kon." She demonstrated. After being examined some by Sakura, Rukia took back the pill in one hand and picked up Inu-chan with the other. It was hard for Sakura to watch Rukia force the pill in the mouth of Inu-chan, not because the animal was a beloved relic from her childhood, but because she didn't even know her stuffed animal had a throat.
Inu-chan came to life as soon as Rukia removed her hand, and Ichigo watched with interest as the stuffed animal came to life, immediately jumping in Sakura's arms. He seemed to like it there, nuzzling her chest…Instinctively Ichigo felt his hands tighten, turning into stressed fists.
Sakura detached Kon from herself, only to hold him further away from her body. "It's a little weird…seeing Inu-chan alive like this…" She mumbled incoherently. In the end there wasn't much time to look at Kon, for there were more pressing matters to discuss. Yet again the animal was set down on the floor, only this time it could stand on two of its paws and had a wicked look to its face. "Kon," Sakura started, "could you hide in my room? It's the open window on the second floor, can you climb up to it?" The fact that Kon was no so small would make it hard, but for some strange reason Sakura believed he could do it.
"Dontcha know who you're talking to?" Kon sniggered, saluting the group before bounding off towards the side of the building Sakura had come from. With Kon gone they could now focus on Ichigo and his body.
Very simply, as Rukia and Sakura held his body up, Ichigo stepped right into it, his spiritual form and real form merging with one another. The Substitute-Shinigami stumbled slightly, both hands out at his sides. It felt weird, after being in his spiritual form for so long, to wear his real body like an outfit. However, something was different…something felt off… "Am I…heavier?" He asked doubtfully, looking to Rukia and Sakura for answers.
Rukia cocked her head to the side, one hand on her chin in a very intellectual position. "Maybe it's all the training Kon's been doing…? All the Chakra Kon's been developing…it's possible that the Chakra doesn't merge with the Reiatsu, but just puts on more weight. Maybe physically you weigh more because of this?" Rukia questioned aloud, curious about it as well. Her guess was the best one they had, and all three nodded to it and went on towards the building.
During the few steps to the door, Sakura made sure to mention a few important details. "My parents are only civilians," she told them, "so they shouldn't be able to see Rukia." Both Ichigo and Rukia nodded affirmatively, as it was already established by the lack of mention that Sakura's family had to be a civilian one. Not once, even through all their encounters with shinobi, had the shinigami seen, met, or heard about any Haruno other than Sakura.
The inside of the house was narrow, but calm. Albeit the colors could be viewed as bland, that was the style for such a traditional house. It was sliding doors and tatami mats everywhere, something most would expect in the Hyuuga or the former Uchiha compounds. Like tradition, the trio removed their shoes by the door, only to freeze when they heard a voice. Sakura was the only one who wasn't bothered by the voice, and there was an obvious reason why.
"Oh Sakura-chan! My lovely!" A female's voice squealed. A flash of pink passed right by Ichigo and ran right into Sakura, barreling her and forcing her into a heavy embrace. From the back they could tell Sakura's mother was about the same height, but her pink hair was long and braided in the back. The woman wore plain clothes, but was nonetheless beautiful, that much was seen when she finally turned to look at Ichigo. He saw the similarity between mother and daughter, but something about Sakura's mother just seemed so much rawer…
Before introductions could be made, a second voice was heard. Deeper, more consistent. "Now now, Kana. Let's not embarrass Sakura in front of her friend." A man said as he approached the group. The man didn't look happy once he looked at Ichigo, who was significantly taller. He was a plain-sort of brunette; nothing about his facial features was very outstanding. It was a mystery at how someone with looks like Kana could be interested in him. Only love would be revealed as the answer when Kana went to her husband and wrapped her arm around his caringly.
Rukia managed to sneak away from the group, mentioning something about Sakura's room and Kon before walking off, leaving Sakura and Ichigo alone to face her parents. Rukia was a lucky person, Ichigo thought, to not be seen by these people. He felt as if they were examining him, like he was a specimen on a lab table.
