Chapter 17: Princess and Dragon

Ishida Estate

The next morning, Yuzu wakes up greeted by a maid, "Good morning, Miss Kurosaki. Did you sleep well?"

Yuzu obviously lies, given the dark rings under her eyes, "Yeah…"

The maid escorts Yuzu, who is still holding Kon, and Yoruichi, who follows closely behind, to a dining room.

Yuzu can feel the tension in the room as Ryuken and Uryu sit at completely opposite ends of the long dining table.

"Who should I choose… no fair…" Yuzu mentally pouts.

Uryu makes the decision easy for her, however, "Yuzu, I'd like to talk to you about something this morning."

The girl's eyes widen slightly as she registers the boy's show of informality.

Yuzu feels Kon squirm slightly in her arms, shaking her from her trance, "Alright."

After the girl sits down, she is immediately greeted by a plate of pancakes with syrup.

The girl has stars in her eyes, "I've only had a breakfast like this on special occasions!"

Uryu watches the girl bite into the pancakes, wearing a satisfied expression.

The boy takes this as his cue to speak, "So, about your Quincy friends… you don't suppose I could meet them?"

Yuzu tenses up as Ryuken glares at his son, "Absolutely not. I forbid both of you from associating with either of them!"

Uryu scoffs, "As if you have the right to meddle in the affairs of real Quincies…"

Ryuken narrows his eyes as Yoruichi, sitting in the chair next to Yuzu, attempts to break up the argument, "I understand your worry, Ryuken, but I don't think you should ban the girl from seeing them altogether… I doubt they'd take kindly to that."

Ryuken's eyes widen, "You… have a point…"

Yoruichi nods, "The last thing we need are angry Quincies running around town on top of the army of Shinigami here already… Miss Kurosaki may be in more danger among the chaos…"

Ryuken is silent for a moment, glancing at both Uryu and Yuzu, who each give him expectant looks, "I could tell them both about that… the truth of how their mothers died… but not with the cat here… it's still too soon anyway…"

The bespectacled man then lets out a long sigh, "Very well… Yuzu can see those people… but be sure to tread lightly, Yoruichi. At the first sign of danger, I want you to let me know—I'll deal with the situation personally."

Yoruichi jumps off the chair, "Of course. I appreciate your understanding, Ryuken."

The cat then walks out of the room.

Uryu regards Yuzu, "So when—"

Ryuken cuts the boy off, "I said Yuzu may see them, if for no other reason than to keep them in check. You, on the other hand, hold very little interest to them as things stand currently. Therefore, I forbid you from associating with those Quincies, Uryu. I will use force, if needed."

Uryu growls, before walking out of the room, "Whatever… I'm bound to cross paths with them eventually…"

Ryuken quietly finishes his meal before leaving the room. Yuzu looks down at her food, losing her appetite by this point.

10 Minutes Later

Yuzu sits in front of a TV that was set up in her mother's room, trying to scroll through the channels to get her mind off things. Yuzu stops as she notices an ad.

A man shouts on the TV, "Let's bring him out! The new century's premier spiritualist! Messenger of the underworld! Mr. Don Kanonji!"

A mustached man with circular sunglasses and a cape crosses his arms in such a way that a hand is placed on each shoulder, "Spirits are always with you!"

Kon falls from Yuzu's shoulder as she suddenly mimics the gesture before laughing, "Bohahaha!"

Yoruichi gives the girl a curious look as Kon picks himself up off the floor.

The man, named Don Kanonji, continues, "This week's episode will be a special one! I've heard the cries of fans due to recent sightings of a girl in all white appearing and disappearing at random in a small town called Karakura Town! Unfortunately, it seems that the local authorities are unable to connect with this spirit, despite their efforts. So, this week's episode, I will try to connect with this spirit and bring all of your concerns to rest!"

The other man on the TV cries dramatically, "You're such a hero, Mr. Don Kanonji!"

