Strawberry Protector

Chapter 7: Duck in a Tree

Time passed and not once did Shiro see another sign of the hatted stranger nor did he tell his charge of their encounter. As far as the hollow was concerned, the kid had enough on his plate as it was. The reason for this train of thought was because as Ichigo grew in strength he drew the attention of more bullies looking to put him in his place. This of course led to him gaining a bad reputation but this did not faze the child. In fact, he began using the strength he gained from their training to start protecting others in need.

That of course led to their current situation, which was Ichigo staring down three bullies in a short dead-end alley. Just behind the three teenagers was a dark-haired child wearing glasses that looked about his age. The boy looked a little roughed up but certainly wasn't cowering like most victims would be in his situation. And as per usual, the lizardlike hollow was crouched on the corner of one of the walls that made up the alley; right beside his orange haired charge.

"Why don't you pick on someone your own size or at least pick on someone who can strike back just as hard." Ichigo was in the process of try to taunt the older boys away from their target so that maybe the other boy would be able to slip by.

Of course the three teens seemed unfazed by his words and were more amused by them. But the kid did get their attention as they turned away from the black haired child and approached him instead, just as he wanted. "And what are you going to do about it kid?"

"Yeah, run home to your mommy!" Such taunts still left a sour taste in his mouth, however Ichigo was quick to figure out that these boys weren't from his school due to their uniforms. So they didn't know how bad of a choice such insults were but they would soon learn that it doesn't pay to be a bully.

As the three older boys laughed at was last said, the orange haired child struck with a punch to the gut to the closest bully. This caused the teen to grip his stomach in pain while simultaneously bending forward, leaving him open to a punch in the face which came seconds after. With those two quick strikes, the two remaining teens stopped laughing as their friend fell to the ground. After a quick exchange of glances, they charged at Ichigo with the thought of making the boy pay.

Of course Ichigo won in the end due to the older boys underestimating him. However as he began to approach the black haired boy who was the victim of these would-be bullies, one of them stood up. However before the orange haired boy could react, his hollow companion struck. Shiro whipped his tail around and smacked the the teenager in the head with just enough force to knock him out.

Briefly glancing up to his friend's white form, he could see that the hollow was tense and slightly agitated. It seemed like Shiro had been set off a bit by what the bullies had said as well and wanted to take his own shot at them. This of course didn't bother Ichigo as he returned his focus to the only other boy in the area that was conscious. "Are you all right?"

There was an odd expression on the black haired boy's face as he looked from the teen to the hollow that knocked him out then to Ichigo. "I should be asking you that since your spiritual energy seems to have attracted a hollow."

"You can see him?"

"Ya can see me?"

Both questions were asked simultaneously and caused the unusual pair of friends to glance to one another in slight surprise. It seemed that there was more than one person in town capable of hiding their spiritual energy and that bothered Shiro slightly.

"Of course I can see that thing. Although I'm surprised it hasn't attacked us yet, I'm even more surprised that it didn't kill that one." The glasses wearing child stated as he nodded toward the unconscious teen in question.

"That thin'?" Questioned the lizardlike hollow as his hair bristled up slightly and his tail began to flicker in agitation. "Don't talk about me like I'm not here! I have a name and I certainly have a gender! Annoyin' little brat..." The last line was said in a low tone of voice as he turned away from the children and took a seat on the corner of the wall with his back to them.

Frowning as he watched his hollow friend switch his focus from them to watching out for any more trouble, Shiro had done this before in the past so he was use to spotting it, Ichigo turned his full attention to the boy in front of him. "That's not very nice to say about my friend and his name is Shiro." He fell silent for just a moment before speaking again. "So you know what hollows are?"

Watching Shiro with obvious suspicion when he spoke then moved away, the boy turned his focus to Ichigo when he began to speak and his frown only deepened with what he heard. "Yes, I know what hollows are. My grandfather taught me about them and other things spiritual base. Although I don't understand how anyone could be friends with a hollow, their corrupt souls and very dangerous."

"But Shiro's different, we've been friends for..." He trailed off as he tried to remember how long ago it was since they met.

"It's been a little over half a year now." Spoke up the white guardian, showing that he was still listening in on the conversation despite his gaze being focused elsewhere.

"Right, thanks Shiro." The orange haired child said in gratitude as he glanced over to the other, who simply gave a slight shrug. Then he returned his focus back to the uncertain boy in front of him. "If Shiro really wanted to hurt me, he would've done so a long time ago. No, he's my friend and I trust him with my life."

Hearing Ichigo admit that brought a warmth to Shiro that he only partly understood and he couldn't help but glance back towards the pair. And it was obvious to the hollow that glasses was having a hard time believing what he heard. If the child really knew about hollows and the like then he wasn't exactly surprised by the boy's mistrust, by all rights it was valid.

"I'd ask you to prove it but that would be hard to do. Instead I'm just going to have to keep an eye on the hollow." The dark-haired boy declared stubbornly as he adjusted his glasses slightly then moved to gather up his items that had been thrown to the ground by the bullies.

Giving the other boy a funny look, the orange haired child glanced to his friend briefly before turning his gaze back. "If you couldn't stand up to those bullies by yourself then what could you do to harm Shiro if you decided he was dangerous?" He couldn't help but question the other boy with an obvious doubtful expression.

However it was the hollow that spoke up first. "That should be obvious. He can see me so that means he has spiritual energy, which means he can develop spiritual abilities if he hasn't already. And since he's learnin' from his family he most likely already does or is in the process of doin' so."

"You mean he might already have spiritual powers?" His charge was quick question while returning his focus to Shiro, who nodded in response. "He looks the same age as me! So doesn't that mean I could learn some too?"

