Chapter 9: Shadows in the Night

Chen's Noodle House, Karakura Town

In Karakura Town, there is a locally popular noodle restaurant known as 'Chen's Noodle House'. The interior has a register towards the entrance, where customers can pay for their meals. In the middle, taking up most of the restaurant is a revolving conveyor, which transports various foods placed in plastic disposable bowls, including sushi and, of course, noodles. Inside the walls of the conveyor loop, which the customers may see through the short glass barrier, two employees prepare the food on various stoves. Lining the outside of the conveyor are green booths with leather seating. Ginjo had selected a four-person booth, seating himself next to the conveyor and Yuzu next to him.

Candice's eye twitches as she listens begrudgingly to the noodle enthusiast seated diagonally from her. Yuzu, seated across from Candice, still wears the white cape she got from the older Quincy, earning her some passing glances from others inside the restaurant. The girl shifts nervously as she notices the green-haired woman's patience visually plummet. To Candice's right, Bambietta, now without her glasses on, wears a curious expression as she fiddles with a pair of chopsticks. A full bowl of noodles sits in front of her, although she is too entranced by the chopsticks to care.

Ginjo finishes his lecture, "…and that's how I came to be a regular here. I'll tell you, there isn't anything like this place where I live—but the train ride is worth it, in my opinion."

"That's wonderful…", Candice states with obvious sarcasm, her annoyance evident.

The woman then shifts her gaze toward the girl across from her, "And do you plan on discussing that 'agreement' you mentioned?"

The black-haired man smirks, "Why yes, we can do that now if you want."

Candice's eyes widen as she slams a fist on the table, loudly stating, "YES! I've wanted that for the last ten minutes!"

The woman's actions attract curious looks from a few of the other customers, seated in other booths.

Ginjo frowns, pouting, "Alright, alright. You don't have to yell…"

The man starts discussing terms as Bambietta continues fiddling with the chopsticks, now with an irritated expression, "Ugh! These damned things are impossible! Who thought using two sticks to eat was a good idea?! Where are the forks at?"

The black-haired woman promptly drops the chopsticks before looking around the room in an attempt to find the utensils. She glances over the entrance briefly, shifting her gaze past it, before abruptly shifting it back on the entrance, taking in the sight of a tall man with long, blonde hair wearing a black business suit, not far off what she is wearing. She flinches as she notes that the man is staring directly at her. The woman's heart sinks as the man turns and walks out of the door after saying something to the cashier.

Bambietta shoots out of her chair, "Can we put this on hold? W-we… uh…"

Ginjo raises a brow as Candice looks in shock at her companion.

Bambietta looks around before her gaze once more shifts over to the cashier taking a hit of a cigarette in the corner of the room, causing an idea to form in her head.

She sends Candice a serious look, "We're on the clock, remember… we've gotta do that…"

The green-haired woman tilts her head curiously, "That…?"

The dark-haired woman grits her teeth in mild frustration before grabbing her partner's arm and walking towards the entrance, ignoring the other woman's protests, "We're going out to have a smoke! We'll be back in a minute!"

Ginjo raises a brow as he watches the women leave the restaurant.

After the women are gone, Yuzu turns her attention to the man next to her, "Thank you for stepping in there, Ginjo… I was afraid they'd take me away…"

Ginjo cracks a smile at this, "Don't mention it. I always like to look out for my people, believe it or not!"

Yuzu nods wordlessly before looking down at her food.

Outside

Right outside the entrance of the shop, Candice shakes herself out of Bambietta's grip, snapping at the woman with an annoyed tone, "What the hell is this about, Bambi—?!"

"What seems to be the holdup, Catnipp?", a stern, emotionless voice utters from behind the woman in question.

Candice instinctually spins on her heel, coming face to face with Jugram Haschwalth.

The woman's expression turns to one of dread, "S-sir! I can explain—!"

Haschwalth cuts her off again, "I'm sure you can, given how I find that not only one of our Sternritters is deployed, but two."

The blonde man sends a look at Bambietta, who looks away guiltily.

He shifts his gaze back to the lime blonde, "His Majesty is beginning to wonder if you'll ever come back… explain yourselves."

