Disclaimer: Me own Bleach? Yeah, right. Tite Kubo does. I'm merely borrowing his characters for entertainment purposes. However, I do own my OCs.
Feedback: Reviews are encouraged; they're what keep me writing. However, flames are not appreciated. Thanks to all my reviewers.
Edited formatting 1/23/18
He blinked at the brightness of the girl's hair; it felt like he was staring into the sun's fading rays as it dipped below the horizon or those of a rising sun piercing the morning sky. It reminded him of his own orange hair. He couldn't help but wonder if that's what people saw every time they looked at him. Her hair was pulled back from her face save for a pair of thin strands on either side of her forehead that tumbled out to form bangs that fell over her eyes and a thicker chin length pair that framed her face. The rest of her hair fell down her back. She looked not much older than him, maybe seventeen to eighteen years old. She seemed around five foot one, taller than Rukia but just a tad bit shorter than Inoue. Her figure, however, was closer to Rukia's except she had wider shoulders to accommodate for her larger frame and a slightly bigger chest. He couldn't make out her eyes for they were lowered. She was dressed in the standard Shihakushō. A long black chain that fell into her robes adorned her neck and a white colored sheath hung from her waist containing a Zanpakutō with a hilt wrapped in royal purple tsuka-ito and a rectangular bronze cross guard with two small diamonds etched along the width of the cross guard and two larger diamonds etched horizontally across the length of it.
She didn't seem to be strong. He sensed what he supposed was average Reiryoku. However, there was just the slightest hint of familiarity about the lingering traces of her Reiatsu in the air that he couldn't really place.
The girl opened her mouth and glanced up at him, revealing surprisingly violet eyes. "I'm K-K-uroda M-M-ai," she said, speaking in a high-pitched voice.
She leaned forward, bowing her head. He briefly caught sight of the ornament that pulled her hair back—a white crescent moon barrette. Slowly, she lifted her head up and looked at him expectantly.
He stared.
Bright orange hair and violet eyes; it was the oddest thing he'd ever seen. Tōshirō's striking white hair and icy turquoise eyes, Yachiru's bubble gum colored hair and chocolate hued eyes, and Mashiro's blinding lime green hair paired with hazel eyes all seemed to pale in comparison. It was such a weird combination. It should have looked ridiculous and perhaps on someone else it would have, but as his vision adjusted to the sight, he realized it was strangely fitting. Alluring even.
"Substitute Shinigami, Kurosaki Ichigo," he said finally introducing himself, after noticing her start to tap her fingers against the pommel of her katana in a gesture that seemed more out of nerves than of impatience, but that nonetheless indicated he was taking too long to answer.
"Inoue! Are you alright?" Rukia's voice cut through the air as she appeared beside Orihime, followed by the appearance of Uryū on the girl's other side. Sado was jogging towards them, coming from the cluster of trees that were northeast of their position.
Spotting the caramel-haired girl's torn hakama, Rukia didn't even wait for the girl's reply, she reached forward and lifted the right hakama leg. "You're bleeding, Inoue," Rukia pointed out. Small rivulets of blood trickled down the girl's legs where the Hollow's claws had held her.
"I'm okay, Kuchiki-san," Orihime responded. "It's nothing." Surprise shone in her grey orbs as she looked at something behind Rukia. Even Uryū and Sado, who by now was standing next to the Quincy, were sporting similar expressions albeit less expressive.
Rukia frowned and then turned noticing for the first time Ichigo and an unfamiliar face. Her eyes widened slightly before narrowing them and demanding. "Who are you?"
"K-Kuroda Mai," the girl stammered, casting them a shy glance before bowing once more. Straightening her shoulders, she stared at the group gathered before her.
"Kuchiki Rukia, Thirteenth Division," Rukia began the introductions.
"Inoue Orihime." Orihime smiled as she returned the bow.
"Ishida Uryū, Quincy."
"Yasutora Sado, Human."
Before anybody could say anything though, Renji arrived looking slightly winded but pleased. He gaped at the female Shinigami in front of him, who was standing in between Ichigo and the rest of the gang.
"Took you long enough," Ichigo remarked.
Irritation crossed the tattooed man's features at the orange haired teen's comment, but he ignored it returning his gaze to the girl, who oddly enough had the same hair color as Ichigo.
"You from the Seventh Division?" Renji asked.
"H-Hai," the girl responded, greeting him in the same manner as the others. "I'm Kuroda Mai."
"Sixth Division Fukutaichō, Abarai Renji," he returned the greeting.
"It's an honor to meet you, Sir." Mai said respectfully and then glancing at the others, she smiled hesitantly and began speaking in a warmer tone. "It's an honor to meet you as well, Kuchiki-sama, Inoue-san, Ishida-san, Yasutora-san, and Kurosaki-san." Her left hand began to fidget with the hilt of her katana. "I've heard so much about you."
