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Yuki no Jutsu
How Deep Is Your Love by The Bird And The Bee
Rukia's demeanor at work could only be described as distracted. Her students noticed it, and it affected the quality of her teaching. Something was clearly on her mind. She was thinking about the afternoon to come and how her and Isane's interaction be.
Soon enough the afternoon came and she found herself outside the agreed spot waiting for the object of her affection to arrive. She watched the people go bustling by, some stopping in for a coffee to go, others walking ever onward. Then a stray cat meandered by.
It was a cute kitty and Rukia approached it. She crouched down and beckoned it to come holding her arm out. The cat approached cautiously then sniffed her hand. Rukia pet its head and the cat reacted as if it enjoyed it.
It surely did, for when Rukia removed her hand the cat came closer and rubbed against her hand asking for more. So she resumed petting it.
"You like that don't you." Rukia said, baby talking to the cat.
Isane arrived and noticed Rukia and the cat. She stopped and stood at sufficient distance away that Rukia wouldn't notice. It was a nice sight to behold, Rukia and the cat, so she looked on with a smile.
"Do you have a home kitty?" Rukia asked. The cat only purred in response to her touch. When she removed her hand again the cat moved closer and sniffed at her pockets.
"Oh kitty. I don't have any food." Rukia said feeling bad for the cat. But still it sniffed, then it meowed.
"Poor kitty." Rukia said. Then she looked to the trees to the side of the path. She walked over to them trees and tried to convince the cat to follow. It didn't. Instead it sat down and looked at her with its head tilted slightly to the side. So Rukia walked around the tree, looking up and down its trunk for something a cat would eat. She found a lizard at its base and grabbed it quickly. Then she walked back to the cat and presented the lizard to it. It looked at it in the attentive way that cats do as if thinking "What the fuck is this thing here?" so Rukia let the lizard go figuring it wasn't interested.
Free from her grasp the lizard scurried off and the cat set off after it, its instincts having kicked in. Rukia was a bit surprised to see such a sudden burst of energy. Quickly the cat caught it, trapping the lizard under its paws. Rukia smiled feeling accomplished then immediately grimaced when the cat began to eat the still moving lizard.
Though Isane couldn't see the lizard's body as it was being torn apart, she grimaced too.
"Well that's just the natural order of things." Rukia thought then she got up to leave the cat to eat, and turned toward the café. She was surprised to see Isane there, standing and watching. Isane smiled and waved. She waved back.
The calm that her fun with the cat gave her was gone now and in its place anxiety took hold. But she hid it and walked over with as much calm confidence as she could muster.
"Hey." Greeted Isane.
"Hey."
"How long have you been here?"
"Not long. I didn't want to interrupt you and the cat. How have you been?"
"Good. Up to the same old. You?"
"Same."
Not knowing what to say next, they stood there staring at each other in silence for a few uncomfortable moments.
"Umm." Rukia said.
"You ready?" Isane asked.
"Yes." Rukia responded. So they went in and got their coffee.
Coffee in hand they sat upon the same bench they had previously occupied here except now they sat in silence. Rukia sat with a timid posture and sipped tiny sips of her still excessively hot drink, burning herself with each one. Isane watched Rukia out of the corner of her eyes, studying the girl's behavior.
"So." Isane began, deciding to cut to the chase "I got your letter."
"Mm." Rukia said without moving.
"And reading it made me sad."
"Why?" Rukia asked as she turned to look at Isane.
"Because when I read it I felt the sadness in your heart. And I felt guilty too. Y'know you're my closest friend and yet I did not see. I was too focused on myself to notice…"
"Isane. What are you talking about? It's not your fault. I hid my feelings on purpose. You were never supposed to know."
"Oh but I'm glad I do. I understand now. And I think we will be able to go back to normal because of it. You can't avoid me forever y'know, and we shouldn't break our friendship because you are unhappy with your feelings."
"True… You're right. It seems however that you aren't bothered by them."
