Apricot Parfait Chapter 10: Thank you, Anju, a bleach fanfic

Bleach is owned by Tito Kubo, however my OC's are my own.

Apricot Parfait

Ch. 10 Thank you, Anju

"Soten Kisshun, I reject"!

A shield created by Orihime's faries, Shun'no and Ayame, floated down to lay atop Jidanbo's wound. Now coagulated, the deep cut didn't look as bad as she had originally thought. The soft orange glow of the shield made a whirring noise as everyone around her waited to see if she really could heal him.

Slowly, muscle and tissue began knitting itself together. With the final closure of the top layer of skin it was like the gatekeeper had never been cut in the first place. All that was left was to let Jidanbo rest and wake up on his own.

"Looks like Orihime's gotten better at wielding her power as well", thought Chad.

With the passed out behemoth stabilized, an elderly man with a root ball cane spoke.

"Greetings, I am the village elder, Takehito Adachi. On behalf of the Rukon District, I wanted to thank you for what you did for Jidanbo. For both protecting him and healing him. Although Jidanbo works for the seireitei, he has been kind to us. Something we cannot say about most soul reapers who pass by here. Therefore, you have my personal gratitude and the village's respect".

The village elder bowed his head as did the rest of the villagers who had crowded around to see what the commotion was about.

"It's no big deal. He was in trouble, and we just did what we thought was right".

Ichigo scratched the back of his head. A hint of blush spreading across his cheeks.

"Jidanbo must've meant a lot to these people".

"It was no trouble at all". Orihime smiled pleased that she could be of help.

While awkward at first, she had gotten a better feel for visualizing and then utilizing her power with the help of Anju's guidance. On their second day of training, Orihime entered the abandoned factory and had come face to face with what Anju called a "corpse doll". It had looked and felt suspiciously like a real human body, but at Anju's insistence that it wasn't real just human-like, Orihime got over it.

The determined teen worked her way through the tasks that Anju set for her. Healing minor cuts and scrapes with ease but slowing her pace to heal more serious wounds like deep lacerations and broken bones. It took more focus, but by their second day of practicing on the corpse doll, Orihime had successfully healed her first major wound. Touching the doll's wrist, she could feel that the bones were where they were supposed to be.

While at first glance, one would think that Orihime's power was a type of healing kido, Yoruichi believed that it was more complex. Defining it as the rejection of natural phenomena. Stating that if Orihime trained in earnest, she would one day come to wield great power. Orihime felt relieved to hear this. She was not particularly strong, and she wasn't sure if she could do it, but having the potential to become strong was more than enough for her. She didn't ever want to feel helpless like she did that day when she couldn't move while walking home from the park, or when that strange squid-like creature attacked Tatsuki. She would get strong enough to protect her friends.

Impressed by her fast progress, Anju told Orihime that she believed she was skilled enough to try her powers on real wounds, and that once Chad was done going over practice drills with Yoruichi, she should try healing him. Orihime was hesitant at first, but with Chad's encouragement, she was able to heal his bruises and scrapes. Chad had remarked that the feeling of her power was puzzling. Although not unpleasant, it wasn't something he had felt before, describing it like an internal warm hug to which Anju said was a sign that Orihime's healing powers were working. Had Chad felt a burning sensation that would mean that Orihime was likely imbuing him with too much spiritual energy or unconsciously tapping into her other soten kisshun powers which were also coming along nicely.

When Orihime finished, Anju put her hand on her head congratulating her on a job well done. Smiling bashfully, Orihime returned her gaze to Chad's arm taking in the results of her hard work. She had successfully healed a real person. She couldn't help but feel proud of herself.

Smiling at the memory, Orihime waited for the village elder to finish speaking.

"I'm assuming none of you have proper residence to retire to. Allow me to open my humble abode to you all. I will provide sleeping quarters and refreshments while you figure out how to get into the Seireitei.

While being thanked was nice, Ichigo didn't want to take advantage of the village elder's hospitality, though it wouldn't be a bad idea to rest before trying to open the gate again. Before he could thank the village elder.

"We accept your gracious offer, elder. Thank you". Yoruichi spoke up.

"Good. Now follow me". The village elder nodded making his way to the front of the crowd so that he could lead the ryoka to his minka, but before the teens could follow, a slightly younger man stepped forward behind them.

"Excuse me"? An old man with salt and pepper gray hair and a mustache and goatee said hesitantly.