"Kuchiki-sama," Ichigo repeated, slightly amused.
"No need to be so formal," Rukia told the girl then turned her attention to Ichigo. "Fool, I'm a noble after all," she reminded him. "Just because you don't know how to be respectful, it doesn't mean other people don't know how."
"Some noble you are," he snorted in response.
"What was that?" Her right eyebrow twitched.
"Nothing," he mumbled.
Her gaze lingered on him for a moment before regarding Mai. "It's alright. You don't have to call me that."
"Yeah, and we don't call Sado by his last name, it's just Sado right?" Ichigo asked the quiet giant.
"Right," he replied. "Just Sado is fine."
"Wait, what do you mean you've heard so much about us?" Ichigo said, suddenly remembering Mai's earlier comment.
"Um, well…" She paused, left hand still fidgeting with her hilt. "Everyone in the Seireitei and in Rukongai as well, tells stories about the ... Ryoka." She glanced down at the ground after the last word.
"Hmph." He narrowed his eyes, a scowl forming on his lips. "What kind of stories?"
She looked up meeting his eyes.
Her face reminds me of someone, Ichigo thought, now that he had gotten over his initial shock at her unusual features.
"Well, people always talk about how the Ryoka, I mean, you and your nakama were able to penetrate the Seireitei's defenses and fight and survive against the Gotei 13's seated officers. There are different stories that talk about Inoue-san's healing of Jidanbō, the Quincy, and um, Sado-san, but the most popular ones are about you."
"They are?" Ichigo asked, scratching the back of his head, scowl gone.
"Oh, yes." Mai nodded her head enthusiastically. "People always speak of your great strength and high Reiryoku, and how you were able to defeat taichōs and stop Kuchiki-san's execution."
"They do," Renji muttered, confirming Mai's words.
Ichigo puffed out his chest, obviously pleased with the news while Rukia rolled her eyes.
"Arigatō for saving me, Kuroda-san." Orihime took the opportunity to flash the girl a grateful smile.
"Arigatō for saving, Inoue," Ichigo also thanked her.
"It was nothing. I was just doing my duty." Mai smiled. "Speaking of which, I really have to get back to my group." She began to take some steps back as if preparing to leave.
"Wait, you can't go yet," Ichigo said. "We've got some questions. Any luck on finding that intruder?"
Mai froze for a second and then said. "Look, I really can't talk about that. I have to go now since technically I should have stayed with my teammates. They're expecting me." She smiled apologetically. "It was nice meeting you though."
"Hey! Don't leave!" Ichigo yelled.
Preparing to leave, she gave them a short bow when a loud rumble was heard. Mai slowly lifted her head, exposing her flushed face.
"Are you hungry? I have some food," Orihime offered.
"Arigatō, but I really have to go," she insisted, smiling through her embarrassment.
"I'm sure your teammates could wait a while longer. Besides, your group is not the only one searching the town," Renji pointed out.
"B-B-ut," Mai protested.
"If you're worried about Iba-san or Komamura-taichō, I'll take care of it." Renji said.
"You need to keep your strength up," Rukia added.
Five minutes later, they gathered in a circle underneath the trees where the gang had originally ate their breakfast since that's where Orihime had left a jug filled with Miso soup. It was just northwest of where Rukia and Orihime had been training, across the trees that had separated them from Ichigo and Renji's training spot, which was about five hundred feet away from where they currently sat. Ichigo had shed his Bankai, and Orihime had healed her wounds and was in the process of serving Mai some soup.
"So, how did you get that jug, Inoue?" Ichigo wondered. He hadn't even realized that she had brought it.
"Hanatarō-san gave it to me," she admitted. "I asked him if he had something to store food with since I'd figured it be best to bring extra so that we could just stay here all day long training."
"That was really thoughtful of you, Inoue-san," Uryū commented.
"Yeah, it was," Ichigo agreed.
"It was no problem." She beamed as she grabbed one of the empty bowls and poured the soup into it. Once it was full, she handed it to Mai, who was sitting on her left, with some chop sticks. "It's cold but it's still good. It's too bad the green onions weren't dipped in peanut better. It would have definitely made it better." She then glanced at everyone. "Does anyone else want some?"
Everyone else just shook their heads or murmured a "No thanks." It hadn't been that long since they last ate.
While it was true that everyone missed adding their favorite condiments to their meals, they were at least glad they were safe from Orihime's food. Besides, the food, which was prepared by some Fourth Division members in the Soul Society and distributed by Hanatarō, Isane, and other recently arrived Fourth squad members in Fake Karakura tasted pretty good.
