Stand In the Rain
Shadow of an Echo
Chapter Thirteen
For Your Entertainment
"Hey Jyuu, want to wager that Ichigo will break Toushiro's record for youngest Captain?" Shunsui asked casually, as they watched the youngest in their trio, along with Junichi, push Rikichi through the final stages of gaining his Shikai. Hanataro waiting with the two Captains, chewing on his fingernails in his nervousness; this being the first day he had actually watched his love face down the Hollowfied Ichigo.
Jyuushiro chuckled, grabbing the anxious Hanataro's attention for a moment before he went back to his fidgeting, "No bet Shun, if it wasn't for the fact he had responsibilities in the Living World, he would have already been admitted to the Academy if not privately trained given his extreme learning curve."
A nod from Shunsui, "Yeah, but the Academy can fail and teachers may become jealous if their pupils surpass them too quickly; and I'm confident that would happen in Ichigo's case with just about any teacher you threw at him that wasn't at least Captain level and even that might not last long. It is better he learn this way, on his own path, and in the process of showing others what he can do. I think this will make him worthy of the title of Captain much sooner than any other method."
"You are probably right," Jyuushiro agreed, "He does think better on the run than if he sat down and planned things in advance, or at least rigidly deciding what absolutely must be done when."
Shunsui glanced at Jyuushiro out of the corner of his eye, the white haired Captain too engrossed in watching Ichigo teach Rikichi to notice the action, and he took a few seconds to weigh his next comment before deciding to say it at all. "You still have doubts about his plan to contact the Espada don't you?" The comment about Ichigo's planning skills had sent a red flag up in Shunsui's mind that all his worries hadn't been settled yet.
"Of course I do! I can't believe you don't!" The near violent outburst wasn't completely unexpected by Shunsui, but Hanataro startled out of his nervous fidgeting to stare at the normally sedate man. "Ichigo keeps putting himself in harm's way again and again, I don't want to stand by while he does it this time when we should be the ones protecting him. This is our war, not his, unfortunately Aizen has now made it personal so asking him to back down would be tantamount to saying what happened to him isn't worth getting angry about. Despite knowing that, I still don't want him anywhere near any of the people who hurt him while he was held captive, you heard his stories, every single one of the Espada were put in that arena with him. You can't tell me that isn't going to leave scars on his mind that will open up when he sees them again, and it will leave him vulnerable should the Espada he finds be truly working for Aizen."
Shunsui stopped his tirade by placing a hand on each shoulder and touching their foreheads together, leaving Jyuushiro gasping for air after the long speech. "Please calm down before you get sick again, that really will distract Ichigo and worry me, also I do understand what you are saying but please listen to us. I will not leave him alone for one second in the Living World, he will have me or his father by him at all times; you remember how strong Isshin was. Ichigo may have been taken once, but now that we know he is a definite target for abduction we can take preventative measures we didn't know were needed before. As for actually meeting the Espada, we will have to take him at his word that he can handle that side of the plan, and I am prepared to do that for the very reason you are afraid for him."
"I don't understand, why let him do this?" Jyuushiro had drained most of his energy in the rant, and was now laying his head on Shunsui's shoulder in tiredness.
"Because since he has fought all of them before, weaponless at that, he knows their strength better than anyone with the exception of Aizen. There isn't a single other person not in Heuco Mundo that has come against all the Espada and lived to tell about it. They may have been told not to kill him by Aizen, but Ichigo still knows how to measure abilities and spiritual pressure during a fight. I am also willing to trust his instincts that if he came against the Espada that are too strong for him, they could be reasoned with in ways other than fighting. In other words if anyone is going to know how to handle the Espada it will be Ichigo, plus to be perfectly honest I don't see any other way of getting in contact with the rebels on Aizen's side, and that really is the most viable plan we have for destabilizing his forces. You've read the reports something is happening in the Living World, he is gearing up for a major attack, and if this works we can be a step ahead of him and hopefully stop him before it starts." Shunsui finished his explanation while carding his fingers through Jyuushiro's hair to comfort him.
A resigned sigh followed the assurances, "I wasn't going to stop the two of you, I know it needs to be done, but I am not going to pretend I'm happy about it. I care too much about him, and you, to let the two of you go off on a mission this dangerous without me and not be scared out of my mind."
