Chapter 98

"Hmm? Whatever do you mean, Shirou-kun?" Urahara raised his head and looked at him.

Currently, he was crouching down, busy sweeping the dust on the floor. He stopped when he saw the boy, tilting his head.

Shirou raised his eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously, "Don't act stupid, Urahara-san. That blonde guy, Shinji? I can smell your involvement from miles away."

He didn't have concrete evidence, but his instinct screamed that the shady shopkeeper had a part in this.

Either that or Urahara already knew about his existence but let him get close to them anyway.

"Well," Urahara sighed, standing up, "You're as sharp as usual, Shirou-kun. There is no need to hide anything, I guess."

"So you are the one behind it?"

"In a sense." Urahara admitted, nodding slightly. "But he's not your friend. He is more interested in Ichigo rather than you, Shirou."

So this person wasn't the friend mentioned before?

Narrowing his eyes, Shirou demanded more explanation from the shady shopkeeper. He had enough being kept in the dark by this shady shopkeeper.

"Tell me, then." He said, crossing his arms. "What's going on? And why is that person interest in Ichigo so much?"

The shopkeeper closed his eyes in contemplation. After a while, he finally answered, "They might want to ask him to join them, that's why."

"Them?"

"Yes." He nodded, "The Visored. Shinigami who had undergone hollowfication... Well, this isn't the place to tell you about this."

Standing up, he walked to the side and put the broom to its place. Then he turned around to look at the auburn-haired boy again, "Do you remember what I told you? To meet the person who can make you stronger?"

Shirou blinked and nodded his head. "Yeah."

"It's not limited to you, but also Ichigo-kun. But in his case, it will allow him to get stronger and use his power safely."

"What do you mean..."

Shirou's question stopped when Urahara sat down behind a table. He raised his leg and rested his arm on it while holding a fan with the other hand.

There was a serious look on his face as he looked at Shirou.

"Did you know about your parents' past? About how your father ended up here or your mother saved him?"

The past...

When Shirou used his tracing on his mother's Quincy cross, he did see some of them. He remembered her mother's bravery of taking a hollow's attack head on to finish it off.

And then a hole appeared on her chest or something, a similar transformation to hollow. His father decided to sacrifice his power and entered a special Gigai created by Urahara to contain the hollow or something like that.

When he finished speaking, Urahara nodded slowly, his expression didn't change. "You are correct, and it seems you already know some of it. But do you know what happened after that? Why is your mother fine even after Isshin recovered some of his Shinigami power? He's not wearing the same Gigai that can contain the hollow, after all."

The answer was obvious.

"No, I don't know." Shirou admitted, sighing.

"Hmm."

Of course Shirou didn't know. He thought the problem was over because nothing happened after that. His family was cheerful and happy like they usually did, and Masaki was the same like before. There was nothing strange at all, and his parents seemed like they were hiding something. But he thought they had already taken care of it.

It seemed the opposite though.

"Well," Urahara closed his eyes, "The problem is... That hollow is inherited by Ichigo-kun."

"...What?"

Lost in his thoughts, he failed to hear what the shady shopkeeper said. "Can you repeat it?"

"Ichigo-kun has the hollow inside him now."

Shirou stared blankly at Urahara, unable to believe his ears. He stood there for a long while, looking at him in stunned disbelief, before he finally found his voice and asked, "... Seriously?"

When he tried to find any sign of a alie, he found none.

So, what Urahara said was the truth then?

"Seriously." Urahara said, "And the only way for him to control the hollow inside him is to learn from those Visoreds, or..." The shopkeeper trailed off, his gaze meeting the other's, "You help him learn about it. Which isn't possible because you didn't inherit it."

Why was such a thing being kept from him?

Knowing Ichigo, he would be reluctant to tell the others but not him. His twin brother had no reason to keep such a secret from him. It didn't make any sense at all.

So why did this happen? Why did Urahara say it so casually?

"Urahara-san," The boy spoke up, his tone low, "I know I have been missing for a few weeks because I was in London back then. Did something happen?"

He had a lot of questions but decided to ask the simplest question. One that was easy and simple to understand, that didn't involve too much explanation. One that Urahara could answer without much thought.

The man sighed, "Something did happen."

His answer didn't help to solve the question Shirou had in his mind. If anything, it only added more to the confusion and unanswered question in his mind.

"Ichigo-kun fought a stronger hollow and learned about the hollow he inherited from his mother," He explained. "His inner hollow grew stronger from it. The stronger he get, the harder it is to control."

The former captain paused, letting the other absorb the information.

What a mess this turned into, Shirou thought, closing his eyes.

Ichigo had an inner hollow that grew stronger and harder to control every day, and now Shinji appeared at such perfect timing as if expecting it.

Having some information about them, Urahara thought it would be good to leave Ichigo in their care. Most probably they were connected at some point in the past, as they were former Shinigami.

And now came to this point.

"And that's all." He said, closing the fan and looking up to Shirou, who was staring back at him. His expression was serious, a complete opposite from what he had before. It made Urahara felt like he was being scrutinized.

The shopkeeper didn't show any reaction to it and waited for him to speak.

"Is it safe?"

"Hmm? Whatever do you mean?" Urahara asked in return.

"Is it safe?" He repeated, "Is Ichigo going to be fine there?"

Shirou didn't have any other choice. He had to trust the shady shopkeeper and put Ichigo's safety on the line. But still, it didn't stop him from wanting to ask for reassurance. He didn't want to regret his decision in the end, and he had to ask this question.

First of all, he knew nothing about the hollow inside Ichigo. Secondly, he knew nothing about the Visored. And lastly, he was clueless on what to do.

Urahara nodded at the question, "I am confident that they can take care of it. It will be dangerous but better than having Ichigo-kun losing control over his hollow side. If he's consumed, then..."

There was no need to explain more.

It had been a few years since Shirou knew about the hollow. And they all had one thing in common.

They were destructive. Mindless.

So if Ichigo was taken over by his inner hollow... He didn't even want to imagine that happening to him. Ichigo's power was great. He couldn't imagine the result if Ichigo's Hollow consumed him and started a rampage on the town. It would be a massacre, a disaster.

Something closer to an arrancar?

Even thinking about it made Shirou shudder. He didn't want to lose his brother to something he couldn't even fight.

So he bowed his head, surprising the shady shopkeeper with the sudden action. "Please take care of Ichigo." He pleaded.

"Shirou-kun..."

Shirou was aware of his lack of strength in this case.

His tracking was only useful against protecting his loved one from enemies, not when dealing with internal issues.

The former captain let out a soft, teasing chuckle, "Of course I will."

No matter what his purpose was, Shirou could feel the sincerity behind those words. The boy raised his head, and nodded at the shopkeeper.

"Thanks, Urahara-san."

"Of course." He replied.

Shirou turned around and left the shop. He had to get back home. Karin and Yuzu would be worried if he came back late.

Also, he would try to look normal, and he didn't want them to know about what he was doing behind their back.

So it would be best for him to get back as fast as possible. The auburn haired boy quickly walked out from the shop and headed straight home, his pace fast but not too fast that it would cause suspicions.

But when he got home...

"Yo."

He was surprised by another blonde waiting in his room.

However, it wasn't the same blondie that transferred into his school.

No, the blonde hair belonged to a girl his age. She was sitting on his bed while reading some magazines that he kept. Her blue eyes turned to him and she smiled widely.

"I come to help with the dragon matters, so you better be grateful."

Ninny Spangcole. A friend he made in England, who happened to be a Witch, had invaded his house.