Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach
Rukia shifted slightly, feeling something hard and warm encircling her. Frowning she tried to get more of the warmth, pulling at the fabric greedily. It budged slightly and Rukia smiled slightly as the warm surface pulled her closer.
'Wait, inanimate things don't...move?'Rukia opened her eyes in shock and pulled back slightly, looking down at the warm object in disbelief.
Beneath her was a, very much alive, Ichigo. Images of the last time she had seen him flashed through her mind, his face so calm, so close. Blushing slightly she looked at Ichigo closer. He was sleeping, his face the same picture of peace it has been last night, eyelids closed and soft breaths following the rise and fall of his chest.
"Ichigo..." She breathed out without thinking, the only thought in her mind.
"Mmm, Rukia?" She started as she heard his soft voice, trying to pull back from his embrace and failing.
"Don't move, I'm comfy." Rukia sighed and relaxed into his arms with ease. It felt so natural and it wasn't the first time they had accidentally slept together to cower from the cold.
Looking up at his face, bathed in the morning light, she smiled. "Much as this is nice, we seem to be lying on the floor." Ichigo just grumbled in response, shifting slightly.
"Don't care, I'm comfy midget so stop squirming." Rukia rolled her eyes and pushed herself up from his chest, wide violet eyes looking down at him.
"Stop being lazy, you're a Captain." Ichigo finally opened his eyes to glare at her softly.
"As your Captain I order you to stop moving and enjoy the moment for once." Rukia fought back a smirk at his order and let her head fall down to his, foreheads only inches away.
"Stupid strawberry." Ichigo chuckled and rested his head against hers, his mind burning with her presence. 'Why has this taken so long?'He wondered to himself. Truth be told, he didn't care at this precise moment, he was with her now.
They both froze as a loud chuckle interrupted the scene.
"Well, I didn't think you two would be so cozy so soon. I owe Nori a few coins." Simultaneously they scrambled to their feet, both blushing and fixing their cloths.
"Shut it, Haru." Ichigo barked following it with a scowl for good measure. Looking down he frowned at the state of his haori. It had grass stains and dirt littered over it from where he had been sleeping on the ground with Rukia.
"I hope you didn't do anything naughty now, there are some kids this far out." Ichigo and Rukia both blushed deeper and shouted out together.
"We didn't do anything like that!" Haru just chuckled again and cocked his head at the pair.
"Just teasin'. Though I am curious, does this mean Rukia's taken now?" Ichigo growled and stepped forwards, his reiatsu dipping menacingly.
"Don't even think about it." This only added fuel to the fire and Haru's grin widened.
"That's a definite yes! I hope you like possessive men Lieutenant." Rukia glared at both of them, first at Haru, then Ichigo.
"Don't let him taunt you so easily, Ichigo." Ichigo turned his scowl to her and pointed an accusing finger.
"You have no right to tell me not to be violent Rukia, my shins take at least one kick whenever you lose an argument." Rukia just dead-panned at his response.
"I didn't even say that, idiot." Casually ignoring her complaint, Ichigostarted stalking away from them, his scowl prominent.
"Whatever, let's just go and find Nori and Nel. I need this haori cleaned before someone sees me in it." With that he flash-stepped away, leaving only a trace of irritated reiatsu.
Haru turned to Rukia and smirked. "Your boyfriend sure is easy to irritate."
Rukia blushed at boyfriend, not having thought about it before. He was right wasn't he? She and Ichigo were in a...relationship. Her heart soared at the thought. It was like nothing she had ever felt before, was it love? She had felt love for Renji, and love for Kaien, but not this. That was comparing a best friend and a mentor to Ichigo. And nothing could compare to this feeling, she felt lighter than she ever had in her life.
Repeating it in her head, a soft smile broke out across her face. 'I am in a relationship with Ichigo'. Just for a moment everything else could wait. She didn't know how long her heart had been waiting for this without her knowing, but it felt like an eternity.
Haru's loud voice broke her out of her daze. "Oi, Kuchiki. I know you're fantasizingabout your strawberry but I don't want to wait around all day." Ignoring the blush that dusted her cheeks she glared at him with cold eyes.
"I wasn't doing anything improper so I suggest you shut up and start walking." Now Haru would have loved to call her on that, he really would. But you don't argue with the Kuchiki glare unless you are brave or foolish so he just paled slightly and nodded.