"Ahh, so that's what it is," Shunsui realized, "You are upset because Old Man Yama's orders mean you have to stay here right?"
"Everything I said before was true, but if I can't be with you two, then there isn't anything I can do about it," Jyuushiro admitted. "If I brought up my wish to travel to the Living World my motivations would be questioned since my squad has never been in the front lines of fighting; not with my pacifism policy. If I were to suddenly change habits it would put us in danger from our side along with Aizen and we just can't risk that."
A third voice interrupted them, soft and tentative as it was, "Um, excuse me, I didn't mean to eavesdrop but you were so close I could hear. Captain Ukitake, if you are worried about how much support Ichigo will have in the Living World I can tell you that you don't have to. He won't just have the team sent from Soul Society backing him up, but he will also have his friends there too; and you know many of them used to be Captains themselves. I have seen how he fights when he doesn't have a plan, I can only assume that because he does have a clue what he is doing this time it will only make him safer." Hanataro carefully explained what he had witnessed in an effort to help calm the two Captains.
Both Captains were momentarily stunned by Hanataro's interruption, but soon recovered and looked thoughtful as the words hit them smoothly. "You've been to the Living World with him before, when Toushiro headed the investigation, I know that, but how much fighting did you see involving his friends? We saw them during the time they were Ryoka, but we don't know anything about how they have improved," Shunsui had taken the lead in questioning him.
"They're strong." Hanataro assured, "Not as strong as a Captain yet I don't think, but they could probably match the Lieutenants. Plus they don't fight alone. When they are together they are stronger. They have more control now that they did before, and that is only going to get better." The analysis was hesitant, but very thorough, proving they had asked the right person about it.
"Wow Hanataro, didn't expect you to talk that way!" Another interruption forced its way into the conversation.
"Renji!" The protest came from three people at once, the Captains being far more forceful in Hanataro's defense.
The tattooed Lieutenant shrugged and walked closer to them, "What? It's true! I didn't expect it, but I do like it." He clapped a hand on Hanataro's slumped shoulder; making him wince.
"I like knowing what's happening with my friends, so I can be there to heal them if they need me. I don't like telling the information to just anyone because they don't know I have it and can't give permission, but they were really worried about Ichigo and what I know could help them." Hanataro justified himself, surprising the Captains who expected him to either accept the teasing or protest in some other way; this was a new side to Hanataro. He went about it the wrong way, but maybe Renji did have a point in highlighting the growing confidence in him.
"Thank you Hanataro, we appreciate it," This time Jyuushiro's much gentler hand dropped on his shoulder and squeezed in a gesture of thanks.
"What's got yah so worked up? Is Ichigo alright?" Renji asked in concern, sobering up a bit from his playful mood.
"He wants us to let him bait an Espada," Shunsui admitted, "There is a reason for it, but all the same it really is not a good idea to make the person you are already fighting even angrier."
Renji gritted his teeth, "Yeah sounds like something Ichigo would pull, and I understand why you're worried, but he has managed to fight his way through the impossible so many times it would be an insult to doubt him now."
"You may have a point," Jyuushiro admitted, a tad grudgingly.
"Look, wanting to protect him is fine," Renji continued, "But don't forget it is still Ichigo we are talking about. He is not going to change who he is because of Aizen, it will only make him fight harder."
"Ah, sorry to stop you, I know it's important; but look!" Hanataro urged strongly, pointing to the battle in front of them.
Junichi and Ichigo had Rikichi pinned against the far wall, bearing down on him hard, only the blade stopping the advance was no longer the simple Katana his Zanpakuto had always been. Instead Rikichi held a segmented metal fan that spanned the width of his body, each segment serrated along the cutting edge, but the most eye-catching thing about his Zanpakuto was the fan gave off a red-hot glow like it was still molten; or it was burning from the inside out.
At the point where Rikichi's fan met Tensa they could see the glowing ember catch hold and begin to spread up the Daito blade; Ichigo quickly pulling away before too much damage could be inflicted on his precious Tensa.
