Four Weeks

By Mr Khan

Prologue:

It was a day of heightened alert, or at least that was what she liked to think. It was a favorite superstition of hers: these pristine, blue-skied sunny days where the fluffy clouds floated lazily over the many courtyards and alleys of Seireitei were the days upon which suspicious or dangerous events were most likely to occur. She knew, of course, that that was simply untrue, that bad things were equally likely to happen at any given time and not just on nice days, but it was a superstition she took comfort in. Her little superstition kept her alert for trouble on days that others would spend picnicking or flying kites, or otherwise wasting time.

It was thus that she was alerted to the foreign presence in her territory as she strode back to her barracks from the latest Captains' Meeting. She knew it was a reiatsu she had met before, though she could not place exactly who it belonged to. Clearly someone she had not spent much time with, nor someone she had fought. No. She smirked suddenly, her lip curling into a rare glimpse of the haughty arrogance that dwelt within her. Only one that I have ever fought remains alive and free.

The fact that it wasn't anyone she had ever fought drastically reduced the possibility that the guest was an enemy, but she would soon ascertain its identity. She resolved against showing any sort of alarm, or even awareness, deciding instead to continue proceeding back to her headquarters just as she was. She arrived eventually, continually puzzling over the identity behind that reiatsu as she approached the gate of her domain.

"Have any outsiders gained entry since I departed?" she asked. She could already tell the answer, of course. Two of her squad still stood at attention outside the gates to the barracks, and they would certainly look differently if they were aware that they had been infiltrated, unless it was an invited guest, but she could not think of anyone that matched this reiatsu.

"No, Captain Soi Fon!" the two black-clad shinigami said in unison. "No-one has gained entry to the compound to our knowledge," one of the guards continued. His voice was level, though she noted that he was avoiding contact with her iron-grey eyes.

"Not to your knowledge, of course," she repeated, stepping towards the gate and pushing it open. Mental note: whole squad reiatsu-detection drills, start at 0500 hours tomorrow. She strode confidently through her domain, carefully observing the reactions of her subordinates.

The woman who had once been known as Shaolin Fon but had long since become wrapped up in her code-name of Soi Fon was totally in her element as Captain of the Second Squad and Commander-in-Chief of the Onmitsukido, seeming regal in her white Haori despite her short stature. Her slight frame should have been an issue for someone of her authority, but with someone of her temperament, it was actually more intimidating for her to be so small, as it added a layer of fear in most people when they realized they could be scared of her despite the fact that they were bigger than her. The rest of her appearance was all about utility; her black hair cut short aside from two braids which were made to be as unobtrusive as possible, bound tightly in two white-cloth braids and weighted down with two golden rings to guarantee that they stayed out of her way. Her iron-grey eyes tied her entire look together, inscrutable and hard as flint, at least as far as most people knew.

Those flinty eyes currently menaced one of her subordinates who currently stood just outside her office, which she determined to be the location of the unknown reiatsu.

"A guest has arrived for you, Captain," the shinigami said. His voice too was level, though like the others he had a hard time holding her gaze.

Sought an audience with me without checking in with the guards out front. Definitely a rule violation. She scowled. This was exactly the sort of lax behavior she sought to stamp out. "And who is it?"

"I don't know. He didn't give his name."

Soi Fon's scowl deepened. "So what did he look like?"

"He's a very strange looking man." The shinigami said, not offering anything else.

"Strange," Soi Fon replied. "Very descriptive." Note Two: Mandatory Sensory Verbalization Exercises, 0800 tomorrow. "If you had spotted a Hollow roaming through Rukongai, would you describe it as strange?"