"Not at all. To have someone desire you romantically is something special really. It feels good to be wanted, it makes one feel less… alone." Isane said distantly and with slight embarrasment.
"Your feelings are touching Rukia. You shouldn't hate them."
"And I take it you don't return them." Rukia said.
Isane looked at Rukia with discomfort in her eyes and said "No." apologetically.
Rukia sighed.
"I'm sorry." Isane said.
"You shouldn't be."
"I know but, being rejected feels terrible and I know exactly how you must feel right now. I hate the fact that I am the one to make you feel that way."
Rukia looked at the emotions Isane wore on her face and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. "When were you rejected?" she asked, deducing that something must have happened recently.
Isane looked into Rukia's caring eyes with stressed despair.
"Two days ago." She responded. "I don't wish to salt your wounds but I must confess that I've been falling hard over my captain lately."
"Unohana Taicho!?" Rukia said never expecting such a crush.
"Yes, ridiculous isn't it?" Isane said.
"Not really." Rukia said casually. "Intimate closeness often leads to desire."
Isane nodded.
"Anyway I didn't know how to tell her, or if I should tell even her in the first place, but she saw right through me, she knew all along. When she told me she knew. I kissed her for some reason, just like you kissed me."
Rukia blushed.
"Planted one right on her as if to show her what she could have, what we could be. But she said that though she sort of liked me we couldn't be together. I get where she's coming from but, I don't know, I wish it wasn't like this. I wish it wasn't like this for either of us. I wish you and me could just be happy."
Rukia smiled at Isane then put her coffee down and hugged her. "We'll be fine." She said.
Isane retuned the hug then realized something.
"You know Rukia." She began.
"Hmm." Rukia said from beneath Isane's arms.
"This is the first time you've hugged me. I like it."
"Me too." Rukia said.
"You're a good hugger," She said. Then she giggled and said "and a good kisser too."
Rukia involuntarily sank deeper into Isane's embrace and shivered, clutching the fabric of Isane's clothes as if to steady herself.
"Are you cold?" Isane asked concerned.
"No." Rukia said. "Just, don't say things like that. It makes me want to kiss you again." Rukia whispered as she and Isane let each other go.
Isane blushed and giggled again. "Sorry." she said with an amused smile finding Rukia's embarrassment cute and the extent of her effect on Rukia surprising.
"This is gonna be a little awkward going forward." She thought to herself.
"You know, you were my first kiss, and I don't regret it in the least. It was a pleasant surprise and in the end it brought us closer. So no regrets ok."
"Ok." Rukia agreed with a timid smile.
"Anyway, do you still want me to pierce your ears?" Isane said putting an end to the subject.
"Sure." Rukia said, glad that they had moved on to a new, less awkward topic.
"Can I choose the earring?" Isane asked.
"Yes." Rukia said seeing that Isane really wanted to choose them.
"Yay!" Isane said with giddy excitement.
"So cute." Rukia thought.
"Is blue ok?" Isane asked.
"Surprise me." Rukia said, not wanting to choose for Isane.
"Ok." Isane said.
"Will it hurt?" Rukia asked.
"Not excessively, ear sensitivity varies person to person though. Ticklish ears are more sensitive though. Are your ears ticklish?"
"I don't think so." Rukia said.
"May I?" Isane asked extending her hand.
Rukia nodded.
Isane moved Rukia's hair out of the way and lightly ran a fingernail across her earlobe in a quick upward motion.
Rukia twitched and recoiled slightly from the touch. They laughed.
"Yeah you're ticklish there. Don't worry, I'll use a topical numbing agent if you want." Isane said.
"Sounds like a plan." Rukia said more at ease and happy that she and Isane were reunited once again.
In truth both were at more at ease now. They were finally on the same page with each other and more comfortable because of it. As Isane thought, things were clearly still going to be a little awkward but with togetherness they would make progress. Indeed, time and Rukia's companionship would help her get over Unohana. The opposite would prove true for Rukia toward Isane.
