Force of Souls Chapter 6 (Patreon)

Hello friends and fans, Kairomaru is bringing you another Force of Souls Chapter! The last of the Four Shinigami Arts, time for Hohō! A certain decision is made. A rather personal decision at that.

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So without further delay, please enjoy.

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Chapter 6 – Hohō and Decision

We form bonds in Life

We renew bonds in Death

“Raaaarrrrggghhhh!” A massive centipede-like Hollow roared at Ichigo. The Hollow’s large size and odd movement patterns were making it hard to land a blow on its mask.

“Gentle breeze, winding river, connecting distance. Hadō Number 2: Tō Nigi!” Ichigo cast the Kidō and reached out with his Reiryoku. He latched onto one of the legs closest to the head and reeled himself upwards. He canceled the Kidō when he shot passed the Hollow’s head, only able to leave a slash across the side of its first segment as it moved away from his blade.

“No you don’t!” The Substitute Shinigami growled at the large Hollow. “Stillness, silent, the dawn breaks. Rushing forward, the whispers become a roar! Hadō Number Eighteen: Kaze Kiru!” A swirling gale of wind surrounded the length of Ichigo’s blade. With a downward slice, the crescent blade of air was launched from his Zanpakutō. The Kidō sliced through the large centipede Hollow cleanly. The Hollow’s mask, along with the first two segments of its long body, were split almost perfectly down the middle. With a final howl the large Hollow dissolved into Reishi and three of the small blue souls were sent to Soul Society.

“Excellent work, Ichigo.” Rukia smiled at the orange-haired teen as he landed on the ground. It was night and the two had been preparing for bed when Rukia’s Soul Pager had gone off. Without hesitation, Ichigo had let Rukia use her Gokon Tekkō to push him out of his body. Ichigo had thrown his blanket over his body to make it look like he was sleeping. Rukia had hopped onto his back and the two were out the window in less than two minutes! Thankfully, with the larger size of the Hollow, it hadn’t taken them long to find it.

“Thanks, Rukia.” Ichigo sheathed his Zanpakutō and exhaled. “Hopefully that’s the last one for the night. I don’t want to be woken up again.”

“We can hope.” Rukia shook her head and climbed onto Ichigo’s back again. The Substitute Shinigami dashed across the rooftops and the duo was back to the Kurosaki Clinic in only a few minutes. Rukia was set on her feet and then Ichigo re-entered his body.

“I’m ready for bed now.” Ichigo remarked as he flipped the blanket open for Rukia. “How about you?”

“I could use the rest.” Rukia replied as she slipped into the bed. She scooted close to Ichigo and the blanket was draped over her. With a small grin, she felt Ichigo wrap his arms around her waist and pull her back into his chest. The direct contact was certainly helping her recovery, as they’d figured out, but she was still only recovering at a snail’s pace. Now that the two were comfortable, sleep came quickly.

-Morning-

Rukia, as usual, woke up first. Her routine as a Shinigami for the last few decades had set her internal clock to waking up at a certain time every morning. She enjoyed the pleasant warmth of the bed and Ichigo’s embrace. Her now normal inspection of her recovery showed her Reiryoku had increased marginally again. She needed to find a way to recover faster! At her current pace she’d barely have her powers back by the time her sixth month patrol ended! Weren’t Gigai supposed to assist with the Shinigami’s recovery? It was just passed three weeks now and her recovery, even with Ichigo’s help, was stalling!

“Hmm,” Ichigo mumbled in his sleep, still pressed up against her back. Rukia couldn’t help the small, warm smile on her lips. Her Substitute continued to impress her with his growth, hard work, and dedication to the duties he was taking over for her. Not a single Hollow had escaped since Ichigo had become a Shinigami. Any Pluses found while on patrol were quickly soothed and Konsō performed without issue. It was like Ichigo was born to be a Shinigami, honestly.

“Eep!” Rukia stifled herself, but some sound escaped her mouth. Ichigo’s hands had wandered during the night! The fact that Rukia hadn’t realized where Ichigo’s left hand was could only be attributed to how comfortable she was with him. The orange-haired teen’s left hand was cupping her left breast! She’d only noticed when his hand had gently squeezed her!

“Ruki…” Ichigo murmured in his sleep, clearly starting her name.

