A/N: I'm glad that everyone likes my story so far and wants me to continue. I honestly didn't expect to get this far, and appreciate it. Some of the characters might be a little OOC in this chapter, so please forgive me. I haven't even gotten half-way yet.
Disclaimer: The rights to Bleach are not mine.
Today, as Ichigo would put it, started off much better. The primary reason for this was that, mysteriously, there was no stack of paperwork that needed to be done. Both he and his roommate were grateful for that. Soi Fong had explained to him that, due to the traditions of the upcoming event, their normal obligations were relieved up until the tournament itself.
As the young captain entered the fourth division barracks for his lesson with Unohana, he couldn't get out of his mind the unshakable feeling that Rangiku Matsumoto had something planned, but shrugged it off.
Unohana, who was waiting for him, gave her usual motherly smile and prepared for the Kido about to be cast. Impressed with the progress he made yesterday, she decided to up the pace. It was particularly grueling on Ichigo, but he had ended up casting Bakudo up to 15 without incantation, and Hado up to 13 without incantation. She was impressed at his progress, and mused that five people like him could wreck the Gotei 13, and then some.
After he sat down and waited for her approval, she prepared for their daily routine. "Captain Kurosaki, from what you tell me, you are, as they say, 'beating around the bush.' I think you are hiding something, and if you are, I prefer you would tell me now."
"Well, honestly, I would be skipping some stuff, but in my opinion, what happened went like this…"
Flashback:
"…You're never going to master Hakudo if you don't hit me harder, Kurosaki!" Soi Fong ducked under his blow and retaliated, causing him to be knocked back.
It had been a little over a year since they had been sparring together. Ichigo may have had obligations in the world of the living, but he spent his vacations in Soul Society. Their matches seemed to grow on him a little, and he eagerly awaited them like Saturday morning cartoons.
Since they began, while his Hakudo still left something to be desired, his Hoho became noticeably better, and he was almost as proficient as the captain of the second division herself. Despite the fact that Kido was foreign to him, he was becoming a well-rounded fighter.
Probably the most startling facet of their sessions was the fact that he began noticing her. The more he saw her body, the more and more interested he was in her form. While she was petite like Rukia, she had a unique charm the latter lacked. In her own way, she was beautiful, but he knew that she was out of his ballpark entirely, due to the belief that she wasn't the slightest bit interested in members of the opposite gender.
During their time together, he developed a few tricks with his flash steps. Despite the fact that he wasn't necessarily as fast as she, he could still pull one on her. She had barley blocked the blow.
"Let's call it a break for now." She gave him her usual frown.
"Why? I can still go on. I haven't even used my Bankai, and you've yet to use flash cry, so we're just getting warmed up."
"Fine, let's play a game." She grinned, obviously studying Yoruichi. "If you can catch me, we'll do what you want."
"Okay by me." In an instant, he was after her with renewed speed. He activated Bankai to close the gap, but she still managed to outmaneuver him. He wanted to avoid using his hollow powers, especially during a game like this, so he had to improvise. After continuous failures at catching his prey, he hatched an idea.
Suddenly, a Getsuga Tenshou whirled its way behind Soi Fong, while another hit right in front of her. To avoid being hit, she had to alter her direction which gave Ichigo an opening.
In an instant, the game was over, and the substitute had won.
"Congratulations, Kurosaki, you win. Now let's," but she was cut off. It wasn't his words that cut her off, but she probably wouldn't have paid much heed to them. Neither was it his spiritual power that silenced her.
It was his lips that came crashing onto hers.
He had wanted to do this for quite a while now, but he never got the opportunity. He knew that if he just kept the feeling inside of him, it would never happen anyway. When he heard the way she phrased her proposition, he knew then and there that he would do it then. It was unfair, he had thought, that he would be taking advantage of her, and would come to regret this decision.
What shocked him was that Soi Fong wasn't reacting to his audacious move. She wasn't trying to wrestle him off of her, nor was she making disgusted sounds or movements. She was just standing there, motionless.
After a few seconds, he released her. "S-sorry Soi Fong, I just, I just, I don't know…" Embarrassed at how he acted in front of her, he dashed off, which he would hate later on.
