Disclaimer:

Bleach belong to its rightful owner, Kubo Tite.

This chapter is a bit mature, but then again, how else I can write the nature of Yoruichi and Kisuke relationship (in my opinion)?

CHAPTER SEVEN

Questions

Yoruichi calls them for lunch from above. "I'm the head chef today! It's rare, right? Try my cooking, you two."

Karin replies, "Rare? You never done it before. Is it safe?"

Yoruichi pouts, "Of course! Tessai supervised while Ururu helped me." Then she smiled at Yūshirō. "I cooked for you, Yūshirō!"

Yūshirō is estatic to hear that. "I never have a homemade food before! I'm really happy today! I'll eat anything you make, Nee-sama!"

They go upstairs and enter the dining room.

Kuchiki Byakuya and Rukia are following Jigokuchō to Karakura Town. They walk in fast pace and in silence.

Byakuya tells Rukia, "Rukia, Shihōin Yoruichi might interfering my assignment for today. In the case you have finished talking with Kurosaki Karin while I am not done yet, you can go back first."

Rukia answers, "As now is noon, I think Karin might still be in Urahara's Shop with Yoruichi-dono and Yūshirō-dono, Nii-sama. We might be heading same place." 'Now, what should I say to Karin? In some ways, Karin is more determined than Ichigo. I have to choose my words wisely…'

In front of them, the passage leads open to Karakura Town.

Two familiar reiatsu can be felt entering Karakura Town.

Yūshirō stops in the middle of his eating. 'Why the ones to take me home are Kuchikis?! I thought the ones who will fetch me back are Onmitsukidō members… Is Soutaicho really mad at me?! What to do?'

Karin mind wanders too. 'Rukia-nee… Why is she here? She left Karakura Town after saying goodbye to Ichi-nii in December. And who is with her?'

Yoruichi smirks. 'They realized it this soon. Not bad. Then again, Yūshirō didn't come to Noble Clans meeting… Of course Byakuya-bo investigated it.'

Urahara puts his bowl down. 'Kuchiki-san comes with Kuchiki-taichō… Onmitsukidō and S.R.D.I. finally open their cards, huh?'

"Holy Shit! A Taichō come to get you! What kind of child are you, Yūshirō?!" Jinta shouts out reflexively. A rice spoon enters his mouth.

Tessai chides Jinta. "Jinta-dono, please, no using that kind of language."

Jinta protests, "You can simply scolds me! Why are you always physical on me, Tessai-san!"

Ururu asks Urahara, "Tenchō, should I open the door for them?"

Yoruichi gets up. "No need, Ururu. I'll see them."

Yoruichi waits in front of the shop. Rukia and Byakuya reach the store not long after that.

Yoruichi greets them. "Long time no see, Byakuya-bo, Rukia." She sees Rukia's fukutaicho badge. "Rukia, you are a fukutaichō now? Congrats, Rukia."

Rukia responds politely, "Long time no see too, Yoruichi-dono. And thank you for the congratulations."

Byakuya informs Yoruichi. "Let's go to the main topic. You are not allowed to take your brother to Human World, Shihōin Yoruichi. I'm here to take him home."

Yoruichi bargains with Byakuya. "Can you wait until he finish the meal I cooked for him?"

Byakuya is shocked to hear her cooked and insults her right away. "You cooked for him? Are you sure he is not food poisoned?"

'Why everyone having trouble with me cooking? Just because I rarely does it doesn't mean I can't.' Yoruichi grits her teeth. "I learned a lot of things in order to become a great Onmitsukidō leader. Cooking is a simple thing for me."

Karin comes to greet Rukia and Byakuya. "Do you want to come inside? To taste the rare foods made by Yoruichi-nee. This won't happened again in another few years, I bet."

Yoruichi rolls her eyes. "Yes, yes, just come inside, you two."

They enter the living room. Tessai prepares a clean rice spoon to use. Ururu and Jinta take out more utensils. Karin and Yoruichi sit back and resume eating. Rukia and Byakuya sit a bit for from the dining table.

