As soon as Katsuko's eyes rolled back, she fell into the arms of dark skinned woman with long black hair that flash stepped in front of her. Yoruichi peered at her face with her yellow eyes. The perturbation on her face was replaced with innocent calm.
"Hold on." Ukitake stood in her way before she even moved, looking rather desperate as a protective nature surfaced. "Where are you taking her?"
"Sorry, Ukitake." Effortlessly, Yoruichi picked her up and placed her on one shoulder while keeping a supporting hand on her back. "I'm sure you've heard the news, and because of that, I can't let her stay out in the open like this all by herself. It's too dangerous." She looked at him with a serious gaze. "Besides, she's not the person you're thinking about."
"What are you saying?" The Captain looked at Katsuko's body that was limp. He felt her spiritual pressure and traced it all the way here to find a girl who bore a striking resemblance to her. What did Yoruichi mean exactly?
"It's complicated." Was all the woman said before flash stepping away, leaving the Captain wrapped in his own confusion. But he did not chase after even when he wanted to.
She was right. It wasn't safe for her in the Seireitei.
And if someone was capable of keeping her hidden, then it would be Yoruichi.
...
...
...
Yoruichi blinked.
Feeling a wetness on her hand, Yoruichi brought the hand supporting Katsuko's body in front of her to see blood. It made her stop atop a building for a moment to set her down and inspect her body for a second. A big one across her back, left shoulder and across her left arm. Were these the only wounds she got from fighting the Lieutenant from Squad 9? Or just now? Well, either way, she just needed to fix her up, and she knew just what she needed to heal in one go.
Yoruichi propped her back up on her shoulder and flash stepped all the way back to the secret Study Chamber at Sokyoku Hill.
She had left Ichigo in the hot springs by himself after she felt the faint spiritual pressure, deciding it would be best to track her down and retrieve her for her own safety. She wasn't gone for too long so she wasn't surprised to see him still seated in the water, taking his break.
Exhausted, Ichigo was resting his head back with his eyelids closed when he heard Yoruichi come back. He lazily greeted her with a 'welcome back' and lifted his hand out of the water.
"Why'd you leave all of a sudden?" Ichigo asked just as he lifted his head. He lowered it, eyes still closed, and started splashing his face with water again to feel warmer.
"I had to go and pick up something." She replied, followed by the sound of clothes rustling. Ichigo wiped his face with a scowl. The sound reminded him of how she trolled him earlier when she said she wanted to bathe too. He definitely wasn't falling for that again.
"Make sure her head's above the water, will you?"
"Yeah, yeah—" Stiffening, Ichigo's eyes opened, face perplexed. Wait what? He turned and found Yoruichi lowering Katsuko's naked body into the water so casually, she might as well look like she was passing by to deliver the mail. First, he was surprised to see her there. Second, he snapped out of it and freaked out with a scream. He slapped a hand over his face and yelled what the hell are you doing?! as he whipped around so fast and nearly tumbled into the water face first.
Thank god, it all happened so fast. The image was too blurred in his mind.
"Oh, calm down." Yoruichi rolled her eyes as she gently set Katsuko's body against the wall, shifting her around like a doll. She was making sure to submerge her right up to her neck. "You already know that this water heals wounds. Katsuko needs some healing to do, and this way will be faster."
"… She's hurt?" Ichigo looked to the side, face still sizzling.
"Yes, but not too badly. It's just the one on her back that looks concerning. She'll be fine in here."
Despite his concern, he still kept himself facing the other way. That is until Yoruichi said that she would be back in a few minutes and reminding him to make the effort to keep her from drowning. In a panic, he turned just in time to watch Yoruichi flash step away, leaving him no chance to argue.
…
…
…
Blue.
A semi-cloudy and bright sky that stretched infinitely, and an aqueous floor that reflected said sky. The air temperature was a perfect balance of warm and cool. In the distance, white pillars were situated together and they stretched up into the sky, going so high up that it disappeared in the clouds.
It was beautiful here.
Confused dark brown eyes observed the sky, admiring how the clouds traveled and how the light gently touched her.
Katsuko took a step forward and saw how her foot step created a ripple on the floor.
What is this place?
"Welcome to your Inner World."
Startled, Katsuko whipped around and saw the woman with long gray hair staring at her with her cool mint green eyes.
"It's you." She breathed, feeling at ease at the sight of the familiar face. It was her Zanpakuto.
The woman narrowed her eyes and placed a hand on her hip. "'It's you'?" she repeated, cocking her head. "That's how you'll refer to me as after calling my name a few times already?"
"Um… sorry, Arashihoro…" Katsuko bowed her head in apology, suddenly feeling abashed that she got her Zanpakuto slightly upset.
Her Zanpakuto looked pleased at the proper address. A satisfied smile appeared on her face. She put her hand down and began walking past her while adjusting the fur on around her neck. Instead of stupidly standing there, Katsuko decided to follow after her sword albeit five steps behind her.
"Your Inner World is where I dwell." Arashihoro informed her. Katsuko watched her hair sway behind her. "You can enter this place if I call you into or if you meditate."
"So, you called me here then."
"Yes. We've never really spoken other than that time when you fought against Urahara Kisuke. Communication between Zanpakuto and its wielder is important, you know? The synchronization is fine, we're just lacking communication. I thought it was high time we had our first real talk. "
Not knowing how to properly answer that, Katsuko simply gave a hum and a slow nod as a response. Once again, she looked down at the floor and watched Arashihoro's footsteps created ripples. Despite having many of them appearing, disturbing the calmness of the water-looking floor, it felt almost serene. It felt peaceful. That was the impression she got from her Inner World.
