BLEACH: The Mourning Shinigami

BEEEEEEEEE!!

"Oh.... Oh no, boss!! It's nine o'clock!!!" Two of the five thugs under Ganju suddenly shouted loudly as they looked at the watch the black-haired man was carrying when the short hand pointed to 9 and the long hand pointed to 12. They all turned pale and anxiously reported the news to Ganju.

"What!? Nine o'clock!? Ah crap! C'mon. Bonnie!!" Ganju whistled to call his mount boar, which jumped over Ichigo and rolled straight into Ganju without mercy. He scrambled to his feet and wiped the dirt off his face from Bonnie's hit. "Ugh.... Still playing games, eh, Bonnie? But we don't have time for that tonight! Just let me get on you!"

"H-Hey, wait!! You're running away!?" yelled Ichigo when he's still confusing about what just happened.

"I'm not running, Dandelion!!! I'll fix you latter!! Until then, wait here like a good boy!!" Ganju mounted the boar tattooed with his group's name (Four-Hoof Drive) and turned around to speak aggressively to Ichigo. "Try not to turn to fluff and blow away!!!"

"Oh yeah!? Well you took the right out of.... My..... Mouth...." Ichigo was so angry that his blood boiled as Ganju's group of thugs ignored his protests that he was helpless and angry to the point of speechlessness, only able to point forward and gape.

"Are they gone?" asked Orihime.

"That was.... That was one weird dude, Ichigo." Ishida comforted Ichigo and patted his shoulder even though he still didn't say anything other than growls when it was Mei's turn to open her mouth to comfort Ichigo.

"But you have to admitted that guy had a sense of humour." Mei said with a blank face and she placed one hand on Ichigo's other shoulder, her other hand raised her thumb up making Ichigo even more speechless and unable to refute anything.

"DANG IT ALL!!! WHO THE HELL WAS THAT GUY!?"

"What!? You're not going?!" Ishida said loudly when he heard Ichigo return to his childish and sulky personality, refusing to go gather with everyone.

"That's right! Hmph! I'm waiting right here until that guy comes back!" Ichigo said with a sulky look as he sat upright on the floor.

"Wh-what's wrong with you!? Stop being a jerk and come on!!" Ishida tried to pull Ichigo out but he held on to the ledge of the stubborn floor and refused to go.

"No!! He'll think I'm a chicken!!"

"Who cares what he thinks!?" Ishida refuted what Ichigo said.

From outside the door Orihime peeked in to see if the other two were ready inside, Mei also peeked in and in her hand was a lipstick case with a mirror and in her hand she was holding a brush to apply lipstick. Where she got these items from was still a mystery to everyone in Ichigo's group. "Um... Acheron-san, Chad and I are waiting...."

"Hey! Perfect timing, Acheron-san and Orihime! Please help me peel this idiot off the floor!" said Ishida.

"Who you calling an idiot!?--" Ichigo objected to what Ishida said when suddenly a paw with cat claws scratched from his right cheek all the way to his left cheek.

SKREEESH!!

"YEEEOWCH!!"

"Has so much blood rushed to your hot head that you've forgotten the reason we came here!?" The one who did these things was none other than Yoruichi, they scolded Ichigo for his sulking and hot temper. "Rukia's life depends on us! I hope you understand that!"

"Oh..." For a moment since arriving here, Ichigo had forgotten what his main purpose was. He sat silently and thought about what Yoruichi had said for a long time when Yoruichi went out and gathered everyone.

"We have no time for your games! Now come!" Seeing Ichigo sad, Ichigo suddenly jumped up and bumped his head, partly to comfort him and partly because he was stupid so bumping his head would hopefully make him understand. "Got that!?"

"Ow!!"

"Hey... We're a long way from the village... Are you sure this is the right way!?" Ichigo with three scratches on his face from Yoruichi looked around, they had gone quite a distance when they only saw the village they came from was covered by trees. He yelled when he saw Ishida didn't answer Ichigo so he thought he was concentrating so he didn't notice. "Hey!"

"Shut up! According to the map the Elder gave us it should be around here!" Ishida grumbled and held up the map to Ichigo. "If you think you can do better, why don't you take the lead!?"

"I'm not complaining, but...." said Ichigo with a sulking face.

"But...." Orihime hesitantly interrupted Ichigo as she thought about how to phrase her question properly. "This Kūkaku person knows the only way to get into Seireitei without going through the gates, right?"

