Chapter 4
Author's Note: Thank you all of my reviewers! I really appreciate any and all comments on my stories and this one in particular. It's a difficult one to write but a lot of fun too so I'm trying to stay motivated to continue it. All of your generous reviews are becoming very helpful. I'm glad that you all seem to be enjoying this story. I hope you like this chapter too! Reviews welcome.
Ikkaku cursed. That idiot. It had been two days since the end of the battle and Yumichika still hadn't shown up. All thanks to the perfectionist's time-consuming obsessions, it was now up to Ikkaku to look for him. It was an order from the top. Ikkaku didn't know who had given the order. He was pretty sure that it wasn't either of his captains. Neither of them had reappeared yet either and Ikkaku doubted that they would send someone after a member of Squad 11. All members could take care of themselves and if they couldn't then they were not fit to be a part of Squad 11.
Ikkaku wasn't worried about Yumichika either. The idiot wasn't exactly a precise fit into the 11th Squad but he could certainly take care of himself. He wouldn't be the fifth seat if he couldn't. Still, it made Ikkaku very angry that the idiot was wasting time. Now he was wasting Ikkaku's time too. Ikkaku was out in the woods where Yumichika had allegedly run off and it was freezing cold. Ikkaku did not like the cold. It wasn't that it bothered him but it certainly did make Shunpo a lot harder. If Ikkaku couldn't Shunpo, he couldn't search faster and thus, he couldn't pick fights with anyone.
Ikkaku cursed again as he stumbled on a hidden tree root. He was going to make Yumichika pay when he found him. Perhaps he should dirty all of Yumichika's uniforms again? No, that hadn't worked before. The idiot had kept a secret uniform just in case something like that happened. Maybe he should put hair dye in Yumichika's shampoo? Ikkaku grinned at the thought. That sounded like a good idea. All he had to do now was decide on the colour.
A footstep cracked close to Ikkaku. Suppressed reiatsu hit Ikkaku hard. He pinpointed the source in the instant. A man with something slung over his shoulder stepped out from the trees and stood directly in front of Ikkaku.
"What is the name of his sword?"
Ikkaku grinned; glad to find some form of entertainment out in the snow.
"If you're picking a fight, I'll take you up."
"I am not asking for a fight. Tell me the name of his sword."
"Whose sword?"
The man pulled something off of his shoulder and held out a disgusting bundle of rags.
"His."
It took Ikkaku a moment to realise that the thing the man was holding was not a bundle of rags. There were arms and legs and Ikkaku could see a head. He couldn't see a face but there was at least a head.
"Who is that?"
The man didn't reply. Ikkaku looked closer and saw that the remains of the things clothing was something he knew very well. So he should, he was wearing one too.
"What Squad is that with?"
"What is the name of his sword?"
"Who are you? You sure you're not picking a fight?"
"What is the name of his sword?"
Ikkaku drew his sword, already feeling the thrill of an oncoming fight.
"Not reporting an injured Shinigami is reason enough for me to take you in. What do you say? Wanna fight?"
Ikkaku started moving in on his prey.
The man shook the limp Shinigami and pulled back the head.
"Don't move," the man pressed a knife against the unconscious Shinigami's throat.
Matted hair slipped back from the face and Ikkaku saw the Shinigami clearly for the first time.
"Yumichika?"