I do not own Bleach
Rukia and Renji rushed through the Dangai to get to the Soul Society as quickly as possible. "The Head Captain would surely call off the assassination once he saw they were alive. He would probably contain Ichigo and help him to subdue his hollow once and for all. We shouldn't be so worried."
"Hey Rukia" Renji yelled up to the shorter Soul Reaper. "We shouldn't worry so much. Ukitake and Urahara are just blowing things out of proportions. The Head Captain won't kill Ichigo once he sees we are alive. He'll call the whole thing off and he might even help Ichigo." Renji smirked as he finished. Why should they be so worried?
"You're an idiot Renji. If you already forgot that Ichigo's hollow actually did kill Zennosuke than you really need to get your head checked! We need to convince him that Ichigo can control his hollow and hope that he will overlook what happened tonight."
"Oh, I forgot about him. Ichigo sure is in a lot of trouble."
"That's why we have to hurry you idiot!" Rukia yelled back to him. "There's the exit. Come on, we have to speak to the Head Captain."
They both burst through the Senkaimon only to stop directly in front of Head Captain Yamamoto.
"Well, now that he's back in his body I think that you should return to the Soul Society Jushiro" Urahara stated glumly as he set Ichigo's alarm clock. "It would look suspicious if your absence continued any further."
"You're right. I just wish there was another way to do this, he will go through so much pain." Ukitake looked down at Ichigo's sleeping form; he chuckled inside seeing the ever present scowl on his face. "Not to mention Rukia's wrath at what we are going to let happen."
"You're the lucky one in that respect Jushiro. We both know she will return and I will have to be the one who faces her wrath. If I would have had more time I may have found a better way but his hollow was taking control much faster than I had hoped. Ichigo's too good a Soul Reaper for his own good." Urahara straitened his hat on his head and climbed onto the window sill. "I'll be returning to my shop to wait for Rukia's return."
With that he jumped to the ground and shunpoed away towards his shop. Ukitake frowned at his words. "She will hate us both after tonight, but we must allow this to happen. She will understand in time. I'm sorry Rukia." He then opened a senkaimon but then noticed Ichigo's Soul Reaper badge. He reached down and picked it up, turning it over in his hand. The benefits of the choice to give this to Ichigo for the Soul Society were immense, but the price he has to pay. Ukitake slide the badge into the folds of his robes and walked through the senkaimon, leaving Ichigo sleeping alone in his bed.
"So I see the two of you are alive after all, and you do not seem to have been in a battle at all." Yamamoto spoke slowly contemplating the ramifications of their appearances. He needed to take care of the problem Ichigo presented but Soi Fon's report lost much of its credibility with the two of them alive.
"We must report to you Head Captain. It would seem th-" Renji stopped at a wave of the Head Captains hand.
"I have been made aware of the situation with Ichigo Kurosaki and have already taken steps to take care of things that I have let go for far too long. He will be cleansed like any other hollow. We won't make exceptions for him any longer."
"B-but Captain! You don't mean!" Rukia's eyes widened as she heard for herself what she already knew would happen.
"You're going to kill Kurosaki! Head Captain! Please listen to our report!" Renji struggled because he couldn't bare the thought of Rukia being forced to live without Ichigo.
"Yes, Ichigo must be cleansed. He is a hollow and a threat to the entire Soul Society. Captain Kyoraku. Please accompany these two to the fourth squad's barracks so that they may be healed quickly."
"Yes Captain"
Shunsui walked up behind them as Rukia yelled "You can't do this Captain! Ichigo has saved the Soul Society on many occasions! You're just going to throw him away as soon as you no longer need him! When he has served his pur-"
"Silence!" Yamamoto yelled. "I have made the order, the team has already been sent to carry it out, and I see no reason to delay it any further. Ichigo, whether he is or is not in control of his body has killed Zennosuke Kurumadani and he will be punished. He is a hollow and as such will be cleansed!" Yamamoto's eyes were wide and had a feral glint in them. "This should have happened when we first discovered him. What you and your brother failed to see as a threat will be taken care of now!" Rukia opened her mouth to retort when she felt a hand on her shoulder.
