'BOLD'


Author's Notes: I love you all! Chapter 5 reviews were excellect (I especially love all your lengthy feedback, NejiTenLuva!), and certainly kept me motivated. I'm really sorry about not updating sooner, but balancing summer school and decathlon is very much less than ideal. Hah, so sleepy. Anyway, sit back and enjoy this chapter because the story really gets going from this point on :) Though, I have to say that I'm not really pleased with my writing here. Mm, maybe I'm just hard on myself ;p

And I know a lot of you are impatient with the development of Rukia's and Ichigo's relationship. Sorry, but if it makes you guys feel any better, I am thinking about writing a smex scene. Wouldn't that be lovely? :D I'd love to hear all about what you think...in the review section xD

Warning: Do I have to complete this part again? ;p


July 8th
Tokyo, Japan

Glistening bubbles and a burning fragrance of pure, undiluted spice danced about the dimly-lit dining room one late summer evening as a young maid gently poured the remaining amber liquid from the bottle, brought by the kyodai as a minor celebration gift for the return of both the Senior Advisor and Headquarters Boss, Shiba and Kenpachi. Laughter and a heavy influx of rice wine filled the men's wine glasses, and though the Yakuza high officers present temporarily broke from their solemnity caused by the thick tension of the impending drug war, three attendants seated at the dinner table were not displaying such blatant joviality.

Kurosaki Ichigo, being the youngest - and, simultaneously, the most composed - froze his lips while in the presence of his bosses. The Kuchiki-gumi's Nee-san and high command, Halibel, pursed her lips, her sunlit golden gaze demonstrating the utmost apathy with her underlings. Diamond trinkets hung from her lobes, and she, due to both discomfort and annoyance at the intoxicated state of the Yakuza bosses, twisted those gems with sharpened fingers that seemed able enough to bloodily mangle a man. Kenpachi, of course, exhibited no such emotion. Rather, the reality of his daughter's death cast a somber shadow across his face, and his coarsely-drawn complexion remained drenched of all high spirits which no amount of Cognac could remedy. He did not even touch his napkin.

All sounds of cheer were suddenly silenced by the clanking taps of Boss Shiba's silver knife on his wine glass.

With the men's attentions captured, the black-haired man proceeded to raise his glass in honor of their leader Halibel, and said, "I believe that our dear Nee-san has displayed remarkable poise in carrying out the tasks of our former Oyabun in such rough times. We shall show that we appreciate and admire every single action she takes to benefit and empower the Kuchiki-gumi." A wave of applause soon followed, but the russet-skinned woman remained disinterested in the situation, only sparing a nod of the head as a minute acknowledgement of Shiba's thanks.

The Senior Advisor, however, paid hardly any thought to their Nee-san's overt apathy; he had larger plans to execute, and swiftly - but suavely - lured a dark cloud to dim the once mirthful atmosphere of the dining room. With a calm smile and a bow of the head, Shiba began, "Enough with the flimsiness of our operations, gentlemen; we must begin to face the depth of the situation we are in and clean up our act. As you all know, our deceased Nee-san's little sister, Rukia-san, was placed in danger just a couple of nights ago right here in our mansion."

Ichigo instantaneously felt his stomach turn at the mention of Miss Rukia and the very magnitude of that nerve-quaking incident, but retained his focus on Shiba's words without a hint of anxiety in his eyes. The ginger-head was, after all, known for crafting a perfect mask.

"The danger is moving closer to our headquarters. Zaraki-san and I have been visiting our bases around Japan to make certain that everything is in tact, and every weed and rat has been flushed out. I have obtained information from our intelligence systems regarding the status of our arch-rival Barragan, who is currently back in Barletta. He is aged and exhausted, and a bullet to the old man's head ought to end not only his life, but the existence of his crumbling organization for good."

Optimistic chatter arose at Shiba's remark, and the men all haughtily grinned with the fully-blossomed knowledge that the long-sought end was near for their Spanish-Italian foe. But their smirks quickly faded once Zaraki's somber voice sliced through the noisy prattling and silenced all sounds of a breath. He stated, with a tint of anger in his speech, "Barragan will finally be finished in a matter of time. Our spies have notified us of a sudden power shift which the old son of a bitch foolishly agreed to. His army has been drained of many men, and while we do not know the definite reason why, we can conclude that he has made a deal with another drug lord in the United States."

