Chapter 34: Elder

The myriad of emotions that flooded through Kirara the moment the large, imposing form of Kuroro pushed through the crowd to stand at the front threatened to overwhelm the woman, who stood entirely too still as she stared at him.

Kirara wasn't an idiot. It had been a long time, but she knew that the Soul Society didn't change enough that she wouldn't be recognised by anyone during their visit. She'd just hoped that she'd be able to keep a low enough profile until they at least were inside the Seireitei. Yet she hadn't even achieved that, as Kuroro's piercing stare was enough to tell her that she had no chance of pretending that she didn't know the man.

"Who is that?" Kirara heard Ichigo ask behind her, not bothering to keep his voice down. Kirara didn't answer, her fists clenched at her sides. She'd only just managed to push down the feelings dredged up by Ichimaru's appearance at the gate.

"Seems the rumours about your death were just lies," Kuroro was the one to break their silence, walking towards Kirara. She didn't speak, not knowing what to say or how to react. Kuroro's eyes narrowed at that. "Or maybe not. You're not the brat I remember, ruining the atmosphere of my bar with your incessant chatting," he said as he now stood in front of her. He didn't look away from the woman who was staring at him with a conflicted look, but he was well aware of her companions watching and waiting, trying to decide if there was going to be trouble.

"If you didn't like me darkening your doorstep, then you shouldn't have kept inviting me over for a drink," finally Kirara found her words, and a grin spread across her face. Tears lingered in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall as just for that moment, she decided to be happy to see a familiar face who didn't want her dead. Kuroro snorted, keeping that stern look on his face, but something flashed in his eyes.

"Yep, you're still the brat I remember," he reached out and patted her head, making her laugh. "So what's going on? You're with the Ryoka?" Kuroro asked, finally looking at Kirara's companions. "They're just kids, Yamada. What the hell are you doing?" he asked, looking down at her again.

"Hey!" Ichigo growled, hearing that, but when Kuroro looked up to meet his gaze again, something made him pause.

"So, you're the one who not only defeated Jidanbo, but defended him from that creep," Kuroro addressed him, lightly pushing Kirara out of the way. To Ichigo's surprise, the man bowed to him. "Welcome," he said lightly, straightening up.

"Orihime, can you help Jidanbo?" Kirara called over to the girl.

"Oh, right!" she remembered what she'd been tasked with doing before they had been approached by the people who lived in the district.

"I thought you viewed Ryoka as some kind of threat," Ichigo said, remembering what Yoruichi had warned them. "Shouldn't you lot be scared since I attacked a Shinigami and took down a gatekeeper?" he asked, not understanding why Kuroro had welcomed them instead. The man scoffed as people started to gather around, looking worried for Jidanbo, while Orihime examined the massive gash on the giant's arm.

"There are a lot of arrogant Shinigami, but Jidanbo's a native of the Rukon District," Kuroro explained. "He's always treated the people here with respect, even when he became a Shinigami," he said, eyes on Orihime.

"You faced Gin Ichimaru for Jidanbo," another spoke up, earning Ichigo's attention. The man smiled. "That's why you must be a good person," he said confidently. Ichigo turned away, scratching his face to hide his blush.

"Good to see at least one of those assholes is transparent," Kirara muttered. Yoruichi hushed her.

"Nevertheless…that's a terrible wound," the man considered, seeing how much blood Jidanbo had already lost.

"Don't worry! I'll heal Jidanbo's wounds," Orihime said confidently as she heard his words.

"You can heal that?" Ichigo was surprised by her declaration.

"Yes, just leave it to me," she nodded, and turned back to the injury as she called on her powers. Kirara watched, fascinated as two parts of Orihime's hairpin came to life. They created a barrier that covered Jidanbo's arm, starting to heal it.

Kirara had heard about the powers that both Orihime and Chad had developed - Kisuke had told her about them when telling her that they'd be joining Ichigo on his rescue mission to the Soul Society. But it was another thing entirely to see a human with such fascinating powers that allowed her to heal Jidanbo's injuries.