All four spectators wasted no time in getting to student and teacher, Hanataro tackling Rikichi, "You did it Riki!" He praised, not letting go of his love despite the sweat and grime coating him from the intense sparring match, nothing mattered except the fact they had both succeeded and came out on the other side without significant injury; a little dirt wouldn't interfere with the celebration.
Jyuushiro and Shunsui were more interested in looking over the newly reveled Shikai still held loosely in Rikichi's hand, it allowed them to give the couple a bit of privacy by diverting their attention elsewhere.
It really was intimidating to see, unlike Yumichika's false Shikai that was four separate blades that fanned out, this looked like a traditional joined fan, only instead of creased paper, it was purely metal and sharp edges. The glow was worth a second inspection all by itself, as it was a manifestation of the fire element they hadn't run across before, it was extremely hot without obvious flame. Interesting. Also from the brief contact it had made with Tensa Zangetsu it was capable of burning or melting other Zanpakuto; regardless if it was a Shikai or Bankai.
Yamamoto would certainly be intrigued by this Shikai, as he was for all newly discovered fire Zanpakuto due to his possession of Ryojin Jakka. Toushiro was the same for ice Zanpakuto, and Byakuya for wind. The only problem would come from the more exposure Rikichi had to the Head Captain the more dangerous it would be for him, his secrets could be found out and persecuted.
"I think it would be a good idea to keep the nature of your Shikai quiet, for as long as possible," Jyuushiro advised, different scenarios running through his head.
Looking down at the fan in his hand and back up to the Captain, Rikichi asked, "Why? What would hiding it do?" A lot of his reluctance was driven by the amount of effort he had used to get it in the first place; to pretend it didn't exist rubbed him the wrong way.
Jyuushiro's eyes softened as he realized what the problem was, "I know you don't like it, but it will be far safer for you if you keep it secret; most of the Lieutenants do this. Actually, a good majority of the high ranking officers make the attempt to keep their release hidden; the element of surprise in a battle can mean the difference between victory and defeat. I can't say that's the only reason though, for you, a fire Zanpakuto will draw Yamamoto's attention, and I don't think I have to explain why that might be a bad thing."
"You've both done great, let's not waste all that effort by risking exposure," Ichigo added, mask disintegrated as Junichi returned to the background.
"But Ichigo, Captain Ukitake, how are we going to hide this? Didn't you say before the Head-Captain probably already knows about our training, wouldn't he be interested to know the results?" Hanataro objected in concern, worried hiding would only bring more danger to them.
Renji was the one to answer him, "Even if that was the case, you would still be safe. Don't you remember Hanataro? Whenever we achieve a new sword release we are supposed to report it to the Captain of our squad, who then takes it to the Head-Captain so it's on record, however there is nothing in the rules that says we have to tell them exactly what our Shikais or Bankais are capable of. I would let our Captain know, he wouldn't betray you, but we can report the success of training without revealing your abilities."
"Is he really going to allow that in this case?" Rikichi was started to gain a little hope, but was still cautious. "I mean sure it would work under normal circumstances, but this isn't normal is it?"
"With Jyuushiro and I backing you up, and if we get Byakuya to help, then we can keep you safe. All we have to do is remind him that no matter the oddity of the situation he still has to respect the rules. He shouldn't be allowed to break them to satisfying his own curiosity; that is a definite abuse of power he can be called out on by any of us Captains." Shunsui analyzed.
Ichigo reached out ruffled their hair, relaxing them out of their tension, "See, everything is going to be alright. Now why don't we get to the fun part of today, Shunsui, Jyuushiro; ready to show them what you can do?"
Twin mischievous grins, "Of course, but who is the opponent?" Jyuushiro asked, looking between Ichigo and Renji.
Ichigo laughed, "Who do you think? You'll be fighting me, and Junichi too if you'd like to really show off. I haven't fought the both of you working together before, I want to see what I can do."
Shunsui smirked, the expression mirrored on Ichigo, "Question? How strong are the shields on this place?"
"Could you feel my Hollowfication before entering Renji?" Ichigo diverted the question.
Renji felt himself grinning along with the rest in excitement, "Not a bit."
"If they can hold back all traces of Junichi we can fight here, at least with you two in Shikai; I wouldn't trust it with Bankai though." Ichigo decided, even if he hadn't seen them he knew that both his loves had releases that were much grander than his own and would take more power to conceal.