‘Is he dreaming about me?’ Rukia blinked, feeling her cheeks warm slightly. It was a pleasing thought, though she wouldn’t admit it out loud, that Ichigo would dream about her while holding her close like this. She honestly wasn’t even upset about the wandering hand on her breast. It was a new experience to have a man’s hands on her body like this. But she certainly found it pleasant. Another unconscious, gentle squeeze and Rukia relaxed into the warmth of Ichigo’s body.

“Hmm, good morning, Rukia…” Ichigo yawned a few minutes later as he woke up. It took him a few moments to clear his sleep-addled mind, but when he did, he quickly realized where his hand was and what he was cupping.

“Good morning, Ichigo.” Rukia returned as she turned her head to look at him.

“I… Well…” Ichigo was expecting a more hostile reaction to their current position.

Rukia turned over, so that they were facing each other. The movement removed Ichigo’s hand from her left breast. The two looked at each other, brown eyes met violet. Ichigo lost track of his surroundings, especially when he saw Rukia’s violet eyes change. A warmth in those beautiful eyes that he hadn’t seen before appeared. He subconsciously relaxed his body, his focus solely upon Rukia, even as his arms wrapped around her waist again.

For her part, Rukia felt Ichigo’s arms around her waist, but the rest of the world had already fallen away. She saw his eyes gain a warmth that she’d only seen when he looked at Tatsuki and Orihime. Those warm brown eyes were now directed at her. Unbidden the two leaned closer together. Rukia tilted her head upwards as Ichigo moved closer, his head dropping slowly.

Their lips met.

Rukia closed her eyes and pressed her lips against Ichigo’s. Her heart thumped in her chest as she placed her hands on his shirt-covered chest. They were pressed even closer together as Ichigo’s arms pulled her closer to him.

Ichigo kissed Rukia gently, their lips meeting and softly molding against each other. The petite Shinigami woman fit so well in his arms. His eyes closed as he pulled her closer and felt her hands on his chest. They stayed lip locked for a few blissful moments before they softly pulling away.

“Rukia…” Ichigo leaned forward and gently rested his forehead against hers. A warm, gentle smile, full of love, affection, and happiness graced his lips.

“Ichigo…” Rukia gazed deeply into his warm brown eyes as they rested against each other. Her own gaze overflowed with the same joyful emotions and a warm smile was on her freshly-kissed lips.

“I’m going to kiss you again.” Ichigo stated; his voice light and gentle.

“Yes.” Rukia replied as her left hand moved up to caress his cheek and guide him to her lips again. The pair kissed again, expressing their feelings for each other with physical affection as they continued to lie in Ichigo’s bed.

“We should probably start getting ready for school.” Ichigo murmured against Rukia’s lips a little while later. “We need to talk to Tatsuki and Orihime about this.”

“Alright,” Rukia relented as she pulled back. Ichigo moved forward to capture her lips again and Rukia made a pleasurable hum as she returned the kiss. After separating again, Rukia moved to the edge of the bed and stood up. With a warm smile she looked at Ichigo over her shoulder as he ogled her butt. The Shinigami woman couldn’t help but enjoy the way Ichigo seemed so mesmerized.

“I’ll get breakfast.” Ichigo shook his head a few moments later. Seeing Rukia’s knowing look as she finally moved to collect her clothes for the day, only solidified the fact that she’d let him look.

It was Ichigo and Rukia walking very closely together that first tipped Tatsuki off. The pair was walking towards the Arisawa residence to meet up with her and Orihime so they could all walk to school together. This had become their normal routine ever since they’d learned that Rukia was a Shinigami. Tatsuki raised an eyebrow as she looked between Ichigo and Rukia. Ichigo gave her that warm and loving look she and Orihime both adored so much. Rukia’s cheeks went pink when she met Tatsuki’s gaze.

“Well now, what’s this?” Tatsuki asked with a teasing lilt in her voice.

“I… Well… That is…” Rukia couldn’t seem to find the right words.

“Rukia has decided to join our relationship, Tatsuki.” Ichigo explained only for Rukia to be glomped by an orangette missile.

“Yay! Rukia-chan! Welcome to our family!” Orihime cheered as she hugged the petite Shinigami tightly. Rukia’s cheeks blazed red at the ‘family’ remark, but she returned the hug nonetheless.

“I figured,” Tatsuki chuckled before beaming warmly at Rukia. “We’ll have to celebrate soon. But first,” She turned and pulled Ichigo down and kissed him soundly on the lips. “We need our ‘Good Morning’ kisses.”

