109A/N: I'll give my full thanks and details for uploading scheduling down below but for now I'll just say this: I love you all. Oh man, the response on chapter one was crazy high. I've never seen numbers like that :'). Especially in a fandom not associated with Naruto (which kind of hypes itself lol).
A/N 2: ALSO, in the authors note at the bottom I answer two of the most commonly asked questions in PM's and reviews :). Make sure to read my responses! Might answer something you were curious about. Anyway, sorry everyone for taking so long to update. I hope you enjoy this chapter!
Chapter 2 – Nine Lives
"So. Tell me where it all began."
Ichigo felt his eyebrow twitch.
"You know damn well where it all began, you stupid little werecat-SHIT!"
Rubbing his now-bleeding face in a vain attempt to lessen the pain, he scowled at the feline across from him, who looked just a little too smug for his tastes.
"What's wrong, Ichigo?" Yoruichi purred. "Cat got your tongue?"
"You keep this up and I'll rip it out."
"Oh, my. How scary." The cat mocked with a smirk. "Well, how's about this, then?"
A puff of smoke appeared and Ichigo braced himself for the inevitable. In spite of that, he found that he still wasn't prepared for the naked body draped around his shoulder. Yoruichi whispered in his ear, much to his rising blush.
"Is this better, Ichigo?" Her voice was soft, and sensual. Purposefully, so. "Will this form improve your concentration, any…?"
Ichigo did his damndest to keep his voice even.
"You shouldn't transform like that. Not in here, of all places."
"Relax." She grinned. The naked woman draped a blanket around her form and sat back down across from him. "I already took care of all the observation devices in this room, remember? No one'll be the wiser!"
"And that is part of the problem!" Ichigo rubbed his temples with a groan. "You can't just go and destroy MBI property, like that. A break of personal space or not, now that they're aware we're onto them, our situation is that much harder!"
Yoruichi sighed and laid back on the reclining chair.
"I never took you for such a worrywart, Ichigo. Relax. There's not much they can do; other than set them up again, of course. In which case I'll go ahead and tear them down." She shrugged, nonchalantly. "Really, you never signed a contract agreeing to be spied upon 24/7, so what they are doing is technically illegal. I don't need to tell you that you are unable to take them to court on it, but that being said, there is no reason to let them walk all over you either. I'm surprised you didn't do what I did earlier, to be honest."
Ichigo grunted.
"I see what you're saying, but I still think it was a bad idea."
"Eh." She grinned. "What's done is done. So, back to the therapy session…?"
"You're still on about that?" He scowled and turned away from her. "My day was long, and incredibly draining, but it wasn't that bad. I'm just tired."
"So, you say." Yoruichi crossed her arms with a frown. "Jokes aside, then. Mind giving me the rundown?"
Ichigo grumbled something under his breath, before laying on his back; his arms behind his head in support.
"The rundown, huh. Alright. It started shortly after nine this morning…"
9:17 A.M. Sekirei Laboratory 4:
"… and here is where we test a Sekirei's mental fortitude. Of course, such a thing is hard to measure, which is why it is often overseen by a vast majority of our staff. Intelligence is a strength in the same way as ones physical, or meta-physical abilities are. I doubt you'd argue against such an assessment, correct?"
Ichigo hummed in agreement, as he tried to stay focus on his bosses' explanation. He felt himself drifting, though. Jumping between exhaustion and heightened paranoia, he was dead on his feet.
Last night had been rough. Not one to feel anxious, he was surprised by just how off he felt. Scared? No. Ichigo Kurosaki doesn't do scared. Worried?... perhaps. And given what happened, it wasn't exactly hard to pinpoint exactly what had him so concerned. It wasn't for himself, either. He knew he could fight his way out of here fairly easily, if need be. No, it wasn't that. Well, not really anyway.
Perhaps it was best to look back on what had directly caused his current state of mind.
It all started from a phone call he had made last night, not long after Takami had dismissed him.
Ichigo sighed to himself.
'I really do regret giving them a call.'
"Really?" Yoruichi interrupted with a pout. "You regret telling me where you went? Say it ain't so."
Ichigo scowled at the interruption.
"Can I get back to my story?"
