Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. I only own Asuna.
Asuna sat silently beside the group, awaiting the reply of Kūkaku as Yoruichi explained her situation and as well as Ichigo's situation and all the while Kūkaku kept her eyes on Asuna's form, making the girl even more nervous.
What did she mean by noble? Does she despise me because of my last name, Kuchiki? Have I done something wrong in the past that made this woman hold a grudge against me?
These thoughts bothered her to no end, her grey eyes staring intently at the ground. "Ah, what the hell; I'll help ya out." Asuna glanced up in surprise.
"Wonderful! I'm glad you can help," Yoruichi thanked the woman.
"I did have a few other reservations, but with Urahara involved, how can I say no? But," she stood up with her pipe lazily resting in her hand, "While I do trust you completely, I'm not entirely sure about these kids accompanying you, especially her," Kūkaku pointed a finger at Asuna. "So, I'll be sending an overseer to keep an eye on you." Asuna's hands clenched as she grinded her teeth.
"What overseer?" Yoruichi questioned as Kūkaku made her way towards a set of shoji doors.
She shrugged. "Well, he's actually my little brother. He's kind of an idiot and not all that useful, but he'll have to do." She stated before knocking on it.
"Hey in there. You ready?" She started and Asuna didn't hear the reply but Kūkaku simply finished. "Alright I'm opening the door now. So behave." She warned.
The doors slid open and Asuna's eyes widened when she found herself staring at the form of Ganju. "It's an honor to meet you. My name is Ganju Shiba, and I'm pleased to be of service!" The moment he raised his head to see who he would watch over, he recognized everyone in no time.
Asuna glanced around seeing everyone's shocked expressions and laughed silently. Ichigo's eyebrow twitched as he stared at Ganju.
Moments seemed to pass and suddenly Ichigo and Ganju jumped up, pointing fingers at each other yelling.
Kūkaku glanced between the two, confusement evident in her eyes. "Huh? You two already know each other?" She questioned but was met with silence.
The next thing everyone knew, a brawl between Ichigo and Ganju broke out, everyone just watching on in surprise. Asuna sighed under her breath as she shook her head.
"I knew this was gonna happen," she mumbled shaking her head in disbelief as she watched them both practically destroy Kūkaku's house. The said woman merely watched them with wide eyes, not exactly knowing what to do as she simply continued to puff on her pipe.
Asuna's eyes merely widened when Kūkaku's pipe was knocked from her grasp, her eyes twitching in annoyance and she seemed to get more angrier when her pipe met an unfortunate fate as it was snapped in half.
The woman yelled out in anger, a sudden ball of yellow energy appearing in her hand before she lunged forward, her arm shooting out and impacting on the ground and everyone quickly hurried out the room and outside the house, trying to avoid the attack that sent Ichigo and Ganju flying backwards.
"Did she have to wreck the place just to stop them?" Uryū questioned once it was clear to go in. Everyone stared in wonderment at the annoyed woman.
"Atleast we know why this lady has to change houses so often." Chad commented as Yoruichi sat perched on Asuna's head.
Orihime's eyes were comically widened. "Extreme makeover." She stated as her hands were pressed against each other.
"What's the matter you idiots?!" Kūkaku demanded, her tone filled with anger. "I autta' rip you a new one for being so damn stupid." All the while Kūkaku was stomping on Ganju's head. "At this rate, you two are going to screw up this entire mission. And not to mention, you have already destroyed my house!"
Ganju grumbled under his breath. "Aw but sis-," receiving another kick, Kūkaku shook her head.
"I don't want to hear any excuses!" She snapped a tick mark appearing on her head before she turned her head sideways, staring at the group who was peeking behind the door. "You got something to say?"
"No nothing at all." Everyone replied as Ichigo slowly looked up, his eyes widening when Kūkaku approached him, a sweat drop forming on the side of his face as the woman grabbed him by the hair before pulling him up.
"Listen you idiot! Your in my house now. If you don't like the way I do things here then get the hell out." Beads of sweat rolled down Ichigo's face as his face was in a comical like fashion. "Any questions?"
"Nope. I'm just fine with it." He answered and she grinned at him.