If Mai was disgusted by Orihime's suggestion, she didn't show it as she accepted the bowl and simply said, "Arigatō, and it's not a problem that it's cold."
A reddish glow emanated from the tips of her fingers, surrounding the bowl. Afterwards, a visible cloud of steam rose from the soup. Everyone stared.
Her Reiatsu seems familiar, Uryū thought as he pushed back his glasses on the bridge of his nose.
Mai lowered her chopsticks into the bowl and brought them to her lips, swallowing their contents. "It is good, Inoue-san." She paused, noticing the stares for the first time mainly from Ichigo, Renji, and Orihime.
"Wow, Kuroda-san that was really amazing," Orihime gushed, breaking the silence. "It's like having a portable microwave except, well, you just use your hands, which is actually way better! I wish I could do that."
"Oh, I'm sure you could learn, it's just Kidō." The orange-haired girl smiled encouragingly, half shrugging as she brought another spoonful to her mouth.
"I suppose I could, but I would need someone to teach me," Orihime said, thinking back to how she mastered the basic Kidō taught to her by Kūkaku in what seemed like a lifetime ago.
"So, you're good at Kidō, huh?" Renji prompted. He was sitting a little off to her side.
Mai swallowed before saying, "Well, my Kidō has always received high marks, but I doubt I'm as good as you, Sir."
Rukia let out an unlady like snort at that.
Both Renji and Mai turned their gazes over to the raven-haired Shinigami, who sat on the other side of Orihime and beside Uryū.
"Kuroda, I'm sure your Kidō is way better than Renji's."
"Oi!" Renji cried.
She smirked giving him a knowing look. "Renji, you know you're terrible at Kidō. You would have blown up that bowl if you had attempted to warm it up."
"Uh," Renji stared at her trying to come up with a retort.
"Who cares if Renji's Kidō sucks?" Ichigo interrupted before either one could continue. "Look, Kuroda."
"You guys can just call me Mai," she said.
"Mai," Ichigo began once more. "What exactly is going on with this intruder? Has your team or any of the others found any sign of the intruder?"
"Ichigo!" Rukia shot him a dirty look.
He looked past Ishida, who was next to him, to give Rukia a questioning look.
"Can't you just let her eat first?"
"She's in a hurry. She needs to get back to her teammates. This way it'll be faster if she eats and talks."
Rukia frowned. "Ichigo, don't be rude!" She peered over in Mai's direction. "When was the last time you ate something?"
"Um, I can't really remember," Mai admitted sheepishly.
"Didn't you have breakfast?" Ichigo wondered.
Mai shook her head, the bangs dangling over her forehead swayed with the motion.
Rukia returned her attention to Ichigo."How would you like it if someone was badgering you with questions when you haven't eaten something in God knows when and you're trying to eat your meal?"
"I'm not badgering her. I barely asked her one question."
"You asked her two," she corrected him.
"So? She can still eat. I'm not forcing her to stop eating just so she can answer my questions."
"Idiot! The point is she can't concentrate on your questions if she's starving. Once she's full, she can answer your questions."
"Then how the hell did she fight those Hollows?" Ichigo pointed out, a triumphant smirk on his face.
"Obviously, she used the last of her strength to kill them," Rukia retorted, raising her voice and leaning forward, getting closer to Uryū's left ear. "And now she needs to replenish it."
"You're acting like she's freaking dying!" Ichigo exclaimed, matching the rise in her voice and leaning forward as well, getting closer to Uryū's other ear.
Wincing slightly, Uryū attempted to placate them, "Listen, you two..."
Her eyes are pretty, Orihime thought, studying Mai's eyes as the girl stared at the bickering Ichigo and Rukia with an astonished face. They're like Kuchiki-san's except lighter, like amethysts, Orihime thought, observing the way the girl's eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Suddenly, she noticed what appeared to be an amused twinkle in Mai's eyes, but before she had a chance to make sure, Mai twisted around to face Renji who had called out to her.
"Look, Kuroda, you should just finish your soup. There's no point in waiting for them to quit they're fighting," Renji advised.
"You stupid carrot top, don't you have any manners?" Rukia's voice could be heard in the background.
Renji continued, "Those two could go on forever and you wouldn't want your Miso to get cold."
Mai looked uncertain.
"Of course, I do! You're the inconsiderate one," Ichigo shouted.
"You shouldn't mind them," Orihime encouraged.
"Um, okay," Mai reluctantly agreed.
By now, Ichigo and Rukia were shouting over Uryū, who could only look helplessly above him as his pleas to for them to stop fell on deaf ears; he looked like he was just hoping they wouldn't start hitting each other.