Ichigo and co. turned around to see what the Rukon resident who had spoken wanted.

"Would the name of the woman who was with you earlier happen to be "Anju"? The man scratched the back of his head unsure if he should've asked his question. It couldn't have been her, could it?

"It is", Yoruichi stated. Unsure of what the old man was getting at.

The man lit up. "Really? I'm so glad".

Turning to the village elder, the unknown man asked permission to follow so that he could speak to the ryoka which the elder agreed to.

Once seated around the irori, a young woman who appeared to be in her mid-twenties handed out ceramic teacups filled with a light green liquid before returning to sit by the man from earlier. The small child who was playing with Orihime's hair ran up to the woman sitting down in her lap. A doll made of cloth scrapes clutched dearly in her arms.

Everyone except Chad was present. He had decided to check up on the spirit of a boy, Yuichi Shibata, who's soul had resided in the cockatiel he temporarily took ownership of some time ago. Saying he'd be back soon.

"My name's Kentaro Okamoto. The reason I asked you earlier if your comrade was named Anju is because I wanted to see if you could pass on a message for me".

"Pass on a message for you?", questioned Ichigo.

"Yes, I wanted to thank her for what she did for me".

The woman who was revealed to be Kentaro's wife, smiled as she put her hand on her husband's shoulder. A sign that she supported him.

Taking a moment to collect himself, Kentaro continued.

"I met Anju when she was around sixteen. I would occasionally stop by the Urahara Shoten to buy my favorite brand of chips. It was the only place that carried them, you see, but a few years later due to my declining health, I could no longer make the walk like I used to, so I stopped going".

One day I felt better, so I decided to stop by and grab a bag for old times' sake".

Kentaro had a soft look on his face as he remembered the particular day in question.

"Anju was working the register that day. She asked me how I was doing, saying that she wondered when I'd be coming back. I didn't think she'd remember me as it'd been months since I'd been to the shoten. My health issues had worsened practically making me a shut in during that whole time".

Kentaro shook his head. Dispelling the unpleasant memories of the day he found out from his doctor that his illness had become terminal. His doctor predicted that he had no more than a year or two to live provided that he took his medication and didn't push himself too hard.

"Anyway, I thought it was nice that she remembered me. We often chatted while she rang me up. Her telling me about school and science competitions, and me telling her about the life of an old man and occasionally about the wife and unborn child I lost nearly forty years ago to a reckless driver".

Gasping, Orihime's eyes took on a sorrowful look as she put the pieces together. The woman and child in her lap were Kentaro's late wife and unborn child. She wasn't sure how things worked in soul society regarding aging, but she had a strong feeling that her theory was correct.

"I loved my wife and child dearly, so whenever Anju saw that I had a bouquet of peonies to put on my wife's grave in remembrance of her and our child, she'd give me some candy saying that the child would taste them in heaven. I felt touched by this. I've had a difficult time ever since my wife died, so meeting Anju was like a fresh breath of air. I felt like someone understood how I felt. How I couldn't just get over my lost family".

Uryuu glanced at the woman and the child whose eyes had closed as they drifted off to sleep. He thought Anju was an anomaly of sorts. She had no spiritual pressure, wasn't sure if she was a soul reaper or not, and the way she acted was not something Uryuu was used to, but when he spoke to her during his seclusion training, he felt like she could read him like a book. Not in a judgmental way, but as if she knew how he really felt. It unnerved him at the time, but now he thinks he understands that she was just trying to help him work out how he felt about Rukia so that he could make his own decision instead of following what was expected of him as a quincy.

While he still had reservations about soul reapers, he didn't think she or Rukia were that bad. Maybe he needed to unpack some of his beliefs. Even Ichigo was proving to not be so bad.

"And she was so thoughtful. My health problems caused me to become bed bound again for a couple weeks, but the next time I came to the shoten, Anju told me that she would be working as the shoten's delivery driver starting that week, and that if I needed anything to just call as she'd be sure to sneak in an extra bag of chips for me. She's a good kid that Anju".

"So that's why she wanted to create the delivery service". Yoruichi realized. "Mr. Okamoto, I believe your absence from the shop was the inspiration behind Anju creating the delivery service in the first place. It's been a source of extra income while our customer base has recently declined".

Kentaro's eyes lit up.

