Author's note: I am SO sorry for the lack of updates lately. Finals are next week, so I've been running around like a headless chicken trying to get ready for everything. Thankfully, once finals are over I'll be back to writing on a regular basis. In fact, I already have the outline for the next chapter done! :D Please enjoy the chapter!

A special thank you to my amazing beta Madhvija! Even when losing her phone, she made time to look this over. :) Thanks a bunch!

Reviews: A special thank you to aej1085, xXsnowfeltXx, Spice3132, Emuri, Boby09, Madhvija, jigoku michiru., HeartfeltHitokiri, princesss-myu, Yanaril, Twix10, Babiip, DancerGrl16, Copper-chan, thatEndlessOblivion, temari13, Detritus Doll, bloodyrose1294, Blitch, PaN-cHaN862005, Bullet in the Brainpan Squish, Enelya87, and Elrowien for reviewing! :D You guys all made my day.

Disclaimer: Bleach and all characters, etc. belong to Tite Kubo.

A frown crossed his lips as he glowered at the ceiling. Several weeks had passed since his last encounter with the priestess and he hadn't received any further instructions from either Yoruichi or his father regarding his mission. His brows furrowed as a thought crossed his mind – surely the counsel didn't believe him to be incompetent. Closing his eyes, he laced his fingers together behind his head, hoping to fall asleep.

With no missions coming his way, Ichigo had been unable to find much to do with his free time. He didn't particularly enjoy going into town and he could only concentrate on his training for so long before becoming bored. He grimaced when he remembered his escapades in the kitchen earlier that morning. Yuzu was ecstatic when he asked if she needed any help, but his lack of culinary skills soon resulted in the young girl shooing him out of the kitchen.

"If you want to help, go into town and pick up these ingredients for supper," she said firmly as she thrust a slip of paper into his hands.

Ichigo grumbled a bit at her request, but did what she asked him to. Once he returned laden with groceries, he quickly dumped them onto the table before escaping into the courtyard before Yuzu could send him on any more errands. He wandered around aimlessly for an hour or so before deciding to see what Karin was doing. Unfortunately he had almost been struck by a stray arrow and he quickly retreated back to the safety of his room.

With a heavy sigh, Ichigo rolled onto his side and ran a hand through his hair. Since he had nothing to do, the image of the young priestess kept invading his thoughts. A light pink dusted his cheeks when he remembered how her porcelain skin seemed to glow in the moonlight and her auburn hair simply added to the urethral glow that surrounded her. His heart hammered against his ribcage when he thought about how soft her skin was and how plump her lips looked as she had whispered urgently to him. Sitting up abruptly, he shook his head vigorously.

'I can't think about her that way! She's the enemy!' he thought angrily.

His hand clenched the fabric of his blankets as he screwed his eyes shut, trying to force the tantalizing image of the girl out of his mind. Clapping a hand over his eyes, he flopped back against his pillow, a soft groan escaping his lips. It was wrong to think of her as anything other than an enemy, but a small part of him questioned whether she was truly the enemy.

"I have a feeling we'll become very close."

There was no doubt he was drawn to her, but why? His heart accelerated when a small voice in the back of his mind suggested that it was fate they had met.

'Fate…' he mused silently before dismissing the idea - there was no such thing as fate.

Closing his eyes, he pushed all thoughts pertaining to the young woman to the back of his mind. He didn't need to get so worked up over something so trivial - sooner or later she would be dead and he could go on with his life.

"Promise me you'll see me again."

His eyes snapped open when her voice rang through his head. His brows furrowed when he remembered that he had promised to meet her…but how?

His thoughts were interrupted when someone softly knocked on his door. Pushing himself into a sitting position, he watched in slight horror as the door slid open to reveal the one person he was not looking forward to seeing – Keigo.

"I-CHI-GO!" cried the brunette boy as he flung himself at his friend. Ichigo grabbed Keigo's arm before he could embrace his childhood friend and twisted it behind his back before pinning him to the ground by his throat.

"I thought I told you not to do that anymore," growled Ichigo before glancing up when he heard his door sliding shut. Pressing his knee into the small of Keigo's back, he relinquished his grasp on Keigo's neck to raise his hand in greeting. "Yo, Mizuiro."

"Good afternoon," said Mizuiro politely before glancing at his wailing companion. Sighing, he shook his head in dismay as Ichigo reluctantly released his friend. "Asano-san, I told you not to surprise Ichigo like that."

"But I haven't seen him in ages!" complained Keigo as he crossed his arms.

"Quit being so dramatic. I saw you last week," muttered Ichigo as he made his way over to the window overlooking the grounds.