"Would you two shut the hell up!" Renji yelled, causing the fighting pair to freeze. "How the hell is she supposed to eat with all the noise you guys are making?" He asked, nodding towards Mai.
Ichigo and Rukia quickly settled into their original spots, looking somewhat embarrassed. Rukia immediately excused herself.
"I'm sorry you had to witness this, but most of all I'm sorry for Ichigo's rude behavior."
"What? You're the one who started this," Ichigo cried out.
"Guys," Sado intervened, before they could start arguing again.
"Che, whatever," the substitute Shinigami muttered, crossing his arms over his chest, and then sparing Mai a glance, he said, "Gomen."
"It's okay," she said before eating. Seconds later she said, "I can answer your questions while I eat. It's not a problem."
"Mai," Rukia protested. "You don't have to."
"No, it's fine," assured the orange-haired girl. "Really," she added after seeing Rukia's unconvinced face.
"Answer only if you're up to it," Ichigo said quickly. "We could wait."
"It's fine. Besides, either way I have to answer your questions since I owe you guys for this delicious soup," she said, smiling brightly. "Right, so you wanted to know about the intruder," Mai said, thinking about Ichigo's earlier questions. "Um, well, as far as I know nobody has sighted him. We've been divided into groups of ten …yeah, ten to cover the different areas of the town and once we're in our assigned area we split up in into groups of five to make sure we do a thorough search. My assigned area is just right by where I found you guys."
"So, how many people are in your division?" Uryū wondered.
"Two hundred," Renji answered for Mai since she was busy eating. "Every division has about two hundred Shinigami, give or take."
Mai nodded.
"That's twenty groups that are scouring Fake Karakura," Uryū observed.
"So, no sightings, then?" Ichigo said, looking pensive as he absorbed the information.
"Maybe he's gone," Orihime suggested.
"Or maybe he has already been located, but we are unaware of it since we haven't received word," Sado said.
"You," Ichigo suddenly said, staring at Mai. "You were there last night when I was fighting those Hollows."
Mai was just about to grab another chopstick-ful of soup, but instead she lowered it into her bowl.
"What are you talking about, Ichigo?" Rukia asked.
"She was there last night," he repeated. "It was you that created that mist to distract the Hollows, wasn't it? Just like you created that mist when you saved Inoue."
"Wait, why didn't you mention this before, Kurosaki?" Uryū asked, narrowing his eyes.
Ichigo shrugged. "I knew there was a Shinigami that helped me with those Hollows, I just didn't know who. I thought maybe it was Rukia since she has an ice Zanpakutō and it lets out mist but I didn't sense her Reiatsu or Tōshirō's, the only other person I know that has an ice Zanpakutō," Ichigo explained. He had caught sight of Tōshirō fighting when he had arrived at the fake town. "So, I had no clue who it was. Actually, now that I think about it the only Reiatsu I could sense was from that weird portal the intruder came through. It was your Zanpakutō right?"
"Hai," Mai admitted, depositing her bowl in front of her.
"Did you happen to see who the intruder was?" Ichigo asked.
She shook her head. "Gomen nasai, I just felt that strange Reiatsu. The only thing I saw was you and the Hollows you were fighting."
"Are you sure?" Ichigo pressed.
"I'm sure."
"What were you doing there last night?" Renji asked. "Didn't the Seventh Division just get in last night? Were you guys immediately tasked to patrol?"
"Actually, we weren't," Mai responded. "I was just being curious…" Her gaze seemed to darken momentarily. "Well, my friend and I both were curious about the town, so we decided to do some exploring on our own when we noticed Kurosaki-san fighting those Hollows, and we sensed that Reiatsu, but we didn't see anyone else. Honest."
"So, you snuck out then?" Renji concluded dubiously, not quite believing the girl's story. She didn't seem like the type to do such a thing, however, he didn't know what kind of girl her friend was.
"H-Hai," Mai said, bowing her head.
"What are you still in the Academy? This isn't a field trip to the World of the Living. This is the real deal. We're in a war and this is our battlefield. We have to be on high alert, ready for anything," Renji scolded her.
"When did you graduate?" Renji asked with a knowing gleam in his eye.
"Um, two years ago."
Renji sighed. "Listen, kid, you're not in the Academy anymore, you're now a full-fledged Shinigami and you can't afford to do childish things like that. Not if you ever want a reach a seated position anyway. I'm willing to bet my Zanpakutō you're not a seated officer."
"I'm not," she mumbled.
"Well, all the more reason for you to get your act together," Renji carried on.