Jyuushiro responded quickly to ease his worries, his own blood pumping faster with anticipation, "Sounds good, we wouldn't bring out our Bankais here anyway. We will show you someday, but an enclosed space is really not a good idea."
"Let's go then, but is it okay for Junichi to join? He really wants to." Ichigo checked, hearing his Hollow clamoring for another good fight.
"They better say yes King, that little Soul Reaper was feisty I'll give him that but he just fired me up; I'm itching for a real fight!" Fighting Rikichi had just wet Junichi's appetite for a good battle.
"I know you are, to be honest I'm feeling the same way; be happy though now we get to really train them since they found their releases." Ichigo attempted to placate his restless Hollow.
"Yeah, yeah, King; I know that, still you can't deny fighting these two would be way better than beaten on the newbies." Junichi continued to grumble.
"Of course you can let him out, he is a part of your power; saying you can't would be like coming against you with one of your arms tied behind your back." Shunsui allowed, Jyuushiro nodding in agreement.
"YES!" Junichi whopped in delight within Ichigo's mind, making his King wince at the volume, and causing Zangetsu to chastise him but none of that could lessen the excitement pouring off the grinning Hollow.
That was all it took for the three combatants to Flash Step away from the spectators; giving themselves the room they knew they would need.
Rikichi tapped Renji's shoulder as they watched them get into their stances, "Renji, ever seen them fight?"
"Not together no, but I have seen enough to know this is gonna be good." He assured while never taking his eyes off the soon to be battlefield not wanting to miss a moment.
It seemed one moment they were simply eyeing each other up, the next they were flying towards each other. Jyuushiro towards Ichigo's right side, Shunsui his left; all of them remaining in Shikai, with Shunsui only drawing one of his blades for the moment to see how Ichigo would hold up under the double sided attack.
Turns out, pretty damn well, dodging Jyuushiro and engaging Shunsui, the clash of metal rang through the air along with their excited laughter. No matter which way they came at him, Ichigo found a way to avoid one and block the other; a vestige of his time street fighting and fending off multiple opponents.
Shunsui had by now drawn his second, and slightly shorter, blade. Now it was more difficult for Ichigo to dodge, having three points to avoid instead of two. Time to switch into Bankai, the increased speed and power now giving him the chance to go on the offensive instead of defensive. He swirled around the two of them, forcing them back to back, taking short measured swipes at them; knowing exactly what he was doing. He wanted their strength to come out too, but they weren't going to go easy; he had to earn their Shikais.
"All waves, Rise now and Become my Shield, Lighting, Strike now and Become my Blade," Jyuushiro chanted, his sword splitting into the familiar joined blades.
"Flower Wind Rage and Flower God Roar, Heavenly Wind Rage and Heavenly Demon Sneer," Shunsui finished his command a split second after Jyuushiro, blades widening and extending, red tassels swinging from their hilts.
From there all Hell broke loose. Strike after slash, parry and block, Jyuushiro and Shunsui's tandem attacks pressing Ichigo back step by step, despite the fact he fought like a cornered tiger. They respected each other too much to hold back, they had to trust in each other's ability to repel their attacks.
And Ichigo was doing it, giving ground was expected, but he wasn't giving up; still pressing back despite the pressuring from his loves. God, he had missed fighting like this. He felt himself tapping into his feral side, the one only reinforced by the Espada's beat downs under Aizen's command.
"King! Hey King! Let me out already, I wanna fight!" Junichi railed, reminding his King that he was feeling just as frustrated with all the holding back they had been doing lately.
"Fine!" Ichigo barked back quickly, not wanting to break his concentration to debate with Junichi, instead he clawed his hand across his face and summoned his mask.
Shunsui and Jyuushiro paused momentarily as they felt the dark reddish black power wash over them. It was intense. Exceeding them in power, only lacking refinement, experience was the last thing Ichigo needed to be the deadliest fighter they had ever met.
With a glance at each other they broke through their momentary hesitation and pressed forward, clashing with Tensa. The first Getsuga Tensho released was pointed towards Shunsui initially, until Jyuushiro jumped in front of him, the wave of power swallowed up by the one side, and released by the other with the same color and intensity as the original attack. The only thing that changed was the speed, and Ichigo had to do some quick maneuvering to avoid the sped up attack.