"Not until you apologize for your mistreatment of me."
"Not happening."
"So cruel!"
12 Hours Prior:
Ichigo fiddled with his phone as he tried calling the same number for the fourth time in a row.
"Come on, come on, come-!"
"Ah, Kurosaki-san. What can I do for you this fine evening-?"
"Hat n' Clogs." Ichigo cut off his usual spiel. "I need advice."
…
There was silence on the other end. Ichigo had no doubts it was due to the older man feeling bewildered by his request. The carrot-top could admit to being fairly… stubborn, at times. Not one to accept help unless it was literally shoved in his face. Sometimes, not even then. But that was then, this is now, and he felt lost.
"What happened, Kurosaki-san?" came the puzzled voice of his old mentor. "Yoruichi-san was just talking to me about coming over to visit you tomorrow. She misses her old student." His tone was teasing, but Ichigo could sense the concern in there. "… do you need her to come over tonight? You know she would."
He did. He knew these two were always in his corner. Despite how harsh their methods could be at times; he never would have made it this far without them. Still,
"No. While I appreciate the thought, I don't think I need to tell you that's no longer possible."
Urahara paused.
"Hm? What do you mean by that, Kurosaki-san?"
Now it was the Substitutes turn to sound confused.
"Why are you surprised? Yoruichi-san did tell you that I moved away yesterday, right? Neo-Tokyo, to be exact. I'm working for MBI now, and that's actually why I'm calling; see-"
"WHAT!?"
Ichigo almost dropped his phone in shock at the sudden screech. A sound that he was fairlycertain in assuming Kisuke had no means of producing.
"Ichigo! The hell do you mean you moved away!? Why didn't you say anything?"
"Yoruichi-san…? Why are you listening to this?"
"Ah, did I forget to mention, Kurosaki-san?" Kisuke covered his face with his fan. "The phone was on speaker the whole time! And judging by her reaction, you failed to let her know you were leaving. Tsk, tsk."
"But I could have sworn I-!"
Then it hit him. He had been in such a rush due to Takami's sudden appearance that he had only thought to contact his friends from school. How could he forget to mention it to her!?
She's gonna-
"Skin you alive, Kurosaki-san? Yes, more than likely."
Well, shit.
"Screw this." He suddenly heard shuffling in the background. "I'm coming down there tonight, Ichigo, and you can't stop me-!"
"Just, wait a second!"
"Well?" Yoruichi frowned, tapping her foot impatiently. "I'm waiting! You better have some damn good excuse for me, my 'precious pupil'."
He did. Once he could figure out a way to word it, that is.
"Urahara-san." His usage of his mentor's actual name got their immediate attention. "You're certain this line can't be tracked. Right?"
The two mentors exchanged looks with one another. Concern was evident on their faces. They knew how redundant it seemed, given his power-level, but still.
"Yes, I am certain of it. Human technology, no matter how advanced, can't trace the call or hack into it. Their matrixes are irrelevant." His voice lowered. "Why…? Are you in trouble…?"
Ichigo took that with a grain of salt. He was working for a company with alien-tech, after all. Still, perhaps it was best to go off the assumption that they lacked the ability to harness it, to avoid the stress that accompanied it. So, he instead found himself leaning against the back against the wall of his bathroom. He closed his eyes and began.
"Well…"
The teen regaled them with the story of his time thus far. To his embarrassment he left no part out. Yoruichi seemed particularly annoyed with Uzume and her advances, though Ichigo wasn't exactly sure why. It certainly wasn't anything the sensual werecat hadn't thought to do before.
"That… is a lot to take in, I must admit." Yoruichi sat back in disbelief at what she was told. "You know if anyone else told us that aliens existed we'd probably label them a crazy person and ignore their ramblings."
"I'm well aware how insane it sounds." Ichigo grunted. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
"I said if anyone else had told us that, we'd label them as crazy." Yoruichi sighed. "Show us a little faith Ichigo. We trust you. If you were this concerned that you thought to give this old nut a call, it must be true."
That was fair. Ichigo would never go so far as to ask Kisuke for advice based on a potential lie.
"Thank you." He muttered. "Anyway, what do you think I should do Urahara-san?"
