2Hey there! Welcome back and this time I'm giving y'all another oneshot. This is my entry for the April Writing Challenge in the awesome Bleach Community Discord, The Seireitei (You should join if you haven't yet). Shoutout to Deni who helped me beta this haha! To my friends who helped me build up this story as well.
So... this has 12k words, not NSFW. Romance are all implied :) I hope you enjoy. Prompt: Forest
Zemblanity
(n). the inevitable discovery of what we would rather not know.
A ten year old orange haired boy ran through the streets of a village. His black sandaled foot stepped on the dirt as he ran away from his three friends. The village hosted around a hundred villagers, small houses littered around the area's grounds. It was protected by an average height of fences which served like fragile walls. A young group exited from the largest house in the area that hosted the elders and leaders of the village.
The orange head hid behind one of the houses, body pressed on the stoned wall. He kept his wide grin as he panted to catch his breath. He clutched onto his blue yukata to make himself silent. He was running away from his friends just to annoy them like usual.
"Ichigo! Come out already," the boy heard a feminine voice shout.
"He's always acting like a brat," another voice said, it was another boy.
"You're a brat too, Toshiro. Well, I got somethin' up my sleeve to call him out," a loud voice said, "Oi, strawberry!"
The boy took the bait and came out of his hiding place, fuming, "Stop calling me that, pineapple!"
"It worked," 'pineapple' said smugly to the two companions then glared at the orange head, "I'll stop when 'ya stop calling me that too!"
"I can't believe that worked, Renji." the white haired boy said in disbelief.
Abarai Renji, a boy with long red hair that was tied up to a ponytail, shrugged, "Told 'ya, Toshiro."
Hitsugaya Toshiro, a boy with short spiky white hair simply rolled his eyes.
The young girl smacked the orange head at the back of his head, "Stop running away, Ichigo. You're tiring us out by chasing you!"
Kurosaki Ichigo rubbed the back of his head and glared at her, "It's not my fault you're slow, Rukia."
"Why you-" Kuchiki Rukia was about to lunge at the boy until she was stopped by the other two as they held both of her arms tightly and pulled her back. When they felt the girl calm down, they slowly let her go and she arranged her purple yukata and flipped her short raven hair in annoyance.
Ichigo grinned and approached the group, "I'm just kidding, you know."
Rukia folded her arms and looked away, pouting. She was the only girl in the group and being teased made her quite sensitive and easily angry. It was as if she needed to defend herself in one way or another.
"I promise to give you your favorite candy later."
Rukia locked her purple eyes with Ichigo's amber ones, "Really?"
When Ichigo nodded, Rukia smiled, "Fine, I'll forgive you just this once. Don't break your promise, okay?"
Ichigo puffed out his small chest, "I never break a promise!"
"What are you kids doing here?" A gruff voice asked.
The four immediately looked back and saw a tall, quite buff man. He had thin facial hair and had thin chest hair. His long wavy brown hair was tied to a ponytail. He was wearing a black shihakusho, a white haori, signifying that he is one of the leaders of the village, and a pink flowery kimono over it. He tipped his Sugegasa straw hat up to show his face.
"Oh, Kyouraku-san!" Ichigo greeted.
"Learn how to greet properly, Ichigo." Toshiro chided.
Kyouraku Shunsui waved his hand dismissively and laughed, "It's all good, Shiro-kun. So, what antics have you four been doing?"
"We were chasing after Ichigo," Renji replied.
"I see," the older said, "Would you like to join me? I'll be meeting with Juushiro in the hall."
Ichigo pouted, "But we just left there!"
Kyouraku chuckled, "It would be nice to keep Juushiro company, right?"
Kyouraku's partner, Ukitake Juushiro, has been bedridden for years after an incident during a mission. The villagers were also demon hunters that hunted down the creatures that harm any human or the world itself. Their choice of weapons were mostly swords but it depends on the hunter. Juushiro was inflicted with a curse made by a demon that made him sick from time to time even if he was visibly healthy.
Ichigo pondered for a bit and nodded, "Alright, we'll go."
"Hey, don't decide for us!" Renji growled.
"Unlike Renji, I don't mind paying Ukitake-san a visit," Toshiro said as he ignored the glaring daggers from the redhead.
Rukia cheered, "We get to see Juushiro-san again!"
Renji mumbled as he folded his arms, "I'll go too…"
Kyouraku lazily grinned and pulled them close to him, "Alright, kids. Let's go now. I'll make sure to give you guys snacks."
Ichigo pinched his nose, "Ew, you smell like sake!"
The man chuckled and ruffled the orange locks messily. He let them go and urged them to walk ahead just to make sure no one will run away under his watch.
The group finally arrived in front of the house. It wasn't much except for its size. It was a large building with plain stone walls, red tiled roof and only had a few windows. The door was a large wooden door protected by two hunters holding spears.
Kyouraku approached the two guards and gave a smile, "The kids are with me."
The guards nodded and stepped aside. They held the large black handles of the door and slowly pulled it open. The leader looked back and nudged his head towards the building, signalling for the kids to follow.
They, even Toshiro, eagerly darted inside. The kids even passed Kyouraku who was just about to step inside. The older man shook his head and stepped inside and nodded to the guards in thanks.
The guards nodded back and closed the door behind them. Kyouraku took in the familiar sight once more. There was a huge staircase right at the far end that led up to the higher floors. The floor was tiled with white marble tiles. There were three doors on each side, leading to different kinds of rooms.
Ichigo looked back at the older man, "Where's Juushiro-san again?"
"He's on the second floor. Be careful, kids," Kyouraku warned lightly.
They nodded at him and they climbed up the stairs with a bounce in their steps. The stairs were quite large and high for their age but with their energy, it was not a problem. Kyouraku was about to step forward when the second door on the right side opened.
A tall, blonde man came into view. He wore a black shihakusho and a white haori as well. His gray eyes fell on Kyouraku and gave a short nod and the latter nodded back in response.
"My, my. The kids sure are lively today, Kyouraku-san," the blonde commented as he rubbed his stubbled chin.
The older man nodded, "They are, Urahara-san. What have you been doing?" The man noted how the other leader looked quite disheveled as if he hadn't slept in days.
Urahara Kisuke looked back at the door of the room he just exited, "I was experimenting on equipment that might make hunting easier."
"That's pretty good to hear. There have been some tough ones lately."
"Indeed, there has. Hopefully, these would work to make our lives easier. It's difficult to lose more of our friends."
Kyouraku nodded in agreement, "Well, I need to go Urahara-san. The kids might get lost. I'll catch up with you another time."
Urahara nodded as well, "Of course. Send my regards to Ukitake-san."
"I will," the other man reassured and started walking up the stairs. His footsteps sounded heavy as there were noises echoing the almost silent building. When he arrived at the second floor, the kids weren't in his sight.
He sighed and regretted that he didn't ask the kids to stay on the ground floor with him. They could've gone upstairs or worse, to another person's room. He shook his head and decided that he should greet Juushiro first before he started to look for the kids and might even drag them to the white haired man's room.
Kyouraku walked towards the familiar sight of the right corridor. At the end of the said corridor was Juushiro's room. He slowly approached the wooden door of the man's room and stopped just right in front of it.
