Chapter 18: Day of Reckoning
Weak sunlight barely illuminated the inside of the tower enough to see, and Kirara was sitting on the perch by the single window, not looking out but looking down at her hands.
'So the day is finally here,' Kokoro no Kage mused quietly. Kirara closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was back in her Inner World. 'Are you ready, Kirara?' he asked her.
"Why are you asking me that?" Kirara got to her feet and looked around at the cloaked spirit that was watching her with glowing eyes. "Of course I'm ready, you know that," she told him.
'I see,' the Spirit disappeared behind a tree, and Kirara sighed.
"Of course I'm scared. There's a chance it could go horribly wrong," she admitted. "But I'm done not doing anything about it. If I'm to die, then I'm going out fighting," she decided.
'It seems you do learn occasionally,' Kokoro no Kage hummed, peering out from behind another tree. Kirara rolled her eyes.
"No need to be rude, old man. You're a part of me, there's no point in insulting me," she told him and he gave a small chuckle.
'I suppose you're right, Kirara. Do not let this be our final chapter. But most of all, do not let them break your resolve again,' he told her. Kirara nodded.
"Thanks, Kokoro no Kage," she smiled at him. He gave a small nod, and she looked up at the blazing stars above, which twinkled brightly.
When the guards of the Onmitsukido arrived. Kirara gave no acknowledgement this time if she recognised them, simply obeying as they restrained her wrists behind her back with kido manipulating the collar around her neck.
Nobody spoke, giving no indication that they knew her either, leading her out onto the bridge. Any blood or damage done from the fight three days ago was gone, as if the rescue attempt hadn't even happened. Kirara kept her face impassive in an almost bored expression, looking up at the sky as the birds sang their dawn chorus.
'Let's see how this plays out,' she thought to herself, and a soft wind picked up, blowing her hair from her face.
Elsewhere in the Seireitei, the peace of the morning was interrupted by a low rumbling, and two Shinigami bickering while doing their chores screeched as they were almost trampled by Captain Zaraki.
"Good morning, Captain Zaraki, sir!" they wailed in fear, but he didn't even seem to notice them as he sped by. They blinked rapidly, before hearing more footsteps and seeing Ikkaku, Natsuki and Yumichika running by.
"If you're gonna slack off, don't freaking get caught, dipshits!" Ikkaku rolled his eyes as he ran by.
"If you leave even one speck of dirt, I'll kill you," Yumichika warned.
"You idiots should put more focus into giving a good fight, than your stupid argument," Natsuki scolded. The two Shinigami blinked rapidly, watching them leave.
"Since when do those three run around like that, instead of beating everyone else up?" one muttered, a little irritated at their scoldings.
"The real question is, was that two people riding on the Captain's back?" the other wondered.
"So? Which way next, woman?" Kenpachi asked as he continued running, not even having registered running by two of his squad. Orihime, who was hanging off his shoulder like Yachiru, peered up.
"Um...probably th-"
"That way!" Yachiru exclaimed, pointing in the opposite direction to Orihime as she headbutted her.
"That was cruel, Yachiru!" Orihime wailed, a hand to her face. "What are you doing?" she complained. Natsuki giggled as the three followed behind them.
"Looks like the Lieutenant is jealous of someone else hanging off the Captain," she commented.
"You think it's this way too, don't you Kenny?" Yachiru smiled brightly, ignoring Natsuki's words.
"Shouldn't you let Orihime handle it?" Ikkaku rolled his eyes. "You and the Captain are a close match in searching ability, Lieutenant," he muttered. Yachiru's face darkened, and she turned her head.
"Shut up, pachinko head!" she spat, and the glob hit Ikkaku smack on the head. He dragged in a furious breath, raising his Zanpakuto in his rage.
"I'll kill her..." he hissed.
"Come on, keep calm," Yumichika frowned at him. "In fact, you were to blame for that one too," he commented.
"Yeah, you know better than to insult the Lieutenant," Natsuki was covering her mouth to hide her amusement.
"Shut up, I'll kill you too," Ikkaku hissed at her. Natsuki just smiled back at him.
