InuYasha Fan Fiction / Bleach Fan Fiction ❯ Dragon Sword of the Four Souls ❯ Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't own Inuyasha. Sole copyright belongs to Viz and Rumiko Takashi and I also don't own Bleach. Sole copyright belongs to Shonen Jump and Kubo Tite.

A/N Sorry for taking a while in updating, I’ll be quicker with the next chapter (I hope). Still haven’t a clue what pairings I’m going to have yet, though I do have some ideas for Inuyasha. Yep he is going to end up happy for once and not the bad guy.

I do apologise for any spelling mistakes I have as well. Lately my English has been terrible. I think its too many late nights working finally getting to me, even when I’m speaking, its all babble and gobble guck.

Chapter 3

Inuyasha lay back against the side of the window, one arm braced on his bent leg as he stared outside at the busy town lights, Tessaiga held in his other arm as he rested his chin against its sheathe. This hospital was a fair distance away from the shrine; almost on the western outskirts of Tokyo in a town called Karakura.

Not that it mattered to him, even with his hanyou speed it only took him less than half an hour to get here and the distance was worth it to get to Kagome’s side. Though he stared outside, he was focused more on the young woman lying near him in a deep sleep.

All other sounds faded away to the distance, the frequent beeping of the machines which Souta had explained to him about and the sounds of people working nearby in the same building. Even the overpowering scent that hovered around and inside this large building, the scent of sickness, sadness, pain and death became un-important to his nose.

None of it mattered to him as he took in the familiar scent of Kagome, her aura comforting him like a blanket in ways that even the Goshinboku couldn’t touch. Her steady breathing was a calming music to his ears.

Once he had come before as a human on a new moon just recently with Kagome’s mother. The day he hated more than anything because of the weakness he felt when in that form. He hated it even more that day, as his human senses couldn’t pick up her scent nor could he hear her pulse or heartbeat.

He had barely moved from her side that day from fear she would stop breathing, all he did was watch her chest move up and down, until Kagome’s mother said it was time to leave. He preferred coming at night-time when it was quieter and the building inhabitants mostly asleep except those that worked there.

The time that he was now here as he sneaked in the window which was always unlocked, something that puzzled him at first but he didn’t question it as he had an easy access to Kagome’s room. He wondered briefly if it was Mrs Higurishi that left it that way for him.

Inuyasha still couldn’t look the woman in the eyes nor Souta or Kagome’s grandfather, not after what he had done. Even though the woman had forgiven him for what he had done. He couldn’t help but tell her the truth of what happened that day with Kikyo.

The words had spilled out of him when she had asked when he had returned when Kaede had told him to return to Kagome. The anger in her eyes had been scary even to him and he had been shocked when she had grabbed him and hugged him tight.

Her close embrace reminding him of his mother when he was a child and when he had needed the closeness of her. The scent of her tears as she cried for him.

He couldn’t help but compare her actions to Kagome, the similarity of it helping him to cope. As he knew that Kagome would have done the same for him.

A deep sigh made his ears twitch and brought him out of his thoughts as he glanced around at Kagome, she hadn’t stirred but the sigh made him smile slightly as her aura increased over him, it was as if she was telling him off for brooding.

Well at least it wasn’t the ‘sit’ command Inuyasha thought with an increasing smile. oOoOo  

Ishida’s irritation grew as Ichigo stormed off ahead to deal with a Hollow with his normal cocky attitude. Why did he agree to come and help him, he did not know. Was it the shock of being asked by Ichigo for help, something he knew that the temp shinigami rarely did or was it the fact he secretly enjoyed rubbing it in that even though his Quincy power was gone he still could sense spiritual powers a lot better than Ichigo, hmmm probably both.

Ichigo had came to his apartment about an hour ago asking for his help surprising him for sure. When he had asked if he had noticed the extra increase of Hollows about, Ishida had scoffed at him asking why he should help him considering the fact they were enemies.

It was most amusing seeing the orange haired teenager blowing up in his face, if anything to flex the superiority of his intelligence over the death god was enjoyable for him as he couldn’t do it with his depleted Quincy powers.

Ishida was glad that at least he could still sense and see Hollows if anything along with other spiritual powers. So after a brief argument he had agreed with Ichigo to help him, something he was going to do from the beginning actually.

Just as they where about to leave his home though, Ichigo’s badge of proof of his identity of a temporary shinigami, the small wooden token to notify him about Hollows and given to him by Ukitake, Captain of the Thirteenth Division and also Rukia’s superior suddenly went off.

Which was fortunate in one way as it was a lead for the two especially as the Hollow that Ichigo had to deal with was not far off from the small spiritual flare that Ishida had been sensing on and off for the last few weeks but it was an irritation for the Quincy as now a spiritual-less body (1) was left lying in his flat as Ichigo in his shinigami form went ahead to deal with the Hollow.

