Acceptance! Those Feelings

Alone
The man awoke with a start, his golden irises scanning the room. Had last night all been a dream. He looked to the left of the bed. It was empty. He sighed as he sat up. No. It hadn't been a dream. He got up and put on his suit. He seemed to be wearing it quite often. He shook his head as he descended the stairs into the cafe area. The day just didn't seem to start right without Tereya yelling him awake.

In the majority of the areas he discovered, there was great celebration going on. As Ahatake walked by, they gave kind gestures towards him, offered their gratitude towards him, or otherwise just outwardly cheered for him. Because he had played a crucial role in fighting off the Yuurei army, they now had new morale within them. Even Juushin himself had felt confident; rebel troops were readying themselves for a full-out assault against the Yuurei army.

Ahatake did not notice their gestures or attitudes, positive as they were. He walked over to the table and poured himself a large cup of coffee and sighed.

"Keep sighing like that and you'll burn out your throat."

It was Taiki.

He was leaning against a wall, arms folded across his chest. He was eyeing his father with a rather indifferent expression, though his face was set in a smile. There weren't very many people around them, making the conversation between themselves for the moment.

Ahatake scowled. "Let me guess." He said, downing half his cup of coffee. "You've come to blame me yet again."

"That's harsh, Dad. I wouldn't be so stupid as to blame you this time. Though, indirectly it could be considered your fault...."

Ahatake's eyes narrowed as he picked up the coffee pitcher to pour some more coffee. "How'd you like to get this pitcher shattered over your head kid?"

"Hey, I'm just sayin'..." Taiki insisted, waving a hand up in defense. "But still, it was her decision and her decision alone to leave." He returned to his folded-arms position.

"Alright then." Ahatake replied, drinking more of his coffee. "Where is your sister and your kids anyway?"

Taiki rolled his eyes. "You should already know where Midoriko is. After Ryuka and Kyashi were recovered, she's been hanging around their kid for the time being. The two daughters are probably off playing around somewhere..." He replied readily. "Though, the twins are takin' it hard..."

Ahatake sighed. "I knew they would. Though I'm sure Kyuui is taking it worse than Aoi."

"I know. Such a shame she had to leave due to simple marriage problems, wouldn't you agree?"

"Yeah, but let her do as she pleases." Ahatake replied, setting his coffee mug down. "This whole thing'll pass eventually."

Taiki raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about Tereya leaving, or everyone taking it hard?"

"Both." Ahatake replied shortly.

For a moment, the white-haired man lapsed into silence. However, he asked another question. "How do you know if she wasn't kidding?" He pressured, leaning off of the wall and lowering his arms. "You aren't exactly a mind-reader."

"True." Ahatake replied. "But I've never really known your mother to go back on her word. If she comes back, I will be delighted. If she doesn't, I'll get over it."

Taiki shrugged. "All right, then."

They heard laughter coming closer, and Ahatake turned around, a vein pulsing in his forehead. Who could it be, laughing so early in the morning?

It was Midoriko, coming through the entrance carrying Kibou Injiki, a huge smile on her face.

"Of course..." Taiki's expression didn't change upon seeing his smiling sister as well as the child. "Well, I see you've gotten out of your emo stage, sis." He commented lightly. "Where's Kyashi and Ryuka?"

"They're on thier way." Midoriko said, her smile not breaking at Taiki's remark. "Tou-san still bummed about Kaa-san?" She asked, sitting down and placing Kibou on her lap.

"I don't know." Taiki replied honestly, with a light shrug of his shoulders. "You'd have to ask the old man yourself if you really want to find out." He nodded over at their coffee-drinking father.

Ahatake sighed. "Yes, I'm still "bummed"." He said, eying Kibou and wondering what exactly his daughter saw in an toddler. "I'll get over it in a few days." He added.

