He slowly begins awaken to someone humming. Daisuke opens his eyes and slowly glances in the direction of the noise to find none other then Hanataro sitting in a chair beside his bed. "Oh, you're awake finally," speaks Hanataro. He doesn't respond, only stares. "What?"
"Why are you sitting at my bedside, Hanataro?" asks Daisuke.
"Oh, that. Captain-"
"I see you've finally come around, Daisuke," calls a voice from the door. "Thank you, Hanataro." Jushiro approaches and trades places with Hanataro who quickly leaves the room again. "How are you feeling?"
"Fine, now," replies Daisuke. "Coming to visit me in the hospital...something bad must've happened."
Jushiro laughs in response. "You've been asleep for three whole days."
"Three days?! There's no way I slept for that long!"
"Don't forget that you completely exhausted yourself when you were sparring with Shunsui...something that everyone has heard about now. You were also suffering from several wounds you didn't let Unohana treat before leaving. You're just lucky that it wasn't longer considering how much of your Spiritual Pressure you exhausted." Daisuke sighs a bit and then leans up.
"So nothing bad happened, then, Jushiro?"
"Well, that depends on how you define bad. The Head Captain wants to send someone to the World of the Living to pick up the slack and deal with a few Hollows that are running around Karakura Town unchecked. There have been some reports of a powerful Hollow roaming around lately so only a Seated Officer will do for this mission."
"What about the Captain Hitsugaya's advanced force?"
"It seems they've encountered a new enemy, Aizen's Arrancars. They've got their hands full fending them off, so they can't be bothered to eliminate a few simple Hollow...at least that Head Captain Yamamoto's thinking."
"I'll go."
"I knew you would, so I volunteered you. In fact, you'll leave in a hour if Unohana says you're alright." Daisuke casts the blanket covering him back and throws his feet over the edge of the bed before standing.
"Well, then, I'd better go before she tells me I'm not allowed to, Jushiro." The two share a brief laugh. After Daisuke gets dressed in some clean clothes given to him by Jushiro, the two quickly leave the Fourth Division, lucky enough to avoid running into Captain Unohana. "About those...Arrancar. Are they strong?"
"Don't fight with any of them, Daisuke. That's the job of the advanced force."
"Should I run instead? That'll get me killed quicker then standing and fighting with one them."
"You shouldn't encounter any Arrancar. If you do, the advanced squad will take care of them while you make your escape. Remember, your mission is simply Hollow suppression, so don't take any undue risks."
"I never do, Jushiro."
"I'm sure..."
- - World of the Living - -
Daisuke stares down at the humans passing below, completely oblivious to his presence in their world. The World of the Living wasn't something new to him, he'd been here a few times in the past, after all. He was supposed to have met with the resident Shinigami in charge of keeping Karakura Town safe and proceed with the mission from there...but the man was nowhere to be found. 'It's no wonder we were sent here, boy. With someone as unreliable as Zennosuke Kurumadani looking over this town, it's amazing it isn't over run with Hollows.'
'You don't even know him, Tenshi...but I'm inclined to agree. He's over an hour late.' Daisuke spares a single glance to the sun, hanging directly over-head in the beautiful azure sky. Only a few puffy white clouds can be seen in the sky. 'I'd imagine Ichigo is the reason that this town is kept safe.'
'It doesn't matter to me one way or another, boy. More importantly, we have a job to do. We don't have time to play games.' Daisuke nods in agreement and grips the back saya with his left hand before disappearing with a fast Flash-Step. He races across building roofs with speed born of years of practice. It was speed acquired from his mentor, Captain Urahara, who taught him everything about the skill.
He keeps his Spiritual Pressure hidden as he moves, trying not to actively attract any Hollows. That, too, was a skill he'd learned from his mentor and just like Flash-Step he'd proved rather proficient in it. He comes to a stop on top of a street lamp, looking first left and then right as he expands his senses. There is no one he can sense with note-worthy Spiritual Pressure.
No Humans, no Shinigami and certainly no Hollows. "Hmph. Strange," Daisuke mutters to himself. He moves again, allowing his Spiritual Pressure to leak out a bit as he does so. If this didn't attract an Hollow, then he'd certainly have to put a little bit more work into it. The young Shinigami had decided that he would not return to Head Captain Yamamoto empty-handed and damage Jushiro's reputation for having recommended him in the first place.
