Chapter 21: Shunko 1/2

AN: Hey everyone, so about the results of the poll.

1. Thank you for everyone who voted.2. I apologize to everyone who voted but didn't have the result that they wanted.3. The story's rating will be changed to M, BUT not yet. I'll change the rating once there's another M-Rated Scene in the story.4. REMEMBER, the focus of the story will not change. I don't even know how many M Rated scenes there will even be.5. Even though the focus of the story will not change, do keep in mind that some future chapters will be a bit heavy on Rukia x Kishin interaction.

As always, thanks for your continued support!

Reading the story:

-Scene change: "888"

-Hello, how are you? (Someone in their own thoughts)-Hello how are you? (Zanpakuto Spirit speaking in a Shinigami's mind)

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Bleach.

Chapter 21

It was currently midday as the sun shone high in the sky. Although it cast a warm glow on the town there was still a chill in the air. The trees that had green leaves started turning different shades of colors. Some had hints of orange, others red, even some yellow. The presence of autumn could definitely be felt. Many people walked and roamed the streets in warm coats or jackets. The occasional scarves, hats, mittens, and gloves could be seen on people who were a lot more sensitive to the cold.

Currently at this moment Kishin was taking a stroll down the street in his gigai. A week had already passed since he began his training with the Visored. Although he would like to say that his training was going well, the truth was that it was a slow process. For him at the very least. Before he could only keep his mask on for a duration of 3 seconds, but now he had increased that duration to a whopping 3.5 seconds. He couldn't help but wonder if it was because of his Gentei Reien that slowed down his progress speed.

He initially thought that with the Gentei Reien suppressing his reiatsu that it'd be easier for him to draw on the power of his Hollow soul. In theory it made sense to him. If 80% of his Shinigami powers were suppressed then that'd mean that there would be 80% less power balancing out his Hollow soul. In that case his Hollow self should become more dominant and be easier for him to draw on its power, but that didn't seem to be the case because he was definitely struggling on this front. It made him wonder if the Gentei Reien had actually truly sealed off a portion of his Hollowfied powers.

His hypothesis was that since his Hollow powers and Shinigami powers already merged into one, the Gentei Reien suppressing his Shinigami powers inadvertently suppressed his Hollow powers. That was until he recalled what Urahara told him when he asked about it.

Flash Back To Yesterday

"Urahara-san, I have a question for you."

Urahara cocked his head to the side and began fanning himself as he replied, "Hm? A question? What is it?"

Kishin had on a pondering look as he asked, "I seem to be having trouble utilizing my Hollow powers. Is it because I have a Gentei Reien sealing most of my Shinigami powers that it also seals my Hollow powers?"

Urahara instantly stopped fanning himself as he seriously thought about it. In the end he closed his eyes and answered, "Ah...to be honest you make a good point, but I don't believe that is entirely the case."

"You don't? Then...why does it seem so hard to access my Hollow powers?"

"Hmm...you pose a good question Chigetsu-kun. If I had to answer honestly then…" He gave a light cough before continuing, "Ahem. It's probably because you just lack talent."

Kishin gave Urahara a blank stare for a moment before he pointed to himself as if confirming that Urahara was addressing him. "Me?"

Urahara just awkwardly laughed. "Ahaha...r-right. N-Now don't get angry or anything Chigetsu-kun! It's not my intention to fault you for what you're not good at."

"Haaaah." Kishin let out a sigh and took a seat. "Well...this is unexpected. I guess I really just lack talent huh…"

Urahara went back to fanning himself and looked on with amusement. "Ohya? Are you pouting by any chance?"

A self mocking smile graced Kishin's lips as he shrugged his shoulders. "Not really. It was just unexpected that the fact I can't utilize my Hollow powers well is due to my poor talent."

"Hahaha! Well we all have something that we're bad at. Besides, you're plenty strong already without your Hollowfied powers, so I hear from Hirako-san and the others."

"Come on Urahara-san. You know who we're up against. Any increase in strength is a must."

Urahara couldn't really argue back and let out a sigh. "Haaah. Chigetsu-kun, with regards to your Hollow powers the truth is that it'll just take time. If I'm not wrong then the Gentei Reien is partially responsible for your inability to draw out your Hollowfied powers."

Kishin's eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Go on."