A pause.
"Hm. Have you tried turning it off and on again-?"
Ichigo sighed as the idiot on the other line got pummeled by his feisty ex-teacher. Why did he think this was a good idea, again?
"Ahem." Kisuke coughed to try and bring some semblance of dignity back. "It's hard to know exactly what to suggest without seeing things myself. Which I can take a guess and assume to be an impossibility."
"Yeah."
Ichigo remembered the large amount of security cameras very clearly. In fact, he wouldn't be surprised if there were wiretaps placed around the building, even in his bedroom to avoid information leaking to the public. It was entirely possible that he may have missed some in here as well, but it was a risk he had to take.
"There are security cameras everywhere in this place. Especially so in high-risk areas where the Sekirei are located." Ichigo frowned. "Thinking back, I honestly can't recall any rooms that didn't have any form of surveillance. Hell, even my entire suite is bugged. I'm only calling you here because my bathroom is the one place that I can't see any. Though, I still run the risk of a wiretap, I had to get through to you."
"I see…"
Kisuke stared at the table in front of him, with a lost look in his eyes. His hands cupping his chin as he thought things through carefully. What would the best option be?
Hm.
"Kurosaki-san." He addressed, after a minute of deliberation.
"What is it?"
"I have a suggestion that I'm not sure you're going to like. But it's the only one I can think of that will get me the information I require."
Ichigo sighed.
"Alright, lay it on me then."
"Well," Kisuke brought his damned fan back out. "You know how Yoruichi-san was just saying she was going to come visit you?"
The substitute felt a migraine coming on.
"Don't tell me-"
"Looks like you're going to have a cat to take care of for the foreseeable future." His grin could almost be felt through the phone. "Good luck~!"
"Now, wait just a minute!" Ichigo suddenly yelled, desperate to think of a way out of this. "I have no clue if I'm even allowed to have pets here! Also, I doubt Yoruichi-san would want to spend so much time with me. I don't think this is a good idea-"
"Who said that, Ichigo?" The former assassin's sultry voice cut through. "I'm always down for spending time with my precious pupil."
Ichigo gulped as the beautiful woman purred through the phoneline. He almost wished she was still pissed off at him.
Almost.
"Come on! I just said I can't have you prance around here for who knows how long. This is not gonna work."
"And I'm saying that I don't care." He could practically envision her shit-eating grin. "So I'll be by sometime tomorrow, Ichigo! Looking forward to seeing you again!"
"No, wait-!"
The line went dead.
Ichigo stared at his phone for a good minute before suddenly throwing it against the wall.
He hung his head.
"Idiots. The both of them."
"You've got a bit of a mean streak to you; you know that right?" Yoruichi grinned from her place on the chair adjacent to him. "If I didn't know any better, I'd almost say that you don't appreciate having little ol' me as company."
"Bite me."
"Maybe later." Her Cheshire smile widened at his sputtering. "So. What happened, next?"
"You'd know if you would stop interrupting me!"
"Is that so…?"
"I hate you."
9:20 A.M. Sekirei Laboratory 4:
Ichigo scowled as he looked around. Nothing seemed to be out of the ordinary, and he had yet to be alerted about any stray cats invading the place. Seems he was safe, for now.
"…chigo. Hey, Ichigo!"
He blinked before turning his attention back to Takami. She didn't look impressed.
"Oi, I'm taking time out of my busy day to give you the rundown of the rest of our facilities and you're not even listening to me?" His lack of an immediate answer caused her to take a drag. "Haa. Fine, forget it. Did you at least grasp the gist of what I was saying?"
"Yeah." Ichigo grunted. "Sorry. I, uh… didn't sleep well last night. I'll try to focus more in the future."
Takami's annoyance melted away as her expression became more compassionate. Another drag of her cigarette and she threw it in the nearby trash can.
"I see. I think I can understand that." She admitted. "When I first began helping with the Sekirei project I lost sleep a lot too. It's… not easy to take in, especially at the start."
She gave him what she hoped to be a reassuring smile.
"It'll get better. I promise."
Ichigo nodded in thanks, prompting her to continue her tour. Appreciative of her words, as he was, he wasn't an idiot. He knew they were as empty as they come. This place had serious issues, and he had a feeling he had yet to scrape the surface of them.
