A Whole New World

''Sannoto Nageki, thought to be a normal human college student, has found out the truth. That like his father, who abadoned his family years ago, and mother, he is a shinigami. That there is more to world than the physical, more than he could ever imagine. His shinigami powers have been freed, what awaits for him in the near future?''

Higahara
On the flight half across the world, to the nation of Japan, Sannoto learned quite a few things. His mother was straight forward and honest on what he needed to know. He learned of the Soul Society, Seireitei, and Rukongai where his father was born. As it turns out, he was actually born in Japan but was immediately moved to New York for his own safety.

His mother told him the basics on shinigami. About the Gotei 13 and that their purpose was to slay evil spirits known as Hollows, keep the worlds in balance, and sending wandering souls, or Pluses, to the next life. It all sounded surreal for him, hard to believe. However, he knew this was all real. It had his mind running the whole way. Even in his sleep, thoughts of it kept gnawing at him. Something was calling to him in a faint voice, though he shook it off as just dreaming.

Now he and his mother was trudging through the Japanese countryside for reasons he didn't know. She had said there was somewhere they had to go and something she had to give him, it was from his father. Sannoto was wasn't particularly fond of waltzing around the boonies of a foreign country. The cool breeze brushing across his face made up for it, however.

"Now it all makes sense."

Sannoto looked at his mom as they made their way up a grassy hill. "The constant Kendo training when I was a kid, the martial arts, " He said, stroking his chin. "You were conditioning me so to speak."

Mina shrugged. "More or less, " She said, smiling, " You were a quick learner with the sword much like your dad."

"So, again, how did you two get here?" Sannoto asked, arching an eyebrow. "Better said, why?"

"Something happened, Sannoto, " Mina said, coming to a halt. She turned to him, her expression had taken a far more serious shade. "Something happened with your father, it wasn't his fault. But, he had to run, we had to. We came to the world of the living and never regretted that decision."

"Well, " Sannoto muttered, scratching his head. "What happened?" It had felt all of sudden that she was just dodging the question with half-hearted answers.

"None of your concern, I don't even know the complete truth of the situation, " Mina replied quickly. "I'm not lying to you, I just know only so much and even that I just can't talk about. But there's something I can tell you."

Sannoto arched an eyebrow, "That being?"

"The reason your father left us was because some group, I don't know who they are, started targeting him, " She said softly. The wind blew strongly, shaking the leaves in the trees. "Your father and I couldn't fight them without putting you in danger. Trust me, Kai is powerful but we couldn't take the chance and so he left."

"So, he's not some bum after all, " Sannoto said, a small smile cracking across his face. "You said he left me something at this place. When are we going to get there? I can't walk around forever."

Mina pointed forward, "We're already here, actually. "

"Huh?" Sannoto looked at her confused. "All I see is trees, grass, more trees and, you know, trees."

Ignoring his cheeky response, Mina stepped forward and raised both her hands. Suddenly, giant concentric circles of kanji appeared before them, floating in the air. They spiraled out, circle by circle, quickly. The floating characters glowing dimly. Sannoto stepped back in awe.

"What on earth, " Sannoto muttered. His eyes were glued on the sight before him. The young man wasn't entirely sure what he had gotten himself into.

"Haven to the ostracized and home to the forgotten. Tucked away from man is our land of Higahara. Open age old gate, open asunder."

"What are you doing?" Sannoto asked through a confused look. What was that chant? Suddenly, a hole opened within the floating kanji into a what looked like meadow. Mina quickly stepped through, signaling him to follow her. He followed in suit as the hole quickly closed behind him.

"Alright, Sannoto," Mina said calmly. "This is the Higahara Prefecture, a small province tucked away from the world."

A small town came into sight as they walked down a hill. Apparently, there were a few small towns in this area, the one before them being the biggest. Sannoto had more questions than ever before now. "How is this even possible?" He asked.

"Kido, simply put, " Mina said with a smile. "This province is surrounded by a special barrier, it can't be penetrated by earthly means and it is untraceable by the same. It's like it's not even here. "

"You said the people here are mostly just spiritually aware humans, " Sannoto said. He slid his hands into his pockets. "Is kido used by humans? Is it like magic or something? Jeez, can't believe this kind of crap is possible."

