Hello everyone!
Here we go with Chapter XXIII
Disclaimer, reminder and warnings. Nothing new, but needs to be written.
Friendly reminder: this story will be slightly AU and some characters might be OOC. For anyone who is not into YAOI, please do not read any further, this is not going to be your cup of tea :) Although, by now, I am sure most of you know what you're getting into x3
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! :3
A big 'Thank you' to Semoni Soturi and a Guest review who pointed out my many typing errors. Shout-out to Semoni Soturi for helping me go through hopefully all. Thanks to you I think I managed to fix everything up to chapter 21. Not an easy job to re-post, but I couldn't leave them messed-up, not when it can be nicer. This chapter is dedicated to you, for the dedication you put through to make this story even better. Arigatou, danke, gracias, grazie, hvala, merci, mulțumesc, salamat po, terima kasih, teşekkür…
Chapter XXIII
Shirosaki was already starting to regret his decision to stay at Getabōshi's place. The ashen-blonde's fan was irritating him to no end. He came out from the Garganta to be met with the accursed item. He did get to break two, but the shopkeeper kept pulling out more. He was shown to his new room. There was a futon, a closet and the window he had wanted. The whole room was as expected just like the rest of the residence. Brown, green and occasional cream shades could be seen everywhere.
He would have to get used to the futon, he had not slept on one before, but at least it was not green. On the contrary, it was the only object with a slight divergence. The thick soft looking futon was in a pleasing to the eye cream hue, the dual sided cover was made from artificial silk and cotton. One side was white, while the other came in a combination of cinnamon and amber adorned by a pattern of black leaves. Honestly, he had been worried it would have been in variations of seaweed green and mocha brown. Don't ask him why he had such an image in his head.
After a quick shower and dressing up, he laid down and covered himself. His last thoughts were on the strange Hollow they had encountered as well as on Ossan. He had forgotten to get a those Ginto from the elder man. Meh, he would ask in the morning or whenever he got to see Ossan.
A masked man was pacing within a throne room. That annoying chair was mocking him and his endeavors at ever sitting on it, like it knew what he had done in his past life. He was no better in this one either as a matter of fact. His attempts at eradicating the Quincies had failed. The second war had not been nearly as devastating as the first. He had hoped for more victims. Oh well. At least he got to witness just what happened when a Quincy was bitten by a Hollow. That always brought a smile to his face.
He frowned. If that was the case, then what happened back then with his son? He had been able to monitor him without much effort. Then suddenly one day…puff… It all went out in smoke. He lost the connection. Even now he had no idea how that was possible.
But none of those were the reason for his march around the empty room. No, he was enraged… furious! He had already lost five spies, all in a matter of two days! The first one had been the Shinigami from squad Five. The bastard did not even survive the night. He wondered if perhaps the idiotic sap started a fight with the members of squad Eleven. They did spend time together at that bar. The next day he lost two each from divisions Seven and Eleven. That only left him with two puppets in the Eleventh, one within the Seventh and Eight. The fools from Squad Eleven died in a stupid brawl with members of the same division. While the newbies from the Seventh died in a Hollow extermination mission somewhere in the Rukongai. Worst of all, they did not infect any new subjects!
There was something bugging him about the first mannequin. From the information gathered, Squad Five was having a lot of lost or missing members. In his opinion, the Taichou was a softy with too much kindness and not enough strictness. If he disciplined his subjects properly, they would not die like the trash they were. Heh, on top of that all towns were re-distributed and Squad Five was assigned an 'easier' city. Even the Sōtaichō saw how incompetent the sucker was, but did not kick him out. That would change once he became King.
Back on track. He knew the controlled guy died. But it felt as though he was still breathing. How that could be, eluded him. He could not figure it out If it had been just a premature Hollowfication, he would be able to completely control and use the doll to its full capacities. Instead, he only got glimpses and little flashes of what it was seeing.
That was one of the three reasons he was striding around. It was maddening. It felt as thought someone stole his scout! That would not be forgiven. If only he could get an indication of who had been the culprit. He would strangle them alive or, even better, force them into Hollowfication and abuse their body and mind.
The next issue pissed him off to no end. Amidst the many flashes he got from the miserable allegedly dead bloke, one in particular made his blood boil. Shirosaki Ichirou. He was sure the human bodyguard died a long time ago. He was supposed to die! He himself had created that collar, damn it! It was to explode and take him to kingdom come! There was the chance that the guy was reborn. But the choker was to prevent his return! Shoot! Wait, wait, wait! Did this mean that he would get a chance at coming back? No! That could never be. For that Masaki would have to have a child with a Shinigami-Hollow hybrid. So far, Soren alone was the only specimen. But he did plan to bring her in his arms and, well, they would be together again. Hmm, more complications. If she was to remain pregnant, he would have to think of a method to eliminate the child as soon as it was born. It shouldn't be difficult. With its orange tuft of hair, he would have to be blind to miss the tell-tale sign of his rebirth. Even in modern times children could be stillborn.
Lastly, he was missing one Haschwalth Jugram. Yet another stress factor. The blonde was never one to disobey an order and he was sure he was in Wandenreich. But it upset him to know he could not trace him. He had asked Robert Accutrone. Apparently, the man is capable of raising his own training grounds and be undetectable. As per witness reports, he did go in the direction he normally goes to exercise, which was nothing unusual. The poor soul has been stuck here and it is very likely he is frustrated in more ways than one. There weren't many nice girls in this place like in the World of the Living or any other noteworthy members in general. Most of them are in his opinion, simply nuts. What worried him was the tiny detail that he was seen in full uniform.
Who the hell goes on a work-out in uniform? Casual or gym clothes he would expect, but in uniform? Something was fishy and he wanted to know what! A knock on the door halted his mental jabber. By the feel of the reiatsu, it was the absent Grandmaster. Speak of the devil and what not. Cooling down, he responded in his casual manner.
