20 7 Jiang Chen and Tokisawa Mei
Deep in the mountains, in an abandoned house sat an old man facing a boy. The boy asked the old man a very serious question regarding his parent's death.
The old man thought to himself. 'Since when have you been holding yourself from asking this my dear grandson?' The old man felt pity and guilty for not telling the boy of what happened.
Contrary to what he thought, the boy was thinking something different. 'You've been giving me signals that there is something amiss about my parents' death since we moved to Karakura Town. I really need to know it now.'
Sigh, the old man tiredly heaved.
"As I have mentioned, your mother was the 1st reserve head disciple. We left the clan to avoid conflict as what your mom told the clan." Yon listened carefully.
"Since your mother and I left the clan, we thought the others would leave us alone."
"They didn't?" asked Yon to which Chouji nodded.
"But I thought you said exorcists were good natured people?" asked Yon obviously confused about it.
"We are. But we're still human after all."
"Once the head disciple became the clan head. He ordered to arrest us and be judged inside the clan. We were forced to liveve in hiding in this very house since then."
"It was also in these mountains that your mom and dad met." 'Please don't tell me it's gonna be a love story in these part' says Yon in his mind.
"They met, fell in love, I gave them my blessing and they married each other." Said Chouji in one sentence. 'Wow, my grandpa's an awesome storyteller!'
I left the house since they have each other now and the clan has forgiven us giving, the not yet formed, you a chance to join the clan if you wanted to. That was also the time I decided to become an instructor. I visit them once a month and found out that you were formed after a few months of visiting.
On the day you were due, I visited them as early as I could. When I arrive, I saw your mom and dad were both covered in wounds and blood while your mother was holding you.
A group of men in a black shihakusho were using katana swords while in combat with your father who was obviously struggling being outnumbered 3 to 1.
There was a pin drop silence when Yon heard this part of his grandfather's story. Why would Soul Reapers target his parents?
Yon thought hard and considered a possibility that his parents were mistaken as quincy remnants that's why they were assaulted.
"The soul reapers even after being explained that they were exorcist turned deaf ear and continued to attack them even when your mother was holding you, a newborn." Yon's expression this time was unrecognizable after hearing the last word from his grandfather.
A newborn is called newborn because the baby was recently born/delivered, which means his mother was still weak from giving birth to him.
Even if he was Kevin who was watching an anime. Someone who cries over Ace's death, when Nami was asking Luffy for help against arlong, when Robin shouts he wants to travel the sea with his crewmates, or when Zorro declares he won't be defeated again after getting trashed by Mihawk.
Now knowing a woman who've just given birth to a son struggles to protect his child even though his body might be endangered. Yon wavered upon hearing such a thing happening to this body's mother.
But knowing that it was a Shinigami who did the assault, which he once or twice imagined himself to be in his dreams, his blood boiled and his face unrecognizable due to a mixture of emotions he felt. Deep sadness, extreme pity, wrath and resentment.
Whether he's the real Yon or not, she was still the mother who gave life to this body! How dare a mere Shinigami who's probably a student or assigned protectors in the area kills his mother after giving birth to him?
"Unforgivable!" Yon muttered in a low but clear voice while his riatsu was about to burst at any given moment. Lightning sparking vividly from his body as if threatening to burst out. Surprisingly, Yon held it in so Chouji continued the story.
I immediately ran to help but was stopped by one of them. Your mother was then cut in the back protecting you since the Shinigami who fought with her was targeting you who was in her arms.
Your father was able to cut off that man's right arm, but he was stabbed in the back by the opponent he ignored due to your mom being gravely injured.
I suffered a shallow cut to the back as well as I also ran towards your mother. But your mother while dying passed you to me and said in a very gentle manner as she could in her state, "his name is Yon".
She turned his back as I saw her tears falling off her eyes as she faced the enemy who cut her. It was clear that she wants me to take you and run away. I don't know what happened after that as I left my weapon, held you tightly and with all the strength I have I ran as far away as I possibly can.
Only after a day had passed did I returned to that place where the battle happened. When I got there, I found my weapon, but I didn't see your mother and father's bodies.
I had hope that they survived since I couldn't see their bodies but, days passed, weeks, months and then years. They didn't come back or even tried to reach out. I could only assume the worst.
I focused my time on you but still held hope however little that somewhere, somehow, maybe they are still-
Chouji couldn't continue further and started crying. Yon wasn't faring any better as his tears was already flooding out his eyes.
'Shi- Ni- Ga- Mi' Yon clenched his fist which was now bleeding along with his lips which he bit. 'You're all going to pay!'
A few moments later
Chouji lead Yon to a tomb. This was the same tomb Yon visited and tried to look for his parents when he realized he could see ghost. Two tombstone rest on mound that has names of his parents.
Here lies a loving daughter
Faithful wife and protective mother
Tokisawa Mei
Here lies a loyal husband and a strong father
Jiang Chen
Yon stared at the tombstones in front of him. This was the first time for the now Yon to have visited this place. This was also the first time for him to feel such emotions.
Back on earth when he experienced bullying, he never felt bad about it.
Beat up? He was too distracted on imagining fighting against them inside his head than the punches and kicks he was receiving.
Being drenched in water? He was busy eating his mom's homemade lunch.
Being tied with a rope and dragged around the school? He was busy with his project.
Having been told ugly p**** of s***? He's not interested in romance yet.
Being mocked for being different from the rest? He only wondered why and told himself 'They just don't understand me'
Failed an interview more than ten times already? There are more 10 jobs in the world is what he thought.
His girlfriend leaving him. They just weren't meant to be.
None that happened in his life hurt him or made him feel anything at all about it.
But when listening to his grandfather earlier, he almost lost control of himself. If not for a fact that he was used to taking in his emotions, he might have hurt the only family he has in this new world he's in.
Alas if only Yon heard what Chouji arranged with the Kurosaki couple.
"Yon, rest for the remainder of the day. We will start training tomorrow." Chouji said and left Yon alone.
Yon was still looking at the two tombstones. "So, my father was Chinese?" Yon spoke out loud curiously.
"Does china even exist in this world? Come to think of it. Only Karakura town was shown in the series whenever they go to the world of the living." He continued and stopped. Took a deep breath and turned serious again.
'Thank you for letting me live. I will cherish this life. May you both rest in peace'
Yon didn't bother cultivating when he returned to the house and slept all day and night.
When he woke up the next day, his grandfather was ready for him.
He was taught the way of the sword. No longer the kendo that he was practicing in the kendo dojo. This was real swordsmanship. Along with it he was also trained on how to use inscriptions to control elements.
Although Chouji was a weapon specialist. He still has enough experience to be able to teach Yon a thing or two.
And so, a year has passed in the mountains and in Karakura Town. But Yon and Chouji didn't come back to town.
Ichigo snatched the position of being the best from Tatsuki. Orihime's brother and parents died. Uryu showed up as a new student and would sometimes visit the Kurosaki household due to Masaki being alive still.
While Yon was silently looking at his parents' tombstones
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And his grandfather's.
End of chapter 7
Volume 2: Exorcist Arc