Candice anxiously gives her excuse, sweating bullets, "Well sir, w-we had the girl in our clutches and were about leave w-when some guy c-comes i-i-in and black-b-b-b-mails u-us! H-he claims h-he'll tell the Sh-shinigami we were here if we take her!"

Haschwalth maintains his passive expression, "First, speak properly when I ask you to report."

This causes the woman to flinch, "Yes, sir!"

The blonde man continues, "Second, what is this guy's name?"

Candice responds immediately, "Kugo Ginjo."

Haschwalth's eyes widen slightly after hearing this, "Kugo Ginjo…? I see…"

The green-haired woman wears a slightly concerned expression, "Do you… know him, sir?"

The man shakes his head, "No… but I know of him. I heard that was the name of the Substitute Shinigami who rebelled against the Soul Society a few years ago… the Shinigami want him dead."

The women exchange a look before Bambietta scoffs, "So, he's not their ally... he's probably bluffing, then. Which means we can kill him and be done with it, right?"

Haschwalth puts a hand on his chin, thinking, "...that's certainly an option, considering he is indeed bluffing as you assume. But I'd strongly advise against that."

The black-haired woman raises an annoyed brow, "Huh? Why?"

Haschwalth's gaze is intense, "I heard that when Kugo Ginjo rebelled against the Soul Society, he had very little regard for his own life. He went on a rampage, reportedly leaving a trail of blood in his wake. After a while, however, his killings became much more covert and infrequent. Given this information, I'm not risking our element of surprise on the assumption that Kugo Ginjo isn't willing to go down with us."

Bambietta and Candice give each other troubled looks before turning their attention back to the man.

The green-haired woman asks cautiously, "Alright... then what do we do? His Majesty still wants the girl..."

The blonde man closes his eyes, appearing to be deep in thought for a few moments. The man's brows furrow, as if this situation is particularly irksome.

Suddenly, his expression settles as he opens his eyes once more, "If you play your cards right, you can ensure that Yuzu Kurosaki is adequately trained AND secure Kugo Ginjo as an ally—or rather, a pawn."

Candice holds back a scoff, "You want us to team up with that ramen-loving idiot? I don't think he's trustworthy..."

Haschwalth glares intensely at the lime blonde, causing her to flinch, before turning his gaze to the other woman, "And how do you feel about this, Basterbine?"

Bambietta gives her superior a blank look, "I agree with Candice, sir. You said it yourself; his track record for betrayal is not ideal."

The blonde nods, "I agree with both of you, naturally, but as it stands, this is our safest and only option."

Candice wonders aloud, "So, are you going to try negotiating with him?"

Haschwalth replies, maintaining his passive stature, "Of course not. I cannot, under any circumstances, be seen by that man. He knows too much about us as it is. I will leave it to the two of you to convince him that he is on our side."

The women are silent at this as they glance at each other.

Noting their silence, the blonde asks, "Is there a problem?"

Candice looks ready to argue, but he cuts her off, "Need I remind you that you are both dead should you fail to secure Yuzu Kurosaki?"

The green-haired woman sighs, "I'm just wondering how you expect us to pull that off, sir... we're soldiers, not manipulators."

Haschwalth scoffs at this, "Please. I'm aware of the number of Soldats the two of you have lured to your rooms. You should have no issue similarly seducing this man."

Candice's jaw drops at the man's blunt analysis of their 'hobby', while Bambietta merely looks away silently, not denying the presumption.

The blonde continues, "You need not seduce him, of course. Any manner of manipulation will suffice."

The lime blonde's face is a bit red as she states, "So... you want one of us to seduce him right now and take the girl while he's distracted?"

Haschwalth shakes his head, "No. For a man as sharp as him, something as spontaneous as that wouldn't work. You two will need to gradually make him gain your trust... or perhaps only one of you does that... it makes no difference to me. Yuzu Kurosaki must also grow to trust you… His Majesty does not want someone who cannot be swayed to fight for our cause."

Bambietta's eyes narrow as she asks seriously, "How long are you giving us?"

The older Quincy gives her a look before he begins to turn and walk away, "You now will have any time up until the promised day. It might take some persuasion with His Majesty, but that is the most I can give you. Two years..."