"I'm glad I could've been of some use to her". Kentaro scratched the back of his head before continuing.

"You see, ever since I came to the rukon district. I've felt guilty about not telling her "thank you" for performing a konso on me".

"Wait a minute… Does that mean that Anju delivered your spirit to soul society"?! Ichigo had a bewildered look in his eyes.

"Yes, that's right" nodded Kentaro.

(Flashback)

Anju was in front of the Okamoto house noticing that the door was ajar. Usually, Mr. Okamoto would be outside sitting on his porch reading the newspaper by now with a cup of hojicha stating that the bitter taste woke up his senses in the morning. Anju thought it was an acquired taste, nearly spitting out the liquid when he'd poured her a cup. Kentaro laughed stating that old man habits were not appreciated by the youth. Anju chuckled herself before wishing him well as she left to make her next delivery.

Placing the package on the ground, Anju entered the home sensing that something was amiss.

(Flashback end)

"She ended up giving me cpr while waiting for the paramedics to arrive".

Kentaro's wife patted him on the back trying to comfort him as he recollected his death to the group.

"The next thing I remember, I was out of my body and a chain was hanging from my chest. I looked around but saw that my body was gone. When I exited my house to see if I could find help, I saw Anju on the porch swing, she sounded like she had been crying. She must've noticed my presence because I heard her tell me that she was sorry, but before I could tell her that it wasn't her fault, she ran away. Poor thing must've been upset. I didn't see her till five days later".

(Flashback)

Sensing that Mr. Okamoto's soul was still present in his house when she rode by, Anju decided to perform a konso on him herself. The man deserved to rest in peace, and it didn't look like any soul reapers were going to visit the area anytime soon to do it.

"Mr. Okamoto? Are you there"?

Anju stepped past the entry way heading towards where she felt Mr. Okamoto's presence, but it felt tinged with something dark.

Walking into the bedroom, she saw Mr. Okamoto sitting on the edge of his bed, his head in his hands. He wasn't feeling good. Like something was trying to bubble up and take over him from the inside out.

Stopping at his side, Anju took note of his chain of fate. It was significantly shorter than the day he died. Speaking cautiously, Anju got Mr. Okamoto's attention.

"Mr. Okamoto, Are you alright"?

Kentaro looked up realizing that Anju was now in the room.

"Anju? I'm not so sure. I feel sick like something is eating me up inside".

"Yeah… you don't look too good". Anju looked worried, like she knew exactly what was going on.

Fixing her face so as not to further agitate Mr. Okamoto, Anju got down on one knee in order to be more eye level with him.

"Listen, Mr. Okamoto. I came to perform a konso on you so that your soul can pass on to Soul Society.

"Soul Society"?

"Yes, it's a place where souls go after they pass on. Your soul is currently on its way to becoming a hollow. Were you attacked by a strange looking creature recently"?

"Strange creature…"

On his third day of existing as a soul, Kentaro was attacked by a creature with green skin, a mane that stretched down to it's tail, and a large gaping mouth with teeth while he was walking in his front yard that evening. He hadn't noticed the creature till he'd felt it's jaws clamp on his left shoulder. He somehow managed to escape but felt like he had been injected with something heavy, yet empty feeling. It didn't make any sense. How could something be heavy but empty?

Not much scared him when he was alive, but now that he was a soul, he couldn't help to be anything but. Not sure what to make of his recent experiences, Kentaro started to cry.

"Oh Anju, I don't know what's going on anymore".

The old man fell to his knees. He must've looked pathetic.

"It's ok Mr. Okamoto. I'm going to help you". Anju rubbed his back comforting him.

Kentaro wiped his eyes. "You will"?

Anju stood up from kneeling on her knee. Remembering what Kisuke had told her about sometimes having to look the other way, Anju made her choice. She needed to deliver Mr. Okamoto asap now that it was clear that something strange was going on.

"Mhmm. Just hold still and in a bit, you'll be in so-".

Before Anju could touch the end of her hilt to Kentaro's forehead, his face contorted in pain. A white substance had started to come out of his right eye and mouth. Screaming Mr. Okamoto held his head. He was writhing on the ground trying to make the horrible feeling stop.

"What's going on?! Doesn't it take about a year for a soul to turn into a hollow"?