'Shinigami women sure are scary.'
Rukia wasn't the only one in a bit of a daze. Ichigo almost crashed through a few houses on his way back to the small hut in which the two siblings lived. Smacking his own head in irritation he slid on the grass as he landed, almost tripping.
"Dammit." He grumbled, his head still not sure. His hollow was not helping, cackling and making perverted comments.
"You should have done it right there, King!"Ichigo scowled to himself and responded out-loud.
"Shut up you damn pervert!" His hollow scoffed and crossed his arms.
"Che, I don't get any respect for helping your pathetic ass."Ichigo growled in response, just in time for Nori to hear and look at him in surprise.
"Uhm, Captain Ichigo?" Ichigo turned around to see her looking at him with a confused expression.
"Oh, sorry, Nori. Is Nel here?" Nori nodded and motioned inside the house before she looked at him critically, squinting slightly.
"Is something wrong? You look a bit off and your haori is all dirty." Ichigo looked down at his dirty haori and blushed slightly. Without thinking he stuttered as he could only think about Rukia.
"Uh, I..well Rukia-I, she." Nori raised her eyebrows at the stuttering, blushing Captain and tried to piece together his words.
"You and Rukia...you did something!" A smile grew on her face as he looked away bashfully and she made a mental note to save the memory. She had a feeling that this was one of the few times she would see him so open.
"It's nothing, forget about it." Ichigo groaned out, trying desperately to escape the awkward situation he had landed himself in without thinking.
Nori giggled slightly and shook her head. "Nu-uh, this is a chance to see a Captain blush. So what did you do? You were out all night so..." She trailed off suggestively and Ichigo went redder than before.
"No, nothing like that! What isit with you two and your perverted minds." Nori shrugged and tilted her head slightly.
"Well now I know I can just ask my brother, thanks!" Ichigo groaned again and as if on cue Rukia flash-stepped onto the ground besides them.
"Ichigo you ass, I-" She was cut off by Nori pulling her into a hug and looked for help in Ichigo, only to find him looking away with a red-stained face.
"Oh I'm so happy you finally realised you should be together! Even my brother and I could tell when you arrived that you two belong together." Fighting back a blush she glared at Ichigo from the embrace, silently promising him a large degree of pain for this.
"Uh, thank you, do you mind if I talk to Ichigo a moment?" Her voice was sweet, too sweet. Ichigo gulped slightly, wondering what he had done to deserve this kind of punishment.
Nori blinked, slightly confused by her sweet tone but nodded. "S-sure, I'll go and get Nel ready." Nori quickly left, Rukia was scary when she was nice.
Rukia crossed her arms and glared at Ichigo, who stood tall, refusing to cower despite its unusual deadliness. "So Rukia-"
"I hope you have a good explanation for that." Rukia interrupted, her eyes narrowing slightly.
Ichigo just looked at her blankly. "For what, Nori hugging you?"
Rukia huffed and continued to glare at him. "No fool. I mean how she knew, it's barely been a day and you are already treating me like an item!"
Ichigo raised his eyebrows in surprise, not sure what to make of it. "What? No I'm not, it just came out because you are all that's on my mind right now! What kind of things are you talking about?"
Rukia's attitude reversed as she looked away bashfully, faltering to reveal her own ignorance concerningrelationships. "W-well Rangiku and the others complain about men just trying to get with them to show them off, I won't let that happen!"
Ichigo chuckled slightly at this and relaxed slightly. "So that's what this is about? Don't worry about what Rangiku says. How could you be an item when you are so loud and irritating, I would have thrown you out ages ago."
Rukia glared at him, but she couldn't hold it at his smile and slipped into one herself, walking up to him and looking deep into his eyes.
"So, we are...together now?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow in confusion.
"What are you on about? We are always together." Rukia frowned at how dense he was being, her voice getting a bit more irritated.
"No fool, I mean a couple." Ichigo rolled his eyes, surprising Rukia by grabbing her and pulling her into a tight embrace.
"Of course we are. Stop doubting yourself, I'm not giving you another speech." Rukia smirked at that, pulling back from the embrace, her fears all but gone.
"That was a pretty sappy speech Ichigo, I didn't know you had it in you." Ichigo flushed slightly and looked away in embarrassment.