“Ichigo!” Orihime practically flew into his arms and threw her arms around his neck. The two orangettes locked lips and held each other close for a moment. “Ha~” Orihime had a bright smile on her face as they pulled away from each other.

“Let’s get to school before we get side-tracked.” Tatsuki smiled at her loves. She and Orihime would help Rukia get comfortable with their relationship. It would be best for everyone if she was eased into this new experience gently and at her own pace, rather than forced to go further than she was comfortable with after all.

The foursome walked into school as was normal for them. Some people noted that Rukia seemed to be walking closer to Ichigo, but no one was dumb enough to speak up and risk pissing off Ichigo or Tatsuki. The school day went by normally enough. There were no orders from Soul Society about Hollows at least. When lunch rolled around, Orihime and Tatsuki dragged Rukia off with them to eat with the girls. Ichigo just shook his head fondly as he made his way up to the roof to eat with Chad, Keigo, and Mizuiro.

-Girl’s Lunch Spot-

“I knewit!” Mahana exclaimed as she saw Rukia sat between Tatsuki and Orihime. The ravenette blushed prettily while Tatsuki waved Mahana off and Orihime beamed happily.

“No!” Chizuru cried out dramatically. “How could that orange-haired delinquent have stolen another beautiful flower from the garden?” The redhead practically wailed at seeing Rukia with Orihime and Tatsuki.

“I didn’t think Ichigo was so popular.” Michiru whispered to Ryo as they ate.

“Well, they’re all together with each other too, so that must mean Orihime and Tatsuki wanted Rukia in their relationship as well.” Ryo surmised as she flipped a page in her book.

“Huh, I guess you’re right, Ryo.” Michiru looked thoughtful as she took another bite of her lunch. Watching Rukia, Orihime, and Tatsuki sharing food amongst them was kinda cute. Rukia was clearly a little flustered, but she seemed to be enjoying herself. Orihime was beaming almost as bright as the sun the whole time. Tatsuki was keeping things slow for Rukia, while also threatening Chizuru with bodily harm if she got too close!

-Boy’s Lunch Spot on the Roof-

“Ichigo, save some girls for us you selfish jerk!” Keigo demanded, pointing at his friend accusingly.

“Keigo, I willthrow you off this roof if you don’t shut up.” Ichigo warned his friend with a flat stare. Chad simply shrugged at the news, but wished Ichigo and Rukia’s new relationship well. Mizuiro had other ideas though.

“So, Ichigo, if you need any advice on dealing with more than two ladies, I’d be happy to give you some tips as your friend.” Mizuiro grinned at the orange-haired teen with a smile and thumbs up.

“Mizuiro, I willthrow you off this roof if you say that again.” Ichigo stared at the black-haired teen with the same flat look as Keigo. Mizuiro waved his hands in front of him while shaking his head rapidly.

Lunch continued on with conversation that didn’t involve Ichigo’s love life.

-After School-

The group of Rukia, Ichigo, Orihime, and Tatsuki were headed to Matsukura again to practice. Rukia had fallen back into her normal rhythm with Tatsuki and Orihime. The three chatting normally even though they’d now changed their relationship status. A few playful teases or innuendos were made between the three, mostly from Tatsuki, but it was all light-hearted.

Once the four of them were behind the abandoned Hospital and out of sight, Ichigo took a Gikon and let Pupples handle his classwork. He’d look over it, like he always did, but the Gikon did good work. Now that he was in Shinigami form, it was time to practice.

“Today I’ll be introducing you to Hohō, the final of the Four Shinigami Arts.” Rukia explained to the three of them. “Hohō is an important skill for most Shinigami. It incorporates speed and agility to evade enemies and their attacks. One’s skill level with Hohō can be improved through concentration, training, and eventual mastery of it. The greatest expression of Hohō is the technique known as Shunpo, or Flash Step. With it you can move quickly, even disappearing to the eye of those not perceptive enough to follow your movements. You can also cover incredible distance in a very short time. Advanced use of Shunpo is capable of being used directly for combat as well. While there are advanced techniques derived from Shunpo, I’m afraid I only know of them, so I won’t be able to teach you any.” She gave them a lopsided smile after admitting to not being advanced enough in Shunpo to know the higher techniques.

“That’s fine, Rukia, we’ll learn whatever you have to teach us.” Tatsuki smiled at her new girlfriend.

“Yep!” Orihime chirped happily, she was practically bouncing on her heels already.