"I know what I did was wrong," Mai admitted, head still inclined. "And I won't do it again, I swear," she said, clenching the fabric of her hakama in her hands and slowly lifting her head to meet Renji's face. "But, please, Abarai-fukutaichō, do not tell Komamura-taichō. I can't afford to get into trouble again. You see because of what I did last night, I overslept and I wasn't able to get breakfast, and as a result, I arrived late when the groups were being assigned. Komamura-taichō yelled at me and…" She bit her lip as if trying to keep from crying. "I..I just can't give him another reason to yell at me…." She shook her head like she was trying to get rid of the memory of what happened earlier that morning. "It was so awful."
"That doesn't sound like Komamura-taichō," Rukia said. "He doesn't seem to be the yelling type."
"I know," Mai said quickly. "But it's just…"
"He's stressed," Renji supplied. "He's obviously still pissed about Tōsen and he's still recovering from his injuries, and now his division has to deal with the intruder."
"Abarai-fukutaichō..." Mai pleaded, looking at him with wide amethyst-colored eyes.
"Are you sure you didn't see anyone?" Rukia asked, staring Mai right in the eye before Renji could answer. "This isn't about getting in trouble or not. It's a matter of getting all the information we can get about the intruder, so we at least know who we're dealing with."
"I didn't see anything nor did my friend," Mai assured.
"Just don't do it again and make sure to tell your friend that," Renji said, going against his better judgment.
"I will, arigatō," Mai said gratefully, bending down.
A silence fell over the group.
"You should finish your soup, Mai-san," Orihime reminded the girl when she made no move to start eating again.
"Oh, right," Mai said as if barely remembering it.
Ichigo was lost in thought as he heard Orihime attempt to make idle chit chat. He'd been hoping that Mai had caught a glimpse of the trespasser, but now that was a bust. Was Aizen just trying to mess with them? What if there really wasn't someone within their midst sent by Aizen? The Gotei 13 had explained to him what they knew of Aizen's Zanpakutō but even they weren't completely sure of its capabilities. Who's to say the alert system wasn't being falsely triggered?
But no that couldn't be right, he'd felt that Reiatsu and as far as he knew he wasn't under the influence of Kyōka Suigetsu since Aizen hadn't even used his Shikai in battle. Was Aizen just screwing around with them? Maybe it was for the best that the Seventh Division was the one doing the investigation.
There was something else that was bugging him; he had a nagging feeling inside his head about Mai. Ever since he first heard her high pitched voice and seen her mannerisms, he couldn't help but be reminded of Rukia's high school girl act. However, he'd just figured she was naturally overly nice kinda like Inoue, but after witnessing the way she pleaded with Renji not to tell her taichō about her sneaking out it reminded him even more of Rukia's act. Was he just imagining it? Was he becoming paranoid?
"Don't worry, Ichigo," Rukia's voice interrupted his thoughts. "He'll be found, if he's still around anyway."
Ichigo blinked, surprised to see Rukia had switched places with Uryū.
"I'm not worried," he lied.
"Really, then, what's with that stupid, spaced off look on your face?" Rukia asked, smirking.
He groaned. "I do not have a stupid, spaced off look."
"Have you seen your face?"
Ichigo just glared at her then said. "I'm just thinking about how this was a complete waste of time. We didn't find out anything good. Valuable time to train was lost."
Rukia stared at him, then eventually said. "Well, at least we know who helped you take care of the Hollows you were having trouble with last night."
"I was not having trouble," he defended himself.
"You said they had stronger Reiatsu than average Hollows," she reminded him.
"Yeah, but it doesn't mean I couldn't have handled them without Mai's help. All she did was distract them, I'm the one who did the actual work. Besides, I could have taken care of them with one Getsuga Tenshō but I didn't want to..."
"Destroy buildings? Attract unnecessary attention?" Rukia interrupted him. "Fool, your presence alone attracts unnecessary attention. You shouldn't have been out either," she reprimanded him. "You know the Research Institute and the others guarding the pillars are the ones standing guard. There was no need for you to be patrolling and now it seems the Seventh Division will also be tasked to stand guard throughout the town."
"That wasn't why..."
"Are you sure don't want some more?" Orihime asked loudly, snapping Ichigo and Rukia's attention back to the rest of the group. A standing Mai was giving her now empty bowl to the busty girl.
"Oh no, that was enough. Thanks a lot." Mai smiled. "I really have to get back to my group or else I'm really gonna get in trouble."
"You're leaving?" Ichigo said, bounding to his feet. Everyone else did the same.
"Hai," Mai responded. "It was nice meeting you and arigatō for everything," she said, smiling brightly, taking everyone in before giving Renji a grateful look, and doing a final bow.
"Looks like maybe you won't have to search for your teammates," Ichigo said, looking at something behind Mai. "Is that them?"
Mai turned around.