"Come in."
The door was opened to reveal a disheveled Adviser. Never before had Soren seen the other so unkempt. He knew the male was overly meticulous about perfection, so much it bordered on disturbing on a good day, while it came close to psychotic obsession on most days. Haschwalth walked in, not in the least perturbed about his ragged cloak or the various tidbits of dirt staining his white garment.
"You requested to see me Soren-sama. My humble apologies for the delay. As you can see, I but finished my evening training when I was informed of your call. How may I be of service?"
Soren was shocked into silence. He had no idea how to deal with the situation at hand. Haschwalth, impeccable Haschwalth was ignoring his state of dress simply due to his summon. Now that he thought about it, it was not unheard of. The youngster had done that in the past for the Emperor or in situations when his presence was asked in the middle of exercise.
Ah, there it is. To be reassured he did make a quick notion at the others appearances.
"I wanted to discuss the status of the ongoing mission with you before retiring for the night. What happened to you? You look as thought you just came from a battlefield. Had you been in casual clothes I would understand, but this is very much unlike you."
Haschwalth pretended to hide his embarrassment at having his looks pointed out.
"I must admit my training was an utter failure. I had allocated as a personal goal to enter and leave spotless. Unfortunately, some of the spells I have been practicing ended up being stronger than anticipated while others blew prematurely. They did give me an interesting insight on many variations we could use in practice. Still, for me to come out in tatters, I feel it was an utter fiasco. Would you rather I excuse myself and return once I am more presentable?"
Soren looked deeply at the man. Yes, this is but one of many attempts at being flawless Haschwalth was so peculiar about. He recalled a time when the male would disappear with a so called self-appointed task. Every time he came back even with the smallest speck of filth he would proclaim he had not been good enough at doing whatever it is he had planned. He would have laughed, but stopped. He would keep that thought for later, when the man was gone. It was a welcomed rarity to be able to laugh at Haschwalth's errors.
"Never mind, it is fine. I have been informed there have been no traces of the little lady as of yet. Care to give me a status on the search."
Haschwalth pulled out a screen like device and went through it until the display was shown on the nearby wall.
"As you can see, we have gone through all the properties under the Kurosaki family name. Top to bottom, everything was checked, but there have been no sights on Lady Masaki. Since her disappearance from the mansion there have been no new leads."
Soren hated to admit that he could see no fault in the report. Leave it to Haschwalth to make a thorough and detailed account. There was only one that caught his attention.
"How come a lot of time was spent on a single tiny cottage? Mind opening that file?"
Without any hesitation, Haschwalth laid out the record. He was not worried, he himself had made that one with the same semblances and traits as thought it was made by Bazz-B.
"Due to lack in numbers and the small area to investigate, I gave the order to assign the cottage to Bazzard Black as a solo mission. Indeed, at first glance it should not have taken nearly as much time as it took. However, the barriers surrounding the cottage had been sturdier than estimated. Along with the wards, there were many other obstructions blocking the path. It appears like someone deliberately tried to prevent a search. There were signs of recent usage. Additional time was spent in scouting the surrounding area. By the end, there was nothing more concrete to guide us. Bazzard returned to base and personally gave me a full justification requesting for an additional brigade. A new party was organized to look from that point on for any signs of our missing miss. Nonetheless, nothing substantial was found and Bazzard's account has been reconfirmed by the second team."
Soren was astounded. Everything fell right in place, Bazzard Black was notorious as a hot-head with a known weakness for delicate operations. Anything reiatsu or reishi related that was not his own power, was not the man's forte.
'By the time we sent someone capable it was already too late and any indications must have dissipated along with possible trails. Not what I needed. We're jumping from one issue to another and as a result get naught but more enigmas and missing data.'
Soren finalized his inner monologue by looking sternly at Haschwalth, momentarily forgetting he had a mask covering his features.
"I see, so we are back to square one. We have naught but puzzle pieces scattered all around, yet nothing concrete. Moderately disappointing. Though, we shall continue. Masaki must be found at all cost. She is the sole link we have in releasing his Majesty from imprisonment. Meanwhile, Seireitei is in their own predicament. It appears that in certain towns there are powerful Hollows invading the World of the Living. I would like to have each one of these cities with high Hollow activity looked in details. Chances are Hollows are attracted to something or someone. It is not unlikely they are aiming at the lost child. There is a total of six towns, two of which are in Japan, consequently we will commence with those. Take note to send a group at the earliest to Karakura and Narukishi. Then we have Phuket in Thailand, Cape Town in South Africa, Tallinn in Estonia and Cozumel in Mexico. Find out what is bringing Hollows to these locations and report back. Oh, and do please remind our units to stay out of Shinigami's sight. Do advise them two Shinigami have been allocated in the mentioned cities, but we do not want to be detected. Understood?"
Haschwalth had already written a memo of all said and started formulating a plan to distribute and send troops accordingly.
"Certainly. May I suggest we appoint two Sternritter per group? It will take longer for results, but it would guarantee less chances of being found out by the Shinigami. Should we send large units, we may non-voluntarily fall under the Shinigami's radar."
Soren thought about the suggestion. If two Shinigami could be assigned to these places, it would be oh so ironic to have two Quincies, their polar opposites. An even greater mockery would be if they were to travel in troops of four, double compared to the Shinigami.
"A splendid proposition, although it would be easier if we had at least four members. Would you not agree."
Haschwalth continued typing away, already working on an option which would work without risking the discovery of the Emperor's soul fragment.
"Truly, it would facilitate the operation. Do you wish to appoint anyone in particular to certain zones or should we make a random selection and assemble our men by their strong and weak points? An excellent example would be Bazzard Black and Robert Accutrone. The two could cover for each other's flaws. Bazzard's lack of tracking skills would be covered by Robert's attention to details. Simultaneously, Robert's deficient strength would be countered by Bazzard's strength."
