Time really flies when you have the shit kicked out of you. I didn't know who was the worst training partner, it might just be a tie between all three of them. Although i had to admit, having the variance did help me out. With Yoruichi helping me with Hakuda and Shunpo, Urahara helping me with zanjutsu, and Tessei helping me with Kido, I was definitely was stronger than I use to be.
Baku, however, was at the top of the list when it came to the hardest sparring partner. With her, it was just a continuation of our spontaneous bankai training. And Baku was very explosive, in technique and temperament. Honestly, I was very surprised I didn't come out of that without my remaining eye. But all of it was worth it. I was closer to Bankai than I had been in a long time.
Time snuck by during these training sessions, and before I know it, it was the 8th of August. The day we would be heading to Soul Society. I wouldn't lie and say I wasn't nervous. I had left behind alot back then, both in terms of friends and lovers, and I wasn't too keen on seeing them again. Especially since I was considered a deserter and fugitive. My leaving was also not as quiet as Isshin's had been.
But I knew I couldn't back out. I wouldn't forgive myself if anything had happened. And so I found myself outside of the shouten, waiting for the rest of the kids to arrive. Yasutora Sado had been the first, and he was clearly surprised to see me, but didn't ask any questions. Ishida Uryu had been next, but his emotions I couldn't really read. Not that I expected anything else from Ryuken's kid. And finally, it was Ichigo. He seemed to be surprised at the two of them being there, and I didn't really pay attention to what they were talking about. Okay, I wasn't paying attention because I was getting nervous again. It was perfectly normal to be, wasn't it?
Thankfully I wasn't stuck in my thoughts too long, since someone totally unexpected came along. It was the girl I secretly thought was Ichigo's girlfriend, Inoue Orihime. I saw them together alot, and I don't blame Ichigo for keeping her a secret. Isshin would be a pain if he found out his oldest had a girlfriend.
"Now we're all here!" She chirped as she approached us. It seems like I wasn't the only one who didn't expect her, because Ichigo reacted with shock to her presence. "I look forward to working with you" This girl... was way too sweet. I can't believe someone like Ichigo ended up with her.
"Hey! What's going on?" Ichigo eventually snapped, clearly confused. It was almost like he wasn't expected his friends to he here.
"Pretty slow on the uptake, aren't ya?" As if the group couldn't get any bigger, Yoruichi also joined them.
I didn't get to pay attention to any more of the conversation, since Urahara placed his hand on my shoulder to get my attention. I looked up at him, and saw he had some concern in his eyes.
"Are you sure about this, Enka?"
I had heard that question way too much since I decided I'd be going to Soul Society, and honestly, it was starting to get annoying. I might be nervous, but if I wasn't certain that this is what I wanted to do, I wouldn't be here right now.
"Yes, I am" I snapped. "Both you and Isshin have asked me this a million times, and my answer isn't going to change. I'm going to Soul Society"
"Even though you're risking imprisonment if you're caught?"
"Of course. I'd rather it be than Ichigo"
He continued to stare at me for a couple of seconds, before he nodded his head. I understand the concern, I really do. Especially after the panic attack. But I've already strengthened my resolve about this. You'd have to kill me to keep me from going with Ichigo.
"Kurosaki-san?" Came Inoue's confused voice, catching my attention. First Ichigo turned to her, but her gaze was on me.
"You can call me Aunt Enka" I waved her off. It would be confusing if both Ichigo and I were called by our last names. "Really, all of you can just call me Aunt Enka" I had already decided I was going to unofficially adopt these kids, after all
"A-Aunt Enka," Despite her stutter, she actually seemed happy to be so informal with me. "What are you doing here?"
I could see the other two were also watching now. I wasn't surprised. In their eyes, I had been Ichigo's human aunt. Only Ichigo had known the truth about me.
"Well, I'm coming with you, of course" Ah, even the Ishida had reacted with shock to that one. I loved being able to get a reaction out of an Ishida.
"But, aren't you..."
".. human? Sort of. You can say I'm similar to Ichigo" I patted my zanpakuto that rested on my hip, and it seemed like two of them had only just noticed it.
"I was wondering about that" It was Ishida who spoke this time, pushing up his glasses. His father did that too. You'd think they'd be able afford glasses that actually fit properly. "You're a substitute shinigami as well"
"You could say that" I suppose he wasn't too off the money. While I wasn't an official shinigami anymore, I did help around wherever I was. Mostly here in Japan, though. I didn't want to disturb things in other countries since not all of them worked like we did. England, for example, was wildly different. "I'm coming with as your adult supervision"
"Isn't that what Yoruichi-san is?" Sado spoke up.