The women watch their superior walk away, fading into the darkness of the night.

After a moment, Bambietta huffs, "I never expected I'd be ordered to charm someone… how stupid…"

The green-haired woman snorts, "As if you could actually get him interested in you!"

The black-haired Quincy frowns, "Oh, and why not?"

Candice states, matter-of-factly, poking her companion with her finger to emphasize her words, "You're immature and have zero game!"

Bambietta bats away the other woman's hand, "Oh yeah? What do you call all of the Soldats I took to my room?"

"Abusing your superior position to ensnare desperate, pent-up men who would probably fuck anything.", the green-haired woman states bluntly.

Candice strides back inside the noodle house, having made her point.

Bambietta growls, her face red and fumes steaming from her ears, "I'll show you!"

With that, she re-enters the restaurant as well before the pair of Quincies return to their seats.

Ginjo remarks, while chewing on some sushi, "What kind of smoke break was that? You two smoke a whole pack or something, 'cause I sure can't smell it if you did…"

The lime blonde waves her hand playfully, adopting a friendly expression, "Oh yeah, Bambi here is a big-time addict! Smokes like a chimney! It's kind of a problem—OW!"

The woman yelps as Bambietta kicks her in the shin.

The black-haired woman in question then smirks at the man, "Do you like to smoke, Kugo?"

The Fullbringer puts his hand out, to grab another bowl of food before he suddenly pauses, catching his words in his mouth and raising a brow, "Isn't it a bit early for you to be calling me by my given name?"

Bambietta huffs, "Well, I thought it was appropriate, given that we'll be working very closely from now on…~"

The man raises a brow, "Uh…"

Candice notices even Yuzu has stopped eating her food, looking at the woman with a look of shock and confusion.

The green-haired woman slaps her forehead, "I knew it! He's creeped out!"

Ginjo snaps out of his trance, shifting his gaze towards the conveyor, the food he intended to grab missing and now in the hands of a long-haired boy with a nose ring and chain extending to his ear.

The boy sneers at him, stating obnoxiously, "You snooze, you lose, old man!"

The boy turns away to regard his friends, who are all laughing "You told him, man!"

Ginjo sighs, a bit offended, "Old? I'm only 26…"

Bambietta frowns, "Are you just going to let them off the hook? I wouldn't."

Yuzu and Candice both flinch at this, knowing that the woman's words are true.

The Fullbringer shrugs, "Eh, some people are just like that…"

The black-haired woman wears a discontent expression, "If you say so…"

Ginjo smirks, getting back on topic, "In any case, I take it the two of you did more than smoking out there… what did you talk about?"

The women share a look before Candice glances at Yuzu, who rubs her eyes sleepily. The girl notices the woman's stare, which prompts her to shift to a nervous expression.

The green-haired woman explains, "We… realized the error of our ways. If you want to train with us, kid, then you can. But we will not force anything onto you—and we certainly won't… um…"

The woman bites her lip, not wanting to say it.

Yuzu furrows her brows, now wearing an angry expression, "You won't kidnap me now, is that it?"

Candice rubs the back of her neck, "Yeah…"

The blonde girl closes her eyes, seemingly thinking about something, before smiling widely at the woman, "Well that's good! I'm happy we could help you two become better people!"

The Quincies both sweat drop at this as the girl turns towards the Fullbringer next to her, "Can we finish talking about this tomorrow? It's almost my bedtime and I have school in the morning…"

Ginjo nods, "Sure. I'm a regular here so they just put whatever I get on a tab. I'll cover this meal, so you two don't have to worry about paying."

Candice smirks in satisfaction, "I didn't take you as a gentleman."

The man sighs, a twinge of annoyance now on his face, "Well those kids took me as an old man… seems a lot of people like to assume things about me…"

The group leaves the establishment before they walk through the streets, heading toward a specific clinic.

Kurosaki Clinic

Once the group arrives at the Kurosaki Clinic, Ginjo waves the trio of Quincies off, "Let's keep in touch! And remember, if I don't see Kurosaki tomorrow, they will know! ~"

Candice scoffs as she places her hands on her hips, watching the man leave, "I take it back, he's not a gentleman!"