Soren was glad he had Haschwalth under his control and command. The man was a warfare prodigy, bested by none other then the Quincy King. There was a rumor that the Denka had been Haschwalth's student and managed to surpass the blonde male. Yet, he never got the full confirmation nor had there been any evidence to back up that tale. Another blessing at having gotten rid of the pesky menace.
"I'll let you make the decision. Keep me posted and updated. I do believe it is about time we both took a break. It is nearly dawn. Good night Haschwalth."
Haschwalth finished typing at the device, placed it back in his pocket, bowed and left the throne room. The lure to decapitate Soren had been oh so difficult to suppress. To know that the cursed individual under the mask was the same person who had taken away Denka's life and do nothing was maddening. It would have been better had he never known that aspect the man possessed.
Nevertheless, Haschwalth was aware and that was a start. He had not wanted Bazzard's presence at the meeting with the Emperor for he was sure it would have never ended. Bazzard was a bit slow on the intake of information when faced with so much data. Once again, Heika proved his talents. During the meeting it was insinuated that Soren may have some sort of hold on the Shinigami. This implication has been proved by Soren's extended knowledge on the Shinigami's town distribution.
Shirosaki's involvement was not fully clear. Still, the Hollow had demonstrated times and times again he could be trusted. The Denka's demise left a hole in all of their hearts, but not as much as it had affected Shirosaki. He could tell, for every single time Denka had been mentioned, Shirosaki barely contained his emotions. He had wondered why his Majesty did not say the boy's name aloud. There were many possibilities, but the most likely was the lack of trust toward the ex-Shinigami he had brought along.
Those Shinigami were also strange. By their clothes and manners, he would have to guess they had been deserters or otherwise in exile. Haschwalth took great pride at being always a step ahead of the situation. As they were parting ways, he managed to speak privately to the Heika and give a personally crafted transmitter. The entire conversation Haschwalth had with Soren had been overheard by his Majesty.
He had never liked the Regent and now he had but more damning materials. Haschwalth was by no means a cruel man, but when required he was not against bringing forth justice. Amidst his many gifts, Haschwalth was first and foremost patient. He would play the faithful pawn for as long as needed. Knowing that a part of the Quincy King was free and already in action was an even better motivator to keep him at bay and halt his hand against the true monster Soren has demonstrated to be. Yes, patience is a virtue he possessed for the longest of times. He had waited all this time, all these centuries. A couple decades more or less were insignificant. No one was allowed to take the life of his disciple and get away with it unpunished.
At the Ishida's, one figure was unable to sleep. Ossan had heard what Soren was planning. Haschwalth did play his card remarkably well. He had no doubts that things were about to get chaotic. Thanks to the gadget Haschwalth gave him, he will be able to speak properly with the other undisturbed and come up with their next moves.
Four Quincy would be sent by morning to Karakura and those other towns. That would not be an issue whatsoever. It was a large city, Bazzard will be sent within the range of the Ishida's and the children's school. Haschwalth assured, Bazzard would be instructed not to react at seeing Masaki and to keep her location a secret of upmost importance.
Knowing Haschwalth, Bazzard will be grouped with Robert Accutrone as described to Soren. The question was who would be going with the two? In his opinion, the Lloyd twins would be an excellent choice. Loyd and Royd Lloyd were a good match to each other and to their group. The three would also let Bazzard to his own assignment without giving him too much grief. As long as Bazzard reported regularly to Robert, the entire task would progress smoothly.
He still owed a lot of explanation to Haschwalth, especially about the ex-Shinigami, but they had agreed to go in details in the late morning hours after Haschwalth sent the Sternritter to their new job. It was about time to rest, all else will have to wait until more appropriate hours. He sure would not want to be in Soken's shoes right now. The Ishida's Family Head was not going to have any sleep at all.
There was one more thing that was swimming in his mind. Shirosaki's words about the unusual Hollow from earlier. Just what was all that about? Shirosaki was not one to forget things easily. So, what could have he possibly meant? Hoping against all odds more would be revealed during his visit to the Shoten, he turned on his right side and closed his eyes. Forcing himself to catch at least some semblance of sleep.
He was looking at a black Hollow with white armor, a white mask with two ruby red stripes going from the nose to its ears and white horns outlined by two more red lines. One on the inner and one on the outer side of each horn. Knee-long ragged white hair was fluctuating thanks to the desserts gentle breeze. The creature was illuminated by a beam of moonlight. The gaping hole in its chest somehow added to the creepy effect accentuated by the contrast of dark and light against black and white.
The armor seemed exceedingly tough. The black hollow arms, protruding from their respective openings, had white outlines. They looked like two waves going in opposing directions, only to be met half-way to a new mutual starting point. It continued on until reaching the wrist where they merged and splashed, breaking in five lines going to the first knuckle of each finger. The nails where long white talons conflicting the blackness of the main body. The same could be seen on its bare feet.
All in all, the being in front of his eyes may as well have come out from hell itself. The white mask was forever frozen in a grimace showcasing sharp teeth. The round eyes openings were midnight black, two silver orbs swimming amidst the obscurity surrounding them.
Damn! Just looking at those apathetic eyes was enough to raise chills, but all together it was terrifying. He felt trapped in an endless nightmare and perhaps this was it, the end of his relatively scary and short life.
"Are you afraid?" came the distorted echoing voice of the beast.
He was shaking, trembling on his spot, hating himself with every fiber of his soul. Why was he this affected? Why was he scared? Why was he so terrified of the man he knew was hidden beneath that shell? His own father? How could he be this frightened at the male's reiatsu? Was it still his father or had he lost it to his inner demon? His mother must have been one brave woman. Well, either courageous or a fool with no preservation skills. Meh, he would go with the first thought.
