Does Man Make The Monster?

Chapter 18

Chasing Ghosts

(A/N Uh, oh! What's going to happen in this chapter? Considering what happened in the last chapter it can't be anything good, right? Well, let's just see what happens. I was really surprised how that last chapter turned out. I'm hoping this one will be good, too.)

SOUNDS/sounds

Thoughts

(Last Time)

He sounded like he was really going to start something just to fix was he saw broken. Grant it this world was broken but breaking something to fix something doesn't work. The broken can't fix the broken. Push too hard against the grain and someone will get hurt. She feared for Kaneki and his friends were going to go against the CCG and other unsavory ghoul groups. She had a feeling it went a lot deeper than righting the wrongs. She could tell this was very personal to him and he was searching for something. Answers? Revenge? She didn't know and she didn't see him speaking up about it anytime soon.

She didn't want to be the nosey type and she usually wasn't but she wanted to know just what Kaneki had in mind. She might not be able to follow him as Hetare but he would be none the wiser if she tailed him her in spirit form. She could only pray he didn't go down a destructive path.

(Present)

RIIING! RIIING! RIIING!

Urahara sat up and lazily reached for the phone next to him. It was late and he hadn't been asleep 2 hours yet. He grumbled looking at the screen. He sat up noticing it that was from Isshin he quickly answered.

"Hello?" he yawned. "What's up?"

"We may have a big problem. Toshiro had the forethought to put a few of his men in gigai to keep an eye on the CCG's internal workings for Ichigo's sake. One of his men managed to intercept the Investigator Mado before he reached someone's office with some rather sensitive data. It seems that Mado may have figured out Ichigo," Isshin said some worry woven in his voice. "No doubt Mado has other copies of that data stashed somewhere. We're not sure where the crack in our plan was but he found it. I remember Ichigo saying once that the man always had it out for him. So… You know…"

"Oh, my… This is most certainly not good. Not good at all. No doubt when all that info gets into the right channels they will make a beeline here," Urahara threw off his covers and got to his bare feet. "I'll go wake Ichigo and let you talk to him."

"I was worried that this was going to happen. The CCG is well known for their investigative skills. There is no telling how much time we'll have before they come knocking on the door," Isshin said as Urahara hurried to Ichigo's room. "You still have the plan ready that we discussed?"

"Of course. This isn't going to be easy as you know. The girls aren't going to like it," Urahara said standing outside Ichigo's door.

"I've already addressed that to them. You're right, they aren't happy but they understand," Isshin said as Urahara knocked on Ichigo's bedroom door.

"Ichigo, wake up," Urahara said, opening the door as Ichigo slowly get up and rubbed his eyes. "Your dad's on the phone. I'm going to put it on speaker."

"Huh? What's wrong?" Ichigo asked sleepily as Urahara sat down beside him and turned on the speaker phone setting. "Mmm… What's going on?"

"I hate to tell you this, son, but you may have just been found out."

"Wh-what?! Are you sure? How?" Ichigo took the phone from Urahara.

"From what I was told that Mado fellow figured it out. Toshiro had some men placed in the CCG just to keep an eye on things for a while. One of his men managed to snag some data from Mado before he made it to some bigwig's office. We're worried about copies still being out there that they may not be able intercept. Like emails and such. Chances are they already have the information regardless."

Ichigo's eyes widened at those words. It would be a disaster if the CCG came down on Karakura. He bit his bottom lip and looked at Urahara. This wasn't going to be good. If the CCG digs deep enough no doubt they might uncover Urahara and Orihime as well as family friends. Mado and Amon both got a good look at her. They will investigate Urahara's shop given how many calls that have been sent between them lately.

"You know the plan, right?" Urahara asked and Ichigo gave a small nod.

"I'm fully aware… It will completely uproot my family," Ichigo sighed.

"It's better than remaining on the run and they will be safe in Toshiro's care," Urahara said, rubbing the back of his head. "He's already talked to Yamamoto-sotaichou about Isshin, you, and the twins being allowed into Soul Society. Yamamoto agreed under certain conditions but you all have a place to stay."

"How much time do you think we have? We need to be ready so we don't drag our feet."

"Well… Best case scenario, a week. I'm high profile so they are going to tear into that data and verify it quickly. They have whole teams dedicated to that sort of thing. They don't play around and they aren't forgiving. They may even send a few people to watch the house. It's best to get what you can together now before they send people down here."

"We have some stuff already packed just to be prepared. Should we do this tonight…?"

"Wouldn't hurt. Get what you need and bring it here as fast as you can."

"Okay, got it. I'll tell the girls to pack whatever else they want to bring and we'll be over as soon as we can."

"Shit… I'm really sorry about this, Dad… I was hoping I got everything cleaned up."

"I knew it was risky but I let you go back to look for Kaneki. Part of this falls on me, too. I hate that we have to go to Soul Society because of this."

"This isn't fair! This shouldn't have happened!"

"Fussing about it isn't going to change anything now. Look, Ichigo, we'll talk more about this when we get there. We need to focus on getting our things together. Ryuken is ready to take clinic from me."

"What?"

"Karakura Hospital can take over the clinic. I let Ryuken know what was going on and he will take it from me."

"Isn't that risky for him to just take it over so suddenly?"

"Yeah, well… This was actually setup when you like 4, right after we really got the clinic going. If I'm unable to continue practice it falls into the hands of the hospital as one of their primary clinics. It was part of the contract that was made. The CCG can dig there all they want but all the legal mumbo-jumbo is well in place. On that end the Ishida family should be protected."

"I really hope so… I don't want to drag them into this mess. I've still got to figure what we're going to do about Orihime…"

"Let the girls and I get there first and we'll talk more on the matter in person. We'll be there shortly, okay?"

"Okay… I'll see you when you get here…"

Isshin hung up and Ichigo gave Urahara back his phone. He wanted to punch something. This wasn't fair, not at all. He didn't like running and to Soul Society of all places. He gnashed his teeth hard and balled up his hands.

"This is not going to be easy," Urahara said, looking at Ichigo. "I wish I knew what to tell you but ultimately it's just the safest and least troublesome way."