Without answering, Anju quickly moved to tap Mr. Okamoto on his forehead. His pained screams stopped as his soul departed in a luminous bubbling of pale-yellow last thing Anju saw of him was his gentle smile. One he'd often share with her when he'd see her walking up to his porch with a package in hand.

Still processing what just happened, Anju took a moment to collect herself. She would cry later mourning him properly, but for now she had to figure out just what the hell had caused him to start the hollowfication process when he didn't have any serious attachments or strong negative feelings in this world to begin with, and to hollowfy within five days of being a soul. Something wasn't right here.

Scratching her head in thought, Anju sighed. Mr. Okamoto deserved better.

"What a headache. I don't think that was a normal hollow, Enma. It felt different, like it was modified or something".

"You think someone's conducting illegal experiments on hollows"?

"I can't say for sure, but unless hollows are somehow modifying themselves, I wouldn't rule out that possibility just yet. I'll have to ask Mr. Hoppykins to look into it. He mentioned last time that he had come across a hollow with a strange tasting spiritual energy. Maybe this is related to that…".

Anju sheathed her sword.

"Did you finish, Anj"?

Turning to look where the voice had come from. Mimi peeked from behind the threshold.

"I told you to wait outside Mimi".

Making her way to stand fully in the doorway, Mimi looked directly at Anju as she spoke. Trying to be as sensitive as possible with her words.

"I know, but like old man Okamoto was totally a precious person to you. I just wanted to make sure you were ok. You know"? Mimi gave Anju a worried look. Although usually playful, Mimi knew when to be serious.

Rushing to her mistress, she gave her a hug which Anju reciprocated .

"I'm fine, Mimi. It's always hard sending someone off when you knew them, but I'm also relieved that Mr. Okamoto is now in soul society. If they haven't already reincarnated, I sincerely hope he reunites with his wife and child no matter how slim that chance may be".

"Oh Anj…"

Mimi hugged Anju tighter.

Anju rubbed Mimi's back before breaking the hug.

"Let's go home, Mimi".

"Kay".

Holding still, Anju tapped Mimi on her stomach with her soul candy dispenser. Upon entering her gigai, Anju walked over to where she exorcised Mr. Okamoto. Putting her hands in prayer, she closed her eyes.

"Rest in peace, Mr. Okamoto. It was a pleasure to get to know you".

Giving the room one final look around, Anju noticed a picture frame next to the lamp on Mr. Okamoto's night table. Walking towards the night table Anju picked up the black and white photo realizing that it was a twenty-something year old Mr. Okamoto and his wife on their wedding day. Knowing what she was about to do was wrong, Anju took the picture frame as she exited the house.

Although she wanted to, Anju decided against sitting on the porch swing to further process her thoughts because the whole time she was inside Mr. Okamoto's home, she felt like she was being watched by two presences who were muted. A sign that she was being observed by hidden figures.

(Flashback end)

"And that's what happened. When I first came here, I didn't know what to expect. I learned from the other residents that my soul was about to turn into a hollow, and if Anju hadn't of performed the konso when she did, I would've hurt a lot of people. So, that's why I wanted to thank her. It's also thanks to her that I was able to eventually reunite with my wife and finally see our child. It took some time because Rukon is a vast place with multiple districts, but I get a second chance at life with them now".

Kentaro and his wife shared a smile hugging each other with their daughter between them. Upon feeling her parents' embrace, she opened a single amber colored eye smiling before going back to sleep.

"Thank you for sharing that story with us Mr. Okamoto. When we meet up with Anju I'll be sure to tell her what you said". Ichigo bowed his head.

"Thank you". Kentaro and his wife bowed their heads.

With his wife's hand in his and his daughter sleeping with her head on his shoulder, the Okamoto's exited the minka heading back towards their own.

Ichigo, Uryuu, Orihime, and Chad who had made it back by the third portion of Kentaro's story, waved them off.

"I'm beginning to see what kind of person Anju is", Ichigo said to no one in particular.

"That girl is quite something". Yoruichi said as he walked side by side with Ichigo.

She decided to follow the boy in order to get some fresh air.

Coming to a bridge, Yoruichi jumped up to sit on the rail. Ichigo chose to stand on his lefthand side resting his elbows on the rail as he looked out at the westward flow of the river.

"Yoruichi"?

"Hmm"?

"Why did you let Anju enter the Seireitei alone? Shouldn't we have gone in with her"?

Closing his eyes Yoruichi thought about how to best Ichigo's question.

