They had only been running for around thirty seconds, but it already felt like too long to Kana. The walls were oozing behind her, and she swore she could feel it nip at her heels, encouraging her to run faster.
"Oooh!" Kana froze, looking to her side to see Ishida with that stupid little white cape stuck. Chad ran to him, ripping the cape and throwing the Quincy over his shoulder.
"O-oi! There's something coming!" Kana whipped her body to run backwards, glancing between the cleaner and her friends.
"It's the Cleaner! It appears once every seven days, and of course this had to be the day." Yoruichi yelled from beside Ichigo at the front of the group, and Kana sighed, moving to pull her blade out.
"No! If your zanpakuto touches anything in this gate you'll be as good as dead!"
"Oh for fucks sakes." Kana turned to run forwards again, frowning worriedly at the others. The cleaner was gaining on them, and she could see the light of the exit, but they were too slow. There was no way they would make it in time!
"Hingaiku! Baigon! Lily!" Everyone slowed down as Orihime spoke, pressing her hands to the hairpins on either side of her head.
"Senten Kesshun! I reject!" With a flash, three points of Orihime's pins flew forwards, forming a triangular shield.
"Hime! No!" Kana reached to pull her back, but she was too slow. The cleaner hit the shield, and with a burst of light they were all knocked off their feet, flying through the exit and into blue sky. Kana twisted her body and grabbed Orihime from beside her, holding her princess-style and landing in a crouch. Standing, she set the other girl down and looked around. Chad had managed to land as luckily as she had, but both Ishida and Ichigo had landed in crumbled heaps, Ichigo's legs behind his head. Orihime praised his landing, and Kana shook her head as Ishida brought out an extra cape to replace the one that was ruined. Yoruichi jumped, head butting Orihime and berating her for what she did.
"Guys...there's nobody here." Kana said, and everyone went quiet, looking around.
"This it the Soul Society?" Ichigo asked and Yoruichi spoke up again.
"Yes. This the Rukongai, where souls first come. It's on the perimeter of the Seireitei, where the Shinigami live." Ichigo hummed, and everyone kept looking around for a sign of life anywhere.
"Oh? It looks different over there." Everyone looked to where Ichigo was staring, and Yoruichi started to say something before the idiot cut her off.
"I get it! That must be the Seireitei!" He started sprinting for it, and with a thunderous sound, walls dropped from the sky to block the way.
"It's been a long time since someone tried to pass throught the Seireitei gate without a permit!" A loud voice rumbled and Kana stared in awe at the size of the giant man in front of them. The others mumbled, asking what he was, and Yoruichi explained again.
"That's Jidanbo. He was chosen from the best of the soul society to guard the White Road gate, one of the four gates in to the Seireitei. In the 300 years since he had been on duty, not a single person has gotten through the gate. We should retreat and form a strategy-OI! WHAT ARE YOU TWO IDIOTS DOING!?" Kana flash stepped towards the two impatient humans, stopping them each with a hand on their shoulders. Just in time too, as Jidanbo brought his axe down to block the ground, causing the floor to rise into walls and block their way to Ichigo. Everyone argued with Ichigo about fighting the giant, and Kana sighed at the show they all caused. Heading back to Yoruichi, she plopped down beside the cat.
"Ichigo is really eager to show what he learned from Kisuke." Yoruichi said as the fight started, and Kana shrugged.
"I would be too. Ichigo's been dying for a real fight ever since he got his powers back. He's not very smart, but he's got a lot of determination and stamina." Kana sheilded her eyes again as a series of blows rained down on Ichigo, the giant counting loudly and debris flying everywhere.
"Ne, Yoruichi?" She asked when the dust settled once more. The cat hummed and looked up at her, cleaning her paw.
"After this is all over..." Kana grinned wildly.
"Do you think they'll ask us to pay for damages?" That set the cat off shaking with laughter, unable to keep her gaze on Ichigo and his fight anymore. There was another few moments of fighting before crying. Kana shook her head at the giant and stood, brushing her ass off and heading back over to the group.
Jidanbo was giving a big old speech about how much he respected Ichigo, but Ichigo just looked at him impatiently, obviously wanting the gate open. The giant went to open the gate and everyone praised his strength, causing the giant to blush. When the gate was almost entirely open, Jidanbo froze.
"What is it?" Ichigo asked, stepping around Jidanbo to see. Kana leaned around the orange haired teen, and they made a strange line as they all leaned to the side to stare.
"Ichimaru...Taichou..." Jidanbo mumbled and Kana froze. A captain already? It was way too soon. There was no way they'd be able to defeat this guy so soon. The captain had light purple hair that fell slightly into his closed eyes, and a smile like a snake or fox. Her mind settled on snake when he spoke.
"Maa, maa, What exactly are you doin', Jidanbo?" A shivered ran down Kana's spine and settled. Her fingers slid to the hilt of her blade but she didn't draw it yet.
"They beat me in fair battle, so I opened the gate!" Jidanbo stuttered, and the captain shook his head slowly. Yoruichi hopped up on Kana's shoulder again, and whispered in her ear.
"That's Ichimaru Gin, Captain of the 3rd Squad. Ichigo and you may have gotten stronger, but you're still no match for him. We need to find a way to retreat for now, and figure out another way to get in." Kana nodded and slid her foot back, preparing herself to grab Orihime and Ishida who were closest to her and flashstep away. Before she could do anything though, there was a flash of steel and suddenly Jidanbo's entire left arm was nearly severed. He grunted and shifted to hold onto the gate with his right arm only and Ichigo shifted as though he were about to attack the Captain.
"Tsk, tsk, Jidanbo. When a gatekeeper loses, it doesn't mean you open the gate. It means death."
There was another flash and Ichigo lunged forwards to block the extending blade. The force pushed him into Jidanbo and they flew back, collapsing in a heap about twenty feet away.
Kana stared ahead at the captain as the gate lowered, scowling at his mocking grin as he bowed and waved goodbye. The gate settled, and the teenagers shifted as one to jog over to Jidanbo's collapsed form.
"I can heal him!" Orihime chirped, and Kana blinked at her. She pressed her hands to her hair pins again but this time instead of a shield, n extended rounded diamond formed around Jidanbo's wound and Kana watched in awe as it slowly knitted itself together.