Orihime Inoue had been given a large task. Kurosaki Ichigo had been gone; leaving his family worried and the Shinigami without any more intel and running ragged from their patrols. Now, she had to find the missing boy and give him the information that had been missing. She had been prompted to this task because not only was she available, but she also held a potent potential for tracking reiatsu.

There was no trace of his reiatsu anywhere, but Inoue was a smart girl. She was able to come to the conclusion of where he wouldn't be, knowing his personality, and more importantly where the blimp was. The blimp being the one area in town where nothing seemed to emit at all. Since she had become sensitive, everywhere is Karakura Town seemed to have a lot of reishi, and there were people who held dormant amounts of reiryoku. It had sparked her curiosity that now there was an area in town that seemed practically dead.

No one really went to the warehouse district in Karakura Town. It was used by workers only, but even then a lot had been abandoned due to the economic downturn of the country. Some places had gone bankrupt, and it left buildings laying empty. It would be suitable as a training area if it was ever needed, since like it was dead in spirit it was also dead in people.

Inoue watched as even the animals parted in their paths to walk around this one solitary building. A large barrier stood before her, attempting to erase what she knew had to be a building behind it. If she hadn't come to her own consciousness then she wouldn't have noticed it before. Now it stood like a giant beacon.

"Are you going in?"

Inoue whipped around to face the voice. The woman in front of her bore a strange black cloak over her figure, shadowing any other details. The stature of her body was thin, gaunt even, as if she was rebounding from an illness, and she stood at eye line making her just around the same height, perhaps slightly taller than Inoue. The woman's hair cropped short, and her eyes, while large, were empty. Two holes of black stared straight into Inoue. Her face in all other ways appeared dead, as well; with her mouth tapering not into a scowl but a bland line, and even her skin seemed frozen over her bones.

"Who are you?"

"Ayake Ichiyuko." She cocked her head over the side, examining the girl that stood before her. Innocent large eyes matching her own historic ones. "Are you going in?"

Inoue turned back to face the barrier that she noted was similar to her own powers. Placing a small touch she nodded, instinctually knowing that the woman would notice it. "I have to."

"Take me too then, why don't 'cha."

"Eh?"

During the face off, the two women stared at each other not in anger, not in observation, but in silent approval. Ayake didn't peer through her, as Inoue had first observed, but peered at her. Her observational skills were superb, Inoue considered, as the woman began to speak again. She had let the words flicker through her eyes more than through her mouth to explain that she couldn't get through the barrier on her own, and needed assistance.

Inoue couldn't understand why but grasping the woman's hand to help tug her through the barrier was like gluing herself to the other woman. In fact, that glue had been created as soon as they had spoken to one another. Perhaps, it had been because she had asked for assistance, which would have been the first time in matters such as this.

The two wandered into the main building, Ayake taking up the front, by only a mere two steps, saying that she would be there as defense. She had slipped the cloak around her left shoulder, and holstered the hilt into her hand. They walked through the mess of coaches and magazines. The two were even able to make an odd sort of commentary about the place; down from the living room to the kitchen that was in the back.

"I'm Orihime Inoue," Inoue introduced, flapping her hands around. Ayake spied at her from the corner of her eye, and small twerk at her lip. "I realized I forgot to introduce myself."

"Are you nervous, Inoue?"

Inoue peered at the woman in front of her. She moved with a prancing grace; her feet almost never touching the ground and therefore not even making a sound. From here, she could tell that Ayake was just slightly taller than her; the top of her forehead brushing the line of her hair. Her height, while not imposing, radiated a certainty that she felt staring at Yoruichi's small body. Her body moved when she wanted and how she wanted it to; a complete mastery, even in the illness that she had gone through.

"I'm fine. I'm fine."

Ayake could practically feel the force that Inoue was trying to send at her. Her lofty waving hands weren't helping her case much anyway. "Those guys have never been the type to attack hazardously. You'll be fine."

"Do you know them?"

Ayake took the first step down the staircase. It jostled Inoue when she turned back and spied at her with a smirk finally coming over her mask. "Would that make you feel better?."

The group was clustered right by the bottom of the stair case; some standing, others sitting. They appeared nonchalant, simply scoping out the prey that had wandered into their domain. Inoue's stomach blossomed into a coven of butterflies, whilst Ayake had slipped another mask on.

"I'm just trying to find the restroom." Inoue spluttered out. Ayake peered over at the girl who was beginning to sweat profusely and rub at the back of her head. Closing her eyes for a moment, the older woman breathed in deep to ram the laughter back down. "That's not going to work, will it?"