"Ahem. In truth, it is true that after merging your Hollow powers with your Shinigami powers that the Gentei Reien inadvertently affects your ability to draw out your Hollow powers, but it only affects your ability to draw it out. It doesn't actually suppress and seal your Hollow powers away like it does your Shinigami powers. In fact, due to having most of your Shinigami powers temporarily sealed away it should be easier for you to utilize your Hollow abilities."

"Okay...I'm listening. Then the reason why it's harder for me is because?"

"Haaah. Well, the reason why it's tough on you is because you don't have experience with utilizing Hollowfied reiryoku. Also, the Gentei Reien acts like a box on your powers. Think of it like sealing the majority of your powers in a thin membrane. Outside the membrane is the power you can access and everything inside the membrane is the power you can't access. 20% of your Shinigami powers remain outside the membrane and 80% of it is locked inside. Your Hollow powers are attached to your Shinigami powers so 20% of it is also outside and 80% of it is also locked inside."

Kishin just nodded in understanding. "I follow you so far, but I hear a catch coming on."

"Hehe, that's right. Here's the catch. The Gentei Reien is only meant to trap your Shinigami powers so the 80% of your Hollowfied reiatsu that is attached to your Shinigami powers and locked inside the box can actually diffuse to the outside to let you access it."

Kishin just gave a confused stare. "How should I go about doing that?"

Urahara just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, this brings me back to your lack of experience. Once you get a good handle and feel for using your Hollowfied reiryoku then it'll be a lot easier for you to pull out the rest of your Hollowfied powers from the seal. Think of it like this. The Gentei Reien seals approximately 80% of your power. In that case once all of that comes back to you then the amount of time you can enter your Hollowfication will also increase by a factor of almost 5 times."

Kishin's ears perked up a bit at Urahara's statement. "Really? If that's the case then the fact that I can maintain my mask for 3.5 seconds actually correlates to approximately 17 seconds?"

"That's right. So in essence you aren't doing too badly. Plus, it's only been a week right? Just keep at it."

End Of Flashback

Kishin just let out another sigh. His warm breath could be seen diffusing into the cool autumn air. He walked for a little longer and only stopped until he came upon the Kurosaki Clinic.

"Well, I haven't seen them for awhile. Since I'm here in Karakura Town I mind as well stop by."

He walked over to the glass double doors of the clinic and stepped inside the warm heated building. A little jingle could be heard throughout the building that signaled whenever a potential customer arrived, which he obviously wasn't in this case. Kishin immediately noticed that not much had changed since the last time he was here. The table of snacks and coffee was still situated to the right of the entrance, so he didn't stand on ceremony and poured himself a cup just as he did when he had first visited here several years ago. Just as he took a sip of the hot coffee in his styrofoam cup he saw from the corner of his eye the color of an orange haired kid walking out from the corner of the back room.

Soon after, that 6-7 year old looking kid stood right before him and said, "Hi. Sorry for the wait. Dr. Isshin will be with you shortly." He then grabbed a clipboard with a sheet of paper on it and held it out to Kishin as he continued, "You just need to fill out this form. You can take a seat on one of the couches if you'd like."

Kishin just stared in silence at the kid.

Orange hair...looks about 6-7 years old. That's about the right age. So this is Ichigo huh?

Ichigo took note of Kishin's silence and tilted his head to the side in confusion. "Erhm...sir?"

Kishin just smirked and shook his head. "I'm actually not a patient."

His answer confused Ichigo. "Then...if you're not a patient are you visiting for something else?"

It was then that Isshin's voice could be heard. "Oi! Ichigo, tell the client I'll be right there!"

Ichigo just yelled back, "He said he isn't a patient!"

"Eh? Not a patient? Then who is it?"

Ichigo simply turned back to stare at Kishin and asked, "Well...who are you?"

Kishin couldn't help but smile amusedly at the whole ordeal and shouted out, "Captain Isshin! Seems like you're busy today!"

Not a moment later the sound of loud running footsteps could be heard coming from upstairs. Two seconds later and Isshin dashed out from the corner of the back room. He stared at Kishin for several long seconds but he had no idea who he was looking at.

"D-Did you just call me Captain Isshin?"

Kishin just smirked. "Yo. Captain Shi-"

Put!

Isshin immediately slapped his hands over Kishin's mouth and made a shushing motion.

Ichigo just raised his eyebrow in confusion. "Dad? Do you know this guy?"