"That's a new one," Kuroro spoke up, not looking away from where Orihime was working. "True healing. It might be better than what Squad 4 are capable of," he considered aloud, and Kirara had to agree with him. Orihime could give Captain Unohana a run for her money, that was for sure.

"Excuse me! Please let me through!" the shout earned their attention, before a small boy managed to shove his way through the crowd. "Mister! It's me, Shibata!" the little boy gave Chad a bright, happy smile.

"Shibata?" Chad repeated, staring at him in disbelief.

"Yeah! The parakeet, Shibata!" the boy reminded him, as if to confirm exactly what Chad was thinking. Kirara turned around at this, remembering the parakeet well. To think that the spirit inhabiting the bird had been a little boy.

Then a hand landed on her shoulder, and Kirara turned to Kuroro as he stood beside her.

"I think we should have a chat, don't you?" he asked.

"I'm always happy to have a chat with you," Kirara flashed him a smile, and Kuroro rolled his eyes, shoving her lightly.

"I could have gone another hundred years without seeing you, brat," he told her, and Kirara just laughed in response.

While Orihime was hard at work healing Jidando, Chad had gone for a walk with Shibata, leaving Ichigo and Uryu to learn more about their new surroundings. Kirara had gone with Kuroro to talk with him, entering one of the smaller buildings on the outskirts of the district.

"What brings you all the way here, Kuroro? Bored of being a bartender?" she asked as she took a seat in front of him.

"My intel almost got you killed," Kuroro's words were unexpected, and Kirara lost her smile. Unable to speak, she just stared at the man, whose expression had always been hard to gauge. "You never said, but I heard all about it. That group trying to stir up shit almost killed you," Kuroro didn't take his eyes off her.

"That…that wasn't your fault," Kirara said slowly. She'd never heard him speak in such a way. He'd always treated her with an almost fond disdain, but he'd never outright spoken in a way that told her cared. "I was the one who was careless. And it was those people who stabbed me," she put a hand to her side, to where the scar was still visible against her skin.

"Still. My intel was faulty, and it made me really start to think. So I packed up and moved back here, and next thing I knew they were putting me in charge," Kuroro said, brief and lacking a real explanation. Kirara dug her fingers into her side, wishing that she'd been there. If she hadn't been on the run in the World of the Living, she could have talked sense into Kuroro.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, lowering her gaze, and Kuroro snorted.

"Whatever the hell happened to you, it seems a lot worse than the shit I've dealt with," he said bluntly. He'd seen it when he'd first laid eyes on her for the first time in a hundred years, and he could sense it in her Reiatsu. Something had changed. "I heard you and some other high-ups died," Kuroro stated, and saw something flicker in her gaze.

"In a way, we did," she said quietly, before lifting her head. "I can't go into it. I just have one request," Kuroro's eyes widened as Kirara then bowed low in front of him. "Please. Don't tell anyone that I'm here. That I'm alive," she pleaded with him.

"Shit must be serious if you're making requests like this," Kuroro muttered. "Get up, Yamada. I have no intention of going running to the Gotei 13," he told her gruffly, and Kirara straightened up. A small smile returned to her face. "I won't ask what you and this lot are doing in the Soul Society. It's not my business, and I'm already going to have to talk to people about the incident with Jidanbo. The less I know, the better," he said, rubbing his temples.

"Thanks, Kuroro," Kirara smiled at him, glad that after all this time, there was still someone within the Soul Society that she could trust. She saw no reason to doubt the man, who had always been honest with her. And she'd seen the true guilt in his face as he talked about her almost getting herself killed. He was still the man she'd known a century ago.

"So now what? The gate is down and from the looks of it, has no intention of going back up. And something tells me that Captain Ichimaru isn't going to let you pass through that gate anytime soon," Kuroro mused.

"That's what we need to figure out," they looked at Yoruichi as she padded in. Kuroro's eyebrows rose at the sight of the talking cat. "The gate is a no-go, as you've said. We'll have to try another method to breach the security of the Seireitei," she said. Kuroro sighed, running a hand down his face.

"It's times like this that make me miss living in a bar," he admitted.