"Ichi-kun!"
He was suddenly barreled over by one of the bustiest woman he had ever met. Considering he knew Orihime and Rangiku, that was a hell of a statement.
"Gah! Get off me, Uzume!" he scowled, as he pushed her away. "What the hell are you doing, here?"
The brunette pouted at his 'manhandling' of her before grinning.
"What are you talking about, Ichi-kun?" She put a finger to her lips in confusion. "Hasn't Takami-chan told you, yet?"
He felt his eyebrow twitch.
"Tell me, what exactly…?"
"Your job, of course!" She giggled. "You're so silly."
He blinked at that. His job? That was a good point, actually. He still had no clue what exactly he was to do here. All he knew was that he was meant to answer directly to Takami. That's it. No employment description had been given up until this point.
"Oh, right. Well, I was getting to that." Takami shrugged as Ichigo face-faulted from her lack of care. Smirking at his downed form, she resisted the urge to pat his head, in a patronizing manner. "Or should I say: Professor Kurosaki."
There was a pause. Then a rather indignant response was given.
"What the hell did you just say!?"
"You sure do overreact a lot, Ichigo. I'd work on that, if I were you."
"Stop interrupting me, damnit!"
"See what I mean?"
Ichigo counted to ten, before looking to the sky for some answers.
"Please tell me when this torture will be over."
"Whenever you finish your story. So get on with it!"
"… have I ever told you that I hate you?"
Yoruichi's smirk could have could have cut glass.
"You might have mentioned it once or twice."
Ichigo was, for lack of a better word, lost. One minute he was talking to Takami about his new position, the next he was face-to-face with four new women whose looks would have landed them a spot at any modelling agency. Not only that, they all winded up in some sort of rather small auditorium. A small stage separating the three of them from the other four probable Sekirei. His eye twitched imperceptibly at the turn of events. She hadn't even gotten around to telling him what his job was!
He was proud of himself for not letting his displeasure show.
"Ne, Takami-chan?"
He idly heard the click of a lighter from beside him, as a puff of smoke wafted in front of his nose. He looked at the red-haired girl that had her arm raised, his face void of expression.
"Yes, Matsu?" Takami, eventually answered.
Matsu grinned at the address and began pointing to the carrot-top excitedly.
"Who is the new guy?" She put a finger to her chin in thought. "I've never seen him before! And I'd never forget someone so cute. He's somehow even more delicious than Takehito-chan, was."
Ichigo took stock of that name as a shiver unconsciously travelled down his spine. The redheaded Sekirei giggled perversely as she wiped up a rather lengthy trail of drool from her chin. The woman in a purple dress next to her, who had the largestbust he had ever seen, seemed to agree with the assessment. If the lick she gave to her lips was any indication.
Was every Sekirei a pervert, or what?
"Back off, Matsu!" Uzume yelled, a pout on her face. Grabbing his arm, she buried it deep within her cleavage much to his dismay. "I met Ichi-kun first. He's mine!"
Well, he was three for three.
"Ouch!"
Uzume's eyes began to water at the harsh bop to the head Takami gave her. An expression that promised pain was now on the white-haired woman's face. Tapping her foot impatiently, she pointed to the open chair at the end of the row next to another brunette. Putting on her best puppy-dog eyes, she silently begged Ichigo to let her stand next to him. He refused to relent, however. He had experience dealing with Yuzu. And bless Uzume's heart, no one was ever going to reach that level of cuteness.
"Fine!"
Grumbling with heavy footsteps, the busty beauty sat down on the chair with her arms across her chest. Takami hid her smile behind her hand at the girl's behaviour. Hardly any interaction and she was already this attached? Who knows how clingy she'll be when she finally meets her Ashikabi?
She slyly moved her eyes in Ichigo's direction. Unless…
Well, that was a thought for another time.
"Alright, girls."
Takami walked to the front of the small stage and addressed the group. Pointing at each girl one at a time, she began speaking in a rather commanding tone.
"One at a time, I want you to introduce yourselves in the order your numbers fall in. State your name, number, and primary combat abilities. We'll start with you Matsu."