Yuzu now wears a curious expression as she looks at the lime blonde, "Um… Candice, can I ask you a question?"

The green-haired woman gives the girl a blank stare before nodding, "Sure, kid. What do you want to know?"

The blonde girl answers promptly, "You told me that I should seek out Ryuken Ishida to help develop my Quincy powers. I thought that you meant I should train with him, so why are you here?"

This causes Candice to wear a contemplative expression, considering an excuse to tell the girl as telling her the real reason would be less than ideal.

Suddenly, she comes up with something before offering the girl an explanation, "Our… boss has determined that Ishida's methods are far too slow and inefficient to train you, so the two of us are here to do it instead."

This causes Yuzu to become upset, "My uncle is a far better Quincy than both of you combined!"

The lime blonde raises her voice at the girl in response, getting slightly ticked off, "Ryuken Ishida is a traitor to the Quincies! He hates us! I'll bet he's not even going to train you himself! Assuming he even can…"

The young girl flinches at the woman yelling at her, but something inside her finds the words so unacceptable that she looks ready to argue. However, as she is about to speak, she recalls Ryuken's letter and holds her tongue, not fully willing to come to terms with what she has already started to suspect in the back of her mind.

Unlike Candice who lashed out at the girl, Bambietta has a contemplative look on her face, "Uncle? Interesting… it seems she neglected to tell me that there was a connection between this girl and the other Quincies in the living world."

The green-haired Quincy, still a bit ticked off, opens her mouth to say something more to the girl but stops when she notices the other Sternritter giving her a look as she mouths the word, "Don't."

The electric woman regains her bearings in response and bends down so that she is at eye level with the girl, "You must have noticed how that man, I mean, your uncle, doesn't use his Quincy powers. That's because he ain't actually proud to be a Quincy. That's all I meant to say."

Yuzu looks at the woman with a pitiful expression, not wanting to consider that her uncle takes no pride in being a Quincy.

Candice sighs, "Don't get me wrong, your uncle is an extremely talented Quincy—that's why we approached him to begin with. It's just that he doesn't believe in our cause—the Quincy cause—anymore. He chooses not to use his powers. That's why he refused to join us. If he did actively use his powers, we wouldn't even need to be here as you probably would already be well underway in your training."

The blonde girl responds with a desperate expression, "But he told me that Uryu would train me when he's feeling better! They'll both teach me!"

The woman falters, turning her gaze away from the girl.

Bambietta scoffs as she decides to chime in, "Oh really? How could a boy who can't even protect himself from Hollows possibly teach you how to use your powers against them? I'd laugh if it weren't so pathetic."

Candice glares at the other woman, "Stay out of this!"

Bambietta immediately becomes silent as she shifts to a bored expression. The lime blonde turns back to Yuzu and can see tears start to form in the girl's eyes. Many thoughts rush through the woman's head, however, looking at the girl's tearful expression, she can't help but be reminded of her past, which comes in blurbs from various points in time:

"Don't let these Shinigami get away with this…"

"Your father was a loyal man to the end… you will follow in his footsteps…"

"This isn't something that is up for debate… kill them."

"I grant you the Schrift: T…"

Candice looks the girl over, the innocence on her face overwhelming her, "I'm sure, that look on her face is the same one I had… right before my life turned to shit…"

The woman's gaze once more softens, "That's right… I never had a choice… none of us did, not really… but she… she's different…"

After a long moment, Candice lets out a sigh, seemingly making up her mind, "I know it is a lot to take in, so I'll say it again: if you aren't willing to learn from us, then we'll respect your wishes and leave you alone. But if you do decide to learn from us… well, just put on that cape and we'll know."

Bambietta wears an alarmed expression at the woman's words, "But Candy—!"

"It's fine. If she doesn't want to join us, she'll only be a thorn in our side… I'll take all the responsibility for this…", the lime blonde offers her companion a reassuring expression, which only seems to make the other Sternritter tremble in rage.