Kana was nowhere near as skeptical as her husband. She, in fact, had a very jubilant expression on her face as she looked at Ichigo. Removing herself from her husband's arm, she clasped her hands in her lap and bowed politely, followed by her husband. "I'm Kana, and this," she mentioned to the stoic brunette male beside her, "is my husband Reishi." The woman moved to her daughter's side, nudging the roseate in the arm. "So, Sakura-chan, whose this tall friend of yours?" Unceremoniously the woman raised her eyebrows.
Not amused, Sakura took a side-step away from her mother as she gestured to the only shinigami in the room. "This is Kurosaki Ichigo, visiting from…uh…" she paused, nervously shifting her eyes, "Iwagakure. Yeah, Iwa."
Her father nodded understandingly. "That would explain his abnormal clothes." The man paused to stare at Ichigo's shoes by the door; tennis shoes looked so alien compared to the typical village sandal.
The conversation led into a surprisingly modern kitchen. The Elemental Nations were truly a strange place, each village like a mix of the old and new. Although their entrance was entirely traditional, the house in itself was not. They had a small stove that ran on what looked like small logs, and ample counter space. Centered in the middle was a very nice looking table, the legs ornate with carvings. Now that Ichigo took a better look at the place, he saw that most of the furniture was ornate.
As Kana escaped to whatever she was cooking (Ichigo never had a chance to see what it was) Reishi saw Ichigo's curious looks at the furniture and sighed, saying, "I'm a carpenter." It was a very simply answer that made a lot of sense. Ichigo nodded knowingly, his thoughts about the house finally kicking into gear. After all, it would be weird if Reishi wasn't a carpenter, and they still had hand-crafted, slaved-over furniture even after the crisis with Pein.
As Sakura sat next to her father, inevitably across from Ichigo, Reishi turned to her expectantly. His eyes shot from her to Ichigo and back, repeating that cycle several times. "How long is Kurosaki-san staying?" He asked, aided by a delighted Kana who wanted to know if he was staying for dinner.
Her parents weren't the only ones who looked at her suspiciously, Ichigo did too. Just how long did she think he was staying? It was likely she was unaware of his and Rukia's intentions to leave the Elemental Nations and find a way home before the War, but she still could have already assumed something pertaining to the duration of their stay. A part of Ichigo didn't want to hear what she thought; for fear that she thought they would stay there longer than they should. Then again, Sakura was a rational girl with rational thoughts, the other half of Ichigo didn't think she would over exaggerate things; that half of Ichigo wanted to believe that Sakura would realize the cold hard truth. The truth being that Ichigo and Rukia could not stay for long.
As usual, Ichigo seemed to be over thinking things. For nothing of that sort was going through Sakura's mind. "Well, that's the think I want to talk to you about…" Sakura murmured quietly, her attention focused at her hands in her lap. Rather than imagining the future, she was more focused on the present, and what answer might give her parents the least grief. "Ichigo needs a place to stay, because the Inn isn't finished rebuilding yet…it'll only be until the Inn is done, I swear." She looked up to her parents, proud of herself for such quick thinking. Although her mother seemed only a little worried, it was her father that scared her. He looked unpleased, and even a little disgusted.
The man cleared his throat nervously, and not being able to look at his daughter and her "friend" straight in the eye mumbled, "I'm not sure…doesn't he already have a place to say?" Excuses, excuses.
Sakura shook her head, her short pink hair fluttering about her face. "Not if you don't count a cold tent." Indeed, the tent was cold. But in shinigami form it was livable, now being back in his body Ichigo was positive he wouldn't last a single night back in the tent.
Surprisingly, Sakura's father was beginning to see the truth in what his daughter was saying, but he couldn't allow such a request completely. Clenching his jaw, he looked to his wife for moral support. She flashed him a gentle smile, and the effects were immediate. Calmly he sighed and stood up from his seat, pushing in his chair as he said, "But only for a night." Leaving the room silent, Reishi strode out and away, not wanting to deal with any more surprises his outgoing daughter may throw at him.
