after such a long time, i finally got to update :D
thank you so much for; ichigo-lover-1412, SLfangirl15, tsukinopen and 19Teardrop94 for the kind review XD
actually, this chapter is half finished because i am still struggling with the oc. (i'm so bad at originality T.T) so, i decided to break this into 2 parts, and yeah... my head is being so bad right now and i copy a small scene to this... *sigh*
nah, nevermind...
DISCLAIMER: I do not own bleach, otherwise, i think I'm going to made Byakuya's death a bit more dramatic -_-'
Chapter 9, Swords of The Soul
He can't believe this... He never expected this to happen the day he had left America and went to Japan. He never thought that coming here would turn his world 180 degree in a spam of five days. Hell, if anyone told him things like Shinigami or Hollows back then, he would laugh out loud right in front of their faces. Yes, he didn't even believe in ghost when he took the first step on this land of the rising sun...
This is why he could not believe nor comprehend what he was doing right now.
He was hiding beneath the shadow of a large jutting stone. Still wearing his black Shihakusho, his back was hunched, breathing hard from that entire running and dodging. He took this short moment of reprieve to ponder one question that has been stuck in his mind since who knows how long ago that he was thrown down here with that crazy shopkeeper. 'How in the world did I ended up in this whole mess?'
His mind raced back to a scene that happens before the whole ordeal...
After the whole fiasco with Uryuu Ishida and the appearance of the goofy shopkeeper, the group decided to stop by Urahara shop for a while. Its true they will skip their classes, but this is much more important than that. They wanted answers, no.. They needed answers.
"Well then, welcome to Urahara shop!" screamed Urahara with an overly dramatic tone of his as the reached the front doors of the old shack.
"Whatever, just cut the crap and get going!" retorted Ichiru who apparently on a really bad mood. There are tons of question running on his head and he wanted it out, fast.
"Well~ well, looks like you really are impatient neh~" he replied, still on his sing-a-long voice. "Oh well, I understand your impatience but, we really should drop the tension down, don't you think?"
As Urahara said, the 'tension' is rather high in the air. No one dares to speak even a word for the whole walk from their school. Ichiru though, as irritated as he is, he kept his brow furrowed the entire time which has made the rest uncomfortable, mainly, from the resemblance.
Ray could understand his best friend bad mood. He would to, if the entire thing happens to him...
Urahara opens the wooden sliding door and enter his dear old shop, followed by everyone else. Ichiru and Ray were now got their first peek to the shop, although it wasn't that large. A line of candy rack greets them, it was full of products that Ichiru never knew existed before, it was probably since the product here was different from America.
As Urahara proceed deeper inside the shop, he was greeted by a rather large tanned man with a blue apron going by the name of Tsukabishi Tessai, Urahara's loyal co-worker. Though, he was rather flabbergasted as he lands his eye on a certain orange haired student. That instant he dropped whatever he was doing and proceed to stutter to his boss. "B.. Boss" he called
"Ah.. Tessai, perfect timing, could you serve our guest some tea please?" he asked as he took out his fan and covered some of his face. "Looks like we will be having quite a long talk"
"Ha.. Hai.." with it, Tessai scurried away to make some tea, leaving the rest behind.
"Sa, shall we get this started?" asked Urahara as he motioned the rest to follow him, to the back room of the Urahara shop; the usual spot, as they called it. Each of them was seated surrounding a round wooden table. Ishida though, he prefer to stand and lean on a wooden panel near him. "Now, Urahara-san, if you have something that you haven't told me yet, an explanation would be much appreciated" he said as he glares to the shop keeper demanding for an answer while remained cautious to his new classmate. As the topic was brought fourth, Urahara started to drop his cheery facade, making the whole tension escalate even further.
"Well now..." said the shopkeeper on a more serious of a tone... "Shall we wait for the tea~"
The whole group tried hard not to fall and face palm at his lack of awareness of the situation here, and here they thought he was going serious this time..
"Oy! damned hat and clogs, stop that fucking acts of yours and get to the point dammit!" Ichiru exclaimed in annoyance, no one like to be mislead, especially when they are on a bad mood. Apparently, Ichiru is voicing the thought of every single occupant on this room, except Urahara of course.
Ray should admit, it was rather interesting to see their annoyed faces, especially Ichiru, he really did goes on an over drive this time, he could see that he is extremely pissed on the shopkeeper. Though he did wondered a bit if Ichiru is actually that emotional before... He must be really stressed out.
"Ah.. yes, yes... well, we don't have to hurry aren't we? We might want to take this slow, since there is so much to talk about see?"
"Why you-!"
"Jezz, calm down Ichiru, you look like you're about to blow, besides, it is as he said, we are not on a hurry or anything.. Relax" ray interjects as he tried to calm his enraged friend down a notch.