The silent child only stared at him curiously, as if wondering what the man was thinking. With slow arms, he began to reach out to Ahatake, trying to stretch out of Midoriko's grip on him for the moment.

"Hm?" Midoriko looked down. "Kibou, you want to go to Tou-san?" Midoriko released her grip on him, to see what the child would do.

Promptly, the child's small arms wrapped around Ahatake's neck in a rather affectionate manner. It was his own version of a hug, attempting to cheer the man up.

Ahatake's eyes widened. "T-thanks kid." He said, smiling.

"That proves my point." Midoriko said. "Kid's smarter than he seems."

"Well, at least he's being nice to you, Tou-san." Taiki couldn't help but smile at the impromptu display of affection by the child, as he resorted to clinging onto the man in order to support himself.

Ahatake allowed himself a grin. "True. Don't think I'll have any problems if Kibou becomes one of the family."

"Good to hear." Midoriko said as she reached over and removed Kibou from her father's neck, smiling at the child. "You're a good kid."

In response, Kibou hugged Midoriko eagerly.

Midoriko grinned. "Oh yeah I've decided to Hollowfy the kid when he gets older. After I explain to him what Hollowfication is. I think it'll be a nice way to make him stronger."

"Have you gotten Kyashi's consent?" Taiki questioned immediately. "She wouldn't favor you experimenting on the kid unless you asked." He almost regretted saying it; the very words themselves made him sound like a stuck-up brat. Then again, he didn't really care what people thought of him, just as long as they got pissed off at him.

"You are right." Midoriko replied, while Ahatake just sighed. "But I think the decision should be up to the kid."

"I agree with Midoriko." Ahatake replied airily. "Hollowfication is something that should be agreed upon by the intended "victim" not their parents."

Taiki rolled her eyes. "Sure. Have a three-year-old decide about a life-changing experiment he will not be able to wrap his mind around. A perfect plan."

"I said when he gets older, ya dumbass." Midoriko replied snappishly.

A beat filled in the silence, and Taiki blinked once. "That would make much more sense..."

"Duh." Midoriko replied, brushing hair out of the little boy's face. Ahatake got up from the table. "I'm going out for fresh air."

"You going to commit suicide? Yay." Taiki drawled, with false cheerfulness. "No, wait, let me go get the noose, it can snap your neck easier."

Ahatake scowled. "You're pushing your luck kid." He said icily before he walked off, heading out the overlong exit.

"Whatever you say, Dad."

"You and Dad really don't get along do you?" Ahatake heard her ask as he closed the door and trekked through the exit into the fresh city air. He looked around. The place was relatively calm, not much human activity, since it was still early in the morning. Ahatake started walking down the street, not caring that he might get hit by a passing car. He needed to just forget about Tereya. She had left, simply because he was, as he had come to call it, "over protective", though her opinion of it differed drastically.

That was something that seemed to deter Ahatake's senses. A lone figure, standing on a roof perch, allowed his eyes to watch the man steadily. Something of a rather amused grin fell across his face. Gripping the hilt of his sword, he unsheathed the blade and lowered it to a readying position. He waited for the right moment...

...before he Flash Stepped off of the roof and re-appeared over the Kurosaki's head. He descended, his blade swung down at his head.

"What the..?!?" Ahatake thought, leaping forward and rolling, the blade barely missing the top of his head, and cutting off strands of his hair. He looked around. "Who the hell?"

"Oh....so your reaction time is still good." A male Injiki's voice commented. The blade was immediately sheathed, and a figure stood, folding his arms across his chest. "I was starting to get worried..." As it was looked closer, it was a figure with a black, unbuttoned shirt, a white shirt underneath it, and gray pants. Once he returned his sword to his sheath, he placed his hands in his pockets, as if what had happened never happened.

"Injiki??" Ahatake exclaimed. "Why the heck are you attacking me from behind? And at 8 in the morning at that!"

