9 Meowneuvering

"It's quite beautiful, isn't it..." remarked Rukia, combing back a few strands of loose hair as she stared at the horizon, watching the Sun begin its slow and gradual ascent.

"It certainly has its charms..." replied Ohta, standing next to her with his hands in his pockets, unperturbed by the fact he was on a ledge thirteen stories above the ground.

Looking up at Ohta, Rukia found him staring straight ahead with a relaxed smile. Had she been a hundred, maybe even forty years younger, she may have found the scene fairly captivating.

"We should probably head back," said Rukia. "I still need to stop by the school to arrange my transfer."

Raising his brows, Ohta looked down at the diminutive Shinigami to ask, "Your transfer? How does becoming a student at our school benefit you in any way?"

"I need to keep an eye on Ichigo," asserted Rukia. "You can't move freely during the day, so if a Hollow appears, he'll need to take care of it."

"Yeah, and?" asked Ohta. "That doesn't explain why you have to become a student. Also, how can you and Ichigo move freely during the day but not me? That doesn't make any sense."

"..."

Though she was initially going to protest Ohta's words, Rukia, once again, found herself at a loss. Her plan was to enroll in Karakura High and use a device known as a Soul Apprehension Gauntlet to extract Ichigo's soul if a Hollow appeared, allowing them to mobilize and eliminate it. Since she would be accompanying him on these undertakings, it didn't make sense for her to enroll if she was going to skip classes...

Taking advantage of Rukia's silence, Ohta added, "Speaking of Ichigo, do you think it's a good idea to have him cut classes? His grades are pretty good, but this is our first year of High School. If he starts skipping classes all of a sudden, his grades are bound to suffer. Not to mention, once he gets in the habit of slaying Hollows, he won't be content to stand by and ignore them in the future. Won't future Shinigami who visit Karakura Town find it suspicious that a human is performing their duties?"

"..."

"Actually, now that I think about it, if you could transfer your power to Ichigo, why can't he transfer them back to you? Was there something special about the method you used?" asked Ohta.

"He lacks the aptitude and control necessary to execute the technique I performed..." replied Rukia. However, even as she said it, she wasn't too sure. Rather, now that she thought about it, she couldn't recall where she had learned the technique. It was forbidden for a Shinigami to grant their power to another, especially a human, so where and for what purpose did she learn to perform such a transfer? She didn't even complete her full six years at Shin'o Academy before being adopted into the Kuchiki family...

"Ah...!"

Feeling a sudden and intense migraine, Rukia keeled over and clutched her head. A loud buzzing sound, accompanied by a high-pitched ringing, filled her head, nearly causing her to fall from the ledge she was seated on before Ohta grabbed her arm, asking, "You good...?" with a confused look on his face.

"I'm...fine..." groaned Rukia. However, as crimson blood flowed from both her nostrils, her words weren't very convincing.

"Okay," replied Ohta. "But, hypothetically speaking, is there somewhere I could take you if you weren't fine? Also, what happens if your body dies? Do you just get ejected from it?"

"I hope you're not thinking of killing her," replied a deep, somewhat raspy voice, alerting Ohta and Rukia to the presence of a black, yellow-eyed cat occupying the same ledge as them.

"Your words have caused disharmony between her soul and the artificial body she is inhabiting," said the cat, Yoruichi, adding, "If her synchronicity rate falls below a certain threshold, her vessel will begin to decay rapidly."

In response to Yoruichi's words, Rukia pulled out a bottle filled with black, spherical pills known as Sōma Fixer(Inner-Soul Fixer), promptly ingesting two of them. Doing so caused her nose to stop bleeding, but her migraine lingered like a hangover.

Directing his gaze to Ohta, Yoruichi narrowed his feline eyes and said, "You're a curious one, aren't you? You remind me of a certain someone from the good old days. Unfortunately, much like him, you don't know when to leave things well enough alone..."

"Ominous," replied Ohta, adopting a teasing smile as he asked, "Is this where you reveal your true form and try to kill me?"

"It's very tempting," responded Yoruichi. "Unfortunately for you, you'll have to wait to see my true form some other time. For now, you need to carry that one back to her bed and then come with me."

"And if I refuse?" asked Ohta.

"Please do," replied Yoruichi, adopting an uncanny, almost human smile as he appended, "I don't get to have nearly as much fun as I used to."

"And this is why I'm a dog person..." remarked Ohta, surprising Rukia by picking her up in a princess carry.

"U-Unhand me...!" exclaimed Rukia. However, as her body was still weak from the near-desynchronization, she could barely form a fist, much less wriggle out of Ohta's embrace.

"It's this or the potato method," stated Ohta, stepping off the roof without waiting for Rukia's response. Then, even though it was significantly more demanding than his usual method of aviation, he materialized a spherical barrier around him and Rukia, propelling them through the air without the burden of wind pressure affecting them directly...

"You're pretty fast," remarked Yoruichi, resting atop the fence near Ohta's apartment.

"Is this where I ask how you got here so quickly?" asked Ohta, staring up at Yoruichi with a completely neutral expression.

"Just hurry and drop off the girl..." replied Yoruichi, ostensibly annoyed by Ohta's lack of a reaction.

