The Two Idiot Pupils

This article, , is the third chapter of the Kagamino City arc, which is part of Bleach: Sun and Moon Chronicles. It follows Kenji Hiroshi and Shiju Shūdō as the primary characters.

It had been a number of years since Kenji last stepped foot in the Soul Society. Even then the last time he'd stepped foot in Rukongai was when he fought his amnesiac father Dastan. The thought conjured up memories of a terrible, brutal battle; the mad glint in his father's eye, the fear Kenji remembered feeling in his gut, and finally the primal rage and fury that resulted from the near-death of Kusaka.

He shivered.

"Are you alright?" Ino asked him.

Her look of concern was well meant. The sun was high in the sky and there was no real wind to speak of; there was no reason in her mind why he would be shivering.

"... I just remembered something unpleasant. It doesn't matter." He assured her. "Let's go."

With that said he led her towards a large temple complex at the top of a flight of stairs. As the two passed under the buildings roof Kenji felt the hair prickle on his arms. "Impressive place."

"Hmmm..." Shiju pondered, looking at his newly acquired sword with scrutiny from all angles as he put it on the podium. "Ah..." He began to make other noises as he bobbed his head up, down, left and right all in an attempt to understand it.

"You know what?" Shiju began to say, as he sat down. "Let's leave it there for today. I've grown tired of trying to understand that thing anyway. I can feel power but I can't see where it's coming from. It's annoying!" Shiju began to complain before noticing the creaking of the wood from the entrance of the temple.

"We have visitors? Guess I better act as a good host." Shiju thought to himself out loud, all the while Mitsuki sighed because of his antics. Shiju put on his and fixed up his  before walking to the direction of the entrance, with the intent of greeting the guest of the temple.

"Miracles never cease!"

Kenji cleared the last of the steps just as he said this. Standing at the top was a blond-haired youth and the reason for Kenji's visit, though he wished instead that the reason for his visit was less dire. He adopted a carefree expression regardless.

"Well, well! I thought I'd have to challenge this place before I seen you Shiju... Been a while. Let me introduce Ino."

She inclined her head politely in greeting as Kenji approached Shiju. He leaned in close and whispered in the latter's ear: "I wish I could tell you she's my girl, but she's like to throttle me if I say that aloud."

"She's quite the looker." Shiju whispered back, flashing a momentary grin before returning to his innocently cheerful expression.

"Challenge this place? I do get a lot of those nowadays...really quite irritating, actually." Shiju sighed, before becoming lively. "Also, nice to meet you Ino. Hope Kenji isn't treating you too terribly now?" Shiju laughed, before getting back to the topic at hand.

"So what brings you around to the temple, Kenji? It's unlike you to pop by here without a reason, especially with an ally."

Kenji responded with a foolish grin of his own but it soon slipped away. It seemed the nature of his visit was weighing on his mind. Ino, however, looked completely at her ease.

"... You're the first polite friend of Kenji's he's ever introduced me to." Ino claimed. "Why can't you have more friends like him?"

"Thank you for that." Kenji replied, before returning his attention to Shiju. "You remember Anika? Not that anyone could forget that wizened old sack... Anyway, she's bullied me into an army."

Kenji's expression darkened.

"Aizen's finally making his move. It won't be long until he unleashes everything he has against the Gotei 13. Anika has reason to believe that he'll also unleash the Privaron Espada on Kagamino City, and has me running around recruiting for the cause."

He let the comment hang in the air.

"Beautiful day today."

"You're too kind." Shiju responded to Ino's statement, before his attention returned to Kenji and his statements.

His expression seemingly turned serious — a rarity — before lightening up again. "What wouldn't I do for friends, hm? Count me in."

A visible weight fell off Kenji's shoulders. He heaved a sigh of relief and flashed a mischievous grin.

"Thanks, pal. You just saved me from an earful from a woman you really don't wanna piss off."

"... You're unbelievable!" Ino exclaimed, rounding on Kenji.

"What have I done now!?"

"You haven't even told him what we'll be facing! Ten enemies with the potential to be Captain-class, or worse, and you don't think this is a notable point!?"

"Ino," Shiju paused her for a moment, "Firstly, I hope you don't mind me calling you that. And secondly, we're both the Idiot Pupils of the one-and-only stalker Yoshiaki Hiroshi. I don't think the enemy numbers or class matters. If one of us fights, the other one is bound to jump into the fray. That's just how we are!" Shiju began roaring into laughter, despite the gravity of the situation.

"Yeah, what he said!" Kenji exclaimed. And, true to their title, it took a minute or two for Kenji to realize what Shiju had even said. "Hey, hey!"

"You both need to start taking this more seriously! If we don't succeed... then Aizen might, and if he succeeds our lives won't be worth living. I suggest you both grow up a little before the coming battle; only men can wage war, and I see nothing but children in front of me."

As she turned to walk away Kenji made a face at her departing back. "Shiju... Why do all the woman in my life want to throttle me?"

"Actually Ino...it's psychologically favorable for us to be cheerful." Shiju commented with a tone of seriousness, "Without this cheerfulness...we'll never see the light of hope in war." Shiju looked to the sky, "We know Aizen can win...but we won't let him, you know that right? It's only a man who can smile in war."

She glanced briefly over her shoulder at the two sibling-students. The way they joked with one another and the way they laughed at the situation ahead of them angered her, but maybe it was just their way of dealing with things? If so... she would cut them some slack.

"Maybe things won't go as badly as I fear." She remarked, just loud enough to be heard.

"That's as good as an apology from Ino, I'm afraid." Kenji offered Shiju his hand. "Thanks again. But I'm afraid I can't stay. I have a few other friends to visit before we march, and Anika would never let me hear the end of it."

"Not a problem." Shiju responded. "Do you want us to all gather at Kagamino City now or on orders?" Shiju asked Kenji, while returning his attention to Ino briefly.

"Don't worry Ino, I'm still the biggest fool among us three." Shiju grinned cockily, as if he were proud of the statement.

Ino rolled her eyes. "Just what I need. Kenji, Kusaka and Kazuma... and now another one?" She groaned.

"Getting there as soon as possible would be best." Kenji remarked. "I don't know what other precautions she's taking, if any. We might be the only one. I'm not sure."

"We weren't told a big lot ourselves." Ino chimed in. "Anike's so used to ordering people about it's kind of second nature to her."

With that said Kenji leapt to the bottom of the stairs right over Ino's head! He turned to look back at Shiju before departing and grinned like a fool.

"If anything this should be fun!"

End.