Soul Reaper? Ha! More like Soul Kiefer!

(Post-Fullbringer Arc)

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It's been a busy week of Hollows coming around town as well as busy week of shipping out supplies. It's the first time Urahara has been able to sit down and try to come up with a finer solution to a problem he's been hearing about since Karin had mentioned it around 17 months ago. He takes a sip of tea and mulls over Ichigo's current status which was he just got his Soul Reaper powers back about two weeks ago. But also the fact he has taken on a nasty habit.

The first time he hears about it, it's from Ichigo's younger sister, and she gave him an estimate of an hour long lecture. He had tuned her out for the most part because he knew Ichigo was suffering, in part slightly due to him, and he KNEW Ichigo could ONLY suffer as was usually the case when your soul is ripped out. But he had duties to take care of at the time and focusing on getting Ichigo's powers back was more vital than his smoking habit.

He decided now however that this has been on his back burner for a little too long.

Urahara picks up his tea and takes another sip. It's been a nice quiet morning so far and Renji and Rukia are supposed to arrive any minute now.

While Ichigo went back into the thick of things and destroying Hollows, he wasn't exactly at the top of his game. Not when he could be and he knew that wasn't from being rusty, he knew it was because of his new habit.

The way to approach Ichigo would be a rough one. He figures if he uses a tactic that's firm handed it might jar the boy back into the sober kid he once knew and now misses. What he really wants to do is go to Isshin and complain that this is the part where he should be stepping in, but he can't do that either.

Kon comes walking in with a tea cup steaming hot and places it on the table.

"You know Renji is coming too, Kon?" Urahara says.

"I know." Kon says. "This is for Rukia! I feel like I haven't seen her in ages, what's taken them so long?" He sits on the floor.

"They'll be here." Urahara glances outside. The weather is starting to get gloomy.

At that moment in comes Renji and Rukia still in their spirit form. The mod soul jumps to Rukia who side smacks him to the wall.

"I missed you too Rukia!" He whimpers from the floor unmoving.

"The feelings aren't mutual. You were supposed to keep watch of Ichigo for me Kon." The two sit down across from the Ex-Captain and wait for him to begin.

"Ah, well we can't exactly blame it all on him now can we." Urahara says seriously, and the look he gives Rukia tells her there's much to be discussed.

Urahara knew exactly where to place the blame, and that was a finger at himself and Isshin as they were the ones that told everyone it would be best for Ichigo to be left out of the mix. At the time it seemed the best solution for everyone.

"Kon, do me a favor and go find Jinta for me, I need his help with something in a bit." Urahara asks the mod soul who grumpily gets up from his spot and storms out as best as he can.

"I never get to stick around for meetings!" He complains, "I'll be back Rukia!" Kon declares as he walks out.

"So what's going on?" Renji asks becoming impatient.

"Well as you both know Ichigo got his powers back." Urahara says to start. "However during the time he didn't have his powers he got into some things."

Urahara is a man of research and when he found out Ichigo was smoking an herb called Marijuana he immediately looked into it and what he discovered was disheartening but not necessarily concerning at the time. How to explain this?

"What kind of things?" Rukia asks. "Is he in some sort of trouble?"

Renji and Rukia are starting to become alarmed. They didn't hear much about Ichigo in those 17 months, but to them those months went by in a breeze and they knew from the start they were working on getting Ichigo's powers back. Everyone kept saying their friend was fine, that he was moving on, so why go and visit when they were so busy.

Now though, now they find out that wasn't the case at all. Of course they know about Ichigo's torment from the Fullbringer fiasco but that they knew already now, so what is Urahara talking about? Renji clenches his fist and simmers because he felt it in his gut all those times that Berry wasn't fine, how could he be? Ichigo thrived on the power of friendship and the look of sadness when he could no longer see them anymore hit Renji to the core.

After moments of silence Rukia slams her fist to the table startling Renji from his own thoughts.

"Spit it out!"

"My my... hehe... it's not as alarming as you might think. At least, it may or may not be as bad as it could be. Have either of you ever heard of a drug called Marijuana?"

Rukia nods tentatively and Renji shakes his head no.

"What do you know Rukia?" He asks putting his elbows on the table and bringing his folded hands to his face. This will be interesting.

Rukia takes out a piece of paper and pen and doodles a rabbit holding a plant.

"Ive heard that bad kids like to pick these plants and sell them and if they're caught they end up in jail! I saw it once on their news station, this lady was talking about all sorts of consequences to having this Marijuana you speak of." She puts bars in front of the rabbit holding the plant. "Is that what he's doing? Selling plants? But why would he do that! He knows better!"

"Well you're right and wrong... he's not selling the plant but he is smoking it."

Renji barks out a laugh, smoking a plant, that's it? He's old, he knows heavy smokers that smoke tobacco but this Marijuana? "Is this a new kind of plant, why is it dangerous?"

"It's like alcohol, it relaxes you but also can have adverse effects depending on how you can react to it according to several accounts. And since I've had more time I finally took the time to stalk dear Ichigo and what I found might be a tad alarming, if we didn't know the torture he went through. Some might even say this is a healthy response."

Rukia disagrees rolling her eyes at 'healthy'. "How long has this been going on for?"

"Oh," At this Urahara lifts his fan to his face. "Safe to assume the full 17 months he didn't have his powers."

"And you're worried now? Why?" Renji's floored, if it hasn't been a problem what makes it a problem now? "It's only like alcohol, right?"

Urahara nods in agreement then sets down his fan staring them seriously in the eyes.

"I thought the same at first but..." He sighs, how to tell them without being strangled. "I want you to stalk Ichigo as well and just do your own evaluation of his mental status because to be honest to the both of you," they both snort but he presses on without stopping, "even with his powers back, on top of everyones powers being given to him, this stuff has been altering his personality and mentality and not for the better. Especially if we ever get hit with another war."

Renji growls, "This whole time you knew and now you're concerned."

"At the time it wasn't pressing and we had bigger issues."

"If that's what helps you sleep at night. Come on, Renji, let's go." They get up to leave but Urahara stops them.

"Will you be taking your gigais?"

The two Soul Reapers continue out the door with no more words.