"It's used by shinigami, actually, " Mina answered. They finally entered the small town, passing by surprised residents. "I don't know much on the specifics, but some shinigami made the barrier a long time ago, before your father and I got here."

Sannoto arched an eyebrow, "Sounds like it's a touchy topic."

"We are welcome here, but as outsiders, we don't pry into their business, " Mina replied. She found it best to make sure he had that down now.

"Ok, back to this kido business, " He said. "Am I going to learn it? The possibilities have got be nearly limitless if a barrier like this is possible. Like something out of a comic book."

Mina chuckled at the question, earning an arched eyebrow from her son. "That's why we are here, " She said, raising her hand. "Kai left you something just for that. Bit early but I wanted to get it out of the way now."

They stopped before a small building. It had a yellow roof, a bright yellow that struck Sannoto as a bit tacky. There was no sign over the door. Mina opened the door, leading her son into the building. The inside was empty, except for an elderly woman at the bar across the room.

"Looks like a pretty drab restaurant, " Sannoto said, looking around. It would be a stretch to call the place rustic. Rustic was a compliment. This place was just poorly kept. Not simply unsanitary, but old tables and chairs that could use a new coat of white paint. He could of sworn he saw a few cobwebs, which would explain the lack of patrons.

"I can hear ya, boy."

Sannoto narrowed his eyes at the old lady at the bar, glaring at him. Mina shook her head. "This probably isn't one of the best times for you to just say whatever you want, " She said, laying her hand on his shoulder.

Mina looked back to the elderly woman with a smile. "It has been a long time, has it not?" She walked towards the bar counter, "How are you, Ishiki-baasan?"

The old woman laughed. It was a dry laugh, a raspy one that fit her voice quite perfectly. It almost made Sannoto's skin crawl, and it only got worse as her tired eyes locked onto him. There was a brief silence. He exchanged a quick glance with his mother, but she said nothing.

"So you're here for that, huh, " Ishiki said as she turned back towards the bar. Her steps were weak and almost shaky. Clearly the old woman wasn't doing too well in terms of health. "He doesn't look much like his father, but I can tell he's Kai son. They have the same aura about them."

Mina smiled brightly, "All too true."

The old woman went behind the counter and shuffled around. Sannoto tilted his head to the side, watching from afar. His father left something important with this dying old woman? She stepped from behind the counter with something in hand. As she approached them, he could make out that it was some thin book.

"What's your name, brat?" Ishiki said, lifting the book towards him. She nodded at it, "Take it."

"Sannoto, my name is Sannoto Nageki, " He said, taking the book from her bony hands. Sannoto turned his attention to his mother. "What is this?"

Ishiki let out a cough. "It's a book of Kido, " She said, cutting in. "Your father gave this to me years ago. Told me to keep it safe until you came to retrieve it. Higahara is not an easy place to find, much less get into."

Sannoto looked down at the book. It was a thin, gray leather bound book. "So this was my father's gift to me, " He said, his eyes still on it. Sannoto had never dwelt on the thought of his father but his view on the matter had began to change.

"Haven't seen him in a decade though, " Ishiki said, taking a seat.

"Sannoto, " Mina said, gripping his shoulder, "In that book are quite a few kido spells, low level and high level. Spanning the three major types—Bakudō, Hadō, and Barrier spells. Some of them were made by your father."

"He's created his own techniques?" Sannoto asked, flipping through the book. There were detailed explanations and the like. All of it seemed like Chinese to him, however. The concepts and so on were alien to him. He'd have to give this focus some other time. Perhaps Hizen could be of help, he figured.

"Kai was and is a master at the stuff, " Ishiki said quickly. "The boy really knows nothing about his father, eh, Mina?"

Sannoto closed the book and set his eyes on Ishiki. "How long have you even known my dad for?" He asked, his tone taking a curious shade.

The old woman shifted in her seat. A smile cracked across her face, revealing  missing teeth. Sannoto's skin was crawling once more at the very sight. "He knew my mother and my grandmother. I met him as a little girl. "

Sannoto's eyes widened and he quickly turned to his mother. "How is that even possible? This woman's like eighty, how old is dad?" He asked through a confused look.