In the distance, walking adjacent to the trees, were four Shinigami: three males and one female. The first Shinigami was a tall twenty-year old looking male with spiky sandy blonde hair. Next to him was a short fat man that looked about forty years old walking beside a young, dark-haired guy that was taller than him but shorter than the blonde guy. The girl had light brown hair pulled into a ponytail, was just slightly shorter than the fat man, and also looked about twenty years old.
"Yeah, that's definitely them," Mai said and then began to wave cheerfully to them.
Her teammates, on the other hand, had stopped walking and seemed kind of confused.
"Um, are you sure those are you teammates, Mai?" Ichigo questioned her.
"They seem rather confused," Uryū pointed out.
She laughed."Those dummies, they still haven't gotten used to my hair."
"What?" Ichigo asked, confused.
"Well, you see, I was tired of never being noticed, and my friend suggested I do a makeover which I agreed to. I just never thought she'd go as far as to bring me orange hair dye from the World of the Living. At first, I wasn't into the idea, but she ended up convincing me, and two weeks ago I dyed my hair. My friends say it looks good, but I'm still not sure if it was a good idea." She flipped a strand of hair over her shoulder and twirled it around her fingers.
"You bleached your hair orange?" Ichigo said incredulously.
"Ow," Ichigo groaned, feeling Rukia's sharp elbow ram into his side.
"It looks pretty, doesn't it, Ichigo?" Rukia asked pointedly, plastering a fake smile on her face.
"Yeah," he muttered, rubbing his side.
"Really?" Mai's eyes lit up.
"It does," Orihime chimed in.
Sado nodded in agreement.
"It brings out your eyes," Uryū commented, earning him a What the hell are you talking about look? from Ichigo.
"You definitely stand out," Renji said.
"Arigatō. Well, I must go now, I've made me them wait long enough. Sayonara." She waved and began walking away. "It looks good on you too, Kurosaki-san."
"Sayonara, Mai-san!" Orihime waved.
And then Mai's words hit Ichigo. "What? I didn't bleach my hair!" But it was too late; she had already Shunpoed away the remaining distance.
"Do you guys know her?" the female Shinigami asked her companions, noticing a bright orange-haired girl waving in the distance.
"Never seen her," the dark-haired youth declared.
"Don't think I've ever seen an orange-haired chick in our division. Hey, isn't that the Ryoka?" the blonde man asked excitedly.
"They aren't considered Ryoka anymore, remember," the female said irritated.
"So that's Kurosaki Ichigo," the older man said, spotting the orange haired teen in the group. "He doesn't look like much."
"Maybe, but he fought Kenpachi and survived," the blonde said, awestruck. "I wonder why that girl is talking to them."
"You can probably ask her yourself. It looks like she's headed over here," the dark-haired guy said, noticing the girl walking away from the former Ryoka and looking towards them.
Seconds later, said girl appeared before them, staring at them briefly before pointing into the trees next to the blonde guy.
"Hey, there's something over there," she announced.
"Really?" the blonde guy said, reaching for the hilt of his Zanpakutō.
"Don't just stand there, get a move on," the older man snapped, causing the blonde to race into the trees.
The dark-haired guy followed suit, the older guy and the girl right behind him.
"Hey, w-where are y-you guys g-going? I f-finally caught up," cried a panting male Shinigami that was shorter than Mai by two inches. He had long bangs that swept across his face, hiding his eyes. It was a wonder that he could even see.
"They went that way," Mai said, quickly stepping forward and shoving him in the direction where the others were.
"Waaah..." he cried, stumbling into the shelter of the trees.
They were large with massive branches filled with lush green leaves that extended out to meet with other neighboring trees, filtering out most of the sunlight's rays, resulting in a secluded wooded area. Standing in the center with raised Zanpakutō were the four Shinigami looking tense then confused.
"I-I don't see anything," the blonde declared, eyes anxiously scanning the area.
"I don't sense anything. I don't think there's anything or anyone here," the dark-haired guy said.
"I agree," the female said.
"But she said she saw someone or something here," the fat man began in annoyed tone then hearing something behind him, he whirled around."Oh, it's you," he muttered, looking down on his slow companion.
"O-O-kada-san," he panted.
Okada ignored him instead focusing his gaze on Mai. "I thought you said you saw something."
"I-I really thought I did," she said, confused. "I guess I was wrong."
Looking displeased, he slipped his sword back into its sheath; the others mimicked his actions.
"Who are you, anyway?" he groused.
"I'm Kuroda Mai," she said, doing a quick bow.
"What do you want? You got something to report?" he asked impatiently.
"No, Sir... I-I was assigned to your group," she announced.
"What?" he snapped, clearly unhappy with the idea. "You're in my group? Then why the hell didn't you report to me when the assignments were being handed out?" His gaze bore down on her. "You know, you're beyond late."
