Bleach (c) Tite Kubo
Once more, if only to see you again
Death, Strawberry, Sea Swallow
Well now. Isn't this an fascinating development?
Kisuke Urahara runs through the evening's events in his minds, staring intently at his own reflection in the mug of cold tea on the coffee table.
Cloaked in a web of kido, Kisuke had observed the whole skirmish from afar. Though not so distant he couldn't step in if things turned disastrous.
Ultimately the intended purpose of tonight was to test Ichigo Kurosaki's potential to become a shinigami. To determine if all that raw power could be channeled and focused into something of practical use.
Naturally, no plan survives first contact with the enemy. And its safe to state tonight hadn't transpired remotely like Kisuke had expected.
But not all hope is lost.
Quite the contrary; Kisuke's curiosity is piqued. What he observed presented a host of fascinating variables to consider.
From what Kisuke observed, Ichigo seems to have a decent grasp of rudimentary reiatsu manipulation. Quite a feat given his sporadic reiatsu emissions. It was no kido, but Ichigo managed to provide a sufficient enough distraction. Enough to gain the Kuchiki girl an advantage while the hollow was doing its level best to smash her to pieces. That wasn't the most shocking revelation either. Not long after the Hollow had been dispatched and young Kuchiki collapsed from exhaustion, Kisuke swears he could sense the boys - because young Kaien had evidently returned home - sensing him. Despite the veil he'd conjured around himself.
Intriguing. Most intriguing. And extremely impressive for self-taught novices.
But perhaps, Kisuke reasons with himself, that display shouldn't be unexpected in the scheme of things.
A pair of intelligent young men with the ability to perceive the extraordinary; its natural to assume they'd dabble in that capability. Idle curiosity mixed with tried and true sibling rivalry might've driven them to experiment, to see whether that ability extended beyond perception into interaction.
Despite the initial stage ending in tatters, Kisuke's plan is far from unsalvageable and he's nothing if not adaptable. He merely needs to investigate this unexpected twist further before plotting his next move.
The first order of business will be to seal the hogyoku. Injured as she is, young Kuchiki will require time to recuperate and Kisuke has just the gigai prepared for her. It might be cruel, forcing her to unknowingly bare the weight of their mistakes but needs must.
After that, Kisuke will spend the coming days observing the elder Kurosaki twins. Its been nearly six years since he'd seen either child, albeit from a distance. Which means its long past time to reevaluate his previous assumptions.
For now, he has a phone call to make.
As Rukia regains her wits, the first thing she realises is she's laying down on something hard. A particularly hard mattress of sorts. The second thing she notices is the sound of a pencil scratching on paper followed by a sunbeam washing over her face.
At first Rukia assumes she's in her quarters. But that can't be right. She shouldn't be in the Thirteenth's barracks or in the Kuchiki clan manor. When did she return home? Her mission couldn't have been over that quickly, could it? More over, why didn't she remember? None of this makes any sense. Rukia is positive she would've remembered coming home.
Wracking her brain for the last thing she remembers, Rukia mentally retraces her steps. She was on assignment in the human world. She was hunting a hollow, and-
Rukia's eyes snap open. She catapults up right to a seated position with a sharp gasp, blankets pooling around her waist. Then a wave of dizziness knocks her right back down. She flops back while the room spins for a half minute, closes her eyes and nurses her head with a groan while the symptoms run their course. She breaths through the episode and before long, manages to come to her senses.
"Finally awake, are you?" A male voice comments beside her.
Rukia reacts on impulse, going for her sword but not finding it. Her heart skips a beat, panicked but she pushes that aside. Instead she turns sharply to the boy staring at her, idly spinning a pencil between his fingers with impressive dexterity.
"Do you always wake up like that? Or am I just special?"
Rukia's first instinct is to stare, gobsmacked. She thinks Kaien with orange hair. Then she chides herself. What has the matter with her these last few days? Is she so unbalanced her mind keeps producing the ghost of a dead man everywhere she turns? For that matter, Kaien would never wear such a scowling expression. Bad moods were an entirely foreign concept to the man. Maybe Rukia should've turned down this mission after all. Cited an imagined illness or lack of experience or requested a transfer to a quieter sector. Although she has decided when she returns to the Soul Society, Rukia put in for a long overdue rec leave. She's certainly accrued enough hours. Two weeks off to sort her head out sounds amazing right now.
However...
"Who are you?" Rukia blurts, recovering.
The stranger arches an eyebrow at her, and Rukia took in that shock of ginger hair and distinctly human clothing. A grey uniform of sorts. For a half second, she finds herself struck again but his appearance and finds herself unwittingly thinking of that dark haired boy from the pool, then remembers herself.
This person is human. But that's impossible. Ordinary humans shouldn't see her.
"You can see me?" she asks warily.