"Your last battle with that Lieutenant with the number on his face." Arashihoro cut the sudden silence. "I'd give you a passing grade."
Passing grade? Yuck.
Katsuko frowned deeply at this, unhappy. She hated passing grades with a passion. If she ever got a passing grade in school, she'd feel super glum about it after sitting at the top for so long. If this was her Inner World, then surely her Zanpakuto is always updated on things that happen around her.
"Yoruichi-san said that Ichigo and I would stand a chance against a Lieutenant together. Obviously, she meant they were too strong for us to fight by on our own. So, of course, I had trouble…"
Arashihoro simply chuckled and stole a glance over her shoulder with a smirk. "That's why I said passing grade. You won, but with much difficulty."
A little ticked by her response, Katsuko averted her eyes away from the woman. She resisted the urge to click her tongue to avoid somehow irritating her Zanpakuto. This was their first time communicating so she had to be mindful about how she acted, she was basically meeting someone for the first time and she didn't want to be rude. But if her Zanpakuto was a part of her, then maybe she was already aware of what kind of person she was?
"You're strong, yes, but still not strong enough to go up against these Captains and Lieutenants." Arashihoro looked back in front of her and continued leading the way, bringing them closer to the white pillars that grew in size the closer they approached. "You're lucky you had a little help at that last minute."
Katsuko remembered the voice that whispered in her ear when she lied on the floor helplessly. She wrinkled her nose and slightly pursed her lips at the memory.
"I didn't know you could change your voice."
"My voice?"
"Yeah, you sounded like dude before."
The Zanpakuto huffed at the word. "I suppose I did."
All of a sudden, the floor began rippling in disharmony followed by a loud sound that echoed throughout the Inner World, causing Katsuko to flinch and hunch a little when she made a move to cover her head on instinct. The wind began to pick up a little around them, causing their hair to fly around. Curiously, she lifted her head and peered up at the large pillars. She couldn't see the top for they were way high up and hidden above the clouds. However, she could see a darker spot in the midst of the white clouds that was flickering with lightning.
"What is that?"
Arashihoro narrowed her eyes at the sight.
It took a moment for her to answer.
"The source of lightning." She answered. "But it wouldn't be wise to go near it just yet. It's a little hard to keep it under control. In due time, it will settle down."
Katsuko tipped her head. "The lightning?"
Arashihoro turned around and faced her, smiling at her a little. "You could say that." She walked past her and started going back the way they came. Katsuko blinked several times, a confused expression gracing her features.
"Now, we're walking back?"
"It's much calmer on this side." Arashihoro replied nonchalantly before taking a small hop and gently flying back.
Man… what the…
Katsuko jogged after her Zanpakuto while noticing how the ripples in the water began to subside the further she moved away from the pillars, bringing back the harmony that she once saw when she first saw her Inner World. Like her Zanpakuto, she preferred this peaceful setting.
This time, instead of showing her back, she crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knee while she floated in front of Katsuko, facing her, who began to envy her ability to just fly like that. Someone who had lazy tendencies like her had to wonder how it would feel like to just float around in a breeze like that.
"Have you grown used to cutting people yet?"
Katsuko averted her eyes and set them on the horizon to her left.
"… More like it's getting easier to swallow. It still feels unsettling though."
Arashihoro hummed and nodded one time. "I can live with that answer. I can understand since you've never done this before. I would have been disappointed if you told me that you were afraid of hurting someone."
In a mission like the one she was on meant that not hurting someone was impossible. If she didn't hurt someone with her blade, then she might as well have not bothered to train with Urahara to begin with. She had an idea of what she was getting into the moment she made her choice.
She lifted her hand as if to ask a question in class. "Does being cautious of potentially killing someone count as fear?"
This question made her Zanpakuto stop moving in the air, prompting Katsuko to halt in her tracks as well. She wondered if her words offended her sword. As she prepared to apologize, the long gray haired sword spirit moved closer and leaned her elbows on her knees when she peered closer to her face. It looked like she was sitting on an invisible chair. Katsuko felt a little uneasy at the sudden closeness of someone she rarely spoke to.
"It's great that you understand the kinds of fear in battle, but constantly reminding yourself about not killing someone unconsciously makes you hold back a little. It's great, but quite stupid at the same time. And that's not going to cut it out there. You need to fight with a hundred percent of your strength without holding back anything. Don't you remember what I told you? If you hesitate, you'll die and lose everything."
Katsuko bit the inside of her left cheek when she suddenly felt like she was being scolded, like a child, for doing something bad. It certainly didn't help that her Zanpakuto was looking at her seriously.
"Don't occupy your mind with that unnecessary thought." Arashihoro poked her forehead with a scowl. Katsuko's eyes lasered in on her finger. "Just fight. You'll see how easy it is to not kill someone. You're not going to lose control and just cut someone's head off, if that's what you think."
"I mean," Katsuko scoffed. "I'm not stupid… I think I'd know if I was about to decapitate someone."
Maybe decapitation was too extreme of an example...
"Exactly." Arashihoro pulled her hand away and tipped her head while narrowing her eyes. "Don't think about the consequences. Think only about winning. Be greedier, let loose and get stronger."
…
…
…
Warm.
Really warm.