End Flashback:
"Well, captain Kurosaki, I think I see the obvious problem there." Unohana had sagely come to her conclusion.
"I wish it were that simple, but it's not. There's more to the story than that."
'There's more?' "I need to digest this information for now, captain Kurosaki. If you don't mind, please tell me tomorrow."
"I will, thank you, captain Unohana." As he left the barracks, Ichigo felt a small burden being lifted off his shoulders.
It was a peaceful day in the world of the living, and Sajin Komamura was enjoying his vacation. He was nearly undistinguishable, due to the fact that he had taken on a Gigai resembling an Akita. Although he couldn't view everything, he still enjoyed the sights and sounds it had.
As he rummaged through trash with local mutts, he noticed two strange-looking men walking the streets of Karakura Town. These men stood out, due to the fact that they were dressed much differently than the locals. Curious, he followed them.
After noting their conversations, it became clear that they were speaking an unfamiliar language. Although he picked up on some of their words, most were indecipherable. He followed them into a back alley, hoping they weren't up to no good.
They suddenly stopped and turned to each other. One took out an object, which resembled a dog, but had an object tied to its paw. "Yo dawg! This is a dog walking the dog, dawg!" He let the object fall to the ground, but it stopped just for touching earth. It stayed like that for a while, as he extended his toy for the other man to gaze in awe.
The other man unveiled what appeared to be a dog plushy. "Yo dawg! We heard you liked dogs, so we put a dog in your dog so you can walk the dog with your dog, dawg!" True enough, upon opening the toy, a miniature puppy could be seen on the tongue.
"Hey, 'dawgz,' this is a dog talking the dog, 'dawg.'" The vacationing captain finally chose to speak up, trying to play along with these strange men who apparently knew how to talk to animals.
Both men turned to face Komamra, who was sitting down and wagging his tail. He didn't know why, but their blue leggings had just darkened, even though the particular area was covered by drooping, white shirts. "W-w-what was t-t-that, d-d-dawg?" The first one said.
"I-I-I don't know, d-d-dawg, but m-maybe it would be c-c-cool to bail." The other had replied, just as terrified as his 'dawg.'
"What, never seen a talking dog before, 'dawg?'" Komamura let out a sigh, and got up from his spot.
"Run, dawg, run! I should have believed the rumors when this place was said to be haunted!" Sure enough, both men had spilled out into the streets, and took off. They agitated many onlookers, especially when one had tripped over his pants, revealing his stained boxers. Upon closer inspection, they were at least three sizes too big for him.
"Crazy Americans," was all that could be heard from a local shopkeeper. The wolf-like Shinigmani sighed, and decided to see a dog show.
As he walked back to his barracks, Ichigo was flanked by snickers on all sides. 'That's strange, what is so funny? Did Mayuri get some of his makeup on Byakuya?'
As the gates to the third division grounds came into view, a familiar pair became visible. One had red hair in a ponytail; the other had short black hair, with a stay bang between her eyes.
"Oh hey, Ichigo, so have you been busy lately?" The taller one was rather snide, obviously hinting at something.
"Well yes, Renji, you should know all about it, captains have tons of paperwork."
"Ah, so in the world of the living, you call it paperwork, eh? How much paperwork have you and your lieutenant been doing?"
"Well, initially we had tons of it, but she ended up dominating it. Eventually, we had less and less, and today we didn't have any."
"Sucks to be you," this time, he was cut off by the short woman beside him.
"Idiot!" She spoke. "You actually believe that crap? What are the odds that those two would- oh I mean, Ichigo, you aren't doing anything with your lieutenant, are you?" While she was speaking, the short woman was beating on the red-head that clearly enjoyed his own sense of humor, alternating between outbursts of laughter and pain.
"What do you mean by that Rukia? What was Renji talking about? What would make you think that Soi Fong and I are doing anything?"
"Take a look at this, it was published this morning." She held up a flyer titled "Special Issue: Smitten on the Seireitei" by captain Hisagi. Curiosity got the better of him and he read down.
