Chapter 10:
"Oh, old hag.... What happened to your right eye...." After reaching the base of the Kakaku Taihō outside, Ichigo saw Mei with her arms crossed and eyes closed, leaning on her sword as if taking a nap. She is wearing a bandage over her right eye. When Ichigo was about to ask her, Ishida shook his head and quickly held Ichigo's hand with a scared and sweaty expression.
"Good! You're all here!"
"What happened, Mr Yoruichi? Your tail looks like one of those funny toothbrushes." Ichigo observes that Yoruichi's tail looks like a toothbrush and wonders what happened, to the shock of his friends.
"Do you.... Have a problem with that?" Yoruichi coldly demands to know if they has a problem with this, and as Ichigo meekly denies this.
"N-no.... It looks great as always...."
"Are you stupid? You did that to Mr Yoruichi's tail and miss Acheron's eye!" Ishida whispered worriedly and tactfully reminded Ichigo that he was the one who caused those consequences to Mei and Yoruichi.
"I did!?"
"After you created that cannonball, Mr Yoruichi was explaining how we're going to get into the Seireitei.... But you suddenly fell asleep! And you grabbed Mr. Yoruichi's tail!" Ishida referred to it as a horror story that happened over the course of one evening.
"It took four of us to pry you off, and his tail came out like that.... While miss Acheron was holding you back when suddenly you punched her HARD in the right eye.... That was the first time I saw her hair turn white and she was about to pull out her sword to slash you! I wouldn't bring it up if I were you!"
"Y-yeah..."
"Hey.... Where's Ganju?" asked Kūkaku.
"Ganju? He was downstairs reading something." Ichigo replied as he remembered that Ganju, he was reading something downstairs.
"HOLD EVERYTHING!!!"
"Heroes.... Always show up late!" Suddenly, Ganju tells everyone to stop and arrives while carrying the scroll and wearing a new outfit, and as he claims that heroes always arrive late.
"Why are you dressed like that?" Ichigo questions
"This is my custom-made battle costume! Cool, huh!? Don't bother begging, you can't borrow it!"
"Battle costume? You're just here to see us off, so why are you wearing...." As Ichigo brushes this off because he believes Ganju is just here to show off, a solemn Ganju jumps in front of him somewhat angrily.
"My older brother....was killed by a Soul Reaper!!"
"Ganju!!"
"Shut up and listen! You too, sis!!" This information shocks both Ichigo and all of his friends. Although Kūkaku is angered by his mention of this, Ganju tells her to shut up and listen, to her surprise, Ganju is usually the one who gets scolded but now he can be....so serious? "My brother was special...."
"Eventhough he was from Rukongai, he made it through the Soul Reaper Academy on his first try. At that point, his Reiryoku were sixth class, which qualified him to be an assistant captain in the thirteenth companies of the Court Guard."
"He finished a six-year curriculum in two years and joined the main force. He became an assistant captain in just five years...." Ganju continued speaking with bitterness and hatred towards the Soul Reapers. "Then he was killed! Betrayed by the Soul Reapers he thought were his friends!!"
"I was just a child then, so I don't remember all the details, but.... There are two things I'll never forget.... That the Soul Reaper who dragged my brother, mangled and dying to our house.... Had the face of the demon lord himself!"
"And that my brother's face looked happy... When he thanked that Soul Reaper at the end!"
"I don't know why he did that.... But I can say one thing for sure.... He never hated the Soul Reapers!" Ganju continued to explain but his eyes were filled with fire of determination. "I want to know why!"
"Why didn't he hate the fiends who destroyed him!? Why did he believe in them to the bitter end!?" Ganju grabbed Ichigo's collar and pulled him closer, speaking with a serious expression that wasn't his usual silly goofy look, making Ichigo a bit surprised but listening silently. "You're not like the other Soul Reapers! That's the feeling I get!"
"If I go with you, maybe I'll find something out. That's the feeling I get! That's why.... I'm going to help you guys!"
"I'm willing to go into the heart of enemy territory to learn.... What a Soul Reaper really is!"
As Ganju concludes that he is willing to go into the heart of enemy territory in order to learn what a Shinigami really is, Ichigo's friends are left in awe by his resolve while the members of his gang weep over his words and Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko tearfully assert. "He's grown to be such a fine young man!!"
"Sounds like your mind's made up.... Well don't come crying back to me, you little turd!" Kūkaku merely notes that it sounds like her younger brother's mind is made up and warns him. "If you go in there, you'd better be ready to die!"
"I am!!!" Ganju spoke loudly with determination.
Ichigo then quickly freeing himself from Ganju's grasp and grabbed his collar back and simply welcomes him aboard, prompting Ganju to grin. "Welcome aboard."
"You'd better be ready! 'Cause there's no turning back now, kiddies!"