"I know. Gomen nasai, but I overslept and by the time I made it all the groups had already been assigned. They told me to report to the park where I would find you, Okada-san since all the other areas have enough Shinigami," Mai explained.
"So, I'm the one who has to get stuck with a slacker?" He shook his head, disgusted. "A disrespectful one at that, too. Don't you know how to show respect to your superior officers?" he said, staring down at her.
"I..." she began to speak, but he cut her off.
"And you Takeda." He glared at the short Shinigami, finally acknowledging him. "You should know better as well."
Takeda began to shake. "G-G-G-omen, I.."
Okada held up a hand to silence him. "You just better not do it again. A man such as myself deserves the respect his title commends because, after all, you are not standing in the presence of an ordinary Shinigami. No, far from it. Seriously, who in the Seventh Division hasn't heard of me, Eighteenth Seat, Okada Dai?" he stated arrogantly, sticking out his chest proudly, attempting to hold in his gut but failing miserably.
"Gomen, I did not mean any disrespect, Eighteenth Seat Okada," Mai quickly apologized.
A pleased look crossed his features.
"So, you're really in our division?" the blonde Shinigami asked, curious.
Mai nodded.
"But how come I've never seen you before?" He wondered.
"Like you would know everyone," the female Shinigami said.
"Well, I'd definitely remember someone like, Kuroda-san," he countered. "By the way, I'm Fujimoto Mikio. Did you recently transfer or something?"
"Oh no, I've always been in the Seventh. You've probably never noticed me before, because I used to blend in with everyone else. It's just recently that I dyed my hair orange."
"Dyed your hair?" Mikio repeated.
"I've heard of that. It's this sort of chemical that Human females use to change their hair color," the female Shinigami said. "I think Akemi once did that her hair. My name is Uchida Emiko."
"And, I'm Kimura Keiji," the dark haired Shinigami introduced himself. "That is definitely an unusual color to dye your hair."
"Who in their right mind would dye their hair orange?" Okada sneered. "Are you a Kurosaki fan girl or something?"
She averted his gaze, causing Okada to roll his eyes and mutter something about idiotic fan girls.
"I t-t-think it looks g-good on K-K-uroda-san," the short Shinigami finally spoke. "I'm T-Takeda T-Taro."
"Arigatō, Takeda-san," she murmured. "And, it's okay for you guys to call me Mai."
"So, why were you with Kurosaki Ichigo and his friends, Mai-san?"Mikio wondered.
"Oh, I ran into them on my here. They were in the middle of training when I was passing by and suddenly a lot of Hollows appeared," she explained.
"Hollows?" Okada perked up that.
"Hai, so I had no choice but to fight them which is why I got even more delayed. Afterwards, I talked to them to ask them if they had seen any Shinigami in the area since I was looking for you guys. But they said they hadn't seen anyone, but luckily you guys happened to be passing by so that I didn't have to waste any more time searching for you."
"At least you got to fight Hollows," Emiko said with just the tiniest hint of jealously.
"I definitely would have enjoyed that," Keiji said.
"Me too," agreed Mikio. "It's definitely been boring. Not a single trace..."
"Did you honestly think we'd find the bastard around here?" Okada said. "Would he really choose to hide around here?" He waved his hands, indicating the trees.
"But, if he were trying to avoid us, wouldn't it make sense for him to hide in a place most people wouldn't think he would hide in?" Keiji observed. He then quickly added upon noticing the glare from the older man, "Eighteenth Seat Okada, Sir."
But clearly the larger man was not concerned that he hadn't addressed him with his title, but rather with the fact that Keiji had just countered his words.
"So, you haven't found anything?" Mai asked.
"Nothing," Mikio answered.
A crackling sound filled their ears, and they could faintly make out patches of red light streaming in through the treetops.
"That's the signal," Keiji said.
"So they're finally done," Emiko said.
"Finally," Okada huffed, and then glancing upwards, he added. "Let's get the hell out of here."
"So, you're done?" Mai stated more than asked.
"Yeah," Emiko replied. "We were just looking around."
"Don't think you won't make this assignment up, Kuroda," Okada said. "I'm sure I'll find something useful for you to do." He let out a harsh laugh. "Let's go," he waved to everyone, before disappearing.
Keiji and Mikio followed.
"Ugh, he's so full of himself," Emiko remarked. "Try to avoid getting on his bad side if you can because he does like to force people to do his bidding. Hopefully we won't have to stay in the same groups for the entire time we're here," Emiko said, before she, too, Shunpoed away.
"Nooo," wailed Taro. "They're gone."
"What's a matter?" Mai asked.
"It's just, I'm t-terrible at s-shunpo…I-I'm r-really slow," he explained, hanging his head in shame. "It's g-gonna take me forever to catch up."