"No, Captain!" the subordinate said, bowing smartly. Done with him for now, Soi Fon moved through the shoji door into the anteroom for her office, where she finally met the source of the reiatsu: Hachigen Ushoda. She knew she had felt that reiatsu somewhere, though she hadn't paid too much attention to his presence when she fought alongside him during the war in Fake Karakura Town, as she had been focused on not aging away into dust at the time. She had noted then, and again now, that he exerted a strangely calming reiatsu, vaguely reminiscent of Captain Unohana's. At the same time, however, she could not fault her subordinate for merely describing him as "strange," and leaving it at that. That was the quickest way to sum up the Visored's appearance. His whole body was vaguely egg-shaped, with lightly tanned skin and pink hair with a crossbones pattern on it of all things. He wore a suit from the world of the living that only accentuated his strangeness here in Soul Society; a green suit with a tie.

"It's a pleasure to see you again, Captain," the large man said, bowing humbly before the slight woman.

"I take it you did not go in through the front gate?" Soi Fon asked shortly.

"I felt it was prudent," Hachi replied. "We Visoreds are still in limbo in regards to our legal status in the Soul Society, and I knew your squad has the reputation of being strictly legalistic, so I did not wish to cause a stir."

So sneaking in would cause less of a stir? Soi Fon thought, but decided to drop it momentarily. While it was true that Central 46 had not officially revoked the outlaw status of the Visoreds, it was merely a matter of purely categorical legal debate, and not an actual issue of any potential threat they still posed. Indeed, the last Captain's Meeting had largely been about the fact that the Visoreds would soon be extended an offer to come back to the Soul Society if they wished while Central 46 continued to work out the legal bother. Aside from that, this man had proven himself to be a reliable ally to her, so she would allow him space to speak.

"May I ask what brings you here?" she asked. She had almost said "State your purpose," but had resolved to be polite to her the man she had fought alongside.

"I believe I have an outstanding obligation to you," Hachi replied.

"What?" Soi Fon asked. "You owe me something?"

"Yes. I believe the exact pact was "If you used Jakuho Raikoben again, I shall seal away Kisuke Urahara for one month."

Soi Fon started, blinking momentarily. Of all the things she had been anticipating, that was incredibly low on the list. She had all but forgotten about that promise, forged out of pride and subsequently voided in humiliation as her Bankai failed, due either to her fatigue diminishing its power or the overwhelming power of the Espada she fought (likely both). "But…" she finally said, acutely remembering her impotence at the hands of that Espada, "… my Bankai failed."

"I disagree," Hachi replied. "Your Bankai was invaluable. It was through observing how something so powerful could still fail to damage him significantly, combined with how his otherwise incredibly potent power did not affect him, led me to my hypothesis regarding how to destroy him." Here again the large man reminded her of Unohana in the way in which he made her feel better without making her feel like she was being patronized. "Either way," Hachi continued, "I'm a man of my word, so even if your Bankai had failed to produce results completely, I would still meet my end of the bargain."

"So you're really going to seal him away?"

"Of course, starting on a date of your choice, I can use a sealing kido to contain him in a pocket dimension for the requisite time. I take it you are trying to get him out of the way so that you will have time to spend with Yoruichi Shihoin uninterrupted?"

Despite her best efforts to prevent it, Soi Fon blushed at that woman's name. "W-what makes you say that?" she said, turning away from Hachi in a fruitless attempt to save face.

She turned back to Hachi to see that he was smiling kindly at her. "Love is hard to hide," he said simply.

The normally stoic Captain was flabbergasted. "L-l-love… I didn't…" she recovered herself quickly enough. "So are all you Visoreds laughing about me with that man and Yoruichi-sama?" She knew that was a harsh and rude comment, and likely untrue given the kindness that Hachi had showed her thus far, but her emotional barriers had snapped back into place, and her only motive was saving face.

"I don't know how obvious it is to the others," Hachi said, ignoring the rebuke, "but if it is, no-one is making fun of you for it."

