Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the name Kurosaki Masaki, both belong to Tite Kubo. My OC belongs to me under the name of Mai.
Feedback: Reviews keep me writing, so please review! No flames though. Thank you to everyone that has reviewed and added this story to your alerts. I'm truly grateful for your support!
AN: The last part of this chapter was difficult to write, so please forgive the OOCness of it. If I could, I would stay in character all the time. I try the best I can.
Edited formatting: 2/24/18
Jūshirō's eyes were on the moon as he made his way to his office. Daybreak was just a couple of hours away. According to Kyōraku, Ise-san was an early riser, but even so, he knew she wasn't up right now because she wanted to get started on her paper work and the normal proceedings of running the division. Jūshirō was well aware that the person who truly ran the Eighth Division was none other than the pragmatic fukutaichō. Kyōraku just couldn't be bothered to do it. She was obviously awake because she must have been informed of their arrival. As the only remaining top official of the Gotei 13, she was placed in charge of the Soul Society and thus privy to everything occurring between both worlds.
In all honesty, he had expected her to greet them when they had arrived from the Material World. It wasn't a big deal that she hadn't been there, it was just the thing kind of thing she would do. At any rate, she was here now.
As he neared the door to his office, he spotted Kiyone and Sentarō standing in front of it.
"Taichō!" Kiyone cried out as soon as she saw him.
"Taichō!" Sentarō echoed. "Ise-fukutaichō is waiting inside for you!"
"Hey, I was gonna say that!" Kiyone said, annoyance rippling across her face.
"Arigatō for informing her that I was coming," Jūshirō spoke before their usual arguing started. "Now, Kiyone and Sentarō, I want you to make sure that our guest is well taken care of. She will be staying with us for the time being so please find accommodations for her."
"Understood, Taichō. I will do that immediately!" Sentarō said, bowing.
"No, I will, Taichō!" Kiyone shouted, glaring at her companion.
"I'm counting on both of you to do as I've said," the white haired man said, staring at his subordinates.
"Hai, Taichō," they both said in unison before departing.
Entering his office, he spotted Nanao sitting in a chair that was across from his desk, staring down at some documents on her lap, her fingers absently playing with their edges.
"Ise-san, how nice to see you again," Jūshirō said warmly.
"Ukitake-taichō," she said, glancing up and turning her head to face him. Immediately she stood up, careful to keep the documents in the order she had them in.
"It's all right, you can continue to be seated," Jūshirō said, walking into the room and going past his desk. Once he was behind it, he pulled back his chair and settled into it.
"Arigatō, Ukitake-taichō. It's nice to see you again too," Nanao smiled as she lowered herself onto her seat once more."How are you?" she asked, her blue gaze glimmering slightly with concern.
"I'm fine. My wounds were all healed thanks to Orihime-chan. It's just my illness that has kept me fatigued, but I feel better. Kyōraku is fine as well," he assured her, noticing the unspoken question in her eyes. "Everyone is."
"I know, I've heard the reports, and I spoke to Unohana-taichō when she came, but still it's not the same as actually seeing everyone," she pointed out, the frustration in her voice evident.
Taking a closer look at her features, he couldn't help but notice bags lined her eyes and her dark hair was slightly disarrayed. It was obvious that she hadn't been sleeping well.
"I imagine that it has been frustrating for you to be waiting for everyone's return, but I can assure you, Ise-san, that everyone has recovered from most of the injuries brought upon by our battles with the Espada."
"I'm glad to at least know that, but you're right it has been frustrating waiting to actually see everyone..."
"I don't blame you. It's been…" Jūshirō looked thoughtful as he considered the amount of time that had passed since they fought the Espada and Aizen.
"A week now—It's already the eighteenth of October today," she replied.
"A week then," he agreed.
"Ukitake-taichō, were the Espada truly powerful as we thought they were?" Nanao asked.
"They were quite formidable. More so than we thought, but we managed in part thanks to some unexpected allies," Jūshirō explained.
"By unexpected allies you mean…Yadōmaru-fukutaichō?" she asked, looking as though she wasn't believing what she was saying.
"Hai," Jūshirō confirmed.
"I couldn't believe when Head Researcher Akon told me her Reiatsu had been detected along with the others," Nanao admitted. "I thought she was gone…"
"Well, it was certainly surprising to see her along with the others. I realize you might not be aware of this, Ise-san, but Yadōmaru Lisa along with the others weren't killed because of a mission as everyone in the Seireitei has been led to believe. You might have read in history books that the Central 46 exiled Urahara Kisuke because of his involvement in creating untraceable Gigai and other experiments condemned by the government that resulted in the death of many Gotei 13 members and residents of Rukongai. The truth is that Urahara Kisuke was accused of conducting Hollowfication experiments on Rukongai residents and his colleagues."
"That's what they accused him of?" Nanao asked, surprised.