Ryuka smiled innocently. "Well, actually, I attacked you from above." Lifting a hand from his pocket, he pointed upwards at the roof that he had just descended from to emphasize. "Plus, if you're walking around this early, too, I didn't think it should be a problem."

Ahatake scowled. "I came out here for fresh air, not a hair cut." He said, eying the strands of hair on the ground. "So what is it?"

"Only that the rebellion's mounting up for an assault on the Yuurei capital building." Ryuka informed him, nodding over in the direction of a rather tall and intimidating-looking structure in the distance. "The troops will be fighting their way through a shitload of Yuurei troops as they make their way there, and they need your help if they'll want to make it within the month."

Ahatake looked at the building, the castle. "They finally have the guts to attack that place directly? 'Bout damn time."

"It's not that they were afraid." Ryuka answered. "At the time, they were outgunned and outsmarted by the rebel Yuurei forces, and they needed time to prepare an attack."

"I see." Ahatake replied. "And they need a Hollow like myself to succeed?"

Ryuka closed his eyes, skepticism showing. "You sound as if that's a bad thing..." He commented.

"No, I'm just in a bad mood." Ahatake replied.

"...why would that be?" Normally, Ryuka would never want to pry into one's personal issues. However, if Ahatake's emotions were blocking out his vital part in the attack, then as a former Lieutenant of the Gotei 13, Ryuka felt like he had to remind the Kurosaki.

"My wife left me yesterday." Ahatake replied. "Surprised you don't know. I thought she'd have been broadcasting it all over town."

"She..." Speaking of which, Ryuka himself looked quite stunned, though he retained his composure quite easily. "She left you? What for?" His tone held indirect concern; the Kurosaki was also his friend, after all.

Ahatake sighed. "She thinks I viewed her as weak, and didn't trust her judgement and she was tired of it."

Ryuka sighed along with him, his shoulders slightly slumping out of sympathy for the man. "Jeez, I'm sorry that it didn't turn out as you wanted..." He muttered, although there wasn't anything to be sorry for. He had no involvement in their marriage.

"Eh, it's nothing." Ahatake replied, sighing. "This'll all pass sooner or later. Guess I should head back to the base."

"Yeah..."

He turned back around and started walking the way they came. So the main attack was about to start. At least things are going to get interesting.

As he walked back, there was a massed arsenal in his sight. Several rebel troops, as well as Juushin himself, ready for the assault. Accompanying them were several vehicles marked with the rebel emblem, and cloaked in dirty green; a contrast from the clean colors of the Yuurei vehicles. Most of them were tanks. "Ah! Good to see you, Kurosaki!" Juushin greeted, as Ahatake stepped before him.

"Juushin." Ahatake inclined his head. "Sorry, I had to step out for some air. I take it the attack is about to start?"

"Yep." Juushin nodded. "There are several divisions advancing on different areas on the city, taking seperate routes to clear the areas. This one will be hitting the forces head-on, while the rest flank our sides. This way, we'll maintain a lookout on all fronts."

"I see." Ahatake said, looking around at the troops. "And you want me to fight with this group?"

"That's right."

"Seems simple enough."

"Though, we won't be attacking immediately, of course. For tonight, we'll camp out here; we're going to be expecting a counter-attack in order to crush our front. For the moment, we're free.... but stay alert."

"Alright." Ahatake replied, and sighed. He had been hoping for immediate action, but guess that wasn't going to happen.

With that being said, Juushin himself turned away from Kurosaki, and once again commanding the soldiers under his personal command. "All right, listen up! I need you all to..."

Ahatake sighed. This battle would be a good chance to test out his new release. With it's power, taking out minor soldiers would take 5 seconds or less. And going feral like that...it would prove to be a good distraction. The only problem was killing time until night fell.

Night Time
Darkness fell over the area. Most of the soldiers were either asleep or patrolling, and the tanks were stationed at hidden places of their sector.

Ahatake was meditating, trying to keep his calm as he waited for an attack.