Silence reigned as Soi Fon mulled her options. She had originally tossed that offer out there almost as a joke, knowing she had to accept the Visored's help against Barragan, but also wishing to convey that she did not want to accept it. She had not had time to give the implications of the offer any serious thought, but here it was; a chance to get that man, Kisuke Urahara, out of her hair, definitively away from Yoruichi-sama, and then, well… that was the part she had to figure out. She would have a whole month, four weeks, thirty days in which to do something, something definitive that would make it so that Urahara's continued existence could never come between her and Yoruichi-sama again. That was a tall order, but hey, being the Commander of the Onmitsukido and a Captain in the Gotei 13 had to count for something, and she was accounted as a cunning strategist even among her comrades. Yes, she could definitely figure it out, so long as Hachi gave her enough lead-in time…

"Give me ten days," she said, "and I'll come to the World of the Living."

"Ten days…" Hachi said, pausing to figure it out in his head. "How would midnight on the 21st be?"

"Dawn," Soi Fon replied. She had always been a morning person.

"Acceptable, though I don't think Kisuke will like getting up that early."

A predatory smirk emerged on Soi Fon's features. "That's the whole point. Come along," she said, motioning towards the door into her office proper, her mind already beginning to sketch out the necessities for an abduction plan for someone of Urahara's caliber.

"That won't be necessary," Hachi said. "I do not need your input on any of this, I am here simply to finalize the terms of our agreement." He saw the unspoken "but" in Soi Fon's eyes. "I will not need your help sealing Kisuke away. Focus your energies on the one you care about. Good day," he finished, bowing briefly, then turned to leave the anteroom.

The one I care about…

~00000000000~

Ten days later, the pre-dawn serenity of Karakura Town was interrupted by the sudden appearance of a Senkaimon. Well, interrupted wasn't the right term, as the birds continued their song in greeting of the coming dawn without being disturbed by the floating shoji, or the appearance of the hardened-looking young woman stepping through. There were no people about at that time of morning in that modestly-sized Japanese town, coincidental nexus of so many spiritual events, and even if people had been around, very few of them would actually be able to see it.

One such person was around, though to him the opening of the Senkaimon was a wholly expected one. The calming, pink-haired man awaited her arrival patiently. "Welcome, Captain Soi Fon," Hachi said, bowing briefly. "Are you prepared?"

"Definitely," Soi Fon replied, that haughty smile back on her face. She had taken full advantage of the ten days, first to put everything in place so that Squad 2 and the Onmitsukido could continue functioning for her four-week leave of absence.

Her four-week leave of absence. There was a concept entirely foreign from Soi Fon's experience, but here she was. Duty was all Soi Fon had, and her duty to the two organizations she led should have overpowered any other concern. A day off would have been too much, let alone four weeks. Duty was all she had, all she had ever had, except for when her obligations had given her a chance to get to know the one to whom she was duty-bound. Then, for a time, she had something other than duty motivating her in her life.

She had not realized it at the time. Back then she believed, or at least had fooled herself into believing, that her devotion to that woman, Yoruichi Shihoin, was merely the fullest fulfillment of her duty as a Fon; to be able to serve at the side of the head of the Shihoin clan, to be anything and everything the clan-head wished of her, would be the one dream of anyone from her family.

That delusion was an easy one to embrace, that she could spend all the time she wished with Yoruichi; training, missions, office work, shunpo-trips all over the Soul Society, walks in the forest, evenings of laughter and gentle teasing, staring into golden eyes…. All spent as part of her duty and nothing more. She had reinforced that delusion after that horrible day 100 years ago, believing that the feelings she had felt for that woman had been bound to her obligation to her. She had forced that emotional energy back into her sense of duty, and had unwittingly (or quite deliberately) twisted herself into a different woman altogether.

Since Yoruichi had returned into her life, however, Soi Fon had been forced to acknowledge the reality of her feelings, the root of her obsession; it was not a servant's due reverence for her mistress, a mere desire to serve her to the best of her ability, it was a more personal connection, it was love. This love had been a part of her, and without it, without her, Soi Fon had changed, and though she was now a powerful and respected figure in Soul Society, she still lacked the happiness she had once had. She wanted that happiness back. No, the ambitious woman wanted more than that happiness back, she wanted something more, and now was her chance to claim it.