Katsuko's dark brown eyes fluttered open.
She wasn't in her Inner World anymore.
The first thing she felt was the strain in the back of her neck. How uncomfortable. With a soft intake of breath, she lifted her head and blinked dazedly, trying to gather her bearings while trying to recall her last memory. However, that attempt was thwarted when she looked up and found a familiar bright ginger trying to get up and leave. He was so far away.
She blinked dumbly several times.
What the... what is he doing here?
"Ichigo…?" Katsuko muttered, tilting her head slightly. Why wasn't he wearing a shirt?
Upon hearing his name, he stiffened and then hastily resettled himself back in the water, hiding his exposed body from her, looking like a deer caught in headlights. "Uh… hey." He was hoping to just get dressed and sit behind her to catch her head if she tilted, but he couldn't get out now, he was too slow, He was too scared to move. He had panicked for a good two minutes before he decided to get up. Stupid move on his part.
Something's not right!
Rapidly, she looked down and found herself naked in warm water.
The first thing that came to mind was simple.
WHAT THE FUCK?!
"Why the hell am I naked in a hot spring?!" Rapidly, she brought her knees up and hugged them to her chest. Everything below her neck was submerged in the water so she was relieved about that. She rested her chin on her left knee after sitting up properly. She hated showing off more skin than necessary. She was shy about her body even though her mother always said she should be glad that she had a nice figure. Nice figure or not, she was freaking embarrassed to be in a hot spring with Ichigo who was mostly likely naked as well.
"Don't look at me!" he quickly defended with a hand on his face as he looked away when his prudish side surfaced. "You can blame Yoruichi-san for this! I had nothing to do with it!"
The cat brought me in here?! With what strength?! she screamed in her head. She couldn't even make fun of the fat blush on his face because she was probably even worse.
With a soft groan, she brought her arms on top of her knees and thumped her forehead on her forearms. This was so embarrassing. Her skin felt prickly and hot. She could probably fry an egg on her skin.
I'm freaking sizzling with embarrassment!
In her smaller looking form, she was staring at her feet under the water between her thighs. Then she remembered that Ichigo still didn't answer her question yet. She lifted her head to look at him. "So? Why am I here?" she grumbled, face hot with displeasure at the current situation. Where was her Shihakusho even?! She was scared to even move!
Glad that she didn't just lash out and scream, he exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding in. "… Yoruichi-san found you with some injuries." He pointed at the water, now looking at her instead of facing away when she hid her more intimate parts from him. He was still freaking out on the inside though. "This stuff here can heal you."
"Oh yeah?" She eyed the water in front of her with a skeptical look.
The stinging on my back must have been an injury… It's gone now.
But I don't remember the Captain cutting me.
A weak laugh escaped her when she understood why she ended up like this. Even so, it was still embarrassing. "… Did you try to drink it?" Katsuko asked in a deadpan tone. Quirking up an eyebrow, tipping her head as she stared at him.
"What? No." Ichigo looked away. She briefly rolled her eyes and shook her head at him, he just scowled in response. How the hell did she know?
She scooped up some water and let it slip through her fingers.
So, Yoruichi-san was the one who found me after that?
Her hand dropped in the water again.
Right. She made it up the stairs and was ready to head straight to the tower until that Captain showed up and acted all friendly with her. His demeanor didn't give off the impression of a threat. He didn't look like he was about to hurt her from the way he looked at her.
His presence coaxed out something unfamiliar to her and she ended up crying because of him. She also cried in front of that Lieutenant. But the second time she did was different. Unlike the first time where it felt like it was her own, the second time she cried felt more like someone else was crying. It felt like her self was pushed aside, like as if she disappeared for a moment. That scared her.
The one that called the name of the Captain in a broken voice and cried, was that who she was previously?
Katsuko sighed and rested her forehead on her arms again. She was scared of that feeling and she absolutely hated feeling that way. This was her first time in a hot spring but the thoughts clouding her mind couldn't even let the experience sink in.
Whatever that was, it has no right coming back and pushing me aside.
Her eyes squeezed shut.
Your time is long over.
She bit the side of her lip.
I'm no one else.
I'm me.
This is my body.
I don't want that to change.
She was hoping that the identity of her previous self could her thoughts loud and clear because she sure as hell wanted no part of awakening and being someone else. It better settle down. Inoue's theory about being a reincarnated hero can go straight to hell. She just wanted to keep her simple and peaceful life, no intention of throwing it at all away. If she had to fight for her soul, then she would, somehow. There was just no way that she was going to fade without a fight.
I refuse to be anyone else.
As she kept her head down, she didn't know that Ichigo was watching her, wondering why she suddenly fell silent. He was beginning to think she was upset about her current situation. But he was getting the feeling it wasn't that. The way her fingers seem to dig into the skin near her elbows made him think so.
"Katsuko."
She flinched and her head perked up to look at him, eyes wide with surprise. "Huh?" she responded dumbly, looking confused, easily slipping back into her normal self. Her fingers also stopped their unrelenting digging in her skin.
Ichigo stared at her for a second. "You—"
"You two hungry?"
Jolting, Katsuko let out a startled shout and practically crawled away at lightning speed from the wall behind her, splashing around, it was only when she made it halfway to Ichigo, who panicked and yelped when nearly fell on his side when she got closer, did she allow herself to turn around and look behind her. Wide eyed, she stared at the woman who was standing there with a basket in one hand. She had long black hair tied in a ponytail with bangs framing her face, she was mostly dressed in orange and black.