"Don't worry, I'll match your speed if you want," Mai offered.
"W-W-hat why?" Taro gasped. "Y-You're already in trouble with E-Eighteenth S-Seat O-Okada-san."
She shrugged. "Either way I'm in trouble, right? Besides, what's the rush? Do you really want to spend more time around him?"
He gaped at her.
"Well, do you?"
He shook his head.
"Right then, so how about you go on ahead, Takeda-san."
"Y-Y-ou can call me T-Taro," he said shyly, still staring at her.
"Okay, Taro-san," she said. "Just go on ahead. Don't worry about me. He can't abuse his power like that."
He looked reluctant, but then he turned around, preparing to leave.
She turned around.
"Kurosaki fan girl? Idiotic fan girl?" she muttered under her breath, no longer speaking in a high-pitched voice. "You're gonna pay for that, Dai." Her gaze darkened.
"Did you say something, Mai-san?" Taro asked, turning around. He still hadn't left.
"Nope, nothing," she resumed her high-pitched voice. "Just waiting for you to leave."
"Oh, right," he said and then he disappeared.
Mai sighed, grasping the chain at her neck.
Gathered in a large conference room on the eighth floor of the Karakura Hospital, the Gotei 13 listened to Komamura Sajin as he delivered the status report about his division's search efforts. He looked tired, his right arm was in a sling, and a large deep cut ran down his snout.
"According to the reports of every team leader, nothing unusual was discovered. There were no traces or sightings of the intruder whatsoever. Every single location in the town was double-checked to make sure we left nothing unchecked. It seems that traces of the Reiatsu of the Visored were detected in an old warehouse, although they, themselves, were not spotted. Other than that we have no indication that the intruder is still in the vicinity."
Flickers of concern, annoyance, and indifference passed through the faces of the Gotei 13 taichō.
"Arigatō, Komamura-taichō," the sōtaichō said.
"It seems that the Ryoka is no longer with us, but we must not let our guard down. The Seventh Division must now actively patrol the town to make sure that this Ryoka is indeed gone. Anything unusual must be reported, is that understood?"
"Hai," was the reply from all the taichō.
"Permission to speak, sir?" Jūshirō asked.
The old man nodded.
"I just wanted to add that my subordinate, Kuchiki Rukia, reported that Kurosaki Ichigo did not see who the Ryoka was despite being in the sector where it appeared. However, he did notice that the Hollows he fought against contained more Reiryoku than usual. Kuchiki, herself, noticed the increased Reiatsu in the Hollows when she fought some today. It appears even average Hollows are becoming stronger."
"Aizen must be doing this," declared Tōshirō.
"Yes, it seems to be the case," Yamamoto agreed. "The Research Department has already alerted Kurotsuchi-taichō and me of the increased Reiryoku in the Hollows. Urahara Kisuke is also aware of this fact. He believes that the Hōgyoku is at best two weeks away from fully awakening but in the mean time it seems Aizen is no longer interested in just creating Arrancars. He is now also altering ordinary Hollows." He paused. "However, this should not be our concern since now we have a division to take care of them. We must be alert for any signs of Arrancar for Aizen will surely use them to lead an attack in an attempt to get to the real Karakura."
"Is everything still okay in the real Karakura?" Jūshirō asked.
"Hai, and it has been fortified should Aizen somehow attempt a direct attack, but the easier option would be for him to attack us here," he said in a confident manner.
"Let him come, don't care where as long as I get to fight the bastard," Kenpachi said.
"Imbecile, the point is to fight him here," Mayuri pointed out.
"What?" Kenpachi growled.
Yamamoto slammed his wooden cane hard on the ground effectively silencing them.
"If there is no one else has anything to discuss, this meeting is adjourned."
No one said anything.
A/N: That concludes the longest chapter I've ever written for a story. For those of you interested in seeing how 'Mai' looks like and her Zanpakutō, don't worry I'll let you know when I post a link on my profile. I actually came up with the design way back in December but it's just recently that I'm attempting to photoshop it. I'm a total newbie when it comes to that software. I'm probably better off just posting the line art, but I'll attempt photoshopping it anyway.
And, I forgot to say last time that in addition to hints of Ichi/Ruki, there will be hints of Hitsu/Hina and Ishi/Hime.
Please don't forget to push that review button and let me know what you think of this chapter. Reviews are what keep me going!
P.S. Human will be capitalized since it is considered a so-called race in the Bleach world as per Bleach Wikia.
Quick Glossary:
Tsuka-ito: hilt thread
Reiryoku: spirit energy/spiritual power
Reiatsu: spiritual pressure
Hai: yes
Arigato: thank you
Katana: sword
Nakama: comrade/friend