Night had fallen by the time everyone had gathered again, and Kuroro welcomed them into the small home - albeit with a lot of grumbling as he did.

"He seems nice," Orihime smiled as Kuroro went out of the room, warning them not to break anything.

"He does?" Uryu looked uncertain.

"He certainly seems fond of Kirara," Chad said in his quiet voice. "You two know each other?" he asked her. Kirara looked up from the fire crackling between them, and nodded.

"Yeah. He'll never admit it, but we're old friends," she said, and heard a snort as Kuroro returned with drinks.

"She's delusional. She's been a pain in my ass for a long time," he said, setting the drinks in front of them. Orihime thanked him with her usual sweet smile, and Kuroro softened before taking a seat nearby.

"She's got better manners than you, Yamada. Stick with her and maybe you'll be more likeable," he told her. Kirara smirked back at him.

"Or she'll become more like me," she told him. Kuroro rolled his eyes. "Anyway, let's get this plan of action sorted, shall we?" Kirara turned the conversation back to their reason for being there.

"Right," Yoruichi nodded. "We need to try a different tactic to get into the Seireitei," she told the others what she'd said before.

"What?" Ichigo shouted, staring at her. "Give up on breaking through the gate?" he demanded, not understanding.

"Not give up," Yoruichi shook her head. "Once the gate has been opened, the security on the inside becomes even tighter, which means the same strategy is not the best one," she elaborated for him.

"Besides, by now the Shinigami will have mobilised. We had the advantage of surprise on our side when the wall first came down, but by now they'll have gotten their shit together. Especially if Ichimaru has reported back," Kirara added, having agreed with Yoruichi and Kuroro's observations.

"What about the other gates?" Chad asked as Uryu nodded in agreement.

"They'll have Shinigami stationed at them too, just in case. Not to mention their gatekeepers will be a lot more prepared if they have the knowledge that Jidanbo was defeated," Kirara shook her head, having been thinking about it as well. She'd never seen the wall down before, and it left them stuck trying to work out a new plan.

"Then what do we do?" Ichigo huffed, annoyed that they had only been there a few hours and the most direct route was now blocked off.

"If we can't use the gate, we must enter another way," Yoruichi said simply, and Kirara watched her suspiciously as she realised she already had a plan in mind. "Lord Elder, do you know Kukaku Shiba?" she turned to Kuroro, who had just been patiently listening to their conversation.

"Do I know Kukaku Shiba?" he repeated with a derisive look on his face. Kirara had put a hand to her face, while the others looked confused. "Who the hell doesn't know that maniac?" he scoffed.

"I understand that she constantly changes residences. I haven't been able to find out where she lives now," Yoruichi admitted.

"You want to visit her?" Kuroro's face was grim with understanding. "Now that's one hell of a way to do it," he commented.

"Please tell me that's not your plan," Kirara groaned. Yoruichi remained completely stoic.

"What is it?" Orihime asked, not understanding why Kirara had reacted the way she had to Kukaku's name.

"Huh? What's that noise?" Ichigo was distracted by the low rumbling in the distance that only grew louder and louder. A moment later, the door was smashed down and a figure screamed as he was thrown into the room. He would have crashed into the group had Kirara not blocked him with her foot.

"What's happening?!" Uryu shouted as Kirara shoved the man backwards. He wore a bandana over black hair, and sunglasses covered his eyes.

"Who is this guy?" Ichigo asked as they all leapt to their feet at the sudden entrance. Kuroro just sighed and let his head fall back in irritation, as a loud snorting sound made them look over at the door. To their surprise, a massive boar with a ribbon on its back strutted in. "A wild boar? Why?!" Ichigo shouted.

"Oi, I've told you about letting her in here," Kuroro barked at the man who was still recovering on the ground.

"Sorry, old man. My Bonnie threw me off again…" the man groaned as he finally got to his feet. "Been a long time, old man," he greeted. Kuroro glared at him.

"You called me old twice. A third time and I remind you why it's been such a long time," he warned with a tone that was similar to how he spoke with Kirara, only a little harsher. "Get out, Ganju. I'm in no mood to deal with you or your idiot friends tonight," Kuroro warned him.