"Who is this other drug lord you're talkin' about here?" Crimson-haired Renji piped up, with a cigarette casually hanging from his teeth.

"His name is Sousuke Aizen, from California." Shiba replied, turning the men's focuses to a colossal screen fixated onto the wall. Within seconds, an image of a young, chocolate-haired man - seemingly mild-mannered, and very unlike the typical godfather - appeared, and the bosses all once again began their independent bouts of chattering. Naturally, the soft, pedantic appearance of the man spurred much doubt about the quality of his power, but Ichigo, being more prudent than the rest, immediately knew this Aizen character was not one to easily fuck with.

"We have yet to collect more information about him." Shiba continued. "Men, keep in mind that he is quite different from the rest of the drug lords. While we know who he is, we do not know enough. Him being able to convince Barragan Luisenbarn, of all people, to surrender and relocate more than half of his men - and thus make his organization more vulnerable - paints a very unique picture of the man Aizen truly is."

After a brief moment of silence, Boss Shiba turned his head to face Zaraki, and the latter boss, without uttering a single word from his lips, replied back with a nod.

"Gentlemen. Onee-sama." Shiba gently smiled in Halibel's direction, as if to ask for her sanctified blessing. "We have decided to wage war. Before we assign positions, however, there is someone else who we must show you all."

Black suddenly invaded the screen, and a somewhat blurry photo of a thin, ebony-haired man with pale skin as white and delicate as the petals of a gardenia blossom emerged. Ichigo squinted his eyes to aquire better focus of the man, whose intense emeraldine were as striking as the blinding flash of thunder in the midst of a tempest, and seemed to pierce through his own soul. Those eyes, he thought while swallowing down a gulp, were so...captivating, and extraordinarily beautiful. Yet, by the sheer coldness displayed by the mysterious man on screen, the bosses could all clearly sense the danger this green-eyed individual meant to them.

"Ulquiorra Schiffer." Shiba began again, his accent clashing with the German-sounding surname. "We've pursued that useless oaf Omaeda for quite some time now because of how he fucked up part of our drug supply. Well, this dark fellow is the man who dealt with him, and he is also the one who killed Omaeda. The fat ass's death is not a great loss because, according to Second Lieutenant Kurosaki, this Schiffer has the rest of our drugs, and he may possibly be linked to Aizen."

Boss Shiba continued with his presentation by informing his fellow officers of the current state of the drug influx, but Ichigo's mind simply drowned out his generally melodic voice and took time to ponder about whether or not he ought to inform the Senior Advisor of Rukia-san's entanglement with Barragan.

Rukia-san's story was rather intriguing, and even Ichigo had to admit his sudden fascination with the girl - a fascination which unexpectedly transpired after she enlightened her escort of her shocking past over a cup of warm milk.

The ebony-haired girl had, up until the incident in Tula, lived a simplified existence with very limited knowledge of the underworld, and only published her sardonic articles as a means of demonstrating her coveted reputation as both a polemicist and a genius debator. After her sister's unfortunate encounter with Barragan, however, Rukia's motives changed, and she herself metamorphosed into a new woman, albeit more bitter and caustic than her younger self. Quickly recovering and reforming what was left of her private newspaper organization, she dedicated all of her time to the newspaper (which she also renamed Fuck You as a blunt message to Barragan) in order to take down the Russian wing of his operation.

The Mafia boss had at that time been residing in Tula so he could keep a close eye on his men in Moscow without being flushed out by the prime authorities. It was no secret that Barragan was a vicious pedophile, and Rukia had to uncover that disgusting aspect of him the ugly way, but no one else in the public knew about the drug lord who was creeping under their city. But with careful preparation and impeccable meticulousness, Rukia and her team of three trusted colleagues managed to gather enough evidence of Barragan's wrongdoings to publish an entire sixteen-page article and distribute it throughout the city.

By dawn, Tula was blanketed with thousands of gray sheets and bolded Fuck You's, and the Moscow authorities could not neglect this phenomenon for a fraction of a second. In a matter of days, the public had exploded with feverish outrage and demanded for the amputation of Barragan Luisenbarn's operation; his men were arrested by the hundreds and jailed, all the money and substances he ever hoped to gain were confiscated, and Barragan himself was thrown into prison with a hefty sentence of thirty-three grueling years - elongated by the sheer acrimony of the Russian citizens who realized they had served as puppets for a destructive drug-sloven.

