Chapter 34: Embrace Yourself

The next morning, Furoufushi made good on her promise and followed Batsu to train. Not before Kenji reminded them to return early so he could double-check their preparations. Furoufushi readily agreed, hoping to have Kenji evaluate her Shikai later in the day. Batsu mellowed out significantly while in the company of Furoufushi. Still, the signs of mental struggle were ever-present.

Kenji glared at Furoufushi, his unspoken words received a curt nod. After breakfast, they left for District 64. Kenji worked his way through the building. Prior to opening the doors, he pinned a notice about their absence for the following day.

Sliding the doors open, he addressed the amassing crowd. He greeted the queued guests.

"Good Morning."

""Good Morning!""

Allowing entry, he walked back inside. The entire crowd was gradually served until mid-day rolled around. And once again, at midday, he found himself face-to-face with a persistent presence. Her overly calm face expressed little emotion. She bowed in greeting.

"Good morning Kenji."

His lips twitched. In a welcoming tone, he tipped off the time.

"Good day to you, Yachiru."

Her dim blues flickered. Fingertips rubbed together while her hands were clasped together. Her lips separated prior to a pause.

"… Good day… is Furoufushi or Batsu'unsai here at the moment."

"I'm sorry to say they're not. They left this morning to train again. I'm surprised you haven't tried stopping by in the morning. I'm guessing you're not exactly a morning person."

Kenji smirked as Yachiru's grimy skin practically masked the small rosy blush. He saved her before she could power down.

"All three of us will be leaving for the Seireitei tomorrow morning. The two of them are preparing for a contest of combat tomorrow. All the young talents of their generation are gathering to cross blades. That's why they're so hard to find. Alas, it seems you'll miss another chance to meet them. Haha~."

His chuckle defused the tension. Kenji assumed his usual work persona.

"Shall I lead you to a table?"

"Lead the way if you please."

Yachiru's visit was like any other. Kenji checked up on her, yet she never needed anything more. After a little more than thirty minutes, she walked to the front counter and paid for her visit. Sitting behind the front counter, Kenji's lips framed a pleasant smile.

Yachiru couldn't shake the feeling that Kenji was acting a little strange. Their interactions could range from minimal to unpredictable. The conversations could be direct or like a winding maze. But today, she felt he was leading her around instead of crafting tricky paths.

She internally shook her head at the notion. Her imagination could sometimes astound even herself. Bowing to him, she parted ways with their usual farewell.

"Thank you again Kenji. I'll be sure to visit again."

"Of course. Any time."

Yachiru spun around and walked past the bulletin board. Hordes of people crowded the front door. She excused herself as she pushed her way through the sea of bodies. Breaking through the riptides, she stood outside the building.

*shuuu~*

Yachiru's hands slipped into her sleeves, gripping the handles of her two tantou. She whirled around and watched the teahouse. Tangled locks of black concealed the intense, glowing blue pupils that scanned the crowd. Behind the curtain of hair, her eyes narrowed in deeper search.

Her muscles relaxed two minutes later. She released her grip on the tantōs. A bead of sweat trailed down the back of her neck. She touched the back of her neck, feeling the small hairs standing on end.

Taking one last look at the crowd in front of the teahouse, she walked away with her hands hidden in her sleeves.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"What terrifying talent…"

*Shk~*

"You're really looking forward to this, aren't you?"

*Shk*

"Mmm~. We'll have to wait and see."

*Shk* *shk*

"She may, she may not."

*Shk*

"We can't."

*shk*

"Lighten up, just another thousand years."

*SHK*

"No one's leaving you. I got a lot of things to live for, you know?"

*shk*

"If I did, you'd be screwed, haha!"

*SHK*

"Bad joke. Bad joke. Don't worry too much. I'm too attached now."

*shk*

"Heh. You deserve an Oscar."

*SHK!*

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

By closing hours, Furoufushi and Batsu returned from their training. Shoulders slumped in fatigue; they were too tired to think of anything. Their muddy feet tracked wet soil into the building. It took one angry Kenji to send them racing to the baths. Their wide eyes shook in primal fear as a red-faced Kenji chased them out the door.

His furious screams made them run for their lives.

"You stupid brats! If you don't come back clean, I'll drown you in a river to make sure of it! You hear me?! Damn kids. *ptui*"

Bystanders pursed their lips and bit their tongues trying to hold in the laughter. Kenji stomped back inside after spitting on the road.

Twenty minutes later, two blushing young women slinked into the kitchen where Kenji was working. He whipped around raising an eyebrow in silence, glaring at them with dangerous eyes. Inspecting them, toes to the top of their head, he nodded in approval. But he morphed into an angry Kenji once more.

"Scrub the floors after dinner! You think we live in a pigsty?! Huh?! Now sit down and shut up! Dinner's almost done."

Obediently, the two terrified girls shrunk into their seats. Kenji's red hair freed itself from the hachimaki as he shook his head in disappointment.

Once dinner was set, he sat at the table facing the two sad toddlers. His gaze softened as did his voice.

"Eat. Eat good for tomorrow. If you guys don't wanna go, now's the time to say it."

Furoufushi lifted her head and confidently declared her victory.

"I'm gonna kick their ass, the Shinigami are gonna shit themselves."

"*sigh* Language. Fu-chan, please, please, at least try around the noble clans."