. . .
The next day, despite feeling tired after a long day's work, Unohana opted to go for a long walk instead of go home to rest. She hadn't slept well the night before after Rangiku left, sleep disturbed by another violent dream albeit one without Isane or anyone she cared about in it.
It is this that she thought of now, the recent resurgence of her perceived desire for the fight, and the fact that this walk was doing little for her.
"It's been ages since I've cut someone down. I only use my sword in my dreams anymore." She reflected to herself.
Then she decided to make her way to a secluded area far away and escape the area that bound her to be alone. She made her way through Jidanbo's gate then took to the skies, flying fast and far and holding the scabbard of her sword so that it wouldn't blow about too much in the wind.
The wind-chill started to bother her but she continued onward, ignoring it and scanning the ground for a suitable place to be alone. Finally she found one in the middle of nowhere. A clearing far away from anything surrounded by a dense thicket of trees. She descended to the ground walked for a bit. She looked to the sky and undid her braid, running her fingers through her long hair and letting it breathe.
"Untainted nature." She thought. "What is my nature?"
She took up her sword and ran her hand across the scabbard admiring her Nodachi.
"Have you been calling out to me these days Minazuki?" she asked.
"No. You've been calling out to me." Her swords spirit responded from deep within.
"Something really is changing in me then."
"Perhaps." Minazuki responded.
Unohana looked back up at the beauty of the scene surrounding her. The beautiful green trees and the grass bathed in the afternoon light, peaceful and pretty. Then she closed her eyes and tilted her head back. She spread her arms outward as if calling out to god and released a deep sigh. Then she let her Rieatsu pour forth unsuppressed.
It felt great to let it loose like this, to be completely unrestrained. She breathed deeply as she felt her power exude from her every pore and clenched her fists as she lowered her arms, straining the muscles of her arms.
Then she opened her eyes.
All of the plant life around her was dead, burnt away by the intensity of her rieatsu. The trees branches were bare, leaves having been singed away. Where there was grass there was now exposed yellow roots gradually becoming blackened and loose dirt being blown away from her in every direction. Her bright yellow aura illuminated the entire area brightly and emanated from her limbs.
"This is the destruction in me." she thought to herself with sadness as she looked at her luminescent hands, turning them over and flexing her fingers in her inspections.
She brought her energy in close to her body then unsheathed her sword.
"So, I've been calling out to you." She said. "Come then, so that I may see you again."
"Bankai, Minazuki."
Another surge of energy poured forth and her blade melted away. The black fluid of Minazuki's acid poured from the handle and flowed onto the ground around her sizzling as it further killed the earth it touched. Then it rose in globular orbs from the ground and began to orbit, her at the epicenter.
She watched as the blade of her Bankai formed, then held it up to the sky to look upon it.
"Hello old friend." She said.
Minazuki laughed and said "Hello Yachiru."
She grinned maliciously then swung it diagonally downward, flinging a black arc onto the ground. She watched as the roots were eaten away, sizzling audibly under the effect of the consuming acid then ran her fingertips across the side of the oozing blade. It burned painfully, but the acid did not consume her flesh, such was her level of command over her Bankai and its effects.
"Why are you doing this?" Minazuki asked as Unohana rubbed the fingers of her free hand together then flicked the black goo off of them.
"Because I miss you, I haven't used you in so long."
"Do you wish to kill?"
"No. I just longed to feel your power again." Unohana said as she manipulated globular orbs of the acid in the air moving them with her mind.
"Then you long for the fight."
"Yes, but that life is behind me."
"You could do battle with me."
"I could but it's not the same. It would only be a battle with a part of myself."
"Is that not the greatest battle? The lifelong internal battle with oneself. Fought on the landscape of your mind and your heart. Fought between your desires and your inhibitions, your aspirations and your fears, your darkness and your light. A string of little victories and losses in an endless stalemate."
"Yes. A battle rages on but I don't enjoy it."
"Perhaps then, you fight for the wrong side."