Mina raised her hands, "Sannoto, listen for a moment--"

"Jesus, how old is he, " Sannoto muttered. He looked her in the eyes, "How old are you?"

Mina frowned, "Don't you dare--"

"Damn, you're like ancient, " Sannoto said quickly.

"Sannoto Nageki, don't you even!" Mina commanded, jabbing her finger at him.

"Alright, alright, calm down, " He replied, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Sorry. Can you just explain. Far as I know, oldest person ever was not even 130 years old. Or something like that."

Mina shook off his arms and exhaled softly. "We are not humans, Sannoto, " She said. "Our life spans as shinigami are far greater than humans, I'm talking possibly up to thousands of years."

"In other words, you're not dying anytime soon, brat, " Ishiki said abruptly. She rose from her seat and walked towards him. "You're a bit of a smart-mouth, but you're still Kai's son. Besides, I can tell you will be strong. Make good use of that book."

Sannoto nodded, "Definitely, I wouldn't dare to do anything but that."

Ishiki smirked. "Well, just know that it won't be easy, " She said, taking his hand in her bony ones. "I'm really just a human, but your father has told quite a few stories. It's a new world for you. Try not to die and maybe you'll come to understand the world for what it really is."

The Next Level
Sannoto came to a halt, before him was a large warehouse. He had gotten a text deailed with the directions. It was a mystery to him as to how they got his number, but that was for another time. The text had been signed off with: "don't be late, Sano". It must of been that Liza, she could turn out to be bothersome.

Thinking over recent events, he had that dream again last night. Every night for the last two weeks. It was like someone was calling to him, the voice was that of a young woman. Recurring or not, he simply shook it off after the first few times. Sannoto had read something on the matter in a Psychology book once, but it wasn't any sort of dream to fret about. Walking through a forest hearing a voice was nothing frightening.

"Ah, you're here. Right on time."

Sannoto looked to see Hizen standing in front of an open door. Hizen gestured him to follow. "So, what are we doing today? You mentioned taking things up a notch, " He asked, walking through the door and closing it.

All the lights were on in the massive room. At a table not too far from them, he could see Raiho and Liza playing cards strangely enough. Raiho had decided to not wear his mask once more, it sort of put Sannoto at ease. Aside from some crates against the wall, the place was relatively empty.

"I'd love to know how you guys just randomly got a warehouse all to yourself in this city at last notice, " Sannoto said, looking around. It was clear there were things they hadn't told them about their group, but he had always knew that. He'd leave prying for answers on the subject for another time.

"We know someone with connections, " Hizen said. He laid a hand on the hilt of his katana. "Now onto important things. You haven't actually done anything of importance. However, now I will guide you in manifesting your Zanpakutō."

Sannoto arched an eyebrow, not sure of what he just head. "My zanpato, what is that?" He asked through a confused look. A loud sigh came from Liza, but he ignored it.

"Zanpakutō, Sannoto, " Hizen said, pointing at his sword. "It's our main fighting power as shinigami. Zanpakutō are one and the same with us, they are part of our souls. Initially, they take the form of a sword, usually a katana like mine. There are two additional stages, Shikai and Bankai. The latter is not relevant, but you'll be unlocking the first one today and getting a feel for it."

"Is it tough to do?" Sannoto asked, crossing his arms. So there was even more to shinigami. Kido and these Zanpakutō, how interesting.

"Technically, yes. But given your pedigree and personal talent, you should be fine, " Hizen answered with a nod.

"So what's shikai, does the sword just look different or what" Sannoto asked, eyeing Hizen's katana.

"It gets special abilities per se, and techniques to follow along with it, " He replied. "Any other questions on shikai?"

Sannoto stroked his chin, "What's your shikai?"

Hizen smiled. "I'm happy you asked, " He said quickly. Hizen drew his sword slowly, the cold steel glimmering from the fluorescent lighting. Sannoto's eyes followed every motion curiously. "Every zanpakutō has a name and a release command, those two things are necessary to unlocking its' power. Stand back a bit."

Hizen outstretched the sword before him in a horizontal fashion. Sannoto felt a sudden shift in the room, like a warm breeze. Hizen's grip on his katana tightened. "Procreate from the Heavens, Yūtaibuko," He said sternly.