'What a cramped room. Where is the practice room if the house is this small?' Byakuya declines to eat. "I'm not eating, thank you, Tsukabishi." He tells Yūshirō, "We are leaving after the lunch, Shihōin-dono."

"Thank you for the understanding, Kuchiki-dono." Yuushirō continues to eat.

Byakuya continues, "You will be grounded in Shihōin Estate for unknown amount of time."

Yūshirō nods and says, "It's understandable. Yet even if I am given chance to rewrite the history, I'll still come here again. I got to see Human World and eat my Nee-sama food. It's a very pleasing day."

'Estate? So Yoruichi-nee and Yūshirō are some kind of super rich people? They speak rather old Japanese words.' Karin can only listen in silence. Karin finished her meal and sits beside Rukia. Then she whispers to Rukia's ear.

Rukia denies loudly in respond. "NOTHING HAPPENED! I never slept with Ichigo! We are friends. I only slept at his closet in his bedroom, Karin. We are not romantically or physically involved!" Rukia realizes that she is shouting. She wants to dig a hole and bury herself. 'Stupid! I'm so stupid! Why so loud?!'

The rest of the room is shocked with the outburst while Karin thinks, 'I am whispering to you so you can whisper back, Rukia-nee! Why are you shouting?!'

Byakuya's eyes narrow dangerously. "What are you saying about, Rukia? You shared a room with Kurosaki Ichigo?!"

Rukia explains quickly, "I did. But it's because I gave my Shinigami power to him and he has to do my work. I don't have another place to stay or I won't share a room with him. Please don't blame Ichigo, Nii-sama. I took his closet without his consent!"

Byakuya doubts Ichigo's motives. He replies with, "You always protect Kurosaki Ichigo. Rukia, while you might feel that you pushed him at some directions, he is his own person and can make decisions. Is nothing really happened? Even though you were together, just the two of you, in his room for some months?"

Yoruichi can't believe what she was just heard. She says, "God, you and Ichigo are sharing a room for around two months and nothing happened? Aren't teenagers are supposed to be randy as hell? In some cases, even without really thinking about chemistry, teenagers have sex with their friends, you know. No wonder there are a lot of sexual tensions between you two… Surely nobody is that dense…"

Rukia disagrees. "Sexual tensions? Between me and Ichigo? There are no such thing!"

'God. Either Rukia-nee is a tsundere or she is dense. And with my brother being dense too, they are not going anywhere. This is unbelievable.' Karin confesses to them, "Well, I have known that you are the one who live in my brother closet when you introduced yourself to us. The gigai might be irretraceable, but the feel of reiatsu is exclusive, depends on the person."

Byakuya observes Karin. 'She has good qualities for Shinigami. Why Urahara withholds giving her Shinigami power? It can't be just because we are at peace now. He is planning something.'

Rukia smiles. "No wonder you eyed my warily that time. You knows it was a lie."

Yūshirō interrupts, "While we are at the topic and I am going to be grounded for God knows how long, I want to ask something. Why you choose to live together in sin? Nee-sama? Urahara-san? Or are you and Urahara-san only friends, like Kuchiki-dono and Kurosaki Ichigo-san?"

Tessai takes Ururu and Jinta out of the room. This conversation is risky. Rukia invites Karin to talk in the practice ground. Byakuya waits outside. He lets Yūshirō and the pair finish their conversation in private.

Urahara answers after the room is only consist of Yuushirō, Yoruichi, and him. "Yoruichi-san hadn't been living here for long. She was always taking long trips for information gathering and back to rest here. So we are not living together in sin."

Yūshirō releases his breath. He was holding it because he is nervous of the answer.

Yoruichi explains, "Didn't mean we are only friends, though. He was helping me practicing my seduction techniques. Not that I actually used them, except when I need stress relieving. A cat can get to see and hear secrets without even trying. I usually alternate between my human form and cat form in investigating."