"Perhaps I do." Unohana said. "Perhaps I do."
She returned her attention to the acid floating around her and changed its configuration.
"I am no longer a destroyer of life, now I restore it." She said as she crouched down and poured a green healing energy into the earth causing the dead roots to sprout again in a small radius around her.
"Yet your ability to destroy outweighs your ability to restore." Minazuki said.
"This earth will heal despite me." She said clutching the grass beneath her hand.
"It will." Minazuki agreed.
"Goodbye for now Minazuki." Unohana said standing back up and separating the orbs into small droplets.
"Goodbye."
And with that her Bankai dissipated and the black acid fell like rain to the ground. She sealed her sword and sheathed the blade. She brought her Rieatsu to her normal level then sat with legs crossed, closed her eyes, and meditated in the small patch of grass until nightfall.
Hours later when she finished, she redid her braid and returned to the Fourth and went straight to bed. Her sleep was deep and peaceful and her rest was undisturbed by wayward dreams.
. . .
Rukia and Isane had also opted to go for a walk together when they finished their coffee. But by now it was dark out and cold.
Though Isane wore a knitted beanie and a pair of gloves, the temperature and the wind chill made her very uncomfortable. Still, she walked on, tolerating the discomfort and enjoying her time with Rukia.
Looking over for a moment at her companion who walked energetically and in good spirits, hair being blown about by the wind and her nose a pinkish red, Isane was amazed her that Rukia could seem so comfortable without wearing anything insulating in addition to her Shikahusho.
"Do you ever get cold?" Isane asked.
"Yes." Rukia said. "But I can ignore it pretty easily. I figure it's because I'm accustomed to my zanpakuto's abilities."
"I'm not." Isane responded.
"Wait, what does your zanpakuto do? I never got around to asking you."
"Well it's obviously an Ice Type like yours but it makes snow instead of ice."
"Snow?! Show me, show me. It's been so long since it's snowed in seireitei" Rukia said excitedly.
Isane laughed then said "Sure, let's find a more secluded area."
"How do you fight with it?" Rukia asked.
"Well." Isane began "I don't really. All I can do is move snow around which can distract and kinda defend but not really attack so I usually just stick to kido. Then again I never fight anyone which is nice since I'm not good at it."
"Aah don't say that. You're a lieutenant so you've gotta have some power behind you." Rukia said.
Isane laughed then said "You know that ranking system is a bit broken. In fact I'd say you're as capable if not more capable than most lieutenants."
"Naah." Rukia said feeling embarrassed from the compliment.
"Of course." Isane retorted. "I've heard of your fights."
"Oh! Hey this is a good place." She said suddenly upon arriving at the top of a hill surrounded by forest.
"Yeah." Rukia agreed.
They made their way to the center peered around trying to sense any trace of another beings reiatsu to ensure that no one would be disturbed.
Isane determined that they were alone then said "Well here goes." as she pulled out her blade. Then she said the words "Run, Itegumo." Releasing it as Rukia looked on a short distance away.
Two smaller blades opened outward from its hilt and a wave of cold spread outward from Isane's body and hit Rukia, causing her to readjust her footing.
"You ok?" Isane asked.
"Yeah, I just wasn't expecting that."
"Oh yeah, I should have warned you about that. I'm sorry."
"No worries." Rukia said.
"Alright. Now for snow." Isane said.
She raised the sword to the sky and flicked it round 180 degrees. A perfectly circular cloud about 100 meters wide swirled into existence out of nothing, slightly obscuring the light of the moon. Then snow began to fall.
"There." Isane said, turning back to look at Rukia.
"It's so pretty." Rukia said as she watched the featherlike snowflakes fall slowly, covering the ground in white. She reached her hand out and caught some of the flakes then joined Isane's side.
"Look at them." She said presenting them to Isane. But they had melted so Isane just laughed and informed her as much.
"Oh." Rukia said disappointed then laughed.
