CHAPTER 7 RECAP
Sanae could feel Ichigo and Rukia's reiatsu a few miles away. There was also someone else with them, someone she had never felt before. If she had to bet, it was the Quincy. Even though it looked like the two weren't fighting Sanae still needed to tell him about them. They were a threat.
Sanae found them in a deserted street. She stopped a few houses away, keeping her reiatsu hidden as much as she could as she watched the confrontation happen. She couldn't hear what they were saying from her distance but judging by the look on Ichigo's face it couldn't be good. Sanae watched as Rukia jerked on Ichigo's sleeve, pulling him down the opposite street and away from the Quincy. Sanae glanced over at the tall man who had his back to her. He wore some long white cape and a pair of stark white pants too. In the night she could tell his hair was dark.
Sanae knew that she could cut down a street and get to Ichigo and Rukia and inform them about the Quincy. She turned and started running to where she knew she needed to go.
All of a sudden, she felt a flare of reiatsu and sensed a powerful spirit weapon heading right for her. Sanae twisted her upper body, dodging to the left as the arrow went soaring passed her head. She turned fully to face the Quincy, a frown on her face as Sanae watched as he calmly approached her. His spirit weapon disappeared.
"A normal human wouldn't be able to dodge that," he said, stopping ten feet away from her.
"What if I was? You could have killed me." Sanae stated bitterly.
Ishida pushed his glasses up, smirking. "So you just admitted to me that you're not a normal human."
Sanae pursed her lips. Dammit, she thought.
"Your simple tricks may have worked on those two." Ishida said, "But they won't work on a Quincy." He was referring to her masking her reiatsu. It was true that people who had perfect control of their own reiatsu would be able to detect her, but Ichigo and Rukia were new and young. Well in Rukia's case…young-ish.
"It's funny," Ishida started, not in a joking tone. "For someone like you, with reiatsu levels lower than a normal human, to be able to see Souls and Hollows. And not to mention the way you dodged my arrow."
"I'm just special I guess," Sanae stated.
Ishida suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of her. Sanae knew the Quincy had their own version of Shunpo. She backed up a step, readying herself in case it came to a fight.
"Or maybe, you're trying to be someone you're not." Ishida glared at her. Ishida called forth her spirit ribbon. Sanae didn't flinch when Ishida gripped onto the stark white spirit thread by her body. Ishida dark eyes glanced over the thread, his thumb and index finger moving the white thread.
"As I suspected." He stated. Ishida smirked and with his both of his hands he ripped the thread right down the middle. He exposed a new spirit thread, a thread that was the colour of blood.
"You're a Shinigami."
-Use Bleach When Required-
Hachi: The Menos Grande
Nothing can dim the light which shines within.
- Maya Angelou
Sanae sat in her bedroom most of the next day. She didn't go to school—and she didn't plan on going back. Things were now too complicated. Ichigo and Rukia knew that she had ties with Urahara and therefore Soul Society. And the Quincy—Ishida, he knew that she was a Shinigami—Former Shinigami really. She had been too careless this time; she had let herself form bonds with people who she knew would one day forget about her. She should've just kept to herself and not gone to that school.
'You're a Shinigami.'
'…Former. I turned my back on them a long time ago.'
There hadn't been many words spoken between Ishida and Sanae after that. Ishida had warned her not to get in his way and then left. Leaving Sanae to think over everything that had happened the past few weeks.
She thought about Tatsuki and Orihime. The two girls who had accepted her straight away, they were kind girls, always trying to include her. Sanae thought of them as actual friends and excluding Urahara and the others, they were probably the first friends she had made in a long time.
And then there was Ichigo, the boy who she felt like she had known a hundred years. For some reason it was harder for her to admit that she would have to leave him behind, after everything that had happened with them. From their meeting, to their Hollow fighting and their banter, Sanae would miss it.
Sanae felt the presence of Rukia approaching the shop; she thought that seeing as her living with Urahara was finally in the open she didn't have to hide anymore when she came around. She shrugged her on her blue jacket and left her room. Sanae entered the shop just as Rukia launched her cell phone at Urahara's face.
"What can I do for you?" Rukia yelled at him in annoyance, "I've been calling you time and time again and you never answer!" Sanae leaned against the doorframe casually and waited for Urahara to reply.