"Shut up, you better not be the one spreading that." Rukia grinned deviously and Ichigo mentally groaned, he hated that look. It always meant thingsended badly for him.
"But all the girls will want to know how the great Captain Kurosaki so romantically kissed me at sunset." Ichigo crossed his arms and grumbled.
"Now who'sthe trophy partner." Rukia frowned cutely at him.
"What are you talking about, trophies? Have you lost your mind because of me, strawberry?" Ichigo hid a grin at her innocent, confused expression. He loved how she knew so little about the world of the living so his terms would still trip her up every now and again.
"Forget it. Have fun telling them how you stood in silence in awe at my handsome face as well then." Rukia huffed, her cheeks tingeing pink.
"No I didn't, now shut up." Ichigo smirked at his victory, turning towards the door to see Nel and Nori coming out, the former rubbing her eyes sleepily.
Her face lit up as she saw Ichigo and she rushed up to him, grabbing onto his haori. "Itsigo! Nel missed you. You and Wukia were away all night, are you okay?"
Ichigo smiled and scooped Nel up in one hand. "Don't worry Nel, me and Rukia are just fine. There were just...a few things we had to deal with." Nel looked between him and Rukia and asked innocently.
"Is Wukia going to be my mummy?" Both paled slightly at the question, answering simultaneously.
"No." "Yes."
They looked at each other in shock and Nori giggled at the situation. Nel looked around in confusion, not sure who to listen to.
Ichigo was the first to speak, his eyebrows still raised slightly in surprise. "I thought you didn't want to spread this?"
Rukia shrugged, looking softly at Nel. "I don't really care about that Ichigo and Nel's not exactly the whole of the Seireitei. If we- since we are doing this...I should help all I can, right?"
Ichigo smiled at her, then looked down at Nel. "There you go then, Rukia will be your mummy I suppose." Nel seemed to consider it for a moment before she looked over at Rukia.
"Nel doesn't mind, as long as Nel is still Itsigo's girl too!" Ichigo chuckled and used his free hand to rub the hair above her indignant face.
"Don't worry Nel, you always will be." Rukia smiled at the interaction and Ichigo caught is as he looked up, Nel puller herself over to his shoulder.
Looking between them Ichigo dead-panned. "We are the most dysfunctional family. Me, short and shorter." Rukia put her hands on her hips in irritation.
"A Kuchiki is always ready, and I don't believe I'm technically a part of your family Ichigo." Ichigo scowled back and grumbled.
"Lucky, you don't have to deal with my dad." Rukia smirked back at him, arms falling off her hips.
"No, instead I have my Nii-sama, who taught me how to act properly." Ichigo looked at her as if she was crazy and shrugged.
"Suddenly I don't mind my family." Rukia glared at him.
"Hey, my brother is a good man!" Instead of Ichigo responding it was Nel who looked curiously at Rukia.
"You have a brother? Like Nel's?" Rukia nodded and saw a sad expression cross Nel's face.
Ichigo caught it too and frowned. "What's wrong Nel? Is it those guys?"
Nel nodded sadly and tears started to form in her eyes. "Nel lost them when they were eaten by a powerful hollow. They died to protect Nel, even though Nel could have transformed and saved them."
She started crying softly and Ichigo puller her round, embracing her against his chest and looked down at her sadly. "I'm sorry Nel, but if it makes you feel any better I've got sisters of my own. Maybe someday you will meet them, because I'm sure they would love you. I suppose they would be your adopted aunts."
Nel whipped her eyes on his shihakusho and looked up at him. "Really? Nel would like that. They would almost be like new sisters!" Ichigo smiled and rubbed her back comfortingly.
"Yeah, almost Nel." He looked up at Rukia, who smiled softly and placed a hand on his shoulder. Hiding a smirk he leant down and said in a carrying whisper. "Don't try that with Rukia's brother though, he's a bit mean."
Nel giggled and Rukia flushed, caught between anger and humour at the thought of the tiny Arrancar trying to hug her brother. A smirk twitched on her face but she scolded Ichigo as thoroughly as she could at that moment.
"Don't say things about Nii-sama Ichigo, or I might just pass them on to him." Ichigo paled slightly and frowned.
"How come Byakuya is allowed to insult me, but I can't insult him?" Rukia rolled her eyes and looked away.