“We’re ready to learn, Rukia.” Ichigo’s look, full of trust and love, made warmth fill her body. Her cheeks turned light pink at the affection she saw in his gaze.

“Alright, first I’ll demonstrate the basic footwork.” Rukia smiled at her new boyfriend and girlfriends. That would take a bit to get used to, but it was a wonderful feeling. “Ichigo, try and hit me.”

“You want me to hit you?” Ichigo stepped forward, though he looked uncertain.

“I want you to try.” Rukia smirked challengingly at her Substitute.

“Okay,” Ichigo shrugged as he took a stance. “Don’t blame me if I connect.”

“I won’t.” Rukia shook her head, her challenging smirk still on her lips.

Ichigo threw a jab first. Rukia pivoted on her heel to dodge. He followed up with a left cross and Rukia stepped back. When he went for a sudden elbow strike, she moved around the blow with a simple shift of her feet. Ichigo could only blink as each punch and strike was dodged without Rukia having to use her hands to parry or block at all. Ichigo threw a roundhouse at the Shinigami woman and nearly upset his balance when Rukia took two steps in the same direction his leg was moving. She’d easily stayed ahead of his kick and barely had to do anything to make him almost lose his balance.

“Ichigo can’t even touch her.” Tatsuki blinked at the show of expert footwork from Rukia. “That’s amazing.”

“I want to learn this,” Orihime was looking intently at Rukia dodging Ichigo’s strikes. “I don’t like hurting people, but dodging them, I can do that.” Tatsuki gave a soft smile to her girlfriend. Orihime had always been a gentle soul, sweet, bubbly, and an airhead. Tatsuki and Ichigo loved her for it.

Rukia suddenly blurred, seemingly disappearing just as Ichigo threw a punch. Tatsuki, Orihime, and Ichigo all blinked in shock and confusion. A hand on Ichigo’s back alerted him to Rukia’s location as she blurred back into existence. Looking over his shoulder at the petite Shinigami, Ichigo was met with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

“That was Shunpo, thank you for helping me demonstrate Hohō, Ichigo.” Rukia gave him a grin and Ichigo nodded to her. She wasn’t expecting him to lean down and kiss her cheek though. Rukia flushed and stuttered for a seconded while Ichigo was the one smirking now.

“Don’t fluster Rukia too much, Ichigo.” Tatsuki chuckled while Orihime giggled along with her. “She still needs to show us how this Hohō footwork is done.”

“Okay,” Ichigo grinned at Rukia. The violet-eyed woman gently swatted his arm before settling herself.

“The first stance of Hohō starts like this.” Rukia showed the three how she placed her feet on the ground. She demonstrated both position as well as describing where her weight was centered while in the stance. “Copy my movements and we’ll go through the first steps. With any luck, we’ll be able to get to Shunpo before too long.”

“Right.” Ichigo, Orihime, and Tatsuki relied in unison. Rukia felt a smile small form at how ready they were to learn. She would do her best to teach them all, so that they could explore this new relationship together.

Unknown to the four below, a black cat was sitting on top of the roof of the abandoned hospital looking down at them and their practice. There should be no way for a housecat to climb up to the roof of such a building normally. But this was no normal cat, not by a long shot.

“It seems they’re making progress.” The cat spoke with a deep, masculine voice. “Isshin’s boy is growing faster than any Shinigami I’ve seen before. To come from being unable to even direct his Reiryoku a month ago, all the way to being able to utilize Kidō, Hakuda, and even learning Hohō. The two girls aren’t lacking either.” The cat’s eyes glanced over Orihime and Tatsuki. “The Martial Artist would be fun.” What could pass for a smirk appeared on the black cat’s face. “I wonder… When will they notice?”

As the group of four went through the stances and steps of Hohō together they never noticed their observer. Even as hours passed and some progress was made by Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Orihime, the black cat continued to watch on. It wasn’t much of a surprise to the cat that only the basics of the basics were covered in this first lesson. Hohō wasn’t an Art that could be learned and mastered in a day.

“Maybe I should tell Kisuke to drop a hint the next time the Kuchiki girl comes to buy supplies.” The cat snickered, clearly amused by the situation with the four that were finishing up their practice session. The feline stretched out and then vanished in the same way that Rukia had earlier. The major difference being that the cat’s movement would have gone unseen even if someone had been looking.