'So their relationship is like that. And here I'm hoping for runaway couple…' Yūshirō sighs. "Nee-sama, are you going to continue living here? People won't mind if you live again in Seireitei at Shihōin Manor, you know." Yūshirō stops for a second. 'They expected it, wanted to court the famous Shihōin lady, a noble woman but played a crucial role in battle with Aizen. Like I'll let them, those hypocrites.' He continues. "But if you prefer to live in Human World, I won't stop you. But please come to see me from time to time. I'm worried about you. And I miss you." And the puppy eyes come out.

'Yūshirō is so adorable. Indeed, my sister and brother are adorable.' Yoruichi answers, "I prefer to live in Human World." 'No longer have patience to speak with stiff nobles, unless they are Shinigami.' "Of course I will see you from time to time. I love you, my lovable little brother." Yoruichi hugs Yūshirō.

Rukia opens her mouth. "Karin, can I ask you something?"

Karin replies, "Sure. Go ahead, Rukia-nee."

Rukia asks, "Why are you training here? You always see your spiritual power as a troublesome thing before."

Karin answers, "Because Spiritual World is able to affect the Human World. I don't have the luxury to treat them as somethings that don't exist. And with my brother and father are Shinigami, I might as well join the family business."

Rukia asks again, "Will you train here if Ichigo still have his power, Karin?"

"Yes. If that happens, I will still train here. I can at least learn to protect myself. Now that Ichi-nii is burned out from war, it's my time to protect him."

'They are siblings indeed.' Rukia holds Karin hands. "Then please remember this, Karin. You are not alone. Don't be a charging bull like Ichigo, always want to take all the fight. You have capable comrades."

Karin grins. "Ichi-nii is overprotective to everyone, huh?"

Rukia release Karin hands and rants, "He is. Even more so with me. I don't understand why! I'm a capable soldier! I gave him the Shinigami power! But he acted like I'm a weak little girl!"

'Even more so with you, Rukia-nee?' Karin says, "Rukia-nee, can I ask you a favour?"

Rukia nods.

Karin is brewing a wicked plan in her head. "When Ichi-nii is able to see you again, I don't know how many years it would take, though, will you take him on a date?"

Rukia is flustered. "Eh?! A date?! Just the two of us?!"

Karin continues, "Just the two of you. Make sure that Ichi-nii has a great time, okay?"

Rukia calms herself. 'Can't make Nii-sama worry again.' Rukia says, "We can do that, I suppose. Do you also ask this to others, Karin?"

Karin shakes her head to emphasize her answer. "No, I don't. They can't lift Ichi-nii's mood like you do, Rukia-nee." She adds, "Are you going to be back soon, Rukia-nee?"

Rukia explains, "Yes. I just become a fukutaichō and it's a hard job, especially when your Taichō is sickly. I have to be back soon."

Karin nods in understanding. Then they get back to the stairs.

Rukia opens the Senkaimon. She looks back at Urahara's Shop.

Karin says her parting words, "Please take care of yourself, Rukia-nee! Let's meet again, Yūshirō! Don't be mad at my brother, Kuchiki-taichō!"

Yūshirō eyes are glittering suspiciously. "Don't forget to visit me, Nee-sama! I leave my sister in your care, everyone! Thank you for today! Let's meet again!"

The rest of them, minus Byakuya, simply wave their hands and smile.

Rukia enters the open doors. 'I know that you wouldn't agree with me, overprotective brother that you are, Ichigo, but Karin will make a great Shinigami. I'm sure of it.'

Glossary:

Jigokuchō: black butterflies used by Shinigami to serve a variety of purposes

-bo: from bouya, means boy in Japanese language.

tsundere: a type of personality, just search in internet for more information.

gigai: a faux body, used by Shinigami when living in Human World for some time.

Tenchoō: Owner, as to call Urahara by his assistants

So, what do you think about this chapter? Review, kay?

We will be back with training next chapter!