He lightly knocked thrice, a signal that it was him. Most of the people here knocked the same, twice and hard. After a few moments, he heard a soft 'come in'. Kyouraku twisted the doorknob and pushed the door open.
The man was greeted with the sight of Renji and Toshiro walking around the room. Ichigo and Rukia were sitting at the edge of the bed as Juushiro was sitting up, leaning on the headboard. Juushiro looked up from the kids and smiled at him,
"Hello."
Kyouraku nodded, "Hey, Juu-chan. I was about to look for the kids actually. Good thing I went here first." He shouldn't have underestimated the young group. They were already quite formidable at such a young age.
Renji pouted, "You took awhile so we just went straight here!"
The older man chuckled, "Sorry."
Kyouraku walked towards the bed, pulling a wooden chair and placed it beside the bed. He sat on the chair just beside Juushiro. He usually sat on the bed with the white haired man but with Ichigo and Rukia now sprawled at the bottom part, it was hard to.
"How are you?" Kyouraku asked with concern laced in his voice.
Juushiro gave a weary smile, "I'm fine as always, Shunsui. You don't need to worry."
Kyouraku chuckled darkly, "Well, you can't blame me. What happened years ago…"
The white haired man sighed as he reached out to the other to lightly squeeze his hand, "Don't blame yourself. Not in front of the kids, please?"
Kyouraku nodded and squeezed the pale hand back in reassurance. The kids were oblivious as they were now talking to each other animatedly. They were talking about random things like having a pet, snacks and candies. It was slightly amusing to the adults.
Ichigo looked up from the group and saw the two older men holding hands, silently comforting each other. Ichigo got up from the bed and walked towards their side. He plopped on the bed with a squeak just near them.
Juushiro slowly let go of his partner's hand and looked at the boy with concern, "What's wrong, Ichigo-kun?"
The orange head shook his head, "Are you okay, Juushiro-san? Kyouraku-san?"
The adults looked at each other with confusion and fascination for the boy. They looked back down and Kyouraku replied first,
"Of course, we are."
Juushiro nodded as he ruffled the boy's hair gently, "He's right, Ichigo-kun."
Ichigo nodded as he felt comfortable at the man's touch, believing their words, "Alright."
When the boy didn't move from his place, it made the two wonder. Kyouraku's eyes searched the boy's face, as if looking for something or trying to figure out what was on the boy's mind.
"Do you have anything else to ask, Ichigo-kun?" Kyouraku questioned.
Ichigo's eyes casted down and fumbled with his thumbs, "Well…"
Kyouraku looked at him patiently which made Ichigo continue with more confidence, "I was wondering what's with the forest? I keep asking people about it, even mom and dad. They never answer!"
Juushiro was quite taken aback with the question and frowned, "The forest… Do you mean the one at the west, Ichigo-kun?"
When Ichigo nodded, Juushiro sighed and placed a gentle hand on the boy's shoulder, "Ichigo… Please, do not wander into the forest or else, you might just encounter a demon that eats any wanderers' souls."
The orange haired boy immediately paled and the other kids who were in the room went silent with Juushiro's warning. Kyouraku was mildly surprised when the white haired man didn't even sugarcoat his warning.
"T-There is?" Renji asked nervously.
Kyouraku looked at them and nodded slowly, "There is. So, kids, it would be best if you keep your distance from it. It would be too dangerous to go." The man would rather not say that it was also against the village's law to go there unless you were ordered to.
The four nodded silently. Renji, Rukia and Toshiro were quite scared by the warning that the older man gave. Ichigo, on the other hand, didn't believe that a beautiful and lush green forest would host a scary demon. The boy never said it out loud or else the men would scold him again.
It was almost nighttime when the four exited the leaders' building. Kyouraku managed to escort them home. First that left the group was Toshiro as it was the closest to the building. Next was Rukia, then Renji.
Kyouraku walked quietly beside the orange head who had his eyes on the ground. It was an odd sight for the boy to be quiet, Ichigo was usually loud and cheery.
"Are you alright, kid?" the man asked.
Ichigo nodded, "I'm okay." As soon as he answered, his eyes looked up to look at the forest entrance, as if tempted to run up there.
The man doubted his answer but left the topic alone, even if it was about the forbidden forest. They finally stopped by an average sized house. It was located on the other side of the village, the farthest from the building. Kyouraku knocked on the door and waited for someone to open it.
After a few moments, the door swung open. A man with short black hair and thin facial hair came into view. He wore a simple black yukata and was barefoot.
"Oh, Kyouraku-san," the man greeted.
Kyouraku nodded, "Isshin-san. I just wanted to make sure Ichigo-kun managed to go home safely."
Kurosaki Isshin, father of Ichigo and a former leader of the village, looked down at his son with a warm smile, "Thanks a lot. C'mon, Ichigo."
Ichigo hugged Kyouraku with a small 'goodbye' and ran inside his house. Isshin looked back in amusement and averted his gaze back at the older man outside.
"Well, I should go back." Kyouraku said, a smile ghosting on his lips due to the hug.
Isshin nodded, "Take care on your way home."
"I will," Kyouraku said and turned around to leave.
Isshin stayed by the door, watching the back of his friend until the man was out of sight. He exhaled the breath that he didn't know that he held in and closed the door.
Isshin faced around with a facade and grinned widely to not worry his wife and his son. A deep thumping in his chest was ringing in his ear but he decided to ignore it. He walked into the kitchen to find Ichigo and Kurosaki Masaki, his wife.
He sat between them and looked at Ichigo with an unreadable expression, "Oi, Ichigo. You've been hanging out with Kyouraku and the other leaders lately."
Ichigo, now back to his old self after seeing his mom, pouted, "What's wrong with that, goat-face? I find them so cool."
Isshin inwardly frowned, "Really?"
The orange head nodded excitedly, "Yep! That's why I wanna be a demon hunter when I get older!"
"You can't."
Masaki looked at Isshin with a frown, "Isshin!"
Ichigo pouted, "Why not?"
Isshin's breath hitched. What would he really say to the boy? He was the one Juushiro protected? That Kyouraku felt guilty because it should've been him that protected Isshin? That he was a coward that he even stepped down being a leader as the guilt of permanently injuring his friend slowly killed him?
The man let out a shaky breath as he held his glass tightly, "You just can't, Ichigo. I am banning you from training to be a demon hunter."
It was for the best, he thought. Knowing his son, he might end up being in the same fate as his dear friend and as a father, he does not want to see that. He didn't want to see another loved one laying down his life for others. It was too painful.
Ichigo scowled, tears brimming in his eyes, "You can't do that, dad! Renji, Rukia and even Toshiro are going to train. It's so unfair!"
"Life is unfair, Ichigo." Isshin said sternly, "You must learn how to live a normal life here."
Ichigo stood up from his seat, shouting, "All I ever asked was to be a demon hunter! I hate you!" The boy immediately ran out of the kitchen and out of the house, barefoot. He didn't care if his feet hurt as he heard the crunching of dirt beneath his feet. All that mattered was he went as far away as possible, away from the cause of the pain he felt in his chest.
Masaki glared at her husband, "Isshin, you didn't have to do it so harshly. I know we had our experiences but crushing the boy's dream that brutally..."
Isshin clenched his jaw, "It's for the best, Masaki."