The sword dissipated into glowing white and green shreds, earning a questionable look from Sannoto. "Everyone's shikai is different, however, most cannot achieve it. It's a feat in itself, " Hizen said as he stretched his hands to the side. "It's a new level of strength when a shinigami learns his blade's name and achieves this power." Suddenly, glowing blue rods appeared in each hand. Out of the tips, emerged long blades.

"Yūtaibuko Form 1: Dual Spears, " Hizen said, smiling at the look in his newest companion's eyes. "My zanpakutō power is the creation of ethereal weapons." He twirled them around. From afar, Raiho and Liza watched from afar, shaking their heads.

"Wow, that's, " Sannoto stuttered, "That's interesting. So how do I do this?"

The spears shattered suddenly, the glowing fragments swirling around Hizen. They formed together into a katana once more. Hizen swished the blade swiftly to the side and quickly sheathed it. "Liza, " He said sternly. "Give me a sec."

The red headed girl rose from her chair with a sigh. She walked over to them. Sannoto swore she was glaring at him through her mask of a smile. In her hand was the same dispenser he saw at the park. Liza handed it to Hizen, the latter turning back to Sannoto.

Hizen tossed it to him, "Catch."

He snatched it out of the air. "Oh, this stuff again, " He said, inspecting the dispenser. It was white decorated with the single kanji character for "King". Sannoto smirked. "Alright, I'm starting to get the hang of things, " He said, popping the pill into his mouth. Immediately, he felt himself shoot out of his gigai body.

Sannoto stretched his arms. "These clothes are gonna need to go though, " He said as he tugged on his shirt. Plain white cotton pants and a white shirt didn't fit his tastes, besides, he liked wearing shoes if he could help it. The ensemble made him feel like a patient in a mental hospital.

"Way ahead of you, you'll like what I've got for you. But now, " Hizen said, laying a hand on his shoulder and forcing him to sit on the floor, "Just sit and focus. Just take a meditation form."

Running a hand through his hair, Sannoto exhaled softly. He looked over to his unconscious body, this was simply surreal for him. "It's gonna take a while to get used to this, " He pondered, crossing his legs. Sannoto looked up towards Hizen, "Okay, how's this going to, uh, proceed."

Hizen raised a finger. "A Zanpakutō is generated by its' wielder upon the solidification of their Reiryoku into the sword's form, " He pointed straight at Sannoto. "Relax, then focus your spiritual power. It's pretty simple given your spiritual power is pretty impressive for someone who hasn't even lifted a finger in his original body. After that, well, let's get past this first. Shut your eyes."

"Tch, so specific, " Sannoto moaned. He closed his eyes and breathed slowly. "Focus, focus, focus." He didn't know what to do in particular so he kept breathing slowly as if doing the breathing exercises he once did during his martial arts training in the past. A sword that appears out of thin air? Seemed a bit ridiculous, but Sannoto was done with his own preconceived notions.

The others watched from afar, waiting for things to get interesting. Suddenly, Liza felt a shiver go down her spine. They watched as a low, white aura began to swirl around him. It wasn't bright, but it illuminated his person brilliantly. It had begun, things had finally started rolling.

"Focus, Sannoto," the blue-haired young man told himself internally. "Think of a sword, a katana. My spiritual power given physical form." A fuzzy feeling swept through his body, like an electric jolt minus the pain. Sannoto could feel strength coursing through his body as he continued to breathe in and out.

The glow around his body began to subside. Hizen shot a quick smirk towards Liza, who of which turned away immediately. Sannoto perked up at the sound of a clank in front of him. He sighed, hoping that had been enough. Sannoto opened his eyes to see a sheathed katana laying on the ground directly in front of him.

The hilt was a bright red with a silver tsuba, it had a design more or less typical to katana far as he could recall. At the end of the hilt, connected to a metal ring was a red, leather strap. He directed his attention to the scabbard, it was a simple blue. Sannoto grabbed the blade by the middle.

"Well, that was simple, " Hizen said, stepping forward. "Now we move onto the important part. After this, things get serious. "

Sannoto laid the katana in his lap. "That being?" He asked.