"Hai, Ise-san, that is the true reason Urahara Kisuke was exiled. Only we now know that Aizen was the one behind those experiments. Yadōmaru and the others as a result have become what Ichigo-kun calls Visored—Shinigami and Hollow hybrids. Central 46 had originally planned to have them terminated, but surprisingly they managed to escape along with Urahara Kisuke. The Onmitsukidō was sent to look for them, but they were never found and they were declared dead by the Central 46. Only the taichō were made aware of this."
"Kurosaki Ichigo is one of them too, isn't he? Head Researcher Akon said they all had similar Reiatsu resembling that of a Hollow," Nanao asked after taking a moment to absorb the information.
"He is. Yadōmaru and the others actually came because they're on his side, not ours. You see Ichigo-kun trained with them for a while to conquer his own Hollow. Apparently, he developed his own Hollow when he obtained his own Shinigami powers with the help of Urahara Kisuke after Byakuya destroyed those given to him by Kuchiki Rukia."
"But if he was able to obtain Hollow powers then that means Urahara Kisuke was aware of the possibility of obtaining them. He did create the Hōgyoku after all," Nanao pointed out.
"You're right, but while I'm not sure how the Visored exactly came about their powers, I do believe it was different from the process Ichigo-kun described to me and the other taichō. Aizen was the one responsible for their transformation and the exile of Urahara Kisuke. Just as he tricked us by faking his death in order to orchestrate his betrayal to obtain the Hōgyoku, he was able to place the blame on Urahara and in the process cover up his plans. It seems that Aizen had been thinking about Hollowfication for over a century."
"I see," Nanao said, pushing her glasses up her nose slightly.
"Finding out who Aizen truly is after all these years was unbelievable. I never imagined that man would have ever been capable of betraying the Soul Society, but now knowing that he had been dabbling in Hollowfication experiments and hurting his fellow colleagues all those years ago, just goes to show we never really knew the man. All we ever knew was truly an illusion," Jūshirō said, his eyebrows knitting in thought, lips forming into a thin a line.
"To be honest, I found it strange that Urahara had been accused of being involved in dangerous experiments that had hurt his colleagues. He never seemed the type to ever think of hurting anyone. In fact, I do recall him, being very worried about his own fukutaichō when she was sent on that mission…. Unfortunately, regardless of what I thought, the evidence against him had cemented his fate along with the others. I suppose that is why Hirako Shinji and the others do not trust the Gotei 13 and what it stands for. I don't blame them, but regardless of how they view us all that matters is that they will stand against Aizen until this war is over," Jūshirō said.
"True," Nanao nodded. "It really is unfortunate that Aizen escaped."
"It is, but I'm confident we shall prevail," Jūshirō said.
"I hope so," she said, glancing down at the documents on her lap. She picked them up and said, "I'm confused as to why stronger Hollows have started to appear in Fake Karakura as well as here. I don't see why Aizen would bother using them along with Arrancar. It just doesn't make sense. The Research and Development Institute still hasn't identified anything particular about them other than the fact that they're stronger. The attacks appear to be random as far as they can tell in both worlds, but so far, here in the Soul Society, they've been mostly spotted in the top 40 districts in all directions. I suppose it won't matter though, they'll probably be appearing everywhere if that is Aizen's goal."
"That could very well be his goal indeed," Jūshirō considered. "He does seem intent on attacking any dimension or anyone to get what he wants." The Thirteenth Division taichō looked thoughtful for a moment, his gaze falling on the stacks on paper held by Nanao.
"Ise-san, have you managed to start researching Kurosaki Isshin?"
The Eight Division fukutaichō looked at him, somewhat surprised and apologetic. "I started to, Ukitake-taichō, although I don't understand why you would want me to, but I'm afraid I haven't gotten far ahead. I've just been dealing with everyone's reports from the other divisions and by the time…"
"It's all right, Ise-san. I'm here now, I can help you. What did you manage to find?"
"Ah, well," she began to look through the papers in her hand and upon finding the ones she was looking for, placed them at the top of her stack. "I have his Academy records as well as an overview of his history in the Gotei 13…"
"What does it say about the reason Central 46 wanted his arrest?" Jūshirō asked, as the fukutaichō handed him the documents for him to see himself.
"Well, all it said was that Kurosaki Isshin was wanted for his involvement in the plotting and murdering of his clan," Nanao said in a matter of fact voice, eying the white haired man questioningly.
"I see," Jūshirō said, looking pensive as he stared at the documents. "We'll have to continue researching in the Daireishokairō to truly obtain all the information."
"I know you wanted the actual case, but—"
"Ise-san, it's all right. I understand, you've been busy. Besides, researching in the Daireishokairō isn't easy," Jūshirō reminded her.
She and Shunsui had been in attendance when he had been assigned to look at the information looked at by Aizen when he was in the Central 46 chambers. Dealing with the system had been troublesome since he had never used it before since its access had always been restricted, but he managed to work his way through it partly because of Nanao and Shunsui.
