Shattered » bleach

x.

Departure
Kisuke Urahara

Ichigo and Gaia trained heavily for days in a row. Not once during all of that, did Ichigo land a single blow on her. By the end he was growing frustrated and desperate. His attacks consumed more and more power, leading to his Spiritual Pressure increasing by the day. He had no idea that his failure was making him stronger.

I didn't have the heart to tell him that even if he trained for weeks on end, he would never cause Gaia any harm. She had been training nonstop for years underneath my shop. She surpassed my own level of strength long before Ichigo was even a teenager. In simple terms, Gaia could probably stand a match against Head Captain Yamamoto himself, and maybe even give him a bit of a challenge.

On the last day of Ichigo's training I told him to get some rest and be with his other friends before the battle ahead. After he left, I sat down on the porch of the shop with Yoruichi and Gaia.

"So what happens now" Gaia sighed. She pulled her hood off her head exposing her exhaustion. I'm sure she had a lot on her mind.

"Yoruichi will escort Ichigo, Chad, Orihime, and Uryu to the Soul Society tomorrow. We'll open a temporary Senkaimon to let them in through the Dangai, which will be a hassle on it own."

I could hear the faint yelling of a Hollow in the distance. I wonder if it was a sign of doom for this mission. Though it needed to work. Everything needed to pan out in order for Gaia to resurface. Only then could she finally have her shot at beating Aizen. We needed to stop him before he got out of hand.

"If things get too crazy over there, I need you to signal me. I need you to promise me that you'll get word back to me Yoruichi" Gaia pleaded. The look on her face was desperate. She desperately wanted to be a part of this upcoming battle. Yoruichi smiled at her before handing her a small box. I had prepared something ahead of time, just in case.

"There will be no need for a signal" Yoruichi laughed, "Gaia you're coming with us to the Soul Society." The girl's eyes lit up as she slid off the ribbon on the box opening it. Inside was a small blueish purple orb.

"I created a reishi-cloaking candy designed specifically for you. It should mask your Spiritual Pressure with the resonance of mine to throw off anyone who may recognize yours." I sighed. Suddenly her arms were wrapped around me and I could feel tears sliding down her cheeks.

"Thank you Kisuke."