AN: Okay, so here is a new chapter. As I promised, more happens in this chapter than usual, especially near the end. I'm not sure how it turned out, so I hope you guys like it. And to those who reviewed, followed, or favorite, thanks. I've been wondering if this fic was any good, but at least some people like it :)

kissonthechic: thanks for the review! It really made me glad to know that you like the fic. I'm glad you liked the Ichigo-Renji argument, because I had fun writing it :) As for the grammar issues, thanks for pointing them out. I tried to make sure I didn't have any in this chap, and I will go back and revise the others. And no, Ichi's hair will not be black all the way through, just a temporary thing, because I don't really like it either :p

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, no matter how much I wish I did

Chapter 3: Blood or Wine?

"Fugitive Kurosaki Ichigo, age 23, is still at large today, three days after his escape from Karakura Jail. After going to court on three counts of murder, one count of malicious wounding, and the additional charge of liable, Kurosaki was sentenced to life in prison, Kurosaki proceeded to attack to the guards and managed to escape, being injured in the process. The whereabouts of Kurosaki are unknown, and the police are releasing no details on the progress of the case. If you have any information, please call-"

Ichigo turned away from the television, trying to keep his anger under control.

It wasn't me that killed them!

He began walking hurriedly away when he ran into something.

"Ow!"

Ichigo looked down and saw that he hadn't run into something, but someone. He looked down at the woman now sitting ungracefully on her rear in the middle of the sidewalk. She must have just come out of the coffee shop he had been watching the news through the window of, because she had coffee all over her suit.

"Dammit! Watch where you're going!" she yelled, looking up at him.

She had brilliant, violet eyes that were currently swirling with an angry storm. A strand of her silky, raven hair hung across her face, which showed her irritation quite clearly. Ichigo held out his hand.

"Sorry. I wasn't paying attention," he said as the woman took his hand and pulled herself up.

"Obviously! Now look at me!" she said, gesturing to her soaked clothes.

"I'm sorry; I'll pay for the dry cleaning."

Yeah right. You can barely afford your own food, let alone some random woman's dry cleaning.

"You bett-" Something made the woman stop. Ichigo looked at her and saw that she was staring at his face like he had some kind of poisonous spider on his head.

"Um, is everything okay?" he asked.

"Wha- oh, um, yeah. It's just… you look like someone I know," she said, but there seemed to be more to it than that. "D-don't worry about the dry cleaning, I'll take care of it."

"Will you at least let me buy you another coffee?" he asked. The way this small woman was staring at him made him uncomfortable, but he also felt that there was something behind the way she was looking at him, and he wanted to know what.

What if she recognized me from that news report just now?

"Oh, no, you don't have to! Really!"

"I insist. I can at least do that much."

"Thank you." The woman averted her gaze.

What is with this chick? There is definitely something odd about her.

Ichigo turned and walked into the shop, followed by the woman. The shop was small, with only three small tables and the counter, but the line to get coffee was surprisingly long. Ichigo got in line with the woman walking up next to him. As she ordered her coffee, Ichigo looked at the prices on the menu.

Damn, this coffee is expensive.

Ichigo sought out what the woman had ordered and felt his jaw drop.

¥950? For one cup of coffee?

"This must be good coffee," he said under his breath.

"Why do you say that?" the woman next to him asked, looking at him curiously.

Crap! She heard me?

"Uh… the line! The line is so long. I just figured that this must be good coffee," Ichigo said quickly.

The woman looked back at the line behind them and nodded.

"I don't usually come to this side of town, but a friend of mine said that this was the best place to get coffee around here," the woman explained, pulling out her phone.

Ichigo watched as she typed out a message and sent it. She quickly put away her phone, but Ichigo had seen part of the text: 'ran into Shirosaki. will be late'

She knows about my Shirosaki name? Who is this woman?

"Here is your coffee," the barista said, handing the woman her cup. Ichigo paid for it and turned back to the woman.

"I guess I'll be going," he said, getting ready to leave.

I need to stay away from this woman before she gets too close to my true identity. For all I know, she might be a cop.

"Wait. Um, do you want to sit?"she asked awkwardly, gesturing to the one small table that was clear.

Crap.

"Uh… sure."

Why can't I just refuse? It's not like it would be rude to just say no thank you and walk out. But maybe I can learn something from this woman.

"My name is Kuchiki Rukia, by the way."

"Shirosaki Hichigo." The woman nodded and sat down, with Ichigo sitting down across from her.

She didn't say anything about how weird a name that is. She definitely already knows about Shirosaki.

