Reaching Mr. Urahara's shop, we spot him waiting outside...along side with Chad.
"Hey, you two. Right on time." Kisuke smiles.
"...Chad? Why are you here?" Ichigo questions him.
"Rukia Kuchiki once saved me. I'm going too."
"Wait, what?!"
I tilt my head a bit, thinking.
Kisuke must have explained everything to him and Orihime the last time I saw them at his shop.
"What, you didn't hear?"
Turning around towards the new voice, Ichigo and I find Uryu standing behind us. He was wearing an all white outfit as he stares us down.
"Uryu?! But-"
"There's no way I will remain defeated by a bunch of soul reapers. So I'm going too."
I understand Uryu, but can Chad even defend himself? Actually, now that I'm thinking about it, he should totally come. Besides, I shouldn't be the one questioning whether he can defend himself or not.
"Look, now we're all here."
Coming from around the corner, Orihime appears before us.
...Okay...why is she coming?
"Hey, Ichigo. Emiko."
Surrounded by all his friends, Ichigo freaks a bit.
"Wait! What the hell is going on here?!"
"Pretty slow on the up-take, aren't you?"
I never heard that voice before. We watch as a black cat walks his way up to us. Crouching down, I face the cat.
"Did...you just talk?"
"Yes, old news. Are you as slow as your brother?"
"..."
I end up grabbing the cat's tail as I stand. The cat dangles right in front of me.
"Hey!" he freaks. "Let go of me! That hurts!"
My voice was emotionless, cold, and deadly.
"How dare you compare my intelligences to that of my brother's. That's a great insult to me."
"Oh, is it now?" Ichigo growls next to me.
"Silence." I simply said.
Not only Ichigo, but everyone around me had chills run down their spines.
"Geez," the cat whines. "Kisuke told me about you, but who knew you'd share the same disdain for me as that man does."
That man? ...Now's not the time to ask.
"Disdain? I don't even know you, cat. And besides, as long as you don't compare me to my idiot brother, we'll have no problem. Understood?"
"Yes! Yes, yes, yes! Now let me go!"
I open my hand, dropping the cat. The cat lands on the ground as he tries to fix his bent tail.
"My poor tail. What unruly behavior from someone of your status."
What does that mean?
"...What are you saying, cat?"
"Now's not the time. You, kid."
The cat faces Ichigo.
"Don't tell me you didn't notice the hidden powers within these three?"
Powers? I know about Uryu, but Orihime and Chad? They got powers?
"While you were training to regain your soul reaper powers, these three were also training in their own way. Instead of criticizing them, why don't you bow your head and thank them."
Finally setting in, Ichigo reacts a little too late.
"A talking cat?!"
I close my eyes and take a deep breath before letting it out.
"After all these years, your mind still surprises me."
"Oh, come on~. Why aren't you freaking out?"
I stare at the cat.
"I...don't know. I just feel like it's normal at this point."
"Besides, he's not a cat!" Orihime protests. "He's Yoruichi!"
"Yeah, a cat!"
"Well, his reaction is to be expected." Uryu points out.
"Yeah, this is the first time they're meeting him." Chad adds.
"Okay, that's enough."
Everyone looks towards Kisuke.
"Let's continue this talk inside."
~~~~Time Skip~~~~
All of us we in the underground training room. Tessai had joined us as well.
"This is amazing!" Orihime looks around with stars in her eyes. "I didn't know such a large space was under the shop! It's like a secret underground base!"
"Okay, everyone! Please look over here."
Turning our heads, we spot Kisuke and Tessai standing in front of some stone gate-looking thing.
"This is the door to the Soul Society, the Senkaimon. Now listen carefully. I will now teach you the way to go through this door without dying. But first..."
Without warning, Kisuke pushes Ichigo right out of his body. This act surprises the other three. They gather around his body like moths to the light.
"He's been completely separated." Chad pokes his body.
"Whoa, so you're out of your body, Ichigo?" Orihime questions him.
"Yep. Can you guys stop touching my body like I'm not around."
Kisuke, who had walked back to the gate, calls out to us.
"Will you listen to me already. I'm starting the explanation of this door."
We all gather around to pay attention.
"Usually this door is made by adding reishihenkanki to the top of the Senkaimon and the use of ketsugoufu to cover it up so it stays together."
"Reishihenkanki?" Ichigo tilts his head.
"Yup. As you know, the Soul Society is the world of the souls. In order to go in there, you have to be a soul. But as you all know, the only one who can move around as a soul is Ichigo, who's a soul reaper.
For others, even if their souls are separated from their bodies, they're still chained by the China of Fate. Not to mention, to go to the Soul Society, it's even hard to move.
That's why there's a need for reishihenkanki. This thing changes the "Kishi", which makes up the things in the living world, into "Reishi". Which is the main component of souls."
"So, it means we don't have to become souls in order to travel there." Uryu shortens Kisuke's explanation. "We'll be able to stay in our bodies."
"Right!"
"Got it. So let's go-"
Kisuke whacks his cane over Ichigo's head, silencing him.
"Now comes the important part. The time allowed to go through the Senkaimon to the Soul Society...is only four minutes."
"Four minutes?" the five of us repeat.
"Once the time's up, the door will close, and you guys will be forever locked inside the Dangai. Plus, inside that place, in order to prevent enemies such as Hollows, it's filled with a current called Kouryuu. That stuff can stop souls from moving.
Just one foot caught by it, the chance of leaving the Dangai in time is almost impossible."
"Then...what should we do?" Orihime asks.
"Just walk forward." Yoruichi answers. "The heart and the soul are connected. What's important is how your heart thinks. Only those who can do it may follow me."
"What are you saying?" Ichigo steps forward. "Those who gather here have made the decision, and are determine to follow it!"
"You should know, kid. If you lose, then you will never return."
"...Of course, we have to win!"
"...Well said."
"..."
"Alrighty then, Tessai, let's-"
"Hold on."
Everyone looks at Ichigo. Ignoring their stares, he turns towards me.
"Emiko."
"Yes?"
"...You're staying here."