"We bring you a special bulletin from our inside sources. As you are all aware, the charismatic captain Kurosaki was believed to not have his sights set on any woman until just recently. From a reliable source, we have reason to believe that he is seeing Soi Fong, who was recently demoted to his lieutenant due to bad behavior."
'Rangiku,' he thought. 'We'll need to talk later.' He read on.
"Lieutenant Soi Fong, who had been believed to have had her sights set on the reinstated captain Shihoin, shocked everyone by making public acts of her affection, as our reliable contact reported, to her captain. If he can do this to the most stubborn woman in the Seireitei, who knows what other wonders the new captain of the third division could work?"
Ichigo wanted to stop reading then and there, but he wanted to read on, hoping that it was all a joke, and that the worst had passed.
How wrong he was.
"Captain Kurosaki allegedly confirmed this, and from some reports, whole-heartedly. The only one even more ecstatic about it was his "lieutenant," who claimed that 'he's my captain, in public and private!'"
Finally, Ichigo realized what Renji was getting at, and was completely flustered at how he handled it. "You damned pervert! If I wasn't so pissed at Rangiku, I swear!"
"Relax Ichigo, it's not like anyone's going to believe that Ms. 'anti-social' will ever let herself fall for anyone other than her precious 'lady Yoruichi.'" The now-bruised captain of the fifth division had attempted to calm his friend down, but what happened next would make that more difficult.
"What the hell, Ichigo! How dare you confirm such libel about 'us?' There isn't even an 'us!' You're in for it now!" On cue, the woman of their conversation appeared in front of the barracks, dead-set on axing her captain in front of the captain and lieutenant of Squad 5.
"We'll, you can spare us the graphic details. I hope you enjoy your 'punishment' you naughty boy." Renji knew what was coming, and was about to leave, but was stopped by the last thing he expected to hear.
"Bakudo number 9: Geki!" Ichigo decided that now was better than never to apply what he learned over the past couple of days. It paid off, as the man covered in tattoos was engulfed in a red light, unable to move. "If I'm going to get it, so are you."
"Are you going to castigate him for this, Head-Captain? He attacked another captain, but,"
"Normally I would, captain Ukitake, but seeing as his Kido sessions have made such a noticeable effect on him, and so quickly, I feel that we should let him off the hook, just this once."
"Do you mind if I tell her, then?"
"Not at all, captain Ukitake."
"Ah! Attack of the angry housewife! Run for the hills! Save me! Save me!" Renji tried, and failed, to break out of Ichigo's binding spell. Rukia was laughing at his misfortune.
"Well, I hope you learned your lesson. If you excuse me, the fifth division needs at least one of us in one piece." She had walked away from the scene of the crime by the time Soi Fong was in earshot.
"I swear Ichigo; I can never forgive you for what you did to me! As for you," She pointed to the bound captain, who had been released from one binding spell, to fall victim to another. "Get lost: now, or i'll make you regret ever uttering lady Yoruichi's name ever again!"
Not needing another word, he took off as if there were no tomorrow. Her attention was now diverted to the other captain. "Uh, Soi Fong, I can explain. I didn't plan on this happening, it was Rangiku."
"I don't really care anymore; I just want to drill the men." Soi Fong had turned to the barracks, and kept her composure. Ichigo, not needing another reminder, sped up to her and walked beside her.
"Greetings, captain Kurosaki. We were busy while you were gone. Our Hakuda and Hoho have improved noticeably, thanks to lieutenant Soi Fong." Kiyomi informed Ichigo of what was happening while he was out. Soi Fong had apparently overseen the third division go under intensive drills that were used only by the Onmitsukido. Despite the fact that she was no Kido master, and that their Zanjutsu paled in comparison to the eleventh division's, the petite woman's guidance more than made up for it.
As they continued to hone their abilities, captain and lieutenant were immersing in conversation. Although there was much berating on the latter's part, the former had grown accustomed to it, and after discussing his memories with Unohana, he felt guiltier for what he did.
"Their skills are superb, Soi Fong," the captain analyzed. "Do you think that they will be good enough in time? I have faith in them, but I never really got the chance to know them and what they can do."