"Because most of the things he says are true." Ichigo pouted and looked down at Nel's happy face.
"Rukia can be just as mean as her brother Nel." Said shinigami bristled slightly and glared at him.
"Don't tell her things like that!" Ichigo smirked back at her.
"Why not, after all it's the truth." Rukia growled at his response and felt like kicking the orange-haired Captain right there and then.
"You are supposed to be a responsible parent!" Ichigo glared back indignantly.
"Nel is my child and I can teach her what I like!" The wind was blown out of his sails by Nel's little voice.
"You shouldn't say mean things about Wukia, Itsigo, you're supposed to be nice to her." Rukia smirked triumphantly and Ichigo looked between the two sourly.
"Don't gang-up on me, I knew this was a bad idea." He grumbled. Rukia smirked back at him and shot Nel a quick wink, who grinned in response.
"Don't worry Itsigo, Nel still loves you!" She pulled herself up to hug his face, effectively stopping his anger.
Rukia dead-panned, realising that Nel had used the entire thing to get closer to Ichigo. 'Stupid girl, not as innocent as she looks' Rukia heard a musical chuckle from Sode no Shirayuki.
'My, my, Rukia. Could it be that you are feeling jealous of a child? I thought Kuchiki's always got what they wanted.'Rukia flushed at the insult and huffed back a reply.
'Quiet you. I'm sure you are well aware that she has, by Ichigo's admission, a curvy adult form. I don't want her to get any ideas.'The Zanpakuto just laughed at Rukia's behaviour.
'Possessive are we? Here I thought he was the possessive one.'Rukia mumbled a response under he breath.
"...Goes both ways." Ichigo heard her and looked around, Nel pouting at the loss of his attention and falling back onto his shoulder.
"You say something, Rukia?" Rukia paled slightly and shook her head.
"N-no, nothing. Should we get going for the day?" Ichigo shrugged off his haori and nodded, throwing it to Nori.
Nori caught it and looked back at him in confusion. "Why are you giving this to me?" Ichigo scowled and crossed his arms.
"It got dirty last night, I need it cleaned before I can wear it- not a word." he cut her off at her excited expression and she pouted, looking over to Rukia.
"Your boyfriend is such a buzz-kill Lieutenant Kuchiki." Rukia mock sighed in exasperation and looked over at him.
"I know, but his face always looks like that." The two women laughed at Ichigo's expense and Nel gave a few giggles despite trying to appear comforting to Ichigo, who was scowling and trying to ignore the laughter coming from them.
"Damn, this is almost as pathetic as Keigo." Ichigo grumbled, instantly wincing at the thought and his hollows howls of laughter at this humiliation.
'Almost.'
~One week later~
Ichigo and Rukia made their way towards the meeting area that they had been told about a week before. It was 6:50, so they had 10 minutes to spare, yet Rukia looked slightly on edge and Ichigo noticed.
"Relax will you? Your reiatsu is getting irritating." Rukia glared at him but knew what he was really saying. 'Relax, we are going to be fine'.
She did relax slightly, but didn't let him off without a response. "Well I'm sorry for being unsure about a dark meeting with strangers, Ichigo."
Ichigo rolled his eyes but neither did he miss the message. 'Be careful.'
Figures stepped out around them and they stopped, looking around for the leader. He soon revealed himself as he stepped forward, his brown hair the first indication it was him.
"So you're here, and without the girl." Ichigo scowled back at him and put on a sarcastic tone.
"Well of course I was going to bring her to a meeting with some suspicions strangers that hate shinigami." The man scowled back, his eyes cold.
"Well aren't you the cocky one. I didn't think your reputation labelledyou as that." Ichigo waved a hand dismissively.
"Meh, you don't want to believe everything you hear. But I'm not being cocky, you're just asking stupid questions. Now why are we here?"He continued to glare at Ichigo but nodded his head in acceptance.
"Fine, you and your...," he shifted his eyes to Rukia then back, "Lieutenant are here to witness what you claim to have no knowledge of. We will see if that is true and if you are innocent in this as you say then you will put a stop to it." Ichigo frowned at the command but nodded.
"Sure, Rukia and I will take a look at whatever it is you want and if it's bad we'll stop it. If you'retrying to kill us or something then I'd advise to just go now." The man didn't smile and turned around, leading them without speaking.