"I am not being dramatic!" cried Keigo indignantly.

"Asano-san, keep your voice down or else you'll be kicked out," said Mizuiro quietly. He sighed heavily when Keigo grasped Ichigo's shoulders roughly and shook him.

"Did you hear him, Ichigo? He's been calling me 'Asano-san' all week! He's never been so formal to me before!" wailed Keigo as tears streamed down his cheeks.

"Who the hell cares what he calls you?" said Ichigo angrily as he swatted his friend's hands away. "And do you mind telling me what you two are doing here?"

"We're here to take you to the festival!" declared Keigo suddenly as his wailing abruptly stopped.

"What festival? I was in town earlier and I didn't see anything remotely like one."

"It's actually near the temple," said Mizuiro as he smiled at his friend. "It's only this weekend and a lot of the townsfolk are excited about it."

"Why should I care about some stupid festival?" grumbled Ichigo. Returning his attention back to the window, he stared blankly at the large tree growing in the center of the lawn. If it was at the temple, there was a good chance he would see that girl again and that wasn't something he was prepared for.

"Oh c'mon Ichigo!" protested Keigo as he forcefully pulled the orange-haired man's arms off of the windowsill. "It'll be fun and we need to get you out of here."

"I don't need to 'get out of here'," growled Ichigo as he wrenched his hand out of Keigo's grasp. "I'm perfectly fine staying home."

"But you've been cooped up for weeks!" whined Keigo before he gasped dramatically. "Don't tell me you've found a secret lover!" When Ichigo merely rolled his eyes, Keigo pointed accusingly at his friend. "You did! You traitor! What happened to our pact to remain bachelors for the rest of our lives and not end up like this womanizer?" He emphasized his point by glaring at Mizuiro, who sported a wry smile as he noticed Ichigo's left eye begin to twitch in annoyance.

"Asano-san, I would prefer it if you keep the ladies I've accompanied over the years out of this," said Mizuiro. Clapping a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, he smiled warmly at his friend. "Come on Ichigo. Just one night out with the guys. It's rare that we get to see you so often and the festival only comes around once a year."

Sighing in defeat, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair. "Alright, fine. Let me get changed and we can go."

"Phew! I'm finally finished!" declared Orihime happily as she signed the last piece of paper in the stack sitting on her desk.

Setting her writing utensil down, she stood up and stretched, her muscles aching from remaining still for so long. She glanced out of the window and was delighted to see that the festival's preparations were coming along smoothly. There would be games and all kinds of food for her to sample - all things she was looking forward to doing that evening. Her eyes sparkled when she thought about the fireworks that would conclude the festival. Although that was the standard way to signal the end of the festival, she was excited none the less.

'Onii-chan, I wish you were here to enjoy the festival with me. The fireworks were always your favorite…' she thought, a wistful smile gracing her lips.

Her thoughts were interrupted when a light knock sounded on her door, alerting her to someone's presence. Turning her gaze away from her work, her happy mood vanished when she saw Ishida stride through the doorway, his arms laden with another stack of papers.

"Inoue-san, have you finished signing those documents?" he inquired as he set the papers on the table.

"Yes. It took awhile, but I finally finished!" she chirped happily before glancing at the fresh pile of documents. A small sigh escaped her lips, causing Ishida to chuckle.

"Don't worry, Inoue-san. You won't have to sign anymore documents tonight. I was simply bringing these here so that you can begin early tomorrow morning," he said with a kind smile.

"Really?" When Ishida nodded his head, she squealed with joy and spun around in a circle. She nearly tripped over her robes, but was caught by Sado, who had silently appeared behind her. Her face lit up as a large smile crossed her lips, and she laughed merrily at her silent companion as he helped her regain her balance. "Sado-kun, you really should be a ninja!"

Sado smiled at Orihime's jubilant outburst, but didn't reply. Ishida smiled fondly at the pair as Orihime enthusiastically relayed her most recent fantasy, mostly revolving around mutant rabbits that were intent on taking over the world. Shaking his head, he watched as Sado quietly set the tray of tea he had been balancing in one hand as he caught Orihime on the table beside her completed paperwork.

Ishida had been honored to be chosen to act as Orihime's escort and assistant, but it was her gentle nature that had enamored him. However, he was often baffled by her wild imagination and fretted over her due to her clumsiness. Sado shared his admiration for the young woman, who, despite such tragic events that surrounded her, was able to keep a bright outlook on life.

"Now Inoue-san, let's go over your itinerary for this evening," he said as he sat down beside the table. Sado followed his lead and began pouring the tea and passing around a small plate of cakes.

