Chapter 12. Operation Spirit demon

The atmospheric tensions slowly dies in a calm, relaxing manner as darkness of the night slowly turned into light once again.

Ikkaku and Hanataro were riding on the same horse, whilst Ichitaro was riding the other one. All of them escaped from a mad fight club in Starrage ʼ97, that Ikkaku, himself had started it.

As they've reached to the Soul society and outsmarting the lazy sun's speed, they were happy to be home, except for Ichitaro. The poison on his leg worsen even further as it swollen more rapidly, he felt cold shivering on his blood. Hanataro and Ikkaku hault their horse as they reached towards the gate and Ichitaro does the same.

" Well, we made it to the Soul society." said Hanataro

" What is this place, anyway?" Ichitaro asked.

" It is the Soul society. Once we enter their, we'll find Captain Unohana." he answered

" Alright, let's go inside and find that person before that poison could kill me." Ichitaro said, yet he wasn't joking on his leg injury.

However, he saw how serious Hanataro was when he said he'll find someone who could heal him, even though his vision was slowly fading away.

They lead their horses towards the gate and a colossall man stood right beside the grayish, square-shaped gate. He looked at Ikkaku and Hanataro and asked :

" Where have you been, you two? The captains thought you're missing or something."

" It's fine, we were caught up in a middle of the fight." he answered.

" Hmm, I see.", he then turned to Ichitaro and asked, " Who is this kid? He doesn't look like he's from the Soul society. "

" Oh, I almost forgot.", Ikakku added as he landed towards the ground, " he's just a new student. "

" Student? His spirit energy says otherwise."

"He's actually from Crystal Soul and was enrolled to the Shinō academy. He doesn't know where it was, so we've decided to show him so that he doesn't get lost. "

With his eyebrow risen with confusion, he finally letting them in. Ikkaku, on the other hand, stepped further away from them for assisting the horses. The colossall man pulled the heavy gate upwards, letting them inside the Soul society.

All of the three men were at the Soul society, as the golden sky appeared at sunrise. Hanataro smiled as he looked around the entire Seireitei. Everyone began working themselves to start a new day.

" Such a wonderful morning, isn't it?" Hanataro asked.

" Yeah. Anyway, I have to go back and get some sleep before Captain Zaraki going to kick my ass after a bar incident." said Ikkaku.

" I'll take Ichitaro to Unohana. She'll probably be getting worried about me or worse.... "

Ikkaku shivered and said :

" Let's not talk about her. After we've sent this kid, we'll pretend that nothing happened. "

" I agree. "

He heard some of the conversations, whilst Ichitaro's conditions was slowly at Death's door. He thought about the people that he cared about, especially his parents and his neighbour. They must've been very worried about him and wondered if he's dead or alive.

Thoughts and worries if he could come back home after his mission was done were playing through his own mind. Not knowing if he could succeed this mission, he may not be certain what the future might hold for him.

Ichitaro, Hanataro and Ikkaku arrived at Unohana's household. It was like any other ancient japanese house in the entire spirit world, except it was more elegant than the others. Ichitaro struggled to climb down from a black horse, letting Hanataro to assist him as a result of his leg injury.

With an excruciating pain on his leg as he landed safely, he saw a house, which Hanataro believed to be where Unohana lived, even though his vision were blurry. Ikkaku stretched his arms and said :

" Well, we're here. Now we have to knock on the door and pretend this never happened."

" We're going to leave him here?" Hanataro asked.

" Don't worry about it, I'll be fine.", Ichitaro said as he struggled walking towards the door. , " If I'm gone then___."

" Don't say that! Captain Unohana is one of the best doctors I know. If anyone who could heal your leg from poison, it's her.", Ikkaku said, cutting Ichitaro's sad, expressionless voice.

By the time he saw both of were walking away from him, a door seems to have opened itself.

Ichitaro slowly turning his back and saw a lady. Her eyes were dark blue while her shiny long black hair were plated towards her chest. She was in her delicate lilac night gown and she was furious. Ikkaku wasn't a match from her, as he could sense her spirit energy.

He believed that she was much more powerful than any other captain. Hanataro ran away from him, leaving both him Ichitaro to stand against her wrath.

' Ah man, it's Captain Unohana!!' Ikkaku thought.

Unohana placed her hand onto Ichitaro's shoulder. He didn't made a single movement, especially when he sensed her spirit energy for the first time in his teenage life.