"Ukitake-taichō, why is it that you want to find out more about Kurosaki Isshin?" Nanao asked. "Do you have reason to believe this case is also related to Aizen somehow?"
A small smile appeared on Jūshirō's lips. "I'm afraid it might just be related. Kyōraku and I have been thinking about Aizen's next move, and well we got reminded about how Kurosaki Isshin was accused of something we never thought he would do."
"I know Kyōraku-taichō felt disturbed about Kurosaki Isshin's crime and I couldn't believe it myself, but he's dead now and so is his family…" she paused, staring at the white haired man. "You don't think he's dead do you?"
"Don't you think there's something familiar about Ichigo-kun?" Jūshirō asked, glancing away from the documents to look at her.
"You mean…"the young woman started, realization dawning in her blue eyes.
Jūshirō nodded. "Ichigo-kun is his son. I'm sure of it."
"I see that would explain his power…But I'm amazed he inherited it even as a Human boy."
"It is incredible indeed," Jūshirō agreed.
"But, what on earth would Aizen have to gain by killing the Kurosaki Clan if he was the one behind their deaths? And how does it even relate to his plans? Did Kurosaki Ichigo mention something?" Nanao wondered.
"That is precisely what we need to figure out," Jūshirō said, placing the documents he had been reading on his desk. "Ichigo-kun has never mentioned anything about Isshin-kun. I don't think he even knows. And even if he does, perhaps Isshin-kun wouldn't want him to say anything."
"Then, how exactly did you realize he's Kurosaki Isshin's son?" Nanao wondered, her eyebrows creasing slightly. "Gomen nasai, it's just Kyōraku-taichō never mentioned anything to me about thinking that."
"I don't think he thought about it until now. I never thought much about what the familiar feeling in his presence was either…I had been too focused on his appearance resembling that of Kaien and everything else that was going on in the Soul Society. The reason we came to that conclusion is because like I told you we got reminded of the past thanks to someone from…the future."
"W-What?" Nanao gaped at the white haired man in confusion.
Ichigo placed Zangetsu on his back. He had just finished killing off a series of Hollows and was now a couple of streets away from the hospital. Taking a moment to regain his breath, he stared down the street from his perch on a rooftop, relishing the feel of having put his energy to use. He lifted his gaze from the empty street and stared across the city, spotting the silver skyscraper that was the hospital. Gold sunlight reflected off the windows, making it impossible to stare at the building directly.
The day would soon be over. He had never joined his friends for training. His mind as he knew it kept replaying everything that had happened with Masaki, preventing him from finding sleep, and although he considered the possibility of training, he couldn't bring himself to do so. He really was tired. So, he just laid there on his bed until he eventually drifted off for a while.
A part of him wanted to direct his feet back to his 'home', but he couldn't do that. It was about time he spent time with his friends, no matter how much he didn't feel like it. While he knew he hadn't really been gone for more than a day it certainly felt like it. Being in his inner world had distorted his sense of time. It really was amazing how things could change within hours.
More than twenty-four hours ago, he had been furious to think that Aizen had placed some ill-conceived trick on him that he had placed all his energy into dealing with his Hollow. His Hollow was no longer an issue, but now the unbridled truth was that Masaki was undeniably very real and stuck here in the 'past.' That, in itself, brought on a host of issues that could not be solved by a katana.
It was a pity they couldn't be. He rather preferred fighting someone than having to deal with the discomfort of hanging out with his friends and…Rukia now knowing what his—their future was. Funny how that had changed in a couple of months as well. It's not that he liked fighting, it was just something he was good at and that he had to do to protect those around him.
Ichigo blinked as he absently found himself staring into the blinding light radiating off the hospital. Turning his gaze elsewhere, Ichigo scowled, clenching his fists. I can do this… he thought, glancing at his feet for a split second as though it was their fault he wasn't moving. I just have to try and act like everything's normal like they were doing earlier…
Unclenching his hands, he took a deep breath, before he placed a foot forward and began to move. Several minutes later, he found himself walking down the hallway leading to the cafeteria. His friends hadn't been present in the lobby when he entered the hospital, but as he headed closer in this direction, it was evident this was where they were.
"Yo, Ichigo!" He heard a voice a shout behind him.
Twisting around, Ichigo spotted Ikkaku strolling towards him, Zanpakutō casually slung over his shoulder, with Yumichika at his side.
"Yo, Ikkaku, Yumichika," Ichigo greeted them, nodding his head.
"Where have you been?" Ikkaku wondered.
"Uh, well I've just been…taking a break from training," Ichigo explained.
"So, does that mean you're up for more training now?" Ikkaku asked, lips curving into grin, as he lowered his Zanpakutō from his shoulder.
"N-No, actually I'm headed for the cafeteria," Ichigo said.
"Forget that, come and train," the bald man encouraged.
Ichigo opened his mouth and for a split second was tempted to say yes but instead said, "Sorry, can't. Why don't you train with Yumichika?"