"Jumpy." Yoruichi commented with a smirk.
Did the enemy just catch us stark naked?!
"Um…" Katsuko looked over her shoulder slowly to find Ichigo dragging himself away from her. He had flattened himself against the wall.
"Er, that's Yoruichi-san." He refused to make eye contact with her, face combusting again.
"The talking cat…?"
"Yeah. Trust me, I was surprised too."
"Don't I know that." Yoruichi snorted which was responded with a quick shut up! from the orange head.
"Anyway, I'm glad you came to." Yoruichi said before pointing at the side where Katsuko's Shihakusho was neatly folded with her Zanpakuto lying on top. Ichigo's was on the ground too. "You guys should get dressed and eat something," she lifted the basket for them to see. "even souls need to eat if they have spiritual power."
Blinking, Katsuko just continued staring at the woman even until she walked away with the basket.
So she wasn't just some sacred cat that demands respect. I freaking knew it! I freaking knew it wasn't just some normal cat!
Katsuko looked over her shoulder and deadpanned at her friend. "You get out first."
...
...
...
"Of course. I knew it." Katsuko snickered while she unwrapped another onigiri, shaking her head in amusement. The anecdote about how his hostage plan failing still making grins appear on her face. "Only you would take someone hostage."
"Why are you saying it like I'm predictable…" Ichigo scowled. He took a bite out of his food.
"Nah. I didn't think you'd do that, but I just thought that you're the only person likely in our group who would do that." Katsuko poked his arm once with a grin.
"They wouldn't stop chasing me around! I needed to do something about it."
"Could have tried blending in like me."
"Look at my hair."
"Truuue~"
Yoruichi brought them a basket of onigiris to eat. They ate while sitting together on a large stone. They were super grateful to get some food since they haven't had a proper meal ever since they left Kukkaku's place. Katsuko casually let it slip that she actually got some food while she pretended to be a Soul Society Soul Reaper, which rendered Ichigo a little astounded since he wasn't expecting such a thing from her considering how shy she can get. They were catching up on each other's side of the story of how they managed to get around. Ichigo was just as flummoxed as she was about learning how her wounds vanished without an explanation. Of course, she left out the details of her crying and anything related to how weird she acted. They weren't really talking about the details of their fights anyway.
"Do you think Hanataro and Ganju will be okay though?" Katsuko mused while gently swinging her legs that hung off the stone. She didn't know what kind of punishment awaited for that poor Squad 4 member who wanted to help a Ryoka, she felt bad for him. How strict would they be on him?
"At the bridge," Ichigo spoke once he finished swallowing, "Rukia's Captain was there. Yoruichi-san called him Uki… taro?" Katsuko's hand twitched. She already knew who he was talking about. She flashbacked to that moment, the concerned olive eyes flashed in her mind, the worried tone that his voice carried. She closed her eyes for a brief second to try and stop the uneasy feelings in her chest. "Er, or something like that, but she said that he won't let them die because they tried to save Rukia."
So, he's really a decent person…
Katsuko only hummed and finished the rest of her onigiri.
Katsuko learned that he was training to achieve Bankai, the second release state of a Zanpakuto. Seriously, why didn't Urahara tell them about Bankai? She got her answer when she was informed that Bankai normally took years to achieve. Ichigo had to achieve Bankai within three days with a different method in order to defeat Kuchiki Byakuya, Rukia's older brother, who firmly stood in his way, and rescue Rukia since his current power level was still not good enough. His first day of Bankai training was over.
"Do you think you'll make it?"
"I have to make it." Ichigo balled up the wrapper and set it aside to grab another onigiri. "If I can't, then I can't win. And I have to win."
There it was again. That firm confidence in his voice that just impressed her.
"Yeah, I know." Her tone drawled. "That was the whole point of coming here. We have to win." her mind was still thinking about what happened near the white tower after Ichigo tried pronouncing Ukitake's name.
Her tone made him pause mid-bite. He stole a glance at her and noticed how she was just sitting next to him with a spaced-out expression. It made him frown. He grabbed another onigiri and dropped it on her lap, surprising her.
"What? Why?" she whined.
"You're not eating much. Eat."
"I did eat!"
"You ate the bare minimum. Eat one more- no two more." He caught her hand when she tried to put it back inside the basket.
"Tch, fine, mom."
"Your mom would agree with me." Ichigo said flatly before stuffing his mouth, ignoring the way Katsuko childishly mouthed his words. Back at school, she always ate the bare minimum and got hungry by the time they leave school. She purposely squished her hunger, thinking she'll be fine since she'll have food at home. He knew she had a bigger appetite because he's seen the way she eats much more when they hang out as a group. But he's not about to let her go run on fumes in the Soul Society.
Katsuko appreciated that Ichigo was looking out for her like this though.
"Anyway, are you alright?" Ichigo's coffee brown eyes focused on her as he chewed. He was thinking about the way she fell silent in the bath earlier. Unlike that first time where she hid her feelings and kept it all to herself, and him being unable to realize the subtle signs, he obviously grew more acute to them as time passed.
"Yeah, just relaxing a little. Stress level went through the roof during my solo experience so it's starting to take a toll on me now that I can actually let my guard down."
"You sure?"
"Why?"
"Because I can tell something's on your mind." Ichigo replied and noticed how her eyebrows furrowed a bit. "If you want to hide it, don't curl up in a ball and go silent all of a sudden. You made it too obvious."
