Targets 7

"Alright then, see you later!" Yoruichi waved bye at the small boy that was walking away from the Urahara Shop.

Hanatarou paused and waved back before continuing down the street.

'I wish I had gotten to see Miss Rukia,' he thought. 'But at least I can tell Captain Ukitake and Captain Kuchiki that Rukia and Renji are okay...'

The thin soul reaper's thoughts were interrupted by an overbearing spiritual pressure suddenly appearing. He felt sweat drops slide up his face, and turned with a dread-filled heart to see what was coming.

It was the red-haired Arrancar, her cold eyes seeming to gaze into Hanatarou's core.

Instinctively, he raised his zanpakuto. The red gauge was almost full from healing the rest of Renji's wounds.

The Arrancar stalked forward, her eyes alight with anger. "Why is it... that every time I think I finally got her... it's just another weak little soul reaper!" she snarled, her coarse voice taunt.

Hanatarou tried to back away, but she grabbed the front of his shihakusho and straightened, easily lifting the smaller person off his feet.

Without thinking, Hanatarou lifted his zanpakuto, squeezing the handle so hard his knuckles turned white. He thrust it as hard as he could into the Arrancar's forearm that held him aloft.

"You little-" she threw Hanatarou to the side. He crashed onto the pavement, scratching his right shoulder, elbow, and cheek. The Arrancar ripped out the sword and tossed it next to Hanatarou, proceeding to grip her arm.

Throwing Hanatarou, however, had not been the right choice. He pressed the blade and pushed it against the scratches on his side.

The red gauge was full.

Rising to his feet, Hanatarou one again held his sword up as it automatically initiated shikai.

The Arrancar, not knowing what he was going to do, hopped onto the reishi paths above, hovering about 15 feet off the ground.

"Akeiro Hisagomaru!"

The blaze if red light leapt forward. Hanatarou squeezed his eyes shut, barely seeing a glimpse of The Arrancar quickly trying to dodge to one side...

When he felt the attack end, Hanatarou slowly opened his eyes, and was shocked at the sight that greeted him.

The red-haired hollow had doubled over. One hand was squeezing her side, where a small section of abdomen used to be. Her breath had already become ragged and uneven, her yes wide with surprise and pain.

"You... how dare..." she whispered hoarsely, dropping to one knee.

"MY LADY!"

A voice screamed just as the red-haired Arrancar fell of the reishi path and began to plummet to the ground. A blur if gray-blue and black flashed across Hanatarou's vision. It caught the thin woman and skidded to a halt on the cement.

"My lady... Answer me...!" The hollow prodded her face with one long, claw-like finger. "My lady!"

There was scarcely a response. She lifted one hand slightly, but it dropped back onto her bloody stomach within a second.

"You..." He looked up and looked at Hanatarou with a look of pure death. In an instant, he flew forward, and swung at the small soul reaper...

Ripclaw's claws tore four gouges across Hanatarou's chest.

The soul reaper fell without even processing what had happened.

The hollow didn't wait to find out if Hanatarou was alive. Holding the female Arrancar to his chest, he fled into the night.