Rukia's clandestine victory was, in short, bittersweet - sweet in the sense that she had sheared off and permanently burned away the arm of Goliath and thus obtained that glorious light of justice for her sister, but bitter for the unfortunate escape of Barragan from his northern dungeon in only a year. At least now she still held all the documents and information of Barragan's operation, and was prepared to strike him down again - this time, Rukia-san vowed to leave nothing of the disgusting oaf behind. She, having already proven herself as a vigilante and prodigious investigator, would complete the job.

The lieutenant had been debating with himself for quite a while ever since the lavender-eyed Blackbird revealed her past involvement in the grimy, blood-soaked Mafia underground. Though the story of the rape of her adopted sister Ururu did not strike an immense emotional chord within Ichigo (he had heard and experienced much worse incidents in the past), the ginger-head could clearly see that Rukia remained deeply plagued by such a horrific event.

If Ichigo chose to inform his higher officers of the information he had collected just a couple of days ago, then he would beyond a doubt fall into Shiba's favor and possibly be relocated to a more auspicious location. However, he had to assess the risks of doing such a thing; revealing Rukia-san's personal engagement would place her in an unfavorable, and even dangerous situation, for the bosses would certainly pry her open for more details, and even go so far as to utilize her as an instrument of war.

He could not allow such a possibility to solidify into reality, and as Shiba rose his glass once again to officially "sign the declaration of war", Ichigo firmly decided to force his selfish interests to withdraw and instead focus on the one task assigned to him by the Oyabun himself: protect Rukia-san at all costs.

With that established, the evening reached its conclusion. War was made.


July 9th
Hakone, Japan

Crushing her teeth down into the flesh of her bottom lip, Lieutenant Hiyori Sarugaki dabbed a dampened cotton ball on the tip of her chin to clear up the bruise that had been caused by a conflict with a speeding driver earlier that morning. She cursed under her breath for running into someone with such a mighty fist, and vowed never again to elongate a physical clash, especially since she was the inferior combatant in terms of height compared to most of the hooligans she locked up. Nevertheless, the blonde lieutenant proved herself worthy and capable of police work; after all, she had emerged as the victor after the earlier brawl, despite earning a hideous blemish in return.

"Oh, how I wish you could be more inconspicuous." She mumbled to herself, lamenting over the purple-brown blotch while ignoring the inane grin of Inspector Hirako behind her. Before the blonde man could raise his voice to speak, the lieutenant turned her head and shot a menacing glare in his direction.

"What do you want?"

"My, my, Hiyori dear, you're so uninviting." Shinji smirked, though he cautiously retreated a few steps back to avoid receiving a punch in the chest by a very pissed-off lieutenant. "By the way, nice birthmark you have there."

"Shut up." She snapped, having none of his typical morning shenanigans, and returned her gaze to the mirror. "That imbecile I brought in took me on a high speed chase and nearly killed someone on the road. And, anyway, he resisted arrest, so it was natural for me to put him in his place."

The inspector gave a light-hearted chuckle for applause and sat on her desk. "You certainly gave him a nice beating, my dear. He's down in the infirmary with major injuries to the head -"

"Good." She rudely interjected. "Maybe he'll do society a favor and die."

"Yes, yes, I can feel your anger overpower the room. By the way, dear, I need you to pack up your belongings tonight. We're leaving tomorrow evening -"

"What for?"

"Well," Shinji replied with a yawn; eight in the morning was still too early for him. "That man we were talking about last week, Marechiyo Omaeda, was killed in his apartment in Chiba. I think I recall you labeling him a 'tub of lard.'"

"I remember, but I haven't been able to gather much more information on Mr. Omaeda."

"Mhm, that's perfectly fine. It turns out that Love Aikawa has located the man who killed him. Only problem is that he is in Sapporo, and goes by the code name Murcielago. Other than that, we don't know much else. I think we ought to probe Sapporo for ourselves to figure out this puzzle."