"Been there, done that," Ikkaku said dismissively, slinging his Zanpakutō over his shoulder once more.
"How about Renji then?" Ichigo suggested.
"He's gone," Ikkaku said.
"He is?" Ichigo said surprised.
"He along with Kuchiki-taichō, Kurotsuchi-taichō, Ukitake-taichō, Hitsugaya-taichō, Matsumoto, Hinamori, and our fukutaichō all left for the Soul Society," Ikkaku explained.
"Don't forget Masaki-san also went to the Soul Society," Yumichika reminded him.
Ichigo stared at Yumichika.
Masaki-san? They must have met her…
Ikkaku glanced at Ichigo curiously. "Yeah, she went too. The sōtaichō ordered them to go over there."
"Oh, right…I knew that um, M—she was going, but I didn't think more people would go. "
"The old man wanted both worlds covered in case Aizen tries something over in the Soul Society." Ikkaku shrugged.
Ichigo just nodded, eyes darting down the hallway. "Look, Ikkaku, Yumichika, I have to go. I'll see you guys later."
"Fine," Ikkaku said, "but you better be ready to fight next time!"
"See you, Ichigo," Yumichika said. "By the way, Ichigo, Masaki-san is quite pretty. Your hair really complements her."
The orange haired teen felt his cheeks heat up as he turned to leave. Without another word, he strode away from them.
"Nice of you to join us, Kurosaki," Uryū remarked when Ichigo arrived at the table where his friends were seated in the cafeteria.
Ichigo stared at the Quincy, avoiding everyone's gazes. "Better late than never, right?" he said, forcing a smirk on his face.
"I suppose although they do say the early bird gets the worm," Uryū pointed out. "And in this case it looks like the night owl isn't getting anything."
Ichigo glanced at everyone's half eaten bowls containing ramen and then at the front of the room where the main pot always was. "So, there's no more food?"
"Looks, like you lucked out, Kurosaki," the Quincy confirmed.
"I'm not really hungry anyway." Ichigo shrugged, as he considered where he should take a seat.
Sado was seated next to Uryū across from Rukia and Orihime respectively. The closest seat would be next to Rukia, but the thought stirred unfamiliar discomfort, so without giving it another thought he walked past her and stopped beside the open space beside Orihime.
"How was training?" he asked, slipping into the seat next to Orihime. He could feel guilt welling up in his chest.
So much for acting normal…he thought bitterly.
He had never really given much thought when deciding where to sit whenever he hung out with his friends, but this time, he couldn't help the debate that had formed in his head for an instant…the need to be away from Rukia all too prominent, overwhelming.
He had never felt like avoiding her….He might have been avoiding her gaze earlier and even now, but this was different….He had completely avoided being next to her. He wondered if she considered this as a snub, or if she thought he just preferred to sit on this side of the table for some reason. His eyes, however, couldn't move past Orihime to gauge the dark haired girl's reaction. His mind though couldn't help but to tell him…As if you aren't being obvious…
"Um, it was fine, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime responded, before opening her mouth to eat her food.
"Just fine?" the substitute Shinigami asked, glancing at Orihime. "No unusual level of Hollows?"
Orihime shook her head as she was too busy chewing her meal.
"It wasn't just fine," Rukia spoke. "While there may not have been more Hollows than usual where we were, Inoue managed to kill one of the Hollows that did appear. Her use of her Koten Zanshun really improved today."
"Really?" Ichigo said surprised. He managed to half-glance at Rukia for the briefest of seconds, before resting his eyes on Orihime.
"Hai, Kurosaki-kun, but I didn't really improve that much," Orihime protested. "That Hollow—"
"Don't be modest, Inoue," Rukia interrupted her. "You did really well today."
"She's right you know. You should be proud of what you did today. Just goes to show your training is paying off," Ichigo told the auburn haired girl.
"U-Um, arigatō, Kurosaki-kun," Orihime said, a blush spreading across her cheeks.
"How was your training?" Ichigo turned his attention to Uryū.
"It went well," the Quincy replied. "What surprises me though is that I expected there to be an amount of Hollow activity similar to last night, but there didn't appear to be that many. At least not where we were. I could sense Hollows appearing in greater numbers elsewhere including Arrancar, but their number seemed to be limited and they were obviously the low ranking kind."
"So, are you saying these attacks are random?" Ichigo asked.
"Well, I'm not seeing a pattern yet."
"Aren't Hollow attacks always random? Sure, they might go after someone with Reiryoku, but they're usually random, aren't they?" Ichigo asked.
"Unless they're going after their former loved ones," Rukia reminded him.
"Well, yeah, but in this case there's no one here for them to go after," Ichigo said, still not looking in Rukia's direction.
"Ishida, you said it yourself, it doesn't make sense for Aizen to alter these Hollows especially after the Espada. Maybe these attacks are just meaningless…Maybe he's just having fun messing with the Hōgyoku… I seriously doubt he thinks he can takes us down with a bunch of juiced up Hollows."