Rukia frowned, not happy with the situation. "If we are to help you then you should at least tell us your name." She said indignantly, not wanting to be completely in the dark.
He hesitated in his steps before answering without looking. "My name is Katashi." He continued walking on and Ichigo and Rukia caught each-others eye, nodding slightly and following behind him.
They walked in silence, the two shinigami keeping an eye on the souls around them. It didn't take long for them to reach a house near the edge of the village and when it was twenty meters or so away the leader, Katashi, raise his hand to stop them.
"This is the place, do you recognise it?" Ichigo looked to Rukia who shook her head in confusion then looked back and shrugged.
"Nope, it looks like any other building here." Katashi glared at him slightly at what he thought was an insult. Turning back to the house his expression grew grim and even without reiatsu Ichigo could practically feel the hate emanating from the man.
"Well this is where it happens." Rukia looked up at him, still confused as to what this was about.
"What?" Katashi didn't look back as he responded.
"You'll see girl, they'll arrive soon." Rukia bristled at the insult but felt Ichigo's reiatsu weighing her down slightly. Looking at him she saw him shake his head, his own expression stoic. At this Rukia reigned back her anger, they were here to watch not make a scene...that could come later.
They sat in silence, shrouded in darkness and hidden by the foliage between them and the house. Rukia could feel an edge to Ichigo's reiatsu but didn't say anything, instead just extending her reiatsu slightly towards him. She saw him blink and look at her in surprise but his face shifted into a quick smile as he realised what was going on.
Rukia smiled back at him, it was nice to have another presence around you. Or rather it was nice for her to have Ichigo's reiatsu around her, so much so that she felt weird when she couldn't feel his reiatsu flaring away, no matter if he could seal he sword or not he still lacked much control over it and it was part of what made him so...poor at Kido.
Her thoughts vanished as she felt some other shinigami approaching, frowning slightly 'There shouldn't be anyone else out here aside from squad five and I don't recognise these signatures.'There were around twenty of them, all moving together.
Rukia looked over to Ichigo to see what he thought but noticed that he hadn't changed his expression. 'His sensing skills still suck.'She thought wryly and nudged him silently.
Ichigo looked down and she whispered to him. "About twenty shinigami are heading this way, none from squad five." Ichigo scowled, cursing his lack of ability in that area.
'At least I have Rukia for that.'He thought, and it was true he had her in every sense of the word now. Or at least they were in a romantic relationship, true enough they had only kissed once...twice, but they had been busy. It wasn't like their relationship could have changed all that much to be closer;it was little things, really, likebeing slightly closer than necessary to each other and looking at the other without fear of being seen as weird.
They would take it slow because they had the rest of their lives together.
His thoughts were pushed back by his sickened-sounding hollow.'Yeah, yeah we get it you luuurveee her, now stop getting distracted and giving me these sissy thoughts!'Ichigo smirked at that, it was a good day when he could annoy his hollow.
He was right though, seconds later Ichigo saw the group of shinigami land and it looked like most of them were carrying something or another. Some a sack over their shoulder and some boxes or crates.
Ichigo frowned and looked at Rukia who wore the same expression. 'What are they doing out here and what is that stuff?'They looked at Katashi whose expression was one of simmering anger at the sight.
They waited until the shinigami had entered the house and then Ichigo pulled something out of his shihakusho. Rukia looked at the black band with interest.
"What's that, Ichigo?" Ichigo trapped it around his arm and Rukia widened her eyes as she felt his reiatsu suddenly fall down to a fraction of what it usually was.
"It's a reiatsu hiding thing that Urahara made for me, he left it in my robe when I was recovering. I don't like to use it because it feels really weird and kinda uncomfortable, but they might notice me if I leave it unchecked for this. "
"For what?" Ichigo smirked and stood up, all eyes on him.
"What else? I'm gonna go see what they are up to, you coming?" Rukia smirked back and stood, suppressing her reiatsu.
"Of course, you're not the stealthy type." Ichigo rolled his eyes and the two flash-stepped away, their speed not restrained by the suppression of their reiatsu.
Both arrived at the side of the house and crouched next to it, near an open window. Ichigo looked at Rukia and they wordlessly agreed: he would check first. Ichigo's eyes narrowed before he even moved, muffled shouts were already audible...and they didn't sound male.