"It might be wise for the Sapporo authorities to take care of this issue themselves." Hiyori remarked, rolling her eyes at the sheer absurdity of Shinji's proposal. "Going to the north without a clue of where this man is is like jumping off a plank into a waterless pool. We can't leave our post here just so you can pursue some stranger who, by the way, might not even be tied to the Mafia. In addition, what are we to do about the expenses along with the risks of putting our people in danger? What will the Chief Superintendent say?"

"Ahh~ How negative of you to say such things," Inspector Hirako whined, yet without a hint of sincerity in his voice. "I am certain I will be able to find him in Sapporo. You, my dear, simply have not yet seen my investigative skills put to the ultimate test, but I can assure you that I am in the Chief Superintendent's favor, and I strongly believe this journey will bring great closure, or at least aid, to our case."

"You mean your case. I, personally, never wanted to get involved with this Mafia business, but you have never once taken time to listen to my professional advice. Not to mention the Keishi-Cho will strangle you -"

Knock.

"Inspector Hirako?" A masculine voice sounded out. "May I enter, please?"

"Yes, come in."

The man who gently twisted open the door knob and entered was none other than Police Sergeant Kensei Muguruma, a stern and strong-bodied, silver-haired man who was noted for his excellent performance in physically-challenging assignments, especially those tied with the Mafia underground. Though his firmly-established reputation brought great pride to the police division, it was no secret that Hiyori Sarugaki held a slight grudge against the Sergeant, who had become Inspector Hirako's right-hand man due to his work in cracking down the toughest drug war cases, and was even rumored to be the next candidate in line to snatch the blonde lieutenant's position.

Still, she tried to be cordial, as much as the corners of her lips could bear.

"Good morning, Muguruma."

"And to you, Lieutenant."

Before turning her attention back to the mirror, Hiyori's eye caught sight of a small suitcase hanging from the grip of the Sergeant's hand, and it was at that point she felt a vein pop.

"Wait a moment." She snapped, approaching the silver-haired man while ignoring the obfuscated look on Shinji's face. "What is that you're holding? A suitcase?"

"Well, yes." He cooly replied.

"What for?"

"Inspector Hirako's team is departing tomorrow for Sapporo. I am leaving this in the building, and I wanted to ask beforehand if I should bring a scarf."

The blonde lieutenant's eyebrow cocked in a manner which demonstrated, very clearly, both her confusion and infuriation at what her superior had organized: a group field trip to Hokkaido - an entirely new prefecture! No, not even that. Hokkaido was another island to the north, completely decapitated from the main police system in Hokane. There was no way to reinforce the team in Sapporo. And to add even more insult, Shinji had notified the rest of his division without telling his own Lieutenant of his outrageous plans first. Before Hiyori could fire a blazing remark at the man (one which would have undeniably hurt his feelings), Shinji slung his arm around Kensei and led him outside to avoid witnessing his Lieutenant begin foaming at the mouth out of pure anger. However, he could not slink out swiftly enough.

"Hirako, this plot is completely nonsensical. Have you any idea of the mess you are diving into?"

"Sarugaki-san, whoa, whoa. Let's calm down here." He chuckled nervously, while simultaneously backing away from his stout, fiery-eyed Lieutenant. "Everyone else is leaving, too, like Lisa and Mashiro -"

"You're taking Mashiro with you?"

"Hiyori -"

"I don't believe this. You are jeopardizing your entire base here in Hakone for the sake of some flimsy operation in Sapporo which you don't even have enough information on. And, by the way, it's July, so why on earth would you want to bring a scarf?"

The blonde inspector let a hearty chuckle rise from his throat, for he simply admired the passion which burned inside Hiyori, and turned to Kensei, smiling, "Bring the scarf anyway. You never know when we might run out of hand cuffs. Oh, and is Rojuro in his office? Tell him to get the wine from the fridge, we're going to celebrate a bit before we take off..."

Shinji's mirthful voice trailed off into the distance as Sergeant Kensei followed him, leaving a fuming Hiyori alone in her office, fists clenched tightly. She didn't even realize her hands cupping into fists until the nails began to penetrate her flesh - quite painfully, too.

"Unbelievable." She murmured.


