Chapter 14:

Ichigo was led into the captain's meeting room. There were very few captains present but that was to be understood, seeing as how many of them were either traitors or in the hospital. Ichigo was pushed to the center of the room directly in front of the Head Captain. The two women quickly vanished. Not being captains meant that they were not welcomed here during this time.

"Ichigo Kurosaki!" Yamamoto's voice boomed, the high ceiling and open space making his voice echo. But Yamamoto's voice always carried anyway. As usual, Ichigo wasn't intimidated. "You stand before this court today accused of attacking captains Jushiro Ukitake and Toshiro Hitsugaya. It has also been noted that you, too, fled soon there after and have been in hiding."

Ichigo gave him a blank stare.

"I'll simplify it for you. It is against the law to attack a captain. It is also against the law to commit terrorist actions or attempt to overthrow of the balance of Soul Society. To do so is treason! And you stand here accused of both."

"What? Hey, that last one there is a mistake! I'm not a terrorist! Who freakin' said that?"

"Silence!" Yamamoto banged his staff on the ground. Ichigo shut his mouth. "All the reports I've gathered indicate that your behavior is consistent with terrorist actions. Not only that, but I couldn't help but noticed that you said that only that part was a lie. Then you agree that you willingly attacked those two captains?"

Ichigo tried to think. No matter what he said, the old man wasn't going to give him benefit of the doubt. "Well… I wouldn't say 'willingly' exactly."

"Then answer me this, Kurosaki: did you attack those captains?"

"Well-"

"Yes or no!"

"Then, yes!"

"And did you do so knowing that it was against our laws to attack a captain?"

"… yeah…"

"But you did so anyway and then left them to die in the streets?"

"Well, no, not exactly. Toshiro I brought inside."

"But you did, in fact, leave Ukitake?"

Ichigo groaned out a 'yes'. But before he could make things worse for himself, he quickly added, "But I didn't leave him for dead. I only left when I was sure that someone would find him and take care of him. And I didn't want to stick around so I'd get blamed for it."

"Even though you're the culprit?"

"Uh…" This wasn't looking too good for him.

"Ichigo…" he heard Nathan's voice say. "Just tell them the truth."

"Yeah, right," he muttered into his shoulder discreetly. "Like they'll buy any of that. Besides, what will happen to you and your friends? I'm all for Rodger getting his ass thrown in prison, but still…"

"I just don't want you to get in any trouble."

"It's a little late for that, don't you think?"

"Then at the very least tell them why you did it. Tell them that they attacked you first and all that."

"Ok, I'll give it a shot…" What else did he have to lose after all? Ichigo cleared his throat and got ready to speak aloud for all to hear.

"Ichigo Kurosaki is hereby charged with treason and will be sentenced with-"

"Wait just a minute!" Ichigo spat. "I admitted that I did some of those things, but aren't you even going to hear me out to know why I did it?"

"Regardless of why, the fact of the matter is that you did."

"But it was self-defense!"

"Am I to believe that Captain Ukitake, possibly the kindest and gentlest of all our captains, attacked you in cold blood?"

"Well, when you put it like that, it does sound a little farfetched, but yeah!"

Yamamoto wouldn't hear it. "Captain Hitsugaya was ordered to attack you on sight if you put up a resistance. You did. He was doing his job. You cannot call that self-defense if the-"

"But it was because when he was attacking me, he wasn't himself! I'm trying to tell you that, you stupid old man!" Ichigo bellowed.

"Ichigo-" Nathan's warning came too late. The damage was already done.

"Enough!" Yamamoto banged his staff on the floor and the room shook. "You do not have the right to talk to me or anyone else that way! And seeing as how you're in no position to argue your claim, being there no one to calibrate your story, your sentencing is final. Ichigo Kurosaki is hereby-"

"Wait!"

Everyone looked to the large double doors, which were opening to allow two captains to enter.

"Captains Unohana and Ukitake..!"

She was acting as his crutch, carrying Ukitake over her shoulder, helping him to walk while he wrapped his arm over her shoulder to support himself. Shunsui hurried over to help his weak friend. He helped support Ukitake in a standing position.

"You shouldn't be walking around like that," Komamura scolded him. "You need to rest. You're in no condition-"

"He asked me to bring him here before the court," Unohana told them all. "He has important news regarding the Soul Reaper in question."

"The court has already decided," Soi Fon told them. "Head Captain Yamamoto is sentencing him now."

"But this is highly important. It could change the outcome of his sentencing."

Yamamoto nodded once. "What is this news that cannot wait?"

