When Grimmjow ordered them to run, they did. Including Ichigo. She tensed her jaw; with each step she wanted to scream, she could feel it with every step she took. Eventually her knee collapsed no longer able to hold her weight, Ichigo just let herself fall in the mud. Pulling her arms under her body, Ichigo pushed herself up like she had done so many times before. She only managed two steps before she was in the mud again. Loud squelches told her that the general was standing a few steps away, watching as she failed to make it to her feet.
"Get up Kurosaki," he shouted, "or are ya too fucking weak to stand?" Groaned she got up again, scowl on her face. She was never going to be weak again. Unfortunately her body didn't agree with her, Ichigo wavered falling in the mud before she even managed a step. Growing impatient Grimmjow grabbed her by the shirt, shoving her forward thinking it would help. Ichigo managed to stagger to the halfway point. Thunder sounded over head, lighting illuminating the course for just a second. Grimmjow marched over to the man he thought was nothing more than a sad little boy wearing daddy's shoes. Chad blocked his path, grabbing him by the shoulders to stop him.
"Move it soldier!" He barked, the giant shook his head but let his hands drop from his shoulders.
"No sir, I mean you no disrespect but Kurosaki-San was inj-" Ichigo grabbed his shirt pulling herself up, and cutting him off. Growling she dragged him away from Grimmjow, pushing him once he was facing the course.
"'M fucking fantastic," she hissed. Standing up straight she glared at Grimmjow, a sudden determination to prove him worn coursing through her. Grimmjow saw something in his hard amber eyes, it wasn't he had seen in Kurosaki before. Determination. And pain. He had to look away.
"Get to it then maggot," he shouted, marching off the course to watch him finish.
"Yeah," he grunted, jaw tensed.
Grimmjow knew something was wrong with Kurosaki the moment he arrives with the rest of the men. He seemed hesitant and his cocky attitude was missing, no sarcastic remarks to anything anyone said. He would have sent the man to the infirmary but he wanted to do the course so there was nothing he could do till Kurosaki gave up.
"Everyone is to line up once they finish. No one is to leave until every last man finishes this course" he yelled, trying to be heard over the thunder. Most of the men groaned, the rain coming down in sheets so thick you couldn't see past the end of your nose. Grimmjow watched in silence, eyes fixed on Shiro as he slowly moved through the course. He could see it was killing him. When he reached the rope climb he faltered, almost tripping before Shiro fainted face first in the mud. Grimmjow sighed and moved to pick him up, throwing his mud covered body over his shoulder. The man weighed almost nothing.
"Cifer with me, the rest of ya hit the showers and get yer asses back to the mess hall for coffee," he shouted, the men smiling at the chance to get out of the pouring rain.
"Explain," Grimmjow ordered turning to face the stoic man.
"That was an incident with Kurosaki and Ichimaru-San. Kurosaki insulted him and he retaliated with violence, I have no idea of the words passed between them," he reported, saluting Grimmjow before he too left. He glanced at the man over his shoulder before sighing and making his way to the nurses office. It was days like these that made him wish he was still on the battle field, where nothing surprised him any more.
Ichigo groaned, her knee bound so tightly she couldn't move it. It took a few minutes to realise she was at the nurses office, the woman in question had her back to her.
"Good you're up, twin came in earlier. He's waiting out in th-" a loud crash interupted her. The door was thrown open, almost retched off its hinges, Shiro stood there wide-eyed, his hair a bird's nest and glasses askew, his laptop, barely visible through the door, was open flat on the floor.
"What the hell happened baby-bitch?" he yelled, tugging at his hair, like he normally did when stressed and panicked. This earned him a sharp glare from the nurse as she left.
"Ichigo," she called, it was odd saying her own name, they only really pulled switches when they were younger.
"I told ya yer couldn't do it."
"Ichigo!"
"It's been what a month?"
"Ichigo!"
"And yer already in the nurses office."
"Ichigo!"
"Goat face is mad, he's been asking for ya."
"Ichigo!"