"What's best right now, Isshin, is that we go after him! He might just end up running to the forest for all we know!" Masaki retorted angrily.
Isshin cursed under his breath after he realized the possibility and stood up, "Shit. Let's go grab our swords, Masaki."
Ichigo ran with his eyes closed. To him, it didn't matter where his feet would lead him to. All he wanted was to be away from his father. He could feel his small chest tightened in pain, eyes were already spilling out salty tears. He wiped his face forcefully with his yukata sleeve as he tried to remove his trail of tears.
After what seemed like long and dreadful minutes, he slowly came to a halt. He panted and gripped onto his knees tightly as he regained back the air in his lungs. He guessed he had ran away far enough based on the burning sensation in his chest. Ichigo slowly opened his eyes and fear struck when all he could see was darkness. He could barely see any outlines of trees, bushes and the slightly uneven road.
He gulped. It dawned on him that he was in the forest. Ichigo could feel his body tremble in fear. Earlier, he didn't believe that the forest was scary but being in it and alone in the dark, he felt so small. He squeaked when there was a rustling in the bushes to his right. Ichigo immediately looked over it and screamed when a bird flew out of the bush.
He tumbled and dropped on the floor with a thud. His legs were already shaking with nervousness and fear. He couldn't even speak. Ichigo furrowed his eyebrows when mist started forming around his spot. It was now even harder to see things ahead of him. He, ever so slowly, stood up. He was still trembling but he managed to stand tall and looked around.
Ichigo started to walk back. He didn't know which way was back but he had to trust his guts, if that was even useful. He looked around, hoping to find at least a source of light. Ichigo was a bright kid for his age. He guessed that he ran much further inside than the safe zone. He couldn't see a light from the village and the others said you usually could.
For a few minutes, he still kept on walking as he hugged his shivering body. It was eerily cold. He looked left and right, Ichigo couldn't really see a thing and it almost drove him crazy. He froze when he felt a lingering presence behind him. Ichigo gulped and slowly looked back. Amber eyes were frozen in horror when he saw a huge mouth by his head, silver white fangs clearly visible in the night. He could see saliva dripping down its chin.
"AH!" Ichigo screamed and started running away from whatever he saw.
His mind was blank in fear. He ran as fast as he could, ignoring the stinging pain in his feet. Ichigo could feel that the thing behind him was tracking him ever slowly. A predator stalking his prey and was enjoying the view of it struggling.
Ichigo gasped when he felt his left foot got hooked under the root of a tree, making him trip. He fell on the ground first. When he felt the thing behind him getting closer, he forced himself to scramble to his feet, ignoring what seems to be a bruising or a twist in his ankle.
He staggered slowly while crying out,
"HELP!"
He dropped to his knees and did a protective position. Ichigo couldn't run away anymore. Even if he did try, he knew that he couldn't run away from whatever that was chasing him. He felt it getting closer and huddled himself together more, gripping onto his yukata tightly.
"Mom… Dad…" Ichigo cried when he felt it hovering him and was growling deeply.
After a few moments, he stopped shivering. He expected something to happen and when he felt something hot and wet dripping on his arm, he couldn't help but take a peek. His eyes widened when he saw the towering figure of his father, pierced by what seemed to be the claws of the creature. At the corner of the boy's eyes, he could see his mother fending herself as a similar looking thing tried to attack her.
"D-Dad… M-Mom…" Ichigo said with a trembling voice.
Isshin looked back as he gripped onto his sword tighter, "R-Run away, Ichigo. Run as far as you can."
The orange head could see the blood dripping down Isshin's chin as he gave him a smile, "Your mom and I will be fine, Ichigo… Just go. Now."
Ichigo scrambled to his feet and gave one last look at his father in the eye. It had a mix of fear, love and slight determination. He turned his back and ran away from the scene as far as he could. Isshin saw his son disappear from his sight and faced the monster once more.
Isshin closed his eyes, "I love you, son and… I'm sorry." He opened his eyes and grinned at the monster, "Alright, asshole. I'll teach you a lesson for ever thinking about hurting my son!"
Ichigo had his eyes shut as he ran further away from the scene. He was happy to see his father and mother but at the same time, he felt something off. He could feel his footsteps getting heavier and heavier as it imprinted the soil, his chest tightened painfully as he went farther away from the place he didn't want to return to. He ignored his throbbing ankle as he dashed forward.
He felt an indescribable pain in his throat and chest. Even as he opened his eyes to stare at the darkness, all he could see were the horrible flashes of his bleeding father and mother that tried to protect him from harm. He also saw the determination, love and the apologetic look his father gave him.
It hurts.
Even as a child, he knew he was brash and quite impudent towards his father. His emotions blinded him. Along with the pain, he could feel the deep guilt creeping up his body.
It hurts.
He grunted in pain when a rush of wind suddenly made him trip once more and landed on the ground with a thud. Even if his mind was clouding, he noticed and didn't understand why the air smelled faintly of sakura when he never saw it anywhere.
With all the stress, pain and weight his small body felt and with the assistance of the oddly calming scent of sakura, the orange haired boy fainted.
Ichigo abruptly woke up, his orange locks sticking to his forehead as it was covered in sweat. His amber eyes darted around and saw he was in an unfamiliar place. It was cold yet at the same time, warm. The boy felt oddly safe. He looked down and saw his small hands gripping onto unfamiliar white sheets. He still wore his blue yukata, it was ruined with splatters of dirt everywhere. He suddenly felt guilty that he might've ruined the clean white sheets he was laying in.
He looked around. It was a small cabin that was surprisingly clean. There were little to almost nonexistent personal things around. It was weird to see a place so empty like this and this made the boy slightly shudder.
The orange head looked out the window just directly above his head. His eyes widened when he saw that it was just the break of dawn and flashes of memories from last night filled his eyes. It wasn't a dream. The boy's lips trembled and felt tears forming at the corner of his eyes.
Ichigo jumped out in surprise and fell off the bed, tangled in the white sheets when he heard the cabin door open softly. A man with long raven hair that was tied up to a low ponytail and wore a plain black yukata appeared as the boy noticed he had something tucked in his arm.
Ichigo frantically tried to untangle himself from the sheets but he stopped moving when his eyes locked with the cold slate gray eyes of the newly arrived man. He took in the appearance of the older male. He had fair skin and had sharp features and the first word that came into the boy's mind was…
Beautiful.
The boy found it weird to find the newly arrived man beautiful. He felt like the other wouldn't appreciate being called that but it was exactly what the man was. The man lowered the item that he held and slowly approached the boy.
Ichigo automatically went into a defensive position, "P-Please don't hurt me." It was a plea that seemed to confuse the older.
"I won't hurt you," The man's deep voice echoed in his ears. He said it with a breathy tone and had such softness that Ichigo almost eased up.
The boy slowly looked up and was greeted with the sight of the man's hand outstretched towards him. Ichigo looked at the hand and at the stoic face of the man before him a few times before slowly reaching out to him. The man gingerly wrapped his long fingers around the small fist of the boy and slowly pulled him up.
Ichigo visibly winced in pain when he felt a sharp pain on his ankle. The man saw this and carefully led the boy back to the bed. Ichigo looked down and saw his ankle was tied up with a white sheet with wonder.