Isshin was about to respond, but he couldn't help taking another glance at Kishin still having no idea who he was looking at. Isshin's face became more and more confused.

The hell is this? No one's popping up in my memories. He called me Captain and was just about to shout out my last name. He definitely knows who I am, but who the hell is this guy?

In the end Isshin just shooed Ichigo away. "Ichigo, go tend to your sisters until your mom comes back. I have some important things to discuss with our guest."

Ichigo just gave a suspicious glance at the two of them but nodded and left anyway. Immediately Isshin was on full alert and questioned warily, "Who are you?"

Kishin just grinned amusedly and threw his hands up in front of him. "Relax. It's me. Kishin."

"Eh?" Isshin was completely dumbfounded. "Y-You...WHAT?!" He stammered and shouted before clasping his hand over his mouth. He then quickly recomposed himself. "Ahem. You said that you're Kishin? As in Chigetsu Kishin?"

Kishin just nodded. "Yup."

"You're the same Kishin that Ukitake took care of?"

"Yup."

"The kid who visited several years ago?"

"Yup."

"As in Toshiro's friend Kishin?"

Now Kishin was getting irritated. "Can you stop with this line of questioning? It's getting annoying."

Isshin was immediately convinced. "Yup. That's something that Kishin would say."

"Thanks." He dryly replied.

Isshin just let out a boisterous laugh. "Hahahaha! Well, this is a surprise. How'd you grow up so fast? Wait, that's not important. What brings you here?"

Kishin just shrugged his shoulders. "I was around and decided to drop by."

"Is that so? Hahaha! Well, whatever. It's good to see you. Wait...or is it good to see you? How come you're here in the World of the Living? Has something drastic happened? Is it...Aizen?"

Kishin shook his head and sipped his coffee. "No, nothing like that. I became the 13th division Lieutenant and so I'm here in Karakura Town for a couple of months."

"Oh, I see…" Isshin replied, then realization struck him as he replied again with more vigor, "OH! I see! Hahaha, so you made it to Lieutenant huh? Not bad kid! But it seems like Toshiro's still got you beat. He's Captain already."

Kishin just shrugged his shoulders and replied sarcastically, "And I wonder how that happened? If only a certain someone never abandoned their post."

Isshin just guiltily scratched the side of his cheek. "Ahaha...ahem! So, how do you like being Lieutenant?"

"The paperwork is terrible."

Isshin immediately slapped Kishin on the back and nodded in agreement. "RIGHT?! Honestly I never liked sitting down looking at paper."

Kishin raised his eyebrow questioningly. "Didn't you open a clinic?"

"Hm? Yeah, what of it?"

"So much for not liking to look at paper. Didn't you have to sit down and study for hours to learn medicine? Then you had to take tests and now you have to fill out paperwork for patients and whatnot."

Isshin just coughed trying to steer the conversation away. "Ahem. You didn't mention me to Toshiro or Rangiku did you?"

Kishin shook his head. "Per your request I did not say anything."

"Phew. That's good."

"Captain, why don't you want them to know?"

Isshin waved his hand in front of him. "Don't call me that. I'm no longer a Captain. Just keep calling me Isshin. As for why I don't want them to know? Obviously the less they know the better. One, I don't want them to act on impulse and try to find me. If they violate the rules of Soul Society then it'd be bad for them. And two, it might only cause them anxiety and to needlessly worry. Anyways, how are those two doing?"

"Fine. For the most part. Toshiro is busy trying to fully integrate in his role as Captain and Rangiku seems to have gotten over the fact that you're gone."

Isshin couldn't help but feel a little irked that Rangiku was already over his departure. "I-I see."

Kishin smirked and teased, "You seem a bit disheartened. Sad that your Lieutenant got over you so quickly?"

"I-I am not! Ahem. Well, it's understandable. She's a strong girl. Let me guess, she probably heavily drank for a year or so before she came to terms with my departure."

"More or less. I can tell that she's doing her best to completely support Toshiro so he doesn't feel overly burdened."

Isshin let out a sigh of relief. "Haaah. That's good."

Kishin gave a thoughtful glance as he recalled the situation of the Shiba Clan and so he decided to let Isshin know. "Did you hear about the Great Noble Clans?"

"Hm? What about them?"

"In particular the Shiba Clan."