Ishida sighed as he ran to catch up with the ignorant fool, pushing his glasses up the bridge of his noise in an almost weary action. As he neared his quarry Ishida became slightly worried as the area he was nearing was familiar to him. He had left the more domestic part of town to come to the more business and industrial side of Karakura town.

It was where his father’s hospital was; sure he didn’t have a close relationship with his father. He had lived by himself for over a year now in his own flat as soon as he was able too. But still it was his father’s property and business that the Hollow was near and also the spiritual scent he and Ichigo were looking for.

But if a Hollow was near by and knowing the kind of destruction Ichigo usually dealt out did make him worry. Hopefully the Hollow would be destroyed before anything too disastrous happened. The wishful thinking made him wince at the optimism of that thought. He should know really by now that was too much to expect especially with the way Ichigo can be, he thought with a long suffering sigh. oOoOo

The shriek of the Hollow nearby that he was hunting as always sent that slight shiver along Ichigo’s spine; the phrase ‘some ones walking over my grave’ came to mind. It was a common reaction he had ever since his first introduction to a Hollow.

The shiver wasn’t caused by fear of the Hollow, no it was more the feelings that arose from hearing that noise. Anger, hate, hunger and pain was what he mostly heard in that shrill tone.

As Ichigo came upon the Hollow the sheer size of it stuck him still for a slight second. The Hollow stood at a size of nearly 30 feet and half that in width, its body was unnatural in shape and awkward looking almost like a slug with a long snake like tail trailing off behind it; also this slug of a monster had four arms, the skin a mix of green and grey.

These however wasn’t what drew the eyes, no it was the large hole that stood in the middle of it’s chest and the large white skull mask over its face. It always hit Ichigo whenever he fought one of these things how one of these Hollows used to be a human spirit that hadn’t passed on to soul society or as humans would say heaven.

Surprisingly considering it’s size and the remarkable similarity of its shape to a slug, it was actually quite fast for a low level Hollow, Ichigo though easily kept up to it. He was annoyed and puzzled as well why the thing was moving away from him, usually when he came upon one, they wanted to eat him because of how his high spiritual power tasted so yummy to them.

Whilst chasing it, he could hear the thing mumble over and over the same sentence in its harsh and shrill tone.

“Whereeee issss itttt, IIIII cannnn almostttttt tasteee ittttt…..?”

Finally the Hollow had stopped in an almost empty car park nearby a large building which looked familiar to Ichigo. The Hollow peered it’s masked face upwards and opened its mouth, jagged teeth dripping with a sickly looking green slime, out came a long thin tongue also covered with that same slime which when it hit the ground started to burn away into it like acid.

The noxious fumes brought stinging tears to Ichigo’s eyes but he ignored it to deal with the now still Hollow, no sense delaying its slaying any longer he thought as sprung into the air with one push.

The words “It’ssss hereeee IIIII…” where all that was heard from the Hollow before Ichigo slid his sword Zangetsu effortless through its white mask and sent it on its way with one powerful strike.

“You couldn’t wait till it finished talking!” came from Ishida who had just come around the corner in the last final minutes.

“Hmphh!” it never was good enough for Ishida, bastard always has to pick at something thought Ichigo.

“Whatever the Hollow was searching for, is here I can just tell.”

Ishida was quiet now which made Ichigo grin with slight amusement obviously he was right.

Ichigo searched around using his powers to sense what had attracted whilst Ishida watched on, it was his turn to smirk as the furrow in Ichigo’s brow increased. It wasn’t the fact that Ichigo couldn’t do it, it was more the fact that orange haired boy’s reiatsu was so overpowering that it blanketed anything else near by making it hard to find another spiritual essence.

“What the fuck!!!” Ichigo exclaimed wildly as his body tensed, Ishida was just about to question him, when that slight spiritual aura which he had already felt but not said to Ichigo about suddenly disappeared and another totally different aura took its place.

It was something the males had never felt before in their lives, not in all his time as a shinigami or his time being sensitive to ghosts or the other man in his time as a Quincy and considering his grandfather before his untimely death had taught him to recognise most spiritual signatures it was frustrating.

The aura was dark and chaotic and very strong and it was approaching them fast too. Actually fast wasn’t the word for it as out of nowhere it seemed a figure jumped down in between him and Ichigo landing in a crouched position before straightening up swiftly.

Ichigo and Ishida’s curiosity were drawn right away to the man if you could call him that, at least because of his clothing. For one it was definitely not from this time period, it reminded both of the young men of Ichigo’s shinigami clothing. Even in the dark and the limited light provided from the nearby street lights you could see the distinctive colour and style. The bright red a sharp contrast to the black of Ichigo’s clothing.