"I know it is but that doesn't take the sting away. Yuzu and Karin have never been there and it's going to be one hell of a shock for them," Ichigo got to his feet as did Urahara. "It's going to look even worse if the whole family just literally vanished."

"Well, they're not going to be here to worry about that and neither are you. So don't let it get to you too much," Urahara patted Ichigo's shoulder as he headed for the door. "Let's wake up the place and start making preparations."

"Yeah," Ichigo gave a weak nodded and followed the man out the door.

Isshin and the twins arrived within an hour carrying what they wanted to bring with them. They were not at all pleased that their fears had come to fruition. Tessai took their things and put them into the sub-level training ground. It was the safest place and that was where Urahara was going to setup the gate.

They decided to stay just as long as they could to say good bye everyone and to wrap up a few final things. Isshin pulled Ichigo aside away from everyone else to talk to him. They went to Ichigo's room and Isshin shut the door.

"I'm still… I'm still very sorry about this…" Ichigo said, sitting on his bed and his father sat down beside. "I really hoped this wouldn't happen."

"We all did but we can't fix it now. At least we got the warning call. It's better than being totally blind. I would have hated if we had no idea and we were suddenly attacked," Isshin sighed, wrapping an arm around Ichigo's shoulders. "We already had things in place just in case… We were prepared and that's a good thing."

"I just… If I just stayed home… He wouldn't have realized anything."

"I said I'm partially to blame. I didn't put my foot down. We can't predict the future either. Stop being yourself up over it."

"It still shouldn't have happened. Mado has always had it out for me from nearly day one. He just hated me. I showed him up once on a big case. Somehow I got slated to be his partner just once when I was right out of the academy. We only worked on one case together. I managed to take down the ghoul called 'Bull.' He was fairly high profile and I beat him before Mado could. I got Tsume from Bull's kagune. Mado flipped out right after the case. That was the only case we worked on together. He sent me packing as soon as he could and Amon soon found himself with Mado just two days later."

"So he has a large vendetta against you and used that hate to flush out the truth," Isshin grumbled and let go of Ichigo.

"If anyone was going to notice it would be him. He got to know me some through Amon," Ichigo shook his head. "So… Yeah… I shouldn't be that surprised."

"Well… Things could still be a lot worse," Isshin shrugged. "Going to Soul Society isn't that bad of an option, really. We'll still be together and that's the main thing."

"Yeah, it is. Maybe there I won't be so confined like I am here," Ichigo put on weak smile.

"This is true… Most everyone knows you and I'm sure after some adjustments things might just fit into place," Isshin sighed, flopping back on Ichigo's bed. "Ugh… It's too early for this crap."

"It's like 4 or so isn't?" Ichigo said, turning his clock around. "Oh! No, more like 5."

"I should be getting up at this time," Isshin mumbled.

"Might want to head back. Keep up some sense of normalcy for now," Ichigo as his dad rolled onto his stomach and covered his head with the blankets. "Uh, what are you doing? You look like a child not wanting to go to school."

"Close! I'm an adult not wanting to go to work. So same things really," he mumbled into the mattress. "It's going to be miserable the next few days. The girls and I will have to be squeaky clean until we get everything in order. That means we can't come see you for a little while until we're ready to leave."

"I think I can live a couple of days without you. I did it for years," Ichigo waved him off.

Isshin knocked off the covers and sat back up straight with a sour face.

"Yeah and you only showed up on some holidays and on your vacation time," Isshin snorted getting his feet. "We didn't get to see much of you then."

"You will see a lot more me of now," Ichigo grinned. "I'm stuck with you and the girls. I can't go anywhere once we reach Soul Society."

"You're right. Hopefully things will be better once we get there," Isshin said walking towards the door. "I'll take Yuzu and Karin on back to the house for now."

"Just remember they will be watching you," Ichigo warned.

"Oh, I know," he snorted. "I'll keep an eye out for them."

Ichigo got to his feet and walked his dad to where Yuzu and Karin were hanging out with Ururu and Jinta. Isshin told them it was time to go. They said goodbye and Isshin took them on back to the house. Ichigo let out a sigh and looked up at night sky through a window. It was still dark out and the moon had long since vanished behind the buildings.

"Well, I'll get the converter and the portal ready downstairs," Urahara said, turning to leave the room.

"I hope this is right," Ichigo mumbled.

"Hm…?"

"My family shouldn't have to suffer because of my mistake."

"Stop beating yourself up, Ichigo. It isn't fair I will admit but people are going to be people. You can't change that. Some are just worse than others."

"I still feel guilty…"

"I don't know what else to tell you. If want to make yourself useful you can help me with some of the heavy lifting. C'mon."

Urahara headed out the door and Ichigo followed a ways behind him. How would the others in Soul Society react to him being like this now? That scared him. He didn't voice it but it was pretty obvious to everyone. Ichigo sighed and Urahara opened the trapdoor to the sub-level.

"Well let's get started, shall we?" Urahara said, working his way down the ladder.

Akane came out of an interrogation room in absolute tears. They questioned and questioned her until she got to the point they had to stop. She almost had to be carried out of the room. Her mind was still trying to understand what was going on. Ichigo. Her partner Ichigo was still very much alive and was in fact that thing from the waterway and the raid?

When she was first brought in for questioning she had no idea what it was for. She learned really fast why she was there and what they wanted from her. They wanted to know if she knew Ichigo was the Horned Phoenix. She was so confused. Ichigo should be dead. She saw him that night as did Mado. He landed hard into the water and was carried away by the current. Now they were telling her it was all a fabrication and that Ichigo was alive? They presented her with the information and explained every little detail that linked him to being the Horned Phoenix.

She didn't want to believe it. It was all staring her in the face but she wanted to deny everything. She wished and prayed that all of this was just some misunderstanding. However, the evidence was solid like a rock. She got sick while they berated her over and over again. She ended up throwing up on one of the men. That's when they called it quits. She was in there a good 3 or 4 hours.

They took her to another room, gave her some towels, and a trashcan before leaving her alone. She just curled up into a ball in her chair, crying hard again. In the back of her mind she still wanted to deny it. Ichigo wouldn't hurt her. She knew that. He wouldn't hurt her. She wasn't that kind of person. She just kept telling herself that over and over again.