"Some greeting!" Ganju smirked, seeming unafraid of the man's barking. "Your guests will be shocked by how you treat old friends," he said as he looked around. Instantly his smirk faded as he set eyes on Ichigo, who was scowling at him. "What do we have here?" Ganju removed his sunglasses at last. "What's a dirty Shinigami doing here?" he demanded.

"Here we go," Kuroro sighed. Kirara tilted her head, finding the man familiar.

"What of it?" Ichigo asked, not losing his scowl.

"Not 'what'. I asked what a dirty Shinigami is doing here," Ganju repeated as he walked over and patted Ichigo on the cheek. Ichigo didn't reply, but there was a dangerous look in his eyes as the pair glared at one another. Ganju grew impatient, and gripped his face hard. "Say something, you dandelion head!" he shouted, only for Ichigo to punch him hard enough to knock the man across the room. He crashed to the ground by the doorway.

"What are you doing?! You picking a fight?!" Ganju snarled, clutching his cheek.

"That's my line! Trying to provoke me like that, you prehistoric boar!" the two began hurling insults at one another.

"Why is it that we can't go five minutes without Ichigo picking a fight?" Kirara wondered with a heavy sigh. Their infiltration into the Seireitei wasn't looking good.

"Of all the times for that idiot to come barrelling in here. Boy never learned his manners like his cousin," Kuroro stood up. A moment later, he slammed his fists against both Ichigo and Ganju's heads. "Oi! I don't care what the last Elder put up with, but it's getting late and I ain't having idiots yelling up a storm in my house!" he snapped at the pair as they clutched their heads.

"Geez, you hit as hard as ever, old man," Ganju complained, sinking to his knees.

"Who is this guy?" Uryu asked, glad that Kuroro had put a stop to their yelling so quickly.

"You don't know who I am?!" Ganju heard him and turned a glare on him.

"I don't," Uryu responded honestly.

"Neither do I," Orihime added.

"Don't know," Chad spoke up too.

"Don't wanna know," Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"I don't know why we should care," Kirara shrugged, cleaning out her ear with her pinkie finger as she looked bored.

"I'll tell you why you should care. My name is Ganju, the self-proclaimed Deep Red Bullet of West Rukon, and self-proclaimed most likely to be called Big Boss Candidate for 14 years running! And…" Ganju turned to look directly at Ichigo. "Self-proclaimed Number One Shinigami Hater of West Rukon," he declared with pride.

"All self-proclaimed!" the others looked baffled by his introduction.

"You're hopeless," Ichigo dismissed his introduction with his usual scowl. Ganju's eyes narrowed, and a moment later he tackled Ichigo out the open door.

"Well, at least he took it outside," Kuroro sat back down as Orihime, Chad and Uryu ran to see if Ichigo was okay.

"Hold it! We won't let you get in big brother's way," four more appeared to block their path, glaring at them.

"If you really want to get involved in this fight…"

"We'll be your opponents," they challenged. The three staring at them, however, were more concerned with the fact that all four were riding on the backs of boars, all of whom had been decorated in some way.

Behind them, Ichigo and Ganju continued to fight, throwing insults at one another as Ichigo kicked Ganju in the face to knock him away.

"Enough, Ichigo! Don't use up your strength in a meaningless fight," Yoruichi shouted over to him.

"He started it. If you want us to stop, tell him," Ichigo didn't take his eyes off Ganju as he spoke, not about to back down against the man who had picked a fight with him the moment he laid eyes on him.

"This is ridiculous," Kirara sighed, pushing past Uryu, Chad and Orihime.

"Oi, we told you that you had to get past us first," one of the four astride the boars warned her, but Kirara ignored him. In a flash, she had moved around them, reappearing between Ichigo and Ganju. Both of them jumped in surprise, startled by her speed.