July 9th
Tokyo, Japan

Nearly every evening since the unwelcome intrusion of the black-haired spy - whom the Kuchiki-gumi investigators still failed to identify - Ichigo Kurosaki had allotted time to pray in the placid vacancy of the mansion's library. Though the organization's deceased Oyabun never placed any religious relics in his home, the Lieutenant nevertheless sought after the peace of an empty room following a harsh day out on the streets of the red-light district, whether it was dislocating a thug's limb or bribing prostitutes to spy on Yakuza rats. There had to be some way to uphold his morality and prevent disillusionment, and he had found a way.

After saying prayer and hoping for the well-being of his family that one particular night, Ichigo turned his heel and ambled out into the private garden, where he sat on a stone bench and listened the voice messages left by his little sisters.

Beep.

"Ne, ne, nii-san. This is Yuzu. I really, really miss you. I hope you can come back soon and visit us. I miss our movie nights. Visit us soon, big brother!"

Beep.

"Hey, Ichigo. Um...I was just wondering when you'll be coming back this month? My soccer game starts in August, so if you're not too busy, I'd like to see you back in Urawa. See ya."

Beep.

"Nii-san, I got a goldfish from dad after my ballet recital! He said it was for being such a good dancer. I hope you can come home so we can feed little Ponyo together! I love you..."

The humid evening air didn't even continue to bother Ichigo after that last message faded; rather, what began to irritate him was his irresponsible neglect of his two precious sisters, who were worth more than all the gems and golden trinkets in the world. He had to wonder, sitting on that bench by his lonesome, if remaining in the Yakuza business was worth living for. Deep down, his romantic, idealistic and heroic self gave a negative response, but - in actuality - Ichigo knew that his life and his family's existence depended on his dirty work, and if any god-forsaken ultimatum compelled him to plunge himself into the grave arms of the underworld to save his father and sisters, he would gladly agree to it.

As he stood up to return to his quarters, a shuffling noise from behind the rose bushes riveted him to the outside air. Walking over to the source of the noise, he was not the least bit surprised when he noticed little Rukia-san in her navy blue tank top and pyjama pants, lying on the grass, dainty fingers gripping onto a glass of grape wine. She opened her eyes, allowing Ichigo to marvel at the twinkle in her lavender orbs under the star light. She smiled.

"Your sisters have cute voices."

"They're young." The Lieutenant replied, his voice as barren as a death-bearing Saharan wilderness. "And what might you be doing out here?"

"Mm. I like to get a little drunk before I go to bed." The black-haired girl shrugged, sitting up and taking a small sip of her shimmering burgundy liquid. "Want some?"

"No thank you, Rukia-san." He refused kindly. "I'm a teetotaler."

"Hah. How unfortunate of you, Kurosaki-san. I might be completely off base here, but you strike me as the most wholesome individual in this entire gang. Why, I've never heard of a mobster who abstained from alcohol until I met you."

"I don't have to explain all the negative effects of alcohol, Rukia-san. It's critical for me to maintain perfect judgement and physical form, elsewise I become something like Renji Abarai. So, alcohol is out of the equation."

Rukia chuckled airily at his clever little response, and felt slightly better knowing that the ginger-haired lieutenant was loosening up his usual self when around her. He took a seat beside her on the patch of grass, and sat with his arms rested on his knees, and eyes turned upward to view the dazzling lights of Tokyo's skyscrapers, along with all the infant glimmers that drifted in the pitch black heavens. Although Rukia was tempted to inch closer to her escort, she refrained from doing so, believing it would come off as intrusive (not to mention somewhat perverse). Instead, she merely turned her head toward him, and slowly breathed in the scent of his cologne which radiated from his skin. Giorgio Armani. She loved it with all her heart.

"Kurosaki-san."

"Yes?"

"I...I want to ask you something. Would that be alright if I do?"

The Lieutenant paused before answering, though he knew his reply would nevertheless be "yes" - simply out of obedience for her; he acted more cautiously, though, quite anxious of Rukia's infamous attitude towards things and her voluminous audacity. "Sure."

"How did you become a Yakuza member?"

"Ah," he sighed, scratching his head. "That's a long story, and reaches very far back into my history."

"Well, I'd love to hear. I'm very curious."