Kana's voice drew Ichigo's attention. "You can stay in Takehiko's old room," she told him from over her shoulder. As Kana returned her focus to cooking, Ichigo looked to Sakura for answers.
Questioningly, Ichigo mouthed the words: "Who's Takehiko?"
Sakura responded by shaking her head dismissively, giving Ichigo the impression that now was not the time. He nodded and looked back over to her mother, trying to decipher the resemblance. He could see it more clearly now. Although Sakura was plainer looking, like her father, she had the same illusive eyes as her mother. Though the appearance of Kana was forgotten when he noticed the issue she was having. Match after match was lit, but poor Kana couldn't seem to get the stove fire started.
At that moment Ichigo didn't know what was coming over him. The thought of fire triggered something in his muscles, and to the amazement of Sakura his hands began to sign. He never learned these signs, and what they meant was alien to him, but for some reason forming those positions with his hands felt right. The same thing happened with his lips. A few hand signs and verbal phrases later the stove was finally lit. Ichigo merely gaped at the flames and at his hands. What was that? He wondered, eyes flaring with excitement. It was something new and fresh, no more boring shinigami stuff for the time being; now he had a mysterious set of jutsu it seemed. The problem was, he didn't actually know what the training through Kon had given him, only that he was now, technically, a shinobi.
Kana looked bemused. "So you're a ninja too?" She beamed, looking at Ichigo closely. "How exciting!" She placed the pot on the stove, continuing her work while taking occasional glances at Ichigo.
Sakura pursed her lips. "Just a genin, okaasan." She informed, slightly jealous that Ichigo managed to pick up that much just from memory. She had never been able to pick up something so fast, at least not when it came to Jutsu. For a brief moment Ichigo truly was the bane of her existence, at least until she remembered her feelings for him.
As regretful of their argument Sakura may have been, Ichigo still did not change; he still felt the same. Continuously Ichigo thought back to his statement, wondering why her fake confession to Naruto had seemed to hurt him so much, and why (of all moments to choose) he chose that specific time to mention it. Ichigo turned his general direction away from Sakura, unable to connect with her at that moment. He couldn't forgive her…at least not yet…
After a very short conversation with Sakura's mother, Kana, the duo quickly excused themselves before the start of dinner with the excuse of "showing Ichigo where he'll be sleeping". Of course, they both weren't very interested in that. Kon and Rukia took priority, as those were two extra guests that Sakura's parents had no idea where currently in the house with them. Both Sakura and Ichigo dreaded the thought of her parents finding out, especially about Kon. No doubt they would forever ground Sakura and permanently ban Ichigo not only from their house, but find a way to ban him from the village. Yes, her father seemed to be an extremist.
Half-way up the narrow staircase to the second floor, both she and Ichigo were stopped when her father descended the steps. Instead of floating past them like they suspected, he stopped right beside Ichigo. Lightly grapping the teen's arm, he said, "we need to talk." His words were quick, and strict. Definitely a Haruno trait, Sakura could sound just like that. It was almost ghastly how similar they seemed to be, and how scary they could both be. Thank goodness her father wasn't a ninja, or else Ichigo would be in some very serious trouble.
Without much of a chance to save himself, Ichigo was dragged back down the stairs by one surprised Sakura's father. The man seemed determined to get a good word in with Ichigo alone, for he didn't take the shinigami to the kitchen where Kana currently was. Oh, no, instead he led Ichigo out to the back of the house, outside. Leaving the door open slightly, Reishi made sure to look around the neighborhood. Apparently he didn't appreciate his daughter bringing home a tall stranger with orange hair. The poor guy probably felt like she was going through a stage. Ichigo didn't blame him for being suspicious, if anything Ichigo could understand it. Already he could imagine the days where Karin or Yuzu would bring a boy home, and quite frankly it frightened him.
When it was clear nobody was coming, Reishi took on the offensive. Backing Ichigo up against the wall, he poked a finger at the teen's chest. "What's your relation to my daughter?" He questioned, once again getting the shifty-eyes and momentarily pausing to glance around outside. Still, there was nobody. Reishi sighed with relief, and turned back to Ichigo with extra force and vigor.