Amon sat in another quiet room staring at the door as hard as he could. His teeth were clinched and he was just shaking in anger. This had to be some farce. Ichigo was dead. Mado and Akane both saw him fall from the bridge. Hell, there was even video of it from several different spectators. Ichigo jumped that night. Amon got up and just started pacing the small room not know how to else to handle his anger.

When Amon found out what was going on his temper hit the roof. They took him to a room and then started to interrogate him as he was Ichigo's closest friend in the CCG. He demanded to know who summited the case but was told that they could not divulge such information. They quickly started questioning him and showing him the evidence as well. He stood up a couple of times but was quickly knocked back and he was warned that violent acts would not be tolerated and would come with heavy consequences.

They asked every question under the sun, even repeating some of them like a broken record. They wanted answers and they wanted answers now but he had no answers to give them. He answered what he could but that wasn't enough. They kept digging and digging but the well was dry. Amon had nothing that they wanted. After several hours they released him to a quiet room, which was where he was currently pacing.

Ichigo was the Horned Phoenix and Incognito? He gripped the sides of his head before kicking a fake plant off of a low table. He took a chair and slung that as well. He drew in a heavy breath and snorted it back out. He saw the evidence and everything fell into place. Ichigo had every opportunity to do everything that they suggested and he had the sword skills to do all that to. It was just so hard to choke that shit down.

No, doubt they will go to Ichigo's hometown and grab his family and do the same to them. No, much worse. They wouldn't just ask questions. He shook his head and slammed a fist into the concrete wall. He finally got to meet Ichigo's father and his sisters at the memorial. They were so kind and… He hit the wall again. Who did this? He wanted to know who submit everything to start this disaster.

He grabbed another chair and chucked it just as the door opened. He snapped his head to the door to see one of the men. He looked at the mess Amon had made but kept quiet about it.

"You're free to go," he said, opening the door wider and stepped to the side. "Keep in mind we might call you back."

Amon picked up his suit coat and stormed out. The tall investigator was guided down the hall to another door and and released back into the main corridor. Amon started to leave then the door opened again and Akane was let out. She was still covered in the remnants of the mess she brought up, a couple of unused paper towels were still clinched in her hand. They looked at each other for a brief moment before she hurried by him. She didn't want to talk to anyone and frankly he didn't want to either.

She continued on down the hall and Amon finally started behind down the hall at a good bit of distance. They could go home for now, not like that was going to help much. They weren't stupid and they knew how the CCG worked. They would be monitored for quite some time from the shadows. They wanted to see if any contact was going to be made between them and Ichigo or his family. Their calls will the screened and if they left the house for any reason they would be followed.

Most likely their offices were searched and with their luck they might come home to the aftermath of their apartments being ransacked by the CCG as they looked for nonexistent evidence. Akane walked out the quieter back entrance and Amon did the same. No doubt rumors were flying left and right about them and would only grow worse by tomorrow.

Amon hailed a taxi as Akane walked toward a bus stop. Amon let out a long breath watching her slowly get farther and farther away.

"A… Akane… You want to ride with me?" he asked just loud enough to hear over the city noise. "It'll be quieter."

She turned to look at him with her head down a little bit. She took a few dragging steps to walk over to him. He stepped out of the way as she crawled into the far seat. He got in and shut the door. They both muttered their addresses and the driver pulled back into traffic. They didn't say anything to each other for a little while. What could they say to each other? That thing were going to be all right? This was just a huge misunderstanding? Well, it wasn't. It was a living nightmare.

She gripped her bad arm as she looked out the window. Akane's surgery had been put on hold until the CCG concluded their investigation. Amon also turned to look out his window, staring out with a dull emotionless gaze. They were expected to go back to work tomorrow regardless of what just transpired. It wasn't fair to be put them through that sort verbal torture and then made to come back the next day expected to work.

"I want to know who did all this…" Amon growled in a low whisper as she gave him a slight glance out of the corner of her eye. "This shouldn't be happening."

Akane waited a few long seconds before answering.

"It shouldn't. Let the dead be dead…" she sighed, looking back out the window. "Whoever did this… They're sick."

Amon paused for a second and licked his lips.

"But it holds up," Amon hated to admit that.

"It's a farce. It has to be a farce."

"I just… I don't know what to think—about any of this."

"I'll deny it. I'll deny it all until I actually see it."

Amon turned to look at her. She didn't believe the evidence and Amon didn't either. He wanted to deny it just like her until he actually saw it as well. It wasn't long before the cab came to a stop and Akane got out and just shut the door without another word. She started to her building as the taxi started moving again. Amon watched her for a few seconds before turning back around to face the front. He shook his head and pinched the bridge of his nose. He would do the same. He would deny it until he actually saw it with his own two eyes. He wasn't going to just accept it as fact until his physically saw it.

When Isshin, Yuzu, and Karin had visited the last time Ichigo told them how to look out for investigators and to act like they didn't exist and continue on with their life as usual in front of them. Orihime called in "sick" for the next few days stating the flu to stay in the apartment and out of sight while the investigators that surveyed the town. She ended up given Jelly Bean to a coworker to take care of. He had owned several dogs in the past and could handle the snippy wiener dog She hated to get rid of him but she didn't have an option if things turned out bad. She hated being cooped up but knew it was for her own good and the Kurosaki family as well.

Urahara, Tessai, and Yoruichi also kept an eye on the CCG to alert Isshin of when they might converge on them. They really had the house and clinic covered. They followed Karin to her soccer practice and Yuzu to school. They followed Isshin while he took lunch outside the clinic and to the grocery shopping after work. Isshin knew how import it was to remain calm and pretend that he wasn't being followed. His daughters struggled some to not look at the investigators, knowing they where they were. Yuzu struggled the most.

Ichigo had to rely on Urahara and the others to keep an eye out on the CCG. When they attacked it will be quick and vicious. They didn't care about anything or anyone as long as they got what they came for. Ichigo was going mad not being able to be with his family at this pivotal time. He tried to keep occupied but he just couldn't. This was his family's life possibly on the line.