"Yoruichi is strong, I'll admit that. But I'm probably the most responsible out of the two of that"
"I won't deny that" Yoruichi chuckled as she jumped up onto my shoulder.
"Alright everyone" Urahara clapped his hands together to get everyone's attention. He then slid the shouten's doors and gestured inside. "We can't keep talking inside. Please come inside"
After we all ushered inside, we were led down to the training grounds. Being the first time three of the teenagers saw it, there was a bit of a pause, although it was only Inoue that actually praised it, much to Tessai's delight. Urahara then pulled our attentions to where he had been working while I was training, and with a snap of his fingers, he summoned the Senkaimon he had been building.
"This is the gate that leads to Soul Society. It's known as a senkaimon"
"Well," I spoke up. "More specifically, it's a tenkai ketchu. Normal humans can't actually go through a Senkaimon"
"She's right! But before we start..." Before anyone could react, Urahara raised his cane before hitting Ichigo in the chest with the end of it. Ichigo popped out of his body, causing it to fall to the ground.
"He pops out so easily" Urahara grinned as he spoke to me, and I couldn't help but smile in amusement as Ichigo's friends fussed over his body.
"What about her?!" Ichigo jutted a finger at me. "Aren't you going to do the same to her?"
"Why would he?" I raised an eyebrow at him. "I'm already in Soul form?"
"You are?" His eyebrows bunched together in confusion. "But you're not.."
"Wearing a shihakusho? Of course not. I changed my clothes"
"You can do that?!"
"Of course?"
Urahara clapped his hands again. It seemed like it was his favourite way of getting our attention. "Now then, let's continue" He turned towards the Senkaimon. "Like Enka said, this isn't a normal Senkaimon. This gate has a layer of reishihenkanki, a spirit particle conversion machine on top of a normal Senkaimon"
"A spirit particle.. conversation machine?" Ichigo questioned.
"That's right. As you already know, Soul Society is a world of spirits. It is impossible to enter that world unless you have the form of a spirit. However, only Kurosaki-san and Enka, as shinigami, can cross through. So we will use this henkanki to convert you into spirits"
"So basically.." Ishida spoke up. "We'll be able to pass through without extracting our souls, by going through this gate"
"Correct" Urahara grinned. "You'll be able to enter Soul Society like this"
"Okay, we get it" Ichigo snapped and tried to go past Urahara, only to be met with a cane to his side.
"However!" Urahara chirped, completely ignoring a whining Ichigo who was rubbing his sore side. "The time limit we have to open the gate and connect to Soul Society is... four minutes"
Shock rippled through the teens, and I had to admit that I was bothered by that. Normally, Four minutes would be more than enough time, normally. But with these human kids following me...
"I-Is that enough time?" A recovered Ichigo asked, concern clear on his face.
"Normally that would be impossible" More than impossible, really. "It's a reckless idea to start with" You don't say? "I'll do my best to keep it open for four minutes. If you can't cross over in that time.. you'll be trapped forever between Soul Society and this world"
"W-what should we do?" Inoue was probably the most nervous, and I couldn't blame her. Between all of them, she was the weakest physically.
"Just go forward" Yoruichi said to her. "I told you, didn't I? The heart and soul are connected. The important thing is what you feel in your heart, and the will to move forward"
"And if you fall behind," I piped up. "I'll carry you to the end myself. I won't let anything happen to any of you, I promise"
"I will be your guide" Yoruichi approached the gate, and briefly glanced back at the teens. "Go forward... only those that can do that should follow me"
"Are you babbling in your sleep or something?" Ichigo stepped forward. "That's why we're here!"
Looking over the faces of the kids, I noticed that they were no longer nervous. No, they had all gained the resolve to do this. I couldn't help but feel some pride, especially towards Ichigo. He really was alot like Kaien.
"You do understand that if you fail, you cannot return?" Yoruichi tried to warn them one last time, but it wasn't necessary. I could tell the kids had made up their minds.
"So I just have to win, right?" That really was an Ichigo answer.
"Exactly" I grinned and started going up to the Senkaimon, which lit up as Tessai and Urahara activated it"
"Are you ready?" Urahara asked, but he didn't need an answer. The teens had joined me infront of the gate. "Run as soon as it opens"
It was time, and there was no turning back. I gazed up at the Senkaimon and took a breath, I hadn't gone through one of these in over two decades. We didn't have any hell butterflies to guide us, so I hoped we would make it through. But I didn't have any more time to think about it, since as soon as the gate opened, I was jumping through it.