[DISCONTINUED] Strive | Bleach

Chapter Seven: Explanation.

Chapter Seven: Explanation. 

Abaron's POV

“So… you’re a shopkeeper, now? That’s kind of a step down from your previous titles.” I took a sip of the tea Ururu gave me. “Thank you, Ururu, this is delicious.”

“Oh, you’re welcome.” She gave me a small smile before exiting the room with Jinta, who stopped in the hallway to peek through a window in the door. Turning back to face Kisuke, I saw that he was petting a small black cat. I stared at it inquisitively, as I felt something weird coming from it. I looked at its eyes.

“Um… is it normal for a cat to have gold eyes? I mean, I’m not saying that it’s a bad thing, I was just wondering, b-but…” I trailed off as it climbed up onto the table and walked around the tea pot and cups that were set out until it reached me. It stared at me coldly. Those eyes were scary familiar. It seemed to be waiting for something—an apology, maybe? “I-I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“It’s alright.”

“Did you say something, Kisuke?” He was smiling, but the voice hadn’t come from him. It was much too deep for even him to pull off. I looked around, trying to see if it was Tessai trying to pull a gag on me. But he was with Ichigo in the other room, doing who knows what. I looked back to the cat, my eyes wide with fear. “Y-you d-didn’t…“

“Oh, but I did.” I jumped backwards, hitting my head painfully against the door.
“Y-you j-just t-talked…?” I pulled on my bangs to see if they would fall out of my head next.

“Yes, well, I think that was obvious,” it replied. “Do you remember me? Oh, that’s right; you’ve never seen me like this.” What the hell is up with this cat?! I suppose that I should reintroduce myself.” Kisuke was enjoying this; my reactions, the cat’s subtlety, and just the complete irony of it all. “I am Yoruichi Shihōin.”

“No way,” I said, sitting up and crossing my arms.
“Yes way.”
“But then why do you sound like a man?” Her tail flicked angrily. “N-not that that’s a bad thing, e-either—“

“It was a part of the transformation. Now, onto a more important subject: Kisuke, give her the short version of the story.”

“Yes, ma’am,” Kisuke tipped his hat up slightly so that I could see his face. “Around two months ago, Rukia Kuchiki arrived in Karakura Town to complete her orders. One specific night, a hollow attacked our young friend over there,” he gestured to Ichigo, who was fast asleep.

“That was probably when she gave him her powers,” I thought out loud.
“Yes, it was. When that happened, Rukia had no choice but to them to him so that he could save his family. She hadn’t expected to give him all of it though, which resulted in her having to use a gigai, like the one you’re using now.” I stared down at the fake body that I had borrowed from Kisuke the night before, along with some little pill I had to eat to return to normal. The body came equipped with its own set of clothes, which was good for me, considering that I didn’t pack for the trip. And thankfully, it was a pair of jeans and a plain t-shirt. “Last night, when Byakuya Kuchiki arrived with his subordinate to capture the ‘traitor’- and I use that term loosely-, he stripped Ichigo of his borrowed soul reaper abilities by severing his Chain of Fate. Before all of that, it seems that a large number of hollows were showing up at almost around the same time, almost as if they were being drawn to here by something.” He looked over his shoulder at him.

“More like someone,” I corrected. “He did have a large amount of spiritual pressure. He was like a beacon for the hollows. But how did they all get here?”