"No, I'm talking to my pillow." The human retorts sarcastically rolling his eyes, "Of course I can see you. Considering that's my bed you're hogging right now."
"What?!" Rukia demands, indignantly.
"Hey, don't get antsy at me. We dragged you in here after you collapsed last night." The boy replies, swiveling his chair to face her. "Or would you have preferred to bleed out in the middle of the street?"
What an insolent human! How dare he take that tone with her. Although Rukia bites her tongue. She should be grateful but this human's attitude is beginning to vex her greatly.
"My name is Ichigo Kurosaki, by the way. To answer your other question." He adds on disinterested. "And who in the heck are you?"
Rather than address his answer, Rukia frowns. Distracted.
Wait. What did Ichigo mean by 'we'?
Rukia doesn't have delve into that chestnut. Her brain short circuits, all offense forgotten while frantically trying to call what happened. She'd lost a lot of blood and her injuries were quite severe, that much was obvious but - "The Hollow! W-what happened to it?!"
In the face of her fretting, Ichigo's antagonism diminishes, "You mean that monster from last night? You killed it." he supplies matter-of-factly, pointing to Sode no Shirayuki which is leaning against the foot of the bed. "Rammed that sword through its face. Left behind a white butterfly that fluttered off. I guess that was supposed to happen?"
Rukia's heart soars with relief when she sees the blade. She scrambles to it, in perhaps a slightly undignified fashion, exhaling a deep relieved sigh when the familiar soothing chill flows up her arm. Sode no Shirayuki has weathered the previous night's battle better than she did, thank goodness for that.
Of course, that's when Rukia finally looks directly forwards, seeing the second occupant in the room. She'd been utterly disorientated and hadn't sensed his presence earlier but when she lays eyes on him, her insides drop and her blood turns to ice.
There, leaning over a desk that served as headboard to a second bed and dressed in the exact same grey school uniform as Ichigo, is the lookalike she saw at the pool yesterday. His profile, what little she could see, lined by an intense look of concentration. A pair of headphones blasts music in his ears while he pours over a notebook, fiddling with a small seashell woven into the looping leather bracelet around his left wrist.
The world freezes at the sight of him.
From a distance, the resemblance was already remarkable. But Rukia eventually convinced herself the features were coincidence. Up close, she realizes how delusional she'd been. Age him up a decade and give him a tattoo, he'd be a dead ringer for her old mentor.
"Typical. Hey, idiot!"
Rukia barely hears Ichigo groan. Out of the corner of her eye, she registers him pluck something off his desk and toss it across the room.
The tiny object nails the lookalike square in the temple. He makes a startled sound, jumping in his chair. Then he turns that hauntingly familiar face towards them, pulling his headphones off with a befuddled look. When he spots Rukia staring at him, he flashes that painfully familiar bright grin and with a tiny wave.
"Oh. Hi again! Not dead then." He greets cheerfully.
Part of Rukia knows she should be relieved. Grateful, even. That her mentor has been safely reborn to a new life, unmarred by that night's travesty. Another part of Rukia aches because she can't find a trace of recognition in those blue (not green) eyes. It's a bittersweet ache. Another part again, one bound in duty, screams at her to get the hell out of here immediately.
"You don't have to stare at his ugly mug all day. He's not that pretty." Ichigo grouses.
"Ichigo, we have the same face. You are literally insulting yourself."
"I don't know, man. I don't think there's enough plastic surgery in the world to fix that nose."
The lookalike wrinkles his nose flashing an irritated pout, before scooping up the discarded eraser and chucking it right back. "Behave. We have a house guest."
"Yeah, speaking of. Riddle me this; you're the spirit - why do you look like you've seen a ghost?"
"I just..." Rukia swallows, scrambling to cover her reaction, she shakes her head and tries to sound as composed as possible. "I... confess to being entirely caught off guard. Two humans who possess enough spirit energy to see me is... practically unfathomable. The odds of finding one human who can see me is astronomically small. Two of them together is statistically impossible, but given you're clearly... I want to say brothers, I suppose it shouldn't be too shocking."
"Sounds like you need better statisticians." Ichigo deadpans.
"Or we're just that awesome." The Kaien lookalike suggests teasingly, to his brother's weary chagrin.
"Do not make me come over there."
Rukia's head starts to hurt. This situation is so surreal. "Both of you saw me fighting that hollow, last night?"
"Twelve foot tall skull-faced fish monster, stomping around like it owns the place. Kind of hard to miss." The Kaien lookalike shrugs, unbothered.
"Plus, you jumping into our room and wandering about like a lost soul for a minute." Ichigo says.
"What, you skive off your duties to sneak into handsome boys' rooms while they're was sleeping? You little stalker." The lookalike accuses without heat.
Rukia's face flushes red with indignation and she splutters. A vein bulges on her temple, "Oh. And who was it who thought it was a good idea to drag an unconscious girl into a room shared by two teenaged boys?" She snips right back.