"That Ichigo Kurosaki didn't attack me first," Ukitake told them all. "I did. I attacked Ichigo first. I left him with no choice. He had to defend himself. He did nothing to provoke me, either. I attacked him of my own accord. He shouldn't be punished. He had every right."

The captains exchanged looks and murmured. Ichigo didn't know whether to feel relieved or nervous. Even though Ukitake had just confessed, there was still the matter of convincing everyone else that it was justified.

Soon, everyone's gaze was fixed back on Yamamoto. "Explain yourself."

Ukitake stood weakly with Shunsui's help. "I was in my office. I wasn't feeling well so I decided to take a short nap. I laid down on the couch and went to sleep for a little bit. When I woke up, it was almost noon. I had a small pain in my neck, but I assumed that it was nothing. Just slept wrong or something. Then I got up and started to do some work outside my office. I was in the hall when I started to feel strange. And not the normal kind of strange where I'm feeling lightheaded. I felt… different. Then some members of my division came up to me and started talking to me. They were telling me about some tasks that I had to see to. And then suddenly, I became enraged for no reason at all. I felt so angry at them and I had no idea why. Then as they continued to talk to me, I became even angrier. Then suddenly I snapped and attacked them."

"You attacked your own squad?"

He nodded, looking ashamed and confused. "I have no idea why I did it. It just happened so fast and I couldn't stop myself. I wasn't thinking. It was like I was someone else. I wasn't myself at all." Ukitake shut his eyes remembering what he had done. "I couldn't control myself. I feel terrible about what I did. And then Ichigo showed up and tried to talk sense into me. He pleaded with me to stop, but I wouldn't listen and attacked him. He refused to attack back until I moved in for the kill shot. Then he reacted in self-defense. It was justified. I gave him no other choice. His life was in grave danger. There was no other way. He was going to die."

The captains murmured amongst themselves then turned to the Head Captain to hear his judgment. He remained quiet, listening to everything that was said.

"I see…"

"Sir," Unohana said. "Before we left, I spoke with the men from Squad 10. They all confirmed that it was Captain Hitsugaya who attacked them deliberately. It was no accident that they were frozen. He attacked them on purpose. One of them even mentioned that it was Ichigo who told them to run while they had the chance because their captain was not himself."

"Hitsugaya must have fallen prey to the same thing I did," Ukitake told everyone. "That's why he reacted that way. Ichigo, was he as violent as I was?"

He nodded. "He was trying to kill me and he made no sense. Not only that, but he wasn't fighting like himself either. It was like he was a completely different person. I watched him attack his men. I tried to stop him."

"Looks like you succeeded…" Soi Fon growled, referring to the fact that he was found covered with blood. "He's in the infirmary, isn't he?"

"Yes, but I looked at his injuries," Unohana quickly added. "Yes, he was injured badly, but his wounds were not fatal. Ichigo had aimed away from any vital areas, sparing his life. Ichigo wasn't fighting to kill, but to stop him. It was the only way. He used good judgment."

Ukitake looked to the Head Captain. "Please, sir… Please drop all the charges against Ichigo Kurosaki. His actions were justified."

Yamamoto wasn't convinced by the look on his face. "Is that all that you can recall, Captain Ukitake?"

He swallowed and thought. "Well… I don't remember great details. Much of it is a blur and none of it made any sense to me at all… I remember fighting Ichigo. He was going easy on me, I know what much. I could tell. I also remember that he didn't put a stop to me and charge in like a real warrior would until I was… Until I…" Suddenly, Ukitake's eyes went wide. "Oh! Ichigo, that friend of yours, is he ok?"

"What friend?" Shunsui asked.

"I remember now. I was attacking Ichigo's friend. He was there trying to help stop me. I was strangling him. Ichigo didn't manage to stop me until I attacked him. Ichigo, was he ok? I didn't kill him, did I?"

Ichigo swallowed. He was talking about Nathan. What should he say? Tell the truth? What would happen to Nathan if he did?

"I'm sure he's fine. He wasn't there when you were found so he must have got away."

That was enough, right? After all, he wasn't giving away any vital information about him or even telling them his name. He was discreet enough.

"Who is this friend?" Soi Fon asked. "Was it one of those humans that he brought with him the last time?"

Ukitake shook his head. "No, I don't think so. He didn't look familiar. This wasn't a friend Ichigo's ever brought to us before. But I don't remember seeing him until towards the end of the fight when Ichigo suddenly went all out to stop me."

"What did he look like?"