"But even so, what the deal here Urahara" Rukia voiced herself "what Ishida said back then... it sounds like both of you has your own agenda" she said. Unlike the other though, her voice is calm and collected like a Kuchiki she is while trying to understand the situation.
An uncomfortable silence followed after them as they proceed to silent stare downs. After a few second, Tessai came with the newly brewed tea, though both of them still locked on the stare downs...
Urahara sighed, well, he suppose he should just explain the whole thing to them.. Though, it's going to get rather complicated as he himself is uncertain on what is going on. "Well.. I suppose we should start everything from the beginning, right Ishida-san?" He said as he threw a look to Ishida who was leaning on a wooden board with his hand crossed on his chest.
"Yes.. I suppose so" he said as he stood up and pushed his glasses up with his index finger. He proceeds to find and empty space on the floor and settles with sitting beside Orihime. "This morning I got Urahara analyze Ichiru's Reishi sample"
"Eh? Reishi sample?" questioned Orihime
Rukia though, her eyes widen on what he said. She knew what it was, since Shinigami usually analyze an un-recognized Reishi when they found one "You.. When did you take it" she said with a scowl
"I think it's best to let them explain first before we questioned them" Chad voiced himself, pointing the obvious as always.
"But if we don't understand it, what's the point" retorted Ichiru who was once again felling confused with all these.
Ishida sighed on their lack of knowledge "I guess I have to explain one by one then.." he said. Meanwhile, Urahara sipped his tea, he was thankful to Ishida who spared him from explaining though he wouldn't admit them out loud.
"As its name implies, Reishi sample is a sample of ones Reishi, you need to have a special tool to get a sample so Urahara lend me one." explained Ishida "as for when, it was two days ago, when the hollows attacked"
"What!?" exclaimed Rukia in surprise "on that time?!"
It's not only Rukia who got the surprise, everyone else as well, especially Ray as he recalls what happen right before he blacked out. That time on top of the roof...
"That's you! That time, in the roof!" he exclaimed as he finally get a grasp of his blurred memory.
"Yes, though I am surprised you noticed me"
"But that cant be, you didn't get close to him.." interject Rukia
"I don't have to, Urahara's Reishi collector device is different from those in soul society, I don't need to get close to get a sample"
"Well... I think its all great and all.. But what is this Reishi stuff? I don't get it" Ichiru didn't really like to be left behind on a conversation, especially when it was about him.
"humph.. As if you didn't know" Ishida said smugly, still wary of the two new students.
in response to Ishida's accusation Ichiru gritted his teeth "let me get this straight" he said, his brown eyes locked sternly on Ishida's eyes "I had no idea what are you accusing me off and don't really care either, but I, at least have some right to know what's all these about, especially, when you tried to kill me because of it."
the two proceed with another stare downs which has made Inoue pretty uncomfortable as she is sitting in between the two boys.
Noticing the apparent discomfort on Inoue's face, Urahara decided to play the ice breaker "now, now, no need to get worked up over this, after all, there still is some things to talk about" he said, back to his former cheery disposition.
"Yes, we did" Ishida reverted his gaze from Ichigo's brown eyes and instead direct it toward the infuriating shop keeper who seems to be dodging the question the entire time. "Now, it's your turn to explain, please don't dodge it again this time, Urahara-san"
The mentioned shop keeper did a small sigh. He has to get this trough, one way or another.. "As Ishida-san said" he started "we analyze Ichiru's Reishi and most of his Reishi is normal, like any other Shinigami (albeit it was extremely close to Kurosaki-San, which he was pretty sure that everyone noticed this already) but... How could I explain this.. There is another Reishi which meld with his own and.. It's unidentified"
"Un identified?" asked Inoue once again.
"yes, Inoue-San, it is a Reishi that did not belong to either Shinigami or hollows, or even Quincy and people with special powers like you are. in other words, despite him being a Shinigami, he might not be one"
"But that's impossible" Rukia blurt out as she heard the ridiculous notion "there is no way a person has two types of different Reishi"
Impossible is the correct word to describe it. But, this data..., Urahara musses, There is only one other with this type of Reishi but.. The idea that was running in his head right now is so insane that it's downright impossible, even considering it has become so ridiculous that he might thought that he's crazy for even to think of such a thing. Though, Yoruichi did say that something big is going on in Seireitei. But, if it were true then... He tried to hold down the urge to smack himself in the head. No need to include theories that were beyond the realm of possibility. For now, there is something he has to make sure before getting into the hypothesis.