The lookalike opens his mouth to retort, slams it closed as he reconsiders then gives a conciliatory shrug, glancing towards Ichigo, "Okay, yeah. I've gotta give her that one. Out of context, this does look super bad."
Ichigo exhales a long suffering groan, levelling a grumpy scowl at her. "Look. You're the one who intruded first. And if you didn't want first aid, don't pick a fight outside an emergency clinic. There's also the tiny niggling issue that you're a ghost. It's not like we could've put you up in one of the clinic's spare beds."
Rukia's thoughts whirl at a million miles a minute. This situation is incredibly strange. "And neither of you are the least bit curious about what I am?"
"Magical girl ghost samurai?" The lookalike suggests.
"An increasingly obnoxious pain in the ass." Ichigo says.
The lookalike covers his mouth with his fist, biting back a reflexive bark of laughter. "Ichigo!" he scolds.
"Well." Rukia begins with an abrupt haughtily, having finally convinced herself to leave. And because their continued comments were rapidly exhausting her patience.
Rukia rises from the bed, tucking Sode no Shirayuki back in her sash, "It seems I've more than overstayed my welcome. I appreciate your aid, humans," She pointedly emphasizes the word, "And I will apologize for intruding upon your privacy. I wasn't aware either of you had enough reiryoku to see me but I won't tarry here. Though I've been injured, my duties require I be elsewhere. I expect we shan't meet again."
Without another word, Rukia leaps out of the open window. Was that a particularly subtle exit? No. Was she running away? Absolutely.
In the privacy of his office, Isshin pretends like he hadn't been anxiously pacing since he'd woken up this morning. A mega pile of patient reports from hell is stacked high on his desk and he'd promised himself after last night's drama was over, he'd get them done. But his mind's been anywhere but clinic paperwork. Plus the nerve-wracking reality of how close his family came to danger, how defenceless the girls were coupled with Kaien coming home a head of schedule. Even with Kisuke hovering somewhere nearby, Isshin didn't exactly get a good night's sleep either.
Of course, his second son's return wasn't the only thing that went awry. Though on one level, there's sheer relief that the Hollow never made it to his front door. On another, they won't get a golden opportunity like this again.
The only reason Isshin agreed to last night's plan in the first place is because it would've been a relatively controlled environment for Ichigo to finally tap his powers.
Part of Isshin hates himself for subjecting-slash-volunteering his elder son for that scenario, but they didn't have time to be gentle. If Ichigo doesn't awaken to his potential soon, and if Aizen got it into his head to take some initiative and abscond with one or both of Isshin's sons, they'll all be in trouble.
Unfortunately, nothing ever goes smoothly. The whole night was thrown off kilter, but not for the reasons Isshin expected.
"You're absolutely sure it was Ichigo?" Isshin is positively confounded, ear pressed to the phone.
"Unless you have a third son tucked away somewhere that I don't know about, then yes, I'm quite certain." Kisuke answers dryly.
Isshin asks the obvious question, "How?"
"From what I've observed, it appears Ichigo has developed a rudimentary grasp of reiatsu manipulation. He wasn't directly involved in the battle itself but his contribution provided a vital distraction to allow Ms Kuchiki an opening to purify the Hollow. An equally impressive feat worth noting is they've demonstrated above average skill in perception." Kisuke reports.
"They?" Isshin echoes, incredulous. "Both of them could sense you? You must be imagining things in your old age, Kisuke."
"Hardly." The shopkeeper replies. "Shortly after Ms Kuchiki collapsed and while they were working diligently to recover her, they both noticed my presence through my concealment."
A charged silence stretches.
"Where would they have learned that?" Isshin muses out loud, a puzzled frown etched on his face, "I haven't taught them anything."
"It's entirely possible they have experimented with and taught themselves." Kisuke suggests.
"But to that extent?" Isshin idly scratches his stubbled chin while he mulls it over, troubled by the implications. "I'd like to refute that suggestion but it's not exactly out of character where Kaien is concerned... The first one, at any rate. That in itself is a major problem. But Ichigo? He never seemed interested in the spirit world. Or if he did, he's kept it very private. He'd always kept the impression it was a general nuisance more than anything."
"They are brothers. Perhaps a sense of rivalry spurred them on?" Kisuke points out, then continues gravely. "Whatever the brought about this circumstance, they are dabbling in powers most ordinary humans couldn't begin to comprehend in their dizziest daydreams. I think it warrants some gentle investigate on your end. Perhaps you determine to what extent they can tap their latent abilities? Provide some guidance."
Isshin scrubs a hand over his face but otherwise doesn't response. It is the prudent course of action. Isshin did want Ichigo to awaken his powers, but he also didn't want Kaien leering enviously at his brother. How exactly do you explain to your second son, every inch as stubborn as his namesake, that he had the same potential for great power as his elder brother, but couldn't actually do anything with it without ending himself in the process?