The style was reminiscent of Shinto priests to Ishida’s professional eyes (2) with the hakama pants which ballooned at the ankles before tying off before the man‘s bare feet. The jacket similar to a kimono but obviously not so by the length, it also had partially attached long wide sleeves. From the openings from the sleeves a white kosode could be seen. Not only that from the man’s left side something which Ichigo had noticed straight away was a sword that was sheathed into his sloppily tied Obi.

The most noticeable thing apart from all this was the man’s distinctive appearance, the long white hair and the two dog shaped ears which twitched occasionally. This is what made Ichigo finally talk.

“What the hell are you?”

To Ichigo’s annoyance the man still did not turn to look at him, his back was turned to him and ignoring him, his entire attention was on Ishida not Ichigo.

Ishida noticed straight away something was up, for one the person before him had his attention entirely focused on him not Ichigo. Some how from the way this person stood practically shouted out to him that he was a warrior and considering even though it pained him to admit it, Ichigo would be considered more of a threat then himself at this moment.

Because of this instinctive guess about this man he was shocked that the being before him focused on him and not on Ichigo. He hadn’t even glanced at Ichigo when he had shouted.

Ishida’s mind also wasn’t just focused on the man’s behaviour but also on his aura as well. It was indeed wild, dark and chaotic to him. As a training Quincy his dearly beloved grandfather had taught him many ways to recognise auras. One was of course the visualisation of spirit threads from concentrating on a person‘s aura.

For example an ordinary human was just white threads. Ichigo and himself had these along with a distinctive other spirit thread which announced what they were. Ichigo was a long red one which all shinigami have, as for himself his was a long blue one.

This person was totally different, actually he didn’t have any spirit threads, and instead his aura when he concentrated on him was like a blaze of raging fire surrounding him.

The red colour was nothing like Ichigo’s though, instead it was deeper darker red nearly black at the outer edges but from the inner it was a silvery white, not as strong as the darker colour but it was there.

It wasn’t the only thing that was strange, for the man’s distinctive clothing also had an aura about it, it was exactly like that of the dark red side of the man’s.

Whilst Ishida was watching, Ichigo was getting very annoyed, for he was being ignored which was pissing him off.

“Yo, bastard did you hear me?” as he shouted this Ichigo placed his hand on the shoulder of the person before him.

“What the !!!” came a disgruntled and startled tone, as the man’s body tensed at Ichigo’s touch. With a jump in the air gracefully the man swiftly turned and then landed just 10 feet away from Ishida and Ichigo, not only that the man had quickly unsheathed his sword which then transformed in to a larger blade.

“Wooo!!” The power which suddenly came from the man’s sword suddenly made his aura pale in contrast, it was just as dark and wild as his though.

The shape of the sword was strange too, the size reminded Ichigo of his first sword when he had received his powers from Rukia. Though the shape was different, not only that it looked as if the sword wasn’t even metal but a much denser material. Where the hand guard was also a covering of white fur seemed attached.

Ichigo quickly unsheathed his own Zangetsu and moved to stand in front of Ishida, body tense waiting for the man to attack.

The body actions coming from the man was strange, his ears twitching and large sniffing was heard as he looked around with a tense body, not even looking Ishida’s way now.

Suddenly a whisper reached Ichigo’s ears coming from Ishida.

“I don’t think he can see you Kurosaki.”

TBC

I’m not happy slightly with this chapter but I wanted to get it out before I get any more angry emails. (Sob)

(1) When Ichigo uses the badge on himself, he can take his shinigami spirit form out of his body to fight hollows. However this means his body is in a vunerable position as it is unconscious. Otherwise Ichigo can use Kon a modified soul that was created to fight Hollows, it is normally inside a teddy bear but when needed Ichigo will use him to fill his body whilst he goes to off to fight Hollows.

(2) Ishida is president of the Hand Crafts class at school.

Quincy are a spiritually aware human who once fight against the hollows, using weapons composed of spiritual energy to slay them.In Ishida’s case a spiritualised form of a bow and arrows. Quincy absorb and channel energy from their surroundings to fight. The Quincy’s technique though simply destroys the hollow's soul entirely instead of the shinigami method of killing hollows which allows the hollow to enter Soul Society.

Shinigami are Death Gods who are souls with inner spiritual power, recruited from the ranks of the residents and nobility of Soul Society (heaven). Like all spirits or ghosts they can’t be detected by normal humans. Shinigami use swords which are made from their spiritual power and also a magic called Kido. The swordsd are referred to as zanpakuto.

Hollows are the enemy in Bleach, they are evil ghosts who reside in Hueco Mundo ( a dimension were they live) but travel to the living world to feed on the souls of the living and dead alike. Most Hollows can be defeated by normal Shinigami but some are very strong in which even the strongest of the shinigami can have dificutly in defeating. They too have different ranks from low level hollows to Vaste Lords and also the Arrancar.

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