"Besides" Rukia continued more calmly this time "if it really is true, shouldn't soul society notice about it"
"That's exactly the problem, Kuchiki-san" replied Ishida without wasting a second "The only reason why he is out of soul society's radar is that he has been hiding it"
The last sentence Ishida gave made the entire occupant of the room throw a look on Ichiru who was, once again, getting rather irritated to the accusation he got from the spectacled man. "How many times should I tell you that I'm not hiding anything" he said trough a gritted teeth. It took all of his self control not to get up and pick a fight with the said man. Still, has he even been this violent before...
"And that's where you are wrong, Ishida-kun" interject Urahara before the situation got worse.
"What do you mean?"
"Yagari-San didn't hide it, his reiatsu has just awaken when the hollow attacked him" Urahara continued. This has earned several startled gasped on the room, yet most of them are glad that ichiru isn't their enemy. Ishida though, he had a hard time processing the newly gained information.
"What?! But, I could feel it before then" Ishida recalled the time he un purposely bumped with Ichiru as he was being dragged with Tatsuki.
Urahara sighed again. "Well, to tell you the truth, I not sure about this but don't worry, I'll look for it" he said as he took a sip on his tea.
The room once again dawned on an uncomfortable silence. It was rather nerve wrecking for Ichiru because he had practically no idea what are they talking about. All he knows that they were talking about him and they said he was different somehow which made that Ishida-guy distrust him. But other than that, it made no sense at all. What the hell is Reishi? Who are these people? Are they Shinigami too? It seems the question he had hoped to disappear has just doubled in quantity. He nearly shouted on frustration before the candy store owner speak up.
"Ma.. There's no use thinking about this now, for now there is something I have to make sure"
"Make sure?" asked Ichiru with a slight dread washed over him. One look on the shop keeper glint of an eye he knows he is planning something, he got a bad felling about this...
"Saa, could you please come with me Yagari-san" he said as he opened the sliding wooden door.
"Come with you? Where to?" he asked, but he was not given a response as the shopkeeper pull up a tatami mat like some kind of hatch. He felt his eyes widen as he saw a ladder leading to 'who knows where' he scowled as his bad felling getting stronger. Somehow, he felt like he knows that being alone with Urahara there, isn't gonna be good.
"Well, it seems that our guest need some lift" he said with a mischievous smile that could even make Ray jealous. Ichiru back away a little, acting severely curious on that smile of his. Though his action only leads to Bumping Urahara's burly assistant, Tessai, who was stay steed through the entire meeting. His big body made him sweat a little..
"Now, Tessai, if you please" Urahara said. That moment, Tessai shouted "hai!" and proceed on hauling Ichiru up without even trying. Ray was making a fuss while Ichiru yelped (a manly one of course) as he was slung to the tanned man shoulders like a sack of potatoes.
Ichiru could never forget how shameful it is "let go of me! Put me down dammit!" he exclaimed in extreme panic and embarrassment.
"Here I go" the man said. At that moment, he just realized that they were about to jump to that chasm Urahara opened a while ago. "'Wa..wait..you're not going to-" he stuttered, he didn't have time to said the whole sentence before Tessai jumped down. "Damn you...!" he cursed out loud, echoing trough out the hole. As they jumped down, the further the drop, the smaller his voice can be heard.
It was the start of all of this madness, the next thing he knew, he was pulled out of his body and being chased around by the crazy shopkeeper. He sighed. What a day...
A sudden appearance in front of him snapped back his mind from his recollection of thoughts. Apparently, if he thought that he could finally have some room for a breather, he is so wrong.
In a flash, the shopkeeper appeared in front of him, his clothing were clean of cut and dust despite how tattered Ichiru's Shihakusho is. He was so fast that Ichiru has no time to react on his arrival.
"Shred, Benihime!" Exclaimed the shopkeeper. Almost instantly, a red colored highly destructive wave come crashing to the poor stone that was shielding Ichiru with it's shadows, blowing it to pieces and created a dust of smoke with a huge explosion.
Fortunately, Ichiru was able to run before he met the same fate as that stone. He has considered this as a miracle as his legs has started to give out on him.
This was utterly insane and crazy that he was about to think that he was somehow having some kind of a weird dream. Maybe, he was still sleeping still on America on his old house and none of this is actually happened.
How he wish it was true...
As the dust settles, he could found the outline of the shopkeeper walking leisurely towards him. His clogs was creating a tapping sound that him even more nervous. What frightens Ichiru the most though, it was the huge crevice that appeared in the ground behind Urahara, replacing the former tall stone that he took refuge in. He suppose it was what the red light could do, and that made him worry about his life like never before.
"Ara.. You're so pathetic nee~ Yagari-san.." he said as he fixed his striped green hat on his head "All these time all you did is run..."
"What?! Then what did you expect me do, if I didn't run, I'll be killed in an instant!" Ichiru said in annoyance, really, if he didn't want him to run, then don't attack him in the first place. What else he could do other than 'run'?