"You can't do that, I'm too adorable for you to kill," she told him.
"Watch me," Ikkaku growled at her, making Natsuki giggle even more.
"What a hassle," Kenpachi grew bored of waiting. "I'm just gonna go with my instinct!" he decided, and Yachiru cheered as the others sighed in exasperation. Orihime didn't speak, worried.
The group kept running, following Kenpachi as he seemed to run in random directions, before he finally reached the Squad 4 barracks. He still didn't stop, barrelling through as they ignored the shrieks of alarm. Natsuki dropped down, sliding under the legs of the blond third seat of the Squad as he roared at them to stop. He spun around, whimpering as she stood up.
"Hey there," she smiled sweetly, before her fist collided with his face and he slammed into a wall. The rest of the squad shrieked in alarm. As healers, they knew they were no match from the top five officers of the 11th division, and backed away, trying to keep out of their way.
"That was a little mean, Natsuki," Orihime called back at her, having seen the whole thing.
"Not if you knew the guy," Natsuki shrugged, unapologetic. Both Ikkaku and Yumichika voiced their agreement. They followed the Captain, until they finally reached the place where they could detect three Reiatsu signatures.
Ganju shrieked in fear as the ceiling of their cell suddenly shattered, and dust filled the room.
"What is this?" he screamed, flailing around, before freezing as the dust cleared. "You're..." he breathed as Chad and Uryu stared in horror at the massive Captain in front of them. Ganju screamed loudly. "Kenpachi Zaraki! 11th Division Captain!" he stammered. Both Chad and Uryu stared at the imposing man, unable to hide their own fear. They could feel his power, and could tell he was very dangerous even without Ganju's shrieks. When Ikkaku, Natsuki and Yumichika emerged from behind him, he screamed again. "Natsuki?! What are you doing with that pervert bowl-cut narcissist?!" he demanded.
"Per...vert what?" Natsuki tilted her head, and giggled. "Nice nickname, Yumi," she burst out laughing as he scowled.
"Who might you be?" Yumichika lifted his Zanpakuto, glaring at Ganji. "I'm sorry, but it's not in my nature to remember ugly faces," he told the man. "How did you spend more than five minutes with that hideous fool?" Yumichika muttered to Natsuki. The blonde elbowed him lightly, but didn't hide her laughter as Ganju let out another furious yell.
"Good to see you're still alive, Ganji," Natsuki giggled, smiling at the man. "Though that's a lot of bandages, I might not have recognised you if you hadn't been screaming," she commented. Uryu and Chad frowned at her, seeing that she was a Shinigami who seemed to be on good terms with the Shiba.
"Who...you know her?" Uryu frowned at Ganju. Seeing a hand raise over the Captain's shoulder, he turned his attention away before Ganju could answer, and his eyes widened as he recognised the orange-haired girl who appeared. "Orihime?!"
"Uryu! Chad! Ganju!" she smiled brightly. "So you're all okay! I'm so glad!" she exclaimed, before shrieking as she was pulled down by Yachiru. The girl swung from her waist with glee, trying to get her to fall off.
"No time to slack off now," Natsuki drew her Zanpakuto. Uryu and Chad backed away in horror, but before they could even blink, she'd swung down, and their shackles fell to the ground in pieces.
"What's going on?" Uryu asked, rubbing his wrists.
"Orihime, you might want to work your magic on them," Natsuki ignored the Quincy as she returned her Zanpakuto to her side and backed away. Orihime looked up, and nodded.
Kenpachi stopped, his expression not changing even slightly as the others behind him all grimaced as they stared at the dead end directly in front of them. Yachiru mumbled, her face shadowed by her hair as Natsuki scratched her head, looking uncomfortable.
"Ah well...how should I put it...well, guiding through the streets is basically all luck anyway..." Uryu gave a weak laugh.
"And it's not that uncommon to come to a dead end ten or twenty times..." Orihime nodded, smiling as well. Natsuki couldn't help but smile in amusement at their attempts to soothe the embarrassed Lieutenant. It was a common occurrence for the Captain and Lieutenant to get lost, and the other three Shinigami were used to it by now.