"I'm not completely sure, their speed and strength are on par with them, and their Kido surpasses them, but their Zanjutsu…"
"I feel a bit guilty for putting such a burden on them: I should have waited and bonded with them before this. I promise that I will get to know them better when this is over with."
"That's admirable, Ichigo, but you need to remember that it isn't uncommon to lose multiple Squad members quite often. You should be prepared to lose many of them, so don't get attached to any of them."
This caused him to go into deep thought. He wanted to be able to protect everyone he cared about, especially after losing his mother to the Grand Fisher. Not feeling any guilt for losing anyone he came to know was completely out of character for him. Thinking about guilt made him remember something he wanted to get off his chest.
"Listen, Soi Fong, I want to talk to you about something…" Suddenly, an explosion could be heard from the rear of the room. The third seat had been on the wrong side of a failed Kido blast and was lying on the ground, covered in soot and coughing profusely.
"Kiyomi, what happened?" Her captain spoke urgently, showing so signs of taking Soi Fong's advice to heart, and cradled her head.
"H-hado # 31…" She had passed out soon after. The rest of the third division looked on in awe at the situation. Eventually, one of them had the idea of getting her over to the fourth division immediately, and a team of them took her away.
"Ok, that's enough for one day. It's getting late, so everyone can rest, but tomorrow, we are hitting the ground running. Understood?"
"Yes, captain!" The mass of Shinigami had dispersed, leaving Ichigo and Soi Fong alone. The latter had chosen to approach the former, who sighed.
"So, what did you want to talk about? I'm all ears."
"Well, I want to go to our office first. I want some privacy, after all."
The day was just about over, the sun just about to set, and most Shinigami were getting ready to either retire for the evening, revel in any planned festivities, or were just taking over for their graveyard shift. There were some exceptions, however.
A lone figure was hopping the rooftops of the Seireitei. While the figure in question was unidentifiable, all that could be made out was an odd blur.
Meanwhile, at the fourth division barracks, Jushiro Ukitake had chosen to give Unohana a personal notification of the event that had transpired earlier in the day. To anyone who didn't know her, she looked as if she expected his arrival.
"Good evening, captain Ukitake, what brings you to my office?"
The white-haired man sighed, and he took a seat opposite of the kind woman. "In case you aren't aware, captain Kurosaki attacked captain Abarai soon after he left your office."
The captain of the fourth division was aware that those two knew each other, but she didn't think that it would escalate into violence. "I see, but if it were a normal offense, you wouldn't have come to me personally, now would you?"
"Perceptive, as always, Unohana." He gave her his famous smile. "In this particular incident, captain Abarai agitated captain Kurosaki about certain rumors going throughout the Seireitei, and his response was Kido: Bakudo #9 to be exact."
Unohana's eyes widened only so slightly, and very briefly. "I see, he has indeed taken my instructions to heart. I'm proud of him. Would you care for some tea, captain Ukitake?"
"It would be a pleasure to have tea with you." The most, by the eleventh division's standards, terrifying captain of the Gotei 13 had taken out her tea and prepared for a long conversation with her good friend.
It had been 3 days since the request had been made, and the lieutenant's chambers had yet to have begun to undergo restoration, not that neither captain nor lieutenant minded, but they would never admit it. Over the last few days, they had to make a few accommodations for their new quarters.
One such change was a Kido that Ichigo had leaned from Unohana, who picked it up from Hachigen Ushoda, which could soundproof an entire room. Because he had yet to master such a spell, it could only work on two-thirds of the room at any given time. He chose to leave the window-side and floor untouched, due to the thought that nobody would approach either side.
The young captain had sat down in his chair, while his lieutenant had chosen to stand, arms folded.
"So, Ichigo," she spoke, "now that we're alone, and in a soundproofed room at that, what was it you were trying to tell me?"
"Well," but he was cut off by someone he didn't expect to see, at least at this hour.
"Good evening my little bee, and," the figure moved to the captain's desk, sitting on it with legs folded, "hello Ichigo."
"Knock it off, Yoruichi, can't you see that I'm busy?" He really wanted to talk to Soi Fong right now, and was worried that he would eventually lose his chance.
"Aw, come on, don't you have time for me, my dear Ichigo?" She purred, which psychologically paralyzed the young man.