So, he attempts to bait them to him...and it works. A loud howl pierces the air in the distance and Daisuke immediately turns in that direction. A few quick Flash-Steps carries him to the location. He lands in front of what he assumes to be a public park. There is no one around, not a single person in sight. Its immediately obvious why, as he approaches the mangled remains of a man. 'Poor soul.'
Daisuke senses a Spiritual Pressure behind him and turns quickly, hand gripping the white tsuka of Tenshi...only to freeze when he finds a little girl standing there. "Did you hear the Hollow, too, Mr. Shinigami?" asks the girl.
"You can see me?" counters Daisuke, earning a nod in response. She looks past him and he follows her line of sight to the remains. He steps forward and obscures her view of the body with his hand and sleeve of his kosode. Daisuke notices her carrying some shopping bags and realizes that she's not a soul...which strikes him as odd. The girl should have been having a bit of a hard time processing what she is seeing. And her calling him a Shinigami struck him as odd as well. 'How much does this girl know? Does she know Ichigo?'
Daisuke senses it and reacts quickly. A single arm wraps around the girl and he Flash-Step's away moments before the ground the two had occupied is pulverized by a Hollow. "That was a close call. You ok?" He glances down at the girl, tucked neatly under his left arm.
"Um, y-yes. Thank you for saving me." Daisuke slowly glances around as more Hollows begin to approach the two of them.
"Don't thank me yet." With his free hand he draws Tenshi. He couldn't understand what had brought such a large number of them out against him. He hadn't released enough Spiritual Pressure to attract more then just one or two and the girl certainly didn't seem to have enough to do it either. And though their numbers were great, he couldn't sense a single one of them strong enough to require a Seated Officer.
The Hollows surround them, closing in on them in a tight circle. Daisuke sets the girl down and takes a breath. "I'm gonna make a hole for you and I want you to run away, alright, girl?"
"But...you can't fight all of these Hollows by yourself."
"I'll be alright. I've had worse odds." They draw closer and he tights his grip on Tenshi's tsuka. "Get ready...here they come." The first Hollow to charge is killed with a single stroke that takes half of it's head off at an angle. The girl stays on his heels as he moves forward, killing another with a single blow and then a third. "Hiyaah!" roars Daisuke, planting his foot firmly into one of their white masks. It casts the Hollow straight back and opens up a hole for the girl to escape. "Go! Now!"
She does as ordered, running away while Daisuke stays behind not only to prevent their following her but to complete his mission...not that they seem all that interested in her as they focus on the young looking Shinigami. As quickly as the girl disappears, the Hollows surround him again. A Spiritual Pressure, a powerful one bears down on everyone where. It was worthy of a Third Seat- no...it was worthy of a...Lieutenant, maybe more.
Daisuke looks up sharply and reacts on instinct moments before a bright red beam pulverizes the ground and several Hollows. A horrible cackling fills the air as the Hollow stares into the cloud of dust and rubble. "How very noble of you, little Shinigami!" taunts the Hollow. "The last act of a dead man!" The cackling fills the air again and it slowly dies off as the dust clears. "What the...?"
"Otsuge no Inori!" declares Daisuke, gripping the beautiful o-katana tightly amongst the rubble of the crater. His release only seconds before the impact and the sudden spike in his Spiritual Pressure had damped the blow from the Cero and allowed it to be blocked by Otsuge no Inori. Regardless, the sleeves of his kosode and shitagi were entirely gone now and he can feel the sticky heat of blood on his lower stomach.
He'd reopened his wound again...Unohana would not be pleased. Hell, she'd probably strap him down to the bed to make sure he heals properly this time. 'Careful, boy. This Hollow is no push-over...but he's just barely worthy of being our opponent! It's arrogance offends me! Slaughter it and show it the error of it's ways!'
'With pleasure!' There's an audible 'click' as he thumbs the silver tsuba of Otsuge no Inori and disappears, playing his speed with Flash-Step to it's maximum against the obviously powerful Hollow. It turns sharply in response meeting Zanpakuto with claws. An exceedingly loud 'crash!' follows as the two collide.
"Too slow, Shinigami!" cackles the Hollow, only to be met with a smirk in response. It's masked head jerks right in response to a powerful blow delt with the glossy saya from behind. To Daisuke, the creature might as well have been moving in slow-motion when compared against Shunsui. Not only had the man immediately pushed him onto defense, he hadn't been able to out-manuver him either. "Gaahh!"