"See? Look, I told you so," Ikkaku rolled his eyes. "That's why I said I didn't wanna follow the Lieutenant!" he complained. Yachiru immediately looked around; brown eyes blazing. A moment later, Ikkaku was shrieking as the pink-haired little girl clung to his head, gnawing on it.
"Well, he deserved that," Natsuki commented as Yumichika sighed.
"I have to agree with..." he stopped, looking up, and a moment later, Natsuki looked up too as a shiver ran down her spine. The two exchanged looks, and a low wind picked up as they approached their silent Captain. "Captain," Yumichika spoke softly.
"Yeah..." Kenpachi muttered, looking irritated as his gaze scanned the grounds. "Freakin' sneakin' around...what a bunch of scumbags. Come out!" he raised his voice. "Turnin' off your Reiatsu and hiding ain't what Captains do, is it now?!" the Captain shouted as Natsuki and Yumichika looked around. Ikkaku's shrieks stopped as Yachiru stopped trying to bite through his skull, right before the air became heavy with Reiatsu.
"That's quite a mouth you have," a voice called down to them. "Do you understand what you are doing as you say that?" four figures appeared on the roof above; one smashing through the tiles. Natsuki put her hands to her mouth in her horror.
"Where are you running to, with those Ryoka?" Captain Tosen asked coldly. "In defeat, have you lost even your pride, Zaraki?" he challenged.
"Captain Komamura and Captain Tosen...and Lieutenant Iba...and Lieutenant Hisagi..." Natsuki whispered, and sighed. "Looks like we were noticed in the end," she couldn't help but smile in amusement. "But who's gonna fight who?" Natsuki wondered.
"Who said I'd let you fight?" Kenpachi asked. He'd been smirking since the four had revealed themselves. "Four on one, huh?" he chuckled. "Not quite enough for a test cut, though," the four disappeared from the roof and reappeared on the ground in front of them.
"Four on one, you say?" Komamura frowned. "Are you saying you will face the four of us by yourself?" the Captain whose appearance was hidden asked, sounding a little disbelieving. "I know of your power, but that is just a bit too arrogant, Kenpachi Zaraki!" he declared.
"Blah blah, shut up," Kenpachi grabbed his Zanpakuto and pulled it free. "Just bring it on already! If you can, all four at once is better!" he challenged them, pointing his sword at the four. "If you surround me on four sides and attack at once, at least one of you might be able to cut me!" Uryu, Chad, Orihime and Ganju looked horrified as Natsuki smiled slightly. Her body was buzzing with adrenaline, but she knew it wasn't her fight.
"Guess there's no other way about it," she shrugged.
"Yup," Yumichika nodded.
"Seems so," Ikkau agreed.
"Kenny! We'll finish the Icchy-search we were doing, 'kay?" Yachiru called as the four stepped back.
"Yeah, I'll be right there," Kenpachi nodded.
"Okay, let's go, Jiggly, Hairy, Gorilla and Pencil," Yachiru told the four Ryoka.
"But-"
"Don't worry about it Orihime," Natsuki turned away and started walking. Yachiru was sitting on her shoulders at this point, giggling. "Let's go. We'll just be in the way otherwise," she told them. Still very confused and worried, the four followed, and they left Kenpachi to fight the four.
"Natsuki! Wait!" Orihime pleaded as they continued running. "Was it really a good idea to leave Kenpachi by himself?" Orihime asked, worried.
"Of course!" Yachiru nodded as she glanced around, smiling widely. "No matter who's the opponent, Kenny can never lose!" she declared. Natsuki didn't respond, looking ahead. She let out a barely audible sigh, and Yachiru smiled, patting her head lightly.
"I've been meaning to ask, but where did the other two go?" Uryu asked.
"What?!" Ganju shrieked as he realised that both Ikkaku and Yumichika had vanished from behind them, leaving the four Ryoka with Natsuki and Yachiru. "Where'd they go?" he demanded, looking around for the pair.
"Where else? They're gonna fight Hisagi and Iba," Natsuki finally spoke. "Jerks. Couldn't even let me have one," she complained.
