Yumi could not believe what she had just heard. "What are you talking about?!" She cried.

"You heard me," Uryuu stated a little more maliciously than was necessary. "He was murdered nearly seven years ago."

Yumi's eyes looked as if they were about to bulge out of their sockets when she received such unwanted news from her new classmate about the death of her master. Could she really even call him that? She only trained with him for a short time.

Uryuu and Ichigo were surprised when unnoticed tears started to creep from her eyes. A panicked look soon crossed her face, and her breath started to quicken. What the hell had all this effort been for over the last nine years? What was she supposed to do now?

"You're lying!" Yumi shouted at Uryuu. "Ishida Soken was a great man and a powerful Quincy! No one could defeat him!"

Uryuu glared at Yumi and spat back, "And how would you know that?! Where in the Hell were you when he was killed?" Uryuu waited for an answer, but in her panicked state Yumi did not give one. Uryuu persisted with his attack on Yumi, angry that this girl would presume to know his grandfather in such a way. "How dare you speak of my grandfather as if you knew him! I refuse to believe that my grandfather entrusted the Quincy arts to you!"

"Ishida that's enough," Ichigo chided uncharacteristically, but the look of panic mixed with desperation on Yumi's face struck him.

"Stay out of this Kurosaki," Uryuu snapped at the Substitute-Shinigami, but Ichigo wouldn't have it and stepped between Uryuu and Yumi.

"That's enough Ishida," Ichigo stated with a firm tone. "We have no idea who this girl is and what she's after," Ichigo stated and then turned toward Yumi and said, "For all we know you've lied to us about everything since we first met you."

The look on Yumi's face turned from one of desperation to one of guilt. She hadn't planned to make any sort of connection with anyone while she was in Karakura, but her stay had gone longer than she had intended and now she knew why. She felt the eyes of her two classmates on her as she lost herself in her thoughts.

Over the past few years, since her family had moved them to Komae, Yumi had prided herself on the fact that she had continued to practice the lessons Soken had taught her in the brief time she had known him. She worked hard every day meditating to keep her reiastu in check, training with her Quincy bow, and training at her mother's martial arts studio. She thought back to the many hours she spent after school in the Track Club, the Gymnastics Club, the Swim Club and the Archery Club, working hard to increase her stamina, endurance and agility. But it wasn't enough. She had had too many close calls with Hollows to count, and she wasn't nearly as adept at reading reiatsu. Despite the disadvantages she was always on the move ever since her sister was killed: Yumi didn't know how to stop and now here she was faced with a dead end and nowhere to go.

With that thought Yumi's mind started to race at the prospect of being unable to get revenge for her sister's death and her breath became short once again. She had never thought about what would happen if she couldn't find Soken. She had never contemplated that she wouldn't be able to finish what she had set out to do so many years ago. The world spun around as Yumi attempted to regain control over her emotions in silence. But it was too much and she collapsed.

Uryuu and Ichigo, who had been momentarily distracted by Keigo and Mizuiro showing up with Ichigo's body, started when they saw Yumi drop to the pavement. All four hurried over to Yumi and Uryuu immediately bent down to turn her over.

"What happened to her?" Mizuiro asked as Uryuu checked Yumi over. The three boys watched their classmate as he took her wrist in his left hand and looked to the watch on his right, timing her pulse.

"I volunteer to give her mouth to mouth!" Keigo shouted excitedly as he attempted to push past Ichigo, who had resumed his corporeal form. Ichigo held up his arm, clothes-hanging Keigo before he could reach the unconscious Yumi.

"What's wrong with her Ishida," Ichigo asked, pulling Keigo into a head lock.

"It looks as if she's fainted," Uryuu stated observing Yumi, taking in her pale complexion. "We should probably take her to the hospital."

"We can take her to my father's clinic, it's closer," Ichigo stated as he released the struggling Keigo. "You two should head to school and let everyone know what's going – especially Ochi-sensei so we don't get in trouble."

"We'll see you later," Keigo stated. Mizuiro nodded and the two boys continued on their way to school.

Ichigo reached down and picked Yumi up off the ground as if she were nothing. He remarked as much to Uryuu who followed him in silence. Despite the predicament Yumi was in, Uryuu would not yield the scowl on his face.

"I hope you know that this is your fault," Ichigo chided.

"How the Hell is this my fault exactly?" Uryuu asked, annoyed. "She's the one who's been lying to us for nearly a month. She's the one who is disgracing my grandfather's memory!"

"You didn't have to talk to her like you did!" Ichigo bit back. "Didn't you see the look on her face when you told her your grandfather was dead?"

Uryuu didn't answer, so Ichigo continued his lecturing.