"Now, it's time to learn the name of your Zanpakutō, " Hizen answered as walked closer towards Sannoto. He quickly crouched before the young man. "With that, you can unlock your shikai and help us in slaying hollows. Oh, and keep Liza from whining anymore." They both shot a quick look towards.

"Come say to my face, Hizen!" Liza snapped, shaking her fist.

He turned his attention back to his pupil. "Just focus. You and your zanpakutō must be in sync, it will call out to you if it already hasn't started, " Hizen said with a smile. "You can consider me your sensei on all things shinigami."

"Right, " Sannoto replied. His grip on the sword tightened. Something that was calling out to him, that must of been the source of his dream. "Can your Zanpakutō call out to you in your dreams?"

"Looks like it's already begun then, " Hizen said with a knowing look. "But to answer your question, yes. Got it?"

Sannoto nodded, "Yep, this shinigami stuff is simple enough." He closed his eyes and let out a soft sigh. That voice, it had called out to him since that night in the park. Who was she? That girl calling his name.

Meikin
Sannoto's Inner World

Sannoto opened his eyes slowly, flashes of green catching him by surprise. He looked around in confusion. "Where am I?" Trees towered over him, kindly shielding him from the sun with a blanket of shade. His ears perked up at the sound of bubbling creek not too far away. This wasn't some empty warehouse in New York City, no, it was a vast forested expanse. A lush landscape to say the least.

He patted the grassy ground, everything felt so real. The smell of the wilderness was fresh in his nostrils, reminding him of past camping trips as a child. Was this part of being a shinigami? There was no way he could of been actually sent somewhere, Hizen never said a thing of that nature. Sannoto sighed, this was truly odd.

Sannoto rose to his feet slowly. It was mystery as to what he had to do next. Hizen had mentioned that being in sync with his zanpakutō was crucial. Far as Sannoto gathered, this meant he needed to forge a friendship with his zanpakutō, an honest relationship. A soft breeze whistled through the trees, sending leaves floating downward in droves.

"Ugh, give me a sign or something, " Sannoto groaned to himself, rubbing his neck. He gazed up once more, simply taking in all that surrounded him. It was beautiful. He wasn't exactly an outdoorsman worthy of note, but there was something about the beauty. Sannoto exhaled, "This really is quite the place."

Suddenly, a voice caught his ears. It wasn't singing but humming, whoever it was had a gorgeous voice. Sannoto listened in as the voice became familiar, it was that girl from his jeans. It had to be her. Sannoto looked left and right as he tried to figure out where it was coming from. He looked to his left, "There." A smile crossed his face, now he was getting somewhere.

Sannoto jogged past tree after tree as he followed the humming sounds. "If I follow that, it's sure to get me somewhere in this whole zanpakutō ordeal." As he continued on he could hear rushing water. But it wasn't some soft creek, no, this was fiercer. Was it a waterfall? Only way to find out was to find the source of that humming.

The humming echoed throughout the wilderness. Sannoto smiled, he was getting closer. The humming was almost hypnotic in a way, but soothing much like this very place. A waterfall began to come into sight as he pushed on. There was a clearing up ahead as well.

Sannoto came to a halt as he made it past the trees. Spilling into a glittering body of water was a massive waterfall. A grand raging flow of water that seemed to create a light mist. But what caught Sannoto's eye sat on top of a fallen tree trunk. It was a beautiful young with jet black hair. She perked up as he stepped closer, a smile crossing her face.

"Finally. Finally, you are here."

He arched an eyebrow at the comment. Who was she? She looked about his age give or take. "I'd ask who you are, but I can't even figure out where exactly I am. Some sort of trance, " Sannoto said, moving cautiously forward.

The girl blinked, "You don't know?"

"Am I supposed to?" Sannoto asked through a confused look.

She smiled once more. It was a bright smile, one simply full of life and expression yet serene. Quite the step up from that old lady in Higahara, Sannoto didn't doubt that. "It's our little slice of the world, silly, " She said, chuckling at his confusion. "Well, to be exact, this is your inner world."

"Inner world, " Sannoto said slowly, "So that's what this place is. Hard to believe such a place exist in my mind, I'm guessing that's what this is."

