Chapter 10

Author's Note: Thanks for all of the reviews~! I didn't think I'd get any for at least a few days but I've been pleasantly surprised. As such, I've prepared a fast update. I hope that you all enjoy this chapter at least as much as you did the rest.

Yumichika was still there and the red mark from Ikkaku's slap was long gone. His friend sat slumped in the corner, head bowed, and fingers limp. His sword lay untouched by his side. The sight of the weapon jumpstarted Ikkaku's thought process.

"Yumichika," Ikkaku said, "how about having a spar?"

Yes. Good start. A spar was something that Yumichika could prove his worth in.

There was no response.

Ok. Maybe he wasn't feeling up to a spar. That was ok. Yumichika usually didn't participate anyway. He claimed that sweating for no purpose was not beautiful. So maybe a more favourable approach was necessary then.

"How about we pick out a new uniform then? You could always change the colour to purple or something."

Ikkaku couldn't believe the words coming from his mouth. How pathetic did he want to sound? This was not an apology. It was just a chance for Yumichika to prove himself. Besides, Ikkaku knew nothing about fashion and he didn't want to. This was useless but it was something that should at least get a reaction from his friend.

Yumichika still didn't reply.

Ikkaku knelt down and put a hand on Yumichika's shoulder.

"Yumichika?"

Yumichika didn't move and Ikkaku finally saw his friend's eyes.

They were blank.

There was no emotion, no recognition, not even a tear. Yumichika was completely unresponsive.

Ikkaku stood in anger and burst out of the room, grabbing the first Squad 6 member he could find.

"What happened to him?" he demanded.

The Squad 6 member sqeaked.

"N-nothing. "

"Then what's wrong with him?"

"T-the Captain says that it's w-withdrawal. She thinks that s-someone b…"

"b?" Ikkaku raised an eyebrow as the Squad Four member tightened his lips. "What does she think someone did?"

"She said that she t-thinks someone b-broke him."

"Broke?"

"It's from a s-strong emotional shock."

Wait. The captain thought that this was all Ikkaku's fault? I mean, sure he'd said some things that Yumichika probably never thought he'd hear but that wasn't enough to cause emotional shock, right? And it's not like Yumichika had never been slapped before. It wasn't Ikkaku's fault. It couldn't be. It was Yumichika's fault. For being so pathetic. Yeah. That's right. It's all Yumichika's fault.

Ikkaku dropped the Squad 6 member and hardly noticed as he scrambled away. So much for Yumichika proving that he was still a proud member of Squad 11. This was even more pathetic. Perhaps Yumichika wasn't suited for Squad 11 after all. Ikkaku couldn't believe that he had ever stood up for such a lying piece of garbage. Frustrated and angry that he still had no idea about what Yumichika's reasons for keeping the secret were, Ikkaku stormed from the Barracks. He wouldn't visit again. Yumichika would have to sort this mess out himself.

Ikkaku was still fuming when he realised that someone was screaming. No, not just someone: lots of people. Using shunpo, Ikkaku jumped to the top of the closest building. The town's gates were wide open, the guards unconscious at the bottom. Townspeople were crying over fallen friends and family. Ikkaku could even see a great number of Shinigami among the fallen. What the hell was going on?

There was a bang and a plume of smoke from one direction. Ikkaku quickly made his way to the site. Four of the Captains were banded together, all in Bankai. Ikkaku looked for their enemy and his mouth fell open as he saw who it was. There, in the smoke, was the man who had kidnapped Yumichika.