"If this person is so great, shouldn't they be living in town like some kind of celebrity?"

"Yeah... That's a good point...." said Ishida.

"No. That would be impossible. Judging from that one's personality... This looks just about right." Yoruichi muttered under their breath as they began to walk forward to find the destination for Ichigo's group. "It's a quiet....deserted area."

"Don't worry.... This one may change presidences frequently, but always build a recognizable housse. One glance and you'll know it." said Yoruichi.

"One glance?"

"Yes.... I see it." Yoruichi turned their heads towards Kūkaku Shiba's house, causing the entire group to gasp in shock. "There."

"That's... beyond recognizable!!!"

"See? You can tell with one glance, right?" said Yoruichi

"I wonder in what other ways he's misled us about this person!!"

"Kūkaku Shiba can't live in town because all the neighbors would throw a fist!!"

"This is the place!!"

"Hmm.... The banner holder is a pair of arms this time. Very nice." Yoruichi said and walked forward, they waited a bit for everyone to go towards that house.

"Is it always something different!?"

"Come.... What's wrong? Let's go!" said Yoruichi.

"Oh no! We're going into that goofy house!! I hope nobody sees us!!"

"Thanks the Gods this area is deserted! Phew!!" Ichigo and Ichigo communicated telepathically in some miraculous way and reluctantly stepped forward.

It was a simple wooden stilt house with closed doors and few windows. What was noteworthy was that outside the house there were two arms raised to the sky and holding a sign with the name of the owner "Kūkaku Shiba". Behind the house was a tube that looked like a chimney but was bigger and taller, the mouth of that cylinder was covered with papers. "Hm.... That thing is bigger than a house... What is it?"

THUD!

"Ow... Oh, I'm so sorry. Are you alright, miss Acheron?" Ishida accidentally bumped into Mei as he walked away and was lost in thought, it seemed like Mei was too as they both looked at the giant tall cylinder behind the house.

"HALT!!"

TOOOMP!!

Two tall and muscular men appeared from somewhere and landed in front of Ichigo, towering over him and the rest. They were like a pair of twins wearing matching clothes, each speaking after the other finished speaking. "Who are you!?"

"You're dressed strangely! And two of you are Soul Reapers!?"

"You're a suspicious-looking lot! Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko will not let you pass!"

"Go! Or you will die here!"

"Hmph.... More gatekeepers. Soul Society's a real pain in the butt...." Having said that, Ichigo placed his hand on the hilt of his sword but he was still reluctant and wondered if the two of them were bad people or not. The gaze of one of the twins looking towards Yoruichi turned to surprise and surprise.

"Muh.... Mr. Yoruichi!?"

"Forgive me! I had no idea they were your attendants, Mr. Yoruichi! I apologize for my rudeness" Shortly afterward, with Shiroganehiko guarding the front door, Koganehiko leads Ichigo and his friends down the stairs inside the building as he apologizes to Yoruichi for not realizing the others were Yoruichi's attendants.

"I should've notified you in advance." said Yoruichi as they brush off Koganehiko's mistake and apologizes for not notifying them in advance,

"Great men have big hearts! Please wait here for a moment." Koganehiko replied and led them down to the front of a room as he told them to wait there for a bit and approaches the sliding doors to the next room, where a voice calls out and asks him.

"Koganehiko? Have you brought me an interesting guest?"

"Well, come in! What're you waiting for!"

"Yes! Right"

The person tells him to come in, a startled Koganehiko complies and opens the sliding doors to reveal Kūkaku, who lounges on some pillows and a rug in the center of the room as she greets Yoruichi. "Hello. It's been a long time.... Yoruichi."

"WHA!? KŪKAKU'S A WOMAN!!?" Ichigo and his friends are shocked to learn Kūkaku is a woman.

"What? Who're the kids?" Kūkaku frowned in confusion as she looked at Ichigo's group.

"Kūkaku... I've come to ask you a favor." said Yoruichi.

"Of course you have. That's usually the case when you show up." Kūkaku became serious when she asked Yoruichi and observed them for a long time as if confirming something. "Trouble?"

"Probably." Yoruichi replied.

"Heh.... We haven't had an exchange like this for too long...." Kūkaku smiles mischievously and a bit cunning at the mention of trouble, something she loves. "I love trouble. Go on. Let's hear your story."