"It's okay bunny, you'll get your turn too!" Yachiru patted her head.
"But I wanted to fight them!" Natsuki wailed. The four Ryoka exchanged concerned glances, but they kept running regardless.
"Are you sure about-"
"They'll be fine too, Orihime," Natsuki sighed, still looking put out. "Ikka and Yumi are strong too. They'll win their fights and catch us up. But right now we have to get to Sogyoku Hill. Ichigo is bound to be heading there soon too," she glanced over her shoulder at them. "You guys came here for a reason, right?" their expressions changed to more determined ones, and they continued following her. Natsuki sighed, and increased her pace, heading towards Sogyoku Hill. White light shimmered in her eyes as Yachiru's smile grew, and she held onto her easily.
Rukia watched as Renji retied his long red hair, her violet eyes full of worry for her oldest friend. He didn't speak as he prepared to leave, having finished his own training.
"Alright. I'm going," he announced once he was done getting ready. White fabric was wrapped around his arm where his Lieutenant's insignia had been before.
"Yeah," Ichigo didn't turn around. Renji then turned around, and paused.
"Rukia..."
"I'm not going to just return to my Squad Renji. So don't tell me to," she told him, her stubborn expression returning. "I know what you're planning. I also know that there's no way I can stop you. So...I'm going with you to make sure you don't die, dumbass," Rukia told him firmly. Renji scowled at her, but she matched it easily. Finally, he sighed, turning away.
"Fine. Just stay out of the way," he told her, missing her small smile of victory as he walked away. They walked past Yoruichi, who didn't look at them as she watched Ichigo. "Hey, Yoruichi...is he really gonna be okay?" Renji asked her, stopping. Yoruichi didn't respond. "There's no more time. Can he really reach Bankai today?" he questioned as Rukia watched Ichigo and Zangetsu.
"Here we go, Ichigo," Zangestu spoke. "One more time," he ordered. "Just to let you know..." other copies of the Spirit began to materialise around the grounds. "I don't intend to go easy on you just because the deadline is approaching," he warned.
"Of course," Ichigo grinned, covered in blood and sweat. "I don't intend to let you do that, either!" he declared.
"Renji," Yoruichi finally spoke. Shinji glanced over at her, not moving from his perch. "Do you remember the first time you stood up and walked?" she asked him.
"Huh? Of course I don't remember that," Renji frowned at her odd question.
"That you don't remember it, means you weren't conscious of it. So why did you stand up?" she asked. Rukia's eyes widened at the question, as did Renji's. "People are all born knowing how to stand. Birds all know how to fly. Fish all know how to swim. That is what we call instinct," Yoruichi explained as Ichigo fought Zangetsu fiercely. "Because we know it instinctively, we all try unwaveringly to obtain that ability," she told them.
"Are you saying that the Ryoka-Ichigo-already knows how to use Bankai?" Rukia asked, baffled.
"That is what he makes me think of," Yoruichi nodded, glad that she'd understood. "He probably knows instinctively, that he has that power. So, I will believe, that he is the one who will reach Bankai," she declared. Neither Renji nor Rukia spoke again, leaving without a word.
"You know Abarai is trying to repay that debt he thinks he owes," Shinji spoke in a low voice a few minutes later.
"They won't get very far before Byakuya catches them," Yoruichi didn't even blink, already very aware of Renji's plan. "Renji will confront him, just like he's been planning," Shinji sighed, resting his cheek to his hand and balancing his elbow on his leg.
"This place has gone to hell alright. They have invaders who made it into the Seireitei, a dead Captain, and an execution that's supposed to be taking place today. And yet the idiots are all too busy fighting each other to each try and find us," Shinji listed, very aware of the blasts of Reiatsu from the warring Captains and other seats that reached them even in their hidden training area hidden in the cliffside.
"Nobody said this place was perfect, Shinji," Yoruichi sighed. Shinji snorted.
"That's for sure," he agreed.
Originally Rukia wasn't going to be featured very much at all, but I decided to add her in, in the end. I like her character, when she's not moping around so much.
I hope you enjoyed it!
Please review!