Chapter 6 – Slyly doom

Chapter's music – Conspiracy by Paramore

"So, did you chat with our cozy friends?" Soi Fon asked, seeing Ichigo appear with deep creases in his forehead. He grumbled under his breath and sat at his usual chair, right beside Hitsugaya, who waved at them. Orihime ran to him and hugged him, making the boy blush and stutter.

"Did you kill him?" Toshiro asked, when Orihime sat next to Ichigo.

"No, but I felt tempted... I just wanted to wipe that fucking smirk out of his face!" Ichigo said, while Orihime frowned at him.

"Please, don't act like that. I'm tired of fights!" she pleaded and Ichigo sighed.

"Troubles in paradise?" someone asked and Ichigo saw a blur of pink.

"Shunsui-san!" Orihime greeted and the man took her hand and kissed it.

"Lovely as always, my sweet Orihime!" Shunsui said, making Orihime blush. "So, the fights are probably not between our delightful couple but between Ichigo and our newest neighbor, am I correct?" he asked, while Ichigo rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but you already knew that... And by the way, are they living in one of the barracks? If they are I want to spend the week in Rukongai!" Ichigo said, making the pink kimono owner smile.

"Don't worry, Ichigo, they are living in the farthest house from here, in the south forest." Jūshirō Ukitake said, making his presence known. He was walking behind his oldest friend and heard everything they were saying.

"Thanks for small mercies!" Ichigo said in a low tone, hoping Orihime couldn't hear him over her conversation with Ukitake about his health.

When all the captains were finally present, Ichigo started his report on everything that happened that could be a matter of interest to the highest ranks. Excepting some errant hollows and one of Urahara's experiments that went wrong and brought an abnormal number of spirits to his house, everything was how they wanted it to be.

"We heard that Orihime-san wasn't totally well..." Shunsui said, eyeing the woman with an analytical and worried expression, when Ichigo fell silent. She blushed and hidden her cheeks from all the eyes that were observing her.

"Urahara is worse than an old woman!" Ichigo muttered. "Orihime was tired and that affected her reiatsu. She said she didn't feel anything like that again, right?" Ichigo asked, looking at her with some creases on his forehead. He was way more worried than what he was letting on in front of the captains, so the will to tell him the truth was quickly squished and she smiled and nodded.

"Are you tiring her that much? I never thought you had it in you!" Shinji commented, making Shunsui laugh good-heartedly, Jūshirō release a small smile, Hitsugaya eye him with disbelief and Byakuya pierce him with a deadly glare, while Ichigo had to control himself and not punch him and Orihime had to stop herself from fainting with embarrassment.

"Shinji!" the commander said and the captain felt like his ears were being yanked. Shunsui snickered and Captain Unohana hit him in the back of his head.

"I think it's time to finish this meeting. You can all go back to your responsibilities." Yamamoto said, while his subordinates got up and left the room. Shinji ran from the room when Ichigo started chasing him through the entire place.

"He missed him..." Orihime noted, seeing her husband grab his sword and try to prick Shinji with it.

"It's a funny way of showing it!" Toshiro commented, with an icy tone.

"Don't be like that, Toshiro-kun!" Orihime said, while they started their descending to the tenth squad barracks.

"Captain! It's Cap..." Hitsugaya pleaded in a defeated tone. It's been years and the woman still didn't learn...

"Orihime!" a female voice screamed, cutting the white haired boy's rant.

"Rangiku-chan!" Orihime squealed and the two women hugged each other.

"And where is that grumpy husband of yours?" the blonde asked, looking around.

"We left him playing with Shinji in front of the captain's meeting room" Toshiro said, while walking in front of the women into the house.

"I was not playing! I was teaching him a lesson!" grumbled Ichigo, appearing behind the threes.

"It's funny how he can bring your inner child out!" Rangiku said and Ichigo tsked, while approaching Orihime.

"I'm going to meet with Renji... He said he wanted to spare with me so... I guess I will see you at dinner..." Ichigo said, trying to create an alone moment with his wife under the nosy eyes of the captain and his lieutenant.

"Don't forget, it's in Ganju-kun's place, we promised, okay?" Orihime replied and Ichigo nodded. Blushing under the obtrusive eyes, he lowered his lips and kissed her, before walking away.

"That boy never changes!" Rangiku noted, grabbing Orihime's hand.

"And thank God for that." the healer answered.

Sparing with Renji was always funny. Ichigo could let go of all his frustrations in a violent way that wouldn't really hurt anyone, except Renji's ego when he got himself kicked in the butt. And he had a lot of them the past week, since two hollows he had to classify as gas explosions and a witness he had to chase through the city to modify his memory, to Orihime than in spite of his words kept worrying him, without forgetting the nagging feeling in the back of his head.