"Hai!" The glasses-wearing alien cackled excitedly. "My name is Matsu, hot stuff. I'm Sekirei number two, and my ability is to telepathically hack into any electronic database... among other stuff. I'm also the most intelligent of my sisters."
Ichigo felt his brow raise at that.
'The single digits are supposedly the strongest of the Sekirei. I had assumed that was measured on a strictly combat-based approach, but I guess I was wrong. Though, hacking into a military base, or getting the codes to a nuclear test site could be deadly. It's an interesting ability, if nothing else.'
"I suppose I'm next." The elegant woman smiled endearingly at him. "My name is Kazehana. I'm Sekirei number three, and I control the wind. I can use it to different extremes depending on the situation. From a light breeze, to a small tornado."
That seemed more in line with what he had been expecting.
'Perhaps not all Sekirei are combat-based then?' He frowned to himself. 'That seems wildly unbalanced. A free-for-all where not all combatants can fight? The rules were skewed right out the gate.'
"Number seven. Akitsu." The white-haired woman spoke. Her tone seemed almost jagged in execution, he noted. "I control ice."
Ichigo frowned at that.
'The robotic delivery she uses reminds me too much of Nemu-san. And that situation was messed up beyond belief. I hope that's not the case with this girl, too.'
"My name is Yume!" The first brunette chirped. "I am Sekirei number eight, and I control light to defeat my enemies! Though, I'm also far faster and stronger than most, I prefer to let my chosen element do the talking."
That caught Ichigo's attention.
'The more I hear from them, the more this whole "game" seems unbalanced.' He grunted. 'Granted, I may not know the ins and outs of it; Takami only gave me the basic run-down, but still. Some Sekirei seem so obviously stronger than others, that it's not even close. Their abilities are borderline broken, and apparently, some even have multiple strengths to them, not just one! This whole thing is bullshit.'
"Heya, Ichi-kun!" Uzume smiled brightly. "You already know this but, I'm Sekirei number ten and I control cloths to fight with. Though my speed is ranked within the top twenty as well!" She finished proudly.
The top twenty? Really.
'I'd put her speed at about lieutenant level when she went all-out. That implies that, unless some of the unreleased Sekirei are speed-based, that the fastest amongst them would probably be Captain-level. Perhaps the top was Espada-level?' Still slower than him, but interesting to consider.
"I'm Takami Sahashi. The lead adjuster here at MBI." Takami continued, for the sake of it. Pushing the teen to the front of the stage she patted his shoulder. "And this is Ichigo Kurosaki. The newest employee here at MBI and the only member of a new position we have decided to open up."
Ichigo turned to her in confusion, as the girls, minus Uzume, leaned forward in anticipation.
"Ichigo, or 'Professor Kurosaki' as his documentation will state, has been implemented as a means of helping all of you grow. You, and your other sisters." She smiled towards the five in front of her. "For various reasons, Ichigo was chosen for this position specifically, and he will help you all. What does the job specifics entail? Well, other than helping me on the side, he will primarily be available to all of you for two main things."
She held up a finger.
"One: he is here to be your teacher. In a way. While not in the traditional sense, we lack the manpower to focus on keeping you all up-to-date with current customs on Earth. Facts that are second nature to us, we take for granted, and you might not know. That is where he comes in."
"Now wait just a minute-!"
"And two." She interrupted him with a feral grin. "As someone around the age of your probable Ashikabi's it gives you all the experience you could ever need for the future! In any way you desire."
"You worded that poorly on purpose, didn't you?"
She met his gaze, with her patented smirk.
"I have no clue what you're talking about."
Ichigo scowled.
"Whatever. That doesn't matter. What does matter is that I never signed up for something like this." He pointed at the Sekirei accusingly. "I have never taught anyone, and I have no experience with girls either. You know this. What could I possibly teach them, that you can't-?"
"That's not true."
Ichigo blinked at the rebuttal. It didn't come from who he expected. Instead it was from the brunette, Yume, who had her hands together in a manner resembling a prayer.