"Mister, where am I?" the boy asked when he looked back up at the man who was kneeling in front of him. He didn't feel any hostility from the man and this made Ichigo, the ever naive and trusting boy, relaxed.
"You are in the forest, child," the man replied softly.
"How did you find me?"
"I saw you fainted on the ground. You didn't look too well."
Ichigo looked down and fiddled with his thumbs. He wondered if the stranger knew where his parents were. He felt something cold in the pit of his stomach that he hesitated in asking but he wanted to know.
With a trembling voice, the boy asked, "H-Have you seen my parents?"
Ichigo looked up again to find the stoic expression on the man's face still present but something flashed in those gray eyes but it disappeared as soon as it appeared. The man let out an inaudible sigh and glanced to his side,
"I'm sorry… I did not make it in time."
Even if the words were vague, the young Ichigo was smart enough to get what those mean. He clenched his small fists as it shook in hurt, pain and anger. An anger towards himself. He could feel hot tears slowly flowing down his flushed cheeks but did not let out a squeak. He felt his world seem to crash down around him as his chest tightened.
Were they really…?
Ichigo's messy thoughts were stopped when he felt a cold hand pressed onto his cheek and a thumb ran on as he wiped the tears from the boy's cheek. Ichigo noticed the way the man's eyes softened. Barely, but it was there. After a few moments, the man withdrew his hand and slowly stood up.
"Where do you live, boy?" the older asked.
"I have a name, mister. I'm Ichigo," Ichigo replied, "I live just at the village outside of here."
The man's eyes briefly widened before nodding slowly, "I shall help you walk back."
Ichigo rubbed his tears away and looked at the man, "But my ankle hurts…"
The raven haired man pondered for a bit before replying, "I shall carry you, then."
The orange head didn't know why but he suddenly felt embarrassed imagining being carried by a stranger. He felt slightly uncomfortable with the idea of it.
"Couldn't I stay here longer?" Ichigo asked as he brought out his best puppy eyes.
The man looked at the boy and gave another sigh. He turned around, back facing Ichigo and said, "Fine. Do not leave that bed unless necessary." With that, he left Ichigo to his own thoughts and devices.
Ichigo laid back on the bed and curled up. He was confused at how comfortable he felt here. It was better to go back to the village before the elders would get mad and would've found out that he ran in the forest without permission and the fact that his parents were…
The boy shook his head and buried his face into the pillow. His nose picked up the scent of sakura that he sensed last night and it relaxed his body drastically as he drifted off back to a dreamless sleep, leaving his scary thoughts.
After a few more hours, Ichigo woke up by the sound of the cabin door opening once more. The boy slowly got up as he rubbed the sleepiness from his eyes. He saw the man putting something down on the only table in the shelter. The raven faced the bed and saw Ichigo awake.
"I brought food," the man announced as he picked up something triangular and walked towards the boy. He awkwardly sat at the edge of the bed as he offered the food towards the younger.
Ichigo eyed the food suspiciously before taking it. He took a small bite of what seems to be like an onigiri and suddenly he gobbled up the whole thing in a flash. The man had a flash of amusement on his face as he gave another share of onigiri. The boy grabbed it once more and finished it in three large bites.
The boy gave a satisfying sigh as he finished his meal. He looked at the man who had his eyes closed and asked, "Shouldn't you eat?"
"I'm not hungry," the man replied.
Ichigo folded his arms and pouted, "Eat!"
The man arched an eyebrow at the demand, "I will eat later."
The boy eyed him longer before nodding, "Alright."
The man stood up and fixed up all the trash before heading outside once more. After a few moments, he came back inside the cabin to find the boy lying down on the bed once more. The man shook his head as he observed the boy's quite relaxed figure. It still looked a bit tensed as he had a faraway look on his face.
The raven head walked closer to the boy and said, "You should go back to the village before the sun sets."
Ichigo's almost sad look disappeared as he looked over the man and scowled, "I don't wanna. I wanna stay here with you."
The man resisted the urge to facepalm and sighed, "It's not safe for you to stay here."
The orange headed kid looked at the older and he saw that the other had a look that said that there was no more room for any argument and he knew deep down that the stranger was right. Ichigo pouted once more but reluctantly nodded. The man nudged his head for the boy to follow him outside. Ichigo got off the bed with slight difficulty and limped outside. The man noticed this and carried the boy with one arm which took the orange head by surprise.
"I can walk by myself," Ichigo said with a pout.
The man simply grunted in response and started walking to a slightly clearer path of the forest, ignoring the small protests from the boy. Ichigo took in the view and his eyes widened in surprise. The forest at night looked so haunted and scary while in the morning, it was such a beautiful view. More beautiful than seeing it from the village. Nothing seemed to be crawling out and about which slightly eased the boy.
"Mister," Ichigo said. The man grunted once more as a sign that the boy could continue. The boy resumed, "Why are you living in the forest all by yourself?"
"I prefer to be alone," the man replied.
Ichigo was unsatisfied with the older man's answer but kept quiet. He slowly wrapped his small arms around the man's neck. The boy felt the older tense under such an intimate touch but ever so slowly eases into it. The two resumed walking now slowly towards a clearer path.
The boy looked back and saw that the village was almost into view. It quite relaxed and at the same time made the orange head nervous. What would happen when he returns from the one place that Kyouraku and Juushiro told him not to go? Would he get yelled at? Would he get punished for it? He didn't know.
"Hey, mister. We've been talking for awhile but I never got your name," Ichigo said as he looked at the man's side profile.
It took a few moments before the man replied to the boy with such caution, "...It's best if you do not know such a thing, boy."
Ichigo pouted, "Just call me Ichigo."
The man never replied. After a few more minutes of silence, they had already arrived by the forest entrance. They could clearly see the village gates right up ahead. Ichigo's amber eyes brightly widened when he saw the familiar figures of Kyouraku and Urahara by the gates. They were talking to each other seriously, eyebrows furrowed and both were sporting a deep frown.
Ichigo completely ignored his companion and the pain of his ankle as he jumped down on the ground with a wince and ran towards the senior leaders that were standing by the gates. Kyouraku immediately sensed something coming towards them and darted his gray eyes towards the forest entrance direction. His eyes briefly widened when he saw Ichigo, who was covered in dirt and dried blood as he sported a bandage wrapped around his ankle, running towards them.
"Kyouraku-san! Urahara-san!" Ichigo cried as he jumped at Kyouraku.
Luckily for the brunet, he had his arms open and grunted upon impact. He immediately wrapped his strong arms around the boy and looked towards his blonde companion who mirrored his same look of worry. He looked down at Ichigo and he noticed the way the boy was slightly shivering and had an almost iron grip on his pink kimono.
"Ichigo-kun," Kyouraku muttered, "What happened?"
Ichigo looked up and had tears brimming in his eyes, "I-I ran into the forest after I got mad at dad last night…" He sniffled, "After that I got lost and… and I was about to get attacked by something… Like a demon of some sort." Kyouraku could see the way Ichigo was holding back his tears, "D-dad… He sacrificed himself to save me. Mom was there too but I think they're…"
Kyouraku gingerly held the boy's head and lightly pushed his head into his shoulder. He gave a shushing sound, "Shhh. That's enough, Ichigo-kun. You don't need to tell me more."