It turns faster then Daisuke expects, laying open his rib cage with a powerful swipe of it's claws. He grunts in pain and leaps straight back, sliding to an eventual stop several stories above the destroyed earth below. Daisuke spits up a bit of blood and slowly returns Otsuge no Inori to her saya. "Just what kinda Hollow are you, exactly?"
"What's it to you, little Shinigami?"
"Just trying to figure out if you're the one they sent me to destroy."
"Alright, I'll play yer game! I'm an Adjuchas, little Shinigami! And if yer stallin' for time...ain't no one comin' to help you!" Daisuke smirks in response, thumbing the tsuba of Otsuge no Inori again.
"You are absolutely right. No one is going to come help..." The young Shinigami rushes forward and the Adjuchas lashes out with claws only to receive another blow to the back of the head from the saya of Otsuge no Inori. It steps forward in response to the blow and then glances down at the crouched form of Daisuke, lightly gripping the tsuka of Otsuge no Inori near his temple.
Not even an inch of the silvery blade is exposed to the afternoon sunlight...it would be impossible to draw quickly from that position. Those Hollows who hadn't been destroyed and hadn't fled appeared in force to attack the Shinigami crouched in front of the Adjuchas. 'He'll never draw it in time!' the Adjuchas tells himself, lunging downwards. "I'll rip you to pieces, Shinigami!" Rather then the fear it was expecting, a small smirk curves his lips.
To Daisuke's ears there is a loud burst of static as the Adjuchas flees. The Hollow that had been approching behind the Adjuchas immediately splits in half from shoulder to hip a half falling earth-bound on either side of Daisuke and then quartering as he deals another blow that wouldn't see coming to those approaching from left and right.
Three Hollows with only two moves...Captain Kuchiki would have been proud. To the Adjuchas it appears as those he's only shifted position, from resting on his right knee to his left as he faces him squarely with Otsuge no Inori firmly in her saya. "You seem a little surprised, Adjuchas."
"You're pretty quick on yer feet, little Shinigami."
"I've always been told that my speed is my greatest strength. And as you said...with no one coming to help, I don't have to worry about anyone seeing what I'm actually capable of. I can fight freely here."
"It's ain't gonna help ya. Now I know yer capible of, little Shinigami. I ain't gonna be caught by surprise a second time."
"Good. I've never fought an Adjuchas before and I would expect nothing less from someone with the strength to challenge an officer." Daisuke slowly stands, grunting loudly in pain from the wounds on his rib cage. He lowers Otsuge no Inori towards his left hip once again. This time the Adjuchas is prepared as the young Shinigami rushes forward and turns only to be struck from his right, this time with the blade.
It bites deep into his arm, spattering both of them with black blood. It turns to face him moments before receiving a second slash across the waist. He brings the blade back for another stroke moments before he's hit squarely in the stomach. "Guh!" It sends Daisuke earth-bound, a moment of silence before a loud explosion and a small cloud of dust and debris. "Unh! Gahh!"
Blood streams freely from the wounds on his stomach and rib cage. His vision begins to blur and his head swims from the blood loss. The Adjuchas' cackling fills the air again and Daisuke looks up to see a bright red orb forming in the palm of it's right hand. 'Don't stop to stare! Move your ass, boy!' Sensing a Spiritual Pressure in front of him he looks down at the same little girl from before.
It was going to strike her, too. "S-Stop! Don't use it!" Daisuke looks up at the Adjuchas and then back down at the girl. "Get outta here, kid! You're toast if you stay there! Move!" He casts off rubble as quickly as possible while the Cero rapidly grows in size, it's energy and destructive power growing ever more potent with each passing second. "Damn it!" The Cero fires at the two, the Adjuchas cackling away as it does so.
There's a small flash as the red of the Cero gives way to bright gold. The cackling stops as the Adjuchas' world becomes nothing but a whirling torrent of gold, his surroundings blotted out by the attack. Through it all, as his body breaks apart he can only make out the figure of Daisuke, standing in front of the girl. The Adjuchas breaks apart, purified and the attack completely disappears.
Daisuke cleans the black blood from Otsuge no Inori with a simple flick of his wrist, a motion that is nothing short of amazing giving the horrible burns covering both arms he's suffered for having defended the girl from the Cero. "Attacking a child...an unforgivable action." Daisuke seals away Otsuge no Inori, the blade returning to it's original appearance as he slowly turns to face the girl. "Are you hurt, girl?"