After a moment, Bambietta stops the trembling before letting out a sigh, "I'll see you at the 'apartment', then…"

The black-haired woman walks through the front gate, making her exit. Candice stands up to her full height before regarding the younger Quincy with what looks to be a forced friendly expression, "See ya around kid…"

Candice then turns on her heel, giving Yuzu a wave as she follows her partner back out into the darkness of the night. The blonde girl stares at the two women, who now appear to her as nothing more than shadows. She considers their offer and looks down, pulling something out of her pocket. She inspects the letter in her hand, determining that she'll need to talk to her uncle about this conversation in the morning.

Hueco Mundo

Within a particular cave in Hueco Mundo, White slumbers peacefully—a rare occurrence considering nearly every Hollow in Las Noches is after him. Gradually, his dreams feed him memories of his life. The faces of two human girls show up in his mind.

White's Dream

"Those are… my sisters!", he concludes as the scope of the dream widens to show the two sitting on a couch watching some television program where some kid with a ball cap is running around with a yellow rodent creature.

But that isn't of concern to White as he tries to focus on listening to the girls, one of which, with light blonde hair, is paying particular attention to the TV program. However, he is unable to hear anything in this dreamlike state, let alone the girl's voice. He focuses some more, trying to read their lips but starts to feel a pain in his chest that forces the dream to end.

Hueco Mundo

Snapping back to reality, White feels something slithering along his body. His eyes shoot open just in time to realize a large bony centipede-like Adjucha has wrapped itself around him. The centipede is alarmed by the dragon's awakening and instantly tries to constrict him. However, he effortlessly breaks free of the creature before a scorpion Adjucha bursts from the ground. It tries grabbing him with its claws and quickly follows up with a stinger attack. The dragon's tail wraps around the scorpion's own at the last second, preventing entry of the stinger as his front legs easily overpower the scorpion's claws. He tosses both insect-like Adjuchas aside with ease and distances himself to the cave entrance, where he can see them better.

He examines the two Adjuchas curiously. Though they resemble insects, they have almost human female-shaped torsos near their fronts. The centipede Adjucha's legs are similar to bladed spikes, and she also seems to possess two large tentacle-like appendages for arms. The scorpion Adjucha has claws which sprout out from the shoulders on her human torso. Their masks are identical, which is quite an unusual occurrence in Hueco Mundo.

White couldn't help but admire their appearance, "These two would be quite intimidating to other, lesser Adjuchas… But not me!"

The centipede Adjucha speaks first, "Damn, he woke up… you should have been ready, Menoly."

"Easier said than done, Loly. I wasn't expecting him to react that fast.", the scorpion replies.

"There's no excuse, sister… our ambushes never fail. You hesitated!", the centipede shouts at her companion.

The scorpion examines the dragon more carefully, gulping after making a realization, "Wait… that's not just any dragon Adjucha! Do you see the orange hair?! That's White!"

"What?! Don't be ridiculous! I'm sure there are plenty of dragon Adjuchas with orange hair… plus, if this is White, we would be dead already!", her companion shoots back, in denial.

Normally, the dragon would have simply killed them both without mercy and gone back to sleep, but something about these two seems promising to him.

White decides to interrupt their argument, "Actually, my name is White…"

A momentary silence befalls the two Adjuchas as his words settle in.

"Oh shit…", Menoly says worriedly.

"We're screwed then!", Loly cries as her eyes widen in fear.

The dragon sighs at their behavior, "Am I really that infamous?"

"Are you kidding me?! Everyone in Hueco Mundo has heard about you—the hotshot orange-haired dragon Adjucha who mercilessly kills any Hollow he comes across—so fearsome that he managed to wound Barragan!", Loly shouts in utter disbelief of the other Adjucha's lack of self-awareness.

This causes White to snort carelessly, "Whatever… I'm leaving."

"So, wait! You're not going to kill us…?", the scorpion asks, surprised.

The dragon briefly glances back, "I can if you want me to… I mean, you did just try to kill me."

"We're sorry… please don't kill us, White! We don't like King Barragan either!", Menoly tries to justify.

Her companion seems annoyed by her quick submissiveness and huffs, "Don't kiss his ass, Menoly. He'll probably just kill us anyway."

