Chapter 8

Ichigo Kurosaki: resident bad ass, honorary Death God, Vizard, and the caretaker of Karakura Town is currently running around like a chicken with it's head cut off.

And why is that?

Well, Ichigo—known as the toughest and meanest kid in Karakura High—had been promised (read threatened) by one Tatsuki Arisawa—second strongest karate practitioner in her class and a force to be reckon with—that she would kick his arse to hell and back if the boy did not find out where her redhead friend, Orihime, had disappeared to.

Tatsuki and Ichigo have been friends since they were wee little brats. They had gone to the same schools and practiced at the same dojo. They have history and Tatsuki has always been there when Ichigo needs a shoulder to lean on. However, today, when Orihime—their friend—had not shown up for class, Tatsuki just knew Orihime was in danger and that Ichigo knew something he isn't telling.

He does, of course, but he really can't tell her even if he wanted to.

How do you tell your childhood friend that you're a Death God if you'd been sworn to secrecy? All he could do at the time was promise her he would bring Orihime back safe and sound at all costs.

That had been the plan. That is until Mizuiro had told him about some weirdly dress wolf girl he had run into on his way home last night. The same weirdly dress wolf girl that had been seen with the invading Arrancars and that he's under orders to keep a look out for.

Also, to top it all off, Orihime has been branded a traitor and Ichigo had been banned from looking for her—breaking his promise to Tatsuki as soon as it was made.

Sweet, innocent Orihime is now a traitor in the eyes of the Death Gods simply because her disappearance had been right after an enemy invasion and there was no sign of a struggle. No over turned furniture or ransom note. It's as if Orihime just up and left.

Ichigo calls bullshit.

Orihime isn't like that. Orihime wouldn't have turned her back on everyone she loves without good reason. Something's going on here. Something other than Orihime's disappearance. Though that isn't that much of a mystery because Ichigo knows Aizen took her.

Who else would?

However, as much as Ichigo wants to just bust into Las Noches and break Orihime out, he can't just leave the only lead on the Wolf Girl he has uninvestigated. He has a responsibility to look into it as an honorary Death God and so he soon finds himself walking around Mizuiro's house, looking for any signs of said Wolf Girl.

While back at Las Noches, Aizen is just seconds away from setting the whole place on fire and surrendering to the Death Gods without looking back.

Why?

Because life just isn't fair.

The Soul Society gets an army of sane people to work with and he gets this….This is above insanity.

He had just been finishing welcoming Orihime to Las Noches and reinstating Grimmjow when the newly repaired door to throne had once again been kicked opened and all hell had broken loose. Blood had yet to be shed—well expect for Luppi's who'd been torn to shreds as Aizen predicted he would be once Grimmjow got his arm back—but it looks like it could happen at any second.

What is the group of assassins mad about? Aizen has no clue. Amidst all the yelling and screaming Aizen hasn't been able to piece together a single sentence as they all yell at the same time. They're furious though and Aizen's just happy it's not at him. All that anger and yells are directed at his newly reinstated sixth and Aizen smiles evilly as the twit shrinks in on himself.

Maybe now he'll learn to be more responsible.

It's the only reason he's let it go on this long anyway but he has to put a stop to it soon. Preferably, before someone actually ends up physically attacking the twit.

First.

Aizen stands from his throne and moves silently and quickly to Orihime's side. She doesn't see him approach as her attention is on the enraged crowd of humans in front of her. He clears his throat to get her attention.

"I'm sorry about that," he tells her when she turns wide, frightened eyes his way. "Let's get you out of here before they start swinging," he says as he places a hand on the small of her back and gently ushers her away from the angry mob. "You can go home now, if you'd like."

"Home?"

It's when Orihime shoots him a shocked look, all wide-eyed and confused, that Aizen realizes she's definitely under the impression that he's a cruel, vicious tyrant. Not that he'd done anything to disprove that theory with the way he'd gone about getting her to Las Noches.

"Yes, home," he says with a nod as they stand next to his throne. "Though I would prefer that you wait until after the war; I will not stop you from returning to your world."

"Why?" she asks, a confused look on her face as Aizen gently pushes her to sit on his throne. She all but collapses in it. The day's events have drained her. It's not easy, turning your back on everyone you love, even if it is to protect them. "Why are you letting me go?"

"You've done what I've asked," Aizen explains as he gives her a worried look. He really hopes she won't faint. They don't have the medical supplies to spare if she hurts herself. "And I would have you taken home this instant if you wish it but I hope you might wait as you've been branded a traitor."

"A traitor!?"

It's by some miracle that Aizen catches her before she can dive head first off his throne.

"Ya always did have ah way wit words," Gin snickers from besides him. He shoots him a glare as he hauls the unconscious girl into his arms.

