Chapter 3: The first enemy

It was past midday when Ichigo gave the first sign that he's about to wake up. His head was hurting him terrible like all his muscles, but he managed somehow to lift his body in order to see the area around him.

It didn't take him to long to discover that he's still in Orihime's apartment probably even more wounded than before. 'Tsh… At this rate it seems like I will never leave this place.' he thought starting to hate even more his poor condition.

"Ichigo, did you wake up ?" The girl's voice was heard from the kitchen when he made some noise trying to move around the room, but he collapsed to the ground. Seeing that she got no response he came in his help. "Omg… Are you ok ?" She asked him leaning him on the wall. It was no surprise that the guy didn't say anything as response but that couldn't stop the beauty to bring him some painkillers and a glass of water. "Please take them. You will feel a lot better." She encouraged him and the orange haired guy followed her advice.

In less than 5 minutes he felt his body more lighty. The girl helps him to stand up. The man grinned feeling free to move as he wishes making the girl to giggle amused by his way of being.

"What?" Ichigo tried to find the reason about her happiness, but the girl seems like she wanted to keep all for herself.

"The meal it's ready. I made some steak with vegetables. I hope it will be on your taste." The orange haired girl invited him and he took in no time her invitation.

Orihime was happy till tears when she saw how much the man enjoyed his meal. She was scared about the fact that it will not be at the level of his tastes, but all ended well. The beauty made to herself a mental note to not forget to throw the trash before Ichigo could observe how many attempts she needed in order to cook him the most normal and tastier steak in the world. After he had done eating he took the glass next to his plate in order to satisfy his thirsts, but soon he discovered that it was just water. He gave to the girl a confused look and she answered to him scratching the back of her neck.

"I'm very sorry about this. Tessai-san told me to not give you any beer till the pain will stop so… Please don't be mad."

"Tsh… That fucking bastard." The man concludes emptying his glass. "So… what did happen while I was unconscious ?"

"Um… nothing too much. Tessai-san carried you here, he gave me some pills after what a strange man came by in order to deliver a letter with your name on it, after that I was arguing with the little blue man how…"

"What ? A strange man ? How did he look like ?" He stopped her needed more information.

"Hm… Well… I wasn't able to see him pretty well, it was too dark, but he said that you will understand all after you will read the letter. It's near the television if you want to look at it." She admitted shy. Orihime disliked the fact that she was not much help for him.

Her words let Ichigo be speechless but somehow he managed to utter something what she should already know. "Orihime, WHY THE HELL DID YOU OPEN THE DOOR TO A COMPLETELY STRANGER DURING THE NIGHT ?" he wanted to tell her that as calm as he could be, but that was impossible.

"I was thinking that he's an acquaintance of yours, plus something of him seems to me very familiar." The orange haired girl murmured couldn't find the word to describe their mysterious guest. Ichigo sighted. 'Hell… I'm really going to die by her hand' he thought.

Without having any others things to say he opened the envelope in order to read the message. Something was really strange about the letter, I mean why would bother to write something to the person what they're about to kill.

After Ichigo finished to read the message he was furious, more furious that the girl had ever seen him.

"I will kill him. Now I will really kill him." He kept repeating. Seeing that he's lost in his thoughts the orange haired girl glanced over the mysterious note.

Dear Ichigo,

I wanted to inform you that… You're the worst friend that I had ever known! I will never forgive you for laying your dirty fingers on my beloved Orihime. So I'm challenging you for the hand of the most beautiful girl from this planet. I'm waiting you in the Karakura's park at 8 p.m o'clock. Don't be late if you want to survive.

Signed: the most charming man alive Shinji

Orihime's eyes grow bigger after she read it. She didn't know what to say. It seems that the situation was her fault. She should recognize Shinji since the beginning, but she has no excuses.

"I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." The beauty said her thoughts aloud. That was the least what she could make… The man moved his gaze on her. She looks so fragile and small crying like a baby. After all it wasn't her fault, but why is she keeping apologize to him. He couldn't stay any longer watching her so he did the first thing what came in his mind : he caressed her head. Her gaze moved on him and she was surprised to discover that his angry look changed in one warm and gentle.

"Tsh… You're talking too much. If you're really being sorry you should pay more attention at the strangers. I mean for this time it was the bastard of Shinji but the next time you can not be that lucky, after all you're living with the most dangerous and wanted criminal."He grinned involuntary.

"Arigato, Ichigo. You really made me smile." She confessed trying to hide the redness of her cheeks. If the silence will continue any longer maybe she could steal more than a grin for him, but that wasn't the case because in the next very moment Ichigo took her in his arms and they rolled on the floor right before the wall was broken by a sort of… human ? It was a very small creature who seems to talk to himself. The man recognized his enemy in no minute. 'This is going to be really troublesome.' He thought after what he searched for some weapon. The orange haired man took a knife from the table why he asked the girl about the suitcase.

"It's under the table. KYAAA.!" Orihime shouted when a big rock was about to crush her body.

"Got it." The man confirmed. Their enemy was pretty powerful so Ichigo chose to throw the table on him while he will be able to recover one of his treasured weapons. It was not surprised for the guy that the boy destroyed the object in just seconds giving him enough time to finish his mission. The girl looked at Ichigo scared seeing that he seemed lost in memories looking at the content of the suitcase so she cried his name.

Instantly Ichigo took the sword what grew bigger in his hands at the right time managing to stop the enemy.

"Did you say something?" The man joked while he was preparing to give the fatal blow to the young. "I would want to say that I had fun fighting with you but it would be a lie. So… die, Aizen's trash." Surprising the boy didn't oppose to his enemy so Ichigo killed him in no time. Seeing that his body decomposed in bright particles made him understand that this creature was only the bait. It was only a duplicate, a cheap copy of the Yasha Torya. "Tsh… No wonder it was such a fast fight. Well that means that we should keep moving. Orihime you should…" the man swallowed his words seeing the terrified expression on her face. She shouldn't be surprised, after all he kept repeating her that he's a criminal.

"So did you kill the little boy ?" she asked when she could trust her voice.

"Yes and no. He wasn't the real thing. I didn't expect them to find me so fast, but probably it's all thanks of Shinji's big mouth. We need to go now till the reinforcements will not come. " He explains and Orihime followed him without giving him any response. Something inside her seemed changed, but now they have bigger problems to worry about.

Chapter 4: "Enemies or allies ?"