"I don't believe that is his intention at all, Kurosaki. While these attacks appear to be random as Hollow attacks usually are, there is one thing that's clear: he's affecting the natural order of things. He may be messing with the Hōgyoku as you put it, but its effect is real…It isn't meaningless at all."
The substitute Shinigami frowned, considering the Quincy's words.
"The question is again why? If the Hōgyoku still isn't ready, why is he using it on Hollows while it awakens? What does he gain by upsetting the balance if his intention is to create the Ōken and enter the Royal Dimension?"
The others were silent as they contemplated the Quincy's words.
"Another thing that bothers me is why did Urahara-san say that the Hōgyoku was two weeks away from activating? Aizen's move to attack Karakura, well this town, indicated he was ready to proceed to his next step in his plan even if it was early, but he left instead of destroying this town like he wanted to. Assuming that he left due to the Hōgyoku still being in a dormant state, we should have had about two months left to prepare but Urahara-san is saying we have less than a quarter of that," Uryū said, taking into account the days that had passed since Rukia told them the news.
"It must be related to the Hollows," Sado stated quietly.
"Probably," Uryū agreed. "But I still don't understand why exactly."
"Look, we shouldn't worry about that. Urahara-san and the Shinigami are working to figure that out. All we have to do is use the time we have to get ready for Aizen," Ichigo said.
Everyone just nodded, knowing that was all they could do. There was a lull as Uryū, Sado, Orihime, and Rukia continued to eat.
"You know, Kurosaki-kun, I think they'll bring some food later," Orihime said glancing at Ichigo, who had a thoughtful expression on his face.
"It's fine, Inoue," the orange haired teen said. "I'm not hungry. I can hold off until tomorrow."
It was the truth. He didn't feel like eating. He wasn't sure if deciding to come here evaporated his appetite or because the breakfast he had earlier had satisfied his needs. Technically, he didn't need to eat for sustenance, only to replenish his Reiryoku since he was still in his soul form. Sado, Uryū, and Orihime were also still in their Reishi made bodies in order to eat thanks to Kurotsuchi. He had brought over a device from the Soul Society to maintain them in Reishi form.
"The Gotei 13 has pulled back some of their forces from here and returned them to the Soul Society," Uryū said, dropping his chopsticks into his bowl since he was finished with his meal.
"I heard. I ran into Ikkaku and Yumichika," Ichigo explained. "It's a precaution, isn't it?"
"Yeah," the bespectacled teen nodded.
"It doesn't hurt for them to be careful," Ichigo said.
"No, it doesn't," the archer agreed.
"K-Kurosaki-kun, so you didn't see when Masaki-chan left?" Orihime wondered, as she lowered her chopsticks to gather more ramen.
Ichigo stilled for a moment. "N-No," he stammered, feeling his heart begin to beat a bit faster. Discussing Aizen had made him oddly relaxed, like if nothing had ever happened concerning Masaki, but now Orihime was bringing it up.
Rukia turned her head in Ichigo's direction, violet gaze studying him.
"After we finished playing the game, she told me she was leaving but the taichō still hadn't finished with their meeting," he explained. "She must have gone to the Soul Society some time after…she went to my house….She and Yachiru came to my house because Yachiru kept bugging me that she wanted to see it."
"Yachiru-chan sure does seem to get what she wants," Uryū commented.
Ichigo could see the Quincy's sapphire eyes glimmer with something akin to amusement. He couldn't help but feel his mouth twitch into a scowl. Was the bastard thinking about earlier? Or was he thinking that he got roped into playing Shunpo tag thanks to Yachiru? Frankly, it didn't matter, because either way he felt like reaching over and smacking him. Let him try to be at the mercy of the pink haired fukutaichō…. Let him have a daughter from the future come… On second thought, who would wanna bother reproducing with that idiot?
If all Quincies were the same way Ishida was, then it was a miracle they didn't die out before the Shinigami destroyed them.
"She can be very convincing," Ichigo admitted begrudgingly, glaring at the Quincy.
"It was nice to see her enjoying herself," Orihime said, remembering seeing Yachiru grinning happily while she played Shunpo tag. "I don't think she's been having much fun being here. It must be hard being a child and a Shinigami."
"I don't think she minds, Inoue," Ichigo said. "She's always happy to be by Kenpachi's side and watching him fight. But, I guess, the hospital and this whole town has bored her since there isn't anything to entertain her or feed her," Ichigo said, remembering his earlier outing with her and Masaki.
"True, but it must be lonely for her not to have kids play with her. Maybe that's why she was so excited to meet Masaki-chan," Orihime reasoned.
"I don't think so, Inoue," Rukia said. "Kusajishi-fukutaichō appeared to believe Masaki would resemble a baby up until she saw her. I think she was just curious about her."
"Oh, that's right, but she was very eager to play with Masaki-chan once she realized she could," Orihime said. "That's why I think she would like someone her age around her."