"It's only hard to believe because you make it that way, " the girl pointed towards with a knowing look, "That's how you've always been. Though you accepted your true nature rather well, surprisingly."

Sannoto stared at the girl for a moment. "Glad you're so confident in your judgment of me, " He said. "And who are you?"

"I think you can figure out who I am, " She replied, smirking. "You know my name. Just think about it."

Her voice sounded too familiar to Sannoto. He tried to place it with a face or something, he had heard that voice at some point undoubtedly. Sannoto snapped his finger, "You're the one from my dreams. Well, the voice."

"When that seal on you was broken, I was finally able to call out to you," She said, waving towards him. "Can I call you Sannoto-nii, I'd like that."

Sannoto took a step back, "So, you're the true form of my blade." He reached out a hand, catching the girl off guard.

"What are you doing?" She asked.

"Consider this the start of a lovely friendship, " Sannoto said with a small smile. "Hizen said our relationship is very important, so let's not waste time with petty formalities. Oh and you can call me that, just don't call me S--"

"Sano, don't call you Sano, " She said, smirking. "I know, you hate that nickname."

Sannoto nodded proudly. "I like you already, this could work, " He said. "You are apart of me and seemingly a reflection of myself. That being said, I expect nothing but the best from you. Try not to fall behind."

"Such a big words from the man who still hasn't called my name, " She said coolly, her tone taking a devious shade.

Sannoto and the young woman locked eyes. He didn't have any real issue with his zanpakutō being female, if anything, it just made things more interesting. Things would only get more serious from here, that's what Hizen had told him earlier. Sannoto sighed at the thought.

"Say my name. Will you not call upon my power?"

Sannoto stretched his arms, letting out a yawn. "Yes, yes," He said calmly. "Way ahead of you."

Sannoto opened his eyes to see Hizen still standing in the same spot before him, though now flanked by Raiho. He looked to see Liza at the table dozing off.

"So, care to show us the results?" Hizen asked. "You weren't too long, but Liza could use something to wake her up."

Sannoto smiled as he rose to his feet. He stretched his legs, having been in the same position for a good while now. "I could definitely do that, " He mused, laying a hand on the hilt of his zanpakutō. "Also, you really should have told me about the inner world stuff, man."

"Any time you're ready, " Raiho said abruptly.

Sannoto nodded. He slowly drew the blade out of his scabbard. It had been a while since he practiced any sort of swordsmanship, but it flowed all the same, like he hadn't missed a step. Hizen watched on with a small smile. Sannoto swished the sword to the side, now was the time to really take things up a notch.

"Sing All Around, Meikin!"

A reddish aura suddenly swirled around the katana like a contained tornado of crimson light. Suddenly, a powerful screech ripped through the warehouse shooting Liza out of her chair in surprise. Hizen and Raiho quickly covered their ears, watching in awe.

"The kid's spiritual power is impressive given the circumstances, " Raiho pondered. Avenon had found quite the new addition.

Sannoto shot a glance at his zanpakutō. It had taken a new and far more exquisite design mirroring the styles of a sword forged by western standards. The golden hilt was lovingly engraved with a cross-like ornament at the end of it. The blade itself had gold inlaid into its' design with what looked like a red ruby at the top of the hilt. It made him smile, he was pleased.

"Not bad, not bad at all, " Sannoto said, admiring his shikai's design.

Liza stomped towards them, her eyes showing nothing but anger. "What the hell was that sound? You think that's funny?" She asked angrily, turning to each of them. Her eyes fell onto Sannoto and then his zanpakutō. "So it was you, asshole."

"Oh, calm down, " Sannoto said, ignoring her glare. Meikin suddenly began to glow a bright red, shifting back to the form of a katana. "Blame it on Meikin, looks like my zanpakutō may be centered around sound waves. I was hoping for something involving lots of fire." He quickly sheathed the sword.

"Sorry to break it to you, but that's kind of already taken, " Hizen laughed. "Welcome to Avenon, I'll have some proper clothes ready for you very soon."

"Loosely, " Sannoto replied quickly as he turned towards his gigai body.

Liza blinked, "What do you mean by loosely?"