The orange-haired lieutenant nodded and closed his eyes before answering, as if attempting to climb far back enough to recollect and dust off the blurriness of his memories. "Alright. When my father, Isshin, was a young man, he was a rather rogue character, and did a lot of harm to himself and to others. And the only reason he changed his life was because he met my mother. Anyway, I think it's safe to say that he ran around on the streets long enough to one day run into a high ranking member of the Kuchiki-gumi."

"What happened then?"

"He got into trouble." Ichigo continued. "A lot of trouble. The gang threatened to kill him, and would have done so, had he not agreed to make a...quite interesting exchange with the Yakuza."

Rukia blinked, and asked, "What was that exchange?"

"For my father's life he had to promise to give up a child, preferably a boy, to the Kuchiki-gumi once that child reached his eighteenth birthday -"

"Oh my god!" She spoke out loud, suddenly sitting up to meet Ichigo's eyes. "So, you...you've been in the Kuchiki-gumi for seven years...That child was you, Kurosaki-san."

"...Correct."

"Oh my, that's such a long time." The raven-haired girl murmured, amazed at the length of Ichigo's employment in the Mafia business. What stunned her even more was his uncanny ablility to retain his humane self, even in the midst of untamed bloodshed and debauchery - the typical consequences of involving oneself in the underworld. "Your past reminds me of this German fairytale I once read as a young girl - Rumplestiltskin."

The orange-haired man peered at the girl, confused. "I beg pardon?"

"Yeah, your past - your father deciding to give you up before you were born. I can determine that your father wasn't very bright as a young teen, but the miller's daughter wasn't one, either. In the story, she has to spin straw into gold or else the king will kill her, but, of course, she is unable to do so until she meets Rumpelstiltskin. And what he does is he turns all the straw into gold like the king wants, and then she marries the king. Before that, however, she promises to give up her first-born child to Rumpelstiltskin in exchange for his deed. Ah..." Rukia sighed contentedly, somewhat proud of her minor accomplishment in being able to recall the plot of story which she read at six years of age. "That's so amazing, actually. Kurosaki-san, your story is like a fairytale."

"No. It's not; my story is far from a fairytale." The Lieutenant responded, with a glimmer of remorse in his eyes. "There's nothing romantic or beautiful about living such a life - neglecting my family, being part of the underground society, having to beat and hurt people, and scraping away a little bit of my own humanity with each passing day. In fact, I scoff at young people who wish to become like me, because they don't know how much suffering and pain they must first inflict on their loved ones and themselves. All those movies that glorify this type of life are...preposterous, and they make me cringe. But, then again, what would those wealthy, ignorant movie-makers and naive youngsters know about the gang world? I've hurt many people throughout this so-called 'career', all for the sake of paying off my old man's debt to an organization which would be better off dead. I may be lucky that our Oyabun was one of the more humane bosses, but, nevertheless, this is not a life anyone should live."

He paused, turning his head away to peer at the city lights and to avoid Rukia from noticing his saddened complexion, which only became a darker shade of gray after his sentimental, yet honest aria was spilled from his lips; he genuinely hated discussing his past, and felt rather baffled after sharing such intimate details with a girl he only knew for a short while. Rukia, on the other hand, could not speak at all. She was beyond astonished, not only because she had learned so much in such a brusk amount of time - and about the person she cared so much about, strangely enough - but because she was able to somewhat accurately gather the depth of struggle Ichigo had to endure as a young man.

Even after knowing how awfully society perceived him as, and even though the people of the civilized world viewed Ichigo only as a parasite, she could not resist the feeling of closeness rising from her heart.

Rukia stared down at his hand, which had settled on the grass, and wanted - so badly - to hold it, grip it, simply to convey her own understanding of his unfortunate situation and perhaps even bring a bit of solace to his scarred, battered soul. She wished, hoped, he could welcome her physical display of affection, and allow himself to fall deep into her arms and be soothed into a deep slumber that would erase all those horrific blemishes of his past. But, Rukia could not allow herself to do that, and withdrew her own hand to hold it against her bosom. She then asked, "Why don't you leave the Yakuza?"

His initial response was nothing but a dry chuckle. "Unfortunately, I cannot do that. You can say that I am pretty much damned for life, because even if I flee - which my father tried to do while I was growing up - the Yakuza will find me and possibly even kill me for 'high treason.' The only key to my freedom is death, and with this drug war coming, it's plausible that fate will finally grant that key to me."