"Well, there's Tōshiro," Ichigo pointed out, knowing full well the white haired taichō wasn't the type to play despite his child like appearance.
"Tōshiro-kun?" Orihime repeated. "I don't think he likes to play."
"He isn't a child, Kurosaki," Ishida said.
"Ishida's right. He may physically resemble a child and is the youngest person to have ever become a taichō by the Soul Society's standards, but that doesn't mean he's a child. Shinigami age differently than humans. By Human standards, he and Kusajishi-fukutaichō are probably way older than you," Rukia said.
Ichigo didn't say anything say anything, just focused his eyes on the table.
"I wonder if Masaki-chan looked that young when she became a Shinigami," Orihime said.
"Many Shinigami don't age that slowly that they still resemble a child. New Souls, souls that are born in the Soul Society, tend to age a lot like Humans in their early years, but regardless all souls age differently," Rukia explained. "It's most likely that she didn't…"
"She didn't," Ichigo confirmed quietly but firmly, not even realizing he had spoken aloud when he felt everyone's eyes on him. He quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere.
Uryū, Sado, and Orihime all had questioning looks on their faces except for Rukia, whose eyes shone with understanding.
Damn, Ichigo cursed. He hadn't meant to say anything, especially since he wanted this conversation to be over…He just couldn't help but be reminded of what he had seen when his blade clashed against Masaki's. She didn't physically seem that much younger save for the differences in her hair, her personality…She didn't seem to be as serious, as cool as she was now.
Ichigo shifted his head and out of the corner of his eye caught sight of Orihime opening her mouth. Crap. No, Inoue, don't…
Bang.
The noise of a door swinging open and tin banging into the door sounded. Ichigo and the others turned their heads and stared across the room. Hanatarō was struggling to hold onto a large pot as he staggered into the room. His hands were shaking as they tried to maintain his hold on the pot, which was tipping to the side, but he quickly shifted to the other, but he almost stumbled as he did so.
"Hanatarō!" Ichigo yelled, leaving his seat quickly to go help out the Fourth Division member.
"Arigatō, Ichigo-san," Hanatarō said gratefully when the pot was lifted out of his hands by the stronger Shinigami.
"No problem, Hanatarō," Ichigo said, taking note of the dark haired Shinigami's flushed face and heavy breathing. The pot felt light as a feather to him, but it was obvious it had taken the latter far more effort to carry it.
"What do you have in here, Hanatarō?" Ichigo asked, glancing briefly at the pot as he walked toward the front of the room with the Seventh Seat beside him.
"Ah, some ramen," Hanatarō replied, "It was just brought over from the Soul Society. Some food packets were also brought in for the other Shinigami."
When they reached the table, Hanatarō rushed to clear the other pot that was taking up space and allowed Ichigo to deposit the one he was carrying. Ichigo took his time conversing with Hanatarō, getting an update on what he and the other Fourth Division members had been up to. Afterwards, he grabbed some ramen to eat. Not really because he was hungry, although he had to admit the smell was tempting, but in a way to make up for the time he was spending away from his friends.
He didn't feel like discussing Masaki or explaining to his friends about Resonance. It was enough for them to know about her, he didn't want to elaborate on what he had seen…He felt it was private…. Something to be shared only by those wielding Zanpakutō…
Thankfully, when he returned to the table, their discussion had moved elsewhere.
The wind tousled Rukia's hair softly as she moved through the air. Her feet made silent contact with the top of a wooden pole. She stood there, silently observing the world coming to life. The sun was slowly breaking through the thick clouds that were partially obscuring it. For a moment, she wished the pole beneath her feet could allow her to reach up and part the clouds and allow the sun to shine, as it should without interference. Her wish, however, wasn't fulfilled, the clouds continued to hinder her view from the sun.
Annoyance coursed through her prompting her to tap her feet impatiently, as though the pole was truly to blame. Standing atop high places was one of her favorite activities, but at the moment, she wasn't sure why she was feeling annoyed…so useless….
It was stupid really. Why should she feel that way over something that was out of her control? It was the same thing last night with the moon. She had stood outside the balcony of the room that she used when she stayed in the hospital, hoping to clear her thoughts and have a clear view of the moon, but clouds had clustered around it. She had stayed there for a while just staring at it, willing away the clouds and her thoughts, but neither disappeared much to her annoyance.
Just like the night before last, she didn't stay at Ichigo's house. She couldn't, not when she knew for sure he was going to be there. A part of her had been relieved that he hadn't shown up for training yesterday, although she knew she would eventually see him.
See him, she did. But that was it. Ichigo abstained from being near her or talking to her directly. She didn't expect less in all honesty, but it didn't make it any less uncomfortable. Nobody had said anything about it, but nonetheless it was clear Ichigo couldn't stand being near her. She wasn't sure if she could be around him either, but she hadn't been given the chance to find out.