"Lady Yoruichi, what are you doing here at this hour? What about the division?" The petite woman chose to make her presence known, and was curious as to why her former mentor was acting this way.
"Oh don't worry about them, my bee; they've been drilled the same way that I drilled them over 100 years ago. As for Omaeda, he's receiving 'special training.'"
Another large thud could be heard within the second division barracks. At first, the Onmitsukido was bothered by the constant pounding, but after a while, they had grown used to it and went on with their business.
Most of the barracks was spotless, as per their captain's orders. Although their replacement captain had an open-door policy, a room was locked firmly, and reinforced by a double-sided Kido.
Inside the room, a large, burly man was hopping. Upon closer inspection, his Zanpakuto was nowhere to be seen, his arms extended above his head, and his mouth taped shut. His hands, too, were draped in special gloves, and it appeared that he was unable to touch his face for some unfathomable reason.
Muffled groans could be heard from him as he hopped up and down towards the ceiling, which contained his rice crackers, his secret stash of rice crackers, and all of his favorite jewelry, just out of reach for even his most audacious leaps and bounds.
"That was brilliant, lady Yoruichi. He needs to lose the weight, or he'd be no use as my lieutenant."
"It wasn't that hard, he isn't exactly the brightest bulb in the closet, you know. Anyway, I just wanted to check up on my two favorite students, and maybe get creative." The goddess of flash gave a suggestive wink to Ichigo.
"What do you mean by that?" He wanted to know if she was teasing, like always, or her 'strange behavior' meant something else.
"Oh, come now Ichigo, you're alone, in a room with two beautiful, youthful girls, and you don't know what I mean?"
"Bug off, Yoruichi, there's more to life than that, besides, I don't appreciate you sitting on my desk, so sit somewhere else." At this point, Soi Fong would have openly slapped him for his disrespect, but what happened next froze her to her core.
Before either captain or lieutenant knew what happened, the visiting leader of the Onmitsukido had straddled the former, who was greatly irritated. However, the lieutenant's reaction was more amusing, she thought, as the woman had a look in her eyes of hurt, jealousy, and sadness.
"Lady Yoruichi, I don't think that Ichigo is enjoying your intimacy very much." Although he couldn't pick up on it, the goddess of flash knew that what she really meant was 'with all due respect, get off of my man.'
Seeing as her work was done, Yoruichi had gotten up with a satisfied look on her face. "Well, that's enough teasing for one night. I better get going; I don't want that stumbling lieutenant falling through the floor. I wouldn't want to explain that to the interior designer." She had prepared to leave, when she gave one last glace at the two of them, and left.
Yoruichi had flash stepped at the speeds she was known for, and eventually ended up at her favorite space beneath Sokyoku Hill. Waiting for her was Urahara Kisuke: a big surprise.
"Well, Yoruichi, has operation S.M.A. been a success?" Fanning himself like he always did, the shopkeeper revealed a concealed object in the palm of his hand. Operation S.M.A., or Sexual innuendo, Molestation, and Arrogance, had been thoroughly mapped out to the last scrupulous detail, despite the rather ease of the plan. While it wasn't vital, giving that lazy lieutenant a workout was a plus.
"Yes, Kiskue, but I regret hurting my bee like that. She looks up to me so much, and to steal him from her, it's just unforgivable. I don't think I can go through with the next part: it's just too much."
"That's a shame, you thought up such a brilliant plan, and yet you're afraid of the consequences." He snapped his fan shut, giving his old friend a serious look. "Just remember who you're doing this for, isn't that why you started these shenanigans in the first place?"
"You have a point, but what if it doesn't work out? Not only will she be all alone, but our relationship will be broken beyond repair. What if we miscalculated?"
"Don't worry, Yoruichi," he patted his object rather contently. "It will be just fine."
After she took off to her division, he thought of what he wanted to say, but couldn't bring to utter. 'There are much more important things to worry about: I just hope that he isn't in over his head when the time comes.'
A/N: Please review for this chapter. So you aren't confused, I may add some subplots that have no overall impact on the main plot, so I hope it doesn't annoy any of you.