She snapped her head at him, eyes wide when she looked at him like as if he just told her the Earth was flat. "Or maybe that was because I was freaking embarrassed about being naked in a hot spring with you?!"
Ichigo's face burned at the reminder and his breath hitched. He turned his head away and scrubbed the back of his hair. Even if he hid his face from her, she could see the tip of his ears turning red. "Can we not talk about that?!"
Then, Katsuko slapped her forehead with her hand. Yoruichi-san stripped me. She just realized with embarrassment. Why did it take her so long to realize that? Did that count as sexual harassment somehow?
"Look, it's nothing, really." She said with a sigh, waving her hand dismissively towards him. "I'll tell you when this whole rescue mission is all over. Now's not the time. And I sure as hell don't want to think about it." Katsuko decided to use the delay tactic to make him drop the subject.
"You sure—" he looked back at her only for her finger to poke his cheek, that still had a slight red hue to it, and gently push his face the other way. "You just focus on your Bankai training. It's much more important, okay?"
For Katsuko, her worries should be the least of his worries. Ichigo didn't need to know about her concerns. His objective is to save Rukia, and she wouldn't dare try to hinder that goal if she could help it. His mission was already enough on his plate. It was just like back in Urahara's shop when they talked about their swords, her worries were nothing compared to someone who was on death row.
She was glad that he was looking out for her, really, but she didn't want him to right now. For now, she resolved to slapping a lid on top of her concerns and taping it shut, not caring in the slightest about how it pounded the lid to get off. However, she wasn't planning on keeping this to herself forever. Whatever was happening to her was alarming, she was scared, and she needed to at least tell someone what was happening to her just in case it was bad. She didn't want to risk losing herself. She knew nothing about souls so she needed to know instead of hiding it. Perhaps by telling someone she could find a way to stop it.
Maybe she could ask Urahara or Yoruichi when it was all over.
The orange haired teen stared at her pensively for a moment, unsure. The black haired girl returned his silent gaze with a tongue poking out between her lips. She grinned cheekily when he rolled his eyes at her. She prepared another set of words to stop him if he tried again but she knew he wasn't the type to force her to talk. She knew that from their first year of their rekindled friendship.
"Thanks for asking though." she smiled a little. "I'll be fine."
"You don't need thank me." he took another bite. "Whenever you're ready." he reminded.
She couldn't talk with Ichigo any longer than that though since he had to sleep a little before resuming his training in a few hours. That was fine with her. Talking with him for a while was able to give her the respite she craved after everything that happened. She needed that.
This left her with Yoruichi who dragged her away from the carrot top who straight up snoozed as soon as he lied down. He did mention that his body was hurting all over and tired before. It made her wonder just how tough was Bankai training.
"Yoruichi-san?" Katsuko tucked her arms behind her back and lazily walked after the taller woman. "Why aren't you going to help Ishida and the rest? You were keeping track of us, right?"
"That's right." Yoruichi led her outside. They were already transitioning into the hour of the dog. She already knew that Chad and Ganju were already captured. "The other two might end up getting captured too, but I can't focus on them. Ichigo needs my attention right now."
"But you went through the trouble of finding me. Why?"
Yoruichi stopped walking. "I'm sure, during your little recon, you heard about how a Ryoka committed a crime and that the order was to capture them." Yoruichi stared up at the moon while Katsuko looked around cautiously, not liking how they were out in the open. Then she looked back at Yoruichi and stared at her silently. There was nothing to read on her expression. She already knew where she was going with this.
Hisagi recognizing her face and asking her if she did something.
Ukitake telling her she didn't have to run from him.
She wasn't stupid.
"Because I look like the criminal?"
Yoruichi heard the exasperation in her voice. Her yellow eyes turned away from the moon and focused on the girl who stood behind her with a hand on her face. For a brief moment, she bowed her head to sigh. She lifted her head back up and met Yoruichi's inquiring eyes.
"I want no part of it." Katsuko spat, her face skewed with immense annoyance. Yes, she was curious about the crime. Yes, she wanted to ask, but at the same time she wanted to cover her ears and turn away. As Rukia said, the soul that dies a second time in the Soul Society is newly reborn as a human, so that shouldn't concern her. It's not her problem.
"You don't want to know?" the dark skinned woman raised a brow.
"Hell no." Katsuko crossed her arms and averted her gaze, suddenly finding the ground interesting. "It has nothing to do with me because I'm not the person they're looking for. I'm not interested in the details."
Yoruichi smirked a little at her attitude. Honestly, she was half-expecting her to ask about the crime. She put a hand on her hip. "Hmph, well I supposed that's one way to look at it. It's true, you can't just pin someone's crime on someone else."
If this is how she decided to look at the situation, who was she to try and change her mind?
"So, why are we out here?" Katsuko looked around again to make sure no one was watching. "Wouldn't it be better to stay inside?"
"I'm going to teach you flash step."
She tipped her head. "Flash… step?"
"You fought a Lieutenant who used flash step against you, right? I would think that you would want to learn how to do it too if you don't want to get caught off guard."
Then it clicked with Katsuko. Oh. Flash step. She was referring to how Hisagi appeared and disappeared in a flash. Didn't that white haired Captain use flash step to appear in front of her too?
"I can still help?"