Shunsui leaned in close to her ear and said "Now, now Miss Kuchiki. You're tired and need to get your rest." In a softer voice he whispered "trust us Rukia, everything is being taken care of."
Rukia then remembered that she had trusted Ukitake when she left the living world, she would trust his best friend now. Shunsui saw her shoulders slump in defeat and quickly lead her and Renji away from the senkaimon. She decided to trust them all, Urahara, Kyoraku, and Ukitake. They said they were going to help, but she just couldn't shake the ominous feeling she was getting in the pit of her stomach.
Yamamoto watched as Kyoraku walked both Renji and Rukia towards the fourth squad's barracks. "You're being surprisingly obedient Shunsui. I will have to keep an eye on your actions, and those of Jushiro as well. Once I find out where he is and what you two are up to will you're fates be decided."
Ichigo awoke to the sound of his alarm clock going off next to his bed. His eyes were groggy and he couldn't remember getting home from Urahara's. His body felt stretched and limp like he had run a marathon before going to bed. He turned to stop the buzzing next to him when he saw the clock.
"Ohhh" he groaned seeing that it was 3:00 am. "Why would I have set my alarm for three in the morning? What the hell happened to me? I shouldn't be this beat up after training! My mind feels weak. What the hell happened last night!"
Ichigo rolled his legs out of bed and felt his feet on the cold floor. He was sore. His legs felt like lead and his arms shook as he tried to push himself up from the bed. He stood up shakily, stumbling over his feet, and wondered if Rukia was in his closet. He couldn't sense her spiritual pressure but then again, when he tried to focus he saw lights in front of his eyes and he almost fell over.
"Oy! Rukia!" Ichigo shouted as he slid his closet open. It was empty? "Where could she be? Did she go back to the Soul Society last night? What the hell is going on!"
He looked around his room for any sign from someone about what had happened to him but found nothing. His room looked normal and as far as he could tell the city was normal. "Renji was staying at Urahara's. Maybe I can get some answers there?"
Ichigo walked down the stairs having to hold on the railing in order to keep himself upright. He reached the base of the steps seeing his father passed out on the floor underneath the life-sized portrait of his mother. "Did I knock him out there? It would make sense but why don't I remember?" He then walked over to and out his front door making his way to Urahara's. "Urahara better know what's going on with me! And where the hell Rukia is …"
Once Rukia and Renji had been healed; their injuries were minor so it didn't take the 4th squad long to fix them up, Captain Kyoraku began walking them back to their respective barracks.
"Lieutenant Abarai. Go on ahead to your barracks. Do not speak to anyone on your way and do not bring up anything about what happened tonight to anyone. Ichigo's survival depends upon the Head Captain believing the events that transpire tonight go smoothly.
"What do you mean Captain?" Renji asked.
"Go. We will talk again soon so that you can be filled in on what exactly is happening in the Soul Society. Events are going to transpire that will test all of us, but we must believe in each other if we are to survive."
"Yes sir" Renji took one look at Rukia before he shunpoed away.
"What do you mean he has to think the events tonight happen smoothly?" Rukia looked puzzled at the Captain wearing the pink kimono. "Ichigo is going to be alright! Captain Ukitake and Urahara are with him!"
"I'm sorry Rukia. Ichigo is going to die tonight."
"WHAT!" Rukia's insides turned to ice. She couldn't breath. "Captain Ukitake was going to take care of him!" Rukia's world seemed to crash around her. "Did he lie to me? Does he not care about what happens to Ichigo?" She had to get to Ichigo before it was too late. "Can I make it in time? Was Ukitake the one sent to kill him? NO! He wouldn't! He couldn't! ICHIGO!"
Rukia felt blood rush back into her limbs again at the betrayal her Captain had shown her. "You said you were going to help him! Captain Ukitake said we had to trust him!" Rukia yelled as her eyes widened with fear.
"Please Rukia listen to me. Ichigo will-"
"How would you know! He's a stronger willed person than you all give him credit for! He defeated the hollow inside him before and he will do it again! I won't let anything happen to him!"