White turns around, fully facing the two, "So, you two don't like that asshole Barragan either, huh? Why's that?"

Loly scoffs at the question, "What kind of stupid question is that? You clearly haven't been here long if you don't know what kind of ruler he is."

"If his terrible personality is anything to go off of, I would assume I do know…", the dragon muses.

The centipede taunts, "So, why aren't you trying to kill us?"

This causes her companion's eyes to widen in concern, "Loly! Don't antagonize him!"

White merely shrugs, "You're both too weak… eating you wouldn't really get me closer to becoming a Vasto Lorde…"

"…or ridding myself of this pain in the ass…", he finishes mentally, feeling the constantly deteriorating wound on his chest.

Loly ignores him, taking issue with the first half of that statement.

"Why you!", the centipede prepares to lunge at the dragon, but her companion holds her back with her claws.

"Wise choice… uh, 'Menoly'? If your sister had gotten any closer, I'm afraid I'd have gone feral and killed you both. Still on the table, by the way.", the orange-haired predator reminds.

"Um… thank you, Master White!", the scorpion begins performing bowing motions.

Both White and Loly become confused at this.

"The hell?", they say simultaneously, which causes them to look at each other briefly before both of them snort and look away.

Before White leaves, Menoly tells him one last thing, "Thank you for your mercy, Master White! We will be rooting for your success in becoming a Vasto Lorde!"

He glances back at the two, "Yeah… Maybe I'll come back and visit you two again one day…"

The dragon then spreads its wings and takes off, in search of worthy prey.

The scorpion turns around and starts scolding her sister, "You idiot! I can't believe you're my sister! What were you doing trying to provoke him like that?! He took on Barragan and he isn't even a Vasto Lorde!"

Loly replies, carelessly, "So what? Just because he's strong doesn't mean we have to kiss his ass, Menoly. Plus, I don't really think he's as strong as the rumors say he is. Otherwise, he'd have succeeded in defeating Barragan."

Menoly sighs, "If you say so…"

Morning, Kurosaki Clinic

Yuzu wakes early in the morning, as usual, and heads to the kitchen to fix breakfast for her, Ryuken, and Isshin. Near the sink, however, she finds a note in her father's handwriting before picking it up and reading it.

"Hey, kiddo! Looks like you already got in touch with Ryuken! He's a family friend who grew up with your mother. Of course, it wasn't easy convincing him to let me marry her—he also recognized Masaki's loveliness! I know he'll take good care of you!

On that note, it tears me apart that I'm so busy and can't be there for you right now, but duty calls!

Karin's exchange program and business are keeping me busy, but I'll be back home as soon as I can—I promise you that.

If you need support or someone to talk to, please turn to Ryuken while I'm away. I know he's a little rough around the edges, but trust me, he genuinely does care about those he considers family. I'll be home as soon as I can.

Love, Dad."

"Oh, Daddy… I wish you were here right now; I don't know what to do…!", the girl murmurs to herself, strongly wanting to run into her dad's arms and see those dumb goofy expressions on his face.

She wipes some tears from her eyes as she hears a knock on the door.

Yuzu perks up, "That must be Uncle Ryuken…"

Suddenly, it feels like someone took a knife to her stomach as she recalls the conversation she had with the Quincy women last night—more specifically, her experience with Bambietta.

"I… don't like her… I want to learn my Quincy powers, and while Candice seems like a kind person at heart, Ms. Bambietta is scary… I don't want it to be her who teaches me…", the girl states sullenly as she paces about the room nervously.

Another knock prompts Yuzu to head to open the door, not particularly looking forward to the conversation with Ryuken.

"Please say you'll train me…", she thinks as she finally opens the door.

Upon opening the door, Yuzu is confused to find no one on the other side.

The girl frowns, "I'm not in the mood for pranks—"

Yuzu stops herself as she sees Ryuken's car pull up to the front gates.

The man promptly gets out and approaches her, "Good morning, my niece. Have you eaten breakfast yet?"

Yuzu shakes her head, "Actually, I was starting to cook it just now."

Ryuken adjusts his glasses, "I see… may I come in?"

The blonde girl nods with a polite smile, "Of course."

The white-haired man pauses, glancing at a building across the street.

