Chapter 2: He has Awakened

"Ichigo?"

Ichigo slowly opened his eyes. Rukia wasn't on top of him but sitting beside him. She stared directly into his eyes, violet to amber. Ichigo could swear some blush escaped to his face. "Are you okay?" Rukia asked.

Ichigo tried to sit up but almost down again until Rukia grabbed a hold on his shoulders almost taking her down with him. He propped himself up with one elbow and rubbed the back of his head. "Man…why the hell does back of my head hurt like hell?" he questioned himself.

Rukia tried to feel the back of his head. "I don't feel anything. What happened?" she asked. The tone of her voice was frightened yet concerned. "I…I don't remember." Was Ichigo's reply. Rukia helped him up and put his arm around her so she could help him walk. "S…something's here." Ichigo managed to say.

"What? What's here?" Rukia asked. Ichigo didn't speak for a moment. "I…I don't know." He said. As soon as Rukia and Ichigo were out of the cave Renji and Sakamoto walked up to them in worry. "What happened?" Sakamoto exclaimed.

"We don't' know. I just came recently and Ichigo can't remember." Rukia explained. Renji crossed his arms. "It looks like the kid saw a ghost or something." He retorted. Rukia rolled her eyes and walked over to captain Hitsugaya.

"When were we instructed to leave?" She asked. Hitsugaya turned towards her. "What happened to him?" he asked. Rukia shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry captain, I'm not quite sure."

Hitsugaya turned to face Rangiku. "Rangiku, call in and report to the head captain we're ready to return back to soul society." He called. Rangiku nodded.

* * * *

Back at soul society Ichigo rested against the wall in the squad 12 building lab. Captain Kurotsuchi was examining the Valley of Shadows through cameras he had Renji and Shuuhei put in. "Hmmm, strange. There's no possible way the boy could've been attacked. The Valley of Shadows is completely empty. Nothing but rocks and dust." He explained.

Ichigo rubbed the back of his head. "Well I don't believe that. If there's no one in the Valley of Shadows then how did I faint in the middle in no where and wake up feeling like crap?" Ichigo snapped. Rukia rolled her eyes. "Are you positively sure there's no one else in the valley?" she asked.

Kurotsuchi examined the camera again. "Hmm, this is peculiar." He said. Sakamoto walked over to the screen. "What is?" She asked in a chirpy tone. "There's a strange rietsu coming from this cave." Kurotsuchi explained. Rukia's eyes widened. "That's the cave I found Ichigo in!" She exclaimed.

Kurotsuchi zoomed into the cave further. "That's strange. Why is there latin all over the walls?" he questioned. Sakamoto shrugged. Kurotsuchi stopped zooming in until he noticed slashes of blood on the walls. "That's strange. Where did that come from?" Kurotsuchi questioned himself. Rukia had a concerned expression on her face. Hmm, I wonder… she thought before turning to Ichigo.

"Ichigo, take off your shirt."

The whole room went quite and stared at her. Ichigo just went red in the face. "Why?" He asked. He was afraid to know the answer. "Just do it!" Rukia snapped. Renji and Sakamoto tried to hold back laughter. "Okay okay!" Ichigo exclaimed. He opened up the top half of his kimono and slipped the sleeves off his arms. Rukia examined his back and her eyes went wide. "Where the hell did these slashes come from?" Rukia asked in a worried tone. She knew had many slashes to the back in the past, but they had all healed. The slashes there now looked as if they had just happened. Blood had stopped flowing but there was dried blood on his back and his shirt. "That blood on the wall, it had to have been from you." She continued.

Sakamoto looked at Rukia as if she was stupid. "How can that be true? His shirt of his kimono looks like it hasn't been touched." Rukia thought for a moment. She couldn't think of a logical explaniation for how that could've happened. "Well, there's only one way to find out. I'll have to send someone back to the Valley of Shadows and get a sample of the blood. Any volunteers?" Kurotsuchi. Every back away from Grimmjow. Grimmjow just looked at them all.

"Pfft, fine. Cowards." He hissed.

Oh yeah! Chapter 2 done baby D Oh yeah, if you wanna see a picture of Sakamoto, there's one in my DA account Bleach-Fanz101. I will be getting a picture of Jane soon :3