Hello everyone :)

Hope you're ready for Chapter XIII

Disclaimer, reminder and warnings as per usual.

Friendly reminder: this story will be slightly AU and some characters might be OOC. For anyone who is not into YAOI, please do not go or read any further, this is not going to be your cup of tea :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, they all belong to Tite Kubo-Sensei etc., etc.

WARNINGS: Spoiler alert for anyone who is not up to date with the manga and only watched the anime! Somewhere along the way might contain but is not limited to include dark themes, suicidal thoughts, heavy sexual contest, yaoi (again xD) and some other themes not suitable for under-age reader. Read at your own risk and discretion! And if you don't like, please don't hate too much :3

Whew, I've got Shiro back to normal xD

I must admit it was hard to project him all emotionless, kind of like Ulquiorra. You'll pay for that Urahara! xD Ok, maybe… x3

Thanks for the reviews everyone. Special thanks to Strawberry (Guest), LiceSand and travelqueen124. I'll definitely do my best with both the story and my updating speed :D

Chapter XIII

Yes, Shirosaki was dying for the chance to get back at the infuriating Getabōshi that managed to get under his skin.

He did just that. Everyone was still in their own various states of shock. What greater pleasure could there be than to get Getabōshi's bucket hat and rip it to shreds? Oh, the joy of taking the fan and break it in front of his face. Yes, he felt much better. The prick. Shirosaki contently exhaled and took Urahara's tea, enjoying the cold beverage. What? He had no intentions of killing the crazy maniac just yet, he wanted information damn it. So, this was more than enough, for now. Shirosaki's smirk was back full force and addressed the still stunned shopkeeper.

"Now, it's about time you started spilling the beans Urahara-san. I've been more than patient and answered your questions. It's our turn to ask questions. Just who the hell is this Aizen guy you've been nagging about? From what you just said to Ossan here, he is more than the reason you were chased from Soul Society. I think he is the same Shinigami who is trying to make hybrids- But there is more to this right? I think you are hiding something. Taking in consideration all that has been said on this lovely evening, I'd say this Aizen dude was really working on creating mix-breeds which is likely prohibited in Soul Society. You said he is a master manipulator, but since he was and still is behind this project, he must be smart. Therefore, it stands that he must have been well aware of you being a scientist too. He probably framed his failed handy-work on you, for which you got kicked out. I said 'failed' because if he succeeded you wouldn't be sensing strange Hollows in the World of the Living anymore. By all means, tell me if I am wrong. Oh, and while on it, you may fill anything in between, like what your involvement in all this story is, besides being the sacrificial lamb, of course."

Oh yes, Shirosaki was getting back in the mood and ready for action if the two unfortunate items were good indicators. Urahara lowered his head and started probing around his sleeves. He pulled out a new hat which he placed back on his head, covering his eyes from view. He looked up to see a tick forming on Shirosaki. Needless to say, Shirosaki was not amused. It paid off to carry extra spares of everything around. With the other hand he managed to pull out another fan, to Shirosaki's dismay, and waved it around as usual, his own goofy personality returned.

"Ma, Shirosaki-san. You should really consider being a detective. You have remarkable deductions skills. In fact, it's scary how accurate your hypotheses are, it's simply phenomenal. Yes, you are correct, Aizen-san and I are connected in more than one way. And yes, I was framed and exiled because of Aizen-sans projects. At the moment, I am just trying to prevent any further disasters from happening."

"What do you mean by that? You sound like you know exactly what the guy is doing." Asked a skeptical Shirosaki.

Urahara slapped his fan shut and continued a bit more seriously.

"Correct! I am positive Aizen continued his research. Not only that, I am under the impression he is looking for a certain object of my own creation."

Shirosaki only raised an eyebrow at that. "Seriously? If he is as smart as you make him seem, he should be able to make his own version of whatever you made. Isn't that what you nutcases do? Steal each other's works and or upgrade them to make it look like a completely new product?"

Urahara barely suppressed his laughing fit. In some ways, Shirosaki was right yet again. He is definitely much more than what he seems.

"True, but that particular item is not an easy thing to make. It requires a lot of dedication and hard work. I am not keen on believing he did not make his personal version. However, I am under the impression he wants to get a hold of mine to empower his own. This is as good a reason to stay under the radar as any."

Ossan was getting worried. He was hoping the 'item' was not the one he had in mind. To remove any suspicions, he did what he does best, he asked straightforward.

"Urahara-san, seeing this situation as unsettling as it is, I would like to offer our assistance, that is from Shirosaki and myself. I will leave Soken out of the equation as it is a decision he himself will have to make. However, we cannot work as a proper group if there is mistrust and half-truths. What is this mysterious object you are speaking of? From your words, I dare say it is a dangerous and powerful artifact. Please, if you see the possibility of us working together, just tell us."