After Ichigo had obtained some ramen, he ate it, and continued to talk with everyone. Inoue eventually felt sleepy, and Ishida suggested they should go rest, but Ichigo had declined and had gone off with Third Seat Madarame and Fifth Seat Ayasegawa for training. She saw it more as an excuse than anything else. Maybe he did feel like training after resting during the day, but part of her suspected he didn't feel like seeing her at his 'house'.
She knew things between them would be weird, that it would be difficult to come to terms with their newfound knowledge, but the task seemed more daunting now to her after yesterday. She was partly okay with avoiding him; the other part of her, the more sensible part knew they couldn't go on like that…She wasn't sure how things would ever be normal between them, how she could get him to talk to her….
Letting out a sigh, Rukia continued to stare at the cloud-covered sun. Slowly, she turned and stared at the Kurosaki residence. She hadn't really felt like coming, but she was attempting to act as she normally would.
Noticing the drapes covering Ichigo's window shift, Rukia froze. Hand scratching the back of his head lazily, Ichigo appeared yawning through the parted drapes. He opened his window and as he stared across the street, his amber eyes immediately found her violet eyes. He froze.
Rukia could feel her heart begin to pound. Why was Ichigo up? He wasn't an early riser. He was starting to get used to getting up early, but still she always had to 'convince' him to get up. They stared at each other for several seconds, longer than they had stared at each other previously. She could feel her cheeks heat up. His were also turning red. After what seemed like a long time, Ichigo eventually broke eye contact. He looked as though he was going to reach for the drapes to close them again.
"W-Wait, Ichigo," Rukia called out. She wasn't even sure how she found her voice to utter those words. She could have sworn her throat had gone dry the moment she saw him.
Damn it, Rukia, you can do this…she told herself. Get a hold of yourself….You're a Kuchiki…
A Kuchiki always did what they had to do. Emotions didn't control them. This is just Ichigo, c'mon, you can talk to him…
"I-Ichigo," she called out again, quickly leaving the pole before the courage she was mustering would leave her and Ichigo would pull the drapes close.
Slowly registering the fact Rukia was coming into his room via his window, Ichigo moved to the side just as Rukia descended onto the windowsill and slipped into the room.
"R-Rukia," Ichigo acknowledged her presence. He looked as though he wasn't sure he was still sleeping. His eyes shifted downward and so did hers.
Neither moved or said anything. The small room seemed to feel even smaller than usual to Rukia as the air around the room enclosed her and Ichigo in a thick cloud of nervous tension. She felt as though she couldn't breathe, but the frantic rhythm of heart kept reminding her that she was obviously still breathing.
These sensations were horribly unfamiliar to her…She had never felt nervous around Ichigo…In fact, it was the complete opposite. She had always felt at ease around him…This room—well his real room—had always felt like a natural place for her to be…Not that she ever really thought about it…It was just where she stayed when she first met him…
With each passing moment, Rukia felt as though the tension would really crush her. Unable to stand it any longer, she broke the silence, "Ichigo, we need to talk."
Her voice was surprisingly steady despite the bothersome feel of her heart thumping away in her chest.
"W-We do?" Ichigo stammered dumbly, his hand automatically reaching for the back of his neck. "D-Did something happen?"
Rukia stared at Ichigo for half a second, looking surprised. That look quickly dissolved though, and her face reverted to its normal cold façade. "No," she replied. She waited a beat before saying, "You know what I'm talking about."
"Oh, r-right," he said, his face growing red. His hand seemingly increasing the speed at which he was raking his orange spikes.
His embarrassment caused Rukia to flush once more. It was just as she suspected. His nerves were screwing with him. He wasn't a complete moron. Ichigo dropped his hand, and a deep uncomfortable silence ensued as they stared at the floor once more.
"W-We can't keep going on like this just because of…Masaki," Rukia said quietly, forcing herself to look at him. "Avoiding each other won't change anything…She's here."—she could feel her cheeks turning pink, but she forced herself to press on—"There's still a war raging…Aizen isn't gone. We need to focus on that, Ichigo."
Don't worry about the future, it will happen when it does…
"I know," Ichigo said quietly, slowly moving his eyes towards hers. "I'm sorry, Rukia."
Rukia held his gaze for several moments, before she pulled her gaze away. She could see genuine remorse in his eyes.
"I don't need an apology," she said, speaking in the same quiet tone. Ichigo stared at her. "Masaki is the one you should be apologizing to and more. You shouldn't have let your emotions get to you, Ichigo…I-I know she has your mother's name…I recognized it…She even resembles her…No matter what you thought, how unlikely her story seemed… the Gotei 13 was doing everything they could to verify if Masaki's story was true. They never would have released her otherwise….There was no need for you to act the way you did...to say those things….No need for you to force her to raise her blade against you," Rukia said, regarding him coldly. "Resonance shouldn't have been needed for you to know that Aizen wasn't behind her appearance."