"But Ishida-kun, it's a festival!" complained Orihime as she plopped down on the cushion between her companions. "We're supposed to have fun, not deal with business!"

"But as the priestess of this town, you have obligations to fulfill. It's your duty," said Ishida firmly as he pushed his spectacles up.

"Sado-kun, tell Ishida-kun that we should have fun tonight!" pleaded Orihime as she turned her gaze towards the gentle giant to her left.

"I'm sorry Inoue-san, but business comes first," came his solemn reply. Ishida sighed when Orihime slouched over the table, her lower lip pushed out to form a pout.

"If you can complete your duties in a timely manner, then I suppose we can partake in some games."

Orihime's eyes lit up and she threw herself at Ishida, wrapping her arms around him in a tight hug. Oblivious to how flustered he had grown, she repeatedly expressed her gratitude for compromising with her. Straightening up, she enthusiastically went over which games she would have to play and which food stands they had to visit so that she could sample some of the local cuisine.

"Ah, maybe Tatsuki-chan can come too!"

"Arisawa-san is at the capital performing in the regional judo competition, remember?" prompted Ishida. He watched as Orihime deflated a bit at the news, but she instantly cheered up.

"That's okay! I'll just have to get a souvenir for Tatsuki-chan!" she declared excitedly before taking a large bite of one of the cakes.

"But first, we need to go over your itinerary for this evening," said Ishida as he tried to steer Orihime back to the subject at hand. Her enthusiasm was dampened slightly, but Orihime was still eagerly looking forward to the festivities that night.

"What was the point of coming here again?" asked Ichigo in a bored voice as he gazed around the crowds.

"To get you out of the house," said Keigo before excitedly pointing at a food vendor.

A moment later, he had disappeared somewhere in the crowd. Instead of searching for him, Ichigo continued making his way down the stretch of road, not really taking notice of anything. The joyous cries of children followed by the calls of worried parents greeted his ears and he thoroughly wished he had stayed home. Mizuiro walked beside him, greeting the young women who worked at game stands as they passed.

"You'd better be careful, Mizuiro," said Ichigo as his lips curved up into a smirk. "One of these days your womanizing will catch up to you."

"I'm not a womanizer!" protested Mizuiro indignantly. "It's not my fault that older women find me attractive."

"And I'm sure that they're the ones that lure you into the bedroom."

"Not necessarily…"

Ichigo scoffed at his friend when Mizuiro conspicuously excused himself from their party to speak to someone just outside a small teahouse. Keigo reappeared moments later, arms laden in food.

"Where's Mizuiro?" he asked through a mouthful of food.

"He had something he needed to do. And don't talk with your mouth full. It's disgusting," said Ichigo as he wrinkled his nose. "I don't know how you can eat all of that junk and not weigh a ton."

Keigo swallowed thickly before happily replying, "High metabolism. It runs in my family."

Rolling his eyes, Ichigo ignored the calls from the game vendors, challenging him to try his luck at various games. He pushed past a rather enthusiastic crowd of teenagers that surrounded a shooting game and his eyes were drawn towards the temple. His mouth grew dry at the thought that the young woman he couldn't get out of his mind could be sitting in that large building, watching the events from above.

Shaking his head and ignoring Keigo's questions he turned his attention towards the road. His eyes widened and he froze when a pair of ashen eyes met his.

'Oh shit.'

Orihime bounced down the pathway, ecstatic that she finished her duties an hour ahead of schedule. She had hurried back to the temple to change into a yukata with floral patterns, relieved to get out of the formal kimono she had to wear to greet the villagers. It was a pain to walk around in, which is why she usually sat in one place while making public appearances. She twirled around and reveled in the looseness of her yukata and how much easier it was to move in it.

After sampling each of the foods available, she was surprised to have Sado hand her a small doll that he had won while playing a game. Her eyes lit up when he showed her that he had also won something for her to give to Tatsuki. A bell rang in the distance, signaling that the fireworks would be beginning in five minutes and her eyes widened.

"Ishida-kun, Sado-kun, we have to hurry! The fireworks are going to start soon!" she cried.

She quickly made her way past a large group of children, losing Ishida and Sado in the crowds. Not wanting to be late, she reasoned that they would be able to find her at the fireworks; she always sat in the same place every year.

Pushing her way past another gathering of children, she froze in shock as a pair of amber eyes greeted hers.

'It…it's him!'

I really hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! :D I'd love it if I can get to 60 reviews, but no worries if we don't. Thanks for reading!

- Nagi