"It is normal to be fearful of what you do not understand. A very important lesson for us born in this dim world. You must accept that there are things out here that are bigger, stronger than you. Embrace the dread you are feeling. It is not a weakness to know when you are out of your league, but that is the time when you have to prove you can outsmart your foes. This is why you need to learn and study the mundane workings of this and the other two spheres. Knowledge is a proficiency that transcends physical might. Whenever you find yourself in a situation you can't come on top, rely on your intellect and instincts. Together the two elements by far outmatch any battle skills. That is if your opponent is not out of control. Should you face an unruly and wild rival the best solution is not to move, make yourself as invisible as you possibly can and lay low until it either calms down or self-destroys. Your instincts will guide you in selecting the best option."
He nodded dumbly in understanding. He was in too much shock to give a proper verbal response. At least is was obvious that the person was still in control if his words were any indication. Finally seeing understanding in his son's eyes, the man dissolved his Resurrección. The armor melted, the white lines wiped out from his arms, the mask lost its lines and remained as a plain white helmet. The horns shortened and they too lost their red streaks. The male was dressed in a white Shihakusho with black outlines and a black obi tied at his waist. The long hair, suddenly short and tight, yet it retained some semblance of it's spiky nature. The Hollow hole still in place, but it was not as eerie as it was when encircled by the armature turned Shihakusho. The talons on its hands and feet remained, but they too were much shorter and could easily pass for slightly longer fingernails. Albeit nails that could cut through steel, not that you could tell just by looking at them.
This was much more familiar. All that was left was take off the head piece and close the gap in the chest. The man looked like a typical imposing Vasto Lorde, but the air around him was so much easier. Outside his Resurrección form it sure did feel much better and Shirosaki's instincts were not as rampart as they had been before with the fight or flight drive.
Shirosaki breather out. That had been one experience he would ingrate in his memory for the rest of his life. There were no doubts as to why this man standing a little ahead of him was proclaimed the King of Hueco Mundo. As a safety precaution, he had been dragged in the middle of nowhere, for this display alone. Else they would have stayed within the comforts of their quarters and within Las Noches. This show was sort of a teaching method to persuade a nine-year-old Shirosaki to study the Human World as well as the workings of the Shinigami.
Yes, he could not understand why he had to figure out how humans and Shinigami functioned. He was somewhat inclined to comprehend the Shinigami and their ways, what with his mother having been a Shinigami herself. But humans? Why did he have to know about the weakest form of spiritual life? According to his father, it was because the little runts were really smart when they wanted to be and would grow to surpass all of them with their contraptions.
"Son. Have I ever told you about your mother?"
That was new. Father always avoided speaking of mom. Not surprising, she did die giving birth, at that time, to a nameless Shirosaki. His father had never named him and merely called him brat, demon, little one or son, depending on his mood and on what kind of mischief Shirosaki made. He wanted his son to find his path in life and with it, his own name. The young child shook his head in the negative, eager to hear more about the woman that brought him to this world.
"A long time ago, I was just a regular Vasto Lorde, nothing special really. By achieving the level of Vasto Lorde I was hoping the pain would fade away. Instead, it came with consciousness and reason we do not get to feel as an Adjucha. Not even the foolish lot that break their mask to become Arrancars get to sense as much as we Vasto Lorde do. Arrancars do get something, but it is not complete as their broken masks become their swords. It was unexpected to say the least. Anyhow, challengers for the position of most powerful Hollow came daily. I got bored and tried to find an alternative to the endless monotony of my life. I managed to remove my mask without breaking it. As you know when I take my headdress off, I can put it where my hole is and fill it, looking more human. I went to the World of the Living, explored the vast uncharted territory. After some time, I got uninterested and moved to Soul Society. Mind you, it was nothing better there either. My appearances did get a lot of unwanted attention and I ended up having to fight on more than one occasion. There was an incident where I even went as far as to bite my adversary and control her moves. I did it so not to have to kill her. It was a malicious short haired Shinigami who had it in for me. Constantly trying to slay me because of my weird outlook appearance."
A chuckle left his father.
"I could not fathom what was the problem. It was not like I was there eating souls or wreaking havoc. Just enjoying a stroll under the pleasant climate. Years later while wandering around, I met a Shinigami lady passing about one of the nicest districts of the Rukongai. Her beauty captivated me, she had no idea to be an enchantress. Long straight brown hair, fair skin, lime green eyes and a radiant smile to rival the Sun itself. There was an aura about her that was magnetic, she got me trapped, but I was happy to be under her spell even from afar. Until I made the first move and introduced myself. Though I was human-like, I'm sure she realized I was not entirely human, yet she accepted me just as I was. We started seeing each other and before long she became pregnant."
Shirosaki was willing to bet there was a smile beneath the mask.
"I wish you could have met her. When it was found out that she was expectant with a not so human being, she was exiled from her home. I offered to take her to the Human World where we could live undisturbed since humans can't see spirits. On the night of our departure, we were assaulted by a group of Shinigami. They were lead by a man who claimed I ruined his mother's life and it was only proper to kill the one person I loved. Now that I think about it, he did have some strong resemblances to the Shinigami I bit back then. Anyway, long story short, we fled, but she got injured and lost the unborn baby. Several decades later, she wanted another chance at being a mother. I couldn't refuse her, and soon she was expecting again. Due to her old injury, it was a dangerous gamble. Complications arose, but nine months later with her last efforts she gave birth to you."
Sheesh, way to make you feel all cuddly and chummy. If the stupid Shinigami did not interfere, he might have a mom. Shirosaki was cussing up a storm against the vile offenders. His inner storm cut short by his fathers' next words.