The shopkeeper pushed himself up, rubbing the side of his face, "My apologies, we've been pretty busy around here."
"Liar." Sanae said firmly.
Urahara spun around, "Sanae-san!" He cried in outrage. Sanae folded her arms over her chest and faced away from him with her chin in the air.
"So it is true…" Rukia said in awe, staring at Sanae. Said girl turned to face her, meeting her violet gaze.
"Kurosaki-kun told you then," Sanae stated.
Rukia nodded, her gaze narrowed as she glared daggers at the grumbling shopkeeper, "Urahara! Why didn't you tell me?"
Urahara stared at Rukia seriously, "It wasn't for me to tell." He jerked his head to the side at Sanae. Rukia's gaze flicked over to Sanae for a second before she sighed in understanding.
"Urahara, I need to ask you something." Rukia started.
"Is it about the Quincy?" Urahara guessed, waving his fan lazily. Rukia stared at him dumbfounded; she glared at him and approached the shopkeeper.
"What do you know?"
"Take a seat, there's much to explain," Urahara said as Tessai emerged with a drink for Rukia. "Now…where to begin."
An ice-cold shiver ran down Sanae's spine. She pushed off the wall and glanced down at Urahara who met her gaze. A few feet away, Rukia's phone went off, alerting her to a Hollow. Urahara and Sanae conveyed a silent message between them. They had both felt the presence of dozens of Hollows suddenly appearing in Karakura. Rukia was oblivious to them as she was confused about her Hollows disappearing and then reappearing again.
"Go." Urahara said quietly to her. From what they could both sense, Hollows were all over the town. It would take more then a Quincy and Shinigami to deal with all of them. Sanae nodded and slipped into the back rooms just as Rukia realized what was going on as she sprinted out of the shop.
Sanae opened the door to the weapons hold as she spotted the tools that the others used. Her weapon was sat at the end. Sanae picked up her ararebo, a wooden club with iron spikes about the length of her forearm. A long chain was attached to the end, for her to swing it around. With a smirk on her face, knowing that it had been a long time since she had wielded this weapon she walked back out to the front of the shop. Urahara was waiting for her with Tessai.
"Oh look at you. Been a while since you've been in a real Hollow battle again." Urahara said with a cheeky smirk.
Sanae twirled the club then rested it against her shoulder, "Should be fun."
"Tessai and I have other matters to attend to, we should meet up with you soon. Think you can handle a few Hollows?"
Sanae scoffed, "Come on, Urahara. I've been dealing with Hollows long before you entered the academy. Now that Kurosaki-kun knows that I'm not some defenseless girl I can really show what I'm made of." Urahara smiled knowingly as he and Tessai left the shop.
Sanae beamed as she glanced at her club again and took off towards the nearest Hollow.
Ichigo ran alongside Kon. He had to find his sisters, he thought back on what Ishida had said. He wasn't the only one with high reiatsu. His sisters were his main concern, but these Hollows were popping up all over the place. When he had thought about his sisters in danger, he had also recalled another person who had high reiatsu.
Sanae.
He had no idea where she was; he had to have faith that wherever she was she wasn't being stupid. He didn't have time to go and search for her properly. One; because these Hollows took main priority, and two; he didn't actually know how to find a person by their reiatsu.
"Kon," Ichigo said to the mod soul inhabiting his body. "Go and find my sisters. Keep them safe for me." Kon nodded. He seemed to focus hard on something before he located Yuzu and Karin's location and leapt off towards them. Ichigo narrowed his gaze just as a Hollow appeared before him. He drew his sword and with a roar sliced the beast.
X
Sanae turned the corner on the street and halted as she saw the Hollow forming in front of her. She slipped her wrist into the metal loop that was attached to the chain from the club and started swinging it around like a lasso. The Hollow spotted her and began charging towards her. When it was close enough, and with a loud cry, Sanae released the club as it went streaking through the air and hit the Hollow in the center of it's mask and through to the other side. Sanae jerked the chain back as the club returned to her as she caught it. The Hollow screamed and disappeared, having been cleansed and returning to Soul Society. Sanae smirked to herself. She sensed a few more Hollow a mile away from her current position and started running towards them.