"Ya quit college and pretty much disappe-"
"Oh my god, ICHIGO SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I HIT YA!" She screamed, not bothering to use her own voice. It threw him for a second, hearing his own voice from her but what shocked him was the language. His sweet twin sister was swearing at him.
"The fuck Shiro, what has gotten into ya. Ya can't shout at me like that 'm the oldest."
"Yeah by three seconds asshole, ya can't use that against me forever. Tell goat face he can go suck a fuck, I ain't coming back."
"He's real disappointed in ya, quitting med school without saying. Thinks ya ran away from home, I told him he was delusional since ya don't live there anymore."
"I didn't even wanna go to med school, dad forced the issue."
"See this is why I said ya wouldn't make it baby-bitch, yer a fucking door mat. Yer've been here a month and you've already hurt yerself probably trying to keep up with the other fucktards here. Hell ya couldn't even stand up to goat face, to soft to say no to anyone. Wouldn't be surprised if ya came back home crying by the end of the we-"
"Shut it," Ichigo shouted, not able to listen to him put her down anymore. Her friends standing in the door way had heard the whole thing. Shinji stormed into the room red in the face with anger and punched him.
"Say another word and you're dead," he hissed, Shiro stood there, hand against his jaw glaring at the girly man. Ichigo sighed, this wasn't going to end well.
"The fuck gives ya the right to tell me what to do?" Shiro asked, standing up straight so he was looking down at Shinji, trying his hardest to intimidate the blonde. Though shorter Shinji glared back, not afraid of Shiro.
"What gives you the right to insult your brother like that, you don't even know what happened. I think you should ask what happened before you start shouting," he growled poking Shiro in the chest with every word. He looked at the blonde confused, nobody ever talked back to him, everyone just about feared him. Except Ichigo. He growled, snarling. Ichigo glared wishing she wasn't injured, he was about to attack Shinji and the poor blonde had no idea what he was in for. Shiro raised his fist about to swing when the nurse grabbed him wrist.
"I thought I taught you better than that. Ichigo you can't just go hitting people when things don't go your way." The twins paled, confusing everyone watching the scene.
"Aunty Yoruichi," Shiro muttered, wide-eyed and shaking. His aunt terrified him. The woman was evil and crafty.
"Yep, next time I hear that you've been picking on my darling Shiro you'll wish you hadn't been born," she threatened, her smile sweet and serene as she threw Shiro over her shoulder as if he were nothing but a sack of potatoes.
"I'll be back soon boys, say bye-bye to Ichigo." They parted allowing her to leave unhindered, scared of what she would do if they resisted. Shinji collapsed into the vacant chair, shaking all over and sweating.
"Your family scares me," he whispered. The onlookers stared for a second before bursting with laughter, Renji and Nnoitra laughing so hard they fell over. Ichigo just rolled her eyes, snorting, her family was insane not scary.
"Thanks Shin-chan. Ichigo might seem like a dick but he's worried about me and has a hard time expressing his feelings, violence is the only thing he can rely upon." He managed a smile and nodded, slumping down further in the chair.
"I see where you get it from though, this insanity were you seem to believe you can do anything and everything with disregard for the rules," he said, pulling himself up from the chair in a boneless manner.
"Get well soon, try not to get yourself killed Shiro. I'm off to go hide under the blankets in fear." They watched him leave worried that he wouldn't make it back to the barracks on such shaky legs.
"Keep up the great entertainment Shiro, I knew adding ya to this group would be a real hoot. I'm gonna follow that bitch, he's gonna faint like a little girl," Nnoitra said, cackling as he too disappeared. The entire group wondering what their relationship was exactly. Ichigo thinking Nnoitra was chasing Shinji for sex. Chad placed a hand on her head disrupting her thoughts by messing up her shaggy locks, treating her like a little kid.
"Don't be so stubborn next time, it's okay to admit you're hurt," he murmured, concern the only thing to be seen in his dark brown eyes.
"I agree with Sado, being reckless only makes the situation worse," Byakuya said, scaring Ichigo, she hadn't even noticed him among the group.