" Ikkaku, what is going on here? And who is this?" she asked as she pointed out on Ichitaro in an angry tone.

Ikkaku stared at her in fear and stammered.

" Uhhh... He needs healing." he answered before he could run away by stepping away from her. But she called him.

" You're not going anywhere, until you tell me what's really going on." she said.

' Who is that lady?' Ichitaro though.

~~~~~~~

{ Katsuya's POV}

" YOU SICK BASTARD!! YOU'RE TRYING TO MAKE THE SPIRIT WORLD BY SACRIFICING THAT KID?!", Shouted Akamaru. She was sitting inside a cold, dark dungeon-like prison cell. She grabbed both her hands onto the prison bars, lividly.,

" HAVE YOU LOST YOUR FUCKEN MIND??!!"

Katsuya, who stood between these bars like a statue, looked at her in a cold, expressionless face and said :

" I do what I have to do. Besides, the kid will be kicking the bucket."

" You'll regret this, you hear me? YOU'LL REGRET THAT MOMENT!!!"

Katsuya chuckles. " You sure reminding me of Nakime when it comes to temper. Since you're the mother of my son and married to a soul reaper, that spirit demon will never breath on my watch and the world will be a better place without any demons or soul reapers like you. His death will be my victory, including Neji Kagami and his entire family. "

Without a sympathy left in his emotional walked away from her, letting Akamaru on her knees and her tears were falling down on her cheeks.

Katsuya, on the other hand, visited Kazumi at her room, fixing her makeup. He smiled at her and said :

" I see you're quite pissed at Deki and Kakuzu."

She turned around and saw him standing right at the doorstep.

" Of course I am. And you seem happy enough. Any good news?", she asked.

" Let's just say Jupiter's doing a good job. That poison he used, will eventually kill him by morning. "

Her anger slowly melts into happiness.

" I don't know what to say to you. Thank you."

" You're welcome. All that's left is to order Deki and Kakuzu to find the body and bring it to us.... "

".... So we could free the god of the undead and will give us something in return."

" Correct."

Both of them were staring at each others' sinful eyes knowing their plan actually worked.

~~~~~~~

{ Zen's POV}

Everywhere in a hallway was so void and filled with tensions as he was walking around, feeling exhausted and angry.

He calmed himself down when a white phoenix arrived, peeping at the window and turned into a man, letting himself in with ease. He wore a special white cape, decorated in Aztec pattern. Zen looked at him and asked :

" Muzan, did you find anything?"

" I did see four kids at the lake and spotted Deki and Kakuzu attacking them yesterday morning." he answered.

" Anyone else getting hurt?"

" Deki, Kakuzu and the other three are, except for one kid. He's unharmed, but there's something different about him. "

Zen sighed as he sat down whilst Muzan does the same.

" Tell me more about it. " he said.

" During this investigation, I do have notice something. His spirit energy isn't like any other demon. It could mean that he might be a spirit demon. "

" I thought they were extinct."

" Or thought to be extinct. Just remember that they were slaughtered a long time ago. "

" Hmmm, continue with this investigation and bring the child to me. I'll send him home right away. "

" Yes, sir. "

Muzan turned himself into a phoenix and flew across the opened window. Then, Zen got up and went across the hallway and through the office.

He began searching for any kind of information on spirit demons until he spotted something. A list of all the entities in the entire realm. Spirit demons and Soul reapers were one of them.

He saw some of the names that were drawn in a red line and soon discovered that not only these names, that were scratched in a red line, but also they're other lists of the entities that weren't.

Zen quickly ran towards the assembly hall, but got tripped by a female. Not knowing if she's okay, he continued to run further away. The woman got up and saw a document. She was about to shout him, but quickly finds the lists.

By the time Zen reached at the Authorities, the door was already closed. 'Great, it's lunch time.', he said to himself., ' I guess I have no choice but to investigate this matter.'

As disappointed he was, he retreated away from the door, before heading outside. That was until a woman, whom he bumped into, stopped him at his tracks and remarked :

" I've found some kind of a list on entities. I think I know how who's responsible for this."

In silence, he turned towards her as she had the list of the entities.

" If you're lying to me, then I'll kill you myself." said Zen.

