#senbonsakura

Ichigo had stopped being subtle about it months ago, talking to Benihime when there was no one else he could possibly mean or exchanging looks with Senbonzakura, even if he couldn't see the faces that he made back. Last week, he had vanished for the better part of three days and stated that Ryujin Jakka had wanted to train.

"They think you're joking," Sode no Shirayuki states, shaking her head as Benihime snorts. "Something about a prank?"

"Why would I prank them about their zanpakuto?" Ichigo asks as he smacks Shiro's hands away from the sake he isn't even supposed to have. "How am I supposed to get the names of all their zanpakutos to do this?"

"They're being foolish, as they normally are," Benihime shakes her head. "Even my wielder hasn't noticed."

Sakanade’s tail lashes behind her as Zangetsu pushes a plate of cookies closer to her, “Even Shinji hasn’t noticed anything. The only people who might are the Shiba and they would speak to you directly.”

“They’re family and Kukaku isn’t gonna trust the Shinigami with anything. Probably never will, not after what happened to clan when Kaien died,” Ichigo says tapping the table as he checks over his homework. Just because there was a war going on, it didn’t mean that his grades were going to slip. “Anything new from the front?”

“Nothing worth noting,” Senbonzakura answers, appearing in the gap between Sode no Shirayuki and Benihime, looking worse for the wear. “The shinigami insist that they don’t need to truly call you in yet, even if you were the only one to put a dent in enemy forces.”

Ichigo snorts, shoving his homework into his school bag and shoving the tea pot towards him, “They’re still trying to pretend that they can get Orihime back on their own then?”

“Are you not worried about her?”

“Orihime’s not an idiot and she’s good at manipulating people, sort of. She’ll make a friend and they’ll protect her. Besides, just because her attack fairy died, doesn’t mean that she’s not able to protect herself.”

“I had some questions about that,” Benihime says, her eyes sparkling with something that Ichigo would almost call curiosity in someone else, a look that he’s seen on Urahara more than once. “Do you know anything about those clips?”

Ichigo frowns, “A gift from her dead brother. I think. She’s worn them since he died, the last thing he gave her. But as far as I know they weren’t specially made or anything like that.”

“I suppose that an easy answer would be too much to ask.”

“Are you talking to yourself again?” Renji asks, currently guarding Ichigo even though Ichigo had repeatedly told them he didn’t need to be guarded. “Why are you having a tea party?”

“I have friends over,” Ichigo answers, even if he can hear Sode no Shirayuki giggling and Sakanade cackling. “Was there something you needed?”

Renji looks like he thinks Ichigo is more insane than that weird mime captain, which is unfair, he knows where Urahara had dug that man up, but shakes his head, closing the door behind him muttering softly.

“I would have thought him more observant,” Senbonzakura states, his cup still in midair, where it had been since Renji opened the door. “Perhaps I should make a mention of it to my wielder.”

Nico Nico Douga