The zanpakutous' clashing sound made him lighter, like some of the weight he carried over his shoulders got lifted. Renji jumped to a rock, changing to Bankai in the process. Seeing that his friend was calling the heavy forces, he felt himself surrounded by his own Bankai and jumped forward. Renji could stop his attacks and even sliced his cheek once, and Ichigo wondered how he made so many progresses since the last time they fought. And then he remembered.

"So, Grimmjow is a good sparing companion?" Ichigo roared, while pushing Zabimaru backwards.

"Eh! Are you jealous, Ichigo?" Renji mocked, cutting his sleeve.

"Ah! You wish! It's just weird seeing you acting all civilized to a guy who tried to kill us..." Ichigo replied, hitting him in the nose with his left fist.

"Ouch! You broke my nose, you idiot! Rukia will be so mad!" Renji complained, ignoring the blood that was falling from his nostrils.

"Don't care!" Ichigo answered, smiling. Renji shook his head, grimacing and the swords danced once more into a fatal rhythm.

"Well, I tried to kill you the first time I saw you, so… And what was that about Orihime being sick?" Renji asked, after some intense moments of silence that made Ichigo won a black eye and Renji a kick in the chins. "She looked perfectly fine to me..."

"Yes, she looked and that is concerning me too..." Ichigo said, his grip on Zangetsu faltering and Renji used that opportunity to send him to the ground. When the red head jumped from his high rock, Ichigo was still sitting on the floor and seeing his friend's expression, he understood that his mind was no longer on the fight.

"C'mon, don't be all wimpy!" he said, trying to cheer him up. "That woman is the toughest I met; just don't tell Rukia I said that... If something is really happening she can work it out..." Renji hit him on the back, in a friendly manner.

"Did you ever hear of someone starting to lose his or her reiatsu?" Ichigo inquired, drawing senseless in the dirt with his finger.

Renji looked at him, surprised. So that was what was happening. Rukia and he just knew that she was felling a little down, according to Kushiki-san's words, but maybe he was just softening them to their ears.

"No." Renji answered simply. And he saw Ichigo's shoulders drop.

"Yeah, I thought so... Urahara was worried; even if he didn't say and Ishida and Chad too, they just think I don't notice it..." Ichigo grumbled, grabbing a rock and sending it flying into the horizon.

"Look, it doesn't do any good keeping yourself down like that and besides, Orihime won't like seeing you like that..." Renji advised, with his eyes unfocused.

"Yeah, you're right and I should head to Ganju's place before Orihime starts to worry." Ichigo announced, while getting up and cleaning the dirt from his clothes. He waved to Renji and using shunpo disappeared from his sight in seconds.

Renji walked home with a heavy heart and seeing Rukia laughing and healthy he realized just a little bit of how Ichigo must be feeling. If something happened to Rukia...

"Hey, did you lose to Ichigo? That's why you're all thoughtful?" Rukia asked, taking him out of his thoughts.

"Of course not, I just beat him! He went to whine about it to Orihime, you can ask her!" Renji replied in an angry tone, hoping Rukia wouldn't notice his worry. She tsked and crossing her arms, rolled her eyes at his reaction.

"Then why is your nose sideways?"

"Captain, is everything alright?"

"How many times did I ask you to stop calling me captain? It makes me feel old! Just call me Shinji!"

"Sorry Captain Shinji." Hinamori replied, giggling. Her captain sighed and started playing with his sleeve. "But what is worrying you?" she asked, noticing his concerned look.

"Do you remember about those shinigamis that died one year ago?" Shinji asked.

"The ones in Hueco Mundo?" and seeing Shinji's nod, she continued. "Yes, of course, but something happened again? I thought they were killed by hollows..."

"Nothing happened, but from around that time some people got missing, people with strong reiatsu..." Shinji said. "And then, two months ago the disappearing stopped..."

"But shouldn't people be informed about that? Why no one said anything?" Hinamori asked, being reminded of all the Aizen's problems and shivered.

"The disappearances were spaced and in different areas of Rukongai. No one would investigate a disappearance if the person wasn't a shinigami yet... And I just know about that, because Urahara told me. Apparently, he still has ears and eyes in here, just like he lived here. But apparently, those ears didn't inform him right away, so he just knew last week. And he told me all about it... What I think is that someone from the research team is informing him, while doing his investigations. But now, that he really started to get worried, he finally told me everything and asked me to keep an eye on things..." Shinji told Momo that was listening with extreme attention.

"Well, if Urahara-san is worried we should listen and try to find the most we can!" Momo said, with determination. "I can ask Shiro-kun if he knows something..."

"No, lets wait a few more days, until Urahara says something more. It could be just a freaking hollow that was responsible for the disappearing and was destroyed." Shinji said, in a hopeful tone. Hinamori mirrored his expression and returned to her report.

"C'mon, lovebirds, it's time to wake up!" someone was yelling, while bagging on their door.

"Go away!" Ichigo exclaimed, while putting his head under the pillow. The last night, Ganju kept them for long hours, and even if they had lots of fun seeing him being scolded by his sister, when they got to sleep was way past four in the morning. He thought about sleeping until noon, but apparently Renji was having none of it.