The group of four walked to Orihime’s apartment together after their practice. Orihime was on Ichigo’s right arm, while Tatsuki held his left hand in her right. Rukia was in front, blushing slightly as she felt three pairs of eyes all over her butt. The violet-eyed woman supposed it was going to be a fairly normal thing from now on though. Both Orihime and Tatsuki had been completely open about how much they liked her and her body. Orihime happily welcomed them into her apartment after unlocking the door. Tea was put on and snacks were brought out as the four relaxed after their multi-hour practice session.

“Ha~ This is great!” Orihime beamed as she lay against Ichigo with a snack in hand. Ichigo kissed the top of her head and Orihime giggled happily while snuggling closer.

“Come on, Rukia, don’t be so stiff.” Tatsuki encouraged her fellow ravenette as she sat Rukia between herself and Ichigo. “Just relax; snuggling close while you relax is the best.”

“Okay,” Rukia exhaled to relax before leaning against Ichigo as well. When Ichigo’s arm wrapped around her waist and pulled her closer she sighed and let go. Resting her head against him she only started slightly when Tatsuki gently leaned against her and placed a chaste kiss on her cheek.

“Baby steps, Rukia.” Tatsuki smiled as she held Rukia. “We’ll get you comfortable, bit by bit.”

“Thank you, Tatsuki.” Rukia returned the smile as she leaned against Ichigo and let Tatsuki hold her.

The group of four enjoyed their time to relax together. Ichigo was glad that no orders had come in since last night. It was rare to get a day without a Hollow appearing. He was going to make the most of it and enjoy this down time with his girlfriends. Pulling Rukia and Orihime closer to him, Ichigo kissed the tops of their heads. He’d keep fighting to protect them, to protect his family, and to protect Karakura. It was going to be May soon. It was strange to think how much his life had changed in only a month. But it had brought Rukia into his life, and he wouldn’t change that for the world.

-Night ~ Ichigo’s Bedroom-

Ichigo and Rukia were preparing for bed. Both were in their pajamas and Rukia was looking through her Soul Pager for any notices regarding District 3600. She did this often, usually while Ichigo was meditating to help with his Reiryoku Control at night. If any anomalies were caught by Squad Twelve’s sensors, then she needed to know about it. Whether they were about Hollows or if they might be tipped off about her current situation. Any advanced warning for either scenario would be welcomed.

‘The power cell is almost dead. I guess that’s what I get for buying the cheapest one.’ Rukia mused as she saw the ‘Low Power’ in the top right corner of the screen. ‘Looks like I’ll need to go to Urahara’s again.’ With that thought in mind she planned to make the trip after school tomorrow. Ichigo would need more Gikon soon enough anyway.

“Your control is improving.” Rukia smiled at Ichigo as she heard him exhale and saw him open his eyes. If they were still using the One-to-Ten Scale they started with. Ichigo could now successfully rein in his Reiryoku to a near constant six or six and a half. It was a far cry better than when his power had been at ten and escaping his body like a broken faucet. For how much raw Reiryoku Ichigo had, his progress was nothing short of amazing.

“I try. I need to get my power under control. Better control will only help with fighting the Hollows.” Ichigo stretched for a bit. “Ready for bed?”

“Yes, let’s get some sleep.” Rukia nodded as Ichigo lay down and she crawled into the bed after him. She turned to face him and pressed herself against his chest. This would be their first time sleeping facing each other, at least on purpose. The two gazed warmly at each other before their lips met and they shared a soft kiss. Ichigo wrapped his arms around her waist and they snuggled close together under the blanket.

-The Next Day ~ After School-

Another boring day at school had come and gone. Rukia really couldn’t care less about the classes, but to keep her cover and remain close to Ichigo she had to attend. She’d sent Tatsuki and Orihime ahead to Matsukura to get ready for practice. She and Ichigo would be stopping by Urahara’s to pick up supplies. Rukia also had a question for the shopkeeper.

“Kuchiki-san, how nice to see you again.” Urahara smiled behind his fan as he welcomed her to his shop. “You as well, Kurosaki-kun.” The blonde nodded to the teen.

“Hey, Hat n Clogs.” Ichigo returned the greeting in his own way. His eyes noticed a black cat lounging on a pillow off to the side of where Urahara was sitting; the feline’s golden eyes looking at Ichigo and Rukia.

“I need a new Soul Pager power cell.” Rukia informed the shopkeeper as she held out the dead one.