"I know," Ichigo said, raising his voice slightly." I was being stupid letting my emotions get the best of me...I shouldn't have acted the way I did…I shouldn't have forced her to fight me…I should have listened to you and the others…I already apologized to her, but you're right, it's not enough. I will make it up to her, "he promised solemnly."I already told her I would spar with her after the war."
"W-What?" Rukia questioned, surprised.
"That's what she told me she wanted," Ichigo explained."She didn't want my apology, but she did say she wanted to fight me. I promised her that I would after the war."
"You practiced a lot with your father, didn't you?" Rukia asked, matching Masaki's quiet voice.
"I did," Masaki said. "Yeah, ever since he started training me…We've always sparred…I've always enjoyed it. I've never been able to beat him once though…He never lets me…He always find a way to show me up…Or someone interrupts our match…" Masaki admitted. "I really hope to beat him one day…I think he doesn't want me to beat him just because he thinks I'm going to stop working hard, which is ridiculous, I'm always going to train to get stronger and better…And deep down he knows it too."
"I see," Rukia murmured. She knew Masaki didn't want an apology, but still she hadn't expected to request that. She supposed the young woman loved to spar with her father so much that she didn't mind sparing with the younger version. "You better keep your promise, Ichigo," she said.
"I will," he assured her, his amber eyes shining with the determination she knew so well.
She knew he was serious and that he would do it. Suddenly the room grew silent again. Her heart had slowed down to an easier rhythm, but now she could feel it begin to increase its speed. The discomfort she had temporarily discarded had returned once more. It wasn't exactly the same now that they at least managed to talk to each other and look each other in the eye…but still it was there… She wasn't sure what to say after what she needed to say….
She just stood there, glancing at the floor, hand absently rubbing the pommel of her Zanpakutō. Ichigo was also staring at the floor.
"Um," Ichigo muttered, rubbing the back of his neck nervously. "So…"
"Uh," Rukia said. "I-I should probably leave…I-I mean I should make sure Inoue and the others are up or wake them…"
"R-Right," Ichigo said.
"O-Okay." Rukia started forward.
"W-What are you doing, Rukia?" Ichigo demanded, when she walked past him and was about to reach his door.
"I already told you what I'm doing," she said, staring at him perplexed.
"Y-You can't go out there…" Ichigo started, a blush creeping up his neck. "T-They might see you…I-I m-mean…T-They'll think…Uh…" his voice faltered, as he was unable to continue.
"O-Oh," Rukia stammered, blushing.
"I-I'll go out the window then," she said, immediately walking past him and leaping onto the edge of the window.
It was funny how she had started getting used to using his bedroom door after she had returned from the Soul Society. The window had always been second nature to her. She understood his reasons before and now. Like him, she didn't want their friends getting any ideas. They might have a future together, but it wasn't now.
She was glad that they had finally talked though.
"Okay, I-I'll see you inside," Rukia said, before leaving.
"Okay," Ichigo nodded.
As she landed on the ground, she noticed that the clouds around the sun had lost some of their thickness, allowing the sunlight to pass through more easily.
That's better, she thought as she headed toward the front door.
Quick Glossary
Daireishokairō- Great Spirits Library
Reiryoku-spirit energy/spiritual power
Reishi- spirit particles
Gomen nasai-sorry
Okaa-san-mother
AN: So, in this chapter, I tried to give a bit of insight into what the Shinigami were told about the Vizards and what Jūshirō thought. I don't believe the taichōs at the time thought Urahara and the Vizards were truly guilt of their crimes, but there was nothing they could since the Central 46's ruling is definite and the evidence was against Urahara (And obviously, Kubo hasn't had time to bother doing a panel of that).
I have to say my explanation differs from canon because in Ch 188 Isshin says: "The criminal group of ex-Shinigami that uses forbidden spells to acquire the power of Hollows. We never found their base of operations, nor uncovered their goals. They're a tough one."
Based on that quote, I would guess Isshin did not meet Urahara in Soul Society and that the sneaky shopkeeper never bothered to him about his involvement with the Vizards (I wouldn't put it past him to do that). Or maybe he's just saying that because he knows Kon is right there. It's probably the case that Isshin didn't know him, but we'll see what Kubo says later on when he reveals Isshin's past. I can't wait for that, but I'll just have to settle for what his past is in my story for now.
At any rate, I do believe the Central 46 and the top Shinigami are always hiding things from everyone and each other. Early on in the series, Aizen said Urahara was exiled because of his involvement with untraceable gigais so that's why I included it in my explanation. It could be a lie from Aizen, but I just see it as the lie the Central 46 told everyone to keep people from knowing about Hollowfication experiments. I doubt they would want people knowing that people were attempting to get those powers. Isshin's statement is saying that the blame for the Hollowfication experiments was placed on the Vizards themselves, but I didn't want it to be like that, so hence my explanation. In future chapters, I will probably explain why Isshin said what he said in Ch 188 though. We'll see.
I hope the IchiRuki talk was okay. They aren't really ready to deal with anything else besides that.