Yuzu looks at the man with a worried expression, "Is something wrong?"

Ryuken once more adjusts his glasses, "No. Thank you for letting me inside your home."

On the roof of the building across the street, a silhouette appears that watches the two enter the clinic.

Ten Minutes Later

Yuzu and Ryuken quietly eat their food for what feels like an eternity to the young girl, who pokes anxiously at the grilled fish she has prepared.

Ryuken, after swallowing a piece of the fish, states, "You're cooking is quite good, considering how young you are. I daresay my servants have less skill for it than you do."

The girl continues to poke at her fish with a downcast expression, "Thank you… It's just something for me to do… Dad can't cook and Karin refuses to learn…"

The white-haired man narrows his eyes, observing his niece's behavior for another moment, before addressing her seriously, "Something happened yesterday. Something bad. Tell me."

Yuzu perks up at this, her eyes widening at being found out, "How did you—?"

"You're bad at hiding your emotions. That is something you share with both of your parents.", Ryuken states matter-of-factly.

The girl shifts nervously, biting her lip.

Her uncle elaborates, "No need to tell me about what you did with your friends yesterday or other menial details. If something is troubling you, it is now my responsibility to ensure it is no longer an issue."

Yuzu begins to cry as she places her face in her hands and weeps out incomprehensible statements.

Ryuken's eyes widen, "Please calm down, Yuzu! I can't understand you as you are right now."

The man's plea proves ineffective, prompting him to shift over and awkwardly embrace the girl due to the table separating them. The girl weeps for a few more moments as her uncle's silence and embrace cause her to start to think straight.

"Are you ready to explain this to me properly now?", Ryuken asks.

Yuzu's eyes widen, recalling Bambietta saying something similar last night, albeit in a completely different context. The girl breaks the embrace, stiffening a bit, which prompts her uncle to look at her with concern in his gaze.

The young blonde wipes her tears, "I think so…"

The bespectacled man nods, "Whenever you're ready."

Yuzu starts, "Well you see…"

About 5 Minutes Later

Ryuken clutches his fist as the girl concludes her explanation, his eyes containing a cold rage.

He eyes his niece, who still appears troubled, "So, you're saying they touched you…?"

Yuzu nods, "Yes… I was hoping you'd start to teach—"

"Unacceptable. For those devils to even so much as look at you is unforgivable. If they don't like me, fine! But you have nothing to do with this!", Ryuken slams his fist on the table, starting to lose his composure.

The girl hesitates, seeing the rage leaking out of her uncle's features, "Are you proud to be a Quincy?"

"Of course not.", Ryuken answers immediately with a scowl on his face.

Yuzu lets out a light gasp, which the man takes as an invitation to elaborate, "I hate being a Quincy with every fiber of my being. I lost all desire to be one the day my wife died. That's why I'm so hard on Uryu, because despite all my countless warnings of the dangers of being a Quincy, the boy, like the fool he is, still insists on being one!"

His niece lets out another breath, "Then why are you letting me become one?"

The white-haired man sighs, beginning to calm down, "There are two reasons for that. First, unlike Uryu, you actually have a talent for the Quincy Craft. I've felt your Reiatsu. Your potential, as a result of your parents, far exceeds anything a normal Quincy such as myself could ever achieve. Secondly, and more importantly, you are not my child—you are Masaki's. As I told you before, I believe that Masaki would have liked at least one of her children to take after her as a Quincy to some extent. Unlike myself, she took great pride in her abilities as a Quincy, as they allowed her to protect those she cared about."

This prompts Yuzu to clutch Masaki's cross in her hand and ask what she thinks is a simple question, "How come you don't think that way about your powers too? You could save a lot of people with them…"

Ryuken is silent for a while. The silence is so long that the girl begins to shift nervously as she hates long silences.

The man finally responds, "I once told Uryu that there wasn't any profit in being a Quincy, but I will tell you something different, as clearly you have found benefits to being one for yourself. The reason I don't view my powers in the manner your mother did is because I, like most people, am nothing but a coward. Masaki was truly special… she had the bravery to stand up against anything, no matter what it was."