"But..." Rukia began. "They cannot do that...Ugh, you're a human being, Kurosaki-san. You have the choice of freedom, and you should be free to embrace it."

"No, the Yakuza holds much power in Japan, and the Kuchiki-gumi itself is one of the most powerful criminal syndicates in the country. I am unable to escape; even if I flee Japan and vow never to return, I would put my family in danger." The ginger-head sighed, scratching his head and attempting to keep himself from saying too much. "Anyway, I should go now. I have a busy day tomorrow before I leave Tokyo."

"Hold on a minute." Rukia called out, not wanting her escort to leave quite yet. "Where are you heading off to?"

"It's not something you need to know, Rukia-san."

"No, I think it is." She protested in response. "I have helped you by giving you information on Barragan. You can at least inform me of where you're going to, because I know for certain it's more of a mission rather than another minor assignment."

"Fine. I'm leaving to find a man who Boss Shiba believes has our cargo. That's all, and once I find him, I will be required to return the materials. Afterwards, I'll come back."

"Right. And who might this man be?"

"It has nothing to do with you, I can tell you that. The Headquarters Boss Zaraki and Lieutenant Abarai are the ones leading the operation in Italy. I am going somewhere else, so you must stay here in Tokyo. That, or return to your home in France. I have found another escort to protect you -"

"Excuse me, Kurosaki-san," The raven-haired girl quickly interrupted, and quite angrily, too. "I do not need a baby-sitter to make sure I live. And I most certainly am not going to sit back helplessly like a damsel, nor am I leaving for France, because this involves me, too."

"No." Ichigo firmly replied, having none of her usual stubborness. "You're not going to do anything reckless. I have a sworn duty to protect you, and if anything happens to you I will be unable to forgive myself. Rukia-san, I acknowledge your exceptional abilities as an investigator, but this situation calls for people better suited for a higher degree of danger. I can't put you in this kind of risk."

She had to admit that she admired his chivalry, as well as his display of bravery and willingness to fight for an organization which he, ironically, refused to believe in. Rukia, in short, had to respect the Lieutenant's loyalty to his family - the one precious attachment of his life he was truly willing to battle for. He was not aiming to salvage the "cargo" or whatever the hell the Yakuza generally prized; rather, he only wished to keep his family in safe hands, and also keep true to his word - like a man after her own heart. However, Rukia would not be shaken off so easily.

"You insult me, Kurosaki-san, by calling me an 'investigator.'" She replied without one ounce of insincerity in her tone. "I'll have you know that what I did in revenge of my sister was more than silly investigative work. I wasn't playing cop and following tips from a cheap, two cent handbook. I was involved in espionage because taking down Barragan was war to me, and I refused to allow myself to believe, even for a second, that what I was doing was in any way lopsided. You think that I don't know what it means to risk my life, but I cannot count the number of times I have put myself in death's reach, all for something I believed in. And, quite frankly, I don't know what pisses me off more - you trying to disprove my abilities, or me not being able to kill Barragan even when I stared him in his face."

Ichigo, suddenly puzzled, paused for a moment before asking, "You...what do you mean you stared him in the face? Are you saying that you -"

"Met him? I most certainly did." Rukia said. "He thought I was a delivery girl; an innocent, little maiden who knew nothing about what was happening. And I wanted to so badly shoot him in his fucking face and just get it all over. But, I didn't, and had I known earlier that he would escape from prison after a year, I would have surely killed him on the spot, even if it meant my own death as well."

"It doesn't matter how dedicated you are," Ichigo quickly interjected, before she could continue. " Dedication and belief can only go so far. This war requires -"

"You're talking to me as if I'm a little girl. I'm not, and I know I don't look as though I'm built for this -"

"You're not going with me, Rukia-san. I won't allow it."

"Listen to me." She pressed on, adamantly refusing to allow her argument to be sliced. "I'm not a goddamn pussy, and I will not have you treat me as one. When you imply that I have not experienced danger fly in my face, or that I have never suffered enough to know what is required of completing a task such as this, then you are mistaken."

"Rukia-san, I -"

"Zip it, and let me finish."