Raising his head he prayed his hair wouldn't give him away and shifted his head besides the window. After a few more seconds of listening to the muffled shouts, accompanied by laughter, he risked looking through the window, shifting his head ever so slightly to catch a glimpse of what was going on.
He almost wished he hadn't.
Rukia saw his expression shift rapidly: shock, horror, hate...anger. Ichigo's eyes were blazing and his hands were gripped so tight that she could see that they were white in the darkness. Needing to know what had caused this she raised her own head to look through the window.
She understood immediately.
The room was a mess with supplies and money, some of which had been reported as missing in the district. There was a lotof goods there and Rukia could see the entrance to some sort of cellar which probably had the rest of their stolen items in it. But this was by no means the worst.
No, the worst was far more obvious. The worst was that the sacks that ten or so had been carrying were on the floor, and the contents was gagged and bound. The contents was girls, all tied to a wall by their hands withleering men surrounding them, some already with their hands on them. She watched in horror as one slipped his hand down between a girls legs and tears dropped from her eyes. He just laughed cruelly.
Before he could do more he was stopped by a harsh bark of an order. "Stop it, you'll damage the merchandise and that one's for the 71st. Unless you want to buy it, she doesn't look like much so I might give her up cheap. "
'Merchandise.'That's what they were. These souls who resided in the afterlife, who live in heaven were just goods to be traded and abused, their souls worth a handful of coins and what goods they had stolen by the ones that should protect them.
She was unfrozen by Ichigo ripping his band off and his reiatsu exploding around him, black flames burning for a moment before they his spiritual pressure didn't drop, it was wild and intense, even without releasing his blade. She felt her own anger break forth after his, her own reiatsu billowing and dropping the temperature of the night, freezing the grass beneath her feet.
She looked around at Katashi who was watching suspiciously and motioned for him to move, restraining her anger. She knew what was coming and Ichigo confirmed it as he stalked around to the front of the house, ignoring the shouts from within.
"GET THE HELL OUT HERE NOW!" Ichigo roared. If there was one thing he despised above all else it was the protectors abusing their power. They had this powerfor a reason, yet all they did was change heaven into a hell for the unfortunate people they picked.
"Why should we?" Rukia heard, standing besideIchigo's tense frame with Katashi and his men behind her. She growled with Ichigo and he shouted out again.
"Because I am the fifth squad Captain, and I will destroy this house if you don't!" There was silence for a moment and then the door opened, revealing a group of scared and angry shinigami.
Ichigo spat out a command. "Line the hell up against the house."
They obeyed wordlessly, all lining up against the wall of the house the silence only broken by the broken sobs of the girls and Ichigo's ragged breathing.
Angrily he pulled out Zangetsu and slashed it across the air, the air displacement knocking a few back. "Cast off your fear, Zangetsu." His blade exploded into itstrue form and Ichigo's reiatsu rocketed up, pushing some of the weaker ones down onto their knees or making them sweat with the effort of standing.
"I'll ask you once, " He said softly, his calm voice disguising the burning anger around him. "just what the fuck do you think you are doing." His rage all but exploded when he heard a snicker of laughter from one of them.
But it was Rukia who was on him, blade held to his throat and standing just within range in an instant, her own eyes burning with cold fury. "You would laugh at a time like this? My Captain is not known for thinking things through so you just might die here."
The man stopped smiling but a twitch of his lips caused Rukia's eyes to narrow dangerously. "I am not as merciful as he is and know that the crimes you have committed are punishable by death, a fitting end for a wretch like you."
It happened before she could react. She caught the flash of a blade from the right and had moved to stop it but didn't expect the other from the left. She hadn't expected them to attack at all, they hardly had the power to challenge her, and definitely not enough to challenge Ichigo.
Ichigo saw and he widened his eyes in shock, taking a step forward to help her. Zangetsu's voice stopped him, ringing clear in his head.
'Do you want to protect her, Ichigo?'He answered frantically, seeing the blade move as if in slow motion.
'Yes, now let me move!'Before he could he felt his arm raise and point Zangetsu's shikai state at Rukia.
'Then do as I show you and protect that most dear to you, Ichigo!"Ichigo felt a strange presence in his body, Zangetsu. He was guiding his entire body, every movement was done with his hand and his foot as well as Ichigo's.