"That's what you came here to do, am I wrong?" Yoruichi crossed her arms. "Ichigo needs to fight Byakuya after securing Rukia's safety. He is our best chance to fight against someone like Byakuya. I'll be there to help as well. However, you should be the one to keep Rukia out of enemy hands while he fights because they will want to retrieve Rukia from the Ryoka. That's also why I chose to bring you here."
That's… a big responsibility.
Can she do it? Can she accomplish that task while Ichigo does his? She felt a little nervous about being given such an important task. Rukia's safety was a top priority.
She pulled out her hands and lifted one up to her nape.
Who am I kidding?
I have to be able to do it.
Then she recalled Arashihoro's words to her.
"Be greedier, let loose and get stronger."
Right.
"Um… Can I learn Bankai too?" she asked in a meek manner. "… Because I don't think sitting around and waiting for him to achieve Bankai will do me any good." Katsuko admitted, bringing an arm behind her to hold her other arm's elbow, feeling meek as she had the courage to ask such a thing.
Yoruichi placed a thoughtful hand under her chin and looked to the side. "You could try, but you might not be able to. Also, you didn't start at the same time as Ichigo."
"It's better than doing nothing though." Katsuko pointed out. "You said it yourself in the Rukongai. If Ichigo and I were together, then we could possibly beat a Lieutenant. That's not going to cut it now. Besides, if I don't try, I won't know if I can do it."
She wanted to do this Bankai training too. It would feel more reassuring to have more strength on her side in enemy territory. She couldn't rely on Ichigo now when their numbers were down to three. If she can't do her part, then what was the point of coming to the Soul Society?
And with how hectic things I think are going to get, I still need more power to survive.
Seeing the determination shine in her eyes made Yoruichi put down her hand. "Very well. I'll let you do Bankai training too." She said after a moment of thinking, deciding it was the best course of action for her since there would be no loss from it. She would still get stronger either way, with or without Bankai.
Just as Katsuko was about to thank her, Yoruichi grabbed her by the front of her Shihakusho and flash stepped with her deep into a forest. When they got there, Katsuko stood there, frozen, at a loss for words. She literally blinked her eyes and ended up somewhere else.
Whoa… that felt cool.
Katsuko snapped out of it and looked around warily, her hands coming up to her chest as she moved closer to Yoruichi. "Wait, wait, wait… are you sure it's okay to be out here?!" she hissed.
The dark skinned woman just chuckled at her vigilant behaviour. She placed a hand on her head and roughly tousled her hair to calm her down. "It's fine. Stop worrying." she told her and then reassured her that the forest was rarely visited by people in the first place. It was the perfect open space to practice flash step.
"If you say so." Katsuko slightly pouted and backed away.
"Now, then, let's begin."
She learned the basics of flash step.
All she needed to do now was apply it to her Bankai training.
Killing two birds with one stone.
… Kinda, if she actually succeeds at achieving Bankai.
The Study Chamber at Sokyoku Hill was enormous. A number of at least five people could be spread out and training on their own. Katsuko was situated far away from Ichigo to do her own Bankai training. Yoruichi already briefed her on the subject and instructed her what to do: shove her sword into the white dummy looking object and simply wait for her Zanpakuto to materialize. According to Yoruichi, achieving Bankai meant that the Soul Reaper needed to be capable of materializing the Zanpakuto into their world instead of being pulled into the Inner World.
Her sword was gone the moment her Zanpakuto materialized.
"Bankai, huh?" Arashihoro crossed her arms and stared her down from her position above her. She was using her wind abilities to stay levitated. "So soon."
"Will you do it?" Yoruichi asked the asked the sword spirit. The long gray haired woman only sighed and brushed some of her hair behind her ear.
"If that's what my wielder wants to do, then fine."
She lifted her hand, opened it, and conjured up a condensed ball of wind.
"But that doesn't mean I'll give it to her oh-so easily." Arashihoro narrowed her eyes at her wielder who stared back at her apathetically. Her sword was mildly peeved that she was daring to try and do Bankai so soon with a dangerous method. It was almost… arrogant of her to think she could achieve it in the span of less than three days.
"Do as you will." Was all the dark skinned woman said before flash stepping away. As soon as she left the perimeter, Arashihoro closed her fist, causing the wind to burst and then expand. Katsuko flinched and held her arms up when the wind flew past her. It created a giant wind barrier around them. The wind was swirling around them violently with no rest. Their clothes and hair whipped around fast.
Katsuko lowered her arms when she judged that it was safe. Still, her dark brown eyes observed cautiously.
"You want to learn Bankai?" Arashihoro sneered, surprising Katsuko because she wasn't expecting such a tone from her. "Then force me to submit, Katsuko."
"And how the heck am I supposed to do that?!" Katsuko yelled over the wind, a little annoyed by the lack of instructions so far. She'd like to have her rules things clear and concise before diving into whatever training her sword had in mind.
"Find and materialize Arashihoro from within the wind." Her sword instructed, gesturing at the wind around them. "Find it and defeat me!" she shouted; mint green eyes narrowing at her.
Katsuko stood there, stunned. "HUH?!" she snapped after falling silent for a good three seconds.
"If you don't find it and prove your worth, then I'll just strike you down and make you unable to learn Bankai forever." Arashihoro declared before holding out her right hand. A whirlwind swirled around her arm and then vanished, revealing a summoned sword. She gripped it tightly and pointed at Katsuko, a sadistic smirk finding its way on her features.
Katsuko deadpanned. Was her own sword was planning on traumatizing her enough to discourage her?