"Do you think Anju is strong, Ichigo"?

"I do...".

"Well, that's one reason". Yoruichi nodded his head once.

"The other reason is that Anju asked me to let her go".

Looking at Yoruichi, Ichigo quirked his brow urging him to explain.

"You see Ichigo, Anju is a strategist. She has a habit of viewing her problems under a lens of doing what ever will lead to the best feasible outcome. Before going on this mission she wrote out a series of strategies and considered several what-if scenarios before choosing what she thought was realistic based on everyone's skillsets. I also thought Anju going into the Seireitei alone was risky, but considering everyone's current skill levels it makes sense for her to go alone. While we take an alternative route to enter the seireitei, Anju will be securing hiding spots and procuring information regarding Rukia's exact location. This way when we enter things will go by smoother".

Letting out a long held sigh, Yoruichi closed his eyes.

"As much as it pained me, I wouldn't have allowed Anju to go if I didn't think she was capable". Yoruichi gave Ichigo a sharp look. His eyes conveying what he didn't say out loud: "have more faith in your comrade".

Ichigo turned to face the river again. He understood what Yoruichi was saying, but couldn't shake off this ominous feeling. Anju was strong sure, but that creepy guy was something else. Scrunching his eyes, Ichigo tried to stop himself from fortune telling. He didn't even know how Anju was fairing. For all he knew, she could have organized a guerilla made up of the Seireitei's least loyal and turned the court upside down by now if it meant saving Rukia. He didn't know why, but something told him she was the type to do such a thing. She didn't seem like the reckless type, but with how he'd overhead her and Kisuke talk about the various ways of training him. Maybe she was just as crazy as "hat and clogs"...

Shaking his head, Ichigo tried to not think about it anymore. Well, if Yoruichi wasn't worried, he shouldn't be either.

"I suppose you're right. I just thought we'd go in together is all".

Taking a deep breath through his nose, Ichigo looked to the sky. The sun was about to disappear beyond the horizon. Through his peripherals, he could see villagers lighting lanterns, a sign that it would be night time soon. Ichigo settled for looking at Yoruichi who spoke again.

"That's understandable, but something else to consider is that while we were aware of the possibility that someone would be on the other side of the gate, we had no idea who it would be. There was no possibility of all of us getting through the gate with an opponent like Gin Ichimaru. I know it's temping to want to do everything together, but there are times when you must let your friends do their own thing. Do you understand what I'm saying, Ichigo"?

"Yeah, I guess. I just wish I could have been more helpful".

"You were helpful. Using your distraction as a diversion, Anju was able to successfully sneak in. If it hadn't of been for you. Plan cuttlefish would've been a failure".

"Uh, plan...cuttlefish". Ichigo had a questioning look on his face. What did cuttlefish have to do with sneaking into the seireitei?

"You'll find that Anju names her plans after the most random of things. It's actually kind of cute". Yoruichi smiled noting Anju's quirkiness.

"I see". Ichigo sweat dropped.

"Any way, we should head back and get some rest. We will be leaving soon to complete plan flower crane cannon". Yoruichi jumped down from the ledge walking back towards the elder's minka.

"Plan flower crane cannon? That makes even less sense". Ichigo commented as he walked next to Yoruichi.

"This one actually makes more sense than plan cuttlefish, I'll have you know. You may think it's unconventional when I tell you about it, but it's more straight forward and has minimal risk. That is until we get into the Seireitei".

"I'll have to take your word for it".

"My, can you believe a ryoka managed to sneak into the seireitei earlier this morning? Never thought I'd see the day".

Captain Kyoraku was seated on the ledge of the captain's quarters overlooking a sizeable carp pond. One of his legs hung over the ledge while the other one was lazily tucked under. Next to him, Captian Ukitake sat in a seiza position. The gentle breeze floating amongst the trees provided some respite from the recent heat wave on this particular sunny mid-morning.

Taking a sip of sake, Kyoraku threw his head back making an "ahh" sound. A drunken smile on his lips. He loved the taste of sake whether it be in the morning or evening. In his mind there was always time for the fermented rice wine.

"It's too bad you're not feeling well enough to drink with me. Drinking sake always calms my nerves after hearing such shocking news".

Kyoraku's mood was anything but, he just wanted an excuse to drink, and he knew it.