"N-No, I'm fine. Thank you," replies the girl. He kneels and gives her a quick look over, finding only a small scratch on her cheek as a result of the debris from the Cero. The young Shinigami produces from his pocket a small handkerchief which he uses to wipe away the bit of blood. "You're hurt bad, Mr. Shinigami. I'm sorry." Daisuke looks down at his wounds through blurry vision and manages a reassuring smile through the pain.
"What? These? These are just scratches. I'll be fine," lies Daisuke. Sensing someone approaching, Daisuke turns quickly ignoring his body's protest as he grips the white tsuka of his Zanpakuto. But rather then a Hollow it's a lone man with a stripped hat.
"Hello, there," calls the man in greeting, while looking directly at him. He hides his face behind a fan, but his voice sounds familiar to the young Shinigami. "You've done quite a number here, haven't you? But I'm impressed...you defeated that Adjuchas rather easily." He can't get a read on him at all. "But you seem to have suffered some serious wounds."
"Don't worry about me...these are just scratches."
"Really? Hmm..." The man snaps his fan shut so suddenly it causes Daisuke to flinch a bit in response. "...even after all these years you're still a bad liar, Daisuke." He growls a bit in response.
"How do know my name?"
"And you've still got a habit of getting yourself all beaten up. You really haven't changed one bit, have you? Well, I suppose that's a good thing. I might have been a little disappointed if you had up and changed while I was gone." It's as though he's been dashed with a bucket of cold water. Standing before him...he recognized the man in that instant.
"Ki-" There's a soft noise behind him, the unmistakable sound of a Flash-Step, only moments before a powerful blow is delivered to the back of his neck. He grunts and drops to his knees, consciousness fading as he looks at the man in front of him. "-suke..." He falls onto his side a moment later, the wonderful, waiting darkness taking away his pain with his consciousness...
- - 115 Years Ago - -
'He's a loner so just ignore him'...countless times he's heard it before. No one would spare him the time of the day, and so he doesn't try to interact with anyone else, doesn't try to be a part of the Division or fit in anymore. He keeps to himself...he is alone. Several men lay on the ground surrounding him, all unconscious and all Eleventh Division.
No one had come to offer any assistance, no one had come to help him fend off his attackers. They had singled him out for that reason. The man stares silently up at the sky, bleeding from several cuts on his face and knuckles. Someone appears at his head, a shadow completely silhouetted by the sun and he looks up at the man. "You're Daisuke Arata, aren't you?" asks the man.
"I am," replies Daisuke, not moving from his position spread eagle in the grass. The man looks around at the Eleventh Division members surrounding him and then back down at him.
"Every time I see you...you're covered in cuts and bruises. These men are giving you a lot of trouble, huh?"
"Nothing I can't handle by myself."
"Do you enjoy being alone? Fighting all by yourself...?" Daisuke doesn't respond, doesn't make a sound to acknowledge the man is even speaking to him and for several moments the man is silent as well. "Come on." He extends a hand to Daisuke. "Lets get you bandaged up, huh?" He violently smacks his hand away only a second later.
"Get lost. I don't need your pity. I can look after myself...just like I always have."
"...That doesn't mean you should have to. Being part of a Division means learning to place your trust in someone else." Daisuke snorts in response.
"There are only two people I trust, and you don't sound like either of them. So get lost." Daisuke doesn't even acknowledge the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching until the shadow disappears and moments later the footsteps stop. He glances slowly in their direction to find who he believes is the same man standing over the Eleventh Division members unconscious bodies.
The man approaches and Daisuke leans up. Again, the blond man holds his hand out. "Come on." Daisuke looks at his hand and then up at the man.
"Do you have a name?"
"Why? Decided to trust me?" He only shrugs a bit in response and the man smiles a bit as a result. "I'm Kisuke Urahara." Daisuke nods and picks up his Zanpakuto before grasping Kisuke's hand and standing.
"I don't recall seeing you around the Twelfth Division barracks."
"I'm from the Second Division."
"Then how do you know me?"
"I've seen you around. You spend a lot of your free time at the Thirteenth Division with Captain Ukitake or with Captain Kyoraku at the Eighth. You seem to be close friends with both of them but other then that you're always by yourself. Why is that?"
"It's not your concern, Kisuke."
"Fair enough. Let's get out of here before these guys wake up, huh?"
"Yeah...good idea..."