"You have darkness inside you, it's true. But your light shines brighter than anyone I've ever met before, Ichigo-san!" She jumped onto the stage in her excitement. Clasping his hands between hers she smiled brightly. "I can't believe I didn't notice it until now, but it's true. You're special. I would love to learn from you."
"But, I-!"
"Yes, I agree." Matsu suddenly appeared next to him, pushing her glasses up with a giggle. "You seem interesting both on the inside, and especially on the outside. I would love to get to know you better, Ichi-tan."
"Wait, what-!"
"You're staying." Uzume grabbed his arm and held it to her tightly. "I just got to meet you, there is no way I'm letting you go now."
"But, I never agreed to this-!"
"Oh, young love." Kazehana smiled at the four in front of her, longingly. "How I wish to experience the feeling once more."
Akitsu said nothing.
Takami grinned at the turnaround happening in front of her. She clapped mockingly.
"See, Ichigo? I just knew this position was for you. Look how much they like you, already! You're a lucky guy, you know. Many men would kill to have your position."
Ichigo deadpanned.
"They can have it."
Uzume, Matsu and Yume pouted at his dismissal. The former two only incensed further in an attempt to hold him close. Yume kept trying to ask him questions; her interest in the man growing by the minute. Kazehana watched the proceedings with her ever-present smile on her face while Akitsu stared at the dogpile blankly.
"I think it's out of your hands now, Ichigo!" Takami grinned as she waved over her shoulder. "I'm going to go grab a glass of water. I'll let you get acquainted with the girls, for now. See you soon!"
"Wait-!"
The door slammed shut as Ichigo growled at his supervisor's sudden dismissal. Would men really kill to be in his position?
He scoffed internally.
'Lucky my ass.'
"I really don't like those girls."
Ichigo felt his brow raise. That was what she got from his story?
"Why? Yeah, they seemed a little… extreme at times, and were certainly annoying in how clingy they could be. But that's no reason to dislike them. As drained as I am, it's more from the overload of information than anything else. I wouldn't hold it against them, personally."
Yoruichi wanted to bash her head into the wall.
"Now I can see why Orihime has no clue on how to approach things. You're denser than a goddamn black hole, Ichigo."
He blinked in confusion.
"Inoue? What does she have to do with anything…? And why do you look so upset?"
"Just… nevermind." She ground out. "Keep going. I assume you're nearing the end of today's little adventure."
"Yeah." He confirmed. "After Takami came back, she informed me that I could turn in early tonight. She and I talked a little bit before I met up with you here."
"Okay." Yoruichi prompted. "Go on and finish up then."
Ichigo let out a yawn as the two of them stepped outside the auditorium. His visit with the Sekirei was finally over, and he felt exhausted. The girls weren't bad, he begrudgingly admitted to himself, but they were overly friendly in ways he wasn't entirely comfortable with. Still, he supposed it was something he would have to get used to, if he had any intention of keeping his job.
He felt a smile creep onto his face as he thought of how upset Uzume and Matsu were when Takami informed them that it was time for them to head back. The other girls accepted the command without much argument, (though Yume looked sad), but those two had put up a fight. Especially Uzume.
Eventually though, upon the promise that he would visit the excitable girl tomorrow, he made his escape alongside his superior.
'And ever since then, we have been walking in silence.'
The day was over with now, and with that orientation was nearing its end. His real job would be starting tomorrow; one where he would meet both one-on-one with the Sekirei, as well as in a group to help them open up, among other things. That in mind, Takami decided to let him turn in early for the night so he could process everything. He assumed that was why she remained silent.
But given that he still had an inquiry he wanted answered, he decided to break the spell.
"Ne, Takami."
She raised her brow at the sudden address. Looking at his expression, she could see just how drained the experience made him. He definitely wasn't used to dealing with opposite sex, she could see that from a mile away. Once again she wondered why that was. With his looks, she assumed he had girls hanging off him left and right.
Well, that was something that could be fixed with time.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Who's Takehito?"
She stopped walking at the question. Forcing down an anxiety-riddle shiver, she lit up another cigarette with a frown.
"Why you ask?"
Ichigo felt he stepped on a landmine with that question but figured there was no sense in backtracking. He was curious after all.