Ururu and Jinta kept him company and tried to keep him engaged with chores, conversations, and even a few games. It did very little to help. He couldn't go near the windows and had to stay in the inner most parts of the shop. Ichigo would just have to wait it out. Isshin was exceptional with kido and was planning to use those skills to create barriers to hide under and be undetected to Urahara's shop.

The plan was simple. Once they knew when they were going to be attacked Isshin was to set up a barrier that made it look like nothing was going on in the house. They would sneak out under the protection of another barrier produced by a device Urahara had devised to them to hidden under. They would be completely invisible to the CCG. After they cleared the door the barrier would be taken down and the CCG would invade an empty house. Once the Kurosaki family arrived at Urahara's they would be taken to Soul Society. That was the plan. They would literally vanish without a trace while sneaking around the CCG.

It was about 4 days in now, Isshin and his daughters had their usual evenings at the dining table having dinner and talking about their day and other assorted conversations. Isshin lightly rubbed his ear where a tiny earpiece sat.

"Get ready. Once you get ready for sleep they are going to start their raid," Yoruichi said through the tiny earpiece.

Isshin gave three inconspicuous scratches to the right corner of his mouth with his thumb. The twins tensed. It was about to happen and soon. They continued on like normal. Yuzu grabbed the dishes and cleaned them. Karin put up the leftover food before walking over to the TV. Isshin went upstairs and got into his night clothes. By the time he came down Yuzu and Karin were watching some old black and white mystery movie. He sat down between them and they explained to him what was going on.

They finished out the movie before Isshin announced he was going to bed. The girls said they might as do the same. They got dressed for bed and drew their curtains. Karin packed her last few things into the small backpack. Yuzu and Isshin had done the same. One by one their bedroom lights went off.

"Cast the kido spell now."

This was it. Isshin drew in a deep breath and quickly erected the barrier. It was mirror image of what the house looked like now, dark and still. He went to the girls' rooms. They had their last bags in hand. They followed him down to the stairs and put on their shoes. Isshin pulled out the strange little wand like device from his bag and studied it. Urahara was ever so kind to put instructions on it.

"All right, girls stay close. This has a very limited field," Isshin said, reading over the wording briefly. "Remember, don't make a sound."

"Okay, got it," Karin said and Yuzu nodded.

They took in a deep breath and opened the door. Nothing seemed be happening. They stepped out and quietly shut the door. A couple of steps later they passed through the barrier. They clung to each other as they moved towards the sidewalk. As they looked around they spotted a few more moving in. They needed to move a little faster before they got accidentally locked in and their cover blown.

"Get to the corner and go left, cross the street, and stay straight. It will take you out of the way but there are less soldiers on that street," Tessai broke in.

They got to the corner and Isshin ushered the girls to the left and across the street. Their hearts were beating loud noticing the soldiers start to move in and hurry toward their house. They had to step to the side to let some of the men rush past them. It was just about to happen. Karin turned to see if she could see anything but Isshin pulled her to keep moving. It was best not to look at such things.

"We're in position," a radio operator said, looking up Arima as he watched the monitors. "You just need to give the orders, Sir."

Arima studied the house. It looked quiet. It hadn't been too long since they called it a night. He looked down at the man sitting to his right.

"Give them the go ahead," Arima ordered. "Make sure they know I want them alive."

"Understood," the man nodded and then spoke into his mic. "You are clear to commence the operation. Targets are to be captured alive."

"Rodger."

Everyone in the control room watched as the house was quickly invaded. The front and back doors were broken in and armored men poured into the house. They flooded the lower level and moved to the upper floor in flash. The kicked open each door and checked each room. It wasn't long before they realized the house was completely empty. There was no other than themselves on the property.

"Um, Special Investigator Arima, sir, you might want to listen to this," the operator said, handing the Investigator an extra headset.

"This is Arima," he said, adjust the microphone.

"Sir, the house is completely empty. They haven't found anyone inside the clinic either."

"What do you mean empty?"

"I mean empty. Both the house and clinic are vacant. We can't find anyone. We've brought in the dogs to look for hidden rooms but they aren't turning up anything either. It's like they just vanished."

Arima rubbed the bridge of his nose in aggravation.

"It seems this family is very good at doing vanishing acts… Make sure you look everywhere," Arima said, walking over to look at a couple more screens. "If you can't find them there we need to look at the second location."

"It seems your hunch about them knowing about us was correct," Hirako said, looking at his partner.

"Hirako, you have to remember Kurosaki Ichigo was at one point part of the CCG. He's no fool," Arima stated. "But the timing has me the most baffled. There wasn't even 15 minutes between the time they went to bed to when we invaded the house. They couldn't have just left the house without us seeing it. But to know what we're doing... They have to have eyes on us from somewhere."

Arima noticed his partner looking lazily out the dark window.

"What are you looking at?"

"There's a cat on the window ledge," Hirako mumbled turning back to his partner.

Arima just shook it off.

"And? Just get Shinohara and tell him to keep a look out with his men at the ready," Arima ordered.

"Yes, sir," Hirako said, grabbing his radio.

Arima looked at the monitor again just seeing his men run around like ants. There really was nothing left to cover in the house or even the clinic. They really had just vanished into thin air. He turned to briefly look at the black, yellow eyed cat that was preening its fur. This was turning into a very bizarre case. He pushed up his glasses and turned back to the men in the room.

What a minute… Arima froze.

They are at the top floor of a 7 story tall building and the fire escape was clear on the other side of the wall. There wasn't even really a ledge in the wall for that cat to walk on. He quickly whipped back around to see the cat gone. He walked over to the window and looked out. He walked over to the other window. Still no cat. Hirako saw it first so there was no way he just saw something. Did the cat fall? No if it made it up this high and this far from the fire escape he doubted it fell. What the hell was really going on?

Isshin and the twins quietly made their way toward Urahara's. The night life in part of town was already low but tonight there wasn't a single person out. They didn't want civilians to get in the way. They just had to follow instructions from Tessai and Yoruichi on what to do. Urahara was waiting for them behind the shop's own barrier. Once inside the CCG couldn't touch them. It would only be a block more.

"Dad…" Yuzu whispered, spotting a couple of soldiers change position.