"My only regret is having left her for that long in Soul Society. We should have gone for the Human World sooner. Had we known more about the Living World, I would have done it differently. Well, seeing as she had her Shinigami duties I'm sure convincing her would have been an interesting challenge. Oh well, nothing to gain from past remorse. Her face at the sight of you is a memory I still hold onto. My boy, I am so thankful you survived and are here with me alive and healthy. You are our greatest masterpiece, my treasure. I want you to be a better man. I do hope you will be accepted as you are by a certain someone, someday. Should you stumble upon such an individual, know that is one rare person. And if by chance that same one becomes dear to you, never let them go. Age, gender, species none of those are relevant as long as you connect and love one another."
Shirosaki's mind was all jumbled up. Why was father telling him all this? Why was he getting no anger towards Shinigami? What was so important? Was Shirosaki really so bizarre that it was not normal? Father did often say that he was a hybrid, unique. Won't people just recognize him for being singular? Was it so bad to be different? A million more questions invaded him from all sides. When he asked his father why he wasn't bitter at the Shinigami for taking mom away, he was told that it was not right to condemn all Shinigami because of the actions of one. Not all were equal, everything and everyone was dissimilar. If they were all the same, the world would be dull and meaningless.
Shirosaki continued his studies much more rigorously and even found out that there were humans with bows and arrows capable of eradicating Hollow souls. Talk about radical. If killed, you were gone with no methods of coming back. Yikes! He so did not want to get on a Quincy's bad side. He swore to stay far away from them and their King. His father mocked him and even showed him a picture of the man in ruling over the dangerous bunch.
That was the first and only time his father had used Resurrección or put the helmet on his head. Never again had his father had a hole on his chest or horns on his face. Not once were his expressions hidden. At the age of eleven, Shirosaki asked him about it. His response was that he detested going back to that form, he would rather die the way his beloved had last seen him, than look like the beast from which he had originated from.
A year later, for the first and last time, his father lost a fight. Barragan Louisenbairn fought for the position of King and won. Even without Resurrección the battle lasted several days. Shirosaki had witnessed the encounter. His father was winning, but got hit by a fatal attack aimed at Shirosaki. His father got struck while protecting his adored son. That Barragan bastard knew he would loose and tried to get the upper hand by aiming at the twelve-year-old. He had been right. Shirosaki was sent to the World of the Living by his badly injured father who told to live to the fullest, to learn and see, but most importantly to never give up on what and who he was. He was a hybrid and had to be proud no matter how the world reacted to his looks, gifts or reiatsu.
Shirosaki ended in the middle of nowhere. Alone, lost and sad. He felt when his father's life extinguished thanks to their unique connection. He was left to roam from place to place, but even that did not last long. As the new King, Barragan sent a horde of Hollows to seek out the child of his rival and eliminate him. He wanted to keep his position permanent and refused to let a possible future threat live.
Shirosaki ran for his life. For days he was escaping his persecutors 'jumping' from Hueco Mundo to the World of the Living as he did not know how to reach Soul Society. He ended up in a dense forest where his life did a 180-degree turn.
Hirako Shinji loved doing things in reverse, so much in fact that it became a bad habit. His method of meeting people was to observe them upside-down form a safe distance and get a first impression. He had been in the middle of a nice walk, when he felt an enormous Hollow reiatsu. He justifiably wondered if Urahara Kisuke finally went insane in the past hundred or so years. He had been oh so close to fight off whatever the monstrosity was, while speculating if the reiatsu came from an alleged hybrid.
Imagine his surprise to see a kid battling the Hollow emitting that huge ass reiatsu. Not only that, but the brat felt human. And then wham! The Hollow fled and there was not a single scratch on the guy. He self-confessed, he was intrigued. That's why on the same evening turned dawn he came to the Urahara Shoten. He wanted to know more about the newbie.
It was child's play to find the sleeping male. His reiatsu was unique, seeing as it gave the impression of human. Must be compliments of Urahara and his inventions. He was preparing himself to observe the slumbering man. Yeah, he was weird that way, so sue him. His pondering stopped by a raise in reiatsu coming from the futon.
Oh heck, what kind of mess did he put himself in again. The teen's reiatsu was ludicrous. Just what sort of being was it? He was lucky that Tessai had the foresight to place strong barriers around the whole shop, but if this output continued the Kido would crumble. No choice, he had to wake the pale dude up. He was not looking forward to the retaliation, but it may be fun.
Decision made, Hirako Shinji approached the bedding as quietly as he could. Just as he was about to wake the individual, the form under the covers raised all on its own. Shoot that was fast.
Shirosaki was panting. Hard. He remembered, he finally remembered why that Hollow seemed so familiar. His papa bit a female Shinigami, that girl married and had a boy who inherited the dormant Hollow genes his mother never awoke or used. The same guy who was responsible for the assault which lead to the death of Shirosaki's mother. He found out by sheer luck that Soren had been that idiot. You'd be surprised how much intel you can get from drunken fools.
In his drunken stupor Soren confirmed he had grown and thirsted for revenge against the Hollow that infected his mother. He cursed the powers running through his veins. Claiming he hated the Hollow for biting his mother when performing her duty, but his true goal was to purge the creature who gave him an unwanted inner Hollow. Back then, it must have been confusing, the term Hollowfication was not known. Soren must have had quite the challenge to gain the upper hand against his inner Hollow.
Sometime after injuring the Shinigami who was said to be in a relationship with the exact Hollow that made him go through that inconvenience, he left Soul Society, ashamed for not murdering the due. Going down to the Living World, he encountered Masaki. How the two fell in love and came to be together was a mystery Shirosaki could not explain. As time passed, Soren came to understand the Quincy hierarchy. He realized his powers were a blessing in disguise. Thanks to the Hollow side he kept secret from all, he gained massive reiatsu. Using Quincy knowledge and mixing it with Kido, he became even more adapt and strong. He became greedy and would stop at nothing to gather even more power with the intention to overpower the Quincy King and become the ultimate monarch. Not an easy aim, but that did not stop him. In the end, he concluded that he stood no chances and opted to take the throne the easy way, by bloodline. Should the King retire, someone had to take over and Soren was so sure he would be the replacement. When he found out that his son was chosen over him, he must have lost it.