This caused the lizardlike hollow to click his tongue slightly as he turned back to look Ichigo in the eyes. "Sometimes it takes the right events ta awaken that power ta be accessed. And sometimes it just simply needs time ta develop before it can be accessed. And don't ask me ta try ta train ya on the matter, hollow abilities are different so I don't think I could guide ya. However, he might be able ta." Here Shiro set his focus upon glasses who had just finished gathering his things together and was watching them with a frown. "But I think ya should continue focusin' on yer own strength, stamina and techniques first."

"Why?"

Shiro answered the simple question with a detailed answer. "Because the more ya learn ta use yer spiritual powers the more spiritual thin's will be drawn ta ya. Say ya learn ta use some fightin' abilities that are spiritual base and ya get drawn inta an extended battle, what will ya do if ya run outta stamina?" He paused momentarily as Ichigo took a moment to ponder this question, the hollow continued but a moment later. "Without enough stamina, ya wouldn't have the energy ta fight or flee. Ya would die, simple as that. That's why I've been pushin' ya physically and not spiritually."

"You've been training with a hollow?" Came the disbelieving voice of the black haired boy as he glanced between the two with a surprised expression upon his face. The way the corrupt soul spoke greatly reminded him of the way his grandfather would speak when giving lessons.

"I've been training with Shiro." The orange haired child said stubbornly as he looked back to the dark-haired boy with a partial scowl. "The name's Ichigo by the way."

"Uryu." Came the simple reply as a way to exchange names, if the other one wasn't going to give his last name then neither would he.

There was an awkward moment of silence after that as neither child knew what to say. The one to finally break that silence was Shiro as he cleared his throat slightly to get their attention. "Should probably think about leavin' the immediate vicinity before they wake up or before someone else walks by." Both boys glanced to the lizardlike hollow before exchanging glances with one another then quickly complied with his suggestion.

Despite the rocky start, the two boys became friends easily enough as time passed. However Uryu still continued to be wary around the hollow of the group but did his best to hide that fact, although Shiro could see it. And throughout that entire time that glasses wearing child never used his name.

Several months later found the trio in their newly chosen spot for training, courtesy of glasses. It was a slightly hidden area in one of the less populated parks that rested throughout the town, much less out in the open than the riverbank. But today they found a very odd thing in their usual hangout.

"Is that...?" Uryu began to question but couldn't bring himself to finish.

"A duck..?" Continued the orange haired boy as he stared at it with a slightly confused expression on his face.

"In a tree?" Finished their hollow companion with a tilted head as they all stared up at the waterfowl sitting on a particularly thick branch.

"Maybe we should get it down." Commented Ichigo as he crossed his arms over his chest and tilted his own head to the side.

"Why?" The question caused both boys to look Shiro's way and he was quick to notice that fact. "It got up there just fine on its own, so it can get down on its own."

"What if it's hurt?" The inquiry came with a scowl as the orange haired child stared at his guardian a little disapprovingly.

"It is highly unusual to find a duck in such a location." Chimed in Uryu with a shrug, he was curious if there was something wrong with creature but at the same time he knew better than to mess with it. However he had also come to learn that Ichigo was stubborn and once he got an idea stuck in his head it was near impossible to talk him out of it.

Scoffing in slight annoyance the lizardlike hollow began moving over towards the tree. "Alright... Alright! I get the picture... But ya two are keepin' yer feet planted on solid ground." Here he paused to turn and face them while pointing toward their feet to emphasize his words. This brought a slight smile to Ichigo's face now that he knew his friend was going to try to do something to help the duck.

Letting out a huff of mild irritation, Shiro moved and began to climb up the tree with ease thanks to his claws. He could've jumped up to the branch but he didn't know how solid it was and didn't want to shake creature loose. Within no time at all he was stepping out on to the branch in question and began slowly walking over to the duck.

He paused momentarily upon reaching the creature to decide how to go about getting it out of the tree. Finally he settled with the direct approach of simply grabbing it then jumping down, however he had trouble executing that plan. The moment he touched the duck it began to flail and quack wildly, wings and feathers flying in all directions. The abruptness of it startled the hollow as he lost his grip on the fowl.

Two things happened at this point, one was the duck flying away while the second was Shiro falling out of the tree. He collided with the ground with a loud thunk and a partial yelp of pain before springing back up onto his feet to shake a fist after the retreating fowl. "Ya stupid bird brain creature! I was tryin' ta help! But apparently ya didn't need it!" The sound of laughing caused him to turn his focus on the two boys, one of them trying to restrain themselves while the other didn't bother. "What?"

"That duck got you good Shiro." Commented Uryu as he tried to refrain from laughing unsuccessfully while the other boy was laughing too hard to comment at all.

"Yeah... Well... Whatever..." Came the irritated response as the lizardlike hollow brushed himself off. "Finally decided ta use my name I see."

The children had finally collected themselves for the most part by this time and Ichigo couldn't help but look to his human friend in curiosity. "Yes, well... After that display I can hardly consider you a hollow anymore." The insult caused the hollow to bristle up slightly but Uryu continued before he could comment. "You're too human to be one."

Shiro found himself speechless after that and thankfully the subject changed shortly after. But from then on there was no tension between the hollow and dark-haired boy. And time continued to move forward...

And that's another chapter of the misadventures of young Ichigo and his hollow friend completed. Like with the scene with Kisuke, both of these were ones I already had in mind to write out. Although the duck scene originally didn't have Uryu there but I feel this is a bit more fitting to help break the ice between the two. I did have a little bit of trouble initially find the inspiration and the right words to start this chapter, that's why there was a bigger time.

On a different note, there might only be another chapter or two left before we reach where Bleach actually starts. Whether it's one or two will depend on how long it ends up, I'm leaning more towards two but if they're too short then I'll put them together. That's all for now, until next time. R&R.