Say hi to the update xD

School is eating my brain….. I can't write anymore T.T

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"That can't be right! Ishida-kun would never do that!"

Orihime's clearly disbelieving voice rang clearly in his mind. Although he hadn't wanted to break the news to Inoue and Chad, he felt that, they, of all people had the right to know.

Physically, he was in the classroom, but nothing the teacher was saying seemed to register to him. Still torn between the choice to drop either his training or his friend, He was moving further and further away from a decision the longer he thought about it.

Both options had their downsides. Dropping his training could affect the entire outcome of the war, but abandoning his friend would eat at his conscience for the rest of his life. Either way, he wouldn't be able to forgive himself.

The final bell rang and he started to pack.

"I-chi-go!!!" Keigo shouted while attempting to jump on him. Stepping unconsciously out of the way, he watched as Keigo crashed into a row of desks. Not even in the mood to be angry anymore, he just walked away; ignoring his friend's bewildered face.

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Returning home after another futile search, he stalked into his room and collapsed on his bed dejectedly. So lost in his thoughts was he that he didn't hear the window sliding open, nor did he notice the two people who had just entered his room; at least until a fist descended on his head.

"Oi! Are you even listening to us?!" a female voice rang out.

Sitting up, his eyes widened in surprise as in saw the two familiar faces in front of him. However, something about their serious expressions told him it wasn't going to be a pleasant visit.

"Rukia, Renji, What are you doing here?" he finally managed, his mouth feeling unnaturally dry.

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"That idiot!"

Ichigo was tearing down the street. He didn't care that it was late, or that it was freezing cold that night. Blood pounded in his ears as the information he had just heard echoed inside his head.

"The balance of souls has been placed in jeopardy again. Large numbers of hollows that have been appearing recently have been completely destroyed. With the war fast approaching, Soul Society can't afford anymore problems." Rukia had explained quickly.

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He turned around the corner into the empty park. Cursing loudly, he doubled back and continued searching. Where the hell could he be?!

."That doesn't mean shit! You can't say it's him just from that!" Ichigo had argued.

"Do you really think we would do something like that?" Renji had interjected.

Ichigo didn't even know how to argue back, but his clearly confused expression prompted them to go on.

"A team from the technological bureau that was recently dispatched to a battle site obtained some leftover spirit particles. The results that came in showed that it matched Ishida's."

"Ichigo, he's in serious trouble… "

After that point Ichigo didn't wait to hear more. Before he knew it, he had jumped out of the window and was bolting down the street…

"What the hell does he think he's playing at pulling some stupid move like that?!"

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Ever since they had returned from Hueco Mundo, although he didn't tell anyone, Ishida had refrained from finishing off the hollows he faced, leaving the final blow to his shinigami counterpart. Ichigo knew he was doing it to avoid trouble, so what the hell was going on now?

"We'll try to delay his capture for a bit, but you have to do it fast!" Rukia has called after him.

That one beacon of hope was enough for him.

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He wasn't completely confident that his plan was going to work, but he figured that, no matter how late, Ishida had to come home at some point. As he came to a stop in front of the dimly lit apartment block. He took a deep breath and made his way up to the Quincy's unit. Now, all he could do was wait…

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Looks like he had been right all along. Although arrow after arrow aimed at the older Quincy's vital spots had been dodged cleanly, the look of surprise it had drawn from him was satisfying enough.

The training session ended quickly enough, but, instead of the usual look of irritation Ishida had grown accustomed to, he saw a look of satisfaction, creep over Ryuuken's features. Strangely enough, Ishida suddenly felt a sense of accomplishment flood his body, but the lingering uneasiness in the pit of his stomach still remained.

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Since the beginning, he knew that his actions would lead into trouble sooner or later, but he wasn't turning back. Quincy powers completely destroyed hollows, he had known this from the start, and after that first fateful trip to Soul Society, having lost his powers, he did not have a reason to dwell on that. However, now was a completely different case.

Raising his arm out in front of him, he looked at the cross dangling from his wrist. If his mind was truly made up, why was he still so confused?

All of a sudden, an ominously familiar reaitsu invaded his senses. Jerking his head upwards, he felt his mind go numb as it slowly got closer. How could he have missed it?! As the familiar figure approached, he felt like running, but he had somehow lost control of his body. When the figure came to a stop, Ishida gulped, feeling a huge sense of dejavu.

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Plot bunnies have been evading me so far so I'm sorry if the chapter stinks