Stopping to smell the roses...(Kurokon)

Shunsui was taking a day off in Karakura town. He was avoiding some paperwork that he had hoped Nanao-chan would get to, but better yet he just wanted to relax. In the past there had been so much going on in the Soul Society that he was in a state of constant preperation, which was out of the ordinary for him. Since it was considerably peacefull lately, he decided to take advantage of it. He was sitting in the park in his new gigai. It was Shunsui but with shorter hair and a business suit to "blend in." He was sitting on a park bench when he glanced among the people going on living their lives, so unaware that it could change in the blink of an eye. He sighed as he thought, I wonder what would be better, the advantage of knowledge, or to live life with the idea of ignorance is bliss...

Kurokon sighed. It was time and Ukitake and Shunsui werent there, ah well he'd find them. He walked through the park, feeling Shunsui's reiatsu, he wasnt exactly hiding it, he probably thought the one who could sense him would be dead... how funny. He walked towards Shunsui and sat down beside him, his mask covering his face, all but one eye. "hello old friend"

He lazily turned to the left only to see that a masked figure was sitting there. At first he didn't know who he was but when he sensed his reiatsu, he instantly realized who it was. "So, you're still kickin huh? What brings you here..." He said casualy.

"I take it Ukitake didnt tell you to meet me today... even if i died" He sighed. "you really should protect yourself better what if I was truly evil?" He chuckled "course you wouldnt be able to outrun me, but still... Here its a gift" He said handing him a small orange book, labeled Icha Icha Paradise.

His eyes got wide and his palms sweaty as he grabbed the book from his hands. "Is this... Could it be?" he said as he thumbed through the pages. "But this one hasn't been released yet!" he exclaimed with excitement, but stopped to gather himself. "Ahem, anyway, thank you, but I'll have to be careful with this one. Nanao-chan got angry and destroyed my last one..." he said with a solemn face. "Anyway, Ukitake never told me about any mysterious meeting, but since I'm here, what do you want. If anyone from the soul society saw us together they might jump to conclusions..." he said with a dark tone to his usually happy voice.

"who do you think makes them?" He chuckled. "and dont worry... your the only one who knew my reiatsu before I became a vaizard... other than retsu unohana and the others.... here... I dont care who this new Captain Commander is, this is yours..." He said dropping a small box into Shunsui's hands "keep it safe... its usually a job for Captain Commanders but I can tell... you are the best choice...."

This truly made Shunsui puzzled as the box fell into his hands. He gazed at the mysterious gift that was bestowed to him and examined it intently. He then returned his attention to Kurokon. "So...what is it?" he said with a plain expression on his face.

"the oken... I have been to that world... I decided to talk to the idiot known as the soul king... I always thought itd be elvis... either way I found out the soul king is a weakling... and not a very bright one at that..." He sighed, remembering their encounter.

The moment he heard the words come out of his mouth he stood up. "How did you..." He said beggining to raise his voice, but briefly calmed himself. "...Do you realize the ramifications of what you have done? The contents of this box could do unimaginable things! Honestly, I don't know what's preventing me from destroying this thing right now!" he said in a stern tone, but waited for Kurokon's response to see what his true intentions were.

"because... you should trust me.... I didnt make it... I merely found it... I decided to give it to the least likely person I'd give it to so people would never look.... and thats with you... your lazy attitude hides power... and no one would expect you to hold this.. I know what I have done, everything that I have done was for the sake of humanity... shinigami, hollows, humans it doesnt matter... its just a giant wheel.... which would have broke by now if not for each and every race..." He sighed, knowing he would say something like that.

Shunsui sighed and turned around to walk away. He planned on returning to the Soul Society to hide the oken. Just before he left he turned around and shot a glance to his old friend. "Ya know, I'll do everything in my power to keep it safe, but I can't prevent the rest of the soul society from doing anything. From now on you're on your own..." he said with a solemn expression painted on his face. He then opened a senkai gate, and dissappeared...
[Exit]