Bleach: The Beginning of the New Era II

Chapter II: The Thirteenth Squad

As Shunsui arrived at the 13th Squad Barracks, he found the co-3rd Seats, Kiyone Kotetsu and Sentarō Kotsubaki, arguing as usual about who would tell Rukia what and who would tend to their captain.

"No, you will tell Rukia while I'll tend to the captain," Sentarō yelled.

"No, you will tell Rukia while I'll tend to the captain," Kiyone yelled in return.

"You just want to impress the captain more!"

Before Kiyone retorted, Shunsui cleared his throat. "Um, is Jūshirō here or is he at the Ugendō Quarters*?"

"Oh, head captain! My... um the captain is in his office. Let me escort you!"

Sentarō yelled, "Oh, no, you don't! I'll escort him to the captain!

"NO!! I will!"

Shunsui interrupted them, "I just escort myself."

Once he pasted them, they started arguing again, "See, what you did! If you just let me escort him....." Shunsui shook his head and then knocked on the door of his friend's office.

He heard a warm tone voice said, "Come in." Once the head captain walked into his friends' office, Jūshirō noticed him. "Oh, hello, Shunsui. What brings you here?"

Shunsui looked from his left to his right, then performed Bouonshitsu. Jūshirō's eye brow quirked questionably, "A soundproof barrier? Shunsui, is everything alright?"

He'd never seen his friend took extreme measures before. So, he knew that whatever he was about to say would be important. "Everything's fine.... for now."

"For now," Jūshirō questioned as he tilted his head ever so slightly.

"Yes, for now. Anyway, I came to ask for your help. The Royal Couple came and asked to be his eyes and ears. He said to pick some person to help me in this endeavor."

"I see."

"I already asked Nanao to give a message to Kisuke and Yoruichi, too."

"Well, did His Majesty say how many people who could help you?"

Shunsui shook his head. "I want you to help me. That is if you want to, Jūshirō."

"Of course, I'll help you, Shunsui. I'll do what I can given to my circumstances."

"I know. Who else should be trusted enough with this?"

"How long do you have to gather help?"

"Two days, then we will go to the Sōkyoku Hill to await the couple."

"Hmm, lets then think on this over some tea."

"I prefer sake," Shunsui said as he raised a bottle of sake."  Jūshirō chuckled at his friend as he was making tea.
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Nanao was at the entrance of the 6th Squad's Barracks. One of its members noticed her and asked for she needed assistance of some sort. She asked to see it's lieutenant. The squad member escorted her to the lieutenant's office. The squad member said, "Hey, Lieutenant Abarai, someone's here to see you!"

"Alright, Rikichi! Open the door and let him in, will ya!!"

"Sure!" The squad member now known as Rikichi opened up the door for Renji's guest. Nanao bowed and said her thanks before going into the lieutenant's office.

Renji was finishing up some paperwork when Nanao came in. She waited until he was finished before she could say the reason why she was there. When Renji looked up from his finished paperwork, he saw Nanao standing there waiting. "Oh, Lieutenant Ise, it's you. What could I do for you?"

"I came to deliver this to you to deliver this to Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihōin in the World of the Living."

He wondered why he had to deliver the message. "Um, why not send a Hell Butterfly?"

"It was the order by the head captain."

"Oh, alright then. I'll go by my captain's office to tell him that I am leaving, then."

Nanao nodded and left from whence she came from. Renji sighed as he went to his captain's office. He knocked on it lightly. He heard a stern voice that said 'enter'. Renji slid open the door. "Um, captain.. I was ordered by the head captain to deliver a message to Kisuke and Yoruichi."

"Do you know that the message consists of?"

"No, sir. I don't."

"You're dismissed." Renji bowed and left to go to the Senkaimon.
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Meanwhile in the World of the Living....

Ururu was sweeping the front entrance of the Urahara Shōten as Jinta was just standing there. "Uh, Jinta, if Tessai finds out that you aren't doing your chores, he will ground you again."

"Oh, shut up, Ururu! Tessai isn't even here right now! Just mine your own business!"

"But Jinta, Tessai said that if we don't get the chores done by the time he returns, we won't be able to go to the school dance. It will not be just you who will be in trouble! I will be, too. I refuse to be in trouble because of your laziness!"

Usually, Ururu would just let it go and do the chores by herself, but she was getting fed up on being the only one who does the chores around the shop. Perhaps, she was getting tired of his crap.