Ichigo moved Zangetsu so it was horizontal and Zangetsu's voice rang in his head again, reiatsu pulsing through his body towards the blade.
'I will show you how to truly protect with me Ichigo, now speak out and eclipse your light with me...!'The command resonated within Ichigo and he did as Zangetsu instructed and shouted it out as time resumed its normal speed.
"Gesshoku!"
The result was instantaneous as a black, curved disk exploded between Rukia and the second attacker, cutting into the ground and lined with blazing, blood red energy. The force of its appearance pushed the attackers back and they turned to look at Ichigo, who was looking at the section of a sphere in surprise.
Rukia was the first to recover, quickly disarming the two and knocking them out with Sode no shirayuki's hilt. After she was done she looked back at Ichigo in confusion.
"Ichigo, what's this?" Ichigo looked back at her blankly and shrugged almost meekly.
"I don't really know, Zangetsu just told me to follow his lead if I wanted to help you." Rukia flushed slightly and huffed in irritation to cover it up.
"I don't need your help, I would have been able to stop the blade in time." Ichigo rolled his eyes at her but the truth of her statement became apparent when he heard the clink of metal and the swing of a blade.
Looking back he saw that one of the, supposedly knocked-out, shinigami had tried a last ditch effort of throwing his blade at Ichigo. Rukia had cut it in half in mid-air and now had her foot on the man's head and was smirking at Ichigo.
"What was that, strawberry?" Ichigo glared back at her and mimicked her huff earlier.
"Whatever, you suck at knocking people out." Rukia glared back at him, digging her foot into the man's head slightly.
"That's just because I don't kill them by applying too much force like you." An irritated growl drew their attention away from each other and Katashi walked up with a scowl on his face.
"If you two love birds are fucking done, what are you going to do about them?" He gestured to the men who were all looking a little nervous now.
Ichigo scowled deeply, his temporarily forgotten anger reignited. "I'll call for a hell butterfly and have them all taken back to the Seireitei for their punishment, which will be at leasta lifetime in the maggots nest." Katashi nodded approvingly and Rukia turned to Ichigo.
"Ichigo, we need to question them too. We don't know how far this spreads, if they were selling things to the 71stthen this might be linked to how Rukongai degenerates so much within these areas." Ichigo nodded and gave them another glare.
"You're right, we need to check to see if the other members have got anything on this-" He stopped as he caught sight of that familiar face appeared shadowed behind a tree. Glancing at Rukia to make sure he wasn't seeing things he sealed Zangetsu quickly.
"Dammit, Rukia can you handle the questioning. I need to sort this out and stop it from bugging me." Rukia looked at him questioningly but noticed the confused yet determined expression on his face.
"What the hell could you need to do that is more important than stopping this!" She cried out angrily, seeing an irritated expression grow on him.
"I trust you to do this without me, midget! I'll only be a second and..." The face in the trees pulled back behind one and he saw the small figure turn and run towards the populated area of Rukongai."
"...Shit, Rukia just trust me, I'll be back in a moment!" Then he was gone, sprinting off towards the figure. Rukia watched after him, wondering what had caused him to run off. Sighing in exasperation she turned back to the significantly more scared looking men, her glare growing menacing.
'I'll find out what he's up to later on, and punish him if he is just being stupid and not telling me. But for now..."Her eyes grew cold and dangerous as she eyes up the men, preparing to do whatever necessary to get information out of them.
After all, Ichigo trusted her to do this and she wouldn't let him down.
Beta'd by .lyingtonguesareclumsy.
(A/N) Thanks again for all of the reviews! I know the chapter wasn't too long, even if it had interesting stuff in it, so here's my longest chapter to date :P Oh and remember that Ichigo and Rukia being in a relationship is not the end of their development, one kiss does not = completely at ease to do anything with each other if you know what I mean xD
Why did I give Ichigo a new move? Because he should have one -.- Zangetsu's had time to himself and time to think something up, and tbh Ichigo's never really needed a new move but I think this suits him just fine :D You'll learn more about it when he trains with it but Gesshoku:is Lunar eclipse by my translation :)
Hope you enjoyed this chapter! Review etc, I've got to finish writing 29 D: (hangs head in shame)