Urahara pulled out his fan again to cover his face. He had not seen this coming. Shirosaki's nod of agreement said it all. The quiet Soken had yet to utter a single word. He too nodded in agreement and verbally confirmed his desire to join.

"I always had high hopes that Quincy and Shinigami could cooperate in harmony. Tonight, I was proven that a collaboration between a Hollow and Quincy exists. Thus, I would like to assist as much as I possibly can. I do request this conversation to stay only between us present. I'm fairly sure my family would not approve due to our history."

Urahara looked at Tessai-san, just a light nod was all he received from him too. That was a relief, it meant that his third member was listening and aware. From his point of view, it was not against the set rules. She had been listening since the beginning even though no one else was aware. Still, to be honest until the end he would ask her to show herself.

"Very well. Although, in this case I would like to invite one more person. It is a very important associate of mine, who is aware of most everything. It wouldn't sit right with me to keep my affiliate out of date."

Shirosaki rolled his eyes, he should have known there was something fishy with the guy. His sarcastic comment spoke for everyone. "Sure, the more the merrier, just make it fast. I do want to get some sleep."

The sentiment was shared among all those present. Tessai stood up and opened the door. A black cat with golden eyes entered the room and set next to Urahara. It was hard to tell if anyone was surprised. Hmm, not the reaction he had expected. He tried to get a rouse by stating cheerfully.

"Everyone, this is Yoruichi Shihoin, my best friend along with Tessai-san."

Nothing. Sheesh, though crowd. He sighed disappointedly. These people had no sense of humor. Little did he know the newcomers had sensed the cat's unusual reiatsu and were aware it was no mere feline. They couldn't figure out what the creature was, but they were sure that this time looks were deceiving.

"I guess I should resume talking, eh? Well, the item I created is called the Hogyoku. It's an orb with the purpose of safely dissolving the boundaries between Shinigami and Hollow. In other words, it was supposed to permit one race to attain the powers of the other without going through Hollowfication and avoiding Soul Suicide. By far, it was the greatest mistake I have ever made."

"Undeniably, a colossal mistake." Was Ossan's retort. Everyone turned to face the stoic man. Urahara and his group were shocked the other even knew what the Hogyoku was. On the other side, Soken had absolutely no idea what the Hogyoku was, but it sounded menacing enough. He was not sure how Heika would know of such an artifact. Shirosaki glanced at Ossan with understanding in his eyes. They had encountered a few here and there. Why was it always the loony ones who found the stupid things?

"You know of the Hogyoku and yet claim you are not associated with Aizen Sousuke? It is most bizarre. Pardon my doubts, but how would you know of the Hogyoku unless you were familiar with either myself or Aizen? After all, we are the only ones who know of its existence."

Ossan shook his head in exasperation, but came out as negation.

"I expected much more from a person of your intellect, Urahara-san. When you found the gem, did you not feel any anxiety when you first touched it? Did you not have a sense of foreboding? Have you not felt an eerie sensation bordering on spooky? I am certain you did get an inkling of something being wrong when you took the stone."

A masculine deep voice abruptly spoke out of nowhere. "How do you know about the Hogyoku Kurosaki-san? Are you implying there could be more of those around besides the ones Kisuke has and Aizen might have?"

Ossan looked at the cat. Well, that was new. "Yes. For some reason everyone who discovers the gem end up calling it Hogyoku. Perhaps it is their lack of inspiration or just another property the stone possesses. Either way, yes there were a total of nine pieces scattered through the Worlds."

Urahara gave Ossan a heated glare. "How can we know it is the same object?"

Ossan returned the dirty look with a vengeance. There was such an inferno behind it that made even Urahara shiver on his spot. "Before you touched it for the first time did the gem look like a dark blue goldstone? Did it give you the mentioned vibes? If yes, then we are most certainly talking about the same item, Urahara-san."

Urahara was astonished. It took him a full minute to answer. It would have taken even longer had it not been for Yoruichi who scratched his leg. Still amazed, he could provide nothing more than a nod. Who would have known there were more gems with the property and chance of becoming that powerful?

Shirosaki cursed under his breath. The whole thing was getting out of hand. First Soren's rebirth along with the Quincy hunting other Quincy, then these guys, followed by a shady Aizen dude and now not one but two Hogyoku! Yup, it was official, they were screwed six ways into Sunday and it wasn't even Monday! He was getting a headache.