Isshin slightly furrowed his brow. "What about the Shiba Clan?"

"They dropped from status as a Great Noble Family."

Isshin's eyelid slightly twitched in shock. He frowned and rubbed the bottom of his chin before he commented, "Huh. That's surprising."

Kishin just stared at Isshin for a moment gauging his reaction before he continued, "It was very sudden."

Isshin just nodded. "I bet it was."

"Well, do you have anything more to say?"

"Hm? Like what?"

"Like how or why they just fell from their status as a Great Noble Clan."

"Haaaaah...I mean...maybe?"

Kishin rubbed the back of his head at how lax Isshin was taking the news. "You don't seem to care much."

Isshin just shrugged his shoulders. "Well, it's true. I don't care too much, I mean it's not really my problem anymore. I knew that after I left, the position of the Clan Head would be vacant, but I was confident that it'd be Kukaku to step up to the plate. So? Who's Clan Head now anyways?"

Kishin just smirked. "It's like you said. Kukaku took up the position."

"Oh? See, I thought so. She's actually the perfect one to take over. Even if she's a bit rough around the edges she's actually quite reasonable and strong in her own right."

"Just so you know Isshin-san, she's only taking up the position as the temporary Head of the Clan. She hasn't actually announced herself as the official Head."

"Ehhhh? Is that so...well, I forgot to mention that she's headstrong and stubborn too. There aren't many of us Shiba's left. She should just hurry up and take on the role."

"But Isshin-san, exactly how did the Clan fall from status? It seemed a bit suspicious if you ask me?"

Isshin just rubbed the back of his head as if he felt a headache coming on. "There's only two possible reasons."

"Oh? So there is a reason behind it."

"Well, I'm only guessing since I don't know the whole story, but since I was once the Head of the Clan I do know a little bit about it. Each Great Noble Clan has a special task or was granted favor from the Soul King. You know this already right?"

Kishin nodded his head. "Yup."

"Good. Then I'll skip over the minor details. In essence, other than certain tasks granted to the Clans they each also possess a special generational weapon that they pass down and protect. If a Clan loses this weapon then there's a 50% chance that they will lose their status as a Great Noble Clan."

"Eh? 50%? So it's not guaranteed that a Clan would fall from status for losing their generational weapon?"

"That's right. It depends on the context of the situation as well. Anyways, each Clan has kept the weapon they are tasked with passing down mostly a secret, so I don't know what weapon the Tsunayashiro or Shihoin Clan possesses. And no one has even seen or heard from the last of the Great Noble Clans so forget them."

"Hm? Then what about the Kuchiki Clan?"

Isshin rubbed the bottom of his chin as he pondered a bit. "The Kuchiki Clan. Hmm...ah, well there was an incident that happened decades ago. It was documented in Soul Society's history so I do actually know what the generational weapon of the Kuchiki Clan is."

"You do? What is it?"

"Well, it was before my time as a Captain and also before Byakuya became a Captain. In fact this incident occurred before Byakuya even became the Head of the Kuchiki Clan. The previous Clan Head, Kuchiki Ginrei found an abandoned boy in Rukongai and saved him from a Hollow attack. I suppose not unlike how Ukitake found you, Kishin."

"Okay...how is this connected to what we were talking about?"

"Ah, right. Anyways, the boys name was Koga. I'm not sure on the details but eventually Ginrei trained the boy and took him to the Kuchiki Manor. There his daughter had become acquainted with Koga and I guess they developed a liking to one another. He soon got married to Ginrei's daughter and therefore was adopted into the Kuchiki Clan, but his birth and status was questionable leading to distrust and unrest in the Clan. Then at some point Ginrei entrusted their Clan's ancestral weapon to Koga. It was because Koga's innate ability was similar to that of their Clan's ancestral weapon's ability. I believe he had wished for Koga to master this weapon. I also believe that he did it to show that not only did he support the marriage and adoption of Koga into the Clan, but it was to quell any unsavory rumors, words, and feelings that the Clan would have about Koga. Especially if Koga was successful in taming and mastering the Clan's ancestral weapon."

"And what was the name of this weapon?"