Okay… and that's not fair. How the hell am I supposed to defend myself?!
As if on cue, storm blades fell and pierced the ground around them, startling the black haired teen. Once they were firmly planted into the ground, they morphed into what looked like her Zanpakuto in its sealed state. Arashihoro dropped on the ground and lightly nudged one of the swords next to her.
"And defend yourself like your life depends on it, because I will come after you with everything I have."
Oh, dear god, I know I'm going to have a rough time.
It was cramming time.
Bankai training was worse than training with Urahara. It almost made her wish that she faced Urahara instead of her own Zanpakuto.
At first, she had no clue as to how she was supposed to find a damn sword within a wind barrier. Wind isn't something a person can get a hold of after all. However, instead of trying to guess and take her time, she decided to simply stick her arm in the wind to use it as some sort of link for it, she was acting on pure instinct. It felt like the best approach. But doing that made her feel like she was getting struck by a thousand needles. And of course, the physical manifestation of her sword never allowed her to spend too much time sensing. She had to defend herself from her attacks. She came after her with no mercy, pressuring her into finding the sword faster, physically reminding her that she had no time to take it easy.
The first clashes had her mind in disorder from the sudden difficulty and from of how fast things were moving. Nevertheless, she got a grip and focused her mind on her task.
Arashihoro fought almost with some type of grace, her way of fighting almost looked calm in contrast to the storm around them. But sometimes, she would become more aggressive and strike hard just like with the strength of a storm. The impact of her sword once sent her flying into a boulder. Not fun.
With the strength and speed her sword was coming at her with, she had no choice but to use flash step.
And if she thought searching for her Arashihoro was hard, then how harder was it going to be when fighting Arashihoro herself?
But she couldn't just give up.
She needed to do her best to succeed and to raise the chances of success for this mission. The percent rate of their triumph needed to be made, it could not be left to chance.
Rapidly, Katsuko blocked the sword and winced at the strength behind it. Her eyes flickered to the sword on her left. Quickly, she pushed the taller woman back and then grabbed the sword to swing at her. The Zanpakuto stepped away. Katsuko didn't stop there, she adjusted the grip on her other sword and pitched it straight at her, catching her off guard. Arashihoro, delayed, swung her sword and deflected the blade, which flew up and became part of the whirlwind. Katsuko was already in the middle of swinging her blade and she managed to send her sword's spirit tumbling back.
Arashihoro inwardly smirked while Katsuko moved towards the wind to stick her arm in it. She's getting faster and her reflexes are getting sharper. That's good.
Katsuko gritted her teeth.
She was starting to get used to the pain. Was that a good thing or a bad thing?
After going through this process so many times, sense of time lost, she was somehow beginning to see that the wind circulating around them was shaped more like thin rectangles, shaped almost like swords, but it was very faint.
Repeat, repeat, repeat and repeat.
Until she finally found it.
With an aggravated shout, she stuck both hands into the whirlwind and quickly grabbed the hilt that she began to materialize.
Arashihoro was about to flash step to her until she saw how her master was pulling out the sword from the wind. Every inch that was pulled out reduced the intensity of the wind and became less condensed until what looked like a single layer of a breeze remained.
With a stumble, she moved away from the wind and gripped it tightly.
"HA!" Katsuko grinned widely, pointing the sword at her Zanpakuto.
All of a sudden, the wind disappeared and Arashihoro vanished, leaving only the weird doll thing behind. She watched it flop on the ground with a clack! Katsuko blinked in confusion, head whipping around rapidly to try and figure out why everything just peaced out.
"Katsuko."
The black haired teen turned her head and found Yoruichi standing atop a rock behind her.
"Break time. You've been at it for three hours."
All the pent up frustration from the training finally snapped. Annoyed, Katsuko threw her sword at the ground and groaned as she fell on her knees. "Are you serious?! I just got it!" she complained, falling on four legs under a spotlight of despair. Then her sword twitched. Katsuko stiffened when she realized what she just did, her eyes wide like a deer caught in headlights. Quickly, she scampered over to her sword and spilled meek heartfelt apologies as she knew that she might have ticked her off.
"Go heal up in the water for a bit." Yoruichi instructed her, motioning her head towards the hot spring. Katsuko was covered in cuts from Arashihoro's attacks.
Katsuko she picked up her Zanpakuto with a heavy sigh. "Yeah, okay."
…
…
…
The training continued.
When she resumed her training, Arashihoro made her start from scratch. Her sword told her that if she was able to do it the first time, then she should have no problem doing it again. It was making sure Katsuko didn't get it on some fluke. And Katsuko refused to allow it be a fluke, she refused to fail when she finally passed the first hurdle. She was going to press on. The moment Arashihoro summoned the wind, Katsuko shoved her hands into the whirlwind without wasting a second, pulling out the sword with ease. She was determined to start the final part of her training.
Katsuko was beginning to pick up on some special wind attacks that her sword was using against her, learning through observation on how to use Arashihoro's abilities.
The strength she was gaining during this training was becoming evident. She also found herself becoming much more focused with more power when she set aside the useless thoughts and followed her sword's advice about being greedy. And she was beginning to think her sword might be right, because she was finding pleasure in seeking victory.
Arashihoro parried her blade and swung her leg. The wielder back stepped and then blocked her sword when it swung at her. The swords scratched each other. Katsuko's eyes narrowed and she gritted her teeth, she flash stepped behind her and her blade swung hard. Arashihoro's blade blocked hers. Dark brown met mint cool green when the sparks of friction flew.
