Never Again? 4

"This Bankai offends my pride as a covert ops agent. It's too large to hide. It's too heavy to move. And its attack… is too flashy for assassination!" Soi Fon to Baragan Ruizenbān (in English 'Barragan Luisenbarn')

A/N: As promised here the strawberry ice cream :D Reviewer: Shermometer and TheLaughin9Man! Adding to Favorites: Comet1234!

Shi: Arrival

"I-Ichigo? How the Hell's this solving the problem with the second Shinigami?"

"Easy. I'll be the one accompanying you, Rukia!"

Uh oh…

"I-I don't think this is such a good idea!"

"Eh? Why's that?" He stopped and turned around to look at her with a confused face.

"W-Well…"

"Well?"

"…"

"Geez, if you don't answer I'll just ignore your 'bad feeling'!"

With that said he dragged her into the Senkaimon.

~*~

Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi stood in the infamous basement of the Urahara Shōten looking rather blank for their usual selves. They were waiting for the two 13th Division members to arrive but didn't look forward to it. Their happy behavior disappeared when young Kurosaki'd died. They were deeply shaken by his death, scowling all the time. They had been more befriended with him than they'd realized.

So when the gate to Soul Society appeared and long died bickering sounded through the thin, closed doors their jaws dropped six feet under – literally.

"Hell! Rukia! What the freekin' underworld of mass murder souls is your problem? Can't you stand the prospect of going on a mission with me or what?"

"It's none of you business!"

"What? You're telling me everything! Even if I don't want to hear it at all!"

"But this is none of your bloody business, is all!"

"Geez, what the heck's wrong with you? I don't understand you at all!"

"Then don't try it!"

Slowly the thin paper doors had opened and revealed two fighting Shinigami – none other than our beloved shortcake and the Deathberry.

If Yoruichi and Urahara were shocked then this was an understatement.

Urahara was quick in covering his face with his fan and Yoruichi closed her mouth shut with much effort.

Ichigo and Rukia didn't even notice they weren't alone anymore. Instead they came closer and closer to each other continuing their fight with thunderbolts coming from their eyes.

"Just stop asking!"

"You stupid midget of a wannabe Shinigami! I won't stop asking until you tell me why you're so damn nervous about me going to the Living World!"

"Me? Nervous? Hah! You would like that, eh, Kurosaki?"

"Why you little! I said to never EVER call me by my surname!"

"Oh~? Really~~? I'm sorry about that Kurosaki. I forgot about that Kurosaki. It won't happen again Kurosaki-Fukutaichō!"

"So! That's it! As soon as we're back you will think you're drinking in a POOL of paperwork!"

"I can't wait to see Nii-sama's reaction to this!"

Ichigo paled but then got a hold on himself: "You know what? I don't care! He can chase me with his freekin' 1000 cheery blossoms if he feels like it! You will have to do this work nonetheless!"

There was it again. This pulsating behind his eyes and the red tint everything gained. He shook his head and came even closer to Rukia's face now nearly touching it. Where did this confidence come from?

"And you know what? I bet even if he cuts me at height of my waist I'm still ten times taller than you shortcake!"

That earned him a tomato-red face of hers and a kick to the shin. Ouch.

He didn't retreat his face, however, instead he realized their proximity and grinned slyly; bringing his face to her left ear, breathing: "You know what? You look incredible hot when you're angry…"

Rukia only managed an: "Eeks!" before she felt the tip of his tongue touching the outline of her ear. Without another thought she turned to run but she hadn't managed two steps when his right foot connected with her back pressing her to the basements' floor.

Bending down once more he smirked smugly and said in her ear: "I've won, shortcake."

'Not fair! His death made him intelligent and sneaky! He even has the guts to put such dirty tricks out of his sleeve! Not fair!'

It was then that Ichigo noticed the two former Captains standing a few feet away. Leaving Rukia behind he approached them: "Hello, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, nice to meet you."

'Kay, it was a miracle the two of them didn't faint at this.

~*~

"Hello, I'm Kurosaki Ichigo, nice to meet you."

'What the BLOODY Hell?' both thought simultaneously while gaping at him.

Ichigo, however, became slightly nervous under their gazes: "Um… is there something wrong…?"

"No! Nothing's wrong, Ichigo! These are Urahara Kisuke and Shihōin Yoruichi! And when I'm thinking about it we haven't spoken with each other in such a long time! You excuse us? You can look around a little!"

Rukia babbled this in less than a minute and while still speaking dragged the totally confused ex-Taichō away.

'What the Hell's up with her?'

~*~

"WHAT THE HELL'S UP WITH HIM?" the two shouted at the petite Shinigami once out of earshot.

"Well, Ukitake-taichō called me and told me… that Ichigo somehow managed to come back to Soul Society. This was when I went back in a hurry, you remember? However, once there it turned out he couldn't remember anything. That's the whole story."

"And what's with this Fukutaichō thing?"

"Well, Ukitake-taichō thought this would be the best to prevent him from going to the Living World and cause ruckus… worthless, like it seems now."

"Well, some things didn't change like it seems. I really missed your childish bickering", smiled Yoruichi while crossing her arms across her chest.

"However", meant Urahara, also smiling: "he seems to have gained some new tricks, eh, Kuchiki-san? That just now was priceless."

Rukia blushed: "Sh-shut up!"

The two former Captains laughed at her reddened face while Rukia turned on her heels and began searching for Ichigo. A difficult task since his Reiatsu was disguised and the basement was ridiculously large, to say the least.

~*~

At the same time Ichigo had found the place where he'd once parted the earth of the large cellar – not that he remembered.

With a frown similar his once worn scowl that had crawled on his features making him look more like the old Ichigo he examined the huge crater, touching the sharp edges.

'Strange… this looks like made by a Getsuga Tenshō but I've never been here before… but this Reiatsu… it's the same…'

"Say, Zangetsu, do you have an explanation?"

Said materialized Zanpakutō Spirit appeared behind the dandelion-head looking somewhat sad but that little detail escaped Ichigo's attention.

"No, not the slightest", he replied with his deep, echoing voice.

"Really? Crap, well, thanks anyway. Sorry the nuisance, Old Man."

"I don't mind." With that the black wearing man dissolved making the orange-haired Shinigami's sword glow blackish-blue.

Ichigo sighed when he sensed Rukia nearby: "Done talking 'bout the ol' days?"

Rukia had seen his Zanpakutō's face: 'So Zangetsu DOES remember…'

"Yeah, Ichigo, I was about to pick you up. Since there aren't any Hollows at the moment how 'bout getting lunch?"

He smiled at her: "Sure, sounds good."

Well, sorry for the little Hiatus. And this short chapter. I wanted to write A LOT MORE but I'm tired right now and wanted to give you at least a short chapter to enjoy. I will 'bably update at Sunday and if not sometime next week. And then I'll write (hopefully) the super long chapter I wanted to type :D

R&R please and you'll get a shot o' sake :D (no adults 'round, ri'?)