"Oh, right. I left that part out. The name of the weapon was Muramasa. It was a powerful weapon that had the unique ability to control the Zanpakuto of other Shinigami. But, the story is a bit tragic. I'm not keen on the details but something happened and Koga lost control. Most likely he was driven into madness and insanity by the adverse effects of wielding the Kuchiki Clan's ancestral weapon. He was eventually stripped of his position and power. Sealed away by both Ginrei and the Captain Commander. I'm not too sure what happened with the weapon. Only the Kuchiki Clan knows what became of Muramasa."

"What happened to Kuchiki Ginrei? The previous Head of the Clan?"

"Ahhh...Ginrei...well I heard that the Koga incident caused him to become disheartened and filled with guilt for pushing on the Kuchiki Clan's ancestral weapon to the boy that he became ill. In the end he passed away and that's how Byakuya became the Head of the Clan."

Kishin tilted his head greatly intrigued. "Then...you're saying that the Shiba Clan lost their generational weapon and that's what demoted them?"

Isshin shook his head. "Actually it's not that simple. First, these weapons are actually all Zanpakutos. They were Zanpakutos that were once wielded by the very first Head of each of the Clans and then passed down through each successive generation. According to the Shiba Clan records, we used to have one as well, but at some point right before the founding of the Soul Society it was written that the Clan gave up the weapon. I don't know what happened to it, so this isn't the cause of the Shiba Clan's demotion."

"Eh? If not the weapon then what?"

Isshin just sighed. "Haaah. Well, I did say that there were two possible reasons for a Great Noble Clan to be demoted. Since the Shiba Clan didn't have a generational Zanpakuto to pass down in the first place then obviously it goes to reason number two."

"Okay, which is? You can stop beating around the bush Isshin-san."

"Tch. Don't be so impatient. Ahem. There was a treasure in the Shiba Clan that was sealed and locked away. It was part of the Shiba Clan's duty to guard and protect the treasure at all costs. Losing that treasure is the same as failing the duty entrusted to the Clan by the Soul King and that would be the same as denouncing the Clan from its Great Noble status."

Kishin furrowed his brow. "A treasure? What treasure?"

Isshin just shrugged his shoulders. "There wasn't much detail written about it. I only know that it was a broken mirror called the Dark World Mirror and the records state that it must remain sealed away. The purpose of the object was never mentioned. It was a relic from before the establishment of Soul Society and it was supposedly given to the very first Shiba Clan Head from the Soul King."

Kishin was in a bit of a daze, lost in his own thoughts for a few moments. "Huh...aren't you worried that something happened with the mirror then?"

Isshin just shrugged his shoulders. "Honestly speaking? A little, but at the same time, not really."

Kishin raised his eyebrow questioningly at him. "So both?"

"Hahaha! Well, it's a bit unsettling that the mirror is gone. That is IF that is the cause of the Shiba Clan's demotion. But, there isn't any use thinking about it now. I couldn't see what was actually special about it when I saw it. It didn't emit any kind of special power or anything. Plus, what would I even do? I'm just a mere Human now running a clinic with my wife and kids."

Kishin just grinned at Isshin's answer. "I suppose so." He recalled Isshin telling Ichigo to take care of his sisters so he ventured to ask, "You have...two more kids?"

Isshin smiled and amiably nodded. "OH! Yeah, that's right. Yuzu and Karin. They're both two years old now."

"Twins?"

"That's right. Fraternal. Yuzu's got hair just like her mom and Karin's got hair just like mine. They're so cute!"

Kishin just let out a sigh at how carefree Isshin was. "You're really happy huh?"

"Haha, of course I am. I never imagined I'd find true love here in the World of the Living."

"True love? What's that?"

Isshin gawked a bit at Kishin's question. "D-D-Did you just ask what true love is?"

Kishin shrugged his shoulders. "Is it supposed to be important? Is true love different from ordinary love? What does love feel like?"

Once more Isshin just gawked in disbelief at Kishin, but then he took a moment to truly take in what Kishin was asking and felt a bit of pity. He didn't know what sort of life Kishin had lived to make him question what something like love was, but he was certain that it must have been quite a difficult life. A life that had probably scarred his soul.

Kishin patiently stared at Isshin with a questioning glance as he waited for an answer. Isshin just coughed and replied, "Ahem. Errr...wait, you're actually expecting an answer?"

Kishin just nodded. "I would like to know what this love you speak of is."

Isshin just let out a sigh. "Haaah. Well, errr. If I had to explain it then it'd be like your heart pounding really fast when you see the person you like. You want to be with them and ummm...I guess you want to see them smile. In true love, you would do anything for them. Even sacrifice yourself and die for them."

