Chapter 32: Onward!

Blood sprayed onto the streets of the Seireitei as Orihime's hairpin fairies shot out from her and struck a foot soldier as Chad punch another in the face. Uryu shot a dozen arrows at the remaining forces. Creating a force field around herself and her friends, the group prepared for the next attack. The shinigami foot soldiers were preparing for another volley of attacks when a yell behind them caught their attention. "STAND DOWN!"

Turning around towards the booming voice the group saw the imitating form of Captain Kenpachi. A pink haired girl jumped off his back. "No more fighting these people!" She pointed to the two boys next to Kenpachi. "White and Orange have become our friends. So their friends are our friends!" The group of soldiers looked confused at this new information. Same went for the group of friends from the living world.

Ichigo grinned. "We made an ally." He shrugged. "He wants to fight the traitor." He pointed at Kenpachi.

"Who's the strongest?" he inquired.

"Chad." the Kurosaki twins answered unanimously.

The teen in question looked at the other man that these foot soldiers obviously trusted and feared. However, it wasn't important what these people felt towards this man, it was the fact that both Ichigo and Shiro seemed to trust him. He had learned over the years to trust their instincts about people which in turn meant he could trust this man.

Kenpachi, on the other hand, didn't see what could make this kid so much stronger than the other two he had met today, but it didn't mean he didn't trust their assessment. There would undoubtedly be a fight to wherever these kids were going and if what he had seen so far, meaning his own warriors being unconscious, these kids had potential to turn the Seireitei up on its ass. He couldn't wait to see how the almighty Captain Kuchiki was going to react to this kind of chaos!

Rukia really couldn't understand it. Why would those risk everything to come here!? She was angry at them! Their parents were going to loose them because of their ignorance. Idiots! she thought as she began pacing her room.

Captain Ukitake had been allowed to take her back to the thirteenth; after all she hadn't commited treason or killed anyone. Her communication device had been looked over, all of her notes and unreceived messages to her captain had been accounted for. She had been dismissed by the head captain but was told to expect an inquiry on the whereabouts of Urahara Kisuke after the invasion force had been dealt with. Wringing her hands together, Rukia felt her nerves begin to fray slightly. She cared for those two idiots, whether she wanted to openly admit it or not; especially Ichigo. That boy, as stubborn as he was, his heart was usually in the right place when he acted on his instincts; which were usually right.

Making her decision, Rukia went to open the shoji doors only for a knock to interrupt her. Opening her door, she was a bit shocked to see her captain standing there with a worried look upon his face. "Captain!" she spoke, her shock evident her tone.

"Lieutenant Kuchiki, may we talk for a moment." The white haired man looked through worried at his lieutenant. He knew what she'd been about to do. He had felt her nervous energy since returning to their division. He had hoped she would calm down as night had fallen but her nerves seemed almost frayed by the time he had decided to come speak to her. He wanted to know why. Why were these Ryoka so important to her?

"Of course Captain." she spoke sincerely and kindly towards the older shinigami captain.

Closing the door behind him gently, Ukitake began to speak. "I want to hear about your experiences in the living world." he noticed how nervous she seemed and that she seemed to be itching to leave. "I know the invading Ryoka are the children you mentioned in your reports. I also know you want to leave in order to find them." She looked surprised at this. "I want to know why? Why are you willing to risk everything for them?"

Upon hearing her captains gentle voice inquire this made Rukia wonder if she could truly convey why she could do just that, risk everything. "I don't know if I can explain it." she said with sincerity.

She's not denying it? Jushiro was astonished. Of all the warriors that had come into his division, Rukia was one of the few who never disobeyed any order or gone against her superior officer. "Then start from the beginning. Tell me everything that happened, including what wasn't in the reports."

Rukia turned and sat on the tatami floor. Pointing to the spot in front of her, she waited for her captain to take a seat. "This will take a moment or two." He gave a nod in understanding. Rukia began with the night she had sensed the enormous spiritual energy and how it led her to the Kurosaki household. She explained how it had been the younger brother, Shiro, who had saved her by ejecting himself out of his body and destroying the hollow. She also told how Urahara had shown up and that the teen had known the man. "He healed me." she explained as she had told how the hollow had injured her and that was when she'd be the aweful discovery that she was unable to open a senkaimon in order to return to Soul Society. "It was unnerving." she stated recalling the feeling and told how Urahara was curious of how that was possible, even offering her a place to stay. She the continued with her story of how similar Shiro was to a hollow including his unusually high reiatsu. How protective Ichigo was of his brother to the point he had zero tolerance for bullies who liked to pick on his brothers unusual eyes. Then she got into the process of Ichigo's training which had brought out Shiro's protective nature. "Together they're an unstoppable force." she explained as she recalled the training fight that the two had against Urahara and each other. She then got into their daily lives at school, with friends and their family situation; including the story of how Masaki had gotten injured by a hollow and remained in a comatose-like state for years before suddenly coming out of it only a few weeks ago. Once she was done speaking, the light of day was beginning to come over the horizon. She had been speaking all night long.

Jushiro touched his chin as he digested what he had been told. Shinji and the others were still alive, but seemed different from what he remembered them to be. Then these children that had formed powers, healing abilities for one and attacking for another. However, what shocked him was the Quincy that seemed to have formed a relationship with the group. In all, the two boys and their friends had created a tight knit group that was willing to protect those needing it or keep each other safe. If they believed Rukia was in any danger, he could understand why they would risk everything to bring her back to the world of the living where they believed she'd be safe.

Looking at his lieutenant, he could also detect something else. As she had spoke, the emotions she had shown had him believing that she cared more for those two boys that she did for herself. She sees them as family. he thought as a soft smile crossed his features. She wants to protect them as much as they want to protect her.

"Go." he told her causing her to jump in surprise. "Go protect those children. Reassure them that you're safe."

"Thank-you Captain!" Rukia yelled happily. She wanted to hug her captain but knew that would not be appropriate. Jumping up from sitting, Rukia quickly took off towards the familiar reiatsu that she knew as well as her own. Without realizing it, she was currently being followed by an all familiar shadow.

M-Angel: Well, I really don't have an excuse for not updating sooner. Since the COVID-19 virus appeared and the stay at home order came about 2 weeks ago I have been at home. So last night i finally sat down to write something and finished it today. I hope all my readers are okay!