With the Captains suffering casualties and heavy injuries on their side, all hope seemed to be lost... until Shinji Hirako appeared, along with the rest of the former Shinigami. Though the aid of the Vizards certainly helped to draw the battle in their favor, it seemed Aizen's power alone proved too much for them.
Hachi watched in interest as the kid displayed his ability. Hachi pondered, trying to place the kid through the few words he had given. He knew that the kid wasn't a shinigami, vizard, or regular human; however, he seemed to have a history with shinigami. From the boy's description of cages, Hachi guessed the research department.
Something about the boy's reiatsu bugged Hachi, made him wonder if the boy was a gifted human or not. The spirit was wrapped in the dark energy of a hollow--something Hachi was by now quite used to. From his experience, he had never met a gifted human who bespoke the powers of a hollow.
No wonder squad 12 had taken such an interest in the boy.
<"Kinda funny though, ignoring my question. Though I guess you’re a kinda funny shinigami. You smell like hollow but there’s no blood on you and you feed people instead of throwing them in cages.”>
Hachi made sure to keep his face forward and neutral, unsure exactly how much he wanted to tell the kid.
[pink]"A funny shinigami indeed... Well, I used to be a shinigami! Then I... got tired of it, and quit..."[/pink]
He looked down at the boy, watching his face and taking another bite out of his first rice cake, making sure to savor every last bit of it. He pulled his basket toward him and looked inside; the boy had left everything but the bread and chicken, evidently not a big fan of miso soup or sushi. He rummaged inside, finding the chocolate at the bottom still untouched.
Pulling it out, he placed it on the bench near the boy.
Sasuke’s eyes widen a little as the Hachi put the chocolate down, a little known fact about the kid was his unending sweet tooth. Reaching over he grabs the chocolate removing the wrapping in a single swift motion before devouring the entire bar in one bite a content happy smile on his face as silently chews, making him look almost like a normal child. Finishing the chocolate and gulping it down he says in a carefree and kind of relaxed manner.
”Im Sasuke, Sasuke Gintama, whats your name Mr. Shinigami who smells like a hollow”
As Sauske finishes speaking the cactus wilts and dies fading away into the dirt as if it was never there. The last bit of cactus retracts into a seed deep within the earth which fades away in the dirt.
Hachi fiddled with his thumbs, gazing at his bag of quickly-disappearing rice cakes. He had accidentally eaten two more mindlessly, in quick mouthfuls. He really had to watch that, it had already gotten him in quite obvious trouble in his life.
[pink]"You can call me Hachi."[/pink]
There was a long moment of silence where Hachi looked blankly over the surface of the pond, in a state of deep thought. It was less of a verbal thought chain, and more of a series of images, feelings, memories--meetings with certain people. He rubbed his head and stood up with purpose, pocketing his last rice cake.
[pink]"Walk with me, will you?"[/pink]
Hachi was deadly curious about the abilities this kid had. He would make sure to not seem too prying with his information gathering, for he had realized the kid had something of a terrible grudge against experimenting scientists.
He turned around and started walking along the path, not looking back to see if the kid was following him or not. He was sure the boy was sick of loneliness, and even more sure Sasuke would walk with him. Would he walk behind him, as if following? Or beside? In front? Hachi shrugged, unable to think up an intelligent answer to that question.
Sasuke watched as the man got up and asked him to walk, part of him screamed it was a terrible idea that he had already risked too much just by being near the man now he wanted to move. Yet it had been so long since he had a conversation with someone who wasn’t terrified of him and, he missed having company. He popped up form his seat a minute after Hachi started walking. Quickly he caught up with the man his mind racing with the possibilities of why Hachi wanted to take this walk. Moving closer to the man he walked just a little bit behind and too the right of him.
As they made their way down the path, Sasuke sprouts a small seed in his left hand after all despite his seemingly kind nature this man was a shinigami and prudence was necessary. After about a minute or two Sasuke spoke in his normal slightly reserved voice ”So Mr. Hachi where are we going?”.
Hachi smiled to himself, hearing the boy, Sasuke, catch up to him and walk slightly behind and to the right of him.
The boy was lonely--just as Hachi presumed.
Now how on earth ought I go about this...? Hachi stared thoughtfully forward, paying attention to where he was stepping, but beside that, sticking to his inner thoughts. Sasuke was certainly human--some sort of exception to the "Gifted Human" idea--and this fascinated Hachi. There had been another human who had been of real interest to him: a girl, by the name of Orihime. She certainly had a very interesting ability...
This boy, though completely different, was interesting in how carefree he was with his powers.
<”So Mr. Hachi where are we going?”>
Good question. Hachi still wasn't quite sure of the answer himself. Certainly there would have to be no people about, and there would need to be ample space.
Then again.
Maybe it would be unwise to test the boy in any way? Hachi's mind twisted and turned, thinking up options and promptly denying them. He was beginning to get a headache, not sure entirely what to do, and the end of the Park seeming to be not overly far away.
He didn't answer Sasuke at first, and stayed silent for many moments more, seemingly lost in his own thoughts.
He decided to try some tact.
[pink]"We're going to the flower store just outside the park. My garden has been in dire need of some new landscaping for the longest time now."[/pink] He glanced to his right, at the boy. [pink]"I was thinking about planting some Japanese Irises and Azaleas--maybe some Flowering Quinces and Weigelas too; maybe you could help?"[/pink]
Sasuke stopped when Hachi asked him the question staring at the man with an intensity and distrust that only comes with years of understanding the harsh realities of life. It took him maybe five minutes to answer inside he was torn, he really wanted to help with this man’s garden… but what if he lost control, what if the hunger came out and there was no where to run? What if this was just another trap? Finally Sasuke came to the conclusion he would refuse the mans request. ”Uhm…. Ok where’s wheres your garden?”.
The words came out almost like an involuntary response, a muscle spasm and by the time he realized what he had said it was too late. Standing next to Hachi he shifted his weight nervously waiting for response rationality begged him to just go but… Sasuke liked this man for some reason.
Hachi smiled to himself, happy to know that he had at least garnered a small bit of trust out of the child--his ploy had worked.
[pink]"Well, we have to go to the Flower Shop first."[/pink]
Hachi looked forward at the end of the park and the beginning of the metropolitan aspect of the town. The stone path they were walking on quickly dissipated into pavement, and the grass slowly thinned until nothingness as they neared the end of nature. He took a small glance backward, looking at the trees, the leaves, and taking a deep inhalation of the fresh air before submitting himself to the atmosphere of the Town.
Fortunately, the flower shop was just outside the park--it was a simple building attached to a rather large greenhouse in the back. The building was very modern, colored the light-blue of mass-production. There was a large, bright, multicolored sign in the front however, that showed painted images of lillies, orchids, shruberies, and just about every other plant one could imagine. In large, white, black-outlined letters was the name of the store: Irma's Nursery
Hachi had been here many times before, and had become well-accustomed with the owner, Irma, as well as several of her employees who typically ran the cashier when she was out and about. She was one of those genuinely nice people in the world, and she needed color and nature, life of all shapes and scents to surround her constantly throughout her journeys; and she never hired a single person who wasn't nice and gentle as a bumblebee.
He walked inside, waving to Amaru, the employee behind the desk, before moving into the greenhouse beyond, leading Sasuke into a beautiful world.
[pink]"Here we are."[/pink] Hachi glanced down at his companion before moving straight away to the many-colored Japanese Irises, beckoning Sasuke over to them, curious to see how he would treat the flower, and which he would suggest.