"You must unders-" but before he could finish his sentence Rukia had shunpoed away to go back to the Living World. "If only you would have listened Kuchiki. This will hurt you more than you realize."
Ichigo had an eerie feeling running through his veins as he walked down the deserted street. He hated walking around this early in the morning as it was, but all of his senses were still groggy and he couldn't tell if he turned a corner whether a mouse or an Arrancar would turn up. He figured that was why he felt as if he was being watched. "I never thought id be this paranoid just from walking around in the early morning. Get a hold of yourself Ichigo!" He took a deep breath and closed his eyes trying to calm his nerves.
That's when he distinctly heard the sound of a sword being drawn out of its sheath. He turned around quickly grabbing for his Soul Reaper badge only to realize it wasn't there.
"Where is it! I'm in real trouble if I can't get out of my body!"
As he spun he felt blood rush into his head and he felt weak again. Lights were popping in front of his eyes and he fell to the ground about to faint from exerting himself. "Damn it! Can't even turn around without almost passing out. I'm in trouble now. Where are you Rukia!"
"She's dead" a voice in front of him spoke. Ichigo couldn't forget that voice, with its cold and uncaring tone. Ichigo could almost see Byakuya standing above him, starring at him with cold eyes. Then what he had said finally sunk in.
"What! Dead! How! When!"
"You did it Ichigo and on my honor I'm going to kill you. I will use your blood to cleanse my sword of the dishonor you have left on my house. You will suffer my anger for taking the only thing I have left of my wife!"
Ichigo's eyes finally cleared to see Byakuya standing in front of him with Toshiro next to him.
"What have you done Ichigo?" Toshiro asked, his icy eyes freezing Ichigo's on him. "What is going on with y-"
"That is of no concern. He has been declared an enemy of the Soul Society for his actions tonight and on my honor he will die for it" Byakuya cut in front of Captain Hitsugaya glaring at Ichigo.
Ichigo opened his mouth to question what was going on when he felt a searing pain in his back. The all to familiar pain of feeling a sword pierce his back twice, one on each side of his spine.
"Ahhhh!" Ichigo fell to the ground grabbing at his back feeling the blood running out of two small holes. Then a new pain coursed through his body, burning him from the inside. It ran from his back down to his legs and toes. At the same time it paralyzed his arms and strangled him as he tried to take breath into his lungs.
"You're done for now Kurosaki. My poison will kill you in less than a minute." He looked up at Soi Fon with disbelief in his eyes. I'm being assassinated! What happened to Rukia!"
"It will be my blade that kills Kurosaki Captain Soi Fon. My honor and the honor of my family demands it." Byakuya strode up to Ichigo with his sword drawn.
"Wait! T-tell me what ha-hap-happened to Rukia! I c-couldn't have k…illed her! I c-could never h-h-hurt her!" Ichigo struggled to choke out the words with the pain and tears now running down his face.
"AHHHHHH" Ichigo stood making the blood flow faster from his back. He wasn't going to die without knowing what happened to Rukia; but he was going to be disappointed as he felt another sword run slowly through his abdomen. He saw Byakuya's cold eyes close to his as he felt the sword spin ninety degrees and rip an exit through his side almost cutting him in half. Ichigo felt his spin snap and his ribs crack. Ichigo coughed up blood as he fell to the ground his eyes wide staring into Byakuya's. He couldn't move, his spine was severed in Byakuya's attack. He could see his blade position itself directly over his throat in preparation for the final attack. His arms were still not functioning due to Soi Fon's poison. Ichigo closed his eyes knowing that this was the end for him. "I'm sorry Rukia."
Rukia was running to get to the senkaimon when she felt a wave of sorrow and pain wash over her. She felt tears begin to run down her cheeks. "Ichigo …"
I'm sorry this update took so long. Had a lot of work plus i totaled my truck so I had to get a new one plus some crazy snowstorms and all that stuff. Very sorry this is as short as it is as well. Wanted such an important chapter to be longer but didn't want to take any longer getting it posted. So feel free to rip me apart in your reviews.
