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CHAPTER TWO - QUESTIONS
[color=blue]"Someone get this creature off meeeeeee!"[/color]
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When all four of us, because Rukia was invited as well, though she was still injured, arrived at the Urahara shop, I saw the reason why Rukia had been invited. In some miraculous yet, seriously scary way, Chad, Ishida and Orihime were all at the shop waiting for us. It was seriously creepy, Urahara had been at the fight with the menos since the start, I think. So how in the hell had he called these three here in such a short period of time? Though, that question could wait, there were more important ones to ask at a time like this.
"Kurosaki-Kun! AH! R-rukia-chan" Orihime greeted us in her usual excited manor, and when she noticed that Rukia was injured, something that shouldn't really be unexpected when Rukia was fighting, because she got injured quite a bit in past fights, Orihime jumped up and quickly began tending to Rukia's wounds with her strange powers. Then I felt Ishida's cold gaze upon me, through the glass of his glasses. I rolled my eyes as I sat down, me and Ishida have always partially hated each other, because we are Shinigami and Quincy, a rivalry older than either of us can imagine, but since he had been trying to win Orihime's heart, my hatred towards him grew deeper. I completely ignored him when he greeted him with his usual cold greeting of my last name.
Chad was sat next to Ishida, his bulky figure towering over the skinny Quincy. Chad's curly dark brown hair covered his eyes, and his lips were neutral in his face, giving off no emotion. Typical of the gentle giant who's punch could destroy a hollows mask with ease. I took my seat on the other side of Chad, my best friend since we helped each other out back in middle school. Not that he didn't really need help, since Chad could take almost anyone in a fight, but he just refused to fight for himself, there had to be a reason. "Yo" was all I said to the giant sat next to me.
Urahara sat opposite me, and Yoruichi sat, or lay, because it was kind of a mixture of the both, she was leaning to the side, resting on her right arm, while her legs were crossed on the floor, what a weird way to sit, it must not be very healthy for her spine. Oh well. Urahara's hat cast a shadow over his eyes, and he quickly pulled out his fan and put it in front of his mouth, creepy idiot. "So, what's going on?" I wanted answers, and I wanted them fast, I had to be back soon after all, Yuzu would have dinner ready soon, and I didn't want to disappoint her again, for the second night in a row. Besides, she could cook better than me, and I really don't want to eat one of the my on prepared, or even re-heated meals. Just the thought of it made me want to throw up. I looked Urahara square in the eyes, well, at least where I thought where his eyes were, it was hard to tell at the moment.
"Ah, so impateint, Kurosaki-Kun~" Urahara's usual chilled out voice was back now, he wasn't serious any more, at least, he made it seem that way anyway. This guy is really hard to read, which just adds to his creepyness.
"Look, old man, we're wasting time here, I-"
"Ichigo! Why can't you just learn to listen?" Yoruichi cut in, her powerful voice speaking for Urahara, he would probably say something similar to that. You'd think that these two were a married couple with the way they act sometimes.
"Ah! Don't interrupt me when I'm asking questions, old women" I smirked playfully as I leant forwards and placed my hands on my knees so that I could balance myself easier
"WHO YOU CALLING OLD?!" Yoruichi barked back, though, unlike me, she didn't move when she spoke "Can you not see how beautiful I am?" She just smiled at me and kept her sly orangy-yellow eyes on me, god this woman drove me nuts.
"Ah~ Kuro-Kurosaki-kun, Yoruichi-sama, don't cause fights" Orihime smiled at us gently, and I couldn't help but instantly calm down. I sank back into my seat and waited for Urahara's answers, he would tell us even if I hadn't of asked him.
"Now then~ I guess you're all wondering why I called you all here, well, except for Ruika-san and Kurosaki-kun of course. They already have a slight understanding as to what's going on." Urahara started, about time he finally gave us some answers. "A small band of Menos Grande Hollow attacked Karakura town just now- " Small? Hah! If that's a small group, I'd hate to see a large one- "But of course, Kurosaki-Kun and myself were able to disperse them, along with the help of Yoruichi-san and Rukia-chan."
"Menos Grande, here? Why?" Ishida asked, for a guy who acted like he knew everything, he sure was asking a lot of questions right now.
"We're not sure why they attacked, or how they managed to get here" Yoruichi answered, with her eyes now closed. She seemed somewhat annoyed that she didn't know.