Yuzu squeals, causing both Kon and Yoruichi to sweat drop. Before either of them can ask anything about it, Yuzu runs out of the room, a clear destination in mind.

The cat gives the stuffed lion a look, "Stay here. I'll see what she's up to."

Kon sighs as the cat leaves to pursue before turning the channel to something incredibly lewd.

Hueco Mundo

White flies through the skies of Hueco Mundo while Barragan's Respira within his chest continues to eat away at his insides.

The dragon winces, his wings practically seizing as he begins to descend, "I'll return to hunting on foot. I can't afford to waste any more energy keeping myself in the air..."

As White lands on the sands below, he glances around, taking in his surroundings briefly before intently eyeing a party of Adjuchas in the distance, his tired eyes dilating in hunger.

Before the dragon can make his approach, a buzz sounds behind him as a voice calls out, earning his interest as he feels their Reiatsu, "You've returned to the ground. That must mean you're succumbing to your wounds!"

White turns his head and body to address the newcomer, a large, bipedal Adjucha with a white, somewhat hunched-over body. The newcomer's mask goes up the left side of his head, as if a helmet, while leaving the right side of the top of his head open, revealing long blue hair. His torso is covered in white armor and his arms each bend back into long, pointed appendages, rather than the normal orientation found in humanoids.

The Adjucha begins to speak, "I'm impressed you managed to kill Battikaroa in spite of your wound..."

The Unnamed Hollow pauses, chuckling, before continuing, "I've been following you ever since you devoured Battikaroa. You surely must know, Lord Barragan's most powerful Adjuchas litter these sands due to your actions. My name is Patros, soon to be one of Lord Barragan's Generals after I kill—"

Patros widens his yellow eyes as White disappears with a buzz before immediately reappearing in front of him, slamming a black clawed hand down at him. The Adjucha, however, disappears with a buzz of his own and reappears a distance away.

As White eyes the other Hollow menacingly, Patros finds the gall to chuckle, "Did you think you were the only Adjucha to have mastered the Sonido? Heh. You'll find that I've mastered more than that!"

After the Hollow says this, he raises his right arm at the dragon, which soon swings down to convert into a cannon-like appendage, beginning to buzz as a yellow energy blast forms within. The blast is then fired at the dragon, who already has a Cero charged between his horns to counter. However, as the blast approaches him, his body spasms due to a sudden bout of pain from the Respira, causing his Cero to dissipate and the blast to strike him directly in the face.

White's body skids backwards across the sands, causing Patros to laugh, "It seems I was right! You are weaker!"

The Adjucha disappears with Sonido before reappearing behind the disoriented dragon and slamming his left arm down on his back, forcing the dragon's body to shift towards the ground somewhat. White, still holding his ground, quickly turns his body to assault the Adjucha, but widens his eyes as Patros once more levels the blast in his right arm at the dragon, this time at his chest. Patros releases the blast without wasting any time, which slams in White's chest, near the dark purple Respira wound. The dragon is sent flying through the air before his body crashes against a nearby dune. Before White can properly regain his bearings, Patros appears above him and levels yet another blast within his right arm at the dragon's face.

As White stares back at the light, his eyes vibrate in a crazed manner within his sockets, "I won't die like this! Not to a weakling like him! I AM POWER!"

Just as Patros releases the blast, White spews furious black and red flames from his jaws, disintegrating the attack and scorching Patros' upper body. The Adjucha staggers, leaving him open as White uses his tail to trip him, further disorienting him.

The Hollow shoots blast after blast out of his arms as he staggers, "No! S-stay away!"

White does the opposite, pouncing at the backpedaling Adjucha and dodging the blasts before grabbing the other Hollow's right arm, sill with a blast charged, in a vice grip and bending it upwards with a crunch before ripping it off and discarding it behind him. Patros widens his eyes as White then clutches his left shoulder in a similar vice grip before opening his hungry jaws. In the next moment, White bites down on the creature's head, twisting it around briefly before tearing it off, leaving a bloodied mess to follow as Patros' spine is torn from his back along with his head. White devours the mess of flesh that once was Patros' head before continuing his feast with the body. Once he is done, White's body glows a pale red, power returning to him. After a moment, however, the aura fades as the dragon winces, the pain in his chest still too great to ignore.