“I told you it was your funeral for relying on the cheapest one.” Urahara chuckled as he took the power cell from her. “What grade this time?”

“The second highest will be fine.” Rukia requested and Urahara brought out his calculator.

“Will this be out of your personal finances or on the Family Account?” Urahara asked as he typed in the price for the new power cell.

“Personal, Ichigo dealt with a Bounty recently.” Rukia handed her Soul Pager over to Urahara. At the moment the device was only running on its small internal power source. Without a new power cell it would be completely dead in an hour or less.

“Bounty money?” Urahara raised an eyebrow as he looked at the screen. “Oh, he was quite the nuisance for being so young. Shrieker, with a bounty of Five Thousand Kan. Not bad at all.” With the funds confirmed Urahara added the amount for the much better Soul Pager power cell. “Anything else you need today? Another Asauchi perhaps?” The blonde man chuckled at Rukia.

“No, why would I need another one? Ichigo’s got a proper Zanpakutō already.” Rukia gave the shopkeeper a perplexed look. “We do need another case of Gikon though. Ichigo will run out in the next week otherwise.”

“Of course, no need to worry.” Urahara stopped his chuckles as he added the total for a new case of Gikon to Rukia’s bill.

“That should be all for now.” Rukia stated after a moment to think.

“Alright, I’ll deduct the total from your personal finances.” Urahara tapped a few buttons on Rukia’s Soul Pager. A moment later the large man with braided dreadlocks came out of the back with the purchased items. Rukia took the new power cell and connected it to the Soul Pager. Seeing the power bar read ‘Full’ again was a relief. She placed the new case of Gikon into her bag before looking at Urahara again.

“Something I can help you with, Kuchiki-san?” Urahara questioned the petite Shinigami woman.

“My recovery seems to be slowing down considerably. It’s closing in on a month since I started using it and it’s only thanks to Ichigo’s help that I’ve recovered as much as I have. Could you tell me why that might be? Did you sell me a defective Gigai?” Rukia questioned the bucket hat-wearing man.

“I run a reputable business.” Urahara retorted in an almost petulant, whiny tone from behind his paper fan. “You lost nearly all of your Reiryoku, Kuchiki-san. That takes time to recover from. It won’t happen overnight, but you will recover. If something that Kurosaki-kun is doing helps with your recovery, then try doing it more.”

“Very well.” Rukia stared the man down for a long moment. Ichigo was glaring a hole in the side of the shopkeeper’s head as well. The mere thought that Rukia’s recovery could be slowed by a faulty product that Urahara supplied angering him.

“Would you care to enlighten me as to what Kurosaki-kun is doing to help you?” Urahara questioned Rukia with a curious look.

“Never you mind!” Rukia snapped and turned to leave. “Let’s go, Ichigo, we have practice to continue.”

“Sure thing, Rukia.” Ichigo gave a suspicious look at Urahara before following Rukia out of the shop.

“Hmm, her recovery got to the point that the Gigai switched to the more intensive Reiryoku dispersion? That shouldn’t have been necessary for any normal Shinigami’s natural recovery rate.” Urahara mumbled as the black cat left its pillow and walked over to his side. “I wonder what Kurosaki-kun could be doing to increase her recovery so much?”

“What happens if your plan fails?” The cat questioned in its deep voice.

“I’ll have to remove it from her and continue hiding it here. The total loss of powers of its host should send it into a death spiral of losing power until it ceases to exist. That’s why I implemented this plan to begin with.” Urahara sighed, not feeling good about what he had done, but knowing it was the best chance to eliminate his greatest mistake.

“Do you think asking about Asauchi will get her thinking?” The cat changed the topic to something more positive.

“Possibly, if not, we can always be a little more direct.” Urahara smiled as he gently pet the cat’s head.

“Direct but discreet would be more entertaining.” The cat chuckled as Urahara scratched behind it ears.

“Maybe, maybe…” Urahara grinned at the black cat.

-End Chapter-

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Fluff, progress, questions, the ripples continue to spread! What more will change as we continue?

So Rukia has officially joined the relationship! Now Ichigo, Tatsuki, and Orihime will ease her into it and make sure she’s comfortable. So cute!

Hohō training has begun as well! Will Shunpo soon be available?

We also have the appearance of a certain feline! Too bad our cute polyamorous group doesn’t know what’s going to hit them!

How much longer will these easier days last?

What’s next for the Substitute Shinigami?

Keep reading to find out!

Until I get your reviews, later!