A special thanks to Aeris1234510, BlondeEmo ,xblossom babex, ICHIRUKI LOVER, Himiko Areess, dustoflove, allylalina, Zangetsu50, wordAnihilator, thmarth, Playmate11, Shizuka for adding the story to Favourites/Alerts!

Unidentified- I started it all over because the earlier one was dissatisfactory and not as good as I'd liked it to be.

A special thanks to Hidden Masked for the review! Your review was very very very encouraging, and I am glad you support my decision.:) Thanks a ton!

Occasional drifts of the breeze circulated round the dome shaped structures of the Seiretei, creating inconsequential dust storms which would settle into nothing after a few promising moments. The sun glimmered brightly in the otherwise spotlessly blue sky, its morning rays warming the entire stretch of Seiretei. Light hustle-bustle and murmurs could be heard from all the division barracks, black kimono clad figures sporadically rushing to and fro.

It was another day at Seiretei.

Suddenly, a white light appeared in the sky. It expanded into a rectangular stretch, before losing all its brightness and materializing into a pair of wooden sliding doors.

Most shinigami, who'd momentarily stopped to gauge what they considered a possible invasion, relaxed their fighting stances and bent down in a polite bow as the wooden doors slid open and a hell butterfly fluttered out, followed by the white haori clad figure of Ichigo Kurosaki.

Said orange head blinked before catching the sight of all the shinigami subordinates knelt down on one knee.

"Welcome back, Captain Kurosaki." They echoed in chorus.

He quickly shun-poed onto the ground, coming to a stop before all. The infamous scowl eased a little as he scratched the back of his head embarrassedly. "Oi, you all can stop doing that."

"Exactly. He doesn't deserve that respect." A voice sneered nastily.

The scowl assumed its rightful position just as Ichigo looked up. "Ikkaku." He acknowledged with some annoyance. Ikkaku stood a few feet away from him, amidst the group of crouched shinigami.

"So the Fifth division captain's back from Hueco Mundo, huh? Seems like those low class Adjuchas gave you a hard time." Ikkaku smirked, haughtily crossing his arms across his chest.

Ichigo's lips twitched as he tried reigning in his annoyance. "Careful there, Ikkaku. I thought I heard some jealousy."

"Che. Why would I be jealous?"

"Because you didn't get the chance to slay a huge hoard of hollows for fun." Now Ichigo was smirking vindictively.

Ikkaku growled. "Watch what you say, berry."

Ichigo's smile dropped. "What did you just say?"

"Exactly what you heard, berry."

"Seems like baldy here is sulking." Ichigo commented maliciously, a vein twitching on his forehead.

In a flash Ikkaku's naginata* was grinding against Ichigo's Zangetsu, their heady glares fixed on each other.

"I said," Ikkaku mustered through gritted teeth, simultaneously pushing back Ichigo, "my head's shaven and I am NOT bald!"

"And I am saying," Ichigo retorted in an equally fervent tone, pushing back Ikkaku, "my name means 'to protect one thing' and NOT strawberries!"

"First you take back what you said about my head!"

"No, first you take back what you said about my name!"

"WHY? You started this whole thing!"

"LIAR! You came up with the 'berry' thing first!"

"What's happening here?" a very unfriendly sounding voice gruffly interrupted.

Both Ichigo and Ikkaku froze. The shinigami gathered around, who were having a field day watching the onslaught of insults, paled and quickly dispersed in different directions.

The previously heated males gulped a little before slowly turning around to look at Kenpachi, calmly standing a few feet away from them. Surprisingly, Yachiru wasn't perched on his shoulder.

"Uh…oh….well-" "Captain! Uh…we-"

"Were you both fighting?" That piqued interest in his voice was unmistakable.

Ichigo paled considerably. He so did not want to fight Kenpachi. Not now, when he'd finally come back from a tedious month-long mission.

"Taichou!"

And that's when Ichigo turned around to look at his savior. Momo was running towards him, excitedly waving her hands. She finally stopped at an arm's length from him, a big smile gracing her face.

"Hinamori-san?" To say that he was relieved would be an understatement.

"I am so happy to see you again, Kurosaki taichou!" she exclaimed happily, clasping her hands against her chest.

Ichigo smiled a little softly on seeing the enthusiastic woman before him. "Ah. How's the division work been going?"

"Perfectly well, Captain!" she put up two fingers on her forehead in a mock salute. "The paperwork's been handled, the meetings filled in for, and the subordinates looked after! Though it was a little tiring." She ended with a pout.

"Arigatou, Hinamori-san." Ichigo truly felt thankful. Doing heaps of paperwork was definitely not his specialty, nor was supervising amateur and edgy subordinates. Captain meetings were a drag, what with Yamamoto's facial wrinkles deepening with distaste at every captain in turn.

He had secretly been thankful for the mission.

"No problem, Captain!" she grinned brightly at him. Her gaze then fell on the two forgotten people. "Oh, and Captain Kenpachi? Captain Unohana has called you to the Fourth Division quarters."

"Che. Whatever." Kenpachi brushed it off with evident disappointment. How his hands had been itching to have a blood filled battle with Ichigo! But he knew better than to ditch the fourth division captain.

That woman could be scary as hell.

"Let's go Ikkaku."

Said person looked surprised. "Eh? But why me, Captain?"

"Because I said so." If he couldn't get the chance to fight Ichigo, why should Ikkaku get it? "Leave Ichigo alone."

Ichigo sighed with evident relief.

"For now." Kenpachi grinned, a silent promise in his voice.