She shrugged her shoulders in a casual manner. The grief and anxiety he felt skyrocketed seeing her uncaring demeanor. Both Kenji and Furoufushi turned to Batsu.

Although her face appeared confident and determined, the two could see slight hesitation. Furoufushi eyed Kenji and faintly shook her head. Noticing the gesture, Kenji offered an option.

"Do you not wanna spar? Or is it something else?"

Batsu stared at Kenji. A pang of guilt and doubt pricked at her heart. She faced Furoufushi. The same sensation stabbed her. Fixing her glasses, Batsu shared her thoughts for the first time in days.

"I don't know if I'm ready. I'm not sure about a lot of things. My lack of Shikai just brought it to my attention."

Two pairs of eyebrows furrowed. Dipped in sarcasm, Furoufushi questioned her.

"What led you to such a brilliant conclusion? Aren't you the third strongest person in North Rukongai?"

Kenji inserted his piece before the conversation derailed.

"What's the reason you're not ready?"

"I don't think I'm strong enough to walk in there."

"Hah! If you're not strong enough, then I'm weakling too. Shape up brat. You're not there to impress anyone, you're going so you can find out about those Okajima and Shijima bastards, remember? This is our chance to check out Seireitei and those bastards."

Furoufushi's words caused Batsu's eyes to widen. She murmured under her breath.

'I've been pretty stupid too huh?'

"Yeah, pretty stupid. I thought we went through this. It's pretty simple if you think about it. We're not going for some stupid fights, we're going to beat some ass. What'd you think? We were gonna hang you out to dry? That's even worse, those glasses don't do shit! You're even stupider than you look."

"*sigh* Language."

"*sniff*…"

Batsu felt her heart shudder. Tears formed in her eyes while her nose began to run. The connection with her Zanpakutou pulsed and fortified under the weight of her indescribable feelings. The doubt washed away, and the apprehension vanished. The answer was in front of her the whole time, she just needed to ask them for it. They were always there, what did she expect?

Her teardrops fell from her chin into her food. Kenji made a teasing comment. His lips curling into a smirk.

"Ehh? Look what you did! She's crying because of you!"

"Yeah! She better be! This house has no room for baby-back bit-"

"WHOA! LANGUAGE! Please! For souls' sake! My ears are gonna rot off! I'm thinking about washing your mouth with soap. *sigh* I really worry about your kids."

"My kids are gonna be the toughest motherfuckers on the block! They won't take any shit, from anyone! They'll be the top Shinigami. Don't you worry about a thing! I got it all planned out."

*clatter* "… I give up."

Batsu basked in the comforting warmth the two bumbling idiots were releasing. She quietly ate and watched the entertainment unfold as a distraught, dying Kenji tried to reason with her brazen, pigheaded elder sister. As the energy in the kitchen died down, a defeated Kenji rested his weary mind on the table. While Furoufushi grabbed her Zanpakutou with a wide smile. She made a small demand.

"Follow me Tenchou. I need you to check out my Shikai."

She left the room, leaving no option for Kenji. His zombified voice uttered groans and moans.

"Ughhh. Hnnn. Killl meee…"

In a merciless move, Batsu grew a devious smirk and left the kitchen for her bedroom. The echoes of Kenji's delirious mind filtered into the hallway. She entered the bedroom and immediately sat down with her Zanpakutou. Her posture reflected deep meditation.

She felt a tug.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________

"It's a pleasure to see you again Batsu."

The golden hare rested on the cloudy lake. Its greeting was of a 'genuine' manner.

Batsu sat up in the murky liquid and faced the hare. Her eyebrows knitted together as she accused the hare.

"You tricked me."

"What of it?"

The hare's speech completely shifted into an apathetic and scornful tone. Batsu lifted an eyebrow in surprise. She stood up, gazing down in defiance against the tiny tyrant.

"How did that help at all? I wasted four days on a useless task. You could have pointed me in the right direction."

"Ahh~. So now we are projecting blame, is it? How incredibly mature. Let's see how long it takes you to figure out what we did. I made you doubt your relationships with a single question. I isolated you away from support. I fed your mind lies that you swallowed so readily. You trusted the word of a being who you knew for less time than your family. What else is this, but the behavior of prey?"

"…"

"You wished to change, to protect what you hold dear. To shelter them away from the storms and the beasts. But you didn't define yourself. You were neither a predator nor prey. You had become a repulsive paradox that sought self-preservation at the slightest sign of failure. You abandoned your family once again. Only this time, it was worse. You had decided to tear limbs, rend flesh, and collect hearts, but you fell. You fell back into the ways of prey, seeking safety before looking to the ones that protected you."

With glowing red eyes, the hare's outburst intensified. It spewed poisonous words at the pale-faced, paralyzed girl.

"You have been the same little girl crying under the rain and thunderous dark clouds, begging for your precious moon to return. You would rather wait than take it all for yourself. Your mind is weak. Your conviction is faulty. And your principles are for naught. I would have cut our connection had you exposed your folly to your family. It would have disgusted me to no end if you had latched onto them like some lowly leech. But you're lucky, you have been tricked into something beautiful. Appreciate this miracle. Heh. They say a Zanpakutou is a reflection of oneself. What do you see in me? Is it you? Or is it what you're trying to hide? I will allow you an opportunity for redemption, embrace what you truly are. Or fall to the wayside as a pathetic insect that scavenges on decaying corpses. Now out of my sight, I feel sick looking at your mediocre form."

*Whoosh*