"That's why it's pathetic" responded Urahara immediately "you haven't tried to attack me at all, hora, I didn't even have a scratch"
Ichiru deepens his scowl as he focused on the hat & clogs more than before. All these time all the mad did was pushing him to a corner and let him go afterwards. If he wants to kill him, he could do that rather easily yet he didn't. If he wanted to interrogate him like Ishida is, he haven't gave him any question, other than the trivial one of course, one that's not connected to the.. Mystery.. For a lack of better word. and now, he even asked him to attack. What did he want? He thought to himself.
The shop keeper was now a good 5 feet away from Ichiru was. His clogs give out a final tap as he halt his advance. "Could it be that, you're scared?" he asked. Ichiru just stayed silent, he just replied with his scowl. "Were you always such a coward Yagari-kun?"
Ichiru tightened his palm. His temper rising dangerously as the man before him has insulted him twice in a same day. How dare he said that he is a coward. He swore that he is going to make him pay even if he's gonna get killed, with or without weapons.
His body is urging him to just charge and hit that aggravating hat n clogs out but he fight off the impulse as he stared at the man with the deadliest look he has ever made. Don't get him wrong, he wanted to make him pay but he is not suicidal either, the shop keeper has a weapon but he has none, charging blindly would just gave him disadvantage, after all Urahara has longer range with that sword of his, he could slice him off before he get close.
All he could do now is to wait for Urahara to attack and give him a counter attack.
Ichiru find this rather ironic. He used to fight his enemies without much thought, just charge in and fight, do the thinking for later, just like that time with soul society and Hueco Mundo. Ray must have given him more impact than he thought... wait.. what?
in the midst of his confusion regarding the foreign thought that assaulted him once more, Urahara made his move. In a flash, he was beside him with his sword ready for a strike.
Ichiru cursed as he was taken by surprise thanks to the stupid thrust that has been distracting him for quite a long while now. he did a slight swing with his body as Urahara's katana was about to slice his left arm in half. He can't completely dodge it though, since he didn't retreat back on time the katana sliced trough his Shihakusho and leave a shallow cut on his chest.
This is his chance and he knows it, Urahara won't be expecting him to counter attack.
After the initial swing, Urahara brought up his katana and swung it down, only to be intercepted with Ichiru's left hand. He grips his wrist tightly and proceed to throw his fist to Urahara's surprised face. Much to Ichiru's dismay, Urahara dodge his fist and get a successful hit on Ichiru's stomach with a kick.
Ichiru staggered back, he never did thought that a hit with a clog would hurt like bitch. What the hell is that clog of his made of ?... Before he could regain his balance, Urahara shouted something he dreaded. "Shred, Benihime"
And once more, a powerful wave of red come streaming at him along with the destruction it holds.
He tried to run but his body felt so slow, he needs to go faster if he wanted to dodge the quickly closing red wave that could easily killed him. Faster, and faster..
Ichiru could only curse before his sight goes blur.
He was rather positive that he was dead, but then again, he is a Shinigami, he is dead... Though for some reason he could feel this nausea, also this lurching in his stomach, made him wanted to vomit. He was glad that he hadn't have time for a heavy breakfast, a toast of bread wont enough to force him throw out the content on his stomach.
Not even seconds after that, He felt like he just hit the rough rocky lands of Urahara shop's training ground.
With a groan, he tried to stand up. Now that his eyes started to focus, he did fell to the ground and not dead, like he thought just moments ago. Well.. As alive as an afterlife spiritual warrior could be..
Vaguely, he could hear a rumbling of noise; this he suppose was the aftermath of that crazy attack of the shop keeper. Now that his thoughts went back to that man, he started to wonder once more. Who the heck is he? How on earth did he able to fire that crazy thing from his sword? Well.. It's not a movie effect that's for sure, this place is not a studio..
"Well, well, is it a flash step?" the voice manage to snap Ichiru back to his fighting stance as he turned back to meet the person he was thinking about was walking towards him with that loud clogs of his. "Looks like you are more interesting than I thought you were, Yagari-san"
On that moment, more questions have flooded his mind. Flash step? What's that? Is that what happened earlier? What exactly happened anyway?
"Then, shall we continue for round two?" he asked. Ichiru let his scowl appear once more as the shopkeeper wont give him even the smallest chance to rest. Seems he won't be getting his answers soon.
well, so thats that i suppose..
the next update would take some time because i need to find some oc somehow...
ah well, anyone has some bright ideas about this? i would appreciate your input so much XD
P.S. when i re-read this story, i just realized how awfully written the first chapter is... it was written almost two years ago.. maybe i need a beta reader? -_-'
now then, anyone still interested? please review in the small box below :)