"LET'S GO!!!"
"Huh? Hey, we're gonna use this to make a cannonball for us to fly in, right? We all practiced like crazy so we could do it...." Ichigo said hesitantly. "Can you make one, Mr. Yoruichi?"
"Silly question... Here, put it down right here." Yoruichi replied and asked Ichigo to put the orb down near them. After Ichigo put it down, Yoruichi jumped on it, and in just a few seconds they managed to create a complete shield sphere faster than all of Ichigo's group members. "Satisfied? For me, it's as easy as breathing."
"You're upset? Is it because I can easily do something that was difficult for you? Kuh kuh...." At this time, Yoruichi was a total meanie to Ichigo when creating a barrier was too difficult for him. After Kūkaku and Ganju finished discussing something, she used her hand to tap the barrel of the cannon three times and it slowly appeared a spiral gate to get inside.
"Get your butts in here!"
"The sun will be up soon." Ichigo, Yoruichi, Ganju, Uryū, Orihime Inoue, and Yasutora Sado gather inside the Kakaku Taihō as Kūkaku paints a black circle around the cannon with a large brush and notes that the sun will be up soon.
"That's our cue to begin the launch ceremony." After finishing painting, she threw the brush away carelessly, not paying attention to it and preparing to do other rituals to begin.
"Listen. Stay close together once we're inside the Seireitei. If you meet anyone of the Captain class, flee immediately. Especially YOU, Acheron." Inside the cannon body at this time, Yoruichi took the opportunity to instruct Ichigo's group on everything necessary and especially threw Mei a sharp "Don't even think about looking for them to fight" look, making Mei clear her throat and look away when Yoruichi calls her out. "Our objective is to rescue Rukia.... And only that. Do not.... Take any unnecessary risks!"
"Far away!"
"Copper colored greed desires the domination of 36 degrees!!"
Outside, Kūkaku pulling out her sword and stabbing it into the groundand kneels as she begins reciting the incantation. Yoruichi quickly urged the group prompting Ichigo and his friends to pool their Reiryoku into the Reishukaku and form a barrier around themselves at Yoruichi's behest while Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko assist the spell from afar. "It's starting!! Combine your spiritual energies!!"
"Seventy-two pairs of illusions!"
"Thirteen pairs of horns!"
"The monkey's right paw captures a star!!"
Kūkaku rips the bandages off her hair and wraps them around her arm, which ignites then slams her flaming fist into the ground, sending a surge of fire up the side of the Kakaku Taihō, before completing the second launch method, Kagizaki, as the Kakaku Taihō fires the group within high into the sky.
"Embraced by the 25 wheels of the Sun, the cradle of sand will flow with blood!"
"Flower-crane cannon number two!!"
"Kagizaki!!! (Bound Blossom)"
"You did it, Lady Kūkaku!"
"it's a success!!"
"Be careful in there.... Ganju." With Koganehiko and Shiroganehiko congratulating her on a successful launch, Kūkaku somberly looks up and tells Ganju to be careful.
"I expected a bigger jolt"
Flying above the land below, a surprised Ichigo admits that he thought there would be a bigger jolt, only for Ganju to inform him that soemthing is coming next. "Hey.... Idiot.... it's coming!"
Suddenly the cannonball suddenly changed direction and began flying horizontally towards the Seireitei. While Ichigo and his friends scream in fright, Ganju was the only calm one, he unties the scroll he was reading prior and Mei was still peacefully eating a peach while treating this experience like she was watching a 3D movie but it felt real.
"How the hell can you be so calm!?" Ichigo asked startled as he turned to look at Mei as he noticed Ganju trying to concentrate to read something. "Wha.... What are you doing!?"
"Part two! Flower-crane cannon launch method two is a two part incantation! Part one launches and controls the direction, but acceleration and trajectory are controlled by part two!" Ganju explained as calmly as possible as he searched through the scroll a few more times. "This method allows precision guidance! Now, if you want to land in one piece, don't bother me!"
"All right!"
"Now, then.... Everybody listen up! In order for us to land safely inside the Seireitei, we have to adjust this cannonball's trajectory! And to do that, we have to even out the discharge of our spiritual energy!" He attracted everyone's attention by speaking loudly because the sound of the wind was almost overwhelming. "Now I'm starting the ceremony! I won't be able to monitor the discharge of your spiritual energies!"
"Okay! I want all of you to adjust your levels of spiritual energy to mine! You should be able to feel everyone's level of spirit energy by keeping your hands on this."
"Just adjust accordingly! If we mess this up, we're finished! So concentrate!" After instructing everyone, Ganju immediately raised one hand to make a seal and read what was written in the scroll he opened.
"Flower-crane cannon number two! Secondary Spell!"