"Shhh… Don't talk," he whispered back.

"Isshin, be careful. Command has been transferred to the group at Urahara's. That Arima guy… He knows we've been watching him as much as he's been watching us," Yoruichi said in a worried tone. "Try and get inside the shop as fast as you can."

Isshin started to move a little faster, keeping his daughters in close contact with him. They weren't running but they weren't walking either. The closer they got to the shop the more soldiers they saw lurking about in the shadows and peeking out of dark buildings. Urahara's shop was finally in sight. Just a little ways more before they would be safe.

Yuzu stumbled for a moment but quickly caught herself. She felt her shoe slip off but she couldn't go back to get it. They had to keep moving. She felt every little piece of gravel and small chunks of trash under her right foot. She looked back briefly to see a blond boy around her age. He was dressed just like one of the CCG and he examining her lost shoe. He had his hand up in it and smelling it a little. Awkward. She turned back around. They were almost on the property line.

Yuzu was suddenly ripped from her father's side and slammed harshly into the cold hard pavement. She let out a scream as she saw the blond soldier from earlier sitting onto of her, pinning down. He had a real nasty grin and looked like a cat with a mouse.

"Hahahaha! I found you, girly," he grinned as she tried to get out from under him and he leaned in closer to her face and reached back for his knife. "Hey, you're kindda cute…"

"DAAAAD!"

"GET OFF HER!" Isshin broke the barrier and whipped around with a hard kick.

The young soldier ducked down and rolled off of Yuzu. Yuzu wasted no time getting back her feet. Their cover was completely blown out of the water. The shop's barrier was on the property line. Karin never stopped, making it to safety first with Yuzu not too far behind her but Isshin on the other hand… He had to deal with the little psycho that nabbed his daughter in the first place. He was slashing at Isshin left and right. Isshin kept up with the kid's crazed moves.

"Oh, wow! Look at you, old man," the blond grinned taking hard swings with his knife size quinque. "You're turning out be rather fun. How long can you keep up with me?! C'mon! Show me! Show me!"

The blond took a running jump at Isshin. The former captain ducked letting the boy land on his feet on the other side. Isshin grabbed the boy's wrist only to get kneed in the stomach in return. He then whipped the boy around sending him stumbling away.

"This isn't some game, kid," Isshin snapped, finally getting the distance he needed only to notice other soldiers running towards him at full speed. "Shit on it!"

The blond jumped at him again and the soldiers had their guns raised at him. Best thing to do was to use a kido spell. He swiped his arm through the air and the first few lines of the soldiers including the blond slammed into the ground with their arms forced behind their backs. That was of enough of a distraction for the others to falter.

"Huuuuh?! What is this? I can't move!" the blond snapped rolling around on the pavement trying to pull his arms free from their invisible binds. "What did you to me? This hurts! Owowowow!"

"Then don't struggle against it," Isshin answered, moving towards the barrier.

The blond managed to get his feet and gave Isshin chase. He just made it to the threshold when he felt the searing pain for bullet rip through his chest. He slammed the ground and tried to get to the barrier just as the boy got ready to come in with a hard kick. The young soldier only met the sole of a white, ankle high boot. The blond landed rolling head over heels. He sat up a little dazed to see a young ebony haired woman in long braid pigtails glaring down at him. He looked around her long light blue pleated shirt to see Isshin being help inside by another young man with red hair.

"Ururu," the red head called as the woman turned.

The blond got back to his feet and ran at her. She took a step behind the barrier and he ran head long into it. She snorted and trotted off to help Jinta with Isshin. The blond sat up with a busted nose and lips. The next wave of soldiers surrounded the blond only to come into contact with the solid invisible barrier. The soldiers fell back to the ground after running head long into an invisible wall. Those that hit it looked up in shock and a few reached out and touched it. It was made perfectly clear they were not welcomed any farther.

They tried everything they could think of to get inside the invisible wall. Those that were hurt from hitting the barrier or those that were still bound were picked up to be taken to the local hospital to see what was going with them. Once the spell wore off they would be fine but the CCG didn't know that.

Arima and part of his team arrived not too long after to also get an idea of what was going on. He had seen the live feeds and knew he had to get over there as soon as possible. None of this was right. They had never seen anything like this before. How did they move without being seen? What was the strange ability Kurosaki Isshin displayed to cripple part of the troops? Finally what was this strange barrier now surrounding the small shop? No one could get into it and no one was coming back out either.

Shinohara leaned up against a brick wall and looked at the shop. This was all wrong. What was going on? There before them was a force field like something out of a scifi movie. Arima stood beside him, before he started to walk towards the barrier and snagged a megaphone. Shinohara pushed off the wall and followed his fellow investigator.

"So what do you have planned because I have nothing?" Shinohara said as they cut their way through the troops. "Not to mention trying to explain this to the higher-ups isn't going to be easy."

"I would have to agree. I'm not quite sure myself on how to approach this but if nothing else I'm sure they can still hear through that barrier," Arima said, looking at his fellow investigator. "By the way did you know the young lady we've been watching has also gone MIA as of 25 minutes ago."

"What?" Shinohara gapped as they stopped just in front of the barrier. "How?"

"Most likely the same way the Kurosaki family tried to escape. She might already be in there with them but I know someone that is not," Arima stated and turned on the megaphone. "I'm going to try and negotiate with them."

What was Arima going to negotiate with? Arima brought the megaphone to his mouth.

"Attention to those taking refuge within the shop we wish to negotiate," Arima said into the megaphone. "We know that Dr. Kurosaki took what could be a critical shot to the chest. We are willing to offer him medical help in exchange for you, Ichigo."

They waited a few minutes and got no response. Arima raised the megaphone again only to see the door open and a man with odd white green striped hat walk out with a cane in his right hand. He walked to the barrier's edge and stopped dead looking at the two investigators dead in their eyes.

"Special Investigator Arima and Special Investigator Shinohara I hate to say this but there will be no negotiations with you or with anyone from the CCG," he said with a bit of a sassy tone. "Isshin is already receiving medical help from those inside my shop. You cannot bargain with him."

"Urahara Kisuke," Arima let the name roll of his tongue. "You are harboring Kurosaki Ichigo, are you not?"