"Uh…" Ukitake tried to remember. "Um… blond hair, blue eyes, pale skin… he wore a strange suit. I've never seen anyone wear one of those before in the Soul Society. Um… his hair was kind of long. It only reached his neck, just above his shoulders. I can't remember much else about him."

"That's the same description those Squad 10 members gave me about the man who dug them out of the ice. He was there, too, right about the same time…"

"The same time Hitsugaya went nuts?" another captain finished for her.

She nodded.

The Head Captain lowered his head slightly as if debating what to do next. "I see… This is interesting news." He raised his head and opened his eyes. "It is safe to assume that this strange man could be responsible for the violent actions the captains have taken. In fact, many of the Soul Reapers have been acting strange lastly, though not all are violent. Perhaps this man is the cause of it."

"Oh, no…" Ichigo heard Nathan whimper in his head.

"Very well… Ichigo Kurosaki is hereby released of all charges. In the meantime, everyone is to search for this man and take him into custody. If he puts up a fight or if anyone starts behaving in a violent manner in his presence, he is to be taken down by any means necessary. That means dead or alive."

"What a minute!" Ichigo tired to protest. "He might not be the cause of all this! You can't just assume something and then-"

"Shut up!" Soi Fon snapped. "Head Captain Yamamoto, we cannot release Ichigo yet. If this is indeed a friend of his, then he is partly responsible for all of this."

"Very good point," he agreed.

"But I'm not sure it's even Kurosaki's friend. No one has ever seen him before. Not even Ukitake."

"Ichigo Kurosaki…" The Head Captain was addressing him again. "Is this man your friend? I know how loyal you are to your friends, so there's no way you would deny the truth from this court. Now answer."

Ichigo couldn't lie about something like this. His loyalty to his friends was something that he was very proud of. He would never turn his back on them or deny them. He had to tell the truth. He opened his mouth.

"No."

Ichigo blinked. That was his voice just now, wasn't it? Why did he just say that?

"So this man is not one of your friends?"

"No, he is not."

Ichigo couldn't stop himself. It was as if someone had control of his voice box. He didn't mean to say those words. Why was he lying against his will like this?

"Then it's settled. This meeting is hereby dismissed. Release Ichigo. Alert your squads to be on the lookout for this man. I want him taken in or taken down!"

"Yes, sir!"

"If anyone other than Squad 12 finds him, try to be careful with the carcass!" Mayuri was calling out to the others. "I want him somewhat intact for experimentation!"

Ichigo was shoved out into the hall and the large door behind him closed. He stood there in total shock. "Why did I say that? I didn't mean to…"

"I'm sorry, Ichigo," he heard Nathan say. "But I couldn't let you do it."

Ichigo's head snapped up. "Wait a minute… Then you..? How did you..?"

"As long as I'm in your body, I have some control over your actions. When you were about to speak, I took control of your voice box and had you say those things."

"Why the hell did you do that?" Ichigo screamed. "How could you do something so stupid? Don't you realize what this means? Now everyone's going to be hounding for your blood! Why?"

Nathan took his time in answering. "Because I couldn't let you get into any more trouble on my behalf. That is why."

Ichigo stopped. "For my sake? But…"

"It's not so bad, Ichigo. As long as I'm in your body no one can find me, remember?"

"I guess you're right… But you have to come out sometime."

"That may not be for a while. I'm still very weak and need to feed off of someone's Spirit Energy. I would start to disappear the moment I step out of your body, Ichigo. It's best that I stay here until I can find a new host. It's safer that way, too."

Ichigo leaned against the wall and ran his hand through his hair. "Ok… Let's recap. I'm free to go, but you're not. Your mistress is hanging with Byakuya, but that Sashiro kid is still running around somewhere. And we still have no idea where Rodger is and he's the one we really need to watch out for. And since I'm free to go, no one's going to be chasing after us. But you're still too weak to leave my body and if you do, everyone's going to be after you so it's best if you stay inside for now. That about covers it, huh?"

"Yup."

"So we have good news and bad news. On the plus side, it looks like more good than bad this time around. Aside from the whole everyone's after you part."

"I gathered."

"Ok, so where to, now? Back to see your mistress?"

"Or…" Nathan had a sudden idea. "We could go see that Captain Hitsugaya fellow. If I can get inside his body, I might be able to convince everyone to vindicate me and look for Rodger instead. They'll listen to a captain, right? Especially one who was under an evil influence."

"True…" Ichigo stood up straight and looked in the direction of the 4th Division. "So I guess we're going to pay Toshiro a visit."

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