"The fate of the three sparrows, the fate of the four dragons"
"Blocked in from five directions, unable to return six miles!"
"Wind of Heaven, orangutan, spoon, cane of elm..."
"Kurosaki, I think you're releasing too much energy...." As the cannonball continues to hurtle through the air with Ganju proceeding through the incantation, Orihime meekly informs Ichigo that he is releasing too much Reiryoku.
"Am I? Sorry...." He apologizes for that and quickly tries to adjust the amount again.
"Kurosaki! Lower it some more!" Uryū tells him to lower it a little more causing Ichigo to become flustered from making a mistake.
"I know! I've lowered it a lot already!"
"Ichigo...." Though Sado merely says his name, Ichigo grows frustrated and frantically acknowledges Uryū's second request while continuing to try to lower his Reiryoku output. "I said I know!"
"Thousand sprinkles of ashes, thousand bits of wisdom...."
"The measure of white clouds..."
"Ichigo...."
"Approaching the great darkness..."
"I said I know!"
"Not stepping on a scarlet shadows...."
"I'm turning it down now, hold on...."
"Thousand sprinkles of ashes, thousand bits of wisdom...."
"You idiot!! You made me read the same line twice!" Distracted by this, Ganju accidentally reads the same line of the incantation twice and angrily accuses Ichigo of causing this.
"So what!?" Ichigo is not pleased and immediately counters Ganju's statement that he lost his concentration because of him. "Damn it!! Is that supposed to be my fault too?"
"You're making so much noisce flapping that trap of yours that I lost focus, you dumbass!"
"Stop it, Kurosaki, Ganju! This is no time to be doing that, right!?"
"She's right! Stop this!" While Orihime and Uryū admonish Ichigo and Ganju for arguing at such a time, Sado looks outside the cannonball and nervously draws his friends' attention there, causing them to realize that the Seireitei is in view.
Mei immediately summoned her ōdachi sword and knocked the two idiots on the head just enough for them to stop arguing, her other hand still on Reishukaku. "Shut up, both you too are such idiots. We are almost there."
"We have no choice! Everyone, pour in all the spiritual energy you've got!" Yoruichi realizes that they are going to crash and tells the others to harden the cannonball as much as possible by infusing it with all the Reiryoku they can muster because they have no other option as the cannonball crashes into the Shakonmaku.
A loud noise was heard as the orb protecting them collided with Shakonmaku at extremely fast speeds, creating streams of energy and soundwaves as the shield shielding the orb and the barrier protecting Seireitei collided.
"Push through!!"
The orb that protected them immediately shattered upon passing through the barrier, in the air above, Mei, Ichigo Kurosaki, Orihime Inoue, Yasutora Sado, Uryū Ishida, Yoruichi Shihōin, and Ganju Shiba found themselves stuck in the tangled remains of the cannonball barrier they created. Mei muttered as she tried to remember this feeling of floating in the air. "Is this the feeling of flying...? Not bad either."
"What's going on!? We blasted through the shield, but why aren't we failing to the ground?" asked Ichigo.
"Don't get separated! The cannonball was destroyed by the the shield, but its residual energy temporarily holding us up!" Yoruichi spoke urgently.
"That means...."
"It will eventually create a whirlpool, then explode and vanish." Yoruichi continues to warn them that it will soon start to swirl and disappear, which will hurl them in different directions if they are separated by that point. "Anyone who gets separated, will be blown apart by the shock!"
Just as the warning ended, suddenly everyone was caught up in a swirling whirlwind of energy, prompting Yoruichi to declare that it has begun. "It's begun!"
"Damn, I'm not gonna get blown away!" Finding himself being dragged away, Ganju begins frantically swimming in midair toward Ichigo, who angrily tells him to get away.
"Don't come near me!"
"Go away if you don't like it!"
"Why don't you do it yourself!?"
"Would you two cut it out already!?" yelled Uryū.
"Grab the person closet to you and hold on tight!" Yoruichi shouted, causing the mismatched couple to reluctantly grab each other's collars and Yoruichi jumped on Ichigo's shoulder. Chad was able to grab Orihime, but Mei and Ishida were both out of reach so they couldn't hold on and it seemed like Mei was about to be thrown out. She tried to grab Ishida and throw him back into the vortex, falling out first.
"Miss Acheron!" Chad pushed Ishida towards Orihime and he and Mei fell out of the vortex. He quickly grabbed Mei's hand and pulled her close to him, suffering the landing together.
"Don't worry. With Acheron with him, they are the team with the highest survival rate." Yoruichi tried to reassure Ichigo even though they were also extremely worried. Even with Mei, with her Reiatsu they would attract a lot of enemy attention. "More importantly, if you want to be able to search for them down there, you must consider your own safety first!"