Ayake opened her eyes back up, noting that they were gleaming with unshed tears of laughter. "I don't believe so. - But at least you got rid of the tension."

The group below were starting to get up and reposition. The joke had broken whatever strings and started the actions that would at least lead the groups into merging. It wasn't, however, until a gigantic all time crash came off on the left side the staircase. The resounding spluttering of rocks, and denting of earth, and shuddering of the air cut through the last remaining moments of tension and had everyone jolting away from their shock.

"And what are you doing with her?" Ichigo jammed her finger over at the woman that was beside her friend. Inoue had made her way through the group and over to the boy, without an incident. They had grown rather numb when they watched the older woman be totted through by her hand towards the wrecked boy.

"We ran into each other, boyo."

"Shut up. I didn't ask you."

"Talking about someone while they're still in the room is rude." Ichigo swiped up his sword again, and made to launch himself over at the woman. Ayake merely shuffled Inoue in front of her, bringing the attention back over to the slightly cowering girl. "She's the one that needs your attention anyway. I'll get back to you."

"Get back - Hey! Wait."

Inoue gently tugged on the Ichigo's sleeve. It took a few moments for the anger to stop crackling as he continued to eye the small woman that was further away from her now. "Don't worry about her Kurosaki-kun."

"How'd you meet her?"

"We just ran into each other outside." Ichigo peered over at the girl, making sure that there was no damage. If what he remembered was right, the woman could have really hurt her. "I have something I need to tell you. From Seireitei."

Ayake had stood away from the group, eyeing them all from the distance as they huddled closer. Every so often they would peak over at her, but they seemed to be more preoccupied about the human girl that was in their midst. She had taken a seat on the steps, and remained there until Inoue had finished up her conversation with the boyo.

"Will you be staying here, Ayake-san?"

Inoue noticed the shudder that seemed to wreck through the entire group as they eyed the two of them. Under the intense scrutiny of their heated gazes, she couldn't help but shuffle her feet. Inoue found a sort of solace when staring back into the blank features of the woman in front. In turn, Ayake paid little mind to the targets painted on the two and inched the girl up the stairs.

"Do me another favor, Inoue." The girl nodded her head. "Don't tell anyone you saw me today."

Inoue nodded again. She thought the request strange but the dormant coldness in Ayake's eyes was enough. She wasn't wearing the traditional garb of a Shinigami to start with, even if she was carrying around a zanpakuto. It was easy to see that the cloak she still adorned was to hide her reiatsu. When all the puzzle pieces aligned, Inoue could make out that she was either doing something that she shouldn't of or was not a friend to the Shinigami.

Ayake watched as the girl scurried away, until another collision ran through the air. Ichigo had already taken up battle with Hiyori, simultaneously forgetting that the other woman was still there. Twisting her head around, she wandered over to where the group finally was. Their conversation staying on the topic of Inoue, as they all remained alert to the fight and the woman that was entering their midst.

"Not that bullshit again." The veins pulsated against Kensei's forehead as he imagined wrapping his two hands around Shinji's neck.

"You say that about all of the cute girls – you've even said that to me before." Lisa popped in, also annoyed at the suddenness of the statement. Her frustration only mounted as she realized she knew little of what was going on, and she rather liked knowing. Even those last pieces of gossip that liked to scurry under the doormat.

"So you say that to all the cute girls! That's funny, I don't remember you saying it to me." Hiyori jammed into the conversation briefly.

"Because I never have." Shinji's words became lost to Hiyori as she had to pay more attention to the boyo who was attempting to smash her into the ground.

Ayake smoothed her attention evenly. The tense muscles of the group around her was enough to put her on guard, and to have her hand constantly resting on the hilt of her sword. She settled down right in the middle of the make-shift group; Kensei and Lisa standing over by her left shoulder, Mashiro laying down behind on the ground, Rose shifting away at her right, Hachigen and Love even further off in the back, and Shinji in front of her. She could grasp the awkwardness in her hands; keeping it alive as she wandered her thoughts away and over to the fight that was still taking place.

Will you not say anything to them?

When the time is right.

Are you still considering everything that Kisuke was saying?

Of course. Ayake shuffled around, noting that this time the group had settled. She still had a firm grip on her hilt, but they had all taken the positions they had been in previously. If Aizen is their king, then Kisuke is ours.

So you believe in what he told you about that girl?

Couldn't you sense it? She's not suited for the frontlines.

Reaching her hands up, Ayake unclipped the rest of her cloak and let it slip over her shoulders and to the ground beneath her. The group peered over, each eye latching onto her skin likes leeches from the lake. Shinji's look was the most prominent; him peering back over his shoulder as waved his eyes over the new frame. If Ayake could make out the flashes going through his eyes then she knew what the rest of the group was thinking.