The man could feel the wetness on his shoulder as he rubbed the orange head's back with care. He silently gulped down the lump in his throat. He knew the boy would never be the same after something like that happened.
"I… hate demons…" Kyouraku heard the boy's voice that was muffled due to his tears and how he buried his face on his shoulder. The leader felt his chest tighten at the boy's declaration. There was no way that Ichigo wouldn't think of avenging his family.
After a few still moments, Kyouraku inquired, "Ichigo-kun, how did you get here if you were lost?"
The boy looked back up as he wiped his tears away with the back of his hand, "Oh, yeah. A friend helped me-" Ichigo faltered when he looked back to see the forest entrance to have no sign of any life.
He looked back at the older man, "Kyouraku-san, I swear there was someone who helped me! He had black hair and all."
Kyouraku hid his frown but nodded, "I guess your friend must've left."
"You don't believe me," Ichigo muttered as he casted his eyes down.
"I do believe you, Ichigo-kun," The brunet said sincerely, "That's just a topic we need to tackle in the future." He looked over at Urahara and tipped his head a bit to signal that the man should start moving.
Urahara nodded back and called for two more hunters and dashed towards the forest. Ichigo took notice of this and watched the retreating back of the blonde along with the other two people Ichigo couldn't recognize.
"Where's Urahara-san going?" Ichigo asked meekly.
Kyouraku hummed as he carried Ichigo back to the village, "He needed to confirm something." He looked down at the boy and gave a warm smile, "Now, Ichigo-kun. Let's get you all cleaned up."
Five years. Five years have passed since the incident in the forest occured. No one had ever talked about it in the presence of the orange haired boy. It was either out of pity or they do not care at all. It was also during that time when Ichigo decided to live with Kyouraku and trained under Urahara in becoming a demon hunter. Rukia, Toshiro, and Renji were also trained by the blonde haired leader.
He hated demons and all that mattered to him was to kill them. Consequences be damned.
The orange head knew the incident was his fault even if Kyouraku tried to coax him out of that thought. Reality could hit in the face and he received such a hit early on that he felt the guilt eating inside of him. To him, the only way to remove such pain was to become a demon hunter himself even if it was against his father's wishes.
When Urahara came back the same day Ichigo returned, he carried two swords that belonged to the boy's parents. The one that belonged to his mother was broken while his father's wasn't. He decided that he'd use his father's sword as his main weapon. It was the sole reminder of his parents and their sacrifice.
Did he cry? He did. A lot. After pouring everything, his pain and guilt for days, he stopped crying. His childhood friends noticed that he was like an empty shell of his former self that reacted to them a few times. Though, there were times when there was a glimpse of that cheery old self, they knew that it wouldn't fully go back.
Over the years, he could feel something crawling up in him. Digging its sharp claws within him. It was that horrible guilt, fear and shame that seemed to have its own form as it tried to suffocate the hunter. He tried to ignore it with the best of his abilities but sometimes as he laid on his bed, he could feel it all over again.
It was the reason why he'd rather force himself to do missions continuously just to erase the feeling that kept him occupied. It was painful to hear that deadly tone whispering in his ear, telling him it was his fault time and time again. He hated it as much as he hated the creatures that took his parents away from him.
He also wondered if the time with the raven haired man was all but a dream, an illusion. He felt so peaceful and safe that it took him a lot of convincing to himself that it was. He wondered if he could check it out himself if the time came. He didn't want to admit it but deep down, he wanted it to be real. Even Kyouraku and Urahara didn't believe him when he returned before.
Ichigo rolled his left shoulder as he walked towards the huge building. He was proudly wearing a shihakusho and had the sword strapped to his hips. He and his friends had completed their training a year ago and had taken up some small missions for experiences. He was surprised to receive a notice that he needed to go to the leaders' building as soon as possible. He had to admit, he was quite excited.
The orange head nodded towards the guards who were guarding the doors. They nodded back and pulled the double doors at the same time to let the younger hunter in. Ichigo stepped in and directly headed towards the second door to his right, the room where Urahara usually operated and fixed hunting equipment.
He slowly pushed the wooden door open and his eyes immediately caught the fiery red hair of his friend. Ichigo stood beside his friend and nudged him,
"Hey."
Renji jumped in surprise and glared at the other, "Jeez, you scared me there."
The orange head snorted but then averted his gaze towards his mentor. He cleared his throat which made the man snap out of his focus on whatever he was tinkering over at his table. He turned around and smiled at them,
"Ah, finally." He grabbed a folder from another table and handed it for them to read.
The two opened the folder and scanned its contents as Urahara spoke, "So, here's your first big assignment. This demon lives in the forest and it has been killing the villagers of a neighboring small village."
"So, we just need to find it and kill it?" Renji asked.
Urahara nodded, "Indeed. I need you two to work together since this is your first time hunting in the forest. It is still a dangerous place after all." A knowing look flickered towards the orange head that the latter seemed to ignore.
"When do we start, Urahara-san?" Ichigo questioned as he lowered the folder.
The blonde looked at them and gave a grin, "Well, right about now. Good luck, kids." He made them turn around and pushed them out of his room. He immediately shut the door before the two could have said anything about the immediate mission.
Renji grumbled as he rubbed the back of his neck, "Might as well get on with it." He looked over at his companion, who was looking down on the ground, "You ready?"
Ichigo hesitantly nodded, "Yeah."
The redhead noticed this and he pressed his lips to a thin line. He silently squeezed the shoulder of his friend as encouragement. The orange head knew and nodded in thanks. He was glad that Renji did not say anything about it.
The pair immediately left the building and walked towards the forest entrance. They would've told Toshiro and Rukia that they'll be on a mission but even they had something to do. Renji and Ichigo stopped right at the entrance. They took its appearance in. It didn't look scary since the sun was still up but it still sent shivers in both boys' spines.
It had been hours since they'd explored the forest. To them, it seemed like it was endless. Renji would sometimes freak out at the small sounds whenever they passed as he gripped onto the hilt of his own sword tightly just in case it was a demon.
Renji stopped in his tracks and glared around the area. Ichigo looked back at him with an eyebrow raised.
"Did you hear that?" Renji asked in a hushed tone.
Ichigo furrowed his brows as he focused his senses. Then, he heard a low growling sound. His hand flew on his hilt on instinct, "It seems close."
A bush rustled just to Renji's right and they turned towards it in a ready position. Then, claws came to view and a tiger-like demon jumped out of the bush as it lunged towards them with a loud growl. Before Ichigo could stop the other, Renji ran towards it with his sword drawn.
"Fuck," Ichigo cursed under his breath and drew his sword as well. He ran to the demon's direction to assist Renji. He saw the redhead manage to give a solid hit on the demon. After a few moments, the demon managed to scratch Renji's arm.
The redhead slightly stumbled back, "Stay out of this, Ichigo."
Ichigo scowled as he eyed the trickling blood from the man's arm, "Like hell I'll let you fight alone. You're already injured!"
"Just let me do this," Renji said with finality. The redhead charged towards the demon again with a roar. Ichigo sighed and slightly lowered his sword as he looked at the scene with watchful eyes.
After a few more slashes and a solid kick, the demon went down. Renji panted harshly and sheathed his sword. He turned around and grinned at Ichigo. The latter simply shook his head and started walking towards the other as he sheathed his own weapon.