"You don't want anything, Shirosaki-san?" Rukia asked, apparently just noticing that he hadn't gotten anything.

"No. I'm kinda short on money right now," Ichigo replied.

Rukia looked down at her coffee, then went into her purse. "I'll pay you back for the coffee then. I didn't realize that you were having economic troubles."

"No. Don't worry about it. I can afford a cup of coffee."

Even if it is expensive.

"No, just let me pay you back. I don't need any help paying for my own food."

"Really, you don't have to."

"But I want to."

"I don't want you to." Ichigo was starting to get annoyed with her persistence.

"Why won't you let me pay you back?" Rukia asked, also getting annoyed.

"Because I bought it to make up for spilling your first coffee on you!"

"But you need the money more than I do!"

"Just keep your damn money!"

"Wha- why you little-"

"Little? You're calling me little? You barely come up to my chest! You might as well be a midget!"

"Wha-you bastard!"

"You know what? I'm done with this! See you later, if I'm as unlucky as I have been lately."

Rukia sat, stunned as Ichigo got up and headed toward the door. He glared at the people in line that were now gawking at them. As he walked out the door, he heard footsteps behind him and turned to see that Rukia was running after him.

"Now what?" he growled, glaring down at her. She simply returned his glare and shoved her hand against his chest. She opened her fist and let money fall into his hand.

"Take the money! I don't want to owe a bastard like you!" she said, turning on her heels and walking away quickly.

"Che, yeah right." Ichigo dropped the money on the sidewalk and walked away.

/ / / / / / /

Rukia stormed through the doors of the station, ignoring the looks she got from the people in the room. As she passed by the stairs, she caught sight of Renji, who, like everyone else nearby, was looking at her with a mix of curiosity, concern, and wariness.

"Um, Rukia?"

"What?" she snapped, her anger still boiling over. She hadn't been able to cool down since she had left the coffee shop.

It's all his fault! That bastard Shirosaki!

"I'm guessing it didn't go well with Shirosaki," Renji said smugly. "You know, when I got your text, I had a feeling things weren't going as well as you thought."

"Don't look so pleased with yourself! We still have no reason to investigate him. Just because the guy is an asshole, it doesn't mean we can send a detail to follow him," Rukia retorted.

"Come on, Rukia! There is something suspicious about that guy!"

"People think you are suspicious, but I don't investigate you."

"Who thinks I'm suspicious?" Renji asked, genuinely confused. Rukia avoided the question by walking past him and onto the elevator that had just opened.

"Hey, don't just ignore me! Seriously, who would think I was suspicious?" Renji followed her onto the elevator, pressing the button for floor three as he did.

"Do you have anything new on the Kurosaki case?" Rukia asked flatly, not leaving any room for a change in topic.

Renji sighed. "Fine, don't answer me," he muttered, earning a glare from the girl standing across from him.

"No, we haven't found anything new. But if we follow that Shirosaki guy, we would."

Rukia sent another glare in his direction, causing him to hold his hands up in defeat. The elevator dinged and the doors slid open, revealing a hall lined with closed off, private offices. These offices were held by the seated officers in the division and the lieutenant. Unlike the first and second floors, which were open desks and plane walls and decorations, the third floor was carpeted and well decorated. The walls were lined with art work and the plants were all lush and green, giving the floor a vibrant feel. The glass walls of the offices were decorated with assorted drawings and pictures put up by the officers.

However, despite its drastic improvement over the lower two floors, the third floor was still rather plain. The only places that weren't plain in the Division Stations were the captain's floors. Well decorated and very comfortable, the fourth floor was where the captains held meetings and press conferences and had their own personal offices.

As they stepped off the elevator, Rukia was greeted by the customary hustle and bustle of the third floor. As with all other stations, most of the action took place on the third floor were the officers were. There were people running back and forth delivering case files, receiving orders, and gathering information for their superiors. Despite the captains being on the fourth floor, the nucleus of each station was the third floor.

Renji lead the way down the hall, opening the door to his office and offering Rukia a chair. Rukia looked around. The office was extremely bare, only containing a desk, a bookcase, a file cabinet, and three chairs: one behind the desk, and two in front of it.

"Well, you know how to decorate, don't you?" Rukia said sarcastically.

"Hey, for someone not related to the 'great Kuchiki-taicho', a police officer's salary is not something that you can use to buy a bunch of fancy decorations!"

"Anyway, we need to find a way to proceed with the Kurosaki investigation," Rukia said, trying to get back on topic.