Ichigo's eyes widened as he looked at the brown haired man closely. Despite the difference in height, Ichigo felt severely threatened. With a free hand he pulled at his collar. "I'm nobody, sir…nobody at all, completely harmless…" He mumbled, raising both hands in the air at his sides to somehow prove his innocence.
Sakura's father shook his head, threateningly gripping Ichigo's collar. "That can't be true, young man. Don't lie to me." He retorted, loosening his grip until he eventually let go. Ichigo let out a sigh of relief. "I know teenage boys, I used to be one." Reishi stated nonchalantly. "A harmless teenage boy with no intentions towards a girl doesn't go out of his way to meet her parents. Besides, I'd recognize that look on Sakura's face anywhere…" He waved a hand dismissively. Reishi was shocking interesting to talk to when he loosened up.
However, Ichigo was more interested in what Reishi knew about that "look" he seemed to so easily identify. "What look?" Ichigo asked, curiously taking a step in front of Reishi to block him off from the door; Ichigo needed answers.
The man paused to glance at Ichigo peculiarly. "No look in particular, just a general one." He responded, prepared to enter the building again. Predictably he was stopped by Ichigo yet again, who didn't feel that was a good enough answer. Reishi sighed as he ran a hand over the side of her face. "The same look she always used to get when she thought about that Uchiha boy…"
"Uchiha boy…?" Ichigo paused, raking his memory for any conversations that may have pertained to an Uchiha. As Reishi began to walk into the building, Ichigo came up with several memories about an Uchiha, but one specific conversation seemed to stick out. He tapped Reishi on the shoulder to catch his attention. "Uchiha Sasuke, was that him?" Ichigo asked, getting a nod from Reishi. Unfortunately, bringing Sasuke near a Haruno never seemed to end well, Ichigo realized. Reishi suddenly changed direction and once again pushed Ichigo up against a wall.
"Sasuke Uchiha hurt my daughter." He said hurriedly, this time not checking the streets. "He got her hopes up and then smashed them, he crushed her. I swear if you hurt her, even if it's just something small, you'll end up exactly like Sasuke, an outcast. You hear me? Banned, ignored, and avoided. You understand?" Reishi didn't want to see Sakura go through anymore pain.
With a rushed nod on Ichigo's part, the conversation seemed to be over. Reishi retreated back inside the house, leaving Ichigo to relax in the cold air of the evening. In the horizon he could see the sun lowering, but as beautiful as it was he could not take his mind off of the things that Reishi said, or particularly the one thing he said about a certain Uchiha… Ever since the very tearful heart-felt side of Sakura was revealed during one of their conversations, he knew precisely how Sakura must have felt for Sasuke…but to give a specific face, and to give that same face to Ichigo? It didn't make any sense, at least not if it meant certain feelings towards Sasuke had suddenly been built towards him, Ichigo! On to something big, he caressed his chin intellectually. If Sakura's feelings towards Sasuke had been love, and she was now feeling the same towards Ichigo, didn't that mean she loved him (unknowingly or not)?
Ichigo's eyebrow twitched at the thought of love. He scoffed at the notion. "No, it couldn't be." He told himself, chuckling as he walked back into the house.
xXx
From the moment her father stole Ichigo away on the stairs; Sakura had felt like something bad would happen. Knowing her father, he was probably threatening Ichigo with the long samurai sword he had saved during the Pein attack. Of course a sword wouldn't be a very good threat to someone like Ichigo, who dealt with metal and steel on a regular basis. Still, it wouldn't hurt to save Ichigo some of the embarrassment her father could dish out, even if the two of them hadn't exactly been agreeing on everything lately.
However, she knew there was a way to make her father like Ichigo, even if it was just temporary. The great carpenter Haruno Reishi was very picky about appearances, one of the reasons it still remained shocking that he fell in love with Kana, a woman with bubble-gum pink hair, or even why he tolerated Sakura. Nonetheless, there were ways to make Reishi like people, but such ways never involved persuasion, or bribing. Her father ignored trivial things like that. Thus, the only way to make Ichigo liked by him (and the greater majority of the village) was to physically change Ichigo. His orange hair was impossible to change without henge –which, as you should know, he didn't know how to use- but his clothing was not. In fact, there happened to be some very comfortable articles of clothing the teen could wear just lying around the Haruno house.