Junichi giving his power a boost, they were able to push the Captains back a few steps the same as they had done to him earlier, and they fought back just as hard as he did; only they weren't alone in the fight. They took every advantage of their joined skill, morals satisfied in doing this since technically Ichigo wasn't fighting alone either; he had Junichi.
Ichigo began to feel a ray of hope that he might just win, or at least fight them into a tie when both sides were too tired to fight; except that was when his mask began to crumble, and his power dwindled rapidly.
Sweating now with the effort of fending off both of them, he kept sending more Getsuga Tenshos at them; knowing they would probably be reflected, but he was past the point of physical fighting. His spiritual stamina was stronger than his physical even now weeks after his escape from Aizen.
And he was partially right, they were still being absorbed, but knowing Ichigo was at his limit, Jyuushiro deflected the returns off to the side. This was a spar not a war and he refused to hurt his love.
At long last they had Ichigo pinned down to the training room floor, all of them breathing heavily, covered in sweat and streaked with blood from shallow wounds.
The three of them were all for curling up right then and there for a restorative nap, when the sound of enthusiastic applause intruded into their foggy minds.
"That was amazing!" Hanataro was the first to speak once they dragged themselves up and over to the watching trio.
"You really think Hana and I can learn to work together like that?" Riki asked next.
Renji finished up the comments with, "That was a great spar, knew it would be, don't think I've ever seen you two fight like that before." The last comment directed towards the Captains.
All three responses earned a weak chuckle from Ichigo and gentle smiles from the Captains, "Thanks Hanataro, and yes Rikichi someday you two will be able to do that; they had to learn too don't forget that." He replied to his students first before addressing Renji, "To be honest I didn't even know what would happen, never fought either one with Junichi involved before."
Shunsui's eyes narrowed as he took in Ichigo's tired form while he answered the questions, something was wrong. "Ichigo, are you feeling alright?"
Turning away from the questioning bunch, e raised an eyebrow, "I'm fine, just tired, why?"
"I have seen you fight for longer against opponents pressing you harder than we did, and you didn't have to give in because your body gave in. Don't try to tell me that isn't what happened. Your Spiritual Pressure was fine, but you were not." Shunsui challenged.
Jyuushiro had to add on, "I saw it too Ichigo, you fought well, but tired quickly. I think Retsu needs to check and make sure the Seki-Seki is really gone from your system."
"Wait a minute, you could do all that, and you aren't in top form yet?!" Rikichi asked in shock.
Ichigo turned his head away from the accusing stares, not able to meet their eyes, "Their right, I'm not quite back into shape. You don't have to call Retsu though. I will take it easy over the next few days. Well as easy as I can. Remember I had already planned on getting help with training them, I won't get too stubborn; I promise." Ichigo assured.
Both Shunsui and Jyuushiro measured him up in concern, testing his truthfulness, "Alright Ichigo, we will let this go without telling Retsu, but if it stays like this you take yourself to the Fourth and get checked out; deal?" Shunsui decided, but Jyuushiro opened his mouth to protest, stopped only by Shunsui's hand on his shoulder, "Oh and if this doesn't go away, you can say goodbye to your plan of contacting the Espada; I will not let you go through with it unless you are completely back to full strength."
Ichigo gritted his teeth in irritation that his weakness could compromise his plan, but a warm buzz of happiness sparked in his chest as he realized they were protecting him just like he did with everyone else. "Fine, if I still feel bad by the time we are shipped out to the Living World I will let Retsu look me over, and I will wait until I am strong again before taking on any Espada." He eventually agreed.
"Thank you so much!" His agreement was rewarded with a near tackle by Jyuushiro, "Don't you dare scare me like that again!"
"No promises, but I'll try," Ichigo responded, running his hand through white hair, feeling Shunsui drape and arm around him, the other around Jyuushiro.
"Uh, are you seeing what I'm seeing?" Renji asked in surprise.
"Yeah, you didn't notice before?" Hanataro replied with a teasing tone, Rikichi pressed into his side. "We've know just by the way they talk about each other. You need to pay more attention."