"Okay then", she let him go and took a step back. "I'm glad you understand." She said and turned towards the group, walking the opposite side of them.
Ichigo crawled towards Ganju as he fell to the floor. "Your sister is a real piece of work."
Ganju merely nodded. "I know."
"Alright. Everyone on your feet!" Like speeding bullets, the latter that was on the floor stood on attention. Asuna hid a grin behind her fist and giggled lightly.
"Koganehiko, I want you and Shiroganehiko begin the preparations outside! Understood?" Koganehiko nodded his head answering with a 'Yes, Ma'm' and hurried ooff.
Kūkaku turned to the rest of the group. "Now for the rest of you, I want all of you to gather up your crap and follow me."
Following behind the woman, Kūkaku led the group down a long corridor, that was lighted by bright lights. "How can I be so bright down here? I didn't notice any generators near here?" Uryū asked as he glanced around.
Kūkaku pointed a finger at the lights. "Lots of Firefly Creeper Vines. I keep them growing along the walls and on the ceiling." She replied.
"I don't think I've ever heard of that," Uryū confessed. "Is that a plant that only grows here in the Soul Society?" He asked but the woman didn't answer him as they then stopped in front of a metalic door with red japanese words painted on it.
"Alright here we are." She announced as Uryū noticed that she was ignoring him. "Ganju, open the door."
Said man nodded and hurried towards the door and aiming to open it as Uryū appeared beside Kūkaku. "I said-" he was cutt off as Ichigo placed a hand over Uryū's mouth and yanked him back.
"Get your hands off me!" The Quincy snapped and Ichigo ignored the threat, cupping a hand over his mouth.
"Just keep cool." Asuna rolled her eyes lightly as she crossed her arms behind her back as she watched Ganju open the door.
It revealed a dark room, the light of the corridor peeking threw as Asuna saw a black pillar in the middle of the room.
"What is that thing?" Ichigo questioned as everyone stared at the object.
Uryū nodded as he added, "Its huge." Everyone stopped as Kūkaku continued to walk towards the object.
"You can quit worrying about getting through the wall." She called towards the group. "With this launcher, I'll get you all in the Seireitei," she pointed upwards. "-through the air."
Everyone stared at her in disbelief, even Asuna was wide eyed. "The air?" They questioned and Kūkaku grinned at their expressions.
"Or my name is not is Kūkaku Shiba," she placed a hand on her hip and turned towards them. "Fireworks expert of the Rukon District."
Ichigo raised a eyebrow. "Fireworks?" He questioned as Kūkaku grinned at them.
"That's right." She said before craning her head upwards. "Koganehiko, Shiroganehiko! Raise it up now!"
As she said this, the floor started shaking and moving beneath everyone's feet. Ichigo glanced around as Asuna merely stood there with her hands behind her back, her grey eyes observing everyone's reaction.
"What the hell is going on?" Ichigo demanded as Orihime stared with wide eyes.
"I don't understand this." She replied as Uryū and Chad merely took a defensive stance, making sure they didn't fall.
"Its the floor," Uryū yelled. "Its going up!" Asuna rolled her eyes. It was so obvious but nonetheless it was very impressive. Glancing up, Asuna merely blinked as the ceiling started opening, the sunlight streaming down upon them.
"Is this for real?" Ichigo questioned as everyone but Yoruichi and Asuna gasped in wonderment as they were raised from below.
Kūkaku approached the group a grin on her face but it seemed to slightly dwindle when she noticed a certain grey eyed girl standing aside looking as calm and emotionless, a look that reminded Kūkaku of the girl's father but she pushed that aside. "So," she started. "Did that scare you kids?" She questioned smirking. "This is my one and only enhanced fireworks launch pad."
Ganju appeared in front of her, throwing his fist in the air. "And that's the Flower Crane Cannon." He announced before hurdling forward as Kūkaku's foot planted itself on his back.
"That was my line." She snapped as smoke emitted from his scarf covered head as he lied faced down on the ground.
"Huh? Left you all speechless, didn't I?" She questioned as Uryū simply spread hims arms lightly beside him.