The young blonde begins to protest, "No! Uncle, you're not a coward! You can't—"

"Don't you want to ask about your training?", the man asks, changing the topic.

Yuzu's eyes widen briefly before she nods her head, "Will you train me yourself?"

Ryuken is silent for a moment and lets out a sigh, "I made a promise to myself that I would never teach the Quincy Craft to another person unless it was a matter of life and death. Personally, I would prefer if the Quincy died out entirely."

The girl begins to hyperventilate a bit, "Does… does that mean I'll have to learn from the Stern—"

"Absolutely not.", her uncle cuts her off immediately.

Yuzu attempts to protest, "But—"

"This isn't up for debate, Miss Kurosaki.", Ryuken cuts her off once more, more coldly this time.

She furrows her brow, now wearing a frown, "These past two days, I've seen all kinds of spirits in Karakura Town—including a Hollow."

The man's eyes widen at this, "What—"

"I'm not done!", the girl cuts her uncle off, prompting him to listen with a slight scowl.

Yuzu continues, "I know that my potential is great… If I don't learn how to control myself, I'll end up putting everyone around me in danger by attracting Hollows… and Shinigami."

Ryuken counters, "The Shinigami aren't a threat to you—"

"It's not about that! Just think about how many people end up being hunted, one way or another, just because they can see spirits! I refuse to allow what happened to Ichigo to happen to anyone else!", the young Quincy declares with tears of frustration falling from her eyes.

Her uncle's eyes widen at the sight before him as the girl breathes heavily.

The man adjusts his glasses, "Those kinds of thoughts are the most sure-fire way to get yourself killed, girl. I won't let that happen."

Yuzu looks towards the floor, crying lightly, "Then you're just like Karin and Dad…! Treating me like I'm just some baby who needs to be protected…"

Ryuken's gaze softens by a degree as he observes her in silence for about a minute.

The man then lets out a sigh, "I'll explain why you are not to associate with the Sternritters."

This garners the girl's attention as she wipes the tears from her face, "I mentioned I would never teach the Quincy Craft unless it was a matter of life and death—well it certainly is, however, I assure you YOUR life is not the one in peril."

Yuzu blinks, "What do you mean? Whose life is in danger?"

Ryuken adjusts his glasses, "I told you I didn't agree with this 'Wandenreich' because they are too revolutionary for me. That much is true, however, there are other reasons I disapprove of them. Think about who it was that found you—who would've been the one who reported your existence to the higher-ups? If the organization wants you as a member and they sent this person back to get you, don't you think that there is a high chance that their life depends on if they return with you?"

The girl's eyes widen as this news is somehow even worse than her own life depending on her training.

"You don't mean…", Yuzu trails off.

"Indeed…", her uncle states, "…Candice Catnipp's life depends on you, my niece."

The young Quincy visibly recoils as the full weight of the meaning behind Candice's words from the previous night starts to set in, "She told me I'm free to do as I please when her life depends on it… why?"

The girl's thoughts are interrupted by the sound of her uncle raising his voice, "I won't allow you to be part of such an organization that treats its subordinates in that manner. Let her die. Do you understand?"

Yuzu brings herself to nod slowly, although the idea is completely and utterly disgusting to her.

Ryuken sighs, "Good."

The man turns, looking at his wristwatch, before picking up the dishes, "Finish getting ready for school. I'll handle the dishes. We'll leave in 3 minutes."

The girl dejectedly goes to pack her bag for school, unable to shake thoughts involving the Quincy woman from her mind.

Ryuken stares blankly at the sink as he scrubs the plates, "It seems like she's heeding my words… Good. She doesn't need to know the whole truth yet… someone her age shouldn't know about something like that…"

The man glances back at the young girl preparing her bag for school, "If she knew the real reason her mother died, it may break her…"

Author's Note:

I want to emphasize that I'd like to take my time to develop these characters and their relationships early on, that way it will make certain key scenes all the more impactful later on.

I am taking certain creative liberties with the Bambies if that wasn't already obvious.

Also, before anyone asks, yes… Chen's Noodle House is, in fact, a Ninjago reference. Ginjo has that whole thing about him liking ramen, so I thought, 'Why not?'