'This is insane, what could have drawn so many Hollows to Karakura like this?' Sanae thought to herself.
Sometime in the last 600 years.
"Alright you bunch of scallywags, listen up!" A short, azure haired girl hollered over the crowd. Her arms were crossed over her white kosode as her sapphire eyes narrowed suspiciously at the group of academy students. Sanae was standing in the middle of two of her classmen as the two men surveyed their group of around twenty academy fourth years.
"You all know why you're here," Sanae started. "Me and these two are in the graduating class this year, and it's our job to take you lot out into the human world for the first time for some Hollow simulations."
There was a murmur of worry, some of the students scared about leaving for the first time. Sanae sighed and rubbed her forehead as she gazed over the students again. "Look, I know it's scary. I remember the first time I went to the human world, but this is something we've all got to do." The students started to listen more intently to her words. "This is why you're here aren't you? We're Shinigami. Do not seek beauty in battle. Do not seek virtue in death. Do not make the mistake of considering only your own life. If you wish to protect that which you must protect, slice the enemy from behind." Sanae recited the Academy's commandment that had been drilled into her from day one. She could see the students faces hardening in determination. The whispers of worry had turned into excitement.
"The area we are going to is completely safe," Sanae told them. "Our other classmen have spent the day erecting barriers to keep the real Hollow's out until we're ready for them. Also, two Captains are going to be joining us. There isn't really a threat here."
"Who are the Captains?" A boy said, with brown wavy hair hanging over his spectacle covered eyes.
"No idea," Sanae shrugged.
"Oh, Sanae-channnn!" A familiar drawl sang off to the left. Sanae groaned loudly and sagged her shoulders. The crowd started to part as excited whispers rang through the group of students.
'Are they the Captains?'
'Look! That's Kyoraku-taicho! And Ukitake-taicho.'
'Man they're so awesome! I heard they became captains straight after completing at the academy.'
"Alright that's enough!" Sanae barked loudly, placing her hands on her hips and glaring at the two tall men approaching her. "You all need to focus if you want to come back in one piece." Sanae glared at the students menacingly.
Kyoraku sauntered over to her, his floral cape flowing out behind him as Ukitake approached her more calmly and professionally. Both Captains took their positions up behind Sanae as the girl motioned to her two classmates to get started with the portal. Sanae watched as Kyoraku and Ukitake spoke to a few academy students while explaining to them their own experiences with fighting Hollows and their academy days. With a roll of her eyes at the display Kyoraku was putting on Sanae noticed a student having trouble tying his practice Zanpakuto onto his belt. Sanae walked over to the sandy haired boy and reached out to tie it for him.
"Here, let me help. It took me a while to figure out a good way to tie it." Sanae smiled gently as she felt the boys slate grey eyes focus on her.
"Thank you. I'm still a bit new to everything."
Sanae finished tying it and grinned over at him, "There. All done. What's your name?" She inquired politely.
The boy grinned pleasantly, "Urahara. Urahara Kisuke."
Sanae grunted in pain as she was swatted to the side from the Hollow. She rolled on the floor, her ararebo flying from her grip and landing a few meters away. The Hollow roared above her and its large spiked hand came crashing down towards her. Sanae, using all of her strength, rolled herself out of the way and jumped up onto her feet. The ground under her feet was breaking up from the force of the Hollows punch. The Hollow, realizing that Sanae was still up and running, started charging for her. Sanae knew she couldn't take on the Hollow without her ararebo, and she had been using too much of her Kido in her Gigai form so her spells would no longer be as powerful.
Sanae saw her weapon on the other side of the Hollow. There was only one way she was going to be getting that weapon. Her eyes narrowed on the Hollow as it charged towards her. With a deep breath Sanae began running towards the creature. When they were inches apart the Hollow made to swipe at her again but Sanae used her momentum to launch herself underneath the beast. She skidded along the gravel, the ground ripping into some of her exposed flesh as she felt the skin tear. Her hair grazed along the belly of the Hollow. She didn't waste any time, as soon as she was clear she straightened up and sprinted for her weapon. The Hollow realized what had happened as it screeched loudly and spun around.
Sanae reached for her ararebo, picking up the club and chain as she held it tightly in her hands. Now that she was armed once more the Hollow was fodder to her. With a powerful attack Sanae finished the Hollow as it was cleansed and sent on its way.
