Arata Saito - Sakahone Arc

[BleachKing96]

So this is a piece of the story I wrote as kinda like the backstory of my OC for the Bleach Anime. I'll post PArt 1 here and the other four parts as I write them (if people like it of course xD)

 

Arata Saito - Sakahone Arc

Charpter 1 - Hitori and Izana

 

 

In the Soul Society it is common knowledge that the Soul Reapers travel to the human world and do two things; purify hollows and send humans to the soul society. This is the main way that the Soul Society’s population fills up. But are there other ways that souls can arrive in the Soul Society? Without being human or hollow first? The answer to this is yes. This story is one about one such soul who was neither human nor hollow. A soul born and bred purely in the veil of death and created in the Soul Society.

 

During a time of peace, before the war, there was a small family living in Sakahone district in East Rukongai. This wasn’t a rich family but a worthwhile family nonetheless. In the district, in a small family house, lived Toru Saito and his middle-aged son, Hitori. It had taken many years for them but eventually, the two real relatives found each other in the Soul Society after death. Toru was overly protective of his son, feeling guilty about his early death in the human world. Hitori was happy with the simple life he had, owning a food shop in the district and providing meals for many people, but he wanted to see beyond his own district.

“I have told you many times already, you cannot go out to the other districts. The upper districts won’t accept someone lower like us and the lower districts are dangerous. Too dangerous for someone like you”, Toru said sternly as he crossed his arms at Hitori.

“And I have told you that I am no longer a child and I am perfectly capable of looking after myself!”, Hitori replied with a loud and agitated tone. As usual, Toru didn’t get angry or even flinch at the yelling. He simply grunted and closed his eyes as he said, “Fine, but you may suffer the consequences of your actions.”

 

One fateful day, Hitori decided to go out into the more higher class district, Junrinan. The most beautiful district known, Hitori sat in the blossoms and inhaled the fresh air, thinking on everything he said to his father and how he treated him. It was true that Hitori deserved more freedom but there was no need to berate his father like that. Toru always used to say that Hitori would understand when he had a child of his own. Hitori scoffed at the thought. He was happy enough as he was now, childless, just as he was in the human world. Hitori never had time for relationships, nor did he really want to. Walking through the bright forestry, Hitori heard the sounds of slashing and grunting in the distance, getting louder and louder as he approached. His eyes widened as he saw, in a clearing, a black-haired woman in a dark blue kimono, practising with a katana. Hitori watched her for a while before she heard a twig snap under his foot where he stood and Hitori quickly ran away.

 

Arriving back home, all he could think about was that woman in the field. As Toru brought their soup over to eat, Hitori continued to stare at it for a while, holding his chopsticks in one hand.

“You always enjoyed my noodle soup in the past. I really hope the higher class foods in the upper districts haven’t put you off my cooking now”, Toru said in a slightly sarcastic manner. As if half asleep, Hitori looked up at Toru as if he didn’t hear anything. Toru raised his eyebrows for an explanation and Hitori simply looked down at his food and began eating. There was an uncomfortable silence before Hitori finally asked, “I saw someone today. In Junrinan district. She seemed to be practising with a sword. Is she from that central place?” Toru didn’t respond but he stared at Hitori blankly, with snake eyes.

“What you saw, my son, was a soul reaper. They are beings far advanced than us and are not to be trusted. You would do well to stay far away from her and any of her kind”, Toru said quietly. Hitori was ready to argue but then he closed his mouth and continued eating. Though he said he wouldn’t go back, he had every intention of trying to see her again.

 

Hitori spent the next few weeks stalking his new interest. Always going to the Junrinan district and figuring out her routine. When she wasn’t in the Seireitei, she would be in the fields practising and always at the same tea house for lunch. One day, Hitori decided to try and get her attention for the first time. Entering the tea shop, he looked at the prices and gulped. So expensive. He used as much money as possible to get himself a simple green tea and sat down at the table across from the woman’s table. Occasionally he would look up at her but immediately look away when she looked back. After a few minutes of this, she shouted from across the room, “Do you got a problem with me?”

“Oh! Erm… no, of course not! I am just… sitting here, drinking my tea!”, Hitori laughed nervously before making a point of turning away so that she didn’t see his face.

“Well, clearly you do have something to say to me if you keep staring at me like that, ya creep!”, she yelled again. Some of the other patrons began looking at them and Hitori immediately got up and rushed outside. He took deep breaths, trying to gather himself. That was probably the most embarrassing moment of his entire life. It was at this moment that he remembered exactly why he never interacted with other humans when he was alive. How could the afterlife be any different? Hitori began to leave the premises until he felt a sharp jab in his back. Suddenly, Hitori found himself on the floor and feeling his back in pain. Standing above him was the woman he was stalking in the tea room, looking down with anger.