"It's just Matsu mentioned him earlier, and I was wondering where he was…" He frowned. "Or if he was still around here at all. Judging by your reaction you seem to be well-acquainted with him, which from what I gather, is a rarity in this place."
Another drag, and the woman put out the cigarette into a nearby ash tray. Idly, Ichigo wondered if so many of them were scattered around, just for said woman's bad habit. Takami pulled out her phone and scrolled through the pictures before stopping on one in specific. Flicking the screen up, she showed it to him.
"This was Takehito and his wife Miya…" She began with a forlorn stare. "He passed away fairly recently, and she went into hiding soon after. We have no contact with her, and figured it was best to leave her be."
For a variety of reasons, she left unsaid. Poking the belly of the beast, so to speak, would only doom MBI. Though, that fact and her true identity was on a need-to-know basis. And her newest intern, certainly, did not need to know.
"I see." Ichigo bowed. "My condolences. I did not mean to pry. From the way you talk about him, he must have been a good friend."
Takami smiled sadly.
"He was."
They continued walking in silence as Ichigo considered the information he had just been given.
'Whether she intended to or not, she only made me that much more curious about that couple and their involvement here.' He pondered to himself. 'What was his cause of death? What did he do here? And who exactly was this Miya person that she could escape off MBI's radar? The fact that she felt the need to escape in the first place, almost makes me wonder if the company had any connection to his passing.'
He needed to take a deeper look into things, at some point in the future.
"Alright, Ichigo. This is where we part ways." The woman gave him a small smile. "Good job today. Your 'first contact' with aliens went pretty well, I think."
He snorted at the pun, a small smile on his face.
"Yeah. Aside from them being a bit too forward for my tastes, they were alright. I'll see you tomorrow, Takami."
Waving a hand over his shoulder he opened his suite and closed it behind him.
Completely unaware of the conflicted expression adorning his boss's face.
Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief as he stepped into his private suite. The events of the day were catching up to him, and exhaustion was beginning to fill his body. Taking a moment to lock the door, he walked into his bedroom and fell down onto his bed face-first.
Finally, some peace and quiet.
"About time you got here. I like a cat nap as much as the next girl, but you keep a woman waiting so long and she starts to wonder."
The teen didn't even have the energy to sigh at the sudden arrival of his mentor, as he mumbled a string of swears into his pillow.
"You don't seem surprised to see me."
Ichigo raised his head with a grunt.
"How the hell did you get in here? This is a high security area."
Yoruichi shrugged before perching herself on the arm of the loveseat beside him.
"You shouldn't underestimate the former Stealth Force Captain, Ichigo." She admonished. "I didn't get my title just from my good looks, you know."
"Right…"
"Oh! And I took care of all the cameras and wiretaps in the area, so don't worry your pretty little head over that. No can hear me other than you."
…
"Come again?"
Truthfully, with how full his day was, Ichigo had completely forgotten how his suite had been bugged to kingdom come. He still felt his eyebrow twitch as he realized what his mentor had said, though.
"You… destroyed… MBI property…?"
The cat nodded proudly.
"Yep!"
"YOU IDIOT!" He yelled. "That's only gonna make them more suspicious of me! The hell did you do that for?"
The cat could not have looked less concerned. Which only caused Ichigo's grumbling to increase.
"Well, whatever. It's not that big a deal." Yoruichi shrugged, much to his rising agitation. "How's about we focus on you, for now?"
He felt his eyebrow raise.
"What do you mean?"
She smirked.
"How's a therapy session sound?"
"… and that's everything." Ichigo concluded. He turned to her with a frown. "Any thoughts?"
The woman was silent for a few moments.
"I still don't like how flirty those girls were with you. As your first-time, it rubs me the wrong way to hear you talk about other women, like that."
"That's all you picked up from what I said!?" He yelled incredulously. Then realization struck and he turned away with a blush. "And what do you mean first-time!? Don't say things that can be construed so poorly!"
"Whatever." She grumbled. Annoyed beyond what was probably reasonable. "Anyway, I'm going to take a quick cat nap, then I'm going to go do a bit of investigative work on my own. Specifically on this Takehito and Miya, person. There's something about them that rubs me the wrong way."
"You mean, besides the obvious of him being killed off, and her not being present, anymore."