"Quiet you," he snaps and he holds the girl out to Gin. "Why don't you make yourself useful and take her to one of the spare rooms?"

"Yessir!"

He watches Gin as he carries the girl out of the room with surprising ease given his thin, lanky appearance. Once he's out of the room, he turns his attention back to the problem at hand. Still no bloodshed, thankfully, but by now Grimmjow isn't the only one being yelled at.

Ceci-Anne's yelling at the top of her lungs at Starrk. Aizen doesn't have the patience to ask why. Judging by the blush on Eloise's cheeks, though, he has an idea. Apparently, Starrk and Eloise's relationship will not be a father-daughter one like the one with Lilynette.

Aizen has no plans to get involved with that anytime soon.

"That is enough."

His voice rings around the room with authority and everyone stands at attention. Well, all of his men do. Leah and hers simply still. They turn aggravated looks his way but quiet nonetheless.

"Leah," he calls and the woman moves towards him at his beckoning. "Have you thought about my proposition?"

"If it's fine with you, I'll have an answer for you after I have had a chance to discuss this with my Second In Command," she says and all Aizen can do is give her a confused look before it dawns on him. "Matilda is my Second In Command."

Now that he didn't know.

"Understandable," he says because it is. He wouldn't make a move without discussing it with Gin either. He'll think on the fact the She Wolf is SIC later though, now it's go time. "Ulquiorra, take Grimmjow and go to the last place he remembers having been with the girl," he orders and doesn't wait to see if they will refuse as he continues, "Starrk, Harribel go with them but stay at a distance. Intervene only if they are discovered.

"Take care to conceal your identities, both of you, and do not reveal your powers if you can help it," Aizen warns them as Tōsen steps up to him holding a stack of black cloaks. He hands them to Starrk and Harribel as they step towards him. They have yet to be seen by the Death Gods and he wants to keep it that way for as long as possible "Stick to the shadows and keep you faces hidden. They must not find out that you are mine, now go."

"Ceci-Anne," Leah calls once he is finished. She may be injury and not yet cleared for active duty but they need her. "Go with them. Keep an eye out and take out anyone that gets too close discretely. Eloise, Takumi, Humbert you're with me," Leah tells then before turning towards the others. "You three stay behind. I can only take the ones who will pull less attention to us, but be ready in case we might need you. Our goal is to bring Matilda back no matter the cost."

Groups assembled, Aizen hands Ceci-Anne a cloak as well before motioning for Ulquiorra to open a Garganta.

"Dr. Day, you're in charge," Leah calls over her shoulder as she steps through the big, gaping hole.

"Suppress your Reiatsu as soon as you exit the Garganta," Aizen warns as the last of them step through. Once the wormhole closes, he turns towards the remaining Assassins and his men. "The rest of you are to see to the preparation for the war. Make sure everything is ready."

A steady chorus of "yes, sir" answers him as his men exit the room to see to the castle. There's still so much to do. He has to fortify the walls, make sure there's a plan in place for when it falls—he's not naïve enough to believe that it won't—and make a contingency plan in case they get over run. However, when Daisy gives Duncan and Ariel an uncertain look, he knows he can't just leave them there.

"Follow me," he says as exits the room. He leads them down the halls to a room littered with sofas and chairs and tables and Televisions and various games. It's the Game Room. On a normal day, it'd be full of the younger Arrancars to keep out from underfoot and entertained but at the moment it's deserted as everyone rushes to prepare the castle and themselves.

"You may wait for your friends here," Aizen tells them as he leads them inside. "I'd stay to accompany you but there are things that need my attention. Someone will come and inform you when the others return," he says and leaves them after he's done.

~o0o~

Ichigo doesn't know what possessed him to kick the big gray rock that got in his way as he strolled through the park. Well, that's a lie. It's just that his day just kept going from bad to worse and kicking a rock had seemed like the perfect way to let off some steam.

And it did relieve some of his stress. For all of two seconds before a yell of pain had filled the air from the exact direction of the rock's fight path. The thud that followed only helped cement the possibility that he might have hit someone.

Curses flow in a steady stream from his mouth as he runs towards the sound of the yelp and what he finds there makes him pause because it's the girl! After spending most of the day looking up and down Karakura for her, seeing her—even unconscious with blood pouring out from under her mask—is a Godsend.

He rushes towards her and yanks off her masks as he kneels next to her to take in the extent of the damage. Thankfully, the rock missed her eye and the cut on her eyebrow isn't deep enough to need stitches but he still wants to take the girl to a doctor just in case.

Tearing a strip from his shirt, he wraps it around the girl's head to stop the bleeding. Placing her mask on her chest, he lifts her into his arm. Once secure, he races to his father's clinic.