The girl inched closer to Ichigo, hoping he would fully absorb everything she was telling him. "I never followed the conventional pathway to get to where I am now. I didn't sit in a classroom to play detective or learn 'Spying 101.' I never picked up a textbook to learn how to crawl through ventilation systems or run from speeding cars. I struggled, just like you, and I learned on my own how to handle the worst of the worst. In a way, our pasts have paralleled, Kurosaki-san, because we both strengthened ourselves through the sheer hardihood of our minds and the fortitude of our abilities. We believed in a cause, and we built ourselves from that. So, don't tell me that I cannot handle risk, because I can assure that I have and am willing to do it again, regardless of how rocky the path to my destination is. As of now, there isn't a single obstacle in my way except you."

...

Silence invaded the air.

In a mere minute, the atmosphere had become unbearably still, and even though Ichigo generally appreciated its peace, this time he felt as though the particles of oxygen themselves were suffocating him. In all honesty, he had to admit that he was trapped between both fear and belief. Yes, he trusted Rukia-san and believed every which fell from her lips, but at the same time could not bring his heart to wholly convince himself that she would emerge out of the drug war with all four limbs in tact - especially if she hitched along as an assistant.

Yet, by the way Rukia looked at him - stared hard, deep, and boldly into his own eyes - Ichigo felt he was beginning to have a change of heart. Perhaps, she would be of great assistance, and bring to the operation something uncanny and unexpected. After all, she had done it before, and adapted rather quickly to dangerous situations even when she flew solo. There must have been a reason Rukia knew how to pick locks and take the news of her formerly clandestine relationship to the Kuchiki-gumi with such impeccable ease. In addition, there must have also been a thousand other reasons as to how Rukia acted so boldly, adapted to life in Tokyo without an ounce of complaint, even climb into the trunk of his car one night without him knowing, and take down a malevolent intruder with a goddamn ballpoint pen of all things - now he knew.

"Well, let's start over, why don't we?" Rukia murmured, clearly more optimistic from the softening of the ginger-haired lieutenant's complexion. "Where are you headed off to?"

"..."

"Well?"

"The city of Sapporo in Hokkaido."

"And who exactly are you after?"

"Someone who may possibly be tied to the man you want." Ichigo replied, rising from his seated position as Rukia followed him. "His name is Ulquiorra Schiffer."

"I see." Rukia replied back, not saying much, though in her heart she most definitely felt an excitement unlike any other create bursting, fire-like sparks withinin her veins for successfully capturing Ichigo's trust; she promised herself to surely cherish it, embrace it unlike any other, and never to betray such a precious, irreplaceable gift. "Well, we'll make sure he falls on his knees. And I suppose I should retrieve my plane ticket for the next evening?"

Ichigo offered her a simple smile; calm and concise, yet the most genuine of any he had ever shown.

"Get packing."

TO BE CONTINUED...


Rukia's such a badass. 8D Love her to death. I can just hear Duran Duran's song "Hungry Like The Wolf" playing in my head. Ulquiorra's going to be in some deep trouble; Ichigo, Rukia, and the Vizards are all on the hunt for him xD

1) Kyodai - "big brothers", I'm guessing they're minor bosses.
2) Onee-sama - "Big Sister", title for the Boss's wife.
3) Keishi-Cho - Chief Superintendent (Police)
4) Yes, I know my writing became more simplified towards the end, but I just wanted to get this chapter done, lol xD Sorry, just thought I should note that.
5) Anyone catch the allusion to Miyazaki's film? :D

Btw, I know that many of you are probably wondering about how the characters in the Yakuza are ranked, so I have composed my own ranking system, starting with the most powerful and influential member at the top. Enjoy, and some may be arbitrarily assigned ;)

1) Byakuya Kuchiki (Oyabun - deceased), Tia Halibel (Onee-sama)
2) Kaien Shiba (Senior Advisor)
3) Kenpachi Zaraki (Headquarters Boss)
4) Grimmjow Jeagerjaques (Regional Boss)
5) Renji Abarai (First Lieutenant), Ichigo Kurosaki (Second Lieutenant)
6) Kyodai (includes Iba and some others not yet mentioned)
7) Junior Bosses
8) Everyone else... ;p

This list will be updated after a while. Remember to please review, and you can talk/discuss anything in the review section. Ask a question, comment about likes/dislikes, make a suggestion for a future chapter, etc. All feedback is much appreciated. Thanks!