She nodded.
"Yeah. Now shoo! I'm sleepy and listening to you bitch for an hour has drained me."
Ichigo grumbled as he stepped outside the bedroom. He held back the biting remark on the end of his tongue that the whole thing was her idea and left obediently. The living room in-sight.
Running a hand through his hair he idly considered the past hour-long conversation and had to admit she knew what she was talking about. Unloading his problems onto someone he trusted, did make him feel a little better.
A little.
Getting a glass of cold water, he couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the light snoring he heard coming from the bedroom. Though, taking what was supposedly her fifth 'cat nap' of the day, seemed odd to him. Especially because it was nighttime, now.
He decided not to question it.
The carrot-top sat down on the couch and closed his eyes as he began compartmentalizing the events he went through the past twelve hours. From his surprise at being handed such a high-level position, to dealing with the hijinks all the girls, (including Yoruichi), caused him, he was rightfully exhausted. Though, on far higher-alert than he had been before their 'therapy session.'
"Damn." He muttered to himself. "I'm still not sure I'm cut out for this."
"Now don't say that, Kurosaki-kun. From what I saw today, I think you're exactly what this place needs!"
"Gah!" Ichigo was up in a hurry, body coiled and ready to fight. "Who the hell said that! Come out!"
There was silence for a moment. Then-
"Wait, you can actually hear me?"
The voice was excited. Exceptionally, so, Ichigo noted. He raised a confused eyebrow and relaxed slightly.
"Yeah… of course I can. Who the hell are you?"
Suddenly a bluish mist began forming a few feet away from him. Ichigo watched with widening eyes as it began shifting into the silhouette of a handsome-looking man. Young, more than likely in his late twenties when he passed, Ichigo felt his expression slacken as he realized who exactly he was looking at.
"My name is Takehito Asama, Kurosaki-kun!" The spirit introduced himself, happily. "It is a pleasure to meet my successor!"
Ichigo deadpanned.
'You have got to be shitting me.'
Fun Fact: Originally I was gonna write a Sekirei story where Takehito was teaching the protagonist but decided against it. Then once this turned into a Bleach crossover I decided he could still mentor Ichigo from beyond the grave :P.
A/N: As I said up top, I wanted to say a massive, massive thank you to everyone who has favorited, followed and especially reviewed this story. I've never received such insane love for the first chapter to a story before. Even on To Save a Peerage, which is a Naruto/DxD fic; a crossover notorious for high responses, regardless of the quality. Because of that I took a long few months mapping out what I want to have happen in this story. Updates will still be slow, but they shouldn't be as slow. I want to make sure that you guys enjoy this story! As goofy as it is at times, I do have some genuine story ideas. So please keep it up with the responses. Especially the reviews. Even when negative, (which wasn't too many :)), I still love reading it. If the criticism is valid and not a flame I love it just as much as positive feedback. Let me know what you think!
Q&A's:
Q: What's the pairing for this story?
A: Ichigo will have a harem. Other Sekirei characters, including their Ashikabi's will appear in this story, but their harems will be a lot smaller. I won't spoil much, but aside from the twins, Musubi and Kyuu, (who I want to leave as is for story-reasons), almost any other Sekirei is on the table. Though, I prefer to not write a story where he gets a massive amount of girls. Not my style :). I can't balance it. Also, yes, Ichihime is my favorite ship in Shounin so she will be in it. Apologies if you don't like her but I do, and I won't write unless I enjoy something:p
Q: Will Orihime be a Sekirei?
A: No. That's been done multiple times. I have other plans for her. Also someone mentioned my numbering for Sekirei was off and I panicked xD. Turns out it wasn't, but when Takami introduced them to Ichigo she didn't include Miya. She was the pillar after all, not a proper Sekirei :).
Q: Ichigo's Power Level/Why did he fight in chapter 1?
A: A couple people asked this so I'll be upfront. I've always thought Ichigo kept his love for fighting even in the last arc. He just didn't wish to cause unnecessary harm to others if he could help it. So that won't change here :). In terms of power... that's tricky to answer. Most Sekirei won't be any trouble for him. But a select couple will. :)
See ya next time!