บท 34: Chapter 34 - Asauchi
A/N: Sheesh. Some of the recent haters after I came back are tempting me to just stop sharing this fanfiction here and leave it on another hiatus. Really kills my enjoyment of writing this fanfiction, which is super annoying, because it's one of the few things I can do to forget about my life that honestly kinda sucks. Much easier to complain about a free fanfiction than to write one, that's for sure. Doing my best to ignore it and keep writing, though. Thanks for reading and enjoying it, including all of the silent readers who don't leave comments or anything. Makes it a bit easier to encourage myself to write even when I'm feeling down. Sorry for being a Debbie Downer, though, so here's da chappy.
Also, a side note, why does every other fanfiction I read these days have an MC named Jin???
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"How are you feeling?" Ururu calmly asked him while licking a lollipop.
"Fine. Just a bit sore," Jin replied with a similarly nonchalant demeanor.
"That wasn't from yesterday, right?" Yoruichi asked, staring at Jin's shoulder.
"Well, yes and no. It happened shortly before we ran into each other."
"You hid it rather well."
"It's a skill I wish I never had to learn, but it is what it is," Jin mumbled. Then, he asked, "Where's Kurosaki-san?"
"Making the salve for you," Yoruichi answered while making herself comfortable on the bed next to him.
"Gotcha," Jin replied. Then, he looked at the two kids and said, "Thanks for bringing over the ingredients, you two."
Jinta clicked his tongue and looked away, but the slight blush on his cheeks gave away the fact that he appreciated it. In contrast, Ururu nodded and said, "You're welcome."
"You're not going to thank me?" Yoruichi teased, though her deep voice in her cat form made it difficult for Jin to wholly ascertain her intentions.
"You obviously didn't help with those dinky paws."
A few minutes later, Isshin entered the room holding a small glass container filled with a mostly clear lotion-like substance with hints of green coloration. The moment he entered the room, he halted and stared at Jin's face. Seeing scratch marks on his face, Isshin laughed.
While the middle-aged man laughed wholeheartedly, Jin sighed and did his best to ignore the stinging pain caused by cat claws. It felt like several paper cuts layered atop each other. He figured it would heal more quickly than his shoulder, though.
Still chuckling, Isshin set the cylindrical glass container on a nearby table and said, "Here's the salve. I'll help you apply it this time, but you'll need to have somebody help you reapply it and change your bandages every six hours for the next few days."
"Alright," Jin responded with a thoughtful nod. He didn't think he would have trouble getting help with that in his home world, but doing so in the One Piece world was another story. Briefly, he imagined Luffy trying to help him change the bandages. Just imagining it sent a shiver down his spine.
While Jin grimaced due to his own imagination, Isshin removed his bandages and applied a dollop of salve using a cotton ball. The salve felt cool against his skin, much like aloe vera gel. Meanwhile, the two children and Yoruichi stared at the half-dollar sized scab on his shoulder. They didn't react much to it, though.
Midway through the process, Jin hummed thoughtfully and met Isshin's eyes. Out of curiosity, he asked, "Do you happen to have an Asauchi lying around that you don't need?"
Isshin froze with his hand halfway to Jin's wound. His eyes glazed over as though recalling a distant memory.
'Huh. It seems like he has one.'
"What do you need an Asauchi for?" Isshin inquired in a slightly distant tone. At the same time, he resumed applying the salve.
"That should be obvious, not to mention I've practiced with a sword more than anything else."
Isshin quietly applied the salve without replying immediately. Lips pressed together into a pensive expression, he silently finished the process and reapplied bandages while seemingly deliberating Jin's question. The two kids looked a little uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere, but Yoruichi had an amused glint in her yellow eyes.
Due to Isshin's hesitance, Jin said, "Feel free to deny my request here since I'll eventually be able to get one. I'm just being a bit impatient due to recent events."
Nodding slightly, Isshin removed his gloves in silence. Then, he rubbed his scratchy beard, turned toward the black cat perched at the end of the hospital bed, and asked, "Does he know?"
"Hmm… I think so. At least, Kisuke seems to think so."
'You could just ask me, right?' Jin thought, brow slightly raised.
"Does he have some potential?"
"Honestly, I don't know. At least right now, he's around the level of a seated member. He's a strange one, though, so do whatever you want," Yoruichi nonchalantly replied.
"I see," Isshin muttered to himself. Then, he looked back at Jin and said, "I do have an Asauchi in storage. Originally, I was going to give it to Ichigo once I thought he was ready for it, but that obviously won't be necessary anymore. Because of that, I can give it to you, but I have a condition."
"Understandable. Name it."
"My son is probably going to have a hard time in the future. If I give you the Asauchi, I hope you can use it to help him out when needed."
Surprised, Jin's eyes widened a little. He couldn't help asking, "That's it?" Then, he smiled and said, "No problem. I don't mind babysitting from time to time."
"Haha. You're only a couple years older than him," Isshin retorted with a wide grin. Then, he handed over the salve container and said, "Put your shirt back on and follow me. I'm not able to see or handle it at the moment, so you'll need to grab it yourself."
"Gotcha. Thanks."
With that, Jin got up from the bed and put his shirt back on. Isshin then left the room, and Jin followed. The black cat sitting on the bed jumped up and sat on his head, briefly making him lose his balance due to how unexpected it was. Deciding to ignore it, he sighed and kept walking. The two kids left the room as well, though they waited near the clinic's entrance instead of following them.
Isshin led Jin and Yoruichi into his home, up the stairs, and into his bedroom. Along the way, Jin couldn't help gawking at the multiple posters of the late Kurosaki Masaki hanging on almost every wall. There were tons of them hung up around her shrine as well. However, once they entered Isshin's bedroom, Jin raised a brow. The only pictures of the woman in the bedroom were one of her and Isshin on their wedding day and one family picture. For some reason, the difference compared to the rest of the house gave him a feeling of solemnity.
Not minding Jin's curious gaze, Isshin entered his walk-in closet. Then, he pointed at a top shelf in the far corner and said, "It's up there. Go ahead and take it."
Following Isshin's finger with his eyes, Jin spotted a long and unassuming black box. He walked over and grabbed it using his left hand. The cat perched on his head added a bit of difficulty to the simple action, but he didn't mind. Rather than care about her, he opened the box and looked at the Asauchi, which looked no different from the average katana at the moment.
Latching the box shut again, Jin looked at Isshin and said, "Got it. Thanks for letting me take it."
Isshin simply nodded and said, "It'd just collect dust if you don't take it here."
"I mean… your daughters could probably use it."
Eye twitching uncontrollably, Isshin forced a smile and said, "They don't need to get involved in such things."
Sensing that he stepped on a landmine, Jin mumbled, "Well, fair enough, I guess."
'Karin had a lot of potential, though. Even if he doesn't want her to fight, she'll eventually get involved whether he wants her to or not. Yuzu on the other hand… she might make a good housewife I guess…'
Thinking along those lines, an idea that had been simmering in the back of his mind moved to the forefront of his thoughts. Ever since he discovered the supernatural elements of the world he reincarnated into, he wondered if he should try to form a group of his own aside from the members of the chat group. In fact, he already had a list of characters he wanted to recruit. Originally, he didn't consider recruiting Karin, but if he invested some time training her, he figured she had the potential to become a powerful ally later on.
'Well, I'll leave that for the future. Still have too much on my plate due to these tutorial missions.'
Despite the awkward end to their conversation, Jin calmly followed Isshin back to the clinic. Due to a new patient arriving, Isshin sent them off with a few words of farewell and wished Jin good luck with the Asauchi.
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