Thus Soi Fon justified her four-week leave of absence. She was trying to change her life for the better. Besides, as much as she victimized, put-down, and bullied her Lieutenant, Omaeda was competent enough to follow the detailed four-week plan she had laid out for him, and the Captain Commander knew how to reach her in case of a real emergency.

Soi Fon followed Hachi down the street that she had initially arrived on, until the two finally arrived at the back lot of Urahara's Shop. Kisuke Urahara was there, the man she so resented looking slovenly as ever in his green-and-yellow striped hat, green kimono, and his signature wooden geta on his feet. He indeed looked more slovenly than usual, his unkempt straw-colored hair messier than usual, obscuring his eyes entirely as he yawned broadly.

"Oh," yaaaawwn, "hey Soi Fon," Urahara said, brushing his hair away from his eyes so that he could get a proper look at his guest. "Can we get on with this? I wanna go back to bed."

"As soon as you are both ready," Hachi said.

Soi Fon frowned. She had, she was perfectly unashamed to admit, fantasized about this moment, seeing the despair in Urahara's eyes as he slipped into his pocket-dimension imprisonment. But she should have known that was unrealistic. Kisuke Urahara was smart and above all, powerful, and it would have been next to impossible to take him by surprise into imprisonment. Between him, Yoruichi, Tessai, and those kids he apparently lived with for some reason, it would be impossible to take the Urahara Shop by surprise, and either way if you gave him any time before you actually imprisoned him, he could put his prodigious intellect to work and fight his way free. With her powers, Soi Fon could perhaps kill him outright if she took him by surprise, but she was not a monster. She realized that Hachi was fulfilling his end of the bargain the only way he could; by getting Kisuke Urahara to willingly go along with his one-month imprisonment.

"But why?" Soi Fon asked.

"Eh," Urahara replied, "I could use a month off."

Soi Fon sweat-dropped. "When has your life been anything but "time off?"

"You'd be surprised," Urahara said. "Ururu, Jinta, Yoruichi, and even Tessai are a handful all the time. Even if I have time to do some inventing, I never have time to get my reading done." He reached into the folds of his kimono and withdrew a large, cloth-bound book entitled Treatises on the Properties of Reishi Particles. "I've missed out on years of theoretical developments in Soul Society," he said, gesturing with the book, which caused something to fall out of the book's pages; a magazine called Boin Boin Paradise landed on the ground. "Yup," Urahara said, as all three sets of eyes observed the magazine, "no time to get my reading done."

Soi Fon blushed, torn between embarrassment, rage, and even a hint of nostalgia at that man's irrepressible nature. Some things never changed. "Have you told anyone?" she asked.

"Yes and no," Urahara replied. "I told the others that I'm going to help the Visoreds pack all their stuff to move back into the Soul Society. Yoruichi won't see your stinger in this," he added pointedly, looking straight at Soi Fon.

"D-d-don't be ridiculous," Soi Fon said, her tough façade again shaken by the mention of that woman. "I'm just doing this because I hate you."

"Whatever you say," Urahara said, definitely patronizing her. "Can we get on with this? I'm tired, but more importantly, Jinta, Ururu, and Tessai usually wake up early."

Soi Fon must have made a face, and it must have communicated her concern at the unspoken name.

Urahara interpreted Soi Fon's concern, or perhaps deliberately misinterpreted it. "Yeah, it's annoying. Me and Yoruichi usually aren't up 'till noon, while the three of them are charging around the shop."

"You and Yoruichi-sama?" Soi Fon said, her face now looking odd indeed as she flushed deep red, but also contorted with envy and anger.

Urahara laughed. "That look on your face is priceless."

"Laugh now, but you won't be sleeping with Yoruichi-sama when you get back," Soi Fon growled.

Urahara responded by laughing still harder. "And you're serious! Hahahahaha…" his laughter trailed off as he regained his composure. "It isn't like that between me and Yoruichi."

"It… isn't?" Soi Fon said.

"No," Urahara said as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I thought you of all people knew that. Even if Yoruichi never told you we weren't together, she's always going on about how clever you are…" He began to chuckle again, "awfully naïve for a Commander of the Onmitsukido."

