Kiyoshi laughed as Ichigo clutched at his chest.
"Ichigo is silly."
"Chu" Nav-I floated over to him.
"Get away." He blushed and moved away.
Nav-I ignored his and pressed a hand to his chest.
It glowed purple.
Nav-I pulled away after a moment and looked questioningly at him.
Ichigo stared at himself in wonder. He felt…great. Like he'd never been hurt at all.
"Nav-I can do anything." Kiyoshi nodded.
"Uh…thanks." Ichigo looked up at her.
"Chu" Nav-I moved away and hovered near Kiyoshi.
Yoruichi walked back to the front of the cave. "Well…we need to wait for an opportunity to go after Rukia."
"But…I already sent Ganju and Hanataro up there!" Ichigo jumped up and winced.
"Just cause Ichigo is healed doesn't mean he's all ready to fight again." Kiyoshi spoke up.
"He's right. You need to rest."
"But they're up there…and they need my help. So does Chad!" He realized all at once.
"We can go."
Ichigo looked back at the two. "No way." He looked around and saw a very odd shape.
He could use that! Yoruichi had told him about it. All he needed to do was pour spirit energy into it.
Ichigo ran over and snatched it up.
Yoruichi regretted even telling him about it. "Ichigo, stop!"
"No way…they need my help!"
Nav-I pulled Yoruichi out of the way.
Ichigo held out his arm…the object clutched in his hand. He poured his spirit energy into it.
"Fly."
Kiyoshi watched in silence and shook his head as Ichigo flew off.
Everything stopped however….when an immense spiritual pressure was felt.
Yoruichi pulled away from Nav-I, who still looked like Soi, and ran to the cave entrance.
"Ichigo! …Damn."
"Follow?" She heard Nav-I ask. She turned around.
"Don't want him dead."
"Then let's go!" Yoruichi walked up to them.
"Yoruichi seems kind hearted…but she left Mama all alone. Yoruichi is a bad person." Kiyoshi turned his head and looked at her from the corner of his eye.
Yoruichi growled.
"But we'll help. Nav-I?"
"Hai!" Nav-I shifted again and now stood before them as a large wolf.
Kiyoshi jumped on and waited for the blackness to cover his hands and legs.
Yoruichi hopped on after him and watched as Nav-I covered her legs.
"Let's go!" Kiyoshi called.
"Hai!"
They took off again.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Unohana bit her lip and stared at the sky above her.
Where was he?
It had bee two-n-a half days…with no sign of the boy at all.
"I've seen him."
Retsu whipped around…Soi leapt down from the garden wall.
"Where?"
"I lost him…he heard me. I know he did. He avoided me on purpose."
Unohana let out a deep breath. "At least he's safe."
"I'm not so sure."
"What?" Retsu looked up at her lover.
"I felt Byakuya's spiritual pressure a few hours after he disappeared."
"He wouldn't hurt Kiyoshi." The healer tried to convince herself. Byakuya had become a cold hearted man since the death of his wife.
"I don't know."
Unohana stepped forward and threw her arms around Soi's neck. The younger captain in turn slipped her own arms around the healer.
Both seeking comfort…it was short lived.
Byakuya's spiritual pressure was felt again…but stronger.
Unohana gasped…a small trickle of Kiyoshi's spiritual pressure was mixed in with it.
She knew it was Kiyoshi because his spirit energy was calming and curious.
"Nav-I will take care of him…right?" Retsu asked her lover cautiously.
"Of course Nav-I will take care of him."
Nav-I had a deep sense of loyalty. The creature would follow it until the end.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"Down there!" Yoruichi called.
"Nav-I…Yoruichi needs to go down!"
"Hai!"
Yoruichi jumped off Nav-I's back as the blackness released her legs.
Kiyoshi and the unknown creature watched in amazement as Yoruichi flipped down and wrapped Byakuya's blade in simple cloth.
"Wow." Nav-I called.
"Mama is still better." Kiyoshi said absently.
"Chu" Nav-I took them down lower but out of sight.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
"A face I'd never thought I would have to see again." Byakuya sliced the cloth binding his blade.
"Been a long time hasn't it?"
"Yoruichi?"
"You were foolish to come here Ichigo." Yoruichi turned to him.
"I'll take you both down at once if I have to." Byakuya raised his Zanpakuto in a slanted position.
Hanataro and Rukia watched on in disbelief. "Rukia who is that woman?"
"Yoruichi Shihoin." Byakuya said with utter distaste.
Hanataro looked to Rukia. "Do you know who she is Rukia?" He tried again.
"No…but I know that last name."
"Who is she?"
"I don't know her...but her father was locked up here almost two hundred years ago."
"What? Why?"
"She disobeyed the law…and she was punished for it." Byakuya said absently.
Yoruichi flinched…she hadn't really known her father. She had been taken away when she was still a small child.
"Did I touch a nerve Shihoin?"
"Shut up!"
"Your no better…well considering what you've done. She was a much better person. At least she had a sense of loyalty."
"Shut up!" Yoruichi launched an attack at the man.
A black wall suddenly appeared and separated them.
"Nav-I?" Yoruichi looked up.
Kiyoshi dropped down behind purple haired woman.
"Byakuya's a bad person too!" Kiyoshi shouted. "Nav-I…split."
"Hai!" A small ball pulled away from the black wall.
"Go find Yoruichi's pop."
"Hai!" Nav-I shot up to the top of the tower and floated through the opening.
Kiyoshi looked back to Byakuya. "Bad people get theirs." He said simply.
Byakuya glowered at him and swung his sword at the black wall. It bounced off uselessly.
Nav-I came back down…considerably larger in size. "You found her!" Kiyoshi clapped.
"Hai!"
"Father?" Yoruichi whispered. "Let's go back!"
"Wait a minute!" The forgotten Ichigo called.
The two looked at him. "What?" Yoruichi asked.
"What about the others…Rukia, Ganju…Hanataro!"
"We don't have time for all of them!" Kiyoshi called. "Nav-I…we're leaving."
"Hai!" The wall shrunk and shifted into a bird.
Yoruichi punched Ichigo in the stomach and hefted him over shoulder, and jumped onto Nav-I's back.
Kiyoshi followed her example. "I'm sorry Rukia…I am…but we have to go…I've drawn attention here."
Rukia smiled and nodded. "It's okay."
Kiyoshi nodded and took off. He wanted to help her he did…but they had enough to worry about with Ichigo and his Mama.
Who was currently on the move to the area.