Kishin cocked his head to the side in contemplation. "A pounding heart?"

Isshin nodded. "Yeah. A pounding heart."

Kishin recalled how his heart loudly pounded at certain times when he was around Rukia. He then recalled the other things he felt and asked, "What about feeling your blood boil over? Or a burning sensation coursing through your body? What about wanting to touch them? Is that also considered love?"

Isshin was at a loss for words. He hadn't expected the conversation to go this far and he knew exactly the feeling that Kishin was describing to him. It was obviously lust. A desire to physically want another person, but he didn't know how to break that down to Kishin so he just coughed. "Ahem. I mean...it plays a role in love. Why are you asking all of this anyways?"

Kishin just shrugged his shoulders keeping a straight face showing no evidence that he was curious about learning this stuff for himself. "No reason. Isn't it normal to want to learn more about how people behave and why they behave the way they do?"

Isshin just rubbed the back of his head awkwardly and sighed in defeat. "Haaaah. I-I suppose so…"

"So?"

"Hm? So what?"

Kishin just stared at Isshin expectantly. "So is there anything else I should know?"

Isshin just blinked a few times and felt a bit of a headache from all the questioning about love. In the end he let out a sigh and said, "Well...you should really just go out and experience it for yourself. That's the best way to learn, but I mean, it's hard to put into words. Just one day when you meet the one you'll suddenly just think something like, 'Ah...I want to be with this person.' Something like that."

Kishin had a blank look on his face for a moment as he thought about what Isshin just said. "You're saying that I'll just...randomly know one day?"

Isshin huffed as he found it tougher to explain than he thought and inwardly hoped that one day he wouldn't have to be the one explaining to Ichigo what love is, like he was to Kishin. "Look, just don't overly think it. You'll wear yourself out. Here, when I say the word love who do you think of?"

Kishin raised his eyebrow curiously wondering where Isshin was going with his line of questioning and was about to answer that he didn't think of anything or anyone, however...for some odd reason he pictured Rukia's cute little face sitting across from him as they shared breakfast that one morning. Right...the whole reason he wanted to know more was because he was questioning what he was feeling.

In the end he remained silent causing Isshin to smirk in amusement. "Oh? Seems like you thought of someone huh? Well don't sweat it kid. It's okay to take things slow so you can sort yourself out."

Kishin just let out a quick sigh not knowing what he felt. "Isshin-san, do you think about Masaki a lot?"

"Hahaha! Of course I do!" His expression then turned serious as he continued, "I think about her all the time. Especially when she goes out. She's a bit clumsy and way too kind. She wants to help people whenever she can and sometimes forgets to put her own safety before others. It's during times like those where I think to myself that I just want to hold her in my arms to make sure that she's still here."

A heavy silence permeated the air for several long moments before it occurred to Kishin that one day Masaki would die. "Isshin-san…"

Isshin noted the semi-serious expression on Kishin's face so he became a bit serious as well. "Something wrong, Kishin-chan?"

He thought about it for a moment before he decided that it wasn't really any of his business. "It's nothing."

Isshin just glanced at Kishin suspiciously. "Sure?"

Kishin nodded. "Yeah. Just watch out for your family if you care about them so much."

Isshin smirked and decided to try and tease Kishin a bit. "Oh? Hahaha are you jealous of my family?"

Kishin could hear the teasing undertone of Isshin's comment and was about to retort, but the memory of his miserable childhood surfaced and he couldn't help but feel somewhere deep down that just MAYBE, he was a little jealous. He looked Isshin in the eyes with a soft expression and just shrugged his shoulders. "Guard Masaki well. Just because you lost your Shinigami powers and she's a Quincy doesn't mean that you should let her run off fighting monsters and Hollows on her own. You have to protect what's important to you right? At least that's what Captain Ukitake told me."

Isshin was a bit caught off guard at Kishin giving him what felt like a real heartfelt answer so he could only stupidly stare and reply, "Y-Yeah…"

Kishin smirked and started to walk out causing Isshin to call after him. "Eh? You leaving already?"

"Pretty much. Just stopped by to say hi and to see how you were doing."

"Oh? How nice of you, er, but don't make it a habit. What if you get tracked by Soul Society or something?"