Shirosaki was close to blowing something up. He should have seen all the signs sooner. If he had been more attentive, just maybe…
Shaking his head to clear his overactive mind, he noticed there was an unknown man in his room. Sending the… he would go with 'Blondie'… a deathly glare he spoke calmly totally unlike what he was seriously feeling.
"Shirosaki Ichirou. I give you to the count of 'one' to get lost from this room. It's too early for weirdos."
Hirako Shinji was at a loss for words, but did catch up at least with one sentence the Hollow said.
"Wait a second! Don't you mean to the count of t…"
His verdict was interrupted by a punch to the face which sent him flying out the window accompanied by a single word "One!"
At least it was open, although Shirosaki did not recollect leaving it like that. Meh, he turned around and went back to sleep. He would worry about blonde intruders at a more convenient time.
Shinji could not believe he was brushed aside that easily. What in the world was wrong with the freakish white ass? You don't strike people at random! Though, the Hollow did pack one heck of a right hook. Sheesh, he was doomed to stay single for all eternity with an attitude like that. Kicking around doesn't get you girls.
Returning to the window, he barely put his foot on the windowsill when he heard a muffled voice from the napping man.
"One hit not enough? Back for more? Aren't you the little masochist. Not in the mood at this forsaken hour. If you're here, you're a friend of Getabōshi's and that means you're going to be a pain in my ass. Let me rest and come back at decent hours. If you stay I'll blast a Cero right up your skull, got it?"
Yeah, the kid will never get laid. No sane person would ever want to stuck around someone like him. Shinji really liked his head on his shoulders, he took a strategical retreat and went to the main entrance of the store. He would wait until morning and try again.
Masaki woke up with a start, her alarm screeching and screaming it was time to get ready. It took her a while to reminisce what she had to prepare for and then it hit her. It was her first day of school. Without further ado, she hurriedly dressed in the schools' uniform. She thought it was funny, but was told it was mandatory for all students to wear the same. There was a bit of anxiety mixed with a healthy dose of anticipation. This was going to be the first time she went to school. So far, she had been home-schooled, thus this was a new development.
She was enrolled in the same high school as Ryuken, her distant cousin now a senior while she was enlisted as a freshman. Her bubbly energy was felt at breakfast. Ryuken looked worse for wear. He did spend the whole night awake discussing matters with his father. He was secretly glad the Hollow did not spend the night at the house, not convinced Shirosaki could be fully trusted. Else had been told the young man encountered distant relatives and moved with them, sending his deepest regrets for not having stayed longer and for his abrupt departure. She did not buy it, but went along, not wanting to pressure her husband who seemed exceedingly worried. Kurosaki-sama by all means looked to have had a restful night.
Soon the children were escorted to school. Masaki was thrilled, upon first contact with the many students, she managed to make a large group of friends. It had been so easy and simple to like the energetic girl. By the end of the school day, she was excited and happy. Going out with her newfound friends and even visiting one for a school project. The assignment was not due until next week, but both girls wanted to start early. Let's face it, it was just an excuse to spend even more time together and avoid Quincy training.
Ossan had escorted Masaki to her school along with Ryuken. He did see the distrustful glare the youngster sent him on occasions, but he had spent years alongside Shirosaki. There was no stare-down contest he could not win.
Ossan took care of his business before arriving at the Urahara's Shoten. As he made his way to the entryway, he heard a loud breaking noise followed by yelling and a red ray of energy. He exhaled.
'Looks like Shirosaki is not in a good mood. Either they woke him up prematurely or did something exceedingly stupid before he fully woke up.'
He was absolutely right. First Shinji Hirako came out of nowhere in the middle of the night and then the same moron returned and got the forewarn Cero.
Ossan entered the Shoten and followed Shirosaki's reiatsu. It was muffled and human, but having spent as much time together as the two did, it was as easy as breathing to pinpoint the other's location. He was not surprised to find Shirosaki seated in the same room they have been spending their visits. The Hollow was still rubbing his eyes with his left hand and stifling a yawn with the other dressed in a white cotton pajama set with big blue dots. Opposite of the Hollow an opening in the wall indicated that someone was sent their merry way. A stupefied shopkeeper who was just inches to the left of the gaping maw, held tightly his cup of tea and the black cat known as Yoruichi was purring happily at her now bright spot. The hole-on-the-wall was at the perfect angle to let sunlight through and warm her back.
"Ah! Good morning Kurosaki-sama. Did you sleep well? Please disregard the…ahem… renovation plans, we were having a bit of fun. Tessai-san should be here with fresh tea and breakfast for Shirosaki-san in no time."
Ossan raised an eyebrow at the mention of a meal. If his memory was correct, food was not included in the deal between the two. Having noticed the older male's interrogative glance, Shirosaki grinned and answered the unspoken question.
"Getabōshi here spoke to an 'acquaintance' of his and the irritating fella came first in the middle of my sleep to bother me. Then, he came back to push a few of my buttons while I was trying to wake up. I warned them not to bug me, but the two did not listen and one of them should be near Tokyo as we speak. Getabōshi offered breakfast today as a peace offering."
It made sense. Ossan took a seat to Shirosaki's right, not at all agitated by the opening in the wall. Tessai-san came right on schedule with fresh tea and even an extra cup for Ossan. Breakfast consisted of steamed rice, miso soup and broiled salmon. The large man had only brought one portion for Shirosaki since he and the others had already eaten. He quickly looked at Kurosaki-sama as though offering to bring something for him too if needed, but Ossan shook his head adding a quiet "Thank you." With that said, Tessai-san left to open shop, leaving the rest behind.