"I see. I get the picture...." After hearing Yoruichi's story, Kūkaku was lost in thought with a pipe between her slim fingers, finally nodding. "Fine. I accept."

"You do!?"

"Sure. If Urahara's involved how could I possibly say no?" Kūkaku said then paused for a moment as she looked at Ichigo, who was still blankly loading the conversation between Kūkaku and Yoruichi. "Just one thing.... I trust you, but.... I'm not so sure about these kids."

"I'm assigning a man to oversee the operation. That's all right with you, isn't it?"

"Of course." Yoruichi replied.

"A man?" Ichigo picks up on Kūkaku mentioning a man and asked curiously.

"Yes. Well, actually he's my little brother. He's a useless brat, but...." Kūkaku walked to the sliding door across from Ichigo's group and knocked on it. "Well? Ready!?"

"Wait... Just a second...." The person in the other room replied.... wait, why does the voice of the person Kūkaku said was her younger brother sound so familiar? Or maybe it's just a coincidence that Mei can't remember.

"I'm opening it! And you'd better behave yourself!" said Kūkaku.

"Okay! Ready, sis!!" Kūkaku immediately pulled the door open when the voice on the other side accepted and revealed.... Ganju was sitting in the traditional way of greeting with a cheerful face making Mei clear her throat to try to hold back her laughter. It seems that the saying "Petitioners in the narrow lane" is not wrong at all. "hello! My name's Ganju Shiba! It's pleasure to make your acquaintance!"

Both sides looked at each other in silence for a long time, then Ganju and Ichigo both shouted. "AAAAGH!!!?"

"What? You two know each other?" Kūkaku was also stunned and suddenly asked the other two.

"Cut it out!!!!" Kūkaku got angry and punched Ganju in the head and gave Ichigo a kick from her, knocking both of them to the ground causing Ichigo's group to gasped and look at Kūkaku with other way, their souls all flew away before they could even realize the situation."What's wrong with you guys... Attacking each other the moment you meet!?"

"Dude, you kicked me without warning.... Must run in the family." Ichigo grumbled and rubbed his head that had just been kicked by Kūkaku.

"But sis! That jerk--"

"Don't talk back!" Kūkaku interrupted Ganju and threw another kick at his face, causing him to once again fall to the ground. Indeed, only older sisters can punish naughty younger brothers. She then quickly without saying much ran back to Ichigo and grabbed his head with a mean look on her face. "Listen to me, you little punk! This is my house! It's my wat or the highway around here!"

"I....I'm sorry....Ma'am...." The first time, Ichigo was so scared that his face turned pale and he broke into a cold sweat. He mumbled an apology in a stuttering manner even though he was still the victim here.

"All right. As long as you understand." Kūkaku quickly released her grip on Ichigo's hair upon hearing him apologize.

"Your sister's scary...." Ichigo lay on the ground and whispered to Ganju with an extremely scared expression.

"Tell me about it...."replied Ganju.

"All right!! Everybody up!!" Kūkaku ordered everyone to stand up. Once she was sure they were all following, she continued speaking and led the group down a nearby hallway. "Now then... Shut your mouths and follow me!"

"Wow.... There are a lot of lights down here. I didn't see a generator...." As they walk, Uryū observes that there are a lot of lights on the ceiling even though he did not see a generator.

"We grow Hotarukazura here.... In the holes on the celling and on both sides of the wood paneling." Kūkaku explains.

"Hotarukazura? Is that some kind of plant found only in the Soul Society" Uryū inquires but Kūkaku ignores him as she orders Ganju to open the door they have reached.

"Okay. Here we are. Open it, Ganju."

"Yes!"

"Didn't you hear? It's her way or the highway, I guess that means she can ignore us." Ichigo whispered to Ishida as he confused at being ignored by Kūkaku.

"Opening door!! Here we go!!!" Ganju dramatically opens the door to reveal the room containing a tall and slender black cannon, dwarfing the central house of the Shiba Clan which shocks Ichigo and his friends as they walk inside.

"What's this?"

"It's huge!"

"i'm going to launch you guys into Seireitei with this!" Kūkaku looked very proud as she stood in front of this giant black cannon and pointed at the sky. "Through the sky!"

"The sky!?" Ichigo and Uryū both flabbergasted by the idea of this

"I'm Kūkaku Shiba... Rukongai's premier fireworks expert!"