"It's still not enough...", the dragon growls as he runs off in the direction of the Adjucha party he eyed earlier.

Urahara Shoten

Urahara watches Tatsuki and Orihime trying to fight Ururu and Jinta once more, sighing as they are performing poorly.

The shop keeper sighs before clapping his hands, "All right, that's enough."

Ururu and Jinta back off, leaving Tatsuki and Orihime both panting, although still standing.

Tatsuki glances questionably at the shopkeeper, "What's up? Why are we stopping?"

Orihime also sends the man a questioning look.

Urahara shakes his head, "It's been two weeks, and you two have failed to awaken any kind of spiritual powers… I think it's safe to say my initial assumptions about you were wrong…"

Orihime sends the man a worried look, "What do you mean…?"

Urahara sighs, "I mean I'm just going to give you reishi suppressant pills, so the hollows don't attack you. The Shinigami are swarming the town right now anyway…"

Tatsuki growls at the man, "You're saying we don't have what it takes?"

Urahara nods, prompting Tatsuki to try and punch him, however, he catches her hand with ease and sends her flying backwards into Orihime's arms.

Urahara shakes his head, "You can't even throw a half decent punch at me, what makes you think you stand a chance against hollows like the ones who attacked you? You haven't got a chance…"

Orihime expresses worry for her friend, who dusts herself off.

Tatsuki snarls at Urahara, "What if you trained us yourself?"

Urahara's eyes widen, "Did you forget what just happened?"

Tatsuki maintains her intense gaze, "I saw how Karin's training went—she was under the threat of death, and by overcoming it she was able to become a Shinigami. If we push our limits against you, we may just awaken something similar."

Urahara gives the girls a curious expression, placing a hand on his chin, "Yes… I see. You may have a point. Ururu and Jinta haven't made either of you face death in the face—and at this point, your physical gains make it hard for them to do that without… hmmm…"

Orihime gives Tatsuki a worried look as the man mulls over his thoughts, "Tatsuki…"

Tatsuki gives her friend a reassuring look, "It'll be fine, Orihime. Trust me, this is the only way we'll get strong enough to see your brother again."

At this, Orihime steels her expression as well. Seeing the apparent boost in resolve between the two girls, Urahara makes a decision.

The man gives a look to Ururu and Jinta, prompting them to leave the room hurriedly, before glancing back at both of the girls, "Alright… if that is what you want, I suppose I can show you…"

The man holds his cane horizontally, pulling out the top handle to reveal his Zanpakuto, "…what death looks like."

Tatsuki stiffens as she feels a chill rush down her spine. Before the girl can react, Urahara is behind her, striking her across the back, leaving blood to spurt out on Orihime. The orange-haired girl's eyes widen slowly as Urahara suddenly changes positions faster than she can register. Tatsuki drops to the ground, leaving Orihime with a despair-filled expression. The girl looks up slowly to meet Urahara's eyes which are incredibly cold and uncaring.

The shop keeper regards the frightened girl, "How about you, Miss Inoue…?"

Orihime's knees buckle, not out of fear for herself, but for Tatsuki who lies on the ground in front of her.

The girl starts hyperventilating, "Why did you…"

Urahara glares coldly at the girl, "She wanted to fight me, now she's paid the price. This should show how painfully unprepared you two are to face the other spiritual beings out there."

Orihime glances at Tatsuki, whose body starts to spasm somewhat, before attempting to get up.

The orange-haired girl widens her eyes in horror at the display, "No Tatsuki, stay down!"

Tatsuki shouts through the pain, as blood flows down her back, "I can't do that! I can't let Ichigo's sister be alone in this!"