"Yeah, yeah..." replied Ohta, carrying the silent Rukia to her door and undoing the lock with his telekinetic abilities. When he did, her pensive expression turned into a wry smile, but she didn't say anything until he laid her to rest on her bed.

"Thank you for carrying me," said Rukia. "You probably don't want my gratitude, but I appreciate it nonetheless."

"Just make sure to clean my jacket before you return it..." replied Ohta, turning to leave. Rukia attempted to grasp his sleeve as he did, but she was too slow due to the condition of her body. She then felt it would be awkward to call out to him, so she ultimately just watched him leave in silence...

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"Oh? You're back quicker than I expected," remarked Yoruichi. "I thought you would have stalled to try and annoy me."

"You're one of those quick on their feet, slow in the head types, ain't ya?" asked Ohta.

"There it is," mused Yoruichi, climbing to his feet and stretching his body as he said, "You're going to regret speaking to me like that one of these days. And I don't mean that as a threat."

"I doubt it," replied Ohta. "Even if you 'do' have the power to kill me, I can imagine worse things."

Narrowing his eyes, Yoruichi replied, "You and me both, kiddo. Now, do try and keep up."

Punctuating his words, Yoruichi leaped into the air, this time at a speed Ohta could follow. The latter wasn't very comfortable with flying around during the day, but he didn't hesitate to give chase, pursuing the black cat through the air...

...

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"Here we are," said Yoruichi, touching down outside an antiquated two-story shop made from bamboo and plaster, looking like a hold-over from the Edo Period.

Staring at the sign posted above the entrance, Ohta muttered, "Urahara Shoten(Shop)..."

"Looks like your schooling has paid off," remarked Yoruichi. "You read so well."

"You should consider it," retorted Ohta. "I'm certain there is at least one Obedience School in Karakura Town..."

Staring back and up at Ohta, Yoruichi asserted, "Trust me, kid, there isn't a person in this world that can make me obedient. Not without suffering serious consequences..."

"Neat," replied Ohta, adding, "So, am I supposed to go in, or what? Speak to me, oh unruly one."

"Unless you'd prefer to chat outside," responded an unfamiliar, scratchy, lazy-sounding voice. Immediately after, the front of the store slid open, revealing a man with messy, ashen-blonde hair, sunken features, and an overall unkempt appearance. He was dressed a bit like an antique store owner, wearing a green samue beneath a black haori, but the things that stood out the most were his striped, green-and-white fisherman's hat, his wooden geta, and his piercing black eyes.

"We meet at last, Yamada Ohta," said the man, removing his hat and placing it over his chest as he said, "Allow me to introduce myself. My name is Urahara Kisuke, the proprietor of this here shop. I'm also the Supplier of our mutual friend, Ms. Kuchiki. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"You're a dangerous one..." asserted Ohta, adopting a fearless smile. It was their first time meeting, but he could immediately tell Kisuke was a wolf in sheep's clothing. He reminded Ohta of the Fixers he encountered in his previous life, individuals who mediated and played both sides of a conflict. They were often responsible for brokering peace, but only when it benefitted them or furthered their agenda...

Spinning his hat on the tip of his finger and returning it to his head, Kisuke mused, "Maybe a few hundred years ago. I've since gone into retirement."

"Ever heard the saying 'be wary of old men in a business where most die young?'" asked Ohta.

"No, but I'll be sure to keep it in mind," replied Kisuke, adopting a sly smile as he stepped to the side and gestured to the interior of his shop, musing, "After you, dear guest..."

Making his way into the cramped store, Ohta found it was filled with what looked like various types of candy stored in glass jars. There were also a few miscellaneous items, such as tourist maps and plastic water bottles, prompting him to ask, "Is your front a gift shop...?"

"Something like that," replied Kisuke, clarifying, "Most people who can see this place are children who've yet to have their imagination and spirituality quashed by modern society. I keep the actual merchandise stored away, but unless you know what you're looking for and can request it by name, I can't sell it to you."

"I didn't come here to buy anything," said Ohta, turning to meet Kisuke's gaze as he added, "I was promised answers."

"And you'll have them," assured Kisuke. "However, before that, I'd like to ask you something. Tell me, Yamada Ohta, what is it you seek? Better yet, where do you see yourself in ten, twenty, maybe even fifty years? How do you intend to use that power of yours to shape your life and the world you live in?"

Shrugging his shoulders, Ohta half-heartedly replied, "I'm just living life as it comes. Planning ten, twenty, or fifty years in the future is a waste of time when there are invisible monsters, spirits, Shinigami, schemers, and talking cats roaming the streets..."

Understanding that Ohta was referring to him when he said 'schemers,' Urahara exhaled an amused chuckle. Afterward, however, he adopted a very serious expression as he asked, "Then you have no interest in honing that power of yours?"

"I do," replied Ohta. "Just not under the scrutiny of someone I wouldn't trust as far as I could throw them. I have no intention of becoming your, or anyone else's, pawn."

"Hmmm..."

Reaching into his haori, Kisuke motioned as if he were about to pull out a weapon, but Ohta stared at him without so much as batting an eye. What he eventually pulled out was a simple bamboo fan, snapping it open and adopting a sly grin as he proposed, "Then, rather than a pawn, how about becoming my employee~?"

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(A/N: Employees are just pawns for profit...!)