"Oh, you think you can take me on, huh! Well, bring it, Ururu!"

Suddenly, both of their heads were butted together. Jinta yelled as he held his forehead with one of his hands, "What the hell,Tessai!" When he looked up to the person who headbutted them together, he saw a woman standing there that looked a lot of someone he knew. "Ka-karin?! The person in question frowned. "Is Kisuke here?"

Jinta shook his head knowing now this wasn't Karin. "Yes, he's sleeping. Who wants to know?!"

The said person quirked an eye brow at him. "Well wake his lazy ass up and tell him that 'Kimi is here'. He'll know who you're talking about."

"You go get the shopkeeper, Ururu," he said as if he was annoyed.

"Ok." Ururu went inside to get Kisuke. Whenever she was in front of his bedroom door, she knocked on it. "Mr. Urahara, sir. Someone's here to see you."

Kisuke was laying down asleep on his futon. Ururu repeated, "Someone's here to see you, Mr. Urahana!"

Kisuke groaned. "Tell him I am busy," he said as he turned away from Ururu.

"But Mr. Urahara, she said to tell you that 'Kimi is here'."

Kisuke instantly woke up. "Well, Ururu, why you didn't say so," he said with a happy tone, that was more of a statement than a question. He got dressed quickly and met up with the person who wanted to see him. He opened up his white fan and said, "Well, look who we have here. Long time; not see, Kimi. Are here to stay this time?"

Kimi turned around as she heard the eccentric shopkeeper had started talking to her with a scowl. "Yes, I am staying this time. You have something of mine. I need it back."

Kisuke frowned behind that fan of his. "What? No hug from my favorite person."

She sighed. "Kisuke, please tell me you still have it." Kimi already knew where this said object is but she needed confirmation.

Kisuke sighed as he closed his fan. "No, it's in the Soul Society, but you already knew that, right, Kimi?"

Kimi crossed her arms over her chest. "Yes, but...." She was interrupted by the coming reiatsu that was just appeared along with the Senkaimon from the other side. They looked at the shadowy figure, but before the said figure came out, Kimi disappeared.

As Renji was walking out from the Dangai; entering the World of the Living, he thought he saw something with Kisuke, but when he arrived no one was there. He shrugged the thought off as he walked out of the Senkaimon. Kisuke knew that Kimi left, which didn't surprised him. He reopened his fan as Renji walked towards him.

"Well, what brings you to my little shop?"

"Well, I was sent here to give you this." He gave him a piece of paper. "It's a message from the head captain." Kisuke looked at the said piece of paper and then looked at Renji. Renji scratched the side of his cheek. He knew what Kisuke was thinking. He answered his unasked question, "I don't know why he didn't send of Hell Butterfly. All I know is to bring you this message and nothing else. So, I...."

"Wait, Renji. Before you go, did you happen to see someone next to me?"

 "Huh?" Renji thought, "What kind of question is that?"

"Never mind," Kisuke said with a smile and waving his fan up and down.

"Okay, I think I'll go now." With that Renji reopened the Senkaimon and went home. Kisuke sighed afterwards.

As Renji was walking through the Dangai, he said, "I know I saw someone there." He narrowed his eyes. "It was probably Yoruichi, but......" He shook his head and then shunpoed to the Soul Society.

Kisuke read the message. His eye brow quirked at it. He thought, "Well, it looks like we have an incoming issue. Yoruichi should return within an hour give or take. I'll ask her about it. She'll be happy to know that Kimi would be staying in town this time. Perhaps, she was ready to face the music; so to speak. I just hope that they.... they as in Central 46..... would let her have what was hers to begin with, but that would be very unlikely." He sighed. "Since Yoruichi isn't back yet.' he yawned. "I'll go back to sleep."

He passed the two teenagers as he made his way back to where he was. He said to them, "Lets close the shop, for now. You two could go and do whatever you want."

"But Kisuke.... who was that woman earlier?"

"That woman's Isshin's sister."

"Sister? I didn't know he had a sister."

"Well, many people don't. Oh, don't let nobody from the Soul Society know that she's here, alright?"

"Why, Mr. Urahara?"

"Ururu, how many times that I told you to call me 'Kisuke'?" There was silence. "Never mind. Just don't. I'll tell you later. But right now...." He yawned. ".... I am going back to sleep. Wake me whenever Yoruichi and/or Tessai returns, will you?"

With that he returned to his bedroom and went back to dreamland.