Soi Fon continued to glare at him, that mixture of embarrassment and irritation still on her face.

"Geez," Urahara continued. "She and I have been friends for… I dunno, but a long time. She's like an older sister to me, and I'm the last guy who will be standing in the way of the two of you. Hell, I think that'd be kinda hot," he added. She might have been like a sister to him, but that wouldn't stop his yuri fantasies…

"That certainly will make your goal a lot easier," Hachi said helpfully. "Do you still want to seal him away?"

"Certainly," Soi Fon said, all business again. "Whether you're in love with her or not, someone like you doesn't deserve to be around Yoruichi-sama."

"There's the 2nd Division Captain we all know and love," Urahara said.

"Very well," Hachi added, looking over to the eastern horizon. The glow that had been steadily growing was now supplemented by a point of white light just visible over the horizon; the whole scene was bathed in a golden glow and the birds continued their song happily. "Are you prepared, Kisuke?"

"Yup," Urahara replied, picking up his magazine and stuffing it back inside his book. He also grabbed a duffel bag and a folding chair, then took two steps over so that he was standing square in front of Hachi.

The large Visored, former member of the Kido Corps, folded his hands calmly, and began.

Bakudo Number 83: Chisai Uchuukukan!

This was a Kido spell Soi Fon knew only by name, though she noted Hachi's expertise at being able to recite just the name of a full 80's-level Bakudo, rather than the whole incantation. She had never before seen it used, as it had a rather obscure use. Four columns of orange light that looked almost like holograms converged suddenly on Kisuke at four different angles, though they all approached him from the front, piercing his torso nearly dead-center, though it did not seem to cause him any pain. A white light emerged in the space between where the four columns pierced his chest, then Soi Fon saw Urahara's body suddenly become distorted for an instant before he, and the things he was holding, collapsed into the point of light along with the four columns, and Kisuke Urahara was gone as surely as if he had never existed.

"It is done," Hachi said. "The spell can only work in an even number of days, however, so the "month" that you have is really twenty-eight days, or four weeks. At dawn, 28 days from now, the pocket dimension that I have just created will collapse, and Kisuke Urahara will return to the World of the Living. Our bargain is complete," he finished. He looked at Soi Fon, whose face seemed somehow shadowed in the morning light. "I wish you luck in your endeavor," he said to her, briefly touching a large hand to her petite shoulder, before turning to walk out of the back lot of the Urahara Shop.

"Thank you, Hachi," Soi Fon finally said, turning and giving him a heartfelt smile that he returned as he turned the corner and walked out of sight.

Soi Fon turned back, staring at the back of the Shop with an odd look on her face, many diverse emotions surging in her. Her face hardened into a smile as one emotion emerged as the dominant one: anticipation. Her plans were laid, and already things were going her way, with an unexpected occurrence in her favor. With her old plans, built around the distinct possibility that Yoruichi-sama was romantically involved with that man, she was now in a stronger position still, as Yoruichi-sama was, to her knowledge, neutrally aligned, meaning it would be far easier to take her. Her heightened confidence played into her anticipation; like most every other mission she had undertaken, she would succeed in this one, she would achieve her goal. But she would not let her good fortune weaken her resolve, or throw her off her timetable. She would do what she had set out to do, and do it in the amount of time she had planned.

She had four weeks.

Well well, thought the cat, a little bee has come out to play.

Author's Note: My first YoruSoi fanfic, or Bleach fanfic altogether. I'm dividing my attention between this and my Metroid fic "Woman of Three Legacies," so the update schedule for one or both might be a little erratic. I hope for this story to be a courtship, but with a bit of drama as Soi Fon and Yoruichi both deal with different emotional issues keeping them apart. Keep tabs on this, and please review. I love reviews, and they help keep me motivated.

Language Note: "Boin" is the Japanese onomatopoeia for jiggling breasts. "Chisai Uchuukuukan" means "Small Void of Space."