"I know you're supposed to be some kind of pirate technical wizard, but I'm still not fully convinced of it. The idea of shooting us in the air is completely –," a clear, spherical ball was thrown square in his face. He fell back with a broken lens as the ball landed in Ichigo's hand.
Ichigo stared at the ball in his hand and looked up at Kūkaku. "What's this?" He questioned as Kūkaku pointed a finger at the crystal ball.
"Its a Reishūkaku or Spirit Core." She replied. "Place your palms on it and concentrate your spirit enegery." She announced as Ichigo frowned.
"Hmm? Like this?" He questioned as he tried to do as Kūkaku instructed but found himself unable to do so. He seemeed to struggle for a while and finally quit.
"Can someone show me how to concentrate my spirit energy?" He questioned as Kūkaku stared at him in disbelief.
"Huh? Any Soul Reaper should easily be able to do that." She replied holding her hand out as a ball of blue energy formed in her hand. "So you should know how to use your spirit energy to do this."
"Well actually", Kūkaku glanced to her left and stared at the black feline who spoke. "He's the Substitute Soul Reaper I was telling you about earlier and he can't use spirit energy at all." Yoruchi informed as Kūkaku then glanced at Ichigo who was still trying to concentrate his spirit energy.
Kūkaku glanced at Asuna and narrowed her eyes. "Why don't you try, noble one?" She questioned in a taunting manner. The girl merely sighed sadly under her breath and nodded. "Ichigo, give the Reishūkaku ball to Asuna." She commanded at the boy merely blinked as Asuna merely took the crystal ball from him, his eyes slightly widening when he noticed a single tear fall from her eye.
The girl walked up the steps not looking once at Kūkaku and turned towards the group. She placed her palms on the Reishūkaku and concentrated her spirit energy.
Not seconds passed when a blue barrier surrounded her, the group gasping out in surprise as Kūkaku stared on a little wide-eyed. "Now would you look at that," Yoruichi commented. "It seems as though she did it Kūkaku. It seems as though she isn't as hopeless as you said she was."
Kūkaku sighed under her breath and tapped the dome and turned towards the astonished group. "This here is the cannonball. Now pay close attention everyone," Kūkaku stated as she stared at the group, Asuna standing perfectly still in the blue dome, her eyes closed. "You may think that the only thing guarding the Seireitei is that barrier, then you are dead wrong. It isn't nearly that simple. That barrier is made of a stone known as Seki Seki. Its rare even in the Soul Society. This is a fragment of it," Kūkaku stated as she took out a small brown pebble and placed it on the ground before crouching down and used her good hand to smash it and dust formed around as it made impact.
"As you can see," she started as everyone observed the small crater the Seki Seki made. "It completely repels spirit energy. There for its impossible to smash threw the barrier with spirit energy alone. And even when cut into a small piece such as this," Kūkaku picked the Seki Seki and everyone watched the small pillar give way where it once stood and crumbled. "It emits a wave of that breaks down spirit energy from all sides. Which means that the Seireitei has a spherical barrier that surrounds them. It not only protects them from the sky above but even from the ground below. That's why we use this!" Kūkaku once again knocked on the blue dome making Asuna's eyes open.
"This cannonball is a special hard spirtual penetration device that I invented. In other words, if all five of you combined put your spirit energy into this Reishūkaku, you can create a cannonball strong enough to break through the barrier, then I'll use the Flower Crane Cannon to shoot that cannonball into the sky, and it'll punch a hole straight through the barrier. Any questions?" she turned to the rest of them as Ichigo stared at her with a dumb look.
"Well,"
"Alright then," Kūkaku announced. "Take them down to the underground training room so they can practice concentrating their spirit energy," she snapped her fingers to summon her guards as they complied to her order and comically picked everyone up, and threw them over their shoulders. "Get them outta' here."
Kūkaku added one more thing as the two guards carried them off. "Listen you guys. If one of you lose concentration, you'll blow up on the spot."
Ichigo stared at her with wide-eyes. "What? You never mentioned that!" He yelled as they were carried of in the distance.
"Kūkaku?" Said woman blinked and turned towards the owner of the voice, finding herself staring into Asuna's grey eyes the woman raised a eyebrow but found herself speechless when the girl glanced at the ground. "I wanted to apologize if I have done something to offend you in the past." The girl placed the ball on the ground and before Kūkaku could say anything, Asuna simply flash stepped away.