" Relax, werewolf. I'm not lying. I'll help you, trust me "

" Maybe, I do need some help. ", he added, " Once I found out what those lists were, we'll bust that certain someone as soon as we could find that kid. My goal is his safety. "

The woman smiled at him when she heard Zen's words, noticing what a caring person and ambitious he truly was.

~~~~~~~

Meanwhile.....

At the Soul society, Ikkaku told Unohana everything that happened last night. Unohana's anger melted away into relief, yet bear in mind, she was curious to learn more about Ichitaro.

" So, let me get this straight. You found that kid at the bar, wearing some kind of a furred coat and he's not from the other realms? That kid does sound like he's from the world of the living." said Unohana.

" Yeah, feels like it." said Ikkaku.

" Well, I won't tell your captain what happened to you last night and I'll destroy some of the poison and heal his wounds. But promise me one thing. You and Hanataro will never speak about this, ever again. Is that clear? "

Ikkaku remained unshaken by her words, even though he respect her as the 4th division head captain of the Gotei 13. However, to him, he had to trust her and burry that `secret` and never mentioned on Ichitaro ever again.

" Um.... Yeah. I promise I'll never tell anyone about this ever again." he said.

" Good. But this is going to be the last time. If there's anyone else, trying to bring another kid, don't even think of dragging me when things go south."

Ikkaku simply agreed and both went to their separate ways.

Unohana went to the medical facility where she placed Ichitaro there. His clothes were neatly packed, while he wore a white shitagi*. Ha layed onto the bed completely, trying to get some rest, but poison almost got the best of him. He spotted Unohana and this time, she's willing to help him out as she drew closer to him.

" Don't worry, I'll never hurt you. I'll simply remove the toxins and start healing you." she said.

" Thanks, ma'am." he said.

" You don't have to say that. I'm Retsu Unohana, the captain of the 4th division."

" Well, can I call you captain Unohana? I already heard about you. "

Unohana chuckles and said :

" That'll be fine. "

Ichitaro's emotionally smiled at her, despite he never showed up any of his true emotions. He knew if whether or no he's in a good hands, eventually he'd probably see it from himself.

However, it doesn't take long before two figures had peeped through the window as Unohana prepared herself to heal Ichitaro from the poison and disappeared without a trace.

~~~~~~~

{ Katsuya's POV}

Katsuya celebrated once after hearing Ichitaro's news. Cheerful music were playing harmoniously, women were dancing naked, men were singing on top of their lungs and even his pretty wife was enjoying her husband's rejoice.

A shadowy figure appeared in front of Katsuya as his happiness was in self-destruction.

" I presumed that he's dying?" he asked.

" I'm afraid I have bad news. He's at the Soul society." said Jupiter, with an irritating, shocking tone as if he had seen a ghost.

Katsuya's ecstatic expression slowly changes into a vile anger. The music and dancing were disturbingly stopped as they've learnt about Ichitaro.

" But how?! "he asked.

" I'm not sure how he got in, but I'm sure he is now protected. You know how soul reapers are. They can unleash an unbelievable amount of spirit energy. " he answered.

Katsuya grew more livid like a mad bull as he grabbed the table and threw it away towards the wall.

{ DOOF}

" GGGGAAAAHHHH!!! "he screamed in anger.

After he calms himself down, he turned to Deki and Kakuzu and commanded :

" Gather the troops. That kid's blood will be mine. "

~~~~~~~~

{ Muzan's POV}

" Tell me you're shitting us or what you've saw was actually true." said the phoenix leader as he investigated the incident that took place in Starrage ʼ97.

" Shinsuke, I'm telling you. He's alive and well at the Soul society." said Muzan

" Only someone will be foolish enough to take over the Soul society. That'll be a suicide mission." ,said Shinsuke. He went to Masami and continued, " You're lucky this bar won't be closed because you've told me everything that happened last night."

Masami shrugged herself in this cold morning and answered :

" No worries. "

Then, Shinsuke went towards the flock of phoenixs and said :

" I've got an information about this kid. He's not only the son of Keitaro Kagami, but also he's at the Soul society. All we have to do is to go there and asked his whereabouts and bring him home. It's too dangerous for someone like him to be wondering around the spirit realm on his own. Not to mention, Katsuya and Kazumi were putting his price on his head anyway. "

" So, we're going to the Soul society? " One of the phoenixs asked.

" Yes. "

" His safety is Important. Operation Spirit demon..... ", said Shinsuke.

".... Is to go! ", Katsuya added.," His life will be mine. "