"Not so cute anymore, eh, Shinji-boyo?"

"Tsk." His grin came back, sliding along his thin face. He wiggled his eyebrows, well the one that Ayake could make out from the over the shoulder look. "I'd still tap ya."

Kensei growled out, and shoved his arm around the newest addition. His hand gripped all the way around her bicep as he dragged her away from the blonde flirt. "Don't get in on that shit too."

"Just some fun, boyo."

"You still call everyone that?"

"Of course."

No longer gripping onto the awkward air, Ayake merged in easily to the group. No questions were needed; no words spoken. That night over one hundred years ago had been left steeping into the boiling water of their anger, but with the last member of their group back in action they could let it drain out slightly. The punishments may have been visible on her body, but the sacrifice was entrenched into their very beings. It cuddled them as they informed the girl about the weirdest of hobbies that they had collected; from Kensei's cooking, to Love's manga, and Lisa's magazines.

"Ah!"

Ichigo plummeted down close to the group, sending up pebbles and rocks. He lay prostrate for a moment, getting rid of the dizziness, and staring up at the blonde girl that had sent him crashing. He dug away from the crater, nearly slipping back into it.

When he was finally back on stable ground, he noticed that the woman was still there. He remembered faintly that Renji had called her Ayake. He called her crazy as well. There she was, lounging against the Kensei as if she had always been part of the group. Ichigo felt his eyebrow twitching as she peered over at him. There was an odd sort of gleam in her eyes, as if she was turning her amusement into smugness right before him.

Hiyori hadn't starting attacking him yet, so he might as well take the opportunity. Pointing his finger at her, he declared, "who the fuck are you?"

"Ayake Ichiyuko."

"That's not an answer."

She waved up. Kensei merely shifting around to help her balance out her weight before he let go of her entirely. The group stayed quiet monitoring everything that was going on. When she was finally up straight, knees bent as she cuddled them to her chest she addressed him. "Yes it is. Just not the answer you want, right?"

Ichigo clenched the hilt of his sword in his hand again. Hiyori had marched down from the air and had also joined the group, tossing her own zanpakuto over her shoulder. The brazen girl hadn't even said a word to the named Ayake, but she most certainly wasn't ignoring her. Ichigo had noticed that she had become slightly distracted by the woman that had joined the group. She could have easily gone over to her, but she hadn't once done that, staying back to fight Ichigo instead. The interactions were weird.

Ayake had stood from her spot, and brushed off the dust that had collected there. "How about a fight?"

Ichigo eyed the straining frame. He may not have been the best at sensing reiatsu or whatever, but even he could tell when someone was weak. Her limbs seemed to hang apart from her, and her body was too lithe. Rukia was a small person, but she had some bulk. Ayake stood tall with her muscles like cradles for her decaying bones.

"No way." Ichigo gestured over the whole of her body, and then avidly pointed over to the rest of the group. "I'm training and there's no way you can match up."

"You're only at four seconds." The words compressed in the air and shot straight towards him. "You've been at that stage for the past three days. Who's to say that I can't help you?"

"You're body."

"Eh~ Are you being sexist?"

"Not at all." Ichigo flumped his arms up and down. "If I hadn't seen you that night, I would say you couldn't even hold a zanpakuto."

Ayake peered over at her body and flexed several times. The small muscles shifted around with each turn over her arm. "They look like sticks don't they?"

"Exactly."

"It is true that I'm not nearly the condition I was in before." Ayake drove right through when Ichigo was just beginning to formulate his next words. Where normally someone from the group would toss out comments, they had remained oddly silent through this whole interaction, flipping their eyes between the two as if watching a tennis match. "But even at a quarter of what I was, I can still beat you."

Ichigo noticed the steal resolve in her eyes. They reminded him of the way that Urahara had stared him down before he had left for the Soul Society to rescue Rukia; steeled and glinted, like the very tip of a sword. For as much as she looked ill, the low muscle tone and the posture were that of an old and hardened combatant. His eyes flickered back up to her face, when she began to speak again.

"Besides, we carry the same name."

"Huh?"

"The character for "ichi". - It's the same."

"So?" Ichigo didn't even want to know how she actually knew how to spell his name. He seemed to tremble at the smile that was crossing her lips, just like the one he had seen that night when she tugged Grimmjow from his form.

"So namesake-boyo…" she pulled her sword from her sheath, and began to tap it in that same rhythm that sent him spiraling back to the other night. "I've just got to fight you."