 

“Look, I already told you I was sorry, I’m gonna go home now! I swear!”, Hitori yelled as he tried to get up.

“I want you to explain to me exactly why you were creeping around me today, right now!”, she argued back, keeping her hand on the hilt of her sword. Hitori eyed her hand position and looked back up at her.

“I noticed the sword actually, and I was told about Soul Reapers. I just wanted to see if you really were one”, he answered. The woman narrowed her eyes as she analysed Hitori, before relaxing herself and withdrawing a bit.

“Alright. I am a soul reaper. Not really much of a big deal. There’s plenty of us around. Loads of them at the Academy too”, she answered. Hitori walked with her, learning about the soul reapers and the Shin’o Academy where she studied. It was surely impressive but then, the talk of these demon creatures, Hollows. They sounded extremely freaky and the stuff of nightmares. Hitori felt glad that he’d never had the displeasure of coming across one when he was a soul in the Human world.

“So what Squad did you join?”, the woman asked. Hitori froze on the spot and wondered exactly to say. He wanted to just tell the truth, but then, what if she lost interest in him? He’d already gotten this far and she was even smiling at him!

“Erm… I’m in the first squad! Number one!”, he said sheepishly. The reaper froze and stared at him blankly as if expecting something grand.

“SQUAD 1?!! HOW?!!! I WANTED TO BE IN THAT SQUAD FOR AGES!!!”, she screeched. Hitori was nearly knocked off his feet when she yelled and he said, “Well, you know, it wasn’t without trying. It took a lot of effort to get that far!”

“What seat are you?”, she asked again.

“Errrmmm, third”, he replied. The reaper threw her hands up in the air and groaned. Hitori couldn’t help finding her annoyed state kind of funny and they continued to chat about the Soul Society and much more. Eventually, night came and Hitori had to say goodbye for the day.

“Oh, I didn’t get your name”, Hitori said finally, before leaving the reaper at the gate of the Seireitei. She laughed a little and smiled as she said, “Shima. Izana Shima.”

 

Some months passed and Saito and Shima had gotten on a lot. To the point where they were both becoming somewhat romantically involved with each other. It was difficult keeping up appearances as Hitori had to come up with answers to all of her questions. Why the low spiritual pressure? Obviously, he suppressed it so nobody got scared. Why did he never carry his zanpakuto? It sometimes intimidated people. Why was he never around the barracks or Seireitei? Well, he was just always busy. The lies were getting worse but it was the day he would take her to meet Toru that everything would go wrong.

 

 

 

The day came and Hitori was getting nervous. Having to already come up with a phenomenal explanation as to why his father was living in Sakahone was already trouble enough. He just severely hoped no questions came up. Thankfully, it began nicely, with Toru being overwhelmingly pleased about Hitori meeting a woman. They sat down to a nice meal before drinking tea and having a chat and that’s when Hitori got into trouble.

“So how pleased were you when Hitori joined the academy?”, she asked, sipping her tea and looking like she was resisting the urge to grimace. Toru’s expression changed dramatically as he replied, “I have no idea what you mean. He’s never been to an academy.”

“But… Hitori is a soul reaper like me. He told me he was in Squad 1”, Izana said back, looking over at Hitori who was frozen in place, gripping his tea. Both of them were glaring at him and Izana got up immediately to leave. Hitori ran after her while Toru didn’t move and just sipped his tea further.

 

 

 

“Izana, wait!”, Hitori shouted after her.

“You wanna explain why you lied to me?!”, she demanded as she wheeled around. Hitori stood there for a moment, lost for words, wondering what he could possibly say or do to amend the situation and keep her here.

“Well… I thought that if I told you that I was just a regular person… just someone from a lowly district that wasn’t very important… you would just leave and not be interested in me at all”, he said quietly. There was a short silence for a while and as Izana was about to speak up, Toru emerged from the house and said, “It’s cold out here. You two had best go inside and resolve this in there. I’ll be staying at the shop tonight.” Without waiting for a response, Toru smiled and began walking away. The two went inside the house and Hitori didn’t even get to speak before Izana started.

“I became interested in you because of how peaceful you were. Your lifestyle, your presence, it felt like such a breath of fresh air compared to all my time in the Seireitei and constantly having to fight hollows and all that. I needed a break and every day with you felt like the greatest holiday ever. Reaper or not, I love you and still love you now. Just don’t feel the need to impress me”, she said quietly. Hitori smiled, feeling tears forming at his eyes form the happiness of the moment before moving in to kiss her. The two shared a moment of silence before Izana suggested they retire for the night, together.

 

Time had passed since Hitori and Izana were together. Toru looked after them both, taking in Izana as his own and, though Izana was away a lot on reaper duty, Hitori lived a happy life with his new partner and eventually, their one and only son, Arata Saito.

Edited February 25, 2019 by BleachKing96
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