"You shouldn't give her such a hard time, Kūkaku." Yoruichi stated as the feline simply started walking towards the house, intent on talking to Asuna. "Its not her fault."
And as the group prepared to concentrate their spiritual pressure it was time to reveal an ultimate surprise.
The Captain of Squad Three, Gin Ichimaru found himself standing in front of the doors of Squad One, a familiar grin on his face as the doors finally opened.
"So, you're here," boomed the Head Captain as Ichimaru stepped into the room, "Captain of Squad three, Gin Ichimaru."
"An unexpected summons. Tell me, should I be appalled or impressed? And look at this distinguished crowd, the Captains who control the Soul Society, all here just for me? Or am I mistaken?"
He walked in further and glanced at the empty spot where Captain Jūshirō Ukitake should stand.
"I see the Captain of Squad Thirteen is absent. What's wrong? Did something happen to him?"
"He's not feeling very well," replied Kaname Tōsen, the Captain of Squad Nine.
Gin frowned in mock concern. "Oh, not again, I hope he gets well soon."
"Quit joking around!" snapped Kenpachi Zaraki, the Captain of Squad Eleven. "Ya know that's not the reason you were summoned here. It's my understanding that you went and played with that Ryoka by yourself, didn't you? And I also hear that ya failed. Explain yourself! Ya shouldn' have no trouble dealing with four or five Ryoka without backup!"
Gin turned towards him with a mocking smile. "I see, so you're saying that they survived? Well, I was under the impression that they were dead, but I guess my instincts are starting to fail me."
"Stop all this monkey buisness right now," Mayuri snapped coldly. "There is absolutely no way captains, such as us, could fail to instantly tell whether an opponent's spirit has ceased to exist!"
A certain white haired Captain groaned. "Oh no. Not again. Old fools caught up in stupid bickering." He muttered as Gin rubbed the back of his head.
"Can you not see, your pity accusations seem to imply that I let them go on purpose?" inquired Gin politely, and it was enough to make Mayuri's temper flare.
"That is exactly what I'm saying!"
"Shut up, Kurotsuchi." Kenpachi snapped and stepped forward threateningly. "Can't you see I was talking to him first-"
"What did you say to me!?"
The two men squared off, but before it could go any further the Head Captain intervened.
"Stop! Enough with this foolishness. I think the true reason for what you have been summoned here to stand in front of your peers have made abundently clear. It is the fact that you acted alone. That covers also the fact that you also let me to believe the target had escaped. So then, how do you defend your actions, Ichimaru?"
Gin grinned widely as the moments seemed to pass. "I cannot", he replied. "You see I'm not going to stand here and make excuses but I saw something really shocking when I encountered the Ryoka." Gin announced as he cocked his head towards the Captain of Squad Six.
"And I do think this will be some shock to Captain Kuchiki if I might say", he rubbed the back of his neck as he gained the attention of said Captain. "I'm finding it hard to believe myself."
"What are you blabbering about, Ichimaru? What could make you possibly think that I am in the slightest-," silence filled the room as Gin's words reached their ears. He turned his body towards the silver haired Captain. "What did you just say?"
Gin sheepishly smiled. "I think you heard me correctly. I couldn't help it, really. I was distracted because there was rather someone very interesting in the group. But when I heard that voice," Gin thought for a moment as her familiar eyes flashed in his mind and he snapped his fingers. "I didn't believe it at first but it was all so clear."
The Captain's hands clenched tigthtly beside him, his eyes narrowed. "Yes, I can see the resemblance between you two and there is no mistaking that the one I saw was," he waited for a pause of effect. "-indeed Miss Asuna Kuchiki."
Before anyone could even react upon what they have just learned, the sound of the alarm went through the Seireitei. "Red Alert! Red Alert! Intruders in the Seireitei! All squads get into positions. I repeat. Red Alert! Red Alert! Intruders in the Seireitei! All squads get into positions."
But one thought remained on certain Captain's mind and at that second, and moment it was the only thing that occupied his mind.
Asuna.