Sanae breathed a hearty sigh of relief. Her body hunched over as she braced her hands on her knees. That fight had taken a lot out of her. She suddenly felt a sharp sting on her left arm as she glanced down at it. She had a deep gash from the Hollow's claw on her upper arm. It wasn't bleeding profusely but steadily. She also had rips on her right side of her jeans from when she had skidded underneath the Hollow. She didn't care about the jeans but she could feel the cuts on her skin.
Two loud Hollow cries sounded off behind Sanae. The girl felt a cold shiver down her spine as she turned just in time to see the two Hollows appear in the picnic area she was in. Sanae swore loudly as she braced herself for the upcoming fight. Both Hollows were advancing towards her as Sanae began swinging her ararebo around and around over her head. Just as the Hollow's were a few meters away Sanae felt a prickling sensation of sensing someone approaching at a fast speed. She heard footsteps and a war cry as a figure in black soared overhead and sliced horizontally across the two Hollow masks.
"Ichigo!" Sanae cried in relief as the carrot top landed with his back facing her. The Hollows both stumbled and let out painful wails as they disappeared into nothing but particles.
Ichigo turned to face her as he swung his sword around and placed it against his shoulder, "Hey, you ok?" He asked nonchalantly. Sanae nodded gingerly. Ichigo turned his whole body and started walking towards her. "Your arm," he stated.
Sanae glanced down at it quickly, "I'll be fine. Do you have any idea about what's going on? Why are all the Hollows appearing here?"
Ichigo's eyebrows knitted together, "A guy from school did this. He's challenged me to see who can kill the most Hollows. It was like he used some bait or something."
Sanae jaw dropped in disbelief, "You have got to be kidding me? Is he that stupid to think that something like that is to be used for some stupid, childish game?"
"Apparently."
Sanae shook her head, "I'll kill him myself if I find him."
Ichigo stared down at her while she spoke, but then something caught his attention from the corner of his eye. He looked up into the sky, seeing small black cracks. "What the hell…" He muttered.
Sanae followed his gaze, turning around and searching the blue sky for whatever Ichigo was seeing. Her sapphire eyes widened when she saw the black jagged cracks in the sky. "Dammit," Sanae swore. "I was afraid of this happening."
"What?" Ichigo questioned. "What is that?"
Sanae spun around, "I don't have time to explain." Sanae pointed off to the left, "Head that way. You'll come to Rukia and a whole bunch of Hollows."
"And what about you?" Ichigo asked, halting Sanae by her arm as she had tried to run off already.
Sanae removed her arm from his hold, "Don't worry about me. I'll find you later, for now get going otherwise a lot of people are going to get hurt." Sanae gave Ichigo a light nudge in the direction she wanted him to go. When she was sure that Ichigo was going to listen to her Sanae sprinted in the opposite direction to him. Ichigo watched her for a moment before setting off in the direction Sanae had told him that Rukia was in.
"M-Menos Grande…" Sanae said in awe. Her eyes were as wide as saucers as she watched the ginormous Hollow appearing before her eyes in Karakura Town. Sanae's hands gripped the railing of the bridge so tight that the metal could have dented under her grip. Her whole body felt cold as she watched the hulking monster leer out of the Garganta and step into Karakura.
"Kagawa-chan…"
Sanae's head snapped to the left, recognizing the voice immediately as Orihime. Sanae met Orihime's grey eyes. She noticed a boy with Orihime—or was that a man? Wait, it was Chad, a guy that hung around Ichigo a lot.
"Kagawa-chan, can you see it too?" Orihime asked her. Chad looked over at her also. Sanae looked at both teenagers before sighing and reluctantly nodding her head. Chad didn't look fazed but her acknowledgment but Orihime was pleasantly shocked but tried to hide it.
"You called it a...Menos…Grande?" Orihime asked.
Before Sanae could answer her she felt an immense power collecting at the Menos. Sanae stared at the Menos, watching in horror as she saw a pool of ruby energy collecting at its mouth. "Shit! It's going to use a cero." Orihime and Chad both gazed at her in confusion and worry as Sanae suddenly leapt over the railing and landed on the ground gracefully. She didn't waste a heartbeat as she took off, running as fast as she could towards the Menos.