"Hmmm, maybe or maybe not," Urahara wiped out his fan and held in front of his face. "Either way gentlemen you aren't getting any farther than this. You will never have the chance to confirm anything."

Arima's face became icy cold as he stared at the quirky man before him. He reached out and tried to touch the barrier only to have the man reach his hand through the barrier and slap Arima on the hand with his white fan. Arima quickly snapped his hand back from the surprise hit.

"So you can come through the barrier but we can't get in?" Shinohara asked as Urahara turned to address him.

"But of course. You are not welcome here and you don't fit the criteria to pass through this barrier," he answered. "Even if one of your soldiers managed to meet the requirements he will be dealt with promptly. I am not someone you wish to tangle with. You are treading on dangerous ground. Go back to your city and back to your ghouls. Once again there will be no negotiations."

"All we are asking for is Kurosaki Ichigo. If he willing gives himself up nothing will happen to his loved ones," Arima stated.

"Hard headed much? I'll repeat: no negotiations, Investigator," the shopkeeper said sternly. "You can't not touch those closest to him. I have made sure of that."

"Have you? You've protected those dear to him only here in Karakura but you neglected those in Tokyo," Arima said as Urahara raised an eyebrow. "Give Ichigo to us and nothing much will happen to Hayashi."

Shinohara quickly grabbed Arima trench coat to face him.

"What are you doing?" Shinohara asked.

"Negotiating. It was clear after reviewing that fight again that Ichigo had no intention to do what he did."

"You're going to use her just like that? She has proven that she has no involvement with any of this. Hasn't she? She has, right?"

Ariam brushed the man off and looked Urahara in eye. Shinohara didn't like where this might be going.

"Urahara, retrieve Ichigo for me or I will draw him out on my own," the investigator said, holding up the megaphone again.

"I will not. You need not concern yourself with him or any of us. Contrary to what you may think we are not a threat but push the right buttons and things won't end well here. Pack up your men and gear and head back to Tokyo. You will not see Ichigo anymore, I can promise you that."

Arima brought the megaphone to his mouth. He was going to do things his way. Urahara clearly wasn't going to work with him. He gave Shinohara a glance and his fellow investigator said nothing. They were told before they left that they were to treat this as a ghoul situation. Any past feelings with Ichigo were to be left at the office. The former investigator was an enemy and as such should be treated as one. Arima turned up the volume a little more.

"Kurosaki Ichigo, if you can hear me in there I want you to play very close attention to me. Both Amon and Hayashi have recently been investigated by the CCG on possible charges of treachery, withholding evidence, and several more serious charges. Amon, however, has been cleared thanks to Mado. Your former partner is a different story."

Urahara swiped his cane through the barrier to hit the megaphone but Arima ducked back in time.

"Don't antagonize him. You will not like the result if you continue," Urahara warned his glare narrowing. "He's already in an ill mood when I stepped out here because one of you shot his father and another attacked his little sister."

Arima didn't mind the shopkeeper's words and continued.

"During your fight you severely damaged her shoulder, tossing her around like some dog's toy. You completely shredded her rotator cuff among other things. She needs surgery but until we can close the case a bit more we have been holding it off. She really needs it. You can clear everything up by coming with us and she'll be as free as a bird."

"Don't. I am warning you," Urahara snapped, taking a few steps closer. "I can bind you just as Isshin did to the others."

"I see, so you can do that, too? Just what it that?" Arima asked.

"Hmmm, can't say. It's a bit of a trade secret. In all seriousness, however, do leave," Urahara ordered. "You can't do anything else. You can't breach this barrier no matter how hard you try. Not even if you had a tank could you get beyond this point. Your efforts are wasted, good sir. Go on now. Shoo, shoo!"

Urahara waved them off like children. Arima was getting his man one way or another. Nothing that Urahara said mattered. The goal was to draw out Ichigo from his hiding hole.

"Ichigo, you know what happens to traitors that withhold information. I know you do. You wouldn't want her to go through that, would you? She's suffered enough, right? She lost her eye because you couldn't protect her, then you betray her, and then you hurt her in a fight," Arima called out again. "Now because of you she has been labeled a traitor. I'm starting to think you secretly hated her."

A moment later Arima got what he asked for as a clawed, armored hand wrapped around his face and slammed him into the unforgiving pavement. Before Ichigo could go any farther Urahara stepped up with a kido spell. Using Bakudo #4 Hainawa he wrapped the yellow energy rope around Ichigo. It bound his arms and with one swift jerk the irate hollow was pulled back behind the safety of the barrier as Shinohara took a shot at him.

"Arima, are you all right?" Shinohara asked, looking at the man slowly sit up with the help a soldier.

"Ugh… C-could certainly be better. Ouch," Arima answered with a moaned, finding his glasses beside him. One of the lenses had been cracked and the bridge barely holding. "Well, those are useless. Help me up."

Shinohara and a soldier helped him back up to his feet. He was a little dizzy and put his busted glasses in his coat pocket. He faced Ichigo who was still bound in that strange rope of energy. Urahara had the hollow down on his knees glaring up at Arima. Getting a good look at him it was hard to think Ichigo once looked human. Ichigo wasn't in those heavy clothes now and the change in him was very clear, as he only wore a pair of shorts and t-shirt. He wasn't even wearing his mask which really cemented everything. There was a murmur building behind the lead investigators. The others didn't know what to think of the being before them.

"Well, now that I've got you out here… Let's chat for a bit," Arima said, daring to move a little close trying to shake the fog from his mind.

Shinohara stood right next to him if he needed to lean on someone.

"Go to hell, Arima, and leave Akane alone," Ichigo snapped at him. "She knew nothing about this!"

Wanting to understand a few things Shinohara cleared his throat as Ichigo glanced over at him.

"Arima, I'm going to cut in if you don't mind. Ichigo, is this why you left so suddenly that night in such a panic?" Shinohara spoke up, glaring at Ichigo. "This was your poor health that you stated?"