Chuckling, Captain Ukitake took a sip of his tea. It was an herbal prescription that Captain Unohana had concocted in an effort to alleviate his symptoms. He wasn't particularly fond of the astringently sweet medicinal taste, but it did help with his body aches and pains, and for that he was grateful.

"Is there any information on who this ryoka is? What their motives are and the like"?

Ukitake put his porcelain gaiwan down. A blue lotus signifying rebirth and the overcoming of adversity was hand painted on its side. Its lid rested delicately atop its matching saucer.

Looking curiously at Kyoraku. Ukitake patiently waited as he finished his sip of sake.

Putting his sakazuki down, Kyoraku answered.

"From what he could see, Captain Ichimaru said that the ryoka flew by in a blur of black and silver. Due to dealing with the other ryoka, who defeated the gatekeeper, he was unable to catch the intruder. As for motive, we aren't sure yet. I'm more surprised that old man Yama didn't take disciplinary measures against Captain Ichimaru for such a blunder. That old man's always been rigid when it comes to maintaining order in the court".

Pouring himself another drink. Kyoraku lifted the sake bottle to see if his eyes were deceiving him. It appeared that he had taken the last sip and was now out of sake. With a pout he put the sake jug down. He'd have to procure another one once he entered squad eight barracks. Maybe sneak away to the roof of his office where his sweet, lovely Nanao wouldn't find him so that he could enjoy the beverage in peace. Lieutenant Ise hated when her captain drank instead of focusing on his work. Often smacking him with a rolled-up stack of unfinished papers to get his butt in gear, but he supposed that was part of her charm.

Squad eight would probably be a drunken mess of disorder if it weren't for Nanao's no-nonsense attitude. Ah, beautiful, smart Nanao. What would he do without her?

While Kyoraku was lost in his thoughts. Ukitake was lost in his as well.

He was surprised. A group of ryoka entered the Rukon, and one managed to get past Captain Ichimaru?

"These ryoka must be strong.", concluded Ukitake. "I must do what I can to recuperate, so that I may help deal with the situation. I-"

Putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, Kyoraku looked at him with a gentle countenance.

"Relax. You'll make yourself sick with worry my friend. Just take it easy. The other captains and I can take care of it. You just focus on getting better for your own sake".

"Shunsui…". At Kyoraku's words Ukitake got a heartfelt look in his eyes.

Kyoraku smiled.

"I'll be heading back to squad eight now to prepare in case the ryoka comes to our neck of the woods. Old man Yama hasn't sounded the alarm yet due to only one getting in, but it's always good to prepare just in case they prove more tricky than we thought. You should get some rest, Jushiro. I'll help you insi-"

"That won't be necessary captain"!

"Huh"?! Captain Kyoraku exclaimed startled as he bent down to look over the ledge.

As he did so, two figures covered in dust crawled out from under.

"I can help Captain Ukitake inside"!

Both soul reapers who now stood in front of the two captains said at the same time giving each other a glare.

"No, I can!", yelled a man who wore a white hachimaki and white chord around his shoulders.

"No, me!", the woman with short blonde hair and white gloves yelled back.

Sweat dropping, Captain Kyoraku and Captain Ukitake observed the childish back and forth.

"Uh…Are they always like this, Jushiro?", Kyoraku deadpanned.

"Well… Kiyone and Sentaro are a lively bunch, after all. I personally find their dedication endearing… to a degree". Ukitake's smile had a hint of tension to it.

"You don't say. Well, I'll leave you to your squad members. Take care of yourself, Jushiro".

Getting up, Captian Kyoraku waved without looking back as he walked down the corridor.

"Bye, Shunsui", waved Jushiro. Turning to face his third seats when he felt their eyes on him.

"Forgive us for eavesdropping, Captain, but if a ryoka got into the Seireitei what are your orders for dealing with such an anomaly"? Kiyone had a worried look on her face.

Giving her a reassuring smile, Jushiro spoke.

"We'll follow normal protocol. Squad members will travel in groups and should contact with the ryoka be made, we'll prioritize their capture and arrest. Head Captain Yamamoto hasn't deemed them dangerous enough to permit the use of war time measures, so there's no need to resort to such serious tactics just yet".

Coughing, Ukitake brought a fist to his mouth.

"Captain"!

Coughing a couple more times Ukitake cleared the phlegm that had accumulated in is throat.

"I'm fine. There must be something in the wind. I'd like to return to my quarters now and rest for a bit".