"It's like her whole world came crashing to a halt," he stated uncharacteristically and then remarked off-handedly, "You're such an asshole! Usually it's me who's shooting first and asking questions after the fact. But the minute you saw that she was a Quincy you were all too ready to attack her."

"You know as well as I do that all of the Quincies, except for me, my father and my grandfather were wiped out over 200 years ago by those barbarians that you choose to associate yourself with!"

Ichigo turned suddenly toward Uryuu and eyeballed him.

"All but the Vandenreich," Uryuu corrected himself and then explained, "Which is why I went on the defensive with her."

"So, she drew her bow first is what you're saying?"

Uryuu scowled at Ichigo knowing full-well that his question had been rhetorical. They continued briefly in silence as Uryuu contemplated the newest situation in which they found themselves and the multitude of questions that begged to be asked. Who was this girl? What clan or family did she belong to? Why exactly was she in Karakura? What this immense spiritual pressure coming from her?

It almost feels like…Uryuu thought but then quickly brushed off the thought before it could go any further.

"Hey old man," Ichigo hollered as he walked through the automatic doors to his father's clinic. Walking over to a gurney, Ichigo deposited a still unconscious Yumi upon it. He was suddenly aware of the wetness around her eyelashes and the dark circles under them.

Uryuu slouched in a corner and rolled his eyes when Ichigo yelled for his father a second time. Finally the elder Kurosaki appeared with a questioning look on his face. "What are you doing here? You should be at school….Don't tell me you've resorted to delinquency in your boredom?!"

"Would you shut the hell up!" Ichigo yelled. "I'm not skipping dumbass! We brought you a patient," Ichigo stated pointing at Yumi. Isshin raised an eyebrow, indicating the need for further explanation as he approached the unconscious girl. Ichigo sighed and continued, "This is one of our classmates. She transferred to Karakura High almost a month ago."

Isshin nodded, indicating to Ichigo the he was listening as he took Yumi's pulse.

"She and Ishida seemed to have gotten into a fight…" Isshin looked up from his watch and looked at the Quincy with eyebrow raised.

"You can cease with the theatrics Kurosaki," Uryuu scoffed from his position in the corner. Pushing himself off the wall he walked toward the gurney. "She claims to be a Quincy in search for my grandfather."

Isshin's expression did not betray the surprise which he was feeling.

Both Uryuu and Ichigo nodded. Isshin simply shook his head. "I'm afraid this isn't my department at all. I've known very few Quincy in my day…What's her name anyway?" Isshin asked as he turned in his chair to retrieve something from a nearby drawer.

"Keisotsu Yumi," Ichigo replied and was shocked as his father fumbled with whatever he had in his hand before clamping his hand back over the tiny object. Something else which caught Ichigo off guard was the fact that he could've sworn he heard his father gasp as soon as he told him her name.

"That's not a Quincy name I recognize," Isshin stated as he turned around, revealing his usual stoic self which he displayed as a doctor. "I think you should speak with your father on the matter," he stated looking directly at Uryuu, who looked aghast at the idea of asking his father for anything. Isshin simply shrugged and then he unscrewed the cap off of the small vile which he had retrieved in the drawer and waved it in front of Yumi's nose. After a few moments the girl grimaced and turning her head away from the offending scent she opened her eyes slowly. Yumi quickly started when she found herself in unfamiliar surroundings.

"It's alright, I'm a doctor," Isshin said kindly. "I'm Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father. He brought you here after you collapsed on the way to school." Isshin felt it was necessary not to let on more than he knew for he didn't want to risk alarming the girl.

Yumi nodded and slowly sat up on the gurney with Isshin's aid. She rested her head in her hand as she collected her thoughts. "My head feels like I've been hit with a bag of bricks."

"Well you certainly dropped like a bag of bricks after you fainted," Ichigo stated causing Yumi to blush profusely.

"Do you hurt anywhere else?" Isshin questioned.

Yumi shook her head. "No I'm fine thank you," she stated solemnly and then she turned to Ichigo. "Thank you for your help, I'm sorry for the inconvenience."

"Don't worry about it," Ichigo stated and then glared at Uryuu, who remained quiet.

"You're going to have to take it easy for a couple of days my dear. I have no doubt this fainting spell was brought on by exhaustion and stress. Is there someone I can call for you?" Isshin asked kindly.

Yumi shook her head, saying nothing else to elder Kurosaki.

Isshin simply sat back in his chair with his arms folded across his chest. "Okay then," he shrugged. "But I must insist that you go home and rest immediately and to make sure you do I'll have these two escort you directly."

All three students were about to protest when Isshin held up his index finger. "I'll call the school and explain the situation," he stated and then turned to Ichigo. "After you get Yumi home you should be able to make it in time to finish off your morning classes."