"What do you think? I couldn't stay in the building any longer that night and I certainly couldn't work for the CCG looking like this. I just hoped to fade out of existence. Not long after I 'died' I had an issue I needed to fix back in Tokyo and it just so happened it coincided with the raid. Beyond that I wouldn't have gone back to Tokyo," Ichigo replied with a sharp tone. "End of story. I just want to be left alone. I didn't tell anyone about this and why would I?"

"Speaking of how you died how did you pull that off?" Shinohara inquired and Urahara got his attention instead.

"Once again a trade secret," Urahara said smugly. "We needed witnesses to help validate his 'suicide.' It was best to have some CCG operatives watch it happen."

"And what about Grimm?"

"Grimm?" Urahara looked a little confused and turned to look down at Ichigo.

"Grimm? Uhh… OH! So that's what you called him? Ha! He's just a family friend," Ichigo said with an amused look. "You're not going to find him either. He's long gone."

"And just what are you?" Shinohara questioned.

"Wouldn't you like to know? The rest of my family will not suffer this fate. It's just me," Ichigo spat. "The explanation is too long and personal to explain to anyone. That's all I'm saying on the matter."

"Yes, but what are you? We are calling you a devil at the CCG."

"I don't care. I am what I am and you don't need to know any more than that."

"One more thing I want you to answer for me. When Kuroiwa and I were fighting the Owl you came in out of nowhere and dismantled my suit. Why did you do that?"

"It was hurting you. What else was I supposed to do? Let it continue to consume you? I'm still me regardless of what I look like."

"You also ran off with the Owl. Do you know who he really is?"

"No comment. Look, Shinohara, I'm really getting tired of playing 20 questions. I've answered more than enough. All I ask in return for spilling all this is that you let Akane go," Ichigo turned his attention back Arima. "She has nothing to do with any of this. I kept her out of this to protect her in the long run."

"But you couldn't in the end. Just hand yourself over and we'll let her go. It's as simple as that," Arima broke back in, crossing his arms. "You would save everyone a lot of trouble if you did."

"If I come out from behind this barrier it'll only be to knock you black and blue," Ichigo hissed at him trying to get back to his feet but quickly got knocked back to his knees by Urahara. "I told you I just want to be left alone and in peace! I have enough troubles without you assholes coming after me and my family."

"Then you will not come out and relinquish yourself for her safety? You know what will—"

"Go screw yourselves!"

"Okaaaay, Ichigo," Urahara gave a small pull on the energy rope. "You staying out here isn't helping anything. Let's get you back inside before you start something more than you already have."

Ichigo got back to his bare feet as he Arima stared each other down. Urahara gave another small tug. Ichigo then turned to look at Shinohara and the two lock eyes for a moment. He shook his horned head and let Urahara lead him back inside the shop walls. Urahara never came back out after that. That conversation was over.

"That could have gone better," Shinohara said as Arima rubbed the back of his sore head. "So now what? We can't get in there and they aren't coming out."

"We'll just have figure out another approach. I just don't know what yet," Arima said, running a hand over his face.

"I-investigators," a soldier choked out standing behind the barrier's threshold and couple more joined him. "It's down. It's finally down!"

They took a few steps up and sure enough the barrier was gone but they knew better than to rush in.

"You thinking this is a trap?" Shinohara asked. "Given what I've seen tonight this can't be something good."

"It's an invite but I'm with you. It's a set up for something," Arima nodded. "We still need to get a team in there. Do you want to lead or should I?"

"I'll do it. I'll hurry and get a team together," Shinohara said turning to deal with that.

About 10 minutes later Shinohara had his team up and awaiting orders. Shinohara was leading the charge with Arima keeping an eye out. There was no telling what was awaiting for them inside the small shop.

"All right, everyone, let's go," Shinohara ordered as they hastily marched towards the shop.

They broke the doors down and rushed in and few men even crashed in through the windows. Once inside they realized something was very off. The place was completely bare. Nothing was in there like the place had been stripped and ready for sale. They opened every door and checked every closet and cabinet. Nothing was found in the shop or in the living quarters. Did they pull the same stunt again and vanish under their noses?

Shinohara walked into one of the bedrooms and found a small piece of blue paper in the corner. He picked it up and flipped it over. It was a very short note and a baffling one at that. It wasn't addressed to anyone in particular but the subject matter was a bit unusual.

"You're chasing ghosts?" Shinohara said, looking at the paper.

"Shinohara, what's going on in there?"

"They're gone and the place has been cleaned out," Shinohara answered Arima. "I did find a note… It's rather odd."

"What does it say?"

"It says, 'you're chasing ghosts.' That's all. We haven't found anything else. It looks like everything's been removed from the building."

"So they're gone, are they? And we're chasing ghosts? What could that mean?"

"I'm not 100% sure but I'm starting to get an idea…"

Safely tucked away in the sub-level training ground Urahara and Tessai got the converter and gate up and running. It was decided that everyone was going to Soul Society until they could figure something out. Yoruichi opted to staying behind to keep a close eye on the CCG for a while to see what they had planned next. Hopefully without finding anyone or anything that sooner or later they would leave Karakura and go back to Tokyo but until then she was keeping her amber eyes glued on them. Especially Arima as she had gotten a strange vibe from the man that truly ruffled her fur.

Yuzu, Karin, Ururu, and Jinta stood nervously waiting for what was soon to come. This was their first trip to Soul Society as there was never any reason before that for them to ever walk in a world meant for spirits. They were told what they were to see, who they were to meet, and they were to act. They still did little for them. They had heard so many different versions of the same Soul Society that their feelings of the place were rather mixed.

Ichigo's anxiety was higher than the rest of those around him. Given that he was now a hollow he knew things would still be hard for him. There was no telling what extra ground rules he was to be given once he entered. He would certainly have quite a few knowing Yamamoto. Hopefully, with time things would ease up. Urahara, however, had some worries of his own. There was no telling if going from a physical body to a spiritual one would have an adverse effect on Ichigo. Hopefully he would remain as he was now and nothing more would happen. He had expressed his concerns with Isshin and aging doctor agreed to keep a close on his son.