"Now that I know you are fine I will take my leave, I have better things to do then stand around here." He turned on his heel sharply, marching from the room, a few of the others left with him saying a quick get well soon. Renji had just opened his mouth to say something, probably something incredibly stupid and embarrassing, but someone had knocked on the door. Everyone turned to stare at Grimmjow as he stood there awkwardly unsure what to do.
"Uhh," Renji said, unsure what to say.
"Get out of here the lot of ya, back to whatever it is ya do on yer spare time," he ordered, scowling. Ichigo took the chance to light a cigarette while everyone was busy leaving, exhaling the smoke through her nose. Grimmjow snatched the smoke from her fingers taking a drag and shocking her.
"Didn't know you smoked Jeagerjaques," Ichigo commented, lighting another smoke.
"No wonder Gin beat the shit outta ya, fucking disrespectful piece of crap," he grunted, shit eating grin on his face. He stared at the man before him wondering what exactly Kurosaki said to piss him off, Grimmjow had been trying for years but he could never wipe the creepy smile off his face.
"'M here right now to tell ya to go home." Ichigo sat there in silence, stunned at his words.
"It's nothing personal and it has nothing to do with yer personality, I couldn't give a fuck about that as long as ya follow orders. But yer as weak as shit, and I don't think yer suited for this type of physical work. Yer mind is brilliant and we need people like that but at the same time yer need to be strong."
"What about Hanataro, he's weaker than me? Ya kicking him out too?" She growled, fists balled up at her side. All Ichigo wanted yo was attack him, and scream in rage till he accepted that she was as strong as him.
"No, he left last night. Came to see me and said he wasn't cut out for this. I told him it was probably the best option for him, and 'm telling ya the same. Go home, get a fucking office job," he said, standing to leave, not looking at her. As he turned she lunged at him, growling. The blanket tangled up in her legs and instead of tackling him like she intended Ichigo fell on him but the result was the same. Ichigo was a lot stronger than when she first arrived.
"I'm not weak," she hissed, "you don't have a say in this, if you suggest I leave one more time I will murder you in your sleep, got it? I won't take shit from anyone, especial not from an idiot who thinks he can decide what people should do because he thinks he's better. I am not leaving."
"Ahem." Both looked up at the noise. Yoruichi was standing in the door way, hands on hips a pissed off look in her gold eyes. She bent down, staring right at Grimmjow, scowling.
"I warned you last time what happens when you fuck around with shit in my territory, you have no status here. Get the fuck out of my office, if i see you in here again after today I will kill you," she hissed, pulling him up by the ear. He opened his mouth to protest but she just slapped a hand over it, squishing his cheeks.
"You don't get to talk back to me," she dead panned looking unamused. Letting him go she grabbed Ichigo by the shoulders making Grimmjow grab her legs so they could get her back on the bed. Ichigo hissed slightly the movement a little painful.
"Now out," Yoruichi ordered, pulling Grimmjow into a head lock.
"Shiro, Ichigo explained the situation and I'm all for it so I won't tell," she said, smiling as she tightened her grip.
"Hey Cifer-chan, good to see you," she chirped, loving the irritated look in the ravens eyes when she added chan to his name.
"Yoruichi-sama," he said, bowing respectfully to her. She nodded, leaving with Grimmjow still in a head lock.
"Tell me why Kurosaki?" He asked still unable to make sense of the situation. At times he thought he had finally figured him out then he would go do something that confused his understanding of him.
"There's something about him," she started, trying to find a way to word it so he would understand.
"I just don't like him. Our personalities clash and I end up doing something to make him angry because it amuses me, his reaction I mean." Ulquiorra snorted, his lips tilting up in an actual smile. The first she had seen since arriving here.
"It's the same with your twin, your personalities clash though it might be because you are a girl," he stated, watching the colour drain from her face. He was right.
"How did you find out?" She asked in a whisper.
"I had a feeling and you just confirmed it. Don't worry, your business is your own and I plan on telling no one. I like you as a person, friendship is not something I am good with but your personality appeals to me and I would very much like to try."