"It's Renji-kun..." Orihime's sleepy voice invaded the room.

"I know... That bastard!" Ichigo jumped to his feet and in two strides was opening the door to a grinning Renji.

"Good morning!" Renji said, in a cheerful tone. "I have lots of activities for you, Ichigo!"

"What are you, some touristic guide? I know Seireitei like the back of my hand, so just let me stay here!" Ichigo complained, ready to close the door in his face.

"But we are going on a mission. This last week a lot of people from Rukongai east reported an abnormal number of hollows in the mountains that surround them" Renji informed. "And we were just waiting for you to wake up and come with us, but you were taking so long I had to drag myself here and wake you up... By the way, sorry Orihime!" Renji apologized, poking his head into the room to look at a sleepy but smiling Orihime.

"I don't know..." Ichigo said and Renji saw him looking into the room.

"Do you want her to see you like that? Besides, Rukia is staying here, so nothing is going to happen." Renji said, knowing what was stopping him.

"And Chad?"

"He went to Rukongai to see a friend of him." Renji explained. "C'mon, man, cheer up! Or are you too rusty to keep up with me?"

"What?" Ichigo replied, frowning at Renji's words; he wasn't stupid, he knew what the man was doing and even if he would never tell him, he was really grateful.

"Alright, just let me get changed!" Ichigo said, closing the door. He turned around with an apologetic expression and Orihime sighed.

"Go!" she said simply, waving with her hand. Ichigo rolled his eyes and crouching beside his wife, kissed her cheek.

"Are you planning on visiting some place with Rukia?" Ichigo asked, while grabbing his shinigami clothes and putting them over his body.

"No, I think she wanted to end some reports, so probably I will go to Shunsui-san, he asked me to take some tea with him and Jūshirō-san..." Orihime said, while seeing Ichigo strapping Zangetsu.

"Good, a calm day..." Ichigo murmured to himself, while his wife snuggled into the futon.

"Bye!" Ichigo said, kissing her lips until she had to push him to breath.

"C'mon!" Renji's voice could be heard again and when Ichigo disappeared behind the door, Orihime heard curses and fighting sounds.

"What the hell is he doing here?" Ichigo asked, eyeing Grimmjow with revulsion.

"He invited himself." Renji said in a low tone, so no one, beside Ichigo, could hear.

"I want to kill some bastard! And since I don't have authorization to kill you..." Grimmjow said, leaving the trail of a threat in the air. Ichigo snapped his fingers and calling all his self control didn't put them around the Arrancar's neck.

When they prepared to leave, Ichigo eyed Seireitei once more, feeling that nagging sentiment of doom in his heart, more than ever. Renji had to grab his arm and drag him behind them, with Toshiro grumbling about the idiots he had to put up with.

"At least we are better than Matsumoto!" Renji replied to which Hitsugaya smiled smugly and informed them that just for once she stayed behind to complete her reports.

"Right..." Renji said in a whispered voice. "It's more like she stayed behind to nap in her captain's couch..."

When Orihime departed from Shunsui Kyorakous's house the sun was already setting. She walked into the peaceful streets, with her thoughts all over the place after a conversation with Unohana Retsu left her mind in a blaze of worries. The 4th Squad Captain passed through her oldest friend's house for a peaceful tea, a moment of harmony between her daily work of healing and saving all the kind of men and women. Finding Orihime there, the Captain smiled, wanting to talk with the woman for some time now. Shunsui would have laughed the entire conversation, with Jushiro trying to keep him quiet, if it wasn't for Unohana's dark look, which made the two men cringe in absolute fear. And fear was what was gnawing Orihime now, when she felt a movement and a blur of black hair called her attention.

"Rukia-chan!" she called, waving her arm over her head.

Rukia stopped and looking behind saw Orihime running to her. Her worried expression deepened, knowing what was going to happen.

"Is something wrong?" she asked, seeing the shinigami with her zanpakutou and ready for battle.

"It's a hollow attack... Some shinigamis of my squad were attacked when they were training in the lower woods..." Rukia informed and for Orihime's expression she knew she was right. So, when the woman volunteered to accompany her, she couldn't be surprised.

Orihime's conscience whispered to her that it wasn't the best time to get herself into something like that, but she had to get it out of her mind or it would stop her from helping the ones who needed her help. Saving others' people live, that was one of the most important things in her life, something that made her feel proud of whom she was and looking to another side, while others were in danger wasn't in her nature. She had confidence in her skills; everything was going to be alright…

Nodding with her head, the dark haired warrior was followed by the orange haired one. And neither could guess how such a simple gesture would change everything in such a tragic way.

Something is going to happen... But, you won't know until some chapters after this one. Why? Because the next chapters are going to be totally flashbacks, since I want to show how Ichigo and Orihime started their relationship and this is the perfect moment to do that.

Please, review.