"I don't plan on diving head first into some secret organization I know little about, " Sannoto said, shaking his head. "That's just silly. I'm with you guys, but just a casual association for now. I wouldn't have it any other way."

Hizen raised a hand to silence Liza. "That's fine, it's only fair, " He said. "I expected as much anyway." They watched as he entered his gigai body, rising to his feet.

Sannoto pocketed the soul candy dispenser. "Glad we're clear on that, " He replied, "Now I'll be on my way now."

"What's with the hurry?" Liza asked suspiciously.

Sannoto turned back to her, " I'm starving."

Family
As Sannoto opened the door into his family's apartment, the smell of freshly cooked food rushed into his nostrils. He had made it just in time for dinner. "Made it home at the perfect time"  He made his way towards the kitchen to see the table already set with a wonderful meal. It had always been just the two of them for dinner unless it was the holidays or a party, Sannoto had gotten used to it, just the two of them.

"And where have you been?" Mina asked, setting down utensils. "No matter, dinner's ready and I made something better than the usual weekday meal."

"I was hanging out with some friends in the Village, " He answered, taking a seat. "Sorry, I should've called."

She shook her head, "Doesn't matter now, let's just eat." Mina eyed Sannoto as he began to fill his plate with food, taking too much as usual. It was best she ask now, just to settle it all here. "So, anymore questions about, you know?"

Sannoto arched an eyebrow at his mother's nervous face. "I gunned you down with questions on the plane, so not really, " He took sip of his drink. "Well, at least of the questions you can answer. It does explain a few things about this place though."

Mina set down her fork, "This place?"

"I always wondered about how you afforded this apartment building, this is a pretty nice part of NY, " Sannoto said, "And long as I could remember this has been your only job. I guess accumulation of wages over a century or two does you well."

It had always been something that he wondered about, but would never bother prying for answers about, it wasn't his business. Did explain how things have always been paid for through out his life. For a guy who was born in the gutter, his father sure did handle money well. Life was just getting more and more weird.

"You never did ask about your father much, " Mina said, smiling. "I'm just happy you never had any hate for him, not that indifference didn't slightly bother me."

"What did he do?" Sannoto asked quickly. "For a living, I mean. Back during your days in the, eh, Soul Society. They could have picked a better name, by the way."

Mina rolled her eyes, ignoring her son's sly remark. She had been hoping that he would ask about this. "Remember when I was telling you about the ranks of the Gotei 13?" She asked, beginning to look lost in her thoughts. Sannoto nodded quickly. A flush of old memories ripped through her mind. "Good, well, your father was a captain. The captain of the 7th Division."

Sannoto smirked, "So my dad was someone important, interesting."

His mother nodded faintly. "He was the youngest of all the captains, but one of the most well liked by far, " She said through a dazed look. "Kai has always been a pretty reserved man, but he could be fun depending on who you were. I was just the sheltered princess of the In’ei Clan, yet...."

"Wait, " Sannoto said, cutting in. "Princess, what's this about being a princess?"

"A title in name and nothing else. A number of noble clans enjoy calling the leaders' first born daughters that, pretentious trend, I guess," She said with a smile. "Sorry, you're not royalty. Anyway, I first saw your dad during an event at the Academy. All the captains were present, it was a special ceremony."

"Ah, so he was like Prince Charming with you?" Sannoto said through a knowing look.

"As if, " Mina laughed, struggling to keep her calm. "Listen, that wasn't it. A little later, but at that point not so much. Anyway, it was Kai that took me to Rukongai for the first time. That was....eye opening."

"Let me guess," Sannoto said, twirling the pasta on his plate, "Your family didn't like that at all? I mean, isn't that how it always is. Cliche, but no one wants their daughter marrying some common born guy."

"It was obvious, wasn't it?" Mina replied, smirking.

"Very much so, mom, " Sannoto said. "I'm just happy I know the truth now." Knowing a bit more about his father did more good than he expected. Sannoto found himself wanting to meet the man now, that would prove to be interesting.

"Sannoto."

He looked up from his plate. "What is it? I don't have anymore questions, " Sannoto said, arching an eyebrow.

"Trust me when I say this, your father was thinking only of you when he left."

To be continued.

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