"Told you I could handle it," Renji said, almost smugly.
Ichigo clicked his tongue, "I could've done better."
His eyes then widened when he saw the demon getting up and was ready to pounce on the redhead. Ichigo shouted, "Shit! Renji, behind you!"
Renji had his eyebrows furrowed and looked back. His sharp brown eyes widened as he felt the sudden pain of his side. The demon managed to hit him with its large tail and made him fly over to hit a large tree, rendering him unconscious.
Ichigo immediately drew his sword as he ran towards the demon that was charging towards Renji. He managed to dash in front of Renji's defenseless body and slashed the demon across the face. It howled loudly and brought his claws down towards the hunter. Ichigo managed to block one with his sword but took the hit of another as it slashed him on his arm.
The orange head staggered back but kept a defensive position in front of Renji. He'd rather die than let his friend die under his watch. Ichigo was about to attack again when his nose picked up a familiar scent wafting in the air. A sudden rush of wind passed between Ichigo and the demon which made the hunter protect his eyes with the sleeve of shihakusho.
All the hunter heard was a slash and the dying howl of the demon before slowly lowering his arm revealing a man with long raven hair standing in front of him with a sword in hand. Ichigo noticed that the demon was nowhere to be seen. It was like it had been torn to pieces and not an ounce of it was left.
His eyes widened when he recognized the man in front of him when the raven head turned around, "It's you... You're real." After Ichigo spoke, he felt his knees giving in and dropped on the ground while panting.
"What are you doing here, boy?" the raven questioned, though there was an arched brow as response to the younger's comment.
The orange head couldn't believe it. The time he had when he was a kid was real. The man before him was the living proof of that. Somehow, it eased him a bit to know that he wasn't crazy at some point. The man really did help him.
Ichigo looked up and locked his gaze with the familiar slate gray eyes, "I'm not a boy. I'm a demon hunter that was assigned to kill that one." A pause, "Thank you for your help."
The man simply grunted and sheathed his own sword. He rummaged his hand through the same black yukata and pulled out a long white cloth. The man walked over to the young hunter and kneeled in front of him.
"Don't move," the man softly commanded as he opened up the cloth to reveal a wider size and tried to do a small first-aid on Ichigo's injury on his arm. He neatly tied the cloth around the wound to try to stop its bleeding.
Ichigo silently watched the other do his work. It was mesmerizing, really. He saw the same man years ago when he needed help and once again, he appeared just in time. Once the man looked satisfied with his work, he stood back up.
The man turned around to leave which made Ichigo shout, "W-Wait!"
The orange head saw how the man paused in his step and slightly looked over his shoulder. Ichigo gulped as he felt the older's piercing gaze, "I need help in getting back to the village. I am not familiar with this area."
The man eyed the unconscious redhead then at Ichigo. He turned his head back and let out an inaudible sigh, "Come."
Ichigo grunted as he slowly stood up. He grabbed Renji's arm and slung it over his shoulder. Even if the redhead didn't like it, Ichigo had no choice but to drag him. He followed the raven haired man who was just in front of him.
The orange head was certainly curious about the man before him. He had definitely been a mystery even in the past. The man was also still youthful, sporting the same face as all those years ago. Ichigo couldn't forget such a face even if he tried. He never even noticed the man had a sword or was he hiding it? He shook his head and tried to start a conversation,
"Are you still living here on your own?"
"Yes," was the brief response.
Ichigo scowled. Well, so much for small talk. The man seemed to reply yet dismiss him at the same time. It was weird. After a few minutes, Ichigo's eyes lightened in recognition when they started walking down a familiar path. Ichigo slightly struggled in dragging Renji. He couldn't believe his friend was able to stay unconscious for that long even if he was already being dragged along the way.
To what seemed like forever, they had finally arrived by the forest entrance once more. Ichigo felt at ease when he saw the village not far up ahead. The man stopped right by the entrance and the orange head went on ahead, more focused on getting Renji treated. Ichigo came to a halt when he realized something.
"Oh, hey. Thanks again, Mis...ter," Ichigo frowned as when he turned around, the man was nowhere to be seen again. Who really was that man? Ichigo only had to wonder.
The next day, Ichigo huffed as he packed some food in a clean blue cloth. He was going to find the man that lived in the forest. He just couldn't shake off the weight of his conscience of being saved twice in his lifetime by the very same man without even giving something in return.
He grabbed the cloth tightly and fastened back his sword as he left the house, only to be stopped by the redhead that was sporting some bandages around his head.
Renji frowned, "Where are you going?"
"To the forest," Ichigo replied.
The redhead eyed his friend with sharp brown eyes, "I don't think so. Didn't you look at yourself? You're injured!"
Ichigo walked past him without even looking back, "I'll be fine, Renji. Just don't tell this to Kyouraku-san." Without waiting for the reply of the other, Ichigo left.
Renji rubbed the back of his neck as he sighed, "Stubborn asshole."
The orange head rushed as he headed to the forest entrance. He was lucky that no one was by the gates yet and he hoped that Renji wouldn't tell Kyouraku or even Urahara. He dashed through the forest quickly, staying on the same familiar path that he passed through yesterday and all those years ago.
It took him awhile but he managed to find that cabin that was cold yet warm at the same time. He slowly trekked towards it, nervousness eating him. He didn't even know why he was nervous. He has met the man a few times already and he seemed okay. Was it because he felt something off about the mysterious raven? He didn't know.
Ichigo stopped by the wooden door and raised his fist as he gave a light knock. He waited for a few minutes before knocking once more. He frowned. No one was answering him. He gripped onto the doorknob and tried to twist it. His amber eyes widened when the door was unlocked.
He slowly gulped. Should he enter? Would the man kill him for doing so? Well, it was better than staying outside and withstanding the heat. He slowly opened the door and he took in the view that he remembered that it was supposed to be much larger. He stepped inside as he looked around. It wasn't that different. It was still quite empty and it's smaller now that he'd grown up. He walked over to a table and put the cloth down as he grabbed a seat to sit down.
Ichigo played with the cloth as he observed the place. It still had that cold and warm feeling and he raised his brow at the feeling of nostalgia in a way. He inhaled deeply. The place smelled like wood and the lingering sakura scent that he had sensed in the past and when the man arrived. Does that mean the man was the one who brought out such a nice scent?
The orange head shook his head off the crazy idea as he felt his head nodding off. He never realized that the scent was so calming that he was already getting sleepy. His injuries and fatigue from the other day made him too tired for today. Before he could stop himself, he had already dozed off.
After a few hours, Ichigo abruptly woke up when he heard the cabin door open. His hand immediately flew to his hilt as he tried to focus his eyes and mind at the new arrival. His eyes met with confused and alert slate gray eyes that were owned by the man that he was waiting for. Ichigo lowered his hand from his sword and sighed,
"Oh, it's just you."
The man's eyebrows furrowed slightly as he glared at the other, "I think I am entitled to enter my own space." A pause, "What are you doing here?"
Ichigo looked out the small window and saw it was already dark. He looked back at the man and pointed at the cloth, "I was here since this morning. I wanted to give you something as thanks for the other day." and the day all those years ago was left unsaid.
The man's face slightly relaxed but his body was quite tense, "I see. You shouldn't have bothered."