"Of course, Captain. I'll help you inside.

"Me too, Captain".

Glaring at each other, Kiyone and Sentaro shoved each other before climbing over the ledge. Kiyone slid the shoji screen to Captain Ukitake's quarters open as Sentaro helped him inside.

Once comfortably situated in his futon. Kiyone and Sentaro asked if their captain needed anything before, they left.

"At the moment, I'm fine. Thank you, Kiyone. Sentaro".

"Good bye, Captain".

Both third seats bowed as they said their partings.

"Good bye".

The shoji screen shut leaving Captain Ukitake alone in his quarters.

"You just focus on getting better for your own sake". Jushiro recalled the words Shunsui had told him.

"How irksome. There must be something I can do. If only I wasn't ill, I could help Shunsui and the others".

Shaking his head, Ukitake smacked his cheeks.

"Stop it, Jushiro. You'll make yourself sick with worry like Shunsui said. Let's just focus on recuperating. I might feel better in a day or two. Maybe the ryoka will be caught by then, and maybe I'll be well enough to appeal to central 46 for Rukia's release.

Sighing, Captain Ukitake closed his eyes. Sleep eventually overtaking him.

An uptake in the breeze outside caused the violent shaking of windchimes outside of Ukitake's quarters to sound with tintinnabulation before quieting down.

Anju had been in soul society for eight hours now. If she had to guess, she'd assume it was a little over three pm. So far, she had secured two hiding spots, maybe three if she counted the open storage area she had stumbled upon earlier that morning. It didn't look like it had been in use judging by the dust that had collected atop the canvas covered boxes and crates, but it was too open for her liking, so she'd only consider it if no other option was available in that area. For now though, having secured two hiding spots was acceptable considering there weren't many to begin with that weren't in use or about to be used by soul reapers.

Walking down a street, her next goal was to get some info regarding where Rukia Kuchiki was being held so that she could scout hiding spots more closer to her general direction.

Continuing down the street, Anju noted how easy it was to blend in with the soul reapers. Walking like she knew where she was going was proving to be a good strategy. Plan cuttlefish was proving to be successful.

"You're doing good so far, Anju. It looks like no one suspects a thing, but I can't shake off the feeling that this is going a little too well".

"I know what you mean. No one has asked for any proof of identification or spoken to us. I guess the Seireitei isn't as organized as I thought it'd be. With how strict they are with keeping intruders out you'd think they'd have some type of system in place in case one slipped through the cracks. ".

"Well thank goodness, they don't. Maybe they're too arrogant to think that such a thing could happen"?

"Maybe, though we shouldn't let think we're out of the clear just yet. I'm sure the higherups know I'm here. The just haven't sounded the alarm yet. Probably don't want to cause a ruckus over one lowly ryoka".

Turning a corner, Anju sensed a lone spiritual presence that she'd classify as average to maybe below average. Whoever it belonged to surely wasn't someone that would be found on the frontlines as a soldier.

Walking down the new path, Anju was about to pass by a second alleyway when she saw something small peeking out before quickly scurrying back into the shadows.

"What the-"?

"That doesn't look like a shinigami".

The creature peeked out again before darting out till it was about ten or so feet away. Abruptly stopping. It turned its head to look back at Anju who stared at it waiting to see what it would do.

Now walking back, it stopped several feet in front of her before scurrying away again to where it had stopped before. Turning back a second time to look at her.

"…I think it wants you to follow it…".

"The spiritual pressure that I sensed from before has yet to take notice of me. I don't sense any ill intentions coming from this thing, so it should be ok to follow it. I'll keep my guard up just in case".

Making her decision, Anju jogged catching up to the unknown life form, who instead of scurrying away like before, walked at a normal pace in front of her.

When the creature got to a certain point it darted to the presence that Anju had felt before. Getting in front of the soul reaper who was sweeping the street before peeking from behind his knee. Then disappearing.

"Oh. Now I get it. That thing must've been this boy's zanpakuto, but why would it lead me to him"?

Going with her gut feeling, Anju approached the soul reaper.

"Excuse me, sir. Can you help me? I seem to have turned a wrong corner and have lost sight of my squad"?

"Huh?!"

Startled, the boy stopped sweeping. He started to turn around to see who was speaking to him, but before he could do so, he felt a hand over his mouth as he was abruptly flashstepped away.