Tatsuki manages to get to her feet, before giving Orihime a weak smile, "I also need to make sure you can face your brother again…"

Orihime's gaze softens, "Tatsuki…"

Urahara remarks, uncaringly, "You can still stand… I didn't make the attack lethal, but still, quite impressive…"

Urahara adjusts his stance, glaring coldly at the girl, "…for a human."

Orihime knows what comes next, she can feel it due to recent experiences, "He might try to kill her this time!"

Orihime's life flashes before her eyes.

Orihime's Memory

My brother complimented me…

I was proud of the color of my hair.

The flash of a man with dark brown hair appears in Orihime's mind.

He regards her with a cheerful expression, "You have beautiful hair, Orihime. It's so colorful and shiny."

That made me feel good.

I had grown my hair since I was a baby.

I cut it…

In Junior High.

Right after school started.

A 9th grader said, "I don't like the color of your hair" and took scissors to it.

I cut the rest to match.

I couldn't tell my brother.

"I just feel like change."

That's what I told him.

Not long after that, he died, and I was left alone.

I withdrew while at school.

I became lonelier and lonelier.

The person who got me through it was… Tatsuki.

She took my hand and yelled at me…

And protected me…

Thanks to Tatsuki, I was able to grow my hair out again.

I'll probably never cut it short again.

My long hair symbolizes my trust in Tatsuki.

Thank you Tatsuki… for protecting me these last three years.

But now…

Present

"Now… it's my turn to protect you!", Orihime shouts.

Urahara pauses and glances back at the girl with widened eyes. The flower hairpins Orihime is wearing light up suddenly before dispersing and sending some kind of whirlwind at Urahara, forcing him jump away a fair distance to dodge. Tatsuki looks at Orihime in awe as she stumbles.

The orange-haired girl catches her, "Are you alright?!"

Tatsuki struggles to nod, "I'll live… but, what is that, Orihime?"

Orihime glances around her to find six small fairy-like creatures.

The girl tilts her head, confused, "I don't know…"

One of the fairies call out to her, "Oh no… we've always been with you Orihime."

Orihime scrunches her brow, "I'm sorry… I didn't know."

The same fairy, who wears their hair in a ponytail, responds, "That's ok. It's nice to officially meet you… we're the Shunshun Rikka—The Six Princess-Shielding Flowers! Our job is to protect you. We are your power!"

Tatsuki gawks at the fairies while Orihime's brain catches up, "Whoa! Fairies! Flying fairies are talking to me!"

The first fairy chuckles, "Nice reaction! But you're wrong! We're not fairies. Like I said, we are your power. We're the power of your soul, awakened by an event you responded to. In essence, we are you!"

Orihime stares at the technically not a fairy creature for a moment before squishing them between her hands.

The creature squirms, "Hey, just because you didn't get my explanation is no reason to capture me! Nobody but you can see us, anyway!"

Orihime's eyes widen, "Can you see the fairies Tatsuki?"

The other girl, still slouched on Orihime's shoulder shake her head weakly, "Fairies…? All I see are specs of light floating around your head."

Orihime frowns at the creature, "You just said she couldn't see you…"

The creature shrugs, "Spiritually inclined beings can see us, but they can't communicate with us like you can."

Another, Ninja-looking creature slams into the first one suddenly, "Now's not the time for introductions! We're in the middle of a fight!"

The first creature whines, "Th-that hurt, Tsubaki!"

The Ninja scoffs before addressing Orihime, "Okay woman! You don't need to know who we are or where we came from! All you need to know is how to use us—that's it!"

Orihime can't help but tilt her head in confusion after noting that despite being itsy bitsy, this Tsubaki is bossy, "Use?"

A horned creature calls out, "Our job is to create a shield and to reject! And to activate us you need your Kotodama, or Spirit Chant!"

Behind the horned creature is a larger creature with an iron jaw and a smaller, female looking one, wearing goggles.

Orihime is thrown for a loop, "Kotodama…? What?"

Tsubaki warns, "Here he comes!"

Orihime is just barely able to catch Urahara's movements, appearing before her suddenly.