The Zanpakuto spirit narrowed her eyes thoughtfully as she fended off Katsuko attacks. She watched her pick up a stray sword and use it as her second weapon as she was already used to dual wielding.
All of a sudden, a crash resounded in the Study Chamber. It took everyone by surprise, except for Katsuko. Arashihoro, much like everyone else, stopped to bring her attention on whatever it is that just infiltrated. However, Katsuko was in the total zone that she didn't even stop the swing she was about to do prior to the crash. Her Zanpakuto barely dodged the blade in time and quickly told her to stop for a second.
Breathing hard, the black haired girl blinked several times and snapped out of her flow. It was only then that the crash and the crash landing registered in her brain.
She spared her Zanpakuto a perplexed glance. She met puzzled mint green eyes. She felt compelled to put down her sword to check it out but she was worried about what happened so she kept it in her hands. Did someone discover where they were hiding or was that Ichigo? Without a word, Katsuko led the way while her Zanpakuto trailed behind her. They flash stepped to the top of a rock. When looked down, they found a tall man of red hair tied in spiky ponytail, giving Katsuko the impression of a pineapple, with a white headband. He was carrying a Zanpakuto over his shoulder. It looked like it was in its Shikai state.
Katsuko sat a top the giant rock and listened to what was being said. Her eyes flickered to Zangetsu for a moment, a glance caused by awareness, who stood next to Ichigo with a sword in hand. It didn't look like she needed to be on alert with how lax Yoruichi and Ichigo were being. It pulled out a sigh of relief from her.
"We're out of time." The man said as he approached Ichigo who stopped his training to listen to him. "So, I just wanted someplace where I could concentrate on training."
"I thought that Yoruichi-san said this place was a secret." Arashihoro mumbled with a frown on her face, leaning on Katsuko's back who grunted a little from the weight.
"Not so secret anymore, I guess." Katsuko replied nonchalantly, keeping her attention on the newcomer. Her reply was met with a light scoff.
"What do you mean 'out of time'?" Ichigo his turned to him and kept his eyes on him when he walked past him. They all couldn't help but feel a foreboding feeling when the red haired Soul Reaper didn't answer right away.
"Alright, I'll tell you." the red hair looked at Ichigo. "They changed Rukia's time of execution. The new time is noon tomorrow."
Katsuko tensed at the news and her breath hitched. Why was it suddenly so close? From what Urahara told them, Rukia's execution shouldn't be so soon. They had still just a few more days, maybe. She just knew it wasn't supposed to be tomorrow. What was happening?!
This is bad.
"I hate to admit it, but the fact is that I can't save Rukia at my current level." The man turned away from Ichigo. "So, I came here to train." He clarified as he started walking away from the carrot top and Zangetsu. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way. I've already mastered manifesting it. Only a little more until I reach Bankai."
Katsuko's eyes widened when a whole baboon with a snake for a tail materialized near him. She expected the Zanpakuto to take on a human appearance, but then again, what the hell did she know about Zanpakuto spirits? Still, it seemed like this newcomer was a comrade at least. He said that he wanted to save Rukia. Ichigo didn't question him, so she was guessing it was alright to assume he was okay.
They were four now.
But still, with the execution being tomorrow at noon… there's really no time to spare now. Our breaks are going to have to be really short now.
Obviously, being the most determined one to save Rukia, Ichigo was not discouraged nor panicked by the sudden news. This only spurred him on to achieve Bankai before the execution happens. It had to be done no matter what. And hearing his declaration only served to inspire Katsuko to do the same. She didn't say anything and just got up from her sitting position, startling her Zanpakuto who was on her.
There was no time to waste. They all needed to increase their power level with haste.
"They better not change the time again!" Katsuko muttered under her breath, incredibly irritated by the sudden change in schedule. She was wondering how Rukia felt after hearing that news.
Renji heard the rustling of Shihakusho nearby. He looked up and saw a shorter Soul Reaper with long black hair standing with her Zanpakuto. His eyes widened, very slightly, when he saw her face. Even before he could breath through his nose, she turned and jumped down with her Zanpakuto following behind her.
"... Who was that?"
"She's my friend." Ichigo pulled out a Zanpakuto that was firmly planted in the ground. "She'll help save Rukia." he replied. He readied himself and then lunged at Zangetsu. The two went straight back to Bankai training.
Oh. So, that was the Soul Reaper he saw at the gate.
AYOO DID YOU HEAR ABOUT THAT NEW BLEACH CHAPTER?! I SAW SOME OF THE LEAKED PAGES AND I GOT ALL EXCITED. IT GAVE ME THAT BOOST TO FINISH THIS CHAPTER! BEEN HOLLERING, JUMPING IN MY CHAIR/BED AND SQUEALING. MOOOORE CONTENT!
... Let me calm down.
That reminds me, I don't think I ever mentioned this but I actually want to write an After Story for Just A Soul when it's done. After all, Bleach takes place in a modern world and I just like writing about Katsuko's normal life too. I feel like it would wrap up the story nicely. It's an idea I've been thinking about for a long time.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I made Katsuko's Inner World look like the Final World in Kingdom Hearts. That was the first thing that came to mind when I imagined a place that was peaceful. But anyway, we're getting closer to the end of the Soul Society Arc. Ah, I can't wait.
Let me know your thoughts in a review and I'll see you in the next chapter!