Renji blushed until his neck blended in with the roots of his hair, "I do pay attention! I just didn't expect it." He defended himself, "I can't say I'm upset about it though, I think they will be good for each other."
"Oh they are," Rikichi agreed, "Just look at them, when was the last time you saw Ichigo that relaxed? Or the Captains with so much hope?"
"Now that you mention it, yeah, they do look a little different," He was rubbing his blushing neck now, trying to will the redness away.
"I can't wait to learn from them. Don't you think so Hana? It's going to be great." Rikichi added, stealing glimpses at the couple while mostly averting his eyes to give them some privacy.
"Of course it will be, look at how far we have come already." Hanataro pointed out, their conversation interrupted shortly after by the trio splitting apart and returning to the present.
"Ah, sorry about that, but we needed to knock some sense into this one," Shunsui apologized, ruffling Ichigo's hair and earning a scowl.
"Hey! I would have taken care of myself, I know how," He protested, attempting to straighten out his hair, but quickly giving up the futile effort.
Jyuushiro's soft voice brought him up short, "Just because you can take care of yourself doesn't mean we are going to let you; that's our job now. We take care of each other."
"Well said," Shunsui agreed, returning his arms to their shoulders, putting himself in between them.
"That's gonna take some time to get used to," Ichigo warned, but he was smiling too, "Protecting you two I can do, I'm used to that, but not you protecting me."
"Looks like you better get used to it Ichigo, they're not letting go," Well here's a surprise, it was Renji.
"So I take it you noticed now?" Ichigo stated drily.
"Kinda hard not to," Renji admitted. "But don't worry, I won't tell anyone, they get to figure it out on their own. Oh and congratulations."
Ichigo's smile widened, "You really don't have a problem with this?"
"Should I?" Renji asked incredulously, "Nah, you three look good together, and I've known you too long to object. It's not my place to interfere. Don't know how others might feel, but I don't see anything wrong with it so long as you guys are happy, which you obviously are."
"Thanks Renji," Ichigo replied sincerely.
The Lieutenant just shrugged.
"We appreciate it too by the way," Jyuushiro added.
"No problem," Renji was starting to feel a little flustered at the attention he had brought on himself. "Were you really that concerned about me not accepting it?"
"Maybe not you specifically, but people have reacted badly in the past." Shunsui explained. "It's not a good idea to base things on faith."
"How many people have found about you that they reacted badly? I know I can be oblivious but I don't think I would have missed it had you guys been together for too long?" Renji found himself confused.
Ichigo decided to save his loves for answering, "Renji, they weren't talking about recently." He confessed.
"What?" Momentarily not understanding, until it hit him, "Oh, ohh, this isn't the first time you've done this?" Renji realized.
"No it isn't, this is just the first time we've fit together so well even from the very beginning. It can be a lot of strain, but we have been lucky to find each other." Shunsui took over, this was their story to reveal. He wasn't ashamed of telling it either, it had happened, and many of the memories were happy ones, it was only the partings that were sorrowful.
"Well, you have my support." Renji assured.
"And ours, but you already knew that I think," Hanataro added, with Rikichi nodding.
"Guess that means we don't have to be so careful during training does it?" Shunsui asked hopefully, earning himself a soft smack on the shoulder.
"Oh no you don't affection is fine, but we won't get anywhere training them if you're distracting me every five seconds." Ichigo warned.
"Not to mention Nanao could get a little upset with you abandoning paperwork to come here every day." Jyuushiro helped Ichigo tease Shunsui, making the brunette pout a bit.
"She's going to be coming here too, when it's her and Isane's turn to teach, so she would be a hypocrite for yelling at me," Shunsui decided, nodding emphatically.
"She will be here for a day or two, not every day until the end, perspective is necessary, and don't you think you owe her a few days of you doing her work instead of the other way around?" Ichigo pointed out.
He sighed, "I'm not going to win am I?"
"No," Ichigo agreed, before leaning up to peck his check and whisper in his ear, "But I'll make it up to you later."
Jyuushiro knew enough about them to know when Shunsui's eyes got that look, and Ichigo that blush, they were in for a very nice couple of days once there little plan came to light. He smiled to himself in anticipation.