"Could it be down to Aizen?" I closed my eyes and folded my arms across my chest. Aizen, the man that had managed to turn several shinigami, captain and lieutenant class, into Vaizard, like me. The man that managed to deceive all of Soul Society and Sei-Rei-Tei with ease. The guy who was now making an army of Arrancar deep in Hueco Mundo. Just thinking about him made me want to fight him, and kill him.
I felt Uraharas serious, and bone chilling eyes on me now "We aren't sure if it is Aizen. But he is my biggest suspect at the moment."
"Surely Aizen would have sent Arrancar again, instead of Menos Grande?" Ishida asked with an air of confidence around him. Yeah, we could take Menos Grande easy now, but having them attack in such a large group, was no easy matter to deal with.
"It could have just been a warning, or a test" I replied without looking at the blue-haired, glasses wearing smart guy on the other side of Chad, but I could tell that he was somewhat annoyed with me answering his question instead of either Yoruichi or Urahara.
"That it could be indeed, Kurosaki-kun. See~! Yoruichi-san! There is hope for him yet!" Urahara exclaimed, I felt my eyebrow twitch, but managed to contain my anger and keep perfectly still. Though, I could hear Orihime's giggle behind me, and for some strange reason, I could even see Ishida's slight grin at the remark. "Indeeed, Ishida-Kun, it is strange that Aizen would send these quite frankly, primitive hollow instead of his Arrancar, but I think it's as Kurosaki-kun said, he just sent them to test our skills, and make us remember that he is still out there. Or, it could be some new enemy that's also in Hueco Mundo, and is deciding to wage war against Karakura town."
"But wouldn't Aizen know about them and put a stop to them?"
"If he did know about them, then yes he would, Kurosaki-Kun. He can't afford to let someone else destroy Karakura town before he does after all." At least Urahara agreed with me about this "But, he may also not know about them, Hueco Mundo is after all, a very, very big place. It's impossible to know what's going on in every last corner of it."
"Does Soul Society know about this?" Chad's deep voice finally broke into the conversation, if it wasn't for his massive figure taking up much of the seating area around the table, no one would think he was still here. To be honest, I thought he had fallen asleep. Then the sliding door behind Urahara moved, and I felt the presence of an all too familiar person.
"ICHI!!!!!" [b]BANG![/b] I fell backwards as my head was hit by something small, and fast. When I looked up, all I could see was the face of the small child who was lieutenant of the 11th Division. Yachiru. For a hundred odd year old, she really was still like a kid. "ICHI-ICHI!! KEN-CHAN CAME TO SEE YOUUUUUUUUU" She was really loud too.
"G-Get off of me!!" I shouted as I tried to push here away, but seconds before my hands found her, she was gone again and was sat on the huge figure of her Captain, Zaraki Kenpachi. Strongest figher in all of the Gotei 13. He was looking down at me as if I was some rat that needed saving, and he was the Lion who was displeased to have it in it's presence
"Yep~ That's why Zaraki-san and Yachiru-chan are here!" Urahara exclaimed with excitement.
"These two!?" I protested "These two are here to help us figure out who is behind all of this mess?!" Neither of these two had ANY sense of direction, and both of them were as blood thirsty as the other, only, Yachiru was never allowed to fight, and because of this, was usually more childish.
"Ah~ I think he's angry, Ken-Chan~" Yachiru put her finger to her bottom lip and looked up at Zaraki as if butter couldn't melt, and she was the most innocent thing in the world.
"It's your fault" Zaraki's coarse voice came, as he told her bluntly, not even turning his head to her. The size difference was amazing. "When do we get our rematch, Ichigo?" Typical, all Zaraki was interested in was another fight.
"Ah~~ Not now you two~ we have more important things to discuss! Like! Accommodation for you~!"
"Shouldn't they just stay here?" I was a little puzzled as to why we had to discuss this, Shinigami from Soul Society usually stay here anyway, so why should now be any different?
"Ah~ Because of Zaraki-Kuns immense spiritual presence, only he can stay here, which means--- Yachiru will have to stay with you, Kuro-"
"WHAT?!?!!!?!?!?!?" Rukia suddenly came back to life as both of us suddenly shouted the same thing at the exact same thing. The pink haired demon, staying at my house. Surely this couldn't be good.