Orihime holds Tatsuki defensively, before shouting, as if on instinct, "Santen Kesshun (Three-God Shield)! I reject!"

A shield forms between Urahara and the girls, completely blocking his attack.

Urahara drops to the ground, wearing a stunned expression, "So it's true… you do have powers…"

The first creature wearing the ponytail and another one who looks like they are wearing a tent for a hat, appear behind Tatsuki.

The first creature explains, "The two of us reject behind the shield. We reject destruction in the area of the shield. In other words, we can reverse the damage done to your friend!"

Orihime's eyes widen as she performs the next chant as instructed, "Soten Kishun (Twin-God Reflection Shield)! I reject!"

A shield suddenly forms over Tatsuki's back, seemingly erasing her wound from existence.

Both Urahara and Tatsuki are wide-eyed at this display.

Tsubaki urges Orihime to perform the next chant, "Now say it, woman!"

Orihime maintains a more aggressive stance as she faces Urahara, "Koten Zanshun (Lone-God Slicing Shield)! I reject!"

A blast is sent at Urahara that blows dust everywhere. Orihime puts up a shield to protect Tatsuki and herself from the debris.

As the dust settles, Orihime watches intently before her eyes widen at the sight.

Urahara chuckles while holding a squirming Tsubaki in his hand, "Well done, Miss Inoue! Your powers look very interesting…"

Urahara lets go of the angry ninja creature, who flies back to Orihime's side.

Orihime suddenly feels a bout of fatigue as she drops to her knees, unconscious, prompting the lights around her to collect together to reform into her flower hairpins.

Urahara approaches Orihime but is cut off by Tatsuki, "I won't let you touch Orihime!"

Urahara peers at the girl from under his hat, "Are you sure you have the power to stop me if I chose to continue?"

Tatsuki glares at the shop keeper, "You keep questioning my ability to fight—I'm sick of it!"

Tatsuki begins to recall some of her own memories.

Tatsuki's Memories

I met him when we were four…

…at the Dojo we used to go to.

He had the brightest hair…

…and the biggest smile…

…and the most beautiful mother—he always held her hand…

He was scrawny…

…and smiled all the time.

A total wimp.

He was really weak, too.

And when he lost, he'd start crying.

I was the first one in the Dojo to make him cry.

Just one kick was all it took.

But…

He changed after his mother died.

During the summer of fifth grade…

…he stopped calling me Suki and began calling me my whole name, Tatsuki.

I acted annoyed, because it didn't bother me too much.

Of course, I didn't like it either.

I don't really know, but that feeling…

…was something like sadness.

That time in sixth grade when he became taller than me…

That time in eighth grade when I first lost a practice fight to him…

The fact that ever since then he never fought me…

It all bothered me…

…but I could deal with it, because deep down I knew we were still friends…

I still pride myself with my martial arts skills…

…despite losing to him that one time.

But now…

…he's dead and isn't here to protect…

…the family he always loved and stood up for.

That means, I…

Present

Tatsuki throws a punch at Urahara, which takes the man off guard, landing on his face and sending him into a nearby rock formation.

Tatsuki balls her hand into a fist, "I will fight for them in his place! I won't let you question whether or not I have what it takes—because that was never a question to begin with!"

Urahara climbs out of the rubble, grabbing his jaw, "That actually hurt…"

Tatsuki assumes a defensive stance, which causes Urahara to look at her hands, with widened eyes, "Oh…"

Tatsuki's knuckles assume a grey color, hardened by spiritual energy. As Urahara continues to observe, Tatsuki runs at him before attempting a round house kick. Urahara dodges, however Tatsuki's kick destroys the rock formation on contact. Urahara can see the grey color has formed around her heel, as the force of the kick had shredded her shoe and sock off.

Urahara lands a distance away as Tatsuki gawks at the feat she just performed, "Wha—"

Urahara begins clapping his hands, assuming a jovial tone, "Congratulations, Miss Arisawa! It would seem both you and Miss Inoue activated your powers—"

Urahara is once again punched in the face by Tatsuki, the force of it cracking his neck.