"At the risk of sounding presumptuous, have you given any thought to broaching the subject of yourself and their mother?"
"It's..." Isshin hesitates, exhaling a bone-deep sign. "I've never found the right opportunity to tell them. Frankly I haven't figured out how to tell them about it either. Not without opening up whole other can of worms. There are a lot of complexities to consider."
He hears Kisuke make a quiet sound over the phone. "Suit yourself. But you must know they will find out eventually. If not by your mouth, then someone else's. And that will not end well for anyone involved."
"I know, I know." Isshin closes his eyes, rubbing his temple, "Look. By virtue of what they are, those boys will suffer through hell before this over. Allow me to live in the illusion that I'm protecting their innocence for a while longer, won't you?"
Kisuke remains neutral, "Very well. I understand. In the meantime, I will keep you appraised of my findings."
Isshin ends the call, letting the receiver drop to his office desk with a dull thud. He buries his face in his hands with a long, strained sigh. He's not permitted to wallow privately in his thoughts for long before a knock rattles his office door. He'd already figured out which one of his kids is standing at his door, even before spying the dark-hair silhouette in the frosted glass. Almost as if Isshin's mere thoughts summoned him.
Gathering himself, Isshin sets the phone aside and arranges his desk. In a former life, he'd long since perfected the art of appearing busy without actually doing anything. He pulls a patient's file off the top of a stack and flips it open to a random page.
"Come on in." Unsurprisingly, Kaien walks into his office with a mug of steaming hot coffee in his hand. Something Isshin eyes with envy for a split second, only to realise it's for him when Kaien sets it down on his desk.
"Hey. Yuzu mentioned you were looking a bit run down. Figured you could use a pick-me-up after being cramped in here all morning. And there's a fresh pot with more out in the kitchen for you."
"Yes!" Isshin agrees, nodding emphatically, "Your little sister is an absolute angel."
"Yeah, she is. I, um, also noticed that the shopping list on the fridge is gone?" Kaien points a finger over his shoulder.
Isshin has to remember what he's talking about, "Huh? Oh, that. I took care of it before you all woke up."
Kaien wear a smug crooked smirks and shrugs, "Told you it could wait until morning."
"Don't you give me sass, boy. Not until I'm at least half-way through this." Isshin retorts, pointedly scooping up the mug and taking a long, obnoxiously loud sip, wincing as it burnt his tongue. "Ah! H't, h't, h't!"
Kaien rolls his eyes, shaking his head amused. "It's literally steaming. Of course its going to be hot, you idiot. That's how convection works."
"Don't get smart with me." Isshin warns him flippantly.
"Oh, right. I forgot who I'm dealing with. Need to dumb it down for you." Kaien makes a show of pondering it, "Okay, let me know where I lose you: Hot water makes mouth go ouch."
Isshin stares at his son thoroughly unimpressed, clicking his tongue. "Walked into that one."
"You really did." Kaien beams, suppressing a laugh.
Isshin shakes his head again, looking back down at the patient record on his desk.
"Hey Dad, is everything okay?" Kaien asks more seriously.
Isshin glances back up at him, eyebrow raised, "Fine. Why do you ask?"
Kaien doesn't meet his gaze, making a sound in his throat, "Just last night. Got the sense you seemed a bit, uh - I don't want to say high-strung, but..."
"Flustered?"
"Yeah, okay." Kaien agrees reluctantly, "Kind of felt like you weren't keen to see me home. Is, uh... is there anything going on that we should worried about? Anything I should be worried about?"
Boy, is there ever? Extraordinarily perceptive, indeed. Isshin plays it off, though not as smoothly as he would've liked.
"No." Isshin answers quickly, a little too quickly to be convincing. He steadies himself, "No, nothing right now. Yesterday was a, a long frustrating day, kiddo. Had a lot on my mind. I didn't mean imply anything by my tone."
"Okay..." Kaien nods slowly, "Alright then. Well, Ichigo and I are headed to school now. Catch you later."
"Sure." Isshin watches him turn before he remembers something, "Oh, before you head off. Your qualifiers. You won, right?"
Kaien puts on a thoroughly offended expression, hand over his heart, "Father, it wounds me you even had to ask."
"Did you hear that, Masaki?! Our precious son's the top of his league!" Isshin scoops up the framed photo of his wife off his desk, "He'll take the nationals by storm in two weeks! I couldn't be more proud!"
He hears Kaien snort and throw a "See ya tonight, Dad." over his shoulder on the way out.
Author's note:
The Kurosaki family are keeping lots of secrets from each other. And as much as they love each other, those secrets drive an invisible wedge between them all. Why does this family suck so bad at communication when it matters most?
Hope you enjoyed!
Aurora313