Kishin just waved his hand in the air. "There aren't many people in Soul Society who can successfully tail me. Don't worry about it."

"Eh? That so? Well, you were always a confident kid."

Kishin smirked and opened the door but stopped halfway out as he turned back and said, "Your kid. Ichigo."

"Hm? What about him?"

"It's hidden. Really deep, but he's got some strong reiryoku. Watch out for him. One day his reiatsu may attract some Hollows to your family." Kishin then left, leaving Isshin standing awkwardly in place.

Just as Kishin arrived back outside the small dirt lot of the Urahara shop he took notice of the two kids sweeping and dusting the place right outside the building. One was a short little boy with red hair and the other a girl with black hair. Kishin smirked and waved at them as he greeted, "Yo, Jinta, Ururu. I see you're both working hard."

Ururu slightly shuddered in fear. She didn't dare to meet Kishin's gaze as she quietly nodded in response. Her soul told her that the man standing before her was a dangerous killer. Even Jinta was slightly afraid even though Kishin never gave them a reason to be fearful of him. In the end he quickly made an excuse about having to clean the back of the building and dashed out of sight.

Kishin just stood in front of the shop bemused at the two kids' reactions. "Am I really that scary?"

It was then he was interrupted by Urahara's voice. "Frightening!"

Kishin grinned and shook his head in amusement. "Urahara-san. Isn't this child abuse?"

"What? Child abuse? Of course not. Jinta and Ururu aren't your typical ordinary Humans. They're exceptional."

"Huh...I see."

"Well Chigetsu-kun. How was your visit to the Kurosaki's?"

"You bastard. How did you know I went to visit the Kurosaki's?"

Urahara just laughed and walked inside his shop as he began fanning himself. "I didn't know. You told me just now by confirming it with your answer."

"Tch. It seems I should just keep my guard up around you."

"Eh? No no no. Please don't do that."

Kishin clicked his tongue and followed after Urahara as he too walked inside the shop. "Urahara-san. I've been thinking."

"Yes?"

"Aizen's Kyoka Suigetsu. It's power can control the 5 senses, but what if we combat him by utilizing our reikaku?"

Urahara let out a quick sigh and sat down around the small table in the room before shaking his head. "I've already thought about that. It's not feasible."

Kishin furrowed his brow and also took a seat around the table. "Not feasible? Why not?"

"Haaah. Don't misunderstand the nature of utilizing reikaku in battle Chigetsu-kun."

"What do you mean by that?"

"Hrm...allow me to explain. As you know, when one fights in battle they are prone to use their senses to help them judge and make decisions in the fight, but there's only so much your natural physical senses can help you detect."

"Right...I understand that much. That's why we Shinigami utilize our reikaku to assist us in battle."

Urahara just sighed. "Haaah. Yes, that's true, but this is why I say not to misunderstand the nature of utilizing reikaku in battle. Your eye may be trained enough to see the speed of a thrown baseball, but what about the speed of a bullet?"

Kishin slightly frowned. "You are suggesting that this is where reikaku is applied?"

"That's right. Reikaku is the ability to sense reiatsu or to see with the spirit. It is a sense that exists beyond our normal 5 senses, however its use is still applied to our 5 senses."

"Okay, then you mean to say that with the use of reikaku one would be able to see a bullet fly through the air when normally they could not?"

"Bingo! It's good that you understand Chigetsu-kun. This is done unconsciously. When you fight in high level battles where your 5 senses can't normally keep up, this is unconsciously corrected and supplemented by your use of reikaku. Your reikaku enhances your vision, smell, taste, touch, etc. Because of this you aren't really using reikaku sensing to escape Kyoka Suigetsu's effect. Rather it is through reikaku sensing that enhances your other 5 senses so you can do battle. That is why this method is not feasible to face off against Aizen's power."

A deathly silence loomed in the air as Kishin wracked his brain over Urahara's answer. In the end he tilted his head confused and asked, "But in the end one still uses their reikaku to sense the reiatsu of other beings that possess spiritual energy. This is done without filtering our reikaku through our other 5 senses."

Urahara clapped his hands in approval. "Very good Chigetsu-kun! I was hoping you'd mention that. You're right, we use our pure reikaku sensing skills to gauge the strength and presence of other beings that possess reiatsu. But this won't help you in a fight against Aizen."

"And why not?"