Sakura figured the conversation with her father would take a little over five minutes, but knowing her father it could be anywhere as short as one. Once her thoughts were gathered, the kunoichi hurriedly ran up the stairs to the second floor, rushing to the first open door she saw. As expected, Rukia and Kon were both in her room, chilling on her bed. Her room wasn't a very big room; in fact, it was smaller than it used to be. With the crater running around the edges of the village, yet to be filled it, Konoha was trying to conserve space by making things smaller. Sakura's room just turned out to be one of the victims of the change. All she had was a bed, and a dresser. Currently occupying the bed was Rukia and a very tired looking Kon.
"He had a hard time getting up to the window…" Rukia mentioned, looking at Kon's pink and exhausted form in a lump against her side. "I had to help him up…you sure you don't have a stuffed animal bigger?" She asked, looking up to Sakura hopefully. Although they didn't show it often, to Rukia and Ichigo, Kon was like a brother.
Sakura shook her head. "No, that's the only one I could save." She responded, tempted to ask if they could use a corpse. However, Sakura didn't think Kon or Rukia would look very kindly to putting him in a corpse, using someone else's body for his own doing. Even though Sakura had access to the morgue, she still wasn't willing to let them use a dead body like that; it was immoral.
With that matter out of the way, Sakura gestured to the door. "I'm going to go look for some clothes for Ichigo." She mentioned. Rukia looked as if she was about to ask 'why?', but once she gave it some thought she seemed to realize the reason. Ichigo stuck out like a sore thumb in their conservative little village. Add his bright, outspoken clothing with his hair and suddenly you've got a walking target for ridicule. That being said it was critical they found something. "He should be able to fit in Takehiko's old stuff," Sakura continued as she walked out from her room and back up the hallway to the next room over. Leaving Kon to rest on the bed, Rukia followed.
Walking into Takehiko's old room was hard. Although her elder brother was not dead, Sakura still felt an insane amount of worry for him. Being an ANBU operative made it impossible to spend time with him family. He was always out and away, on missions, and with his teammates. He never even stopped by to see his family after the Pein attack, and that was the sharpest blow for Sakura and her parents. He could have at least stopped by, just to check. Sakura pushed back her resentment and went to work in his tiny room, opening up his closet and finding some of his old clothes. Luckily for her, Takehiko was a sort of tall fellow as well. Fitting Ichigo into his clothes wouldn't be too hard.
Rukia popped in, leaning against the doorway and looking at Sakura when a stern face; Sakura tried to ignore that. "So, who is Takehiko anyways? Your older brother?" Rukia asked. Upon getting a slow nod from Sakura, she sighed. "I thought so; I saw his picture in the hallway hanging up. He looks a lot like you."
Sakura snickered. It was ironic to think he looked anything like her, considering she would never abandon her family, no matter how busy or powerful. "Must be sibling resemblance…" She muttered, glancing at Rukia from the corner of her eye before turning back to Takehiko's old clothes. Most of it was part of the typical Chuunin uniform, but some of it was just basic every-day material. She grabbed one set of each. "We'll let Ichigo choose," she told Rukia as she passed by through the doorway, and retreated to her room.
xXx
Sakura's father was a piece of work, Ichigo had to admit that. However, at the same time he was forced to acknowledge that he was also an honorable man. So determined to protect his daughter from the shadows, to hide his nature from the only person it was protecting; Sakura. Why Kana seemed to love Reishi so much became apparent. He was a good man, and a good father. Loyal and true, making the man almost like a dog once Ichigo thought about it… Dog thoughts aside Ichigo escaped back into the house shortly after Reishi. He passed the parents on his way to the staircase; both of them seemed stuck in their loving little bubble and didn't even notice Ichigo pass through. Not that he minded, per say, if anything this was a good thing. The attention was off him for once.