"You," Kirara turned to Ichigo with a scowl, and before he knew it, her foot had collided with his stomach. Ichigo choked, winded, and he fell to his knees. "You are here for a damn reason, dumbass! Not to pick fights with every idiot who has a grudge with Shinigami!" she shouted at him. "I did not come back to this hell just to watch you scrap with every damn Soul here!" her words made Ichigo look up, clutching his stomach.

'She's strong…and fast. Who the hell is she?' Ichigo wondered as he stared at her.

"And you," Kirara turned back to the man staring at her. "I don't give a rat's ass who you are. You can fight some other time when we're not busy," she snapped at Ganju. He glared at her suspiciously as he tried to figure out who the hell she was, and why she was interfering in their fight.

"Who are you? Shunpo and a Zanpakuto, but you're not dressed-"

"It's none of your damn business," Kirara cut Ganju off. "Let's just say that your self-proclaimed title has some competition," she gave him a mocking smile. Ichigo's eyes widened at that.

"Why you-"

"Kirara!" Yoruichi shouted, making her look over at the cat. "Enough," she warned, giving no room for argument. Kirara wanted to shout and rail, especially at Ichigo. Ever since she'd arrived in the Soul Society, her entire being had been screaming at her to leave. She had walked straight into the lion's den, and had brought along the loudest idiot possible to earn their attention.

Before any more could be said, a strange alarm started to ring loudly. Ganju's four followers all lost their angry looks, having been ready to launch an attack on Kirara, and Ganju gave a shriek.

"What time is it?!" he demanded as he lost his own will to fight and turned to his friends.

"It's bad, big brother!" the one carrying a clock on his back shrieked. "It's nine already!" he warned.

"For real? Come, Bonnie!" Ganju gave a sharp whistle, and the massive boar wearing a red ribbon leapt over Ichigo's head. She landed with enough force to send Ganju flying backwards, and Kirara had to raise her arm to shield herself.

For a moment, everyone stared at Ganju lying in the dirt, before he got back to his feet. "Good girl, Bonnie. But we don't have time today! Hurry up and let me on," he shouted at her. Bonnie watched him, before charging straight ahead and colliding with Ganju. He was lifted off his feet, landing on her backwards, and all he could do was cling to her as she kept running.

"Hold it, you're running away!" Ichigo yelled as he watched Ganju hurtling into the distance.

"Who do you think's running away?" the man yelled back at him. "Hey, Dandelion! We'll settle this for sure tomorrow, without your little friend saving your ass!" he howled. "So you just wait there nicely until then!" he yelled. Before Ichigo could try and catch up with him, the four who followed Ganju raced after him, crashing into Ichigo and trampling him.

"They're gone…" Orihime spoke softly as Ichigo managed to get to his feet again.

"Dammit! Just who the hell is he?!" Ichigo yelled.

"Some idiot. Plenty of them around here," Kirara had resumed her bored look, and he whirled around to glare at her. The moment he opened his mouth to yell, she got a dangerous gleam in her eyes that told him not to speak.

"Come back in already, idiots," Kuroro's voice came from inside. "You can stay here tonight. I'll give you directions in the morning," he ordered them.

"Ah, Kuroro's so nice," Orihime's smile returned as they started to make their way back inside.

"I guess he's a sucker for a cute face," Kirara stretched.

"Yamada, if you don't stop running your mouth, you'll be sleeping on the roof," Kuroro warned as he heard her, and didn't miss the smirk that flashed across her face. He scowled, but didn't take his eyes off her as he thought about what she'd said when she stopped Ichigo and Ganju from fighting.

"I did not come back to this hell just to watch you scrap with every damn Soul here!" Kirara had been in the World of the Living then, for the last 100 years. Kuroro couldn't help but wonder just what had forced her to do so. "Let's just say that your self-proclaimed title has some competition," her sneer aimed at Ganju had caught his attention too.

"What the hell happened a hundred years ago?" Kuroro wondered, unable to come up with a reason that someone so dedicated to protecting the Seireitei would return after a hundred years with a hatred for the people she once been a part of.

"Let's just say…" he looked at the cat standing beside them. "It wasn't pleasant," she said quietly.

"No shit," Kuroro scoffed.

Hope you liked it!