"Why are you so opposed to the idea of investigating Shirosaki? I'm telling you Rukia, we might learn something if we did. I have this feeling that he is connected to Shirosaki."

"Renji, that feeling you have is probably just indigestion. You have no basis for this accusation."

"Why won't you even consider it? Isn't it kinda odd that there has been no word of Kurosaki, but this guy that looks a lot like him walks in here and gives us a bunch of assumptions and conclusions only a person who knows Kurosaki would come up with?"

"I never said it was not weird, Renji. I only said we have no reason to investigate him. Give me a reason, and then we can talk about it," Rukia sighed. This was getting them nowhere.

"I think I might have something for you then. You see, when Shirosaki was leaving, I saw a bulge in his clothing on his back, the shape and size of a short sword, maybe a wakizashi. That, if I remember correctly, is definitely against the law," Renji said, looking proud of himself for his observation.

"Renji, it might have just been a fold in the cloth."

"Except this fold didn't move. I've seen concealed weapons before, Rukia. And if there is one thing I know, its weaponry. Just admit that this is enough to investigate Shirosaki!"

Rukia sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "Fine, it is enough to run a background check, but it is not enough to send a detail after him."

Renji grinned. "I'll get the computer ready."

/ / / / / / / / /

That bitch. Who does she think she is? I was actually trying to be nice for once, and that's what I got.

Ichigo turned the corner and looked down the road to where his makeshift shelter was. So far, he hadn't seen anybody walk down the road in front the building he had found after escaping. It was as if the entire street had been abandoned.

Probably better that no one is around.

Ichigo grimaced and moved his hand to his arm, gently rubbing his bullet wound. It was starting to change color, turning a pale yellow, the color of infection.

I need to find a way to clean the wound. It might have only been a flesh wound, but it has a large surface area that's exposed. I might as well be walking around drinking bacteria samples.

Ichigo slid his hand down to his wrist, pulling up his sleeve to reveal the cuff that he had pushed up to keep it out of sight.

And I need to do something about these damn things.

He slid the cuff down, revealing the pressure mark it had caused by being so tight around his arm. He did the same with the other cuff.

If I had known there were going to be this many issues, I would have stolen the key to the cuffs from one of the guards…

Ichigo looked up and nearly jumped out of his skin. At the bottom of the stairs leading to the building he was using as a shelter stood a man. He had medium length black hair and green eyes that seemed to hold no emotion. He was pale and had strange green tattoos running from his eyes to his chin like tear streaks. He wore strange clothing consisting of a white collared shirt and a white jacket that came down to the middle of his thigh and flared out slightly. The jacket was trimmed in black, which matched his black jeans.

Who is this guy?

"Shirosaki Hichigo, I presume." The man said it not as a question, but as a statement, as if whether it was true or false, it was now a fact.

Oh great, another one that knows me.

"What do you want?"

"I was told to speak with you." The man's voice was a monotone, never changing emotion or pitch.

"I have nothing to say to you."

"You do not understand. This is not an option."

"Like hell it isn't! Look, I don't care what you have to say, or who told you to talk to me, but I don't have anything I need to talk about to some freak that seems to be stalking me!"

"What do you know of Kurosaki Ichigo?"

Ichigo froze.

What? H-have they made the connection already?

"Who are you?" Ichigo growled.

"That is inconsequential. I must only learn what you know of Kurosaki Ichigo." The man answered flatly.

"Who hired you?"

"That information is not necessary for you to provide the information I require."

"Who the hell are you, bastard! I'm not answering anything until you tell me who the hell you are!"

"My my. Making quite the ruckus out here, aren't we?" another voice cut in.

Ichigo turned to see another man walking out of the alley next to the building. He was tall and thin, with medium length blonde hair cut straight around and with straight bangs. He was also wearing a white jacket, but this one was down to his knees and he had a black shirt underneath it. He wore a dark pair of jeans and had a…. sword!

It looks like the same exact kind as the one I found!

"What is a member of the Espada doing out bothering a poor civilian?" the new man asked, looking at the black haired guy. The guy simply stared at him, and then turned to leave.

"This is not over, Shirosaki Hichigo. I intend to complete my mission. Farewell … for now." And with that, the black haired man rounded a corner and disappeared from view.

What the hell just happened?

Ichigo turned back to the blonde man, who was now looking at him and smiling.

"Hey there, Shirosaki Hichigo! Or should I say…. Kurosaki Ichigo?"

AN: Yay, another chap done! I had trouble writing this chapter, but I hope you guys liked it. As always, if you have any questions or suggestions, feel free to review and let me know. Thanks everyone!