Ossan was thinking in a similar fashion, yet to be notified of Soren's return. He groaned loudly. One Hogyoku was a bothersome annoyance on itself to dispose, but two? It would be a first. Everyone was brought out of their personal musing by the talking cat.

"You said there 'were' nine? How many are left and what happened to the ones spoken in the past tense?"

Ossan took another deep breath. "Yes, there were nine. Three in each plain, meaning three in Hueco Mundo, three in Soul Society and three in the World of the Living. Shirosaki and I found a total of six. Those located were: all three pieces from Hueco Mundo, two in the World of the Living and one from Soul Society. What happened is too complicated to explain in details. Just know they were taken care off and won't be causing any more grief. That leaves us with three. Based on your information, the two from Soul Society were not only retrieved but are currently in use. Lastly is the missing one from the World of the Living. I say 'missing' due to the fact it had been discovered once. Regrettably, it was lost several centuries ago and is still to be seen again."

Shirosaki nodded in agreement. It was hard work to find those damn things, especially since they did not feel like normal reiatsu.

Urahara finally managed to pull himself out from his daze. "Kurosaki-san, I fail to see what kind of issue the orbs cause. I've had one for over a hundred years. Although, I am aware it would be troublesome if it ended in the wrong hands, I can't see why or how they could trigger large problems. Considering the Hogyoku removes the boundary between Hollows and Shinigami, shouldn't it be useless for anything else?"

Ossan's and Shirosaki's eyes briefly met. Shirosaki outright burst in a laughing fit. Seeing as Shirosaki was unable to give a proper explanation, Ossan took it upon himself to provide the group with more details.

"Urahara-san, are you certain that the orb only does what you said? Have you never felt anything else or any other changes? Besides yourself, has anyone else come in contact with your Hogyoku?"

Urahara shook his head in negative. Ossan refrained from making any further comments, but spoke up to enlighten the rest.

"In that case you would not know much about its origins. It was made in a time before any one of us was planned. Originally the nine pieces were a single item called the 'Haldister*' also known as the 'Spiritual Star Jewel'. Allegedly, the Haldister could fulfill any and all wishes of a worthy bearer or temporary owner. I have no knowledge of what the creator had in mind when he completed the artifact or how it got broken. What we do know is that once damaged, for the sake of balance, the pieces were equally distributed within the three realms. Each one has the ability to sense the hearts of those around it and materialize their deepest desires weather those wishes are on a conscious or subconscious level. Naturally there is a catch. The shards only manifest the desires of those who have the strength to carry them out and acts as a guiding force. For a twisted minded individual with high reiatsu that is more than enough and can cause a lot of trouble."

A dead silence would have befallen the room, had it been not for Shirosaki's light snickering. He was slowly calming down from his laughter. "Yeah. Ossan, remember that demented Hollow whose desire was to level Hueco Mundo to the ground but ended up creating a desert? That was hilarious. Messed-up, but funny."

Ossan could not for the love of him prevent a silent chuckle to escape his lips. True, it had been a most exhilarating experience. Hueco Mundo used to be similar to Soul Society, with buildings and the like. Thanks to the Hogyoku, its owner reduced the entirety of Hueco Mundo in a barren wasteland. The Hollow was consumed and self-destructed. Though, the face on the King of Hueco Mundo had been priceless. Barragan had been surprised and outraged once he realized he was not resting in the comfort of his room, but on a pile of sand. At a later time, he claimed the destruction had been caused by his power and by now no one even remembered a time when Hueco Mundo had not been a desert.

That had been one of the easiest fragments, since they did not have to fight and separate the item from its host. That and the one in Soul Society. They literally stumbled upon the one from Soul Society. The other two from Hueco Mundo had been irksome. Those in the Human World had been more troublesome and the worst. They had instigated destruction and wars. Not to mention, they were still searching for the last one. Seems like the remaining two from Soul Society were going to be on a whole new level.

Soken was the next to speak-up.

"In other words, these shards need to be located and forced into becoming useless. Urahara-san, I would strongly suggest for you to find a way to dispose or neutralize the item, if you have not already done so."

Urahara looked up at everyone. "True. I did feel the power of the Hogyoku should have never been awakened in the first place. Therefore, I found a way of placing it in a sleeping state and have long sealed it in a barrier. It shouldn't be easy to find and it will prove to be even harder to remove from its seal. For safety reasons and for the sake of keeping it secret, I will not discuss its resting place."

Reddish-brow eyes met dark grey in a long stare, gauging the others resolve. Shortly the contest was over, neither the winner. Ossan understood Urahara's need to refrain from speaking. Taking into consideration the brilliant mind he possessed and the urge to remain silent, he was reassured the scientists Hogyoku was indeed already a solved case. That would leave only two. One in the hands of this Aizen character and the lost one. Oh, well. They would concentrate on getting the Hogyoku belonging to the Shinigami. He could only hope the holder did not merge with the cursed thing. That tends to end up in a mess.