Ichigo almost choked on that relieved sigh.

Ikkaku pointed an accusing finger in his direction. "Damn right! This isn't over Strawberry!" before letting out an indignant 'hm!' and following Kenpachi's retreating form.

"Captain?" he looked at Hinamori, apparently sizing him up with concerned eyes. "Are you hurt anywhere?"

"Huh?" he looked about himself. "Uh, I don't think so.."

She smiled at him. "Then you must be tired! Why don't you go to the captain's quarters and rest for a while?"

Ichigo cast a glance around once more. He couldn't put a finger on it, but something was amiss. The atmosphere felt a little… subdued.

He reverted back his gaze to Momo, smiling tiredly. "Sounds good."

Ukitake stared at the ceiling, body sprawled out on the bed.

"Captain Ukitake." He glanced sideways to see Toushiro standing there, arms crossed across his chest.

Despite the constricting pain within, he managed a smile. "Ah, Captain Hitsugaya! What brings you here?"

"I stopped by to inquire about your health." The white haired prodigy replied, tone carrying a subtle concern. " Are you feeling better?"

Ukitake smiled assuringly. "I feel much better."

A comfortable silence enveloped the two. Ukitake resumed staring back at the ceiling, Toushiro looking at the ground.

"...I heard Kurosaki-kun returned a day back."

Toshiro didn't look up. "Ah."

"...Did anyone tell him?"

There was a silence. Toshiro's brows furrowed a little.

Ukitake's smile faltered, settling into a a placid expression. His eyes lost their light for a moment.

"He'll be told soon." Toshiro stated, noticing Ukitake's expression.

The old Captain smiled wryly. "Ah, that I know he will."

Somehow, the smile didn't reach his eyes.

Ichigo sighed for the umpteenth time that day.

"What's the matter, captain?" Hinamori asked him, a little worried from within.

He shot her an assuring look. "Nothing. Just a little tired, I guess."

He sure as hell was tired of looking around for Rukia. It had been two days since he'd returned back to the Soul Society, and not a glimpse of her had he caught. Not that he had been looking for her all the while.

But today he had been. They had decided to go back to the World of the Living for a short visit, once he returned from his mission. Not seeing her around the day he returned wasn't surprising, given that she herself was a busy lieutenant. She might have been busy elsewhere, trying to unburden her somewhat ill captain.

But damn, it had been two days, and he still hadn't seen her!

When he tried asking the Thirteenth Division members, they had denied having any knowledge about her whereabouts. He hadn't been able to catch hold of Captain Ukitake, Renji or Byakuya, who were about the first people to know anything pertaining to Rukia's whereabouts. Captain Ukitake was being treated for another violent seizure, Renji was away on a mission to Rukongai and Byakuya…didn't have time for him. Hinamori had mentioned a possibility of Rukia being on a mission. Others had feigned disinterest or ignorance.

Not that he'd asked many people in the first place.

Other than that, he had noticed something else as well: the change in the atmosphere of the Seiretei.

He didn't know why, but there was a strange passiveness clouding the entire Seiretei. Everything and everyone seemed a little off, a little quiet. Despite Hinamori's enthusiasm, Kenpachi's blood thirst, Toshiro's frowns, Yamamoto's booming voice, Shunshui's drunken stunts….he felt as though they all were a little restrained. There hung this anticipation in the air, as if something was about to happen.

He frowned, bringing back his attention to the matter at hand. What was he supposed to do? Go on with his plan without Rukia along?

He contemplated for a few moments before abruptly standing up.

Hinamori, who had been eyeing him all this while, seemed surprised. "Where are you going, sir?"

Ichigo had made up his mind. "Ah, just paying a captain a visit."

Fiery amber locked with Icy aqua.

"Kurosaki."

"Byakuya."

The noble's eye twitched ever so discreetly. First an unceremonious barging into the Kuchiki manor, demanding an immediate conference with him. And now this disrespectful addressing. The boy was never going to learn his manners, was he?

"What matter of relevance has forced you to impose upon my privacy?"

Ichigo held back a growl. Trust Byakuya to insult him in the most elegant way possible.

"Where is Rukia?" came the immediate demand.

Byakuya sat silent for a few moments. It was about time.

"She's in the Living World."

Ichigo's eyes widened in obvious surprise. "What? She left before me? But we were going to go together!"

"I was not made aware of any such plan." Byakuya injected coldly.

Ichigo ignored him, thinking for a few moments. "Has she been sent for some mission?"

"No."

Ichigo deadpanned. "Damn midget." He murmured under his breath. All this while he'd been looking around for nothing!

"Was it my sister you just addressed?" Byakuya's voice was becoming colder by the minute, though outwardly his face retained its passiveness.

"Of course not!" the last thing he wanted were angry pink petals chasing him around Seiretei. He started getting up. "Well then, I'll be off."

He walked towards the door, momentarily stopping. Again that strangeness in the air.

"Kurosaki."

Ichigo looked at him inquisitively, a little startled.

"I believe you should know why she has been sent there."

Ichigo's ears perked up. Sent there? "Sent there? I thought you said she wasn't on a mission."

"And I stand by it. She has not been sent on a mission."

Ichigo waited patiently. Something about Byakuya's tone was making mild anxiety well up in his stomach.

"She has been permanently relocated to the Living World due to an almost fatal mishap she experienced."

And the manor fell silent, the wind dying down.

*naginata- Ikkaku's pole-ish weapon is supposed to be a modification of the naginata, a particular weapon.

Happy New Year to all!

Next Update- Sunday.