Isane laughed then said "Here." As she waved her hand, directing a swirl of snowflakes towards Rukia which she caught in cupped hands.
"Beautiful." Rukia said then looked up to see Isane's rosy blush. She blushed too and averted her eyes.
Isane smirked, Rukia really was cute.
"Check this." She said then raised a hand. "Swirl Itegumo." She commanded with a whirl of her finger.
Immediately the snow began to whirl around them at high speed forming a circular white column and isolating them from the world outside it. It was a little loud from the speed of the wind, but in the center it was calm.
"A barrier?" Rukia asked.
"Only a visual one."
"I like your Zanpakuto." Rukia said.
Isane smiled.
"Can't Sode no Shirayuki make snow?"
"No. Only ice, which is ironic since Yuki is in her name but hey, she does what she does and she does it well."
"Mm." Isane vocalized as she raised a hand to stop the swirl.
Once again the night was peaceful.
"That's about all I can do with it." She announced.
"It was nice." Rukia said cheerily.
"Oh wait." Isane said. "I can do this too." She said before she held her sword out gathering snow at the tip into a ball and then firing it off."
"Snowballs." Rukia said with a laugh. "Do another one." She said.
Isane complied firing it off into the distance and out of the corner of her eye she saw Rukia pull her sword out, release it nonverbally and stick the tip into the ground.
She turned her head to look at Rukia investigating what she was doing. Rukia responded by pointed back out towards the snowball. Isane looked back out and saw it frozen in place, encased in ice with a trail leading down to the ground and back to Rukia's beautiful white blade.
"I wanted to see if I could catch it." Rukia declared.
"Well now." Isane said with a competitive tone.
"Try this." She challenged firing off two more in quick succession.
Rukia froze both, so Isane fired off faster and in more random directions. When Rukia successfully caught all of those she opted to distract Rukia swirling up a whirlwind around her.
"No fair!" Rukia shouted from within so Isane stopped the cyclone.
Rukia looked around to see where Isane was at but couldn't see her. Then smack, a snowball hit her in the back of the head.
"Oh you." She said as she spun round, dropped her sword and quickly crouched, made a snowball, and nailed Isane in the face with it.
Isane didn't move. Rukia became worried that she overdid it. Then Isane slowly brought a hand up and wiped the snow off her face to reveal a wide grin.
Rukia smiled.
Isane tossed her sword to the side and it was on.
They began an intense and energetic snowball fight. Running about, and hurling balls at each other, laughing all the while.
Then they started flash stepping, both to dodge and to get into a position that would guarantee a hit.
It was wild and it was fun.
Rukia flash stepped right in front of Isane and threw. Isane dodged just in time and countered but missed by an inch. Rukia flash stepped some distance away to buy time to make another ball. Isane opted to chase instead of arm herself. Rukia got out of the way of her charge by jumping away then spun round to hurl her ball. Just as she did, she caught a glimpse of Isane disappearing again, a most energetic shunpo indeed. She knew Isane would appear behind her so she spun round again, swinging her arm to throw. But Isane caught her by the wrist and tackled her to the ground holding her there. Then she smashed the snowball in Rukia's hand with hers. Their fingers intertwined slightly.
Panting heavily she said. "This is exhausting. Let's call it a tie."
"Ok." Rukia said.
Isane rolled off of her and laid down on the ground beside her. Both breathed heavily with hearts beating loud. Isane wore a smile as she stared up at the sky through her cloud. Rukia wore a blank dazed expression, lost in the intense rush she felt when Isane held her down like that with their faces so close.
She felt the warmth of Isane's body radiating beside her and more than wanting to kiss her, just wanted to hold her hand.
"That was really fun." Isane said.
"Yeah." Rukia responded. "Let's have a rematch soon. With forts and premade balls and everything."
"Deal." Isane said.
"Deal." Rukia said.
"Oh and Rukia," Isane began. "Take me hollow hunting with you sometime."
Rukia turned her head to the side and smiled at Isane.
"I will." She said. "I will."
. . .