His broom falling to the floor was the only sign that he had been there in the first place.

While the afternoon sun was shining brightly and warm outside. The room they were in was dark and cold.

"For now, keep watch from a distance. I'll work on figuring out how to get you closer to her without being noticed. The rest should be arriving any day now, so the opportunity to do so should arise by then".

"Alright, sir".

With his henchman heading back, the man gave himself five minutes before exiting the room. While waiting he adjusted his robes and put on his best amiable smile.

Opening the door he walked in the opposite direction.

Four guards escorted a prisoner across a bridge to what appeared to be a large concrete tower.

The prisoner wore a white yukata, the standard uniform for inmates in the Seireitei. A white cloth that covered their head and eyes, and a red suppression collar secured with ropes on each side that were held high by sticks that the guards carried were also apart of protocol.

Once inside the tower. The guards removed the ropes followed by the cloth.

Ruki Kuchiki had successfully been relocated to the repentance tower. The concrete material was seki seki stone, the same material used to make the impenetrable wall that surrounded the Seireitei when its defense system kicked in. The naturally rare material worked to dull her spiritual energy and prevent her from sensing anything that happened outside of the tower.

The guards having left moments ago. She was now alone.

Rubbing her wrists, Rukia ascended the steps to see if any of the windows would provide a good enough view to catch glimpses of the Seireitei.

Having found a window, Rukia sat on it's sill watching as the clouds drifted by.

If it weren't for her current reality, she would have found the scene to be peaceful.

Faltering, Rukia put a hand to her forehead.

"There's no use regretting it now. My words were harsh, but they protected Ichigo from being killed. I did the right thing".

Leaning forward, Rukia looked over the ledge of the steps. She had walked about seven stories worth, and upon looking upward, she saw that she still had a long way to go.

With a huff she got up and smoothed the wrinkles from her yukata. Resuming her ascension to the top of the tower, Rukia couldn't help but look out the occasional window thinking back on her life's experiences from the time she was in the Rukon to her time in the world of the living.

Stopping once she got to the eighteenth story. Rukia decided to rest again, choosing to sit down on a step this time.

"I guess I should've told Anju that she was right about chocolate being better than vanilla".

Rukia smiled to herself as she remembered the time that Orihime and several of their classmates invited her for ice cream. She'd never had the frozen treat, but based on what Anju had told her it sounded like it came in multiple flavors and was made from frozen milk. It honestly didn't sound that appetizing to Rukia, but once inside the shop, she smelled the sweet scent of freshly made vanilla waffle cones and the rich scent of hot fudge syrup. At the display case, she was given the choice to sample several of the flavors before she placed her order. While making her decision, her eyes bulged, and she nearly spat out the sample that was in her mouth upon hearing Orihime's order. A single scoop of strawberry topped with chocolate syrup, mochi pieces, whipped cream, and colorful sprinkles with instructions for the ice cream scooper to leave extra room for her to put her personal reserve of red bean paste on top.

Rukia may not have tasted ice cream before let alone order it from a shop in the human world, but something told her that Orihime's order was not the norm even for human standards. If the sweat drop Tatsuki had on the back of her head was anything to go by. Shaking her head it was Rukia's turn to order. She went with a single scoop of chocolate ice cream.

Sitting in the outside seating area, the girls ate their ice cream as they chatted about school, robots, bunnies, and the non-existent love triangle that existed between Ichigo and practically every girl in their class. Rukia wasn't sure how Orihime could come up with the things she did. Taking a bite of ice cream as she listened to Orihime and Tatsuki speak, she found that she quite enjoyed the flavor of chocolate.

"Oh, Anju... I hope you'll forgive me for not saying "good bye" to you".

Rukia closed her eyes deciding to take a nap. There was no rush for her to climb the tower, and it's not like she was doing much repenting anyway.

I tried something different with this chapter. The events happen all within the same day but at different times. I hope I was able to convey that without causing too much confusion. I've outdone myself by writing 15 pages of material, so I'll probably be taking the rest of the week off. The outline for the next chapter is half way done, so it'll be posted by the very end of this week or early next week.

A minka is a traditional house.

A sakazuki is a type of flat cup used for drinking sake.

A gaiwan is a teacup with a lid that's used for the infusion of tea leaves.

Hojicha is a type of roasted green tea.

A hachimaki is the headband that Sentaro wears. It comes in different styles.