Urahara looked over everything one last time before he faced those in the room. Well, this was it. They would all be headed off to Soul Society and what away to go back home. After the massive curtain to Aizen's plan had been pulled and his subsequent capture some of the Vizards returned to Soul Society. The same offer was given to Urahara, Tessai, Yoruichi, and even Isshin. Urahara had found his home in the World of the Living as had everyone else. Isshin especially since he found a wife and started a family. Urahara knew this was hurting Isshin quite a lot but the man would do anything to protect his children no matter how old they got. Urahara let out one long breath and opened his mouth.

"Okay, everyone it is now up and running," Urahara said, hitting one last button and the machine turned a loud hum. "There shouldn't be any problems as we travel through the Dangai. The Kototsu had been stalled for the time being and with that being said, I would suggest we get started."

Tessai loaded up a few more bags onto a large trolley. Those remaining bags that couldn't fit were picked up by their owners to be carried. Urahara had to leave most of his belongings behind for now until he could establish another place to set up shop. He didn't need to worry about them. The CCG would never find this place no matter how hard they looked for it. Isshin and Karin ventured in first with Ururu and Jinta not far behind.

"I'm rather nervous," Yuzu said, keeping close to Ichigo. "What's this Dangai place like again?"

"It'll be fine," Ichigo smiled at her taking her hand. "C'mon, let's go, Yuzu. It won't be too long of a walk."

She gave a small nod and followed her brother inside the converter and then straight into the Senkaimon. The others quickly followed right after. Tessai brought up the rear with the luggage cart. Yuzu clung to Ichigo as she studied the dark walls that look highly unnatural. Karin clung to her father as they made their way down the unsettling path. Jinta was all over Ururu who didn't seem to be so bothered by the atmosphere the tunnel gave off.

"There's nothing to worry about here," Isshin said, looking down at Karin. "You'll get use to this place after a while. I know it's not too welcoming but…"

"I just want to get through this as soon as we can," she muttered.

"It's still a few minutes more," Urahara said, walking just in front of Tessai. "How are you doing, Ichigo?"

"I'm not noticing anything different. At least not yet," Ichigo looked over his shoulder at the former captain.

"Let's just hope it stays that way. You don't need any more complications," Urahara stated.

"Don't I know it," he sighed, letting go of Yuzu's hand and wrapped an arm around her instead.

"Are you sure this is okay for me to stay, too?" Orihime asked, walking beside Tessai. "I don't want to put anyone out."

"Don't you fret about it. We figured you in just in case," Tessai answered her. "Hopefully you can go back at some point. I know you'll miss the others down there."

"Yeah… I'm really going to miss Uryu, Chad, and Tatsuki," she said, gripping the strap of her duffle bag tightly. "Hopefully it won't be too long."

She tried to put a little optimism in her voice but it wasn't really there. The conversation fell off for a couple of minutes. They breathed in a bit of releife when could finally see a tiny speck of light at the end of tunnel. They picked up their steps a little more to hurry on out into the light of day.

"S-so, we're about out, huh?" Jinta asked as the light got a little brighter and the exit larger. "Because th-this place is super gloomy."

"It's super creepy is what it is," Karin grumbled, looking back at him and gave him a sly smirk. "Look at you. You were talking smack about this place not long before we left and you're clinging to Ururu like some little lost child."

Jinta quickly pushed off Ururu and tried to look tough. He crossed his arms and put his nose up in the air.

"D-don't be stupid, Karin," he snorted. "I'm not really bothered b-dy this place."

"Then why are you shaking?" Ururu asked, looking up at him and he turned away from her. "You can lean on me again if you want."

"I'm f-fine," he snorted.

It wasn't long until Isshin and Karin stepped out of the Senkaimon into Soul Society. They were greeted by Toshiro, Rangiku, and some members of his squad. Yamamoto and Sasakibe had a few of their men with them as well. Right after them stepped out Jinta and Ururu followed by Yuzu and Ichigo. Toshiro and Yamamoto had told their men to keep their mouths shut once Ichigo walked through the gate. There were still a quite a few gasps and a good bit of highly muted whispers. Urahara, Orihime, and Tessai were the last to step out. The large gate quickly shut behind them. This was it. They were finally back in Soul Society.

Rangiku gave Orihime a silent but exuberant wave. Orihime returned to wave and smiled at her. Toshiro glanced up his lieutenant who quickly put her hand back down. Toshiro knew these two were going to cause some sort of mischief together. One such thing will be giving everyone food poisoning.

Both Toshiro and Yamamoto then stepped up but Toshiro stayed back a few steps behind the head captain. Yamamoto stood before the group looking at each member down the line. His gaze lingered a bit longer on Ichigo than the others for obvious reasons. Ichigo felt highly uncomfortable being studied by the head captain. The old man let out a long breath.

"Welcome to Soul Society," came the first words from his mouth. "To those that don't know me, I am Head Captain Yamamoto."

"I am sure that all of you know me and my lieutenant," Toshiro said, giving everyone a very small bow in greeting as did Matsumoto.

"If all of you would follow us we have quite a bit to discuss before you can continue," Yamamoto said, sternly. "Captain Hitsugaya's men will handle your belongings for now. This way."

He motioned everyone to follow him. The groupld left their belongings where they stood before following behind Yamamoto, Sasakibe, Toshiro, and Rangiku. The Squad One men encircled them from behind. This wasn't very welcoming but it was rather expected none the less. Well, this was the start of a new life and hopefully things would turn out okay. Maybe at one point they could go back to the Living World and stay there but for now this would be their new home.

(A/N So, yeah, after reading this I didn't find this chapter to be very strong. I did a lot of rewriting and still didn't like it. I really struggled with this chapter. So you maybe wondering what will happen from here with Ichigo and the others now in Soul Society? Well, you'll just have to stick with the story to find out. I'm really switching things around, huh? Hopefully you like that I'm diverged from the main Tokyo Ghoul line for a bit. I have a 6 month gap from where the story picks up again after the raid so… I ALSO WANTED TO LET EVERYONE KNOW I HAVE SIDE STORY UP. IT WAS SUPPOSED TO HAVE BEEN CHAPTER BUT I COULDN'T FIND A PLACE FOR IT IN THE MAIN STORY. PLEASE GO AND CHECK THAT OUT TOO THANK YOU.)

Millie M. Banshee