Shirosaki was practically ready to help himself with the soup when Ossan pulled out a Ginto from his coat and silently offered it to his companion. Shirosaki was beaming, who else besides Ossan would be concerned about the Hollow's well-being? His Ichigo without a doubt would have done the same. After all, it had been Ichigo's idea to use the reishi stored inside the Ginto to help Shirosaki's hunger. He missed his King. No point in feeling down. He would see him again one way or the other. Having mentally agreed with his thoughts, Shirosaki opened the bottle with practiced ease and poured its content inside the soup, cheerfully munching away.
On the other side of the table, Urahara Kisuke was barely containing his curiosity at the little tube and the reishi contents now mingling in the soup. Ossan took pity on the man and explained what it was and its purpose. To say Urahara was in sixth heaven was putting it lightly. His mind was flying. And speaking of 'flying' a man roughly 5'9'' or 5'10'' with a short blonde bob of hair and a peeved expression which displayed his straight teeth arrived entering from the hole. His ginger button up cotton shirt was slightly scorched as were his velvet hickory trousers and black leather loafers. Surprisingly the black leather belt and socks sustained minimal damage.
"What the bleeding heck is yer' problem yer' pastry white sorry ass?! You can't just blow a Cero fer the fun of it. Mark my words, ya'll never get a girl with an attitude like that. Sheesh!"
Shirosaki ignored him. He was not interested in girls and he knew to be white, so he was not offended. Let him say as he pleased, at least he got some breakfast thanks to the insufferable wacko with a bad tongue ring. His soup finished, Shirosaki moved to the rice and salmon which only assisted in infuriating the annoying male even more.
"Hey, listen to people when they talk ter' ya, ye punk! No manners at all, huh? What kind of maniac shoots Cero's out of the blue? Think yer funny?"
Shirosaki was irritated. The guys' ranting was making his food taste bad. He saw no better solution than to give the man a taste of his own medicine.
"You want to talk about good behavior? You, who did not find it in him to introduce oneself? Not once have I heard your name. You barge in the middle of the night to spy on a sleeping person and if that is not sickening enough, you continue to disturb a tired man while trying to start his day. I at least made myself known and I even went as far as giving you the chance to beat it before punching you. Not only that, I was generous enough to use just one of my fists. Compared to Ossan, you had it easy. As for the Cero, you were warned in advance. All in all, you have no space to talk about social graces and good protocol!"
Shinji was both upset and astonished at the Hollow's rant, but still wanted to be on top.
"Warned in advance? Yer supposed to give a man to the count of three not one! Besides, when the hell did ya introduce yourself? May I remind ya that since ya came to this room there was none of that from either one of us?!"
Shirosaki blankly stared at the other. 'Is he stupid or what?'
"I gave you my name when you first imposed. Shirosaki Ichirou. And then, I told you to scram by the count of one. How much time I give people to buzz off is up to me not the one that needs to learn when to depart."
Urahara was having such a good time. Having Shirosaki at the table was entertaining, to see him this spirited from the beginning of the day was even more so. He did not use his fan just out of courtesy. He wanted to pull it out so badly, but refrained. If he continued like this, he would run out before the end of the month. Shinji would have continued, had it not been for Yoruichi and her grunting.
"Silence you simpletons, I'm trying to have a nap here. And Shirosaki is right, so stop pestering."
Bewildered and mildly embarrassed, Shinji cooled down and sat to Urahara's right.
"Hirako Shinji."
No words were exchanged until Shirosaki finished his meal. With a full belly one could see the world much brighter. Oh wait! Nope, it was the same, but seemed different because of the hole. Ossan would have snorted, but had higher standards than that. He gazed at the newly named Hirako Shinji. There was something that he did not like about the male. Ah, another Shinigami, but this one came with a slight Hollow scent.
"Kurosaki Juhabach. How do you do? I presume you are Urahara Kisuke's an associate. For future references, I would strongly suggest not to disrupt Shirosaki's waking habits, he tends to be quick-tempered. May I inquire as to your desire to meet him? Surely, you did not come all the way here purely to sate your latent masochistic exigencies. What could a Shinigami-Hollow mix-up possibly want from their polar opposite?"
Shinji was once again astonished. Urahara did tell him these two were good, but he did not see this one coming. He shot the store owner with a deathly inquisitive look.
"It was not me, I never got the chance to mention Hirako-san. I had no idea you would be coming to visit anyway."
Shinji was skeptic and unbelieving.
"Then how does this guy know what I am?"
Ossan barely suppressed the desire to teach the youngster a lesson, for that is exactly what the man was compared to the centuries both Ossan and Shirosaki had. Shirosaki took a loud sip of tea, trying to break the tense air.
"Ah that hit the spot. As for you, Blondie, you reek of Hollow. Could smell you for miles. So, I'll take the liberty of rephrasing my partner's question. What do you want? You were there last night when that Hollow came. Do you work for Aizen or are you an escaped old experiment? Personally, I'm betting on the latter."
This time even Yoruichi was amazed. Her only slip-up had been the raised ear which she promptly flattened back. It was Shinji who sort of broke the silence.
"Oh, you're good. I see what you meant, Kisuke. Shirosaki, right? Can I call ya 'Shiro' for short?"
The irritated look Shirosaki gave him, spoke volumes and if he was unsure, Shirosaki cleared up any misgivings.
"Either you call me Shirosaki or Ichirou. Call me 'Shiro' again and I'll make sure you don't get a chance at reincarnation."
"Tough crowd. Then, Shirosaki. Ya know what I am from one glance. But I did not know what ya were. Had Kisuke not told me, I would have a hard time believing. That is, 'til last night. Ya do have a nice right hook, but even higher reiatsu. So, yer a hybrid and ya know 'bout Aizen and co. Man, I feel like I'm the last one at getting updates 'round here. Answer me this question. I can understand how ya knew what I was, but how 'bout yer companion?"