"Urahara-san, do you think there may be a chance this Aizen is aware of the true power of the Hogyoku? Would you consider this individual capable of attempting to merge with his orb?"

Urahara took a long moment to contemplate all scenarios. If what had been said was true, Aizen would sooner or later figure it out by himself. If that was the case there were high chances of Aizen merging with the Hogyoku.

"Aizen is a prodigy. When we were in Seireitei, his power had been far above a Fuku-taichou, perhaps exceeding that of a Taichou. And that was about a hundred years ago. By now, he should have polished his skills to the maximum. He could easily be on par with the Sōtaichō. Should he become aware of the Hogyoku's full properties, he could definitely attempt to merge with it."

Ossan slowly blinked. "I thought so. It is even more imperative we work together."

Shirosaki sighed loudly. It would get ugly. Meh, it could be worse. Everyone was quiet for some time, until Yoruichi broke the heavy silence.

"Ma, it only means we have our work cut out for ourselves. I will take my leave and see what I can dig up. I'll keep you updated Kisuke. Should you stumble on anything let me know the usual way."

With that the cat stretched and left. The rest of the group decided it was enough for a night and went their own ways. Meaning Urahara and Tessai stayed at the Shoten, while Ossan, Soken and Shirosaki left to return to the Ishida's. Only half-way to their destination did Shirosaki realize they were not going toward the inn, but elsewhere.

"Oi, Ossan! Where the hell are we going? The inn is back to the left."

Soken was astonished. He could understand the Heika did not want to let the Shinigami know about his real identity, since Shinigami were the ones to seal him. But could not fathom how he could let such disrespect pass with no consequences. Ossan looked at both his companions, trying really hard not to laugh at their expressions. Shirosaki's confused and Soken's stunned expressions were testing his own limits.

"I am surprised it took you so long to realize Shirosaki. You are normally more attentive. Don't tell me you are still under a mild influence of the concoction you drank?"

Shirosaki scoffed and ignored the irrelevant question, gaze firm on Ossan, demanding a real answer. One Ossan knew he would not be avoiding.

"For your information, we are going toward the Ishida's. I did not use Schatten* as Soken-san had not been very comfortable. Also, we moved Masaki from the inn to their place as a precaution."

Shirosaki was not amused at all. "Wait a moment, you want to tell me you are taking me to a house full of hunters? Are you out of your mind! This guy here even said it himself back at the store. If his family finds out he is all friendly with a Hollow and Shinigami, he would be in trouble. Che, if you want you go on ahead. I'll go back to the inn and sleep whatever few hours we have left. I'll see you later today. We've got a whole lot of things to talk about."

The last sentence was heightened by a pointed look. Ossan nodded in agreement. That was the only sign Shirosaki needed to Shunpo away from the two Quincy.

Still horrified at the casual way the Hollow spoke with the Heika, Soken looked at the Quincy King. "Heika, will you do nothing at all in regards to Shirosaki's mannerism? Does the reference as an 'elderly person' not unsettle you?"

This time Ossan could not hide the smile from his face. Thankfully the dark of the night did the job for him. Soken had tried so hard to moderate the meaning of Ossan into a more professional way.

"No, not at all. There was another person before Shirosaki who 'bestowed' me with the nickname of 'Ossan'. Shirosaki merely borrowed that expression and has kept it ever since."

The new data was even more of a surprise. "Heika, may I be insolent enough to inquire as to who was brave enough to name you in such a disrespectful way? An even more intriguing question would be how did the scoundrel live long enough to tell the tale and even make it as a habit for themselves and now for Shirosaki-san?"

At that Ossan did lightly chuckle and continued to walk in the direction of Soken's home.

"A simple question, with an even easier answer."

He paused momentarily for an amplified effect. A fond smile stretched on Ossan's face, visible and unrestrained.

"It was my grandson."

^.^

As usual, I'll be looking forward to any and all criticism, just please don't hate :3

*Haldister = combination of two names; 'Haldisa' a German and Teutonic female name meaning 'Spirit of Stone' and the German 'Stern' meaning Star. Combining the two I wanted to get 'Spiritual Star Jewel'. How is it? It sounds unusual and uncommon, so I went with the flow.

Quick recap: English is not my mother language so if I made any mistakes or any errors, please let me know. I am the writer and the spellcheck person all in one. I know this is getting old. But better safe than sorry xD

Wishing everyone a great day/night ahead :)