"Well, I felt guilty that you saved my ass. Again." Ichigo cleared his throat awkwardly, "I should get going. My friends would probably kill me." He adjusted his shihakusho and gave a slight grin at the man, "Thanks for letting me stay at your place though, it's not like I said anything in the first place."
Ichigo walked towards the door but awkwardly stopped right in front of the raven since the other was blocking the way. The orange head didn't know what to do. He thought it would be rude to ask him to move away. He already barged in the cabin without warning.
The orange head's eyes widened when the raven gave him a soft look. It was barely there but it was there. Ichigo didn't know why he felt something unnamed when that kind of gaze fell on him.
The man spoke carefully, "Would you like me to accompany you? It is already dark out."
The younger man waved his hand dismissively, "I'm fine. I've bothered you enough, don't you think?"
"I insist."
Ichigo raised a brow. The man was persistent but at the same time he wasn't pushing it too much. He noticed those cold gray eyes wandered over him, stopping at the places with visible bandages. Ichigo then understood why the other offered. He shook his head but nodded anyways, "Alright, thanks again. I owe you one more time."
The man offered a small smile and Ichigo was taken aback. It was so breathtaking and at the same time, different. He felt like that this man rarely does the action so he felt quite honored to witness such a sight. As expected, the man was beautiful as ever. The thought made Ichigo want to slap himself. The orange head offered his own smile as he followed the man that kept him company as he went back to the village.
Disappointingly, as soon as the pair arrived, the man disappeared yet again without a word, leaving a sighing Ichigo as he walked back to the village.
A few days had passed and Ichigo felt even better. Renji was still recovering and in Ichigo's opinion, he would have healed faster if he actually stayed in his place and rest.
"You look horrible, Renji," Rukia teased. Her and Toshiro just returned from a mission and decided to visit the redhead that was forced to rest by Ichigo.
"I have to guess that you had fun," Toshiro huffed in amusement.
Renji grumbled as he folded his arms and regretted the action instantly, "You guys are kicking someone who's already down."
Ichigo lightly chuckled as he slowly stood up from his seat and dusted off the non existent dust from his shihakusho, "I need to go somewhere now, guys. I'll catch you later."
The redhead glared at his friend, "Are you trying to go to the forest again? You know it's dangerous."
Rukia averted her gaze to the orange head with a raised brow, "Again? You went there alone?"
"He did," Renji replied, "Just a day after the incident."
Toshiro frowned as he hid his concern but it was evident in his tone, "Ichigo…"
Ichigo snapped as he grabbed his sword that was resting on the drawer, "I'll be fine. I'll just take a quick look." Without even looking back, he stomped out of the redhead's house as his friends looked at each other with worry.
Rukia looked at Renji, "What happened that time?"
The redhead frowned, "I was unconscious so he carried me back. He just said that he defeated the demon. That's it."
"That's odd," Toshiro mumbled, "I wonder if something happened that made him like that?"
"I don't know," Renji muttered, "Hopefully that dumbass will be safe."
The orange head slipped away from the elders and the guards once more as he dashed through the forest another time. Why would he go to the forest that cursed him a lot? He didn't know but he was afraid that deep down he knew the sole reason why. He shook his head as his feet led him to the same familiar and dirty path to where he wanted to go.
He stopped in his tracks when he stopped in an open area. Ichigo was confused and oddly frustrated. Suddenly, any trace of the cabin and that man was gone. There he stood with a stunned look on his face in the open area. The question of 'What the fuck happened?' never left his mind.
Ichigo felt a heavy brick hit the pit of his stomach once more. He suddenly thought of all the horrible scenarios that might've happened to the mysterious raven head. Though, it was odd that if the man was attacked, there would be remains of the shelter or at least something but that wasn't the case. The area was oddly clean as if the wind just carried it off cleanly and quietly.
He raked his hand through his messy orange hair. He didn't know why he was even nervous for a stranger but that one was an exception. That man saved him in such dire situations and always accompanied him when he returned to the village. Yet, he always disappeared as well.
The orange head wouldn't lie to himself. He was concerned. There were so many questions in his mind that were left unanswered and admittedly, he found the man's presence comforting. Even if he was a reminder of his twisted past, the man seemed to bring him peace with his inner demons. He never got the man's name either. He closed his eyes and sighed deeply. There was nothing he could do.
He cursed under his breath, "Why the hell do you always disappear on me?"
Ichigo stayed for a while as he stared on the ground, contemplating. He was confused as to why he lingered. Was he hoping that it would suddenly poof back in its place? After a few more moments, he sighed dejectedly and started walking back to his village.
It was probably for the best.
"Ichigo," the voice of Toshiro startled the sleepy orange head from his seat. It had been six years since the last time he had visited the spot and all he did now was improving his hunting skills throughout the years.
"Yeah?" Ichigo asked as he yawned. He was tired. He just got back from a mission the other day and it wasn't exactly the best kind.
Toshiro folded his arms, "I've been calling you for a while. Kyouraku-san wanted to talk to you in Urahara-san's workplace."
The orange head lazily stood up and stretched his body, "Alright. Thanks, Toshiro. Would you be staying here for a while?"
The white haired man nodded, "Yes. I've been told to take a week break from missions."
Ichigo patted the other's shoulder as he gave a small smile, "Good. You've been working too hard."
"Look who's talking," Toshiro retorted. It was true that Ichigo had been taking nonstop missions for the past years and it worried his loved ones.
Ichigo chuckled and waved, "Well, see you later. Make sure to spend time with Rukia and if you're up to it, Renji too."
"I will," the other reassured him, "Though I'm not sure with that Renji part."
Ichigo snorted and left the house where the hunters usually gathered things before a mission and gave reports when done. He walked over to the building once more and greeted the guards. They granted him access and entered the familiar building. He directly headed over to Urahara's workplace without even knocking.
"You called?" Ichigo said as he entered the room and closed the door behind him.
The two men that were discussing a serious matter suddenly averted their gaze to the younger hunter. Kyouraku's gray eyes looked softer as it landed on Ichigo.
"Thank you for coming, Ichigo-kun," Kyouraku greeted.
"So, what's up?" Ichigo questioned as he felt that the air in the room was quite heavy when he entered.
Urahara cleared his throat and urged the younger to come forward to which Ichigo complied. Kyouraku stepped aside for Ichigo to stand directly in front of the table with peculiar items. The orange head raised a brow as he observed the items silently.
"Ichigo-kun," Urahara started, "Kyouraku-san and I decided that it would be best for you to be on this important mission. Would that be okay for you?"
Ichigo suddenly turned serious and gave a nod, "Of course. What is it?"
Kyouraku continued, "While you were out on another mission the other day, there was a sudden burst of demonic energy in the forest. It was strong, stronger than any other energy. Urahara-san and I immediately scouted the area from where it came from."
"And that's where we found these," the blonde leader pointed at the bag with sakura petals, "Do not be fooled. While it does look like sakura petals, these are small blades in such a form. It belonged to the sakura demon. Quite scary yet beautiful, if you ask me."
"Sakura demon…?" Ichigo asked.
Kyouraku nodded, "Yes. It is the strongest demon in the forest. For the first time in years, its energy bursted strongly enough to locate it but unfortunately, we only found those and a lot of corpses of the low dwelling demons."
"The demon went berserk?" The orange head questioned.