The shop keeper whines, now both sides of his mouth badly bruised, "Why…?"

Tatsuki clicks her tongue, "Those were for questioning my abilities and for attacking Orihime! Do either of those again and I'll hit your eye next time!"

Urahara sighs, "In any case, it would seem both you and Miss Inoue have quite useful abilities. It looked like Miss Inoue had healing, defensive, and offensive abilities… although, her more defensive abilities seem more powerful…"

Tatsuki glances at her limbs, "So mine strengthens my hands and feet?"

Urahara shrugs, "It would seem that way to me… maybe they strengthen more. Regardless, it does prove particularly devasting in combination with your martial prowess, if I do say so myself."

Urahara hides his face coyly under the fan he's holding as Ururu, Jinta, and Tessai approach.

Jinta gawks, "Woah! You're both still alive!"

Tessai scolds the boy, "Boss wouldn't have killed either of them for real Jinta, you know that."

Jinta shrugs as Ururu walks up to Urahara, handing him ointment for his face.

Tatsuki squats down near Orihime's side, wearing a worried expression.

Urahara closes his fan, as the ointment begins to heal his bruises, "In any case, I'd say the two girls have earned a break! Go prepare a meal Tessai."

Tessai nods as he leaves the training area. Urahara stares at Orihime and Tatsuki with a satisfied expression.

Xcution Hideout

"Sure, I'll go with you.", Chad regards the hyped-up Yuzu in front of him.

Yuzu fist pumps, "Finally! Now all I need is an adult supervisor."

Chad raises a brow, "What about your uncle?"

Yuzu crosses her arms and huffs, "Uncle Ryuken said he was too busy to take me…"

Yukio, seated a distance away from Yuzu, states casually, "It doesn't seem very many of us wanted to go either…"

Yuzu glances around the room in mild disappointment, "That's fine… I get if you guys have plans already…"

Yukio sweat drops, "That isn't what I said, but ok…"

Yuzu's eyes widen, as if she just realized something, "Oh yeah, are Ms. Bambietta and Candice here today?"

Ginjo gives Yuzu a look of warning, "They are… but I wouldn't bother them, if I were you…"

Yuzu scrunches her brow, "Why—?"

The girl is cut off by the voice of one of the individuals in question, "That should be obvious, Yui. It takes someone really dumb to want to knowingly enter the dragon's den after delivering some particularly bad news…"

Yuzu slowly turns to face Bambietta, who is wearing an extremely friendly smile… not a good sign.

Chad places a hand on Yuzu's shoulder, "I think her coming in less often is understandable. You shouldn't treat her unfairly—I doubt it was her fault."

Bambietta glances at Chad with an emotionless expression, before regarding Yuzu with a smile, "The boy's right, of course. I'm fine with you coming in to train whenever you want—just know that the training will end up being all the more hellish the less often you do."

Yuzu nods in appreciation, "I understand, Ma'am."

Bambietta shifts to a more casual posture, "Now then, what were you talking about?"

Yuzu recalls, "Oh, right! I want to go see Don Kanonji perform live in Karakura Town this week, but people under the age of 14 need an adult over the age of 18 to accompany them. I was wondering if you could do that for me?"

The woman wears a brief, proud look, "Well at least someone around here respects me as the oldest!"

Bambietta then blinks, her mind beginning to consider this for a moment, "…And the date and time this 'Kanonji' performs?"

Yuzu replies, hastily handing the woman a flier with information, "Wednesday night."

Bambietta squints at the paper briefly before retrieving her pair of glasses from her jacket. She reads the flier over for another moment, noting the specific time, before shrugging and handing it back to the girl, "Sorry, that won't work for me…"

Yuzu looks almost disappointed.

Ginjo elaborates, "Putting aside the fact that Bambietta here doesn't look quite old enough to chaperone, I told you a few of us planned to hit the town on Wednesday night. Bambietta is one of them."