X
Sanae emerged from the trees into the park where she could sense a whole bunch of reiatsu from those people that she knew. There was one unfamiliar to her and Sanae guessed it to be the prick that had started this whole 'Challenge' thing.
"Kurosaki! What are you doing?" A voice yelled.
Sanae saw them. One was a tall boy, with dark hair and glasses. She wasn't that surprised to recognize him as the Quincy that she had met the other night. He was currently yelling at Ichigo who was running towards the Menos with his Zanpakuto in hand. Sanae's jaw dropped in horror. Ichigo couldn't possibly be thinking about taking on a Menos Grande? He would never survive the cero! It normally took a few captains if the Royal Guard couldn't get there in time. He was insane!
"Ichigo!" Sanae screamed his name in a panic. Sanae saw him turn his head slightly to see her standing there. He didn't falter in his run, instead his gaze hardened as he faced the Menos. "You cant—"
Sanae couldn't finish her sentence as the force of the Menos releasing its Cero threw her back. Hot air blasted her face as she shielded some of it with her arms. Sanae managed to open her eyes against the heat and colour. She expected to see nothing, Ichigo having been blown to pieces by the Menos' attack. Instead she stood there in awe, watching Ichigo brace his Zanpakuto against the cero. The cero was parted, with Ichigo using all his force to push back at it.
Ichigo…Sanae thought airily. Just who are you?
Ichigo let out an almighty roar, and Sanae felt his reiatsu explode. The force of his power shook her to her core as she watched the cero get reflected back up the Menos, slicing it but not enough to kill it. The Menos was halted in its tracks, and then it slowly started to back up. Sanae watched with wide eyes as the Menos repaired the rip in the sky and disappeared from Karakura town.
Ichigo turned, his tawny brown gaze meeting hers for a second. Sanae couldn't believe what she had just seen…it was unheard of for anyone expect a high level Shinigami to force a Menos back to Hueco Mundo. But Ichigo—a human—he had done it. He hadn't killed the creature, but he sure as hell didn't loose to it. He had forced it away. If Ichigo was concerned by her shell-shocked expression, he didn't show it. Instead he ignored Ishida's shrill voice, then collapsed to the floor. And then his Reiatsu exploded.
A/N
If you looked in the dictionary and found the word 'guilty' you would see a picture of me there. I am terribly sorry it has taken me months to get another chapter out. I hit a massive writers block after last chapter and couldn't get over it. I even came close to deleting the story because I wanted to start another one in a new fandom. But I didn't! I thought to myself 'nope. I've committed to this story so I can't back out now. Don't get me wrong I love Bleach and the fanbase it was just my crazy head telling me otherwise. I know most of you will understand but I'm not going anywhere. I told myself I cannot take this one down as I have readers who want me to finish this, and I will. I don't know how long it'll take me but I will.
Anyway, I know its been so long and many of you may have forgotten about this lil ole' story, but hi, me again! Hope you all enjoyed the chapter. I know it's a bit play by play but next chapter will have more original scenes as we get into Renji and Byakuya coming to town! Oooooh I'm excited, what do you think's gonna happen with Sanae? Is she going to stay hidden? Or is she going to do something crazy? You'll have to wait and find out!
Nixxion Mysterio - Gah! I feel terrible for not updating because you have literally reviewed each chapter from the very beginning! Again I'm so sorry but I live for your reviews so much, they always make me happy to have sucj great conversations with you. At least I gave you some answers about her age this chapter hahah! It's the least I could do for making you wait so long on me. Ishida was like a jack in the box, and so was this chapter with the menos. God the good stuff starts happening next chapter! Thank you again lovely and I hope to see your name pop up again!
ukitakeitalialover041757 - Thank you! Sorry for the god awful wait time on this.
Maryam Clarus - Thank you so much! More orignal scene's will be popping up next chapter!
Tosha232 - Sorry for the wait! Inspiration took its time to come but hopefully i'm over it now!
scarlet.g.13 - Sorry to keep you waiting!
Tonami-chan - I'm glad you're excited but so sorry for the long ass wait!
Thank you to those who reviewed and I'll see you all soon for another chapter!