"It was odd but perhaps it did," Kyouraku replied, "Though, we don't know why, we are sure that it was the demon of the forest."
"What's interesting is that the area has a lingering scent of sakura," Urahara added.
Ichigo paled when he heard the blonde leader. Something that had the scent of sakura when such a thing never existed in the forest. He gulped the lump in his throat as he had the sinking feeling in his stomach. He had a guess on what the demon looked like and he didn't want to believe it.
The brunet noticed the way Ichigo had clenched his teeth and his eyes were looking far away. He lightly placed his hand on his shoulder, "Are you alright?"
This made the orange head snap out of his thoughts and nodded slowly, "I'm… fine." He looked at Urahara, "When should I go?"
The older man looked at the beat up clock right on his wall and said, "Just prepare then you could leave. It's better to start moving while the sun is still up. You'll arrive at the location by night."
Ichigo inwardly sighed, "Alright. I should go and start preparing. I'll tell the others that I'll be out again."
Kyouraku squeezed the younger's shoulder, "Ichigo-kun. Please, be careful. This is a demon that's on a different level. Choose your battles wisely."
The last words were told as Ichigo doesn't know when to give up. Ichigo knew that it was understandable that his guardian was worried. He almost died last time from protecting Rukia and another village years ago.
Ichigo offered a smile, "I will." With that, he left.
Urahara patted the other leader's shoulder comfortingly, "He'll do fine. He's stronger than he looks."
"I know," Kyouraku chuckled darkly, "but sometimes, I can't help it."
Ichigo was already walking towards the forest as he gripped onto his sword hilt tightly. He already told his friends that he would go to the forest again for a mission and they immediately shot him worried looks. Toshiro even offered that he could join him, to which the orange head rejected.
In reality, he wanted to be alone right now. He needed this. He was glad that his former mentor decided to assign him in the mission instead of others. Ichigo was thoroughly confused as he tried to ignore the feeling that he had in his gut since earlier. He could sense the haunting whisper by his ear once more. It couldn't be who he thought the demon was… right?
He shook his head and started running. He narrowed his focus that he needed to go to the destination as before nightfall to have a clearer view of the road. His chest felt heavy all over again. It was for a different reason this time. He was aware of everything but he gritted his teeth. He didn't want to believe it not until he saw it with his own two eyes.
After an hour or two, it had started raining and it was getting dark. Luckily enough, Ichigo was almost near the destination where Urahara sensed where the energy bursted. He slowly stopped in his tracks when he arrived at an open area and his hand instinctively went to his hilt just in case.
Ichigo's amber eyes widened in recognition when he saw the cabin that disappeared all those years ago. His hands were shaking in disbelief. He felt his heart drop as he stared at the cabin longer than he should've. Before he took a step, a shadow dashed and stopped right in front of the shelter.
The orange head's breath hitched as his eyes fixated on the tall figure that just arrived at an unusual speed. His eyes trailed from the man's long raven hair that was still tied up to a ponytail, the ever youthful and handsome face, the crisp black yukata, the sword that was present in their second meeting, and then he could smell the same comforting scent of sakura.
It couldn't be… It just can't.
With blind rage, pain and confusion, Ichigo drew his sword and ran towards the man with his weapon raised. He then slashed down, which the raven head defended with his own sword as he drew his quickly. Ichigo's hands were shaking as he tried to push his sword towards the man.
The man let out an inaudible grunt and pushed Ichigo away with a strong swing of his sword. Ichigo stumbled back and tried to attack once more. This time, the man clashed with him to get away from the cabin.
"It's you," Ichigo said with a trembling voice, "Why didn't you tell me?"
The man managed to kick Ichigo back. He only looked at those hurt amber eyes that burned with so many emotions that he couldn't even tell anymore but the most evident thing was hurt and perhaps, betrayal? Ichigo was so confused, torn. It felt like he could break at any time.
"Answer me!" Their swords crashed once more. Ichigo had gritted his teeth, ignoring the rain that was dripping down from his hair. He got even more furious when the man before him had the same stoic face but when he looked at those gray eyes, it was filled with an unnamed emotion.
Ichigo knew he guessed that the man was a demon deep down. He just tried to ignore the nagging voice in his head. Though, the present demonic whisper also told him about it. It was obvious that no human could live alone in such an environment that was filled with those things. Another point was the man never seemed to age even when Ichigo was now in his 20s.
He knew but he decided to ignore it.
Ichigo was frustrated with the lack of response from the other and he tried to attack the man again, to which the other defended himself once more. The orange head noticed that the demon never even tried to attack him, he was just being pushed or kicked away. After a few more attempts, Ichigo managed to land a small cut on the man's arm.
The orange head expected that the demon would go in blind rage after Ichigo spilt his blood but nothing happened. He still had that same emotionless face plastered. Ichigo then growled and tackled the other. The man saw this and moved his sword to the side to prevent from stabbing the human.
They both fell on the ground and Ichigo recovered, sitting on the man's broad chest and his knees sunk in the wet ground. The demon's grip on his sword loosened and he simply closed his gray eyes as he felt the rain trickling on his face. Ichigo hovered his blade just above the demon's neck. He almost faltered when he heard the demon's words.
"It's okay, Ichigo," the man whispered softly.
He remembered his name…
Ichigo's chest tightened. He hated demons with his whole being. It was another reason why he trained to be a demon hunter. He promised that he would kill everything in his sight just to avenge his parents' death. A death that he believed that he was at fault. He would not hesitate to remove such a creature no matter what.
But at this moment, he hesitated.
He could feel the darkness over again when even the demon below him said that it was alright to finish him. Ichigo knew that the demon had knowledge about the hatred he had about his race. He told the raven that he was a hunter when they met and only the demon had witnessed the fateful day. Basically, he was there when he wished someone was there to help him. He was there every time Ichigo seemed to be lost.
Ichigo felt numb. The lingering voice that mocked him was heard in his ears yet again. He could feel those claws sinking in once more but he decided to ignore it. This was different. This was too different and it hurts. He slowly removed the sword from the man's neck and dropped it to his side. The noise made the demon below the orange head open his eyes that had slight confusion. The hunter clenched his shaking fists tightly as if it helped him from keeping himself together.
"I can't kill you," Ichigo whispered as his voice cracked, "I don't have the heart to do so."
"I'm a demon," the raven replied sharply but at the same time, softly, "You're a hunter, are you not?"
"I am!" Ichigo shouted and casted his eyes down. He didn't even know if the wetness of his cheeks were from his tears or the rain, "But I can't... Not you."
"Why?"
Why, indeed. Ichigo was confused. He thought he already had his mind set on his simple goal; to kill demons. But here he was, his heart hurt from the thought of even hurting the man. A man that did things that others couldn't. He was something more. The orange head couldn't say how or why but he feels. At the moment, it was almost unbearable having the thoughts of the demon below him being finished by his own hands.
His hands were still trembling. He just couldn't do it.
Ichigo gulped the lump of his throat. His gaze lifted to lock onto the staring gray eyes that looked at him with patience. He then grabbed a fistful of the man's yukata, clenching it tightly.
"You saved me," Ichigo whispered, almost broken, "In more ways than one."
Thank you for reading! I hope you guys enjoyed. Don't hesitate to leave a review :)