Bambietta's eye twitches at the man's comment on her appearance, yet seems to hold herself back, smirking as she places her glasses back in her jacket, "Only because you insisted, Kugo…"

Ginjo shrugs, "What can I say? I like to get around, and if I can do so with other people, all the better."

Yuzu looks between the two, getting weird vibes from their interactions for some reason.

Bambietta suddenly clears her throat, "Anyway, I'm sure Candy would love to accompany you on Wednesday night…"

As Bambietta says this, the woman in question enters the room, raising a brow at being namedropped, "What am I doing now? I thought we all had plans Wednesday…"

Yuzu gives Candice a hopeful expression, "You'd really cancel your plans for me?"

Candice sweat drops, giving Bambietta an irritated look.

The black-haired Quincy smiles at her companion with a playful look in her eye, "That won't be an issue now, will it, Candy? You always brag about being more mature than me and I know you enjoy live performances and such. Who knows, maybe you'll find a man… ~"

Chad, Yukio, and Ginjo all sweat drop, thinking the same thing, "Someone her type at a Don Kanonji rally? Yeah, right."

Candice looks down at Yuzu, who stares at her with puppy dog eyes.

The green-haired woman scoffs, averting her gaze from Yuzu, "Alright, you win… I'll take you to your thing or whatever."

Yuzu jumps in excitement, "Yay!"

The girl's excitement causes all around her to shake their head jovially, as they are long used to her behavior.

Karakura Town

Byakuya Kuchiki observes a group of humans setting up a stage near an abandoned hotel.

A voice calls out from behind the man, "It's a good thing we already performed Konso on that Whole occupying this Hospital. Things could've gotten ugly if those humans messed around with it… don't ya think, Captain?"

Byakuya turns to regard a man with crimson red hair tied back into a ponytail, which honestly makes him look like a red pineapple. The captain nods quietly, before continuing to observe the humans.

The man continues, "Who are these humans anyway, Captain? You didn't tell me why we are observing them…"

Byakuya closes his eyes, as if to recall something, before responding, "Listen close, Renji. Captain Shiba has requested that we keep an eye on these humans, as there is apparently a spiritually inclined individual among them. They are apparently chasing after this white spirit, although in my opinion it is merely something for show as none of us have successfully been able to pick up the spirit's reiatsu."

Renji tilts his head, "So? Why's any of that of concern to us? I thought Captain Aizen said he'd handle non-White related matters…"

Byakuya opens his eyes, continuing his explanation, "White is a formidable hollow. If it were to show up anywhere in the living world, then it would be safe to assume it is in an area of high spiritual energy. A human, such as this 'Kanonji', could very well bait the hollow out—if not, at least other hollows, certainly."

Renji nods, "I understand now… but the show doesn't start until three days from now. It'd be a shame if White showed up during the show…"

Byakuya continues to observe the humans, his eyes narrowing slightly while gripping the hilt of his blade, "Indeed."

Author's Note:

In my first draft of this arc, this chapter actually didn't exist, but I felt like Orihime and Tatsuki needed a chapter dedicated to them getting their powers and steeling their resolve to fight. I have plans to bring them into significance in the story later on, but for right now this chapter will suffice for them.

Again, I want to reiterate that Ryuken is approaching the Yuzu situation very carefully. It's quite the sticky situation for him, as if he tells Isshin, Isshin could overreact and jeopardize Karin's safety, meanwhile making an enemy of the Wandenreich is the last thing he wants to do as it will ruin the chances he will have to use the Still Silver arrow against Yhwach. He NEEDS the element of surprise with that arrow, and as far as the series in general is concerned, the arrow is the only sure-fire way to counter Yhwach. The Almighty is just that broken.

Ryuken does not want to jump the gun and come into direct conflict with the Sternritters unless it is absolutely necessary. At this point, the best-case scenario for Ryuken and Yoruichi is that they are slowly able to convince Yuzu to spend less and less time away from Xcution until she eventually hardly sees them, if at all.