Chapter 5

 

The gathering in Kisuke Urahara’s shop was much like every week. They would all give their status reports on the weeks’ events, usually with Ichigo having the most to say. Being a Substitute Soul Reaper working for Urahara put him in a position to encounter more Hollows than his friends. Urahara sat at the head of the table, Ichigo across from him. Uryuu and Orihime were seated together on one side while Chad was opposite them. Rukia was on-duty in the Soul Society.

 

“It looks like this week was pretty tame. Only a couple Hollows,” Kisuke said, his arms folded in front of his chest.

 

“That’s the problem,” Ichigo answered. “It’s been ten years. Don’t you think Aizen would’ve come back by now? I keep expecting him to show up at any second with an army of Arrancar.”

 

“You never know. He’d been planning this over a hundred years ago. What’s another ten?”

 

“We can’t keep waiting around for him to attack!”

 

“And what do you propose we do, Ichigo?” Uryuu demanded sharply. “Go back to Hueco Mundo after it worked so well last time? We were lucky to make it out of there alive!”

 

“We’re sitting ducks here!”

 

“Both of you need to calm down,” Kisuke interrupted. “We’re nowhere near ready to take on Aizen and his team again. We’re all preparing for his next appearance, both here and in Seireitei. The only thing we can do right now is wait.”

 

“Uryuu,” Chad said, finally speaking since giving his short report. “You said you saved a couple civilians from a Hollow. Do they know what happened?” Uryuu shook his head with a sigh.

 

“I can’t be sure, but I don’t believe so. Urahara, I’ve been meaning to ask you something,” he said. The store keeper looked his way.

 

“And what’s that?” he asked.

 

“What happens to Soul Reapers when they are killed?”

 

“Since Soul Reapers are technically dead, they are reborn into the Living World after they ‘die’ as spirits. It’s a never-ending cycle.”

 

“Do they look the same as they did in the Soul Society?”

 

“No. Typically, their appearance changes to match up to the family they’re born into. Why do you ask?”

 

“I have a hunch,” Uryuu answred.

 

“Care to share with the class?” Ichigo muttered.

 

“That boy I saved bears a striking resemblance to Captain Hitsugaya.”

 

“I thought it was him,” Orihime added. “He even has the same first name.”

 

“And he looks nothing like his older sister.”

 

“And you think this kid is Toshiro’s reincarnation?” Ichigo asked.

 

“It’s a theory.”

 

“Uryuu, how often do you see these two on a regular basis?” Urahara asked. “You mentioned knowing the sister before.”

 

“I see Miss Kitamura every once in a while where I work.”

 

“Keep and eye on her when you do see her. See if anything strange happens around her.”

 

“And if nothing does?”

 

“Then after a while, we can safely assume what happened the other day was just a coincidence.”

 

“Coincidences don’t usually happen with our group,” Chad answered. A pregnant silence enveloped the room as its inhabitants let the words sink in. They all knew how true that statement was.