Ossan continued to blankly stare the blonde down.
"I am a Quincy, we are highly susceptible to reiatsu signatures. Not to mention I've had much more experience than you could count your years."
"Oh yeah? I'm over three hundred ya know."
"How sweet, you are a toddler. Shirosaki here is more mature than you in both mind, spirit and it would appear in age as well. You see, he is approaching his first thousand. For your information, I will be passing that number for the second time."
Shinji's mouth was left open for several seconds. These guys were almost as old as Yamamoto himself. No scratch that, The Kurosaki dude may even be on the same level.
"Well aren't ya aging gracefully? The both of ya! Who knew mummies could walk among the living?!"
He got no reactions besides bored expressions.
"Alright, fine! I came here ta see this one's inner Hollow. Can't have ya running 'round the World of the Living if there is a chance of ya going insane or being swallowed by it."
Shirosaki met Ossan's eyes for about two seconds and then burst out in hysterical laughter which lasted a while. Ossan himself was having a hard time suppressing his amusement. He would leave this part to Shirosaki, once he regained his composure. Shirosaki had tears in his eyes from laughter. Oh, that had been awesome, Shinji could be a comedian when he wanted.
"Ha! Oh man, that was a good one. No sure which part was better, me going insane or me having an inner Hollow. Seriously, you should consider being a stand-up comedian or something. Well, at least amidst spirits, I don't think humans would understand our jokes. But you came for nothing. Do you really believe if I had an inner Hollow it would not have consumed me by now? I've been alive for over nine centuries, which means over ninety decades. As for the insane part, meh, who knows."
Shinji was not moving and demanded answers.
"Look, I was born like this. I was not a research material nor a test subject. My papa was a Vasto Lorde, my mom a Shinigami. They hooked up, got intimate and here I am. I did not get an inner Hollow, I was born with a Hollow Zanpakuto. It's nothing like a Hollowfied Zanpakuto. Meaning it's not a Zanpakuto that has undergone Hollowfication if you don't understand. In our case, we were a new species, the only one of our kind. I did not have any issues you may have experienced. No weird transformations, no fights for dominance, nothing, just the regular shenanigan to get a Zanpakuto, Shikai and Bankai, with the addition of a Resurrección if I so please."
Shirosaki's words brought down such a deep silence it was unnerving. An undeterred Hirako Shinji was not ready to give up. Standing up he challenged.
"Prove it!"
Shirosaki sighed, this guy was not letting up, but he was still light years from matching Shirosaki's stubbornness.
"Really?! You want me to somehow prove what? That my Zanpakuto and I are nothing like you? That I'm not going to go mad and on a wild riot seeking souls of humans? Please, if you knew anything about Hollows, you would know that Adjucha and above Hollows do not eat human souls. Think about it, a single human soul could not be considered even dessert. Why go through the trouble of devouring one soul, when you can hunt for a Menos Grande, another Adjucha or if you're crazy enough a weaker Vasto Lorde? A Menos Grande is made of at least a couple hundred or more souls merged and condensed. A much substantial meal than a meager single soul, don't you think? Or were you asking for me to prove whether I can kick to the moon and back? Just so you know, I won't mind handing you your ass back anyplace anytime. Hah! I would not even require to change clothes. Zan and I could send you crying and kicking like a kid. Better yet, I could materialize my Zanpakuto and let him take care of your sorry hide."
Shinji felt dizzy, either the room was moving or it was just his head spinning in circles.
"You can materialize your Zanpakuto, as in your sword's spirit?"
Shirosaki watched him as thought he was the one who lost a screw or two.
"What kind of ridiculous question is that? Of course, I can, how else do you achieve Bankai?"
Shinji threw his hands in the air exasperated. He was giving up. He was wasting his precious time. Urahara patted him on the leg.
"Ma, ma Hirako-san, it's not so bad. Look on the bright side. You discovered something new and got to spend some time with us. I did promise to call in case your expertise was needed. But, you came here of your own volition. Is Hiyori-san giving you a hard time?"
"You have no idea. Oh well, no choice. I'll leave it to ya. Hope you're not wrong."
Shinji left using the hole in the wall without any backward glances or farewells.
'Impudent and ill-mannered, how charming.' Were Ossan's sarcastic thoughts at the departure of the youth. Shirosaki was thinking within the same lines in a more colorful language, but refrained from making any loud comments.
Urahara felt chills. The meeting had been an utter fiasco, but he did get more data on the hybrid living under his roof. At least, he took his precious fan out and waves it as per usual.
"Oh my! That was interesting to say the least. Are we ready to talk more about last night's Hollow? Shirosaki-san, since you fought it, did you get anything pertaining to the Hogyoku?"
Shirosaki had to think about it, but in the end, shook his head in the negative.
"Sorry, I was a little busy figuring something else out. That reminds me. We should probably chase the thing in Hueco Mundo, give it a Konso and let it rest in peace."
Ossan shot him a quick inquiry.
"What do you mean?"
"Simple, the guy has no free will, he is just a puppet. It is unlike the ones we fought Ossan, but I am certain that Soren infected him at one point. In other words, the poor soul got injected with Soren's Hollow powers. From his fighting style, I'd say it is very likely he was caught and further experimented by Aizen after Soren had already infused him with Hollow substance. The swords were empty, devoid of anything as thought he was already dead, but still moving."
Ok, this is by far my longest chapter ever! I'm getting the feeling it won't be the last one either x3
Looking forward to any and all criticism.
Reminders: English is still 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, not an easy job. I know this is getting old. But better safe than sorry xD
Wishing everyone an amazing day/night ahead :D