Ichigo nodded and held out a hand to assist Yumi off the gurney. She nodded in thanks and proceeded to exit the clinic, but not before locking eyes with Uryuu and giving him a hard glare. Uryuu turned his nose up at the girl and followed her out of the room. Ichigo simply shook his head at the two and was about to follow him when his father took him by the arm.

"Dad?" Ichigo questioned.

"Make sure she goes straight to bed Ichigo and that she doesn't exert herself," Isshin stated.

Ichigo raised an eyebrow at his father's concern. What he said to Yumi and now to him was more than just his usual cautionary note. Instead, the vibe that he was getting from his father was that Isshin seemed to be genuinely worried about the girl. "Is there something I should know about dad?"

Isshin shook his head. "I don't know yet. But I do know that this girl was not born a Quincy and I'm afraid the energy she's using as a Quincy may be taking its toll on her."

"How would you know if she was born a Quincy?"

Isshin grinned at his son. "Like I said, I've been doing this a long time. After a while you can tell who's who by reading their spiritual pressure," he stated and then smacked Ichigo upside the head. "Which would be something useful for you to work on. Now get out of here!" He stated practically pushing Ichigo out the door.

As soon as Ichigo was out the door and clearly out of ear shot, Isshin's happy go lucky expression faded into a serious one. The seasoned shinigami made his way slowly toward the phone at his desk. He sat down and stared at it for what seemed like forever before reaching a hand behind his neck to massage it out of frustration. Sighing he pulled open the top drawer, exposing a well used address book. He flipped through its pages until he found the desired numbers he would need. He dialed the first one with ease and waited as it rang. It wasn't very often he used the phone to call his old friend, but in this situation the matter couldn't seem to wait.

"I know how you like to make an appearance, so what is such an emergency that you would forgo harassing me in person?" a suave voice stated over the phone.

"I had a visitor today that I think you need to know about," Isshin stated. The voice on the other end of the phone remained impatiently silent. "It was a certain young girl claiming to be a Quincy and the disciple of your father."

Isshin could feel the tension through the phone as Ryuuken processed the information given to him. Isshin wondered what the Quincy would do and honestly, he thought Ryuken wouldn't do a damn thing but remain as stoic as ever.

"What concern is that of mine?" Bingo! Right on!

"She had a little run in with your son this morning. I think there is something wrong with her powers – as if they're unstable," Isshin stated with concern.

"Of course they would be," Ryuken replied dryly and without any hint of emotion.

Isshin simply shook his head. "Just keep an eye on her, please. If not for me than do it for Kanae."

"Tch," Ryuken sneered over the phone. "You leave her out of this."

"Ryuken, I'm not joking. She doesn't have a proper handle on these powers."

After what seemed like a life time of silence had passed between the two Ryuken responded with "I'll look into it" before abruptly hanging up the phone.

"Well that wasn't hard at all," Isshin stated as he looked at the receiver. He sighed as he placed the phone back on the receiver. He thought about how there actually wasn't a single ounce of sarcasm in his voice as he picked up the receiver and began to dial another number.

"Hello?" A kind voice asked on the other end of the line.

"Yojin, it's me," Isshin stated.

"Isshin! How did you get this number?" Yojin questioned. At the exclamation of his name by the other man, Isshin heard the crash of a dish breaking on the floor.

"Kisuke gave it to me a long time ago," Isshin admitted. Yojin sighed on the other end. "I'm calling to let you know Yumi's been here."

"What do you mean? Is she alright?" Yojin asked frantically. "Isamu said that she looked tired. Has she gotten hurt?"

"No she's fine, just a bit of a fainting spell. Ichigo and a friend were helping her out," Isshin stated and then did a double take. "You mean you know she's in Karakura?!"

"Yes, we sent Isamu to keep an eye on her after she took off a few weeks ago," Yojin stated sadly. "We figured she'd be going back to Karakura." After a moments silence passed between the two Yojin finally spoke up. "For whatever reason Isshin, she needs to do this. She's been dwelling in the past too long and I think she needs closure so we're staying out of it. Please keep an eye on her."

"Does that mean you know about the Quincy powers as well?" Isshin asked.

"Yeah," Yojin stated. "They're becoming increasingly unstable. She didn't have time to finish her training with Soken before he was killed. I take it you've already spoken with Ryuken."

"Yeah, and I don't think he'll be much help to her. You know how he's been since Kanae…"

"Yeah," Yojin stated, cutting off Isshin before he could finish. More silence between the two men.

"Wait," Isshin stated. "I think there might be someone else who could help her out."

"Who?"

"Soken's grandson."