Through the hallway he spotted Rukia in the doorway of another room, and almost went up to her when he got a peek inside a different room, or more specifically someoneinside a different room. Kon looked beaten, almost. Although the Mod Soul was sleeping quietly, Ichigo took a detour into that room. Very quietly he made his way to the open window, shutting it quietly to prevent any more of the cold night air from seeping in. Ichigo froze half-way, watching closely as Kon's sleeping form stirred for only a moment. Sighing, he finished with the window and turned around to face the doorway.
Rukia and Sakura must have had amazing timing, the moment he looked towards the door the two were already walking in the room, both of them holding a small pile of cloth, it seemed. It only took a moment for Ichigo to register that the bundles were not towels, but actual clothes. He quirked a brow; he didn't think he needed to change. Apparently they did, they practically forced the clothes on him. Refusing to change in front of them, he migrated over to Takehiko's old room, which he was yet to know much about. There was a mirror in the room, and once he was done he took a moment to look in it.
He looked exactly like the shinobi he saw outside in the village; whether they were guarding the gates or helping rebuild a building. He had on a light flak jacket with the same swirly red symbol on the back. Whether it was for fashion, or had a true purpose Ichigo put wraps around his biceps, and chest. Paired with pants that reminded him of Naruto's (except they weren't the eye-blinding orange he liked) Ichigo slipped on his sandals, why shinobi would wear those shoes he had no idea. Albeit they were comfortable, he could hardly see himself fighting in them. Distastefully he glanced at himself in Takehiko's mirror, turning to both sides. He may have looked like a ninja, but those who actually knew him knew who he really was; an imposter of sorts. At least, he felt like an imposter in those clothes. As if he was pretending to be something he wasn't…
A picture frame caught his eyes, sitting on the shelf directly above the mirror, or rather it was the pink in the picture that grabbed his attention. Centered between Sakura and her mother was a boy, only a little older than Ichigo, who looked like a smaller version of their father. He had brown hair, and had an incredibly large smile on his face. His eyes glinted with happiness and energy. Ichigo picked the frame off the shelf and looked at it closely. It was a little beaten, no doubt from being a victim of Pein's attack, but it was still in relatively good shape. Both Sakura and her mother seemed happy for the boy…
The door opened and he looked to the side, watching as both Sakura and Rukia froze. What they thought of him he didn't know, but by the way Sakura's face seemed to blush as she quickly averted her eyes told him something. Rukia, being his friend and not of romantic interest, had no reaction but a smile.
"Ichigo! You look like one of them!" She exclaimed, raising her eyebrows as she approached him, turning him around by the arm. She looked him up and down. "If it wasn't for your hair, and that stupid look you always have on your face, I would have never recognized you." She mused jokingly to the taller male. Believe it or not, Ichigo was a little proud of himself for assembling the outfit this way; now he could walk through Konoha without catching any dirty looks, or suspicious glances.
The evening went by without any complications after that. Sakura and Ichigo both put aside their tension when approached by her parents at dinner time. Reishi and Kana noticed the change in Ichigo, but failed to notice how they had seen the same clothes on another person. The fact that they recycled Takehiko's clothing never seemed to occur to the doting parents as they chowed down. With another crisis safely averted, Sakura managed to sneak some extras up for Kon and Rukia, only to learn that Rukia didn't eat in her shinigami form.
When night came Ichigo didn't say much, he merely retreated to Takehiko's old room with Kon in tow and went to sleep. He fell asleep easily, all the while thinking of how happy Sakura seemed to look in that photo, and how he had never managed to see her that happy. There was a mystery behind that picture, but Ichigo was cautious of unraveling it; he knew that now was not the time.
xXx
A/N: Keep on trucking! I don't like this chapter, no, so you're free to dislike it as you please. Just don't flame.
This next chapter is going to feel a little boring (it's meant to be a comical filler), but just hang in there, the action is coming up, and so is Naruto! Yay!
See ya!
Dahlia out.